The Past 6 Weeks...

So, I've embarked on a journey to change my health, and ultimately, my life.  Those that have read my previous posts know about the problems I have had with my skin cancer.  In addition to skin cancer, I've had thyroid problems for the past ten years.  Hashimoto's (an autoimmune disease) was also diagnosed shortly after my hypothyroid diagnosis.

When I was diagnosed with SCC, I started researching and thinking.  I thought to myself that I needed to figure out how to make myself healthier, and I needed to start at point A and move forward from there.  Which in turn led me to begin with my thyroid.  The thyroid is the motor of our bodies and if a person thinks it's not that important...well, they're wrong!  Just google the function of the thyroid and everything it is connected to.  MIND. BOGGLING.  Upon a search one day I ran across a blog that talked about autoimmune diseases (more importantly, Hashimoto's).  What turned out in a reading frenzy that day ended up being me 6 weeks later. 

After much reading, analyzing, and soul searching I decided to take on the challenge of the Autoimmune Protocol.  It's Paleo but think strict.  This diet eliminates gluten, grains, nuts & seeds (and all spices that contain them), legumes, dairy, eggs, processed foods, alcohol, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes)  and anything that might contain them (like some vitamins and definitely NSAIDS).  Oh, and fun.  BAH!

What the what?

First, I never had a 'withdrawal' headache.  Prior to the AIP I have been on numerous and sometimes very costly diets.  With every one of the them I would have a headache.  I chalked this up to the caffeine or sugar withdrawals.  Not with the AIP.  Nope. Not one single headache.

Second, I ate without counting anything.  No points, no calories, no fat grams...no counting. 
I do plug data into My Fitness Pal because I've realized I have a tendency to not eat ENOUGH calories.  My goal is 1200-1400 calories a day, and without keeping up with it, there is no way I'd eat enough.  I am just not hungry-zero cravings.

This has been a definite lifestyle change. After the first week I told my husband that this was it.  No more diets.  My brain fog had lifted drastically, many symptoms I had lived with for YEARS were gone, others were dramatically improved. It was amazing.  Never have I done anything that made me feel this good.  In truth, I had energy that I forgot was possible.  I had forgotten what feeling good felt like.

Last week I visited a new endocrinologist (and I think he's fabulous, and also the 6th doctor I have visited about my thyroid issues).  After reviewing all of my medical history and having a very thorough discussion, he suggested the possibility of having Celiac disease.  This had never been mentioned prior to this visit with any doctor (even my Holistic doc), but I must say that none of the previous doctors delved into my medical history, lab work, or anything else as much as this doc had.  I had LOTS of blood drawn and am waiting for all the lab results to come in.  I am excited.  Why?  Because I want to know how my body has changed in the past 5 weeks (it was 5 weeks to the day when I went for that visit).  I want to see if my white blood counts went down.  Did my antibodies go down to normal or even HALFWAY normal levels?  And what did the Celiac panel reveal (although these tests can be inconclusive)? Either way, I feel healthier and that's what matters.  I started at point A.  I'm working my way through it in order to move to point B. 

Something I've considered is the fact that in previous diets they were always done to lose weight.  On the AIP my goal wasn't for weight loss, it was for health.    I know with AIP it is 100% on...there is no cheat day, no cheat meal, no cheat bite.  This has helped tremendously knowing that if I cheat, I am starting back at zero.  It also helps when I repeat in my head (that is poison, that is poison...then my mind sing-songs "That girl is poison..") when I am craving or just plain wanting something processed. 

We used to be fast food junkies, which has come to a complete stop for me.  No McDs, Sonic, Simple Simon's Pizza, KFC, Starz...you name it-gone.  I have been to Chick-fi-la twice (while we had a day out of pocket) and I ordered gluten friendly and stuck to the confines of the AIP.  I have eaten at Texas Roadhouse twice and ordered gluten friendly and stuck to the AIP.  Did I want a roll?  You bet!  But I knew I would defeat everything I had done in the past 30 something days. 

Another thing I have considered is the type of diets I have done.  I have done Weight Watchers (twice), Nutri-System, Atkins, two different Candida diets, 21 Day Fix, and Advocare 24 day Challenge.  Out of all of them, I was most successful on Advocare.  But nothing matches to the success I am seeing on this diet.  None of those diets made me feel good.  None of them cleared my brain fog.  I'm not saying they aren't successful for others, because I know they are..I'm saying they weren't right for me.  And if I really do have Celiac disease, it makes sense.  With having malabsorption issues, it feels like a piece of my puzzle was found. 

