Appendicitis - caused by raw food?

[J A]

OK guys,

those of you who've read my earlier thread here
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=45760
pretty much know which symptoms I've had. I went to my doctor two days ago and was sent to the hospital as the tests indicated I was infected with something serious. At the hospital, an ultrasound showed Appendix stones (fecal stone) in my appendix. The stones had infected my appendix, causing all the pain. Fecal stones are basically feces (could be toxins there too I guess), hard small balls that usually don't matter, people carry worse stuff in their bowels.

Anyway, on Wednesday the appendix ruptured and I was put through a hell. The stones just ripped it apart. After a quick operation they had the appendix removed, me put on antibiotics and now, two days later, I'm finally back at home. A week of antibiotics waiting for me.

OK so that's what happened. That's why I was having all the pains. No salmonella. No food poisoning. Just a couple of hard bits of crap infecting my appendix and giving me some real pains to live with. Finally my appendix couldn't stand it and ruptured. It is, of course, possible that this was at least in part due to the doctors not letting me drink for all of Wednesday, just in case I was to undergo an operation. Water would probably have helped.

The questions I'm asking myself is... Could this have been caused by raw food detox? Was my body trying to kick out those stones as they don't really belong in a healhy stomach? Could my body have done that if I had drunk more water? What happened? Can I go on with raw food now? I've no appendix left of course, but will my body be able to stand the detox coming?

And if I slow down the detox, how do I do it? I don't want cooked food. Don't like it. Hate even the smell. I guess I could drink pasteurized juices, I like them in fact, that's probably all I could do. I guess there are raw foods that cause less detox? Currently I haven't got much energy or anything for chewing etc. so I asked my wife to mix some apples and blueberries, hoping that will help my stomach settle down. I've already had some BMs, thank God - it was really hard to live without my bowels working. I find it difficult to drink, it won't go down properly, but I'll keep trying - not much else I can do, huh? I'd need a juicer but our economy is a mess as I haven't been able to work for a week...

Sorry for any typos and I guess I'm not very logical in what I write, I find it difficult to focus my thoughts (haven't slept well).

Best to all and thanks in advance.

[Veganforlife]

No. SAD/CRAP foods cause dis-eases.

[Tea]

Wow, I am so sorry to hear of your experience. Could the Appendicitis perhaps be due to the 6 mths you were on a paleolithic diet prior to raw foods. It just seems like it would take longer than 3 mths for Appendicitis to manifest but I have no idea...I could be wrong. All I know is one should feel better on a raw food diet, not worse.
My daughter also had very odd symptoms (similar to Appendicitis) when she was very high raw for 8 months (I don't know if it was due to a raw diet though, I cannot say for sure).

I hope you feel better very soon and heal quickly and keep us updated.

[J A]

Well, it seems I couldn't explain it quite the way I wanted, so I'll try to elaborate. I love raw food, it is the best food for the human body there is. Rocket fuel, like Ani Phyo says.

I'll try to explain in detail what I was thinking:

There were fecal stones. Either in the appendix already or maybe they got in the appendix later. Those fecal stones were there because I have eaten junk food before. Had I lived on raw food all my life there would never have been any fecal stones. Unfortunately, my parents never found out about raw food...

Now, my body starts to clean itself, after years of junk food. It throws all the toxins out. And then, it wants these fecal stones out. Maybe they were lying in the appendix already? (If you don't know what the appendix is, google for it.) I'll try to explain shortly. It is a long tube hanging to the side of the cecum, scientists don't think it's anything we need anymore (rather like the tail bone - a rest from our ancient forefathers). It might millions of years ago have been used to digest leaves etc. Maybe it still has a function today but no one knows which. It is a long tube, not like a small pouch you can easily rinse clean. Mine was longer than 4", the longest in the world ever removed was 10". It is also pretty narrow. Attached to the side of the cecum, it is not part of the usual intestinal system so I don't know how much fluid ever gets in. There is only one entrance so whatever gets in there has to come out the same way.

