Baby Update

Baby Boy Borley #3 will arrive this week - I just know it!

What Happens Next?

I saw Dr. Patrick Flynn that week. After the 2nd adjustment I left his office with no headache. I had not been headache free in over a month at this point. I was amazed. I no longer needed to take Vicodin to numb the pain. The only medication I continued on was Synthroid.

Within the first few weeks of treatment with Dr. Flynn, I started to ask more questions. He provided me with some information regarding whole wellness. I read a couple of books & started to research more information online by myself. I have many of my nursing text books yet as well. Those provided me with some medical facts that supported the “alternative” treatments to illness like dietary changes.

One of the assignments Dr. Flynn has all patients do is write down everything that touches your mouth for 2 to 3 days. I was amazed at what I was eating . . . and what I wasn’t eating. I thought I was a fairly healthy eater. I was wrong. I had already been avoiding some food additives due to my own research on things to avoid to attempt to reduce migraines (i.e. MSG, alcohol, caffeine). I didn’t have a clue as to how many food products out there actually contain some of these harmful ingredients.

Some of the biggest changes happened for me during my first month of treatment. Dr. Flynn suggested that I begin to drink more water, but not tap water. In fact, I should avoid tap water given the harmful affects of chlorine & fluoride on the body. I also decided that it was past time for me to give up Soda of any kind. While this took me about 3 weeks to do by weaning myself off of soda (I drank 2-3 Regular Cokes a day), I did it. I increased my water intake to half of my body weight in ounces of water a day. My attempts in the past to eliminate soda from my diet were unsuccessful because of the rebound headaches I would experience from caffeine withdrawal. I suffered no headaches while being adjusted & weaning from the caffeine.

Also during the first month or so, I really began to read labels. I virtually eliminated MSG from my diet. What a difference that made! I thought MSG triggered just my migraines. What I wasn’t aware of was how sensitive my digestive system was to it. By accident, while at a get together in December of 2004, I consumed some salad that had been dressed with a dressing containing MSG. Within 20 minutes I was bloated & seeking the nearest restroom with diarrhea. I was baffled. Then I realized what I had consumed & connected the dots.

I’ve read the book, “The Maker’s Diet.” This is an incredible story of a young man who suffered from Crohn’s disease. Medicine could not help him. In fact, he remained ill while on the medication & the doctors wanted to increase them. He sought help from many alternative doctors & made some improvements albeit more slowly. He finally found a dietary plan that helped to bolster his immune system while not subjecting him to the harmful side effects of the medications commonly used for this disease. There is a misconception out there that Crohn’s Disease is a lifetime sentence to medications with exacerbations & remissions much like those of cancer. While it is true that those that have been diagnosed with Crohn’s need to make lifestyle changes, most can live normal lives off of medications. It is merely the opinions of medical doctors, medical specialists & the drug companies who reap the benefits of those doctors prescribing said drug regimens that rule how we are supposed to treat this disease. We should not be so narrow minded to assume there is no other way. It is opinion based. If you look at the facts of the alternative treatments, they also can work. Are there setbacks? Sure there are. Are there cases that might need to combine medicine with alternative treatments? Sure there are. Who has the right to determine which is better? Are there setbacks for those on the medications? YES. In fact, the side effects alone could be considered setbacks. One medication will cause side effects that create another problem. Would you say a doctor is neglectful when a patient is put on a steroid & as a result of this prescription contracted a potentially deadly virus or infection? (Steroids reduce your body’s ability to fight off infections & the symptoms may not be as noticeable at first because of the infection) I don’t think anyone would. The reason? This is acceptable medical practice.

There are countless people harmed everyday by medications prescribed by licensed physicians. There are numerous prescription drugs taken off the market after serious side effects, including death, are reported.

If I were to have stayed on the medications prescribed to me for my numerous health issues I can pretty much guarantee that I would be battling far more serious battles right now. I am 30 years old. By my health history above, you may have assumed I was at least 50. I feel more vibrant today, being 37 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child, than I did one year ago today when I was not pregnant. I also am able to work part time as a registered nurse, care for my 2 very active boys & pretty much keep up with my housework. I also run a home based business. I am looking forward to continued vitality so that I can live longer & live healthier than I ever have before through my chiropractic care which includes lifestyle.

