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!
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!
Good luck! Keep us posted! I used to have exercise induced hives and heat induced hives. I've mostly grow out of it, but am still on allergy meds. Give us more detail on this "cleanse". :)
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