The MRI was fantastic! There was a new fellow, a week in at the UW, from Portland. He is an IV genius. He killed it in one shot. The actual MRI hurts less and less each time, it's fantastic! I've never minded the contrast dye, which some people have a hard time with. I'm grateful for that.
The scans were really cool. My brain is shifting and filling the void, which is really exciting. It was kind of creepy to see the first post surgery scan where a tennis ball area of brain was missing.
There's still a pretty good amount of inflammation, and irritation from the surgeries, but that's to be expected. It's getting better each scan, which is relieving.
I have another MRI in April and if it's clean the doctor's going to see if he can push out the following MRI. That way I won't have to stress before our wedding. I thought that was thoughtful, it was their idea. Love those guys, especially Sarah, Rockhill's nurse.
I feel so excited, so happy. I keep referring back to the last MRI, I was so scared, petrified even. It took me a week or two to live my life again. Now, I'm more logical, more calm, and hopeful. I can feel my mind making sense of things. Even in three months I have an upgraded mind.
I left the U District thinking, "You know what, just maybe, I WILL beat this!"
Jan 14, 2011
Jan 13, 2011
Paleolithic Jess
Long day, but it was wonderful. The meeting with the naturopath went extremely well! We received great reinforcement with our diet, and some fine tuning to make it even better. Here's some main points:
Eliminate:
All processed foods - nothing in a box, nothing in a can, nothing in a package
All processed sugars (keep the fruits minimal, a serving of blueberries in the morning or something like that)
No dairy
Continue:
All organic, free range and hormone free foods (from the coffee beans to the main courses - everything)
Eat lots of veggies from the allium, cruciferous and brassicacea family on a daily basis.
Get a water filter for the facet. Drink obscene amounts of filtered water (64-96oz). Drink matcha 2-3 times a day.
Basically, he referred to it as a Paleolithic diet. It's what humans used to eat before we started harvesting crops. Hence, the avoidance of grains, and sugar. The diet is mostly veggies, nuts and small amounts of meats (cold water fish, white meats, and small amounts of red meats). It's very heavy on the veggies.
After the appointment, at the request of the ND, I fasted for several hours and went to get a bunch of blood work done. I was actually supposed to do it tomorrow morning before the MRI, but I was worried that it would be too many needles in too short a period of time. Anyway, it turned out no big deal getting my blood drawn. The sweet woman (also named Jessica), called me a "hummingbird" because my veins are so small. She had a few tricks up her sleeve and magically hit my vein on the first try. It made me feel pretty excited about tomorrow's prick. Maybe it'll be the same.
Speech therapy went off without a hitch. She printed up a bunch of mind teasers, and problem solving sheets. Things are looking really good in that department. I just need to keep challenging my mind, working on reading aloud and my comprehension.
It was such a busy day, and I'm absolutely exhausted. No nap yesterday or today. I'm like a little child, needing my naps :)
There was a lot of information to process - all of it good. Now I need to rest up for the big day tomorrow.
For the record, I went as a viking for Halloween this past year (there was a helmet but it kept sliding off). I guess next year I can wear the same outfit but call myself Paleolithic woman. That's handy.
Eliminate:
All processed foods - nothing in a box, nothing in a can, nothing in a package
All processed sugars (keep the fruits minimal, a serving of blueberries in the morning or something like that)
No dairy
Continue:
All organic, free range and hormone free foods (from the coffee beans to the main courses - everything)
Eat lots of veggies from the allium, cruciferous and brassicacea family on a daily basis.
Get a water filter for the facet. Drink obscene amounts of filtered water (64-96oz). Drink matcha 2-3 times a day.
Basically, he referred to it as a Paleolithic diet. It's what humans used to eat before we started harvesting crops. Hence, the avoidance of grains, and sugar. The diet is mostly veggies, nuts and small amounts of meats (cold water fish, white meats, and small amounts of red meats). It's very heavy on the veggies.
After the appointment, at the request of the ND, I fasted for several hours and went to get a bunch of blood work done. I was actually supposed to do it tomorrow morning before the MRI, but I was worried that it would be too many needles in too short a period of time. Anyway, it turned out no big deal getting my blood drawn. The sweet woman (also named Jessica), called me a "hummingbird" because my veins are so small. She had a few tricks up her sleeve and magically hit my vein on the first try. It made me feel pretty excited about tomorrow's prick. Maybe it'll be the same.
Speech therapy went off without a hitch. She printed up a bunch of mind teasers, and problem solving sheets. Things are looking really good in that department. I just need to keep challenging my mind, working on reading aloud and my comprehension.
It was such a busy day, and I'm absolutely exhausted. No nap yesterday or today. I'm like a little child, needing my naps :)
There was a lot of information to process - all of it good. Now I need to rest up for the big day tomorrow.
For the record, I went as a viking for Halloween this past year (there was a helmet but it kept sliding off). I guess next year I can wear the same outfit but call myself Paleolithic woman. That's handy.
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