Her Courage. (Dedicated to Sis.)

Life is short.

Isn't that one of the first catch phrases we memorize growing up?

They say it when we're in college, unsure about life. Life is short...live it up!

They say it when we fall in love. Life is short...don't let him/her go.

They say it when we have children. Life is short...enjoy every second.

Tonight this catch phrase stinks. I hate it. I hate the reality it sets in when we realize just how sacred time and life really are. What I hate even more is that it usually takes a tribulation to really understand the significance of it.

A tribulation I will call "disease." Disease and I don't get along. I never liked him from day one. On day one, I was about 12 and one of my dearest friends, who I'll call "Sis", was about 9. She sat next to me in the corner of our church bench and whispered in my ear "I have lupus."

Me: "You have what?"
Sis: "Lupus. My mom said its an autoimmune disease."
Me: Look of confusion
Sis: "That's why I'm always tired. And that's why my hands and feet sometimes turn purple."

That was the start of Sis' long journey battling lupus. I can't possibly recount all of the physical and emotional ordeals she has had to deal with. The numerous stays in the hospital, hip surgery, heart surgery, dialysis, medications, steroids, therapies, body pains, hair loss, weight loss, nausea...should I continue? Just today, Sis was admitted in the hospital for severe leg pain. So severe that she is having trouble walking.

What amazes me is her undeniable Faith in her ultimate Healer, God. Her beyond-the-shadow-of-a-doubt belief that He has her in His hands. Safe. Healed. But do you know what makes me in awe even more than her belief? It is her ability to touch other's lives because of it. Her courage.

Most of Sis' close family and friends know the severity of her lupus. What most people don't know is that her doctors call her a Miracle. Just last week they told her they have never seen a patient in her condition as healthy and vibrant as she is. What most people also don't know is how good Sis takes care of her health through her nutrition. A daughter of a West Indies native mother who raised her children holistically, (not knowing we now call it that) Sis' mom believed in all natural foods and cooked everything from scratch. I remember their meals mostly consisting of whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and homemade soups. Her mother was an encyclopedia of natural herbal remedies and teas to treat ailments. Sis has carried a lot of these customs with her and continues to nourish herself the way she was raised.  Her doctors attribute part of her vitality on how she cares for herself, including her nutrition.

Sis attributes all of her vitality on God.

So part of me appreciates and admires how Sis has been able to mitigate some of the side effects of lupus through her innocent holisticish living. But all of me just wants to thank God that she is ok and that she will pull through.

Be strong, courageous, and firm;

fear not nor be in terror before them, 

for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you;

He will not fail you or forsake you.

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

For more information about Sis' journey, follow her on www.lupusmyjourney.hubpages.com.

Chiropractically Converted

I was a Chiropractic virgin. Never went to one. Never believed in them.

"I never go, because they become addictive. Then you always have to go."
Right?

Hmmmm, makes me think of all the other addictive things I would do to feel healthy. That's right. Feel. Not Be. Feel.

Excedrin migraine. Tylenol PM. Caffeine. Caffeine. Did I mention caffeine? Chocolate. Oooh Chocolate. My friend. My best friend. Chocolate was always within arms reach. Always seemed to make everything seem ok. Just a touch on my lips would send my mind spiraling down a path of instant satisfaction.

Seems a little sad to think that these seemingly innocent vices helped me cope. My constant headaches and lethargy were easily cured with any of the above solo, or on a bad day, combo! So I now ask myself, were these my addictions?

I took the plunge last week and went to my first chiropractic appointment. I had taken Daniel previously for his neck pain but never dared go myself. To be honest, I was scared. I hate the sound of bones popping or cracking and couldn't fathom a doctor popping or cracking any of my own. But, with the improvement in Daniel's health since his visits last month, I decided it was my turn.

Daniel held my hand as we walked into Dr. Tom's office. Doc greeted us with a big friendly smile. Daniel gave him a high five and went off to play in the kiddie corner. I sat in the kiddie corner, feeling like one myself and nervously shook my legs, waiting my turn.

"Marilyn, you can go to the back room."

The back room? As in, my back? As in, are they going to crack my back?

I took Daniel's hand and we walked down the hallway together to my room. As we waited, Daniel joyfully played with the skeleton in the room and laughed pretending it was a monster that was going to eat him.

