Prepping for surgery

Hey friends! Today I’m sharing how we navigate prepping for surgery (and detoxing after!)

Last year (2019), I had 3 surgeries. 1 fertility preservation “surgery” to remove 24 eggs from my ovaries (see my horrifying experience HERE), 1 to implant my port for chemo and 1 to remove it!

Anytime you are in a hospital setting your risk of infection increases due to chemical and antibiotic resistance strains of bacteria like C diff. Anytime your skin is broken in a hospital your chance of infection increases a little and if you have a weak immune system it raises yet again.

SO! I am all about being PREPARED and being PROACTIVE. Which means that as Patrick was preparing for umbilical hernia surgery, we set a few basic things in place to support his body through the process.

Pre-surgery

Vitamin D

Low levels of Vitamin D increase your risk of developing post op infection as well as leaving you more susceptible for many other diseases. Patrick recently had some bloodwork done and I encouraged him to get his vitamin D levels checked. I’m glad we did because they were way too low! Just below the conventional bracket, and significantly below what we would prefer for optimal health. Since then we have been supplementing with vitamin D to boost his levels.

Added bonus, Patrick struggled with keeping his blood pressure in a normal range and low vitamin D levels can contribute to that so we are killing two birds with one stone.

Probiotics

Taking probiotics before surgery can improve the outcome and reduce the inflammatory response. Probiotics can also improve your recovery and support your immune system. So obviously, I provided him with a good probiotic :)

Antibacterial

And finally, I recommended a low dose broad spectrum, botanical to support beneficial bacteria, immune response, and kill pathogenic bacteria. A catch all post surgery to keep any bugs he might catch from getting out of control.

Day of surgery

The day of surgery the biggest concern was pain. I am all for modern medicine when it comes to managing pain temporarily, but along with narcotics comes some major constipation as well. So the goal was to get off the pain killers as soon as possible (ended up only being about 24 hours) and get ahead of the poo problem as much as we could.

We used high doses of magnesium (I’m loving this brand), senokot (an herbal laxative) and dried prunes in combination to help in this area. It took about 24 hours, but even prescription laxatives can take 24 hours to kick in so this worked well.

Post surgery

I remember well the discomfort that came after my fertility preservation surgery. Even though the pain diminished within a few days, the general discomfort, feeling of bloat, and sensation of walking with a bunch of rocks wrapped around your lower belly was terrible. This seems to be very similar to how Patrick is describing his recovery.

He was able to move around by himself by Friday (surgery was Thursday) and the pain significantly diminished within 2 days, but the discomfort in his belly made it feel awkward. After about 24 hours on th prescription pain meds he was able to use ibuprofen or curcumin occassionally.

I had planned a trip to Columbus to visit Restore Hyper Wellness on Monday so we could give his body and extra healing boost.

We scheduled a 1 hour hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a vitamin IV.

Vitamin IV

The IV he got was a blend of vitamin C, glutathione, toradol, and proline.

Vitamin C and glutathione are major antioxidants that your body uses for cell repair, immune system health and liver detoxification. One of the ways I like to support the body after things like anesthesia is a mild detox with things like this.

Toradol is an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, and delivered in the bloodstream it has a strong effect. He was actually given this in the hospital before we left, and we got another dose at restore.

Finally, we added some proline which is an amino acid that helps with immune system and wound healing!

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has long been used in hospitals for wound healing in more extreme circumstances. Thankfully, it is becoming more accessible for the individual who wants to be really engaged in their health. Hyperbaric oxygen is know well for supporting wound healing but it can also be supportive for neurological healing after brain damage, injury, or even parkinsons.

Results

Happily, Patrick left restore feeling noticeable better. It certainly gave him the extra healing boost we were hoping for. It’s a bummer we don’t live closer as doing some hyperbaric a few days in a row could have really sped things up, but even so, one treatment had him walking out of the building normally. He was less stiff, the brick he described feeling in his stomach was gone, and he was no longer walking slowly.

Ongoing considerations

Patrick is going great! 5 days post surgery he is back to work after a long weekend of rest and recovery. In a few months we may test his poop just to check in on things, but as far as we know all is well! He isn’t supposed to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 2 weeks and he’s already flirting with danger by picking up the cat haha.

