The F Word

After months of tests and exams, I have an answer, sort of.

I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.

I say “sort of” because there is no definitive test for this condition and it is diagnosed by a set of symptoms and ruling out other possible causes. Thankfully, all the terrible causes for my pain, fatigue and the burning/itching in my muscles, have been ruled out.

The treatment plan is medication and “gentle” exercise. Exercise that does not put stress on the joints, like swimming, aquafit, walking and yoga. I can, and do, do all of these in varying degrees of proficiency. My family doctor, my rheumatologist and my endocrinologist have strongly advised against running/jogging until this flare up has subsided and the pain has stabilised.

One of the biggest symptoms for me is poor sleep because the pain keeps me awake or wakes me up from sleep. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep plays havoc with diabetes and hypothyroidism – both of which I also have.

My plan, for now, is to take the medication to stabilise the pain and help me sleep – which will in turn help me get my blood sugar back down to the normal range – where it’s been the last 8 years except for the last 4 months while I’ve been going through this. These two things will help me continue to lose weight.

Oh and a bone scan shows I have plantar fascitis – but since I am not feeling the pain associated with it and I have no pain in the heels when walking/running/climbing stairs – I’m ignoring that diagnosis.

I haven’t been a complete slug while this has been going on, I walk most days – at least 2-3 km and go up and down the stairs in my apt building several times a day. And I intend to do some walks in events this summer and when I start to feel better, I will try running again…even though I will have to go back to Week 1, Day 1 of C25K. But I know I can do it this time, so I am sure it will feel much easier.

Today I had to go to Toronto (a 2 hour trip each way) to see my doctor and I am truly exhausted, both physically and mentally. This is has to get better as this is the same trip I take to go to work each day and I can’t afford to be off work much longer.

I’m hopeful that this medication will work and not have horrendous side effects. I have the utmost trust in my endocrinologist and my family doctor.

I have tried other medications but had to stop them for varying reasons after a very short time.

I have also been reading all I can find about Fibromyalgia  and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence/studies that indicate eliminating or even reducing wheat and sugar help to reduce the symptoms.  Two weeks ago I decided to go completely 100% sugar and wheat free.  I haven’t noticed a change in my symptoms yet but I am going to stick with it. Even if it doesn’t help this problem, it’s still a good thing.

Thank you to all of you who have emailed or sent me messages asking about me or keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. It has been a huge comfort.

Happy Mother's Day

Just a reminder how blessed I am. 

L-R: Iain, Enz, Liam

July 2012

Starbucks Hazel 5k and Subway 2k Fun Run/Walk

Read the recap here: My Events

Mayday or is that May Day?

Woohoo, May is here and so is Spring!!!

Today, I had an appointment in Toronto and when I left the hospital to walk back to the subway, I took a wrong turn (ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I could get lost in my own bathroom) and ended up going down a residential street that had many many many blooming lilac trees. White lilacs and lilac lilacs. The scent was like heaven. I walked slowly and enjoyed the bright sunshine and the cool breeze that was bringing me the lilacs along with me. I love lilacs. When I was 18-21 I used to share a house with three other girls, and my bedroom had a lilac tree right outside. For about 4 weeks every year my whole bedroom would smell of lilacs, even my pillow and comforter. It was wonderful. I am always transported back to those years whenever I smell lilacs, they have such a short bloom period.

In other news, I walked about 3k today (mostly because of that wrong turn) and I felt ok! I had a good conversation with my rheumatologist and my chiropractor about my concerns and they answered all my questions and my mind is easier.

Almost every day I get emails offering me free “stuff” to review on my blog. I’m not sure why because I have very few followers and I  don’t “advertise” my blog anywhere, it’s not connected to my FB account and I don’t use Twitter and I am hardly a weight loss or fitness success story.  I don’t monetize my blog.

I always  say no thank you to the diet pills, shakes, drugs and gadgets, but I always,  always say yes to books and if it is a different version of something I already use.

I have 3 books waiting to be reviewed with two more on the way and I am also getting a yoga block in a few weeks. I don’t do give-aways as I am not interested in drumming up blog traffic for one post. I blog for me and if I can share some information that’s useful to others, that’s a bonus.

So…I will try and get to the reviews early next week. Stay tuned!

 

Goodbye April...and good riddance!!!

I am not one to wish my life away, but April 2013 is a month I would like to put behind me and forget.

I had more doctor's appointments and tests in April than I have in the last 3 years combined, I felt like absolute crap every single day, I've had some personal relationship problems and worst of all, my father passed away.  It was a difficult month. I am hoping May brings more sunshine and less showers (both literally  and figuratively).

May is starting off on a good note with a 5K event on Saturday night. I had originally, back in January, registered for the 10K Run Event but I am not well enough or strong enough to even walk 10K continuously so I'm going to downgrade and do the 5K walk instead. I am actually looking forward to it. Sunday morning I am doing a 2K walk in the same event with some friends who just started walking. I'm not registered, I'm just going to walk with them to encourage and support them.

The next two days I have doctor's appointments to get the results of all the April tests.  I am hoping for some good news and an end in sight.

