Medicinal Herbs & Digestive/Stress Issues Saved My Life
How Growing/Utilizing Herbs Helps Me Eat Better & Save Money
How It All Started
Stress! Yes stress created a fourteen year illness within me. I first chose to ignore it. Then I started taking medication. Then the doctors referred me to have tests done. After six months of tests, countless prescriptions and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars out of my pocket, I was informed I had a hiatal hernia. This was back in 1999. When the doctor would tell me I needed a surgery to repair it, I stopped seeing the doctor.
With the medication I was prescribed becoming over-the-counter, I had no reason to see the doctor anymore. So I continued on with my life. I raised my three children and worked endless hours between three jobs.
I still suffered from 'attacks' and chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) but I kept taking the pills and was just too busy to slow done and actually suffer through the discomfort and pain.
Every two weeks I would dole out about $30 hard-earned dollars to buy my medication at the pharmacy. Being a divorced mom and raising three teenagers, every penny mattered in my household. But I convinced myself this $60 a month was necessary. It was; which I would learn later.
What Changed My Life In 2013
After dealing with the illness for so long, the attacks were becoming more frequent and much more painful. So painful in fact, I would spend an average of one day/overnight per month and stay at a local hospital where the medical team would pump me full of pain medicines and proton pump inhibitors (ie. omeprazole/Prilosec) as well as other antacids to coat my sore esophagus.
WebMD has some great information about the illness.
Well, back to the eye-opening moment that I knew surgery was the only way to live.
I was admitted into the hospital in late February 2013, and was told to see a specialist. (yeah, yeah, been down this road before). But my husband would have none of my 'brushing it off at the cuff' attitude. He made me make the appointment AND go to the appointment. I was not a happy camper. He even drove me to appointment and went into the exam room. My unhappiness was getting larger.
Long story short... had more tests, more appointments and finally was told if I didn't have the surgery, I would die. I would suffocate. You see, 3/4 of my stomach had shifted and had taken up residency in my esophagus. Imagine that?! It freaked me out more than a little.
So the surgery was scheduled.
Luckily it was laparoscopic. But not only was I having a hiatal hernia repair surgery, but I was also have a displaced stomach surgery. The doctor had to detach my stomach from all my other organs, move it out of my esophagus and re-position it in its rightful home. The entire surgery took over six hours. Heck, my dad's quadruple bypass surgery was shorter.
My recovery was about two months. I couldn't eat... ANYTHING... for a month. I had to let the surgeries heal. I could only drink. Granted I lost some weight and I remember my first meal. It was Easter Sunday 2013, and I had one pierogi and a small helping of mashed potatoes with gravy.
Lesson Learned About Health
Since then I have been better monitoring my food, learning about herbal remedies and trying to control my stress levels.
I started gardening a couple of years ago and this past season added herbs to my garden. I have been a faithful drinker of herbal teas. I grow chamomile, lemon balm, catnip, marjoram, lavender and all sorts of herbs that are known for indigestion issues and stomach ailments; as well as stress relievers.
I stopped taking the medications and rely on the herbs to assist in controlling my ailment. Too many people take unnecessary medications and I just don't want to infiltrate my body with all those. How many times have you seen a TV commercial or read about a prescribed medication and the side effects are more than what the medication is supposed to be treating? I don't want that.
Take heed everyone... You have one body, so take care of it
<center<Badges by @daddykirbs
Come join the homestead slack community and have fun chatting with us- click picture below.
Hi @goldendawne,
Congrats! Your post has been featured at The Daily Qurator 23
I hope you like it.
Dr. TLK :)
Ooohhh.... awesome!!
Thank you!
You are welcome :)
Oh wow, that's sounds pretty rough so glad you had the procedure! I understand the GERD issue and have found Ginger to be helpful. I cannot eat greasy stuff it will wake me up burning in the middle of the night. Have to sleep sitting up practically🐓
Yeah I was the same, sleeping in a more upright or elevated way. Slept in recliner a lot.
Ginger is one that I use sparingly. Too much of a 'gotcha' taste. But it is a great addition for teas in smaller doses for me and other food dishes.
This post recieved an upvote from minnowpond. If you would like to recieve upvotes from minnowpond on all your posts, simply FOLLOW @minnowpond
As a follower of @followforupvotes this post has been randomly selected and upvoted! Enjoy your upvote and have a great day!
thank you!!
It sounds like you are on the right track now. I too, don't believe in stuffing your body with medications or processed foods. Our family eats healthier now than we ever did. I have a large herb garden, grow our own vegetables and most fruits. I must confess, I still buy apples. But watching what we put in our bodies only makes us healthier and wise.
It's like when you're on a diet and keep a food journal. You have to write down EVERY little thing you eat, even down to that extra pat of butter on your baked potato. Growing my own food and herbs keeps me honest with myself and my body. I know what went into the growing and harvesting of the food, so no guilt about preservatives and all that other mucky-mucky stuff that food companies use.
True that health is wealth. I also believe in the healing power of herbs. :)
They (herbs) have nee used for centuries for medicinal treatments, so why shouldn't we look to the way things used to be before medications bombarded us
good post...
That's great! Do you take probiotics?
Yes I do, I take one that has acidophilus in it. It really does seem to help combined with the herbs and trying new hobbies and ways to keep my mind busy. It is really a life changing event.
Hi dear @goldendawne,
I am sorry you have to go through all that, but I am very happy you got over it before it was too late.
I totally understand your stress related physical illness, I have similar problems too, except the doctors told me there is nothing they can do for it.
I wish you good health and a life full of happy moments :D
It is a struggle when you have stress, as I know life is filled with it. I was 'handling' the hiatal hernia for years until the doctor told me about being suffocated. Basically those words scared me into knowing I had to act and fix it.
Wishing you health and less stress
OMG! Can't begin to imagine how scary that really was. I am happy for you it is all in the past now and I hope you will continue feeling better every passing day.
Many thanks for the kind words. I wish you the same. Hug :)
This wonderful post has received a bellyrub 3.13 % upvote from @bellyrub thanks to this cool cat: @grow-pro. My pops @zeartul is one of your top steemit witness, if you like my bellyrubs please go vote for him, if you love what he is doing vote for this comment as well.