I was telling you guys about my thyroid and the many ways it has been messing with me.
But now that I've had my first naturopath visit, I am beginning to understand it was actually me who was messing with it. The flare up I'm having is literally a flare—my body's way of trying to get me to notice, to pay attention, to make some changes.
I was moderately skeptical of pursuing naturopathy, despite the fact I have several friends who have taken this route to improve their health. I think it's the years (and years and years) I spent studying conventional science and medicine.
I've been feeling on-and-off for a few years now (since my last pregnancy), and I've considered non-traditional healing methods many times. It could only improve or enhance whatever feeble attempts I was making to take care of myself, right? And I've been feeling like I need to stop standing dumbfounded at the finish line, where I feel exhausted, and go back to the start.
This latest diagnosis was the push I finally needed. And I don't know why I waited so long. I've been on the receiving end of herbs and Chinese medicine my whole life, thanks to my mom and her extended family. I still happily fill myself with special soups for my ailments, and I survived on dried fruit concoctions from the Chinese market to get through morning sickness every time I was pregnant.
My naturopath was amazing; I was so glad I finally made an appointment and gave it a chance. She didn't tell me what I couldn't do (which I was prepared to get defensive about). She spent time explaining how my glands and organs were in a shoving match, and it's up to me to blow the whistle. Well, she used a lot of biology and expertise to teach me, but that is the visual I had when I was listening. And everything she said made so much sense.
So I'm going to follow her plan for the next few weeks and see where it takes me. But I can say I'm already feeling better. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm taking charge of my health (rather than letting it take charge of me), and maybe it's the herbs I'm taking to compliment my thyroid medication (because I'm still relying on conventional medicine, too, with my naturopath's support).
Either way, I'm blowing that whistle and calling a time out.
For me.
Because I've forgotten how to, and it's time to go back to the start.
