Nutrition and Lupus

It has been more than six years now since the doctors started putting one and one together and realized I probably have lupus (it took another six months get to in with a rheumatologist to confirm the diagnosis.  As someone who REALLY hates to take meds I figured I would take a nutritional approach to managing my disease.  I started off cutting the meat out and that lasted a while, technically I was a pescetarian.  There are certain aspects that respond well, mainly the no red meat.  Over time I went back to meat, not huge on red meat but I do enjoy it occasionally.  I continued my research and found that gluten and dairy are two triggers. I am not huge on dairy, but enough so I try not to cut it out of my diet unless I absolutely have to.  I started down the scary road of being gluten free.  Almost immediately I noticed an improvement.  Again, I stuck with it for a while and then decided I was fine and gluten didn’t affect me any more…  One of my constant reminders of my disease is costochondritis (inflammation of the rib cartilage), I have been to the ER a few times to ensure my heart was fine and I get the normal “It’s just your lupus.”  After a REALLY bad bout of the pain I figured I would go back to gluten free and within two days I could breathe easily without using any “as needed” medications.  I accidentally consumed something that had gluten (I didn’t check before I ate it, STUPID!), the next day I thought I was going to die! I am not to the point of being anal retentive about what I am willing to consume.  I have also found out my kidneys are not a huge fan of cola!  Once my kiddos are back in school and things calm down a smidge (trust me, life will never truly calm down!) I would like to give the autoimmune paleo diet a try.  I think it would be interesting to find out what all my body handles, what it barely tolerates and what annoys it.  I look at my son and he eats almost anything that doesn’t move fast enough and those days are long over for me.  This is the body I have until it’s my time and if I don’t take care of me, who will?

I guess it will truly be trial and error!

I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR A NUTRITIONIST, NOT EVERYONE IS THE SAME SO YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.

–Thomas Carlyle

Runner in a Broken Body

My emotional ankle is going on three months now.  I was able to deal with no running while I was stuck in a boot but now I am at the point that it hurts if I don’t run, it hurts if I do BUT my inside hurt if I don’t run but feel better if I do (mind you my “running” lately has been 17 minute pace so it isn’t even really running).  Unfortunately, the personal trainer I have been working with is not comfortable with that answer.  Physical therapy has hit a wall (my ankle keeps getting stuck) so they sent me back to ortho who is ordering an MRI.  As much as I hate to acknowledge setbacks, my physical therapist maybe might have a point and I need to find another method to feeling better on the inside.  One thing he recommended is boxing, which I do quite enjoy.  Today I was supposed to go for a run, but trying to listen to everyone I took my training to the pool.  For the past… week, my pleurisy has been acting up, nothing new, I am used to it and I have learned to deal with it quite well.  I did a gentle warm-up and then for the main part of my workout I used my snorkel without the airflow restrictor on.  I figured it would be a play it by ear swim, no equipment (excluding the snorkel) and just flat out enjoyed the water. 

As much as I hate to admit it, I am well aware of the fact that I must give my body time to heal and with lupus it can take longer than “normal”.  I had planned on running a half marathon every month in 2016 but silly me, I did not clear that plan with my dear friend lupus so that plan has gone out the window.  I might need regular reminders that this is for the best because, knowing me, I am going to fight it every step of the way.  Hopefully once I put the gloves back on I will be able to be distracted long enough to heal. 

I am signed up for two 5ks between now and the end of the year and I will do my very best to walk the course and just enjoy life!

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.

–Thomas Carlyle

To stretch, or not to stretch, that is the question!

Stretching is not really the question, the question is really to stretch before the run or after the run.  Due to my various medical conditions I have to be exceptionally careful in my training or I will end up stuck in bed for a month!  On Monday I figured I would get a few miles in on the treadmill since I was so short last week.  Within the first mile my calves and my back were KILLING me.  I paused the treadmill to try to stretch but it didn’t really do any good.  I managed to get a whole 1.7 miles in before I had to call it quits.  Tuesday, I put on a pair of compression socks and hit the dreamill again.  This time I spent a few minutes of warm-up stretching, more than 3 ½ miles later I was finishing up my time feeling great!  I did the same thing today for my “easy” run and had an incredible run!!!  I figure as long as the warm-up stretching makes my run great I will keep doing it.  I do always warm-up, but I think I need the warm-up stretching.

I have one more short run this week, which is on the calendar for tomorrow and then Saturday is my long run.  I am working on convincing my sister to do a portion of the run with me, it will be nice to see my sister out there on the trail.

Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.

