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.

Well, today is the day. Monday April 16, 2012.

First of all it is starting off as an OMG! day.  I feel like I have been run over by a Mack truck.  I think I can feel the tire marks on every inch of my body.  It is 4:30 a.m. and I wish my very long day was not starting out like this.  In the kitchen I go.  First order of business is to take my meds.  Among the 4 pills I take in the morning are my cymbalta which should help me deal with the pain associated with Fibromyalgia and 2 Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen caplets.  As I said before, I have tried a variety of bee pollen. At first I felt like they really helped but that was short lived.  I have tried several other versions but continue to take these because I have several bottles of them.  I don’t think they hurt me any and maybe they help some.   Then I crawled in the Shower ( I typed jump but then I thought really, I wouldn’t exactly call what I did a jump) I listen to my daily dose JB and off to work.  I am only  working until noon today so I will go early to make up my time.

You see about four weeks ago I went to an event in Fort Lauderdale that was sponsored by J.B. Glossinger from www.morningcoach.com.  My daughter and son-in-law went with me.  At 32,000 feet when we were discussing the new business, they informed me that our entire family had talked and decided they were going to do an intervention for me or on me.  An “intervention” you say.    Let’s see, can I repeat what I was saying under my breath?   Don’t think so.    And just what kind of an intervention did they have in mind?  Well it seems that they have done some research and if I make drastic changes in my diet they feel my “Fibro-Meter” will come down drastically and that I should see some measurable improvement in my pain and fatigue levels.  The clouds were thick and the turbulence was quite frankly more than I like to experience.  I think the excitement of the event along with the flying conditions put me in a weakened state and I agreed to try whatever they had in mind.

Mandy, my daughter had been looking for a medical doctor that specialized in natural remedies for many diseases including fibromyalgia.  She searched within 100+ miles and low and behold, two came up. Surely I could see that this was a “sign” she went on to tell me because one of them was only minutes from her house.  Imagine my surprise as I mumbled more sailor talk under my breath.   The plane is jumping and jerking and the fasten seat belt sign was blinking faster and faster and now on top of all of that, a “sign”.     She couldn’t wait until we landed to call and schedule my appointment.

I was waiting in baggage claim and so anxious to get outside to begin enjoying sunny Florida when she came running up to tell me that she got me an appointment on Monday, April 16, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.  Oh my, I could hardly wait.  I was sure there was no backing out of this one.   And guess what else, there is more????  She had already made herself an appointment with the doctor and she talked to the doctor about the entire family, especially good old Mom.  They were sure they could help me but I would have to give up soda, sugar and probably gluten.   I guess I should tell you know that I am a stress eater.  We all know who we are and when we stress eat, we sure don’t eat vegetables.  I drink two things, Sweet Tea and Sprite.  You can sure see where this is going for me.  But I am not going to whine about it.  I want to take on this new opportunity with the business and so if I have to give up every last thing that I like to eat, I will do it. ……..

Well today is the day that I meet the doctor.  Mandy is going with me for moral support (she thinks I will run out as soon as he says no sugar).  I am committed, no matter how drastic the diet change is going to be, I will make every effort to give it a chance.  I am getting ready to make the 2 hour drive to his office.  Let’s see what happens.   I really appreciate your coming along with me on this journey.  I think that if I know you are keeping tabs on me, I will be more apt to make a concerted effort to change.  Feel free to comment on my blogs.  I will need your help to stay on the straight and narrow.  Also please forward them on to all your Fibro friends.

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I need to catch you up quick because the “real” journey begins tomorrow.  In my introduction I explained that I have been struggling for 22 years with Fibromyalgia.  My pain level most days is high and usually is not confined to the normal pressure points the “experts” define.  The lack of sleep or should I say lack of quality sleep leaves me so fatigued and that is probably what I struggle with most.

My daughter and son-in-law have started a new internet business at www.healthykids.com.  They have asked me to be the E-Commerce manager for the business and I am so excited.  We attended the International Home Show in Chicago in early March and together selected some wonderful products to feature on their web site to help busy parents raise healthy kids.

Now in my real life I am the Human Resource Manager for a Manufacturing facility here in West Virginia.  I love my job and quite frankly I think I am very good at it.   Problem is that I drive 57 miles in each direction to work every day and on top of the two hour commute, I work nine to ten hours a day.  My husband says I try to be “wonder woman” which explains how I have developed this position into a very high stress, demanding job.

Because of the fibro, every day is an effort.  My day starts with a struggle to get up because I am so fatigued and so stiff, I get through the day often times taking several Aspirin Free Excedrin’s (which have now been taken off the market) and then go home eat and go straight to bed.  I take medication to help me go to sleep at night and then I take medication in the morning to help me deal with my pain.  Not sure any of the 5 prescription meds I take help but I am afraid to stop taking them just in case they are.

I don’t want to bore you with this stuff because I know it is the same thing all of us go through each day but I need to give you a little background into why I am starting this new journey.  I am hardly making it through the day now and I have taken on this new exciting opportunity.  Something has to change for me to successfully do both jobs.

The one constant and wonderful thing in my life aside from my family is that every weekday morning I listen to my mentor, JB Glossinger at www.morningcoach.com.   He is a life coach and teaches personal development and he has completely changed my life.  His positive life lessons have taught me that I can live a productive life even with this terrible diagnosis.  One thing I know for sure is that no matter what hand you have been dealt in life, your cure or your improvement always begins with your mental outlook on the problem.  You Can When You Believe You Can.

Tomorrow the journey begins.  Please join me as I embark on the most challenging step I have taken since being diagnosed in 1990 with Fibromyalgia.  Up to this point everything I have tried and every medication I have taken has been on my terms.   I have always felt the pain was bad enough that I shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything else to possibly make a difference.  But I think that will all change tomorrow.

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