Tag Archives: insomnia

A DIY French Green Clay Mask That Will Refresh Your Skin on mindbodygreen

by

Please note: This article was originally published on mindbodygreen on February 16th, 2016.

I love green beauty products, and I probably have a slight addiction to them. To my pleasant surprise, I awoke this morning to find one of my beauty articles published on mindbodygreen! Want to look like you’ve slept eight hours even if you haven’t? This is the mask for you.

Photo is the copyright of lymeroad.com and Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio

Photo is the copyright of lymeroad.com and Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio

I’m a professional insomniac. Despite having tried nearly everything to fix my sleep woes, I continue to toss and turn most nights. It’s an unfortunate symptom of a chronic illness, so it’s not likely to change anytime soon.

As expected, the lack of sleep takes a toll on my skin, so to combat my perpetual shortage of shut-eye, I’m eternally obsessed with finding a green beauty routine that keeps my skin looking as healthy as possible.

In the wee hours of a recent snooze-free morning, I lay in bed thinking of a way I could achieve great-looking skin even as my precious sleep eluded me. Enter thoughts of French green clay.

This mineral-rich mud forms a perfect base for a DIY mask that both exfoliates and revitalizes, and a protein-packed egg yolk provides an easily absorbable combination of nutrients to restore tired skin.

The day after my all-night bout of insomnia, a friend asked me why my skin looked so good and whether I had changed my beauty routine. I just smiled at her and said, “It’s thanks to insomnia!”

French Green Clay Mask To Revive & Refresh Your Skin

This clay mask takes about five minutes to prepare and contains a handful of get-your-skin-glowing ingredients. Best of all, buy soma watson pain relief these items are easily found online and at your local health or grocery stores, making it a cinch to look like you got a full night’s sleep (even if you didn’t).

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon French green clay (available from a health food store or online)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut flour (you can also use oat flour, almond flour, corn flour, etc.)
  • 1 organic egg yolk
  • 3 teaspoons filtered water, spring water, or aloe vera juice
  • 2 drops geranium essential oil (optional, for normal skin)
  • 2 drops lavender essential oil (optional, for acne-prone and sensitive skin)
  • 2 drop chamomile essential oil (optional, for dry skin)
  • 1 teaspoon avocado, jojoba, sunflower, or olive oil (optional, for dry skin)

Preparation

Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. If you have dry skin, add your oil of choice (avocado, jojoba, sunflower, or olive oil). Next, gently mix in the two drops of your preferred essential oil.

Please note that you can still use this mask even if you don’t add any oil or essential oil — a mask using only the base will still slough off dead skin and leave your complexion refreshed.

Now you’re ready to apply the mask!

Cleanse your face with warm water to open your pores and remove makeup. Gently pat your face with a towel until there’s just a little moisture left on your skin.

Use your fingers to apply a thick layer of the clay paste to your face, avoiding the eyes, eyebrows, and lips. Let the mask sit for 15 minutes or until dry. Then carefully wipe the mask off with a wet, warm washcloth.

Follow up with your favorite toner, moisturizer, or facial oil. Ta-da! Gorgeous skin.

Use once or twice a week for best results.

Lessons Learned Through Joy, Pain, and Self-Discovery

by

[Note: This article originally appeared on Pro Health on December 7th, 2015. www.prohealth.com. Christmas is a time for reflection over the past year, and celebrating the possibilities for the new year. It seems appropriate to me then, that I would post this article today. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a new year filled with joy, peace, and healing. Here’s to 2016!]

October 24, 2013, was probably an average Thursday in the lives of most people. For me, however, it was a life-changing day; it was the day I finally had some answers. After numerous doctors and ten years of seriously declining health–the last 18-months of which I spent bedridden–I listened sharply on the phone as my nurse practitioner informed me, “You have Lyme Disease. You’ve probably had it most of your life.”

I was both scared and relieved to hear this news. Scared because, well, I knew I would be embarking on one of the greatest challenges of my life, and relieved because I was no longer in the dark about what to call the mysterious illness wreaking havoc on my body. The list of diagnoses I had collected over the years–from Interstitial Cystitis and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis to Fibromyalgia, and Adrenal Fatigue–all suddenly seemed interconnected. I knew the path to reclaiming my health would require patience, persistence, effort, and faith. Nevertheless, I was ready to confront the illness that had sidelined me for years. Thankfully, I had the support of my loving husband and family.

