Tele-BAM

I've been doing amazingly well on my cleanse. I've gotten used to avocado on rice cakes and Metagenic shake. Lunch:greens, cucumbers, zucchini, avocado, bell peppers with lemon and olive oil plus berries. Dinner: some sort of protein, sweet potato or acorn squash and veggies. And another shake or two depending on hunger levels. I even added in a tiny bit of dark chocolate with no issue. My sinuses were so clear that I swore I smelled my husband's fart. He denied it.

But then my mom came to town. So, I've been dining out with her each evening. Sticking to my diet really well. Except last night I ate some gluten at Telepan. Today I'm suffering big time. Ugh. Well, at least I know exactly what made me sick.

Back to my cleanse. Hoping things clear up as quickly as they set back in. Ten steps forward. Three back.

Feeling Good in DC

I knew getting away for a few days in Washington, DC would be good for me. I had this deep feeling that being on the go, wandering around the capital as opposed to sitting at a freezing cold desk all day would simply make me feel better and help my sinuses open. My prediction came true. I definitely felt better leaving DC than before. I'm not sure if it was my positive outlook or the walking around a new setting or both.

I started a medical cleanse Sunday. I must admit the limited diet is making a difference. My sinuses are improving. I'm also using nasal irrigation meds. I visited the ENT today. She took a look and said I look much better than I did two weeks ago. But that I do have some inflamed, swollen polypoid tissues. No polyps. She said to continue doing what I'm doing and add back in the Qnasl spray.

I awoke at precisely 2:12am and heard the birds chirping like mad. I thought back to the story of the Japanese man who would awaken wiht the birds and breath in the fresh oxygen. I was too tired to step outside. I took a deep breath from my bed and feel back asleep.

Love Hate Relationship

For years I've had a hate relationship with my body whenever I get sick. I hate my sinuses. I hate my nose. I hate my body.

While reading Radical Remission by Kelly Turner, one passage details a cancer patient who noticed that most of the dialogue between patient and disease was one of hating and killing the cancer inside. However, this particular patient did just the opposite. He began to love his cancer and feel compassion for it. He saw the cancer as a part of him. A part of him that was sending him a message that something wasn't right. The cancer was an opportunity for him to make a change. The more love he sent to his cancer, the more easy he found healing. And he did heal from Cancer, becoming free of the disease.

The past few days, when I feel the intense I congestion in my sinuses I've been sending thoughts of love to my body. My sinuses seem to be opening up a bit since last week's melt down. Maybe love works on a cellular level.

Oxygen Blast

It's 3am. I hear the birds. What is up with them singing and tweeting in the middle of the night? This happens every Spring. I look so forward to the warm weather and long days. But I dread the birds waking me up before the crack of dawn.

While reading Radical Remission by Kelly Turner, one passage details a Japanese man who had stage 4 liver cancer and growths on his lungs. As part of his healing process, he began waking up very early to witness the sun rising everyday. The birds always managed to beat him and were already up singing. Each day he woke up earlier until he finally was able to beat the birds. He discovered that the birds began singing exactly 42 minutes before trees release their oxygen, beginning the process of photosynthesis. This early release of oxygen he realized helped fuel the birds' singing blitz. He did further tests with his pet birds, by releasing oxygen into their cages. The birds would immediately begin singing and slowly wind down.

So, now this makes me wonder if it's the birds that are waking me up or if it's a fresh blast of oxygen from the trees in nearby Riverside Park. Next time it happens, I'd like to throw on some clothes, walk outside and breathe in the truly fresh air.

The Power of the Written Word

After accomplishing 18 months of an antibiotic- and steroid-free existence, I seem to have fallen back into the same pattern. The past 18 months have been marked by Biaxin, Symbicort, Prednisone, Omnicef and more toxic substances. Why? What's gone wrong? I ask myself these questions everyday. I eat a super clean predominately organic diet. I don't drink coffee. I have about one cocktail a week. Low glycemic is my theme.

What I realized I haven't been doing is writing in this blog. I revisited the blog the other day when I was running a fever, coughing and completely unable to breathe through my clogged up sinuses. I couldn't believe I ever made it a year without any drugs. I found my original blog post where I celebrated 1 full year of drug-free living. That made me wonder if committing to writing about my plight and promise somehow works at the cellular level. Does writing make me less likely to "cheat" and skip drinking or eating greens? Does it make me feel stronger and more confident that I can overcome this awful cycle I've been sucked back into? Maybe it does work at some subconscious level which I've been ignoring for some time now. 

So I'm back. Whether or not anyone reads, isn't really the concern. Reaffirming my commitment to staying healthy and avoiding drugs through writing is my main concern. I'm looking forward to writing about my 1 year anniversary.

It's Baaaaack!

