215: Why Your Symptoms Keep Coming Back (and How to Care for the Whole You)
Your thyroid, your skin, your gut, and your stress levels are all connected, but conventional medicine usually treats each one on its own.
As a Christian wellness coach and RN, I share an example from a recent hospice training that bothered me, my own experience with skin issues that kept returning, and why your physical health can’t be separated from your mind, your spirit, your relationships, or your environment.
This episode is for the Christian woman who is ready to take ownership of her health and start making changes that last.
**When the System Treats Your Body Like Separate Parts**
In hospice, each patient is assigned a primary diagnosis, and that diagnosis determines which medications are paid for by Medicare. During a recent training, an example came up of a patient with breast cancer and thyroid disease. The trainer said the thyroid disease was not related to the cancer, so the thyroid medication would not be covered.
According to the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus, thyroid hormones affect nearly every organ in the body and help regulate breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and mood.
So a gland that influences nearly every organ of the body was treated as unrelated to the breast cancer. That goes against common sense and is a reflection of how our healthcare system is built.
Skin issues go to the dermatologist. Diabetes goes to the endocrinologist. Foot problems go to the podiatrist. Each provider is trained to focus on one area, even though the body doesn’t work that way.
**Every Part of the Body Affects Another**
In my book, Discover God’s Health Wisdom, I use a simple example. A sudden, severe foot injury doesn’t stay in the foot. Your breathing speeds up, your heart rate rises, stress hormones release, muscles tighten, digestion slows, and anxiety can set in.
One injury. Every system responds.
The same is true for chronic symptoms like exhaustion, gut issues, brain fog, and autoimmune disease. What shows up in one place is often connected to something happening somewhere else.
**My Story: When Symptom Relief Wasn’t Enough**
When I struggled with ongoing skin issues, I went to the dermatologist and was prescribed topical steroids.
Did they help? Yes. But the problem kept returning, because the medication turned off the symptom without addressing why it was there.
Several issues were feeding the problem:
– I wasn’t trusting God, and stress was showing up as inflammation in my body
– Some of the products I used were irritating my skin
– Certain foods were affecting my skin
– A functional medicine practitioner found I had several nutritional deficiencies
That last one made sense. When I’m busy and stressed, which is often, I don’t eat enough, or I don’t eat enough of what my body needs.
My dermatologist asked what I was putting on my skin, but she didn’t ask about my food, my stress, or my gut.
**The Myth That Physical Symptoms Only Need Physical Solutions**
One of the myths I address in my book is the belief that if you want to get rid of a symptom, you only need to focus on the physical body.
Medication can bring real relief, and sometimes it’s helpful. But turning off a symptom isn’t the same as giving your body what it needs. A body that isn’t supported will eventually stop working the way it should.
**The Myth That the Medical System Will Take Care of You**
The final myth I want you to think about is this: I can sit back and let the medical system take care of me.
I don’t like bashing doctors or nurses. Many of them genuinely care. But after years as a nurse, years in the pharmaceutical industry, time as a patient myself, and now working in hospice, I’ve seen this system from several angles. Even the most caring providers are trained by and working within a system with extreme flaws.
If something feels off at your appointment, don’t ignore it. Bring it to God and ask for His wisdom. Your health is one of the many things God has entrusted to you; this is not something to hand off entirely to someone else.
**Key Takeaways**
– Your body is one connected system. A symptom in one area is often linked to something happening elsewhere.
– Symptom relief can be helpful, but it’s worth asking what is driving the symptom.
– Stress, nutrition, products, relationships, mindset, and your walk with God can all affect how your body feels.
– Your doctor is not the enemy. Many providers care deeply but work within a system that limits how they practice.
– You are an active participant in your health. Bring your questions to your providers and your concerns to God.
– Take a few minutes this week to reflect: Which areas of your life might be connected to what your body is telling you?
**Book a Free Introductory Call**
If you’re dealing with exhaustion, skin issues, gut issues, brain fog, or autoimmunity, and you want help overcoming these issues, I’d love to talk with you.
I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. We’ll get to know each other and see whether working together makes sense for where you are. It may not be the right fit for you, but if you’re ready to move forward, book your call at herholistichealing.com/call.