A Gutsy Girl

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

Your Gutsy Stories

Heather Filipowicz is a Gutsy Girl Living Out Her Dreams

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: ,

Heather Filipowicz is a Gutsy Girl Living Out Her Dreams.

It’s been a long time since I’ve featured one of your stories. I love featuring you and allowing you to tell your gutsy story. Having a Gutsy story isn’t just about living with IBS and/or IBD. It’s about being Gutsy, being fearless, in all areas of your life. We all embrace this in some way or another. The following Gutsy story is from a former client and current friend. I remember coaching her on these thoughts long ago, and I’ve loved watching her step out of her square box. I think you will enjoy it, too!

p.s. Ready to tell your story? Contact me!

Heather Filipowicz is a Gutsy Girl Living Out Her Dreams

Everyone has that dream. You know, that nagging, niggling thing in your mind that you place excuse after excuse in front of. “I’ll do that when I retire.” “I don’t have enough money.” “I can’t do THAT.” “There isn’t enough time. I’m too busy.”

I was that person, and then I wasn’t.

Heather & Joe. Heather Filipowicz, a Gutsy Girl and Living Out Her Dreams via www.agutsygirl.com #Gutsy

My husband Joe and I always dreamed of oceans – turquoise waters and the sway of palm trees, warm sun on our faces and sand in our toes. Yet, we lived in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo is spectacular in the summer, but come mid-January it is not our ideal living location. We always said “We will move when Logan (our 6 year old son) graduates from High School. Graduation cap goes up in the sky, for sale sign goes in the lawn.”

Then we woke up. We realized that we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, all we have is today and if we don’t set an example for Logan that dreams are for the taking then we would have failed him, failed us. No more waiting.

We hustled. We researched. We had vision boards. We read books about facing fears and dreaming big. Our mindset changed. We worked on our goal early in the morning and late at night. We decided that now was the time to take the leap because Logan is 6 years old, adventurous and still thinks we are the center of his universe. We were clear on what we wanted and we didn’t waiver.

Our dream became our reality. After two months of split living, on December 7th our family of 3 moved into our home in Wesley Chapel, Florida, complete with sunshine and palm trees.  We left behind everyone we knew and loved – family, friends, and colleagues. Joe had a new job, and I was jobless for the first time in my life since I was 12.

Heather Filipowicz is a Gutsy Girl Living Out Her Dreams. Founder of 'Sassy Inspiration.' An inspiration for making dreams come true. sarahkayhoffman.com

The funny thing is once you start dreaming, you can’t stop. With a big dream accomplished, new ones come along. I wanted more for me and my family. I wanted more time with my son, more balance in my life and more control over my future. I didn’t want to go back to working long hours and have my son in daycare day after day. I wanted to be there more for him and to change the future for our family.

So here I find myself, working on building my own business. The CEO of Redefining Awesome is what I like to call it. I want to change my life and the lives of others by getting more out of life. I allowed myself to think bigger and take the leap. Scared? You bet. Guaranteed to work? Nope. Does it seem crazy to many people I know? For sure.  But yet again, I think about Logan. I want him to know that dreams are worth pursuing. I want him to know that hard work, determination, sacrifice, and grit have never failed me in my pursuit of anything worth having.

Dreams aren’t these crazy things that only exist in our brains and heart that just sit there. They are real and by not even attempting to go after them we are letting ourselves down. Listen to that voice that keeps nagging your brain and your heart. Taking the leap isn’t easy, but anything worth it in life shouldn’t be easy. Take the leap. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Heather Filipowicz is Redefining Awesome and lives in Wesley Chapel, FL. She blogs about life, dreams, health and parenthood at Sassy Inspiration. She is living life on her terms as an AdvoCare Distributor and Non-Profit consultant. She believes in eating “the gutsy way” and knows that Sarah Kay Hoffman changed her life through her coaching and kindness. Mom to Logan and wife to Joe, she has mastered the art of stepping on Lego’s in the dark, making bone broth and finally embracing her curly hair. 

SKH note: Lest what you might think, I did not pay Heather to say those things about me. She added that last paragraph, in italics just as is. I left it in because I adore it. By far my favorite line, “Mom to Logan and wife to Joe, she has mastered the art of stepping on Lego’s in the dark, making bone broth and finally embracing her curly hair.” 

