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Mutant?

 Sometimes I feel like a mutant. I just wish I had the cool super powers of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or X-Men. Wouldn’t that be cool? Actually I am a mutant. RA is just one of the complicated diseases I have to deal with. Many years ago my absolute favorite doctor, Melinda Warren, went deeper and further than any other doctor in looking for the root cause of my fatigue and illness. She ran a DA profile. Honestly I was one of her first patients to have that done and my results were not something she had seen. So she couldn’t really tell me what it meant. My DA profile revealed that I was duplicate A1298C (homozygous) genes. I remember asking her what she meant and her response was “honestly I don’t know but I know you are a researcher so you will be on this fast”. So we learned together. This was something she was studying in her search for nutritional health for her patients. When she retired I lost a huge advocate for my health. No other doctor I have seen knows what this ...
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Recent posts
 Whew 2022....I am glad to see you through! It's New Years Eve and as I reflect back on this year, I realized I have come so far but still have so far to go. That my dear is goals. I have not blogged in a few weeks because I have just been exhausted. Work and the holidays tied up my energy not leaving room for much else.  As I start my day slowly following coffee, I wanted to share what else I use to start my day. A smoothie, rich in nutrients and protein and anti-inflammatory ingredients that give me the boost I need. Ingredients: Unsweetened Almond Milk Hemp Protein powder Vital proteins collagen Peptides chia, flax and hemp seeds Mixed berries and Kale Doterra Tumeric Essential oil (not pictured) I blend a scoop of each ingredient with a cup of almond milk and a handful of the berry and kale mixture and 2 drops of Tumeric EO. I love chocolate and strawberries and not so much vanilla so I chose the chocolate collagen powder however you can choose whatever you want. I found t...
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"I am Blessed"   This morning I was in the shower getting ready for work and I thought "I'm blessed". Why you ask? Well let me tell you. I am blessed because I could shave my legs.  Yep, you read that right. Seems so simple, right? But 1 year ago I could not manage the task of shaving my legs AND taking a shower in one day. The fatigue was just too much. Prior to my diagnosis of RA I showered daily, sometimes twice a day, and shaved my legs daily. Even in the winter time! I just couldn't stand the feel of my legs on sheets at night without doing that. Battling with RA made me give it up to conserve energy. I just could not complete the two tasks together. Four years ago I would never have imagined a time in my life when those simple tasks nearly took everything out of me, JUST TO START MY DAY. Never mind that is just the start of the day and I still had a full day of my job, house, cooking, business and family to tend to. And the never ending pain. That alon...
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  "Finding Ways to Cope" When you are first diagnosed with a chronic illness, it is overwhelming. The things you used to do, you can no longer do or you are limited in how you do them. My RA flares usually hit my hands the worse. While I can ache from head to toe it is actually more frustrating when my hands don't work the way they used to. I was the type of woman that did not like to ask for help and I was raised to be independent. Well it is hard to be independent when in some of my worse flares, I cannot even pull my pants up by myself! No joke.  I have found that by replacing items in my household that I normally use that are specially made for people with arthritis or grip limitations, that I can still maintain my independence for the most part. Things like a normal hand held can opener are a no go for me. Or finger nail clippers. Or opening a jar in the kitchen when you want to cook something. If my husband is not at home, then it is frustrating trying to figure how...
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I have lost count of how much blood work I have endured since 2019. I have been poked and prodded and it gets old. But today? Well today is an exciting day because with my most recent results, I can actually see the improvements in black and white. Not only do I have to battle RA but years ago I was diagnosed with a fatty liver. I am not morbidly obese but menopausal years have not been good to me.  I have that extra around the middle. When you feel like mud, it is hard to exercise and it also hurts. Who wants to add to the pain? Not me for sure. So though I have been happy with my work with my nutritionist, I was having to also battle my liver becoming toxic last year. My liver enzymes really starting climbing so I was referred to a gastroenterologist. (My husband says he can not keep up with all of my 'ologist!) I had a liver biopsy and have to follow with her every 6 months. I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, possibly as a result of methotrexate usage, possi...
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Why oh why

 When searching for a great doctor, make sure you find one that searches for the reason WHY you have symptoms and diseases and not just a doctor that will prescribe a pill.  I was blessed to find a doctor many years ago who searched for WHY something was happening. Why am I tired? Why am I sick? She told me one time that nutrition and vitamins were key in managing my health. Most doctors only give you a small lecture about weight management and diet but don’t bother to help you on your journey. She did tell me that during medical school she was only given one class on nutrition. Can you imagine that? Doctors are ingrained in medical school to treat the symptoms. And not to look for the root cause. My family genetics are obesity and diabetes. From both sides. I did not want to live my life by those expectations so I started searching years ago for the cause. Like the real cause and not just the fork to mouth cause. What makes some people able to eat anything they want and not g...
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 In 2020 a young woman who was a singer and songwriter, who went by the name Nightbirde, appeared on America's Got Talent. While she was a beautiful, talented and brave woman, what she said is what won the hearts of millions of people around the world. Faced with very little chance to live with her cancer diagnosis, a husband that left her during her sickness, she was still noted to be so optimistic. Her response was this: "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." Wow! Just wow. When I heard that, it struck a cord within me. I am a cancer survivor but I was one of the "lucky ones". In 2000 my papsmear came back abnormal. Within 6 months I had a partial hysterectomy and when pathology returned, it was cancer. But I had clear margins. I did not have to go through the horrendous treatment with chemotherapy. I did however have to be followed closely for 5 years and I still have to be careful not to miss my yearly exam. Can...
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