Michelle’s Loosing Fibromyalgia and Weight Journal

[lmggallagher]

Yesterday
Weight: ?
Sleep: fair
Fibro: 6
Fatigue: 5
Meditation:1 hour
Egoscue/Exercise: none
MWL/low FODMAPS: MWL 100%
Friends, family and fun: none today

Food
B:banana
L: kitchen sink salad
D:potatoes & broccoli
S: oranges/bananas/cherries

Today:
Weight:255.6 still going down
Resting pulse on waking: 68 good
BP 8 am 144/97 pulse 81
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 6
Other symptoms: left rib almost gone yesterday
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise:
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:will call a friend tonight

Food planned
Food
B:oatmeal/kale/blueberries/flax meal/alm milk/tumeric
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: blueberries/strawberries

I slept pretty well but my Sleep IQ bed hasn't been working for a few days - so no reading. I call in and they reset it if baselining at home doesn't work. I happens about 4 times a year when they futz with the program, grr. anyway, sleep was pretty good. The girl cat has not been sleeping on the bed for the last few nights. I don't think her new flea meds make it thru the month. Though I haven't seen any fleas on her or around I think they may be in the carpet in my bedroom so I have to deep vac today - fibro hates the vacuum cleaning and will flare pretty fast when I am using it.

I took my BP for the first time in eons and as I fears it is in low hypertensive. I am fairly sure it will go down pretty fast though once I am firmly on McD so I won't do anything about it. Still it's frightening to me as my BP has always been really good until now. I plan a small walk this evening and hope that helps too.

I will do a small grocery shop this afternoon and have a McD soup recipe picked out to make tonight. If I tire too fast today and poop out on that I have a cupboard of boxed McD soups that I can augment and would do Roasted Pepper and Tomato - and add quinoa, kale and lentils to it. Pretty tasty

All and all not feeling well but better and the fibro pain is not high. I two weeks of McD this will be behind me. I have seen my pulse rate drop greatly and am happy to see it at 68 upon waking - this is in the good zone for my age. so that is one thing. The other is I dropped more weight from yesterday - looking up

[lmggallagher]

Yesterday
Weight: 255.6 still going down
Sleep: fair
Fibro: 6
Fatigue: 5
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: none
MWL: MWL 100%
Friends, family and fun: none today

Food
B:cereal/blueberries/flaxmeal/alm milk
L: kitchen sink salad
D:McD Roasted Pepper and Tomatoe soup added kale, corn over potato
S: blueberries/banana/grapes

Today:
Weight: 254.2 big drop
Resting pulse on waking: 71above average
BP 8 am
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms: left rib pain almost gone yesterday
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise:
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:

Food planned
Food
B:oatmeal/kale/blueberries/flax meal/alm milk/tumeric
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: blueberries/strawberries

Don't feel well today - I suspect it's the Roasted Pepper soup - very acid and probably not at all FODMAPS. It's the second time it backfired on me so I am fairly certain it's not a backup keeper soup - tastes good though. Headache, stomach ache and higher pain than yesterday. I was surprised to find it has 9 grams of sugar per serving of table sugar - I would expect that in a McD soup?

It's probably also a barometric pressure thing it's foggy here this AM and that will create bad fibro too

Yesterday was a good day got a lot done - needed lots of breaks though - the fibro fatigue was high. this means 15 mins do something 15 mins or more to recover - makes for a long day! -I have been sleeping better since I have gotten seriously McD and the cat Swoozie is sleeping in another room now.

Today is a food closet volunteer day - if I hadn't missed the last 3 for not feeling well I'd call it off today too - really not feeling well at all It's an hour and one-half of passing out mostly canned food not real taxing - easy in my swimming days. But really painful now and the day after I am good for nothing

[lmggallagher]

Yesterday
Weight: 254.2 big drop
Resting pulse on waking: 71above average
BP 8 am
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms: left rib pain almost gone yesterday
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise:
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLW
Friends, family and fun: Food Closet shift

Food
B:cereal/blueberries/flaxmeal/alm milk
L: kitchen sink salad
D:McD Split pea soup added kale, over potato
S: blueberries/banana/grapes

Today:
Weight: 253.2 a 1 lb. big drop
Resting pulse on waking: 69 above average
BP 8 am 148/94 78
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms: left rib pain
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise:
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:

