Iceland

Posted on November 10, 2016 by kdgersch

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The Volcanic Wonder

Hello, Readers. I’ve missed you! I started writing this when we returned from our two-week journey to England by way of Iceland (in May!). It was never on my bucket list to visit Iceland, but since it was a stopover on an a-la-carte airline, Allan (my sweetie) and I said, “Why not?” Of course, we Googled the heck out of it before we went but it was still full of surprises.

Peering through the cab windows en route from the airport to Reykjavik City, to our surprise at the time (now we get it—it’s a volcano), it looked like we were on the moon. No trees, mostly cloudy skies, black and brown flatlands, and rocks everywhere. In the distance were snow-capped glaciers. We looked at each other as if to say, “Why did we decide to do this?”

On the road to Reykjavik

On the road to Reykjavik

Reykjavik City

Once we got closer to Reykjavik City, the scenery was more colorful and inviting. Their capital city looks just the way you would expect. A fishing town with brightly colored homes and businesses, some old architecture, and flowers and trees planted to add some greenery. All the houses and buildings are smashed together as if there is no space when in fact, only a tiny percentage of their landmass is built upon. We also noticed there were no structures from the Viking days — most things “old” date back to the 1700-1800s.

2016-04-30 16.52.57 2016-05-01 16.24.28
Lutheran Church started in 1945, and finished in 1986. The view from the windows at the top and from the behind the clock.2016-05-01 16.24.382016-05-01 16.30.06

Many of their cafés and restaurants have outdoor seating….um, really? It is COLD there. Even on a warm day (45 degrees Fahrenheit), that wind off the North Atlantic is biting, and by midday, it usually precipitates. As we sat inside at Café Paris, with our hands wrapped around warm mugs of tea and coffee, we watched Icelanders sit outside with their wool sweaters and coats, thick boots, scarves, and hats eating, drinking, and acting like we do when it’s seventy degrees. When we asked if it gets warmer, they said, “Oh, this is a warm day!”

Cafe Paris with the red benches

Cafe Paris with the red benches

Those are some rugged, tough people. Albeit, most of them don’t look tough. As a whole, they are tall and thin; Scandinavian-looking, with blonde hair and blue eyes, with legs to the sky. Must be all the walking and bike riding they do, uphill…in every direction. (Reykjavik City is on a peak). And I don’t want to neglect to mention how friendly and helpful Icelanders are. We felt welcome and comfortable.

Since this is a health blog…

I want to address two things that Iceland has that I long for here in America. #1: good drinking water and #2: fresh, preservative-free food.

No Bottled Water Needed

We went to the market first thing to buy bottled water and the clerk filled us in on why we didn’t need it. Iceland is a volcanic rock. The groundwater is from natural springs and glacial streams. It is naturally filtered through that volcanic rock and comes out of the tap fresh. No chemicals. The clerk’s only advice was to let the cold water run for a few seconds first to flush out the warm spring water (it has a bit of a sulfuric smell since it’s from hot springs). The tap water is mineral-rich; in fact, there are tiny bubbles when you look through your glass. I was delighted! Allan was a bit more skeptical so we asked someone else later that day and got the same answer. It was delicious and energizing. Not much we can do about not having glacial water in America except import it and well, it just wouldn’t be as healthy. Darn it!

Fresh, Real Food!

Icelandic food is mostly fresh fish and lamb, a few pork and chicken items, and very few beef items. They are known for their yogurt and dairy, and they grow amazing tomatoes, cucumbers, and a few other greens in greenhouse farms; again with no chemicals. There were bottles of fresh fish oil with shot glasses on the breakfast bar at our hotel! Does it get any better?

One afternoon, we were craving a salty snack and stopped at a small market. I looked at the back of a Pringles can, knowing how bad they are normally, and was surprised to see “Made in Belgium.” The first ingredient was actually potatoes with very few ingredients in total. I could pronounce the ingredients and didn’t feel terrible about eating them. In fact, being the weirdo that I am about reading labels (food sensitivities), we read most of the items we were interested in and found they had hardly any additives and the few that were listed were identifiable. I would also like to note that I didn’t have one food reaction even when we ate in restaurants. (I have them all the time in America–I never know what’s in most restaurant meals).

So Why Not in America?

