I experienced a major health upset eight months ago. The signs were there a year before, but I didn’t realize it at the time. Then the trigger was tapped during a major emotional upset seeing someone I love struggling with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The emotional trigger ignited something I was not prepared for. My body couldn’t take it anymore and my nervous system gave in overnight. Muscles weak and spasming (everywhere)… grip almost completely gone. Motor skills deteriorating rapidly… I was tripping on everything and struggled to pick up my feet. Mysterious pains were flaring in my arms, legs, feet, hands, and torso. My mind was spinning. My body was listening.
The Spiral
Have I not learned from everything our family has been through over the last decade? My first mistake was looking online. The “word curse” diagnosis I would have received if I had gone down the traditional medicine route was terrifying. I panicked. I completely panicked. It was scary, and I started mentally spiraling. I’m not a dramatic person, but when a major (people suffer and die from this) health crisis hits, this is what happened to me personally. My first thoughts were visualizing my husband and my daughters without me. I wondered what dying would be like. I wondered who would miss me. While trying to say grace for our special dinner, I looked around the room at our family reunion. I saw my family member with Alzheimer’s gazing so sweetly across the room. I looked at people I love so dearly and wondered if I would see them again after everyone gets on their planes. I struggled to finish the blessing and started crying. No one knew why. My body was listening.
I spiraled out for 5 days too long. I know better than this. My daughters helped me snap out of it. We got back from the family reunion and I immediately started making calls. Our functional medicine doctor was first . She sent a list of the labs that were necessary to determine the root cause that triggered this health crisis. Lab appointment calls were next. Some treatments to help support my nervous and muscular systems were ordered. I waited. My body was listening to every single word… every single thought.
I’m not ready to go. I have too much yet to do on this earth.
The Shift Happened
I found my reason to live and radically altered my focus to what I know about healing. I pulled my spirit into my own personal healing journey. I talked to God up close and personal. I leaned in hard. I fixed my mind. No more talk or thinking about the fear of disease and the dreaded “word curse” or what could happen. I told the fear to take a hike. No more talk about the “symptoms”. I told them they don’t have a grip on me anymore. No more mind games. No more feeling sorry for myself. My mind became laser focused on healing. My body was listening.
Lab Results
Labs came back over the course of about a month. Root causes included confirmed acute EBV attack and a major mold exposure attack / MCAS from our trip. My ANA labs increased from one type the year before (homogenous autoimmune disorder pathway) to two (homogenous and nuclear), both of which were high and the assay of potential autoimmune diseases my body was trying to develop encompassed just about all of them. Omega 3/6 were low, major minerals (potassium, magnesium, iodine) were grossly low, cholesterol high, heart markers off, and the list goes on. Even with lesser than desired lab results, my focus was on healing. I stayed positive. My body was listening.
Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Healing
I trusted my functional medicine doctor with every single next step for my physical body. Supplements were added to address nutrient deficiencies, protocols were set up to open detox pathways, and both EBV and mold were aggressively treated. We incorporated functional medicine, homeopathy, Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM), ayurvedic practices, one traditional medicine pharmaceutical drug to aggressively kill the mold that was attacking my body from the inside out. Tools to support my liver, digestive system, lymphatic system, muscles, brain, and nervous system were added. My doctor reminded me about the importance of spiritual and emotional healing. My body was listening.
I embraced Chi Gong healing practices online with Master Chunyi Lin both day and night. This addressed my energy… my chi… my life force. Why doesn’t traditional medicine talk about this?! I stayed positive and invoked the work of Émile Coué (1857 – 1926), a French pharmacist and psychologist known for creating the concept of autosuggestion and the “Coué” method for healing and self-improvement. I spoke to myself on repeat: “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” I changed the music I listen to and embraced healing frequencies, classical music, and a beautiful healing play list my daughter made for me. I incorporated a Hawaiian healing practice called Ho’oponopono that incorporates emotional healing and the practice of forgiveness.
I found my spirit and connected with God more intimately than ever before. I learned about the power and authority we have been given through the Holy Spirit, and I leaned in hard. Did you know Jesus told the illness to leave, using this same power and people healed? I prayed, but I also exercised my power and authority. My dear friend who knows energy work better than anyone helped support me during this entire journey. I created a very small healing team that provided emotional and spiritual support. I tightened my inner circle. I intentionally went through the exercise of forgiving; I let it all go. Then I addressed (and released) fears that were buried deep inside from a situation that happened during a hurricane the prior year. I let it all go. My body was listening.
Through each of these steps, my thoughts and my own voice were engaging my body daily (every organ, every cell, and every strand of DNA) about how amazing they are, how much they are loved, and that “it’s going to be okay.” My body was listening.
My Protocol
My healing protocol (still ongoing) has something for me to either take or do every 30 minutes to an hour throughout every single day. I haven’t missed a day. I created a personal muscle recovery program with alternating stretching, tai chi, walking, and light weights so not to freak out my nervous system. Our daughter helped me clean up my makeup, cleaning products, and body care items such as shampoo, soap, lotion, etc. For the first time in my life, I can say the ingredients in everything I’m using on my face, body, and in my home are low-tox. My diet is a whole food, gluten-free, mostly dairy-free, paleo/Mediterranean/biblio combo. I try to get 50g protein daily through whole foods and other sources of protein (this is hard, but I’m trying). I’m supporting muscle recovery with Body Health Perfect Aminos, and increased electrolytes (like it’s my job). I practice gratitude and I connect with God, my Creator, many times throughout the day and night. My resolve is to heal because I have a reason to live. My body is listening.
Lab Results & Lessons Learned
Most recent lab results after four months of my healing program? Autoimmune markers down to only one type and it’s a 1:80 titer (basically gone). Cholesterol normal. Heart markers stabilizing. Omegas normal. Minerals still on the low side of “normal levels”, but starting to balance out. Most markers stabilizing. Biological age is now 12 years younger than my calendar age. My body is listening.
I am living proof, just like my daughters, that healing from chronic disease is possible. Our bodies are designed to heal.
It’s not my time to go—it’s my time to thrive. I will finish this protocol and re-test the root cause markers one final time per my doctor’s direction. Until then, my resolve is the same. I hope my lesson in health can help others. Here are some key take-aways for anyone that finds themselves in the hot seat like I did:
- There are many medical modalities, and you have the right to determine what combination is best for you.
- Symptoms can be managed, but the root cause must be identified and addressed.
- Finding your reason to live is non-negotiable.
- Emotional work is necessary for healing to be successful.
- Spiritual work is necessary for healing to be successful.
- Our minds are beyond powerful, and must be re-programmed from fear of disease to the joy of healing.
- If you get a word curse, look into what that means… what is a “diagnosis”… what power does it have over your mind’s ability to heal? What authority and power do you have in the matter?
Your body hears you. What are you telling it?
Photo by Anastasiya Badun on Unsplash
I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. It’s important to do your own research to find what is best for you and your unique & personal medical situation.