Hi All,

I am struggling with trying to figure out what to do. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Problem
This is the second time I have tried to get off of my prednisone since reading LYTG. Just like last time, I am around 10mg and starting to see some dark red blood on the stool. It is not alot, but it is getting worse. (BTW, I am so looking forward to someday not having to check the bowl for blood - argh!)

The last time the bleeding started (about 3 mos ago), I tried some things which didn't work right away and I panicked and up'd the pred. I know it wasn't the best thing for me to do. Jini provides many wonderful "tools" to help get out of that situation, but like I said, I panicked and am now paying the price.

The slight cramping that I get is in the transverse colon. Although it is probably obvious to everyone else, I think that my mucosa in that area must be damaged. Like I said, this is probably extremely obvious.

Out of mostly stupidity, I had not been taking many of the supplements that Jini has recommended in LYTG. I guess I was putting all my eggs in the probiotic basket.

History
12 years with moderate-severe UC, most of 12 years on pred, 6mp and Asacol. Starting taking probiotics in 8/06.

Currently taking
drugs:
-10mg Prednisone (down from 30)
-50mg 6mp (down from 125)
-800mg x3 Asacol (6 pills per day down from 12)

supplements:
-1 capsule Megadophilus 4x /day
-1 capsule Bifido factor 4x /day
-30 mg Coq10 1x day
-3-6 of those gummy bear vitamins per day

planned changes:
-increase coq10 to 3x day
-Change gummy vitamins to the Nature's way Prenatal
-get back on 2 scoops of Absorb Plus in Kefir 1/day (yum!)
-try Mucosaheal again (more below)

Questions:
1. At Darkangel's request (THANKS!), I tried taking Mucosaheal. I took it for 2 days at 1 per day and then (STUPID ME) jumped to 1 pill 4x day. Started seeing D. No blood I think, just lots of D. I went back down to 1 per day for a couple of days and the D got better but was still there. Can Mucosaheal cause D? Is this die off? Should I worry that I can't tolerate it?

2. I have spent most of 12 years on Prednsione and 6mp. I know that these meds impair my body's ability to heal itself. I would guess that this is part of the problem with trying to heal the damaged mucosa in the transverse colon. Right?

3. How much is my current dose of 50mg of 6mp hurting my body's ability to heal the colon? It has taken me a year to get the courage to decrease from 125mg to 50mg. Going all the way off of it scares me, but I will do it if it is the reason that my body cannot heal... (of course the paradox is so funny... paraphrased: Should I stop taking the medication I was given for the problem so that my body can heal ARGH) Of course I know the prednisone is impairing my body's ability to heal too... but getting off it is the main point!

4. Another thought I had was to try to increase the probiotics. Maybe I am just not at high enough level. So I upped the probiotics (BTW, before last flare I was at 1tsp 3xday of first two powders). So I upped the Megadophilus for a few days: D. Upped the Bifidio for a few days: D. Which really makes me frustrated because I have taken higher levels of these things before. ARGH! So here's my thoughts: I know that the Natren probiotics create beneficial acids. If that one spot in my colon is wounded/poorly healed, is it possible that the acid from the probiotics is just too hard for that one area?

5. I have cut my Asacol qty in half. Although I know that it is toxic and I need to finish getting off of it, I do wonder: Does it help protect the mucosal layer? Am i having this problem now because I have cut the Asacol? Does it make sense to go back up on the Asacol to get off of the Pred and 6mp, which I believe are much worse on my body?

I would appreciate any advice/ideas/experience that anyone has. Please skip the idea of the Wild Oregano as I am on 3 meds and don't feel that my liver is ready for it yet.

Thanks so much!
Ed

Sorry to hear the hard time you are having.From my past experiance I would not lower the dosage for the asacol and considering the difficulty you are experiancing coming off of prednisone I would increase the dosage .Asacol by far is the least intrusive of the drugs you are taking.Weaning off of prednisone can be difficult,I would decrease at 10mg to 2.5 mg for a week and the same the following week.At 5 mg depending on the symptoms I would reduce by 2.5 mg. or even by 1 mg.If there is an increase in symptoms you must up the dosage then reduce again. Important-I would supplement with cod liver oil for adrenal gland support as well as calcium+vitamin D for bone density.Have you had a bone density scan?
Morris

Morris, thank you so much for your response!

morris wrote:Sorry to hear the hard time you are having.From my past experiance I would not lower the dosage for the asacol and considering the difficulty you are experiancing coming off of prednisone I would increase the dosage .Asacol by far is the least intrusive of the drugs you are taking.

