I didn't just wake up one day and LOVE learning about health and wellness. I wasn't born with it, and I didn't really think anything of it... until I was propelled into it. I have had health issues over the years, they finally came to a head while my mom and I had the restaurant. I had been married a couple years and was working and thinking about going to massage school.
Over the years I have had a slew of health complaints, to the point of feeling like a hypochondriac. I was anemic off and on. I had this kind of floaty spacey feeling in varying degrees for several years. I got sick fairly often. I didn't eat great, I smoked, I drank.... I didn't set myself up for great health, that's for sure!
Because of my health complaints, I wanted to learn more about health and dip my toe in the ocean of natural healing to get well. In the beginning I read some things here and there about health and decided it was best to stop eating meat. When I got married, I mostly taught myself to cook. I cooked fairly healthy things but still ate some meat from time to time. My husband and I then decided to not eat meat at all . Not long after, I then went through a Coronary Health Improvement Program and learned what I will now call the tip of the ice berg on health. In the class I learned about what meat and dairy products do to the body. Some of the inner workings of the body and how most disease can be reversed with diet and exercise. This was exciting for me and I began following through with it and was feeling some better though not completely. I've gone to a seminar on depression where I learned many wonderful things about how everything we take into our bodies and everything we are lacking in them, affects our brain and mood. What we listen to... how we breath... how we think. And another cooking class I went to taught great vegan recipes and some about health principles in general. There were books for sale there on Natural health and healing which I have enjoyed learning from and using for reference when myself, family, or friends are ill. And last but not least I went to a Swedish massage class where I was thinking about attending school and learned basic Swedish massage and other various health tidbits too. It was very fun!
At a point things began to get worse for me though.. I started to have chest pains, weird stabbing pains and tightness in my head, trouble breathing and sleeping, things at this point I can hardly remember... The worst things I started having though were the panic attacks. I literally felt at these times I was going to die... I would have several a day, it was really the worst thing I have ever gone through. I went to my family doctor who ran some tests, I had chest x-ray, EKG, a CAT scan of my head... he basically chalked it up to anxiety and put me on a heavy mood stabilizer called Depakote, and gave me some pills to slow my heart down when I had panic attacks. I didn't feel better ... I kind of coasted, stopped taking the stuff and eventually found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I had a pretty good pregnancy. I quit smoking and tried to take good care of myself. I still had some things going on, but was feeling a bit better.
When my daughter was 6 months my health problems escalated again and I was not going to go the same route again. I knew I had been hard on my body, but I knew there was more to the story though because now I was trying very hard to take care of myself and I was still having these roller coaster symptoms. I started really praying to find a solution, so I could be healthy for my family. I was feeling so bad I thought I wasn't going to be around for my daughter... It took a hard toll on my marriage as well. When people promise in sickness and health they don't always mean it. I'm surprised we made it through.
So here I am praying and praying. I finally got an answer. I then had a dish that got a few channels and watched a show on Mercury poisoning which had a dentist named Hal Huggins author of 'It's All In Your Head' on it, explaining things he had learned, practiced and studied. I was in aw at first, I had all the symptoms and a lot of mercury fillings to boot. So I had remembered someone in my health class talking about a pastor who knew something about this. I called him up and visited with him quite a while, learning that his sister in law had this mercury poisoning and a doctor who lived 3 hours away from me and specialized in toxic poisoning and allergies had helped her get well. AND - he was coming to my area in a few days to give a talk about allergies. It had all fallen in to place in an amazing way! I went to see him, ended up talking with him for a couple hours... for no charge!! Learned that most of my symptoms could be explained by this~ My prayers had been answered~
I was excited to finally learn what I just knew was the answer and the steps I would need to take to begin getting well. On the other had I was kind of frustrated to know that I couldn't just do a couple things or eat different or take something and make it go away. It was a healing journey I was to embark upon. One that has taken years and is still continuing now.
