Saturday, May 12, 2012

Irony....

I have to say that I have a bit of a chuckle going on.  Gotta find humor in a humorless situation sometimes....

Does anyone else find it ironic that we got the Mirena to avoid taking ONE pill a day, and now I have to take 8,434,154,950 pills a day to counteract what it did?

Well, THAT seems a bit pointless now.


Just one day...

So, I am very happy to say that, lately, I have actually been feeling really good.  Detoxing again was a really good thing, and it seems to have re-set my system again.  I'm hoping--ultimately--that it was the final necessary detox for me, but--if not--that it will give me even more time before my systems start short-circuiting again.  As of now...I feel great.  I feel as normal as I think I will probably be.  What I mean by that is that the only symptoms that I still have to deal with right now are the vision loss and the joint/back pain.  I have just come to accept that those two things just may be permanent damage.  If so, I have to accept that...and I will.  I can at least function with that.  Luckily, all of the other symptoms seem to currently be gone.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to say that.  There was a day once when I didn't know if I ever would.

I wanted to show you something, though....

I still have to actively work for my health.  My body is not at a point where it is naturally strong or working the way that it normally would.  I have to feed my body supplementation for it to run at a level that most can do without it.  For 20 months now, I have to fuel my body with extra supplementation every day.  It's a pain....yes....but I do it because it makes a big difference for me.  Eventually, my systems should rebuild themselves and be able to run correctly without them, but for now, I do what I need to do to feel good.  I thought maybe you would like to see what that is.

This is one day of supplements for me.  Yep....one day:


It's surprising that I don't sound like a change purse when I walk, huh?  :-)

I'm not posting this to discourage anyone.  Some seem to get better without all of this, and some need even more interventions than I do.  You just never know.  I'm thankful that I haven't needed any surgeries or anything--many have.  So for now....I will happily take these and be so grateful that I have the opportunity and ability to do it for myself.  I'm just posting this to further get the word out that this is something that the Mirena can do to you.  Almost two years after removal, I have to do this--every day--just to have my body work normally.  When I take them, I feel great....when I don't, I slip fast.  At least these are all natural, whole-foods supplements that feed my body in a healthy way.  No more synthetic poisons for this girl if at all possible.  One day, I'm convinced that I won't need all of this.  I'm already celebrating that day.  For now, this is part of my daily fight back.

Thanks, Mirena.  Keep fighting, ladies.  I'm right there with you.

Monday, May 7, 2012

What a difference a detox makes!

Wow.....Let me say that again.....What a difference a detox makes!

As you all know, I just completed my third detox since having my Mirena removed.  I had one about four months after removal, another one about six months after that, and this one was about a year since my last one.  I knew that it was time because I was getting a resurgence of symptoms that had been gone for awhile.  I was frustrated, but I am happy that it seems like I am given a longer and longer period of time before I have to detox again.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I feel so much better now.  I completed my detox about a week ago.  It made a big difference.  The month before I detoxed (last month), I struggled through almost every transition of my cycle.....dizziness, problems thinking, weak hands, issues with my breathing (that was starting to get really bad again).  I detoxed for the three weeks again, and I can honestly say that my entire last cycle just came and went, and I hardly even noticed it.   I was traveling for a family wedding, finishing up my most recent grad school course, potty trained my little boy, and I felt strong through all of it.  Thank you, God.

Talking with Dr. J., I think I am going to be a bit more proactive on the detoxing for this next year.  Instead of waiting until I am symptomatic, I am going to do a detox every 3-4 months or so for the next year just to REALLY keep my blood and organs clean instead of waiting for all of the toxins to build back up. It's a better choice for me because when I start becoming symptomatic again, I go downhill FAST.  I've learned that the past two times I've had to detox.  I start getting one symptom, then two more, etc., until--by the time the box of the detox reaches my front door--I am practically sprinting to the door to get it because I feel so sick.  Maybe if I do a few detoxes while my system is still strong, that will be it.  One can always hope.

One thing that I have definitely learned through this is that, as much as I wish it was, this sickness that the Mirena throws some of us in is not one that you can always knock out in one detox and then you are done.  Now, you just never know.....I know women who were back to feeling great within just a couple of months after the first detox.  I also know far too many ladies who are three years after removal and still struggling consistently.  I am currently at 20 months post removal.  I have good days.  I have bad days.  I've learned that the detoxes really help me.  Unfortunately, it isn't a "one and done" scenario for me.  It may not be for you either.  I keep my chin up and remind myself that--with each detox--I am getting more and more of the poison out of my tissues, and that is a good thing.    It's not cheap.  I wish it was.  I'm 35 years old, and I have to have help from my parents to be able to do these detoxes because I can't afford them on my own.  It's humbling and embarrassing....but at this point, there is nothing else that I can do.  I'm just so thankful to have people in my life who are fighting this with me.  I don't like to even think about where I would be without them.

I am also starting, this week, on some new supplements that I've never taken before.  I'm hoping that it might be that "magic cocktail" that I need to finally get rid of these last stupid symptoms that seem to want to stick around.  Pray for me?

As always, I will keep you updated.  But for today....I feel GOOD--and I have for a few weeks now.  And for that I am so thankful.

As all of you women know all too well now....each good day is such a gift and one you should grab with both hands.  More and more are coming for all of us.  Keep fighting.  Love you all.