I have been doing what I can to keep up with this particular goal. Because of recent health issues I’ve had to (hopefully) temporarily give up exercise including most yoga while I am attached to the event monitor.

I have also lost a lot of weight in the past few months (15-20 lbs). I think a lot of it is from losing muscle mass from lack of weight lifting and exercise in general. I have not had much of an appetite either (probably depression related but am unsure) which is another contributing factor. I am now quite a bit underweight and am looking for healthy ways to gain weight.

So far I’ve read about increasing healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc) and increasing calories by whole grains. I’ve also read how almond or hemp milk, nutritional yeast added to salads or sauces, and eating dried fruit. Some of these I haven’t tried yet and are good ideas.

If anyone has any other ideas on how I can gain weight the healthy way I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’ve been so frustrated with my recent weight loss. A lot of people say I am lucky to have such a good metabolism but I don’t see it that way. Especially because I’ve been feeling so ill lately and know that I am underweight. I am hoping to gain between 5-8 lbs for now. I’d definitely be satisfied with that.

I am going to try some of the above and report back on how it’s working. Currently I weigh 95lbs and am 5’1. I need to at least weigh 101 to not be underweight but would like to weigh at least 110 by the end of all of this and maintain it of course. 8 months ago

Today I went to my first physical therapy session for my recurring dizziness. They are not sure of the exact cause (of course) but have given me some exercises to do there and at home. I have to do these for six weeks..hoping to see improvement! 13 months ago

Today I had my second appointment with the Rheumatologist and it did not go well at all. I left there very upset and frustrated. He said since the battery of tests he ran came back negative that I could possibly have fibromyalgia. That being said he did not check the fibromyalgia “tender points” and said he did not want to give me medication for it because it was a very toxic medication and he would have to monitor my heart/kidneys if I took this medicine. He also said there are no other tests he could run before “diagnosing” me with fibromyalgia which is total BS. I was concerned that I had adrenal problems and know there is definitely testing for that. Where were at now is I go back in 6 months for routine labs. I’m not going back there. I honestly can’t believe this is happening. Off to get a second opinion! 14 months ago

Today I finally got my eyes examined. I wanted to do this because A. It’s been almost 10 years since I’ve had my eyes examined. It was long overdue; and B. I have been having killer migraines for the past few months and wanted to know if my vision could be the cause. The Dr. says it’s not likely because my vision isn’t all that bad. It’s -1.25 in my right eye and -1.00 in the left eye. I just need glasses for distance basically. I have an appointment on Monday (3/12) with my Rheumologist and I’ll post about that in my next entry. I’m looking forward to feeling better ASAP! 14 months ago

Yesterday I FINALLY got to see a Rhuematologist. I showed him all my labs (which was a HUGE stack) from the past year and a half. I also brought along a list of my medications and symptoms. I wanted to be fully prepared as this DR is over an hour away from my house and I know I won’t get to see him as often. Anyway, he was very nice, he took notes, asked questions, and made copies of some of my labs. He also gave me a slew of new labs to take as he has a few ideas as to what is causing me all the symptoms I am having. I was very sure that it was thyroid related based on my symptoms – but most of my tests have come back within normal range with the exception of a higher TSH one time. He still is having the thyroid retested along with other tests to look for possible Lupus, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis along with a few others. We know it’s an autoimmune disease but are not sure which one at this point. This whole thing has definitely been a very stressful situation but I am happy to finally get the ball rolling. I will post more updates within the next few weeks. 15 months ago

I saw a new DR today who is just wonderful. He looked at all my lab work and can see that I need a referral to a Dermatologist and Rheumatoligist. My ANA test came back Positive and speckled once again so it needs to be looked into further. He is thinking based on my tests and symptoms that it could either be thyroid or lupus related. I’m going for more labs to test thyroid antibodies and celiac tomorrow. I know that all these possibilities of diseases are just terrible if I do have any of them but I am so excited in a way that I found a DR who understands. Hopefully I can finally get a diagnosis soon and start to feel better! 15 months ago

