What's On Your Lemon Tree?

I realize I have not posted on this blog for awhile, but I am still here! We have been dealing with moving and setting up a new home space with all that entails. Just before the move we were going through having my breast cancer diagnosis put on our plate. Still wrapping up some of those medical loose ends, and I will eventually do a post about the experience of getting through the cancer industry.  My art has taken a backseat to these things of life. Itching to be able to paint and create again as I really need to be fully me right now. Art is a big part of my soul that needs to be expressed.

I have posted over at my other blog, "The Queen's Table" because the positive changes I have enjoyed through improving the quality of the food I eat, created a new  passion to help others get on an exciting path of feeling better too. A cancer prevention page loaded with links and information of what you can do to help yourself or a friend, has been created there to be of help to anyone. Please share.

I do have some posts coming soon to the PQ blog, so stay tuned. 

In the meantime, to break the ice of getting back to 'The Painting Queen Blog' on a regular basis..... there is this man Jaleel King, that has made 'Lemon Pie' out of what would have stopped many in life. Please watch the video, as this is the attitude that is needed during times of personal crisis. You will be inspired by Jaleel, and his photography. Life can give you the opportunity to look at anything from a different direction or focus. Make some juice!

To learn about Jaleel's technique for lighting his photo's check out this post by The Strobist. Video created by Mike Allebach. 

Reclaiming My Health Part Three: The Victory Garden For Reversing Chronic Illness and The Queen's Table Blog Begins

This is part three of 'The Reclaiming My Health' Series. When we last left our heroine, she was in the throws of a long deep sleep, covered in Briar Roses. Oh...yeah, that's close, but another story. Here we are back on the sofa... my metabolism was going down hill, as was the ability to pay for all the doctor visits. I had to wait for an appointment at the clinic, so I could get my lab work done. It takes weeks to get into the clinic. So I waited, and waited, as my body began it's slump back down to zero energy, and the cloak of strange sensations. One evening I went to one of my husband's gigs just to see him play a live show again. I thought that just sitting at a table at this venue should be okay. It was a fine idea, until the end of the night, when I decided to do my usual packing up the gear with Ben. My feeling is the sooner we pack it up, the sooner we will be home! I carried a couple of small items to the door moving about 12 steps, four different times. Unfortunately with my attempt at helping out, I started feeling like I had better sit down, so I sat in the car while my husband finished packing up his gear. Then I started yawning in long drawn out tones. This happened repeatedly, one on top of the other, and I was unable to stop my body's reaction. I felt as if I was reaching for oxygen. I yawned like this 20 times in a row, and I felt totally exhausted from that small bit of motion and movement. What a weird way to live.

During one long weekend while I wasted away waiting on my clinic appointment, I felt so badly that I went to another Doctor, that I go to in emergencies, at a walk in and pay cash medical center. She increased my blood pressure medication, but it did not change things for me. Finally, the day came for my clinic appointment. I made my way up to the clinic, dropping into one of the chairs completely out of breath. When they moved me to the inner waiting room I laid my head on a counter to rest. Eventually the doctor came in the room, and I whispered to him, "I just can't take living like this anymore. I want my life back. I need to get my thyroid tested again, and my Vitamin D levels too." The doctor asked what was going on? So I explained I had no energy, felt constantly out of breath, and I would yawn 20 times if I walked across a room after carrying something. I told him how I was having to lie down from the simplest everyday activities. I felt like my systems were shutting down again. I am sooooooooo tired.

He began to tell me I had chronic fatigue syndrome, and that I needed to be on anti-depressant drugs. I refuted this statement, saying that inside I was happy, and I was just frustrated by my current depleted physical condition. He was very dismissive about the thyroid being the cause. Chronic fatigue and depression? Why would he even say such a thing? Hasn't he ever experienced what a hypothyroid patient looks like when they are suffering the effects of this disease? I was sure it was the existing condition in my thyroid, with perhaps something else physical added to my condition. This state of affairs was not happening from being depressed. The doctor disagreed, and told me I was depressed. Finally he told me he would get the thyroid lab work done for me, and then also have me see a heart specialist since I was always out of breath. The clinic doctor gave me the form to get the thyroid tests along with the vitamin D, and an appointment slip to have a consultation with their heart doctor that week. 

A few days later I saw the heart specialist, on the weekday when he came to the clinic. Once again I was exhausted from the trip across the parking lot, and the walk into the doctors office. Out of breath again when the doctor entered to see me, I gathered myself to try and speak. He glanced over my chart, looked up and said. "Oh I see you are depressed, and have chronic fatigue."  "No, I am not depressed!" I said. He looked at me and said indignantly, "Why is it that patients get so upset when we talk about their mental health conditions?!!" I told him this diagnosis is just not true! I am tired, always out of breath, fatigued all of the time, I have no energy to even speak, and I am always yawning. Not one or two times, but yawning ten or twenty big yawns in a row! I am hypo-thyroid. Begrudgingly, he examined me, and said he felt that my heart was okay. He would run a test to make sure anyway, since I was so upset. Before he left he insisted again that I take the suggested anti-depressant drugs, that they give to chronic fatigue patients. He claimed that those are what I really needed, and those would make an improvement to my life. Again I stated that, " I have a history of thyroid problems, I am not depressed, I have a wonderful family, a fantastic husband whom I love dearly, we have a nice home life, and I am happy despite my condition."  Was I not supposed to be upset by this medical trail of false claims? Have they no clue about Hashimoto's hypothyroid patients???

This experience left me in tears, not because I was depressed as they claimed, but because no one was listening to me. I felt very frustrated by their lack of concern for the truth of my situation. If only I could afford the cost all my constant lab tests, and avoid going to this clinic. These people were pushing drugs first, and maybe tests later. Are you aware that this is a common problem in the medical industry, because of the kick backs, parties, and bonuses many Doctors get from Big Pharma to give out prescriptions? I doubt a clinic would be involved with this tactic, but pill pushing is still way too common. Did you also realize that doctors are tracked for what medications they prescribe, by the pharmaceutical companies? Have you ever noticed the constant flow of attractive Pharmaceutical Reps that enter a doctor's office when you are in the waiting room? The charm and the attractiveness are part of the drug sales requirement. I should also mention that there are also Doctors who strongly oppose this practice, and support groups like No free lunch. Please stand up for yourself, and do not let any doctor push unnecessary drugs and medications on you. Perhaps the trillion dollar pharmaceutical industry would like to medicate the poor into quietude, and complacency. Just to keep us all asleep, for an agenda we are unaware of... hmmmmm.

