Circle, Cage or Neither?

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I recently saw and shared the above image on a social media page. I’ve been under the weather and feeling the pull of other’s demands for help. While trying to take care of myself fighting a sinus/bronchitis infection, my usual happy to help disposition, wasn’t feeling it. So, this quote struck a chord.

A comment, actually two comments, on my re-post struck an even louder chord for me. One comment(er) said, “Wow, that’s quite a perspective. Hmmm….” and the other, “Oh WOW, yuck. That statement will make a person think!”. These two comments stayed in my head until I got the message. I know God wanted me to get it.

This is what I learned from this. We shouldn’t be confined to a circle. We shouldn’t view interactions with other people as a cage. We don’t belong in boxes, circles, long lines nor high walls. We all have so many various interactions with people for the appropriate reasons like family, friends, coworkers, clients, and such. None of these define our “circle”.

I now see that if I’m not getting inspired by who I’m interacting with, it’s not their fault. If I’m feeling pressure of their demands, it’s my fault for not setting healthy boundaries for myself. And for always putting those who are takers more then givers, first. If you give, they will take without a second thought. It’s not their fault, it’s who they are.

There are different groups of people that I am in contact with on a regular basis. Most of which I am grateful for. If I’m not feeling inspired, I need to look at myself and make the necessary adjustments. Perhaps, that person or those people are in fact being inspired by me. Perhaps, that’s God’s work for me to do! That message in and of itself, is awe-inspiring to me!

I have a magnificent circle! I love all the people I am surrounded with. Some come in closer while others are at a distance. Whether family, friends, associates, clients or acquaintances, don’t think of being in a circle, leave it open. Grow your possibility to be the inspiration for someone else.

Romans 15:5 

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.”

Go be inspired by the people you’re probably inspiring! Enjoy the your journey.

Shifting My Focus to Shift the Outcome

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Today is the last day of the year. The past two years have been emotionally and physically draining for me. It’s time to change my mindset and move forward. I feel that I’ve been very much at a standstill.

My plan is to stop being angry at why my hair is falling out and why my thyroid and immune system got destroyed. My plan is to look ahead and just do better, just be better.

Health starts from inside the body. I am a certified holistic health coach and I let a lot of what I’ve learned sit on the back burner. It’s time for me to get back to me, hair or no hair. Whew! That was hard to say!

So, let’s journey together in making positive changes and choices in our lives. Let’s keep our chins up and eyes ahead.

What is your immediate goal? What do you want to change in your life in the coming days, weeks or year ahead?

Thank you for being you, for following my stories and for accepting me as I am.

Curve balls of Life

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No matter what our intentions and plans are, it most likely doesn’t go exactly as we expect. Sometimes our plan goes in the direction we plan but there are bumps along the way. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in having a dream or expectation die. Even the most successful people have had disappointments. Don’t let the curve ball throw you off-track.

If you’ve been following my story for the past two years, you know that I’ve been dealing with hair loss. It’s likely from the Covid (booster) vaccine late 2021.

My focus was on the cause. I was (still am), angry that the vaccination made me pretty sick less than 24 hours after getting it. So sick that the doctor I saw told me that my “immune system is in overdrive”. A few months later, I found a bald patch on my head.

Reading prior posts, you can follow the ups and downs I’ve been going through. At this point, I have lost much more hair than I previously did. I want to stop the Olumiant because it stopped helping. It also has undesirable side effects. Instead of why alopecia started, I’m finally at “what now”.

Nothing topical is going to help make it stop. The problem comes from inside the body. Inflammation and toxins in the body are two major culprits. It’s time for me to figure out how to detox my cells and reduce inflammation. I will see an endocrinologist in March and I hope this person can help me find what’s going on inside. For now I will try to reduce bread & pasta. Those are the biggest simple carbs that I eat. I otherwise eat a healthy diet. I don’t typically crave sweets, desserts and such; only the bread and sometimes pasta.

