DIY Blog

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Have Tools, Will DIY

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I posted a blog. I have been buried in my basement under mounds of DIY rehab. Every hour of my days off since January 1st have been spent purging, cleaning, building studs, (with a stud ha ha) hanging insulation, finishing drywall, painting, sanding, staining, cleaning up sawdust, and brick dust (no bad juju happening in our place, brick dust all over!)  In the process I have had to clean Nina, who thinks she is helping and myself who wore all that in my hair and under my nails. Tony and I have built, tore out and rebuilt a back bar area, framed and bricked a fire place, two columns and a wall. We stained and varnished so much wood that I was lightheaded, buzzed and singing along to songs on the radio that I don’t even like! Our friend Edgar had some of the best tools that we did not have and graciously loaned them to us. He came over a few of his days off and helped us as well. We are grateful for handy friends! We are at the final punch out stages, flooring, ceiling and trim. We have laughed that we will be using lawn chairs to sit on, literally we have built every single thing, with the exception of an old bar that we have been storing for years. I don’t think we have it in us to build furniture too!

Basement and Nina Before

Basement after the Purge

Insulation and Framing

 

There is satisfaction in DIY, along with frustration and appreciation for those who do these trades for a living and those who take the projects on themselves. We have DIY’d our paver patio, kitchen, bathroom(s), floors and Aqua Serene. When we actually remodel our house to make it bigger, I think we will have at least some of it hired out!  One thing we have learned, if you can DIY and not kill each other you have something to hang on too! Remember sharp tools and heavy equipment are readily available!

It’s all about the tools!

Measure twice, cut once, then measure again and cut again….

framing fire place

bricking fireplace

Stain Spill Singing Day

Nina Helping

Things we learn along the way help us in everything we do. I am no stranger to manual labor, I have been a landlord and owned quite a few old homes and buildings that constantly needed work. I have worked in so many different settings; factories, bars, fast food, aggregate hauling and excavating, chiropractic offices, spas, a new age store, and many years in retail. I have taught adult education, anatomy, physiology and massage. I have even worked in the frozen drinks and ice cream machine world. (I am a total Ice Cream Snob) 

Homemade S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches

That brings us up to this last decade of my working life so far, and well let’s just say not many people have dreams of growing up and becoming a colon hydrotherapist! It’s a $hitty Job Ha Ha! All my clients are full of Crap! I love my job, I love the chance to help others, the clean up not so much but it is worth it to be able to provide a service that is so helpful, albeit not a subject many talk about, well except me!

All of my former jobs and experiences have helped me in life. Somedays you ask yourself “what the heck am going through this for?” Then later on down the road the opportunity arises to pull from those past experiences and you say to yourself, “I got this” I get bored easily, I love to learn new things. I can tell you when I DIY anything, fixing my dishwasher, taking the starter off my son’s truck with him, making bath bombs, cooking something new, tapping trees for maple syrup, growing and canning food, etc. I appreciate those professions and the people who do these things daily. Bath Bombs are a cussing project btw, no wonder they are pricey! I also thank God for Youtube!

 

Paver Patio we built

This is brief but wanted to keep in touch and share some of why I haven’t been blogging lately. Follow me/Aqua on Instagram and our Facebook page to keep up to date on things we are doing and the final project including lawn chair seating! 

 

Self Protection is a part of Wellness too!

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Self protection should also be part of your daily wellness practice. A few times a year I ask my friend Jane to come over to Aqua Serene Wellness to share her immense knowledge and product line she sells for self protection to my  female clients. 

Damsels In Defense Photo

Her events are done in the “Home Party”  format, we have cheese, some wine, a lot of laughs and share stories.  The subject matter is more intense, softened a bit by a pink pepper spray canister and a purse that has a place for self defense items built in. Let me tell you that pink or blue or flowered pepper spray canister packs a serious punch, be not fooled by it’s “girly exterior” and don’t be fooled by my girly exterior either!

Jane shows you how to use all the tools she sells as well as learn to be aware, confidant in what you do have on you to defend yourself, and where to strike that is most effective. She shows us how to get out of duct tape, zip ties all while quoting some sobering statistics.

There are quite a few products, stun guns, striking tools, personal alarms etc., I am not here to sell to you or promote a business. I am here to share with you some of my personal experience with “stranger danger” and unfortunately not so stranger danger.

striking tool

I have done a few self defense classes over the years out of necessity. I also played adult women’s soccer from 1997-2002, which is quite the contact sport in and of itself. Imagine a bunch of women over 40, peri menopausal, half of us divorced and angry attacking the ball and sometimes each other all in the name of competition!  I think this helped me a lot with being confrontational if necessary.  I have had to defend myself physically, emotionally and legally so I am no stranger to conflict or abuse.

I have learned to pay attention to my surroundings, keep my car door locked when filling the gas tank, Parking in well lit areas, wearing my purse strap across my body, etc. all the normal things you have heard to do…I do them. I keep my pepper spray hooked to my key ring or purse, I have a stun gun for those dark walks in a parking deck and I have a striking tool (my personal favorite) hooked to my purse by a break-away tether.

I have unfortunately had to grab my pepper spay and sticking tool both recently!

my personal striking tool

I have a pepper spray canister conveniently located in reach at my front desk. The people that work out of my wellness center all know where it is and we all watch each other’s back. Massage therapist are sometimes a target for “Creepers” We have seven female practitioners in our center and I think they all have attended the self protection workshops, possibly more than once. While our center is located in a very safe community, it can and does happen anywhere.

So now for a few of my recent  “Oh $hit” moments:

One evening this Spring I was getting ready to leave work. I had shut down all the lights, outside and inside except the front office. I was at my desk getting my notes finished up on the daily files and felt a creepy feeling rush over me. I was looking down taking notes and when I looked up there was a strange man standing at my desk. I never heard him come in the door and my desk has a high top counter so I didn’t notice him walk up to it. I should have locked the door but I was only going to be a minute writing notes and then leave for the day. It was about 7:30pm, already dark outside.

I am not sure how long he stood there staring at me, but he saw I was visibly startled when I looked up and saw him. He never said sorry to startle you, or hi, or anything, just stood there staring at me. I asked if I could help him, while my hand found the canister of pepper spray stashed at my desk. He said he wanted an appointment for massage “now”  I told him we were closed for the day and he mentioned that the door was open. He seemed pissy that no one was available last minute and I told him we are by appointment only. He grumbled something inaudible and left. I got up and locked the door behind him and then waited to leave, watching him sit in his car for several minutes in the parking lot. Once I saw his car leave I grabbed my keys with my striking tool in one hand and my purse pepper spray in the other and headed to my car. 

