Essential Oils and CF

I've heard everything there is to hear about selling doTERRA oils and most of it, is a misunderstand of what they do! Think of it like this aromatherapy has been around for YEARS and so has homeopathic ways of aiding aliments. That's all it is! 

☡THEY DO NOT HEAL, CURE, TURN YOU IN A UNICORN, OR FIX anything. Always keep that in mind when thinking of essential oils. They can help ease, soothe, cool, and aid in a lot of different things, but they will never erase your health problems. Never, ever use them in replace of ANY prescribed medication. Only to help add to your medical treatments!!

Now, this blog has the potential to be pretty long I am going to try to break it down without you reading a novel. 

🌾To answer the most basic question I am getting, essential oils are naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. When the oils are extracted from the plants, they can be used as single oils or in oil blends to increase emotional and physical wellness. If properly extracted, essential oils have the unique ability to benefit people in all areas of life, whether in food preparation, beauty treatment, or health-care practices.

I know, I know, but what does all that mean in real talk, right? 

🌼Lets go with, chamomile teas. People have been drinking them forever, to help calm them, aid with sleep, soothe your stomach, ease headaches, and so much more. That is exactly what the doTERRA Roman Chamomile oil does without needing to drink the nasty tea, I can't stand the taste. It can also aid in curbing anxiety feelings, calming your allergies, and can even help with PMS symptoms. 

💦Oils can have a positive effect on you, if you know what each oil can aid with and how to use them to see the best results for you. Now, keep in mind everyone is different when it comes to what works and what doesn't. Also, everyone tolerates scents differently. For the most part diluting your oils with a base of coconut oil, is the best way to use oils topically. That way it won't be as strong and it won't irritate your skin. 

You do not NEED a diffuser for your oils, however it can be nice if you are using them for health purposes, to breathe in the oils from the steam. You can also put the oil in your hand and directly inhale them that way, or put them on your pressure points on your feet and hands. Taking a nice hot bath with 2 drops of your favorite oil is also a great way to breathe them in. 

❣To get to the questions as to what are my favorite oils personally, that's a tough one. I go back and forth with several different ones to be honest. However, if I were to pick I'd say the doTERRA Lavender, Breathe Blend, Lemon, OnGuard Blend, Peppermint, PastTense Blend and Vetiver. All of which help aid sleep, open airways, ease infections, soothe headaches and much more. The best ones for a bubble bath though are lavender and the Breath Blend, in my opinion! Very relaxing! 

♻Now, while I just started selling doTERRA I am getting ready to do a pretty awesome promo including the doTERRA Breathe Blend. For every bottle sold, at $20 a bottle wholesale ($26.66 retail) I will be donating $5 to a CFer who is raising the funds for a lung transplant. I thought about donating to the CFF, however I realized it would be better used if I could give it directly to those who actually need it!

So, help me help you breathe a little better. While we together help someone else breathe better forever!

   Sandi 

For more on doTERRA or Cystic Fibrosis follow me on Facebook!

Body Image and CF

Having C.F. can be really challenging for your self-esteem. Unfortunately, for us the characteristic of this disease can't be escaped!!

Growing up being very thin and being picked on for it can be difficult. I can't count how many times I've been told to eat a cheeseburger or made fun of for being "anorexic" when I wasn't. Hell, I didn't even know what anorexia was the first time I was "mocked" for it.

The worst part is people will never change and body image will always be a huge issue no matter who you are.

When you start to notice the little things that start to bother you like, your rib cage being slightly more noticeable than your "healthy" friends. Thus making your tops always fit differently than you think they should, can be discouraging. Wearing jeans in children's sizes well into your 20's can be a bit embarrassing, especially when name brands never fit and you want to be trendy like your friends. When you start to see what "clubbed nails" actually are compared to others it can be unnerving. It can be depressing if you go to a nail salon and have to explain it or the nail tech shows her coworkers your hands while speaking in other languages in front of you.

I know all of these things all to well and I'll be the first to admit it all still bothers me a little bit! Until I remember it's ALL my way of being beautiful and unique. The best part about all of these things is that you can learn what it's like to love the skin you're in a lot sooner than most people. 

