A Journey Back to Health: Part 4 - How did I get here?

I am not an expert but I do read their books and online articles. I am not a doctor but I do like to pick the brains of my doctors with questions so that I can gain better understanding. I can't say for sure what the main reason was for why my health depleted but I do have some very strong guesses. But first, let's back up a little bit...

When I was very young my grandpa kept a garden, apple trees, plum trees and many blueberry bushes on his property. He also had his own chicken coup. There was a horse farm next door and he would get their old manure and use it in his garden. He would make his own compost pile with the scraps from the table and egg shells. He would also get oak leaves and make his own mulch. He would water his garden with water from his pond that was full of bass fish. 

I believe that the manure, homemade compost, oak leaf mulch, and possibly the pond water enriched the soil causing the garden to thrive! His garden was amazing, full of big, beautiful vegetables! His blueberry bushes were bursting with berries to the point that we could not pick them all. We needed to have "Blueberry Picking Parties" and by the end we hoped that we could make a dent in the picking. 

(Grandpa made his chicken coup out of scrap pieces of wood.)

Grandma and my mom took the food and made hearty, nutritious meals. The food we ate tasted so good and I ate it all up! I was a big eater! 

(Me on my grandpa's property, eating plums. I was always eating!)

I really attribute my good health, when I was growing up, to my grandpa's garden. The nutrition that was in his fruits, vegetables, and eggs made my health thrive! But when grandpa died when I was 18 years old, I moved out of state for internships/school and the property was eventually sold. From then on, I ate grocery store fruits and vegetables. I really think that is when I started to lose a lot of nutritional intake. I just don't think that our food holds the same nutritional value that it once did. 

Thank you grandpa for all those years of feeding us 
nutritionally dense food!

But what made everything spiral downward? I have some thoughts and theories...

1) When I was in middle school and high school I started cleaning houses for family friends and church members for money. I loved to clean and had a lot of energy to burn so that is what I mainly did for work throughout the years. Some days, I would work 10 hours and it was no big deal. Looking back, that was hours upon hours of my hands working with chemicals without wearing gloves. I felt like gloves slowed me down. I could clean better and more detailed without gloves. But those chemicals were soaking into my skin and into my body. I wonder if constant exposure over many years triggered the onset of PCOS.

2) PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that can cause significant digestive issues. When a woman goes through any hormonal change, it can cause digestion to slow. 

3) During my trips to Africa we were always aware of parasites. We would get tested every once in a while. I would always leave Africa with anti-parasite medication in-hand and would take the medicine on my way back home. But was that enough? Did something slip through? What about worms? Africa aside, America has parasites and worms also. Could I have picked something up while living in the dorms at school?

4) I was taking cheap vitamins and supplements. As much as I love holistic health and wellness, I really do think that there are many vitamins and supplements out there that are fake. At best, many of the vitamins and supplements are just not absorbing into our bodies as much as we think they are. Regulation by the FDA for vitamins and supplements is very lacks. The FDA does not test the vitamins and supplements for effectiveness and the manufacturer is responsible for labeling. Therefore, I don't automatically trust the vitamin and supplement industry.

5) Stress. I allowed myself to take on too much stress and obligation in my life as a mom with young kids. The stress took a toll on my health and created a viscous cycle. Stress increases cortisol levels in the body which significantly affects digestion.

6) Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the woman's intestines are scrunched up around her uterus as her baby grows and eventually takes up the majority of the space. The stomach is also pushed upward. It is amazing that the digestive system can even function while being under so much pressure. But, the body is amazing!

7) After pregnancy the organs go back into their places but this time the abdominal muscles are weakened and are not able to hold the organs in place as well. According to Google, "The transverse abdominis (TrA) is the deepest, horizontal-fiber abdominal muscle acting as a natural, protective "corset" or girdle that stabilizes the spine, supports the back, and compresses the abdominal organs. It is vital for core strength, reducing back pain, and supporting posture."

Also, about 60% of women have Diastasis Recti which is the separating of the abdominal (6 pack) muscle after pregnancy. Without strengthening her muscles, and closing both the width and the depth, she is at risk for hernias. Here is an article from the Cleveland Clinic about Diastasis Recti if you would like to learn more information. And Yes! Men can also have Diastasis Recti!

The separation in my abdominal muscles was getting worse with each pregnancy, both the width and the depth.

