This week was full of ups and downs and since I'd rather end the post on a happy note, will start with the downs.
Downs:
1. I've felt worse as the week has gone on, particularly today. But, I know why: the last round of parasites in my system should be dying. He said that's why I felt so crummy over Christmas and now over New Year's. I think I'm going to celebrate Valentine's big time this year to make up for it :)
2. A heavy mug crashed onto our glass top stove and cracked it. Two of the eyes still work, but it will cost as much to fix as it did to purchase, so we're just going to put up with it for now. And since a cracked glass top is not covered under our warranty (even though it was bought less than a year ago) we'll never buy one again.
3. I'm hungry....all of the time....
Ups:
1. Any day now, Dr. W should get my results back regarding food sensitivities so I'll know hopefully next week what I can add back to my diet.
2. I have lost 10 pounds since starting the diet and already fit back into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt I haven't been able to wear for awhile. Dr. W thinks I'll lose another 10-20 before the end of January...I sense a shopping spree coming on in the spring!
3. I have settled into the eating plan and while I still crave a few things, it's getting easier to eat this way. The kids are eating much healthier as well and are loving the dietary changes...well, all except for almond butter, so we may switch back to natural peanut butter. But they are loving the almond milk!
4. Rob's home for another 3-day weekend :)
This next week, I'll start two new things during my treatments: some type of acupuncture and a decompression table. I'll fill you all in on how that goes next week. Oh, and he did say regarding the thyroid issue and diabetes that we are already doing things that will help, so nothing new on that front for now :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas 2011
Our Christmas celebration this year was WAY toned down from previous years. Back at Thanksgiving, I made a list of all of the things I wanted to do at Christmas: cookie plates for teachers and neighbors, make homemade gifts for the family, cards, gifts for the kids, and decorate the new place up to the hilt. Then reality set in, along with my fibro treatments, and we had to change our focus. We had already decided not to go to Illinois, but rather stay home and let me continue to get better. Rob decided we would not decorate too much, so we focused on the tree, mantle area (finally, stockings hung by a fireplace!), and our countdown calendar. Our home was festive yet it did not exhaust me to decorate it.
Then came all of the handmade stuff. It became pretty apparent early on in the month that I was not up to making gifts as usual this year, so we had to eschew all gift making, including cookies. I hated to do it, but we decided to just focus on gifts for our family of five. The only thing I really kept up was the card making (so if you got a card, that's your gift this year!) I tried to think ahead and each time I had a card event, I made extras, so by the time I sat down to do the cards, I had most of them already done. Praise the Lord for thinking ahead!
We did have fun spoiling the kids. Various family members sent up presents, so we had quite the slew of gifts under our tree Christmas morning. It was so fun to watch them rip into everything. I'll post later on what they got. Rob's parents were able to make a trip up to see us one weekend, so they did get some grandparent time as well.
We also attended our church's Christmas Eve service, which was fun for all of us. It was mostly music, which the kids enjoyed, and the best part was when our pastor called up all of the children to the stage. He sat with them and read the Christmas story from Luke 2. Our children just loved it! We also had them with us for the service on Christmas Day and it was so special to sit with all three of them.
So our celebration was low-key this year, but just perfect for us.
Then came all of the handmade stuff. It became pretty apparent early on in the month that I was not up to making gifts as usual this year, so we had to eschew all gift making, including cookies. I hated to do it, but we decided to just focus on gifts for our family of five. The only thing I really kept up was the card making (so if you got a card, that's your gift this year!) I tried to think ahead and each time I had a card event, I made extras, so by the time I sat down to do the cards, I had most of them already done. Praise the Lord for thinking ahead!
We did have fun spoiling the kids. Various family members sent up presents, so we had quite the slew of gifts under our tree Christmas morning. It was so fun to watch them rip into everything. I'll post later on what they got. Rob's parents were able to make a trip up to see us one weekend, so they did get some grandparent time as well.
We also attended our church's Christmas Eve service, which was fun for all of us. It was mostly music, which the kids enjoyed, and the best part was when our pastor called up all of the children to the stage. He sat with them and read the Christmas story from Luke 2. Our children just loved it! We also had them with us for the service on Christmas Day and it was so special to sit with all three of them.
