Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Gratitude and Grief

She’s getting it - Grateful

Is it time to play yet ?



Dear Friends and Family, 
Below is a special Holiday Consulting Offer
Lettierome@gmail.com
602-300-4870

This morning; I opened my eyes and all I could feel was dread. Unrefreshed sleep is a paramount symptom of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. I have spoken about this before; it means it doesn't matter how well you sleep; I wake up every morning feeling worse than I went to bed. Part of it is confused awe that I can still get surprised. However, since the late afternoon and evening normally is my best time it is a bitter slap in the face each morning.

As we approach Thanksgiving; which use to be my favorite Holiday I am struggling. My repetitive diet, it is a visual reminder of all the wonderful food that comforts one soul that I can no longer touch. But more than that is the lively gatherings that often had random friends or neighbors join, the ritual of watching Friends on tv, and then the post-Thanksgiving meet-up of whoever was in town. There is so much I miss; that is the time one must flip the switch to what we have, and Thanksgiving is a reminder to hold onto those memories of easier days and reflect on what is beautiful about today.

However, when I woke up this morning feeling like begging the powers that be to disappear into sleep so I could dream of my previously full life; I stopped myself. I went through the list of everything I was grateful for starting with my health. I am grateful I can see. I am grateful I can hear. I am grateful I can walk; though not as far as I would hope. I am grateful for this incredibly comfortable bed and being snuggled in beneath its cocoon. I am grateful I am healthy without any additional acute illness on top of my chronic one today. I am grateful my parents are in good health. I am grateful that in an hour Daisy will come here with my mom and take her extra morning nap next to me. I am grateful my extended family is safe. I am grateful that soon I will have my morning coffee in my H mug which brings me joy and peace. I am grateful that though I am not better right now I am not worse; I can breathe.

As I slowly get adding to my list of gratitudes (do not get me wrong it wasn't the perfect salve for my broken heart) it was a productive act. I miss with every fiber of my being my pre-ME life. The loss at times feels as if I am being swallowed whole falling into an abyss while simultaneously being crushed from above - no escape. It is as confusing as this disease itself. If you are facing similar pre Holiday stresses; please know you are not alone. Reach out to someone you know will have a compassionate ear, or reach out to someone you know may need one more than yourself. 

I am grateful for all of you that may have recently joined or been on this road with me for much longer than I had anticipated. I had thought by this time I would be travel blogging from my walk along the French Riveria. As this Holiday is upon us; I am wishing you all the most optimal health. However, this post is coming live from Wisconsin - for now 🌊 ❤️.

Since I wrote my last post, from coast to coast I know of people battling viral infections. Even though I had written about this trend it was alarming how many I know have been hit hard. I hold my Naturopathic license in Vermont and two days ago received an emergency alert about hospitals reaching their capacity. I had been working on a more technical post; however, I wanted to lead with this one of Thanksgiving; and felt the time was of the essence and not something to be delayed by my many "trashed" posts. 

Thanksgiving rolls us into a season of gatherings, and changes in eating habits that tax our digestive systems. Seventy percent of our immunity is in our gut. Therefore, I do want to mention some pre Holiday steps to enhance intestinal immunity.

I will be listing the suggestions below and offering a reduced consultation fee to place an order through my practitioner-only accounts. Being a patient myself; my goal is to set my consulting practice more heavily on my time and knowledge than profiting from supplements. Therefore; I will be doing a $50 fee and any products ordered will be billed at wholesale plus the taxes and company drop ship charge. I will be doing this arrangement through January first the discounted consultation price is twofold will cover my time to set up your order and also gives us an opportunity to get acquainted. My goal is to do the best I can with my knowledge to help lessen the severity or any long-term health issues and get us all to spring safely.

This post will include Immune support for your digestive system and the next more general immune support. These photos are examples and all can be customized to meet your specific needs.

Pre, Pro, and Post biotics. A diverse biome the research is coming in so fast it is difficult to keep up with. I will attach w few articles for those of you who would like to go down the rabbit hole with me as more specific research is being completed. However, there is no doubt a strong healthy intestinal tract is paramount for our overall health and the gut-lung axis. And this trifecta of "biotics" is a place to start.

Gut Zoomer is one of many testing companies that can be used to identify your personal gut health. However, if you have no immediate concerns this is an area one can look at down the line with a more in-depth consultation. PCI is another company to work with more individual concerns.


Pre-Biotic


There are many Pro-Biotics to choose from and chewable or powder for children 

The most fascinating research is coming out about Short Chain Fatty Acids - the bi-product of the fermentation of the digestive microbes. Butyrate is one of those hot topics


Creating a protective barrier for your intestines 

Please contact me if you would like to place an order and at that time if before my next post we can discuss what I think all families would benefit from in their medicine cabinets if the cold/flu or COVID breaches your Holiday festivities. 

Research Articles:

How Dietary Microbe could team up for Flu Prevention - St. Louis University

Intestinal Flora to Combat SARS-COV-2 Infection 

Exogenous Glutamine in Respiratory Disease - Fact or Myth

Interplay Between Gut Microbe and Immune System

Probiotics In Immunity and Respiratory Health

Butyrate connecting the Gut Lung Axis (post-biotic)

As you can see from this brief sampling of research articles there is so much information constantly emerging and improving. It is easy to get bogged down; but we can simplify it by seeing where your digestive health is now and how to improve upon it, especially during this Winter season. 

In Gratitude, Heather

email: lettierome@gmail. Text/call 602-300-4870

DISCLAIMER: This information above is to be used as recommendations and not a substitution for your primary care doctor's advice. Also; please if you are suffering from a high fever, difficulty breathing or excessive fatigue do not hesitate to get immediate medical care. The NIH in collaboration with Careevolution just created a website to track COVID-19 home tests. This data will be of great help to make informed decisions; to track COVID-19 numbers. If you do take a home test please use the following link Make My Test Count for both positive and negative tests.




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