Two Fit Moms

Tag: illness

  • Struggle Management

    Struggle Management

    I have been very public about my own wellness journey and the struggles that I have encountered along the way. I’ve posted articles about my diet, my meditation practice, my first experience with acupuncture, and all sorts of other topics that relate to my health. I’ve even posted a bunch of tips to consider after being diagnosed with an illness. What I haven’t done is discuss how I’ve dealt with the emotional toll of being diagnosed with a medical condition. It’s a disconcerting and frightening time, especially at the beginning. Even the most level-headed person can fall into the trap of imagining worst case scenarios and horrific outcomes. It’s not a good place to be. It is far better to be in a place of hope and positivity, and that is the goal—to make your way to an emotionally comfortable place following a medical diagnosis or any kind of life struggle.StruggleManagement

    Your struggle may not be an illness— Maybe you’ve lost your job, or maybe you work three jobs as a single parent to make ends meet. Maybe you’re caring for a sick relative, or maybe you’re overwhelmed at work or stuck in a job that you dislike. Whatever your struggle is, I’m confident that you can manage your way through the muck and live a fulfilling life that feels purposeful and worthwhile.

    Here are my top tips for helping you navigate the choppy waters. This is how I’ve dealt with all of the major struggles that I’ve faced in life, and I hope you can find inspiration here to continue moving forward.

     

    1. Determine what good can arise from the situation. This is a tough one, but I believe it’s a necessary step in overcoming any challenging circumstance. You might have been dealt a terrible hand, but you need to play it. Your situation may be painful and seem insurmountable right now. It might be difficult to imagine anything good coming out of the struggle, but try to make a list. Can there be any purpose in the pain? Will this struggle help you prioritize what is truly important in life? Will you live each day with more clarity and purpose because you are being faced with this struggle? Will you be able to advocate for others with a strong voice as a result of facing this situation yourself? Will your struggle force you to slow down and find beauty in simple everyday acts? Will you overhaul destructive habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle as a result of your struggle? Will you help your family become stronger as a result of them witnessing your strength during this trying time? Make a list, and see that goodness can flow right out of a not-so-good situation.

     

    1. Maintain a positive attitude. This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. You must change your thinking. Once you can find purpose in your struggle, or at least something positive that might arise as a result of your struggle, it becomes easier to stay upbeat. Yes, you need to mourn whatever it is that you’ve lost (your good health, a family member, your life savings, your job, etc), but you can’t stay in a deep dark place forever. You have a choice to send positive energy or negative energy out into the world, and I know that you can keep it positive. Remind yourself often that you are strong and capable. Remind yourself that the mind is a powerful tool. You can convince yourself that you are too tired and too weak to overcome your circumstance or you can create a positive environment and talk yourself right into a better mindset where you feel empowered. The choice is yours, and it is up to you to make the right choice.

     

    1. Take control of your health. There is so much that we cannot control about our health, but fortunately, there is a tremendous amount that we can control. Don’t allow a medical diagnosis to crush your spirit. Don’t give up on your body. Do some research and get inspired by natural remedies and foods that can help you feel better. Regardless of the nature of your current life struggle, you can change your diet, implement a daily exercise program, and begin a regular meditation practice to lower stress levels. You can reduce systemic inflammation, boost your immune system, strengthen your bones and muscles, improve the quality of your skin, and generally feel much better than you’d otherwise feel if you gave no thought to your health habits. Get on the wellness bandwagon. You won’t regret it.

     

    1. Help someone else. When you hit rock bottom, it’s hard to think about helping someone else. After all, how can you help someone else if you can barely figure out how to help yourself? I understand, and I get it. But I also know that the tendency during a personal struggle is to focus on me, me, me. Yes, it’s warranted, but it’s also healthy to focus on something else that is worthwhile, and something that will also give you a greater perspective on life. Maybe you won’t have the time to volunteer at the local shelter or organize a fundraiser, and that’s ok… but you’re not off the hook. Figure out another way to be of service to someone else. This may be as simple as joining a support group and sharing your experience with someone else going through the same struggle. Sharing your experience and providing your own unique perspective can be inspiring and helpful to someone else.

     

    1. Sleep. What can I say? I didn’t believe it for a long time, but a good night of sleep can do a lot to transform your state of mind. Feeling blue? Exhausted? Too overwhelmed to even call a friend? Go to bed, and make sure to get plenty of rest. Healing on many levels occurs overnight. It will all seem a bit more manageable in the morning.

     

     

  • 5 Tips to Consider After Being Diagnosed with an Illness

    5 Tips to Consider After Being Diagnosed with an Illness

    Those of you who have been following me on Instagram know that I’ve been on a long-term healing journey for a mysterious autoimmune condition.