Excellent! I will think about increasing the Asacol back to 4 pills 3x day ONLY to help me get off the worse drugs. Thanks.

morris wrote:Weaning off of prednisone can be difficult,I would decrease at 10mg to 2.5 mg for a week and the same the following week.At 5 mg depending on the symptoms I would reduce by 2.5 mg. or even by 1 mg.

I have been reducing by 2.5 every 3 weeks. It's a long, long road.

morris wrote: Important-I would supplement with cod liver oil for adrenal gland support

Thanks, I will look into this. Would Fish Oil work just as well?

morris wrote: as well as calcium+vitamin D for bone density.Have you had a bone density scan?

Thanks. I do take between 500 and 1000mg of Calcium+D every day. I had a bone scan 4 or 5 years ago. I guess maybe it's time for another one.

Thanks again!
Ed

Darkangel, Thank you so much for your response!

Darkangel wrote:I'm curious: have you had problems with Asacol before? Alot of folks have bad reactions to it and one of the side effects is, ironically, diarrhea. It may be worth your while to try another ASA, if you haven't already. I was switched from Asacol to the older drug azulfadine/sulfasalazine. It worked much better for me.

No. I was orginally on Pentasa but it wasn't quite right. Doc switched me to Asacol 12 years ago and I've been on it since.

Darkangel wrote:so if you think increasing Asacol or some other ASA could help you wean off pred and 6mp, that would be the way to go.

Thanks. I am going to consider that as an option. I just wish I could do it without more drugs.

Darkangel wrote:I know it's hard to patient, but as you've learned, it's never a good idea to jump in and take a large dose of anything with a compromised digestion.

IT IS SO HARD! I just want to be rid of this awful disease and this damn medicine. It's destroying my life. Please, please go away. Just go away. Nothing works. It's the same game over and over and over again. Please don't take that to mean LTYG doesn't work. I am just so damn frustrated. I feel like I am losing the battle.

DarkAngel wrote:I'd start the Mucosaheal again, cautiously... something like one pill/day for a week, two pills/day for a week, etc. and see how it goes. The George's Always Active Aloe may be helpful, too, for gut healing.

I will try them.

darkangel wrote:In addition, you may want to look into l-glutamine powder for both gut healing and to help control your diarrhea. But again, start cautiously with all this stuff and only start one new therapy at a time so you'll be able to pinpoint if you're having problems with a particular one.

Thanks. I've started back up on the AbsorbPlus which has that L stuff in it.

darkangel wrote:I'm wondering why you're not still taking the Natren probiotics in powdered form - particularly if you're having diarrhea. Jini recommends starting with the Natren Bifido Factor powder alone first. You can't go by what you've done in the past... your body is in a state of constant change. You'll have to experiment and listen to it to know what it needs at this point in time.

I was trying to see if it would go better. Last time I tried to go down on the pred, I started bleeding at 5mg so I was seeing if the capsules would help. I know that probably doesn't make any sense at all.

darkangel wrote:Overall, the feel I get from your post is you've just tried too much too soon and too many things at once. This trial and error is slow and frustrating, but necessary, IMHO.

yes of course, that's me.. .Too much at once.

Thanks DarkAngel. I really appreciate your time and advice.

Cod liver oil would be a better choice than fish oil because it has a higher concentration of vitamin A and D.The hormones that the adrenal cortex makes are all derived from cholesterol which is the precursor to adrenal hormones that help deal with stress, inflammation and trauma, and that help our body to heal The adrenal cortex cannot make adrenal hormones out of cholesterol without vitamin A.
Morris

Hi, Ed.

I'm going to ask Jini to comment on this, as well.