Why is it so hard? Real food. Real ingredients. We have more diverse farming areas than any other country, yet we depend on chemical additives for flavor, color, and shelf-life. It baffles me. When we were in England, we watched a news program about black-market American food. The UK has banned processed food from America. Well, at least most of it. They are fining stores for “black market American snacks.” Can you believe it? There are roughly 3000 banned chemicals in Europe that we use in our food They are known to be toxic. So why?

Sadly, I don’t have an answer to this question. It is rhetorical. My only suggestion is to eat clean, organic, non-GMO farm-fresh food at home and try to make smart choices when eating out. Frequent restaurants that go the extra mile to provide farm-to-table meals. As for non-bottled healthy drinking water, check out ionized water (or alkalized water).

Sigh. I’m just old enough to remember and long for pure milk in glass bottles and eggs straight from the farm, veggies that provide real energy and chemical-free nutrients that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and fresh bread and hormone-free butter like we used to have when I was a kid.

Skál! (Cheers & Good Health!)

I hope you enjoyed your little tour of Iceland. If you get the chance to go, it’s a bucket-list-worthy trip, and very easy to get there from America via Wow! Air (yep, that’s the name of the airline).

“The world is a book and those who don’t get to travel read only one page.”  St. Augustine

Continental Divide

Continental Divide

Geyser Park

Geyser Park

Glacial Pool

Glacial Pool

Glacial Waterfall

Glacial Waterfall

Crater Lake

Crater Lake

Calves at the dairy farm where we had fresh ice cream.

Calves at the dairy farm where we had fresh ice cream.

One of the only inland lakes

One of the only inland lakes

Perspective on the size of the rocky terrain

Perspective on the size of the rocky terrain

Our hotel-Apotek. Lovely place.

Our hotel-Apotek. Lovely place.

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Eureka Zika!

Posted on March 23, 2016 by kdgersch

West Nile, Lyme, Zika

With the new panic over the Zika virus, I thought it appropriate timing to share my knowledge (and experience) with Lyme Disease and West Nile, other organisms that can cause neurological and late-term illness, very similar to the mysterious Zika Virus.

One problem with these sneaky viruses and bacteria is that you can get infected unknowingly, have no or few symptoms, and go through life unaffected until the natural aging process starts to lower immunity, or a long-term stress event occurs. Once the immune system is compromised, symptoms may start to appear, but they will be masked as any number of other issues.

Lyme Disease

Most often, chronic Lyme Disease symptoms will be subtle, like fatigue (who doesn’t suffer from that?), headaches, joint and muscle pain, inability to concentrate or remember simple things, anxiety and anger, mood swings.

Because most doctors don’t think about checking blood serum for Lyme, (and even if they do it may not show up), symptoms get chalked up to normal aging, menopause, stress, and get diagnosed as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and a myriad of other auto-immune diseases. The problem is, especially with Lyme, it will slowly destroy your nervous system until it does irreversible damage. It is a neurological bacterium, affecting the brain and nervous system. It can be diagnosed through clinical information (like Parkinson’s Disease, which it mimics) and muscle testing.

West Nile

West Nile Virus, which is carried by over sixty species of mosquitoes, according to the CDC, acts very similar, with a headache being a major symptom since it can cause encephalitis. So little is known about West Nile that it is rarely reported and it seems there’s very little being done about it. There is no treatment and antivirals do not work (webmd.com). If struck with WNV, it is unlikely that you would know that West Nile is the culprit. It presents as a common bug, but many holistic doctors have found that it stays in the body forever, inhabiting its host, potentially causing neurological and immune system problems later.

What to Look For

In my case, I knew something was very wrong when I had a serious, rapid change in my eyesight, constant headaches, and facial twitching. I found a specialist who determined it was, in fact, Lyme and West Nile. I had observed numerous Lyme patients at clinics over the years and many were wheelchair-bound, with facial paralysis; most were misdiagnosed with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and Parkinson’s Disease. Lyme can cause strokes, bell’s palsy, and many other tragic, permanent ailments if left untreated.  I witnessed a proper diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease change those lives completely. Most of them were out of their wheelchairs and living again, crying tears of joy at the miracle they’d experienced.