Curve balls, bumps in the road, blocked paths are all inevitable. How we handle them is what we need to focus on. Don’t ask “why me or why this?”, ask, “what now?”.
Step away from your hyper-focused thoughts and reach out to God. Pray, ask, listen. You will hear what to do next. For me, praying to God calms my mind, soothes my soul and helps me change direction.

I don’t know what is ahead for me, but I do know I won’t surrender. I’m physically and emotionally exhausted, partially due to Hashimoto’s. That’s a whole other new thing since 2021.
I want to hide right now, but it’s not the answer. Hiding won’t solve anything. So, I adapt as much as I can today and each following day.

Did you think your life would be different than it is today? A year ago, where was your plan taking you? Did you get there, or have you hit bumps in the road and meet curve balls?

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I wasn’t going to add a photo this time. But, I want those dealing with the same thing to know you aren’t alone. Message me anytime if you have questions or want to vent.

Square One

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Life is as unpredictable as a butterfly’s path. Do you often feel like you take two steps forward only to be thrown one or three steps back? I do.

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I’m learning how to deal with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Alopecia Areata. I developed these after the third Covid vaccine, aka the booster. If you haven’t read about it before today, I urge you to scroll back to my previous posts. If you’re dealing with similar situations, I urge you to go back to my posts starting in September 2022.

What has changed for me recently? I was doing very well on Olumiant for the hair loss. I has 90% of my hair back. This past September though, I found a small bald patch at the back of my head. It only measured about the size of a pencil eraser. It grew bigger by the week and now, just about 6 weeks later, it’s the size of a golf ball. I also have a few other small spots starting. I don’t want to increase the Olumiant due to side effects. In all honesty, it’s really just a band-aid for what is actually going on inside my body. My dermatologist agrees.

As far as the Hashimoto’s goes, my symptoms are minimal. I have learned that it worsens over the years but I stay positive. The minimal side effects are hoarse voice from time-to-time, poor sleep and fatigue. I feel like those three things are related to each other. I press on; who’s not tired these days?!

This week I saw my GP for a yearly physical. She is so good. She listens and cares about what is said. She has ordered an ultrasound on my thyroid because she said it feels harder than it did a year ago. I will also see an endocrinologist and an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist). She wants me to consider HRT, (hormone replacement therapy) as well.

I feel and pray that these next steps will help get to the core issue inside my body. I want to feel confident about my hair, it’s awkward being a hairstylist and having alopecia. In my forty-two years of doing hair, I have never had a client with alopecia. It’s certainly a new learning curve for me. I fear losing ALL of my hair where I cannot hide the bald patches anymore. I need to come to a place of being at peace with it, but I’m not even close yet.

As I continue this new journey of wonky health, I have joined support groups on social media. In these groups, I’m shocked at the amount of new cases of both Hashimoto’s and Alopecia. If you dig deep, you will find that these are likely linked to Covid and/or Covid vaccines. I linked nih.gov sites in previous posts.

Whatever journey, good or bad, that you’re dealing with, you’re never alone. That can be both comforting and upsetting. We need to make better decisions and choices about our body. We need to care what goes in it, what and who we are surrounded by, and our environment. Start at home. Make your home chemical free, your food wholesome and surroundings peaceful.

Be your best self-advocate. No one will care about you more than you so stop putting yourself at the end of the list.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Until next time, do something today that brings you peace and cleanses your soul.

Hare vs. Hair with a big sigh.

Slowly Emerging into Honest Reality

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I haven’t written since spring and the only reason is life. I allowed life to keep me busy and distracted from reality. Those are excuses for not being accountable to plans, goals, intentions and time.

Time doesn’t stand still. Things don’t stay the same. Don’t get so lost in the things that keep you from facing what is real. I did it before. I’m sure I will again. With pure and good intentions, I will keep looking to improve on where my focus lies.