I went in for the heart sonogram the following week. In the meantime the clinic doctor called, because they had gotten my lab tests back, and he was going to give me my prognosis. He said my thyroid was fine, and to continue with my vitamin D as I was still on the low side. A few moments later my Endocrinologist called as he had received a copy of the same lab work. He then proceeded to tell me, "Your thyroid is low, so I am going to increase your dose from 25 to 50 mg Synthroid. You can pick it up at the pharmacy." Thank God!!! Someone with a heart, and a brain! We talked about how I was feeling, and what the other doctor had just reported to me about my thyroid being in the normal range. The Endocrinologist said regular MD doctors only follow the high and low symbols that are 'marked on the lab results for them,' when dealing with thyroid test numbers. While Endocrinologists understand what the readings of the TSH really mean, since national labs do not currently use the correct parameters for assessing the individuals thyroid lab results. So since Labs currently do not use the correct framework for thyroid patient results, when the regular MD doctors read those cheat sheet numbers, they do not investigate any further. 

Thank goodness for my wonderful specialist doctor who can understand those numbers! While we were on the phone he went back to check my records from before he became my doctor, to see if he could find anything else about my current condition, and said. "Did You realize you are pre-diabetic?" What??? Yes, you had a test, one year ago and if you look it up in your medical log book you will see your A1C is above normal. Now I find out that I have been walking around for a year not knowing that I was also feeling the effects of diabetes. I knew this disease too well.  My father, grandfather and uncle all died from the disease. I certainly did not want to hear this news. Although it helped to explain the myriad of discomfort my body was feeling. My endo now also prescribed Metformin, along with my new dose of thyroid meds.

So I started my new thyroid meds and began to feel improvement. I did not like the effects of the Metformin drug at all. My daughter had tried taking Metformin at the beginning of her first pregnancy because of gestational diabetes, she gave up on it, and just tried to eat less carbs and sugar. The drug gave us nausea all day. This made me decide to research the challenges of diabetes and food. I found out about a documentary, called 'Raw For Thirty' and Ben ordered it from our local library. I remember watching this DVD on the laptop in bed one Sunday morning. Ben and I had previously discussed the possibility that the food stuffs we were currently eating may be having a detrimental effect on my body systems. When I saw Dr. Gabriel Cousens diabetes patients reverse their condition by switching to a raw vegetable diet, I really started to make the connection of food choices and illness being interconnected. Below is the trailer for the documentary. Sometimes you can find this movie on YouTube. We purchased a copy just to own this valuable film. Diabetics should absolutely watch this documentary!



A few days later we found "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Netflix streaming. We stopped what we were doing that day to immediately watch this film on the computer together.  I broke down and cried after viewing this movie, because I knew this was my answer too! Juicing vegetables was something i could do for myself! Yes! We could do this! Ben agreed that we would start buying better foods, and purchase a good juicing machine. These films had confirmed my gut suspicions, that by changing the food I ate, I would then improve my physical conditions and ailments. I was so over watching my life go by, from the sofa and sick bed! You can now watch 'Fat Sick and Nearly Dead' for free by clicking on the link above. I highly recommend you watch this trailer below! This documentary film could save your life!



I called my endocrinologist after two weeks of our switching to a more plant based lifestyle, and asked if I could drop the Metformin, and try improving my blood sugar by changing my food instead. He agreed to give me three months until the time of my next A1C. (The A1C is a blood test for the amount of sugar held in your cells. Cells are replaced every three months, so this test gives a more accurate reading of your current condition.) If I brought my A1C reading down then I could continue on this different treatment path. I was full of excitement and my husband shared my commitment to change our foods. So off we went, onto one of the best joint adventures of our lives! I am not kidding!

We decided to be easy on ourselves, as there was much to learn. Being kind to ourselves would give us the space to change. This would require relearning about food and nutrition. I started to research immediately on the internet. I knew we needed more information, and I watched a ton of food documentaries that were streaming on Netflix and Top Documentaries. This opened our eyes to a whole new spectrum of knowledge about health. It was really simple. Industrialized food was full of refined sugars, toxins, chemicals, GMOs, bad fats, and was extremely low in nutrients. Consuming more raw vegetables, and juicing raw vegetables, gave you more micro-nutrients than you could eat in a regular meal. These nutrients and minerals are available only in real whole plant foods. The people in these films, reversed diabetes, lowered their blood pressure, and lessened their medications for many diseases and ailments too. Plus they lost a good deal of weight! Repeatedly I have been told since my diagnosis, by doctors, that I would never lose the weight brought on by my malfunctioning thyroid. I simply did not have the metabolism to burn off the fat. So the past three years I had continued to gain weight. Meanwhile out of the other side of their mouth the doctors would say that I needed to exercise. Right, I have trouble just breathing, have no metabolism, and now you think I have the energy to exercise. What are you people thinking? Actually you're not. My Endocrinologist was not like the others. He had compassion for my condition. He believed in me, and my new eating mostly fresh plants plan!

We studied the stores in our area and found where we could buy organic locally. We decided the cost of buying organic vegetables was not going to be an issue to stop us! It was costing far more to pay the doctors, lab companies, pharmacy, and hospitals! Since we eat multiple times a day everyday, our values would follow the food quality and not the worry over money. In this case cheap makes you ill. We do not spend money on much, we live simply, do not smoke, do not drink, or have to pay for other vices. Excellent fresh organic food was worth the investment for our health and quality of life. We headed for the produce departments big time! In the other aisles we read every label, we substituted different items for the old stand by products, and we bought a juicer! 

After purchasing a bag overflowing with organic vegetables, we set about making our first glass of juice. We were nervous... what would it taste like? Would it be difficult to swallow? Would it be too bitter and horrible tasting? This was going to be the crux of my new way of letting my body heal itself, and I surely hoped I did not hate the taste of this homemade vegetable juice! Let me tell you about the surprise and happiness of finding out that this juice, and every one I have had since, is absolutely delicious! Joy! Joy! I can do this! Paying the price of organic, instead of the constant medical bills we have endured the past couple of years, and feeling healthy is the best decision for the both of us! And yes it tastes fantastic! All the foods are far more full of flavor too! Bonus!

Now I had become addicted to watching a documentary every day. I took notes and I followed the links to many websites across the internet. We were buying more and more fresh vegetables, and we were changing the old dinner and snacking routines. We added salads, home made vegetable juices, and vegetable main dishes to our diet. I learned about gluten free foods, what to substitute for white flour products, and what foods to substitute for sugar cravings. I researched vegetarian websites, raw food websites, food health websites, Industrialized food toxins, farming practices, and government agencies and subsidies, I learned we have been eating genetically modified food (GMOs) for the past twelve years and no one told us they were doing this to the American people! The powers that be just did it all on their own in secret. How sick are the people in charge at the USDA? I learned about the companies like Monsanto and Bayer, that are former war chemical companies, who sell and market pesticides, that also make these untested GMO crops that have pesticides built right into them. And they call this food??? I also learned they are buying up the world's seed supply, in order to control the world's food. Each documentary opened my eyes to the nightmare of the toxic food-stuffs I had been eating my entire life. Not knowing this information, just like so many other uninformed Americans, I became a victim to a food system out of control. Now I do know ... and I cannot go back... as I know too much! I am taking control of my food and my health! I am not leaving it to some unknown people behind closed corporate doors, who only care about processing and shipping costs. Processed foods are not rich in living enzymes, or nutrient dense food. They are dead foods, full of chemical toxins, they barely have 10% of their original nutrients left by the time we get them, then we cook them, and lose that little bit! Not good. Not healthy. Not gonna do it anymore.

