I feel so inclined to write another blog post today and show an example of what owning your own thoughts can bring to you. I just thought of a happy story that makes me realize that my own children have been practicing self gratitude during their life time. They are examples of how happy thoughts have shaped their world. I made a point to fill their life with positive thoughts, because I knew that the negative thoughts were not working for me. It just took me feeling really stressed to realize that I could have those positive thoughts about myself too. My daughter's beautiful out look on life has taken her many places. She is always been an inspiration to me.
My daughter was always a happy baby. The minute she popped into the world she was cooing and very pleasant. She always woke up smiling and cried very little as a baby. As she grew up she always had a sunny disposition. She met a lot of challenges during her childhood, but she never seemed to let them stop her from moving forward. She is still the same way as an adult. Perhaps she got a good dose of serotonin, but what ever the reason, she is a very confident and happy woman.
When she was in college she had saved money from birthdays, other occasions, and work. She wanted a beautiful diamond ring and some of her friends were opposed to her getting the ring. Some people commented that she should wait until she met someone to love and let them but her a ring. I am so happy that she thought enough of herself to buy the ring. She explained to others that she may never get married and the ring was something that she wanted. She chose to gratify herself and overlook what the others thought. The ring was beautiful and she wore it proudly. She is now married to a wonderful man, and has two beautiful rings. She didn't let others stop her from her own happiness.
She is the one who inspired me to buy beautiful bouquets of flowers for myself in the winter. They bring me such a happy feeling looking at them. I realized that I may be on my death bed and wondered why I never spoiled myself with the flowers. I don't wait for others to give me flowers, life is too short. I have however received some beautiful flowers from husband and my children. They know that I LOVE FlOWERS !!
I realized that if I want something for myself that I am worth it and I hold the power to make myself happy.
Here is another powerful quote that I like.
Before you assume, learn the facts.
Before you judge, understand why.
Before you hurt someone, feel.
Before you speak, think..........Vicki Yohe
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
We Own The Power To Change Our Thinking
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we did when we created them.....Albert Einstein
We are so blessed to have escaped the worst of the snow storm that is slamming Boston today. We woke up Monday morning to about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Sunday was a dreary day of cold and rain that turned to snow in the evening. We did have sunshine yesterday and today it is a little overcast and bitter cold. I am looking forward to January being over. We always feel a sigh of relief if we make it to February without too much snow.
Looking forward to Valentines Day, as I have already put out some decorations in the house. The mind is a powerful thing and visually filling it with thoughts of love makes winter seem not so bad after all.
I have talked a lot about healing after surviving Cancer and much of that healing is changing our thoughts to change our world. I have spoke about this topic before in my blog writings. The caregiver, family, and close friends along with the Cancer patient are greatly affected by their thoughts and perceptions of their roles they play when in stressful situations. For me as a caregiver, the greatest part of healing has been learning to love myself and value my worthiness. When you are constantly caring for others in your life you start to lose yourself. I think a lot of women can feel this loss as they move through life taking care of their children. Men can also experience this loss also with the pressures of life. Children also can lose their self worth with peer pressures. The Cancer patient and anyone dealing with life threatening illnesses experience a loss of what they think a normal lifestyle should be.
I think to myself what is a normal life. We tend to base our thoughts on what we think others want us to be, do, or what society as a whole believes to be the perfect life. I have learned that it isn't what we think to be normal that brings happiness, but rather training the mind to think positive thoughts and loving ourselves. When you start to have happy thoughts everyday and visualize in your mind the things that make you feel good the world around you starts to look differently. God created a world that is truely amazing when we let our minds see it. I started practicing this three years ago when I had lost myself and it has changed my world.
When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves...Viktor Frankl
If you are depressed or experiencing a lot of anxiety you may need help from health care professionals to get your brain chemicals stabilized. The mind needs help sometimes just as our other organs in order to heal. Along with medication if needed, you can learn to change your thoughts. I have worked on positive thinking and it has now become a habit. It has helped me find happiness and see situations in my life differently.
Changing your thoughts does not just happen over night, but practicing gratitude daily and filling you mind up with happy positive thoughts is an amazing feeling. Your thoughts can be changed no matter how old you are and with daily practice you can have a life filled with happiness even when you are placed in stressful situations. Start by telling yourself every morning that you have the power to change your life and it belongs to you. You are the one that has to do the work to change it and no one is going to wave a magic wand.
Don't give up on yourself, be patient, especially if you are under a lot of stress. It is easy to let other people's words fill our mind, but practice filling your mind with your loving words and it will start to over ride the bad that we hear. It may take awhile, but with little goals you can start to see changes. There maybe set backs, but hold on to the positive thoughts that will give you strength to get through stressful situations.
This practice has changed my life and it is helping me heal along with a healthy diet and exercise. There are a lot of self help books to help come up with a plan to change your life. Letting go of what others think of you, and forgiving others and yourself are the most powerful things we can do for ourselves. You will always have thoughts of past experiences, but learning to override them in the mind with positive thoughts diminishes their power to control you.
Life is too short to argue with the past. Count your blessings, value your loved ones, and move on with your head held high....unknown author
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
We are so blessed to have escaped the worst of the snow storm that is slamming Boston today. We woke up Monday morning to about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Sunday was a dreary day of cold and rain that turned to snow in the evening. We did have sunshine yesterday and today it is a little overcast and bitter cold. I am looking forward to January being over. We always feel a sigh of relief if we make it to February without too much snow.
Looking forward to Valentines Day, as I have already put out some decorations in the house. The mind is a powerful thing and visually filling it with thoughts of love makes winter seem not so bad after all.
