health update

I mentioned earlier that I recently received some answers from my new doctor about my health.  This doctor specializes in something called Neuromodulation.  It's done wonders for my anxiety attacks and my ability to sleep at night.  That in and of itself has been a small miracle to me.

I've been seeing him twice a week for the past three weeks, and it's been great.  He ran a test on me that tests some minerals and heavy metal toxicity and other things.  It was pretty extensive and definitive.  I finally feel like I have the hard evidence of what I've been thinking is the problem, and the way the doctor wants to treat it is so in line with what I've felt is right for me.  I received all my medication today (didn't order it till we got home from Disneyland) and I'm going to begin this new program tomorrow morning.

Here we go.  No turning back now.

My tests showed that I have something called, "adrenal burnout" which can affect your whole body.  To make a long story short, your body is even more interconnected than I could ever have imagined before I saw this test and learned what my levels meant.  My thyroid is now being affected because my adrenals are not recovering, in addition to my test showing that I am prediabetic.  I actually showed a very slow metabolism, which makes a lot more sense to me since I've had to work so hard to lose weight and when I eat I feel like food is sitting in my stomach for hours and sometimes even days.  There is so much more to the test, but I will leave it at that since I have all the info written down for my reference (thanks doc).

Treatment is what I wanted to write down.  This is supposedly going to be for the long haul.  From what I've been told, this process can take anywhere from 6 months to 5 years depending on the severity of the burnout and the commitment of the patient to health (it's a rather strict diet and lifestyle, and most people just can't do it).  But, if I do it, I think I will feel better than I ever have.  I supposedly won't have any allergies or intolerances - no hayfever, dog/cat allergies, I could eat gluten, raw, etc.  That would seriously be heaven on earth for me.  I can't even remember ever not having a stuffy nose - I've had allergies for that long.  Probably since I was 4 or 5, and they've been pretty severe from the get-go.  I've always felt like my energy levels were lower than normal too, so it would be pretty wonderful to feel like I had energy like never before.  It's some pretty good motivation.

The program consists of some pretty serious supplementation to help make up for nutritional deficiencies, help my body dump toxins, and just give it what it needs to heal.  Along with the 3x/day supplement regime, I have to go to bed early, try to gently get my body going in the morning (to train the adrenals to release the right hormones at the right time.  People in burnout get a burst of energy in the evening - my best time of day.), and take a nap every day.  I have to exercise lightly daily.  I'm starting slowly with things like walking, biking, and yoga.  I will do some light lifting 3x/week to build a little muscle.  I'm thinking it will help me sleep to exercise also.  Wes also told me that I need to do these stress CDs daily that he did while he was in school (he went over everything with me and gave me his input).  The story behind the CDs is pretty incredible....another post for another day for sure. 

I will also be on a strict "Simple Carbohydrate" diet, which actually is no simple carbohydrates (little or no simple carbs - white rice and flours, cereal, processed meat and cheese, little fruit, no sugar...you get the drift.  I can have whole grains, yellow or blue corn, beans, good fats, and lots of veggies.  I'm to fill 70% of my plate with cooked veggies at least twice a day.  I have to eat animal protein (my body is protein deficient - the minerals and protein in meat are right now the quickest way to deliver my body what it needs.  I need to drink carrot juice or raw milk daily, and have "bone soup" as often as possible (you make a broth by cooking the bone for several hours.). 

It seems daunting, even for me.  I love healthy food, and I'm so grateful I do, because this is going to be HARD.  But I'm sure it will help my body heal, and I will look HOT!  (j/k, but I'm sure I'll lose another 15 pounds without even trying because I'm doing what I would do to lose weight other than the workout intensity)  This is a big commitment, expense, and it's going to take up a big chunk of my life for awhile.  Wes and I talked this morning and he really felt strongly that I should go for it.  He told me that he would be fine with all the expense and time as long as I was truly following the plan 1000%.  He would be frustrated if I wasn't doing it full out.  It was exactly what I wanted and needed to hear, and I know he is on board and will look the other way at our messy house and simpler life for the next while because it will reap a huge reward in the end.  I am overwhelmed, but really excited to see it all unfold.



I am ready to blow this thing out of the water!  I am anxious to see it unfold.  I am 100% committed to this right now.  We'll see how it goes, but I am expecting good things.

I'm reading this really great book right now that is actually perfect for all of this.  It written by a medical doctor who talks about stress and how to create "margins" in your life.  It's a great read and I think it's going to give me lots of guidance and validation through this process.  (I will tell you more about it later.)   For now I'd better get going because I have a 30 minutes to get my butt in bed on time and a pile of dishes in the sink and two loads of laundry waiting to be folded.  Wish me luck!