Gathering Missing Pieces
When I first saw Dr. Angie, almost a year ago, I was taken back at how much seemed to be wrong in my body. My adrenals were struggling, my thyroid was sluggish, hormones were wonky, and my liver wasn't doing it's job. I couldn't sleep well, had hot flashes, and couldn't lose weight. Being told I had all these things wrong with me and having to take so many supplements and make so many changes was overwhelming and I felt really discouraged and negative about my body's ability to heal. And while I've seen improvements over the last year, there was still this nagging concern that maybe this was as good as it was going to get and I needed to just accept it.
But I guess some hope remained, because I continued to pray and search for answers, and remained faithful to taking my supplement and implementing lifestyle changes. I started to feel that slog of anxiety about healing slooowly peel away. I honestly didn't realize it was there until that point, but it was and I finally started to recognize it for what it was when the truth started to seep in.
It hit me that the body is a complex, inter-related set of systems that effect one another - for good or bad. If one system or part is struggling, there is a very good chance that other systems or parts are effected, too. Body parts don't just wake up one day and say, "Eh, I'm going to stop doing my job." A failing body part is a red flag that something (and usually many somethings) aren't right. It's a signal, an SOS.
There's also good research that, while genetics pass on certain conditions or disorders, it's our lifestyle that "flips the switch" and turns on those disorders. We aren't doomed to x,y,z just because it runs in our family.
But many practitioners zero in on one system or part and it's usually the one that's making the biggest ruckus. We are told, "Oh, your thyroid is sluggish" and handed a prescription and shooed out the door and then we wonder why we never actually feel well again.
I think it's because those practitioners are missing or ignoring pieces of the puzzle and I'm convinced that all the pieces need to be found and fitted into place if we ever want to complete the picture. It's not enough to just support my thyroid; I need to support my adrenals and liver as well. I need to eat a very clean diet and aid digestion so that I'm giving these systems the building blocks they need. I have to get good rest so that they can properly heal. I have to be diligent about cutting out sugar and caffeine so that they aren't needlessly stressed. I need to drink lemon water, take detox baths, dry brush, and pull oil to help my body eliminate toxins. All of this helps take unnecessary pressure off of any one system and allows all of them to heal and work together the way they should.
Is it a lot? Yes. But I can see now that just because I have all of this going on doesn't mean that I'm sicker or more broken than anyone else. Healing isn't beyond my grasp. I'm just choosing to simultaneously support and detox various systems so that they can all heal together instead of throwing crumbs at just one and hoping it can heal itself and the systems around it enough to be healthy again. It's expensive, and time-consuming, but I think it's the best chance I have at living a truly healthy life.
But I guess some hope remained, because I continued to pray and search for answers, and remained faithful to taking my supplement and implementing lifestyle changes. I started to feel that slog of anxiety about healing slooowly peel away. I honestly didn't realize it was there until that point, but it was and I finally started to recognize it for what it was when the truth started to seep in.
It hit me that the body is a complex, inter-related set of systems that effect one another - for good or bad. If one system or part is struggling, there is a very good chance that other systems or parts are effected, too. Body parts don't just wake up one day and say, "Eh, I'm going to stop doing my job." A failing body part is a red flag that something (and usually many somethings) aren't right. It's a signal, an SOS.
There's also good research that, while genetics pass on certain conditions or disorders, it's our lifestyle that "flips the switch" and turns on those disorders. We aren't doomed to x,y,z just because it runs in our family.
But many practitioners zero in on one system or part and it's usually the one that's making the biggest ruckus. We are told, "Oh, your thyroid is sluggish" and handed a prescription and shooed out the door and then we wonder why we never actually feel well again.
I think it's because those practitioners are missing or ignoring pieces of the puzzle and I'm convinced that all the pieces need to be found and fitted into place if we ever want to complete the picture. It's not enough to just support my thyroid; I need to support my adrenals and liver as well. I need to eat a very clean diet and aid digestion so that I'm giving these systems the building blocks they need. I have to get good rest so that they can properly heal. I have to be diligent about cutting out sugar and caffeine so that they aren't needlessly stressed. I need to drink lemon water, take detox baths, dry brush, and pull oil to help my body eliminate toxins. All of this helps take unnecessary pressure off of any one system and allows all of them to heal and work together the way they should.
Is it a lot? Yes. But I can see now that just because I have all of this going on doesn't mean that I'm sicker or more broken than anyone else. Healing isn't beyond my grasp. I'm just choosing to simultaneously support and detox various systems so that they can all heal together instead of throwing crumbs at just one and hoping it can heal itself and the systems around it enough to be healthy again. It's expensive, and time-consuming, but I think it's the best chance I have at living a truly healthy life.
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