Re: stubborn immune memory, immune tolerance & chronic inflammation

went to 2 different dermatologists: one for a biopsy of my lips (normal, they said. whatever!) the other for an allergy patch tests -- i have allergic skin.

i did some blood work with my main doctor to check my hormone, thyroid, cortisol levels, liver, vitamin/mineral deficiencies. blahblahblah. Nothing major. i'm healthier than healthy. although, i did test positive for ANA.

both my regular doctor & dermatologist put me on prednisone for my monster skin. (seriously, i was scaly All Over after yet another allergic reaction. like having EC All Over my body. just imagine that.)

saw a rheumatologist & autoimmune specialist. more tests. i was diagnosed with having sjorgen's syndrome. very low-level though. basically, my own antibodies are attacking my tissues. i should level off when i'm about 50, he said. Just Great. if my skin keeps destroying themselves, he said he might put me on chemo or give me some other meds. wow -- i'm a guinea pig!

went to an immunologist. she said i can only manage my kind of allergies & overactive immune system. there's no cure. just avoidance of pretty much everything.

my next step is to see a neurologist & maybe a psychotherapist. i've been reading a lot about immune memory. anyone who knows me knows i have a kick-ass memory. and i think it backfires when it comes to my immune system. here's my theory: it remembers so well the first time it was "attacked" by some weird foreign invaders (viruses, smelly chemicals, blahblah), so afterward, it keeps my defences on hyper-alert for when it encounters the same thing. so next time my body comes across similar "invaders" it just goes All Out, guns blazing.

here's what's interesting: stress hormones act to forcefully imprint this negative experience into your body's memory banks, so that's it's prepared to defend itself the next time around.

kind of like this: if you've had a bad experience with spiders in the past, from that day on, you might always have a fear of spiders. you might get heart palpitations, sweaty palms, etc. this experience is now ingrained in your brain & body, and each time you encounter a spider, you will react that way.

and so, what is the trigger for our bodies reacting the way they do? it might be why anti- Depression drugs work to alleviate EC for some people.

what do you guys think of my theory?

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