And the diagnosis is.......

So, I went to the doctor in Utah that Jenelle had so highly recommend yesterday.  In-tur-es-ting!

Her conclusion was that I'm most likely suffering from the ill effects from Aspartame Poisoning/toxicity and the after effects or damage done to the actual cells in my electrical/nervous system.   I suspected that from the beginning!  Back in April, I asked my Primary Care Physician about this and he completely disallowed the idea.  Then I asked the Neurologist about it in May and he seemed so indifferent about it.  Then I went to a Homeopathic Physician about it in May and she thought it "might" be a contributing factor.  (BTW, several years ago, I asked my PCP for some good ideas to deal with the withdrawal from Diet Coke and he said that he didn't seem to think that there was any big health risks by drinking it in the first place - THAT should have been my biggest clue to just get a new doctor at that point).

The doctor I saw yesterday seemed so positive that most of my symptoms are the result of this poisoning and the resulting damage to my nervous/electrical system!  She said that she has had several patients who were diagnosed with M.S. and then came to her for treatment.  She took them off of all Aspartame, recommended a "clean diet" and suggested they take away "electro-magnetic fields" (EMF) as possible (not having a wireless phone near your head when you sleep - cordless landline or cell phones, etc. ) as well as a few other vitamin and mineral supplements.  After about a year, they did not have any of their "M.S." symptoms and were feeling like new again! 

This is what she is prescribing for me as well:  No Aspartame, clean diet, reduce the EMF's, some supplements to help with repair of my nervous systems (magnesium, Pantothenic Acid, B12).  She's confident that in 6-12 months from now I should feel much better.  That's a long time, but I feel good about it. 

I believe that there is something to this EMF thing because I had an anti-EMF treatment in early June and it made a difference.  Becca's (my daughter in law) mother recommended it to me and I figured it wouldn't hurt!  I didn't have the dizziness as bad and had more energy but wore off after about a week or so.  The therapist that applied it is in Utah so I'm limited on how often I could get that treatment.

Anyway, I guess I have been my own worst enemy and should have been following the Word of Wisdom better.  I started drinking Diet Coke about 20 years ago when I was working two jobs and had five kids to care for.  Jeff was traveling for about 20+ days out of the month as well.   I figured the caffeine in the soda would help my stamina and staying awake at night to work my second job.  I never stopped drinking it.  I started going from one or two cans a day to three. 
Fast forward to about the year 2001.  I started slowing down even more so I had my thyroid tested.  It was all normal, so I started drinking more diet coke just to keep up.  As of last December, I was up to 4-6 cans a day!  I finally concluded that the diet coke was not going to help me and I heard about all the bad things about it, so I stopped, cold turkey on January 4 of this year.  But then, of course, I started to feel so tired and sluggish and awful.  I had my thyroid tested again in February as well as some other blood work.  It all came back normal.  I stopped working on February 28, because I just couldn't.  We are at a point in our lives that I don't HAVE to work to pay our bills, but do it for the enjoyment.  I love working at the schools and helping kids to succeed in their educational goals.
So, from all of the recent blood tests, MRI's, EEG's - nothing seems to be wrong with me, clinically.  On the way out here in March, I had a couple of diet cokes for the caffeine to keep me awake while I was driving.  Now that I look back, it was then, that's when my fatigue attacks started.   My ear started hurting, the double vision started, well, everything started going haywire.  I'm not drinking it again anymore, but the damage has been done. 
The doc yesterday also said that my withdrawal from Tegretol (for a seizure disorder that was misdiagnosed) is complicating things as well.  The misdiagnose of the seizure disorder is very interesting as well.  I was probably having the seizures due to the Aspartame poisoning! 

She gave me some paperwork on this condition.  It lists symptoms frequently associated by aspartame users.

Below is the list and whether I have that symptom or not and if it's something that's new (over the last 4 months), or I've had in the last 10 or so years.

I guess I better take the Word of Wisdom more seriously and more literally.  I've lost almost six months of my life now with these recent/ most severe symptoms.  I've laid on the sofa and in bed for TOOOO long!  Time to get my life back!  I'm totally the "poster child" or a good spokesperson for a campaign against Diet Soda!  I think the doctor I saw yesterday should report my case to the FDA and try to get Aspartame off the market!

(Here's the list of symptoms)
chest palpitations - yes, new
tachycardia - yes, new
shortness of breath - yes, new
high blood pressure - no
nausea - yes, years
diarrhea - no
pain when swallowing -  no
seizures - yes, years
headaches - yes, years
migraines - yes, new
severe dizziness - yes, new
confusion - YES, new
memory loss - yes, new
severe drowsiness - yes, new
sleepiness - yes
numbness/weakness of the limbs - yes, new
severe slurring of speech - yes, new
severe hyperactivity - no
restless legs - yes, new
atypical facial pain - yes, new
severe tremors - yes, new
ringing in the ears - yes, new
noise intolerance - yes, new
marked hearing impairment - yes, new
severe depression - no
irritability - yes
aggression - no
anxiety - always
personality changes - no
insomnia - YES
phobias - no
decreased vision - yes, new
blurring bright lights - yes, new
tunnel vision - yes, new
decreased night vision - yes, new
eye pain - yes, new
decreased tears - no
trouble with contact lenses - yes, new
bulging eye(s) - yes
itching without a rash - yes
lip/mouth reactions - no
hives - no
loss of blood sugar control in diabetics - yes, new
marked changes in hair - yes, new
marked weight loss or gain -  yes, new
marked changes in PMS - no
urinary frequency - yes, new
burning with urination - no
excessive thirst - yes, new
fluid retention - yes, new
leg swelling - yes, new
bloating - yes, new
increased susceptibility to infections - YES, new