Psoriatic Arthritis Journal - 2.5 year Update Page 63

[nicoles]

So here I am posting more than once in a day!

Anyway, I am not sure if this is diet or what, but here I am on Day 14-16 (I am not so swell at keeping track) and suddenly all these things that bother me about my life (and some of the people in it, to be perfectly honest) are coming up.

It is almost like I can't repress them anymore or something.

I don't know if it is partially because I am just taking better care of myself overall or that I am not turning to ice cream for comfort/distraction anymore (although I did just PIG OUT on fruit) but suddenly I am looking all around and saying to my self "This situation is not acceptable!"

Now I just have to figure out what to do about it all

[nicoles]

Just got back from my new rheumatologist!

He is fine with me going off my meds and said about the diet "If you have already been observing triggers, then by all means avoid them"

Which basically isn't fully acknowledging dietary impact on arthritis, but is a huge step up from being actively discouraged from 'lifestyle' change self-treatment.

[nicoles]

Been a few crazy and stressful few days and I have pretty much stayed on target with eating straigh-up MacD- except for one 'organic microbrewed' Ginger ale from Whole Foods. (Honestly, I am becoming a person I would have mocked a few weeks ago Organic microbrew SODA?!?! )

Anyway, I feel good about my general adherence considering the stress I have been under and I am still feeling pretty darn good!

I did have a moment the other day when I was at my in-laws after cleaning up my husbands drunken sick, then bringing my MIL home from the hospital, going food shopping for them both and making a special meal for them and my husband that I could not(well, actuallywould not) eat that I seriously considered stuffing the pepperoni pizza and chocolate brownies their neighbor brought over in my own mouth.

BUT I got over it and has some water instead.

Where is the *angel* icon?

So a good test of my resolve and I passed with more than a 'C'.

OK, off to boil some yams!

Nicole

[TominTN]

Gotcher angel icon right here (there are smaller versions at the original site -- click on the icon to see them):



Sounds like you're doing great! Congratulations on the new rheumatologist and on getting through your stressful days without regressing too much. Your story is quite an inspiration.

[nicoles]

Aw, cool TominTN! I like that angel!

May have discovered my first trigger - sesame seeds.

Not on full elimination but I did have some and I am having some symptoms. Nothing terrible, though.

We shall see!

After Valentine's Day I plan to start the elimination diet and really get to the bottom of things!

[nicoles]

Thanks Debbie! And thanks for visiting

So yesterday I ate some sesame seeds and then got some pain in the right knee at what I guess to be the patellar ligament.

Thoughts I had about it:

a) I ate sesame seeds - a potential trigger in that they are seeds, are high fat and I haven't been eating them at all since I started the plan.

b) I have been under stress for a week and have not had much time to take good care of myself. Accumulated stress may also be a trigger for me.

c) I did a bunch of cleaning and squatted numerous times (without using my hands for support) instead of bending over straight-legged. I haven't done that for at least a year and a half. Maybe I did too much for the knee joint because I am both weaker than I was and a good 25 -35 pounds heavier than I was when I could squat with ease.

d)I am in denial and relapsing

e) I don't know why at all

What I DO know is this:

I woke up this morning not nearly as in pain as I expected and with very little swelling, so something is different than before. And my psoriasis has not returned.

I am not taking NSAIDS so for the inflammation I boiled some water and poured it over some diced ginger and a little bit of turmeric. Had some last night before bed and first thing this morning. That helped a lot.

[nicoles]

So the flare up in my knee is subsiding far more quickly than it would have otherwise, so i am chalking it up either to the food or the squats at the moment.

Right now it is just a slight burny-itchy sensation, definitely inflammation, but not EXTREME inflammation. I'll take it over toxic meds for sure!

Still eating fine - just need to start CRON-O-METERing to make sure I am getting the old V's and M's

Nicole

[Melinda]

You're doing great, Nicole!

[nicoles]

Thanks, Melinda!

It is not so very hard as I had worried; I guess pain is a great motivator!

[nicoles]

Still staying on track despite my blecchhy week and a half.

[nicoles]

Monday has arrived and between my MIL going back into the hospital and a family member being diagnosed with lymphoma it has been a difficult week.

BUT I have managed to stay on track. It has actually been more helpful for me to eat this way than for me to drown my sorrows in junk food. The knee flare up is gone and I have lost a total of 15 pound since I began, give or take a few ounces. And I wasn't doing this to lose weight! Happy benefit, though.

I have also noticed that I am helped greatly by my morning lymph brushing. A macrobiotic friend told me about it:

You fill a sink with the hottest water you can stand, dip a wash cloth in in and fold it into a tiny square. Using the wet washcloth, you vigorously rub all the skin of your body, moving from the outer limits of toes and fingers inward to the heart, refolding and dipping as needed.

It feels great, like doing cardio, and makes my joints feel even better than they already are feeling.

[LoriJenny]

Wow, Nicole, you are doing soooo great! I'm so glad this has brought some relief and healing to you! 15 pounds is wonderful! Yay!

[nicoles]

Thanks LoriJenny! You are so sweet!

[frozenveg]

Nicole, I just read through your journal for the first time...and you are doing so well! I am glad that you have seen all your symptoms lessens so quickly. Don't listen to the gloomy doctor's idea that the symptoms will come back. As you are finding right now, even when there is some pain again, it is not nearly as bad, or long-lasting, as it was before. And if you are losing weight too, then any pains (or other symptoms) you may have are never as bad when you weigh less or take up less psace!

You seem to be very self-aware and that is a great advantage in the effort that you are making to get better!

[nicoles]

Well, it has been awhile since I posted in the Journal, and that is because...I fell off the wagon for a couple of days and then got embarrassed.

Anyway, things were stressful but I was dealing, then my sweet kitty who I had for 15 years got really sick and we had to put him to sleep.

He was a great buddy and honestly he had a wonderful, healthful (until the last week) and long life (he was 17!!!) but it just tipped me over the edge for whatever reason and I basically just said "whatever diet" for two and a half days.

What is interesting is that I had within a month become complacent enough to think it would not be that big of a deal. I had forgotten somehow how awful I was just weeks ago!

But I WAS WRONG! I got all the same pains and swelling and overall exhaustion I had months ago, although not quite at the worst level. My ankle psoriasis returned. And as each day goes by that I am back on track, the psoriasis, pain and swelling lessen a little.

So it is nice to know that to a large degree my chronic illness is under my control and affected by my choices, not just utter and uncontrollable randomness. I just wish I hadn't needed to get off track to realize it!

But I am back on the horse, so at least there is that.