After having years of terrible, double me over pain on a monthly basis I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome otherwise known as PCOS, around the age of 18. The doctors solution was birth control pills (to control hormones) to help with the pain and stop the cysts from growing. Later down the road the doctor added Metformin, to fight the insulin resistance that seemed to tag along with my PCOS. Weight loss had been VERY difficult prior to adding Metformin. But with a combination of consistently taking my meds, and starting with a personal trainer to kick start my metabolism...I was able to lose about 40 lbs in about 3-4 months time. However, the weight didn't stay off and the Metformin seemed to stop working for me. I've lost track of how many times I've lost weight and gained it back again....too many to count!
Fast forward a few years to about 2009-2010. I had recently gone through a rough patch {about 2 years worth} with my employment and had major stress!! I think this is when quite a few of my current health issues started. Stress affects our health in ways that we don't even realize. I moved multiple times, was unemployed, or under-employed and dealt with extremely stressful financial issues during the peak of the economic downturn. That's when I remember being sick over and over and the doctors couldn't ever say that there was something wrong...nothing they could treat, at least. Most of the time the Dr just said it's a virus, rest an it'll pass. Well, I continued to get sick...over and over, through the course of the next few years. The health of my body began to steadily decline.
During this time I was diagnosed with:
* Chronic Cluster Migraines - treated and prevented with heavy narcotics and muscle relaxers
* Esophageal Spasms - treated with a medication that would eventually make my body stop working on its own
* Mononucleosis - lots of rest and sleep, and less stress (I took a break from college to recuperate because working full time and going to school full time just wasn't possible, or good for my health)
* High calcium levels led the doctors to discover a Parathyroid Tumor - treated with surgery
* Hypothyroidism - treated with Thyroid medication (Levothyroxine)
I hated being on so many medications, because I began feeling like I had a pharmacy in my "medicine chest." I was only in my [early] 30's, and I didn't feel my body should be revolting quite so soon! ha! But, the medications helped get me back to feeling halfway normal during the day and I got to a point where I was functioning without a migraine or acid reflux/tummy problems/esophagus pain on a regular basis. However, after learning that some of the medications I was on could actually make parts of my body stop working on their own...I was worried. That thought didn't sit well with me, so I started talking to my doctors and searching for more natural alternatives. During that time I made some dietary changes {and overall lifestyle changes} plus discovered essential oils that helped with some of my symptoms....but didn't get to the root issues. I was functioning better, but still not happy with my overall health. My body was NOT HEALTHY, and I continued to see myself decline further. I wasn't the happy, bubbly, go-out-with-my-girlfriends-and-play kinda girl that I once was!
In April 2012, I had surgery to remove the Parathyroid tumor {and around the same time began dating my now husband}. I finally began feeling some relief and my energy started to come back. My body began healing from the damage done by the tumor, and my labs were "normal" for the first time in a long time. Progress! Woohoo :) I felt pretty good for a few months, and my skin began to get back to a healthier glow...but I knew my thyroid still wasn't in ideal range for me. My time of feeling good didn't last long and my energy slowly began to decline again. I continued to work with my Endocrinologist to lower my thyroid levels, which proved to be a frustrating process.
2014 turned out to be the year of breakthroughs for me when it came to health education, discovery of natural supplements and finally HOPE for improvement! This was the year I began seeing a friend of mine talk about this "pink drink" on Facebook. I watched for many months....a true skeptic! Surely, it was too good to be true! Many testimonials said these plant based supplements helped them get their life back and start feeling better again. These individuals had so many health issues...unexplained lethargy, diabetes, thyroid problems, infertility, lupus, fibromyalgia, and the list went on and on! I was definitely skeptical but, finally in October 2014 I had had enough of dealing with my "issues" and finding no relief or progress! I wanted to get my life back, so I gave in and decided that it was time to give it a try....and it was THE BEST decision I ever made! I started with the "pink drink" Plexus Slim and Accelerator+. I noticed more sustained energy and didn't need my usual soda and sweets, it was fantastic!! A sugar/soda addiction is so bad for PCOS because the condition feeds on sugar.
