Diet not Dieting

I think it was about this time last year that I started reading about Nourishing Traditions; I read the book late last spring and have tried a few recipes. But my great traditional diet plan fell through, partly do to my love of boxed cereal and all things baked. And in the time since last year I have gained a bit of weight, part do to diet, part to to Fibro treatments/medications and part to an over worked under producing thyriod. Well the medical issues are more under control so now it's time to focus on the food.

I've decided, thanks to a few blogs I'm reading, to reread NT and see if I implament any of it in my diet. I have read that there is a new cook book out that uses the NT principles and I plan to put it on the to read list as well.

There will also be some regular posts here about it.

Also I owe you all some photos, I forgot my camera last weekend, but will bring it this coming weekend so you can all see my secret new job.

The 'Sick' Word

On my last post I had a comment that really made me stop and think about how I approach some things...

Hello. I notice that you head your blog "a sick girl" and I wonder if therein lies a good deal of your problems.
I too have many health issues (not only fibromyalgia but other truly debilitating problems) and I don't label myself as 'sick'. Yes I have many problems and life gets hard but they are bodily problems -my mind is healthy. I remain optimistic and have a hopeful and thankful outlook on life. Thankful because however bad I am feeling these are not terminal illnesses - you only need to be in the company of someone worse off than yourself to have your own problems put into perspective.
One thing I would do is change your header - saying you are a sick girl immediately show you to be someone who is dwelling on their illness, even to the extent that you are revelling in it. Sure, life is hard when you have problems but you should look at the bigger picture - you don't have a terminal illness, you get by with less pain than some people have to endure. Try not to be so inward looking and enjoying being sick and I can assure you that people will begin to treat you differently - as a whole person, not someone who classes themselves as 'sick'.
It is easy to fall into the trap of being a 'sick' person, almost to the extent of wallowing in your 'sick' state. I hope this advice will help you and perhaps you could leave a comment in this section about your reaction to these comments.
M-

M-,
Thank you for your comment, I have actually spent much of the weekend mulling it over. I totally understand how you might interpret the word "sick". I try to live a life thankful for what I have, and I don't need to be around someone sicker than myself to realize how worse it could be. But being still a few years away from 30, sick for more than half my life and having a down-turn in health makes a person wholey aware of their health issues. These health issuess and those of both the earth and those on the earth helped spawn the idea of starting this blog. I understand that my focus in writing has not fully come together; but the header is a testament to my daily life. I am sick, I work towards health every day, some days I get there and some days I don't, but regardless I get up the next day (with my bones creaking like an old house) and try all over agian.

I am not reveling in being sick, I am owning something that is part of my life. The people who know me well, my friends and family, don't treat me any less or any different. Except some of my burlier male friends hug me a little gentler than they do my husband, and my friends understand when I have to cancel because I have another infection or have muscle cramps in my legs and can't walk.

Notice that the words "healthy" and "green" also apear in the header. This blog is a daily journey and the reason maybe because of sickness, but the journey is about health. Healthy of the body, the mind, the spirit and the planet.

Introspective Medical Post

Many Anniversaries are happy, some are sad but filled with warm memories; tomorrows is neither. Ten years ago, tomorrow, I got the diagnoses of Fibromyalgia. It was wonderful to know what had been making me so sick for years; but it was disheartening to find that there wasn't a "cure" or a lot of information on symptom management, especially for a Juvenile patient. But I got a good doctor and created a management plan that worked.

But some how, over the coarse of ten years I have gradually gotten worse. For a NON-degenerative disease (syndrome technically), this is not a good thing. I am resentful that I can't manage my health now; I know some of it is my inability, but I know some of it is just my body working against me.

And now nearly ten years to the day I am diagnosed with an additional issue. I was to the endocrinologist today. My Thyroid is still unhappy. I officially have hypothyroidism and have meds for it. Yay, one more pill to take for the rest of my life. He thinks the nodule is because my thyroid is working double time to produce hormones. This is a common and controllable illness; but is yet another item on my almost comical list of medical issues.

Sometimes I think God placed my brain ans spirit in the wrong body.

Once again the year goes out with me wishing and hoping that the next year will bring more good health then then one that has passed.

I hope you are all well.

Do

I'm having one of those days where my pain levels are high and my energy levels are low; it causes the smallest tasks to seem daunting. I feel overwhelmed and frustrated. My poor husband, R., is having a very similar sort of day; but he has the added stress of being at work. I just want to go back to bed. But Life needs to be met and dealt with. And all one can do is pray and meditate, then gather their self up and do.

Chronic Illness and the Web

It is no secret that I have chronic health issues and that sometimes it gets the better of me, or at the very least my time. So to break my rut of not posting for fear of complaining too much I would like to share some of my favorite websites for dealing with Chronic Illness.

This site has some great info on integrative and alternative therapies; many people like non-drug options, or just need to help improve there overall wellness and quality of life.
http://www.amfoundation.org/

This is a fun website with articles for the young and spunky who happen to be sick.
http://www.chronicbabe.com/

A great anecdote and lesson to learn by, 'don't use up all your spoons'
http://butyoudontlooksick.com/

This site has some good general health and illness info.
http://www.healthcentral.com/

And because a Lady needs pretty things in her life.
http://www.forgettingthepill.com/
http://www.n-styleid.com/
http://www.fiddledeeids.com/index.php

If any of you have sites you or your friends like, please share.
Enjoy!
~Kate

Please Excuse this Interruption...

of you regularly scheduled programing. I have day 2 photos and will post them with todays in a double duty WIFD post.

But at the moment I wanted to share with You, dear reader, a little bit of what is going on behind the blog. As many of you know I have had long term chronic health issues. Well in the past weeks these issues are getting worse. Extreme pain and muscle weakness are the main complaints. But I have exhaustion, and my mental clarity and fine motor skills are also effected. My husband and I are in a position that calls for me to work 30+ hours per week, out of the home. This causes complications because I have a 45 min. commute and don't get home until nearly 8pm. By the end of my work day I have done nothing for my home or my husband.

It deeply bothers me that Ro has to do the work of both the Husband and the Wife. And not just for a short time, while I recuperate from the flue or a fall. Oh no... when I have a “flair-up” I get a ton of new or revisiting symptoms and when my flair up is over some of them stay. This leaves me sicker than when I started.

I believe I have a place in this world, and that my illness may seem like road block it really isn't. But right now this road block is keeping me from going anywhere. And I'm running out of gas!

Summer Reading List

It's spring and for me that means it's time to make my summer reading list. Being in the world of Academia for so long means that Fall through Spring was usually filled with required readings, and research readings. So, Summer has always been my fun readings time.


The first book up, which I am actually reading right now is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I have heard great things about it from some lovely Lady Bloggers and my N.D. lives by some of its principles.

Next up will be You the Owners Manual, by Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz . I'm sure some of it will conflict with NT, but it's been awhile since I took an Anatomy class and it may be interesting.

I also really want to read The Four Fold Path to Healing, by Thomas Cowan. It's from the same publishers as NT and I think it may be filled with info that is truly helpful to me.

If you can't tell yet, there is a theme to all of this reading. It's all about my health. I've been sicker than usual lately and I know there is a connection to my diet and lifestyle. I don't think it's 100% do to how I live, but I know that at the very least there is room for improvement. And at the very least what I do may not be making me sicker, but it not making me healthier either.

I'm hoping that by June I will have gotten through my reading and have implemented some changes for the better. Then I'll get to update the Summer Reading List with some light readings.

Do you Ladies have any good suggestions or recommended reading, for me; what are you currently reading or planning on reading? I'd love to know. :)