Category Archives: Chronic Pain

    Categories Advice, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Emotional pain, Fibromyalgia, flare up, Health, hope, Inflammation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, pain, Physical Pain

    Manifest Wellness

    What is wellness? How do you know you have achieved wellness? Is it the same for everyone?

    Can I go from feeling crappy to happy? Can I stop the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time?

    Does my medical history have to be my fate?

    Wellness is a state of wellbeing and good health.  Wellness is achieved progressively as we develop our own supportive routine and lifestyle.  Wellness includes a variety of activities, choices and lifestyle shifts throughout our life span.  We can each experience our own unique wellness regardless of life’s challenges and obstacles.  Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It took me 7 years to find my Wellness because I lacked the understanding of the importance of tackling life’s challenges with a synergistic approach.  My journey was difficult and traitorous because when my health crisis happened I was stuck in the scientific and conventional world of medicine.  Conventional medicine is amazing for life saving approaches but it is lacking insight in health promotion and prevention.  Prescriptions are designed to cover up one problem and new symptoms emerge.  Going outside the box of conventional medicine is the way to truly tackle to root of your illness, disease and symptoms to heal the body.  It took me years of suffering through meltdowns, rock bottom moments and illness because I was unaware of the importance of tackling the emotional and physical root of illness and disease simultaneously. The gift I learned in the process is that the journey doesn’t have to be so difficult or torturous.  You deserve to find your unique wellness.  Everyone deserves to feel better.

    My name is Diane and I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type III (EDS III).  This condition impacts the entire body requiring many prescriptions, treatments and surgeries to deal with the overwhelming symptoms. I went to see a geneticist because I knew as a nurse that something wasn’t right.  It wasn’t normal for a 35 years old to be taking more than 13 prescriptions and spend most of her life in doctor’s offices.  By the time I was diagnosed I had more than 6 surgeries and more to come.  I also spent months in physical therapy for frequent injuries.  The health issues caused me to spend my life at neurologist, allergists, endocrinologists, gynecologist, pain clinics, rheumatologists and gastroenterologist’s offices to deal with the expanse list of symptoms.  Trust me that is not a happy or healthy way to live.  But after suffering for so long, I realized prescriptions, surgeries, injections and physical therapy were not my answer.  I was in search of a true solution and desperate to feel healthy and free inside my body.  I had felt trapped and helpless for so long that I was desperate for a solution.  And I chose my health and myself for the first time in my life.

    I began my journey outside the box of conventional medicine to truly tackle my illness once and for all.  In the beginning I had tunnel vision that blinded me of the full picture.  I started with nutrition, fitness and supplementation to heal and repair the severe damage my body had undergone since childhood.  By the age of 35, I was taking 13 prescriptions and injections for pain were a monthly must.  I was diagnosed with EDS III after several years of focusing on nutrition, fitness and supplementation.  I went to the genetics simply to prove that my hypothesis was correct and the doctor’s that had treated me were clueless.  My hypothesis was “Nutrient malabsorption, poor diet, lack of exercise and genetics was causing my expanse list of symptoms.”  My visit to genetics was proof for myself that I was on the right track.  When I was diagnoses I was already 60% better but there was a missing element I hadn’t realized yet.  Nonetheless the geneticist and my specialists were all astonished at the transformation I had already achieved.  I was on only two prn prescriptions (as needed), pain was under control without prescriptions and I was living a healthier lifestyle.

    Nutrition, fitness and supplementation worked on the physical root of my illness and disease.  This is the physical stress we experience when life stress and diet create inflammation, toxins and damage in the body.  I had that under control with supplementation, nutrition and fitness but injuries, pain flare ups and irritable bowel symptoms still occurred frequently.  My worst symptoms to control were indigestion, heart burn, bloating, fatigue and chronic pain.  My digestive flare ups would trigger the muscle pain and fatigue to return.  And my gastroenterologist decided a psychiatrist was the answer to calm my anxiety and reduce stress with a prescription.  I started on Celexa to help control my symptoms and finally had to face the fact that my symptoms had an emotional component.  I didn’t want to accept that my emotions were triggering my symptoms but after they diminished the truth was clear.  The quest then became to tackle that emotional pain without a prescription and truly overcome my symptoms. I did not want to be on anti-anxiety medications my whole life.  It was a difficult journey but worth the fight because I knew I wasn’t alone in this struggle.  I am not the only person that is sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time.  I am not the only one who is sick of all the prescriptions that wreak havoc on the body and cause more problems than good.  I am not the only person that feels trapped inside their body. I am not the only person that wants to find a solution to all their symptoms.

    Fast forward to 2018, the missing element, emotional pain, would prove to be my most difficult obstacle to face and overcome.  I realized that there was an emotional root to my symptoms that stemmed from my childhood.  By this time, I was trying to overcome a new fear and my physical symptoms were back with a vengeance.  My fear of being seen and being heard.  I desperately wanted to share my story and create videos on social media but my emotions kept getting in my way.  I underwent hypnosis to tackle the subconscious blocks and self-limiting beliefs from my childhood.  And suddenly, the symptoms were less frequent and I was making great progress with my fears.

    We all have experienced negative thoughts, self-limiting beliefs and emotional pain.  This occurs due to unprocessed emotions from our childhood.  We experience events, circumstances and situations in our childhood that are difficult for us to understand and process because we were never taught ways to process and release our emotions.  This vicious pattern continues throughout our lives as we re-experience these emotions and feelings.  The simple truth is that we all have a negative voice inside our heads.  And this little negative character controls are actions and reactions to everything we perceive in our lives.  I call these negative voices, Negative Nancy and Negative norm.  My Negative Nancy was a dominant voice in my head that controlled all my actions in life causing me to feel frozen and stuck.  She was holding me back from my dreams and hypnosis helped me realize that I could regain control of my subconscious mind.

    The simple truth to share with you now is that your physical and emotional symptoms are connected.  You may be skeptical as I was in the beginning but it a very powerful truth.  To achieve your own unique wellness there needs to be a shift in the physical and emotional realms to truly create a lasting effect.  And once that is introduced into your lifestyle, you can absolutely go from feeling crappy to happy.  You can prove to yourself and others that your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  It will end the cycle of feeling sick and tired all the time.  It will help you thrive and create the life you dream.  So the question is… Do you want to Thrive?  Do you want to find Your Unique Wellness?

    Categories autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Emotional pain, Empath, Fear, Fibromyalgia, Inflammation, kids, Mommy, motivation, Physical Pain, positivity, Speak your mind

    A Pandemic Within

    In the light of this new life stress and pandemic crisis, I realize that God was preparing me for this very moment in time.  Over the past 2 years, I have been evolving and learning to deal with my constant stress state. Most people don’t realize the constant stress and anxiety that I have been living in my whole life.  And the case is the same for anyone with a chronic health issues, genetic disease or chronic illness.  I never thought that I would be sharing my story of triumph over a debilitating genetic condition but here I am.  I never thought that I could learn to relax and release stress to reduce my physical symptoms, pain and stress but here I am.  I never thought that I could support others to deal with stress, illness, digestive issues and grief but here I am.  And this past year, I have done that and more.  And I never thought that I would use my techniques to help me deal with the stress of claustrophobia in a pandemic, and yet here I am.

    Most people don’t realize that my body has been under constant stress since childhood.  Most people don’t realize that their stress reaches their children.  Most people don’t realize that to truly tackle stress and calm the nervous system you need to address the subconscious mind.   We all have a Negative Nancy or Negative Norm with in our minds.  But there is power in transforming those negative thoughts into the positive.  Trust me I was a skeptic at first.  Shit I have been pushing through my negative thoughts and fears for years.  I push through them everyday to write an article, post a video or be my authentic self.  But the beautiful gift I learned in the process is that working on your Negative Nancy and Negative Norm actually impacts everyone around you.  Have you ever noticed when you enter a room with a Super Negative person, your mood completely plummets?  Have you ever noticed that when a high energy happy friend calls you, your energy and mood skyrockets?

