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My Journey
In the late 1990s I found myself happily married with two beautiful and fun toddlers. I enjoyed lifting weights, long runs, martial arts classes, and playing field hockey in local leagues all the while working 50-60 hours at a corporate job, running a household and sharing child responsibilities with my husband. I was doing everything needed to be a successful mom, wife, employee, and athlete.
I thought all was going well until the migraines started creeping in - two or three a month initially - until eventually, their occurrences increased to 3-5 times a week. Digestive issues became increasingly disruptive in my daily life. Surgery stopped one issue and created another. Between the migraines and digestive issues, I understood that my body was fragile but I kept pushing it. I started withdrawing from family responsibilities in an attempt to maintain the status quo on all other fronts. Doctors prescribed medicines and I took them regardless of the unpleasant side effects experienced.
From the inside, I watched myself become another person - short-tempered, with angry outbursts, losing control, rather than the patient, focused person I knew I was and wanted to be. My marriage showed signs of strain. On a shoestring budget, I tried several alternative pathways, a boatload of supplements, and more with limited results. The frustration of thinking I may be destined for a life of physical pain riddled my emotions. Three years later, I reached my limit with the side effects of the medications I had been taking and decided to stop one of the main medications cold turkey. After dealing with a few weeks of difficult withdrawal symptoms I signed up for a local Reiki I class more as a distraction since I thought it would enhance my martial arts training.
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