After a long weekend with lots of family, I'm a little confused on what work day it actually is.  I feel like I've been away from my desk and computer for at least a month. I can say that I feel rested, refreshed and ready to roll.

I had a few doc appointments last week. The Rheumatologist was WONDERFUL on Thursday!! She did extensive bloodwork, more xrays and set me up for a sleep study. When I say she was thorough, that's an understatement. She felt confident that she can get to the bottom of whatever it is that's going on with me. She did see a bone spur in the January xrays and a problem on the backside of the knee cap. The knee cap problem will take lots of intense physical therapy. Yippee!!!!!!!!! In the mean time, she shot me up with cortisone and gave me a new series of exercises. Friday was the cardiologist. That appointment was not as much fun. He really didn't have any answers for the episode last weekend. He's ordering up a 30 day monitor to see if it agrees with the pacemaker. There's a possibility that the pacer is going haywire. It showed some expected lows (since that's the whole reason I have it) but it showed just as many or more episodes of rapid heart beats. Who knew? I'll go back to him after the 30 day test. Oh what fun. His last words were "If this happens again, call 9-1-1" Really?!?!? Gee I wish I'd have thought ot that. He was actually a nice guy and I felt pretty secure with him.  I guess his last remark was just to cover his own arse.

Food wise: We've had some of the best, freshest salads come across the table that I think I've ever had. David's sister is diabetic and his brother is borderline  so we made sure to eat really balanced, healthy meals. Dinner salads seemed to be everone's favorites. Chicken, fish, shrimp even steak were some of the options to top them. YUMM!

Water Wise: I'm chugging the ice water with a lemon wedge. It looks like Summertime. The mroe I drink it, the more I crave it. That works for me.  There's also a fresh brewed pot of decaf in the fridge at home and here at work.  It's time to take the morning vitamins.

Yall have a great day.

- Iris

It is sooo good to see you had a great appointment with the Rheumatologist ... I am super happy for/with you.  I hate the pain and lately i deal daily with my shin muscle pain (I think sciatica) and there are days I wish I could cut the muscle - part of my leg off.  The pain - beside being painful - is also super irritating and I notice I get more short tempered what it bothers me.. . 

As for the heart thing - I hope you find an answer... in the past I would get some super fast heartbeat once in a while... only to discover that some of that was related to food allergies or.. dumping - too many carbs or sugars.   Since I eliminated most foods I am allergic / intolerant to - the faster heartbeat is an indication to me when I eat too many carbs or when food I ate had fillers that I have allergy to (i.e. burger - some burgers make me "swell' and get the fast heartbeat - I know they put fillers - either soy or gluten or even sugar in meat.. )

I'll have to make sure to notice if there's a connection between the foods and the heart rate. The most they could find was a 6 second incident for the day that I landed in the er... not nearly enough to explain what happened.  hmmmmm..........just more to think about.

Hala there was a very good article on Arthritis today about going gluten free and why it may work. I'm trying to attach it to this post. Not sure that it will work. Just proves how on target you are with your advice. Thank you.

Gluten-Free Diets and Joint Pain

If you have Celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten, changing your diet may ease arthritis symptoms.

By Melinda Hemmelgarn

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• Article
• Comments

Headlines everywhere these days proclaim the benefits of a gluten-free diet, and many people do find that eliminating gluten eases digestive problems – or even joint pain. But while eliminating gluten is essential for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, not everyone who goes gluten-free will find joint pain relief, and some might not benefit at all.

In those who have celiac disease, ingesting gluten sets off an inflammatory response in the small intestine that damages its ability to absorb nutrients. Over time, poor absorption of essential vitamins and mineral, such as calcium, can lead to fatigue, skin rash and even osteoporosis. Joint pain is another symptom, though experts aren’t yet sure why.

“The most accredited theory is that gut inflammation triggered by gluten causes activation of T lymphocytes that can eventually migrate to joints, causing local inflammation and, therefore, joint pain,” says Alessio Fasano, MD, director of the mucosal biology research center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. “This theory is in line with the fact that celiac disease is now defined as a systemic disease that can affect any organ or tissue, including joints.”

The mechanisms behind gluten sensitivity are still being studied. But some of the reactions to gluten, including diarrhea, bloating – and in some cases, joint pain – are the same as in celiac disease. And sometimes, joint pain is reported, too.

“Joint pain can occur in both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity,” says registered dietitian Shelly Case, a celiac/gluten-free diet expert on the medical advisory boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation and Gluten Intolerance Group.

Peter Green, MD, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York City. “Only five 5 percent of the one 1 percent with celiac disease are diagnosed.”

Wondering if gluten is causing or worsening your aches? Talk to your doctor about having a blood test to help detect whether you have the disease, and about an elimination diet for gluten.

That was a lot of doctor's appts.  Hopefully they can help make your life less painful, Iris.   

S: mini bagel, 2 clementine oranges 180

L: chicken breast stuffed with deli ham and rf cheese and roast peppers 300

S: tomato soup, croutons 350

D: veggie soup, croutons, protein drink 270

S: protein drink, nut protein bar 310

B: egg beaters, ham, rf cheese, mini bagel 255

Good afternoon BOTTs.

I hope everyone is doing well.  Loved the 3 day weekend....however I was a complete slug.  Now that I am all rested up, I would like to take three days off to do what I didn't do and play what I didn't play!

Good news on the doctor front, Iris!  I'm glad you are in better hands now.

My food has not been what it should be...not eating nearly as clean as my body would like.  My 14th wedding anniversary was on friday...but technically, if I combine both marriages, it was my 25th year of marriage!  I think that calls for some spoiling...I'm going to look into that and see what I really want as a reward.  :)

Exercise wise?  Ha.....unfortunately, thinking about it does no good at all whatsoever. My Pacer App beeps at me occasionally reminding me that I have not been off my ass in quite some time, and "it's time to get moving". 

Kind of in a funk but I will deal with it.  That's the crappy part of depression, it comes out of nowhere and undermines me and my desires and my abilities.  Acknowledging it is the beginning of the recovery however, so now that I have said it "out loud" I can try to flip things around.

Take care of yourselves.

Gaby

I can imagine a pacer app beeping at me and the cussing that I would probably give it. That's given me a morning chuckle.

I completely understand the depression thing...we had a wonderful weekend but by late Sunday and most of Monday I was a miserable person. Not sure if I was depressed that it was over, sad to see family go home or maybe I was just exhausted and it was the first emotion to step forward.

- Iris