Juicing is amazing! You could never eat the amount of vegetables you can drink in a glass of freshly made juice. In the beginning we put 2 large apples in the juice recipes we made, to sweeten the taste. Now we only use 1 very small apple in each batch, or no apples at all, because we no longer need to have it so sweet. You begin to crave the greener juice, and it tastes incredibly sweet to us now! At first we were juicing vegetables five days a week. With Ben's preforming schedule it was difficult to juice on the weekends. I can say that currently I am up to 6-7 days a week. You get to know the routine of cleaning, chopping and popping your veggies into the juicer. You then clean your juicer, (we have a Breville) and drink down the deliciousness! So, so good!

As I incorporated these new fresh organic foods into our diet, I started to notice a marked improvement in how I felt. Against all odds I began to lose some of the weight the doctors told me I would never lose!!! The quality of food in my life became the miracle I needed to get my life back! The more weight I would lose, the more my blood pressure would come down. I decided at this time to start taking my blood sugar readings twice a day, to see what effect each of my new choices had on my blood sugar levels. At the beginning my sugar levels were nearing 200, and I could not imagine what they were long before I had made these dietary changes! Slowly I could see that even my daily blood sugar levels had started to go down. I began to believe that my three month A!C just might be lower too. When you see these small changes, after years of going downhill, it gives you hope. You continue with a vengeance to carry on! 

I decided to learn more. Substitute more. Try new foods. Try new recipes. Read all labels, even the organic labels.  Remove processed foods. Remove packaged prepared foods.  Lessen the items that come in boxes or cans. We started buying from the bulk grains and nut bins. After a few weeks I no longer craved any sugary items! None. Gone were the brownies, cookies and pastries. Looking at those things made me sick. I could pass them by with ease. I'd rather eat a succulent piece of fruit! Gone were the bagels every morning with breakfast! Didn't miss them, my new foods were very satisfying.

I wondered, "What will I do when we eat out for a special event?" Fortunately I found that more good restaurants, actually have good locally sourced food choices built into their menus, and are happy to answer any questions you may have about their food. Then there is the food in the bars, and venues my husband has gigs at...well... we had to start eating at home before we went to the gig for most places. There would be no good organic or locally sourced produce choices at any bar, except one.

Three months were up. Got my labs, and joy of joys, my A1C was down. I had done it! My doctor was happy, and I was thrilled at my progress! No Diabetes meds! What I'm doing really works! "Just keep doing, what your are doing!" said my Endocrinologist. He said he believed that I would continue to see more improvements in my future. Then he revealed his wife prepares only organic meals, so he was completely on board with what I was doing for myself, and my husband. I'm happy to continue learning, and adding new recipes to my arsenal of goodness. My homemade 'Hummus and Eggplant dip' created from soaked overnight dried garbanzo beans is 'da bomb!'

While at my return check-up appointment at the Clinic, the doctor said my heart test came back fine. He became annoyed when he found that my Endocrinologist increased my thyroid meds. He could not understand why he would do such a thing. This doctor had told me in the past that he could treat my thyroid, and I did not need and Endocrinologist. So I had to explain to a doctor how the labs are not current with the information that Endocrinologists know to be true about their patients, and this has been proven in medical journals. Obviously my Endocrinologist assessment worked, and my energy was good now. Gee, and I didn't even have to take the anti-depressant drugs they were pushing on me so hard. My new diet was making me look and feel better too, and my blood sugar numbers were down. The doctor had to agree that all those things were true! In the face of reality, he also finally said to keep doing what I am doing.

I learned about the Big Pharma tactics from watching a number of documentaries on the subject. I was better prepared to face the doctors, because I knew the system was rigged in so many ways. I am my now own advocate for what is best for me. I will listen to what they have to say, then do my own research and thinking on each subject regarding my health choices. I am grateful for the doctors, nurses and medicines that actually do work to improve one's health and situation, although I do not blindly believe everything I am told, just because they are in a position of authority. That is their tipping point with the general public. Most patients question nothing, and accept all.

So bring on more documentaries!!! One of my biggest tips in making the food change for yourself, is to watch the documentaries, because Knowledge is power! Once you know, you simply cannot go back to the old ways. I am so addicted to all genres of documentaries! I love learning the truth of situations. You can then learn how to improve things, when you know exactly what is going on! No BS. No fake stories. No illusions. As each rock was overturned I learned about the corruption of the food system in America. I began to hear about and investigate other systems that have gotten out of control too. Everything is inter-connected in the land of the super greedy multi-national monopolies. Yes I was waking up even more fully to the world that had been pulled over my eyes. As the veil was lifted to much of our illusionary world, it could be depressing at times, and I had to come back time and again to my core spiritual values. I do not think at all like these people, who were making the decisions about my life, my children's lives, and my grandchildren's lives. I had already left their stupefying TV lala land four years ago, and found it quite easy to gather the knowledge I needed on my own, about our world. I did not need fake news stories, and I certainly did not like to be told 'how to think' about anything. We had turned off that TV monster 4 years ago, and loved being disconnected from their insidious propaganda machine. So getting out of the corporate industrial consumer food paradigm as well, has been an easy adventure for us. I have faith that as people do wake up to the truth, they will take action to improve their lives. The thugs of industry have been in control for too long. The result is a nation of very ill people.

Perhaps because we are an artist and a musician, we break the constraint more easily, but I highly recommend others try to do the same. This is not a hippie thing, this is your healthier life. Learn what is behind the food and health, as in Big Ag, Big Pharma, and Blind Consumerism. It is not a pretty picture. They've had years of planning, fake foundations, committees of people, front groups scheming, advertising, propaganda, and full out lobbyist companies working for their pursuits. None of these broken systems are working in our behalf! We are seen as the worker bees, paying them a big chunk of our income to taxes, which eventually go to these major corporations as subsidies. They get the tax breaks, but are not held responsible for poisoning us, through food, cleaning products, cosmetics, or polluting the air we breath, our land, or our water. A health-first strategy is strangely not a priority, even for our government agencies, that are created to supposedly protect us. They are now run by the very industries they are supposed to be regulating. Our politicians are all bought and paid for by these people. Where are our lobbyists? 

