Fibro Update

Well, I realized that it's been a while since I've updated the internet about my life with fibromyalgia. The main reason being that since I started on my medication regime, and twice a month massages :), things haven't been so bad. Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, the pain days have returned...along with some new developments. Who knows if it's even related, but I've discovered my digestive system isn't what it used to be. It's as if each day I discover something else that doesn't agree with me. Namely - my dairy tolerance has about had it. Since most of you know me pretty well, you'll realize how much this bums me out. Hands down, my favorite food is cheese. Any and all kinds...I LOVE CHEESE. But as it turns out, maybe cheese doesn't love me back :(.

So today I escaped off to Panera to do some studying while eating the most delicious Chicken Cobb Salad, and sipping on a nice cup of tea...YUM! However, studying was hard to concentrate on because my knees and hips have been killing me lately...and even more, my shoulders seem to have it in for me. I gave up on the homework for a time, and instead did a little self research into the world of food. Haha. I read some articles pertaining to foods to eat more of, and those to avoid, if you suffer from symptom of fibromyalgia and fatigue. Boy was I surprised. Let's just look at my Cobb salad...

Lettuce - recommended against. Raw foods are apparently to be avoided. Guess that means Sushi too :(

Bacon - BAD. While protein is to be praised by people in my condition, pig products are horrible...mostly because of their salt content

Bleu Cheese - NOPE. Avoid dairy products. Bacteria, yeast...something like that.

Egg - One of the only good things in my salad. Healthy proteins.

Chicken - again, YAY! But only if it's not overly processed. Need to have organic and hand fed chicken/meats...preservatives do nasty things to your body...

And then, my tea... :(, apparently ANYTHING with caffeine is a big NO NO. How sad am I? The stimulants found in tea/coffee/sugar/sodas trigger pain receptors. And for some reason, most people find the "down" afterwards to be even worse than if they didn't consume the caffeine. This finding explained a lot. Around christmas time I resumed my daily 2 cups of coffee each morning. I guess that needs to change.

I found it ironic, sitting there, eating what I thought to be a healthy lunch for me...and realizing that it was all bad for my body in it's condition.

However, I did discover some crazy "yes's" that make me laugh :). Unfortunately, they'll probably cause me to put on some weight at the same time...

*Beans. Found several bloggers suggesting to eat just plain refried beans, or black beans...fiber, protein, and FAT that our bodies need. You better believe I can handle eating refried beans a couple nights a week :). Only, I want to have CHEESE on them!

*Potato Chips. While they suggest you find the chips with lower salt content...the fatty acids found in most potato chips and hydrogenated oils are apparently helpful :). WooHoo! Grama and her chip addiction have saved me!

*Soup. Low MSG soups and broths, of course.

Anyway, just a fun part of my day. So I picked up and left Panera, went to Albertsons and bought some new food items to get me through the week :). According to a couple of Dr.'s on WebMD, it really is a trial and error process for the individual. So I have decided to try out a few changes, to see if it helps. It is my goal to not be on medication for much longer :/, but with the way things are going, I'm not sure if that'll be an option...