Health & Wellbeing

It's been awhile, and I haven't really felt like it -- blogging that is. The last 2-3 weeks have been rather hard and I have had no idea why...until yesterday.  As the answer came, things started to fall into place, and as I began to understand the light-bulb came on the weight seemed to fall off my shoulders.
So for the past few weeks I have been:
* Tired
* Sore joints/bones
* Craved chocolate (those who know me well, will know this is strange)
* Cried a lot
* Depressed
* Strange dreams
* Headaches
* Feeling like I was losing it
Last week I decided I would go to the doctors.  She did a urine test, blood test & had a poke around.  According to her & the tests everything was fine.  BUT I still didn't feel fine!
I wondered what was going on, and found that I was worried for myself, which made me worry even further!
So yesterday I had my 3-monthly phone call appointment with Patient Advocates and although I had some good news about my Progesterone levels (that they had gone from 2.2 to 7.0) which was really fabulous, she went on to tell me that I was Estrogen deficient.  She is now going to put me onto some natural stuff to help raise my Estrogen levels.
Anyway, after this phone call I decided to do a bit of research on what the symptoms are fore estrogen deficiency.  Guess what I found?  All of the above symptoms!  (Here is an example) You wouldn't believe the relief I found, as with anyone it is scary to know something is wrong, but not sure what it is.  The surprising thing for me, is that I probably could have self-diagnosed this -- why do doctors have such a narrow working space?
O & just by the by, I have started reading The Great Physician's Rx for Health and Wellness and begun a 49 day healthy eating regime.  I am finding this really, really good and would recommend it if you would like some sound principles on eating, health & wellbeing.

Health & Wellbeing

The medicine maze

Almost 2 years ago we went to the doctors to begin the process of finding out why we weren't getting pregnant. After some initial tests we were told that Jon was fine, but that my progesterone levels were low & that I was not ovulating.  Because we found this out 2 days before we flew back to Ukraine, it was impossible to complete any follow-up here in NZ.  I was advised before we left that I could take a drug called "clomifene" which would help me ovulate.  I was also alerted to a natural alternative "chaste berry". Considering my options I decided to buy some of the natural pills before we left.
Since then I have taken those tablets, then turned to clomifene, also tried a naturopath, measuring my temperature etc, changing my diet and a myriad of other things, all to no avail really.  The only one I am really thankful for is changing my diet.  I am now back at my ideal weight and feel a whole lot better for it, and  know my body appreciates it too.
We then came back to New Zealand, and have again pursued two different options.  We have pursued the natural path through a clinic in Tauranga.  They too told me that my progesterone levels were very low.  I have been taking stuff from them for the past 6 weeks.  Jon also had a test done there, but based on the fact that we thought it was my side that needed addressing, we decided not to pursue it any further.
Alongside this we have also been having appointments with a fertility specialist.  After the initial visit and some tests we went back to him to be told that my test results are fine, but that Jon's count is low.  Talk about a bit of a bomb!  I was really sure what to think, aside from confusion and frustration, I then found it hard to know what to believe.  We had been living under a whole different perception for the last two years! We then thought to ring the clinic in Tauranga to get Jon's results and they confirmed too that his count was low.  The specialists only suggestion to us was to pursue IVF, which we could get for free,  but on a waiting list of at least a year.
Lots to think about, sift through and pray about.  It gets you thinking though...what was the first doctor doing when he interrupted our test results, and who are you suppose to believe.  How much are doctors driven by pharmaceutical companies??  If I got the same advice from a builder, he would be back to fix his job or refund my money. From now on I will be asking for all of my results on paper and interrupting them myself.  Its a pity we cant just pay for the services we want, and not for the doctor to tell us what we already know or can find out!

The medicine maze

Self Sufficiency

One of the newer lifestyle changers that we are wanting to implement is "living off the land" or self-sufficiency. There are many parts to this, and without owning our own property over here, some may be hard to start.  But we can start with food and in regards to eating, our aim is to eliminate as much stuff as possible from our grocery list and only buy bare essentials from the supermarket. Sorry Pak 'n' Save:-(

My grandparents would be proud of us!

Here is our draft list of what we want to do, or have all ready started to do...

SELF SUFFICIENCY – EATING

Veges (Total cost $300)
Herbs -- Planted – perpetual
Salad Greens -- Planted – perpetual (cover in winter)
Tomatoes -- Planted (greenhouse for winter)
Capsicums/cucumbers -- Planted (greenhouse for winter)
Potatoes/kumara -- 2 crops a year
Corn -- Summer crop only, pick & freeze
Peas/beans -- Summer crop only, pick & freeze
Pumkins -- Planted – store for winter
Cauli/brocolli -- 2 crops a year
Carrots -- Perpeutual planting
Beets -- Perpetual planting

Cabbage, garlic, onions -- Buy

Fruit (Total cost $150?)
Passionfruit -- Plant vines (freeze)
Avocado -- Plant 2 trees
Plums -- Already planted (freeze)
Apples -- Plant a tree (dry for winter)
Grapes -- Already planted
Pears -- Plant a tree (dry for winter)
Mandarins -- Already planted
Lemons -- Already planted
Berries -- Plant some canes (freeze)

Fejoias -- Plant a small hedge (dry for winter)

Bananas, nectarines, olive oil, juice -- Buy

Meat (Total Cost $1000?)
Chicken -- Construct a coop/buy chickens
Fish -- Go fishing
Beef -- Buy a cow???
Lamb -- Construct a small pen/buy

Eggs -- Same as chicken

Yogurt -- Use yogurt maker
Milk (& products)  -- Buy a cow???
Icecream -- Buy an icecream maker?

Bread -- Buy breadmaker $300
Pasta -- Buy pasta roller $50

Baking -- make

Flour, sugar etc -- Buy

Honey  -- Get bee hive $200
Relishes/jams  -- Make using own produce

Self Sufficiency