how i cleared up my acne

I never imagined that I would write a post about skin care. I have had years of my life when my skin was great and years when it was awful but in general, I have never loved my skin. It was pretty clear in my 30's but into my 40's it was AWFUL.  However, I have finally found a skin care routine that has really cleared up my skin and I want to share it with others who might have the same problems I did.

For the past several years, I had hormonal breakouts every 2 weeks.  It was embarrassing and I became pretty self conscious about it.  My doctor put me on an antibiotic for a few months about 3 years ago and it cleared up but then it came right back. I do not like being on antibiotics long term so I did not want to try them again.

Last fall, I finally had enough and went to a new dermatologist.  She tried a few things.  None of them worked and I had reactions to one medication.  She eventually said she did not have any more options for me.

Out of complete frustration, I came across an article on Pantothenic Acid and acne.  I read the article and it really clicked for me.  My hair and skin have always been a tad oily compared to my peers.  My micronutrient and mineral tests always show that I am low in pantothenic acid.  Also, I have adrenal and thyroid disease which is related to this article.

BEFORE doing anything, I ran this by my adrenal and thyroid doctor.  But she agreed that it would be safe and plausible for me to increase my dosage of pantothenic acid and see if it worked.  I was not willing to take the mega doses that some suggest.  I was already taking this brand below (one capsule once a day).

Solgar Pantothenic Acid 550mg 100 Vegetable Capsules

However, my doctor and I decided to try two capsules twice a day.  I did read that a few people experience hair thinning on this regimen. Since I did not want to risk that and these other supplements prevent hair thinning and boost the effectiveness of the pantothenic acid, we added this supplement as well.

Twin Lab L-Cysteine  I take one of these with each dose of the Pantothenic Acid.

So, I take two pantothenic acid capsules and one L-cysteine (twice a day- usually with breakfast and after dinner).

I went back to my dermatologist for a check up and told her about these supplements.  She could not believe the improvement in my skin.  She was not aware of these supplements but said she was going to go research them because of the results I had achieved.  I am telling you that the results were fast. My shiny forehead was gone within days. Also, my hair is not oily at all anymore.  I can even skip a day washing it (which I NEVER did before).  I have had only one small blemish in the last 2-3 months! It has been miraculous for me.  I wish I had before and after photos.  My skin is the best it has been in years.

I am sure that some people will take longer to respond or have to increase or decrease their dosage but this worked for me and it worked very quickly.

I also changed my cleansing routine shortly after the supplements.  I now wash with this soap

You can sometimes find it at Target.  Or you can order it here.

It is awesome.  My skin feels so soft and clean.  It is not drying at all but very cleansing.  I use it morning and night. I cannot imagine ever using anything else to wash my face.

At night, after washing with that soap, I use Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Organic Raw -- 32 fl oz
on a cotton round as a toner. Do not rinse if off!  I leave that to dry and then follow with a very light moisturizer. The apple cider vinegar has balanced my skin and helped even out the tone.  I have some red marks from my acne and they have lightened immensely and quickly from the ACV.  I have no doubt they will be gone shortly.

If you are new to Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as a facial toner, start slow.  Shake the bottle well (you want to get the "mother" which is a mix of proteins, enzymes and good bacteria at the bottom of the bottle) and either wet your cotton round with water first or dilute the vinegar.  It might sting a bit.  And your eyes might water a bit.  Just stick with it.  I promise, you will see amazing results.  I use it full strength now but I worked up to that over a few weeks.

My new routine is so easy and inexpensive and my skin has never looked or felt better.  I will never have flawless skin but I am so much happier since it has cleared up.

Also, my boys use these in addition to the soap with great success.  I think teen boys like the ease of these and they have worked great!

Obviously, I am not a dermatologist or any kind of medical doctor.  I have seen such a dramatic improvement after years of frustration that I wanted to share my finds with y'all.  PLEASE talk to your doctor before adding any of these supplements to your routine.

Also, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will answer them as best I can.

