| "Mommy! We're ready for bed...please tuck us in!" For | | | | speeding the recovery of Mono. I took them and |
| most mothers, those words bring a sense of joy. For | | | | they helped with energy, but I still felt sick. By this |
| me, they brought stress and anxiety. I was so | | | | stage, I was in despair. I felt helpless, hopeless, |
| exhausted that even a simple request to kiss my | | | | frustrated, and over-whelmed. I prayed for healing |
| children seemed like more than I could bear. All Fall | | | | and asked friends at church to join me. That is when |
| and Winter, I had been in and out of the doctor's | | | | things began to change. |
| office with a series of infections ranging from strep | | | | While still waiting to get in with the rheumatologist, I |
| throat, to sinus, to bladder and kidney. Every time | | | | made an appointment for the family to see a new |
| that I entered the doctor's office, I left with anti-bio | | | | dentist who was closer to home that out previous |
| tics. This went on for months. As soon as I | | | | dentist. By the grace of God, he just happened to be |
| recovered from one infection, another would shortly | | | | holistic dentist! When Dr. Warden first met me, he |
| follow. | | | | noticed that I looked ill and was very concerned. My |
| If that was not bad enough, I was also suffering | | | | glands were swollen and my skin tone was gray. |
| from joint pain in my wrists, knees, and shoulders. | | | | Despite the fact that I had a cavity that needed to |
| The slightest strain or activity left me exhausted. I | | | | be filled, the dentist refused to treat me( because I |
| went to bed tired and woke up tired (I later learned | | | | was too sick). He said that I looked like a "tired Mom" |
| that this is Chronic Fatigue). Memory was a problem | | | | and needed to be stronger before he put me under |
| too! I could not retain anything that was not written | | | | the stress of having a cavity filled. |
| down or clearly in front of me. This went on for nine | | | | Dr. Warden was the first person the introduce me to |
| years before I began to discover answers. | | | | the concept of nutritional healing. He challenged me to |
| The most severe pain was in my right wrist. I had | | | | cut out all sugar and white starchy foods in order to |
| tried to ignore it or self-treat with sports wraps. | | | | allow my immune system to get stronger. This |
| Nothing helped. I was convinced that I had Carpel | | | | seemed like an impossible task, so he told me to try |
| Tunnel. My Faux Painting business was in jeopardy. | | | | it for one week and see how I felt. he also taught |
| How could I make a living if I could not tolerate the | | | | me that the cereal that I was eating for breakfast |
| pain in my wrist? In desperation, I went to the Bone | | | | (thinking it was healthy) was actually causing me to |
| and Joint Clinic. X-Rays and MRI showed no evidence | | | | crave carbs all day long. He showed me what he eats |
| of Carpel Tunnel, but they did detect Arthritis. At | | | | for breakfast and recommended I try it: A Protein |
| about the same time, I experienced a strange spell | | | | Powder Shake. My breakfast shake has evolved over |
| where I saw zig zag flashing lights! This really scared | | | | the years. I have a wonderful recipe posted on my |
| me. As soon as the episode stopped, I drove straight | | | | blog. |
| to the Walk -In Clinic. The doctor said that my | | | | I took his words to heart and began eating |
| symptoms sounded like a migraine headache. She | | | | differently. My response was swift and dramatic! I |
| prescibed medication and proceeded to run more | | | | began to regain my energy and vitality. My coloring |
| tests. My mother had died of a brain tumor, so we | | | | returned and the joint pain began to disappear. An |
| decided to run an MRI on the brain in addition to an | | | | interest in nutritional healing was born! I wanted to |
| assortment of blood tests. | | | | learn all I could. I scoured bookstores for information |
| The tests revealed that I was suffering from a | | | | on holistic healing, essential oils, herbs, vitamins, |
| relapse of Mononucleosis (first contracted when I | | | | homeopathy, and healthy eating. There are so many |
| was fifteen). The doctor told me to rest for a couple | | | | wonderful books available with helpful information for |
| of weeks, and I would feel better in time. She said | | | | people suffering from Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and |
| that nothing could be done to help speed up my | | | | Chronic Fatigue. |
| recovery. Several weeks went by and nothing | | | | My interest in nutritional healing soon developed into a |
| changed. I continued to feel completely exhausted. I | | | | passion. Five years later, the passion continues to |
| dragged myself back into the doctor's office about | | | | grow. The is no single person, book, or supplement |
| two months later. Additional tests were run which | | | | that has provided all the answers. Instead, healing and |
| revealed that I had some sort of arthritic | | | | recovery has been a process. God has led me on a |
| auto-immune disease. The Walk-In Clinic could offer | | | | journey that has involved gifts from several healers; |
| no further assistance, so they referred me to a | | | | including my dentist, nutritional counselors, |
| rheumatologist. | | | | chiropractors, and integrated doctors and nurses. I |
| Rheumatologists are very busy people. It takes | | | | have also learned about supplements and foods to |
| about two months to get an appointment with one. | | | | support the healing of my digestive tract, thyroid, |
| After scheduling an appointment, I decided to do | | | | and nervous system. In future articles, I plan to share |
| some research on my condition. I found some | | | | more details about healing and recovery without |
| supplements on line that were recommended for | | | | pharmaceuticals. |