Saturday, July 27, 2013

Celebrating a year post thyroidectomy and the end of my Whole 30

Today is my official anniversary of having my thyroid removed.  I thought I would have some type of emotion attached to this day, but I don't.  I think it probably took a little less than a year to process that my life would be different.  In the beginning, I was angry.  I was so upset that I did not have cancer.  I know that sounds crazy, but I felt a bit robbed.  The whole reason I did the surgery was because of the cancer risk and not to have it, did not make sense to me.  I essentially had a surgery that was unnecessary.  Once I was able to get pass the anger, I think I entered a stage of fear.  I was afraid of missing my medication.  I mean, I would be in full panic mode.  Those 2 little pills that I take every morning are what keep me alive and I don't think most people like me think about it often, but it is a fear of mine.  It is a quiet fear now, but it was quite loud a few months after surgery.  The months leading up to this anniversary were a mix of emotions that I hold quite close to me; however, I don't mind writing about them at the moment.  I struggle with depression that is tied to toxic people. I was beginning to get caught up in it all and decided to talk to a therapist.  The therapist is one of the people that I can credit to getting me on the road to healing both in the mind and body.  I only had 4 sessions, but I cried about my health issues and I didn't feel guilty about it.  I had taken this strong stance that I wasn't going to cry about this thyroid stuff because other people have so many issues that are much more serious than mine, but I was hurting myself by keeping it inside.  I finally released all those feelings and have felt much better ever since.  I also let someone (my father) very close to me go too and it has been hard to deal with, but the relationship was toxic.  I hate that the therapist was right about the relationship we had and sometimes I can't believe how much more at peace I am without him in my life.  It is unnatural in some ways to no longer communicate with someone who had a part in you coming to be, but when that person genuinely does not care about you and aims to tear you down, it is imperative that the relationship discontinue until one can heal.

I remind and read this quote quite often:

"If we want to reconcile with our family or with friends who have hurt us, we have to take care of ourselves first. If we're not capable of listening to ourselves, how can we listen to another person? If we don't know how to recognize our own suffering, it won't be possible to bring peace and harmony into our relationships" - Thich Nhat Hanh

My healing is both inside and out.  I have learned that one does not happen without the other.  If stress continues to be a factor, then so will sickness in my body.  If I continue to distract myself from past hurts, then my present will constantly involve trips to the doctor.  It is just that simple for me and I am learning to balance it all out.  

In other news, I have finished MY Whole 30.  I did not do a whole 30 days, but I thought I would end it today considering this was my anniversary and all. It was rough for me, but towards the end everything balanced out.  I lost 2lbs, which isn't much to me, but it was never about the weight anyway.  I celebrated today with some primal zucchini brownies and they were delicious, but too sweet.  I did not overindulge either, which I credit to my Whole 30 (26).  That's all for now.

Breathe and Listen


Friday, July 26, 2013

Vlog with my Cousin/Sister/Best Friend


Okay, so my cousin and I did a tag video for her youtube channel.  I think it is pretty funny and cute and I thought I would share it here on my blog.  Of course, my cousin is on your right (looking fabulous) and I am the plain looking girl on your left.  We basically just asked one another questions about...stuff.  It was a ton of fun. Just press play below:





Breathe and Listen

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Whole 30 Day 23

Okay, so I have missed a number of days blogging.  As usual, life just seemed to keep getting in the way and thankfully I have carved out a moment to sit down and type.

The last time I blogged, I was on day 15 of the Whole 30 and I was literally losing my mind up until that day.  I can only assume that my body was doing some type of detox and it was all mental.  I haven't really lost any weight, but I also have not weighed myself.  I've been coming up with some really interesting meals too and I am quite proud of myself.  I post what I eat for dinner most days, so if you want to take a look just follow me at http://instagram.com/buterflisoldier or look up my name "buterflisoldier".  Here are some of my new creations:

Lamb with cauliflower and broccoli

Chard with ground beef, tomato, and avocado 
Ground beef with chard, carrot, jalapeno, broccoli,  tomato, and avocado

Homemade guacamole, curry chicken with chard (top), curry chicken with cauliflower (bottom)








Cabbage tacos (ground beef, tomato, avocado).

