So Covid kicked me to the curb in August of 2021. Or I should say to my bed, 12 days flat on my back and continued at least 4 weeks after leaving me feeling weak, heavy, with mucous-filled lungs, and no appetite.
Let me clarify, I cannot honestly say it was Covid because I was absolutely incapable of going to get a test because I could not get out of bed. However, I was previously around someone who was diagnosed with Covid, but, I was also around people who were sick and were surprisingly diagnosed negative. I can only assume it was Covid because I have never experienced anything like this, EVER.
What I do know, is that I have never in my life felt worse, I could not eat because first, I had no appetite and slept for 10 days and two, anything I tried to eat tasted like a block of salt. EVERYTHING. I was aware that there were taste problems others had that were associated to Covid, so I assume that was also a connection.
The entire top of my tongue literally bled, as if each taste bud was open and blood sat on top of it. Eventually, I used a spoon to scrape the blood off of my tongue daily. It was terrifying and disgusting. I literally prayed to die while laying there. I felt so bad, Sweet Jesus take the wheel and open the gates! The misery was unbearable!
Sure, it was great to lose weight, or so I thought, until my sister looked at me when I rose from the dead, looking at me shocked and informed me on how horrible and emaciated I looked. Honestly, it felt great to be so light, empty and thin. Like starting over, it felt so great to just be up and alive!
When I finally had the strength to get out of bed and attempt to change the nasty, greasy, sweaty sheets, it looked like the wool of a shorn sheep slept on my pillow for a month. The dark grey pillow case was matted with my long white hair.
I chalked it up to the accumulation of so many days of natural hair loss they say is normal, but, honestly, something inside didn't feel right by the looks of it. Feeling grateful to be alive, I ignored it and tried to recuperate as best as I could, but, my instincts were whispering loudly.
As the days went on, my lungs were my top priority and I began a Holistic inti bacterial/anti viral protocol I have used many times to fight lung infection. Breathing and preventing the lung infection from getting worse was more important at the time than my hair. The horror stories I heard and read about Covid/breathing machines, ventilators, etc didn't sound like anything I wanted to be a part of.
As my lungs cleared and I became healthier and stronger I started noticing my hair everywhere. When you have pure white hair down to your boobs, it is very easy to see hair. It would fall on my clothes throughout the day, fall into my food, clog vacuum cleaner rollers, stick on furniture, carpets, clog drains, people would pick long white hairs off of me and it was all over homes I visited and of course brushes and hair accessories were covered.
Over the next 6 months my hair consistently fell out and became so thin I looked like I was having the effects of chemotherapy. I eventually was either using white powders to brush on my scalp and using the white fiber powders to fill in or appear thicker. I used hats and scarves occasionally, but, in Florida, it is so hot I would sweat too much.
I researched, cried, hid and researched some more. I found I was not alone. Hair loss and Covid is a real thing. Its called Telogen Effluvium and it is something that can happen as a result of trauma, stress or illness.
I want to make this perfectly clear. Hair is not that important in the big picture of life. However, in a society that has warped ideas of what is important, a woman's hair is a valuable commodity. When I decided to stop coloring my hair in 2013, it was way before the Game of Thrones White Hair Acceptance. I was pretty much abused during the process. Unknown women actually bullied me and made rude comments when I was in my place of business, out at restaurants or bars. Friends and acquaintances told me I was crazy and it was a terrible idea. Change it fast!
Frankly, I was just sick of coloring my hair every 2 weeks for 20+ years and getting scabs on my scalp every time. I was literally poisoning and harming myself for the sake of societies false reality. Going bald was far worse than ever going white.
In my Holistic world, my goal was to go towards the cause not the symptoms. Starting first with a solid foundation is the most important thing for me. I always believed that disease would go towards the weakest part of the body so I started with a Nutrient Blood Panel. My thinking was if hair growth can be improved with nutrients, lets first figure out if I was deficient in anything.
I was shocked to discover that I was completely deficient in D3, many B Vitamins and Iodine. All nutrients that play some role in hair growth/loss.
I'm an avid Paddle Boarder and always in the sun. I own a Nutrition Supplement Company and formulate my own companies products, but, I was not taking anything regularly because my energy is high, my libido was on fire, my daily mood was positive, I had no inflammation or pain and I had no other problems I was aware of. I eat very clean and healthy so I could only deduce that my nutrient absorption/digestive system was not up to par.
I immediately started to consume 3 times daily a Practitioner Grade hair and skin product, my VIMtrition Liquid B Complex, my Liquid Sunshine D3 and a high potency liquid Iodine. Almost immediately my hair started to grow. I kid you not, I looked like a white fluffy dandelion was growing on top of my head! My body was starving for the much needed nutrients and the liquid vitamins and quality of the products made it easier for my body to absorb and utilize the nutrients.
My hair has been getting thicker and longer and growing like wild fire ever since. In fact it's thicker and curlier than it was before.
They say Telogen Effluvium is temporary, but, honestly, how can the body create new tissue, hair, nails and heal properly without a solid foundation of necessary nutrients for any pathology?
DUH. It just makes sense, it seems so simple. Start with what our body needs and requires for regeneration, a solid foundation, and then lets look at the next step in the healing process. It is possible, that if you give the body what it needs, miracles can and occur. 😊
Here is a pic of me with my hair still growing like wild fire!
Comments