Update: Month 3

March ended in a whirlwind leading up to a fantastic baby shower for a friend, duties at church, the always full of chaos week before spring break at work, and putting the finishing touches planning our trip to Germany. I used to feed off being busy, but busy is no longer my friend. I did my best to find peaceful moments to center myself. 

So, I'm a little late publishing because we've been in Germany the past week (the trip will be chronicled in a different blog). 

March was a month of contradictions. The weather contradicted itself, so did the doctors. 

Through my healing journey I've assembled a group of doctors around Chicagoland. I have a fantastic primary care doctor, who emails me back in a timely manner and is very patient with me. My rheumatologist is a leading researcher on Anklosing Spondylitis. Practically the entire team of Infectious Disease doctors at Northwestern knows me. I work with a smart and passionate Functional Medicine doctor. I have a chiropractor who is careful with his adjustments and would rather me make lasting lifestyle changes. My acupuncturist sees me as a whole body, not a disease. My health coach is a great listener and helps me see things in new ways, the hallmark of a good therapist. 

It sounds like I'm in good hands. The only problem is that none of them agree with each other and I'm stuck being the one to decide what is best for me. On one hand that's incredibly empowering. On the other hand...that is A LOT of pressure!

So, this is what I've figured out works for me:
-Rest, rest, rest 
-Routine (so boring, I know!)
-Positive distractions (walks, writing spending time with friends, movies, etc.)
-Sunshine  
-Visualization 
-A diet free from sugar, dairy, eggs, gluten and processed foods
-Acupuncture & chiropractic care
-Curcumin: A natural anti-inflammatory 

This is what doesn't work for me: 
-Stress
-Rushing around
-Uncertainty 
-Negativity

Pinterest provided me with the quote at the end of this post. When I think about all I've learned so far it helps me understand why this is happening. The most important lesson I've learned is to slow down and pay attention. I know I have some thing left to learn and then I will be able to move forward. 

I'll be checking in again soon. Happy spring!