Looking For Answers

Since about a month after Sam and I were married, strange things have been happening to my body. For those of you who know me at all, my family has been through some pretty extreme health challenges that have opened our eyes to a new way of looking at medicine. Back in 2009, my older brother, Ammon, was diagnosed with Lyme Disease after many, many years of sickness. My entire family was tested for Lyme soon after we received his diagnoses - and to no one's surprise the results were positive for all of us, including me. At the time, I didn't have any symptoms, and was blessed with health. Even now, I cannot compare my health issues to those faced by my mama and my brother. However, strange things have happened! My mom told me that Ammon's doctor told her, "When strange symptoms start to appear in the other family members, know that it is probably the Lyme).

Lyme can manifest itself in basically any way (learn more about it through this website and documentary). Wherever the person's weakness is, that is the spot that it will attack. It has basically as many symptoms as their are people who are infected, which is why it is so hard to diagnose and kill. Anyway. I will have to tell our whole Lyme journey another day! I have always had a weakness with hormones. During my freshman year of college, I broke out in horrible acne, I gained weight, and I can honestly say it was a hard year. I moved home for the summer and found a wonderful doctor (a naturopath) who decided to test my hormone and thyroid levels. Turns out that my body was VERY estrogen dominant. For reals. My progesterone levels were 0.2 when they were supposed to be 11. No wonder I was so messed up :) She helped me through natural hormone supplementation to get back to where I was supposed to be, and I felt great. The best I have ever felt.

Then I got married, and went on the pill. Great idea, right? Let's flood my body with more estrogens! NO. I will never, ever, ever go back on the pill again. Ladies, if you want my advice, do not do it even if it is the easiest birth control option. I believe that someday the truth will come out and doctors will be sued for the negative effects it has on women's health. It messed me up so badly, again. The same symptoms: acne, weight gain, emotional roller coaster, etc. Along with it came something very strange. In the middle of May and continuing to this day whenever I exercise, or get my heart pumping a little bit (especially in the heat), I break out in terrible, terrible hives. And they have only gotten worse. Why? I have no idea. They itch, and go away about an hour after I cool down. But I can't exercise for fear that my skin will scar from the inflammatory response. I have researched and researched. On the internet it says that I have "exercise induced hives," and I just don't believe it. It happened too close to the time that everything else started to flare up for me to think it is a hoax. Could it be a result from the hormone imbalance? Maybe. Could it be the Lyme inside of me? It is a great possibility. Why don't I just go to a doctor and get an antihistamine? Because pills don't solve disease (although in many cases they are necessary, don't misunderstand me, pills helped to save my brother's life). The body solves disease, but only if you are filling it with things that will aid in it's healing itself. So I am doing a cleanse. A 3 month cleanse starting tomorrow (be ready for an exciting post!). This is not a cleanse to lose weight. This is because I have a responsibility to take care of this wonderful body that Heavenly Father has given me. It's only a place to start! Wish me luck, and thank you for the support. More details to come!

When the Mrs. is tired..

"When a man is tired, he should rest"

 - Chinese Proverb

Ok, not really. I made that up.

It all started on Monday night. Sam and I were at the library until 10:30 pm, and afterwards we headed to the grocery store for some essentials because we had no food. So, we climbed in bed a little after midnight. I knew that I had to get up early (like, 5 am early) so that I could finish preparing for my Physiology Exam that I was taking on Tuesday morning. Sam, wanting some pillow talk time, started talking to me about new phone plans (since his phone died a few days ago), and how we needed to look into getting on our own plan (I am still on my parent's contract from when I wasn't married). Honestly, I was so tired that I hardly remember any of the conversation. 5 am came and I got up and I re-listened to a couple of lectures - find out about this awesome study tool here- and then went back to bed for about an hour. But that was of little use, seeing as that I had terrible dreams about forgetting equations and facts about the cardiac system during my test...

