Peeling Back Your Health Onion

As mentioned previously, I was a lifetime believer in a combination of natural and modern medical care, and as I entered my mid-twenties, began natural treatment and supplementation for IBS, fatigue and an overgrowth of yeast (Candida). All the regular doctor could tell me was that I had IBS and had to learn to deal with it by lowering my stress and take three different prescriptions as needed.

By my mid-thirties, after years of fighting the aforementioned, along with adult acne, chronic joint pain, major female menses issues, constant sweating, mouth sores, sudden food allergies, and even more extreme exhaustion, I went to see an holistic doctor near my home in Florida.

She suggested a saliva test to measure my hormones over a 24-hour period. What a concept! Not blood work that only gives you a reading at that very moment, but a time-lapsed measure of what was happening throughout the day in my body. Our hormones fluctuate and should be at different levels at different times. For example, cortisol should be higher in the morning and early afternoon, lowering later in the day and evening, and melatonin should rise in the evening. 

The saliva test measured my estrogen levels (estrone, estradiol, estriol), progesterone (PG and 17-OH) DHEA, testosterone, cortisol, melatonin, androstenedione and thyroid. These tests are evaluated by more and more labs, but I have used ZRT Laboratory, Access Medical Laboratories, Diagnos-Techs, Inc., and Pharmasan Labs. Many of these can be ordered yourself and once evaluated, they are sent back to you with thorough explanations of findings and in some cases, recommendations of supplementation or a visit to your doctor for further testing. They cost anywhere from $99-$250.

As suspected, my hormones were a mess, mainly my cortisol. Diagnosis: Major Adrenal Fatigue. It appeared my adrenal glands were barely working. I started supplementation with thyroid and adrenal glandulars,  stopped synthetic birth control (if only I had known then what I know now -- UGH!) and started sub lingual bio-identical hormones, mainly progesterone, to bring my estrogen and testosterone down to normal levels. I started feeling better, but it still wasn't enough.

After a few years of taking supplements and IV Vitamin C, I just couldn't get over the threshold to having normal energy and I began reacting to nearly everything I ate with a rash, swollen lips and mouth sores. I was hitting rock-bottom emotionally and physically. My then practitioner (the second one since the first retired), whom I adored and respected greatly, referred me to a clinic with more extensive alternative health solutions. 

Turns out, after meeting with the first doctor at the new place, I was diagnosed with twenty-three illnesses, five of them "permanent," which means they live dormant in my cells until I am weakened by stress or an acute illness, then they awaken and send my body reeling. I also had a parasite and digestive issues. He couldn't believe I was functioning at all, let alone working a full-time job, running a side business, exercising daily and managing two households. Looking back now, it's by the grace of God that I was referred there and got in right away. It would turn out to save my life as I knew it a few months down the road.

So, how do you get started? My recommendation, based on my experience, is to start by being your own health detective and order a saliva test kit. You just spit into a vial four times in a day and send it off. Tip: If you have a hard time making saliva, chew some paraffin wax or smell a lemon. 

Once you do your saliva test, if you can find an holistic practitioner, take it to him or her and add a blood test that includes Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Total, OHD3 and OHD2, MTHFR, CRP, T3, T4 plus Thyroglobulin Anitbodies, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies, T3 Reverse, a full CBC, Ferritin (iron), homocysteine (the ones in bold will be featured in this blog soon), and of course, the usual suspects.

Finding an holistic/alternative practitioner is difficult. They don't advertise because of public scrutiny and FDA pressure. I have found ARNPs, Chiropractors, and several MDs who practice holistically, usually mixing techniques with western or modern medicine, tucked away in every city I've lived. Start asking around - its how I found every one of mine. I did not find them on-line. The risk in not using your network to find a reputable person is that you'll end up at a quack looking to make a buck. They may try to sell you a ridiculous amount of supplements without explanation or get you to jump on the multi-level marketing band wagon. These "practitioners" give alternative health a bad name.

