For the past 6 months I've been sick. Really, really, really sick. It got so bad that I wouldn't leave the house. I was constantly looking for a bathroom. Then the aches started. I always hurt and felt sore. My appetite was gone. Then came the anxiety attacks... Horrible anxiety. This was not good. This was not normal... Right?
I had been wondering what was wrong, but I don't like doctors (and maybe I was a little scared) and I didn't really know where to start. My Mom was talking with her neighbor one day and one thing lead to another and she had an idea about what might be wrong. I went to her doctor who took a liter of my blood to have tested for everything under the sun. After two weeks of waiting I finally had my answer.
Leaky gut... Wait, what????
Apparently, the lining in my gut (think digestive system) had worn away and was no longer absorbing any nutrients. This had caused food allergies that I couldn't believe! So, every time I had indigestion or an upset tummy this was being caused by eating something I was allergic to. It was about to start causing immune disorders if I had not found out! That's a scary thought.
So, I am now taking steps to resolve and heal this problem. Yes, it can be healed!
This involves:
1) Removing the foods that I'm allergic to. Right now, this is a lot. I can have fruit, some vegetables and fresh meat and seafood. Nothing breaded or processed.
2) Taking a strong probiotic daily.
3) Drinking a small amount of aloe vera juice every day. Not gonna lie, this doesn't taste good, but if it helps I'll drink it.
4) Yogurt every day.
One of the allergies is gluten. But, not only am I allergic to gluten I am allergic to wheat, barley, rye, yeast, eggs and cows milk...
So far so good. I have found a gluten free cereal and now drink almond milk. I use lettuce instead of bread for lunch. I'm making do.
As I continue this journey I plan to modify some recipes so that I can make them allergen free as we'll. I'll be posting those here as well as my progress. While this is a lifestyle change I am finding that the health benefits are endless for me.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Patiently (or maybe not so much ;-)) Waiting
Why does it seem so hard to wait?!?!? We all know the bible verse... "but they that wait upon the Lord..." I feel as if I have been waiting forever!!! The reality of it is that I am not waiting on a time scale that I understand (and am not meant to).
When I quit my job to be a stay-at-home Mom it was prayerfully and tearfully decided. I was in a job that I actually liked, but the cost of daycare was more than we could afford at the time. I didn't really want to put my child in daycare in the first place, but I also didn't really want to give up my identity in the workforce. It was a hard decision to make and I knew that when my husband and I decided that I would stay home I would need to contribute financially.
So, I spent countless hours surfing the net to see what I could come up with. I tried Avon, thought about selling jewelry, bought a very expensive embroidery machine, and finally settled on being a medical transcriptionist. I prayed about each one of these decisions and when the doors seemed to open up for me I felt that was God's answer for me. With the latter decision I have spent the better part of a year taking classes and studying and listening to people who do not speak English very well and finally graduating with high honors.
Once my course work was finished, I began to think about what steps to take next. My advisor encouraged me to get my first certification. Becoming a Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) gives you more of an opportunity to get your foot in the door as a new MT. So, I set about making preparations to do this. First, I had to register for an authorization to take the exam. Here was the first delay... It seems that I was a mere 2 weeks late finishing school and registration to take the exam had been closed while they revised the exam.
I couldn't believe it!!! I had struggled and rushed to get through with my coursework so that I could get a job. There wasn't any time left for me to wait and take a test! I needed to be making money now!!!
This was the first time that I began to question whether or not I had really listened to God's will. I just assumed that when the doors opened up that it was the path for me to take. So, why was I having this hurdle right when I thought things were looking up?
Things seemed to work out and even though we had to ask for help from our parents we were still making it. But God didn't want us to continue to have to struggle like this did He? Surely He wants what is best for us...but is what is best for us what we are looking for?
I have been challenged and have faced adversity my entire life (a mere 31 years). I have tried to do this with grace and patience...failing miserably on both accounts. I struggle with this on a daily basis. I feel like if I am not doing anything to make things happen then they are not going to happen. I have extreme trust issues.
