Detoxification

When you get sick like I have been, the body's detoxification systems get overworked, which means you feel crummy and your body is working hard, but just can't keep up with it all. This means that you have to take measures to support and heal your amazing organs.

I know detoxification sounds like something Hollywood stars do before their big red carpet events, but for me it hasn't been glamorous at all. It feels uncomfortable and I have to be careful and work with a doctor along the way. Even then, I still have to make sure to listen to MY inner voice on what is best for ME.

I don't really even like the word "detox" because we tend to think the purpose of it is to starve for a few days to lose lots of weight. But that is not how I have come to understand it. Detox, in my world, is the process of slowly assisting the body in the removal of the icky stuff that is keeping me from healing. In my experience, it's a principle that has required faith, because it is difficult for me to see the results immediately.

The best book I have read on detoxification is called "The 7-Day Detox Miracle", by Peter Bennett, Stephen Barrie, and Sara Faye. Don't let the name fool you! If you have chronic illness, you will NOT get better in 7 days or anywhere near that. For me, this book should be called "The 70 x 7-Day Detox, Long and Arduous Miracle". But nobody would buy a book with that title so I guess they were smart. This book has really helped me understand important concepts and I have found it most helpful for me to implement some of the basic ideas carefully, as my body can tolerate...I do a little, then take a break.

Study and Prayer

In my healing journey, I have found it to be absolutely necessary to put forth consistent personal effort through study and prayer. I have had to read a lot of books and articles in order to make sense of what is going on with the process of healing my body. The problem though, is that it's really difficult to navigate through the jungle of conflicting advice! I found that this problem creates the absolute need for me to seek personal guidance through a consistent pattern of prayer.

Throughout my blog, I will share books that I have read, but recognize that a book that has helped me may not be the right book for someone else. I think information can guide us and give us clues, but it is still up to us to listen to that inner voice to know what applies to our personal situation. It is certainly worth seeking inspiration as we read, so we can start to get answers...especially those answers that apply to us personally. :)

Leaky Gut

I know "leaky gut" sounds so weird. To someone who has never heard of it before...it is a little bizzare. In my experience, the traditional medical community did not say a word about it, but I was so thankful when I found out about it because it has explained a lot for me about what has been going wrong. In my opinion, this is a major player in my healing journey and has not been easy to work through.

My favorite book on the subject was written by Gloria Gilbere, ND who is a doctor that experienced it herself. Her book is called "I Was Poisoned By My Body...I Have a Gut Feeling You Could Be, Too!" In her book she says, "Simply put, your plumbing system develops a leak, intestinal permeability, causing the intestinal materials and toxins to enter the body tissues, rather than being properly digested and carried through the intestines (small intestine and colon) to be eliminated. The leaked toxins then circulate to the liver, increasing its workload. The liver is now unable to neutralize the toxins or filter itself efficiently. If the liver can't deal with the toxic overload, it flushes it back into the blood to deal with at a later time."

I personally developed severe leaky gut after taking 10 + NSAID pills everyday while trying to deal with sinus pain that I now think was caused by yeast. Over time, I have developed allergic reactions to almost everything under the sun and am now working to heal my poor gut and pooped out liver and gallbladder. It's pretty messy and frustrating, especially because my body does not tolerate supplements well at this point.

I look to Gloria Gilbere for my hope that someday my poor tummy will be happier, but in the meantime, I get to enjoy a tasty diet of brown rice and veggies. I am so lucky! :)

The Reasons Why I Have Been Sick

I want to get it out of the way....what I have, that is. I hate naming the disease states because, again, it makes it seem like I am stuck with it all, even though I'm not. The actual causes for chronic illness are a bit controversial, but I tend to think it's a combination of a lot of factors. So here is the list created by a mix of traditional and alternative doctors over several years of testing and guessing....

-Graves' Disease (Autoimmune Thyroid Disease)

-Severe Adrenal Fatigue and Hormone Havoc

-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Yes, this does exist....read "Fatigued to Fantastic" by Jacob Teitelbaum)

-Fibromyalgia (Same as above)

-Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (Yes, this DOES exist and if you think it doesn't, it's because you've never had it. When you have it, there is no doubt that it exists. It can debilitate you!)

-Leaky Gut (Yes, this DOES exist too, and creates major HAVOC that causes multiple allergies and sensitivities as well as major vitamin and mineral deficiencies)

-Systemic Fungal Infection (Yes, this DOES exist too. Traditional docs don't seem to pay attention, but I've been tested several different ways, including blood, and have found this to be an issue for me)

-Lyme Disease (I did test positive for Lyme. The whole idea of chronic Lyme is controversial. I absolutely believe in the reality of it but I'm still not sure if this is a primary issue for me or not. Time will tell, I guess. Or maybe not.)

-Other viral and bacterial infections

-Immune system disfunction

So that's basically the list. It's sort of "the chicken or the egg" on what's causing what, but I am carefully working through everything. I am working on cleaning out the bad stuff (lyme, candida, etc.) while trying to get the good stuff in (vitamins and minerals). I'm working to heal and support the organs (liver, gallbladder, etc.) as well as maintain some sort of hormonal balance. And all of this is NOT easy. It is very, very difficult and long, in fact. It is much longer for me than I ever thought it would be. But I have to believe that in time, my body will heal.

My First Posting

Ok, so this whole blog thing makes my head spin, but I really think it would be good for me to get going on writing all the crazy thoughts and experiences I've had over the years as I've tried to work through the process of healing chronic illness. So here's the deal....I really don't even like the words chronic illness because it makes it sound like you are stuck with it. I don't believe I am stuck with it. I do believe that I can heal and get better over time. And that is what I intend on doing.

I do, however, feel like Humpty Dumpty. I'm 34 years old and have been pretty darn sick for about 7 years. (Although most people around me have NO IDEA how really sick I've been...which is a post for another day) I actually have had health setbacks for many years but after my 3rd baby, I got so sick it put in bed long term. I don't really want to get in to all the details right now, but let's just say that I've had debilitating pain and fatigue and about a hundred other wacky symptoms.

I know everyone is a little tired and achy after having a baby but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the kind of pain and fatigue that stops you in your tracks and keeps you from doing anything at all. Picture a young mother of a new baby sobbing and crawling through the house.

Anyway, my journey has been LONG and BUMPY and I've learned a lot! When you are faced with chronic illness, you find out that traditional medicine has its place, but can only take you so far. You learn that you must look outside the box if you want to reclaim your health. Then you get all excited when you discover there is a whole world of alternative medicine, only to realize that it is a jungle in and of itself. The light really turns on when you see that in order to navigate through this whole crazy thing, you have to work hard, pray hard, and listen to the inner voice that can guide you through it all.

So maybe "all the king's horses and all the king's men" couldn't put Humpty together again but I do believe that "all the kings horses and all the king's men" can combine their efforts with Humpty Dumpty and the king himself to work through it all, piece by piece.

So here it is...my musings on the ups and downs of healing chronic illness.