Xox,
SKH

A Teenager’s Perspective on Being a Gutsy Girl

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: ,

It’s Friday! And even though weekends don’t mean much anymore now that I’m 100% consumed with a loving spoon, the idea of Friday will always be a positive one.

Before I tell you about an awesome Gutsy teenager today, I want to remind you that the next Gutsy Mastermind Group Program begins on Monday, September 30! The participants from the first group got so many awesome results that many of them are joining again this time for the daily “Gutsy Office Hours.” I cannot tell you how my cup runneth over when women – women just like you – begin to actually heal, actually feel better and are able to smile bigger once again. Don’t wait – just a few spots left. Click HERE to join!

May was the last time I told your Gutsy story. Time for a great one today! (p.s. Do you want to tell your own Gutsy story here? You can. Simply contact me!)

A Teenager’s Perspective on Being a Gutsy Girl

Meet Erica Brahan. I met Erica a few weeks back when she reached out to me with her story:

“I have had a restrictive diet for over two years. The beginning was overwhelming, difficult, and I felt lost and hated almost everything about it. I started the GAPS diet in 2012, which made improvements and revealed that I had a salicylate intolerance. I am 17 now and a senior in high school and can only eat about 20 foods because of the salicylate intolerance (I am trying to reintroduce some of the foods). Although I still do not really enjoy my restrictions, I have learned a lot about what it takes to maintain a semi-“normal” teenage life with food restrictions.

My mom encouraged me to write a book about my experiences to share with other teenagers or parents with teens. When I first started my journey I would have loved, really loved, to have someone give me advice on things like how to go to school, do social activities, and explain my food restrictions. The problem is that there is nothing like that, at least that is easy to find. With that in mind I wrote “A Teenager’s Perspective on Food Restrictions: A Practical Guide to Keep from Going Crazy“. In it I offer all of the advice I wish I had been given.”

Erica Brahan author of "A Teenager’s Perspective on Food Restrictions: A Practical Guide to Keep from Going Crazy" interview via www.agutsygirl.com IBS IBD

I downloaded her book and skimmed through it.

Bravery –  at such a young age!

So I asked her to tell a little bit more about herself and her story so I could share with you:

“I am a senior in high school and have dealt with health problems since I was young. My most prominent struggle is with chronic joint inflammation, which has been on going since fourth grade and intensified with age. I am a softball catcher and at the age of 15 I could barely play anymore because the pain had become so bad. With the guidance of my functional medicine doctor during my sophomore year of high school, I tried several elimination diets. The first improvement in joint pain was as a junior on the GAPS Intro diet. I later discovered I have a salicylate sensitivity that left me with about 20 foods to eat. After I removed salicylates from my diet, the join pain went away completely! Although this journey has been incredibly difficult at times, I have learned a lot and made huge improvements in my health. Last year, as a junior, I played my first softball season without pain since seventh grade.”

And then, of course, I asked her to tell you all a little bit more about her book:

“I recently wrote a book, A Teenager’s Perspective on Food Restrictions: A Practical Guide to Keep from Going Crazy. It is a reflection of my personal experiences and offers the advice I wish I had received before and during my diet restrictions. It is a short book written by a teenager for other teenagers or parents. I talk about the reality of food restrictions and why they are particularly difficult for teenagers, but also the motivation it takes to continue. I offer advice about how to explain your diet, maintain a social life, and go to school along with other topics.”

You can learn more from a Gutsy teenager’s perspective by downloading Erica’s ebook. The ebook can be purchased from her blog, Edible Attitudes, and is available on Amazon as a paperback for $5.99 or as an eBook for $1.99.

Love your guts,
SKH

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Headbands of Hope

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , ,

I’ve been noodling over the perfect day to feature Jessica as my Gutsy girl. I woke up this morning, had a burning feeling in my heart and I knew that today was the day. When Jess reached out to me, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her and everything she stands for immediately. It is my hope to meet her in person some day. Our missions are different, our values the same. Jessica Ekstrom has been featured everywhere from TODAY to The Ricki Lake Show to Fitness Magazine. Meet Jessica Ekstrom and Headbands of Hope.

