Day 15 Monday

Weather: Mostly cloudy 50's

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
1 waffle with jam
Iced coffee with a splash of maple syrup and almond milk
Banana 

Salad with chicken, grapes and dressing
Few Tostitos

Snack was blueberries and Skinny Pop
Grilled Steak, Quinoa with roasted zucc, asparagus, red onion and raw carrots, dressed with this dressing. I subbed maple syrup for honey because we ran out of honey....and I added some dried basil. It needed more tang so I added more mustard.

Supplements: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, detox bath with salt, cider and frankincense essential oil

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: 6ish... mostly knees, ankles, feet, finger and chest
 

Cliff Notes from SIL:

warm water with lemon

2 cups tea with honey

Breakfast

2 waffles with approved jelly

lunch

chicken

2 clementines

snack

small pancake

handful fritos 

handful skinny pop

supper

pork chops

baked potato

cucumber

1/2 Way to 30 Days

Overall... I am not feeling any better. I actually feel just about the same. I'm paying more attention to pain locations but for the most part I don't feel like anything has changed.

That is frustrating :(

I am still missing what I "used" to eat and find myself getting grouchy when I "can't have" something. Struggling with entitlement I guess... Plus...the cake at the bridal shower looked SUPER yummy and the Sunday morning breakfast I would typically eat with Husband smelled up the whole house and looked YUMMY as usual. That is the part that I have to change my thinking on... eating an amazing weekend breakfast made by Husband, making homemade pizza with my family and watching a movie is a once a week - 3 times a month has been an emotional LOSS for me these past 15 days. I did spend WAY TOO MUCH money on a frozen pizza with a GF crust and DF "cheese" on it. It does have a little cane sugar in it but I'm gonna just roll with it. (and PRAY I can choke it down!) So thankful for all the OPTIONS out there.

I think the Detox baths have been the MOST beneficial to me. It is really hard to sit in that super hot water for 20 WHOLE minutes but it does seem like I have a little bit of a better day the day following a bath. Could be in my head. I dunno.

There was a change in perspective though when I was so super frustrated that NOTHING was making a difference (or so it would seem thus far) but then if nothing is making a difference.... I guess I get to go back to MY FOOD! :) Change of perspective.

I do like the menu planning. Having 30 days of meals all figured out and then taking each week against the circular, what I have in my freezer, and what is going on with our schedule has been really helpful. On the flip side... I don't USUALLY cook/plan/organize meals for Friday, Sat. and Sun. Not that I don't cook but Husband and I usually just fly by the seat of our pants as far as oh let's grill tonight or let's make homemade pizza... Having to do meals on the weekend annoys me. I'm just sayin'. ;)

Here's to cresting the hill and coming down on the other side...prayers appreciated.

Notes from SIL L:

Good morning...will try to share my thoughts on our process:)

overall so far it has been a success as far as my stomach etc... I am not feeling as bloated even though the pounds definitely have not melted away..... I don't think I have lost weight through this process yet..(I don't weigh myself so hard to tell).  Many times through this I have been hungry....stomach growling hungry where as before....I just ate because..... now I feel the hunger.  I need to find ways to eat the things that will stick with me and find foods that are filling that fall in the 'can eat' category.

I do notice a difference in belly after eating spaghetti, pancakes and 'pizza'.  these were the foods that really bothered me before and doing the substitutes has helped.  

Overall, when the 30 days is over...I will probably continue to try to go gluten free as much as possible.  however, I love food and probably won't be able to do it...cereal...pizza etc... but I will take steps.. regarding sugar...I know I can't commit to NOT eating sugar.......but will cut back.

this process has reminded me to think before I just put something in my mouth....very hard when I am starving right now and don't eat breakfast for 2 MORE HOURS!!!!!

 

After this...I will continue with the gluton free waffles and making of gluten-free pancakes...even though pancakes are not easy to cook.  I will probably add peanut butter back in to put on these waffles:)  

I will cook with gluton free pasta for myself...not the family though.....and will try and stay away from gluton stuff...super hard....

Days 13 (Saturday) and 14 (Sunday)

Weather: Mostly cloudy high 40's, windy, raw and COOOLLDDD

Food:

Saturday:
NO Lemon water
Coffee with Almond Milk
No breakfast, therefore no Vits/supplements
Few raspberries on the way up to a bridal shower
Pasta salad packed my SIL L
Tortilla chips, fruit salad and fruit kabobs at the shower
Skinny Pop and more raspberries on the way home
Leftover brocc/caul/brown rice and pork tenderloin

Sunday:
4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
One waffle with jam and a banana

Salad with turkey, red cabbage and dressing

Tostitos
Chicken, avocado, berries

Supplements: NOTHING on Saturday except for 3 Advil, Sunday: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper once, probiotic once, vitamin D once

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Saturday was OK except for driving 5 hours in the car. I was definitely stiff and sore but probably a 5-6 Sunday: again 5-6?

