I'm sitting here, 11:30 at night, smelling the chocolate cake I made for Amee that is cooling. So I thought, hey a blog about CAKE!!!! No just kidding. This is actually about food and my battle to overcome it.
As a kid and teenager, I was able to eat anything I wanted and still remained slender. I never learned how to eat properly. When I became an adult I started to realize this (especially after gaining so much weight with Amee). I didn't think I ate that bad, but really I was lying to myself. So here is how I overcame food, maybe it will help someone else :)
1. Stop lying to yourself! So very important, especially when trying to track calories, sugar, sodium, fat, etc. Be totally honest and think about everything you put in your mouth. Don't slam a handful of cookies and then tell yourself you have no idea why you can't lose weight. Get rid of the junk and start buying more produce. Try new things, find what you like (and get some really good, healthy, low cal dressings, trust me they will save your sanity).
2. Don't rationalize the junk. 3 things to ask yourself before you decide on that Big Mac and fries. Do you want it? Do you need? Can you live without it?
-If you want it, ask yourself why, then see if there is a healthier alternative (even if it means just cutting out the fries or swapping them for apples w/ carmel)
-Chances are you don't need it. If your hungry, eat, but make it good. If you're going splurge, make sure it is just a splurge and not a binge.
-You need food to live, but you don't need junk food to live.
3. Keep a food journal. I kept a mental one, but some may find it helpful to write it down. Write down every single thing you eat, then record how it makes you feel. Do you feel bloated, irritated, tired? Do you feel full or stuffed? Are you hungry again in 30-60 minutes? Write it all down and evaluate what is working and what isn't.
4. "I can't live without my carbs" I used to say this too. You CAN live without your carbs, but you're addicted. Break the addiction. Go 2 weeks with no carbs (or at least no wheat) and see how you feel. I'm not saying you can never have carbs, but you can be smart about it. I still eat bread sometimes and we have pasta sometimes 2-4 times a month. I don't count carbs at all, doesn't even cross my mind, but I don't make them a main staple either. You CAN live without carbs, trust me :).
5. "I don't like (insert healthy food here)". Totally understand. I don't like fish, unless it's bear battered, fried and served with tarter sauce. But don't make the assumption that you don't like certain foods right away. Detox the junk, then start trying new stuff again. Research on how to pick produce and try it several times (it can take up to 7 times to learn to like something). Once you clean out your system and your tastebuds have a chance to repair themselves, you may be surprised just how different everything taste.
6. Splurge! Find some healthy alternatives for the worst of your forbidden treats and allow yourself to have some others that aren't so bad (my indulgence is sugar free pudding and sugar free apple cider). Let yourself have treats. If you constantly deny yourself, you are setting yourself up for some serious binging later. Just remember, a splurge should be one meal or one snack, not the whole day (that is binge-ing, so is "splurging" everyday).
7. Do your research. I recommend reading the Eat This, Not That books and articles. They helped me so much. It's a huge wake up call when you find out that dinner out was equal to eating 10 Big Macs. They also give you healthier options and ways to order some of your favorites in a healthy way. I can't even think about Cheesecake Factory without gagging a little now.
8. Read the labels. The whole thing! From Calories down to ingredients. If you don't know what the ingredients are, look them up (you'd be surprised how many different names there are for sugar and wheat). Also pay careful attention to serving sizes. A lot of companies try to make themselves look better by putting ridiculously small serving suggestions on the label.
9. If you didn't make it, don't trust it and all salads are not created equal. Basically, be careful of "healthy" sounding foods (like salad) that are loaded with as many calories as massive binge fest at Burger King. A lot of your favorite restaurant recipes can be made at home for less money and less trauma to your waistline. Also be aware of the "healthy" sounding stuff you may have at home that could damage your efforts. Again, read the labels. Does that granola bar really sound healthy with 20+ grams of sugar. Trade it for a plain yogurt (sweeten with Stevia or your own favorite sweetner, just not sugar) with low fat low sugar granola. Or have a smoothie. Smoothies made at home are wonderful for you (and they taste indulgent). And be very careful with dried fruits. A lot of them have added sugar and chemicals and think about this - how many grapes does that handful of raisins equal? It would be better just to have the grapes.
10. Move. Workout, dance with your kids, chase them down the hall, walk to the mailbox, park far away from entrances, etc. Just get up and start moving. If you feeling tired, try a workout and see how you feel afterwards. Don't push yourself to hard in the beginning, you don't want to injure yourself.
11. Getting upset is okay, just don't give up. I have had days where I come home from the gym and cried, but I keep going. I know what I'm doing is going to help me in the long run. Take your time. Results don't happen over night. Don't be too hard on yourself. Losing weight is hard and there are going to be speed bumps along the way.
12. Don't crash/fad diet. They don't work! The ones that do are only temporary. Once you go back to your old eating habits, the weight will come back. Change your lifestyle and the way you eat. You don't need to starve to lose weight. In fact, I eat every 2-4 hours (and good stuff too, no rice cakes or cabbage soup for me).
13. The most important one, at least for me. Get a good support group. Whether it's friends, family, a trainer, a weight loss group, etc., just get the support you need. People that will encourage you, but be tough enough to keep you on track.
14. Drink water! Extremely important. Cut out the soda too. I know it's hard. It took me about 2 weeks before I stopped having the "Man I could really go for a soda" urges. You can do it and you will feel better. Don't like water? Try getting filters for you tap, buying flavor pouches or bottles flavored water. Just get more H2O into your system. You're body will thank you!
Well, I know there is more, but now I'm ready for bed. Good luck and remember, beauty comes from within too.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
When Mommy Is Not Happy, NOBODY Is Happy!
Beware of rampaging mother! You've been warned lol!
But honestly it's not my fault. My cycle and hormones are all out of whack (again! This has been happening since I was 15 and to this day, I still can't get a straight answer from a doctor about why it happens). I take an herbal suppliment that helps to balance out my mood swings, but it does nothing to help the mess that my cycle has become. I haven't had a real period in about 2 months. Oh yes, I know "Lucky, wish I wasn't having a period". Ya ya ya, I here this all the time and let me tell you, it's annoying as HELL! I have this problem on and off, always have. When it happens I have all the joys of period (cramps, back pain, swelling, mood swings, etc), just little to no bleeding. This may sound like a better option, but let me tell you, it's so not. Now I will spend the next however many weeks/months wondering when my period will decide to show up (and usually it's at the worst possible moment, like at the gym in the middle of a workout). I will have random spotting and of course the pain, that comes and goes as it pleases, is always a fun fest.
