I’m so inspired to share a specific & real-time example of how my wellness practice is actively evolving and improving! Earlier this week, late Monday/early Tuesday, I started experiencing some lower abdominal pain on my left side. Instantly, I thought of my left ovary, which has been an ongoing problem and was almost surgically removed in early March. Yikes - thank goodness we didn’t go through with it! I attempted to work through the discomfort, but by late Wednesday morning, it was pretty unbearable. If you’ve had a previous injury or problem area in your body, you know the anxiety that can rise up when that particular area starts to act up. Well, I instantly thought that I had another ovarian cyst (the last one landed me in the ER, spending two days in the hospital on pain meds). That is not the road I wanted to go down, I thought, especially after coming so far along in this journey of feeling stronger and healthier. I was upset, and I admit, my mind went right back to the worst case scenario.
So, lesson one: do not overact!! Calm yourself in whatever form works best for you (for me, it was praying and letting a few friends know I needed support & prayer). Lesson two: trust that your body is doing its job and TELLING you something… and new to me: sometimes discomfort and pain doesn’t always equal a ‘problem’. Lesson three: contact practicioners you trust and let them guide you. I called both of the naturopaths I’ve been seeing through the Mama Makeover, Dr. Liz Wallace & Dr. Meaghan Woodruff, & the encouragement was to seek immediate attention if the pain escalated or became unbearable, which it was. So I made an appt. to meet with my primary OB/GYN, who has seen me through my two pregnancies & births & we decided to do an internal ultrasound on Thursday, to ensure the ovary was not cystic, etc.
At the same time, I knew an appointment with Dr. Liz Wallace of A Healing Practice was set for 5 pm on Thursday, so I thought – great, I can visit my OB & then visit Liz to work through what was going on. The idea of using two forms of guidance – western clinical & holistic natural – is still new to me and I wondered how it would work itself out. But it was an amazing comfort and it ended up being the exact combination of care I needed for this particular situation! It was a relief for me to see on the ultrasound that my ovary was simply swollen and ‘waking up’, so to speak, after being dormant for so long. And it was a huge boost for my level of confidence to walk into that appt and not feel like ‘I need to take this ovary out’, which honestly, I’ve said a few times in the past because of problems. I’m not sure about you, but after chronic situations with anything, we all get to that point of just ‘do whatever is easiest, the quick fix’. The other key difference in visiting with my OB was my assertiveness in telling him the things that are going WELL with me vs. ‘tell me what’s wrong with me’ – aha! That was an incredible way to direct the conversation from negative to positive – and quite frankly, feel more in control of my body and the outcome. He could tell I was feeling stronger, healthier and he commented that when you do, your body starts waking up in all sorts of areas, & he was incredibly receptive to the new preventive & holistic care I was doing. I’m so glad he didn’t think I was ‘cheating’ on him – haha! 
So much of my gratitude goes to Liz, who has helped me in the most priceless way… that help is guiding me back to a reconnectedness with this vital part of our mama bodies: our womb, our core, our root. Leading me in healing techniques through acunpuncture, focus and engaging with specific parts of my womb has been incredibly sweet. It’s been emotional, but it’s been soooo fulfilling! I had held a tremendous amount of animosity & anger towards why I had difficulty getting pregnant, why my pregnancies were hard, why I didn’t hold my babes in the way everyone else does, why I had such painful periods, on and on… it’s no wonder my body was acting out, but through this healing process, I am learning each day a new relationship of security, strength and connection with my womb! Please, if you are feeling disengaged with this area of your body, consider a visit with Liz to analyze where you’re at with your root. It’s wildly connected to every part of our health, our energy, our heart… and it needs tending to, just like a sore shoulder or bad back.
Moving forward, I plan to continue seeing Liz once a month, in addition to my general care with my OB. And I know my health in this area will only improve and become more vibrant. Thank you, Liz!
