July 2023

 

YOUR HEALTH

Many of you have followed my health journey. To recap, my body’s ability to regulate body fat stopped working five years after a variant of Lyme disease attached my brain. Out of all my health issues, this one has been extremely frustrating for me. Never in a million years did I think I would gain so much weight living an active lifestyle. I would do all the right things, and yet the scale would not change one-single-ounce…until now!

During my May visit with my doctor, we sat down to review my labs. Everything is perfect. As she said, “I am an athlete!” Yet, I’m carrying 35 pounds extra. As we sat dumbfounded because we had tried everything, I had an idea.

Back in 2010 when I was told I had Rheumatoid Arthritis, my outlook was grim. The doctor told me I would be in a wheel chair in five years and probably dead within 15 years. That was unacceptable! I asked God for a solution, and He led me to a protocol that at the time was off radar for the medical community. Meaning, I was using a drug that wasn’t approved for RA. I ordered it from Israel and began a regime I created, and within three months, I was cured completely of RA. To this day, I do not have an auto-immune disease. Praise God!

I asked my doctor if the protocol worked for RA, would it help reset my brain. We both don’t know, but it was worth a try, especially since LDN is now used by Rheumatologists to cure RA and other auto-immune diseases. They were only 13 years behind me! If your doctor hasn’t suggested LDN for your auto-immune disorder, you may need to find another doctor who is willing to cure you, not just treat symptoms.

So in May, I began taking Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to help clear out my cell’s receptors. Look it up and watch the video. The original intent of LDN was to help drug addicts overcome their addiction by removing the receptors off the cells demanding drugs. In essence, when the cells aren’t demanding the drugs, people have a chance to work their program and stop the addiction. It isn’t a miracle pill but an opportunity to sett the body up right.

My hope was if my brain stopped pushing body fat, I would have a shot to burn it off. I was willing to do the work and have never stopped. Combined with this, I also started taking a supplement to help my body absorb more nutrients. A test showed I wasn’t turning food into nutrition at a healthy rate.

We also revisited my thyroid, which has been in hypo state since menopause. Everything registered in the healthy zone, but we decided to stop giving me T4, which produces T3 and go straight to T3 (a new protocol). I take half a pill at 3 am and the second half at 3 pm.

I’m continuing with my Apple Cider vinegar drink with every meal and that has balanced my stomach acid out. All of this combined together seems to be working, and I have finally started to release weight: 8 pounds so far. By the time you read this newsletter on July 1, I am hoping it will be 10 pounds.

I am encouraged for the first time in a long while. I’m eating normal, not perfect. I’m exercising 7 to 8 hours a week, and I truly hope the weight comes off. This hasn’t been me, and I’ve struggled with bouts of depression over it. Please say a prayer that this works and gets me back to my vibrant self!

The take away for you is: 1) Never give up! If what you are doing doesn’t work, try something else. 2) Don’t settle! We aren’t supposed to just suffer; we were designed to be healthy! 3) Partner with the right providers. Some push drugs for drugs sake, not health. My protocol isn’t long-term. This is a short-term fix that hopefully allows me to take the wheel and stay healthy. Be sure your doctor is seeking the best possible form of health for you. 4) Be open minded. I learned long ago that our medical doctors are only human, and they can’t possibly know everything. Seek information from different perspectives and be willing to explore something outside of the box. 5) Keep the faith. Without my trust in God, I would have been swallowed up and fallen into a very dark hole. I may not have understood this or why, but God has faithfully walked the journey with me.

YOUR LIFE

This may be the month we celebrate our freedom as a country, but many women are in bondage, trapped in abusive relationships. Recently, a family member of mine had to flea an abusive boyfriend. She ended up in the hospital from a mental breakdown. Her physical wounds will heal quickly, but the emotional toll will take time. I know because I’ve been there.

Just like me, my great-niece is a strong, smart, independent woman. She, like me, is the very last person you would think would fall prey to an abusive man. Abusive relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and no one is immune. Some are just more susceptible than others. For me, I had such low self-esteem that I felt I deserved to be abused. The reasons vary, but the outcome is the same: the more abuse one endures, the weaker they become. They become trapped in an abusive prison in their own home.

What makes sense to a healthy, normal person doesn’t apply to the dysfunctional, twisted, warped abusive relationship. Normal rules don’t apply! Police officers hate domestic abuse calls because they desperately want to help the abused woman, but she won’t file charges. I didn’t, and I wish I did. Fear consumes and controls, and women find themselves covering up the abuse instead of exposing it.

As a loved one, you can become extremely frustrated when you learn of the abuse. It makes complete sense to you just to leave the abuser, but it isn’t that easy. Abused women are embarrassed and feel such shame that they often withdraw from family and friends…the very people who could help them.

Until a woman is ready to break free, she won’t. You can help her, but she will return to the abuser time and time again. The prayer is she gains courage enough to leave before it is too late. My ex tried to strangle me to death, but that wasn’t enough to make me leave. Nope, I stayed.

Circumstances will differ from person to person, but for me, it was my Mom’s terminal brain tumor that woke me up. I was in England at the time when she was diagnosed, and I was planning to go home. My ex didn’t like that. I mean, who would cook his meals and clean his clothes? So like any major jerk, he called my Mom and screamed at her, “You got this tumor on purpose so you could take Lorraine away from me!” That’s was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I endure horrendous physical abuse, but yelling at my Mom was unacceptable. I got on a plane and never returned to England.

Until your loved one hits their breaking point, all you can do is love them without judging them. Telling them what to do won’t work. You can’t apply normal rationale. Instead, be a listening ear and let them know you care. I know how difficult it can be to want better for them than they want for themselves, but they must make that decision.

A ton of resources are available once they make the leap. Be ready ahead of time with brochures, connections, and contacts to help them. Set backs are common, so expect them. The claws of the abuser go deep, and whatever allowed the abuse in the first place becomes way worse through time.

Most importantly, pray. Pray for all the women you know because some might be hiding abuse right now. Pray for God to reach them for with Him ALL things are possible. Once I made my decision, I had peace that surpassed all understanding. The divorce was brutal and ugly, but I was firm and confident. I knew God was carrying me out!

Although losing my Mom was heart breaking, her brain tumor saved my life. I thank God I was able to tell her while she was living, and we celebrated God’s goodness together as I was set free. If you are reading this and don’t see a way out, please know God has a way. Seek Him; follow Him.

YOUR CAREER

Did you know the average cost of a lost employee is roughly $15,000 for hourly workers? You can triple that for management positions. Finding new employees and replacing lost workers is expensive. I’m shocked how companies won’t spend money to prevent it! Don’t be those companies!

Let me help you save money by investing in your people. Conflict causes disengagement, and unhappy employees leave. With 30 years’ experience in human behavior, communication, and leadership, I can create cohesive teams, one conversation at a time.

With assessments, trainings, and coaching, I can transform your leaders, reduce conflict, and build bridges of healthy communication. Give me a call to discuss what this may look like for your organization today.

MONTHLY FEATURE

Summer is here, but it isn’t an excuse not to stay healthy. My booklet, A Traveler’s Guide to Staying FIT, gives you the map for how you can easily and quickly stay on track even while you travel (pleasure or work). Get your copy today!