I'm back and getting better!

So it's been 2wks now since my hysterectomy and I'm doing well with my recovery. No major problems at all other than a pesky bladder infection that I can't seem to get rid of. The first week + was rough, the pain after surgery was difficult to control but once the nurse was able to get me comfortable we just made sure I stayed that way. I have to wonder if my fibromyalgia had something to do with not being able to get the pain under control initially.

It's been 3wks now since I've gone to the treatment center for my weekly acupuncture and adjustment but I'm feeling like I'm holding up well even without it. I'm noticing a little pain in my hips starting to return but I think due to my laying around so much and not doing a whole lot probably has something to do with that. Each day I feel a little better and am doing a little more so hopefully I'll be able to get back to my treatments and get back on track with all that.

I really don't have a lot to report with this update, just wanted to report my progress and let you know all is well on my end.

I do need to get back on track with my supplements as well - I stopped taking them the week of surgery and haven't gone back - although I really need them so I need to just get back in the swing of taking them everyday since they are part of my treatment plan and healing process.

I go in tomorrow for my 2wk post op visit and I'm sure I'll be released to drive again. I am feeling like I'm on house arrest not being able to go out anywhere on my own which has be itching to go somewhere! Funny how that works.

Until next time......

Time goes by....way too fast!

I'm still here! Surgery is only a few short days away and I'm a little nervous. I think because I don't want to deal with the pain and recovery but I guess there is no way around it. I've got next week all planned out with help from my mom and neighbor so all should be good. Just need to get through surgery and the first few days of recovery.

I'm really hoping that this surgery is going to help me feel a lot better in many ways.

Acupuncture has been going well - I'm looking forward to a few more visits after I'm able to get around and back to driving.

My treatment for FMS/CFS has been going really well and I'm feeling really good - aside from still dealing with extra fatigue. I'm hoping that resolving this fibroid issue will help me with my fatigue. In some way at least. My acupuncturist thinks it will as I have some stagnated blood in my abdomen area according to him which would make sense with this fibroid. So we'll see - he is pretty certain I will find some extra energy once I'm all healed and back to normal routine.

I really hope this surgery doesn't send me into any kind of flare up....I have been enjoying my lack of pain in my hips so hopefully being in bed for several days won't cause me to have that to deal with in addition to my incision pain. I'm going to have to make an extra effort to get out of bed a few times a day just to make sure I'm moving a little.

I haven't really had a lot to report, everything is pretty much the same with me which can be a good thing in terms of how I feel. I am really looking forward to moving forward after this surgery and continuing to feel better and get back to myself. I should be done with my treatments shortly after the new year. I think though that I'll need to have monthly maintenance adjustments to keep me on the right track.

I'll check in next week after my surgery and let you know how I'm doing - until then, stay well!

Where do I begin.....

Things are really starting to get going in my world over here.

As I continue on my weekly treatments I also continue to notice I'm feeling much better in regards to my pain and activity level. I'm able to go days without significant pain, headaches or general aches and that's great! I really think everything I've been doing is starting to work together. I am now about to start my next phase of treatment which is acupuncture in conjunction with chiropractic adjustments. I start this coming Tuesday and am really excited. I'm really hoping this phase of my treatment will focus on my fatigue that is still a major problem.

HYSTERECTOMY.........scheduled for 11/8/11......this might come as a surprise to some however it's been on the back burner for some time. In December of 2010 my OB found a significant sized fibroid inside my uterus. While fibroids are common and generally a non issue mine is an issue. We agreed to watch it for a while to see if it would decrease in size and go away or not be a problem - well, that didn't happen. In fact, it's been a source of problems for me all year between spontaneous gushing of blood and loss of blood clots to irregular spotting and pretty regular bleeding issues. Nothing to the point of worry but definitely an issue when it comes to "quality of life".......in addition it has grown and produced other fibroids so we decided that removing my uterus would be the best way to remove the fibroid(s) for good and stop the frequent, irregular bleeding I experience. I'm not having more children so I'm done with that part of my body anyway. If all goes well, we will be leaving the ovaries in tact so I don't go immediately into menopause which is good - the emotional up and downs of that I'm not interested in right now - when my body is ready for that phase, it will go into it on it's own.

So the question that lingers in my head is how this surgery will effect my fibromyalgia - will it cause my pain to return? Will it send me into a flare? I'm a little concerned about it however I need this surgery, so I'm going to stay positive and hopeful that the only pain I will experience will be from the incision - the expected recovery is 4-6wks as it will be done through my abdomen going through my previous C-section incision. So while laying in bed for a week initially - I'm sure I'll have some residual hip pain from lack of movement initially.

So that's it for now - over the next 4 wks leading up to my surgery I have a lot to get done - I'll be getting acupuncture each week and I need to get the house cleaned, laundry caught up, my parties and work surrounding that all done and caught up. I would like to be able to go into this surgery knowing I don't have things lingering that I should of done....that will be waiting for me to do.......I would like to know that my family won't have any extra work to tend to and that I can just relax and recover without the added stress. So for the next 4 wks I'll be busy focusing on my house, my work and getting everything I seem to put off, DONE.........."There is always tomorrow" however for me, tomorrow isn't going to be an option after Nov 7th. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and recovery for a few weeks following that day.

