Mar 27, 2011
Happy Happy Birthday!
March is a big month for us. We have 2 birthdays only 5 days apart. The kids love this and we usually are all hopped up on sugar for a good week straight! This year Lauren was sick on her birthday. She spent most of the day sleeping or crying. She was not a happy camper. So against everything we belive in, we decided to celebrate both Ian and Laurens birthday on the same day. We were babysitting some good friends of ours kids so it was a built in party. Everyone had a blast, no one puked, and everyone waited till the next day to resume being sick. Success!
Happy Happy Birthday!
March is a big month for us. We have 2 birthdays only 5 days apart. The kids love this and we usually are all hopped up on sugar for a good week straight! This year Lauren was sick on her birthday. She spent most of the day sleeping or crying. She was not a happy camper. So against everything we belive in, we decided to celebrate both Ian and Laurens birthday on the same day. We were babysitting some good friends of ours kids so it was a built in party. Everyone had a blast, no one puked, and everyone waited till the next day to resume being sick. Success!
Mar 26, 2011
Nutritional Healing- Endometriosis part 3
The other night my grandma called to share her experience with Endometriosis (and a funny line about a playground, thanks for that Grandma I've had a few good chuckles over that one!). She reads my blog and therefore has read my other healing posts about Endo. She basically said that Endo is a disease, you can't get rid of it and you can't heal it with food. This is true so I thought I would expound a bit if anyone else is under the impression that you can cure yourself.
Endo is a disease that most Dr.'s don't even understand . The nature of the disease is something that does not fit into a regular pattern as it varies drastically from woman to woman. No one is sure why it happens to some and not to others even within the same family. Because of the erratic nature of Endo, there isn't one thing that works 100% of the time for 100% of women. Because Endo deals with an overgrowth of cells you can eradicate it or even guess where it will move next (some women have Endo on their lungs because it has traveled from the pelvis upward!). When diagnosing Endo there are two main groups of advice you are given once you are diagnosed. First, laproscopy or hysterectomy. This advice is generally used for those who have severe Endo. The second group (and one I belong in) is cope, get by as best you can for as long as you can. This is what many women choose to do because they may want children or do not want to take hormone therapy.
For me the choice was a little trickier. My choice is not as black and white (though I wish it were). Unlike many other sufferers I do not have endo (that we know of) on my uterus, it is predominately on my left ovary and bowel. They figure the Endo spread through one of my 4 c-section as I did not have issues prior to pregnancy (although that may not be the case, speculation at this point). Anyway because it is not more contained to my reproductive organs a hysterectomy is not really a good idea. If I were to remove my ovary, the Endo on my bowel would still spread, most likely the a wild fire, after the surgery. At this point the coping option is my best option. Because I am very against medicine, especially hormones, taking birth control to control my monthly cycles is out of the question. I also am not a pain pill popper. I do take it when absolutely necessary but I usually have to be crying before I resort to it. I am a firm believer that if our bodies are in good condition, fed nutrient dense natural foods and if we exercise regularly, we can usually handle what comes our way. This is why I have chosen to cope by being proactive in my diet and exercise.
For me this has been a great blessing. This month is the first month since October that I have not been in horrible pain. In fact this is the first month that I have not spent 2 days writhing in pain in bed. This is the first month that I have been able to walk, laugh, cough, sneeze or bounce since last October. I will carry this disease with me till the day I die but I refuse to let it control my life (even just couple days of the month!).
I attribute these changes to my diet and to chiropractics. I have been going to the Chiropractor since the first of March, multiple times a week, and I feel incredible. The normal pelvic pain is gone and cramps lasted 30 minutes! I am not the only one who has had positive results with this treatment (although my treatment is for other issues). Check out these links for more information. I encourage anyone dealing with Endo to be proactive in their care. If you are in the hysterectomy group, educate yourselves on the entire process and life afterward. If you are in the cope group, educate yourself about all the options for leading a full, healthy and pain free life. There are always other options than popping a Tylenol, check them out! And if you are so inclined head to the Chiropractor, its amazing!
