Costochondritis

Update

2010-07-02T21:56:00.006-05:00

Hello Precious friends,

Quick update on me, my costochondritis, and my Celiac Disease journey. Thanks to everyone for all the comments all over the blog. I know I'm not writing here anymore, but I love you all and just had to post!!

I'm doing much better. I have rough days and good days. But my roughest days this month are better than my best days 6 months ago, so no complaining here. The HCL (stomach acid) and a digestive enzyme called Ancient Legacy Digestive Enzyme have helped my chest pain more than I could ever imagine. It's been the most amazing gift to my health...and my sanity! I have to take it with even the smallest bite of food I eat, but none the less, it's helped immensely. I'm eating only a few foods that my body will handle, but I don't mind that either. I'm still having to take mag/cal every 4 hours or the left side of the body goes numb. But last month, it was every 2 hours. So I'll take it. Still struggling with headaches and the runs. lol. fun. But it's all good. Taking one day at a time, getting stronger each month.

I have been working with a dietitian that is AMAZING. He can do all his work long distance. He's like Dr. House. I've been so impressed with him. We do my blood work where I live, the results are shipped to him, and we do our meetings over the phone. So no matter where you live in the US- check him out if you're interested...Dr. Ron. He works not only with Celiacs, but with tons of people who have medical issues no one can figure out. He's been such a gift to me...he looks a little creepy on his website, lol- but he's brilliant. =)

If you want to visit me on My Celiac Diva website, come on over! However, this site, in all honesty, is purely a business move, it's not my heart or sharing what's going on in my life. I'm working on trying to earn money no matter how my body feels. And don't let my crazy energy in the show fool you. I don't feel that good. Being an actress comes in handy from time to time. lol. However, my insides do feel that good. I know how that one day soon my body will catch up to the joy I feel. I'm able to talk with much less pain as of about 2 weeks ago, and even wear necklaces...and move easier....wow...it's been so weird. Almost overwhelming.

Anyhoo- that's me. Hugs to you all. You are close to my heart. I don't check this site anymore, so if you'd like to chat, maybe leave a comment on my new crazy site. It's a joy to hear from you.

Blessings and Healing,
Lauren Lucille

A New Direction

2010-06-01T23:23:00.032-05:00

Hello precious readers!

So, I'm taking the plunge in my new Celiac direction and will not longer be writing on my Costochondritis blog...which is so weird. For almost a year, this blog and you all have been such sweet friends to me on many dark days.

I will leave this blog up for many years to come for all you Costochondritis sufferers that are living with this terrible condition both now and in the future. To those who I've walked with for this past year, thank you for your support, your love, and your encouragement. To those who are currently being thrown into the pain of this disease and seeking answers, you are not alone. The pain you feel is real, it's not invisible, and it's debilitating in more than just the physical realm. So please let me validate you, and send you many hugs of support.

That being said, I do want to say this. This past year I've learned more about Costochondritis than I could ever have imagined. And although it's a nasty and quite rude condition, hear me when I say that if you have this condition long term and it will not go away....do not, I beg you, continue to seek pain killers, seek the source of your pain. Look into auto-immune disorders and other weird conditions. I don't say this to scare anyone, I say it to give you hope. Don't take this pain at face value...it's a chameleon. Look past the pain and go after the reason for it. Dig, Dig, Dig....and don't give up. It took me almost 4 years with this chest pain that has taken my breathe away and stolen so many beautiful moments from me to finally find the source, my Celiac. I know that I'm healing and moving on. But I promise you, there is a reason for your pain. And when you are tired and weak, take some time to pray, recover, relax, and then continue to be your own advocate, no matter how crazy other people or doctors think you are, don't give up. The day I found out the reason behind my pain...my world changed in a single instant. And I just know in my heart that yours can too. That fact that you are on this blog, seeking answers is awesome, and I just know that those who don't give up along with the grace and direction of God can have that life changing moment too, where it all becomes clear, the clouds part, and the violent storm that has engulfed your life can be a memory of the past.

As per me, I know the road ahead will be slow going, but I'm no idiot, I know how blessed I am to know what's going on in my body. And I thank God for that every day. I know this next year will be a year or 2 of healing, of trying to get my body back to where it can handle way more than it can now. So for now, I'm going to take one day at a time, start recording music in my home town since I can't travel to NYC, and update my Celiac blog. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. But today, that's all I got. And I'm content with that... peaceful...grateful.