It only takes a few seconds of inattention to get yourself into a situation.

My most recent moment happened in August on Mass Ave on a Sunday evening. It was a hot steamy early evening (still daylight). I was meeting a friend for dinner and then we were going to see another friend perform in a show. I got to the restaurant early to put our name in. They told me it would be about 15 minutes for a table,  the place was packed. There was no place at the bar to wait so I opted to wait outside. There were several others outside waiting as well. To my right were two young ladies and a man standing down the sidewalk quite a ways and to my left was an older couple about 20 feet down. I leaned up against the brick wall of the building taking in the sights of the busy downtown area. I put my cell phone in my back pocket so I could feel the text alerts from both my friend and the notification our table was ready. Most of you that know me, know I try never to keep my phone on my body, I usually keep it in my purse. I knew I wouldn’t hear or feel it there so I jammed it into my pocket. 

I saw a man coming down the sidewalk at a fast pace. His brilliant white, fresh out of the wrapper t-shirt was so bright against his skin, it still had the prominent “fold lines” in it. Funny that is what caught my attention. He was making a bee line right towards me and at first I was searching the file system in my brain for a familiar face match, did I know him?  No….I did not.

He literally got 2 inches from my entire body and stood in front of me, our eyes were in a deadlock stare. I could feel and smell his breath on my face! He had glassy eyes with pin point pupils and I immediately recognized substance use disorder. I had a death grip on my striking tool behind my back, it was attached to my purse with a break away tether.

He said nothing, although he seem to be ready to pounce on me. I stared him down, I said nothing but in my mind I was saying to him. “don’t touch me, don’t step closer, I will plant the striking tool into your temple” Once I finished that sentence in my head, he shuttered and stepped back and ran. It was the weirdest thing. I let the breath leave my body and right then my back pocket buzzed to alert me of the table being ready and I almost dropped to the sidewalk!

The two ladies and guy down the sidewalk came up to me and asked me what happened. They saw the entire bizarre thing happen. The one girl said she thought he was going to grab me.

I was calm during the incident, that comes from being prepared and knowing how to use what you have on you. I fell apart after the initial threat some and I can to this day see his wild drug infused eyes staring back at me.

At this point my friend arrived and oddly enough we were seated at a shared table with the three people outside who witnessed the moment. They were still talking about it.

There is a list being shared all over the internet lately about the things a woman has to think of for safety compared to a man, it is pretty eye opening. It was published by a man named Jackson Katz Ph.D who uses it in his presentations: 

He asked men and women what they do to protect themselves from potential abuse: The male response was ; “Nothing, I don’t think about it”

The female response had over 35 items! Here are a few examples:

  • Hold my keys as a potential weapon
  • Check the backseat before getting in the car
  • Don’t go jogging at night
  • Never put my drink down & come back to it
  • Always watch my drink being poured
  • Have a male voice on my answering machine
  • Park in well lit areas
  • Never use a parking garage
  • Watch what I wear
  • Don’t get in elevator with a lone man or group of men
  • Make sure my family knows my itinerary
  • Lock my car doors as soon as I get into my car
  • Make sure not to rent first floor apartments
  • Carry pepper spray
  • etc…..

 

I have had my share of abusive situations, physical, emotional and legal. Without going into private details,  I was a victim of a crime and my case helped to change the verbiage of an existing law here in Indiana that protects your reasonable right to privacy. Believe it or not the original wording only protected you from strangers! Not your significant other, husband, wife,  etc., Technology and other advances leave many things in the dust unless we challenge them to change with the times. 

This subject is touchy, a hot button and not talked about very much. It is important to speak about it and to be prepared. Chances are you may never need to protect yourself, but you should know how. If you would like to reach out to Jane Norton and see her products click the link below;

Damsel Pro Jane

We see all these campaigns, news stories and political posts on social media, while it is a good idea to raise awareness, I see many people give opinions that have no experience to back it up. They have judgement about how someone should behave, what they should say etc., Unless you have been there please remember your judgement comes at the expense of another.  It drives me nuts and it is also a trigger for those of us that have had such an unfortunate experience. I have been on the witness stand, I have been cross examined, I have sat in depositions, interviewed by police detectives, prosecutors, attorneys and digital forensic investigators. I have had to ask for several protective orders, been harassed by the criminal and the system. I have watched the system fail me on more than one occasion and I have witness triumph as well. I have an opinion that is backed by experience…protect yourself, learn how, stay aware, teach your children about stranger danger and not so stranger danger. Be gentle with those who have been on the dark side, the incident might be over, but the triggers are everywhere, and memories are hard pressed to go away. PTSD is real and it is life changing.

Wellness comes in many forms. Be safe out there.

 

Disclaimer: As always this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not to be copied or published without the full written consent of the author. The events described within are from the authors memory of how, when and where the events took place and any similarity to actual people living or dead are purely a coincidence.

 

Aqua Serene Cancellation Policy

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Cancellation Policy

All appointments must be canceled 24 hours prior to service via telephone 317-564-0930 and/or e-mail: cindy@aquaserenewellness.com. Our scheduling software automatically sends appointment reminders with a link to confirm appointment and contact information to cancel or reschedule.

A late cancelation fee of $50.00 will be applied to client’s credit card on file (0r billed at next appointment if credit card is not on file) for failure to cancel with 24 hours notice.

While we understand true emergencies happen we  will waive fees on a situational basis and reschedule your appointment with no additional fee.

No call/No show appointments will be billed full service amount and must prepay any future appointments.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but this common courtesy makes room for other clients to schedule appointments in time slots that have been made available. Our therapist do not make hourly wages and depend on their scheduled clients for income.

Thank you for you understanding.

The Aqua Serene Wellness Team

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Keynote Speaker Experience

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Me onstage

I was asked to be a Keynote Speaker at the recent Trinity School of Natural Health Legacy Summit. They asked me because I am an alumni and have spent many years expanding on what I learned at Trinity, as well as several other schools and programs . They also wanted me to be a speaker because I had opened a collaborative wellness center. They asked me to touch on how my health challenges brought me to the place I am today. Those health challenges became a catalyst to the journey that has become; Aqua Serene Wellness.

Our Building

I can tell you I was honored to be asked and terrified to do it. I have some fear of public speaking, but my real fear is of video cameras, or cameras of almost any type. That is a chapter in the story of my life best left for another time.

I am hearing impaired as well and this makes speaking a challenge due to not knowing how loud I am actually speaking. Over time you loose a little of your annunciation abilities. Top that off with a microphone and Oh My! I felt sure the Mickey Mouse and Charlie Brown’s Teacher voices in me would threaten to surface and spill directly out of my mouth!

