Lily
Originally uploaded by scottlondon.
One week into January, and 2009 had already become “the year I got really sick.” A surgery and two insurance deductibles later, I’ve recovered from some ailments and developed new ones. The chain of events set into motion that month led to a year where I became a virtual hermit, too broke and too sick to do much of anything or to go anywhere. Staying quiet, staying home, just trying to stay afloat.
Enter Gwen Bell, as she gives us The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge, 31 daily prompts to recalling and expressing the Best of the Year that Was. I figured it would a be a good way to start putting a positive spin on 2009, and an even better launchpad for a brilliantly fun and fabulous 2010.
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December 9: Challenge.
Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. (And I add: How do you intend to carry and handle this challenge in 2010?)
I guess it’s time to talk about that thing that his been my blog intro for these posts, ‘eh?
I didn’t write New Year’s Resolutions for 2009. But at some point, I verbalized that I was putting health on the front-burner for the year. So when I had a gallbladder attack (which felt like intense chest pain and doubled me over) on January 7th, despite having ignored previous signs, I got myself to the doctor. Unfortunately, I guess I wasn’t clear enough about that resolution — I think the Universe took it as a challenge and said “You want to look after your health? Sure, we’ll help you by pointing out everything you have ever done wrong to your body in your whole life!” So the entire year was marred by illness, and the struggle for health. This is still my struggle, although things are looking up, and it is my wish for 2010 to be the year I get healthier than I ever have been. Not to focus in illness, but to do everything it takes to Be Well. I know it’s a huge commitment, but I recently found myself a really great naturopath, I love veggies, and I’m committed to not just getting well, but getting my life back. To set myself on the path to living a long life, with a healthy mind and flexible body to the end.
I am not a doctor, nor do I play one in Blogland. Please take responsibility for your own health to do your own research, and ask questions of your health team! Having said that, I’d like to outline some of the important things I learned this year:
The Birth Control Pill-Gallstone Link
In March I had my gallbladder removed. Although I have always been fond of cheese, and I have two members of my family who also had theirs removed (both near or over 50 at the time), I believe having to have surgery at the relatively young age of 34 is due in great part to being on the Pill. (The pill has many dangers; this is just one).
If you read the information that comes with your pill, you’ll see it documented that studies have shown women taking them have a 2-2.5x higher risk of developing gallstones. There are a number of factors that may be involved, here are a couple: The use of oral contraception increases the concentration of cholesterol in bile. Also, women with pre-existing gallbladder conditions (which may have been the case with me) may find that the exposure to estrogen accelerates the development of stones. This acceleration happens in the first five years of being on the pill, then decreases. Myself and another friend both had our surgeries within the 4-5 year window of our going on the Pill. This does not in any way seem like a coincidence, to me. Obviously this does NOT mean all women on birth control are going to develop gallstones; but I think being aware of the risk, particularly if you eat a lot of fat, are sedentary, and/or have a family history of gallbladder disease, is important.
The Low-Glycemic Diet
This summer I was lucky enough to learn the Transitions lifestyle program — it’s a low-glycemic eating program (meaning your body doesn’t convert it to sugar as easily as high-glycemic items), which I thought was a great idea given that diabetes runs in my family. I’ve since learned that sugar is even more toxic than I once believed. For instance, 80% of our immune systems are in our guts. And if we consume a lot of sugar, the bad bacteria in our gut get really excited. They live off of the sugar and starch in our body, overwhelming the good bacteria and throwing a huge party in our guts, leading to candida, dysbiosis, even fungal conditions. We may think athlete’s foot is an external problem, but we wouldn’t even have that fungus if it wasn’t already living in our bodies. And guess what fungus loves? Sugar!
Transitions is a smart eating program that begins with a detox that retrains your palate to not crave carbs. If anyone is interested in taking a virtual class in Transitions with a great teacher, please mention in the comments that you want more information and I’ll point you in the right direction.
Model of Empowerment in HealthCare
The third and most important thing I learned on my healthcare journey this year is this: We *have* to advocate for ourselves and our own health, because no one will do it for us. If you’re not getting the answers you need, keep asking or look elsewhere. A wise gynecologist told me this year to never leave a doctor’s office confused. “It’s your doctor’s job to make sure you have the information you need.”
The model of Western medicine that I’ve been dealing with has been a very disempowering experience, though it took an empowering experience for me to recognize this fact. Don’t get me wrong – I have had some great doctors. But they are constricted by a model that applies a pharmaceutical to each problem, often without addressing the underlying issue. The fact that so few Western medical practitioners even discuss nutrition, which affects every aspect of our health, is a big hint that something isn’t quite right. Think about it — what do we have more control over than what we eat? We cannot control our genes or other things that happen to us, but WE decide what to put in our bodies every day.
Another problem with the Western model in the United States is, we’re forced to follow the model because, if we have insurance, that’s all that gets covered. I recently decided, after nearly a year of doctor’s visits that were getting me nowhere, that it was time to see a naturopath in addition to my regular team of doctors. That’s out of my pocket, but in the end I believe it will be well worth the expense. Why? I have a genetic autoimmune thyroid disorder, but despite my having been symptomatic all year, the blood tests tell my doctors I do not need treatment yet. Doctors need to treat the patient, not the blood work. The naturopath says she can help, but only once I have the correct battery of tests done. Once again, at the mercy of insurance and Western medicine, I had to convince my PCP to run those tests for my naturopath, otherwise they wouldn’t be covered. What stuns me, though, is that they were never done in the first place. I have a known thyroid disorder, but they never bothered with a complete thyroid panel! Additionally, I have all the markers of an adrenal problem, yet the tests my doctors have run for that cannot scientifically be anywhere near accurate, and the one that is most accurate isn’t covered by my insurance. My naturopath has told me that adrenal problems respond to treatment, and I can even rebuild my adrenal function completely over time. In fact, she, more than any other provider I’ve seen this year, gives me hope that I can get my body in fully functioning order again — even THRIVING. Once the more severe problems are on their way to healing, I can think about getting off the Pill (did you know estrogen dominance can occur on the Pill, leading to fibrocystic breasts and contributing to candida?) and I cannot TELL you how thrilled I will be when I can start working out again! I am so going dancing! Nia, bellydance, hoopdancing, you name it!
I realize I am lucky enough to both be insured, and to be able to come up with the funds for these other hefty health care fees, not that it’s in any way easy. My wish for my fellow Americans and the rest of the world is equal access to equal health carel. But that is another post. A toast to your Wellness in 2010!
