Physical Results

I had a complete physical yesterday, and it was one of those rare times when I left the doctors office happy. :)

My lab results were the best surprise of all. I last had blood work done this past Spring, before I went GF and mostly sugar-free as well. I also now eat very little processed food, so I was super curious to see how things were doing, because truthfully my levels were not great the last time.

My doctor said that last time my blood sugar levels were still within the normal range, but they were teetering very close to being too high (meaning borderline diabetes). These results show my levels are now much lower and way down within the normal levels. Yeah!

My thyroid levels are almost the same as they were before, which has my TSH and T4 reading well within the normal range as well. Another Yeah!

Now for what I think is the best news. The following levels are all now within the normal range:

Cholesterol is down 33 pts
HDL is up 6pts (this is the good one that  you want to go up)
Chol/HDL ratio is down 2pts
LDL cholesterol is down 17pts

Triglycerides is down 108pts. <---this one is still high, but the doctor is confident that when I get my blood work rechecked in 6 mo, that it will be down in the normal range as well. :)

I originally changed my eating because I had read that it can really help with Fibromyalgia symptoms. Honestly, I haven't noticed much difference with that, however I will continue, because eliminating the food allergies I have is obviously doing great things for my body.

Eating this way is getting easier now that I'm starting to accumulate GF/SF recipes that I actually like really well, including desserts. So now I don't have to feel deprived, which is always a good thing!

Before I Eat

This is so me.....especially the crispy creme on the treadmill. LOL

Working To Embrace The "New" Me

When I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia this past Fall, I was at first so thankful to finally have a diagnosis, but also scared for what the future held.

I was started on Lyrica, which is the only medicine approved for FM that I am able to take (due to reactions with the others). I was desperate for pain relief and prayed this would would work for me. Due to concerns about reactions, I was started slowly, with just 1 pill a day.

As time passed and intense pain remained constant, the amount of pills I took daily increase...2...3...4...5...6. Six is the maximum number allowed.

I have been on 6 pills a day now for a little over a week. One of my concerns (other than reactions) was weight gain. I've read that many people gain significant amounts of weight when taking Lyrica. So far that hasn't been a problem - Praise God!

While it's still too early to tell how effective the 6 pills daily will be (it can take up to a month to know that for sure), I have noticed my pain level does seem to have decreased some.

The pain I've had in my feet for over a year is almost completely gone. I notice the pain seems more "trunk" generalized and not spread to my limbs (although I have had temporary flares to one spot or another - for example, yesterday it felt as though my left thumb was broken. Today, it's fine.).

I still have the "hot poker" stabs of pain, but those are in the 2 spots where my pain began almost a year ago. I don't know if I ever completely expect those to go away, but they do seem to be decreasing in how often I get them, and how long they last.

So, while I feel there have been positives, I still have some concerns, such as if I am already at the maximum amount of medication allowed, and I am only 46....what happens when I'm 56, 66, 76, and God willing...beyond that.

I spent a lot of my "down" time doing research on the internet. I have read over different exercise options that will work, and different food options, as well as supplements. What I have decided to act upon is what I feel is right for me, I'm not suggesting this would be right for anyone else.

I found overwhelming evidence that gluten and sugar are two main things that those with any type of chronic pain should eliminate. Studies have shown that many people have dramatically improved their quality of life, and decreased their amount of pain by doing this.

So, I decided to embark on a gluten-free, sugar-free lifestyle. I had originally decided this a month or so ago, but it is pretty restrictive and I didn't wholeheartedly embrace it. But as the number of Lyricas I was taking increased, I just felt more and more drawn to it.

I'm learning that going GF is not as easy as substituting let's say rice flour for whole wheat. You have to adjust and/or add other things with the flour to get the consistency right, or something. That's going to involve more research than I am prepared for at the moment, so I again got on the internet and found GF/SF cookbooks and ordered 3 of them.

It's only been a week - and one of the WORST weeks I could have decided to embark on this journey. AF was here. Uh, hello....bad timing there girlie! Well, it has taught me that if I can survive that week, then I can definitely commit to this 100%. It has also taught me that I am so grateful for sugar-free chocolates that saw me through those darkest hours. LOL

I'm having to cook now way more than I ever figured I would do, or even care to. But, when you have pain as your motivation, it seems easier to get started.

I have to admit that I have been very pleasantly surprised so far. The recipes have been great! I made a lasagna last night and both Jay and Austin took just a small amount, and both went back for more.

I also found a pre-made pizza crust that I love, love, love! I can honestly say that I will never miss eating a crappy frozen diet pizza again, or any other store bought frozen pizza. I don't believe I'll even miss ordered pizza. It was that good!

There are other lifestyle changes that I'll write about later. I'm sure your butts are already numb from reading this long (sorry for the rambling, but I guess you're used to that from me by now...ha!).

Have an awesome day! It's a blizzard outside, so I'm going to go make up some recipes to freeze. :)

Biggest Loser

I am soooooooo excited because Biggest Loser is starting their new season. I love this show more than any other reality tv show. I mean seriously, what show gives you as much blood, sweat, spandex, and vomit as this one does?

