The trouble with magnesium is...

I had an epiphany today. I woke up. I took my oldest to school. I got home and noticed that I had energy. Like I was ready to conquer my day. I wasn't sore. I wasn't exhausted. I just wanted to accomplish something. So I took on the largest task that I had in my house...LAUNDRY!

My laundry battle didn't always exist. When it was just me, I found it to be something quite relaxing. Then I got married and felt the need to do my wifely duty and do my husband's laundry as well. It was a  little more taxing but not that bad. The first child came along and it started to get somewhat bad. I pretty much gave up after I had Kyle. I feel like if I don't have a hamper to dig through to find some sort of clothing then I am not at home.

I believe that it was during my 3rd load of putting laundry away that it hit me. I wasn't tired. I was still going strong. I was trying to figure out what was different. I thought, "Hey, I didn't have sugar yesterday. Maybe that was it." Then I remembered the doughnut that I ate for breakfast and the 2 cookies that accompanied my lunch. So that was out of the question. I thought back to anything that I had done differently. And then it hit me, I had been taking magnesium for a twitchy eye that I had. I had added it daily to my beloved Coke Zero. Could it be possible that my extra magnesium intake did the unthinkable?....made me feel normal?

Magnesium is used for everything inside the body. According to WebMD:

Magnesium is required for the proper growth and maintenance of bones. Magnesium is also required for the proper function of nerves, muscles, and many other parts of the body. In the stomach, magnesium helps neutralize stomach acid and moves stools through the intestine.

My eye has stopped twitching. I have been sleeping better. I have been having a normal bathroom schedule. It has been nice and what is sad is that I didn't even notice. You would think having major energy again and not stressing over tiny things and enjoying life would be something that you would notice right away but I didn't. While I am tired right now, it is at the end of the day and I have done a ton of laundry. There were several other chores and things that I have done today but I feel really good. I really, truly thing that the magnesium is what is helping currently. 

So I am not endorsing any specific type of magnesium supplement. However I will tell you the kind that I use. I use a brand called "Calm". I use the cherry flavor and add it to my soda. It doesn't mess up the flavor, just adds a cherry flavor. If you use too much it might give you the runs but I have never had that effect on me. Hopefully you could possibly have similar results. 

I just had to share of the happy feelings and the energy I had today. I might feel like I was ran over by a truck tomorrow but on the bright side, I felt amazing today. You can beat this disease and you can feel good. You just have to listen to your body and determine what is working well for you. Magnesium is something great to try. Check with your doctor if you have any questions and see if it might be right for you. It was recommended for me and I got it at the health food store after talking extensively with the owners of the store. I hope that you will consider it as well. I hope that you, too, will have the same positive results!

The trouble with being cold is...

Have I ever mentioned in this blog how much I hate being cold? I have been writing this blog for over a year now so I'm sure that I have. I hate the cold. I love snow. I love decorating for the holidays. I love every aspect of the fall/winter season except the cold. I'll say it again, "I HATE BEING COLD."

Yesterday was a typical day at work. It was steady and everyone was busy. I was eating breakfast as the call came. "We will be needing a tech in surgery in about 40 minutes." Cool. Just enough time to finish eating and then go change into surgery attire. For those reading this blog who are not in the medical field, when one goes to the surgery area, you have to dress out in special scrubs and put on masks, hair nets, and shoe covers. As an x-ray tech I go to the surgery area to provide live x-ray for the physicians for various procedures. Yesterdays procedure was for an orthopedic case. Those typically require a longer stay and this one was no exception to the rule. The only different thing is that the scrub techs had to don a head gear apparatus and a head covering different from the typical attire. The techs were sheathed in layers, while I was in the typical scrub and jacket combo. The call came out several times, "Can we cool this room down some more? I'm sweating to death in this getup." So the temperature went down and down. The surgery nurse in the room and I were shivering by hour 3 of being in the room talking of how we could probably see our breath if we were not wearing masks. I literally could feel my feet losing feeling. It was not a fun day.

Normally getting cold isn't that big of a deal for a regular ol' chap. However, for a Fibromyalgia patient, getting really cold has mega side effects that most do not even think of. The main issue with Fibromyalgia is a hyper-sensitivity to general things. When our muscles tense up, we get muscle spasms. When we hit something on a wall, like a swinging hand or a pinky toe, our bodies react like we have broken something. Cold is no different. When we get really cold, our bodies react almost like we have been frost bitten. Of course we do not lose fingers or toes, but the feeling is similar. We live in a pins and needles type state as our bodies return to a normal temp. Yesterday, I dealt with a common Fibromyalgia symptom, Reynaud's phenomenon. Reynaud's is where you body actually thinks that you are dealing with hypothermia and draws all the heat away from your extremities and tries to protect the core body where the organs are. The result is red, itchy, painful hands and feet. Want to know what the cure is? Heat and lots of it.

As I clocked out and headed for home, it was snowing. Lovely right. I live close to the hospital so by the time that I got home, the heater had just started to really work. I made it inside and my husband had already started a warm bath for me. Warm baths, even hot baths, are the cure for Reynaud's. Getting your core temperature heated will return that blood flow back where it should be. It's actually one of the best therapies for the phenomenon. Getting the entire body warm at once is key to fixing the issue. I will say that my feet were still hurting this morning after sleeping yesterday. It is a crazy thing.

So my advice for this blog today is to work on finding ways to get warm and STAY warm. I have 2-3 pairs of really warm socks that I live in in the winter. I also have a nice set of warm gloves that I constantly wear. Dress in layers and work hard to be aware of when you are getting too cold. If you do pass that threshold of getting too cold, I suggest getting into a warm shower or bath and get your core warm again along with your extremities. Drinking something warm will help as well. A warm cup of tea, coffee, or hot cocoa is always great for warming your insides. Winter is hear in Arkansas even if it is still Autumn. Try to stay warm my fellow Fibromyalgia sufferers and enjoy yourselves in spite of the colder weather.

The trouble with a busy life is...

I think that I have officially gone insane.I saw this on Pinterest the other day:



If Einstein is correct, which he usually was, then I have officially hit the insanity mark in this life.

It never fails. I start to feel better. I then start taking on a ton of stuff to do. Then my flare returns. I then spend a long time trying to recover and get better and then start the cycle over again. I know better. I know the cycle. I know what happens when I take on too much. I begin to flare and I hate it.

My flare hasn't officially hit, but it is coming. The cycle will hit eventually. That is not a "Debbie-downer" approach (and no, Mom, that isn't a reference about you...it's an SNL skit). That is just reality. It is the reality that I have come to accept.

Currently I am taking 15 hours of college courses. I have all A's so that is good. I am working weekends still doing 16 hour shifts. I am directing our Christmas play at church. And if that isn't enough, I still have a husband and kids and a house to take care of.  I actually love my schedule specifically because it is just that...a schedule. I have each day planned out.I have times to work out put into that schedule. I have down time. I have work time. It's perfect. I truly believe it might be the reason that I haven't fully gone into a flare.

I don't know about you, but my fibro tends to flare when there is chaos around me. I wouldn't call my life chaos. It might be chaos to some, but it is organized chaos to me and I thrive in organized chaos. It makes me happy. Happiness tends to keep my flares away. The happier I am, the less flares I have.

