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

Vertigo - GOING, GOING - GONE!

So I woke up today and the vertigo seems to be getting less and less - today I feel so much better, in fact I am not nearly as dizzy as I've been. I have only had a couple times since waking that I felt slightly dizzy and that was when I moved too quickly. So I will continue to take it easy but am able to resume my normal activities including driving, cooking, cleaning - all that great stuff. I'm so glad it's not hanging around longer than this week - I was concerned I was going to be dealing with it for a while again.

When I saw the Dr on Wed I had asked him if this could be linked to the fibromyalgia - he did say that sometimes people with fibromyalgia will also have episodes of vertigo. Although I've never read anything to state this, I'll believe him, he is the one who specializes in all this. I also discussed with him the possibility of the vertigo being a sign that I could have MS. He stated that yes, vertigo is a sign of MS and that I should consult my Neurologist for further investigation of that possibility. I decided that if I get another sudden onset I will do just that. There are many factors in determining if someone has MS - so I think that is another battle and battery of testing that will be necessary to undergo should I decide it's something worth pursuing. The last time I discussed this with the neurologist she didn't feel that the changes in my brain lesions that showed on the MRI indicated possible MS. So we left it at that.

Today is day 2 of starting my new supplements and I even got my husband to join me in taking them. I was shocked actually that he drank the spirulina. If you have ever had it, you'll know what I mean when I say it's GREEN and smells horrid! Although, we mixed it with Orange Juice and it tasted like Orange juice - so as long as he can't taste the nastiness of it I know he'll drink it. He doesn't eat any vegetables so being able to get this into him is only going to help him. As I had posted in yesterday's entry, the spirulina is full of great things - everyone should use it to aid in their health and to make sure they are getting what the body needs to be healthy.

I had someone ask me just recently if all this juicing has made any difference - in all honesty I have only noticed my level of energy slightly increase AND I'm feeling less fatigued than I have in the past - but not a lot of major differences that I can pin point with precision. If you ask me, those two things are pretty major for someone with CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), so yes, it's helping. I think, as a friend of mine said, it's going to take some time for my body to reverse all the negative things that I've subject it to all my life. In particular, the bad foods and lack of good nutrients for so many years. The immediate benefits are not necessarily outward but inside, my body is certainly healing itself and loving all the goodness it's getting. It can be frustrating to not see immediate changes, but I think overall it's helping and expect it to take up to 2 months or more to really make a huge impact. Overall I do feel good if you compare how I feel today to 2, 3 or 4 months ago...so I think it's definitely helping, yes.