Information overload! Where do I put it....here, that's where!

So much information is available out there on our "information highway" that it's become a bit of an overload on my brain! I can only focus on so much at one time and with all the research I've done over the past year I am finding that I am either reading the same things, just on different sites and/or finding one good bit of information on things then another site to contradict what I just read. I'm glad to be able to find information as well as information that challenges it but it starts to become blurry and confusing after a while.....frustration set in this past week as I've been looking at going "gluten-free" and dabbling with it - it's not as easy as I had thought it would be.

It turns out that really eating "gluten-free" requires the desire to cook, the desire to spend the extra money on the grocery bill and the need to know that it really does make a difference.......as of right now I don't want to cook, I don't have the desire to spend our money on these specialty products that may or may not help me feel better. I was shocked when I saw the prices of "gluten-free" bread......among other things it's not a cheap venture. So, with that, I guess it won't be a huge shock to anyone that I haven't given up gluten in my food although I am more aware of it and what I'm putting into my body.

On another note, it's now been 30 days since starting all the supplements I had talked about in July. So far I'm not really feeling a major impact from them, but I do know it takes a while to build them up in the body, so I'm not going to give up on it. I'm sure they are doing great things for me. I've made a little bit of an adjustment to what supplements I'm taking and currently. In addition to the supplements discussed back in my July posting I am taking the following on a daily basis as well:

*bee pollen (in the loose form) - if you have never heard about the benefits of bee pollen you really need to check it out! I just picked some up at the Vitamin Cottage yesterday and had my first dose today. I'm all about giving it a shot. Bee pollen has been called "natures perfect food" among other things. After reading about it I was eager to add it to my daily supplements. I believe the loose form is best as it can loose some of it's fundamental goodness through processing and manufacturing - make sure you read about it before you go out and buy a bottle of pills or something that could just be a waste of your money....know what you are looking for and getting!

*Adrenal Stress End - This supplement supports your adrenals and helps them function better - I believe part of all the madness is also adrenal stress so this addition is necessary in order to stop the cycle - this one supplement also includes 150mg Vit C, 50mg B6, 100mg Pantothenic Acid (AKA B5), 400mg Adrenal Polypeptide Fractions, 250mg Betaine (helps with digestion), 250mg L-Tyrosine (one of the 20 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins), 200mg Licorice (among it's many health benefits, licorice has gained a reputation for strengthening the body during times of stress) and 35 mg Adrenal cortex extract (helps to repair adrenal function).

*Metabolic Advantage - I added this one since I firmly believe I have thyroid problems even though my Endo Dr says otherwise - due to the nodules I have and the indicators/symptoms of hypothyroidism I'm certain this is going to be a beneficial supplement for me. This thyroid support supplement that also incorporates 100mg B12, 200mg Iodine, 200mg Magnesium, 6mg Zinc, 300mg cooper, 2.3mg manganese, 248mg L-Tyrosine...both link enclosures have great information for you to explore further.

*Turmeric - I just learned about this spice used as a supplement this week and it's another one that I was eager to get on board with. The benefits of taking this daily are great! Although nothing is scientifically "proven" the responses from people who have taken it are good. When I first went looking for this in the vitamin section I found that the entire row was gone, so people are definitely using it as supplement for health.

*DHEA - 25mg - my PCP had told me to take this a year or two ago for help with the, um, shall we say lowered libido, to which I did purchase it and take it temporarily - I found it in my cabinet so figured I would add it to the list since it does have benefits for people with FMS/CFS according to sources I've read - I can recall where I had seen it listed however, I did see it enough in my reading that I decided it was worth trying again.

So all in all I'm taking 10 pills in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 in the evening - that's the ideal situation - in reality, I take my morning 10, my dose of bee pollen and usually forget the later day doses which are the additional NAC and L-glutamine doses I should take. I am working on remembering to take those though...it's all a process of getting use to taking so many pills throughout the day.

I'm still having a nice big glass of fresh juice every morning as well.

The past 2 weeks I have missed my treatments due to one thing or another - last week was because I was too sick to go and this week because I had to take the kids to the Dr which just so happened to be during my appt time. Due to the fact that my appointments take all day to and from I had to cancel and of course they were booked solid the rest of the week so I couldn't re-schedule. I do however, have my next one this coming up Monday that, as of now is a go.