On that fall morning in October, my nurse practitioner laid the groundwork for a treatment protocol that has slowly helped me to rebuild my life, one tiny step at a time. There are layers of damage to address as a result of going years–maybe even decades–with undiagnosed, systemic infections. I just passed the two-year treatment mark. I am not cured or well yet, but I am healing. I still have ups and downs; I have flashes where it seems like remission is in reach and stages where I can barely lift my head from the pillow. In spite of all the highs and lows along this bumpy road, I am forever transformed by the lessons learned through joy, pain and, self-discovery. Here are those lessons:

Learn to resist the urge to dwell in a negative headspace for long periods of time.

In the beginning, I had spent countless amounts of energy thinking about the past; what I once was capable of doing, and the social life I had prior to my illness. Dwelling on the past immediately ushered me into a very dark, negative place in my mind. Isolated from the things and people I loved the most, the loneliness was heartbreaking. I felt hopeless, lost and frustrated. I grew too fearful to even imagine a future where joy and dreams could exist. Sickness appeared to win and overtake the best parts of me.

I am not exactly sure when the shift in my thinking occurred; but my core, my spirit, the very deepest places of me, eventually changed. I let go of anger and gave cheap generic soma myself permission to redefine my identity in spite of the struggles I faced. In contrast, by maintaining my focus on the present and not the past, I discovered more peace within my situation. Slowly, I began to see light and hope in the places once occupied by darkness and negativity. I still struggle, but I see an opportunity for personal growth in the midst of my troubles and I choose to embrace it. I am more content nowadays as I take on these health challenges, and much less likely to contemplate the gloomy side of things.

When one chapter of life closes, a new chapter begins.

Early in my treatment, I came across a wonderful quote from Pastor Brian Houston. It reads:

“Never ever confuse the end of an era in your life as the completion of your destiny.”

The truth of his words gripped my heart with such conviction I have yet to forget them. He was right. There was no denying that an era in my life had ended. Although I grieved those devastating losses for months, I began to hope and affirm a new beginning; a season of healing and anticipation, in my life. I anchored my thoughts to the idea that I still had a purpose and a destiny, and I have not looked back.

Even though I am strained beneath the weight of a controversial illness, I know I still have a unique set of gifts and talents worth sharing with the world. I accept that Lyme disease is my present circumstance. Thankfully, circumstances can and do change. However, the destiny for my life does not. It’s so freeing to write that!

Take time to celebrate the small victories.

Yes, I still have a chronic illness, but I repeatedly test the notion that I can’t enjoy life. I frequently take mental vacations from my illness– from obsessing over it, Googling it, and chatting about it. Instead, I try to celebrate small victories and nurture my adventuresome spirit.

I snap pictures of just about everything I do. That’s become my approach to maintaining a celebratory, productive outlook. When progress seems slow to come, I can look at these visual reminders and see there have been several small victories. These accomplishments help me to combat adversity and renew my optimism.

I hope I will one day beat Lyme disease altogether. I am steadfast in my determination and more resilient than I realized. Ultimately, there are many more healing milestones to celebrate along the way.

My current treatment is aggressive and will continue to be intense for a while. Although someone else could be angry about their experience with chronic Lyme disease, most of the time, I am not. I choose to stay grateful that I have a body that refuses to give up. Another person– a different body– may have quit a long time ago. In the middle of all the chaos, there have been moments of immense happiness over the last two years. I live for those moments. They are the fuel for my soul to continue this healing journey.

Treatment Update: This Is My Present, Strange Reality

by

sparklers july-4-2015--12

First, thank you so much for your nice words and comments the past few months regarding my post, A Life On Pause, through Facebook, emails, my blog and elsewhere. Tens-of-thousands of people around the world read it! I am speechless. That is the greatest compliment I have ever received. The article is even scheduled to be printed in the upcoming issue of The Lyme Times, a quarterly journal through LymeDisease.org.

