Sooooo… it’s been a while since I was a blip on the social media scene and writing things of purpose, possibility or influence.  (I know folks take short virtual unpluggings all the time- after all, FB and TW can get annoying, political, all-consuming, and downright pathetic sometimes.)  Needless to say, it’s been a while since I was truly involved in the online social space, and after months of hearing folks call or write or say “Kimberlie, where have you been hiding?” or “I miss your updates and motivational stuff!” or “Geez, I thought you left Austin!” or even  “Are you avoiding me??”…I thought it was high time I spilled the beans. Because OFFLINE it had been a while since I was truly involved in my LIFE, career, the community, charity activities and even my friendships.  Here’s why.

In September 2013, I was lucky to have been diagnosed with MERCURY POISONING– or high mercury toxicity.  Now let me be the first to say, if it ain’t Freddie, mercury just ain’t cool.  But I say lucky because I found a bright, curious and determined doctor who helped deduce what was making me so ill…and perhaps saved my life from future devastating disease.  And I’m writing today in hopes that my story might plant the seed for others to review their own health situations and investigate to find answers and solutions to what they thought were just things that they’d have to live with.

Here’s my backstory:  Fifty bucks says you’ve experienced a day in the past year wherein you felt like…how do I say?… absolute shit.  Like you got run over by an 18-wheeler on I35.  Body and brain = mush.  Now there’s a chance you know the WHY behind said situation –and even “earned” it.  Regardless, it ain’t fun.  Well, that’s a succinct yet spot-on summary of how I felt throughout the entirety of 2013;  wherein I spent most of my days staring at the ceiling of my loft- that is, when I wasn’t fast asleep.  I couldn’t stay awake for more than a few hours, let alone even focus on a task or have clear thoughts.  I was constantly exhausted, thirsty, cold, fidgety, in pain; had numbness, ringing in my ears, anxiety, weakness in my muscles, no sex drive (what!), and loss of balance…did I mention tired?!  I’d forget names and places; forget where I was going or driving; couldn’t make a clear decision on anything, and felt underwater and overwhelmed.  In a nutshell I felt like hell -inside and out- like I’d been run over by a Mack Truck and was recovering from emotional and mental drain every single day.  From the outside you couldn’t really tell that there was anything wrong; but what went unseen was attacking my body and mind from the inside-out.  And not knowing WHY was killing me too!  www.epa.gov/mercury/effects.htm  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning 

The roller coaster of health crap, beginning back in 2008 when I was first diagnosed with thyroid issues.  Meds were not the answer but I should have paid attention and dug deeper!  Hindsight, folks, hindsight.  The years following led me through low white and red blood cell count, a flat line of progesterone/estrogen/testosterone (meaning no cycle for TWO YEARS!), a thyroid under attack of antibodies (Hashimoto’s), heart palpitations, and adrenal failure (flatlined cortisol levels).  Yup, I was the life of the party.

The culprit of all of this was one f*#ing simple word:  FISH.  Since my days of old as a personal trainer through the past few years (where I excluded meat, dairy, poultry and eggs) … my diet has revolved around fish for protein.  And, long story short, after a slew of docs, research, and my own experimentation, in late 2013 I was blessed to finally have found one physician who was insightful enough to ask a very simple question: what does your diet look like?  A question most MDs NEVER care to ask, let alone investigate.  Revealing my eating habits pointed straight to my fish intake, and then the connecting-of-the-dots revealed a very clear picture.  Expensive tests further showed highly toxic levels of mercury in my body that had built up over the years and was nesting in my brain, central nervous system, organs (incl female organs), and thyroid.  And so the long, painstaking process of getting that evil stuff out began…

 “Your body is the only thing you are guaranteed to keep for a lifetime; if you have your health, anything is possible.”   – Dan Millman, author

 Today, I am still chelating the mercury out of my body, taking a crapload of supplements and concoctions, drinking purified water, avoiding fish (still), caffeine, alcohol, candy (and a bunch of other delightful things that make life more yummy at times)… but I feel LIKE A MILLION BUCKS compared to where I had been!!  My body and brain are beginning to function at a higher level and I find peace in knowing that I may have staved off some devastating issues in the future.  Once I knew what was wrong, I knew I could find out how to make things right… if I invested the time and resources.  And I did. 

So, beware, my friends!  I’m getting back in the swing of things and will be firing it up online soon: launching a new site, creating more art and readying for a gallery showing, self-publishing a few new books, and hitting the town again!  I hope to see you out there, hear from you and be able to help you… now that I have the energy to give again and be play a role in the game of LIFE again!

 Cheers to your health and all the possibilities that life has!     ~  Kimberlie

*** P.S.   If any of my story prompts questions or thoughts you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to ping me.  I’m not one to pimp doctors or solutions but wanted to at least share some basic ideas that might get you thinking about MERCURY POISONING and perhaps being proactive in addressing those lingering questions in the back of your mind: why don’t I feel good? What’s wrong with my body? Where do I begin?

SUGGESTIONS:

Write down what you eat (and I mean everything, including what kind of water) for at least a week.  Be specific about the fish and protein powders and any foods with additives/preservatives/artificial colors and stuff.  Write down all of your vitamins and medications.  Think through how you have been feeling over the past 6-12 months and what has changed negatively…then journal notes to share with your doc. Apps can be a great help here!

• GET THEE TO A SPECIALIST!  I am happy to tell you about my doc (Dr. Sellma Vllasi @ www.wisemanfamilypractice.com) and also share the research I found to point you to other/alternative practitioners.
• Have extensive blood work done to check WBC, RBC, thyroid, female hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), metal levels (mercury, arsenic, lead), cholesterol, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B-12, folic Acid, C-reactive protein.
• Take a saliva cortisol test to assess your cortisol rhythm and levels throughout the day. Cost ~$125 which your doc or www.peoplesrx.com can provide.
• Get a tissue mineral analysis (a.k.a. hair analysis test) to more thoroughly examine all levels of nutritional elements and toxic elements in your body.  Invaluable information includes: explanation of toxic elements and their sources; ratios of good elements to bad elements in your body; how your metabolism type comes into play; complications from toxic metals; possible sources of toxic metals in your diet and suggestions of what to eliminate immediately; dietary suggestions and supplementation.  Cost ~$125. The gent my doc referred me to is Anthony Passeur, CCH @ www.harmonyhealthaustin.com.
• Check your dental history.  Get new x-rays to see if there is leaking and talk to your dentist about removing and replacing those metals fillings with something nontoxic.  I am happy to tell you about my dude, Matthew Steinberg, DDS @ www.designerdentist.com.

Copyright by Kimberlie Dykeman

About Kimberlie Dykeman: Kimberlie Dykeman is an oncamera personality, marketing buzzsaw, producer, media coach… and entrepreneur for OPTIMISM.