Since having my last kid twelve years ago I have been trying to get back on track with my health, trying to lose weight and get back in shape. I started various workout programs, changed some of my eating habits, incorporated health supplements, and started tracking how much water I was drinking. I started seeing some progress with these changes and was happy with the direction I was headed.
Strive for Progress, Not Perfection.
~ Unknown
Then a few years ago, while working on these changes I was in a car accident, which caused some injuries to my wrists, lower back, and hips. These injuries created some setbacks to my workout routine and halted some of the progress that I had been making on losing weight. After months of the pain getting worse in my back and hip, I ended up in physical therapy.
At that point, it had been a while since I had gone for a physical, I think I was always hoping to be in better shape before getting back on a scale at the doctor’s office. Every time I went for prenatal and postnatal checkups there were weight checks. I had stopped trying to pay attention to my weight while I was working on getting back in shape. I relied more on how my clothes fit, and how I felt and took occasional measurements.
After going through physical therapy, it was time to get back on track with my regular physicals and make sure I was on top of any other health issues if there were any.
My physical led to having two ultrasounds, one of my thyroid and the other of my uterus. They found a small, but benign-looking nodule on my thyroid, which we are keeping an eye on with follow-up ultrasounds. The ultrasound of my uterus found a large fibroid tumor. The size of the fibroid tumor meant the only real option to remove it was to have a hysterectomy.
Definitely not something I had anticipated.
The next decision I had to make was what type of hysterectomy to have. My doctor went over the various options and next steps. A biopsy of my cervix was done to determine if keeping it was an option. My biopsy was clear and we decided to keep my cervix and ovaries in place while removing the uterus and fallopian tubes.
A new issue arises…
As we are working on scheduling my hysterectomy Covid decided to make its way into our world. This meant all “elective” (non-life threatening) surgeries were put on hold, while they navigated this new pandemic.
My surgery was finally scheduled and the hysterectomy was performed without complications but did come with a surprise. Instead of one large fibroid tumor, there were two. One was hiding behind the one they could see in the ultrasound. The growing fibroid tumors explained why I was starting to look like I was pregnant again and why my ab workouts were not helping tone those muscles.
Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well; and not today’s pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man.
~ James H. West
After my hysterectomy recovery, it was now time to continue on my health journey to figure out what else might be causing the pain throughout the rest of my body – joints, migraines, back and hips, and wrist – to name a few. After doing my annual bloodwork and seeing that my TSH (thyroid) and my HS-CRP (inflammation markers) were high, I decided to work with a functional medicine doctor, Dr. Trish Murray at Discover Health Functional Medicine Center. I wanted to try to figure out what the root causes might be, before getting to the point where medication might be the only option to get things under control.
Before my first appointment, I had a medical symptoms questionnaire to fill out and a call with Health Coach – Trish Chaput, to go through a comprehensive patient profile to learn more about my medical history. My numbers from the questionnaire were showing that underlying issues were going on, but what they were was yet to be determined.
At my appointment, we were able to go through the information they gathered and come up with a plan on how to best move forward. One of the plans we came up with was for me to do the Detox+ program, which involved a Comprehensive Elimination Diet to figure out what foods may be contributing to my health issues.
Apparently gluten and dairy are not my friend.
It has been an adjustment. I never realized how many things have gluten and dairy in them in some form. Making these changes has made a big difference in my overall health. I get less frequent migraines, my overall joint pain has improved, and my TSH and HS-CRP numbers have lowered.
Not everything was cured by my dietary adjustments. I am still dealing with back and hip pain, tendonitis in my thumbs/wrists, and overall numbness/tingling throughout my body. Recently I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, which is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping. So, now I am learning to navigate what that means and how to make adjustments to help improve it.
Don’t forget to take time to take care of your health. You are worth it!
Share your struggles, successes, and stories here and join me on this health journey.
I look forward to hearing from you!