So what I was thinking is: My body tries to clean itself, it doesn't wan't these fecal stones there (me neither), it tries to flush them out, not succeeding. Because I don't drink enough? Possibly. Whatever the cause, the appendix becomes infected by the stones repeatedly hitting against its walls. Finally, when I'm told not to drink at all and a number of doctors apply manual pressure on my belly, it ruptures. The infection itself was causing me a lot of pain, the rupture could have been fatal had it not been treated immediately.

I hope I was clearer this time. I'm not accusing raw food of causing these fecal stones, just thinking that (possibly because I wasn't drinking enough) the detox I quite likely was going through might have caused the infection.

Edit: I now see I was a bit angry the first time I wrote this. Please rest assured the only reason I was angry was because I thought Veganforlife and Tea didn't understand what I tried to describe. I was in severe pains and so wanted to get off the chair as soon as possible so I didn't notice I sounded angry ;-) My apologies. Hopefully it's better now.

[carolg]

JA,
Your message is coming through with a tone of anger to Tea who is only trying to share her own words. I'm into talking and writing on the subject The "POWER of Words" message/talk I am wanting to further promote throughout the nation. So I'm more sensitive than others perhaps. Regardless there are ways of getting our message across without you saying Do you get it now? I'm sure you meant nothing but still it showed up in writing.

I'm sorry to hear of your health challenges Personally I know "diseases just don't happen" jus as drday.com indicates too. Perhaps the raw foods actually stirred up the body and up came the full blown result. I hope you are on a speedy mend now. We're hear for you. This is the beauty of community. Was hesitant to post this message here, but I feel it is okay at sometimes any one of us could speak without being sensitive to how it is going to be perceived. No judgment per se, but just a hint on The Power of Words.
carolg

[lynnc72]

Hi JA,

I had a similar thing happen after 2 weeks on raw foods.

I'm not blaming raw for my ruptured appendix. Doctors still don't know why some people get Appendicitis and others don't. They say perhaps my history of chronic constipation put me at higher risk.

Looking back, my colon cleanse got out a lot of mucoid plaque. From there, I discovered raw and went on it for 2 weeks. Which is when the Appendicitis hit. Then went back to SAD for 1.5 years. Now I've been raw for over 1 year and counting.

Anyway, it could be coincidence when it hit. Perhaps it could have been the colon cleanse. We'll never know for sure.

The excruciating pain and a week in the hospital made me thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for not having constipation anymore due to raw.

I've stopped speculating and just be THANKFUL.

[shine72]

You know, I don't think it's the raw foods. I think it's the lifestyle and food you had all these years BEFORE raw foods. My friend went raw (after thinking I was nuts for it, but then seeing what great results I was having). Another mutual friend (who was bigger than both of us put together and I was over 200#), told her, "watch out, you're going to get an appendix attack". So when my friends appendix burst a week later, she said "See, I told you so!" My friend said, "No, it's from all the not taking care of myself and yo-yo dieting and everything else I've done for over 30 years, NOT raw foods!"

Food for thought (pun intended).

[carolg]

Sunshine,
Went to your blog was it and waiting for some Nov. updates.

Oh, by the way, I saw some mention of ADHD relevant to your friend, I believe teacher.

OT:
I can't find "his" website but others who market his book. I read about him and he is an ace in this area and leading authority. Turns out to the be "neighbor" across from my apt. growing up. I am now in touch with his brother. Howard Glasser is author and many people are using his book including my friend: “The Nurtured Heart Approach”

I don't think it addresses autism however, but not sure since I can't find the website. He's been on CNN, etc...travels internationally, etc. He's out of Tucson. I found this PDF and you at least see something about his backgroun:
http://www.iacaf.org/pdfs/Glasser_Brochure.pdf

http://www.academeca.com/Amedco/SeminarInfo.aspx?seminarId=227


Email me privately if you wish Glasser talk as we are OT here.

carolg

[goobygirl]

I see that people are trying to make a connection with switching to raw food and appendicitis, but I would say it's not a scientific connection.

I don't see how eating the food we were placed on the planet (or evolved on the planet) to eat could cause appendicitis. I understand a cleanse might happen, but on the other hand, what would have happened if you hadn't got these fecal stones out in the first place?