I was finally able to take my exam this week and I failed it. Due to the views of the association that I took the test through, I am not allowed to see a breakdown of my exam to assess any weaknesses that I may have. I know that I saw a lot on the exam that I was unfamiliar with and I really felt like it was geared toward someone who had been an MT for some time. I could have failed by a lot or I could have failed by 1 question. I'll never know. I have to wait 6 months before I can take it again. I have to dread it and study for it (although, hopefully with the correct study materials this time since they were no updated prior to the new test being given) all over again if I don't want to give up what I have already done.
The problem now is that I don't know what to do. Am I supposed to put my child in daycare and continue to struggle with keeping up with the bills? Am I supposed to continue on with medical transcription and find a company that will hire me based on my coursework? Am I supposed to get a part time job and hope that it makes enough to cover what we are short right now? Or, am I supposed to just sit and wait for something to happen... a miracle if you will? That's what I don't know.
Please dear Lord! Help me know what to do. I know I'm supposed to trust in You and I do. I just don't know if I am supposed to be physically doing something in the meantime. We need a miracle and we need itnow... in Your time... That's the thing isn't it? I need to stop whining and wait. I know that we will be taken care of. I don't know how but I know that God has not brought us to this point in our lives to drop us. I have to tune everyone else and their unwanted opinions out and wait.
This will make me a better person. This will make my marriage and my family stronger. This will make me stronger.
Dear Lord:
I am waiting. Waiting on You. I know that you have plans for us that we cannot imagine for ourselves. I know that you have plans to prosper us and not to harm us. I know that you will take care of us and will not let us fail. I thank you for all the many blessings that you have bestowed upon us. I know that even the help from our parents is a blessing from You. I know that the fact that we are still in our house and continue to have food to eat is a blessing from You. I know that the reason we have made it farther and longer than we should have been able to with what we had is a blessing from You. I pray that in Your time that Sean will find a better job. A job in which he can feel appreciated and a job that he enjoys doing. A job where he can let his light shine for You. I pray for his confidence and perseverance. I pray for You to lead him to where he is supposed to be. I pray that you would show me what my next steps are. I am believing that you led me to medical transcription for a reason and I am believing that You will show me what that reason was. I am praying over our finances that You would have your hands on our resources and allow those resources to be fruitful. I know that we have made some mistakes in that area and I pray that You would guide us through correcting those mistakes. I pray for Your peace to wash over me. I will do my part too in that I will continue to correct myself and worry less and pray more.
Amen.
When I quit my job to be a stay-at-home Mom it was prayerfully and tearfully decided. I was in a job that I actually liked, but the cost of daycare was more than we could afford at the time. I didn't really want to put my child in daycare in the first place, but I also didn't really want to give up my identity in the workforce. It was a hard decision to make and I knew that when my husband and I decided that I would stay home I would need to contribute financially.
So, I spent countless hours surfing the net to see what I could come up with. I tried Avon, thought about selling jewelry, bought a very expensive embroidery machine, and finally settled on being a medical transcriptionist. I prayed about each one of these decisions and when the doors seemed to open up for me I felt that was God's answer for me. With the latter decision I have spent the better part of a year taking classes and studying and listening to people who do not speak English very well and finally graduating with high honors.
Once my course work was finished, I began to think about what steps to take next. My advisor encouraged me to get my first certification. Becoming a Registered Medical Transcriptionist (RMT) gives you more of an opportunity to get your foot in the door as a new MT. So, I set about making preparations to do this. First, I had to register for an authorization to take the exam. Here was the first delay... It seems that I was a mere 2 weeks late finishing school and registration to take the exam had been closed while they revised the exam.
I couldn't believe it!!! I had struggled and rushed to get through with my coursework so that I could get a job. There wasn't any time left for me to wait and take a test! I needed to be making money now!!!
This was the first time that I began to question whether or not I had really listened to God's will. I just assumed that when the doors opened up that it was the path for me to take. So, why was I having this hurdle right when I thought things were looking up?
Things seemed to work out and even though we had to ask for help from our parents we were still making it. But God didn't want us to continue to have to struggle like this did He? Surely He wants what is best for us...but is what is best for us what we are looking for?