I'm fortunate - I found LTYG right when I was diagnosed and never even started on medications. I made the decision to give myself two years with holistic protocols only before I'd rethink whether or not to follow my doctor's advice about pharmaceuticals in whole or part. This was great for me - and as you know, it worked out wonderfully for me - but it does mean that I don't have the personal experience that's invaluable in being a support to someone else who's going through the whole weaning process. Jini, on the other hand, has gone through it.

However, here's one thing I came across recently that might be of interest and of help. You know what a fan I am personally of EFT and you've no doubt read some of Jini's experiences, as well. Check out this person's experience using EFT as part of her healing journey from cancer. EFT is such a wonderfully flexible tool - I would definitely use it as part of your "weaning" toolbox. This article might give you some ideas about using it to mitigate side-effects as you wean/support healing.

http://www.emofree.com/Articles2/cancer ... lauren.htm

Also, there's an article in the latest Good Health is Real Wealth infoletter about boswellia and berberine, two supplements that sound like they could have real potential in supporting people during and after the weaning process. Several references are included at the end of the article for those who'd like to research further.

Hope this helps, and as I mentioned, I'll also ask Jini to check out your questions.

All the best,
Nicole

Very well put, darkangel.

Hi Ed,

Well I must say you've received excellent ideas and advice from Nicole, darkangel and morris - I'm going to be able to retire soon!

Your recounting is very honest and yes, your situation is harder because you've been on the meds for so long. Your adrenal function alone is going to require a lot of support.

And here's the kicker about prescription drugs: yes, whilst suppressing symptoms, they do make the causative problems worse. Therefore, as time goes on, it becomes more difficult to get off them, because when you do, you realize how damaged your body really is. The drugs mask all the damage, and when you peel off the mask - Yikes!

So from that point of view, I don't know if there is a way to come off them without going through some nasty times. I know I had bleeding for a long time (over a year) after I weaned off everything. However, I also hadn't developed all these wonderful protocols yet... so I don't know how it would be now.

I know some people have been able to wean off their meds and replace them with natural protocols, without suffering bleeding or other very serious symptoms. But I don't think anyone has experienced only positive occurrences, with no negative stuff happening. Go back and re-read Ch. 1 of LTYG so you can see how natural healing is usually a winding road.

So I guess the first issue you're dealing with is expectations. Natural healing is like a 400 pound person trying to lose weight. IT'S REALLY HARD! And it takes time, and a lot of unpleasant physical and emotional things happen, and you have to be ruthlessly committed.

Are you up for it? Are you willing to do what it takes to make it happen? Is the drug/surgery route bad enough yet, that you've finally had it and are willing to go through the hard times to change it? Only you know when/if the time is right for you.

The only thing that Nicole and I, and others who have gone through it, can tell you is whether it's worth it. To that I know we'd all answer: HELL YES!

Now for a bit of practical advice: It seems as though you already understand this, but do NOT wean off the drugs too quickly. This will trigger a flare since many of your healing and protective functions have been shut off by the drugs and it takes time and therapeutic support to get them going again.

So, first thing you can start right now, is going for acupuncture. It would be ideal if you could also get going on EFT and also do it while you're having acupuncture. You don't have to do much (if any) tapping since the needles are stimulating the meridian points for you. But after 12 years on meds, you need regular acupuncture (at least once per week, for probably 6 - 12 months) to support your liver and gland function (especially adrenal) as you wean off the meds. Don't take any herbs from the acupuncturist though - see LTYG for my thoughts on Chinese medicine.

It would be also be good if you could find a good naturopathic or osteopathic doctor who can support you through the weaning process, since most of your major organs have likely been affected/weakened from the meds.

Your post also reminded me of a Private Email Consultation I did for a woman whose teenage son had colitis. In fact, I think you'll find it useful, so I'm going to post it here. My note at the end (addressed to the son) should also resonate with you - it may be written to a teenager, but no matter how young/old we are, the feelings/issues are still the same. I have, or course, removed any identifying details to protect privacy:

**************

From what I've read, I would say Alan's primary causative element is lack of a good, protective bacterial flora (throughout his body). This would have been compounded by the pasteurized milk ingestion from infancy (don't feel guilty about this, you are not responsible for things you don't know). You can see this in the way he is so prone to infection. Plus, the multiple courses of antibiotics would also exacerbate this problem.