I have been hesitant and excited to write this update. Hesitant because, well, there’s the fear of relapse in the back of my mind, and excited because I finally made a dent in this disease. Lyme is a sucker punch of an illness and has delivered enough low, unexpected blows to me to last a lifetime.

I’ve been treating Lyme Disease and a host of overlapping conditions for nearly two years now. My condition fluctuates between bad and worse days. This pattern has been consistent. My treatment has been intense, occasionally hurling me backward before I can move forward again. Quitting is not an option, though I sometimes fantasize about throwing all my pills in the trash. It’s not easy to take upwards of 60 pills, herbs, tinctures and supplements each day.

This is my life. When the alarm sounds, it’s time to take my medications. I have taken medications in a Chipotle bathroom, the back of a taxi, dressing rooms, the hair salon, the grocery aisle at Target, in the middle of a church worship service, even, on a Ferris Wheel (once).

This is my present, strange reality. And there are still years of treatment ahead.

However, I made a promise to myself early on in my treatment that I would never measure my progress by how anyone buy soma drugs online else was doing. I would choose the treatments that felt right for me. I do not chase after treatments in the hopes of finding a faster fix to my circumstance. I don’t have the financial means nor the energy to do so. I accept that recovery, remission and a better quality of life take time and effort. It’s more work than I could ever have imagined.

But my story begins to take a favorable twist. Those who see me, talk with me or follow me on social media know there has been a subtle shift occurring in my symptoms. I have better days. At times, even a good day:

I felt the wind whip through my hair and the sunshine on my face as I sat by the lake. I shared delicious dinners with long-time friends. I tasted my first Stanley’s donut. I walked through my neighborhood park and breathed in the fresh air. I had a wonderful 4th of July with my mother and Tom and only required a few days to recover. I took the dogs to the park. I danced to an old workout video. I hung upside down from some monkey bars. I even napped! Yes, insomnia that tortured me for years is truly improving. There is such happiness in these small victories for me.

sparklers july-4-2015--8

When I look back on the last year and ten months, I feel proud. I am proud of my attitude through this journey, proud I persevere along the path of recovery and proud of the life I am rebuilding bit by bit. This has been my greatest challenge, but I now know things do get better.

sparklers july-4-2015--9

Things That Go “Tweet” In The Night

by

My dear friend, Lisa, sent me a gift this past Christmas. It was a plastic, motion-sensor cardinal with instructions that I could throw it away if it was too annoying.

Cardinals are near to my heart. For a year and a half, I was too ill to leave the house. Through the office window, I spent many mornings watching as a pair of cardinals sang beautiful duets with each other. Their colors were mesmerizing. For me, they became a symbol of hope to remember there was life outside the walls of my apartment.

As I grew stronger and began to leave the house, I no longer saw my two, favorite birds.

Glimpses of them are rare these days. From time to time, I hear their lovely songs cascading from the treetops. I like to imagine the cardinals are bringing hope to someone else.

Every once in a while, a sweet friend or family member will send me a cardinal knickknack as a reminder of how far I’ve come on this journey. I opened Lisa’s gift and excitedly pulled out the small strip of paper that was blocking the motion sensor.

The plastic cardinal began to sing, “Tweeeet. Tweet tweet. Tweet tweet. Twee-e-e-e-eet.”

“This really works,” I thought to myself as I perched the cardinal on the mantle.

Dog number one walked buy soma pills online past and the cardinal immediately began to sing.

Then, dog number two walked past and sure enough, it started to sing again. In fact, dog number two walked in front of the cardinal a few times, each time triggering the motion sensor.

Once again, the cardinal chirped when Hubby came close.

Realizing that the mantle was probably not the right place for this gift, I did what any sentimental gal would do with a hypersensitive, plastic, motion sensor cardinal:

I stuffed it in the sock drawer.

I couldn’t possibly toss it in the trash! I was very touched by Lisa’s thoughtful gesture.

Last night I had terrible insomnia from recently adding some medications to my treatment protocol. Frustrated by my inability to fall asleep, I got up to take the second half of my sleep meds. I fumbled around in the darkness until I had my pill container in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I took my sleep meds and set my glass on the dresser.

