On April 12, I had an endoscopy. I am pleased to report that the gastroenterologist said that my stomach is free of ulcers!!! Somewhere along the line, with all the natural remedies I tried, I must have done something that WORKED!!! I really believe it was the Cayenne Pepper as that is what I stuck with the longest out of everything that I took. Because of the Cayenne Pepper I was able to eat like normal, which made a HUGE difference. The gastroenterologist did say that I have some inflammation in my stomach lining due to gastritis and that my stomach is producing a lot of stomach acid, for which he gave me medication (which I will only take upon pain of death, haha :) ). I haven't been taking the medication (of course, I would only take it if it was ABSOLUTELY necessary). I think my problem stems from not eating enough, and that stems from my wheat intolerance that I only discovered within the past few months. Not being able to eat wheat is REALLY LAME. Wheat is EVERYWHERE! It is sooo hard to avoid, but I have to, for my overall health. Aside from making me break out, I get ridiculous stomach cramps (like 8 on a pain scale of 1-10) from it and it's never predictable when they will happen. But it's good to know that my peptic ulcers are healed and that if I feel pain it's NOT because there are holes in the lining of the stomach. Gastritis is annoying but it could always be worse and I'm thankful it's not! :D
Showing posts with label sickle cell anemia experiences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sickle cell anemia experiences. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Sickle Cell Crises
I'm having a SC crisis. It's a new and improved version on it because of the changes I've made to my diet, and it takes me longer to recognize what is actually happening to my body. Sometimes, I just think of it as pain. Normal pain. Which is something I'd almost never experienced before my dietary changes. It's been 3 years and my life has had a complete turn around. Okay, so details. The weather on the east coast (anyone else from NYC out there reading this blog? Shout out!) has been quite funny, as it varies from being warm/hot to chilly/windy/cold in the same day. I CANNOT handle these strange weather patterns and quick changes in temperature that all happen within the same day. My body does not like extreme weather. On Tuesday (it was hot) I went shopping with a friend, and we went to two locations, a shopping center and a mall. The sun was hot in the car and the mall was cool/cold. After we'd finished at the mall, the weather had cooled down and was getting cooler towards the evening. I went out twice more after she dropped me off home, and the second time I went out, I had to wear a jacket (note all the temperature changes in one day!). The next day, I spent most of the day on Tylenol Extra Strength in bed because my body was in crisis mode. By the end of the day, I was feeling mostly better (well enough to have dinner with a friend ;) ). Today, the weather was nice. It was warm for the majority of the day and again I went out with a friend. This entailed hopping on public transportation, which blasts the AC, heading back outdoors, heading indoors where it was cold, back outdoors where it was warm, repeat, repeat, repeat... In other words, it was a recipe for disaster! Aka another SC crisis. Such is life with SC. Temperature changes such as these are the bane of my existence. The sun literally burns my arms (my most susceptible to the cold body part... they're so skinny!) when I'm in it for too long and it hurts. Even in the summertime I have to carry 1 to 2 extra layers with me, either to cover myself from the sun or to keep myself warm when facing ridiculous AC subzero temperatures. It's a difficult season to deal with. I used to think that summer was the best season because it was warm all around and I didn't have to worry about winter making my bones ache. But summer hurts just the same as winter. The main difference is that in winter I can wrap myself up more and adequately prepare for the killer cold. In the summer, it's a double-edged sword. I get hot easily AND I get cold easily. Not only do I need to dress for the heat, but I have to consider the cold as well. My body can't handle it very well either. I'm doing everything I can and yet SC still is attempting to kick my butt and keep me down. But we are warriors, aren't we? The pain doesn't keep us down for very long and as soon as we can get up we can, don't we? It's not all roses, in fact, there are quite a few thorns along the way. This is the reality of life with SC, and I am keenly aware of the fact that there are many, many others out there whose symptoms are much worse than mine, who deal with more pain than I do, often on a daily basis. I write for them as well as myself. I write because I have a new hope and I want to share that with others as much as possible, that others too might now that there are life changes that can be made to help their health. It's not easy for sure, but it's life, and life, by definition, is not easy.
Doing More Harm Than Good? Royal Jelly Update
There have been points along my journey where I've had to stop and take inventory and wonder if the new thing that I've added to my diet hasn't been doing more harm than good. Currently, the thing that I'm wondering about is the Royal Jelly. It's a super-food and has many beneficial properties... however, it doesn't seem to be benefiting me as much as I thought and hoped it would. As I wrote in my original post about Royal Jelly, I was hoping that it would be a cure for my ulcers. However, during the first week I took the Royal Jelly, I started experience stomach pain again! My sister said that I should continue taking it for at least another week to notice its effects. However, we ran out and I was a bit reluctant to continue taking it, as I wasn't sure what the side effects were.
After my body began having all these strange pains and I began to feel those asthma symptoms again, I began to wonder if whether or not I would be better off without taking the Royal Jelly. I took it for a few days more and then I discontinued its use entirely. Having taken it out of my diet, my overall health began to return to its new normal. So, it was a failure of an experience for me. I think that the ginseng also contributed to the symptoms I was feeling, however, I was still getting those symptoms on the regular Royal Jelly. The point is, I tried. Maybe I should have done more research before trying. I'm just thankful that the outcome wasn't worse and that I was able to put 2 and 2 together quickly enough about what the Royal Jelly was doing to my health. I no longer take it, but I think that it may actually have benefited my stomach to some extent, because it is now the end of May, and I no longer feel like my stomach is as much of an issue as it was. Also, I no longer take Cayenne Pepper daily for my stomach, only as needed. So something along the way, or multiple things along the way, have helped! My stomach still gives me the occasional pains, but I can live with it!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8835130
So I took the Royal Jelly for about one week, beginning on March 20th. And let me just say, I started by taking like 2 TABLESPOONS of the stuff at a time. I really really wanted my ulcers to heal. I was getting some weird types of reactions from my body, like with my stomach hurting and also I felt like my asthma symptoms were starting to increase. Adding Magnesium to my diet (which I did around January or maybe the end of December) has greatly helped reduce my asthma symptoms as well as my monthly cramps, to the point where I rarely ever use my inhaler anymore. Before January/December, I was using my inhaler quite often, and taking lots of pain killers each month for my cramps. After adding the magnesium, I noticed that my need for the inhaler decreased overall, as well as my monthly cramps. Jump to the end of March, and I started to feel again that I was having some difficulty with breathing at times (but not enough to necessitate the use of my inhaler again. That stuff has side effects too, it's a steroid! I only use it when necessary.). This need would arise especially when I was coming up out of the subway after taking a lot of stairs and when trying to run to catch my breath. I thought it was strange, but it took a while for me to connect this problem with my intake of the Royal Jelly. I stopped taking the Royal Jelly around March 27th, partially because I was wary of it, and partially because we were running out of it quickly because I was gobbling it down. On April 2nd, we received the second shipment of Royal Jelly that my sister ordered. This time, what was ordered was the regular Royal Jelly as well as one that had a mixture of ginseng in it. I resumed taking it that same day, and again I started to feel those asthma symptoms as well as tummy trouble. I had looked at many different websites talking about the side effects/benefits of Royal Jelly in the interim period of not taking it, and also continued my research after I resumed taking it. Some of my sources are below. One of the best pieces of advice I found on a website about Royal Jelly was that I should have introduced it to my diet slowly, and increased the dosage from there to avoid any side effects of it. After reading that, I decreased my dosage to about 1 TEASPOON at a time. On April 2nd, I had started with about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons, but afterwards I decreased it. I began to notice that soon after taking the Royal Jelly I would feel like I had to go potty (diarrhea :( ), so of course I did more research about it. One article I came across said that Royal Jelly could send your body into "crisis mode" as it begins clearing out your body, with this crisis mode including the need to go potty. So I started thinking that maybe that's what it was. However, I was also beginning to get chest pain again in my sternum, which was also a big problem for me before I began taking the magnesium. On Sunday night into Monday, my body was feeling kind of strange, but I also have to add here that I have not been eating very well lately, and that has been negatively affecting my health as well.
