I wish remission were contagious!!!!

I wish that for all of you too Hope ....

On to the questions

Question:

1. When you had RSD in your feet, (as I do) what kind of cardio exercise did you do? (Any walking for me creates 'off the charts' immense swelling, burning, redness and nerve pain!!)

Answer:
My cardio training was much more sporadic when I had RSD.
If I was in a flare I wouldn't do it or, I would do a little and listen to my body and it's response .When I wasn't in a flare I would get on the elliptical.
I did gym work outs when I was feeling well .
Sometimes I would pay the price with increased pain
My RSD started in my hands.My feet joined the party some time later later so I was able to do cardio fairly easily the first 2 or so years ,blocking out the pain for those 40 minutes of zen

Question:

2. Can you give an example of a day's diet that you adhere to?
(breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks..and any supplements you may take!)

Answer: to you and Lisa - sort of -

I usually start the day with a fruit /green smoothie. SO filling !
I use fresh fruits from the farmers market (eg.strawberries ,a banana and blueberries ) and mix in a couple of handfuls of leafy greens. I use water to get it all going in the blender.
My favorite greens are kale and spinach but collard greens ,dandelion etc work just as well. It is best to vary your greens .
Leafy greens are so, so good for you .They are filled with vitamins and nutrients .
Fruits and vegetables contains loads of easily digestible fiber too.Good for the colon; the whole internal and external bod( you will glow )
Green smoothies have been shown to cut the cravings for sweets and other unhealthy processed and sugary fare throughout the day .
Depending on how I feel I may use raw hemp protein which has a divine nutty taste for some extra aminos and protein.
For lunch and dinner :
I am a bit of a grazer. I always have fresh vegetables cut up in the fridge .
I get nori wraps( the stuff they use to roll sushi-.in my case raw ones from a local raw restaurant ) and make salad rolls or "sandwiches" all day long. I LOVE these and I can eat forever without fear of weight gain (lol) or that heavy full feeling . The food I eat is so nutrient dense and delicious.
I probably eat over a pound of greens and other delightful vegetable goodness all day long
. I can make them "to go" as well .
Remember color - the more color the more nutrients .I love red cabbage ,spinach,carrots ,zucchini ,bean sprouts etc . I eat way way too many onions !!! Stinky-
I probably eat approx the same thing for dinner .A smoothie if I feel the need for something sweet. I am a creature of habit .
As you change your diet ( I call it a lifestyle ) you will notice that you start to crave these new delicious wholesome foods.
I will walk a mile ( and I have driven many more) for a good salad !. I never use dressing just some fresh lemon juice .
I think about grapefruits when I am hungry A grapefruit is often my snack food .
People who think consciously about what they eat , eat a lot better and eat more quality ,nutrient dense foods than those who "assume" they are getting all their nutrients from a piece of meat or poultry .The steroids , antibiotics and saturated fats alone in these foods are enough to make any one sick,not the picture of good health , as many "assume"

Vegans have about a 50% lower incidence of many cancers , strokes and heart disease .Type 2 diabetes is completely reversible through diet and lifestyle .New studies have come out linking breast cancer to dairy . Dairy has been linked to many diseases including many of the the inflammatory ones such as RA .
The list on this also goes on and on. .
Read "The China Study" by Colin Cambell ; "The Diet for a New America" by John Robbins ;. Dr Joel Furmans "Eat to Live " and much of Dr McDougalls work which includes a "low fat " vegan diet as the key to good health ; and many others .


NB: the protein myth is simply that .SAD(Standard American diets) have 4 or 5 times the protein requirements recommended . A vegan or vegetarian diet will fill all protein requirements



Question:

3. After which treatment and intervention did the remission begin to appear?

Answer :

I am still at a bit of a loss with this.As I mentioned I received the last 3 treatment options concurrently . I did not feel better directly after any of them from what I can recall ( short term memory for pain is a beautiful thing!!!!) . I got sicker after the naturopathic treatment but then I got well.I might think there is something to it in hind site but I would hate for any one to go through what I did with the" tonic" he gave me. I had friends talk me out of hospital visits through the night.
I did not feel relief right after the ketamine treatments but they may have had a cumulative effect.
I did thoroughly enjoy the "dives" and HBOT. I remeber feeling refreshed and a little buzzed after each treatment .
I always kept up with "moving" ie cardio throughout my RSD timeline.
I am convinced there is something to this as I was continually nourishing my cells!!!!