So our celebration was low-key this year, but just perfect for us.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Fibro Treatment, Week 2
This week was not a good one for me. On Monday, I went to Madison to have a full blood test done. I was rather amazed by the amount of testing my doctor ordered, but very thankful that he ordered all of it. Some of the results are not back yet, but most of them are and it's...well...interesting.
He still has to go through the results with a fine tooth comb, but there are four major things that stood out in the results. My vitamin D levels are low, so I am increasing the amount I am taking. I have inflammation around my heart, possibly diabetes or pre-diabetes, and Hashimoto's disease, or hypothyrodism. That last one comes as a shock, only because my traditional medical doctor did a test for that and it was fine. Turns out, he only did ONE of the tests...what my chiropractor ordered was far more thorough. A normal person has a level no higher than 34. I am 133. So yeah, something is wrong there!
Like I stated previously, he still has to go over all of the results, so I don't know all of what we will be doing about this yet. He will go over that with me on Monday. I do know this: I will be living gluten-free for the rest of my life. The gluten causes parts of my body to attack other parts--honestly, I was listening yet reeling from the info at the same time, so I'm not clear on the details. I am saying good-bye to so many of my favorite foods but I know I'll be saying hello to some new ones as I begin to explore a gluten-free world.
The treatments themselves went well, although I am having a high-pain week. I have had a breakdown almost every day this week just from the sheer "foreverness" of what is happening, along with having to cope with a much different Christmas celebration this year. I'm in so much pain and just so tired all of the time that we can't celebrate as usual. I'm trying hard to still make it fun for the kids and focus on the positive while at the same time mourning the loss of life as I know it. It's really hard, to tell the truth. I did tell Rob that I'd smack the next person who tells me it's all worth it, because I do know it's worth it, I just need to be sad for awhile. In many ways it is like a death. There are many fond memories associated with the types of food I can no longer enjoy and even though I know it hurts my body to eat those things, I still mourn them. I will always have a hard time at gatherings that involve food and at restaurants. I know I'll learn what to eat and how to educate those who might be cooking for me in the future, but it's still hard right now.
In the meantime, my favorite chef has four days off for Christmas, so that will cheer me up. Rob is ready to attack all of this head on and get me as healthy as possible. I'm glad I have such a go-getter in my life. The kids want me healthy too, so they are like little watchdogs, asking if each bite I take is okay. It keeps me going :)
He still has to go through the results with a fine tooth comb, but there are four major things that stood out in the results. My vitamin D levels are low, so I am increasing the amount I am taking. I have inflammation around my heart, possibly diabetes or pre-diabetes, and Hashimoto's disease, or hypothyrodism. That last one comes as a shock, only because my traditional medical doctor did a test for that and it was fine. Turns out, he only did ONE of the tests...what my chiropractor ordered was far more thorough. A normal person has a level no higher than 34. I am 133. So yeah, something is wrong there!
Like I stated previously, he still has to go over all of the results, so I don't know all of what we will be doing about this yet. He will go over that with me on Monday. I do know this: I will be living gluten-free for the rest of my life. The gluten causes parts of my body to attack other parts--honestly, I was listening yet reeling from the info at the same time, so I'm not clear on the details. I am saying good-bye to so many of my favorite foods but I know I'll be saying hello to some new ones as I begin to explore a gluten-free world.
The treatments themselves went well, although I am having a high-pain week. I have had a breakdown almost every day this week just from the sheer "foreverness" of what is happening, along with having to cope with a much different Christmas celebration this year. I'm in so much pain and just so tired all of the time that we can't celebrate as usual. I'm trying hard to still make it fun for the kids and focus on the positive while at the same time mourning the loss of life as I know it. It's really hard, to tell the truth. I did tell Rob that I'd smack the next person who tells me it's all worth it, because I do know it's worth it, I just need to be sad for awhile. In many ways it is like a death. There are many fond memories associated with the types of food I can no longer enjoy and even though I know it hurts my body to eat those things, I still mourn them. I will always have a hard time at gatherings that involve food and at restaurants. I know I'll learn what to eat and how to educate those who might be cooking for me in the future, but it's still hard right now.
In the meantime, my favorite chef has four days off for Christmas, so that will cheer me up. Rob is ready to attack all of this head on and get me as healthy as possible. I'm glad I have such a go-getter in my life. The kids want me healthy too, so they are like little watchdogs, asking if each bite I take is okay. It keeps me going :)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
First Week of Fibro Treatment Done :)
On Monday, I started my first week of treatment for the fibro. I am doing six weeks of 3-day-a-week treatments, six more of two-day-a-week, and six of one-day-a-week, then an assessment to see how much more we need to do.