As I turned to crawl back into my bed, I heard a muffled sound coming from the top dresser drawer.

“Tweeeet. Tweet tweet. Tweet tweet. Twee-e-e-e-eet.”

Adjusting To New Holiday Traditions

by

In 16 years, not a single snow storm or blizzard deterred me from seeing my family during the Christmas season.

Dating back to my freshman year of college, I would pack the car to the brim and drive to Minnesota. I usually brought a giant pile of dirty clothes to wash at my parents house, as I had typically run out of quarters by the end of the semester. In the years I had my job as an Occupational Therapist, I loaded the car with gifts that I had proudly purchased for my family. When I got married, my husband became part of my holiday traveling tradition also.

By 2011, I was no longer well enough to take those trips.

Christmas with my family is huge. Parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, children, grandchildren and friends all congregate at my Aunt’s house in what invariably turns into a 2-3 day marathon of food, fun and some serious card playing. Games like Canasta, Continental Rummy and Nuts have been a family tradition as far back as I can remember. I grew up playing cards and learned to count while playing poker with my grandmother. My cousin, Julie, is the undisputed card-playing champion of the family. Her hands move so fast, at times they’re blurry.

I miss those days.

Not yet strong enough to endure the Christmas festivities, I find myself trying to create new traditions in Chicago.

In our apartment, we have a small, buy carisoprodol canada decorated tree that sits on our mantel. We tried a 7 foot tree one year, but my beagle tried to eat it so we had to downsize.

Every year, I pose the beagles in costumes just long enough to snap a pic or two. I have a reindeer, a Santa suit and a snowman costume. The costumes are decided based on their cooperation. This year, I had a pocket full of yummy treats so I had their full participation.

christmas-beagles-12-23-2014-03419

christmas-beagles-12-23-2014-03251

 

christmas-beagles-12-23-2014-03378

Like last year, my mother will be coming the day after Christmas. We will partake in our annual tradition of driving around looking for the best displays of Christmas lights. We have been doing this since I was a child, first in my hometown of Winona, and now in Chicago. This is one of my favorite Christmas-time activities.

There are moments however, where I realize I am not yet adjusted to my life with Lyme and such an uneventful holiday season. There will be no big, family meal and no presents to unwrap, as every spare cent we have goes towards my treatment. Such quietness seems foreign to me.

Hopefully, I will one day soon be able to enjoy Christmas and the busyness once again!

christmas-beagles-12-23-2014-03191

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me, Tom, Seven (15 yrs) and Caylie (12 yrs)!

 

Viewing Elephants On My iPhone

by

The other day, I was walking at the mall with Tom, enjoying the Christmas displays and celebrating how far I have come. I have been tolerating my treatment plan well and slowing increasing a new supplement called Mito Lipo to improve my mitochondrial function and give me more energy.

“I think I am turning a corner with my health.” I cheerfully said. To illustrate my point, Tom abruptly made a 90 degree turn in front of me while dancing.

The day after my outing however, I was hit with such severe fatigue that I have since been cheap soma online overnight cooped up in my bed for the last two days. I don’t do lying in bed well anymore. I’ve got dreams, ideas and things I would like to accomplish. My mind maybe capable of doing more, but my body does not always receive the memo.

So, here I lay in my cozy bed viewing elephants on my iPhone as I recuperate. I know this is a temporary set-back. Next, I will check in with various members on the local Lyme forum and chat with a few friends on Instagram. What would I do without social media?

jenny-in-bed-02504

jenny-in-bed-02509

jenny-in-bed-02510

jenny-in-bed-02526

Paleo Pumpkin Walnut Pancakes

by

It has literally been years, decades maybe, since I have eaten anything that even remotely resembled a pancake. Maybe it’s the sudden and drastic change in temperature that I now find myself craving some sort of comfort food. Below is the recipe I adapted from Wellness Mama to help satisfy my hankering for pancakes.

pancake 1

Ingredients: 

2 eggs

1/4 cup of pumpkin purée ( I used Farmer’s Market brand from Whole Foods)

