Happy CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Fighting Fatigue reminds me of this important day.

Daily Inspiration: 5/12/08

Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust - we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper. -Albert Einstein

Change of Pace

As I have mentioned previously, I had been seeing a new endocrinologist recently. At first I was excited by this prospect, but my faith in the relationship had been tested along the way to the point where I wasn't sure he was the doctor for me. It took me some time, but I knew from the first meeting that this would be a relationship that, at the very least, would take some work.

At our last meeting I was less than encouraged. Though he put me on Byetta as requested, and supported the decision, there was still this nagging feeling that there wasn't the right mix involved. Here were my warning signs (some of you may relate to these things):
1. He advocated very early on (early in the first appointment) that I should consider weight loss surgery. (WLS)
2. He wanted to see me every 2-3 weeks.
3. After the initial 2-3 weeks when I did not lose weight, I was made to feel as if this were some grave dissapointment.
4. He wasn't as concerned about my lifestyle choices as he was about the pure numbers--weight, insulin levels, glucose levels, etc. Nor did he ever put any effort into discussing the lifestyle choices which would affect those numbers such as food choices, exercise levels, other conditions, etc.
5. He did not seem to take into account my other chronic illnesses in any of our discussions.

Nevertheless, I gave it a good try--even though his office was at least 45 minutes away from work or home for me. I have often had to cancel appointments for this reason. But I thought there weren't many options.

Somehow, I came across another name, a woman no less (which I prefer for several reasons) who was in between home and work. I met with her this morning and she decided to give the Byetta another try (even though it was helping, I had decided to give it a rest until I made a decision about the direction, if any, I wanted to pursue with my IR/PCOS). She also kept me on the 2000 mg of Glumetza. Here are the things that made me feel more comfortable with her and her decisions:
1. She did not mention drastic (and frankly dangerous) measures such as WLS.
2. Although she noted that weight reduction is critical for PCOS, especially if I ever want to conceive, she did not push that as the be-all/end-all.
3. She listened to me and did a thorough background history.
4. She advocated lifestyle changes.
5. She advocated me tracking my blood glucose levels fairly regularly to ensure that I wasn't treading on the line between IR and Type 2 Diabetes.
6. She understood the connection between my weight loss and eventual regain due to other chronic conditions.
7. She made the next appointment 3 months out--time for me to actually make a reasonable difference in my life.

I am optimistic about these changes. More importantly, I am, once again, comfortable with the care I am receiving. The thing is that when you have a chronic illness, you have a greater awareness of the quality of the care you receive. In the same vein, you are in greater need of a greater level of care. If a doctor does not take into consideration all of the conditions that your body has (whether they be illnesses or just facts of your life), then you are going to be boxed into certain failure in the quest to live a better life.

Not only that, but I realized the weight that was lifted off of my shoulders by having a positive experience. Granted, my weight was up from my normal weight and I'm not feeling myself all over, but for the first time in a long time I felt empowered to do something about it, instead of hounded. As opposed to feeling that I can never please my medical professional, I feel like my medical professional is trying to help me please myself.

It's a start, but it's a great feeling.

Pelvic Pain Matters

Through my subscription to one of many Yahoo groups about pelvic pain and/or vulvodynia (I don't remember which one--sorry!) I came across this blog.

Pelvic Pain Matters is a blog devoted to pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD)...something that is often talked about here. From what I can tell, this is the first blog devoted to PFD, so I'm glad to see it out there. There are a lot of women suffering from PFD that don't have many resources and I'm glad to see another one out there--especially one that specializes in PFD alone.

Another link for the support section...

Daily Inspiration: 5/9/08 (and 5/8/08)

“If we are on a path of getting nowhere fast, technology is allowing us to get nowhere faster and faster." John Renesch

(in honor of my new BlackBerry 8820--the reason I was blog-deficient yesterday)

Daily Inspiration: 5/7/08

The power to question is the basis of all human progress. -Indira Gandhi

Daily Inspiration: 5/7/08

The worst guilt is to accept an unearned guilt. -Ayn Rand

The Thin Line of Fat: Happy No Diet Day (I'm So Down With This)

Today, May 6, is No Diet Day.

