For years, I’ve struggled with GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) aka severe acid reflux. At the time I was diagnosed, my diet was already ‘relatively’ limited due to my gluten and dairy intolerances, and being vegan due to my poor digestion. So when I found out I had a whole new list of foods I couldn’t eat, as they’d set off a host of nightmare-ish symptoms, my options became even more restricted.
You might think, acid reflux isn’t that big of a deal. For many, it causes burning pain in your chest keeping you up at night and popping tums. However, for some, it can be much more extreme, and over time, can even cause cancer. It’s not just acid going up your throat, but in your lungs and ear canals too. And it’s not just a one night thing. You have what are called flare-ups, where the pain, nausea, etc. can last weeks and sometimes months. Basically, it’s not cool.
With that said, to make any sort of real progress in healing GERD (that doesn’t involve band-aiding with pills that don’t work) is monumental. And it’s now been just over a month since I made a huge stride in my healing journey. So here’s what happened.
This Spring, I planted a garden with my roommate who wanted to grow tomatoes. I helped take care of our tomato plants, but I had no intention of eating any of the harvest.
Meanwhile, I’d been doing more research around healing GERD and my lack of hydrochloric acid. I discovered the Medical Medium who touts celery juice. I listened to his podcasts, bought and read his books, and my hope grew. Maybe celery juice could bring back my hydrochloric acid?! And for about two months, I drank 16 oz of celery juice nearly every morning.
The Medical Medium reminded me that even though the path to healing GERD was impossible in the eyes of the medical industry, I could put my health into my own hands by committing myself to a healthy routine and believing in it with my whole heart. And so a little while after planting the tomatoes, I realized that when they became ripe, it would be the perfect opportunity to try eating my first tomato in almost 3 ½ years. So I set a date: on July 1st, I would eat a tomato.
Fast forward to June 30th. The cherry tomatoes were in full swing, but as of the past couple weeks, I’d been having more of a problem with my acid reflux. I was having serious doubts whether testing out a tomato the next day was a smart idea, so I decided to put ‘Plan Tomato’ on hold.
After making this decision, I later went up to the garden. It was an unusually cloudy day, but the breeze was calm. There were so many beautifully ripe, cherry tomatoes to pick. As I held one in the palm of my hand, I had this strong urge to know what it tasted like. I thought, I can just take a bite and then spit it out, I don’t have to swallow. So I bit into the tomato. It was perfectly sweet, and so fresh having seconds before I picked it from the vine. Then unexpectedly, a seed slid down my throat, and I froze. What do I do?! But just as quickly as the seed had slipped into my esophagus, the answer came to me: I’m going to be ok. Maybe my body isn’t completely ready to start eating tomatoes again, but I know even if I have a flare up, I have the strength to get through it.
As I came to this realization, I kicked off my sandals. I grounded the soles of my feet into the earth, closed my eyes, and instead of spitting out the rest of the tomato, I swallowed. Standing there in my bravery, I smiled, and I felt tears of joy coming into my eyes. I took a deep breath and let it out in a shudder, and as this happened, the wind picked up and whipped my hair all around, and on my face I felt a warm ray of sunshine had come out from behind the clouds.
This may sound dramatic, and like I’m pulling too much out of nothing, but it was one of the most beautiful moments in my life. It was the moment I made an active decision, to step into my power–knowing that even if I was to spend the next couple months in pain and nausea, it wasn’t an accident that had happened to me, it was my own empowered decision.
For most on a health journey, we begin by desperately trying to stay in control. But as we go on, we find true control is not about grasping at loose ends and trying to put them back together. It’s about trusting that life flows as it’s meant to, and it’s our mindset that allows us the strength and power to deal with whatever comes our way–not resisting, just accepting, and knowing that from deep within, we have what it takes to come out stronger and wiser on the other side.
This is the type of mindset that allows us to heal. It wasn’t the celery juice by itself. It was also my belief in the possibility of healing. Overcoming illness requires you to trust–whether you trust in your doctor, an alternative therapy, a medication, a friend who also found healing, or yourself. The power to heal lies within us, and it flows through the vehicle of our trust. Whatever we put our trust in and believe is possible, will make the impossible possible.
P.S. Over the last several weeks, I’ve now had 5 more cherry tomatoes! I won’t lie and say there weren’t a couple times where I experienced a sore throat the day after from some rogue acid, but I’ve not had a flare-up, and that is something to celebrate!
Author Bio: Hi, I’m Bethany! Over the past 10 years, I’ve been on a winding journey in search of healing. I created Love myHealth as an outlet to share my story and empower others. I’m passionate about all things health, but what intrigues me most, is the healing essence of an empowering mindset. Some of my favorite things in life include acro yoga, walking under the stars, life-changing conversations with strangers, and food (most notably: gluten-free pizza and nice cream.)