So, I have been on my new treatment plan for 3 weeks. I've been following the anti-inflammatory diet, as well as taking a boatload of supplements and drinking more water than I ever have.
The pain that made it hard to use my left thumb has improved some. I was able to clip my fingernails with my left hand in 5 minutes! It used to take an hour because it hurt so bad, I'd have to take a break and ice it. It's a big deal. :)
I'm not needing to take a nap every day anymore. I still tire easily, and have been told not to try exercising just yet. That didn't stop me from attempting to hike to Twin Lakes at Silver Lake. Didn't happen. About 100 feet in of elevation gain and I thought I was gonna pass out. The kids were glad, because they didn't want to to the hike.
Anyway, my Food Panel tests have come back, and I have a few food sensitivities:
- Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Cantaloupe
- Cheese
- Milk, Cow's
- Cranberry
- Egg
- Milk, Goat's
- Oat
- Pineapple
- Pumpkin
- Sesame
- Tomato
- Wheat
I was surprised by the goat's milk, since I don't think I've ever had it. Who knows?
Most of these sensitivities should not cause much problem. I will eventually be able to add most, if not all (except wheat) back into my diet, as long as I am cautious about not combining a lot of the foods or eating too much at one time.
Today I was able to add brown rice back into the diet. Oh my gosh, it was heaven. I only get 1/3 cup a day while I'm testing it out, and it was SO hard to not eat the whole dang pot full!
In a few days I'll try out eggs and then after that, lean beef. I'm so excited!
I finally had my follow up doctor appointment to get the results of the blood tests. And it wasn’t pretty.
- Severe anemia pattern, so low that unless we get it up quickly I’ll need IV therapy.
- Possible Hyperparathyroidism (not the same as thyroid issues), will
need surgery…one more blood test was done on Thursday to confirm.
- Not enough oxygen in the blood cells.
- Red blood cells not regenerating fast enough, causing inflammation
and blocking my body’s ability to absorb the nutrients I need (like
iron).
- Multiple food intolerances.
- Pre-diabetes
- Red blood cells shrinking, causing a wide variety of sizes (apparently they are all supposed to be pretty similar in size to keep your body working properly).
- Liver not doing it's job properly, probably because of the inflammation.
- And more.
Luckily, the doctor I’m working with is an endocrine specialist, and
he feels confident that I can get on a holistic treatment plan and improve. We
are looking at 6 months of treatment, and an out-of-pocket cost of more
than $5,000, and the goal is simply for me to have more good days than
bad….but you know what, I’ll take it.
Part of the treatment plan is nutritional. I've got a very specific meal plan, along with half a dozen supplements. Here's the gist of it:
- Food to avoid: dairy, eggs, gluten, tomatoes, dehydrated fruit, rice, corn, potatoes, soda, fruit juices, iodized salt, sweeteners of any kind, soy, peanuts, beef, pork, shellfish, cold cuts, bacon, hot dogs, canned meat, sausage.
- Food I CAN eat: herbal teas (with no sweetener), quinoa, buckwheat, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, sea salt, individual spices, peas, beans, fish (except shellfish), unsweetened coconut and almond milk, raw nuts (except peanuts), flax seeds, moderate amounts of chicken and turkey, moderate amounts of sweet potato.
- Drink a MINIMUM of 75 oz/day. This is gonna be tough for me. I suck at drinking water, but it's critical, due to the types of supplements I'm taking.
- Breakfast with one ClearVite drink and 5 supplements, snack, lunch with 4 supplements and ClearVite, snack, dinner with 5 supplements and ClearVite, and bedtime snack. Each at specific times.
- 2 doctor appts/week for the first phase, then 1/week for phase 2 (about a month into the program), and then eventually once every other week.
- Allowed foods may change upon getting the food panel tests back. We'll see!
I'm not gonna lie, I'm freaked out. BUT, I'm ready to do what I have to do to get better, once and for all! And hey, at least I'll be allowed to eat bananas when this diet gets me depressed. ;) Wish me luck. Today is my last day eating the way I normally eat - and I plan on living it up! lol
