Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year! Wishing you all blessings and happiness in 2010! I just realized that I didn’t even post in December. Where did the time go, seriously? I’m a bad blogger. Naughty, naughty…


It was quite a whirlwind of a month. My hubby and I threw a housewarming party to celebrate buying our first home! It was then that I discovered the joys of slow cooking with a fabulous chili recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. I downed two bowls of the spicy stuff, aided by Prelief. I’m happy to report that my IC has improved about 50% since I began my new round of supplements. I think it may have more to do with the Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry) and liberal use of Prelief than the homeopathic remedy, but the remedy may have something to do with it, who knows? However, I haven’t ovulated in about 80 days, so it doesn’t look like I’ll be pregnant anytime soon. I must confess, the holiday (and my lapse of willpower), totally blew my GF/CF diet. I ate and ate and ate- everything. I also put on 5 lbs, I’m not kidding. I look like a pumpkin right now. Well, it doesn’t help that I’m wearing an orange sweater, but I’m definitely rounder and plumper. I’m hoping it means that I’m going to ovulate but it probably means I should lay off the Ghirardelli brownies…and tiramisu…and Rice Works chips…and….

Early in December I had hysterosalpingogram (HSG) done to check out my fallopian tubes, just to make sure that my tubes and uterus are hospitable to pregnancy. While the results were good – all clear- the procedure was not fun. Quite a bit more painful than the cramping I was told I would feel. Then to top things off, the radiologist left cotton where the sun don’t shine (unbeknownst to me), so I ended up in Urgent Care four days later when I had some bleeding and fluid that was not normal. I had to endure more pain (and embarrassment), while the doctor cleaned me up. Oh yeah, did I mention that when I went to check-in for the procedure, I was told I was scheduled for a hysterectomy? Yes, a hysterectomy. Whoever pre-registered me for the procedure scheduled a hysterectomy instead of the HSG. The woman checking me in told me that she was about to have me prepped for surgery. I was horrified. I insisted that I was trying to get pregnant, not have all my reproductive organs removed. She fixed the error but I shudder thinking about what would have happened had there been some sort of language barrier.

Now it’s New Year’s Resolution time. I have several. I should probably narrow them down, but I’m hoping to get to them all eventually.

1. Return to GF/CF cooking. I looked and felt better. Plus, I fit into my clothing.

2. Relearn Italian. I spoke it until I was five and can still understand quite a bit. I purchased the Rosetta Stone last year but only used it a few times since my nap time got in the way. I’m hoping to go to Italia this summer, so I need to brush up.

3. Work out 3-4 times a week, for at least 45 minutes (cardio and weights).

4. Create art. I paint using acrylics.

5. Get pregnant. Yeah, that’s one that’s not totally within my control, so that might make a better goal rather than a resolution.

I’ll leave you for today with a fabulous slow cooker recipe that I made up. My measurements and instructions aren’t the best. Just wing it. It’s pretty hard to mess up.

Cioppino alla Claudia

Broth Ingredients

1 28 oz can crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce (Muir Glen Organics)

1 bottle clam juice

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1 ½ cup chardonnay (2 Buck Chuck)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 bulb fennel, sliced

½ large onion, sliced into half rings (should be same size and thickness as fennel)

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tsp red pepper seeds (more or less to taste)

1 tsp coarse sea salt (more or less to taste)

Ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Garnish (optional)

Lemon wedges

Chopped Parsley

Put EVOO in bottom of crock pot. Add garlic and then remaining broth ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours or low for 4 hours until fennel is tender.

Add in’s

2 Cod fillets (fresh or frozen)

1 bag Trader Joe’s Seafood Blend

1 box Harris Teeter Mussels in tomato and garlic sauce (or other frozen brand)

Adjust temperature to high. After broth has cooked, toss in frozen fish fillets (if using fresh, add the same time as seafood blend and mussels). Once cod fillets have defrosted, bring pot of water to boil. Defrost TJ’s Seafood Blend in boiling water. Drain seafood immediately after it has defrosted. Seafood can be added frozen to broth at the same time as the cod, but the seafood blend often has a “fishy” taste, that defrosting in boiling water first often helps remove. If using fresh seafood, this step can be omitted. Defrost frozen mussels and add to broth at the same time as the seafood. Stir and cover. Cook on high for an additional hour.

Serve in large bowls with parsley and lemon wedges. Crusty Italian bread or better yet, garlic bread made on crusty Italian bread, would make an excellent accompaniment. Gluten free peeps can serve with GF pasta.