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| 1-year Plexiversary (Nov 2014-Nov 2015) |
During the summer of 2015, I had talked my endocrinologist into letting me try a NDT instead of the Levothyroxine I had been taking for my Hypothyroid condition. Within the first week, I knew my body didn't like it but the Dr insisted I keep taking it and see how it goes- because it can take a while for your body to get used to a new thyroid medication, especially going from a synthetic T4 only medication to a natural thyroid like Armour which has T1-T4. I'm still trying to figure out why, but I felt HORRID on Armour and at the end of three months my thyroid levels hadn't even budged! And the bonus.....the Endo tried to tell me that my symptoms were depression, and wouldn't even do any other tests to check my thyroid or other conditions. I KNEW that it was something else, and most likely my thyroid so I decided to get a second opinion. After lots of research and a phone inquiry asking about the practice and the specific doctor I was interested in, I found an Osteopath that treated with natural supplements and Western Medicine. My gut and heart knew that I needed to find a doctor that would listen and look at all options, not just try to add more medications to my med list! Well....I can happily say, that I SCORED in the doctor department! During the first appointment, I felt hope which I hadn't felt for a few months. She compiled my medical record and added a few labs that hadn't been done by my other doctors, and she LISTENED...I mean really listened! I knew I wasn't crazy or depressed, but it was so nice to have a medical doctor confirm there was something else going on in my body. I followed up with her in about 2 weeks to review lab work and chat, and that's when I got the best/worst news of my life!....Hashimoto's, an Autoimmune Thyroid condition. She explained about T3, T4, and reverse T3 which no doctor had ever done before. So she told me that my body doesn't convert T4 like it should, so my T3 was low and my reverse T3 was high which was backwards of what it should be. We talked about a game plan, and I made an appointment to follow up. She agreed that I needed to get off the Armour and we changed back to a more regulated (and also has less fillers, which are irritating to Hashimoto's) T4 only med Synthroid and she added a compounded T3. I can happily say that I felt a difference very quickly! The Dr also recommended that I go gluten free and Paleo, but I ended up cutting out all grains and found an Autoimmune Paleo {AIP} protocol that many people had found success with. AIP has been such a good addition and I can feel the progress my body has made since beginning this elimination diet. I know my gut is getting healthier because I've cut out the inflammatory foods, added the correct thyroid medications for my body, and high quality supplements to support getting my body healthy from the inside out. This gives my awesome probiotic the ideal environment to heal my leaky gut and send my autoimmune condition into remission.
It hasn't been smooth path, in fact it's been a roller coaster in some
aspects- but SO worth it! Everyone's journey is different. Our bodies
need different things to heal and get to that ideal health. Plexus had
been helping me in so many ways, and I know my autoimmune issues would
have been so much worse had I not already been working on gut health;
but now I had all the information FOR MY BODY to treat it the best for
it's conditions. Since the addition of this information, I've adjusted
my diet to eliminate anything that inflames Hashi's. Since cutting out
grains, dairy, legumes, and a few other things- I've noticed how much
better my body can function! I've lost more inches! And I even lost
weight over the holidays!! Woohooo! 😆 How often does that happen?!?
I've found my trifecta!!! An Autoimmune Paleo protocol diet, correct
thyroid meds, and Plexus!
Stats Update: 2.20.16
The last 14 months have taken away:
* 33.4 lbs
* 40.25 inches
* Dr. Pepper and sugar addiction
* Chronic Migraines
* Esophageal Spasms and Acid Reflux
* Anxiety
* Ear Pain
* Chronic Sinusitis
* Uncontrolled Eczema
* Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain
*** And SO much more!
And they have brought:
* More confidence
* Control over sugar cravings and a more healthy relationship
with food!
* Increased patience and enjoying MY unique journey!!!
* Autoimmune Paleo protocol way of eating
* Healthier gut
* HAPPIER outlook!
* My extended Plexus family<3 br="">
* Residual income and a healthier financial outlook
If
I could hope to share one thing with others about my journey- it is to
find your path! Do what's best for YOUR BODY! Find the eating style that
works best for your body and begin looking at food as fueling your
body! Eat nutrient dense foods, use high quality supplements {like my
beloved Plexus}, heal your gut!, and drink your water!!! I am so
grateful for this past year and everything I have learned and continue
to learn, and I'm SO excited to see what 2016 holds!!! And yes, I'm oh so glad I stuck with "this Plexus stuff!!!" 😉
{Plexus products I am taking are: the Slim, ProBio5, BioCleanse, XFactor, MegaX, and occasionally Accelerator + and Block}
