9 days later

It has been exactly nine days since I started supplements and probiotics.  

On that day I met with my chiropractor for a routine adjustment.
My voice was hoarse and soft and crackly (is that even a word).
I had had the effects of vocal cord paralysis for 6 weeks.

My history with a chiropractor goes back about one year.  I had plantar fasciitis and was having trouble running.  I had orthotics, was taking anti-inflammatory medications and a list of physical therapy exercises that didn't seem to help much.  I wanted so badly to lose the weight and I knew running and eating healthier would help that but it was such a viscous circle.  Weight loss would help me run without so much pain.  Running would help me lose weight.  Lose the weight so I could run. Run to lose the weight.  

That's me and hubs at my cousin's wedding in the Summer of 2011. Probably 15+ lbs heavier.

Upon my very first visit, I was told that I had lots of things going on.  She adjusted me and we worked out a plan to work towards maintenance.
After two adjustments things felt better and after at third my foot pain was gone for longer and longer stretches-as well as the hip pain that always started after I ran any measurable distance at all.
I was hooked and I maintained my chiro visits faithfully about every 6 weeks.

Now fast forward to 9 days ago.

I walked into the office of the chiro for that maintenance adjustment as usual she asks "How's it going?"

She means what do I need adjusted.
When she hears me speak she asks about my voice and I tell her it's a paralyzed vocal cord.

She tells me that she can fix it.
Reluctant and stunned I say.
"What? My voice?"

"Yep" she says confidently.  "How do you feel about acupuncture? "  

"Uhhhhhh (freaky!  That stuff is crazy.  Needles randomly jabbed into my body is crazy talk!) why?"

"Well I am working with another patient who had no voice and she is starting to sound more like you."

She lists off supplements I need to take and I make a mental note.

I get adjusted and head to my local health food store for the goods.

That night, my husband and I catch mere seconds of a glimpse of a voice after one adjustment. 

It's Thursday.

I have an adjustment and acupuncture on Friday.  Occasional moments of a voice off and on.

Monday I am adjusted and have acupuncture and my voice has more good moments than bad.

Wednesday I am adjusted and have acupuncture and all Thursday and Friday I am doing well.

Friday I am again adjusted and have acupuncture.  Sunday I sing in church!

Now my voice sounds a bit like I just talked to much or maybe am getting over being hoarse from yelling.

She will be gone for 10 days on vacation so I am curious what will happen.  Will I continue to improve as the probiotics and supplements wash all those nasties out of my body?  Will it go back to the way it was?

I also do not want to count out the enormous amount of prayer that has taken place for me and by me. 

I know that God put each person in my path and all these circumstances lined up just perfectly according to HIS will.

I am still not sure what I God wants me to learn from this but I have learned:
 the importance of taking care of my body in a more natural and healthy way.
 the power of prayer.
 to appreciate my health.
 to be a little more open minded.
 to take charge of my health.
and most importantly to reduce the drama.

At first when this happened I cried.  HARD.  I was alone when I got the news and the prognosis was devastating. 75% chance of getting a more normal voice back someday-maybe in a year.
I should be tested for cancers.

God led me to learn that it was just my voice.  Other people endure much harder things in life than this.
He helped me to draw more near to my husband who kicked the supportiveness into ultra high gear.
He helped me to ask for prayer and rely on Him and his timing.
Once I did, things changed and I am changed.

That's hubs and I about a week after I lost my voice.  Ice Climbing.  I did more picture taking but hey I tried.

Oh and by the way.  The gas is pretty much gone too.  Don't run from me anymore!

Gas

No I don't mean the kind for your car either. 

This is not a blog post about gas prices or the Alaskan pipeline.

It's about my gas and it smells right now...bad.

Stop reading if you want. I'll never know.

But if I know you, I might wonder why you won't come talk to me when we see each other.

Look at me.  How can I smell so bad!?

Probiotics that's how.

Here is what probiotics are if you don't know.

So I started these guys because my chiropractor and the health food store guy believe that my immune system is deficient.  Some of my situation with my vocal cord believe it or not is because I have an unhealthy gut.  

That's an understatement.

For as long as I can remember I have not been...regular.

For real this even runs in my family.

Apparently it's okay to have gas but if it smells then something is not right.

You're not kidding something isn't right.

Farting in our family is something that invokes sheer horror in my teenage daughter yet

extreme laughter in my 10 year old son.

So I did some research on if this new probiotic could cause excessive smelly gas.

It's excessive.  My poor girl.  She thought the normal me was too much.

So candles lit, I found out this:

The light blue highlights are my random thoughts.

paleohacks.com

Now you have started to replace the bugs and the rumbling in your gut is the bugs having a turf war. They are actually fighting each other and when they die they putrefy and give off gas and smell. This will only last one to three weeks. 

One to three weeks is a looooong time.  It's been a week already.  

I might need to have the carpets cleaned and send the curtains to the dry cleaner if spring isn't here soon.  

This funk is poisoning my family. Literally.

I tell my patients to ride the wave and it will end and you will have a healthy gut.

We used to tell our patients to only take a multi-probiotic after an anti-biotic BUT now we tell them to take them all the time. Our food supply, unless you have supported the soil yourself and allow the fruit and veggies to vine ripen yourself, you are not getting what you need.

When first taking a multi-proboitic (and acidophilus is only one of the many bugs you need) one of two things will happen. You will having gas, bloating and likely foul smelling gas. or nothing will happen and you will go on about your business as usual.

Guess which one is me?

All the good stuff happens to THIS Girl

The first case you already had bugs in your gut but not the proper balance and the little guys have a turf war and fight each other, die and putrefy. Eventually the good guys win and the balance is restored.

YAAAAAY!

The second case you had NO bugs in your gut at all and they set up their little colonies and live happily ever after in their own little ecosystem.

There are products out there that have reproduced the bugs that were in the soil back in the cave-man days and those are the multi-probiotics I recommend to all my patients.

NORMAL GUT HEALTH consists of daily or multiple times a day bowel movements. 

(WHHHHAAAATT???  I need to show this to my family!) 

You should have gas, but healthy guts don't have foul smelling gas. 

Please.  

I rode in the car for approximately 34 hours with my mother to Florida and back.  

This might be her birthday present this year.

You should sit on the stool and evacuate in a few minutes without pushing or struggling. 

And that little gem if information would be nice to have known with the kids were little and bowel movements could ONLY take a couple of minutes.

If you don't have this you can if you take the proper multi-probiotic and I have seen some folks with really sick guts have healthy guts in one to six months depending on the severity.

For more Paleo Diet hacks: http://paleohacks.com/questions/48119/probiotics-causing-gas-flatulence#ixzz2MuWT88Y3
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Leprechans on the toilet!

I feel like I live in a cave and that I am just trying these things and hopefully on the path to being more healthy at the age of 41. 

Happy bowel movements everyone!