My First Line Of Defense

Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Liver Damage, Pain Medications, , ,

CWGmagpicCWGmagpic

When the doctor calls you go immediately. My report was back and there were cysts in the liver. A few were very large and concerned them. They wanted to start a 6-month regular CT scan to track their progress. Progress?? Well that meant to see if they grew any larger, turned to a mole or turned to cancer. But I was leaving with “good news” because the liver is the one organ in the body that can regenerate itself if given the chance so not to worry. Not to worry?? Yeah right. In the meantime I should reduce meats, especially reds, dairy, eat lots of veggies and fruits and reduce my alcohol intake or better yet don’t drink alcohol at all. UGH… for the last time I don’t drink!!

Hmm… might all the medications = liver damage = vestibular migraines???

I felt my body deteriorating and not getting any answers. So being the thinker and reader I am, for the love of knowledge and my health… I started my own quest.

I first started to research “headaches/migraines/liver damage” and my first bit of tasty intrigue, was a book that came up on google search engines called “The Magnesium Miracle” written by Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.. I then looked it up on iBooks and downloaded a sample. HOOKED!!! What??? Sure everything that was hurting me was in this book. There was information on Vit D, Vit B, the importance of minerals, especially magnesium, for those who suffer from brain illnesses and heart conditions. I could not read it fast enough and sometimes not at all until I took another Ginger Gravol and licked the ginger root a few times like a lollipop, but hey got me to the chapter all about Migraines and the lack of Magnesium contributing to them. I will be doing at least a few hundred blogs on Magnesium when I finish my Miracle Story because it was and still is the first contributing factor to my recovery.

Continue reading My First Line Of Defense →

The Eruption of Mount Gallbladder!!

Gallbladder Attacks, Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Liver Damage, Pain Medications, , ,

CWGwater

Let’s see, well, throughout all of this, eating food was getting harder and harder. Even though there was no intense pain like I used to have from the gallbladder there was always a soreness to the top of my stomach like something was protruding through my skin. There was even times you could see a little buldge like a tiny fist just sitting in between my ribs, and even though I didn’t have any spare tires it sure felt like a boulder was just bellow my diaphragm and when I would sit it became quite uncomfortable. I thought I was doing ok even though my diet was very restricted, the gallbladder attacks weren’t as routine as they were up to a year ago. What I did not realize was that the pain medication was masking the growing of “Mount GallBladder” that was soon about to erupt.

Continue reading The Eruption of Mount Gallbladder!! →

Vampire Mom

Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Pain Medications, , , , ,

CWGButterflyTulip

Wow, I am starting to be able to add pictures yippee!! I’m very proud of myself…lol.  So this picture may not really adhere to the post I am about to upload but it is very nice to look at and it was a butterfly myself and my daughter were watching one time at a park near our home.  It was a very calming moment where we just sat and relaxed and watched the flight of the butterfly.  I thought it might be nice to add to the beginning of the post…lets hope it works.

*****

The nauseated sickness took over my whole day. It would take 15 minutes or more to unload the dishwasher  I would have to sit down to settle my stomach and keep my head from pounding a couple of times before finishing. Then came the next mundane task of folding laundry… a basket of laundry became my enemy. Trying to fold clothing, towels, blankets might take a few tries before I could complete the task and never in one sitting. I had to find something to calm the carsick feeling. Then one day I saw an ad on TV for Natural Gravol with Ginger and Willow Bark. My prayers were answered. I would buy every box on the shelf if it worked, lol. So here was the introduction of Ginger/Willow Bark Gravol 1 – 3 times a day. I could breath again without wanting to urge.

Throughout the years of 35-40, I spent many visits with my doctor trying to find answers. Explaining that I knew taking pain medications can bring on headaches, but there was something more then that and can we please investigate more. So my first CT scan was scheduled. Luckily enough there were no tumors, but that didn’t mean I was out of the woods. Unfortunately with the history of accumulating headaches and sickness we deduced that the headaches were Vascular/Vestibular Migraines, causing immense pain and off balanced episodes and they would only grow worse with no cure. I would more then likely plateau at a certain level of pain medication and when I would feel like they were settling the migraines could increase and this would be my outcome until I wouldn’t be able to take the pain anymore. Well when I got home I cried more tears in one cry then any one person is allowed in their whole lifetime. I couldn’t understand, I was a good person, always helpful and kind, outgoing, always trying to see the positive side of every situation, loyal and hard working, why me??