Some good news and some bad news

Okay the good news first, Harry's genetic tests for both NF1 and Spred 1 were both normal.  That sounds like GREAT news, right?  Well, it is and it isn't.  I got the results almost 2 weeks ago but just got the opportunity to speak with the genetic clinic yesterday to get more information.  So here is the situation... Harry meets one of the clinical criteria clearly and is extremely close to meeting the second (he has 5 Cafe au lait spots and the criteria is 6).  They strongly believe he has a version of this disease called "segmental NF."  This is a form of NF1 where not all of the cells have the mutation therefore, genetic testing often does not catch the mutation.  Typically, people with segmental NF have milder cases and live rather normal lives but not always.  They can suffer from all the complications that people with full blown NF1 suffer from, it is just harder to get a definitive diagnoses.  At this point, Harry is doing very well.  Hopefully, we will not need to think about NF1 again until he decides to start a family since it is a genetic disease and he could pass the full blown illness onto children.  We would appreciate your continued prayer that Harry does NOT develop any more NF1 symptoms.  He took the news pretty hard even though I tried to explain to him that really this was GREAT news (at least it is not full blown NF1).

I am SO grateful that God had such a BIG plan for our family.  It is no accident that Harry has an adopted sister.  Harry and his future wife will have some decisions to make someday about how to grow their own family and I have no doubt that having spent his life adoring and loving his little sister will factor into that and keep his heart open to adoption.

Okay, now onto my heart thing.  Thank you for all the kind comments and thoughts. They meant SO much to me.  I love this blogging community. One thing the doctor assured me of is that this condition is NOT anxiety or stress related.  See, I have extremely low blood pressure and when I stand it is not getting to my head and my heart accelerates. So I constantly feel like I am going to pass out. That is an autonomic body response and it is not happening in m body. There is an illness called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.  I am fitting the description for that.  It is not caused my stress or anxiety at all.  In fact, I have not felt stressed in the last few weeks.  I had total peace about Harry's illness and I will tell you why in a minute.  I have an appointment with a cardiologist in a few weeks to try to get a real diagnoses.  In the meantime, I am trying to sit as much as I can and elevate my legs (which is very hard when you are a Mom to 3 very busy kids), cut out caffeine (I did not drink much anyway), drink a ton of water (which I do anyway) and other things the doc has recommended.  So, what has helped me with stress in the last few weeks/months???  It is a scripture verse...

Matthew 6:  25-27 tells us:

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I had read this passage many times before but when I was worried about Harry's illness a few months ago, it really spoke to me.  I was particularly changed by the last question.. Can anyone add a single hour to their life by worrying?  NO.  Something huge shifted in me and I gave all my worries to God and I have felt great ever since.  If I catch myself worrying, I simply ask, "is this worrying adding one hour to my life?"

I recently attended a Bible study and the theme was that God is the event planner of our life.  He has a design for each day of our life.  It is our job to show up in obedience and use the gifts He has given us praising Him all the while.  It is such a relief to think that He is planning it all out for us.

How's the diet going, you ask?

Sidenote:I have received some comments and e-mails suggesting other diets or a second opinion. This diet is not for weight loss (although most people DO lose weight on it). It is not a fad diet. It is a medical diet designed to eradicate a very specific problem that was diagnosed with extensive blood work. It is killing off bad stuff in my body that likely occurred from too many antibiotics over the past few years. (I had pneumonia (twice), sinus infections, strep, salmonella). It is normal to feel bad on this diet as there is die-off of candida in my body. I sincerely appreciate the kind suggestions but I must finish this diet:) I am sure when it is all over, I will feel much better and be much healthier. I just need to complain while I am doing it:)

I thought I would do weekly updates (for my own memory sake) and because several people have e-mailed or commented regarding their interest. I have been eating completely sugar and yeast free for 3 weeks now. That means not one drop of alcohol, not one crumb of any type of bread, cracker, cake, cookie or chip (even gluten free). Not one piece of fruit. Not one drop of vinegar or butter or milk. No mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup. No tabasco or salsa and chips. No cheese. I LOATHE this diet. I really, truly despise it.

I mentioned last week that I felt good but my skin was bad. Well, this week, my skin got worse (but is finally getting better.) And I did not feel well. I had headaches and grumps and slight flu like symptoms which is likely due to the candida medication I began this week. With this eating plan, you starve the candida for 2 weeks then take anti-candida meds for several weeks. All of this is normal but not pleasant.

At one point last week, I thought to myself ....you know if I lose that 5-10 lbs and my skin looks great and I feel energized and healthy...maybe I will continue eating this way for longer. Well, all I can say is the lack of food, chocolate and wine must have made me delusional because I cannot wait to go back to normal eating. This is SO hard. Giving up shopping for 6 weeks for Lent was a piece of cake compared to this! I eat gluten free anyway and pretty healthy but this is so much harder. There is so little I can eat. I do think I have lost some weight though (we don't own a scale, never have~long story).

I do know that I am blessed to have food. And I am blessed to have access to excellent medical care that has guided me to this temporary eating plan. But good Lord...I cannot wait to eat like a normal human being again. I know I should not complain. But you see, I am a foodie. I love food. I am cooking all of this stuff for my family and I cannot eat it. It stinks. I hope I make it. I have 3 more weeks to go. Then I can gradually add in normal food. I might "gradually" add in a big chocolate cupcake on June 21st!

And yes, I complain about this eating plan to my family every. single. day. I am weak.

We had friends over for dinner tonight and Dave made this beautiful blueberry pie (at my suggestion~no one else should suffer just because of my diet). It was tough...

Look at that homemade, buttery, flaky crust...sigh.

Thanks for the suggestions about summer. They were great. If you did not read my last post, please do and add your suggestions. Colleen, I would end everyday with a glass of wine if I could but I can't!!!

Even Keel

Several people have asked how the diet is coming along. Just to re-cap for those who missed it. I was diagnosed with a very serious case of adrenal exhaustion (and low thyroid, low B-12 and a few hormonal imbalances that result from these other issues). So, in addition to several other treatments, my doctor recommended a sugar free, yeast free diet for at least 6 weeks. This diet helps to clean up the gut and kill off Candida overgrowth. It is also just a good detoxifying kind of diet because you cannot eat processed foods. I eat eggs, veggies, beans, quinoa, and lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey and a little beef and pork.

So, the first week was HARD. Really, really hard. I had mood swings, headaches and I felt grumpy and hungry the whole time. I also had an adverse reaction to my thyroid medication that was likely initiated by low blood sugar too. I felt like I was having a heart attack, blacked out and could not breathe. It was AWFUL!!!

However, after 7 days on this diet, I began to feel incredible. My moods have evened out. I am no longer hungry. I feel calm and patient throughout the day. I am not craving sugar or flours at all. I even have taken the boys for gelato twice and it did not bother me that I could not have some. I still have fatigue (which is more likely due to my adrenals and B-12 deficiency) but even that has improved. My energy is better than it has been in a few years! I have now been on the diet 11 days and I am really happy with it. I still don't think I am losing weight which surprises me because I am eating SO much healthier than before. As I said before, I don't really have a weight issue but I certainly have 5-10 pounds of flab that I would not mind losing. I cannot exercise yet because my cortisol levels were so low but should be able to very soon.

The only major drawback of this diet so far is that my skin is really awful. I am not sure if it is detoxing or it is breaking out in reaction to the thyroid and adrenal changes and medications but my skin is definitely not doing well. If anyone know more about this, please let me know. I am hoping it will correct quickly.

So, the thing I missed the most were lattes. But I have devised a latte that I am allowed on this diet. It is coffee, unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a touch of agave nectar (that is allowed:) that I heat and whip up with my aerolatte. It makes a delicious latte. The aerolatte is the best invention ever! It works best when the milk is warm/hot for lattes. I have had mine for years and we use it everyday. I mix Harry's weight gain shakes with it too.

Another new food for me is quinoa. I had tried quinoa before but did not love it. Since I cannot have any rice or grains on this diet except quinoa, I am eating this a lot. My favorite way to prepare it is as a hot breakfast cereal. I cook 1/2 cup quinoa with 1/2 cup almond milk and a 1/2 cup of water. Then I add raw almonds (I toast them for a few minutes in the oven), a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and a drizzle of agave and it is DELICIOUS!!! And a small bowl keeps me full until lunch! I have never been a hot cereal fan but this is so good. In a few weeks, when I am allowed to eat fruit again, I might add some berries and maybe even some unsweetened coconut.