Why Jessica Ekstrom is A Gutsy Girl: Headbands of Hope

Almost everyone can think of a moment where they knew their life was about to change. For me, my moment was right before my 20th birthday in the summer of 2011. I began my internship at the Make-a-Wish Foundation that I can confidently say, changed my life forever.

Every day, I got to wake up and grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. I took day trips to visit the wish kids at their houses and bring them their favorite toys. We received hundreds of letters from wish children that said we changed their lives; little did they know, they were changing mine.

Headbands of Hope Jessica Ekstrom Headbands of Hope Hospital via A Gutsy Girl www.agutsygirl.com

I thought about the thousands of girls around the world losing their hair to chemotherapy. Being a young girl presents many struggles with self-esteem already and losing their hair as a result of a life-threatening illness is traumatic.

For girls and women everywhere, their hair is a part of their feminine identity. Wigs can be uncomfortable and unappealing, especially to younger girls.

I realized that headbands are the perfect way for these girls to keep their feminine identity and have a constant reminder that they’re not alone.

Therefore, I started HeadbandsofHope.org.

For every headband purchased, one headband will go to a girl with cancer and $1 will be donated to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research.

Since I launched in May of this year, I’ve sold thousands of headbands online and in stores around the nation. I created a company where I didn’t have to choose between making a living and making a difference. I can wake up and do both at the same time.

Headbands of Hope Jessica Ekstrom Headbands of Hope Little Girl via www.agutsygirl.com

I’ve had the opportunity to distribute headbands to girls in the hospitals across the nation. The best part of my job is opening the door to their room and seeing their faces light up when I bring dozens of colorful headbands to their beds to choose from.

Even though it’s fun and fulfilling to bring the girls headbands in the hospitals, I’m constantly reminded that there still isn’t a cure.

Childhood Cancer

Childhood cancer takes the lives of more children in the U.S. than any other disease – in fact, more than many other childhood diseases combined.

Children with cancer cannot be treated simply as “smaller adults.” The cancers strike kids differently and they are in a crucial stage of development, which complicates the effects of treatments and can result in life-long complications.

Progress is also especially slow in curing adolescents and young adults because federal funding for childhood cancers is a fraction compared to adult cancers.

Therefore, attention needs to be brought to childhood cancer. Progress can’t be made without research. Research can’t be done without funding. And funding can’t be done without awareness.

Headbands of Hope aims to start with awareness and end with a cure.

A Gutsy Girl perfectly aligns with what I do. I saw that there was a need in my community, and you have to have the guts to try to fix it.

Together, we can spread hope in all girls…one headband at a time.

Jessica Ekstrom Headbands of Hope via www.agutsygirl.com Why she's #Gutsy

Xox,
SKH

Newly Gutsy: A Journey Worth Fighting For with Lareasha Connors

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: ,

Meet Lareasha, a Gutsy girl with a story to share with y’all today….

Lareasha Connors

I married my high school sweetheart in 2004.

We decided we didn’t want to wait, and we would try to get pregnant. It didn’t take long.. and poof! We had our baby boy in 2005. I gained 50 pounds and luckily lost 45 of it afterwards.

I had noticed that a few months later I was having bloody stool. I called my doctor. He told me it was common for women to have that after a c-section. I thought it was strange; none of my friends had it. He was the doctor, so I continued to eat and do my normal routine.

About a year later I started to get some stomach pain, so I called my doctor again. He told me I more than likely had hemorrhoids. I thought to myself, “Hmmm… doesn’t that make it hurt when you sit down?” I never had that kind of pain. I insisted on going in for an appointment. I went in and they checked me. No hemorrhoids. He then said I must have internal hemorrhoids. That sounded more like my answer.  Finally!

But then I was….wrong! I continued to have the blood. No drugs I took would make it stop. I decided to go to a naturalist in my hometown. By this time I had my second child, a beautiful baby girl. The naturalist told me that I had severe problems with my digestion, and she had me do my first cleanse ( I never gave her my health history, she didn’t even know my name, but instead only read my iris). I was amazed! I had been going to the same doctor for 3 years and no results, no emotion and no cure.

