LATELY...

Wow. It's been since January huh?? Well, I'm still here and it's my hope that you are, too. How have you been?? So many of you sweet people have asked me what's been up and I guess I have a few answers to that question. The short answer is that I've been nowhere. I've just been doing my same routine most days - work, cook, eat, sleep, read, hanging out with my friends and my family, managing my house and my health, browsing (and sometimes posting to) social media, and doing some traveling. In the midst of all of that, I guess I've been contemplating the fate of this space a little more than usual. But before I dive into that, let me give you a health update - because that might give you a little more insight as to why it's been quieter around here...

If you recall, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in March of 2016 - March 8th to be exact. You can read more about that here, here and here. Once I was diagnosed, I dove into this unknown, scary, and really uncomfortable world of learning how to control this symptoms naturally (i.e. without medication) through diet and lifestyle changes. Well, I am SO excited to say that my disease is in remission! I actually learned that back in early February, but I honestly didn't believe the results - despite the fact that I had been consistently feeling better and better. It had been less than a year at that point since I had been diagnosed and per my doctor and my research, remission could happen - but usually not that soon. But I had another test last month that yielded even better results, so I believe it now. I am in remission. I remember getting in my car right after I got the results at my doctor's office feeling like I had just won what has mentally and physically been by far the toughest battle of my life. I've always known that hard work pays off, but this honestly takes the cake...

So how did I get to this point in less than a year?? Basically it all came down to consistently eating a clean diet and keeping a self-care regimen. I kept doing the same things I mentioned back in this post - over and over and over again until I started to feel better. I quit eating gluten, dairy, processed sugar, wheat, soy, eggs, and some nightshades- all foods that a Food Sensitivity test yielded I was sensitive to. I didn't and still haven't slipped up not one single time. I meditated every single day (and still do). I formed a team of doctors and specialists that included a naturopathic doctor, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, and a massage therapist who essentially helped me put my body back together. I saw all of them except my naturopath almost weekly for about 8 months. I took (and still take) supplements that supported my thyroid and certain vitamin levels - and I never missed a single day of taking them. I stuck to nighttime routine and sleep schedule most nights. And I prayed every single day that God would give me the strength to not give up (which I wanted to do HUNDREDS of times) and for the energy to get through long days that consisted of work, multiple appointments some weeks, LOTS of meal planning and cooking all of my meals, and all of the other random things that just needed to be dealt with on a daily basis. And He came through as always...

That gets me to how I'm doing and feeling today...

Physically, I feel the best I've felt in a really long time - even before my symptoms were really apparent. Most of my symptoms are gone and have been gone for quite some time. My random anxiety and constant fatigue have dissipated, my hair has stopped falling out, I sleep well most nights, and my intense brain fog has lifted. I can certainly tell a difference in how much quicker I can think and how well I remember things compared to this time last year. I still have heart palpitations when I don't get enough sleep or when I'm a bit stressed about something, but they are far less than they used to be. Because of those crazy things called hormones, I might have one or two migraines a month. I used to have on average 10-15 a month just a few years ago, so one or two is certainly tolerable. I've also seen a lot of positive changes in my skin, hair, nails, and body since I've changed my diet. Do I feel amazing everyday? No. But I'm not 18 anymore either...

Mentally, I've got some work to do. Getting sick like that just freaked me out. And you might imagine that all of the work I've done over the past year to heal has left little time and energy to really enjoy life. Getting well has been like a second full-time job - one that I didn't really have time for in the first place. And while managing the disease now doesn't take as much time now as the healing process did in the beginning, it still takes time. In order to keep this disease at bay, I still have to be very careful about managing stress and what I eat. I still see my chiropractor weekly. I see my acupuncturist and massage therapist monthly. Blood tests with my naturopath are done quarterly. But the food is the biggest part. I've added back some foods into my diet, but might never be able to have gluten, dairy, wheat, soy, some grains, some nightshades, or processed sugars again without the possibility of a reoccurrence of symptoms. Time will tell. But being a foodie and not being able to eat whatever I want has been depressing - literally. Going out to eat, which was one of my favorite things to do, is now quite stressful sometimes. Food really heals- and my journey is a true testament to that. But eating this way is hard work sometimes! I often feel like I live in my kitchen. While batch cooking fresh food a few days a week is so good for you (and the food often tastes so good and fresh!), it can be so time-consuming and tiresome when you don't have help and work full-time. Don't get me wrong - I'm so incredibly thankful for where I am now, but I'd be lying if I were to say that my new routine is always easy. It's definitely not.

