Going Cavegirl

I've been neglecting blogging lately largely because I've been having major computer issues.  I discovered my old computer (purchased late 2009) actually has a poor design that doesn't allow proper air flow/cooling.  So it's been slowly baking to death.  It overheats and shuts down frequently and I know it's days are numbered.  Chris and I discussed it and decided to purchase a new Windows 8 touchscreen laptop.  Unfortunately, I only had it a few weeks before Noah spilled a huge cup of coffee on the keyboard!  Thank goodness for accidental damage plans!

My recovery from surgery went painfully slow.  It was a full 12 weeks before I wasn't constantly in pain.  Since then I've had many good days and rarely have to take pain medication.  In this way I feel that the surgery was a success, although I have significant loss of function in the joint.  I can't reach my left foot easily so simple things like applying lotion and cutting my toenails are very difficult.  I can, however, dress myself easily (except for socks) so that's an improvement!  A few weeks after my surgery I did experience severe joint pain and swelling all over my body.  I was barely able to move.  I went back and forth to the doctor's office several times and had a battery of blood work done.  My tests showed inflammation (not surprising) but did not show positively any auto-immune disease.  Obviously something triggered a huge immune response, however.  It may have been the flu that I had just prior, or it may have been somehow related to my stem cell transfer.  Either way, the only treatment was taking anti-inflammatory medication twice daily.  I began researching non-pharmacological ways to reduce inflammation (sounds funny coming from a Pharmacist, I know) and stumbled across a lifestyle called Paleo.

The Paleo diet is a grain-free, gluten-free, whole food diet.  It's full of healthy fats and protein and low in carbs.  It's designed to heal the gut and promote a healthy immune system.  I decided it would be worth a try for 30 days to see if I feel better!  I'm going to be following one of the more relaxed protocols that allows for dairy.  Yesterday was day 1, and my meals were zucchini frittata, a large salad with mozzarella and lots of veggies, and flank steak with sauteed peppers and roasted carrots and parsnips.  Snacks were kale chips, a banana, and some cheese.  Yum!  Up for today:  leftover frittata, roasted honey mustard chicken and broccolini, and leftover steak for dinner.  Even if it does nothing for my immune health, this diet will be a great detox off of sugar and processed foods.  Wish me luck!