    Three and a half years ago, I gathered multiple opinions for acute roaming pain in my tendons and ligaments— severe pain that would strike without warning and then disappear randomly without a trace. I had blood tests, x-rays, and MRIs. I met with two rheumatologists, a sports medicine doctor, physical therapists, a podiatrist (to assess damage in my hips and feet) and a general practitioner. I was not lazy with my medical care. Based on my blood work and clinical findings, these bright professionals with years of experience each came to the conclusion that I had an autoimmune disease. The treatment for such an illness was pain management and immune-suppressing drugs. None of these drugs were mild.Extreme close-up of medical pills and syringe on white background

    Rather than turning to medications that had a long list of side effects, I turned to a macrobiotic diet to heal and suppress symptoms. I found a macrobiotic counselor who suggested a strict healing diet, and I found tremendous success after just four months.  I never had to take any of the strong medications that are typically prescribed for rheumatological issues, and for the most part, I’ve felt very good.

    I started noticing a change in my health this past September when my daughter was admitted to the hospital for a kidney transplant. The palm of my left hand started to hurt while I was in that hospital room with my daughter, and the pain has not subsided in the months since.

    Within a few weeks of receiving a new kidney, my daughter rejected the kidney, and we found ourselves back in the hospital, living a nightmare. It was at that time that my right knee began to hurt, and I started to have trouble walking.

    A couple of months later, my right wrist began to hurt, and I’m now at a point where I can’t put much weight onto either of my hands without feeling excruciating pain.

    Stress is an unbelievable force. It can change your body chemistry and trigger illness. No matter how strict I became with my diet, I could not find healing. After a few months of struggling to heal on my own, I contacted my macrobiotic counselor. She was very firm with me. She reminded me that she always thought that something else was going on in my body. Based on the principals of oriental diagnosis, she examined me and maintained that she continues to think that I have Lyme disease or some kind of parasite. I reminded her that three years ago, I had asked both of my rheumatologists for Lyme testing, and they both refused. They told me that Lyme is the most over tested disease that rheumatologists see, and that they had no basis for testing me.

    My macrobiotic counselor told me to start searching for a new doctor and to keep searching until I could find one that would agree to testing. Four weeks ago, I found an integrative doctor who agreed to help. I had extensive blood tests to check for Lyme disease and the co-infections (parasites) that often travel with the infected tick.

    One week ago, I received my results, and my macrobiotic counselor was right. I can’t ignore that I DO have antibodies that are suggestive of an autoimmune condition, but perhaps the formation of those antibodies was triggered by being bitten by an infected tick. I am now starting a long course of two different types of antibiotics. I have been warned that this could take quite a while to heal, but I am patient. After all, I’ve been patient for the past 3.5 years as I harbored these parasites in my body without any medical intervention. I can continue to be patient.

    Let me tell you what I have learned from this experience that may help you if you’ve been diagnosed with an illness or are currently searching for answers about your own medical condition.

    –Always seek multiple opinions from the best doctors when dealing with a serious medical condition that requires treatment.

    –Once you have your multiple opinions, don’t assume that your multiple opinions (even if they are in agreement) are 100 percent correct. Always leave the door open to other possibilities.

    –Search for a good doctor that practices integrative medicine and combines the best of western medicine and alternative therapies. Remember that not everything that heals in this world is found under the roof of a hospital. Take the help from medications when necessary, but keep in mind that healing and cures don’t always appear in the form of a pill or a syringe. Don’t underestimate the power of the body to heal itself with natural remedies.

    –Find the discipline within yourself to try a natural healing plan. But don’t forgo the experienced care of a physician! Work alongside your medical team. Do everything in your power to strengthen your body. Cut the sugar. Cut the processed foods. Start loading up on greens and sea vegetables and fermented foods. Strengthen your gut, and strengthen your immune system. I adopted a strict macrobiotic diet, and by doing so, not only did I heal from unimaginable pain, but I also eliminated a bunch of other smaller issues (like debilitating seasonal allergies that plagued me each spring for 15 years.)

    –Don’t allow your gut feeling to be drowned out by your doctors. In hindsight, I realize that I had a gut feeling. There was a reason why I was asking each doctor for Lyme testing. I allowed that inner voice to be drowned out by doctors because I valued their experience much more than I valued my gut feeling. Be your own greatest advocate. Insist on the tests you want to see. Offer to pay for them yourself, if necessary. Or keep looking for a doctor who is willing to explore your ideas and theories. They may not pan out, but you will feel much better after covering all of the bases.