Endo is a disease that most Dr.'s don't even understand . The nature of the disease is something that does not fit into a regular pattern as it varies drastically from woman to woman. No one is sure why it happens to some and not to others even within the same family. Because of the erratic nature of Endo, there isn't one thing that works 100% of the time for 100% of women. Because Endo deals with an overgrowth of cells you can eradicate it or even guess where it will move next (some women have Endo on their lungs because it has traveled from the pelvis upward!). When diagnosing Endo there are two main groups of advice you are given once you are diagnosed. First, laproscopy or hysterectomy. This advice is generally used for those who have severe Endo. The second group (and one I belong in) is cope, get by as best you can for as long as you can. This is what many women choose to do because they may want children or do not want to take hormone therapy.
For me the choice was a little trickier. My choice is not as black and white (though I wish it were). Unlike many other sufferers I do not have endo (that we know of) on my uterus, it is predominately on my left ovary and bowel. They figure the Endo spread through one of my 4 c-section as I did not have issues prior to pregnancy (although that may not be the case, speculation at this point). Anyway because it is not more contained to my reproductive organs a hysterectomy is not really a good idea. If I were to remove my ovary, the Endo on my bowel would still spread, most likely the a wild fire, after the surgery. At this point the coping option is my best option. Because I am very against medicine, especially hormones, taking birth control to control my monthly cycles is out of the question. I also am not a pain pill popper. I do take it when absolutely necessary but I usually have to be crying before I resort to it. I am a firm believer that if our bodies are in good condition, fed nutrient dense natural foods and if we exercise regularly, we can usually handle what comes our way. This is why I have chosen to cope by being proactive in my diet and exercise.
For me this has been a great blessing. This month is the first month since October that I have not been in horrible pain. In fact this is the first month that I have not spent 2 days writhing in pain in bed. This is the first month that I have been able to walk, laugh, cough, sneeze or bounce since last October. I will carry this disease with me till the day I die but I refuse to let it control my life (even just couple days of the month!).
I attribute these changes to my diet and to chiropractics. I have been going to the Chiropractor since the first of March, multiple times a week, and I feel incredible. The normal pelvic pain is gone and cramps lasted 30 minutes! I am not the only one who has had positive results with this treatment (although my treatment is for other issues). Check out these links for more information. I encourage anyone dealing with Endo to be proactive in their care. If you are in the hysterectomy group, educate yourselves on the entire process and life afterward. If you are in the cope group, educate yourself about all the options for leading a full, healthy and pain free life. There are always other options than popping a Tylenol, check them out! And if you are so inclined head to the Chiropractor, its amazing!
Nutritional Healing- Endometriosis part 3
The other night my grandma called to share her experience with Endometriosis (and a funny line about a playground, thanks for that Grandma I've had a few good chuckles over that one!). She reads my blog and therefore has read my other healing posts about Endo. She basically said that Endo is a disease, you can't get rid of it and you can't heal it with food. This is true so I thought I would expound a bit if anyone else is under the impression that you can cure yourself.
Endo is a disease that most Dr.'s don't even understand . The nature of the disease is something that does not fit into a regular pattern as it varies drastically from woman to woman. No one is sure why it happens to some and not to others even within the same family. Because of the erratic nature of Endo, there isn't one thing that works 100% of the time for 100% of women. Because Endo deals with an overgrowth of cells you can eradicate it or even guess where it will move next (some women have Endo on their lungs because it has traveled from the pelvis upward!). When diagnosing Endo there are two main groups of advice you are given once you are diagnosed. First, laproscopy or hysterectomy. This advice is generally used for those who have severe Endo. The second group (and one I belong in) is cope, get by as best you can for as long as you can. This is what many women choose to do because they may want children or do not want to take hormone therapy.
For me the choice was a little trickier. My choice is not as black and white (though I wish it were). Unlike many other sufferers I do not have endo (that we know of) on my uterus, it is predominately on my left ovary and bowel. They figure the Endo spread through one of my 4 c-section as I did not have issues prior to pregnancy (although that may not be the case, speculation at this point). Anyway because it is not more contained to my reproductive organs a hysterectomy is not really a good idea. If I were to remove my ovary, the Endo on my bowel would still spread, most likely the a wild fire, after the surgery. At this point the coping option is my best option. Because I am very against medicine, especially hormones, taking birth control to control my monthly cycles is out of the question. I also am not a pain pill popper. I do take it when absolutely necessary but I usually have to be crying before I resort to it. I am a firm believer that if our bodies are in good condition, fed nutrient dense natural foods and if we exercise regularly, we can usually handle what comes our way. This is why I have chosen to cope by being proactive in my diet and exercise.
