Serene Forest

Friday, November 21, 2014

Our New Book!!! The Periodic Paralysis Guide And Workbook

Hello All,

We are excited and proud to announce our new book "The Periodic Paralysis Guide And Workbook: Be The Best You Can Be Naturally" is now available in paperback on Create Space and Amazon.


                                                        
 
The Periodic Paralysis Guide And Workbook:
Be The Best You Can Be Naturally

 Susan Quentine Knittle-Hunter

&

Calvin Hunter

 

 Table Of Contents




Acknowledgments
 viii

Preface
  ix

Introduction
  xi

Section I: The Facts


Getting Started
  1
One
Periodic Paralysis: The Basic Facts
  5
Two
The Periodic Paralyses: More Detail
  9
Three
An Ion Channelopathy: A Mineral Metabolic Disorder
 17
Four
Possible Complications: The Most Common
 19
Five
More Complications: Understanding The Complexity
 35

Section II: The Plan

Six
The Plan: The Outline
 45
Seven
Educate Yourself: Discussion Groups, Websites, Internet and Books
 49
Eight
Describe Your Episodes: Paralysis Accompanying Symptoms
 53
Nine
Monitor Your Vitals: Tools For The Job
 59
Ten
Identify And Eliminate Triggers: Avoid-Chart-Journal-Monitor
 71
Eleven
Relieve Your Symptoms: Changing Lives Naturally
 87
Twelve
Find A Doctor Who Cares: Not Easy But Possible
109
Thirteen
Get A Diagnosis: Hit Them With The Facts
115
Fourteen
Get Proper Medical Treatment: Assemble And Direct The Team
127
Fifteen
Direct The Paramedics And EMT’s: No IV’s Please
131
Sixteen
Direct The ER And Hospital Staff: Avoid The Pitfalls
135
Seventeen
Prognosis: The Best You Can Be
139
Eighteen
The Conclusion: Hope
141

Section III: The Journal

Nineteen
The Personal Periodic Paralysis Journal: Put It Together
145

Index
191


Preface


A preface for a book is written to explain what the book is about, why the author wrote the book, why it is important, where the idea for the book originated, how it came to be and how long it took to write. With this in mind, I will begin by explaining that this book is about a very rare, hereditary, and debilitating mineral metabolic disorder, with which I have been diagnosed, called Periodic Paralysis (PP). It is the second book written specifically about this relatively unknown condition. My husband Calvin and I previously wrote, living with Periodic Paralysis: The Mystery Unraveled, based on our own experiences and research. In it we tell our story, provide information about Periodic Paralysis not found anywhere else, and deliver ideas about how to better manage symptoms and discuss the psychological and social aspects of living with the condition.

The idea for a second book came from the need, of a user-friendly workbook and guide to assist individuals with this condition to be the best they can be by using the natural and common sense methods as outlined in the first book. This is important because very little information exists about how to treat the symptoms of Periodic Paralysis, other than the use of off-label drugs, which can be harmful to many individuals or are not tolerated well. The idea for this book originated from our own experiences, study and experimentation and the need of others who suffer from this condition. This book actually took more than four years to compile and write.   

We know this need exists because Calvin and I interact daily with over 300 very ill individuals, from around the world, who are members in our Periodic Paralysis Network Support, Education and Advocacy Group and others who contact us by email through our PPN Website, our PPN Facebook Pages, our PPN Blog or through searching for us after reading our first book. These individuals, their families and caregivers, and several new members each week, need assistance and we spend our days providing support, education, advocacy, validation and hope in an otherwise hopeless world for them.

They are attempting to find the names of specialists who can help them and diagnose them and seeking a simple pill or medication to stop the paralysis and other cruel ‘quality of life stealing’ symptoms plaguing them daily. The truth is there are very few “specialists” or doctors in the world who know about or fully understand all aspects of the many forms of Periodic Paralysis. There is no simple pill or drug; no magic cure for Periodic Paralysis. Most doctors do not recognize Periodic Paralysis and genetic testing is nearly non-existent for most forms and therefore they will not diagnose their patients or will diagnose them with somatic disorders. However, when these individuals come to our forum, we are able to provide them with hope and methods to assist them to find a doctor who cares and to get a diagnosis based on their symptoms. We also provide methods to assist them to relieve their symptoms in natural ways. We help them to improve their lives with the information and methods we have learned and I practice everyday.