Once you become fluent in the usage of wild oregano oil, you will also be able to use this instead of antibiotics whenever the need arises.

PLAN OF ACTION

NOTE: All supplements mentioned are available at: http://www.HolisticHealthShoppe.com

For a long-term treatment of this (without having to take high doses of supplements for the rest of his life) you need to start preparing and serving traditionally fermented foods. So he can obtain protective bacteria and live enzymes naturally, through his food and drinks. I know from personal experience, that this is a big undertaking for you, but if you can gradually change your family's diet, ALL of you will enjoy a huge increase in health. The way to do this is by purchasing "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig PhD (Amazon has it) - this is both a a cookbook and a fabulous education in why eating in traditional ways is superior for health. If you want to get started on the education part, this site has a treasure trove of fabulous articles: http://www.westonaprice.org/sitemap.html

In the meantime, follow these basic guidelines to get you started:

- No pasteurized milk products of any kind, or from any animal (yogurt, cheese, milk, etc. from cows, goats). Switch to RAW milk only (must be from pasture-fed cows or goats) and start with just raw milk yoghurt, then move up to small amounts of raw milk, gradually increasing as tolerated. You can buy raw milk cheddar in any natural foodstore now. For lots of info on raw milk, raw milk yoghurt, safety issues, etc, see either Issue #1 of my infoletter, "Good Health Is Real Wealth", or http://www.realmilk.com

- start giving him broths - must be homemade and from organic animals only. To see why broths are so strengthening, see:
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/broth.html

- listen to the Probiotics 1 teleseminar with Natasha Trenev, if you haven't already, to get a better understanding of Alan's core problem. If you missed it, you can get either an MP3 or transcript of it at: http://www.holistichealthshoppe.com/index.php#52

Now, based on his unbalanced bacterial flora and susceptibility to infection (both bacterial and viral and throughout his body). You really need to get him on the Wild Oregano Oil Protocol. You expressed some concern about his liver, but you must take it in context, on a scale of 1-10 of which substances damage the liver, it would look like this:

Wild oregano - 1
Prednisone - 9
6MP (6-Mercaptopurine) - 9
Asacol - 6
Sulphasalazine - 9 (requires liver monitoring at least every 3 months)

In fact, wild oregano has no history of damaging the liver at all, it simply must be processed (like most substances ingested orally) by the liver, so herbalists don't want people to overload their liver. Many medical doctors, don't have this concern and will load people up with multiple drugs that are all hard on, or damaging to, the liver. So you have to take it in context.

Yes, he can take it in gelcap form, but I would encourage him to take it both ways (see my instructions on pg. 153 of LTYG for the method I use so that even my 4 year old could take it (and she took it 3-5x/day this way for an ear infection) and see which way seems more powerful for his body - let him decide. Personally I favor him using the liquid, if he can, because I'll bet it would get rid of his throat infection tendency.

In my opinion, you should wean him off Asacol (and any other drugs, including Tylenol, etc.) as soon as possible. Asacol is one of my pet peeve drugs since I have heard from so many readers who discovered their bleeding and diarrhea was actually being caused by the Asacol (a listed side effect in the pharma insert of the drug). Doctors may tell you this is a very rare side effect, but reader feedback tells me it's not so rare at all.

So, in addition to all of the above, here's a new supplement schedule for him, that should work well and really heal all the varied points of his condition. I've added some additional supplements to his current regime: MucosaHeal, Cod Liver Oil, Vitamin D, Multivitamin/Multimineral. Each of these is crucial to the success of this healing program.

The cod liver oil, vitamin D and multivitamin need to be taken with food. Since he only needs 1 multivitamin per day, he can take it at either breakfast or dinner, whichever he prefers. If his body doesn't do well with the Prenatal I've specified (it contains iron), then switch him to Nature's Way Multivitamin (No Iron). The Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules are actually really nice tasting - myself and all my kids chew them because they taste quite nice, and then spit out the gel casing - but he can just swallow them if he prefers (unless he's having more than 3 bowel movements per day, then he needs to chew them). Same with the Vitamin D and MucosaHeal - no swallowing capsules if having more than 3 bm's per day - transit time is too rapid to ensure proper absorption. The Vitamin D he can chew with the fish oil (it has no taste) and the MucosaHeal he can empty into water or apple juice and drink it down.