Food planned
Food
B:oatmeal/kale/blueberries/flax meal/alm milk/
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries

Still not feeling great - thought it was getting really off on FODMAPS with food -but a wrinkle arises - the way I feel is exactly the symptoms my food closet manager just recovered from - this could be a virus. We are kind of prone to catching things from our clients- like school teachers and their students. As many of our clients are homeless they pick up lots of things and we get more colds and viruses than many folks. When I am on McD though my immunity is better than the other staff - so another great reason to stick with

I am reading Dr. Greger's book "How Not to Die" I love to see him at Dr. McD Advanced Study Weekends - back when I had some disposable income I paid to stream those - money is tight now so I can buy the occasion book from one of the speakers from those venues. I always keep up with Greger's "NutritionFact.org" videos- amazing info there - but the book is a different deal - it looks at each of our countries killer diseases and tell us how the plant-based-lifestyle is the antidote to - well dying. As I know I currently am hypertensive and likely pre diabetic again - I am on this with rapt attention and eating with complete dedication. I will get a complete blood panel when I go in for my annual mammogram to see how I am progressing - but I have no doubt I am at the lowest health I have ever been right now!.

Part of the reason I am so broke is I am saving for a cruise this fall. it's a big deal for my best friends and I - it's our 50th anniversary! In 1966 we met as freshman- boarding students at an all-girl Catholic High School. If that sounds the least bit posh to you it wasn't - but as an only child it was really new adventure to have something similar to 16 sisters (and some technical Sisters too) all of a sudden. Eight of us have remained very close and we try to vacation together every few years. A couple of these women and their husbands cruise constantly now that they are retired - so they find us the best trips and deals. This will be our second cruise and it will be to the East Coast and Canada this fall.

Getting in shape for the cruise is part of my goal too - so it's get my health back so I can do the excursions I have selected and have fun. I won't be able to make my weight goal this rate and my rate is SUPER GOOD - I just wasn't able to start on time to get that in the bag - but I am doing great and hope to add feeling well to that too

[lmggallagher]

Yesterday
Weight: 253.2
Resting pulse on waking: 67 above average
BP 8 am 148/94 78 Hypertensive level 1
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms: left rib pain
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: none
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:

Food planned
Food
B:oatmeal/kale/blueberries/flax meal/alm milk/
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries


Food
B:oatmeal/blueberries/flaxmeal/alm milk
L: 2 veggie sandwiches from deli McD compliant but not MWL
D:McD minestrone added kale
S: strawbeerries/banana/
Midnight snack - steamed head of broccoli

Today:
Weight: 253.2no change
Resting pulse on waking: 62 excellent
BP 8 am 122/85/79 Pre-hypertensive
Sleep: SIQ not working
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms: left rib pain
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: None
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:

Food planned
Food
B:oatmeal/kale/blueberries/flax meal/alm milk/
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries

Yesterday I felt sick half the day with stomach issues no clue why, but by afternoon that started turning around. Then I felt fine BUT I couldn't sleep last night at all. Plus, I had Restless Leg Syndrome and leg pain until I took a codeine with Tylenol. After that it took about 1/2 hour to fall asleep at about 4:30am. I was up at 8:30am. I feel like crap again today and will accomplish nothing. When I feel like this from lack of sleep it means I don't drive either - I am too foggy to be alert and have good reflexes. My planned day was errands - mostly grocery shopping - so that won't be accomplished. I do have food in the house but I intended to make up some recipes I found in McD cookbooks and so on. So, that's distressing for me to be slapped down by the RLS - which is really rare these days. Before I did the early retirement it was at minimum a bi-monthly occurrence.

But the gods have been good to me today despite this - my blood pressure has dropped down to Pre-hytensive level which is huge to happen so fast! I know Dr. McD has the "student patients" at his resort trainings drop all their meds as during their short stays their BP will drop fast enough to be a problem if they are still on them. But I have never had a BP issue until now. When I went McD solidly in 2012 I did loose my pre-diabetes in matter of weeks and my cholesterol dropped nicely too - but these were results I learned from lab tests. The BP I do at home so the scale and my BP cuff are my friends as I am dropping weight and lowering the BP on a daily basis which I can track myself.

