You Go Girl

Ava was just 14 when she realized the issue of chemicals in personal care products and their potentially hazardous health effects.  Now 5 years later, having just celebrated her 19th birthday yesterday, her vision for providing the very best products without harmful chemicals is being realized and taking America by storm.

I decided to become an Ava Anderson Non-Toxic consultant because I was having difficulty finding safe and effective products.  I also want to let all my friends and family know the potential risks some products contain and offer an alternative.  It felt like a really good company to represent and honestly if I can make a little money doing it or just save some money on the products I use, then that's great, too!

Since being diagnosed with CRPS/RSD, I can no longer handle the stress and cognitive requirements of my previous employment as a mortgage underwriter.  CRPS/RSD directly affects memory and heightens stress.  It's my "flight or fight" nerve that's going haywire so even the slightest stress can send me into a full blown panic attack.  Then there's the medication, all of which may cause dizziness or drowsiness, interruption in thought and speech and who knows what else?!

I've been fortunate enough to find a great job in a beautiful location.  I enjoy working at an RV Resort on the beach and feel for the most part, I do a good job.  The stress is low but so is the pay.  So I was hoping to launch my Ava business on the side to help offset some of my medical expenses and reduce financial stress since any stress for me is bad.

My consultant kit is due to arrive tomorrow and I'm excited to get started.  I've never been good at sales but believe I can make this work because it's a good product and something I'm passionate about.  I'm slowly letting my family and friends know about it and I'm going to go out into my community and spread the word!  So hold on for a crazy ride because this is uncharted territory for me!

Be sure to check out my Ava Anderson Non-Toxic website for more information on the girl behind the name.

More Good News

Today was doctor day.  I remember a time in my life where going to the doctor was a once a year or less event.  Now it's at least once a month to several different specialists.  January was a busy month which included neurologist, internal medicine and today was pain management.  Throw in "walks into a bar" and it could be the beginning of a funny joke, but alas this is no joke and certainly not funny.

So the visit today was bittersweet.  My pain management doctor is great.  He's caring and smart, actually listens to me and offers a wide range of treatment options.  Unfortunately some of the options don't sound too good to me and none can provide any kind of guarantee for relief.  But the worse part of the visit today was his confirmation of something I was already pretty sure about...the CRPS/RSD has spread from my foot/ankle up my calf and to my knee.  There's nothing that can be done to stop it from spreading.  Well, I've spent the day mourning this development and now I have to move on.  In other news, I'm trying a new medication tonight so that should be fun.

Of course I don't have high hopes of miracle working medications and I hate the fact that I have to take them at all.  I've always tried to avoid medication but when you're dealing with neurological issues, well let's just say there's not an herbal supplement for that!  Not that I don't try.  Prior to my injury I discovered Dr. Peter D'Adamo's book, "Eat Right 4 Your Type" which is an eating plan based on the 4 different blood types.  I'm sure there's a lot of controversy on the effectiveness of the plan and the associated supplements but it worked for me (when I was disciplined enough to follow it) and when I incorporate the principals into my diet and take the supplements, I do feel better and have more energy.  Unfortunately the diet is very restrictive and hard to follow, however, I still take the supplements and can tell pretty quick when I've forgotten to take them.

The line of Right 4 Your Type products are made from high quality, natural ingredients.  I am Blood Type A.  I highly recommend these products that I've taken for several years.  In the past I've had trouble taking vitamins from grocery stores, drug stores and even places like GNC.  If you're interested and don't know your blood type, home blood typing kits are available on my Right 4 Your Type website.

Right 4 Your Type has played a significant role in changing my view on food and the link between what you eat and how you feel.  It sounds so simple and obvious but in this fast food, processed world we live in it's easy to get caught up in toxic food habits.  I never thought I would become the organic food shopper.  Or that some of my most beloved processed foods would someday turn my stomach but when you start eating healthy and "clean" and then try to go back to processed food, it usually tastes terrible.  As an example, I used to love Doritos®, now they taste like chemicals!

While I cannot pinpoint the specific risk factors or what I could have done to prevent developing CRPS/RSD, nor could I possibly figure out what caused my friend's brain tumor, I am on a mission to reduce toxins in my food and my personal care products.  Maybe I can reduce future suffering, maybe I can give my immune system a boost or a break, maybe I can help others avoid unnecessary illnesses...or maybe I'm just wasting my time and money.

But it's important to me to be as "natural" as possible in an unnatural society.  And that's how I came up with the name of my blog, "Melissa Unbleached."  One of the changes I made recently in my pursuit of being natural was to stop coloring my hair for the first time in over 15 years.  I'm still trying to get used to my natural "dirty blond" hair color but I sure don't miss smearing smelly chemicals on my head every six weeks!

Then I started to wonder what was in all the other stuff that gets smeared on our heads, bodies and underarms...and that's when I found Ava!

Melissa's Ava Anderson Non-Toxic site

Melissa's Right 4 Your Type site

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Lao-tzu

 

Although this is my second attempt at a blog, getting started is always the hardest part!  That and one of my biggest hindrance is the feeling I have nothing substantial to contribute to society.  But is that really for me to decide?  I've always been my worst critic.

 

So I'm diving in and not really sure what direction this is going to take me.  My intention is to share my journey, both figuratively and literally.  We all start our journeys much in the same way, just trying to get by, find a little happiness and make a positive impression on those around us.  I've had more than my share of bumps in the road and for now, I will start with my most recent bumps.

 

The catalyst, so to speak, occurred summer 2008 as I watched a young, vibrant and beautiful co-worker and friend fall victim to the most dreaded of all diseases...cancer.  There weren't a lot of early warning signs and it moved quickly and aggressively.  Then she was gone.  Why?  How does this happen?

 

I started paying more attention to potential toxins and carcinogens...and found they were everywhere.

 

Then came an even more personal event.  While walking in my back yard, my right ankle found a rather large groundhog hole.  What should have been a major sprain or minor fracture turned into a hellish nightmare that I am still dealing with almost four years later.  Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative and luckily I got those but when you're dealing with a complex, incurable condition...there's really no easy way out.  I have a neuro-autoimmune condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).

 

What is CRPS/RSD and why is it so bad? Try dealing with unbearable pain almost constantly, medications can take the edge off but my foot never truly stops hurting. Try having different functions of your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) going haywire. Most people don't even know what the SNS controls. The common symptoms of SNS disorders are slurred speech, loss of muscle strength, hypertension, headache, loss of memory, seizures, tremors, cardiovascular diseases, erectile dysfunction (not a problem for me!), breathing problems, and trouble with swallowing.

 

In addition to there being no cure for CRPS/RSD, there's no definitive cause.  Again my research has lead me to possible toxins in our food, household cleaners and personal care products.  Some may say I'm over reacting, worrying too much and maybe even being ridiculous.  But if there's something I can do, whether minor or major, to ease my suffering and educate others...why wouldn't I?

 

To be continued...

Melissa's Ava Anderson Non-Toxic site

Melissa's Right 4 Your Type site