It has been quite the month of change for me in so many ways. I had to fire one of my doctors and hire a new one. I gave my 3 year notice at work, yes you read that correctly, 3 year… I will be returning to school in the fall on a part-time basis for a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Therapeutics and Wellness Coaching and I completed a brutally intense clinical fast. Few!
So, I didn’t come to the conclusion quickly or lightly that I had to let my Lyme doctor go. The truth is that this individual is a good doctor, but at this time in their life there is a lot going on personally (things that I as the patient should not know about, but that this person divulged to me) and I began to recognize that the doctor’s plate was too full to provide the quality of patient care that I’ve come to expect from any doctor. Doctors should never throw-up their personal frustrations on their patients. Everyone is human and I feel it is the practitioner’s responsibility to realize when they have too much life going on that it is interfering with quality of care… to be humble enough to know when to cut back on patient load, because it isn’t fair to the patient if the practitioner is unable to be fully present (and of sound mind). This is typically when a doctor’s ego comes into play and it is usually the patient that needs to take charge and call it quits. I began to feel uncomfortable as some things were beginning to fall through the cracks and I realize that Lyme is too complicated a disease to feel uneasy about the person in charge of guidance in that area. Sadly I had to part ways and did so as professionally as possible. I had hope for a similar response, but unfortunately I think ego got in the way and my former doctor tried to lay blame elsewhere and made some shocking accusations. This just served to solidify my justification in firing the doctor. Good Lyme doctors are hard to come by and I initially felt trapped and destined to continue the doctor patient relationship that had become subpar. Fortunately I have other really great doctors who were able to make recommendations. It will be an expensive transition, but worth it. I will be flying out of state in a couple of weeks to meet with my new doctor for the first time. Once I meet with her face to face she will be able to provide phone consultations. I encourage those of you who may be questioning the quality of care you are receiving to listen to your gut and to have the strength to make tough decisions, because it is your health and you need to be comfortable with those who are caring for you.
Giving my notice to my boss, although nerve racking, was a very freeing experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better more supportive response from her. She is willing to be flexible with my school schedule and we’ll communicate if it ever becomes too much. I’m so excited about school and thrilled that I am in an office full of supportive women on this next journey in my life. I cannot wait to help others with all the knowledge I will gain and I’m hoping to gain extra training in the area of genetics (nutrigenomics / epigenetics) as I believe this will be key in the growth of healthcare and wellness because it can be so personalized.
Last, but certainly not least was the clinical fast. I’ve done many fasts in the past that have been partial water/juice, but nothing like what I just completed. I started preparing for the fast by eating a raw/vegan diet with the exception of fish 3 days prior, followed by 3 days of juice, then 3 days of deionized water, followed by 3 days of juice and finally breaking the fast with 4 small meals of steamed veggies and then slowly and methodically reintroducing food. My vitals were constantly monitored during the water fast and let me tell you this fast was one of the more brutal experiences to go down in the books. I can say this, I would never do this kind of fast in my own home ever again for fear I would end up divorced or worse. My experience was very different from most and one that the doctors want to investigate a little further as some of my response/reactions/symptoms were not typical. That is typical for me – bucking the norm. ha! Leave it to me to throw off the standard. The first 4 ½ days seemed like a piece of cake and then the detox kicked in and I was a goner after that and not at all myself. I felt like I might go insane and the hunger pangs (not normal on water fast usually) were relentless and like nothing most of us experience on a daily basis. By the 3rd day of water, my blood pressure, pulse and temp had all increased (the opposite affect that this typically has on most individuals)… making my doctor nervous, but they started to come down by late evening, a good sign. Apparently depending on what the body is ridding itself of, the heart can become irritated. Good thing that almost everything normalized by the first day back on juice and the second day of food reintroduction. Being back on juice the first day was like regaining a whole bunch of energy, but then my intestines dumped a whole bunch of bile and it was diarrhea city until solid food was introduced. The diarrhea wiped me out. I went through a range of emotions, which is fairly typical and a range of symptoms. I won’t be doing this again anytime soon, but I am glad I did it. I reduced my toxic load and a nice side effect is that we’ve managed to reset my oh so sluggish metabolism. Thank goodness. My weight is finally moving in the right direction and I will keep you posted.
WARNING! DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR OWN. I was guided and coached and checked on by trained doctors. This is not for everyone. I’m a tough cookie with an unusually strong will power that was almost broken by this fasting experience…. But I did it and I made it through and I’m so glad. We ran my labs and I cannot wait to get the results. Stay tuned!
Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Spring!!!! Here’s to you and whatever you are working on or changing in your life! I’m proud of you.
