Quote of the Day: Monday, June 30, 2008 Monday, June 30, 2008

“How we treasure (and admire) the people who acknowledge us!”

            - Unknown (sent to me by a dear wise friend…)

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Poison in our Food Sunday, June 29, 2008

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Poison in our Food

 

I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s in the majority of the foods that are processed. It came out in the late 1970’s as a cheap replacement for sugar, and almost immediately, business made the switch. Cheaper sweetener = Larger profits. This started the mass poisoning of the next generations.

 

But why is high fructose corn syrup so bad? One article I read mentioned an analysis performed at Rutgers University of eleven soft drinks that all use high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. The analysis, “found very high levels of reactive carbonyls…which have been linked to tissue damage and complications of diabetes,” and are found in diabetics’ blood. But the amount that it typically found in the blood of diabetics is nothing compared to the concentration in a can of soda. Sodas apparently contain five times that amount. (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). This scares me. We are willingly drinking something that contains a substance that is linked to tissue damage. WILLINGLY. Do we all have a death wish?

 

Now we are seeing ever increasing amounts of people being diagnosed with diabetes, or even those who are just overweight or obese. “The percentage of overweight children in the United States has tripled since 1980” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). When I walk into a store and I see a family of overweight children, my first thought is about how much sugar and high fructose corn syrup they are probably consuming. And their parents are allowing it. Maybe they don’t realize how truly bad for their kids this stuff is. But they should be able to see from their children’s increasing sizes, something is not working well in their diets. It worries me for the kids’ mental states too, because other kids are so heartless when it comes to making fun of classmates.

 

“It is getting difficult to find a food product at the grocery store or McDonalds that is not loaded with HFCS. One 20-ounce bottle of Coke, Pepsi, Mt Dew, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper is the equivalent of pouring 17 teaspoons of sugar straight into your body.” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). That is 17 teaspoons of sugar we are consuming in ONE drink. ONE! How can we possibly consider that to be okay? Especially when there are many people who drink ONLY soda???

 

Apparently, it can even be found in so-called vitamin water. “High fructose corn syrup masquerades under the name of crystalline fructose in Glaceau Vitamin Water and some energy drinks” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). Yes, in vitamin water. One of those things that we turn to because it is supposed to be good for us. Speaking of good for us, “Have you seen the new commercials on TV for Capri Sun? The ad suggests that Capri Sun is now healthy for you because they have added antioxidants. As long as they continue to sweeten Capri Sun with HFCS, they are lying to you” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.).

 

Even the USDA is aware of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, but continue to allow its consumption anyway. “Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that high fructose diets shorten the life span of laboratory mice from the normal two years to a mere five weeks” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). If it can affect mice to that extent, what do you think it may be doing to the inside of your body?

 

We do not even know the full damage that we are doing to our bodies by carelessly consuming anything that is sold at the grocery store. Just because it tastes good does not mean that it is actually good for your body. After researching what I can on this, I have decided for the sake of my own health (which has suffered), I will cut out as much as possible any high fructose corn syrup from my diet. But this can be very difficult. For me, this means eating mainly fruits and veggies, fish and chicken, and some grains and nuts. I have to read labels very carefully, because high fructose corn syrup really is found in almost everything. Even in applesauce, for goodness sake. It’s ridiculous.

 

If you also have some trouble finding products free of high fructose corn syrup, I leave you with this last bit of advice I found in an article: “One tip is to try an ethnic grocery store – such as an Asian or Latino food store, if you have trouble finding HFCS free foods that you like. The American food industry doesn’t give two ‘toots’ about your health” (Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup, n.d.). Too true…

 

 

References:

Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup – HFCS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www.femhealth.com/dangersofhfcs.html

 

 

The Curse Sunday, June 29, 2008

I feel that fibromyalgia is a definite curse. I know some people who have fibromyalgia don’t necessarily feel it as severely as I do, or maybe don’t have as many other disorders going on at the same time. I don’t know. But I actually find it discouraging to hear from people who say they had it and exercised and got all better. Sorry, that one just isn’t going to work for me.

