DAY 29 (2nd round of antibiotics)

GREAT NEWS!!!!  With Fibro, as I explained in an earlier blog, many times, after a stressful situation, we get fibro flare ups.  This is when the regular pains that we struggle to deal with become horrible, day crushingly excruciating.  I told my husband, it's like after playing a full contact football game (American :)), while having the flu.  But without the fun part of scoring.  These can last anywhere from a day, to months!!

So, this week, I had a very stressful experience.  The kind that I sobbed about for an hour. (Everything worked out, by the way)  It was 2 days of the stress where you have to call your closest girls and talk about it for 2 hours. So, I was really expecting that aching, pulsing, stiff pain when I woke up in the morning. Okay... none in the morning.  Well, it will hit me in the evening, then.  When the sun sets and it gets colder.  Nope.  It will DEFINITELY hit me tomorrow morning then. Nothing!!!  I couldn't believe it!!

So I'm happy to say that this crazy diet is WORKING.  There's no question in my mind now.  I tell it to as many people that I can now.  That there really is something to the whole "Health food craze".  It makes you HEALTHY!!!  Who knew!!!

BREAKFAST  I have been having random things lately.  Muffins, smoothies with coconut milk, or applesauce with homemade granola.

LUNCH  I decided to add to my list of foods.  The 1st list I was given said NO lentils, but the second source the Dr. gave me said YES to lentils.  This organic soup has only yummy veggies that I'm allowed plus lentils.  It is 6 hours later, and so far, so good.  No ill side effets. Tomorrow will be the telltale day to see if lentils stay on the list or have to go!!

DINNER  Salad with homemade dressing.  Ive made 2 jars now that are my favorites.  Instead of mixing 1 or 2 servings at a time, I'm now using an old glass pickle jar!!

Dressing 1:
1:1 Avocado oil to Pinot Gris vinegar
salt
organic spices blend from Costco.
1 Tbsp. minced garlic.

Dressing 2:
1:1  EVOO to Aged Balsamic vinegar
salt
italian seasonings
1 Tbsp. minced garlic

Almost all the dressings out there have Soy, Sugar, and preservatives!! NOT Mine!!
                                                                                                                                                                     

DAY 24 (Antibiotic 4)

GOOOOD MORNING!!  Well!  Yes, I am well!!  I have been convinced, after 24 days of  healthy eating choices, that yes, what I put IN my body has a HUGE effect on my fibromyalgia.  I'm not convinced that I will never have bouts of pain.  I'm still hoping that eradicating this bacteria will do the trick.  I have decided not to blog every day about it, though, unless Iv'e had a major change in health or pain, or if I come up with some new and exciting meal idea the I just have to share.  I'll also update when I have to switch medications, to document how they are affecting me.

As of now, I have to take another 5 day round of the same antibiotic, as insurance won't allow the other one.  So I'll be back then!!

Until then, I have left you with this wonderful glass of sparkling lemonade.  You can probably guess the 3 simple ingredients by the picture alone!  It was a very refreshing treat!!

DAY 23 (antibiotic 3)

Okay!! I think I'm back!!  I didn't have much of the nausea today, and I had more energy than the last few days.  Thank goodness for medications!  I hope this means that the antibiotic is really doing a number on the bad bacteria.  I was tired in the morning, but later I got a nice energy boost!

I had enough energy to complete 1 11 x 14 painting in acrylic, and start a new one in oils.  I think if you have a disease that keeps you housebound, it is important to do something you enjoy!!  I'm on several Facebook Fibro sites, and we often share our passions.  Even though we may not be able to do them as much as we like, just doing it a little gives a great sense of accomplishment and pleasure!

BREAKFAST  I made some more of that crunchy granola last night. This time I added more honey, and vanilla.  I poured some crumbles over a serving of applesauce.  Yummy.

LUNCH  none. ;(  I wasn't really hungry)

DINNER  (I was starving... lol)  My husband decided that we had to get out of the house.  I scowered the internet for a local restaurant that would have entrees that I could eat.  The Outback actually had a few choices, so we ended up there. (Plus, we had a gift card... Score!)  I had grilled halibut with a huge serving of steamed veggies and a side salad.  I brought my own dressing, and meticulously picked out the cheese and croutons.  The bread though... it kept talking to me as if to say.. "just one biiiite....." My nemesis, that bread.

