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 Fibromyalgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fibromyalgia. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Sunday, September 6, 2015
My thyroid numbers and medicine changes
First, let me start off by saying how great I've been feeling! I think having my thyroid removed is a huge part of why I'm feeling so great! For years I had a suspicion that a good majority of my medical issues were because of a faulty thyroid - even though the blood work always came back "fine" I knew things were not "fine" and now that I have been without my thyroid for a good 2 months I really believe that the be the case.
After my surgery, I started on 150 mg of Synthroid. I had my blood drawn on Aug 8th and it came back with a low TSH of 0.028 - the normal range is 0.0450-4.5000 so my Dr lowered my dose to 137 mg. What I find most interesting though is that my other numbers are significantly higher than they have ever been. Prior to my surgery and going on the medication my numbers were always in the low range of normal.
Before my surgery, my numbers were:
TSH - 0.749 (within the normal range)
T4 or Thyroxine - 5.4
T3 Uptake - 30
Free T4 1.6
My most recent numbers show improvement and I'm sure why I feel so much better:
TSH - 0.028 (according to my Dr, the number being so low means I have high thyroid hormone which could cause heart problems and why she wanted to lower my medication dose)
T4 -9.8 (up significantly since starting thyroid medication)
T3 Uptake - 34
Free T4 - 3.3
You will see an increase in all the hormones which makes me even more certain that the lower numbers were causing much of my fatigue, fibromyalgia pain and overall lack of being healthy in general. I would argue with anyone who says otherwise considering that it's the only thing that has changed in my life and the result is me feeling like a "normal" person most of the time now.
I will go in and have my numbers checked again later this month or early October to see how the medication adjustment has changed the numbers. I was really worried that dropping the dose of my medication would significantly effect me but so far things seem fine.
On another note, I've lost 18 lbs in the last 3 months. I'm on a mission to lose another 40 to get back to where I was before getting sick. With the new found energy I have, I'm able to get myself to the gym a few days a week to lift weights. I'm really pleased with the changes that I'm starting to see overall.
That's it for this update - I just wanted to be sure to update my numbers and share my success thus far since Surgery - it's really just been about 9 weeks since the surgery but so far everything is going really good.
Until next time - to your health!
After my surgery, I started on 150 mg of Synthroid. I had my blood drawn on Aug 8th and it came back with a low TSH of 0.028 - the normal range is 0.0450-4.5000 so my Dr lowered my dose to 137 mg. What I find most interesting though is that my other numbers are significantly higher than they have ever been. Prior to my surgery and going on the medication my numbers were always in the low range of normal.
Before my surgery, my numbers were:
TSH - 0.749 (within the normal range)
T4 or Thyroxine - 5.4
T3 Uptake - 30
Free T4 1.6
My most recent numbers show improvement and I'm sure why I feel so much better:
TSH - 0.028 (according to my Dr, the number being so low means I have high thyroid hormone which could cause heart problems and why she wanted to lower my medication dose)
T4 -9.8 (up significantly since starting thyroid medication)
T3 Uptake - 34
Free T4 - 3.3
You will see an increase in all the hormones which makes me even more certain that the lower numbers were causing much of my fatigue, fibromyalgia pain and overall lack of being healthy in general. I would argue with anyone who says otherwise considering that it's the only thing that has changed in my life and the result is me feeling like a "normal" person most of the time now.
I will go in and have my numbers checked again later this month or early October to see how the medication adjustment has changed the numbers. I was really worried that dropping the dose of my medication would significantly effect me but so far things seem fine.
On another note, I've lost 18 lbs in the last 3 months. I'm on a mission to lose another 40 to get back to where I was before getting sick. With the new found energy I have, I'm able to get myself to the gym a few days a week to lift weights. I'm really pleased with the changes that I'm starting to see overall.
That's it for this update - I just wanted to be sure to update my numbers and share my success thus far since Surgery - it's really just been about 9 weeks since the surgery but so far everything is going really good.
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, July 19, 2015
Three weeks post surgery, no changes
Hello!
Well here I am 3 wks post surgery and really, I don't feel like there has been any change in how I feel. I realize it takes time so I'm hopeful. I have a follow up with my endocrine the first week in August for another blood test to see how my levels look.
I just finished a very busy week with my daughter and her High School volleyball team. We had two big camps we attended. It was busy and I'm glad it's done. This next week doesn't have many plans which I'm glad about - time to rest up! The following week will be another busy one with another volleyball camp and a trip to California to see my family. I'm the only one going and it will be a nice break/vacation before school starts again, which means I go back to work.
While my blog has mostly been about Fibromyalgia I am going to start including some things on Thyroid disease and hypothyroidism. I think there are links between the two. So as I get information I'll be including it here in link and just general information.
I don't really have a lot to report right now......I'm healing well from my surgery and hoping to see some changes as time goes on. I'm currently on a 150mg dose of Synthroid which I'm beginning to wonder if it's too low since I'm really not seeing any kind of difference in how I feel overall. I know that this particular medication is a T4 replacement and I wonder about the T3 - something to ask the dr and do a little research on. I know Amour is another medication that replaces both the T4 and T3 so we'll see.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Well here I am 3 wks post surgery and really, I don't feel like there has been any change in how I feel. I realize it takes time so I'm hopeful. I have a follow up with my endocrine the first week in August for another blood test to see how my levels look.
I just finished a very busy week with my daughter and her High School volleyball team. We had two big camps we attended. It was busy and I'm glad it's done. This next week doesn't have many plans which I'm glad about - time to rest up! The following week will be another busy one with another volleyball camp and a trip to California to see my family. I'm the only one going and it will be a nice break/vacation before school starts again, which means I go back to work.
While my blog has mostly been about Fibromyalgia I am going to start including some things on Thyroid disease and hypothyroidism. I think there are links between the two. So as I get information I'll be including it here in link and just general information.
I don't really have a lot to report right now......I'm healing well from my surgery and hoping to see some changes as time goes on. I'm currently on a 150mg dose of Synthroid which I'm beginning to wonder if it's too low since I'm really not seeing any kind of difference in how I feel overall. I know that this particular medication is a T4 replacement and I wonder about the T3 - something to ask the dr and do a little research on. I know Amour is another medication that replaces both the T4 and T3 so we'll see.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Thyroid Surgery, Synthroid, Recovery and more......
Hello! I'm here, alive and doing pretty well! Had my surgery on June 26th which I want to share that experience with everyone......
Surgery took about 3 hrs - apparently my thyroid growths were pretty big, bigger than the Dr expected and growing down into my chest! That was a surprise when he told us that! Clearly a good thing I went with the surgery to get it removed. Pain after surgery was pretty high mostly inside my throat and upper chest - it hurt pretty bad - the incision itself didn't really bother me though. It was swallowing and taking a deep breathe that I struggled with. The Dr had told me to expect some pain in my throat due to the large breathing tube they use in order to monitor the nerves to the vocal cord. So the pain wasn't a surprise really but the amount of time I've had it has been. I'm almost 2 wks out from surgery and my throat still hurts to a degree. Not nearly as bad as it did but it still hurts when I swallow. Hoping that goes away in the next week. I have my follow up on Thursday the 9th (tomorrow).
