The first symptoms started as a flicker. It started slowly. Just a little fatigue but, I was sure it
would pass. My body was simply tired from being pregnant or nursing babies for 7 years in a row. I remember the sweet sound of my children laughing & playing going from adorable to deafening in seconds. The thought of having to clean up, teach school or make dinner would go from a normal task to overwhelming & impossible with no warning. I would shake it off & tell myself I just needed to get a good night’s sleep & everything would go back to normal.
I would take all 4 kids to the park for a picnic only to sit on the bench because I could not run around and play tag. They would ask me to push them on the swing & the swing felt like it weighed 100 pounds. We would skip walking down to the river because the river seemed miles away & my leg kept going numb. I was beginning to feel like a horrible mom! I just needed to get home and take a nap! Everything would be ok after a family nap.
Then one night after we put the kids to bed, my husband & I were sitting in the living room laughing when out of nowhere; I started losing vision in one eye. The sight shrank very quickly until it was just a pin hole. My dad came right over to watch the kids so Brian could take me to the hospital. We waited there for several hours. By the time I spoke with a doctor my vision had returned. The doctor talked to me for 5 minutes & diagnosed me with an ocular migraine. He prescribed a pain medication even though I told him I had no pain & he sent us home.
This continued for over a year. I had several episodes with different symptoms. I was told I was having transient ischemic attacks (TIA) they are like a stroke, producing similar symptoms, but usually lasting only a few minutes and causing no permanent damage. After a year of getting worse, I finally had what I was told was a major stroke. I was told I would never be normal again.
From that point, everything began happening much faster. The symptoms continued & became much worse. We went with the theory that I had a stroke & learned to cope accordingly. I tried desperately to hide most of the symptoms because I was embarrassed. I felt weak. I was sad & felt all alone. I lost my driving privileges’. I could not take my kids anywhere unless someone was with me. I was having hard time breathing, walking and my movements felt like I was moving my limbs through quick sand. Let’s not forget the fatigue, the overwhelming fatigue! I was still so very tired. The issues with my limbs progressed I never knew exactly what was going to happen. Were they going to tingle or feeling like I had bugs crawling on me or worse, would they go numb & not hold me up? It never went away. Then the final blow happened when I ended up in a wheel chair. I just learned to deal with it. This was my new normal. This was the hand I had been dealt & I would be fine. Suck it up & move on.
After years of playing that crazy game with years of chaos & confusion; years of feeling inadequate, of making excuses for not hanging out with friends or family, missing meetings, ignoring phone calls … after all of that, by sheer accident, I was finally diagnosed with Secondary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
Just being diagnosed & finding out I wasn’t crazy made a huge difference! I had felt like I was all alone & would never recover!! Once I knew what was happening in my body & made a decision to be open with everyone I knew; family, friends, business associates … things began to get better! The isolation I had created was killing me faster than any disease.
I am happy to tell you, I am no longer in a wheel chair!! Make no mistake; I know I am not 100% cured…YET! It is a journey. There are times where you will see me in a wheel chair. There are days when that fatigue creeps in & takes over. The heat is still my enemy, BUT I AM WALKING!! I can dress myself & do so many things they said I might never be able to do!!! I see a light at the end of the tunnel!! For the first time in many years, I am starting to feel normal!!!
Things I have learned on the Road to Normal:
Normal has not happened over night. I have multiple other health issues going on at the same time as dealing with MS. I have learned to listen to my body & rest when I need to rest. “Pushing through” & “sucking it up” have made the journey longer. I choose to nap. I choose to say no when I need to. I choose to turn off the computer at 9:00 pm. I choose to take days off & have FUN!! I choose to feel good about all of it…guilt does not fix anything so I let it go.
