Hands up all procrastinators! Yep, that's me!
This is my first blog, my first post, and I have honestly been meaning to write it sooner than this, and extend a way of communicating with people authentically, but it has taken me a while. No excuses, no apologies, just procrastination. It's a process. But I got here eventually.
So what do I write about? When it comes to nutritional health there is literally endless content! The human body is a miracle of engineering. Every aspect of our existence, when seen from a cellular level, is nothing short of mind blowing. The human body is one of the reasons that my thirst for learning will forever continue, there are so many mysteries still, and every person is completely unique in what they individually need to function. Sure the basics are the same, but everyone lives their life differently and they have different needs. It is pretty cool really, but it can also be tricky when it comes to your health.
As I look back on my own health journey, it was the experiences I had that drove my search for the "why", and so I thought I would start here. We all have a health story, and maybe reading mine resonates and inspires you to start doing your own digging. Or not. It is really a personal thing.
I remember back when I was in the throws of a Nutritional Medicine degree. I was 18 months into the 3 year course, I was working long hours, and had just fallen pregnant with my first child. I worked out pretty quickly that this was not sustainable, something had to give. Unfortunately my study was the casualty this time around. But I was always drawn to the science of the human body, it was my life's purpose to help people, I just had to work out the best way forward for me, and I found it again years later.
Since having 2 beautiful girls I share with my husband of now 20 years, life took on a different kind of stress. 2 little people who relied on us for their very existence. That is a pretty big responsibility! We were living in Sydney, it was expensive, and there was a great deal of financial pressure on our growing little family. I was so grateful to have been given an opportunity to work from home at the time, and I remember juggling work in between feeding, changing nappies and trying to keep up with the domestics. 100% I am not alone in this, parents are superhuman. I am convinced of that.
In the years that followed, there were more sleepless nights than sleep with our children born 22 months apart, yep. 2 under 2. I was also caring for my father in law who lived with us, and while my husband was amazing when he was home, his job took him away each week and so there were balls in the air, many balls.
My family did not live nearby and while I had wonderful friends who helped where they could, they were also busy with their own young families and jobs.
Circling back to my pregnancies, I realised that my health problems started much earlier than I first thought. I was 34 when I first fell pregnant, but unfortunately I joined the 1 in 4 women at the time who miscarried. It was sad of course, very sad. I had literally just found out I was pregnant and at only 9 weeks along was losing this little miracle. A little over a year later we were back on track though and our first daughter was born.
Both pregnancies had complications, but it was my second one that caused the drama. She still does. Ha!
I feel like I had every complication. Carpal tunnel syndrome, placenta previa, pre-eclampsia and just before giving birth I had a pinched sciatica nerve. I was a walking house, huge! I was exhausted, so sick, and in so much pain. So at 37 weeks along I was put out of my misery and underwent an emergency cesarean. My husband recalls the time when she was born, a quick cuddle with us and then he was handed our beautiful girl and ushered quickly out of the operating theatre just as the heart monitor hit a flat line.
I don't remember much, just that I was fading away, and then I was back! Waking up in recovery!
Blood transfusions and an incredible Obstetrician worked magic that day, and I am forever grateful to her and her team for how they saved me.
So, 2 complicated pregnancies, 2 breech babies, 2 cesareans and a near death experience during birth of child no 2, born 22 months after the first.
What is going on with this no 2 theme!? I just looked at the date today, it is 22/9, what is this numerical sorcery!
Ok. Back to the story.
Around 3 years after having bub no 2, I was faced with severe ovulation pain to the point of crawling to the medicine draw for the pain relief. Doctor, help me! She suggested the pill, Mirena or Implanon implant, thinking I had no other choice, I opted to give the Implanon a run. It just goes in your arm, what harm could it do?
Implanon releases etonogestrel, a hormone that prevents ovulation and also causes changes in your cervical mucus and uterine lining, making it harder to fall pregnant. It worked. I was not ovulating....no pain. Great!
