Hello, and thank you for spending time reviewing my case!
Back in 1990, I had my first partial complex seizure at sleep time and I ignored it for years especially that I figured that not sleeping middle of the day resolved the issue.
In 2006, by coincidence, I made took a Brain MRI to discover that I have what appeared to be benign and was ignored until 2008, where I had my first partial complex seizure while I was awake.
A year after (in 2009), I decided to take brain surgery while awake and resected a small part of my left-temporal-lobe area after a Functional MRI said that I actually can. According to Canada, it turns out what was cut is an Astrocytoma Stage II (while Cleveland in the UK said it is oligoastrocytoma in their report).
While the surgery was “successful”, it surely left me with brain challenges that only has worsened with time.
What’s more interesting is that despite that I remained without any cancer growth (says so my 26 MRI scans so far which are available for view), my brain function has been declining one year after the other. I have discovered many problems and nailed many of them but none of what did so far helped my brain function challenges.
Symptoms
ONE: Developing Cancer Further
However, in November 1st, a test showed that I was positive for Coronavirus. The first two days were extreme headaches, and I things improved as I was done.
I did an MRI at first (didn’t know it was Coronavirus at first), and the MRI scared me saying that there’s some sort of slight development. I switched to Ketogenic diet, and I am going to do more in the next two weeks after speaking to my doctors.
TWO: Memory, Focus, Mental Fatigue, and Recall Speed
It is important to note that this has got worsened in the last 2 years (2017 to 2019). So, today, I am doing worse than I was doing post surgery.
This is the Most Challenging/Critical
I have developed slower abilities to save new words or subjects, regardless of language. Noticeably, when I’m reading the content within Information Technology (my original subjective), then I will be doing “okay”.
If the content is on a completely fresh subject, I would suffer from mental fatigue anywhere between 1 min to 15 min of reading.
It’ shard to list the subject of a talk in sequence at the end of a meeting. However, if I’m giving time (minutes or hours), I may remember a good portion of it on the same day. Next days, I cannot remember that unless I’m given hints
Self-distracting thoughts during conversations most of the time.
I struggle with spelling for words that I never had before in the past.
Tossing names in another challenge too. I also often find myself frustrated following my surgery when I mix up the spelling of words, such as “write” and “right”.
I have listed examples of my brain challenges. You can see them here.
For a list of select symptoms over the many years, I have compiled an overview of the this information for quick review.
A recent Cognition Assessment Test conducted on 7/2019 shows that there are major challenges requiring attention. That probably shows the same outcome that I had when I conducted Gibson Cognitive Skills Assessment back in 2013 which showed similar poor outcomes.
THREE: High Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
For so many years, the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) has been up high (I have done multiple times, starting on 2018). Full readings can be found here
The latest was 112.3 nmol/L.
I have been having less interest in sex life, similar to hypoactive sexual desire disorder. The reason I am looking for ways to treat this is because I have a feeling that it is affecting my brain function somehow.
FOUR: Fatigue
I wake up with good general power, then two hours down the road I become fatigued (and hence I always work from home knowing it will be otherwise difficult).
That did not improve when I was in Ketogenic Diet (fasting in the morning), nor when I wasn’t on Ketogenic diet.
Does eating make me improve? No. Supplements? No. Exercise? No
I then get better near 9 PM. I have the energy again, but no improvement on the mental capabilities.
FIVE: Seizures
Beginning in July 2019, I found that the seizures were significantly controlled/reduced by introducing CBD and few Supplements.
Quick History
- Grand mal seizures: Had three between 2013 and 2017, without further reoccurred.
- Before resolving seizures on July 2019, and for the last three years, auras and seizures took place very frequently and Trileptal wasn’t working effectively.
- On October 2019 decreased Trileptal to 300 mg x 2 per day after raising CBD dosage. This happened as I increased my CBD dosage.
- On November 2nd, 2019, I reduced Trileptal to 150 mg x 2 per day. So far, no side effects of taking it off took place (as I write, it’s been only few days). Note that this was not possible before (seizures were not contained)
- On December, 13th, 2019, I stopped using Trileptal. Yahoo!
I did increase CBD, and I did a more restricted diet choices to protect myself further from further seizures.- On the 12/26, 2019 (around two weeks after cutting of Trileptal) I had two seizures in the same day and they were significant and different. Unlike always, I was able to listen, talk, walk. However, for the first time in my life, I had new challenges in the eyes that made me not focus. First lasted 30 min, while the other lasted 90 minutes. I then that Nitric Balance is what walked me out of what I was into around 15 minutes post taking it. I can’t be sure, however.
- Next day, no seizure took place.
SIX: Reflection Speed
I have discovered that my reaction to events has become much slower. For example, if one of my kids burned his hand, I would react much slower (far below average). Maybe this was caused by surgery, maybe not. .
Possible Root Causes
- I hit my head when I was 14 while playing at school which made me become unconscious for few seconds, followed by feeling lousy and not being to listen clearly nor focus for 15 minutes
- The tumor itself being there and growing since I was a child (without being aware of its existence)
- The tumor resection that took place in 2009, which was diagnosed as a low-stage astrocytoma in the left temporal lobe.
- SIBO, Intestinal Permeability, and Autoimmune Disease, along with other health conditions. Cured later.
- Poor diet since childhood, which continued until 2013
- Perhaps having taken Trileptal for around 10 years
Why is that not enough of reason? because while my brain wasn’t working well, it was always only getting worse, not better. So, compare today to the week after surgery, you’ll find that I was better post surgery than I am today.
Bottom Line (12/2019)
I have done plenty of Lab Tests, and few arrays on Cyrex Lab tests too. Doing these helped me open the door for finding ways to resolve my issues.
I believe that Trileptal has been one significant cause of the challenges that I am facing. I was able to get rid of Trileptal after following a protocol of adding CBD and Ketogenic diet, and slowing Trileptal around over 6 months.
My diet followed the modification to stay away from what Array 10 from Cyrex has shown. Having discussed this further recently with Dr. Flannery, I have followed a more restricted version of the diet where I stayed away even from the items that are in the EQUIVOCAL area.
I then worked with the great Dr. Flannery recently was a great decision. He ordered many tests, and some of them are already out. Tests he ordered and are out include DiagnosTechs: Saliva Test and GI MAP: DNA Stool Analysis – Stool Test You can read his advise on where and what to do here.
I have also worked with Dr. Robert Miller, who ordered Organic Acids Test which showed Neurotransmitters that are Out of Ranges that probably requires attention. He ordered some supplements which seems interesting, which I am putting on hold until I see what Dr. Flannery will be saying on Jan 3rd 2020. It seems that Array 5 will be delayed until middle of Jan, while Array 7x and Array 20 are out already and can be seen her.
I am also putting great hope on the protocols that I followed after my SPECT Scan and the advise I heard from Amen Clinic.
I am also hoping that Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) will be making a significant change soon, but I decided to put that on hold until the beginning of 2020, until I finish what I have at hand first given that I want to reduce the variables.
I have started finally exercising starting Dec 13th, without getting seizure after that, like I used to get in the last three years. I can’t wait to see how that will impact my memory if it will at all.
I summarized what I’ve been doing in the last 6 months and what I intend to do in the next three months on under recent updates page
Conclusion
With patience, I will continue down the path to discover the root cause of my challenges, and the best path to resolving it.