When the truth of the lies, and misinformation, gets to be too much, enjoy the company of your family and friends, and get out to enjoy some live music, and outdoor festivals. Go sit in nature, while we still have some left. Still... it is better to know, than not, because at least you know what you are dealing with, in order to change the paradigm for yourself, and your family. What a long strange trip it's been, but it is worth it just to open your eyes to the "matrix." One big positive thing that learning the truth will do, is incite you to change the way you eat and live. And you retain that power!

As we continued to learn about organic alternatives to the pushed industrialized food, we visited every food store within an an hour from our home that sold organic and natural foods. I made notes on the computer about what unique items each store sold. It took awhile to assimilate the knowledge about these new foods, how to cook with them, and why I should incorporate them into meals now. There certainly were many more nutritious items than I knew. There were even super-foods! We now bought directly from the farmers at the local farmers markets, and started getting our eggs, chicken and meats from farms that pasture their animals freely in open fields for real. You should know that when some famous supermarket products say they are from pastured chickens, it just means there is a door on the huge chicken house to a 2 ft square area. So buyer be aware! 

Everything from the local farms tasted much better than supermarket food anyway! Wow! Being a locavore is fantastic! We also started to decrease the amount of meat and dairy we ate. Beef is eaten only once a month, chicken two times a month, and fish once every two weeks. The fish has to be wild Alaskan salmon, or sardines in water. I was recently out at a barbecue festival gig with my husband, and the only food item around was barbecue pork sandwiches, after I ate it, I felt ill. I guess I naturally crave plants, and my body tells me which foods to avoid now, by how I feel after eating them. As I began to try and cut back on the amount of dairy I consumed, we had to find other things to eat for breakfast, instead of eggs every day. I loved eggs! I eat cereals made from chia seeds, or buckwheat, which is also a fruit seed. We tried using almond and hemp milk in cereal, and loved it. Yea! We also started trying to buy organic cheeses, so not to ingest bovine growth factor hormones and antibiotics. Gross! I have cut back greatly on my cheese consumption too. Changing old routines adds up to big health rewards! It just makes sense.
 

Every week we went to a 'new to us' food store, and we tried 'new to us' vegetables. We were open to the possibilities in all areas of organic food, and really were enjoying everything we tried. We were purposely avoiding the old bad stuff, and adding new good things instead. We even found lots of new snacks and treats. We never felt hungry, and have found our meals to be very filling. I tried various vegetarian plant based recipes I found online, and most were great. I was also working with many ingredients that were not familiar to me, but found that learning to prepare new foods is fun! I have a whole new collection of "new to me" spices. We are especially liking Indian spices, turmeric, cumin, and garam masala.

As you transition into better food choices, you continue to add and subtract items, tweaking here and there. So when we juice now, we only use one very small apple in each batch, which equals half an apple per person. I feel that is not too much sweetness and sugar. I recently had a beet, carrot, apple juice, at at health food store juice bar, and that was very sweet, as they must use a couple of apples. It was early in the day, and it is healthy, so I can enjoy that yummy treat! Plus having a juice bar and organic food choices to eat before you food shop, is a fun new tradition. The first three months went by quickly, and I was so happy! This was fun! It really was an wonderful adventure in food! While I was never hungry, I was enjoying the full flavors and tastes of fresh vegetables.

My six months check up came with even more improvements, and weight loss! I began to talk to my daughter about the possibility of her incorporating these changes within her family. She really started to take the information to heart. She was cautious since she was pregnant at the time, but she asked constant questions. Little by little her family tried some of grand-mom's crazy sounding ideas. They found they actually liked it! They were a witness to how I became more healthy, and full of energy. Certainly they knew 'the me' that in the past three years could only sit and stare from the sofa. They saw me shuffle across the room like I was ninety. They saw me constantly take naps. And yes they saw the weight gain come upon me, that created many of my other ailments. Now the bonus of losing weight with eating and juicing plants was that it came off slow and steady, which is very healthy. I first started noticing the change in my face... I no longer had that sick, sad, puffy look. Other people began to notice the changes too, and would ask how I did it? I told them briefly that I was now eating mostly plants, and I was juicing plants. I was not a vegan. I was mostly a vegetarian, and eating organic, and as local as possible.

I enjoyed telling other people how they could feel good too. I wanted everyone to feel better. I wanted them to know how we have been systematically poisoned with toxins from our foods over many years. Plus I wanted them to know how we have been constantly lied to about everything in the industrialized food system. I saw people walking around in the world who looked puffy and sick, just like I had been from eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). I thought in my head, "Oh if only you knew the power of eating plants!" I wanted to reach out to these people. But how? So here is my big announcement! I decided to start a food/health blog! Yes, another blog! Am I crazy or what? Honestly, I just wanted to show others with chronic illness, that there was something very simple that they could do on their own, to make themselves healthier. Most body issues could be healed or improved by eating good quality fresh organic food, and juicing fresh organic vegetables. By removing the industrialized toxins, then adding healthy plant micro-nutrients, people would be freeing their body up to do its own work of healing itself from illness and damage. I wanted to give people the tools that I have found. Since I loved doing the research and watching the documentaries, all anyone needs to do is show up at my blog. I will point them in the right direction to learn for themselves, what they need to do in order to let their body heal itself from years of neglect. I try to provide the information on all the topics anyone would need to get themselves started on changing their health situation to something better, on the page tabs at the top of my new blog!  My husband who was of normal health has felt the benefits of our new way of eating too. He has lost some weight, feels great, and dropped one of his blood pressure meds. Ben simply loves this food and juicing! So my new food blog is for anyone, no matter their health situation. Everyone deserves to feel good!

The name of my new food/health/social justice blog is "The Queens Table." And that blog project is the reason I have not been posting much on 'The Painting Queen' blog lately. Now you know that I was so very busy building a new website! It takes a lot of work to fill the 20 static pages across the top of my new blog full of valuable links, videos, articles, and information! Plus I had to start doing some posts on that blog to get it started. I even picked up a few readers, and received some comments already. That makes the work it took to gather the info into one place worthwhile! Sometimes when you write a blog you feel like you are talking to yourself. I had wondered to myself if I would really be helping anyone. Well...I have had a wonderful response, as I have people come up to me at each of my husband's gigs, and tell me they are following my new blog anonymously. Each say it's inspiring to them, and they are now helping themselves to feel better, and improve the way they are eating. Really? Wow! You could not ask for more than that! Just getting people to "think" about making the food changes is a blessing. This makes the work that goes into this new food/health blog project, very rewarding! When you live through such a remarkable improvement, from just from eating and juicing plants, it's only natural to want other people to know how to do it too! I guess I've become a food evangelist of sorts, spreading the good word of the organic plants!!! Go green, people!!! It's super healthy and yummy!