When I was at my worst, I was on about thirty supplements and herbals several times per day, but it was for a matter of weeks until the illnesses left my body. I have been on many supps for very thorough and targeted results, and continue to take those that are needed for maintenance, and they fluctuate with my body's needs. When it comes to supplements, ask a lot of questions as to what they do and why, ask about drug interactions if you're on prescriptions, ask about a return policy if you can't tolerate something and Use Your Instincts.

Throughout the years of peeling back the layers of my health onion and becoming a science detective, I was able to heal one step at a time, and with each discovery, I have fortified my system to handle whatever has been thrown at me. 

Now, after nearly ten years of consistent holistic treatments (and a lifetime of dabbling), I feel armed with the best solutions to staying healthy and know that I am in control of how I feel. Out of all the suffering has come what I consider to be a few miracles (combined with centuries of science) and I am certain the knowledge I've acquired is my gift to share with you.

Up Next: Some simple things you can do today without tests to start feeling better while you wait for your saliva results.

A New Twist -- Please Read for the Health of It

I have decided to revamp the focus of my blog and share with you what I get asked about every single day: my health. My latest major health issue kept me from the thing I love the most: writing! I haven't written on this blog since December, as I could barely concentrate long enough to work and thought I was getting dementia or having mini-strokes. No joke.

Many women I encounter, in my age group especially (mid-forties), are fighting constant exhaustion to the point of barely getting through each day. Frustration ensues because they can't put their finger on why and doctors tell them after test upon test, that their blood work is fine, "try anti-depressants." Many of these women have kept how they're feeling to themselves so as not to be a "failure" or classified as weak, or worse, crazy. Does this sound familiar? 

If you want resources to find answers and are willing to be open-minded, think outside the box and start feeling better, please read on.

As a child, I was always ill with some rare virus or bacteria and regular, "western" medicine rarely seemed to help. Thanks to forward-thinking parents, who got me started with Chiropractic and Kinesiology at an early age, I began being treated with more holistic options with better results. Even though I dabbled in natural remedies and used alternative methods of diagnoses,  80% of my health care still followed regular medical treatments and by my mid-twenties, I had endured at least ten surgeries (several female-organ related) and had fought through Rhys Syndrome, Scarlett Fever, Viral Meningitis, Mono, Strep, and was diagnosed at twenty-five with osteoarthritis. 

You might be thinking, "I've been perfectly healthy all my life, my health changes have come on recently, it can't be that bad," and you've chalked it up to ageing. I'm here to tell you, mid-forties and fifties should not feel like "ageing."  We should not feel like we're losing our minds on a daily basis and fall into bed at night bone-weary, dreading doing it all over again tomorrow. There is a reason and a solution, though there is no magic bullet as so many products on the market try to get you to believe. Each of us responds to treatments differently, so there is a try-and-try-again method requiring patience and faith, just as in regular medicine, though I believe with permanent results. 

Since 2006, I have been on a constant journey of health issues that have been life-altering, miraculous and astounding. As I have progressed through the stages of treatment, I have learned many variations of holistic, alternative, and eastern medicine, and what some call "The New Paradigm." I have also discovered new medicine and what most people consider "hocus pocus" is truly original medicine, mostly from thousands of years ago.

If we listen closely to our bodies, trust our instincts (its why we have them), and are willing to do the work it takes to feel better, the reward is not just feeling better every day, it could mean not getting cancer or falling gravely ill to an auto-immune disease or worse, early death. 

I know the above statement sounds extreme, but I am certain, if I had not been blessed to find the right practitioner at the right time, and been totally open to anything that might help me feel better, I would be, without a doubt, in a wheelchair with cognitive impairment. 

There is so much to share I will be blogging regularly to take you on my journey from 2006 to the present with the hope that I can help at least ONE person not have to suffer with unexplained or misdiagnosed pain and illness. If my story guides one of you off the merry-go-round of feeling that you are losing your mind and empowers you to dig deeper, take charge of your well-being and affect change, then what I have endured and discovered has not been in vain.  

I thought about changing the name of my blog, but it is still extremely fitting: I am still Living in the Moment with deep gratitude that I am sitting here writing once again.