The day after surgery I started on Synthroid, the hormone to replace the thyroid function which I'll be on for life. So far I suppose it's working, I don't feel any ill effects or any good effects for that matter....I feel fine really. I'm hoping I don't have any issues with the dosage - they started me on 150mg which I was told was the normal starting dose based on weight. I suppose if I lose weight, which is my intention, they may have to adjust the dosage.
So all in all, not a lot to report with surgery, recovery has been good, I've just been taking it easy and resting a lot and as I feel I need to.
I'm hoping my energy levels improve but so far I haven't noticed much of a difference. As I continue to recover and go on in life without my thyroid I'm hoping that things change in the area of my energy and that I get more of it.......I've lived so long with this chronic fatigue and low energy/metabolism I am really looking forward to possibly having better energy and a faster metabolism but we'll see. While in the hospital I also found out that I still have low Vitamin D levels, so I'm going to start taking that supplement again to improve in that area which could also help with the energy.
To be honest, I'm so very tired of having all these "issues". At times I wonder if I really have all the things the Dr's have told me I have - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus......All the symptoms for each really go hand in hand and cross over one another that I find it hard to believe sometimes......are my diagnosis really that or just because the Dr's couldn't figure out why I have the issues I have had. I know I have Lupus as the blood test came back positive for that and I have the tell-tell signs of it.
Now, in addition to continuing to heal, I'm on a mission to lose this weight I've put on. I've started back on the Body By Vi program, you can check it out here - Body by Visalus - It's really helpful with controlling hunger and providing the nutrients our bodies need to keep us healthy and strong. I like it because I can drink a shake for breakfast which I usually skip anyway. It's a great program if you want to start a challenge, please check it out and let me know - you can win money and with every 10lbs you lose you also help a child in need. The program is fantastic and you get tons of support! Since starting on the challenge 23 days ago I've already lost 9lbs!!
Everyday is still a challenge and I'm not sure what to expect. One day I'm great and the next I'm feeling sick. Yesterday was a day full of nausea and just not feeling well. I've also developed some issues in my gut causing me to stay close to the bathroom most of the time.
That's about all I can give you for an update - I'll post again soon as I continue to heal and become the better version of myself.
Until then....To your health!
Gerri
Surgery took about 3 hrs - apparently my thyroid growths were pretty big, bigger than the Dr expected and growing down into my chest! That was a surprise when he told us that! Clearly a good thing I went with the surgery to get it removed. Pain after surgery was pretty high mostly inside my throat and upper chest - it hurt pretty bad - the incision itself didn't really bother me though. It was swallowing and taking a deep breathe that I struggled with. The Dr had told me to expect some pain in my throat due to the large breathing tube they use in order to monitor the nerves to the vocal cord. So the pain wasn't a surprise really but the amount of time I've had it has been. I'm almost 2 wks out from surgery and my throat still hurts to a degree. Not nearly as bad as it did but it still hurts when I swallow. Hoping that goes away in the next week. I have my follow up on Thursday the 9th (tomorrow).
The day after surgery I started on Synthroid, the hormone to replace the thyroid function which I'll be on for life. So far I suppose it's working, I don't feel any ill effects or any good effects for that matter....I feel fine really. I'm hoping I don't have any issues with the dosage - they started me on 150mg which I was told was the normal starting dose based on weight. I suppose if I lose weight, which is my intention, they may have to adjust the dosage.
So all in all, not a lot to report with surgery, recovery has been good, I've just been taking it easy and resting a lot and as I feel I need to.
I'm hoping my energy levels improve but so far I haven't noticed much of a difference. As I continue to recover and go on in life without my thyroid I'm hoping that things change in the area of my energy and that I get more of it.......I've lived so long with this chronic fatigue and low energy/metabolism I am really looking forward to possibly having better energy and a faster metabolism but we'll see. While in the hospital I also found out that I still have low Vitamin D levels, so I'm going to start taking that supplement again to improve in that area which could also help with the energy.
To be honest, I'm so very tired of having all these "issues". At times I wonder if I really have all the things the Dr's have told me I have - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Lupus......All the symptoms for each really go hand in hand and cross over one another that I find it hard to believe sometimes......are my diagnosis really that or just because the Dr's couldn't figure out why I have the issues I have had. I know I have Lupus as the blood test came back positive for that and I have the tell-tell signs of it.
Now, in addition to continuing to heal, I'm on a mission to lose this weight I've put on. I've started back on the Body By Vi program, you can check it out here - Body by Visalus - It's really helpful with controlling hunger and providing the nutrients our bodies need to keep us healthy and strong. I like it because I can drink a shake for breakfast which I usually skip anyway. It's a great program if you want to start a challenge, please check it out and let me know - you can win money and with every 10lbs you lose you also help a child in need. The program is fantastic and you get tons of support! Since starting on the challenge 23 days ago I've already lost 9lbs!!
Everyday is still a challenge and I'm not sure what to expect. One day I'm great and the next I'm feeling sick. Yesterday was a day full of nausea and just not feeling well. I've also developed some issues in my gut causing me to stay close to the bathroom most of the time.
That's about all I can give you for an update - I'll post again soon as I continue to heal and become the better version of myself.
Until then....To your health!
Gerri
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
January round up.....
To summarize this first month of 2015 I would have to say it's been so, so....
I've been feeling ok but not optimal. I'm having pain in my hips again, which was the original thing that started me on the road to get a diagnosis of FMS. I've also been fighting getting sick, which right now has me home under the weather.
Both my kids have also been fighting health this month. Days out of school due to not feeling well add up for sure and effect them where school is concerned. It's so hard to catch up after being out a day or two.
Hopefully February and beyond will bring better health for the family.
We do have a big trip planned in March that we are all looking forward to. We are going on a cruise and can't wait! This will be the first for my kids (15 and 13) and the first for my husband and I since our honeymoon 20 yrs ago. So as you can see, it's a trip that we are all looking forward to - very much! We will be cruising to Jamaica, Grand Caymen and Cozumel over 7 days. It's going to be great! I just wish I was 30lbs lighter for it!
Speaking of my weight, oh what a terrible time I've had trying to lose it! I honestly believe it's because my thyroid isn't functioning correctly. I do have an appt with my endo this month to check it. Not sure if I've ever mentioned this but I have several large "goiters" consuming my thyroid. Every time I've had it checked the tests come back "normal" which I don't trust one bit. I am going to try to get my Dr to put me on a hypothyroid medication this time to see if it helps any of my "symptoms" that I think are totally related to my thyroid. The symptoms for Hypothyroidism are listed below and the ones I have are highlighted in Yellow:
I've been feeling ok but not optimal. I'm having pain in my hips again, which was the original thing that started me on the road to get a diagnosis of FMS. I've also been fighting getting sick, which right now has me home under the weather.
Both my kids have also been fighting health this month. Days out of school due to not feeling well add up for sure and effect them where school is concerned. It's so hard to catch up after being out a day or two.
Hopefully February and beyond will bring better health for the family.
