April Library Book Selection

 

Kombucha Tea & Hidradenitis Suppurativa

 

I made my first batch of kombucha tea today. It is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc. It is extraordinarily anti-oxidant rich, and you all know the benefits of anti-oxidants for boosting your immune system and energy levels.

Most of you don't know but I suffer from a chronic disease called Hidradenitis suppurativa or HS. It is a skin disease that affects areas bearing apocrine sweat glands and hair follicles; such as the underarms, groin and buttocks, and under the breasts in women.

The disease manifests as clusters of chronic abscesses or boils, sometimes as large as tennis balls, that are extremely painful to the touch and has persisted for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation, culminating in drainage, often leaving open wounds that will not heal. Drainage provides some relief from severe, often debilitating, pressure pain. Flare-ups are triggered by stress, hormonal changes, humid heat, and clothing friction. Persistent lesions have lead to the formation of sinus tracts, or tunnels connecting the abscesses under my skin. At this stage, which is 3 complete healing is usually not possible, and progression of the disease in the area is inevitable. I have had occurrences of bacterial infections and cellulitis (deep tissue inflammation) at these sites. HS pain is difficult to manage. Hidradenitis suppurative is not contagious.

I have had two surgeries one under my left arm the other in the back of my neck. At this time I have two open wounds one between my breast and the other under my right arm. My right arm is the worst because of all the tunneling of the sinus tract. I trust and believe that God will heal me one day. Doctors have no cure at this moment for HS. So when I go to the doctor they only can provide me with pain pills and antibiotics which makes me sick. Recently I read in a yahoo group about swabbing apple cider vinegar and antibiotic cream on my wounds. I have been doing it for a few weeks and the inflammation has really been going down. I shared this with a friend and she recommended I try kombucha and kiefer. I am sick and tired of being sick, weak and tired. My immune system is low and most of the time I'm tired from it fighting HS.

So I decided after having a heart to heart with my husband that I want to try the natural way.

 

Update: I really appreciate all your google plus and private messages. It really means a lot to me your support is gladly appreciated.

Heavenly Hummus Wrap

 

 

For dinner today I made Heavenly Hummus Wraps. I saw a picture of this recipe posted by The Pioneer Woman on Facebook and I just had to make it. I have been on a quest to serve my family more healthy meals. This recipe was very flavorful and filling.

 

 

The Holocaust Museum

 

Last Friday, my husband took our oldest son Bennett to the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, MI. The museum is well known throughout Michigan as the first freestanding museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust, and houses an array of exhibits to shed light on horrors that the Nazis and their allies brought upon Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. At the museum, They saw pictures, videos, and exhibits that gave them a deeper understanding of the Holocaust.

Earlier in the school year Bennett read the book "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl ". I thought this field trip would give him more information and view points of the holocaust.