healthy living

I've always struggled with health issues which all center around auto-immune  disfunction.

As a baby, I had terribly dry skin and broke out in rashes, a pattern which continues to this day. I have allergy and exercise induced asthma, something which kept me from being as physically active as others during my childhood.  I had severe insomnia from a young age (which plagues me to this day). And my brother was a carrier of strep throat (though we didn't know it for a few years), which meant I was on antibiotics frequently; something which decimated my gut health and let to leaky gut syndrome (though no one knew about that back then either).

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As an adult, my health steadily declined. Though medical tests all came back looking like I was in perfect health, I was exhausted to the point of despair. This was an exhaustion that was in my bones...my blood. I don't know how to explain it other than it felt like I was scraping myself along rough pavement every day and getting psychological road rash.  My physical health continued to decline as well. I had all of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and was beginning to exhibit the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.  By the grace of God and some thorough digging by my mother we figured out that I had systemic candida. I went on an extreme diet (and when I say extreme, I mean EXTREME!!) to try and eliminate this from my system. But I got pregnant and had to modify my eating to accommodate growing a new life.

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Post pregnancy  I began struggling with depression and even thoughts of suicide. A hormone test revealed that all but one hormone in my body was out of balance. I was put on a hormone therapy. But unbeknownst to us, I was allergic to the drug they put me on.  Though it solved my mental issues, I began experiencing muscle unresponsiveness and would black out for no apparent reason.  So I underwent testing to determine if I was having seizures (I wasn't) or if I had a brain tumor (I didn't). I had also developed endometriosis which landed me in the hospital with severe hemorrhaging.  I was given the option of ablation or a hysterectomy. Thankfully, through scouring the internet, my husband figured out  I was experiencing the pharmaceutical  side effects of a drug allergy, and I went off that drug. This solved the physical problems I'd been having but meant I was now left to navigate the mental health issues on my own again.

 

 Over the next year or so, my mental health spiraled downward. Suicidal thoughts became more pressing until one day I nearly took my own life.  (You can listen to the story of God's intervention and rescue here.)

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Throughout these years, my skin issues worsened as well. Eventually I did testing for food allergies and discovered I was allergic or sensitive to fifty (yes FIFTY!!) different foods. I felt like I couldn't eat anything! In fact, some days I didn't eat because I had no idea what to eat. My service of creating customized eating plans for people struggling to accommodate new dietary restrictions was birthed out of that experience. (You can learn about that here.)

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Later I developed a weird neurological itching which is best described as your worst mosquito bite times ten deep in your nerve endings.  I still  struggle with this. It is with me almost constantly,  impeding my work in the day and  keeping me up at night.  I dealt with parasites (ones you could actually see--GROSS!). The list goes on. 

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Through much of this journey, traditional Western health care has failed me. Routine tests indicate I'm in good health. Doctors think I'm exaggerating when I explain my symptoms. Even those who believe me and are sincere in their efforts to help me are eventually stumped by my ongoing but seemingly undiagnosable condition(s). It is incredibly frustrating and disheartening. Non-traditional or more holistic health care has been more helpful, but not enough. I have had to rely on God for strength and patience. 

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I haven't told you all of this so you can pity me. I've told you my story so you know if you are struggling with ongoing health issues, especially ones which are auto-immune and/or undiagnosable. I UNDERSTAND!