There are a few topics I've been really wanting to write about, but simply haven't had the energy. It's really frustrating me. I want to write about endocrine disruption, do a product review on my far infrared sauna and a caulk product that didn't cause a reaction for me, write about how much removing plastics from my life helped me, and more. I have a lot to say and share, but it's so exhausting. I've been on the biggest roller coaster ride in the past couple of weeks, and it's been nearly debilitating at times. I might write more about this later, but because my health problems have been dominating my life, I want to focus on something different right now.
In the past year and a few months, what are the noticeable positive health improvements I've experienced? Keep in mind that I was in very bad shape - a total zombie who had no idea how I was going to survive all the pain, fatigue, and depression.
1. Substantially reduced pain!
"Fibromyaliga" no more! I used to feel pain all over from head to toe, in my stomach, and in my gut. I used to get flares that were nearly debilitating. When I'm in pain now, it's in very specific areas and it's usually tolerable. Pain now isn't overwhelming. It's actually indicative of something that's wrong. My pain tends to always flare on the qi median that goes to my liver and spleen.
2. No more bloody noses!
I used to get bloody noses all the time, and a doctor once told me I was a perfect candidate to get a surgery to thicken the skin in my nostrils to prevent bleeding. I never did the surgery. There were two instances where I had bloody noses so bad at work that it was impossible for me to work. The general manager at the grocery store I was working at when I was 18 actually took 45 minutes out of his day to sit with me and try to get my nose to stop bleeding. He watched as I spit out a blood clot a little larger than a golf ball, which was just gross and embarrassing. He even paid me for the time I spent fighting that nose bleed - he was such an amazing boss. In the other instance, I was the secretary at a mental health clinic. Both nostrils were dripping blood and I was really struggling to breathe. My boss, the clinic's head psychologist, took me into the bathroom, had me sit so the blood would drain into the toilet, and he pinched my nose and put an ice pack on my forehead. He held that position for at least 10 minutes with me, meanwhile he chatted with a patient on the phone (lol!!) Once it stopped bleeding he said, "Don't worry about how you look. Just go meet my new patient who I sent to your office." Haha!
I don't think I've had a bloody nose in close to 6 months now, but they've at least become rare within the last year. I was getting them occasionally before our bathroom got renovated last year (our skylight was leaking and we had a mold problem because of it.) Mold has always given me bloody noses.
3. My menstrual issues are actually manageable now!
This is a really super big deal to me. My life used to be 100% controlled by my periods because the pain was so intense and I was so overly heavy that I couldn't help myself on those days. I had to plan my entire life around when my period was due. I used to lay in bed screaming in pain, even after 12 ibuprofen. I used to lose about 7-8 ounces of blood a day (the average healthy woman loses 1-2 ounces during her whole cycle.) So not only was I in extreme pain, but I had to manage the mess somehow. It left me totally exhausted and I always had to recover.
My period still causes problems, but they feel like easy problems now. I'm losing about 5 ounces of blood during my whole cycle now, which is still considered heavy, but it's way less than it used to be. I can get painful cramps the week before, but my periods themselves are hardly painful at all now. They still knock me out, turning me into a total zombie the day before and the first day of, but I just sleep those days off and I'm okay. This is a true miracle for me.
4. I have some days with energy now!
I still have plenty of days where I'm tired all day long, but for the most part, I'm no longer regularly so exhausted that it's hard to function. Even on days when I'm tired I have enough energy to get some stuff done. I occasionally have days when I have a good amount of energy and I feel somewhat normal. Today, for instance, I've been oddly energetic. I've worked out, did the dishes, did two loads of laundry, chatted on the phone and laughed for a while, played my video game, am writing this post, and started bone broth in the crock pot. I feel a little spent, but I'm not exhausted. It has felt good!
5. I've learned how to cook a variety of meals with my limited diet!
My strict diet has made my life so much easier. I have a list of foods I'm allowed to eat, and I've learned the best and worst times to eat specific foods. Food makes me feel good now (usually - there have been cases where eating anything at all has cause pain and problems,) whereas food used to be very hit-and-miss for me. Before this diet, food would either hurt me or help me, and most of the time it was hurting me. Food never hurts me now, but sometimes it aggravates digestive problems. Food is wayyyyy easier and better these days!
6. Mental clarity, creativity, critical thinking skills, and good moods have returned!
Oh, I've definitely had my set backs in this area. I'm still getting days where I can't think straight. I'm still getting days where I have no mental energy to work with, and I find myself at a loss for words when trying to communicate. Most days have been good for me in this area lately. I'm not struggling to read books anymore. I'm really enjoying researching (which obviously takes lots of mental energy.) I'm able to have fun conversations with friends. I've been able to draw, work on my Zazzle shop, and write (all creative things.) I may not have my body working well, but at least I have my mind back on most days. As long as my mind is functioning well I will never complain. The loss of a functioning mind was the most grievous experience for me last year. I felt completely worthless and I hated my life.
7. Chemical sensitivities are a blessing just as much as a curse!
Any readers with MCS might be really confused by this. How could MCS, a condition making it nearly impossible to spend time in public without getting really sick, be a blessing in any way? Well, first of all, understanding my body and why it reacts is a major blessing. I know what's going on now, so I know how to avoid triggers that cause reactions that make me miserable. Second, MCS is helping me stay healthy. Because I cannot get away with putting myself in toxic situations, I don't. I can be reaction-free for days to weeks now because I've learned what to avoid. It's amazing. The problem is when I'm unable to avoid something toxic - such as getting on an airplane. There is nothing good about that bad unavoidable situation that will make me sick.
8. I've made some great friends!
Naturally, I've gravitated towards finding support groups online. I've met many people online who are very much like me with poor health. We commiserate together, help each other, laugh together, and see life from the same perspective together. It's wonderful. (But then I get really sad, because sometimes their situations are so bad that they talk about suicide, and it brings me down because I can't deal with that kind of stress, but I feel compelled to get involved because I've felt like them before and suicide is the worst possible thing.) For the most part, these groups have been very very helpful. At the very least, they help me feel less isolated. I don't feel unique or crazy. They provide me with an outlet to talk about my issues, because I know my husband can't stand hearing about my bad health all the time.
9. More stability
Overall I'm more stable than I was a year ago. My blood sugar issues are less drastic, my blood pressure is more stable, my mental state is more stable (and my anxiety is a lot less extreme,) my appetitate is regular, and my moods are not as wild. Yes, I still have stability problems in all regards, but I'm much more stable than I was. If I used to be an 8.0 earthquake daily, I'm now a 4.5 earthquake daily.
10. I look so much better!
I've lost over 30 lbs, I look a few years younger, I have way less acne, my skin glows when I'm feeling well (it's often pale with poor circulation,) my hair is way stronger and naturally shiny, my nails no longer split and crack and they grow quickly, and I'm not embarrassed to present myself anymore. I still have bags under my eyes, get rashes, fight some occasional acne, have slightly yellowing skin (been wondering about mild jaundice for a while,) and can look totally exhausted. I also still fight major bloating issues (I can look pregnant at times.) For the most part, I feel thin and beautiful, and I'm proud of it. Make-up feels a lot more optional to me now, lol.
I'm sure I'm missing some positives, but is what I thought of without really trying. :)
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