Rachel GuerreroOh my goodness WomensWake! It seems a nasty hacker tried to take down my site for a couple months, but they didn’t win! SO grateful I get to return to my blogging, and I have so much to catch everyone up! If you are new: I created WomensWake to talk about hiking and backpacking with my mental health traversing through these experiences, but my lens was shifted when I was diagnosed with multiple auto-immune diseases/EBV. The goal remains to regulate my mental health, nurture and take care of my body, and live-in remission in which I have established confidence and trust in myself as a female hiker/backpacker. Now let’s get into the needy greedy about what has worked for me and what hasn’t…
Supplements
I feel I’ve tried a million medications/supplements, but only some have proven themselves effective. Let me preference by saying I felt lost with Western medicine as they do little to nothing for those suffering with Chronic EBV and other chronic illness. I’m so sorry if you have experienced the same, your hopelessness and anger are completely valid. I’ve turned to Holistic medicine to cure my body naturally. To break it down into a list of my complaints and what actually worked (I wish someone told me this months ago but of course everyone is different):
Ward of Viruses/Bacteria: Monolaurin, Lomatium Root, Vitamin C/B Complex, GoldenSeal, Tea Tree oil, Zinc
Interstitial Cystitis/Nerve Pain: Bladder Ease, Chamomile, Nettle Leaf, Lavender
Anti-Inflammatory: Turmeric, Glutathione, Marshmallow Root, Sinus Blaster, Cayenne pepper
Fatigue/Muscle Weakness: B-12, D3+K2, Lemon Balm, Ashwagandha
Gut: Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Activated-Charcoal Powder, multiple strain probiotics
Lifestyle
While I am still accustoming to my new lifestyle, slowing down has helped me greatly. Taking things off my plate and only focusing on the necessity has allowed my body more room to heal itself. Catching myself in flight or fight mode and regulating my nervous system has in return helped my immune system. Along with eating a form of Paleo, I would like to slowly start introducing low-intensity exercises to my body again. With patience and consistency, a slow jog everyday builds up my stamina and eventually I will be backpacking again. To start at a super slow pace, I introduced half-mile walks into my regime as well as leg and core workouts that can be done on my back. This keeps my body somewhat at rest so that it may be able to stay regulated as I work out. I must be compassionate to myself as I’m no longer where I used to be. From backpacking on the PCT to completely bedridden and in/out of the hospital, I have new expectations of myself in which a 2-mile hike is greatly celebrated. Regulating my mental health has made a huge impact on the physical in which I have practiced mindfulness, meditation, and gratitude on the daily that allows me to slow down and build a stronger body-mind connection. I am aware of how my body feels in certain environments and how it reacts to certain emotions. By doing this I can self-soothe and do progressive relaxation techniques when unwanted sensations arise and therefore train my nervous system to calm down and in return, remind my immune system it’s also safe. Auto immune is when the immune system is overactive and starts to attack certain organs in your body. Therefore, when I feel it flaring up I remind my immune system that it is safe, well-functioning, and is allowed to rest now. It did a good job protecting me as a child in survival mode, but it is simply not needed anymore.
Treatments
I tried IV-therapy for a while but have just transferred to Ozone/UV light. While it seems to be working, it may be too early to tell, where I will update the blog after a few months of doing it. I stimulate my blood flow through lymphatic massages that you can perform on yourself, and I use both hot and cold items to stimulate my system while also reducing inflammation. In a daily routine (where I tend to wake up achy and in pain), I might begin by stretching my legs and massaging my lymph nodes. Next, I may take a hot shower followed by a cold one in which I practice mindfully cleaning the germs and illness of my body. After I practice mindful breathing techniques and massage my fingers and toes—I imagine the nerve pain leaving my body. This all may sound silly, but when you are desperate for a break from chronic illness pain, you will try everything… and some of it works!
What has been your favorite technique for getting your chronic illness condition/s under control?
With Love,
Miss Rachel