Cravings Really Do Go Away

I was just reading previous posts and remembering how hard it was in the beginning. I realize now that I am "in the clear" with cravings for the most part. Don't get me wrong, it was brutal on Halloween to not eat candy (and I've been rationing it out every day to my son for the past 2 weeks since then). It was awful to feed my son a McDonald's Happy Meal when I was starving and had nothing to eat in town one day. It was not fun to go to my mom's group last week and not eat with my friends. I baked a pumpkin cheesecake today for a bake sale...oh to have been able to make another and actually take a bite!

But my physical body seems to be past the need. It is psychological from here on out I guess. When I am tired or have a headache I do desire a cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate but it, again, is in my mind.

I suppose I am quite grateful for being past the really difficult physical craving, detox part of all of this. Now if I could just not be so sick of the few foods I get to eat.

Flare Up

I started having a flare up 3 days ago. 2 nights were partially rough but yesterday afternoon things really sparked up and last night was horrible. I don't think I slept 2 hours straight without having to get up and for many hours I was up every 15 minutes. I can pinpoint one thing I ate yesterday that might have triggered this but even today I am quite uncomfortable.

The two hardest parts of living with IC for me are:
1. The diet.
2. The flare ups causing the lack of sleep.

I have been desperately crying out to the Lord this week. I trust His will is to heal, but He doesn't say when or how. I see my bioscanner in two days and I am pleading and petitioning that God will use this to reveal causes and give me relief on the symptoms.

4 Weeks Today

I haven't utilized this blog as an outlet like I thought I would. Time doesn't feel like it's flying by but today marks 4 weeks since the "diagnosis" and starting the IC diet. It has been a rough 4 weeks.

Two weeks ago I ended up in the urgent care clinic. I had a CT scan and learned that I have kidney stones. I also had an increased temp that day and my pH went up. That is a sign of kidney infection. My urinalysis came back clear, as well as blood tests. After a long "debate" with a not-so-compassionate and all-too-arrogant doctor we headed to the ND's office with an antibiotic prescript in hand. I hate antibiotics but at this point I knew that I needed to get this infection under control. The ND added some natural stuff to the mix and away we went. The worst part of all of it was the pain. I didn't take anything for it in fear of causing an IC flare up.

My mom came that weekend and stayed for a few days. I had a couple good days while she was here and then I had a flare up. I learned that I really need to stay away from sugar. Since we're suspecting kidney infection, which leads to pH issues, which leads to blood sugar issues, sugar intake isn't a good idea. It leaves me urinating constantly. So much for having some vanilla frosty.

So, a couple bad days, followed by a couple okay days, and then we had another whammy. Flu. And I think it is H1N1 since the symptoms are a dead ringer. I have to say it hasn't been as bad as it could be, but I am on day 5 of not feeling great and it is day 5 of fever for my son.

At this point I am really feeling like I am dangling on the end of my rope. The antibiotics have messed up my gut, I am absolutely exhausted, I am so disgusted with my limited food options, and I am fighting depression daily. I know that there is chemical/kidney connection to depression so at least I know its "not my fault" but it is there all the same and I am struggling.

I have been trying to spend quality time with God but I feel really alone right now.

This weekend I will get to see my bioscanner and I cannot tell you how much I hope he can pinpoint the cause of the infection. After the antibiotics we are quite certain my infection is not bacterial. Please, Lord, please, if it brings You glory, heal me.

This Is Hard

I may be past the detox but I am still struggling with the deprivation. I made lots of goodies for others this past week and it was torturous. I do have a few treats for myself but I am bored and displeased with gluten free carob cookies and coconut macaroons. I did have some vanilla ice cream this week but I have to watch how much dairy I consume.

Although this is hard I have been diligent. I am sure there are good things going on in my body and in building my character that I just don't know about at this point. I am thankful to be through last week's kidney pain.

I did try two gluten-free bread products this week. They were bread and pizza crust. Both were from the same company, Kinninnick, and made with rice and tapioca. I was thrilled about the taste to say the least. I will hopefully find something that is more palatable soon.