So what does a treatment involve? Well, I get adjusted, focusing specifically on areas of my body that will aid in shutting down the pain centers of the brain, which are over-firing right now. This part is very similar to my regular adjustments, so no biggie. Then I have been doing some oxygen therapy. I put some tubes in my nose and breathe in the oxygen pumped at certain levels while standing on a vibrating machine. I will later do a decompression table while on the oxygen. On Friday, I also did a hand pedal machine while breathing. Pretty simple, and believe it or not, I already have noticed a difference in my mental clarity. "Fibro fog" is a very real thing and by getting more oxygen to the areas of my brain that control the pain, my brain gets less "foggy." I finally feel like I can focus on things and am not getting so easily overwhelmed. The pain is still present, but I'm better able to cope with it. It may take awhile before the pain is completely gone.
And then there is the diet: No gluten, eggs, sugar, soy, dairy, peanuts, beans, oil (other than coconut or grapeseed). You know how many foods that rules out??? Seems like everything, but what I am mainly eating are fruits and vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. And I drink water. Some of these foods I will get back as all of my lab results come back and we see what I'm sensitive to, like beans and dark chocolate. The first few days were kind of hard, but it is getting better and I don't feel so hungry all of the time. I have a special drink for breakfast along with a little meat, so that's helped eliminate one decision I have to make :) I am also taking some supplements and I must admit, I love my fish oil!! Tastes like a yummy orange drink and I haven't burped fish once.
It's not all positive, because it is hard to realize how much I'm missing at Christmas. Eventually I'll be able to use alternate grains to make cookies, but not yet b/c my pain is still at a high level. So no Christmas goodies for me. I'm REALLY thankful my mother-in-law brought some down last weekend BEFORE the diet started :) Rob says I'm thinking clearly now...clearly enough to realize I should have waited to start next week...but the sooner the better to make me better.
So that's it for now. In a nutshell, things are going well, but it's a hard adjustment. We're going to take the kids with us with the dietary changes as much as we can so they will be healthier as well. They are excited about trying new fruits and veggies. I've been blessed with adventurous children :)
So what does a treatment involve? Well, I get adjusted, focusing specifically on areas of my body that will aid in shutting down the pain centers of the brain, which are over-firing right now. This part is very similar to my regular adjustments, so no biggie. Then I have been doing some oxygen therapy. I put some tubes in my nose and breathe in the oxygen pumped at certain levels while standing on a vibrating machine. I will later do a decompression table while on the oxygen. On Friday, I also did a hand pedal machine while breathing. Pretty simple, and believe it or not, I already have noticed a difference in my mental clarity. "Fibro fog" is a very real thing and by getting more oxygen to the areas of my brain that control the pain, my brain gets less "foggy." I finally feel like I can focus on things and am not getting so easily overwhelmed. The pain is still present, but I'm better able to cope with it. It may take awhile before the pain is completely gone.
And then there is the diet: No gluten, eggs, sugar, soy, dairy, peanuts, beans, oil (other than coconut or grapeseed). You know how many foods that rules out??? Seems like everything, but what I am mainly eating are fruits and vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. And I drink water. Some of these foods I will get back as all of my lab results come back and we see what I'm sensitive to, like beans and dark chocolate. The first few days were kind of hard, but it is getting better and I don't feel so hungry all of the time. I have a special drink for breakfast along with a little meat, so that's helped eliminate one decision I have to make :) I am also taking some supplements and I must admit, I love my fish oil!! Tastes like a yummy orange drink and I haven't burped fish once.
It's not all positive, because it is hard to realize how much I'm missing at Christmas. Eventually I'll be able to use alternate grains to make cookies, but not yet b/c my pain is still at a high level. So no Christmas goodies for me. I'm REALLY thankful my mother-in-law brought some down last weekend BEFORE the diet started :) Rob says I'm thinking clearly now...clearly enough to realize I should have waited to start next week...but the sooner the better to make me better.
So that's it for now. In a nutshell, things are going well, but it's a hard adjustment. We're going to take the kids with us with the dietary changes as much as we can so they will be healthier as well. They are excited about trying new fruits and veggies. I've been blessed with adventurous children :)
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