Continue reading Vampire Mom →

My Visit To The Neurologist

Gallbladder Attacks, Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Liver Damage, Pain Medications, , ,

After many trips to the emergency room pleading for help, begging to get off the Over the Counter Medications, I was introduced to Atasol 30’s, as many as I needed any where up to 3-4 tablets…3-4 times a day. I pleaded there has to be something better then this… so I was scheduled to see a Neurologist. My family doctor was as helpful as he could be and sympathized with my headaches but the main course of action was pain medications, antidepressants to make more serotonin to help reduce the pain in my brain and a beta blocker to slow my heart rate down, this was scary to me. My doctor always did his best to calm my thoughts but I my own self thought there must be an alternative. I am thankful for the Western Medicine because without it I would have been in severe racks of pain but I knew in my heart there was a missing piece to the puzzle.

My husband came with me the day I was to see the Neurologist. We had such high hopes. May be the Neurologist could give us a better therapy. I specifically said “I am NOT here for more medication, I am here to find a better way to deal with my migraines,” and if he knew of anything new that could help me and get me off this slope of pain medication I was sliding down I would be grateful. I gave him my whole history and told him every time I asked for another way, something natural, I was told to take another prescription. Which was always getting heavier and helping with the pain but never helping completely. I was adamant that I did not want any more medication. In all my years I never felt like an addict until I left his office.

Continue reading My Visit To The Neurologist →

Goodbye Advil … Hello Tylenol 8’s

Gallbladder Attacks, Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Liver Damage, Pain Medications, , , , ,

Before I continue on, I just wanted to say even though I had a lot of misery throughout the pregnancy, and that was just a a small glimpse of the events, I did love carrying her, cuddling my belly as she grew, nurturing her and talking away and reading to her as she developed.  My favourite story to read was “Oh the Places You’ll Go” By Dr. Seuss and funny enough when she was a toddler she loved Dr. Seuss, but hey who doesn’t.  The love of a child that you are nurturing is unlike any other happiness I’ve ever felt and if I was able to, I’d do it all over again, even knowing what I would be up against. I felt like I had to fit this in here I didn’t want the story to end on a sour note, I did love having her as a part of me, it is an experience I will always cherish.

So now my baby girl  was born and the “pregnancy induced” gallbladder attacks took up a new lease and decided to stick around.  I was on allergy medicine, pain medicine and doing my best to take vitamins that I thought would help. Good ol’ Centrum, but even they hurt to digest, and it wasn’t the fault of the Centrum tablet they are a great supplement, but the pain meds were brutalizing my digestive organs. I was told its best to take less of something stronger then more of something of lesser strength, and so I was introduced to Tylenol 8’s. They consist of 325 mg of Acetaminophen, 15mg of Caffeine and 8 mg of Codeine. I was told they would be better for me because the caffeine will help the Acetaminophen, Tylenol, to react faster in my body and I won’t have to take so many because the codeine was stronger and would be a more reliant and faster reducing pain reliever, and so it was.

*******

I’ve just had to take a bit of a break here because rehashing this part knowing where it led has made me shed a few silent tears. But, it gets better, just not yet for a while.

*******

So…the gallbladder was deteriorating and I’m now being sent for MRI’s for my head and ultrasounds for my gallbladder. (A bit later I will let you know why ultrasounds for gallbladder attacks are useless). My husband was getting more worried cause his once outgoing wife is starting to become frail. Once again, I was told it has to be what I’m eating and to stop drinking, but this time I fought back…”I don’t drink and I am as healthy of an eater as I can be!!”..eating my veggies, fruits, cereals and meats. I couldn’t eat out even if I had wanted too. Then I was advised if I’m not a “drinker” (not my words), then I should start a low fat diet and that will help the situation. Everything low fat. Low fat bread, cheese, milk, meats, any package that says low fat is what will help me.   Wow, did things get progressively worse after this.