I did realize that I could eat mozzarella though. That is exciting. It spruced up my scrambled eggs this morning a bit and that was a nice addition because I am bored with those too. I have tried to mix things up a bit but I am just so limited.

My ND told me we'd have to watch for me to lose more weight and having to eat like this I have no clue how I won't lose more weight! I guess if I am losing it because I am eating so well it is different than if I am losing it because my body is sick and stressed.

Although this is hard, I am thankful for God who sustains me. He has been faithful to encourage me and love me and I am hopeful. He has good plans for me...and if testing and training is what I need for those plans to come to fruition, then I am willing. Lord, forgive me for my downfalls in attitude.

Detox

I was not prepared for detox. I was not warned about detox. I gently shared with my ND yesterday that she ought to warn a person about what they'll go through when detoxing.

What was detox? When you suddenly remove several elements from your diet (or even one) your body goes through a "detox" period. Coming off of caffeine was the worst part. Severe headaches, extreme fatigue, crabbiness for 3-4 days. Coming off of all of the other foods at the same time didn't make this past week easy. I was weak, feeling funny, fatigued, depressed, etc. The gal at the health food store told me it would take a week. I made it! Whew! And now to get IC friendly dairy back...I am much happier starting this week off. I am so glad last week is now behind me.

Another blessing I received yesterday besides dairy was the support of my church family. The elders are praying for me and checking in with me and I am so thankful. One of them has even chosen to take my position teaching children's church for a couple of months to give me some rest. Thank you wonderful church family! I love you!

Got Dairy!!!

When I met with my ND yesterday she tested me for milk again and said I could have dairy back! She shared a piece of raw cheese with me...it was heavenly. I had a few tastes of vanilla ice cream at DQ as well.

I am thankful. This makes thing so much easier. I can have some treats now that will help me out...

- steamers
- butter in gluten-free baked goods
- normal mashed potatoes (as long as there isn't sour cream in them)
- milk gravy
- cheeses that aren't restricted on the IC diet
- ice cream (vanilla)
- yogurt

The ND did say that maybe we tried pulling me off of too much too soon. She was proud of me for being so strong willed about getting through my week of detox. I didn't cheat once. Not once.

Maybe getting dairy back was God's sweet reward for being so diligent all week. : )

Rough Weekend...More Problems?

I started all of my new supplements on Thursday morning last week. Thursday afternoon I started to get a dull ache in my kidneys. By that evening the ache became more of a throbbing. I knew that there was something with the supplements that was causing an issue so I took myself off one to see if the throbbing would subside.

Friday things intensified, so I took myself off another supplement hoping that I would find out which one might be causing the pain. I emailed my ND but didn't hear back from her right away. Things were even worse that night.

On Saturday I began to have severe pain. I couldn't barely bend over, the pain was shooting down my legs; it was awful. I called the ND and she was really concerned and we decided to have me stop everything and see her the next day. So yesterday, Sunday, she met me after church and we are starting over with the protocol. This time adding only 1 supplement in at a time, every 4 days.

The conclusion came down to two things:
- too much calcium for my kidneys in the other remedies
- a viral kidney infection

The steps now are:
- start 1 t. baking soda in water 3 times a day to neutralize my pH without using calcium
- a blood test
- treat the viral infection
- introduce a magnesium supplement

My pain has subsided as I have been off of the calcium now for 36 hours. I am tired but the acidity in my urine kept me up for awhile this morning. I took some baking soda in water (awful to get down but hoping it will help) and I hope to get back to sleep soon.

Gluten-Free Coating For Baking/Pan-Frying

I "invented" a recipe last night. I am sure I am not the first but I didn't use a recipe. It worked well for two different items: walleye and cauliflower.

Ingredients:

crushed corn tortilla chips
cornstarch
egg
rice milk
sea salt (optional)
pepper (optional)


Combine 3/4-1 c. crushed tortilla chips with 1/4 c. corn starch (add salt and pepper to mixture if using. Be careful not to add too much salt if your chips are salted). Set aside. Beat egg and add a little rice milk. Dip food to be baked/pan-fried into the egg mixture, roll in dry mixture, repeat.

I pan fried in canola oil over med-med/high heat. The cauliflower was sliced into 1/2 inch wide slices off the whole head instead of cutting it into the "typical" florets.

