Tag: arthritis

Posted in Health experiments

Experiencing Cryotherapy

Posted on by nlchronicles

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.

Sooooo I decided to give cryotherapy a try! It’s touted to help decrease inflammation, which I am still trying to work on. So I thought- why not?! I decided to search for locations in a couple of areas and landed on one that has a special if you were visiting for the first time. Great!

Near the entrance

While the location that I visited was small, the staff was super helpful. I used the changing room to switch to shorts and a workout shirt. Then I had to pile on a ton of safety gear so that there’s no frostbite or anything; this includes heavy gloves, extra thick socks, heavy slippers and a covering for my ears. I felt like I was going camping in Alaska!

Then the attendant explained that I would walk into the first chamber for and be there for 20 seconds. He would then buzz for me to enter the freezer where I would be for 3 minutes! I do like that they allowed me to pick my choice of song that would be played inside the chamber to take my mind off the cold 🥶

Just outside the cryo chamber

The first chamber actually was not that bad. But when I had to step into the freezer – 😱 is I’m sure what I looked like. Well not at first. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I tend to get cold really easy. But it wasn’t bone chilling cold, just I’m shivering through these 3 minutes cold! But I made it out 😁

Would I go again? Yes- I want to get tested for my c reactive protein level before I go again and then retest in about six months to monitor the effectiveness of cryotherapy. They also have an option to do localized cryotherapy which I could try on specific parts, like my knee. I think that would be helpful.

So what about you? Have you tried cryotherapy or similar? Let me know what you think and share your story!

Posted in Health experiments

Trying CBD

Posted on by nlchronicles

So I’ve read the info about CBD oil and given my battle with inflammation and sleep challenges, I decided to give it a try because why not 🤷🏽‍♀️ What do I have to lose but inflammation?! And if I sleep better, inflammation naturally decreases.

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.

I tried more than one brand on my way to choosing the one that I use now. Since I don’t want a potential lawsuit, I’ll not mention the names of the others. The first was from a health food store that I frequent often. It seemed to work but the taste was awful. Just imagine eating weed. That’s how the oil tasted as it was unflavored. I don’t know how anyone could use that long term. So I decided to try flavored CBD oils. One flavored one was from another health food store that I go to alllllll the time. A plus for the flavor but OMG- I stayed sleepy with that brand and always had brain fog. So I kept researching until …

I decided to give One Farm a try. Now, I really didn’t want to try it because I have to order online and I’d rather get something in person, if possible. I learned of the brand through my part time job; I work for a research doctor who had discussed the results of studies and mentioned this product. So I made sure to order a flavored version.

And – this one has a great taste which is a plus for sure. I tend to sleep better when I take a dose along side winding down at night (easier said than done!). I’m not sure where I stand with inflammation levels just yet. I am researching functional doctors so that I can get my C Reactive protein tested and see where I land. My trial period is always 3 months to decide whether I’ll stick with a practice as natural methods tend to take more time to resolve issues.

Just a note – I am not affiliated with One Farm. I do not get any kickbacks from mentioning the product here. They have other products that I’m going to try in the future and will share the results. Have you tried any CBD products? What has been your experience?

Posted in Health experiments

Turning Off Nerves – Wellness Wednesdays

Posted on by nlchronicles

For the last few months, I have been working with a pain management specialist regarding some areas of osteoarthritis that I still contend with. The area of greatest concern is my neck which seemed impossible to fix, no matter how many physical therapy sessions I go to.

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.

I have had a hard time with mobility in the neck cervical area. And sometimes it can be worse than others to the point that I have to take Aleve to try to get the area to move more. Is it better than before? Yes, but it is still not great. Then there is the pain that occurs at times, which can lead to a headache. What to do?

My physical therapist in North Carolina recommended that I see a pain management specialist to see what options might be available so that I don’t take meds as often. That can have its own side effects and I don’t want even more issues.

So I worked with a specialist over several months. For insurance purposes, I had to go through a couple of rounds of testing to see how well the procedure might go. And I passed those, which was great. I then did the formal procedure. The procedure numbs the nerves for up to a year with radiowaves. I was given a bit of pain killer to take the edge off the pain. But it still hurt!

And while I’m not 100% (yet!), I have seen some improvement. I started physical therapy again and my physical therapist noticed a difference too even though I hadn’t been in 6 weeks! Has anyone else found a way to better manage arthritis? If so, I invite you to share your experiences. See you next week!