Through this new guide, workbook and journal, we have included all of these ideas and the tools to be successful. We want to empower individuals with Periodic Paralysis by providing a hands-on, user-friendly implement in one handbook with a series of plans made up life changing goals and objectives. These are expanded from the first book as well as the simple and easy to follow instructions to carry them out. The Periodic Paralysis Guide And Workbook: Be The Best You Can Be Naturally, offers HOPE to everyone with Periodic Paralysis, in the same manner as our book, living with Periodic Paralysis: The Mystery Unraveled.

In conclusion, we are aware that it is not an easy path in life for individuals with Periodic Paralysis. We know we must constantly balance on an ever-changing tightrope. We are not able to provide anyone who has Periodic Paralysis with a cure or a magic drug. We cannot diagnose anyone or suggest a specialist who can help. However, we do know that through this hands on and user-friendly guide and workbook, we can give others hope through the knowledge we share, the ideas we pass along in all areas of dealing with and managing their symptoms and with validation and support. We wrote this second book about Periodic Paralysis, to give hope to others who suffer with this condition and to guide them to be the best they can be naturally.


Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Q-Knittle-Hunter/e/B00HVEBSSQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1




CreateSpace:
https://www.createspace.com/4326356?ref=1147694&utm_id=6026










Until later...

Thursday, November 20, 2014

"Living with Periodic Paralysis: The Blog" Happy First Anniversary!!


Hello All,

Congratulations to us!!! It has been a year since we created our Blog “Living with Periodic Paralysis: The Blog” and posted our first article on November 11, 2013. Since that time we have written and posted eighty-eight articles and we have had over 19, 520 page views!!!!

Our most popular article is Periodic Paralysis and Metabolic Acidosis with 461 views and a close second is Permanent Muscle Weakness in Periodic Paralysis with 453 views.

The following is the list of our articles:

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Prognosis



Hello All,

One of our PPNI Support Group members asked about the prognosis for those of us with Periodic Paralysis. I decided the best way to answer her question was to use my original writing from our first book, "Living with Periodic Paralysis" before we edited it. This article was changed and streamlined for the book.

At this time, I have lived eight years beyond what we ever thought I would. For that I am thankful and owe it to following the plan outlined in our book; the pH balanced diet, discovering my triggers, avoiding exertion, avoiding stress, using oxygen and taking no drugs.
Prognosis

 As I began to research the prognosis for Periodic Paralysis, I found an inadequate amount of information provided, both in the number of articles and the amount written. I decided to include in this chapter the actual passages to prove my point. So, the following snippets of information are all I was able to locate in my research regarding what to expect now that we know we have Periodic Paralysis. Most of the passages are simply written by professional people who have no form of Periodic Paralysis. There are only two to three sentences, except for one, detailing the rest of our lives!!!! I did, however, find one article that gives an honest evaluation in just two sentences. It is the last quote below.


"Prognosis"

While the disability can range from minor, occasional weakness to permanent muscle damage, inability to hold a normal job and use of a powerchair, most people function fairly well with drugs and lifestyle changes. 1

What is the Prognosis?

The prognosis for the familial periodic paralyses varies. Chronic attacks may result in progressive weakness that persists between attacks. Some cases respond well to treatment, which can prevent or reverse progressive muscle weakness. 2
 
Prognosis

The prognosis for periodic paralysis varies. Over activity, bad diet or simply an unfortunate gene mutation can lead to a type of chronic, low level weakness called an "abortive attack," or to permanent muscle damage. Abortive attacks often respond to extra potassium, cutting carbohydrates, getting plenty of rest, increasing doses of medication and gentle daily exercise such as short walks. Permanent muscle weakness is just what it sounds like, permanent, irreparable damage to the muscles. Vacuoles and tubular aggregates form and destroy healthy muscle tissue. This type of damage should show on a muscle biopsy. Not even anabolic steroids can bring these damaged muscles back.

Life span is expected to be normal, but attacks can drop potassium to levels low enough to cause life threatening breathing problems or heart rhythm difficulties. Patients often report muscle pain and cognitive problems during attacks. Migraines occur in up to 50% of all hypokalemic periodic paralysis patients and may include less common symptoms like phantom smells, sensitivity to light and sound or loss of words. Medical literatures states that muscle strength is normal between attacks, but patients tell a different story. "Normal" for them is not exactly the same as "normal" for everyone else.

Because there are dozens of possible gene mutations, some drugs and treatments that work fine for one patient will not work for another. For example, most patients do well on acetazolamide, but some don't. Some patients will do well with extra magnesium (the body's natural ion channel blocker) or fish oil, while these same nutrients will make other patients worse. Patients and care givers should take extreme caution with all new drugs and treatment plans. 3

Outlook (Prognosis)

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis responds well to treatment. Treatment may prevent, and even reverse, progressive muscle weakness. Although muscle strength is initially normal between attacks, repeated attacks may eventually cause worsening and permanent muscle weakness between attacks. 