With all of that being said, here is where I think I stand with this blog. Now that I am physically healthier, I want to start enjoying life with my leftover energy and free time as opposed to being in front of the computer all day at work and all night to blog- then behind the camera most of the weekends to shoot blog posts. I also want to start exploring that whole "finding your purpose" thing (which is a whole other story). Today, my heart says to keep blogging in addition to working on all of that, but my mind says to stop. However, a week ago, the opinions of my heart and mind might have been the opposite. I still love writing, photography, design, and food, but I've realized that those things can't be a priority anymore until I figure some other things out. I've always heard that sickness can quickly and completely change your priorities and how you think and feel about certain things that you once thought were so damn important and necessary. I now know that to be so true. Anyway, I'm not sure if/when my heart and mind will ever be in alignment, but here is what I will do in the meantime:

I will blog here when I have something really special, personal, and original (to me) to share... 

And by special, it could be a life update or a photography project (food or life related) that I really want to share and have time to tell you about. It might be monthly, every two months... Or I might be go really crazy sometimes and do something once a week or every other week. I honestly have no idea. One thing I do know is that I recently went on trip to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I'd be crazy not to share the photos I took with you here. So I will - and soon! In the meantime, you can always find me on Instagram. I do often share little updates there. I sometimes also do random InstaStories of things I love, things I'm doing, and recipes that I'm making. It's easier for now (and often more fun!) to share things with you there.

So that's what's up for now! I want to thank each and every single one of you who have reached out to me to see if I'm still around. As you can see, this last year has been a little tough, so getting lovely messages from people I've never even met before were double heartfelt and I'm so appreciative... :)

Dress: Max Studio (under $100 and is so comfy!) | Coin Necklace: vintage, similar here | Shoes: Topshop (old), similar here & here | Sunglasses: Banana Republic (old), similar here

Images by my amazing brother

A LITTLE HEALTH UPDATE...

Happy Monday! Hope your week is off to a great start. Thank you so much for comments and e-mails regarding Max! Losing a pet is so hard, but having support from people who truly understand what that's like makes things better, so thank you!

So I owe you a health update! In case you are just tuning in, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroidis four months ago. You can read about how it all started and why I'm disclosing all of this here. Hashimoto's (i.e. Hashi's) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakingly identifies the thyroid as a foreign invader to the body and attacks it. In March I had a high thyroid antibody count, which is the main indicator of Hashi's. Even though my thyroid itself was operating at normal levels, I was experiencing several hypothyroid symptoms, including anxiety, hair loss, fatigue, constipation, heart palpitations, brain fog, insomnia, etc. The experience of all of those symptoms together is called a "flare up" in medical terms. Once my doctor established the diagnosis, the goal was to reduce my antibody count, which in turn would protect my thyroid and extinguish the flare up. We planned to do that through diet, elimination of food sensitivities, supplements, and lifestyle changes. Even though I'm not opposed to taking prescription medication when necessary, my doctor and I wanted to take these steps first without medication to see if they alone would make a difference.

A few weeks ago, I had my first follow-up thyroid panel done (TSH, T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and TPO Antibodies) and I am super happy to report that my antibody count has dropped by almost half - in just a four month period of time! I am literally 5 points away from it being within normal range. I am so thrilled!! My thyroid itself is still operating at normal levels. I am still not out of the woods yet, though. I still experience some symptoms and my antibody level is still considered to be high, but at least I know that all of this really hard work is paying off. Many of you have sent me e-mails asking me exactly what I'm doing to tackle this issue, so I thought I would outline those things below - things that are clearly working!

