My Story... And It's Only the Beginning

Maybe some of you have forgotten what is wrong with me, or maybe you never knew, but I feel like I should tell you, because that is the whole reason why I have started this blog.

The reason why I am going through all of these therapies and trying new ways to reduce discomfort is because I have been diagnosed with two severe illnesses. They are not life threatening, but they are a threat to my quality of life, which is threatening to my life and how I live it.

I was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition that spans throughout my entire chest and upper torso. It affects my muscles, cartilage, and all tissues in my upper body. Doctors did not believe that I was physically sick; they thought I was mentally unstable because none of the tests they ran showed signs of illness. They referred me to psychiatrists and diagnosed me with Anxiety and Depression. Since it took the doctors over a year to diagnose my inflammatory diagnosis, the condition caused further damage to my body. The inflammation caused the nerves in my body to become agitated and damaged. (Nerve pain is the worst!) And since nerves are all over the body, the damage spans throughout my entire body too, causing me yet another painful diagnosis. One condition caused by the other. If it was not for my rheumatologist I would have never gotten the help I need. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

This journey I am on is more than just a road to figuring out how to deal with my aches and pains every day. It is more than diets and therapies and medications - it is deeper than that. I am also having to psychologically move past the fears and resistances in my head towards a new life with my conditions. My whole life has been turned up side down and I've been questioning the direction my life is headed and if I am pursuing the right career for me. And more importantly, this has been a spiritual journey, one with dark and depressing times, where I did not feel God was there and that I was just sitting in the dark all alone. This illness has dared me to question who I am, what I stand for, what I want out of life, and if I am ready to stand up and fight for it. And until recently, I didn't have the strength, the faith, or the passion to care about moving on with my life and fighting to survive. But after some major soul searching and creating my own philosophies on life, I have become anew. I have had some major epiphanies. I know that I will have to live my life with these pains, and every day I feel something horrible and new, and it's scary, but I am accepting that and moving on. I deserve to live my life with happiness and joy, and no stupid illness is going to hold me back from my dreams!

I have definitely learned that I want to be the kind of nurse that believes in my patients. In nursing school they taught us that you should always believe that if your patient says that they're sick in pain, you should believe them. It's appalling to know that so many healthcare professionals don't concur with this training. And because of their apathy and business card handouts to psychiatrists, I now have TWO conditions that affect my entire body. Though it has caused me to be too sick to complete my senior year of nursing school, I know nursing is the career for me and I am going back to get my BSN degree! God has helped me through this illness, he makes sure I wake up every morning, and I believe he will help me use my experiences to advocate for and better understand my patients. I am using my illness as a tool to help others, not treating it as the end-all diagnosis.

I will be triumphant. I already am. Every step I take in the grocery store is even an achievement. (In the beginning of my illness's diagnosis I couldn't even go to the grocery store!) As I embrace my new body I embrace a new way of life, and I have a new positive attitude and some spunk that goes with it! Confidence is key, and I have full faith that my journey will take me to right where I need to be.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. Through the good times and the bad times you have stood by my side and I appreciate it more than words can say. You are all amazing and I cherish your love.

Now go out there and inspire the world!

Chelsea <3

*Today's Happy Thought: OPTIMISM!

Cabbage Therapy Review

Hello fellow Cabbage Patch Kids! I am here to give you my honest opinion and the result of the cabbage therapy I have recently been trying. Have any of you tried it yet? I would love to see what you think of it!

I tried this therapy quite a few times, actually. I think it is best to test a product out multiple times so you can get a more true-to-life answer on how it works. I ended up using cabbage therapy in the evenings for 2-4 hours at a time. I hurt worse at night when it is the end of my day, so that is when I chose to implement the use of cabbage therapy. The length of time the therapy was applied for was basically determined on how bad my pain was at the end of the day - the more intense pain needed the longer amount of time.

I followed the same instructions for the therapy that I gave you all in my previous post. I would apply the cabbage leaves to the desired area and then hold them in place with plastic wrap. I applied my therapy to my upper arms and shoulders, which is where I have been hurting the most lately. Since that is the case, I would sit down and work on paper and computer work because I didn't want to do too much moving and cause the leaves to slide off of my arm. I would then remove the cabbage whenever I felt my pain had subsided.

