My wife woke up this morning without any leg pain, so that is a blessing. She is feeling pretty good today, and is sticking with the juice extremely well. She hasn't had a single piece of solid food since beginning on day one, and has been very good about being consistent with drinking juice every few hours. So far, she has done much better than me, and doesn't seem to be struggling much with just drinking juice. I can't personally say that since I had another breakfast meeting this morning. I ate the healthiest thing on the menu, but paid for it all morning. I was bloated and felt awful all morning, and was very surprised how overly full I felt because I didn't even eat all the food. This was a great learning lesson for me to see how big of portions I normally ate, and how that affected me.
Things got a little tricky for the evening because our daughter had an out of town basketball game. We took a large cup of juice with us but knew we wouldn't be back home till after 8 or so. The popcorn, hotdogs and other snacks looked really good at the game, but we both held strong and made it home without eating any solid food. We drank our evening tea and almond milk and were fine for the evening. My wife did struggle to get to sleep tonight, which she hasn't had an issue with through the other days. She normally has issues with her sleeping pattern but has fell asleep easily the other nights of the cleanse. She wasn't able to fall asleep until 1 or so in the morning so we will see how she pays for the lack of sleep tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Day 3 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis
Day 3 saw both of us back to our normal routines. The challenge for me was a business lunch that I had to attend, but luckily I was at a restaurant with a salad bar and was able to eat all fresh veggies. Eating a salad after two days of just juice was quite interesting on my body. Lots of gurgling and noise from my stomach as I dealt with digesting solid food, and I felt really full after not having that much solid food in my stomach for the last two days. My wife on the other hand was full of energy and had a very productive day.
One thing that we have been drinking every night is Yogi Detox tea. The tea is supposed to help move the toxins out of our bodies, and one of the issues of doing a juice cleanse is bowel movements can stop and the toxins can be re-absorbed. The tea doesn't taste too bad, and has seemed to help, but I am a little worried about getting the toxins out of our bodies. One of the reasons this is a concern is my wife started having major leg/knee pain tonight. It became severe enough that she had to take some pain meds to help, and ended up going to bed early. This is the first odd thing that has happened since we started the cleanse.
One thing that we have been drinking every night is Yogi Detox tea. The tea is supposed to help move the toxins out of our bodies, and one of the issues of doing a juice cleanse is bowel movements can stop and the toxins can be re-absorbed. The tea doesn't taste too bad, and has seemed to help, but I am a little worried about getting the toxins out of our bodies. One of the reasons this is a concern is my wife started having major leg/knee pain tonight. It became severe enough that she had to take some pain meds to help, and ended up going to bed early. This is the first odd thing that has happened since we started the cleanse.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Day 2 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis
I have to say day 2 was pretty rough for me, and my wife. We drank a couple of different juices today, and made it to church, but other than that we were both pretty wiped out. My wife had allergy issues all day, and we aren't sure if this is a part of the detox or not. She has had allergy issues since we moved to Wichita, KS, which is not the norm for her. Normally I am the one suffering from allergy issues, but she has been fighting the sneezing, stuffy nose and sinus issues for months. So, we are hoping the juicing helps with this along with other issues as we cleanse our bodies.
I think one of the biggest challenges today was not having any energy. With my wife's allergies, and my general lack of energy, we accomplished a whole lot of nothing. We spent most of the day laying around our house trying to relax and feel better. We still drank the green juice today, and added a carrot juice. The carrot juice is much sweeter and is really great. Even with the juice, I have to say that I was starving by the evening. I finally caved when I was falling asleep around 7:15 and ate an apple with a little natural peanut butter. Once I had eaten a little, I was great the rest of the night. After one full day, we both showed to have lost 3 lbs.
I think one of the biggest challenges today was not having any energy. With my wife's allergies, and my general lack of energy, we accomplished a whole lot of nothing. We spent most of the day laying around our house trying to relax and feel better. We still drank the green juice today, and added a carrot juice. The carrot juice is much sweeter and is really great. Even with the juice, I have to say that I was starving by the evening. I finally caved when I was falling asleep around 7:15 and ate an apple with a little natural peanut butter. Once I had eaten a little, I was great the rest of the night. After one full day, we both showed to have lost 3 lbs.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Day 1 Juice Cleanse with Multiple Sclerosis
Our first full day of our juice cleanse is done and over. We started the day with a large glass of green juice that included kale, celery, ginger, carrots and cucumbers. I wondered how this would taste since I am not a fan of celery or real veggie tasting drinks. The smell wasn't too bad and the taste was actually pretty good. We both drank about 60 oz of juice yesterday, along with a cup of detox tea and some coconut water. We aren't huge fans of the taste of coconut water, but it is rich in Potassium and electrolytes and was suggested as a great supplement for hydration. I was pretty hungry most of the day but my wife was actually full enough that she didn't drink all of her juice.
