Posted in Life with doctors

Skipping surgery

I’ve been recommended for two different types of surgery for varying conditions. My nutritionist gave sound advice by reminding me that I could get a second opinion and should, especially once something is taken out because it cannot be put back in.

For the first procedure, I saw a second opinion with a traditional doctor. The second doctor was GREAT! She went over multiple options and even explained which ones she would not recommend along with the reason why. The initial doctor did none of that, saying that surgery was my only option. In this case, I opted not to do surgery and try a different procedure instead; surgery would then be a back up option if this did not work well. But it did!

For the second potential surgery, I opted for a more functional medicine perspective and saw a wellness center that included a chiropractor. Many who are diagnosed with AS are told to avoid a chiropractor but the chiropractor has been an amazing route for me as long as the practitioner is knowledgeable about AS. There treatments took all summer but the result has been fantastic – walking without a cane! And my walk steadiness on my phone has improved dramatically from the time prior to visiting the wellness center.

Why do I say all of this? Well, first, I’m not giving medical advice; I’m just sharing my experience on my quest to find alternative therapies to complement what I use with traditional medicine. Second, I’m aware that surgery is not always the only option. If I can research a method that avoids surgery but still puts me on the path to wellness, then I’m taking that path. It may not get the quickest results, but neither does surgery. Our bodies are so complex and designed to heal if we are willing to put in the work to do so.

Just a thought as we wrap up another year and set new intentions and goals to achieve. Wellness CAN be within reach. All the best!

Posted in Uncategorized

Grass, trees and trails – oh my!

Allergic to alll greenery outdoors but I love walking and exploring so do it anyway 😂😂

I’m always looking for good walking areas and I found a couple of locations to go to: flatter trail closest to home and a split trail that goes to two parks about 10 minutes away. With the advent of the coronavirus, the walkways been more congested than usual so I try to go at odd times and hotter parts of the day. My joints LOVE heat so this is a win-win.

Community trail that is closest to home. One day I will conquer the entire trail!
Trail leading to Gold Park
Strolling through River Park

Getting outdoors allows for a change of scenery and can produce endorphins to make you feel better. And I love warmer weather so getting in a sweat is a plus! My acupuncturist is all about walking outdoors as nature, especially green and trees, relaxes the body. And with stress levels through the roof, who doesn’t need a way to relax?!

I truly hope this finds you well, safe and healthy. Have you found a place to get away? If so, drop a line below; I’d love to hear from you! 🥂 to your good health.

Posted in Uncategorized

Outdoors and MH

I love being outdoors. Well let me clarify- I love being outdoors when the sun is shining and the weather is warm or hot. I find that MH (mental health) for me is better when I do. And when mental health is great, then physical and emotional health seem to flow from that. But it took a long time for me to figure that out. And even that was a challenge.

I currently live in a northern part of the United States where it can get cold with short sun light days and snow – not the greatest combo for this Leo! So I head to the gym but that’s not a favorite combo; fluorescent lights versus sunshine. That’s a no brainer. So I read that SAD lights can help by emitting light the emulates the sun and I started using that last fall. And it makes a HUGE difference. But I found that out by doing lots of reading, not because a doctor recommended it to me.

No, my doc recommended what I call “happy pills” to deal with anxiety and being super anxious rather than helping me find out the why- why am I dealing with anxiety? Where did it come from? How long have I been dealing with it? In all my searching, I found that being outdoors works for me, helping to reduce anxiety. I know now that anxiety is a byproduct of PCOS as is depression but so many don’t know they have a hormonal disorder and so many more don’t recognize they’re struggling mentally. And nature is healing. It’s the freest therapy that I can have, leading to my decision to move further south and take advantage of an environment that better suits me.

If there are things in your life inhibiting your mental health, please research, seek help, whatever it takes. And if something doesn’t seem right, keep searching.

Quick note: I started writing this blog post and had to take a break. Before beginning again, I saw a very similar commentary by a Canadian nutritionist that I follow on Instagram. I say that to say- the struggle is real but so are the solutions! If being outdoors is not your thing, then seek the thing that will contribute to mental wellness. Last, I have included pictures from some of my outdoor excursions that I’ve had over the last month. The change in scenery is always refreshing. Until next time!

bike riding in Celebration, Florida
at Clearwater Beach, Florida
Quarry Lake walking trail, Baltimore, MD