After multiple tries, I have decided that this is a therapy I would definitely recommend and will continue to use. At first I was very skeptical, as most probably are, but now I am a believer in cabbage! I am going to relate this to Arnica, a lotion I have posted a review on before, because, like Arnica, cabbage therapy works best on muscle pain, not as much on nerve pain. Nerve pain is a special, different kind of discomfort, but when it comes to painful, inflamed muscles the cabbage can really do the trick. This is definitely a cheap therapy that has helped me to sleep through the night on even some of the worst nights. Though this might not be able to cure your sharpest, worst pain, it can dull it down to a manageable level, which is pretty awesome considering it's a vegetable!

The only negative comment I can say about cabbage therapy is that you might smell like cabbage during use. Since your body is about 98.5 degrees, placing cabbage on your body can warm up the veggie and "cook" it slightly to the point where you can smell it, but once the leaves are removed the smell is gone.

I am pleasantly surprised it worked so well; it is a home-remedy that I will be sure to continue. Keeping cabbage around will definitely help me to eat this food more regularly, which is a plus because it is very healthy for you!

Have you tried cabbage therapy yet? If so, I would love to hear how it works for you! If not, go ahead and give it a try! What have you got to lose?!

Thank you guys so much for reading and I will talk with ya soon!

Chelsea <3

*Today's Happy Thought: SPRINGTIME (The trees are green, the flowers are blooming, and the critters are out and singing all day. Pure bliss.)

This is what I love to do on the weekends! I prop up my feet
and enjoy my beautiful backyard! I love this time of year!
[Photo By: Chelsea <3]

Cabbage Therapy

The time has come! Cabbage therapy is finally happening! I found the green cabbage leaves needed to test this therapy out and I am so excited to share my experience with you all! I hope you guys are as excited about it as I am, because I am super stoked!

Cabbage has been used topically and internally throughout hundreds of years in history because of its anti-inflammatory effects. It is supposed to help heal the body and lessen pain. Cabbage therapy has become quite popular recently and has even been mentioned on the television show The Doctors. As a greater number of people are searching for homeopathic-type routes to medicine, these more at-home treatments will easily become popular home remedies for many families. What I am trying to do is experiment with the idea that cabbage fights pain and see if it works as well for me as it does for others.

The cabbage therapy I am planning to test out is the topical therapy, which is when you place the outer green leaves of the cabbage on a painful area of the body to reduce pain. Below are the step by step directions you can follow to try the topical cabbage therapy out for yourself. (All of the photos listed are of me going through the steps too!)

So, here goes nothin'. :) Let's put this cabbage to the pain-killing test!

STEPS TO TOPICAL CABBAGE THERAPY

Step 1: Find a green head of cabbage. The greener the better! (The greener the leaves, the more nutrients and anti-inflammatory factors it contains.)

Step 2: Remove the outer green leaves from the cabbage. Only use the outside leaves because they are the greenest!

Step 3: Pull out a sheet of plastic wrap and place it on a hard, flat surface.

Step 4: Place the cabbage on the plastic wrap.

Step 5: Take a rolling pin, or a similar type object, and roll over the cabbage leaves with firm yet gentle pressure. (I ended up using a can of pineapple juice!) The point to this step is to roll over the leaves just enough until the "juice" is released.
Take note: once you see liquid you must stop rolling, otherwise you will lose too much of the juice and the therapy will be unsuccessful.

Rolling on top of the cabbage leaves.

What the cabbage leaf should look
like once the juice is released.
(It may be hard to see the liquid via photograph.)

Step 6: Place the rolled out cabbage leaves on desired area of the body. Hold the leaves in place for as long as it takes to feel relief. (I am placing the cabbage on my arm and using plastic wrap to keep my leaves from moving.)

Step 7: When the pain has subsided, remove the leaves from the area.

FIN!!

I will give you an update on how well I felt cabbage therapy worked for me after a few trail runs! I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is successful! If cabbage can help relieve my aches and pains, this will be fabulously cheap medicine! ;)

Until next time, go buy some cabbages!!

                                                       Chelsea <3

*TODAY'S HAPPY THOUGHT: Organization
(Nothing feels better than knowing that everything is put away in its rightful place and your world is tidy and neat.)

I Am Titanium!

My my my. It has been a while since we have last spoken! Happy, late, 2014! I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the new year!

Cabbage Update: I am still on the hunt for green cabbage. I hope to make a farmer's market trip in the near future. it's about 45 minutes away from where I live, but I am determined to see how cabbage therapy works and to give you guys my honest opinion! So hold tight, I haven't forgotten!

