Hello!
I know I have a problem with not updating my blog very often, I attribute that to being busy and forgetful! I have good intentions but when it comes down to it I falter.......I'm sorry for that, I really am!
So, it's been a year since I had my thyroid removed and I can tell you that I notice nothing different. My levels are still wacky, I'm losing hair by the handfuls, I still lack energy and god forbid I want to lose a little weight - it takes an enormous amount of effort and it always comes right back. So, having my thyroid removed didn't help me with any of my major issues. At least I don't have growths anymore but my levels still have not leveled out. I started on 150 mg of Synthroid last year and am now on 100 mg - I continue to be adjusted to lower levels without it helping.
So since it's been a bit since I've updated let's see what's been happening:
January-March 2016 - I started back to college at an online University - Ashford University. It's been 7 months and I'm doing great! I have straight "A" grades and just last week was invited to become a member of Alpha Sigma Lamda Honor Society. This is an honor society for exceptional adult learners. It was such a great surprise and honor. So being that I have such great grades should also tell you I spend a lot of time with my schooling. I haven't had time to be sick or tired or sore or anything other than focusing on school. My intention of going back is to complete the degree I started right out of high school - which was a long time ago.........I'm studying "Social and Criminal Justice" and will graduate with my BA in 7/2018.
Regarding my FMS and CFS I'm still holding steady. I haven't had any major flare up of either condition. I have learned to just listen to myself and if I'm tired, I go to bed. I still have issues with my hips being achy and locking up after sitting down for a bit but overall I can't complain. I have a lot of contact with people who have FMS really bad and I feel terrible for them but at the same time am grateful I have been able to reverse a good majority of my issues with FM and keep it under control.
April - July 2016 - I ended up in the ER on my birthday, April 5th - with what I thought was chest pain - it was bad, had me convinced I had a blockage - after a night stay and many tests that came back negative I was sent home and referred to a cardiologist. A few more tests and nothing. I still get these weird chest pains but haven't gone back to the cardiologist because he already determined it's not my heart but of course, as with most things they don't know why I'm having these pains. I thought maybe heartburn but I really don't think so since I never get it. So chalk it up to another strange thing related to FMS I guess.....
I was just talking with my mom about when I first got sick back in 2010 and took up juicing to get better. It definitely worked after a period of time - between juicing AND taking many supplements I brought my nutrition levels back to where they needed to be and was able to reverse a lot of my symptoms that had me bedridden for several months. Everyone also is different so what worked for me may or may not work for another - but it's all worth a try! In fact, coming back to my juicing information I've decided to juice a metabolism boosting juice and see if it helps me shed a few lbs like it says it does.
In other news, I've been off work since the first week in June and it's been great! Since I work in a school, I have the same schedule as the kids do and it's fantastic. We go back in just 3 wks from now......summer vacay goes way too fast! But it will be good to get back on a schedule. When I have no schedule not much gets done because I don't have to....it's bad.
My daughter is going into her senior year of high school - I can't believe in just a short year she will be going to college. My "baby" girl is grown into such a beautiful young woman. Makes me sad that she will be leaving but I know it's coming quickly. My son is starting his sophomore year - he is another one that I can't believe has grown so much both physically and mentally. The past several months have been big in the growth area for him. My daughter will be playing volleyball with the school over the next few weeks leading up to try outs - in fact next week we go to a big college camp with some girls who were invited from the school - should be fun!
I hope this update has found you all well! I would like to say that I will update in a month but, I've said that before and 7 months later I show up ...... I know I suck at this but I'm trying! I will be back soon, how is that???
Showing posts with label CFS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CFS. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Happy New Year!
Oh my gosh how time gets away from me! I'm sorry to have just up and left you here without an update or anything! So much has been going on so let's get started with this update!
Since my last update I've had a couple more Dr appointments and continue to have a lower dose of Synthroid. I'm now on 112 mg/day. Honestly, I can't tell any difference from 150 mg to now but apparently my TSH is still not in the right range.
In other news, I decided around the holidays to go back to school this year. I started on Jan 5th and am almost done with my first class. I'm doing an online program to get my Bachelors degree in Social and Criminal Justice. I've always been interested in this field so I figured why not! It seemed like a good time to get started with most all of my health issues "under control" at this point, or should I say for now.
My FMS has been relatively "laying low" if you will. Now I say this only because I can compare what I previously had to deal with to now. Don't get me wrong, I still have my good days and bad days, but they are nothing compared to what I use to deal with. I still have a pretty high level of fatigue which I don't think I'll ever not have to deal with. Aches and pains, they come and go but are at a level that is manageable on a day to day basis. My hips tend to give me the most trouble with consistent pain and my guts are often "upset". I'm sure a lot of this sounds all too familiar to many who deal with the curse of chronic illness(es).
The most recent flare I've had to deal with is the tendon in my right arm flared up. Literally I was fine the night before and woke up with this pain that was pretty intense going from my hand to my elbow and especially worse with certain movements. This was terrible as I'm right handed and couldn't do anything that required lifting or twisting. Even lifting just a bottle of Gatorade was impossible for weeks. I had my chiropractor treat me using a technique called "Graston" - if you have never heard of it, click HERE to read about it. It's a strange kind of therapy but it works every time! I've had it done several times for different issues and each time it's solved the problem. With my arm, I had 2 sessions and the pain was noticeably less. Today, I have no pain in that area.
Speaking about chiropractors, I need to mention that at the end of the year I realized I had not been into my primary physician's office in an entire year! That was something to celebrate as it's just unheard of with all the health issues I've had to deal with. Other than my Endocrinologist dealing with my thyroid, I didn't need to see an MD for any kind of illness for an entire year .... and still going! I did however, see my chiropractor anywhere from 2x a week to 1x a month just depending on my needs and what was going on. I firmly believe in and highly recommend alternative treatments for people like us with chronic conditions. From the research I've done, alternative therapy is the way to go for managing these chronic illnesses that aren't necessarily seen as true illness. Those of us who deal with them day in and day out know otherwise.
When asked what I've done to "make yourself better" I can't really pinpoint just one thing. It's been a long road of recovery to get to the point I'm at today. Feeling good with occasional flares. listening to my body, taking time to do nothing when I need to, the right mixture of nutrients, protein, and therapy all play a role in healing the body and getting you to a good functioning state of being. I spent a lot of time researching and trying different methods until I started seeing good results. It's a hard long road but at the end of it the results are better health and an overall better quality of life. I know that at any moment I could crumple to the floor in pain and deal with that for an undetermined amount of time, but for the time being I will enjoy where I am with my health.
Like many people who deal with chronic illness, I belong to several online support groups. It gets hard to read everyone's postings about how terrible they are doing. In more cases than not, it's usually money that stops people from getting the help and treatment they need to feel better and be a contributing member of their community. So the cycle just continues, day in and day out so many people are suffering. My hope is still what it was when I first started this blog, that if I can help even just one person find a path to getting themselves to a better state of health, then I've succeeded in my mission.
I hope the New Year has found you well and that you are finding ways to manage in your day to day life. Whether you suffer from chronic illness or a loved one does, I encourage you to look back through my postings and try new things in an effort to feel better.
My vow to you today is that I will try to do better with my updates - I just get so busy in life that I forget to come post updates. I will make a conscious effort to update at least 1x a month if not more!
Until next time....to your health!
Since my last update I've had a couple more Dr appointments and continue to have a lower dose of Synthroid. I'm now on 112 mg/day. Honestly, I can't tell any difference from 150 mg to now but apparently my TSH is still not in the right range.
In other news, I decided around the holidays to go back to school this year. I started on Jan 5th and am almost done with my first class. I'm doing an online program to get my Bachelors degree in Social and Criminal Justice. I've always been interested in this field so I figured why not! It seemed like a good time to get started with most all of my health issues "under control" at this point, or should I say for now.
My FMS has been relatively "laying low" if you will. Now I say this only because I can compare what I previously had to deal with to now. Don't get me wrong, I still have my good days and bad days, but they are nothing compared to what I use to deal with. I still have a pretty high level of fatigue which I don't think I'll ever not have to deal with. Aches and pains, they come and go but are at a level that is manageable on a day to day basis. My hips tend to give me the most trouble with consistent pain and my guts are often "upset". I'm sure a lot of this sounds all too familiar to many who deal with the curse of chronic illness(es).
The most recent flare I've had to deal with is the tendon in my right arm flared up. Literally I was fine the night before and woke up with this pain that was pretty intense going from my hand to my elbow and especially worse with certain movements. This was terrible as I'm right handed and couldn't do anything that required lifting or twisting. Even lifting just a bottle of Gatorade was impossible for weeks. I had my chiropractor treat me using a technique called "Graston" - if you have never heard of it, click HERE to read about it. It's a strange kind of therapy but it works every time! I've had it done several times for different issues and each time it's solved the problem. With my arm, I had 2 sessions and the pain was noticeably less. Today, I have no pain in that area.
Speaking about chiropractors, I need to mention that at the end of the year I realized I had not been into my primary physician's office in an entire year! That was something to celebrate as it's just unheard of with all the health issues I've had to deal with. Other than my Endocrinologist dealing with my thyroid, I didn't need to see an MD for any kind of illness for an entire year .... and still going! I did however, see my chiropractor anywhere from 2x a week to 1x a month just depending on my needs and what was going on. I firmly believe in and highly recommend alternative treatments for people like us with chronic conditions. From the research I've done, alternative therapy is the way to go for managing these chronic illnesses that aren't necessarily seen as true illness. Those of us who deal with them day in and day out know otherwise.
When asked what I've done to "make yourself better" I can't really pinpoint just one thing. It's been a long road of recovery to get to the point I'm at today. Feeling good with occasional flares. listening to my body, taking time to do nothing when I need to, the right mixture of nutrients, protein, and therapy all play a role in healing the body and getting you to a good functioning state of being. I spent a lot of time researching and trying different methods until I started seeing good results. It's a hard long road but at the end of it the results are better health and an overall better quality of life. I know that at any moment I could crumple to the floor in pain and deal with that for an undetermined amount of time, but for the time being I will enjoy where I am with my health.
Like many people who deal with chronic illness, I belong to several online support groups. It gets hard to read everyone's postings about how terrible they are doing. In more cases than not, it's usually money that stops people from getting the help and treatment they need to feel better and be a contributing member of their community. So the cycle just continues, day in and day out so many people are suffering. My hope is still what it was when I first started this blog, that if I can help even just one person find a path to getting themselves to a better state of health, then I've succeeded in my mission.
