So, even though I felt like I was seeing the “big picture” of why my body & brain was struggling, I still was questions “But why NOW?” Why not 20 years ago? Why not 5 years ago? Why not in my 80’s? Why NOW? When I’m at the peak of my life. I’m in my mid 40’s, with so many plans and things I still want to accomplish and work on. I had finally reached a point in my career where things were……………….
Taking a deeper dive into my comprehensive Health History, I started to look for the early signs when Parkinson’s may have started to manifest.
Going back to 2015………….. I was turning 40, and experiencing a LOT of stress in my life at the time. Everyone kept telling me to “prepare myself because everything falls apart in your 40’s”! Well folks, I’m here to tell ya………..it’s true!
The beginning of my Health Crisis
“THE NOSEDIVE”: In early 2015 (the year I turned 40), my health took a sudden major nosedive. This didn’t really come as a HUGE shock, because the years leading up to it had been marked with quite a few stressful events, and trauma both mentally, and physically. I also had been depending heavily on caffeine for my energy, and pushing myself to hard with work. But I did consider myself to be a fairly “healthy” person…………….I knew in the back of my mind that eventually something would give out and I’d have to start taking better care of myself and slow down, but I guess I assumed that was a long ways off, and I definitely never thought I could develop a NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE with NO CURE! (I’ll go further back into my health history in a separate blog, but for now, will focus on the time period when everything really collapsed.)
In December of 2014, and in January of 2015, I suffered from two serious cat bit wounds (lower left leg, and lower left arm/ wrist). The wounds were deep, so I took antibiotics to kill the infections. (I know you’re wondering, so I’ll just tell you: Yes, the cat was mine, and no, we didn’t put him down after the attacks! He had been provoked by an enemy neighbor cat and turned on me because I tried to break up the tension …… I know, I know.). These cat bites may seem insignificant now, but may prove to be a piece of my “puzzle” later on.
HEADACHE & NECK PAIN: In February, I experienced the worst headache & neck pain I’ve had in my life (and I’ve suffered for years with chronic migraines from next injuries). It felt like a tension headache – tight across my forehead, with severe neck pain, nausea and overall misery. I couldn’t eat or sleep for 24 hours, so we decided to check me into the ER (for the first time in my life!). They basically assessed me, determined it was a headache, gave me meds, and sent me home. Three days later, I had a major panic attack (my first one), and not knowing what was happening to me, as I fell to the floor, curled up in a ball, I called 911. I’ve NEVER called 911. I truly felt that I was in imminent danger for my life. The minute the paramedics arrived and gave me oxygen, I started to feel better (which was amazing to me, and I still think that it’s a significant clue!). We went back to the ER, but this time in a fancy (& outrageously expensive) ambulance ride. After the full work up of tests, they determined it was indeed a panic attack, and sent me on my way. Around this same time, I noticed severe flushing on my chest, neck, face and arms. Sometimes it looked like a third degree burn. It was hot (even to the touch), and would come and go. Another mystery to add to the list.
POPPIN’ THOSE ADVIL: In March, my neck pain and the headaches were so persistent and difficult to cope with, that I began taking Advil throughout the day just to keep my pain level low enough to function. Advil was the only thing that seemed to work for me, being that I’m extremely sensitive to medications in general.
THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS BEGINS: Then the search for answers began. Doctor after doctor, test after test. Hoping to find some relief for this chronic pain and suffering.
REFERRAL TO NEUROLOGIST: In early March, I saw my primary care physician (PCP), Dr. D, and she referred me to a neurologist, Dr. R. The neurologist diagnosed me with migraines and prescribed Imitrex/ Sumatriptan, which I never ended up taking because I wasn’t having migraines, I was having neck pain and tension headaches. So I continued with my home remedy of Advil.
SPINE SPECIALIST: Later that month, I met with a spine pain management specialist, Dr. G, who (thankfully) required that I have an MRI done before he could assess my condition properly. He gave me a couple of meds in the meantime (Flexiril, and Ultram, but both gave me undesirable side effects like anxiety, heart racing, dizziness, etc.).
BULGING DISCS: Finally, on March 30th, I had my MRI done at Wilcox Hospital. This was a first for me, so needless to say, it was quite the intimidating experience. I have a tendency towards chlostrophobia anyways, and at the time, any type of noise would make my anxiety go sky high. Also, my neck pain was so severe, that laying flat, was almost impossible for me. Somehow I got through it. My results showed bulging discs in my cervical spine. A couple of weeks later, I had a 2nd appointment with Dr. G, who offered two options for pain management: 1) lidocaine patches, and 2) cortisone injections in my neck. There was also the option of surgery, but we both opposed that. I tried the patches which didn’t seem to work, and made me dizzy. I opted out of the injections, due to my aversion of having a giant needle stuck in the back of my extremely painful neck, while laying face down on a table in a procedure room. I was in such a state of anxiety, fear, and pain that there was NO WAY I was going to be able to do something like that.
