If I had a choice I would not have chosen to walk this journey with a chronic illness. Hello everyone, my name is Melanie and I have an autoimmune disease. There are more than 100 autoimmune diseases that individuals suffer from. They take over our bodies and our lives, and we have to be stronger and work harder to take back the control.
An autoimmune disease is when an individual’s body mistakes its own tissue, organs, and joints and attacks them like they are a virus in your body. I suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Most people who have heard of it, just call it Lupus. There are different types of Lupus as well as so much more to an autoimmune disease, however for the sake of my purpose today I want to explain how something so devastating can become a blessing and an opportunity.
Creating a New Normal
You see I am a Registered Nurse. I had to leave my position as a critical care nurse from the request of my cardiologist. Devastated and unsure what I was going to do, I now was faced with making a different plan for my life. Being an ICU nurse, a wife and a mother was me…that was how I described myself. My identity! I soon had to make a choice to work on my health and hold onto what I had.
I had a wonderful, caring, supportive husband and two healthy young boys. I was a mother and wife and I was still alive. At that point I research… I was out of work, on disability, in and out of the ER and on high doses of prednisone. I had no control over my health. How many of you with an autoimmune disease or suffering from a chronic illness have been here or here now? Having a healthcare background and knowing the body inside out made it easy for me to incorporate and understand holistic medicine. I feel lucky to have that ability and it is my passion to share that with others.
All of a sudden stopping the cause of my illness was my focus instead of treating my symptoms. I researched why it started and how I could stop it. I was on a mission to make sure I could spend quality time with my growing, energetic boys who at the time were visiting me at my bedside. On a good day, I had a chair in the shade that I could sit and watch my boys play if the temperature outside was just right. This was not quality!
My goal is to share my knowledge and make your health journey consist of a life of quality and quantity.
A Few Tools that keep me stronger:
- Clean Eating
- Appropriate amount of sleep
- Stress reduction tools
- Essential Oils
- Supplementation
- Taking Back Control Back
Back to the blessing and opportunities. I took classes online when I got stronger from incorporating what I was learning. I made it my lifestyle, my family’s way and now my career. I became a wellness nurse and it has opened up so many doors to healing, helping others like I never thought I could, and fulfilling me in a way that I can see the blessings not just this unchosen journey of chronic illness.
Do you have a chronic illness or an autoimmune disease?
I have made it my mission to educate others on how to take back their control and work together to make a personalized health plan.
Come visit me on my site to learn more… Let’s get to know each other!!
Melanie, I’m inspired by your driven purpose of finding the cause over the symptoms. I believe the same way and strive for that same thing with my clients. I love your passion for empowering people to enjoy quality and quantity on their journey to better health.
Thank you Scott, it is definitely what drives me with my own health journey and my clients.