Wellness... Our Family Journey

Wellness... as I look online for "a" definition, I find that there are MANY. And MANY perspectives - medical, holistic, spiritual, etc. Well, I want wellness for me and my family! Not just want... such a weak word... I YEARN for, LONG for, DEEPLY DESIRE wellness for me and my family!

My Health Journey Began

I was born almost 2 months premature in 1977 as twin #2 of 2... and my life of lacking wellness began there. I was in the NICU (a new thing back then - praise God for that NICU in Houston, TX!) for about 5 weeks, coming home just in time for Thanksgiving! My twin sister, Virginia, had already been home about 3 weeks. My mother and I wonder what that time in the NICU did to me - physically, it saved my life. Emotionally? Spiritually? It is hard to know. But I grew up relatively healthy until allergies hit me in the 3rd grade with my symptoms really culminating the day of cheerleading tryouts at my elementary school. OH I had wanted to try out! And we had a school picnic. I had my blanket and started feeling "itchy" - I thought it was the sun, so eventually wrapped myself, face and all, in my blanket. When I unwrapped a friend almost freaked out and got a teacher - apparently the freshly cut grass had taken its toll and my eyes (that I thought were bothered by the sun) were almost swollen shut. My mother took me home and we put cold washcloths on my eyes and I am sure I was given something like benadryl. I DID get to try out, but didn't do so well... and I never did get into cheerleading... hmmmmm.... possibly the first time lack of wellness took me off a path I wanted. Not long after, I got my allergies tested for the first time and was pretty much allergic to everything except foods - pollens, grasses, trees, animals, dust, mold, etc. I've had my allergies tested twice since then - once in March 2008 when we were living in KY and again a few days ago here in Fort Worth - the results are consistent - I'm allergic to almost everything in my environment wherever I'm living. But that's a later story. I've LONG suffered with allergy symptoms that lead to sinus problems and chronic, recurring sinus infections. To the point, when I was self-employed, my insurance stopped paying for ANYTHING allergy or sinus related. They'd pay for ANYTHING else... that's just great - the one thing I NEEDED insurance for was no longer covered.

Anyway, I digress. This was all while I was spending my childhood in south Mississippi, where there are all sorts of pollens, grasses, etc. I was put on allergy shots, nasal spray, and an inhaler. I wasn't diagnosed with asthma and never had an attack, but the inhaler helped keep my lungs open when allergies were bad. By the time I was 10, my mother could drop me off a the doctor (small town - she grew up with my doctor) and I'd go in - the nurses knew me - get my shot and meet her at the car. It did help keep me healthy for several years.

Then we moved to Florida...

Life Near the Beach

We found an allergist in Florida and continued my allergy shots. After a while, my allergy symptoms seemed gone... We tried weaning me off shots (by this time, I was getting 2 shots - one in each arm - twice a week). I did great! So for a season, I didn't take shots and really didn't need much in the way of medication! Then, after 2 years in Florida, we moved to Texas... back to more pollenous, grasseous living (love making up my own words)!

Everything's Bigger (including POLLEN) in Texas...

In junior high school, my family living in Texas, I joined the swim team. I had ALWAYS loved being in the water and still do today!! We met in the early mornings for practice. After just a lap or two of warm up, I'd start to see spots and almost black out. After a few practices, I quit. I thought I was "weak". Lack of wellness strikes again! Around the same time, I joined band. I loved my clarinet! And I was good at it from the beginning. My parents got me private lessons and over and over my teacher would tell me "MORE AIR!" I even had one teacher push in on my stomach trying to force more air out of my body. I just COULDN'T find more air!! So, by 8th grade, having been in Texas over a year, we found an allergist who tested my breathing and looked at my history with allergies. I was put back on medications, including inhalers, and allergy shots resumed. It turned out I was only getting about 30% usage of my lungs. I forget the statistic, but that was MUCH less than other 13 year olds! I still shudder when I think of that teacher pushing in on my stomach! (NOTE: we found a MUCH better teach once I was in high school and I loved him - even though he was VERY eccentric - he guided me towards getting a 1 ranking at UIL in a solo competition! Thank you Mr. Montague!).

Things sort of leveled off and I was able to do marching band and concert band in high school all 4 years. I still remember breathing getting tight if allergies were bad - and I had allergy issues year round - but things were stable and I do not remember having chronic infections back then. I'd have to ask my mother to be sure, because I was super focused on friends, band, and boys...

I stayed in Texas for college and continued my regular medications but not the allergy shots. I didn't get sick often in college, even with the lack of sleep, substandard diet (by choice - Baylor offered good choices, I just preferred the pizza and Chinese! ;-) ), and stress (school has always been something my sister and I stressed about).

I had sinus infections from time to time, but nothing like the journey that started when I moved out of state to graduate school...

Graduate Level of Suffering

I moved to Washington, D.C. in August 2002 to follow a dream and attend Gallaudet University! I LOVED it - it was the hardest, most rewarding 3 years of my life to date! It was also the time I was sicker than I had been since my stay in the NICU in 1977. I had CONSTANT allergy/sinus issues with infections lasting on and off for MONTHS! At one point, I had about 3 rounds of antibiotics before a doctor LISTENED to me and gave me a strong antibiotic that I took for 60 DAYS and FINALLY got better. It was AWFUL! 