Possible Complications
  • Kidney stones (a side effect of acetazolamide)
  • Heart arrhythmias during attacks
  • Difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing during attacks (rare)
  • Progressive muscle weakness 4
Prognosis
While the disability can range from minor, occasional weakness to permanent muscle damage, inability to hold a normal job and use of a powerchair, most people function fairly well with drugs and lifestyle changes. On a lighter note, people with periodic paralysis are sometimes lovingly called Possums because they play dead when startled or stressed.5

Expectations (prognosis)

Chronic attacks may eventually result in progressive muscle weakness that is present even between attacks. Hypokalemic periodic paralysis responds well to treatment. Treatment may prevent, and even reverse, progressive muscle weakness. 6

Previously, primary PPs were regarded benign diseases as frequency and severity of attacks decrease with age (1). However, with advanced age, quite a number of patients develop permanent weakness and muscle degeneration with fat replacement (1). In individual cases, fatal cardiac arrhythmias may be a severe complication of the paralytic attacks…. (1). 7

How Bad Will it Get?
The Truth
When I began to research I wanted to know what to expect. How long will I live? How bad will I get? Can this disease be reversed if I get proper treatment? Will I lose my ability to walk? Will I ever drive again? Will I need to be in an assisted living program? Is there medication to stop the total paralytic episodes? What are my chances of dying from the long QT interval heart beat? Will my breathing continue to get more difficult until I can no longer breathe on my own?  Is there any medication I can take if I get another bladder infection? What happens if I need an operation and can’t use anesthetics? What can I do to stop the pain in my shoulder and back since I cannot take any pain medications?  When I go into cardiac arrest, is it worth trying to save me? Will I end up on dialysis due to kidney failure? Can I travel? What will happen if I end up in the ER again and they cannot help me with any medications?

 The short blurbs above are all I was able to locate. There are no doctors who can tell me. My renal specialist told me that he is unable do anymore for me since the diamox did not work. My neurologist tells me that he does not know what to do for me. My cardiologist says my heart condition, due to the PP, is “not treatable” for me.  I am, “not a candidate for a pacemaker“, “possibly a defibrillator later”. My Primary Care Physician (PCP) will not treat anything that has to do with my disease. Even the MDA doctors I saw did not recognize PP nor did they know how to diagnose it correctly. I was told by one of the MDA Healthcare Coordinators, that they need me to educate the MDA doctors so they will know how to treat me. This is not at all comforting. No one can tell me how to treat my symptoms or what to expect. 

Here is what I do know about myself and can review in answer to the above questions:

I am 70 years old and was diagnosed with Periodic Paralysis (PP) on February 7, 2011 at the age of 62. The kind I have is Andersen-Tawil Syndrome. I have had episodes of partial and total paralysis for many years. During the episodes, my potassium shifts are low, high and within the normal ranges. Due to several misdiagnoses and a lack of proper diagnosis and treatment for over 50 years, I have become totally and permanently disabled with weak muscles throughout my body including those involved with my vision, digestion, breathing and my heart. I must be on oxygen constantly and cannot exert myself in any way. The electrical workings of my heart are defective. I have had a heart loop monitor inserted in my chest to monitor the tachycardia and arrhythmia, which include long QT interval beats. I now spend my days in a recliner, unable to walk farther than across a room. I must use a motorized wheelchair for anything farther. If I did not have the help of my husband, I would have to live in an assisted living program. I was misdiagnosed for many years. The medications given to me made me worse.

Through the past years of my physical decline, I have had to give up my career as a special education teacher, my hobbies to include hiking, walking, swimming, exercising, fishing, camping, traveling, shopping, cooking and baking. I had to sell, and move away from, a beautiful home in the mountains of Utah.  I can no longer drive. I have lost many friends, because I could not keep up with them or entertain any longer. I have lost contact with family members who did not understand or did not want to watch my decline or who thought I was a hypochondriac. I have lost the connection I once had with my grandchildren because I can no longer keep up with them or continue a meaningful relationship with them. The relationship with my husband has changed from husband and wife to caregiver and patient. Most of the over 37 doctors I have seen in the past have treated me poorly and like I was mentally ill.

I have spent the past several years working diligently to get a diagnosis and treatment for the ailment that cruelly stole the quality of my life. The most difficult part of this, for me, is knowing that I may not have became this seriously ill if just one of the over 30 doctors I had seen in the 6 years in Oregon before my diagnosis and the many years before, would have taken me seriously.