I did everything my naturalist told me to do, and the blood started to go away. It was now only a few times a week I would have it. She also told me to watch my food intake and log my stool. I was kind of embarrassed. Really, who does that? I didn’t want to look at my poo! But I did for her, and I saw the change. I was having major reactions to food sugars. I took her advice, and I went off sugar. Then, reintroduced it by slowly eating it here and there.

A year later I starting noticing that my hair started to thin. I called the doctor, and he said it was common for nursing moms to have their hair shed. At this point I wanted to deck him in the face –> Are you kidding me? I have had bloody stools  for 4 years and my hair was now thinning. I was super emotional. I had enough of this doctor.

I switched to the most amazing doctor who took care of me. She was very concerned. She sent me to Mayo Rochester for my hair. The tests showed my hormones were out of whack since having my daughter. I had to take medication to level my hormones. The medication seemed to be working. At the same time, my doctor ordered me a colonoscopy right away. There I was, 29 years old and having a colonoscopy. I felt really old!

I went through the colonoscopy procedure. They found 2 polyps. The doctor sent them in to lab to determine their type. I waited for that phone call. It was the scariest day of my life. I had 2 young children and an amazing husband. I cried everyday. I wanted that phone call to be over with. {Some advice to you: Never look on the Internet while you are waiting for results.}

Finally the call came. They aged the polyps to be 7-10 years old. One of the polyps tested positive for cancer. I nearly fainted. The doctor said, though, that luckily the cancer had not made it into my lining. This meant I was cancer free.

I thought my problems were solved, after all they removed the polyps and the blood went away. That was until bout 3 months after the surgery when it came back. My doctor wanted to have me do an endoscopy and another colonoscopy. So we did. The colon turned out normal. The endoscopy showed blood in my stomach. They were shocked. They had no explanation of why. So they had me come in again and swallow a camera pill. The pill was about the size of a horse pill, and it takes pictures all the way through. From this, they determined that I am sensitive to something and we needed to figure out what that something was. We knew it was something to do with what I was eating, but what would/could that be?

This led me to today, working with a Gutsy Girl. I feel very passionate about natural healing and what we put in our bodies. After all, you are what you eat right? Because of this, I love the Gutsy program. Since starting this journey, I have really felt a sense of peace. My body has changed inside and out. I never thought I would be strong enough to do a program for 21 days, even if it’s only 21 days. For me its not just 21 days. This is just the start of my journey to be healthy.

I want to love me in my skin. I want to live a long, healthy life. I want to inspire those people that need to make a change.

Lareasha Connors with Daughter

And that, my Gutsy friends, is what I was talking about on Monday…..how I aspire to inspire that change in others to find the change in themselves which leads to the change in sharing the Gutsy way with as many women as possible!

Love your guts,
SKH

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Stashia Avery: A Gutsy Girl with Crohn’s

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , , ,

SKH Note: I met Stashia via Twitter. If I could wrap her up and bring her to the Gutsy household to help her, I would in a heartbeat. She is a lovable Gutsy girl. Stashia blogs via Chrons Disease, Ulcerative Colitis & Medications. Please note that my stance on drugs and medications in relation to healing IBS and IBD will never change. I chose to feature Stashia because I think it’s important for Gutsy women to be presented with the facts all around. Stashia gives a great testimonial for what life with all these drugs and medications is like. I pray for her daily, too.

For me, Crohn’s brings on many different symptoms and ailments along with it. The biggest issue I have, almost non-stop, is abdominal pain. The pain is worsened after eating and drinking; and almost never subsides. It is generally located in my lower abdominal area, to my right side.  There have been times when the pain has been so bad that all I could do was curl into a ball and lie on my bed, until it eased up enough for me to drive to the ER. Even after getting to the ER, and having tests done, nothing ever came back to show why I was having such significant pain. Unfortunately, having many tests, with the results coming back completely normal, seems to be a common thing for me over the last couple of years.

Another big issue that puts a hold on a lot of daily things for me is my extreme fatigue. This may not just be caused from the Crohn’s, but it is definitely playing a huge part. My fatigue is so bad that it takes a lot for me to just get up and go to the store, and sometimes even to walk from my room to the bathroom.