I had enough leftover for tomorrow's lunch even!

DAY 22 (antibiotic 2)

Gotta Love managed health care!!  My insurance company denied the antibiotic I needed.  They said that I should have tried 3 rounds of immodium first.  Immodium.  Like Pepto Bismol.  Becasue that is going to cure me. NOT.  How frustrating!!  So, I called the pharmacy to see what it would cost if I just paid out of pocket.... $1050!!! for 28 pills!!  OKay, that option is out.  So now I just have to increase my time table a little longer, and repeat the 5 days of the current antibiotics.  Too bad.  These leave a really weird taste in my mouth...  Oh well, all for the greater good of my health, right?

I called the Dr's office today.  I just wanted to make sure that what the internet said was true.  That I was supposed to feel sick to my stomach.  That food makes me nauseous.  That I don't want to move from bed.  And, yep!! She confirmed that it gets worse!! Whee!!  But, then it gets 100 times better. That's what she said.  So I'm holding on to that little thread for now.

I didn't change much in my diet today, so here's a picture of my tall kid's artwork that was published in the school newspaper.  It's actually an accurate representation of how I feel.  Damaged.  Tired with the dark circles around my eyes.  Painfully sore.  But I put on that smile to keep my sanity, and to let the others around me know, that I'm not giving up this fight!!  God willing, I'll beat this to be able to help others through it.

DAYS 20 & 21 (biofilm 4 and Antibiotic 1)

KICKING MY BUTT.  Oh man, I was not prepared for the bad guy bacteria to be released yesterday. Something must have worked on biofilm day 3, because everything I ate on day 4 made me sick. Nauseous.  Stomach cramps.  Lethargic.  Headache.  Cranky.  Dead. Dog. Tired.  My whole midsection hurt.  I even skipped lunch, because I felt so yucky. :(

It was Valentine's day, so I had to run to the store for some gifts for the kids.  2 errands wiped me out. But I still had to make something for me to eat, so my kids helped me make these great cranberry orange muffins.  The kids were happy to dine on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!

Today, I started the first of the antibiotics.  My little pill container can no longer hold all the supplements and pills I have to take!!  It's all for the cure though.  I have to keep fighting this fight so I can get better.

BREAKFAST  Smoothie yesterday, and a yummy cran/orange muffin today.  It was made with almond and coconut flour.  I think I like the blueberry muffin recipe a little better.  But I like the orange flavor of this.

LUNCH  Yesterday, I had a nap for lunch.  Today, I had some of the bean/veggie soup.  I think that is the last serving of that!

DINNER  Yesterday, I had a muffin.  Today, I think I'll make thos yummy chicken nuggets for the whole family!

DAY 19 (Biofilm 3)

My kids are great.  They know how much I love candy.  So as we're walking down the Valentine's Day aisle, trying to find gifts for kid #2's class, tall kid #1 proceeds to shield my view from all of the chocolate hearts and sweet nothings that call my name.  No problem though.  I'm not really craving the sweets anymore. What I am craving, though is some variety.  We'll get to that in a minute.

I'm excited to announce that all that hype of me feeling terrible, was just that! I'm still feeling great.(So Far).  I only have 1 more day of this round of the biofilm.  Then on to the antibiotics.  The Dr's office called me today, informing me hat my insurance denied coverage of one of the antibiotics. They actually had to have PROOF that I have this bacteria.  As if someone would be taking all these expensive drugs if they DIDN'T!! Hopefully, that will be handled quickly, and I can go on with the program with little or no interruptions.

BREAKFAST  Cashew butter with sliced banana and sprinkled with coconut.

LUNCH   A salad.  But wait!! Theres more!  I took my tall kid to the mall while we waited for kid #2 to finish basketball practice.  She was hungry, so I grabbed her a burger, and a drink from Orange Julius. You know, that place where they make those tangy smoothies and add some kind of magical powdery goodness into them.   Well, turns out, they have a health conscious version of it.  With almond milk, fruit, and ice only!!  Game On!! One sip... DENIED!!! I could taste that sugar a mile away!! The almond milk  must have had some sort of sweetener in it. 

