Where to begin??

Oh so much to share, where do I start? Ok, I'll begin with the groundbreaking treatment I am doing to heal my damaged brain. It's funny, before my current experience I never really thought about how vital a healthy brain is to everything we do, from regulating our energy levels to motor skills. Even having a slightly traumatized brain, like mine, can severely limit the physical body. I have no equilibrium so I can't walk without assistance, my hands tremor making it nearly impossible to perform coordinated tasks with my hands, and my eyes tremor giving me shaky & double vision. I also suffer spells of brain fatigue and low energy.

Enter O3 IV therapy

In early March, I had a BardPort installed to allow direct injections of ozone into my bloodstream. (Click here to read more about ozone therapy.) The damage to my brain probably occurred when I stopped breathing a couple of times in the hospital thereby depriving my brain of oxygen for many seconds. That combined with my then malnourished body resulted in my current condition. I am well nourished now on a fruitarian based, predominantly raw diet but my body needs oxygen boosts to heal. And that's exactly what I'm giving it.

We started by putting me on a once a day IV drip of 500 cc's of ozonated saline solution which lasted about an hour and a half. I did this for a month and got positive results. The ozone in my blood gave me the wind beneath my wings. I had more energy, felt stronger & sharper, and I could engage in life more actively. Unfortunately, my port had complications and failed in early April. The Mexican medical system will perform procedures with minimal questions but the quality can be sub-standard. Of course, I had no choice, no way could I get a port installed in the U.S. for ozone therapy. It's usually used for toxic pharmaceutical drug treatments like chemotherapy.

My oxygenated high lasted a couple of weeks after the treatments stopped. I then began to dip in energy and my neuro symptoms (dizziness, tremors) worsened. About a month ago, I had minor surgery to replace the old port. There were complications, and I am still recovering from that blow. The good news is that I've begun the ozone treatments with a new twist. Instead of the cumbersome process of bubbling ozone through a bag of saline to ready it for the slow drip through my port, I now inject ozone gas directly into my bloodstream. Whoa! Ozone gas does not cause an embolism as an air bubble would. It's the nitrogen in our air that is the problem while ozone simply dissolves into the blood releasing extra oxygen. For the first time in over 2 years, I felt pressure in my cerebellum area and inner ears shortly after the first treatment. These are the areas I have sustained damage and finally something is reaching it.

So I KNOW I am back on track. My path towards full recovery and healing has had plenty of obstacles but I persevere! I WILL get my miracle :D

What's up with Shayla???

I have been meaning to blog for months now but the roller coaster that is my life hasn't let up. This pic of me was taken yesterday, and I thought I'd share this glimpse of me now. Due to my utter lack of equilibrium, note how I grip the banister railings with both hands for balance & stability. Brain damage can be misleading because at first glance, I appear normal. Most who meet me have difficulty understanding the depth of my disability.

The lovely ruby red shirt was a gift from Lizard, picked out by his gf, Ashley. Gracias muchisimo!! When mercury retrograde is over (May 30th), I plan to have a more detailed post up. Really! :P

Hangin in there

A good e-friend just sent me this pic, and I gotta say that it captures me perfectly. Gracias Aimee :)) More coming soon...

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Wow! 2009 has begun, and I look forward to another year of improving my physical body. I also plan on achieving the miracle needed to heal my damaged brain. No way I am settling for less!

My sister visited this past week, and we had loads o' fun! I hadn't seen her since July and it was a tearful reunion.

Her bff, Kristal, also visited and as a yoga instructor, she helped me with different positions. It was v nice. When I do yoga, I nearly forget that my body is a disabled basket-case.

Diego and I are enjoying this quiet, sunny Saturday. The house has been swirling with bustling energy for weeks, and this down time is nice. Of course, I look forward to filling our guestroom with sweet, feminine energy again.

¡Feliz Navidad!

I love this time of year, always have. I was raised in a vegetarian Hindu household so never really had any traditional celebrations. Just time off from school/work that allowed the family to come together and enjoy the holiday cheer. We didn't exchange gifts within the family but my mom always made sure to gift our teachers every year and she helped us gift friends. I continue the tradition of gifting those around me but it's never been a stressful, overtaxing endeavor. This year, Kenya helped me by wrapping gifts for the chicas that work here, my friends, and my sister. It's been fun!