For me this has been a great blessing. This month is the first month since October that I have not been in horrible pain. In fact this is the first month that I have not spent 2 days writhing in pain in bed. This is the first month that I have been able to walk, laugh, cough, sneeze or bounce since last October. I will carry this disease with me till the day I die but I refuse to let it control my life (even just couple days of the month!).
I attribute these changes to my diet and to chiropractics. I have been going to the Chiropractor since the first of March, multiple times a week, and I feel incredible. The normal pelvic pain is gone and cramps lasted 30 minutes! I am not the only one who has had positive results with this treatment (although my treatment is for other issues). Check out these links for more information. I encourage anyone dealing with Endo to be proactive in their care. If you are in the hysterectomy group, educate yourselves on the entire process and life afterward. If you are in the cope group, educate yourself about all the options for leading a full, healthy and pain free life. There are always other options than popping a Tylenol, check them out! And if you are so inclined head to the Chiropractor, its amazing!
Endo is a disease that most Dr.'s don't even understand . The nature of the disease is something that does not fit into a regular pattern as it varies drastically from woman to woman. No one is sure why it happens to some and not to others even within the same family. Because of the erratic nature of Endo, there isn't one thing that works 100% of the time for 100% of women. Because Endo deals with an overgrowth of cells you can eradicate it or even guess where it will move next (some women have Endo on their lungs because it has traveled from the pelvis upward!). When diagnosing Endo there are two main groups of advice you are given once you are diagnosed. First, laproscopy or hysterectomy. This advice is generally used for those who have severe Endo. The second group (and one I belong in) is cope, get by as best you can for as long as you can. This is what many women choose to do because they may want children or do not want to take hormone therapy.
For me the choice was a little trickier. My choice is not as black and white (though I wish it were). Unlike many other sufferers I do not have endo (that we know of) on my uterus, it is predominately on my left ovary and bowel. They figure the Endo spread through one of my 4 c-section as I did not have issues prior to pregnancy (although that may not be the case, speculation at this point). Anyway because it is not more contained to my reproductive organs a hysterectomy is not really a good idea. If I were to remove my ovary, the Endo on my bowel would still spread, most likely the a wild fire, after the surgery. At this point the coping option is my best option. Because I am very against medicine, especially hormones, taking birth control to control my monthly cycles is out of the question. I also am not a pain pill popper. I do take it when absolutely necessary but I usually have to be crying before I resort to it. I am a firm believer that if our bodies are in good condition, fed nutrient dense natural foods and if we exercise regularly, we can usually handle what comes our way. This is why I have chosen to cope by being proactive in my diet and exercise.
For me this has been a great blessing. This month is the first month since October that I have not been in horrible pain. In fact this is the first month that I have not spent 2 days writhing in pain in bed. This is the first month that I have been able to walk, laugh, cough, sneeze or bounce since last October. I will carry this disease with me till the day I die but I refuse to let it control my life (even just couple days of the month!).
I attribute these changes to my diet and to chiropractics. I have been going to the Chiropractor since the first of March, multiple times a week, and I feel incredible. The normal pelvic pain is gone and cramps lasted 30 minutes! I am not the only one who has had positive results with this treatment (although my treatment is for other issues). Check out these links for more information. I encourage anyone dealing with Endo to be proactive in their care. If you are in the hysterectomy group, educate yourselves on the entire process and life afterward. If you are in the cope group, educate yourself about all the options for leading a full, healthy and pain free life. There are always other options than popping a Tylenol, check them out! And if you are so inclined head to the Chiropractor, its amazing!