Me: Hmmmph, yes papa, you're silly. That's a scary monster.
       Daniel, I'm scared.

D:  Why mommy?

Me: I'm afraid of what the doctor is going to do to me.

D: Don't be scared mommy. It doesn't hurt.

Dr. Tom then walks in and proceeds to review all of my test results from a previous visit where he simply took my X-rays and scans. He began describing each test, what was considered "normal" and what my spine looked like. Definitely not normal. In fact, my upper spine was so out of whack I'm surprised my head wasn't collapsing forward every time I walked a step. Based on the results, my upper spine was 82 degrees off from where it should be aligned.

Dr. Tom: You get a lot of headaches, don't you?

Me: Yes.

Doc: I'm surprised you don't have worse symptoms.

Me: You mean, like my neck cracking every time I sit. I guess that's not normal?

Doc: ...........No........ No, that's not normal.

Me: oh. hmmm. And my neck pain. Is that related?

Doc: Most definitely.

I took a deep breath in, followed by a deep and robust exhale out. Similar to how I tell Daniel to breathe when he's angry. Calm down. Calm down Marilyn. I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable. My bones popping and cracking.

Doc patiently showed me some exercises to do in another room, adjacent to the one we were in. I waited there and did the exercises for about 15 minutes.

Then, he summoned me. It was my turn. I was up.

I laid on the table and Daniel came by side. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.
Pop.
Crack.
"Ouch!"
Pop.
Crack.
"Urghh..."
Crack.
Hmmph.

All done. I made it! I made it and felt strangely relieved. I feel somewhat optimistic today. Hopeful even. I haven't slept better. My mood has been great. And I'm reading that chiropractic visits can actually help leverage my body's health and immune system. That would be awesome. But for now, I'm focusing on fixing my spinal alignment so that my headaches can eventually subside. Now that, would be great!

Be forewarned, this clip is in Spanish. My conversation with Daniel about how nervous I was. Daniel reassured me he was going to show me how to do it. As soon as Doc opened the door, Daniel ducks down to hide from him!

Image above from http://www.backpainoconnor.com/demophysreal.asp

Are you a Quickie or a Star?...

Just shut up your eyes, and fold your hands,

Your hands like the leaves of a rose,

And we will go sailing to those fair lands

That never an atlas shows. 

On the North and the West they are bounded by rest,

On the South and the East, by dreams;

'Tis the country ideal, where nothing is real,

But everything only seems.

(excerpt from the The Beautiful Land of Nod by Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

Sleep. It can mean so many different things to different people. For some, it's a Quickie. A four-five hour down time. Just enough shut eye that they can function the next day. For others, its a full encore production and they are the Star of their own show. Star sleep routines include all of the intricate parts of a dramatic play.

The Introduction - A pre-bed routine which can mean a warm cup of tea, a television show, or a snack.

The  Rising Climax - The main event. A warm bath with lavender, followed by the brushing of the teeth, the putting on of the pi's, the wearing of an eye mask or ear plugs... etc.    

The End, either happy or catastrophic - Was it restful or not?

I'm a Star. But regardless if you're a Quickie or a Star, one thing remains universal. Sleep is necessary. We must sleep to function. To stay sane. Balanced.

For the past several weeks I have never experienced such deep and restful sleep. I literally don't know when my head touches the pillow. I simply recall resting my head down, closing my eyes and awakening the next day as though I've been in a coma-induced sleep. As though someone literally turned Off my On switch. What makes this strange to me, is that this is new. Until now, I had classified myself as the world's worst sleeper.

As far as I can remember, I had issues sleeping. My poor parents always joke when they recall stories of just how horrible of a sleeper I was as a child. It began during infancy. My parents could not get me to sleep unless someone was rubbing my bottom. God forbid you stopped rubbing. Baby Marilyn was going to start wailing!

As a child, I vividly remember a baby sitter using fear tactics to get me to nap. She would say my dolls were going to come alive and attack me in my room if I opened up my eyes. So, little scared Marilyn would roll up into a ball in the center of the bed and shut my eyes really tight. So tight in fact, that they would hurt. But gosh darn it, those dolls weren't going to get me!

