Source: MBA-Healthcare-Management.com
Showing posts with label fibro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fibro. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
I am great how are you?
...I usually respond to peoples questions about how I am rather then responding with the truth. Sound familiar to you? Most people really don't care how I feel they are just asking to be polite so I try to be polite too! I wonder how they would respond if I really answered them truthfully with how I feel? Let me think on this a second and I will tell you exactly and truthfully how I feel today...
It is after 2 pm (I didn't get to bed till 6 am cause of the pain and brain issues last night) and I just rolled out of bed so my brain is still very foggy and I am having difficulty putting thoughts together. I am having to type/erase because unlike my iPad this computer doesn't have spell correct and I am not spelling well but to use the iPad causes me problems when I try to post. Please excuse any typographical errors that spell check doesn't pick up. How do I feel...my brains very foggy, back hurts from my neck down my spine, arthritis is effecting my joints and the fibro is causing me to feel like I have a horrible achiness all over my body. My head is hurting a little bit because of the bright lights of the screen and the brilliant light from the outside due to all the snow on the ground. My mouth is dry and eyes feel scratchy due to the Sjogren's syndrome that is secondary to all the other crap. My fingers feel like sausages but don't look swollen and my legs and feet are all achey and cramping but I don't want the doctor to know cause I don't want to go up on my meds. So all in all how to I feel today? Bitchy and I want to go back to bed even though I haven't been up a half hour. I don't do pain meds because they don't work for me so I try alternative things to make it better...that and doing the mind over matter thing!
If I am feeling like that why am I typing this up and why don't I just go back to bed. Well the answer is I am trying to have a life truth be told. In about 2 1/2 - 3 hours I will be better. Brain less foggy and body might even ache a little less and I might be able to venture out into the world. I used to be out and about every day but now days I probably average 1-2 times a week going anywhere. I can't handle loud noises, bright lights, or crowds very well anymore so I grocery shop in the middle of the night. I go with my daughter and we shop a little, visit the book store or Starbuck's for coffee and I go to her house to craft and paint. I lead a much different life then I did before the Fibro, CFS, and gluten issues took hold of my body.
I had 4 doctors appointments in January and I haven't the foggiest how much money was spent on x-rays, MRI, and blood tests. I was told again that my orthopedic doctor doesn't believe in Fibro and that it is just a catch all for all the gripes about aches and pains...yes I will keep going to him because what he lacks in bedside manner he excels in diagnosis and treatment. My rheumatologist told me that she now thinks I am truly a fibro victim (good word that) because she can see I am not faking symptoms but she can't find any medical basis for them but because I am on Medicare with BC+BS insurance they won't pay for any blood or radiography tests to prove it. I get SSDI and I am sure to hell not in the market to pay for $800 - $1000 test to prove I have it when the treatment wouldn't be any different if I had a positive test result. $1000 is almost as much as I make each month and I am having problems just getting by as it is. The bright side is I only have 2 doctors to visit this month and they are just follow ups to all the lab and stuff I am having done. Joy!
I was nominated for a blog award and normally don't accept them but I figure that this blog has a lot of good information for me and others like me. The blog is called "Fibro Fighterz" and has an online magazine called Fighterzine! They are also on FaceBook trying to get the message out that those of us with Fibro are not alone. Thank you Fibro Fighterz! Now you guys go check it out!
On the bright side...Here is a recipe that I thought that I would share for my gluten free followers. btw is they ask you at a restaurant if the gluten free is due to diet change or medical issues always say medical because they use different ways to process and cook the food to prevent gluten contamination. These cookies are more then Yummy! I would give them a 10 star in a 5 star rating system!
