One of my favorite regimans for detoxing.

I need to begin sharing more about the things I do to help with my health.

I would like to start by saying whenever we get sick symptoms, it is our body trying to tell us something. When we get a cough, sore throat, rash, acne, dry skin, red eyes and more.  Our bodies were made incredibly and most often when they are attempting to repair and fix themselves instead of coming a long side our immune system and giving it the things it needs in order to achieve healing, we most often do the opposite.

When we take medicine, its usually used as a blocker to block us from feeling what's taking place inside or to stop the process. This results in the problem never really going away but just masking it.

I know in order for me to heal, it will be no easy task. It will take a lot of time, energy, money and the help of others and God. But I hope for one day my diseases to be gone and to go to the doctors office and everything is no longer in my blood work.

One thing I want to share with you that is extremely beneficial to me: is infrared saunas. I try to go as often as possible. If I could afford to I would go once a day. You see, with my physical limitations I cannot currently do enough physical activity to break a sweat- due to lack of strength and energy. Also, my body doesn't really like to release, it holds onto everything until it explodes. Infrared sauna helps me to sweat and when I sweat I release toxins. When we see rashes on our skin, it is our body trying to release toxins out of our skin. I currently have a rash around my eyes and on my hands. When I am going to the sauna consistently this all clears up and goes away. Not only does it help with my skin, it helps my bones feel better because it is a deep penetrating heat. I was not breaking a sweat at 135 degrees so the last time I went up to 149 degrees. It take some getting use to but now I crave it.I crave it because its a tool used to help my body do what it already is attempting to do. By sweating and releasing these toxins on a regular basis they don't build up and cause me to feel miserable dry and itchy skin. Instead I have well balanced clear skin.

The place I go charges $25 for a 30 min session. I get a deal since I go so often and I also get colonics there- but I will save that for another post.

It's my hope to just own my own sauna so I can go in it whenever I want. Hopefully, one day.

Thankful

It is Thanksgiving soon and there are so many reasons to be thankful. I am extremely thankful for the blessings in my life. I am thankful that currently medication is helping with my pain level, I have less pain then I have had in over 2/3 years. I am able to participate more in life. I feel grateful that I am able to drive in the morning now. I even took my daughter to school one morning and she has to be there at 7:30am. My body was not operating in the early hours for over a year.


I am grateful that all these medical expenses have not put us in a huge amount of debt. Last month alone I paid out of pocket $220 in co-pays and I got a bill for $184. That means in one month just to go to my doctors appointments it cost me $404. This doesn't include my cost of prescriptions, vitamins/supplements, or the many other regimens that I do in order to stay operating. To be honest I have no idea how we have kept up, but by the grace of God we have.


I am thankful for all I have learned from being sick. I don't know where this road is going to lead but I know already I have come across so much information that I have been able to share with others. There is SO much that food has to do with so many of our issues ( autoimmune, diabetes, cancer, add/adhd, and the list goes on). I've heard it a million times throughout my life but until I studied and it was broken down as to why and how; that is when it all began making perfect sense. The way our organs and immune system operates and what our food does when it goes into our body and how it is able to get into our blood stream etc. I understand now why I am so sick. This gives me hope because I have things I can do to sustain and hopefully one day thrive.


I am thankful that I am not alone. As much as I don't wish this disease on anyone. I have come across many people (mostly on instagram) that live with RA and lupus and other auto immune diseases. They fight everyday like I do to stay operating and living. I also more recently have talked a little with a guy at my church who suffers with RA. He serves every week and stands ups before and after each service. This brings me to tears when I think of it because if everyone only knew how much sacrifice that takes from a person in chronic pain, its nothing short of amazing that he chooses to do this week after week.


I am thankful for friends and family. I am thankful for the care, love, help and assistance I have received. This journey is so hard that it can't be done alone.


I am thankful for my pastor and my church. My pastor came to the hospital and prayed with Carl and I when I had surgery. He also met with us to pray over me and ask for healing. He also has been an encourager of this blog-telling me to keep writing, and I am a good writer. What?! I know I am not. ( I failed my college exit writing exam twice). I just bust out these blogs randomly with no organization. They often have many mechanical and spelling errors because to be honest I rarely proof-read them. But his encouragement made me glad.


I am thankful because of being sick I don't take life for granted as much. I treasure each moment I have with my 91 year old grandma or time with family. I smell the fresh air more and I get to enjoy the little things because I have to do things slower.


I am thankful that I have been able to work more lately and contribute financially.


I am thankful for my car, house, clothes and food. I know these are practical and its easy to want more and better. My I am thankful for the ones I have and the older I get ( and sicker) I want things more simplistic. :)

Storms in life: How I am getting through mine.

My church has been doing a series on Storms. Why does God allow bad things to happen in our lives?  This series has given me a lot of perspective. For the last 2 and half years, I have felt like I have been on my death bed. I have barely survived.

