Day 30 - Last Day!!!!! Recap with pictures/symptoms list

 As I prepare to head out tomorrow morning, I wanted to document some things more detailed. I can't conclude this without thanking YOU and so many who have remembered me, prayed for me, and loved me through this challenge. I hope it has encouraged you too. Be blessed! And I hope to see you soon.

A little picture history....

Day 1
12/8/19

133.9 lbs
(Once was 225 - unbelievable)

BP 113/78

Our last meal.
Scared. To. Death!

Someone sent this to me...still don't know who. Thank you!!!
I love it!

Dr. Goldhamer. What a vision he had to create this place!

Messing around with Kiyomi, making our trailer.
Notice I am surrounded by my loved ones. Blanket,
pillow, and my sweatshirt had the handprints of the kids in the family all over it. So many people commented how well surrounded I was by my family all month.
If they only knew... <3

Michele and Ainsley Weiss from Texas. Such nice people! 

A new outfit cause nothing fits anymore. 

Where'd my backside go????????

I just look so different than I ever have.

Last Day of Fasting

Lost 18.5 lbs

12/28/19

Down from 133.9 to 115.2

Yes, it's hard not to focus on the sagging skin.

First food. Watermelon! I've been so dehydrated!!!

When we had our strength back a bit, we took a 2 mile walk to a spice shop.
The town of Santa Rosa is really cute. Retro.
Stopped at this beautiful Cancer Survivors Memorial.
Kiyomi's got this!

My turn. It's a done deal. We are healed and healing!

Then, two days before leaving, a setback....

My ankles and wrists usually look normal size.

I added avocado. I also had some Bitchen Sauce and corn chips.
When I say I swell, and it can be painful, this is what I mean. This night was especially scary. My legs felt like they had grown to double the size. Could I have undone all the benefits that easily? What does this all mean?
I decided to pound water, all night if it was necessary.
I did - and I was up. A lot.

The next morning, things were much better.

I am so thankful for the body's ability and willingness to heal! 

I apologized to my body for the sips of mimosa I also took at the nail place the day before and for eating so much salt.
I asked for forgiveness, "thank you, I love you."

And moved on. We had a wonderful day a the beach!!!! And ate lots of veggies!!!





Beautiful Bodega Bay

What a month! 

I couldn't have done it without my fun, smart, beautiful partner in crime, 

Kiyomi Griess!!!  

Last day after refeeding: 

Weight: 117.5 (regained almost 2 lb in 7 days)

Blood Pressure 117/73 

The last two days of refeeding, I can eat anything here, limiting nuts to 1 oz per day (mainly to slow down weight gain, I think). They also warn those wanting to keep weight off to limit the starchy stuff to 1 - 3 servings a day. Otherwise - greens greens greens, veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes. Exercise. Water.

I am questioning avocados. I added them back yesterday and was in pain before bed. My hands, feet, knees, and joints still swelled and went down during the fast, but I didn't have the signature pain in all of them before introducing avocados as well as more salt in (low salt) salsa. I am also wondering about almonds as that is something one of my sons is sensitive to and I had some Bitchen Sauce yesterday (yum!), which also has almonds and salt in it.

A very exhaustive symptoms when I arrived in black. Update in red as of 1/6/20:

- Of course, a form of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, confirmed recently by PET scan and scalpel biopsy is my main reason for being here. Not sure when I'll have a new PET scan. They use ionizing radiation powerful enough o damage DNA and 1 PET/CT is equivalent to 250 chest X-rays. BTW, I could no longer find this on search engines. Information is being censored - I had to look in a book I have. The info is cited from Radiology Info (Feb. 2017) at www.radiologyinfo.org. I had 3 scans within the 1st week of diagnosis. The oncologist wants them quarterly so we can see "when this thing takes off."
I'm debating when to do next PET scan. I am reminded that the lymphoma is still here and my new, startling CRP is having me rethink waiting until the fall. I will see Dr. Raleigh at Restoration Healthcare in a month and talk it over with her. That will give me time to have things calm down by then and stabilize, and get new labs done. 