I have talked a lot about healing after surviving Cancer and much of that healing is changing our thoughts to change our world. I have spoke about this topic before in my blog writings. The caregiver, family, and close friends along with the Cancer patient are greatly affected by their thoughts and perceptions of their roles they play when in stressful situations. For me as a caregiver, the greatest part of healing has been learning to love myself and value my worthiness. When you are constantly caring for others in your life you start to lose yourself. I think a lot of women can feel this loss as they move through life taking care of their children. Men can also experience this loss also with the pressures of life. Children also can lose their self worth with peer pressures. The Cancer patient and anyone dealing with life threatening illnesses experience a loss of what they think a normal lifestyle should be.
I think to myself what is a normal life. We tend to base our thoughts on what we think others want us to be, do, or what society as a whole believes to be the perfect life. I have learned that it isn't what we think to be normal that brings happiness, but rather training the mind to think positive thoughts and loving ourselves. When you start to have happy thoughts everyday and visualize in your mind the things that make you feel good the world around you starts to look differently. God created a world that is truely amazing when we let our minds see it. I started practicing this three years ago when I had lost myself and it has changed my world.
When we are no longer able to change a situation we are challenged to change ourselves...Viktor Frankl
If you are depressed or experiencing a lot of anxiety you may need help from health care professionals to get your brain chemicals stabilized. The mind needs help sometimes just as our other organs in order to heal. Along with medication if needed, you can learn to change your thoughts. I have worked on positive thinking and it has now become a habit. It has helped me find happiness and see situations in my life differently.
Changing your thoughts does not just happen over night, but practicing gratitude daily and filling you mind up with happy positive thoughts is an amazing feeling. Your thoughts can be changed no matter how old you are and with daily practice you can have a life filled with happiness even when you are placed in stressful situations. Start by telling yourself every morning that you have the power to change your life and it belongs to you. You are the one that has to do the work to change it and no one is going to wave a magic wand.
Don't give up on yourself, be patient, especially if you are under a lot of stress. It is easy to let other people's words fill our mind, but practice filling your mind with your loving words and it will start to over ride the bad that we hear. It may take awhile, but with little goals you can start to see changes. There maybe set backs, but hold on to the positive thoughts that will give you strength to get through stressful situations.
This practice has changed my life and it is helping me heal along with a healthy diet and exercise. There are a lot of self help books to help come up with a plan to change your life. Letting go of what others think of you, and forgiving others and yourself are the most powerful things we can do for ourselves. You will always have thoughts of past experiences, but learning to override them in the mind with positive thoughts diminishes their power to control you.
Life is too short to argue with the past. Count your blessings, value your loved ones, and move on with your head held high....unknown author
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
Friday, January 23, 2015
There Are No Magic Wands
We have unusually warm weather for January. It made it into the low 50's earlier in the week and lots of sunshine. It is nice to have some warmer temperatures. January seems like it last forever. We are now 58 days away from spring. There is hope that flip flop weather is getting closer.
I was looking at pictures of myself from last September and couldn't believe how bad I looked. I could tell from the pictures that stress had caught up with me. I looked like humpty dumpty. I wish I had measured my waist at the time. I was happy yesterday as I had fit into one of my sweaters that revealed a much flatter stomach. The muffin top has deflated and it reminds of how a cake looses it nice puffiness after we take it out of the oven. I feel like I have come out of the oven, as my hot flashes are gone. I am continuing to feel better everyday. My doctor told me it could take up to a year to completely heal from the stress. It took a lot of years of stress to make me ill, so I guess a year to heal is not bad. I have to remember it is a life long commitment to changes I have made in my life to continue to stay healthy.
I have always believed in monkey see monkey do. I am slowly seeing some loved ones in my life changing some of their own non healthy habits into some good healthy habits. We all have to take that ownership of taking care of ourselves. I can share what I have done to get healthy, but the others have to do the work for themselves. I am not mentioning any names, but I love my family and hope they continue to learn as much as they can about healthy living. You can change your life and habits. It does require patience and work, but it becomes a good habit after awhile. I am proud of my own changes and very proud of the changes that my loved ones have made. I love you all!
When I finally reached a point the beginning of 2014 where my stress had consumed me, I made a decision to give up my coffee. I only had one cup a day of coffee, but it was enough coffee to cause havoc with my adrenal glands. It was a good decision to stop my habit, as coffee has caffeine which stimulates those adrenal glands and was adding to my stress I started weaning myself off the coffee by switching to decaf. The decaf coffee actually has some caffeine and made it a little easier to wean myself off without caffeine withdrawl. I eventually started drinking decaf coffee only a couple of days a week and substituting some herbal teas. My son actually bought me a tea kettle and today I am caffeine free. My favorite tea is cinnamon spice. It has chamomile, cinnamon, rose hip, lavender, etc. It not only tastes good, but smells wonderful.
My soul mate has actually given up diet coke, as it is loaded with caffeine and artificial sweeteners. We all have our guilty pleasures, but we can learn to substitute some healthy pleasures. He has developed a habit of green tea sweetened only with natural sweeteners. We also have been drinking natural flavored water that does not contain any artificial sweeteners. These small changes have made such an impact. Artificial sweeteners are as bad as caffeine, because they stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin and can cause intestinal problems.
One other change which has made an important impact especially on my husband is eliminating wheat from our diet. My husband was having a lot of intestinal problems after chemotherapy and we decided to eliminate foods to see if we could stop his bloating. I got the suggestion actually from my doctor about wheat. We are now eating whole grain gluten free bread and it has made a big difference. We also eat Greek yogurt everyday to get probiotics in our digestive system. We are feeling good.
No magic wand can be waved to change your life. I heard that statement from someone, and I will agree with that. You have to want to change and believe in yourself. You have to have love and determination, and remember to be strong and patient.
