Welcome
Hello Friends.
Thanks for tuning in to Twelve Minute Health Bits. This is your host, Christen Hull, providing health and wellness support for the 21st century. We will be talking about using simple methods from today and centuries ago to keep our bodies healthy. Our goal is to daily stay “Above the Wellness Line.” In this podcast I will be giving you tips and tricks on how to daily make small changes to your life in order to keep your body well.
Episode 06 - My Freedom Journey
I am feeling led to share my journey to freedom from pharmaceuticals. This episode will be about 12 minutes of my story. My story of questioning doctors, researching on my own, digging for what will work best for my body, shopping for a provider who aligned with my belief system, and eventually finding freedom from pharmaceuticals that had me in bondage. Thanks for tuning in.
Before I begin this episode, I want you to grab your Sacred Mountain essential oil and put 1-3 drops in the palm of your hand, rub your palms together, and breathe deeply while you cup your hands over your mouth and nose. Sacred Mountain is an oil that instills strength, empowerment, grounding, and protection. I chose this oil for this episode because I wanted to share my story to empower others. Hopefully, inhaling Sacred Mountain while listening will help. If you do not have this oil, use frankincense.
Growing Up
When I was a young girl I always asked questions. I wanted to know the what, when, why, and who of what was going on. I am certain I drove my parents crazy because I asked a zillion questions and continued to persist if they could not answer them. I grew up on Captain Crunch cereal, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and homemade meals for dinner. When I started college I went down a fast track of unhealthy eating because I did not understand the important role our diet plays in our health. I grew up in the generation of margarine instead of butter, and low fat EVERYTHING!
College - The Beginning of My Health Concerns
Six months prior to graduating college, in June of 2003 I had to have nine cavities filled because my mouth was not healthy. I did not know our mouth and body were so connected. I was broke. I had to finish my last semester of college and was looking at a huge amount of money to get my teeth fixed. I needed to do it in the cheapest manner possible. I had no idea that this would later lead me down a path that would change my life forever. So with a diet of Ramen noodles, Macaroni and Cheese, and Diet Coke, I went to the cheapest dentist I could find to have my mouth fixed with mercury fillings.
Two months after having fillings put in my teeth I started to notice some very odd symptoms that I could not ignore. I started shaking uncontrollably. I could not eat enough food, no matter how much I put in my body. I lost about 20 pounds from August to November. I slept about 30 minutes every night. My resting heart rate fluctuated between 90-120 beats per minute. I was HOT, and could not cool my body down. I remember standing on our deck with shorts and a t-shirt on, it was probably 30 degrees outside, and I was still hot!
I had no idea what was happening to my body. I was scared. I knew something had to be wrong. I did not have a doctor where I was living, so I scheduled an appointment with anyone I could find. She immediately knew that I had some sort of thyroid issue. She sent me home with a sample prescription drug to slow my overactive thyroid so I could get some relief from my symptoms and then referred me to a specialist at the University of Minnesota.
Diagnosis - Overactive Thyroid, Graves Disease, and More!
I was able to get into the specialist fairly quickly. They ran some tests and confirmed that I had Graves Disease along with a few other issues. I had no idea what that meant for my future. The specialist assured me that I had done nothing wrong. I asked again and again “how does this just happen?” Each specialist and doctor I talked to continued to say, “It is nothing you have done, it just happens.” But for some reason I knew better. To mask my symptoms, I was taking six prescription medications a day until I agreed to do the radioactive iodine therapy to kill my thyroid. Once my thyroid was killed, I would then take one prescription a day. This prescription would be a synthetic thyroid replacement. I was not comfortable with taking the radioactive iodine. I knew nothing about medicine and natural health at the time, but I knew I did not want to take the radioactive iodine. They assured me it was safe. But in the same breath, they told me my roommates would not be able to use the same bathroom as me for two weeks after taking it because my urine would be toxic. I could not understand that! How could something be safe to the inside my body when it would not be safe to share a restroom with another human for two weeks? My doctor, at the time, told me that if I did not do the protocol my chances of getting pregnant were roughly 2%. I carried this information with me as I continued my search for a doctor who could answer my questions. I had this information in the back of my head for almost the next 10 years.
Despite the fearful statistics the last doctor threw at me, I kept searching and refused the radioactive iodine therapy. I stayed on the medications that were prescribed and kept looking for a different specialist. I did not like the answers I was getting. I tried a different hospital and went to a different Endocrinologist. At my first appointment, I had my blood drawn. This was my normal, as they were checking my blood every three to four weeks at the time. I sat down and waited for the doctor to come in. I waited, and waited, and waited. After a significant amount of waiting, the Endocrinologist finally came into the room, barely said hello to me, and sat at his computer. He looked at my lab results and without asking me a single question about my lifestyle, he wrote out a new prescription. What he forgot to ask me was, “How are you feeling? How is your energy level? Are you working out? What is your diet like? Tell me what you do to take care of yourself.” You know, those things that should matter when we talk about our health.
However, I was just a number to him. When I tried to voice my concerns to him, he told me the numbers on the screen were not adding up to how I was feeling. He wrote out a new prescription and offered me more prescriptions on top of that. I told him I was not going to take anything he prescribed to me. I walked out, sat in my car, and cried. I called my mom. I love my mom. She was so supportive as I was going through this time. She was also going through some health concerns at the time, so we started searching for answers together. She found a naturopathic doctor near where I was living and we immediately scheduled an appointment.
