Our guest in this episode, Jen, suffers from Chiari Malformation - A syndrome where brain tissue extends into the spinal canal, estimated to affect approximately 1 in 1000 people.
Jen bravely underwent Chiari Decompression surgery to relieve pressure on the brainstem, cerebellum and spinal cord, but immediately knew something was wrong due to a litany of pain and symptoms following her surgery and the implantation of titanium mesh hardware.
After much research and many tests, Jen was able to confirm an allergy to nickel, a trace element not required to be listed in commercially pure titanium hardware. This podcast episode is the story of Jen’s fight through her pain, through gaslighting and ultimately revision surgery to remove the metal from her brain and to help resolve the symptoms caused by it.
In this episode you will learn:
What is Chiari malformation and what are the symptoms.
How Chiari Decompression surgery is performed.
How metal hardware is often implanted during surgery without the patient’s knowledge or formal consent.
Why it is important to continue to advocate for yourself and better outcomes.
~Links and Resources~
~ Support for Chiari Malformation: www.ChiariSupport.org
~
Bobby Jones website for Chiari related disorders: https://bobbyjonescsf.org/
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Welcome to our Heavily Metalled Season 3 Opener and a Heavily Metalled FIRST! In this episode the renowned metal allergy expert Dr. Scott Schroeder takes metal allergy questions, along with Linda Nelson, CEO of MELISA Diagnostics, on our first ever community Q&A recorded LIVE, along with many questions sent in by our Metalhead audience!
We’ve got questions about implants, surgeries, testing, diet, pre-operative preparation and much, MUCH more!
In this episode you will learn:
How you can experience TREMENDOUS relief from pain and symptoms by following a low-nickel diet.
Do trace amounts of nickel in implants really cause severe reactions & what percentage does it take to cause them?
How to get a doctor that won’t listen to hear you.
~Links and Resources~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
In this groundbreaking episode of Heavily Metalled, we're joined by renowned orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Selene Parekh to explore the revolutionary development of the metal-free 3D-printed Talus implant. As systemic metal hypersensitivity gains wider recognition, this innovation offers new hope to patients who may be allergic to traditional metal orthopedic implants or wish to avoid metal altogether.
Dr. Parekh, known as the "Fantasy Doctor" for his sports injury analysis and as a trailblazer in orthopedic innovation, discusses how this polymer-based Talus implant mimics the function and durability of bone without introducing reactive materials into the body. We delve into the technology behind the implant, compare it to metal-based alternatives, and discuss the implications for long-term biocompatibility, joint preservation, and quality of life—especially for patients with previously limited options.
We also explore important questions around informed consent and screening for metal allergies in surgical planning. Does Dr. Parekh routinely pre-screen his patients? How is the orthopedic field evolving to meet the needs of this underserved group? And what’s next for 3D printing in other joints?
Don’t miss this episode if you or someone you love is navigating life with chronic pain or facing decisions about orthopedic surgery—it could change the way you think about implants forever;.
In this episode you will learn:
How metal-free 3D-printed Talus implants are changing ankle surgery.
The benefits of biocompatible, non-metal implant materials.
What to ask your surgeon about metal allergies and implants.
~Links and Resources~
~ Find Dr. Parekh at his website HERE.
~
~Follow Dr. Parekh on his YouTube Channel HERE.
~
~To see Dr. Parekh’s interview on this implant with CBS News click HERE.
~.
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Tracey O’Neill was at the pinnacle of health as a fitness instructor and in the prime of her active life prior to bi-lateral hip replacement surgery due to a sudden diagnosis of a previously undiagnosed condition: congenital hip dysplasia.
Tracey went from her idyllic life to fully disabled, in massive amounts of pain, and able to walk with only the assistance of dual walking sticks, only to find out that she was being poisoned by severe cobalt debris from her bilateral implants.
As Tracey’s condition continued to degrade, and she was gaslit by many medical professionals, she experienced a growing litany of debilitating symptoms such as swelling, pain, redness, memory loss, shortness of breath and swelling, eventually finding out that her cobalt levels were seven times normal.