We do have a big trip planned in March that we are all looking forward to. We are going on a cruise and can't wait! This will be the first for my kids (15 and 13) and the first for my husband and I since our honeymoon 20 yrs ago. So as you can see, it's a trip that we are all looking forward to - very much! We will be cruising to Jamaica, Grand Caymen and Cozumel over 7 days. It's going to be great! I just wish I was 30lbs lighter for it!
Speaking of my weight, oh what a terrible time I've had trying to lose it! I honestly believe it's because my thyroid isn't functioning correctly. I do have an appt with my endo this month to check it. Not sure if I've ever mentioned this but I have several large "goiters" consuming my thyroid. Every time I've had it checked the tests come back "normal" which I don't trust one bit. I am going to try to get my Dr to put me on a hypothyroid medication this time to see if it helps any of my "symptoms" that I think are totally related to my thyroid. The symptoms for Hypothyroidism are listed below and the ones I have are highlighted in Yellow:
- Fatigue
- Increased sensitivity to cold
- Constipation
- Dry skin
- Unexplained weight gain
- Puffy face
- Hoarseness
- Muscle weakness
- Elevated blood cholesterol level
- Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
- Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
- Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
- Thinning hair
- Slowed heart rate
- Depression
- Impaired memory
You would think when a patient has 11 out of 16 symptoms the Dr would look at that in addition to the blood work. We'll see! I will definitely update once I see her in Feb.
Of course, a lot of these symptoms also go hand in hand with FMS and CFS - at this point, who knows what's what?!?
What I do know is that I would love to have energy, feel good and lose the weight I've put on. I feel like I do all the "right" things to lose weight but nothing happens. The only thing I don't do is exercise due to my fatigue and lack of energy to get out and do it! I keep telling myself "tomorrow" but tomorrow comes and goes without the exercise. It's a vicious cycle I live in.
So this month has been full of ups and downs in my health and the health of my family. I'm hoping February brings us all many more good than bad days.
Volleyball has started up and we have games almost every weekend. We love watching my daughter play so I look forward to those long days in the gym.
That's all for now, until next time......to your health!
Sunday, December 14, 2014
The reality of others has nothing to do with your reality - really it doesn't
I've learned, again, that the perception and reality of others lives really has nothing to do with your reality or your life. We all live separate lives, we all live different lives. Some have health, some have sickness, some have happiness, some have sadness and misery. We are all different and think differently. Just because you think one way, doesn't mean the way another person thinks is wrong, it's just different. Just because you do things one way, doesn't mean the way others do things is wrong, it's just different.
It's funny how some people think that they are right in the way they perceive things, when most of the time they are so off base it's infuriating, yet, they stand firm on what they believe to be reality. It's their reality, that's all. Perception is huge and we all perceive things differently. Again, I don't believe it makes it right or wrong, it's just perception through ones eyes and mind.
This time of year for many people brings many sad emotions. The holidays are suppose to be full of happiness and joy but for a good majority it's just the opposite. For some it may remind them of how lonely they are now compared to years past. For some it may remind them of how little they have when they wish they had more. For some it may be a reminder of the fact that they have lost loved ones who they wish could be with them during the holidays. For myself and many of you, it's a reminder that we are not even close to the person we use to be before getting sick. I see so many people fighting and angry over things they can't change. Sad over things they don't have and forgetting the things they do.
I miss those in my family who aren't around us anymore especially during the holidays. It use to be a huge gathering with family and extended family and sometimes even friends would join the fun. It seems every year that gathering would get smaller and smaller as people moved away or joined other families. For many years we would have Christmas eve dinner with my mom, yummy prime rib she would cook. Over the years that tradition changed to going out to Outback steak house - then my mom moved to California so it's just the 4 of us now. The good side to that is my mom gets to spend the holidays with my sister and her family, which is growing so they can enjoy family and celebration meals in their home. Life changes, we roll with it but during this time I do miss them all and wish we could be together. My daughter gets to go visit my family over the holidays. I really don't want her to go but I know she wants to spend the time with her aunt, uncle, the kids and my mom which is why I let her leave us and be with them. I miss her so much when she is gone but I know it's important for her to keep those relationships close. I wish we could all go, but of course, financially we just can't swing it.
My health is much better now than it has been in the past, but I still have my problems. I have headaches almost daily, aches and pains that I just "deal" with because I have to. I do what I can to get up and move everyday but what most of you have no clue to is that it takes me a lot more effort than it does most everyone else around me. I don't complain about it, I don't tell someone every time I have a headache or pain, I just deal with it. I know that my problems are just that, my problems. I know for a fact that there is someone out there, who has it much worse than I do....I may not know them, I may know them but the point is that what I deal with everyday is perceived by others as nothing.....perception is their reality, NOT MINE.
INVISIBLE ILLNESS is just that, INVISIBLE to all but the person living with it. As anyone who has one of these illnesses knows, life is anything but easy and it's so hard for anyone on the outside to "get it". I love the fact that I have people in my life who do "get it" and totally and completely understand when I tell them I am not up to going out or that I'm just not feeling well. For the others in my life, I don't even bother talking about it because it doesn't matter - they don't "get it" and it's a waste of my time and theirs to even try to explain. How can they understand when they don't live it - they don't have it and they can do anything they want to do anytime they want to do it. I've had people tell me that I can do this or that, just get up and do it - it makes me laugh because just by saying this to me shows me how ignorant they are to what I live with.
I feel like I'm just rambling now so I'm going to end this with a couple articles I found interesting. The first one sounds hopeful that they are researching this and possibly looking to come up with a treatment. The second one is more of an FYI for those of you who might have a deficiency and not even realize it. I hope you are doing well and enjoying what you have and remembering those who have less. Until next time, to your health!
Link between Fibro and Brain inflammation
9 Signs of Magnesium deficiency
It's funny how some people think that they are right in the way they perceive things, when most of the time they are so off base it's infuriating, yet, they stand firm on what they believe to be reality. It's their reality, that's all. Perception is huge and we all perceive things differently. Again, I don't believe it makes it right or wrong, it's just perception through ones eyes and mind.
This time of year for many people brings many sad emotions. The holidays are suppose to be full of happiness and joy but for a good majority it's just the opposite. For some it may remind them of how lonely they are now compared to years past. For some it may remind them of how little they have when they wish they had more. For some it may be a reminder of the fact that they have lost loved ones who they wish could be with them during the holidays. For myself and many of you, it's a reminder that we are not even close to the person we use to be before getting sick. I see so many people fighting and angry over things they can't change. Sad over things they don't have and forgetting the things they do.
I miss those in my family who aren't around us anymore especially during the holidays. It use to be a huge gathering with family and extended family and sometimes even friends would join the fun. It seems every year that gathering would get smaller and smaller as people moved away or joined other families. For many years we would have Christmas eve dinner with my mom, yummy prime rib she would cook. Over the years that tradition changed to going out to Outback steak house - then my mom moved to California so it's just the 4 of us now. The good side to that is my mom gets to spend the holidays with my sister and her family, which is growing so they can enjoy family and celebration meals in their home. Life changes, we roll with it but during this time I do miss them all and wish we could be together. My daughter gets to go visit my family over the holidays. I really don't want her to go but I know she wants to spend the time with her aunt, uncle, the kids and my mom which is why I let her leave us and be with them. I miss her so much when she is gone but I know it's important for her to keep those relationships close. I wish we could all go, but of course, financially we just can't swing it.
