Day Twenty Three of New Elimination Diet
August 5th, 2007NIGHT: Slept very soundly – had dreamless sleep.
8:30am – woke up – hadn’t woken up this early in a long time – it was sort of nice but I did feel a little tired. I woke up with a really stuffy/runny nose and with one of my bug bites really itching – it seemed like the same spot had been bitten again, but I couldn’t really tell.
9:34am – ate a handful of cashews
9:40am – started cooking some pinto beans on the stove at a low temp
9:48am – nose still really bothering me
9:50am – ate some green peas (steamed on stove top)
10:08am – took a teaspoon of liquid zinc sulfate and a B12 vitamin and drank a glass of filtered water
10:57am – nose starting to clear up – one nostril clear and the other one still really stuffed up
11:11am – cough returned – it wasn’t the same dry cough I had before and it wasn’t accompanied by difficulty breathing it was just a cough but painful and uncomfortable none the less
11:31am – took temp and it was 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit
11:33am – opened the windows
11:34am – drank another glass of water
12:22pm – ate a bowl full of plain Romaine lettuce
12:38pm – nose felt a little clearer
12:43pm – drank another glass of filtered water
12:51pm – felt a little stressed – was trying to fix a problem with my camera – got hives on head – bad
1:12pm – nose got stuffy again – not too bad but stuffy
1:22pm-2:00pm – brushed teeth with baking soda, showered and washed up with baking soda and used the oil and salt scrub my husband had made (just salt and sunflower oil), shaved my legs (dry without soap), used crystal stick deodorant, and got dressed. Ok, so right before getting in the shower I noticed that my toes were feeling really numb (both feet), my lips looked a little blue and the blotches on my legs were especially bad. Even after getting in the warm shower my feet still felt numb pretty much the whole time – I even tried filling the tub with a little warm water to stand in but even that didn’t really help all that much – although by the end of the shower they were feeling a little better. Then I decided to use the salt scrub my husband made – as soon as I put it on I broke out in hives everywhere – I have used this before and not had this problem I think it was just that I was pretty sensitive and feeling a little itchy (not really hives but itchy) before the shower and then the scrub just aggravated things – this is common for me – it’s like my hives lay in wait under the surface of my skin and if I scratch my skin, or wear coarse, scratchy clothing, or bump into something that scratches me, or anything like that then I will break out in hives – lately though this hasn’t been the case or at least not always.
2:10pm – ate some green beans (boiled). Drank a glass of filtered water
2:22pm – ate a small handful of raw cashews
2:30pm – hives were gone now
2:31pm – drank a glass of filtered water – felt a little dizzy when I got up to get it
2:50pm – took temp again and it was 97.3 degrees Fahrenheit
2:51pm – husband ate cheese, sandwich meat and carrot
2:52pm – nose started to bother me a little bit again
2:58pm – nose started to clear up a little
3:15pm – ate pinto beans and Romaine lettuce – these pinto beans had been soaking for a little more than 2 days and I cooked them with just a little bit of baking soda as I had read that if you have hard water this can help soften up the beans and I did notice they were softer and better. Drank another glass of filtered water
3:41pm-12:57pm – left to go to a friend’s house for a church gathering – rode public transportation – it was pretty crowded but I did pretty well – felt a little dizzy and weak but sat down by a window and felt a bit better. Went to Tesco to get some things – it was super crowded – felt really overwhelmed and got pretty dizzy and weak near the end – felt a bit better after leaving. Got to friend’s house – cut up some veggies (broccoli, carrot, and celery) – there were a lot of people there (around 30 I’d say) felt a bit weak again – sat down drank some water and ate some celery and then felt better. Got hives about half way through the meeting but other than that felt pretty good. We stayed for quite a while after everyone else left to hang out with just a small group of friends – I ate some more celery and then had some white rice (made with filtered water) – felt pretty good but then near the end my nose got pretty stuffy. Rode the public transportation home – it was pretty empty so that was good. Nose still feeling a bit stuffy, but not too bad – have headache now – oh, and I drank 5 glasses of filtered water while I was there
12:59pm – took temp again and it was 95.5 degrees Fahrenheit
1:00am – felt tired and like I should get right to bed but was a bit hungry and felt like I should eat something – but nothing really sounded good so late…
1:06am – drank a glass of water
1:07am – took a teaspoon of liquid zinc sulfate
1:09am – ate some iceberg lettuce – I know I probably should have chosen something with more nutrients or protein or something but it was all that my stomach could handle this late at night but I felt I should at least eat something
1:10am - talked to my brother in the states on the phone – he just had his first baby! J Very happy!