I look forward to the Whole 30 ending.  I expected to have a ton of energy and feel great, but that has not happened.  My energy is considerably lower, but I also have some other health issues going on right now, so that could have a part in why I just have not been feel well.  I will say that I am not getting bloated anymore and I'm not having in trouble in the bathroom.  The Whole 30 has all my pipes working quite well.  Anywho, that all for now...

Breathe and Listen

Hematologist

I've been kind of hinting around on some of my recent posts about something going wrong medically.  It is not completely thyroid related, or at least I don't think so.  My blood work has been coming back odd.  My white blood count is low. My platelets and neutrophils are also low and my lymph is high.  The blood work was not alarming at first because I believe the doctors simply thought I must have been fighting some type of infection.  An alarm went off when I continued to have issues with fatigue even after I was supposedly cured of my thyroid ailments.  About 18 months ago, my doctor ordered a test to see exactly what was going on with my blood and found that I had more young red blood cells.  I don't know all the details, but she said that she thought I could have ITP and suggest I see a hematologist.  At that time, I didn't want to.  I was very worried about my thyroid situation and honestly didn't want another issue on my plate.  Now that my thyroid is removed and I still have moments of exhaustion the blood was looked at more closely and I finally agreed to see a hematologist.

I went to see the hematologist last week and the appointment went well.  I was extremely worried because my labs definitely show that there is a problem.  The doctor was quite nice and she told me that she thought there was an issue, but that it was not an emergency.  She ordered a ton of tests and I have to have an ultrasound to check if my spleen or liver are enlarged.  I go back to see her in about a month and at that time she will decide if I need to have a bone marrow biopsy.  I asked her what might be wrong with me and she said that it could be a number of things and until we did the testing, she really couldn't say.  I left the appointment feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders until I woke up the next morning realizing that I really had not received any answers.

Hopefully, everything works itself out.

Breathe and Listen

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 13, 14, and 15)

The clouds have officially lifted...

I'm not sure what kind of space I was in the past 4 days, but I don't want to go there anymore.  I was consumed by this dark cloud and to say I was irritable would be an  understatement.  Not only was I just downright mean, but I was also very sad.  The question is, what made me feel this way?

It did not dawn on me that my body could be going through some type of detox because of the Whole 30.  I generally eat well, so the idea that somehow eliminating honey from my diet would send me into a depression never crossed my mind.  I believe that I was going through withdrawals and I am seriously thinking about what I am going to do when the Whole 30 is complete.  If honey is affecting my moods to that degree, then I may have a bit of a problem.  I also must admit that I have not been taking my Vitamin D like I should, which may have contributed to everything as well. 

I will not discuss what I have eaten for the past 3 days because I only remember what I ate today (thyroid brain).  I am happy to write that I have not cheated, which is awesome considering the state of mind I was in the past few days. So, today I ate a banana for breakfast.  I ate mango slices, nuts, dates, and 2 large glasses of water for a snack, which turned into my lunch because I absolutely had no more room left in my stomach to eat.  For dinner, I had lamb, cabbage, and sweet potato.  I am so much more satisfied on this diet than I thought I would be. I guess I'm over the hump and also at the halfway mark.

Woo Hoo!!!!

Breathe and Listen

Monday, July 15, 2013

There are Idiots Among Us!

My family and I moved to California from North Carolina about 2 months ago.  Of course, when one moves he or she has to find new doctors and that is what I attempted to do today.  Unfortunately, the doctor I met today was an idiot.

She was a very nice lady.  I actually commented on how lovely her engagement ring was; however, after hearing her talk for about 20 minutes, I wondered who the lost soul was that planned to marry such an idiot. I won't even go through the trouble of giving her an initial, she will always be referred to as "The Idiot".