They wanted a power point to be part of the presentation…did I mention I have NEVER made a Power Point? My computer has this ability, the little Icon has sat in the tool bar lonely as the neglected function keys on my keyboard.  I know they are available, but I don’t want to learn what they do.

Power point slide 1

As the time crept closer I knew I needed to start building at least the power point for them to review and tweak if necessary. I am proud to say they only tweaked some punctuation and changed a few words! I wrote notes for each slide, but this was my journey so it was not like I hadn’t lived it. I wasn’t too worried I would mess that part up.

ha ha alphabet soup

The day of the event came, my wonderful friend Leslie showed up at my house to drive me. She “crashed the event” as she so lovingly put it. She is also an alumni of Trinity and she has lived through many of my life challenges along side me, as well as being part of Aqua Serene Wellness.  She has a calm about her that you search for in a turbulent sea of worry. We headed to the conference and I made her promise to take me out for a drink after, no matter if I fainted and face planted on stage or did a decent job.

When we arrived the conference was running behind schedule so we waited outside in the hallway. My nerves were starting to get the best of me…all I could think about was everything that could go wrong. The camera, the sound, the powerpoint not working, boring the socks off the already brain fried attendees, aspirating and choking on a sip of water to keep my parched mouth wet….That saying from Anne Lamott goes through my head “My mind is like a bad neighborhood. I try never to go there alone”

The double doors to the conference room open up and the organizer comes out and apologized for their lateness. She ushers us into the room and introduces me to the sound tech.  I try to ignore the amount of attendees in the room and focus on the sound guy. There is a real stage, it is a bit daunting, a huge white screen for the projection of my power point, and a podium is set to the side with a built in microphone as well. The sound tech fits me with a portable headset microphone, adjusting it to fit atop of my hearing aid, avoiding feedback is tricky but he manages it. We go through the sound check and I step aside and wait my turn to take the stage.

My friend Genie (who arranged for me to be the speaker) came up to me and said in her beautiful accented voice, “ They want me to introduce you, I am nervous wreak! I don’t want to go on stage and speak! I am an English Challenged woman!” I laughed and said, “Genie you go to Toastmasters! You know how to do this stuff” She looked as pale as I felt! She took the stage, graceful and funny as I knew she would be. She introduced me and next thing you know there I am standing on stage with about 80 faces staring back at me. They were tired from two full days of classes. The pending stress of the next days practical exam looming over them, tough crowd and they were all mine for 30 minutes…Oh my.

can you see me squeezing the clicker!

I squeezed the clicker in my sweat covered palm too tightly,  hoping it didn’t shoot like a cannon ball out of my hand into the front row. Breathe Cindy, just breathe I told my body and mind to calm the heck down!

I don’t remember much of the first few minutes, my mouth was dry all of a sudden and my voice seemed shaky. I really couldn’t tell if the microphone was working, but I just told myself “This is Your journey, you know this stuff, tell them your story” So I did, with each slide I brushed the surface of a much deeper struggle than most realized. To tell my whole deep dark truth, I would need to write a book.

#truth

Once it was over they clapped! A few times during they giggled or nodded understanding. Afterwards some people came up to me and thanked me for speaking and they said they could relate to the health struggles and journey. It was that same thing that brought them to be in this program getting their diplomas.

Plus I got a really cool T-shirt!

I need to thank a few people that helped make the entire thing happen. Leslie of course for being my best girl. Michelle for giving me tips on how to build a powerpoint and for the use of her clicker. Tony because he is my North when I am all over the place, Genie and Judy for believing in me, Emily, Claudia, Tricia and Julie for proof reading my powerpoint, Greg for doing Psych-K and Acupuncture on me to help ease my fear of cameras and to speak. Lauren and Chris for taking the chance I wasn’t going to crash and burn on their stage, and the nice people in the room that came up and told me they enjoyed my presentation.  I want to acknowledge Sara Bee (not a person ) for her golden fizzy liquid contents of wine to calm my butt down while I was working on the powerpoint and notes. Jackson Browne for writing the lyrics to one of my life anthems “Next Voice You Hear” , and finally Nina Marie, my rescue Great Dane for listening to me practice my speech on her and kissing me when I was done.

Nina listening to me practice

Here are a few more photos of my presentation:

some of the rooms in Aqua before build out

Those same rooms after

I am glad I faced this fear and powered through. It was stressful but I feel like I have accomplished a step on the road to moving away from a very real fear (Cameras) and learning to handle my reaction to those triggers better.  Some day I will write that book, then maybe I can put the dark parts of my story to rest.

it is a lonely road but has the best view

Meanwhile you will find me at Aqua Serene Wellness doing what I have built a business doing; Colon Hydrotherapy, Holistic Facials, Energy Therapies, Raindrop Technique and Jin Shin Jyutsu®  We are located in Carmel Indiana and we also offer Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, Health Coaching, Functional Medicine, Coolsculpting, and organic products and supplements.

Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day

Mom and I

The day we celebrate the person who sacrificed alcohol, cigarettes, Tylenol, hanging clothes on the line (old wives tail) and all around being a “normal” human being for 9 months so she could be a healthy host to us; the perfect little parasite!

Yes, for the majority of us we started out leaching nutrients, wreaking havoc, punching, kicking and growing inside our mother. We kept her up at night, caused her to throw up breakfast for a few months, demanded special food for her to crave at midnight, made her feet swell, her beautiful skin etch with stretch marks, her body to become uncomfortably large, her emotions to go wild and then into sheer panic on how and when the heck we would exit the facility!

That is the easy part of being a mother…

 

I have a mother and I am a mother.

It is the absolute hardest job in the world. There are no real requirements, degrees, certifications, or graduations to qualify you for this, on both ends of the spectrum, to be a mother or to have one.

First let me explain a bit about this day for my family and I. Mother’s Day has brought many tears to those I have loved. Both of my grandmothers and my mother in law all choose this day to take their Heavenly Journey. While the actual date differs yearly, the “day” still will always be Mother’s Day.

It has taken years to enjoy a Mother’s Day and not have that sadness take over, it still creeps in, but I have learned to make peace with it. Both of my grandmothers were older, in nursing homes and in poor health, but my mother in law was only 60 years old and it took us all by utter shock! I remember the day so vividly. My children had spent the night the evening before with her and their grandfather. We were all going to meet over at their house for lunch. My kids were 5 1/2 and 8 years old. They found her.  She had died suddenly that morning and our world was turned upside down. Explaining to my kids how Grandma was now an Angel was almost impossible. One thing that helped, she loved Angels and had them all over her house so this seemed to make sense to two little boys and for that I was grateful. Mother’s Day 1996 was by far one of the saddest days of our lives.