Question:
4. Did you do acupuncture and /or meditation/visualization?

Answer:
I meditate regularly - do yoga and practice visualization.
Meditation is an awesome addition to any life and lifestyle.
Being still,( and not thinking or worrying!!) in general is a good practice ...however you find a means to that end.
I did acupuncture when I was in the depths in RSD. It helped at first but then I recall feeling worse.
I remember a coldness and pain spreading through my calves which scared me and I stopped.
Bear in mind my experience may not reflect other peoples experience.What works for one does not always work for another

Question:
5. I know it's hard to determine, but what is your gut feeling on what truly finally put you into remission?

I think I answered this above as best I could .


Lisa in Ohio - Thanks for the warm words. All of these responses make me really happy that I came back to share
Being vegan is a wonderful thing. Of course in our omni/carnivore, processed food society it does take a bit of work.
I think it will be the wave of the future for so many reasons including health, environment ( factory farming is destroying the planet.The fecal matter alone from ff 's is polluting our waterways ad nauseum ) , animal rights and non violence .The list goes on.
For people who are sick the difference can be astounding and life changing!!!
The additives in food ( and what we put ON or skins ) is so long and complex -Unneeded and ridiculous really. I try to stick by this mantra.."Keep it simple"
Our grandparents never had a list of ingredients that they could not pronounce and would take a page to get through!!!!. Many diseases are a response and /or an allergic to these additives . Eliminating them could make a HUGE differences in symptoms we have learned to live with .

Indeed the work to become or live vegan will be more difficult in a rural setting . I live in a big city and my options are plentiful. I do eat cooked foods when I go out with others but most restaurants here have plenty of vegan options.

Going this route is a process- an ever evolving journey .I started being vegan for health reasons but after much research into the abuse of animals on factory farms my thoughts and reasons for staying vegan( the hard part !!!) changed. I could never go back for so so many reasons .
I would recommend listening to that very wise body of yours.It knows so much !!! Be kind to yourself. You are where you are at, in that moment. . Cravings are just that and they pass.
As an athlete I had always had some excellent eating habits so the change was not as drastic for me, as for some.
I haven't eaten processed foods or used condiments,even salt since high school. I did have a serious ice cream addiction so some things like cutting out dairy were harder than others .
to the point:
Do you have a farmers market near by? There must be some local farms that have delicious /pesticide free organic fruits and vegetables???
There is a wealth of vegan material on the web. I know that goveg.com has a 30 day vegan challenge .There are also plenty of sites with vegan recipes from low fat to others. Good Luck and google away !


Loretta- I think I answered most of those questions in my second response to this thread. The only thing I did not address is the length of my HBOT sessions. If memory serves I believe they were each 90 minutes.
I would have to call the center to confirm.
Let me now if I missed something

Ok ...I think that's it. I hope I answered all and then some

peace and more
GnP

Hi Good 'n Plenty
First, I am so grateful that you've answered my post so quickly and with such detail!! Thanks for taking the time, as I know your days are open to you now, to do all the fun things you were deprived of for so long!!

You've been on the boards for a long time, as I went back and traced your posts from a couple of years ago! You have been through many modalities and you were a brave one to try even the riskier ones. But I see that you were able to also maintain a sense of humor..

Your answers give much information, but especially a lot of incentive since you have had success! There are steps we all can take, stating with diet changes, and mindfulness; they are available to all of us and for no cost!

Mindless eating has become like an analgesic to me, as it is one of the pleasures that I can still do, since I can no longer hike, stroll, or walk more that 100 yards, and it seems to numb the pain and my brain.. It's just that all the horrible things I eat are causing added weight gain, inflammation, and toxins to my body.

It does take a leap of self discipline , and of faith, to turn old harmful habits around, and develop new ones, as arduous as it can be.

I have "it" in my feet and lower limbs...Also, I have been off work for the last 4 days, practically unable to move because of severe back pain, which sent me to E.R. on Thursday. I hope the the RSD isn't deciding to set up camp in my spine and right hip.