1. Diet: I have listed this first because I truly think this is the #1 thing that is healing me. However, making these dietary changes easily qualifies as one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life! I am on the Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP), which means I basically only eat organic poultry, grass-fed beef, wild seafood, organic vegetables, and organic fruit. That's it. I've eliminated all processed foods and refined sugar, dairy, eggs, gluten, grains, soy, and legumes. I've also eliminated foods that I am personally sensitive to like nightshades (tomatoes, white potatoes, and peppers), pears, chia seeds, spinach, and walnuts. I was/am a huge foodie, so this has been quite challenging and downright depressing at times. But changing my mindset helps. I am now eating to live as opposed to living to eat and that's just the way it has to be if I want to feel good most of the time. I make a meal plan every week and pretty much cook all of my meals and make all of my drinks (i.e. fresh juices and smoothies) myself. That process can be so time-consuming and exhausting at times - especially since I have a full-time job - but I am teaching myself to get really creative with food in terms of how it tastes, how it's made, and even how it looks. I'll do anything to make it remotely exciting... Once my antibody levels get within normal range, I will add back in some foods, but gluten, soy, eggs, and probably dairy are still pretty much out for life. While this blog will not become an AIP food blog - or a blog about Hashi's - I do plan to share some of my food prep tips and recipes I have been making. They are healthy, easy to make recipes that I think anyone would love no matter what, so stay tuned!

2. Supplements: I have been taking supplements to replenish my vitamin levels, and provide support to my immune system and thyroid. Those include Vitamin D3, selenium, probiotics, zinc, and magnesium, just to name a few. Most of my deficient vitamin levels have been restored just within these last few months, which I'm sure has contributed to a reduction in my symptoms.

3. Stress Management: Stress and high adrenal levels fuel this disease, so keeping them in check is key. Meditation has helped me with that a lot. I did a full post on my routine here, and I still love it. The only thing that has changed a bit is my night time meditation. I can now fall asleep at the drop of a hat at night (staying asleep is sometimes an issue), so I sometimes skip it at night. But I still do it first thing every morning! I don't get anxious as much these days and I know I owe a lot of that to meditation. Mild exercise (mainly Pilates and walking) and getting adequate rest is also extremely important. I'm in bed my 10PM most nights - after I do my nighttime routine - which is also a big stress reliever. I also sometimes delegate errands and household activities so that I can dedicate that time to resting. I actually love to clean, but I now have a housekeeper on call in case I need her. She's a godsend I tell ya...

4. Acupuncture: Acupuncture is my life. I have only been to three sessions and I totally feel comfortable making that statement. Several studies have shown that acupuncture can restore immunity and fix a whole host of other issues, so I decided to explore it. I did it inconsistently many years ago for my migraines and I remember how incredibly calming the experience was. Well, it's still amazing. I feel an incredible sense of calm even before all of the tiny little needles have been inserted. I always leave my session feeling very euphoric, yet energized at the same time. This time around I am partaking in acupuncture on a consistent basis - at least for a few months.

5. Chiropractic Care: I had read and heard that chiropractic care was a great thing to do in my case. Chiropractors tend to be very knowledgable about autoimmune diseases and how imbalances in the body can contribute to symptoms. I had no intention of exploring chiropractors at this stage of the process, but I developed a nagging issue with my left shoulder a few months after my diagnosis. So I decided to go to a chiropractor and I'm so thankful I did. My initial chiropractic tests revealed that the left side of my body along with my neck were really out of line. That meant my body was using large amounts of energy just to keep certain things in place, which was causing inflammation, discomfort, and tightness - especially on the left side of my neck and back. I'm on a plan to receive a certain number of adjustments over the next few months to correct the issues. I can say that I've only had TWO adjustments so far and my shoulder already feels much better and the consistent tightness in my neck is subsiding. So excited about that!

Like I said, I am not 100% better, but I'm a LOT better than I was this time last year.  In spite of all of those things I listed above, I still have random bouts of insomnia, fatigue, and moments where I just feel off, which are the main reasons I'm still not blogging as much these days. I opt for rest instead on those days. And in case you are wondering if I'm spending a small fortune on all of this - the answer is unequivocally yes. Unfortunately, health insurance doesn't always cover these natural, yet effective forms of treatment - or housekeepers for that matter. And unfortunately high-quality food doesn't come cheap. But you know how they always say to save for a rainy day?? Well it's raining. I was prepared and I just have to be thankful for that. I'm thinking of this as an investment in my health and my life. I'm also thinking I'm spending less money now than I would later if I didn't work on tackling the root causes of this disease now - as opposed to later. Even though Hashi's requires life-long attention, I have no doubt that all of this is totally worth it. I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress!