An overview of what you will find on my new blog is: Static pages across the top, that you can return to time and again, because they are overflowing with important links, and valuable helpful information on most subjects regarding food and health. You can be assured I have spent many hours researching websites and links, so you will have all the info in a convenient place. You can then go off and learn for yourself, then return to "The Queen's Table," for more information when you are ready. I want to share my success in being healthier, and hope my tips on these pages will help point people in a healthful direction and easy transition! I constantly add new links and info to these pages so it is  a good idea to check back and see what is new on those jam-packed pages! My regular blog posts there will contain recipes, reviews of produce, products, and information on food/health issues. I recommend that people first read the "Get Started" and "Inspiration" pages, where I list the documentaries for each subject I have researched, with major subject topics being: Food and Farming, Drinking Water Issues, Toxins, and Medical Health. There is a separate page on top, about the 'Juicing' basics, with links and videos to help give people the information they need to begin reclaiming their own health. For me, Juicing is the way to get those micro nutrients from more veggies than you could eat in one day, very quickly into your body! 

In addition, I have included pages for people with medical issues similar to myself, such as Thyroid, Vitamin D, and Diabetes. Two important pages for the beginner are the 'Avoid' and 'Substitutions' page lists. These will help folks transition to a new way of being with food easily, and gradually. It is my belief that you can be good to yourself, and take this at a slow and steady pace, so you retain and get used to your new food choices. I also have a large 'Links' page with an abundance of links to articles, helpful websites on food, videos, farming, and health. A new page called 'Grow Food' contains links about starting to grow your own organic produce. 

As of this date I have reaped the following benefits from changing my interaction with the quality food I eat: I have reversed diabetes, lowered my cholesterol, lowered my blood pressure, lost 45 pounds, improved my immune system, and removed two of the prescriptions I would currently be taking had I not made this change. I don't get colds and the flu all the time like I did for so many years either. I have lots of energy and I am back to living a healthy life with many various activities. I enjoy life! You can read my last round of lab results from April 2012 here after 10 months of juicing and switching to a mostly organic plant lifestyle. It works!

The photo below was taken 10 months before I started to change to a plant based diet. You can see the weight. I was a hot mess. Yes, I smiled for the camera, but I remember entering that club thinking about putting my head down on the bar for a nap. Ben's music and band photography energizes me.

The next photo below was taken just 5 months after the one above, and it is very evident I was falling into a system breakdown. Taken around January 2011, just 6 months before I changed my diet to juicing and eating plants. I was so ill at this point, and you can see it in my strained expression, and puffy sick face. Never posted a photo like this of myself before, and frankly I just did not enjoy having my picture taken when I was sick. I was also  not attending Ben's gigs and other events any longer, because I had no energy in my life except for breathing. Perhaps everyone assumed I had a cold. Some people may have thought I was disinterested in things, but my reality was otherwise. Every bit of my day was an effort. Anyway, I have decided to share this unflattering photo of myself, so you can literally see the difference that juicing made in my life. There is hope. I want you understand where I was coming from... and why I am so passionate now about juicing and eating vegetables! What a difference a year makes!

Now see the change below! That is a happy girl! The photo below was taken in May 2012, after coming home from spending the day at 'Spoutwood Fairie Festival' walking up and down the hills on that large outdoor property. Other people should know that they could lose weight much faster than me, if they do not have thyroid metabolism issues. Even though I made these changes to be healthy first, I am grateful I am losing the weight!!! It is a quite wonderful bonus effect! So cool to fit into my old favorite clothes.

Also one of the things I promised that I would tell you about in this part three blog post, was my secret to greatly improving the digestive system, and how I removed IBS symptoms from my life. The tip is to Juice and drink those fresh organic vegetables daily! I know everyone is different, but my life has totally changed and improved dramatically in that area. I had lived my life around bathrooms, since I was a child. In addition, I am also not paying the next day, after eating out at a restaurant either, which used to be a regular routine. I am sure the organic, or local sourced items I order now when dining out, help as well. Having a normal functioning intestinal area, and eliminating the toxins that accumulate in your gut and liver, from your body is so very important for your overall health. Regular juicing does this with amazing results! So juice on! At least make green smoothies in a blender to get lots of greens inside of you.

Getting healthier does not mean that medical problems will never befall you again in the future. I am not selling you a perfect utopia of protection, as everyone has unique qualities, both physical and mental. But if something does happen or develop, you will at least know that your body will now be stronger, and in much better shape to repair itself than when you only ate the nutrient deficient toxic (SAD) Standard American Diet. You can definitely make many major changes to the overall health of your body by juicing organic vegetables, eating clean whole foods, and having a great attitude in life. Even though I still take medication for my thyroid, and my menopause symptoms are a frustrating and disruptive part of my daily existence, the lightness and energy I have now is powerful! Look at the long list of improvements I have had over the past year, just from the food I now eat everyday! I am only now beginning to add exercise to my life. Great organic plant food is my personal miracle, and for that I am grateful. I am still learning about ways to improve my food knowledge and what things are even healthier to consume. It is a process where you move from one level to the next, transitioning yourself to the next higher level of food understanding. That is why I want everyone to know it does not have to happen overnight for you. Add some new things bit by bit, and you will get used to buying and making those foods. We have been trained for a long time in unhealthy industrialized food ways. It will take some time to undo the programming of our minds, along with the damage to our bodies. We are smart vibrant beings and we can do this!

I love sharing the knowledge with my family, knowing that my grandchildren will eat and live in a healthier way. I wish I knew all of this information when I was a young mother. My daughter who has been transitioning her family to healthier food choices agrees about the value of watching documentaries being the best motivation for changing your diet. She re-watches documentaries like 'Food Matters,' 'Food Inc,' 'The Future Of Food,' and 'Forks Over Knives,' to keep herself on track. Once you realize what is going on in the industrialized food world, you simply can't go back and live that way again. My daughter continues to enjoy the benefits of her new healthier options quest, and has lost 65 pounds as her bonus. She investigates many food related subjects and concerns on her own, that she now passes those along to Ben and me. We have also joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) together this year, and get to pick up weekly fresh veggies from our personal organic farmer at his farm. In addition we used a service to get some other farm and organic products delivered to our door. Together we are working at getting my son started on learning to rethink his food choices too. He is way too much into those energy drinks that pass themselves off as being an answer to good health. Changing your everyday food choices and routines is a commitment to good health for your family, and a gift of love for them. When you make these beneficial changes in your life you will want to spread that love to family and friends, but only do so when they are ready to hear you. The best inspiration to your loved ones will be just seeing your incredible improvement, then they will come to you, wanting to know more!

 
Be kind to yourself on your journey, and give yourself the space to change. You can relearn the healthier happier alternatives, to what we grew up believing was okay to eat. Wouldn't it be a blessing to feel great and better than you have in many years? I know you will be very pleased at the new greater variety of delicious foods you will be eating! You will not be hungry, and there are plenty of snack options. You will most certainly fall in love with your home made juice! No, It does not taste like grass! It is like liquid dessert! As you make this positive change for yourself, your light will shine brightly for everyone to see! Spread the love, and the greens!

