I've had "feminine" issues for years. I won't go into the details here, but I've tried many different treatments (OCPs, Estrogen patch, Progesterone cream, etc., etc) over the years with little to no success. About 10 years ago things got even worse. I used to have migraines once or twice a month, but then they started coming much more frequently, up to 10-12 days a month! Intolerable. Yesterday I went to see a well-known and respected Naturopath. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to get at the cause of my current issues immediately, diagnosing me with a condition I'd never heard of but there's plenty of literature on it (including Mayo Clinic so totally mainstream) on the Internet. She gave me a whole list of supplements, vitamin & herbal blends, to try and told me to come back in 2 months to report on how they were working. When I added up the cost of the supplements, the total was close to $200. And that would be per month! Yikes!
At first I said no way, I cannot afford to spend that much extra per month, not now and maybe not ever. But then I found most of the items a tad bit cheaper online and decided to go for it. If the combination she put together for me works and I get a higher quality of life back, it's worth it; and I'm really hoping to be able to wean back off the supplements within a few months. The alternative is to have the offending parts taken out, but with my long history of hormonally related migraine, that might not be the best option. So, I have lots of new stuff on order now and am anxious to try the suggested plan. The good news in all of this is that my condition will eventually go away anyway and it is not life-threatening. I just have to find the best way to cope while I wait for the end of my reproductive years.
The reason I decided to write a post about this topic is because it does relate to how I care for my children and what happens when you don't attend to your own concerns in a timely or appropriate fashion. As any good mother does, I always put my kids first. I'm not the "best" mother by any stretch of the imagination, but by golly, their needs are met and met well. When it comes to taking the best care of my own health and mental well-being, that's another story. And, especially when taking care of myself costs $$$, it's a huge struggle for me to take the plunge and spend the money. My husband told me to go ahead and give it a try to see whether or not things improve. I think he is hoping my issues get better because then I'll have fewer days when I'm crabby! Not a bad thing for a spouse to hope for.
The other issue, though, with spending money on myself is the constant and unrelenting nagging thought in the back of my mind - will we have enough money put aside for Miss Roo when we are no longer around to care for her. I do not go to that murky place way in the future (God willing!), where Roo is left without her loving parents at her side, very often; but sometimes I just have to so I can push myself to continue to think about and work out a plan for her care.
So, the big issue for the primary caregiver (Me!), is finding that balance : taking care of myself well enough so I have the strength, drive and energy to take care of my wonderful children. If I get my health in order, I really will have so much more to offer; and that will be in everyone's best interests.
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