I know people want to say that food is causing an issue, whether in this post or others (heck I've even felt these things happen as I transitioned) but I wouldn't ever say the food caused "it." I would say taking away the pills or junk food caused my body to react differently. In your case, the absence of junk food allowed your body to expel toxins, or for fecal "stones" to finally leave the body. I think one would be thankful [even though it really hurt, I'm soo sorry :( ] that they are now out and wonder what else may be lurking in the dark recesses of the body...

[shashibala]

J A, So sorry you had to go through that terrible time! I hope you are feeling better!

[Raw Angel Mom]

So sorry that you had to go through this. I heard that detoxing too quickly and not letting nature or our body cleansing on its owns speed could do this. Some had stone in their liver. The body will melt down those stones but this is important of not eating in a way to detox too quickly. What i mean, is doing fast, or juicing instead of doing smoothie etc.... I had a calcium deposit in my shoulder from a very old injury years ago and it became loose to lead to a severe injuries after a simple fall on my shoulder. I didn't even know that something was wrong that day that i felt until i woke up the next day, not being able to move my arm in a certain position. From x-raw, they say a calcium deposit stock in my join.

Raw food is safe and heal but our mind or impatience or lack of trust that our body will take care of us on its own term, could lead to problem like that. It is important to learn to listen to our body and do what our body is ready to do. Sometime, it may be better to do a gradual transition on raw food and then pure fresh food. With Alissa Cohen philosophy, her approach is very safe in my opinion, because you transition from cook food to a different way of preparing your meal. This isn't about detox but to get comfortable with raw food and just eat what feel right to you.

Again, i am so sorry that this happen to you and i am grateful that you sharing your story.

Blessings!

[J A]

Thanks for all the replies.

Raw Angel Mom: Thanks for your kind words, they warm my heart. I really don't want to detox fast, really, really don't want to. I want things to go smoothly and gently. I suspect I’m detoxing fast again, I taste metal in my mouth and I’m feeling pretty bad, one week from the operation. My belly has been all swollen since this started (1,5 weeks now) and only now is it calming down. The part they cut isn’t, though – it’s bulging and hardish under the wound when I touch it. My bowels are still far from being normal (I’ve still two more days to go on antibiotics…) and it hurts every time there’s a bowel movement involving the part that’s been surgically tampered with. I still walk like an old man and walking a mile is a killer…

I don’t know what to eat to slow the detox down. I’ve only been eating fruits now, to be easy on my bowels. Drink a lot of water. I just don’t want cooked food, what can I do to take this detoxing thing more slowly? I don’t want to blaze through it, I don’t think I feel my body can cope with it. I’ve stopped taking pain killers BTW… so the only thing remaining I want to get rid of is antibiotics.

What do you eat when you eat 100 % raw yet want to detox slowly?

[pixelkatt]

I don’t know what to eat to slow the detox down. I’ve only been eating fruits now, to be easy on my bowels. Drink a lot of water. I just don’t want cooked food, what can I do to take this detoxing thing more slowly? I don’t want to blaze through it, I don’t think I feel my body can cope with it. I’ve stopped taking pain killers BTW… so the only thing remaining I want to get rid of is antibiotics.

What do you eat when you eat 100 % raw yet want to detox slowly?

Are you drinking green smoothies or just eating fruit? From what I have read eating all fruit and no leafy veggies isn't good for some people. I know I would be a mess if I just ate only fruit and if you mix greens in your smoothies you can't taste it. Just a thought. :)

[J A]

Thanks pixelkatt,

I love smoothies, but my blender's broken and I don't seem to be able to fix it. I'll get a Vita-Mix next but I'll need to save for some time - and this being sick thing isn't exactly good for my finances... Vita-Mix is #1 on our wish list and we'll get one as soon as we can.

[pixelkatt]

Thanks pixelkatt,

I love smoothies, but my blender's broken and I don't seem to be able to fix it. I'll get a Vita-Mix next but I'll need to save for some time - and this being sick thing isn't exactly good for my finances... Vita-Mix is #1 on our wish list and we'll get one as soon as we can.

