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Nature is Healing

I have taken a natural approach to pain relief the past couple of years. I have been thinking about this after my last doctor’s appointment and getting a good report. m them, so, I thought I would list out some of the benefits I have found since I started taking this approach. After looking it over I decided to share it for those that do not know the benefits of it.

Before

Fifteen medicines a day

Two inhalers

Almost 80 lbs. heavier

Both lower lobes of lungs were collapsed

COPD

Crippling pain from Fibro and other conditions, nearly non-functional

Not able to be active at all.

Debilitating Depression and Anxiety

Terrible Insomnia, 2-3 hours a night at times, none at others

High Blood pressure, 2 meds a day

Migraines

Cognitive function issues

Memory issues

After

Eight medicines,

Zero inhalers

Almost 80 lbs. lighter

All lobes are now open.

No COPD signs.

Still some pain that comes and goes but much improved and more functional.

More active and able to do things.

Mental health is still an issue now and then, but it has greatly improved.

I now get an average of six hours a night.

Normal blood pressure, zero medications needed.

No Migraines

Cognitive issues remain but have improved, no doubt due to improved sleep.

Yeah, well the memory hasn’t really improved, but I’m also about to turn 50, LOL!

Oh, it has not cured me. I still have my issues, but boy has it helped me immensely.

For those on the fence: Let me remind you that God created this plant. Noone has ever died of an overdose from it. It is all natural and if you want you can grow it yourself and know where it comes from and what you are consuming. Not to mention it is now 100% legal where I live.

For those that judge those that use it: I would rather know what I am putting in my body is safe than take the pills the pushed on me for all these years that caused more problems than they helped… I think their medications caused half of my issues. As with my food, I prefer my medicine as natural as possible. The chemicals and stuff that they add to everything cannot be good for us!

The pharmaceutical companies had a great deal to do with the abolishment of this medicinal herb and the continued suppression of its use. No money to be made in a medication you can grow yourself.

It truly has been a miracle for me! I thank God for those that talked me into trying it. I do think it saved my life, or, at the very least, added quality to it, if not quantity.

(edited)
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Hurricane SFC Zachary

Part 1 of 2 Sixteen long months ago, my life jumped the track to a hugely different timeline and trajectory. In the time since that point of impact event when my dear baby brother ended his life, I have frequently thought of dates biblically. Before Zach (BZ) and After Zach (AZ). As my weather obsessed kids and I have been tracking Hurricane Idalia from the safety of our land-locked living room, a new categorical nomenclature has emerged.

A beautiful life that ends by suicide should be catalogued like a Hurricane. Like the weather event, it should be thought about in three distinct, non-overlapping phases: formation, landfall, and aftermath.

Hurricanes are called different things (tropical cyclones, typhoons) but they all are colossal in size. As displaced air grows, huge clouds form and spin until a recognizable eye of the storm forms.

This eye easiest viewed from outside the storm. Much like a person lost to suicide, very rarely is this outcome a spontaneous, explosive incident. Every storm is as unique as a fingerprint but comes from the same template. Hurricanes move slowly and wreak insurmountable damage for prolonged periods of time. For example, Hurricane Katrina’s effects terrorized the lands it passed over for more than a year.

FORMATION

Experts, we who have experienced these types of loss, will tell you it was not one thing that went wrong. It was one million things and often so acutely that our loved one could not even come up for air long enough to accept help. While the storm is in the ocean it builds momentum as it feeds on heat and moisture. Some hurricanes have all the ingredients to destroy but spend their fury on an open ocean. It takes ideal circumstances for these storms to emerge.

A precise mixture of rising air and low wind shear. A small difference in wind speed could stop it in its tracks. But the homeostatic environment often does not interfere. Just like humanity. Suicide is horrific and so uncomfortable, that all we can acknowledge is ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘That’s awful’, but statistically after 3 weeks people won’t reference our loved one or check-in on us survivors anymore.

Paul Quinnett PhD says it like this “non-response can be interpreted as permission to proceed.”

Be the interference.

Ask your loved one the uncomfortable question before this brewing storm makes landfall. Storms often creep along slowly, 10-20 mph, our loved ones may have been struggling in front of our eyes for longer than we could have imagined enduring.

In my brother’s case there were copious points when his storm’s momentum grew. We moved frequently, so we never established hearty roots to fight uprooting during the F5s.

A circulating storm that dissipates midocean was not an option after losing a parent, abandonment, addiction, abuse, neglect, an unstable marriage, and sixteen years in the United States Infantry.

LANDFALL

A hurricane is set to make landfall when the center moves across the coast, or the eye of the storm is over land. There are AREAS of the world more prone to landfall (i.e., Florida) and when the storm hits land friction increases while cutoff from supplies, the winds decrease at a constant rate. Storms may shrink when they hit land, but landfall is when the most damage occurs.