While we're on the topic, this 3 bowel movement rule applies to ALL supplements, so if he's having more than 3 bowel movements per day, he can't take the Healthy Trinity capsules either - he'll have to take the powders until his bowel movements lessen.

It's a good idea to gradually introduce each of the new supplements to check for tolerance. Add the multivitamin/multimineral last. I suggest this order:

Week 1: Cod liver oil and vitamin D
Week 2: MucosaHeal
Week 3: Multivitamin

You also need to start gradually with the Wild Oregano Oil Protocol: start with a dose of only 3 drops of wild oregano, or 1 gelcap (i.e. 4 times/day). For his second week on the Protocol, increase wild oregano to 5 drops, or 1 gelcap (4x/day). For third week and following, take full dose: 10 drops or 2 gelcaps.

**Don't be surprised if he gets the Herxheimer Reaction during the first 2 weeks of the wild oregano oil protocol. See pg.149 in LTYG for what to expect so you don't panic when this happens.

Based on his history, I would expect him to remain on the wild oregano protocol for 4-6 weeks. But best to let his body and intuition be his guide - whether less, or more. If symptoms flare or recur after completion, then just go back on it again. Many people cycle on and off the protocol for about 2 years before they can come completely off. Some of the pathogens involved, like mycobacteria, take 2-3 years to kill off since they keep going dormant, then active, then dormant, etc.

He probably wants mostly carbs and fruit currently because his Candida population is too high. Candida overgrowth makes you crave carbs and sugar and lose your appetite for other foods. The wild oregano oil protocol will kill off the excessive candida and you should be able to get him to eat more protein and vegetables as time goes on. You need to remember to start offering them to him, so he doesn't remain stuck in an old (unhealthy) habit. Your goal is to get him to the point, over time, where he primarily ingests protein and vegetables, with only a little carbs and fruit.

As for what vegetables and foods to give him, follow the appropriate Healing Diet in LTYG (according to his symptoms). Well done with the fish twice per week - wonderfully healthy for all of you, just make sure it's not tuna (too high in mercury).

So, here's his supplement schedule in detail:


WILD OREGANO OIL PROTOCOL


WEEK 1

Upon wakening:
- 1/2 cup aloe vera with 1 tsp L-Glutamine (yes, you can take these together and mix them together if you wish)
- 15-20 mins later, 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano. Continue taking vitamin C and quercetin with breakfast, but make sure Vit.C is in mineral ascorbate form, also take 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules and 2,000 IU Carlson's vitamin D.

School lunch hour:
- 2 gelcaps wild oregano oil with lots of water (or liquid if he prefers, but capsules may be easier to take to school)
- If he can, take an Absorb Plus shake in a thermos to drink at school. If he won't do that, then a thermos of homemade broth with carrots, zucchini and egg noodles in it. If he can ingest BOTH of these foods, that is ideal, but otherwise, just one, or perhaps alternate the two.

Home from school:
- 1/4 cup aloe vera juice with 1 tsp. L-Glutamine
- 15-20 minutes later: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano, Emergen-C with a snack

Before dinner:
- 10 minutes before dinner: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano. At dinner: 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules

2 hours after dinner:
- 1 Healthy Trinity capsule. If these are too big for him to swallow, then just skip this, but ideal if he can do it.

Right before bed (on empty stomach):
- 1 tsp each powdered probiotics in diluted apple juice


WEEK 2

Upon wakening:
- 1/2 cup aloe vera with 1 tsp L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal (yes, you can take these together and mix them all together if you wish)
- 15-20 mins later, 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano. Continue taking vitamin C and quercetin with breakfast, but make sure Vit.C is in mineral ascorbate form, also take 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules and 2000 IU Carlson's vitamin D

School lunch hour:
- 2 gelcaps wild oregano oil with lots of water (or liquid if he prefers, but capsules may be easier to take to school)
- If he can, take an Absorb Plus shake in a thermos to drink at school. If he won't do that, then a thermos of homemade broth with carrots, zucchini and egg noodles in it. If he can ingest BOTH of these foods, that is ideal, but otherwise, just one, or perhaps alternate the two.

