My life, part 2

[Guest guest]

To finish what I started earlier, I wanted to share what my life is like 5 years post explant, and I left off telling about several of the different therapies I had tried. What I had hoped to accomplish was let all of you see that it took alot of experiementation and going outside my comfort zone medically to get better. I had to be willing to look outside the box. I don't think that allopathic doctors truly understand our illness, and that putting our trust in them completely may not be the best route to take. I can't speak for anyone else, only myself, but I know that had I listened to what the doctors were telling me, I would NOT BE HEALED today.

I say "healed", meaning that I feel that I am as healed and back to normal as I think I am going to be, and I am thankful for it. Yes, I do still have brain fog occasionally, and yes, I do have a thyroid problem called Hashimoto's, and for that I will have to take thyroid meds the rest of my life. But I no longer suffer from the horrible and constant fatigue that I had, or that devastating feeling of having been poisoned and not able to function. My life is as full and exciting now as it ever was.

I can't say that there was one thing that worked more than any other. I pretty much had to incorporate a whole slew of detoxification remedies into my life over time to get better. I had many days of two steps forward, one step back, many tears cried because I wasn't sure I was getting better at all. I always felt like I was going through a storm before I felt better though. I used to call it my storm before the calm. It seemed that if I was attaining any measure of healing, my body would go through some kind of healing crisis, and I would feel really terrible again, to all of a sudden have things get calm and better again, and my brain fog would be longer in returning and shorter in staying the next time around. I can't say whether or not I had a yeast infection, but I treated myself as if I did with caprylic acid. I did not do a specific yeast diet, ( that is so hard!) but incorporated as many of the yeast fighting things into my life that I could. Garlic was one of my most awesome discoveries. I love garlic! It is hard to live with, no doubt, but I think it's healing benefits are underappreciated. I agree, there are just some things that are plain hard to do. But you have to ask yourself, how much is getting back your health worth working for? I think if you give it your best shot, and don't beat yourself up if you fail, but just get back on the wagon again, you will find success.

I paid particular attention to buying and eating healthy foods. Organic. No trans fatty acids. No antibiotic, hormone laden meats or dairy products. No fluffy white breads. No food colorings. No artificial sweeteners. No Mcs. No fake foods filled with chemicals and words I couldn't read that were devoid of any nutritional value. This change in eating patterns has stayed with our whole family. We do enjoy treats now and then, like a rare stop at Dairy Queen, or the occasional gooey brownies and birthday cakes, but for the most part, our whole family eats a very healthy, totally unAmerican diet. More like a Mediterranean diet.

One thing that I have done that I want to get back into doing is taking supplements again. I have become extremely lax and forgetful in taking them. I kinda like not having to pop pills anymore! But I do have lots of them in the cupboard and fridge, and I will take a bunch every now and then. I really do want to get on a regular supplement schedule. But, I don't beat myself up over it. I just know that I should probably try to make sure I am getting them on a regular basis. However, not taking them has not affected my life in a real negative way.

I think even more importantly, it is necessary to get on a regular exercise schedule. I think has done a tremendous job of getting her health back and I have no doubt that her exercising like a madwoman has had a huge impact on her healing. I wish I had her resolve and time to do regular workouts! (but we are working on that). Exercise and drinking lots of pure water.

Dr. Kolb's protocol is probably the best one to follow. I think you will find more there than you could find anywhere else that is specific to our needs, but again, you need to be willing to go outside the box and try some new therapies. Give it your best shot!

At this point in my life, my biggest concerns are making sure my time with God is consistent and that I seek Him first in all things, taking care of my family and our business, and keeping up with my reading. (I still have so many books to read!) I also have a desire to lose 10 lbs., and get down to 123 lbs. from my current 135. I am still at an ideal weight for my 5'7" height, but I know I would feel better at 123 lbs, and it is just a goal I have set for myself. Goals are always good to have! Never live life without goals!

I wish all of you the very best, and of course, healing for all of you, both body and mind.

Love,

Patty