If you have been contemplating making these kinds of changes in your life I hope you will consider becoming a follower of my new blog "The Queen's Table." Not only will this guide you to becoming much healthier, and feeling pretty darn good... I can promise that it will be very tasty food adventure!

UPDATE: It has been two years and I am doing great! I am what is called a nutritarian who eats nutrient dense foods. Many would call me a vegan as I no longer enjoy eating meat. I finally gave up all dairy milk, and cheese too! Most importantly was I gave up sugar in all forms except fruit. Sugar is hidden in all processed foods. Eating local plants that are hopefully organic will do you good! I still maintain my food blog, so I hope you will come there and learn for FREE how to make improvements to your heath! Read this post to learn about how the government hooked you on all things cheessssseee!

Go Back To Part Two Of This Series: "Hashimoto's Is More Than A Cool Sounding Name"

Go Back To Part One: "The Unknown"

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, or nutritionist. Please speak with your Doctor before making any changes to your diet. I did! 

Credits : Digital Illustration "My Medical World"  Design: Crystal Visions Art, Elements: Finecrafted Designs, Holliwood Studios,  Eenas Creation, Textures: Shadowhouse Creations
Digital Illustration :"The World Needs Our Light" by Crystal Visions Art

Reclaiming My Health : Part 2 "Hashimotos Hypothyroidism Is More Than A Cool Sounding Name"

This is the second in a continuation of a series of blog posts, on the before, during, and after, of getting healthy again. Since I do not usually talk about my personal medical issues on this blog, I am hoping that in explaining my symptoms and sensations, this may help others get their medical conditions checked earlier. This series which will only be three posts, will also contain tips, and cautions when dealing with medical staff and our healthcare system. So here goes...
 
I suppose this "story" begins three years ago, about 5 months before our wedding. I just couldn't explain exactly what it was, but I did not "feel" like myself. I was often fatigued and the hot flashes were non-stop. Plus I started to have a buzzing and crawling sensation in my legs at night. Eventually this feeling increased to the point of keeping me awake. After a couple of months of having these weird sensations, I gave in and finally called a doctor friend. I have to explain that at that time I was not a person who talked about sickness, or even went to doctors. I have no insurance and avoided medical visits unless as I have said before, it was my last resort...as in a really bad flu that morphed into bronchitis. I may call this person once or twice a year to get a prescription.

During the in person doctor visit my blood was taken for some lab work. I was told my blood pressure was up, but I could be nervous about the visit. I said I was not nervous at all because he was a friend, and asked, "what exactly does that mean?"  No answer. The doctor scheduled a check up with a vein doctor friend of his for my legs to check for clots, at no charge. A blessing. That doctor found the circulation in my legs was fine. Since I seemed to have the symptoms, I read up on RLS and found a small percent of people respond to taking daily vitamins. I started to take a good multi-vitamin along with wearing support stockings. This combination has pushed those buzzing crawling sensations, that appear during the day now too, in my legs back 80-90 percent. Do-able.

The lab work came back that my thyroid levels were low, meaning I was hypo-thyroid.  The doctor gave me a prescription of 100 mg of Levothyroxine. He said I should start to feel better in two to four weeks. Sounded good to me. I was having a wedding at home in two months. Since I was doing everything myself I needed all the energy I could get to make the wedding decor and get our home in order.

I looked 'thyroid' up on the internet and found that here was the answer to another problem I was having with my body. Weight gain. I was slender when I met my husband, but then the weight continually came on and try as I might to diet, exercise, and even do Atkins, nothing changed. It was frustrating! Everybody gives you that,"Oh you must be content in your relationship" line. After I got engaged, I knew I had a year and five months to look good in my wedding dress, but nothing I tried did a dang thing. I kept gaining. I would say to Ben, "it is as if I have no metabolism." Well people...I was right! That is exactly what your thyroid regulates. Hypo-thyroid means low metabolism. So many of those heavy people you see in the world, are not sitting around eating all day, they are suffering from not being able to burn off anything they eat, and not having the energy to move. We are very tired people too. The thyroid problem causes a weight gain of 50-60 pounds, and contributes to getting high blood pressure. Hmm what the doctor said I had, but did nothing about.

This also explained why I had to stop my mural and faux-finishing business. I did not have the energy to go up and down ladders all day anymore. And I thought it was just the weight and getting older, making it difficult to get down onto the floor to paint, then get back up again. On the long drives home from my clients homes I would be nearly passing out in  my car from fatigue. I just could not do it any more. Planning a wedding and taking care of my grand baby at home seemed like a better option. In my downtime I began to learn about the computer and photoshop. I would have to figure out how to make money at home in the future. Ben was perfectly fine with all these changes. He is the most understanding person ever!

One thing I forgot to mention during this time is the effect of my menopause. I was having it hot and heavy since it had begun, a year or so before. Hot flashes averaged every 30 minutes and woke me up during the night with a vengeance. That buzzing would start in my feet and vibrate up my body, dizziness and hot sweats ensued. During the months surrounding my wedding I had days where the hot flashes were ten minutes apart. I can remember during the fitting of the wedding dress my sister made, her saying I could not take it off. "Here they come!" I lamented, as those pouring soaking sweats dripped all over my gorgeous wedding dress. I would roll up paper towels and place them in my clothing to catch the river.  Poor Ben would have to pat my back down a couple times a day. Now that is true love! Spending my day wiping sweat from my brow and sitting in a fog was normal. But hey it is just sweat and I was tough! I was not going to be a wimp and complain about the change of life. So I dealt with it. We had a tall fan placed at the wedding reception just for me to get relief when ever I needed!

Not getting much REM sleep at night my body crashed, and I napped often. Oh, I forgot to mention that now I was babysitting my grand daughter during the day. She was an infant and came over at 7am. (I am not a morning person, so I must really love my daughter, to do this for her.) Luckily Aowyn was good and I napped when she slept.

The wedding and honeymoon were wonderful despite the hot flashes! For the next months, I had renewed energy! I worked in the garden during the summer, and the winter brought a Christmas party at our home before the holidays. I took naps with the baby, and also later in the evenings. Still I was able to do things around the house. Although I was dealing with constant strange sensations my body was having, I just got on with it! Must be that old age and menopause thing causing this stuff. Little did I know what was lurking inside of me.

