Friday, January 11, 2013

A recap of 2012 and hope for 2013


While 2012 flew by in so many areas, it was a long, discouraging year with my Candida. Which is partly why I’ve stopped posting. It seems no matter what I try, nothing works. The supplements, probiotics, diet and GSE all help somewhat with my symptoms but nothing is really healing my body. I’m not gaining any ground, if you will. 2012 brought new symptoms such as chronic tonsillitis as well as the discoveries that I have hypothyroidism, Vitamin D deficiency, gluten intolerance and my body is hardly producing any progesterone. All of this explained the massive fatigue and mood swings I’ve been dealing with. I started progesterone therapy and was amazed at the difference I felt in my mood. I was a nice person again!! My husband noticed a huge difference in me and expressed how happy he was with the change. But very soon, my Candida symptoms worsened considerably and I learned progesterone FEEDS Candida. I stopped the treatment and my mood swings returned immediately. Talk about a vicious cycle! I came to the conclusion that my family needs me to be on the progesterone more than I need to feel 100%.

I’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching this year. I’ve really focused on the fact that God has allowed this illness for a reason and remember "...that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom.8:28) I’ve worked to keep my illness in perspective and am so very thankful that I’m not dealing with a truly horrific disease, like cancer. Good things have come from my Candida. I’ve learned about natural medicine and the importance of cooking and eating organic, whole foods instead of processed junk.

 But, the truth is, Candida is starting to hinder my life. We want to have a third baby and I just don’t think my body can handle it. My hormones are all screwed up and are keeping me from savoring this precious time with my husband and little ones. Friends and family no longer have us over for dinner because of my limited diet. All of this has combined to motivate me to find help…real help. Someone who really understands the body and can treat me and help me get well.

Through a series of coincidences (although I don’t believe there are coincidences with God), I found The Hansa Center for Optimum Health. I’ve researched the center and have spoken to a couple people who have been treated there. I’ve had a phone consultation with one of the physicians at the center. Everything I find indicates this is the type of place I’ve been looking for. They treat naturally and work to find the cause of the illness instead of just treating the symptoms. They treat the body as a whole while most other physicians have been trained to only treat one part of the body. They also incorporated Christian counseling into their therapies. So, after lots of prayer, we're heading to Kansas in two days so I can undergo two weeks of treatment and therapies.

Will this center help me? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful it will. Of course, none of it is covered by insurance and it’s crazy expensive. I honestly don’t even care at this point. As my husband said (jokingly), “Hey, it’s just money, right? All that matters is that you get better. ” God has blessed me with such a good man. So that's where I stand. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to update this post with the news that I’m getting better. Only God knows and only time will tell.