Although my mouth said YEEEESSSSS!!  My mind said, "you've worked too hard to go out like this".  My heart said "Yea!! Lets go back to the valentine's aisle and blow it there!!!"  So, one more sip (just one, come on, just one won't hurt you...) and I gave it up to tall kid.  Lucky her.  But. now she knows that she can tolerate almond milk smoothies. So, Win!!

DINNER  MEAT.  I had to have some meat.  In junk food form. What's junkier than chicken nuggets!!  I took a breast, cut it into little cubes, tossed in italian seasonings and garlic salt, and then tossed in coconut flour.  I heated a skillet with coconut oil, and fried away!!  And I told you that the avocado dressing would be back.  Don't tell anyone, but the nuggets may actually be the best nuggets I've ever had!!  My kids were mad that they didn't get any.  They already had dinner.  Go away.  Let Mommy have her junk food in peace!

DAY 17 & 18 (Meds BIOFILM 1 &2)

NOTHING NEW TO REPORT!!!!!  I'm so thankful of that fact!! So far, I haven't have any adverse reactions to the biofilm strippers I'm taking!!  Woo Hoo!!!  Yesterday, I didn't eat anything that I haven't already posted, so, I skipped a day.  Did ya miss me?? lol...

I can't believe how good I feel!!  It's almost miraculous in a way.  I hope that others are reading what I'm going through, and are considering dietary changes. I too, was a food junkie, like many of you.  I am now a bona-fide health food freak.  And so far, it really hasn't been all that hard.  Sure, I could eat a cake, if it were in front of me right now, but I think that as long as I don't have it easily available, I'll be okay.  Oh, and by the way, I've lost 3 pounds too.  Side benefit!! 

BREAKFAST  I found a really yummy combo that I really enjoy. Frozen cherries, 1/2 banana, cranberries, 1tsp chia, 1 stevia, and the coconut milk.  I had it at church this morning.  It was a great conversation starter for sure!! And pills. 4 different pills.

LUNCH  I had the yummy salad in the pic.  I'm finding that I may just be able to eat a salad just with cilantro leaves.  I really like them.  That green squishy stuff is an avocado dressing I whipped up.  DELISH!!!

1 ripe avocado, juice of 1 lime, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper.  Thats it! I used my hand blender, and blended until super creamy.  I could eat that all day.  Dip carrots and celery in it maybe?  It would go great with a hunk of sourdough bread.....lol.... and cheeeeese....

I did take a lovely nap today.  That sunshine just beckons me... I can't help it.  But it was a regular, after church nap.  So refreshing.  I highly recommend taking naps if you can find the time.  Or, make time. Even better.

DINNER  I had some leftover bean/veggie soup, and an eggy blueberry muffin for dessert.

DAY 16 (day 7 meds)

IT'S BAAACK!!  Oh the pain.  My hips and knees and back.  My hips feel like I spent all day in the gym, on leg day, all day.  My knees "pop" in and out with spurts.  My back, well, it's just a pain. With fibro, stressful situations can set off a flare-up.  Last night, both my husband and my fathers are having health issues.  Not life-threatening (God willing), but stressful, none the less.  Something in the brain triggers this response every time.  For me, anytime I cry, the next day I pay for it!  I don't know how fixing a bacterial infection in my gut will affect that part of the disease.  I sure am curious about it, though!  "They" say that it might, so here's hoping!!

So, wish me luck.  Tomorrow I begin taking the pill that eradicates the biofilm that is protecting the bad bacteria in my gut.  Greaaaat.  Let the games begin.  This is supposed to HURT.... WHEE!!! It's okay.  I'll be okay.  Got my bananas, my seeds, my kids to take care of me for 2 days. (Husband is flying out to see his dad).  I also made this fantastic soup to last me a few meals too (see DINNER!)

BREAKFAST  I had an applesauce cup with muffin crumble topping! No coffee today, I was feeling dehydrated, so I just had water.

LUNCH  After my Costco trip, walking around for an hour with horrible hips and legs, I was just too tired to whip up something good. I had some celery, dipped in cashew butter, dipped in granola.  Win.  