Love to you all,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Genetics

2010-05-27T22:47:00.009-05:00

So you know those folks who you love, who drive you crazy, are always there when you need them, but you're ready for them to go home? AKA, your family? Yup talking about them. I think it's totally note worthy to take a tally of every medical issue your immediate and extended family has. Take inventory of their medical history, past and present. No matter if it seems related or not. It may be a clue as to what the crap is going on your own body.

Take me for instance, I don't have anyone in my family who has had my exact chest pain...but looking deeper, my Dad suffers from terrible stomach issues, he can't tolerate citric acid, he has blood sugar problems...and after I gained a case of the runs as a part of my life, I finally learned that all my aunts have chronic diarrhea. Sorry, my lovely aunts, I must tell this secret for the greater good. -) So looking deeper, it becomes clear that something is going on with the stomachs of my family...that is so not right. And so worth looking into.

Had I looked into this angle and my family history a little deeper, and not just focused on my chest pain that wouldn't heal, maybe I would have clued into the Celiac diagnoses sooner rather than later. Or maybe I would have just kept on coping with french fries and Diet. Dr. Pepper...oh how I miss you, dearest grease and fizz. So it's just a thought, maybe the next time your family ask if they can do anything...you can smile and say..."why yes, send all of your medical history my way. with chocolate."

Chest Pain- Cause: Low Stomach Acid?

2010-05-25T23:18:00.006-05:00

Alright chicks and dudes, let's talk about low stomach acid and your chest pain. I had another appointment this week with my dietitian. The entire appt. was about Costochondritis. He's crazy smart. By the way, I haven't had a stabbing attack in 7 days. Holla.

First, what would cause low stomach acid?

Well, you'd need a reason to have low stomach acid for it to cause your chest pain. This could be caused by aging, disease or a host of conditions. Here's in excerpt I found:

"Normally, stomach acid kills harmful bacteria, working to keep diseases at bay. People with low stomach acid have a higher than average incidence of illness such as candida because harmful bacteria ends up in their small intestine, rather than being killed off by HCL in their stomachs. Often, without knowing why, people with low stomach acid simply never feel good. This is hardly surprising since many health problems are associated with low stomach acid."

Conditions Linked to Low Stomach Acid include:

Allergies
Asthma
Autoimmune diseases
Celiac Disease
Chronic candida (low stomach acid can cause candida)
CFS
Chronic hepatitis
Chronic hives
Dry skin
Eczema
Gallbladder Disease
Gastrointestinal (GI) infections and parasites
Hypoglycemia
Lupus
Osteoporosis
Psoriasis
Reduced night vision
Rheumatic arthritis
Rosacea
Thyroid disorders
Type I and II diabetes
Vitiligo (a skin disorder characterized by white patches or spots)
Weakened hair, nails, and skin

Next, how would low stomach acid cause your chest pain?

Okay, hang with me. If your stomach acid is low due to any of the reasons above, your food will not digest properly since it doesn't have enough acid to break it down, especially bigger meals and protein. So for those who's chest pain gets worse after eating, listen up- this is about you! -)

So the stomach cannot digest the food without enough acid, so the food gets hard in your stomach, causing more pressure in your chest. You have 2 valves in your stomach, one on top and one on the bottom of it. And since the stomach is trying to digest the food and cannot push the food through bottom valve and into your intestines, the pressure on the top valve gets crazy bad. And that, my friends, is what can cause pressure in your chest, and worse pressure when sitting down, if you have low stomach acid. As per the burning, if you have low stomach acid, it can mimic the conditions of too much acid when you eat certain spicy foods- however, it can simply be low stomach acid. Crazy, right?

So how do you find out if you have low stomach acid and what do you do?

It's cheap and easy to snag product called Betaine HCL. It's the acid your stomach may not be able to create. So to those who want to test this idea, you simply take a pill at the beginning of your meal and see what happens. If you get acid reflux, simply drink water to dilute the acid and drink some pepto, and then you'll know that your stomach has plenty of acid and this theory ain't for you. However, if you don't get a warm feeling in your stomach, or acid reflux, you should jump up and down and do a little dance, cause it means that you're on to something. Which leads me to a side thought about glucosamine and apple cidar vinegar- both of these calm the stomach acid situation, so if you take or drink either of those and notice that your pain is less, trying the HCL is a great option. I use THIS HCL.

Wrapping it Up...

