Ladies, time to take care of YOU!

Here it goes, my first blog! 

Here is a little something that I have become quite passionate about.  Us ladies, well, we just are so good at taking care of everyone around us, that we forget to stop and take care of US! I strongly believe that once you become a wife or a mom (especially a Mom), we get so caught up in taking care of our children, our husband, our house that before we know it we have neglected ourselves.  I will talk about myself for all of you to get a better understanding why I am so passionate about putting ME first.

I have been married to my wonderful husband Mike for 14 years, we have 3 beautiful daughters (almost 14, 8 and 4). Well, since my oldest was born I became consumed on becoming the mom for her that I did not have, I forgot about myself and focused more one her. Trying to always be there for her, making sure she had all my attention, love, support basically anything she needed.  I was doing everything for her!  That was just the beginning of my 14 years of neglecting myself.  Throughout the 14 years, I have pretty much done everything for my girls.  I will say about 5 years ago, I started focusing on myself and I felt the best I have ever felt in my life.  Well, 4 years ago since the birth of my youngest I have had what I would declare the hardest times of my life! I had an emergency hysterectomy , suffered a concussion which led to post concussive syndrome, started having panic attacks, had another head injury about a year and a half later needing staples to close it, a severe burn on my hand/arm and 3 moves in and out of states in the last 3 years.  That sounds crazy, and it is. (I don't recommend anyone doing it).

 OK, it may feel I got off my original subject but, I didnt. I mentioned all that I went through to point out to everyone (myself included) that I believe these were little things that my body, life, the universe was hitting me with trying  to say STOP! Slow down and LOOK at YOU!  Take a good look at you and what you are doing, who you are becoming.  I know that if I would have slowed down and payed more attention most of my last 4 years could have be written a little different.  I wasn't taking care of myself, I was just going through the motions of life, not thinking about things, feeling things, or caring about things.

Finally I hit rock bottom this year, I really cannot put into words how I felt all spring and summer this year. I seemed to be getting worse and worse. My anxiety got to the point that I couldn't drive. This is the year I started Taking Care of ME! I stopped driving because I felt so out of it, I  was having crazy body sensations, severe panic attacks, depression, feeling completely numb on the inside. I thought I was going crazy. I felt like a walking depressed zombie.  It wasn't until this August  that we found a group of doctors that actually listened to me and heard me.  They knew I wasn't crazy and that there was help out there for me.  I had my hormones checked (via saliva testing) and the results were off the charts. Not only was my progesterone and estrogen low, my DHEA and testosterone were low and my cortisol levels were "flatlined". I had Acute adrenal fatigue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_insufficiency)  I was started on Adrenal Support supplements (5x a day, a change in diet and a morning and before bed glycemic drink to keep my body from going hypoglycemic.  These past 4 months I have really learned what it means to slow down, make time for myself and to more importantly take care of myself.  

I have been on the supplements since Sept. and also started on bio-identical hormones (estrodiol and progesterone). I have started feeling "normal" again, I am to the point they have decreased the amount of supplements I take daily and I have been put on a maintenance program to insure I don't go back to where I was before. I am so thankful for my doctor and naturopath that have helped me through this dark time in my life and have taught me to take care of myself first. 

Hormone imbalances are serious, they effect every part of you. Adrenal fatigue is something I believe many women have, but many "mainstream" doctors don't believe in (find a naturopath).  However I can say that I am proof that adrenal fatigue is real and that there is hope for us suffering, feeling down, not feeling ourselves, paranoid whatever the symptom is. If we let some of the stresses of life simply float on by and not take them on we will become a healthier group.  We take on so much, often too much.  So if any of you are feeling like there is something going on, something not quite right, feeling that you don't even want to say it aloud because you think "they are going to think I am crazy"  I will say I wont!  I will listen and hear what you are saying. Finding the right group of support is so valuable, finding a doctor who doesn't make you wait an hour to see him then push you out the door within 15 minutes, that listens to you and works with and for you is key. Women take a minute to have a cup of tea in the afternoon, take 30 min a day for yourself to rest, take those breaks to unwind that we need but often don't take.  There is only one YOU and it is time to take care of YOU!

(I put in this a link about adrenal fatigue and I also highly recommend the books "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise L. Hay and "Do I Need Your Love, is that true?" by Byron Katie

They are both great books that helped me tremendously.  The affirmations by Louise Hay were a life saver to me when I was at my low.)

 

I hope you start now, Loving you and Taking Care of YOU! (that is what I am doing).