Fat Doctors?

Oh hai! Long time no see…

So. I just spent a week with my family in Canada. Fun, relaxing, and lets me know how happy I am that I don’t spend ample time with the fam all at once. My brother has been dating a really nice and quite gal for a while and she came along as well. She’s going to med school…

So here’s my huge question…

Would you take medical advice from an obese doctor?

As some one who has lost a lot of weight and dealt with some medical issues that my doctors seemed unable to help me with, my answer would be a big NO.

Lab tech = FAIL.

Dear LabCorp-

Thank you so very much for fucking up my blood tests. I was there to be tested for Celiac Disease and some how you managed not to test me for it at all.

No worries, I mean it is just my health… I’m super excited to have to put some more gluten back into my body. Yummy poison.

XOXOX

-J

p.s. People wonder why I hate conventional medicine… this example adds more icing to the cake.

Yuck, gluten had to come back.

Ugh.

I heard back from my doctor.

Gluten is back.

My stomach isn’t happy.

Attack! Attack!

It’s Saturday, I’m excited for Wednesday.

Hello, next life.

What if today was the first day of the rest of your life?

What would you do differently?

I’m changing my life today, for good. From this day forward, I won’t be eating gluten in any form. No more beer. No more spelt toast. No more panko on sushi. No more breaded or battered stuffs. No more horribly upset stomachs. No more bullshit.

I won’t be tested until next Wednesday at the earliest. I’m changing my diet a week early, I’m okay with skewed results.I felt so amazing last week, and thats really all I want. I need to feel less depressed, less fatigued, no more tingling in hands and feed, less headaches, not have itchy skin, and fewer bathroom issues… I just want to feel less of anything that ails me. I want to feel less of anything that has been an issue or occurrence for the past 8 years.

I want to feel good all the time.

Hi, my name is Jackie and I’m gluten free. I’m looking forward to see what this will bring me. I want the challenge if it means being as healthy as I wish I can be. I don’t feel deprived.

Today is, the first day of the rest of my life.

Going gluten free…

Hello. So this is my blog right? One I don’t use as often as I could.

Here’s me being honest…

I think I might have Celiac Disease. Eep, so many of my symptoms match!

After working for a co-op for almost 8 years, you would think this information might not be to hard to take in. There are so many great options now. I have access to great resources. I’d get a discount on some of the more expensive gluten free treats. But….

This information could be another huge blow to my strange health.I took out soy 7 years ago and thought it was the answer…but not a complete one? For the past 8 years I’ve been wondering what the hell was going on. These are some of my issues….

• depression
• anemia
• anxiety
• constant stomach pain
• bloating
• really fun smelling gas
• fun time bathroom issues
• acne (I was one of those teenagers with beautiful skin)
• fatigue, constant. But, I have huge issues falling asleep.
• weight gain (I still think this is mainly due to Paxil)
• irregular periods
• unexplained food sensitivities

About 6 or so years ago I was tested for food allergies. The good old scratch test. What a disaster that was. I only wanted to be tested for foods and I ended up being tested for everything, hello pollen and dust! The results were so skewed due to the pollen and dust reaction I had to go back. The doctor made fun of me and asked why I was crying… mostly I was having a severe reaction to things I’ve been allergic to my whole life, this isn’t what I wanted and now you’re ridiculing me. Anxiety and panic attack much?! Oh western medicine, I hate you. Okay, that’s not fair, but I’ve pretty much have hated all the doctors I’ve seen in the past 10 years. All but one.

I love my Naturopath. LOVE. The first time I went, I was sent paperwork proir to my visit. I thought it was sort of weird to fill out a piece of paper about the 5 things I would like to discuss. 5? Hmm. I can’t remember what I wrote. But I remember talking about my first big issue (food allergies was probably first on the list) and it took a while. We started on the next topic and I started to rush. I then asked how much time did we have left and she told me my appointment was for an hour. An hour?! I didn’t have to make another appointment or pay another co-pay to talk to you for another 40 minutes about 4 more topics?! Holy shit, I think this was my health dream come true!