I hope the New Year has found you well and that you are finding ways to manage in your day to day life. Whether you suffer from chronic illness or a loved one does, I encourage you to look back through my postings and try new things in an effort to feel better.
My vow to you today is that I will try to do better with my updates - I just get so busy in life that I forget to come post updates. I will make a conscious effort to update at least 1x a month if not more!
Until next time....to your health!
Saturday, August 8, 2015
I can't believe how much has changed since the beginning - stick with me here on this recap of my journey so far.......
Hello everyone! I hope this update finds you well!!
So, the summer break is coming to a screeching halt as school in my area starts back up on Monday. That means I go back to work too. BOO on that but hey, it's my job to be there for the kids and that's what I'll be doing! Seems like the summer break just went way too fast this year! We were busy with my surgery, volleyball, and trips so that's most likely why it seems to have gone so fast - tooo fast! I guess though when you are living life instead of watching it pass you by it does go quickly!
This update is going to be chalk full of a lot of great things so I hope you will continue to read. For starters, I saw my Endocrinologist last week for blood work - I am axiously awaiting those results. My thryoid levels, Vitamin D and calcium levels. I'm expecting that they will be great based on how I'm feeling.
As I sit here today, I realized that about 5 years ago exactly is when I first became the sickest I've ever been. As you know, I've been pretty sick at times in my life but this time, my life was changed in so many ways. Initially the changes were not good and the things that were to come over the course of the following year were the worst of the worst for me and my family. Some of the things that happened, I've never talked about because it was/is too personal and painful.......we were at our worst financially, emotionally, and for me, physically with illness that seemed like it would never get better. Early on, before being diagnosed with FMS, I honestly in my heart thought I was going to die. That alone is the scariest feeling to have. Initially, all I could do was lay in bed, sleep and go to Dr's to try to figure out what in the world was going on.
My first diagnosis was bronchitis, then pnemonia......then everything else started happening....migraines, vertigo, terrible pain in my legs and hips that was 100% unexplainable. I saw neurologists, had cat scans, MRI, blood draws, chiropractic care - you name it and NOTHING seemed to help and there were no results from the tests. I began to feel like I was crazy and I think the Dr's thought so too! None of them could make sense of what I was going through. I finally recovered from the bronchial issues but had a migraine and vertigo for 3 months straight - the meds the neurologist put me on helped some but the migraine would come back. The vertigo was just there constantly and the pain in my legs and hips never let up. I could barely walk by myself let alone get out of bed and function. It was the literal rock bottom, the worst. That December of 2010 I finally ended up seeing a Rheumatologist who was the one to diagnose me with FMS. I was SO relieved to have an answer even though I had no clue what it would mean for me. Initially he put me on a medication, I can't recall what but it didn't help so I stopped taking it. We decided at my next visit to just increase the antidepressant that I was on - Effexor - as that was also known to help with FMS pain at higher doses. So he doubled it and within a day the pain in my legs vanished!! PROGRESS! Slowly over the course of another few months I was feeling well enough to be out of bed and sit in "my chair"......that is when I started doing mad research on Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (which I had been diagnosed with many years prior) Lupus (which I suspected I had due to the tell-tell rash I always got on my face), Lyme disease which was suspect due to all my symptoms and life history of illness........and I started my blog to document all the stuff I was finding. I began to think that if I could help even just one other person that it would all be worth it because NOBODY deserves to live like I was......and I now know that way too many people do!
So that is, in a nutshell, the beginning of my story and journey. I started looking for natural ways to heal myself - I knew that I couldn't live like that forever and I had a family to take care of. I was in search of natural ways to heal myself because I knew I couldn't be on pain killers and medications for the rest of my life. I started juicing, was contemplating going to the Mayo Clinic for help but ended up finding a Dr about an hour away that dealt primarily in FMS. I began seeing him 1x a week for a year. My treatment included acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care. One of the first things he did was a blood panel that looked at all my micronutrients - come to find out I was depleted of all my antioxidants so I immediately started on them all - I must of been taking 10-15 different supplements - it's all in previous blog posts with pictures....seriously crazy stuff. After going 1x a week for 6 months I started to feel somewhat normal again - seriously relieved that I could drive and function on a somewhat normal level but I still didn't feel "normal" whatever that was.
After a year of driving an hour each way to see this Dr I found a local chiropractor who specialized in chronic illness, specifically FMS so I started to see him. Now that I was feeling so much better I felt that change could happen. He did a follow up on the blood work and this time all my levels were good. So I was able to stop taking the multiple pills and go down to about 5 different vitamins. I saw him weekly as well to keep my spinal health in good condition and had him do acupuncture on me as needed.
Slowly I was feeling better......my business that I had for 12 years leading up to this was gone...since I couldn't work to save my life......other things we had were gone......but my life was moving on. Don't get me wrong, I was still having pain, fatigued beyond belief but I was out of bed and functioning to the best of my ability. The pain wasn't constant but would pop up randomly and was definitely there.
Now let's fast forward a bit. My thyroid started to become a huge issue - as you know that's dealt with now. I'm finally feeling like things are looking up all around. When I exercise I get pain in my hips, my hips are always the problem for me. But with regular chiropractic care that seems to help a lot.
People who are like me and have multiple issues with health have to deal with things one at a time.....there is so much going on that we just have to pick one thing to handle......it's taken me 5 yrs to get a handle on everything and the last thing to deal with is my weight......since getting sick 5 yrs ago I've gained 65 lbs - SIXTY FIVE POUNDS! That's 13# a year, which doesn't seem like a lot but year after year it added up to where I am now. I think my thyroid, laying in bed, having no energy, eating on the go and fast food is definitely to blame......my lack of motivation to do anything about it and lack of knowing what to do about it too. It seemed like such a huge feat to try to lose it all,,,,,,,,and I didn't know where to even begin. Getting to the gym was not an option because I had no energy....none. Cooking healthy didn't happen, no energy. Ordering pizza, getting subway or other fast food was easy, so that's pretty much what we did.
Everything started to change when a friend of mine introduced me to a company that is focused on lifestyle, weight loss and fitness. I researched this until I was blue in the face as I didn't want another scam or gimmick to deal with. I didn't want to waste money or time that I didn't have. I've tried it all, believe me. There are so many out there, so many that don't work that I wasn't about to take a chance on another failure. Honestly, it's taken me a couple years to really get on board with this and already in just a couple months I'm down 14 lbs, feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember, my skin issues are clearing up and I have energy - yes energy! I want to scream from the mountain tops. Here is a little video that tells you about it.
I'll be 100% honest - I've done the challenge before and lost some weight then as well (2013) but I was still dealing with stress and my illnesses and didn't really give my lifestyle, ways of looking at food and eating the attention I should have. I wasn't eating right and wasn't sticking to a better eating plan. Because of that, I gained back what I lost initially. As would anyone who goes back to eating out, fast food, sugars and all the processed crap that is in our face everyday. It takes some effort to eat better than that. It's a lifestyle change and that takes time and energy I just didn't have to give. Be honest, it's easier to stay the same and not work on betting ourselves UNTIL we hit that point that we know something has to be done. I'm on TWO medications for the rest of my life - Synthroid for my thryoid and Effexor because #1 the withdrawls to come off it will send me in a downward spiral I'm not willing to endure and #2 it was the only thing that helped my hip pain. Not bad for someone who has all the chronic illnesses I have.
I've been on this challenge now for 2 months and I'm down 14 lbs and 10 inches overall. I'm feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember. I have energy to do things with my kids and husband.....I'm starting to work out at the gym - WHAT? Yes, working out at the gym! This is a new me that I'm loving! At the rate I'm going, I expect I'll be down to the size I was 5 yrs ago PRE-ILLNESS by mid 2016, maybe even sooner. And it doesn't end there! Once I'm down to where I began I plan on maintaining that with my new lifestyle and living the life I only dreamed I could! Do I avoid going out to eat, NO....Do I get to enjoy treats time to time - absolutely! Is it hard? Sometimes but those are the times that I have to be strong and remember WHY I'm doing what I am.
Remember, I have always said that I started this blog and share information in hopes that I can help someone which is ultimately exactly what I want to do. If I can help someone change their life and circumstances then I have succeeded in my mission. This is no different. I know there are people out there who have struggled with weight gain and an inability to lose it for whatever reason. Just like me, it seems that no matter what you do, aside from starving yourself, you can't lose the weight. I've always said if I even look at a piece of cake I gain 10lbs - because that is how I really felt. I struggled to control my cravings and didn't even try to have will power when faced with an opportunity to have cookies, cake, ice cream, pizza, burgers - all the good stuff that isn't so good in the long run. Right now, I can walk away from it all - because I'm seeing how much better I feel without it. Even without going to the gym I'm losing the weight just from changing the way I'm eating.
If you are reading this now - congratulations for sticking it out! I know this is long but I have so much to say - I could continue but this is enough for now. I'm just so excited about where this long journey has taken me and where it will continue to take me. I'm sure I will have set backs, we all do...I'm not perfect and the healing process is long - we all have to remember how long it took us to get where we are and allow the time to change ourselves inside and out.
I encourage anyone out there to reach out to me to talk if you want some guidance - that's why I'm here - my mission is to help anyone and everyone who is ready for change in their life, suffering from illness and ready to do something and make changes. I've taken the journey and am still on it....
Until next time - to your health - xoxoxoxo
So, the summer break is coming to a screeching halt as school in my area starts back up on Monday. That means I go back to work too. BOO on that but hey, it's my job to be there for the kids and that's what I'll be doing! Seems like the summer break just went way too fast this year! We were busy with my surgery, volleyball, and trips so that's most likely why it seems to have gone so fast - tooo fast! I guess though when you are living life instead of watching it pass you by it does go quickly!
This update is going to be chalk full of a lot of great things so I hope you will continue to read. For starters, I saw my Endocrinologist last week for blood work - I am axiously awaiting those results. My thryoid levels, Vitamin D and calcium levels. I'm expecting that they will be great based on how I'm feeling.
As I sit here today, I realized that about 5 years ago exactly is when I first became the sickest I've ever been. As you know, I've been pretty sick at times in my life but this time, my life was changed in so many ways. Initially the changes were not good and the things that were to come over the course of the following year were the worst of the worst for me and my family. Some of the things that happened, I've never talked about because it was/is too personal and painful.......we were at our worst financially, emotionally, and for me, physically with illness that seemed like it would never get better. Early on, before being diagnosed with FMS, I honestly in my heart thought I was going to die. That alone is the scariest feeling to have. Initially, all I could do was lay in bed, sleep and go to Dr's to try to figure out what in the world was going on.