Eat with love.

Awesome Blossom

Well, my ob/gyn called back and it turns out that I did not ovulate this past month. Wow, do I tell way too much info or what? Honestly, I'm really hoping my story will help someone or else I've spilled my guts for nothing. Anyway, he wants to start me on Clomid ASAP. Since I'm the big 3-5 and I have a history of PCOS, he felt it was unnecessary to wait the customary 6 months of TTC before intervening (1 year for wanna-be-moms under 35). I was a little freaked out by the prospect of taking fertility meds, so I have an appointment with doc in December to discuss all my options. In the meantime, I figured I'd go to my naturopath and see what he has in his bag of tricks to increase my fertility.


I met with Dr. Smith last Wednesday. First, he (once again) changed my homeopathic remedy (3rd time) since my IC pain has been unbearable lately. I asked Dr. Smith if the remedy would work if I didn't really believe in homeopathy, even though I want to believe it works. He assured me that he's cured many a skeptic. I also inquired about Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex), which is supposed to help with PCOS. There is research to support that it helps regulate ovulation, decrease excessive facial hair, lengthen one's luteal phase (if too short), and clear up acne. Since off the pill, I've noticed a few extra break outs here and there and my luteal phase is deficient, so I thought Vitex would be a good solution. He agreed, so I will begin taking Vitex when my next cycle starts, whenever that happens.

In attempting to find me the right homeopathic remedy, Dr. Smith asks me very detailed questions about all my symptoms, both physical and mental. When he asked me what was causing me stress, I flippantly replied, "Well, basically I'm stressed because I can't conceive and think that maybe it means that I'm unfit to reproduce...especially considering all my health issues..." Dr. Smith looked at me sadly, shook his head, and told me that I needed to love myself more. He suggested positive self-affirmations, which I assured him I had used before, in addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, prayer, yada, yada, yada...

Not deterred by my 'Been there, done that' attitude, Dr.Smith dug deeper into his bag of tricks. "Are you creative?" he asked.

"I paint." I replied, "Why?"

"Do you have body paints?" he inquired.

Whoa, this was getting a little weird. "No."

"Can you get some?"

"Um, why?"

"Well, what I want you to do is send positive energy to your pelvic region. I'd like you to paint something beautiful on your abdomen, like a flower. Then I want you to send your pelvic region and stomach positive energy. You have a lot of negativity towards that area, and I feel you need to send yourself some love. I also want you to take a picture of what you've painted and keep the picture someplace where you'll see it daily. When you see it, I want you to send yourself some love."

"Honestly, ya know what I'm thinkin' right now?" I countered, "I'm thinking that if I take a picture of my stomach and look at it, all I'm going to be thinking is, 'What happened to my abs? I used to have nice abs and now I'm all flabby.'"

Dr. Smith laughed, but put his recommendation for me on paper so that I would not forget. Looks like I've got some body paint to buy.

I'm sending my abs love as I write this. ; )

The Waiting Game

I am waiting by my cell phone for a call I likely won't get today.  The nurse is supposed to call with the results from my Day 21 Progesterone test.  Yup, seems that my hormones are out of whack and the doctor wants to find out if I'm ovulating.  To me, this really highlights the importance of diet and health.  You see, for the first couple of months that I started eating "clean," meaning GF/CF, organic, whole foods, my reproductive system was happy.  Despite years of PCOS, my cycle finally became regular.  However, this month I have gotten sloppy with my diet.  I've been eating some gluten and dairy here and there, and my sugar intake is higher than it had been the first two months.  For women with PCOS, keeping blood sugar levels stable and within a healthy range is crucial for regulating cycles and reproduction.  Even for those, like me, who are not diabetic, eating low glycemic foods and staying fit help ensure that the reproductive system is working the way it should be.  Since I've been charting my basal body temperature, I can pretty much know with certainty when I've ovulated and if my cycle is looking ok.  This month, after a month of not strictly following my diet, it looks like I'm back to wacky cycles.  Here's the thing that really sucks.  It seems that each time my body gears up to ovulate, I get horrible IC pain.  It doesn't matter what homeopathic remedy I'm on- I'm in excruciating pain.  If my body is trying really hard to ovulate...and keeps trying and trying and trying, then I get to feel that lovely pain multiple times during my cycle.  That's what happened the past couple of weeks.  Not to mention that I can't conceive if I don't ovulate.  My last few attempts have not been successful, so I'm eager to find out what is preventing it from happening.  My doctor thinks I haven't been ovulating, which is why he ordered the blood work.  It's now past 5 pm and the office is closed, so I guess I'll have to wait until Monday.  Bummer.

