I was a single mom from my mid 20's to my mid 30's. I have a completely type "A" personality and I used to be an always on the go, super active, overachieving, super mom... I could do it all. Or, at least I thought I could.
About 11 years ago, as a single mother, I got severely ill with some horrible virus and was pretty much bedridden for a four month period. After the virus finally subsided I was still super achy and fatigued all of the time. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. I was constantly experiencing extreme fatigue and all over deep aching pain. My hands would hurt so badly I could hardly hold a pen to write my name. I was in my early 30's at that time, and it was so NOT acceptable!!! Being type "A" I couldn't stand it when doctors told me that nothing was wrong with me, when surely I knew something was! My blood tests looked fine so as far as they were concerned nothing must be wrong.
I felt horrible and was in constant pain... This was definitely NOT NORMAL! And I was NOT okay!!! After many months and tons of tests, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I was basically a shell of my former self. No I wasn't skinny (I wish... lol), but I had no energy whatsoever and I barely spoke (I was someone who talked all the time, allot and fast before getting sick!!!). I went from wearing a suit every day and being a full time career mom, to being sickly and unable to work and hardly able to move. Ugh... It was horrible. I was just existing from day to day, but it wasn't much of an existence as my body just wanted to sleep and when I was awake I was pretty much a zombie. No, I was not depressed, I never have been... It seems depression is the doctor's first assumption and second and third for that matter!
Over time learning how to manage my illness became a priority. I was able to find several things to help me.... from non-narcotic medication to medical massage to nutritional supplements (vitamins)... etc.... and I now live a mostly normal life while having Fibromyalgia. I'm still in pain on a daily basis, but I've learned to manage it. I never let it get me down. I look at it like this "My limbs may hurt like hell, but I thank God every day that I have limbs"!!! It could be worse. What I deal with is not degenerative and is not life threatening. It is just a new way to live. I manage my time differently and I must rest when my body tells me to! Getting proper sleep is key to me feeling well! I've also found that what and how I eat play a huge factor in how I feel. Especially when it comes to getting headaches. I used to have severe migraines, as many as three or four days a week and they would completely incompacitate me to the point of being in bed for 24 hours straight each time, except when I got up to vomit. Then it was straight back to bed.
I found out that my diet played a huge part in my migraines. In fact, MSG will cause me a migraine within 15 or 20 minutes of eating anything with MSG (monosodium glutumate) as an ingredient. It was a little over 2 years ago that I discovered that MSG in my Campbell's soup at dinner made me go from feeling great to full blown migraine before I was even done with the bowl of soup. It was after that meal that I started testing MSG on rare occasion to see if I would get the same outcome, and everytime the headache would happen before I even left the table. Needless to say, MSG is the first ingredient I completely eliminated from my diet. I still get an occasional migraine, but maybe two a month now. Much better than the dozen or so I used to get!!!
Since MSG I have discovered other ingredients that make me feel crappy too... for me Red food coloring is an issue, as is High Fructose Corn Syrup.... Little by little I have been working to eliminate each one from my pantry! I am now challenging myself to get rid of all of the "BAD" ingredients which are basically poisons to my body and start eating whole foods and organic foods whenever possible. Be sure to read Ingredients to AVOID & WHY. This blog is my way of sharing what I have learned and what I will continue to learn with others and also help keep me accountable to this challenge.
I hope you can learn something along the way or get inspired to challenge yourself to eat better too.
I am currently a forty something wife, mother, DIY crafter and blogger who has a passion for decorating and a desire to share what I have learned with others.
Blessings,
Diana
If interested, you can also visit my decorating blog here: Anyone Can Decorate
About 11 years ago, as a single mother, I got severely ill with some horrible virus and was pretty much bedridden for a four month period. After the virus finally subsided I was still super achy and fatigued all of the time. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. I was constantly experiencing extreme fatigue and all over deep aching pain. My hands would hurt so badly I could hardly hold a pen to write my name. I was in my early 30's at that time, and it was so NOT acceptable!!! Being type "A" I couldn't stand it when doctors told me that nothing was wrong with me, when surely I knew something was! My blood tests looked fine so as far as they were concerned nothing must be wrong.
I felt horrible and was in constant pain... This was definitely NOT NORMAL! And I was NOT okay!!! After many months and tons of tests, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I was basically a shell of my former self. No I wasn't skinny (I wish... lol), but I had no energy whatsoever and I barely spoke (I was someone who talked all the time, allot and fast before getting sick!!!). I went from wearing a suit every day and being a full time career mom, to being sickly and unable to work and hardly able to move. Ugh... It was horrible. I was just existing from day to day, but it wasn't much of an existence as my body just wanted to sleep and when I was awake I was pretty much a zombie. No, I was not depressed, I never have been... It seems depression is the doctor's first assumption and second and third for that matter!
Over time learning how to manage my illness became a priority. I was able to find several things to help me.... from non-narcotic medication to medical massage to nutritional supplements (vitamins)... etc.... and I now live a mostly normal life while having Fibromyalgia. I'm still in pain on a daily basis, but I've learned to manage it. I never let it get me down. I look at it like this "My limbs may hurt like hell, but I thank God every day that I have limbs"!!! It could be worse. What I deal with is not degenerative and is not life threatening. It is just a new way to live. I manage my time differently and I must rest when my body tells me to! Getting proper sleep is key to me feeling well! I've also found that what and how I eat play a huge factor in how I feel. Especially when it comes to getting headaches. I used to have severe migraines, as many as three or four days a week and they would completely incompacitate me to the point of being in bed for 24 hours straight each time, except when I got up to vomit. Then it was straight back to bed.
I found out that my diet played a huge part in my migraines. In fact, MSG will cause me a migraine within 15 or 20 minutes of eating anything with MSG (monosodium glutumate) as an ingredient. It was a little over 2 years ago that I discovered that MSG in my Campbell's soup at dinner made me go from feeling great to full blown migraine before I was even done with the bowl of soup. It was after that meal that I started testing MSG on rare occasion to see if I would get the same outcome, and everytime the headache would happen before I even left the table. Needless to say, MSG is the first ingredient I completely eliminated from my diet. I still get an occasional migraine, but maybe two a month now. Much better than the dozen or so I used to get!!!
Since MSG I have discovered other ingredients that make me feel crappy too... for me Red food coloring is an issue, as is High Fructose Corn Syrup.... Little by little I have been working to eliminate each one from my pantry! I am now challenging myself to get rid of all of the "BAD" ingredients which are basically poisons to my body and start eating whole foods and organic foods whenever possible. Be sure to read Ingredients to AVOID & WHY. This blog is my way of sharing what I have learned and what I will continue to learn with others and also help keep me accountable to this challenge.
I hope you can learn something along the way or get inspired to challenge yourself to eat better too.
I am currently a forty something wife, mother, DIY crafter and blogger who has a passion for decorating and a desire to share what I have learned with others.
Blessings,
Diana
If interested, you can also visit my decorating blog here: Anyone Can Decorate
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete