Cathy's Journal - Broken Body working to HEAL page

[Caathy]

I wanted to start my journal with where I am coming from, being paralyzed.
August 2011 a virus attacked my body causing Transverse Myelitis paralyzing me from the waste down. I almost died because they didn't know what it was for 2 weeks and they did not know how to treat me. 6 weeks later I had learned to walk again. The doctors could not believe I improved as fast as I did and walked (with a walker) out of the hospital rehab. I attribute this to God because I know nerves do not heal that fast and I had a lot of nerve damage.
At this point I could not care for myself, I could not bend over to pick anything up because bending over caused me to lose function in my legs (landed on the floor several times because I would forget).

I have been working to get my strength back. I still have along way to go. Though I was 100 pounds overweight I was strong, walking 4 miles a day. Now as I said in meet and greet, I am happy to be able to stand and wash my dishes and do housework.
I was completely numb the first 6 months or so but then the numbness started to wear off and the pain started. I have to fight to get going in the morning or after sitting for 1 hour. Everything gets so stiff, when I go to stand my muscles feel like they are tearing apart and part of that pain is from the muscle spasms I have all the time. I also have pain from nerve damage to deal with. So I 'feel' much better when I sit in a chair and don't move around a lot. But that is no life!!

When the pain started I was put on several pills (I hate to take meds, I believe they mostly cause more damage then good) Well the pills made me gain 30 pounds in 30 days. That's a pound of day!!!!!!!!!! Plus they made me sleep ALL the time. Again what kind of life is that!!! So I opted to wean off the pills and live with the pain (which is actually better then when it first started 6 months ago). So now that my mind isn't dull and drugged and I am awake I realize all the more how I need to get healthy and I have believed for several years now that grain type carbs were bad for me.I crave pasta, pizza etc, all the time, practically living off the stuff so giving it up sounds so hard.
I am trying not live for the immediate satisfaction but stay focused on getting strong again and getting healthy for the first time in my life. I want to know what it feels like to be healthy. I know I will get stronger and I know I may have to live with the pain the rest of my life but I also know it will be easier to get up and do things if I didn't have the extra weight to haul around. But doing the exercise side of it is difficult and I will try to do what I can. For me getting up to do anything is a strain on me at this time but just making myself get up every 1/2 hour has been strengthening me.

So I started protein/veg eating yesterday and I am taking up a 30 day challenge!

Day 1
Yesterday my food log was
Breakfast: Quinoa with prunes and coconut milk (read later not to over eat Quinoa either, oops)
Lunch: Green smoothie - spinach, supergreens and frozen mixed fruit
Dinner: Cabbage soup
Exercise: 0

[Caathy]

Day 2
Foods
Brunch: green smoothie, banana
Dinner: Cabbage soup
Snack:handful almonds and dried cranberries

Took grandkids to McDonalds, hated doing it, I know it is just a bunch of junk and they go to much with their mom but I didn't have time to cook. The french fries smelled sooooo good. I kept thinking I'll just try a couple but then the other part of my brain spoke up and said, "NO you promised 30 days, this is only day 2. Don't throw in the towel already!" Wow unbelievable I listened!!! Didn't touch a single fry just enjoyed the smell, probably the best part anyways!

Exercise: Raced grandkids in a circle around yard, about a 1/2 a mile (jogging felt so weird, like my legs didn't want to respond fast enough
Walked back and forth barefoot, across a line of boulders that my grandkids climb on. Used my toes. I love the feel of using my toes when I couldn't even feel them for so long!

[Wrenwood]

Cathy, that is just great that you didn't eat the fries! You are right about the smell being the best part.

Can I ask why your menu is so low in protein and fat? I know that's the conventional wisdom about how to lose weight, but one of the best things for me about eating primal is that I didn't have to starve and overexercise myself to reduce.
Wren

[Caathy]

Just what I had at the time. Today eggs for breakfast and dinner will be a beef stir fry. Not sure what is for lunch, gkids want mac and cheese so I have to think of something that will fill me up so I don't indulge! Thanks for your concern!

Also must admit, living my life eating mostly pasta, fast foods and sugar junk, I have a problem setting my head to preparing a protien.