After my body began having all these strange pains and I began to feel those asthma symptoms again, I began to wonder if whether or not I would be better off without taking the Royal Jelly. I took it for a few days more and then I discontinued its use entirely. Having taken it out of my diet, my overall health began to return to its new normal. So, it was a failure of an experience for me. I think that the ginseng also contributed to the symptoms I was feeling, however, I was still getting those symptoms on the regular Royal Jelly. The point is, I tried. Maybe I should have done more research before trying. I'm just thankful that the outcome wasn't worse and that I was able to put 2 and 2 together quickly enough about what the Royal Jelly was doing to my health. I no longer take it, but I think that it may actually have benefited my stomach to some extent, because it is now the end of May, and I no longer feel like my stomach is as much of an issue as it was. Also, I no longer take Cayenne Pepper daily for my stomach, only as needed. So something along the way, or multiple things along the way, have helped! My stomach still gives me the occasional pains, but I can live with it!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Here is a delicious and healthy recipe for Sweet Potato Soup that is incredibly easy to make. I had the idea to throw this together when I began to get tired of eating boiled and baked sweet potatoes. At the time I first made this, I was also starting to get pain in my eyes again, which first started to happen around the time I was 14, due to the blood vessels in my eyes being obstructed from misshapen cells. Since then I've had treatments on my eyes and they usually don't bother me anymore, but I haven't had any treatments in a while, over a year I think, hence the pain. Sweet potatoes and carrots are a great source of Vitamin A, so they make up the basis of this soup. It comes out pretty tasty, I hope you'll enjoy it! Also, please forgive me, because when I make up recipes, I never use a measuring cup or anything like that, so I'm going off of imprecise measurements for some of these things, but I'm guessing as best as I can. Hope you enjoy and benefit from this recipe!
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
4 Sweet Potatoes*
5 medium sized Carrots
1 very large Onion
Salt (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)**
Water (about 8 cups, possibly more/less, depending on the consistency you want your soup. I actually measured for you guys! :)***
1. Bring the water to a boil. While the water boils, peel the carrots, sweet potatoes, and onion. Cut the onion in half or in quarters. Add the carrots, onion, sweet potatoes, and salt to the water.
2. Allow the vegetables to boil, bringing the fire down to a simmer and covering the pot with a lid while the vegetables cook. Test the vegetables with a fork to see how soft they become in the water. Once a fork can go straight through the sweet potatoes and carrots, turn off the fire and allow the vegetables to cool. Do NOT throw out that veggie water, it's got tons of vitamins in it from the vegetables and you don't want those vitamins going away!
3. Blend the vegetables using the water that they were boiled in. I usually put in one sweet potato to my Nutribullet at a time, along with the boiled water. Once everything has been blended, you're good to go! Serve yourself a nice warm bowl, or have it chilled, whatever makes you happy. Enjoy the soup and the fact that you're having yourself a healthy thiocyanate and Vitamin A filled meal! Bon appetit!
The last time I made this recipe, which was last Sunday, I added an extra onion and brown sugar, and it was even more delicious than the other times I've made it. But the recipe tastes just fine this way too. Experiment and see what works for you! I'd love any comments from anyone who tries or wants to try this out! :)
Also, I wanted to add that I've been taking a Vitamin A pill daily to help with the eye pain, and making sure to drink more water, which have both helped, thank God :)
* I tried making it with only 3 large sweet potatoes and it came out too thin, sorry for the changes!
** I'm still not sure how much salt I used when it tasted best, but just put less salt if you think it'll be too salty. You can always add more later if you so choose :)
*** About 8 cups of water should do the trick, I made it last night and measured the water and it came out to 8 cups.
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
4 Sweet Potatoes*
5 medium sized Carrots
1 very large Onion
Salt (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)**
Water (about 8 cups, possibly more/less, depending on the consistency you want your soup. I actually measured for you guys! :)***
1. Bring the water to a boil. While the water boils, peel the carrots, sweet potatoes, and onion. Cut the onion in half or in quarters. Add the carrots, onion, sweet potatoes, and salt to the water.
2. Allow the vegetables to boil, bringing the fire down to a simmer and covering the pot with a lid while the vegetables cook. Test the vegetables with a fork to see how soft they become in the water. Once a fork can go straight through the sweet potatoes and carrots, turn off the fire and allow the vegetables to cool. Do NOT throw out that veggie water, it's got tons of vitamins in it from the vegetables and you don't want those vitamins going away!
3. Blend the vegetables using the water that they were boiled in. I usually put in one sweet potato to my Nutribullet at a time, along with the boiled water. Once everything has been blended, you're good to go! Serve yourself a nice warm bowl, or have it chilled, whatever makes you happy. Enjoy the soup and the fact that you're having yourself a healthy thiocyanate and Vitamin A filled meal! Bon appetit!
The last time I made this recipe, which was last Sunday, I added an extra onion and brown sugar, and it was even more delicious than the other times I've made it. But the recipe tastes just fine this way too. Experiment and see what works for you! I'd love any comments from anyone who tries or wants to try this out! :)
Also, I wanted to add that I've been taking a Vitamin A pill daily to help with the eye pain, and making sure to drink more water, which have both helped, thank God :)
* I tried making it with only 3 large sweet potatoes and it came out too thin, sorry for the changes!
** I'm still not sure how much salt I used when it tasted best, but just put less salt if you think it'll be too salty. You can always add more later if you so choose :)
*** About 8 cups of water should do the trick, I made it last night and measured the water and it came out to 8 cups.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Feelings on Having Sickle Cell Anemia
Having Sickle Cell Anemia can be pretty scary. The disease is entirely unpredictable. One never knows when a pain crisis will strike and just how severe it may be. My health has drastically improved in the past year and a half, since I changed my diet and began focusing on eating more fruits and vegetables, and consuming a lot of foods that are high in Thiocyanate, such as plantains, cabbage, yuca, etc. More recently, as of August, I added Moringa to my diet, which I researched online and found that it helps with reducing sickling. Combined, all of the things I do have greatly helped to improve my quality of life.