One of the worst parts of this whole mess is the stomach issues I have developed. I don’t know if it’s due to my medications or if it’s actually another disorder or condition, but it is so hard to eat. People don’t understand how depressing it is to know that you NEED to eat, for the sake of your health and body (and for fear of disappearing otherwise), but are just physically unable to eat. The nausea is horrible. I take nausea medication usually given to chemo patients, and even that is really not enough. It’s extremely stressful to try to force food down your throat every hour or couple hours throughout the day.

I have an extremely difficult time trying to get enough calories into my body. I’ve been doing research and based on my current weight (about 98-100 pounds, which is extremely scary to me), to keep from going into starvation mode, I need about 1200 calories. To maintain my current weight, I need about 1500 calories. To gain a pound a week, I need to consume over 2000 calories. It’s really a struggle just to hit 1000 calories. I’m finding that in order to hit the 1500, I need to be eating almost every hour. I’m trying really hard not to eat junk food, but instead to eat foods that will actually nourish  my body. I know at this point that I’m probably malnourished. So I want to eat only those foods that will most effectively nourish my body. Unfortunately, eating healthy foods makes it even harder to meet that 1500 calories (or the 2000, which is what I really need). Fruits and vegetables just don’t have that many calories. I’m not that big of a meat eater. And I’ve been having difficulty with breads and cereals for months. Plus, I really want to avoid ANYTHING with High Fructose Corn Syrup, because that stuff is the devil.

I truly believe that most of us have been poisoning our bodies for years, if not our entire lives. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I grew up eating stuff from boxes, cans, bags. Of course, my mom is a pretty good cook, and she did make meat and vegetables all the time, but our breakfast on the weekdays tended to consist of sugary cereals. Lunches were typically sandwhiches with chips or something. Maybe an apple. And side dishes at dinner were typically out of the box. After I moved out and got married, my diet went downhill fast. Between work and school, it can be so difficult to eat healthy. In comes junk food, fast food, anything in boxes with “Just add water,” on the side. All of that stuff that contributes to the downfall of one’s health.

Once you get to the point where everything you’ve been poisoning your body with starts to affect you, its extremely hard to get back. And I’m really at an extremely low point. Because I’ve had problems eating for so long and am now malnourished, my energy levels are SO low. My muscles are weak. It’s extremely hard to function. I hate this. I want to feel good again. I want to be able to eat a normal meal. I want to feel human again.

Quote of the Day: Friday, June 27, 2008 Friday, June 27, 2008

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

            - Desiderius Erasmus

 

 

Healthy Ways to Gain Weight Friday, June 27, 2008

Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

If you’re one of the few Americans who are underweight, you know how hard it can be to pack on the pounds. But just as it is in losing weight, a little planning and attention to good nutrition can help you gain weight.

By Dulce Zamora
WebMD Feature (http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/healthy-ways-to-gain-weight)

 

Do you find it hard to gain weight? If so, you’re probably the envy of family and friends. It seems as if you can eat as many cheeseburgers and chocolate bars as you would like, and still not register an ounce.

Yet little do people know how much you’d love to put meat on your bones, perhaps to feel less lanky, to be able to wear certain clothes without appearing scrawny, or to just be healthier.

Ken Chuk is one such person. He is a 32-year-old finance manager who wishes he could put on a business suit without looking like he just got out of college. His fast metabolism and tendency to feel full with smaller portions, however, make it hard for him to add anything to his 5′ 11″, 140-pound frame. He’s tried to lift weights, suck down protein shakes, and stuff himself with ice cream, cookies, or cereal at bedtime — all to no avail.

“Everyone in my family is thin,” explains the New York native. “I’ve given up trying to gain weight because I figure it will happen eventually.”

Chuk is right in that all of us will tend to become heavier as we age, but health experts say there are plenty of things people can do now to build critical mass.

The Skinny on the Underweight

What’s so wrong with being too thin when it seems to be a non-problem compared with obesity? The truth is that being underweight has its own risks.

Those who are extremely lean tend to have weaker immune systems, making them prone to infections, surgical complications, and slower recovery times for illness. They tend to have low muscle mass, and less than ideal hair, teeth, and skin composition. They may have disruptions in the ability to regulate hormones and protect bone health, and women could become unable to menstruate.

