I (Susan Neal) combated a health crisis at forty-nine. In November of that year, I had a crown placed on a tooth. Little did I know how that would mark the beginning of losing my good health. Ultimately, over the next nine months, this tooth abscessed and poisoned my body, resulting in ten different medical diagnoses and two surgeries.
Timeline of Health Crisis
One month after the crown, I began having two menstrual cycles every month. The double periods continued, and eventually, fifteen months later, I had surgery to remove two uterine polyps.
Two months later, I experienced depression and craved chocolate. Where I used to eat a couple of candy bars per year, now I binged on Ghirardelli chocolate every evening.
In March, I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, and two months later, adrenal fatigue. Although exhausted, I had difficulty sleeping. By this point, I should have known something was wrong with my body. Nevertheless, I didn’t realize the severity of my physical problems even though as a Christian yoga instructor I taught my clients to be in tune with their bodies.
My doctor prescribed three different adrenal vitamins five times a day for my adrenal fatigue. That’s fifteen vitamin pills per day! The physician also prescribed progesterone cream for the ovarian cyst and hormonal imbalance, as I was experiencing perimenopause. That summer I was so exhausted that I could not attend my aunt’s funeral because I had no stamina to fly across the country. Even my husband and children did not understand how depleted I felt.
In July I saw flashes of light in my left eye when I quickly turned my head to the left. Two months later I was diagnosed with a hole in my retina. Retinal tears can lead to blindness if the retina becomes detached.
In August, I began experiencing visual migraines even though I had never suffered from headaches. That month I went to my dentist for a cleaning and told my hygienist I felt a bump above one of my teeth. She informed me that was not a good sign, and the dentist discovered the tooth I had crowned in November had abscessed and drained its putrid fluid into my gastrointestinal system. I still didn’t realize that the effects of my abscessed tooth likely caused all the other symptoms.
I had an emergency root canal along with ten days of antibiotics and two weeks of steroids. Afterward, I was so fatigued I could not put away the groceries after shopping. No one understood how depleted my system was because on the outside I looked fine, but on the inside, I was a train wreck.
Hope for Restored Health
I turned fifty that month, and I had lost my health. For fifty years, I took my good health for granted. Now I realized it was precious. As a gift a friend gave me a plaque with this verse:
Those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
At this point in my illness I clung to this verse and hoped that one day I would be well again.
In September my doctor found I was anemic and low in vitamin D, so he told me to take iron and vitamin D supplements. He also referred me to an optometrist for the flashes of light in my eye. The optometrist performed emergency laser surgery to prevent a detached retina. When I turn my head sharply to the left, I still have a flash of light, and I will never regain that part of my vision.
In the fall, my health further declined. I felt utterly drained and sick all the time, and I could have easily stayed in bed. However, my family needed me. My doctors were unable to do much for me except recommend vitamin D, iron supplements, adrenal vitamins, and progesterone cream. So I began alternative health-care therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and colonic irrigation.
Colonic Found Candida
Through a colonic irrigation, the therapist found a candida infection in my colon. I had never heard of this type of infection before despite being an RN since candidiasis (candida infection from a Candida fungus) of the gut is not taught in mainstream medicine. Even my internal medicine doctor didn’t know how to rid me of this yeast infection in my intestine.
A candida infection in your colon is similar to a vaginal yeast infection. Women are prone to getting vaginal yeast infections when they take antibiotics because the drug kills off beneficial flora in a person’s body. Well, I had just consumed antibiotics and a steroid.
Health Crisis Summary
Ultimately, what occurred in my body was poisoning from an abscessed tooth resulting in ten different medical diagnoses in the following order:
- Bimonthly periods caused by uterine polyps
- Depression
- Ovarian cyst
- Adrenal fatigue
- Hormonal imbalance
- Retinal tear
- Visual migraine
- Anemia
- Low vitamin D level
- Candidiasis infection of my colon
Fought to Kill the Candida
My colonic therapist educated me about the overgrowth of Candida in my gastrointestinal system. I followed a strict anti-Candida diet and took a cleanse to get rid myself of this infection.
Candida feeds off of carbohydrates. Therefore, a physical component of my craving for sugar and carbs was an overgrowth of this harmful microorganism. Having candidiasis is like having a monster take control of your appetite. I teach you about this type of overgrowth in my blog, What is a candida overgrowth? Learn how to treat gut issues. You can determine if you have an overgrowth of candida by taking CandiQuiz.com.
However, I fought this culprit and restored my gut flora. The gut flora consists of beneficial microorganisms (also known as probiotics) that strengthen the immune system and help defend against unfriendly bacteria and pathogens that cause disease.
For the following eight months, I struggled to regain my health. To eradicate the Candida, I continued the anti-Candida regimen and stopped eating fruit, rice, flour, sugar, and desserts. I lost a lot of weight. During this time, I took one step forward and two steps back, then three steps forward and one step back. It was a slow process, but after eight months of being on the strict diet, I finally regained my health.
I felt healed. The diet required great self-control, but I was determined to succeed because I desperately wanted my health back. Ultimately I beat the candida infection in my colon and restored my adrenal glands. God gave us glorious bodies that will heal themselves if we give them the right building blocks.
Two years after the crown was placed on my tooth, I found this verse:
God Offers Comfort to All
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT).
My Newfound Purpose: To Help YOU
I understand the devastating effects of being ill. Now I desire to help others reclaim their health as I did mine. That is why I published seven healthy books:
7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates
Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates
Healthy Living Series: 3 Books in 1
Plus I created a course, 7 Steps to Reclaim Your Health and Optimal Weight. Please join my Facebook group, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar, Carbs, and Gluten, where I offer support and encouragement so you can begin your healing journey.
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