Just got back from a nice weekend with the kids. Here's the update.
The Good Stuff:
- Got to meet my new grand dog, Cooper, this weekend. He's a hound mix, and at 11 weeks, he dwarfs his 4 year old Chihuahua brother.
- Got to spend some quality time with my older stepdaughter (she is an amazing woman).
- I did, in fact, look at PBOTL this week. That's about it, though.
- Yard got mowed and is mostly in order
- Doctor appointment went well. He said everything's good except my weight, but he didn't hassle me. I was unsure about potassium levels, so he had me stop at the lab for an electrolyte panel before I left. His office called me later in the day to say potassium levels were normal. Taking potassium gluconate seems to help my legs a little, so I'm not sure what to make of that.
- Got prescriptions refilled at Fort Hood.
- Got about a third of the back of the garage sanded.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- Didn't begin to get started on shredding sticks
- The chain saw is too dull to cut up the tree at the store, so that's on hold
- From the hips down, I'm experiencing a lot of discomfort. Some pain in the joints but aches everywhere else. My left thumb is also bothering me again. I'm not sure what to make of it. I think I'm going to need to explore a serious change in diet to focus on anti-inflammatory efforts. The difficulty with this is two-fold -- my reluctance and my husband's reluctance. I'm beginning research and looking for areas of common ground. One, of course, is found in the encouragement to reduce sodium (that's a common ground piece). Some are things I can (easily-hah!) do without his having to change a thing. Those are probably places to begin.
The Week Ahead:
- I'll call on Monday to set up my annual exam at the VA, and I'll inquire about a rheumatologist at that appointment (since the one at my primary provider moved to CA). My primary provider clinic just opened a new hospital over the weekend, which should help them attract more specialists and surgeons (they sold the hospital next door to the clinic to Scott and White for a Children's Hospital). I hope that expands my care options over the next year or so. I'll also talk to the VA about a pertussis and shingles vaccination.
- Resume work on PBOTL
- Drive to SA on Tuesday afternoon and return on Thursday morning. While there, get my truck serviced and take delivery on hubby's new Navigator (I need to be there to sign the papers to have it under joint ownership).
- Research what I want to do with diet to reduce inflammation and devise a plan to implement. Begin implementation. I believe it will start with associating certain foods with pain (probably visualization?). If I can switch them from pleasure to pain in my mind, they should become easy to avoid.
10 comments:
I'm so sorry you're hurting. {{huggs}} I hope the dietary changes help.
Glad you're back at home, though! I think I sent you an article about anti-inflammatory foods once. Green tea and broccoli are ones I remember. And watermelon.
Stephen, you did, and I still have it. It's part of my overall research.
Thanks, Tammy.
I'm so glad the visit went well. I'm sorry, too, that you're hurting. Off the top of my head, cayenne and ginger (and maybe cinnamon) are anti-inflammatory, and sugar is inflammatory. I can check my books for more herbs if it will help.
According to The Conscious Life and the American Diabetes Association, here are the top anti-inflammatory foods and spices:
1. Organic kelp.
2. Turmeric. Sidekick: Ginger.
3. Wild caught salmon. Also, anchovies, mackerel and sardines.
4. Shiitake mushroom. Also, maitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms. Do not deep fry or bread.
5. Green tea. (Woohoo!)
6. Papaya. Also, pineapple.
7. Blueberries. Also, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries.
8. Extra virgin olive oil. Also, avocado oil.
9. Broccoli. Also, cauliflower.
10. Sweet potato. Also, spinach.
Top inflammatory foods:
1. Sugar.
2. Fried food of any type.
3. Limit red meat.
4. Processed cow's milk.
5. Dried fruits, but not freeze dried.
6. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
7. Tomatoes.
8. Eggplant.
9. Potatoes, not including sweet potatoes.
10. Artificial sweeteners.
Sigh. I'm about half way there on both lists. That's not as encouraging as it should be. Thank you for posting. (No. Really. I mean it. Even if the tone doesn't convey it.)
You mean you eat half on one list and avoid half o the other? Or the other way around? :)
Hahaha. About half of each list. I'm dismayed by how many on the "good" list are foreign to me.
I've had kelp. Can't stand it. The rest on the good list, I eat. However, I also eat tomatoes, too much red meat, and too many artificial sweeteners.
Wild salmon, we like. Six through ten are all good. Except for strawberries, I don't eat enough of them. I haven't had much green tea, but I don't mind it.
My neighbors are giving me bags of tomatoes right now. I like sweet potatoes and usually choose those instead of baked potatoes when we eat out. Had been thinking eggplant was good for me, so I'm kind of glad not to have to beat myself up for that one! :)
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