Where are we?

Here! We are here! :)

Thankfully at this very moment I'm with my little family at the beach, enjoying the salt water, the fresh air and the time that I've been craving with the boys and Chris.  I've felt so isolated these last 6 weeks being sick and in the bed.  I'm excited to say that I am feeling MUCH better!  My energy level is rising every day, I've got almost zero pain and there is HOPE in my heart.  I'm fighting.  I'm going to keep fighting. I'm going to prove Lupus wrong. :)

Tate, Tanner and Tucker enjoying our first day.

I'm still on a ton of meds~ hoping to wean off of them sooner rather than later.  But I've also taken control of some things that I wanted to share.

So I've changed the way I'm eating.  No grains, no sugar, no dairy.  Basically I'm going back to the basics.  Meat, Veggies, Fruit, Nuts and Seeds are what my food consumption consists of.  Let me tell you what a change it has been in just a few days:


As you know, I've had a recent lupus flare that left me spending 6 weeks in the bed while visiting the ER twice and having home-health delivering upwards of 180mg of IV steriods over 3 days.  This time lupus attacked my lungs, lymph nodes and voice box.  It's been painful and debilitating. I'm taking 22 pills a day and have had no voice for weeks.  I'm done waiting on things to get better.  I'm fighting. I decided it might be time to at least look at it- so I ordered the book,(after much encouragement from a good friend) The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson.

Last Friday (5/25/2012) I made the change.  Mind you I was in the bed for 2 days before (plenty of time to read).  After 1 days of eating "primally", I was up and out of the bed with a little bit energy and almost no pain (and on my way for to a beach trip that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make).  Today it's Wednesday- Day 6 of "primal living"- My voice is completely back - no hoarseness at all.  I feel "almost normal" which is a HUGE difference from this time last week when the most I moved was from the bed to the bathroom to the couch.  I'm convinced that my life is about to change in a dramatic way.

My hubby, Chris (who is fit and energetic) is completely on board and my boys are about to get a big awakening from the pop-tarts/cereal breakfast. :)

This is just the beginning of my success story (seeing as it's not even been a week yet) but I am convinced in the method and I'm walking proof that what we eat can change everything within our being.  

I know that I don't have total control of this disease and what happens in the future.  Thankfully God is WAY more qualified than I am in handling my life :) - He's proven himself over and over again.  However, it does feel good to know that now I'm eating what He's providing.  His hand is on everything - not the hands processing and adding things to our foods.  It's not hype. Just the truth. I challenge you to check it out.  See what you think and make your own decisions.  Give it 21 days.  Heck give it a week!
The more I learn the more it makes sense to me and I bet it will to you too.

Just wanted to share what I'm learning through this trial:

1.  God is ALWAYS in control and He NEVER leaves us.  In fact, when things get hard, He's the one that     carries us through. He's the one that's strong when we are weak.

2.  My friends are some of the BEST people I could ever imagine knowing.  We have been completely overwhelmed by your love, support and acts of kindness during these past 2 months. From carpools, playdates, cards, food and most of all , your prayers.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

3. My family is unbelievable.  Simply unbelievable.  I can't imagine what it must be like for them to watch and not be able to "fix" the problem.  Thank you for keeping me encouraged, for letting me cry and for just holding my hand.  And thank you for celebrating the little steps forward with me because as much as the news was bad...I couldn't wait to share the small victories with you! :)

4.  My boys.  All 4 of them (including Chris).  :)  I'm so excited to be able to play with them again.  To watch them enjoying life. To be able to participate and not just sit on the sidelines of life is an amazing feeling.  So thankful for each of them and the special love they give to me.  So proud to be a Mommy and Wife.

So that's it.  The update.  I told you I would write again when I was feeling better and enjoying summer and that is TODAY.

See ya soon!
t

Seeing the Light at the End of the Tunnel ~

Wow...it's been a few months since I posted.  Time flies when things are crazy! ha!  I promise I'm going to try to be better at this ~ had every intention of posting at least once a month!  Good intentions....

So life's been a little "on-hold" lately.  Lupus has reared its ugly head and decided to take its place in my lungs (Lupus Pleuritis)  Needless to say - not a fun experience.  I've been in the bed for 4 weeks now...showing some improvement lately.  Baby steps, but improvement none the less.  Not to bore you with the ins-and-outs of this disease but if you don't know a lot about it - its something to behold.  It's known as "the most misunderstood disease" because it mimics so many other diseases.  It can take years to diagnose and no two lupus patients present the same way.  It can attack ANY part of your body (lungs, heart, skin, kidneys, etc)  It's basically an attack of your immune system on all your healthy cells, which causes inflammation, scarring and hosts of other issues.  It comes and goes in a series of relapses and  remissions so lots of people "look great" and are still very sick.  As of today,  I'm on 22 pills just to keep things at bay and most of the meds are toxic in their own right - causing a load of nasty side effects and putting me at risk for other diseases.   

May is actually Lupus Awareness Month. www.lupus.org   Some might say perfect timing for people to see how yucky lupus can really make a person feel.  I know lots of you have been praying for me as I've been keeping things updated on Facebook.  You have no idea how much it means to read your encouraging words and know that you are in my corner and are understanding of this disease as best you can.  Amazing friends and family I have. :)

And with saying that- let me brag (just a bit) on my wonderful hubby, Chris.  I love that man.  He is my ROCK.  He has been with me every single step of the way and loved me through it all.  He knows just what I need when I need it ~ whether its something to eat/drink, hold my hand, give me a hug or to just sit with me and let me cry.   Sometimes he's bossy and makes me sit down and quit talking but I know he's right.  (Just don't tell him!) ha!  In the midst of the past month, he has taken over and taken care of everything.  The kids, the house, his job...all while not complaining, watching me suffer and knowing there is nothing he can do to "fix this".  Hard for a loved one, I know.  He's a very special Husband and Daddy and I am so thankful for him.  We celebrated 14 years of marriage on May 9th and I honestly can say that I love him more today than I did on our wedding day!  Thank you Chris for all your love and support.

Also want to say how thankful I am for Mom, Dad and Mandy along with all my wonderfully giving friends  and family who have stepped up for car-pooling, dinners, breakfasts, phone calls, emails, love and prayers.  The MacNicol House could not be functioning without every single one of you and your thoughtfulness. Always asking "What can I do for you?"  We are overwhelmed by all the love.

Our boys ~  oh my they are growing up so fast!  Just finished baseball season and unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the last few weeks of games, which I hated.  But they are such troopers! Tucker wakes up every morning, runs to our room and says "Good morning Mommy!  Are you feeling better today?"  So very precious.  They are my SMILES.  Tate and Tanner have been so helpful - they even dusted and vacuumed the house for me this week!   :)  They have been handling this all remarkably well.  Had a few worries and concerns (of course) but we are being honest with them and answering all the questions they have.  This is the Mom they know, and I struggle with that, but I also know that God has a bigger plan and he is preparing them for their own lives one day. We are trusting the He will use these times to make them better Husbands and Daddy's in the future. :)

One more note and then I'm done.  (I know this is a long one....)

On  June 9th we are taking a stand against Lupus while participating in the Lupus Walk here in Birmingham.  We would LOVE for you to join us!  Even if you can't be present you can still help by making a small donation to help us raise awareness and to find a CURE!  

For more info:  LUPUS WALK FOR NOW BIRMINGHAM

Next time I post- hoping it'll be to tell you how great my health is doing and how we are enjoying the first of SUMMER!! 

t