How do you regain your health when things seem so bad?

My best friend suffers from a plethora of ailments. She is on all kinds of medication that just makes me cringe. She hates having to take it all, but doesn’t know what else to do. She takes regular pain shots; she’s on morphine for the pain too; she is also taking chemotherapy drugs; she’s even had surgeries. But she’s tried all kinds of alternative therapies too. An acupuncturist refused to do any more work on her after she had a seizure. Changes in diet didn’t alleviate the pain or symptoms. And she gets frustrated with friends and family that continually offer their unsolicited advice and assume that her pain is all in her head. I know that she is in a lot of pain and I wish I could make it all go away. I am reluctant to offer her any advice because I know that she is frustrated with her body and I know how much she has tried different things. She let’s me in on her frustrations because I don’t judge her and I don’t continually tell her what she should do. She knows that I won’t even take Tylenol for a headache. But maybe I need to be a little more active. I’m worried about her. It is easy to make steps to maintain and optimize health before things get so bad. I’m healthier now that I have been my entire life, even with my bad habits. But what do you do when your health is critical? How do you reverse decades of harmful medical intervention?

Sign the “Health Revolution Petition” – change the health care system now

Sign the Health Revolution Petition now!

Watch this video and then sign the petition.  Our health is too important to let government have it’s way with our bodies.  If doctors can force us to take their poisons by court orders; if the FDA can ban natural and wholesome plants; if schools, scientists, doctors, and drug companies can mislead us with false science, then something is wrong.

Please please please Sign the Health Revolution Petition now!

100 degrees and finally dropping – living without an air conditioner

Oh my God!  We finally got our air conditioner running.  It needed to be recharged.  We weren’t planning on turning it on so soon in the year though, but this heat and humidity took us by storm.  Last year we didn’t even need to turn it on until the last week of summer, when we discovered it wasn’t working.  Grr.  What was the point in fixing the air conditioner when we were only going to need it for another week or two.  Last year we sweat it out.  But this year, it’s only June.  Now, I like it warm.  If I had my way the heater would be cranking it out to 85 degrees all winter long.  So I really wasn’t expecting to want to turn on the air until around August.  But yesterday as I was sitting there melting in my chair I turned to my Honey and said, “Let’s get the air conditioner running.” I couldn’t think, I couldn’t move, the kids were breaking out in heat rashes.  Humingbird even threw up yesterday morning because of the heat.   So we called up the guy and he came out today to put more of that wonderful toxic gas into it.  Now it’s a nice dry 83 degrees.  Ahhhh.  That’s better.

It is a bit of a conflict though.  On the one hand, I long to be able to stay away from such unnatural and unhealthy methods of living.  But on the other hand, we don’t live in a house that can allow for comfortable living without it.  This house was designed for air conditioning.  What is one to do other than move into a cave or something?  What are the options?

What’s your vice?

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge activist at maintaining good health.  I eat natural, organic foods, I try to exercise regularly, I avoid synthetic chemicals like the plague,  I hardly ever take any medicines or pharmaceuticals, and I detest sodas and shy away from sugary snacks.  But I have a dirty little secret.  I’m a smoker.

ARGH!  Yes, the secret is out.  It seems so hypocritical to condemn all these other addictions when I myself am a slave to the nicotine stick.  Sigh.  But the thing is, everyone has an addiction – everyone has a vice.  How you deal with the addiction is what makes you different from other addicts.  Sure, it’s not easy to quit smoking, or over eating, or tv watching, or drinking soda, or eating Krispy Kremes,  or whatever.  But what are you doing about it?

To be honest, I am not trying to quit right now.  I have quit before.  I went 9 months!  And then my brother died and, stressed out, I grabbed a cigarette.  Yep.  That was a total bum move and I really regret it.  But I cannot dwell on past mistakes.  I can only work on the present.  Right now, I am working on maintaining health and balance in other areas of my life, so that when I try to quit again, I am more likely to be successful.  I will not be a smoker forever.

Medical discovery slandered and hidden for decades

No More Diapers – Almost!

Humbingbird (the 2 year old) has been wearing big girl underwear for about 3 months now and has upgraded to wearing her underwear through the night instead of a diaper.  Yay!  And she’s been dry – no accidents (knock on wood).

And finally Squirrel (the 3 year old) is wanting to wear his big boy underwear after what seemed a lifetime of “no, I want to wear my diaper”.  Last week on Sunday he went all day in his undies.  And then Monday came around and we asked him if he wanted to wear his big boy underwear…  “no, I’m going to do that on Sunday.”    But Sunday came around and he remembered and asked to wear his big boy underwear.  Yay.  Only one accident right after he woke up from nap.  He’s not ready to go without a diaper during the night though.  And that’s okay.  And hoorah, this morning he brought down his undies by himself.  He likes to pee standing up (yes, he makes the sound effects when he’s expalining this to me) because he doesn’t squirt himself.  Or at least that is his reasoning.  I think it just makes him feel like a big boy.

