Geopathic Stress - Fact or Fiction?

People are more aware now than ever of their health. Naturopaths, Homeopaths and any other non-mainstream practice is becoming more and more part of the norm. As hard as we try to exercise daily and eat healthy, there are some natural effects which can be extremely harmful to the immune system and over which we have no control, such as Geopathic Stress (GS).

Ok. For those of you who have NO IDEA what this is, here’s a brief explanation….
If you think of the earth as a giant electro-magnet, GS occurs when waves of radiation seep from the earth’s core and cut across other natural electromagnetic phenomena such as flowing underground streams, mineral concentrations or fault lines. The negative earth rays become harmful as they rise up through buildings affecting the body’s natural biorhythm and causing something commonly known as ‘Sick Building Syndrome’. The impact on health can be dramatic ranging from insomnia and irritability to serious psychological and physical illness.

TWO YEARS AGO
We relocated to La Paloma. That’s where this story begins. We moved in September and by November I was diagnosed with poor circulation in my leg. I was pregnant with Mia at the time, so clearly this was caused by my pregnancy. Shortly after, I developed a blood clot; hence the daily injections of blood thinners began. Once Mia was born, I figured all would be resolved and my health would kick back to the way it used to be. Well, in the following months, leading to this summer, I’ve had, chronic throat infections, Vertigo, several serious stomach infections, restless sleep, severe mood swings and the list can go on….and on….and on…..

APRIL 2008
My mom came to visit us in April to help me through my slump and lift my spirits. She, along with Asuzena, was convinced the house was haunted. She was certain she heard faint whispering voices uttering a few words one night, as she attempted to sleep in the guest house upstairs. For those of you who know my mom, she has a sixth sense for things like this, so sometimes, it’s hard NOT to believe her. Then, Asuzena would always complain of seeing shadows, and feeling ‘heaviness’ on her legs every time she entered the master bedroom. I laughed. Ghosts! Shmosts! No such thing. All is well, everything is fine!
Then, how do you explain my constant ailing immune system, the kids constantly sick, Cristian always throwing up, waking several times at night crying?
SUMMER 2008
I spent most of the summer in TO. It was nice to be away from the ‘sickness’ and in our other home in Markham, where the air seemed fresh and the mood was always cheery. We were in Toronto for almost 3 months and I didn’t get sick once! NOT ONCE! The kids were also great!

BACK TO MEXICO
We returned to Mexico thrilled to be home! After my rejuvenating visit, I decided things would be better and hoped my health would be brighter! I continued Yoga and even went to see a very well known naturist in the city named Dr. Navarro. I’ve been taking my kids to see a naturopath, and all has been well, so I decided to give it a try myself.

FIRST APPOINTMENT
After my blood was drawn and a pee sample taken, I was called into his office. Dr. Navarro. A short little man, scrawny but seemingly strong, with a kind face and a heck of an office. I felt as though I was in a meeting with the Mad Scientist. Gadgets strewn all around and books covered the walls. I sat nervously waiting to get my results. Surely, they couldn’t be that bad! I mean, I’m very active, I eat healthy, most of the time, and I’m always trying to stay focused and positive about life – even though my mom believed my house was haunted!

So, he sat, and reviewed my results….

RESULTS
- Blood is toxic
- Poor Circulation
- Possible chance of Thrombosis
- Lacking nutrients
- Lactose Intolerant
- Allergic to Corn
- Allergic to Wheat
MY REACTION
“Toxic blood? Why? What does that mean? Possible chance of thrombosis….again? Are you kidding me? Lacking nutrients? Sure, I weigh just over 100lbs, but I’m 5ft tall…what’d you expect? Lactose intolerant? Ya, I kinda figured. Corn? I already knew that. Allergic to wheat? NO PASTA? NO PIZZA? NO CAKE? NO GOOD! NO LIFE! NO SHIT!"
I wanted to cry….

DISCUSSION
Dr. Navarro proceeded to walk around me with some metallic wand type thingy. The following words brought shivers up my spine…… “You don’t sleep well at night. All the nutrients you are taking in are being sucked out of you. You need to change the location of your bed… your room is full of sickness!”

I nearly gagged. This man has never met me before and knows NOTHING about me. He continued to explain that my room could possibly be in a Geopathic Stress Zone, hence the reason why I’ve been sick so often. Hence the poor circulation and the blood clot. After a long discussion and some acupuncture in my ears (to help treat my constant aching stomach), I left feeling overwhelmed.

I did cry.

