Why oils?

So, why oils?! Is it because I'm a hippie? I like alternative things? Tired of being sick and tired? Needed something new? Was sick and tired of being sick and tired! Frustrating diagnosis? Lack of answers from the medical world? No where else to turn? Well, it was all of those things!

Most of my life I've felt healthy, but not healthy. My mom will tell you that one of her earliest memories of me is getting sick, a lot. I was no stranger to antibiotics or doctors in general. Heck I wanted to be a doctor at one point in life! So after years of being sick on and off, having migraines, stomach  issues, anxiety, sleep disorders, an autoimmune disease, weight gain, chronic fatigue and I don't know what else, but there's probably more. I started to feel as if I got treatment for symptoms, but no one could ever really make me feel better. I take that back, the chiropractor always made a difference and still does to this day. I learned to deal with the anxiety and put the pills down, but still had it. My stomach issues got okay, but weren't great. I still got sick a lot, that didn't change, but I did drink orange juice with my antibiotics :) my autoimmune got better with less stress, shocker (that's for another blog). The weight was the weight, but was never great. My college years I was the most fit. Make sense since basketball was paying for my college, but still, I didn't feel great.

So, why the oils? The final straw for me was January 2013. I have always had very irregular womanly things, but it got worse. My abdomen would become so bloated that I couldn't' wear my regular   pants. I'd have the most painful cycles of my life and they'd last for weeks on end or wouldn't come at all. I think the worst was how tired I was. I was tired all the time no matter what I did, ate, or changed. I was tired and I hurt. By this point I weaned my way off of doctors for the most part, but still believe in yearly physicals. So I brought up the above issues. What was the evil vile word that made me lash out at modern medicine?...endometriosis. What the heck is that? Well, it's nasty stuff! Google it! For me it felt like the end of my life. Hormone imbalances, possible fertility issues or infertility. Treatment: surgery, menopause brought on my synthetic hormones,which would be reversed when I did try to have children. What, at 24 you're going to tell me I might not have kids?! Well, that wouldn't do.

A friend had mentioned oils and I'm so glad that she did! I think it took this for me to take the leap of faith and change my life. I took the conventional route of treatment. I had the surgery to get a clear picture of the disease (that sounds so dramatic). I felt hopeful and somewhat relieved to at least know what was wrong. The week of surgery my basic oils starter kit came. I had used them and read the testimonials and thought they were cool, but had no idea their power. The day of surgery my mother so kindly reminded anyone that would listen that I was extremely allergic to a certain pain killer...someone didn't listen. I ended up having an allergic reaction. That was my "moment" I had an "f this" approach. My body had welts and my chest was tight (by the way, don't do this, or if you do, don't say I told you I did this :) this was my reckoning). I grabbed my oils! I used PanAway for my fresh surgical wounds that were, to put it kindly, the worst pain ever! :) I then started to use lavender, lemon, and peppermint. I have no idea why either. I think I had read earlier they helped with allergies...well they worked! PanAway worked better than the freaking schedule II pain killer they gave me. The allergic reaction that I'd had several times in life was stopped with oils instead of an ER visit and a bunch of steroids. At that moment I knew I was never going to use another pill for anything if  I had a say. I'm happy to say that Since March 2013 I haven't taken a pill of any sorts! That's kind of a lie I guess. I take a hormone made from sweet potatoes and use the pill instead of a cream. But even that is based off the research behind essentials oils.

So after this long blog that really has taught you nothing, well besides I stink at punctuation. I hope that this blog educates you, motivates you and encourages you to try something different, oils! I love the oils and they have changed my life and I'm not being dramatic. The months leading up to my surgery and oil conversion I spent my free time in pain and tired. That's in the past folks!

From here on out I'll be using this blog to educate, motivate and hopefully add some humor to all of lives as I stumble through this thing I call life :)

Thanks, folks!