She felt great all day and had plenty of energy. She is dealing with some allergy issues right now, but other than that she felt really good. For me, it was a rough day. I was dragging all day with hunger pains and a dull headache. I was even light headed but it didn't seem to affect my wife in that way. By the evening, I was feeling so bad that I decided to eat a salad and see if that helped. My wife didn't give in but ended the evening with some homemade almond milk to hold her through the night. We both found ourselves running to the bathroom often with all of the extra liquid in our systems. :)
This is a learning lesson for both of us as we try to listen to our bodies and detox. We know from past experience that when my wife's body was full of parasites and wasn't eliminating properly, she was having MS issues. This year we hope to create our own plan to keep our bodies detoxed and our systems clean. Day 1 wasn't great for me, but if this is what needs to be done to find some healing for our bodies, then it is well worth it. We talk all the time about the things we can control, and this is one of them. If we feed our bodies properly then we will see the results of that, and we will be healthier.
She felt great all day and had plenty of energy. She is dealing with some allergy issues right now, but other than that she felt really good. For me, it was a rough day. I was dragging all day with hunger pains and a dull headache. I was even light headed but it didn't seem to affect my wife in that way. By the evening, I was feeling so bad that I decided to eat a salad and see if that helped. My wife didn't give in but ended the evening with some homemade almond milk to hold her through the night. We both found ourselves running to the bathroom often with all of the extra liquid in our systems. :)
This is a learning lesson for both of us as we try to listen to our bodies and detox. We know from past experience that when my wife's body was full of parasites and wasn't eliminating properly, she was having MS issues. This year we hope to create our own plan to keep our bodies detoxed and our systems clean. Day 1 wasn't great for me, but if this is what needs to be done to find some healing for our bodies, then it is well worth it. We talk all the time about the things we can control, and this is one of them. If we feed our bodies properly then we will see the results of that, and we will be healthier.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Juicing for Health with Multiple Sclerosis
Well, my wife and I were introduced to the documentary Sick, Fat and Nearly Dead a few weeks ago and it really made an impact on us. We had been discussing juicing for health and had talked about a juice fast to "reboot" our bodies. Both of us know that our bodies are full of toxins, waste and other things that are causing our bodies to not work properly. So, today is the first day of the beginning of incorporating juice into our diet. We have tried this before but not with the research, information and support we have now. Over the past week my wife has bought a new juicer, created a 10 day juice plan, and shopped for all the nutritious fruits and veggies to make the juices.
Today we drank a combination of kale, ginger, celery, apples, lemon, and cucumbers. I have to say that I wasn't excited about how I thought this juice would taste, but it isn't that bad. We both downed 20 oz of this "green" juice this morning and I really am full. We will be drinking 4-6 glasses of juice a day along with plenty of water, coconut water, detox tea and homemade almond milk at night to carry us through with a full feeling. I will try to post the juices, weight loss and a general feeling as we go through the next 10 or so days. We are both very excited about detoxing our body and seeing how our health changes over the next few weeks.
Today we drank a combination of kale, ginger, celery, apples, lemon, and cucumbers. I have to say that I wasn't excited about how I thought this juice would taste, but it isn't that bad. We both downed 20 oz of this "green" juice this morning and I really am full. We will be drinking 4-6 glasses of juice a day along with plenty of water, coconut water, detox tea and homemade almond milk at night to carry us through with a full feeling. I will try to post the juices, weight loss and a general feeling as we go through the next 10 or so days. We are both very excited about detoxing our body and seeing how our health changes over the next few weeks.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year With Multiple Sclerosis
Well, 2012 is here and with it new joys and challenges. Who knows what kind of discoveries will happen this year with MS treatment and what lives will be restored through those discoveries. With a new year comes new hopes and dreams, which I know my wife has already started working on her goals for 2012. We have already found a new Naturopath we are going to see this year, and I know my wife has her eyes set on running a 5k this year. As we look forward we can't help but look back at 2011.
The end of 2011 brought all kinds of MS issues and new challenges. For the last 8 months we have lived in Kansas, and every time we move it brings with it new challenges and a new learning curve for my wife's MS. Over the last few months she has fell more than any other time in our marriage. We are not sure what is causing her to drag her leg so much, but we have been very concerned because the last time she fell, she fractured a small bone in her hand that is still causing her pain.