    Well the same thing happens inside YOUR home.  If you are stressed, anxious and overwhelmed your children feel it.  If you are stressed, anxious and overwhelmed your family feels it.  If you are stressed out your customers, colleagues, partners and the world around you feels it.  It isn’t hard to shift that Negative voice but it does take a little time and effort.  And in the midst of this crisis we all have extra time to evolve and grow in our stress reduction practices.  We all have more time inside our homes.  We all have more time with those we love.  And to truly value that time and soak in the delicious goodness of these quiet times we need to go within.  Trust me I am beyond scared to have to wear that Hazmat suit and care for patients.  But I am ready for the task.  I was brought to this world to help people who are ill, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed.  And I know it because that has been my life experiences up until now.  I have become an autoimmune warrior, chronic pain survivor, chronic illness guru, digestive health prophet and so much more.  And it was all preparing me to help others in this time of great stress and anxiety.

    Trust me I have been avoiding my gifts for a long time.  I have been too scared to share videos of meditations and hypnosis.  I have been to scared to show the world that you can truly transform your stress and impact those around you.  But I learned this special fact at home.  Over the past year, I published a book, The Truth about IBS and Anxiety, and in that time I also wrote a children’s book to help my son with anxiety, sensory overload and stopping the stress response.  And the book has been sitting in my computer because I was too scared to show the world the truth.  And now in this moment of extreme stress I realize the injustice I am doing by not being authentic.  So today, I will finally get out of my own way and share my gifts and secrets in a special Support Group for this Crisis.  I will share simple bonding and stress relief techniques for mom’s to reduce their stress and support their children.  The strategies I teach have astounded my physicians, they have no idea how I have been able to stop my frequent infections, pain, migraines, chronic lung issues and more…  They are completely surprised because this is not something that is taught in nursing or medical school.  This practice is something I learned by going within and learning my own body using the scientific background from my nursing career to hack my immune system and nervous system.  Yesterday, my colleague and the founder of the non-profit Family Friendly Hands, came to me asking for a live to support families.  Trust me I was scared shitless to share my gifts and story on social media, yet here I am.  And yesterday, I recorded a healing audio on Facebook despite my own internal stress and resistance.  And today, in the midst of all the chaos and stress, I will go LIVE with Elsa Murguia Clarke to support the community and families with special needs children. And I will continue to push through my fears and anxieties to support the community with COVID-19 inside the Hospital and Outside.  Why?  Because inside the Hospital my role is to support families as they receive these results positive or negative.  And in the community my role is to help people slow down their nervous system, boost their immune system and release stress.

    This is a vital role I play because the ones that are impacted the most by our stress is our children. Trust me I didn’t want to believe it either.  But I lived a life of chronic illness, anxiety and digestive issues.  And it all began in my childhood.  As an empath, I was born with special gifts to sense stress in those around me.  And many of our special needs children and regular children have the same gifts.  And our stress reaches all of them.  Let me tell you a story, when I was a little girl my mom was always under stress, she had chronic illness, chronic pain and anxiety.  And the days she saw her mom the stress would multiply because her mom was a Negative Nancy.  I love my grandma but the fact is she didn’t know how to cope with her predominantly negative mind and it impacted her physical health.  Well that stress and tension crossed the generations to me.  And I have been learning to deal with those special empathic gifts over the past 7 years.  And finally, I am ready to teach people that you can reduce stress, improve your mood, calm your nervous system and boost your immune system.  And I know it because I proven it at home, with my children and with my clients.  So if you want to learn to calm and relax in the midst of this chaos, join the movement I am creating inside my support group.  I’m here to support you through this stress. Join my free Facebook group Unleash Your Inner Strength to an exclusive video I will share today, The proof your kids feel your stress.

     

     

     

    Categories accomplishment, Advice, Anxiety, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Chronic Pain, Digestive Issues, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, gym, Health, hope, pain, Physical Pain

    Autoimmune Warrior

    What does it mean to be an autoimmune warrior?  It means you fight hard to overcome your symptoms and live the life you dream.  It means that there are battles and sometimes your fail but you get back up and do it again.  But most of all it means that once you finally succeed, it is time to share your story and help others accomplish the same.  It wasn’t an easy journey.  It was filled with obstacles and challenges.  It took me 7 years to perfect my process.  There were tons of rock bottom failures.  But we all learn from our mistakes.  That is when you find a way out, dust yourself off and do it again.  There were many times that I wanted to give up and eat junk food.  There were many times I wasn’t motivated to exercise.  There were plenty of hard days.  There were plenty of horrible days.  But every challenge I faced only made me stronger.  I have autoimmune leaky gut and a genetic syndrome called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  The combination can be pretty debilitating and overwhelming.  If I wouldn’t have chosen to make my health a priority my life would be very different right now.  It wasn’t an easy decision to put myself before others.  After all I am a mom, wife and nurse.  All those amazing things means you put everyone else before you.  And I absolutely love doing that but when my health started to fail and it impacted my children’s joy, I stopped to reflect.  If I didn’t find a way out they would be faced with the hardships of having a chronically ill mom to care for and they didn’t deserve that fate.

    Leaky gut is a condition that allows particle of food to travel throughout your body.  These particles begin to wreck havoc everywhere.  Then your immune system begins to attack the food particles and your own body in the process.  Leaky gut and autoimmune disease is a backfiring of your own immune system.  Your body attacks itself creating physical symptoms and pain. I suffered from symptoms since childhood.  But I had no idea what or why it was happening until my 30s.  I’ve learned a lot on this journey to find wellness.  My journey took me through an educational journey to find answers for others that ended up helping me.  My career evolved from a Special Education teacher to a Registered nurse in hopes of helping children with special needs overcome their health battles.  And the amazing gift that unveiled was the very answered I needed for myself.  In the process my health eventually failed and crisis struck.  I desperately searched for a solution to my horrible digestive issues. Slowly my body began to heal and transform.  The journey helped me develop an incredible technique that I have used to support my clients and children.  I reduced and practically eliminated all my symptoms in my body.  And boy were those symptoms extensive.  I used to experience all of these symptoms almost daily: reflux, bloating, cramping, anxiety, fatigue, chronic pain, frequent illness, migraines, headaches, etc.  The symptoms became overwhelming and my life seemed to be falling apart.  I knew that there had to be a better way to live.  And I knew my children deserved better.  And I am so thankful and grateful for the journey that brought me here. But to truly understand the hardship, it is time to take you into a journey about genetics.

    I went to countless specialists and as my research evolved I knew there was a genetic condition behind all my extensive medical diagnosis and symptoms.  But it wasn’t easy to find.  I went to rheumatologists, Gastroenterologists, neurologists and then finally a geneticist.  And that was finally when I got the answer I was looking for, I was diagnosed with EDS III. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a debilitating condition that impacts every organ, muscle and tissue of your body.  Most people with this condition have tons of surgeries and need assistive devices.  The pain and frequent injuries leave you feeling ashamed and useless.  Thankfully I was able to overcome that dreadful time in my life.  It has been amazing to see that I was able to develop a routine that has helped me become more active and energized.  It has been a long journey.  But I learned a lot along the way.  And the most valuable gift was that all genetic conditions, illnesses and diseases have a root cause that needs to be addressed synergistically for true success.  Trust me I was skeptical. I didn’t believe myself for years.  I didn’t truly accept that there were 2 root causes of my illness.  And then suddenly in 2019, as I wrote my book, “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety,” everything became crystal clear.  As I helped people heal, I truly began to see the transformations that were possible with my process and the gifts they experienced.  You see the truth about what I teach, is that it doesn’t only help mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa; it helps the kids and grandkids too.