The one question that is burning in everyone's mind and asked all the time is "Is all of this helping you feel better?" - usually my answer is "I don't know" because honestly, it's too soon to really say either way. I can say that I am not "SICK" in the sense of having a cold, respiratory illness or anything like that, however, each day is still unknown and each day is different - when I start having multiple days of feeling great, you'll know it because I'll be shouting about it anywhere I can! I anticipate that it will take a few more months of supplements and treatments to really get to a point where my body is functioning "normally" whatever that is.

We have to remember that it has taken many years to get to the point of bodily functions failing and falling apart so it's going to take time to fix the problems that are now labeled as "fibromyalgia", "Chronic Fatigue", "adrenal stress" - how much time is not known and is going to be different for each person...but each day we are closer to being better by the things we are learning and doing!

I hope you are doing well on your life journey and finding useful information from my journey. Everyday is a new opportunity to learn more and find the right combination of nutrients, rest and activities to help make all this work to our benefit.

Gluten free, this is going to take some to get use to

So I think I spoke before I really knew what I was getting myself into. Although I understand the reasoning behind the suggestions to eliminate gluten from my diet, it's not as easy, or tasty as I thought it would or could be. I know there are a lot of people out there who swear that living a gluten free life is better for you in many ways and I've even recently read that Gluten can damage your intestines over your lifetime......in fact, I am beginning to wonder why, if gluten is so bad for you, why it's in almost everything we traditionally consume. I've also read many claims that eliminating this one thing from your diet can CURE many illnesses people suffer from! But on the flip side I've also read from others who have tried it and say they notice no difference - so which is it? I believe it's one of those things that can't be measured as an absolute or a definite....it's a personal choice and reaction for each individual.

Now, being that this is all so new to my life, after 41 yrs of eating pretty much whatever I felt like when I felt like it - I'm beginning to see that truly being "gluten free" takes a bit of planning ahead and shopping for specific things that you ordinarily don't purchase or even know exist! This road is going to be an interesting one and honestly I'm not sure where I'll end up on it. I'm not a big fan of cooking these days - especially because when it's time to cook a family meal, I'm too tired 9x out of 10 to cook and end up choosing the not so healthy options or the pre-packaged options. And being that the few things I have tried that are "gluten free" are so different in both texture and taste - I just don't know - I'm not excited about it at all.

Let's take a minute to also talk about the other people in this family of mine. The other 3 in this family are pretty much meat and potatoes - all the time. My daughter does enjoy green beans and broccoli and will try SOME new things....although I think this whole gluten journey won't excite any of them. Especially when it comes to the really good things like ice cream, cookies, chips......all those things that pretty much will be eliminated from my diet if not forever, for a while. With any luck there will be some things I can replace for the entire family like pasta - the pasta I tried is good - both my husband and daughter had some and actually liked it. SO...that's one thing I think I can easily switch on everyone without any problems. Other than that....I really don't know...I guess it'll be one of those things I'll figure out as I'm going. I do know one thing though, if I try to feed them something new and it doesn't look right, they won't eat it...if they do by chance try it, and don't like it, they will be weary of the next time I put something "new" in front of them. I am not going to be cooking 2 meals either - so at some point I'll have to find the middle ground for all this.....right now I'm still in the processing, accepting and figuring out stage of it.

As you can imagine, pretty much anything that is processed is going to have gluten in it. So the majority of MY diet is going to be raw foods and other gluten free items I can find at the store. This isn't a HUGE issue except when it comes to the things I love like ice cream, brownies, cookies.....snacks and sweets is where I'm going to have the biggest problem with this .....in general I eat pretty good already with the exception of my daily indulgence of something sweet - even "sugar free" ice cream still has those blasted "aspartame" or other sugar substitute in it...so it really isn't "sugar free"......

I've been trying those "lara bars" this past week - they are OK - I tried one that was simply nasty, had to throw it out - that was the "cashew cookie" one YUCK! And I like cashews! They are pretty dense and have a very different taste - I can tolerate them but at about 11+g of fat per bar, I would much rather have a cookie or two or 10! UGH......she says with a smile as she grabs a carrot.....