I have been challenged and have faced adversity my entire life (a mere 31 years). I have tried to do this with grace and patience...failing miserably on both accounts. I struggle with this on a daily basis. I feel like if I am not doing anything to make things happen then they are not going to happen. I have extreme trust issues.
I was finally able to take my exam this week and I failed it. Due to the views of the association that I took the test through, I am not allowed to see a breakdown of my exam to assess any weaknesses that I may have. I know that I saw a lot on the exam that I was unfamiliar with and I really felt like it was geared toward someone who had been an MT for some time. I could have failed by a lot or I could have failed by 1 question. I'll never know. I have to wait 6 months before I can take it again. I have to dread it and study for it (although, hopefully with the correct study materials this time since they were no updated prior to the new test being given) all over again if I don't want to give up what I have already done.
The problem now is that I don't know what to do. Am I supposed to put my child in daycare and continue to struggle with keeping up with the bills? Am I supposed to continue on with medical transcription and find a company that will hire me based on my coursework? Am I supposed to get a part time job and hope that it makes enough to cover what we are short right now? Or, am I supposed to just sit and wait for something to happen... a miracle if you will? That's what I don't know.
Please dear Lord! Help me know what to do. I know I'm supposed to trust in You and I do. I just don't know if I am supposed to be physically doing something in the meantime. We need a miracle and we need it
This will make me a better person. This will make my marriage and my family stronger. This will make me stronger.
Dear Lord:
I am waiting. Waiting on You. I know that you have plans for us that we cannot imagine for ourselves. I know that you have plans to prosper us and not to harm us. I know that you will take care of us and will not let us fail. I thank you for all the many blessings that you have bestowed upon us. I know that even the help from our parents is a blessing from You. I know that the fact that we are still in our house and continue to have food to eat is a blessing from You. I know that the reason we have made it farther and longer than we should have been able to with what we had is a blessing from You. I pray that in Your time that Sean will find a better job. A job in which he can feel appreciated and a job that he enjoys doing. A job where he can let his light shine for You. I pray for his confidence and perseverance. I pray for You to lead him to where he is supposed to be. I pray that you would show me what my next steps are. I am believing that you led me to medical transcription for a reason and I am believing that You will show me what that reason was. I am praying over our finances that You would have your hands on our resources and allow those resources to be fruitful. I know that we have made some mistakes in that area and I pray that You would guide us through correcting those mistakes. I pray for Your peace to wash over me. I will do my part too in that I will continue to correct myself and worry less and pray more.
Amen.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
New Year... New me
I am making a resolution this year that I truly hope I can stick to.
I want to become a better person. The woman that God wants me to be. I want to let go of the worry and the frustration and the anxiety. I want to de-stress and decompress.
This will require a lot of work on my part. I was taught well how to worry about things. I come by my anxiety honestly. But, I need to let go. I need to let go for my health and I need to let go because I am not in control of anything. God is in control. I am preparing to hand everything over to Him and not take it back again.
Here is my prayer for 2011 ---
Dear Lord,
Be with me and my family. Help us to see that we are not in control but that You are. Help us to remember that you have us in your hands and you are not letting us go. Help us to remember to seek you first. Help us to remember that we can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST who strengthens us.
Lord, Please keep your hand on us in our daily lives. Remind us to let our light shine for You. I hand over our financial troubles and frustrations and give them to you. Please help us out of the mire that we are in and bless our labor so that we may begin to reverse the mess that we are in.
Remind us that our bodies are your temple and that we should take better care of them. Not only to feel good and be healthier but because we are living for You. (It wouldn't hurt my feelings to be a size or 5 smaller... just sayin')
Please help us to achieve these goals and to become better Christians in 2011.
In Jesus name, AMEN
I want to become a better person. The woman that God wants me to be. I want to let go of the worry and the frustration and the anxiety. I want to de-stress and decompress.
This will require a lot of work on my part. I was taught well how to worry about things. I come by my anxiety honestly. But, I need to let go. I need to let go for my health and I need to let go because I am not in control of anything. God is in control. I am preparing to hand everything over to Him and not take it back again.
Here is my prayer for 2011 ---
Dear Lord,
Be with me and my family. Help us to see that we are not in control but that You are. Help us to remember that you have us in your hands and you are not letting us go. Help us to remember to seek you first. Help us to remember that we can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST who strengthens us.