PS  This post is really from last week but I forgot to publish it....

I'M BAAAAACK!

First, as usual, a "quick" update. I reduced my dosage of the Cystoprotek in half around the time of ovulation last month because I didn't want to take any chances and risk "chromosomal mutations" even though my ob/gyn assured me that I could wait until the day I find out I'm pregnant. A couple of days later, my IC started to flare again and so did my fibro! Yuck. My joint pain and fatigue, which had been better for a while, started to slowly creep back. Now it's to the point where a day of running errands will leave me achy and exhausted for a couple of days.

Two days after I stopped the Cystoprotek, I had my first visit with a local naturopath, Dr. Smith. My initial consult was two hours long- not covered by my insurance. Dr. Smith was very thorough in his investigation of my medical history and my current symptoms. In fact, when time ran out, he asked if I could come back later in the afternoon so that he could continue the interview, stating that my case was one of the more complex ones he's come across. He saw me for an additional hour and a half- without charging me for the extra time! He prescribed several supplements, including slippery elm bark powder (for my IC), a probiotic, a glucosamine and glutamine supplement (for my gut), Vitamin D, Juice Plus (multi), and a homeopathic remedy. Five hundred dollars later (that included the consultation), I walked out, praying that something would work.

Thus far, I can honestly say that my IC pain is somewhat reduced. Most nights I am no longer kept up by my IC pain and there are days when I am almost pain free. I've even eaten some of my "forbidden foods" and been okay. I can't go overboard, but a piece of chocolate here and there seems to be tolerable. That being said, the pain isn't totally gone. Tomato sauce (and many other foods and beverages) still leaves me burning and stress flares me up almost every time. I'm going back for a follow up appointment on Tuesday and am hoping a little tweaking of my "remedies" may do the trick. I've noticed when my progesterone levels are higher (as evidenced by a rise in basal body temperature after ovulation), my IC pain is often better. It's worse prior to ovulation. I haven't noticed the same correlation with my fibro or IBS though. In fact, my fibro and IBS are often worse during my period but don't seem as affected during other times during my cycle.

It's important to note, however, that I haven't been strictly following my GF/CF diet. Big mistake! While I've gotten to the point where I can tolerate small amounts of dairy, it seems that my body does not appreciate the slices of pizza I attempted to sneak into my diet. I was especially naughty when my good friend from back home came down to visit, since we spent half of our time eating out. I'm now attempting to get back on track with my diet, since it does make a tremendous difference, especially with my IBS.

No funny stories today, but I'm hoping to get back into the habit of blogging more frequently. I plan on sharing lots of information and maybe even a silly story now and then.

Until then, Cento Anni!

Where did the time go?

Ok, so I had every intention of writing this fabulous post about Cystoprotek (a supplement developed to treat IC) and the doctor from Tufts U. who has researched/written extensively about how inflammation in the body is linked to Fibro, IC, IBS, etc. However, to do the topic justice would have taken quite a bit of time, and with everything that's been keeping me busy, that task became quite daunting. So, I'm going to break it down a bit so that it's more manageable, meaning that I will delve into the topic over a few posts.

First though, an update: I saw my ob/gyn (Doc F) again on Thursday, feeling great because my IC had improved significantly since following the IC diet and taking the Cystoprotek. While I had good and bad days, I could reduce the number of flares I had by being consistent with my diet. He was quite impressed by the level of improvement I reported and was okay with my decision to not try Elmiron, a prescription med for IC; however, Doc F also had some disappointing news. He had done a little more research about Cystoprotek and the individual ingredients in the supplement. One of the ingredients it contains is quercetin, a bioflavonoid that has anti-inflammatory properties. While it's considered safe in recommended doses, it is not recommended for pregnant women because laboratory studies suggested it could cause chromosomal mutations in bacteria. While there isn't any evidence that happens in humans, it's prudent to avoid the supplement during pregnancy just in case. Doc F assured me that I could take it up until I find out I'm pregnant and then to stop it immediately. That's a little scary since a tremendous amount of cell division and growth occurs during those first days after conception. I went home pretty bummed, worried that the only supplement that seemed to be helping my condition could potentially (although the chances are slim) cause harm to my (future) pregnancy.