I'm sure it's caused by stress and losing weight and stress (did I mention the stress?). There has been a lot going on lately and while I've managed to keep a pretty good attitude about everything, my stress level is pretty high. I am extremely frustrated with trying to lose weight (and an out of whack cycle does not make THAT any easier either) and being all crazy emotional doesn't help. So sometimes I snap and then everyone's upset, which upsets me even more and then everyone else and around and around and around we go. Oh joy. Oh yes, and no medical insurance, so I can't hop on down the doctor's office either. Another stress factor. Awesome.
But honestly it's not my fault. My cycle and hormones are all out of whack (again! This has been happening since I was 15 and to this day, I still can't get a straight answer from a doctor about why it happens). I take an herbal suppliment that helps to balance out my mood swings, but it does nothing to help the mess that my cycle has become. I haven't had a real period in about 2 months. Oh yes, I know "Lucky, wish I wasn't having a period". Ya ya ya, I here this all the time and let me tell you, it's annoying as HELL! I have this problem on and off, always have. When it happens I have all the joys of period (cramps, back pain, swelling, mood swings, etc), just little to no bleeding. This may sound like a better option, but let me tell you, it's so not. Now I will spend the next however many weeks/months wondering when my period will decide to show up (and usually it's at the worst possible moment, like at the gym in the middle of a workout). I will have random spotting and of course the pain, that comes and goes as it pleases, is always a fun fest.
I'm sure it's caused by stress and losing weight and stress (did I mention the stress?). There has been a lot going on lately and while I've managed to keep a pretty good attitude about everything, my stress level is pretty high. I am extremely frustrated with trying to lose weight (and an out of whack cycle does not make THAT any easier either) and being all crazy emotional doesn't help. So sometimes I snap and then everyone's upset, which upsets me even more and then everyone else and around and around and around we go. Oh joy. Oh yes, and no medical insurance, so I can't hop on down the doctor's office either. Another stress factor. Awesome.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Inside Me There Is A Skinny Girl Trying To Get Out. I Usually Shut The Bitch Up With Chocolate!
Most of us have been here before, struggling with the demon that is weight loss. I'm smack in the middle of this battle now. I look at my high school pictures and want to just cry.
See! This was my Junior Prom! I looked awesome!!!!! Rocking a size 6-7!
This is me now :(. So not rocking a size 18 and miserable.
Well, 2 kids later and that girl has been long buried. The trouble started with my first child. I had a horrible reaction to my hormone levels which resulted in throwing up everything I ate, a horrible purple rash on 75% of my body and gaining around 80 pounds! After I had her, I discovered just how difficult weight loss was. I had never had to worry about it before. I was always very active, so I ate what I wanted. BIG MISTAKE! Even though I had my first child at 20, being young did nothing for my plight.
Just before I got pregnant with monster number 2, I began to lose weight FINALLY. I had lost about 15 pounds and then BOOM! Prego!!!! So much for weight loss. Pregnancy with Mickey was not nearly as bad as Amee and I was able to eat a little healthier. But I still put on about 50 pounds. After I had her I became determined. I was sitting at a very scary 250 pounds! It's terrifying to even say that number. I was worried about all kinds of problems. So as soon as I got the all clear from the doctor, I began my journey. I worked out, ate a very restrictive diet (aka boring!) and even tried a few weight loss pills. I lost 50 pounds in about 4-6 months. I was so proud of myself :). I thought nothing could stop me now.
Then came divorce and a move from Califonia to Washington. I was so busy, I didn't really have time to work out and my diet was quickly going down the drain. Surprisingly I was still losing weight. I was shocked, but hey, I sure wasn't going to complain. But then things went wrong. I began to feel really tired all the time, just over all run down. I ignored it for a year, figuring I was tired from dealing with Mickey's illnesses. Winter of 2007 the pain started. All over horrible pain that would wake me up in the middle of the night. And I was still losing weight.
So off to the doc I went. Turns out I had a really really bad vitamin D deficiency. So the doc loaded me up on vitamin D and I began to feel better. Then the weight started coming back (see what happens when you get healthy!!!). Between spring of 2008 and spring of 2010, I got back up to 215. I was devastated. I was exhausted and depressed and on top of that I had a chronically ill child. It's so hard to find the motivation to work out when your daughter is constantly asking you to sit with her. I couldn't stand to look at myself the mirror.
So I finally made the decision that this had to stop. I had two children and a husband that needed me! I joined a local gym and began the long journey, not only to get my weight under control, but to find myself again (that happy, bubbly bouncy ball of energy that Ryan fell in love with). I needed to get healthy for me. I needed to get healthy for Mickey, especially since we were closing in on a diagnosis. Shortly after joining the gym, I started working with trainers. The change has been amazing! I'm getting stronger, I have tons more energy. I am a better mother and a better wife.
The journey has just begun, but already I'm beginning to hover into the under 200 pounds range (by the end of this week, hopefully I will officially be under 200). I've lost 15 pounds and lots of inches. The muscle is coming on and the fat is melting off! My first goal is to reach 150 pounds. At that point I will decide just how much muscle I want to build up and how small I want to get. I also have completely changed the way we eat. The girls are totally gluten free (mostly for Mickey's Fibromyalgia, but it also helps Amee too). We eat a lot more fresh fruit and I eat more salads. I make healthy dinners at home and we keep eating out to a minimum (and when we do eat out, it's just me and Ryan). I work out 5-6 days a week with at least 3 of those days being weight training. I'm going slow and doing this the right way so that this time the weight stays off for good.
My trainers are incredible. I have one, Kevin, who I work with regularly. He is AWESOME! He pushes me hard, but also encourages me every step of the way. I have been physically challenged in ways I haven't felt since colorguard and water polo. The other trainers I work with occasionally, Max and Donnie, work with me to change things up a bit. They all work hard to help me work past my hurdles and to keep my workouts from getting boring. The understand my reasons for wanting to get my weight under control and they have all been extremely supportive (in fact the entire training team at the gym has been so great to me).
It is now almost the end of October and I'm on my way to becoming a healthy, fit, sexy Momma! I want to reach 150 by summer 2011 and have a plan ready for the rest of my training regiment. It's been a difficult road so far. I've hit hurdles, had breakdowns and gotten really frustrated, but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and my family and friends have been really wonderfully supportive. If it weren't for them, I would probably still be laying on my fat ass, being sad and pathetic.