1:29am – ate some raw cashews
1:45am – brushed teeth with baking soda
Too, tired to write about the day. It was pretty good on an emotional level, not so good on a physical level but I guess not that bad either. End of Day Twenty Three.
Health to you and yours -
Beth
Day Twenty Two of New Elimination Diet
August 4th, 2007NIGHT: Got to sleep quickly and slept pretty well – dreamed a lot – woke up pretty early with really bad hives but was able to get back to sleep
10:00am – woke up and at first felt really good, nose was clear, didn’t have hives, etc – laid in bed for a while thinking and the longer I laid there and more awake I became the m ore my nose started to bother me and get stuffy and runny
10:23am – got up and went into the family room to read
11:11am – had gas a little bit for a little while – noticed nose was cleared up though
11:46am – had a teaspoon of liquid zinc sulfate and took a B12 vitamin. Drank a glass of filtered water
11:57am – had bowel movement – fairly soft but not too soft
12:06pm – noticed nose was bothering me again
12:11pm – ate some raw cashews
12:12pm-1:32pm – peeled the skins off of a batch of lentils and started cooking them for tonight (I peeled off the skin because someone on the forum suggested that the skins may be a problem and I didn’t want to risk it) – about half way through this my nose cleared up again
1:33pm – ate about ½ a cup of cold pinto beans (left over from last night). Drank a glass of filtered water
2:07pm – took temp and it was 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit
2:09pm-2:29pm – brushed teeth with baking soda, showered and used baking soda to wash up, used crystal stick deodorant, brushed hair and got dressed – toes felt cold and numb throughout shower and right feet still does – left door open while showering to ventilate the bathroom better because of concern for mold – changed the shower to a softer setting with less pressure
2:38pm – drank a glass of filtered water
2:39pm-3:23pm – went for a walk with my husband – it was nice to get out and it is a really nice day today but it was a bit overwhelming too – I had to stop a lot and catch my breath even though we were going really slow even to begin with. At one point I got a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, but we stopped for a minute and then it got better. When we got home I felt pretty shaky and my heart was racing a little bit
3:24pm – opened the windows in the family room/kitchen because it is so nice outside and is pretty warm and a bit stuffy in here
3:35pm – took temp and it was 94.2 degrees Fahrenheit
4:12pm – ate some green beans (boiled)
4:23pm – ate some plain iceberg lettuce (I know the Romaine is better for me but I like the iceberg so much better)
4:41pm – took one multivitamin – Contains Vitamin A (as 2,500 IU Palmitate and 12,500 IU Mixed Carotenes), Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin D (as Vitamin D3), Vitamin E (as d-Alpha-Tocopheryl), Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate (as Folinic Acid from Calcium Folinate), Vitamin B12, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium (as Calcium Citrate), Iodine (as Potassium Iodide), Magnesium (as Magnesium Citrate), Zinc (as Zinc Picolinate), Selenium (as Selenium Picolinate), Manganese (as Manganese Picolinate), Chromium, Molybdenum (as Molybdenum Picolinate), Potassium (as Potassium Citrate), Boron (as Boron Picolinate), Choline Citrate, Vanadium (as Vanadium Picolinate). Other ingredients: Cellulose capsule. May contain one or more of the following hypoallergenic ingredients to fill space – Leucine, Silicon Dioxide. Drank another glass of filtered water
5:14pm – had some a small handful of raw cashews
6:46pm – took temp again and it was 98.1 degrees Fahrenheit
6:55pm – nose got sort of stuffy again – only thing I can think of is that my husband is eating some apple and cheese, but I don’t think that those things would really be a problem for me – I’m not eating them just sitting next to him
7:33pm – nose was clear again
7:45pm – my brother called to tell me his wife had gone into labor – I’m going to have a new little nephew! J
