I pride myself on my level of care and love I provide my body but even doing all the good that I possibly can, I am not immune to my autoimmune diseases (pun intended).
Early 2017, hands down, had been one of the best periods of my life so far. Starting in January (or a little before) I decided to stop being so upset with my lot in life and start living it to the fullest potential. I really had given it my best shot to stop trying to control everything and instead let the universe guide my path. It has been truly a remarkable journey. However, whenever you are trying to make these great changes in your life, other things will get in the way. My year and world was rocked to the core in February 2017 when I lost my grandmother and had to deal with family drama beyond any possibly imagination. It wasn’t the loss exactly but everything that came with it that shook me.
When huge emotional shifts take place in your body, it doesn’t matter how clean your pantry is or how many vitamins you take or the fact that I get 8 hours of sleep every night…it still took a major toll. I was too ashamed to admit it but I was hit with a massive flare in the days before and after my grandmother passed away. One that took me down for several days and kept me from doing the things I love. I am trying to find meaning in it all…but maybe, just maybe the whole point is for me to share this experience.
I am on this journey right alongside you all. I am working just as hard as you are to reverse my cell damage and repair what has been taken away. Along the way, there are going to be bumps and pain but it is about getting back up and seeing what you can do next.
Here’s what happened: On a Monday evening last spring , I went home feeling a little off but I figured if I got a good night’s sleep and took my vitamins, I would feel better by Tuesday. Tuesday, at 2am, I woke up writhing in pain with a massive interstitial cystitis flare. One like I have never experienced in the past. Immediately I went through a mental catalog of everything I’d done that past weekend to see if I could pinpoint the culprit. I mentally scanned my food journal, sleep record, activity level, stress level etc., and yes, I had worked a little too hard and on Sunday, I had 2 glasses of wine instead of my usual 1 and I hadn’t been getting the sleep I usually get…but ultimately, it was the stress that brought me down. This flare-up brought me to my knees on Wednesday night in tears.
I want to be there for you and encourage you that you CAN get through this. This isn’t the flare that I won’t recover from, this isn’t the time to give up.
So, after I let myself release some of these emotions, I dried my tears, went to the kitchen and started the next treatment. I made a clay mask for my abdomen, took colloidal silver and an extra large dose of straight chamomile herbs to calm the muscles, put my infrared heating pack on and watched a movie. The point of all of this is to say that we can make it through anything we want. There is no problem that we cannot reverse if we work together and support each other. Trust me when I say, I want to help you too. I am on my own journey right here next to you and I want you to know that I won’t be knocked down by these things and I won’t let you get knocked down either.
I felt inspired to tell you my story as hard as it is. You all know by now that I have 4 autoimmune diseases and I am not immune to flares. I use them as a reminder to love my body and appreciate all the hard work it does for me and as a reminder to rest. We have too much to be healthy for, we have to be like the bobo doll and just keep getting back up!
This is why I am writing Journey Back to Health. It is a journey and it’s ongoing. We can make little changes and see immediate results, but I’m in this for the long haul. The little changes get you started on the journey to better health. If you’d like to be an advanced reader of Journey Back to Health: 6 Steps to Confidently Getting Your Life Back!, just fill out the form below and you’ll be the first to know when ARCs are available.
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