Posted in food

Trying Turmeric- Wellness Wednesdays

Posted on by nlchronicles

Turmeric. For years, I never even knew what it was so I was blown away by what this spice has been used for over the years. Never heard of it? Let’s take a closer look.

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health.

I think I first really heard news about turmeric the first time I lived in North Carolina. My goal was to cook more and I started seeing this spice listed in recipes. Now, I had eaten at Indian restaurants for years and didn’t realize that it is used in various dishes especially since turmeric doesn’t have an overpowering taste.

Then I read that turmeric can behave similarly to pain killers and relieve inflammation. That was a game changer! I started using turmeric every time that I cooked 😂. When I started working with the nutritionist, turmeric was one of the supplements that was included in my list of vitamins. I even drink turmeric teas frequently, my latest find is a combo of turmeric and green tea.

But really, what does it do? I’m including info below from earthclinic.com

“Regular use of turmeric has been found to reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease and may play a role in its treatment. It is also being studied as a natural remedy for arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and similar conditions, as it has anti-inflammatory characteristics. Turmeric is also an effective remedy for skin conditions like cystic acne, boils, hidradenitis suppurativa and MRSA.”

Amazing right?? I’m not claiming that turmeric is a cure all, but I can definitely tell when I’ve not used it for some time versus daily use.

Have you tried turmeric before? Did you notice any benefits? I invite you to share your thoughts below 👇🏽. See you next week!

Posted in Overall health

Losing Inflammation- Wellness Wednesdays

Posted on by nlchronicles

Everyone deals with inflammation. You get a cut, a bruise or some other bodily harm and your body has an acute inflammatory response to help heal the area. But what do you do when the body has a low level chronic inflammatory response that doesn’t turn off?

Allow me to remind everyone that I am not giving medical advice, but just sharing my journey that has allowed me to move toward better health. But I do want to provide further info on inflammation that can be found at https://inflammationresearchfoundation.org/inflammation-science/inflammation-details/time-cellular-inflammation-article/

So when I found out that I had osteoarthritis, I was blown away. I mean, I wasn’t even 40 and one of my knees was near bone and bone?! Well, after doing research, I found that one of the ways PCOS can affect women is to cause low grade chronic inflammation. And it can happen in so many ways – being overweight, lifestyle choices, eating too many inflammatory foods – the wrong oils, processed foods etc- not getting quality sleep which means that your body doesn’t have a chance to repair from inflammation. I could go on and on.

When I started with the nutritionist, one of the markers for inflammation, C-reactive protein was SKY high. So we started changing what I ate, making better lifestyle choices, losing weight and doing gentle exercise. Exercise can be tricky because the body can think that higher intensity is a stress which can result in higher inflammation. Ugh! 😩 what to do??

My nutritionist recommended using vitamin c. Vitamin c has been researched and shown to aid in reducing the C-reactive protein level. So I started taking that 3 times a day. Below is the link for one of the articles that I read- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18952164/

I also started using spices that have been shown to reduce inflammation – ginger and turmeric. A note if you try turmeric: to activate it, you have to use it in conjunction with black pepper. I drink hot ginger or turmeric teas on most days as well as take turmeric supplements. With the lifestyle and food changes, my C-reactive protein has been cut in half. I haven’t checked it recently but hope to sooner rather than later. Hopefully, my continued efforts will decrease the level even more! 🤞🏾 the earthclinic website has so many details on both spices.

Lastly, I made lifestyle changes to incorporate more holistic long term adjustments. Yes, making changes this way can take longer but I’d rather not keep taking ibuprofen or nsaids. I also take Epsom salt baths weekly, do yoga and have started grounding. If there is a possible natural remedy, I’m going to try it.

What recommendations do you have to tackle inflammation? Has anything worked for you? Leave a comment below and let’s chat. Until next time!

Posted in Overall health

Summer series – Wellness Wednesdays

Posted on by nlchronicles

I am so excited to update everyone on this new venture that I plan to work on this summer. I’m going to publish a blog post every Wednesday, beginning in May through the end of August. Each week, I will feature a topic that has helped me throughout this wellness journey. I do not intend this to be medical advice for anyone. I am not a medical professional. I’m just someone who hopes to shed light on options that have worked for me. I even have friends and family who have asked for assistance with health challenges. And guess what? The solutions work!

