confronting neuropathy at age 25 & discovering strength through a new detox protocol on kaua’i
Life update * 4 years ago I was diagnosed with a inoperable brain stem tumor. Since then, I moved to Kaua’i & lived on a Water Buffalo farm, I participated in a a clinical trial of medication for the brain tumor which unfortunately resulted in a stroke & I developed neuropathy over 2 years ago.
Despite the adversity, I have been loving life on Kaua’i since 2020. I have lived 8 different places on the island, from the West Side of Waimea all the way to the Northshore. I turned 25 this year & am unraveling my new self, from the time i’ve spent on this life-altering island. They call The Garden Island ~ The Third Eye Island for a reason… never have I ever experienced deeper loneliness & grief, dancing with my shadow daily- facing parts of myself I never knew of.
Living in chronic pain 24/7 had started to eat at my spirit. People often look at me & assume i’m perfectly fine because nothing appears wrong on the outside. I’m 5'10, naturally lean & athletic looking. I was able to take on a part-time job at a coffee shop here, where they’ve kindly allowed me to sit on a stool & work the register — I tried the barista part to get the drinks memorized, but couldn’t handle being on my feet for more than a few minutes before the nerve pain became unbearable. Surprisingly, walking is better than merely standing in one place.
My mental health declined in the past few months, despite being surrounded by the beauty of the island — the constant pain had consumed all my thoughts every second of the day.
Most people who have neuropathy are 50 years and older — only getting worse over time, to the point where they can barely walk. In my previous living situation, where I lived with 10 roomates on the beach — one of my roomates was a woman, in her early 60s with debilitating neuropathy- she can barely walk, using her crutches everywhere. I try and help her in every way I can when I see her, the community around her is supportive as well.
It’s isolating to not know anyone my age with neuropathy — and it scares me to think about living with this the rest of my life — I do not accept this fate. Even though it has been almost three years living with this disease, and testing my faith — I persevere.
I make a long journey from the Northshore to Southshore twice a week for Sanexas therapy, the drive alone is a job within itself — it’s exhausting, I think about all the things I could be doing if I didn’t have this disability, all the extra time I could have to work, save and progress with my artistic career as a photographer, filmmaker, writer, & all the other hobbies i’ve accumilated living here like learning guitar and The Native American Flute.
However, sometimes we just need to wake up every day & be grateful — so i’m taking this opportunity of driving myself, to keep filling my head with everything i’m learning about my healing journey.
Recently, I started to see this new doctor, who specializes in doing live blood analysis. I only found out about him this year — a few weeks ago, we went in & looked at my blood under a microscope. It revealed a significant amount of inflammatory plaque, mold, parasites, candida in my blood — so this made me feel better, seeing it clear as day- no, i’m not loosing my mind, i’m just simply still needing to do a lot more healing.
I thought I had already been doing a good job — I had been vegan for 10 years, when I moved to Hawaii I was raw vegan (I only ate fresh fruits & vegetables for 2 years, nothing cooked!) for 2 years! Over a year ago, I tried meat again- & have been back on a balanced diet ever since.
photo of me
But i’ll be trying an entirely different protocol with the blood doctors this time around & i’ll be excited to share the journey.
They are putting me on a specific detox program, an elimination diet that focuses on not only detoxing the body by removing toxins, but building resistance and reducing susceptibility.
My new personalized healthcare program includes a 4 R program with systemic detox.
The Four R Program includes : Removing toxins, replacing digestive enzymes, replenishing your immune nutrients, and repairing gut function.
My detox program will also include :
Nervous System Balancing : I’ve already taken this to the next step level by investing in a Somatic Therapist — I’ve only met with her two times already where it is a different kind of therapy, talk therapy at this point in my life is useless — I need to know how to deal & manage chronic pain & the emotions that come with it. I’ll be excited to write an entire article on Somatic Therapy & Healing Chronic Pain.
Dietary Guidlines : I’ll be participating in a modified elimination diet to reduce stress reactions during the detox — i’ll basically be eating like this :
YES : Organic* Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Vegetables
NO : Fruit, AT ALL! Nothing sweet whatsoever which completely contradicts the fruitarian diet I was on previously.
NO : Grains at all, especially white rice
NO : Caffeine, not even decaf coffee! 🥲
The point of this diet is to get my body alkaline again — because my body is so acidic, this is why the pain is not getting better.
I’ve been disciplined dietary wise in the past, but it was incredibly hard- i’m giving myself the grace to get settled into my new living place first, buy some glass meal-prepping material, get my recipes layed out- before I do the full dive into this detox journey. When you try to cold turkey everything straight off the bat, that’s when detox becomes less enjoyable, and you may even dred it. I’ve learned from my past detoxification journeys, to try doing this the right way this time.
The detox program will also include Nutritional Supplementation, Neuro- Emotional Balancing, and Spinal Rehabilitation.
At the age of 25, living with neuropathy every day, I find myself confronting challenges that many others my age may not have to face. The simple acts of daily life become extraordinary accomplishments for me, asI navigate through the pain & difficulties that accompany my condition. While I don’t claim to be superior to anyone, I do believe it’s important to recognize & give myself credit for the strength & courage it takes to endure in the face of such adversity. Living with neuropathy at such a young age is not something that everyone experiences, & it’s through acknowledging the unique struggles I press on that I can truly appreciate the resilience that resides within me.
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