Treatments

I feel I dodged a bullet — had my diagnosis come any later, I may have suffered irreparable damage. I tried intravenous pharmaceutical antibiotics and antivirals for two weeks at my doctor’s suggestion (and against my instincts), to no avail. Once I started natural treatments of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation (UBI),  http://drsubi.com, interchanged with intravenous silver, vitamin C, glutathione, and ozone therapy; homeopathies and supplements, I recovered and both went dormant, http://www.FLIMC.com. I endured four months of nearly daily IVs, but it worked. Lyme and West Nile will never leave their host now — they are a part of my DNA and RNA, but as long as I stay healthy, they cannot take over — I won’t let them!

The Scoop

There are approximately 300,000 people newly affected with Lyme annually, http://lymedisease.org. This doesn’t count the chronic life-long suffers that get diagnosed many years later. And it is not simply limited to certain states — it is now throughout the U.S. and eighty countries http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org.  It usually comes from a nymph tic, about the size of a poppy seed, so one can see how it goes unnoticed. Scientists are also linking the spread of Lyme with mosquitos, and West Nile to tics.

About 42,000 people are on record as having been infected with West Nile (reported cases, mine will go unreported due to the late diagnosis) in the US since 1999, nearly half of them had or have infections to the brain and spinal cord, and 1700 have died, http://cdc.gov.

 Zika

Zika symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, fatigue and a general sense of having the flu. It’s very easy to think nothing of it and never receive a diagnosis. There is no treatment or vaccine. It is associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and paralysis, and is sexually transmitted. I fear this virus, discovered in 1947, will continue to evolve and the fallout will be years in the making. And, just like Lyme Disease and West Nile, the virus may lay dormant in the system and create havoc at a later date.

What To Do

Because I already host two lovely bug-borne illnesses, I will be extra diligent about being outside this season when the mosquitoes are at their worst and will slather on layer after layer of natural repellent — those who spend time with me will smell me before they see me. I will be a walking potpourri of lemon, mint, eucalyptus, oregano, clove, rosemary, tea tree, cedar, lavender and witch hazel. So much for the expensive Eau de Parfum in the cabinet!

If you suspect for one tiny second that you may have one of these insect-borne diseases, get tested right away while it will still show up. Though there is not much that can be done, it will be useful information if exaggerated yet seemingly normal symptoms, crop up later. If you do get a diagnosis, try to find a holistic clinic and heed the doctor’s advice for the best course of treatment. Thanks to UBI, other IVs, and NIS/NET, I am healthy today and know how to stay that way if I get the slightest inkling that one of them is trying to invade my inner sanctuary.

“You are your only advocate. If you think something is going wrong within you, it probably is. Do not be brushed off and sent away as another case of ‘normal aging.'” K.D. Sadler

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The Mysterious Link

Posted on March 18, 2016 by kdgersch

The Unraveling

If you read my last blog, you know how I struggled with a dental infection, chronic hip pain and immune reactions for almost two years.  The story ended when the dental implant was finished in early September and I had a beautiful molar that cost as much as a diamond ring. I was hopeful that my issues were behind me and my immune system would begin healing.

However, by late autumn, my body could not take the ever-increasing hip pain any longer and I began repeatedly fainting — always in public, much to my embarrassment. I visited my regular doctor thinking I was having blood sugar or blood pressure issues, only to find out, once again, my blood work was perfect and maybe I should “take an anti-depressant,” (though my blood sugar hovered around 59 and had spikes down into the low 50’s). I walked out wondering why I wasted my time and energy, yet again, for zero results. Instinctively, I felt my problem was adrenal related, and the hip pain had something to do with it.

After a few more weeks of suffering, I relented and met with an orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed a tiny rupture in my L-5/ S-1 disc. It was pushing on the sciatic nerve, radiating pain across my pelvis, into my groin and down my right leg. “A laminectomy would fix it,” he said with complete confidence, so I scheduled surgery five days before Christmas. I wanted to trust him, but my gut was doubtful; I wondered, is that teeny-tiny rupture really the cause of such deep pain or is it the result of fainting in full-stride a couple of weeks prior?  Turns out, my gut was right.

The Immune Puzzle

Throughout the two-year ordeal, I had continued with Vitamin C IVs and as many immune strengthening procedures as I could afford, but it wasn’t enough. My practitioner at the time recognized that my problems were too layered for her level of knowledge, and recommended another clinic with two alternative doctors who had practiced for decades and specialized in severe immune deficiency cases.

