#267 From Hysterectomy Fears To Healing

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I just felt so uncomfortable. I was exhausted. My joints hurt. Everything hurt. So I was kind of lost spiritually too, I think. So a big part of that shift was finding you and adding in the morning Lectio Divina. That's where I think I felt the biggest change.

Welcome back to the Fast to Faith podcast. I am Over the moon excited to talk to my guest today. She actually doesn't live that far from me, but we did not meet in person. We met online, and her journey is really going to hit home for a lot of you today because a lot of you have been faced with the threat of hysterectomy, or you have gone through a hysterectomy because there really was no other option and it had to be done. So I can't wait for this conversation today because there are going to be some breakthroughs. If you're listening, if you've gone through a hysterectomy, you're going to learn something. If you're considering it, you're going to learn something. Or if you're supporting a girlfriend who needs this episode, please share it with her because the best thing that you can do is to share your story with others and share other women's stories because we should not feel alone in any of this. There is literally nothing on the planet that a woman is going to experience that some other woman hasn't already experienced. We just need to find that woman so that we can feel like someone understands us and maybe can guide us through. So I'm really excited for this conversation. Welcome, Jessica. How are you?

Hi, I'm doing good. How are you?

Good. I'm so excited that you are here. You look so beautiful in your green. Oh my gosh, your eyes are like popping. Um, yeah, and I'm in my fall colors because it was 48 degrees this morning.

Yeah, it was chilly. Woo!

Okay, Michigan. Yeah. All right, so I just want to dive in And have you share a few things. First and foremost, I always ask women to share how they found me because I truly believe God brings women together on purpose for a purpose. And if somebody's listening right now, it might be because they're supposed to hear from you and not even from me. So how did you find me? How did we get connected?

Well, I actually found you through, um, an ex-sister-in-law, my, um, brother-in-law's ex-wife. She was on Instagram posting. She was going through the coaching program at the time. Um, and I had been doing workouts, working out every day, um, but still just feeling miserable. I was uncomfortable. I was inflamed.

Mm-hmm.

Just so discouraged getting up early to work out. Thought I was eating healthy at the time. I wasn't. I wasn't doing what I should have been doing. Now I know that, but, um, I just felt so lost and frustrated. And then when I saw her posts, I was curious.

I love that. Well, why don't we talk about the, the bomb you just dropped? Because I wasn't gonna go in this direction, but it's really important. You thought you were eating healthy. So what did that look like? What was— what were you eating?

Sure, I had a pretty steady routine of what I would eat. And, you know, cottage cheese, protein, everybody says cottage cheese. So I was eating cottage cheese and cheese and just making sure I ate all the protein that I should be eating. I was eating fruits and veggies, trying to watch my portions. I loved sugar. So sugar had been a big thing for me for a long time, but I was trying to watch my sugar. Um, but dairy was a big part of my diet, and I didn't really feel like I had gut issues at that time. I thought I could eat dairy. I thought I could eat gluten. Um, I was miserable without realizing it because I didn't realize the food was impacting me the way it was. So, um, I actually started a workout program in December, and part of that was to cut out dairy, and I I thought, no, I'm fine with dairy. So I still kept eating the dairy.

Okay.

So when I found you, um, and had my food sensitivities done, I realized that that was my biggest sensitivity. Um, and so cutting out that piece of it just made a huge impact on my inflammation. I'd already started cutting out the gluten, um, and I felt better there, but the dairy was the piece that was still really affecting me.