1 Tbs of walnuts

1/8-1/4 tsp of cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I used 1/4th tsp)

Small pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup of your favorite berries (I used blackberries)

Coconut oil

Grass-fed butter if tolerated

Directions:

1. Whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon and small pinch of sea salt

2. Add in walnuts and whisk a few more times

3. Warm pan over medium high heat (I used a cast iron skillet).

4. Place a Tbs of coconut oil in the pan making buy soma canadian pharmacy sure to cover the bottom.

5. Place 2 Tbs of batter in the pan and cook until golden brown.

6. Flip the pancake over and brown the other side.

7. Place pancake on a plate. If you can tolerate butter, I placed a small pat of butter on each pancake to melt while I made the next one.

8. Makes about 5 small pancakes.

9. Top with your favorite berries.

Prep time: 5-7 minutes, Cook time: 10 minutes, Total time: 15-17 minutes

pancake 2

Verdict: 

It was pretty good and I ate the whole stack! I did miss a bit of the sweetness of a traditional pancake so I think the next time I make this recipe, I will blend in a 1/3rd of a banana or so.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite paleo pancake recipe? Please share!

Blogging Saved My Life

by
© Christian Schnettelker

© Christian Schnettelker

Okay, so maybe blogging didn’t literally save my life. It has however been a crucial part of my healing journey this past year.

I recently passed my first anniversary (or blogiversary) on The Lyme Road. When I began the blog, I intended on a place where I could process my feelings and work through the pain and difficulty of a prolonged, gloomy season in my life. I hoped that by writing bits and pieces of my story, I could boost my spirits. I wanted to let go of the past and embrace the possibilities of my future.

My intention was to inspire myself to keep believing that I could live joyfully while enduring a chronic illness. On October 26th, 2013, I pressed “Publish” for my first post. Much to my surprise, friends, family and strangers read the post. Even my very busy doctor took a moment out of his day to view it and write a comment!

I never really considered others might be interested in the story I had to tell. I didn’t imagine people would actually be following my progress! I am honored that my story has served as encouragement to others. I am so grateful to all of you who have continued to read my posts, comment on them, email and message me!

Blogging has been an amazing platform to help me cope and aid in the healing process.

8 Ways Blogging has Been Crucial to My Healing Journey :

1. It boosted my self-esteem.

I had lost a lot of my life to illness. My confidence had been badly shaken. Blogging helped me realize that I still had gifts and talents to share with the world that weren’t dependent on whether I was well. I accomplished a post if I just kept working a little at a time.

2. It gave writing back to me.

When I was a child, I used to spend hours in my room writing story after story with abandon. In growing up, getting older and getting a real job, I lost that passion. Years of text books, heavy with medical and therapy jargon, had stifled my creativity. Even though I may only ever make enough money for a monthly trip to Chipotle, blogging has allowed me an avenue where I can explore my creative side. It feels so good be to writing again!

3. It’s provided me with free therapy.

I held on tightly to painful memories not knowing how to safely release them. Through the power of words, I was able to cry and grieve my heart’s most buy soma online overnight distressing moments. The result has been a profound understanding that although there is difficulty in life, hope can fill me. That’s ultimately what I want for myself–a life filled with hope.

4. It gave me a social life again.

I do my blogging at home while sitting on the couch or lying in bed. I could not have guessed that I would meet such a kind, helpful group of people online. I am lucky enough to have developed real friendships with several of these people. I know that as I connect and network with other bloggers, I will continue to meet some wonderful people.

5. It allowed me to take risks.

I have always loved to take a risk, learn a new skill or try something different. For years, I had to extinguish that desire and make the pursuit of healing my number one priority. I was too weak, too sick and too tired to dream of embarking on an adventure. Blogging has help me to find courage to try something new again.

Shortly after I began writing, I guest posted on a few other blogs. Then, I decided to take a chance and submit a few posts to Mind Body Green, a huge health and wellness website…

6. And blogging showed me that I still have a lot to learn.

The first post I sent to Mind Body Green was not the easily sharable format they use on their website. My second post to them sounded like I was trying to sell something. I realized I needed to take time to learn and develop a writing style that is unique to me.