Following a chiropractic lifestyle is not easy. It’s anything but neglectful of your health or the health of your family. It involves dedication & discipline. It would be so much easier for me to give in to the social pressures that I am subjected to anytime we have a family get together. But I know the ramifications of breaking from my regime. If I eat sugary foods, artificial sweeteners or foods with MSG I am almost immediately ill. If my children eat these things they seem to act out more aggressively & tend to come home with the sniffles more frequently than when we are strict with their diets. Not everyone is the same. In fact, my 4 year old reacts much quicker to such food than does my 3 year old.

There are many influences out there: McDonalds, grandparents, friends. They are very influential on a developing child. This is probably my biggest challenge. It is my duty, my responsibility, as their parent & role model to show them healthy choices; to teach them what truly is healthy versus what the media & today’s society labels as healthy. I am continually frustrated with so called “health experts” who are hypocrites at best. A specialist that I just changed from was at least 100 pounds overweight. His specialty? Endocrinology. This means he treats patients with diabetes & other endocrine disorders. Do you think his patients are apt to take his advice on proper nutrition? I wouldn’t. I work at a hospital. When I walk out of the hospital & see health care professionals lighting up a cigarette it is very disappointing. How do you tell a patient who is suffering from asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or cancer that his or her smoking is making the problem worse & most likely the culprit of their problem when you are taking part in the very same thing?

I could go on about wellness & health for days. Please know that there are many alternatives to medications & surgery out there. Look at the statistics. The U.S. has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the world. We’re a developed country. Our healthcare ranks in the 30’s compared to Japan who is #1. Japan relies on medicine as their emergency method. They rely on alternative methods like chiropractic, diet, acupuncture & meditation as their health care – wellness care. I don’t go to a medical doctor to keep me well. They’re trained to help me when I’m ill. This isn’t necessarily their fault. I am responsible to take control for my wellness.

I am so excited about this field of study. I do know there may be some who strongly disagree with me. That is OK. We're all learning. People generally get defensive about issues that affect their lifestyles. We live in a society that "moderation" has become a rule. I don't think moderation is an appropriate way to deal with our health. Instead, it makes us feel better about doing something that we know isn't the best for us. The truth is not always fun to hear.

That just about wraps up my health history & some of my philosophy on health to this point. I know I have more to cover. I'd love to hear feedback. One thing I like to go by with many of the things I've tried & suggestions I make is "Prove me wrong." If you can provide substantial, fact based proof as to why I'm wrong, I'm so willing to read it:)


Thank you for your time.

Jennifer S Borley RN, BSN
Finding a better way

My "Health" History - Anything But Healthy

This could be a long one. . .so I'm warning you from the beginning.
I began with health problems at a very young age. As a baby I was allergic to milk & could not even be breastfed as I reacted to something my mother consumed. I had eczema from head to toe as a result. I also had many ear infections as a child & was put on multiple antibiotics for those infections, including ear drops. Since very early on in life, I also had at least one episode of strep throat and/or tonsillitis yearly. I was placed on Amoxicillin or a combo antibiotic for each episode of these infections. I “grew out” of the milk allergy supposedly. In grade school I started to have severe abdominal cramping to the point of tears. My doctor determined that I was probably lactose intolerant & suggested to my mother that she eliminate milk products from my diet. That seemed to help quite a bit.

In kindergarten, I had the chicken pox. I had a “good” case of them. Then in the summer after 1st grade, I got them again. Again, it was a good case of them. This is not very common to get them twice.

In the summer between my 3rd & 4th grade, I sprained my back. For this I was placed on rest. The summer after my 4th grade, I began menstruating; quite young. By the end of that summer I also, again, contracted strep throat, but this time I also got tonsillitis at the same time. Almost immediately after symptoms began, my parents knew there was something more going on. I ended up with a para-tonsilar abscess that required emergency surgery. My tonsils were removed with the abscess in hopes of not having recurring problems.

By 7th grade, my menstrual cycle was out of control. I was a very thin girl & very athletic. I had menstrual periods that were very heavy & lasted about 7 days. I also experienced incredible cramping & clots with these periods. My mother consulted our family doctor & this was passed off as “she’s just like you were as a kid.” I had no exam.

By 8th grade, I also had “seasonal allergies.” Which season? I’m still not sure because I had symptoms of congestion & watery eyes pretty much year round. I was very athletic & would become short of breath at times. Without much of a physical examination, I was prescribed an albuterol inhaler. I was also put on over the counter allergy medications.