 

Cliff Notes from SIL:

1 cup coffee with almond milk

1 cup tea with honey

Breakfast

2 waffles with approved jam

raspberries

Lunch -hmm tricky with being at a bridal shower

1 fruit kabob

pasta salad

snack

skinny pop

raspberries

supper

chicken stir fry (gluten free soy sauce) with broccoli and brown rice

Sunday

gluten/sugar/egg/milk free pancakes with maple syrup

Lunch

hamburger

pickles

Fritos

supper

pancakes with maple syrup

raspberries and blueberries

 

Day 12 (Friday)

Weather: Sunny high 40's, windy and COOOLLDDD

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
Two waffles with vegan butter and jam 

Salad with turkey, cukes, red cabbage and dressing

Fritos
Snack was an orange
Maple/Mustard (dry mustard) sage, pork tenderloin (this is something we have in the normal rotation at the Mouse House, brown rice, brocc/cauliflower

Low blood sugar after dinner... waffle with jam

Supplements: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, detox bath with salt, cider and frankincense essential oil

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was BRUTAL... a ton of pain in the right side of my chest and really sore all over... we were out in the cold all day (pics to follow) and that may have had something to do with it but really painful 7-8?

Cliff Notes from SIL:

water with lemon

2 cups tea with honey
Breakfast

waffles with approved jam

lunch

chicken

clementine

snack

skinny popcorn

supper - too late

gluton free raspberry pancakes with maple syrup

Day 11

Weather: Sunny high 50's low 60's

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
Two waffles with vegan butter and jam
Banana for snack
Tried to mix tuna with my avocado mayo and put on a salad (just baby greens) didn't do it for me. Not sure if the tuna was too fishy or what but I threw 75% of it away and had a handful of Fritos calling it "good".
Low blood sugar (you don't say?) so I had a "mock" tail of grapefruit/cran/pom and a splash of lime
Dinner reheated turkey, brown rice, salad
100% juice and Skinny Pop for a snack

Took the girls to DQ with free ice cream tokens (from one of Minnie's ice fishing derby's this winter ;) sat sitting at the Blizzard sign... ah well....

Supplements: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Feet are sore... finger not as much... chest not as much...5-6?

Cliff Notes from SIL:

warm water with lemon

2 cups tea with honey

breakfast

2 waffles with approved jelly

lunch

salad with chicken and approved salad dressing on side

clementine

snack

skinny popcorn

supper

taco - burger - with a 'touch' of seasoning and corn shell (2) with lettuce.... NO doritoes even though I wanted them with my tacos.

Day 10

Weather: Sunny high 50's low 60's

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
Two waffles with vegan butter and jam
Lunch was turkey "sandwich" on two waffles with lettuce and the avocado mayo, Fritos
Supper was tacos. Instead of spending the $$ for the no sugar taco seasoning packet at Whole Paycheck, I ended up having Husband take some of the burger out and adding just a LITTLE bit of seasoning... I also cooked refried beans (yum!) and had avocado, a little salsa, and I lined each corn taco shell with the avocado mayo. Def. missed my sour cream and cheese... :( but the beans were fun. Not something that I usually do because it makes my sugar go up and I did have to wake up around 2AM to take insulin for a high

Supplements: 3 Advil before leaving for track practice Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper 3 times, probiotic once, vitamin D once, 20 min detox bath with Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar and baking soda

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Brutal morning... both feet, finger... a little bone pain in my chest. I still walked a mile at practice and felt better after that.

Cliff Notes from SIL

warm water with lemon

2 cups tea with honey

Breakfast

2 waffles with approved jelly

snack

banana

Lunch

chicken with mustard

strawberries

snack

tortilla chips

Supper

gluton free noodles with spaghetti sauce

snack

waffle with approved jelly

Day 9 (Tuesday)

Weather: Rain, damp, overcast high 40's

Food: FORGOT my 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
1/2  Bob's Red Mill GF biscuit with vegan butter and jam
Lunch was turkey on a salad with red cabbage, celery, cukes, avocado and dressing
Bowl of "ice cream" frozen peaches, strawberries, tablespoon of maple syrup and a dash of lemon juice in the food processor. Frozen until firm. (I separated the batch and sent 1/2 with SIL L)
Skinny Pop
Supper was grilled steak, and pasta salad that I used the leftover GF corn pasta for...it was HORRIBLE cold. The texture was TERRIBLE and we all HATED it. I did make mine with avocado mayo and that was AMAZING. Loved it!