I take time every day to get quiet & alone with Father God. I take time to sing, praise & thank Him for everything He has given me. I am blessed & highly favored!! When I was feeling overwhelmed and all alone, I had stopped getting quiet & spending time with the One who had created me. This is the number one thing I do every day, even when I am tired. He doesn’t judge me for staying in bed in my PJs ;) He loves me just the way I am!! When I am sad & weak, I sing. While I am praising Him, I let go of everything else & just sit in His presence. If you are reading this & you have no idea what I am talking about, please message me. I would love to tell you all about my Father God.
There is no magic bullet to amazing health!! There is NOT one specific supplement or essential oil or food or any other one or two items in isolation that will speed the process!! My body has been touched & changed by a life style that includes multiple levels!
What I have let go of is just as important as what I have added!!! I have adopted a life style that eliminates anti-nutrients & adds massive nutrients.
I have eliminated lots of things like and diet soda. I used to consume 2 - 2 liters a day. Now I drink water! Good clean water of lots of it!!! I average ½ of my body weight in ounces of water EVERYDAY! I also drink Slique Tea & fresh green juice.
I have eliminated negative people & thoughts. I surround myself with posters, audios & people who see a strong vibrant future for ME!!
I have eliminated a need to be perceived as perfect. I can only be me!! I cannot please everyone. I choose to be ok with that J Your opinion of me does not affect me! Can you say FREEDOM!!!
I eat an organic green ketogenic diet.
High healthy fats are amazing for the myelin sheath.
I eat organic fats like avocados, walnuts, flax and coconut oil.
I eat organic green foods.
I choose to eat from the rainbow of vegetables!!
I eat grass feed, hormone & antibiotic free meats, cheese, eggs & poultry. Personally, I cannot consume any fish or seafood. My nervous system reacts poorly.
I know our food supply is missing lots of key nutrients so I made a decision to add supplements.
I added lots of items that give love to my endocrine. Hormones have a huge role in MS. We have several videos & audios on my website that talk about each system including the endocrine.
Some items that support my endocrine are PD 80/20, Progessence Plus & EndoGize.
Some wonderful products that have supported my overall healthy body & energy are NingXia Red, NingXia Nitro, MultiGreens, Super B and MindWise.
Young Living Essential Oils are a HUGE part of my life!!! I carry them with me everywhere I go! I feel warm, confidant & strong when I breath & apply my oils.
I literally have diffusors in every room of our house. I have them on 24 hours a day, on timers.
I use oils like Palmarosa, Balsam Idaho Fir, Cedarwood and RutaVaLa in my bedroom.
When I wake up or I am in the office, I reach for EndoFlex, Clarity, Brain Power & Palo Santo to keep me focused & ON!!!
I use ALL of the Vitality Oils in my food & in shot glasses with water & several oils at a time…. I sip, swish & swallow J
When I am at physical therapy or in the gym, I use peppermint to help keep me cool. I use Copaiba, wintergreen, Palmarosa & En-R-Gee to give me that burst of confidence & energy!!
I listen to my body & grab whatever oil I FEEL like I need in the moment. Sometimes, I just reach my hand in my bag & use whatever oil I pull out.
The power of physical touch & relationships cannot be understated!!
My hubby applies essential oils to my ribs, feet & spine several times a week. I apply oils on him several times a week. I love the contact & oils in this fashion.
I have found I enjoy having the Raindrop Technique applied at least once a week. Sometimes Brian will do the full technique, usually he just rubs them all in on my feet & back with TLC.
He generally adds a few favorites like Copaiba, Palo Santo, Clary Sage & Palmarosa.
I spend time just having fun with my friends & family. We are social beings. We need to spend time around other like-minded individuals.
The more I play with my oils, my supplements, my environment, my thought process, the more I understand that I really do get to choose how I will experience the rest of my life. The choices I make today will forever impact my tomorrow. We have a great video on “Our Invaluable Immune System” on www.shannonhudsonyl.com that will help you understand the importance of a full lifestyle change ;)
My normal is not your normal & that is perfectly normal!!
Wellness, Purpose & Abundance on YOUR Journey!!