I invited both of Ana's girls over for x-mas eve. I gave them their gifts (coloring books with crayon boxes), and they loved it. We had a blast laughing, playing, and goofing around. At one point, Diego started playing his drum and the girls went giddy. Here they are with black sapote on their hands.

Ana made us lovely & delish salads. Sarah and I made guacamole dressing (fresh guac thinned down with grapefruit juice)- so yummy. All in all, it was a super sweet day.

Wishing everyone holiday cheer!!

The good times keep rollin...

A week after Sofí left, Sarah came to stay with us. She is another young traveler that Sofí met at the local waterfalls. She speaks Spanish brilliantly and is helping me improve my speaking. She is also great fun to gab with and is v interested in Astrology. I have been giving her astro lessons, which is a pleasure. And in the evenings, we've begun watching Season 1 of Sex & the City. She has never seen it, and it's way entertaining to watch again.

Last Wed., I went to my first social event here in Coatepec. The neighbors organized an evening posada (gathering) for us to get to know each other. People brought snacks & refreshments, and I enjoyed the homemade warm fruit cider. It was sooo cute, I had no sooner sat down then all the young girls (ages 5-10) at the party gathered around, anxious to meet me. In their excitement, they all started shouting their names out at once. I laughed and asked them to go one at a time. Each was a sheer delight to meet. Sarah later remarked what a total magnet I was for the kids. I have always loved kids and it warms my heart that they love me too :))

The weather has been oh so wonderful. Bright, sunny days with highs in the mid-70's & lows in the mid-50's. I am amazed that the weather is sooo nice in Dec. I LOVE it!!

This Saturday, my sister & her best friend are coming to visit for a week. I CAN'T wait!! I miss my sister terribly and it will be a blast to spend the week with her.

The Navidad festivities are in full swing around here with lights, carolers, and warm fruit cider. Did I mention? I LOVE it here! :))

Livin la vida buena :)

It's been 3 months since I last posted, and time has just flown by! Let's see...in October, I celebrated my 36th birthday, and it was a really sweet day. I started the day early with a strong workout. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and I felt sooo good that I decided to commune with the divine cactus which added a joyful sparkle to my day. A fellow expat, Jay, stopped by just to say hi. He drives a comfy, red SUV and though I love our old VW Westie, I was eyeing his car for a joy ride. I mentioned it was my bday and how fun it would be to tour the area. Jay was game, and I got to take in the beautiful sites around town for the first time. Later in the afternoon, I got a massage from Andrés whose touch always leaves me feeling stronger and energized. We ended the day with friends gathered around me & my homemade fruity chocolate pie singing happy birthday in Spanish. It was a yummy good time!!

Then in mid-November, we had our first visitor. An old friend, Jen, sent me an email in Oct. saying that her baby sister (19 y/o) would be traveling solo thru Mexico and asked if she come visit us. Of course, your sister is my sister! Sofí stayed with us for 3 weeks, and we had a fab time!! She was very caring, and it was sooo nice having another female in the house to connect with. Here she is happily smiling by the local waterfall in Coatepec.

The last few months have also been about finding labor to assist me and help our household run smoothly. The right people have fallen into place, and each is a delight to have around. We started with Olga who helped us move in and continues to work here cleaning our house 3x/week. I LOVE the fresh feeling she gives the house. Then there's Ana who I consider to be our kitchen angel. She works 6 evenings a week to prep our raw foods. She makes fresh mandarin and grapefruit juice, cuts up ripe fruits such as papayas & pineapples, and creates scrummy, artistic salads.

She also brings one of her two precious daughters with her: Casandra, 3 y/o & Cynthia, 6 y/o. I love spending time with them, and we have a blast! I bought coloring books, crayons, a sketch pad, color pencils, and a bouncy ball for fun times at casa de shayla :) Ana also comes in the mornings 3x/week to help me take a shower and tend to any girly needs I have.

Last but certainly not least is Kenya, a 19 y/o who is shiny pretty and very industrious. She is a kind of jack-of-all-trades and helps us with different projects around the house 3x/week.

Recently, a new career has found me. I started studying astrology back in '97 and it has remained a passion of mine. In Sept, the opportunity came to write astro articles for a website. I took it and even amazed myself at how solid my astro skills are. I also had my first astro client and gave her a reading thru online chat, aah the internet...

I love it here, and I am the happiest I've been in a long time. Estoy muy contenta :)