So my advice for this post is to find what makes you happy. If a busy schedule makes you happy, work on it. If exercise makes you happy, do it. If you enjoy hiking, start striving to make a way to do that. Happiness heals the body. There are cutting edge studies that are showing that happiness of the mind helps to heal the body. Seriously, google it if you don't believe me.  BE HAPPY! If you are in a funk, find a way out of it. A happy body is going to heal quicker than a depressed one. Your happiness is important. Make it happen!

The trouble with being busy is...

I haven't written in this blog in a long time. I mean a really long time. One reason is because I have been busy. Another reason is because I have felt good and have been out doing things instead of sitting at home "wallering" in my own self-pitty. I actually didn't really start to feel bad until yesterday.

Yesterday was a stressful day. My husband had an interview for a teaching position that he was preparing for. I was preparing for a meeting at my church where I was in charge. I was trying to buy books for the upcoming college courses that I will start on Monday. I was nervous for my husband. I was nervous about my meeting. I was frustrated with the book buying process because something that was supposed to be easy was being a pain in the butt. My kids were getting on my last nerve. It was just a long day where I stayed in a constant state of stress. When the day had ended and I was lying in bed it hit me...I felt the beginning of a flare.

I woke up this morning to feel that ache that had left for a while back. Actually I got woke up to the sound of my son yelling, "Daddy, the toilet handle is broken and I can't flush the toilet!" Daddy had already left to go work and so I was the lucky one to go fix the toilet. It was after I told my son that I would fix it that I realized the pain was back.

It's hard to describe the pain of fibromyalgia to someone who does not have the pain of fibromyalgia. You always have it. Some days it might be barely there. Other days it might make it impossible to get out of bed. Either way, it never leaves. The last time that I can ever remember being pain free was when I had my youngest son via c-section and the anesthesiologist gave me my epidural. I remember thinking, this is what is going to be like in heaven some day. I had actually forgotten how pain free actually felt. The best way that I can describe the pain is that it feels like you have the flu. Not like the stomach flu where you feel nauseated. It's like when you get the real flu and it hurts to move any joint in your body. That's what it feels like when you are in the middle of a flare. You have most of the symptoms of the flu without the fever. Other times it feels like you did a workout with Jillian Michaels and you are in recovery mode. Your body is recovering from a hard workout. Except the downside is that your body doesn't really recover and you are exhausted almost the entire time. Then there are the few and far between times where you are almost well. You still have the pain points (the spots that they poke to determine if you have fibromyalgia) but that is really it. You can function pretty normal. You can start to work out and become strong again. You even have a bit of energy.

So as reality set in that the pain was back I knew that the headaches would soon follow. And they did. That is a simple annoyance that at least ibuprofen will take care of. I figured that I had approximately a couple of hours before the exhaustion set in and I needed to get as much done as I possibly could before it all set in. So I weed-eated my back yard cause it was horrible and I was tired of looking at it. As soon as I finished the exhaustion was there. After I showered I discovered that the joints were starting to stiffen and I could barely move my hands. The nice thing is that I know what it is and I can take the measures needed to fix it. Sleep, water, and warmth...all are great helpers. A great massage will be on the list as well.

So my advice today people is to monitor your flares. Know what triggers them. Know what to do when they start. Know how to prevent them as well. Prevention is the hardest but can be done. Learn your body. While Fibromyalgia is no fun to have, just like with any other chronic ailment you have to be careful and learn the treatments. Many times rest and anti-inflammatory meds are the best medicine for it. And in extreme cases where you know your body well, you can get some great weed eating done as well before the flare kicks in. It's an added bonus!

The trouble with sucking it up is...

I hit a breaking point yesterday. It was bound to happen, but it finally hit. It started with a picture. Granted, I wasn't the only one who looked bad in the picture, but it was a BAD picture. Then another picture was snapped and I looked horrible in it as well. Every picture that has been taken of me lately, when I see it, I groan a loud, loathing sound that comes from the depths of dislike of what I look like currently.

Prior to my second child I hit a record weight for me (and not in the lower digits). I decided that something had to be done. I went to one of those informative programs about the latest, local diet craze. I couldn't justify spending the $400 grocery budget on me alone so I had to improvise. I noticed that the diet added up to be around a 1200 calorie diet. I cleared it through my doctor and I started a vicious regimen of writing down everything I ate making sure that I stopped at 1200 calories. My mother had told me once that it took 30 days to make a habit so I decided that I would do the 1200 calories, no cheating, hard core for 30 days and then I would allow myself cheat days. The diet worked and over the course of 3 months I lost a total of 33lbs. Then I got pregnant and as soon as I stopped breast feeding, the weight that I worked so hard to get rid of was back.

I haven't ever hit my record top weight again, however I am getting close and yesterday I hit that low point. I haven't been eating well. I haven't been exercising. I haven't been doing much of anything except eating, sleeping, and throwing pitty parties. For the record, this does nothing for weight loss. After a much needed heart to heart with myself and a prayer for some motivation, I decided once again that I needed a change. I have done diets before. 17 day diet, body type diet, blood type diet, 1200 calorie diet, juicing diet, gluten free diet, eat anything I want and just exercise diet...all have been done in the past. All have had good results at different times and I have determined that simple physics is the best answer...burn more calories than what you put in.

The thing with having Fibro is that it is easy to get into a rut. It is easy to want to give up and say, "I'm sick. I feel horrible all the time and it's not my fault. I have an excuse to not diet and exercise because my recovery from any change sends me into a flare." While all of that is true, it should not be an excuse. The evil part of Fibro is that it takes you pushing through the flare and getting stronger for you to get better. That is the main beef that I had when I first started researching Fibromyalgia and read the book, "An Idiots Guide to Fibromyalgia" and found the last chapter to be, "How to get disability for Fibromyalgia". I don't want to give up. I want to get well. Disability for me would be a win for Fibromyalgia and I refuse to let that happen.

So once again, I am sucking it up. I hate doing it but it is a must if I am going to beat this and push past this Fibro-funk that is in my life right now. I have GOT TO get healthy. The only way to beat the upcoming stress that I am going to face in the next few months is to suck it up and get healthy again. Sometimes I will overdo it, like I did yesterday. Sometimes I will curl up in a little ball and have to take a break. Sometimes I will feel amazing and be able to do a little more than normal. What is important is that I do it. I have to eat healthy and I have to exercise to win. I have an excuse but I am not going to rely on it anymore. My well being is more important than excuses. I have to win this cause losing is not an option.

The trouble with being quirky is...

It's 4am in the morning. I'm wide awake. I have no idea why. Full moon? Too much caffeine? Who knows? All I know is that this is the 3rd time that I haven't slept at all overnight in a two week time span and it is getting old. And when I say at all, I mean not a wink, wide awake, not even tired.

The last time that I had bouts of insomnia like this I was pregnant with Kyle, who is now 4. Back then I thought it was my body preparing for long nights of no sleep staying up with a newborn baby. Actually, that is the exact words that my family doctor told me as I questioned why I would be able to stay up all night and then be able to go all day as well with no wearing down. Now I am wondering if it is just my body being the freak of nature that it is. What I can tell you is that it is freaking annoying.

Ya see Fibromyalgia is a freak of nature in and of itself. It takes a perfectly wonderful human being and turns he/she into some sort of autoimmune disaster. It's rude! And more importantly I HATE it! I absolutely hate having this diagnosis. It has prevented me from being the amazing, perfectionist, parental unit and wife that I always imagined I would be. Fibromyaliga takes my super human awesomeness and makes me "human" again. It's my krytonite and I never know when it's going to hit.