My youngest son with his Angel: Grandma Kaye 1992

Through the years my mom and I would joke about still breathing by midnight-01 and expelled a sigh of relief that we escaped the curse of Mother’s Day for yet another year. We have spent a lot of Mother’s Days together and they become more and more special as she ages into her mid 80’s. This year Mother’s Day brings the impending wait for her heart surgery to be scheduled. We both Thank God that regularly scheduled heart surgeries don’t take place on Sundays! She has asked for a date AFTER May 13th for the surgery just to be safer.

Mom and I Mother’s Day 2017

So having a mom comes with responsibility as well.

As children we worry them, as teenagers we make them angry and worry them, as adults we make them proud if we are lucky and still worry them. Then as time moves on we have to make decisions, medical, financial, caregiving, etc., that are difficult, and knowing “someday” is  getting closer and we have to prepare to say good bye and learn to live with them in our hearts…this also worries them.

Not to be too morbid of course, but to also honor a day that for many is filled with fancy dinners and flowers, for others it is a very hard day to get through. There are many among us who have lost our mothers and grandmothers. There are many who have lost children or cannot have a child and this day is extremely difficult.  We must remember to be gentle with people, we may not know or understand their story.

To BE a mother is a full bag of stuff as well.

My boys age 8 and 6

I have two boys that are now ages 27 and 30. Shortly after they lost their grandmother my husband and I got divorced. I became a single mom, although I had felt like one since they were babies. 

Being a single mom comes with all kinds of difficulty and rewards. As I look back on those times when it was just “us three” I am filled with good memories. I am surprised I managed so many things on my own. I taught them to drive a tractor, use a push mower and a weed-eater. I showed them how to make a fire and keep the wood burning stove going, use a power washer, power tools and more. They also learned to cook, use the washing machine and rescue and rehab dogs. We had so many fun times and so many nights I lay awake terrified I was screwing up.

Mother’s Day 2016 Daniel, Devin and I

Now that my kids are adults, I am thankful we still have each other, we have faced some very difficult times together, “us three”. I know I have messed up some along the way, I know I probably still will. It never stops, being a mom, the worry, the tears, the love…it doesn’t even stop once we are gone.

To quote Elizabeth Stone:

“Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”

 I also was a stepmom for 9 years, which is a whole different kind of mom, for that you get a warrior badge! 

Here is wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day and I hope you take the time to pat yourself on the back for being a mom and for having one!

Mom and I Mother’s Day 2014

We love having all Mother’s come to Aqua Serene Wellness for pampering anytime of the year. We are located in Carmel Indiana, home of the never ending Round-A-Bout!

Aqua Serene Wellness offers Colon Hydrotherapy, Digestive Support, Holistic Facial Services, Organic Skin Care by Dr. Hauschka, Energy Therapies, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching, Ionic Foot Detox and Coolsculpting® Services.

Check out our services here

Disclaimer: As always my blog is for educational purposes only. We do not offer medical advice, treat or diagnose. Check with your medical professional before taking any supplements or undergoing any treatments.

What Are You Willing to Do (Give Up) to Be Healthy?

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What are you willing to do to be Healthy?

This is a question a friend and I had sat and pondered with last week. We both have been in the wellness industry for many years. She is fitness, nutrition, healthy living and of course you all know my gig; gut health, skin health and supporting body systems with modalities I am trained in so they can do what they are designed to do.

We both have been having some lab work and testing done through the Certified Functional Health/ND  that works out of Aqua Serene Wellness. Rather convenient for me after all, she is right down the hall!

Lab results can be a real eye opener! I won’t go into personal detail about the specifics of myself or my friend of course, let’s just say it is full on serious mode over here to deal with it once and for all!

Finding out “you” may have some things out of whack i.e.: overgrowth of a bacteria, chemical exposure, gut lining issues, “friends” that have been stow-aways and not only don’t pay the rent, but steal nutrients from you, food sensitivities, and so on and on can really throw you for a loop. These are just some examples of what lab testing can uncover. 

You have to “walk your talk” so to speak and for the most part I do, however having specific information really helps.

It can be overwhelming at first, I mean you have already given up processed foods, conventional produce, inks, dyes and perfumes. Your grocery bill certainly reflects that, and going out to dinner can be such a PITA that by the time you have eliminated 90% of the menu, an over priced salad and H20 are all that is left…Hell with that! I will make a better one at home for half the cost, plus it will be organic!

Organic Salad From Home

 

The actual joy of going out is replaced by dread and despair. You look around the restaurant and see people eating fried baskets of onion rings, an IPA the size of your kids goldfish bowl, cocktails, wings, pasta, pizza, the house burger topped with gourmet mustard, a side of parmesan encrusted french fries, the food coma memories rush in like an old friend.

I sit there thinking don’t they know that all that grease, processed food and gluten is like a time bomb in their bodies? It is all about knowledge and choice right? Life is short and all those phrases, eat the cake, drink the wine…sure on occasion but not all the time. 

So what are you willing to do to be healthy is the million dollar (that I feel like I spent on organic food, skin care and supplements) question?

Supplements

Sit back a second, take a breath, it is all going to be ok. There are people and places and an internet full of ways to help you escape the room you unintentionally locked yourself in!

Let me interject some history here. I was a crunchy mom way before that term ever was invented. I had to order “green” diapers and safe chemical free baby clothes from a catalogue. There was no internet when I was pregnant and a new mom. I went to the only health food store in Indy at the time on the West side of town to buy food, sprouted spelt flour, baby wash and lotion. If they didn’t have it, I had my mom go to the Kent Co-Op in my home town and mail me stuff I couldn’t buy here. I ground up baby food, opted my kids out of most of their vaccines and had about the coolest pediatrician around. I actually threw that whole commentary in my youngest son’s face recently when I saw him light a cigarette! He is 27 now and you can only control what you can control…sigh.

Start with what you can replace given your budget. I don’t mean food, that is a must do and a no brainer. There are the dirty dozen and clean 15 foods list to help. GET EWG FREE GUIDE HERELook at your body wash, perfumes, deodorant, make-up, SPF, haircare, etc. Most of what is on the shelf is filled with petroleum chemicals, preservatives, sudsing agents, and more. Switch to safer organic products. You can check your products out HERE.

