Jan 7 2013
I was really planning to wait to share an update until things got back to more ‘normal’ what ever that is! ha! But the truth is, things never really do settle down. Yes, I am just today getting back on track COMPLETELY with my Hypoglycemia Diet, and yes, I am just beginning to sleep better because I’m not having any sugar.
So funny, I did so well for the first week, then New Years hit and it was like I just used up all my self control and it was gone! LOL 😀 Well, I didn’t do THAT bad, but I ate a whole Turtle one day!
Anyways, back to Fibromyalgia! ha! So, The first 13 months on the Guaifenesin protocol was pretty rough for me. I am in the 15% of people that is what’s called a Low-dose, Fast-responder. Basically all that means is that it takes a VERY low dose of Guaifenesin for me to respond very strongly to it. 80% of people on the guaifenesin protocol are like my husband, he can’t even tell he’s taking it, and doubles it sometimes to get it to clear faster. NOT FAIR.
But THEN came month 14!!! WOW! I had energy to do SO much! It was shocking! But nobody could tell, because I was using all my energy on my Christine’s Homemade Creations products. It’s alot of work getting all my ingredients and equipment out, making up the recipe (lotions take 4 hours mostly on my feet) and then the packaging and meeting customers at MY DOOR! How crazy is THAT?! I shut it down a week before Christmas because I had no time for doing my own Christmas shopping. All that to say, I was doing pretty good to be able to do that much. My husband had to step in alot to help though, and that’s not cool. My goal is to be able to do BOTH the business AND take care of my home and cooking at the SAME time!! 😀 Right now, I am working on my home responsibilities and figuring out a little balance with my priorities. I am working on ways to cut down on the work it takes for me to sell my product too. I’ll be letting you know how that goes!
My legs still hurt sometimes, my sciatica was pinched for about a month, my fibrofog got so bad that I can barely remember that month. But NOW- My head is clearER (notice I said clearer not clear?! heh) I can think, I can multi task (most of the time). I can clean more in my house. I haven’t started exercising yet, I don’t actually think I have enough energy for that yet. I think I would have to skip doing the dishes to have enough energy to exercise. But that will come! I am not NEARLY as depressed or distracted as I was. I remember (notice, I REMEMBER?!) all day long wondering the house wishing I could remember what I went in that room for… that hasn’t happened in a while!
Figuring out Salicylate free products is SO much easier now! I don’t even think about it anymore, I just automatically check all the ingredients and have it mostly memorized what everything is 🙂 In fact! When I went out for tea the other day, I planned on blocking that day as tea is my favorite thing in the whole world, and I only do this a couple times a year. Well, even while I had PLANNED on blocking for a day, as we were drinking the tea, these thoughts kept running through my head- ‘maybe if i add a little more milk it won’t be so strong and it won’t be concentrated enough to block…’ or ‘maybe if i just have ONE cut it won’t be enough to block the Guaifenesin…’ You see? it becomes part of daily life! I had to TELL myself to relax and enjoy it! and I sure DID enjoy it!
But YEP- I still have pain. In fact, I think the cycle I’m in right now is giving me some pretty bad pain, not worse than before Guai, but pretty intense. My shoulders, neck and upper back are clearing, I can practically FEEL the swelling. I have to consciously remember to relax those muscles, I just automatically scrunch up my shoulders to protect my neck and upper back. But this too shall pass! I know it, because each time I cycle a rough spot, it passes eventually and I feel so much better than before 🙂
OK, so maybe I’m not actually DOING more, but I sure feel better, and so it seems like I MUST be doing more! hehe! To me the brain fog was the worst part. SO immobilizing. And my journal numbers are HALF what they used to be! I used to be about 150+ for my symptom pain and discomfort, now I am around 80!! So SOMETHING is totally working!! 😀 One day… ahhh, the dreams and hopes of a future! So FUN! 😀
I am so very thankful to my God, church and my husband for his support and encouragement! He even bought me a Roomba irobot Vacuum cleaner for Christmas! It does all the work FOR ME! I LOVE It!!
Here’s some helpful links you might be interested in:
What is Fibromyalgia? in my own words 
paper written by Dr St Amand for the regular lay person.on what Fibromyalgia is and does.
paper written by Dr St Amand for doctors and medical professionals.
My Facebook Fibromyalgia support group called fibro buddies on guaifenesin protocol