I hope that this post was helpful and gave you some ideas to support you through any hospital stay or surgical experience you may have in the future!

References:

Probiotics and surgery:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5590023/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198246/

• https://forteelements.com/wp-content/themes/x-forte-elements/assets/pdf/forte-pre-and-post-op-nutrition-white-paper.pdf

Vitamin D:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5356990/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4413543/

Hyperbaric Oxygen

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058327/

4 Supplements to Help Your Immune System

School has begun!

Which means fall is here and so are all.the.viruses. Whether you want to boost your own immunity, recover from a cold, or just learn for the future, below are my top supplements for supporting your immune system this fall! You may be surprised that things like echinacea and zinc don’t make the list, but those are wonderful as well - zinc is in most over the counter cold remedies and echinacea seems to be popping up in everything as well so I’m assuming you already know about them :)

Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum is amazing! You may recognize the word as the substance that mothers produce in breast milk right after giving birth. This is why breast feeding is so helpful for babies within the first few weeks because colostrum helps build their immune system providing immunoglobulins and antibodies that they need! Mother cows do this as well, and our bodies respond very well to the bovine colostrum as it is very similar to human colostrum. It assists in healing the gut, calming inflammation and supporting your immune system, just like when you were a baby!

Don’t worry, if you are dairy sensitive you can still use colostrum, most people don’t have any issues with this.

Always look for a grass-fed source.

Vitamin C

Yes, sometimes the oldies are still goodies. However, I bet you don’t know that you can megadose vitamin C to give your immune system a big boost and get faster results! Megadosing is where you take 500-1000mg of Vitamin C every 30 minutes to an hour until you hit bowel tolerance (you get vitamin C diarrhea). There is no harm in this and it won’t hurt you, although some people do experience some bloating and tummy rumbles before this happens so if you feel uncomfortable just lessen the dose or stop. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant and boosts your immune system. Megadosing would be helpful in situations like colds, sinus infections, etc….

Make sure you don’t do this with chewables or any form of vitamin C supplementation that provides sugar. Otherwise you’ll be overdosing on sugar too!

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is incredibly important for your immune system! In fact, many people who develop chronic diseases have really low levels of Vitamin D and over 40% of Americans are deficient! While everyone is telling you to lather up with sunscreen, you’re unconsciously avoiding one of the most beneficial health exposures you can get by being outside in the sun. Vitamin D3 is best gotten from direct sunlight. Yes - you heard me - avoid wearing sunscreen and soak up that D! Did you know that your body can produce up to 80,000 IU of vitamin D in 20 minutes of sun exposure? But guess what else - there are safety mechanisms built into your biology (God’s pretty smart) that shut down vitamin D production when you’ve had enough! So don’t go getting a sunburn by any means. Be responsible in the sun and cover up, get in the shade or go back inside. But GET direct sunlight on your skin every single day. Your body absorbs and utilizes vitamin D MOST effectively this way.

Here are some fascinating podcasts on the topic of sun exposure and it’s health benefits. I literally never wear sunscreen unless I’ll be out in direct sunlight in the middle of the day for multiple hours. Otherwise, I do my bet to get as much sun exposure as I can throughout the year!

When supplementing, you CAN overdose, so I would recommend working with a professional or getting your blood checked to monitor your levels if this is a concern for you.

Dr. Mercola interviews Marc Sorenson ( May 5, 2019 episode)

Is sunscreen ok to use? - Wise Traditions episode #193

Chaga

Mushrooms are a fungus and would usually be viewed as a food, but now that they are gaining popularity in everything from tumor fighting properties to immune system regulation and brain focus they come in powders that you can take in supplemental or powder form (mix in a smoothie etc…) Chaga is one famous medicinal mushroom know specifically for supporting the immune system.

I personally love to use Foursigmatic as my mushroom provider because they are very careful about quality, they use a dual extract process so the product has the most benefits, AND they provide you withmany delicious ways to get the mushrooms into your day like my favorite lions mane and chaga coffee, hot chocolates, teas, or superfoods blends. Use code TINYFITDIVA for 10% off if you choose to try it!

I hope this has has given you some new inspiration for the fall season! What immune boosting supplements are your favorite?

p.s. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.