Many times when I was laying in bed unable to move and in unbearable pain I would ask God why? I would beg and plee with him to take this from my life. To take away the pain and the disability and I promise I will live life differently- never to take my health for granted again. I would ask him for a way out. I would tell God in my prayers I feel like I can't go on any longer and if He wouldn't take my pain could he possibly take my life. I prayed that if he did he would provide a wife and mom to my husband and baby girl that could love them more then me and be a wife/mom better then I could.

As scary as it is to admit this: maybe this can give you a sense of the excursating pain I have lived with day in and day out for the last few years. I love my family more then anything but it killed me to have them carry this burden and having to take care of me. I was completely at their mercy, I wouldn't have ate many days if they were not there to make and bring me food and even feed me at times.

This storm of my life is not over. I am doing much better with medication more recently. But I never know when this medication will stop working just as the last did. Our bodies build up antibodies over time and can cause the medication to become ineffective. I still live with pain like a broken foot and shoulder on a daily basis but my hands and legs are 90% more functional then they were this time last year.

So why does God send storms?  I would ponder over what I have done wrong in my life- asking forgiveness and wishing to take back anything I may have said or done that would cause this punishment on me. But as my pastor says: God allows storms to reveal the real me.

Throughout this journey: I have searched for healing in prayer, meds, holistic approaches and more. I have spent more money on myself then I ever would have healthy. Just to "try" something out-like a juicing, laser light treatments, water treatments, acupunture/acupressure, detox wraps, several diets, nutrionalist, N.A.E.T, red and white light treatments, natropath, colonics, infrared suanas, essential oils, healing rooms of claremont, healing rooms at water of life, annointing of oil by my pastor and elders, vitamins/supplements and more.

I have learned more about the real me. I don't try the first thing people suggest, I don't do things anymore because my best friend did it and loved it. I am figuring out whats right for me. What's important to me. Here's what is: my family and friends, my faith, my health. To live the life that I was destined to live not to live my own way. I want to be used and make a difference.

Before this journey I knew this in the back of my mind. But I still placed value on the things this world and society does. Not deciding these values for myself.

God sends storms to get our attention: If I didn't have this storm I wouldn't turn to God as much, I wouldn't search so much, I wouldn't pray so much. I wouldn't try and figure out WHY? I would just go through each day as I did the one before.

One thing I have wanted an answer to this whole time is WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG?

But recently I read some of the book of Job in the bible and I cried my eyes out while I was reading.

Job was a good guy with good health and wealth, he lived a life that was good and pleased God. But when God and Satan were talking Satan said the only reason he is so great and loves God is because he blesses him. So in order for God to show Satan he was a good guy anyway God allowed Satan to take away all his possiessions and eventually his health as well.  When this happened Job pleaded with God. This is the part where I was crying as I read because I understand how Job felt. I have said some of the same things he said to God wanting out of this misery. But reading this allowed me to know I didn't necessarily do anything wrong. But this is still being allowed in my life.

The people who love me have suffered watching me suffer. And its all for a reason. I am still in the storm but the gushing wind, hurriance has settled a little and it is only raining now. I kept asking God how can I make a difference or live differently if I can't even live - im just stuck in my bed. Well, now I'm not stuck in bed but I am still trying to figure out my purpose. In the mean time I have felt the push to be more giving. I am in need of many things I know will help my health but they have a lot of financial cost but I am being asked to give. So I have listened in a small way. When I have been approched by homeless the last few weeks I have gave. I prayed for the man next to me at my last infusion as he was in turmoil over his last cancer news. I have always felt these inclinations but haven't really acted on them and now I am becuase I am being more of the REAL ME.

More to come on the storm next blog! :)

Let me know what you would like me to write about- meals I can eat, products I use, my diganosis, medications I take, supplements I take, what contributed to my 20 pounds weight loss, what other things I want to do in the future to better my health, the cost of trying to get healthy, the cost of being unhealthy, etc.


Here's a few fun pics from the weekend:

Blood update

The quick update: last week Thursday I went to see my hematologist. I thought that he'd be enthusiastic about my blood coming up. However his response was not what I was expecting. He said that he thought he would see much more improvement after so many infusions. So he said that I need to continue infusions. However I can go down to getting them once a week instead of every 2 days. 

Here's what it's like when I'm getting infusion.

Everyone in the room getting infusion is chronically ill there either getting chemotherapy for cancer or infused with medicine for  a chronic illness such as RA or lupus. When I was there a few weeks ago I met a lady who's a teacher. She was receiving her every three-month chemo treatment. She's a single mother with twin boys and is a teacher. Her and I know what it's like to trying go through life like everyone else well behind the scenes were constantly at the doctors office and fighting.  We're fighting in different degrees but we can definitely relate to one another. Just remember that some of the people that are the most physically weak are the most mentally and emotionally strong.