So here's to all the women struggling with their weight. To all the ones that are fighting hard to do something about it. To my friends that have been supportive. To my family that does what they can to make sure I stick with it. To my wonderful husband, who puts the kids to bed so I can go to the gym, encourages me and tells me I'm beautiful everyday (even when I don't feel beautiful), makes me go to the gym even when I don't want to and helps me out around the house when the trainers work me to the point of not being able to walk ;).
Well, 2 kids later and that girl has been long buried. The trouble started with my first child. I had a horrible reaction to my hormone levels which resulted in throwing up everything I ate, a horrible purple rash on 75% of my body and gaining around 80 pounds! After I had her, I discovered just how difficult weight loss was. I had never had to worry about it before. I was always very active, so I ate what I wanted. BIG MISTAKE! Even though I had my first child at 20, being young did nothing for my plight.
Just before I got pregnant with monster number 2, I began to lose weight FINALLY. I had lost about 15 pounds and then BOOM! Prego!!!! So much for weight loss. Pregnancy with Mickey was not nearly as bad as Amee and I was able to eat a little healthier. But I still put on about 50 pounds. After I had her I became determined. I was sitting at a very scary 250 pounds! It's terrifying to even say that number. I was worried about all kinds of problems. So as soon as I got the all clear from the doctor, I began my journey. I worked out, ate a very restrictive diet (aka boring!) and even tried a few weight loss pills. I lost 50 pounds in about 4-6 months. I was so proud of myself :). I thought nothing could stop me now.
Then came divorce and a move from Califonia to Washington. I was so busy, I didn't really have time to work out and my diet was quickly going down the drain. Surprisingly I was still losing weight. I was shocked, but hey, I sure wasn't going to complain. But then things went wrong. I began to feel really tired all the time, just over all run down. I ignored it for a year, figuring I was tired from dealing with Mickey's illnesses. Winter of 2007 the pain started. All over horrible pain that would wake me up in the middle of the night. And I was still losing weight.
So off to the doc I went. Turns out I had a really really bad vitamin D deficiency. So the doc loaded me up on vitamin D and I began to feel better. Then the weight started coming back (see what happens when you get healthy!!!). Between spring of 2008 and spring of 2010, I got back up to 215. I was devastated. I was exhausted and depressed and on top of that I had a chronically ill child. It's so hard to find the motivation to work out when your daughter is constantly asking you to sit with her. I couldn't stand to look at myself the mirror.
So I finally made the decision that this had to stop. I had two children and a husband that needed me! I joined a local gym and began the long journey, not only to get my weight under control, but to find myself again (that happy, bubbly bouncy ball of energy that Ryan fell in love with). I needed to get healthy for me. I needed to get healthy for Mickey, especially since we were closing in on a diagnosis. Shortly after joining the gym, I started working with trainers. The change has been amazing! I'm getting stronger, I have tons more energy. I am a better mother and a better wife.
The journey has just begun, but already I'm beginning to hover into the under 200 pounds range (by the end of this week, hopefully I will officially be under 200). I've lost 15 pounds and lots of inches. The muscle is coming on and the fat is melting off! My first goal is to reach 150 pounds. At that point I will decide just how much muscle I want to build up and how small I want to get. I also have completely changed the way we eat. The girls are totally gluten free (mostly for Mickey's Fibromyalgia, but it also helps Amee too). We eat a lot more fresh fruit and I eat more salads. I make healthy dinners at home and we keep eating out to a minimum (and when we do eat out, it's just me and Ryan). I work out 5-6 days a week with at least 3 of those days being weight training. I'm going slow and doing this the right way so that this time the weight stays off for good.
My trainers are incredible. I have one, Kevin, who I work with regularly. He is AWESOME! He pushes me hard, but also encourages me every step of the way. I have been physically challenged in ways I haven't felt since colorguard and water polo. The other trainers I work with occasionally, Max and Donnie, work with me to change things up a bit. They all work hard to help me work past my hurdles and to keep my workouts from getting boring. The understand my reasons for wanting to get my weight under control and they have all been extremely supportive (in fact the entire training team at the gym has been so great to me).
It is now almost the end of October and I'm on my way to becoming a healthy, fit, sexy Momma! I want to reach 150 by summer 2011 and have a plan ready for the rest of my training regiment. It's been a difficult road so far. I've hit hurdles, had breakdowns and gotten really frustrated, but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and my family and friends have been really wonderfully supportive. If it weren't for them, I would probably still be laying on my fat ass, being sad and pathetic.
So here's to all the women struggling with their weight. To all the ones that are fighting hard to do something about it. To my friends that have been supportive. To my family that does what they can to make sure I stick with it. To my wonderful husband, who puts the kids to bed so I can go to the gym, encourages me and tells me I'm beautiful everyday (even when I don't feel beautiful), makes me go to the gym even when I don't want to and helps me out around the house when the trainers work me to the point of not being able to walk ;).
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Why I Love My Husband...
A friend of mine posted about why she appreciates her husband and it got me thinking about all the things I love about Ryan.
1. He makes me smile. Everyday. It's no exaggeration. Everyday he finds a way to make me smile. Some days are easy, other days he works really hard. But he doesn't give up until he gets that smile.
2. He does everything he can to allow me the ability to stay home. He knows it's important to me, especially since Mykayla cannot be in public school or daycare due to her Fibromyalgia. He even told me the other day that he was looking at getting a second seasonal job to pull in some extra money (unfortunately nothing is available right now that works with our schedules, but the fact that he looked was touching).
3. Like me, he has no desire to "own" a house at this time. We both believe that you do not need a mortage to have a home. Home is what you make with your family.
4. He has been there for Mykayla since she first got sick. He takes time off to go to important doctors appointments. He lays with her on the couch when she doesn't feel good. He even gets up with her in the middle of the night (which thankfully has not been happening as much).
5. He helps Amee when she is struggling with boys or friends or life in general. Basically, he is just a really good dad, which can be difficult sometimes when you have 2 girls.