  1. What are you cleaning your house with, Chemicals?  You can replace almost everything with natural agents like white vinegar, organic cleaners (I use Thieves™ Cleaner) baking soda, etc. This will give you more money in your pocket for Organic food and skin care!
  1. Laundry? Step away from the fabric softener, it is full of all kinds of nasty stuff for you and the groundwater! Use wool balls for the dryer. (Keep them out of reach of your dog though, Nina our Rescue Dane LOVES these)
  1. Look out for synthetic dye filled vitamins, gummy chew probiotics, and sugar filled supplements. READ LABELS
  1. Do you spray tan, use chemically laden nail polish, dye your hair? There are organic options.
  1. The next time you remodel your house look for clay based low VOC paint, it is $$ but doesn’t emit dangerous chemicals long after it is dry either. Carpet and flooring can also be filled with chemicals.

Periodic Table

Do you remember the Periodic Table from chemistry class in high school or college? Relax there isn’t going to be a quiz, I am just mentioning it to jog your memory. It is quiet a useful tool even in  novice hands. It tells you a lot about the elements. One of the cool things you can find on it is the Mean Atomic Weight (A.W.) in amu’s (atomic mass units) A.W. =# of Protons + # of Neutrons in Nucleus of  an Atom.

Example: Hydrogen has 1 Proton, H is chemical symbol, 1.008 is A.W.  this happens to be the lightest element on the Periodic Table.

Oxygen has A.W. of 16, so H2O (water) is 2 Hydrogen atoms attached to an Oxygen atom~ H (2×1)+ (1×16)=18 amu. So the molecular weight of water is 18 amu easy peasy right?

Why on Earth am I telling you all this? Well, anything with an amu of less than 500 can pass through the skin and the blood brain barrier! What is the Blood Brain Barrier? The BBB (abv.) is a wall of capillaries and membranes that separate the passage of blood from nerve tissues of the brain. It prevents or slows the passage of certain substances. The BBB protects the brain from viruses, bacteria, and other disease causing organisms, some drugs and toxins.

So for example lets take Octane (C8H18) which is anywhere from 87% to 93% of your gasoline depending on what your car requires. Octane weighs in at 114, so how often do you get gas on your hands at the pump, let alone breathe in the vapor? How long until it has went from touching your hand to your brain? About 20 to 40 minutes.

Gas

So for fun check out the amu of some of the chemicals you are exposed to. You can google it, no need for a chemistry book now days.

Now that I have done the Nerd thing and explained some basic chemistry stuff it was not meant to startle you. It was to make you aware of the choices you make for you and your family. For example learning about molecular weight can help you better understand why essential oils work so well, they are small amu and make it to your cells quick and can do their thing.

So back to my list of what I am giving up at the moment:

  1. Dairy, but not eggs. Dairy is probably the hardest for me because I love cheese. I don’t drink milk but do like some cream in my coffee. We use coconut creamer now.
  2. Gluten, I also love bread and pasta but there are some good gluten free ones out there.
  3. My favorite mascara, I switched a while back to organic but on occasion I still throw on the one that doesn’t smear all over the place.

I had already switched cleaners, skin care, laundry soaps, refined sugars, deodorants, perfumes a long time ago. We sell Ambre Blends and I use their deodorants and essences every day.  We carry a wonderful organic line of skin care here at Aqua Serene Wellness; Dr Hauschka and offer the facial treatments with them as well. Check it out Here

We cannot live in a bubble….but we can be more mindful of what we expose our bodies too. We also have two Health and Wellness Coaches here to help you. Michelle can help you with goals and the overwhelming chore of changing your routines, and food choices to go along with your special concerns.  Rita will even come into you home and Meal Prep for you!

Meal Prep Program by Rita Avellar

We are located in Carmel Indiana, home of the Round-A-Bout

We offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Digestive Support, Holistic Facial Services, Organic Skin Care by Dr. Hauschka, Energy Therapies, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching, Ionic Foot Detox and Coolsculpting® Services.

check out our services here

Disclaimer: As always my blog is for educational purposes only. We do not offer medical advice, treat or diagnose. Check with your medical professional before taking any supplements or undergoing any treatments.

Rescue for Me, is Another Form of Wellness

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Jimi my beautiful rescue boy who never missed a meal once we saved him from starving.

 

Rescue is a huge part of who I am. As a kid I rescued bugs, snakes, frogs and stray anything that came into our yard. To my parents dismay I once rescued a huge snapping turtle from the middle of the road. I put it in a metal coca cola cooler, loaded it into my wagon and brought it home. My dad convinced me it was heading to a nearby creek and that I needed to take it on over to the creek and “keep mindful of your fingers, snappers love little girl fingers for lunch”! So after naming him and trying to feed him flies and a few grass hoppers to no avail, I loaded him in my wagon and took him to the creek and set him loose. The next day he was back in our yard and my dad was sure I never took him to the creek. He loaded a crying me and the turtle into his car and we took him back to the creek. I was sure he would return to justify my stance with my father, but I think after meeting my dad and watching me defend our journey, he decided to stay put.

Turtle near my childhood home

My sense of adventure was never stifled by my parents, we were encouraged to play, get dirty and more importantly experience our little world and all of it’s gifts. My first actual “job” was to collect night crawlers for all my dad’s fishing buddies. I would water the yard and wait until dark, go out barefoot with a flashlight in one hand and a Sanka coffee can in the other, catching worms for the profit of .03 cents a piece.

The neighborhood I grew up in was pretty much right out of the movie The Sandlot. We spent many summer nights playing searchlight tag, kick the can, hide and seek, and football. The neighborhood had a small lot for us kids with a basket ball goal and some bases for kickball and that was it. We all gravitated towards the woods that none of us were actually allowed to go into. We would venture deep into the woods to the swamp. We spent many winters playing ice hockey on it and many summers hanging out catching frogs and fireflies. I set them loose after a day or two in a ball jar with holes in the lid. You could say from the outside my childhood looked idyllic, but it wasn’t. Youth had it’s rough times and I spent more than my share of nights crying into the fur of whatever animal I had rescued at the time. Dogs, I find are great listeners, they want to comfort you, while cats pretty much would tell you to “shut the hell up, quit bitching and do something productive already!”

As I grew up, rescue stayed a part of me. Dogs became the focus and Giant Breeds stole my heart; St. Bernard, English Mastiff and now Great Dane. I cannot count the fosters, rehabs, evaluations, home visits, shelter visits, vet bills, transports and dogs I have held while they crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I have volunteered, been on the BOD, and have been the state coordinator for several English Mastiff Rescues. Some of those dogs became foster fails (that means they never leave, just become family) Some moved onto their perfect forever home. They all took a piece of me with them.

About 1993 My son Daniel and Two of our St. Bernards

As the years have moved on and the rescues come and go, I have to admit they have all rescued me as well. My life certainly has had it’s struggles, those that really know me know my story and if it weren’t for the dogs, my heart would be even more fractured than it is today.