However, another complication that I can't do anything about is the cold weather, which increases the pain. I'm currently at a point where I rarely have to take painkillers, which is a miracle, in and of itself. One thing that I always have to keep in mind is that my routine is not a cure, nor is it a one time thing. If I don't stick to my routine, if I don't stay dedicated to being healthy, I start to once more feel the effects of the disease. My new motto is, "No health, no life." My health is something that I know always put first, and it's something that I think about constantly. I'm always thinking about what foods I'm putting into my body and how they will affect me. Keep in mind, I also have peptic ulcers as a result of using NSAIDs, and those are another thing that affect my health.
SCA comes with many emotional ups and downs as well. A chronically painful disease is one that takes a lot out of the carrier, regardless of whether they show it or not. One of the greatest benefits of my new and improved diet is that I suffer 95% less pain that I used to. The sick thing is, when my health started to get better, at first I actually missed the pain. That's how used to it I was. My tolerance for pain has decreased since my health has gotten better, but my tolerance for painkillers has decreased as well, so it takes less to help me feel better.
I still have my bad days, when I have moderate pains, and I start to feel really down about everything. It's more the fear of what my disease possibly could make me suffer and the memories of what I have been through that bring me down, than the actual effects of the pain. But overall, with my new routine, my health has never been better. My hope is that my story can bring hope and help to those who have SCA, and my new mission is to begin helping out with SCA awareness, which I will be doing by helping out with Sickle Cell Warriors.
However, another complication that I can't do anything about is the cold weather, which increases the pain. I'm currently at a point where I rarely have to take painkillers, which is a miracle, in and of itself. One thing that I always have to keep in mind is that my routine is not a cure, nor is it a one time thing. If I don't stick to my routine, if I don't stay dedicated to being healthy, I start to once more feel the effects of the disease. My new motto is, "No health, no life." My health is something that I know always put first, and it's something that I think about constantly. I'm always thinking about what foods I'm putting into my body and how they will affect me. Keep in mind, I also have peptic ulcers as a result of using NSAIDs, and those are another thing that affect my health.
SCA comes with many emotional ups and downs as well. A chronically painful disease is one that takes a lot out of the carrier, regardless of whether they show it or not. One of the greatest benefits of my new and improved diet is that I suffer 95% less pain that I used to. The sick thing is, when my health started to get better, at first I actually missed the pain. That's how used to it I was. My tolerance for pain has decreased since my health has gotten better, but my tolerance for painkillers has decreased as well, so it takes less to help me feel better.
I still have my bad days, when I have moderate pains, and I start to feel really down about everything. It's more the fear of what my disease possibly could make me suffer and the memories of what I have been through that bring me down, than the actual effects of the pain. But overall, with my new routine, my health has never been better. My hope is that my story can bring hope and help to those who have SCA, and my new mission is to begin helping out with SCA awareness, which I will be doing by helping out with Sickle Cell Warriors.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Barley & Lentil Soup, Anyone?
Yesterday, I decided to make a barley & lentil soup so I could eat my lentils a different way. My former favorite way to eat lentils was to use this Curried Lentils recipe, which is incredibly simple and tasty. You don't actually need all the ingredients on the list either. For instance, I never used chicken broth. Instead, I used plain water and threw a Maggi Cube in the pot along with everything else and let it all simmer. Maggi cubes are a good substitute for chicken broth if you don't have any. The barley & lentil soup I made was super simple and mostly improv. I'm going to write down the recipe here in case anyone else wants to try it. The two foods in the soup that are Thiocyanate rich are the lentils and carrots. I didn't use exact measurements for the water, so if you want a thicker soup, add less water, and if you want a thinner soup, add more.
Barley & Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Barley
1 Cup of Lentils
7-10 stalks of Celery
6-8 large Carrots
3 stalks of Scallions
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlice
1/2 Maggi cube (optional)
7 Cups of Water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Servings: Many!
Directions:
Rinse barley and lentils. Chop celery, carrots, and scallions. Add everything together, the barley, lentils, celery, carrots, scallions, minced garlic, and Maggi cube together in a pot. Add about 7 cups of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the fire and let the soup simmer for about an hour, or till all ingredients are tender.
That's it! Hope you enjoy making it! Bon appetit!
Barley & Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Barley
1 Cup of Lentils
7-10 stalks of Celery
6-8 large Carrots
3 stalks of Scallions
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlice
1/2 Maggi cube (optional)
7 Cups of Water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Servings: Many!
Directions:
Rinse barley and lentils. Chop celery, carrots, and scallions. Add everything together, the barley, lentils, celery, carrots, scallions, minced garlic, and Maggi cube together in a pot. Add about 7 cups of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the fire and let the soup simmer for about an hour, or till all ingredients are tender.
That's it! Hope you enjoy making it! Bon appetit!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Cabbage Juice!
In my research about what is good for healing ulcers, I read about red cabbage and how it can help the stomach in the healing process. Today, I finally bought a red cabbage and pureed it and drank a cup, and have a good sized container to last me the next week and a half. I'll be drinking at least one cup a day on an empty stomach and will continue for at least a month, maybe two. Cabbage is also a Thiocyanate rich food, so I may just continue drinking cabbage puree as part of my daily routine until I get tired of it. Yet another easy way for me to stay healthy (as well as help my ulcers heal)! :D
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Discontinued Use of Liquid Chlorophyll
One thing that I haven't considered as a factor in my health for a while is Liquid Chlorophyll. I discontinued my use of it a few days before I returned to the USA, not because I wasn't pleased with it, but because moving was interrupting my daily patterns. I would say it's been about 5-6 weeks since I last took any. What I will do is first commence this new treatment with Mastic Gum for my ulcers, and once that is through, I will once more purchase LC to begin using daily. I also need to work on making sure my diet is well rounded, with enough essential building blocks such as Calcium, Iron, Folate, etc. to keep my whole body in good health instead of feeling like one part of my body (usually legs, arms, or ribs) is weaker or hurts on certain days and not others. What I want to remind everyone is that though what I am doing is not a cure, it is a new way of eating and treating my body that has worked incredibly for me, and that's why I'm sharing it with you, that way someone in your life may also have positive results and begin to feel better in their bodies.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Back Once More... and Doing Well!
Hi, Everyone,
I haven't posted in a while, but in the time that I haven't posted, my health has been pretty stable. There were a few changes when I returned to the USA, I feel that at times my body is a bit weaker, but I am keeping up with all my vegetables, and definitely sticking with my Thiocyanate rich fruits and vegetables. My favorites are bananas, carrots, plantains (especially sweet ones!), chickpeas, and lentils. My non-Thiocyanate laden favorite veggies are beets, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, green peas, and celery. Plenty of ways to combine and cook them and plenty more fruits and veggies in the stores to choose from!