So all in all I'm doing well - continuing to my mission to fix me in 2010 - my upcoming surgery is just another step towards the goal....2011 is going to be my year to come back from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and this surgery......in the end it will have been 16 months of searching.......trial and errors......treatments.......pills......supplements......experiments and finally in the end....I will overcome the holds of this condition - although I know I'll have to live with it the rest of my life - I know I will have it under control and will get my life back.........will live without debilitating pain and fatigue and will live out the rest of my life trying to help others who suffer...find their way to a pain free and medication/drug free life.....that is my plan anyway! I'm proof that you don't need to have a pharmacy in your cabinet to be rid of your pain........aches and other issues that come with Fibromyalgia. Of course some people might need all those things - but unless they have tried without them, they won't know. I've got a pretty good list of supplements that are working for me, and I'm sure they'll work for others as well.

Until next time - stay well, stay healthy and life your life!

Can it really be happening finally?

I am almost afraid to say it because I'm afraid I'll have to turn around and take it back....but here it goes.......I'm feeling really good! THERE, I SAID IT, I DID IT....and I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE IT BACK! It's out there, it's real and it's going to continue!

I really think the treatments I've been religiously going through and the various supplements I've been taking are finally starting to work to combat my Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. I'm feeling less and less of the fatigue that has been such an issue and I'm noticing my pain and other symptoms are beginning to become less and less as each day passes.

I've had several people ask me what my treatments are so I'm going to list them here, again. Now if you are someone who suffers from the all over body pain of Fibromyalgia you might sit there and say "oh this won't work for me, I hurt too bad to allow anyone to touch me" however, don't discount the effects of these treatments - I'm no different than you, I too have widespread body pain that at times it is unbearable to think of someone touching me.....but, if you stick it out you will see how it does help to release the tied up muscles and tissues that are causing you all the pain to begin with.

My treatments are being done at a Dr office in Colorado that specializes in Fibromyalgia care - it is a back and spine center that has a special program specifically for treating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. They are of the belief that treatment should go in graduated phases and are not ones to try to cover up the problem, but rather work with the patient and their individual stage of the conditions and offer treatments to help them overcome those symptoms gradually and over time. In addition they also review your nutritional needs and only do what you can handle them doing, nothing more, nothing less.

So for me I go 1x a week for 20 wks. The first 5 weeks was Phase 1 - this consisted of 1hr theraputic massage, trigger point injection and an adjustment.........the trigger point injection helped with any pain I might have had after the massage...and it did eliminate the pain I would normally experience. At times the massage was painful, yes, however, it was a necessary pain to get through.

Phase 2 (which I'm currently in) also lasts 5wks - consisting of soft tissue massage which is more of an interactive massage where I have to do movements along with the massage to stretch the tissue and muscles along with the massage being done.....whereas the theraputic massage was just massage with me laying there......then an adjustment after.

Phase 3 (5wks) - accupuncture and adjustment
Phase 4 (5wks) - physical therapy and adjustment

I'm at the end of phase 2 with 2 more treatments left and am just in the last week really noticing some changes in the level of pain and frequency of pain I am having - also with less fatigue than I've been use to.

Supplements I've been taking for the past 2 months haven't changed (you can read back a few entries in my blog as to what I've been taking) I did literally today just add an Omega 3 fish oil and probiotic.

Now let me say when I first started with this Fibromyalgia center I was extremely cautious with my expectations and honestly didn't think that massage and adjustments would miraculously "cure" me - nor do I think now that it's a "cure" but rather a way to release the cycle my body has been stuck in.......the vicious cycle of pain.

I'm really excited that half way through my 20wk treatment plan I'm noticing some positive changes and am really looking forward to my next phase with the acupuncture. Acupuncture has been one thing that I've read about many times that has been something a lot of people say has helped them feel better where both pain and fatigue are concerned. I can't wait to see how it helps me to continue to feel better and find new levels of energy and get back to the life I've missed out on this past year.

If anyone wants more information please feel free to ask - I've done a ton of research and continue to research this condition as it's something I'll be dealing with forever....but I do believe that there are effective treatments available that when done consistently can help put you into remission and get you back to living a normal life full of activity and pain free. That's my goal.

Now I also fully expect that there will still be times that I don't feel well, that I have a flare up, that I'm extra tired and all that jazz that comes along with this relentless condition - but I also think that having it under control will help me get past those days and back to feeling better. You must listen to your body, rest when you feel you need to rest and not overdo it.......listen to your body and what it needs.

Fibromyalgia....huh?

It wasn't until December of 2010 that I really knew what this was myself...unfortunately I am well aware of it since I have it...I live with it daily.

I found these two videos to be the best in helping someone who doesn't have to deal with Fibromyalgia or CFS understand just what a day in the life of someone who does is like - they are short and to the point....they cover it really well - I can honestly say that the symptoms outlined in these videos are very true and that I've experienced them all at one time or another, sometimes several all at once but deal with some kind of pain or fatigue daily to some degree.

If you know or love someone who has to deal with this terrible condition, please take a few moments to watch these videos and try to understand them and what they are dealing with better. Although they might look just fine on the outside, which many of us do - we aren't ok...not in the least bit.

Just take a moment and try to imagine yourself in their shoes........

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!