Tracey has bravely endured two brutal revision surgeries to date and that was only on the first hip, with the second still to come.Tracey is now a tireless advocate running an online support group for hip revision patients with chronic pain and cobalt toxicity from hip implants.
In this episode you will learn:
How cobalt poisoning from hip implants can mimic other chronic illnesses and go undiagnosed.
The importance of trusting your body—even when doctors don’t.
What kinds of symptoms may be linked to metal toxicity from implants.
Where you can get support for your hip replacement & implant pain.
~Links and Resources~
~ Find Tracey’s Hip Replacement Chronic Pain Support & Cobalt Poisoning Facebook group HERE.
~
~To read Tracey’s Article in the Daily Telegraph click HERE.
~
~To see the images that accompany this episode click HERE.
~.
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
EP35 - Betrayal Medicine with Megan Nichols LCSW
With the recent headlines regarding spinal and chronic pain patient Luigi Mangioni, and the brutal murder of a United Healthcare insurance executive, our attention is drawn to the plight of chronically ill patients and our broken healthcare system. Our guest today, Therapist Megan Nichols, LCSW, helps us unpack medical trauma, gaslighting and PTSD. We discuss what is happening within the current constructs of our overtaxed and un-individualized healthcare system, how we got here and the difficult emotions that we often encounter on our journey to be heard, seen and understood. We discuss ways to more effectively accomplish our goals regarding caring for ourselves mentally and physically as we navigate chronic conditions and seek for better quality of life.
In this episode you will learn:
What defines trauma in a medical setting and how it is different for each of us.
What is medical gaslighting and how does it sound different when a provider is dismissing versus just not understanding.
What EMDR therapy is and how it can help your body resolve trauma.
Tools for mental health care with or without insurance.
~Links and Resources~
~If you are experiencing mental distress and need help NOW call: 2-1-1, 9-8-8 OR Text “Hello” or “Hola” 24/7 to 741741.
~
~To connect with Megan Nichols, LCSW click HERE.
~
~To check out Megan’s AWESOME music click HERE.
~.
~To obtain the “No Bad Parts” book by Richard Schrwartz click HERE.
~
~To obtain “The Myth of Normal” book click HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Our guest today, Barry Walsh, has an incredible story about allergies to an IV filter, as well as spinal fusion hardware implanted after a 40 foot fall at a construction site. Prior to surgery Barry was a wealthy & successful construction contractor in New York City to many big name celebrities and organizations. After his fall he became homeless, gaslit, dismissed by medical professionals, locked up in psych wards repeatedly and lived in his car until a hero surgeon believed him and started removing his metal.
In this episode you will learn:
What an IV filter is an how it can be dangerous to your health.
How metal allergies can be mistaken for mental illness.
Just how much health can be restored when metal is removed.
How to better advocate for yourself with metal allergies.
~Links and Resources~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Our guest today, Debbie Heist Lambert is the author of the new book “Gadolinium Deposition and Toxicity: Humanizing a Life-Changing Event", as well as head honcho over at Living with Gadolinium, LLC. Debbie is a huge advocate for all medically injured patients. She is enthusiastic about ensuring that informed consent, truth and transparency become the gold standard for all things healthcare after her own life changed dramatically following the first, and then multiple injections of a GBCA (gadolinium based contrast agent), a toxic rare-earth metal retained in everyone. Debbie found a passion and purpose in learning and applying the new knowledge to help herself and to provide support and help for others. Debbie gives all glory to God for his love, support, and ongoing guidance.
In this episode you will learn:
What Gadolinium is and why it’s used.
Where to find support if you believe you have been injured by Gadolinium.
How to best test to find out if you have toxic stored amounts of Gadolinium.
About safe detox options to help rid the body of stored gadolinium.
~Links and Resources~
~
~ Debbie’s Book: “Gadolinium Deposition & Toxicity: Humanizing a Life-Changing Event” - Get it HERE.
