New Living Can Create New Healing

Two nights before Thanksgiving my Dad wound up in the emergency room due to tightness in his chest and cold sweats. This wasn't the first time he'd felt that, but this time he decided he should go in and be seen. After lots of tests and a couple nights stay in the hospital, it was determined that he would need a quadruple bypass surgery. Luckily, he was doing well overall and was released on Thanksgiving Day scheduled to return a week later for the surgery. After less than 7 hours on the day of the surgery, he was out and in recovery. As soon as we were allowed, my mom and I saw him while he was still sedated. While it was great that he was out of surgery, the sight we saw was a grave reminder that there was still a long way to go before he was in the clear. There were dozens of tubes and needles attached him as well as a breathing tube in his mouth. Seeing my Dad in this state was a bit of a reality shock. Amazingly, he had a very quick recovery and was released home in less than 5 days!

I was currently on the same path. At 29 years old, I was at least 70lbs overweight experiencing symptoms that indicated my body wasn't functioning as it should.

That event got me thinking about how heart issues run in my family. Both of my Dad's parents had heart issues and at least one procedure each, including stents and bypass surgery. Having seen the seriousness of the surgery with my Dad, I was more aware than ever that I do not want to go the same route. However, I was currently on the same path. At 29 years old, I was at least 70lbs overweight experiencing symptoms that indicated my body wasn't functioning as it should. To give me more insight into what was actually "wrong" with me, I decided to take a couple of basic steps to invest in my health and get a basic physical, which I hadn't had in years, and get lab work completed. 

I chose to test over 100 biomarkers independently from my physician. Luckily, most biomarkers were considered "in range" and "healthy", but a few significant markers related to my heart and other inflammation were not in range. My High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was a 4.7. It's supposed to be less than 1! Boom. That was one major slap in the face. Yet at the same time, it was nice to see that there really was something off with my body. I felt that something wasn't right, but other than my weight, traditional medicine wouldn't think much of me as an ill person. For example, my physical didn't have any red flags that needed any immediate follow up. It's amazing how so much can be well with the body and it seems to function fine, but having the "wrong" things unwell can create a significant negative impact on feeling good overall. 

My High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was a 4.7. It's supposed to be less than 1!

I received those results back in March, but I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. I could have gone to my doctor, but I had a primary who wasn't a holistic or integrative doctor and I didn't want to put up a fight trying to convince them that something was wrong and that medication is not the answer. However, with my symptoms and the new the lab work, I knew I needed to do something, but didn't know what. I'd been successful with a couple different weight loss programs in the past, but the weight always came back, and usually with a vengeance. More important than weight loss though, those programs weren't focusing on my health as a whole and didn't take hormones and the gut into account. Considering I'd had some of my symptoms even when I was "skinny", such as debilitating cramps, it stood to reason that my health issues weren't just a weight problem.

Knowing it wasn't just weight, I faced the problem of not knowing what to do. I knew my diet was a significant factor and I wanted to make changes, but it was a bit overwhelming...especially as an emotional eater. Rather than make any immediate or drastic changes, I tried to be conscious of what I was eating and at least eat "less bad" even if it wasn't good for me, and take the time to research what I wanted to do. I wanted to find what seemed like a good fit for both the short term and the long term. After a few months of reflection and some "University of YouTube", I stumbled upon an ancestral nutritionist and hormone specialist. After watching numerous videos of her and learning about her approach, I found myself gaining more motivation than I had in years to make a drastic change in my diet for the sake of my health. The program she presented was both for weight loss and healing the gut. It was simple, but strict. I took a month of preparing before I actually started the program.

I need a new way of living to create a new way of healing.

In addition to a recent change in the way I eat, I'm working on other changes in lifestyle and healing, such as regular therapy appointments, more sunlight, reducing stress, and going to sleep at an earlier time. Sometimes, it feels like a lot all at once, but it's a good thing and I know it's for the better. Perhaps you've heard the saying, "nothing changes if nothing changes", and that's led me to think I need a new way of living to create a new way of healing. I don't want to end up on the operating table like my Dad or be diagnosed with a chronic illness like my Mom. Every change I make for the better now, will set me up for a healthier life going forward. Even though a new way of living might seem weird to others and requires more work than the cultural norms, my healing is more important than what other people think and is worth overcoming minor inconveniences for.