My Personal Story - Part I
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and includes the opinion of the author. Information is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or disease. It is simply information found through experience and/or research. Always follow the directives of a licensed health professional. Neither Anita Bastian or the publisher of the information takes any responsibility for actions readers take in regards to how they use or perceive the information. Readers are encouraged to do their own research.
Like many practitioners, my approach has been developed based upon professional training as well as client and personal experience over the course of many years.. Through these experiences, I adopted a wholistic approach that supports all aspects of our being – mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. I seek the best natural solutions to support my clients as a whole person (mind, body, and spirit). If any one of these three areas is struggling, then all areas are impacted. This understanding largely came through my own personal healing journey. The lessons I learned through resolving my problems became part of my passion and mission. Life is a great teacher.
When I think back to 20 or so years ago when I was feeling down and depressed, I recall looking at my life and thinking that my life was good. I had a loving husband. Two great kids. Why did I feel so depressed? Turns out there were many physical toxins that were affecting my body and was also affecting my mood and mind. I was always tired. Everything was work. Nothing was easy or fully enjoyable. I just pushed through in survival mode. Being a farmer’s daughter, this was part of my upbringing. “Keep on keepin’ on,” my dad would say. You can only do this so long. The body, if not fully supported, at some point will give out or wave the white flag. Mine did that multiple times in my life.
As I reflect on those difficult years, I remember that there were many warning signs that occurred in my childhood. As a kid, I had several rounds of antibiotics for strep throat and I had many painful earaches. When I was a second grader, I passed out in church one Sunday. My dad drove me to the nearest emergency room. They ran all kinds of tests, including anemia, but could only find that I had a strep. (I received a shot of penicillin.) From my teen years on, I would get a sinus infection at least once or twice a year. I had a mouthful of silver amalgam fillings and seemed to be extremely sensitive or allergic to metals in jewelry. When I got my ears pierced around age 13, they were constantly inflamed and infected. Through trial and much error, we discovered that I could only wear 24k gold. (Needless to say, I owned just one pair of earrings that were wearable for quite some time, or I went without wearing earrings.)
At the start of my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with Walking Pneumonia – I never coughed or felt congested. I was just extremely fatigued and had a low-grade fever. X-rays revealed that my lungs were filled with a significant amount of fluid. I was sent home with antibiotics.
I was always one that had to get to bed early, even in high school. I would head to bed by 9 pm unless I had homework after a basketball game. I was not your typical teenager.
I share all this because someone reading this may have a similar history or have a kiddo that does. If you do have a child that repeatedly experiences health challenges, please heed the warning signs. If solutions aren’t found when they are young, problems will likely multiply and worsen. Keep reading — there is hope and help!
Fast forward. Between our first and second child, I had a lumpectomy which was determined to be benign. After our second child was born in 1997, I really struggled with fatigue and brain fog. I went to various traditional medical doctors, did bloodwork, etc. No real answers were found. One doctor told me I looked like I may have nerve damage and wondered if my husband was abusive. Totally not the case. Another doctor felt my thyroid numbers were on the low end. She gave me a prescription, that when taken, made things much worse. I wanted to escape my body. I knew that wasn’t the answer. Some time passed between each doctor visit, and then more time passed as I just kept on with life the best I could.
Things gradually kept getting worse. Along with the intense fatigue I had insomnia. I was absolutely exhausted, but could not sleep. An integrative medical doctor I went to said that according to lab work, my Vitamin D levels were a little low, but other than that everything was fine. He said that I should look for ways to have less stress in life and suggested some self-help books for me to read. In other words, it was all in my head. I was “fine.” Taking the Vitamin D he recommended did not help. I was getting severe headaches almost daily, and experienced digestive issues and pain in my gut no matter what I ate. Plus, I was now very electromagnetically sensitive. Holding a cell phone or cordless phone near my ear would cause an excruciating, sharp pain to that side of my head. I would teach preschool in the morning and crawl back into bed to rest so that I could function when the kids got off the school bus. I honestly felt like my body was shutting down. I remember telling my hubby that I couldn’t see myself making it 5 - 10 more years. When I die, he should look for someone else because our kids were still pretty young and would need a mom. I ended up resigning from teaching in 2007.
Upon my resignation, our principal’s wife told me about a woman in Milwaukee that had a private practice. She used non-traditional methods, but she seemed to be helping many people with various health issues. The practitioner used muscle testing along with other unique devices. I was put on a program of supplements and told that wheat and dairy were not for me. While implementing these changes and continuing to see her for a few months, I started to feel like I was going to live! My headaches dissipated. I had to be careful what I ate, but I started to feel better. My energy level wasn’t amazing, but it was better. From this experience, I developed a much deeper appreciation for using natural products and techniques that support the body’s innate ability to heal. Our bodies know what to do with natural support, not synthetics.
My eyes had been opened to a new approach and way of looking at health. Looking back, this was a pivotal time in my life. I no longer looked at health through the same lens. There were other options. Options that may complement or even be better than the traditional way of just looking at symptoms and lab numbers, which are just a snapshot in time. I learned that there are non-invasive methods that can get at the heart of the problem by using natural solutions.
Of the three aspects of my being, my spiritual life was the area that kept me grounded through these challenges of life. When I am weak, He is strong. I was muddling through life, but God was carrying me onward one step at a time.
I was grateful that I was able to get back to doing more of what God had planned for me. But I proceeded with caution, and I later found that this wasn’t the end of my health problems. Watch for Part II! More struggles, more success. More unlearning and relearning. More trust and faith in how fearfully and wonderfully we are made.
If you are struggling with any ongoing health issue - never give up! The solutions are out there. Trust. Pray. Keep on Keepin’ on.
Blessings always!
Anita