This is Hank, a Neo I helped transport a few times

How does all this relate back to Wellness you ask? It does because the love you give, the care and the joy come back at you tenfold. There is no supplement, herbal, facial, massage or other treatment that can do the same as sharing and caring from a giving heart. We care for our clients with that same giving heart.

As I write this it is the summer time, that is a slower period in our industry. Learning to go with the flow and accept the slow pace is difficult, especially when the rent, utilities and bills don’t slow down with it. However giving into the slowness has opened up space…

Space for a new heart that needed rescued.

As many of you know I had to send my beautiful mastiff (rescue) boy Chino over the bridge on Easter weekend and a piece of my heart went as well. He was almost 10 and for a giant breed that is technically “beyond his life expectancy”  There were not enough tears in my eyes for this moment, it seemed impossible to even breathe, let alone cry. He had a great life, he was loved by all of us, spoiled and happy until the end. We went home from the vet with his empty collar in  hand, it matched the giant hole in my heart and in our home…silent, empty, sad. I cleaned up his bowls, packed up his toys, canceled the auto ship to chewy.com, threw his bed in the trash and cried.  He deserved every tear that we all shed for him. For the first time in my 56+ years I was dog-less. Life no longer revolved around making sure someone was home to let him out, feed him, give him medicine, comfort him during a storm or fireworks. I only had to run the sweeper once a week, wash the nose prints off the window one final time. I placed his ashes and die cast paw print on the shelf along with the others. We could go away and not have a dog sitter, I didn’t have to go straight home from work, I could go shopping or out with a friend. It was oddly freeing and sad at the same time.

My beautiful boy Chino

 

Every one kept asking us if we were going to get another dog. My answer was; “in time” my heart was still hurting and I kinda wanted a “real” puppy this time (cue up Pinocchio)  A well bred puppy that no one had the chance to mess up yet. The guilt of that ripped me up inside. I preached constantly “Adopt Don’t Shop” didn’t I finally deserve a dog of my choosing, one that had not been starved, neglected, abused, dumped, sick, injured, homeless, unruly, wild, afraid of men, hats, sunglasses, loud noises, trash bags, hoses, fireworks, being left alone? Hadn’t I saved enough dogs, cats, mice, frogs and turtles along the way to get a brand spanking new puppy breath, pot bellied, fur baby?

Then along came Nina….

Nina the day we got her

Nina The first time inside the house. She curled up in a corner and feel asleep.

A bit over a month ago I got a phone call from a good friend with mastiff rescue. She said “We need a foster home and great dane rescue hasn’t answered the call”  (giant breed rescue people help each other’s breeds out) there was no room at the Inn as usual, foster homes were full. I was at work, listened to her tell the story of this desperate girl. She was 6 months old, had been bounced a few times and was being tied outside, neglected. She was hungry, dirty, sick, eating bugs, milk bones and dirt. The people couldn’t take the proper care of her that she needed. I am so happy a friend convinced them into contacting rescue instead of dumping her. I don’t want to begin to imagine what her life would have been if they put her on Craigslist or gave her to the shelter.

 I hesitated on the phone before answering my friend, a Great Dane was not really something I wanted.  I had a mastiff once that had great dane mixed in, and he was absolutely the best dog ever, but  I was a mastiff mommy after all. Then she said’ “you wanted a puppy” and I thought well crap…I did put it out in the Universe that I wanted a puppy, and the Universe knew my guilt and struggle with the need to rescue, not buy….So I said OK, we can foster her, rehab her and move her along to a wonderful Great Dane home… Yeah, Right!

“Princess Nina” will be officially a foster fail. She is a 70 pound (underweight)  handful of giant puppy. She was quite sick, covered in fly and flea bites, her hair was falling out in patches, ear infections, parasites, an intestinal infection and her toe was about chewed off, plus she was filthy! You could count every rib, there was literally no meat on this girl. She had zero manners, pulled you everywhere on a leash and puked all over the back of my truck on the ride home. She was so hungry we had to hand feed her small amounts, and wet down her food or she would throw it back up and eat it again. She didn’t know what to do inside our house.  Those first few days all she did was eat, and sleep. She was so exhausted and starved that I think she would not have made it much longer outside in the elements.

Nina doing her best Guard Dog impression

She has a grateful heart, a sweet soul and the best kisses and hugs you could ask for. Her name was not Nina, we changed it immediately. I named her after Nina Simone, an R& B Soul signer from the 50’s. The song “Feeling Good” is her theme song now, and she does chase butterflies. She is learning to be a house dog, can clear the coffee table and the ottoman in one giant leap.  Her nose is even with the kitchen sink and if you leave a dirty spatula or plastic container she will grab it and take off. She hates her crate, only because it means she is going to be alone. I have not taken a shower or gone to the restroom alone in a month! Her name is NINA MARIE, Or NINA NO STOP THAT When she is in trouble, which is often. She finally has gotten a clean bill of health from the vet, even though she is still underweight. We are getting there, she is learning that there will always be food, she will never live outside alone chained up and be eaten up by the flies, mosquitoes and fleas again. She is filling the empty space of my heart that Chino took with him. She is rescuing me…

This is Nina on Fly Patrol, she still thinks she needs to eat bugs!

Follow us on Instagram to keep up with Nina and her progress (antics) . We love her, even when she eats the corner of the kitchen wall, drinks your coffee when you aren’t looking or decides the tops of your feet are great to dance on.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, we hope to see you soon! We are located at:

301 E Carmel Drive

Suite C-100

Carmel Indiana

317-564-0930

Tues, Weds, Thurs 10-6:30

Friday and Saturday* 10-3:30 (*Closed the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month)

We offer Digestive Support, Colon Hydrotherapy, Holistic Skin Care, Raindrop Technique, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, Energy Therapies, Ionic Foot Detox, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching

Finally a Grown Up Survey! My Thoughts on Social Media Stuff.

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My Brain is on Fried Mode:

 Today while browsing Facebook I saw the below survey posted on several of my friends status. I never fill those out, but I always read them and answer in my mind.  Another rule of mine is I never “copy/paste this status in your time line for one hour to show support for…….” or this one gets me too: “I know only my true friends will share this…… and so on”.  I have trouble following the crowd. I am a rebel. I take the high road as well as the wild weed infested twisted paths though the woods and through life. I have the cuts, bruises and sticker bush scratches to prove it! 

As a business owner I am constantly trying to keep up with Social Media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Blogging. I cannot speak about Snap Chat or Musicly (I don’t even know if I am spelling that correctly) because I cannot go there without my head exploding! I still have not mastered the new Instagram version of “Your Story” the first time I tried my camera setting was aimed at my scrawled up facial expression, catching me “Live” trying to figure the specifics out and next thing you know it’s posted and I had an “Oh $hit how do I delete that” moment.