My first diagnosis was bronchitis, then pnemonia......then everything else started happening....migraines, vertigo, terrible pain in my legs and hips that was 100% unexplainable. I saw neurologists, had cat scans, MRI, blood draws, chiropractic care - you name it and NOTHING seemed to help and there were no results from the tests. I began to feel like I was crazy and I think the Dr's thought so too! None of them could make sense of what I was going through. I finally recovered from the bronchial issues but had a migraine and vertigo for 3 months straight - the meds the neurologist put me on helped some but the migraine would come back. The vertigo was just there constantly and the pain in my legs and hips never let up. I could barely walk by myself let alone get out of bed and function. It was the literal rock bottom, the worst. That December of 2010 I finally ended up seeing a Rheumatologist who was the one to diagnose me with FMS. I was SO relieved to have an answer even though I had no clue what it would mean for me. Initially he put me on a medication, I can't recall what but it didn't help so I stopped taking it. We decided at my next visit to just increase the antidepressant that I was on - Effexor - as that was also known to help with FMS pain at higher doses. So he doubled it and within a day the pain in my legs vanished!! PROGRESS! Slowly over the course of another few months I was feeling well enough to be out of bed and sit in "my chair"......that is when I started doing mad research on Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (which I had been diagnosed with many years prior) Lupus (which I suspected I had due to the tell-tell rash I always got on my face), Lyme disease which was suspect due to all my symptoms and life history of illness........and I started my blog to document all the stuff I was finding. I began to think that if I could help even just one other person that it would all be worth it because NOBODY deserves to live like I was......and I now know that way too many people do!
So that is, in a nutshell, the beginning of my story and journey. I started looking for natural ways to heal myself - I knew that I couldn't live like that forever and I had a family to take care of. I was in search of natural ways to heal myself because I knew I couldn't be on pain killers and medications for the rest of my life. I started juicing, was contemplating going to the Mayo Clinic for help but ended up finding a Dr about an hour away that dealt primarily in FMS. I began seeing him 1x a week for a year. My treatment included acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care. One of the first things he did was a blood panel that looked at all my micronutrients - come to find out I was depleted of all my antioxidants so I immediately started on them all - I must of been taking 10-15 different supplements - it's all in previous blog posts with pictures....seriously crazy stuff. After going 1x a week for 6 months I started to feel somewhat normal again - seriously relieved that I could drive and function on a somewhat normal level but I still didn't feel "normal" whatever that was.
After a year of driving an hour each way to see this Dr I found a local chiropractor who specialized in chronic illness, specifically FMS so I started to see him. Now that I was feeling so much better I felt that change could happen. He did a follow up on the blood work and this time all my levels were good. So I was able to stop taking the multiple pills and go down to about 5 different vitamins. I saw him weekly as well to keep my spinal health in good condition and had him do acupuncture on me as needed.
Slowly I was feeling better......my business that I had for 12 years leading up to this was gone...since I couldn't work to save my life......other things we had were gone......but my life was moving on. Don't get me wrong, I was still having pain, fatigued beyond belief but I was out of bed and functioning to the best of my ability. The pain wasn't constant but would pop up randomly and was definitely there.
Now let's fast forward a bit. My thyroid started to become a huge issue - as you know that's dealt with now. I'm finally feeling like things are looking up all around. When I exercise I get pain in my hips, my hips are always the problem for me. But with regular chiropractic care that seems to help a lot.
People who are like me and have multiple issues with health have to deal with things one at a time.....there is so much going on that we just have to pick one thing to handle......it's taken me 5 yrs to get a handle on everything and the last thing to deal with is my weight......since getting sick 5 yrs ago I've gained 65 lbs - SIXTY FIVE POUNDS! That's 13# a year, which doesn't seem like a lot but year after year it added up to where I am now. I think my thyroid, laying in bed, having no energy, eating on the go and fast food is definitely to blame......my lack of motivation to do anything about it and lack of knowing what to do about it too. It seemed like such a huge feat to try to lose it all,,,,,,,,and I didn't know where to even begin. Getting to the gym was not an option because I had no energy....none. Cooking healthy didn't happen, no energy. Ordering pizza, getting subway or other fast food was easy, so that's pretty much what we did.
Everything started to change when a friend of mine introduced me to a company that is focused on lifestyle, weight loss and fitness. I researched this until I was blue in the face as I didn't want another scam or gimmick to deal with. I didn't want to waste money or time that I didn't have. I've tried it all, believe me. There are so many out there, so many that don't work that I wasn't about to take a chance on another failure. Honestly, it's taken me a couple years to really get on board with this and already in just a couple months I'm down 14 lbs, feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember, my skin issues are clearing up and I have energy - yes energy! I want to scream from the mountain tops. Here is a little video that tells you about it.
If this video doesn't play you can also view it here - just click on the first video
I'll be 100% honest - I've done the challenge before and lost some weight then as well (2013) but I was still dealing with stress and my illnesses and didn't really give my lifestyle, ways of looking at food and eating the attention I should have. I wasn't eating right and wasn't sticking to a better eating plan. Because of that, I gained back what I lost initially. As would anyone who goes back to eating out, fast food, sugars and all the processed crap that is in our face everyday. It takes some effort to eat better than that. It's a lifestyle change and that takes time and energy I just didn't have to give. Be honest, it's easier to stay the same and not work on betting ourselves UNTIL we hit that point that we know something has to be done. I'm on TWO medications for the rest of my life - Synthroid for my thryoid and Effexor because #1 the withdrawls to come off it will send me in a downward spiral I'm not willing to endure and #2 it was the only thing that helped my hip pain. Not bad for someone who has all the chronic illnesses I have.
I've been on this challenge now for 2 months and I'm down 14 lbs and 10 inches overall. I'm feeling the best I've felt in as long as I can remember. I have energy to do things with my kids and husband.....I'm starting to work out at the gym - WHAT? Yes, working out at the gym! This is a new me that I'm loving! At the rate I'm going, I expect I'll be down to the size I was 5 yrs ago PRE-ILLNESS by mid 2016, maybe even sooner. And it doesn't end there! Once I'm down to where I began I plan on maintaining that with my new lifestyle and living the life I only dreamed I could! Do I avoid going out to eat, NO....Do I get to enjoy treats time to time - absolutely! Is it hard? Sometimes but those are the times that I have to be strong and remember WHY I'm doing what I am.
Remember, I have always said that I started this blog and share information in hopes that I can help someone which is ultimately exactly what I want to do. If I can help someone change their life and circumstances then I have succeeded in my mission. This is no different. I know there are people out there who have struggled with weight gain and an inability to lose it for whatever reason. Just like me, it seems that no matter what you do, aside from starving yourself, you can't lose the weight. I've always said if I even look at a piece of cake I gain 10lbs - because that is how I really felt. I struggled to control my cravings and didn't even try to have will power when faced with an opportunity to have cookies, cake, ice cream, pizza, burgers - all the good stuff that isn't so good in the long run. Right now, I can walk away from it all - because I'm seeing how much better I feel without it. Even without going to the gym I'm losing the weight just from changing the way I'm eating.
If you are reading this now - congratulations for sticking it out! I know this is long but I have so much to say - I could continue but this is enough for now. I'm just so excited about where this long journey has taken me and where it will continue to take me. I'm sure I will have set backs, we all do...I'm not perfect and the healing process is long - we all have to remember how long it took us to get where we are and allow the time to change ourselves inside and out.
I encourage anyone out there to reach out to me to talk if you want some guidance - that's why I'm here - my mission is to help anyone and everyone who is ready for change in their life, suffering from illness and ready to do something and make changes. I've taken the journey and am still on it....
Until next time - to your health - xoxoxoxo
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Seems like nothing has changed but when you look back, everything has changed updates for June, July, August, Sept, Oct, Nov.....
Greetings friends! Has it REALLY been since MAY that I've updated my blog?? UGH I'm terrible I know! So here comes a big update on what's been going on........
June, July and August proved to be busy with the kids and their variety of events. School was out for the summer and that meant daily volleyball practice, camps and games. That in itself keeps me on my toes. We spent nearly everyday at the school for volleyball and a couple times went on trips related to the school volleyball program. My daughter has such amazing dedication to the sport.
In July I tried to start exercising again- I was doing great for the first week, walking 3 miles a day on the treadmill at the gym. I set out to try and be more active, try to drop a few pounds, if nothing else, just walking a bit. After a week of doing this I was in so much pain and I couldn't walk! I ended up at my chiropractor, IN TEARS because of the pain in my hips. My right hip was the worst, with burning pain and literally every time I took a step it felt like it was locked up - it was terrible! I had some acupuncture, some cold laser therapy and an incredibly painful adjustment on the first visit. It felt so much better after that, I could actually walk out on my own with much less pain. After two days of this treatment I was so much better but you better bet I wasn't getting back on that treadmill!! FORGET THAT SHIT! I continued with this course of treatment for 3 days and the pain was finally gone. The Dr said it was my bursis in my hip flaring up from lack of use to sudden over use - whatever, I wasn't doing it again!
August 12th school started up again which also meant I went back to work with the kids going back to school. I love having the same schedule as the kids during the year and the summer off to be with them. Even though the pay working at a school is crappy, it's better than nothing and gives me a schedule to follow, otherwise I would literally not do much of anything day in and day out - that I know! It's hard sometimes to get up and go to work, really hard, but I do it because I know it's what I need, not only for the income I do get but for the schedule to follow.
September was a non-eventful month just getting back into the swing of a normal schedule everyday. I was extra tired trying to get back to waking up early and working all day but that's nothing new really, I don't think I ever really get use to it. Still not exercising - can't take the chance of having a major flare like I did in August - oh god that was awful! We are looking forward to a trip in October for fall break.
October we took a trip over fall break to California. We've been really looking forward to this. We planned to see family. We went and saw my husbands mom for a few days and then went to visit my dad as well as my sister and her family in Palm Springs. It was so great to see everyone and the kids. We all live in different areas so we don't get to see each other but maybe once a year. That's the drawback of living so far away from family. I am in Colorado with my family, my sister is in California with her family, my husbands family is in California (1 brother in Colorado but 8 hrs away) and my dad is in Oklahoma. So as you can see we are all spread out.
We were able to get some family pictures done while we were all together and that was wonderful.
Pretty good looking group if I do say so myself! I'm in the yellow shirt next to my handsome hubby in the blue - my son is in the light yellow shirt and my beautiful daughter is holding her baby cousin.