All of this could be avoided by maintaining a healthy weight, a measure that obviously differs from person to person. As a rough rule of thumb, women should be at least 105 pounds for the first five feet of height, and another five pounds per inch after that; men should be at least 106 pounds for the first five feet, and an added six pounds per inch, says Dan Heinemann, MD, a board member of the American Academy of Family physicians.

Another gauge could be an individual’s body mass index (BMI), which is a system to categorize size based on a person’s height and weight. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that people with normal weight have a BMI of 18.5-24.9. Anything below that is underweight, and anything above is overweight (25-29.9) or obese (30 or greater).

Why So Thin?

There are many reasons why people may find it hard to gain weight. Genetics can obviously play a role, but individual personalities and the environment can be strong factors.

“Sometimes people think they just have a fast metabolism, but that’s not always the case,” says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). “They just might be more physically active.”

For example, there are people who tend to move around more, burning more calories than they take in. They’re either always the first ones to volunteer to pick up after a spill, to do the chores, to walk everywhere, or to play a lot of sports. This level of physical activity is not a bad thing, says Moore, but being aware of it is important in understanding the factors affecting one’s weight.

Then there are others who lose their appetite, experience a change in metabolism, and/or lose poundage and muscle mass fast because of various reasons, including illness, chronic pain, depression, stress, and side effects from drugs.

In children, the inability to gain weight may signal a condition known as “failure to thrive,” which means a kid is not growing appropriately for his/her age. This may be caused by an illness, or eating patterns dictated by a parental idiosyncrasy. According to Wahida Karmally, DrPH, RD, spokesperson for the ADA, there have been kids who have not developed properly because they did not receive enough nutrients from being on a raw food, macrobiotic, or vegan diet.

Assuring Healthy Weight Gain

Whatever the suspected cause for being underweight or for unexpected weight loss, and as much as some people may be happy about being thin — as opposed to being fat — it’s important to discuss the matter with a medical professional.

“If somebody’s losing weight, and they’re not trying to lose weight, they need to talk to their doctor to find out what’s going on, because that is not a normal phenomenon,” says Heinemann, noting weight loss may signal a disease such as diabetes.

Being able to eat anything with abandon is also deceiving — even the skinny need to worry about having too much sugar and fat for good health. Poor diets can lead to ailments such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Plus, people who gain weight eating anything and everything tend to retain it as fat, and in much more undesirable places. For a more ideal distribution of weight, it’s best to stick to nutrient-rich foods, and to exercise at the same time.

“If you want to have a nice shapely body to go along with this extra weight, you’re going to need to work out so that you put the weight on in the form of muscle as opposed to the form of fat,” says Heinemann, recommending a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training for the whole body.

Heinemann, Moore, and Karmally have more advice for people wanting to pack on the pounds in a healthy manner. In following their suggestions, it’s important to do things in moderation and to have patience. Healthy weight gain, just like healthy weight loss, takes time and requires a conscious effort to apply good habits.

Recommended Ways to Gain Weight

• Have meals with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and the right kinds of fat (such as unsaturated and monounsaturated fats, olive oil, canola oil, pistachios, almonds and walnuts). Heinemann suggests the following ratio: 60%-70% carbohydrates, 10%-15% protein, and a small amount of fat.
  
• Eat foods higher in calories, vitamins, and minerals, as opposed to higher in fat or sugar.
  
• Pack more nutritious calories in each serving. For example, you may add grated cooked eggs to mashed potatoes, ground chicken to soups and gravies, cheese in casseroles, eggs, and soups, and nonfat dried milk in soups, shakes, milk, and mashed potatoes.
  
• If you get too full too fast, try having more high-calorie foods or slices of foods as opposed to consuming the whole thing (raisins versus grapes, granola and Grape Nuts versus corn flakes, mango slices versus the whole mango).
  
• Limit drinking beverages to a half-hour before and after a meal.
  
• Drink mixed juices (apple/berry, peach/orange/banana as opposed to one juice beverages) for a higher calorie intake.
  
• Try a small amount of alcohol (4 ounces of wine, 6 ounces of beer, or a half-ounce of liquor with juice) before a meal, as it could stimulate appetite. Moore warns, however, that this recommendation must be cleared with your doctor, especially if you are on any medication. Too much alcohol can be detrimental to health, and could lessen your resolve for eating healthy.
  