As a teenager, I continued to have issues sleeping. My routine would consist of constantly sneaking into my parents or my brother's bedroom and falling asleep on the floor next to them. I never wanted to be alone in the dark. My ears became extra sensitive at night and I would hear everything. Any creak, any crank, would vibrate through my ears and send emergency signals to my brain that I needed to wake up, yet again.

Now, as an adult, my sleeping affects my poor husband David. Hubby is a business owner by day. But by night, Oh by night! He miraculously transforms into a stealth navy seal. Quietly maneuvering through our house, careful not to make the slightest move that might wake me. On the rare occasion that he does,

Step 1-

Hubby: Thinking, "I forgot my book on the night stand." 

Quietly and gently sliding the door open, just enough to squeeze into the room.

Me: Sucking teeth loudly to make extra sure he hears me and grunting "uuuhhh, you woke me"

Step 2:

Hubby: "ssshhh, sorry"

Me: Tossing and turning for another two hours until I can fall asleep again. Finally fall asleep.

Step 3:

Hubby: Now in bed. Breathing heavily, possible sporadic light snores. 

Me: Brain signals, "Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!" Pushing hubby to reposition him. Tossing and turning some more.

Repeat Step 3 several times during the evening until one rescinds and crashes with our little guy Daniel.

Not anymore! I want to shout at the top of my lungs to the world! "I Can Sleep! I Can Sleep! I Can Sleep!" I like being the Star in this new production. The ending is always happy. I always feel well rested and energized. I wake up in a good mood. Positive.

But what has changed suddenly? Has my body transformed itself? Is eating more organic produce and less sugar helping me sleep better at night? I don't have the scientific evidence to prove it, but my body knows it. I feel great. I don't hear my navy seal opening doors or tiptoeing through the house. I don't hear heavy breathing. I don't hear a thing other than the rumblings in my dreams.

Absolute Craziness with Dr. Oz...

Ok, so I began my little holistic journey as a concerned mom for the sake of my kids' health back 3-4 weeks ago today. And as part of my journey, I subscribed to a bunch of "healthy" Facebook pages, one of which included Dr. Oz. I've seen his show, respect his views, and thought I could certainly learn a lot reading his posts. So I do just that. Log onto his page and fill out some information hoping to get tickets to his show. Lo and behold, the producers of the show call me and ask me to be on the show. Not in the audience. In the show. In a segment about immunity boosting foods! How crazy and ironic is that?

I did a small supermarket challenge segment along with two lovely girls yesterday, Kasey from Jersey and Jen from South Carolina. Poor Jen. She seemed so out of her element. It think she flinched every time a taxi cab drove by. Kasey went first, then Jen, then me! They "mic" me up (the term they used) and gave me clear instructions. "We will hand you an envelope. You will open it and look surprised. Show the camera your letter and rummage through the supermarket trying to find an immunity boosting food that begins with the letter."

"Ok, that sounds pretty easy", I thought. I walk in very confident and look into the camera, smile big and slowly open my envelope. W. The letter W. What in the world is edible that begins with the letter W, forget about the immunity boosting part. I scurry through the tiny-NYC-one lane aisled natural supermarket with a camera in my face and begin the hunt. The first thing I found was the only thing I could think of that would make sense...wheat grass juice. It's green. Looks gross. Must be healthy. We wrap up the shot and I return to the studio the next day to shoot the actual show and results with Dr. Oz, along with other guests.

After shooting most of the show, it was my turn to get on stage with Dr. Oz and reveal my fabulous choice of wheatgrass juice. I hand him the juice and smile big into the camera. Buzzzz...the buzzer goes off as Dr. Oz says very boldly "Sorry. You're wrong. It's Watermelon." Watermelon? I thought that was dessert. And isn't it made up of water and sugar?

I learned a few things today. One, Dr. Oz looks older in person. Two, I love being on camera. And three, watermelon is healthy! Just so bizarre how life can be. One day I'm scarfing down donuts and chocolate and the next, I'm appearing on the Dr. Oz show learning about healthy food choices. Absolute craziness!

Chiropractic Kill Joy...

