You don’t have to be sick.

I’ll say it again, nice and slow for the folks in the back – you. don’t. have. to. be. sick.

I should know. I was sick for the better part of twenty years. It was just one thing after another, one health crisis to the next. I’d go to a doctor, get fixed up, maybe take a pill to get back on track, then start the whole thing again when the next hiccup came along.

Now some of you are fighting a different battle. Maybe you’ve got a long term illness you’re dealing with, one that saps your energy or kills your immune system. Maybe you’re run down from helping someone you love through their own health crisis. You’re playing the long game.

But me? I just felt bad. For years. And it was easy to blame this health problem or that crisis – it’s really only in retrospect I see those “problems” I kept solving were symptoms of a bigger issue. The doctors I saw focused in on their one piece of the puzzle. It was like putting on bandaids, over and over again, so I’d look fixed on the outside. Except all along I never really felt good on the inside.

So here’s what I want to say. Trust yourself. Trust your body. If you don’t feel good – if you’re getting sick over and over again – keep looking for answers until you find yours. My answer turned out to be vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, chemical sensitivities, and eating the wrong foods. I don’t know what your answer will be, but I can promise you this. If you stick with it long enough, and look for a doctor who won’t choose the easy fix, you can feel better again. It’s hard work and can be exhausting, but it’s so worth it.

Because I can’t express how grateful I am to have this body back. To feel healthy again…to walk my dogs around the neighborhood without worrying I won’t be able to make it home…it’s priceless.