Sweet Success
What's this, you ask? (Other than a TERRIBLE photo... SORRY.)
It's a gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free cupcake.
Yes, CUPCAKE.
And it's freaking delicious. Like angels-singing-in-my-mouth delicious.
I may or may not have cried when I tasted it. And then I may or may not have done a little dance around the house.
Labels: Food is Yummy, Psychoallergenic
And Counting
We're at Day 17 of my psychoallergenic diet and counting here - emphasis on the 'and counting' because I think it's going really well.
I'm finding lots of recipes - and DELICIOUS recipes - and while it's a lot of work, there is huge payoff there. I'm actually slamming together a blog of the recipes we've tried and enjoyed so far, both to help me stay organized and to maybe help someone else out there who's trying to eat this way. Stay tuned.
I am NOT one to blog about my weight, but I have to say that it's looking like a little bit of weight loss might be the icing on the cake (pardon the pun) in this situation. I've been eating more than usual - bigger portion sizes, more snacks, less attention to calories (ahem NO attention to calories) - just sticking with my list of foods I can eat and food I can't eat. And I've lost 4.5 pounds in 17 days. And I've been too flared up to exercise other than Briony's weekly toddler dance class and one fifteen-minute yoga session last week. If I've confided in you about my weight loss challenges post-baby before, you'll know that this is HUGE.
My energy level has been in the toilet since I started this, but I've been feeling tiny glimmers of hope over the last handful of days... I think that energy kick I've been expecting is coming soon. I CAN'T WAIT.
Day 17 is also EXACTLY the halfway mark between starting this on my own and beginning the accompanying acupuncture treatments that are supposed to go alongside my freaky eating.
In any case, I'm here and I'm carrying on...
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Food is Yummy, Loser, Psychoallergenic
A Really Good Day
I am ever so grateful for my parents.
Briony + I spent the day here while Geoff was at work. I hit a bunch of client + volunteer deadlines. Briony had a nap + played + coloured + 'helped' Grandpa with home renos (FUNNIEST TODDLER COMMENTARY EVER).
It was just a really good day.
Today is also Day 15 of this new journey to reclaim my health. And I have not cheated on this diet, not one single bite. I'm super proud of that. It's been really tough. I'm still feeling so many yucky fibro flare up symptoms - and I'm EXHAUSTED - but I'm doing this and it has finally started feeling like positive progress over the last two days or so.
It only gets better from here... And that makes me happy, because I want my life back. And I want to ENJOY it fully.
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Briony, Family, My Life, Psychoallergenic
Not Quite Dead Yet
Just checking in to let y'all know that I have not, in fact, starved to death.
This was kind of a tough week. I flared up, which is always a treat. The new diet's going well, but the second day in particular FLATTENED me - ridiculous detox headache + no energy at all. Today was better, but it will be a little while before I'm feeling more Lindsay-like. I'm spending every free moment I have in the kitchen trying to get things in my freezer and start getting some of the basics under control so the rest of this psychoallergenic eating adventure just gets easier and easier. This week, I was making salad dressings, soups, muffins, and all kinds of goodness (in addition to making meals). I also saw my rheumatologist again yesterday, which is another whole post that's coming soon. Briony's dance class started again this week. I'm beginning work on our MOMs Group website and newsletter for the new session starting in two weeks. We made some unexpected potty training progress (we're not officially underway yet, but she's progressing nonetheless - CLEVER MINX). I'm about to begin a tiny home makeover Chez Wright. And we booked flights for our next BC trip. Among other things.
So there's lots going on, and lots to talk about. And I will talk about it. But for tonight, I have a date with my couch and a GIANT bowl of popcorn :)
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Food is Yummy, Going Coastal, House Stuff, My Life, Psychoallergenic, Travel
No Regrets
I've had a bunch of questions about what on earth I'm up to, and I'll do my best to summarize it here. It's all happened relatively quickly and I'm learning as I go - eastern medicine and alternative therapy is always a HUGE learning curve when you've grown up in North American (and when you've quite literally grown up in a very westernized - probably western-BIASED - health care system). But this is kind of what's going on in a nutshell.
The new 'partner' I'm seeing is
Dr Shi, a traditional Chinese doctor with additional training in acupuncture, allergy elimination therapy, and natural medicine - including
NAET. Yes, I know how crazy it sounds. And no, I don't care. Geoff came along for my first appt and we're both 100% on board for me to try this out.
At my first appointment, she did a series of tests that involved me holding vials of different substances and based on my arm strength while I was holding them made a list of things that my body is treating as allergens right now. Next step is a series of seven appts where she eliminates those sensitivities - I'll hold a vial with one of the sensitive substances while she does acupuncture to clear the energy blockages related to each one, then totally avoid even TOUCHING that substance for the next 25 hours. Then supposedly I'll be 'cured' of that sensitivity.