My sophomore year of high school, I became ill with strep throat once again. I was placed on Amoxicillin. After a day & a half of being on this, my tongue began to feel swollen & I was having some difficulty breathing. I was told, by a family doctor, to stop taking the antibiotic & take Benadryl. I was not seen or placed on a different antibiotic to fight the infection.

I did not improve with my strep symptoms & within a couple of weeks I became increasingly weak & ill. I was brought into the emergency room by my parents where I was tested for mononucleosis. Tests came back positive. I had lost about 12 pounds over this time already. I was put on steroids & some other medication that I don’t remember. I missed 2 weeks of my sophomore year of high school. After that, I returned for partial days until I was strong enough to stay awake the entire day.

During high school I remained very athletic. I was involved in volleyball, basketball & softball. I had frequent back & neck aches. I had a boyfriend whose father was a physical therapist & he would adjust my back once in a while. This helped tremendously with, but did not eliminate, the back pain as well as the menstrual cramps that I experienced. However, I still suffered from headaches & allergies. I also had issues with constipation & diarrhea. I drank a lot of soda as well as “junk food” like chips & candy. I remained very thin.

I went away to college. I was given the first 2 Hepatitis B vaccination shots. After the 2nd shot, I experienced severe upper abdominal pain, slight jaundice & elevated hepatic function levels. This was determined to be a reaction to the Hep B shots & I was told not to finish the series. Shortly thereafter, I started experiencing worsening symptoms of diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, menstrual cramping & rectal bleeding. I was taken to the emergency room via ambulance for an episode of such severe cramping & they found nothing except for blood in my stool. Back home, I was seen by an internal med doctor who did a Sigmoidoscopy (short scope lower GI test). She found only a couple of small hemorrhoids. I was told to increase my fiber intake & use over the counter remedies.

My symptoms continued. I had increasing rectal bleeding. The fiber pills that had been suggested to me caused more cramping & diarrhea. I suffered through this until my menstrual cramps were so bad that I could not handle it any longer. I was referred to Dr. Scheuckler, OBGYN. She placed my on birth control pills to try to regulate my periods. My periods were, in fact, already quite regular in their occurrence. They were just horrendously painful from a couple of days prior to a few days after I actually would bleed. After a 3 month trial on one type with no good results & break through bleeding, I was switched to a different type for another couple of months. After trying 3 different pills, we found one that seemed to decrease the longevity of my menstrual bleeding & the cramping. But this was short lived as it only “worked” for about 6 months. Then I’d be subjected to trying yet another pill. Finally, she decided to do a laser laparoscopy. She had presumed I had endometriosis. This surgery provided proof to that.

Within 3 months after the surgery, the pain that was supposed to be relieved from this surgery returned. I was, yet again, switched from one pill to another. I was also put on 800 mg Motrin 3 times a day to handle the pain. I was not given a warning of stomach problems taking this . . . and of course, this is what ensued. During this time, I was also seen by Dr. Roesting, who checked me for stomach problems by jabbing me in the stomach & when I flinched he said, “Oh, that’s tender.” Hmmm, wouldn’t anyone flinch when someone literally jabs you in the stomach? I think so. He found blood in my stool.

My GI symptoms continued to worsen & I was eventually referred to a GI specialist, Dr. Laukka. He performed a colonoscopy & endoscopy where he concluded that I really didn’t have any hemorrhoids after all & that there was nothing wrong with me except for a slight bleed in my stomach. He told me I could continue to use over the counter fiber remedies and hemorrhoid treatments. And he prescribed some prescription hemorrhoid treatments. Why should I continue to use treatments for something I supposedly didn’t have? He also placed me on Pepcid, which at that time was prescription. That did not help at all. . In fact, I began getting more acidic feelings in my stomach & my throat than I had before. So they switched me to prescription Zantac. That seemed to help a little bit . . . but soon thereafter, my dose needed to be increased. They also told me to take over the counter Tums for episodes of break through pain. I continued with diarrhea & now I had reflux as well.

I noticed a pattern to all of this. I was eating more fiber. I was following the regimen of medications. The OBGYN finally told me that I should just get pregnant if I ever planned on having babies. I was 19. I was a nursing college student who was not in a stable relationship & in no way ready to be a MOM! I decided to switch my OBGYN.

