Music to my sinuses...er, ears!

Not sure if I have lamented here about my sinus issues.  I have definitely been lamenting....just not sure if I did it on here :-)  Anyways, almost two weeks ago I came down with *another* sinus infection.  I do believe this makes infection #6 in the past 5 months.  So I hit it with (most) of the usual stuff.  Being pregnant reduces some biggies, like oil of oregano.  But I made up an apple cider vinegar concoction (with magnesium, vit. C, vit. D, echinachea tincture, GSE), an elderberry syrup, and was taking some colloidal silver.  Along with that I was also doing a sinus rinse 3 times a day with the silver added or GSE added.  Things would get better for a couple of days, then WHAM, get much worse.  Lather, rinse, repeat for the past two weeks.  I got desperate and sought out some essential oils.  The Young Living's RC blend really made a difference over night.  I was feeling much improved.....until two days later I came down with the dreaded tummy bug.  Wham, sinuses flared.  Then to top it off I actually came down with a run of the mill cold.  REALLY!?!  I was at my wits end.  But, I don't give up easily.  And so I sat and thought.

I took some time to really think WHY I had no sinus issues while on GAPS, at least until we got hit by that horrid 5 day tummy bug 9 months in.  Since then, even re-doing GAPS intro 3 or 4 more times (!), I still CAN NOT get my gut healthy, thus having very unhealthy sinuses.  Sigh.  I went through what I ate, and did during, each of those intro times.  And then the light bulb moment!

The first go around on GAPS I was only using the liquids of the homemade sauerkraut.  The following re-do's I was using the probiotic pills (ones, that I now realize were DOA). I did try using the fermented juices one time, but my ferments went bad after week one and I resorted back to the pills.

Fast forward to being pregnant.  Hormones high, increase the bad yeasties count.  Bad, bad sinuses. Pregnant lady losing her mind :-)  Pray!  Yes, pray, and quick.  Later that day or the next, I was scanning down my list of 'favorites' in my computer folder, and I stumble upon this bookmarked site, Cultured Food Life.  This was when I had stopped and done my thinking.  I realized that it was the homemade ferments that helped my gut to heal, which led to my first ever allergy free season since a teen!

So I spent the next couple of days (we still had two days before shopping day) reading her site.  I signed up for a month membership because I was in desperate need of direction.  So do you want to see what was music to my sinuses/ears?

Ah, ferments, ones that popped when I opened the tops and did a bubbly dance as well!  That means that they are alive and active.  The salsa one will be ready for eating tonight, the other two (kimchi, and a cabbage/carrot/apple/raisin blend) will be ready this Sunday.  I can hardly wait!  Especially since I've had success with what I have been doing in the few days before I made the above veggies.

I had kefir and kombucha on hand, and figured I better start with what I have.  Donna, from CFL (link above) calls kefir, kombucha and fermented veggies, The Trilogy.  She has found that with any of them you will see results, but when you are consuming all three, you will see amazing results.  And right now....I need *amazing*!

In the past three days I have been drinking 1/4 cup of kefir with each meal, and 1/4 kombucha twice a day (between meals).  I am still taking my probiotic pills, and decided to open a capsule to add to my sinus wash that I am doing two times a day.  The results?  After three days, no more sinus pain, and any nose runnies (yes, I am aware that is not a real word :-)) went from yellow to clear.  Also, my 7 month long break out on my chin?  Huge difference!!  It is finally clearing up!!  This is no small matter, as I have tried various things to try to get rid of this rash or break out (kind of seems like a combo of the two, something I have never experienced before, so not sure what to call it).  I feel like maybe, just maybe I can be rid of the back to back sinus infections.  I still have stuffiness (I think more from the cold), but I have more energy, and no actual infection signs.  I don't want to get too excited, but so far this has been the only thing to really work at clearing things up, instead of me just feeling better. I will let you know how it goes over the next few weeks.  So far I have an infection every 3 to 6 weeks.  So, if I can go the next two months without one, then I know I've found my "ticket".