P.S. I've purchased several books on Hashi's, but my favorite is "The Root Cause" by Izabella Wentz. It's in the photo above. It was recommended to me by Lauren (she's such a sweetheart) and it's honestly the only book I feel like I will use consistently in the whole universe of books on Hashi's. It's easy to dissect, not intimidating, credible, and extremely helpful. I highly recommend it for people who are experiencing this issue and need help getting down to the bottom of it.

Let me know if you have any questions!!

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose any medical issues.

Image by me

WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON WITH MY HEALTH: PART II

continued from Monday's post...

So at this point, I've been to four different doctors and I still feel horrible. But I was determined to find an answer. I did more research, I prayed a LOT, educated myself on my symptoms via podcasts, and I asked more questions of more people. Then one day, I was talking to my Pilates instructor about my issues and she recommended I see her naturopathic doctor. I had heard of naturopathic (i.e. holistic) doctors before (especially from listening to this Podcast), but had never been to one. So as soon as I get home from my session, I research the doctor and by the end of the following week - I made an appointment. He didn't take health insurance (big negative), but he seemed well versed in my issues and it was extremely comforting to think of the possibility that whatever was wrong could be healed in a natural way. Plus, at this point I was desperate and didn't feel like I had much to lose by exploring something new.

My first appointment with this doctor was a DREAM in comparison to all of the other appointments I had in 2015. He literally sat across from me at a table and listened to me explain my issues for one whole hour. There were no computers or phone in sight. He made notes on a sheet of paper as I was talking. If he wasn't writing, he was looking me straight in my face as I talked. Our conversation made me feel like he was genuinely interested in helping me. At the end of the appointment, he drew up a plan. The plan included a food sensitivity test, an adrenal stress test, and a blood test that would test my hormone levels, my immune system, certain vitamin levels and ALL of the functions of my thyroid - not just the two that had already been tested. In the meantime, he suggested I start meditating once a day and start taking a certain type of magnesium for my heart palpitations and insomnia. I left that appointment more hopeful than I had felt in quite some time...

Once the tests came back, I went back to my naturopath to get the results - face-to-face. The results weren't given to me over the phone or over some portal on the internet. I got them face-to-face. Loved that. The tests revealed my diagnosis along with a few other alarming things... All of my blood work came back fine with the exception of the adrenal stress test, the immunity test, and my one of my THYROID tests. My adrenal stress test revealed that my hormone levels in the morning were all over the place, which made sense because that is when I felt the most anxious. The test for my immunity was positive, meaning that my immune system was compromised. The main functions of my thyroid were fine (as the prior test revealed), but my thyroid antibody levels were really high, meaning that the antibodies surrounding my thyroid were working overtime to keep the thyroid functioning properly. The compromised immune system and high thyroid antibody levels revealed my diagnosis: I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the thyroid. The invasion increases the thyroid antibody levels, which causes all of those symptoms I was experiencing, including my raging hormone levels in the morning. Why the immune system does that is somewhat of a mystery. Genetics, sex, age, toxins (environmental and food), and stress levels are just a few factors, but the exact cause is unknown. And there is no cure. My doctor tells me all of those things, things I had never heard of before, and I'm both happy and scared out of my mind at the same time. I'm happy because I FINALLY have an answer. I'm scared because now that I know I have a incurable disease. His recommendation for dealing with it makes me even more scared...

A good naturopath is interested in getting to the root cause of an issue. They don't give you a diagnosis then send you straight to the pharmacy to pick up a medication that might quickly fix the issue, but not eliminate the cause of the issue. So my naturopath reveals to me that the best way to manage this disease is through meditation, stress management, supplements, and most importantly diet - a Paleo diet to be exact. He also suggested that I eliminate my personal food sensitivities for a while. Per the food sensitivity test he ran, I am sensitive to gluten, wheat, grains, eggs, bananas, spinach, tomatoes, chia seeds, and a few other things - all things that I was pretty much eating on a daily basis. So basically I have to be gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, cheese-free, egg-free, and free of a bunch of other TASTY stuff. "What the HELL else is there to eat???," I thought. He tells me I have a disease and now he's telling me I have to eliminate pretty much every food that I love - healthy and unhealthy. And you know how I feel about FOOD!! It's everything to me! I just want to die at this point...  So he sends me home with a list of supplements to order, and an order to up my meditation practice to twice a day, get enough sleep (which I was starting to get thanks to the magnesium), eliminate my personal food sensitivities, and start the Paleo diet ASAP. I just wanted to die... Did I mention that??