At the appointment, we went through the regular small talk about why I was there and what it was that I needed.  I told her that I needed a few referrals with one being to see an Endocrinologist.  First, let me point out that I'm not very fond of Endocrinologist either, but I've been up and down in weight, my menses (sorry guys) are off, and I really feel hyper sometimes because my heart sometimes races. I'm quite afraid of going to the Endocrinologist because I don't want some smarty pants to take me off my T3, but I also hope to meet someone who will agree to give me a prescription for natural dissected thyroid medication. Okay, back to The Idiot.  She looks at me and says, "you don't need an Endocrinologist to monitor your thyroid. We can do that here.  It's really quite simple.  We just check your levels from time to time and adjust your medication". I think it was the word simple that pissed me off because this has been nothing but simple.  I say to her, "I don't have a thyroid".  She then lights up like a Christmas Tree and tells me that, "that's even better. It's easier to monitor you when you don't have a thyroid. You just have to call us if you think it's growing back".  At that point, I sternly told her that I wanted the referral to an Endocrinologist and when she looked as if she was going to protest, I told her that I was more comfortable with a specialist.  I shut down after that and I could tell she felt that I was done with her and truthfully I was.  I know that I will never see The Idiot again.

There are 2 things that stood out to me.  First, she never asked why I had my thyroid removed, yet she thinks it is easy to manage. Secondly, I asked The Idiot for clarity on a problem I have been having with my lymph and neutrophil blood work and The Idiot says to me that the numbers suggest cancer or leukemia right in front of my children.  I could have slapped her, but one must never be mean to Idiots because they know not what they do.  It just makes me frightened for all those who just sit back and listen to idiots like her and never find relief from this whole thyroid crap.

By the way, I go to see the Hematologist on Wednesday.  I have been really stressed about this appointment, but I also feel like I am about to get some answers. Until next time...

Breathe and Listen

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 11 and 12)

I've been having a few rough days.  The diet is fine, but I am a stimulant junkie.  I need sugar.  I use to run everyday.  I use to workout almost 4 days a week.  I use to be extremely active.  I did those things because I loved the release of endorphins.  I can't do those things anymore.  The lack of a thyroid greatly impacts what I use my energy for and I have osteoarthritis, a bone spur, and labral tear in my right hip so it is pretty painful to do the workouts I use to. I have just taken to practicing yoga, but it doesn't give you the same high as a good long run, so I think I've been using SUGAR as my stimulant.  I'm not a coffee drinker either, but this diet is showing me that my body and brain are addicted to sweets.  Because I consider myself paleoish/primal, I haven't had full fledged sugar in almost 2 years now, but I would typically go through 2lbs of honey and maple syrup in a month.  I now know by how my body is responding to this diet that I am overdoing it.  My body is not happy nor is my mind with eliminating the stimulant I have been using.

Depression stopped by for a visit and then angry popped in too.  I imagine this is how a junkie must feel when trying to kick their drug habit, but I guess a bit more extreme.  Now, for what I ate. 

Day 11:

Breakfast - 3 eggs, avocado and tomato
Lunch - Cabbage tacos (took a picture, but it doesn't look all that appetizing)
Dinner - Lamb with broccoli and cauliflower

Day 12:

Breakfast - paleo cereal with bananas and strawberries
Lunch - Cabbage and lamb
Dinner - Oops, I don't think I ate dinner

Of course I can't walk around all depressed and angry because I want a spoonful of honey, so I added a new snack into my rotation called dates.  Now, dates are super sweet, but I can't overeat them.  They are just that sweet and that filing, but they are getting me over my hump.  I also realized that I haven't been keeping up with my Vitamin D and I think that may have something to do with my mood.  No pictures today, but I'm going to be out and about celebrating my son's birthday this weekend, so I more than likely will have some yummy food to photograph. 

I feel like I'm almost all the way hypo again, so wish me luck this weekend guys.  I'm trying to keep my head above water.

Breathe and Listen

A Conversation with Depression

The clouds have come in...