Mm, I know some women are not happy that they just heard that. I was with you. I ate cottage cheese every morning and I just ate cheese all throughout the day. Ice cream was my go-to treat most of the time, especially in the summer when you live in areas like Michigan and summer's only 3 months. You're like, I must eat the ice cream every day because it's not going to be around. And it's just such a toxic combination of the dairy and the sugar. And then if you add a cone on it with the gluten, but I love that you realized, okay, I need to do this. The data shows it. My tests actually show that I am reacting to dairy. My immune system is angry. And I remember your stool test was like, you had no good bacteria, no Good microbiome, no digestive enzyme function. And so like everything you're putting in your gut, there was no little ecosystem to even be able to process it and digest and help you absorb your vitamins and minerals. So it's like almost doesn't even matter if you're trying to eat healthy if you don't have that ecosystem to support you. So, you know, you had a couple different things going on and What I want to point out, because I find it so interesting, is that you were looking for hormone help. You were dealing with this hysterectomy issue, and we're like, wait a second, here's the root cause. It's your gut. It's your food sensitivities. So talk about that, because I think that's really helpful for women to understand. What had you gone through before you came to me?

So, um, for several years prior, I had been— my heart rate was elevated. I was just miserable, and I didn't even realize how miserable I was at the time. I guess now I see it, and I notice, um, when I'm starting to feel bad again or, um, things are happening in my body. But it was just how I was living, and, um, my day was scheduled out 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. I was working full-time. Um, in 2022, I'm planning a dot— my oldest daughter's wedding, taking care of, um, my 3 other children who were in high school, taking care of my grandparents, finishing a bachelor's degree, working a second job. Like, I was just going all the time.

Yeah.

But I was so tired and miserable and I would cry in my closet and, um, I just felt so uncomfortable. I was exhausted. My joints hurt, everything hurt. And I'd go to the doctor and he would just say, you're a busy mom, and hand me a list of therapists, and I was just so frustrated. At one point I saw the, the PA there and she had a blood draw done and saw my platelets were in the 900s. And so she sent me to a hematologist. I met with him and they at that time said that I was anemic. Um, I had been having very heavy periods and, um, irregular and where I didn't even want to leave the house. I hated going to work. I would bring extra changes of clothes. Like, it was miserable, but I didn't realize that that was affecting my iron in the way that it was either. Um, that's when I met with, um, the gynecologist who decided that I should have The hysterectomy. He actually called me on a Friday at five o'clock and said they had done a biopsy and said that they had found precancerous tissue and decided that that was the best way to go. And that was really what was my decision on that. Between that and the platelets, the numbers were kind of scary there. So decided to go forward, and that was scheduled so fast within a few weeks. And in the meantime, I didn't know anybody or nobody talked about having a hysterectomy. hysterectomy and what they experienced. And I was YouTube everything I could find and how women felt after, what they were going through. Um, so that was really stressful to me. And I hadn't really— I had a C-section with one, um, my oldest daughter, but I hadn't really had any surgeries. So I was just really nervous all the way around.

Yeah, I can imagine. I mean, that's a big decision. Not only is it major surgery, you're put to sleep, you have that Big recovery, lots of restrictions for six weeks at least. But for some women, it feels a little bit like their female identity, and like I know I don't want to have more kids, but now I don't have the ability to have kids. Like that's just a weird feeling, a weird thought. I remember going through that when they asked if I wanted my tubes tied. You know, I was I think thirty nine or thirty eight at that point, and I was just like. I know I don't want to have kids, but that seems like so drastic.

Mm-hmm.

And so we, we play all these things in our head and we feel all sorts of ways. Some of us feel sadness and grief or frustration or anger or shame. And, and so you work through it, you make a decision, and you're like, okay, I'm good. And for some women, everything goes smoothly and it really is an answer that they needed and everything kind of shifts and stabilizes after that. But for a lot of women, what we see is that there was a deeper root cause issue going on driving the reason that you needed the hysterectomy. And because that wasn't taken care of, then it just pops up in other ways after the hysterectomy. Like, you got rid of the bleeding problem, but now you got new problems. And the truth is, when we leave ovaries behind, we can compromise the blood flow to the ovaries or traumatize them enough that sometimes they start to go into early menopause, or they just— that little factory wants to shut down and no longer ovulate and produce progesterone every month. So Did you feel good after the hysterectomy for a while or not really?

Um, not really. And it's not that I felt bad. I, I just was in a really bad spot. I was frustrated because it took longer than I thought to get back into working out. Mm-hmm. Um, my core, it just, it, it took so much longer than I thought and I'd been used to working out every day. So I was frustrated with that. Um, and now thinking about it, I think that probably impacted me mentally too.