    Think about it this way.  Reflect on your week or your month.  Was there a day that you were super stressed, anxious or overwhelmed?  Did it change the way you behaved?  Did it change the way you felt? Did it change the way you spoke to others?  Did it change their reaction? I bet if you truly think about it, you will say, YES, YES, YES.  I will give you an example.  My client, Demi, suffered from chronic illness, reflux, chronic pain and fatigue.  She felt hopeless and alone when we began working together.  She was sure she was doomed to fail and hopeless.  As we worked together to create a supportive routine for her, she began to transform easily.  Her weight seemed to melt away.  Her symptoms seemed to disappear.  Her energy and motivation increased.  And her life completely changed.  But it didn’t stop with her, it extended to the entire family.  Her husband and children began to eat healthier.  The more energetic and happy she became, the more fun and exciting their relationship became.  And her children began to change too.  When we started working together her youngest had anxiety and trouble sleeping.  He often complained of stomach aches and headaches.  As she began to improve the way she felt, their health began to change too.  She began to really see that her own health impacted the entire family.  She began to notice that the days she was stressed and overwhelmed, everyone was stressed and overwhelmed.  She noticed that when she screamed and lost her temper, her kids suddenly had a symptoms arise.  She noticed that when she wasn’t following her routine, it affected the world around her too.

    The beautiful gift she thanked me for her compassion and courage

    The funny thing is that I didn’t realize I gave her that gift until now.  I actually created that audio about courage and compassion for myself.  Because getting on camera, writing my book and sharing my story has been a difficult journey.  It has tested my resilience and perseverance.  It has tested my patience and kindness.  It has tested me in all facets of my life.  But Demi reminded me that my journey is not only to help women.  She reminded me by helping one person, I help everyone around them heal as well.  Because if one person can make a different to transform the world around them, imagine the possibilities if more people do the same.  We all deserve to feel happy, energized and vibrant.  We all deserve to thrive in life.  We all deserve to reach our ultimate potential.  And it all starts by working on yourself first.  I never thought I could overcome my chronic debilitating pain.  I though I was destined to live a life of pain and fatigue.  I thought that surgery and physical therapy was the only way to reduce my symptoms.  But now I surpassed all my physical limitations.  I went from a girl that never exercised or played sports because her pain was so intense.  To a girl that rock climbs, dances and repels down waterfalls.  And it all began with a decision to work on me first.  And the same magical transformations happen when my clients unveil their own healing powers.

    Categories autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Chronic Pain, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, food allergies, food sensitivities, hope, Inflammation, insomnia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    I am Grateful for My Pain

    Yep I am absolutely grateful for all my debilitating pain.  I am grateful for my EDS III.  I know it sounds completely strange that I am grateful for my genetic debilitating condition.  But the fact is that if I wouldn’t have been plagued with pain, symptoms and illness I wouldn’t have Published a book.  I am truly grateful for the years of pain, numbness and discomfort my condition gave me because it awakened me to the possibilities of a life without pain.  If I wouldn’t have lived most of my life in excruciating pain than I wouldn’t understand the gift of wellness I achieved.  So let me explain my pain a little better for you to understand the extent of my transformation.

    I began with symptoms in childhood with anxiety and digestive issues.  I don’t remember if I had physical pain at the time but I probably did.  I do remember I always had a Band-Aid or injury on the mend.  I did have a lot of infections, allergies, urinary tract infections and skin conditions.

    Fast forward to 8th grade, I already had pain in my neck and right arm.  The digestive issues were worse and feminine issues emerged. I began having frequent vaginal infections and chronic menstrual cramps.  The feminine issues progressively worsened because of my allergies to ingredients in feminine products but I had no idea.

    Fast forward to adult life, I spent countless hours at doctors’ offices and specialists because all the symptoms were overwhelming.  I was on tons of prescriptions and antibiotics regularly.  My debilitating symptoms progressed to the point where my right arm and right leg were completely numb.  My pain level was 9/10 constantly and needed modifications at work through ergonomics assessments.

    The conditions worsened with stress and during my nursing career disability emerged. II had a special chair which had neck, lumbar and butt support. And this chair took years to find after many alternatives didn’t work.  My arm was in so much pain that during my MSN education I had to get transcription to software o write my papers and assignments. I had a multitude of symptoms at this point in my life: reflux, IBS, bloating, injuries, skin infections, UTIs, vaginal infections, chronic pain, migraines and fatigue.  Wow I know that is a lot for anyone to handle.  It was a tough life but it made me the woman I am today.

    I am grateful and thankful for all those symptoms because they created an awareness inside me to change.  If I wouldn’t have been at rock bottom and filled with symptoms I wouldn’t have fought for a better life.  If I wouldn’t have known the truth about pain I wouldn’t have known there was a better way of life.  My awareness of discomfort pushed me into action.

    And those two beautiful gifts are part of what I teach today in my book, “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety.”

    The book is more than a triumph over digestive issues, bloating and anxiety.  It is a triumph over autoimmune disease, Fibromyalgia, insomnia, POTS, EDS III, Reflux, and Anxiety.

    My path to understanding my body came from a place of pain but it brought me to a deep sense of relief.

    So here I am almost 43 years old and in the best shape of my life.  I am more active now than I ever was in my teens and young adult life.  I have more energy, strength and vitality than I ever dreamed.  But if I wouldn’t have come from such a dark and lonely place I wouldn’t have achieved it.  And that is why, I created a Podcast, “Goddess Unleashed’ because I truly believe “Your Medical History doesn’t have to be Your Fate.”  If I could overcome a genetic condition that progressively debilitates you into a life of surgeries, physical therapy and immobility; than you can overcome your own genetic predisposition.

    The day I was diagnosed was an eye opening experience because the doctor praised me for everything I was doing to support myself.  And this came at a time when I was still plagued by pain.  And because I came from such a dark place I truly see, feel and experience the gifts I have been given.  I am truly grateful and thankful for my new life without pain and symptoms.  I am thankful that I don’t need prescriptions, surgeries and conventional treatments.  And that unique perspective is what I share on my podcast to bridge the gap between Conventional and Alternative Medicine on a path towards disease prevention and health promotion.  If you are looking for a way out of your debilitating symptoms, indigestion or anxiety than schedule your Free Discover Call.  You have nothing to lose because you are already plagued by symptoms.  But you have everything to gain if and when you achieve your own unique wellness. Click this link for a Free Discover Call.

    Email me for a FREE Copy of the book at coachdianevich@gmail.com

    “The Truth about IBS and Anxiety” formerly titled the IBS Cure Eliminate Bloat. It will be ready in a few weeks.

    Categories Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Emotional pain, Empath, Empathy, fatigue, Fear, flare up, Fulfillment, Health, hope, Human Needs, motivation, Physical Pain, positivity, self-actualization, Self-doubt, Speak your mind

    An Empathic Awekening

    What is empathy?  Empathy is a sense of understanding the feelings and experiences of another person.   Many of us are empathetic towards our friends, coworkers or family members experiences.  And we have some form of empathy this sense of every day in conversations or communication with others.  We may even experience empathy watching a movie, TV show or listening to a song.  There are many unique individuals that choose to live a life of empathy and service to others.  Those special individuals live a life of service in one form or another to better the lives of the world around them.  They often choose their profession because of their high sense of empathy and compassion towards others.  These loving individuals in the health care or service profession experience more empathic situations than others do because of their work environment.  For example, my profession healthcare (nurses, doctors, EMT, Medical Assistants, Fire fighters, etc.) experience much more empathy because their career choice is founded on helping others.  Every day they care for patients facing health challenges and they serve them in their role.  Each of their patients is facing unique experiences that involve some form of physical or emotional pain.  The healthcare workers role is empathic in and of itself, simply by their conscious decision to help others.  Many health care workers may experience added stress or health issues because of their career choice and the way they process these experiences.

