Hi there,

My name is actually Matt, but I used the nick Cheeseman because I've loved my cheese over the years and it's probably contributed to what could be the root cause of a whole lot of health problems for me - Candida. I know a lot of things probably have contributed BUT anyways...

To make a long story short... I was 17 when my health went down the toilet. Started with mono and never got better. It was around this time I developed severe Acne on my back and shoulders. My diet was never good growing up or into my teens - hot dogs, cheese, fats, anything but good things and most things out of a box or can. If I only knew what I did now. Anyways around 19/20 I started getting cystic Acne on my face. I found it really odd... it was painful and came in at such an old age? So I saw a derm and he put me on everything, eventually the strong one (don't want to mention its name) which fixed the Acne problem. Before that, I was on an Antibiotic for about 6 months, which he prescribed, to try and treat the acne. At the time I thought nothing of it.

Fast forward to about the age of 22/23. Things were bad for me, I wasn't eating, doing a lot of drugs, smoking and drinking a lot. Beating myself down as a student... and then all of a sudden I fell VERY ill. Like a fever from the creepy lagoon. Lost all energy, all mind, all mood, I was squashed. I knew my immune system had gone out on me as I developed molluscum contagiousm which took months to get rid of - finally doused with silver ion and echinecea. Months of research... in the end I have no idea what happened, doctors told me it was depression.

And for years they told me that - Depression or some other mental illness. I tried every psych drug in the book. All of them did nothing except paralyze me but the cause was getting worse. I tried every natural therapy I could think of including light therapy. In the beginning I thought it could be Candida, but I didn't give the theory enough time...

Early this year I did hormone testing because I was almost on my death bed. Turns out my adrenals were flatlined, my thyroid was hypo (with TPO antibodies), my estrogen had dominated my testosterone levels... you name it, my hormones were MESSED. Since I have gone on hydrocortisone for the adrenals and some dessicated thyroid for thyroid support. Testosterone/estrogen ratio is being addressed through lifestyle changes, DIM, aromotase inhibitors.

Still I feel like this has been covering up something. You have to understand that in the state I was in before, these hormone replacements have helped me "cope". I was literally almost out of a job and a wife. I needed these to continue searching for answers. For the longest time I thought it had something to do with my pituitary gland (the gland in your head that sends signals to create more hormones). But recent tests proved my body could create most of the hormones, they were just getting bound, or depleted quickly. Why was this the case?

I went to my new doctor - great btw - and flat out asked, "doctor what is wrong with me?" His answer? "Toxins." I then asked, "can toxins honestly cause all of this damage?" He said, "of course." It didn't truly hit me until he sent me on my way with a few PH strips. Now I had read of PH balance before. For whatever reason it just didn't smack me in my face. I guess I had to investigate hormone problems as the primary issue. And while they still could be, my "army green" ph result indicates I'm heading quickly toward a VERY acidic body PH. My doctor told me to spit in a cup and check my tongue. My tongue was white as snow and the cup was stringing with Candida. Had I found my answer?

I am convinced that I have found my troubles. I am convinced that if I can bring my body back to alkaline, I can adjust many of my hormone issues. Some (such as estrogen dominance) may require added attention... but all of these things will require lifestyle and diet changes. I know this. Exercise (when I can get the strength).

My concern is that I have a severe case of Candida at this point. I have dark sags under my eyes and have had these for 4 years. They are intense to say the least. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea at 27 and weighing only 170 pounds. I am extremely fatigued at all times, with depression, and significant brain fog. My body feels and looks like its dying. But I'm going to bring it back...

I went full tilt into the anti-Candida, pro PH diet and lifestyle. It's been about 4 days and the white on my tongue has gone from full white to 1/3 off-white with some yellow. I know its been said that one should take it slow, but I can't do it anymore. I need to see results and am willing to pay the price to rid my body of these dehabilitations.

4 days ago I cut out Sugar and carbs as much as possible. I am doing the anti-candida diet. To kill the candida I am drinking hot (fresh) lemon water all day long, with a few squirts of Grapefruit Seed Extract in each cup. If I had to say how many cups of this I'm having, I would say about 6-8. So 16+ drops of GSE. I'm also drinking water with collodial silver consistently during the day. So far, I've only been taking one probiotic at dinner because more of these could make my die-off symptoms worse. And that's what I'm experiencing, some pretty significant die-off symptoms...

Brain fog can be very difficult, especially at work. At night I am having intense night sweats now. Like last night I woke up and the bed was soaked. My face is breaking out a little bit. I could stay in bed in the morning for a change (my sleeps do feel better?). Overall feeling like I'm sore with the flu. Or like I'm a little buzzed from alcohol. The worst though is my insane cravings for sugar/carbs. It's like my body is brainwashed... to be honest, I've quit smoking before and that was easier. So hard for a strong willed guy to say...

At this point, I'm new to this and I need help and suggestions - as much as I can. I'm reading through this forum, and I'm reading everything from flushes/cleanses to baths and other things. I could really use some added things to this attack - some major players because I have to be aggressive with this. How do I be proactive about getting these toxins out of my body? I'm killing them (probably too fast), and I need to get them out just as fast. I am peeing a lot and while the diet has messed up my regularity a bit, I have added some herbal laxatives for now.

Thoughts?

THANKS ALL AND SORRY FOR THE NOVEL :D