When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2010, I was 17 years old. I had just graduated from high school. I ended up having to quit my jobs, and withdraw from college, because I couldn’t get out of bed due to all the pain. As of today, I still have not been able to resume my normal lifestyle. My daily routine now consists of waking up, grabbing a very SMALL breakfast (which normally ends up being my last meal until about 6:00 or 7:00 pm that evening), showering, and lying around the house. I do, occasionally, muster up enough energy to drive down the street to my best friend’s house to have movie nights with her. Other than that, she and my boyfriend (who come to see me most of the time now) are basically my only form of social life outside of my home.

Aside from the fatigue and abdominal pain, there are other minor issues that I experience.  I have occasional constipation/diarrhea. Fortunately, the diarrhea symptom is less frequent than the constipation. Oddly, I do get constipation that is so severe that I am impacted.

After being diagnosed with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, my pediatric GI doctor put me on a series of medications. First, they started me on Asacol (2 twice a day). Then they added Entocort (6mg, once a day). After the doctor realized that the Asacol was not working, he put me on Pentasa (3 x twice a day), along with the Entocort, which increased to 9mg a day and still did not work. My doctor then switched me to Apriso (4 x 0.375 twice a day) with Prednisone added. Yes, Prednisone does make you gain weight, gives you chipmunk cheeks, and a distended belly. After taking all of these different medications, I still had not gotten close to remission.

My doctor decided to put me on Remicade (every 6 weeks) with Methotrexate injections (once every week). Learning to give myself shots every week was incredibly bothersome and after taking the Methotrexate shots, I would feel like I had the flu for three days. I switched to an adult GI doctor recently. He has put me back on the Pentasa, twice a day, with Entocort.

This is where I am at currently, minus the Methotrexate. I am still not in remission, after almost four years.

I would be telling a huge, bold-faced lie if I said that still being sick and going through the same pain and suffering, if not more than when I first was diagnosed, doesn’t bring me down at times because it one hundred percent does! There are some days where everything catches up to me and I get a little frustrated with my situation, but it always passes. My mother always tells me when I am down about my health, that even though I’m sick and not feeling well now, it won’t always be this way.

I know that my life is going exactly how God planned it to go, health problems and all.

So how do I deal with all of this at the end of the day? I pray. I pray about it and have faith every single day that I will be healed completely one day. That gets me by. I know that right now I am suffering, but I also know it won’t always be like this.

I read this verse and it gives me a little extra boost of encouragement when I need it:

“The pain you have been dealing with now is nothing compared to the joy to come.” Romans 8:18.

In addition to prayer, the next best thing I do in dealing with illness is talk about it with someone. Whether you talk to friends, a psychiatrist, relatives, or you just write in your journal, it will help tremendously. I normally talk about everything with my mom. Without my mom’s support and love, I don’t know what I would do. She has been there for me to unload on and complain to. She’s been the one taking off from work to take me to the hospitals, and back and forth to doctors’ visits. Having family and friends for support really makes a difference in everything. Keeping things bottled up can be a large source of stomach pain for Crohn’s patients. Crohn’s is, after all, a stress-induced illness, so eliminating any unnecessary stress is advised if possible. Try to engage in light exercise like walking or yoga, it helps as well; and that’s what I try to do often.

Stashia

It has definitely been quite the long and difficult journey that is still nowhere near being completed. No doubt, it has made me a lot stronger. I know things could always be worse.

I am just thankful to be alive every day. 

Love your guts,
SKH

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Kelly Stecker: Gutsy Momma and Wife

Filed Under: Your Gutsy Stories Tagged With: , ,

SKH Note: When Kelly reached out, I felt an instant connection to her. She wanted to tell her story, and while this is nowhere near a traditional “gutsy” story, it is gutsy. Ladies, remember -> you are the SUPERWOMAN in your life. These powers shine through in so many different ways and situations. You all have a story. Many of you will be able to connect and relate with Kelly’s story, and others of you will trigger a response to tell your own, very different, yet very SUPER, story. Remember, simply contact me if you want to be featured!

