Jubilee's Journey

[ron_dem]

Sounds like you are doing well, Jubilee. I just picked up a sore throat this week which pretty well insults me as I seldom get sick. I comfort myself by saying, that I would be a lot worse if I was on a SAD diet with things like diary clogging up the air ways. Keep up the good work.

[Jubilee]

These have been a rough 2 weeks. Kind of "when it rains it pours" sort of days. Everything is temporary, and we'll get through it, but it's still not easy.

Found out yesterday that my older daughter has a broken elbow. And it's bad enough to need surgery. Sigh. It happened a week ago (when her dad was in the hosp. having a kidney stent installed, so she didn't want to bother us). I finally got suspicious when I realized how much she was guarding the arm, and asked to see it. One look at all the colorful bruising and swelling was enough to tell me it was broken and not just dislocated like she had first thought/hoped. She's been using the arm all week at work and still plans to play a piano quartet in church tomorrow. She sees the surgeon on Tue. Amazingly, she says it really doesn't hurt all that much now (unless she moves it very far). Guess that's a blessing. The chiro who did the x-rays for us was shocked that she's been using it. A knob-shaped piece of the elbow (I'm sure it has a more technical name is broken off, and migrated to the front of her arm in the elbow bend.

So both she, AND my dh are going to be having surgery soon! We've never had a whole pile of health things hit us at once like this.

I'm still coughing, but finally starting to come around. I might have gotten well sooner if I could have stayed home, but these other family issues came up. I don't know whether to call what I had a cold, or the flu. Either way, I'll be glad when it's all completely gone. Not eating much, so I'm losing weight, but I expect it'll come back when I start eating again. Still, it's nice to have some kind of silver lining to this, even if temporary.

My dh who caught this first, presumably from his visit to the ER for his kidney stone, is nearly over it. My other daughter is also still coughing, but feeling better too. I caught it last, so at least I know how long it'll take to shake it. Not much longer now. And yes, Ron_Dem, it is definitely insulting to get as sick as everyone else when I'm the only one eating healthy!

I do have a great, encouraging story from my own appt. to follow-up on my kidney issues from last year, but I'll post that another time.

Just wanted to check in.

Food today:
No breakfast
Grapenuts cereal with rice milk and raisins for lunch
Frozen cherries
McD soup cup- black bean chili made with only 1/2 the seasoning packet (way too much sodium for me). It was hard to finish the whole cup, but I made myself just because I thought I needed to have more than just a bowl of cereal and some fruit for the day.

There are 4 adults in our household, and yet no one feels well enough to cook so everyone is sort of grazing as needed. We haven't had a family meal together in nearly a week. Thankfully, I had just done a major grocery shop before everything happened so we had plenty of food in the house to start with including many healthy choices for those who want them.


Blessings to each of you,
Jubilee

[Dechen]

Jubilee, it sounds like you and yours have had a rough time. I wish you all well. But that which does not kill us only makes us stronger ... even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. lol My inner teenager still complains, " But I don't wanna be strong. I am ok as I am. It isn't fair!!! ".
((HUGS)) across the big pond from the UK. Get well better soon.

[Jubilee]

Thank you for the long-distance hug and well wishes, Dechen. I appreciate that.

Finally starting to feel better today. Not coughing much. Still feel like there might be a slight fever, but it's about over.

I actually lost 4.5 pounds in the past week. No exercise, very little to eat, and a fever that lasts for several days will do that, I guess. I expect that as I start eating normally again, some of that will reappear as my digestive tract fills back up. AND I do still expect to keep off some of the loss.

I mentioned that I had a good appt. last week. I had my follow-up on my kidney surgery. I'd been dreading it because I thought they'd push the meds again, which I'd refused last year. Not to mention that I was sitting there with a fever, and feeling like something the cat dragged in anyhow. I just wanted to get it over with and get back home to my bed.

First they determined that I have no obvious signs of new growth on the x-ray. I'm so thankful to hear that. Good start.