I'm back. And so is my sinus infection. It took an attack on my sinuses to get me to write again. Guess there's a reason for everything. Can't believe I'm sick! Also, can't believe how long I've been able to go without getting sick. About a year. And I've gone 20 months without any antibiotics or steroids.

I'm hoping not to have to turn to either antibiotics or steroids for getting me better. I'm going to give my body a chance to kick this thang out.

So what's my plan?

When I first noticed cold symptoms I cut out the little dark chocolate I typically eat every day. Figured sugar wasn't going to make me better. In chocolate's place I've been eating 2 to 4 dried organic figs. Love them.

I also cut out...well threw out all the gluten free, processed cereals my husband and I usually eat. We both noticed after eating them, we felt tired. My husband found he was getting a headache. In its place I've been having a smoothie and or oatmeal or quinoa flakes. Not sure how processed the flakes are. Guess I'll see how I'll feel. Some mornings I have a slice of g-free bread with avocado on top. I usually smush into the avocado some fresh chopped garlic, lime and salt.

Garlic. Been trying to eat raw garlic everyday. Usually in avocado is the easiest way. Garlic is an anti-viral and antibiotic. Just make sure to brush teeth afterwards.

I started taking my supplements again. About three months ago I said goodbye to them. I read that if you're eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits then you more than likely don't need supplements. I was doing fine until Monday. I'm back to taking zinc, selenium, Ester C, Vitamin D3 (which I still take daily), antioxidants, magnesium and nettles. I also take echinacea and mycoferon drops regularly. So continuing this.

Spicy lemon ginger tea. This stuff makes you feel warm and cozy inside. Perfect for combating chills brought on by fever.

Green tea. Drink in the antioxidants. Can't get enough of this stuff.

Gargling warm salted water. Works like a charm every time. Nothing is as good or as cheap for a sore throat relief.

Sinuscleanse bottle. After going several months without having to clean out my sinuses this old favorite is back. Helps get the yucka out.

Breath Right strips. Nothing wrong with these nose bands that help relieve congestion while you sleep. Except for finding one stuck in my hair when I awoke. They're drug free and helpful. Just make sure you remove all the oil from your nose before applying. I swab my snoze with alcohol.

Green juice. I've been purchasing raw, pre-made green juices. They're a splurge. But worth it. Again the more ginger the better. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory. On my way to work this morning I stopped by Jus at The Coffee Shop where I ordered a carrot-apple-ginger. Sucked it down in record time.

Sleep. Wish I could stay in bed all day. But I'm freelance. Can't afford not to work. I've been hitting the sheets between 8pm and 9pm. Up between 6am and 7am. So if you have the luxury of fulltime employment, call in sick. Stay in bed. What The Real Housewives. And get well.

B is for Benign

Last Friday I got the best news ever. That the results of my double breast ultrasound had come back as Benign. In my happy relief, I suddenly wondered, well then what are those lumps in my boobs? My doctor explained that the left is a fibroadenoma and the right a clump of fibrocystic tissue.

What the heck are these things? Well, a fibroadenoma is a clump of fibrous and glandular tissue. According to Wikipedia, there lumps are referred to as breast mice owing to their high mobility in the breast. Should I leave out some vegan cheese for these little friends?

As for the fibrocystic tissue this seemly means I have lots of lumps and bumps in my super dense tah-tahs. No smooth moves here.

Now that I've expanded my vocabulary, I asked the doctor, "What can I do to make sure I don't get any more and that these lumps disappear?" His response, "They get smaller with age." The opposite of wine.
I kind of expected to be underwhelmed by his answer. I feel like while allopathic medicine offers many healing wonders it overlooks prevention and out of the box thinking.

I've been reading Spontaneous Healing by Dr. Weil and highly recommend the book to anyone battling a sickness. The book details many individual stories of healing as well as outlines what you can do to boost your own spontaneous healing. The section on healing visualizations has been most enlightening for me. This is one area that at times I've overlooked or not utilized nearly enough.

It's amazing the power the mind has over our bodies. If you don't believe me take into account the effect sexual daydreams have on the body. That's simply the mind at work.

There are a number of healing visuals and breathing exercises I've been trying to incorporate. One I really like it to lie or sit quietly with eyes closed. Recite these lines in your mind. With each line, breathe out fully then take a full breath in.

Before me peaceful
Behind me peaceful
Above me peaceful
Below me peaceful
All around me peaceful.

From this point I usually speak to specific areas of my body. I picture myself sitting before a cozy fire place, surrounded by candles or in a sunny, warm place. As I refer to a specific body part I imagine it experience absolute peace and it's image in my mind's eye is one of perfect health and vibrance. Kind of weird to picture sinuses but stick with me here. For example you could add:

My left sinuses peaceful
My right sinuses peaceful
My left breast peaceful
My right breast peaceful
My lungs peaceful
My right knee peaceful

And so on.

Give it a try if you're feeling like you're having trouble relaxing or battling some sort of illness.