How can it be that I look and feel younger in my early forties than I did in my thirties? When ever I mention that I have a daughter in college, people usually seem surprised. Even my high school friends on Facebook usually remark that I don't seem to have aged much.
I usually explain that I am younger now than I was five years ago. In my thirties, I was almost debilitated with arthritis, muscle pain, and chronic fatigue. I had to manage my work with only two hours of energy. Sometimes just getting showered and dressed took so much strength that I had to lie down again before I could leave the house. If that was not bad enough, I was constantly plagued with infections: pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat, sinus infection, kidney infection. The people at the Walk-In Clinic knew me as soon as I walked in the door. The doctor or nurse practitioner would prescribe anti-biotics every time I returned to the office. It had become a revolving door.
After many months of chronic infections and anti-biotic treatments, my immune system got so weak that I developed a re-lapse of Mono (I had first contracted it when I was 15 years old). The doctors told me that I would recover from the Mono in a few weeks. They told me to rest and that nothing could be done for me. After six weeks passed, my symptoms of Mono had not improved. Doctors did blood tests that revealed that I had an arthritic auto-immune disease. They referred me to a rheumatologist.
It took two months to get an appointment with the rheumatologist. I was losing hope and was very worried that I would not be able to care for my three children. I prayed for God to step in and help me carry this burden. By His Grace, I was led to answers that helped me heal. I was in a bookstore and a title caught my eye: "
Adrenal Fatigue
" by Wilson. The book was like reading my own diary! It made perfect sense. I learned that my body had become over-loaded with burdens caused by stress and environmental and dietary toxins. I learned that a powerful solution was to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn based foods.
The same week, I saw a new dentist who happened to have Celiac disease. My new dentist cared me as a whole person. He said that I looked like a "tired Mom," and he challenged me to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn for one week. When I returned to his office two weeks later, he almost did not recognize me. My gray-toned skin had turned pink! I had more energy and I felt much better. The rapid improvement in the way I looked and felt convinced me to stay on course.
Five years later, I still avoid sugar, gluten, and corn. I continue to improve and have become very passionate about holistic health. God has brought several healers to walk with me through this journey; including nutritionists, chiropractors, herbalists, and even intergrated medical doctors! I pray that this Blog will offer hope to other people suffering from Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Depression, and a host of other auto-immune diseases. I will continue to share what I learn on my journey. Please visit my website for more information and valuable resources:
http://www.desinou.com/
I strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with chronic health issues. Some of the items listed may surprise you!, nut and seed oils.
and fermented foods.
