My Leaves Are Green: Jadah's Introduction
Photo by Brandy Lynn
January 22, 2016 - the day my life took a sudden unexpected turn. I stood up in church and noticed my leg was feeling numb, but never imagined that when my leg fell asleep, it wouldn't wake up for months. I had no idea that my life was changing from that day forward -- and it wasn't until October that my diagnosis of an autoimmune disease was made known to me. My faith was about to be tested.
The purpose of this blog is to help people who want to take control of their lives, those that want to live free of medication, those who want to rest peacefully, and those who want to live life to the fullest. As mentioned before, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, but was never told what type I actually had.There are over 80 different types, and I quite frankly don't care which one it was. Some might call me foolish, but I simply became tired of going to the doctor. I grew weary of the constant pricking, the running of tests, scans and referrals. If you've not heard of autoimmune disease, stick around as more information will be shared in depth in one of my posts. After seeing countless doctors, I decided to take my health into my own hands. My mom overcame an autoimmune disease that doctors said was incurable. She told me exactly what I needed to do. My rheumatologist gave me a list of orders, and the number one thing she told me to do was rest. I have to mention that my mom gave me the same set of orders. Those who are well acquainted with me, would know that I have a hard time doing this very thing. I’m a night owl, and my creative inspiration begins somewhere around midnight. I had to completely rewire my brain, and I must admit that I’m still not completely there. At this very moment as I type, it's approximately 11:31 pm. Yes, I'm still a work in progress.
I fight every single day to ensure that my leaves stay green. What does that mean you might ask? The color green indicates that one is alive and connected to the source of life. My mom penned the name of this blog. I can't take credit, but she expressed interest in one day writing a book series with this title. I expressed how I wanted to start a blog. We decided that this was an excellent way to begin writing and gearing up for her series. This is my first post, and I can already feel the excitement. Why? Because we hope that through this outlet, we'll be able to reach people who are going through similar situations. If you are in desperate need of a lifestyle change my leaves are green is just the place to help you on your journey. We don't claim to be experts, but if you're willing, we are anxious to share our personal experiences with you.
There comes a time when you just get sick and tired of being sick and tired. That moment came for me, and I decided that I wasn't going to let this illness take me down. I was determined to get better. Some of you may be in that very same place where you're in desperate need of a lifestyle change. Maybe you are too busy and want to slow things down? The days and weeks are flying by at an alarming rate. I can't believe the summer is almost here. I keep picturing this image of me shopping for the perfect pair of summer Mules, and then the next thing I know, I blink, and it's time to set the clocks back. Not sure if this applies to everyone, but I have to almost force myself to say no to a lot of things I would actually like to do in order to do the things I need to do. Those things include: rest (not just those four hours of terrible sleep), keeping a healthy and consistent diet, getting out to exercise, spending time with those that I love, taking time to participate in the simple things in life, reading the books that's been by my bedside for months on end, and ultimately taking care of Jadah. I could go on and on about how I've neglected Jadah. This illness has forced me to stop and begin taking care of me again. I'm a tough cookie, and I'm still learning my lesson. I truly want to invite those of you who want to change the way you've been living life to join me on this journey of self-discovery. Who are you? What do you want out of life? What do you love? What is your purpose? I'm still figuring that out too.
Jadah Marie XO