Last February, I sat at the family table with the glow of the kitchen behind me. The aroma of coffee slowly crept about the room. It smelled great. One of my cats, the noisy, hairy, needy one, stared at me from across the table.  She sat patiently waiting for our morning gab to begin. My better half was already at work; my dry, tired eyes were straining to focus on the words I typed in the dark.

At last, with a sip of hot coffee, my brain began to form coherent thoughts, my mind began to race.  I was in such a transitional stage of my life, but who isn’t I suppose. Still, I couldn’t help but reflect. My husband and I made a decision to drastically alter our lives as we currently knew them. It was a good decision; I felt very positive about it. But my mind began to drift; I wondered if this is what an acid trip was like? Dreamy thoughts and visions took shape, the colors and images were vibrant, so amazing, just as comfort set in from the wildly amazing colors of happiness, they seem to morph into the face of a scary madman lurking in the corner….hmmm, I should have gone back to sleep. As much as I thought our new direction was well planned out, I began to wonder, for even the best laid plans….

A wise guy (literally wise and thoughtful – he’s definitely not part of the mob) counseled me while I was going through a bit of personal turmoil, “Get a plan together, work your plan, edit your plan as needed, then work it some more…just like shampooing your hair – lather, rinse, repeat.”  Sounded so simple – only this wise guy didn’t quite know what my new plan entailed.

Reflecting further, some not-so-wonderful memories take shape. About 8 months prior, my husband of 5 years and I separated. But not just the separation where you’re having problems and one of you moves to an apartment across town. No, this was a separation of more than one thousand miles. And although we had been disconnected for months, the actual thousand mile separation was a shock and something that I did not deal with well at all. The feeling of rejection and failure were hard to shake.

Thankfully the miles only separated us for about four months, during that time, the emotional gap we once felt, vaporized. We worked hard to build a moat of protection for our castle that holds our hearts.  But before the ‘relationship vacation’ (as a friend put it) ended, the feeling of uncertainty and hopelessness stung me.

Somehow, we’ve managed to do what we weren’t able to do before the separation. We were able to take a step back and take responsibility for what we had control over. We had many conversations about the ‘should-could-would haves’.

Then we just flat out made a decision that the life we have built together is a wonderful life worth fighting to keep alive. 

Last February when I thought about our separation, my eyes filled with tears, my heart heavy and I had a lump in my throat. Why did we have to get that far apart to realize we don’t want to ever be that far apart?  I may never be able to answer that question.

I often heard while growing up that the best lessons are learned from our biggest mistakes. In a world of hate, violence and constant negativity, I personally have fought for a long time to find the positive in negative situations. Unfortunately though, for quite some time it was difficult for me to pick out the positive pieces of this experience.  This experience brought about unwanted opinions, and metaphoric thick grapevines appeared, gossip seeped through and sloppy vicious words were spoken about our personal turmoil. Yet, I emerged a stronger person and found a way to cut the poison out, focusing on these tremendously bright blessings in my life.

Ultimately, I know it’s up to me to fulfill my own happiness.  But, I feel the most whole and complete in the company of my small family.

I’ve learned some really valuable lessons from this experience:

  1. Being a work in progress is A-OKAY!
  2. I don’t know it all, definitely don’t have it all figured out, nor do I need to.
  3. Even if I walked a mile in someone else’s shoes, hell – even if I ran a marathon in their sneakers, I will probably never understand what it is they are feeling or dealing with… I am in no place to judge other people, which is such a humbling feeling.

Perhaps the best lesson I learned from this entire experience: while planning is a great tool and most often necessary, it’s not necessary to put your life’s dreams and ambitions on hold to wait for enough money, the right season, or because of other’s opinions or experiences.

At the end of the day or the top of the morning, it is what it is – my life is mine to live, I am on my own path and am happy to forge ahead with the people I can count on one hand. I’m excited, challenged and scared, but together (with some work) I know we continue to conquer the world, our way.  I once thought this little plaque in my kitchen was corny and silly.  Now I read it every day and smile. It says, “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.”

Last February, we were a family of 3, and this February – we are FOUR….I am so in love with all of them.

Because of them, I am a one gutsy mama!

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Love your guts,
SKH 

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