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Hey Lovelies,

 Sorry that I am just now checking in after the Survival Race…but you knew I’d survive it LOL. The course was physically demanding and definitely not big girl friendly. Soaking wet work out clothes, caked with mud…clinging to a zaftig body. Yeah…not exactly fashion forward. Of course I could say the same about my cycling attire. I was miserable during most of the course…so you know that means I’ve signed up for another event, right? The Divas will be taking on The Patriot Games in September. That gives me a few months to get my mind right and work on getting improving my upper body strength. 

In other news, I had another appointment with the specialist and I tested positive for the autoimmune factor…specifically, rheumatoid arthritis. At this point, I will continue the low dose of Meloxicam (because I have noticed some improvement with the joint pain/stiffness since I started it). The rheumatologist doesn’t feel the need to pump me full of additional meds (thank God) and feels that the fact that I am very healthy (with the exception of this ANA number that continues to climb…my first reading was 1:320…the most recent blood work showed 1:640…normal is considered  less than 1:40) and continuing my focus on exercise/nutrition will help me if/when the disease progresses. Since autoimmune disease can affect all major organs, I will be subjected to more poking/prodding/tests and that will definitely take getting used to. Needless to say, I am determined to stop playing around with my weight loss and get serious. Having a disease that causes joint deterioration makes me want to remove additional fluff/pressure off of them. Everything happens for a reason and maybe this was my wake up call to finally finish the journey I started 10 years ago. 

At this time, I plan to continue WW, but I am going to start slowly eliminating some of the major RA offenders and see what works for me. As of right now, I eat 70% clean…that number needs to increase and while I don’t want to live my life like a sick person, I have to acknowledge the role that dietary choices can play in RA management. A little knowledge from LiveStrong:

Nightshade Vegetables

Vegetables that are members of the nightshade family, according to the Weston A. Price Foundation, include all types of potatoes except sweet potatoes and yams. Additionally, tomatoes, eggplant, chili peppers, habenero peppers and the spices cayenne pepper and paprika are nightshades. Nightshades contain a substance called calcitrol, which is a type of vitamin D. Calcitrol is also a powerful hormone that, if consumed in large quantities, may cause calcium levels in your blood to rise. The theory behind this effect is that calcium accumulates in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis, causing bone tissue to grow and replace cartilage.

Pro-Inflammatory Foods

Certain foods, such as nightshades, are sometimes referred to as being "pro-inflammatory." This refers to an eliciting of chronic, low levels of inflammation that may encourage an emergence of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide explains that consuming refined sugars, excessive amounts of alcohol and possibly, nightshade foods, can cause your body’s immune response to go on the attack, causing inflammation, pain and swelling. This is particularly true if you have a pre-existing impairment in your immune response, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

So….while weight loss is still a major goal, my main focus will now be on diet and pain/inflammation management with my physical activities. My swim game has needed improvement for quite some time and the specialist (who seam competitively and has RA herself) has assured me that swimming needs to be a priority now. Total body workout, no pressure on the joints…love it…just need to find a way to avoid eating everything in sight after leaving the pool! I’m thinking protein before and after may do the trick. 

I’ve decided to move away from weekly weigh-ins. I have to weigh once per month with WW to keep my membership active, so I plan to weigh every 2-3 weeks "officially". The Rheumy doctor confirmed that various parts of my body have inflammation and I am also retaining fluids. She is anti-diuretic unless absolutely necessary, so I have to let the Meloxicam and nature do their jobs. I am tired of the weekly mind games on the scale (yes, I have been losing…but 1.2 lbs here, 0.6 lbs there is frustrating the hell out of me). Spacing out my weigh-ins will give me a better picture of actual loss and allow me to continue on this journey without seeing as many fluctuations due to my body choosing to rage against the machine (my body). I will post monthly progress for you guys…because I know there are 5 of you that still read me. LOL

I would say I am mostly positive about the diagnosis…terrified of the unknown, of course. I’ve been great the last few days but woke up today and had a complete, hysterical crying meltdown. I called Mom to have her talk me down and the beau assured me that we’ll handle whatever gets thrown at me. Please know that I am not having a pity party for myself. After dealing with multiple deaths of close friends/coworkers in the last year, I am grateful to be ALIVE and thank the Lord daily for it. My meltdown came from pure fear and wondering what this means for me in the future. I know there will be bad days, but I am determined to remain positive overall. I’ve seen firsthand how a negative/defeatist attitude can break down a body. 

Wow…I apparently had a lot to say. Thanks again to those of you that have offered support of any kind! Notes, FB messages, emails, texts and phone calls. I am blessed to have good people in my life! 

Hope you all have a great week…
C