In early spring and through the summer, I was pretty excited about my alopecia situation. I had started taking Olumiant, a JAK inhibitor in November 2023 and bald patches started filling in. I still haven’t filled in fully below my nape area. Still, I stayed hopeful that it would come in time. Fast forward to late September 2024. I discovered a new bald patch in the back of my head. I also found a smaller patch above one ear. My positive spirit deflated. Since then, I have been going through every change I have made that might have caused hair-loss again. There are a few things I can think of. My doctor lowered my dose of hypothyroid medication a few months ago, I started taking iron and selenium supplements. Now I have to try to figure out if any of these things is causing hair-loss. I have a dermatology appointment next week, so I will see what the doctor says. As one person in an alopecia group I’m in – pointed out, medication is only a band-aid, not a cure. It’s a good reminder. I was also told to learn to live with this dis-ease.

It’s so easy to get lost in our own “stuff”. It’s easy to get busy helping others so that we don’t have to face our own reality. “If you don’t separate yourself from your distractions, your distractions will separate you from your goals”. And they did. My goal for my website is to write once a week. By letting distractions in, I let myself down and I let my readers down. I’m sorry.

I’m not sure where I’m going to go from here. I’m also not sure what I will do to keep moving ahead. I do know that I’m going to be less “busy” and more focused on every new day. I’m thankful for every new dawn and the chance God gives me to keep on going; to do His will.

Do you keep yourself distracted? Do you put off things you want to do or have to do?
We are all in the life together, let’s make the most if it!
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Prov. 4:25-27

Want some inspiration? Email me anytime. Stand tall.

Spring is in the Hair!

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Just as each new day gives us a chance to start fresh, each new season does too.

While I have been a bit absent from writing/posting, I have not been gone. Things are still moving forward and upward.

I’ve learned that if you don’t take time for yourself and make changes and choices to make things in your life different, they’ll always be the same, only on a different day.

Seeing who you are through the eyes and opinions of others gives you a false view of who you truly are. It causes insecurity. It holds you back.

I’ve been taking time recently to know myself as who I am rather than who others think (and thought) I am. I revelated on how I believed what others told me about myself. In doing so, it was revealed to me that each description they gave me was their measurement of me. If I was too sensitive, I didn’t fit their need to insult, if I was useless, I wasn’t giving them what they expected from me, and so on. Each of the eight most used insults toward me had one thing in common; it was their measurement of me. Today, I feel freed from those hooks. Check out this link. Things that are in the past are well, past – there’s no need to keep looking for them.  Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 

Now an update on my hair-loss situation. I’ve been on Olumiant for six-months now and hair is still growing in. The new hair is fine and white as snow and I don’t mind. All the bald spots are not grown in fully yet, but the nickel and quarter sized spots have all been filled. Slowly and surely, the ophiasis area (over the ears and around below the occiput) is growing in but it has not fully recovered yet. My hope is to eventually go off the medication while keeping all of the hair; and if I must stay on it to keep hair, I pray there are no ill side-effects from it.

6-month snow white hair but it’s still growing in!
Below the occiput is the toughest place to regrow hair.

Our bodies react strongly to stress, change, environment, diet, emotional health, anxiety and so much more. You can help keep it as balanced as possible when you recognize the things that cause you to be on guard and off-kilter and make necessary changes to feel your best. If you need to get back to you and you’d like guidance along the way, reach out to me Dawn END Coach.

Until next time, enjoy some sunshine and take time outs when needed.

Dawn

Peach Fuzz!

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Twenty-six days into the new year and I’m feeling optimistic. My optimism isn’t focused on one specific thing, but lots of little things.

Two weeks ago, Dale and I drove down to see our Virginia family; while it was a short visit, it was delightful. It was so fun to see how much our little grandson has grown in every direction from one year old to almost two. The best part was the first time (and every time afterward) that he called me Nonnie; it melted my heart. Both babies, though “L” is 7, fill me with joy. She is so good with her little brother. Big brother was away this time in college, we missed him and look forward to seeing him next time.