Another issue I've already noticed is the price of "GLUTEN FREE" products - HOLY SHIT! A loaf of bread can put you back close to $6! Seriously...for bread?? Damn...I'm use to getting our bread for $2 or less a loaf! But that of course is the "normal" stuff everyone else can have. The only bread I really will have a problem with NOT having is french bread on nights when we have pasta - really have a problem with it - so I guess I better have a "bread substitute" in the house at $6 a loaf so when the time comes I can grab a piece and toast it and pretend I'm having a nice soft piece of french loaf that was just cooked - oh King Soopers you are not going to help me here with your daily fresh breads at the front door......

I'm planning on taking a "field trip" this upcoming week to my local Whole Foods store to investigate more options for "gluten free". I've also subscribed to a couple blogs that are all about Gluten free living with recipes and such. I've already noticed most of the recipes don't really excite me or even sound like things I would ever consider making and feeding to my family but I'm hopeful that I will find some things that I can sneak in and substitute for us all - I did find a few recipes for cookies that LOOK good, but the true test is in how they taste....we are a family that loves our sweets......for me eliminating gluten, refined sugar and sugar additives is definitely going to be one of the harder things I've had to do.....in fact I'm not sure I can 100%...this is worse than any addiction that someone has to get past.....being that it's been a 41 yr addiction I just don't know HOW I'm ever going to get away from sugar or sugar substitutions........one day at a time I guess! Shoot it's not like you can just say "ok, I quit gluten and sugar" because it's everywhere you turn......everywhere!

So in case you can't tell, I'm frustrated but hopefully will have a great update for you all once I go on my field trip this week and see what all is out there in this gluten free world I'm trying to enter into.......it's definitely not an overnight adjustment that's for sure!

Nutrition, diet change, schedule change.......change, change, change

So here we are, a little over half of the year is gone in the dust and what do any of us have to show for it? I know for me I have made some progression in my quest to find answers to my health woes and feel that I'm on the right track to getting back to feeling good - now if only I could find the major energy zapper within me and eliminate it I think I'd be in pretty good shape overall!

This past week I've been free of headaches which has been a blessing. I hate the headaches I've been dealing with and am pretty certain between the massages I've been getting and the chiropractic adjustments they are starting to give me the relief I'm after. Well, that and the multitude of vitamins I'm pushing into my body are starting to build up to have their own effect on me as well.

I am finding some short bursts of energy on occasion, not as often or regularly as I would like but hey, I'll take what I can get when I get it...it's not enough to sustain me all day most of the time but enough to push me through when I need to push. This weekend was the first weekend in MONTHS that I actually had the MOTIVATION AND ENERGY to do the things that a "normal" person can do everyday...it was nice to be out and about without wishing I was in bed or that it was time to go.

(Monday 8/8) I had my 5th and final (for now) massage. It still hurts like a bitch but I think I'm actually going to miss the massages. Starting next week I will be moving into Phase 2 of my treatment which is a more active phase and will start with Soft Tissue work as well as continue with the adjustments. The Dr told me if I find the soft tissue work doesn't help as much as the massage I can go back to massage if I want so there is some flexibility with the treatments. I'm actually looking forward to the Acupuncture part of my treatment which will come in about a month - I'm ready to do it and see what kind of relief it offers. I've heard so many great things about it in helping with CFS and Fibromyalgia pain.

Juicing has been going well - I've been doing it faithfully every morning since starting back up. This past week I've been having what's called "Morning Energizer" - this is made with 1 peeled lemon, 1 peeled cucumber, 4 carrots, 1 in. of ginger root and 1/2 to 1 small beet (include 2 stems and leaves) - it makes a nice kind of mildly spicy drink. If you have never had beet juice, it's a bit earthy tasting, but not bad with the other ingredients all together - too much beet and it's kind of rough going down so if you try to make this, make sure you use only 1/2 of a small beet until you get use to how fresh beet juice tastes. It doesn't bother me but I do try to drink it quickly so I don't have to taste the beet for very long.

