After years of my dentist suggesting that I get braces, I finally succumbed to believing him -- I had very crooked tooth and an overbite.  The final blow came when I woke up one morning with my front teeth deeply imbedded in my top lip. 

Getting my teeth pulled to create enough room for my teeth to be straightened was the beginning of a long journey.  As the process continued, I found myself getting infections in my eyes, sinuses, and ears.  I went to a series of specialist -- not realizing that the braces were causing the problem -- until my future husband told me about a doctor that a fellow co-worker saw after years of frustration of dealing with the tradition allopathic medical community. 

Cranial Sacral, Acupuncture, Homeopathy

I find it amazing the person that connected me to the most effective healers is often not aware of the possible change they are going to have on my life.   The best example is that Don, my future second husband, introduced me to Dr. Dane Shepherd, a osteopathic doctor in Chicago, who treats people with acupuncture, cranial sacral work, and homeopathy. 

Dane immediately identified my problem as the braces.  I wasn't willing to stop the process.  I ended up a never ending cycle of getting the braces adjusted by the orthodontist and getting my head adjusted by Dane to handle the braces.

Dane became the person who helped me get through my marriage and my subsequent divorce.  In my frequent visits, I found a place of calm and renewal through the long sessions laying on his table with needles everywhere. 

The first time I received cranial sacral work made me question my sanity.  This man was holding my head very gently and I felt his fingers subtly moving.  I could not believe that this imperceptible movement would cause any changes in my body.

As I rode home of the El, my sinuses drained the whole way home.  My complete exhaustion made any action other than rest an impossibility.  I couldn't believe it. 

At a moment in time, I was walking toward the train stop to catch the commuter to downtown Chicago.  "I'm feeling pretty good," I thought.  "Maybe I don't need to see Dane soon."  Within a block, I slipped on some ice and fell hard.  My body -- my spirit -- didn't want me to stop seeing Dane. 

I chuckled at the homeopathy connection.  My great grandfather was a homeopathist -- not that I knew what that meant until I met Dane.  I found the modality to be amazing, that a small amount mixed with a liquid, leaving potentially none of the original material present, could impact my body in such amazing ways.

Shiatsu

I started going to see a spiritual therapist during the tumultuous times with my second husband.  We'd been going to see a psychologist, but one of us needed to see a different person for individual counseling.  I started seeing Rich and he recommended that I see Ruth, a Shiatsu body worker, to help remove the emotions stuck in my body. 

I'd had numerous massages from different therapists, but Ruth was the first who would sit quietly with me before each session and demand an answer to, "How do you feel?"  I'd not had anyone ever ask that question, nor did anyone care.  She would not move into the physical work until I answered to her satisfaction.  I tried, unsuccessfully, to deflect. 

Chiropractor

I ended up going to my first chiropractor after I fell out of a tree.  It just looked too good not to climb.  I chose badly when I had to go around a branch.  The one I grabbed was totally dead and I fell about six feet to a rain soaked creek bed.  I was on a retreat and could no longer sit comfortably.  On many levels, the next day was an experience I don't want to repeat. 

Ruth couldn't do enough when I saw her the next day.  On visiting a chiropractor, I discovered that I'd sprained my neck and several other parts of my body. 

When Ruth moved to a different city, I started using a different chiropractor who also did cranial sacral work.   I eventually saw a number of different chiropractors, all of whom did their work using different tools: manual adjustment, acupuncture, activator, kinesiology, etc.

NAET

I'd had many allergies my entire life.  Coughing and sneezing were just part of my life.  I never expected anything to relieve the symptoms.  I took shots and/or I took medications.  Neither served as a long term solution for me.

When Judy, a friend who came and went in my life over many years, reappeared, she told me about NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Treatment).  The idea of energetically eliminating my allergies seemed to be a pipedream.  I questioned my friend's sanity.

Judy persisted and sent me a list of people doing the work in the Chicago area.  I called and made an appointment.  To my surprise and delight, the procedure worked.  Dr. Librada Manaligod, and her partner Dr. Anna Kondas, gradually worked through my extensive list of allergies, using kinesiology to determine what next to treat. 

After being treated for my cat allergies, I could now hold my cats without sneezing.  The process worked on emotional allergies as well as physical ones. 

I did find it surprising when Dr. Libby invited my sister Pam to join us for lunch.  I had no clue what she was planning, but I was game.  Pam agreed to come.  We had a nice lunch and then we gathered in the office.  Dr. Libby checked to see if I was allergic to Pam.  I thought, "I've done a lot of work about Pam, but this will be the test."  I tested strong.  Then Dr. Libby started to see if Pam was allergic to me.  She tested weak.

Pam lay on the examining table while holding my hand during the twenty minute treatment.  She then had to avoid me for the next twenty-five hours.  I anticipated Pam's perception of the event just solidified her characterizing me as "very strange."  I watched as Pam's life took a dramatic shift shortly after her allergy to me was cleared. 

I continued the NAET treatment in California with Jacque Smillie, after I moved here in April, 2000.  I do the work on myself now. 

Shamanic Work

My friend Denise had done some work with a shaman, doing a soul retrieval.  I read the Sandra Ingerman book Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Soul, before I made my appointment with Annette. 

My life was forever changed by my experience on that August night in 1995.  I walked home knowing that what I believed about my life was no longer true.  Eventually, I had four soul retrievals with Annette Hulefeld.

I've done many shamanic journeys under the guidance of Annette, Frances Camberis, and Denise Syzmcyzk. 

I've experienced shamanic healing under Frances and Mari Mendoza.  Mari did healing work on me twice and both times, the pieces of my soul that Annette worked with still hadn't assimilated into my being.  Now they have and I feel much joy. 

Astrologers

I've met with a number of different astrologers.  Pam and I were born twelve minutes apart -- we believed it was fifteen minutes for most of our lives.  My interest in the esoteric arts is not part of Pam's.  I wanted to know from one astrologer the difference that the twelve minutes makes.

Pam walked out of her session saying, "And we as Librans should eat a lot of protein."  I laughed to myself.  Of course, my sister the fabulous creative cook would want to know that. 

I sat down for my session and the woman said, "You look at everything from a spiritual point of view."  I laughed again at the truth of that. 

Past Life Regression

At the recommendation of Paul Nunn, an evolutionary astrologer, I went to see Coletta Long -- a person he described as the "Mother Theresa" of past life regression therapists. 

With great fear and trepidation, I called Coletta.  To my relief, I didn't find her right away.  When I did, I didn't expect her to answer the phone.  The love I felt from her was palpable over the phone.  Any fear of making a five-day journey to Austin, Texas, to spend a long period under trance abated. 

Spending many hours unearthing my past lives to understand my current life experiences dramatically helped me.  I came back to Chicago with a mind swirling with the many images of my other lives. 

The book "We're All Innocent" will include my current life interwoven with these other lives to show the patterns continue until they are healed.