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
I was looking at pictures of myself from last September and couldn't believe how bad I looked. I could tell from the pictures that stress had caught up with me. I looked like humpty dumpty. I wish I had measured my waist at the time. I was happy yesterday as I had fit into one of my sweaters that revealed a much flatter stomach. The muffin top has deflated and it reminds of how a cake looses it nice puffiness after we take it out of the oven. I feel like I have come out of the oven, as my hot flashes are gone. I am continuing to feel better everyday. My doctor told me it could take up to a year to completely heal from the stress. It took a lot of years of stress to make me ill, so I guess a year to heal is not bad. I have to remember it is a life long commitment to changes I have made in my life to continue to stay healthy.
I have always believed in monkey see monkey do. I am slowly seeing some loved ones in my life changing some of their own non healthy habits into some good healthy habits. We all have to take that ownership of taking care of ourselves. I can share what I have done to get healthy, but the others have to do the work for themselves. I am not mentioning any names, but I love my family and hope they continue to learn as much as they can about healthy living. You can change your life and habits. It does require patience and work, but it becomes a good habit after awhile. I am proud of my own changes and very proud of the changes that my loved ones have made. I love you all!
When I finally reached a point the beginning of 2014 where my stress had consumed me, I made a decision to give up my coffee. I only had one cup a day of coffee, but it was enough coffee to cause havoc with my adrenal glands. It was a good decision to stop my habit, as coffee has caffeine which stimulates those adrenal glands and was adding to my stress I started weaning myself off the coffee by switching to decaf. The decaf coffee actually has some caffeine and made it a little easier to wean myself off without caffeine withdrawl. I eventually started drinking decaf coffee only a couple of days a week and substituting some herbal teas. My son actually bought me a tea kettle and today I am caffeine free. My favorite tea is cinnamon spice. It has chamomile, cinnamon, rose hip, lavender, etc. It not only tastes good, but smells wonderful.
My soul mate has actually given up diet coke, as it is loaded with caffeine and artificial sweeteners. We all have our guilty pleasures, but we can learn to substitute some healthy pleasures. He has developed a habit of green tea sweetened only with natural sweeteners. We also have been drinking natural flavored water that does not contain any artificial sweeteners. These small changes have made such an impact. Artificial sweeteners are as bad as caffeine, because they stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin and can cause intestinal problems.
One other change which has made an important impact especially on my husband is eliminating wheat from our diet. My husband was having a lot of intestinal problems after chemotherapy and we decided to eliminate foods to see if we could stop his bloating. I got the suggestion actually from my doctor about wheat. We are now eating whole grain gluten free bread and it has made a big difference. We also eat Greek yogurt everyday to get probiotics in our digestive system. We are feeling good.
No magic wand can be waved to change your life. I heard that statement from someone, and I will agree with that. You have to want to change and believe in yourself. You have to have love and determination, and remember to be strong and patient.
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
Monday, January 19, 2015
Living With The High Cost Of Medical Care
Committing to a healthy lifestyle does not come without a price. My husband and I spend money on healthy food and our vitamins that come at a cost. When you first start to buy only fresh vegetables, fruits, or what would be natural foods such as grains, seeds and nuts, you can be shocked by the prices. But you are forgoing processed food which in reality can be just as expensive. I have found that we actually eat less food, because the foods that are packed with natural fiber fill you up. The pay off for a healthy body also means less trips to the doctor. So if you want a healthy body the money spent is well worth it.
Our health care system has become expensive. I watched the 60 Minutes program that featured a family that had visited MD Anderson for Cancer care. I understood their frustration with the expense of going there for care. I was surprised at what they paid out of their own pocket to be seen and to have treatment. I know that vulnerable feeling when your loved one has cancer. You will do anything to get someone to help and make the cancer go away. I am not sure what the answer is to lower the price for care or who is to blame. I do know that if you can not afford to go there that my heart is very sad for you.
My husband has been a patient at MD Anderson since 2010. Now that we are thinking clearly, the shock of the whole experience is becoming a memory of the past. We are among the very blessed to have gone there for care and we had good insurance. My husband pays an exorbitant amount in premiums for his insurance which is considered one of the premium plans. Our out of pocket expense since 2010 has tripled. We were told it was due to the high price of his claims. I once requested an itemized statement from MD Anderson be sent to us, and it was shocking to see the cost of everything. I can not imagine paying those prices without insurance. Cancer itself will emotionally drain you let alone seeing the cost of treatment. I thank God everyday for our blessed life and pray for those who are not able to receive the health care they need.
There is also the expenses of travel and temporary lodging when visiting major Cancer Centers that are not in your state. The cost of these extra medical expenses are not covered by insurance and drain your bank account quickly. So I really don't know how we can stop this over inflated cost of medical care. But, we can start living healthy and reduce the need to see doctors. I know for my husband and I living healthy is a high priority for us and having good health insurance. It has meant sacrificing a lot of other material things in life and trips that we would have loved to have taken. The sacrifices have been worth it, because my husband and I are survivors. We are able to wake up to happiness and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
I know that healthy living does not always mean there won't be times when we need medical care, but it does help reduce our chances. Finding doctors to help you with a good medical plan to stay healthy is also important and you taking the initiative to follow their advice is important. It always goes back to you owning up to taking care of yourself. It is what you want from your life and sometimes the sacrifices you have to make along the way. Don't let the health care system own you. Stand up and take charge of your health. It's your life. You can visit the American Cancer Society on line for information and resources to help everyone living with cancer.
God Bless all cancer patients !
