The Best Medicine + Helpful Articles

Spending some time with two people I love last night was just what the doctor ordered. Here are some pictures:

Here are more articles that may be of help to my lovely readers:

How to Find Inner Peace

Opiod Therapy for Chronic Pain: Physicians Fear or Wrong Assumption?

Silence the Voice of Self-Sabotage

Admire Your Flaws

Nine Paradoxes

I'll be writing soon on some thoughts and realizations I have had in the last few days. This could get deep!

Happy Healing!

Not So Confused

Thank you all so much for your care and concern! I appreciate your commitment to my journey and me.

I have spent the last few days going inward, reading inspirational material, and strengthening my relationship with God. It is a miracle that I was able to use my father's relationship with an old friend and health care professional to be seen by Dr. Schwartzmann, who otherwise has a three year waiting list for new patients (and he dismisses many that he sees for consults if they are not healthy enough). Something in my heart tells me this is happening for a reason, so I called the doctor yesterday to inform him I will do what it takes to find remission. He spoke with me for a good ten minutes, reassuring me that he will fix me. My commitment to health, eating well, maintaining my mental health, and doing rehabilitation on my own, convinces him that I am the perfect candidate for remission through ketamine (inpatient or coma). He assured me that it may not be easy, pleasant, or happen the first try, but he will fix me. This coupled with my holistic care will make this a "forever fix."

I have a lot on my mind to write about after going inward the last few days, but I am off to see that precious baby for a few hours... enjoying the wonder and beauty of life.

Ketamine Confusion

I saw Dr. Schwartzmann yesterday, and while he was a lovely, intelligent, competent, compassionate professional and individual (and I'm not easy to please), I left fearful and confused, tears flowing. As usual, I am the "perfect patient." I "do everything right." I have remission written all over me, but his caring recommendation is that I go in for another inpatient ketamine infusion (my first one was a disaster that you can read here). There is an urgency to stop the progression while I continue to work on my holistic healing, and I understand and accept his assessment. I am to call him in the next few days with my decision, but I am desperate for healing. Although I am terrified after my first experience, I will do it. Strong mental health is my savor.

"There is always a choice when it comes to psychological suffering. You need not surrender to any wave of helplessness that leave you feeling sorry for being alive."

Helpful Articles + Dr. Schwartzmann

The majority of my work this semester is in the second half, so I am posting while I can!

Here are a few articles that I think may be really helpful to many of my readers, especially from a mental health standpoint. Enjoy!

Article discussing comparing yourself to others

Article discussing how to reclaim happiness

Another article discussing happiness

Article discussing happiness in autonomy

I'm off to acupuncture this morning.

On Wednesday, I take the drive down to Philly to meet with Dr. Schwartzmann. Although I am not interested in traditional medicine at the moment (other than symptom relief while I find the cause and cure), it is smart to have my name in the database for the future, just in case. I'd rather explode than put ketamine into my system again, but you never know what the future may bring.

Happy Healing!

Work on Your Trigger Points at Home

For any of you with myofascial pain, particularly that of Fibromyalgia, you are well aware of the pain and discomfort trigger points can cause. No amount of massage ever seems to eradicate the problem area, and any relief is temporary (if at all).

Fibromyalgia Trigger Points:

My totally awesome, Eastern Medicine practitioner has assisted me in breaking my trigger points through acupuncture, sticking the needles straight into the bundles of sore muscle. Thursday, she showed me a technique that would help me to help myself at home. You can order a specific tool, which I used at the office:

Or, you can simply use a golf ball. Here is mine:

Why not break some trigger points with a little alumni spirit?

Here is the technique:

1. Locate your trigger point. For example, the upper right shoulder.

2. Lay ontop of the golf ball exactly where your trigger point is located. Feel the discomfort.

3. Relax and take several long, deep breaths.

4. You will be feeling a lot of discomfort, but once the sharp pain begins to lessen (takes a few minutes), move the corresponding limb up, down, back, forth, and all around to begin to break the hardened muscle fibers.

5. At the end, stretch.

This technique is not for the faint of heart. "No pain, no gain" applies, but I am committed.

Happy Healing!

More Information on Birth Control Pills

Dangers every woman needs to know about taking birth control

Very informative

Candida and Birth Control -- remember, an infection like candida can spark illnesses, including fibro, chronic fatigue, and RSD/CRPS.

I thought my liqiud silver protocol was only for six days, but I have three weeks to get through. Today is day six.

Birth Control

I have been asked several times about more information on the dangers of birth control/synthetic hormones for your health. Gena from Choosing Raw discussed the dangers of the birth control pill at length, and I thoroughly agree with every sentiment. The differences between BC and my bioidentical hormones are that 1. they are bioidentical and not synthetic, and 2. I am following the natural levels of hormones that my body should normally be producing (BC does not do this). Read up and ask me questions! Knowledge is power!

Happy Healing!