I understand. I really want a Vita-Mix too but can't afford it right now either. So... my old faithful Waring has to do. If I were you I would get an inexpensive blender now though. I'm sure there are a lot of recommendations on this board for blenders that might work for you until you can save up for your Vita-Mix. I use my Waring every day and couldn't live without it. Especially if you are sick. It's worth a few dollars to settle for now in my honest opinion (whatever that's worth, lol) until you can get the best of the best. :)

[rawmiss]

[QUOTE=J Can I go on with raw food now? I've no appendix left of course, but will my body be able to stand the detox coming?[/QUOTE]

Some people are born without an appendix and they digest fine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermiform_appendix
"2. There have been cases of people who have been found, usually on laparoscopy or laparotomy, to have a congenital absence of an appendix. 3. There have been no reports of impaired immune or gastrointestinal function in these people"


I have no clue if the not drinking water caused this to get worse, my feeling is that it was already inflamed and full of puss which is why you were in pain so there was already pressure in there that was not being released, and if it was possible to release it would have already been released and more water wouldn't have helped. I.e. could there really have been more pressure added to the appendix that would have released the pressure without it breaking.

It's curious that the doctors pushed on your appendix, I wonder if they were trying to shift the stones.

I hope you feel better, best wishes on your recovery.

[J A]

It's curious that the doctors pushed on your appendix, I wonder if they were trying to shift the stones.

I hope you feel better, best wishes on your recovery.

No, they were trying to determine whether I had appendicitis or not. Apparently, the pain is one of the tell-tale signs to look for...

Thanks for your thoughts, I didn't know not all were born with appendix.

[Green_Woman]

JA,

How bizarre... I recall reading your previous post and thinking "I wonder if it's appendicitis"...? :(

Humbly I submit this thought: now that you do not have an appendix, would not the Living Foods diet be the BEST possible way for you to treat your body and recover??? :)

Living Foods are WHOLE, totally nutritious and have again and again been shown to be the BEST POSSIBLE food for our bodies...

Consider Raw Foods your path to HEALING now... :)

[annavon]

Appendicitis is usually caused by eating a low fiber diet, so I don't think raw foods caused it and if done soon enough might have prevented it. However, it appears that your past diet(s) may have just caught up with you (did you eat a lot of meat?). Also, there are some families that are more suseptible to appendicitis, perhaps due to its size etc.

I wish you a speedy recovery.

[J A]

Green_Woman: Funny you should have thought that, I never believed I had appendicitis before they cut me up ;)

I know raw will be the path to healing. I can't eat anything but raw, trust me :) I find all cooked food totally disgusting in, above all, smell, but also look and feel. Don't even want to taste :)

annavon: Yes, I did eat lots of meat previously.

My current concern re. raw food is that I'm putting myself through a fast and furious detox. I feel like detoxing - my head feels dizzy, I'm having trouble concentrating, a bit like a brain fog, I feel tired, I have very little energy. On top of my intestinal problems, of course! I've one more day of antibiotics to go but I might skip it - I don't know, after all, how much of my problems are caused by the antibiotics. The thing is, I really need to work and my work requires my head to be clear, I need to be able to think clearly. I would like a more gentle detox, not like I'm now - basically unable to anything but sleep, take one or two very short walks a day and rest.

Don't green smoothies speed up detox?

[rawstrength]

Hey JA, I hope you feel better soon. Sometimes, we just have to go through the pain of detox. Blended greens do slow down the severity of detox compared to eating only fruit. The alkalinity of greens neutralizes the acidic toxins that are being dumped into your blood through detox. Also, try taking some warm baths with a mix of sea salt, baking soda, and epsom salts, and a few drops of soothing scented essential oils if you have them.
Make sure you get on a really good pro-biotic, like Dr. Ohhira's probiotics (http://drohhiraprobiotics.com/index.html) or do some cultured foods like kimchee, saur kraut, and kombucha to restore your natural gut bacteria.

