Arthritis blogs

I´m new to blogging, I´m new to exploring my disease. When I first got sick I just took my medicine and tried to exercised and eat healthy food. I did hardly any research on psoriasis arthritis. I think the main reason was that I was just so horrible sick that I needed all my energy to everyday tasks. I didn't have anything left for researching. 

This time is different. I'm not as sick so I have energy left to do the research. And this time I want to understand what is happening and what can I do to prevent the flares. I also want to interact with other people with arthritis and learn their strategy to deal with arthritis. Therefore I have spent last days exploring arthritis blogs. I have found quite few and I'm trying to pick some for a daily read. ANY RECOMMENDATION? I think I'm looking for blogs that are focused on ways to fight the arthritis because I have never given up the hope. I truly believe that it's possible to get rid of arthritis. I don't know how but at least I think I can make a difference. What I'm trying to say is that I want to fight back, I want to do everything I can to fight of the stupid arthritis. I want my life back.

Day 2 was horrible

The only good thing about it was I stuck to the meal plan even though I went to the mall. I couldn't do all of my exercise for the day because of the stupid arthritis. It flared up after noon in my right foot and I have been barley able to walk around to day. So I have been in a foul mood all day. 

The pain hasn't been so bad since I went of the meds. I have  been having trouble sleeping and I have had to take painkillers in order to sleep. So far the pain hasn't been so bad in the daytime until  to day. I have been so frustrated over it. I can't believe that the horrible pain is back. I get really nervous  on days like this. I really want to have a baby but it's hard being of the medicines and I wonder how long we have to wait for it. 

Getting rid of the pain:

I stayed in the sofa all day and watched TV

I drank my ginger broth
I ate only raw food

I took a lot of painkillers

Sadly it didn't do much

I'm glad this day is almost over, hopefully tomorrow is going to be better. 

Day 1

First day of my health challenge, 30 days to go. So far the day has been good and I'm sticking to the plan. 

For breakfast I had delicious raw oat meal. I got the recipe from Ani's Rwa Food Essentials.  I LOVE this recipe, it's so easy to make and good. My husband use to cook for us oatmeal in the morning but after whole winter of traditional oat meal, I needed something new. I don't think that I could survive another winter of just plain oat meal. Luckily I don't have to eat the traditional version any longer.

I woke up rather late to day. I'm taking medicines for my anxiety and it is just crazy how much sleep I need know. I think I sleep like three hours more when I'm on them. My husband and I went to the gym which was almost empty because of the spring break. I like it when the gym is slow, you don't have to any waiting. I did weight lifting, I absolutely love weight lifting. I can't wait when I can lift 40 lb. Now I use 2,5lb and 5lb weights, it's not much but it is only the beginning.  I have to be very careful when I'm in the gym because if I do to much I'm out for the next days. Hopefully I will be way better after 30 days of healthy lifestyle. 

Yesterday my husband made a dish from our favorite cookbook, Madhur Jaffrey Indian cooking. It was simple but good. When I was growing up we had potatoes every single day so when I started cooking on my own, potatoes aren't my first choice.  But these babies are nothing like the boiled one I had when I was young.

I'm feeling positive that I will stick to the plan rest of the day

We see what happens

Meal plan

I worry most about the meal plan. I'm so very afraid that I can't stick to a meal plan because there is always something coming up that changes our plans. 

Friday: Oat meat with cinnamon and banana. Potatoes.Dining out.

Saturday: Coconut water with spinach, blueberry and bananas. Mediterranean Wrap.

Sunday: Oat meal w/cinnamon and banana. Coconut water with apple, spinach, banana. Red split lentils.

Monday: Coconut water with apple, spinach, banana, Ginger Almond Roll.

Tuesday: Oat meal w/cinnamon and banana. Whole green lentils with garlic and onion. Sushi.

Wednesday: Coconut water with spinach, banana. Sweet potatoes.

Thursday: Oat meal w/cinnamon and banana. Sour chick peas. 

I start with that and see how it goes. If I feel hungry then it is okay to have some Swedish bread 

Exercise plan

For the first week I would like to bicycle for 30 minutes three times, walk for 20 minutes twice, do elliptical three times for 6 minutes, do yoga exercise twice, do home aerobic twice and do weight lifting three times. 


Since I have been exercising for the last month, I'm not afraid it's to much.

Friday: weight lifting, elliptical
Saturday: walk, yoga
Sunday: bicycle, home aerobic
Monday: weight lifting, elliptical
Tuesday: bicycle, walk, yoga
Wednesday: weight lifting, elliptical
Thursday: bicycle, home aerobic

The plan

• Find blogs to read to keep me motivate
• List the reason for I'm doing this

I want to be healthy, I'm doing this so I can go to sleep without taking tons of painkillers, I want to have a baby, I want to lose weight, I want to be able to lift some weight,  I'm not happy with my physical state, I want to get of my anxiety pills, I want to fit in my clothes again

• Decide the day before what I'm going to eat
• Stick to it

I'm working on it

• Do a exercise plan
• Stick to it

Work in progress

• Stay away from white sugar, white flour, white rice

• Have a candy day once a week

• Decide how long I'm going to go after the plan

I have decided to start with 30 days. I will for 30 days go after the plan

• Blog about my journey

Planing

I find it a little bit intimidating to start because I'm afraid that I will fail. I'm afraid that I will spend all my energy making up a great plan but then I will not follow through.  