Interesting thing about that Costco trip.  I noticed that my fibro fog was back full on too.  During this diet, I have been clear headed.  But this flare put an abrupt stop to this.  I wandered 3 aisles 3 times each trying to buy 3 items.  It was pathetic.  Luckily a friend was with me today, to continually guide me!! God bless friends who understand.

DINNER  I had a fitful nap.  Just couldnt get comfortable.  Not even in the fat papasan chair in the sun.  But that little bit of down time gave me enough energy to throw together an amazing soup.  It was inspired by the grocery store soup, but I kind of blew theirs out of the water!!  I sauteed some onions, carrot slices, celery and cauliflower in olive oil.  Then I added veggie stock, diced tomatoes, black beans kidney beans, zucchini, and squash.  Half of the red beans and tomatoes, I pureed.  Oh, and I also added pumpkin! To spice it up, I used salt, garlic, celery salt, cumin and tumeric.  Tumeric is suppoed to be really great for fibro warriors.  Only thing is, it turned my lovely soup a weird shade of, well,,,, see the picture..lol.  I chopped some fresh cilantro on top.  All it needed was cheese. And bread.  A huge chunk of sourdough bread.  With butter....MMMmmmmm .......no no NO!! bad girl, bad girl! You can do this!!

DAY 15 (day 6 meds)

OOOH BOY.  Truth time.  I'm NOT looking forward to this next battle.  Tomorrow, I finish the first wave of treatment.  The next day, I start the pills that remove the slime that acts as a protector for the bad bacteria that is currently partying in my gut.  Basically, I'm the DEA, busting down the door of a smooth operation, leaking toxic substances into my nice neighborhood of a body.  So, once the door is broken down, all of the bad elements scatter to the 4 winds and wreak havoc.  From my understanding, I may undergo a few days when alot of my symptoms come back.  And bad.  Because instead of a little bit of bacteria causing problems, it's gonna be 2 billion freshman frat girls rushing a sorority inside my intestines.  Talk about party time...  

But, I've had bad days.  Really bad days.  Days where I tried every trick in the book.  Epsom salt bath, massage chair, TENS unit, prescription medications.  Almost to the point of waking up the husband to go ahead and take me to urgent care. Or the ER.  The doctor says describe your pain from 1 to 10.  My 10 is when my appendix almost burst, and I passed out from the pain in the foyer of the ER. Worse than childbirth.  Yea, on my bad days, it's a 9.  

So, I'm ready.  I'll prep the family.  Make some meals ahead of time.  Put everyone on alert for possibly walking to school, or from school.  Charge up my back-up batteries for the phone so I don't have to get up to charge it.  Maybe make another batch of those yummy muffins and granola (TO DO: buy stuff for granola)

BREAKFAST Today, I did the muffin, coffee thing again.  So far, so good!  No adverse reactions to coffee or eggs. Yay me!

LUNCH  I had a late morning smoothie, and a small leftover piece of salmon from last night.

DINNER  I felt guilty that I hadn't been making very kid friendly dinners for the kids, so I made spaghetti.  It was funny, my son asked "which kind of noodles?"  I said the green soy noodles.  He says "WHEW!! At least we don't have to eat the zucchini noodles again!"  MOM:1 KID:0  Sorry kid, the edamame organic noodles are good for you too!!!

I took the tomato sauce from the other day, and poured it on some of the ground turkey that I made into spaghetti sauce for the kids.  (our usual sauce has some sugar in it, so I separated my meat out.)  I ate it without any noodles.  Just a bowl of meat and tomatoes.  Filling and yummy.  Had a quarter of  cantaloupe for dessert! yum!

DAY 14 (day 5 on meds)

THANK YOU LORD, I got my energy back!!  And boy did I!  I had so much energy, I didn't take my after school rest.  I went straight to work.  I called my Mom, (believe it or not, with fibro, just making a phone call can take alot out of you) and got to work.  I set up all of my painting supplies to finish a painting that I had started 6 months ago.  I had energy to call her AND my sis, finish the painting, cook the veggies for dinner, clean up, AND prep for tomorrow!!