    And yet there are still people that experience an extreme sense of empathy.  This highly exclusive gift is almost impossible for others to understand.  They experience empathy at a cellular level throughout their entire body.  You can’t imagine feeling this form of empathy unless you experience it first-hand.  Those enlightened individuals are empath’s and they feel exponentially more than everyone around them.  Empath’s are individuals with a gift of hypersensitivity.  Some may call it a curse but I call it a gift.  Of course to reach this point of awareness and acceptance was quite a journey for me and those around me.   Empath’s are hypersensitive to the feelings, thoughts, pains and emotions of others.  That little fact was even hard for me to understand even-though I had an intuitive feeling lingering in my mind for a long time.  The interesting fact is that many empaths (hypersensitive people) don’t even realize the extent of their empathy or the toll it can take on their own health.  For instance my career paths have always lead me to a trajectory of caring for others in various roles and environments.  My careers gradually transitioned and transformed from one career into the next in the service realm.   Every career choice was a compassionate one: Special Education Teacher, Nursing Assistant, Registered Nurse, Health Coach, Hypnotist and now Transformational Author.  These are all careers based on supporting the community by nurturing, caring, and loving others.  All of these career choices were based on love and a hope to make a difference.  They were each an opportunity to improve the lives of those around me.  I acknowledged my empath gift a few years ago but didn’t understand its true impact.  I had NO idea the significant role it played in my own emotional and physical wellbeing.  I had seen a rollercoaster decline in my health and happiness but had no idea my empathic gift was the culprit.  And truly it wasn’t the culprit at ALL now that I understand my gift.  The cause of my health decline was my lack of understanding and preparation to live with my special gift.  After all we may be born empathic but the cultivation of a deep connection with Your Inner Strength takes time.  It was my lack of knowledge that caused me to fail at meeting my own basic human needs.  It was a lack of self-loving, self-care practices that was my downfall.  It was my lack of knowledge about self-protection that truly opened my eyes.

    Imagine a person that is so open and willing to help others every second of everyday.  They are so willing that they do this subconsciously all day long, 365 days a year, over and over again.  And I mean in the moment and every moment.  It could be a text message, phone call, face to face conversation or care-giver relationship.  You name the situation and my body was ready to tackle it. And I had no idea it was happening for almost 38 years.  I was effortlessly absorbing feelings, thoughts, emotions, pain and experiences of those around me.   I absolutely mean absorb because that is what empaths do.    And that is exactly what I used to do every day.  I was completely oblivious and unaware it was happening.  I did it with patients, complete stranger, friends, family members, co-worker, etc. It didn’t matter who it was if they were in pain I was ready to fix them or give them a little relief.  The true awakening began when I noticed TV shows and movies triggered intense feelings.

    Hypersensitive people are extremely sensitive to the energetic vibrations, emotions, thoughts and feelings of others.  This weird phenomena can actually allow them to absorb the feelings, thoughts and emotions of others into their bodies.  I know it sounds crazy because until I experienced it for myself I thought it was a crazy too.  Then I started to feel intense emotions during movies and TV shows.  The most significant experiences I had were watching Game of Thrones or other violent shows.  And the most traumatic scenes in the first few episodes of Game of Thrones were the hardest for me to handle. I could feel the good, the bad and the ugly.  I could feel everything as if it was happening to me.  I could see the pain in Kalisi’s eyes as her new husband raped her.  I could feel her pain when her brother treated her like garbage.  It wasn’t always negative or bad.  I felt the good ones too.  I could feel her love transform into something new for her husband.  And when I say feel, I mean my heart would race, my blood would boil, the emotions would pop into my head and fill my entire body. I could feel her fear; her shame and it took a lot of work to be able to watch the few episodes that I did.  We tried to watch it years ago but it was too violent and at that point I hadn’t established a self-love routine.  This past year we tried to watch it again and every time those rough and tough emotions came up I practiced my own routine on the couch amidst the chaotic show.  Yep, I changed my breathing pattern, I chanted affirmations in my mind, I practiced my stretching and relaxation techniques to release those emotions that had entered me.  It was an exhausting process and eventually we stopped watching the show.  I truly thought it was an amazing show but it was a lot of work to stay relaxed and calm because I hadn’t learned how to protect myself yet.

    After this phenomena, I was more aware of feelings and emotions in my body.  I started to feel weird sensations in my body during conversations with friends, coworkers and family members.  I began experiencing pain in areas that had been pain free for years.  Random pains would emerge once again.  Sometimes the pain would vanish after some self-love routines and others would last for days or even weeks.  You see I still hadn’t learned a crucial element to prevent or limit this phenomenon.  And truly this little crucial element is beneficial to everyone not only empaths because it promotes your own resiliency by building your own inner strength.

    Have you ever had a conversation and suddenly your head hurts?  Or Your shoulders tense up?  or  You get a sharp pain in your stomach?  Once, I started to put things together and realize this was my reality I began to ask myself questions.  Why does my back hurt?  What is the message my body is sending?  Suddenly, I started to ask myself a lot of questions.  This little practice began several months ago.  I began to see patterns with friends, family and strangers.  I realized that many pains that arouse in my body were not mine: back pain, shoulder pain or headache.  I’m not sure if they experienced any relief but suddenly after the conversation ended, I had their pain too.  Some might say its psychological, you are imagining it but I wasn’t.  They didn’t tell me they were in pain, I wasn’t assessing them as a nurse does, yet boom it came.  Then later on in the day they would mention they had a headache or their right shoulder hurt and it confirmed what my intuition had already told me.  And when I say I had pain I mean it.  My muscles were tight and tender, I was less flexible.  My muscles would making popping and snapping noises and activities became harder to perform.   Let’s just say the things I had worked so hard to relieve started pilling back up again.  My arm pain or back pain would be debilitating once again.

    It would happen suddenly in the middle of a conversation, my neck suddenly tightened and tensed up causing a radiating pain.  Then I would take some time to meditate, breath and relax.  I would ask myself.  Is this my pain mine or someone else’s? Boom, a name would pop into my head.  Then I would think about the conversation and any visual cues I had received.  Maybe the person was rubbing their neck or told me they had a headache.  I usually didn’t know they were in pain during the conversation.  Mysteriously symptoms would arise all the time out of absolutely thin air.  It helped me understand a little more why working bedside in the Pediatric Emergency Room was so difficult for me.  Being such a loving person and trying to heal the pain of those beautiful little children had eventually taken a toll so huge that I had to leave them behind.   But I hadn’t figured this out until now.   And I left bedside nursing more than 9 years ago because I left when my oldest was little.  You see I have been taking care of myself for years already and my chronic pain is pretty much non-existent.  I literally had to give up bedside care because my body couldn’t take it and my doctor was worried I was going to die if it continued.  Fast forward to this year, I am aware that I can feel these intense emotions and am creating a routine to relax and calm but I’m still missing a key element protection.  I get flare ups here and there but the extent of my pain is never close to what it was 6 or 7 years ago.  Then I travel to Hawaii with my family.  People that I love more than anything in the world.  People that I would give my life for and obviously if I absorb the pain of strangers my body was open and ready to take on their pain too.  Traveling in a group is always stressful.  We all know that it’s hard to please everyone and I always try to please everyone.  So I did, I used my ho’oponopono and my self-loving practices blessing everyone in my family.  I blessed them all every single one of them all day long.  If there was a family argument I blessed them.  If the kids were fighting I blessed them.  If we couldn’t agree on a tour, I blessed them.  If we were in a car for a long time and tension was running high, I blessed them.  I thought I was helping myself in the process that the blessings would help me remain peaceful, calm and protected.  They helped me stay peaceful and calm but I definitely wasn’t protected.  Each day I was exhausted and drained.  I would fall asleep early and wake up exhausted.  I didn’t realize I was missing some crucial steps in my process until I returned from Hawaii and read a book that arrived as a gift from my Publisher. Ramses Rodriguez’s book “Stop Pressing Your Own Panic Button” opened my eyes to my gift.  It also brought to light a doctor that has my special gift.  She has dedicated her career to help people understand their gift and protect themselves. Dr. Judith Orloff wrote the “The Empath’s Survival Guide” really opened my eyes.  I began to listen to her book on audible and them progressed to purchasing her program for additional insight.  And suddenly it all made sense, the exhaustion and the desire to rush home early from Paradise.  By the end of my trip to Hawaii, I was exhausted, drained and overwhelmed.  The lack of protection for myself caused me to feel completely overwhelmed and snappy.  I was snapping at people, grumpy and making hasty decisions because I just couldn’t take any more stress.  I had spent the entire trip blessing everyone around me and had lost myself.  I had lost my happy, positive attitude and upbeat personality.  I was at complete exhaustion and the only thing I could think about was getting home.  I still oblivious of my true gifts and the impact it was having on my own health.  I hadn’t developed a protection routine for myself because I didn’t know I needed one.  I was still taking on the emotions, thoughts, pains and energies of everyone around me even though I didn’t want to. And thus my Empath awakening happened. It has been a few weeks since we returned from that spectacular trip that enlightened me to the true powers of my gifts.  It also helped me realize the importance of creating a routine for myself that truly gave me resilience and happiness.  The funny thing I learned along the way is these little routines that I have are not only beneficial to me but everyone around me.  This week a course came into my email at Baptist called “Highly Resilient Nurses” that cemented this little fact in my mind.  The course spoke of some of the practices I have developed for myself over the past few years.  My practice is still significantly different than anything I have encountered out in the world.  But I realize now that I am on the right path and that Hawaii was the trip that brought my true awakening to light.  After all we all need to fall to stand up again.  We all need to crawl to walk.  We all need to hurt to heal.  So now it’s time to write the Transformation book I was born to write.