POST APPOINTMENT
I called Hilda (one of my Mexican BFFs – Brenda is the other) and shared my experience. Her response?
“Maryann, you have to move. He said the same thing to Claudia, and look what happened to her.”
(Note: Claudia was a friend who passed away 3 weeks ago from Cancer. She suffered for two years and lost her battle in her hometown, Saltillo. She leaves behind a husband and an adorable 3 year old boy – very devastating.) She too had been to see Dr. Navarro… and he told her the same thing....

PRESENT DAY
We moved!

We’re in a beautiful new neighbourhood called La Jolla. We’re way up in the mountains now and have a beautiful view of the city. So hopefully, any Geopathic Stress waves that may be out there, won’t find me here! The house is gorgeous and the best part is, we have all our own furniture now! We’ve been here almost a month, and I've been feeling incredible. I’ve been continuing Yoga and Pilates daily and seeing the naturopath as much as I need to. I’ve also given up eating dairy, and carbs (bread, pasta etc…) and feeling great as a result of it.

Some may believe, others may not. If you follow Feng Shui this is all related. Negative energy is all around us. Constantly. We just need to find an approach to prevent it from affecting us in a way that might cause harm.

I laughed at my mom, and made fun of Asuzena…… though there were no ghosts in the house, there undoubtedly was something transparent that seeped through the concrete walls and founds its way towards me……of that, I am a believer.

MORAL OF THE STORY
Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there!
Anything is possible. Better to be safe…than sorry!

THE END

What a Kidtastrophe

There’s been major development in the Perri household. Whoever said it doesn’t happen overnight clearly has no idea what they’re talking about because it can and it does! Overnight, my daughter decided to walk on her own at only 10 months old. Her first real “Look-mom-I’m-walking-around- the kitchen-all-by-myself!” steps were taken in Toronto the evening I had all the girls over for dinner Monday January 28th. She looked super cute; I have to admit. And to witness such a tiny thing walk around showing off her newfound liberation is definitely a sight worth seeing, especially when she’s waddling about in her mini-falda (mini skirt)! Only problem is, she doesn’t know how to sit up nor stand up on her own yet. So, every time she falls, mommy has to run to her rescue. She lies on the floor with her little face in her hands and sobs, until I pick her up and console her.
“There there Mimi!” (pat pat on the back) and off she goes again.

*This is how it all started. We wrapped her with a
towel and helped her walk around solo. Like a leash!
Hey! It obviously worked!

She’s a TOTAL independent woman!

The kidastrophe in our household doesn’t stop there. On Tuesday February 19th, Cristian also decided to take a few new steps. Only his steps were UPWARDS rather than forward. He decided to practice his latest hiking skills and ‘climb’ his way OUT of his crib and into HIS newfound freedom.

Even as I type this I feel I am all over the map…being incoherent. Part of the reason is because I feel drunk. No, not due to excessive consumption of alcohol (I wish) more like a shortage in consumption of SLEEP. So there you have it. Cristian has officially decided he is no longer a ‘baby’ and has boycotted sleeping past 6am. He now sleeps in a toddler bed, a NASCAR sports car is underway!
As for the night time routine, it’s like starting all over again. Only this time I HAVE TO LAY NEXT TO HIM….in his TODDLER BED. Can you picture that? Remember, the mattress is only about 4 feet long and I’m 5 feet….so I DO fit…when my knees are bent. We snuggle, until he falls asleep. I have to be honest though, I don’t mind it so much, especially in the mornings when he walks into my room and starts singing “Paree looys!” (good morning) the way I use to do to him! As for putting him down at night, holding him and watching him snooze off to dreamland has been nice too. Ugh! I almost sound like the freakish mom from the book ‘Love You Forever’ by Robert Munsch. (For those of you who’ve read it, I know it’s a bit creepy, but c’mon, there’s an underlying truth to that story only moms can relate.)

AND THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!

YEAH!

Anyway, back to this kidtastrophy. It’s all good. Really. And frankly, I’m a little overjoyed. It’s cool to see my babes ‘stepping up’ to the plate and challenging themselves this way. Now if only I could keep up with them…. I SO need a vacation. Anyone want to join me?

Day 4 - All Crouped Up

Ok. so, it looks like school is canceled again. The entire city is on edge anticipating another visit today...this time from Felix. I guess it's a good thing (school being canceled) considering my son's condition.

My baby was up all night, coughing and fussing cause he didn't feel well. Maybe it's my imagination, or the fact that I was so traumatized from the last time, but it sounds like he's got that nasty barking/chirping sound when he coughs, just like he did last year when he was hospitalized for several days with Croups.

Let’s hope it’s not the case this time around….especially since he was practically making out with his Mini-Mia all day yesterday!

