I bet you remember those words “Extra Extra” from your childhood and anticipated something filled with joy. Do you remember the pride you had on graduation day? The desire to help others truly heal and feel better. We chose this noble profession to change the lives of those in our community. Everyone of you chose the exact population you wanted to help. Adults, children, or some got even more specific and difficult. Mine was the Pediatric Emergency. It was my dream to truly understand the link between developmental delays and chronic illness. I knew that my life’s purpose long ago was to help others. But it actually worked the opposite way. In my career to help others heal, find happiness, health and joy, I actually achieved that for myself. I was in need of the knowledge I acquired in order to truly transform my genetic predispositions and overcome my autoimmune disease. But the thing they didn’t teach us as nurses was that prevention was the most important factor in wellness. They mention it I know. But if you walked in my shoes you would have a very different story. You see my illness started as a child with poor nutrition. I enjoyed all the sugary treats and junk food. I didn’t eat any nutrient rich foods like vegetables and fruits. I hated them and preferred all the junk. But the problem was my genetics began to gain the power. My allergies began to flare. I was always at the hospital with Benadryl at home and Epinephrine and steroids. I was that kid that was always sick and stuffy. I spent my life on antibiotics and sugary foods. And things continued to get worse. My digestive unrest began to emerge and tummy aches became worse. And my hair began to fall out. That is the saddest thing of all. I loved my hair. It was thick luscious and long. I had long black hair to my butt. And each year I lost more and more. I spent over 20 years telling doctor’s I had a nutrient deficiency. But there was no acknowledgement of my thoughts and experience. They always told me I was fine. All my labs were perfect. But it continued to fall. There was no information about supplements or nutrients to support healing and repair. I asked and hoped for an answer but nothing ever came. My hair continued to fall and the result is what you see today. I’ll share a video tomorrow with my 15 year old picture in the background. Then you will understand my sadness. But let’s get back to me. The eternal patient that spent more time at the doctor than having fun. My stomach kept getting worse and my pain began to spread all over my body. I had no idea I had a genetic condition until 3 years ago. So this is my mind putting together all the pieces using everything I learned on my journey and in my profession. By middle school my menstrual cramps were debilitating and I always had vaginal infections. I learned during my nursing career that the issue was sensitivity. I was allergic to sanitary products. And wet bathing suites always gave me a yeast infection. And my neck was already tense and painful. My right arm began to lose sensation and pain became excruciating. My arm was strangled by toxins. Again I know this now because I no longer experience these symptoms using exactly what is in this book. And it all began with the gut. Because my genetic condition causes every part of my body to break down. Little by little it was tearing me apart and making me feel older and older. I didn’t play sports or do any exercise. And truly it was because I was in pain. Had I known then that the exercise and stretching would have relieved the pain. I would have wanted to know. If I would have known that eating nutrient dense supplements would help me feel better, I would have taken them. But back then none of that existed. But now at a time that everything exists our medical system fails to empower prevention and support the process. We have everything at our fingertips and can learn more to truly make a difference. We have the knowledge and expertise to change things for our community. We have the power to truly make a difference in a large scale. A movement of change to help children and families stop this life altering practice and focus on prevention. Call me and let’s brainstorm. I am planning community events to support wellness. Working with local organizations. Let’s create a movement for change. Call me or email me for details.
P.S. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-III. If you haven’t heard of it before, then check it out. Then you will understand the extent of my illness. And you will truly understand how far I have come. If I can recover from that you can recover from anything too.