My First Experience with a Naturopathic Doctor
I remember feeling so valued at my first appointment with this doctor. He sat me down, showed me what was happening with my body, and explained to me that my lifestyle choices were affecting every bit of my health. He talked to me about a diet that is actually healthy, not low fat or processed. He talked to me about healthy forms of exercise, because at the time I was running about 60 miles a week to try to lose the weight I was exponentially gaining. He talked to me about a natural form of thyroid supplement that could possibly relieve me from the other six prescription medications I was taking. He asked me about my life. He asked me about my health. He took the time to get to know me in order to help me. I felt valued as a person. I told him how I no longer wanted to live chained to the prescriptions I was taking daily. I felt awful even when taking what I was prescribed. My energy level was low, my mood was horrible, and I felt depressed. My weight was the highest it had ever been at that time in my life.
Hope
This doctor told me he thought he could get me off all of my prescriptions if I was willing to do my part. I felt horrible, so I was definitely willing to take personal responsibility for my health. But I did not know what I needed to change. He first talked to me about my diet. He taught me that healthy fats are not the enemy. Your body actually needs healthy fats in order to survive. He talked with me about the dangers of processed food and how you really need to cook in order to eat healthy. He also talked about how overexercising can actually harm your adrenals and bring your body down. Exercise is important but the quality of exercise matters more.
I became a researching queen. I researched the natural thyroid replacement he put me on. I researched every single ingredient in the food I was eating. As I continued on my journey I began to realize that every decision I made affected my health. Whether it be the lotion I slathered on my skin, the shampoo I scrubbed on my head, or the toothpaste I put in my mouth. I realized all of these things affected my health and my liver to some degree. After researching mercury fillings I know full well that the teeth I had filled prior to my diagnosis were the main culprit of my health concerns, along with my horrendous diet.
Married Life and Children
My journey continued into my married life. As my husband and I started to think about wanting a family, I shared with him the same words the specialist told me so many years prior. Even though I had done loads of research and knew that we would more than likely be able to conceive a child, I still had those words in the back of my head. What if? What if she was right? I did not do the protocol she told me to do so my chances of conceiving a child was around 2%. Well, God taught me many things through this entire ordeal, but one of the biggest lessons I learned is that HE is the life giver. We conceived our first child within one month of trying. Because my body was low in progesterone, our baby died in my womb, and surgery was needed in order to remove it. We were devastated. Again, my doubts continued. Maybe we lost the baby because I really cannot carry a child. Maybe we are going to just keep losing babies. We tried again and immediately were expecting again (probably a little before the doctor gave us the all clear… oops!). This time, I felt awful. The pregnancy was a healthy pregnancy. I spent a ton of time at the toilet, but it was so worth it. Then seventeen months after giving birth to a healthy eight pound seven ounce girl, I gave birth to our eight pound nine ounce son. Almost four ‘planned’ years after that, we had another girl. Our third biological child was nine pounds nine ounces and delivered entirely naturally. I will save our natural childbirth story for another episode.
I am going to say that it was not an easy road. In the last 15 years, I have learned so much! I had nine mercury fillings extracted and refilled with amalgam fillings, completely changed my diet, added in high quality supplements with the help of an amazing holistic healthcare practitioner, continued to exercise in a moderate, healthy way, and learn to daily practice stress reducing options as well as hormone supporting essential oils.
My husband and I also had one child living with us, and eventually adopted, through the foster care system. As we started to raise these four children I knew that I did not want my kids growing up thinking their choices had no bearing on their health. I knew I wanted to teach them personal responsibility when it came to our health. I knew I wanted alternatives to help them when something happened and they were sick. I did not want them to rely on the medical system for everything. I wanted them to learn self-sufficiency to take care of the little things.
I am so pleased to say that my children are little health advocates. I just love it when my eight year old daughter, who loves to bake, modifies recipes to not include refined flour or sugar. I love watching my seven year old son put loads of grass fed butter on the eggs he makes for his sisters, myself, and him in the morning. My kids know that healthy fats are incredibly important. They love guacamole, grass fed butter, and just this morning we were all sipping on some fresh bone broth made out of a bone from a grass fed cow. We try not to eat anything raised conventionally. We buy all food from local and organic sources if we can. It has been a winding road of discovery, research, and learning, but I feel so blessed to have a supportive husband and kids for this journey.
Concluding Thoughts
I share my story to help and give you hope. My goal is to make a difference for as many people as I possibly can. People who are ready and wanting to hear about the negative effects of synthetic chemicals, the benefits of healthy eating, and the freedom natural medicines and supplements can provide. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
We are not to live in fear. We are to live free. Free from the chains of this world. Free from the grips of pharmaceuticals that may cause more harm than good down the road. Free from diseases that may hold us back from serving His Kingdom. Our bodies can heal, and will heal if they are given the proper tools to do so. I did not believe all this at one time, but I do believe it now because I have seen it in my own life. Thanks for tuning in today. My prayer is that by sharing my story, I will empower someone to take control of their health and make small (or large) changes that could better their quality of life.
Once again, grab your Sacred Mountain essential oil. Put some drops in your palms and say with me our positive affirmation of the week, “My body can and will heal.”
Products Featured on Today’s Broadcast
Visit www.twelve-stones.net to place an order
Essential oils
Sacred Mountain
Frankincense
Conclusion
Hey Friends.
Thank you for tuning in to this resource from Twelve Stones Health and Wellness with Christen Hull. If you have an idea for an upcoming episode, send it my way, I would be happy to explore the topic. If you are interested in more information on becoming a member of Young Living and receiving the benefits of synthetic chemical free living in your home, please talk to the person who shared this podcast with you or, visit my website at www.twelve-stones.net. If you find this resource helpful, I encourage you to enjoy and share this podcast. Please do not alter the content in any way or charge for this resource.
