Erythema nodosum/multiform

When I was a teenager I used to get red ring-like rashes on my back, behind my knees, in my elbows, on my neck - everywhere. They would come and go. My doc at the time thought it was ringworm and gave me anti-fungal cream. Then miraculously they would disappear. They didn't really itch - they just looked extremely weird! It was creepy because they would start as a red dot, then grow into a large ring, and the ring would get bigger and bigger then break up and disappear pretty much on its own. Wellll I was doing research on Crohn's and found the name for it!

Erythema nodosum

Sometimes it would look more like this:

Erythema multiform

Notice how the center of the circles are white! My jaw dropped open when I read this because it was an annoying problem we never quite figured out, and it looks JUST like what I had! (also shown in the photo here)

Currently I have some on my hands. Little slightly itchy red splotches that gradually grow bigger then disappear. Another reason why I should look into the Crohn's issues. They seem to be worsening; I'm getting cramps in my intestines, a stabbing pain in my lower-right abdomen and more frequent diarrhea. Maybe it's not irritable bowel but rather the beginning of Crohn's? I'll be sure to ask my naturopath doc. when I go back next month.

Crohn's Disease

Since my cousin has been diagnosed with Crohn's, I am researching it and realizing this might be another cause of my problems! I would say about... 10 yrs. ago or so, I started noticing my abdomen swelling. I used to have a super flat stomach! I was so skinny, my stomach was concave! Then after my son was born of course my stomach stuck out a bit. But when all my headaches and stuff started, my belly started bloating. It still does this, and I have to wear pants that "cinch" my belly in or I look pregnant! Sometimes I look like a starving child in a third world country. I'm still pretty thin throughout my body except for that puffy belly.

Then I started thinking - maybe I AM malnourished! My body seems to be getting punier and weaker. It almost seems that my bones are flexible!

So I did some research on Crohn's.


"The most common symptoms of Crohn's disease are as follows:

•Small intestine: Watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, appetite loss, and slowed growth. Slowed growth may precede other symptoms by several years. Often the symptoms are very subtle.


•Colon: Bloody diarrhea with mucus or pus, cramping abdominal pain, urgency to defecate


•Anus/Rectum: Painful defecation, rectal bleeding, rectal pain


•Upper small intestine: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, poor appetite.


Many people with Crohn's disease have at least one manifestation of the disease outside of the intestine.


•Growth and development problems: Stunted growth and delayed sexual development, or delayed puberty, are common problems in children and teens with Crohn's disease. These problems are believed to be due mostly to undernourishment.


•Arthritis: Joint pain is the most common manifestation of Crohn's disease outside of the intestines. It usually comes and goes and does not deform the joints. It occurs most often in the large joints of the hips and legs and in the spine.


•Skin problems: The most common skin manifestation of Crohn's disease is erythema nodosum, which consists of raised, tender, red bumps (nodules), often on the lower legs. This condition is less common in children than in adults.


•Mouth ulcers: Painful mouth sores may occur during flares of the disease. Occasionally they are the first symptom of the disease.


•Eye problems: Various parts of the eyes can become irritated, inflamed, and painful. In some cases, this can impair vision.


•Urinary problems: Crohn's disease can cause problems in the kidneys (stones), ureters (for example, urinary tract infection), and bladder. These often are a result of chemical imbalances related to poor nutrition and absorption.


•Liver and gallbladder disease: Various liver and gallbladder problems occur in people with Crohn's disease, including hepatitis, fatty liver, gallstones, and inflammation of the bile ducts. In some cases, these are side effects of the treatment rather than of the disease itself.


•Abnormal blood clotting: People with Crohn's disease have an increased risk of blood clots forming in the blood vessels."

- from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/crohn_disease_in_children_and_teens/page3_em.htm

It's flippin' hot out there

As Napoleon Dynamite would say.

I haven't been feeling well since the weather decided to bump up a good 20-30 degrees F. It did this quite suddenly and out of nowhere. So I've been feeling craptacular once again :( Two migraines in the past 3 days. I don't want to call in sick again since I called in sick due to migraines last week. I have FMLA paperwork to keep me from getting written up - but still it wouldn't look good.