I got an appointment at the new clinic right away. We created a plan to get me through the impending surgery while repairing my immune system. Hope was restored and I went forward with a positive attitude.

The day of surgery, the surgeon assured me I would have immediate relief, yet four days post-surgery, the pain had increased and I could barely walk. He said to give it more time, “Sometimes nerves take a while to heal.” Recovery didn’t happen and my pain worsened.

Bed-Ridden at 41

Feb 6, 2012, I had a second laminectomy and four other procedures. The surgeon was baffled and tried everything to offer some relief. To no avail — the pain intensified until I was bed-ridden in agony. My blood pressure kept dropping and I kept fainting. One morning it fell to 60/40 and I had to be taken by ambulance to the ER. After a week in the hospital and test after inconclusive test, they started acting like I was faking it. Yet my legs would fold from underneath me upon standing, and I would crumple to the floor from back spasms and electric shocks that would paralyze my entire body. The doctor started talking about fusing my spine. I refused to have any more surgery and left the hospital with a heavy heart and no solution.

Weeks passed while I lay in bed depressed and hurting, not eating until three in the afternoon some days because I couldn’t get to the kitchen. By then, I was only able to walk with assistance and wondered how this would all end. The nerve pain was so excruciating, the sheets touching the tips of my toes felt like nails being driven into them. Involuntary screams ripped from my mouth when back spasms racked my entire body. I toyed with giving up, but my faith kept me going, and I believed there was an answer out there somewhere.

I dug deep and used my Type A personality and German stubbornness to make sure I did not quit exploring every option — I was hell-bent on getting better. I continued to drive myself to the clinic (an hour away) to stay with the immune-repairing program, knowing that strengthening my system was only going to help.

My Miracle

After several months, my allergies to food and nickel improved, and I had stopped fainting. But, the nerve pain remained and I began coming to terms with the potential of living in a wheelchair…and then a miracle happened.

Friday, April 13, 2012, was the day my life changed forever. My doctor was off that day; I was at the clinic for allergy desensitization. The practitioner conducting the procedure noticed the tears gently streaming out of the corners of my eyes as I lay on the exam table, and asked if he could get the other doctor (Dr. M) involved. Why not? I was open to anything (and it turned out to be divine intervention).

Dr. M listened carefully to my story until I finished, then after pondering, he asked me if I had ever had a root canal. “Huh?” was all I could think. He explained that he had seen dental-related nerve pain often, and shared a story about a man in his thirties who hadn’t walked in seven years. He came to see Dr. M and discovered it was a dental infection that went undetected by X-rays. After removing the tooth and treating the infection, the man climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro a year later.

He muscle tested the dental implant and found a weakness, so he injected it with Novocaine to numb the area and see if there would be any relief. My pain slowly ebbed like a wave rolling out to sea; I got off the exam table easily and walked around the clinic like a normal person. Everyone working there watched. Our eyes got as big as the full moon and we were all silent for a moment. Disbelief….relief…a miracle! I cried tears of joy. I think Dr. M did too.

Pain Washed Away

Three additional times, a week apart, he numbed it, the spasms released, and the pain washed away. During that time, we tried healing it with ozone and a laser, and my periodontist removed the crown and screw, to no avail. The implant had to come out.

May 15, 2012, immediately upon its removal, I walked out of the periodontist’s office on my own. I could walk without a cane! I live a very normal life now. I’m back to exercising, and though I see a chiropractor about once a week to keep my lower back healthy, I am grateful every day that I am able to walk and never take for granted my ability to be in this world without a cane, or worse.

Gratefulness

From my horrible life-altering experience, I grew in ways that I never would’ve understood before. I still feel blessed every single day that I can do normal activities; things I thought were over for me. I have patience with people who are hurting or those who may walk “too slow” in front of me. My compassion for others has grown and I try to take life as it comes — in moments. If I have an uncomfortable day, I allow myself rest and remember what a bad day truly consists of.

The strength and knowledge that I gained throughout this ordeal, as well as a deeper faith, have helped me deal physically and emotionally with the even bigger life-altering events that have happened since. I hope by sharing this information, it continues to shine the light on thinking outside the western medicine box and may help one person solve their own health mystery.

In the next blog — how to determine if your teeth are making you ill. The science behind it and resources to explore.