On the plus side, the soy lecithin that I'm taking for my brain fog (recommended by my rheumatologist) and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is perfectly safe, even during pregnancy. Info about supplements and PCOS will be in a future post, so to all my menstration-ly challenged sisters, be on the lookout for that post in the upcoming month. : ) As an aside, my doctor got a big chuckle when I mentioned I was taking the soy lecithin for brain fog. He smiled and said, "Claudia, out of all my patients, you are the last person I would ever think had brain fog. You are probably my most well-informed, intelligent patient. I even have trouble keeping up with you." I thought he was teasing me but he repeated his statement and added, "I meant that as a compliment. I mean it." I have to admit, getting that validation felt pretty great because I had feared that he just thought I was a big hypochondriac that spent too much time doing research on the Internet. Well, he probably still thinks that, but at least he values the effort I put into getting myself well again.

I guess I had spoken too soon when I told Doc F I felt much better because a couple of hours later I was in tears from IC pain. At first I attributed it to the disappointment I felt after my appointment, but a couple of days later I realized that the tortilla chips I had been eating were fried in sunflower seed oil. I had discovered earlier in the week that sunflower seeds trigger my IC. The day of my appointment, I had gone home and munched on a big bag of organic corn chips, but it was a brand I hadn't tried in the past and I hadn't looked at the ingredient list, except to make sure they were GFCF. Turns out they're fried in sunflower oil! As soon as I cut them out, my IC pain improved...well, that is until I went out to dinner the next night with a bunch of my school psychologist colleagues/friends. I was determined to prove to myself that with a few Prelief and my Cystoprotek that I could have a few IC forbidden foods and be ok. Well, I wasn't. I had tomatoes and vinegar on my salad and a glass of white wine with dinner- big mistake. That night and well into the next day, my IC pain reared its ugly head. Seems that my hour of pleasure would end up causing almost 24 hours of misery.

I know there are some people out there that may think that the improvements and setbacks I experience are due to the placebo effect. Maybe to some degree it's possible, but it doesn't mean that it's all in my head. Believe me, if it were, I'd will myself right this second to be able to eat a slice of pizza and a piece of chocolate layer cake without any pain or ill effects. Yummy!

Today I made the mistake of eating an organic hotdog with mustard. I don’t know if it was the dog, the mustard, or the combo that made me flare, but I’m paying for my food choices once again.

I’m pretty sick of feeling like a freak on this restricted diet. I know that it helps, but it’s not fun feeling as if every bit of food you put in your mouth could hurt you.

Let’s hope this doesn’t last for cento anni!

Update

Wow, it's been a while since the last time I posted. Another bad week of IC pain but it's starting to simmer down a bit. This will be a quick update in preparation for a longer post that is to come. For those of you without IC pain, keep reading. I promise that if you have Fibro or food allergies or IBS or any other disorder related to inflammation in the body, this post will eventually relate to you.

Well, the IC pain became so severe last week that I even missed a day of work. While I was upset that I had to use up a sick day, boy, did I need the day off! The IC pain had been keeping me up at night, so I was averaging between three and four hours of sleep. Not good for my baby making efforts. : ) I finally saw my own Ob/Gyn on Friday. I came armed with a notepad full of questions, although it's hard to come across as an educated and informed patient while spread eagle on the exam table and/or sitting with a sheet draped around your waist. While he confirmed that my pain is most likely due to IC, he wanted to start me on a course of antibiotics to definitively rule out a UTI. Great- more antibiotics. I'm still taking my probiotics, so I'm hoping that will ward off any secondary infections. Thus far, the antibiotics have not drastically reduced my UT pain, if at all. Instead, I notice an increase in pain about an hour after taking them.

Good news. I got the ok from my Ob/Gyn to start taking Cystoprotek, a supplement developed to treat IC that is also helpful for Fibro and IBS. I was concerned that it might not be safe to take should I get pregnant, but he assured me that there was nothing in Cystoprotek that would be harmful to consume during pregnancy. My next blog will talk more about the product and its developer. He is a doctor/researcher in the Department of Pharmacology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Seems that IC, Fibro, IBS, and many other diseases share a common link- inflammation in the body! I am waiting until I'm done with the antibiotic before starting the Cystoprotek since I'd like to be able to determine what's helping/hurting, which will be difficult to do if I'm taking them concurrently.