6. He makes me feel loved everyday.
7. He helps me around the house when I'm feeling overwhelmed.
8. He watches the girls and gets them into bed at night so that I can go to the gym.
9. He has the same problem with not liking the feeling of being "stuck" somewhere for long periods of time.
10. He loves me because of my oddness, not inspite of it.
11. He rubs my feet when they swell and my back and shoulders when they hurt.
12. He lets me lay down and take a break from everything whenever life starts to get to be too overwhelming.
13. He is completely supportive of me trying to lose weight and my work out regiment.
14. He keeps me on budget, while also letting me splurge on occasion.
15. He cares about my safety. I had to take the girls to a doctor appointment by myself, when it started hailing bad. He called me to make sure I got there safely. I have driving anxiety and he doesn't make me drive if I'm feeling uncomfortable with it.
16. We've been together for over 4 years and he still brings me flowers.
I know that there are many more things I could list, but now I have children yelling at and around me, so I can't think anymore lol. But you get the idea, my husband is awesome and I am very lucky to have him!
1. He makes me smile. Everyday. It's no exaggeration. Everyday he finds a way to make me smile. Some days are easy, other days he works really hard. But he doesn't give up until he gets that smile.
2. He does everything he can to allow me the ability to stay home. He knows it's important to me, especially since Mykayla cannot be in public school or daycare due to her Fibromyalgia. He even told me the other day that he was looking at getting a second seasonal job to pull in some extra money (unfortunately nothing is available right now that works with our schedules, but the fact that he looked was touching).
3. Like me, he has no desire to "own" a house at this time. We both believe that you do not need a mortage to have a home. Home is what you make with your family.
4. He has been there for Mykayla since she first got sick. He takes time off to go to important doctors appointments. He lays with her on the couch when she doesn't feel good. He even gets up with her in the middle of the night (which thankfully has not been happening as much).
5. He helps Amee when she is struggling with boys or friends or life in general. Basically, he is just a really good dad, which can be difficult sometimes when you have 2 girls.
6. He makes me feel loved everyday.
7. He helps me around the house when I'm feeling overwhelmed.
8. He watches the girls and gets them into bed at night so that I can go to the gym.
9. He has the same problem with not liking the feeling of being "stuck" somewhere for long periods of time.
10. He loves me because of my oddness, not inspite of it.
11. He rubs my feet when they swell and my back and shoulders when they hurt.
12. He lets me lay down and take a break from everything whenever life starts to get to be too overwhelming.
13. He is completely supportive of me trying to lose weight and my work out regiment.
14. He keeps me on budget, while also letting me splurge on occasion.
15. He cares about my safety. I had to take the girls to a doctor appointment by myself, when it started hailing bad. He called me to make sure I got there safely. I have driving anxiety and he doesn't make me drive if I'm feeling uncomfortable with it.
16. We've been together for over 4 years and he still brings me flowers.
I know that there are many more things I could list, but now I have children yelling at and around me, so I can't think anymore lol. But you get the idea, my husband is awesome and I am very lucky to have him!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
How Sweet It Is....
Mickey is *gasp* sleeping!!!! And not JUST sleeping. She is sleeping well and taking naps again! This is a huge breakthrough for us :). She started having trouble sleeping at about age 2. She absolutely refused to take naps (in fact her stubbornness and refusal led to shoving something up her nose in protest and we had to take her to the ER to have it vacuumed out lol). Everyone told me "oh maybe she just doesn't need them anymore". But she was soooo cranky. And then the trouble sleeping at night started. Long story short, she wasn't sleeping!
Anyway.... She's been gluten-free since about July, but even that hadn't helped her sleep. So we started Melatonin at night. That worked wonders *happy Mommy*. But she was still super cranky in the evening and naps were a terrible fight everyday. A little over a week ago we started her on a pretty heavy vitamin regiment (well, heavy for a 4 year old that is) after her doctors finally agreed she has Fibromyalgia. She currently takes 10 different suppliments totaling 16 pills (17 on days that are really bad). Since then she has started taking a nap every day :)! It has done wonders for her attitude in the evening. Now if I could just find a way to fix her attitude when she first wakes up, lol.
Amee's new glasses came in 2 weeks ahead of schedule :) *happy Mommy again*. She had to get bi-focals this time. Poor kid, even my vision isn't so messed I need bi-focals (my glasses are just so thick that they cost a small fortune). Hopefully these will help her reading (hoping hoping hoping). Now I just have to find time to go pick them up. Having one car (and having to let hubby use it everyday for work) is really a pain.
Anyway.... She's been gluten-free since about July, but even that hadn't helped her sleep. So we started Melatonin at night. That worked wonders *happy Mommy*. But she was still super cranky in the evening and naps were a terrible fight everyday. A little over a week ago we started her on a pretty heavy vitamin regiment (well, heavy for a 4 year old that is) after her doctors finally agreed she has Fibromyalgia. She currently takes 10 different suppliments totaling 16 pills (17 on days that are really bad). Since then she has started taking a nap every day :)! It has done wonders for her attitude in the evening. Now if I could just find a way to fix her attitude when she first wakes up, lol.
Amee's new glasses came in 2 weeks ahead of schedule :) *happy Mommy again*. She had to get bi-focals this time. Poor kid, even my vision isn't so messed I need bi-focals (my glasses are just so thick that they cost a small fortune). Hopefully these will help her reading (hoping hoping hoping). Now I just have to find time to go pick them up. Having one car (and having to let hubby use it everyday for work) is really a pain.
Monday, October 18, 2010
What Is Fibromyalgia?
So life got a little hectic and my blog got pushed to the back burner for a few days. To get back into it, I thought I would start by answering a question we get often What is Fibromylagia? I am going to give you the very basic "clinical" description and then go more into depth of what Fibromylagia truelly means for a child and how it has affected our family.
- http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/rheumatology/diagnose/jpfs.htm
When you read just the basic description, it sort of appears to be "not that bad". That's the problem, Fibromylagia is one of the most misunderstood diseases/disorders out there. There are still even some stubborn doctors and people that think it's not even a real problem, that it's created by someone thinking they have a problem. This idea was even common about 15 years ago. About 10 years ago it was believed this disease only affected adults. In about the last 5 years has there been more studies done, providing more information about Juvenile Fibromyalgia, but even now, it's still commonly believed that it can't show up until puberty. It is believed that it may be caused by neurotransmitters miss-firing pain signals, but even though this is a commonly accepted theory, it is still not known for sure if this is what happens or why it happens. There is also still debate about whether there is a hereditary gene passed on that predisposes someone to developing Fibromyalgia. Since my sister was also diagnoses with Juvenile Fibromyalgia, my vote is for it being hereditary.