You're probably thinking why someone with a health blog is promoting a diet-free day. I will tell you: diets do not work and only serve to make people feel inadequate. Body acceptance and fat acceptance should be part of life--not everyone is what some people deem "Average".

Maybe it's time for a quick break to discuss what I mean when I use the term "diet" in this post. When I say "diet" I don't mean a lifestyle choice, I mean a decision to embark on a plan of starvation or self-deprivation for a period of time either definite or indefinite for the sole purpose of dropping pounds. Diets are usually disgused as lifestyle changes, so it's hard to know where people stand.

These things are lifestyle changes:
1. Eating low carb or low sugar because of a medical reason (insulin resistance, gluten intolerance, etc.)
2. Becoming a vegetarian or vegan because of moral or personal reasons.
3. Cutting out highly-processed foods for basic health and ecological reasons.

These things are diets:
1. Setting a maximum number of calories, fat grams, carbohydrate grams or any other measurement for a certain time period (i.e., 1600 calorie a day diet).
2. Measuring health by weight alone
3. Weighing food on a meal-by-meal basis to avoid going over set limits
4. Setting goals in terms of pounds lost without regard to basic overall health

So why shouldn't you diet? Here are ten good reasons why from the Counsel on Size & Weight Discrimination:

10. DIETS DON'T WORK. Even if you lose weight, you will probably gain it all back, and you might gain back more than you lost.

9. DIETS ARE EXPENSIVE. If you didn't buy special diet products, you could save enough to get new clothes, which would improve your outlook right now.

8. DIETS ARE BORING. People on diets talk and think about food and practically nothing else. There's a lot more to life.

7. DIETS DON'T NECESSARILY IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH. Like the weight loss, health improvement is temporary. Dieting can actually cause health problems.

6. DIETS DON'T MAKE YOU BEAUTIFUL. Very few people will ever look like models. Glamour is a look, not a size. You don't have to be thin to be attractive.

5. DIETS ARE NOT SEXY. If you want to be more attractive, take care of your body and your appearance. Feeling healthy makes you look your best.

4. DIETS CAN TURN INTO EATING DISORDERS. The obsession to be thin can lead to anorexia, bulimia, bingeing, and compulsive exercising.

3. DIETS CAN MAKE YOU AFRAID OF FOOD. Food nourishes and comforts us, and gives us pleasure. Dieting can make food seem like your enemy, and can deprive you of all the positive things about food.

2. DIETS CAN ROB YOU OF ENERGY. If you want to lead a full and active life, you need good nutrition, and enough food to meet your body's needs.

And the number one reason to give up dieting:

1. Learning to love and accept yourself just as you are will give you self-confidence, better health, and a sense of wellbeing that will last a lifetime.

So give yourself a break and break free of dieting once and for all. If you need a lifestyle change or desire one, make it, but don't rope yourself into this multi-billion dollar scheme perpetuated at the cost of self-respect and hope.

Are Probiotics Part of the Solution?

Certain studies say they are. I'm curious to look into this, because I think they might act against the inflammation response. I doubt the mass-marketed ones are any useful, but maybe if we track down some good info, it'd be a place to start.

Daily Inspiration: 5/5/08

If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time. Chinese Proverb

Weekend Inspiration: May 3-4, 2008

Here's one from a couple of years ago. I tried to get the video of her performing at the Oscars, but I couldn't find it. But enjoy the song!

My Allergies Are Killing Me

A lot of people say this, not many people truly know how it feels. Allergies, for someone with chronic illness or chronic pain is like rubbing salt in an already gaping wound. It stirs everything up, makes you even more off balance, and creates pain where pain was previously subdued. Nothing, short of a major dose of Benadryl that'll knock you off your socks, will really settle this down.