Two months ago I was healthy. I was eating well. I was working out 3-5 days a week. I was starting to obtain my awesomeness back. Then I worked an extra shift, went camping, and lost some sleep and BAM, I got shingles. Things that normal people do takes my body to a level that it just can't handle and I end up with some immuno-comprimised state and end up with a suppressed case of chicken pox. A weekend of making memories with my family became krytonite and took me down and I never saw it coming.

And this has been my life for the past 17 years. I get amazingly healthy. I will feel like I can conquer the world which in my life means I can keep my house clean, I can cook nightly for my family, and I can be the amazing wife and mother I long to be. Then some sort of stress that I didn't see coming kicks that person out of the way and leaves me as this weakling who needs to take naps, who can't exercise, and has to take pain meds just to make it through the day. I hate this person when she shows up. And I never know when she is going to go away for a while. And thus is the life of a person with Fibormyalgia. There are good days and bad days. The good days are awesome and the bad days stink.

What I have realized is that that is just part of life. It does no good to throw pitty parties during the bad days because the bad days will pass. They always do. You just gotta get through the bad days. So if you are reading this and you, too, are in the middle of a bad spell, keep going. It will pass. So hang in there, wear your hat to your pitty party and then get your rest and wait for it to pass. You can do it. I'm doing it so I know that you can too. It's okay to hate every aspect of it too. You will have crappy days just like everyone does at times. So keep going and you will return to your awesome state in no time.  Rock on my fellow Fibromites. This day is still a gift so use it to be awesome, even if you have to stay in bed all day.

The trouble with "House" is...

I, like most Americans without cable, love Netflix. I have several shows that I have watched the entire season of. Shows like "Lie to Me", "Numb3rs", and the occasional "What Not To Wear" are the main ones that I watch. My awesome kids have no idea what a commercial is because, due to the lack of cable, just watch the shows that we approve, all commercial free. So my queue is mainly filled will kids shows and the above mentioned shows.

I was tiring of watching the usual shows since I have watched seasons over and over again. I decided that I needed something new. For some reason I was drawn to the show "House". If you have never seen the show, it is about a doctor who is a medical genius who is given those cases that have become medical mysteries to his colleagues. He is an awkward fellow. He is blunt, lives on pain killers, and is known for breaking the medical rules and doing what will save someone's life vs. following protocol. It is not uncommon for him to send someone on his team to break into someone's home or for him to walk into an area that is either sterile or quarantined in order to make a point. I heard a friend once say that the show is the equivalent of a modern day Sherlock Holmes and it really is. I like this show.

Last week, like most, I was in excruciating pain, while not unusual, but worse than normal. I was getting over my shingles outbreak (see last post) and just didn't feel that great. As usual, I had a long to-do list and was in too much pain to get it done. So I broke down and took a pain pill. Give or take an hour or so, I was standing upright and was no longer limping or grunting as I took on the tasks at hand. I felt great. I felt amazing. I felt...NORMAL! I thought back to my new favorite TV show and started to understand the character House a bit more. Ya see, House walks with a limp in the show and is usually seen with a cane. He had a medical mystery happen as well; a stroke, yet it was in his leg. It killed the muscle tissue and the treatment that he was given while he was knocked out causes him to live in constant pain. His remedy is to eat Vicoden (a very strong pain killer) like candy. You watch him throughout the show pop open his container of pills that he carries with him and throw a couple back like they are tic tacs. As I was feeling the results of my lower dosed pain pill I had what some would call an epiphany.

The following conversation then took place within myself (as most conversations do when you are crazy):
Me: Why don't you take pain pills more often?
Me: Because I don't like to rely on pain pills. If my body is in pain then I should listen to it and rest.
Me: But you never have time to rest and then feel like a loser if you do. Take the pain pill.
Me: I don't want to have to rely on a pain pill to get out of bed in the morning.
Me: But think of all that you are missing out on when you don't. You'll be happier and feel better if you take the pill.
Me: I do want to be happy and I do have a lot to do, but I don't want to become addicted to them.
Me: Think of House. Think of the brilliant mind he has. What if you are missing out on your own brilliance because you are always in pain and by not taking a pill?
Me: You do make a valid point, self. I do like being brilliant.
Me: TAKE THE PILL! TAKE THE PILL! TAKE THE PILL!
Me: (made decision to try pain pills for a week and see if it helps)
Me: (cheering and high fives all around)

Okay, that might have been slightly exaggerated a bit, but it wasn't by much. I did spend all week taking pills and got a TON accomplished. I don't like to have to do that, but, unfortunately, this world does not stop for those of us that live with chronic pain. And while I still stand by the fact that I do not like to take pain pills, sometimes it is needed. Sometimes my chaotic life is busier than normal and I do have to break down my pride and submit to the fact that I do not have time to "heal naturally". I don't plan on getting to the addicted state as House does on the television show. However, I do plan to take my recommended dose and make it through this tough time and try to keep a smile on my face.

It's kind of my way of sucking it up for now. It's part of life. Its what one must do to make it through the journey. Giving up isn't an option and so one must keep going. So suck it up my fibro friends and don't give up. This too shall pass!

The trouble with shingles is...

I went camping this weekend. Well first I worked at an orthopedic doctor's office filling in and then I spent the rest of the day prepping to go camping and then finally got to go camping in the rain. It sounds like I'm complaining but it really was fun. I enjoyed the trip but I didn't get a lot of sleep and came home pretty darn exhausted. I found a lovely arachnid on my ankle (a tick) and pulled it off. Later that night I stopped by one of my best friend's homes and had her check my side while I was there. It was super itchy. I thought maybe I had some more tick bites near my bra band. She said she didn't see anything except the redness from where I had been scratching earlier. It was really weird.

I really didn't think much of the itchy spots. I had had imaginary bugs crawling on me all weekend. You know, its that feeling you get when someone finds a bug on them or on you and you continue to feel a bug on you in various fake places until you have determined that you are just going psycho. Yeah, since I had dealt with that all weekend I just figured that I had mosquito bites or something. I started feeling worse on Tuesday waking up in a full blown (what I thought was a) fibro flare from pushing too hard on the weekend. Camping, unfortunately, is a lot of work. I was sore all over, very stiff, and had a wretched headache. I didn't think much of it until Wednesday. It physically hurt to touch the right side where my "mosquito/tick bites?" were. That was new.

Begrudgingly I decided to go to the doctor. I knew something was up by the mysterious, out of the ordinary symptom on my side. I thought maybe it was a dermatitis or tick fever or something that I really had no clue about but figured it would be better to be safe than sorry.  My doctor was out but I saw a well versed nurse practitioner. I told her my symptoms and showed her my bites and she instantly said, "Those aren't bites, that's shingles!" "SHINGLES!" Seriously, what the heck! That's the thing that old people get that is super painful and they have a shot for so that they don't get it, right?! Well apparently shingles knows no age requirement and skipped the part that there is no shot for people under the age of 50 to prevent them from getting it.

The ANP asked me, "Have you been under a large amount of stress lately?" Hmmm...let's see...no more than normal was my answer. And that's the truth. I really don't feel like I have been. Granted I was a bit more stressed getting ready for the camping trip and such but not to the point that I thought it would give me a freaking repressed case of the chicken pox go and attach the right side of my body. So now I'm on Valtrex (yes that is the drug famously used to treat Herpes outbreaks for various male/female genital regions...fun stuff, right?) for the Herpes outbreak on my side and Neurotin since Lyrica makes me freakishly dizzy. So far no weird side effects and, to be completely honest, no major pain different than normal.

I feel like I'm in a flare. I have lived with flares for a long time. I think that the biggest eye opener was the fact that I had no idea that I had shingles. Shingles is supposed to be horrifyingly painful. I have barely noticed them. Everyone that I know that has had a lovely outbreak talked about the gross amount of pain that they were in. I mean they would speak of the AGONIZING pain that shingles caused and how they felt they couldn't get out of bed. The sad part is that when the diagnosis came, I was like, shouldn't this hurt more if it's shingles. I mean the only thing that I noticed is that I could feel my shirt touching the area and it caused a slight burning sensation. Other than that and the itching, it was really no different than everyday life.

Does anyone else see the sadness in this? I mean I walk around on a daily basis feeling like I have shingles without the itchies and the burning and this is suppose to be ok? You know what...it is! This experience showed me two great things: 1) I have a freaking ridiculous pain tolerance when I thought I had a pretty wimpy one.  and 2) When I take pain meds and feel great, that is how I should be feeling as a normal human being and so it makes sense when I can tackle more when I actually take them. It also showed me how much we can really do when we push ourselves to go. Sure, I feel like crap, but I haven't let it stop me or throw me into a bedridden type state. It has actually pushed me and showed me how much I really am able to do even though I am "sick".

Push yourself a little bit Fibro people and I bet that you, too, will be surprised at what you can accomplish. Then go and take a nap, cause you earned it! God bless!!!

The problem with extreme fitness is...

When I was in college I took the class, rock climbing and repelling. It was a fun class. It was ran by the ROTC instructors and, while they were pretty laid back, they were sticklers for attendance. It would bring your grade down dramatically if you missed. As a typical college Freshman I blew off class one day and didn't realize how much it would drop my grade. They were kind though...if you could call it that. If you missed class, you could make up your day by going to "morning drill". Morning drill was BRUTAL. It started off with stretching, then push ups, sit ups, squats, etc. 20-30 of each exercise, 3 times. You would finish off with a cool 5 mile jaunt.

There were several of us who had missed a day or so and so we were all invited to come and check out drill.  If we survived, it didn't matter what our grade was, it would automatically go up to an "A". I handled myself pretty well but when the cool down was the 5 mile run, I was already done. It was brutal. However, I remember seeing the other girls in the group as toned, amazing athletes, and something that I wish my body could look like but never thought I could obtain.  I did finish the horrible drill. However I missed all of my classes the next day due to the muscle pain. I could barely walk. I pretty much swore off any kind of military training after that.

Today started a new chapter though. It began with lunch on Monday (today is Wednesday). My friend and I were talking and she said that she was interested in doing something like Crossfit. I have a friend who joined the military and she does Crossfit all the time. She is this tiny thing and buff as all get out. I would love to just be able to do a pull up. So I went and checked out the local athletic club that does Crossfit classes to see what they are. Lo and behold, its that same brutal workout from my Freshman year of college on steroids. They actually use the program that I did as a WARM UP. Then they move on to the workout. It was very intimidating to hear about. I decided that maybe Crossfit wasn't for me. Yet I was intrigued by the Bootcamp portion.

I began to wonder if I wasn't doing the routine for a grade and was doing it for the body that I have always wanted than maybe I would survive longer than just for a day. My mindset is different this time as well. Its a challenge I want to take on. While perusing my work's wellness website I found an actual Bootcamp workout that you can do at home. I printed it and did it this morning. I can barely walk now and was only able to do one rep of each exercise (instead of 3 like it said to do), but I'm committed. I decided I'm dedicating 3 months to this. So by July 16th I should be ripped, or well on my way. I have the support of my hubby as well.

You might be wondering why a person with Fibromyalgia, who already is dealing with chronic pain, would want to be so brutal to her body. The main answer is that I'm crazy. I feel that since I am finally starting to feel better with all the other stuff that I do that now is the time to try something more extreme. The other answer is that I am desperate to get better. I know that the recommended exercises for Fibro are yoga and water aerobics but I have done those. Yes they are easier on the body and are great, but I feel there is a time in this Fibromite's body where I feel I have come to a place where it is time to push past the usual Fibro routine and try to become "normal" again. If I can get in the best shape of my life, then maybe this CURE will finally stick. I'm willing to try anything to return to a healthy state. I have worked up to this point as well so its time for the next step. For me, that next step is Bootcamp fitness with healthy eating.

The moral of this post is that only you can determine what is right for you. You know your pain levels and know what works. However, there comes a time when you finally start to get well, that you can start pushing yourself. You don't have to play the victim and always be defeated. You can get well and move past the stigma that most Fibromyalgia patient's have assigned to them. I want to be part of the minority that beats this horrible syndrome and help others do the same. Keep working towards wellness. I know it will be totally worth it when I do a chin up for the first time.

The trouble with other ailments is...

It's been a long three weeks since I last posted. For once, I haven't been dealing with Fibromyalgia symptoms and have been having to solve other medical mysteries going on inside my body. This is hard for someone who lives in a constant state of low level pain. Many times, a Fibromyalgia sufferer will blow a major medical condition off because they think it is just their Fibro flaring up, when it turns out to be something completely different.

My mystery pain has been a journey in itself. Lower left quadrant pain on the right side has been plaguing me off and on since October of 2013. It started off with an every once in a while a sharp stabbing pain would shoot from my lower right side up into my ribs and then be gone as soon as it came. It would go away for about 3 weeks and then happen again. It's frequency got worse and worse until 3 weeks ago it just seemed to stick around for longer. After ultrasounds and many doctor's appointments, it was determined that the mystery pain was a recurring ovarian cyst. The past three days were excruciating and doc thinks he finally has a pain regimen down that will help. I think so too.

Sometimes it is hard as a Fibro-mite to distinguish Fibro pain from other ailments. Many times I will put off going to the doctor because I don't want to be a burden. I feel like a burden already with my run down body and chronic pain ridden self. I have the mental setback of not wanting to bother another person with another symptom that is probably related to Fibro. However, I have to force myself to move past this mentality because I do know my body and know when something isn't right. I know the difference between my constant low, dull pains and waves of pain that keep me bedridden or curled up in a ball. It feels like a constant battle. I have to remember that I'm worth it though. I'm worth the doctor visits and deserve being spoken up for. I have to remember that even though it might not be Fibromyalgia related that I am worth the cure that I desire.

We are all worth a cure and even with the bumps in our medical journey, we have to keep going no matter how much of a burden we might feel like we are. Sometimes you will fall back a bit and have the sore job of getting back up, but we always have to get back up. Remember, you are worth it! Don't give up!

The trouble with a test is...

Yesterday I took a holiday. Some might refer to it as a test, but holiday works as well. Either way I took a break from something that I normally do. I just also was curious to see what the results would be from this break. This holiday is what I would like to refer to as "Glutenfest".