Dale and I have been working on switching up our food habits. We have decided to cut out or at least cut way back on meat. We watched a program called, “What the Health” and it’s truly eye-opening; I recommend it if you have the time to watch. I was pleasantly surprised that Dale mentioned cutting out meat before I did – that was a win!

Cutting out meat hasn’t been as difficult as we expected, or as I expected for Dale. I focus meals on a variety of vegetables, beans and hearty whole grains. I don’t plan to buy and serve premade foods that are vegetarian and I don’t plan on eating lots of so-called “healthy” junk foods. As I get into the groove of things, I will post some of my veggie-forward meals for you to try.

Hair and thyroid. If you’ve read my previous posts, you know that I have been struggling with alopecia and Hashimoto’s for the past year and a half. Hashimoto’s won’t go away, it’s a thyroid destroyer. My hair situation is feeling hopeful. Just two months ago, I started taking Olumiant, a JAK inhibitor. “A JAK inhibitor interferes with signals in the body that are thought to cause inflammation. This, in turn, reduces the inflammation that fuels diseases like eczema, psoriatic arthritis, and vitiligo. With less inflammation, the immune system calms down.” [click here for more info.]

A few days ago, a friend checked below my occipital area for me because I told her that I think I felt little fuzzy hairs and sure enough, there is growth! It’s pure white, but it’s hair! She took the picture for me. This surely brightened my outlook. Hopefully the alopecia will eventually stop without needing the medication. I will take everything one step at a time though. I am trying to focus still, on foods and lifestyle habits that help reduce inflammation.

I want to focus on thyroid health so that I can feel better physically. I feel energy-empty and lethargic a lot of the time. I find it hard to jump out of bed each morning and get my day started the way I used to. I miss that part of me. I have determination and a positive attitude that has always gotten me through life’s ups and downs. Every new dawn brings another day to begin again.

I’d love to hear from you too. What ails you? What holds you back? What one or more things would you like to change this year? Comment here or email me at everynewdawn@gmail.com

“He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.”

December ’23 – January ’24 ~ Exiting with Gratitude & Entering with Grace

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As the dew clings to a leaf, I cling to new beginnings and grace.

It is said that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I understand the phrase and I agree.
I also realize that before you can make the lemonade, you need to peel away the bitter outside layer. After that layer is removed, the extraction of good things to come begins. This is the time for me personally to begin exactly that.

For the last year and a half, I’ve had glorious moments as well as the not so glorious. I’m not special, it happens to every living being and we usually survive and often come out better on the other side.

I have been so wrapped up in my Hashimoto’s and Alopecia dis-eases and looking for the reasons why. It’s time to stop needing or desiring the why and start living the “what now”. The why most definitely will not solve the problem. I never want to live in victim mode; not anymore.

So many parts of my life since childhood put me severely into survival mode. I survived more abusive situations than I care to remember. I have finally grasped the message that remembering those moments keep them alive and it keeps me in survival mode and still the victim. Those memories will never leave completely but I am putting them to rest in the deep, dark hell that they came from.

I’m not a big fan or believer in New Year’s resolutions because I feel that every day is a new start. That said, I am beginning 2024 turning a new leaf. I must make mental, emotional, spiritual and physical changes. We all must. Today, I am going to focus and plan on today. Tomorrow, I will focus on tomorrow only, and so on. One day at a time. One improvement at a time, as many times as that improvement needs a restart.

I’ll focus on what I can do, I’ll eliminate the stress of needing knowing the why(s) and gracefully grow into this now. Leaving each day filled with gratitude, enetering each day filled with grace.

My wish for you is the same. Prayers for all of us to have a proseperous, healthy, renewed year ahead. I have ears to listen if you ever need to vent, cry, laugh or simply be you.

Your friend & wellness coach,

Dawn

Curveball

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I haven’t updated you since mid-September, basically because good news is not on my side just yet. I went through a short spurt in the last update or so where my hair was growing back, but that didn’t last.

