It has been almost a year since I started really feeling some of the signs and signals that something was not quite right with my health. It was subtle. Thus I ignored it and pushed myself harder.
Yet….my pushing didn’t seem to help. I tried many different bio-hacks to improve my sleep….to de-stress….different nutritional thoughts….and so forth over the course of several months up through to the holidays.
During Thanksgiving I actually felt like things were getting better….But as I entered into December things were getting worse again. I was starting to experience upper respiratory infections. I was just not seeming to get out from under the weather.
When I got home from a relaxing ski trip in January I once again came down with an upper respiratory infection that I just seemed to not be able to shake. The doc at that time said I needed to de-stress and get lots of sleep because my immune system was run down. I had already been doing some stuff over the previous few months to minimize my work load due to my dynamic daughters (DD) educational needs and demands. So pulling away from work was a no brain-er.
Then I hit a wall….a true “oh my goodness” kind of wall. My hubby was out of town for week during March and I could barely get out of bed. I slept from 9 to 9 during that week and still felt week, exhausted, emotional, etc…..it was horrible.
My yearly physical and exam was due anyways so I decided to have them run a few other tests….as best as the conventional medical world is willing to do…..and everything came back as “NORMAL”…..yet I DID NOT FEEL NORMAL!!!
I have always been passionate about health and nutrition. Over the course of the last 5 years I have become even more interested in how our bodies work, function…how nutrition factors in it….how fitness factors….how our soul factors….how our genetics factor….
Yet this curve ball I was just not getting a grip on! I was loosing me sense of direction…compass…
Thus I prayed for God to direct me to who can help me figure out my biohack: mind body and soul!
When I came to Laura I was a broken woman, who I didn’t recognize. I was worn down and tired of hearing from doctors, family, and friends that “there was nothing wrong with me.” “I needed to relax.” “I needed to understand we get older and things are going to be different with our hormones, our energy, and our health.” I refused to believe what I was feeling was normal. I kept to my gut and didn’t give up. I knew there was someone who would listen to me.
One morning I was going about my routine of prayers, working out, checking emails, posting on Facebook about my blog….it was at one of these moments I remembered Laura had been working on her certification to be a nutrition coach. I knew she was my answer. I initially contacted her just wanting to run some thoughts by her. Then I realized no I need to actually consult with her. I knew a lot about health and nutrition and many of my friends and family couldn’t understand why I would seek out a nutrition coach. I knew I was missing something. I also knew I needed help. I knew with my entire being Laura would not think I was crazy. I knew she would be my advocate, my cheerleader.
From our first session she saw some health concerns that needed to be addressed; things the conventional doctors weren’t acknowledging. She directed me to a fabulous chiropractor who practices functional medicine. She recommended some tests to have him run. She even called him in advance to let him know I would be coming in and helped me maneuver my first appointment to make sure I didn’t forget what I needed to visit with him about.
Sure enough the tests revealed I had a compromised immune system, many other systems not functioning properly, a thyroid that was sluggish, adrenals that aren’t talking to my pituitary gland, deficient in lots of vitamins, major organs not doing what they need to do, and a brain gut barrier issue.
This all sounds crazy, overwhelming, and just daunting….but instead I felt nothing but hope. I could feel angry that the doctors I had been seeing before kept missing all this but instead I felt great joy to have answers.
Fast forward two months. I have been able to make some strides with repairing and working on that laundry list of stuff above. I have good days and bad days. It is a process to heal and get better. I feel so many things from this process but the biggest thing is I feel seen. I feel heard. I feel respected. I feel loved.
I will never forget one of the first conversations we had…she said: “You are not crazy, there is something wrong…” and to continue to trust my gut.
I knew she had my back. She saw me, she heard me, she respected me, she loved me enough to help me fight for my health.
I have shared in the past how we need to live our truest brightest life. How we need to do what is right for us in that season, that time, that moment. 