It is after 2 pm (I didn't get to bed till 6 am cause of the pain and brain issues last night) and I just rolled out of bed so my brain is still very foggy and I am having difficulty putting thoughts together. I am having to type/erase because unlike my iPad this computer doesn't have spell correct and I am not spelling well but to use the iPad causes me problems when I try to post. Please excuse any typographical errors that spell check doesn't pick up. How do I feel...my brains very foggy, back hurts from my neck down my spine, arthritis is effecting my joints and the fibro is causing me to feel like I have a horrible achiness all over my body. My head is hurting a little bit because of the bright lights of the screen and the brilliant light from the outside due to all the snow on the ground. My mouth is dry and eyes feel scratchy due to the Sjogren's syndrome that is secondary to all the other crap. My fingers feel like sausages but don't look swollen and my legs and feet are all achey and cramping but I don't want the doctor to know cause I don't want to go up on my meds. So all in all how to I feel today? Bitchy and I want to go back to bed even though I haven't been up a half hour. I don't do pain meds because they don't work for me so I try alternative things to make it better...that and doing the mind over matter thing!
If I am feeling like that why am I typing this up and why don't I just go back to bed. Well the answer is I am trying to have a life truth be told. In about 2 1/2 - 3 hours I will be better. Brain less foggy and body might even ache a little less and I might be able to venture out into the world. I used to be out and about every day but now days I probably average 1-2 times a week going anywhere. I can't handle loud noises, bright lights, or crowds very well anymore so I grocery shop in the middle of the night. I go with my daughter and we shop a little, visit the book store or Starbuck's for coffee and I go to her house to craft and paint. I lead a much different life then I did before the Fibro, CFS, and gluten issues took hold of my body.
I had 4 doctors appointments in January and I haven't the foggiest how much money was spent on x-rays, MRI, and blood tests. I was told again that my orthopedic doctor doesn't believe in Fibro and that it is just a catch all for all the gripes about aches and pains...yes I will keep going to him because what he lacks in bedside manner he excels in diagnosis and treatment. My rheumatologist told me that she now thinks I am truly a fibro victim (good word that) because she can see I am not faking symptoms but she can't find any medical basis for them but because I am on Medicare with BC+BS insurance they won't pay for any blood or radiography tests to prove it. I get SSDI and I am sure to hell not in the market to pay for $800 - $1000 test to prove I have it when the treatment wouldn't be any different if I had a positive test result. $1000 is almost as much as I make each month and I am having problems just getting by as it is. The bright side is I only have 2 doctors to visit this month and they are just follow ups to all the lab and stuff I am having done. Joy!
I was nominated for a blog award and normally don't accept them but I figure that this blog has a lot of good information for me and others like me. The blog is called "Fibro Fighterz" and has an online magazine called Fighterzine! They are also on FaceBook trying to get the message out that those of us with Fibro are not alone. Thank you Fibro Fighterz! Now you guys go check it out!
On the bright side...Here is a recipe that I thought that I would share for my gluten free followers. btw is they ask you at a restaurant if the gluten free is due to diet change or medical issues always say medical because they use different ways to process and cook the food to prevent gluten contamination. These cookies are more then Yummy! I would give them a 10 star in a 5 star rating system!
Gluten Free
Homemade Nutter Butters
Prep Time: 15
minutes
Cook Time: 15
minutes
Total Time: 30
minutes
Yield: 10 -15
cookies depending on how thin/thick you make them.
Way better
than store bought!
Ingredients
For the cookie:
- 2 cups oat flour (gluten free all purpose or almond flour would work as well)
- 1 cup + 2 T peanut butter
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 T milk (I used almond milk) You can add a bit more milk if the batter looks dry.1
- 1 egg (I used a flax egg replacement)
For the filling:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 T coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In a saucepan, combine the peanut butter, flax egg, coconut oil, vanilla and milk.
- Cook on medium heat until everything is well combined and the peanut butter is soft.
- Set aside to cool down to lukewarm.
- Once the peanut butter mixture is cooled, add it to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Form the dough into thin, long logs and place them onto a lined baking sheet. (see photo above for step by step instructions)
- Use a fork to make the impressions on the cookies.
- Use your fingers to push the sides of each cookie in at the center to shape them like nutter butters.
- Bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, add all the filling ingredients to a blender.
- Mix until smooth.
- Frost the cookies and form sandwiches after the cookies have completely cooled.
My cookies
came out pretty thick. When I make these again, I will thin the amount of dough
out that I use. I also initially added 1/2 tsp baking powder to the dry
ingredients and I felt the cookies rose too much. That is why I left it out of
the recipe.
If you want to
cut the calories and sugar a bit, you can just fill the cookies with plain peanut
butter instead of mixing up the sweet filling.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Cranberry and Banana Nut bread...
It has been a painful and troubling week for me. It has been super cold and it snowed last Thursday and Friday so I was cooped up in the house until yesterday. That is okay though as I do not feel good most of the time and all that cold just aggravated it more. I have been getting depressed because of the increased pain, arthritic pain in hips and hands, coupled with the increased fibro pain makes me unable to accomplish most of what I would like to get done. I have got the Christmas stuff out of the shed and on to the patio but have yet to find the motivation to bring it in the house and to start decorating. I wanted to smack myself yesterday when I heard me complain to a friend about being so lazy and not having anything done yet... Fibro people forget we are special...we have to put up with stuff and issues others don't and if we aren't kind to ourselves who will be? Okay enough pissing and and moaning...
I started on a gluten free and mostly dairy free diet just over a year ago at the urging of some friends and a doctors visit. I posted about my reasons for cutting out gluten, sweeteners, dairy, and processed meats here. I have added back in a little dairy but continue off the rest of the stuff and I seem to have less fibro fog and maybe a little less pain. I do know though that my gut appreciates the non-gluten diet cause if I eat gluten I end up with horrible stomachaches, gas, gloating, and diarrhea for days. I tried to eat some biscuits and gravy about 6 months into the change over and as in bed in agony for about 3 days...almost like having a horrible flu or something. Anyway it taught me a lesson and I have been less likely to slip up and eat gluten and can always tell if I get it foods when I eat out.
I made a really good loaf of Cranberry Nut bread yesterday using a recipe I have used for years from Ocean Spray Cranberries! Love Cranberry bread and this cooked up so moist and it is a heavy bread due to the fruit and nuts. Here is a picture of what mine looked like cut...
Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread
About This Recipe
"From Ocean Spray 1998. Modified to be gluten free."
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half (I used a food processor and lightly chopped them)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons shortening or 2 tablespoons butter (I used coconut oil)
3/4 cup juice (one orange and one Meyers lemon and add water to equal 3/4 cup)
1 egg, well beaten
Directions
1. preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cranberries, nuts and orange peel and set aside.
3. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Cut in shortening.
5. Add juice, egg and peel and mix until moist.
6. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Loaf Pan: grease and flour. Baker 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
7. Loaf Pan: grease and flour. Baker 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
8. Cupcakes: makes 16. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. I do not wrap due to the gluten free flour, best if kept at room temperature. (I wrapped mine and today cut it up and put waxed paper between each slice before putting it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Gluten free doesn't keep well here more then two days)
Cranberry Fruit Nut Bread Recipe - Food.com... http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=492371
1 of 2 12/11/13 2:08 PM
The banana nut bread is awesome also. I have made it several times and it always comes out moist and "banana-ish"
I started on a gluten free and mostly dairy free diet just over a year ago at the urging of some friends and a doctors visit. I posted about my reasons for cutting out gluten, sweeteners, dairy, and processed meats here. I have added back in a little dairy but continue off the rest of the stuff and I seem to have less fibro fog and maybe a little less pain. I do know though that my gut appreciates the non-gluten diet cause if I eat gluten I end up with horrible stomachaches, gas, gloating, and diarrhea for days. I tried to eat some biscuits and gravy about 6 months into the change over and as in bed in agony for about 3 days...almost like having a horrible flu or something. Anyway it taught me a lesson and I have been less likely to slip up and eat gluten and can always tell if I get it foods when I eat out.
