Lessons from a vacation gone bad

Lessons from a vacation gone bad

Sometimes when people take beta glucan, they might not feel different — but the proof is in the blood work.

by Debbie Williams — 

Imagine that you had planned the perfect vacation for you and yours. How would you deal with that vacation if it turned into a nightmare? My story is just that — how my perfect vacation turned into a nightmare because of a bug bite.

Something awakened me in the middle of the night. It was a sharp pain within the cartilage of my nose, but I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning my nose was red and inflamed. One friend suggested it could be a sinus infection. I took her advice and purchased some over-the-counter medicine for it. The remedy did not help, and an aggressive rash continued to spread across my face. It was then we suspected I might be having an allergic reaction to a bug bite, so I took some Claritin®. That night, I got the shivers and shakes, and no amount of blankets could warm me up.

We all have bacteria on our skin; however, problems can arise if it gets under the skin. When I received the bug bite, streptococcus bacteria was pushed under my skin.

If you get a puncture or laceration on your skin and a strain of streptococcus or staphylococcus gets inside, you can get in trouble quickly with a life-threatening infection. I have since learned that the face is one of the most vulnerable places to get an infection. The face is especially at risk because of a lack of blood flow in the nose and sinus areas.

In my case, the bug bite introduced streptococcus under my skin near the cartilage of my nose. As a user of beta glucan to support my immune system, this part of my face is one of the few areas of my body that beta glucan cannot protect because it lacks sufficient blood flow.

Luckily, a miracle occurred for me the next morning when two medical doctors attended a meeting with me about beta glucan. They looked at my face and immediately directed me to a hospital emergency room (ER). They recommended I skip urgent care and go directly there. As we later learned, going directly to the ER made a critical difference in the diagnosis and treatment of this aggressive infection.

Upon arrival, I expected the physician to prescribe some oral antibiotics and send me back to my perfect vacation. Much to my surprise, I was told that I was in danger of losing my eye or going into sepsis (toxic shock). I was sent for a CAT scan and subsequently admitted to the hospital. Even the antibiotic Clindamycin, given intravenously, did nothing to slow the advancing infection. I was in trouble.

To make a long hospital story short, the infectious disease doctor diagnosed facial erysipelas, a streptococcus infection of the face. The antibiotic Daptomycin, administered intravenously for five to seven days, was the prescribed treatment.

I am now on the road to recovery; however, a small concern exists for reinfection and facial scarring. I will have to wait and see.

I would like to present some important observations about my hospital stay.

• I could not believe the low-quality food served to patients. Canned soups, packaged and sugared foods, fake butter, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), juices, bread and dairy were on the menu. I also found it unbelievable that the hospital nutritionist did not even know what HFCS is.

• A nurse was ordered to administer prednisone, the mother of all steroids, that has horrible side effects. She gave me an attitude when I refused to take it. Fortunately, I knew that prednisone actually blocks the effects of beta glucan. But she insisted that all steroids are the same. When I told her I was taking the beta glucan, she said, “We asked you if you were taking medicine.” I replied, “It is not medicine.” She said, “We asked you if you were taking vitamins.” I replied, “It is not a vitamin. It is a food-based supplement. You did not ask if I was taking a supplement.” Round and round we went. The less pharmaceutical drugs that go into my body, the safer I feel.

• During my hospital stay, I took on the role of crusader for natural health remedies. One interested nurse stayed in my room, took a seat and took notes for an hour. She commented on overprescribed drugs. She is now going to try to get a job in the naturopathic sector of health care.

• My white blood cell count remained strong during the course of the infection. Sometimes when people take beta glucan, they might not feel different — but the proof is in the blood work.

• I saw three different doctors, each with their own opinion and diagnosis.

• I doubled my probiotic intake to help balance the gut flora the antibiotics were killing. I experienced neither stomach upset nor side effects.

The lessons to be learned here are that if you get a bite or cut on your face and the redness goes past the triangle of nose to mouth, seek medical attention immediately. Protect your immune system by taking beta glucan with resveratrol and vitamin C. However, beware that most beta glucan being sold is not the best quality. In conclusion, even if I have only helped one person by the information provided in this article, I have done my job.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The client is solely responsible for making his or her own health and wellness decisions. Any and all information is for educational and informational purposes only. If pregnant or lactating, consult a physician before using.