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~ Living With Gadolinium, LLC on Facebook - Go HERE.
~
~GadTTRAC.org - Resource for all things gadolinium - Go HERE.
~
Check out “The God Memorandum” by Og Mandino HERE
~
Check out NeuroSym HERE.
~
Check out Vital Health Saunas HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Our guest today, Shannon, has a remarkable story about allergies to an iliac vein stent (two actually) that she received after a May Thurner syndrome diagnosis. Prior to surgery to place the stent she had even informed the surgeon about her severe nickel allergy, complete with LTT test results, and woke from surgery to find out that she had received not only one but TWO nitinol stents instead!!!Nitinol is often comprised of nearly equal amounts of nickel and titanium and causes severe symptoms in the nickel-allergic patient population. You will hear about the severe health challenges that ensued for Shannon and her brave fight to have these stents removed, which may require a very risky open surgery.
In this episode you will learn:
How merely mentioning your nickel allergy to your surgeon may not be enough.
Options available for stenting those allergic to nickel and other metals.
How metal allergies can be genetic and run in families.
How to best preserve your mental stability through a health crisis.
~Links and Resources~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
EP31 - Sensiband Metal Allergy Test Kit w/Spine Surgeon & Inventor Mitch Reiter
In this episode of Heavily Metalled, we’re diving deep into the Sensiband metal allergy test kit with inventor and renowned spine surgeon Dr. Mitchell Reiter. Sensiband is FDA Class 1 medical device and a groundbreaking tool designed to help individuals identify sensitivities to metals that could be causing systemic pain and other health issues.Dr. Reiter discusses his background and why metal allergies and allergies in general play an important role in his personal life. In practice Dr. Reiter and his inventor/partner Dr. Mark Drzala started noticing some of their surgical patients with sensitivities were experiencing poor surgical outcomes. Dr. Drzala had his own experience with metal allergy and toxicity after reacting to mercury in his dental hardware so their minds turned towards helping these patients and moving them towards a better quality of life. This episode not only delves into all things Sensiband, but also addresses some prominent questions regarding surgical implants, metal allergies, alternative materials, pre-screening customs, and how to combine multiple testing modalities for the most up to date and accurate information regarding a particular patient and that patient’s unique hypersensitivities. We also discuss current stigmas and attitudes in the medical and device industries towards metal allergies and how the tides may be starting to shift in favor of those with documented metal hypersensitivity. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!
In this episode you will learn:
What the Sensiband test is and how it works.
Real-life stories of patients who have made dramatic recoveries when their surgical hardware was removed.
Why you might consider NOT removing metal hardware you are allergic to and when you should.
How this test empowers patients and practitioners to make informed decisions about their health.
~Links and Resources~
~ Check out the Sensiband website and order your test HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Our guest today, Julene, joins us in the middle of her knee replacement journey.After going early on for a relatively routine meniscus repair, working through physical therapy and all the things to recover, she wound up in an extreme amount of pain that wasn’t normal. Saw a new doctor in follow-up who advised a total knee replacement. Julene received three surgical opinions and all were in agreement. Julene chose the surgeon that asked about prior reactions to metal. About a month after surgery Julene began to develop one symptom after another. So bad she could barely make a glass of water. Acute pain. Flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and allergy symptoms. Her cries to her doctor fell on deaf ears and she sought a second opinion. Julene received an LTT Blood test for metal allergies, which came back showing her off-the-charts allergic to nickel. Julene eventually obtained a knee revision and her symptoms resolved rapidly. She felt stable on her new titanium knee….and then it all began to unravel…again. Here about the continuation of her journey, her huge success on the low-nickel diet and then about the connections she made with her metallic dental work. You won’t believe the surprise ending to the story. Well…it’s not the end, it’s actually the middle, as another revision is in Julene’s future.
In this episode you will learn:
How to better advocate for yourself, trusting your body when you have metal hypersensitivity.
The importance of a low-nickel diet in managing symptoms.