• With moderation, you may add in good fat sources to meals such as nuts, avocado, olives, and fatty fish (salmon and mackerel).
  
• Snack in between meals. Nuts, dried fruits, and yogurt are good options, but it’s also important to find nutritious foods that you will enjoy.
  
• Have a nutritious snack before bedtime, such as a peanut butter sandwich.
  

 

 

 

Five Basic Nutrition Strategies for Healthy Eating Friday, June 27, 2008

I found this list of five nutrition strategies on the front page of a healthy eating group on MySpace (http://groups.myspace.com/healthyeatingrecipes).

Five Basic Nutrition Strategies For Healthy eating:

1. Low-Glycemic Foods:
   Low-glycemic foods are carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing sugar into the bloodstream gradually rather than all at once. These foods almost always contain fiber. The fiber is what is mostly responsible for slowing the absorption of the sugars. These foods can provide long-lasting energy. Most vegetables (especially dark green), most fruits, whole-grains and nuts are high-fiber, low-glycemic. For optimal health, get your grains intact from foods such as whole wheat (whole-grain) bread, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and other possibly unfamiliar grains like quinoa, whole oats, and bulgur.
   
2. Eat More Protein:
   Your body requires more energy (calories) to process protein than it does carbohydrates. Eating more protein can increase your metabolism, thereby increasing your body’s ability to burn fat. Protein is necessary for your body to build muscle, and building more muscle increases your ability to burn fat. Good options include eggs, low-fat or no-fat dairy products, lean grass-fed meats, poultry, seafood and whey protein supplements. Nuts and legumes are also excellent sources of protein; plus you get the added benefit of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes include black beans, red beans, pinto beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and other beans that are usually sold dried.
   
3. Eat Frequent Small Meals Throughout The Day:
   Eat 6 smaller meals per day, rather than 2-3 larger meals. This will ensure that you will supply your body with the necessary nutrients to build muscle and burn fat while increasing your metabolic rate. It will also supply a constant stream of energy to prevent fatiguing early and prevents the body from kicking into starvation mode. If this happens, your body will burn muscle for energy increasing your body fat stores as well as slowing down your metabolism.
   
4. Eat Balanced Meals:
   I eat lots of chicken and fish plus an occasional serving of lean grass-fed red meat. I love my salads and veggies. Beans, brown rice and whole-grain pasta are my side dishes. I snack on fruits and nuts and high omega peanut butter with whole grain crispbread. I top whole-grain cereals (hot and cold) and yogurt with wild blueberries or raspberries every day. I drink low fat milk everyday which I use also in protein smoothies. My meals are simple and nutritious. I balance my meals by making sure I’m eating plenty of protein and fiber in each meal. I do NOT eat ANY simple carbs. No sugar, no white flour, white rice or white pastas. I drink at least 8 glasses of water every day!
   
5. NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST:
   This is the one meal you cannot afford to miss! Jump start your day with a high-fiber, high protein meal containing complex carbohydrates, avoiding simple (sugary) carbohydrates which trigger hunger and sleepiness a few hours later. Choose whole-grain cereals that are loaded with fiber and protein instead of sugar (i.e. Kashi Go Lean, Uncle Sam, or Oatmeal). Top with low-fat milk or soy milk and sliced almonds. Sweeten with blueberries or raspberries for a boost in disease fighting antioxidants. Smoothies are great for breakfast too!
   

The Difficulties of Eating Thursday, June 26, 2008

Damn. Eating is so freaking difficult. I don’t know why. I can’t figure it out. But it takes me so long to eat so little and it is so much work. It really makes me not want to eat, which is not good, since I already have no appetite. And trying to decide WHAT to eat is ridiculously difficult. I feel nauseas all the time and puke so often. I have lost an incredible amount of weight, and I am now seriously underweight for my body frame and height. It’s really scaring me. I’m trying so hard to eat something, anything, but I do want to keep it to more healthy items. I know I probably have a malabsorption issues at this point, so I’m trying to make sure that what I am putting INTO my body is as healthy as possible. But healthy foods have so little calories and I can’t eat enough of them. To maintain my current weight, I need a little over 1200 calories. To gain 1 pound a week and get back up to 115 pounds by October 20, I would have to eat over 2000 calories. I can barely get 1000 calories down my throat on most days. I can’t lose any more weight. If I do, I’ll end up seriously sick and in the hospital, which I cannot afford. I’m doing a lot of research on food and nutrition and so forth, so maybe I’ll find something in there that can help me, because the doctors are absolutely useless. I’m so tired of this.

Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl Thursday, June 26, 2008

My friend lent me this book called Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. I guess it was supposed to have been the blog of some call girl. I started reading it the other day, and so far, it is pretty good. This chick is very blunt with all aspects of the call girl job, but she is also very informative about all the work that goes into it as well. It is interesting to be reading about how she got into it to begin with. So far, so good. I hope it continues to be a good read. =)

My Biggest Reason for Skepticism Thursday, June 26, 2008

I grew up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. You know, those people that come knocking at your door during Saturday morning cartoons? Or even during dinnertime? I was one of those. And at one point, I was REALLY into it too. I even graduated high school two years early, so that I could devote the majority of my time to annoying people at their doors. Or saving them, if you want to look at it from the delusional view of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. For a few years, I was trying to spend at least 60 hours per month knocking on people’s door or otherwise “preaching the word of God.” Later, I tried to become what they call a Regular Pioneer, which entails spending 90 hours per month or more preaching. Mostly, I just wanted to be a “good little girl,” and do all the things I had grown up being told I SHOULD do. I thought maybe I could make my mom happy that way.

Unfortunately, living as the “good little girl” also meant that I could not date or marry the person I had fallen in love with. For a while, I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t in love with him, but every guy I dated could not compare up to him. The Jehovah’s Witness boys I dated could not compare with this man I loved who was considered a bad influence by the Witnesses. Eventually I realized that I could not live my life this way. It was ridiculous for me to deny myself love, based on the ideas of MEN who thought they could control people’s lives. All it really comes down to is power and control. If you can convince someone that they need to live the way you say and do exactly what you say, you have control over that person. If you can control them, you have power over them. And, of course, with power comes money. Using God and Jesus and a person’s desire to believe in order to get that power and money is just despicable.

One of the biggest things that pushed me away from the Jehovah’s Witnesses is that we were not allowed to question. If something we were told or something we were read did not make sense to us, we could not question it. We could not push those teaching us to explain WHY, because that somehow meant we were questioning God. We were told that God would make the “light shine brighter” at the appropriate time, and we had to trust in Him. Eventually, after leaving and doing my own research, I found that with most things, the reason we could not question was because there was no actual BASIS for the rule in question. That is besides the fact that by discouraging independent thinking and encouraging people to trust blindly, those in control gained even more control and power over the masses. We were all blind sheep, following without questioning, while children were molested and people died or had their lives destroyed.

If you have done any research at all online about Jehovah’s Witnesses, you will come across several websites that discuss the child molestation issues that are swept under the rug by those in charge of the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. One of the major ones is the Silent Lambs website. There are so many horrifying stories of sex offenders who preyed on innocent people in the congregations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some of these were people preying on their own children or other relatives. The typical case ends with nothing of substance being done: no call to the cops, no official record of the assault, no warning to the public that this person may be a danger. In the congregation I grew up in, my best friend at the time was molested by a friend’s brother. When my mom told those in charge of the congregation, the only thing done was that he was publicly reproved. This means an announcement was made to the congregation, basically letting them know that he had done SOMETHING wrong and was being punished, with no clue to the actual wrong-doing. That was it. No cops were called on him, and later, when he married, my friend and I actually ended up babysitting HIS children, although neither of us would ever be alone with him.

There were many other little instances of things that occurred, which in the end helped me to see how very false this religion, or cult if you want to be technical, is. Eventually, maybe I’ll write out my full story of growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and how I got out, but not today.

