When I was first diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, I didn't want to hear about anything that involved changing life habits. I had Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. I didn't have the energy for change!
My first step was to just learn to rest and deal with the inner guilt that was triggered by being unproductive and withdrawing from people and responsibilities. I was used to gaining identity from success, accomplishments, appreciation, and helping others. I didn't know how to be the one in need. There is no script for just being - learning to rest our identity in God's value for us. I would feel ashamed when Lance would come home and ask about my day and I would say: "I didn't do anything. It was a low day."
Lance would repeat the same words to me each time: "You are doing something! You're healing. That's your full time job right now!" Such words of life to a perfectionistic achiever who burned out. I knew I was on a downward spiral. The more I avoided movements that made my body ache, the more I would lose strength and gain weight that would put more strain on sore muscles and joints.
Gradually, as I was ready to learn about making efforts to heal I began to try things.
I tried ways to be active that didn't involve hurting my achey muscles - like toning tables! The pads moved and my job was to resist the movement. It was something!
My Nutritionist Nurse Friend visited me with some resources to show me how I could get more nutrients from food by incorporating more vegetables like sweet potato, broccolli and other veggies that had never been in my diet before. I had always been a picky eater with very limited vegetable likes - think carrot and celery sticks, lettuce, corn, peas, beans... that might be it! It was time to grow up my taste buds into a more adult form!
I read a book about the yeast connection to Chronic Fatigue and learned that giving in to sugar cravings was feeding the harmful part of my microbiome or gut space. Too many anti-biotics in teen years had depleted the good bacteria that kept yeast in check. Without the probiotics, yeast were overgrowing in my digestive system and creating intestinal dysbiosis or leaky gut - a problem behind many food allergies and sensitivities. I did my first digestive and parasite cleanse to help clear away undigested food and build up of white flours and sugars that stick to the lining of the colon. Finally some positive change! As I dropped toxic waste from my system, my body began to function better. Digestion improved, headaches and body aches decreased and my energy was a little better. I felt like a weight was being lifted off!
My doctor sent me for allergy testing - the pin prick test - and found I was allergic to molds, dust, feathers, pets, eggs and a few other things that I can't recall now. It was hard to really know since my whole arm swelled up.There wasn't a lot to do about these things but keep an antihistamine and Ventolin inhaler on hand at all times.
After Cleansing, I was ready to track down foods that were a problem to me. I started with an anti-yeast diet cutting all sugars and most grains. I started to feel better gradually gaining strength. I still had daily headaches and muscle pain, alongside brain fog and low energy - but I was seeing improvement with quality of sleep and ability to function. I could do simple stretches and gentle movement. Eventually I had gained enough ground to want to start our family! My first son was born while I still had very limited energy, but my husband was sharing bottle feedings. My body couldn't produce enough milk for my sleepy preemie baby!
After child number two, I heard about Wheat and Dairy as prime suspects in creating food intolerances. Removing them helped my sinus and chest congestion, but did little to impact the headaches and body pain.
I was visiting my chiropractor after a car accident when I learned about a method of muscle testing that helped me track down the rest of my food sensitivities. My muscles weakened to a bunch of foods: Gluten, Corn, Soy, Dairy, Eggs, Nightshades, Sugar. I decided to remove them and see how I felt. This was overwhelming for me at first! What was left to eat??! But I started hunting for recipes and making over my cupboards. I just made one change - added one new recipe at a time. After a few weeks I was starting to have some pain free days. It was like my body had been on fire with inflammation for years and was now cooling and moving better. I could exercise a little more but the fatigue was still part of everyday. I was just so grateful to feel life moving forward again - my dreams of having a family were happening!!
After a miscarriage, I was so grateful to bring our third son into our family! But my health was still very low - about 60-70% of what I remembered normal to be.
Next learning curve was to remove toxic personal care and household products from our home. I tried a lot of different green brands - many were not appealing or effective and many still had harmful ingredients that I was looking to avoid. I was using essential oils and DIY cleaners, but not with total success.
Fast forward ten years and I don't even miss the foods I've cut out.
My friend introduced me to Young Living and I found a company that shared my values for environmental sourcing and practices, healthy relationships with workers, and so many healing options for my family that improved my everyday wellness!
After three years of gradually incorporating cleaner quality YL ingredients, I could never go back to using the products that used to cause respiratory and skin issues! I am grateful for the YL community around me that has kept pointing to a path ahead that I could try! It has been such a healing change one step at a time.
If I had been told I had to do all these steps when I was at my sickest to improve my health - I would likely have thrown up my hands and been discouraged enough to do nothing!
But little by little - small adjustments change our trajectory! I feel so much better now than I did in my twenties! But it was a long windy 30 year road to get here for me! So I encourage you, take one thing that resonates with you as a wellness habit to begin! Start with one change for a month or two... and when you are ready - take another step!
My passion has grown to reaching my hand back to those that were where I was - looking for a way forward! Let me know how I can be a support on your journey into new health and possibilities!
It's time to Thrive - together!
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