In conclusion, there you have another option to try my friends. Hugs to all, I pray you are doing well. I won't lie, I've had a rougher week for multiple reasons. And I keep pushing to get better, not being patient enough...but tomorrow is another day. And if we wake up, my friends, that makes it a good one. I will share this though, so my hubby is always throwing out ideas for me to do at home...sweet man is always trying to help me not feel like I'm not a useless bump on a log...and his latest idea is that I should tell children stories on You-Tube, and sing kids songs and do skits and stuff. I could not stop laughing, I don't do crafts, I suck at cooking, and I don't want to be Barney on You-tube. That is all.

Lucy the log

Costochondritis- An Award for me?! Woo-Hoo!

2010-05-22T17:56:00.043-05:00

I originally posted as being tagged by my girl Rusty Hoe. Heeeey there Michelle! However, the truth is that she was kind enough to give me an award- so sweet!!! As a part of accepting that award, you share 10 things your readers may not know about yourself...so here's more about this Costochondritis blogger:

I want my toes to be painted all the time. I'm not saying that I paint them all the time, buuuuut oddly, I feel more confident when my toes are painted.
I'm jealous of melancholy personalities and often wish I was one. Do you know how much energy they must conserve every day? I'm just saying. If you were in a bind and needed a super hero, my bet would be on the melancholy. They wisely expend so little energy while interacting with others, that I think if needed, they could rock out a strong dose of energy and heroism at a moments notice. So yes, I'm jealous of boring people. Cause interacting with others at this stage in the game just plum wears me out.
I have double jointed fingers. So if I point at the sign across the street, you will think I'm being rude and pointing at you...who is standing next to me.
I have a strange super hero sense of smell. I can smell and identify smells way before anyone else notices them. It's very strange. I remember one afternoon in Colorado I smelled smoke and no one else did (we were climbing in the mountains), so we all laughed about it...and the next morning, ashes were flying through our camp and we got the heck out of dodge. CRAAAAZY!!!
I hate crafts of any kind. I hate making them and/or sitting while others are making them. Can't help it. Feels like nails on a chalk board to me. I'm so screwed if I have kids.
I LOVE the sound of rain and lighting storms. I feel like I can feel the heart of God when it rains. I feel his power, his gentleness, his ability to calm the storm and call one even greater. When it storms, I love to sit, watch, and listen. It mesmerizes me. It stills my soul.
I don't get bored. Ever. My mind is always on the go, thinking about the exciting next move. So while having this illness, I'm not surprised at all that I tried every remedy known to man...and started a blog.
I love it when my husband sings "I liked it and so I put a ring on it" and does the janky hip shake. I think it's the cutest thing ever. I keep trying to catch him on video, but he's too fast.
I always feel like time is slipping away from me. I feel like it moves too fast. I want desperately for it to slow down, so that selfishly, I can fit everything in! So much to do in this precious life. And I'm not talking about the "to do" list, but about adventures, and I'd love to try like 5 different careers, travel for years...not feel rushed to achieve life long dreams because of aging...not feel rushed to heal....and I don't know...it just seems so short. Oddly, I get sad about it sometimes. But maybe that's because I don't really have a grasp of how amazing heaven will be.
I'm a person of extremes. I lived in NYC, and also worked as a mountain guide in Colorado 10 weeks out of the year for 8 years. I can go without a shower for a week (with baby wipes of course) while climbing deep in the rockies, or wear high heels and glitter every single day. It's very confusing to people. But it's all good. Being put in a box never appealed to me. Here's a picture of me in the foothills of a mountain we were trekking to the base of. Good thing about climbing..lots of exercise, bad thing about climbing...never a good hair day.

I am passing this sweet award over to Ali at A Different Kind of Happy. She explores all different aspects of having an invisible illness and I enjoy reading her thoughts. She shares honestly about the struggles, how to deal with it, and how to be joyful amidst the pain. Thanks Ali for your great blog!

Costochondritis- And Water

2010-05-13T10:21:00.011-05:00

Costochondritis Chat: So let's chat about water. Say what? Chest pain and water? That's right people, let's talk about Costochondritis and it's relationship to water. I had a 2 hours talk with my Celiac dietitian today, lots about the chest pain, and came away with several pots of gold....that I plan to share with you amazing readers. Cause let's be honest, we need all the help we can get. -)

If you are a person who has noticed that your chest pain is worse after you eat certain foods, this tip is for you. My dietitian, Dr. Ron, said that the chest pain is due to the malabsorption in my body has caused severe poor digestion. I'll spare the details, but he said that when the stomach cannot digest/break down the food, it becomes rock hard in your stomach, causing pressure up against your ribs (that's worse when sitting), and when aggravated by certain foods, stabbing attacks, etc. I'll admit, I was insulted to be told my chest pain is basically gas. lol. He said it was more than that, but yes, it's all due to the stomach. I said, okay, that sounds better. I'll take it.

