I can’t wait to write this blog.  I have had a couple good things happen this week and weekend that I wanted to share with you. First let me say that I just finished nine weeks into the journey and I continue to do so well.  My pain level is down to a 3 and to tell you the truth, I considered actually making it a 2.  I would say 2.5 and how exciting is that?  Coming from an eight to a three in nine weeks  is nothing short of a miracle for me.

I wonder how many fibro patients are like me.  They worry about everyone else and put taking care of themselves on the back burner.  The doctor told me nine weeks ago that eating healthy would better enable me to cope with the stress in my life and that less stress would equal less pain.  I immediately thought yeah, right!  Not only do I work a high stress job that requires long hours but I feel like I was put on this earth to take care of everyone that I come in contact with that needs me.  Probably a lot of people that don’t even really need me (or maybe even want me).  I don’t talk much about me when I interact with people; instead I usually focus on them and what their problems are.  This brings me to the first of the good things that happened to me this week.  I ticked someone off this week (imagine that) and they told me I was heartless.  I looked at them and thought, really, are you kidding me.  I can think of a hundred adjectives to describe me but heartless would never, ever make the list.  I am the one that always says hi, glad to see you, I am fine and then immediately proceed into a conversation about you trying to determine what I can do to help you.  I have laughed a lot about that comment and maybe the laughter has helped improve my pain level but it did get me thinking.  Yesterday I went to a birthday party and saw several people that I had not seen for a few months.  As we were exchanging hugs and asking each other “how are you”, I would say great, I feel great.  It happened to dawn on me that I have said that for 20+ years when I didn’t feel great at all.  I didn’t even feel good most of the time.  It was always easier to get into a conversation about them than to start talking about me.  But yesterday it was different.  I said I felt great and actually meant it. What a blessing, I was giddy inside.  I FEEL GREAT!

And the next good think that happened to me, thanks to my friends on Facebook, I figured out how to swallow my Cod Liver Oil.  It works great.  Can you believe there is even a youtube video on how to take Cod Liver Oil?  Lisa and I watched it and took out a big spoon, held our noses and down it went.  That worked so much better than mixing it with yogurt.  Here is the link if you are interested http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-how-to-best-swallow-cod-liver-oil/.    If I could encourage each of you to take one small step toward a lower pain level and better control of your Fibromyalgia, the Cod Liver Oil would be my tip.  Not only is it an anti-inflammatory, but the other health benefits are numerous and it is something that requires very little effort.  Let me know if you already use it and how it has improved your health.

Until next week, please sign up to receive email updates of my blog.  And by all means, please continue to leave comments.  One little comment or idea from you could be all it takes to lower someone else’s “Fibro-Meter”.

I am two months into this journey, can you believe it?  When it first began, each day seemed like an eternity and now the days are just flying by and I am reaping the benefits everyday.  Yes my pain level is still at a 4 but my energy level has improved by leaps and bounds.   The reality of living with Fibromyalgia is that most likely we will never have a pain free day but a 50% improvement is huge.

I wanted to share the results of my doctor visit with you.  It has been 2 months since I last met with her and about 7 weeks since I started the detox.  She was very surprised with my progress.   She immediately noticed my weight loss which turned out to be 20 lbs and just icing on the cake for me.  I explained to her that my pain level had improved by about 50%, my blood pressure was down to 119/72 and my BMI was down 3.5 points.  We discussed all my concerns.  She explained that since I did the yeast detox and have been following a yeast free diet, she feels like the yeast should no longer be a problem.  I asked her about adding some fruit to my diet and she agreed that would be fine.  She told me to consume fruit like I do the starchy vegetables and limit them to 3-4 times per week.   She thinks adding fish oil (which she recommends liquid cod liver oil) to my diet could improve my pain level even more.  I still have quit a bit of inflammation in my back.

Now let’s talk about this liquid cod liver oil.  She so highly recommends this form of fish oil and the people in her office are convinced it is the best but I am having a hard time convincing myself.  The bottle said that it is the oil from the cod’s liver prior to any processing and I am thinking that was not really intended for this girl.  The bottle said 1 teaspoon but she told me I should take 1 Tablespoon.  Lucky me! She also said I could have one container of yogurt each day and I could mix my oil with the yogurt to get it down.   Now if she says to “get it down”, it ain’t good.   I hurried to the store and got my favorite strawberry yogurt and got home and realized this wonderful oil was lemon flavored.  All week I have looked at the bottle, which needs refrigerated.  I have even taken the bottle out several times, but I have yet to break the seal.  Tomorrow is the day.  Lisa, my co-worker, bought me some lemon meringue yogurt so tomorrow we are both going to try the cod liver oil in our lemon yogurt.  Heck yes I am dragging her into this.  She said she didn’t want me to go through this alone so I am very generously going to share it with her.  I will let you know next blog how this is going.

My tip for today comes from my most important mentor.  I have learned this and so much more from J.B. Glossinger, my Morning Coach and my friend.  His daily coast cast has drastically changed my life.  He recommends we make improvements 1% a day.  Just 1%!   We can all do this.  Just making one little change in our diet, our level of exercise, or our attitude can make such a difference in the way we deal with fibromyalgia and in the way we manage our pain levels.  The changes we have discussed in my blog have been drastic and the results have been also but if each person reading this will just start today by making one small change, before we know it another two months will have passed and the results could be huge.

Next blog I am going to begin giving you some tips to making the little changes in your diet so much easier.  Please sign up to receive email updates of my blog.  And by all means, please continue to leave comments.   I have received so many comments from both men and women all over the world that are suffering every day with Fibromyalgia.  Hopefully we can begin to lower their Fibro-meter also.