Today I really want to talk about anger. I know for most of you anger is a natural thing. Something happens that makes you frustrated and then you feel anger. Well, I have to admit, anger is one of the most foreign feelings I've ever had in my life! Never do I feel angry! I have always been the type of person who is more sensitive than that, so instead of anger I felt: foolish, embarrassed, frustrated, sad, disappointed, wounded... but angry?! NEVER! Except since this past year when I discovered my illness.

I guess it all comes from the stages of grief. An illness, whether chronic or terminal or short-term, can cause major grief. You have lost the life of good health, sometimes forever, and you then spiral into the stages of grief, which are 1) Denial and Isolation 2) Anger 3) Bargaining 4) Depression 5)Acceptance.

You would think that after over a year of knowing and understanding my illness that I would be at the acceptance stage by now, and I have to say I am, but for some reason I keep regressing back to stage 2, anger. It's as if all of the anger I should have felt throughout my 24 years of life has all been compacted into one big burst of energy and it just decided to come out now.

I feel like I have the right to be angry!! I had a beautiful life with an amazing future. I was in college, I was in my senior year of nursing school, I had a great potential job at the hospital I completed my externship, and then.. BOOM! It all came crashing down. I suddenly was so sick I couldn't complete school. I had to leave nursing school right before the end of my first semester of senior year, and who knows what the hospital floor I worked on will think about me now. And worst of all, I have to completely START OVER NURSING SCHOOL! And as far as transferring to another college, most likely I will have to RETAKE classes that don't transfer over. Reason for some extreme anger? YES. Undoubtedly.

But in my heart I know that a nursing life is the path God has chosen for me. I want to help others. I want to be someone that can help comfort the sick. I want this profession where you can learn something new every day and touch the hearts of your patients. It is my passion and I'm not going to let anyone, or some illness, stand in my way! Even my doctor believes that I can become a nurse and have a nursing career. I will be triumphant. They always say that the best things in life are those worth waiting for, and no matter how long it takes me, I know nursing will be worth waiting for.

Sometimes you must take your anger and expend its energy upon something entirely different than yelling and throwing fits, like I have used mine to empower myself and guide me towards my destiny - nursing.

I have just applied to a college near my house and, I am happy to announce, I have just received my acceptance phone call from the office of admissions! Whoo-hoo! I will have to take a few pre-nursing courses and core classes, but I am already on my way. I am not accepted into the nursing program yet, but all I can do is push forward and tackle school one class at a time. It's not time to get apply for the program yet, so I'm just staying focused on the present. I am tired of watching life move on with me in a rut at home. I'm ready to get going and make things happen! I plan on working harder than I have ever worked before because this is my life, and I want it back!

Never lose hope. And never let an emotion take over your life. Use your emotions as fuel for the better side of you to shine. If you do that, you will succeed, one little challenge at a time.

Until next time, STAY STRONG! Xoxo,

                                    Chelsea <3

Today's Happy Thought: SNOW DAYS (We just had ours in Georgia. Snow makes everything more magical!)

I took this photo in our front yard. Thought it was beautiful!
(Photo used from my Instagram.)

Nopalea, Detox Diet, Medical Testing, and Cabbage - Oh My!

    Hello everyone! My oh my, do I have a lot to catch you up on! I have had many medical tests done, tried some new therapies, and of course have my opinions of them all! :)

    First off, I am officially off of the Nopalea challenge. I didn't feel a significant benefit from the juice drink. Physically, I felt about the same. Actually, about a week after I started the regimen I became severely nauseated. It was to the point where I almost couldn't stomach to eat dinner each night. I kept telling myself that it was probably just from my pain, but after I had taken the Nopalea for a month, I realized that I shouldn't be having pain. I went off of the Nopalea, and my nausea magically disappeared. I believe that I was sick from the Splenda sweetener used by the manufacturer. Evidently many people cannot handle artificial sweeteners other than sugar, especially if you have an Eastern European background. My father and I cannot eat it, so I guess it's all in the genetics for us.     Nopalea was quite a money strain, so it is kind of nice to be off of it. Four bottles were $140, and that lasted about a month, so it really broke the bank. My suggestion to anyone out there who wants to give it a try is to do it if you wish, but start with just one month. It might work for you, but it surely didn't work for me, and even added extra burden to me physically.