Okay, so let's get to the water part. He told me that the stomach is like a pot of water on a stove, that you want to boil or "digest" as quickly as possible, so that the food will break down quickly and you will get all the nutrients you can out of your food, resulting in no pressure in the stomach/ribs/gas/other digestion issues etc. He said when you have a pot of water and and it's FULL of water, the "digest boil" takes way too long and causes the stomach huge digestion problems while it's trying to the break down the food in the "water pot." And also, the water deludes the stomach acid that you need to break down the food, causing problems.

So what did he suggest? He said to drink water 3o minutes before eating, then NO DRINKING WATER while eating, and NO drinking water until 1 hour after eating. He said to do this without cheating with all meals throughout the day- and the digestion will improve, and thus, the chest pressure should cease.

What do I think of this? I think this Dr. Ron rocked. I had tons of blood work done that he went through with me, along with why I have my lingering symptoms. So I'm on a new game plan with different things and although I'm overwhelmed today, it's all good. So feel free to do what you will with this little piece of gold, hugs to all.

Lucy

Costochondritis- Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:58:00.010-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing mom's out there. I pray you feel as loved as you are. I LOVED getting to be with my mom today. She ROCKS! Here's a pic of my grandmother, hubby, and 2 of my nieces and nephews. So precious.

I'm not writing a ton these days, but I think about you all so often! I feel like I'm in an awkward place in my little Costochondritis blog, love you bloggy! I want those seeking healing, both now and in the future, to be able to come here and read posts all about Costo, not all about my Celiac journey. Don't get me wrong, I'm SO thankful to know why I'm having this pain, but I also know that my journey isn't everyone esle's. So I feel like maybe this isn't the place to chatty chat chat about my Celiac. I want it to stay focused on Costo. Yet I don't want to close out the blog until my Costo. pain is completely gone. I want to finish what I started. Can we say, OCD?

As for me, I'm seeing a dietitian who deals with Celiac later this week. Looking forward to this. Going to have tons of vitamin/mineral levels tested, and then will be meeting with him to get everything balanced out. Double yay for that. Other than that, I'm rocking out a very minimal diet and taking one day at a time, but hey, whatever it takes to feel better is on the menu for me. Working really hard to figure this whole puzzle out. I want to shout from the roof tops when I buy my ticket back to NYC.

Blessings to all of you mothers who are living with chronic illnesses. My heart goes out to you, you are all beautiful heroes to me.

Hugs,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Letting go of the Past

2010-04-30T15:20:00.007-05:00

Hello my crazy and amazing readers,

I don't know about you, but this whole journey has opened my eyes and heart to so much. I've learned tons about myself, my lack of faith, how to gain that faith back with strength, what love is really about, how strong and yet weak I am, and so much more. Yet one thing that has really risen to the top in the midst of this pain- how letting go of the past can bring such freedom to this blessed life.

For me, letting go of where I've been, loving myself for who I am now, and forgiving have been huge a part of this journey, just as much as the physical pain. This physical pain has stopped me in my tracks, opening up a gap of time for me to reflect on the woman I am, and the woman I want to be. And although this pain has kicked my butt in so many ways, I am thankful for the growth in me that has to do with moving forward, cause holding on to the past only weighs you down, filling your life full of rocks, making it almost impossible to fly. So if you are struggling with letting go of your past- your emotional pain of either dealing with your invisible illness or other pain in your life- you might want to check out this great post from a blog I enjoy following. You can check it out HERE. This beautiful post deals with how we often carry around our struggles as badges of honor, instead of letting them roll into the ditches, where they belong. Or maybe that's just stubborn little ol' me. =)

Hugs,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Caused By Vitamin Deficiency?

2010-04-27T19:12:00.006-05:00

Hi friends,

In this video, I chat about getting your vitamin levels tested- which is an oober important tool to add on to that belt of healing. You want to make sure your levels are all good to go. I mention several here- forgot to mention Calcium and Vitamin D-oops. =) Here we go!

Costochondritis- Just Because I like it....

2010-04-15T19:45:00.009-05:00

Being that I love the outdoors just as much as I love the big city, this video cracked me up.
Cause when you get hit with an invisible illness in your life...it might go a little something like this....