Another high motivation is to be reading the book by Dr. Greger "How Not to Die" - it's wonderful - actually it's a compete page turner and I will be recommending it to friends.

I am having problem with this though - I have two friends that are very willing to test waters to prevent or reverse health issues. I have one or two that have cancer right now and are in treatments or have just finished. Both of these folks are really tied to the fact that their cancer issues are genetic and the only thing they can do is chemo and the therapies their docs recommend. One is 81 and the other 59. Frankly, in both cases it's lifestyle. I won't mess with the 81 YO woman on that I love her dearly but she is opposed to any information unless it comes from her medical team.

My other friend has prostate cancer, he has been through surgery and recently chemo and hormone therapy. While he was off work during the worst of this he constructed a chicken coop in his suburban back yard. he grew up on a cattle ranch and is the guy you call if you are having a BBQ for 100 people. He and his best friend are often the chefs for annual BBQs for a couple of wineries. After reading Greger's chapter on prostate cancer food risks - friend Tom is the poster child for this. New to me is the high risk of eggs in the diet - and Tom and his daughter are now raising 6 layers in his backyard as "what could be healthier than eggs fresh from the hen!".

I have no problem offending Tom with actual science - we both have science degrees - he has to take me somewhat seriously for that. His is in geology, which I remind him is so he can recognize the best rocks to hide under when he is ignoring reality. He is overwhelmingly polite about me badgering him - until he has had enough. As we were once on the verge of considering marriage - I think we both recognize meddling in each others lives could have been so much worse than it is presently - so a grain of salt is allowed.

Today I will write him and tell him the book is on it's way, as last time we corresponded on this issue he said he wasn't closing the door on lifestyle changes. It is bothering me that he has just finished a grueling chemo course and the damn book is called "How Not to Die" that is almost to in your face for me to want to be associated with - but those laying hens and their products could do him in despite all he has done.

It's not just that we both qualify as scientists by education - but we both have had cancer. I know what chemo is like, I know what hormone blockers are like, I get that the Doctors believe they are providing you your best chances for survival - but I also now know all of that quite possibly could have been avoided by me and all the friends and family I have with cancer right now - 6 of them. So, I am a little on edge about folks who don't even consider that their diagnosis might have something to do with their proven risk factors as opposed to "it's genetic there is nothing I can do about it but let it run it's course".

"Men who consume two and a half or more eggs per week -basically an egg every three days - have an 81% risk of dying from prostate cancer". 2011 - Cancer Prevention Research Journal

I am thinking how many three egg omelets friend Tom is eating these days?

[lmggallagher]

Just a short note - no time today. But I did want to make note that I got my blood panel results back and it's abysmal. I am again pre-diabetic and have fatty liver again as well. I may have mentioned this already but for sure I did not mention that it was also discovered that I was on way too low a dose of thyroid medication. That's a substantial issue as symptoms like fatigue etc can be attributable to too little thyroid and not my fibromyalgia - but it sure is hard to figure out which might be which without the blood tests. It's obviously meaningful to weight loss: unlike previous experience with Mcdougall's MWL I just wasn't loosing the kind of numbers I was used to. After three days back on the right level of thyroid meds - it looks much more promising now. I hope that is the case going forward too

Meanwhile I am busy, busy, busy trying to catch up from the months and months of insomnia when I accomplished nothing!

[lmggallagher]

Yesterday
Weight: 252.2
Resting pulse on waking:
BP
Sleep: 40
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms:
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: none
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun: none

Food planned
Food
B:cereal/blueberries/alm milk/flax seed
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries


Food
B:cereal/blueberries/alm milk/flax seed
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries


Today:
Weight: 252.2 down
Resting pulse on waking:69
BP 8 am 138/81/75 Pre-hypertensive but improving
Sleep: 50
Fibro: am 8
Other symptoms: nausea, headache and stomach upset?
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: None
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun:

Food planned
Food
B:cereal/blueberries/alm milk/flax seed
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries

I am slowly doing better but still really exhausted despite the increase in thyroid medication. If I recall it takes a couple weeks to level out. On-the-other-hand I am having increased fibro problems due to FOG SEASON. Fog is another excuse for the barometer to go down or vice versa - and that ramps up my pain and fatigue. It's much cooler here than it had been - a week back it was 101 for a couple of days. That is unheard of heat in this neck of the woods.