An old friend has been lurking outside of my house for a few days now.  I saw him peaking through the windows on Monday and I ran to close the blinds.  I made a point of leaving my house with the hope that I could somehow trick him into leaving, but when I pulled out of my driveway, I saw him sitting at my front door step, as if saying that he would be there when I got back.  Tuesday, I saw him again.  He was knocking on my front door, a slow knock, not demanding, but a knock all the same.  I rushed to play with my children.  I ignored him.  Wednesday, he had somehow made it inside of my house and he simply just sat on my couch as if he were waiting for me to join him. I sat with him for a moment and eased in how familiar it was to hold hands with an old friend and enemy.  I got up when I noticed he was holding my hand too tight and ran to the bookstore.  Surely there was something I could find at the bookstore that would help me get this dude out of my life for good.  I bought a book, watched my children play, went to the store and hoped that he would be gone by the time I made it home.  When I got home, he met me at the door and I ran to the phone to ignore this fool, hoping a friend would distract his impending presence in my life.  I kept him at a distance and when night came, he sat across me, but refused to leave.  When I got up on Thursday, he was in bed with me and I had given up chase.  I allowed him to hold my hand and even get on my back briefly.  My old friend was back in full force...

Me: Mr. Depression, why have you come back?

Depression:  You asked for me, didn't you?

Me:  I have never asked for you.  I have never wanted you as a friend.  You aren't even a friend I can depend on because you aren't a constant.  You keep showing up and then leaving.

He was silent after that exchange, but still there.  By Friday, I had enough and alone in my shower I finally had a conversation that was long over due with my friend.

Me:  Why are you here?  I was doing so well.

Depression:  You asked for me, didn't you?

Me:  NO!  Leave.  PLEASE.

Depression:  Oh, but you want me here.  You need to go numb for a while.  You aren't doing to well with all these emotions.  I've always come to help you when reality gets too rough.  You should really stop this whole healing thing.  It's not good for you. 

Me:  But, I need to heal.  I've had a few rough things in my life that I need to overcome. 

Depression:  Oh yes, your childhood, the thyroid, and now you're sick again.  You need me here.  Oh, and you must stop this yoga thing as soon as possible.  Please stop reading that book too.  I'm here now.  You no longer have to feel.

Me:  I want to feel.

Depression:  Oh, really?  Why haven't you had a good cry in years?  Wouldn't that change what everyone LOVES about you?  You're so stoic and so strong.  You're reserved and funny.  You tell jokes.  You give good advice.  How on Earth are you going to do that if you are feeling all the emotions you continue to stuff down inside of you?  Oh my, how would you wear your smile?

Me:  I understand that I have used you in the past to hide.  We get along because when you are here I feel numb and can function, but I want to live in every moment now.  I want to feel.

Depression:  You still haven't cried.  You still hold back.  You need me.  You really don't want me to leave.  Now, clean yourself up.  Put on your happy face and go to this play date with your children.  All the moms will love you.  You're so charismatic.  You're so funny.  Wait, maybe you shouldn't go.  Let's get reacquainted for a few days and then you can go knock their socks off.

Me:  I can cry.  I can feel.

Depression:  Oh, but you can't.  You poor thing. You need me.

Me:  (Sobbing)  LEAVE! You are no longer needed!  I will heal without you.  I am allowing myself not to be perfect.  LEAVE NOW!

Depression:  That Zen Master shit has really got you going.  You think a little breathing and listening is going to help you.  You haven't got a clue how hard it is to find your center, especially for someone like you, but, I will leave...for now. 

As I pull out of my driveway to go to a play date with my children, I don't see my old friend.  I feel as if I have won, but cry the whole way to the play date.  As I get out of the car, I see him and I walk right pass him.  I know I am not the same person while talking to these women.  I am more interested in seeing my children play.  I am less comfortable with conversation and more comfortable in watching my son make a friend.  My heart smiles.  I am the quiet weirdo, but for once I live in the moment.  Every step is intentional.  Every laugh and smile felt genuinely.  Driving home, I remember every light and turn.  I can feel that I am coming back to being conscious.  I don't want to live on auto-pilot any more.  He, my old friend (Depression) is waiting for me at the door.