It was bad enough being sick at home but now it was too serious to stay home during the attacks, and the emergency room became my home away from home. Now I would be given Demerol and Gravol for the pain, which gave me 2 days worth of numb feelings before the pain returned to my stomach and head.  When I say stomach, that was the consensus at that time.  That the pain was from the lining of my stomach being hurt from the over production of acid and the gallbladder being so irritated from foods, that I had to try to isolate.  So the only recourse was to start taking Advil… 3 times a day for 2 weeks… to help the irritated gallbladder and stop eating anything that made me hurt.  If I was nauseated, I was to take Gravol when needed. WHAT???!! Oh boy, alright I guess. Tylenol 8’s with Advil and Gravol in the mix, who was I to question?

It became a blessing to have an hour feeling numb because everything else hurt.

                                    H……U……R…..T…….HURT!

The look in my husbands eyes as I would take the cocktail of 2-3 Tylenol 8’s, Advil and Gravol, had me feeling pretty depressed, and this was not even at the top of the hill before it all fell apart…and before the pain really started.

 

 

 

 

 

Moving Up To The Ibuprofen Luxury Suite

Gallbladder Attacks, Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Liver Damage, Pain Medications, , ,

Gosh what a busy week this has been. This is my first time getting back here since my last post. I’m very excited to get the history part of this blog published so that we can start with the information on recovery and the methods that have helped me to achieve that. So, no time like the present… lets continue with my story.

After my jump to Extra Strength Advil I thought, “Wow I can handle these migraines a bit better.” I only had to take two of the capsules twice a day, so less capsules was good. How was I to know the damage these over the counter miracles would do.

As my 20’s now progressed, and my headaches woke with me every morning, the Advil bottle was a staple on my bed stand. There was a small part of me that was embarrassed for anyone to see it there but hey the health professionals said I suffered from headaches and to not suffer… I should take my medicine, so I did. Soon, not only was my head pounding daily, I would have to run to the Advil bottle and take 2-3 capsules at a moments notice to immediately catch my vision before it blurred out on me and I ended up in my dark bedroom doing my best to remain numb and perfectly still as not to have my migraine escalate. My stomach would empty its contents whenever my vision decided to take a 20 minute break before the Heavy Metal Band Marathon would set up between my frontal lobe and the crown of my head, and now the region above my belly and in between my ribs had decided for some reason to start playing rugby. I really was not feeling good and at times the pain above my stomach was more than I could bear. Instead of being told about nutrition and that the medications were burning the lining of my stomach and causing early stages of liver damage, I was told to stop eating fatty foods and stop drinking alcohol then my stomach and head would feel better and in the mean time take a few Advil whenever the pain comes on.

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE……WHAT??????!!!!!

Can you hear the bus slamming on the breaks screeching to a halt!!!

Continue reading Moving Up To The Ibuprofen Luxury Suite →

Let’s Begin Again

Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Pain Medications, ,

Hello friends. This will be the blog that takes me back to the beginning of where this journey had started. Which now I realize was also my first step to finding invaluable information that I would be building my returning health upon. Funny how when you are almost at the end of another chapter in your life, you view the journey much differently.

Before I begin, I want to make sure that I make a very important point clear. I believe that we can benefit, and I have benefited from the best of both worlds; Western Medicine and Alternative Holistic Medicine. I believe that if we can embrace what is good in both medicines, we could achieve sooo much more then what we are capable of right now. Western Medicine has advanced beyond any ones expectations being relatively young in the aspect of traditional medicine. Whereas Traditional Holistic Practices date further back then we even have humanely documented. So it would be hard to not give Holistic Medicine a little soapbox to stand upon. I truly believe I would not be this far advanced in my recovery if I did not blend the two medical backgrounds.

One more little point before I jump in is that, there is a place in our medicinal cabinets for Tylenol, Advil, Gravol, OTC products and prescription medications. I am thankful for the formulation of all of these medications, they have helped myself and obviously many others throughout the world. We are very lucky to live in a generation where there are an abundance of options. I’m only saying… that we should take a look at ALLLL of the options. You may be surprised where you find your answers.

