Patient, Heal Thyself

I know that the real quote is “Physician, heal thyself” from Luke 4:23. My takeaway from this quote is the idea that you cannot fill the cup of others unless your cup is full, too. This is not only true of physicians, but of all of us living in broken bodies. Those with Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS) have particularly flawed bodies. If I am going to help find the best ways for my daughter, Selah, to live at peace with her body, I must also work to find peace within my own body. And as she works towards her dream of helping people with invisible diseases, she must also take care of herself as well. While the title may say “heal” thyself, I mean to find the best ways to live in harmony with our broken bodies.

In honor of Elher’s Danlos Awareness Month I wanted to share some of the tools we have found in the past year. Selah not only has EDS, but also has Crohn’s Disease, SIBO, and Gastroparesis. This means top to bottom her gastrointestinal system does not work properly. Which came first? Who knows, but it has made for an exceptionally challenging unraveling of issues. What works for one part of her system can set the other part out of whack. And then toss on top of that the comorbidity of EDS.

When you look at a long list of comorbidities you may automatically jump to the thought that surely this person is just a hypochondriac or faking it. Trust me, we’ve heard it all. But this is most definitely not the case. Comorbidity describes the existence of one or more long-term or chronic diseases or conditions within the body at the same time that may or may not interact with each other. But generally, when they interact, they worsen the course of both diseases. In Selah’s case the primary genetic condition Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome co-occurs with Crohn’s Disease, SIBO, and Gastroparesis. In my case EDS co-occurs with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Tools We Use

Regenerative Therapy

A very exciting alternative therapy that we recently found is regenerative therapy. Increasing the body’s natural ability to signal regeneration, decrease inflammation, and modulate the immune system in a safe way is unprecedented. While Selah is in the beginning phases with this life changing therapy, we are happy so far. The best part is that no matter what is going on with your life and health I highly recommend regenerative therapy to help you meet your health goals. You can watch a seminar on regenerative therapy here.

Ozone Therapy

We purchased a machine to do Ozone Therapy in our home. We got ours through Compass Cellular Healing here in Nashville. I recently discovered PromoLife which is an amazing resource for ozone machines and attachments. I currently have a full body ozone bag and a silicone ozone cup set in my shopping cart. We make our own ozone water every morning and then we try to add in at least one other ozone therapy method per day. Here is a little information about Ozone Therapy.

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is thought to act on your body’s mitochondria cells by supercharging them. Which, in theory, has beneficial effects such as increased blood flow and oxygenation, reduced inflammation, and increased production of collagen and elastin. You can find lots of research on red light therapy here.

Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET)

In 1998-99 NAET was a life saver for my son Keegan. His allergies were extreme. In 2021 the family returned to NAET to get treatments. What a life saver this has been for us. I always explain that the treatment is weird, but it works. You can find a NAET practitioner near you here. If you are in Nashville, we love Dr. Guin Bennett and in Portland Jean Dugan was a life changer. You can find more about NAET, allergies, and intolerances here.

Acupressure Mat

I love this Bed of Nails Accupressure Mat. I didn’t expect to love it so much when my friend suggested it, but I do. I really do. I feel like tension and all the cares of the world melt away when I rest on this thing. I am sure there is actual science and stuff behind it, but I can just enthusiastically say I love it.

Dry Needling

Our chiropractor is practically part of the family. Our joints slip and slide right out of place on a regular basis, so we are familiar faces around the office at Royal Oaks Chiropractic. Dr. Houston recently added Dry Needling as one of his services. I can’t say I enjoy the treatment at all, but I do love the results. I fall down, a lot, I mean a lot, and hard. (It’s a common EDS issue due to our unstable joints.) My Apple Watch has suggested emergency calls a few too many times now. Dry Needling has been a game changer.

Assisted Lymphatic Therapy

Selah recently started Assisted Lymphatic Therapy (ALT) with Megan Snodgrass at Haven Health and Wellness which combines the general technique of Manual Lymphatic Therapy (MLT) with a handheld device designed to stimulate the lymph in a more efficient and effective manner. I have this on my to-do list as well.

Fermenting Foods

Selah’s diagnosis led me to discover the value of fermenting food. I learned a ton going to classes by and following Auntie Jaq (@thornandthistleapothecary) | Instagram. I also read and followed some recipes in The Art of Fermentation and The Noma Guide to Fermentation. My friend Kathy sent me a sourdough starter and shared her recipe with me. I started fermenting food solely for Selah’s health, but I have found that it greatly impacts how I feel as well.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is not new to our wellness routine, but I wanted to share the very best massage therapy center in my area anyway. It is so hard to find the right person and I have found that no matter who I get at Franklin Massage Center I always get the right person. That is rare thing, so I just had to share. I do have to say that if you like an intense therapeutic massage I cannot say enough about Keyonis. You can’t hide what your body needs from her. She will get it all worked out.

Our Everyday Tools

And of course, we continue to use aromatherapy, supplements, and hemp CBD. The aromatherapy and hemp CBD product we get from ourselves at Ology Essentials and Ology Essentials Labs. And the supplements we purchase from Full Script. I have set my Full Script Store to always give the largest discount available if you are looking for a place to purchase good supplements. My favorite brands are Gaia (especially Gaia professional), Garden of Life, Four Sigmatic, and Host Defense.

I’ve customized my Amazon Page to highlight and share many of the books I’ve used for research and items that I have discovered on this crazy healthy journey we have been on. I’ve always read a lot but now I use Audible to get even more information in my brain while I am driving or working.

What you are your favorite alternative therapies, resources, and tips for surviving life in whatever brand of broken body you are living in?