What a year it has been! I remember this day last year like it was yesterday. In fact, it feels like maybe three months ago! December 23rd was a Monday, there was a little snow on the ground and the sun was shining as I did a few last minute errands around Lake St. Louis. I distinctly remember a phone conversation with Allan that afternoon in the Target parking lot. It left my heart skipping and also left me a little sad. He would be spending Christmas alone again, as he had so many before. Once again, my heart overflowed with gratitude because I was surrounded by an abundance of love and companionship. It was my first Christmas without Ken in nine years and though my heart was a little confused, I had friends and family making sure I felt joy and knew I was loved every day.

I'll never forget sitting in my living room a few weeks before Christmas, fire crackling in the fireplace, a periwinkle sky filling the floor-to-ceiling windows as the sun set, and feeling a wave of contentment. I missed Ken terribly, but I had come to realize that God had a plan, and my husband was at peace, maybe for the first time ever. I still had Barney, I had my LSL family, and in the midst of the turmoil that had been raging inside of me for seven months, I finally had a sliver of my own peace.

I had no idea what was in store for me. I had my mind set on living in LSL for at least another year, trying to find myself as a single person again; living life on my terms. I had just begun to look forward to the unknown instead of dreading it, when out of the blue came the phone call that changed my world. As Allan and I renewed our friendship, it became clear that we were meant to be together, but we didn't know how and I didn't know if the timing was right. I searched my soul, I asked Ken, I asked God, and not once did I hear or feel a "no." I decided the gift of love was not something to ignore and it's not something that comes around time and time again. 

So, here I am, spending my ninth Christmas in the Florida sunshine. I'll be sharing it with my sister and her husband (for the first time in 10 years), my niece and nephew, and of course, Allan, who will be surrounded by more love than he's used to (he might long for those "alone" holidays after this one -- LOL)!

I have to admit, I've had some blue moments as the season has unfolded. I've felt Ken around quite strongly a couple of times, and of course, I miss Barney more than words can say. I still well up when I let myself stop and think about them . Barney was my warm fuzzy New Year's present in 2003, and was an endless font of happiness for 10 Christmases. This year, as Barney was preparing to leave this world, along came another New Year's blessing -- Allan. We saw each other for the first time in eight months on New Year's Day and our love unfolded.

Now, as 2014 races to a close, I remind myself to dig deep, find a quiet place to reflect and try not to take time for granted. Christmas feels different since I've experienced death at such close range. There is a depth of meaning that I could never have had otherwise. I am reminded of the beauty in this world when I see the neighborhood peacocks or the sunset, when I look back on how far I've come emotionally and physically in the last few years, and especially when I feel so much love all around me.

May you hold peace, love and abundant joy this Christmas, and may you be blessed with your own wonderful surprise this New Year... God Bless. 

Hi All! Let me start out by apologizing for not writing in such a long time. I am honored and humbled that so many of you have asked me why I quit writing. It inspires me when you exclaim how much you enjoy my blog. Thank you!!

There is not any particular reason I haven't written -- I can only address the question by admitting that most days, by the time I get a chance to blog, I'm whooped and the creative juices have gone to bed for the night!

I have been writing in my journal (which is more like a prayer log these days) and working on paying projects, along with many other "jobs." I have recently become a notary so that I can marry people on the beach. I know there is a tremendous need for officiants here in Florida and being a notary is like being a Justice of the Peace. I think it will be a fun and fulfilling experience. What a gift to bear witness to such a happy occasion!

My summer has been a series of ups-and-downs, with mostly positive outcomes (no, I still don't have a new computer...might need to seek counseling for that affliction!). I won't bore you with the details of the ups and downs, but for a few days, I've been pondering the hourly fluctuation of good news/bad news/good news on a daily basis that never seems to end. It has just occurred to me that this IS the definition of life. It is never going to be ALL good, just as it's never ALL bad. Seems like a cliche' and you're probably thinking, Yeah...so?

When we're young I think we are under the impression (or we're taught) that the purpose of life is to make sure nothing bad happens. If we do all the right things -- play by the rules, take care of our health, have loving relationships and do unto others, we will be rewarded with a long, healthy, fairly stress-free life. 