Gluten free food, while has helped me tremendously, is lacking in 2 things. One, in most cases, is flavor. The second thing that most of the foods lack is that light and fluffy taste that I have grown accustomed to in my 34 years on this planet. My reminder of this happened yesterday as I was driving through the middle of town. Something caught my eye. It was a person, with a sign, shaking it and trying to get drivers attention with it. It definitely got mine.

"Honk if you love Crazy Bread" was written and shaking and calling to me. Prior to my gluten free life I LOVED crazy bread. I would crave it. I have been known to stop and eat an entire bag of the beautiful, fluffy goodness in one setting. (And I wonder why I can't lose weight.) I was headed to meet my husband somewhere and we were on the phone. He was behind me and I asked him if he passed the sign yet. He replied no and then when he saw it he commented how Little Caesars used to be a go-to meal on Tuesday nights and he was surprisingly craving it.

I'm not sure if it was the sign or the desire to please my husband or just tired of eating ok tasting food, something made me question if gluten really was what was making me feel like crap. So I caved and to make myself feel better I decided to conduct a test. I had a clean house. I had nowhere to be the next day. I just could vedge if it made me feel like crap. The pizza and beloved crazy bread was bought. I went home and ate and savored each delicious bite. It was the best Little Caesars I had ever eaten (if that is possible). And then I waited and waited and waited. We went to my son's ball practice and I could still walk. We came home and I took a hot bath and some precautionary ibuprofren. I found myself extremely tired and my hands hurting a bit but I was tired and my hands were hurting a bit prior to Glutenfest. So what was the deal?

I have a theory actually. One of the books that I have mentioned in other blogs and I highly recommend is written by Ginerva Liptan called "Figuring Out Fibromyalgia". In her book she talks about "delayed food allergies". She did an ELISA test that tells you what foods you are having allergic reactions to. When she did her test it said that she was allergic to chicken. She stopped eating chicken for 6 months and then decided to gradually add it back into her diet. She was fine with no negative reactions. Her conclusion was that she had overly eaten chicken at the time. According to her she was eating chicken 5 to 6 nights a week at the time and her body was just not processing it how it should. She basically detoxed for 6 months and then was able to add it back into her diet with no ill effects. Her diet still includes chicken, however she spaces it out throughout the week. She said if she eats chicken on Monday, she is not allowed to eat chicken again until Thursday.

I feel that this is what my gluten sensitivity is...a delayed food allergy. It's not a Fibromyalgia cure however it is another answer. I was eating pizza or some other gluten filled food 5 to 6 days a week. Today, has been a typical day with no overly exaggerated pain. It feels like a normal pain day so I think that it will not be the end of the world to have a Glutenfest here and there in my life. I will just have to space it out and not do it daily. And I don't feel that the Gluten-free life is something that I should stop doing. I feel that I need to do it because I CAN tell a difference. I just know after being on the diet for the past 2-3 months that I feel so much better and I feel that my body has detoxed quite a bit.

So keep researching and testing and figuring out this awesome mystery that we call Fibromyalgia. Its exciting when we find something that works. Its even more fun when you find out that you can still have your beloved Crazy Bread (or even Krispy Kremes) as a treat every once in a while. Only you can figure out what works for you. I highly recommend figuring out if you might have a delayed food allergy to something that you eat all the time by cutting it out of your diet. Sorry that you have to be the guinea pig in this but if you get an answer it will be worth it!

The trouble with motivation is...

I have tried starting this blog post with 4 different starting sentences. I think its so hard to start because I don't really know where to start. I'm going to cover something that almost every Fibromyalgia patient deals with. It's the stigma. It's the part that I hate most about Fibromyalgia. Some call it no energy. Some relate it to PMS. This aspect of Fibromyalgia is really only known by those that have it. It is the myriad of symptoms that make you feel like doing nothing and then you become depressed because you feel like you have nothing to offer society as a whole. Whatever it is, it is NOT laziness.

I hate it when someone sees me as lazy when they have no clue what I deal with. I understand how it can be seen as laziness when you leave me in my jammies, the house is a mess, and I'm curled up in a blanket trying to get warm. When you come home, I might have finally dressed but the house is still a mess and the only thing that seems different is the position that I am in on the couch and the sheets in the bed where I had taken a nap earlier. I totally get how that will be seen as laziness. However, I want you to know that it isn't laziness. I'm sick. There is a difference.

With Fibromyalgia all the symptoms are on the inside. Its a vicious cycle of wanting to do something and having no energy to do said activity. There are days when you getting up and moving around is a HUGE accomplishment. While I don't proclaim these days to the world (or at least try not to), my family sees me on these days that I am at my worst. When I have these type of days a few days in a row, I'm started to be seen as lazy. The hard part is that I WANT to get up an clean. I WANT to go outside and play with the kids. I WANT to live a normal life and do normal things. And the hard part is that I would love to give you a reason as to why I cannot do the things that I want to do. My body just won't let me and I have to obey it or it will make it a lot worse. 

One of the main symptoms of Fibromyalgia is living in a CONSTANT state of fight or flight. Picture yourself being chased by a beast, a killer, any scary thing that wants to take your life from you. You would be tired when you finally got away and were safe, right? Now picture a trip to the grocery store as that beast chasing you. Or maybe that beast decided to stalk you while you were getting up and making breakfast for the family. Picture getting your family up and ready for school and dropping the kids off in the freezing cold and it exhausting you just like running from a horribly scary thing that is trying to take your life. THAT is what it is like having Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia takes a normal, average day of daily tasks and makes it into a state of fight or flight that exhausts you. Your nervous system is messed up. It cannot distinguish the difference between normal and extreme. Everything is extreme. Scientists and doctors do not know why Fibromyalgia patient's do this or what exactly causes that switch to get flipped into that mode, but it does and it's a booger to get this switch flipped back to where it is supposed to be. 

I do not have a magical formula of how to flip that switch back. I wish I did. I would not only make millions with the Fibromyalgia community, I would be able to help so many. What I do know is that it takes time. Exercise and eating right are two of the best things that you can do to help yourself start to flip the switch back to where it should be. You have to take it easy. You can't just go and do 100 jumping jacks and be cured. Again, I wish it were that way. Yoga, pilates, tai chi...these exercises are your friends. They strengthen you and help heal you but they don't necessarily take a long time to recover from. Eating right will help as well. Food can be medicine. I'm not saying that you cannot go out and indulge on occasion. You just can't eat McDonald's 5 days a week and then wonder why you feel like poo. I highly recommend doing a gluten free diet if you haven't. Just like with anything with Fibromyalgia, this will take some time as well. My diet change took about 3 weeks to finally take over and make me feel better. I also add liquid Tumeric and D-Ribose powder to whatever I am drinking every morning. I also take a B12 Complex in order to help boost my energy. It has taken years of trial and error but this is what works for me. I cannot say that this will help you because everybody responds different to treatment. 

My point of this blog today is to tell you not to give up. Remember that YOU are fighting this battle. Yes, your family at times, as much as they love you, will add to your load that you are already fighting. Don't hold it against them. They want what is best for you and only want you to feel better. They want to push you to do more because they want you to be a part of every part of them. It is YOUR job to try to get better. And you owe it to those that love you most to try your hardest to find your cure. Don't give up. You are worth more than you might think you are. Remember you are not Fibromyalgia. You are a person who is sick and should fight. If you had cancer or some other disease with a cure would you not go after the cure? Go after your cure. You are worth it! 

