Wellness, exercise, nutrition, health coaching
Welcome to our health and fitness blog! Here you will find informative articles, tips, and advice on how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Whether you're looking for support in recovering from illness, prevent illness, lose weight, build muscle, improve your nutrition, or just stay fit and active, we've got you covered. Stay tuned for regular updates and get ready to become the best, healthiest version of yourself.
My Journey to Health and Energy
(My Fibromyalgia/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) story: The short version :))
I have always lived a life of health and energy, but it took some time and effort to reach this point. Throughout my childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, I was always physically active. However, things took in 2004 after having experienced a prolonged period of extreme stress.
One day, I woke up feeling like I had the flu. I was completely run down, experiencing extreme fatigue, body aches, headaches, and a sore throat. Thinking it was just a passing illness, I tried to take it easy and took my usual vitamin supplements. Within a couple of days, I started feeling better. But just as quickly as I recovered, the symptoms returned.
This cycle of feeling sick, recovering, and then falling ill again continued and intensified for some time. It was frustrating and concerning, so I decided to seek help from various doctors.
The Search for Answers
I went from one doctor to another, hoping to find answers to my persistent symptoms. I underwent numerous tests and consultations, but no clear diagnosis was made. Some doctors dismissed my symptoms as mere fatigue or stress-related issues, while others suggested that my symptoms were not even real, as nothing showed up in the various rounds of blood tests. I had never been more ill in my life, and yet I was being told nothing was wrong with me. One doctor asked me point blank, "Why do you want to be sick?" as if it somehow benefitted me to pretend I had an illness. Despite the lack of a definitive diagnosis, I refused to give up. I knew there had to be a reason for my recurring illness and fatigue. I began researching and educating myself on various health conditions and possible causes for my symptoms. After two months of searching, I stumbled upon a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The symptoms described matched my own experiences perfectly. There was a list of 21 symptoms, and that I was a strong candidate for a CFS diagnosis if I had 5 of them. I had seventeen. So, I asked the next doctor I visited what he knew about it. He refused to even discuss it and told me, "That doesn't even exist." If you have ever dealt with CFS or fibromyalgia, you know it's not all in your head. You cannot accept living this way, you become obsessed with finding how to get better. And so, my internet and library book search continued.
Getting an official diagnosis
Finally, I found a few doctors who took my symptoms seriously and understood the impact they had on my life. Through extensive testing and evaluation, all other possible diagnoses, were ruled out and I was given a diagnosis of CFS/ Fibromyalgia, along with two prescriptions to help manage my symptoms. I was both relieved and frustrated to have a diagnosis and have been given pharmaceutical prescriptions given to help manage the symptoms. I had wanted a different answer-- a cure, not meds to mask the symptoms, however, I reluctantly filled the prescriptions anyway. I was amazed to see how much better I initially felt. Most of my symptoms were masked with the medication (all except my sore throat). My energy was back. I found myself painting the house at 11pm, just because I was so excited to have enough energy to do so. Three weeks into the medication, I found myself with a racing and very irregular heart rate. It would wake me up in the middle of the night. After several nights of this, I called the doctor, who told me to discontinue the medication immediately. I did, but was reluctant to try any more medication, as I felt like the risks were too great. I had two young kids at the time, and I didn't want to risk worsening my heart or develop other potentially life-threatening side effects. My racing, irregular heart rate continued for months after discontinuing the medication. I felt like different meds were not going to be the answer, so I again poured myself into books, internet searches, etc., trying to find a safe, natural, permanent cure. I had read that 60% of the people with this condition eventually get better over time. I was determined to find out how I could be among that 60%. I couldn't bear the thought of never getting better and living like this for the rest of my life!
I researched all kinds of theories and treatment plans. I made dietary adjustments. I made lifestyle adjustments. I immersed myself in meditation and positive affirmations. Slowly but surely, I began to regain my health and energy. Whereas prior to my illness, I was extremely active, I learned that I was no longer able to sustain that same level of physical activity, not even pushing a vacuum cleaner for five minutes, without feeling like I was being slammed back to bed. I couldn't even do my yoga class I used to do, except for one VHS video I had found from the library. It was called, "Healing Yoga for Aches and Pains," by Charles & Lisa Matkin. It was the simplest movement with almost no exertion, something I never would have considered "exercise" before, but I now welcomed it as I learned that my body could tolerate this level of effort without making me feel worse. The next few years was a series of one step forward, one step back in trying to find what I could tolerate by the way of physical activity. After a couple of years, I was thrilled to learn that I could walk to the neighborhood stop sign and back home without having a relapse. Over time, I learned I could walk to the second stop sign and home without feeling sick. After about 7 years, I began jogging again. It was amazing! I started going longer and longer distances without feeling sick, rather feeling energy again that lasted the whole day.
A Life Restored
Today I feel like I am almost completely restored to my good health. While there are still occasional setbacks, I have learned to manage my condition and prioritize self-care. Most days I can do anything I want to, but there are still days where I do too much (specifically HIIT exercises are usually still too much for me. I might feel great during and immediately after the workout, however the next day I crash after HIIT). I am a competitive pickleball player, playing several days a week and competing on a regular basis (just took 2nd place in women's doubles in an international competition, thank you very much :)). I do power yoga every day. I also bike, walk, run, and do very light resistance training. I have a much higher level of energy than I used to. Most days, I don't have any symptoms at all anymore.
My experience has taught me the importance of listening to my body, seeking answers, and being persistent in the pursuit of better health. It is a reminder that our bodies are complex and sometimes require extra care and attention. One of my greatest takeaways I learned through my research were the body's amazing ability to heal itself given the right conditions. Finding the right level of physical activity, rest, managing stress, and proper nutrition play critical parts in this. I will dedicate future blog posts to each of these elements.
I have become an advocate for raising awareness about chronic fatigue syndrome, as it is often misunderstood and overlooked. I earned my Masters in Education in Health and Wellness, and became a health educator to spread awareness about the importance of preserving health and preventing illness. I learned through my experience that so little education exists (or at least existed at the time) in the medical community about how to prevent illness. It seemed like our western medicine is designed to give a pill to mask symptoms of a disease or condition that exists, but no education on how to actually prevent developing that condition in the first place. I have dedicated the subsequent years to teaching health and fitness, both as a personal trainer, fitness instructor (yes, I got to where I felt well enough to lead several fitness classes a week), and eventually high school PE, Health, and Nutrition teacher. I am now expanding my services as a health educator and health coach online.
I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire others to make changes in lifestyle today to prevent illness, and to help those who may be struggling with their health to keep searching for answers and never give up on their journey to wellness.
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