Home from school:
- 1/4 cup aloe vera juice with 1 tsp. L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal (yes, you can take these together and mix them all together if you wish)
- 15-20 minutes later: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano, Emergen-C with a snack

Before dinner:
- 10 minutes before dinner: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano. At dinner: 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules.

2 hours after dinner:
- 1 Healthy Trinity capsule. If these are too big for him to swallow, then just skip this, but ideal if he can do it.

Right before bed (on empty stomach):
- 1 tsp each powdered probiotics in diluted apple juice


WEEK 3

Upon wakening:
- 1/2 cup aloe vera with 1 tsp L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal (yes, you can take these together and mix them all together if you wish)
- 15-20 mins later, 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano. Continue taking vitamin C and quercetin with breakfast, but make sure Vit.C is in mineral ascorbate form, also take 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules and 2000 IU Carlson's vitamin D

School lunch hour:
- 2 gelcaps wild oregano oil with lots of water (or liquid if he prefers, but capsules may be easier to take to school)
- If he can, take an Absorb Plus shake in a thermos to drink at school. If he won't do that, then a thermos of homemade broth with carrots, zucchini and egg noodles in it. If he can ingest BOTH of these foods, that is ideal, but otherwise, just one, or perhaps alternate the two.

Home from school:
- 1/4 cup aloe vera juice with 1 tsp. L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal (yes, you can take these together and mix them all together if you wish)
- 15-20 minutes later: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano, Emergen-C with a snack

Before dinner:
- 10 minutes before dinner: 10 drops, or 2 gelcaps of wild oregano.
At dinner: 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules, 1 Nature's Way Prenatal Multivitamin/multimineral

2 hours after dinner:
- 1 Healthy Trinity capsule. If these are too big for him to swallow, then just skip this, but ideal if he can do it.

Right before bed (on empty stomach):
- 1 tsp each powdered probiotics in diluted apple juice

**When he's ready to come off the protocol, wean off with just 5 drops or 1 gelcap of wild oregano four times a day for a week, then stop and move to the supplement schedule outlined below.


AFTER COMPLETING WILD OREGANO OIL PROTOCOL

Upon wakening:
- 1/2 cup aloe vera with 1 tsp L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal (yes, you can take these together and mix them all together if you wish)
- 20 mins later, 1 Healthy Trinity capsule, then breakfast (yes, you don't have to wait 20 minutes if taking the Healthy Trinity capsule since it's protected against stomach acid). Continue taking vitamin C and quercetin with breakfast, but make sure Vit.C is in mineral ascorbate form, also take 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules and 2000 IU Carlson's vitamin D

School lunch hour:
- If he can, take an Absorb Plus shake in a thermos to drink at school. If he won't do that, then a thermos of homemade broth with carrots, zucchini and egg noodles in it. If he can ingest BOTH of these foods, that is ideal, but otherwise, just one, or perhaps alternate the two. Once he is at his normal weight, then stop the Absorb Plus shakes. If he tolerates raw milk or raw milk yoghurt well by this time, then instead of the Absorb Plus shake, give him a shake made from raw milk or yoghurt (yoghurt is best), 1 raw organic egg, 1 black (overripe) banana, maple syrup or honey to sweeten as desired. For shake recipes, see the Recipe section on the forum.

Home from school:
- 1/4 cup aloe vera juice with 1 tsp. L-Glutamine and 2 MucosaHeal
- 15-20 minutes later: Emergen-C with a snack

Before dinner:
- 5-10 minutes before dinner: 1 Healthy Trinity Capsule
OR
- 20 minutes before dinner: 1 tsp of each powdered probiotic in diluted apple juice

At dinner: 2 Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil capsules, 1 Nature's Way Prenatal Multivitamin/multimineral

Right before bed (on empty stomach):
- 1 tsp each powdered probiotic in diluted apple juice

*If he will let you, then give him Jini's Probiotic Retention Enema once per month for 3 months. If not, then just continue with the oral schedule above.