Elizabeth:)
Our health care system has become expensive. I watched the 60 Minutes program that featured a family that had visited MD Anderson for Cancer care. I understood their frustration with the expense of going there for care. I was surprised at what they paid out of their own pocket to be seen and to have treatment. I know that vulnerable feeling when your loved one has cancer. You will do anything to get someone to help and make the cancer go away. I am not sure what the answer is to lower the price for care or who is to blame. I do know that if you can not afford to go there that my heart is very sad for you.
My husband has been a patient at MD Anderson since 2010. Now that we are thinking clearly, the shock of the whole experience is becoming a memory of the past. We are among the very blessed to have gone there for care and we had good insurance. My husband pays an exorbitant amount in premiums for his insurance which is considered one of the premium plans. Our out of pocket expense since 2010 has tripled. We were told it was due to the high price of his claims. I once requested an itemized statement from MD Anderson be sent to us, and it was shocking to see the cost of everything. I can not imagine paying those prices without insurance. Cancer itself will emotionally drain you let alone seeing the cost of treatment. I thank God everyday for our blessed life and pray for those who are not able to receive the health care they need.
There is also the expenses of travel and temporary lodging when visiting major Cancer Centers that are not in your state. The cost of these extra medical expenses are not covered by insurance and drain your bank account quickly. So I really don't know how we can stop this over inflated cost of medical care. But, we can start living healthy and reduce the need to see doctors. I know for my husband and I living healthy is a high priority for us and having good health insurance. It has meant sacrificing a lot of other material things in life and trips that we would have loved to have taken. The sacrifices have been worth it, because my husband and I are survivors. We are able to wake up to happiness and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
I know that healthy living does not always mean there won't be times when we need medical care, but it does help reduce our chances. Finding doctors to help you with a good medical plan to stay healthy is also important and you taking the initiative to follow their advice is important. It always goes back to you owning up to taking care of yourself. It is what you want from your life and sometimes the sacrifices you have to make along the way. Don't let the health care system own you. Stand up and take charge of your health. It's your life. You can visit the American Cancer Society on line for information and resources to help everyone living with cancer.
God Bless all cancer patients !
Elizabeth:)
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Keeping Healthy Is A Life Long Commitment
The sun is out again today and I am feeling energized. There is still a buzz going on around town since OSU won the National Championship. I was out and about yesterday wearing my OSU gloves and made people smile. Yes, it is nice to be happy about the OSU win and it is good news in lieu of all the bad things going on in the world today.
Continuing my rant about stress and the what it can do to your body, I will talk about hormones and imbalances. I often wondered why some women made it through menopause without many symptoms. Maybe they had a stress free life and cortisol had not become dominate in their bodies. I have discovered that every time the body needs to make cortisol due to stress it uses progesterone to produce cortisol.
Progesterone is produced in the ovaries and other organs in the body. Men produce progesterone also. When we are stressed the progesterone being produced in our bodies is used to produce the cortisol. After prolonged periods of stress the progesterone is depleted. As women age progesterone and estrogen in the ovaries declines. If you mess up the other parts of the body producing these hormones the whole HTP axis gets screwed up. Your body lets you know that something is wrong by producing warning signals. These signals could be hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, panic attacks, cognitive issues, viruses, personality changes, restless leg syndrome, intolerances to cold and heat, sleep disturbances, and many more things.
When I found out that cortisol from stress had zapped my progesterone, I started understanding a life time of difficulties that I had experienced. I had problems from lack of progesterone starting in my childhood. My stressful childhood had upset that balance of hormones. Those hormones are essential to keep the body in perfect functioning. It is sad for me to think of all the medical problems I had as a child. They ranged from painful menstrual cycles to very irregular ones and severe acne. I always had a racing heartbeat and restless leg syndrome. It possibly explains some of my mother's medical problems. That progesterone also helps the body get rid of excess estrogen. Sometimes you will see women become estrogen dominant as they age. Since there are so many underlying problems such as cyst of the ovaries, tumors of the pituitary glands, and problems owing the thyroid and adrenal glands, it's is important to find a doctor who is well trained in the whole HTP axis.
I know over my life span I have complained to my doctors that I felt bad and depressed at times. I also would go for stretches at a time with no menstrual periods. They looked at me in a perplexed way and suggested Advil for pain, told me it was normal to have female problems. I was even told at one time that my uterus looked fine and I should just exercise more. It is a wonder that I was able to become pregnant twice. Yes, I have two wonderful children and I hope that what I have found out will help them to live a happy and healthy life.
I remind you if you read my blog that I would not recommend just taking supplements without the direction of a doctor. If you are having similar symptoms search for a doctor that can help find out what the underlying cause is. I found a doctor that understood that whole HTP axis. There are medical doctors that are studying and specializing in hormonal balance. They call their practice Integrative Medicine or Functional Medicine. These doctors incorporate natural supplements and biodentical hormones to get your body balanced. They have studied the use of natural supplements, Chinese herbs, acupuncture and many other natural ways to heal the body. They have medical degrees and are board Certified doctors. I have found that they will take the time to listen to your medical issues and based on what you tell them, they can recommend proper testing.
Some people are happy just treating symptoms with a pill and that is their choice. I am a person that wants to know why I am having the symptoms. I guess for me I learned about ownership of my own body and how I can take care of myself. It starts with a healthy body. When the bodies HTP axis is balanced the mind body relationship is balanced.
My husband has learned that even though chemotherapy put him in remission, that you need to make sure that there are no deficiencies in the body. Chemotherapy is toxic and kills good cells and bad cells. It can deplete essential vitamins in the body and throw off the HTP axis. After a couple of years of research and talking with other Cancer survivors we know that other survivors have had problems with cognitive issues and personality changes. I have spoke to some of these survivors that were refereed to doctors that helped them with what is called a survivor ship plan. Keeping healthy is a life long commitment.