I’ll also update you on my health journey throughout as well, including challenges for transparency. If this is your first time reading this blog, thank you. And thank you to those who continue to follow. I reached over 100 followers! Wow! That’s amazing as I never thought anyone might be interested.

For those who don’t know, I was diagnosed with PCOS in my mid-30s after YEARS of trying to find solutions to all of the issues that I was having. There are several types of PCOS and you can have more than one. Some days, I feel like I deal with them all at once! My biggest concern is chronic low grade inflammation; this (only my belief) led to the osteoarthritis that I deal with as well. I started working with a nutritionist in 2018 as I was having so many health issues and through the work, I’ve had major improvements including losing 95 pounds to date! With the arthritis, however, I am looking at possible knee replacement and physical therapy for cervical arthritis. It can be a lot and overwhelming sometimes, so yoga, meditation and prayer are key for me.

Down 95 pounds, starting mid-August 2018

So join me on this summer’s adventure. And feel free to comment with solutions that have worked for you. Let’s build a community. 🥂 to your good health.

Posted in Uncategorized

A Late Post

Posted on by nlchronicles

OMG- I was sitting here thinking “when is the one year anniversary for reaching the goal that I set for myself in the weight category?”. So I looked through some of my old posts and realized that it was in NOVEMBER last year!! Clearly I did nothing to celebrate because I didn’t know that it had been one year.

To recap, my goal was to get down to 175 pounds. And yayyyyy, I met that goal. And I’ve blown right past it as well. My last weigh in was 154 for a total loss of about 91 pounds. The only thing I’ve tried to do is be more consistent, get good quality sleep and incorporate some type of exercise on most days. Cooking at home more has helped a good deal; that’s been easier since I no longer travel up and down the coast.

But why do I mention all of this? To continue to stress that better health is possible. Have I hit all of my health goals? No. There are other indicators that I would like to improve but I believe that I will get there as I continue to work on them.

I’ve included a comparison picture from yesterday that I took before meeting a friend for lunch (one of the few times I’ve eaten out in some time) and from December 2018 after losing about 27 pounds. Share with someone who may need motivation to keep moving forward. If this chick can manage PCOS and osteoarthritis and still lose weight, you can too!

🥂 to your good health!
Posted in Uncategorized

MILESTONE: 2 Years!

Posted on by nlchronicles

In the latter half of August 2018, I decided to really work on my health and find more natural approaches to do so. This was after an expert in PCOS basically told me that I could just stay on birth control pills to manage it for the rest of my life! 😱

I came across the keto diet and did that for 3 months. However, since I have slow digestion, the program has WAYYYYY too much meat for me and I never felt hungry. But the keto diet was a great kick start to transition to paleo, which is basically what I still follow. Keto helped me stop a lot of junk cravings but I still wanted to feel better.

I started working with a nutritionist who specializes in PCOS in January 2019. And while working with the nutritionist involved revamping everything I had known in terms of food, what would work for me, motivation and habits, it was sooooo worth it.

When I started mid-August 2018 to make a total change and find something that was a permanent solution, I weighed about 245 pounds. Fairly accurate as I went to a gym and used the scale there. I’ve included a couple of before pics from earlier in 2018.

Summer 2018
April 2018 at a gala

Since that time, I’ve lost 81.8 pounds to date. This is the first time that I’ve ever released weight and actually been able to keep it off!! Ever! And no, I’ve had no surgeries or used any gimmicks. I just had to make real, sustainable changes with the guidance of my nutritionist.

I have improved health in so many ways – better sleep, more energy, less brain fog, better walking ability with osteoarthritis, less PMS, clearer skin, less hirtuism, better digestion, very few junk food cravings, and more confidence because I feel much better! I’m still a work in progress and have more goals that I want to reach but I’ve included recent pics from this month.

Summer 2020
August 2020 birthday celebration

I hope this inspires you to reach your goals! You can do this. And if you veer off track, the next day is a new one; the next meal is another chance to do better. Until next time, 🥂 to your good health!

Posted in Uncategorized

Progress Report

Posted on by nlchronicles

I’ve “grown” to the point that I only get on the scale twice per month and sometimes less 😲 shocking, right?