The importance of double & triple checking surgeons and device manufacturers when it comes to the metal compositions and devices recommended for implant.
More about common signs, symptoms and co-morbidities of metal hypersensitivity.
~Links and Resources~
~ To see the images that accompany this episode click HERE.
~
~ To read the PubMed article mentioned on a completely metal-free knee click HERE.
~
~ To find out about the FIG food app click HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
This episode is just what the patient ordered!
You are about to learn all the want-to-know essentials about hardware & composition such as how to find surgical support documents that dictate implanted hardware and the surgical procedure, how to reach the reps for medical & hardware device manufactures, how to determine the metal alloy components of your surgical hardware and how to file your own adverse event report with the FDA, both electronically and via hard copy.
Metal allergy expert Dr. Scott Schroeder, also re-joins the podcast to weigh in and educate more about hardware and the removal process. We discuss surgeon hesitancy in the hardware removal realm, safety considerations, non-metal implant alternatives and why manufacturers might be avoiding allergic patients and whether removing some hardware instead of all is even beneficial to the patients.
We also cover how patients should approach and speak with their providers about hardware removal options.
This episode is jam-packed with information and if you have metal hardware that you suspect you are allergic to, it’s likely to be one of your favorite podcast episodes yet!
In this episode you will learn:
How to obtain your operative reports, pick lists & implant logs from your surgeries.
How to obtain & determine chemical compositions of your implanted hardware.
Surgeon perspectives on hardware removal & implant composition.
~Links and Resources~
~ To file your FDA adverse event report click HERE.
~
~ To View the FDA adverse event report database (FAERS) click HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
The Low Nickel Diet and template for eating well with metal allergies is quickly gaining popularity among those sensitive to metals. Join us today for this episode with Gilda Capraro, the brawn and brains behind the super-helpful Low Nickel Diet & Lifestyle Facebook group. This episode is jam-packed with information to help you with all things diet and lifestyle as you navigate your nickel allergy and all that goes with it. Much of this information will be applicable to those who are also cross-reactive to other metals. Learn about how systemic metal allergies show up, how a Type IV allergy differs from contact allergies and the various symptoms they manifest. We discuss metal allergies and MCAS, Eczema, how metal allergies relate to chemical and other intolerances and even discuss how cobalt allergies are a close cousin to a nickel allergy. Information in this episode will help you with your low-nickel roadmap, whether you are just starting your journey, or you’ve been on the road for some time.
In this episode you will learn:
About Resources available to the metal-allergic community.
How to navigate diet in response to metal hypersensitivity.
What are the important questions to ask to help determine if you might be experiencing symptoms of metal hypersensitivity.
~Links and Resources~
~ Check out the Low Nickel Diet & Lifestyle Group on Facebook HERE.
~
~ Check out the Rebelytics Low Nickel Diet guidelines HERE.
~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
EP27 - Metal LTT Blood Testing ORTHOPEDIC ANALYSIS Walkthrough, Q&A + Implant Composition FAQ
Join me today for a complete video walkthrough on ordering, drawing & shipping the Orthopedic Analysis blood Metal LTT Lymphocyte Transformation Test. You’ll get to see results of my new OA test and learn all about the valuable resources on the OA website. Additionally you will hear again from OA C.F.O., Dr. Marco Caicedo on not only some of my surprising results with the recent test, but also some experiences and common questions from some in the metal-allergic community regarding OA testing. Lastly, you will learn how to obtain implant composition data from providers, manufacturers and hardware reps, and then how to break that down to know what percentages of which metal alloys are in your hardware. This will empower you so that you can better choose MORE compatible hardware for if and when you have to have surgeries that implant metal.
In this episode you will learn:
About the many FAQ & resources available for patients and providers alike on the Orthopedic Analysis Website.
How metal reactivity and sensitivity can change over time in the innate and adaptive immune system. Is nickel really the enemy?
How to determine chemical composition of metal alloys within implants.
When patch testing might NOT be a good idea and when it can be a useful tool.