My health is much better now than it has been in the past, but I still have my problems. I have headaches almost daily, aches and pains that I just "deal" with because I have to. I do what I can to get up and move everyday but what most of you have no clue to is that it takes me a lot more effort than it does most everyone else around me. I don't complain about it, I don't tell someone every time I have a headache or pain, I just deal with it. I know that my problems are just that, my problems. I know for a fact that there is someone out there, who has it much worse than I do....I may not know them, I may know them but the point is that what I deal with everyday is perceived by others as nothing.....perception is their reality, NOT MINE.
INVISIBLE ILLNESS is just that, INVISIBLE to all but the person living with it. As anyone who has one of these illnesses knows, life is anything but easy and it's so hard for anyone on the outside to "get it". I love the fact that I have people in my life who do "get it" and totally and completely understand when I tell them I am not up to going out or that I'm just not feeling well. For the others in my life, I don't even bother talking about it because it doesn't matter - they don't "get it" and it's a waste of my time and theirs to even try to explain. How can they understand when they don't live it - they don't have it and they can do anything they want to do anytime they want to do it. I've had people tell me that I can do this or that, just get up and do it - it makes me laugh because just by saying this to me shows me how ignorant they are to what I live with.
I feel like I'm just rambling now so I'm going to end this with a couple articles I found interesting. The first one sounds hopeful that they are researching this and possibly looking to come up with a treatment. The second one is more of an FYI for those of you who might have a deficiency and not even realize it. I hope you are doing well and enjoying what you have and remembering those who have less. Until next time, to your health!
Link between Fibro and Brain inflammation
9 Signs of Magnesium deficiency
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.
Monday, May 12, 2014
So much going on
Hello friends!
Just a quick update - things have been crazy around here! Always, when I think things are going to slow down, they don't, something always comes up.
At the end of April I went to MN with my daughter for the Northern Lights Volleyball tournament. That was a fun weekend but of course the travel created more fatigue. Traveling is hard, even harder when you have CFS and Fibro. It seems everything is harder. It was a long weekend of sitting in the convention center cheering on the team. My daughter happen to get sick that weekend too so it was a bit rough.
This past week I ended up in California with my daughter as my sisters baby is very sick and in the CV-ICU at Children's hospital awaiting heart surgery. She was born at the end of March with ASD (atrial septal defect) and VSD (ventricular septal defect) as well as a paralyzed left vocal cord. In addition to this, she has severe reflux which, with her vocal cord issue causes her to aspirate into her lungs. She needs heart surgery badly but they are trying to sort out the reflux so she doesn't aspirate during surgery. While ASD and VSD are pretty common defects, hers are larger than what they normally see and with her vocal cords, reflux and aspiration it makes it all very serious.
Visiting was nice but also hard to see that little baby in such a situation. She is a sweet little thing and I pray the Dr's can fix her all up. I am not aware of any reason why they won't be able to but the entire situation is just so sad and causing a lot of stress within the family as you can imagine. For me, that stress comes out in the form of a flare - my lower back is really tight and my fatigue is slowly peaking again. Worry is never good no matter who you are, it just so happens that those of us who have other health issues tend to suffer more when we are not mentally healthy as well.
I've been continuing on the B12 injections and honestly can't tell if they are helping or not. I guess, with how busy I've been I can say they are since I'm not having a major fatigue flare, but on the flip side, I'm still extremely tired and trying to catch some rest when I can - going to bed early at every opportunity. So I just don't know for sure really how well, if at all, these injections are helping. In the past, I definitely didn't respond to them, so I've been getting them to try to see if I respond now - and I have a feeling I'm going to find that I don't to any significant degree. At least not enough to continue on them anyway. I guess only time will tell.
The school year is winding down and that is keeping me very busy at work. There are 17 more school days to go until summer break. I can't wait to be done with work for a couple months.
It's May 12th and we had a pretty good dumping of snow over the past 2 days. It's hard to believe it's mid spring when you have a foot of snow on the ground! Usually we are planting our gardens by now - not this year! The rest of this week is suppose to be nice and hopefully, just hopefully, this will be the last snow of the season for us. I'm really ready for warmer weather!
So that's it for now, until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Just a quick update - things have been crazy around here! Always, when I think things are going to slow down, they don't, something always comes up.
At the end of April I went to MN with my daughter for the Northern Lights Volleyball tournament. That was a fun weekend but of course the travel created more fatigue. Traveling is hard, even harder when you have CFS and Fibro. It seems everything is harder. It was a long weekend of sitting in the convention center cheering on the team. My daughter happen to get sick that weekend too so it was a bit rough.
This past week I ended up in California with my daughter as my sisters baby is very sick and in the CV-ICU at Children's hospital awaiting heart surgery. She was born at the end of March with ASD (atrial septal defect) and VSD (ventricular septal defect) as well as a paralyzed left vocal cord. In addition to this, she has severe reflux which, with her vocal cord issue causes her to aspirate into her lungs. She needs heart surgery badly but they are trying to sort out the reflux so she doesn't aspirate during surgery. While ASD and VSD are pretty common defects, hers are larger than what they normally see and with her vocal cords, reflux and aspiration it makes it all very serious.
Visiting was nice but also hard to see that little baby in such a situation. She is a sweet little thing and I pray the Dr's can fix her all up. I am not aware of any reason why they won't be able to but the entire situation is just so sad and causing a lot of stress within the family as you can imagine. For me, that stress comes out in the form of a flare - my lower back is really tight and my fatigue is slowly peaking again. Worry is never good no matter who you are, it just so happens that those of us who have other health issues tend to suffer more when we are not mentally healthy as well.
I've been continuing on the B12 injections and honestly can't tell if they are helping or not. I guess, with how busy I've been I can say they are since I'm not having a major fatigue flare, but on the flip side, I'm still extremely tired and trying to catch some rest when I can - going to bed early at every opportunity. So I just don't know for sure really how well, if at all, these injections are helping. In the past, I definitely didn't respond to them, so I've been getting them to try to see if I respond now - and I have a feeling I'm going to find that I don't to any significant degree. At least not enough to continue on them anyway. I guess only time will tell.
The school year is winding down and that is keeping me very busy at work. There are 17 more school days to go until summer break. I can't wait to be done with work for a couple months.
It's May 12th and we had a pretty good dumping of snow over the past 2 days. It's hard to believe it's mid spring when you have a foot of snow on the ground! Usually we are planting our gardens by now - not this year! The rest of this week is suppose to be nice and hopefully, just hopefully, this will be the last snow of the season for us. I'm really ready for warmer weather!
So that's it for now, until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Saturday, April 19, 2014
I knew this would happen, was just a matter of time...