That is what makes Mykayla's case so rare. 1 in 6 young girls will develop Fibromylagia around puberty. Pretty common right!?! It becomes more uncommon in children between 7-12 and, as it's been said to us, almost unheard of in children under 7. Mykayla is 4 (almost 5) and started showing the full blown symptoms at around 2.
A better description of our everyday life and her everyday struggle can be found at WebMD.com.
If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.
As you can see, once you break down all the symptoms, it is not just "all over pain and fatigue". This is a condition that can render a bouncy four year old to a limp, lethargic, lump of child in a matter of minutes. She can happy and laughing to crying and miserable in a blink. There are periods of little to know symptoms, called remission. When symptoms return, it is referred to as a "flare". Flares can be caused by anything. A virus (or bacterial infection), poor nights sleep, stress, hormone changes, vitamin deficancy, food intolerance, physical activity, cold, heat, sun exposure or just because. It also puts extra stress on the body, which compromises the immune system. For Mykayla, this means that even just a simple "cold" can cause fevers over 102.
How has this affected our family-
How hasn't it!?! Ever had to deal with a cranky 4 year old? Try dealing with one who also has a migraine, a fever, all over pain and stomach cramps. How about those fun temper tantrums? Well those stress her body, which sends into a flare (which can last a few hours or a few days). So we have to deal with the tantrum and then the aftermath. Mykayla is one of the few Fibro sufferers that has chronic daily stomach pain (like my sister), so even good days are not totally pain free. She can't be in public school or daycare because her compromised immune system cannot fight off all the infections she would be exposed to and because her random fevers are high enough to get her sent home (which would mean that even during a good remission, she would still be sent home at least once a week). This is why I'm a stay-at-home-mom. No one is going to employ someone who constantly has to leave for a sick child. Making plans is very difficult and we always have to have a back up in place just in case she flares up (especially since sometimes there is no warning, like when it happened during a recent shopping trip at Wal-mart). We must be very careful about her vitamin regiment and her diet, or we all pay the price. And mornings are the worst around here. Every morning she is a cranky, irritable mess until about 9. Since I'm not a morning person myself, we are quite the pair lol.
So in a nutshell, FYBROMYALGIA SUCKS! It's not imaginary, nor is it a disease that only affects older adults (or even older children for that matter). It is the invisible monster, undetectable by medical testing. It is a disease that continues to be misunderstood (even by doctors) and misdiagnosed. My hope is that my blogs about my daughter will help even just one parent. Give them hope that they will discover what is ailing their precious child. Fibromyalgia is difficult and life long, but it is very manageable. The most important part is to get a diagnosis (so you know what you're dealing with) and to find the treatment that works best for your child. And also, to not listen to the skeptics.
As one Rheumatology doctor put it- In a way, I feel worse for my patients with Fibromyalgia then those that have Lupus. With Lupus, we know what it is, we know what causes it, we know how to treat it. Fibromyalgia causes all the pain of Lupus, but because every case is different, some patients never find full relief. As a doctor, Fibromyalgia is a devastating diagnosis, because too often, once we confirm diagnosis, there is nothing more we can do.
What is Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JPFS)?
Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JPFS) causes a person to experience musculoskeletal pain “all over” and fatigue as their main symptoms. JPFS is a condition that has no known cause. Traditionally, patients with JPFS are cared for by rheumatologists because of the symptoms of muscle and joint pain.- http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/rheumatology/diagnose/jpfs.htm
When you read just the basic description, it sort of appears to be "not that bad". That's the problem, Fibromylagia is one of the most misunderstood diseases/disorders out there. There are still even some stubborn doctors and people that think it's not even a real problem, that it's created by someone thinking they have a problem. This idea was even common about 15 years ago. About 10 years ago it was believed this disease only affected adults. In about the last 5 years has there been more studies done, providing more information about Juvenile Fibromyalgia, but even now, it's still commonly believed that it can't show up until puberty. It is believed that it may be caused by neurotransmitters miss-firing pain signals, but even though this is a commonly accepted theory, it is still not known for sure if this is what happens or why it happens. There is also still debate about whether there is a hereditary gene passed on that predisposes someone to developing Fibromyalgia. Since my sister was also diagnoses with Juvenile Fibromyalgia, my vote is for it being hereditary.
That is what makes Mykayla's case so rare. 1 in 6 young girls will develop Fibromylagia around puberty. Pretty common right!?! It becomes more uncommon in children between 7-12 and, as it's been said to us, almost unheard of in children under 7. Mykayla is 4 (almost 5) and started showing the full blown symptoms at around 2.
A better description of our everyday life and her everyday struggle can be found at WebMD.com.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?
Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:- Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, weakness in the limbs, and leg cramps
- Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy
- Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
- Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
- Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks
- Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Tension or migraine headaches
- Jaw and facial tenderness
- Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
- Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
- Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise
- A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet
- Painful menstrual periods
- Dizziness
If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.
As you can see, once you break down all the symptoms, it is not just "all over pain and fatigue". This is a condition that can render a bouncy four year old to a limp, lethargic, lump of child in a matter of minutes. She can happy and laughing to crying and miserable in a blink. There are periods of little to know symptoms, called remission. When symptoms return, it is referred to as a "flare". Flares can be caused by anything. A virus (or bacterial infection), poor nights sleep, stress, hormone changes, vitamin deficancy, food intolerance, physical activity, cold, heat, sun exposure or just because. It also puts extra stress on the body, which compromises the immune system. For Mykayla, this means that even just a simple "cold" can cause fevers over 102.
How has this affected our family-
How hasn't it!?! Ever had to deal with a cranky 4 year old? Try dealing with one who also has a migraine, a fever, all over pain and stomach cramps. How about those fun temper tantrums? Well those stress her body, which sends into a flare (which can last a few hours or a few days). So we have to deal with the tantrum and then the aftermath. Mykayla is one of the few Fibro sufferers that has chronic daily stomach pain (like my sister), so even good days are not totally pain free. She can't be in public school or daycare because her compromised immune system cannot fight off all the infections she would be exposed to and because her random fevers are high enough to get her sent home (which would mean that even during a good remission, she would still be sent home at least once a week). This is why I'm a stay-at-home-mom. No one is going to employ someone who constantly has to leave for a sick child. Making plans is very difficult and we always have to have a back up in place just in case she flares up (especially since sometimes there is no warning, like when it happened during a recent shopping trip at Wal-mart). We must be very careful about her vitamin regiment and her diet, or we all pay the price. And mornings are the worst around here. Every morning she is a cranky, irritable mess until about 9. Since I'm not a morning person myself, we are quite the pair lol.
