Surviving a Health Crisis
Please note I am not a physician, so this blog post should not replace medical care! I am just someone who discovered a liver virus the hard way and want to share the word about a widespread issue that many of us face. Hopefully you learn a bit here to not feel overwhelmed to talk to your doctor!
If you or a loved one is fighting a critical illness, I understand how you feel. I’ve been there. And hopefully I can give you some comfort.
After a terrible 2020, I was admitted to the hospital 3 days before Christmas and told I would not walk out alive.
It turns out I had a virus that was attacking my liver in additional to an autoimmune liver condition (I was unaware of either, so I was still drinking - it was 2020, after all). I figured out I was sick whenmy eyes went mustard yellow, which meant the virus had hit a critical level.
I was admitted in a level 5 ER event, and I was told (yelled at, really) but a very unpleasant physician that I was going to die.
I wasn’t resigned to accepting that though, as sick as I was, so I knew I had to summon the strength to fight it.
This was horrible, this was awful, and this was something I hope to never have to do again. (I hope the same for you, which is why I am writing this!)
Well, after a touch-and-go 5 days in the hospital, even though they thought I would not leave, I did.
At that time, I didn’t know what sort of recovery I faced, and I was still confused as to what had happened. However, I knew I was given a second chance at life, so I had to heal my body.
I had a very ill-defined eating plan recommended by a physician, and at my follow up appointment, he could provide no clarity.
If any of you have gone through any medical emergencies, I imagine you can understand the situation, and I am sorry for that.
This exchange actually happened:
Me: I’ve been drinking a ton of water.
Doctor: Well don’t drink too much.
Me: How much is too much? Half as much as normal? Until I’m not thirsty?
Doctor: Just try to control your fluid intake.
I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to follow this sort of regimen. I was trying to get better, but I didn’t have the proper guidance. So I had to figure it out for myself instead.
So if you’re facing a health issue, you’re not alone, and you can persevere! I want to tell you about two things:
To illustrate that food is medicine, and it can help you too.
To share how I was able to get through recovering from this emotionally.
This isn’t just a third person article in a magazine – this is my personal life experience as to how it actually worked. And you know what? It’s a pretty easy healing method!
Yes, this is a dramatic story, and I hope you don’t have this experience.
Food is medicine.
Ultimately I ended up eating a ton of produce (something like 12-15 servings per day). And it worked! If stuffing my gullet with a bunch of produce helped me come back to almost perfect health, it may have a profound effect on you too.
I mean, if it worked in a worst case scenario, it can help if you are trying to lower your cholesterol, lose weight, or just feel overall better. I am a staunch believer in loading up on nutrients and getting some exercise in whatever form makes you happy. (And below you can get a three-day liver reset of recipes I used to help me recover.)
This physical element is why I started this website. I want to encourage women to eat and train for their healthiest and strongest bodies, not for a physical aesthetic. (So sign up below for emails if you want a cheerleader!)
2. Emotional survival may be even harder.
Ultimately I leaned heavily on my faith in God. This crisis brought me closer to Him, and that’s the only way I got through the long dark days of January and February while I was recovering.
If you are interested in learning more about my story and how I coped, I wrote about it in Faith in Crisis: From My Father’s Deathbed to My Own ($3.99 for Kindle).
The book discusses how I leaned on my faith and God’s promises to pull me out of an insurmountable mess that I could not even fathom.
I will never forget that Christmas that I spent in the hospital wondering if I would die in there, and I am so grateful that I can share my story for your benefit. It is my goal to help anyone I can improve his or her health and relationship with God, and be a cheerleader along the way.
If you are looking to eat better to prevent any future illness, I put together something that helped me heal my body back to health at 40 years old. Sign up for my FREE three day liver reset, filled with delicious, easy recipes heavy on produce but light on sodium and sugar that will support your liver health and and feed your body the nutrients it needs to thrive!