I made a really good loaf of Cranberry Nut bread yesterday using a recipe I have used for years from Ocean Spray Cranberries! Love Cranberry bread and this cooked up so moist and it is a heavy bread due to the fruit and nuts. Here is a picture of what mine looked like cut...
Gluten Free Cranberry Nut BreadAbout This Recipe
"From Ocean Spray 1998. Modified to be gluten free."
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half (I used a food processor and lightly chopped them)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons shortening or 2 tablespoons butter (I used coconut oil)
3/4 cup juice (one orange and one Meyers lemon and add water to equal 3/4 cup)
1 egg, well beaten
Directions
1. preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cranberries, nuts and orange peel and set aside.
3. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Cut in shortening.
5. Add juice, egg and peel and mix until moist.
6. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Loaf Pan: grease and flour. Baker 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
7. Loaf Pan: grease and flour. Baker 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
8. Cupcakes: makes 16. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. I do not wrap due to the gluten free flour, best if kept at room temperature. (I wrapped mine and today cut it up and put waxed paper between each slice before putting it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Gluten free doesn't keep well here more then two days)
Cranberry Fruit Nut Bread Recipe - Food.com... http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=492371
1 of 2 12/11/13 2:08 PM
The banana nut bread is awesome also. I have made it several times and it always comes out moist and "banana-ish"
Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins of Bread with
Crunchy Topping
4 cup gluten free baking mix
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup almond milk
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
5 bananas mashed up
1 cup chopped pecans
Crunchy Topping
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 c pecan bits
4 cup gluten free baking mix
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup almond milk
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
5 bananas mashed up
1 cup chopped pecans
Crunchy Topping
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c butter (I used coconut oil)
1/4 c pecan bits
- Mix all ingredients together in large bowl except those for the crunchy topping.
- Mix the crunchy topping ingredients together in a separate bowl. You may need to use a little more sugar if it doesn't look like lumpy sand.
- Line baking tins with cupcake liners and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
- Fill each cup about 3/4 full of batter. Top with about tablespoon of topping.
- If making a loaf this will make 2 good sized loaves so you may need to to make more topping.
- Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.
- Loaves...bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Okienurse's Fibromyalgia Blog: February 3, 2011
Sorry it has been a couple days since I posted last but quite truthfully I haven't felt like posting much. I try to deny this crap alters my lifestyle but that is a lie to myself. Today was the first day I have been out of the house since last Saturday night and I probably wouldn't have gotten out today if my daughter hadn't come to pull me out of bed and make me go. I was a horrible night trying to sleep last night. I couldn't get comfortable any which way I turned and then in the early morning hours my husband rolled over and cuddled up against my back and I had such pain that I actually felt shocks in my toes and feet. My doctors appointment on Wednesday was canceled because of the blizzard on Tuesday so this will be something new to pass on to him. On to happier things...
The first stop today was a hair cut for me. I haven't had my hair cut since last November so needless to say I was starting to look a little like a shaggy dog. My stylist Carrie told me today that she also has been diagnosed with fibro. Carrie said that after she had her son almost all her symptoms disappeared and now she only has a mild flair up once in awhile. I wish!!! Her son is in 3rd grade so I hope her good luck continues with the decreased flare ups. I had an interesting thing happen when she was cutting my hair at my neckline. I actually had spears of pain go into my neck and back when she was cutting it. When she stopped it stopped but during the experience I almost went to tears. Thank God it didn't last long. There was a 30 minute wait to get my hair done so we walked over to Target (right next door) and bought some cat liter and made it back just in time to get my hair cut! Talk about time management.
Second stop was to eat some lunch at Johnny Carinos. I love the bread and yummy pasta there! Heather is vegan and sometimes it is hard to find food for her just anywhere but like she said usually there is no problem at a Mexican or Italian restaurant and both of us love those types of ethnic foods.