8:00pm – took birth control pill
8:41pm – ate lentils (soaked for about 12 hours and then peeled and cooked for about 7 hours on a low setting) with green peas (steamed). Drank a glass of filtered water. Husband ate some more cheese – this time my nose was fine so I think it was the apple that he ate earlier that was bothering me and not the cheese. He also steamed and ate some broccoli which had a strong smell but I didn’t notice any reaction to it – at least not right away
9:01pm – the bug bit on my wrist was hurting especially badly and so I put ice on it – numbing them has seemed to be the only thing that helped – my husband also has been bitten but his are normal size bug bites where as mine have swelled up and the whole area around the bite is red and swollen and has been for days – I think my body is having a hard time detoxifying the bugs saliva or something. Drank another glass of filtered water
9:50pm – had hives on head and ears – I was upset about it because it was the only hives I’ve had today and I almost made it the whole day without any hives! Oh, well, there’s always tomorrow
9:51pm – took temp and it was 96.6 degrees Fahrenheit – closed windows
10:00pm – played cards with my husband in the bedroom – nose got really stuffy soon after we started playing cards and I also developed hives all over as well – nose cleared up a little while after we stopped playing cards but hives stayed for a little while longer and then got better before going to sleep
11:15pm – felt hungry so ate a small handful of raw cashews and drank a glass of filtered water
11:25pm – took another teaspoon of zinc sulfate – then stubbed my toe on the coffee table L
11:27pm – brushed teeth with baking soda
So, Day Twenty Two…actually today was a REALLY good day. I almost made it the whole day without hives, even though I didn’t make it the whole day I still felt like this was an accomplishment. My nose had periods of being stuffy and periods of being clear but it was clear more often than it was stuffy. And though I did feel a bit weak and tired it wasn’t nearly as bad as normal and really the only time it was bad was when I went on a long walk and probably over did myself a bit. But, really, now that I think about it today wasn’t all that different then yesterday with the exception that I had a little more energy…the real difference was that I just felt better – not in noticeable ways, but in ways I can’t really describe…maybe the biggest thing is that I felt much better emotionally – much less overwhelmed, much more able to handle things, much less depressed…just better. I don’t really know why either…I don’t think anything really changed…seriously the only explanation I have for this is the prayers of a woman I’ve never even met…thank you. And keep praying!! J
Health to you and yours -
Beth
Day Twenty One of New Elimination Diet
August 3rd, 2007NIGHT: When trying to go to sleep I got bad dry cough and had difficulty breathing – couldn’t get to sleep. Turned on the shower and breathed in the steam for a little while – this helped a little but not much. Eventually I took two dye-free Benadryl and that helped and I was able to get to sleep and slept pretty well after that – had some weird dreams but slept pretty well
11:45pm – woke up – felt pretty good and nose was clear right at first but then I laid in bed for a little while and the more awake and alert I became the more my nose started to bother me. By the time I got up out of bed my nose was really stuffy.
12:14pm – started dish washer – used different soap this time
12:15pm – signed into work
1:03pm – stood up and got VERY dizzy – lost peripheral vision
2:21pm – ate breakfast – romaine lettuce (at first I rinsed it in tap water not thinking and then realized what I did and re-rinsed it in filtered water) with pinto beans (left over from the batch I made yesterday and re-heated with a little water on a low setting on the stove for about 2 hours). Drank a glass of filtered water and took a B12 vitamin. Felt sort of clumsy and shaky while making breakfast – spilled things a lot.