I am more aware of these things now that I'm aware of my chronic illnesses. I can see the relation to the response to my allergies and the pain I feel.

So it inspired me today (because of my lack of focus and a quiet office) to do some internet research into allergies and chronic illness. I've posted about this before on TBC in relation to IBS (here), but I think the problem is more widespread than just IBS. In my research, though, I found nothing more concrete than what I suspect and nothing to really write home (or here) about.

I'm going to make a pronouncement here: I believe allergic reactions may very well be the root of all chronic illness. I believe that this will be discovered in 5-10 years.

Unfortunately, I'm not so positive about a solution. Sure we can all take a bunch of antihistimines, but who wants to walk around life in that state? There must be something more genetic in those of us with these conditions that can be modified or treated or something that would lead to the alleviation of pain and suffering.

So let's talk about allergies. What are they, and how do they work?

The Cleveland Clinic has a good basic overview of allergies in general. There it defines allergies as:

the immune system’s incorrect response to a foreign substance. Exposure to what is normally a harmless substance, such as pollen, causes the immune system to react as if the substance is harmful. Substances that cause allergies are called allergens.

It goes on to describe an allergic reaction:

A hypersensitive response, or allergic "reaction," is the result of how three factors interact with the body:

1. The allergen — Allergens include pollen, mold, dust mites, certain foods, latex, animal dander, and others.

2. Mast cells — Although mast cells are found throughout the body, most reside in connective tissues such as those of the skin, tongue, the lining of the nose and intestinal tract, the lungs, and upper airways.

3. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) — IgE is an allergic antibody, a type of protein made by the immune system to recognize and fight specific body "invaders." IgE coats the surface of the mast cells in tissues.

So we have basic definitions that tell us this: (1) Allergies cause a reaction of the immune system; (2) that reaction is due to a sensitivity and, thus, is an overreaction.

Some chronic illness allergy connections are easy to see. For example asthma is almost always exacerbated by allergens. But some aren't as easy to see. There is proof of their existence though. There have been studies done on the relation of allergies to interstitial cystitis. There's a pretty strong connection between allergies and migraines. An allergic reaction to candida in the body, or yeast, can be one of the root causes of vulvodynia. In fact, insulin resistance may truly be an allergic reaction in and of itself. There is research to show that PCOS is an allergic type reaction.

So tell me...if allergies are the cause of INFLAMMATION...and allergies are all common to these conditions, don't you think there's an inflammatory connection?

Just some biased and unprofessional opinion on it...

Daily Inspiration: 5/2/08

The tasks are done and the tears are shed. Yesterday's errors let yesterday cover; Yesterday's wounds, which smarted and bled, Are healed with the healing that night has shed.

Sarah Chauncey Woosley

I Thought We Had Established This

Apparently, I was wrong. Researchers in the UK have "discovered" that insulin resistance is more likely to occur in females that have PCOS than without.

These new findings demonstrate that the driving force behind the changes in PCOS is hyperinsulinemia and not the fat content. The methodology is interesting; the definition of PCOS encompasses the wide spectrum of the phenotype of the disease, which could weaken their findings. However, the MRI scanning of fat distribution is faultless. The researchers admirably highlighted their own limitations in the report, allowing us to look beyond these weaknesses and reflect on the findings. Their purist approach to match BMI and fat mass between the groups reduced their sample size to 22 matched pairs. The ages of the groups were unable to be matched; however, we agree with the researchers that this is a confounding variable.

Elegantly in a small sample the researchers have shown that the insulin resistance in PCOS is independent of visceral adiposity. We believe these findings bring us one step closer in unraveling the mechanism behind the metabolic abnormalities of PCOS, opening new doors for therapeutic intervention and prevention.

I mean, that's great that they've established it, but I thought we were beyond that.

Daily Inspiration: 5/1/08

Once I dreamed I was a butterfly, and now I no longer know whether I am Chuang Tzu, who dreamed I was a butterfly, or whether I am a butterfly dreaming that I am Chuang Tzu. -Chuang Tzu