For whatever reason the biscuits did not agree with SIL or I at ALL. We both had a "reaction" to them for some reason... won't be making those again. Bummer because they really were not awful

Supplements: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper once, probiotic once, vitamin D once

Drs: I called my PCP and she is on vacation until next week. They will get back to me once they have spoken to her

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was way down... woke up at probably a 4... even with rain


Cliff Notes from SIL:

lemon with warm water

2 cups tea with honey

breakfast

bisquit with approved jelly

lunch

chicken

clementine

banana

snack 

skinny popcorn

supper

Steak on grill

french fries

salad

1/2 cup 100% apple juice

snack

2 tbsp of peach/strawberry icecream Julia made

waffle with approved jelly

Fish School

Last Friday we had some special guests at Co-Op. There was no school so we snagged Sky (it is ALWAYS good to have extra help with little ones when you are dealing with hooks and fishing poles :)

And our GUEST TEACHER!

Teaching us all about FISHING!!! He knows a thing or two about it :)

It was raining and they had already sat to do their "regular" work but they were SUCH good listeners

So attentive and excited!

Husband gave each of them a turn to cast and it was by far their favorite part!

Mine too :)

Don't worry Spency... soon enough you and your brother will be out there casting bobbers for hours... don't worry :)

Let's do some pictures shall we?

On Thursday last week the girls and I went to Aunnie Lynne aka Glory's classroom again. We love spending the day with her students and talking about all things pregnancy/labor/delivery/child development

Hard to believe this was just two SHORT years ago... Click HERE for the link

Day 8

Weather: Damp, overcast high 40's

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk a little maple syrup
 2 GF Raspberry pancakes with syrup
Snack was a clementine
For lunch I tried to do the leftover sausage/veggie thing but couldn't do the "meatballs". Just made my stomach turn. I heated up some of the leftover pasta and put some marinara sauce on. Had some Skinny Pop for a snack
Dinner was roast turkey Bob's Red Mill GF biscuits and green beans. The biscuits were by far the best GF option for "bread" that we have had. I used all my biscuit tricks and read the reviews on line before making them... put my "butter" diced in the freezer for 1/2 hour, the flour mix with an added 1/2 tsp of baking powder and the almond milk. Used the food processor and these things ACTUALLY rose... a little bit. Couldn't believe it.

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, 3 Advil at lunch time, Detox bath

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: When I woke up pain was at a 7-8 today. It never really got better. Most days I can feel it getting better but by lunch time I had to take some Advil.


Cliff Notes from SIL:

coffee with almond milk (2nd try)

tea with honey

Breakfast

2 waffles with 'approved' jelly

lunch

chicken

clementine

snack(s) - hungry today....

tortilla chips

2 pancakes with maple syrup

supper

chicken with garlic

cucumbers

barilla pasta

1/2 biscuit with approved butter

Day Seven (Sunday)

Weather: Sunny and high 50's

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
2 waffles with some jam
Juice box before church to avoid a low
Lunch was tuna on a salad with red cabbage, celery, carrots, cukes, avocado and my dressing
Snack was Liz's AMAZING DELICIOUS PERFECT FOR THE CHOCOLATE CRAVING GIRL homemade chocolate. Equal parts, honey, coconut oil and cocoa. She added peppermint essential oil and it was PERFECT. SO amazing!
Dinner was grilled steak, Barilla Gluten-Free pasta (so the corn blend vs. brown rice) I topped it with my "pizza" topping and had some cukes cut up.

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, two deep blue (doterra) and some essential oils

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Pain 6 today


Cliff Notes from SIL:

2 cups tea with honey

breakfast 

2 waffles with approved blueberry jelly

lunch

burger

tortilla chips

clementine

supper

barilla pasta with cucumbers pickles chix with salad dressing approved

snack

skinny popcorn 

Day Six (UPDATED WITH PICS)

Weather: Sunny 60's

Food: Up at 4:30AM with a low blood sugar (41 yikes!) treated with a juice box and tortilla chips back to bed
4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk and a splash of 100% maple syrup (hey! it's Saturday!)
2 raspberry pancakes that I made last Sunday and froze for SIL L and I with maple syrup

Two juice boxes for low blood sugar outside while working on a furniture refinishing project
Lunch was leftovers from the chicken/brown rice/brocc-cauliflower night
1... ONE of my fav. potato chips stolen from Husband's lunch plate
Another low blood sugar so I had some popcorn and took off my pump
Pizza "crust" with roasted zucc, asparagus, sautéed red onion, mushrooms and a LITTLE red pepper. I did put on about a table spoon of the marinara sauce... it wasn't pizza but it was do-able.