My cousin who has similar health issues is about to get fired due to her Crohn's and other weird issues. I suspect she has the same problems as me, but she has not been diagnosed with anything official so she can't apply for disability. I really feel for her. I'm worried this might be in my future. I don't want to be a party-pooper but I've seen a lot of people in that situation. I hope and pray that my new diet and healthy lifestyle will prevent this from happening to me. I can't even imagine.

The good part is my hubby and son helped me plant all my tomatoes and peppers, so the plants are lovin' this hot weather! One of the peppers came with buds on it already so hopefully I'll be enjoying some fresh peppers soon. I ordered 2 cherry tomato plants, 2 gold tomato plants and 2 red. The peppers I just ordered a "sampler" of different kinds, some sweet and some hot. The radishes, lettuce, carrots, and basil are growing. The rhubarb plants are still going wild as are the black raspberries and chives. That covers it!

Duck egg experiments - success!

I was finally able to track down some duck eggs and they've been working great! I finally have something I can bake with that won't cause my digestive tract to go haywire. I found a farm nearby that has ducks and sells duck eggs. It was a trip finding 'em - I had to drive down a bumpy dirt road and none of the family were wearing shoes :P (Definitely a different lifestyle than I'm used to. But I applaud them on their "green" living.) They said the ducks are fed in one of their sheds but they wander around everywhere eating bugs and plants.

Experiment #1 - rhubarb almond cake using one duck egg and fresh rhubarb from my garden. This turned out awesome! Much more fluffy than using my Enger-G egg replacer.

Experiment #2 - meatloaf using one duck egg. The egg helped the meat to stick together better. I've tried making meatloaf without egg, and it just sort of falls apart everyhwere.

Experiment #3 - apple spice pancakes using one duck egg. It called for applesauce, melted Earth Balance margarine, gluten-free flour. . .spices. . .some other stuff. . .WOW! They were so fluffy! This is one problem I've had with gluten-free and vegan pancakes. They ususally turn out really dense and heavy but these turned out great!

Experiment #4 - chile relleno casserole using three duck eggs. This is what we're eating tonight and I hope it turns out well. The recipe called for four chicken eggs, so I reduced it by one due to the larger size of the duck eggs. It is cheese, sour cream, chiles, eggs, spices and baking powder.

The things I noticed that are different about these eggs is they're larger, the yolks are bigger and an orangish color, and overall they're less watery. I don't notice a thing different in taste though! I did some research and found more info. about duck eggs.

http://www.whatupduck.com/duck-egg-nutrition/

http://www.ehow.com/about_4781357_duck-eggs.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/duck-eggs-vs-chicken-eggs.html

http://www.duckeggs.com/duck-egg-nutrition-compare.html

P.S. Ducks are such adorable birds, too ;)

Factory Farming :(

I live in Amish Country so I pass by farms all the time. Those animals look pretty content grazing in the green fields, chickens wandering free among the farmyards. However it wasn't until I saw the movie "Food, Inc." that I started realizing not all animals have such a happy life. I found this site today about egg farming:

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/eggs/

"Osteoporosis is another common ailment afflicting egg laying hens, whose bodies lose more calcium to form egg shells than they can assimilate from their diets. One industry journal, Feedstuffs, explains, "...the laying hen at peak eggshell cannot absorb enough calcium from her diet..." while another (Lancaster Farming) states, "... a hen will use a quantity of calcium for yearly egg production that is greater than her entire skeleton by 30-fold or more." Inadequate calcium contributes to broken bones, paralysis, and death.

After one year in egg production, the birds are classified as 'spent hens' and are sent off to slaughter. Their brittle, calcium-depleted bones often shatter during handling or at the slaughterhouse. They usually end up in soups, pot pies, or similar low-grade chicken meat products in which their bodies can be shredded to hide the bruises from consumers."


____

I noticed this when I recently started eating healthier. Eggs at certain stores were very "fragile" looking - you could almost SEE THROUGH the shells! Then I started shopping at a different store and noticed the shells were thicker. I started eating a more natural brand of chicken as well and noticed the meat was firmer and not as spongy. (Ewwwwwww!) Then I started thinking about how the chickens were probably not getting the right nutrition, thereby laying nutrient-light eggs and having "flabby" meat. So, it also made sense to me why I was not getting enough nutrients in MY diet, if I was eating eggs and meat from such unhealthy chickens!