**Stay on the schedule above for 6 months - 1 year. But, after 3 months, you can stop the MucosaHeal if all is going well, and you can also stop the L-Glutamine if he no longer needs it (to control diarrhea). In fact, you can stop the L-Glutamine at any time if he no longer needs it. The aloe and MucosaHeal will provide sufficient healing and strengthening action for his intestinal wall and mucosal lining.

After 6 months - 1 year on the above schedule, reduce probiotics to 1 Healthy Trinity per day (any time of day), or 1 tsp. of each powder before bed, on an empty stomach, ongoing.

If fully healthy after one year, also continue to take the following supplements ongoing: vitamin D, cod liver oil, multivitamin/mulimineral, Emergen-C. Really, your entire family (especially you who is no doubt bearing the brunt of the stress and work) should be on these supplements ongoing too, as a preventative measure and to move you into vibrant health. Added benefit: if you're all taking these supplements as well, then Alan won't feel so alone. My 3 kids are perfectly healthy with no bowel problems, but they all (and my husband) take these supplements daily as well. The bonus for your other children is that they probably won't catch colds and flus from school very often.

**If he can't take the Healthy Trinity capsules, then just replace them with 1 tsp of each powder, but then he must take 20 minutes before food.

As you've noticed, emotional events and feelings are triggers for colitis. In fact, they are triggers for any disease or illness. In order to get a really good grasp on how this works, be sure and register for the Teleseminar this thursday with Dr. Mate - you should have received an email about this already. So keep going with the EFT and any other emotional healing therapies Alan feels drawn to: craniosacral, hypnosis, etc.

Regarding visiting a GI, only go if you want drugs or surgery for him. Otherwise, try to find a naturopathic or osteopathic doctor who can assist you.

Check the Health Practitioners on: www.JiniPatelThompson.com to see if anyone has listed a good doc in your area.

Okay, that concludes your plan of action. You still have one follow-up email remaining as part of this consult - and you can use that at any time during the next year.

Now, this next section is for Alan, so please print this out for him to read:

Dear Alan,

I know how you feel about desperately wishing to just be normal, and have everything go away. I was only 17 when I was diagnosed and I do remember feeling those exact same things. Everybody else gets to go to parties, movies, eat all that yummy junk food and do whatever activities they want. Your life is all about being careful, restricting yourself, disciplining yourself, never overdoing it. It's so boring and tedious.

But here's the other thing that I can tell you - having been through it and come out the other side. Illness of this sort is not just a physical occurrence. It's also a spiritual path. It may be hard to visualize now, but what you're going through and the self-discipline you're having to develop, is literally making you into a new person - a different person. Yes, you are and will be different from all those 'normal' people around you. But do you know what 'normal' looks like 10 years from now? BORING. Normal people live normal, ordinary lives, with not much thought or planning going into it. They just sort of chug through life, just getting from day to day.

People like you, who have been forced (through illness, trauma, or loss) to develop self-discipline and the ability to continually analyze cause and effect (if I do this, that will happen), go on to live a life of special purpose. If you can develop the self-discipline necessary to heal yourself, get in the driver's seat and take your life back, then the world will be yours to do/be anything you want. This is very EXCITING.

Your higher, spiritual self is calling you to be a bigger, better person. Not just normal. And yes, the path is very hard right now. But it's like forging the steel, or the phoenix rising from the ashes - you have to go through it before you can emerge a new, more glorious, powerful person, who now has the tools and ability to live an extraordinary life.

God is with you 24/7 to help you in this path. Great Spirit sees the magnificence of who you can become and is supporting you at all times - you just need to ask for help and support. But the actions, the daily discipline, the sacrifices, those are all yours to make - and they are what will mold you into a new, (not normal!), but fabulous person. And I can speak from experience when I say, it is so very, very worth it.

hugs,
Jini

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So Ed, I think you can see from this Consult, that this person had many things in common with you. Hopefully you can extrapolate some useful ideas, procedures for your own use from it.

all the best,
Jini