The Semi-Full Story

[For my new blog followers, website visitors, and new friends – this is a more detailed explanation of my health journey. The actual full story will be in my first book, coming soon!]

---

 

“Why does everything hurt so bad?” I asked my 20 year old self as I was trying to get dressed for an early morning shift at work. I could barely pull my pants up, or grasp the handle of the door. I had to wake up my fiancé to help me finish getting ready for work. He was just as confused as I was, we both thought maybe I was just really sore from working out or something. As that 2014 December day went on, I was getting worse and worse. As the weeks went on I was getting worse and worse. More pain, missed days of work, endless doctors appointments, tests, blood-work, unclear answers – that all went on for a few months until July of 2015.

The excruciating pain all over my body, the debilitating migraines, the hair loss, the depression, the weight loss, the intense gut pain, the scarring on my skin, the mental state of being so confused and frustrated and furious, I couldn’t take it anymore.

The diagnosis of Systemic Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s, and Costochondritis – they all tried taking control of my life. I had to be showered, dressed, and carried. I couldn’t even walk without my body feeling like broken glass. I couldn’t even lift a cup of water to my mouth. I have the most dedicated work ethic and always held at least two jobs at a time. I was juggling work with a full academic schedule, college soccer, a romantic relationship, and family issues. I ran myself down, I was running on empty trying to make do with whatever energy I had left just to make a paycheck to get through college. How did this happen? A 17-year soccer career down the drain. My whole life I was a competitive athlete and then all of a sudden I was a fucking vegetable. The only answers I would get from doctors was “Here, take this medicine for a few months and if that doesn’t work we’ll try another. Oh and on top of that, take these two for the side effects, this one for your heart, and these two for the side effects of that one.”

My head was spinning, my body was giving up on me, and the medications were slowly killing me. I had had enough. I have always been one to question everything, and my health was no exception. I didn’t fall for the tricks of “Oh you’re sick forever, take these medications and we’ll set you up with a treatment plan so you can manage your

symptoms. No, fuck that. I have my own mind, my own beliefs, and my own ability to learn what I need to in order to get better. One day I woke up and was so sick of the pain and discomfort that I literally said “fuck this”. From that day on I promised myself that I would get better and go against all of the misinformed doctors and I would cure myself of this made up “autoimmune disease”.

Your body does not attack itself. A statement that I needed to believe and engrain in my being so that I could win this battle. If I didn’t stop taking all of the medications, if I didn’t stop listening to doctors, if I didn’t do my own research and self-study every single day, if I didn’t take my health into my own hands – I would be dead by now. There’s no doubt about that.

Right before I wanted to fully give up, Anthony William, author of the Medical Medium series, came into my life. With the subtitle of “Secrets Behind Chronic Illness & How to Finally Heal” I thought for sure it was just another fad diet plan that wouldn’t actually help. But that thought was soon put to rest within the first chapter. I read this first book and it resonated with me on such a deep level that I made a promise to myself that I would prove everyone in my life wrong and that I would actually heal, from the inside out. I went all in, studied up on all of his books and resources. I followed the 28 day protocol, which snowballed into me eating a strict plant based diet.

I traded in Prednisone and Chemo pills for fruit and vegetables. I dedicated my time to changing my entire lifestyle around. You cannot eat death and expect life. Fruits and vegetables provide life and have a high vibrational frequency. I have been vegan for a few years and have transitioned to plant-based for over a year now. And this is how I will continue to eat for the rest of my life.

It’s January of 2019 right now, and it’s been 208 days since I started drinking fresh, organic celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. Benefits when juiced: cleanses & repairs intestinal lining, anti-inflammatory, detoxes the liver, raises pH levels, supports neuron function, hydrates the body at a cellular level, alkalizes the gut, flushes toxins, promotes good bacteria – the list could go on forever. Everyone thought I was crazy for giving up all of the foods that society tells us is okay to eat, and there was a lot of negative energy thrown at me, but I persisted.

A whole lot of fruits, vegetables, and a positive mindset later – and I can eat without the intense gut pain, my skin has never looked this good, my joint pain is GONE, and my blood work results baffled my doctor to the point where he listens to ME now as if I’m teaching him something. I still have a ways to go but I’m actually healing, not only on a cellular and physical level, but on a spiritual level. There’s no medications covering anything up anymore, I’m really fucking healing. And this is all thanks to taking my health into my own hands, and believing that I could heal. Don’t be a victim to your diagnosis, because behind the same person telling you that you have “this” or “that”, is the same source that you got sick from. That isn’t a theory, it’s a fact. Do your own research and question everything. You will find the answers, just like I did.

I will never allow myself to get to that horrid state of being again. There is no more sickness, no more pain, and no more doubt. No “white-coat” can ever tell me otherwise, because my blood-work won’t show a thing.

With a plant-based, toxic-free lifestyle, a dedicated routine, and a close relationship with my body and inner self, I will forever be illness free. And I’m so fucking proud that I can say that.

Medication Free, Independent, Alive, & Happy –

Hailey Neluna

---