I feel like a "normal" person today!!  It was different than a usual "fibro-frenzy" day, because I didn't have a lot of "must-do items on my list.  I just got to take it slow, and spend time doing something just for me. Something that I really enjoy.  It gave me quite a sense of accomplishment today.  (pats self on back)

BREAKFAST  A delicious coconutty eggy muffin.  WITH COFFEE!  Yep, I took the chance.  The eggy muffin didn't seem to affect me adversely,  and 1 cup of coffee was allowed on multiple SIBO sites that I had checked out.  So I dared it.  Really only a half of a cup.  Cause I'm a chicken, and I've been doing so well pain wise.  Usually I take my creamer with a splash of coffee.  Just like my grandmother.  When she lived with us, she asked my Dad for a spoon to stir the sugar into her coffee, and he brought her back a soup ladle.  True story.  So I creamed it up with coconut milk and 1 packet of stevia.  Usually I take 5, so I was doing well.  Interesting fact:  I didn't miss the sugar that much!

LUNCH  I ate the last of the mohicans chicken leg.  And a cupful of seeds.  My husband was worried I wasn't getting enough protein.  The average woman needs 46 grams.  Just with what I had eaten up to this point, plus another 1/2 cup of seeds that I usually have at bedtime, I was already up to 56 grams.  So there you go.  In case you were wondering.  Now I know I can cut down on the seeds! lol (but why? :)

DINNER  Yummy broiled salmon with all of the wilting spinach and spring greens that were left in the fridge.  My hubby cooked my fish separately so he could season it properly.  (Fake butter, white wine, garlic, chives) I took the greens and added onion and garlic, salt and pepper, and cooked them down to nothing.  One kid ate them down in 2 gulps.  The other one... not so much.

DAY 13 (day 4 meds)

EXHAUSTED.  That is the only word for it.  Today, I barely made it to take and pick up the kids from school today.  Such is the fibro way.  I woke up by alarm, hit snooze 3 times, drug myself upstairs to barely get my shoes on and out the door.  Then directly to the couch, where the dog looked at me saying "I have to pee".  Sorry dog.  Hold it until mommy has a little nap.  An hour later, dog was all up in my face, so I had to make a decision.  Muster the energy to let him out or muster the energy to clean up pee.  I chose the former, to my dog's extreme happiness. This kind of tired overcomes almost anything.  The crick in my neck because the pillows were at awkward angles.  The phone next to me that kept buzzing.  I was aware, but immobile at the same time.

I was so tired, I skipped breakfast.  Shame on me.  It may have helped my energy level. Too...much...wooorkkkk...  Unfortunately, it also means I skipped my digestion meds.  Oops.  I hope I don't feel the consequences of that later!!

BREAKFAST  I wish I could say I had those yummy muffins.  I did not. I had nada. zip, zilch.  Not recommended...

BRUNCH?! I was barely on my feet at this point, but I knew I had to take my meds with food, so I grabbed a handy applesauce cup and topped it with the homemade granola.  Perfectly delicious.  Goes great with pills...

LATE LUNCH I had the leftover tuna salad. Straight from the plastic tupperware it was in.  Not gonna lie.  I ate that while laying horizontal on the couch.

SNACK A banana.  I have to get some more... those kids of mine are devouring them, for lack of other sugary sweets in the house.  Which I guess is a good thing, except I'm a little stingy over all this new HEALTHY food... lol

DINNER  See muffins, left.  Yep, Breakfast for dinner.  I finally gave up the chia seed egg substitute.  I gave it a solid try.  I used real eggs in this lovely coconut flour/honey muffin, and added in some frozen blueberries.  Now, these were GOOD!!  Hopefully, I won't see any bad results later from the addition of the eggs.  Time will tell, but so far, so good!

Don't worry, all.  I know that I have to take better care of myself when I'm eating so little as it is.  Just a minor setback, I'm hoping.  Sometimes the exhaustion lasts for days, but as I'm typing this in the evening, I already feel better that I did this morning.  Besides, my hubby has promised that he'll make me some baked salmon tomorrow!! A good guy PLUS a good cook!  He's a keeper!

