Genes Are Not Destiny 🧪

For years, I have been dealing with something that I have not shared. Now I’m ready to tell you…I collapse.

Let me explain…

I don’t just get weak in the legs and need to go lay down.

NO…I have a full-on anaphylaxis reaction. It’s red itchy hives, I swell up, I have trouble breathing, I vomit, and more. 

It all happens at once… It happens when I exercise. It happens when I feel stressed.

It happens at that lovely time of the month. And…it's happened a lot. 

It started in 2016 and only happened once.

Then once again in 2017.

I just thought it was stress. 

Spring 2020, it happened while I was running. It continued to happen monthly while exercising. Again, my thought was stress; The entire world was stressed out with the COVID Pandemic!

After 5 months, I had enough and sought out an allergist.

I kept a food diary which showed more results than the food sensitivity test; I was consuming too much plant-based protein prior to exercising.

The diagnosis: Exercise Anaphylaxis.

No, I am not allergic to exercise, hehe.

Exercise Anaphylaxis is an allergic type reaction that occurs while exercising, shortly after eating. 

So, I stopped eating 2 hours prior to exercising and felt better…for two years. 

In 2022, when it happened again. I decided to have extensive vitamin and mineral testing. Our bodies have the answer to what is wrong. My body was showing me that I was deficient in Chromium, a vital mineral for regulating blood sugar. 

A little pill in the morning with breakfast was all I needed…for two more years. 

I felt great until May 8th, 2024. I collapsed while interpreting…yes, in the gray box at the bottom of your screen. That was humiliating enough for me to transfer care and get to the bottom of things. 

I found an amazing Naturopathic doctor who studied in California.

She moved to New England with advanced testing that I had never heard of. 

Underlining gut and thyroid issues were finally taken care of and I felt great!

I took a Dutch Test which truly showed what my hormones were doing.

My hormonal blood tests for years were “within normal range” but this urinalysis disagreed. 

You pee on a stick to find out if you're pregnant so why are we still checking hormones with blood tests?

This is beyond me, but that’s a blog for another day. 

I was educated about how patients with one kidney have a lower blood volume…those with two kidneys have more blood in their body.

This is very common sense since our kidneys' job is to filter our blood, yet it took almost 20 years for me to learn this. 

So, I need to support my one kidney by: 

• Staying hydrated with electrolytes. In my water, I add a pinch of Celtic salt and a Needed. packet. This has been keeping my blood sodium levels stable. 

• Regulate my blood pressure by not doing strenuous exercise 1 week before my menstrual cycle. Meditative prayer walks in nature have been very beneficial. 

One year later on May 8th of 2025,  I felt fantastic! 

Until two days later….While getting ready for a spring day out, I experienced my most severe reaction.

I had hives, I was completely swollen, I was red, I had trouble breathing; I am beyond grateful to my family that I was not alone. 

1 week later = another episode

2 weeks later = more symptoms but I thankfully caught it in time. 

By the end of May, liquid children’s Benadryl was my safety net, and I was fed up!

My “glass half full” self was upset.

I am a grown woman, about to turn 40. I want to live on my own, I want to go out and do things, and I want to say yes to things without thinking twice.

Instead, I’ve been in a constant state of fear that an episode is going to take me down. 

If I feel symptoms coming on, I just have to stop.

There have been many moments where I've mentally said “Not today, Lord!” and try to stay positive. 

Even though it has put limits on my life, you know I’m not giving up. 😉

Genetics is the science of hope. So, I had genetic testing.

What is super quick and easy (it’s just a cheek swab) has left me a little nervous…this is one of very few test options left for me, and I really need to find answers. 

Thankfully it doesn’t get any deeper than our genes, so I know I’m in the right hands. 

Thank you so much for following along on my journey! 💕

I look forward to sharing more when the results come in!

Namaste and Lots of Love! 🤟🏻