Image by kropekk_pl from Pixabay

As I mentioned in my last post, it can be incredibly challenging to uncover the root causes of illness. Chronic illness is usually a murky brew concocted of several conditions, most of them complicated and well-hidden. Finding the source(s) of each condition in the brew is like peeling back the layers of an onion. As soon as you find one source there is another to be uncovered. It takes patience and dedication and can sometimes feel like an endless search.

The following is a list of things for which I have been tested over the past 5 years:

• Celiac
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
• Food sensitivities
• Gluten cross-reactivity (when the body confuses other proteins for gluten)
• Adrenal fatigue and other hormonal imbalances
• Dysbiosis (imbalanced intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
• Intestinal permeability (leaky gut)
• Parasites
• Yeast and fungi
• Epstein Barr and other viral infections
• Strep and other bacterial infections
• Lyme (twice)
• Heavy metal toxicity
• Genetics (defects in certain genes)
• Brain autoimmunity (having antibodies to brain tissue)    

During the course of my journey I have also tried many approaches to healing. While I started out with western medical doctors (including specialists such as endocrinologists), I have expanded my search for wellness to include many alternative therapies. When you are sick enough for long enough you find yourself opening up to possibilities that you may not otherwise have considered. You become receptive to anything that might help. For me, this turned out to be a beautiful opportunity to explore different healing methods such as:

• Conventional/Western Medicine
• Psychology/Psychiatry
• Ayuverda (ancient Indian medicine)
• Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Homeopathy (a system of healing that maintains that minute amounts of a substance that causes symptoms in healthy people can cure similar symptoms in sick people)
• Therapeutic Massage
• Nutrition
• Applied Kinesiology (muscle strength testing to identify sensitivities and toxicities)
• Craniosacral Therapy (a form of bodywork that gently manipulates joints in the skull to relieve pain and dysfunction)
• Hypnosis
• Mindfulness
• Naturopathy
• Functional Medicine: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/   

While it can be challenging to maintain a positive outlook when tests and treatments don’t always lead to healing, I try to keep in mind that I am extraordinarily lucky to be able to invest time and money in my search for health. Most people with chronic illness are not so fortunate. The journey I am on has been humbling and illuminating and has given me a new respect for the amazing complexity of this body that carries me through life.