Remember last years winner....Tara Costa? She is still looking great and sticking to her love of exercising and is using it to help others by hosting runs and other events. Tara is going to be blogging about her experiences and how she sees things going on this new season of BL. You can read her blog here:

Tara Blogs @ People

If I thought there was a chance my thyroid would actually kick and start working again, thereby giving me at least a fighting chance to lose weight, I think I'd actually like going on that show. But only if I could have Bob as my trainer. Jillian would make me cry.

Let's Try This Again

A few months ago I started a blog to help keep me motivated regarding my weight loss. Little did I know at that time, what challenges would be coming down the road.

Now I know all those challenges, which I recently wrote about regarding my thyroid & hormone issues, plus other things. Weight loss isn't my goal right now. Getting healthy is. Weight loss from what I've been told may not even happen for a while...if ever. At least until we get things headed in the right direction.

Each day I log in to the dashboard here at Blogger, I see the weight loss blog and it haunts me. I feel guilty that I haven't added to it, but there's been nothing to add. And now that I know I won't be able to add to it for a while, I just don't need the guilt, ya know?

So I deleted that blog. The guilt is gone.

My NP I'm seeing wants me to keep a journal of what we do and how I'm feeling, but I don't want to do that here. This blog is about more important things like useless facts and trivia. It can't be bothered with serious things like test results, health and well being. So, you guessed it....I've started a 2nd blog. I figured my mom & dad would at least probably want to know how the treatments are going. :)

Here's the address: http://climbingamountaintobetterhealth.blogspot.com/

You're welcome to follow it. Just don't expect anything exciting, unless you find how many times I napped today exciting. If anyone reads it and has experienced any of what I'm going through, I would LOVE your input! I will also be adding links to sites or blogs that I feel are helpful in this journey as well.

Hope to see you on the mountain!

My Test Results

I met with the Nurse Practioner again yesterday to discuss all my test results. I had urine tests, saliva tests & 9 vials of blood tests to go over. I was there for 3 hours and walked out frustrated (by medical doctors that I had begged for help and was ignored) and overwhelmed. But, I now have the answers I have been searching for, whether I like them or not.

In a nutshell, here's what the test results show I have or is "wrong" with me (sit down and grab something to drink...it's a long list - ha):

Peri-menopausal
Hashimoto’s Disease {Hypothyroidism}
Vitamin B6 & B12 deficient (bordering critical stage)
Vitamin D deficient (VERY critical stage)
SAD (goes along with the Vit D deficiency)
Overly estrogen dominant
Way too low progesterone
Overly low cortisol in the mornings
Sex hormone is basically non-functioning (no comment -ha)
Insulin Resistant (which = very low metabolism)
Adrenal Fatigue
PCOS

Other than all that, I'm in great shape. LOL

I was given the "honor" of breaking 2 records in her office. #1 Having the most test results to come back in the moderate/severe category of any one person, and #2 Having the lowest Vitamin D reading they had ever seen before.

I'm on numerous all natural supplements and a thyroid medication, and I'm to follow the Insulin Resistant Eating plan. For the SAD I tried to get her to require we go south each winter, but she would only suggest a lamp. :P

I cried several times during the appt due to the frustration that I have spent the past few years trying to get doctors to help me who either said "eat less, exercise more" or my personal favorite "your thyroid is fine" (when I KNEW it wasn't).

I asked her if she thought that once we got all this regulated, would I have a chance to lose weight again. Here's her response:

"I'm going to be honest with you Dena. You have a going on. I am going to work hard to try to get you feeling better for starters. This is not normal, and what you are feeling is not normal and no matter what any doctor has told you in the past, you do not have to live like this or live with feeling like this. Can I get you to a point where you will lose weight? I believe so. Will we be able to get you into a normal weight range? I don't know. As much as you have going on, it's going to be how well your body responds to treatment. Most people do great, but there are some who don't respond well. We won't know until we get going with you. However, I am optimistic."

My fingers are crossed.

Vision Board

Way back when I first started on the road to getting healthy (2005) I joined an online forum that I am actually a co-host of today. It's a great place for women only and we offer each other support, comfort, ideas and the occasional booty kick when necessary.

One of the best ideas I found on there was called the Vision Board. You take pictures or words from the internet or magazines or wherever you can find them and glue them to a board. The board can be whatever size you want, but it must contain pictures/words that motivate you and encourage you to reach your goals.

Here's my vision board that I made. It sits in my office where I can see it every day.



On my board I have many different things as you can see. I have motivational quotes such as "Nothing is impossible" and "Keep Your Eye On The Prize". I have uplifting quotes such as "Triumph is just umph added to Try" and "Your Worth It". And I have pictures of somethings I work towards such as hubby and I want to back to the Bahamas again someday so I have pictures of white sandy beaches, and I also think it would be fun to take a trip to Vegas to renew our vows, so I have a picture of a Vegas sign.

It doesn't matter what you put on your board. Everyones is different. The most important part is that you put it where you see it every . single . day.

This works not only for weight loss, but just living a healthier lifestyle, business goals, and any goals you have in mind. Children can even make them. It's a great visual for those who are even too young to read. I've also heard of Sunday School and Bible School classes using them.

If you made a vision board, what would you put on it?