Progress

Progress is possible and it's here.   

In the month of February I only had one migraine.  Incredible.  I feel like a new woman.  It's very exciting!!  The only drawback is the diet I have to maintain in order to keep these migraines away.  It's not that hard, but I am definitely experiencing some serious cravings.  The foods I crave the most are any foods with cheese, oranges, and sausage.  Lasagna, mozzerella sticks, orange juice, and pizza...mmm. Since I can't have the things I really want, I keep eating and eating in hopes to quell my cravings.  It doesn't work and as a result I've gained four pounds since the beginning of 2013.  This is unacceptable and I won't go back to where I was.  I know four pounds doesn't sound like much, but if this goes on, it's not going to be pretty.  

I have to take care of myself.  I've signed up for a personal trainer session at my gym to keep myself accountable with a program.  Also, I've been making crock pot freezer meals that are healthy and then I add a veggie with dinner.  The girl scout cookies have been waaaaay tempting so I'm allowing myself no more than two at a time.  Hopefully this will help me keep a healthy lifestyle.  We'll see.  I'll post the crock pot recipes I've tried next.

 

18 days of freedom

Today marks the 18th day of no migraines.  I really didn't think I would ever say (or type) that sentence.  Incredible.  Now I just have to make sure to appreciate every day and not take my pain free days for granted.  It's difficult to do because everything else in life keeps on going and I had this idea that everything would be wonderful if I had a life free of migraines.  Well, I do have a very blessed life, but there are still rough days and sad days and of course days filled with pure joy.  I go to the Migraine Clinic this week and as I am getting my records, charts and paperwork together, I can't help but wonder what is keeping them away.  Is it because I'm there's no cheese in my diet?  No pineapple?  No nuts? No oranges?  No soy sauce?  No leftovers more than 48 hours old? No processed meats? Or is it because I've started taking magneseum supplements or B2 daily?  Is it because I'm keeping a strict sleep schedule?  Is it because of my counseling sessions where I'm learning relaxation techniques as well as stress management skills?  Or is it because God has used all of these things to answer the prayers of countless friends, family members, co-workers, and strangers?  Ultimately, I know God is in control and He is using these migraines or lack there of to glorify Him and help me understand that it's not of my own strength that these migraines can go away, but of Him alone.  He is faithful and so loving even when I am in the depths of despair and pain.  He is there.  He will never leave me or forsake me.  Even if the migraines return and stay with me it will be okay.  I have the promise that one day I won't have to worry about migraines because I will get to spend eternity in Heaven with Him with a perfect body.  I'm not talking about a bikini body here.  I'm saying there will be no tears, no sins, no pain, no suffering.  My salvation is in Christ Jesus alone, not by works, but through faith.  My memory verse for the week speaks for itself.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23.  It's free for the taking if we only choose to accept it.  Not only did Jesus free us from our sins, with His sacrafice of death on a cross for us, but He goes above and beyond to give us eternal life in Heaven with Him.  It really doesn't get any better than that. I will keep you updated on my progress and if I learn anything new at my appointment this week.  Love and blessings to you <3

Laura's No No Food List (per dr's orders)

Laura's No No Food List from the Headache Clinic
(for the prevention of migraines)

**Some are easier to avoid than others as you will see ;)

Bacon (sadness)
Sausage
Hot dogs
Corned Beef
Bologna
Ham (sniffle)
Lunch meats with nitrates and nitrites
Meat with tenderizer added
Caviar (no issues here)
Aged, dried, fermented, salted, smoked, or pickled products
Liverwurst
Pepperoni
Salami
Non-fresh meat (yeah, think I'm avoiding that anyway)
Liver
Pickled herring
Aged cheese: blue, brick, brie, cheddar, swiss, roquefort, stilton, mozzarella, colby jack, pepper jack, provolone, emmentaler
Fava or broad beans
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Olives
Fermented products like miso, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
Raw onion
Sourdough breads
Home-made yeast leavened breads
Hardest for me----->No more than 1/2 cup a day of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, lime, avocados, banana, figs, raisins, dried fruit, papaya, passion fruit, red plums
All nuts and seeds
Canned soups with autolyzed or hydrolyzed yeast
Chianti, Sherry, burgundy, vermouth, ale, beer, non alcoholic fermented beverages
Limit of 2 servings a day of caffeinated beverages
Limit of 1 serving a day of non-listed alcoholic beverages
Mincemeat pie
MSG
Seasoned salt
Meat extracts
Meat tenderizers
Brewers yeast
Nitrites
Nitrates
Yeast extracts
Wine, apple, or other fermented vinegars
Limit 1 cup chocolate based products (ice cream, pudding), 1 chocolate cookie, 3" chocolate cake, 1/2 oz. chocolate candies

**Very thankful I can still have chocolate and really it will be great for me to have a limit on it, especially with the holidays.  :)