Well, that appointment was three weeks ago. I have done exactly what the naturopath suggested - EXACTLY I say.  I'm certainly not 100% yet, but I can honestly say that I am feeling better in just this short period of time. Switching from a diet dependent on some carbs for energy to a diet solely dependent on vegetables, quality proteins, and good fats for energy made me extremely tired in the beginning, but that has gotten better with time. I'm no longer super anxious in the mornings. Last year, I even stopped watching the morning national news (something I'd watched every morning since college) because it made me feel even crazier. Now I can watch the morning news without getting anxious, which is huge considering how incredibly crazy this world has become just over the past year. My heart palpitations have almost ceased, my digestion is much better, and my thinking is much more clear. Meditating has been a HUGE help (more on that soon), and making rest and sleep even more of a priority has helped, too. I'm still bald in that one spot on the back of my head, but I'm hopeful that it will grow back with time.

Thinking of food in a new way has obviously been the hardest part for me. There are so many foods that I loved that I will no longer be able to eat without the risk of feeling horrible or causing damage to my thyroid. I was so frustrated in the beginning that I hired a nutritionist to help me out. She also has an autoimmune disease, so she really understood my issues and was really helpful. I'm currently making all of my meals entirely from scratch while trying to learn new ways of cooking things, which is necessary, yet completely exhausting. I've been to Whole Foods more in the last few weeks than in my entire life. I've cooked more in the last few weeks than I have in my entire life. Lots of fresh organic vegetables, lots of fish, lots of grass fed meats, and lots of smoothies and juices have been happening in my kitchen. But things are getting easier by the week as I learn new and quicker ways of doing things. Over time I'll be able to add back in the Paleo items that I am personally sensitive to, which should make things even easier. However, gluten, wheat, soy, and eggs are pretty much out for life. Ugh... But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to feel better, so I have to do what I have to do...

So why have I told you all of this?? I felt these posts were necessary for a few reasons. Most importantly, I wanted to drive home the point of owning your health. If you aren't feeling well or have that slightest inkling that something isn't right, please get checked out! If your doctor isn't listening to you, moving you around from doctor to doctor to doctor, and/or you aren't getting the attention or answers that make you feel at peace with what is going on, then keep it moving until you find someone who will listen and provide answers- may it be a regular doctor or a naturopath. Never give up!!! Do your research before ALL of your appointments so that you go into them armed with questions and a heightened sense of awareness about what might be going on. Also, be sure to ask about how your current diet and lifestyle might be affecting how you feel and how changing them might make you feel better. Diet and lifestyle are two things alone that can heal so many things, so please ask! Doing so could save you time, money, and ultimately your health.

The other reason I'm telling you all this is because this whole process has made me question the direction of this blog and how often I'll blog. Obviously things like cakes and cookies will not be featured here very often anymore. Even though this is going to be a big part of my life, as of right now I'm not planning on turning this into a blog all about health, Paleo, and gluten-free foods. There are enough of them out there - as I have seen from my many hours of research. But maybe from time to time I will feature recipes that I think would be tasty to anyone irrespective of a certain diet. In terms of how often I'll blog - well that's still up in the air. Right now, my health and maintaining my energy levels are most important to me. My energy levels lately aren't very high after work most days, and much of my weekends are spent cooking, running errands, exercising, and resting. But I promise you I will do what I can when I can.

Lastly, thanks so much to all of you who have sent your thoughts and prayers my way! I'm so completely appreciative and grateful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via e-mail or via any of the social media pages. For more info on Hashimoto's, this infographic pretty much sums it up...

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose any medical issues.

Image by Dana Eason

WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON WITH MY HEALTH: PART I

Long time no see! It's been a crazy few months and I want to begin my semi-return to blogging with an honest explanation of what's been going on. I am really not the type of person to put my medical information out there, but I feel like I absolutely have to share this. I have to share this because I don't want one single person to have to go through what I have been through during the past year. It's been a long, frustrating journey to get here and I thankfully now know that I have another long journey ahead of me. So I'm going to share this in two parts because I don't want you to get lost in what would be a really long blog post if I shared everything that has happened all at one time. So here's Part I and Part II will go up later this week...