Power outages, downed wires, storm surge, flooding and flying debris causes more injury and death than the hurricane overhead. Zach’s landfall started with PCS to Germany, a failing marriage, COVID-19 pandemic sidelining troops, alcohol abuse, and hypertension. On his 36th birthday he received a DUI while riding a scooter back from drinks with friends. His last 6 months were the point of no return, his cone of uncertainty became more determined.

AFTERMATH

Once the storm has passed and the rebuild begins, it is the only point where you can really evaluate the awfulness of this disturbance. When your home looks different you can spot the hazards to your health and safety. Besides external changes, internally overwhelming anxiety, worry, sleep problems and depressive symptoms may dominate. Hurricane Sandy formed October 22, was post-tropical October 29 and dissipated November 2nd. If the storm lasted 11 days and the recovery 14 months, that puts the rebuild at 38 times the length of the initial disaster.

Often communities prepare for impact with sandbags on the ground, boarded up windows, and stockpiled water. Most times these preparations are unnecessary, and the homeowners can return to life and be proud that they were ‘ready’. Other times the storm surge will raise the water level a few feet and cause nonfatal damage. The savvy homeowner who lives in hurricane territory will say “this isn’t their first rodeo”, grab a beer, call their home insurance, and chalk this up

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I'm new here!

Hi, my name is TPain87. I'm here because
I have been dealing with nonstop everyday migraines for the last 11 years. I am tired of going through this. Multiple doctors I've been through who I've switched to diff ones because I wasn't getting help when I asked them to please do certain tests. They continously put me on different meds. I take sumatriptan when it's BAD and I also take propranolol for my high blood pressure and to help with the migraines as well as monthly aimovig injections. I hate nobody around me will help! I've been to the er so many times over the years even once with a fever of 104 and they thought it was meningitis but they never tested me. Sent me home on an antibiotic to see if it'd help. It did for about a month. Over this 11 year period, I have gotten worse. They're more severe, I start to see things that aren't there, I have lost 40 pounds in 3 mo ths bc I don't want to eat or drink. I also have crohns disease and stage 3 kidney disease so not sure if it has anything to do with those? I am irritable, my personality has changed significantly with one second I'm happy and with a switch I am pissed off. I have excessive sleepiness, eyes were rece tly checked bc I'm having issues with light and driving is somewhat of an issue now. I have been put on a cpap machine bc of my sleeping patterns or nights I don't sleep. I'm confused and can't remember things how I use to. I'm struggling really bad. I'm 35 years old and have been dealing with this since I was 24. I am always feeling ill and always go to bed to wake up with fevers. Something IS WRONG and no neurologists seem to help. I have gone through physical therapy and it didn't help as well as chiropractor apps 2 times a week and still didn't help so .y insurance seen there was no improvement so they stopped paying for it. I can not work right now bc of it. My last job I was sent home a lot! If ANYONE knows anything, please help! I am struggling just to manage them every day just to live! 😔 If anyone might know what it could possibly be? or who is going through the same thing, I'd like to know! I feel alone. 😩

#MightyTogether #Anxiety #Depression #Migraine #Crohn 'sDisease

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Rough Day but at least I survived #StimulantDependence #Bipolar1 #Hypertension

I truly believe that I have finally hit my "bottom" today with my addiction to crystal meth. I'm really tired of abusing the body that God has blessed me with, It gets old going through the same old cycle over and over again. I'm ready to begin my recovery journey but I have extreme anxiety about attending 12-step meetings and I fear my own chances of a relapse again if I don't start following a program. I have come to this conclusion: If I don't start being proactive about my recovery and health and stay on the path I am currently on, I will end up dead from a heart attack, stroke, etc. I appreciate and value my life more than that so I need to act and live life like I value it.

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Just add it to the list

Ended up in the ER twice a couple weeks ago, and then 2 ER follow-ups with docs. First ER visit i just went to a walk-in clinic for cough meds. Ended up being in respiratory failure and didn't know it and got my first ride in an ambulance. Second time I drove myself there. Both times indicated that I now have high blood pressure and am now on yet another med. yay.

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Sleep Tips: What Helps You Sleep?