DAY 12 (Day 3 meds)

Sliced Banana with shredded coconut
and cashew butter with honey

Can I tell you, this diet stuff is CONFUSING!!  The paper my Dr. gave me has a list of YES/NO foods.  The website he recommended has some almost completely OPPOSITE YES/NO foods.  My husband is tearing his hair out while I try to decipher it all!!  I'm reading,reading,reading so much on it, I may have a PhD in SIBO by the time I'm done with this!!  All that being said, I'm not changing much.

Chia seeds are still gross, yet I still eat them.  Coconut milk is yummier than almond milk.  By the way, almond milk is kind of grey.  Not what I was expecting!  Coconut milk reminds me of that creamy goodness I used to drink when I was a kid, and didn't have to watch my cholesterol, and fat intake, etc.  I found out that I love coconut, and not just when it's drowned in chocolate...Mmmmmm chocolate...... NO!! WAKE UP!!! Sorry... lost myself for a minute there...

As far as pain goes, today, I am still blessed by being pretty pain free!  Hallelujah!  My husband always takes the day off after the superbowl (it's also always around his birthday), so we sat around and watched the kind of TV shows that you can't watch when the kids are around.

Shout out to all my Fibro Facebook Followers! If it wasn't for all of your likes and comments, I may not have the willpower to continue this 180 degree diet change!  I know that I'm doing it for my health, but it sure helps to know that someone out there may benefit from what I have to offer!!

BREAKFAST Smoothie with 1/2 a banana, cranberries, frozen cherries, frozen blueberries, chia seeds, stevia, and coconut milk.  My best one yet!! It was the coconut milk for sure!

SNACK  Check out that banana goodness picture!  Heavenly.  For real.  And filling too!

LUNCH  Not a SALAD!!  I had some celery, so I washed and chopped, and filled those lovely troughs with cashew butter.  Then I stuck some granola on top.  Yep. Yum.  Even the hubby went in for seconds on these sticks of crunchy goodness.

DINNER I was craving something... different.  What I REALLY wanted was spaghetti. Wait a minute!! I can make some zucchini noodles and pour spaghetti sauce over! NO! Lol, the canned sauce I use has sugar.  So, The organic diced tomatoes I had had no preservatives and only tomatoes as the ingredients, so I pureed them with my hand blender.  I added in a couple scoops of pureed pumpkin as well (try it!).  Chia seeds for protein, garlic, cumin, fresh basil, italian seasonings, salt, and a splash of red wine finished it off.  Oh yea... all it was missing was a big fat chunk of sourdough bread....  MMmmmm bread...  I'll dream of you tonight!

DAY 11 (Day 2 meds)

Great Day!  I awoke with the slows, but in no pain.  After doing some research on a SIBO website that was recommended by my Dr., I decided to add a few things to my diet that will increase my ability to continue on my path!  It seems like eggs are okay to add in, especially since I'm pretty sure that they don't cause me any discomfort.  It's just so hard to make any type of bakery item without them!  It's super important to continually change things up in a diet, and allow yourself some room to move.  That way, you are more likely to keep going forward.

BREAKFAST  So, remember yesterday I made those mushy pancakes?  Well, today they were a little better.  So I wrapped one around a half a banana and used the pureed blueberries as a dipping sauce.  Now that was yummy!!  I'm really looking forward to adding eggs into this program, though...

LUNCH  Salad!!   This time the whole family joined in.  Everyone even tried out the homemade dressing without complaint!  I think that's going to be a normal thing around the house now.  Who needs all those preservatives, am I right??

After lunch, I was REALLY craving some sweets.  I found a little recipe for sweet granola, that I adapted alot to my personal tastes.

GRANOLA
 2/3 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 Tbs coconut oil (melted)
2 Tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix it all up, and cook on a baking sheet on parchment paper at 300 for 10 minutes.  Then put it under the broiler until nice and brown.  WATCH IT!  It goes fast! Like 1 minute.  This was so yummy and crunchy and sweeet!!  My husband says the next batch better be bigger!!

DINNER  I had some celery tonight, so I whipped up a tuna salad on lettuce again.  This time I put in a little mustard.  I don't think I like tuna with mustard.  Note to self:  Don't do that again! lol...