I thought it was living in the old dorms and the unclean duct work or carpet/mold etc. that comes with old buildings, plus the crazy level of stress that is graduate school on top of almost no sleep and awful eating (I lived on Chinese, mac and cheese, pizza, Burger King, and popcorn... seriously). I put on like 20 lbs during graduate school and was less healthy than I've ever been. 

But I graduated, moved... and stayed sick.

Life Around the Country

I graduated from Gallaudet in May 2005. 

I then moved to Waco, TX and taught at Baylor University as an adjunct faculty for a year, then due to budget cuts, that position ended. By this time, I was engaged to the love of my life. 

I got a job in Birmingham, AL. We moved there, got married, and started our two becoming one journey. I had CONSTANT sinus infections. I had an urgent care clinic I went to all the time and got what I called my "sinus infection cocktail" - a shot of steroids, a shot of antibiotic, and usually a z-pack or some other antibiotic. I did get better each time, but the problem kept happening and I knew there was only so long I could treat the symptoms and not get to the root of this problem! I worked a stressful job that was 60 to 80 hours a week, was a newlywed who HATED being away from my husband so much, and, after 2 months of marriage, we adopted a puppy! I was exhausted, stressed, and sick all the time... even as I was in love and loving being married to my best friend. It was a crazy time! I ended up quitting my job and became self-employed, which I loved, but I still worked a ton and was sick more often than not.

After 2 years in Alabama, we decided to move to KY for my husband to attend seminary. I got a job there and we moved in summer of 2008. I continued to get sick! I remember getting a headache SO bad one day that by the time I got home (I walked to and from work at that point - yay for small town living) that all I could do was get my husband to run a hot bath that I LAID in to help the pain. I took exedrin migraine and ibuprofen WAY too often. We did home "remedies" I found online - from breathing steam out of a pot with a towel over my head to mixing herbs into the boiling water for me to inhale with the steam. I got my fist Neti Pot (that I still love to use) and researched local, raw honey. But I kept getting sick! Finally, even though we were both self-employed and our insurance pathetic on a good day, I found an allergist in our small town who turned out to be AWESOME. He tested my allergies... I'll never forget. The nurse did all the sticks on my back and said they'd be in within 15 minutes or so. After 2 minutes, she came to check on me and was like, "Oh my!!" and went and got the doctor to read the results. Dr. Jhamb walked in and said "that must be REALLY uncomfortable!" I knew it would be bad, so I was mentally prepared - but it ITCHED like FIRE ANTS! He looked at the medicines I was on and said words that made my heart soar, "We need to get organized in your treatment!" I felt something that had LONG escaped me when it came to my health - HOPE! He changed my medicines up and said we'd try that for a while before considering allergy shots. It seemed to help! After a while on the new regime - I stopped having frequent infections! Oh the bliss! However, I did still get sick from time to time, but just not often! I felt much better than I had and I had a doctor I could talk to and would work with me on my health! AND, these were the newest meds out there for allergy/asthma patients and, according to my doctor, were SAFE during pregnancy. I knew I wanted to soon have children, so that was important to me. Then, we realized that finances and family necessitated another move. We decided to return to TX for Josh to attend seminary and me to work and us to start a family. So, we moved back to TX...

Health "Lost"...

After being here a short time, I was pregnant! We were thrilled. But, with new insurance we had in Texas, suddenly some of my cutting edge medicines were no longer covered and did not have generics, so I had to find a doctor to prescribe "something close". Now, I DID have a sinus infection after moving to Texas (still on my regular, "new" medicines), but that was right before I found out I was pregnant. Amazingly, during pregnancy, I was really healthy as far as my allergies/sinuses go. It seems pregnancy hormones do WONDERS for this Mama! Which is good, because I had several other issues while pregnant from leaking urine and swelling like a marshmallow (2 signs of potential preeclampsia). I put on too much weight... and by the end just felt... tired and overall "yucky". I knew I wanted to figure out how to be WELL and HEALTHY before, during, and after pregnancy for any future babies! After my sweet son was born, he cried through his first 3 months of life. People who meet him now always comment on what a HAPPY baby he is - which is a miracle and I LOVE it! We found out quickly (this Mama did intense research) that our son had reflux and was dairy/soy intolerant - both pretty common. My son's GI had me go dairy-free and keep breastfeeding. Within a couple of weeks, with some prevacid and no dairy, babywearing, and lots and lots of FREQUENT breastfeeding, Jacob began to cry less... and by the end of his "4th trimester" he was a DIFFERENT baby! Due to all the pain of his early days (and a traumatic labor/delivery - he was malpositioned) (I believe this strongly) - he was a poor sleeper and just sad newborn. But, the diet change and lots of loving and holding have lead to him being the happiest little guy. AND, with going dairy-free, I dropped ALL my babyweight plus about 6 pounds in NO time. 