Now lets begin.

Continue reading Let’s Begin Again →

What to Expect

Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Pain Medications, ,

Ok, well let me give you some idea of things you will be reading on this blog site. First, if you haven’t read the “About Charzie” and the “Disclaimer” please take 5 minutes to read it. It will give you some back ground info and a little legal “what you do with this info is completely your decision.” I am a fountain of knowledge wishing to over flow my findings into your lives and hoping some of my waves will be able to wash away your pain. It’s up to you which wave you jump over and which wave you dive into.

I hope to be able to give you the information to reclaim your life again in layman’s terms, so that important life changing information is not lost in medical jargon. I will post many titles of books I have read that could be helpful to you as we go along, the vitamins and supplements that will change your life, recipes for juices, smoothies, and helpful snacks that are soo simple and like a gift from the heavens to give new life into your bodies and organs. I will let you know about how weather patterns can affect our circulatory systems, sleeping patterns, facts about our food supply and simple non-exerting easy and enjoyable exercise tips to give you energy. Yes, seriously you will be amazed at how simple and easy it is, (and tasty), to implement these small changes into your lives that will make your insides feel rejuvenated like a newborn baby… ready to take the challenges that will come your way for the many decades ahead of you…with baby steps.

I will not only have information about nutrition but also about why your body is doing what it does. How your insides are connected, so in order to fix one organ you will need to clean up another and “Abracadabra” it will feel like your Fairy Godmother has finally woken herself up, dusted her little wrinkly butt off from her slumber and given you a major whack with the gift stick to a new lease on life! POOF!!!! Taking years off your life again. Your organs will thank you, your vascular/circulatory system will thank you, (you know those hollow spaghetti like tubes that carry all that red liquid that mosquitos love so much throughout your insides and occasionally spills out into the outside..that’s usually an owie!),  your skin will thank you, your family and friends will be shouting cheers from the roof tops about your recovery.      It will happen.

The foods that I am now eating cost only a few dollars and are worth gold. I will blog about many different foods, vitamins and minerals and the important role they play to heal our bodies and help reduce pain.  I will help and encourage you to stick to whatever new recovery road you have chosen to try to help your body help itself. I am a little Energizer Bunny on BUST!!…with loads of encouragement, tenderness, a sympathetic ear, and an uncanny yet probably excessive need to research everything. I know it is not easy but friends listen… IT IS WORTH IT!! To be whole again, is like a gift that no lottery can ever give, and if you have a great support system then use it and if not then let me help you to not slide back into old habits. I will encourage and listen, and help and research the heck out of whatever topics I can that are relevant to the cause.  I will give it more then my best because I know how precious it is to see the daylight again and to not feel like I’m letting others down or like I’m on that slippery slope to addiction. You need a light at the end of the tunnel… LET ME BE YOUR LIGHT.


Continue reading What to Expect →

Welcome

Headaches/Migraines, Holistic Blogs, Holistic Medicine, Pain Medications, ,

Wow, what an exciting day today.  I am launching my new blog site, “Charzie’s Wellness Garden” to inform the world about my journey out of a nightmare that imprisoned my  life for many, many years.

Living through a debilitating illness, Chronic Headaches…Vascular/Vestibular Migraines has given me a new appreciation on life no matter the circumstance or weather and trust me the weather where I am is not nice on a good day..lol.  My blogs will be about the information I have learned along the way back to recovery that many would never know and would never be told about by most modern doctors today. Many pain sufferers, no matter the ailment more then likely know the routine of more meds, more pain killers, stronger meds, stronger pain killers constantly being thrown their way as a bandaid to get them through their days. It does not work and this method only leads to addiction.  I know this first hand.

I am an ordinary gal with extraordinary research abilities, a quiet “girl next door” who wanted her life back and found little help through modern medicine. Well yes, it helped but it also made things worse. I had no other choice but to take matters into my own hands and find a way back to the days of waking and living without major pain, gall bladder attacks and liver damage, so I wouldn’t have to keep pushing myself to just  complete mundane tasks….

                                                               AND I DID IT!

Continue reading Welcome →