~Links and Resources~
~~Check out the Orthopedic Analysis Expert Physician & Surgeons Testimonial page HERE:
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~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
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~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptom list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
This episode details relevant personal updates regarding Shari’s health status, surgeries, death of a prominent family member and an official statement regarding MELISA Diagnostics inability to currently provide metal LTT testing to US residents, as well as where to find alternative testing in the meantime.
This episode also makes statements responding to serious allegations leveled at Shari regarding the production and agenda of the Heavily Metalled Podcast.
Also the new YouTube Medical Misinformation policy is summarized. Podcast agendas & goals for the future are detailed.
In this episode you will learn:
About Tarlov Cyst Disease & how it can affect patients with metal hypersensitivity.
The MELISA Diagnostics plan for moving forward.
The true goals and agendas of the Heavily Metalled Podcast.
How to maintain access to relevant integrative health information free from censorship.
~Links and Resources~
~To follow Heavily Metalled on RUMBLE click HERE.
~
~To read the YouTube medical misinformation policy click HERE.
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Emily, is working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Science and is looking forward to completing a PhD in the same field a few years after graduation.
Emily has been sensitive to metals her whole life, starting with a severe allergy to earrings and other jewelry as a child.
In early 2019 she was talked into getting her nose pierced by a friend and was SUPER excited. Even picking out cute nose rings.
Within months of that nose piercing Emily developed multiple autoimmune diseases and suffered with the debilitating effects of Trigeminal Neuralgia, a syndrome nicknamed “The Suicide Disease” creating painful nerve sensations on the face.
She also suffered from an onset of joint pain, repeated sore throats and swelling of her lymph nodes, as well as all kinds of tenderness surrounding the area.
Around the same time frame Emily started noticing increase symptoms from several mercury fillings in her mouth, experiencing a large “flair” when the fillings were removed and likely swallowing a small piece of the extracted filling during removal.
Symptoms from her fillings were most notably a metallic taste in her mouth, among others.
Emily also shares experiences where her body actually pushed out an IUD device, and relays stories of her throat becoming sore when drinking from stainless steel water bottles and starting to feel unwell from a gifted set of new stainless steel cookware.
She is still trying to discern whether or not a surgical clip was left in place during a 2017 appendectomy.
She experienced a substantial, indisputable relief of her Trigeminal Neuralgia and other symptoms upon removing the nose ring for an unrelated surgical procedure, along with having her metal fillings removed. Tune in to hear the rest of her compelling story!
In this episode you will learn:
How small amounts of metal can wreak BIG havoc on the body & immune system.
How to safely remove dental amalgams.
Alternatives to drinking & kitchenware.
How LDN or Low Dose Naltrexone can assist in your healing journey.
~Links and Resources~
~To find a biological / holistic dentist in your area click HERE.
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~To purchase the glass/silicone water bottle shown in the podcast go HERE.
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~Check out the Quirky Cork Gourd drinking bottles HERE.
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~To learn about LDN or Low Dose Naltrexone click HERE
~
~Get the Low Nickel Diet cookbook HERE.
~
~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Maria Lappin, our guest from Michigan, is our incredible Season 2 opener.
Her episode discusses a prominent lesion on the tip of her nose, diagnosed by multiple specialists, as aggressive metastatic melanoma. The lesion was, in fact, caused by a systemic reaction to surgical clips placed inside her body without her knowledge, her permission or being pre-screened for metal hypersensitivity, during surgery to remove her lymph nodes in conjunction with the Melanoma diagnoses. Her brave saga will leave you stunned and speechless.We will follow Maria on her overwhelming 10-YEAR journey as a harmless mole, was called out as a disease that would be rapidly life-altering, and could even be life-ending.Maria takes us along on biopsy after inconclusive biopsy, removal of lymph nodes in her neck, repeated imaging studies, medical gaslighting by prominent cancer doctors and institutes, plastic surgeons & more. On several coincidentally “lucky” days, Maria was able to discover her surgical clips, along with the support groups that would eventually lead her to a vascular surgeon who believed her story and who would remove them with a striking dose of compassion and humanity, resolving her symptoms, as well as the lesion on her nose, in short order. Had she not discovered the true source of her lesion, it would have led into MANY years and full facial reconstruction surgery. Yikes!You will hear Maria’s assertive testimony before the FDA on how these surgical clips stole much of her life, and you will hear how she is crawling out of the wreckage to get that life back, and at the end of the episode you will hear a partial conversation with her cancer surgeon stating that they leave clips in patients all the time and that “no one has any problems with them”; A bold statement as we have so much evidence to the contrary….even evidence from our own FDA. You’ll have to hear it to believe it!