Things were going ok after that for a while, but then over time I started to experience some increased anxiety, and then... full blown panic attacks. Daily. Never before had I ever experienced anything so frightening! I did not know why this was happening and what was wrong with me. I was afraid to leave the house. I was using alcohol to calm myself. This was not good.
I snapped one day and thought to myself WHY! Why now? Why after 40 years of no anxiety is this happening to me? Hormones? I was thinking back to what had changed in my life. Then I twigged. This Implanon in my arm, that is the only change. Searching the internet for side effects and symptoms I found my answers. Not only are anxiety and panic attacks side effects of this thing, but also depression and suicidal thoughts... WTAF.
Doctor, please take this out! She did, she removed it straight away when I told her, no questions asked. It might have been an idea to TELL ME THE SIDE EFFECTS IN THE FIRST PLACE! Or was it my responsibility to research this? Surely the Doc should have given me a heads up!
It took 6 months and a few psychology sessions, but my cycle returned to normal and I started feeling back to my old self. I just put up with the ovulation pain. It was this experience that really shifted the way that I thought about taking more responsibility for my own health. And now I work WITH my doctors, not just blindly following. I ask questions now. Only I know how I feel. No more devices, no more hormone replacement therapy for me.
I had a couple more hospitalisations after that. A kidney infection had me admitted for 5 days, then literally one year later an injury turned staph infection resulted in emergency orthopedic hand surgery. What the bloody hell was going on. My immune system was really low.
Not long after this, as a family we made a life changing decision. Sell up and move to Newcastle! A sea change was in order. Life in Sydney was taking it's toll. So before our relocation, we did some renovations on our home to maximise the value on our property. I took the lead on this as hubby was traveling so just added a few more balls to my juggling act. Why not, surely that wouldn't be stressful? Ha!
Life was a blur. I wish I could remember half of the things that happened during those times. I thought the wine helped get me through the late night baking birthday cakes and preparing big milestone celebrations, the long work days, the "being everything for everyone" but I reflect back and realise that I was just running on the smell of an oily rag. Running on empty.
After selling our Sydney home we did several speedy trips to Newie looking at properties. We found a house that suited all our needs, including those of my father in law, and we exchanged on Christmas Eve 2015, moving in to this beautiful home on Australia Day 2016. It was the day before our girls started in their new school, but it was only weeks after one of our dear friends in the Police Dog Squad was shot while responding to an emergency call at Neapean Hospital. It was such a crazy and emotionally stressful time. He is ok BTW. But it was touch and go there for a while.
Thinking back, I am really not sure how we did it. But we did, and Newcastle has been the best move for us and our family.
So, at the tender age of 45 I started experiencing internal heat waves... peri-menopause. Seriously? OK whatever... at least the no 2 wasn't involved.
Menopause coincided with the discovery that my thyroid was not happy. Oh ok, this thing did come in 2's my bad. [eye roll]
I was just exhausted, cold then hot, then cold, then throwing my bed covers off in lather of sweat. I couldn’t lose weight and I was angry, ALL the time! My husband couldn't even fold a freaking t'shirt correctly. I was a nut job. At least I got to meet my long time crush Mark Lizotte - DIESEL. (see pic)
Getting some bloods done, my doctor tested for peri-menoapuse and my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels, which came back normal range, but I was definitely in peri-menopause. Fun.
But I knew my thyroid was NOT normal. I needed more answers.
I went to a Naturopath who requested FULL thyroid profile testing. T4, T3 and thyroid antibodies. My doctor was reluctant due to the cost of the testing, but I insisted, and the results came back that I had raised thyroid antibodies and my T4 and T3 levels were out of whack.
I knew it.
Always listen to your gut.
With my thyroid antibodies soaring into dangerous territory, I was heading down the path to a very real autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Disease. I honestly did not know how crap I felt. When you are unwell for so long, it just gradually becomes normal.
My doctor said that the antibodies weren't quite high enough to give me medication, which I really didn't want to take anyway... but she didn't offer any other suggestions. So I was in limbo.
This was previous to completing my Nutrition studies, so I went back to my Naturopath. She helped me with the right nutrients to support my thyroid health and I was already starting to work on the menopause stuff myself.