Me:  Goodbye

Depression:  I'll be here when you need me, but I'm not leaving just yet.  I won't come in, but I will be close.  Good luck my dear because you're going to need it.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 9 and 10)

The days are starting to get really crappy.  Day 9 sucked worse than day 8.  I kept spiking.  I woke up feeling great and then 2 hours later, I felt horrible.  I literally felt like a wall of fatigue just hit me.  I ate breakfast, which was 3 boiled eggs, avocado and tomato.  I eat that breakfast every morning and took my medication the way I normally do, but for some reason I was off for the remainder of the day.  I started playing with my children and the next thing I knew they were yelling, "wake up mommy".  I was really that tired.  I told them we needed to have a movie day because mommy just wasn't feeling well, so we sat down on the couch, snuggled up and 2 hours later I felt great again.  When the fatigue wore off, I picked myself up and went to the library, bookstore, and Trader Joes. By the time I got home, I felt like crap again.  I don't know what is going on, but I know I do not like it.  I suspect that I am having some adrenal issues, but I've got other things to deal with at the moment and that will have to wait.  Anyway, I picked up some ground beef from the store to make myself some tacos (with a cabbage shell of course) and just so happened to turn the package around and saw this:

I have been trying to figure out how ground beef is the product of three different countries and I was so alarmed by this label that I just didn't eat it.  It is still in my refrigerator.  I don't know how I feel about knowingly eating a cow with a passport. I typically go to the halal market/butcher for meat.  I prefer looking into the eyes of a butcher or a farmer, but I needed something quick and the picture above is what I got.  The rest of the day was uneventful.  My dinner was scrumptious. I had chard, curry chicken, broccoli and cauliflower.  

Day 10 was worse than day 9.  My energy has yet to pick up and I feel like I'm spiraling down.  I have moments when my energy picks up, but more than the fatigue, my attitude sucks. I'm just so short tempered.  I feel like I need some cookies in my life.  I know at this point that I really have a problem with sugar.  Oh, which brings me to some Whole 30 failures:

Contains sugar
Contains sugar
Not sure about this, contains defatted soy
I had to invest in another seasoning because all of the ones I usually use were not Whole 30 approved.  I ended up buying a new one from Trader Joes and I like it.
No sugar!
My meals were pretty much the same as on Day 8 for day 9 and 10. I am hoping that things start to turn around in how I am feeling.  I called the doctor today because I realize that I need to be seen.  I also have a hematology appointment next week that I will probably write about soon.  Until next time...

Breathe and Listen





Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 8)

Today sucked!

I mean, it really sucked.  I want to eat my Paleoish cookies so bad.  I just want a spoonful of honey.  I really want to eat some rice.  I just felt hungry all day today and I ate more than I usually eat.  Check it out:

Breakfast:  3 boiled eggs, avocado and tomato

Snack:  Peach

Lunch:  Chicken Strips (homemade, Whole 30 approved), sweet potato and avocado

Dinner:  Lamb, sweet potato and avocado

Snack: Strawberries and a Watermelon and Kale Smoothie

I just felt out of it today.  I didn't feel like doing anything.  My energy kept spiking.  One moment I was full of energy and the next I was dozing off to sleep.  I know I need to see the endocrinologist because although my labs are in the normal range, I noticed that my numbers were increasing, which is odd.  I haven't picked an endocrinologist because I am very afraid a new one won't agree with me taking T4 and T3.  I refuse to go back to what I was doing before, so I am a bit apprehensive.

That's about it for day 8.  It sucked!  I felt so hypo that it wasn't even funny.  Hopefully, the hypo clouds aren't moving in and this was just a bad day.


Breathe and Listen

Monday, July 8, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 6 and 7)

There really isn't anything all that exciting to write about day 6 or 7.  Day 6, was pretty busy.  My family and I went out to the Farmer's Market here in Temecula, CA and bought a few things.  I made breakfast ahead of time, which was two eggs and a nectarine...I think.  I always love going to this market on Saturdays because it is so beautiful and the prices are great.




After the market, we came home and got a quick snack before going on the lake.  I absolutely love California...sometimes.  We followed the lake up with going to the beach and by the time all of that was over, I was HUNGRY.  We stopped at the Halal market in Temecula and got a few Kabobs, which were spectacular.  That was it for day 6.

Day 7, my cousin left to go back to Los Angeles and as soon as I got back into the house from dropping her off, I began to crave bad food.  I learned from her being here with me that the key is to have healthy food near you when these cravings happen, so I ate some strawberries and busied myself with cleaning the house.  My husband must have sensed that I was about to loose it because he made me a delicious smoothie.  Only problem was that the smoothie was too sweet from the watermelon we got from the farmers market.  Foods or drinks that are too sweet are a gateway to me not completing this Whole 30.  My dinner was awesome and I took a picture before I scarfed it down.




