The End & The Beginning

This being my first blog post, I'll take this opportunity to introduce myself, and explain where I've come from and what I plan to accomplish, documenting it along the way. 

I am a stay-at-home mother with 3 children, ages 8, 5, and 3. This is us. 

I have been happily married for 10 years, and we have a wonderful home near Dayton, Ohio.  In 2010, I was diagnosed with postpartum thyroiditis when my daughter was 8 weeks old.

In a nutshell, my thyroid went wacko, and I was hyperthyroid with panic attacks, racing heart, mental fog, chest tightness, shortness of breath, sleep trouble, diarrhea, feeling of doom, and the list goes on.  Once diagnosed, I was medicated and my thyroid went into "hypo" mode with fatigue/exhaustion, constipation, sleep trouble, skin issues, mental fog, and that list goes on.  I was then taken off the medication to let my thyroid level out on its own.

As a result of all this trauma, my body went into survival mode, and I developed severe anxiety and stress to my thyroid, adrenal glands, liver, and kidneys.  What I'm left with now, 4 years later, is the struggle to function like a normal human being, trying to ignore what I'm actually feeling.  

I am going to list my current ailments here, so I have a reference point months from now, to see how much has improved.

Extreme fatigue/exhaustion

Occasional dizziness

Mental fog/haze

Incontinence

Bloating, stomach gurgling

Menstrual woes - severe gas pains, short cycles (23-24 days), long periods (7-8 days)

Memory loss

Tonsil stones

Halitosis

Depression

Anxiety

Eczema - right ear, right hip, back of neck/hairline, left forearm, elbows and knees

Reflux/heartburn

Irritability

Occasional shortness of breath

Heart palpitations

Poor circulation

Kidney stones

Low libido (to none)

Dry skin

Fingernail ridges

Sugar cravings

Acne - forehead, neck under the ears, upper back

Neck going out - needs readjustment every 1-2 months

Severe seasonal allergies

What I'm doing about it

During one of my many chiropractor visits to get my neck readjusted, he mentioned how he's studied for the past 3 years about adrenal fatigue and that a lot of my current symptoms sound like I may be suffering from it.  He suggested I get tested.  I agreed to the test, and was given a saliva kit, where my saliva was sampled 4x throughout a typical day to measure my cortisol levels.

The results were alarming.  I was in Stage 3 Adrenal Exhaustion (and you guessed it, there are only 3 stages prior to complete adrenal failure).

The chiropractor I see has been studying through Dr. Dan Kalish (www.kalishresearch.com), who has been mastering this study and treatment for the past 20 years.  

To explain what happens in adrenal exhaustion:

As the adrenal glands (located next to your kidneys) first come under chronic stress, the outer part of the gland called the cortex begins to produce and secrete a greater quantity of cortisol, the "stress hormone."  This increased cortisol production "steals" pregnenolone, the hormone needed to produce other hormones in the adrenal cortex, most notably DHEA.  In Stage 1 of adrenal exhaustion, daily cortisol output is elevated and DHEA levels begin to decline. (This was probably where I was in 2010/2011, shortly after my daughter was born.) Since DHEA metabolizes into sex hormones, specifically estrogens and testosterone, imbalances in these critical hormones can occur. In women, progesterone levels are often impacted to a greater degree by chronic stress than estrogen levels, leaving them "estrogen dominant."

As chronic stress continues unabated, the adrenal glands can no longer maintain the daily high levels of cortisol output. In Stage 2 of adrenal exhaustion, daily cortisol output falls back to "normal" levels, and DHEA levels decline even further. Low or borderline low morning, noon, or afternoon cortisol levels and normal nighttime levels are often seen in Stage 2 of adrenal exhaustion.

As chronic stress continues to weaken the adrenal glands, daily cortisol levels fall even farther. In Stage 3, cortisol levels are low and DHEA falls even lower. There is an increased probability of low nighttime cortisol levels as well as low readings throughout the day. (That's me!)  In Stage 3 adrenal exhaustion, a patient is subject to serious hormonal imbalances, resulting in profound fatigue or depression.

There are many health consequences associated with a high ratio of cortisol to DHEA that affect:

Blood sugar control, immune function, detoxification capabilities, tissue health, hormone balance

My treatment

In order to combat this awful, debilitating list of symptoms as a result of my adrenal fatigue, here's what I have to do for at least 6-12 months:

1) Follow a strict supplement protocol, designed by Dr. Kalish himself (I will explain what this entails below).

2) Change my diet drastically to eliminate all dairy, gluten, soy, and sugar. 

3) Remove any possible stress as much as I can, and take more time for myself.

4) Get adequate sleep

5) Exercise regularly, but not overdoing it

The Supplements

The supplement pack is a combination of multivitamins and hormone drops, to be taken daily.  The drops are:

DHEA - a hormone that is naturally produced by the adrenal glands 

Pregnenalone - a chemical found in our bodies; supplement is used for fatigue and increasing energy

Licorice extract - used to improve the function of the adrenal glands

The idea behind taking these three hormones together, is to slowly raise the hormone levels in a balanced fashion together, to gently increase the cortisol levels and thus allow the adrenal glands to heal and be re-trained to release the proper amounts of hormones at the correct times.  The drops are taken at specific times of day, to correlate with the levels in your body, and this blended with proper diet and rest should allow the body to begin to heal itself.  This type of treatment goes against what most doctors would do, which is throw a hormone at the thyroid or give me progesterone, which would shock the adrenal glands even further and send me more off balance than I already am.  This process I am entering into will treat the source of the problem, and hopefully correct the thyroid and female hormones as a result.

I firmly believe this is the answer.  I believe my body was created by God to heal itself, and when given the proper food and supplemental support, it can get back on track and I will be able to go off these hormone supplements by next year.

I am currently on day 4 of my new diet.  I waver between extreme hunger and cravings to feeling completely satisfied and a lot healthier already.  

I intend to post weekly to document my progression toward a healthier me, free of many (if not all) of my symptoms.  This is no way to live, and I've had enough.  This is my all-in attempt to feel normal again.  My future me and my family can only benefit from this therapy.

I already sense that God is blessing this process in many ways, and I can't wait to see how He works through this.

Day 4 of new diet:  Little to no reflux/heartburn, less stomach gurgling, slightly more energy

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  Colossians 3:17

Thank you, God, for bringing me this far, allowing me to be healthy enough to care for my family and to exercise. Thank you for leading me to Dr. Combs, and for his efforts in helping his patients feel relief, getting to the source.