I attempted to take the Body Balance again, taking on 1 tsp. per day to see if I could work my way back up to a higher dose. After 3 days of doing this, I couldn't stand the IC pain anymore. I know that BB is great for a lot of people, but probably not the right product for me at this point in time. My hubby is finishing the rest of my supply. I did find a multivitamin, Women's One Multivitamin/Mineral by Rainbow Light. I've taken it 4 days thus far and it doesn't seem to bother me any more than the folic acid I was taking. Since it has 800 mcg of folic acid in it, I no longer need to take folic acid by itself. When I went to a naturopath a decade ago, she highly recommended the Rainbow Light brand. They've changed their formula since then to reflect current nutritional research and the product seems much gentler on the stomach than past formulations.

So, thus far, what has my GFCF diet and numerous supplements done for me?

1. About 80% improvement of my IBS symptoms
2. GERD-free (except now that I'm on the antibiotic, which is tearing up my stomach!)
3. Lost 8 lbs since July
4. Less fluctuation in my energy levels (no more crashing due to diet- now it's just due to lack of sleep)
5. My blood pressure is 106/60. It was never a problem, but had gotten as high as 120/80.
6. Reduction in muscle pain, except for IC related pain

Good night for now! 
Claudia

PS If you like my blog, feel free to sign up to be a "follower."  : )

GF/CF Doesn't Equal Calorie Free

Ok, I'm back. My IC and Fibro pain had become so unbearable that it left me little energy for blogging. The pain was a little better yesterday evening and this morning, but after I got frustrated/angry with an interpersonal issue I was dealing with this afternoon, I think I literally became "pissed off" and the IC pain returned. Bummer...

After doing more research on the affects of supplements and IC (supplements can often lead to "flares"), I realized what may have caused the BB to worsen my condition (if indeed it was the BB). The aloe in BB is preserved using citric acid. Not a big deal for most people, but for people with IC, it can exacerbate symptoms. I was also taking 800 mcg of folic acid twice a day at the advice of my rheumatologist, not knowing that folic acid can also trigger symptoms. Yesterday I didn't take my morning dose of folic acid; instead, I took only one capsule with two Prelief tabs and lots of water after dinner. It seemed to help. I might even switch to taking just 400 mcg once a day to be on the safe side. The only supplement I take close to bedtime is my calcium combo, as the calcium, magnesium, and Vit D in it are supposed to help calm the body and allow for improved sleep. Just don't take it right before bed with a big glass of water unless you like waking up to pee.

One other big trigger that I cut, especially because I shouldn't have been indulging in the first place, is chocolate- in the form of Trader Joe's scrumptious GF/CF brownies. What a find! I baked them twice in the past two weeks, once when a friend visited and the second time when I was going to my "girls' night in"; although, I didn't end up bringing the brownies because they are almost impossible to cut into nice, square pieces. They look more like blobs- gooey, moist, chocolatety blobs. I doctor them up with CF chocolate chips and pecans- delish! Sorry, I'm drooling as I write this. Every day, I would come home from work, eat a chunk, and then an hour later, I would have fire shooting through my UT. They also have quite a bit of sugar in them, another no-no with regards to my "diet." However, as far as brownies go (for those of you not sensitive to chocolate), I would highly recommend them. Even if you're not eating GF/CF, they are quite tasty and don't have any of the artificial additives you'll find in other brownie mixes. But sadly, no more for me for now.

Yes, I'm learning that even if products are GF/CF, they are not "freebies." I can't eat them with abandon because all those calories will eventually add up. Trader Joe's also sells ginger snap cookies that are GF. Those don't trigger flares for me and the ginger calms my stomach; still, cookies aren't exactly health food, so I've got to cut back. They are too tempting, especially when I'm starving and don't have any other quick and easy snack choices. I've put on a couple of the pounds that I lost, and it's likely because of all the empty calories I consumed in brownies and cookies. I'll have to save those treats for an occasional indulgence.

Belly troubles are back today. Not quite sure why except that maybe all the calcium in Prelief is slowing things down too much. I didn't even finish lunch because I felt so bloated.

One last comment: Did you know that the soy based "veggie slices" of cheese, sold as a substitute for American cheese, have casein in them? Yes, they do, and I was just as shocked as you are. LOL. Seriously though, I ate a slice yesterday morning on my oat bread toast and felt "bubbly" a couple of hours later. When I got home and checked the ingredients, I saw the dreaded words, "milk protein." They are lactose-free but not dairy free. WOA: Read the ingredients list carefully if you want to get results. Little slip ups here and there will have an impact, even if you don't want to believe it. Do your homework. Your bowels will thank you for it. : )