November to current
Thanksgiving was great, I cooked a nice meal with the help of my daughter. It was just us 4 but we had a feast and enough to feed us for another week to come!! I need to learn to cook a little less on holidays! Now it's that time of year again, the holidays are upon us. For some of us this is a time of great fun, visiting with friends and family and going to party after party......... and for others it's a reminder that we aren't what we use to be.
I use to go shopping, now I shop online for 99% of the gifts I give....I can't physically go to the store and be on my feet for hours on end walking around browsing and picking out that perfect item....I use to attend many parties during the months of November and December...now I simply have to RSVP a NO because I really don't have the energy to smile and be "merry" for several hours at a time...Trust me when I say it's not because I don't want to or that I don't enjoy the company, it's not even close to that.....it's because my body just won't handle it and I'll end up paying for it for days to follow with pain and exhaustion. It's just who I am now and I have to accept this as my reality. As I like to say "It is what it is"...........it's been and has, more than ever, become my life motto.
I know I've been terrible at keeping my entries current and for that I am truly sorry - I really need to figure out how to just get it done......honestly after I am done working each day I am just so exhausted to do much of anything. I'm sure the words "I'm tired" are over used in my home by me and my family is sick of hearing it, but it's true. I'm always tired, exhausted actually. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has ruined me. I've dealt with the CFS longer than I have the Fibromyalgia (FMS) but the two combined is a doozy as you may know or can just imagine.
I have yet to find anything, natural or otherwise, that gives me any kind of good, long lasting energy or the feeling that I can take on my days without the lingering feeling of pure exhaustion. I did take Adderall XR for many years but it took a toll on me and my goal is to be off all RX medications and only treat my conditions as naturally as possible. It's really turning out to be difficult. I've tried everything I'm aware of that's out there. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe my body is just not "normal" and doesn't respond to traditional things. Vitamin B12 does nothing for me - I've tried regular injections with no luck. My chiropractor couldn't believe that I really had no luck with the weekly injections over a course of 5 weeks. Nope, nada.......abnormal response for most people
If anyone out there knows of something that could be helpful, I'm always willing to try if I haven't already. I really feel desperate at times. Along with the lack of energy comes a little weight gain because of the lack of motion. I could, if life with 2 teens allowed, sit in my recliner day in and day out, only getting up to eat, visit the bathroom and maybe get a drink. It's really sad for a 44 y/o to feel and act like a 94 y/o day in and out. I do my best with the cards I've been dealt.
As for my pain related to FMS....it's always been primarily in my hips, That's where it started and that's where it pops up the most. As I shared from August, I had a terrible flare from exercising and it was in my hips. My lower back and shoulders also have flares. The most common thing I'm dealing with now is numbness and tingling in my right arm and hand. At times the nerve that runs down the arm feels like it's on fire and that is just miserable. Aside from those things I'm doing ok, the exhaustion from CFS seems to be worse now than the FMS but both are ever present, every day.
I still see my chiropractor every week when possible, in reality though it's more like every 2 weeks when I'm feeling well enough. Without those treatments I don't think I would be in very good shape. Adjustments really help so much. More than anything else I've tried, keeping my body "straight" with regular adjustments seems to be the best treatment for ME. I highly recommend you give it a try if you aren't having any relief of your FMS pain. Find a good Chiropractor who is familiar with FMS and can effectively treat you. It's worth it!
I'm looking forward to a 2 week break coming up. December 19th - January 3rd is our "winter break" - we will of course be celebrating Christmas and New Years during that time. I'm most likely going to cook a nice meal for Christmas - probably just a ham, mac and cheese and salad. Nothing too terribly extravagant. My family will go to The Outback Steak House on Christmas Eve - it's a tradition we started a few years ago instead of cooking a big meal at home. I like having someone else do all the work and clean up! Since it's just the 4 of us, it really makes sense.
I hope this update finds you well and coping well. I know some might be having a hard time and I sincerely hope you find relief for yourself. If there is any advice I could give it would be to not give up on finding what helps you! Since FMS effects everyone so differently, you need to find what helps you - I know that what I suggest might not be your thing, I just know it's helped me get as much of my life back as possible and I will continue to search for more until I feel that I've exhausted every avenue.
I am going to leave you with a recent article I found - To your health and until next time!
FMS linked with Coronary Heart Disease
I find the above article interesting. I have heart palpitations pretty regularly but my Dr has never been too concerned about it. I also have family history of heart disease so I suspect as I get older I will start having regular heart check-ups to make sure my heart is not misbehaving.
June, July and August proved to be busy with the kids and their variety of events. School was out for the summer and that meant daily volleyball practice, camps and games. That in itself keeps me on my toes. We spent nearly everyday at the school for volleyball and a couple times went on trips related to the school volleyball program. My daughter has such amazing dedication to the sport.
In July I tried to start exercising again- I was doing great for the first week, walking 3 miles a day on the treadmill at the gym. I set out to try and be more active, try to drop a few pounds, if nothing else, just walking a bit. After a week of doing this I was in so much pain and I couldn't walk! I ended up at my chiropractor, IN TEARS because of the pain in my hips. My right hip was the worst, with burning pain and literally every time I took a step it felt like it was locked up - it was terrible! I had some acupuncture, some cold laser therapy and an incredibly painful adjustment on the first visit. It felt so much better after that, I could actually walk out on my own with much less pain. After two days of this treatment I was so much better but you better bet I wasn't getting back on that treadmill!! FORGET THAT SHIT! I continued with this course of treatment for 3 days and the pain was finally gone. The Dr said it was my bursis in my hip flaring up from lack of use to sudden over use - whatever, I wasn't doing it again!
August 12th school started up again which also meant I went back to work with the kids going back to school. I love having the same schedule as the kids during the year and the summer off to be with them. Even though the pay working at a school is crappy, it's better than nothing and gives me a schedule to follow, otherwise I would literally not do much of anything day in and day out - that I know! It's hard sometimes to get up and go to work, really hard, but I do it because I know it's what I need, not only for the income I do get but for the schedule to follow.
September was a non-eventful month just getting back into the swing of a normal schedule everyday. I was extra tired trying to get back to waking up early and working all day but that's nothing new really, I don't think I ever really get use to it. Still not exercising - can't take the chance of having a major flare like I did in August - oh god that was awful! We are looking forward to a trip in October for fall break.
October we took a trip over fall break to California. We've been really looking forward to this. We planned to see family. We went and saw my husbands mom for a few days and then went to visit my dad as well as my sister and her family in Palm Springs. It was so great to see everyone and the kids. We all live in different areas so we don't get to see each other but maybe once a year. That's the drawback of living so far away from family. I am in Colorado with my family, my sister is in California with her family, my husbands family is in California (1 brother in Colorado but 8 hrs away) and my dad is in Oklahoma. So as you can see we are all spread out.
We were able to get some family pictures done while we were all together and that was wonderful.
Pretty good looking group if I do say so myself! I'm in the yellow shirt next to my handsome hubby in the blue - my son is in the light yellow shirt and my beautiful daughter is holding her baby cousin.
November to current
Thanksgiving was great, I cooked a nice meal with the help of my daughter. It was just us 4 but we had a feast and enough to feed us for another week to come!! I need to learn to cook a little less on holidays! Now it's that time of year again, the holidays are upon us. For some of us this is a time of great fun, visiting with friends and family and going to party after party......... and for others it's a reminder that we aren't what we use to be.
I use to go shopping, now I shop online for 99% of the gifts I give....I can't physically go to the store and be on my feet for hours on end walking around browsing and picking out that perfect item....I use to attend many parties during the months of November and December...now I simply have to RSVP a NO because I really don't have the energy to smile and be "merry" for several hours at a time...Trust me when I say it's not because I don't want to or that I don't enjoy the company, it's not even close to that.....it's because my body just won't handle it and I'll end up paying for it for days to follow with pain and exhaustion. It's just who I am now and I have to accept this as my reality. As I like to say "It is what it is"...........it's been and has, more than ever, become my life motto.
I know I've been terrible at keeping my entries current and for that I am truly sorry - I really need to figure out how to just get it done......honestly after I am done working each day I am just so exhausted to do much of anything. I'm sure the words "I'm tired" are over used in my home by me and my family is sick of hearing it, but it's true. I'm always tired, exhausted actually. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has ruined me. I've dealt with the CFS longer than I have the Fibromyalgia (FMS) but the two combined is a doozy as you may know or can just imagine.
I have yet to find anything, natural or otherwise, that gives me any kind of good, long lasting energy or the feeling that I can take on my days without the lingering feeling of pure exhaustion. I did take Adderall XR for many years but it took a toll on me and my goal is to be off all RX medications and only treat my conditions as naturally as possible. It's really turning out to be difficult. I've tried everything I'm aware of that's out there. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe my body is just not "normal" and doesn't respond to traditional things. Vitamin B12 does nothing for me - I've tried regular injections with no luck. My chiropractor couldn't believe that I really had no luck with the weekly injections over a course of 5 weeks. Nope, nada.......abnormal response for most people
If anyone out there knows of something that could be helpful, I'm always willing to try if I haven't already. I really feel desperate at times. Along with the lack of energy comes a little weight gain because of the lack of motion. I could, if life with 2 teens allowed, sit in my recliner day in and day out, only getting up to eat, visit the bathroom and maybe get a drink. It's really sad for a 44 y/o to feel and act like a 94 y/o day in and out. I do my best with the cards I've been dealt.
As for my pain related to FMS....it's always been primarily in my hips, That's where it started and that's where it pops up the most. As I shared from August, I had a terrible flare from exercising and it was in my hips. My lower back and shoulders also have flares. The most common thing I'm dealing with now is numbness and tingling in my right arm and hand. At times the nerve that runs down the arm feels like it's on fire and that is just miserable. Aside from those things I'm doing ok, the exhaustion from CFS seems to be worse now than the FMS but both are ever present, every day.
I still see my chiropractor every week when possible, in reality though it's more like every 2 weeks when I'm feeling well enough. Without those treatments I don't think I would be in very good shape. Adjustments really help so much. More than anything else I've tried, keeping my body "straight" with regular adjustments seems to be the best treatment for ME. I highly recommend you give it a try if you aren't having any relief of your FMS pain. Find a good Chiropractor who is familiar with FMS and can effectively treat you. It's worth it!