Lord, Please keep your hand on us in our daily lives. Remind us to let our light shine for You. I hand over our financial troubles and frustrations and give them to you. Please help us out of the mire that we are in and bless our labor so that we may begin to reverse the mess that we are in.
Remind us that our bodies are your temple and that we should take better care of them. Not only to feel good and be healthier but because we are living for You. (It wouldn't hurt my feelings to be a size or 5 smaller... just sayin')
Please help us to achieve these goals and to become better Christians in 2011.
In Jesus name, AMEN
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Christmas at the Zoo!!
This weekend Sean and I took Lexi to ZooLight Safari. I had never been and felt kind of like a kid myself!! It was beautiful with all the Christmas lights and decorations. Even the trains were decked out!
The thing that was the most fun was watching Lexi. At 20 months she amazes me with how she takes in her surroundings. She was absolutely fascinated with the lights and the music. She loved the train ride and even started waving at the light displays as we would pass them :-) After riding the carousel we went to the "barn" and checked out the animals in the petting zoo. She was giggling and grinning as we pointed out the different animals that she has read about and seen in books. You could see the light bulbs going off in her head as she put the two images together. "See Lexi? There are the sheep. Baa Baa."
It's so much fun to do new things with her.
The thing that was the most fun was watching Lexi. At 20 months she amazes me with how she takes in her surroundings. She was absolutely fascinated with the lights and the music. She loved the train ride and even started waving at the light displays as we would pass them :-) After riding the carousel we went to the "barn" and checked out the animals in the petting zoo. She was giggling and grinning as we pointed out the different animals that she has read about and seen in books. You could see the light bulbs going off in her head as she put the two images together. "See Lexi? There are the sheep. Baa Baa."
It's so much fun to do new things with her.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
G.R.I.T.S. wear pearls when they exercise.
I promised funny stories so here goes...
I recently got back to my Zumba class after a few months away. I've always been a people watcher and enjoyed this class because we have so much fun and it's interesting to see these ladies and girls from all walks of life dancing to the beat!
So, as I was getting my Zumba on the other night I noticed that the two girls in front of me were wearing pearls. Yes, pearls to exercise class. Not the big ones that tie with a string that were popular not long ago, but a danty little strand of pearls... I felt under dressed. I don't even put on makeup to go to exercise class. What's the point when your going to sweat it off in the first five minutes?
I must reevaluate my Zumba wardrobe...
I recently got back to my Zumba class after a few months away. I've always been a people watcher and enjoyed this class because we have so much fun and it's interesting to see these ladies and girls from all walks of life dancing to the beat!
So, as I was getting my Zumba on the other night I noticed that the two girls in front of me were wearing pearls. Yes, pearls to exercise class. Not the big ones that tie with a string that were popular not long ago, but a danty little strand of pearls... I felt under dressed. I don't even put on makeup to go to exercise class. What's the point when your going to sweat it off in the first five minutes?
I must reevaluate my Zumba wardrobe...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Prayerfully Hopeful
Today I may have received an answer to prayer. I don't know, but as the title states I am prayerfully hopeful.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Worry
I wish I wasn't such a worrier. This was passed on to me by my parents. I've always worried about EVERYTHING...to the point that I make myself physically ill.
I'm worried about a lot of things right now. I shouldn't be. I know that God will take care of all of it and if I would just mind my own business... It's easier said than done though.
Lord, I don't want to be a worrier. I want to trust in You, knowing that all is well. I know that you are taking care of us and I know that even though the bank account is growing slim that you have a plan for us. Please let Your peace wash over me and teach me to be a light in the darkness to others that are going through worse than me.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Deep breaths...
I'm worried about a lot of things right now. I shouldn't be. I know that God will take care of all of it and if I would just mind my own business... It's easier said than done though.
Lord, I don't want to be a worrier. I want to trust in You, knowing that all is well. I know that you are taking care of us and I know that even though the bank account is growing slim that you have a plan for us. Please let Your peace wash over me and teach me to be a light in the darkness to others that are going through worse than me.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Deep breaths...
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