Finding Employment During a Down Economy

My husband lost his job two years ago.  I quit being a full-time stay at home mom and got a part time job at a local fast food joint.  It’s been a rough two years.  Both of us are degreed professionals but are struggling to find adequate employment.  Too much experience, not enough experience, the wrong kind of experience.  Ugh.  It has been frustrating to say the least.  I tried to go back to school, but wasn’t able to afford it and couldn’t qualify for a student loan as I have not been able to repay enough of my original school loan.  It’s a vicious cycle.  It is a pity that this country holds the abilities of teachers at such a low level that we are both virtually unemployable.  It doesn’t seem to matter that the skills of teachers are highly transferable into any field.  Sigh.  But I cannot look at the doom and gloom side of it.  I must remain confident.  I am a professional and  perfectly capable woman who would be an asset anywhere.  Oh, yes, we are starting the school.  But that is going to take time to get off the ground.  Until then…  we must eat and pay our bills.  So, I keep looking.  I’m updating my graphic design skills (might as well make us of my art degree, right!)  I keep blogging, I keep learning something new, I keep writing, I keep on keepin’ on.

Right now I am working on:

• finish writing the parenting book
• develop basic skills curriculum for Pomegranate Gardens School and to publish as a home schooling resource
• develop brochure to start advertising my skills as a freelance graphic designer
• develop Pomegranate Gardens School brochure
• continue seeking full-time employment that will support my family until I am able to support myself through other means.

There…  That’s not too unrealistic.   I have time lines set for each goal and work steadfastly each day.

Action or Assessment?

I am not sure what to do.  I am a recovering victim of incest.  Yes, it’s ugly, but it’s a fact.  While I have finally learned to forgive my father…  there are still a lot of conflicts within my life that are a direct result of this sad and ugly past.  One of these conflicts is the near estrangement of my relationship with my mother.  It all started with Pork Chop stuffing himself with 3 pounds of chocolate in a matter of mere seconds (he doesn’t like chocolate) and my father following Pumpkin around calling her by my old pet name.  Yeah…  I freaked.  And I called my mother the next day and told her that my father was not allowed near my children any more.  She kept telling me that I needed to forgive him.  Forgiveness does NOT mean blindly trusting that my father is not a predator and will not take advantage of my children.  I stood firm with my mother.  I offered her the opportunity to come over whenever she wanted without my father.  I offered to meet her with the kids at a half-way point so she wouldn’t have to drive all the way to my home.  Nothing doing.  In fact, she still calls up asking if we will bring our family to spend time in some function with her and dad.  It’s depressing and frustrating because I love my mother, but I refuse to expose my children to my father.  The last time we saw them was Christmas.  Mom and Dad showed up laden with presents and spent an uncomfortable hour perched in my living room while the kids opened their gifts.  Big expensive gifts.  I got a digital camera and Pork Chop got a PSP.  Bribery?  Maybe.  I felt so awkward, I didn’t even open up the package to the camera for weeks.  I knew it was stupid.  I knew I was putting it off because of my own feelings of guilt and trauma.  Needless to say.  I have finally started to use the camera, but nowhere near to the extent of my capabilities.  I mean, I have a degree in photography!  I am used to walking around with a camera taking pictures of everything.

Yes.  I am slowly healing and recovering.  My relationship with my husband and children are blossoming now that I have forgiven myself and my father.  But I still have issues.

A couple of days ago, I woke up in a cold sweat.  I was totally panicked.  I had a dream of my father taking advantage of myself and other little girls at the school where he works.  (Yes, I know I’m a grown woman now, but this is a dream.)  My father is the custodian at an elementary school.  (5th-6th graders).  You heard me right.  He works near children.  Now, I had always thought that his affliction was targeted only to family members (his sister, myself, my children).  But what if this is wrong.  Is this a call to action?  Do I need to contact the school and spill my ugly history to a small town elementary school where everybody knows everybody?  Or is this my psyche still working on self healing?  Is this dream just a sign that I still have some issues to resolve?

Mom on the run from big pharma and the government

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hauser family who are now on the run for not submitting to a court-ordered demand to have their son injected with chemotherapy.  The parents are facing criminal neglect charges all because they supported their son’s decision to refuse chemotheraphy.  This is truly frightening that Big Pharma now has this much control over our lives.

There are alternatives out there to toxic medicine.  The problem is those alternatives don’t make any money for the pharmaceutical companies.  Let us be careful in how we judge others in their life choices.  I know a lot of my friends think I’m a little daft for refusing to even take tylenol when I have a headache.  But it is my choice.  And they continue poppinig all their pills even though I think they’re crazy for injesting so many drugs and chemicals and thinking it’s safe just because it’s considered safe medicine by the medical community.

I’m interested in reading Bill Henderson’s book, Cancer-Free:  Your Guide to Gentle Non-Toxic Healing but haven’t yet gotten the book.  If anyone has read it, please let me know what you think.

Your God-Given Gifts

I watched Amadeus again last night.  One of the things I love most in the world is reading a book and watching a movie and getting something different out of it each time.

That happened again last night.  I was listening to Salieri complain to the priest how God had cheated him by giving him this desire to create music for God, but not the talent; but Mozart, a crude and rude “creature” was given the voice.  All of a sudden it hit me…  what if Salieri’s gift wasn’t to BE the voice, but to recognize and support the voice?  Then how would things have been different?

Oh, I know Amadeus is not historically accurate.  That doesn’t matter.  How many of us are running around wishing we had a specific gift and harboring jealousy over someone else’s gifts and talents.  What if we are just not recognizing what our gift truly is.  It’s something to think about.