I'm looking forward to a 2 week break coming up. December 19th - January 3rd is our "winter break" - we will of course be celebrating Christmas and New Years during that time. I'm most likely going to cook a nice meal for Christmas - probably just a ham, mac and cheese and salad. Nothing too terribly extravagant. My family will go to The Outback Steak House on Christmas Eve - it's a tradition we started a few years ago instead of cooking a big meal at home. I like having someone else do all the work and clean up! Since it's just the 4 of us, it really makes sense.
I hope this update finds you well and coping well. I know some might be having a hard time and I sincerely hope you find relief for yourself. If there is any advice I could give it would be to not give up on finding what helps you! Since FMS effects everyone so differently, you need to find what helps you - I know that what I suggest might not be your thing, I just know it's helped me get as much of my life back as possible and I will continue to search for more until I feel that I've exhausted every avenue.
I am going to leave you with a recent article I found - To your health and until next time!
FMS linked with Coronary Heart Disease
I find the above article interesting. I have heart palpitations pretty regularly but my Dr has never been too concerned about it. I also have family history of heart disease so I suspect as I get older I will start having regular heart check-ups to make sure my heart is not misbehaving.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Let's visit this FMS and Herpes connection again shall we?
So if you recall in my last post I included an article I had found that shows a potential link between FMS and HSV. If you need to refresh yourself on that article, you can do so by clicking HERE - then let's dig a little deeper into this connection and see what we find.
Naturally, I've been doing some research of my own and think that this article has a lot to it and that this . I have EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) which is also known as human Herpesvirus 4. EBV is also linked to Chronic Fatigue - hmmmm interesting, I have that too. EBV can also cause infectious mononucleosis - another interesting thing, I was diagnosed with Mono when I was 16 - seeing the dots connect yet? Mono and EBV, the two seem to go hand in hand. Funny thing though, once you have it, you NEVER ever get rid of it. It lurks and can cause havoc on your body at any given time. Sound familiar? Boy it sure does to me!
So we know there is a link between EBV, HSV, CFS and Mono.....where does FMS come into play? I wonder if because of all the other things, FMS and the pain we experience is just another part of the Herpes virus boring away at our nerve ganglia which in turn causes our unexplained pain all over our bodies....something to consider as a real possibility.
See what happens when I have too much time on my hands? I start posting to my blog and researching things which leads me in all kinds of directions!
On a side note, please, please look at this product I've talked about PowerStrips - it works and the results are incredible! I've been enjoying pain free living since finding it and hope to help others who suffer from pain with this simple system.
Until next time - to your health!!!
Gerri
Naturally, I've been doing some research of my own and think that this article has a lot to it and that this . I have EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) which is also known as human Herpesvirus 4. EBV is also linked to Chronic Fatigue - hmmmm interesting, I have that too. EBV can also cause infectious mononucleosis - another interesting thing, I was diagnosed with Mono when I was 16 - seeing the dots connect yet? Mono and EBV, the two seem to go hand in hand. Funny thing though, once you have it, you NEVER ever get rid of it. It lurks and can cause havoc on your body at any given time. Sound familiar? Boy it sure does to me!
So we know there is a link between EBV, HSV, CFS and Mono.....where does FMS come into play? I wonder if because of all the other things, FMS and the pain we experience is just another part of the Herpes virus boring away at our nerve ganglia which in turn causes our unexplained pain all over our bodies....something to consider as a real possibility.
See what happens when I have too much time on my hands? I start posting to my blog and researching things which leads me in all kinds of directions!
On a side note, please, please look at this product I've talked about PowerStrips - it works and the results are incredible! I've been enjoying pain free living since finding it and hope to help others who suffer from pain with this simple system.
Until next time - to your health!!!
Gerri
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Interesting study on FMS and HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus)
My entire purpose of starting this blog is to keep my own research someplace that I can refer back to and reflect on. Another reason was to hopefully touch the lives of others who may find themselves in a similar situation as I did about 4 yrs ago - sick with no answers! It's not a fun place to be and actually a very desperate place to find yourself.
Over the course of time as I started to feel better and become more active in my own life I slowly stopped posting things to my blog - this was not intentional, just an oversight as life gets busy.
My goal right now is to keep up on this blog, continuing to add beneficial information that I have found online myself or that was sent to me. I hope to be a source of information to those out there who seek it and to keep those who wish to be kept up to date on how I'm doing with my own struggles.
Today I read an article that I found quite interesting. As anyone who suffers from FMS, CFS, and other chronic issues we don't really have any answers but all these studies being done touch on the POSSIBLE - they still have a long way to go to be proven or to even have a remedy that will work. It's a sad place to be, looking in on these things with the hope that someday in our lifetime they will find something to help us - until then, we carry on, trying new things until we find something that works well enough.
You can read the article HERE
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Over the course of time as I started to feel better and become more active in my own life I slowly stopped posting things to my blog - this was not intentional, just an oversight as life gets busy.
My goal right now is to keep up on this blog, continuing to add beneficial information that I have found online myself or that was sent to me. I hope to be a source of information to those out there who seek it and to keep those who wish to be kept up to date on how I'm doing with my own struggles.
Today I read an article that I found quite interesting. As anyone who suffers from FMS, CFS, and other chronic issues we don't really have any answers but all these studies being done touch on the POSSIBLE - they still have a long way to go to be proven or to even have a remedy that will work. It's a sad place to be, looking in on these things with the hope that someday in our lifetime they will find something to help us - until then, we carry on, trying new things until we find something that works well enough.
You can read the article HERE
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Thursday, March 27, 2014
I just stumbled across this interesting information - a must read for every CFS/ME/FMS sufferer......
Study on THIAMINE (B-1)
I just read this information and am inclined to run out and get some B-1 in high doses and give it a try - can't hurt right?
To your health!
Gerri
I just read this information and am inclined to run out and get some B-1 in high doses and give it a try - can't hurt right?
To your health!
Gerri
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Spring Break time, family time, VOLLEYBALL and me.......
So here I thought it's been a few weeks since I've posted and when I looked I realize it's been a month already - sheesh. Things are "Status quo" with nothing really "new" to report. Well, one thing is new, my sister had her 2nd baby! So we have a new family member, Ms Audrey Rose Gordon. She is precious of course!
As most of you know I'm always on the look out for new and great things that will help with CFS/ME, Lupus and FMS symptoms. Well I have recently found a product and I want to tell you about it because I'm excited about it's potential. It's called "Aloha" - basically it's a dried green juice powder! SHUT UP! I literally was just thinking about how I wish there was a product that would give the benefits of juicing in a much easier form such as a powder or pre-made but good drink that was affordable....I know, I know, in my dreams! Or at least I thought! Then I see an ad on Facebook pop up one day that caught my eye - it was EXACTLY what I had been thinking about - weird I know!
They appear to be a relatively new company and the product is exactly what I've been looking for. I was able to get a sample of it and so far have found it to be just as good as it seems. I mix the powder into my daily protein smoothie because on it's own it's quite harsh tasting! I made the mistake of mixing it with just water when I first got it - ACK - I drank it but man, I won't make that mistake again! If you have ever had spirulina straight, that is exactly what it reminds me of - but I find mixing it with my smoothie drowns out the strong taste and it's palatable. I'm always looking for ways to easily incorporate lots of vegetables and goodness into my daily diet and this seems like a great way to do just that without the time/money/mess it takes to juice all the same things (and then some). Don't get me wrong, I love juicing and all the amazing health benefits but it is just too time consuming for me to do it on a regular basis anymore. For the same cost, if not less, I can get the same benefits out of a package of dried juice - easy, fast and most of all convenient. Check it out here Aloha - The Daily Good. As anyone who is dealing with the affliction of a chronic illness knows, the more good stuff we can put into our bodies, the better off we are all around. I really encourage you to check it out if you are like me and want to put the good things in but just don't have the time and energy to juice 3x or more a day. With this, you take it once a day and you are good to go. There are 14 organic ingredients that promise to help detoxify, energize, hydrate and best of all BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM function! The process they use to dry the ingredients doesn't take away the nutrients or fiber which a lot of the time juicing does - so there is another bonus! I've been using it just for a few days now so I can't honestly report anything over the top with it but I do plan on continuing to use it for the internal benefits I believe it will deliver. A strong immune system is a huge plus for me. I can also say I have noticed a temporary increase in my energy when I take it so that is always of course a huge plus!
In other news, it's spring break for myself and my kids - very much needed I might add! I was thoroughly exhausted by the time it came along. Last Friday was the first day and honestly I haven't done a whole lot since. We did have an all day volleyball tournament on Sunday, but aside from that I've pretty much been a lazy lounger......of course I'm still keeping my normal schedule of going to be around 8 or 9pm but I'm able to sleep in past 5:30 am which has been nice. I'm finding myself getting up around 8am, still tired but unable to sleep any longer. I also have been noticing I wake up a lot at night, which isn't uncommon and surely part of why I'm always so tired, I'm not getting restful sleep.
So I wonder how many of you feel like I do - lazy. I often feel like my illness has made me very "lazy" for lack of a better term - I feel lazy because I just don't want to do ANYTHING most of the time. It makes me feel bad because I know I "should" be outside enjoying the nice weather, exercising, taking the kids out to do things etc.......so I start to get on myself and negative thinking hits. I can sit here all day in my PJ's - easy. So I wonder, is it just me being LAZY or is it truly because it's not often that I get to do it and when the opportunity shows itself I'm all over it? Am I lazy? Some would say YES. I on the other hand am not sure at this point. While I know I'm chronically sick, it's hard to convince even myself at times.
Volleyball is coming to an end soon - this has kept us very busy and on the go most of the time. With 3-4 practices a week and an all day "power" each Sunday we find very little time to do much else. Early mornings and late nights tend to be our M.O. during the club season. As of May there will be a little break in the action before the summer camps start up with the school. My daughter loves the sport and we are so blessed to be able to give her the opportunity to play for a club and in school as well as the countless other things she gets invited to do. My husband and I love watching her too. Our son on the other hand, not so much. He isn't a big fan of noises so volleyball is really something that stresses him out. With his sensory issues it's not the most accommodating sport for him.
Now I have a question for those of you with CFS/ME and/or FMS. What strategies have you found work for you to keep you in a good place with your illness and struggles that come with it? I feel like I do all the "right" things most of the time but still find myself very tired - some days more than others. Some days it's very hard to get myself through and I can't wait to get home and collapse in my rocking chair/recliner. I'm just curious what methods or things you do that keep you on top of your illness and what things you find make you crash and burn?? Thanks in advance for sharing as I know it can be a very personal thing.
