Valley Fever

[itself]

Hi All,

Well it has been a tough winter for my partner and I. She was just diagnosed with the infamous Valley fever. For those of us that live in AZ, TX, or CA, this is in disease we are all familiar with. A spore mold gets into ones system, and in some cases like my partner, forms a nodule on the lung. Fatigue, fever, coughing are symptoms, but you can have valley fever without any symptoms.

We went the holistic route, as Laurie could not tolerate the diflucan. She is on:

Oil of oregano capsules
Mushroom capsules
Curcumin with Boswella (www.agelesscures.com)
Vitamin C powder in water
echinacea tincture
Probiotic
Breathe Easy tea
sinus and Allergy tea

Within a week of this regimen, she improved significantly. According to Chinese medicine, foods in the shape of the lung, like mushrooms and almonds, will help with the breathing condition. My herbalist friend also suggested wrapping strips of flannel soaked in slightly warmed castrol oil around her chest.

It will ake some months for her to totally get better. We hiked the other day, and for the first time, she had an exercise induced asthma attack. Patience and time will heal.

We are also meditating every day. Amazing how this helps the healing process.

[Crankin]

While I believe in alternative medicine, I caution you in making sure that the Valley Fever is really gone. I speak from experience.
I had it, without it being diagnosed, or even knowing i had it. When I was in my 20s and 30s there were several incidences of "illness" that were bronchial and I can pretty much pinpoint which was the time that was probably VF.
After that, I had years of asthma, up to the point of being on a nebulizer every four hours. It was during this time I started exercising seriously, but I always had "reactions," if I did too much.
The lung stuff pretty much disappeared after I moved back to Massachusetts. About 6 years ago a CT scan for something else picked up spots on my lungs. My PCP freaked and sent me to a lung specialist, who looked at me and asked me if I had lived in AZ. Those spots were the result of untreated Valley Fever.
I wish I had taken the antibiotic. I know they suck and make you sick to your stomach, but after 30 years of lung issues which could have been avoided, this is how I feel. So, at the least, have your partner get regular scans.

[azfiddle]

My husband's father nearly died of valley fever after they moved from New York to Scottsdale in the 1960's.

[itself]

Cranking,

Laurie has been on two rounds of antibiotics. She was forced to stop the diflucan due to severe stomach irritation. The next step is to go to an infectious disease doc.

The doctors out here are idiots. My gosh do I appreciate East coast medicine since I moved from Boston....

[Crankin]

Go to the infectious disease specialist.
Can you go to Mayo? They have a really good team approach/treatment protocol for stuff. If there's another way to treat it, they will know.

[ClockworkOrange]

So sorry to hear of your partners ill health.

I am not about to say what is right or wrong with holistic medicine but the one thing that jumps out at me is taking mushrooms?

Perhaps have a brief read of a thread I started a couple of years ago and incidentally, since the long treatment I am back to normal health lung wise.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=31071

Unfortunately and I don't understand why but few doctors or nurses seem to know much about Aspergillosis. The following is an amazing site for advice and information. The person who runs this site, Graham Atherton, is an amazing man, I am not sure how he has time to do so much, as well as running clinics in the UK.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/aspergillussupport/

Also I am sure she will not mind me mentioning her name but I believe OakLeaf on here, is very knowledgeable too.

I wish her well, please here, as to her progress. :)