It has been a long road to this healthier point in our life. We started with small goals and kept eating a healthy diet, but it has taken some help from what I call the experts and adding some supplements. That is doctors dedicated to helping us achieve that healthy mind and body. I am sad that it took so long for me to get to this point of feeling good, but I am also very happy that I am now living a healthy, happy life. I am also happy that my husband has taken ownership of his own body also and has put for effort to be healthy too.
Well there is a lot more I can say about how I slowly changed my life so the blog is now devoted to talking about making changes. It did start with changing my thoughts and it has changed my life. It has changed Laney too, as a healthy lifestyle keeps your pet healthy also.
My motto for this year is commit to taking ownership of your body and you can be happy and healthy.
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
Continuing my rant about stress and the what it can do to your body, I will talk about hormones and imbalances. I often wondered why some women made it through menopause without many symptoms. Maybe they had a stress free life and cortisol had not become dominate in their bodies. I have discovered that every time the body needs to make cortisol due to stress it uses progesterone to produce cortisol.
Progesterone is produced in the ovaries and other organs in the body. Men produce progesterone also. When we are stressed the progesterone being produced in our bodies is used to produce the cortisol. After prolonged periods of stress the progesterone is depleted. As women age progesterone and estrogen in the ovaries declines. If you mess up the other parts of the body producing these hormones the whole HTP axis gets screwed up. Your body lets you know that something is wrong by producing warning signals. These signals could be hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, panic attacks, cognitive issues, viruses, personality changes, restless leg syndrome, intolerances to cold and heat, sleep disturbances, and many more things.
When I found out that cortisol from stress had zapped my progesterone, I started understanding a life time of difficulties that I had experienced. I had problems from lack of progesterone starting in my childhood. My stressful childhood had upset that balance of hormones. Those hormones are essential to keep the body in perfect functioning. It is sad for me to think of all the medical problems I had as a child. They ranged from painful menstrual cycles to very irregular ones and severe acne. I always had a racing heartbeat and restless leg syndrome. It possibly explains some of my mother's medical problems. That progesterone also helps the body get rid of excess estrogen. Sometimes you will see women become estrogen dominant as they age. Since there are so many underlying problems such as cyst of the ovaries, tumors of the pituitary glands, and problems owing the thyroid and adrenal glands, it's is important to find a doctor who is well trained in the whole HTP axis.
I know over my life span I have complained to my doctors that I felt bad and depressed at times. I also would go for stretches at a time with no menstrual periods. They looked at me in a perplexed way and suggested Advil for pain, told me it was normal to have female problems. I was even told at one time that my uterus looked fine and I should just exercise more. It is a wonder that I was able to become pregnant twice. Yes, I have two wonderful children and I hope that what I have found out will help them to live a happy and healthy life.
I remind you if you read my blog that I would not recommend just taking supplements without the direction of a doctor. If you are having similar symptoms search for a doctor that can help find out what the underlying cause is. I found a doctor that understood that whole HTP axis. There are medical doctors that are studying and specializing in hormonal balance. They call their practice Integrative Medicine or Functional Medicine. These doctors incorporate natural supplements and biodentical hormones to get your body balanced. They have studied the use of natural supplements, Chinese herbs, acupuncture and many other natural ways to heal the body. They have medical degrees and are board Certified doctors. I have found that they will take the time to listen to your medical issues and based on what you tell them, they can recommend proper testing.
Some people are happy just treating symptoms with a pill and that is their choice. I am a person that wants to know why I am having the symptoms. I guess for me I learned about ownership of my own body and how I can take care of myself. It starts with a healthy body. When the bodies HTP axis is balanced the mind body relationship is balanced.
My husband has learned that even though chemotherapy put him in remission, that you need to make sure that there are no deficiencies in the body. Chemotherapy is toxic and kills good cells and bad cells. It can deplete essential vitamins in the body and throw off the HTP axis. After a couple of years of research and talking with other Cancer survivors we know that other survivors have had problems with cognitive issues and personality changes. I have spoke to some of these survivors that were refereed to doctors that helped them with what is called a survivor ship plan. Keeping healthy is a life long commitment.
It has been a long road to this healthier point in our life. We started with small goals and kept eating a healthy diet, but it has taken some help from what I call the experts and adding some supplements. That is doctors dedicated to helping us achieve that healthy mind and body. I am sad that it took so long for me to get to this point of feeling good, but I am also very happy that I am now living a healthy, happy life. I am also happy that my husband has taken ownership of his own body also and has put for effort to be healthy too.
Well there is a lot more I can say about how I slowly changed my life so the blog is now devoted to talking about making changes. It did start with changing my thoughts and it has changed my life. It has changed Laney too, as a healthy lifestyle keeps your pet healthy also.
My motto for this year is commit to taking ownership of your body and you can be happy and healthy.
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
An Emergency Has Changed My Life
Way to go OSU !! We went to bed last night smiling and High St. was exploding with celebrations, as Ohio State had beat Oregon for the National Championship. My husband was so excited that he was shouting with excitement every time there was a touchdown and Laney was going crazy running in circles and barking. She didn't know what was going on and it was quite comical as her OSU sweater came off and was dragging behind her. Wow, there are some happy buckeye fans today. The sun even came out today.
I have been out running errands and enjoying lunch with friends. We have to take advantage of beautiful sunny days here in the north. I said I was going to talk about stress and being with my friends on a regular basis is the best thing for stress. I think back now and realize that my friends have been excellent therapy. They make you laugh, they let you cry if you need too, and they help you see situations differently. God Bless my friends.
