Saturday, February 19, 2011

SMACKED DOWN, CHEWED UP AND SPIT OUT

The long drive down here has finally caught up with me!  This past week was a rough one for my FMS (fibromyalgia)  body, and I am feeling pretty beat up.  I haven't been sleeping more than two hours at a time since we left home. Then I wake  up with severe foot cramps, and I'm unable to go back to sleep.  I finally am so exhausted that just daily functioning is a painful chore. 

We were planning to go up to the Scottsdale area to visit an old high school friend this weekend, but we had to call them and cancel.  There was no way I could ride in a car for 2 1/2 hours and then enjoy any kind of a weekend with them. We felt so bad, but that is life with FMS.  Sometimes it takes over your life and makes your decisions for you.

But wonder of wonders!  I slept pretty well last night, one stretch of four hours, and I woke up this morning a bit more refreshed.  I think Ernie was getting tired of my constant hopping in and out of bed to try to work the cramps out of my feet, so I think he slept better last night too.

Stomach issues can also be a part of FMS,  and I have been experiencing some of them the last several months.  When I started baking bread every day, and then of course, eating bread every day, I finally determined what the problem probably was.  So since leaving home almost three weeks ago, I have been eating gluten free.  I am feeling much better and have not had the stomach issues flare up in this whole time.  Ernie was really enjoying home made bread every day, and I've not made any since we left home.  I will, however, start working on this technique of bread making with gluten free flours and see if I can find something that works for us.  Meat, fruit and veggies are gluten free, and Trader Joe's has a good selection of pastas, crackers, and dressings and sauces that are gluten free, so I haven't really had a problem with things other than finding decent bread.  That's why I can't wait to bake my own as soon as we get back home.

Our daughter, Kari,  and her family have made this same decision, but going a step further and also going dairy free.  They are hoping this change will help the two youngest special needs kids with some of their issues.  She has started another blog to record this journey.

6 comments:

TonjiaT said...

so sorry you arent feeling well Marge. Get yourself some good rest!! I am glad you have arrived and will have time to recuperate from the drive..

L'Adelaide said...

oh marge, so sorry to read we have so much in common and how do you do all this travel with fibro and food/sleep issues besides?? i could not..i have been gf for a year now and will say it has helped my gut tremendously but not much else....yet. we'll see, it seems when your my age and needed to be gf forever and weren't, well, the damage is done...i can't wait to see what you come up with for bread...husband bakes mine, lovely man...and great bread but nothing like the real deal, sad to say, have yet to find that and pizza crust worth bothering with. xoxox take care.

Lena . . . said...

My daughter also suffers quite severely from fibro, so I know what you're going through. She tries so hard to not let it get hr down, but I can tell that sometimes that's pretty difficult. Her hubby has done a lot of research on vitamins and minerals and has put her on a regimin that seems to help her but with all the cold weather we've had this winter it's been difficult. She should move to someplace warm with a drier climate, but their jobs hold them here unfortunately. Take care of yourself. And enjoy the warmth. We had another 12 inches of snow last night.

AKBrady said...

Oh gosh, you take care of yourself! I believe King Arthur's Flour makes a gluten-free flour for bread making. My best pal has gluten issues, and uses this a lot. Wish we had a Trader Joes up here!
Rest and get a lot of that lovely sunshine. Take care.
e

Marge said...

Thank you, all of you! I am actually feeling much better today, and I have slept decently the last couple of nights. Things are looking up! And I do think the gluten free eating is helping, a lot. Thanks for your concerns!

Debbie said...

Just read your comment that you are feeling much better and I'm glad. I'm going to have to look into this gluten free, as my stomach continues to give me fits.