I started to see Dr. DeMott. He made an attempt to switch my pills to something that he thought might help. After 2 switches & not very good results, we decided to try something a little bit more drastic. I was put on Depo Lupron. This is a hormone suppressant, to put it in layman’s terms. It stops the cycle from the pituitary gland & mimics menopause. For 6 months I had one injection a month. I experienced menopause symptoms: hot flashes, dry skin, headaches, no period but I also was cramp free. After 6 months, they took me off of it & placed me back on birth control pills. I did fairly well with this treatment. However, before a year was up, I had fairly severe cramps back with my periods. I also began getting migraine headaches just before my periods. These would last about a week & subsided at about the same time my period did. I endured these as I was not expecting to have pain free periods.

All during this, I kept experiencing GI symptoms & rectal bleeding. The cramping & diarrhea were constant & usually after eating.

In 1998 I got married. I continued to have symptoms of all of the above. In 1999 we conceived 3 times . . . only to miscarry 3 times. We were devastated. We had tests run to make sure we were compatible. They came back normal. When I was off of birth control, I experienced even worse menstrual cramps than I had on the pill. Yet, it was very important for us to have children, so I persevered.

After the first miscarriage in early 1999, I had extreme & intense rectal pain. I was referred to Dr. Roarty, GI specialist. He performed a colonoscopy & found a fissure (tear in the lining of my rectum). He wanted to try to have it heal medically first. So he put me on Flagyl, a nasty antibiotic that caused me a lot of stomach upset, headache & diarrhea. I tried this treatment for almost a month until I could not bear it any longer. I requested to be referred to a surgeon. Dr. Kemmerling performed a sphyncterotomy to repair the tear. He did not, however, fix any hemorrhoids that were present.

I experienced low back pain & neck pain regularly & an acquaintance referred me to her chiropractor, Dr. King. I began getting regular adjustments & this provided much relief. I had short term relief, but nothing that seemed to last any length of time. I did continue to see him during my pregnancy with my first son. I would go for a while at regular intervals & then I’d stop. Then, when the pain got more intense I’d go again. I was still having migraine headaches & began to experience numbness & tingling in my arms & legs as well as some visual changes. He had me see Dr. Sommerville, a neurologist, who performed an MRI of my brain. The MRI was not normal, but per Dr. Sommerville, it did not explain my symptoms. He decided to take a wait & see approach. He speculated that I could have MS. But he didn’t see enough evidence to diagnose me nor rule it out.

Over the next couple of years, we had another baby. We went through the “normal” ear infections with them. I am a registered nurse & have received the flu vaccine on & off over the past several years. My children had all of their Birth through 2 vaccines with minor side effects (irritability, fever, stomach upset). My first son had difficulty with formula & milk & even though the pediatrician didn’t think he was lactose intolerant (like me) we switched him to lactose free & he stopped having the problems.

After my 1st son was born, I went on birth control to get a regular cycle back. I had been getting periods every other week along with the migraines that went with them. I was on the pill for one month, had a period & started the 2nd month . . . and my period just kept on going. I went off of the pill, as we decided that I didn’t want to stay on something as we planned to have more children anyway. I became pregnant that very next week.

No major issues while pregnant with my 2nd son. I had sciatic pain & low back pain as I had experienced before. I did seek care from the same chiropractor for this & was provided with some relief. I continued to have issues with my stomach. I only had a couple of headaches during my pregnancy.

I continued care with this chiropractor after my 2nd son was born. I continued to have migraines, visual changes, numbness & weakness. I had a repeat MRI of my brain & my spine. Nothing had changed. I also continued to have GI issues & endometriosis symptoms.

My neighbor & I have children who play together. She had a chiropractor that she was seeing that she said was helping her tremendously. She started telling me about the improvements she had experienced & other things about her chiropractor . . . I thought she was nuts & that her chiropractor was a quack. Remember, I’m a registered nurse with my bachelor’s degree. There is no way what she was saying could be true.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Right now I am hypothyroid. This is thought to be a somewhat hereditary disease. My mother had it until about 2 years ago when it made a drastic change to hyperthyroidism – Graves Disease. She was misdiagnosed for quite some time, actually, but that is another story. I am being treated for this with medicine.

Over a year ago, I switched neurologists to Dr. Bannasch. He was very thorough in his exam & wanted to get to the bottom of all of this. He is the first doctor who was tying everything together. He looked at my symptoms collectively & tried to determine what could be causing all of this. He is the one who actually discovered my hypothyroidism. I was also B12 deficient for no apparent reason. He directed me to try to treat this with dietary changes as well as an oral supplement. This was effective.

