Well on Tuesday 12/8/09 I was officially diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in my knees. Not the news I was hoping for. I admit that I was hoping it was a meniscus tear that they could go in and repair. A little bit of therapy and tada, I would be all better. This is NOT the case with Osteoarthritis. Basically my options are limited to dealing with the pain. There is NO cure. The Dr. said eventually I will need my knees replaced. Bummer.
So now what? Well I have done a little reading on the subject (not nearly enough...but some), and I have learned that losing weight will help the pain - so I'm on the right track there. Read some info about how important reducing inflammation can be to slow the progression of the disease - so Dr. Perricone's anti-inflammatory diet is a good choice for me. I have yet to learn which exercises will benefit me and cause the least pain or damage. I asked my personal trainer on Jillian's site, but have not heard back yet. Will have to do a little research on this.
I'm still processing this information. I go from hopeful because finally I'm taking stuff to help manage the pain (right now I'm on 4 Aleve (2 in the morning and 2 at night) and 8 Ibuprofen (2 every four hours). It seems to be helping - although today I'm having a little more pain. I might have over done it yesterday walking into work after a big snow storm.
I have NO intention of letting this undermine my weight loss efforts. I will just have to readjust my plan a bit - that's what I'm going to be working on. The battle continues.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
I'm back!
Well it’s been awhile. I know! So much has happened since I was last on here. I ended by stating I was headed to California to see my son. Well that visit went fabulous! We had such a great time. He and his girlfriend Jess showed us much of the beautiful state of California. We saw Sequoia National Park as well as Kings Canyon – so pretty words can not describe. We continued down the coast ending in San Diego where they live. We were able to see that city and I was amazed at how pretty and clean it was. John showed us Coronado Island where he worked. It was so much fun! The only bad part was that while I was there I injured my knee. Somehow while using a hotel treadmill, I did “something” to my knee which would cause me more problems than I realized at the time.
I returned home from that trip only to be followed home by my son John. LOL. He nearly beat us home! Ha ha ha. He said that our 5 day visit was too short and he wanted more time with family. So he came home for another 10 days. It was such a great visit because there were no plans, holidays or any disruptions…just time together at home. Just what he needed and I have to admit…just what I needed.
For the next two months I was unable to walk on my treadmill because of my knee. The pain I was feeling was different than that I have experienced from my Patella Femoral Syndrome. I knew I really hurt something this time. So I was determined to baby it and let it heal. I iced it regularly and stretched it often. After awhile it began to feel better. By the end of November I felt ready to begin working it a bit. So one Monday I rode on my stationary bike for 30 minutes. I didn’t do anything too strenuous…just a moderate workout. So far so good….
I rested my knee the following day and it still felt pretty good. Some discomfort, but with my knee problems (my syndrome) that was nothing unusual. On Wednesday I decided to take a walk on my treadmill. I walked at 2.3 mph, with my treadmill on full incline. (Jillian said that if you walk slowly on an incline it can bring your heart rate up just as though you were walking much faster.) Seemed like a good idea at the time…LOL. I was able to get my heart-rate up to 85% while still allowing me to walk carefully with minimal impact. After the walk I felt pretty good and even walked to work. On my way to work however the similar pains in my knee began (the ones I had experienced in California). That worried me.
At work I sat at my desk and my knee popped. I knew immediately that this was something way more serious than even what had happened in California. I made a doctors appointment for the upcoming Friday (this happened the day before Thanksgiving, so I had to wait for an appointment). That doctor scheduled me for an appointment with a specialist who suspects a vertical meniscus tear. He in turn scheduled me for an MRI. The results will be explained to me next Wednesday…nearly two weeks from when it actually began to hurt seriously. Oh well, what can you do but wait patiently right?
Now let me say a couple of things.
1. I did NOT eat well while I was not able to work out like I used to. That was pretty stupid. There is no other way to say it. Why in the world would I think “Hey you can’t workout right now…so you might as well eat anything you want.” Instead wouldn’t it have been wiser to say “Hey, you can’t workout like you’re used to, so you better be extra careful with your eating.” But NO, I didn’t do that. My current weight is only 1lb heavier than I was at the end of my last blog. But I know that I’ve lost muscle mass and replaced it with fat.
2. I did NOT workout my upper body or do any abdominal work while my knee was recovering. Why?!?! Another bad decision!! Seriously in hindsight, I think I should have done what exercises I could so that I didn’t lose ground in other areas. But I didn’t do that either. Uggggghhhh! People wonder why they have weight problems for their whole LIFE…A SERIES OF BAD DECISIONS PEOPLE!!!
Okay so on to the good news. There’s good news in all of this you say? Well I think so. First of all I’m going to find out what is actually wrong with my knee. Whether it’s what the doctor thinks or something else, at least I will know for sure come next Wednesday.
Also, I’ve realized that it’s so important for me to focus on my diet. I’ve improved so much over the last year making better food choices. I cook healthier meals and have cleaned much of the junk out of my home. But there are still those occasions when I justify eating sweets or garbage. And I’ve come to realize that has to stop. It’s like saying “As long as I only take this poison once in awhile I’ll be fine!” How ridiculous.
