Today, Emma began EDTA Chelation via IV with her personal MD. This was important – that the medical professional who had ordered a blood test for mercury toxicity and also recommended chelation is the one performing Emma’s chelation- one of the only ways to remove mercury from Emma’s system.
In January 2013, Emma went in to see a general practitioner MD who also believed in holistic and nutritional treatments. A blood test for mercury was ordered – so Emma had to refrain from eating fish for 5 days (she would consume a half pound of raw fish every day if it was available) to get a reading. Her mercury levels were way too high. Emma does not have any silver fillings in her teeth, so the cause of high levels of mercury could be seafood – or was she exposed to mercury?
Interestingly enough, mercury can cause psychosis. You have heard the saying, “Mad as a Hatter?” During the turn on the century, people working in hat factories would go insane, and it was finally discovered that their mental issues were caused by excessive mercury in their bodies due to mercury being used in the felting process of making hats.
Emma was told to stop eating her favorite diet of fish fish fish for 3 weeks, and another blood test was drawn to test for mercury. Still too high. It was important that it be removed, and the only way to do that was with chelation.
This treatment was delayed because Emma decided that the cost of the treatment was important, and found another clinic that would do her IV chelation for her at a lower cost. The result of those few weeks of nutritional (and non mercury targeted) chelation was nothing but a sometimes brown Emma, sometimes a green looking Emma, for that clinician would mix up a batch of whatever he deemed good, but was not treating Emma for mercury detoxification. Also, his sessions were too short – only 45 minutes, which is not enough time for a good detox.
Emma was unable to tolerate oral chelation – she felt nauseous each time and ended up chucking the medication. It was during this time that her psychiatrist was also changing up her prescription drugs for schizophrenia because nothing seemed to be working to alleviate Emma’s visual, auditory, and anxiety problems. She would become nauseous on those too, or was it the oral chelation medication? I really can’t say – looking back, but Emma, being Emma, refused to take oral chelation (it was several different dosages from several different bottles) or those prescribed anti psychotic medications and Dr. G, her psychiatrist continued to prescribe a different drug until she was not nauseous and could tolerate the drug and dosage.
Meanwhile, in the 4 months since she has been home, Emma is spiraling downhill. Going from being a functional young adult who would go out, drive to places, run errands (with some anxiety and some vision and hearing acuity) to becoming an anxiety ridden young adult with worsened symptoms who did not leave the house, was afraid to be home alone, and was totally self absorbed and focused on her problems and no bright future.
Emma’s chelation session today was to be 3 hours long. From the minute she sat in the chair, she was nervous and I thought that she would bolt out of the chair and leave. However, I had given her the riot act earlier – that she had better stick it out, whatever treatment or therapy that we were paying for and that I was chauffeuring her to – she had to stick it out.
It was heartbreaking to see her trembling as Dr. I inserted the IV needle and taped the hard plastic to her arm. She kept saying that it hurt, it hurt. Dr. I checked it again and again and said that it was fine, it was in the vein. The IV drip began. A slow drip that was to take 2 1/2 hours. Emma kept whimpering that the needle hurt, that the tape holding the needle close to her skin hurt. And, when the IV drip started entering her body, she was shaking and saying that her whole arm hurt, that if felt like it was too hot.
Hoboy, I thought she wouldn’t last, but she did. She was able to tolerate the heat from the medication after awhile, which was the result of the chemical elements in the IV mix designed to eliminate mercury from Emma’s system. I was almost about to tell Dr. I to stop the treatment, but I am glad I did not. 3 hours later, we were in the car and going home. Emma seemed fine and we stopped off at one of her favorite refreshment stands to get her a treat.
The next day
Emma seems less anxious, more animated, even though she says she feels the same. She actually laughed today – a rather goofy sounding unnatural laugh, but I was surprised to hear it since I haven’t heard her laugh in a long time. Maybe chelation is working? Hope, hope, wish, wish.
Next week will be Emma’s 2nd chelation treatment. Hope this one is less traumatic for Emma, and that mercury detoxification will help Emma’s disorder.
This first week following has not shown much improvement, and we are telling Emma that she must drink a lot of water – which she is not doing. At first, Emma was excited thinking that chelation would help her. However, the results will not be immediate since it will take several sessions before the mercury leaves her body, and so she has gotten back into her disappointed funk of thinking she will never get better. Frustrating.
2nd chelation 1 week later
This time Emma was still fearful and complaining that it hurt, and it didn’t help that the doctor had a difficult time inserting the needle into her arm, but once it was in, Emma was fretful, but did not complain as much. Funny – she didn’t complain at all that her arm was burning. I wonder if it was a different formula for the 2nd session?
Throughout the week, Emma seems more robotic, almost retarded. We went to the store and she didn’t even bother changing her clothes. She looks like she is on drugs and zoned out. One day, after she said she couldn’t sleep at night, she looked frightened and worried all day. She was better the next day, at least without the frightened look on her face, and she did sleep well the night before.
One of the symptoms since getting chelation that Emma complains about is that she feels like she is on speed. Interesting. Not every day, just the day right after chelation.
3rd chelation, 1 week later
Emma is tolerating the chelation better, though I have to stay with her for 3 hours! Not too bad though since I have discovered Candy Crush Saga – one of the most enjoyable time wasters ever invented! We don’t see too much improvement, but Emma needs to drink more water.
She has been complaining in the evenings about her arm joints being very sore. It is only in the evening lately, for the past 3 days, and in the morning her arms are fine. Could it be the Topiramate or Geodon? Her chelation doctor said it isn’t from chelation if it is only in the evenings.
Emma might be getting better, but it is so hard to tell. She was very very tired this evening and hardly ate dinner.
The next day was pretty good. Emma still seems shaky but she was smiling and acting silly. Such a strange situation. Sometimes she acts like a young child.
[this page will be updated as the treatment and results progress.]