[J A]

Hey JA, I hope you feel better soon. Sometimes, we just have to go through the pain of detox. Blended greens do slow down the severity of detox compared to eating only fruit. The alkalinity of greens neutralizes the acidic toxins that are being dumped into your blood through detox. Also, try taking some warm baths with a mix of sea salt, baking soda, and epsom salts, and a few drops of soothing scented essential oils if you have them.
Make sure you get on a really good pro-biotic, like Dr. Ohhira's probiotics (http://drohhiraprobiotics.com/index.html) or do some cultured foods like kimchee, saur kraut, and kombucha to restore your natural gut bacteria.

Thanks for the suggestion, my wife loves kimchi and while I haven't quite enjoyed it in the past, I'll make sure to start liking it now. Generally speaking, I don't like supplements and would thus prefer to avoid probiotics.

I'll try to get a blender, I really need green smoothies.

[J A]

OK, here I am again - would appreciate some input.

I haven't recovered yet. I've lost weight in a mad manner - there's not an ounce of fat left on my body. Seriously. My ribs are very clearly visible, my legs very thin, only my stomach is still swollen but that's not fat. My cheeks are slightly hollow and they've always been a bit round regardless of my weight. I guess I look a lot cooler than I used to but I don't want to end up being undernourished.

Now, my problem is what to eat. I need fat, I need energy. I want to put on some weight and my bowels are still a mess. I have bowel convulsions now & then, especially if I move around & excercise (even carefully, easy, simple yoga etc.). My back is tired 'cause I can't stand straight - my stomach is too tight, I can't stretch it all the way out. I can when I lie down but only after relaxing for like 15-20 minutes.

I was hit by candida because of the antibiotics I took after the operation (was supposed to take antibiotics for 7 days, took 6 days). The candida isn't getting better, in fact I think it's getting worse. They say it can invade your bowels and that's exactly what I think it's done. Now I think all that fungus is eating up whatever I put down my throat and my body doesn't get nearly all the nutrients from the food I eat because of that.

I've basically been on a fruitarian diet after the operation, eating things I know I'll be able to digest (apples, oranges, melons, peaches, bit of pineapple, other fresh fruits). Fruits have always been a significant part of my diet, since childhood. I know I can digest them easily. After a bit of digging, I came to the conclusion that my yeast infection is probably living off the sugar in all that fruit. I tried to switch to a diet without sweet fruits (now how do I do that, never tried before!) - salads, avocados, cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers... Now this really pissed off my bowels, apparently they had a real hard time digesting that. I know I can't chew the greens well enough, my teeth aren't good enough. Had horrible bowel pains and the faeces that finally came out was pretty hard. Back to fruits now, with some non-sweet fruits too (cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers).

I've ordered a Vita-Mix as step #1 (our old blender broke down shortly before I got sick). Green smoothies will probably help a lot. But what more is there I can do? Nuts would probably give me some needed fats, but they must be in a state in which I can safely digest them. Soak & throw into Vita-Mix? I really hope Vita-Mix will solve the problem for me, I really don't want to take medicine to get rid of the candida infection.

What a mess I am. I'm happy my head's a bit clearer now I'm off antibiotics. Now I need to get my body rid of that yeast infection (note that I don't get yeast infections easily, this one came because of the antibiotics) and feed it some proper nutrients!

Grateful for any input.

[Veganforlife]

First off - WOW! You've been through the mill! Holy cow!

Second - did you take PRObiotics while taking the antibiotics? VERY important, because all the flora in your intestines is gone. Important to build that back up.

Start eating high fat foods - avocados, nuts and the like. Your body's been through a lot. You'll get through this.

Others will pipe in with awesome suggestions too.

Good luck!

[goobygirl]

How about adding some almond or nut butter into a smoothie? The fat is good and the protein is good for you.

For the yeast, add 10-15 drops of grapefruit seed extract into the smoothie and it will take care of your yeast. I did that daily for a week and killed off the yeast I could tell was building up vaginally.

[J A]

Thanks, yeah it's been a real hard time. Could never imagine getting this sick. The good thing is it isn't a chronic disease, just something I'll need to endure for maybe a week or two more. :D

I'll try avocados & soaked nuts in smoothies, don't want to eat them as they are as I don't think I can digest them yet. Avocados at least cause trouble, I can't digest them easily.