- Weakness/exhaustion when talking (especially on phone or teaching). Singing OK. (apparent symptoms of T-cell) Kiyomi feels this has improved dramatically. I'm nervous about what might happen as I start eating foods again and teaching/talking a lot. I am completely done with dairy and fine with it. It just isn't worth it. We'll see what happens now.  
- Chronic Cough, lots of phlegm - always Resolved very quickly after starting to fast, after nearly 2 years of constant cough.
- Heart pounding a lot, arrhythmias Worstened during fasting (normal), then much better.
- Plugged ears - always. Would crack sometimes. (Doctors feel its the lymphnodes) 70% better
- Very slow urination Not sure
- Tonsils and adenoids very sore, swollen, even touching and gagging me sometimes (T-cell) Visibly not much different and I still feel them like there is sometime in my throat but I am not gagging when I eat. 
- Lymphnodes on side of jaws on neck (small lime size) Still feel 4. May be smaller. Chestnut size.
- Lymphnodes on side of neck (chestnut size) - Frankenstein spot Still feel them. Size of peas. 
- Lymphonodes in groin on each size (small lime size) Right side gone. Left same.
- Lymphnodes in front of ears come and go, size of hard peas Still there
-Weird squishy wrists and ankles that appear to fill with fluid and then subside without cause (T-cell Dr. said he's seen it before) Comes and goes without prediction. Wrists sore and somewhat stationary.
- Hands and feet, fingers and toes, ankles and wrists swell. Sometimes painful in afternoon and at night with chills. Bad last night. Avocados? Almonds? Salt? 
- Specifically the back of the left knee swells and can make me limp. Legs/knees swollen last night. Can't fully bend knees at all anymore. 
- Sometimes when walking, my knees hyperextend with pain. Haven't felt this at all here. Did fine on walk. 
- Arthritis in right pointer finger, left tall finger, left thumb (painful spot). Visible in all fingers. No change. 
- High hs CRP for years. (12.67 when arrived, should be under 3) Measures inflammation and considered predictor for heart disease and cancer. One doctor told me I have it because of the lymphoma. Cholesterol OK. Blood pressure usually about 120/80. They warned it could go up. It was 47!!! the day I stopped fasting. Very scary. Research says it is probably the lymphoma or infection. Not panicking and will recheck in 4-6 weeks. 
- Rash on outside of thighs. Flat/purple. Dr. said it's the lymphoma. Painful if scratched. Completely cleared up about 1/2 way through the fast. 
- TMJ with locking on the left side, especially when going to eat. Treated by Dr. Lizner. Better. 
 - Squamash cell carcinoma on the nose. Mohs procedure once. Need it again according to dermo. Don't really know if there is any change. 
- Skin on nose very red - lots of broken blood vessels since Mohs procedure. Kiyomi swears it's improved a lot.
- Nose, EARS, toes, fingers extremely sensitive. If I hit them, the pain comes slowly and lingers like a searing hot pain. Don't know if improved. 
- Pain under bottom rib on left side when I lay on my right side or about 20 mins before deification. My doctor wanted a colonoscopy, but that would have been #3 in 3 years so I opted for Cologuard. Came back clean. If it doesn't improve, I will go do another one, I suppose. They did find a precancerous polyp 5 years ago now. Completely resolved the week of refeeding. Huge! I can sleep on my right side for the first time in years!
-Lower back pain when sitting. Completely resolved by Graston Technique, Dr. Linzner. Wow! 
-Forgotten right shoulder injury with some limited motion. Completely resolved by Graston Technique, by Dr. Linzner. Wow! 
- This showed back up after the night of swelling, 2 nights before I left. The lump on the left side of my chest I always asked doctors about. It hadn't been there. Feels like a swollen rib below clavicle.