Anyway, she did a blood test for food allergies, I didn’t have any. But, I do have a crazy sensitivity to soy. But, so what if this whole time I’ve had Celiac Disease and I’ve been doing all this damage to my body? What if I could ease some of my depression symptoms even more by not eating gluten? What if my stomach didn’t have some of those violent pains? What if my skin could clear up? What side of my family is this coming from?What if? What if?

I called my mom the other day after drinking a bottle of prosecco, sounds odd I know, but alcohol can be a total truth serum. My mom can be a total butthead sometimes and the complete opposite of me, but she’s still my mom. My mom is one of those people who only tells you the really great things you want to hear about yourself when you’re really down and out and or really upset. Basically she told me that she’s proud of me for really trying to conquer all my issues on my own first and only seeking out medical help when I need it or can’t figure it out on my own. She’s happy that I’ve not given up or been willing to settle for “that’s just the way it is.” There was more but I won’t go on and on to much about.

Thank you for listening and giving me encouraging feed back, mom.

But so, I need to be tested. I need to get a physical first, then have blood work done.  Today is day 3 of being totally gluten free. I feel okay, no stomach pain. The rest of the spelt bread in my freezer can sit until Kevin eats it. The flour on the counter can be poured out. Even if the answer eventually comes back that Celiac Disease isn’t the answer, I feel better without gluten.

Whole Foods and hopes to make employees healthy…

I was roaming through Google Reader catching up on blogs… like you do.

I found a very interesting article via Carrots ‘N’ Cake. Whole Foods is going back to its roots.

I found the article pretty interesting for a couple reasons.. I work at a co-op and Whole Foods is our biggest competitor, I have a huge interest in being healthy, and I’ve lost 45 pounds and dream of losing 40 more.

Going to Whole Foods is pretty overwhelming for me. Not because I don’t know the lay out of their stores, but because I feel there is just to much stuff! Expensive cookware, pizza stations, Simple Shoes, InStyle magazine, popular CDs, a deli that takes up one side of the store and a huge amount of flowers. There seems to be all this extra stuff that doesn’t need to be there.

I’ve worked at the co-op I’ve worked at for almost 8 years. At my highest weight evar! I was something crazy like 258 and it was mainly due to Paxil. But looking back, I have to say I ate a lot of healthy junk food with out of control portions! Just because you have access to really healthy fruits and veggies doesn’t mean you choose to eat them. Have you seen the deli and bakeries in some of these co-ops and stores? Some of the people who work there also just work there, meaning to them it’s just a job. They aren’t interested in a healthy life style. They don’t work out , they go to McDonald’s for lunch, and smoke like a chimney.

I think there whole idea is right on, but I also know that people won’t change just because you ask them to and wave perks in their face. People have to want to be healthy and choose that lifestyle for themselves and if you’re going to try to force them to do it, you’ll have unhappy employees and people will go else where for a job because to them that is all it really is… a way to pay the bills.

Cha cha cha changes!

Look at this yummy bowl of stuff I made for lunch!

• 1/3 cup red quinoa
• 2/3 cup water
• hand full of washed and trimmed brussels sprouts, halved and sautéed in some EVOO and cayenne
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp Tapatío sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil

So I’m changing my ways, again. I’ve been inspired by strange things, again. It has to do with being healthy, again.

(This post might be long, but no one reads my blog anyway.)

So. I went to Napa and Oregon and had a wonderful time. I gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks but was okay with it because I had limited exercise, lots of great beer and wine, and consumed a lot of bread.  I cut out the bread again and lost the 5 pounds. Since I have returned home, mind you this was August, I have been trying to be wheat free. I feel better without wheat… no bloating, no painful gas, and my skin seems to look the best it has looked a long time. I feel lighter, even when the scale says I’m not.

Since I’ve been home I’ve also gone on crazy walks, done lots of stretching and did one session of my Pilates DVD. Yay exercise! My back loves it when I have my crap together and exercise. But, the weather has started to turn and it has been on and off rainy. Oh Seattle, sometimes you make me wonder why I love you… What is one to do for exercize when walking in the rain bums you out?

