AI Awareness

Am I the only one who still thinks Artificial Intelligence before Adrenal Insufficiency?

In case you can't read the text in the above photo, April is Adrenal Insufficiency Awareness month. 

It is also Arab-American month, Autism Awareness month, Confederate History month (really?), Jazz Appreciation month, National Poetry month, Parkinson's Awareness month, and STD Awareness month, according to Wikipedia (where everything is 100% factual).

So we have some stiff competition. 

Hahaha, get it? STD Awareness month...stiff competition...lol 

If you would like an awesome template too so you can spread awareness on your social media sites, fellow alien Tara Suckstorf made a few of them and shared them on Facebook. You can download one for free here. 

Love, 

an Addison alien

who is still doing well on 5mgs of Prednisone!

A New Dawn

I can't believe I am writing this, but here I go: I am on Day 4 of just 5mgs of Prednisone and I feel fine! Granted, I got to lay around all morning and didn't get to the office until around noon but it takes time to adjust so if a slow start is what my body needs, I am more than happy to comply. I really think my body is going to do well on the lower dose this time. It feels like a mini miracle, after trying at least 3 other times to cut down my dosage and running into problems every time.

It feels like a new dawn, a fresh start, a clean slate, and any other cliche you can think of.

Love,

an Addison alien

who hopes your wishes come true too

Mind > Matter

It's so cliche, I can barely type the words...

but it's SO true...

mind over matter.

Today, I am on autopilot. I am mentally willing myself through the day and I'm totally ok with that.

I woke up this morning with that old familiar feeling of "omg, I can't possibly get out of bed". But I promised myself I would go to yoga and the market before work this morning, so I just made myself get up.

To make myself move, I reminded myself how blessed I am every step of the way.

I am blessed to wake up in this warm, comfortable bed, in my lovely home. 

I am blessed to  have clean clothes to wear. 

I am blessed to have a car to drive to the yoga studio.

I am blessed to be able to practice yoga with beautiful teachers. 

I am blessed to have all my body parts and limbs intact and uninjured. 

I am blessed to chose to exercise for my benefit, rather than be forced into manual labor. 

I am blessed to be able to buy all the healthy foods I can carry. 

Taking this attitude, I've made it through a pretty intense yoga class, a trip the local market (it's high season around here so everywhere is packed and there is no longer such a thing as a simple trip to the market anymore.), and I'm settling in for long shift at work. 

Even though I could not imagine making it through the day I had planned when I first woke up this morning, I am actually feeling pretty good now. Gratitude is an amazing thing. 

And I'm still on just 5mgs of Prednisone! If I start to feel shaky later today, I'll take more, but if not, I'm calling this Day 3 on 5mgs!!! I feel like my body is going to be able to make this adjustment after all and for that, I am super grateful. 

Love, 

an Addison alien

who would like to end with another cliche: count your blessings

Rebel Without An Ounce of Energy

I've decided to do what I do best: completely ignore my doctor's advice and do things my own way. 

(I'm not saying you should too...please do not take this as advice!)

If you've been reading along here, you know I've been trying to cut my dose of Prednisone down. Way, way down; from 25mgs/day to a goal of 5mgs/day. I've been stuck at 7.5mgs for a few months now and while I  have been able to lose some weight and see a reduction of the other side effects from taking steroids, my inner compass has been telling me to get down to 5mgs. For some reason, aka hours of research online, I am convinced the side effects will really start to reduce at this dosage. 

The problem is that my body got used to such high doses of steroids for so long, so every single time I have tried to cut back to 5mgs/day, something has gone wrong and I've teetered on the edge of an adrenal crisis a few times. I haven't had a crisis in over a year and try to be very careful to not have another. But that hasn't stopped me from wanting to reduce that steroid dose. 

My endo recently told me she did not think my body could handle just 5mgs/day. BUT this was before an underlying infection was diagnosed, so the reason my body couldn't tolerate 5mgs was very likely the fact that I was ill and therefore actually needed more steroids, not less. 

So I've decided, on my own and against medical advice, to try to cut back one more time. Call it a "hail Mary". If this time doesn't work, I will let this idea go. 

I hope.

I made sure that I am healthy, have a low-key schedule, and can rest a lot, as my body tries to adjust to this lower dose. Last night, I slept from 9pm to 7am, only waking up twice and restless 28 times (that's good for me, I often get closer to 50 wake-ups/restless per night) and I have still been exhausted all day. I'm basically just trying to get through each hour at a time, knowing that I can go back to bed soon-ish. 

I am hopeful that in a couple days my energy levels will pick-up and my body will adjust to this lowered dosage. If not, I'll just have to go back to the higher dose. 

AND FEEL FAT FOREVER.

So keep your fingers crossed for me, fellow shit creek survivors. 