Personally, I find that every day is so different from the last, especially dependent on what I did or didn't do for myself. Things we put into our bodies will effect how we feel in the near and sometimes not so near future. I find it hard to stay away from sugary things though, which for me is a downfall as I'm sure that lends to a lot of my symptoms of being extra tired. I also have a very hard time managing my weight NO MATTER WHAT I DO....Since being on the Body By Vi challenge I have found it easier to maintain my weight and I enjoy the fact that I'm getting great nutrients from the protein shakes but I wish I could LOSE weight as effortlessly as it seems others do.
At any rate, I hope this finds you well and enjoying spring! Please send me comments if you have anything to share or say about anything I've put in my blog. Let me know you are out there! I am beginning to feel like I'm writing to a black hole! I'm off to get some laundry done (the never ending pile seems to get bigger by the day) and then spend the evening in the volleyball gym - it is our life for now!
To your health!
Gerri
As most of you know I'm always on the look out for new and great things that will help with CFS/ME, Lupus and FMS symptoms. Well I have recently found a product and I want to tell you about it because I'm excited about it's potential. It's called "Aloha" - basically it's a dried green juice powder! SHUT UP! I literally was just thinking about how I wish there was a product that would give the benefits of juicing in a much easier form such as a powder or pre-made but good drink that was affordable....I know, I know, in my dreams! Or at least I thought! Then I see an ad on Facebook pop up one day that caught my eye - it was EXACTLY what I had been thinking about - weird I know!
They appear to be a relatively new company and the product is exactly what I've been looking for. I was able to get a sample of it and so far have found it to be just as good as it seems. I mix the powder into my daily protein smoothie because on it's own it's quite harsh tasting! I made the mistake of mixing it with just water when I first got it - ACK - I drank it but man, I won't make that mistake again! If you have ever had spirulina straight, that is exactly what it reminds me of - but I find mixing it with my smoothie drowns out the strong taste and it's palatable. I'm always looking for ways to easily incorporate lots of vegetables and goodness into my daily diet and this seems like a great way to do just that without the time/money/mess it takes to juice all the same things (and then some). Don't get me wrong, I love juicing and all the amazing health benefits but it is just too time consuming for me to do it on a regular basis anymore. For the same cost, if not less, I can get the same benefits out of a package of dried juice - easy, fast and most of all convenient. Check it out here Aloha - The Daily Good. As anyone who is dealing with the affliction of a chronic illness knows, the more good stuff we can put into our bodies, the better off we are all around. I really encourage you to check it out if you are like me and want to put the good things in but just don't have the time and energy to juice 3x or more a day. With this, you take it once a day and you are good to go. There are 14 organic ingredients that promise to help detoxify, energize, hydrate and best of all BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM function! The process they use to dry the ingredients doesn't take away the nutrients or fiber which a lot of the time juicing does - so there is another bonus! I've been using it just for a few days now so I can't honestly report anything over the top with it but I do plan on continuing to use it for the internal benefits I believe it will deliver. A strong immune system is a huge plus for me. I can also say I have noticed a temporary increase in my energy when I take it so that is always of course a huge plus!
In other news, it's spring break for myself and my kids - very much needed I might add! I was thoroughly exhausted by the time it came along. Last Friday was the first day and honestly I haven't done a whole lot since. We did have an all day volleyball tournament on Sunday, but aside from that I've pretty much been a lazy lounger......of course I'm still keeping my normal schedule of going to be around 8 or 9pm but I'm able to sleep in past 5:30 am which has been nice. I'm finding myself getting up around 8am, still tired but unable to sleep any longer. I also have been noticing I wake up a lot at night, which isn't uncommon and surely part of why I'm always so tired, I'm not getting restful sleep.
So I wonder how many of you feel like I do - lazy. I often feel like my illness has made me very "lazy" for lack of a better term - I feel lazy because I just don't want to do ANYTHING most of the time. It makes me feel bad because I know I "should" be outside enjoying the nice weather, exercising, taking the kids out to do things etc.......so I start to get on myself and negative thinking hits. I can sit here all day in my PJ's - easy. So I wonder, is it just me being LAZY or is it truly because it's not often that I get to do it and when the opportunity shows itself I'm all over it? Am I lazy? Some would say YES. I on the other hand am not sure at this point. While I know I'm chronically sick, it's hard to convince even myself at times.
Volleyball is coming to an end soon - this has kept us very busy and on the go most of the time. With 3-4 practices a week and an all day "power" each Sunday we find very little time to do much else. Early mornings and late nights tend to be our M.O. during the club season. As of May there will be a little break in the action before the summer camps start up with the school. My daughter loves the sport and we are so blessed to be able to give her the opportunity to play for a club and in school as well as the countless other things she gets invited to do. My husband and I love watching her too. Our son on the other hand, not so much. He isn't a big fan of noises so volleyball is really something that stresses him out. With his sensory issues it's not the most accommodating sport for him.
Now I have a question for those of you with CFS/ME and/or FMS. What strategies have you found work for you to keep you in a good place with your illness and struggles that come with it? I feel like I do all the "right" things most of the time but still find myself very tired - some days more than others. Some days it's very hard to get myself through and I can't wait to get home and collapse in my rocking chair/recliner. I'm just curious what methods or things you do that keep you on top of your illness and what things you find make you crash and burn?? Thanks in advance for sharing as I know it can be a very personal thing.
Personally, I find that every day is so different from the last, especially dependent on what I did or didn't do for myself. Things we put into our bodies will effect how we feel in the near and sometimes not so near future. I find it hard to stay away from sugary things though, which for me is a downfall as I'm sure that lends to a lot of my symptoms of being extra tired. I also have a very hard time managing my weight NO MATTER WHAT I DO....Since being on the Body By Vi challenge I have found it easier to maintain my weight and I enjoy the fact that I'm getting great nutrients from the protein shakes but I wish I could LOSE weight as effortlessly as it seems others do.
At any rate, I hope this finds you well and enjoying spring! Please send me comments if you have anything to share or say about anything I've put in my blog. Let me know you are out there! I am beginning to feel like I'm writing to a black hole! I'm off to get some laundry done (the never ending pile seems to get bigger by the day) and then spend the evening in the volleyball gym - it is our life for now!
To your health!
Gerri
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tired is an understatement
Those of you who suffer from Chronic Fatigue know what I mean. To just say "I'm tired" isn't really giving a good indication of how you really feel. Exhausted is a good word but even that doesn't do it justice.
Quite frankly, I'm tired of being tired! This week my CFS has been in overdrive - I was doing good for quite a while but last week was on the go for several days in a row - late to bed, early to rise and now I'm paying for it with extreme sleepiness even after 9 hrs of sleep for several days in a row this week.
My body aches are present and I just feel out of sorts. I hate this! I hate this disorder, I hate feeling useless and being useless. Hate it all!
This is an interesting article HERE - I might need to find a functional medicine Doctor to get me on back on a good path with a cleanse and immune system treatments.
Has anyone ever done anything like what is mentioned in this article? If so I would love to hear about it!
Quite frankly, I'm tired of being tired! This week my CFS has been in overdrive - I was doing good for quite a while but last week was on the go for several days in a row - late to bed, early to rise and now I'm paying for it with extreme sleepiness even after 9 hrs of sleep for several days in a row this week.
My body aches are present and I just feel out of sorts. I hate this! I hate this disorder, I hate feeling useless and being useless. Hate it all!
This is an interesting article HERE - I might need to find a functional medicine Doctor to get me on back on a good path with a cleanse and immune system treatments.
Has anyone ever done anything like what is mentioned in this article? If so I would love to hear about it!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wow, time sure does fly!
Hello!
I'm still here! I can't believe it's been a few months since I last posted. With the holidays things got crazy and they just haven't slowed down yet. I hope everyone had an incredible Christmas and New Year Celebration!
I'm doing just fine these days. Of course with Fibro, everyday is different and we have "those days" but all in all I am doing great. I really can't complain about the minor set backs because they seem to be few and far between anymore. My chronic fatigue seems to be bothering me more than anything else but I think I've grown accustomed to it and just deal with it. I'm always tired, I always have been as long as I can remember so it's just something I have learned to deal with. On the rare occasion that I don't feel like I haven't slept I feel like what I imagine everyone feels like after a good nights rest. On average I get somewhere between 8-9 hrs of sleep but feel like I have only had 2-3.
I'm still seeing my chiropractor pretty regularly, usually once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks. It's the one thing that keeps me going and I really believe it's the regular adjustments that are keeping my Fibro under control. Now if we could just figure out this Chronic Fatigue I might just feel normal again! Heck, I don't even know what "normal" is.
Speaking of Chronic Fatigue, here is a great article about it - What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? For anyone reading this, it should shed some light on the disorder for you. For those of you who might have it - I think you'll agree with what the article says.
When it comes to symptoms, I tend to have them all most of the time. Below are a set of common symptoms, I've highlighted the ones I have almost constantly:
Symptoms include sore throat, flu like symptoms, problems with balance, sleep problems, dizziness, sweating, muscle and joint pain, un-refreshing sleep, cognitive difficulties, physical and mental exhaustion, tender lymph nodes and headaches. With time the condition gets severe and you could become depressed or have mood swings. I often get dizziness and headaches as well but the ones I highlighted are pretty much a constant in my daily life.
That's about all I have for today - one of my goals this year is to post a little more than I have been and keep you all constantly informed about Fibro and CFS. It took me a really long time to get answers and if you or someone who knows someone who could benefit from it then I've done what I originally set out to do.
I hope this finds you well, happy and enjoying life as much as possible.
Gerri
I'm still here! I can't believe it's been a few months since I last posted. With the holidays things got crazy and they just haven't slowed down yet. I hope everyone had an incredible Christmas and New Year Celebration!
I'm doing just fine these days. Of course with Fibro, everyday is different and we have "those days" but all in all I am doing great. I really can't complain about the minor set backs because they seem to be few and far between anymore. My chronic fatigue seems to be bothering me more than anything else but I think I've grown accustomed to it and just deal with it. I'm always tired, I always have been as long as I can remember so it's just something I have learned to deal with. On the rare occasion that I don't feel like I haven't slept I feel like what I imagine everyone feels like after a good nights rest. On average I get somewhere between 8-9 hrs of sleep but feel like I have only had 2-3.
I'm still seeing my chiropractor pretty regularly, usually once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks. It's the one thing that keeps me going and I really believe it's the regular adjustments that are keeping my Fibro under control. Now if we could just figure out this Chronic Fatigue I might just feel normal again! Heck, I don't even know what "normal" is.