In this episode you will learn:
Systemic reactions to titanium surgical clips exist & can cause havoc throughout the body.
Sometimes these systemic symptoms can be diagnosed as life-threatening illness, leading to many life-altering, horrific and unnecessary surgeries.
Why filing an adverse even report is not only a good idea - it’s critical!
That you can be a voice for change and make your voice heard to not only medical providers, but to the FDA.
~Links and Resources~
~ To see the images that accompany this episode, click HERE.
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~ To visit Maria’s website, click HERE.
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~To make a comment or petition to the FDA, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
EP22 - Beyond the Metal: Holistic Dental Care with Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS, FAGD, TNC, CNAS
Dr. Michelle Jorgensen has a passion for not just the mouth but how it connects to the entire body, and beyond that, how the connects to the world! We discuss Dr. Michelle’s personal journey with metal toxicity to mercury amalgam, and how she almost became unable to practice dentistry, and had to put her practice up for sale. She tells us how she detoxed and how she uncovered her own MTHFR genetic mutation that can make detox more difficult. Dr. Michelle found a new way to practice, and shocked those in her profession as she recovered completely and became an innovator in her field, an author, a social media guru with over 100K followers, and creator of her own natural product line. Dr. Michelle outlines what dentists are taught regarding metal hypersensitivity in dental school, especially the dialogue surrounding mercury fillings and the controversy surrounding alternative approaches or viewpoints in dentistry. We discuss metal toxicity, metal allergies, metal composites, including porcelain fused to metal crowns, and the fascinating way she is finding places in the bone where it has not healed completely from dental work. These places harbor bugs, parasites and more! She talks about how she heals these areas and miraculously returns patients to full health. We discuss biocompatibility and Dr. Michelle’s best recommendations for testing prior to implantation of any dental devices.Find out the novel ways she has to save teeth and what she recommends if you have to have an implant placed. You will learn how to follow Dr. Michelle and like her, live WELL!
In this episode you will learn:
The safest implant for those with metal allergies.
Why we are seeing more and more sensitivities to titanium.
Testing options for material biocompatibility.
How to locate a holistic dental practitioner.
~Links and Resources~
~ Check out Living Well with Dr. Michelle! https://www.livingwellwithdrmichelle.com
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~ Check out Dr. Michelle’s Dental Practice: Total Dental Care_
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5549082~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
Christian hails from Michigan and is a young Italian man, working as an engineer, who has a passion for soccer, being Italian and heavy metal music.. He describes himself as a formerly “happy-go-lucky” guy until spine surgery and metal allergies turned his life upside down. After the sudden onset of back trouble and searing pain, Christian worked through the traditional medical routes, until it was decided that he would need a spinal fusion.After surgery, Christian knew immediately that something wasn’t right, waking with searing, intractable pain and a litany of symptoms: rashes, insomnia, an ulcerated tongue, vision, cardiac issues and more. After numerous consults and research,, he came to the hypothesis that he could be allergic to his spinal fusion hardware. Christian obtained blood metal lymphocyte transformation testing from Orthopedic Analysis, where testing determined he was severely allergic to the titanium alloy. Christian was able to gain the confidence of a surgeon and was able to have this fusion revised with stainless steel hardware, which contained components he did not test allergic to. All of his symptoms went away immediately with revision, then returned within months, almost as bad as the first go. Christian re-tested with Orthopedic Analysis and the new test came back showing him reactive to the new hardware. After fusion occurred the supporting hardware was removed and like the prior time, Christian experienced a large resolution of his symptoms….until slowly they returned. Christian discovered that the surgeons had utilized a large number of titanium surgical clips in the revision surgery. He is still fighting a battle to have them removed to this day.