As to my pain levels, they increase and decrease here and there and I manage it with 1 or 2 Tylenols (500mg) on an as needed basis. While I was away, I didn't have Tylenol after the first 2 months, so that gave my body a chance to decrease its dependence. In the past, I tended to OD on painkillers (taking more than the recommended daily dosage on a regular basis) as I didn't know how else to deal with the pain, but now I find that 1 or 2 painkillers is all I need to deal with some pain, which is usually low level or a little more than mild. Yet even the amount of painkillers I take now is no comparison to what it was before I started this diet. (I will add here that I don't ONLY eat Thiocyanate rich foods, but I try to make them the main part of my diet.) I take much fewer painkillers these days, and sometimes am able to ignore some of the (mild) pain I have, choosing to rest and increase my water intake as opposed to taking more painkillers to manage it.
The thing that is really kicking my health's butt right now is my peptic ulcers!!! They are really making my life difficult, and the doctor prescribed me Omeprazole to deal with it, but that only made me feel worse. I made the decision to discontinue taking them after 3-4 days and am once more trying the natural route. Yesterday, I discovered a product called Mastic Gum, and from the reviews I read, many people have been happy with it and say that it has helped them with their ulcers. I'll be looking to purchase it today and will let my readers know if it worked for me or not.
My view on health is that it is not just what goes on in your body, but what's going on outside of your body and how you respond to it that acts on health as a whole. Yes, I have a disease that can be devastatingly painful. But the decisions I am making now have turned that around and have made a big difference in my life. What goes into my body determines what my body will do, what I put into my body are the building blocks for my health. What I do with my body determines how I will feel. I try to walk more to keep up with my health, I try to make sure I get a good amount of water everyday, I'm making more of an effort to avoid sweets (my weakness!), pasta, white bread, and white rice. Everything plays a factor, even if it's small, and I'm going to continue to do what I can to not let this thing beat me!
I haven't posted in a while, but in the time that I haven't posted, my health has been pretty stable. There were a few changes when I returned to the USA, I feel that at times my body is a bit weaker, but I am keeping up with all my vegetables, and definitely sticking with my Thiocyanate rich fruits and vegetables. My favorites are bananas, carrots, plantains (especially sweet ones!), chickpeas, and lentils. My non-Thiocyanate laden favorite veggies are beets, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, green peas, and celery. Plenty of ways to combine and cook them and plenty more fruits and veggies in the stores to choose from!
As to my pain levels, they increase and decrease here and there and I manage it with 1 or 2 Tylenols (500mg) on an as needed basis. While I was away, I didn't have Tylenol after the first 2 months, so that gave my body a chance to decrease its dependence. In the past, I tended to OD on painkillers (taking more than the recommended daily dosage on a regular basis) as I didn't know how else to deal with the pain, but now I find that 1 or 2 painkillers is all I need to deal with some pain, which is usually low level or a little more than mild. Yet even the amount of painkillers I take now is no comparison to what it was before I started this diet. (I will add here that I don't ONLY eat Thiocyanate rich foods, but I try to make them the main part of my diet.) I take much fewer painkillers these days, and sometimes am able to ignore some of the (mild) pain I have, choosing to rest and increase my water intake as opposed to taking more painkillers to manage it.
The thing that is really kicking my health's butt right now is my peptic ulcers!!! They are really making my life difficult, and the doctor prescribed me Omeprazole to deal with it, but that only made me feel worse. I made the decision to discontinue taking them after 3-4 days and am once more trying the natural route. Yesterday, I discovered a product called Mastic Gum, and from the reviews I read, many people have been happy with it and say that it has helped them with their ulcers. I'll be looking to purchase it today and will let my readers know if it worked for me or not.
My view on health is that it is not just what goes on in your body, but what's going on outside of your body and how you respond to it that acts on health as a whole. Yes, I have a disease that can be devastatingly painful. But the decisions I am making now have turned that around and have made a big difference in my life. What goes into my body determines what my body will do, what I put into my body are the building blocks for my health. What I do with my body determines how I will feel. I try to walk more to keep up with my health, I try to make sure I get a good amount of water everyday, I'm making more of an effort to avoid sweets (my weakness!), pasta, white bread, and white rice. Everything plays a factor, even if it's small, and I'm going to continue to do what I can to not let this thing beat me!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Keeping Inflammation Down
A huge problem with Sickle Cell and a cause of a lot of pain is the inflammation. From what I've learned, when a crisis begins, after the cells get stuck in the veins, an inflammatory response is triggered, which worsens the pain, and which can stick around long after the actual clot is gone. In the daily diet, their are things that can be done to help reduce overall inflammation in the body. To help reduce inflammation, I first looked up things that cause it. Sugar is a primary culprit, so I try to reduce sugar in my daily diet. I try to stay conscious of how much I'm having and try to keep it to a reasonable amount. Another thing I do is avoid white rice and refined flours and pasta. I don't eat a lot of bread, eat practically no rice (such a turnaround since rice was a staple when I was growing up!), eat very little (white) bread and pasta. When I do eat the above mentioned, I do later feel a difference in my body as if there is more inflammation going on. (I also break out! -__-') These are just the things that I do based on what I've learned about my own body and the way it works (and doesn't work.) Hopefully the observations I've made can be helpful to you!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Steamed Broccoli and Plantains
...that is what I am having for dinner. There is some cauliflower on my plate too, actually more cauliflower than broccoli. I brought a frozen mix and the great thing about my dinner is that everything on my plate is high in calcium. I cut way down on my intake of Nattokinase. I was also able to get my hands on some goat's milk, which I rather like, and my ulcers seem to be doing a lot better. I am not sure how long it would take for the goats milk to completely heal my ulcers, I am also not sure how strong pasteurized goat's milk is in healing them because I'm sure the raw version has more nutrients in it, but I will keep drinking some everyday until I go back home. The fact that I haven't been feeling any stomach pain that feels ulcer related since I began eating more foods that would help heal them has been very encouraging to me.
Sometimes, I get a bit frustrated with my diet and just want to eat anything I want. For instance, tonight I wanted to have frozen pizza and nachos for dinner. Since I had pizza yesterday, and I know that it's not that good for me with all those starches and all that white flour which probably is causing me to break out today and also is probably causing inflammation in my body, I compromised with myself by buying nachos. I will have pizza another day. Knowing that sticking to my diet is essential to my health and well-being is a highly motivating factor, especially on days when I'm feeling down because I'm not feeling well, and I wonder if sticking to my diet that day is worth the trouble. At this point, I probably shouldn't even call it a diet, because I've been making sure that the majority of what's on my plate each week is high in thiocyanate. It is probably safe to call it my new way of life. If I weren't dedicated to my health, I probably would have given up already. But seeing how my diet helped me over the summer, and again seeing how it's been helping me now, where I can mostly stick to my regular activities and be a "normal gal" for the most part is what keeps me going. Looking at my health charts and seeing all the information I've collected so far is also something that continues to inspire me to stay on the path that I am on. Again, I must reiterate that I haven't found a cure, and that if I don't stick to my diet, then my health won't stay as good as it is now. But the fact that I am able to feel a lot better than I used to because I am eating foods that are high in thiocyanate is truly encouraging, and I hope that other people will find the encouragement that they need here on these pages.