For most people, it's a wonderful way to get through the first forty years (or so) and I'm sure it's by design that we live with the above goals for so long. The truth is, no matter how GOOD we are, life happens all around us. Trials do happen the entire time we're growing up, but I think we look at them as isolated incidents. In my young life, with each challenge or disappointment, I would say to myself, "Just get through this and you'll have smooth sailing for a while."  And with every fiber of my being, I believed when a rash of bad things would happen, that I was all set for a while -- life would hold nothing but positive events for a stretch; I had paid my dues.

I'd like to say at forty-four, I've finally realized, there's no definitive line; no ALL good for a while. Good and bad are stitched together to create each day. It's impossible to get through a day without both. For each little annoyance or struggle, there are joyous moments. Some days the balance is tipped one way or the other, but I find that I am extra attentive to the peaceful, happy minutes. I find myself standing still and watching a delicate bird on the feeder and marvel at the detail in her feathers. I'll turn the TV off to listen to the lullaby of steady rain (currently) and the frogs singing their tune.

Those of us that have been pushed to our limits and have uttered in frustration, "Why me? I've tried to live right and be a good person" eventually figure out that it has nothing to do with the kind of person we are. It has everything to do with opening our eyes in the morning, stepping out of bed, and being part of this world. With experience comes wisdom and on the other side of the bad is a good that's richer, deeper and more serene. 

In the last two years, I have grown and matured beyond measure. My resolve and appreciation for every minute has deepened and I am outwardly grateful many, many times a day. I log my multitude of daily prayers in my journal and know that I am heard, and that with each trial comes a blessing. I thought I knew myself and my limits until last year with the death of my husband and my beloved Barney, but I had no idea. Out of the pain came a healing of spirit and an appreciation for being middle-aged and more settled in my soul.

 

Mercury Retrograde -- Yeah, that's it!

I sit here on this sticky, hell-fire afternoon (couldn't think of any description that's hot enough!!) and have finally calmed down from weeks of technology melt-down. According to one of my yoga instructors, it's because Mercury is retrograde! Well -- THAT explains it!


"Three times a year for about three weeks, the planet Mercury goes retrograde so it looks like it's moving backwards-but it's just an illusion. This round of retrograding ends on July 2, so what's the deal? Astrologer Eileen McCabe explains:

1) Mercury is the planet of communication. Mercury (another name for Hermes the messenger god) linked people together by delivering messages. This period of time involves making connections.

2) But connections aren't happening as smoothly. You might miss a phone call, the bus or train. There are going to be some life glitches."
 
Miss a phone call? How about the entire house imploding on technology -- modem, land-line phone and cable box all decided to quit (spent last Saturday waiting for cable guy), cell phone went to black and now refuses to allow yahoo email anymore (even cell phone guy doesn't know why) and my brand new laptop was full of viruses right out of the box. Silly me, thought I could fix it, and it pretended to work for a day or two until today, when it decided to lock up and shut down the household internet again. Ugh!


Therefore, rather than risk any more high-blood pressure, hammer-smashing laptop daydreams, I will wait until July 3rd when Mercury decides to move forward, to attempt to buy a new computer (again). Me and my old, trusty Toshiba are limping along just fine -- today anyway.
 
Which leads me to one of the points of this blog -- after I pitched a childish fit when my new laptop locked up this morning and Allan decided he needed to vacate the house and go to work, it hit me how ridiculous it is to become an ugly, swearing fool over technology. I was ashamed; felt like an idiot. Me, the person who has grown to realize the true importance of our days, let a computer ruin what had been a really peaceful morning.


Shortly after my meltdown, I had to get to an appointment, which was probably the best thing that could've happened at that moment. As I was driving with the AC on 'hurricane' (thank you Willis Carrier for HVAC), and Coffee House on the radio, I calmed down and took in the scenery -- palms blowing in the breeze, osprey soaring overhead, primary-colored flowers in bloom along the roadside. Stress slinked away. I decided I would return the insolent laptop, hopefully without much ado (beyond the inconvenience and time already spent). Problem now solved.