Speaking of Chronic Fatigue, here is a great article about it - What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? For anyone reading this, it should shed some light on the disorder for you. For those of you who might have it - I think you'll agree with what the article says.
When it comes to symptoms, I tend to have them all most of the time. Below are a set of common symptoms, I've highlighted the ones I have almost constantly:
Symptoms include sore throat, flu like symptoms, problems with balance, sleep problems, dizziness, sweating, muscle and joint pain, un-refreshing sleep, cognitive difficulties, physical and mental exhaustion, tender lymph nodes and headaches. With time the condition gets severe and you could become depressed or have mood swings. I often get dizziness and headaches as well but the ones I highlighted are pretty much a constant in my daily life.
That's about all I have for today - one of my goals this year is to post a little more than I have been and keep you all constantly informed about Fibro and CFS. It took me a really long time to get answers and if you or someone who knows someone who could benefit from it then I've done what I originally set out to do.
I hope this finds you well, happy and enjoying life as much as possible.
Gerri
Monday, February 11, 2013
Abundant Nutrition = Abundant Healthy life!
I wanted to share my new find with you all in hopes that you too will find it, get it and use it!
You may have heard of this "Nutribullet" - it's an offshoot of the MagicBullet. This machine is a godsend! It's like a juicer, blender, chopper, dicer all in one compact little machine! You can make soup with it, you can dice veggies with it, you can purify with it - I'm not sure what it can't do! It basically extracts the nutrients from what you put into it so you get more of them in a digestible form. You can also add nuts and seeds to get even more powerful nutrients into your body.
If you've been reading my blog, then you know I love to make fresh juice - over the course of time I have gotten away from juicing due to the sheer hassle of it when you are really busy. From the prep to the clean up I found it was a lot of work and slowly got away from doing it. Unfortunately this means that I was no longer feeding my body with the amazing nutrients that are found in drinking freshly made juices. This also means I am not getting the powerhouse of nutrients that are essential in maintaining my health and keeping my FMS and CFS under control. Through all the research I've done regarding these two conditions, I am beginning to really see the link between nutrition and a healthy body overall. I think with proper nutrition, meaning nutrients in your cells, you can overcome a lot of problems. This isn't to say that all illness is caused by lack of nutrition but I would say that a good majority of problems, especially those that Dr's seem to be unable to pin point a reason for, are due to lack of the right things in your body over a long period of time as well as other factors person to person.
With the Nutribullet there is no major food prep other than the normal cutting, no major clean up as it doesn't leave behind ANY PULP and it takes a max of 10 minutes from start to finish to make a super nutritious smoothie or juice. I'm really excited about this as it allows me to get back on the juices without the time as well as no waste so I feel that I'm getting even more of the goodness that those fruits and veggies provide. I struggled for a long time with all the waste I was throwing away after making juice. I tried to figure out how I could use it but never did - all that vegetable and fruit material just down the trash.
I think juicing is great, please don't get me wrong - and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in it. The NutriBullet I believe is the new generation of juicers. It allows you to make a tasty nutrient rich drink in minutes. It also allows you to consume a lot more vegetables and fruits than you would normally consume in a day. This alone will increase your health with the added benefits. One thing I have found with juicing is that it does make your blood sugar spike from the natural sugars in the items you juice - with this nutribullet you are also getting all the fruit and vegetable materials that will help even out your blood sugar, fill you up and keep you level.
I can't say enough about this compact yet powerful kitchen machine. It's $100 at Bed Bath and Beyond, use the 20% coupon you probably get in the mail and it is even cheaper! It's worth every penny!
I have read some reviews on it that say the machine stops working after about 3 months - so be sure to keep your packaging and receipt handy just in case this happens, then you can return it as faulty and get yourself a new one!
It's been one week now since I've been using this machine, my husband makes himself drinks as do my kids! It is so worth it just to know they are getting good things into their bodies without the hassle of "eat your vegetables" or "make sure you get your fruits in" and whatever else us moms tend to say to our kids to keep them healthy. With the Nutri-Bullet they WANT a smoothie! Maybe not a GREEN one but anything is better than nothing!
For instance, my son LOVES bananas so I make him a smoothie that consists of 1 banana, 8oz milk or soy milk, 1 TBSP banana cream flavor pudding mix and 1 container of banana yogurt - all blended into a rich thick smoothie. You could also use banana flavor extract.
My daughter on the other hand loves Strawberries - so hers is Strawberries, milk and a container of strawberry yogurt and a vitamin rich protein powder if I can get it in there. The yogurt provides the protein and the strawberries are a great source of antioxidants and are actually considered a superfood. They also act as an anti-inflamatory, help fight the onset of Cancer, prevents age related eye problems, full of vitamin C, 1 cup provides 21% Manganese which also helps with bone support.
I'm telling you, if you want to feel great and get your daily dose of vegetables and fruit in your diet, get this machine and give it a shot. You won't be sorry!
If you do get it, please let me know!! I would love to hear from you about it! OR anything else for that matter!
Until next time, stay healthy and happy!
Gerri
You may have heard of this "Nutribullet" - it's an offshoot of the MagicBullet. This machine is a godsend! It's like a juicer, blender, chopper, dicer all in one compact little machine! You can make soup with it, you can dice veggies with it, you can purify with it - I'm not sure what it can't do! It basically extracts the nutrients from what you put into it so you get more of them in a digestible form. You can also add nuts and seeds to get even more powerful nutrients into your body.
If you've been reading my blog, then you know I love to make fresh juice - over the course of time I have gotten away from juicing due to the sheer hassle of it when you are really busy. From the prep to the clean up I found it was a lot of work and slowly got away from doing it. Unfortunately this means that I was no longer feeding my body with the amazing nutrients that are found in drinking freshly made juices. This also means I am not getting the powerhouse of nutrients that are essential in maintaining my health and keeping my FMS and CFS under control. Through all the research I've done regarding these two conditions, I am beginning to really see the link between nutrition and a healthy body overall. I think with proper nutrition, meaning nutrients in your cells, you can overcome a lot of problems. This isn't to say that all illness is caused by lack of nutrition but I would say that a good majority of problems, especially those that Dr's seem to be unable to pin point a reason for, are due to lack of the right things in your body over a long period of time as well as other factors person to person.
With the Nutribullet there is no major food prep other than the normal cutting, no major clean up as it doesn't leave behind ANY PULP and it takes a max of 10 minutes from start to finish to make a super nutritious smoothie or juice. I'm really excited about this as it allows me to get back on the juices without the time as well as no waste so I feel that I'm getting even more of the goodness that those fruits and veggies provide. I struggled for a long time with all the waste I was throwing away after making juice. I tried to figure out how I could use it but never did - all that vegetable and fruit material just down the trash.
I think juicing is great, please don't get me wrong - and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in it. The NutriBullet I believe is the new generation of juicers. It allows you to make a tasty nutrient rich drink in minutes. It also allows you to consume a lot more vegetables and fruits than you would normally consume in a day. This alone will increase your health with the added benefits. One thing I have found with juicing is that it does make your blood sugar spike from the natural sugars in the items you juice - with this nutribullet you are also getting all the fruit and vegetable materials that will help even out your blood sugar, fill you up and keep you level.
I can't say enough about this compact yet powerful kitchen machine. It's $100 at Bed Bath and Beyond, use the 20% coupon you probably get in the mail and it is even cheaper! It's worth every penny!
I have read some reviews on it that say the machine stops working after about 3 months - so be sure to keep your packaging and receipt handy just in case this happens, then you can return it as faulty and get yourself a new one!
It's been one week now since I've been using this machine, my husband makes himself drinks as do my kids! It is so worth it just to know they are getting good things into their bodies without the hassle of "eat your vegetables" or "make sure you get your fruits in" and whatever else us moms tend to say to our kids to keep them healthy. With the Nutri-Bullet they WANT a smoothie! Maybe not a GREEN one but anything is better than nothing!
For instance, my son LOVES bananas so I make him a smoothie that consists of 1 banana, 8oz milk or soy milk, 1 TBSP banana cream flavor pudding mix and 1 container of banana yogurt - all blended into a rich thick smoothie. You could also use banana flavor extract.
My daughter on the other hand loves Strawberries - so hers is Strawberries, milk and a container of strawberry yogurt and a vitamin rich protein powder if I can get it in there. The yogurt provides the protein and the strawberries are a great source of antioxidants and are actually considered a superfood. They also act as an anti-inflamatory, help fight the onset of Cancer, prevents age related eye problems, full of vitamin C, 1 cup provides 21% Manganese which also helps with bone support.
I'm telling you, if you want to feel great and get your daily dose of vegetables and fruit in your diet, get this machine and give it a shot. You won't be sorry!
If you do get it, please let me know!! I would love to hear from you about it! OR anything else for that matter!
Until next time, stay healthy and happy!
Gerri
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Getting things back to normal
Hello friends!! I know it's been several weeks since I last updated but I'm still here! It's starting to cool down here in Colorado, our fall weather is starting to come into play with cool mornings. While it's still heating up in the afternoons, we are loving the cooler mornings and evenings. It won't be long now before the snow starts to creep in. We usually get snow by Oct 31st, which seems far away however it will be here before we know it!
School has started back up for the kids in our area. Last week was the first week. Now that the kids are out of the house for the day I can actually get some things done and not have to be interrupted every 10 minutes to break up a fight or help one of them with something urgent. Everything is always URGENT to an 11y/o and 13 y/o don't you know!
I'm still feeling good. Keeping my routine relatively the same helps. As usual, with the cooler weather comes a few aches and pains but overall nothing new to report. I'm exercising and really working on losing some of this extra weight I've accumulated over the past couple years.
I recently read an article that talked about FMS being a nutrient disorder - I found it very interesting because I know for me, once I got all my nutrients back to the correct levels they should be at I felt so much better. It took a good year but along the way small changes were very clear. If you recall in my last entry I listed the differences over a year and all my nutrient deficiencies are cleared up and a lot of my symptoms are minimal now too - I like to say they are in "remission" as I know I'm not cured, I'm just healing my body with the things I'm doing and healing is coming from the cell level.
I saw a new endocrinologist last week. My thryoid still has some nice size nodules on it however nothing to worry about as far as we can tell. She had some blood drawn to check my Vitamin D levels again as well as my thyroid function. Even though my #'s have historically come back "normal" she thinks my easy weight gain and lack of ability to lose it has a lot to do with my thyroid - UM HELLO I think I've been saying this for the past 5 yrs to my other Dr, hence why I have a new one! Once those blood tests come back she'll decide if I need a thyroid hormone to help combat what we believe to be HYOPTHYROIDISM. She said I have almost every single symtom that would point to it regardless of what the blood work states - she said sometimes you can still have normal #'s and have the condition. I'm thrilled to finally have a Dr that is willing to listen to me vs just write off my concerns. So those results are still pending.