The plan

• Find blogs to read to keep me motivate
• List the reason for I'm doing this
• Decide the day before what I'm going to eat
• Stick to it
• Do a exercise plan
• Stick to it
• Stay away from white sugar, white flour, white rice
• Have a candy day once a week
• Decide how long I'm going to go after the plan

I need a plan

I need a plan to achieve my goals. My goals are

1. Lose weight
2. Eat healthy food
3. Exercise
4. Change my attitude towards food

My plan for loosing weight, eat healthy food, exercise and changing my attitudes is...

I don't know

All I know is that I have to make plan 

Food

I have been struggling last weeks to eat healthy food and exercise every day. Even though I have been trying to live a healthy lifestyle ever since I was diagnosed with arthritis . I  have never reach that stage where I only eat whole food and make good choices for my health. First when I started to eat whole food and exercise I imagine that after a month maybe three I would turn into health guru that would never again make poor choices for my health. Think again 7 years later I still struggle eating healthy food. 

Last month I have been reading a lot of blogs about healthy living and I have found that very inspiring. Some of the blog made my think about my relationship with food. My problem regarding food is that I use food as comfort and prize. When I want to do something good for me I  buy coke, cupcake, kit-kat and rent a movie. When I'm upset I also turn to food. I make up for the disappointment by eating something "good". Even when I'm bored I go and try to find something to eat.  I eat to much when I eat, I don't stop when I'm full. When I go to a party and there's food on the table, ALL I can think about is the food. I feel sometimes like I'm addict because when I decide to change my behavior and eat more healthy. I usually start byy stuff my face with pizza and cookies. 

There are five things I feel like I have to do

Change my attitude towards food

Lose weight

Eat healthy food
Exercise

Make a plan to let these things happen

Making food

I got  Ani's raw food kitchen from my mother in law for Christmas present. I haven't cooked or made a lot from it YET. I really like the book. It's a good start for people like me who want to explore the wonders of raw food. What I like most about raw food is the fact that there's no cooking involved.  I hate waiting for the water to start boiling, standing and stir in the pot or for the oven to hot enough. 

For supper tonight I made Ginger Almond Nori Roll with Garden Paté. It was delicious. It took about half an hour to make it and they were so pretty.

 

My husband made biscotti to night. I think I have never ever tried biscotti before. They were surprisingly good. 

At last but not least I made ginger"magic"broth. I got the recipe from my father and his wife. They have been brewing it this winter. It is tasty and when properly done it burns your throat when you drink it. I call it the ginger"magic"broth because it did wonder for my arthritis. I was pretty bad of the arthritis in December. I had everyday pain, had trouble sleeping because of it and I had some trouble walking around. You know just the usual for folks with arthritis. In January I went for a month visit to Iceland and stayed with my Dad. I drank the ginger"magic"broth maybe every other day and oh boy og boy, the difference. The pain went form 7 to 1-2 and I stopped taking painkillers and could sleep. When I came back home I started to brew it my self. The broth isn't as effective when I make it but I still get a little bit better of my arthritis.

 

Ginger"magic"broth

2 liters water

320 g ginger

50 ml lemon juice

60ml agave syrup 

4 g mint 

Chop the ginger, squeeze the lemons, put everything in the pot and boil for an hour. Pour the broth through sieve. Store in a fridge.   

 

The List

I'm great fan of all sorts of lists. 

Here is my "Things to do"

1. Learn to speak Swedish
2. Travel to Califorinia 
3. Visit my relatives in Clevland
4. Go to Vancouver
5. Learn new ways to knit
6. See the city, Chicago
7. Be able to lift more weight
8. Breath the air in Montana
9. Loose 20 lb
10. Shop in Boston
11. Have a baby
12. Take a picture of Niagara falls
13. Learn how to crochet
14. Visit South Carolina
15. Start a feminst website
16. Drive in New Orleans
17. Travel the world

Weight

The CONSTANT battle with the weight

If you have arthritis it's important to maintain a good weight. I haven't done that past two years. My excuse "I moved to America". In my first winter living here I gained 18 lb. The second winter I have probably lost  15 lb and gained 10 lb.

What can I say?

Nothing except I will try to get rid of remaining 13 lb

Week: 150 lb   

Fertility

My husband and I are trying to conceive a baby. Here I'm going to write about how's that going since we now know that we have to seek help from fertility clinic.

