December ‘22 Newsletter
A Letter from Dr. Phillips
Six years ago I spent Christmas day in the emergency room. Four days earlier my life had turned upside down: I got a migraine, and it wouldn’t go away.
A migraine is not just a really bad headache. It comes with sensitivity to light and sound, such that either will cause waves of nausea, plus debilitating brain fog and dizziness, not to mention that it is still a really bad headache. A migraine typically lasts one to three days.
That first day, I remember lying down after a coworker drove me home from work in the middle of a busy clinic, and even blinking my eyes was excruciating.
I drove home on Christmas Eve and tried to be cheerful with the rest of my family. I had been downing three ibuprofen every four hours like clockwork, counting down the minutes between each dose, just to put a slight damper on the symptoms. Even still, the sound of laughter or a door closing, the sight of a television screen or a cat scampering across the room, made my head throb.
Me and Mark on our wedding day. We both were so happy to be married that from the picture you can't tell I have an intractable headache.
After the cacophony of Christmas morning, my pain and nausea escalated so much that Mom drove me to the ER. I received an IV drug cocktail to stop the migraine, we returned home, and I slept. And then I woke up the next morning.
And the migraine was still there. Thinking I had overlooked the obvious, I found a local chiropractor, received an adjustment the same day, and the migraine nevertheless stayed put.
That migraine lasted months. Eventually it subsided into a regular headache part of the time, and escalated to a migraine more often than not. I got married with a headache. I moved across California with a migraine. No matter what I did, the one thing I could rely on was the return of the perpetual throbbing pain and nausea. I despaired that this is what my life would always be: migraines worsening life’s difficulties and soiling life’s joys.
An old boss once shared this saying:
A healthy person has a thousand wishes. A person without their health has just one.
For years, I had only one wish: to recover from chronic migraines, and it required all my focus. It involved false starts–massage, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture–as well as total game-changers: new medications and legit insurance coverage, low-force chiropractic, physical therapy, plus psychological therapy throughout it all.
While I don’t know when or if my recovery will be complete, I have emerged from being a person with just one wish to one with many more: to learn to sew, to speak Mandarin, to go on walks–maybe even run a mile!–and most importantly, to care for patients. My days are finally, finally more than managing pain and marking time.
If you or someone you know is stuck in the space of a single wish, help them wish for more. My goal as a chiropractor is to help you get back to what you love, whether that’s enjoying time with family or playing a sport or practicing an art or whatever gives your life purpose and meaning. When I say get back to what you love, I am also saying, let me grant you this one wish so that you can have a thousand more.
This holiday season, that’s my one wish for you.
Yours in health,
Book Recommendations
One of my favorite things to do is read, and in each newsletter I like to recommend a book (or few) pertaining to health. You can often find them at your local library which means you don’t have to spend a cent to enjoy them! However, if you want to purchase a copy, the links below will take you to Vroman’s, my favorite Pasadena bookstore.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD
Why We Sleep provides an expansive look into what sleep is, what sleep does, and why getting sufficient sleep is non-negotiable to health. While the author goes deep into the current research on sleep, the book provides the foundational information that makes the contents accessible to the layperson. Of particular interest, he has a chapter regarding what sleep looks like in other animals. (If sleep is a contest across species, I would say birds have humans beat!)
Ask Me About My Uterus by Abby Norman
In this deeply felt and incisive memoir, Abby Norman shares her journey to self-diagnose not one, but two chronic conditions causing her daily pain. Norman’s writing spoke to me while I was going through my migraines. She gives voice to so much of what I was thinking at the time, both about myself and the experience of chronic pain. It’s not just the medical mystery that Norman recounts, but the thoughts and emotions that go along with it, interlacing research on human attachment and allusion to Greek mythology that add richness to her story. It’s not a perfect memoir, but it’s one of the best I’ve ever read.
Health Affirmation
This month’s affirmation is an invitation that gets at the core of self-care. Self-care is not about buying things or pampering yourself. It’s about asking yourself what you need and giving yourself what you need. Do you need a break? Do you need a glass of water? Do you need to be creative? In the midst of the holidays, which can be intense in ways both bad and good, I urge you to remember this:
When my body pains me,
I give myself compassion and time to heal.
Nutrition Nook
Remember black cat Uma from last week? This is her all-grown-up kitten Olive, showing off the bottle of Immune Defense I keep on standby.
Continuing the focus on immunity from last month, I want to highlight a supplement that is perfect for short-term immunity. Immune Defense by Megafood provides
Vitamin C - an essential antioxidant
Zinc - a mineral proven to boost immunity when taken on the cusp of infection
Elderberry and Echinacea - herbs that helps fight viral illness
Andrographis - an herb that helps your body manage stress
This is my go-to immune supplement for when I’m traveling, when I’ve been mingling with lots of people, or when I feel that tell-tale scratchy throat that warns me I’m in for a cold or worse.
How it works: Take two tablets three times a day for five days. One bottle is all you need!
You can order yours at Sequoia Chiropractic’s Fullscript storefront. All orders through my storefront automatically receive a 10% discount and ship directly to you.
Practice Announcements
Sequoia Chiropractic is closed Saturday December 24th through Monday, January 2nd. Call or text 626-346-0977 to reserve your spot on the schedule!
Are you looking for a health and wellness speaker for your local event? Knowledge is power, and I love to empower others with info about healthy movement and nutrition. You can reach me at drphillips@sequoiachiro.com.
Did you know Sequoia Chiropractic has a Facebook Page and an Instagram account? Follow one (or both!) to keep up with news and fun chiropractic tidbits.
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Just One More Thing
Both SFW and kid-friendly, this silly Christmas music video expresses a sentiment we can ALL relate to.