Then I met with a Resident (Univ. Hosp.), who wanted me to participate in his research study on kidney stone formers. Nice kid. So, why am I wanted in the study?? Get this! It's, because I refused to take the hbp meds that would possibly help prevent these stones. I don't even have hbp, so it made no sense to me. Anyhow, this guy's study involves people who prefer "natural management of their stone forming tendencies". In short, people who refuse meds!!! I couldn't believe it. He's do a 3-month study on the effects of pomagranite supplements on those people who are using no meds. I readily agreed to participate. I'm all for helping someone who wants to find a more natural way to deal with things. (I know pom caps aren't natural, but it's a huge improvement over whatever drug they had in mind last year and God bless this resident for even trying.)

Then, he gave me the usual suggestions for preventing stones. Drink more water, reduce sodium, and (I didn't see this coming!), CUT DOWN ON ANIMAL PRODUCTS! I was shocked and thrilled. None of the experts mentioned that little nugget last year during my surgery and many appts. where I was specifically asking what I could do. He even said that reducing oxalates wasn't as important as reducing animal products. So, then I told him I'd become vegan, which I wasn't planning to mention. It was his turn to be shocked. He actually said that this is great, and it's the best thing I could possibly be doing, and I'm way ahead of 99% of most people who are using "natural management". WOOO HOOOO!! Made my day!!

In fact, he was going to base my pomegranate results on data that they had on my file about my various urine and blood levels. Because I've changed my diet so much, they are re-doing those tests before I start taking the pom so they have a new baseline. And it'll be free to me! So, I get to find out how much difference eating this way has made to my levels, all for free, and help this guy with his study on natural managements all at the same time!! And, all thanks to knowing about this woe!

So, many thanks to Dr. McDougall, and to the Lord who helped me to find out about this way of regaining my health.

I'll let you know the test results when they are available, but I can't wait!

Blessings,
Jubilee

[merriweather]

Ju, that is so great that you are helping , and being helped in return. So great to think of a young Dr. who is willing to look at alternate answers.

[Jubilee]

Yes, Merri, it IS great! Like I said, I can't wait for the results, and I'm really impressed by the resident. Hope he finds that his natural remedy is a winner.

Ok, I'm feeling a *lot* better this evening. Ate 3 normal sized meals today, and had enough energy to get some work done around the house. Tomorrow I'll be back to my usual work. Things are looking up.

Food today:
bk- green smoothie
lunch- baked potato with chili sauce
dinner- lentil and veggie soup

I need to get back to my goal of eating at least 1 salad a day, and exercising. I'm really not a salad person, unless someone else makes it, or it's covered with ranch dressing, but I'm working on changing that. I didn't even try for the past 2 weeks to exercise. And, no more sick food. By that I mean, things I ate while sick just out of convenience. For instance, I almost never eat cereal, and especially with raisins, but it was all that sounded good while I had the flu, so I ate it almost daily. It was so nice to have the energy/desire to make my old friend, the green smoothie, for breakfast today. I could tell my stomach has shrunk the past few days, as my usual smoothie was almost too much, and I felt overfilled after finishing it. Even 1 baked potato was a lot to finish.

Sleep well everyone!
Jubilee

[Jubilee]

Spent the entire day yesterday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. driving my daughter around to appointments, and the ER for her broken elbow. She having surgery tomorrow first thing in the morning.

I also had to have blood drawn myself, so started the day fasting, and then with my dds appts. taking forever, didn't really get to eat until afternoon. Yesterday I ate a hummus sandwich at the hosp. cafeteria at 1:00, and some snacky junk in the afternoon- choc. chip cookie, candy.

When I got home I ate a baked potato and salad for a late dinner, and used my treadmill. I was trying to get some healthy steps in for myself even though it was late. I shouldn't have eaten the candy. Lesson learned- when I haven't eaten much all day, and it's a stressful situation, stay away from the places that are full of "treats".

Tomorrow I leave the house at 4:30 a.m., so I doubt meals will be any easier then, but I'll at least stay away from the afternoon junk this time!

Blessings,
Jubilee

[carollynne]

Hey Jubilee, you have had a lot on your plate lately with all the medical events in your life too. Great that you have been on the plan and now a your resident it saying that the vegan plan is the best thing for preventing kidney stones too? wow, things are really looking up then in the world. Please let us all know about your numbers ok? I love success stories with all the details, it gives me something to do besides eat in the pm!! Ho Hugs to her Also DD is going to be ok after her surgery...

[Jubilee]

Thanks Carolynn. I appreciate the encouragement.