If you have not tried quinoa before, give it a try. Although it is an ancient food, it is the HOT new complete protein health food. ALL the nutrition blogs are gaga over it. It is gluten-free, a complete protein, easy to digest and low glycemic!

I have also learned to eat this for breakfast. It is wild caught sockeye salmon with red onions on top. It is actually really good. Just kind of weird for breakfast.

Seriously, it is hard to be creative on this diet with breakfast. I am not a huge egg eater (only veggie omelets for me) so I have to think out of the box.

I am sure most of you were not interested in all of this in the least but I want to journal this so I remember the process and it might help one of you who asked:) Happy Weekend everyone! Today is Harry's award ceremony and Sunday is Kate's dance recital!

Adrenal Exhaustion questions (and an update on Kate's room)

Thank you for all the comments of support and prayers. I did get some private e-mails and questions and comments that were not published (by request). So to answer a few of the questions I have received...

How did I know who to go to/ how to find a specialist? Well, I had adrenal problems years ago right before we adopted Kate. So, I really suspected this was the issue. I looked for an MD that specialized in adrenal fatigue and hormones. They are very hard to find. I live a mile from one of the best medical centers in the world but I have to drive an hour and 20 minutes to see this doctor. I spoke with her about why a regular internal medicine doctor would not test for adrenal function etc. She told me that in medical school they barely teach about the adrenals and it is very difficult to treat. Also, only a few labs do the specific and sensitive testing she did. Most doctors do not have contracts with those labs. I want to add that she tested me for many, many things but my instincts were 100% right. I told her that I suspected it was adrenals and B-12. So, always trust yourself. You know your body.

Are you depressed too? No. I am not depressed but many people who have adrenal exhaustion are. I am definitely moody and irritable. I am sure my husband and kids could attest to that. And I am frustrated that I cannot make my body accomplish more in a day. But through the grace of God, I still find a lot of joy in my life and do not feel depressed.

The brain fog I have is scary though. I cannot recall simple things. I could not for the life of me remember one of Kate's best friends names the other day. I had to ask Kate what her name was and this is our neighbor and VERY good friend. I have been very embarrassed in conversations where I cannot recall a simple word.

Were you juicing? I have not been juicing as much as I was and I asked my doctor if I should continue to juice. She thinks I definitely should juice once a day or so but she wants me to eat a small piece of protein with my juice (or before) because I am hypoglycemic and juicing can quickly raise your blood sugar. I had fallen off the juicing wagon a bit (due to lack of energy and time---it is a lot of work to have the organic produce available and to clean the juicer). But I KNOW I feel better when I juice. I will be juicing again now but probably 2-3 a week instead of daily.

Have you tried a naturopath or NAET? It was actually a NAET doctor in Virginia who diagnosed my adrenal problems many years ago. I do believe NAET can work. I did it with the boys and myself for a few years in VA. The problem is she took a very, very slow approach and between the adoption and our move, I never finished treatment and never recovered. Then the stress of our move here, finding a house and schools and Kate's surgery and Harry's illness and other things exacerbated the issue and my cortisol levels plummeted even more. My current doctor is an MD but she is taking a natural yet aggressive approach. I will be taking natural supplements and thyroid medicine and bio-identical hormones and cortisol. My cortisol and other levels are so low, I need a more aggressive and immediate intervention than NAET.

Do you have a good source of information? You can find a list of what tests will help diagnose adrenal exhaustion and learn more about the symptoms here. Most of my information has come from the two doctors I have seen (here and in VA). I will say that the kind of exhaustion you feel is not the normal "Mom tired." It is a "looking at the sink and wanting to cry because I am too exhausted to wash a pot kind of tired." Most people who are in the stage of adrenal exhaustion I am in can only function a few hours a day. They spend most of the day in bed. I have pushed myself to function throughout the day but it has been at a great cost. Having said that, I still think it is worth a look at your cortisol and thyroid functions if you are feeling pretty tired and run down. It is far better to catch this in the early stages. I am just saying that you might have to really push your doctor for those tests. Or work to find a doctor that will run them for you.