Have any of you experience with these?

- Raw Hemp Protein Powder (from Detox World)
- Raw Goji Bliss (from Artisana - cocoa fat with Goji berries)

Thanks for the probiotics suggestion, no I haven't had any - I generally prefer to avoid anything that's not directly from the nature. Now I know antibiotics is about as bad as it gets but I did have some surgery after all so I guess I had to take those antibiotics. I might look into it but to begin with I'm trying similar things like kimchi and other fermentated foods.

Thanks for the grapefruit seed extract idea. I'll try to get some and give it a try.

[J A]

Here's a quick question, do you think it's OK to live on green smoothies only for, say, a week?

Why I ask is because I'm still struggling to recover. Been taking grapefruit seed extract for 5 days, I believe I've had one hell of a yeast infection - taking over my bowels, my genitals, maybe even more of my body - it's coming out now with faeces but there's still plenty of it. I've heard a full-blown yeast infection can do real horrible things to mind & body, my head's been clear since 2nd day of grapefruit extract (not bristling with energy, but I can work) and my body's been getting better and better. Have BMs 3-4 times a day. Still no Vitamix - it's taking an eternity to arrive! Been living on fruits mainly, bits of veggies and nuts. No greens, can't digest them unless processed in a blender.

I woke 1.30 a.m. tonight to pain in my bowels - convulsions. I had a BM but the pains didn't go away, they kept getting more intense and finally around 3-4 a.m. I was in pains I've never had before. Like waves of real intense pain hitting me and there was nothing I could do, just tried not to cry out in pain so as not to wake up my wife & kids. Had to take a pain killer (Ibuprofen), I know it's bad but the pains were out of this world. I got all shaky after the pill and was freezing, felt real weird. The pains were (and are) on the right side, 2 inches above the incision made by the surgeon. I had another BM around 5 a.m. and the pains are easier now, no convulsions and I can finally relax. I was afraid I was bleeding inside and was real happy to see there was no blood in the faeces. Don't want to be hospitalized again!

I think what's happening is my bowels are having difficulties pushing through the stuff I eat, mostly apples, oranges and kiwis with a bit of banana now & then and small amounts of veggies. Pecan nuts & walnuts. Lots of water. I know I should be eating more varied foods, but I just don't know what - I have to be able to digest it easily, otherwise I'll have trouble with my bowels. I know green smoothies would be perfect and am not so little annoyed at the enormous delay with the Vitamix. I should get the Vitamix in 2-3 days and I wonder if I could skip all else and only drink smoothies for a week, to give my bowels some badly needed rest.

What do you think?

[Green_Woman]

This might help you out... (http://www.greenforlife.com)

I don't see any problem with green smoothies for a week... or a month... or a year. :D

If your green smoothies are REALLY GREEN (packed with dark, leafy greens) then they're probably the best thing your body can be eating... especially at at time like this.

People are doing water fasts and juice fasts, so why NOT a GS-fast???

:D

That's just my two cents.

I know I definitely feel better when I'm drinking LOTS of GS's....

[Raw Angel Mom]

Thanks for all the replies.

Raw Angel Mom: Thanks for your kind words, they warm my heart. I really don't want to detox fast, really, really don't want to. I want things to go smoothly and gently. I suspect I’m detoxing fast again, I taste metal in my mouth and I’m feeling pretty bad, one week from the operation. My belly has been all swollen since this started (1,5 weeks now) and only now is it calming down. The part they cut isn’t, though – it’s bulging and hardish under the wound when I touch it. My bowels are still far from being normal (I’ve still two more days to go on antibiotics…) and it hurts every time there’s a bowel movement involving the part that’s been surgically tampered with. I still walk like an old man and walking a mile is a killer…

I don’t know what to eat to slow the detox down. I’ve only been eating fruits now, to be easy on my bowels. Drink a lot of water. I just don’t want cooked food, what can I do to take this detoxing thing more slowly? I don’t want to blaze through it, I don’t think I feel my body can cope with it. I’ve stopped taking pain killers BTW… so the only thing remaining I want to get rid of is antibiotics.