I can't eat chicken eggs anymore as I have been found allergic to them. But I did find a local farm that has ducks! I'm going there tomorrow to pick up some home-grown duck eggs! I thought having a pet duck would be fun but hubby was not so thrilled with that idea. Who knows what the zoning laws are in my subdivision?

Anyway it is interesting that my diet changes have so many positive implications. Not only am I healthier, the animals are healthier and so is the earth. Amazing! I am really an animal person and there is no animal I don't like. I look at the pictures at that FactoryFarming.com and it makes me sad. Sad our human gluttony and greed has sentenced these poor creatures to a life of misery :( If people could just eat LESS animal products, think of all the animals who would be saved and the less polluted the earth would be!

Right now I am down to duck eggs, small amounts of cheese, chicken, fish and very small amounts of beef.

I wish we could go back to the days when animals were respected and we lived more in harmony with nature.

Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

So, be aware :)

I found this informative article on Deirdre Rawlings' site "Lend A Hand -- 10 Things Someone with Fibromyalgia Wants to Hear and 10 Things They Don't."

This list is so true. People often think because I look the same on the outside, I must be able to do all the things I did before. That is really not true. If people would just learn a few facts about this disease they would be ten times more understanding!

I find it really cool that the symbol for fibromyalgia is a butterfly. That is a really inspirational symbol for me; the idea that we are changing and becoming better in the end despite having to deal with these yucky issues.

The Health Benefits of Teas

"The polyphenols (antioxidants) found in tea are very effective in preventing cholesterol from oxidizing and damaging blood vessels. Green tea has been shown to improve the health of the delicate cells lining the blood vessels, which helps lower one's risk of heart disease."

- From "The Health Benefits of Teas"

I had my cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, etc. checked for my company's health plan. I was doing good in all areas except my HDL was 39 and should be 40 or higher. It seems to me it used to be even lower than that, so I was happy! I'm on the right track. They said to eat more fish (working on it), more leafy greens (also working on it) and get more exercise (meh.) I've been doing yoga twice a week plus daily evening walks. I should probably exercise more but it is hard to do when you feel nasty!

Then I did some research and found a more uplifting article: Impact of dark chocolate and cocoa powder on heart disease ♥ I can totally do that.

She told me not to eat as much fatty meats or junk food and I almost laughed in her face. IF ONLY SHE KNEW what I eat!!!

Sciatic nerve

Well the issues with my hips are just getting worse and worse :( It feels like my hips are not aligned and my legs and tailbone pop. The muscles are all tight and uncomfortable. I mentioned this to my massage therapist and he tried to loosen 'em up a bit. He pressed on a certain spot and it felt hot! I asked what that was and he said it was my sciatic nerve starting to get pinched! Noooooo!

My mom has sciatica pretty severely and frankly that is the LAST thing I need! The pain she describes sounds unbearable.

So far my sciatic nerve is not causing any pain. It's just kind of tight there. I am hoping to figure out what to do to prevent it from getting more pinched. Is this related to Chiari or tethered cord??

Top 5 Tips to Treat and Prevent Sciatica

God is testing me?

I received this comment from my GP (family doc) yesterday while getting a routine physical. He could see that despite my several health conditions I seemed to be doing well. Then he said "God was just testing you, that's all."

Hmmmmmmmmm

I've been thinking about that. I suppose it is possible, but I don't think that is the only reason I went through all this (and am still going through it). Maybe it was to learn empathy and love for others, understanding others who are going through tough times. Also maybe I am supposed to help those with EDS and Chiari learn more about their conditions and how to feel better. In addition I learned that "normal" is quite boring :)

In other news, I am testing out this stuff called Banjo. I signed up for the free trial and am testing it out. Initially I noticed a bit of pain relief. The tablets taste WEIRD at first - turmeric and sweet flavored. But once you get used to it, it is not bad at all. I am supposed to take it for a month and then take a survey to see if my symptoms are better. So far so good - I will let you all know.

May is Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month

Read about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome here:

http://www.ednf.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1347&Itemid=88888968

And here is a good informational video: