Soooo looooooong....

This cycle has been incredibly long and ridiculous. I am on CD 64, 12dpo - I assume af will arrive today. Had a migraine yesterday, low back pain and a bit of cramping, still some of the same today though the headache is much better. Hubby and I both gained almost 10# while we were on vacation, so hitting the diet pretty hard again - eating only meat, veggies and fruits (no beans, grains, sugars, nuts or dairy). We are gearing up for a serious try on the next cycle. I have some new prescriptions, started back to serious diet-watching, and am planning to be very focused this next cycle. I'll keep you posted!

Sciatica

Really struggling with this again the past 2 weeks. I actually had to take Ibuprofen and spend a day in bed on Wed with ice packs and just trying to reduce inflammation and tightness so that it could relax and stop being stretched/pinched, etc... I am doing some better and on Monday and Thursday this week actually was able to be pretty active and not notice much, but the next days were a bit more painful. I guess I am able to push myself, but not sure that's the best long-term. It is a throbbing/aching/pulling pain from below my hip bone in back and down through the buttocks and into my leg. I also at the same time get pain and a deep internal itch in my right hip where the hip bone sticks out the furthest - which can drive me crazy and the pain can get pretty intense especially at night when I try to sleep. I cannot lay on my right side for long which is annoying. I have noticed this time that I am also very constipated these last 2 weeks and that can make the pain and pressure much worse (enemas relieve it a bit). I can imagine everything in there inflamed and rubbing/pinching/constricting, not a good combination. It really makes me wonder about endometriosis on the sciatic nerve, uggh... I know I likely need some exploratory surgery, but uggh..... :-(

Painful cycle

 I am in lots of pain today.  I get this way every few months, so far this year has been December, January and April and now today.

I am on CD 21, taking no medications currently.  My ladycomp says that I ovulated on CD 16 (not sure why) my temp has been up the last 3 days.  According to my mucus symptoms, I would guess maybe an ovulation on day 18, but not quite certain.  I am still trying to learn how to tell the difference between semen and my mucus.  I had right abdominal pain/twinges  for the past 4 or 5 days.

Today, I have lots of lower back pain and sciatica pain, my legs are achey, I have this very irritating itchy feeling inside my right hip (nerve being pressed on? - can't scratch it!), I was very hot during the night last night and have slept restlessly the last couple of nights, I have joint pain and a slight headache today, I am SO tired... with the pain and exhaustion, I have been in bed for most of the day today, sleeping for 8 hours of it.

Not sure whether to associate it with actual ovulation, attempted ovulation, enlarged ovary, ovarian cyst, endometriosis, what???  I have 3 weeks until my appt with my specialist, but meet with my charting instructor next Thurs and will ask her if other clients have had this too... very curious and painful... wondering where it fits into the puzzle.

Failure?

Okay, so confession time: It has been a hard week. Thursday was very, very hard. Kids tummies were feeling better, but they were still weak and whiny. Will was having a hard time getting any energy or eating anything at all. I was in a lot of pain with my back/sciatica and had barely slept even with the heating pad. A wonderful friend brought us some herbal teas, and bless her heart some chicken noodle soup, a loaf of fresh whole wheat bread, basket of oranges and several DVDs. I gave up and served it all for dinner.... and then, I.... well, I convinced myself that I was battling depression and PMS and I *really* needed some chocolate.... so, I made brownies. Tom came home as they were coming out of the oven and made a hurtful comment, not on purpose, but ouch! So, I was in tears all night long (I NEVER cry). I felt sooo overwhelmed and tired of pain. I won't go into it all, but we talked through some stuff and I unloaded all my sorrows and yesterday was better, today is much better.

So.... today we have a church meeting and a planned meal at a local burger joint with the church officers and their wives (my hubby is a deacon). We will get more groceries on the way home. I am regrouping and re-evaluating. I am not sure what is going on with me, but I am thinking detox/die-off may have contributed. The kids were not very happy with eating soups for 3 days and were feeling very deprived. I *thought* it would be a good time to start since soups are great for sick tummies, but apparently not. I didn't think the food was that bad. Tom even liked the soups we had for dinner. But, I think we are going to step back and do the full GAPS diet for a while (meat, fruits, veggies - no sugar, no grains - broth and fermented at each meal) and reconsider doing Intro in a while, maybe then detox won't be as hard.

So, no failure, just learning and starting again. I need to do better about taking my supplements too, the last couple weeks have not been very good.

Pretty miserable today

All of us, well almost all, are feeling poorly today. Rose woke up feeling sick to her stomach and has lain around and slept most of the day without eating. Will is not vomiting anymore, but feels tired and says his tummy still hurts, he has not eaten either and took a good long nap today. Heather is feeling fine, Tom is feeling fine. I am in quite a lot of pain in my back, sciatica and legs. I have no idea if it is pre-cycle stuff or detox stuff or what, but not feeling well at all. I'm trying to get office work caught up on and I have a lot of other paperwork to do pre-taxes, but having trouble focusing and getting much accomplished. I took a small nap yesterday and today. I sure hope this all passes soon! We will all get salt baths again today to be sure we are detoxing well, I already got one and did my skin brushing.

Day 2 GAPS

Will got hit with the stomach bug today, threw up 4 times but doesn't seem to have a fever and didn't complain of any other leg aches or anything. Rose has been healthy so far, Heather was much better. Tom and I both have had bad headaches today.

I got a salt bath this morning and did a skin brushing - always feels so good. I drank 1 cup of black half-strength coffee this evening hoping it will help my head. I am assuming that stopping my large cup o' joe every morning cold-turkey could cause a headache. My neck and shoulders are pretty stiff from detox and my sciatica is acting up this evening.

We ate lots of soup today, had chicken with spinach and mushrooms for b'fast - yummy. We had meatball and veggie for lunch, and then meatball with a pureed veggie sauce for dinner. It was good too. I forgot to add the beet kvass until dinnertime.

Will did not eat at all today due to his stomach bug but did drink water and some tea.

I have to whine a bit... Tom had gained 10# over the holidays like I did, and he was asking to change our eating habits so his pants would fit well again. He has been eating whatever he wants though, stuff from the fridge that we can't have, etc.... he really hasn't started on GAPs with us. So, today, he just announced that he has lost the 10# over the course of the week. He has not had the stomach bug, so it's not that. I asked him what he ate today, and he says "taco leftovers from the fridge, some pkgs of peanuts, nutty bar and a McFlurry" Uggh!!!! So what has he changed? No burgers or soda. Ugggh, ugggh! Not fair at all.

Symptoms after the Holidays

I have not been eating well or exercising since Thanksgiving. :-( Many, many of my symptoms and several pounds have found me again... and a few extras:

• Very tired and low energy
• Heart palpitations
• Back pain and kidney pain
• Constipation
• Missing menses
• Sciatica with spotting/menses (from endo?)
• Knee and ankle pain
• Migraines
• Difficulty sleeping and rising
• Tonsil stones
• Itchy, flaky scalp and face
• Twitchy right lower eye lid
• Breakouts along chin
• Bloated and gassy
• Dark, sweet, cloudy urine (though blood sugar has been normal)
• Loss of appetite but increase in cravings for sugar
• Foggy brain and difficulty conversing and focusing on tasks

Hoping and praying for quick recovery as I start taking better care of myself. I need to remember to come back and read this when November hits next year - IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!!

More endo info

Endometriosis develops when endometrial-like tissue starts growing in places where it shouldn’t be, away from the lining of the uterus, often in the abdominal cavity or pelvic region, but sometimes in lungs or arms, and elsewhere. These tissue growths respond to hormonal signals in the menstrual cycle in the same way that uterine lining does, building up and breaking down each month. But while the uterine lining can be flushed out of the body during menstruation, the tissue remains of endometrial growths have no place to go. Internal bleeding, inflammation and other problems result.

Conventional diagnosis is difficult because even using a technique such as laparoscopy, in which the abdominal cavity is inspected through a fibre-optic tube inserted through a small incision at the navel, in many cases the endometriosis cannot be seen. Often the first clue a doctor has, especially if there are no obvious symptoms, is when a woman complains of infertility.

But for most sufferers, the symptoms are obvious and painful. Since endometrial tissue responds to the same hormones as the uterus does at menstruation, the sufferer has the same cramping pains, bleeding and irritation that are a familiar part of a normal menstrual cycle. Imagine agonising period pains that spread throughout the abdominal cavity and you understand why some women with severe endometriosis faint with pain.

Orthodox treatment is with drugs that all have unpleasant side-effects. According to Merck Manual of Medical Information, danazol, one of the most common treatments, can lead to weight gain, acne, a lowered voice, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, muscle cramps, bleeding between periods, mood swings, hair growth, liver malfunction and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Some things I can do (many I am already doing):

• WATER - lots and lots of water!!! (see below post)
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Eat more salmon
• Magnesium
• Red and green veggies
• Berries (anti-inflammatory)

Some things I need to reduce or remove from my diet:

• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Wheat
• Dairy

Endo

It looks like I can add endometriosis to my diagnosis', I've been suspecting it but last few months have experienced this...

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The pain you're experiencing in your right hip and lower back is most likely due to endo pressing on the sciatic nerve and is most often aggravated by the back flow of menstrual blood and (clotting). This pain can continue for many years but can be relieved by reducing salt intake and by drinking more water prior to menstruation so as to thin and flush out clotting. Your doctor most likely won't tell you this as they are far less experienced in understanding endo pain than those who have and live with the disease. The pain in the lower hip and back can be relieved by flushing out the kidneys and bladder simply by drinking alot of water.Also when you're experiencing excruciating pain try this...Lie down and bring your knees to your chin and hold for at least 15 minutes. I find that this really helps.
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I really, really, really need to be drinking my water.... need some people to help me be accountable. If I know you'll ask when you see me / chat with me, it will help me. Please? Thanks! :-)

Update

I have had a couple busy weeks, went to mom's for a few days last week and have had school, classes, soccer, etc... but wanted to update a bit here.

I have had quite a bit of improvement. In mood and coping abilities and weight loss mostly.

