Well, first, I wouldn't be set on being "cured". Lyme tx is more about
getting your body to the point where you are healed and you can heal yourself. The Lyme & Co bacteria can never be fully eradicated so the goal is to get your immune system healthy and dominant. I agree - you've made a lot of progress.
I also think you should listen to your intuition about
the CIRS - I think the GI problems are what trigger autoimmune and other immune issues in most of us, and I think the inflammation is a response to- or a result from that. I'd bet that if you can heal your GI, the CIRS will also be addressed. And I agree that CIRS is impeding your Lyme tx. I think you already linked all this.
New buildings can also have mold issues, generally from inadequate ventilation. They're often designed so that the windows don't
open so that the air temperature is easier to control w/ the air-conditioning equipment but this also means air movement is mechanical. Anyway, don't rule it out.
I think you're on to something about
the stress - that is how I crashed once - after a move and job change. Taking care of your sister adds more stress than you probably realize, because you are emotionally drawn to the task for good reason. But it's taking a huge toll on you.
Endocrine
And we carry stress in our GI - it creates hormonal and chemical production and impacts sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems - primarily adrenal function... you have a lot going on that I bet you're not addressing and it all impacts GI and immune function. So I gotta ask if you've looked into any endocrine issues? Thyroid, adrenals, neurotransmitters...
GI:
But healing GI is very difficult. It takes time and patience and diligence. Messing with people's food tends to be risky - it's the one thing people just get short-tempered about
;) But the eliminations work for a lot of people but you have to be very strict. It's difficult to get adequate nutrition so do your best.
My whole family has GI issues, too. I learned through DNA testing that I was born with low GI bacteria and I also noticed y/f issues across the family, and the two are often related. There are several other gut dysfunction issues that are genetic. I was also born with a condition - can't remember the name - where my stomach flap didn't grow properly and I think this started slow digestion problems.
I did the following protocol for several months, but I started making progress at the 2-3 month mark, introduced herbs at month 4-5. The steps I took to heal gut were pretty simple and not easy:
Y/f overgrowth
First I had to address yeast/fungal overgrowth, which took a local and systemic antifungal Rx and a complete diet change - and management of die off, which can cause terrible herxing - people often think they're reacting to the meds or doing something wrong so they stop the antifungal process, but this is when you gotta keep going.
You can read more about
it and sx and meds I took here:
Y/FO in New to Lyme? thread -
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1606610&g=3644275#m3644275Diet Omissions
Diet omissions are very, very difficult and reduce daily diet to so very little and over time it is so hard to maintain it. But it's critical. The omissions aren't forever so it helped when I told myself "I'll enjoy 'X' later". There is a lot of info online about
healing diets.
Of course, no alcohol, no coffee or tea. No processed foods or sugars or foods that are simple carbs that your body treats like sugar (white rice, white potatoes, white flours, etc.) Omit as many chemicals and toxins as humanly possible. For the first couple months, no fruit - too much sugar, even with the fiber.
You really want to cut out all dairy - it has milk sugars and casein proteins which can agitate the mucosal lining - and unless it's organic, GMO-free, and even some organic versions can still have abx and other chemicals in them. And nearly all dairy has forms of mold.
Until mold is under control, no nuts, dried fruit, fungi/mushrooms.
Same with grains - they can also have some levels of mold but unless you're growing your own grains(!) or getting them from original sources of whole grains, they're generally so over-processed your body has a hard time digesting them. There are nuances, of course but starting out, general rule is omission. And of course, toxins like glycophosate are used, which are very damaging. So, starting out, it's best for diet to be 100% clean.
Gluten-free just means another binder is substituted, sometimes synthetic, which could be just as hard for GI to process. So just cut out grains altogether at first.
Through stool testing I also developed other sensitivities so this is something you might want to explore. I also had to omit foods like eggs but I had high sensitivity to other foods like fish and chicken and I ignored the test - ate them anyway. There are foods that are less agitating, even if you're sensitive to them.
Diet inclusions
I had so many food sensitivities I was reacting to everything I ate. So I reduced meals to soups (Pacific brand organic, low-sodium butternut squash, broccoli, leek, and other soups), chicken and beef bone organic broth.
I also drank food powder like I mentioned (although be careful with these - you only want GMO-free, organic versions and a great raw foods one I chose also included a rice product sourced from an area in China w/ high metal soils... so my hair started falling out).
I also ate small portions every couple of hours - easier to digest and I couldn't handle large amounts of any foods - seemed to trigger food sensitivity sx as well as much as eating the foods themselves.
Healing
I also drank aloe vera juice (organic, cleaner inner filleted version), I also have a great Lyme-literate gastroenterologist who gave me medical food powder and other rebuilding and healing powders to add and other supplements.
I'm going to also include the binders with the healing - they helped drag out y/f and debris after killing, mold, and helped me become more regular (I started with charcoal, then added bentonite clay. Psyllium husk is a bit too rough on mucosal lining. I now use the cholestyramine at high doses. TONS of water w/ binders. Originally I would take binders after my last abx and antifungal dose of the day and then take probiotics and go to bed. I eventually realized the probiotics were also kicking up y/f sx so I stopped taking them altogether and now I just take binder before bedtime.
Mechanics
You need to discover if you have digestion issues like low or high acid, motility problems, etc. Low acid is something that developed for me due to a bacterial overgrowth - either from a bout of food poisoning or from bart growing opportunistically, maybe both. But I took betaine HCL for a month. It was brutal - I didn't realize it at the time but the HCL was likely killing a bunch of stuff that had been growing in my stomach due to low acid and the die off was literally a 2-wk migraine. The HCL worked, triggered a more normal acid production from the pancreas and also helped make a little progress with the gut dysbiosis.
Also, if you're prone to diarrhea or constipation, you'll have to also trouble-shoot that. Again, liquid diet and binders, water to help w/ constipation. Diarrhea requires a different approach and if it's not severe (I had diarrhea every few days on babs tx) I just work through it... replenish water, etc. If it's serious, you need to engage a gastro, I think.
-p