So. Where does this leave me? Um, I guess it leaves me to using google reader and reading about other people and their lives and clicking on their links and winding up at Heather Eats Almond Butter. Heather is truly beautiful and looks so healthy and radiant! She seemed to have this love for kabocha squash, oats, and almond butter. I added her to google reader and looked forward to her posts. She too is a massage therapist, although she still does it professionally I don’t.

Okay, and her is the bit about Weight Watchers and how I’m not sure on where to go from here. I joined Weight Watchers in May of 2008 at a ripe weight of 230. Right away I lost weight, I was stoked. The program really worked. But I was a slow weight loser. I also gained a few times. It is now November 2009. I’m so sick of counting points. I’ve learned so many things. I’ve changed my BMI to overweight instead of obese. I discovered last year, after gaining 8 pounds and caving, I really enjoy the meetings and my leader. For a while, I was obsessed with weight loss. But now, I’m sort of over it and want to be more fit and lean. I’m 31 and I feel beautiful but I need to eat better and focus my energy on something else now.

Hmm. So I’m looking at these blogs about all these amazing healthy people who look fantastic and do yoga a few times a week. Hey, I can do that! I can do yoga in my spare room in the basement. I can be lean if I do Pilates a few times a week? Sweet. I can eat a bunch of oats for 2 points instead of a packet of oatmeal with extra shit in it that I don’t need for 2 points? I can roast any sort of veggie I want! I can buy all this amazing food at a discount, be in the kitchen and make myself healthier, too! I don’t want to join a gym again, but I can stop at the community center and work out on their equiptment for $3 when I choose? All these great resources are around me, but sometimes I guess it takes a bit for this to click.

Maybe this all started when I decided I was going to give up bread and wheat after vacation. Or maybe I’m bored. Maybe I feel better knowing winter is on it’s way and am looking for motivation to stay busy. Either way, I think I like where it is going.  And after having this thing not work out with our new dog, I’m happy to have a focus just up ahead.

So back to the whole Weight Watchers thing… I’ve decided to eat the way I feel like I should be eating. No soy, no wheat, less sugar, less coffee, more grains, more tea. I’ll walk my crazy walks when I can. I’ll work out at the community center once a week. I’ll do yoga and Pilates at home. I’ll track points and still a Weight Watchers member for the next 2 months.  But, I won’t stress about my grains being high in points. I won’t stress that 1 tablespoon of almond butter is 2 points. I’ll eat when I’m hungry. I’ll eat better meals. I’ll eat less crap. I’ll eat less sugar. I’ll track points and weigh in every week, but not freak about my points.

Cha cha changes!

Right ear done, left ear start?

2 ear infections in 2 week?
Fanfuckingtastic…

And I only went swimming once this summer.

What on earth is causing this?

Lets get back to healthy.

I’ve very excited.
I found my old naturopath! She is still a preferred provider for Aetna! Hopefully she can help me pin point my fatigue and maybe help with my anxiety.
Basically, it is time for me to go to the doctor. I think the last time I was at a doctor was in early 2007. I had a physical and got an IUD.
I love having a job with benefits.

Moms know best, mostly.

Oh mom.
I love you, sometimes more than others. I understand to you really don’t understand depression and you lending a listening ear is the best you can do.
But, you do seem to understand sleep and what a huge effect the lack of sleep has on people. Thank you for your tips, I already knew all of them. And thank you for the $9 to go buy Tylenol PM. While it totally isn’t up my alley to take stuff such as this, I really do thank you for being supportive. I bought it and I’ll try it just this once. Your idea of taking Benadryl was a total flop leaving me hung over, maybe this time will be better.
-J

Sleep is serious business.

Yesterday was a prime example of how awesome I can be without a decent amount of sleep. Not only was I super tired, but the nap I tried to take was a total flop. I know I was a pain to deal with last night… Kevin told me.

Why am I so fatigued? All the time? My anemia is under control. Are my cortisol levels out of whack again? Are my hormones  trying yet again to tell me they are in charge? Or has all the stress from the past 2 months finally caught up with me, yet again?

Maybe I need to get my butt back to a naturopath and have them help me with this… again. As I’ve said in the past, sleep is serious business.