Anyway. I made it to school before 8 am, and studied for another hour and a half. Holy smokes people, that test was a BEAST. It was incredibly hard, but I did well! :) However, the mental exertion from that morning + the 5 hours of sleep the night before drained me for the rest of the day. I barely made it through work without falling asleep at my desk. Then, I trudged through the freezing weather to my night class that goes from 5:10-7:30/8ish. I struggled the entire class to stay awake. I was a little bit late coming out of class, and Sam met me with a "Where were you?!" Honestly. At the moment all I could think of was, "Are you kidding? I have been so excited to finally see him after this incredibly long day and he is upset that I am 10 minutes late?" Looking back now, I see that Sam wasn't upset at all, and that he was honestly asking where I had been. Bethany, a dear friend who happens to be in my same class, sensed the tension that I had just created and quickly said "Bye guys!"

Haha. Sorry Bethany. :)

When we got into the car, Sam asked me if I was ok. I replied that I was fine, even though the horses in my head (more on that here) were going 1000 mph. Note: Why on earth do we do this, ladies?? If we aren't fine, why don't we just calmly explain that we are a little upset? Working on that one... 

He then took a deep breath and started telling me about all of the phone plans he had researched that day! In my mind I was thinking "Now? While he is mad at me? And while I just need to relax after a long day? He wants to talk about phone plans? WHAT?? He might want to switch over to T-mobile and I would have to get rid of my iPhone and get an Android instead??! He could tell that I was not in the mood, and stopped talking about it half way home. After we walked in the door he told me that he was going to have to go to the library after dinner to write a paper that was due by midnight, which meant that unless I wanted to go with him, I would be home by myself for the evening.

We ate dinner, I kissed him goodbye, and immediately started sobbing. Why? I am telling you all that I was so tired that I was completely irrational. I called my mom, and she told me that I needed to go to bed. I resisted and told her I didn't feel like it, but in the end decided that she was probably right. So I got ready and climbed in bed.

Needless to say, when Sam got home and woke me up that night I felt so much better. We laughed about how emotional I had been, and went to sleep after a real conversation about phones and how both of our days had gone :)

So. To all you men and women out there. Get some sleep!You might just find that things look a lot brighter.

Last Minute Registration!

Here's my little plug for all of you who have not yet registered to vote... today is the last day, so go to www.vote.utah.gov and take care of it before it is too late! This year's election is a big one *cough* GO ROMNEY!!!! Get your American Pride fired up and do the research that you need to make an informed decision on what leaders you believe would lead our state and country in the right direction.

Inspiration

Joseph B. Wirthlin once said "Come what may, and love it."

This simple quote has been a favorite of mine since the time that I heard it, and I reflect on it often, especially right now. Between school and work, homework and dishes, and managing to eat somewhere in between, I found that I began to grow weary. I missed my husband most of all, as our time together is more restricted than I expected it to be. I talked to my mama for advice... multiple times (those of you who get to know me through this blog will find that this is a common occurrence, as we are basically best friends). She has been so good to listen to me and counsel me through my stress, and has given me swift slaps in the butt when I needed to kick it into gear and stop my bawling. So this is my new goal: Find a little joy in every day. Every single one! It should be something simple, that makes you smile. And I have done it this week. One day I changed the smell of my Scentsy candle so that the scent of Fall enveloped my house, and another I went running (these are just a couple of examples). It might sound silly, but it has made such a difference! So, my friends, come what may, and love it.

On a different note, I need to catch up all of you on what Sam and I have been up to the last six months! (Can you believe I have been married for almost that long??) Last weekend we escaped Provo for two days to be with my family on a mini vacation to Moab. We hiked around arches, played games, slept in, and most of all had a break from school. Also, I have always wanted to learn about photography, and Audrey let me practice taking some nicer photos with her old camera. Can you say BE-GIN-NER? So no laughing at my first, unedited shoot from any of you!

 More to come soon, everyone!

Kaits