I ate better today, but I did not drink enough water.  I'm going to get this thing together before the end, but I can honestly say that I feel better and lost 1 whole pound.  Yippie!


Breathe and Listen

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 4 and 5)

Again, I have missed a day of blogging about this Whole 30, but I have a great reason.  My family and I spent the whole day out on the 4th of July and I was absolutely too exhausted to open my computer and write about food.  I haven't done the whole fireworks and barbecue thing in so long that I think I forgot how fun it could be.  On top of just enjoying the great outdoors, I had the pleasure to be in the company of friends who I deployed with while I was in the Army.  It was an awesome day.  My daughter got to go fishing; my son got to dance around in his diaper and I got to catch up with girlfriends.  The best part of the day was reminiscing over the good times in Iraq and Kuwait.  It truly was an awesome day.

So, about the Whole 30...it was not easy to maintain on the 4th of July.  The hot dogs, burgers, and ALCOHOL!  Truthfully, I don't drink alcohol because it makes my body feel horrible, but a real life burger would have been so nice.  I couldn't bring myself to break my diet and I am deathly afraid of gluten, so with the help of great friends, I ate some grilled chicken and burger with no bread or anything else.  There was also a ton of fruit to eat and considering that I thought we were only going to be there for 10 minutes and ended up staying for about 9 hours, I believe I maintained my Whole 30 in a pretty efficient manner.

Day 5 was much better.  I didn't eat breakfast, but that is because of my thyroid medication.  I started waiting a whole hour to eat after taking my medication because I found that it made me feel better.  Most doctors suggest you wait 30 minutes, but I have come to learn that my body does better with an hour between my morning medication and food.  I went to meet friends so early in the day that I didn't get the chance to eat. Surprisingly, I wasn't very hungry, but I absolutely needed to eat lunch.  My cousin and I knew we weren't going to cook when we got home, so we poked our heads into this really cool restaurant called Earth Bistro.  It is truly a fantastic place and you can totally make your food Whole 30 approved.  I ordered a burger on a bed of lettuce and my cousin ordered a philly cheesesteak without the bun, mayonnaise, or cheese.  The best part about the restaurant is that it is mostly organic, the meat is grass-fed, and all the items on their menu are locally grown.  Here are some of the pictures:
Stuffed Vegan Mushrooms (minus vegan cheese)
The Italian Mob (beef patty, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, avocado, artichokes, and lettuce)


Philly Cheese Steak (minus the bun, mayo, and cheese)




The food was grrrrrrreat! I mean, I could have eaten more, but it was enough to satisfy my hunger and I think that is what this Whole 30 is all about.  I would go back even if I wasn't on the Whole 30, so mission accomplished.  The rest of the day was pretty uneventful with us ending the day eating chicken my husband grilled with chard and avocado.  Of course, I drank water, tea, and had the pleasure of sneaking some of my cousins Kombucha (I'll write about this drink later).  Day 5 was a pretty good Whole 30 day.

My cousin and I


Breathe and Listen


Thursday, July 4, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 2 and 3)

Okay, so obviously I'm no good at blogging.  I missed a day of blogging already, but I plan to...try my best documenting this Whole 30 process.

Day 2 was awesome.  I have no idea what I ate.  I know I stuck to the plan, but I could not tell you exactly what I had for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Forgive me, but I have no thyroid.  I absolutely have no memory sometimes, but since I am writing this at 9 p.m. my brain is still working with today's activities so I will share what I ate today, which is Day 3.

Breakfast:  2 eggs, with tomato and avocado

Lunch:  Chicken Strips (Whole 30 approved), cucumbers and tomatoes

So, that is basically what I ate for the day and that is absolutely SAD.  My program kind of got messed because I didn't prepare anything for lunch.  I took my kids to a stay at-home mom's group bowling function where they made pizzas and simply didn't pack a lunch for myself.  The chicken strips were a late lunch and when I eat late, I typically don't eat dinner.  I failed for today, but I am also sticking with it more than I did last time...well, that's not true.  The only difference is that I am not craving juice and sweets this time, which is giving me a clue that I may actually do this for a whole 30 days (hence Whole 30).