It's Not Coffee...But It's Not Water

I was a coffee drinker. I loved having my warm mug of coffee, milk and honey on cool mornings as I snuggled up with a blanket, my Bible, journal and the Lord. Giving up my morning joe will be one of the bigger sacrifices I make for this journey, along with chocolate and dairy, but I am trying my best to find solace in something other than water. My solution: warmed vanilla rice milk. I even added some almond extract this morning.

By the way, it takes 3 days usually to get through a caffeine withdrawal. This isn't fun by any means. Not only are you exhausted but the headaches are miserable. Be sure to drink plenty of water and a little peppermint is soothing. I put a dab of peppermint oil in my rice milk and it did help for a bit.

Surprised About These Foods

The Bible talks of the land flowing with milk and honey. My "land" is flowing with rice and almonds. I had no idea that there were so many options of gluten and dairy substitutions with these two foods.

Here are a few of the substitutions I am using already and am pleased with the palatability:

- rice milk (original and vanilla)
- almond "cheese"
- rice and almond snack crackers

Here are some that I look forward to trying:

- almond milk
- almond butter

Sauteed Garlic Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms

2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chicken breast
1/2 C. mushrooms (baby Portabello or button), sliced
1/2 C. raw spinach


In a skillet heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-low heat. Lightly brown a chicken breast turning as needed. Add mushrooms when chicken no longer releases pink juice when pierced. Continue to saute until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach and cook until slightly wilted.

Scrambled Egg Options

Here are some ingredients that I enjoy in scrambled eggs:

Mushrooms
Bell Pepper
Zucchini
Broccoli
Spinach
Goat Cheese

Heat some olive oil in a skillet over med-low. Saute mushrooms or veggies that take longer to cook until tender. Add 1-2 eggs and mix well to scramble. If using spinach add with the eggs. Top with goat cheese if desired.

If you're short on time use pre-steamed/cooked veggies. This will cut the cooking down time significantly.

My New Diet

The ND put me on a really, really restricted diet. I started like a champ on the first day and am not about to budge. One thing I can attest to is that when you've suffered physically for an extended time you have a reason to stay firm on changes that need to be made to get well.

I would say until 3 days ago we ate a normal, fairly-healthy, balanced American diet. My family still does, however I do not. That all ended so abruptly for me. Thank God that He provides and that there are lots of great products on the market these days that I will be able to utilize to pretend like I am eating foods of my recent past.

When the conclusion "IC" was made, immediately we moved into a discussion about diet. I was handed two documents, the first is the list of foods that I cannot touch for 60 days, and the second was the ICN's "IC Diet" recommendations. After some further discussion my ND decided to take me off all wheat, gluten and dairy as well. I sat across the desk from her with tears streaming down my cheeks and asked "what am I going to eat?" The only thing she told me was to get gluten-free oats and "put them in a thermos over night in hot water. They make the most wonderful pancakes." I have since learned that there are other options too. : )

The aforementioned question will be answered as I chronicle my food choices, recipes, etc. in this blog.

Here is a link to the "IC Diet" if you're interested in seeing what it looks like.

Abbreviations

Below are some abbreviations I will be using in my blog. This will just make everything easier. I might even update this post as I invent or have new abbreviations to include.

IC- interstitial cystitis

ND- my doctor of naturopathic medicine

ICN- www.ic-network.com

Just The Beginning

I have to admit that am not as excited about starting this new blog as I was about my other one. My reasons for this one are much different. When I first began blogging it was to share my little family's life with friends and extended family. This blog is intended to be more therapeutic...a healthy outlet for me. And just maybe it will help someone else.

I have been struggling with some health issues for awhile now. I recently began working with a new doctor of naturopathic medicine . This week we found that there was strong evidence (you're not supposed to use the word "diagnosis" without an M.D. I guess) that I have a condition called Interstitial Cystitis. I am sure there will be plenty of time to discuss this actual condition in further detail at another time.

I guess my hopes for this will be to document my progress in treating (and hopefully overcoming)this condition, how the major changes in my diet are going, and what I am learning from the Lord, the One who I turn to for everything. So, here's to it!