2:23pm – noticed that my nose was clear now
2:34pm – dishwasher finished cycle and stopped
2:54pm – finished eating – had a hard time getting down the lettuce and pinto beans – I mean it was fine but it just didn’t taste all that good to me and I ended up just forcing it down just because I knew I needed the nutrients – felt sort of weird after eating – not really anything I could put my finger on just sort of weird
3:01pm – bug bit really hurt – husband took me into the bathroom and put some hydrogen peroxide on it thinking that might help – felt really faint and dizzy and weak – husband helped me to couch – laid down for a little while – then sat up and drank a glass of filtered water and felt a little bit better but still really weak
3:48pm – still feeling really weak – had massive cravings for sugar and carbs – other than that though I felt pretty good – no hives, nose was clear, etc. ate some raw cashews thinking it might help
4:18pm – drank another glass of filtered water
4:28pm – one of my bug bites started itching really bad – I scratched at it and that gave me hives all around it for just a little bit
5:00pm – noticed lips were really dry and chapped
5:57pm – opened windows
6:03pm – started load of laundry
6:12pm – Took Temperature and it was 96.3 degrees Fahrenheit
6:36pm – took temp again and it was 98.3 degrees Fahrenheit
7:05pm - took temp again and it was 96.4 degrees Fahrenheit
7:22pm – drank a glass of filtered water
7:54pm – had a bowel movement – had pain in, hum, well, I guess my colon – went away after about 8 minutes or so
8:04pm – drank a glass of filtered water and took my birth control pill
8:20pm – felt cold so put on some sweat pants and socks
8:30pm – nasal passage ways felt tight – not really stuff up or running but like I couldn’t really get enough air through them – this lasted for a little less than an hour
8:40pm – had intense sugar and dairy cravings
8:42pm – had weird anxious feeling – felt sort of antsy but didn’t want to do anything
8:53pm – my husband cooked meat on the stove and it had a very meaty smell – I was glad I had the windows open still
8:59pm – noticed eyes were blood shot and a little yellowish not bad though
9:16pm – took temp again and it was 95.7 degrees Fahrenheit
9:16pm – ate green beans (boiled) and drank a glass of filtered water. Feet felt numb and tingly, moving around didn’t really help and I had already put soaks on
9:35pm – my husband made broccoli on the stove – had smell but wasn’t too strong
9:46pm – ate Romaine lettuce and pinto beans (beans were soaked overnight and then rinsed and soaked for another 24 hours then cooked for about 6 hours on a low setting) – I realized while eating this that I really don’t like Romaine lettuce much – it’s just too bitter for me
10:03pm – ate a potato (baked without skins). Drank another glass of filtered water
10:48pm – took one teaspoon (1.15mg) of zinc (as zinc sulfate – only other ingredient I distilled water) and ate a small handful of raw cashews
10:57pm – drank a glass of filtered water
11:12pm – kissed my husband who had just eaten some peanuts (breath smelled very peanut-like). Afterwards my nose got stuffy and runny and I started sneezing
11:18pm – brushed teeth with baking soda
11:21pm – lips were feeling chapped so I put a little bit of Vaseline on them
Today was, hum, I guess pretty good. I didn’t have hives really at all today (I did have a little itchiness around my bug bites but that was it), so that was really nice and exciting. My nose was sort of bothersome off and on but not too bad either. So, that’s good. I have to say I am hopeful but also sort of discouraged. I’ve just been feeling sort of depressed all day today with no real reason. I’m having massive cravings for comfort foods (which for me are mostly bread). And I’ve been feeling pretty lonely and wondering if I can really figure all this out on my own. I’m beginning to think that I may need the help of a specialist to figure all this out. Anyway, that’s how I’m feeling emotionally, but thankfully physically I’m feeling pretty good. So, I’m trying to just remind myself of how I’m feeling physically and hope that as that continues to get better and better my emotional self will catch up J So, Day Twenty One of my active search for health is done and it has now been two days on my new diet of no-wheat and no-dairy which has also been free of oils, sugar, meat, and other things that could potentially be a problem for me. So, hopefully Day Twenty Two will be even better.
