Susan's Quest for Good Health After a Celiac Diagnosis (comments greatly appreciated)

Susan,
Happy to hear from you.Sorry about all those plumbing issues,it is difficult to get a plumber even for a simple matter around here.Glad to see you have it in perspective though and are determined not to let it get you down.One day at a time helps.

Hope the appts went well,
Linda
 
Yeah! Glad you're back!!! I know having all those issues w/ the plumbing is crappy! :goodvibes Pun intended! I know you guys will get it worked out though!

I'm so happy you joined the BL4! This will help us stay focused to lose weight, get healthy and conqur the Minnie 5k!!!

Keep up the good work!
Stacie
 
Hello Susan!

Sorry to hear about being ill and having to deal with the plumbing issues. Seems like when things go wrong, they all happen at once. I wish you guys luck on getting everything squared away!

Congrats on joining BL4 too :) Seems like a great thing to do and I KNOW with your determination, you'll do an awesome job.

Have a great weekend!
 
Susan,
I just had to tell you that your post to Beth was very touching and supportive. It is nice to have people on here that even though we are all strangers you feel like you can help in some way.

Hope things are clearing up for you plumbing wise. We still have not had one call us back yet- thank goodness for 2 bathrooms in the house!

Take care,
Linda
 

Hi Susan,

I'm sorry to hear about your sinus infection and the plumbing problems. :( I hope you are feeling better soon and that you can get some estimates for the plumbing work that needs to be done.:goodvibes

Congrats on joining BL4! :cheer2:

Hope you have a great week!:hug:
 
Hey there! Were you able to go grocery shopping this weekend and get in your weekly cooking on Sunday? Estimates from the plumbers??? How about training? Any of that?

Yes, this your pushy little sister! :) :rotfl:

How you feeling? The sinus infection any better??? I don't think mine is materializing. This throat and ears seem a bit better today!

Hope you guys are doing ok!

Check in when you get a chance!!!

Stacie
 
Hi susan,

I wanted to thank you for your post in my journal. You are a very special woman, and I am blessed that I found these boards.

I hope you are feeling better. What's the damage from the plumbers? I hate when things go wrong in my home.

Take care of yourself, and thanks again,
Beth
 
Hi, everyone. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and checking in on me. I intended to post yesterday, but it was a crazy day and I didn't have time.

Okay, good news first - I weighed in for BL challenge this morning and I lost 2 pounds! The best part is that I didn't even get started until this weekend because I had to do the grocery shopping and cooking, so I was pleased with that! Hopefully the coming week will be even better.

I am back on the ediets wheat-free program and am also doing dairy-free now. It is somewhat of a change because I really love cheese and used it in a lot of foods, as well as for a snack, so cutting it out is tough. But I have noticed just in the short period of time I have gotten rid of the dairy, that I seem to feel a little better. It's not huge, and maybe it's all in my head, but it does seem to be a little bit easier to get out of bed in the morning. I am still really tired and pushing myself to get anything done, but it isn't quite as difficult as it was. Maybe that's a sign of better days to come!

I started doing bellydancing yesterday morning with a set of DVDs that my DD begged me to get for her and then never looked at - they have been sitting around for months, so I decided to put them to good use. It is actually a lot of fun! I am sure I looked really stupid when I was trying to imitate the moves, but no one was looking so it didn't matter! I particularly enjoyed learning the undulations and how to shimmy (until I realized that I am so heavy now that I undulate and shimmy even when I don't intend to:lmao:) - I plan to continue with it because I think it will strengthen my core muscles and help to keep me from having severe back problems again.

It was my intention to begin again with the C25K training this morning, but I overslept and barely made my vanpool, so I guess I will have to do that tomorrow morning. It was decided today that we need to meet for our vanpool at 6:30 a.m. - which means I will have to get up at 4:45 a.m. to get in a 30-minute workout and still have time to get ready - but if that's what I have to do, then that's what I have to do.

I was very proud of myself last night - we had a small gathering after our Bible study meeting and I made gluten-free, dairy-free brownies (which were really good). I only had half of a brownie (two bites worth) and a scoop of fruit salad. Yay, me!!

When I bought groceries this weekend, I picked up a People magazine that had a feature on several people who had lost half of their body weight. It was very inspiring for me, because these were ordinary people who had made a plan, changed their lifestyles and lost tremendous amounts of weight. I plan to keep the magazine and refer to it from time to time for motivation. Who knows? Maybe I can be one of those folks one day - I'd love to be in People magazine!