Plain crust

Some Skinny Pop with a movie at church
1 waffle with jam when I got home before bed because my sugar was lower than I like it before bed

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, 3 Advil first thing in the morning

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: The Advil this morning was mostly for shoulder pain and bone pain in my chest


Cliff Notes from SIL:

not feeling well

2 cups tea with honey

pancakes with maple syrup

lunch

chicken

clementine

banana

snack 

skinny popcorn

supper

pizza with Julia's special crust and broccoli and spaghetti sauce and burger

Day Five

The grouchies are setting in... I miss cheese... and bread... like REAL bread...and cheese... and sugar. And cheese...

Weather: Showers in the morning clearing in the afternoon

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk
1 waffle with some jam
Banana to treat a low blood sugar around 10:00ish
Lunch was leftovers from the spag dinner... so brown rice pasta and a little sauce with a lot of meat and an orange
Snack was "ice cream" so the frozen bananas in a food processor with diced strawberries thrown in and cocoa powder. Pretty much bananas. Pretty much NOT ice cream.
Dinner was kind of made up from a few recipes that Fletch gave me... and a sausage recipe from Liz found HERE (minus the msg) I made the sausage into meatballs, sautéed garlic and onion with some chicken broth, added broccoli, pea pods and asparagus. Put on top of shaved zucchini... sausage was really spicy which Husband and I didn't mind but it took the little ladies by surprise ;) would probably lower the chili flakes next time :)

Miss B called TiTi to tell her that "Mommy ate one of my jelly beans"... :)

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, 3 Advil before bed

Drs: Today I spoke to the medical assistant at the Rheumatology office. I told her I wanted to hold off on starting any meds and asked her to explain my x-rays. My feet are showing erosion from the RA but she said there is much that can be done to prevent any more and/or fix some of what has already been done... I'm just not ready for the heavy duty stuff yet. I also rescheduled my follow up appointment so that Husband is able to go with me at the beginning of June.

Overall pain level and locations: Even with the rain I feel like my pain was only a 5-6 today.

Today it definitely hit me. I even cried. Just really struggling with the "I can't have..." and "I want..." hrrrmm.... working through it all and leaning on the Lord for SURE.

Cliff Notes from SIL:

warm water with lemon

2 cups tea with honey

Breakfast

2 waffles with approved blueberry jelly

snack

banana

lunch

chicken with sunflower seeds

clementine

snack

tortilla chips

supper - too late at night

sausage meatballs with peapods broccoli and barilla gluten free pasta

2 rolls from Julia as mine totally didn't come out

Day Four

Weather: Sunny and 60's I love it!

Food: Woke up with low blood sugar 51... had a juice box before my 4 oz of WARM lemon water
Coffee with almond milk ~ really missing my sweet and low and creamer... :(
Skipped breakfast because my sugar spiked from not eating right away and we were running out the door
Clementine around 10:30
Lunch was leftovers from last night
(Dinner was THIS and I subbed maple syrup for the brown sugar and used split chicken breasts. Came out a little dry because I cooked it too long but flavor was yummy. Served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli and cauliflower)

I did have some homemade corn tortilla chips that were AMAZING and then I freaked because I didn't know if there was any sugar in the corn tortilla before she fried it... I checked online and didn't see anything in the ingredients that screamed sugar...

Dinner was THIS with THESE dinner rolls. I used coconut milk (because it was open and I want to use it up) and the vegan Earth's butter. Not a huge fan of the rolls... the pork was AMAZING! SO YUMMY! Side salads

Blood sugar SPIKED after dinner....

Supplements: Fish oil once, turmeric w/black pepper once, probiotic once, vitamin D once, 3 Advil before bed

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was back when I woke up. BUT... tough to tell if it was all the outside raking, cleaning up, gardening I'd done the day before.....discouraging.