What do you eat when you eat 100 % raw yet want to detox slowly?


Hang in there sweet heart, you will get better and better everyday. The good news about raw food, you get on your feet way quicker then expected.

What i mean by not detoxing too fast, i only mean to just don't do those juice fasting or water lemon maple sirup fast....
Eat the food whole. Meaning with their fiber. I would incorporate green smoothie, to have the chlorophyll. Those pain killer are probably the reason of your system shutting down, but in time you won't need them. For hard vegetable, you can make soup. Meaning like a carrot soup, add water in your blender and water seasoning that you want. If you can bare eating this when you feel better, google for some green soup of dr. Ann Wingmore. They clean your system very slowly and very naturally and heal.

Right now, you are in pain and is having problem with your bowel. Fruit is a good move and also try the green smoothie. Chew very very well even thought this is a smoothie. If you can afford it, one thing that save my life while i was injured and just couldn't prepare any food, was e3live. It nourished me and i could still pump the milk for my daughter. I couldn't take the pain killer because i was nursing but, i recover much faster then it was predicted, i really feel this is raw food that did that. Also, i was scheduled for a surgery and i didn't need to have it. If you have friend that do Reiki, some friends send me distance healing and prayed for me when i was in agony and it worked as a pain killer each time i would be in need. A combination of raw food, prayer/healing made my injury last only two months versus one year with a surgery. As soon as you can go walk, do so, walk does miracles and help after a surgery. Only when you are ready, and the sooner you can cut down those pain killers, the better. The antibiotic, you need to take, but the pain killer this is up to your body and you.

I pray for you to get better soon!

[J A]

Green Woman,

Thanks for your thoughts... I've probably read everything Victoria Boutenko has published and really love green smoothies. That's why I ordered a Vita-mix even though I can't really afford it (they're around US$850 where I live!). Hopefully it'll arrive with the mailman tomorrow and I'll be able to go all green until my bowels are ready for whole fruits & veggies.

Thank you Raw Angel Mom,

My only "experience" with green soups ("energy soups") is a friend who can testify to Victoria Boutenko's experience - her kids saying, "Run! Mum is making that green mush again!". Hopefully there are more tasty variants too.

I haven't been on pain killers for 3 weeks, I've taken an occasional pill when the pain has been intolerable, maybe two or three times. I believe I'm going through a real bad yeast infection (invasion!) and I do wonder why I've gotten this bad. I've had candida before after antibiotics but it always cleared away after just a day or two on regular food (I used to eat a more paleolithic diet, lots of fruits, roots, meat, fish etc.). Now it's invaded my guts and has been making my life miserable. I've probably made a big mistake eating sweet fruits only, allowing the fungi to thrive... But I can't see what else I could've eaten, not having a blender. I've lost weight in a mad way, my ribs are clearly visible, my arms are spaghetti-like and there's no strength left in them (I can't even take my 4-year old daughter in my arms, she's too heavy!). My stomach is still swollen, 4 weeks after the operation and I'm recovering real, real slow... Couldn't sleep last night because of bowel pains! I blame the yeast infection, it's probably been sucking all the nutrition out of my food. If I ever need to take antibiotics again, I'll be sure to have some good probiotics, too! Don't want no more yeast infections :mad:

I'll stick to raw but I sure never had this much trouble recovering after surgery and I've never been this bad, never this weak and sick. I look like a skeleton! I'm sure I would've been great off had I taken probiotics along with the antibiotics and had I been able to eat green smoothies all the time. Well, it's a lesson I sure have learned and count on me, I won't repeat the mistake! :D:D:D

[annavon]

Oh, J.A., I really feel for you, and sending you and your wife (((hugs))). Can you get avocados where you are? I find them very healing. If you can incorporate some garlic in your diet, it will help kill the candida. Keep in mind that the pain killers will cause further bowel problems. When I broke my ankle and had to have surgery, I had bowel problems for weeks (and I wasn't raw then). I hope you get your Vitamix soon as it will help to have some green drinks.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Sadly the antibiotic are killing the good bacteria that keep the bad bacteria that cause candida in check. Perhaps, you want to take some prohobitic.

