Introduction to Essential Oils

A Story of My Introduction to Essential Oils

I was in my third trimester of my first pregnancy when I was first introduced to essential oils. I was having this strange hot pain in my throat that I didn't know how to deal with. Yep, you guessed it. I was having heartburn for the very first time in my life. I had never had indigestion before so I had no idea what this fire-y pain deep in my throat was. A friend of mine asked if I was open to trying essential oils for that and to help me sleep better and brought me some samples. I ended up using them and then forgetting about them for awhile.

Fast forward a few years, and my interest in natural remedies had skyrocketed. I became concerned about eating foods that are so processed, using antibiotics so much, and popping pills for anything and everything. I also became a full fledged germ-o-phobe. I hate to throw up (I actually have a fear about having to throw up) and I also haaaate when my boys are sick. So, I did some research, bought some apple cider vinegar and grapefruit seed extract, and decided to try essential oils again (so crunchy and hippie I know). I went to a specialty vitamin store and bought essential oils to blend together to use.

It worked. Not just once, or twice, but several times over a period of 4-5 months. Each time, the boys would start to get sick, and I used the oils, Brandon and I would say that maybe it was a coincidence and not really a bad cold since they immediately got better. After around the 6th or 7th time of our boys NOT getting sick when they were STARTING to get sick, we tentatively said we thought the essential oils worked. By this time, I was also diffusing lavender essential oil every night before bed to help promote good sleep.

I branched out and tried a few other oils to help with other things and by this time, I'm hooked. We've been at the pediatrician's office much less than previous winters, and you know with 2 toddlers that is a feat in itself.

So far I've used essential oils to help with sleep, anxiety, allergies, stomachaches, headaches, rashes, cough and congestion, energy, Brandon's tummy troubles, to boost our immune systems, and to take the burn out of a burn. I'll be sure to write a separate post with how we dealt with the stomach bug using essential oils, too. We mostly use essential oils topically (usually diluted with a carrier oil like coconut oil or olive oil) or by putting them in our diffuser.  The kind of essential oils I use can be also ingested because they are therapeutic grade, but not all essential oils are created equal and I do not recommend ingesting just any oils. I decided to go with that brand of essential oils because they are certified therapeutic grade and in my research thought they were the best fit for me. Plus, I like that I can earn rewards to use and get free oils, plus earn commission.

Because we have seen such positive results from using essential oils, I've been able to help many of my friends with health concerns or other issues they are facing and would love to help you too. If you purchase essential oils from my site (contact me to get the link), I will receive a small commission, and it will go to help my family. I appreciate each and every one of you who have (and will in the future) help support us! Plus, I can't wait to help you change your medicine cabinet and see how natural remedies like essential oils can help your family too.

If you liked this introduction to essential oils, and would like to know more, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help get you started or answer questions. Plus, if you sign up under me, you can start earning commission too and be eligible for rewards on every purchase! Just ask me how.

And So It Begins...

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives... with Humira, that is.

We received word late last week that our insurance company had approved the Humira injections for Brandon! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Just to recap, or in case you missed it, these injections cost $6,000 to start, and the monthly maintenance dosage cost is $2,000, so for insurance to approve this and help with the cost is amazing and SO very very needed!

For the last 2 weeks, we have prayed diligently over Brandon and the decisions we've needed to make regarding this medication. As with any medication, there are side effects. We are primarily concerned about the side effect of Lymphoma and any side effects with regards to fertility in the future. Let me state right now, NO we are not trying to get pregnant right now. However, we have decided that we may want to try for a third child at some point in the future (the distant future as Brandon calls it ;) ). With that being said, those are serious concerns for us. Brandon's doctor immediately called out the fact that there is an increased chance that he could develop Lymphoma, which is a type of cancer. The "c" word scares me, and I really don't want to even think about this part of the whole deal. (If I ignore it, it will go away, right?!) We also don't know how the Humira could affect our trying to conceive another baby one day, or if there could be birth defects that result. The other factor to all of this is that his body could potentially not respond to the medication and we would be back at square one.

Despite these concerns, Brandon has felt a peace about beginning this medication. He is trusting in the wisdom of his medical team and that the Lord holds his future. We may not know what tomorrow looks like, but we know with certainty that the Lord our God is the perfect author of our story. He has written the beautiful pages of our lives and continues to create a most complicated and precious storyline that is one we hope to look back on and be proud of.