Creating new habits is a huge challenge and making time to do all the things that can help is something I have to do. As you know, the pain is so draining and exhausting (I also work full time) that it's 'easier' to take the path of least effort..

Your story is amazing, and you are so kind to come back and share it with us.
I hope you find time to post now and then and continue to inspire us! thanks for the vegan web site!!!
Many thanks!
Hope4thebest

Dear H4TB,

I am SO, SO sorry to hear this latest news. I hope that even though you are WC and they have placed an inordinate number of restrictions on your ability to seek medical care, you can still contact someone in your medical group for help at this terrible time. Obviously their plans need to be modified ASAP. Did you see DianaA's posting on Stanford's recruitment for a lidocaine study?

Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and peace, Sandy

Quick thought: why bother to assume that back pain has anything to due with RSD or a foot injury at work? Let someone else worry about that. In the meantime, that's what employer provided health insurance should cover: lock, stock and barrel.

Mike

Hello H4TB...

My friend, it hurts my heart to read that you are not feeling so well and I can feel your pain and sadness...I hope that you will have better days ahead..Our rascal, RSD has zero sense of humor..and it was not invented for the weak..H4TB..you are strong..you are a fighter and you have given so much of yourself to all of us here..our family is here for you also...Hang in there and please do not wavier as we will not give up we will only work harder at living with our nasty illness and not to allow the "system" to hamper our positive fight..... I will pray for you in that you will find the strength to smile and not weaken...

Soft hugz...Kathy

Thanks for your thoughts and words of encouragement..
I think my hip and lower back are shot from limping and lifting the knee caddy in and out of my car when the injury and then surgery occurred 2 and 4 years ago respectively...the CT scan on Thursday also showed lumbar arthritis.
Time will tell on this development which has had me 'down' literally and figuratively since Monday..
I must return to work tomorrow as there are things on my desk that cannot wait..

Let us return the thread to the uplifting news of Good 'n Plenty's remission, though..at some point I may start a separate thread for my back/hip

Gratitude,
Hope4thebest xoxoxo Such good news for Good n' Plenty!!

Good n' Plenty, Thank God!! I am soo thankful for you right now! I have generalized RSD in all 4 limbs, primarily in dominant arm. I am also one that loves physical activity and insists on doing whatever i can at the moment, but with the recent further spread I am feeling defeated. I really needed to hear that someone with generalized RSD has gone off meds and into remission. I have heard someone say, hope is the enemy of acceptance, but if i dont have hope than it feels as if I dont have my faith. I know i have to accept RSD but I have to keep hoping for remission. Thanks- you sure made my day brighter!
momof4

WOOOO-HOOO!!! Ya HOO!! Good for you GNP!!
I am so freakin happy for you hon!!
On top of the world for ya!
You are right NEVER GIVE UP!

hugs hon,
Sandra

Good afternoon. I hope you don't mind my selecting your post to reply to but it was teh most recent. I am a new member and am not even sure I am in the right "forum' but if not perhaps someone will point me in the right direction. I am a care giver for a long time migraine sufferer. Over the past 6 years she has gone through numerous doctors and countless medication with no relief. The chronic pain has cost her job and she has no quality of life. Although I cannot imagine the pain, I can tell you that it is also very difficult to watch someone you love suffer daily and not be able to help(please do not take this as my complaining about me as that is not my intent). Anyway, after searching the internet, I am looking for physicians in New York or surrounding areas that treat migraine/chronic pain through a pain pump or the out-patient ketamine infusion therapy that I have read so much about. I saw some posts from people in western New York but they were dated. She is currently seeing Dr. Gosey in Williamsville but the NP that has been assigned to her does not take her pain level seriousl (the previous NP left the practice) and will not even consider the pain pump even though the previous NP was all for it before she left. I have thought of making an appointment with Dr Kreusz(sp?) in TX but if we can find help closer that would be great. Sorry for the long initial post but I am sure you can all understand the frustration in trying to explain your situation. Thank you in advance for any help/advice/information you may offer.

I am so glad to hear this news. I too went to a naturopathic doctor in January of this year. I have been following a stricter diet, than the gluten free. She too told me that things would probably get worse before they get better and they have. However, I am not giving up, she said it could take up to a year!!!!

This news is such a blessing to me, thank you for sharing.

Jeanie