I can now talk about stress and what it does to people. A little over a year ago just hearing the word stress made me sick. Yes stress will make you sick and can even kill you. We all have stress in our life, but when it becomes overwhelming due to a life event it can make you ill. It can change your personality, cause cognitive problems, and mess up the hypothalamus- pituitary- thyroid axis. You throw off one thing in the body such as depleting an important mineral or vitamin and it can wreck havoc with your whole mind body relationship.
So the first thing that I want to tell people is that stress will cause belly fat and if you have a muffin top, you may have an overload of stress. When I finally got to the point that I felt so bad last fall, I looked in the mirror and there was a ring of fat around my abdomen. I thought to myself that if I could have jumped in the water I would have floated. I surely wasn't going to sink and I wasn't eating
any more than usual. I had always been petite and now I felt like someone had inflated a ring around my middle, but I couldn't find a plug to pull. When I went to some health care professionals who practice Integrated medicine, the first thing out of my mouth was please help me my body has turned on me. I had even been exercising and eating healthy. I was more concerned about the belly fat than anything, because I knew it was bad and a sign of high stress. And, of course a 48 hour urine test confirmed that my cortisol level was off the chart. STRESS!!!
When our body is under constant stress the adrenal glands sitting on the kidneys keep pumping out cortisol. Our body is made to react to stress for those threatening moments in life. It gives us energy to get through situations. But, if you are in a constant state of stress and you are not releasing the energy your cortisol tells the body to store fat around the middle. Cortisol also keeps us awake and that explained the sleep deprivation I had experienced on and off since childhood. Your cortisol rises normally while we sleep and upon awaking is high, but declines as the day goes on so we can sleep at night. My cortisol level was high 24hrs a day and higher than normal. This was a bad indication that if I didn't get the level under control, I was going to burn out the adrenal glands. I was very sleep deprived and felt exhausted.
Sleep deprivation is not good, because sleeping helps us heal and refuel our bodies. A lack of sleep leads to heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and cognitive problems and a host of many other health problems. It throws the whole body out of sync.
It was also haunting my husband. We had come through three years of stress fighting Cancer and now we are fighting off stress. Just knowing you have Cancer causes cortisol levels to rise and if you add chemotherapy and shock the body with drugs, you are almost certain to screw up that hormonal balance in the body. As for me, just the shock of knowing my husband had cancer and was not himself after the chemotherapy caused a big imbalance in me. What a mess we both were.
Thank goodness we are both doing better. I was given supplements prescribed by a doctor and I am getting my cortisol under control and slowly but surely the belly fat is deflating. Together my husband and I are learning how to control cortisol with the right food balances and we have started doing Yoga to help with stress. The Yoga is one of our goals this year to help us relax and tone up.
Goodbye belly fat. I am not going to let you take possession of me any more. It sometimes takes hitting rock bottom to make us find help and get that ownership of our body that I talked about.
My rock bottom decent started in 2011 and climaxed November 2013. I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life as I left the doctors office at MD Anderson. We did not deserve to be treated with insults and intimidated as we were. We were very vulnerable and tired. I was the emergency that sent us home. I never want to feel that bad again. It was what sent me out to search for help. My cortisol was pumping and the adrenaline was making me sick. My therapist had a lot to do with pointing me in the right direction. I have learned a lot about myself and my body. It is ashamed that it took me until August of 2014 to fall literally and stand up and say I need someone that understands the effects of stress on the body. My prayers were answered and now everyday I know what it is like to feel good. I still have a long ways to go to, but I am amazed at how good I feel.
I still have a lot I can say about what stress does to you. Don't let any one tell you it does not cause illness, because it can wreck your whole body chemistry. It can cause personality changes. If anyone makes you feel afraid or harms you run away and don't look back. You will release your adrenaline and perhaps avoid all the stress my husband and I have had. If you have belly fat take it seriously. You can get healthy.
I will talk later about what else happens to the body when your cortisol levels stay high. I need to get to sleep and let my body rest. Goodnight world.
Life is beautiful !!!
Elizabeth:)
I have been out running errands and enjoying lunch with friends. We have to take advantage of beautiful sunny days here in the north. I said I was going to talk about stress and being with my friends on a regular basis is the best thing for stress. I think back now and realize that my friends have been excellent therapy. They make you laugh, they let you cry if you need too, and they help you see situations differently. God Bless my friends.
I can now talk about stress and what it does to people. A little over a year ago just hearing the word stress made me sick. Yes stress will make you sick and can even kill you. We all have stress in our life, but when it becomes overwhelming due to a life event it can make you ill. It can change your personality, cause cognitive problems, and mess up the hypothalamus- pituitary- thyroid axis. You throw off one thing in the body such as depleting an important mineral or vitamin and it can wreck havoc with your whole mind body relationship.
So the first thing that I want to tell people is that stress will cause belly fat and if you have a muffin top, you may have an overload of stress. When I finally got to the point that I felt so bad last fall, I looked in the mirror and there was a ring of fat around my abdomen. I thought to myself that if I could have jumped in the water I would have floated. I surely wasn't going to sink and I wasn't eating
any more than usual. I had always been petite and now I felt like someone had inflated a ring around my middle, but I couldn't find a plug to pull. When I went to some health care professionals who practice Integrated medicine, the first thing out of my mouth was please help me my body has turned on me. I had even been exercising and eating healthy. I was more concerned about the belly fat than anything, because I knew it was bad and a sign of high stress. And, of course a 48 hour urine test confirmed that my cortisol level was off the chart. STRESS!!!