Since my last entry on April 7th things have been crazy…..just crazy………….and I'm certainly paying for it with a major flare.......god I hate fibro, I hate chronic fatigue - I HATE IT!
So our insurance called to let us know they totaled the van as the crash had done some damage to the frame. With that they sent us a settlement letter requesting the title be signed over to them and offering us some money to replace the car. They offered us a little more than we expected so we were happy with their offer and just wanted to get it done. Of course the amount is not enough to get the same vehicle or even anything close. It’s a shame, I went from no car payment and a car that still had plenty of life in it to looking to replace it with something that was similar – good luck right? Not exactly what I was looking for but it is what it is.
Let the stress begin – all I can hope is that I don’t end up going into a major flare over this entire process…….fingers crossed as we embark on the car search…financial worries and all that comes with it…fun times!
So I stared off by doing a lot of research online and looked at a lot of different cars. We knew we wanted something 4WD or AWD to start. Nissan, Subaru, Dodge, Jeep, Ford……the list I’m sure goes on, honestly I have really forgotten all the different brands and styles, at this point it's all just a blur.
I was initially set on a Jeep Patriot – however, after looking at the reviews and sitting in it decided it was not the right car for us. Too boxy for starters…..although I do love the way it looks on the outside, it’s just not the right fit on the inside. In fact, every time I see one I take a double look, I just like the way they look.
We sat in many cars over the past 2 weeks – the Murano and Rogue were nice – I really liked them both – it’s hard to get use to going from a mini van to a much smaller car but it’s time ……nothing really struck our fancy much……so the search continued…….
At one dealer we were introduced to the Dodge Journey – this car was one that did strike us as something we liked. It is very similar to what we had in both color and options but yet different enough – it was a 2013 and had 28k miles. We drove it – enjoyed it’s power and comfort. We left that dealer with the Dodge Journey as our top pick from the day. But we still wanted to check out some other cars so we weren’t quite ready just yet to make a commitment on it.
As the week went on we continued to search – looking for used vehicles between 2010 and 2014 that weren’t priced too high or with too much mileage – that really narrowed down the field for us. I looked at a Ford Escape – BLEH – the 2010 model I sat in felt so cheap – the 2013 had bad reviews. It felt like it was very cheap plastic inside – while it was the size I was looking for and the price – I couldn’t get over how cheap it felt and I knew I wouldn't be happy with it. Probably because I’m use to the nice interior that generally comes with Dodge vehicles.
So needless to say, the Ford Escape was now off our list. At this point our options were getting much more narrow and I was getting really tired of looking – literally tired. All the walking around, talking with people and internet research was catching up to me – we weren’t getting home until late every night and our entire “normal” schedule has been off really since the crash on April 3rd. I’m now feeling the effects of it all in full force – my fatigue is off the charts this week.
Wednesday this past week we decided to go check the Dodge Journey again. After several days of going around looking, dealing with pushy sales people and not finding anything we liked, I wanted to see the Dodge one more time before I made a decision. We went, we looked, we still loved – so the choice was obvious – let’s talk numbers! We also really liked the sales person we dealt with.
We ended up staying at the dealership for HOURS – we had to come to grips with several things before we could feel comfortable with our decision. For a variety of reasons, our credit scores aren't that great. That right there put us in a bad situation for our APR on a loan…….the dealer worked with what they had and ended up getting us as good a deal as they could considering. I was leaning towards continuing on looking as I really wanted a lower payment, however, with our credit, we were unlikely to find a lower payment even if we found a less expensive /older car. My husband reminded me too that if we left we would put to chance that the car we want would be gone, and that we might not find another like it. So after thinking and thinking and thinking we said yes to the car! I’m now driving a nice black 2013 Dodge Journey, AWD with 28k miles. We were able to negotiate a lot of things so we ended up getting some good deals attached to the car. Our 1st 4 oil changes are free with the dealer, the entire car is covered on any problems it could have pretty much for the life of the car. That makes us feel good about the purchase and comfortable that we won’t have to shell out even more money should something bad go wrong with anything on the car – lots of electronics so that is a great peace of mind for us. At most we would have to pay a $100 deductible to get anything fixed - sounds great to me!
Here it is Friday as I’m writing this update and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m so exhausted from everything this week. My chronic fatigue tends to flare out of control when my “normal” schedule gets upheaved like it has this past couple weeks. Between driving my husbands older truck, which is difficult for me to even get into most of the time, the stress of trying to find the right car, finding the right car and the stress involved with that purchase – it all adds up and ends up leaving me dealing with excess pain and fatigue that I haven’t had in a while. My normal aches and pains are in overdrive and like I said before, my fatigue is just off the charts. Of course life goes on so I have to push myself through and get things done - but believe me, as soon as I can, I'm down for the count!
This weekend my plans are to rest if I can. That is of course after I grocery shop, plan Easter dinner and get things ready for the kids – but after all that, rest!......is there even time to rest?
I saw my Chiropractor on Friday and he gave me a shot of B12 - historically B12 does nothing for me at all - I'm one of those who just doesn't metabolize it - but we thought to give it a try and see if anything changes - maybe my body has changed since the last I tried it.
Coming into this next week I work M-W and then my daughter and I are off to MN for the Northern Lights Volleyball Tournament. She will play with the 17’s team from her club as they invited her to join them for this tournament. It’s a great opportunity for her and we are very excited. Of course this trip will most likely not help my fatigue as traveling tends to take it out of me so I don’t suspect won’t feel much better until well into May when things finally start to settle down in my world and I can get the rest break I so much need in order to get back on track.
Through all this I’ve been continuing to see my chiropractor and getting adjustments. That’s been helping a lot – I have also had some acupuncture, which helped my ribs finally stop hurting. They were hurting so bad, I am sure from the accident. After the acupuncture they finally stopped hurting.
Today (Saturday) as I'm finishing up this post I wanted to add that I am not as tired as I was yesterday - so maybe that B12 did help a little. I went to bed early last night too. On the other hand, my entire body hurts - I think it's just par for the course with having Fibro and Chronic Fatigue - I just hope this flare leaves sooner rather than later.
Whew, that was a lot to share this week! If you made it this far, I applaud you and thank you for your continued interest in my story.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Monday, April 7, 2014
All in 5 days - what a crazy week to say the least!
Well last week was quite eventful in my world! Settle in and let me tell you all about the craziness!
First, in case you missed my update earlier in the week, I was introduced to an absolutely fabulous product that helps people manage pain - of course I had to try it and I'm amazed at the results, no.....I'm in love, absolutely in love, with this product. It's a product you can get from a company called FGXpress - the product is "Powerstrips". These thin adhesive strips are nothing less than a gift sent from above. You can check it out here, or send me a message with any questions you might have. I've been using these on my chronic pain and have been enjoying NO PAIN since! Check it out! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check it out!