Did you know...

Did you know that vitmain B12 is one of the main vitamins that helps your body replenish blood cells. I have been chronically low in blood about 2 years now and doctors haven't really been able to figure out why. I consistently ask my modern medicine doctors about whether they think diet can help with my issues. The usual response I get is that they haven't known of any particular diet that helps with my condition(s). I think it's kinda crazy because I KNOW how much diet matters, just by the way it affects me. For me diet determines whether I am able to walk, get myself dressed, use the restroom on my own, OR not.
 What's even more crazy is that about 2 years ago I stopped eating red meat and dairy. This is about the same time I became anemic and I know its dumb of me but I never put the 2 together until now.

Dairy and beef are primary foods that provide b12. Since receiving b12 injections, reintroducing beef ( FREE RANGE ORGANIC ONLY) into my diet and getting iron infusions - my blood levels have already come up. Who would of thought?! Right?

I wish I knew, but just one more thing I've learned from suffering. So if you know anyone low in blood, b12 or anemic- Have them eat diary ( the good diary, from a good source)!!

Why did I stop eating diary?? Because for the most part diary is known as an inflammation food. Rationally thinking, with eczema and RA you want to stay away from anything that causes inflammation and that is why. 


So my follow-up is Thursday and the hemotologist will direct me as to whether I need to continue with iron infusions or not. I had blood drawn today for this.

Since I mentioned eczema...I wanted you to know I have had this the longest of any of my issues. Lately, Ive had a rash on my hands so bad it is typically red and almost raw. Every soap burns and hurts it, even ALL-NATURAL/ ORGANIC ones. Here is the ONLY soap that does not burn my skin and leaves it moisturized. Just thought I would share. I pay $18.50 and I get it from redlands wellness. I think its on amazon too. You can use it for shampoo too.

Friday Fun

PToday I had my monthly B-12 injection. Here is the nurse right before she pricks me.

One big reason I started this blog was to not only help raise awareness and perhaps help others who go through the same thing, but just to let people know whats going on in my life on a day to day basis. Often, my family and friends will say, " you don't tell me." " I need to know this." When you are at the doctors office about 20 times a month you don't really share it every time. And when you have lupus, chronic fatigue and anemia- you don't exactly have energy to call or text people to tell them. Yeah, I usually tell no one. My mom calls a lot and sometimes she said I called you for 3 days to see whats going on and you don't call me back. It's true I don't- that's one of the reasons I started this blog because I want my mom and all my family yo come to it for updates because I just don't have energy to call and update all the time. The only energy I have I use to dig myself out of this health hell and to devote to my husband and daughter.

I'm having better and better days currently with my blood levels up a bit I've been noticing I am able to do more without crashing and when the meds provide some relief it doesn't make you as sleeping either. I've been making mjs lunches every night and I made my family dinner twice.

Here was my day today:

( I had a cortizone injection yesterday- so typically I can't do this much but today I was able to)

- Went to my daughter's awards assembly

- stopped by corner bakery with my dad and chela (I didn't eat, because practically EVERYTHING on the menu has sugar in it, I almost order a plain egg but it didn't sound good)

- ran home to meet a someone to look at my house

- subbed for an hour high school

- went to reflexology ( this helps me go longer)

- went to the drive-thru car wash ( I'm not able to wash my car anymore and my hubs is too busy)

- went to get my b-12 injection

- came home to meet my friend the realtor to list my house

- typed this blog/ate prepared dinner from fit foods and now I am off to bible study.

You guys will know when I am feeling better because there will be more frequent blog post. When there's not post most likely im not doing so great. Love you and hope you have a great weekend!

-

The time...the money...the energy...

So I had yet another doctors appointment.  Today it was with my rheumatologist. It went almost 2 hours. She came in we went over my current  medication and my most recent bloodwork. 

My appointment was at 10:20am. I told you guys before that mornings are hard. I was limping into her office with a high level of pain. We discussed my current condition. And I guess you can say methotrexate is working. My inflamation  is down. But.... It's not working quite enough as walking is still a very difficult thing most days. So she wants to increase my dosage.

I've been getting iron infusions twice a week for my low blood and I have good news it's up to a 10. That is still not in the normal range. The lowest of normal is a 12. But I'm heading in the right direction without having to resort to blood transfusions thank the Lord! 

I decided to let her do Cortizone shot as well. I know steroids are not good to inject and my body. However I have lost 75% of use of my right arm and she thought this may help me get some of it back. 

She said I will be able to tell in a few days. She ordered MORE LABS 😣

I go to physical therapy once a week to try and regain motion of my right arm.

 

I want people to see just how much time, money, prayer and energy is devoted to trying to get to a place where many people are without any work. I took my helath for granted before. I pray one day I can be healthy again! ❤️ 

In Gods timing...