The upside to having Cystic Fibrosis, if you can see this as an upside, we tend to mature a lot quicker than most people our age. In turn we grasp life differently, because we have to!

☝️For example; When most teens are making sure their hair is just right for prom pictures, we are wondering if our PORT and scars are visible in our dress. College graduates worry they will fall off the stage when getting their diploma and embarrass themselves. While we worry about disturbing everyone by coughing through the entire two hour ceremony, with all eyes on us in disgust. When most people in their 20's are chasing their kids around trying to lose their baby weight, we are struggling to gain weight while planning lung transplant evaluations, hoping for a family one day. 

Our insecurity issues are normally never the same as "healthy" people. In fact we have those issues and then some. 

Knowing that our bodies are different is unfortunately one of the first realizations of having C.F. It's something we can't help, but to notice. Beauty standards and peer acceptance is forced down our throats from a young age. It's all about how we deal with it that matters!! 

🚸This is where I, your support system, and the internet comes in handy. YOU'RE NOT ALONE in this stuggle! I promise!

The online C.F. community is a large one and for the most part can relate to one another when it comes to body image. Never be worried to reach out to another Cystic when you're feeling down and need to know someone else has been there and can help you through it! 

Remember, CFers are beautiful! It's in our DNA to be different and stand out!! Which, in my opinion is a lot better than being a cookie cutter person! The sooner you understand that the happier you'll be with your own body image. 

🛇I must point out we are all different and not EVERY Cystic has thought these things or goes through the same situations. As we are all different!!

Never Alone,

  Sandi

If you ever need someone to talk to or more C.F. information find me on Facebook!

CF and Forgetting Meds

Every single day we wake and remember to breathe, because if we don't we die. Our meds and nebs should be just as easy to remember to take right? Wrong!

Knowing we need to take medications and do breathing treatments while living with a terminal, lifelong, chronic disease is common sense, yes! However when life happens you tend to forget the simplest things. We are all guilty of forgetting to take our meds, do treatments, and sometimes even to eat. That goes for those of us who are sick and our caregivers. Life is hard! To manage said life while being sick or caring for someome else who is sick, is even harder!!!

👨‍👩‍👧When I was younger I used to hate my mother always being on me every time I ate, when I came home from school, before bed, and when I woke up to take my pills and do my treatments. Oh, how I dreaded the phone call when I got to my friends houses or events. All I heard her say involved "take your meds" of course she told me to behave, leave with who I came with, and have fun. All I heard back then was nagging and I'm so thankful for it now! To this day I hear my mom's voice reminding me to do my nebs and take my meds, even when I forget on occasion she's still there.

I'm 30 now and have had C.F. from day one and STILL forget my meds. There is nothing wrong with forgetting! Infact, it's actually common and normal to go on with the day without thinking of medications. Especially, if you are feeling for the most part healthy at that particular moment.

Here are a few ways to remember your meds and nebs.

👀Recently, I've started to use the weekly pill holders and they sit beside my bed for when I wake up and when I go to bed! That way it's visually in front of my face. Not hidden in a medicine cabinet or closet, but where I can see them and be reminded to take them.

🕰You can set alarms on your phone that tell you it's med time. I know that seems simple and a little cheesy, but it does help. It's basically still being able to have your mom (or dad) nag you if they aren't there to do it. You could take it a step further and record your parents telling you to take them as the alarm sound. Also a spouse can work for this too.

🎮 I've used the pill reminder app, Medisafe before and it's amazing. It has an entire medication database that you can program each of the meds you take, dosages, times, and even what they look like. It is very easy to use and would come in handy for pre teens and teens to remember which meds and which times they needed to take. Most all teens have cells now, so it's a good bet it would help.

Give yourself a break when you forget, we are all human and it happens. Never be hard on yourself and if you are a caregiver, please don't get mad or angry at the Cystic for forgetting. I mean we lock ourselves out of houses and cars by being forgetful. It's the same concept!

Always Forgetful,
  Sandi

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