I continued to see Dr. King for adjustments. I continued to have migraines. I was on the birth control patch & this provided some menstrual relief. I continued to have the other neurological symptoms as well as the GI symptoms.

Because of the rectal bleeding that worsened a bit & because I started to have more abdominal pain, I sought another colonoscopy. We’re told, for changes in bowel patterns & especially for bleeding & increased pain, get it checked out. Dr. Manthey performed this one & he pretty much scolded me afterwards asking why I would come in for a colonoscopy. There was nothing wrong & he would suggest that I not have another one done until I’m 40. He provided no explanation whatsoever for my symptoms, gave me no guidance for what I could do to alleviate my symptoms & made me feel stupid for being concerned about rectal bleeding that made me have to wear a pad. He did do a biopsy, “just in case,” for colitis or Crohn’s disease. These came back negative.

My neurologist ran tests; blood tests, EEG, Transesophageal Echocardiogram, MRI. My EEG was abnormal. I didn’t find this out for a month after my test, however, because the report wasn’t back to him before he went on vacation & then when I called the nurses couldn’t tell me the results without the doctor & then somehow, he didn’t get the message to call me back until he was back for over a week. At this, he told me that I might be more apt to have a seizure if I get hit in the head. So I should avoid that. Shouldn’t everyone avoid getting hit in the head?

For the migraines, he wanted to try a calcium channel blocker. So I tried it. A half dose of it made me so dizzy I couldn’t stand straight. I was supposed to try to up it to the whole dose & ride it out, so to speak. The side effect would “most likely” go away. I wasn’t up for that. I have 2 small children, a house to take care of & a job. I went off of it.

I was put on Vicodin for pain. I would only take ½ a tablet at a time to try to take the edge off of my migraines. This soon didn’t help & I upped it to a whole pill (RX was for 1 -2 every 4-6 hours as needed).

Last October, I had a migraine headache the entire month. On October 30th, it changed from being just in the back of my head & neck to my temples & it shot across my temples so much that I had blurry vision & could not stand unassisted. I called the neurologist & got Dr. Stanko, who was on call for Dr. Bannasch. She directed me to go to the ER. My husband brought me there. My pulse was racing. My head was spinning & hurt more than a 10. They gave me IV Dilaudid. The first dose took a bit of the edge off. Then they gave me the max dose. They proceeded to pull my IV out & get discharge papers ready for me to sign. We were flabbergasted. I said I could still feel the odd feeling in my head & couldn’t stand up. I wanted the doctor to come back in so I could talk to her. She came back in, some time later, to find me dry heaving . . . most likely a side effect from the Dilaudid. She said in a somewhat irritated voice, “Why didn’t you tell me you were nauseous before we pulled your IV?” My husband was not happy about that comment. He told her they pulled it right after giving me that other dose. How was I to know I’d get sick? So she had them give me an antiemetic. They still expected me to go home. I wouldn’t sign the discharge papers. I insisted on seeing the neurologist.

Dr. Stanko came in, assessed me, & decided to admit me. During this time, I started to vomit. This didn’t help my head at all. I was brought up to the room where they struggled to get a line in me as I was now dehydrated as well, yet another wonderful thing for someone with a migraine! Once they got that in, they gave me morphine & Ativan. This took the edge off of the pain. The rest of the night was a blur. I guess they did an MRI of my brain & neck. They started Depakote in my IV. This is an anti seizure medication that just so happens to maybe help with migraine headaches. It also has pretty terrible possible side effects to the liver.

The endocrinologist that I had been referred to a month earlier (appt was made for sometime in December – remember, this is October) came in for a consult the next morning. My thyroid was hyper now instead of hypo. He thought this was a result of the migraine. He didn’t see the need to change anything. My thyroid gland was enlarged on the MRI.

I was discharged that day to go home. I was told to take Depakote & follow up with my neurologist. My white blood count was low as well. But this was not explained to me or anything. I took half of the dose of Depakote that night at home. I felt so tired & fuzzy headed that I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt the same way the next day. There was no way I was going to continue to take a drug that made me feel like that especially with the possible side effects. Not to mention the high likelihood of birth defects if I were to conceive.

Later that week, I decided to “give in” to my neighbor’s referral to see her chiropractor. I figured that nothing else was giving me any long term results. I had nothing to lose.


To be Continued -