Off to the doctor we go…

Sick in the Head

I’ve had a major headache all weekend and it’s definitely caused by tension. (My baby is starting Pre Kinder tomorrow and I’m freaking out!) As always, I used my favorite method of self diagnose - the internet! Here’s the information I gathered off some random ‘self-proclaimed-highly-recognized-medical-site’.

Definition
A tension headache is a condition involving pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck, usually associated with muscle tightness in these areas.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Tension headaches are one of the most common forms of headaches. They may occur at any age, but are most common in adults and adolescents. Tension headaches result from the contraction (tensing) of neck and scalp muscles. One cause of this muscle contraction is a response to stress (my baby’s starting pre-kinder tomorrow!), depression (my baby’s starting pre-kinder tomorrow!), head injury (what the hell was I thinking?), or anxiety (my baby’s starting pre-kinder tomorrow!)

Ok. So, tensing of the neck and scalp muscles? CHECK.

I went for a massage on Saturday. It only made my condition worse. Rather than focusing on my neck area, the lady proceeded to say my abdomen was a bit swollen (no shit, I just had a baby not too long ago) and offered to give me a ‘Lymphatic Massage’.

Definition: (A therapeutic massage using a gentle pumping technique to drain away pockets of water retention and trapped toxins. Considered by many medical practitioners as a premier anti-aging treatment. Lymph Drainage requires detailed knowledge of the location of the lymph nodes. Sometimes done on the face and neck, other times the entire body, lymph massage helps stimulate lymphatic circulation,which boosts the body's ability to eliminate wastes and absorb nutrients. It can also reduce swollen or puffy tissue and tone underlying tissue.)

I’d never heard of that before so, I agreed. She began doing some funky hand work on my stomach. Circular motions. Pushing up and down. Then…began Karate chopping around my intestines. I was not impressed. Nor did I accomplish my Saturday morning mission to relax. Rather, I lay on the bed, while she was practically beating me up, wondering what the hell was going on as I felt my insides vibrate and wanted to throw up. When she finally finished she asked my if I needed to ‘go’ to the bathroom. Apparently, this special massage she worked so hard to give me was supposed to ‘clense’ my body of the toxins. I wanted to punch her.

No cleansing happened here. Instead, I left the spa traumatized, bruised, disturbed...with an even bigger headache than before!

Dealin' Wit Da Bomba*Blood*Clot

Im stubborn. We all think we are invincible to some degree. But we’re really not. Things happen in life and sometimes the easiest way out is to blame ourselves for the outcome.

That’s my position right now.

November is when I found out I had a problem with the circulation in my right leg. Insufficient Venous is what they called it. The pressure of the baby is what caused my leg to feel the need to keep blood in one place and not pump it back to where it should be going – a minor setback which has turned into something far more serious.

December came around, and of course, our ever so busy travel schedule begun. We flew to and from Toronto. Then, we headed off to Cancun to celebrate New Year’s, just the three of us, before baby #2 comes along. It was fun. We had a blast. But the consequences have made me question my judgment given my situation. I was told by my doctors it would be ok to fly, just as long as I wore my ‘super-sexy-granny-stocking’ on the plane rides, and took an herbal vitamin that would assist in circulating blood flow in my leg. Well, clearly that failed....

Upon our return home is when we discovered I had developed a blood clot. Superficial Thrombosis. I was devastated. Just hearing those words had me hating myself for not taking matters more seriously. After a weekend of crying and feeling sorry for myself, I did what any of us would do – yet shouldn’t. I went online to research my condition. And, sure enough, the words ‘Blood clots are the leading cause of death among pregnant women’ popped up right before my very eyes. Oh my God! I COUD DIE! That’s all I kept thinking. Ok, I know some of you are thinking “There she goes, Miss Melodrama!” But FOR REAL. Aneurism. Stroke. All these words were flashing brightly in my head. Not cool.

After many visits with several doctors and specialists, I have been reassured that my case is under control and not as serious as I once thought. Again….not AS serious…but serious enough that I have to be injected daily with something called Clexane (a blood thinner) to prevent the clot from getting bigger and traveling elsewhere.

At this point….I am 35 weeks preggo and the baby (believe it or not) is doing just fine. Apparently, Thrombosis is more dangerous to the mother than it is to the baby. Great…so it’s alright that I die and my child survive without a mother?? (Violins in the background please, let the music begin.) Oh the drama!

Ok. Ok. Really. Things are great…..and I will be just fine. Just have to repeat that to myself over and over….cause the mere thought of anything worse happening just breaks my heart every time I look at Cristian. I can’t even imagine it. UGH.

Happy thoughts…Happy thoughts!

My C-section is scheduled for March 22 (my mom’s birthday!)…and I’m counting down the seconds...hours….days…weeks...to meet my little…….oops, I almost slipped!

Can’t wait!!!