Life can be challenging in many different ways and each and every one of us is challenged on a daily basis in some shape or form. Some will take the easy way out and others will put the head down, bum up and power on through. Since I have been unwell I have taken the latter approach and I have fought this disease every step of the way. As previously mentioned, my arthritis medications aren't working as well as they should be, my body is resisting them, my arthritis deteriorating and remission has been slipping further from my grasp. I am frustrated and sick and tired of being sick and tired! To kick the arthritis to the curb I started my whole 30 challenge yesterday and here I am on day 2 still alive! Who would have thought it! No sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, white potato, alcohol or preservatives and I am surviving. Ok, I don't exactly feel a million bucks right about now. Yesterday there was a mild headache late in the day and today I have been struck down with persistent nausea. My brain is sending me messages that 1 small coke would fix the nausea. Yes Ladies and Gents, I am in the grips of sugar withdrawal.
I didn't enter this challenge with blinkers on. I always knew that I would feel worse before I felt better and that is why I took a few days to prepare. I wrote out a menu and then a shopping list. I removed, gave away or hid the no no foods. Shopping was the hardest part of it. There are contaminates in what feels like all of our foods. Finding an all natural curry powder was hard but finding a curry paste was even harder. In the end I gave up on the curry paste and opted to make one instead.
On day 1 of my whole 30 challenge I was at yet another hospital review. This time I got some good news mixed with the not so fabulous. All of my scans are clear of cancer and I don't have to go through any further imaging. This was the best news I have had this year. I can say with 100 % confidence that I am clear of cancer. Then came the blood results which remain abnormal and can't quite be explained at the moment. Next week I have further blood tests to try and figure out what is happening. I can deal with whatever they throw at me, it's not cancer after all! So I started my whole 30 with fantastic news and it has motivated me even more.
Have you done a whole 30? Would you do one? What holds you back?
Hi Kat :-).
ReplyDeleteI wanted to firstly say how sorry I am you have been going through so much, You have my complete empathy and my unconditional strength if you would like it, because you are such a terrific Lady and my heart goes out to you, because you don't deserve such hurt and emotional strife in any way at all.
Secondly I have to say and please forgive if I sound patronising it's sincerely not my intention, that I never found those hard and difficult words that you expressed, as anything other than beautiful, despite the difficult nature of the content, because I can appreciate it took so much heart and courage, to be able to share such words with other people and that is just one reason why I have long thought of you as a fantastic role model, for never giving up on yourself and for having a wonderful attitude to others, where some could understandably come across as angry, bitter and resentful, you express such beautiful humility and inspiring courage and character, during such understandably overwhelming events, that have continued in one way shape or form seemingly without respite, ever since you got diagnosed with an IBD.
So I feel touched by your emotions and words having read this and I want to say WELL DONE for finding the immense heart, courage and inner beauty, to discuss such incredibly emotionally challenging things.
I am hoping I can find the time in the coming weeks to stop by and give you some more of my support, because you do deserve people in your life, who will have some way of adding a little something extra through words and / or deeds and I hope I can do enough to justify being one of those people.
You talk about cutting out white potato, that's quite apt as white potato being classed a nightshade has a substance called solanene that can leech calcium out of bones. 30% is in the flesh, 70% in the skin, but it can be destroyed by cooking, but it's also in aubergine and in tomatoes, so you might benefit also from avoiding tomatoes unless they are grilled or heated to make some kind of sauce, as tomatoes may exasperate the arthritis to some extent.
If you already know all this, then my apologies for preaching to the converted.
I finally just want to take this time to wish you all the luck in the world. You have proven so many times when you speak of what some could see as heart-breaking trials in life, what a fantastic person you are and what an amazing heart you possess and you continue to humble me greatly and touch me deeply with your character, personality and expression and if I could have one wish for you, it would be for you to experience only the most beautiful future humanly possible, with the least amount of negativity as is humanly possible.
I know I nor anyone can give you what I feel in my head and heart, you are truly worth, but I can give you a guarantee that when I can, I will stop by and give you whatever support, succor and emotional sustenance I feel I can provide, but for now GOOD LUCK to you and your husband with everything you both must face together and every decision you make together, because I know you deserve a life so much better than this, but for every drop of hurt you feel, you never fail to show others a drop of sunshine and beauty in equal measure and I want to say as one person and to another, how extremely proud of you I am, for how much you've shone on the world in the past few years, when your world has no doubt felt dark and extremely troubling to say the least, as it shows how much you are truly worth as a Lady and it shows how much of a Lady you are, with your constant, grace, elegance, emotional beauty and dignity in the face of extreme difficulties.
You should be extremely proud of yourself for who you are and what it means, as you definitely deserve to be.
Take care Kat and GOOD LUCK again :-).
With maximum respect and heart-felt good wishes.
Matt
Thanks Matt. You always have such thoughtful words and make me smile. Hope you are well.
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