Yeah.

Because I was just in the lowest spot I've ever been. Um, I, that May, that was, so surgery was in October. In May, my daughter had a surprise party for me, birthday party, um, for my 45th birthday the May after. And I just cried. Like I was so miserable and I should have been happy and I just wasn't in a place to be happy right then. Um, And it took a lot for me through the year to get to that point.

Yeah, I can imagine if you're not— if you go from working out regularly to not being able to work out, like for most women, that's like taking out the mental trash. That's how we empty the garbage out of our brain is working out. And so all of that starts to just pile up in your mind and you just feel overwhelmed and anxiety or depression. And so that is definitely something to consider if you are going into surgery. Like, that's a real thing. And I just want to mention really quickly that I have a post-op recovery guide if you are facing surgery, because there are some things that your gynecologist probably doesn't tell you that will significantly improve your recovery. I promise you. That it's really important how we handle our gut health after surgery, focusing on our bowel movements, getting walking in, and how to reengage in activities and things like that. So that's all in the guide if you need it. It's in the notes. Um, but you eventually found me and you were struggling with this hormone imbalance. Lo and behold, you really weren't making any progesterone, and so that was Part of, well, why you were feeling so down. So I'm glad that you did the Healthy Her program because you dove in, you got the food sensitivity, you got the gut test, we got your hormones back into balance a little bit. Tell me what that shift started to feel like for you when you made these changes.

Oh my goodness. So, November Thanksgiving last year, I'd seen a picture of myself and my face, I just cried. My face was so inflamed. And so, as I started to make the changes, and, you know, probably the biggest shift for me was, at that time, I didn't really have a relationship with God. I had taught Sunday school. I'd been very involved in my church for years, and we'd kind of— stepped away from that a bit. And so I was kind of lost spiritually too, I think.

Mm-hmm.

And so a big part of that shift was finding you and adding in the morning Lectio Divina. Um, that's where I think I felt the biggest change. And then from there, adding in the food changes and the working out and listening to my body with working out. I think I was working out too hard for what I should have been, or working out the wrong way. Um, and so now knowing that, so now feeling that shift in my body and knowing when to rest. Um, I didn't rest. I didn't know how to rest. And so making sure I'm getting my sleep, that's big too. So I feel like a completely different person all the way around.

Oh my gosh, that is the goodness of God. I love that so much. Like my girlfriend Kirsten says, Soul work before body work. Your soul needed to be heard. It was trying to call out to you, and I love that God brought you to me because you did need Lectio Divina. I too find it so powerful. Like when I stumbled upon this practice of just meditating on a scripture as a way to talk to God. It really did change everything for me too. Like, I started to have so much clarity and see all my busyness and like, wait a second. Like, when you listed at the beginning of the episode everything you were doing, like, that's insane. But that's the majority of women in this day and age. I saw some Facebook meme about like, Current marriages and like the man's playing a video game and the wife is like running to work, carrying all the groceries, kids on her hips, paying the bills. Like she's doing everything. And like, where did— how did we get here? We need to have our partners step up, be equal or more, you know, take back their responsibilities and just say, I'm not doing this anymore. This is craziness. And so I'm really proud of you for not giving up hope, for continuing to search out and not be afraid. Well, maybe you were afraid, but for actually stepping in and just trying one more time, because that's what I hear from a lot of women. We just completed our 5-day online summit, and so many women are like, I'm afraid to try again. I'm going to fail. Can you speak to that a little bit?