* Anxiety - still dealing with this a bit, depending on the day, usually worse in afternoons and evenings.
* Back Pain - not bad
* Cycle - a week overdue ???
* Exercise - not last week but back to it daily this week
* Food - doing very well with my food choices, digestion and bloating improved
* Migraine - none since Aug 5
* Sleep - when having a bad anxiety night it is hard to fall asleep lying down, but sleeping pretty well otherwise
* Supplements - Pretty consistent, feel like what I am taking is helping, considering adding a couple things soon
* Thyroid - swelling seems to be going down a bit, still wear down quickly but it will take time
* Tonsil stones - pretty much gone, not an issue right now - yeah!
* Yeast - detoxing with diet is causing some itchy skin/scalp, I need to do more brushing and salt water soaks.

I have been feeling better about my attention span, ability to have conversations without losing track of what I was saying/hearing, also doing better with patience with the children and hubby, I find I am able to manage my time better also - don't get stuck doing one thing without being able to see the other things that need attention and how to accomplish them.

Symptoms today

I had a frustrating day. Frustrated with myself because the week had been going so well but I woke up this morning and just didn't have any motivation. I laid in bed too long, I didn't stay on schedule with the kids, didn't stay on top of meals or clean-up, didn't take my supplements or exercise. So... just kinda down this evening. Not feeling horrible, but need to pick myself up and get back to it Monday. We will be gone much of the weekend and are having company Fri/Sat, so will start afresh on Monday.

Breathing is more difficult in the evening as usual, but not too bad. My heart was racing before I even woke this morning. Tom could feel it and asked me about it. I have no idea what I was thinking about or dreaming about, but it was pounding. Stopped after a bit. Other than that... not much else to report for now.

Symptoms today

Had another better day today. I was feeling really quite good this morning, didn't take my supplements until around 4pm though and I was feeling really, really tired by then. I think it was helping me to take them earlier in the day, to not get that exhausted 3pm thing. I woke up with a stiffness in my right shoulder and right side of my neck, not horrid but it's been there all day. I have a bit of discomfort in my throat, and am slightly constipated - and today I noticed that the patch of dry skin on my scalp seems to be returning. That is a yeast symptom for me and went away after my yeast detox diet over a year ago... it stayed away quite a while too. I am back on the diet now, so I hope it doesn't get bad. The evenings seem to be worse for me with the breathing issues. I need to do better with water still - need to get out a pitcher and fill it in the morning and pour from it through the day so I can see how much I am actually drinking and force myself to finish it. I did exercise today. I know that others are praying for me and I so appreciate it. Good night!

Symptoms today

Had a better day today. Tom agreed to take the phones in the mornings for me, the afternoons the kids did independent study/reading. I am tired, not used to being up so early, but it did help to get more accomplished during the day. Hoping I sleep better tonight.

Let's see, an update on symptoms...
*My anxiety/breathing was better during the morning, worsening through the afternoon and is pretty bad again tonight.
*Back pain is pretty much gone.
*Constipation has been much better for a couple weeks now.
*Cycle - felt a bit crampy in the belly and legs today, but nothing so far...
*Exercise - have been pretty consistent for 2 weeks now with some form of daily exercise, woo hoo!
*Food - vacation was pretty bad, just ate more frequently, though not horrible foods.
*Joint pain - not too bad right now.
*Migraine - none since last bout.
*Sleep - was doing pretty well until anxiety started, now tossing and turning but once I get to sleep I seem to do fine.
*Supplements - taking daily per list
*Throat - still get a bit hoarse and feel some tightness upon swallowing.
*Tonsil stones - greatly decreased, what has helped is more frequent brushing, including tongue and gargling with mouth was once a day.
*Water - working on drinking more, got down probably 48 oz today?
*Weight - uggh.... working on that, I started today with my strict diet again! :-)

There we go, a good run-down. Off to bed now.

Symptoms today

Today was not a bad day. We went to church and stayed just for morning worship, came home and grilled out for lunch before Mom and Oscar left. It was so yummy! I laid down and slept on the couch for a while after they headed out - yep, it was close to 4 and I was beat. I got up at some point and moved to my bed and slept until about 7. The most bothersome symptoms are my lower back and the constipation right now. AF is still hanging around. I took my supplements before bed since I had forgotten earlier. My tonsil stones seem a tad better, though I still was clearing my throat due to the feeling that something was down there. I feel hoarse, and I remember during my nap waking and feeling like there was some stabbing pain around my thyroid. It didn't last long, maybe it was a dream, I don't know? I am looking forward to starting exercise tomorrow.

Symptoms today

Today we slept in until 9am - the whole house! Nice :) My mom and her hubby are visiting, so I have been eating things I shouldn't but I am enjoying the time with them. We had a brief outing to the library and local shop for a few groceries but otherwise were home. I was able to sit and close my eyes for a few moments when my 3pm slump hit. We did not stay up too late.

I am still very constipated, af is still here, tonsil stones were bothersome, joints achey - esp wrist, no headache, lots of lower back pain. I did take my supplements and drank a couple glasses of water.