And of course, having and nursing my babies took a lot of nutrition from my body

Have you ever taken a vitamin or supplement and didn't feel like it made much of a difference? Have you ever traveled overseas? Have you ever done a cleanse? Have you ever had multiple pregnancies and felt your strength deplete?

I had a wise, elderly woman once tell me, "Half the battle is finding out the problem. After that, we can move forward in the right direction." This has been true for me in this situation. As I look back at my story of depleting health, I can now see all the problems that occurred and contributed. 

Now what am I going to do about it? How can I keep my health on track moving forward?

My Journey Back to Health: Part 3 - The Foundation of Health

As time went by, I found myself on a continual cycle. I would get to a certain level of health, I would have another baby, and then I would have to start all over trying to regain my health.

A few years, a few more doctors, a nutritionist, and a few more babies later and I finally feel like I am in a place of strong health. To sum it all up... I discovered that the digestive system is the foundation for good health and my digestive system was a mess! Let me explain...

We cannot be healthy without having a healthy digestive system. It is the system that converts our food to energy, absorbing nutrition into our bodies, and delivering it to every other organ system. There is even research connecting digestive health to mental health. 

So in my journey, I had found yet another doctor of chiropractic who also practiced holistic medicine and she was able to solve the majority of my health problems. I went to see Dr. Kelly at Emley Family Chiropractic. She found a plethora of other issues including PCOS (hormonal imbalance), adrenal glad depletion, and digestive problems. 

My digestive problems that were found throughout the years:
    1) I had a misaligned disc in my lower back that she put back into place

    2) I had an unbalanced gut microbiome 
    3) I had a weak intestinal valve
    4) I had a blockage
    5) I did not have enough digestive enzymes
    6) I possibly did not have enough stomach acid to digest my food

She gave me the exact supplements that my body needed to heal, and I started feeling results fast! Within weeks my health was taking a complete U-turn. I continued to research, read books and find my own products because I knew that once Dr. Kelly was able to get me to a place of good health then I was going to have to maintain my health daily through the busyness of life.

Digestive health is complex. We need a variety of nutrients to keep our digestive system healthy and fully functioning. I call it, "Feeding the Digestive System". When we take care of our digestive system then our digestive system will turn around and take care of us. 

In the process of healing my digestive system, I also found healing for my PCOS and adrenal glands.

But how did I get to this place of poor health in the first place?

A Journey Back to Health - Part 2: A Glimmer of Hope

My blood work came back normal and my MD told me there was nothing he could do to help me. 

But I wasn't giving up! After hours of research, reading books, googling, trying different products, and trying different types of doctors....I still came to dead ends and nothing was really helping.

My mom mentioned my health issues to one of her electrolysis clients (who was a chiropractor and also practiced holistic medicine) and the woman gave my mom her business card.

What did I have to lose? I had to try and see.

I brought my blood test results (from my Family Doctor) to her for our first appointment. She took a quick glance and said "Your iron is way too low!". But my MD doctor said it was within normal range and I was taking an iron supplement. How could that be? She said that the medical doctors have a much wider spectrum of "Normal" for blood test results. She gave me a natural iron supplement that is much easier to digest and it helped! It was called, "Ferrofood" from Standard Process!

But soon symptoms returned. I felt like I just couldn't get enough iron in my body to feel well. I went back to another doctor who had the same kind of practice and he discovered that my body was still not absorbing the iron well. So he focused on my digestive health. He got me to a certain point of healthy functioning but I never really got the full answers that I needed.

We were on the right track but the answers were not fully revealed yet.

Do you ever feel like the medical doctors are in the business of keeping us alive but not necessarily in the business of making us thrive?

Have you ever gone to multiple doctors and each of them gave you just a piece of the puzzle?

That has been my journey! Researching, discovering and trying what works for me.

I feel led to share some of those things that helped me gain back my health because maybe it will help someone else.

A Journey Back to Health - Part 1: My health depleting

I wrote this back in 2017 but never posted it. It just didn't feel like the right timing and the doctor I went to never did end up helping me. This is just a reminder of how long this journey has been and where it all started...

"If you have known me for any length of time then you would also know me as a very active, energetic and physically strong person. I enjoy eating healthy but I also like my sweets too.

As a child, I would run circles around other kids because of all the energy I had. You would find me spending most of my days swimming in a lake, wake boarding, riding bikes and keeping up with the boys in all their outdoor adventures.

As a young adult, most of my energy was geared towards doing mission work, travelling back and forth to Africa, and living overseas.

Once married, most of my energy was geared towards working hard and renovating our home.

Once I became a mom, I started to slow down. Not because I wanted to but because I had to. 

It didn't really hit me hard until after my second child was born and I found myself so exhausted at the end of the day that I literally felt like I could pass out on the couch. I started to feel weak, not just because I worked hard that day, but because I honestly just didn't have the physical strength to go throughout my day. I had trouble with by blood pressure during my pregnancy with Micah - an issue I have never dealt with before. After he was born I struggled with constipation, weakness, and feeling light-headed frequently.  

With almost a year after Micah's birth, I felt like my body never really recovered. 

Maybe it was because I had Jael to take of as well?

Maybe it is because I am almost 30 years old? 

Maybe it is because child bearing really is that hard on your body?

Or Maybe something deeper was going on?

Not only was I dealing with exhaustion but I also had many areas of stress in my life: relationships, being a new mom of 2 young kids, work, and all the stresses that just naturally come in life. There were times that I had to call Curtis home from work because I didn't think I could physically take care of the kids. Or I skipped church because I lacked the strength to pack up the kids in the car and drive 15 minutes down the road (Curtis is a pastor so I he has to be there early)

My health got so bad that there were a few nights Curtis literally had to help me get to bed. As I closed my eyes to sleep I literally had the thought... "I hope I wake up in the morning"

And then one day it dawned on me... In the past 2.5 years I have had 2 early miscarriages, birthed 2 babies and nursed for a combined total of 2 years. What if my body is just depleted of vital nutrients?

I went to see my Family Doctor for a general physical exam where he found me to be generally healthy and we devised a plan on how to move forward in investigating the root problem.

He ordered some blood tests, told me to exercise daily and eat healthy!"

My Little Garden

My home is my garden!

It is the garden I tend to on a daily basis. It is the place where I cultivate the ground, plant seeds, water the soil, pluck weeds and bear fruit. It is a daily work, hard work. It is constant. All day and even at night. It is moment by moment. It is in the smallest moment where true growth happens.

Growth happens under the right environment. I have to ensure my environment/home, encourages growth!

What do I grow? I grow minds, hearts, little souls.... little children that will grow to be whatever they choose.

24/7 I am a mother. I cultivate 24/7. But on Monday-Friday 7am-5pm I invite other children from within the community into my home to GROW. It is called, "Little Garden Family Day Care". We are family owned and operated.

I have always wanted to be a mother .... but a few years ago I discovered that child care and working with children in general is my passion. So why not turn my passion into a career? About 2-3 years ago I had the idea to start my own in home day care where I can work and be a stay at home mom. And 1 year ago "Little Garden Family Day Care" officially launched!

It was a risk! I had a decent paying nanny job where I could take Jael with me to work. But it wasn't my dream... it paid the bills. At that same time, Curtis got a new job that allowed us the financial wiggle room for me to take the risk.

So I quite my job in the fall, enrolled in some online courses at Penn Foster University, gave myself a $500 start up fund and a goal of 6 months to launch the business. It was hard work and no pay! I had classes to take, books to read, contracts to write, accounts to open, guidelines to draw and an entire business idea to create out of nothing. And of course, a name! I wanted to capture the essence of my business within the name. Nothing seemed to fit. I prayed. I asked God. I threw a lot of names away. They were good but just not right.

Then one Sunday morning while listening to our pastor preach the name just popped into my head... with no explanation why. "Little Garden" because my home is my garden. It was perfect.

Since launching the business in January 2015 there have been ups and downs. Times that I have rejoiced and times that I have cried and considered closing it down and finding a "real job".

But I stuck with it and the results have been exciting. Children are growing. Parents are excited to see the difference in their children as they come to my day care. They are growing socially as we learn to share, be considerate and listen to directions. They are growing in their hearts as we play and laugh together. They are growing in their minds as we have "Learning Time" everyday where we work on colors, numbers, letters and more!

But as I "grow" children... I realize that I am also growing! I am growing in patience, perseverance and creativity. I am also growing in the Lord. Let's face it... there is no way around it... no matter how passionate you are about child care.... IT IS HARD! It is hard work and it is just simply hard all around. Children demand so much time, energy and attention. And in order to endure, I have to rely fully on the Lord for daily, moment by moment strength.