Sometimes, I get a bit frustrated with my diet and just want to eat anything I want. For instance, tonight I wanted to have frozen pizza and nachos for dinner. Since I had pizza yesterday, and I know that it's not that good for me with all those starches and all that white flour which probably is causing me to break out today and also is probably causing inflammation in my body, I compromised with myself by buying nachos. I will have pizza another day. Knowing that sticking to my diet is essential to my health and well-being is a highly motivating factor, especially on days when I'm feeling down because I'm not feeling well, and I wonder if sticking to my diet that day is worth the trouble. At this point, I probably shouldn't even call it a diet, because I've been making sure that the majority of what's on my plate each week is high in thiocyanate. It is probably safe to call it my new way of life. If I weren't dedicated to my health, I probably would have given up already. But seeing how my diet helped me over the summer, and again seeing how it's been helping me now, where I can mostly stick to my regular activities and be a "normal gal" for the most part is what keeps me going. Looking at my health charts and seeing all the information I've collected so far is also something that continues to inspire me to stay on the path that I am on. Again, I must reiterate that I haven't found a cure, and that if I don't stick to my diet, then my health won't stay as good as it is now. But the fact that I am able to feel a lot better than I used to because I am eating foods that are high in thiocyanate is truly encouraging, and I hope that other people will find the encouragement that they need here on these pages.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Dangers of Nattokinase
Pretty upset right now. My stomach has been hurting on and off for the past week and a half, it's been doing it more since last night, I actually woke up with a bit of pain last night. Nothing extreme, but enough to wake me up. I mentioned before that I have stomach ulcers, and I think they are what make my stomach so incredibly sensitive to when I eat out, which I've been doing more since last Sunday. It only occurred to me tonight, after I ate dinner and my stomach began hurting, that since I have ulcers and Nattokinase is a blood-thinner, that the Nattokinase is probably what has been contributing to my stomachaches. I looked it up, and lo and behold, the website says,
"Nattokinase should also not be taken by those who bleed very easily. It should be avoided by those who have recently had a bleeding ulcer, surgery, stroke or heart attack."
This is all even more upsetting to me because my health has been feeling a bit more poor in different ways as well, and I can't be certain, but I wonder if my elevated heart rate during my work outs was not attributed to the Nattokinase in my system. As I said to a friend last night who said I should live it up more, "my health is a full time job." It gets incredibly frustrating when I have setbacks such as these. I was doing really well on the Serrapeptase and Liquid Chlorophyll alone and I really should have done more research before adding Nattokinase to my diet. It should have popped out at me that it was a blood thinner, but then again, I really wanted to be rid of the clutches of this disease.
So this is where I am now, my ulcers are once more proving to be a problem when I eat, and it will take several weeks before they heal sufficiently to not bother me anymore. I'm not sure if they will ever heal completely, hence my absolute and essential need to stay away from blood-thinners, Ibuprofen, and anything else that might irritate them. Really can't say how frustrated I am about my ulcer situation, but I gotta press on. My warning to everyone is to really do your research before you add anything new to your diet, please look into the side effects. I still suggest eating a diet high in Thiocyanate and eat healthy in general. Eat as natural as possible because that's always best for your body.
"Nattokinase should also not be taken by those who bleed very easily. It should be avoided by those who have recently had a bleeding ulcer, surgery, stroke or heart attack."
This is all even more upsetting to me because my health has been feeling a bit more poor in different ways as well, and I can't be certain, but I wonder if my elevated heart rate during my work outs was not attributed to the Nattokinase in my system. As I said to a friend last night who said I should live it up more, "my health is a full time job." It gets incredibly frustrating when I have setbacks such as these. I was doing really well on the Serrapeptase and Liquid Chlorophyll alone and I really should have done more research before adding Nattokinase to my diet. It should have popped out at me that it was a blood thinner, but then again, I really wanted to be rid of the clutches of this disease.
So this is where I am now, my ulcers are once more proving to be a problem when I eat, and it will take several weeks before they heal sufficiently to not bother me anymore. I'm not sure if they will ever heal completely, hence my absolute and essential need to stay away from blood-thinners, Ibuprofen, and anything else that might irritate them. Really can't say how frustrated I am about my ulcer situation, but I gotta press on. My warning to everyone is to really do your research before you add anything new to your diet, please look into the side effects. I still suggest eating a diet high in Thiocyanate and eat healthy in general. Eat as natural as possible because that's always best for your body.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Health Chart Update!
I am really glad that I had the idea to keep track of what I am eating and my supplements daily with a chart! It has been 12 days since I began using my chart and it shows me what I need to eat more (greens) as well as showing me trends in my diet. The first page of my charts is finished (I made 5 copies of the original, which I drew up by hand, no need for complicated computer work!) and I wrote a conclusion at the end to sum up all my data. This weekend I was feeling some mild pain in my legs and arms, which felt like they could have been crisis pain, and yesterday I did take 1000mg of paracetamol (acetaminophen) for it, but other than that, I've been okay. It seems like the Nattokinase has been doing its work to keep my blood from clotting, for which I am thankful! I have been feeling good since I added it to my diet.
I had to stop working out due to what I mentioned earlier, but I walked a lot today. One thing I must note, my body feels different when I drink tap water, and from what I have read about parasites, which I talked about in another post, I feel like I have an infection. For that I am eating carrots on a empty stomach (eat nothing else for 30 minutes afterward) and will be trying the garlic cleanse mentioned on this website. Today, I also started with something I hope to keep up, which is to eat a clove of raw garlic on an empty stomach 15 minutes before a meal (yes, I am worried about how I will smell -_-'). I had to take it with two spoonfuls of honey because it is very strong. Garlic is also good for the flu and many other things! Though it did give me a bit of an upset tummy! I am going to try eating it the way it's suggested on this website. Sorry to have to talk about parasitic infections here, I know it's totally gross, but it's very real and incredibly common and is affecting my health! Definitely won't leave that stone unturned!