Onto the blog posting part, the art of trying to produce “engaging content” is hard enough but before you post it there are all these perimeters of getting all the dots green on the SEO optimized check list. It is like trying to decipher the codes to the Universe. Then there are Keywords, Focus Keywords, Meta Descriptions, Character Count and so on and on and on…I am not an IT person, I am just a 1960’s  girl trying to navigate my way through the 2017 world of SEO, Blog, Social Media, and Marketing one link at a time.

 So anyhow,  just for fun and a break I thought I would copy the Grown Up Survey from Facebook and answer the questions here. If you are so inclined please share your answers with me or in your head is fine too.

The Grown Up Survey:

(My answers are in all CAPS)

Tired of those surveys made by high school kids? ‘Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Drank alcohol?’
Here are 35 questions for Grown Ups:

1.What bill do you hate paying the most?
TAXES
2.Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
PROBABLY IN CHICAGO AT QUARTINO
3. What do you really want to be?
A PHILANTHROPIST
4. How many colleges did you attend?
ONE COLLEGE & SEVERAL TECH SCHOOLS
5. Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
IT IS PRESENTABLE FOR MY JOB AND IT IS SOFT, NO SCRATCHY TAGS !
6. Thoughts on gas prices?
I WILL DRIVE 5 MILES OUT OF MY WAY TO SAVE TWO CENTS!
7. First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning?
I NEVER SET THE ALARM, I WAKE UP EVERY DAY BEFORE 6:30 AM, I FIGURE SOON IT WILL BE 4:00 AM TO EMPTY THE OVER ACTIVE BLADDER I HEAR I WILL ACQUIRE ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DRUG COMMERCIAL. I AM GIVING MY SELF A FEW YEARS YET.
8. Last thought you have before you go to bed?
THERE IS NO LAST THOUGHT, MY BRAIN SPINS A MILLION TIMES A MINUTE MOSTLY AT BEDTIME!
9. Do you miss being a kid?
I MISS THE FREEDOM OF BEING A KID, EATING JUNK FOOD AND NEVER WORRYING ABOUT WHAT I WAS EATING. WARDROBE CHOICES WERE SO MUCH MORE SIMPLE, IT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TO MATCH!
10. What errand/chore do you despise the most?
CHORE: CLEANING THE FLOORS.  ERRAND: GOING TO PICK UP WATER JUGS
11. Up early or sleep in?
UP EARLY
12. Found love ?
THIS IS A VAGUE QUESTION, LIKE “LOVE” IS MISSING OR SOMETHING. I LOVE MY MOM, KIDS, AND BOYFRIEND. I LOVE FOOD, TRAVEL, AND LIVE MUSIC. I LOVE DOGS, NATURE AND THE OCEAN, SO YES I GUESS I HAVE FOUND LOVE.
13. Favorite lunch meat?
NOPE, NOT A FAN, NOT EVEN GOING THERE. HOWEVER I HAVE NIGHTMARES OVER THAT STUFF CALLED PIMENTO LOAF AND SPAM!
14. What do you get at Walmart every time?
A BAD FEELING
15. Beach or lake?
BEACH
16. Is marriage outdated?                                                                                                                                                              OUTDATED NO, BUT CHANGED YES, IT SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A BUSINESS ARRANGEMENT OR A TYPE OF LEGAL CONTRACT THAN A HAPPILY EVER AFTER CONCEPT. THE FAIRY TALE SEEMS FORGOTTEN.

17. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
THIS CHANGES PERIODICALLY FOR ME, BUT IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR AN ENLIGHTENING AND/OR ENTERTAINING DIALOGUE WITH DINNER, THEN I WOULD HAVE TO SAY GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN, ANITA MORJANI, GRACE SLICK, AND CARROT TOP, IN THAT ORDER.
18. Ever crashed your vehicle?
YES
20. Strangest place you’ve brushed your teeth?
IN MY CAR
21. Somewhere you’ve never been but want to go?
THIS LIST COULD BE HUGE BUT FOR THE READERS SAKE: BALI
22. At this point in your life would you want to start a new career or relationship?
RELATIONSHIP….WITH MYSELF FINALLY!
23. How old are you?
56
24. Do you have a go to person?
I HAVE SEVERAL DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION. THE ONE I RELIED ON MOST IS NO LONGER HERE ON EARTH.
25. Are you where you want to be in life?
ALWAYS EVOLVING SO NOPE
26. Growing up what were your favorite cartoons?
JOHNNY QUEST, ROAD RUNNER, PINK PANTHER.
27. What about you do you think has changed since you were a young kid?                                                                          BESIDES MY ENTIRE PHYSICAL BODY, I WOULD SAY
MY SENSE OF ADVENTURE, THE JOY AT JUST BEING IN THE MOMENT AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. THAT PLACE OF BLISSFUL IGNORANCE AND THINKING THE FUTURE WAS GOING TO BE SO FUN.
28. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
NO
29. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
ON VACATION TO THE BEACH, IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY
30. Did you have a pager?
YES AND THERE IS A WHOLE SCARY STORY INVOLVING THAT THING YOU CAN READ ABOUT IN MY BLOG HERE
31. Was there a hangout spot when you were a teenager?
WE HUNG OUT AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY ICE ARENA AND THE PIZZA JOINT ON CAMPUS.
32. Were you the type of kid you’d want your children to hang out with?
YES I SUPPOSE, ON THE SCALE OF LOYALTY AS A FRIEND, I GOT YOUR BACK KINDA WAY.
33. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out to you?
IN A GOOD or BAD WAY? GOOD: MR. EILAS MY D.E. TEACHER. BAD: MR. CALCIE HE WAS A JERK.
34. Do you tell stories that start with when I was your age?
HA HA DON’T WE ALL?
35. Are you religious?
NO, I AM SPIRITUAL, BELIEVE IN THE CREATOR, BUT I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF RELIGION.

In Conclusion:

It can be enlightening to reflect back and see how answers to questions change with time, perspective and experience. I find things that used to be easy, hard and things that used to be hard, easy. I find that there are moments in life I think I have it together and then there are those Holy Crap I can’t figure it out days. Right now I am doing the best I can, which is not enough for some people, probably never will be. When I am frustrated I try to remember and apply this to myself and others in life “if someone is doing the very best they can, even if that does not meet your standards, remember they are giving you their best and that’s the most anybody can do.” So I may not have the website right, the blog optimized (this one for sure there is only one picture!)  the social media down pact, the marketing strategy laid out but I am giving it my best try and for now that will have to work.