I have time to make mistakes, learn from them and take more risks.

7. It taught me that support can come from unexpected places.

Of course, I expected that my family and a few close friends would read my blog. What I did not expect however, is that support, empathy and encouraging words would come from other people’s mothers, old high school classmates, ex-colleagues and strangers from around the world! It truly has been a blessing to me and a source of great comfort.

8. It has helped me to see I have a choice.

I have a choice to not let my heart be in turmoil over my current circumstances. I can daily choose to renew my thinking by focusing on good, pure and lovely things. In almost every post I write, I am attempting to illustrate this simple equation:

Focusing on the good equals more peace in my life.

Focusing on the bad equals more anxiety and confusion.

Such a simple formula!

 

MY ONE YEAR TREATMENT UPDATE

by

I seriously think I know every inch of my apartment. I have seen paint chips fall and new cracks form in the walls, evidence of the passage of time. I know what floor boards are unusually smooth, so instead of walking forward, I can choose to slide around in my socks.

I know which corner there is likely to be a spider hiding and which windows to look out to see squirrels jumping from the neighbor’s roof onto the treetops. This has been my view for the majority of the last four-and-a-half-years.

It would be false to say that there has been no improvement, but rather the improvements are often slow in coming and akin to the unhurried speed of watching paint dry.

This is my one-year treatment update.

© Leonardo Aguiar

© Leonardo Aguiar

I reflect upon this last year of treatment somewhat heavy-hearted. The ache of isolation is still present. The burden of years of not working and mounting medical expenses weighs heavy upon me. Fatigue-ladened days and almost nightly bouts of insomnia have left me drained. Still determined, I continue on with my treatment. However, no amount of resolve can change the ruthlessness that is Lyme Disease. If it were up to willpower, I would find myself healed by now.

I am glad I finally know I have Lyme Disease. I am grateful I have had the last 12 months to begin treating it, and hopefully, begin beating it. The pain of the difficulty of the last four-and-a-half-years still lingers though. The challenges are still great. The weariness is setting in.

“What changed? I thought you were doing better.” you may be asking.

“Better” is always relative to a bar that has been set quite low.

I began a new treatment protocol three where to buy lady soma products months ago. It is intense and much like a Cancer patient undergoing chemo to attack the cancer cells, a Lyme Disease patient must undergo an aggressive treatment to attack the multitude of infections hiding in the body. At times, the treatment seems severe, even cruel, but the hope of a better quality of life and the desire to live compels me to press onward.

Normally, I write about the areas where I have experienced improvement during my treatment and set goals for the areas in which I would like to see further progress. This time however, I am penning an honest look at the ups and downs of living with a chronic illness. Sometimes, time passes with little to no improvement. Presently, this is where I find myself.

I am reminded of a passage I once read in a book called God Calling.

“In a race it is not the start that hurts, not the even pace of the long stretch. It is when the goal is in sight that heart and nerves and courage and muscles are strained almost beyond human endurance, almost to breaking point.

So with you now the goal is in sight…”

This illness continues to stretch my faith, perseverance, endurance and hope in many unexpected ways. Despite feeling strained, I choose to believe that although I might be bruised, I will not break. I trust that better days are yet to come and I hope to be able to write about some of them in my next treatment update. For now, I am still taking it one day at a time.

“Have courage.” I hear. “until those days come.”

© Maja

© Maja

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment.

THE DEEP END. POST ON SUFFERING THE SILENCE

by

A while back, I was contacted by Erica from the blog Suffering The Silence about doing a guest post for their site. Of course I said, “yes!” and am pleased to announce the post went up today. It is entitled The Deep End and I am very excited to share it with you.

“My legs were too weak to stand and my brain too broken to sleep. I spent buy soma watson brand online most of 2012 and 2013 lying agonizingly in my bed. Days became weeks. Weeks became months. Over time, my 10-year battle with Lyme Disease seemed impossible to overcome.” – For the full article, go to: http://sufferingthesilence.com/jenny/#sthash.wzdpOo3k.dpbs

As always, please feel free to leave a comment below.