Let me take you back. It's April 3, 2014, the day after my 49th birthday. No big deal; no big celebration. But I woke up that morning with, what I can only call, a death-would-be-preferable headache. I'd been having frequent headaches for about 6 months but this was by far the worst thing I had ever experienced in my entire life. I couldn't stand. I was sick to my stomach. Every movement brought agony. I ended up in the ER and was told it was a migraine. I'd never had a migraine before and it is a bit unusual to get them at my age. A follow up with my own doctor revealed a few possible causes, two of which were hormones and being overweight. According to my doctor, I was obese (gotta love those docs). I was put on a prescription medication for the migraines. It worked pretty good but I just didn't have a good feeling about taking it.
I had heard of a diet-plan from several ladies at church. Trim Healthy Mama. I borrowed the book and spent the entire weekend reading. It was well over 600 pages. This was plan for me. I jumped into it full force and in about 6 months lost 35 pounds. This plan, this way of eating was changing my life for the better. It's a natural, real food way of eating and understanding how food fuels the body. Yes, I still have another 35 to go but with the knowledge I have gained (pun intended) I have no doubt that other 35 pounds will be gone soon. As I learned about natural, whole, healthy food and experienced the benefits of eating this way, I figured that there had to be a similar approach to managing my health. That's when essential oils entered my life.
A year ago I knew absolutely nothing about them. I had a friend of a friend on Facebook and she was a consultant for a well-known EO company. Every now and then she would post something on Facebook about her EO business but I never gave it much thought. But one afternoon, after seeing a post on lavender, I contacted her. Maybe this was the natural solution I wanted and needed. I ordered a kit and, yes, jumped into it full force. I went to a class and learned more about what EO are about and how to use them. I did research online. A lot of research. (Some of which I will share in future posts). My husband wasn't fully convinced however. In the beginning, he called them "snake" oils. That's all changed now. He's a huge supporter of and believer in essential oils.
My first real "hey these work" moment came on an evening when I had indigestion. I had eaten a bit off the THM plan and I was feeling it. So I got my oils out and put a few drops on to my tummy and rubbed it in. Then I put two more drops in my hands and inhaled. Within 10 minutes all pain, discomfort, and burping had stopped.
My next "yeah I'm sold" moment came when I had a migraine. As soon as I felt it coming on, I took my meds but this time I also used peppermint oil. I put 3 drops in my hands, rubbed them together, and then inhaled-nice, long deep breaths. I also rubbed my hands on the back of my neck and on my temples. Off to bed I went. Normally, pre-EO, I was done for the day. Even with the meds, I'd be in bed most of the day and when I did get up, I wasn't anywhere near functional. Often the next day, while the pain was gone, I was left feeling groggy and slothful. But this time was different. I was only in bed for about 3 hours. When I got up, yes a bit groggy, I had a real, intelligible conversation with my husband. I ate a small dinner. I used more peppermint oil and the next morning I was back to normal. It's like I had gained a day and half back. The next migraine came a few weeks later. Same scenario. Awesome! The next migraine I tried something different. I only took half my meds and used a bit more peppermint oil. Ha....same as before. I was on to something for sure. Being I was told that my migraines were most likely hormone related, guess what I did? I got oils made to help with hormones. I use them every night before I go to bed. I can't tell you the last time I had a hot flash but I can tell you that I haven't had a migraine in over 9 months now. To me that is amazing especially when I consider how sudden and severe they came into my life.
Now I use essential oils for everything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-medical person at all. I had a severe knee injury in January 2016 which required major knee surgery. So I am very grateful for doctors, hospitals, medical advancements, and Percocet. But.....I did use my oils after surgery and I was completely off the pain meds in 4 days. Most patients use prescription pain medication for 10-12 days.
Yes, I know my stories are anecdotal. But I also know they are real. And I'm not alone. There are thousands of other people who can share similar stories. For me, this is not the latest fad. It is a lifetime commitment to whole health and wellness. If you want more information, I would love to share my oils with you. Contact me through this page or visit mydoterra.com/cherylshares
