edit: June 20 (came back to go lighter on the exclamation marks. :-)
I just spoke to my mother on the phone. -- she had a hip replacement. About a week later had vomiting of blood, and then near collapse with more vomiting...it was very dicey. And the diagnoses now, (from that episode), a few weeks later, are: swollen oesophagus, haital hernia, and two bleeding ulcers. Maybe aspirin, maybe the blood thinners from near the hip operation, maybe maybe maybe...over the years, and lots of stresses. I think the episode spooked her at a deep level because she almost died,(with breathing in vomit)and needed 4 pints of blood.
The aspirin is the most likely culprit. NSAIDs interfere with prostaglandins, which are needed for the stomach to produce its protective lining. So the stomach is left unprotected from the stomach acid leading to ulcers.
If she was on coumadin (warfarin) then this could also have caused it, bit less likely. Heparin therapy would not have caused this. The biggest issue with repetitive heparin therapy are blood clots (white thrombus syndrome), which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
...
Now she's very tired, still, (but great mind!) and needs to exercise the hip as well, so she's 'behind', and has anemia, they say...
Yep, losing that much blood there is no doubt she is anemic.
Her doctor told her (re: diet) to eat fruit juices (which she says "I loathe"--what's that about? maybe insulin -resistance? )
They may just be too sweet or syrupy for her. Many people do not like very sweet or syrupy drinks. Myself for example. I like a little sweetness, but not really sweet or things like nectars.
and yogurt. And he said, "no fizzy drinks" (?!)Maybe you can translate this.... a simple pH Rx? she doesn't drink fizzy drinks.
That would be sodas, seltzer water or other carbonated beverages. They are probably worried about the acidity and more important the build up up pressure in the stomach as the drinks release more of the carbon dioxide in them. That would not be good for still healing cauterized ulcers.
They are giving her something to stop acid production (which he says she may need for a year)and have not wanted to give her anything else, so far, that might build her up. (??)
I know they want to reduce the acid while the ulcers heal, but she needs to get off these drugs as soon as possible. They can cause a number of problems including nutritional deficiencies if used long term.
I feel thankful the MD thinks yogurt is good!
That is really surprising since live cultures produce vitamin K, which is contradicted with blood thinners.
She is feeling like maybe she needs a vit. B 'shot'..,
She can use sublingual B12 (methylcobalamin) to avoid the shots. This can help with the anemia.
and has been housebound and barely mobile...This of course is not good, as she needs (and wants!) sun and water and exercise,(walking in water is said to be very helpful, and she lives near a lake.)
Yes, those would really help. She needs the vitamin D from the sun and exercise to maintain bone and muscle strength and to prevent her from contracting.
****Today she said she wants to know more about better diet--(I know this means she is asking not to be overwhelmed) so, now can you suggest things she should do in Mexico?
She can add seaweeds to her diet for a lot of nutrition. And insoluble fibers for the silica, although without stomach acid she is going to have a hard time with absorbing this. She should also keep red meats and milk to a minimum since these are hard on the bones. Yams are also great. They are fiber rich, low glycemic and great sources of phytoestrogens for bone strength. Beans are great for fiber and protein. Other than that green leafy vegetables as long as she is off the blood thinners and vegetables.
I suggested cherries--which I know she loves and they are very healing, esp. for O blood types (or maybe A too-->>I have been eating lots of them, loving them, sending the goodness to my Mom via my wishes) But they only get these very rarely, not like in North America...She lives in Mexico inland, so things are much more "in season", and "in country". But there still must be lots of ways to be healthy and simple...
she loves cherries.
The tart cherries are especially good due to the high malic acid content. But eat too many cherries and they can give you diarrhea.
(NB. I recall how I had little tolerance for fruit, thinking it too sweet, and then after water fasting, I developed much more of what I would consider a natural or wholesome appetite.)
Even so--with the hip, (and next year the other one is slated) and the knees which are bad as well, and the other things, can you get a good enough sense of what would be helpful for her--? If you need more info. please ask.
I can think of a number of things that would be great, but I seriously doubt that she would be able to find most of the herbs in Mexico. Chaparral is great as long as it is dried and aged for at least 2 months. And that should be common down there. Yucca is also easy to find in Mexico and would be a great choice as long as she has no bleeding ulcers still. Gelatin or bone broth will provide the protein for the bones and cartilage.
Sorry for the run-on post...and all the !
Thanks so much for your time--and a very happy solstice!
Thanks, Happy Solstice.