Today we received 6 pens of Humira on dry ice on our front doorstep. We were both giddy and a little sweaty-palmed as we opened the contents of what feels like the fate of our future. So today, we decide to document our experience and show the very real side of what life will be like in this home. Brandon will begin his onboarding of Humira with 4 injections today, and will continue with 2 more in 2 weeks and one injection every 2 weeks for the rest of his life. If that sounds as scary as it feels while I'm typing it, it is. While we may view Humira as our lifeline to normalcy and a life without pain and discomfort it is only because it is the object of our attention, and we know that our true hope is in Christ Jesus and that He holds us and loves us through every step.

Enjoy our very first VLOG (that would be a VIDEO blog :) and just a word of caution, it may not be suitable if you're squeamish around needles!):

A Day of Hospital Tests and Just As Many Questions As Answers

As most of you know from reading this, today Brandon had an MRI at UNC Hospitals. He was scheduled to have an MRI at 9:00am and then see his doctor immediately following.  I could tell he was nervous and got up bright and early to get to work before he had to be at the hospital. He told me this morning that his main concern about the MRI was having to drink contrast, because it causes major discomfort in his abdomen, and plus it tastes disgusting. Well, he ended up having to drink the contrast not once, but TWICE, because it wasn't showing up clearly enough on the scan.

MAJOR BUMMER.

I told him "you can do anything for a short amount of time" because that's what my mama always told me growing up anytime I had to do something difficult or uncomfortable.

After the MRI, Brandon went right to clinic and was seen by his doctor. There he was told that most likely he would have surgery on Monday, and then he was whisked away for bloodwork, and back to the clinic.

Yes, our hearts stopped...

It turns out that we have good news and bad news.

The good news is that Brandon doesn't have to have surgery (today, at least) after review of the MRI, or an abdominal stent put in (think balloon heart catheter, but for your intestines).

The bad news is that Brandon has a very aggressive form of Crohn's disease and his MRI showed that his intestines are highly inflamed. The doctor said that about 20% of Crohn's patients have his type of Crohn's disease: Stricturing Crohns, which basically means his intestines are constantly inflaming and forming scar tissue.

If you're following along, you're probably putting 2 and 2 together. Brandon has a flare up, scar tissue forms, repeat repeat repeat, Brandon has surgery, Brandon has flare up, scar tissue forms, repeat repeat repeat, until when? Until he has nothing left? Until he's been cut open more times that we can count?

So what's the plan?

The plan is to immediately begin a steroid regimen to try and decrease the inflammation. Long-term, the plan is to have Humira injections multiple times a month. The nurse is working on getting insurance approval for this therapy though, because initial injection costs are $6,000 and regular monthly maintenance costs are $2,000. We are praying that insurance will pay the majority of this cost, because once Brandon begins this kind of therapy, he can't stop it and begin it again because his body will develop antibodies to it and it will be ineffective.

This worries me. There are only a handful of drugs out there that will work with this kind of condition. And there is a 50% success rate with each one. And even if one of these drugs works for him, there are lots of side effects.

We are swimming in information from today. It seems like so much to know all at once, and we want to make the right decisions, not just for right now, but for long term. We have so many questions about how to manage this condition and what is best for Brandon. Please pray with us over several things:

For complete healing... but if not...

That the inflammation would go down with the course of steroids and that no further intervention is needed to get over this flare.

That the insurance would cover the cost of the injections.

That his body would respond positively to the injections and the other medication he will be put on.

That he would suffer no side effects.

We are so thankful that we have such an army of prayerful friends who are joining us and lifting us up. We are surrounded by friends and family who have shown us love and concern and have kept encouraging us all day long. My phone battery is dead already because of all the messages I received constantly all day. You all are the best. We love you so much! You don't know just how much your kind words mean to us.

We want Christ to be glorified through our lives and how we respond during trials like this one. We are grateful, desperately grateful, for His grace and mercy because though the last year has been nothing like we ever imagined, we are far more blessed than we even know. We sat at home tonight and soaked up our beautiful family. We can only hope and pray that God is using this to mold us to do great things for His glory and that others may come to know the source of our strength, for we are not along.

I was reminded today of that beautiful promise when I heard a certain song on the radio and thought of this verse:

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.