    I was on my detox diet for about three months. I was very run down from it. My body had no energy without having the carbs I was used to having. I had to eat a lot of rice, such as rice flour and rice milk, to substitute for the items taken out of my diet. Part of the detox diet was gluten free, but majority of the gluten free options could not work for me because I still couldn't have sugar, dairy, or soy products. Most of the gluten free products out there are made with potato starch and soy, and since I couldn't have either of those in my diet my gluten free foods variety was extremely limited. I like to call the detox diet a Paleolithic-like diet. Paleolithic diets are all about eating things as close to the earth as possible, so nothing processed. It is supposed to mimic the diet that those of our fore- fathers in the Paleo era would eat - so veggies, meat, and roots.

    Though the detox diet was extremely difficult with all of the limitations I had, it was also a very positive experience for me. The diet really helped me to start over and add foods back to see what made me sick. I found that spicy foods, peppers, and caffeine were all negative foods for me. They each triggered me to feel sick. With my nerve problem, it is very good not to drink caffeine because it can cause painful and abnormal nerve firing. I am proud to say, since I first started the detox diet, I have had no caffeine to drink. I was addicted to Coke while in nursing school, so this is a MAJOR deal for me. I actually feel better by making healthy drink choices. The diet also helped me to make healthier food choices too. Really thinking about what you put in your body as fuel is important, and this diet helped me to evaluate and change all that I was doing wrong.

 

    I also had a ton of medical testing done on me. My tests showed that my immune system is very low and I am more susceptible to illness at the time. In fact, one of my tests showed that I have an extreme amount of Candida (yeast) in my body. I also have Streptococcus in my system as well - yes, the same stuff as strep throat! It is really scary to think about how sick I have been, but it's scarier to know that the reason I have been is because my body is not performing the way it should. Right now I am really trying to fix my body's deficiencies and boost my immune system.
    I went to the dentist and my doctor was completely alarmed by my x-rays. My always perfect teeth had about 10 washed away spots where the enamel has been impaired. I was beyond distressed. My dentist told me that when you go on as many medications as I have and have such a drastic change in health as I have encountered that all of the chemicals in the body change, even down to the saliva in your mouth, and that’s what caused this. I have some of the best oral hygiene habits out of everyone that I know, but not even flossing every night made a difference, and that just scares me. I am now on prescription toothpaste and have even more intense oral hygiene routines. I literally take 20 minutes to clean my teeth every night. It just really drives home the point we always learn in nursing school: oral hygiene in our patients is super important. Now I really see just how severely illness can affect overall oral health, even in those who have good habits.
    It is an eye opener for me to see so many physical aspects of my life change since my illness, but I am glad that they can be addressed and rectified, and they were found before they had gotten any worse.

   So there is the 411 on my life up until this point. You might be interested to know about the cabbage therapy I had mentioned at the end of my last post, and I am so excited to tell you all about it! I have yet to try it myself, but I hope I will be able to do it soon and share it my next upcoming entry!
    I had first heard about cabbage therapy from the custodians at my father’s work. What you are supposed to do is find the really dark green leaves of the cabbage, use a rolling pin to roll over the leaves until a sort of liquid seems to release from the veins, and then apply the leaves to the pained and swollen body part. You leave it on for a few hours or overnight and then you should feel the relief! It sounds silly, doesn’t it? Well, believe it or not, I have actually done some research on it and it might be more helpful than one might first assume. It not only helps with aching muscles and pains, but lactating mothers with tender, swollen breasts have been known to use the therapy as well. The benefits of cabbage can even be traced back to the Egyptians! The reason it has been so difficult for me to complete this therapy is because I am having an extremely hard time finding the really dark green leaves of the cabbage. By the time the cabbages get to the stores here, they are delivered with the outer green leaves trimmed away. So at the moment I’m on the hunt for a produce store that might be able to help me!
    Thank you for those that read this extremely long entry. I’m sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything, but now we are all caught up and we can continue on this health-filled journey ahead of us! J And as always, I would love to hear from you! If you have anything to add or have any questions for me, or even have a therapy you would like to talk about, comment away!
Until Next Time,

                  Chelsea <3

*Today's Happy Thought: LOCKS OF LOVE (I just recently donated 18" of my hair to this organization. This was my third time donating and I am sure it will not be my last! I'm just so excited to help a child in need.) <3


BEFORE

 

AFTER

The Detox Diet... [Dun, Dun, Dun!]