Cliff Notes from SIL:

Thursday

Breakfast

2 waffles with jelly

 

Lunch

Chicken with sunflower seeds

1 clementine

1 bowl rasp, blueberries

manderine oranges

 

snack 

handful tostitos

supper

pork

baked potato with the butter stuff

celery

roll - a complete flop...did not mix together..overcooked them because they weren't baking and then awful. 

 

snack

2 little pancakes maple syrup

Day Three

Weather: Sunny and high 60's!!!! AH-MAZING!

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water before ANYTHING
Coffee with almond milk
one waffles with this jam ~ yum!
Clementine
Lunch was a salad with romaine, red cabbage, avocado, cukes and roast chicken ~ dressed it with this dressing and 1/2 an apple
Dinner was THIS and I subbed maple syrup for the brown sugar and used split chicken breasts. Came out a little dry because I cooked it too long but flavor was yummy. Served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli and cauliflower

SIL L and I also tried THIS to help with the fact that we are BOTH missing our SUGAR! It didn't work out so well....bleck.

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, detox bath of Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar and baking soda for 20 minutes

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was actually better when I woke up. Got outside with the gals and did a whole bunch of yard clean up and enjoying the sunshine!


Cliff Notes from SIL

Breakfast

pancakes with maple syrup

Lunch

chicken with sunflower seeds

1 clementine

banana

snack

handful tostitos

skinny popcorn

supper

bourbon chicken 

brown rice

steamed broccoli

Day Two....

Weather: Started drizzly ended up...partly sunny and 60's!!!! I'll take it!

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water before ANYTHING
Coffee with almond milk
These waffles with this jam ~ yum! 1 waffle and 1 banana
Had a low.... which I treated with a 100% juice box
Grabbed a banana before going to the library
Lunch was two pieces of gluten free artisan bread that I made on Sunday

with cold split chicken breast I roasted the day
before, carrot sticks and about a 1/2 cup of roasted zucchini  ~ dipped chicken with  dressing ~
clementine after lunch and some of this popcorn for afternoon snack
Too MUCH popcorn and no insulin because blood sugar spiked right before dinner with 40+ teenage girls. First spaghetti dinner of the track season.

picture courtesy M.B. (one of the track girls)

Trader Joe's gluten free brown rice spaghetti. I was busy enough that I just put my dinner to the side and ate after everyone left giving my sugar time to come down. I did cave with tomatoes and have Prego Marinara sauce (there is no sugar in that one, thanks for the head's up ~Laurie :) heavy on the burger. I def. missed my "stinky" cheese. And the entire loaf of warm Italian bread that didn't get eaten made me VERY grouchy that I "couldn't" have any. I had romaine and red cabbage (which Miss B decided she LOVED... the red cabbage!) with the Annie's dressing....

Too salty. Bleck.

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once

Drs:

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was mostly in my finger and chest probably an 8 in the morning and I ended up taking 3 Advil before leaving for the library. With the activity the rest of the day the distraction helped. I ended up moving all our deck chairs from the shed to the deck and while I know I am out of shape ;) it didn't 'hurt'.

Cliff Notes from SIL L:

Tuesday

Breakfast

waffles with fruit jam

frozen fruit

snack

banana

 

lunch

salad with chicken and sunflower seeds

2 clementines

pear

snack

skinny popcorn

 

supper

gluten free noodles with sauce (hamburger)



Day One under our belt...

Weather: Sunny and 70!!!! AH-MAZING!

Food: 4 oz of WARM lemon water before ANYTHING
Coffee with almond milk (unsweetened vanilla from Trader Joes) (yuck. Missing my 2 packs of pink poison and 1/2 and 1/2) and yes... I am making an exception since I'm not doing nuts with the almond milk. Not a huge coconut fan...
These waffles with this jam ~ yum!
Had a blood sugar spike after this but I think it was what normally happens when I don't check it before eating breakfast so late in the AM (didn't eat until around 8 on the way out the door)
Took an insulin correction and ended up having a low.... which I treated with a 100% juice box
Had a clementine when we got home from errands and before lunch
Lunch was a salad with romaine, red cabbage, avocado, cukes and tuna ~ dressed it with this dressing ~ again, a little bit of an exception because there are sundried tomatoes in it but I NEED to have more than a "water sprinkle" on my salads and as a "dip" :) I'm ok with it.
Had another low after lunch and ate another clementine and some of this popcorn.
Ate a banana around 2:45 as we headed out the door to track practice so I could try to avoid a low. Checked my sugar after practice and it was 168.Too high for my liking but better than another low.
Dinner was grilled burgers, fries for the family, tortilla chips for me, cut up cukes and carrot sticks. I ONLY EVER eat CHEESEburgers. I feel like the point of the burger is to HOLD the cheese so I was really afraid I would miss it. My typical/favorite/would order it every.time burger is cheese, tomato, and mayo...last night was just topped with some mashed avocado and I DID use about a tablespoon of ketchup (simply Heinz) to dip.