“To know truly is to know by causes.” Bacon 

[from the book Root Canal Cover-Up, George E. Meinig]

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A Letter to Myself

Posted on January 26, 2016 by kdgersch

Divinity

I was trying to open a file from my documents earlier today and the letter below, that I composed to myself October 31, 2013, opened. I do not know how as I did not click on it, but I am pretty sure I know why.

My freelance business has gotten very, very slow again and panic has started setting in. When I daydream worst-case-scenario (a bad habit) and think about having to support myself for the rest of my life, I start scouring the internet for a sales job. Sales is my comfort zone and I know I can make money doing it, but my writing would become obsolete. At the end of a long work day, there is very little capacity for creativity.

This letter popping up on my screen, instead of my resume, has reconfirmed that I need to stay the course as a writer, no matter how scary it is at times. And, since I don’t believe in coincidence, thank  you my guardian angel for sending me a critically needed message.

A Letter to Myself

There is no room in life for the phrase “if it weren’t impossible,” although sometimes it may be “improbable.” Accomplishing your goals will happen if you’re dedicated and you make the most of each opportunity. That is the key to unlocking dreams.

You know it’s pointless to dwell on the “what ifs.” Recall the numerous lessons and challenges along the way. Being a sales rep for over fifteen years in a man’s market gave you a serious backbone. Quitting your favorite job in 2000 and moving to paradise to start over was brave. You didn’t think it was scary or crazy – you followed your heart. Always shrug off rejection (though once in a while it may still sting) and keep trying.

You have such a diverse list of interests and each one loops back to writing. You wish you were a marine biologist to explore the serenity and intricacies of the sea and its creatures and then share it with others. You’ve explored the field of natural medicine as a profession and upon deeper reflection, realized it was because you wanted to impart amazing, sometimes life-saving tips to those searching for a more natural way. Traveling the world to experience gorgeous scenery, different cultures, and noteworthy history is still on the agenda with great anticipation as it will enhance your historical fiction.

Never stop believing in your abilities and evolving as a writer, and when times are tough, remember this is where you’re meant to be on your journey.

Me

 

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A Christmas Light

Posted on December 2, 2015 by kdgersch

Happy December!

I love this time of year…it fills me with peace, joy and a sense of gratitude. I know many people dread the holidays and find it sad and lonely: drudgery. I recognize that it is a challenge for many and my heart goes out to them. I am blessed to have faith, to believe in the birth of Christ, and find myself reflecting on the enormity of being alive to witness the beauty of soft white lights while listening to old Christmas songs, making sure I focus on noticing (despite all the commercialism) that there are still gracious givers spreading joy and good deeds to those less fortunate.

Season of Wonder

As a child, Christmas was always full of wonder. I loved going to church Christmas Eve; listening to the bell choir and singing Silent Night in a candle-lit sanctuary. Even as a small child, I felt the reverence of the night and understood its meaning. Mom and Dad did a great job keeping Santa alive for me, despite my older sister insisting that he wasn’t real. After I’d climb into bed, Dad would go outside and make “hoof” marks in the snow so that when I woke up and threw open the curtains at 6:00 AM, I would know that Santa had come (we didn’t have a chimney so he was allowed to come through the front door while we slept). I would have to wait until 6:30, no matter what, to call Grandma and Grandpa to come over. I would practically burst with excitement waiting for them to throw on mismatched clothes and drive the mile and a half to our house. Mom, Dad and my sister would look at me like they wanted to strangle me for getting them up so early, but I didn’t really notice. I was in a bubble of pure joy.

My “Orphan” Christmases

As an adult, I have spent Christmas in many different ways. I’ve been away at college, struggling to pay the bills let alone buy gifts, and at times not able to get home due to the weather. I spent nearly twelve years over a thousand miles away from family while I resided in Florida. During my first year there, I hardly knew anyone and spent it with a few new friends. That became the norm – we called it our Orphan Christmas. So many people in Florida are away from family, so our orphan dinners grew into larger and larger events, usually outside in the sunshine. Though less than traditional, they were always full of laughter, games, and plenty of eggnog. In 2009, I spent it as a new Mrs. and had a Christmas full of firsts at a not-so-young age.