–Swami Sivananda

Metaphor

I have been taking boxing/kickboxing classes for the past two weeks.  In a way these classes are a major metaphor for my life right now.  I had been flaring most of last year but it didn’t go full blown until around August.  I spent the better part of October relying on a wheelchair to get me from point A to point B.  November I started feeling like a human again, but still not doing well.  December I little better but I was still fighting like hell to be “normal” again.  During this time thanks (in part) to my medicine I managed to pack on some serious weight.  My rheumy changed my meds and my PC told me to get off the gluten and January I hit a turning point (except for the strep throat).  I was getting to the gym on a regular basis, not pushing too hard, but happy to be back up and moving.  The beginning of this month I upped my game plan.  Every even day I would swim and odd days I would “run”, I would take one day off a week for recovery and I would try something new!  That new is my boxing and kickboxing, well tomorrow I am giving Zumba a shot, but I really love getting into a spat with the heavy bag!  It occurred to me that the heavy bag is lupus and every time I kick it or punch it I am showing lupus who the boss is!

Wicked Witch of the East is Dead!!!!!!

In a way I still feel like I am in the tornado on the way to Oz, but I also feel like the house has landed and squished the Wicked Witch of the West.  I am still battling this flare (which by the way the rheumy thinks I also have fibromyalgia, but I will get to that later) which is why I feel like I am still in the tornado.  As far as the house landing, I got up this morning before ALL my running around and made it to the gym. I braved the scale and I was 3.1 pounds under my freak out weight.  I am currently the highest I have EVER been in my life (to include pregnancies) but that is ok, because that weight is the wicked witch! It has been squished and it will never be seen again!

I made it for a short pool time this morning.  I was already hurting so I didn’t want to push to hard.  I had no interest in hanging out with the pink haired ladies (no, they don’t actually have pink hair and no it is not nice to call them that…) in the water aerobics class. I wanted to swim.  My upper body is a smidge cranky so I figured I would do what I could! I got in and swam 500 meters freestyle.  I did have to stop just about every lap to adjust my goggles or my headphones.  Left shoulder was a little sore, but did not hurt.  The next 500 meters I figured I would try to get in some kicking and I was happy when my lower body did not disown me.  I had to alternate front and back to keep my back from going nuts, but I got it done.  I noticed the time and realized I didn’t have much time left so I walked the last 500 meters. I think I will keep my water walking distance down for the time being, it was not pleasant!  I mean it did feel good to be back in there doing something again, but I think my body like the swimming the best!

After a quick shower and change I was off to the rheumy.  During the initial check in I refused to get on the scale, but later the doc required me to get on anyway.  He came to the conclusion that my back and hips are not lupus related, they are RA related and he believes I have fibromyalgia (well, duh!!!!).  I am coming off the prednisone (YAY!!!!!) and going on something else.  He is also testing me to see if I can go on another lupus drug, can’t remember the name of it at this time, but I am at the point of just make this pain go away!!! OH!!! And the rheumy asked how my appetite has been I told him straight out I have been eating like a pig (which is why he made me get on the scale) he looked at me and said
“you know you aren’t supposed to, right?” It took EVERYTHING I had not to look at him and say ‘no shit Sherlock!!!!!’ but I didn’t say it!

I stopped and picked up lunch (running around day, planned on stopping and picking up lunch today). I had this Santa Fe salad thing and some shrimp! Yum!

Anyway, it is time to continue with my running in circles!

Patience my butt!

You hear people talking about starting over at square one, but what happens when you have to go back even further than square one? That is where I am at right now, in many ways it is heart breaking, but in a tiny way it isn’t such a bad thing. 

While I was walking in the pool today I kept looking up and seeing the people working on the weights and thought that would be nice to do.  I am not exactly sure how wise it would at this point, but the idea is still wonderful!  By my second lap I was already hurting, but I decided I would continue until a 1:45 pm (I had to pick my boys up for an appointment by 2:30).  I completed a total of 30 laps today, which, trust me, made me happy.  As I am typing this my hips and knees are making rude comments to me but rest of me feels relaxed! I had to promise my family I wouldn’t even look at a treadmill until I could walk a mile in the water without any pain, so it might be a while. But hey, I am in there working on it. 

My sister found out I was eyeballing the winter running series, I am pretty sure she wanted to kill me!  Hey, it doesn’t start until January, I might be ready by then! Yea, she wasn’t buying it either.  I was told that this will take as long as it needs to and I will NOT rush it! As runners/triathletes we are used to pushing ourselves.  Oh well, I guess I have to work on patience is a virtue!