We took our car in to the garage and it turns out that one of the parts they put on with the last repair broke, so they fixed that for free! Of course, it still needed a couple of other things that we had to pay for (always something), but after a new battery and headlight, it is as good as new and we have our car back! I am so glad it wasn't anything major - we are keeping our fingers crossed that it keeps running for a good while yet!

As for the plumbing issues - not good. The estimates are running about 5K, which is about 5K more than we have. At least the problems only get really bad when it rains, which it hasn't done a lot of lately. We are now trying to figure out how to pay for this - we have taken on a lot of debt in the last year for my medical issues, so that may be difficult. We have a large tax refund coming back this year and we are debating just muddling through with this (and praying it doesn't rain much) until that comes in (which was in February when I filed last year) and using it instead of incurring more debt. I guess we will see how the next few days go and then decide.

Well, off to check out everybody's journals. Thanks again for all your support and encouragement - I greatly appreciate it. Hope everybody has a great day!

Susan
 
Good morning, everyone. I know some of you (including my little sis) are preparing to go to WDW for the race(s), so to all of you - HAVE A GREAT TIME - YOU SO ROCK!!!

Now on to what's going on in my world today.

Yesterday morning I was running late and didn't have a snack made, so I didn't have one to bring to work. When I got home, I was starved, so while I made dinner, I had a tendency to nibble at what was in front of me. Fortunately there wasn't anything that could hurt me too much, but I decided that I NEED that snack about 4:30 before I leave work to keep me from eating "unplanned" food when I get home. So last night, I put everything together so that I had my breakfast, lunch and snack all prepared and ready to go this morning. The earlier vanpool start time has been postponed (I am just along for the ride, so whatever they want to do is fine - I'm not one of the folks that has to be at work at 8:00, so I'm not sweating it), so I got up at 5:00 a.m. and did my beginning C25K workout. Since I only got in two workouts with that program before the sinus infection interfered, I decided to just start over. It went really well - it was hard, but doable. My legs and back are a little sore, but not too much - I haven't had to take any ibuprofen, so that's a good sign. I was pleased with it and plan to keep alternating the C25K workouts with bellydancing for now. I may change up my alternative exercise, but the C25K has to happen NOW - May is coming up fast!!

I have been working hard on getting in the water every day. I bought two 34-oz mugs, one for work and one for home, and I am drinking five of those every day. That is a little more than half my body weight in ounces of water and I think it is important, not just for weight loss but for general health, so I am working hard to get it in. The only problem is I am wearing a path into the carpet between my desk and the bathroom! I hope that subsides somewhat, but I will put up with it in the interest of getting rid of this weight!

I am feeling pretty decent today - not great, but pretty decent. I don't know if it's due to cutting out dairy, getting back to exercise, getting my water in, getting my eating plan together, or what, but I definitely feel a little better. I am hoping that my energy level will go up as I go along. I SO need to be able to get things done, not just at work but at home also. Right now everything is still such an effort, and I really want that to change. I am also aware that carrying around all this weight makes fatigue more likely, so maybe this energy level thing is just a work in progress all the way around. Maybe it will all come together for me - I really hope so. Even if I always walk around exhausted, I am determined to make these changes and make them stick - there is no alternative if I want to be able to live my life as a functioning, fully-involved member of society. I just can't forget the faces of the people I saw on TV who are bedridden because of their weight - as far as I'm concerned, that is a living death and I don't have any intention of getting there, so I have to stop it - NOW!! I am really, really happy that I am able to get back to my plan and work it - I am SO ready for the challenge!

I have been thinking about my natural mother lately (not that my stepmother is unnatural by any means - love you, Mama!! - but that's the best way I know to differentiate who I am talking about). I have lived for 15 years longer than she did, and it occurred to me recently that if she had been given the choice of being able to live for 15 more years and feel as exhausted as I do, she would have gladly taken that deal instead of dying of cancer before her 28th birthday. So I am trying to be grateful for the days that I have, no matter how bad I might feel, and remember to enjoy the time with my family and friends because it is not a given that I will continue to have it. I am thinking that as an added incentive to myself to keep going with this lifestyle change (even when it is hard to get out and exercise or I don't feel like cooking for hours on the weekend), I will make this happen not just for me, but in honor of her memory. It will be like I am doing it for both of us. I hope that doesn't sound stupid, it's just that she has been on my mind more than usual lately and this is my way of doing something positive with that thought process.

Well, I guess that's about it for me today. Will check in again when I have a moment. Hope everybody has a great day!

Susan
 
Hey there! Great job getting started back on the C25K and getting in the 1st week! I assume you were able to do Day 3 today???