Sudden Death

In 2013, shortly after my husband Ken and I moved into our dream house, our “forever home” in Missouri, I spent the holiday season reflecting on his sudden death that July. That was the year the meaning of life really hit me – like a wrecking ball. I remember crying and thinking, ‘It’s all so final. He’s just GONE.’ I was heartbroken that he couldn’t see the beautiful decorations or walk with me through the streets of historical St. Charles in the light snow; that he wouldn’t witness the serenity and joy of the season. I remember an exaggerated feeling of being present in each moment as if I were trying to absorb it for both of us. With every fiber of my being, I breathed in the fresh, cool air and played in the first snowfall with our dog, Barney. I listened and absorbed the words of songs and cried while watching a Charlie Brown Christmas (his favorite).

Renewed Hope

Then, a few weeks before Christmas, there was a distinct moment when peace washed over me, sitting by the fireplace, watching the sky turn from periwinkle to navy as night fell. I felt his spirit near me and my heart opened with hope. Where there was once a big, black empty hole, there was now a blank blackboard on which to draw my future. I missed him but felt I could move forward with his blessing, and allow the grieving process to unfold along the way (still unfolding…it never truly ends, it evolves). It dawned on me that each and every moment of being alive is the biggest gift of all, and genuine gratitude for my blessed life filled my soul.

This year, I find myself overwhelmed with appreciation for the love of a wonderful man, Allan, who makes me laugh every day and feel cherished; for my improving health, for getting writing work just when I needed it most, and for living in a place that makes no sense to anybody but me – a fly-over state that is beautiful and full of genuine, caring people, and friends and family who share their love openly, wrapping me in a blanket of warmth.

Joy in the Midst

I know everyone has struggles that vary greatly, but despite the challenges of health or financial issues, the commercialism of the season and the stress, the money involved, the long-ago hurt, sadness or disappointment, there can be joy and peace at Christmas time. Look for it in the quiet of the midnight hour or first thing in the morning over coffee, and even if it’s fleeting, give thanks for being here and bearing witness. Studies show our thoughts control our actions, our moods, and our overall health.

To quote an excerpt from the book, The Healing Code, by Dr. Alexander Lloyd and Dr. Ben Johnson, “A 911 signal from your hypothalamus [in your brain] is what puts your cells into stress mode; it’s what shifts your blood flow away from your internal organs, your higher intellectual functioning, and your immune system.” The book further explains that if you stop sending negative signals to your brain, you use your body’s own positive energy frequencies to overcome the negative frequencies and stop the destruction. “Like turning on a light in a dark room. The light always overcomes the darkness.” Our own Energy.

The Power of “Thank You”

Concentrating on just one thing that we’re grateful for daily can change negative emotions on a cellular level, and the spiritual lift is immediate. Saying thank you out loud to the universe, God, or your deity, brings a truth to it that will change your thought pattern. Once you try it, you’ll notice that you’ll say thank you for more than one thing…it becomes a list and WOW! Life gets put in perspective very quickly.

My wish is for you to find peace, even for a few moments each day, and come into the light of the Christmas season. Merry Christmas.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright….

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The Intricate Web of Healing

Posted on November 6, 2015 by kdgersch

Patience

After my alternative health doctor in Florida discovered that my sciatic pain was from a dental implant and I had it removed, I experienced instant relief. The nerve pain in my legs, hips and lower back subsided almost immediately. However, the road to total recovery was much longer than I had anticipated.

The dental implant came out in May 2012, and in July I fainted again from the relentless back spasms, ending up in the emergency room over and over. The nerve pain was nearly gone, but my body was still in “protect mode,” trying to shield the weakened surgery site. I had started living a more normal life, able to do light chores and take short walks with Barney, yet I still suffered from random spasms and fainting spells. I had to carry a small pillow with me (even to restaurants!) in order to sit with a fraction of comfort. My back muscles, tendons, and ligaments were simultaneously spasmodic and stretched like licorice ropes from eighteen months of minimal activity.

Stop the Cycle

Anyone who has had muscle spasms knows the first thing we do is try to stretch it out…bad idea! The muscle is contracting to protect what it perceives as a weak spot or an injury. The more you stretch or try to dig it out, the harder it “protects.” Best to lay low, use warm moist heat to loosen it, then administer short bouts of ice to decrease inflammation. When it’s not in spasm-mode, that’s when it’s okay to gently stretch or try to strengthen. Tens units are also a dream come true and have stopped the spasm cycle for me. I couldn’t live without one.