Love, 

an Addison alien

who is determined to make this time stick

7 lbs Down & Counting!

That's right, kids - I am actually losing weight on steroids!

Maybe mermaids and unicorns are real too? Because, people, the impossible is losing its "im". I have tried and tried and tried and tried and really, really tried to lose weight on steroids before and I felt like a hamster on a running wheel. NOTHING I did made a difference. I would only eat 1000 calories a day and gain weight. It was frustrating, to say the least. More like infuriating.

Since dialing down my steroid dose and treating my thyroid, dieting and exercise actually seem to be effective once again. I am so grateful!

Here's what is working for me:

I'm loving Vega protein shakes for breakfast. It's a well-known fact that skipping breakfast slows your metabolism - and you should take your steroid with food. But I hate eating in the morning. I've never been hungry when I wake up and I don't care to force feed myself. Vega protein powder is the perfect solution. It is vegan, gluten-free, and has tons of your daily greens (along with, of course, protein). If you use with water, it's just 170 calories per serving! I've been adding chia seeds to my morning shake for the omegas.

Here's a great way to check if you are getting enough omegas: feel the back of your arms. If you feel a bunch of little bumps, like "chicken skin", you need more omegas! A couple spoon fulls of chia seeds each day will get you back in balance. I prefer chia seeds to omega pills made from fish because I think they fish tasting ones are gross. Especially the ones that make you burp. Ewwww. 

For lunch and dinner, I try to stick to a plant-based, vegetarian (baconarian/pescadarian to be precise) diet. That means no gluten, dairy, soy, carbs, or processed foods. A typical lunch for me would be a salad or fruit, followed by a dinner of steamed vegetables and fish.

While I don't drink alcohol or caffeine, I always allow myself a small treat or dessert to end the day. I'm trying to find a healthy treat that takes care of the cravings, but for now I'm really obsessed with white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and eat one every day. For me, that's balance and helps me avoid binge eating because I feel deprived.

Lots of loose layers covers the bulge...cell phone covers the double chin...I almost look thin again!

I have my FitBit (pictured above - I use the Charge HR), so I always know how many calories I have left in my daily "budget" (and so that I make sure to leave enough calories for that nightly cookie!). It also helps me move, by encouraging to hit my daily goals of 10,000 steps, 30 active minutes, and 10 flights of stairs.

I practice yoga and meditation (almost) every day, as well. For cardio, I take tap dancing class twice a week and tap on my own when I can.

I also make sure I drink at least 3 liters of water every day.

There are a few other tricks that are helping me along this journey towards health; a detox tea, a special kind of water, and my multitude of supplements. I'll highlight each of these in future posts. So stay tuned!

Love,

an Addison alien

who thinks no food tastes as good as fit feels...except for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies

*I am not receiving any kind of kick back from Vega or FitBit, I just really like their products. If they would like to send me free items, I welcome them with open arms!*

In case...

Love, 

an Addison alien

who can't think of anything clever to say today to save her life

Running Wonder

Meet Suzi, a fellow Addison alien, who is refusing to let this disease run her life.

Instead, Suzi took up running after her diagnosis and has only been training consistently for the last year or two. In that time, she has ran multiple 10ks and has completed 4 half-marathons! For support, she runs three times a week with a local club. 

I know what you're thinking: "Oh great, she has Addison's and can run marathons and I can't even get off the couch. I feel MUCH better now!"

To which I say: calm down! 

(you know how bad stress is for us Addisonians)

No matter where you are on your journey with Addison's Disease, Suzi is a stellar example of how you can run your own life. It might not feel like it today. But like all journeys and marathons, we all start with a single step. 

Step 1: Get off the couch and walk around the house

Step 2: Walk to the mailbox

Step: 3 Walk around the block

You see what I'm doing here? Little by little, step by step, you too can accomplish whatever it is you want to. We so often see the final goal as so far away and unattainable, instead of setting small, easily attainable goals and celebrating each step forward.

Of course, with a serious condition like Addison's Disease, you need to take steps to make sure your body can handle the physical stress of exercise. Suzi says her steroid levels are low after every run and she stress doses as needed. After a really long run, it may take her a few days to recover. But she doesn't let these small sacrifices stop her feet from hitting the pavement, week after week. 

And she doesn't think having Addison's should stop you from living the life you want either. "My last bit of advice", Suzi writes, "is that, yes, we all do have Addison's...but we only get one life and we are blessed because we get our second chance at it. Live each day and set goals to achieve them. 

Our disease doesn't dictate out lives, 

WE DO."

I couldn't say it better. Thank you for sharing Suzi, you inspire me! I hope your story will also encourage others.  

Love, 

an Addison alien

who would love to hear your Addisonian success story too