For so long, I tiptoed around my why. Today, I am coming clean and sharing. (This story is written for you, my sweet kiddos.)
Everyone has a why. Why did you decide to make a significant change in your life? Why do you want a better future? Your "why" is the purpose that fuels a life changing decision. Why am I so passionate about making lifestyle changes? Let me tell you my "why".
I was a licensed nail technician for a big part of my career. I later went on to do become a full cosmetologist. I had a ton of amazing customers/friends who made my world go around. I loved my business because of the people. I also worked day in day out with acrylic (ethly methacrylates & methyl methacrylates), polish removers, nail polish, toluene, and formaldehydes. Nothing but dangerous VOC's day in and day out. Those were just some of the chemicals that I, and my clients, would sit over and breathe in. Those same chemicals would also touch our skin liberally. Hey, it was a different time. It was fake nails/big hair/big money days. We were not awakened to the damage of toxins like we are today. Besides that, getting prettied up & chatting over a salon appointment is harmless, right?
Well, in 2016, my middle son, Zach, was diagnosed with a type of cancer, at the tender age of 12. I remember being at UF Shands Hospital and hearing the words, "Your son doesn't have a cyst on his forehead, he has a tumor." They said it right in front of all of us, including him. I immediately hugged him tight and balled!!! I didn't want to cry in front of him, I wanted to be strong, but I just couldn't hold it in. At 12 years old, still a child and not quite a young man yet, he sat on the patient table in shock. All I could think about was that I did this to him. I caused this. You see, I was pregnant with Zachary when I was competing in nail competitions and being endorsed by acrylic nail companies. I was traveling to NY and other national shows. I was living life like a Rockstar! It was a fun part of my life back then...so who would've ever seen this in the future? I should have, because I also got pregnant again, about 8 months after Zach was born, and had a miscarriage. Signs?
The doctor told me that it wasn't me that caused this to happen. It was a mutation of his dendritic cells. I was not convinced. I still, almost 10 years later, am not convinced. I will never know the truth, but one thing I do know is that we all received God's blessing. Zach went on chemotherapy and had a ton of ups and downs. He actually had surgery to place a port near his heart for easy IV access and would receive his treatment every 2 weeks, starting on a Monday. No fail, by Tuesday afternoon he would go into septic shock, and have to be hospitalized in the ICU. We are talking BP of 35 and plunging. What was happening to my child? It was such a violent, torturous time in his life. Chemo was NO JOKE! Scared wasn't the right word. You never know fear, and a loss of control, until you cannot help your own child. As parents, we are supposed to protect them from everything...and I couldn't.
You definitely get to know God quickly. It is Him who saved us all. The song 'I Surrender All' was my testimony. I had to let go and let God. It took 8 months of chemo, and years of scans, to say he is fully healed and lives an amazing healthy life! So much so, he has chosen to become a Nurse Anesthetist and help other kids get their ports put in. Life changing trajectory, eh?
That same Zach, who by the way, is a gym loving, healthy 22 year old now, took a college class called Organic Chemistry during his quest to be a CRNA. Each day, he would learn it all and come home to share with me. I was so intrigued and so was he. He learned about volatile compounds in medicines, food, cosmetics, cooking oils, cleaning products, home flooring, and more. We both became "aware" of what daily goes into our skin and body. Once you know, you can't hide from that kind of information. It's in the forefront of your mind each and every time you reach for something.
I had already started to make changes in our life, probably more so because of wanting to be self reliant, but those changes morphed into so much more. I became a homesteader. Of course, I do the sourdough breads, have chickens, make most everything we eat from scratch (including salad dressings, apple cider vinegar, kombucha and more), barter bread for raw milk, eat as much organic and avoid fast food/eating out as much as possible...but it went further than that. I removed as many toxins from our home as I could. I stopped synthetic supplements, lighting candles, using room sprays, store bought cleaning products & laundry soaps, stopped using OTC perfumes, and bettered my skincare. Am I a "granola mom" as my kids call me? Probably. But, are my kids and husband learning alongside me? Yes!
I am always proud of all of them, but watching them grow in a healthier direction is priceless.
Unfortunately, I cant go back in time and make changes to the life I've lived. All I can do is be more of a better person today, than I was the day before. I want everyone around me to live a healthy, longer life. I want my family, and yours, to be aware and make at least 1 small change at a time. Don't live life in the fast lane wondering (or ignoring) if all this lifestyle pollution will affect you...sometimes you get lucky and it doesn't, but mostly, it's a matter of when. We can't control all things in our environment, but we must control what we can within our body, home & car. In this time in our life, we have the power to do so!
xoxo- Chrissy ( & family)
"Knowledge is Power, Power provides Information; Information leads to Education, Education breeds Wisdom; Wisdom is Liberation."