Day 10 (Day 1 on meds)

Today is the day! I shook out 3 of the 4 (still waiting on 1 in the mail) capsules that I've been recommended to take.  (2 probiotics and an antibiotic booster) They didn't smell bad, and they weren't too big. So, down the hatch! 

Today is my husband's birthday.  I got up early, to start making breakfast.  Man... my bones weren't complying.  Achy knees, sore back and hips.  It felt like my leg muscles were each attached to mini weights.  It felt as if each step I was moving through thick mud up to my thighs.  But I had to persevere. So I maneuvered slowly around the kitchen as I made the family some pancakes.  I was tired of my usual breakfasts so I tried something new too.

BREAKFAST  I tried making some pancakes with coconut flour and chia egg substitute.  They were... weird, to say the least.  The chia just keeps absorbing liquid, and the batter just wouldn't "pour".  So I had to drop it by spoonfuls and mash it into a circle-like shape.  It had a strange texture, and a nutty flavor. Reminded me of Nutella! I topped it with some frozen blueberries that I microwaved and added stevia to. Then I blended it with a hand blender into a syrup. Definitely an aquired taste, but palatable.

LUNCH Just a simple salad. Spinach and romaine lettuce. With my homemade dressing and topped with seeds. (Plus a probiotic)

After lunch, I took the husband out to a local Vineyard for a wine tasting.  Good thing I'm not a wine drinker.  But it was difficult staying away from all the wonderful cheeses offered there!  Any time I go out anywhere, I make sure to take foods that I can eat, so I don't get the urge to cheat!  A tangerine and a piece of gum did the trick.

DINNER  Since we were out and about, we went to the store and I picked up some fresh soup from the deli.  It was veggie soup, and I could eat everything in it except the corn.  Another probiotic and antibiotic booster

DAY 9

My supplements are here!!  Starting tomorrow, I'll be taking 4 different pills, some 3 times a day.  I'm not the world's best pill taker, let me tell you.  So this will be fun!! I hope they aren't smelly.  Or big.  I've been know to take different supplements before.  I take a multivitamin, and I've also taken a few other things that are supposed to be beneficial for fibro.  I have to admit, I'm not very consistent with them. But I do believe they are helpful... I'm not taking anything right now, though. Just doing the diet, and ready to begin this encapsulated road to recovery!!

Great news!  I've had another day of energy with no naps!  This is 3 days in a row now.  I'm not in very much pain, either.  I wake up a little stiff,  sore neck and back.  Sometimes stiff hands or a stabbing elbow, but most of it seems to be gone within an hour of getting going in the AM.  Makes me feel like there's something in the diet alone that's doing me some good.  

BREAKFAST  This morning, I had another mash muffin with applesauce.  The mushcakes have firmed up and are much more palatable now! 

LUNCH  I know that I haven't been getting as much fish in as I should, so I created this little meal.  With a can of white tuna in water, I mixed in a couple chopped dill pickles, chopped water chestnuts (for crunchiness because I didn't have celery) and a little bit of mayo.  I think the mayo is cheating, but it was a very small amount.  I'll let you know later if I think I paid for it!!  

DINNER  I was really craving sweets.  Like REALLY.  So I cut up a tangerine, a slice of cantaloupe, and an apple.  I ate it with a nice topping of honey/cashew butter.

SNACKS  I've just been grazing here and there... A handfull of seeds, some fruit, and water water water!

DAY 8

ENERGY ALL DAY AGAIN!!!! For fibro warriors, this is rare, especially after a full day of tornado cleaning the house and errand running.  I went through the whole day with plenty of energy to spare.  Is the diet working already? Or is this just coincidence?  Only time will tell.

This is just the first step.  Cleaning out all of the negative toxins that are already built up in my system.  Then, I start the supplements and herbs that boost my immunity.  Next, I have to take a compound that scrapes all of that BIOFILM off of the bad bacteria.  Then I take the antibiotic that kills the bad bacteria. Unfortunately, it also kills the good bacteria.  So then I take a heavy duty probiotic and some natural herbs that promote the health of said bacteria.  