     

    So Here is a little gift.  I created it for all those empath’s out there.  Those Special people like me that feel more than the rest.  Those people that have a unique gift and were born to help the world around them.  And maybe even live in the health care world like I do.  Take time for yourself to listen and relax before you begin your day.  Create a sense of protection for yourself every morning.  This practice of self-love will make your day Fabulous.  Blessings and Joy to all of you. Click the image below to list to the Meditation.

    Morning Meditation
    Empathic Awakening
    Categories accomplishment, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, Emotional pain, flare up, hope, motivation, pain, Physical Pain

    Let go and Be Free!!!

    Learning your personal stress triggers and fears is a huge part of emotional health and wellness. It is impossible to change the world around us but we can change the way we react to it. I’ve learned a lot about myself over this past year. Learning the way I react to criticism, comments and conversations with others wasn’t easy but it is an essential part of emotional health. Every single one of us has pre-established beliefs, rules and behavior patterns in our subconscious mind. The healing comes into play when we truly understand our own beliefs, rules and patterns. We can only change our responses and actions towards the events life sends our way. We all face challenges and obstacles in our daily lives that can impact our health and happiness. Our reactions to these obstacles and challenges impact our bodies in exponential ways. Over the years, keeping my true emotions trapped inside lead to an exponential changes in my body resulting in chronic illness and disease. I was a person that held in all my emotions, fears, worry and stress. I didn’t share them with anyone much less myself. I kept everything so bottled up and tight that my health began to fail more and more with each year that passed. These high stress levels impact our bodies cell by cell that accumulates over time developing illness and disease. Emotional intelligence is not something we are born with or learn in school. The more we experience stress and keep it bottled up inside the worse our emotional and physical health gets. I’ve learned that no one can hurt you more than you hurt yourself. We hurt ourselves everyday repetitively and harshly. We repeat the same hurtful and harmful statements to ourselves everyday. It’s a vicious cycle that creates a build up of emotional stress in our bodies. This emotional pile accumulates inside our tissues, organs and cells and eventually develops into symptoms, illness and disease.

    My health issues started as a child with digestive issues, reflux, and IBS. I began bottling up my emotions and hiding my voice from the world as a child. I lost my creative side completely. The part of me that could write poems and paint, simply went to sleep when my voice went silent. The symptoms built up more and more each year until my health crisis in 2013. I reached a point in my life that any more stress was simply overwhelming and my body was ready to give up. It was evident in my emotional and physical health that something had to change. I reached my breaking point where my body just couldn’t take any more stress. I was getting my MSN degree, working in the PEDS ED and raising to young boys. My husband’s work schedule had him traveling all the time which added extra stress on my already full plate. At this point my hair was falling constantly, panic attacks were the norm and food was simply not digesting. I reached a point where water and saltine crackers were causing me stomach distress, nausea and pain. After extensive tests and hospitalization the truth was clear. My body was tearing itself down little by little. My stomach lining was eroding and ulcers were soon to develop in my stomach and intestines. The poor digestion and lack of nutrient absorption was impacting my skin, body and hair. The anxiety was causing panic and my chronic pain was at its peak. I was taking 13+ prescriptions and felt absolutely awful. My right arm and leg were numb and the pain was constantly severe. The doctor basically told me either you change your lifestyle or you are going to die. It was a scary truth that I had to face as a 36 year old young mom. The decision to place my health on my priority list was not easy. I had spent my entire life helping everyone else around me. Since childhood I had placed the feelings of everyone around me before my own. The decision I made was for me but even more for my children and husband. After all my health impacted my children the most good or bad. If I kept on that path my boys (Gabriel 7 and Lucas 3) would face a life without a loving and supportive mom to guide their way. Even typing that today brings tears to my eyes. I can imagine their beautiful little faces and lives impacted by my own lack of self-love. Over these 6 roller coaster years, I found my way back to my emotional and physical health. But the hardest part was this last year. The emotional journey to unlock the feelings and beliefs that had impacted my health over these 41 years. Now as a 41 year old mom of 2, I see the power in emotional health and wellness. I see the impact our emotions have on our bodies and that we harm ourselves more than anyone else can. We fail to forgive ourselves for our mistakes, behaviors and actions. We criticize ourselves more every single day about any little insecurity. Some of the criticisms I realize now runs really deep and impacts your body. I learned a month ago that I actually was angry with myself about the birth of my children. I was angry at myself for not having a vaginal birth. It was a decision that had to be made because my oldest was too big and likely would have been stuck in the birth canal. I didn’t realize the impact my anger had on my body until 12.5 years later. I realize inside my body, inside my yoni, I was blaming myself for not being good enough. I blamed myself and thought I wasn’t a good mom because of this little bump in the road. This little obstacle that gave me a precious gift a son that I love with all my heart. It just goes to show that you have no idea what your subconscious is hiding and the damage it can be causing in your body.
    Low self-esteem and self-doubt plagued my mind throughout my life. When I was heavier, I used to say horrible things to myself when I looked in the mirror. “Yuck look at that cellulite. Omg look at that belly bump, you are so fat.” I would look at myself and not see the beautiful woman everyone else saw. I didn’t think I was beautiful, I had little self-esteem, I didn’t show myself much self-love. This continued for most of my life until 2013 when started making myself the priority. I started eating right and exercising. I began to show myself more kindness as my body started to feel better and the pain began to leave my body. I began loving the beautiful girl in the mirror. I started to see my body was changing, shedding weight, looking less bloated and a real smile started to emerge. It wasn’t the fake smile I had been hiding behind for so long. I had been hiding my physical pain from the world a long time. Finally, when that pain was gone and I connected with the truth behind it my true smile emerged. It’s a smile filled with self-love and appreciation for everything I had been through, everything I had learned and the new me emerged.