The trouble with dumb decisions is....

It's a law you know; the law of sowing and reaping.  The Bible talks about it many times. Some refer to it as Karma. Whatever you see it as, it remains a law. And if it ins't, it should be.  If you do good things, good things should return to you. If you do bad things, bad things will eventually return. If you plant corn seed in summer and work your garden efficiently, you will reap grown corn in early fall. If you work out 5 days a week for an hour, you will build muscle. If you study hard for a test and learn the information that you need to for an exam, you should do well. When you go to the cafeteria at work and it smells heavenly with the smell of fried foods that you are not supposed to eat, and you decide to eat them anyway, the forces of evil will invade your bowels and you will wish death upon your soul.

Well, it wasn't that bad, but it almost was. The latter, I am afraid to say, did happen. I woke up late because I was tired and decided to shower instead of prep food for work. I grabbed a few things and threw them in a bag, but they really weren't food that I was excited to eat. When I walked down to the cafeteria to see if they had anything that might taste better than what I had brought and found perfectly cooked little bite sized pieces of chicken nuggets I had the thought, "Oh, I will just cheat this once. It can't be that bad. I have eaten gluten for years and I lived another day. I might as well enjoy myself today. I deserve it." WORST..... THOUGHT...... EVER!

It wasn't an instant transformation. I remember thinking after I ate the few bites of breaded chicken bites, if it was a smart decision and also thinking, "Really, how bad could it be?" My stomach didn't really hurt after I ate. I just felt full. As the last few hours of my shift went on, I began to get horrid pain in my joints. I mean, I looked like I had done about 1,000 squats and could barely walk. I ran by the store to get some Epsom Salts so I could soak in a bath when I got home. I had a short nap after and when I awoke I felt like a MAC truck had ran me over, backed up, ran me over again, and just for good measure, repeated said action. The pain...the horrid pain that I had gone without for 3 weeks now, had returned with a vengeance.

I don't know if my pain receptors had been so overworked in the past that they just lived in a dull state, or if they were just really trying to get across that I should never eat little, breaded chicken bites EVER AGAIN! Whatever they were trying to do, it worked. I actually cried over said pain. I have had Fibromyalgia pain for more years than I would like to remember and I usually just cried over the lack of relief and the frustration of having the disease, but I never actually cried out of the physical pain. I was trying to get ready for church and my slow moving body just would not let up. The act of just being on my feet sent horrid jolts of pain into my knees and hips. It was like growing pains or shin splints on steroids.  I just broke and finally relented.  I cried because of the pain. I cried because I wanted to go to church and my body just wouldn't let me. I cried because I really didn't want people to see me in this state and I knew that my family would be affected most by the incapacitated Mom. I finally realized I was broken and a dumb decision was the cause.

A person cannot convince me now that diet is not related to Fibromyalgia after last night...at least in my case. If you are struggling with your Fibromyalgia, I sincerely urge you to try going gluten free. Yes, it takes some planning and it will probably mean giving up your beloved Chicken Nuggets, but the benefits are so worth it. Pain levels at a minimum, fresh non-foggy brain, and the ability to be the person God created you to be are all side effects that can be achieved by giving (the evil) gluten up. I'm sure that the episode of weakness that I had yesterday when I decided to eat it "just this once" will not be the last time that I will fall to temptation. As long as those moments of weakness get less and less though, I'm sure that this will be worth it. My journey isn't over. I will be healthy this year and I am already coming back fighting! Trek on fibromites. You are worth it!

The trouble with dieting is...

I get asked a lot, "How is the gluten free thing going?" I have to say that it is going FABULOUS! And it isn't just a gluten free "thing", it has become a lifestyle thing. I'm still learning and I have not been perfect (which will be another blog post). One of the greatest things that I have learned in this process is that gluten free does not mean that you are on a diet.

One of the things with dieting is that you are restricting what you are eating, or eating only certain "healthy" foods in an effort to change something about your body, whether it be a weight issue or a health issue. While that describes the gluten free lifestyle quite well, it does not mean that weight loss will happen naturally. Well, I, being the naive person on the matter, figured that just by eating gluten free that I would lose a ton of weight. Instead I was able to maintain my current weight and then add a couple more pounds to it. Very frustrating! Foods that used to be my go to diet foods are off limits due to the wheat content. While I know that fruits and veggies are gluten free, I was not made to be a vegetarian. I like my pizza and I like my Wendy's (which is one of the few fast food places that is gluten friendly with its menu). 

The health benefits of going gluten free have been amazing for my Fibromyalgia pain and suffering. I don't wake up near as stiff nor does it take me a good hour to feel like a human again. I wake up in a great mood. The mental clarity is coming back as well that used to be covered by the infamous "Fibro-fog". I have no regrets trying this way of eating and, although it is hard at times and takes more planning, the reduction of Fibro symptoms is so worth it. Weight loss, unfortunately, is not a natural side effect. 

So, this blog post is for the Fibromyalgia dieter who is going gluten free. Count your calories and exercise what you can. Don't cheat on your gluten free diet, no matter how much you might want that convenience food! Believe me! It isn't worth it and it will set you back in your health! Know that it can be hard but the ultimate result is worth it. Hang in there and keep going. If you do cheat and end up with the horrid Fibromyalgia symptoms back with a vengeance, take your day or two and heal, learn the lesson, and then get back on the horse and keep trucking on. Your health is worth every sacrifice and the end result will be so worth it. You are worth it! Stay healthy Fibromites!

The trouble with gluten is...

I am currently on day 17 of my gluten free diet. If I would have known that I would have felt this much better just by eliminating a single ingredient from my diet, I would have done this as soon as I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.I talked about the little difference in just a week in my last post (The trouble with my husband is...) and I am blown away by what another week is like.

More about the amazing difference in a bit. I had the pleasure of talking to Wendy Semyck of Ozark Organics last week when I was ordering my organic box of fruits and veggies. A friend referred me to the co-op  when she found out I was going gluten free and thought it might be a great resource for me since she goes to market and has access to gluten free breads and pizza crusts and other baking supplies. I learned more applicable information in that 30 minute conversation than in any of my research that I have been doing. I want to pass this info onto my lovely blog readers because it was great stuff. So here goes:

1. Did you know that gluten is the sticky stuff that makes food stick together? That's why it is so prevalent in the diet. Did you also know that the main side effect of gluten is decreased thyroid and adrenal function? In all of my Fibromyalgia research, those are two of the main symptoms listed by several sources as a cause for the icky symptoms. The decreased function isn't enough to show up on a lab test as a panic value, but they will often show up on the low end of normal.

2. There is a fine art to making gluten free pasta. If you cook it too long you end up with mush. If you don't cook it long enough, you have a crunch that usually isn't desired. Wendy said the way that she cooks her gluten free pastas is that she will bring her water to a boil, throw in her pasta, and then bring it back to a boil, do a quick stir, cover the pot with a lid and then turn the burner off. She sets a timer for 12-15 minutes and she gets perfect "al dente" pasta everytime. I tried her technique with some gluten free pasta I had and it works amazing.

3. You have to rinse gluten free pasta after you drain it or is gets an icky starch film on it. It doesn't deflect from the taste, but it does give it a weird texture.