Over the past week or so I’ve developed some type of rash. I’m not even sure it really IS a rash because I’m told something different. Doctor says it’s eczema. Chiropractor thinks it’s some type of allergic reaction rash. ER told me it was just different stages of eczema and gave me Decadron. It did NOTHING to get rid of any of it. A few hours after I had a tingly feeling from the knees down. That’s been happening on and off all day. Chiro told me again today that it has something to do with my skin reaction. AHHHHHHH!!! I’m so frustrated. I have tried everything I possibly can and nothing will knock this rash out. I had a low grade fever yesterday but it is gone now. I’m quite concerned about what is going on. My chiro want’s me to see a Rheumatologist ASAP. She thinks it’s an autoimmune response. I agree with her but would also like to see a Dermatologist. I’ve been trying to get my DR to get me a referral to one but they refuse. Parts of skin just look red like a sunburn and feel hot but it isn’t a sunburn. Other parts actually have little red dots that are itchy and seem to spread quickly. I have patches on what looks like dry skin on my joints (elbows, knees, ankles, hips). These are all happening at once. Sorry for this vent/rant to anyone reading but I am at my wits end with all of this! 16 months ago

self-care today. Threw my neck out of whack last night somehow and have a painful lump on the back of my neck :( Wish I could go to the chiropractor but am unable to until Tuesday so I need to just continue self-care. What a crappy thing to happen on Christmas! 17 months ago

I got an hour massage; a present to myself~

• She noted that I should come in every 2 weeks to see improvement with my neck and shoulders. 19 months ago

I have quite a few appointments coming up that I must remember.

• Tomorrow (October 14th) – GP
• October 18th – Chiro/massage therapy
• October 19th – Obgyn
• October 24th – Dentist
• November 4th – GP
• November 23rd – Allergist19 months ago

I got my lab work for my vitamin D test. Still awaiting the results; I hope my levels are at least a little higher than last year. I saw my chiropractor twice last week. She was able to recommend a couple holistic doctors to me. I will be giving them a phone call sometime next week. They are located a couple hours away from my town but I think it will definitely be worth the trip. Also ~ on another note I start my yoga classes in two weeks and have also made an appointment to see a hypnotherapist. I think once I learn self-hypnosis – I will sleep better and earlier and also rid myself of some of this pent up anxiety. 21 months ago

I went to my DR’s appointment on July 29th. I spoke to a new DR as my other one switched clinics. The new DR was very nice and listened to everything I had to say. The thing is that my doctors office is a residence clinic and I’ve been seeing DR’s who are still being trained so when I need lab testing done, medications, etc they have to run it by the head honchos. I wanted a couple of my labs retested but the only one they approved was the vitamin D test because it’s been about a year. They seem to write all my symptoms off and say I am not getting enough sleep. I know a lot of it COULD have to do with my bouts of insomnia but I honestly feel something else is not right with my body. I’m thinking of talking to my chiropractor and seeing if there’s any holistic or natural doctors in my area. I seem to get nowhere with the clinic I’m at now. 22 months ago

Besides just keeping track of health in the body I’ve also been working a lot on the mind and spirit part of this goal. Yoga helps a lot with this; to help me relax or remain calm when I have a stressful day. I’ve also been practicing self hypnosis, guided imagery, and want to look into biofeedback more. I’ve also been meditating more often; which has always helped me tremendously. I have also found that balancing my chakras really helps with this cleansing process I’m going through. 22 months ago

So someone told me some interesting info. I talked to an online doctor who informed me that lab references for the TSH test were recommended to be changed back in 2002. Some labs now go by the new recommendations of 0.3-3.0 for the TSH test. My lab unfortunately goes by the old standards of 0.5-5.0. This is a wide range and it’s hard to get a diagnosis. I was not able to get a diagnosis because my lab reading for the TSH was 3.29 – which indicates hypothyroidism going by the recent recommendations. She urged me to print this and take it to my doctor. I’m hoping by doing this that she will look into it again. I don’t go back until July 29th but I will post what happens. 22 months ago

I’m continuing to try to reach for the best health possible. My thyroid tests came back normal, which is a good sign indeed. But it also leaves me frustrated because that means back to the drawing board. I have so many symptoms and so far no concrete answers. The only tests that I am sure for is my ANA test came back positive and speckled with a titer of 1:40. So I know somethings up there. Also my adrenals were in the low normal range. So I do believe I have some adrenal insufficiency.

I am at a loss what to search for or suggest to my doctors. My doctor thinks it has to do with my sleep and it very well could. Although I have been sleeping seven to eight hours a night now. The only thing I would like to improve with my sleep is to get to sleep earlier. She also said I should consider going to the Mayo Clinic to help get a real diagnosis. I continue to take extra good care of myself by eating healthy, exercising, meditating, and always being kind to myself. I just really hope to have some answers soon. Some days the inflammation in my muscles/joints is so bad that I feel I have to hide out at home all day and take a break from the world. My next appointment isn’t until July 29th so I have to make the best of things until then. 23 months ago