Dear Friends,

It’s been a while, I know.

I can honestly say that the past year and a half has been a challenging one and I’m excited that I am starting 2018 on better ground than I started 2017.

Many of you already know that I ended up in the hospital in September 2016, after returning home from our family vacation in Mexico. Little did I know that this one weekend would eventually send some “aftershocks” in my health for the months following. I really thought I was recouping well and moving forward by December 2016, but as the months went on, I just wasn’t getting back to my “normal” self.

I found myself exhausted and tired most of the time. It got to a point that my evenings left me feeling  nauseated and sick to my stomach. Every evening. I was having these panic/anxiety attacks out of nowhere. I had never experienced those before in my life! I was pretty snappy with my husband and kids. Okay, so snappy times 1,000. By the time May 2017 came around, I was over it all. Mother’s Day was the day I decided that I was going to go see someone about all of this.

For Mother’s Day, I wanted to go to the mountains and spend a couple hours just hanging out while the kids played in the river – something they love to do. So we went to church that morning and headed off to the mountains around lunch time and had a relaxing afternoon in the warm sun, surrounded by the mountains and my kids giggling and laughing. All I did was sit all day. In the car to church, in church, on the way home from church, to the mountains, in the mountains and home from the mountains. Yet, by the time we got home around 4:30 – I could only muster up enough strength to walk to the couch and lay down so I could rest a bit before I made dinner. I fell asleep for almost 2 hours.

What?

I don’t take naps. Ever.

This is when I decided something needed to change. So I did some intense research to find a holistic practitioner I could go see. I knew enough about health to know certain issues I was pretty sure I had. I told my husband my thoughts on this and was interested to see what a practitioner would come up with. I did find someone and we went to see her. I didn’t tell her what I thought was wrong, just so I didn’t influence her in treating me. I let her know my symptoms, my health history, my reason for my hospital visit and then let her do her job. These were my thoughts…leaky gut, adrenal fatigue, high cortisol, estrogen dominance, anemia, low thyroid, and low vitamin D. The last four I had been dealing with for 12+ years, so I knew those for sure.

When she was done testing she did bio-feedback muscle testing, something I had NEVER heard of, and honestly, it seemed weird and a little out there. But, conventional doctors had never done anything to help with chronic issues, in fact, if my blood tests showed I was in “normal range” – that was it. No discussion about it. Even though I felt terrible – my numbers showed I was “fine”. So, when she was done, she starts listing off everything she had found wrong with me, with my husband right there, and she said everything I thought was wrong, and then some.

Hearing her list everything off was a little overwhelming and I remember my eyes welling up with tears. Not because I was scared, but because I was exhausted and it was nice to finally hear that there were reasons why I had been “off” for so long. Her conclusions…leaky gut and inflamed intestines, adrenal fatigue, high cortisol, low E1, low testosterone, low B12, low serotonin, low iron, low thyroid, low vitamin D and issues with my neurotransmitters (the cause of my agitation with minor things that I knew were minor, but couldn’t help but go into a slight rage over them). She also wanted to treat my heart palpitations and overall mood!

Wow! Slightly different than the normal, “you’re within range!”

That day she started me on some homeopathic and German biologic supplements (alternative medicine). She wasn’t treating everything at once – which I appreciated. She said she was starting with the foundations of my issues and as those improved, my other issues would change and then she would treat accordingly.

So, on May 17, 2017, I began a new routine for my health. It wasn’t super intense, but it was intense enough that it required some major changes on my part. I not only was on 11 supplements, 3x a day, but I also needed to eliminate gluten, soy, dairy, corn and shellfish to work on the inflammation in my gut. This wasn’t the easiest thing, because I like to eat. I’m German by blood and French by palate. So taking away butter, cream and flour….hmmmm, not the most exciting news. Not to mention that I liked corn chips and salsa. Like everyday.

So, that night I started immediately and stuck to it like glue. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t complain. I faithfully worked this new routine expecting it to help my situation, and it did. Within a month I was already seeing a difference in many areas. I could see my energy lasting longer throughout the day. I had been tired by 3:30. Then I noticed I could make it to 5:00pm before feeling like I needed sleep. Then 6:00pm. Then 7:30pm and so on. I was no longer feeling sick every night, which helped me sleep better. Things weren’t magically better overnight, but as I kept up with my supplements and food eliminations, I saw gradual improvements.

By the end of December, 6 months into treatment, I felt like a different person! Not to mention, I had a wellness exam in early November (at a conventional doctor’s office) and my lab results showed that changes had taken place. I no longer had a low thyroid and they tested to make sure it wasn’t Hashimotos and that came back negative – yes! I was no longer anemic, although the numbers still have room for improvement. Also, my vitamin D levels had raised 8 points – which is awesome, because over the past 6 years, the numbers kept dropping and I was 2 points away from the dangerously low range! Those results were so good to hear! Not only did I feel good, but now my tests were showing that my body was starting to function right again.

Here I am, it’s January 2018, and I feel like 2017 was such a challenging year. Health issues are draining. Physically and emotionally. They stop you from living life the way you’d like to, but I can already tell that this year will be different! This is exciting for me. Talk about walking through a valley for a long time! How nice to be out of that place, closer to the top where I can see the sunshine and the horizon around me!

So what better way to celebrate life than to do something a little crazy? Ok, maybe a lot crazy!

This year, mid June, my family and I will be heading out for a 52 week road trip across the United States! I’ve always been about “living on purpose” and after all the junk this past year and a half – this is a breath of fresh air.

Our adventure will be documented and we are letting anybody and everybody follow along if they like. This includes you!

If you’d like to see what in the world we will be doing for 52 weeks, how our family of four (along with our pug) will be living in a 5th wheel, homeschooling and living life on the road, please consider joining us on our blog or the social media platforms we are on! Our website is www.epoch48.com and there you can read our blog! You can find us on other social media platforms under EPOCH48. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, G+, Snapchat (Epoch48) and YouTube!

This is a great way for me to say, “Look out world! I’m feeling awesome again and I’m going to enjoy my life!”

Hopefully you check in and see how that looks as we begin 2018!

Live Beautiful!

xo Kari