I love this quote as I heard it today. It is so true in my case...so I will share my story of how my pain of an illness became a passion for health and nutrition. One of the most wonderful and one of the most difficult times in my life was when I had my first baby seven years ago. I can't describe the JOY I felt in holding that little guy for the first time!!! Wow. I just love thinking about it!
Well, this little guy was also a little difficult to say the least, and I only made it worse by my wanting to be the perfect Mama! I was bound and determined to have this child be 100% breast fed whether it killed me - and wow...it almost did! I apparently had some minor health issues before I had my first baby that spiraled into some major health problems later on...Here's basically how it went: lowered immune system to start + eating tons of sugar during pregnancy + LOTS of antibiotics from having a cesarean + not knowing ANYthing about probiotics at the time + low milk supply + baby not sleeping + new Mama not sleeping and the STRESS of baby not sleeping = Mononucleosis. I was diagnosed I think about 6 months after I had the baby. I was extremely fatigued and thought it was just new motherhood, or maybe a thyroid disfunction. So then...MONO + the depression from not being able to exercise (which I loved) w/ my new baby + isolation (I'm a major people-person) + digestion problems + nursing ALL the time...well, you get the picture. My whole persona had changed from a very happy, energetic person to a very mellow, melancholy person with not alot of excitement. It was too tiring to be excited. At one point, I remember sitting on my porch steps thinking, "Wow, I'd really love to walk and get the mail...which was about 40 yards away...but, I'd be wiped for the rest of the day, so it'll just have to wait."
Along in my journey of trying to get better, I remember reading something that said that sometimes, people that have Mono more than a year often times are diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Woah. At the time I read this, I had already had Mono for 10 months. I think reading this brought out my fighting self..."I've got a baby to take care of, and I can NOT get Chronic Fatigue Syndrome." Sadly, my doctor did not have much advice to give me...so, I started researching ALL I could on Mono and all the other myriads of symptoms I was having. The main thing I kept reading was, "Eat as many RAW fruits and vegetables as you can." I learned that when your adrenal glands were fatigued, which mine were, you need the enzymes from the raw fruit and vegetables. Then began my journey...which included ALOT...to help myself to heal. So, now I am 7 years into my journey and feeling GREAT. Thanks be to God, I feel like my health was completely restored and then added to. I'm so, so very grateful for my health today and do not take it for granted. With all that the Lord took me through, I feel so very compelled to help others who may have a doctor that does not know the powerful healing that can take place through food. So, this is one of the big "whys" of my blog.
Just a side-note, I wanted to thank SO many people in this journey...
The Lord for taking me on this journey and helping me to learn so much, so that I can help other people; my husband for putting up with and helping me with the chaos at home during my sickness; my family for loving me through my stubborness and irrationality; my Mom and sister who made lots of meals for me; my Mother-in-Law for seeing that I really was sick and Paul needed to "step it up a notch"!; the one lactation nurse at Centennial that actually DID see that I was sick and told me to supplement; Andee Casey for introducing me to the book, "Patient...Heal Thyself" by Jordin Ruban; La Leche League of Williamson County for introducing me to the book, "The Yeast Syndrome;" Amy Hagely for introducing me to an easy way to take fruits and vegetables into my diet; Lisa Stafford for introducing me to the Vita-Mix blender; my Home Fellowship Group from our church that made so many meals for me; and I also want to thank all the people who prayed for my healing during this time - the Lord answered your prayers above and beyond what you could imagine!
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