    This journey of emotional healing and connecting with my intuition wasn’t easy. It takes dedication and self-love to truly get to the root cause. Learning that I had been keeping emotions trapped inside my body gave me the power to release them. I was holding a multitude of emotions. I had been a worrier all my life. I worried that I didn’t do things well, that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t beautiful, that I wasn’t loved, etc. I was holding many other emotions too. The thing I realized through hypnosis was that my subconscious not only had the power to hurt me but it had the power to heal. There are so many emotions we hold inside us. These emotions don’t serve us to keep them trapped inside. The more we allow them to build up inside our bodies the more symptoms arise. It’s very interesting to tap into your intuition and allow your body to give you the answers. When you connect with yourself through self-love and nurture your mind, body and soul everything unfolds. You become aware of the immediate tension that arises in your shoulders, when your feeling overwhelmed. You notices the knot erupting in your neck while you talk to a friend that tells you something upsetting. You feel the pressure in your chest when someone shares a truly emotional truth they experienced. You can actually close your eyes, scan your body, identify a sore spot and know exactly why it is tender. This is not pain or soreness from exercise or overuse of a muscle. This is emotional pain that you have absorbed inside your body. Sometimes the pain isn’t even your own. It sounds absolutely crazy, I know but I have learned that as an empath, I can actually absorb the physical and emotional pain of others. My intuition tells me exactly why the pain is there and only then am I able to release it. It’s essential to bring out the subconscious triggers from hiding into your conscious mind. You need to feel the emotions in the moment in order to Let it go!!! You need to feel the pain, feel the symptoms, cry if you need too, sit with it and feel it. Sometimes you need to work a little harder to get it out of your muscles and tissues. The power of naturally releasing pain comes into action when you combine the subconscious mind, the conscious mind and the physical body. I have learned my body so well that I can actually release physical pain, feel the fluids shift inside my body and sense the emotions change with it. Working with your body in this deep way connecting mind, body and soul empowers you to tackle your biggest trauma, your worst heartbreak and even your greatest fears. Understanding your bodies natural healing powers enables you to accomplish things you never dreamed. Letting go of the past that created turmoil inside your body creates a positivity that radiates out of you. Letting go of every emotion that no longer serves you sets you free. Let go, live your life, be free, be powerful, be abundant, be YOU!! ou can be the ultimate version of yourself, I believe in YOU!!!

    Categories Advice, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, flare up, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health, hope, Inflammation, motivation, pain, Physical Pain

    Invisible Illness

    The unknown truth about invisible illness is that people live with it everyday and those around them usually have no idea. You might see a girl with a big smile going about her day hiding the pain she is experiencing. Only those close to them truly know and understand their pain. Even loved ones have trouble understanding their pain. There are many conditions that fall into this category and ehlers-danlos syndrome is one of them. This is the syndrome that I have lived with for years and never truly understood until a few years ago when I went to see a geneticist. Some of the symptoms of this syndrome are chronic pain, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, frequent infections and skin problems. I was the poster child for this condition. I had every possible symptom except a heart condition. Thankfully that was the one thing I didn’t manifest even-though I did need to see a cardiologist because I had frequent fainting episodes. The day I decided to see a geneticist I knew that this expansive list of symptoms had to be related somehow and I was right. The sad truth is there is no cure or treatment for it. The most you could do is use natural alternatives, exercise, diet modifications and prescriptions to help control symptoms. I was sick of using prescriptions and had already started incorporating diet changes and natural alternatives to help me feel better. I had reached a point in my life that covering up one symptom with a prescription that caused another problem was not an option. I wanted to get rid of all the prescriptions and I was well underway by the time I saw the geneticist. She told me everything I was doing was perfect. She said to continue my diet and fitness routine, use methods of stress relief and stay hydrated. At this point I was far from healthy but my body was slowly improving day by day. I had lived with pain to the right side of my body for almost 20 years. I remember feeling excruciating pain on my right arm beginning in 8th grade. The pain and symptoms worsened into adulthood. By the time I was 30 my right arm was always numb and in severe pain. By the time I was 35 my right leg was also affected and became numb as well. Any episodes of less physical activity or fitness routine would make all the pain and numbness worse. So I focused on staying active and eating what I thought was right. I was far from truly understanding my body and the foods that were harmful but I had already identified gluten and corn as huge culprits. By the age of 39, I had undergone a bunch of surgeries and I knew that more were eminent if I didn’t find a way to heal my body. Then one day my friend Daisy, who has Multiple Sclerosis another invisible illness came back into my life. She was experiencing some of the same symptoms and had found some relief in recent years. She spoke to me about nutrigenomics and using nutrient rich supplements to impact inflammation in the body. I was absolutely intrigued but I had to research it for myself. I took several months to research oxidative stress and nutrigenomics to see if it was my answer. I also had to research the ingredients to make sure I could take it. You see with all my food sensitivities, I had to be certain before I took the leap. Then one day, I jumped. I was pleasantly surprised that my energy was improving within the first few weeks. My pain pleasantly was down to 5/10 from 8/10 within a few months. After 4 months my numbness was gone and my pain was under control. I started to truly understand my body and the right fitness routine for me. This state of less pain also helped me identify more foods that caused symptoms to arise. I had flare ups and injuries at times but nothing compared to the life of severe pain I used to live. I was finally happy in my own skin and able to enjoy the world. I no longer had to hide behind a fake smile. I had a beautiful real smile that light up the room. I started to spread my story to the world. I am here to tell you invisible illness is real. You can never truly understand it unless you live it. People that live it need compassion and support. If you know someone with an invisible illness, I urge you to share my story with them. A story of hope is always a great thing to share. It is nice to know that you aren’t alone in the world. It is nice to know someone is here to support you if you choose to change your life. I fought back and won. It is a lifelong battle but I am here to support anyone through it with love and guidance.

    Categories Antioxidants, Anxiety, autoimmune, Biohacking, Chronic Pain, Developmental Delays, Emotional pain, fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Fitness, flare up, flexibility, food allergies, food sensitivities, Health, Inflammation, libido, orgasm, pain, Physical Pain, Sexual life

    Biohack Your Future

    Biohacking is the future of healthcare.  Health and wellness is evolving rapidly with a new focus on health prevention and health promotion.  Biohacking incorporates nutrition, fitness and lifestyle modifications to impact quality of life and promote wellness.  Biohacking has become a unique experience as each individual tweaks their lifestyle to develop routines that enhance their own unique bodies.  There is a simple step to make the most intense impact on your genetics using nutrient-rich substances but most people have never even heard of it, much less understand the potential impact it has on their health.  The remarkable phenomenon is nutrigenomics which brings high quality nutrient-rich supplements to the table.  The fact is that not all supplements are created equal.  Many supplements actually cause more damage creating an over flow of nutrients that are harmful to the body.  The biohacking revolution is evolving exponentially with nutrigenomics.  Nutrigenomics provides people with a unique wellness experience.   Nutrigenomics uses naturally occurring phytonutrients, coenzymes and antioxidants to activate pathways in the body that impact genetics.  Nutrigenomics enables the body to create its own antioxidant enzymes to impact stress in every cell of the body.  This enables the body to rejuvenate and repair itself at remarkable rate.   It is so simple and effective that many people feel its like the fountain of youth.  Nutrigenomics continues to evolve and adapt to enhance the biohacking experience enabling biohackers like myself to become the best version of themselves.  It provides vital nutrients to enhance the entire body including internal organs, skin and cells.  There is no other pathway more powerful at anti-aging as the Nrf2 pathway.  Activating this pathway reduces oxidative stress which is the cause of more than 200 diseases.  Oxidative Stress is recognized in the scientific community as the leading cause of disease and aging.  There are more than 93,000 published studies on oxidative stress published in the National Institute of Health Library.  If you are in the medical field, you know the NIH is the library of choice, it is where you want your research article to live.  The fact that oxidative stress is the leading cause of aging is huge.  Let’s make it simple for anyone to understand.  I was 30 years old and felt like a 60 year old.  The stress and tension had accumulated due to poor diet, stress and anxiety creating disease in my body.  My bad genes turned on like a fire, every breathe I took made it worse until I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  

    The good genes of energy, vitality and vigor were shut OFF permanently.  Well I used to think it was permanent but it turned out my answer was biohacking.  Let me explain the pain a little further.  Due to the build up of toxins, allergens and free radicals my body was breaking down cell by cell since childhood.  The junk food I ate was filled with additives and toxins that created an exponential impact on my physical body.  I began with fatigue, migraines and pain in my right shoulder.  As the years passed my pains expanded and radiated down the right side of my body.  Eventually my entire right side was numb and tingly.  Now, let me get really simple, imagine a piece of clay that you lay to dry.  The clay shrinks and becomes dry and brittle.  Eventually it loses all its moisture until it cracks and breaks into infinite pieces.  That is what was happening in my body, all my muscles were shrinking and tightening.  The stress and tension was building leading me to illness and eventual death.  Yes, I said it, death.  The fact is if you don’t target the rusting of your body, now, death is the end result.

