I was recently diagnosed with primary frozen shoulder on the left side. For those of you who have experienced this condition you know exactly how painful it is. I would say in the beginning, my pain was a level 9 to 10 most hours of the day – and forget sleeping because it was virtually impossible to find any position where the pain wasn’t excruciating. I began to notice the pain started to trigger hot flashes that soon became debilitating – several times an hour day and night, leaving me feeling dizzy, dazed, exhausted and miserable. As a nurse, I knew what was happening in my body in response to pain… releasing loads of adrenaline and triggering hot flashes. Then when I moved past the chronic stage of pain, it seemed my body didn’t receive the message! It was still stuck in hot flash mode and they continued to go on and on. I’m telling you the truth – the frequency and intensity of hot flashes I experienced would bring any woman to her knees. A naturopathic physician told me about the benefits of Maca and urged me to give it a try, so I did. I knew as a superfood, Maca had the potential to balance the hormone system, but I seriously thought my case of hormone imbalance was too far gone for Maca or any other food-based intervention. I used 2-5 teaspoons per day in my smoothies and ramped up my self care, e.g. meditation, massage, deep breathing, prayer, and gentle exercise, and I patiently waited. After only two weeks, I noticed I wasn’t waking up during the night, and I wasn’t experiencing hot flashes during the day – NONE. I waited another week before even mentioning my progress to my husband, because I didn’t want to jinx it! This was serious progress considering the degree to which I experienced those miserable overwhelming thermal waves of heat followed by soaking my hair and clothes with perspiration – I couldn’t even leave my house!
I never in my wildest imagination thought hot flashes could be so debilitating – and of all the questions I would have loved to ask my mom, this would have been one for sure. What I’ve discovered is that there are many variations of hot flashes and not all women experience the same degree of intensity or frequency, e.g. some women don’t experience the “hot flash” at all, but instead experience the following as a result of hormone imbalance:
- Low energy
- Trouble sleeping
- Anxiety or Depression
- Memory problems
- Weight gain
- Low sex drive
If you are experiencing any of the health concerns your doctor may have told you that these “problems” are just a normal part of “getting older” but my good friend (and hormone expert) Dr. Anna Cabeca believes otherwise.
Several years ago Dr. Anna suddenly began experiencing a series of hormone-related health problems:
- She went into instant menopause at the age of 39
- Her body ballooned to over 200 pounds
- Every day she was in constant, chronic pain
- She couldn’t seem to get out of bed but couldn’t sleep either
- She cried all the time and felt hopeless
- Her hair started falling out
Dr. Anna was a practicing, Emory trained OB/GYN at the time and many of her colleagues were top specialists in female reproductive health. This is what they told her…
- “You need to be on antidepressants“
- “You will never get pregnant again”
- “You can’t reverse early menopause“
- “You need to be on sleeping pills“
Frustrated with the conventional medical “wis-dumb” she took a 1 year sabbatical while she searched the globe for answers. One of her “miracle discoveries” happened in Peru, where Maca is considered a power food for endurance, strength and good mood and…the “Peruvian Viagra.”
Thanks to this ancient herbal remedy and the other natural herbs and antioxidants (and God’s blessings!) she was eventually able to reverse her menopause, conceive, and deliver a healthy baby girl, grow back her hair, and lose all the extra weight!
Her discovery has helped me beyond words and I’m so grateful. I’m back to the woman I was… writing, blogging, coaching women, exercising again, and loving life. And my shoulder pain? It’s all but completely gone!
What did Dr. Anna discover in Peru and on her journey around the world meeting indigenous healers and world top physicians and scientists?
Blessings,