CHOOSING THE HOLISTIC ROUTE: This was about the time that I decided to go the natural/ holistic route with my treatments. I began acupuncture therapy at the end of April, and the goal was to 1) lower inflammation in my neck so the discs could heal, and 2) address my adrenal exhaustion to allow my body to recover.
PHYSICAL THERAPY: In June, I began physical therapy with Lisa, and she helped to teach me exercises and stretches to nudge the discs back into place on their own. Another thing that I was experiencing was sharp, intense, shooting pain from my neck, down my left arm. The discs were pressing on nerves, and the pain radiated down my left side. It literally felt like I was being electrocuted, and you could even see the veins bulging in that arm. When this was happening, even the slightest touch was too painful and would make me cry. This would happen many times a day, and was another “chronic pain” I had to learn to live with. I tried ice packs, which would help sometimes temporarily. I tried essential oils. It was so painful, that I didn’t even want to move my arm at all, for fear of triggering more pain. My PT, Lisa, taught me how to embrace my arm, and how to accept the pain, how to comfort my arm when this was happening. It was hard, and I would resist, and hold my arm out and say I wanted it cut off. She really worked with me on bringing it in close to my body and caring for it until the pain subsided. To this day, that is one of of the most valuable lessons anyone has every taught me – – how to embrace your pain, your flaws, your suffering, and how to self- soothe. (This goes right along with the Wabi-Sabi philosophy too!)
THE INTERNAL TREMORS BEGAN: My neck pain was so intense, that for months I couldn’t even lay my head down on a pillow to rest. I would have to prop myself up in bed in order to sleep at night. And as I would begin to fall asleep, I had this weird sensation that my insides were shaking all over, and it made me very anxious. Sometimes, I would even have my mom come in to “watch me fall asleep,” because I was so afraid of what might happen to me. I told her about the shaking and would put her hand on my arm, stomach, or whatever part felt like it was shaking, and tell her to feel it. She couldn’t feel anything, and we determined it was either just anxiety or my imagination. (*In my later research I came across a description of “internal tremors” and believe that’s what I was having!)
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE: In June I also began working with my first Naturopathic doctor! I had never worked with type of practitioner but I loved the concept of getting to the root of the problem, and not just practicing “symptom relief,” (or “a pill for an ill”). Dr. G was younger, but extremely smart, intuitive, and caring. She immediately jumped in and started me on some basic testing – – Food allergies, blood labs, etc. She started me on a FODMAPS diet, and a “Gut Healing” diet.
REACTIONS TO TREATMENTS? I started having some adverse reactions (most likely to the supplements I was taking?). Starting in May, I began taking Chinese herbal supplements from my acupuncturist, and then began my “gut healing” protocol and new supplements in mid June with Dr. G. By early June, I started developing SEVERE NAUSEA, followed by SEVERE BLOATING (looked 9 mo.’s pregnant), YEAST INFECTIONS, and VERTIGO through September. Then, on September 30th, I noticed EDEMA in my legs for the first time in my life. Then in late October, I noticed BLOOD IN MY STOOL for the first time. We stopped the Chinese herbs, and reduced most of my supplements. Put me on a new, simpler plan with about 5 basic supplements.
ANEMIA OF CHRONIC DISEASE: In November, I did more blood work, and it came back showing “Anemia of Chronic Disease.” (but my labs back in June showed no signs of anemia, so this was caused by something between June and November). I then met with my PCP again, my OBGYN, and then a gastroenterologist, Dr. P. I began taking Fluconozole in December for the yeast infection. (keep in mind, this is my 3rd round of antibiotics within a year! …… this will be important in my later findings).
MY FIRST COLONOSCOPY! YEA!: In January 2016, I still had blood in my stool that was very concerning, so I was referred to a Hematologist, Dr. C, who rans some more labs, and based on those results & my symptoms, recommended I do a colonoscopy/ endoscopy combination. On February 24th, I had the procedure done, and they found……………….NOTHING! (shocker.). This was the first time I’d ever been sedated for a procedure, and was extremely anxious about it, but as any of you know, who’ve been through this process, it’s the PREP that is the worst part! Ughh!
ANA MARKER OF 640: After finding nothing wrong with the colonoscopy/ endoscopy procedures, we were still baffled as to what was causing all of these symptoms. So I went back to my PCP, and she reviewed my January labs, which showed an extremely high ANA Marker (inflammatory marker) of 640 (the normal ref. range was < 40)!!! She was concerned and said that it probably meant I had some sore of auto-immune disease, but she wasn’t sure what. She wanted to test me for the top 3 most common ones (even though there are over 100 classified auto-immune diseases now!). So we looked at markers for MS, Lupus, and then I was referred to a Rhumetologist on Oahu to test for Rheumatoid Arthritis. All came back negative. My Rhumetologist suggested I get a referral (from my PCP) to see an Immunologist, which would be the next step in my search for answers.