[Caathy]

Things i want to track.
1. Strength - Lower back is still very weak, this is why I can't walk any distance anymore.
2. Sleep - I have not slept well for a very, very long time. I do wake up occasionally with sleep apnea but have never been
tested. Note - when I was in the hospital I slept so deeply they pinched me to wake me up.
3. Measurements - Better then weight to show progress
B-52 W-48.5 H-47.5 Thigh 27.5 (Have always had big thighs)
4. Weight - I don't want this to be my main focus but it is going to happen. My highest weight was 277. But lost some when I
stopped taking all the meds. I started Primal Sunday at 266.
......1st Goal - 245 Where I was before I got sick
......2nd Goal - 220 Where I was when I lost weight about 10 yrs. ago. Funny thing, met up with my husband at a family reunion
with new clothes, hair etc. and he didn't recognize me at a distance and was very pleasantly surprised when I walked
up to him. It was a very good evening and a very good memory.
......3rd Goal and by far my most important - Getting below 200. Haven't been there since I was a teen.
......4th Goal and my Final Goal - Get down to 165 but I will not kill myself to get there. If I am eating healthy and the weight loss stops at 170 that would be fine with me. Oh and I am 5'9" This is what I weighed when I was 14
5. How my clothes fit and the size I wear. Size XXLg in stretchy pants and 3x in tops. Last time I wore jeans was a 42 and that was years agp because I had acid reflux so bad they told me to not wear anything constricting and to not even bend over....which brings me to....
6. Hoping my acid reflux problem will be resolved.
7. Hoping the Foggy head feeling I have most of the time to be resolved (probably from sugar and high carbs).

I think that is it but may think of something to add later.

[Wrenwood]

Hi Cathy, and thanks for explaining. It's good you've started out with goals too. By the way I used to have chronic heartburn which went away when I ate low-carb for a few months (Atkins, not even all that healthy of a diet with all the substitute fake foods), maybe the acid reflux will work out the same way.

[Caathy]

Day 3
How many days go by before you stop counting them?

Food
Breakfast: eggs, sweet pepper scramble
Snack: Peach
Lunch: Avacado green smoothie. Tried something new, added some coconut oil. MMMMM Gkids love when I make green smoothies.
Dinner: Burger, zucchini, onion saute Yum Yum
Snack: handful of almonds (one of my favs) and handful of grapes
There is probably more fruit here then I should be allowing myself but I figure it is a good leap up from eating something with sugar.

Ex: Went for a bike ride, now I have only been a handful of times this summer because I am not totally in control anymore. Kinda wobble like a kid first learning to ride. Got to about 1 1.4 miles out and there was this work truck doing some road work and traffic was backed up so I pulled into a driveway to let them all through without me in the middle. Wouldn't you know it I tipped right over. Thank goodness I had this beautiful rich green lawn to fall into and not the traffic. So all these people are driving by and I am struggling to get up. I am thinking 'Ya look at the fat lady that can't get up.' and the idea that people might think I am a week lazy fat person upsets me because they don't know I was paralyzed last year and that I use to be strong. Then I thought I am the one putting myself down by thinking someone may be thinking that. I have put myself down more than anyone else. Got on my bike and was going to ride the 4 mile block but realized I had done something to my knee and jarred my hip. But I couldn't walk the bike home because I can't walk that far so I road home putting most of the push on my other leg.

Ok so I learned I need to build up all those little muscles that balance your body out before I ride again. Not sure how to do it I am thinking dancing. I remember last year when I learned to walk again I would go (with the walker) and suddenly my hip would slide to one side or the other. I think dancing would strengthen them. Either way 'YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY'.

[Wrenwood]

Honey, what you think of you is SO much more important than what anyone passing by thinks of you.

Do you have access to a physical therapist to help with the rebuilding process?

[Caathy]

I did physical therapy. But now it is more gaining strength, a lot of that needed in the stabilizing muscles. I know it will just take time to build the strength. I remember in therapy they strapped 1/2 lb weight on my leg and I thought ooooo 1/2 lb but boy was it hard to lift. LOL So I have come along way and I need to watch more carefully for improvement because they are more subtle.

[Caathy]

Day 4
Food
B: Protein drink pancakes with blackberries First time I ever made them and oh YUMMY!
L: Handful of almonds, plum
D: Big salad w/balsamic vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, leftover garlic chicken and egg
S: Peach

Exercise: ran around the yard with the gkids Was going to Wii dance but got busy cleaning the fridge, takes me so long to get anything done.