I am on the backside of the California coastal range - so fog slips over mornings in summer and cools us off, but for weeks it wasn't showing up. I have one room with AC which was a saving grace but this week it died. It's really hard to find someone who will repair a window unit AC - but I have such an individual coming today. I sure hope it's a simple recharge or repair as a new one is not in the budget - not just the cost of the unit but a carpenter to do the custom window installation. Woe is me.

Though it's been cooler its still up in the high 80s in the afternoon and that could be zapping me too. Then again it might just be carrying around this extra hundred pounds. The weight is coming off and the blood pressure is going down. I imagine everything else is improving too. I will go back in 3 mos for another set of blood panels to see how I am progressing.

My best friends and I live 5 hours apart - she is in great shape - exercises like crazy. Weights and walking at minimum 30 miles a week. She is worried about her very low pulse rate 45 and blood pressure too. So I guess it can go both ways.

Her husband's ills are part of my motivation - he has already had by pass surgery, stents and is now facing some surgery on his carotid artery. He just "forgot" to get his colonoscopy and several other tests - so they aren't really sure all the things that are wrong with him - but for sure diabetes. He does nothing to watch his health. Meanwhile his wife is exercising and eating vegan (abt 95%) and happy to cook for him that way too. Still he slips out of the house early mornings and goes and gets fast food. Go figure!

I am really glad to be back on the straight and narrow I just wish I felt better for doing it - and I really don't!

[lmggallagher]

Aug 3, 2016
Weight: 252.2
Resting pulse on waking:
BP
Sleep: 40
Fibro: am 7
Other symptoms:
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise: none
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun: none

Food planned
Food
B:cereal/blueberries/alm milk/flax seed
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries


Food
B:cereal/blueberries/alm milk/flax seed
L: kitchen sink salad
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries


Today:
Weight: 258.2 down
Resting pulse on waking:69
BP
Sleep:
Fibro: am 5
Other symptoms:
Meditation: 30 mins
Egoscue/Exercise:
MWL/low FODMAPS: MLD
Friends, family and fun: will lunch at Lyfe Kitchen where I can eat vegan

Food planned
Food
B:cereal/strawberries/alm milk/flax seed
L:
D: McD soup day
S: bananas/strawberries

It's been a few weeks been too busy and then was very sick for a week after two weeks of BD celebrating. Lots of family Leo's and even one we imported from Denmark to celebrate with us. Lots of meals with family both in and out. One feast my Cousin and his partner made for us and they went vegan for me so it was fine I managed to stay at least vegetarian for all the eating out we did - about three dinners and one lunch out. Surprisingly now that the thyroid level is normal again and the sleep is better the weight kept coming off! I am thrilled after a very long period where McD wasn't even working for me! Now it is again and I am feeling much better too

More later when I have time - rushing out the door now....

[lmggallagher]

I'm back but can't write much as I have a fractured vertebrae and am typing flat on my back. I am eating really well now though and have lost 25 pounds in the last few months so it's time to keep track and be back

[jamietwo]

Wow. Sorry to hear that. Hope you heal quickly and are back on your feet soon! Nice job on the eating well and weight loss!

[lmggallagher]

Hey Jamie: Thanks for dropping by and for the encouragement!

[lmggallagher]

I'm coming back soon - the broken vertebrae finally healed and I am upright and moving again. Can't do too much physically but trying to get half an hour of walking in and also trying to get back to a solid McDougall Program way of eating. There is a catch though .....

As soon as I could drive I went to my Primary Care physician at Kaiser about a small lump. I thought it was a cat scratch thing ( I feed my Tonkinese cat - Swoozie pills twice a day - sometimes she is not kind with the claws) but I have had breast cancer so to be cautious ...


Now I have a reoccurrence of breast cancer - how fortunate is that - NOT MUCH. So this year on top of the fibro I went through months of insomnia, where I got less than 3 hours of sleep a night, followed by a brief bit of good health (long enough to get in a fast East Coast Cruise with my bestest girlfriends from all the way back in high school) and then a cold, a flu ( a really bad one despite a flu shot) and then the broken vertebrae and now cancer.

In the last two months I have had two surgeries and next week I start chemo for 4 cycles every three weeks. Followed by daily radiation for 6 weeks. Followed by tamoxifen for years.