So as I'm enjoying my new pain free living I went along with my week and on Thursday my world was turned upside down. It was a snowy morning - typically in March and April we get lots of heavy wet snow between our bouts of warm spring weather. Thursday was no different than years past, heavy wet snow falling. I took my kids to school and noticed as we were driving that the snow was really heavy and wet - really slick in places on the roads. I dropped my kids off at school and headed home. On my way down the road to my house I had the foresight to put the van into a lower gear as the road was slick and I was getting ready to go down a pretty precarious hill that turns to the right towards the end. Before I knew it....whoosh.....I caught some slush and my van took off sliding sideways......I couldn't get it back in line or pull out of the slide and ended up plowing down a pole with a reflector on it and barreling into a large boulder right off the road - it was loud, it was scary......my van bounced from one large boulder to another with a thud and boom......when everything stopped I was fine for the most part, my coffee had flown down to the floor, many things that were in the center console were now at my feet.........I was shocked I'm sure........my airbags did not deploy so I got out the car to survey the damage - not looking good at all.......I got back in and called my husband and lost it - I started crying uncontrollably. I've never been in an accident and I was scared and didn't know what to do!
My husband assured me he would be on his way. Meanwhile, a neighbor in the area came running down to me to check to see if anyone was hurt and to inform me she had called the fire department - she said that I hit a boulder and moved it several feet from where it originally was so she was sure someone was hurt - thankfully that wasn't the case. I've included some pictures of the damage. It was about an hour of action from the time of the crash, fire truck, police, neighbors - and me......in tears and hysterical.
By the time my husband arrived it was just me and the van. He got me home and we called the insurance and set up a tow truck to come haul the van away. We also made an appointment to see the chiropractor that afternoon as I was already starting to feel the pain in my neck and back from the accident. I was concerned how my body would react to being jolted around....with fibro you just never know. We still don't know what the story is for the van - we kind of think it could be totaled as it's only worth about $5000 at this point (before the wreck)
As of now I'm seeing my chiropractor every other day to work on my body and healing. I'm pretty sore in my lower back, ribs and shoulders/neck. I keep getting more sore so it's a good thing I was able to get into see him. As soon as my inflammation goes down I will begin putting the pain strips on my pain to help with that. Until then I need to just use ice and biofreeze to help. It's really more stiff and sore than it is painful.
Saturday was my birthday. Considering everything it was a good day. I got my hair cut and the family took me out to a nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. That is my favorite place - mostly because they have the best cheesecake ever! I had my favorite dish, Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and sun dried tomatoes and for dessert I took home a red velvet cheesecake slice - it was DELICIOUS!
Today I went back to work after having a 2wk Spring break. It was tough to get up and going this morning as I woke up sick. Of course I didn't get sick all the time I was off work, had to get sick the day we go back. I managed to get my butt out of the house and stay at work all day even though all I wanted to do was come home and crawl in bed. Now I'm just on the couch, my entire body aches and it's all I can do to not go crawl into bed now - I think I will be doing that soon though.
So that's about it for this update - quite a bit to digest. The past 5 days have been a little on the crazy side - probably why I'm getting sick now. It always seems that if it's not one thing it's definitely always another!
Until next time, to your health! And NO PAIN!
Gerri
First, in case you missed my update earlier in the week, I was introduced to an absolutely fabulous product that helps people manage pain - of course I had to try it and I'm amazed at the results, no.....I'm in love, absolutely in love, with this product. It's a product you can get from a company called FGXpress - the product is "Powerstrips". These thin adhesive strips are nothing less than a gift sent from above. You can check it out here, or send me a message with any questions you might have. I've been using these on my chronic pain and have been enjoying NO PAIN since! Check it out! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check it out!
So as I'm enjoying my new pain free living I went along with my week and on Thursday my world was turned upside down. It was a snowy morning - typically in March and April we get lots of heavy wet snow between our bouts of warm spring weather. Thursday was no different than years past, heavy wet snow falling. I took my kids to school and noticed as we were driving that the snow was really heavy and wet - really slick in places on the roads. I dropped my kids off at school and headed home. On my way down the road to my house I had the foresight to put the van into a lower gear as the road was slick and I was getting ready to go down a pretty precarious hill that turns to the right towards the end. Before I knew it....whoosh.....I caught some slush and my van took off sliding sideways......I couldn't get it back in line or pull out of the slide and ended up plowing down a pole with a reflector on it and barreling into a large boulder right off the road - it was loud, it was scary......my van bounced from one large boulder to another with a thud and boom......when everything stopped I was fine for the most part, my coffee had flown down to the floor, many things that were in the center console were now at my feet.........I was shocked I'm sure........my airbags did not deploy so I got out the car to survey the damage - not looking good at all.......I got back in and called my husband and lost it - I started crying uncontrollably. I've never been in an accident and I was scared and didn't know what to do!
My husband assured me he would be on his way. Meanwhile, a neighbor in the area came running down to me to check to see if anyone was hurt and to inform me she had called the fire department - she said that I hit a boulder and moved it several feet from where it originally was so she was sure someone was hurt - thankfully that wasn't the case. I've included some pictures of the damage. It was about an hour of action from the time of the crash, fire truck, police, neighbors - and me......in tears and hysterical.
By the time my husband arrived it was just me and the van. He got me home and we called the insurance and set up a tow truck to come haul the van away. We also made an appointment to see the chiropractor that afternoon as I was already starting to feel the pain in my neck and back from the accident. I was concerned how my body would react to being jolted around....with fibro you just never know. We still don't know what the story is for the van - we kind of think it could be totaled as it's only worth about $5000 at this point (before the wreck)
As of now I'm seeing my chiropractor every other day to work on my body and healing. I'm pretty sore in my lower back, ribs and shoulders/neck. I keep getting more sore so it's a good thing I was able to get into see him. As soon as my inflammation goes down I will begin putting the pain strips on my pain to help with that. Until then I need to just use ice and biofreeze to help. It's really more stiff and sore than it is painful.
Saturday was my birthday. Considering everything it was a good day. I got my hair cut and the family took me out to a nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. That is my favorite place - mostly because they have the best cheesecake ever! I had my favorite dish, Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and sun dried tomatoes and for dessert I took home a red velvet cheesecake slice - it was DELICIOUS!
Today I went back to work after having a 2wk Spring break. It was tough to get up and going this morning as I woke up sick. Of course I didn't get sick all the time I was off work, had to get sick the day we go back. I managed to get my butt out of the house and stay at work all day even though all I wanted to do was come home and crawl in bed. Now I'm just on the couch, my entire body aches and it's all I can do to not go crawl into bed now - I think I will be doing that soon though.
So that's about it for this update - quite a bit to digest. The past 5 days have been a little on the crazy side - probably why I'm getting sick now. It always seems that if it's not one thing it's definitely always another!
Until next time, to your health! And NO PAIN!
Gerri
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
Monday, March 31, 2014
Unbelievable!!! You have GOT TO READ this!
I'm going to get right to the point - I've stumbled on a product that is nothing short of amazing! If you are like me, you have heard this before, been approached by people who claim to have what you need to make you feel better - only to be disappointed when it didn't work - well, from one chronic pain sufferer to another - I am not pulling your chain and I would NEVER vouch for something that didn't work on me!
If you are like me and live with pain all the time day in and day out then you have got to continue reading this and be prepared to share with everyone you love and know that lives with pain.