    Fast forward to March of 2018 when everything began to change.  I took a leap, for my health and my family.  My children deserved to have a healthy mom that could love and nurture them.  I deserved to put myself first.  I deserved to advocate for myself and treat myself right, literally.  So, I did, I started to incorporate holistic treatments and nutrigenomics to improve my quality of life.  I was looking to improve all my symptoms of disease and illness but I experienced exponential health benefits from biohacking.  The first thing to return was my energy, I finally didn’t feel exhausted morning, noon and night.  Next, my pain started to dwindle day by day until is disappeared.  Then my numbness and tingling faded away to an oblivion.  I though that my dreams had come true and my prayers were finally answered but the benefits didn’t stop there.  My anxiety also faded away and became less influential in my daily experiences.  The most beneficial and rewarding benefit took me and everyone around me by surprise.  The valuable gift emerged and continues to evolve month by month.  So, what is this gift? I bet you want to know.  Well, its libido and the gift of orgazmik yoga.  It is an intense connection with myself mind, body and soul.  It is a benefit that I never expected but definitely appreciate, every day.  It unveiled a magical experience that continues to evolve into new orgazmik experiences.  This never would have been possible without nutrigenomics, holistic treatments, fitness and nutrition.  My physical stress and inflammation was reduced to a manageable level where holistic treatments, massage and yoga were more effective and sustainable.  My treatments were all more effective (massages, chiropractic care and holistic treatments).  These treatments lasted for longer periods of time with less relapses of pain.  Then I began to learn my body, muscle by muscle, creating a deep emotional and physical connection.  This intense connection can be replicated and duplicated for women that can tap into themselves: mind, body and soul.   If you want to know more about this orgazmik yoga, stay tuned.   Your medical history doesn’t have to be your fate.  Biohacking is the answer.  Nutrigenomics is the tool.  And coaching is the trick that guides you through your health transformation and wellness.  Let me help you pop the bubble of symptoms, disease and illness.  Let’s start your journey together.

    Categories Chronic Pain, Diet, fatigue, Health, pain, Physical Pain

    Chronic Fatigue

    I remember so vividly the day I decided to take my health into my own hands.  I had just arrived home from a long day at work with the kids.  My husband was away on a business trip and all the responsibility was in my hands.  I was absolutely exhausted, my head was pounding and my body pains were intense.   Moving was impossible because nausea and dizziness accompanied my headache.  I had a debilitating migraine, chronic fatigue and chronic pain.  I felt like I had been hit by a truck.  It was going to be another afternoon where I just laid on the couch unable to do anything.  My children needed me and I wasn’t able to move.  My oldest Gabriel was around 5 and Lucas was 2.  Gabriel spent the afternoon caring for me and his little brother.  I needed time to rest for the stress and symptoms to diminish.  I needed time for my  migraine prescription to take effect.  Gabriel brought me whatever I needed and watched his brother.  He played with him and changed the TV channels to keep him entertained.  They both were so well behaved and worried about me that it was heart breaking.  Lucas came to hug and kiss me periodically and try to get my attention.  It took some time for my migraine pill to take effect and looking at their sweet little faces broke my heart.  I was laying on that couch close to 2 hours.  Eventually, I had to get up and prepare dinner, even-though I was still excruciatingly exhausted.  I managed to feed and bathe them pushing through my exhaustion.  On these extra exhausting days, I would fall asleep with the kids right after dinner.  There was no watching TV or alone time, I was just too drained to stay awake any longer.  As soon as the clothes was prepared for the next day, I would pass out.

    I knew that feeling this exhausted and drained everyday was not normal.  The problem was my doctors didn’t always understand or believe it.  They often told me its normal, you are a young mom with a career, it comes with the territory.  They said its normal for you to feel tired and drained.  But they just didn’t grasp the true extent of my extreme exhaustion.   I was exhausted every day all day long and there is no way that is normal.  It didn’t matter if I had slept 7, 8, 9, or 10 hours, I woke up exhausted and spent the day exhausted.  This type of extreme fatigue is nothing like being tired because the baby didn’t let you sleep.  This was beyond sleepless night and new mom exhaustion.  This was beyond fatigue from raising an infant.  This was something much more profound and I was determined to figure it out.  I knew that all my health issues and symptoms were related.  I knew that I had to find an answer.  I knew that I had to advocate for my health.  I knew that I wanted my body back.

    What I didn’t know, was that it was going to take me many years of specialists, prescriptions and health struggles to get my answer.  I went to countless doctors ranging from primary care, gastroenterologist, psychologists, pain specialists, neurologists, orthopedists, rheumatologists and geneticists.  I am sure there are more specialists that I missed but the point is after endless years and tons of money on prescriptions and doctor visits, I was still sick.  Eventually, I became “Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired.”  I knew I wanted to be there for my children, enjoy time with them, teach them, play with them and be a fabulous mom.  But the fact was to accomplish that I had to change my health fast because they were growing quickly and I wasn’t getting any better.  The problem was I needed to put myself first to accomplish my goals and I had always put everyone else first.  If I wasn’t a healthy mom then I couldn’t care for my children the way they deserved.  I had spent years focusing on everyone else, my patients, my students, my coworkers, my children, my husband and my family.  This vicious cycle of caring for everyone but myself was ready to spiral if I didn’t take action.  I had hit rock bottom and I needed to climb out of the hole.   It was me now or death.  Sounds strong but true, if health continues to fail, symptoms and prescriptions multiply, then death is eminent.

    In 2013, I finally took the leap.  I decided that I needed to be my priority.  I changed my diet by removing foods that were harmful to my body.  I started seeing a homeopathic physician and undergoing IV vitamin infusions, immunoglobulin and treatments.  I also started incorporating fitness into my weekly routine.  I was still fatigued most of the time but my energy levels were starting to change.  I noticed I wasn’t exhausted the entire day.  I slowly felt like my body was coming back.  Of course, the treatments became very expensive and I had to stop.  I continued the diet, supplements and fitness regimen.  I made sure that I had some alone time to relax periodically but my body was still in pain, exhausted and filled with other symptoms.  I spent years trying to wean of prescriptions and tackle things with OTC supplements. I researched and made my own OTC regimen but they really were not working.