Debbie Williams is an immune health coach who represents health products. For more information on beta glucan, contact Debbie at [email protected], 623-444-0557 or rylinfo.com.

by Debbie Williams

Imagine that you had planned the perfect vacation for you and yours. How would you deal with that vacation if it turned into a nightmare? My story is just that — how my perfect vacation turned into a nightmare because of a bug bite.

Something awakened me in the middle of the night. It was a sharp pain within the cartilage of my nose, but I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning my nose was red and inflamed. One friend suggested it could be a sinus infection. I took her advice and purchased some over-the-counter medicine for it. The remedy did not help, and an aggressive rash continued to spread across my face. It was then we suspected I might be having an allergic reaction to a bug bite, so I took some Claritin®. That night, I got the shivers and shakes, and no amount of blankets could warm me up.

We all have bacteria on our skin; however, problems can arise if it gets under the skin. When I received the bug bite, streptococcus bacteria was pushed under my skin.

If you get a puncture or laceration on your skin and a strain of streptococcus or staphylococcus gets inside, you can get in trouble quickly with a life-threatening infection. I have since learned that the face is one of the most vulnerable places to get an infection. The face is especially at risk because of a lack of blood flow in the nose and sinus areas.

In my case, the bug bite introduced streptococcus under my skin near the cartilage of my nose. As a user of beta glucan to support my immune system, this part of my face is one of the few areas of my body that beta glucan cannot protect because it lacks sufficient blood flow.

Luckily, a miracle occurred for me the next morning when two medical doctors attended a meeting with me about beta glucan. They looked at my face and immediately directed me to a hospital emergency room (ER). They recommended I skip urgent care and go directly there. As we later learned, going directly to the ER made a critical difference in the diagnosis and treatment of this aggressive infection.

Upon arrival, I expected the physician to prescribe some oral antibiotics and send me back to my perfect vacation. Much to my surprise, I was told that I was in danger of losing my eye or going into sepsis (toxic shock). I was sent for a CAT scan and subsequently admitted to the hospital. Even the antibiotic Clindamycin, given intravenously, did nothing to slow the advancing infection. I was in trouble.

To make a long hospital story short, the infectious disease doctor diagnosed facial erysipelas, a streptococcus infection of the face. The antibiotic Daptomycin, administered intravenously for five to seven days, was the prescribed treatment.

I am now on the road to recovery; however, a small concern exists for reinfection and facial scarring. I will have to wait and see.

I would like to present some important observations about my hospital stay.

• I could not believe the low-quality food served to patients. Canned soups, packaged and sugared foods, fake butter, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), juices, bread and dairy were on the menu. I also found it unbelievable that the hospital nutritionist did not even know what HFCS is.

• A nurse was ordered to administer prednisone, the mother of all steroids, that has horrible side effects. She gave me an attitude when I refused to take it. Fortunately, I knew that prednisone actually blocks the effects of beta glucan. But she insisted that all steroids are the same. When I told her I was taking the beta glucan, she said, “We asked you if you were taking medicine.” I replied, “It is not medicine.” She said, “We asked you if you were taking vitamins.” I replied, “It is not a vitamin. It is a food-based supplement. You did not ask if I was taking a supplement.” Round and round we went. The less pharmaceutical drugs that go into my body, the safer I feel.

• During my hospital stay, I took on the role of crusader for natural health remedies. One interested nurse stayed in my room, took a seat and took notes for an hour. She commented on overprescribed drugs. She is now going to try to get a job in the naturopathic sector of health care.

• My white blood cell count remained strong during the course of the infection. Sometimes when people take beta glucan, they might not feel different — but the proof is in the blood work.

• I saw three different doctors, each with their own opinion and diagnosis.

• I doubled my probiotic intake to help balance the gut flora the antibiotics were killing. I experienced neither stomach upset nor side effects.

The lessons to be learned here are that if you get a bite or cut on your face and the redness goes past the triangle of nose to mouth, seek medical attention immediately. Protect your immune system by taking beta glucan with resveratrol and vitamin C. However, beware that most beta glucan being sold is not the best quality. In conclusion, even if I have only helped one person by the information provided in this article, I have done my job.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The client is solely responsible for making his or her own health and wellness decisions. Any and all information is for educational and informational purposes only. If pregnant or lactating, consult a physician before using.

Debbie Williams is an immune health coach who represents health products. For more information on beta glucan, contact Debbie at [email protected], 623-444-0557 or rylinfo.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 33, Number 1, February/March 2014.10