The following quotes taken from the above passages give us a clue of what can happen, but the passages from which I pulled them insinuate it is not “normally” what happens. I am in contact with many people from around the world who would beg to differ with this. The following is more in line with what is happening to people with PP due to lack of diagnosis and treatment.

“Permanent muscle weakness is just what it sounds like, permanent, irreparable damage to the muscles” 8

“Life span is expected to be normal, but attacks can drop potassium to levels low enough to cause life threatening breathing problems or heart rhythm difficulties” 9

“…some drugs and treatments that work fine for one patient will not work for another.”

“…repeated attacks may eventually cause worsening and permanent muscle weakness between attacks” 10

Possible Complications

·    Kidney stones (a side effect of acetazolamide)
·    Heart arrhythmias during attacks
·    Difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing during attacks (rare)
·    Progressive muscle weakness” 11
“…permanent muscle damage, inability to hold a normal job and use of a powerchair,” 12

 In my opinion, the truth is, the majority of people with this disease end up like me; very, very ill; but they are misdiagnosed, under-diagnosed, called mentally ill, or hypochondriacs. They are diagnosed as suffering from conversion disorder, or having pseudo seizures. They are laughed at and scoffed at. They are told they are “too old” or it is not possible because they are “black”. They are given medications that make them worse. Doctors dismiss them and ridicule them and lie about them in the medical records. They do not get the medication or treatments they need. Then they die of things such as, “unknown” muscle wasting disease, accidental drowning in a pool or bathtub, cardiac arrest at age 40, stroke, or failure to thrive. The worse is from suicide; because if your doctors don’t believe you, how can your family members be expected to believe you. They just give up.

Our main reason for creating our website, the Periodic Paralysis Network, and writing this book, is for these people. They need to be diagnosed and get the proper medications and treatment before it is too late. We want to help them. We are hopeful that the doctors who see our website and read this book will become more aware of this disease and gain enough information to begin appropriately diagnosing their patients with Periodic Paralysis before it is too late.

In conclusion, many people with Periodic Paralysis will live normal life spans and their disability will be minor with occasional weakness. Some may actually not even have episodes of paralysis. Others will have moderate disability and receive proper medical treatment and medication. They will respond well, and may even reverse some of their weakness. But, others with Periodic Paralysis will have mild, moderate or severe disability and they will not receive proper diagnoses or treatment. They will become more disabled as the symptoms progressively worsen. They will suffer needlessly and may die due to complications. So, for some individuals Periodic Paralysis is a terminal condition.

Terminal?

Several years ago I became extremely ill. We had to call our local home health care. We were hoping they could come to the house and evaluate me by doing some lab work to see if I was in metabolic acidosis (to be discussed in the next chapter) or had some other infection of some type. I was hoping they could help Calvin take care of my needs. He is disabled too and cannot lift me. I could do nothing for myself. I could not eat. I slept most of the time and I was in and out of total body paralysis for weeks.

 A nurse and physical therapist came to our home. Upon evaluation it was decided that I did not qualify for their services due to some technicalities with my insurance and Medicare, mostly due to the fact that my symptoms were intermittent. We did get a visit from the nurse a few times over the following weeks but never got blood drawn. With each visit we discussed the ways we could get some services from them, as I needed them. They personally thought we deserved and needed the help from them.

 It was decided that I might qualify for services under the hospice wing of their services. Hospice is care and support to individuals with life-limiting conditions or illness and their families during later stages of the disease. Hospice is chosen and begins when comfort and management is chosen rather than attempting to reverse or cure the condition or disease. This was and is absolutely the case for me. 

 I have a disease with no known cure. There is no treatment I am able to use. I am progressively getting weaker and my breathing gets more difficult. I could die at any minute from arrhythmia. Because I can use no antibiotic, a simple infection can kill me.

 We had to discuss this with my Primary Care Physician. After recovering from the severity of the illness and regaining some strength, I researched the issues and wrote a paper arguing the possibility of receiving services through hospice. On my next visit, we discussed these issues. The following is the paper I wrote and presented to her.

Appointment with Dr. J W   Oct 24, 2011
 Issues

1.      No other doctors are caring for me. They say they “Can do no more for me”.
2.      I need a standing order for blood work for metabolic acidosis, lactic acidosis, bladder infections and anion gap, etc.
3.      I do not qualify for home health care but what about home services through Hospice?
4.      I am technically terminally ill.