Costochondritis- Lucy Update

2010-04-14T19:44:00.048-05:00

Here's an update on the Celiac/Costochondritis roller coaster. I don't feel so hot- but it's all good. Originally, I thought purging gluten would help me feel better quick. Not so much- who are these magical Celiac people that heal so fast?!?! Leprechauns and Unicorns, I tell you.

For anyone looking into Celiac, this week I've learned to keep the following foods out of my diet:

Foods high in fiber- (more then 3 grams) for a damaged stomach to digest fiber is no bueno
Any food high in fat - (more than 3 grams sends me into a crazy pain episode) -large amounts of fat are hard to digest, so the stomach freaks out, becomes inflamed, causes more chest pain and for me...lovely diarrhea, and pain/muscle spasms/numbness/tinging legs arms, and severe fatigue. I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out...I'm pretty sure this particular cycle kept me from suspecting Celiac...anything fried would make me so sick...so I never thought of gluten as making me sick and other foods/fats/fiber making it way worse. Buuuut now I know. -)
Chocolate is hard to digest....so the pain increases- had to go.
Brown Rice got tossed - it contains a protein that is just as hard to digest as meat.
Legumes/Beans- High in fiber, hard to digest, had to go.

The following foods don't increase the Costo pain:

Tree of Life Tuna
Bananas
Grapes
Asparagus
Zucchini/Squash
Peeled Apples
Carrots
1/4 cup of Red Mill GF Rolled Oats with water and Tree of Life Honey
Organic Yam/Sweet Potato with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
This week I'll be testing soy...oh mercy

Here' s a little video/update/recap...
And I just got a new green screen, but I don't know how to use it yet.-)

wow...next time I'll comb my hair.

Costochondritis- Video Blogging- Oh Mercy.

2010-04-12T22:18:00.022-05:00

Hello my friends,

So I tried a little vlogging. AHHH!!! In my new celiac blog, it will be all video blogs- crazy and exciting. More on that later...I have no clue when that transition will happen. I imagine when my body says it's okay, then we'll rock and roll. So until then, I'm using you people as Guinea pigs while I learn this video craziness. So yes, you will be seeing more of these vloggy things. I promise, they will get better. These do not rock. Lots of rambling...haven't got the editing down yet. lol. So this is 1 of 2 "first attempts" at Video Blogging. I thought, "crap...just post em both- who cares?!" So this first one is:

CELIAC AND COSTOCHONDRITIS: NUMBESS AND TINGLING
Warning, I'm abnormally hyper. Excited to be doing something "normal." =)

Next up, my 2nd "first attempt" at video blogging...waaaaay to long.
CELIAC AND COSTOCHONDRITIS: SHOULD YOU GET TESTED For Celiac?
Warning: I say the words "you should get tested" WAY too much. AHHH!!!! What I meant is, consider it as an option. =)

My next vlog will be an update on my own journey of healing....just wanted throw these out there and see if I sank or swim.... kind of felt more like a doggy paddle.

Hugs,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Happy Easter

2010-04-05T00:21:00.028-05:00

Being an Aunt is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I use to roll my eyes when people when on and on about their children...but now I understand that I just didn't get it.

There is the most precious magic that happens with children. You just...melt. My 6 nieces and nephews have changed my life. Three of them were born after my illness knocked me flat on my butt. But this one..Kaylee, remembers me before the Costo. world dominated. And for that, I'm oober thankful...she talks about watching me on stage, she's learned the songs to the musicals I've done. And she loves me if I'm on stage...or just laying on the couch in pain, which is happening a little less these days. yay!

On Saturday I went to meet my awesome family at the park, aching to run and play with the kids. So I walked over the swing set and sat down on the inviting swing. Kaylee looked up at me and asked me to push her on the swing, "cause that would be so fun!"... and my heart just sank. I looked at her and said, "Kaylee, you give me 2 months, and this summer, I will be able to push you on that swing"...and she goes, ".....that's okay, I'll just push you then." And with that, she hopped off her swing, giving it up to the 5 year old who was eying the swing real estate, and gently began pushing me. I would have cried a month ago. But on that day, I said, "thanks my little angel, you are the heart of God, you know that?"...ooooookay, maybe there was a small tear.

So to those in pain and struggling on this Easter weekend, may you feel the heart of God pushing you on your journey when you don't have the strength to push yourself. And if you don't want to swing...that's okay, He can sit quietly with you in the sun, just so you that He's there.