• December 2009: Started to go off the meds. That process took three months then we had to wait for another three months.
• June 2010: Officially started our ttc journey!
• January 2011: We both got tested. Everything seems to be in order but my doctor told us to schedule appointment with a fertility clinic because of my medical history. He wasn't very optimistic that we could have a baby without IUI or IVF. I called the fertility clinic and got appointment in late April.
• February 2011: The doctor put me on 50 mg pergotime (Clomid).
• March 2011: Our second cycle with pergotime, this time I had to take 100 mg. 
• April 2011: We are going to have our first appointment with the fertility clinic on the 28th.

My story

I'm 29 years old

I'm married

I'm a teacher
I'm from Iceland
I'm currently living in Chapel Hill, NC

I developed arthritis the summer of 2004. I started to experience some direct membrane swelling or I thought I was in July. Two months later I couldn't walk, had great difficulty moving my hands and the most severed pain I had ever experience. I didn't know it was possible to be in so much pain.   

I don't know why it took the doctor so long to put me on proper medicine. Maybe it was my age after all I was only 23 years old. The months went by and I did nothing but get worse. Every dag I woke up, I was worse than the day before. My arthritis started in my right ankle with pain and impaired mobility then gradually it found the way up to the knee, the thigh, the hip next it was the hand then the shoulder, neck. The next stop for the arthritis was my face, I got in my jaws, my ears, my eyebrows then the arthritis continued to the left side and did the same thing there. Basically I think I got it in every muscle attachment of my body and in the joints as well. For you people which have arthritis you know what I experienced, you know the the pain, the impaired mobility that follows, the anxiety and despair. I was so scared those months which I woke up worse than the day before. I didn't know what was going on, nothing seemed to work and the pain was killing me. I couldn't sleep because of the pain, I cried almost every day out of pain and I thought my life was over. It's very hard to live a normal life when you are in such agony. 

My family and friends were worried sick about me specially since my conditions only got worse. My best friends' mother recommended that I would go and see her doctor. I did so and that was truly the best thing that I could do. The new doctor put me on methotrexate and I started gradually to feel better. The arthritis slowly went to a remission. It took  three years for me to get back on my feet. The year 2007 was the year when I stopped being scared because the pain wasn't longer killing me and I could walk and use my hands to do things. Even though I still had arthritis and couldn't do certain things and still experienced some pain now and then, I knew I would be able to live fairly normal life. 

I started to work  as a teacher the fall 2008. I was lucky both with my class and colleagues and I had a wonderful time teaching. I worked 100% which was to much, I could do my job but there wasn't much left for the rest of my life. I was frustrated and glad that winter, glad that I could work and frustrated that I didn't have the body to do more than just work. 

I got married the following summer and week after the wedding we moved to Chapel Hill, NC. We started soon to talk about having baby's and in December 2009 I started to go off my meds. That took three months then we had to wait another three months so we didn't start to try for a baby until June 2010. I was terrified by the thought of going of the meds because I hadn't forgot the pain and how much of a hell it was in the beginning but we both really want to start a family. Therefore I'm willing to be off the meds in the hope that we're going to have a baby.

The baby thing has taken longer time to achieve than we suspected. I have been surprisingly good of the arthritis, most of the year 2010. However in October I started to get rather bad and get worse by every week. We have scheduled appointment with a fertility clinic in April. Hopefully we don't have to wait long for a little baby. 

In the meantime I'm going to blog about the journey that's ahead of me.

When I got sick I thought it would be best for me to eat healthy food and stay away from process food, salt, wheat and sugar. I thought that after few weeks I would be come a healthy guru and wouldn't put anything inside my lips that weren't organic, healthy and good for my body. I got sick the year 2004, today is 2011 and I still struggle. I think it's time for me to give up! That is, accept that I will never become healthy guru that eats green smoothies for breakfast, vegan-raw lunch and small salad for dinner and loves every minute of it. I crave sugar, salt and unhealthy food. I also eat way to much food. Even though I'm full, I keep on eating. 

I need to accept that given the choice I will make bad choice for my body. So what can you do when you're not a health guru and just want to stuff your face with unhealthy food. Over the years I have tried variety of diets and "not a diet but a lifestyle change". I have been on raw food, detox, vegetarian diet, non-sugar diet, gluten-free diet. Some of the diets were actually pretty good and I felt better from the arthritis on them. However I never stick it out. It always end by me eating candy, cakes and drinking coke. 

When that happen I eat unhealthy food for a while and then I get back on the horse and try again. So here I go, again. 

Every time I fail, I try to do something different. The change I'm making now is doing simple things. I tend to swear to God that I will never, never again eat food with salt, sugar or wheat. At certain point in time I will only eat kale, spinach and coconut water. This time I'm not going to make promises like that. I think it's best to take it slow and steady. 

Week no. 1 (May 23-29)

Food: Stop eating candy and chips. 

How did it go? Total success. It was difficult and I wanted candy but I didn't have any.  

Exercise: Walking and swimming

How did it go? Total success. I walked three times for 40 minutes and I went swimming three times. 

Plan for Week no. 2 (May 30-June 5)

Food: Stop drinking soft drinks

Exercise: Walk three times, swim three times