    I knew that there had to be a better way.  But I just hadn’t figured it out yet.  I knew my body was missing nutrients to enhance my health.  Thankfully, I had a friend that was about to share a revolutionary new concept with me and I was open to learn more.  She told me about her Multiple Sclerosis and the supplement she was taking.  She shared a video that would change my future.  It took me 5 months of research to finally take the leap but I did.  I am thankful everyday for her and finding my way to nutrigenomics.  Nutrigenomics is the science of using nutrient-rich compounds to impact your genetic expressions.  This revolutionary supplement activates a pathway in the body that enable your body to produce its own enzymes to activate your good genes.  It removes toxins, fight free radical damage and supports the body for the daily assault of oxidative stress.  The research showed me that oxidative stress was the leading cause of disease and illness.  It impacts more than 200 diseases and is published in PubMed.  I realized pretty quickly that Nrf2 activation was a good step for me to take.  So, I started and was amazed.  A week after starting Nrf2 and Nrf1 my energy levels were increasing, I was sleeping better and less achy.  I knew it would take time to reverse the damage my body had undergone over these 39+ years, so I was patient.  After 1 month, my energy and sleep continued to improve.  Like anyone, stressful nights with less sleep would make me tired, but I wasn’t exhausted all day long anymore.  Month by month my symptoms kept getting better.  I knew after 3 months, nutrigenomics was going to be a staple in my life.  My health journey, was far from over and healing was still progressing but I was finally on the right path.  Over the next year, I realized autoimmune disease and chronic illness is a lifelong battle.  I learned that tweaking and adjusting diet routines, exercise, yoga, medication and my supplements were essential.  I learned to deal with flare ups and create a plan that worked for me.  I am thankful that I achieved my goals, I reduced my fatigue and pain successfully. It is essential to advocate for your health and remember your health needs to be a priority everyday.  It is also important to find resources and holistic health treatments that enhance your healing throughout your journey.  I still remember the exhausted mom with excruciating pain but I am thankful I don’t have to live that way anymore.  Now, I live my life helping others find their own health and stop the constant struggle.

    Categories Advice, Antioxidants, autoimmune, autoimmune crisis, Chronic Pain, Elimination Diet, Health, Lupus, Stop Bloat

    Case Study: Lupus

     

    Case Study: Lupus

    Author: Diane Vich

    Key words: Lupus, Brain Fog, Chronic Pain, Inflammation & Bloating

    Introduction:

    Vera Boss is a mom of four. She has been suffering from chronic pain, digestive issues and brain fog for many years now.  She is frustrated with western medicine because none of the treatments and medications have helped her.  She has seen a vicious cycle of new prescriptions and side effects. Her symptoms progressively got worse after each child. Her youngest is now 1 year old and she is so exhausted she just feels like she is not able to keep up with her.  Her digestive issues and bloating have become severe and now it happens 3-5 times a week.  Her headaches are also getting worse.  She is desperate to find a natural alternative.

    Case Presentation

    Vera is looking for alternative treatments. She has noticed her health has progressively gotten worse after each child.  She wants to be there for her family and enjoy her life.  It is important to her that she regain her energy and feel better.  She was diagnosed with Lupus 6 months ago.   She has chronic pain throughout her body.  The symptoms that are really bothering her the worst are the bloating, inflammation and stomach pains.  She has headaches 5 times a week and they last the entire day, sometimes more.  Her joint pains are 10/10.  She reports her bloating makes her look pregnant and its very painful (8/10).  She is exhausted every day and needs coffee to stay awake.  She sometimes drinks 5 glasses of coffee and feels it doesn’t even work very well.  She often needs naps in the afternoon before she can cook dinner and play with the kids.

    Management

    • Lupus is an autoimmune disorder where the body begins to fight itself.  Lupus like a multitude of conditions is caused by oxidative stress and inflammation.  Some symptoms are fatigue, chronic pain, headaches, memory issues and joint pain.
    • Chronic Pain is caused by inflammation of the tissue causing tenderness and discomfort. In people with chronic pain the pain accumulates over time and the level of pain gets worse.

    Treatment

    • Supplementation/Dosage: (2) Nrf2, (2) Nrf1, Omega, essential oils, Brain food supplement and (3) Probiotic.  Essential oils for pain and digestion.
    • Diet: High in low-sugar fruits, gluten free, high in green vegetables, beans, organ meats, bison, fish, shrimp, eggs and turkey (rare carbohydrate like cereal, cakes and dessert).  No sugar or iodized salt.  No inflammatory vegetables or fruits.  No processed foods.  Sea salt and spices to taste.
    • Coaching: Recommended for 4-6 months to help with symptoms management.
    • Motivation Statement:  I speak up for myself freely and easily.  I claim my own power and advocate for myself.  I love myself.  I am free and safe to be the person I want to be.

    Discussion

    A multitude of diseases (200+) are linked to oxidative stress and inflammation.  Oxidative stress is an imbalance between antioxidants and Free radicals.  Patients with weight gain and inability to lose weight have high levels of free radicals in the body.  They cause damage to the body on a daily basis.  The body has poor capability of creating antioxidants like glutathione, catalase and SOD.  These antioxidants are the only way to fight free radicals, so as they decline illness, disease and decline progressively continues through life.  By enabling the body to produce antioxidants and remove toxins, they client will reduce inflammation, bloating and fat build up to promote weight loss.  Lupus, digestive issues and chronic pain are all impacted by the increased inflammation throughout the body.  It is essential to provide the body with nutrients that will help it fight back on a daily basis.

    Outcome

    1 month: Vera has started the detox and supplementation plan.  She is enjoying the detox soup and meal plan, specially because it has stopped the bloat.  She is also happy she lost 8 pounds, her goal was to feel healthier and the weight loss makes her happy.  She noticed that her headaches and joint pains were worse during first 2 weeks of detox.  She reached out for some coaching to relieve her symptoms.  She knew the pain and symptoms were expected and she was glad that she had a support system to help her manage them.

    • Coaching Session: Vera reached out to have a tension buster session to help target her pain sites.  She chose to have the session at her pool to start incorporating some gentle activities several times a week.  This was important to her because she want to be able to enjoy fun activities with the kids without feeling exhausted and in pain.  She noticed she felt relief and better circulation after her pool session.  She committed to perform these activities at lest 4 days a week.  She also enjoyed the essential oils and simple stretching to relieve her pain.
    • Coaching Session : Elimination plan: Vera experienced some digestive issues, body pains and headaches on the cheat days, she asked the coach for some digestion relief suggestions. The coach added an elimination plan to determine her food sensitivities.  She was able to identify her sensitivity “white rice and gluten free bread.”  Her symptoms improved and she realized the importance of keeping track of her diet to identify food triggers.  She was happy that she had the essential oils and natural remedies to help her if new symptoms arouse.

    2 month:  Vera is happy with her progress.  She has avoided her food sensitivities and has seen big differences in her symptoms.  She happily lost another 5 pounds.  She contacted her coach 2 times during the last month to get support with food sensitivities, she identified two new foods “corn and apples”.  She felt confident that she had the tools to deal with her symptoms and knew the coach was there to support her.

    • Coaching Session: Vera was very happy with her progress, her pain was 6/10 and improving every day. She realized the stretching and exercise helped improve her pain significantly. After her afternoon stretch routine her pain was 4/10.  She started using the exercise 5 times a week.  Elimination plan: She is glad she has essential oils and natural remedies that she can keep with her all the time.  Through her food trigger journal and coaching she was able to identify several foods to avoid.  She realized it was important to track her symptoms.  She plans on signing up for 4 months of coaching to help her to continue to monitor her food sensitivities and expand her diet plan further.

    4 months: (After 4 months of coaching)

    • Coaching Session: Vera successfully incorporated all the strategies for an additional 4 months coaching.  She felt like a new woman.  She had lost a total of 20 pounds.  Her energy and memory was better.  She used the brain food supplement much less now.  She felt energetic and ready for anything every day.  Her pain was 3/10 and relieved with exercise and stretching.  She started to incorporate stretching into her daily routine and noticed big changes.  After stretching and hydration her pain decreased to 1/10.  She started to use 10 minutes stretches twice a day.  Her headaches were almost gone, she only had a few a month.  She noticed the headaches usually came with her food sensitivities and loved using the essential oils to stop the pain.  Elimination plan: She continued her food journal to monitor food sensitivities.  She identified several additional food triggers.  She is thankful she learned to identify and treat her food sensitivities naturally.  The elimination pain helped reduce her joint pains, digestive issues and headaches.  She finally felt like she was able to be an active mom with her kids.  She was happy that she had learned how to take care of herself.