So I’ve decided to follow the Perricone Weight-Loss diet. While I may not be able to follow it exactly (only because his menu suggests many recipes that are for 4 – 6 people and I’m usually by myself), I know that I can stay pretty close to the foods he recommends. I like his plan because it reinforces much of what I’ve learned from Jillian’s Master your Metabolism and the Eat Clean eating plan. Eat as close to natural foods as you possibly can. Sugar and processed foods are killing us!!! But in addition to those things I know it was chock full of supplements that are supposed to help me get my body back in working function. Things to help me burn fat more efficiently, regulate my sugar, increase my insulin receptors, improve my skin, enhance my brain function, etc. All natural…I like that.
So today I started that diet. I took my morning supplements, and will be taking many more throughout the day. I’ll focus on more of the specifics later.
I also decided to take a course though PeerTrainer that is helping me figure out the psychological part of my weight gain. I realize that I must understand it if I’m ever going to break the bad behaviors.
And I’ve committed to working out in whatever way I’m able to while I get this knee back in working order. No more neglecting that part of my routine.
I promise to be more faithful in my posting.
So there you have it…where I was…to where I am today. I’m still on the journey to scaling down.
Talk to you soon.
Tammy
I returned home from that trip only to be followed home by my son John. LOL. He nearly beat us home! Ha ha ha. He said that our 5 day visit was too short and he wanted more time with family. So he came home for another 10 days. It was such a great visit because there were no plans, holidays or any disruptions…just time together at home. Just what he needed and I have to admit…just what I needed.
For the next two months I was unable to walk on my treadmill because of my knee. The pain I was feeling was different than that I have experienced from my Patella Femoral Syndrome. I knew I really hurt something this time. So I was determined to baby it and let it heal. I iced it regularly and stretched it often. After awhile it began to feel better. By the end of November I felt ready to begin working it a bit. So one Monday I rode on my stationary bike for 30 minutes. I didn’t do anything too strenuous…just a moderate workout. So far so good….
I rested my knee the following day and it still felt pretty good. Some discomfort, but with my knee problems (my syndrome) that was nothing unusual. On Wednesday I decided to take a walk on my treadmill. I walked at 2.3 mph, with my treadmill on full incline. (Jillian said that if you walk slowly on an incline it can bring your heart rate up just as though you were walking much faster.) Seemed like a good idea at the time…LOL. I was able to get my heart-rate up to 85% while still allowing me to walk carefully with minimal impact. After the walk I felt pretty good and even walked to work. On my way to work however the similar pains in my knee began (the ones I had experienced in California). That worried me.
At work I sat at my desk and my knee popped. I knew immediately that this was something way more serious than even what had happened in California. I made a doctors appointment for the upcoming Friday (this happened the day before Thanksgiving, so I had to wait for an appointment). That doctor scheduled me for an appointment with a specialist who suspects a vertical meniscus tear. He in turn scheduled me for an MRI. The results will be explained to me next Wednesday…nearly two weeks from when it actually began to hurt seriously. Oh well, what can you do but wait patiently right?
Now let me say a couple of things.
1. I did NOT eat well while I was not able to work out like I used to. That was pretty stupid. There is no other way to say it. Why in the world would I think “Hey you can’t workout right now…so you might as well eat anything you want.” Instead wouldn’t it have been wiser to say “Hey, you can’t workout like you’re used to, so you better be extra careful with your eating.” But NO, I didn’t do that. My current weight is only 1lb heavier than I was at the end of my last blog. But I know that I’ve lost muscle mass and replaced it with fat.
2. I did NOT workout my upper body or do any abdominal work while my knee was recovering. Why?!?! Another bad decision!! Seriously in hindsight, I think I should have done what exercises I could so that I didn’t lose ground in other areas. But I didn’t do that either. Uggggghhhh! People wonder why they have weight problems for their whole LIFE…A SERIES OF BAD DECISIONS PEOPLE!!!
Okay so on to the good news. There’s good news in all of this you say? Well I think so. First of all I’m going to find out what is actually wrong with my knee. Whether it’s what the doctor thinks or something else, at least I will know for sure come next Wednesday.
Also, I’ve realized that it’s so important for me to focus on my diet. I’ve improved so much over the last year making better food choices. I cook healthier meals and have cleaned much of the junk out of my home. But there are still those occasions when I justify eating sweets or garbage. And I’ve come to realize that has to stop. It’s like saying “As long as I only take this poison once in awhile I’ll be fine!” How ridiculous.
So I’ve decided to follow the Perricone Weight-Loss diet. While I may not be able to follow it exactly (only because his menu suggests many recipes that are for 4 – 6 people and I’m usually by myself), I know that I can stay pretty close to the foods he recommends. I like his plan because it reinforces much of what I’ve learned from Jillian’s Master your Metabolism and the Eat Clean eating plan. Eat as close to natural foods as you possibly can. Sugar and processed foods are killing us!!! But in addition to those things I know it was chock full of supplements that are supposed to help me get my body back in working function. Things to help me burn fat more efficiently, regulate my sugar, increase my insulin receptors, improve my skin, enhance my brain function, etc. All natural…I like that.
So today I started that diet. I took my morning supplements, and will be taking many more throughout the day. I’ll focus on more of the specifics later.
I also decided to take a course though PeerTrainer that is helping me figure out the psychological part of my weight gain. I realize that I must understand it if I’m ever going to break the bad behaviors.
And I’ve committed to working out in whatever way I’m able to while I get this knee back in working order. No more neglecting that part of my routine.
I promise to be more faithful in my posting.
So there you have it…where I was…to where I am today. I’m still on the journey to scaling down.
Talk to you soon.
Tammy
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