Belly dancing... That is funny! You'll have to demonstrate for us this coming up weekend! :goodvibes

Weigh in for BL is tomorrow... I'm a bad team mate... I know I gained from our Disney trip... Sorry!!!

Hope you are feeling better today!

Stacie
 
Hi, guys. I'm up a pound this week, I think because my alarm clock was messed up last week (all fixed now) and I missed exercising three days because of it. Then I got sick this weekend from food that I thought was safe that wasn't (gluten-related), so I've been sick three days from that and haven't gotten in the water or exercise I needed to those days. This morning I got out to do the Week 1 Day 3 of the C25K program and my stopwatch messed up, so I ended up walking more than jogging, but at least I was out there! Here's hoping this week is a better week.

My DH started working night shift this week. His company asked him to do this for 1-2 years and I HATE it! He is doing it for us - they gave him a substantial raise and we need the money right now - but I worked night shift for 9 years so that our DD could home school, and I have only been back on days for 10 months. I was SO HAPPY to be on the same schedule that he is, and now we are back to opposite shifts again. I miss him SO MUCH when he is gone at night, I have tears in my eyes when he leaves. I don't know why it is affecting me this way - I know he will be back in the morning (I only see him for 5 minutes before I leave for work, but he is there) and I know I will see him in the evening before he goes to work. I never reacted this way when I was working nights, so I don't know what the problem is. I guess I am just disappointed because I enjoyed being on the same schedule with him so much and now it feels like it was snatched from me. I guess I just need time to adjust.

So I am having a hard time focusing on my eating plan/exercise, but I am still trying. I am thinking about changing my ediets plan to low carb because my blood sugars are a little high on the wheat-free plan and I think the low carb one would work better with that. I am going to try it and see.

I will check in again when I get the chance. Hope all of you have a great day!

Susan
 
Susan,
That must be very difficult.Take one day at a time-who knows maybe the company will change their need or someone will be hired that is actually looking for the night shift, it happens.

Focus on yourself now and keep working on your goal.

Take care,
Linda
 
Hi there! Just checking in to see how you were this week. Any training?

Can't wait to see you guys on Sunday! Have a safe trip!

Stacie
 
Hi Susan,

Congratulations on getting back into the c25k. I love that you are bellydancing. It is a great core workout, and if you'll stick with it because you enjoy it. I am sorry that you are not feeling well. DD has dairy allergies, and occasionally we'll get a cross contamination issue. It is so frustrating when you are being vigilant, and an exposure happens.

I unsderstand about DH working night. I did 12 hour nights for 12 years. You may have issues because it is him leaving, and not you. When you headed off to work, your focus was on the night ahead. Now, you are in the home and he is the one leaving. Give yourself time.

Take care,
Beth
 
Hi, everybody. Sorry I have been off the journals so long. LTO - JTO - pretty much EVERYTHING else took over my life here for a few days. However, I have good news (as my sister alluded to above), so I won't keep you in suspense any longer!!! (I just know that everyone here has stopped everything they are doing and has been checking my journal 10 times a day to see what's up!!;) )

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I stopped eating dairy foods at the first of the year. This is in addition to not eating gluten due to the celiac disease. My initial testing showed that I was sensitive to dairy, but I wasn't ready to get rid of both at the same time. As 2007 wound to a close, it became apparent to me that dairy was bothering me. The fibromyalgia pain was pretty much gone (which is a great thing, believe me), but the exhaustion just wasn't budging much. It was still a huge effort just to get up and get through the day. And if I ate lots of dairy in one day, the exhaustion effect was more pronounced. So I finally decided if I could stop eating gluten, I could stop eating dairy. And guess what? Over the last week, I have felt better than I have felt in years. A LOT better. In fact, to quote James Brown:

I FEEL GOOD!!! NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA

I KNEW THAT I WOULD!!! NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA


The exhaustion is starting to lift. It's not totally gone, but it is definitely starting to lift. What a miracle - a true gift! I am starting to feel like myself again - and it's been a LONG time coming. "You are what you eat" has taken on a whole new meaning for me. NO FOOD IN THIS WORLD is worth being as sick and feeling as bad as I have felt for all these years - not even Krispy Kreme doughnuts (a particular weakness of mine back in the days BGF (before gluten free)). Now that I am starting to feel better, it is easier to focus on what I want to do for my health and weight loss efforts in the next few months. Still interested, dear readers?? Here we go:

After consulting with my doctor this week (the one who diagnosed the celiac disease), this is the plan: I have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. My blood sugar and blood pressure levels are higher than she would like (not in a dangerous zone yet, but still too high). I have three months to bring them down with diet and exercise (in addition to the medication I already take). If they don't come down in that time frame, then changes will have to be made to my medication regimen. I have no desire to take more medication or become insulin-dependent. In actuality, I want to take less (or no) medication at some point in the future. So I am well aware of what is at stake here. Her suggestion was to come off the wheat-free ediets plan and start a low-carb plan. Even though I am gluten free, the carbs that I have been eating (rice, potatoes, rice pasta) are raising my blood sugar too much at this point. If I stick to a low carb plan, it should help to stabilize the blood sugars and help me lose weight, which would lower my blood pressure. I told her about the 5K at Disney in May and that I was committed to doing it with Stacie. She thought it was a great idea, and said she was proud of me for taking it on because she knows what a challenge it will be. She feels that if I hit the exercise hard (six days a week), follow the low carb plan, take my medication as I normally do, and drink the water I need, we should see the results she (and I) want. She also did some blood work to test my thyroid levels, because she suspects I may need some thyroid medication as well, since most people with celiac disease eventually have some thyroid issues at some point. She also suggested that I journal my food intake, water intake and exercise each day so that I can see how it is affecting me and so that I will be accountable for my choices. So I have decided to do that here at the end of my regular journal entries. On the days that I don't have time to do a regular entry, I'll just quickly put in my food intake, water intake and exercise for consistency's sake. Feel free to ignore that part of the entry if you like - that's just for me!

I also went to see my chiropractor, whom I had not seen in - count 'em, folks - FIVE WEEKS!!! He was very pleased that it had been so long and that I was not in any severe pain at all. He adjusted me and then we talked a bit about my eating and exercise plan. He called me inspirational :goodvibes because he said that through all the health issues - fibromyalgia, celiac disease, severe back injury and pain - I never gave in. I always remained who I was and didn't let the health problems take over. He says I am a fighter - other people on these boards have said that, too - and I am starting to think of myself as a fighter. And it's a good feeling - a very positive place to be.

So this week, I started on Week 2 of the C25K training plan. I have done Week 1 twice, so I figured it was time to move forward. I trained Tuesday morning, did a Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds tape Wednesday morning, and trained again this morning. It is tough, but I am doing it. And when I am out there, walking and jogging, I think about where I was last year this time - so exhausted that getting out of bed to take a shower had to be done in two parts. I had to take the shower, dry off and lay down to rest, then get up, get dressed and try to make it through my day. I would drive to work and pray for the strength to walk from my car to the office. I would drag through my work shift, drive home, then pray for the strength to walk from the car to my house. And that was my life on a daily basis. So to come from that to training for a 5K event - and doing it early in the morning, then working all day and being able to handle it all without collapsing - is a miracle. I say again, IT'S A MIRACLE!!! And as I'm puffing along, I think about all this and I feel empowered. For the first time in a LONG time, I feel in control. I feel LARGE AND IN CHARGE!!! Okay, hopefully as I go along I will be a little less LARGE, but still IN CHARGE!:thumbsup2

So I guess I have rambled on here for far too long. But so many of you have followed my struggle since last fall, and I wanted you to know that things are definitely looking up with my health issues and my ability to do the training I need for May. I don't know how the race itself will go. Hopefully I finish it in the time frame allotted. But even if I don't, just training for it and making the attempt is more than I would have dreamed possible just a few short months ago.

As always, thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement you've given me here. I hope all of you have a great day!

Food for Yesterday:

Breakfast - Two boiled eggs, 4 oz. turkey sausage

Lunch - Tuna with mayo and mustard on lettuce with low fat Italian dressing

Snack - One boiled egg, 1/2 cup cucumber slices

Dinner - 4 oz. pork chop, 1/2 cup green beans, 1/2 mixed vegetables

Water for Yesterday:

170 oz.

Exercise for Yesterday:

Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds video for 30 minutes
 
:hug: :hug: :hug: YOU made my day Susan!!!! I cannot wait to cheer you on at the 5K...I cannot wait to give you a big hug and tell you how proud I am of you girl! You better believe we'll all be there near the finish line to see your victory.

Congratulations on feeling so much better. That is such a gift...and you've really taken control of the situation. You have to be so proud of yourself Susan. Yay!!! :goodvibes :cool1:

I know you're busy but please stop in every once in a while to keep us updated on your progress.
 
Yay!!! Oh, Amy's post almost brought me to tears. It's so nice to see other people intersted and excited in my sister's healthy and progress!

This is fantasic that you are feeling so much better!!!

GREAT JOB on the exercise w/ the Walking Tape (how far is the 30 min? 2 miles???) and the C25K!!! Keep up the great work! You are so motivated right now! You CAN and WILL do this!!!

Stacie
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top