Next we went to Hobby Lobby to get some glue runners for me so I would have a supply to make my projects with. I wish I could afford to order it all from Stampin Up! but being off work without pay for so long has made me reconsider where my penny's get spent!
By this time I was starting to get a little tired so we went over to Heather's house to sit around and visit with her husband and a friend for a little while to rest up before she took me to Walmart to pick up a few essential groceries I needed then she brought me home. All in all I had a good day and didn't have to ride one of those damnable...only because I hate riding in them...electronic shopping carts. I made it through all the stores and Heather carried most of the stuff through the snow into the house for me. I love my baby girl and she certainly goes above and beyond to help me.
It has been a good day for me with just a mild flu type achiness in my back and chest wall but now I am hurting 6/10scale and I just took a Lortab 10mg after taking a Ibuprofen 800mg an hour ago. As soon as this kicks in I am going to bed and trying to sleep. I really feel worn out and beat down right now. That's the way of it though! Good days and Bad days. Today wasn't bad until now! More tomorrow!
Reading material for today!
I just read this article and thought I would add it to this post! I am also going to add it as a Facebook status! There is proof that we are really in pain!! As if we didn't know...right!!! A new paper* from the University of Michigan Health System (11/2006)says there is "overwhelming data" that the condition is real! This article cites MRI and electron Spect tomography showing a difference in patients with fibro pain and those without!
*University of Michigan Health System (2006, November 28). Pain From Fibromyalgia Is Real, Researchers Say. ScienceDaily.
The first stop today was a hair cut for me. I haven't had my hair cut since last November so needless to say I was starting to look a little like a shaggy dog. My stylist Carrie told me today that she also has been diagnosed with fibro. Carrie said that after she had her son almost all her symptoms disappeared and now she only has a mild flair up once in awhile. I wish!!! Her son is in 3rd grade so I hope her good luck continues with the decreased flare ups. I had an interesting thing happen when she was cutting my hair at my neckline. I actually had spears of pain go into my neck and back when she was cutting it. When she stopped it stopped but during the experience I almost went to tears. Thank God it didn't last long. There was a 30 minute wait to get my hair done so we walked over to Target (right next door) and bought some cat liter and made it back just in time to get my hair cut! Talk about time management.
Second stop was to eat some lunch at Johnny Carinos. I love the bread and yummy pasta there! Heather is vegan and sometimes it is hard to find food for her just anywhere but like she said usually there is no problem at a Mexican or Italian restaurant and both of us love those types of ethnic foods.
Next we went to Hobby Lobby to get some glue runners for me so I would have a supply to make my projects with. I wish I could afford to order it all from Stampin Up! but being off work without pay for so long has made me reconsider where my penny's get spent!
By this time I was starting to get a little tired so we went over to Heather's house to sit around and visit with her husband and a friend for a little while to rest up before she took me to Walmart to pick up a few essential groceries I needed then she brought me home. All in all I had a good day and didn't have to ride one of those damnable...only because I hate riding in them...electronic shopping carts. I made it through all the stores and Heather carried most of the stuff through the snow into the house for me. I love my baby girl and she certainly goes above and beyond to help me.
It has been a good day for me with just a mild flu type achiness in my back and chest wall but now I am hurting 6/10scale and I just took a Lortab 10mg after taking a Ibuprofen 800mg an hour ago. As soon as this kicks in I am going to bed and trying to sleep. I really feel worn out and beat down right now. That's the way of it though! Good days and Bad days. Today wasn't bad until now! More tomorrow!
Reading material for today!
I just read this article and thought I would add it to this post! I am also going to add it as a Facebook status! There is proof that we are really in pain!! As if we didn't know...right!!! A new paper* from the University of Michigan Health System (11/2006)says there is "overwhelming data" that the condition is real! This article cites MRI and electron Spect tomography showing a difference in patients with fibro pain and those without!
*University of Michigan Health System (2006, November 28). Pain From Fibromyalgia Is Real, Researchers Say. ScienceDaily.
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