So in a nutshell, FYBROMYALGIA SUCKS! It's not imaginary, nor is it a disease that only affects older adults (or even older children for that matter). It is the invisible monster, undetectable by medical testing. It is a disease that continues to be misunderstood (even by doctors) and misdiagnosed. My hope is that my blogs about my daughter will help even just one parent. Give them hope that they will discover what is ailing their precious child. Fibromyalgia is difficult and life long, but it is very manageable. The most important part is to get a diagnosis (so you know what you're dealing with) and to find the treatment that works best for your child. And also, to not listen to the skeptics.
As one Rheumatology doctor put it- In a way, I feel worse for my patients with Fibromyalgia then those that have Lupus. With Lupus, we know what it is, we know what causes it, we know how to treat it. Fibromyalgia causes all the pain of Lupus, but because every case is different, some patients never find full relief. As a doctor, Fibromyalgia is a devastating diagnosis, because too often, once we confirm diagnosis, there is nothing more we can do.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Bittersweet Chocolate
Have you ever had bittersweet chocolate by itself? It has this satisfying sweetness to it at first, but if you're used to milk chocolates, then you might be put off by the bitter aftertaste that follows. Personally I don't think it's terrible, but it's not something I would seek out. I prefer actual dark chocolate myself. No, this is not a blog about chocolate, lol. This blog is actually about using the term "bittersweet" to describe something that is both good and bad.
We've been battling health problems with my youngest daughter since she was 1 (she is now almost 5). When she was 1 she developed Mastoiditis (and infection of the Mastoid bone) and had to have 2 surgeries to fix it and put tubes in her ears. Before that she was sick with throat and ear infections for 2 months, that just would not go away, no matter what antibiotics they put her on. The surgeries and the Mastoiditis landed her in the hospital for 5 days. Those were some of the longest days of my life. I barely slept. About 2 months after that she got pneumonia. That was really scary. I've never seen a child turn gray before. I was so scared of losing her. It just seemed like no matter what we did, she just kept getting sick.
So I quit my job and became a stay-at-home-mom. Once she was out of daycare, things seemed to get a little better. The infections cleared up and the doctors seemed to think she just had severe allergies and maybe asthma. At around 2 years old she began to have trouble sleeping. It started with her naps. It became a daily fight to get her to take them. Some people told me, maybe she was ready to stop naps, but she was just so cranky whenever she didn't take them. Then she started having trouble falling asleep at night. Some nights it would be a 2-3 hour fight to get her to go to sleep, a real problem for her sister since they share a room. We brought it up to her ear, nose and throat doctor, but again he insisted that she had severe allergies. Unfortunately they would not let us allergy test her until she was 3.
Just after she turned 3, we took her in for allergy testing. Turns out she doesn't have ANY allergies! Not even "seasonal" ones. We took this info back to the doctor, but again he insisted it must be allergies. After that, I started taking her to a "family medicine" doctor. Her sleeping had become worse (now she was waking up 2-3 times a night, along with having trouble falling asleep and napping) and she was now complaining of headaches and stomach pain. She was also starting to run low grade fevers often, with no symptoms of being "sick".
We were immediately referred to a Neurologist. She had lots of blood work, and MRI and an EEG. All normal. So we tried treating her for migraines. But after about 3 months of it not working, it was becoming clear it was migraines. So then we were referred to a Rheumatologist, which was a 2 month wait. During that time her fevers got worse, she passed 2 kidney stones and had developed sun sensitivity. She was easily fatigued, but still not sleeping and she began to not want to eat some foods that used to be her favorites. She had also gotten Chicken Pox twice in 1 year (even after having the vaccine) and any cold she got spiked her fever up to 101-102. We began to find ourselves confined to our home because taking her out was just too hard. I asked the Neurologist about the possibility of her having Fibromyalgia and he assured me she was too young.
Finally we saw the Rheumatologist. What a waste of time! We went over everything with her. All the symptoms, our concerns and again I brought up Fibromyalgia (my sister was diagnosed with it as a teenager, so it runs in the family). She barely looked her over and told us no it was Fibromyalgia and that at this time she wasn't "sick enough". She told us to go home and wait until she got worse. I was heartbroken. I was watching my daughter suffer and there was nothing we could do to help. She sometimes so pale and she had developed terrible dark circles under eyes that would not go away.
So we stopped seeing doctors for awhile. A couple of months later the fevers seemed to stop, but she still had all the other symptoms. Then in January, the fevers and headaches started again. This time worse. She was in pain and running fevers everyday. Her fevers were now between 100-101.8 (instead of ranging from 99.5-100). Her insomnia was much worse. None of us were getting much sleep. By May I had her insurance switched and figured out and found her a new doctor, this time a Pediatrician. She immediately could see something was just not right. She ran blood work and a urinalysis. The only thing that came back with anything abnormal was that there were blood cells in her urine. Mickey was then sent out for an abdominal ultrasound, which came back normal (but the tech was so sweet and gave Mickey an ultrasound picture of one of her kidneys, which she just loved lol). Next was a bone scan. Those are not pleasant for someone so young. She hated the IV and meds they gave her and then she had to be put under anethesia for the test (same thing for the MRI less than a year before). Again, everything normal.
Next was a referral to Infectious Disease and an ANA blood test. Finally something came back abnormal, her ANA was elevated. Infectious Disease re-ran the ANA less than a month later and it doubled! They thoroughly examined her and carefully went over all her symptoms. Then the bad news.... She had to be sent back to the department that had dismissed us almost a year ago, Rheumatology. This time they suspected Lupus. We were very scared for our daughter. We just wanted answers, a way to help her.
But once again Rheumatology was not much help. They dismissed her again and it wasn't until I had a sobbing breakdown in the doctors office, that she realized just how much this was affecting all of us. At this point, she finally admits that her headaches, insomnia, pain and stomach problems along with a weakened immune response (although her test showed her immune system to be normal) did indicate that we were most likely dealing with Fibromyalgia. I have to admit it took every ounce of strength I had left to keep me from ripping into her! Just a year ago we were told it was all but impossible, now all of sudden it was "oh well, it could be".
