Enbrel, Weight Gain and Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil-My Experiment

Well, I have been away from making videos on You Tube for awhile. I had a major flare up with my index finger and the pain was increasing, and I decided to just take a break and not make any videos.

The kick start low carb plan is going good, still have EXTRA 12 pounds of weight gain to get off because of medications and also over doing it with too many carbs over the holidays..I am cool with that. It's really hard when Xmas and birthdays run into January, my daughter turned 21 January 11, 2011..red velvet cake is always going to be on her birthday, no matter what!! The struggle to get into ketosis will take a break, but that's a real good feeling when ketotis kicks in and I am on my way back to the healthier me.

Excuse my horrible fingers, my nails won't grow like they use to , this is the index finger that was so inflamed, it was burning hot, not from an injury.

This is my other hand, the middle finger is deformed, and also index finger, the index finger had cortisone injection about a year ago, the nail is growing back, but the joint is damaged.

 I had to go back on the Enbrel injections right before Christmas. I had went to the doctor in December, my index finger was so inflamed for about 5 weeks, there was no change. I knew if I asked the doctor to give me a cortisone shot, he would give me a injection in the finger joint, I needed relief and this time was my last time getting cortisone for a long time, so I went through the 5 minutes of crying like a baby and feeling the pain of the injection, but I knew it would be over in about 5 minute..and it was. I knew that I could not continue getting the cortisone shots and the pain was getting worse and the Doctor suggested that I go back on the Enbrel. I started back taking 50mg weekly injections of Enbrel, and within 3 days, my joints in my fingers were amazingly pain-free. Enbrel is a very powerful drug, it is almost like rolling the dice with your immune system. I personally did not experience any of the severe side effects, I was only on a 12 week dose the first time, and a few weeks in between. I wanted to give my body a rest, see if I could manage the joint pain and build up my immune system, before I have another major flare up. I have been diagnosed about 2 years ago with an auto immune inflammatory disease pointing toward psoriatic arthritis. I never had psoriasis, but I still can have the arthritis.I carry the gene marker HLA-B27 which is why my  immune system attacks my joints when any infection occurs in my body, but it really means, that sometimes, my body just tries to fight the infection, even if there isn't any, and by taking the Enbrel, it suppresses the immune system allowing my body to rid the inflammation caused by this attack. My lower back is what could ultimately become filled with inflammation causing me not to be able to walk, my knees, my ankles and my toe and finger joints have taken their turn attacking me..but I fight back the best I can , and walking has been a cure for mental wellness too.

going for a walk out in the sun does provide me with enough vitamin D, which helps my mental wellness

Ok, now that I have gotten that out of the way....Enbrel down side for me is weight gain...actually I believe also I was eating a lot of foods that was not on my low carb plan over the holidays, and before I knew it..12 lbs came on pretty quick, which I believe 7lbs was from the Enbrel. I have been on the Enbrel for about 4 weeks, then I wanted to go off it to see if I could let my immune system come back, and be nice to me...also I went to the dentist and I have to have a deep cleaning, which may cause my gums to bleed .I have to be off the Enbrel 3 weeks before I can have this done. So,now I have been off the Enbrel for almost 2 weeks, I feel fine, and I have gone back to taking coconut oil regularly, and I have been feeling so much energy and feeling that my weight loss will start back, once the Enbrel is out of my system, usually it take about 3 week...
I have been researching and following people who claim "oil pulling" has been removing toxins from your body, just like I consume 1 table spoon of coconut oil in the morning, usually in my coffee, now I will try oil pulling, 1 tablespoon for 15minutes a day, on an empty stomach, meaning when I wake up in the morning, instead of taking the coconut oil as a supplement, I will actually will be "swishing" the oil, and then spit it out, and in a trash bag and treat it like toxic waste because the toxins mixed with your saliva shows as Toxic foam filled with bacteria and hosts of yuck!. Also, the teeth become whiter, healthier gums and bones. I do have bone loss around my back molar, so I will be documenting my health to see if I seen any signs of more improvement with my health. I have not had a cold, flu or sore throat in over a year since I have been taking coconut oil, if anything, that is what I believe kept me well and not falling deathly sick while being on the Enbrel...

Update 2-9-2011

I found my camera, and I decided to talk a bit about my experiment with oil pulling, and to tell the truth, those 15 minutes of swishing is worth it!!! I have this feeling of happiness

Discover the amazing health benefits of coconut meat, milk, water, and oil. In this book you will learn how to use coconut to prevent heart disease, dissolve kidney stones, balance blood sugar and control diabetes, enhance the immune system, protect against cancer, boost your energy and increase your metabolism, lose excess body fat, kill disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and relieve symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome...and I know if I keep researching and learning, I stay active in taking control of my health



Stay tuned, I will be documenting my journey and another educational video will be coming soon with all the technical details I have been experiencing and my health, especially my auto immune disease which I may have found an alternative way to manage chronic pain.