4. Gluten can taste amazing. Prime example is the gluten free pizza crust that she gets at market.

5. Our bodies tend to hold onto gluten and it can take up to a year to get it completely out of your system.

Cool stuff, right?!

So people keep asking me what the main differences are. Some things are blatantly obvious...mornings being a big thing. I have turned into a freaking Mary Poppins where I used to be the epitome of Grumpy Cat. I'm not saying that I don't still have a rough morning here and there, but I don't groan and moan all morning anymore and haven't for over a week now. I also have my sense of humor back. I can't really describe what I mean by that but have you ever had those days where you could crack a joke and you were just mentally on top of things...THAT is what I'm talking about. I have THAT back and its been gone for a while. I have energy past 8 o'clock, which I used to just want to lay down and crash at that time. It would be so hard to stay awake for more than 5 minutes after the kids were put to bed and that usually was me and Zac's time to catch up on each other's days and have time together. That has been stolen for so long due to my fibro. It is nice to have it back.

I will say that I'm still in a healing process. I'm still learning. Last night I ate at a "new to me" restaurant and didn't know the menu well. I had to have eaten some sort of gluten because I am having the same effect as a sugar free gummy bear would have on the colon today. (If you do not get this reference, please see this link, http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1, and read the reviews. I will warn you. You will cry from laughing so hard just from reading the first review.) I still have days where I do wake up a bit exhausted and need a nap, but it is no longer a nap all day and get nothing done type of day. I'm to the point that I never want gluten again if it will give me my life back. I'm still taking my vitamins and am planning to get my hormone levels checked soon. I am determined to get my life back this year and this has helped so much. I am not a doctor, nurse, or anything of the sort. I'm just a 34 year old female who is tired of feeling like crap. Going gluten free does take some work and research but I am here to say that the benefits have been amazing. I highly suggest that you try it cause you really don't have anything to lose, except maybe some horrible Fibro symptoms. Blessings!

The trouble with my husband is....

I cannot think of a time EVER that my husband has lied to me. Its a blessing and a curse at times. When I come out in an outfit that I think looks amazing and he asks, "Are you gonna wear that?" it can be very hurtful and I usually go change. However, when he says something really sweet, I know that he means it.

Today, my husband spoke a truth that will probably forever change my life (and probably the lives of those around me). I was in my usual procrastinator state of getting out of bed and he nonchalantly said, "You know I think this gluten-free thing is working for you. I can tell that you bounce back quicker than you used to." I was still laying in bed at the time and I asked him to clarify his statement. He looked at me and stopped what he was doing and said, "Can you think of a time recently that you have been in this good of a mood on a Monday morning?" It wasn't that I was up and about and acting like Mary Poppins. I was in bed for Pete's sake. However, I WAS alert and I WAS joking and loving and ME! The statement caught me off guard but in a good way. I still hurt but it wasn't debilitating. I also noticed my fog had lifted or at least seemed to have let up some.  When I finally hit the point of, "if I don't get up now my kids are gonna be late for school", when I sat up, I didn't do my usual dreadful groan, and I also didn't limp to the bathroom.

While I am somewhat elated and encouraged by his words, there is a sadness that comes with them. It means this gluten free thing that I have started is going to have to become a lifestyle, not just a 2 week stint. It also means that, with me being me, that I now need to learn everything there is to a gluten free lifestyle, cause that is just how I am. And probably the hardest part of all, is that I can no longer walk into any restaurant or friends' home and eat whatever I want. I have to worry about what is in each item of food, and question it, and then be questioned about why I need to know, and then have the pity card thrown in my direction. I don't want pity. I want to be healthy and the person that I know I should be. I know that this upcoming few months is gonna be a LOT of work.

While I don't mind being taken care of when I am truly, and I mean, can't get out of bed, sick, I detest being pitied when I am just living my everyday life. EVERYONE is fighting a battle of some sort. Even though I write a blog about fibromyalgia, I HATE talking about it in front of other people. I don't want their pity. I don't want to seek it out. I don't want to spend an evening out with my ladies discussing what I use to help me sleep or how I deal with the pain. This is MY battle, not their's. I also don't want the stigma that goes along with having Fibromyalgia. I work in the medical community. I know how doctors talk about fibromyalgia patients. I know that they see us as lazy and drug seekers. And I want to blow that stigma far, FAR away from me. (****Disclaimer****Just because I said that last statement, please don't think that I am calling YOU lazy and a drug seeker. I am not. Also, if you are my friend and you have questions about fibro, I am an open book. Please just seek me out one on one. Otherwise, I will blow you off and not answer your questions as detailed as I would if we are in a one on one setting. So lets go have a gluten free lunch together.  ****Disclaimer ended****)

I know that I have this awful disorder. I have every symptom. I keep finding things that are related to fibro that I didn't even know that were symptoms until I am doing research later and find that some ailment that I have had is a known symptom of the disorder. I know that it is real! Unfortunately, Fibromyalgia is one of the most overly diagnosed conditions in the world. Doc explained it perfectly to me. Someone comes in to a doctor with unexplained pain, labs are normal, tests done are normal, everything is normal, yet this patient looking for answers...a diagnosis...for why they feel why they feel. The doctor doesn't want to say, change your diet or exercise more or "suck it up sista". A doctor's job is to diagnose problems and in most cases give meds for said problems. Fibro is such a multi-symptomatic condition that it is easy to say, "You have fibromyalgia syndrome. Here, have a pain pill and an anti-depressant." And sadly, when a doctor gets someone like me that says, "I don't want those meds.  I want to know why my body is acting this way. Fix me naturally." The response is usually, "Then I'm sorry. I cannot help you."

So here's the deal (pickles): Don't give up! YOU are paying the doctors to help you. They work for YOU! If you don't like what your doctor is prescribing you for help, you have the right to question. You have the right to say," why do I need to take this pill. Is there something else I can do?" There are doctors out there who are willing to work and help you figure out why you feel this way and its okay to seek them out and get their opinion. Some people see that as breaking loyalty to the doctor they have had for years but it is not that at all. You have to worry about YOU. I'm not saying that a pill won't help you. I take medicine when I am at my worse. But I don't want to depend on it to get me out of bed in the morning. You are the one in control of your treatment. Before you start a regimen of prescription meds or  insane amounts of vitamin therapy or some fix-it-all pill, research it people. In a world filled with Google and libraries, why would you not.  Find a doc YOU trust and run it by them and get their advice. Fibromyalgia is a hard condition to have. Don't let it rule you! You can be the one in control, it just takes a lot of hard work. Blessings and soft hugs my fellow fibromites!

The trouble with a chiropractor...

I had my appointment with my chiropractor yesterday. Her name is Dr. Kala Hatch from Hatch Chiropractic Health and Wellness Center. I adore her. My appointment was a true work-over and I needed it since my back was in excruciating pain (level 10 for sure). I started with a massage with the massage therapist at her office, Nan Quinney. After an hour of knots and muscles being relaxed, I was put through more muscle therapy with a tens unit, heat, and some ultrasound to break down the muscle fibers in the knots. Then I got to talk with Kala.