Mar 25, 2011
Out the back door
{The beautiful girls that would have started laying anytime had they made it through the first 2 weeks. The speckled one now lives about a mile down the road on a very pastoral setting surrounded by trees. She caught a ride in my brothers truck and jumped out when she saw fit. I have a feeling she isn't coming back}
{I just loved the color of this picture.}
{We live in an old house that was the original house built on this homestead 3 generations ago. On the property are quiet a few old buildings. This is the old chicken coop built on the back of the main barn.}
{We have a few old posts and gates still left from the corralls.}
{We have lots of leaning fences here. Some with assorted colors of moss and others without. Either way I am a fan of leaning fences and will take many pictures.}
Out the back door
{The beautiful girls that would have started laying anytime had they made it through the first 2 weeks. The speckled one now lives about a mile down the road on a very pastoral setting surrounded by trees. She caught a ride in my brothers truck and jumped out when she saw fit. I have a feeling she isn't coming back}
{I just loved the color of this picture.}
{We live in an old house that was the original house built on this homestead 3 generations ago. On the property are quiet a few old buildings. This is the old chicken coop built on the back of the main barn.}
{We have a few old posts and gates still left from the corralls.}
{We have lots of leaning fences here. Some with assorted colors of moss and others without. Either way I am a fan of leaning fences and will take many pictures.}
Mar 17, 2011
We're in business
WOW! What a week it has been! We moved to our new town a few weeks ago to work for a friend in their carpet cleaning business. With some sudden twists and turns we signed papers yesterday and we now own the business! :)
What a change this is for us but we are looking forward to it. Times are a little tight right now as it is still winter here however the phones have slowly started picking up. So if you have the mind to, keep us in your prayers/thoughts. This is a big under taking and we can use all the help we can get! :)
And if you happen to be in Southeast Idaho, ring us (or comment), well cut you a deal! ;)
Next task: Learn to multi-task answering phones, gardening, homeschooling, and sewing. Something tells me this will be a sharp learning curve!
What a change this is for us but we are looking forward to it. Times are a little tight right now as it is still winter here however the phones have slowly started picking up. So if you have the mind to, keep us in your prayers/thoughts. This is a big under taking and we can use all the help we can get! :)
And if you happen to be in Southeast Idaho, ring us (or comment), well cut you a deal! ;)
Next task: Learn to multi-task answering phones, gardening, homeschooling, and sewing. Something tells me this will be a sharp learning curve!
We're in business
WOW! What a week it has been! We moved to our new town a few weeks ago to work for a friend in their carpet cleaning business. With some sudden twists and turns we signed papers yesterday and we now own the business! :)
What a change this is for us but we are looking forward to it. Times are a little tight right now as it is still winter here however the phones have slowly started picking up. So if you have the mind to, keep us in your prayers/thoughts. This is a big under taking and we can use all the help we can get! :)
And if you happen to be in Southeast Idaho, ring us (or comment), well cut you a deal! ;)
Next task: Learn to multi-task answering phones, gardening, homeschooling, and sewing. Something tells me this will be a sharp learning curve!
What a change this is for us but we are looking forward to it. Times are a little tight right now as it is still winter here however the phones have slowly started picking up. So if you have the mind to, keep us in your prayers/thoughts. This is a big under taking and we can use all the help we can get! :)
And if you happen to be in Southeast Idaho, ring us (or comment), well cut you a deal! ;)
Next task: Learn to multi-task answering phones, gardening, homeschooling, and sewing. Something tells me this will be a sharp learning curve!
Mar 16, 2011
Winter in the house
{Hard at work...}
{Playing superman}
{Laina is always on tip-toes....it's easier to climb this way.}
Winter in the house
{Hard at work...}
{Playing superman}
{Laina is always on tip-toes....it's easier to climb this way.}
Mar 6, 2011
Nutritional Healing- Endometriosis Part 2
As I posted last month in this post I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do nutritionally for Endo. I have continued to read medical journals, holistic information, and as much "been there done that" info as I can.
Two weeks ago I was again laid up because of the Endo. The great thing about it though? I was only down for 1 day, that's it! I took pain killer that one day but after that nothing was needed. The pain was still there but it was much more tolerable. Even the kids mentioned how much better I was this time around.
