So, I saw the geneticist Thursday and he confirmed what I had already researched and figured out what was happening to my body. I was confirmed to have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and he is sending me to another specialist to confirm a diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome. (POTS) You can read more about EDS and POTS just follow the highlighted words. These are both very hard to deal with. EDS has no cure, I will decline as I age, there is nothing that can be done besides using braces to stay stable, special exercises to try and keep my muscles strong so my joints will stay where they belong, moving very carefully and knowing my limits. If I have work for Scentsory Creations planned and I wake up weak and unstable, I have to reschedule and focus on resting my body, making sure I am getting the nutrients I need as I do not absorb food properly, and so on. I use this time if the pain is not too overwhelming to study my aromatherapy and herbalism texts, work on schoolwork, and so on.
One of the things I will be doing is increasing the time on my etsy listings for a realistic custom order time. If I am having a good day, I can usually just make up the order and get it out the door in a day or two. If I'm not, it can take up to a week or more to get things ready and shipped. This is one reason I keep Scentsory Creations as a hobby and not a full-time business. There is no way I can keep up with demand at the moment.
My hope and dream is to get my POTS under better control so I can have less fatigue and weakness each day. I also do not get proper rest at night with POTS and that is so essential to healing the body of it's injuries. In the future I will be seeing a Rheumatologist, POTS specialist, hopefully a physical therapist so I know how to move without hurting myself, and a sleep study to help see what my body is doing at night at what can be done to promote restful sleep. I will also be getting tests for vitamin/mineral deficiencies since those are very common with a EDS and POTS. Now that I know where to look, I can find the best way to take care of my body, discover my limitations, and find a way around those limitations.
So what is going on with Scentsory Creations?
- Well, right now I am testing a new dry version of our Bentonite Clay Mask that you customers love so dearly. This is because the pre-mixed mask, I am required to put a preservative in to sell it. I use germall plus which is a safer than others preservative that works fairly well to extend shelf life of water based products. Some people are willing to mix their own mask in order to avoid the preservatives and have something completely preservative free. The dry mask with allow for that. You just mix it yourself instead of me mixing it before sending it out. I plan to have this trough the testing and available through custom order or at the Etsy shop for this holiday season!
- Another item about to go through testing is a reformulation of my face lotions, using our Calendula Silk lotion as the base lotion for these skin specific face lotions.
- I have also started a new listing called Try me: pick 5 aromatherapy perfume oil samples, over 80 blends to choose from. This listing provides you with the choice of 5 samples of aromatherapy perfume oil. It's a great way to find your fit before ordering a full sized perfume, which comes in a glass 1/3 oz roll on bottle filled with a long lasting aromatherapy oil perfume that varies in price based on the blend used. I find it is the best way to provide an accurate pricing for each blend I have. If I charge an average pricing, people are either being over charged for less expensive blends or I am paying to make a blend using pricey essential oils. That is the beauty of having over 80 blends to choose from, there is something in everyone's price range! I also love to do custom blends just for the customer in question, so if you feel nothing is fitting for what you are looking for, we can find something that does work. Many people have created their own perfumes. I keep a file of what you created with me, so you can always come back and say you want a refill without wondering if it will be different.
- Other products that are relatively new are the Lip Exfoliator, irritated, flaky skin cream, Tea Tree and Mint exfoliating pumice soap, bug bite salve ( which we have found to work for much more than bites!), herbal bug repellent spray, scars oil for both old and new scars (by custom order only at the moment), and shaving soap bars (amazing! a personal favorite.)
Consultations via scentsorycreations@gmail.com
Right now as I continue to work through my master herbalist course, I do offer free consultations. This gives me the much needed practice I need to start consulting as a business and also allows me to custom create items that each individual needs. If you would like to take advantage of this currently free service, with the knowledge that I am not yet an expert which takes many many years and never fully happens as there is always more to learn in this field, I would love to help people find their own way to natural health. I am always honest if I don't know what to do as I am still learning, and will either refer you to someone with greater knowledge than me, or offer to research and learn about what will benefit you personally. This helps you to become more aware and in charge of your health as well as helping me learn more about the herbs I am studying. Consultations are best started through email and if we need to talk on the phone or skype, we can go do that too. I hope you are as excited as I am with this service I am offering for free right now!
So, that is the update on my health issues over my life and how I struggle to not let it control my life. I still follow my passions to the best of my abilities. I hope one day this hobby can grow into a business consulting for natural health, and making these aromatherapy and natural body care products I enjoy making so much. If I cannot stand for more than a few minutes, then I can work in few minute spurts in order to keep this dream alive and hopefully have a sustainable income that allows me to keep homeschooling my son (and hopefully daughter in a few years), and keep sharing my passion with others.
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