I for one don't take medication to relieve my pain. I try all natural ways to control it and most of the time am just dealing with the pain as I go through my daily life. I visit my chiropractor about every 2 wks to keep my body in line and working good. I have found that these regular visits help more than anything else.
Long story short, a friend of mine told me about this product that relieves pain. She explained that it's all natural and there is nothing like it anywhere. Like everything else my initial thought is "yeah right" - so she sent me a sample of this product to try. It's basically a patch you put on where you experience pain. You can check it out here!
For me, at the moment, my daily pain is located in my shoulder joint. It's a deep aching pain that just won't give. So I slapped this patch on my shoulder as instructed. She said to let her know how it feels in the morning. So I went about my business for the rest of the night and went to bed wearing this patch. I didn't notice anything spectacular that night after applying the patch. She had told me that some people may experience warmth where it's placed but I did not have this sensation.
When I woke in the morning I moved my shoulder expecting to have my normal aches and pain - much to my surprise there was NO PAIN.....I moved my arm in all directions to try to find the pain and at the very most I could feel where the pain should be but it was so minor I wasn't sure if it was really even pain.
The patch is worn for 24-48 hrs with most of the relief happening around the 24 hr point. This was just about 12 hrs of wearing the patch overnight and I was pain free for the first time in a good year! You read this right - PAIN FREE! In my world, that isn't something that you hear or get to experience!
AHHHHH, PAIN FREE....yes it's true! A real product, an ALL NATURAL product that REALLY takes away pain where ever you have it! This patch is brand new and only available through individuals who sell it. I can tell you right now, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on more of these patches! I have friends all over who will appreciate the pain free living that is awaiting them in this patch! I want to make this a readily available product to anyone and everyone I know who suffers from chronic pain! I know first hand how getting even a little relief from chronic pain is - to have something that is able to keep the pain away - PRICELESS!
For about $80/mo you get 15 patches - those patches can be cut to any size so you can actually make them last a full month or two if you cut them in half and wear one for 48 hrs at a time.
$80 might seem like a high price but whats worse? Paying that much or more for a chemical RX to treat your pain or paying that much for an all natural pain remedy? I would say the later of the two. I look at it this way, I pay my chiropractor $45 a visit, per week, to relieve my pain. I can take my $80 and purchase a package of patches and see my chiropractor every other week to keep everything in alignment.....no more money than I already spend and getting full time pain relief - WINNING!
If you are interested in more information about this amazing discovery please don't hesitate to contact me - I'm telling you it's going to be a game changer for people who live with Chronic Pain - it's new and powerful!
With excitement I look forward to hearing from those of you who are serious about living pain free!
For the first 6 people who contact me, I will send you a free sample of this amazing product - I believe in it 100%!
To your health (and living pain free!)
Gerri
If you are like me and live with pain all the time day in and day out then you have got to continue reading this and be prepared to share with everyone you love and know that lives with pain.
I for one don't take medication to relieve my pain. I try all natural ways to control it and most of the time am just dealing with the pain as I go through my daily life. I visit my chiropractor about every 2 wks to keep my body in line and working good. I have found that these regular visits help more than anything else.
Long story short, a friend of mine told me about this product that relieves pain. She explained that it's all natural and there is nothing like it anywhere. Like everything else my initial thought is "yeah right" - so she sent me a sample of this product to try. It's basically a patch you put on where you experience pain. You can check it out here!
For me, at the moment, my daily pain is located in my shoulder joint. It's a deep aching pain that just won't give. So I slapped this patch on my shoulder as instructed. She said to let her know how it feels in the morning. So I went about my business for the rest of the night and went to bed wearing this patch. I didn't notice anything spectacular that night after applying the patch. She had told me that some people may experience warmth where it's placed but I did not have this sensation.
When I woke in the morning I moved my shoulder expecting to have my normal aches and pain - much to my surprise there was NO PAIN.....I moved my arm in all directions to try to find the pain and at the very most I could feel where the pain should be but it was so minor I wasn't sure if it was really even pain.
The patch is worn for 24-48 hrs with most of the relief happening around the 24 hr point. This was just about 12 hrs of wearing the patch overnight and I was pain free for the first time in a good year! You read this right - PAIN FREE! In my world, that isn't something that you hear or get to experience!
AHHHHH, PAIN FREE....yes it's true! A real product, an ALL NATURAL product that REALLY takes away pain where ever you have it! This patch is brand new and only available through individuals who sell it. I can tell you right now, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on more of these patches! I have friends all over who will appreciate the pain free living that is awaiting them in this patch! I want to make this a readily available product to anyone and everyone I know who suffers from chronic pain! I know first hand how getting even a little relief from chronic pain is - to have something that is able to keep the pain away - PRICELESS!
For about $80/mo you get 15 patches - those patches can be cut to any size so you can actually make them last a full month or two if you cut them in half and wear one for 48 hrs at a time.
$80 might seem like a high price but whats worse? Paying that much or more for a chemical RX to treat your pain or paying that much for an all natural pain remedy? I would say the later of the two. I look at it this way, I pay my chiropractor $45 a visit, per week, to relieve my pain. I can take my $80 and purchase a package of patches and see my chiropractor every other week to keep everything in alignment.....no more money than I already spend and getting full time pain relief - WINNING!
If you are interested in more information about this amazing discovery please don't hesitate to contact me - I'm telling you it's going to be a game changer for people who live with Chronic Pain - it's new and powerful!
With excitement I look forward to hearing from those of you who are serious about living pain free!
For the first 6 people who contact me, I will send you a free sample of this amazing product - I believe in it 100%!
To your health (and living pain free!)
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
Friday, February 28, 2014
A cure for Fibromyalgia - is this real?
A good friend sent me this article and while I find it very exciting I also find it very unlikely that a true "Cure" will be introduced anytime soon.
I wanted to share it with you - please share your thoughts on this with me, I'm curious what others think:
Fibromyalgia Finally Solved
This week has been a better week than last week, I'm not nearly as tired as I was and am feeling ok - of course still tired just not to the extreme I was.
I hope you are all doing well and depending on where you are, enjoying some warmer weather.
To your health!
Gerri
I wanted to share it with you - please share your thoughts on this with me, I'm curious what others think:
Fibromyalgia Finally Solved
This week has been a better week than last week, I'm not nearly as tired as I was and am feeling ok - of course still tired just not to the extreme I was.
I hope you are all doing well and depending on where you are, enjoying some warmer weather.
To your health!
Gerri
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
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Another great article about Gluten intolerance
Those with auto-immune issues should really check this out and take it seriously. I think I'm pretty close to being gluten free - am going to really make sure not to consume any for the next couple weeks to see if my symptoms continue to improve. Overall I feel pretty good as long as I continue to get adjustments weekly and eat a raw healthy diet.
Check it out, and I would love to hear from anyone who IS gluten free and finds that it makes a difference in their symptoms.
10 signs you are Gluten intolerant from Healthy Holistic Living
As always, to your health!! Take care of the body you live in - if you don't, who will?
Gerri
Check it out, and I would love to hear from anyone who IS gluten free and finds that it makes a difference in their symptoms.