I think for me it was knowing that even if I didn't get all the pieces right, 1%, I have to tell myself, if I do 1% better, it will, it'll be better than I am now with how I'm feeling and doing. So just adding in the little pieces, and even if you can't jump fully into everything, just slowly start to add it in and make the changes. Um, speaking back to marriage, my husband's been amazingly supportive. Um, and there's just been a shift there as well. We're newly Empty nesters within the past year too. So, but marriage is good and life is good. And he's, he's on board with eating now, where he had started cooking and getting more into the kitchen over the past couple years. And so he'd get up and he'd want to make pancakes. And so that was one thing, like pancakes, I can't eat pancakes, I shouldn't be eating pancakes. But now he's learning new ways to cook and eating healthier too. And if we get a little bit off track, he'll be like, you know, I really think we should get back on track with eating. So yeah, and it's been fun to try new recipes and learn new ways to eat.

I love that. That is so good. You know, I was listening to Taylor Welsh the other day. He is in the business space, but he also teaches on Christianity. And he was talking about how failure is not Failing. It's just lessons. And every time you fail, you get rid of one more possibility so that you're actually closer to your success. Because when you first start out, you have all these options of like, what do I need to be successful? I could do this, this, this, and this. And then when you fail at something, that drops away. So then you only— you have fewer options and you're like, getting closer to your target and your goal, and you can be more focused on, oh, this is actually what I need to be focused on. And so I would encourage you listening, like, all your failed diets, all your failed exercise routines, all your failed calendar scheduling, boundary setting situations— like, those weren't failures. You learned what doesn't work for you. And so You can start to hone in on what does actually work for me. And I think that is part of the Fast to Faith program and you, you know, becoming a coach. You've learned all of this, what works for you and what works for most women, actually. And so you can start to move forward and share that. So tell me quickly how It feels to be a Certified Fast to Faith Coach now that you can just pay it forward?

Um, I love it. That's what I keep telling myself is I just want to shine God's light into other women, so to bring them confidence and joy, because I do feel like I've gained that back. Um, I'd really lost that before, and so just having that, that joy back has been amazing.

Oh my gosh, I love that so much, and thank you for being honest. Like, I was in church, I was teaching Sunday school, I was going through the motions, I was in the community that I was supposed to be in, or so I thought. But you really weren't having that relationship. You weren't handing things over to Jesus every morning and putting it at his feet and saying like I need your help. I actually can't do this without you. Please guide me. Please pick me up. Please carry me. And there's so much power in our weakness. That's what the Bible says. Like, your strength comes from his strength, and that's from handing over your weakness. So I just— I'm so excited for you, and I just love your story. I'm in awe of everything that you've gone through, and I can't even wait to see what you do next? What are you— give me a vision of 2026. What, what does life look like?

Oh my goodness, I don't know. That's, that's a fun question. Um, I just want to keep plugging in and growing. Um, we're gonna be grandparents next year for the first time. Congratulations! It's the best. Um, we're so excited and looking forward to that. And, um, so that's a big thing that I just keep thinking about for next year because it's going to be a huge milestone in our life. But, um, I just want to keep plugging in and keep moving forward with Lectio Divina and sharing with other women.

Oh, I love that. You are gonna love being a grandma. It's the absolute best. Oh my gosh, soak it up. Well, you are such a blessing. Do you have any last parting words that you really want to share with women? Like, lay it all on the table.

I think Fast to Faith for me just brought everything together. I was pulling everything I could from different sources and listening to a little bit here and a little bit there, and there was just so much information overload and I didn't know what to do. And I think I was just feeling even more lost because of that. And it just brought all of those pieces together for me. Um, to complete the puzzle that I needed to start feeling better.

Yes, ladies, if you are doing programs that aren't incorporating Jesus, yeah, you're probably gonna feel like you're coming up short, like there's something missing, because there is. There really is. We're supposed to do life with Jesus. So thank you, Jessica. This was such an awesome conversation, and I know that you are blessing women.

Thank you.

So good. Ladies, please join us. Fast to Faith is a movement. It's a sisterhood community. It is everything you need all packaged into one. It is transformational if you let it be. Like, the program works if you work it. That's what I always say. But it's— you don't even have to be scared. You can just Go on God's strength and not even worry about it. Just trust that he's got you. He brought you here on purpose, and he's gonna help you get over the mountain, right? So I love it. Go have an incredible week, and I can't wait to hear about your breakthrough. So I'll see you soon.