So what have I done differently between January and February? Vegetables. TONS of them. With every single lunch and dinner I would pile on a plateful of salad, double up on carrot sticks, eat and apple and a half instead of just one (yes I know that example is a fruit), etc. I ditched all dairy except an occasional piece of dye free cheese and Greek yogurt. I stopped eating lunch meats completely and cut any meat portions in half with the exception of Salmon. I made sure that every single morning started with a protein/fiber filled breakfast. Fiber is essential, even more than normally recommended! (Even if you think you don't need more, you do!)
Now I am a vegetable lover and even at my lowest point of vegetable interest I still eat a lot more than the SAD (standard American diet). I think it is important to make vegetables the key point in all meals. Stuff an omelet with mushrooms, spinach, peppers and onions. Eat a loaded veggie sandwich for lunch with vegetable sticks and a V-8 and then dine on a veggie taco instead of a shredded beef burrito.
Next step in healing endo? I am adding chiropractic care this month and exercise. Chiropractic care? Yup. I injured my back this last week and after 2 sessions symptoms like bloating disappeared. Was it circumstantial? Could have been but if it is going to help then I am going to do it! The back injury was partly caused by poor ab muscles. This month is ab month at my house! For the next 4 weeks I am going to be working on exercising every single day, twice a day. In the morning will be a cardio workout to burn extra fat (which causes estrogen levels to rise) and night will be a Pilates stretch routine that will help keep muscles flexible and limber. Exercising releases endorphins with act as natural pain killers, the more you exercise (within reason obviously) the happier you are and theoretically the less pain you should feel. How that will equate with Endo I am not sure.
So until next month you know my plan. I will post again in about 5 weeks and share with you any changes/ideas that have happened. For those of you who have found your way to my blog because you are looking for nutritional healing please let a comment or become a follower. The more information we can share regarding Endo and healing the better off we all will be.
Here's to a pain free week and lots of veggie love! :)
Two weeks ago I was again laid up because of the Endo. The great thing about it though? I was only down for 1 day, that's it! I took pain killer that one day but after that nothing was needed. The pain was still there but it was much more tolerable. Even the kids mentioned how much better I was this time around.
So what have I done differently between January and February? Vegetables. TONS of them. With every single lunch and dinner I would pile on a plateful of salad, double up on carrot sticks, eat and apple and a half instead of just one (yes I know that example is a fruit), etc. I ditched all dairy except an occasional piece of dye free cheese and Greek yogurt. I stopped eating lunch meats completely and cut any meat portions in half with the exception of Salmon. I made sure that every single morning started with a protein/fiber filled breakfast. Fiber is essential, even more than normally recommended! (Even if you think you don't need more, you do!)
Now I am a vegetable lover and even at my lowest point of vegetable interest I still eat a lot more than the SAD (standard American diet). I think it is important to make vegetables the key point in all meals. Stuff an omelet with mushrooms, spinach, peppers and onions. Eat a loaded veggie sandwich for lunch with vegetable sticks and a V-8 and then dine on a veggie taco instead of a shredded beef burrito.
Next step in healing endo? I am adding chiropractic care this month and exercise. Chiropractic care? Yup. I injured my back this last week and after 2 sessions symptoms like bloating disappeared. Was it circumstantial? Could have been but if it is going to help then I am going to do it! The back injury was partly caused by poor ab muscles. This month is ab month at my house! For the next 4 weeks I am going to be working on exercising every single day, twice a day. In the morning will be a cardio workout to burn extra fat (which causes estrogen levels to rise) and night will be a Pilates stretch routine that will help keep muscles flexible and limber. Exercising releases endorphins with act as natural pain killers, the more you exercise (within reason obviously) the happier you are and theoretically the less pain you should feel. How that will equate with Endo I am not sure.
So until next month you know my plan. I will post again in about 5 weeks and share with you any changes/ideas that have happened. For those of you who have found your way to my blog because you are looking for nutritional healing please let a comment or become a follower. The more information we can share regarding Endo and healing the better off we all will be.
Here's to a pain free week and lots of veggie love! :)
Nutritional Healing- Endometriosis Part 2
As I posted last month in this post I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do nutritionally for Endo. I have continued to read medical journals, holistic information, and as much "been there done that" info as I can.
Two weeks ago I was again laid up because of the Endo. The great thing about it though? I was only down for 1 day, that's it! I took pain killer that one day but after that nothing was needed. The pain was still there but it was much more tolerable. Even the kids mentioned how much better I was this time around.