I'm very proud of a recent accomplishment - On August 3rd I climbed my very first mountain which was 13, 400 ft! I made it to the peak which I didn't think was going to happen! It was a climb alright but I did it!! I was struggling along the way but no way was I giving up! It was a GREAT feeling to sit on the top and know that I DID IT! I was with my husband and daughter and another family that we went with. We started out at 7am and by the time we were totally done I think it was close to 2pm. It was a great feeling and I can't wait to climb another one. I was hurting later in the evening and the next day but it was good pain, muscle pain from all the hiking and walking. Believe me when I say if I can do this ANYONE can!! Just takes some determination!
I hope you are all doing well - You'll notice to the right side of my page I have added a new button - it's to a fibro bloggers directory. I just found it and think it's a great resource to find more people who blog about their condition - if someone out there is able to help, then more power to everyone! I know that's why I started mine and hope that I've been able to give some insight to others about what has worked to help me feel better. With Fibro, CFS and Lupus it always seems to be one thing or another that I'm dealing with but I'm so glad that I'm continuing to feeling good and finding that I'm able to do more and more in my life again.
Until next time!
School has started back up for the kids in our area. Last week was the first week. Now that the kids are out of the house for the day I can actually get some things done and not have to be interrupted every 10 minutes to break up a fight or help one of them with something urgent. Everything is always URGENT to an 11y/o and 13 y/o don't you know!
I'm still feeling good. Keeping my routine relatively the same helps. As usual, with the cooler weather comes a few aches and pains but overall nothing new to report. I'm exercising and really working on losing some of this extra weight I've accumulated over the past couple years.
I recently read an article that talked about FMS being a nutrient disorder - I found it very interesting because I know for me, once I got all my nutrients back to the correct levels they should be at I felt so much better. It took a good year but along the way small changes were very clear. If you recall in my last entry I listed the differences over a year and all my nutrient deficiencies are cleared up and a lot of my symptoms are minimal now too - I like to say they are in "remission" as I know I'm not cured, I'm just healing my body with the things I'm doing and healing is coming from the cell level.
I saw a new endocrinologist last week. My thryoid still has some nice size nodules on it however nothing to worry about as far as we can tell. She had some blood drawn to check my Vitamin D levels again as well as my thyroid function. Even though my #'s have historically come back "normal" she thinks my easy weight gain and lack of ability to lose it has a lot to do with my thyroid - UM HELLO I think I've been saying this for the past 5 yrs to my other Dr, hence why I have a new one! Once those blood tests come back she'll decide if I need a thyroid hormone to help combat what we believe to be HYOPTHYROIDISM. She said I have almost every single symtom that would point to it regardless of what the blood work states - she said sometimes you can still have normal #'s and have the condition. I'm thrilled to finally have a Dr that is willing to listen to me vs just write off my concerns. So those results are still pending.
I'm very proud of a recent accomplishment - On August 3rd I climbed my very first mountain which was 13, 400 ft! I made it to the peak which I didn't think was going to happen! It was a climb alright but I did it!! I was struggling along the way but no way was I giving up! It was a GREAT feeling to sit on the top and know that I DID IT! I was with my husband and daughter and another family that we went with. We started out at 7am and by the time we were totally done I think it was close to 2pm. It was a great feeling and I can't wait to climb another one. I was hurting later in the evening and the next day but it was good pain, muscle pain from all the hiking and walking. Believe me when I say if I can do this ANYONE can!! Just takes some determination!
I hope you are all doing well - You'll notice to the right side of my page I have added a new button - it's to a fibro bloggers directory. I just found it and think it's a great resource to find more people who blog about their condition - if someone out there is able to help, then more power to everyone! I know that's why I started mine and hope that I've been able to give some insight to others about what has worked to help me feel better. With Fibro, CFS and Lupus it always seems to be one thing or another that I'm dealing with but I'm so glad that I'm continuing to feeling good and finding that I'm able to do more and more in my life again.
Until next time!
Monday, February 6, 2012
An Open Letter
Having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (AKA CFS) and Fibromyalgia (AKA Fibro or FMS) means many things change, and a lot of them are invisible. Unlike AIDS and Cancer, most people do not understand even a little about CFS or FMS and their effects, and of those that think they know, many are actually mis-informed. In the spirit of informing those who wish to understand..........................................................
These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me or decide that I'm just lazy..........
Please understand that being sick doesn’t mean I’m not still a human being. Sometimes I have to spend most of my day flat on my back in bed and I might not seem like great company, but I’m still me stuck inside this body. I still worry about work and my family and friends, and most of the time I’d still like to hear you talk about yours too.
Please understand the difference between “happy” and “healthy”. When you’ve got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I’ve been sick for years. I can’t be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you’re talking to me and I sound happy, it means I’m happy. That’s all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker that ever. Please, don’t say, “Oh, you’re sounding better!”. I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you’re welcome.
Please understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn’t necessarily mean that I can stand up for ten minutes, or an hour. It’s quite likely that doing that five minutes has exhausted my resources and I’ll need to recover – imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn’t repeat that feat right away either. With a lot of diseases you’re either paralyzed or you can move. With this one it gets more confusing.
Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, “sitting up”, “walking”, “thinking”, “being sociable” and so on … it applies to everything. That’s what a fatigue-based illness does to you.
Please understand that chronic illnesses are variable. It’s quite possible (for me, it’s very common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, do Zumba and play with the kids while the next day I’ll have trouble getting to the kitchen. Please don’t attack me when I’m ill by saying, “But you did it before!”. If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I’ll tell you. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please don’t take it personally.
Please understand that “getting out and doing things” does not make me feel better, and can often make me seriously worse. CFS and/or FMS may cause secondary depression (wouldn’t you get depressed if you were stuck in bed for years on end!?) but it is not caused by depression. Telling me that I need some fresh air and exercise is not appreciated and not correct – if I could do it, believe me I would.
Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now – it can’t be put off or forgotten just because I’m doing something. CFS and/or FMS does not forgive.
Please understand that I can’t spend all of my energy trying to get well. With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But part of having a chronic illness is coming to the realization that you have to spend some energy on having a life now. This doesn’t mean I’m not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It’s just how life is when you’re dealing with a chronic illness.
If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don’t. It’s not because I don’t appreciate the thought, and it’s not because I don’t want to get well. It’s because I have had almost every single one of my friends suggest one at one point or another. At first I tried them all, but then I realized that I was using up so much energy trying things that I was making myself sicker, not better. If there was something that cured, or even helped, all people with CFS and/or Fibro then we’d know about it. This is not a drug-company conspiracy, there is worldwide networking (both on and off the Internet) between people with CFS and Fibro, if something worked for everyone we would KNOW.
If after reading that, you still want to suggest a cure, then do it, preferably in writing, but don’t expect me to rush out and try it. If I haven’t had it suggested before, I’ll take what you said and discuss it with my doctor. He’s open to new suggestions and is a great guy, and he takes what I say seriously.
Please understand that getting better from an illness like this can be very slow. People with CFS and/or FMS have so many systems in their bodies out of equilibrium, and functioning wrongly, that it may take a long time to sort everything out.
I depend on you – people who are not sick – for many things.
But most importantly............................................................
.....................................................I need you to understand me.
These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me or decide that I'm just lazy..........
Please understand that being sick doesn’t mean I’m not still a human being. Sometimes I have to spend most of my day flat on my back in bed and I might not seem like great company, but I’m still me stuck inside this body. I still worry about work and my family and friends, and most of the time I’d still like to hear you talk about yours too.
Please understand the difference between “happy” and “healthy”. When you’ve got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I’ve been sick for years. I can’t be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you’re talking to me and I sound happy, it means I’m happy. That’s all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker that ever. Please, don’t say, “Oh, you’re sounding better!”. I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you’re welcome.
Please understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn’t necessarily mean that I can stand up for ten minutes, or an hour. It’s quite likely that doing that five minutes has exhausted my resources and I’ll need to recover – imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn’t repeat that feat right away either. With a lot of diseases you’re either paralyzed or you can move. With this one it gets more confusing.
Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, “sitting up”, “walking”, “thinking”, “being sociable” and so on … it applies to everything. That’s what a fatigue-based illness does to you.
Please understand that chronic illnesses are variable. It’s quite possible (for me, it’s very common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, do Zumba and play with the kids while the next day I’ll have trouble getting to the kitchen. Please don’t attack me when I’m ill by saying, “But you did it before!”. If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I’ll tell you. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please don’t take it personally.
Please understand that “getting out and doing things” does not make me feel better, and can often make me seriously worse. CFS and/or FMS may cause secondary depression (wouldn’t you get depressed if you were stuck in bed for years on end!?) but it is not caused by depression. Telling me that I need some fresh air and exercise is not appreciated and not correct – if I could do it, believe me I would.
Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now – it can’t be put off or forgotten just because I’m doing something. CFS and/or FMS does not forgive.
Please understand that I can’t spend all of my energy trying to get well. With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But part of having a chronic illness is coming to the realization that you have to spend some energy on having a life now. This doesn’t mean I’m not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean I’ve given up. It’s just how life is when you’re dealing with a chronic illness.
If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don’t. It’s not because I don’t appreciate the thought, and it’s not because I don’t want to get well. It’s because I have had almost every single one of my friends suggest one at one point or another. At first I tried them all, but then I realized that I was using up so much energy trying things that I was making myself sicker, not better. If there was something that cured, or even helped, all people with CFS and/or Fibro then we’d know about it. This is not a drug-company conspiracy, there is worldwide networking (both on and off the Internet) between people with CFS and Fibro, if something worked for everyone we would KNOW.
If after reading that, you still want to suggest a cure, then do it, preferably in writing, but don’t expect me to rush out and try it. If I haven’t had it suggested before, I’ll take what you said and discuss it with my doctor. He’s open to new suggestions and is a great guy, and he takes what I say seriously.
Please understand that getting better from an illness like this can be very slow. People with CFS and/or FMS have so many systems in their bodies out of equilibrium, and functioning wrongly, that it may take a long time to sort everything out.
I depend on you – people who are not sick – for many things.
But most importantly............................................................
.....................................................I need you to understand me.
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