Thursday, January 9, 2014

My Ongoing Health Journey

I've been thinking about this journey, and yesterday I stumbled across this essay I wrote a couple of years ago.  I was entering a contest on Dr. Fuhrman's site.  I'd recently discovered his program and was especially captivated by the writings of Emily Boller, since I could relate to so much of what she wrote.

This contest was to win a Vitamix, and I'm thrilled to say that I won!  For awhile, I felt almost guilty because I won this but didn't continue with Dr. Fuhrman's plan.

Now that I'm viewing this part of my life as my journey, I no longer feel any guilt.  I started with Dr. Furhman, which eventually let me to Protective Diet.  I don't have anything against Dr. Furhman's plan at all; I just know in my heart that Protective Diet is right for me.  I'll always be thankful to Dr. Furhman and Vitamix for helping me start on this journey!



My Ongoing Health Journey


When I was growing up, my mother fed us the best way she knew how.  When other families were experimenting with new convenience foods, my mother planted a garden, ran an organic produce co-op from our back porch, and fed us raw milk and organic eggs.  Years later, she converted to a vegan diet.  Instead of conventional doctors, we went to a homeopath. 

Fast forward to when I was in my early twenties, married, and about to have a baby.  I was devastated when, at five weeks overdue, my daughter was stillborn.  I was also very sick.  I had an infection and the doctor angrily performed a Cesarean section, spreading that infection.  I spent a month in the hospital, battling more infections and a pulmonary embolism.  For the first time in my life, I was pumped full of meds: antibiotics, steroids, blood thinners, and pain meds.  When I left the hospital, I was covered in hives and had my first yeast infection.  I quickly discovered how doctors give meds to mask the side effects of other meds.  I was sick for the next year, with numerous skin rashes, nails that turned purple, and hair that fell out in clumps, leaving large bald spots.

The following years were full of more sickness and strange symptoms.  I was unable to get pregnant again, a result, as I later learned, of the sloppy C-section.  I had more surgeries, mega-doses of hormones, more blood thinners...only to learn that I would never have another child.

I reluctantly got on with my life, but continued to suffer with various skin rashes, lethargy, aches and pains, depression, nasal congestion, and unexplained swelling in my legs.  My doctors loved to tell me that, if something strange was going to happen, it was going to happen to me!  I defied the odds, didn't respond to treatments, and generally broke the mold.  They just didn't have answers for me.

Fifteen years after my daughter died, we adopted our first child.  We went on to adopt three more children.  All four children were privately adopted as healthy infants...and all four came to have diagnoses such as autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, ADHD, life-threatening food allergies, asthma, eczema, neutropenia, gluten sensitivity, environmental food allergies, and more.
As I dove into my children's issues, researching how best to help them, I neglected my own health.  Six years ago, I felt like I suddenly just fell apart.  Over the course of a few weeks, I was diagnosed with degenerative disk disease, osteoarthritis that often left me unable to walk or use my hands, carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep apnea, elevated prolactin levels caused by a pituitary tumor, lymphedema in both legs, and neuralgia. 

I saw many specialists: neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, a pain management specialist, an ENT, a sleep specialist, physical therapists, chiropractors, and a naturopath.  All but the naturopath told me that there was no cure and that I simply had to learn to live with my ailments.  One orthopedic surgeon said that I needed both knees replaced, while another said that I couldn't have the replacements until my back was fixed.  Yet another surgeon said that there was nothing surgically that he could do for my back.

They gave me injections, epidurals, and lots of pain meds.  And, they gave me no hope at all.

The naturopath said that she could fix me, but after a couple of years of appointments and expensive supplements, I was no better off than when I'd started.

My husband, Nick, an IT Director, left his career of 21 years to come home and take care of me and the children when I could no longer do so.  That was over three years ago.  It has been one of the most challenging times of our lives, but we have survived.  We sold two cars and adopted a very frugal lifestyle.  We've had some amazing people help us, and while receiving help still isn't entirely comfortable for either of us, the experience has been very humbling.  At this point, we have depleted almost all of our savings, and we're figuring out how to be able to stay in our home. 

Around a year ago, I started hearing about green smoothies.  I love green vegetables, although I wasn't sure I necessarily wanted to drink them!  I was desperate enough to try anything, though.  As I always do, I researched, learning more about smoothies, raw foods, and a vegan diet. 

I remembered reading about Dr. Furhman years ago, and came across his website during my search for improved health.  I refreshed my memory by reading everything I could about the Nutritarian diet and lifestyle.  I especially related to the blog posts written by Emily Boller because my weight has escalated as I've become more sedentary.  I’d printed a copy of Emily's August 6th post because I saw myself in the old picture of her: hunched over, defeated.

I paid close attention to her suggestions for being prepared.  I'm unable to prepare most meals for myself, but Nick helps me by making large salads, cutting up vegetables and fruit, and soaking and cooking beans.

Nick had found a Vitamix at a garage sale a few years earlier, and we pulled it out and started trying different smoothies.  Some were delicious...some, not so good!  We kept experimenting and found recipes that we liked.  We realized that the children, with all of their issues, needed the best nutrition they could possibly get, so we gave them smoothies each day, using berries to mask the green color that they disliked.

The children don't love all of the new foods yet, and we haven't forced them to eat them.  Instead, we let them watch us enjoy our salads, and they eventually come over and ask for a taste.  We're confident that this new way of eating will help them feel better, both physically and emotionally.

Another unexpected benefit was that Nick, who had never cared about healthy eating, started eating the salads and drinking the smoothies and immediately started losing weight!  He also had an irregular heartbeat that had been attributed to stress, and that went away.  So, the whole family has definitely benefited from the Nutritarian diet.

Almost immediately after starting the Nutritarian diet, I noticed a difference in how I felt.  My joints weren't as stiff and my legs didn't swell as much when I drank lots of smoothies and ate huge salads.  But, as soon as I added refined carbs, dairy, or any sort of sugar back into my diet, the pain reappeared.

I finally felt that I’d found my answer.

Then, one morning, the Vitamix quit.  I panicked, knowing that we definitely didn't have the money to replace it! 

That very night, I was talking to a friend, and I mentioned the Vitamix.  He said that he had one that he would happily lend us.  We picked it up the following day.

We continued on with our Nutritarian diet and our smoothies, and I continued to feel better.  Then, my friend said that he needed his Vitamix back.  He saw the look on my face, and quickly said that I could keep it a little while longer, but he really did need it back.

So, we're drinking our smoothies, knowing that our time with the Vitamix is short-lived, praying for a miracle that would result in us being able to get another Vitamix.  I recently entered a giveaway for one on someone's blog, and was disappointed when I didn't win.

Although I can't say that I've loved this journey I've been on, I can say that I've learned a lot.  I've learned that when doctors say that there's no cure, it simply means that there aren't any medications or procedures that will temporarily mask the symptoms.  I've learned that food is a cure!  I've seen the difference in my health when I follow the Nutritarian diet, and I've seen improvements in my children's behaviors when I load them up on fruits and vegetables, mostly in the form of smoothies.  I've also learned that there are many good people in this world who are willing to extend a hand and help out when others need it.  I'm working at being a grateful recipient and at being aware of others' needs so that I can extend my hand to them.

Thank you for this amazing opportunity.

Sincerely,

Denise

Blog: Life in Joyful Chaos

Above: Me and Nick in 2004, shortly before I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, lymphedema, elevated prolactin levels, sleep apnea, neuralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, and degenerative disk disease.


Above: Our whole family, several years later.  I was barely able to stand and had to return to my walker as soon as this picture was taken.




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