Part of my healing in 2012 included weekly Prolozone injections in my low back (a mixture of B vitamins, Prilocaine, and ozone). The combination lowers inflammation and speeds up healing ten-fold. I even had to have one in my pubic area (OUCH!) in order for the ligaments that held my pelvis together to tighten back up (same ligaments that stretch during childbirth). The loose ligaments supporting my hips were making it impossible for me to sit without knife-stabbing pain. I would watch TV draped over an ottoman! Luckily, the shot worked instantly and I soon moved on to the next phase: minor exercise.

Baby Steps

I began exercising with a DVD called Egoscue Pain Free Workout Series, http://www.egoscue.com/, http://www.amazon.com. For those of you experiencing any kind of pain that’s inhibiting normal exercise, I highly recommend it. Not only does it make you feel stronger, it helps with mood too. I remember feeling like a wimp at first because it was so easy, but it was the only way for me to get stronger without overdoing it at the gym. It is my tendency to go full-speed ahead and want fast results. This program kept me from hurting myself and I was able to move up to intermediate within about six months. I know – slooooow!! But I had a few set-backs. I was so weak I felt like a newborn, therefore gradual was necessary.

All year, Ken had been waiting for me to get better so we could move to Virginia for his new promotion. Finally, in September, I felt I could manage the short flight. Just as we secured plane tickets to start house hunting, he got a call from a company in St. Louis with a job offer he couldn’t refuse. I was shocked and remember thinking, “St. Louis, really?” But, I am a big believer in things happening for a reason.

Hope

In mid-December 2012, as we rode in the car for seventeen long hours on the way to St. Charles, Missouri, I reflected back on the progress I had made since being bed-ridden just a few months prior. I was exuberant about the chance to start over in a new place, to witness the seasons again, and make new friends. If you had asked me in February what my future would look like, I would’ve said “wheelchair.”

Though I was optimistic, I was still nervous about each hurdle before me. Would I be able to walk Barney while we lived in our little townhouse? What if it was slippery and I fell? I didn’t have a doctor in Missouri, so what if something happened and I couldn’t walk again? I had to set my fears aside, learn to trust that God would be with me on the journey, and embrace the gift of each day.

Turns out, having to walk Barney several times a day and go up and down the stairs in our rented townhouse strengthened me. I found a chiropractor that also practiced acupuncture and I relied on him heavily. By the time we moved into our house in March, I had returned to my favorite form of exercise and meditation – yoga. I was taking daily Barney-walks, and flew back to Florida a few times for IVs to keep my adrenal system healthy. I was really starting to feel relaxed about my health and then something changed.

The See-Saw

In May, my system began reacting to everything I was eating again. Fatigue kicked in and brought along my old buddy Fear, and I had to find resources around St. Louis. I suspected the move was to blame; once we were settled my body gave in to the stress of it all.

Thanks to a chance encounter (divine intervention) and a referral from the nutritionist at my gym, I made appointments with a few different holistic practitioners and found a new-to-me medical paradigm -– quantum mechanics in medicine. Energy work. What an immediate, life-altering difference it made, and still does to this very day. I can’t imagine my future without it.

I also found a place nearby to get those IVs I relied on so heavily, but I couldn’t get in for six months so the energy therapies had a chance to prove their effectiveness, and did they ever! By November, I was sustaining stable physical and emotional health. Turns out, the practitioners that I see have unique techniques that I wouldn’t have been blessed to find in Florida or anywhere else. An intricate web of divine intervention.

Quantum Medicine

I have always been open-minded about holistic healing, as traditional Western medicine has rarely worked well for me (though at times it has). I’ve discovered many valid forms of treatment, and just as Chinese medicine, herbs and “medicine women” have existed since the beginning of time, there is real science behind our energetic universe (thank you, Albert Einstein). For example, Stress. What is it? It’s negative energy. What does it do? Contributes to and causes major illness and cancer. Then there’s the healing power of Prayer/Meditation/Optimism…positive energy and faith, all proven to miraculously heal. Energy.

In future blogs, I will share some of my energy-healing experiences, backed by science and faith, and let you form your own opinions.

“We still do not know one-thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.” Albert Einstein

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