I had to stop working out due to what I mentioned earlier, but I walked a lot today. One thing I must note, my body feels different when I drink tap water, and from what I have read about parasites, which I talked about in another post, I feel like I have an infection. For that I am eating carrots on a empty stomach (eat nothing else for 30 minutes afterward) and will be trying the garlic cleanse mentioned on this website. Today, I also started with something I hope to keep up, which is to eat a clove of raw garlic on an empty stomach 15 minutes before a meal (yes, I am worried about how I will smell -_-'). I had to take it with two spoonfuls of honey because it is very strong. Garlic is also good for the flu and many other things! Though it did give me a bit of an upset tummy! I am going to try eating it the way it's suggested on this website. Sorry to have to talk about parasitic infections here, I know it's totally gross, but it's very real and incredibly common and is affecting my health! Definitely won't leave that stone unturned!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Insomnia or Waking Up Too Early
Yesterday was day 5 of my new workout routine, which made me really happy. I was also rather fearful as well, because my health has been very good. Yet this is such an unpredictable disease and it could turn at any moment, so I've been wondering, since last night, if my health will continue to remain in a good condition, or if it may suddenly all go to pieces. Of course, I have been keeping up my daily health practices, but yet the worry still remains.
A few days ago, I began taking the Nattokinase that I finally ordered. I'm not sure I feel any different from taking it, and I also feel that a few other factors might be masking the effects that I could be feeling. I have a really bad cold with a pretty deep cough right now, that I have been remedying with a tea made of lemons, onions, and honey, but I also have to use my inhaler because of my asthma. The cough that I have gets deeper and more painful if I don't use my inhaler, and I think I could have prevented it from getting so bad if I had used it a bit more consistently, and sooner, while the cold was developing. One of the side effects of the inhaler is that it increases my heart rate (I guess that means it raises my blood pressure?). Because of that, I've been having trouble sleeping for the past few nights and have been waking up around 4am, and I don't know if it's because of the Nattokinase or because of the inhaler (I use Ventolin).
A few days ago, I began taking the Nattokinase that I finally ordered. I'm not sure I feel any different from taking it, and I also feel that a few other factors might be masking the effects that I could be feeling. I have a really bad cold with a pretty deep cough right now, that I have been remedying with a tea made of lemons, onions, and honey, but I also have to use my inhaler because of my asthma. The cough that I have gets deeper and more painful if I don't use my inhaler, and I think I could have prevented it from getting so bad if I had used it a bit more consistently, and sooner, while the cold was developing. One of the side effects of the inhaler is that it increases my heart rate (I guess that means it raises my blood pressure?). Because of that, I've been having trouble sleeping for the past few nights and have been waking up around 4am, and I don't know if it's because of the Nattokinase or because of the inhaler (I use Ventolin).
Monday, February 11, 2013
Workin' It Out!
I must say, I am incredibly proud of myself today! I feel absolutely terrible, I have a cold/flu type thing going on, but not only did I make it to work and saw most of my students (was late to my first class so the first batch got a free period!), I also did my 10 minute workout today! I figured that if I am already feeling terrible, I might as well work out anyways because it could help me feel a bit better. In any case, I have spent years dreaming of being fit and not breathing heavily when I go up the stairs, and am still at point A because I've never had the stamina to see me through to point B. If I don't take now, the beautiful present moment, as my time to seize upon and take advantage of, then I know I never will. It really is now or never! Very happy to have noted down on my health chart that I got in my 10 minute workout today :D
In other news, I received my shipment of health supplements from Amazon.co.uk (thank you Amazon for your loyal and quick service!), so today is my first day on Nattokinase! We will see how it makes me feel as I progress with it, and whether or not I notice a difference. From my chart, I can see that I am on quite a few supplements, but it is better than not having taken any steps and constantly being afraid of my next hospitalization! Also, a word about supplements, if you can get something naturally from food, go for that as your source! The more natural it is in form, the more beneficial it is to your body. The natural form, such as fruits for instance, which have natural sugars, also have fiber in them. When fruits are eaten, instead of imbibed as a juice, the sugars are more slowly absorbed, because the fiber from the fruit is there to help slow down the sugar absorption. That's one tiny little example, but I hope you get my point. The more natural it is, the better it is for your body, because it also comes with the fibers and other nutrients that will benefit your body. I wish you good health, my friends! :)
In other news, I received my shipment of health supplements from Amazon.co.uk (thank you Amazon for your loyal and quick service!), so today is my first day on Nattokinase! We will see how it makes me feel as I progress with it, and whether or not I notice a difference. From my chart, I can see that I am on quite a few supplements, but it is better than not having taken any steps and constantly being afraid of my next hospitalization! Also, a word about supplements, if you can get something naturally from food, go for that as your source! The more natural it is in form, the more beneficial it is to your body. The natural form, such as fruits for instance, which have natural sugars, also have fiber in them. When fruits are eaten, instead of imbibed as a juice, the sugars are more slowly absorbed, because the fiber from the fruit is there to help slow down the sugar absorption. That's one tiny little example, but I hope you get my point. The more natural it is, the better it is for your body, because it also comes with the fibers and other nutrients that will benefit your body. I wish you good health, my friends! :)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Other Factors that Affect my Health
Recently, I began eating raw carrots as a method of doing a cleanse, but since they are also high in Thiocyanate, I think I will continue eating them after I'm done with the cleanse. (They also taste yummy!) The cleanse is to help rid my body of parasites, which are quite unaddressed in Western Medicine, and yet can make the body feel off center. There are many different types, and sometimes when I feel things are not right with my body, when I have persistent joint pain for example or my stomach feels different in a gross sort of way, I suspect that the culprit might be parasites in my body from drinking unfiltered water. I'm very sensitive to the type of water I drink and therefore usually only go for filtered. However, when I'm incredibly thirsty and don't have options besides buying an expensive bottle of water, I usually opt to refill my water bottle from the tap. That's what I did last weekend and my body took to feeling weird a few days after. Hence, the cleanse. You can read more about parasites and their symptoms here.
Friday, February 8, 2013
This is My Story
When I was sixteen and learned what my disease truly entails, I became convinced that I would die by the time I was thirty. Up until that point, I hadn't really understood what it was, though the doctor had once given my sister and I a booklet explaining the disease, and what causes the pain. I began doing research about it as a result of having persistent wrist pain while playing the clarinet. My music teacher took it upon himself to call my parents and tell them about the pain I was experiencing because he wanted me to be well. I was taught to be independent, and didn't want my parents more involved with anything than they had to be, so him calling my parents was a big thing for me. He got in touch with my mom, and told her about my wrist pain, and she revealed my big, shameful secret. I had Sickle Cell Anemia, and that's what was causing all my problems.
Dealing with SCA all my life and being excluded from my gym classes as a decision by my mom had made me feel like an outcast. A guilty outcast who was different and had something to be ashamed of because I had a disease that I didn't understand that kept me from participating, and sometimes made me have pain. (I was also lactose intolerant which sometimes made me sick, but I didn't figure that out till I was fourteen. It was a difficult journey.) Because of that shame and guilt, I always felt that I had to hide it, so having my mother tell one of my favorite teachers my secret was a HUGE deal for me. Suddenly, he knew that something was wrong with me, and he as well as my mom and doctor were now advising me to take my Folic Acid regularly. At the time, I wouldn't, because when I would remember to take it was always at night, and whenever I take vitamins at night I have trouble sleeping. I always preferred having a night's sleep to taking the vitamin.