What is the purpose and value of sleep?
Without it, it would be impossible to function properly. Sleep is one of the most important activities the body uses to take care of itself. Though the absolute existential and biological reasons for sleep are not fully known, there is mounting evidence that sleep helps us with the following:
* Recuperate physically and mentally
* Conserve energy vital for all basic human functioning
* Maintain equilibrium in all biological processes
* Supports critical brain function
* Deep Sleep = Deep Healing
Scientists have discovered that sleep may be a secret elixir that can cure or reduce risk of dementia. How? Sleep is like a fascinating vacuuming system that clears the brain from toxic protein tangles called beta amyloid, a stronger biological marker for dementia.
How do we sleep?
Your sleep consists of two major phases: non-rapid eye movement sleep (which consists of three stages: Stage 1, 2, and 3) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Each stage is important for several biological processes. Specifically, Stage 3, marked by slow wave sleep, is linked with biological recuperative and restoration processes.
However, your sleep is much more than these biological processes and stages. Don’t just focus on how much sleep you get but rather the quality, timing (when you sleep), efficiency, consistency of sleep time, and how satisfied you are after sleeping—which are all important in determining if you are getting “good, healthy sleep.”
How does sleep affect our overall health and wellness?
It’s no secret that sleep can affect our physical and mental well-being. In fact, healthy sleep duration can reduce risk for:
* Cancer
* Heart disease
* Dementia
* Mental illness
* Respiratory disease
* Inflammation
* Reduced immune function
In addition to our well-being, healthy sleep improves brain function (such as concentration and memory), mood, quality of life, libido, and even your level of attraction. One of the strongest evidence for the benefits of sleep is seen in its ability to reduce the risk for heart disease. Sleep is linked with lowering of blood pressure and glucose levels during the night, reducing risk for hypertension and diabetes.
How can we get better sleep?
While there is no one-size-fits-all sleep routine, there are a few things you can do to set yourself up for better sleep at night.
Tips for preparing for better sleep
* Avoid heavy meals 2 hours before bed.
* Avoid exercise 2-3 hours before bed.
* Avoid bright lights at least 30 minutes before bed. Turn off the TV and other electronic devices, and be mindful of blue light from mobile devices and excessively bright LED lights.
* Try to keep a consistent bedtime routine or schedule. Try to keep both the time you go to sleep and the activities you do before bed the same.
* Avoid any stressful or emotional conversations before going to bed.
* Avoid naps, especially too close to bedtime. Sometimes, a power nap is a great way to recharge your energy during the day. But if it’s the late afternoon or early evening, consider how laying down to rest could impact your ability to fall asleep later in the night.
* Avoid stressful activities 30 minutes before bed. Yes, this includes doing work! Instead, aim to work a calming activity such as reading into your night routine.
* Ensure your sleep environment is conducive and a sanctuary for sleep.
* Take a warm shower before bed. This can be a soothing step of your bedtime routine that may help you feel more restful once you jump into bed.
* Dress in loose clothing. There’s nothing worse than feeling restrained by tight clothing while trying to get comfortable for sleep. Wearing loose clothing for bed promotes better circulation and will allow your skin to breathe at night.
What should we do if we can’t fall asleep at night?
Sometimes, even with a good night routine and sleep preparation, our bodies just won’t let us doze off.
Here are 7 tips that may help you fall asleep
* If you don’t fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed. This may seem like a strange recommendation since your bed is the very place where you want to fall asleep. However, get up and try to wind down in other ways before you climb back under the sheets.
* Avoid reaching for your smartphone. As mentioned earlier, blue light from mobile devices and excessively bright LED lights can block natural melatonin production and make it harder for you to fall asleep. Instead of aimlessly scrolling through social media in the middle of the night, try reading a relaxing book for 15-20 minutes instead.
* Drink a cup of hot decaf tea. The soothing effect can help to fall asleep.
* Meditate or practice mindfulness. Breathing exercises can help clear your mind and calm your body.
* Too much ambient noise around? Try a sound machine or soothing sleep story. If you’re having trouble falling asleep due to surrounding noises, you may find sounds like soothing ocean waves or raindrops calming. Research has also shown that sound machines and white noise can help.
* Ensure room temperature is 60 to 67 degrees F. Your body's temperature naturally decreases during sleep. So, a cool but not cold, room will help you better settle into and maintain sleep throughout the night
* Try a hot shower or bath. A hot shower or bath can cool and relax your body, which are ideal to induce sleep.

If you’ve been having a hard time getting to sleep lately, I hope these tips make you feel more ready to crawl into bed and catch some z’s!

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Peaches 🍑

I took a trip out to the orchard and got fresh peaches. Such a healthy snack. Did you know peaches are full of antioxidants (which help against disease and aging) and nutrients? Peaches contain fiber, which contributes to smooth digestion and a lower risk
of gut disorders. Peaches lower risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Peaches also keep your skin healthy. They also protect against certain types of cancer.

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Tired of Being Dismissed

I try not to complain and don't share my health struggles (disabling depression, anxiety) with many. I went to the psychiatrist yesterday where, thanks to a combination of having elevated blood pressure already and being extremely anxious, my blood pressure was 184/132. The aide who took it relayed that information to my doctor before letting me go home. That scared me even more. But to everyone else, that's not a big deal. They have worse or that's not so bad. I just need a space where I can be frightened and that's a reasonable, valid reaction. I've been prescribed a medication for the anxiety and scheduled an appointment with a general practitioner to get my blood pressure under control. #Anxiety #Depression #HighBloodPressure

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