A week after Christmas it started happening. My body started literally rumbling. I was shaking inside. Plus I started being unable to walk down the basement steps. Each step hurt my knees and I held onto the walls. I would slowly shuffle across a parking lot to a store like I was 90. I felt awful. After I took the holiday decor boxes up to the attic, I collapsed on the sofa. My face was red for hours and I was in a daze. The next couple of months these sensations and situations increased. I was out shoveling after a blizzard and had to sit down in the snow and stare, while my body freaked out. Eventually I came inside, fell onto the sofa, red faced and dizzy for hours again. Lying in bed at night I felt like an old lawn mower that kept jerking and sputtering. I really was rumbling inside all day and all night! Going to bed was scary, as I lay in bed hoping I was not having a heart attack. No...I would think...not now when I am finally with the love of my life. I kept saying...I am not my body...I am not my body...I am spirit having a human experience. 

I gave in and called the doctor, in tears I told him that I was just not right, and explained some of the awful things that had been going on with my body. What happened next I did not expect.

It was the weekend and he had just come in from golfing all day. In a very nasty tone this doctor said, "You sound like a very sick person! I can't do this anymore! Why don't you get the new Obama health care and go find a doctor in your area! (This happened to be the day they announced that some possible form of nebulous health care bill had passed). I said there is no such thing at this time. He said. "Well I have changed my practice to a subscription practice. You have to pay $7,000.00 a year to see me." I was in tears and could hardly speak as this was someone who was a guest at my wedding yelling at me. I thought this person was a friend. I thought they were a doctor. There was no advice, no compassion, no understanding towards a friend except... go away! I was extremely ill, vulnerable and weak. I was confused and hurt. I did not bug this man. I only called him once or twice a year. At the end of his tirade he said I could come in the next day if I wanted for one last time. I mailed him a Thank-You note for all the years he had been kind to me, and looked for a local doctor. I cried for a week over the loss of this friend, as his wife was a very dear person to me. 

Now as life would have it...this was a blessing in disguise! I went to a woman doctor who immediately rolled in an EKG machine to check my heart. Whew! I was still alive! Seems my blood pressure was very high and I was being overdosed with levothyroxine. I was put on heart medicine and blood pressure meds as well. I had to return every week for check ups during the first month. The doctor even called me at home that weekend to make sure I was doing okay.  Amazing!

I have had a team of doctors working on my medical problems ever since that day, and everyone has said the same thing. I could have died from this overdose. If you read the medical info with the drug it is all right there...too much can cause a heart attack! I thought my friend was a doctor. He was not, he was a golf player. My new doctor ordered me to see an endocrinologist who specializes in thyroid problems. I was told that every doctor knows a new thyroid patient needs to be monitored every three months with blood tests to see how the drug is affecting the body! These drugs build up in the body over time. I had been on this strong medicine for a year and never told to have any testing. All my new doctors stare in disbelief when they hear this is what I was prescribed, and then left on my own. I don't explain that I was also yelled at, for getting so ill from this golfing doctor's overdose and negligence. From this series of lab tests I was told I had Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism which is an autoimmune disease. My body is attacking my thyroid. WTF? Body why are you doing that to me?

So far what have we learned? Number one make sure you have a good doctor who listens to you, takes their time during your visit, and cares about your wellness. Do your own research on the internet so you have a list of questions the doctor can answer. Very important to gather all your medical records and keep them sectioned in a Medical Records Binder (I have some designs for these). This is to organize and track all your lab tests, procedures, medicines, bills, appointments, and doctor information. Buy a hole punch and pocket section tabs. Just as you must keep up on your doctors, keep on the lab people as well. Mistakes have been made and things lost at labs too. Read all the literature that comes from each new prescription, even the scary parts! Keep this info in your binder too. My husband has put together a similar binder for his father, and himself. This has proved invaluable at noticing things that have gotten overlooked with his father's cancer protocol, lab test results, and the many prescriptions each doctor throws into the mix.

Check with your pharmacist every time a doctor prescribes a new medicine, to make sure it does not have bad interactions with what you are already taking. If you or your spouse has high blood pressure, buy a blood pressure cuff, and learn how to take each other's blood pressure readings. We asked one of the nurses at my Endocrinologist office, to teach us how to use the cuff. This is an important easy skill, that has come in handy when things in the body are going badly! Place the log of your home BP readings, and the dates taken, into your medical notebook to show at your doctor visits. If you are hypo-thyroid keep a log of your weight as well in your medical binder. Everything is in one place and easy to grab when you are going to the doctors, lab tests, or the hospital. You never know which information about you they may need! Doctors and nurses have thanked me for keeping such thorough records. Once when the computers were down in one office I was still able to continue my doctors visit, because I had copies of the lab tests my doctor needed.

If you do not have insurance tell that to your doctor, as sometimes they can lower your bill, especially if you pay in cash the full amount at the time of service. Save all billing info in your medical records binder. Also try to get your doctor to order your meds from the $4.00 list at Walmart where possible. Apply to local clinics and state programs if you qualify for assistance. Yes, (to all the haters and non-compassionate people) even those of us who have lived the 9-5 corporate life may one day get sick, be unable to work, no longer have insurance, and need help.

What was found in the lab tests that were taken by my new team of caring professionals?

My thyroid was turned from a HYPO-thyroid into a HYPER-thyroid from the over dose. Hyper-thyroid people tend to be skinny and have heart problems. My thin sister who has the energy to exercise at a gym has this form of thyroid issue. No I did not lose any weight from this happening to me. I am a true hypo-thyroid, as I continued to gain weight through this episode! I sometimes wonder if the golfing doctor put me on the high dose of levothyroxine on purpose, because he personally looked down upon heavy (fat) people, and thought it would force me to lose weight. When I was in his office he pointed to my belly, and asked what am I doing about that? He had also asked if I was going to a gym to exercise. When I received my medical records from his office, I noticed in his notes that he had written, that I don't care about my health, because I don't go to a gym. ????? Hmmm maybe I am hypo-thyroid and have no energy to get off the sofa, let alone go exercise mister. My high blood pressure was right there in his notations as well, and nothing was ever done about it. For a year I walked around with hypertension needlessly, on top of the rattling effects of the drug overdose. My body was so beat up. I would eventually learn that all systems were now going haywire.
 

My endocrinologist took me completely off the levothyoxine and told me to come back when my hair started falling out. Oh did I forget to mention the hair thing? Just when I am trying to grow my hair out like an old hippie, it starts falling out from the thyroid problems, and then again later, temporarily from the new medicine. Actually as I write these recollections a few years later, I am having a severe bout of my hair falling out again. Fun stuff! It's everywhere! So in a couple of weeks after stopping the bad thyroid meds, the shaking and vibrating was gone. The blood pressure meds were helping me feel better too. I started to feel more like myself. I still was very fatigued. Eventually the hair started falling out and the fatigue increased. Time to go back to the endo!

