By Mary Moskowitz, MS, CHC I
A Story of Hope for the New Year
t is a New Year. Many of you will ring it in with a toast and a wish for a year fi lled with good health and happiness. You will once more set those resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier and do all it takes to reach your wellness goals; maybe even the same ones you set last year that have slipped away from you as life got in the way.
It can be frustrating and overwhelming when you are follow- ing the latest diet, exercising more and still not seeing results, especially if you are dealing with a debilitating disease. Many of you will just give up after the fi rst couple of weeks or months.
You Are Not Alone! I hear the same story repeatedly from the clients that I work
with. They call me in tears. They have tried everything with limited success. They are struggling with their weight, feeling depressed and lethargic, they don’t sleep well and have chronic pain and brain fog. They may even be diagnosed with a vague condition like chronic fatigue or fi bromyalgia or have a life threatening disease such as cancer or autoimmune disease. They are told they just have to live with it and manage the symptoms with a powerful drug or surgery which can leave them feeling worse and lead to more debilitating symptoms.
Can You Relate? The following is an email I received from a client, Brandi, before we started working together. Brandi is a 35-year-old mom from Minnesota. She gave me permission to share her story in the hopes that others suffering from similar health challenges might fi nd hope and inspiration. Brandi had been diagnosed with Lupus, a year prior to working with me, and was desperate for help. She was referred to me by a friend who knew of my practice.
"In March of 2015, I woke up from a nap feeling like I was
having a heart attack. I went to the doctor and they rushed me in for a CT scan. Everything seemed ok. Next thing you know, I'm having terrible and unexplainable sore throats. Rounds and rounds of antibiotics weren't helping and I soon started develop- ing hives, low grade fevers and joint pain. I thought I would lose my mind! I was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. It took 5 minutes for the Rheumatologist to look at my chart and determine I had Lupus.
I've been put on multiple medications that have suppressed
some of my symptoms, with the exception of the hives. I itch all day, all over, all the time. It makes me crazy! Worst of all, the only thing that takes the edge off is the Prednisone. I went from 124lbs to 158lbs. I've about given up on my Rheumatologist and Allergist. I can never get in touch with them and I am on 4-5 antihistamines a day and still not feeling better.
At this point, I'm feeling helpless and hopeless. I am not normally a pessimistic person, really, but this is beginning to take a toll on me and my family. I don't want to continue on this path and I am sick of taking medications. I want to fi nd a more holistic approach and I know my diet could use some changing, but it is all so overwhelming. I hate to admit it, but I am feeling so defeated.
20 Essential Living Maine ~ January/February 2017
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