Fighting Fibro with Essential Oils

Like usual, Summer has been busy and crazy!  I do have great news!!  For about three months I have been using Young Living Essential Oils and trying to get off all of my Fibro medications!!  I just felt like I was sleeping my life away.  I think that my Fibro meds worked really great starting out, but were just slowing me down and doing more harm than good.  I was always tired and sleeping, and I was tired of being tired and sleeping all the time!!  I really don't know what made me start looking at essential oils.  I have friends that have been using them and talking about it, but I thought they were just "crazy tree huggers", as I am sure you are thinking of me right now!  I think maybe I just needed to hear it and see it enough to really think that it might help.  All I can say is now I am glad that I finally "saw the light" and gave them a try.

I started out with the everyday oils and started see such a change in my energy level.  Lets face it before Young Living and essential oils, I had NO energy level!!!  I started adding lemon to my water and all of a sudden I was not craving naps all day and I was just feeling better over all.  At the time I had really not thought about getting off of my meds, just adding something to help me feel better, and the more that I read about oils and Fibromyalgia, the more I thought that maybe I should try to get off of my meds and really give essential oils a try.
I ordered the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, and started researching Fibromyalgia.  Their research says that Fibromyalgia can be influenced by hormones and digestion.  In fact it suggest eliminating all refined sugars from the diet! Lets just say that I have not done that!  So, I started using Progessence Plus to help with my hormones, and I have to tell you that I think this was one of the main things that really started to help me. I can not believe the change!  I then ordered Life 5, a high-potency probiotic, and Balance Complete, a superfood-based meal replacement to help with eliminating some refined sugars and to aid with digestion.  This along with the "Morphine Bomb" (Frankincense, Copaiba, and Balsam Fir) for pain, NingXia Red to help energize, fortify, and replenish the body and mind, and Valor to help me with the insomnia. I have been able to successfully get off of my meds. 
So there you have it!  I am now a "Crazy Tree Hugger", but I have not felt this great in about four years.  I have even been working out and walking again.  I walked 5 miles yesterday and felt good enough today to go to the store.  For some that might not be a lot, but for me it is HUGE!!  If you are interested in learning more about Young Living and Essential Oils feel free to contact me.  I would love to share!
Thanks,
Brandi

Spoons & Flops

Well, lets just say that I was tired today! I was able to get some laundry and some designs done, but nothing big.  I love school field trips, but boy do they kick my butt!

Spoons & Flops

I was lucky to get to spend Sunday lazing around the house.  I got in a short nap.  I think that you are already aware of the fact that I love my naps, but in case you missed that fact.  I LOVE my naps!!!  I am glad that I did take that nap yesterday because I really needed the save up my energy for today. 
Today I got to spend the day with my wonderful daughter at a field trip.  I love being able to take the day with my daughter and her friends.  Hopefully I am not to tired tomorrow and can get some work done.

Spoons & Flops

Yesterday was a great day.  I got up early with Emma, was showered by 9:00 (scary, but an amazing) and put in a day of training on Social Media.  I am not the most computer savvy and actually learned quite a bit.  I am an Independent Consultant for Rodan + Fields, which is a great because it allows me to work from home and work on my good days.  I am really working hard to try and run for level 5 meaning that I will be at the top our pay-plan.  This will help me to help Brad out more on our bills and what nots, but I think that I really want to feel successful.  I know that I can do it.  I just need to stay focused.  Social Media is great, but I am really just learning how to work and apply it all.  I think that the teacher in me still loves learning.
Last night we hung out with some neighbors and stayed out to late, so I have totaly payed for it today.  I have managed to nap a good part of the day, but it is a great reward for working so hard yesterday.

BBQ Beef Biscuit Casserole

I am always on the lookout for a good, easy recipe and tonight we found one!  Cheesy BBQ Beef Biscuit Casserole was a great find.  It has all the great ingredients that we love, cheese, meat, BBQ sauce and biscuits.  What more could be ask for and it was done in less than 30 minutes!  This one is my kind of meal!  Check out the recipe on the link below.

 http://sweetcsdesigns.com/cheesy-bbq-beef-biscuit-casserole/

Spoons & Flops

Yesterday was a pretty good day.  I finished my shirt order and even rewarded myself with a nap.  I love taking naps!  Today I have already showered and put up the laundry.  I think that I was about two weeks behind on putting the laundry up so it was about time.  Now I need to do this weeks laundry so that it can sit folded in my closet for a couple of weeks. ;)

Easy Fried Rice

Last week I tried something totally new.  I made my own Fried Rice.  I have never made fried rice, but I have to say that the recipe that I found on Pinterest was not only easy, but great!  Over the pervious weekend, Brad had smoked a couple of chickens, so we had the meat.  All I had to do was make the rice and cook the frozen veggies.  Easy and great.  I have attached the website where I found the recipe if you are in the mood for Chinese.

http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2012/07/easy-fried-rice-with-chicken.html

Spoons & Flops

I have to be honest and say that yesterday did not start out great.  As usual, with rainy weather, I was not feeling my best and took a morning nap. I was surprised that it only lasted about an hour, but woke up feeling better.  I pushed through the pain and was able to work on a shirt order most of the day, take Ems to speech, and even shop for a birthday item for one of her friends.  For me that is a lot in one day.  Over all it was a good Monday.