Back in the saddle

So I have fallen off the proverbial horse these past couple of months.  I've gained 2 pounds back, which puts me at a total 28 pound loss for the year.  Don't get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY happy with that weight loss, but at the rate I'm going it won't stay off for long.  I'm actually surprised that I haven't gained back more because I've been eating pretty much whatever I want (thankfully what I want still consists of strawberries, raspberries, spinach salads, sugar snap peas, milk, oatmeal and flax seed).  However, I also want Oreos, pumpkin bread, pasta, and ice cream sandwiches, especially now that I've found out that food isn't my main migraine trigger.  Those foods in excess combined with little exercise would be the 2 lb. weight gain culprits.  Since my 10K over a month ago I have exercised a total of 4 times.  IT IS TIME.  So this morning I got up early, went to the gym and swam laps for a half hour.  Whew.  I am beat and have SO much respect for swimmers.  I really miss running too.  I miss being sweaty from a good workout.  However, I've only had 4 migraines this month.  I'm really thinking my migraines are sometimes triggered from heart rate elevation.  Three of the migraines were this week...boo!  I woke up all three times with serious jaw pain and sore neck and shoulder muscles.  They were so tight that they were twitching...no fun.  So I went to my TMJD doctor and he treated me.  Thank goodness.  The nurses there lifted up my hair and said, "Whoa, the back of your neck is so swollen!" That was before I even had a chance to tell them how much pain I was in.  Now I am supposed to take Ibuprofen every 6 hours for 3-4 days to reduce the swelling.  "Have you been under a lot of stress, Laura?",  they ask.  They know me so well there.  Apparently, stress creates tense muscles as well as teeth grinding and ultimately, migraines.  Fun stuff.  So I need to work on more exercise, better food choices, and less stress.  I think that is America in a nutshell.  At least I'm not alone.  Seriously though, it's so important to be proactive about my health.  Exercise produces endorphins which help with energy and stress levels.  Also, food plays a HUGE role in whole body wellness.  If you eat crap, you will most likely feel like crap, and feeling like crap is stressful.  So if I eat well and exercise frequently maybe, just maybe my stress level will decrease and so will my migraines.  Worth a shot.  I just need to get in the right frame of mind.  Let's do this!

No Run October

As you are well aware, these migraines of mine are sticking around.  I track them and can't make sense of them most of the time.  I've had one so far for the month of October and I am VERY happy about that.  Interestingly enough I haven't been running in the month of October.  Correlation?  Possibly, but hopefully not.  Afterall, I have been getting migraines for 15 years and have only been running for 6 months.  However, I have implemented hormone therapy as well as TMJD therapy in the meantime, which are both supposed to aid in migraine prevention.  I have found that I get a migraine about 50% of the time after I run.  It's quite possible that there is no correlation between running and migraines because I had been running 3-4 times a week and getting an average of 2 migraines a week.  I may have had those migraines anyway regardless of whether or not I was running.  The migraines and running may have nothing to do with one another, but I can't know for sure unless I stop running for a period of time to see if the migraines still come regardless of my activity. 

Now, this doesn't just apply to running.  I used to think I got migraines after I went to Jazzercise and when I did other  high intensity activities such as Zumba.  So really, "No Run October" should be more aptly named "Low-Intensity October".  A doctor once hypothesized that my migraines could be caused by a sudden rise in blood pressure triggered by high intensity exercise.  So this month I am going to do low-intensity exercise like Aqua Zumba, slow and steady lap swims, flat course bike riding, walking, and yoga to see if my activity level makes a difference. 

I kind of feel like a scientist with all of my experimentation with my migraines, except I feel like I am just grasping at straws in the dark.  One day I will figure out these migraines.  I am determined that with prayer, common sense, consistancy, and persistance, I will figure out my triggers and be able to better manage my migraines. 

I ate a rice krispie treat...

It's true. 

I have decided to tell you about it through a new way of blogging, commonly refered to as "vlogging" (video/blogging).  This is my very first shot at shooting a video.  Hopefully my ramblings make some sort of sense to you.

I hope you enjoyed by very first "vlog".  I really thought I would feel something huge when I finally ate something sugary.  I thought maybe I would feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders or maybe I would feel intense guilt or disappointment in myself.  Maybe I would feel a rush of happiness or satisfaction...but no.  I felt none of those things.  I just felt like me.  There were no real big emotions for me.  I just decided that it didn't taste the way I thought it would (oh and I got lots of compliments on my rice krispie treats so it's not that they were bad or anything...hehe) and I'm glad I ate it now because I don't feel like I HAVE to eat sweets and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself either.  I don't know when I will eat something sugary again, but I don't think it will be very often just because I want to take care of my body and give it the fuel it needs while enjoying what I eat at the same time.