But the harder I work.... the more I realize. I may do everything right to tend my garden. But it is God who does the true growing. He is the one who gives Life! He is the one who makes their hearts beat, their lungs full of air, their minds function, their bodies grow and their hearts to be full. God is the source of all life. He is the source for these children and the source of my "Little Garden Family Day Care".

 "A Surrendered Heart" by Chip Coates

So from the very beginning I had to surrender the business to God. Lord whatever you want to do with this business is up to you. I give it all to you because I know that you are the Supreme Gardener of our hearts and lives.

Let's see what he does with it in year 2!

10 things I have learned since being a mom...

#10  Don't sweat the small stuff! All that really matters at the end of the day is that my baby is healthy and safe in my arms.

#9 No matter how hard the day is ... it is still a blessing! 

#8 I want others to hold my baby! (after washing your hands please :) ). I don't want her to be afraid of people. I don't want her to be so attached to me, her mother, that she doesn't go to other people.

#7 Sometimes all she wants is just someone to hold her... and that's just ok!

#6 No matter how old she gets ... she will ALWAYS be my baby!

#5 Poop! Poop! Poop! Sometimes it is hard to believe how much smelly poop can come out of such a cute girl. But after some time it doesn't even gross me out anymore. :)

#4 When people love and reach out to my baby, it feels like they are loving and reaching out to me. My love for my daughter and my connection to her runs deeper than I ever thought possible. When I look at her it feels like my heart is beating outside of my body.

#3 Being healthy is not just about being skinny. Ok, I confess! There have been seasons in my life that I was more focused on being skinny then I was in just being healthy and strong. But now that I am a mom, I realize more than ever... being healthy is about being STRONG and FIT! I need to be strong so that I can carry my baby in her car seat across parking lots. And I want to be FIT so that I can still run and play with her in the back yard after a full day of work. I want to be healthy so that I can live a full life with my baby!

#2 Never underestimate the power of a small act of kindness even to a complete stranger! I can't tell you how thankful I have become when a stranger opens the door for me when they see me coming with a stroller or when a stranger offers to help me in the public bathroom when I am changing my baby's diaper or when a family member offers to hold her so that I can finish eating my meal. Small acts have huge impact!

#1 The more I lay down my life for my daughter the easier and more joyful being a mom becomes... let me explain! When I try to take care of her while having my own focus and agenda for the day I start to notice that I get frustrated with her a lot easier. I get frustrated because she's crying and not letting me do the dishes when I want to. Or she needs a diaper change AGAIN when I am trying to relax and watch some T.V. When I focus on myself it becomes a burden to take care of her. But when my focus is on HER and HER NEEDS then it becomes a whole lot easier and enjoyable. Instead of getting frustrated at her for interrupting my schedule I will gladly put those unnecessary things aside, those things can wait because my baby needs me. Instead, I find myself approaching her with more compassion and desire to help her in any way that I can. Being a mom is ALL about sacrifice on a daily basis. But that sacrifice does not have to be a burden! It can be a joy if we have the right focus.

Our baby Girl!

Jael Victoria 

What’s in her name? Yes, her first name is very unique but it can be found in Judges 4 in the Bible. Her story is short and somewhat intense in what she did but there is more to this woman than what first meets the eye when reading through her story.

When Curtis and I read through her story we see a woman of bravery and hospitality. She was a woman who guarded her home, who would not let evil dwell within her house. She was a woman of loyalty, loyal to God’s chosen people, Israel. She was a woman of action, who would not sit idly by when faced with injustice and God blessed her for it.

Her name, Jael, means “gazelle/mountain goat”, animals who have hinds feet and are able to climb the highest on mountain tops where others are unable to go because of the difficulty of the terrain. Why is this so important? Because God will establish His Kingdom on top of Mount Zion and He calls us up the mountain to meet with Him there. (Isaiah 2:2-3) We pray our daughter would have a heart of perseverance and strength, having a desire to endure any trial that comes her way in order to truly meet with our Father in Heaven and experience His liberating presence.

Her middle name, Victoria, means “one who is victorious”. We pray that she would be victorious in life, which means to hold to her faith in Jesus, no matter what may come her way. We pray victory over her!

1 John 5:4-5
 “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”