I really hope you get well soon

[J A]

Thanks Annavon, I know I'll be a lot stronger when I'm through this! Avocados are one of the (few) things that are (almost) always available organic where I live (non-organic avocados are always available). I haven't been able to digest them as they are (hurts when they go through the bowels) but I'll use them in smoothies, love them that way.

Raw Angel Mom,

I had antibiotics 6 days after the surgery, 4 weeks ago. That's why I'm so surprised to still have loads of candida, 3 weeks after going off antibiotics. I'm only 27 and recovered fast when I broke my arm 2 years ago, had candida because of antibiotics but got rid of it 1-2 days after going off antibiotics, not doing anything special, just living like I used to. But I'm sure I'll get rid of the bugger once I get the Vita-Mix and switch to green smoothies only! ;)

The *BIG* surprise for me in this has been the incredible havoc candida can wreak when it takes over your body. Lethargy, feeling like dead, veeery slow recovery, no weight gain, bowel pains, thick brain fog, no energy to do anything else but lie down... I could go on forever. I'm sure these were candida symptoms as I've got rid of most of them (above all, my brain has cleared!) and the rest are going away since starting with grapefruit seed extract.

[snoops]

I hope you get your blender today!!:)

[corrietcs]

hi,

i had my appendix removed when i was 8. 8??!!? doesn't that sound crazy to people that we are removing organs out of children instead of teaching health and nutrition. Why was my first nutrition class in the 7th grade? Why not kindergarten or sooner? Sign, I remember eating a lot of wonder bread and chocolate cake. Moving on,

so i've spent a little time thinking about how i can get my very important appendix to grow back. maybe going raw? miracles only take a moment right?

ok, so this is what I have come to understand about the APPENDIX. It's important, its a regulator for the body, particularly the excretory system. If your colon isn't working the rest of your body is toxic too. The appendix puts good flora in to the colon.

But the appendix is small, and it hangs below the colon and that's for a reason, more useful when we used to walk on all fours as every other step forward pushed the material in the appendix out, but now that we walk upright material can be pulled into it with gravity. Plus our bathroom habits affect it as well, when we squatted, back before toilets we also put pressure on the appendix to release the fluids and prevent backup.

So diet is only a partial culprit here. Start doing squats folk, and add to that a squatter toilet. Good for the appendix, good for the veins, and good for da booty.

As for the original post on this thread, there is never one factor that contributes fully to any health problem. Chances are there was some fecal compaction from a poor diet, the raw diet actually awakened some of your bodies nervous system making you realize there was a problem now, that had been there probably for awhile. I can speculate that corporate research has some knowledge about life without appendix -that they make more money when appendix is removed because of future health problems(note how few studies are done tying removed appendix to colon and rectum issues and yet how popular all three are in america). And yes, your deprivation of water and then the extra pressure probably all contributed to the appendix rupturing. Not to forget mentioning there is a belief that emotional issues are related to health issues and while I don't know the appendix specifically, but the colon is often about issues related to holding on or not letting go of something, chinese accupuncture would probably be more specific than I could be on this.

Finally, you have the right to be angry if you want, so don't apologize for your post, if people want to interpret it as anger that is as much about them as it is about you. So don't worry about it. On the flip side, your post suggested to me a person in distress and needing some compassion. It sucks that life doesn't teach us some of the more necessary things sooner, like how to eat healthier or squat more. But from here on out, you have the opportunity to take responsibility for your well-being. Congratulations! Knowing that puts you way ahead of a majority of people.

I don't know that raw is or isn't for everyone, but if it is for you and you feel better with it than worse, than carry on, I'll race you in trying to grow back the appendix. You do it with as raw as you can. I do it partially raw with some healing energy work. Who needs science to tell us how to feel good, when we can work on figuring it out ourselves; Isn't that what gives us some meaning in life any way?

let me finish by saying i'm not a doctor, but i am fully involved in my own health and i do what i can to research as much as i can given the limitations that modern science puts on meaningful studies of health science.

Good luck!