“YOU’VE HAD YOUR ‘MILLION-DOLLAR WORKUP’: So I went back to see my PCP, Dr. D in early May, and updated her on everything, including needing the referral to the Immunologist. She refused to give me the referral and said “You’ve had your “million-dollar work-up” and I think you’re done now.” (I know, I’m still shocked reading this years later!). I’m not sure where the disconnect happened, but she was no longer on my side. I actually had a panic attack in her office and they had to bring me an oxygen mask to calm me down! I was so mad, frustrated, and at my last string of hope, and she was refusing me help. I told her it was my human right to get the health care I was paying for and she had no place in denying me that. And for what reason? Why did she care?
TRAUMATIZED & DISCOURAGED: The whole interaction with Dr. D made me feel so discouraged, that I basically ‘gave up’ on myself, on ‘the system’, my quest for answers, and my search for better health. I was devastated and depressed. I didn’t do much of anything regarding treatments etc. for the next year and half to two years! I maintained my communication with my naturopath, Dr. G, and continued supplements etc. but did not pursue any other doctors or avenues of testing, research, or treatment. I just lived with the symptoms and the pain.
THE TREMOR STARTS: Between May 2016 to about July 2018, I continued working full-time, and just doing what I could at home to cope with my pain & symptoms. During this time, there were several very stressful events that happened, including being evicted from our rental home (the owner was selling), and having to move during very poor health conditions; adjusting to new home with noisy & abusive neighbors; several hurricane threats to the island & stressful preparations; stress at my office with nearby construction work and dynamite blasting; legal battle with client refusing to pay me; legal battle with client refusing to let me publish the work I had done for them (intellectual property issues), etc. In the fall of 2018 (July ?), I started noticing a tremor in my left hand, and then increasing up my left arm. It would usually happen during times of stress, and then subside. I didn’t think much of it and chalked it up to the extreme stress my nervous system was under.
In the summer of 2018, I had three very difficult project installations back-to-back, all with high-pressured deadlines, construction delays, and lots and lots of……….STRESS! (there’s that word again!)
- This is probably the point when I decided to go the “holistic route” with my treatment plan, and avoid meds where possible
- At the end of April, I began bi-weekly acupuncture treatments to help reduce the inflammation in my neck, and to balance my nervous system & adrenal exhaustion to promote healing.
- May through June, I continued acupuncture, and also began taking Chinese herbal supplements (“Trauma” pills, Duhuo and Chase Wind). One of the teas that I was required to drink literally tasted and looked like dirt, so I named it my “Pond Sludge”!
- In June, I noticed “severe” nausea for the first time (from supplements?)
- In June, I also began physical therapy with Lisa, to help work the bulging discs back into place)
- I also began working with a naturopathic doctor for the first time in my life, Dr. I. Her goal was to help lower my inflammation to aid in healing my neck faster. We did food allergy testing, some blood labs, etc. and she started me on a FODMAPS diet, and new supplement program.
Keep your passport handy at all times – don’t put it in a safe or locker
Don’t leave your passport in a safe.
I don’t want to sound like your mother, but you should keep it with you at all times because if it’s stolen then that could cause problems when going through security or leaving the country.
Always keep your passport in a place you can easily access it in case you need to make an emergency exit.
Update apps to your destination’s currency to track your spending
You can track your spending more easily if you update the apps on your phone to the destination’s currency. That way, it will be easier for you to check how much money you have left so that there are no surprises when it comes time to pay.
If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to set your phone to the local currency so that all of your transactions are automatically labeled with their correct prices.
Fiddling around with exchange rates all the time is not worth it!
Book flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to get the cheapest fares
The best time to book a flight is on Tuesday or Wednesday. That’s because most people are looking for flights over the weekend, so you can find some great deals if you have patience!
I first learned this trick from my flight attendant friends – and I can now confirm it works amazingly well! I’ve saved thousands of dollars by simply following this one travel hack.
Use Google Maps offline so you can still navigate even without a connection
If you’re driving or walking between places and don’t have a data connection, use Google Maps’ offline mode. It’ll still give you directions and useful information like the distance to your destination, what streets to take, and how long it’ll take to get there.
You can also download a map of your places of interest ahead of time, and then you get to use it anywhere – even on things like subways!
Carry a credit card from home country as well as one from destination country
If you are traveling to another country, it’s always a good idea to bring your credit card from your home country with you. You don’t want to rely on just one or two cards when travelling because that could be risky if one of them gets lost or stolen.
I always bring my credit card from home, as well as one from the place I’m going or alternatively an international card such as Revolut. In case anything happens, I always have a way to get money and communicate with people at home.
What are your own best travel hacks?
Traveling can be a stressful and terrifying experience, but it doesn’t have to be.
By following these simple tips, you will always know what to expect, where your passport is at all times, how much money you’re spending on flights and accommodations (and when), and most importantly, that you are ready in case of emergency.
What are some of your own best traveling hacks? Share them with us below!