by Shawn Campana
(Davie, Fl USA)
It all started about 3 years ago while I was training for a bodybuilding competition. I had come down with a urinary tract infection, and I needed to take antibiotics. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic, and as usual, I finished the prescription as I know not to stop before the prescription runs out. Only problem was, the symptoms were still there. I saw the doctor again, he tested my urine, and prescribed me another cycle of antibiotics, explaining that the infection-causing bacteria has become so resistant to antibiotics, he commonly has to prescribe 2, sometimes 3 cycles of antibiotics to his patients. I took the second dose and the UTI seemed to go away.
Shortly afterward, I started to notice I was gaining weight, mostly around my abdomen and low back. When I ate carbs, from oatmeal, sweet potato or brown rice, I bloated up with water. If I ate anything with sugar, my abdomen would bloat immediately and to the point that my already uncomfortable clothes had to be unfastened or removed. Then I noticed I had a rash, and thrush in my mouth! I saw my internist and he could not give me any answers other than to see a GI specialist. He wanted to order some tests, and I just wasn't confident he had any idea what might have happened. A friend of mine went to a Natural Health Center earlier that year and suggested I do a colon hydrotherapy session and speak to someone there. Imagine my surprise while during the procedure, the tech said that it looked like candida that was coming out. I looked up candida and sure enough, I had all the signs and symptoms of a pretty bad case, that had apparently already progressed into leaky gut syndrome, and ultimately, they suspected diverticulosis. I followed the recommended candida diet and it seemed to help, at least I wasn't getting any worse. I tried a product called Threelac, and again, it helped, but I wasn't 100%. I had other signs as well, like fatigue, and noticed I was getting cold/flu symptoms, etc. A friend of mine reminded me of another firefighter who "healed" himself of Crohn's disease, so naturally I called him. He got me started on raw kefir, juicing and a few other supplements.
It took about 6 months, but slowly I got better! I even got to the point that I could tolerate some grains again! I felt more comfortable with gluten-free, but all my symptoms went away. I educated myself about raw kefir and have been drinking it ever since! I will drink it for the rest of my life as long as I can get it, and have switched to all raw dairy in my home. I do get outbreaks every now and again if I overindulge on things I shouldn't eat or have to take a medication like corticosteroids, but I fix it quick with the dairy and candida cleanse products and herbs. I try to spread the word to all I care for and most of my clients. I can't say enough about the healing power of raw dairy, only that more people should know about it. I will do everything I can to promote this amazing food, and am dedicated to natural healing and a clean diet.