When our body is under constant stress the adrenal glands sitting on the kidneys keep pumping out cortisol. Our body is made to react to stress for those threatening moments in life. It gives us energy to get through situations. But, if you are in a constant state of stress and you are not releasing the energy your cortisol tells the body to store fat around the middle. Cortisol also keeps us awake and that explained the sleep deprivation I had experienced on and off since childhood. Your cortisol rises normally while we sleep and upon awaking is high, but declines as the day goes on so we can sleep at night. My cortisol level was high 24hrs a day and higher than normal. This was a bad indication that if I didn't get the level under control, I was going to burn out the adrenal glands. I was very sleep deprived and felt exhausted.
Sleep deprivation is not good, because sleeping helps us heal and refuel our bodies. A lack of sleep leads to heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and cognitive problems and a host of many other health problems. It throws the whole body out of sync.
It was also haunting my husband. We had come through three years of stress fighting Cancer and now we are fighting off stress. Just knowing you have Cancer causes cortisol levels to rise and if you add chemotherapy and shock the body with drugs, you are almost certain to screw up that hormonal balance in the body. As for me, just the shock of knowing my husband had cancer and was not himself after the chemotherapy caused a big imbalance in me. What a mess we both were.
Thank goodness we are both doing better. I was given supplements prescribed by a doctor and I am getting my cortisol under control and slowly but surely the belly fat is deflating. Together my husband and I are learning how to control cortisol with the right food balances and we have started doing Yoga to help with stress. The Yoga is one of our goals this year to help us relax and tone up.
Goodbye belly fat. I am not going to let you take possession of me any more. It sometimes takes hitting rock bottom to make us find help and get that ownership of our body that I talked about.
My rock bottom decent started in 2011 and climaxed November 2013. I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life as I left the doctors office at MD Anderson. We did not deserve to be treated with insults and intimidated as we were. We were very vulnerable and tired. I was the emergency that sent us home. I never want to feel that bad again. It was what sent me out to search for help. My cortisol was pumping and the adrenaline was making me sick. My therapist had a lot to do with pointing me in the right direction. I have learned a lot about myself and my body. It is ashamed that it took me until August of 2014 to fall literally and stand up and say I need someone that understands the effects of stress on the body. My prayers were answered and now everyday I know what it is like to feel good. I still have a long ways to go to, but I am amazed at how good I feel.
I still have a lot I can say about what stress does to you. Don't let any one tell you it does not cause illness, because it can wreck your whole body chemistry. It can cause personality changes. If anyone makes you feel afraid or harms you run away and don't look back. You will release your adrenaline and perhaps avoid all the stress my husband and I have had. If you have belly fat take it seriously. You can get healthy.
I will talk later about what else happens to the body when your cortisol levels stay high. I need to get to sleep and let my body rest. Goodnight world.
Life is beautiful !!!
Elizabeth:)
Monday, January 12, 2015
Taking Ownership Of Yourself
Today is an exciting day for all the buckeye fans as Oregon vs Ohio State this evening at 8:30 pm. We will be watching the game and when Ohio State wins the whole state might just shake. The excitement has been brewing, and today as I get dressed I'll be dressed to cheer on the team. My husband left for work wearing his Ohio State tie. Even Laney has an Ohio State sweater. We are ready for some fun. Go Bucks!!!
I spent last week cleaning up Christmas decorations and hibernating after five inches of snow fell and we went into the deep freeze. Today we have a thin layer of ice and possibly some more freezing rain coming. There are a lot of people complaining about seasonal depression. I have learned some things over the last couple years that have helped me combat those blues. I had my Vitamin D level checked two years ago as I explained to my doctor that I had seasonal depression. My level was almost zero and they checked it twice. I was put on vitamin D3 at high doses and rechecked after a year. The levels had come up and now I am on maintenance doses. It did help and some of my aches and pains went away. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the north due to our winters and lack of being in the sunshine. We also wear a lot of sunscreen which blocks absorption of sun. Yes we need sunshine to produce Vitamin D. I would not recommend anyone taking supplements without having levels checked. Your doctor can help you determine how much supplement to take. Also wear your sunscreen as directed to prevent melanoma.
I don't like new year resolutions as we tend to state them and not follow through. I have more success in setting small goals to achieve. I have been studying the last three years about the effect of stress on the body. It can cause great distress in the whole mind body relationship. My studies have been under the direction of a therapist and medical professionals that practice integrated medicine.
It has taken a lot of patience and work to get the stress under control and understand how my body reacts to stress. Our body is made to react to stress, but sometimes we get stuck with an overload of stress and it can damage your body. Sadly, I have some damage from prolonged stress, but I am learning how to reduce the stress. I am learning how to take care of my body and claim ownership of my health. I am also educating my family about a stress reducing lifestyle and eating healthy.
Stress overload in the body can come from work, trauma, life threatening illnesses, or any situation that causes the autonomic nervous system to kick in and produce cortisol and adrenaline. It becomes a serious problem when we can't release that adrenaline and the cortisol levels remain high. Sometimes we need to figure out what the stresses are and start taking steps to reduce them. My own stress was being triggered by thoughts of a stressful childhood and the traumatic death of my mother. We learn how to handle stress when we are children. If we are nurtured and made to feel safe as a child we usually will be able to handles some stress appropriately as we become adults. I had a stressful childhood and I now understand how triggers from childhood were being stimulated from events happening in my adult life. Certain events caused my body to overproduce that cortisol. Unfortunately we can not live in a bubble or avoid all the triggers, but we can reduce the triggers by developing healthy relationships with people that except us and care about us. It is important to be able to talk to a therapist, family and friends about things that are bothering you. My friends have become an important part of my life.
So, my husband and I have learned a lot about stress and the effect on the body.
We have gradually made changes in our lifestyle to reduce our stress. We have to work on it everyday, but some changes have now become good habits.