I had my nutrition counseling today (8/8) at my appointment. The Dr said I am already doing pretty good with the juicing and with what I normally am eating. She made some suggestions for me to work on such as eating a small handful of baby carrots or an apple before a meal with some water. Also to make sure I'm eating something healthy every 2-3 hrs. She explained it to me in terms of giving my pancreas a "treat" by eating something little and often so my body doesn't have to #1 work hard at processing larger meals that are spread out over longer periods and #2 so my body stops holding onto everything I put into it. She said that part of the problem a lot of people with these conditions face is that their body is always working in a "stress" mode or the "fight or flight" mode so the body is afraid to burn or use up fats, calories and nutrients since it doesn't know when it will get more. Instead the body stores these things making it very difficult to get energy and nutrients from the food we eat. She said our goal is to "re-boot" my system so that it will start to better process the things I eat and with that I will see my weight also change for the better. You see, I've always had trouble with my weight - not wanting to fall off! No matter what I do it seems to just hang on - she explained to me that because I tend to not eat on regular 2-3 hr basis my body won't use what it needs to use for energy, fuel and nutrients and thus I will gain more than I'll ever loose in this cycle, even when trying to drop weight.....and I won't have the necessary energy I need to do the things a healthy woman of my age should be able to do....it's a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. Hopefully by doing this, my body will start using up the things I put into it instead of storing it all away for later use.

So my next challenge is to eat something, not a lot, but something every few hours, eliminate as much sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy, wheat flour and gluten from my diet as I can. I've already purchased a couple things she suggested and am going to give it my best shot at trying to change my diet even further than I already have. I've been watching my sugar intake for many months now, it's been really hard especially for this ice cream and sweets loving girl! I will never 100% eliminate those indulgences from my diet, however definitely choose the lower or no sugar versions when I can and try not to have it except maybe on the weekends or just on a special occasion.

Some suggestions she made are:

*use corn based/gluten free pasta instead of the normal wheat/flour based - pasta is one of those things that can really taste terrible in other forms I think - but I did try it last night and it is actually just fine, tastes pretty much the same with a good sauce on it. The new pasta I'll be using is Quinoa - it's gluten free and corn based, give it a try, I bet you'll like it! The link I've included above has all the products and tons of recipes for using them......I'm excited to try some on my family and see if this is something I can make for them as well without a lot of fussing from them about it.....I bet I can since it tastes good.

*Lara Bars - these too are gluten free and come in many different flavors. I tried one as a snack, they aren't bad and have a pretty good taste to them. I can easily make that addition to my diet so I'll start having those as a snack option.

*Add an Omega3 vitamin to my daily vitamin intake: She recommended the one I linked to as being the best that she has tried - being that I'm not a fish lover, or even eat any fish, those that are fishy or have a fishy taste will turn me off and won't get in my body. In fact she pointed out that any that smell or taste fishy are because it has gone bad.....SOOOO, getting one that is in it's natural trigliceride form is what she suggested.

*Add a Probiotic daily - 12 billion per day/adult 8 strain - she recommended a specific brand but I'll just be sure to grab one that falls into the 12 billion per day category.

*Instead of milk, use unsweetened coconut milk when I find the need to use or drink milk. I'm not a big milk drinker, especially since watching my sugar intake so I already stopped drinking milk months ago other than what I have used in my smoothies which has been a lower sugar, lower calorie version. I purchased some of the coconut milk and it's not bad at all, so this is another easy one to work right into the plan. Cheese and plain yogurt are also ok to have as snacks in small amounts.

So overall I'm already on a good path to changing my diet and will work on the above suggestions to further refine my diet and nutritional intake to help with this process of re-booting my body and helping it work the way it should. This is a 6wk plan and after the 6 wks I can try to reintroduce things into my diet to see how they make me feel - such as gluten. However, if I find things that are gluten free and will work for the family as well, there is really no need to re-introduce it to our diets. I'll have to play it all by ear and see how the next 6wks of changes go.

So I need to make a trip to the vitamin cottage to pick up the additional supplements that she wants me to start taking - these two would be something I should plan on taking for the rest of my life as they are essential to have.