I’ve been on a mission to improve health for awhile and, thankfully, finally found a way of life that works well for me. Starting with keto, switching over to paleo as dairy is a no-no for me and discovering food sensitivities and foods that cause pain have been the key. My nutritionist mentioned an app called “Oox” and it’s been key in avoiding foods high in oxylates. Long story short- with the joint pain that I manage, oxylates can make it SO much worse. Then she recommended that I avoid nightshade vegetables. I had suspected an issue with some peppers and I noticed a bit of pain with potatoes. The one that I shed a tear about was tomato; I 💛 salsa. But I had to decide whether I loved salsa enough to stay in pain. Bye bye salsa.

So here I am one year after really buckling down to get to the root of the problem. Do I know why there’s chronic low grade inflammation? Yes and no- PCOS is known for its inflammation. But how did the PCOS begin in the first place? 🤷🏽‍♀️that’s any one’s guess.

*drum roll*** 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

The pic that I’m sharing below is a comparison between my birthday in August last year and my birthday this year. The difference is 60 pounds!! I surpassed my year 2019 goal of getting below 200 pounds during the spring so I revised the goal to lose a total of 75 pounds. And I’m about 15 pounds from the new goal.

Is it all about the weight? No. But- excess weight holds excess estrogen which compounds problems with PCOS. Excess weight equals excess joint pressure. For every one pound of weight that I lost, I lost 4 POUNDS of pressure on the knees, which is amazing! My digestion is better and still healing. My skin looks better and my sleep has improved. My mood swings are less frequent and I don’t feel like I need a nap every afternoon. I’m back in the gym and using the elliptical machine which is huge for me. In the past, my knee would hurt so much that I couldn’t push the pedals forward. And I’ve started walking more without using the cane.

Little changes really do add up. I am still a work in progress but I no longer think that being healthier is impossible. One of the things that I’ve learned is to believe that change is possible and that it’s possible for me. And I’m believing that for you too, in any area that may need change. If you know someone who manages PCOS, arthritis, excess weight, please share my story with them. Or share your story and let’s chat! Until next time …🥂

Posted in Uncategorized

The present

Posted on by nlchronicles

Where things stand now- so after all of the drama of just trying to get a diagnosis, it seemed like I got worse and worse, especially due to stress. Not only was I diagnosed with PCOS, I was later informed that I have osteoarthritis in BOTH knees so I did physical therapy for it twice. Herein lies the issue- I was successful with physical therapy both times but since PCOS is associated with low grade inflammation, the physical therapy is pointless until the initial inflammation is dealt with. So, I started looking for other solutions and came across the Insulite system. Now, I’m not here to sell anyone anything. But the results these women were getting was amazing so I signed up for the newsletter and joined one of the Facebook groups.

But, not having the money to try the supplements and not making the sacrifice to at least try them for 3 months, all I did was follow the newsletter and FB group. I could, however, afford the book 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS and pored over it. And I started trying smaller quantity supplements mentioned multiple times in the book. And I started having some results along with beginning keto in August of 2018. Keto is a bit too harsh for me as I respond well to veggies and most fruit so after getting sick from it, I started paleo in November and have done well since. I switched jobs and was then able to afford the Insulite supplements. I even started the one-on-one coaching with the nutritionist of the program so that I could get supplements that are best for me.

During that time, the weather turned really cold very quickly and that just threw my knees off so much that I started using a cane. I also started having super limited range of motion in my neck. Using the supplements and really honing on my eating habits to remove foods that cause pain really started helping. In all of this, I found that only I can take charge of my health. Waiting for a doctor to point me in the right direction was no longer an option. I started acupuncture to help with knee pain so that I could wean off NSAIDs. I then started seeing a chiropractor to work on the neck stiffness. My doc would like me to see a physical therapist about the neck but I’m moving really soon so I’ll wait until after the move. My goal is to work out 3 times per week, minimum- 1 day at the gym; 1 day doing yoga, especially for neck and shoulders; and 1 day walking, though I tend to walk more than the other two types. I have released about 54 pounds since August and hope to lose about another 15 to reach goal. Walking is better and while I carry the cane as I walk, I no longer have to use it every time I move. I even rode a bike outdoors while on vacation!

This experience has shown me how to push for self-care and to look past traditional remedies that are not working, keeping in mind that “alternative” therapies may be what work best for me. If you are in a similar situation in which you took charge of your health and found the best path for you, share your story. I’d love to hear from you! Until next time 🥂

*Note: left picture is from one of my “higher” weights in 2016; the right picture is from June 2019- a difference of 50 pounds