I had a second chiropractic  treatment yesterday and  have much more range of motion in my neck and shoulders than I did last week, and slightly less pain, so I'm taking these as wins! I even did some yoga practice this morning that I was too stiff and sore to do even a week ago. It felt good to really stretch properly after so long.

It's a gorgeous day out - I went for a walk along the path that runs across the top of the mountain near where I live. I walked to the coffee shop and got an iced coffee (coffee over ice with 2 creams – none of that base/syrup stuff they use!) and then walked back. I went past the steps in the photo, not down them this time. I might try to go down and come back up half of them later this week and see how it goes (250 steps each way), I used to do the thing (500 steps each way) 3-4 times a week.

The GPS on my phone is screwy, or its the Nike app because its just over 3k round trip, not 5k, so that’s a bit annoying. I can’t even run a 7:40km let alone walk it!! I may have to redownload the app and see if it fixes itself.

I was pretty tired after the walk though and I was going quite leisurely, stopping to take snaps and I forgot to pause the app while I was in the coffee shop as well.

Still, it felt good to stretch my legs and hips and work on my posture.

Then when I got back, just as I was posting this, my friend Guenther called to go for coffee, which we didn’t end up getting. But I did get to Costco to stock up on egg whites and sweet potatoes.

To be truthful, I am now exhausted.

I should sleep well tonight! Last night was a terrible night for sleep, I was in a lot of pain and I had a lot on my mind – bad combination for sleep!

Jillian Michaels is coming to Hamilton!

I admit, I watch The Biggest Loser. I don't know why they call it "reality TV" when it is the furthest thing from reality, but it is entertaining and although I am not a fan of Jillian  Michaels on that program, I really enjoy her podcasts and find her style of speaking to be very motivational and uplifting.  

So...I was very excited to see that she was coming to my little city of Hamilton during her "Maximize Your Life" Tour and I have the opportunity to see/hear her live. I know quite a few other Bloggers have gone to this show and enjoyed it, so I am looking forward to it!

I didn't know until I had listened to her podcasts that she was overweight as a teenager and her story of becoming fit and becoming the trainer she is today was interesting and motivating.

Here's info about the show!

Some info from the Maximize Your Life press release.

JILLIAN MICHAELS LAUNCHES “MAXIMIZE YOUR LIFE” TOUR

ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

World’s Leading Health and Wellness Expert Appears Live on Stage

LOS ANGELES, CA – 2/ 20/2013 - Promising an evening of inspiration that will forever change and motivate lives, America’s health and wellness guru Jillian Michaels is set to launch her first ever “Maximize Your Life” our this spring. Kicking off April 4 in Winnipeg, Ontario. The tour touches down in 33 cities across the United States and Canada, wrapping up May 21 in Toronto.  The complete itinerary is listed below and at www.jillianmichaels.com

In this intimate and uniquely personal experience, Jillian shows how to harness your potential, kick-start your goals and live an exceptional life – sharing her keys to health, success and happiness. No hype, no false promises: Just results.

“Your health is the platform that your entire life is built upon - from your physical health to your confidence and self-worth, I will give you the skillset, tools and insights to transform any aspect of your life immediately so you realize your true potential, and create the future you’ve dreamed of and deserve,” says Jillian.

Imagine. Believe. Achieve. These three words lay at the core of Jillian’s message. In a riveting, two-hour show, Jillian will awaken you to reignite your passion, define your goals and live in your authentic truth.  She will teach you how to redefine your self-image, dramatically enhance your confidence and self worth and blast through all obstacles internal and external. 

Finally, Jillian will supply the information and action plan that will empower you to conquer any challenge and achieve every goal.  You will learn the science of shedding pounds, the impact of hormones on weight loss and how to bring them back into balance. She demonstrates the how, what and why of workouts, sharing her most effective methods of burning fat and calories. And most importantly she will teach you how to shift your attitude, behavior, and mindset to maximize your life.

Inspiring and motivating initially thru television, Jillian Michaels has become the world’s leading health and wellness expert. She has appeared on 11 seasons of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser;” seen in more than 90 countries around the world. As a motivator and role model, Jillian has made a unique connection with her audience, one that stems from her own personal journey. 

Some videos you can watch:

To find out more information or purchase tickets for the Jillian Michaels Maximize Your Life Tour, check out the following link:   

http://bit.ly/15RYLr4

It's been a while...

I didn't realise how long though!

Since my last post, I've run the gamut of tests, drugs and doctors, yet still have no answers for the pain and  fatigue.  I finally decided to stop the medication (Lyrica) when it was not helping the pain but was causing mood swings and weight gain.  I've not been able to exercise much, even short walks  (3k or so) leave me exhausted and pretty much useless for the next day because of the pain. Running isn't even in the realm of possibility right now.  The pain and physical stress is affecting other health issues I have and it's like an endless circle of trying to manage symptoms and side effects.

I did see a chiropractor today and I had some minor relief from the pain immediately after the treatment, but now I feel like a ton of bricks has fallen on me - which he told me to expect due to all the soft tissue work he did.  I'm hoping that regular treatments will give me some relief until the cause can be found.

Right now, I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to get through as best I can.

I am reading all your blogs though I  am not commenting much.

I do have a post about an upcoming show I'm going to that I'm looking forward to writing, probably sometime over the weekend.

On a good note - this weekend we will finally have Spring like weather.