10 signs you are Gluten intolerant from Healthy Holistic Living
As always, to your health!! Take care of the body you live in - if you don't, who will?
Gerri
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
I'm still here!! So much going on, so much happening and the best part of it all..........
I'm feeling GREAT!!
I have a new position at the school I work at that has me very busy - I'm in the literacy department and just love it!
Outside of that, I'm still maintaining my weekly chiropractic appointments to maintain myself and to keep my body in optimal health. I firmly believe that with the weekly adjustments my body has put my FMS down and has helped me stay feeling good. I still get minor aches and pains in the same areas (hips and shoulders) but nothing even close to what I use to experience. When I feel overly tired, I go to bed. I've learned through all of this that listening to my body is the most important thing I can do. And when I feel tired, I make sure to handle it instead of ignoring it.
Over the past 3 months I did a weight loss challenge with 3 of my friends using a program called Body By Vi (Vi is short for Visalus). It's a 90 day challenge and it's simply, amazing. Since getting sick back in 2010 I have gained 55+lbs - I finally got sick of the weight, sick of putting on my clothes that were too tight and finally just had it when I had to purchase a size that I swore I would never be in again (after losing weight in the past) Depression was setting in again and I knew I had to take a stand before things got worse.
The 90 day challenge consists of replacing 2 meals a day with a healthy protein shake meal replacement. It's packed with vitamins, has less than a gram sugar and tastes like cake mix - NO JOKE! A lot of people say "once you start eating again you are going to gain the weight back" to which I have to laugh. Don't think I'm not eating - in fact, I'm eating quite well. I have a shake for breakfast, and every two hours another small meal consisting of a protein and vegetable - I eat all day to the point that I'm stuffed when it's time to eat again! It's not a "fad diet" - it's a way of life - re-training yourself to keep your body fueled so it burns fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. It takes a little getting use to but now, it's just the way I do things - I eat small meals every 2 hours. Think portions too - portion control is where it's at. Once you get use to measuring out your portions you get pretty good at knowing how much you can have at any given time. I think a huge part of America's problem with Obesity is the fact that our portions are double and triple what they should be all the time - that means we are taking in double and triple the calories we should be on a daily basis - which in turn is going to be weight gain. It's pretty simple really.
Exercise is suggested but not something you have to do too strenuously or even at all if you don't want to. As we all know, exercise is another thing that those of us with FMS need to do so it should be incorporated anyway.
So after 3 months I am down 26 lbs and over 27 inches!! I feel great, am wearing my clothes much better and am actually going to be entering to win the team challenge on a national level!! Between myself and my team mates we have lost over 200lbs combined! It's inspiring really.
Currently I'm doing another challenge to drop the rest of the weight I gained. It's really just a way of life, eating clean and making smart choices. Through all the struggles over the past few years, my weight shouldn't be a reason I'm feeling sick. I've slowly come around full circle and can honestly say that I'm feeling like myself again - feeling healthy, happy and full of life again! I never thought I would be able to say that! I really thought my life would be full of pain and suffering and never again be the same. It's been 3 yrs and while the road has been a tough one, it's taught me so much about myself and others.
I hope my journey so far has made an impact on others and I hope my continued journey will as well - I am living proof that you can go from literally wanting to die to enjoying life again! Please, if you have anyone in your life who is like me, share my blog with them, encourage them to follow me, encourage them to NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN and do what it takes to find the right mixture that will help them get back into the game of life! Remember back when I first started this journey to find my health? I was a research freak - researching and researching until I was blue in the face - but it was all worth it - I have found what works for me, what makes me feel good and what keeps me going - you too can find it if you haven't yet - just keep on looking! I promise it's out there!
To your health and until next time!
I have a new position at the school I work at that has me very busy - I'm in the literacy department and just love it!
Outside of that, I'm still maintaining my weekly chiropractic appointments to maintain myself and to keep my body in optimal health. I firmly believe that with the weekly adjustments my body has put my FMS down and has helped me stay feeling good. I still get minor aches and pains in the same areas (hips and shoulders) but nothing even close to what I use to experience. When I feel overly tired, I go to bed. I've learned through all of this that listening to my body is the most important thing I can do. And when I feel tired, I make sure to handle it instead of ignoring it.
Over the past 3 months I did a weight loss challenge with 3 of my friends using a program called Body By Vi (Vi is short for Visalus). It's a 90 day challenge and it's simply, amazing. Since getting sick back in 2010 I have gained 55+lbs - I finally got sick of the weight, sick of putting on my clothes that were too tight and finally just had it when I had to purchase a size that I swore I would never be in again (after losing weight in the past) Depression was setting in again and I knew I had to take a stand before things got worse.
The 90 day challenge consists of replacing 2 meals a day with a healthy protein shake meal replacement. It's packed with vitamins, has less than a gram sugar and tastes like cake mix - NO JOKE! A lot of people say "once you start eating again you are going to gain the weight back" to which I have to laugh. Don't think I'm not eating - in fact, I'm eating quite well. I have a shake for breakfast, and every two hours another small meal consisting of a protein and vegetable - I eat all day to the point that I'm stuffed when it's time to eat again! It's not a "fad diet" - it's a way of life - re-training yourself to keep your body fueled so it burns fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. It takes a little getting use to but now, it's just the way I do things - I eat small meals every 2 hours. Think portions too - portion control is where it's at. Once you get use to measuring out your portions you get pretty good at knowing how much you can have at any given time. I think a huge part of America's problem with Obesity is the fact that our portions are double and triple what they should be all the time - that means we are taking in double and triple the calories we should be on a daily basis - which in turn is going to be weight gain. It's pretty simple really.
Exercise is suggested but not something you have to do too strenuously or even at all if you don't want to. As we all know, exercise is another thing that those of us with FMS need to do so it should be incorporated anyway.
So after 3 months I am down 26 lbs and over 27 inches!! I feel great, am wearing my clothes much better and am actually going to be entering to win the team challenge on a national level!! Between myself and my team mates we have lost over 200lbs combined! It's inspiring really.
Currently I'm doing another challenge to drop the rest of the weight I gained. It's really just a way of life, eating clean and making smart choices. Through all the struggles over the past few years, my weight shouldn't be a reason I'm feeling sick. I've slowly come around full circle and can honestly say that I'm feeling like myself again - feeling healthy, happy and full of life again! I never thought I would be able to say that! I really thought my life would be full of pain and suffering and never again be the same. It's been 3 yrs and while the road has been a tough one, it's taught me so much about myself and others.
I hope my journey so far has made an impact on others and I hope my continued journey will as well - I am living proof that you can go from literally wanting to die to enjoying life again! Please, if you have anyone in your life who is like me, share my blog with them, encourage them to follow me, encourage them to NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN and do what it takes to find the right mixture that will help them get back into the game of life! Remember back when I first started this journey to find my health? I was a research freak - researching and researching until I was blue in the face - but it was all worth it - I have found what works for me, what makes me feel good and what keeps me going - you too can find it if you haven't yet - just keep on looking! I promise it's out there!
To your health and until next time!
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