I'm looking forward to those numbers, but they said it'd take around a week to hear back. I'll post. Hope they are GREAT!!

Blessings,
Jubilee

[Jubilee]

Yesterday's surgery went fine. Stressful day, but we're all glad it's behind us. They did let us go home even though dd was supposed to be inpatient. She's self-pay, so that was important to us, and thankfully the Lord worked it out.

Another little blessing came when the anesthesiologist came in to start her IV and meds. My dd is a midwife at the same hosp., and the anes. recognized her as the one who'd delivered his baby a month before. So, he was extra kind and cheerful with her, which was a blessing. He was also careful to give her the meds she needed to prevent the dry heaves when coming out of sedation, which has been a problem for her in the past. She was so worried about missing work, expenses, etc., that her bp was sky high even before surg. even though she's normally low. Little blessings like that man's helpfulness made it much better.

My eating disaster- last evening, after spending the day in the hospital doing so well, I came home and ate a totally non-McD meal. I don't know why I did well during the most stressful part, and then when it was behind us, I fell. It wasn't even healthy by SAD standards. I'm not sure what possessed me to do that, and I'm feeling totally guilty now. It was high fat, high sodium, high sugar, everything! And to boot, within about 30 mins. my stomach was in such pain that I could hardly stand it. Groan. Well, at least that little immediate feedback will keep me from eating the same foods today even though they are still in the house. And of course, this disaster showed up on the scale this morning too.

So, I'm off to teach my students, and then try to salvage what I can of my health efforts for the week. Thank the Lord that success is not dependant upon one meal, or one day, but the long day after day patterns.

Blessings,
Jubilee

[Jubilee]

Well, one evening has turned into a 48 hour bender. I've been having trouble eating healthy and am now fully craving sweets, and higher fat foods as well. I even baked cookies yesterday. I don't know why, really. I guess partly, I've been relieved to have my dds surgery behind us, and am kind of emotionally "letting go", which translates into letting go of self-control with eating, mostly.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I plan to get back on the self-control track in honor of the Lord's day.

There is just no such thing as a "little" treat with me. It's on track, or off the deep end. And I'm ashamed to say, I've been swimming in the deep end these past 2 days.

Jubilee

[Dechen]

Jubilee, don't beat yourself up. A little treat has turned into a fortnight for me and like you today I really will get back on track, back on the wagon. We just had a slip up. We have not failed completely. Failing completely would mean we won't even get up, dust ourself off and carry on. Like you I can't seem to manage li'l treats. So I have learned that it just is not possible for me.
I am Dechen and I am a Treat-aholic. Today ia my first day without a treat!
You go and get what you want most; health and happiness. We can make it happen!

[Jubilee]

Thank you Dechen, for the kind words of encouragement. I really appreciate that. It's good to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. Well said about failing- it's not eating off plan, it's totally giving up. And I certainly haven't done that!

My big head cold came back with a vengeance, and I gave up and started taking antibiotics this time around. Still not feeling well, but I know it's temporary. Hardest part is getting a good nights sleep with all the coughing keeping me awake. I'm just so frustrated to be having this when I'm eating healthy and everyone around me is well, and living on SAD foods. I still know it's the right thing to do.

My unhealthy eating lasted several days, but today was fine, so I hope that I'm back on track now. My weight is down some more, so that is a blessing.

Spring temps are starting to arrive, so hopefully I'll feel well enough to get outside and enjoy it tomorrow.

Blessings,
Jubilee

[Jubilee]

Today's food:

Bk- Green smoothie
Ln- salad w/ ff dressing
black beans and rice with salsa
pineapple chunks
Dn- baked potatoes with green chili sauce

I might eat another potato this evening. Or a grapefruit.


I'm proud of myself for my eating today, because I had to make dinner for my family (pot roast with gravy, potatoes, vegs, and a cake), and I didn't eat even a taste of any of it. I deliberately made a cake that didn't sound good to me since I have a real struggle with sweets.

Jubilee

[RAS]

Hi Jubilee,I too swim in the deep end many many times.Can't do a taste 'causes me to lose it big time. Your menu sounds good. Am re-starting tomorrow,Sat.begining of days rotation,is easier to start then the night rotation.Also family birthdays are over for the year!4 since the 9th.of March. How is your daughters arm? Is she able to work? Bye. RAS