Not one to give up, her Pediatrician decided to run more test, just to be sure we weren't missing anything. She checked for Celiac's and tested her vitamin D levels. Celiac's was negative, but her vitamin D was low, so we were referred to Gastroenterology and recommended to put her on a gluten free diet to see if it helped her symptoms. We also decided to put our oldest on the diet as well to treat her possible ADHD (the difference has been incredible!) and cut our gluten to almost none as well. Gastro also recommended the GF diet, since that is now a common way to help manage Fibro and put her on a daily mild laxative to help her digestive track work better and hopefully help her absorption rate.
The difference was amazing! Her headaches and fevers became less often (and her fevers more mild except when she was actually sick). Her attitude became better and her fatigue lessened considerably. It didn't help her insomnia, but we now give her melatonin for that. After 2 months, we went back for a follow up. She still needs the laxative, her digestive track just doesn't work right on it's own at this time, but they confirmed that they too believe she has Fibromyalgia.
So now the "bittersweet" explanation-
Sweet: We now know whats wrong and we are learning new ways to help manage her condition.
Bitter: Had the doctors listened to me in the first place, we could have started to treat her 1-2 years ago and she wouldn't have had to suffer.
Sweet: Fibromyalgia is manageable and the disease itself does not cause physical damage.
Bitter: It is a life long disease (I know that it's commonly called a "syndrome or disorder", but it causes dis-ease in the body and therefore that is how I refer to it). Mickey's is also complicated by a very severe Gluten Intolerance, so she will need to be on a GF diet for the rest of her life. There is no set treatment for Fibro, especially in her age. We have chosen a natural course of treatment. Mickey currently takes 16 pills a day of vitamins and suppliments, plus her mild daily laxative (which is a softener not a stimulant, so it's safe for her to take as long as she needs, even forever). Though the disease itself does not cause physical damage, the effects of the symptoms can. Her immune system is weaker than most children her age and her intolerance to gluten is so sensitive that one meal with gluten in it will give her a temp of over 101 for 3 days. The insomnia makes it harder to recover from even a mild cold. Also any infection (viral or bacterial) sets her into a flare up of Fibro symptoms (worse insomnia, high fever, headaches, stomach pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- CFS and chronic all over pain or discomfort).
Another bittersweet thing for us is that thankfully Mickey will never be alone in this. Because my sister also suffers from Fibromyalgia (and was diagnosed as a juvenile), she can completely understand how Mickey feels. Mickey will always have someone to turn to and talk to about what she is going through. Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstoond diseases out there, but Mickey will always have love and support (from all her friends and family). It will be tough at times, especially right now since she still doesn't understand why sometimes she just doesn't feel good or gets tired very easily when they other kids don't. Thankfully I am able to stay home and homeschool her, so that she doesn't have to deal with this in a public school. We work through it one day at time, thankful that it's not something worse and thankful that we are able to help her manage this. It's not easy to watch a 4 year old suffer, but she is a lot better than she was 1-2 years ago and we will continue to research and try to find ways to help her even more.
So that is my bittersweet story of my little Mickey. Her story continues on and we will continue to help her and raise awareness about Fibromyalgia. There is one last thing I leave you with, something we run into often. There is nothing that irritates me more than hearing "She doesn't look sick". My daughter pushes through everyday with more strength and determination than some adults. She may not "look sick", but she suffers more than most will ever know. Some days she is happy and bouncy, others, she can't even get off the couch. Please don't judge an illness by how someone looks. Fibromylagia is often called the "silent pain" because often you cannot "see" just how bad the symptoms are, but know that they are there and they are very serious. In the end, keep an open mind and an accepting heart.
We've been battling health problems with my youngest daughter since she was 1 (she is now almost 5). When she was 1 she developed Mastoiditis (and infection of the Mastoid bone) and had to have 2 surgeries to fix it and put tubes in her ears. Before that she was sick with throat and ear infections for 2 months, that just would not go away, no matter what antibiotics they put her on. The surgeries and the Mastoiditis landed her in the hospital for 5 days. Those were some of the longest days of my life. I barely slept. About 2 months after that she got pneumonia. That was really scary. I've never seen a child turn gray before. I was so scared of losing her. It just seemed like no matter what we did, she just kept getting sick.
So I quit my job and became a stay-at-home-mom. Once she was out of daycare, things seemed to get a little better. The infections cleared up and the doctors seemed to think she just had severe allergies and maybe asthma. At around 2 years old she began to have trouble sleeping. It started with her naps. It became a daily fight to get her to take them. Some people told me, maybe she was ready to stop naps, but she was just so cranky whenever she didn't take them. Then she started having trouble falling asleep at night. Some nights it would be a 2-3 hour fight to get her to go to sleep, a real problem for her sister since they share a room. We brought it up to her ear, nose and throat doctor, but again he insisted that she had severe allergies. Unfortunately they would not let us allergy test her until she was 3.
Just after she turned 3, we took her in for allergy testing. Turns out she doesn't have ANY allergies! Not even "seasonal" ones. We took this info back to the doctor, but again he insisted it must be allergies. After that, I started taking her to a "family medicine" doctor. Her sleeping had become worse (now she was waking up 2-3 times a night, along with having trouble falling asleep and napping) and she was now complaining of headaches and stomach pain. She was also starting to run low grade fevers often, with no symptoms of being "sick".
We were immediately referred to a Neurologist. She had lots of blood work, and MRI and an EEG. All normal. So we tried treating her for migraines. But after about 3 months of it not working, it was becoming clear it was migraines. So then we were referred to a Rheumatologist, which was a 2 month wait. During that time her fevers got worse, she passed 2 kidney stones and had developed sun sensitivity. She was easily fatigued, but still not sleeping and she began to not want to eat some foods that used to be her favorites. She had also gotten Chicken Pox twice in 1 year (even after having the vaccine) and any cold she got spiked her fever up to 101-102. We began to find ourselves confined to our home because taking her out was just too hard. I asked the Neurologist about the possibility of her having Fibromyalgia and he assured me she was too young.
Finally we saw the Rheumatologist. What a waste of time! We went over everything with her. All the symptoms, our concerns and again I brought up Fibromyalgia (my sister was diagnosed with it as a teenager, so it runs in the family). She barely looked her over and told us no it was Fibromyalgia and that at this time she wasn't "sick enough". She told us to go home and wait until she got worse. I was heartbroken. I was watching my daughter suffer and there was nothing we could do to help. She sometimes so pale and she had developed terrible dark circles under eyes that would not go away.