I really need to start looking for a cheaper way to get all the vitamins I'm taking. At the point I'm at now, this is about $100 a month extra for all the vitamins I NEED.

Until next time!

Back to juicing, vitamin intake and detox....fun times

I suspected when I started my new vitamin regime I would have a few days of headache and general crappy feeling as my body takes in the good and lets out the bad.....I've done it before so I knew to expect it. While I was hoping it wouldn't happen it is. Today is day 2 of my new vitamin intake and of going back to juicing. I'm not juicing like I did previously, just drinking a green juice 2x a day (8oz each time) to increase the vitamins in my body.

Today I woke up with a headache that continues to increase in it's volume every little bit. It's not unbearable as of now, but definitely making me aware of it's presence. This should only last a couple days until my body levels off and gets rid of any crap. I also notice that my allergies are acting up today too - lots of sneezing and my sinuses are draining - I attribute it to the detox. In fact, one of the supplements I'm taking causes release of excess mucus, so I can safely say that's what's causing the excess of sneezing and sinus drainage. It's pretty cool when you know what things are happening, and reinforces the necessity of taking the supplement.

Other than that I am doing ok. Just going to take it easy until this subsides - today will be a great day to catch up on movies, emails and just rest it out. I hate going through this but as we all know I'm no stranger to feeling like crap and if this is what I need to go through to get on the other side and on the road to being better, then so be it....in the end it'll be worth it for sure.

I ended up having to get a few different combinations of vitamins but after all is said and done I'm taking what my body is lacking and what I need to function properly. My current list of daily vitamins is:
Antioxidant formula 2 a day

This is giving me 25,000 IU Vitamin A, 500mg Vit C, 400 IU Vit E, 350 mg B2, 15 mg zinc, 200mg Selenium, 2mg cooper....











L Glutamine 1000 mg 3x daily

This Serves as a source of fuel for cells lining the intestines; It's involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino acid. Glutamine can pass through the protective blood-brain barrier and, because of this, it is known as brain fuel. It Aids in protecting the body from ammonia toxicity; It appears to be necessary for normal brain function; it's essential for maintaining amino acid balance in the body during times of severe stress; It's used by white blood cells and contributes to normal immune-system function.




N AcetylCysteine (NAC) 600 mg 3x daily

N-Acetyl Cysteine is rapidly metabolized to intracellular glutathione. Glutathione acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Glutathione also detoxifies chemicals into less harmful compounds. Glutathione is known to aid in the transport of nutrients to lymphocytes and phagocytes, two major classes of immune cells, and to protect cell membranes. While purified glutathione is available as a dietary supplement, absorption is low, N-Acetyl Cysteine is thought to be a better method of boosting cellular glutathione levels. N-Acetyl Cysteine is currently being investigated as a treatment for AIDS. It breaks up mucus; N-Acetyl Cysteine at a dosage of 1,200 mg per day helps to prevent Influenza, reduces the symptoms of existing Influenza and reduces the duration of Influenza. Its action as an antioxidant and a glutathione precursor may also contribute to a protective effect against cancer.

COQ10 150mg daily

COQ10 can help you combat fatigue, as well as obesity, and a weak immune system. Several studies with small numbers of people suggest that CoQ10 may lower blood pressure after a few weeks. CoQ10 and vitamin E together are the principle fat-soluable antioxidants in cells, and CoQ10 may help vitamin E act more effectively in the body. CoQ10 has the potential to vastly improve human health and it's most valuable role may be in fighting heart disease.



Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg daily

Interestingly enough, Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue, often accompanied by numerous symptoms involving various body systems. Little is known about the cause of this disease; however, recent studies have shown that there may be a connection between CFS and free radicals in the body. This would suggest the use of antioxidants in the management of CFS. Clinicians in Canada concluded that anti-oxidant supplements such as glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, alpha-lipoic acid, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, Ginkgo biloba, and Vaccinium myrtillus may be beneficial in the treatment of CFS. Alpha lipoic acid is an extremely important antioxidant that destroys many of the free-radicals that are harmful to the human body. Lipoic acid is both water and fat soluble. This is beneficial in countering many different forms of oxidative stress and cellular damage in any part of a cell. Thereby, it can reduce the oxidative stress in the body while recycling the effectiveness of other antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and glutathione. Vitamin C and glutathione can be regenerated through reaction with alpha lipoic acid.
*Alpha Lipoic Acid has many benefits including fighting aging/wrinkles, reducing complications associated with diabetes, treatment for MS, helps revive loss of olfactory senses (sense of smell) as well as many other things - this is one powerful antioxidant!