My mom was convinced that if I just took my Folic Acid, I would be fine, and that's what she told my music teacher. I wasn't so convinced, and with the research that I began doing online, finding out what my disease really entailed made me pretty depressed. I remember sitting in my purple bathrobe one night, holding my clarinet after a practice session and a bout with wrist pain, and I'm pretty sure I burst into tears that I was going to die young because of my disease. With the ideas I had in my head by that time, all I wanted was to be married in my early twenties so that I could give my best years to my husband and my kids. I also developed a pretty morbid sense of mortality that I didn't stop talking about until my guidance counselor died of meningitis when she was twenty-eight.
Throughout the years, my sense of guilt about my disease did not diminish. As I got older and my symptoms grew worse, and I had to rely on my parents and sister(s) to take care of me when I was sick, it grew. Though my father almost died from it when he was in his twenties, he and my mother seemed to believe that I would be doing better if I only went to church more and had greater faith. Some of the things they would say did nothing to boost my morale, so I was really grateful to have my sister(s), who did take care of me without judgment and understood me.
I must say that when I started taking my Folic Acid regularly, I did start to feel a bit better. But high school and college were incredibly demanding in their schedules, college less so than high school, and with their work loads, and with my small understanding of my disease and lack of information about healthy, natural alternatives, I know I abused painkillers by taking too many at once, and I may have done lasting damage to my body. I'm sharing my story because I don't want this to be yours or your child's.
SCA can be devastating with the way Western medicine treats it. It doesn't offer up much besides heavy painkillers, and medicines with terrible side effects. I am sharing my story so that more people will know what they can do for themselves to get to a healthier place. It may be expensive to order extra supplements to take daily, it may be expensive to buy more vegetables to eat, but it is a lot more expensive to pay those hospital bills and to have to miss days or even months of school or work and to deal with all the pain. I am not in a picture perfect state of health, but I am in a much better place than I was in November, when all I wanted to do was kill myself, or over the summer, when the suicidal thoughts began crossing my mind in earnest. Please share this blog, please share my story, because it can get better. This is my story and it is real, and there are so many more out there who are doing better on natural alternative. Sickle Cell - Natural Healings is just one example. Maybe one day Western medicine will invent a cure that doesn't endanger patients lives as they go through it. For now, this is what I have to offer. I hope this helps.
Dealing with SCA all my life and being excluded from my gym classes as a decision by my mom had made me feel like an outcast. A guilty outcast who was different and had something to be ashamed of because I had a disease that I didn't understand that kept me from participating, and sometimes made me have pain. (I was also lactose intolerant which sometimes made me sick, but I didn't figure that out till I was fourteen. It was a difficult journey.) Because of that shame and guilt, I always felt that I had to hide it, so having my mother tell one of my favorite teachers my secret was a HUGE deal for me. Suddenly, he knew that something was wrong with me, and he as well as my mom and doctor were now advising me to take my Folic Acid regularly. At the time, I wouldn't, because when I would remember to take it was always at night, and whenever I take vitamins at night I have trouble sleeping. I always preferred having a night's sleep to taking the vitamin.
My mom was convinced that if I just took my Folic Acid, I would be fine, and that's what she told my music teacher. I wasn't so convinced, and with the research that I began doing online, finding out what my disease really entailed made me pretty depressed. I remember sitting in my purple bathrobe one night, holding my clarinet after a practice session and a bout with wrist pain, and I'm pretty sure I burst into tears that I was going to die young because of my disease. With the ideas I had in my head by that time, all I wanted was to be married in my early twenties so that I could give my best years to my husband and my kids. I also developed a pretty morbid sense of mortality that I didn't stop talking about until my guidance counselor died of meningitis when she was twenty-eight.
Throughout the years, my sense of guilt about my disease did not diminish. As I got older and my symptoms grew worse, and I had to rely on my parents and sister(s) to take care of me when I was sick, it grew. Though my father almost died from it when he was in his twenties, he and my mother seemed to believe that I would be doing better if I only went to church more and had greater faith. Some of the things they would say did nothing to boost my morale, so I was really grateful to have my sister(s), who did take care of me without judgment and understood me.
I must say that when I started taking my Folic Acid regularly, I did start to feel a bit better. But high school and college were incredibly demanding in their schedules, college less so than high school, and with their work loads, and with my small understanding of my disease and lack of information about healthy, natural alternatives, I know I abused painkillers by taking too many at once, and I may have done lasting damage to my body. I'm sharing my story because I don't want this to be yours or your child's.
SCA can be devastating with the way Western medicine treats it. It doesn't offer up much besides heavy painkillers, and medicines with terrible side effects. I am sharing my story so that more people will know what they can do for themselves to get to a healthier place. It may be expensive to order extra supplements to take daily, it may be expensive to buy more vegetables to eat, but it is a lot more expensive to pay those hospital bills and to have to miss days or even months of school or work and to deal with all the pain. I am not in a picture perfect state of health, but I am in a much better place than I was in November, when all I wanted to do was kill myself, or over the summer, when the suicidal thoughts began crossing my mind in earnest. Please share this blog, please share my story, because it can get better. This is my story and it is real, and there are so many more out there who are doing better on natural alternative. Sickle Cell - Natural Healings is just one example. Maybe one day Western medicine will invent a cure that doesn't endanger patients lives as they go through it. For now, this is what I have to offer. I hope this helps.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Pain Pills: The Debate
I often debate with myself quite a bit before taking a pill for my aches and pains, knowing that with each pill I take, my resistance to its effectiveness is being increased. Here in France, I'm starting to feel a bit self-conscious about buying my painkillers. It's not like back home where I can walk into a large Walgreens and pick up a bottle of 100 Tylenol/Acetaminophen and pay for it with little interaction with the cashier. I have to ask a pharmacist for my Doliprane, and one night, when I was having crisis pain in my arm (I mentioned this a few posts back, it was more mild than an actual crisis because of my diet), the pharmacist asked me if I had a lot of pain, and I said yes, in my arm. Her words, "Vous-avez des douleurs importants?" still stick with me. Should I have explained to her that I have SCA? Not that I was really in the mood to explain anything as I was feeling pretty down.