We are so burdened by our "advanced" lifestyle that the millions of tiny miracles happening every moment are overlooked. I should be happy to have a day or two without the albatross that has become our way of life, yet without it, I can't do my job. I guess the lesson here is to continue to find BALANCE. By definition, "mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc." Yoga, wine, friends, reading, walks, church, faith...whatever it is that helps us take a deep breath in this crazy world we live in, just do it (think Nike minds?)!


While composing this blog, I've been getting a pop-up message from BlogSpot (I think it's Mercury's little joke right about now) "An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again." Really? As Allan is so fond of saying, at the most inappropriate moments, "It could be worse!"



 

There is Meaning

The end of May is already upon us -- hard to believe that I've been back in Florida five months already. I know for those of you up north, the winter lasted forever and you're ready for summer. I, however, dread the summer months here in hot, sticky Florida. But, I also know why I am here -- not only is this my "place" in the world, I will stay through the summer (rather than run away to the north as originally planned) because I don't want to be away from Allan, and I am reminded, once again, that I was in the right place at the right time one week ago today.


In this crazy world of loss, upheaval, and constancy, I make a conscious effort to slow down, feel the love around me, and let go of worry. This has been especially true over the last two weeks of heartache. Amazingly, I find myself still standing, and have witnessed another blessing.


May 8th, my Barney went to heaven. On May 13th, as Allan was getting on a plane to London for two weeks (ugh), I got a message from one of my oldest and dearest friends that sent chills through my body. Immediately, I was taken back to the first moments of finding Ken as I physically felt their pain with the news -- their 25 year old son was dead. A beautiful, talented, loving, young man with his whole life ahead of him, decided this world is too hard, and in a moment of angst, took a permanent step that would not just change his existence, but alter everyone who knew him and loved him, forever. The absolute worst pain a human can feel -- the loss of a child.


Once you experience loss to the depths of your soul, you are never the same person, ever again. It physically and emotionally changes you. Every minute of each day becomes different. When you open your eyes every morning, the hours in front of you hold different meaning. The only way to survive the heartache is with time, faith, and the love of others. I never wanted any of my loved ones to feel that kind of pain, yet I suppose we all do at one time or another. My heart is with them as they travel this terrifying journey, and I am reminded of Ken as they unite in their pain; the rawness of the "firsts." Ken's birthday is in four days, he would've been 48.


Which brings me to the blessing of last week. Thanks to Ken, once again, a friend of mine has been saved. Last summer, because of his death, my brother-in-law pursued a stress test and ended up having quadruple bypass surgery within weeks to save his life.


This time, my friend Michael was at our house working on the AC (even it doesn't want to work in this heat) and I shared the details of what happened to Ken, mentioning his stubbornness to not see a doctor when needed. Thanks to that conversation, Michael is now in the hospital, being catheterized this morning. He is also in his mid-forties. He had been feeling strange but was, in his own words, "being stubborn about it." I have no doubt, the chain of events of my being in Florida, the heat being too much for our old AC, and Michael having time to come by last Tuesday, spared another family heartache.


I am reminded, repeatedly, that Ken's death was not in vain. There have been a few other stories such as this where young men we know have gone for tests and have been diagnosed with heart disease, and are being treated accordingly.


Being the spiritual person that I am, I find meaning in the order of things -- I don't believe in mere coincidence. I do believe that each and every situation we find ourselves in serves a purpose, we just may not know it right away. This unique journey I've been on for the past 10 months has been full of loss, along with countless blessings. My intuition is heightened, my spirit is vulnerable, and I realize in every moment, there is meaning. 


To those who've gone before us, thank you for the love you bestowed on us, for the ways in which you've touched our lives, and thank you for the lessons you're still teaching us.


Go in Peace...

To Love Again

A quote that moved me to tears today...such truth.


"Love all God's creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of God's light; love the beasts, love the plants, love every creature. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. And once you have perceived it, you will begin  to comprehend it ceaselessly, more, more and more every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an abiding universal love. Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and untroubled joy." Fyodor Dostoevsky


....for Allan, who won't even kill a bug in the house, and for our Barney, the true example of untroubled, unbridled joy.