So I read on www.wisegeek.com that "Parents who have taken advantage of chiropractic for children report that their children have slept better, have exhibited improved behavior and mood, and have fewer colds and infections." Well, that's a relief because Daniel, who has been so well behaved and pleasant and just a joy for a while now was a terror today! Terror! Cranky, defiant, difficult....yadda yadda yadda. Immediately my thoughts went to his doctor's visit yesterday. I knew it! That holistic doc put a spell on him. He adjusted a nerve that screwed something in his brain and now his personality is a pain in the booty. Ok, I'm exaggerating. But this is how mothers think when they're overtired and cranky. So I will log this day as a cranky day. No relevant news updates at all other than my mind thinking mindless thoughts and my brain realizing, that I'm being foolish. In all actuality, he probably didn't get enough sleep, or could it possibly be that he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and is a human being, having a bad day like we adults have once in a while. What a novel idea. Children are human too. God speed.

For the Love of Life...

I'll admit, when my dear friend Monica first told me about "Doc", as she referred to him, I was skeptical. No, skeptical is definitely not strong enough a word. Weirded out. Yes, weirded out is the perfect description. I mean, who goes to a doctor that doesn't prescribe medicine? And what kind of doctor tells you to visit a holistic mommy's website? Just too weird for me to comprehend. I just scrunched my forehead and nodded my head because who was I to criticize? I mean every mother has the right to make choices she feels is best for her children. So while Monica continued her three year relationship visiting Doc and taking her girls there, I continued taking my kiddies to their regular pediatrician. Now let's rewind five months.

Back in October I took Daniel (my oldest, my four year old) to his routine physical exam and he got a series of the standard vaccines they give to four year olds. That's when "it" all began. "It" being a noticeable change in his every day health. You see, Daniel was always prone to getting sick. I mean even as an infant, he was hospitalized at two weeks old because he caught a virus. After being on antibiotics for three days, they released him and shortly after, diagnosed him with colic and acid reflux. I swear the first year of Daniel's life, he was sick every month. The emergency room and doctor's offices had our number on speed dial at this point. And the only thing they could tell me was that he was normal but that "some kids just get sick easier." "Ok", I thought, "this must be normal, right?" What did I know. This was my first baby. I continued with his normal regimen of regular visits and regular vaccines but sure enough, Daniel would continue to get sick frequently and be assured if someone in the room was sick, he was going to catch it!

After Daniel's October visit, he was sick more days than healthy. Fevers, colds, multiple ear infections, back to back to back. I mean he just could not kick it! He developed a wet cough that would not go away. They tried allergy meds, cough meds...nothing worked. I did all of the tricks I knew of, vapor baths, Vicks, honey, vaporizer, you name it, I tried it. After his second ear infection and chronic stomach cramping and vomiting, I called the practice and again got the same answer. "Bring him in. Sounds like he has a virus."

That's when a holistic brick hit me on the head and I decided I was not going to subject him to any more trials and errors. I was desperate and I thought, what can I do for my child naturally to help his little body recover and be the best it can be, the way God intended him to be? So I began researching and asking around. I later learned a very interesting thing. Not only was Monica a holistic mommy, but come to find out I actually had 3 other holistic mommies that would serve as a sounding board for me to finally take my first giant leap of faith. I decided to take Daniel to his first holistic doctor.

Dr. Tom McGuire was the first to take a look at Daniel. He made some adjustments and asked us to come back one week later. No medicine. We went back one week later and he made a few more adjustments. Again, no medicine. Well, that's weird. I swear I haven't heard Daniel cough in exactly two weeks, since our first visit. As a matter of fact, his stomach pains went away. Coincidence? Or was their method of realigning Daniel's body having a greater impact on his health than I could imagine? That was the beginning of me converting into a believer.

Then we visited "Doc" at his practice "For the Love of Life". He took a long look at Daniel, and spent over an hour on his physical exam. Here is where - true to my original gut - I was weirded out, but in a good way. He confirmed everything Dr. Tom said the week before! Two holistic doctors who had not spoken about Daniel confirmed the same conditions that were impacting his immune system! The song "I'm a believer" began resonating in my mind! After adjusting Daniel some more and completing his exam I was given a regimen of vitamins and minerals to give Daniel to get his health back up optimally and best of all, naturally. So while I know Daniel is human and not immune to ever getting sick again, I don't remember the last time he looked so rosy, and best of all, cough and phlegm-free!

Dr. Tom McGuire: http://www.mcguirechiropractic.com/Dr--Tom.html