Based on the food list that I put up in my last post, I made a handy little health chart today. When I am able to scan it, I will add it as an image here. For now, visualize with me a bit. The chart starts with a list of (Thiocyanate) Rich Foods to Eat Daily or Multiple Times per Week - I added eggs to my list since they are packed with vitamins and I eat them almost everyday, so that is why I put Thiocyanate in parentheses. After that I have a list of my Daily Supplements, which are listed on the side of my blog, and hopefully next week will include Nattokinase, as I am preparing to order it from Amazon. I also have a space to note down if I took painkillers, if I stretched, and am using the back to write down any notes I have about the day. Today, for instance, I noted that I had pain in my right thigh (it's been there all day on and off and I have finally given in and taken a pill for it). On the chart, there is a slot for me to write the date for each day that I jot down information. I made 5 copies of it and am looking forward to being able to see more solid information about what works for me and what does not and how it makes me feel. The charts, combined with my blog, should be a good way to continue on my journey to health. :)
Based on the food list that I put up in my last post, I made a handy little health chart today. When I am able to scan it, I will add it as an image here. For now, visualize with me a bit. The chart starts with a list of (Thiocyanate) Rich Foods to Eat Daily or Multiple Times per Week - I added eggs to my list since they are packed with vitamins and I eat them almost everyday, so that is why I put Thiocyanate in parentheses. After that I have a list of my Daily Supplements, which are listed on the side of my blog, and hopefully next week will include Nattokinase, as I am preparing to order it from Amazon. I also have a space to note down if I took painkillers, if I stretched, and am using the back to write down any notes I have about the day. Today, for instance, I noted that I had pain in my right thigh (it's been there all day on and off and I have finally given in and taken a pill for it). On the chart, there is a slot for me to write the date for each day that I jot down information. I made 5 copies of it and am looking forward to being able to see more solid information about what works for me and what does not and how it makes me feel. The charts, combined with my blog, should be a good way to continue on my journey to health. :)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Moving On, Getting Healthier
Last night, I was feeling pretty down. I mentioned before that I have a skewed relationship with pain from having to deal with so much of it for so long, and I posted about my troubles in the Sickle Cell Warrior Group. People got back with their comments, and there are others who feel the way that I do, who are just tired of the pain. Thankfully I am feeling better today, and someone also posted a link about Discovite, which I am looking into and will also spread the word about. She said that she has been taking it and her health has been great. These natural alternatives are so much better than the harsh medicines with heavy side effects that the doctors prescribe to us. I think I mentioned before that my body has been feeling tense due to the winter cold, and I remembered that back in the Spring of last year, when I was taking a health class, I began a stretching routine that relieved some muscle pain in my legs that had been recurring for several years. Since I started that stretching routine, though I haven't continued with it, I have not had that pain get so bad that it made me have to stay home in bed. I have had muscle inflammation in that place, but because of the stretching, it never got back to the point where I couldn't walk, which was what it did before. Remembering that made me decide to go back to a stretch routine, and my body has been feeling a bit better though it is only my second day back to stretching. Simple yoga exercises, since the stretching exercises that I do are very close to yoga positions, seem like a good and easy way for me to build up my strength, which is something I really want to do. Back in the Spring when I was in my health class, I tried to start a workout routine, but the things I was doing were too fast, too difficult, and too soon, so I will work on building my strength slowly but surely. One easy thing that I can do is to hold my leg stretch positions for longer because they don't overstretch my muscles, but will allow my legs and arms to become stronger. One thing that I really took away from my health class was something my professor said, which was that our genetics determine a small part about our body's health, but what we do for ourselves, our lifestyles, plays a greater part than genetics. With that in mind, I am encouraged to keep on the path I am on, and to go farther and keep getting better.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Getting Back Up
I must admit, I was feeling pretty down last night because my body was feeling sore/achey and I needed to take Ibuprofen and Doliprane, which is a French version of Acetaminophen. I had a long day babysitting, and though it's not difficult work, it's a bit tiring, especially having to pick up the baby now and then, which has been making my arms sore. Add to that the fact that my body has just been feeling a bit down in general, I mentioned in earlier posts that I felt tired and it's a feeling that hasn't gone away for weeks. I attributed it to overdoing it at first, too much going out and not enough resting, and then I got back to working after the holidays ended, and my schedule was full. The best way to describe how my health feels is to say that it feels as though I fell a while back and haven't been able to get up since.
Last night, I rested when I got home and had some Speculoos cookies since I needed comfort food to help me feel better. Reflected on what I've been doing and what I could be doing better, and felt a bit down. Took my painkillers, drank my Liquid Chlorophyll, as well as increased my doses of Serrapeptase, I think I took about 480,000 i.u. last night, and what I like about it is that there are no negative side effects, the only thing I stand to do is gain from taking it. The Serrapeptase reduces inflammation, which is why I took the doses I did, as well as taking my Ibuprofen. Read a bit on the Sickle Cell Warriors page and briefly wondered if I should post about my feeling down because I wasn't feeling well even though I am on a better diet and take my Liquid Chlorophyll and Serrapeptase, and decided against it since I haven't had actual personal interactions with anyone on the page. Talked to some special people, which picked up my spirits a bit. Then I slept and did feel better when I woke up, though not back to 100%. But it has been some time since I have been feeling 100%.
I'd say that today I'm feeling about 85-90% well. There is still inflammation in my ribs and in the muscles in my upper right thigh, so I'm hoping that inflammation will go down tonight. I don't have a heavy schedule tomorrow, so I'm hoping that will allow my body the time it needs to continue healing. After last night, I also decided that my diet must change some more. I usually eat eggs for breakfast because they are great for energy, are packed with nutrients, and I find that they are a great way to start the day. But after reflecting last night on how I could get more Thiocyanate into my diet, since it is usually my dinner that is based around it, I decided that breakfast from now on will center around beets and lentils, or some other Thiocyanate containing foods, possibly lima beans.
Last night, I rested when I got home and had some Speculoos cookies since I needed comfort food to help me feel better. Reflected on what I've been doing and what I could be doing better, and felt a bit down. Took my painkillers, drank my Liquid Chlorophyll, as well as increased my doses of Serrapeptase, I think I took about 480,000 i.u. last night, and what I like about it is that there are no negative side effects, the only thing I stand to do is gain from taking it. The Serrapeptase reduces inflammation, which is why I took the doses I did, as well as taking my Ibuprofen. Read a bit on the Sickle Cell Warriors page and briefly wondered if I should post about my feeling down because I wasn't feeling well even though I am on a better diet and take my Liquid Chlorophyll and Serrapeptase, and decided against it since I haven't had actual personal interactions with anyone on the page. Talked to some special people, which picked up my spirits a bit. Then I slept and did feel better when I woke up, though not back to 100%. But it has been some time since I have been feeling 100%.
I'd say that today I'm feeling about 85-90% well. There is still inflammation in my ribs and in the muscles in my upper right thigh, so I'm hoping that inflammation will go down tonight. I don't have a heavy schedule tomorrow, so I'm hoping that will allow my body the time it needs to continue healing. After last night, I also decided that my diet must change some more. I usually eat eggs for breakfast because they are great for energy, are packed with nutrients, and I find that they are a great way to start the day. But after reflecting last night on how I could get more Thiocyanate into my diet, since it is usually my dinner that is based around it, I decided that breakfast from now on will center around beets and lentils, or some other Thiocyanate containing foods, possibly lima beans.
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