Supplements: Fish oil twice, turmeric w/black pepper twice, probiotic once, vitamin D once, detox bath of Epsom salt, apple cider vinegar and baking soda for 20 minutes

Drs: Did not make the time to call

Overall pain level and locations: Pain was mostly in my finger and chest probably a 6. I walked about a mile? (is that right Jen and Jess? :) on the track and I felt good doing it

Overall not a bad day. Thinking differently but with the help of Fletch and Tamarah pointing me in the right direction with tried and true products a good day.

Cliff Notes from SIL L: can't do the coffee....gonna switch to tea with honey for the next 29 days :) worried about the "look" of the dressing at lunch but tasted good! Afternoon is tough... keep up the good work!

 

Breakfast

warm water with lemon

coffee with almond milk - nasty!!! for sure

2 glutton free waffles with strawberry jelly made with 100% juice

frozen fruit mixture no added anything

Lunch

salad with chicken and tuscany italian no nothing dressing with sunflower seeds

2 clementines and a banana

snack

corn tostitos and banana

Supper

hamburger with garlic salt

french fries

sliver of bread (made by Julia) with jelly

An Elimination Diet, An Adventure and a PLAN

here goes... if you don't want to spend the next 30 days reading about food, struggles, RA, and diet changes... come back after Dawson's b-day :) (May 12th is the last day of this....)

The goal is to figure out "trigger foods" for my pain. Is gluten, dairy? Sugar (which is in EVERYTHING). Will this even work? Who knows... I'm going to blog about it all... the good, the bad and the ugly.

The next 30 days will be no dairy, no gluten, no nuts, no potatoes, no sugar, no eggs, no tomatoes, limited beans and corn. I have come up with a menu for three meals a day, a few snacks to have on hand and some things on the calendar to keep me distracted.

Would appreciate the prayers (for HEALING) and of course to be able to stick with. SIL Liane is doing it as well (though she may do potatoes and eggs) and I couldn't be MORE overwhelmed AND thankful for the support.

Here is how I hope the format is going to look:

Weather: (this seems to play a big part in my body pain, though not always... sunny today and I'm sore)

Food: A list of EVERY.THING. that I ate, including any times when I *may* cheat. This will/could/might also include recipe links.

Supplements: I'm going to start with a bunch of vitamins and a probiotic to help "heal my gut" as well as continue to use some essential oils that Mama H gave me to roll-on my knuckle.

Drs: This could totally be denial... but there is just something that doesn't feel right about the RA diagnosis. I am going to call my PCP, see if she has transferred me to someone closer (she was going to try and get me in with a Dr. who was not taking any new patients but is closer to my town). I am going to touch base with them and see if there is more blood work or antibiotics that I can go on "nice in case" this really is Lyme presenting as RA. I started doing more reading about it and it feels a little bit like that.

Overall pain level and locations: For the most part I think I'm walking around with a pain level around 6-7. Most often my knuckle hurts and my feet are sore but the most noticeable pain to me is the pain I feel in the bones of my chest. (which is something that the docs thought was "different" as well as the RA not being symmetrical in my body i.e. only one knuckle on one hand ~ except with my feet of course)

I'm also hoping to get SIL L to do daily/weekly? updates as well which I will include here.

Ready?? Set....

Cookies and Cousins

Filling up on fruits and veggies...

while they let their royal icing set...

ah... yes... the face... the shirt...

Easter 2015

Some people saw a couple of these pictures on FB... but here is the WHOLE collection :) I can't resist a puppy OR a certain little girl who loves them...

The precious family who gave us Rebound has a new addition to their family. They were going out of town immediately after church on Sunday so they had their new 10 week old puppy in the car. Of course Husband and JUMPED at the chance to take her into the nursery and play with Miss B.

BEST.NURSERY.EVER.

Who is happier?

Immediate friends.

and then it was naptime...

After church we did the traditional family pictures in the FREEZING COLD...

and the traditional all the grandkids/cousins photo ~ poor kids were FREEZING

So we came in for a couple of sibling pics!

My sweetie peteys

A WONDERFUL Easter with family and celebrating HE.IS.RISEN.

He is risen INDEED.