In addition to these supplements I am also continuing to take Magnesium, Acetyl L Carnitine and Kelp - these are supplements I had already been taking and had documented early on when I started this blog.

I also started drinking the Dr Oz Green drink - which is made up of Lemon, Celery, Parsley, apples, spinach, cucumber and ginger root. This fresh juice is packed full of naturally occurring vitamins, antioxidants and live enzymes. The spinach alone provides an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. The other ingredients also have great vitamins and beneficial nutrients that by drinking them raw are digested faster into the bodies cells. It's something I've been wanting to get back to doing so I figured as long as I'm taking all these other supplements I might as well add some fresh juice to the mix. I'm drinking 8oz in the morning and again in the afternoon. It provides a nice burst of energy as well.

I've always seen people who take tons of vitamins each day and wondered to myself why someone would have to take so many supplements, often times they are referred to as "health freaks" - now I'm one of them and as I continue on my mission to get my health back, I'm learning more and more about how a life with a lack of the right amount of good things incorporated into your diet will lead to where I am today. It takes a long time to get here and will certainly take some time to repair. The good news is that it is reversible at this point and with the knowledge I'm gaining I can aid in helping my children incorporate the right things into their lifestyle so they don't have to go through life feeling sick, getting sick and dealing with adult health issues. Simply adding 1 daily multiple vitamin could be enough to prevent serious problems later in life. Maybe this is where I'm meant to be for the reasons of learning first hand how our lifestyle really does effect our health or lack of health. Maybe this course my life has taken will lead me to helping even more people learn how to take charge of their health, prevent illness and life a healthy life. I'm learning that "being healthy" doesn't have to mean not having fun or eating the foods we've come accustomed to like - it means having these things in moderation while making sure to incorporate the essential things for life, living food, enzymes and the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies functioning at optimal performance.

Through all this research I am really learning that there is a balance to it all - finding the right balance is the key to living a full healthy life - if you are one that doesn't take any extra vitamins I strongly urge you to consider even just a daily multiple vitamin to assist your body in being it's best. Of course, anything more than that should be discussed with a Dr as each of us is different and our needs are different.

To your health!

Test results are in and OMG.......

Well I got the test results from the blood work that was done at the end of June at my first appointment with the Fibromyalgia Center. This was the blood test that would look in my white blood cells to determine any nutrient deficiencies I might have. Well, I have some alright. The Dr said that she has only seen 1 other person have a test result this bad......So once again I score an A+ in the test department, on a test that you don't want an A+ on!

Out of 7 antioxidants tested, I am deficient in 5 of them. Antioxidants are what helps prevent cancer and keeps us healthy - they help fight free radicals and oxidation of our cells.......so no wonder I'm always picking up every illness I can find! My body can't fight them! My overall antioxidant function is at a whooping 37% - optimal function is at or above 65%.........

The blood work came back showing me deficient in the following nutrients:

*Glutamine - I will need to supplement with 3000 mg daily - 1000 mg 3x a day for the next 4-6 months - to learn more about the role of this Amino Acid CLICK HERE

*Glutathione - I will need to supplement with 600 mg 3x daily (1800 mg daily) of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) for the next 4-6 months at least. This is a really important one as without it, we die! CLICK HERE for an interesting article on the role of this "super antioxidant"

*Vitamin E - 800 IU daily - CLICK HERE to read about the role of Vitamin E

*Selenium - 200 MCG daily - CLICK HERE to see why this antioxidant is important to our bodies

*Coenzyme Q10 - 150 mg daily - CLICK HERE to read about this and why it's important for your health

*Lipoic Acid - 200 mg daily supplement - CLICK HERE to read more about this antioxidant and what it does

After doing the research on these and reading all about them and the importance of them for health, I wonder why I don't have high blood pressure and heart problems! I am thankful that I don't but according to my deficiencies I should! Hopefully by getting these specific things in check and within normal range I will prevent those things from becoming a problem later in my life.