In addition to the falling, she has struggled with some other odd symptoms. For over a week she would wake up every morning to an upset stomach. After being sick for a few hours, it would all pass and she would spend the rest of the day with a little queasiness. The other symptom that we have noticed is eye sight issues. We've noticed her eye sight is better some days than others. For instance, last week we painted our daughters room and my wife didn't notice that she was leaving paint runs on the wall because she couldn't see them. This really surprised me because she is very detailed and painting has been a strength for her. I know it frustrates her when she struggles to do things that she has been able to do for years.
So, as we look forward we have to look back and learn from our experiences. We have huge hopes and dreams for this year and we are both committed to doing whatever we need to do to make those dreams come true. Our hope is also for all the readers of this blog to find some hope and healing through our experiences and life. May your 2012 be amazing and you find some peace in the chaos that is MS.
The end of 2011 brought all kinds of MS issues and new challenges. For the last 8 months we have lived in Kansas, and every time we move it brings with it new challenges and a new learning curve for my wife's MS. Over the last few months she has fell more than any other time in our marriage. We are not sure what is causing her to drag her leg so much, but we have been very concerned because the last time she fell, she fractured a small bone in her hand that is still causing her pain.
In addition to the falling, she has struggled with some other odd symptoms. For over a week she would wake up every morning to an upset stomach. After being sick for a few hours, it would all pass and she would spend the rest of the day with a little queasiness. The other symptom that we have noticed is eye sight issues. We've noticed her eye sight is better some days than others. For instance, last week we painted our daughters room and my wife didn't notice that she was leaving paint runs on the wall because she couldn't see them. This really surprised me because she is very detailed and painting has been a strength for her. I know it frustrates her when she struggles to do things that she has been able to do for years.
So, as we look forward we have to look back and learn from our experiences. We have huge hopes and dreams for this year and we are both committed to doing whatever we need to do to make those dreams come true. Our hope is also for all the readers of this blog to find some hope and healing through our experiences and life. May your 2012 be amazing and you find some peace in the chaos that is MS.
Monday, December 19, 2011
20 Hours
20 hours is how long my wife slept over the weekend. The insomnia, stress and our crazy life finally caught up with her. After falling on our trip to Thanksgiving and breaking a bone in her hand, we have both been very aware of the toll our current life is taking on her body and MS. On our trip back to Texas we were walking across a parking lot when a speed bump got the better of her. She thought she lifted her foot high enough, but it caught her foot and she wasn't able to react fast enough and hit the pavement. She hit the side of her face, bruised her shoulder, side and hip, and felt like she might have broken her hand.
After having her hand x-rayed, she found out she had a broken bone in her hand. Her body is still sore even this long after Thanksgiving, but it finally seems to be going away. In addition to her hand, we have been swamped with trying to take care of things at the children's home. This time of year is great for donors to think about us and support the Home, but that also means that we all have to work overtime to keep up with the groups that want to come to the Home. My wife has been the contact point for all of these groups and that has put a lot of extra stress on her. Since our Home is 100% privately supported by individuals that want to help kids, this time of year is vitally important and my wife is not one to hold back. She has been giving 110% and working everyday and most evenings.
Since Thanksgiving, we have only had a few days off so it has really stressed both of us. Her body began to show the stress through insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and other issues. She kept the numbness away with regular massage and chiropractic, but the other symptoms weren't going away. So, over the weekend she laid down and slept for hours and hours. We know how important this is and are willing to shut down things when they need to so that she can let her body recover. She is doing much better today, and this week will be much less stressful. We are even planning on taking the whole last week of the month off to recover and take a break. This time of year is tough, and we are trying to be vigilant about resting, watching the stress and making sure we take care of our health.
After having her hand x-rayed, she found out she had a broken bone in her hand. Her body is still sore even this long after Thanksgiving, but it finally seems to be going away. In addition to her hand, we have been swamped with trying to take care of things at the children's home. This time of year is great for donors to think about us and support the Home, but that also means that we all have to work overtime to keep up with the groups that want to come to the Home. My wife has been the contact point for all of these groups and that has put a lot of extra stress on her. Since our Home is 100% privately supported by individuals that want to help kids, this time of year is vitally important and my wife is not one to hold back. She has been giving 110% and working everyday and most evenings.
Since Thanksgiving, we have only had a few days off so it has really stressed both of us. Her body began to show the stress through insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and other issues. She kept the numbness away with regular massage and chiropractic, but the other symptoms weren't going away. So, over the weekend she laid down and slept for hours and hours. We know how important this is and are willing to shut down things when they need to so that she can let her body recover. She is doing much better today, and this week will be much less stressful. We are even planning on taking the whole last week of the month off to recover and take a break. This time of year is tough, and we are trying to be vigilant about resting, watching the stress and making sure we take care of our health.
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