I have to say Kaiser is stellar if you are going to go through cancer. My first round I had an OK surgeon, but my oncologists were awful - though their nurse was stellar. I got no education and this was before we all had internet access. Anything I knew was from a library book and nothing prepared me for what was to come. Kaiser on the other hand is amazing at education for their patients and the Docs see you, email you and do video face-to-face appointments. My team is huge and there are weekly meetings, in which the surgeons, oncologists and radiologists meet and confer about cases - so it's not just one Doc deciding course of care it's many many of them - coming to a consensus.

So I feel good about the care part - it's my part I'm unsure of - how I will react to all of it. Just physically speaking - I'm never a Debbie Downer sort - but I already have physical issues and then add this - YIKES.

I'll be here when I can because I want to keep track of how I do with eating - another giant challenge because it's McDougall, plus FODMAPs - plus everything will taste like complete shit - Lord Have Mercy - is all I can say

[WeeSpeck]

Hi Michelle,

It is great to see your smiling words back in the forum. You really have a lot on your plate to deal with right now and I am so impressed with your positive attitude towards it all. I look forward to reading your journal again. This lifestyle is the best gift you can give yourself to augment your health as you heal and gain back your strength.

Hope to read more from you soon.

[Anna Green]

Hello. Don't know if this is helpful but whatever you feel like writing, I will read and no judgment ever. Sending healing vibes your way and wishing the best for you.

[lmggallagher]

WeeSpeeck and Ana:

Thank you so much for posting here. It cheers me to have you both here immeasurably. Such good people here!!!

I've been doing well with the food until today - but the slip today is minor. A veggie hummus deli sandwich. The hummus has oil and the bread is not vegan, but it's been a day and then some.

In the continuing vein of the "woe is me stories" - since I last posted I did my Chemo Class at Kaiser. Pretty informative but they are talking generalities - not the specifics for your tailored chemo cocktail. After the class the nurse who taught it lingered as she was aware it was my second go around. She asked me what I'd be getting and kind of winced when I told her. This follows an email from my Primary Care Doc saying "that's a really intense" therapy. I keep getting these sorta hints.

So, getting home I read all of their class material - to help prepare. Good advice about what to watch out for and how to handle whatever comes up. Then I read the Taxotere (the drug) information I found online. My oncologist would have given me this info but it was her early estimate that I would have surgery, Tamoxifin (oral hormonal treatment) and radiation. She actually stated that chemo has not been substantially effective on my type of cancer. Then she took my case to the "Tumor Board" in which all the oncologists meet to discuss tricky cases and come to a consensus. They convinced her that she should recommend chemo. She did - but via phone call so I never got the drug handouts. Now I'm having serious rethinking - the side effects can be devastating. I'm not talking about the permanent hair loss - but the bone pain plus neuropathy - which don't seem to go away in many patients. There is lots more and worse, but I do not wish to dwell.

Weirdly, this weekend one of the crowns I just had replaced acted up and became a dental emergency. You can't have dental work and do chemo at the same time. So I contacted my oncologist with the prospect that getting this work done would take weeks and I would have to postpone chemo - she said fine we will start the tamoxifen then. The dentist came up with an interim solve but that too will take a couple weeks to ascertain if it's working - if not then yikes root canal. The idea of a root canal and chemo is for me a "JUST KILL ME NOW" kind of thing. I'm laughing here but seriously - like just pile on - surely I don't have enough going on!!!

Anyway, I get a reprise for a bit to allow me to ponder more. I will also meet again with the oncologist for a serious talk - like none of the previous ones have been Part of me is saying tamoxifen and radiation is enough along with what I know from, Campbell, Cornish and McDougall (not to mention a host of others) that this WOE is good a reversing cancer. It's hard to tell if I had followed the WOE to the tee if I'd be doing this. I could have been harboring this cancer since I was treated in 1991. Nothing can be known on that - but I am seriously thinking that my oncologist's first discussion of a treatment plan is still under my consideration.

[Anna Green]

Maybe you could get a consult by a doc by a PCRM doc...or someone they recommend? Or talk to True North? I won't keep suggesting stuff I promise. I just always thought if I showed up with cancer I'd talk to True North and perhaps do a long fast. But I know nothing really.

Anyway, It was quite a day..I see that. Be gentle with yourself.