Feeling the love!

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends and family the last few weeks.  I sent my lupus walk page to my husband to proof read, he sent it around and donations started pouring in.  I feel incredible loved!! Tomorrow is my 35^th birthday and I could not think of a better gift than the support of my loved ones.  Thank you so much!!  Here is the link to the walk.
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1014606&supId=353731936

We celebrate birthdays for a week in our house.  I started getting gifts in the mail on Monday addressed to “the hot wife” at first I though they must have had the wrong address.  My husband is a sweet and funny man!!  Mom is coming to spend the day with me tomorrow and help me purge some stuff (and maybe squeeze in some girl time), and my brother is coming Friday to help me finish the fence around my garden.  I am a lucky girl!  

The kids and I have been spending a lot of time in the yard/garden.  We have tons of stuff growing.  Rayne even planted a seed from his oatmeal (that he picked out of his teeth), to grow an “oatmeal tree.” This afternoon we helped a few neighbor boys get their leaf raking business off the ground, by printing them business cards to leave at everyone’s door. They are such good boys, and I love hearing their big business plans. Being outside feels good the weather is beautiful.  I will post pictures soon of our garden.

 

It’s the journey not the arrival that matters!

I was pretty heartbroken about not attending Springfest (the music festival in Live Oak on the Suwannee River) this weekend.  Not only is it one of my favorite festivals of the year, but we had already invested money in a fabulous camp site that the park had no desire to help us recover.  It was no doubt the right decision.  It has been a rough weekend for me.  I have been terribly sick and it rained.   Don’t get me wrong I love the rain (it’s cleansing and great for my garden), just not camping in it.

I have not been able to physically accomplish much this weekend, but my husband lovingly reminded me (as we were sharing about figuring out our next step) that searching and planning is an accomplishment.  Even though I am not up to it right now, the next step in our journey of simplifying is to purge the “stuff” that is weighing us down.  This one is going to be tough, because I love stuff.  I have way too many material things, not to mention the emotional baggage of fear.  The “stuff” that is important in life is health, family, service to others, and spirituality… fear and clutter prevent me from completely focusing on them.

Sometimes because of lupus I feel like life is passing me by, but in reality this is my life and it is my journey…..“It’s the journey not the arrival that matters.”  On this (my) journey to health, happiness and wholeness, I am have the amazing opportunity to teach my children and watch them grow, to support and love husband on his path, and to serve God and mankind.  So here I am seeking striving and in it with all my heart…. in hopes to become a better mother, wife, daughter, and human being!  <3

“Remember happiness is a way of travel not a destination.”

Picking Organic Veggies

Hydro Harvest Farm

http://www.hydroharvestfarms.com/gardens.html

Keeping it simple

So I finally made it to my anxiously awaited doctor’s appointment with Dr. David.  He is a holistic pediatrician that specialized in autoimmune diseases, and thankfully sees adults with these issues too.  I have known him for many years through my hippie family.

Through all my recent reading and studying I have learned in order to maintain good health that nutrition and lifestyle are vital.  Our bodies should be treated as a whole because all of our systems are connected.  In our medical system today we see specialists for each individual organ, and doctors generally do not care for your whole body.  In order for our bodies to heal we must give it the appropriate food and nutrition. All of this is inline with how Dr. David treats. He is not covered by insurance, because he spends way too much time with his patients.

Mom went with me and we spent more than an hour talking to him (yes your heard that right over an hour with the doctor).  He reviewed my medical history, went over old labs, talked about lifestyle, diet, and vitamins. He read my labs and told me results I had never heard from the doctors that actually ordered them.  I knew I was anemic, but I did not know that my ferritin (the protein that indicates iron stored in you body) level was 8 and ideally it should be 50, he said he had never seen a level this low.  He encouraged me to eat an iron rich diet and to dust off grandma’s old iron skillet and use it for cooking as much as possible. He provided an iron supplement (that is easier to digest) due to my ulcers and suggested I take C with it to help absorption.  My white blood count was low, there was a lot of inflammation and I was dehydrated.  He suggested I drink more fluids and take higher doses of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to help inflammation and modulate autoimmunity.  He also suggested daily Epsom salt baths, not only does it help inflammation, it helps flush heavy metal toxins from the body, and most of our food is magnesium deficient.  He ordered a lot more labs, and was optimistic and hopeful that I can make a full recovery.

Laying in my salt bath last night I thought about both of my grandma’s and how they really did have lots of things right.  Grandma Lesko (my dad’s slightly salty mom) always said a dip in the ocean could heal anything that ails you and turns out that she wasn’t too far off. What more natural salt soak than a swim at the beach.  Grandma Bledsoe (my mom’s slightly country mama) often used an iron skillet to cook with, she was also thrifty and reused everything.  I wish I had taken better notes from them.

It’s time for our family to simplify.  We are working hard to use less, reuse more, and eat quality foods closer to nature.   Monty is an amazing partner in this journey!!  I love that we share the same vision.

Dr. David's website-

http://www.wholisticpeds.com/



Lexy dancing with Dr. David :)

Our home away from home.

Camper Love!

Happy Spring

I am overdue for an update. I am bad at communication when I don’t feel good. It’s been a rough month. Spent an afternoon in the ER, another visit to my primary to find out I likely have a stomach ulcer. I started a medication to treat it in hopes that I will not have to have more invasive tests and treatments. I think it is working.

So since my last update (and Dr. appointment), I have put almost all of my energy in eating, clean, unprocessed and healing foods. I have found local organic markets, started my garden, read books, watched documentaries, and vegan cooking shows. The first weeks of my dietary changes I felt awful. It was likely a combination of having the stomach ulcer, and my body detoxing. I have been focusing on eating high iron foods, getting plenty of protein, and as many super foods as I can. I am also on the waiting list to see a holistic dr. that specializes in autoimmune diseases. I have been acquainted with him for many years through my hippie family, and he has a great reputation. He spends a lot of time with his patients and my hope is that he will help insure that my nutritional needs are being met. This week I have had several days of feeling better than I have in a long time. I hope to continue in this direction. I have never been so motivated to get healthy. I have also never had such huge consequences for not taking care of myself.

I have joined one of the local support groups in the Lupus Foundation of Florida. It has been therapeutic and healing, to meet other people on a similar journey. The women I have met are amazing and inspiring. I am so far from where I started being angry and refusing to have Lupus as one of my causes. Now I am organizing a team for the upcoming walk, and helping with the facebook page. I still feel afraid many days, but am working hard not to indulge in self pity, but if I take a step back and look at the whole picture. I have come a long way and I know it could be a lot worse. 
The kids and I are loving being in my yard and garden the weather has been beautiful. I have tons of sprouts and plants started. Can’t get more local and organic than my own back yard, I also have some new amazing flowers thanks to my sweet uncle. We are looking forward to camping at our favorite music festival at the end of the month. So I plan on feeling healthy and strong to enjoy it. Thanks again as always for all the love and support.

Kids watching a 3d movie!