If you haven’t read part 1-2 of my fertility journey, please click the respective links below to start from the beginning:
- How I Overcame Infertility: Part One - The Journey Begins
- How I Overcame Infertility: Part Two - The Struggle Continues
LET’S BACKTRACK A LITTLE, SHALL WE?
I’ll apologize in advance for this TMI moment, but for as long as I can remember (at least since high school), I had issues going to the bathroom, mainly suffering from constipation. My doctor suggested I add more fiber to my diet - buy the Benefiber stuff and sprinkle it on my food. How embarrassing!
Honestly, I was lucky if I went once, maybe twice a week (seriously)! This was my normal well into adulthood.
When I started working for a Nutraceutical company in 2010, I learned about the digestive system, the microbiome, and the importance of good bacteria + probiotics. So, I started taking them consistently and shortly after incorporating them into my regimen, I was POOPING on the regular friend!
As you can imagine, this was a total game-changer in my world but if I missed taking a probiotic one day, it was pretty much a guarantee that I wouldn’t have a bowel movement the next day!
Now fast-forward to that December day in 2013 when I got back home from our National Sales Meeting and scheduled an appointment with my doctor. He was familiar with our struggle to have a baby and he’d already suggested we consider taking Clomid or see a fertility specialist to help us further in our journey. This time, I specifically wanted to talk about Celiac Disease and requested basic bloodwork to determine my current numbers.
THE RESULTS...
About a week later, I picked up my results from the doctor. Instead of a full blood panel, he requested a Celiac blood test. Because my values came back within their “normal” range, they advised me I was safe to eat all the gluten and confirmed I did not have a Celiac Disease.
But as I continued to research celiac disease + gluten sensitivity, it mirrored all the symptoms I was experiencing. I had every single one of these:
* Bloating
* Constipation / diarrhea
* Abdominal cramps
* Acne
* Anemia
* Irritability
* ADD/ADHD
* Fatigue
* Peripheral Neuropathy
* Chronic headaches
* Joint pain
* Irregular menstrual cycles
* Infertility
* Canker sores
* Little bumps on the skin/rash (keratosis pilaris)
* Constipation / diarrhea
* Abdominal cramps
* Acne
* Anemia
* Irritability
* ADD/ADHD
* Fatigue
* Peripheral Neuropathy
* Chronic headaches
* Joint pain
* Irregular menstrual cycles
* Infertility
* Canker sores
* Little bumps on the skin/rash (keratosis pilaris)
During those last few years, my mind had shifted as I learned about integrative medicine, functional medical doctors, and other natural practitioners so I decided to seek out assistance from a Naturopath before moving forward with any fertility specialist. It was time I started seeing a doctor who took a more holistic approach to wellness. Thankfully, she was accepting new patients but was so booked up for the next 2 months. My appointment was scheduled for February 2014, and it couldn’t come soon enough!
IN THE MEANTIMe,
My sister-in-law suggested I have a Zyto scan to see what it would reveal while I waited to see the Naturopath. She recommended a health coach friend who agreed to see me. The lady ran a Zyto balance scan which suggested my digestive system was severely imbalanced and it recommended taking digestive enzymes.
If you’re not sure what a Zyto scan is, watch this quick 4-minute video.
I basically sat on the information for the next 2 months, continued to eat gluten, dealt with the symptoms, and waited for my appointment in February. Little did I know, my world was about to change, and I was going to experience a major transformation in my life.
- To continue reading more of my fertility journey, click the link: “How I Overcame Infertility: Part Four - The Transformation.”
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