    So, my mother has taken me to a homeopathic doctor. I'm kind of skeptical of the homeopathic route, since I have background and training in traditional medicine, but the doctor has placed me on a detox diet, and I'm trying it. What's a detox diet? Well, it is a food plan that gets rid of the foods that cause the most inflammatory responses in the body, for most people. By clearing foods away from your daily diet and drinking plenty of water, it helps to clear the body of unnecessary chemicals and toxins and regain a normal, natural balance. The doctor is going to evaluate how I respond to taking these certain foods out of my diet and also how I do when I gradually bring them back into my diet. Incorporating the foods back into daily meals is the true test as to what foods might be affecting my health, i.e. I get sick when I eat something I haven't had in a while. I am going to list the foods that are taken out of my diet and explain the doctor's reasoning behind each.

    Forbidden foods:

• White potatoes/white rice/pasta... These are not as healthy as sweet potato and brown rice alternatives.
• Any wheat, oat, or grain product - so gluten-free, which means no bread or cereal... Even if you don't have Celiac Disease (have a gluten antigen/intolerance) you can have an intolerance.
• Pork... Because no matter how much you cook it, you can never get rid of all the "parasites and bacteria" from it.
• Anything not organic... Because we want things to be as natural as possible, without chemicals.
• Peanuts... these can cause much inflammation in the body.
• Dairy (except for goat or sheep products)... Dairy from cow's milk is full of antibiotics, which can be harmful to the body.
• Sugar... By substituting for agave or Stevia, you will have a lower glycemic index sweetener with less chemical processing from the original, organic product.
• Soy... This is supposed to cause a higher amount of estrogen levels in women, which can have harmful effects.
• Caffeine... It's a chemical, so it's a no-no.

    I know, that's pretty much everything in the American food pyramid, right? I cannot even begin to tell you how hard it is to shop... or how expensive it is. Did you know that even the dairy-free and gluten-free options have sugar in them? That's probably the hardest thing of all, the no sugar rule. Sour cream, even chicken broth, have sugar in them! I can't believe even regular, gluten-free Chex cereal has sugar! Sugar is in everything!!! No wonder Diabetes is becoming more rampant than ever.. It's amazing to really take a look at the food labels of the products you have always eaten. You should try taking a look, it just might surprise you.
    So I have been eating a lot of corn, veggies, fruit, and meat. Oh, and WATER! Drinking lots of water each day is very important to this detox diet because it helps to cleanse the body. It is just important not to over drink. If you drink too much water, cells can abnormally swell and you can get very sick. It is also not good to overload your heart with too much fluid, which can cause blood pressure to rise.
    I have been on the detox diet for a week now. I have a few simple tests to run before I go back and see the doctor, so I will be on this diet until that next visit. So far, I have felt extremely run-down and tired on this diet. I have even been feeling a little sick. I have actually been in bed all weekend and have been feeling too exhausted to really accomplish any of my chores. Not sure if this is a common side effect of this diet or not, but it has definitely not been the most pleasant. I hope it is just my body adjusting to the change.
    In the meantime, I will keep you updated on what's happening with the diet and any new discoveries I may come across. I actually just heard an NPR radio newscast about how, over time, gluten-free diets can be hazardous to your health if you do not have Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance). This is because grains are an essential part of a healthy diet, and if you can eat it, you should! People have been getting ill because they have been depriving themselves of grains. All I have to say is, they don't call bread "the staff of life" for nothing!
    This being said, never start a diet, like this detox diet, without a doctor's consent first. Diets like these can be very problematic if the proper care is not taken to fit each individual's needs. Close supervision may be required.
    Have you started a detox diet? Have anything to say about my past entries? Have anything to say about yourself? If so, I would love to hear from you! :)

Until next time, grab some really green cabbage and look for my next post, because we are going to try Cabbage Therapy! And nope, that is not made up!

                                             Chelsea <3

*Today's Happy Thought: DISNEY'S ROBIN HOOD
(It's probably one of the most forgotten animated films Disney has, but I love it! And I think the song "Love" is one of the greatest love songs ever written. <3)

"Love" written by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns, and sung by Nancy Adams

Love
It seems like only yesterday
You were just a child at play
Now you're all grown up inside of me
Oh, how fast those moments flee

Once we watched a lazy world go by
Now the days seem to fly
Life is brief, but when it's gone
Love goes on and on

Love will live
Love will last
Love goes on
And on and on

Once we watched a lazy world go by
Now the days seem to fly
Life is brief, but when it's gone
Love goes on and on