 Medical issues

1.      I cannot take any meds for my conditions so they are just progressing.
2.      I cannot take antibiotics for infections.
3.      My breathing muscles are weak and getting weaker
4.      I need oxygen for heart issues, blood pressure and breathing.
5.      I have long QT interval heartbeats during paralysis.
6.      My breathing stops during paralysis.
7.      I experience choking during paralysis.
8.      My blood pressure increases during paralysis.
9.      My heart rate increases during paralysis.
10.  After paralysis I need assistance due to total body muscle weakness

Definitions of “Terminal”

"Terminal Condition"—defined as "a condition caused by injury, disease, or illness for which there is no reasonable medical probability of recovery and which, without treatment, can be expected to cause death." 13

Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century for an active and progressive disease, which cannot be cured easily by popular medicinal practice. Curative treatment is not viewed as appropriate. 14

The term terminally ill in the context of health care refers to person who is suffering from a serious illness and whose life is not expected to go beyond 24 months at the maximum. 15
 Terminal illness…an advanced stage of a disease with an unfavorable prognosis and no known cure. 16

Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century for an active and progressive disease, which cannot be cured easily by popular medicinal practice. Curative treatment is not viewed as appropriate. 17

The term terminally ill in the context of health care refers to person who is suffering from a serious illness and whose life is not expected to go beyond 24 months at the maximum. 18

 Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a relatively short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer or advanced heart disease than for trauma. In popular use, it indicates a disease which will eventually end the life of the sufferer. 19

 I am 66 years old and was diagnosed with Periodic Paralysis (PP) on February 7, 2011. The form I have is Andersen-Tawil Syndrome. I have had episodes of partial and total paralysis for many years. During the episodes, my potassium shifts are low, hypokalemia; high, hyperkalemia and within the normal ranges, normokalemia.

Due to several misdiagnoses and a lack of proper diagnosis and treatment for over 50 years, I have become totally and permanently disabled with weak muscles throughout my body including those involved with my vision, digestion, breathing and my heart. I must be on oxygen constantly and cannot exert myself in any way. The electrical workings of my heart are defective. I have had a heart loop monitor inserted in my chest to monitor the tachycardia and arrhythmia, which include long QT interval beats. I now spend my days in a recliner, unable to walk farther than across a room. I must use a motorized wheelchair for anything farther. If I did not have the help of my husband, I would have to live in an assisted living program. I was misdiagnosed for many years. The medications given to me made me worse.

 Complications and Symptoms of Periodic Paralysis: 

Permanent muscle weakness is just what it sounds like, permanent, irreparable damage to the muscles”

“Life span is expected to be normal, but attacks can drop potassium to levels low enough to cause life threatening breathing problems or heart rhythm difficulties”

“some drugs and treatments that work fine for one patient will not work for another.”

“repeated attacks may eventually cause worsening and permanent muscle weakness between attacks”
 “Possible Complications
Heart arrhythmia during attacks
Difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing during attacks (rare)
Progressive muscle weakness”

“…permanent muscle damage, inability to hold a normal job and use of a powerchair,” (These quotes are referenced above)

The Results

The doctor decided that hospice was an option for me. I did indeed fit the definition of being “terminal”. I am in an advanced stage of a disease called Periodic Paralysis, it has an unfavorable prognosis because of lack of treatment and medications and it has no cure. It was decided that when I felt it necessary, I could begin the hospice services. In the meantime, a standing order for blood work was set up and the home health care could draw it when needed. The doctor also agreed, at my request, to sign a “Do Not Resuscitate Document (DNR)”. This means that if my heart stops or I stop breathing, there is to be no CPR or any other type of life-saving measures used.  This document is displayed in plain view when and if an ambulance is called and recorded at the nearby hospitals.

And so, we now know that Periodic Paralysis can be a terminal condition for some individuals. It is in fact killing me due to a lack of knowledge and proper treatment. I cannot at this time tell anyone else what to expect or how bad it will get. I truly believe, however, that the sooner an individual begins to follow the appropriate plan for their individual needs and condition, they can and will do better and may live a long and healthier life. Although there is no magic cure, there is hope through following a plan of natural and commonsense methods to manage the episodes and improve the symptoms.

Note:
March 15, 2019

Following all of the natural ways to manage our symptoms that we have outlined in our books, in the Blog Articles, on our Website and discussed in our Support Group, I have improved the quality of my life. I have lived eight more years and have been able to do many things I had not thought possible like travel, create the PPNI Forum and write seven books!

All of the above information in this article is true, but it is possible to have some improvement and extend our lives and to be productive.


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00963.x/full
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/terminal+condition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_illness

Until later…