This site , this site and this site have good information.

I know I promised photos of Kate's room but her bedskirt is backordered. It is a beautiful silk organza bedskirt from Pine Cone Hill that is fit for a princess.

I think it is such a pretty piece that I don't want to photograph the room without it. As soon as it is in, I will post photos. But here are a few little snapshots of the princess herself.....

I love that little heart shaped face and that dimple!!!!

She LOVES this Disney little Mermaid nightgown!!!! My Mom (thank you) sent it and even though it is very big (I have it pinned on the back so it stays on)...she wants to wear it around the house all day long. I actually hide it sometimes because she trips on it and refuses to take it off when we need to go out in public.

hope {adrenal exhaustion}

One day Kate saw this ad in a magazine and said, "Is that you, Mama?" I should have known something was wrong then.

I know I have been a really bad blogger. I have not posted a lot and what I have posted has been of little substance lately. I really have not felt well in a long time. I am utterly exhausted and I get sick all the time. I finally found a specialist who has run a million tests and I got all of the results today.

Normally, I would not post such personal health information but I am sharing this because I would never want someone to feel as awful as I have for as long as I have. I found out that I have a severe vitamin B-12 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency and my thyroid levels are low. However, the main diagnosis was severe adrenal exhaustion.

Your adrenal glands produce all of your stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and they also produce all of the essential reproductive hormones. My adrenal glands are barely functioning. My cortisol level are so low, the doctor is amazed that I can get out of bed.

Symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include:

• excessive fatigue and exhaustion
• non-refreshing sleep (you get sufficient hours of sleep, but wake fatigued)
• overwhelmed by or unable to cope with stressors
• feeling rundown or overwhelmed
• craving salty and sweet foods
• you feel most energetic in the evening
• a feeling of not being restored after a full night's sleep or having sleep disturbances
• low stamina, slow to recover from exercise
• slow to recover from injury, illness or stress
• difficulty concentrating, brain fog
• poor digestion
• low immune function
• food or environmental allergies
• premenstrual syndrome or difficulties that develop during menopause
• consistent low blood pressure
• extreme sensitivity to cold

There are many more symptoms but the bottom line is you feel completely exhausted and you get sick often. You also overreact to things physically. For example, I flinch a lot and am very jumpy because my body cannot adequately regulate the normal fight or flight response.

As a result of the long term adrenal exhaustion, my thyroid and hormone levels are all messed up as well. The doctor thinks it will take over a year to get things back to normal. I am SO encouraged though. She gave me a B-12 shot today and lots of natural supplements and she is beginning to compound some bio-identical hormones to help things get back to normal.

I have felt like a terrible Mom, wife, and friend for a long time now because I am so tired. I just could not do anything 100%. I would look around at women who are able to accomplish so much more than me in a day and feel really guilty. I have let my house get so messy. I have snapped at my kids and husband. I have really felt like people thought I was lazy or a hypochondriac. Finally, I found a doctor who really listened to me and found out what was indeed wrong. I cannot tell you how many dismissed me when I told them I thought I was low in B-12 or that my adrenals were not functioning correctly.

So, I am telling you this because I wish that I had tried harder to find a specialist who would listen to me and do a thorough exam to get to the bottom of my health issues. I had the textbook symptoms of adrenal exhaustion and low vitamin B-12. I also had textbook symptoms of a hormonal imbalance caused by adrenal exhaustion. Yet, I look healthy and eat healthy. For me, the adrenal exhaustion was likely caused by years of sustained stress (building a house, moving across the country twice, parenting a chronically ill child, adopting, etc). Luckily, our heathy diet protected me from other damage this can cause.

So, I am finally on the road to recovery and while I am excited, I know it is going to be hard. For six weeks, I need to eliminate ALL SUGAR and YEAST from my diet. No wine for me. And no chocolate! I will likely blog about my recovery process a little bit because I want to encourage and help other people out there who might have adrenal fatigue or exhaustion.

I am certainly not an expert but this is the second time I have been afflicted with adrenal exhaustion and I have done my research. I hope this helps just one person who might have these symptoms but not know where to turn.