Sounds like a lot of work, right?  2 months of all of this intense stuff?  Believe me, it's not as bad as not being able to attend functions with my kids.  Or not scheduling more than 1 thing to do in my day for fear of not being able to accomplish it.  I'm doing this!!

BREAKFAST  Same ol smoothie.  Sorry, I don't have a lot of breakfast creativity, not to mention the fact that I am NOT a morning person!

LUNCH  I got the pleasure of eating lunch with a 3rd cousin I've never met.  We have a massive family reunion coming up and she is the head coordinator.  Funny how far the bloodlines reach.  She's loud and non-stop talkative with creative over-the-top ideas just like me!!  We were 2 peas in a pod!  Can't wait to see what it's gonna look like with 300 of us in one place!!  I told her about my diet restrictions, and she was down to try one of my salads with homemade dressing.  I wanted to make a good impression, so I sliced up a nice red pear on top.  Totally did the trick!

DINNER  Check out that plate!! It looks like what I used to eat!  My husband baked that beautiful chicken making sure that all the ingredients were on my OK list.  The creamy mashed stuff is NOT potatoes!  I steamed up some cauliflower (1/2 a head), then used the processor to basically puree it.  Added in some garlic, chives, salt and pepper, and Bing! Yum!  Both kids ate small portions of it, even though neither is a fan of cauliflower.  I consider that a win!

SNACKS I've mostly been snacking on my favorite seeds, and cashew butter and apples.

DAY 7 POW!!!

THAT'S RIGHT!! POW!!!  Man! Did I have amazing energy yesterday! Don't get too excited.  That"s how it is with fibro.  5 days of feeling like you have the flu (minus the fever and throwing up), then BAM!  You feel like you can conquer the world.  Which you literally try to do.  There have been so many things left on the to do list.  Laundry dusting shopping grab that mysterious thing that has been peeking out from under the couch vacuum sweep mop what is that smeared on the window bathe the dog ring around the  toilet stock toilet paper where is that insurance form due tomorrow shower take one and clean one find other shoe switch the laundry put something away in closet reorganize closet and so on......  WHEW!! I did it!!!

Now, CRASH.  I haven't yet.  We always do.  I've heard it called fibro-frenzy.  Or fibro-hurricane. We know better, but TRY to stop us.  Nope, not gonna happen.  We NEED that satisfaction of accomplishment.  I feel guilty for all the days I was unavailable.  Now, I feel GREAT!! WOO HOO!

medicine/supplement update   Everything is officially ordered.  I may need a full time assistant to make sure I get all of these meds in when I'm supposed to!! 

DIET UPDATE:  I'm eating all the same things.  I think it's working.  I feel extremely sorry for those people living in my house as my body is processing the fact that I'm no longer coating my intestines with  preservatives and chemicals.  I think the fiber is doing a number on all that bad bacteria.  It's dying. I can tell.  LOL... everyone in the house can tell that something is happening in there, and bad stuff is making it's way out... poor husband.  Good news is, I found all my scentsy pots (fragranced wax melting lamps) and they are being put to good use!!!

BREAKFAST  Another mush cake on applesauce (I gotta find a new recipe)

LUNCH  A SMOOTHIE!! Way to shake things up, right? I'm getting good at these!  This one way perfectly sweet and runny.  I don't like them too thick.  They have all these seeds and chunks in there anyways so...  OH!  BTW, if you are going out anywhere after you drink one of these, it is imperative that you CHECK YOUR TEETH!!  You don't want to go in, talking to your boss about how you're underpaid, and not know that you have a big black blueberry skin on your bicuspid, and some tiny black seeds in the front gap.  Swish before you leave.  Trust me on this one!

DINNER   See that lovely pile of noodles over there? Pasta, right?! NO!! Better than pasta!  It's curly squash and zucchini.  I love the stuff.  You can substitute it for all kinds of noodly dishes.  This happens to be a pesto.  Made with homegrown basil (pictured), garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped onions, oh and for this one, I spiralized a few carrots too!  Toss and heat for 10 minutes and Yum Yum!!  (I used to top it with parmesean cheese.  Next month, next month) The husband really likes this one.  One kid gave it a thumbs up.  The other kid eats it so he can get back to playing video games.  Such is life.