Health to you and yours –
Beth
Day Twenty of New Elimination Diet
August 2nd, 2007NIGHT: Slept ok, but woke up really early
5:20am – woke up with really stuffy/runny nose and with that terrible dry cough again and difficulty breathing – I hadn’t had the dry cough in a while and it scarred me a bit that it was back. I got up and went into the bathroom and ran the shower as hot as it goes and just breathed in the steam for a while. My husband got up and realized that the humidifier had ran out of water during the night so he refilled it and got it running again. I was feeling pretty terrible and even though the steam was helping I still was having some trouble breathing and was just so tired and really wanted to be able to get back to sleep so I took a dye-free Benadryl – I have been trying not to take anything because I felt like taking something might mess up my readings as to what I react to and what I don’t but I was just so sick of feeling like this and so tired. I’m glad I took it because I was able to get back to sleep and slept for a good long while
1:15pm – woke up for good – nose was stuffy and still felt sort of tired but not too bad this second time waking up
1:49PM – Drank a glass of filtered water and took my B12 vitamin. Ate a handful of cashews.
1:56pm-2:16pm – brushed teeth with baking soda, showered, used baking soda to wash up, used crystal stick deodorant and got dressed
2:30pm – signed into work
2:49pm – had another small handful of cashews
3:00pm – drank another glass of filtered water
3:11pm – nose started to clear up
3:41pm – had couch delivered to our place – had a bunch of workmen come in to drop it off – some were wearing pretty heavy colognes
3:45pm – signed out of work
3:48pm – nose felt a little itchy, throat felt a little tight but not too bad. I opened the windows up and it got better
3:52pm – had bowel movement
4:00pm – had web conference with my Dr. in the states – big concerns he had were my thyroid (because of my body temp being so low), my birth control pill (thinks I should go off this as soon as possible), and worried that I am limiting my nutrients too much by limiting my foods so much right now (thinks I should try and add in natural healthy foods in as much variety as possible).
4:58pm – drank another glass of filtered water
5:00pm – signed back into work
5:29pm – ate another handful of cashews
5:34pm – put potatoes in the oven for dinner
5:46pm – noticed bug bit on my wrist – got hives where it was – other than that though I haven’t had any hives today
5:50pm – put some baking soda paste on my bug bit as it was really hurting
6:01pm – nose started to get a little stuffy again
6:09pm – nose cleared up a bit. Put ice on bug bit
7:00pm – stood up and lost peripheral vision for a moment – felt dizzy
7:08pm – ate dinner – one potato (baked without skin) and some green peas (boiled) and some pinto beans (soaked overnight in the fridge and then cooked on low for about 6 hours)
8:00pm – took birth control pill
8:37pm – had bowel movement
8:40pm – drank another glass of filtered water
8:54pm – ate more cashews – probably shouldn’t have eaten so much of them today but I was craving sugar and such so much and cashews were the only thing that sounded really good in light of that craving
9:05pm – drank another glass of filtered water
9:44pm – brushed teeth with baking soda
9:50pm – drank another glass of filtered water
Well, Day Twenty was pretty good – early morning was not so good but I felt pretty ok most of the day. I didn’t have hives much at all and my nose was clear more than it was stuffy so that’s good. I did have terrible cravings for sugar, wheat and dairy, but that’s too be expected I guess. So, I’m hopeful that tomorrow will be good. I’m a little worried about the night as last night I woke up with that dry cough again and difficulty breathing – I hate that – it’s so scary. I think it’ll be better tonight though as I have the humidifier full of water and running so hopefully that will help. So, one more day down and another to come.
Health to you and yours –
Beth
Day Nineteen of New Elimination Diet
August 1st, 2007NIGHT: Slept pretty well. Ran the dishwasher during the night while I was asleep and closed the door to the kitchen – didn’t notice it bothering me – was able to sleep through it at least
11:20am – woke up – felt really good when first woke up – nose was clear, throat was a little scratchy but not much. Got up out of bed had a small hard bowel movement and then a few minutes after getting up my nose got really stuffy – it seems like that is normal – my nose feels fine when I first wake up in bed and then once I get up out of bed and I’m more fully awake it starts to bother me a lot
11:25am-? – showered, washed up with baking soda, brushed teeth with baking soda, used crystal stick deodorant, and got dressed
11:36am – opened the windows a crack
11:43am – bug bites were really hurting – they were even bigger welts – I remembered that my mom used to put a baking soda paste on our bee stings and I thought maybe that would help with these bug bites too – so I tried it and it did help a bit to ease the pain
11:50am – signed into work
12:47pm – ate a bowl of cereal with milk
1:30pm – left foot felt numb and sort of tingly – moved it around and it got better – nose was still really stuffy and had been ever since getting up this morning
2:35pm – signed out of work, emptied the dishwasher, picked up a little bit
2:46pm – drank another glass of filtered water
2:56pm – had bowel movement – hard and small
3:00pm-5:30pm – a friend came over and we walked down to the café in our court yard and sat outside and I drank a bottled water and we talked for a while – it was so great to get out of the house and have some social contact for a while and just so great to get to know her better and connect with someone on a deeper level – felt pretty good while out – nose was fairly clear – hives were pretty bad off and on while out
5:30pm – got home – had a slight headache but not bad at all and didn’t last long
5:40pm – ate a handful of cashews
6:14pm – nose is stuffy and bothering me again
6:45pm – ate some green beans – boiled in filtered water
8:04pm – ate dinner – couscous with a little salt and butter and a yogurt. Drank a glass of filtered water and took my birth control pill
8:38pm – ate a pear without the skins. Started watching a movie with my husband (we watched Super Size Me – fascinating and disturbing - I would recommend it for anyone interested in health)
9:24pm – had hive on arm
9:56pm – ate a bowl of cereal with whole milk and a little sugar for taste
10:34pm – brushed teeth with baking soda
Today was pretty ok. I didn’t feel great but I had a few hours when I felt pretty good and I had an opportunity to talk with a friend and feel “normal” which was really nice. So, Day Nineteen is over now and I’ve been feeling a bit discouraged…has it really been 19 days and I still haven’t found any firm answers? Wow. So, yeah, after a week of trying to recreate my no hives week I feel like it was successful on some levels – I definitely felt better this week then I did the week before and my hives were much less most of the week (with the exception of the few days after eating the cottage cheese and the days I went out of the house and/or ran the dishwasher or laundry machine) so, that’s good I guess. But, I’ve still been really congested and a lot of people have been telling me they are worried about me and worried that I’m not getting the nutrients I need. Soooo, it’s time to make another change. So, after talking with some people, doing some research on my own, talking with my husband and just thinking through everything a lot I’ve decided to eliminate wheat and dairy and oil and all fruits for a week – so what am I going to eat? Well, I decided to stick with lettuce, pinto beans, kidney beans, lentils, cashews, green beans, green peas and potatoes. So, for the next seven days (day 20-27) I will just eat these things and see how that goes – or at least that’s the plan – I guess if things get worse instead of better after 3 or 4 days then I would consider doing something else but I’m hopeful that they will get better and not worse – but then again I was hopeful at other times that things would get better and they didn’t…so I guess we’ll see. Here’s to a new plan for Day Twenty…and here’s hoping it works.
Health to you and yours -
Beth