In the past 6 weeks I have seen major improvements to my health.  I have a better sense of knowing what I need, where I am headed, and how I want to get there.  My family has been a supportive component, as well as my friends.  In the next six weeks I hope to make more lifestyle changes, challenge myself to try new things, and improve upon what I have.  In the past six weeks I have lost just shy of 20 pounds.  <----which is a consequence of the AIP, not an intentional reason for the diet.
In the past six weeks, I actually feel good.  And that is worth all the trial and error, banishing fast foods, and prepping my AIP foods!   With that said, whoever came up with 21 days of doing something makes a habit...well, that may be true, but I still want a Coke.  And pizza.  And Bottlecaps.  And BBQ sauce.  And spaghetti...and a Texas Roadhouse roll...and... 

It's taken me a long time to get to this point and I'm just glad I didn't give up, give in, or quit---because there's always an after.  So keep on keeping on, find what makes you feel good, what makes you happy, and remember, it's there.  We just have to find it.

P.S.  These bottom pics were taken a little over 4 weeks into AIP.  The comparison pic (on top of each one)  weren't even taken at my heaviest weight.   I see a smile in each one, but that is not a reflection of  how I felt or what I was going through at that moment. 

And a Little Bit of After...

Before I had skin cancer I had other issues.
Hypothyroidism to name one, and then Hashimoto's. These two 'problems' haven't ruled my life, but they have navigated the course. So years AFTER having these problems, I continued to feel worse. It seemed if I didn't have one symptom I had twenty-two! I had a tendency to ignore these problems, live with the symptoms, and regularly visit the doctors.

A few things I have learned in the AFTER:
1) Don't take the doctor's word as the Gospel. Now don't take this wrong...I believe doctor's are fabulous and smart and all that stuff, but I am working on my 6th doctor and I can tell you nearly all of them have something different to say and want to 'treat' my problems differently. The thing is, there have been many times I walked out of the doctor's office and not felt at peace with what they wanted to do, or I have offered up some scant piece of something I had learned about, only then made to feel foolish for mentioning it! It's frustrating when I haven't been to medical school, and yet, still want a say so in how my treatments go.

2) It's never okay to settle. Settle on what? Whatever! Don't settle for less than you feel you are worth. Don't settle on a single doctor. Or a diet. Or a workout. Or someone's advice. Or a medicine. Settle on what makes you happy. Satisfied. Worthwhile!

3) Never, ever, never, ever, ever give up! Never throw in the towel. Fight, argue, research, discuss, and get after it. There is not one single thing standing in your way. Nobody will do it for you, either. It's yours. Own it. Carry the banner for yourself. And don't ever give up until...(go back to #2) YOU ARE SATISFIED.

Let's talk doctors. I once drove two hours and fifteen minutes to see this doctor. I read reviews on how great she was, that she took the time to listen to your ails and wails. So, I booked an appointment because I thought she was just what I needed. She was an internal medicine doctor and I had high hopes for our relationship. I WANTED a good doctor, don't you see? I wanted us to be long-term.

As a sat in the exam room I heard her a few rooms down discussing medicine stuff with another patient. There had been one lady in the waiting room when I came in. It took nearly an hour for her to get to me. In walks this lady who barely could hold her weight. She was a very large lady and immediately I formed a biased opinion. But I stuffed that opinion in the corner of my dark self and told it to be quiet, stay still, don't rear the ugly.

My doctor was very thorough and listened to my concerns. We talked for a time and she ordered a butt load of blood work. As she got up to leave I noticed she had to rely on using the exam table as leverage. It bothered me. I watched as she slowly straightened up, shuffled to the door, heard her labored breathing. Stay down biased opinion, I demanded.

The next few hours were waiting at a hospital to have blood drawn. The guy called my name, looked me up and down and shook his head. He said he didn't know if I would walk out of there with all the blood he would have to draw. I eyed his fist full of vials and asked for cookies and coke on the ready.

I ended up with a $1,000 lab bill, a thyroid medicine, and a doctor who declared she had never seen some of the numbers my results furnished. My iron was way low (iron pills), my Vitamin D levels were barely existent (given pills again), my Calcium was crazy, my TSH number insane, all of my other vitamins from A to K were so low they would have won a limbo contest. Pills, pills, and more (say it with me!) PILLS.

I returned in three months to see what all these pills had done. More lab work. Results came in. Slight improvement on thyroid, less than satisfied results with vitamin levels. I watched again how my doctor breathed while standing, had to hold on to smartly placed furniture in  the exam room just to leave. It broke my heart to think it... but biased opinion won right there that day. Doctor asked me to come back in a month after more rounds of pills. I never went back, for my opinion had finally came out of time-out. No doubt Doctor had a great bedside manner. No doubt she listened. No doubt she was on her way to solving my ails and wails. But she barely could function. My opinion was if she couldn't help herself, how would she help me? The long distance trip sealed it, I used it as an excuse to assuage my guilt. I realize not every doctor will be the picture of perfect health. I realize they have health problems, too. I realize they are human. But I had to move on because biased opinion refused to stay in the corner.

So, the search for another doctor went on. Yet, that's another AFTER for another day.

Peace and God Bless! (And hello Kim!)