Autoimmune Diseases

After months of worsening gastro issues, about 6 weeks of internal bleeding, and extreme weakness and exhaustion I was recently diagnosed with either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Why don't the doctors know which one? Because I got tired of waiting for appointments and did not at all like the typical progression of either - so I started researching!! And now I'm healing! My doctor did not feel it was prudent to do a colonoscopy because it would interrupt the healing process. In fact she stated that she was not going to recommend any pharmaceutical meds either since the herbal and dietary approach was working.


My father suggested yarrow for the internal bleeding. He has a degree in forestry and a tremendous amount of herbal knowledge. In fact, I like to play a little game with him in the woods and see if I can find a plant he doesn't know a use for or even more rarely can't name. I found out that yarrow has been used worldwide by indigenous people for centuries to staunch bleeding both internally and externally. Within about three days of beginning a yarrow tea made from the medicinal yarrow growing in my garden, the bleeding had stopped. I'm still taking it because it's an excellent healing herb for all gastro issues. Later in the week I'll do an entire post on yarrow as it's the current subject of study for a class that's part of my MS in Herbalism degree program.



No matter how much research I do, it never ceases to amaze me how much solid science is out there that is not used by doctors. Both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis tend to be diseases where doctors know how to apply a pharmaceutical Band-Aid to cover up the nasty symptoms - but have no idea how to heal. In fact, most doctors will tell you there's no healing for either of those diseases. Actual fact: Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, better known as Paleo Mom, who has a PhD in medical biophysics has written a detailed scientific book, The Paleo Approach, geared toward the non-academic, explaining the root cause of all autoimmune diseases and how to successfully put them into remission.

In short, all individuals with autoimmune diseases who have been tested have been found to have a "leaky gut" which is when food particles not just nutrients leak through cells into the bloodstream. The foreign particles in the blood cause the body to launch an autoimmune response - varying from rheumatoid arthritis, to Crohn's disease, to multiple sclerosis, to hundreds of other autoimmune diseases. Heal the gut and you put the disease into remission!

So with herbs, major dietary changes, and lots of rest I'm in healing mode right now!