My body had to come back to its own balance which meant HYPO-thyroidism. Then my endocrinologist would do what is normally done with hypo-thyroid patients and start a low dose of meds and see what happens to my body, by testing every 2-3 months. After this occurred I was started on 25mg Synthroid. Another important bit of information was found by my blood tests, and that was that I had extremely low Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is not a vitamin, it is actually a hormone that has been misnamed. Normal is around 40-80. I was a 12. I was started on 50,000 units a week. In a couple of weeks I no longer had a problem going down steps! Low vitamin D hormone also causes fatigue and depression. Between the thyroid, the menopause, and the lack of Vitamin D effects, I am getting a triple dose of fatigue! No wonder I am always falling asleep! I am also supposed to be really depressed from all of these ailments. I was not, although I was frustrated, and extremely tired. I recommend highly that more people should get their D levels checked. Unless you live at the equator and spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun you probably need a little Vit D boost. Most people after checking with their doctor find improvement with the over the counter 1,000 unit dose of D3. So please look into this with your doctor and get the appropriate blood test. You will feel better!

I was told by other 'Hypos' that I had met since receiving my diagnosis, that in a year I would feel like myself again and my body would be in balance. For me it took two and a half years. For those two years, every week I had been to doctors, had lab tests and procedures. I am not kidding, every week there was something. So you see the need for a binder notebook to keep track of it all. I took off two weeks for the holidays! I needed a break from medical world! Because... Hashimoto's Is More Than A Cool Sounding Name.

During this year I also had a Colonoscopy. Loved the anesthesia. I am IBS inclined, but they cannot tell that from a colonoscopy. They learned I have diverticulitis which will come to everyone eventually with old age. No cancer in the colon is very good. Oh the recommendation from the digestive specialist... fiber, fiber fiber for anything that ails you in that area, and come back in ten years. Personally I also like using pro-biotics like "Pearls." I have now found something that works even better which I will reveal in Part 3 of this series! Looking back I can tell you that getting a colonoscopy is a really good thing, just for the horrible day before. The stuff they give you cleans you out thoroughly! Gets rid of a lot your toxins! A fresh start. 

Unfortunately my pap test at the gyno came back with pre-cancerous cells, and I had to have a LEEP procedure in the hospital to remove them from the uterus. Again loved the anesthesia and hot towels!  Like a spa treatment in the hospital. So I will be checked every 6 months for the next two years to make sure the cancer cells are gone. I started taking Remifemin for the hot flashes, and although my endo wanted me to go on estrogen therapy, he left it to my gyno to decide what to do. The gyno suggested starting with herbs and making the hormone therapy the last resort. Alas, the natural method would not work out for me.

For nine months the medical visits became every other week, instead of every week. Sadly things began to go out of whack again, and we had to address my known issues one by one. After two years of constant medical bills, we had a monetary issue. So I had to wait three weeks to get into the clinic, for the tests needed on my thyroid. Each day I waited... my body went downhill a bit more.

I am not complaining, as there are people with far greater medical problems than myself. A sweet friend had a brain operation over the past holidays and had to relearn to talk. That is serious. She also had to get married quickly to get on her hubby's insurance, because her insurance dropped her after this operation. Nice. Great system we got here in America. Not.

After a year and a half I hoped to have better news. I was unable to do the most normal tasks around the home. When I tried, my body had a freak out. Ben had to do everything. Now I could only sit... remain calm, or sleep. Here is a list of activities I tried to do that triggered my blood pressure to go way up... Swifer mop the small bathroom. Cut back a few rose bushes without bending over. One day I took a shower and washed my hair. Once I walked out to the yard to photograph a flowering tree. I walked around the house with my granddaughter. That Spring I walked across the parking lot into the flower department in Walmart, only to have to go back to the car as I became exhausted from that activity. Stopped at a food store with my husband to pick up a few items. Unable to do it and must find a chair, and then pay for it when I get home. Every time after each of these normal chores, I had to lie on the sofa with my feet up for hours, to calm my system down. Something is wrong with this picture. I was forced to be house bound. I could go out to eat because it is sitting in a car, then sitting in a restaurant. But I could not stand out on my porch with out experiencing extreme fatigue. I could make a quick dinner, and sit between items I was cooking, and that is the only thing I could do that was useful around our home. I also could not attend my husband's shows, or gig practices. I suppose people thought I was disinterested, because we were not telling most people what was going on with me. Just did not want to dwell on the topic, and give it any more power over my life.

We went to one of my new doctors about my blood pressure and twice she has made changes to my meds to try and improve my situation. Ben talked with a doctor on call one weekend during one of my severe episodes, and that doctor strongly suggested I get the estrogen therapy. The reason was I hadn't had a good night's sleep in 3 years. Sleep is very important and your body must go into deep REM sleep to make repairs. I was being woken every 1-2 hours by hot flashes. My quality of life was sucking. I didn't know what it was to get sleep at night. I called the gyno and he told me that yes I was the perfect candidate for the estrogen therapy, which he uses as a last resort. The doctor explained I would see relief in two weeks.

In about two weeks I only had a few hot flashes a day, and they were mild. Yeah! I had started to get 3-5 hours of continuous sleep. You know, It almost felt odd. Eventually I started to get 7-8 hours and my world changed! The REM sleep started doing it's job! Right now as I write this post, it's almost a year later, and I can say these pills have been wonderful. We have to go off of them now to see where my body is with the menopause thing. None of my doctors want me on these for too long, because of the breast cancer risk. We shall see... (NOTICE! My advice now is 'not' to take these estrogen therapy pills because I did end up getting a breast cancer diagnosis. That will be an entirely different story.)

The only lesson I could think of that I was learning during this time of stasis was letting other people do things for me. This did not feel normal to me. I was the eldest of 5 kids and the mom of the family. I had been a single mom that raised two children. I had my own business because I could only rely on myself. I was the man of the house doing the chores that needed to be done, since I was on my own, and my home looked beautiful inside and out. Now with my ailments the house got a bit messy and totally full of dust bunnies. With a toddler everything got piled upward, and out of reach, and not put any where. I had to let others take care of any outside work I would normally do.  

The effects of thyroid disorders produce a mind fog. Ben has learned all the meanings of "thingie." My mind could never complete a sentence, because it felt like I was always unable to fill in the blanks.  

What I needed were tests on my thyroid levels and Vitamin D levels. What happened next is a cautionary tale about modern medicine. I will write that information in Part Three. Please note: I will also be making a special announcement in that blog post!!! Oh, and a few of the people whom I told about my illness said..."Wow Hashimoto's is a cool sounding name for a disease." So I got that going for me!

Go To Part Three: A Victory Garden For Success

Go back to Part One: "The Unknown"

Disclaimer:I am not a doctor and this series is not to be taken as medical advice, so please consult with your medical professional about any medical issues you may be experiencing.


Digital Artwork; "Hashimoto's Sleep" at top of blog post and the detail from artwork near bottom, by Crystal Visions Art. Textures: Shadowhouse Creations, Model: Janna Prosvirina Kuoma Stock at Deviant Art.