For the next couple months, I'll be following a very specific allergen-free diet while everything is being cleared. I've also been put on a CRAZY multivitamin and a natural treatment for thyroid dysfunction - one of the things that she easily identified as a health challenge for me - along with a few supplements to balance out the foods (and associated vitamins and minerals) I'm yanking out of my diet.
My list of 'sensitivities' - things that my body is fighting instead of absorbing and using properly right now - includes a few random things like vitamin B, magnesium, and Omega-3 along with the usual food suspects like dairy, red meats, nightshade vegetables, gluten, refined sugar, coffee and caffeine, and any chemicals or preservatives.
It's going to be a long couple of months, but it will be worth it if I can feel better. It's fascinating to me that - through her own very unique 'diagnosis' process - she identified virtually identical challenges as my naturopath saw in my live blood analysis years ago. It gave me lots more confidence in what we're doing.
The most important thing to note is that I left my first appointment feeling HOPEFUL. That's an emotion that I cling to like a person drowning in the ocean. This doctor honestly believes that she can help me. She has a track record of doing exactly that. And I'm sure as heck going to let her try - and do everything I can to make this process successful. NO REGRETS.
In the meantime, I'm also scheduled to see my rheumatologist again later this week and I'm hoping to get a letter from him that recommends I pursue further treatment at the Mayo Clinic (with the Manitoba government covering the expenses). We're praying like crazy that this might happen... The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has a full Fibromyalgia Clinic and I've heard from several people that were helped there. Again, NO REGRETS. I'm going to push with all the power and energy I have left to make it happen, and then whatever will be will be.
That's all for now. Lots more to talk about soon. For right now, it feels good to have a plan and to be DOING SOMETHING.
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Psychoallergenic
Best Laid Plans
I can't stand it when life doesn't follow the plans that I've made. (That probably wasn't a newsflash, was it?)
I went to bed last night with the best intentions for today. And it's just NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
Today began with lots of pain, lots of fatigue, and lots of frustration. It also began with Starbucks (thanks, Geoff!) - but I digress. I'm supposed to be starting on an aggressive new treatment plan with a new doctor and I'd planned to start tomorrow. Because so much of what we're doing depends on me totally revamping the way I eat, I needed to do a big grocery shop first. One that couldn't happen with Briony along, both because of how much I can physically handle today and because I need to read EVERYTHING to make sure that the things I'm choosing to put in my cart are 100% okay for me to eat.
I did it. I don't think anyone is more surprised than I am. Geoff watched Briony this afternoon and I managed to do Superstore, Bulk Barn, and get back home again in 90 minutes.
GO LINDSAY.
Of course, I'm capital-letters EXHAUSTED now - and the day isn't nearly over yet - but I feel so much better just knowing that I'm ready to go in the morning.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely intimidated by what's going to happen here tomorrow. I've done some pretty extreme eating under the guidance of my naturopath before, but this plan's just a little bit crazier. No gluten. No dairy. No soy. No refined sugar. No coffee or caffeine. No preservatives or chemicals. No potatoes, tomatoes, or peppers. That's not everything... It's the summary / tip of the iceberg (and why I've dubbed this my 'psychoallergenic' diet). As a side note, I've never been TOTALLY off dairy before - I've always been able to have some butter + plain yogurt. For some reason, the NO dairy (together with no soy) is kind of freaking me out.
The first two or three weeks will be tough. After that, my body will stop craving some of the things I haven't been feeding it - and I'll start to have more of the energy I need to be able to cook everything from scratch (and with this attention to detail).
I'll try to make sure that this doesn't become a food blog, but I'm also going to do my best to share the recipes that we're loving over here - both to help others in my situation and to help friends who are trying to accommodate me.
I'm worried. I'm tired. And I'm painfully aware that I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED YET. But meals are planned for the rest of this week, and I have what I need to make them. So, OFF WE GO!
Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Psychoallergenic
Today
Getting some groceries in this house again after a fabulous four days out with my parents.
Researching recipes and meal ideas for the psychoallergenic diet I'm scheduled to start next week - compliments of my new fibro doc. Also, I should copyright that word I just made up because it's chock full of AWESOME.
Finding homes for all the new toys that came back home with us over the holidays. Including Mama's awesome new toy: a sexy new KitchenAid mixer that I can't stop petting. Seriously. It was a good Christmas.
Switching calendars.
Fighting to find a balance inside my totally over-holidayed body.
Laughing at the new phrases Briony's trying out every day. My latest favourite? 'WAIT A MINUTE!'
Thinking about 2011. I'm honestly feeling very overwhelmed by all the unknowns and milestones and adventures that are coming our way, but I'm working hard to get myself to a good place - full of good perspective - before the new year begins.
Labels: 2011, Briony, Holiday Awesomeness, Psychoallergenic