Fibro Hell: Part 1 Thursday, June 26, 2008

The Beginning of the Battle

For years, I had difficulties with migraine and low back pain. I was 13 when I had my first migraine headache. My mom had decided to take me, my siblings, and my best friend to Raging Waters. We were all so excited to be going, but as we were standing in line, waiting for the park to open, I began seeing these odd spots in front of my eyes. It was almost a blurring of my vision, except that the blurry spots would block out my vision and they were dark. I also started to feel nauseas, and after a little while, my head started to pound and throb. I ended up spending the day laying in the dark of the first aid office, taking Tylenol, and just waiting for the hellish day to end. Meanwhile, my friend and my family enjoyed the park. I had no idea what was wrong with me, nor did my mother. But from time to time after that, I would occasionally come down with these really odd headaches. It wasn’t until years later after doing some research that I was able to identify these horrid headaches as migraines. Hooray. I’m a migraine sufferer.

The migraines by themselves have been hellish enough. At first, I would only get them occasionally. As the years have gone by, however, they have only gotten worse. Around the time of our wedding, they started getting really bad. I was getting several a week, which, of course, interfered with me being able to work. I believe I was originally prescribed Imitrex pills, although I did take Vicodin on my own a couple of times (left-overs from wisdom teeth removal). For a while, the Imitrex worked. Then it didn’t. I was then switched to the Imitrex injections, which kind of worked. They eventually would get rid of the migraine (or maybe it would just go away on its own), but first, it would make me feel 20x worse. Eventually, that also stopped working completely. Through the years, I have tried so many medications, all to no avail. I have tried Zomig, Midrin, Maxalt, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Axert, Frova, Migranal, etc. I have tried so many different medications, including antidepressants and Toprol, all to no avail. My triggers are numerous: hormonal changes, weather changes, certain foods, bright sunlight in my eyes, lack of sleep, lack of food, etc. Trying to keep track of all those triggers becomes overwhelming. And I am not completely sure I have been able to identify all food triggers or allergies as of yet, either.

In September of 1996, I was in a car accident where I was hit from the side and my car was totaled. There was no acute injury to me, and I did not go to the hospital that day. However, over the next few days, I did start to experience stiffness and pain in my back and neck. I went to see a doctor, who then sent me to physical therapy, which had no effect. I then ended up going to see a chiropractor for a few months, until he told me that he could not do anything else for me. What a waste. Since then, I’ve seen numerous doctors and chiropractors over the years regarding the pain in my back and neck. However, for most of that time, the pain has only really acted up around my period or when I was overstressed. When it did act up, though, it was bad. I was never really able to get that fully under control either.

At the beginning of 2005, I was promoted to a new position at work, with a lot more responsibility and a lot more stress. I handled it well at first, but as I took on more clients and responsibility, my working hours grew to be anywhere from 10 to 14 hours per day, with some Saturdays. I was also attending school online, which required me to sit in front of a computer at home for a few more hours each night and a large portion of the weekends. This meant I was sitting in front of a computer for the majority of my days, with sleep being the main alternative. I have never really enjoyed exercise, so forcing myself to keep that as an important part of my life just didn’t happen. In May of 2005, my back, especially my lower back, began to hurt almost constantly. Towards the end of the month, I went on vacation to Hawaii, and what I remember most of all is the pain that I experienced the entire time. The flight irritated my back so much that I could not do anything that first day, other than get a massage. I was able to do some activities after that, but the pain shadowed everything.

After I got back from Hawaii, I went to see my doctor, who then referred me to see a Physical Medicine doctor. The doctor took x-rays, didn’t find anything, prescribed me muscle relaxants and pain medication, eventually gave me trigger-point muscle injections, all to no avail. The medications helped take the edge off, but the pain was still incredible. Eventually, it got to the point that between the pain and the migraines, I could no longer make it to work. I ended up on medical leave for months. The entire time I worked in this position, there was a lot, and I mean A LOT, of stress and change going on in the department. The entire department was overworked and underpaid and nearing burn-out. When I tried to return to medical leave, I tried to explain to my new manager that I needed to have less clients and less hours, at least until I could get back into the swing of things. I was basically told that she couldn’t do that, and I eventually ended up resigning from the company. I was sick, hurting, and just couldn’t deal with that. Because I resigned, I was able to change my health insurance from the Kaiser insurance I had with the company to the Blue Cross insurance offered by my husband’s company. This allowed me to start looking for new doctors.

 

Coming soon: Fibro Hell: Part 2, Multitudes of Doctors.