In January of last year, I started to feel the first of many symptoms that ultimately led to my diagnosis. It was so strange... I had just started a new job that I was (and still am) so excited about and I had all this free time that I had never had before. I planned to blog more, travel more, read more, and just be happy--- more. And some of that happened, but definitely not as much as I anticipated. I was always so exhausted. I started experiencing fatigue and constipation (sorry if that's TMI, but it's part of the story!). I would get a great night of sleep and be crazy tired by noon the next day. The fatigue and constipation were sporadic, but happened enough to be noted. But I wrote it off to my body getting adjusted to a new routine. I brought both symptoms up to my family doctor during my routine physical in February. She agreed that the fatigue was probably my body adjusting to my new routine, but she referred me to a gastroenterologist to check out the constipation... Scary, but fair enough, I thought.

I feel like I should pause here to say that outside of my migraines, which I have mentioned several times here before, I've never had any major medical issues. Never. I eat really well except for maybe one day a week, I exercise, don't smoke, enjoy sporadic glasses of wine, try to manage stress well (emphasis on "try"), and you KNOW I love my sleep. So all of these symptoms and working with different doctors was a completely new experience for me...

So I see the gastro and she recommends that I start taking a probiotic. She also recommended a colonoscopy just to rule out anything serious. "We really have to go there??? But I'm not even 50 years old yet!" Those were my first thoughts. But I agreed - hastily. But thankfully nothing was found. The doctor just told me to continue to take the probiotic- oh and to call her if I had questions...

Fast forward to October. I started to get SUPER anxious about the silliest things. I've always been a bit of a worrier, but this was on a whole other level. I also started experiencing heart palpitations, panic attacks, brain fog, weight loss, and insomnia. Oh - and I discovered a bald spot in the back of my head at the base of my neck that was about the size of a quarter. Hmmm... Back to my family doctor I go.

Before my appointment, of course I turn to trusty Google to see if I could get an idea of what might be going on. I typed in my symptoms and thyroid issues kept coming up. I noted that for my appt. So I explain my symptoms to my doctor and she ran an EKG to determine any abnormal heartbeats. Nothing was found there. She then wanted to run a blood test to check my thyroid and my Vitamin D levels. I specifically asked her if she was going to run a FULL thyroid panel (i.e. the T4, Free T4, TSH, Free T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies of the thyroid) - and she said yes.

The test showed that my Vitamin D levels were really low, so she recommended a supplement. But my thyroid tests came back normal - sort of. She only tested my TSH and T4 levels. I reached out to her for an explanation and she said that testing just those levels were the main indicators of any issues and she said my thyroid was fine. Hmm. Noted. In the meantime, my doctor recommended I see a cardiologist to get a further explanation of my heart palpitations and a dermatologist for my bald spot... Ugh. More doctors, more appointments, more frustration.

I followed her orders and saw a cardiologist. I brought up potential thyroid issues to the doctor and she said there was no indication of any issues since my TSH and T4 were fine. She proceeded to give me an echocardiogram. Even with the heart palpitations, which to her were not enough for concern, my heart was in perfect shape. So she recommended I go back to my regular doctor for further testing.

My appointment with my dermatologist to discuss my bald spot was very quick and to the point. I was in and out. She quickly stated I had alopecia areata and recommended cortisone shots to restart the hair growth. She never even defined alopecia areata, but I knew what it was thanks to the Google research I did the minute I saw the bald spot. I asked her if she thought this could be a thyroid issue and she said no because my TSH and T4 levels were fine. Sigh... Due to my normal level of worrying coupled with my heightened level of anxiety in general, I accepted the shots. Anything that might make me feel better and make me quit having thoughts of going bald. Two months later, the spot had almost doubled in size...

At this point it's January of this year. A whole year of just feeling off has gone by... I'm exhausted most of the time, still not getting good sleep, I'm still having digestive issues, I'm anxious, my heart feels like it's going to explode most times, and my hair is falling out. I've seen four different doctors - all of whom I assume were just doing what they know to do. However, I still felt like they weren't really listening to me and just wanted me in and out of their office so they could get to the next person.

So I ditched all four doctors and decided to take a whole new route...

to be continued on Wednesday...

Image by Dana Eason