So I should be able to get an antioxidant blend that will take care of everything except the NAC and COQ10 - those are going to have to be their own supplement unless I can find one that incorporates all of it - so far in my research I haven't found one that does. Most have everything EXCEPT the NAC and COQ10. I'm really going to have to figure out a way to remember to take these things as that is one area I am really bad in - if I can take something 1x a day great, but for those that I'll have to take 3x.....I might need to figure out how to have my phone remind me - oh I'm sure I can find a pill reminder app or something on my phone!!

At my treatment today I had a 1 hr massage, chiropractic adjustment and trigger point injections in my hips. Today's massage focused on my hips and legs. Let me tell you, I would of never known how tender my muscles/soft tissue is without this massage. It actually hurt more than anything today. She really worked my hips as that is where I find I have most of my pain. Right now I am a little uncomfortable in the area where she did the work but am anticipating that will go away after today like it did last week due to the injections after the massage work.

Tomorrow I'll be heading out to get my new supplements as the Dr wants me to get on them ASAP - she also said that I'm a good candidate for IV nutrient therapy but will also need to take the oral supplements. She said she wouldn't be suprised to hear that I'm feeling a lot better after a couple weeks on the supplements since I'm so deficient.

I feel like this has taken me in the right direction so far and am excited to see how I feel once I start these supplements. Although the test results aren't great, they will lead me to getting better and that is the ultimate goal! I'm really feeling that it is going to happen now that we are getting things dialed in to specifics.

This week I have my phone appointment with the Mayo Clinic as well - that's on Thursday with the nurse. I'm sure I'll have things to say after that call so stay tuned for more updates - things are rolling along in the right direction! Although a long road, it's going to be one worth the travel by the time I reach the end of it! I just know it!

The picture says it all. Living with Fibromyalgia is painful and a number of people will never find relief of that pain. I'm on a mission to find relief but at times wonder if I will ever truly be pain free. Every symptom listed in the picture is present in most sufferers most of the time. It's not just one or two of these symptoms...it's most of them, if not all of them, all of the time. I can say out of these 23 symptoms, I have 19 of them everyday. No wonder I am always sick, always tired and always feel so run down. It's exhausting being a host to these ailments.

Today I had my first appointment (out of 20) at the Fibromyalgia Center up North. This appointment consisted of a 30 minute soft tissue massage and 2 trigger point injections in my back (if you look at the picture of where the woman has her fingers, that is where I got the injections on each side). Now I'm not feeling as great as one would expect after getting a massage....I never do. I can tell exactly where she massaged me as the areas hurt...tomorrow they will hurt more. The injection sites are tender which is to be expected. I got a headache after the massage and was extremely tired immediately afterward as well. I found it difficult to do much the rest of the day after returning home due to the fatigue.

From what I understand the trigger point injections help the muscles stay relaxed for a few hours longer than they would without it. This allows the body to heal according to the Dr - the theory is that over time the massage will hurt less and I won't need the injections as the muscles will learn how to stay loose instead of tightening up again so quickly. The injections also serve partly to help relieve any pain associated with the massage as well - so it's an effort to help the muscles stay loose and keep them from being as sore as they would be without it.

I'm really new to all this alternative medicine so I don't want to jump to the conclusion that it isn't for me.....if asked right now, I don't feel good and probably would tell you that I am not sure about all this....but I need to give it time to work - I have an appointment scheduled every Monday for the next 4 wks......I'm hoping to be able to see some kind of positive benefit/effect after a couple more appointments. I honestly just don't quite understand how the massage works to help, although I've read about it, I have links here on my blog about it as well but still don't "get it" - I know the body functions best when all areas are working together so I'm sure the massage is one aspect of getting the body to work in harmony with other vital components.

Bottom line, I just want to feel better NOW...not in 4, 5 or 6 weeks from now....NOW......which I know isn't going to happen. It's taken many years for me to get to this point, so it's going to take some time to reverse the causes that got me here.