Sometimes you have to fall in a hole to start making changes to heal the mind and body. Feeling bad everyday is our bodies way of telling us something is wrong. Finding health care professionals to help you understand your body is my advice to a healthier and happier life. You have to take ownership of yourself and learn about how your body functions.
I am willing to talk in following days about what stress did to my body. I may be able to help others from suffering as long as I did. Stay tuned to new adventures.
I am signing off today happy and feeling good. Watch out Oregon, because here comes the Bucks!!
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
I spent last week cleaning up Christmas decorations and hibernating after five inches of snow fell and we went into the deep freeze. Today we have a thin layer of ice and possibly some more freezing rain coming. There are a lot of people complaining about seasonal depression. I have learned some things over the last couple years that have helped me combat those blues. I had my Vitamin D level checked two years ago as I explained to my doctor that I had seasonal depression. My level was almost zero and they checked it twice. I was put on vitamin D3 at high doses and rechecked after a year. The levels had come up and now I am on maintenance doses. It did help and some of my aches and pains went away. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the north due to our winters and lack of being in the sunshine. We also wear a lot of sunscreen which blocks absorption of sun. Yes we need sunshine to produce Vitamin D. I would not recommend anyone taking supplements without having levels checked. Your doctor can help you determine how much supplement to take. Also wear your sunscreen as directed to prevent melanoma.
I don't like new year resolutions as we tend to state them and not follow through. I have more success in setting small goals to achieve. I have been studying the last three years about the effect of stress on the body. It can cause great distress in the whole mind body relationship. My studies have been under the direction of a therapist and medical professionals that practice integrated medicine.
It has taken a lot of patience and work to get the stress under control and understand how my body reacts to stress. Our body is made to react to stress, but sometimes we get stuck with an overload of stress and it can damage your body. Sadly, I have some damage from prolonged stress, but I am learning how to reduce the stress. I am learning how to take care of my body and claim ownership of my health. I am also educating my family about a stress reducing lifestyle and eating healthy.
Stress overload in the body can come from work, trauma, life threatening illnesses, or any situation that causes the autonomic nervous system to kick in and produce cortisol and adrenaline. It becomes a serious problem when we can't release that adrenaline and the cortisol levels remain high. Sometimes we need to figure out what the stresses are and start taking steps to reduce them. My own stress was being triggered by thoughts of a stressful childhood and the traumatic death of my mother. We learn how to handle stress when we are children. If we are nurtured and made to feel safe as a child we usually will be able to handles some stress appropriately as we become adults. I had a stressful childhood and I now understand how triggers from childhood were being stimulated from events happening in my adult life. Certain events caused my body to overproduce that cortisol. Unfortunately we can not live in a bubble or avoid all the triggers, but we can reduce the triggers by developing healthy relationships with people that except us and care about us. It is important to be able to talk to a therapist, family and friends about things that are bothering you. My friends have become an important part of my life.
So, my husband and I have learned a lot about stress and the effect on the body.
We have gradually made changes in our lifestyle to reduce our stress. We have to work on it everyday, but some changes have now become good habits.
Sometimes you have to fall in a hole to start making changes to heal the mind and body. Feeling bad everyday is our bodies way of telling us something is wrong. Finding health care professionals to help you understand your body is my advice to a healthier and happier life. You have to take ownership of yourself and learn about how your body functions.
I am willing to talk in following days about what stress did to my body. I may be able to help others from suffering as long as I did. Stay tuned to new adventures.
I am signing off today happy and feeling good. Watch out Oregon, because here comes the Bucks!!
Life is beautiful!!
Elizabeth:)
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Happy New Year 2015
I am sitting here writing and listening to the wind blow. It is very cold and we are under a winter storm watch. Yes, it is January and winter is showing off its ugly self. This year started off sunny and calm and we are counting down the days to flip flop weather. Each day that goes by brings us closer to spring.
I started my new year off with blessings for everyone who knows me or has ever met me. Hope everyone has a year of happiness, good health, and lots of love. I have been enjoying the past few days taking it easy and slowly easing into the new year. I am already filling up my calendar with some fun things. There maybe more trips to Charleston this year. I am looking forward to planting my flower gardens even though it is going to be a couple more months. I guess it doesn't hurt to dream about the beauty of flowers, and it helps chase away the blues of winter. I think a fresh boutique of flowers is what the dinning table needs.
My husband has been smiling since Thursday evening. He was as happy as could be to see the Ohio State Buckeyes beat Alabama. I know a few Alabama fans who are disappointed. Way to go Bucks !! The next game is going to be exciting.
Well, Laney and I hope this year is filled with good health. So far we are all healthy and we are enjoying life. It is nice sometimes to have winter, so we can slow down and rest. It is God's way of helping us heal.
Happy New Year !!
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
I started my new year off with blessings for everyone who knows me or has ever met me. Hope everyone has a year of happiness, good health, and lots of love. I have been enjoying the past few days taking it easy and slowly easing into the new year. I am already filling up my calendar with some fun things. There maybe more trips to Charleston this year. I am looking forward to planting my flower gardens even though it is going to be a couple more months. I guess it doesn't hurt to dream about the beauty of flowers, and it helps chase away the blues of winter. I think a fresh boutique of flowers is what the dinning table needs.
My husband has been smiling since Thursday evening. He was as happy as could be to see the Ohio State Buckeyes beat Alabama. I know a few Alabama fans who are disappointed. Way to go Bucks !! The next game is going to be exciting.
Well, Laney and I hope this year is filled with good health. So far we are all healthy and we are enjoying life. It is nice sometimes to have winter, so we can slow down and rest. It is God's way of helping us heal.
Happy New Year !!
Life is beautiful !!
Elizabeth:)
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