If you feel inclined to leave a REAL COMMENT and not spam please do so. This Blog was written and published by me, the survey was not, I have to credit Facebook with that one. I am going to plug now for the sake of keywords:

Aqua Serene Wellness Located in Carmel Indiana where we feature (along with a sense of humor) Colon Hydrotherapy, Organic Facial Treatments, Dr, Hauschka Skin Care, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching, and Energy Therapy.

Come see us!

The Quest for the Perfect Turd

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The Perfect Turd…

First off, let me get the disclaimer out of the way:

This post is based on my personal opinion and experience. It is not designed to treat, diagnose or make any medical claims or advice. It will however most likely offend someone, since no one likes to be told they are full of “crap”

When I started thinking about writing this blog post, I shelved it twice. It is a subject most people find embarrassing, offensive, private and quite gross. I had many titles for it; The Perfect Poop, The Scoop on Your Poop, Tales from the Toilet, but really who gives a $hit what you call it, the point is, here is my blog post and it’s about The Perfect Turd, (I divorced it…twice.)

When you come to my office and fill out the intake from you will see a diagram of The Bristol Stool Chart.

People either skip this little exercise all together or check off every one of the boxes. It helps people understand a bit more about their “habits” Usually the discussion is enlightening and people can set a personal goal and figure out the what, why and how of making The Perfect Turd. Then, once successful they can throw a private cheer party for themselves in the bathroom at home one day, document the moment MENTALLY (please no photos) and have a happy day because they are now less full of crap then the day before!

The Why….

I am going to give you a small bit of history on why I do what I do. I have been a colon hydrotherapist for about 8 years. I had some very good teachers along the way and made many friends over discussing bowel movements. Conversations with me tend to go to crap!  I met my friends Robin and Sharon this way, we worked together in the “industry” Water cooler talk?  Our water cooler was an Angel of Water® Colon Hydrotherapy Machine. Later on, I met Tina and Trina, both became colleagues of mine in the same Crappy Job, you could say we were plumbers of a sort. We are all still friends, even though they have moved on and I am still slinging “it”. We get together on occasion for dinner, a glass of wine, some live music, girl talk and the conversation always turns to what we ate, what supplement is new, the latest on gut/brain research and the scoop on poop.

Angel Of Water Colon Hydrotherapy Machine

How Soccer Saved My Life…

It is with pride that I celebrate the Private Cheer Party in my bathroom, considering I am missing part of my large intestine. This is the story of how it all began:

I was injured in a soccer game, thrown into the wall by another player bound and determined to score and take home the title of “Over 40 Women’s Indoor Soccer Champs 2002” You got a T-shirt and everything! I had several T-shirts as I had been playing for 5 years or more. Our women’s team was the one to beat. Little did I know, that hormone driven adrenaline junkie beast of a woman who slammed me into the wall most likely saved my life! I left the field not by my own accord, she actually felt so bad she scooped me up and carried me off the field and set me on the bench. Sitting there I desperately sucked razor blade laden oxygen into what I was sure were collapsed lungs. Wiping tears of pain from my eyes, I drove home hunched over the steering wheel of my truck.

I never played soccer again…

Two days after my wall kissing event I still could not stand up straight, and I was having the most awful spasms in my back. I could not suck in a full breath.  I was encouraged to get a CT scan, in case not only were my ribs most likely fractured, but my spleen or something else could have been damage as well.

My world came crashing down in a matter of hours. After the scan, several doctors were escorted into the room where I was waiting for results. There were 2 radiologists, and a surgeon. The one radiologist said “ We have your CT results and they are quite “interesting” There seems to be a MASS in your abdomen”. I remember saying, “No you have the wrong CT scan, I broke my ribs” They assured me that my ribs were in fact injured but there was a MASS encapsulating my appendix. I also remember saying “MASS belongs in church, not inside me!”

The next few days were a whirlwind of tests, consultations, big words like surgery, oncology, hemicolectomy, hysterectomy, colostomy bags, chemo, appendix cancer, mucocele, psuedomyxoma peritonei, and so on were coming out of specialist mouths. I did a ton of research on Dr. Google and the prognosis was that of dooms day. I had to do a personal time out and then took control of how I wanted to proceed. Thankfully the one MD on my side was the oncologist. Needless to say I lost a portion of my colon a week later and spent a lot of time (years) undergoing invasive testing and freaking out waiting for the next results to see if “it” had spread.

I’ve learned a few things along the way:

*Think twice before you wear a cell phone or pager on your body (the tumor was right below where my pager and cell phone belt clip was).
*Never take for granted the beauty of being “regular”
*The things we eat, say and feel affect our gut in more ways than one.
*You never know how strong you can be until you have no choice. (Cliche’ I know but true)
*A big burly woman on a path to score at a sport can in fact save your life.
*People can be Turds too.
*Life changing moments take you on a journey.

For me that journey led to my career, opening a wellness center, new friends, wonderful clients, many laughs, a few tears and the Quest for the Perfect Turd! After surgery I went from not going to the bathroom for days to everything I ate came out looking almost like it did on the plate! I spent countless hours trying to figure out what to do. I did a ton of “alternative” things, supplements, essential oils, raw food, elimination diet, fiber, water, cultured foods, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy and so on. I was a massage therapy instructor during part of that time so anatomy and physiology were my world, I set off on a quest to get to know my guts!

The How….

Colon Hydrotherapy is just a tool along the way for some and for others it is not an option, and that is totally OK. I remind people it is also about enzymes, diet, hydration, implementing relaxation techniques, taking the time to actually go to the bathroom, learning to listen to the signals that tell you to go, probiotics, gut bacteria, supplementation, and seeing a doctor if necessary. Look into the toilet, pay attention to your body, get the support you need. Use a Squatty Potty®

Squatty Potty

 

Digestive Enzymes

Probiotics

Marco Pharma

In Conclusion…

I have decided that in life a sense of humor will get you through many things. I am grateful for the love and support of friends and family. Grateful even for those Turds that I’ve met along the way. Those experiences will give you courage, light your fire, teach you who you don’t want to be in life or in your career. Challenges will push you right out of your comfort zone where then you are forced to grow.

If you want more information on digestive support and colon hydrotherapy, I encourage you to come visit me at Aqua Serene Wellness, we are located in Carmel, Indiana, The round about capitol of the United States. We also have a wonderful group of professionals here that offer Holistic Skin Care Services, Functional Medicine, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Digestive and Holistic Nutrition Consulting, Health and Wellness Coaching, Aromatherapy and Energy Therapy.

Please leave a comment, or share this blog post if you can, it helps keep awareness of our well being and conversations going.

Food and Dream Jobs

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