At my appointment today I also received a preliminary treatment plan pending them getting all my labs and medical files in. Once those all come together I will have more things included such as supplements, IV nutrient therapy and nutritional counseling to help everything work together to maximize the benefits.

Right now it's just all unclear to me how this will all come together to help me feel better as it seems that the entire treatment plan consists of a weekly massage with injections and some chiropractic, 1x each 5 weeks I'll see a pain management Dr and 1 time a counselor if I want or feel the need to see one. I'll also get some nutritional counseling in the process and the nutrient therapy will be added if needed once all my labs are in and reviewed. About 10 wks into it I will have the option to explore accupuncture or continue with the massage and weeks 15-20 will start some physical therapy.

The goal is that at the end of 20 wks I will be less sensitive in my soft tissue/muscles/joints, be able to exercise more with less pain/fatigue, be more energetic and be well on the road to a healthier, less painful me. I hope it plays out this way - I need to trust and just let go of any doubts I am feeling right now because they could potentially hamper my progress - let go and let God as the saying goes.

On the Mayo Clinic side of things I'm still waiting for them to call - I had to go into the lab on this last Friday to get yet another blood draw as one of the tubes of blood couldn't be processed for some reason so they (the lab) needed more blood to process the one test that was ordered (one out of many)

Why can't "trained professionals" seem to do it right?

I had two different appointments this week and at both they needed to draw blood. My experience with this has never been the best. I always wonder what is so hard about putting a needle in a vein and taking the needed blood. These people are "trained" to do this and yet it seems most don't really do a very good job at it. It almost makes me want to get trained as a phlebotomist so there is at least another person out there who does know how to do it well - because I would for sure make sure I was one of the best after some of the trauma I've dealt with in regards to having needles stuck in me!

Yesterday (7/1) I had an appointment with my primary Dr as the Mayo clinic requested he do a full physical and asked for several lab tests to be done - he told me all that was being done but I don't recall the specific names - checking my Vitamin D level, CBC and several other technical test names - the nurse had to get 9 vials from me which brings me to my vent......she stuck me in the left arm and literally nothing came out when she put the vial thing on the needle - nothing......I've never had this happen before and asked her if she got the vein, which she was certain she had......she tried to get something to come out before she pulled the needle and went for my other arm.........on the right side she decided it would be good to stick me in the same spot that I had blood drawn on Wed ....which was already bruised and tender......so that hurt but the blood was flowing this time so I just let her go so I could be done with it.

After 1.5hr with the Dr and answering tons of questions, being poked, prodded and checked out I left, arms wrapped in purple tape, prescriptions in hand and ready to wait for the Mayo clinic to contact me - My dr said it would probably be about 3-4 wks before I hear anything since they will need to wait for the lab results and review my files to determine if they will take me - My Dr seems to think they will, I hope he is right. In the meantime I'll be starting treatments in a couple weeks with the Fibromyalgia Center and looking forward to getting myself back to feeling good and living my life like I should be.

I'm exhausted both physically and emotionally from all of this. I really can't wait to feel better and be past it all...hoping that I never have to endure it again to this extent - although being chronically ill there are what is known as "flare ups" from time to time and all based on environment and conditions that sometimes can't be controlled such as the weather.

Today I took my daughter to the mall - we were there for a little over an hour between getting her feathers put back in her hair and something from the lego store for my son, I'm wiped out....just that trip took all I had.....and I still have to go to my friends this evening as she is getting married in a couple weeks and tonight is her night with her bridal party (I'm the matron of honor)......so as I muster up enough energy/strength to get ready for this evening I am glad we aren't going out dancing or something like that, I don't think I could do it. We are going to the movies so at least I don't have to deal with anything that takes to much physical energy to do. I know tomorrow will be a day of not doing much for me after being out late tonight. Just "being out" is very draining to me right now. Possibly had I not taken the trip to the mall today with the kids I would have a little more energy for this evening - it is what it is I guess and onward I go..........I must admit though I'm already looking forward to getting home and going to bed!

Until next time...stay well and enjoy your health - enjoy feeling well, having energy and being able to do what you want, when you want! You never know when it could suddenly be taken away from you! Trust me on that!