Seven years ago today, Kahawa came into my life. She's my "liberation" puppy. She represents "freedom of choice" to me as an adult.

Kahawa means coffee, for those of you wondering - in Swahili (my native tongue). You can read more here. I love coffee and her fur is the same color of how I like my coffee!

I was in a relationship where I didn't "feel" I had much say. Some of you may interject because you think you know what my life was like - since you were with me every waking hour and moment 🤣.

This post is NOT about shaming anybody. It's sharing MY experience as I feel there are many who might be experiencing what i did and this might shed light or give encouragement. ​

We both had our own issues/hurt/pain to deal with and didn't KNOW how to treat the other accordingly - or rather, or rather "speak their love language". YES, I take responsibility for my part. This relationship was one my best teachers, in showing me that I didn't love myself enough. 

I was told that I'm "impulsive". Yes, maybe I was - and sometimes,  still am! Well, I'm still learning what it is to be a human, as I come from Spirit - the "unseen world".

One of the things I came into this world is my love for animals - especially a strong bond with dogs and cats. So for a few years of wanting a dog (since as a child, I grew up with and was always surrounded by about 8 dogs), I was told "no". I did receive two kittens two years prior to Kahawa - after 8 years of begging for a pet; in an effort to save our relationship. I could be wrong about the motives - but that's the message I got.

Nearing the end of this relationship, I took a bold step (knowing I had no financial way of providing for a dog - let alone three kids), and adopted my puppy! I don't regret this decision at all. 

Kahawa is my spirit animal and one of my soul mates (this is my interpretation). She is my friend, child, guide (for she reflects my inner state). She is a beautiful loyal companion, guard, playmate, and quiet listener (when I really need it). She's also super boisterous and full of life! She gets along well with pretty much everybody and other animals.

So, if you're going through something similar - be encouraged because help is out there.  I'm glad I had to go through different doctors to finally meet the right one. 

Healing from an ovarian cystectomy which eventually ended up being a Salpingo Oophorectomy because the cyst had taken over my ovary is a process. You might get emotionally drained, but it brings so many other blessings as well.

• You get lots of rest.
• Opportunities to be more in the moment (power of "now")
• More time to focus on your work (if you work on your computer) because you're not taking care of household duties.
• More time to do things such as "blogging".

So, I'm finding out from my last post that this condition is so much more common than I thought. 

I want to shed light on this because so many women suffer from unnecessary discomfort and pain and have no clue what is going on in their wombs. 

If you have any of the following symptoms, you could be experiencing the effects of a cyst:

• Painful periods.
• Feeling faint or weak.
• Pain in your legs, shooting down from pelvic area.
• Vomiting from pain in your belly area.

Go see a doctor immediately if you have the above symptoms.

There are generally three types of cysts that a woman can develop. They are not all the same and have different functionings. 

1. Follicular cysts are more temporary. They can appear and then disappear in a few months. They usually occur during ovulation, when your ovary releases an egg from a small, tiny sac called a  follicle. A cyst may form if the follicle grows an egg but it is not released for ovulation. If this cyst ruptures, you may experience severe pain on the side of your ovary.
2. Corpus Luteum Cysts occur after your ovulation when the the egg is released from the follicle and instead of shrinking in size, fills up with fluid. Sometimes the cyst will bleed, causing pain or discomfort.
3. Nonfunctional Cysts are cysts that don't necessarily develop during ovulation. They can be:

 

• Endometriomas - they grow from your uterus usually and can take over your ovary.
• Dermoid Cysts - this what I had on my right ovary. They are also known as teranomas.  They might contain skin, teeth, nails or hair. Mine had skin, fat and hair.
• Cystadenomas are cysts that grow on the surface of the ovary and can be filled with fluid.
• Polycystic Ovaries are when the ovary is occupied by many small cysts - this condition is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). If you want to know more about this check this post: Dr. Fiona McCulloch is an expert.

 
Thank you for taking the time to read! Take care of yourself!

There are a few instagram wellness influencers that I follow avidly on instagram. They had made a major impact on my health and general well being. 

I am so grateful for people who have a passion for living a full and wholesome life and are willing to share their in depth knowledge with everyone - for free!

Social Media has played an awesome role as a platform for these awesome individuals to intelligently share their gifts, understanding of a subject and practical tips for people who are wanting to better their health and wellbeing.

They have been listed in order of who I came across first:

Natural_Natosha - Plant Medicine Extraordinaire

I came across Natosha's IG handle about a year ago or so. She is so intensely passionate about digging deep into a subject and then sharing how it can help improve one's health.

She has her own line of skincare that is cruelty-free and plant based. I love how she encourages her readers to eat a plant based diet.

Natosha has influenced me in so many ways: what to eat, how to prepare certain foods, how to combine certain foods for optimum efficiency, what books to read on Chinese medicine (and other relevant issues), the list goes on ... 

TheHealthyMelissa - Blogger and Researcher

I've been following TheHealthyMelissa for quite a few months now. Every time I go on her profile, she has something highly valuable to my overall health and wellbeing. 

Melissa is an avid blogger and researcher of Functional Medicine. Her goal is to educate her readers on how to live a physically and mentally healthier lifestyle.

Functional.Foods - Wellness Enthusiast

Tyler Jean came into my insta-radar while scrolling through @doctor.g_ 's insta feed. 

Tyler who is an aspiring Naturopathic Doctor, has a passion for educating the public on the importance of food as medicine.

He has inspired me to live a healthier lifestyle and has incredible tips on at-home remedies for when you're feeling under the weather.

Dr_Holistic_Health - Natural Health Doctor

I love visiting dr_holistic_health's instagram profile for my daily dosage of ayurvedic or holistic information. 

I am not sure who the person behind this IG profile is, but I will gladly read all the awesome health and wellness tips they offer.

So if you are into effective herbal remedies, anti-aging, body detoxification, Ayurveda or just simply holistic health - check this cool page out! Don't quote me, but I think they are vegan too! Correct me if I am wrong!

Organic_Olivia - Creator of Herbal Remedies

Okay, so I recently came across this lovely lady's IG and fell in love! Olivia is full of life - and SONG - you should hear this girl sing! Basically, full of high vibes!

She has an awesome story of how she healed her own health issues by being intuitive with her body and did her own research on how we can use what nature provides to heal our lives.

Olivia is an advocate for natural remedies, herbal treatments, energy healing work and other mind-body-spirit healing modalities.

I'm still getting to know her and will probably be purchasing some of her products.

Gmo_Gus - Plant Based Vegan/Truth Seeker

If you're looking for an all-around, plant based, holistic influencer to follow - you must check out gmo_gus.

I've only recently come across his profile - but I certainly frequent it because he is always posting awesome health and well-being related material. 

Plus, he is vegan! YAY!