Vlog: Pills and Potions

Here is the VLOG I promised you explaining all of my pills and things. Please excuse the fact that I look how I feel ***runs to put on blush before class***

Shorter hanging with me this morning:

His new UMiami gear:

Happy Healing!

Vlog and Lasting Changes

Good morning, happy healers! A special thank you to my sweet friend, Mary, who gave me the idea to do a vlog explaining all of the supplements, pills, potions, vitamins, and creams I am using to naturally heal myself. Tomorrow, I am going to film the vlog and show you what I take, how I take it, and what its purpose is in my healing. Thanks, Mary!

RSD/CRPS is quite the rollercoaster when it comes to emotions. A "good" day will come, bringing with it the excitement of healing, and hope is crushed when the next day is bad or worse. I don't want to say or focus on this too much in the early stages, but let's just say I feel a small shift in my pain for the better, requiring one less pain pill throughout the day (still wearing my patch, of course). I'm taking it for what it is and just enjoying the present moment.

I really want to stress the importance of shifting your lifestyle (what you eat, drink, do, say, think, and experience) to promote healing. Traditional medicine is not addressing this complex, full body illness the way it should to find the cause and help the body to heal itself. While traditional medicine has its place in our world, it is severely lacking, and it has failed me. Therefore, I cannot wait for them to find the cause of my illness. I will find it myself, and I will rid myself of RSD/CRPS, Fibromyalgia, Atypical Lupus, and whatever else they have diagnosed me with for the long haul. It is up to us to go home and make the lasting changes for future health and wellness.

Happy Healing!

Snow Storm, Flu, and Liquid Silver

What a mess the last few days have been! A week ago, my lovely dad was sick with the flu. He healed, and I assumed I was in the clear. After acupuncture late Tuesday evening, my mom, brother, and I started to vomit at the same time. I spent hours violently dry heaving, and the snow fell in New Jersey. By the next day, we had lost power. I finally feel better three days later, thank goodness. I couldn't keep food or water down for the better part of two days, and that included much pain medication. With the rise in progesterone in my bioidentical hormones, I feel a small shift in my pain for the better. Let's not jinx it! Here is what the sky dumped on NJ:

And my sweet pup sleeping with his friend:

Missing mommy as she hid from him with the flu:

My doctor and I were speaking about certain illnesses, such as Fibro, RSD/CRPS, and chronic fatigue, origintaing from a virus or illness in the body (think mono, staph infection, and candida). Since I had been diagnosed with candida not long ago stemming from birth control (ladies, the BC pill is a disaster waiting to happen--do yourselves favors and get off of it), she is starting me on a liquid silver protocol to kill the yeast. The die off can cause temporary sickness, so if I am too weak to handle it, I'll stop and start again soon. 

Those are my updates! Hope you are all doing well!

Addie reading this afternoon:

Happy Healing!

Adrenal Fatigue

Take a look at this explaination of the role of adrenal fatigue in autoimmune disease. The main website on adrenal fatigue is full of information. Please take the time to educate yourself on this condition, especially if you are suffering from chronic pain conditions, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. If you are experiencing any one of those, chances are you have adrenal fatigue. I do and am being treated by a naturopath, trying to replenish and rebuild my glands with cortisol and supplements.

Happy Reading (and Healing!)!

Books That Have Helped Me Along The Way To Acceptance

I promised a list of my favorite self-help/spiritual/self-actualizing texts, so here they are! These books have helped me along my journey to acceptance (without being complacent, of course). Enjoy!

This one is really beautiful:

And here is a sweet picture of me and the baby:

And Pat and Shorter:

Happy Healing!

Historical Trauma, Curable Disease, and Updates

Hello, lovely healing friends! I have emerged from piles of literature, pills, and needles to give you a quick update on my status. I am still attending acupuncture twice a week where she has been working on opening all of my blocked meridians, especially my trigger points and head, and I am 14 days deep in my bioidentical hormone replacements. The cortisol is still allowing me much more energy and life force, but the hormones take some time to build up in the system, storing in fat tissue, which I lack a lot of.

My doctor is a firm believer that (for the most part) the term "incurable disease" does not belong when describing many of the illnesses seen today. Rather, traditional medicine and its followers lack the mind-body knowledge to make the necessary changes so that the body can heal itself. Basically, she believes RSD is curable! Woohoo! I'm right there with her. Also, disease, especially chronic pain and autoimmune diseases, can be linked back to physical and emotional trauma, which is stored in the body. Think back to an event or pattern of thought that may have created your illness. If you look hard enough, you will find it.

We spoke about fasting and the positive results it can have in terms of taking the energy that can be used for digestion and using it to heal the body. She suggests doing "mini-fasts" each day, which consist of fasting from about 6pm in the evening to 12pm the next afternoon (only having tea, green juice, and even some coffee when you wake). BUT, the point is to eat ENOUGH of the right, high quality foods and nutrients during the 12pm-6pm period when you break the fast. This includes good fats, oils, and proteins. This is especially important when you are actively trying to heal your body.

Off to see the baby before it snows!

Happy Healing!