I also wanted to add that the fried rice recipe was great and I will be posting it later, so look for it!

Spoons & Flops

Today has been a good day!  I have been able to work all day, with out a nap, and I have gotten a lot done.  Almost all of my "In Stitches & Needles" orders are finished and I have even been able to complete my newsletter for "Denton County Rodan + Fields"!  Now I am off to cook dinner for the second time in a row!!!!  My husband is going to be extremely amazed because he does not believe that I cook.  I just love it when I can get stuff done!  I am making Chicken Fried Rice tonight for the first time and I will let you know what we think of it.

Spoons & Flops - Camping at Lake Murray

I had a great weekend this past weekend.  We were able to take our camper to Lake Murray in Oklahoma.

Sunset on Lake Murray

What a fabulous park!  Apparently they have re-done the Nature Center where now there is a hands on room that with lake facts, dinosaur fact from the area, and wildlife fact for the area.  The Old Nature Center, Trucker Tower,

is housing facts about the area and the CCC, along with a great lookout.  The park includes the whole lake where there is horseback ridding, paddle boats, ATV trails, walking and biking trails, swimming, and even golf.  We had a great time hanging out at the campsite along with our visit to the Nature Center and Tucker Tower, and swimming in the lake.  I am glad that I was feeling good enough to be apart of all the festivities. Sunday I was a little sore, but was still able to help pack up and clean.

Add caption

Spoons & Flops

After reading The Spoon Theory and The Flip Flop Theory, I have decided to keep a diary for say about the positive things in my life.  Some may seem mundane, but this is my life.  Through this project I hope to start seeing the good in my life and stop focusing on the stresses of being a mom, and wife with an auto-immune disease.

Today was a good day!  I may have slept in a little, but I was able to finish all the laundry, probably about 6 loads along with the folding.  I will admit that the clothes are still folded nicely in their baskets, but they are all clean.  Sometimes they stay folded in the baskets until the baskets are almost empty, but they are folded!!  And did I mention that they are clean???  I also sent out the roomba to clean the floors.  We have three big dogs and one cat, so our stained concrete floors and wood floors often have hair balls rolling like tumble weeds through the desert.  I love my hard surface floors, because I know that when they are clean they are clean.  They are also very low maintenance and when you have three dogs and a cat in the country, you need low maintenance!

The best part about today was that I got to create some new designs and make some new embroidered and appliqued dish towels.  I enjoy having the time and energy to create new designs.

The Flip Flop Theory

In line with The Spoon Theory is the the Flip Flop Theory, http://fighterzblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/the-flip-flop-theory/. This theory is for those that have an auto-immune disease.   Many of us focus not on what we accomplish each day, but what we could not do or give up.  The Flip Flop Theory is about focusing on what we can do and did accomplish and rewarding ourselves for the good things.  It is also suggested that we keep a journal and write everyday about our accomplishments not matter how small they may be.  For some days it might be taking a bath or shower, while other days might be back to school shopping or even working out.  By rewarding ourselves and taking time to remember all the things that are accomplished we train ourselves to look for the positive in things. In line with The Flip Flop Theory, I am going to take the time and blog my daily accomplishments.  I am hoping that this will not only help me out, but will help out others that are also struggling with Fibromyalgia or other auto-immune diseases.  Here is looking at the positive!

The Spoon Theory

I am sure that I have already mentioned that I have Fibromyalgia, the reason that I am now a stay home mom.  If you had not heard of it before then you are not alone, neither had I when I was diagnosed.  I was glad to have a name to what was happening to my body, but there were more and more questions.  The hard part about this disease is that on good to pretty good days I do not look sick and it is hard for others to comprehend what I am going through.  Even my husband and daughter have a hard time understanding after two years of being diagnosed.  Some days are okay and some days are not and when I don't look like something is wrong with me they sometimes forget.  Trying to explain what is going on is also difficult because it is not only about good and bad days, but what I can do without paying a high price.  For example, we went to Canada over the Christmas Holidays and my husband wanted me to be able to ski with him and my daughter, so he wanted me to ask my doctor if it would be okay.  I already knew the answer, but asked anyways.  The answer is yes, I can ski, but I might not be able to do anything else on the trip.  Not because I might fall or might be sore, but because of the energy to ski would definable make me sore and because of the Fibromyalgia, my recover time would be much longer than the norm.

As more and more people are being diagnosed everyday with Fibromyalgia and other auto-immune diseases more and more of the public is being made aware, but I did find a great story that explains what it really is like to live with a silent disease that is often misunderstood.  The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino, http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/, is a perfect way to explain what it is really like.  If you have time you should really check out the story.  You never know who you might know that is suffering.