Kala Hatch is one of these people that you feel instantly comfortable talking to. She listens and has a wealth of knowledge. She also loves learning. As we spoke about the book that I had read (see prior blog posts), she began take down notes and researched with me about Dr. Kantika Van Der Merwe. I told Kala that I had concerns about the technique this other doctor used since she had mentioned in the book that the guy that made it famous later had his chiropractor license revoked. She was quite understanding of that and went and looked up the technique that Dr. Kantinka uses. She joyfully remarked, "its the Bess (sp?) technique. I started studying that a while back but when I started nurse practitioner school I put it on hold. I have all the information at home. Let me research it again and see what we can do." We went on to discuss the different vitamin supplements that Dr. Kantinka suggests in her book. There are several. It was so cool to see Kala light up when I would mention a certain vitamin. 

So we have a plan. The first thing that she asked me to do was to try going gluten free for 2 weeks. She said, "I want you to try it for 2 weeks and then have a gluten-fest on day 15 and if you feel like crap after eating it then you know that you are gluten sensitive." I really liked the fact that she said gluten sensitive. Many people have a full blown allergy to gluten known as "Celiac's disease". I know that I do not have that. However I could see having a gluten sensitivity.  In my other research, I have found that many fibro patients have delayed food allergies. If you eat the same foods over and over and over, your body starts to have minor allergic reactions to it. I truly feel like 2 weeks is just a blink in this lifetime and  so I don't mind to use this as a testing time. Kala also asked me add some vitamin supplements to my regimen. The first one was a B12 complex. I have been told to take this one in the past and I blew it off. I actually had that in my medicine cabinet at home so no big deal. We had talked about Cur cumin. Kala said that is a form of tumeric, which is a natural anti-inflammatory. There are several other benefits to taking it like immunity support and IBS relief. I also talked to her about a drink that I had drank when I was first diagnosed and she told me to start that as well. It is from the company, Fatigued to Fantastic Energy Revitalization System. This drink was designed by a doctor who specialized in treating Fibromyalgia. It has several vitamins that are known to aid naturally in treating the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. We talked about possible future treatment, but she wanted to do another visit. I get Wellness Labs every year at my place of employment and she wanted to see them. She had some very interesting things to say about Thyroid testing, which went along with a lot of my research, which I was excited about. So I go in today to have her look at those and to let me see a specific type of Iron that she uses that she says does not have all the ugly, typical side effects of Iron. So I go back in today to discuss those things. 

I want to add that if you need help with treating your Fibromyalgia naturally and live in the Mountain Home, AR area, Nature's Way on the square is amazing when it comes to supplements. I spoke with Jack when I arrived and he was great. I told him about my meeting with Kala and he said she was spot on with everything that she had told me. He took me right to the drink mix that I had taken before. I told him about the B12 complex that I had and he said it was a great one. He then said that I should add a D-Ribose powder to my regimen as well. Jack said that many of the people with Fibromyalgia had had great results with it. I had asked Kala about it and she said that she didn't know much about it. I decided Jack had agreed with everything that Kala had suggested so that it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and get it. I had bought liquid Tumeric at another health food store in town and I almost wish that I would have waited because he had great things to say about the Cur Cumin that they had at the store there. Next time for sure I will get it at Natures Way.

Well that is the beginning of my journey. I did stay gluten free all day yesterday and went to bed feeling horrible. I know that this is supposedly normal but I still don't enjoy it. I am hoping that if I can get past this that it will be well worth it. I will keep you updated on my treatment and hopefully some of you can find your own path to recovery by using some of it. That was the goal of writing this blog and so I hope that it will continue to serve that purpose. Hang in there fibro friends. Life is too short to not enjoy the journey!

The trouble with back pain is...

Yesterday was rough! It was cold. It was rainy. Anyone with fibromyaglia knows that is the making of a miserable, painful day. If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you should know that I hate taking medicine for this disease. However, yesterday, I did not function until I took something. I laid in bed until 11 and only got up due to my husband's request. Yesterday I actually got mad at my body. I do this on occasion, yet yesterday I can honestly say I was beyond angry. Something had to change.

I finished the book that I talked about in my last post (Taming the Beast: A Guide to Conquering Fibromyalgia by Dr. Kantinka Van Der Merwe). She brought up some pretty awesome things that I have never read in all my research. While she mentioned the over-active immune system and different vitamins one can take to feel better, she talked about the spine quite a bit. Her theory (since no studies have been done, however she has worked with Fibromyalgia patients for several years) is that some people, especially women, are created with very narrow spinal canals. Things that a radiologist will deem as "normal degeneration" might not be normal. She states that she uses a technique done by a chiropractor who did wonderful work in those with severe chronic pain. Unfortunately, not many use this chiropractor's techniques because he lost his license because he made claims that he "cured" people. Dr. Kantinka states that in spite of his bad rap, his technique is sound and while it doesn't "cure" people, it does help a lot of people. Dr. Kantinka's office is in Fayetteville, AR. I know that 2 1/2 hours is worth a drive if it will "conquer" my fibro flares, however, long drives make me flare and I'm just not up for it.

In an effort to still help myself, I have set up an appointment with MY chiropractor. I am hoping that she and I can develop a treatment plan together that will help based off of Dr. Kantinka's book but it will be something local. Its a long shot and I'm hoping that it will give me SOME relief. I have to do something. I have decided I can no longer keep living in a state of wondering what I will be like when I get up in the morning. Its not fair to my husband or my boys and most of all, myself. Change will happen this year! It will and I will be sure to share when it does.

Keep fighting fibromites and do not give up on finding YOUR cure.

The trouble with a cure is...

Today is the 2nd day of the new year. Yesterday I wrote down my resolutions and one of them was to find a cure for this "disease" that I have. I don't want a repeat of 2013. It was a rough fibro year. I want a fresh, new 2014. I want to finally figure out what makes my body tick and avoid the things that make me hurt and deny me of the much needed energy that I want to have. This journey has been going on for so long, but this year I feel there is hope. I guess I kind of start out every year with hope, but this year it feels more renewed than usual.

I'm reading a book right now. It is definitely in the top of Fibromyalgia books that I have read. It is called "Taming the Beast: A Guide to Conquering Fibromyalgia". (http://www.amazon.com/Taming-Beast-Guide-Conquering-Fibromyalgia/dp/1491089903) With each chapter I read, I keep saying, "Yes! That is me!" I am excited to see what comes of this book and that is probably where most of this hope stirs from. Dr. Kantinka is from Fayetteville, AR. I have read many times that it is believed that Fibro symptoms have a genetic link and I have also read that most come from a cervical injury. In this book it is theorized that it is possibly both.

It is believed that you have the genetic predisposition to get it but it isn't "activated" until something sets it off. I have a grandmother that had a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and I have it, yet, as far as I know, neither my mother or sister have any signs of Fibromyalgia. I also know that neither my sister or mother have had any kind of neck injury (to my knowledge) as to where I have. Most of my symptoms started in high school and I can attribute most of it back to a very minor fender bender where I was rear ended. I was in a harsher wreck when I lived in IN and my upper back fell victim. So knowing where this all started from I believe is HUGE! If someone can tell me why I have it, I am starting to trust that they might have an answer of how to help.

Part of my goals for this year is to eat clean and keep better track of food and how it makes me feel. I have read that Fibromyalgia patients are more prone to food allergies and sensitivities. I truly believe that I can live medicine free and change the course of this disease if I just pay attention to my body. I look forward to seeing how this year will play out. I will keep you updated. Until then, I recommend reading Taming the Beast. It has been a good read so far and I'm just on Chapter 7. I hope that your year is good as well! God bless!