I have heard that people who go dairy-free find their allergy/sinus issues just clear up. This has NOT been true for me. It seems the MINUTE all those awesome pregnancy hormones left my body is the EXACT moment I got my first sinus infection. I have had 4 since January of this year. FOUR! WHAT?!?! SIGH....

Life Postpartum...

So, not that my son is about 11 1/2 months old and I have been sick a lot in the past couple of months, I am FED UP. What REALLY lead to me reaching the edge of frustration is watching my son be sick. He has had gastroenteritis TWICE with diarrhea and throwing up. One time, we ended up in the ER because it was a Sunday, and he had thrown up 15 times in about 3 hours and was throwing up bile. It was AWFUL and HEARTBREAKING! My sweet, happy boy was miserable. They gave him zofran to help his stomach stop constricting and he could only have pedialite or breastmilk. We had started supplementing with formula (Enfamil Nutramigen) early on because I got VERY little milk when I pumped. I worked part time in an environment where I couldn't pump, so I had to pump before I left and when I got home I nursed... but I couldn't keep up with my son's needs without pumping... and I was SO stressed by his constant crying, that it helped my mental health to supplement where my husband could do one or two overnight feedings. I have carried a lot of guilt about supplementing and wondered if that is what made him sick, but he gets breastmilk daily and still loves to nurse, though we are down to once a day. I'll never know if the formula contributed to him being more susceptible to illness, even though it was only supplementation to breastfeeding... but the Mama in me will always wonder. Anyway, when he was very sick about a month ago, we did only breastfeeding and a little pedialite if he would take it (he often won't). It was just awful to see! He was in the ER September 12th... it took over a week and in the process my husband, me, and my mother all ended up sick! Then, about 3 weeks later, Jacob got sick again and was throwing up, etc... I got sick, then my husband! We cannot seem to stay healthy!!! And my whole family cannot all 3 be sick like that often - it was AWFUL!!

On top of that, twice in the past month, I tried a little dairy in a casserole just to see - it upset my stomach and wreaked HAVOC on my son. He has not had an issue with diaper rashes until this weekend (I tried a breakfast casserole at my MOPS meeting this past Friday and by Sunday Jacob was having awful diarrhea that lead to a blistered bottom... I was SICK with guilt and sadness for my precious boy!!). Most babies outgrow the dairy/soy intolerance. I've been able to introduce soy into my diet and Jacob get a little soy through breastmilk and some soy yogurt once in a while. But it seems dairy is still an issue. I'm going to talk to his GI at his one year check up about having him officially tested for food allergies/sensitivities, but I plan to keep him dairy-free for a long time regardless of what the tests show. This need for my son has really pushed me to research health related to nutrition in a new way...

Health and Wellness: A NEW Approach

So, I got into some holistic things back when we were TTC... I knew I wanted to pursue a natural labor/delivery (my prenatal experience was more natural than anyone in my family or friends at the time, but  my labor/delivery took an unexpected twist - see HERE). 

Anyway, I started being exposed to herbs, chiropractic care, and more holistic living through my birth center. I had heard of chiropractic care before because my sister-in-law and her family uses one in Nashville, TN and have had AMAZING health results. But I grew up in a very medical family (doctors, nurses, etc.) and was more skeptical. I want to do what my sister-in-law says and "keep one foot in each world", but I am MORE than ready to jump into the world of holistic health in a deeper way! And, at the same time, pursue some medical knowledge to help me right where I am. 

My Holistic "Foot"

God is awesome! He put me in a small group with TWO Mamas at MOPS who have ties to Maximized Living Chiropractic in this area! I was adjusted by a great chiropractor throughout my pregnancy, but now that I'm postpartum I was MORE! I want knowledge about nutrition, supplements, my body overall! And I've seen my sister-in-law get this through ML in Nashville! I don't know how we'll afford it, but I'm in touch with the local ML and am going TONIGHT to an event they are hosting - a recipe night!! This is a HUGE start - my son will be dairy-free for a while and I want to consider gluten-free. We are going to explore a wellness plan with ML and really look at our OVERALL health - from the inside out. I want to look at nutrition, alignment, spiritual, and emotional well-being. I am COMMITTED! This is the NEXT BIG PART of our journey where I want to CHANGE the legacy I leave for my children! Dave Ramsey's financial planning has been HUGE for our finances... and now I want to work on our physical health and wellness!

My Medical "Foot"

So, this past week, I went to a local allergist who was GREAT! Probably the closest thing to a "holistic" allergiest (he is not by trade holistic and is fully a medical doctor) that I've ever seen. He gave me GREAT information on questions a lot of allergy/sinus suffers ask (where should I live? etc.). He changed up my medications and we are going to do a CT scan of my sinuses this week. He looked in my nose and IMMEDIATELY said "Your septum is crooked". My husband has long suggested I might have a deviated septum, but I just didn't want to deal with anything else medically. Now, I'm ready. He is the first doctor to even look a this! He told me we should look at all that is going on. Treating the allergies (possible allergy shots in my future again and I don't mind one bit helping my body build immunity!)... but also looking at what might be off structurally with my body. 

I WILL have WELLNESS and HEALTH for my child AND for his Mama & Daddy!