In this episode you will learn:
Systemic reactions to titanium exist & can cause havoc throughout the body.
Hypersensitivities to a given metal don’t always present until an exposure occurs.
Why self-advocacy is important - surgeons can still make mistakes.
Grace is needed for cutting-edge providers trying to offer assistance.
~Links and Resources~
~ Too see the images that accompany this episode, click HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Sign up for the FREE newsletter and email list on HeavilyMetalled.com & get a FREE symptoms list & next steps bundle!~Sign the petition asking medical providers and facilities to pre-screen for metal hypersensitivity here: http://tinyurl.com/2458ea8
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
OB/GYN Dr. Julio Novoa, who not only provides excellence in women’s health care but is renowned for his minimally invasive techniques, joins the HMP to discuss all things foreign body reactions, metal hypersensitivity, ASIA syndrome and beyond. Not only a OB/GYN, Dr. Novoa also specializes in cosmetic gynecology but might just shine as the brightest light in his concern for women’s safety and advocacy, who agrees more with a patient-centric model for healthcare as opposed to approaching medicine strictly from a business perspective.
Seeing a trend towards unnecessary medical procedures and not being a fan, he became alarmed with routine practices in surgical standards that harmed the patient. Noticing a large subset of patients with severe symptoms from foreign body implantation, such as the Essure permanent sterilization device, surgical clips and staples, leaky breast implants and more, he knew he had to speak out and continues to do so today.
We discuss a newer-term and evolving diagnoses: ASIA Syndrome or Autoimmune Inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants. Dr. Novoa explains what an adjuvant is and why it matters. We discuss various types of foreign body reactions and why surgeons should be able to readily explant anything they are keen to implant. We also discuss localized and systemic hypersensitivity reactions and whether or not everyone who has them can be classified under the definition of the ASIA effect.
Dr. Novoa goes on to detail clinical observations and personally observed results from the large amount of explant surgeries he has performed and witnessed. More and more complete resolution of the patient's vast symptoms upon explantation became the rule, rather than the exception and he shares some of those experiences. He states his opinion on whether asymptomatic patients with implants should consider having them removed after healing has occurred.
A lengthy discussion ensues surrounding how to affect change within the medical communities, physicians groups and governing bodies and Dr. Novoa offers his opinion as to why physicians aren’t putting two and two together and completely missing the boat when patients present with systemic and localized foreign body reactions. We also go into the super-serious topics surrounding informed consent and how we need to up our game with our own surgical consents and medical records. This episode will encourage patients to look more closely prior to surgery and to find their voice when experiencing practices that could increase the risk of foreign body reactions.
You’ll also want to tune in to hear who is Dr. Novoa’s favorite heavy metal band!
In this episode you will learn:
All about informed consent.
Why keeping copies of op and pathology reports is critical.
How to affect change in medicine.
Can what’s put in come out?
~Links and Resources~
~ Check out Dr. Novoa & The Novoa Medical Services website HERE.
~
~To learn more visit HeavilyMetalled.com.
~Sign the petition to urge metal hypersensitivity screening HERE.
~
Check out the “Heavily Metalled” resource page: https://www.heavilymetalled.com/resources
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeavilyMetalled
~
Follow Heavily Metalled on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavilymetalled/
~
Subscribe to Heavily Metalled on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HeavilyMetalled
~
Check out our sponsor https://melisa.org
***Many WONDERFUL, supportive special-interest communities exist for metal allergies and diet, hardware issues, medical devices, etc., online and on social media. They have many resources and often act as a collective think-tank. I owe many parts of my recovery to knowledge obtained in such groups. Search keywords to join these groups and find your tribe!***