I’ve been pretty depressed about this new part of my life. I feel ugly, anxious, defeated, and so many other feelings that creep up. Being a hairstylist for the past forty-one years and not ever running into a client with this situation is alarming to me. Being a hairstylist and having a hair issue myself is personally devastating.

In late July, I had routine bloodwork done for my yearly physical, and it showed that my thyroid TSH levels were high again. My doctor increased my Levothyroxine (a thyroid hormone) slightly, and I was retested six weeks later. My levels were back in the normal range, and my doctor stated that it was great. I was in the normal range but not optimal based on all the reading I have done. I want to be and stay in the optimal range.

Right at that timing was when my hair began falling out more and at a more alarming rate. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Alopecia often go hand-in-hand. I am trying to focus on whole health; working on both diseases to get my whole body out of ‘dis-ease’ & distress.

Alopecia Areata is when round bald spots are present on your scalp. I started out this way but it has advanced into Ophiasis Alopecia. Ophiasis is when the hair over the ears and around to the back nape area are without hair – think of it as the reverse of when older men go bald on top but still have the horseshoe of hair over the ears and in the back. I am fortunate to be able to hide it with what hair I have, but I fear that will also fall out. So many people tell me it’s not that bad, that I have thick hair, but I don’t, I’m a stylist, I know how to make it look fuller – it’s my job.

I saw my dermatologist this week, and I was given more scalp injections in the smaller patches inside my hair. The nape and ear sections don’t respond to injections, so that area was not done. She also submitted the appropriate paperwork to get approval for Olumiant, a new drug that has shown good results in hair growth even on patients who have had no hair for thirty years! The downside is, of course, the side effects, as with all medications, and the cost, which is currently an insane $2200-$3400 per month. I cannot afford that (who can?), but if I get approved through the Olumiant trial, I would pay $25 per month at the most. Olumiant is a JAK inhibitor that helps treat RA and AA. You can read about it here. The more unsettling part of the side effects is that blood labs and such are checked regularly, every three months. I was resistant, but I am also super depressed about this alopecia. My dermatologist told me to embrace baldness, but I can’t.

We ALL have stress in our lives; it’s inescapable. My way of thinking is to do everything I can to reduce the level of stress and try to avoid stressors. I’ve been in much worse spots in my life, and I got through it so I know I can again. I also know this is not a life or death illness, and for that, I thank God. I’ve always been an empathetic person, and this has increased my knowledge, awareness, and empathy for others’ unique crosses to bear.

Sharing my story is a way to process it for me and a way for others who share a similar situation to not feel alone and in despair as I often do.

Below are a few pictures of my current hair loss.

Comfort Outside of Food

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Create your cozy space at home.

Comfort comes in many forms and for each of us comfort means something very different from the next.

We all seek comfort. We look for it in our family members, our friends, sometimes strangers, nowadays we can reach out and find it through social media, we seek it from our pets, some look for it in cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, finding distraction in a movie; we also look to food for comfort and some look for it in a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or other alcohol. I’m sure there are hundreds more ways people look for and sometimes find comfort.

Along with looking for comforting situations comes the reason we seek it. Those reasons are endless and among them is stress, sadness, boredom, depression and loneliness.

Too often many comforts lead to less than healthy choices. We crave certain foods when we seek comfort. Particular textures and tastes have much to do with how we are feeling. Common cravings are sweets, carbs, junk foods and alcohol. Giving in to these cravings leads us into a downward spiral often leaving us feeling worse.

If you find yourself seeking comfort on a regular basis and turning to foods or activities that you know deep down isn’t doing your body of lifestyle any good, take a step back and make a decision to finally take care of YOU. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is important for a healthy, happy and long life.

As a holistic health coach, I’ve helped people overcome their overwhelming desire to give in to self-sabotaging choices for seeking comfort. Is seeking unhealthy “comfort foods” getting you down? Let’s talk!