Then, something else popped up, I started getting heart palpitations, later diagnosed as premature ventricular contractions. Again... my search for the "why" commenced because after testing, the Cardiologist did not know, and said it was probably the menopause or stress. I was also having aura migraines, it was a bit of a tough time.
Now, I was a woman on a mission. I was researching all I could find out about hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s AND menopause AND premature ventricular contractions AND aura migraine!
My diet got a big overhaul, I gave up all gluten, grains and dairy. I wasn't a huge drinker but I gave up all alcohol and just focused on clean living, reducing stress where I could, and kept up doing a little bit of exercise (not too much as that too can be stressful to the body). I even introduced certain therapeutic essential oils that were good for the thyroid and found an amazing Shiatsu therapist, who also does a bit of other woo woo magical stuff... I found a way, I was in my groove, and it was working...
Fast forward 3 months later, I felt like a new person! I had lost weight, felt fit and energised and just felt the best I had felt in years. The heart palpitations subsided (I narrowed that down to a reaction to a particular ingredient in a supplement - go figure) and for a year or so I kept this lifestyle, I relaxed with the eating a bit, the alcohol snuck back in, but I remained focused on my health. My job was quite stressful, I worked long hours and was back studying so this did impact my capacity to keep on top of my thyroid health.
Then. COVID.
What a roller coaster that was, and still is to be honest. With all that was thrown at us during that crazy time, my mental health did suffer and my adrenals were once again being asked to run on empty. They hadn’t fully recharged from the last time!
I started putting on weight, was tired all the time and in around September last year, 2022 (there are those dang 2's again!) I noticed my hair thinning. The wave and bounce had disappeared, dead straight hair! Then I noticed a couple of bald patches on my scalp. EEEK! My hairdresser was like WTF Carolyn!
Thyroid. Classic Thyroid. You little bugger.
It took around 3 months to turn things around with my hair, and I can now report that the bald patches are completely resolved with my hair slowly regaining its thickness. I am even starting to get the waves and bounce back, not like before, but it’s getting there. [See pic with my beautiful mum and sister taken last month.]
The weight is still an issue, and that comes down to management of stress, sleep, movement and continuing to nourish my body. I know what I need to do, I have done it before and I can do it again.
I remain a work in progress, I have the tools to get back to where I was 5 years ago when I felt at my peak in health. Watch this space.
Being a Functional Nutritional Therapist has given me the education and the clinical tools to understand the importance of foundational health and identify nutrient deficiencies and dysfunction. Being sick for a long time inspired me to take control of my health and do the learning. Find the WHY, there is ALWAYS a reason.
A properly prepared nutrient dense diet, sleep, hydration, reduced stress, movement… these are all vital to our health. I have continued my learning after graduation, I now have a certification in Gut Health and Gastrointestinal Healing. I am just about to complete training in Psych-K, and plan on doing Blood Chemistry next. Lots to do!
The proper functioning of our digestive system is instrumental to our capacity to absorb nutrients. The buck starts here.
Our digestion has a flow on effect to other functions like immunity, detoxification, hormones and our cardiovascular system. Blood sugar regulation has a direct link to stress, and stress switches off our parasympathetic nervous system which drives digestion, immunity and reproduction.
It is all connected.
Foundational health is the key. And happiness - see pic of my big pup Sunny, she brings loads of it!
Don’t let it get to a point where you are hospitalised. Don't live your life feeling unwell.
l learned the hard way. There is so much you can do right now to turn things around, and if you need any help then don't hesitate to reach out.
So, if my story sounds familiar, then you know you are not alone.
I got you.
For a more intimate look at your inner health, book a FREE discovery call today to learn more about Functional testing with the GI MAP or a Functional Clinical Assessment, both of which can uncover some interesting insights into how your hormones are working - or not working for you.
Yours in health
Carrie
Carolyn Dimmock
Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner [FNTP]
Restorative Wellness Practitioner [RWP] – Gut Health
PSYCH-K® Facilitator
+61 474 243 388
Comentarios