I believe my saving grace this time is my cousin, who is here visiting.  Oh, by the way, did I tell you that I moved across the United States of America with my husband and three children by car? That, I will write about later.  Anywho, here are some pictures of my food for Day 3 and of course my cousins beautiful breakfast.  She always puts me to shame.  Hopefully, I'll blog tomorrow.  Happy 4th of July.

My cousin's breakfast (Chard, 2 eggs, Avocado)

My Breakfast (2 boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado)

My Lunch (Chicken Strips Whole 30 approved, cucumber, tomato, and avocado)


Breathe and Listen




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Riedel Thyroiditis

I just wanted to do a short post about a very important condition.  A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Riedel Thyroiditis and it has been extremely difficult for her to find others.  Riedel Thyroiditis is very rare. The basic problem of this condition involves a mass (dense fibrosis) that I assume attaches itself to the thyroid, grows and then invades other structures of the neck.  It is a very serious condition because it has the ability to crush the trachea, which is deadly.  I just wanted to put this post out in the universe with the hope that if someone may happen to search one day for this condition and find my page that they will know that they are not alone.  There is a support group on Facebook (link provided) and even if you don't have the condition, it would be nice to show these guys some support.  Surgery is not an option for the people who have this condition and most of the time either steroids or medication that destroys the chance of having further children is given to control the growth of the mass.  There are also times that medication simply doesn't work and people have to learn to live with the difficulty of eating and the worry of dying.

The thyroid community has been so good to me.  This condition is so rare that my friend has only found one other person like herself.  I know there are others out there who think they are going through this alone.  I know that I felt alone with all my thyroid problems and one of my saving graces has been the online thyroid community, so please give them a shout out of support if you can.

Breathe and Listen

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Whole 30 (Day 1)

I cannot believe I am typing right now!  My children have decided to sleep in, which means that they are asleep past 6 a.m.  I'm all types of excited right now.

Okay, so I've decided to begin a Whole 30.  I did one last year and failed horribly.  I am, like most people, somewhat addicted to sweets. I say somewhat because it isn't something I absolutely need all of the time, but I have found that I do turn to something sweet at least once a day for a pick me up.  I don't know if it is common with people with thyroid issues, but I imagine that it would be.  I don't drink coffee and I don't eat refined sugar, but I can fill up on honey with the best of them.  Although some would argue that that would be okay in moderation, I would like to curb that craving of mine for a little bit of time.

Oh, so I have not explained the Whole 30 (can you tell I'm excited to be typing?).  Forgive me, the Whole 30 is basically Paleo without trying to make the foods you use to eat more paleo like. You know, like Paleo cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.  The Whole 30 is really about eating more of a whole foods diet along with eliminating some common irritant foods, like soy.  I can't explain in its totality, but I will say that it is hard for me to follow correctly because I want to cheat and sneak in some soy and gluten free chocolate chips just to get me past 4 p.m.  I can't do that on a Whole 30 diet, so needless to say I find myself getting irritated and really tired at around 6 p.m. Who knows what that is all about, but I have sneaky suspicion that it may have to do with not having enough T3 or a touch of adrenal fatigue.  I need to get a clear idea of what is going on with my body without constantly adding a stimulant and that is what I plan to do for the next 30 days.

Day 1 was successful, but the first day always is.  It's day 7 that I have a problem with, so we shall see. I wish I had taken pics of all my meals, but here is the low down of what I ate:

Breakfast:  2 boiled eggs, sliced tomato, and 1/4 of a cucumber seasoned with salt and pepper

Snack:  Sliced strawberries with bananas

Lunch:  Modified Tacos (Ground beef, tomato, and avocado)  served over cabbage.

Snack:  Smoothie (Kale, strawberry, and peach) it was quite tart, so it may not work for everyone

Dinner:  Chicken with cabbage

Also, I only drink green tea (unsweetened), water, and my smoothies during the day.

That's it for Day #1.  I plan to actually take pictures of what I eat, hopefully.

Also, here is a link to what the Whole 30 is actually about.