So where did this journey begin? 3 hours away at my new doc. Dr. Mundall of Connell, WA. One who specialized in this kind of thing, who is an M.D. a christian, who believes in the real principals of health and wellness. The kind of doctor who stands in that very small group willing to buck the normal and personal gain for truth and helping others. He has done a lot of his own research and comparisons with his patients to better help them get well. So, I began with having my hair tested for heavy metals and nutrient levels in my body. I had urine tests for heavy metals. Which came back off the chart... and from this my body was severely depleted of vitamins and minerals it desperately needed. It may seem I am, but I'm not going into extreme detail on exactly what was found and what my doctor knew about the different levels. Please feel free to contact me at
jls_bss_ts@hotmail.com if you have any questions, comments, info, whatever for further details. Anyway, I had candida as that can overgrow because of the mercury, I had some food allergies- some of the things I ate a lot, but not as bad as I thought. I had heavy mercury poisoning and my minerals and vitamins were severely depleted. I also am very hypo thyroid, since the middle of my pregnancy with my son. I am hoping through nutrition I can get my thyroid to function properly.
I did research on places to have my fillings replaced that didn't cost and arm and a leg! As soon as I could, I began having them replaced. You can't just go in and have them all done at once, oh how I wish... I had to travel 2 hours to the place I chose, then have them removed 1/4 at a time (as if going to the dentist under NORMAL circumstances weren't bad enough!!) So basically 4 trips over 2 years. I became pregnant with my son in the middle and you can't have them removed while your pregnant. Some say not while your nursing either but I did toward the end on one occasion as my doctor permitted.
My doctor put me on *good (yes there are many junk supplements out there) vitamin and mineral supplements right away and I felt the difference with that very quickly! I cut a lot of even naturally sweet foods from my diet. Got rid of my occasional caffeine. After I had my son about a year ago... I then could begin the chelation therapy which helps pull the mercury out of the system. You see, mercury is constantly released from fillings, when you chew, breath, eat warm foods, drink warm/hot drinks. It goes into your system from eating certain fish high in mercury levels, from the environment etc... We are not meant to have this kind of junk in our systems and it is NOT OK! When the Mercury enters our system, it doesn't just make it's merry way out.. oh no, it lingers... in our tissues, nervous system, brain. And causes a lot of damage. Some link it strongly to Multiple Sclerosis and other diseases as such. So a chelation agent is used to pull it from the tissues and get it out. I took some, however, I started having problems with low immune system while on it, so I am right now trying to get myself up to par so I can begin again. It can take 1-3 years to get the majority out of the system... it's bad stuff.
Where am I now? Learning, growing, feeling groovy...:) I love to learn! I went from growing up carnivore, to vegetarian, to mostly vegan, to mostly a mostly raw foods, vegan, juice freak who aspires to be a great many things in this life we've been gifted. I am still trying to be healthier everyday. I am reading many things about RAW food living, being conscious of the beautiful world around me. The healthier I become, the more aware I become with every sense God has given me. I feel clean, fresh, vibrant, energy, love and peace. I cook healthful foods and am trying to go more raw all the time.. if it was just me, I would be all raw. It is hard with a husband who doesn't really care for this lifestyle that is such a part of my soul. He puts up with it basically.My children are pretty good with trying things for the most part. I'm getting ready to go on a juice fast and plan to blog about it on here. I feel better now than ever in a way. I've come a long way from an environment that was hard to grow up in, from unhealthy habits and thought patterns. The mind and body are one. I've learned that we need to take very special care of our health because that IS where everything good lies. Everything we experience, touching, feeling, looking, learning, growing, tasting, breathing and just living, is greatly enhanced with good health! Do everything you can to take good care of yours! Learn and don't just follow the crowd!
LASTLY..... I plan to blog about things I have learned and have yet to learn. With food, both cooked and raw or raw and cooked. About juicing which I plan to do much more of. Gardening, gonna be growing a bigger, better one every year!- at least I hope so!! About parenting, living, loving, growing, and being. I love to be inspired, and I hope to be that to someone too!
In Love With Life,
Jayme