So what have I done differently between January and February? Vegetables. TONS of them. With every single lunch and dinner I would pile on a plateful of salad, double up on carrot sticks, eat and apple and a half instead of just one (yes I know that example is a fruit), etc. I ditched all dairy except an occasional piece of dye free cheese and Greek yogurt. I stopped eating lunch meats completely and cut any meat portions in half with the exception of Salmon. I made sure that every single morning started with a protein/fiber filled breakfast. Fiber is essential, even more than normally recommended! (Even if you think you don't need more, you do!)
Now I am a vegetable lover and even at my lowest point of vegetable interest I still eat a lot more than the SAD (standard American diet). I think it is important to make vegetables the key point in all meals. Stuff an omelet with mushrooms, spinach, peppers and onions. Eat a loaded veggie sandwich for lunch with vegetable sticks and a V-8 and then dine on a veggie taco instead of a shredded beef burrito.
Next step in healing endo? I am adding chiropractic care this month and exercise. Chiropractic care? Yup. I injured my back this last week and after 2 sessions symptoms like bloating disappeared. Was it circumstantial? Could have been but if it is going to help then I am going to do it! The back injury was partly caused by poor ab muscles. This month is ab month at my house! For the next 4 weeks I am going to be working on exercising every single day, twice a day. In the morning will be a cardio workout to burn extra fat (which causes estrogen levels to rise) and night will be a Pilates stretch routine that will help keep muscles flexible and limber. Exercising releases endorphins with act as natural pain killers, the more you exercise (within reason obviously) the happier you are and theoretically the less pain you should feel. How that will equate with Endo I am not sure.
So until next month you know my plan. I will post again in about 5 weeks and share with you any changes/ideas that have happened. For those of you who have found your way to my blog because you are looking for nutritional healing please let a comment or become a follower. The more information we can share regarding Endo and healing the better off we all will be.
Here's to a pain free week and lots of veggie love! :)
Two weeks ago I was again laid up because of the Endo. The great thing about it though? I was only down for 1 day, that's it! I took pain killer that one day but after that nothing was needed. The pain was still there but it was much more tolerable. Even the kids mentioned how much better I was this time around.
So what have I done differently between January and February? Vegetables. TONS of them. With every single lunch and dinner I would pile on a plateful of salad, double up on carrot sticks, eat and apple and a half instead of just one (yes I know that example is a fruit), etc. I ditched all dairy except an occasional piece of dye free cheese and Greek yogurt. I stopped eating lunch meats completely and cut any meat portions in half with the exception of Salmon. I made sure that every single morning started with a protein/fiber filled breakfast. Fiber is essential, even more than normally recommended! (Even if you think you don't need more, you do!)
Now I am a vegetable lover and even at my lowest point of vegetable interest I still eat a lot more than the SAD (standard American diet). I think it is important to make vegetables the key point in all meals. Stuff an omelet with mushrooms, spinach, peppers and onions. Eat a loaded veggie sandwich for lunch with vegetable sticks and a V-8 and then dine on a veggie taco instead of a shredded beef burrito.
Next step in healing endo? I am adding chiropractic care this month and exercise. Chiropractic care? Yup. I injured my back this last week and after 2 sessions symptoms like bloating disappeared. Was it circumstantial? Could have been but if it is going to help then I am going to do it! The back injury was partly caused by poor ab muscles. This month is ab month at my house! For the next 4 weeks I am going to be working on exercising every single day, twice a day. In the morning will be a cardio workout to burn extra fat (which causes estrogen levels to rise) and night will be a Pilates stretch routine that will help keep muscles flexible and limber. Exercising releases endorphins with act as natural pain killers, the more you exercise (within reason obviously) the happier you are and theoretically the less pain you should feel. How that will equate with Endo I am not sure.
So until next month you know my plan. I will post again in about 5 weeks and share with you any changes/ideas that have happened. For those of you who have found your way to my blog because you are looking for nutritional healing please let a comment or become a follower. The more information we can share regarding Endo and healing the better off we all will be.
Here's to a pain free week and lots of veggie love! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)