I’ve come to believe that you can only be a consistent wellness junkie if you have unlimited time and money OR if you have a condition or issue that you’re wanting to fix. Mine, of course, is the latter.
My Brief Backstory:
While I’ve been on a healthy eating/exercising/living path for over twelve years, I’ve continued to experience varying levels of fatigue, headaches, depression, unexplained infertility, and the latest: (diagnosed 2011) hypothyroidism. Let me be clear — I function, I live a full life, I walk the dog, I run, I teach yoga…but these things are my things and over time the fatigue, depression and hypothyroidism have seemed to linger in my life.
It’s been a long road. I’m very grateful that my road is not as bad as some. It’s not cancer or some other awful thing. I get that. However, it is my road and feels really long to me. Maybe someday I’ll post about each and every wellness alternative treatment that I’ve tried for several of the conditions listed above…but that’s not today. Today, I’m on Day 3 of Oral Chelation Therapy and my energy reservoir is fairly shallow. I’m staying on topic today.
Recently I completed a challenged heavy metals urine test and discovered that I have really high levels of lead and mercury in my system. Both of these metals can cause much havoc in the body, including many of my chronic conditions listed above. No, I didn’t play in the paint yard as a child and I didn’t live on tuna sandwiches. Not even a silver filling in my mouth. Nonetheless, this is my situation. I’ve chosen to do Oral Chelation Therapy (DMSA) to remove these toxins from my body. I understand the risks with this and any other treatment and feel this is the right choice for me. I am blessed to be working with a Naturapathic MD who’s provided an entire protocol of information and supplements to support me.
Enough about me. I’m planning to continue posting about chelation therapy throughout my treatment cycle. This will be at least a 5 month process for me…but I promise I’ll digress and write about fun wellness junkie pleasures from time to time like Brazilian Buttlift or Total Gym or Green Smoothies…
Mostly, I’d love to shorten your road. If you’re out there feeling these symptoms and you haven’t thought about heavy metals testing, maybe this will nudge you to at least ask the question or do some research.
Symptoms of Lead Poisoning:
- Abdominal pain, Anemia, Anorexia, Anxiety, Bone pain
- Confusion, Constipation, Diminished Motor Reaction Time
- Dizziness, Fatique, Headaches, Hypertension, Inability to Concentrate
- Indigestion, Irritability, Loss of Appetite, Memory Loss, Miscarriage, Muscle Pain, Tremors, Vomiting and Weakness.
Diseases linked to lead poisoning include: dementia, brain cancer, high blood pressure, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, liver impairment, heart attack, stroke and birth defects.
Symptoms of Mercury Poisoning:
- Impairment of peripheral vision
- Disturbances in sensations (pins and needles feelings, numbness)
- Lack of coordination of movement
- Muscle weakness
- Skin rashes
- Mood Swings
- Memory Loss
- Mental Disturbance
Anyone out there who has a chelation story? I would love to hear it and I’m sure others would too!
So I think I’m sold on Arnica. It is more mild than popping 3 Advil but that’s goodness many times and for many situations. It also has been very effective in minimizing bruising. If you bruise easily, this can be applied right after you bump your arm to prevent future bruises… If you have trouble taking over the counter medications or are concerned about what’s in those bottles, Arnica might be a good choice for you to consider.