So we stopped seeing doctors for awhile. A couple of months later the fevers seemed to stop, but she still had all the other symptoms. Then in January, the fevers and headaches started again. This time worse. She was in pain and running fevers everyday. Her fevers were now between 100-101.8 (instead of ranging from 99.5-100). Her insomnia was much worse. None of us were getting much sleep. By May I had her insurance switched and figured out and found her a new doctor, this time a Pediatrician. She immediately could see something was just not right. She ran blood work and a urinalysis. The only thing that came back with anything abnormal was that there were blood cells in her urine. Mickey was then sent out for an abdominal ultrasound, which came back normal (but the tech was so sweet and gave Mickey an ultrasound picture of one of her kidneys, which she just loved lol). Next was a bone scan. Those are not pleasant for someone so young. She hated the IV and meds they gave her and then she had to be put under anethesia for the test (same thing for the MRI less than a year before). Again, everything normal.
Next was a referral to Infectious Disease and an ANA blood test. Finally something came back abnormal, her ANA was elevated. Infectious Disease re-ran the ANA less than a month later and it doubled! They thoroughly examined her and carefully went over all her symptoms. Then the bad news.... She had to be sent back to the department that had dismissed us almost a year ago, Rheumatology. This time they suspected Lupus. We were very scared for our daughter. We just wanted answers, a way to help her.
But once again Rheumatology was not much help. They dismissed her again and it wasn't until I had a sobbing breakdown in the doctors office, that she realized just how much this was affecting all of us. At this point, she finally admits that her headaches, insomnia, pain and stomach problems along with a weakened immune response (although her test showed her immune system to be normal) did indicate that we were most likely dealing with Fibromyalgia. I have to admit it took every ounce of strength I had left to keep me from ripping into her! Just a year ago we were told it was all but impossible, now all of sudden it was "oh well, it could be".
Not one to give up, her Pediatrician decided to run more test, just to be sure we weren't missing anything. She checked for Celiac's and tested her vitamin D levels. Celiac's was negative, but her vitamin D was low, so we were referred to Gastroenterology and recommended to put her on a gluten free diet to see if it helped her symptoms. We also decided to put our oldest on the diet as well to treat her possible ADHD (the difference has been incredible!) and cut our gluten to almost none as well. Gastro also recommended the GF diet, since that is now a common way to help manage Fibro and put her on a daily mild laxative to help her digestive track work better and hopefully help her absorption rate.
The difference was amazing! Her headaches and fevers became less often (and her fevers more mild except when she was actually sick). Her attitude became better and her fatigue lessened considerably. It didn't help her insomnia, but we now give her melatonin for that. After 2 months, we went back for a follow up. She still needs the laxative, her digestive track just doesn't work right on it's own at this time, but they confirmed that they too believe she has Fibromyalgia.
So now the "bittersweet" explanation-
Sweet: We now know whats wrong and we are learning new ways to help manage her condition.
Bitter: Had the doctors listened to me in the first place, we could have started to treat her 1-2 years ago and she wouldn't have had to suffer.
Sweet: Fibromyalgia is manageable and the disease itself does not cause physical damage.
Bitter: It is a life long disease (I know that it's commonly called a "syndrome or disorder", but it causes dis-ease in the body and therefore that is how I refer to it). Mickey's is also complicated by a very severe Gluten Intolerance, so she will need to be on a GF diet for the rest of her life. There is no set treatment for Fibro, especially in her age. We have chosen a natural course of treatment. Mickey currently takes 16 pills a day of vitamins and suppliments, plus her mild daily laxative (which is a softener not a stimulant, so it's safe for her to take as long as she needs, even forever). Though the disease itself does not cause physical damage, the effects of the symptoms can. Her immune system is weaker than most children her age and her intolerance to gluten is so sensitive that one meal with gluten in it will give her a temp of over 101 for 3 days. The insomnia makes it harder to recover from even a mild cold. Also any infection (viral or bacterial) sets her into a flare up of Fibro symptoms (worse insomnia, high fever, headaches, stomach pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- CFS and chronic all over pain or discomfort).
Another bittersweet thing for us is that thankfully Mickey will never be alone in this. Because my sister also suffers from Fibromyalgia (and was diagnosed as a juvenile), she can completely understand how Mickey feels. Mickey will always have someone to turn to and talk to about what she is going through. Fibromyalgia is one of the most misunderstoond diseases out there, but Mickey will always have love and support (from all her friends and family). It will be tough at times, especially right now since she still doesn't understand why sometimes she just doesn't feel good or gets tired very easily when they other kids don't. Thankfully I am able to stay home and homeschool her, so that she doesn't have to deal with this in a public school. We work through it one day at time, thankful that it's not something worse and thankful that we are able to help her manage this. It's not easy to watch a 4 year old suffer, but she is a lot better than she was 1-2 years ago and we will continue to research and try to find ways to help her even more.
So that is my bittersweet story of my little Mickey. Her story continues on and we will continue to help her and raise awareness about Fibromyalgia. There is one last thing I leave you with, something we run into often. There is nothing that irritates me more than hearing "She doesn't look sick". My daughter pushes through everyday with more strength and determination than some adults. She may not "look sick", but she suffers more than most will ever know. Some days she is happy and bouncy, others, she can't even get off the couch. Please don't judge an illness by how someone looks. Fibromylagia is often called the "silent pain" because often you cannot "see" just how bad the symptoms are, but know that they are there and they are very serious. In the end, keep an open mind and an accepting heart.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Vacation, sort of...
After being incredibly busy and stressed, hubby has decided to take a little vacation. He is home with us for the rest of the week :). No, were not going anywhere (I wish). We are pretending to be flat broke so that we can put money in savings for moving back to Cali. So what do we do with this marvelous time. Since we have one car and hubby uses it everyday for work, we are catching up on stuff I've put off. Today was blood work for the Boo (Mickey) and a dentist appointment for hubby. Also had to take Amee into the walk in clinic for a sinus infection. Tomorrow will be making an appointment for the tires and my time with my trainer. Thursday is Boo's follow up with Gasteroenterolgy at Children's Hosptial. Friday is eye appointments for me and Amee (and hopefully squeezing in a fill for my nails). It's going to be a busy week, but at least it will all be done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)