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From May 2013
Early in January, I was sitting on the couch on my laptop getting bank info so I could go shopping at the wholesale warehouse we use. I had all my coupons ready so all I needed to know was how much I had to spend. I was headed 30 minutes in one direction; Hubby and my nephew (who was still living with us at the time) were headed 30 minutes in the opposite direction.
All of the sudden, out of nowhere and for no reason, I felt this horrid pain in my lower left abdomen that doubled me over and made me cry. It was so bad; I almost had Hubby take me to the emergency room. The intense pain lasted about 20 minutes. The pain has not stopped since. It comes and goes and has levels of “ow”. I think I’m getting used to it now, so I can tolerate it better (except on bad days).
In the past four and a half months I have done nearly every test known to doctors. CT scans, ultrasounds, bone marrow biopsy, blood work…..you name it. My blood work shows lower count white blood cells, large red blood cells, and I have toxic granulation (where my blood cells break apart before they should), but no one can tell me what’s wrong with me or why I have this pain.
At first they said I had beta-strep in my bladder which is a different kind of bladder infection. After 10 days of strong antibiotics (and one rip-roaring yeast infection) the problem still hadn’t been solved. Apparently I am a carrier of these bacteria. GI docs say it’s possibly colon spasms which can be quite painful; Female docs say it could be endometriosis. The hematologist said sometimes people have unexplained pain. I’ve been poked, prodded and drugged with no answers. Exploratory surgery is not an option in my eyes.
Not real keen on the idea of someone fishing around inside me for who knows what, I decided to try and take matters into my own hands.
I’m one of those people who don’t like to take medication unless it’s absolutely necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I know God gave us doctors and there is a place for medication but we don’t have to go the other way and say there is no place for natural remedies.
The GI doc told me to look into peppermint oil. It’s an anti-spasmodic. I got enteric coated peppermint oil supplements so they digest within the colon. Researching that lead me to other herbs and remedies. Did you know that Frankincense is one of God’s pain “pills” and that valerian root (you don’t want to take this too regularly) helps with pain as well? Stinging Nettles (which makes for great iced tea), Astragalus Root and Holy Basil (Tulsi) help build the immune system as well as having other benefits. And Turmeric helps with the digestive system as well as having other benefits (a nice warm cup of alternative milk with a tsp of turmeric and a tsp of cinnamon twice a day is pretty good stuff).
I’ve always leaned toward natural ways of doing things. Honey (local of course) and cinnamon or lemon concoctions for allergies, flu and colds or sore throats; my system can’t handle dairy so I do alternative milk. I try to eat mostly fruits and veggies which is the original diet God had in mind for us “11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good……..29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”
Over the years I’ve done a lot of reading on herbs and the healing properties they have. Until now, I haven’t really delved into trying too many. There are some great places online to buy bulk as well.
This mystery pain has really gotten me thinking about all the chemicals and things I constantly bombard my system with. It’s not just in the food and drinks but the toiletries and cleaning products too. “Convenience” has caused us to do things to our bodies that are really unhealthy. Our bodies are fighting back.
So, my next projects will be all about getting back to the basics in life; using the things that were provided for me to begin with. In a world where convenience has trumped healthy, I know it won’t be an easy task. Hubby thinks I’m weird anyway, so no harm no foul. I know my son will do some of these things with me (after all he is a product of me) but Hubby is a convenience/technology/”state-of-the-art” kind of guy……he’ll fight it tooth and nail.
About 2 years ago I started using homemade baking soda toothpaste. It works great, but I need the peppermint flavoring. I had a small bottle that lasted me through 2 batches then I couldn’t find it at any store in the area. I tried cinnamon which tasted terrible. Frankincense powder is supposed to be great for teeth too but it tastes awful. I’ve seen recipes for it but don’t know if I can take the taste. Chewing the resin for pain isn’t too bad but the powder is nasty.
At the beginning of this week I gave up shampoo and conditioner. Hopefully this will solve my dandruff problem. I’m not a hair washing junkie anyway. Unless I get Grioli’s all over my hair (that’s the name of the Italian restaurant I work at) I only wash my hair every four days so this shouldn’t be a hard transition.
I really want to start taking care of my body, God’s temple and I’m not getting any younger. The time is now.
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