Blessings,
Lucy

Costochondritis- The Doctor Show

2010-04-01T22:01:00.008-05:00

To those new to my blog, howdy! I've recently been diagnosed with Celiac, the reason for my costochondritis. The doctor who recently told me my Celiac diagnoses was Dr. Wallach. I called into his national radio show to talk about Costochondritis, and he told me I had Celiac after a chat about my symptoms...I was skeptical, but then went on and got a diagnoses via gene testing. Holla!

So to those who have asked for the information to call into the radio show and talk to Dr. Wallach (for free). who originally told me I had Celiac.- here's the number for the radio show:

"Dead Doctors Don't Lie" Radio Show LIVE with Dr.Wallach.
Monday through Friday # 1-888-379-2552
12noon-1pm pacific, 2pm-3pm central, 3pm-4pm eastern.

If you are interested in calling in to the Dr. Wallach radio show here in the U.S....have these things ready:

Notepad and pen, be prepared to write crazy fast- he talks fast
Check out his Youngevity website HERE, so when he talks to you about supplementation, you have an idea of what he's talking about (of course, you don't have to use his supplements or suggestions at all, but free advice while sitting on the couch ain't so bad).
Have your most prominent symptoms ready to read off to him (think quick bullet point list of all your symptoms)
When you get on the show, it moves fast, say "my name is blank and my symptoms are A.B.C.D. and E, and I'm seeking some advice." Then be prepared to write, write, write.
He may ask your name, age, and weight ( to tell you the supplements he may want you on)
When you get off the phone, remember you don't have to take ANY of his advice, just think of it as another tool to use. However, after 75 doctors...this dude nailed me. Pretty cool.

Or if you want to meet him in person, His 2010 schedule is HERE.

So, do I assume everyone wants to call into this show? No, my friends. I'm not saying that at all. This is just another option to possibly try, no pressure from this little blogger, just a wish for us to all be well. And since my Costo blog, that has become like a fuzzy pink security blanket to me, is coming to a close this month, I want to put as much information as I can out there into the bloggy world for my Costo/invisible illness brothers and sisters. You guys are so special to me!

Hugs,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Celiac Symtom Check List

2010-03-30T21:05:00.007-05:00

Wuz up bloggy buddies,

Several people have asked me what the other symptoms of Celiac are. So here they are! There's like a million of them.

Celiac Symptom Check List

Costochondritis- The Celiac Honeymoon

2010-03-29T21:09:00.014-05:00

To those new to my blog, welcome! I was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the reason for my Costochondirits. After all the celebrating...

The honeymoon is about over. Never does seem long enough, does it? =)

We went to St. Lucia on our honeymoon a little over a year ago- (that's my hottie checking out the ocean)....and umm...after a long day of traveling, I jumped in the shower before dinner and AHHHHH!!!!!!!- there were lizards in the tub...staring at me. Gulp. I'm no snob and have no issue roughing it. But on my honeymoon....I do NOT want to share my cute hubby with slimy critters. Ick. After I quickly got ready and headed to the lobby, we were told some Americans rooms had been broken into...please put chairs in front of our doors to give us warning in the event that someone breaks in. No joke. I could not stop laughing...it just went on and on like that...

So here I am, roughing it through my honeymoon with Celiac. Just ebbing and flowing, learning as I go. Of course I think this groom is a nasty SOB, but hey, I can cut his hair, get him new clothes, slap that hill billy accent out of him and see how it goes. Cause we are together 4 life. Thankfully, my true blue hubby is very understanding of this new relationship.

Alrighty, my blog buddies, I'm getting closer to changing over to a Celiac blog in the next few weeks to a month, but I want to make sure I've covered all the bases with Costo. first. So if you have anything you'd like me to chat about, please let me know so we can rock it out.

So what have I learned about Celiac and Costo. on this Honeymoon?

Supplements are key, I have a meeting tomorrow to get on all the correct supplements since Celiac Disease thrives on leaving you mal-absorbed- boooo. The really important supplements are: Calcium, B-Vitamins, Vitamin D, Antioxidants, Essential Fatty Acids, Selenium, and full mineral and vitamins. The rumor is that a lot of symptoms of Celiac are a result of mal-absorption, (such as my numb and tinging hands) and not just the auto-immune part. Very interesting.
I've learned my body reacts to citric acid in the same way to does to gluten
I've learned you may react days after eating gluten, which is why I never noticed a difference in my chest pain immediately after consuming gluten, but did notice a difference after some triggers I'd eat, such as oils etc...which is why I never suspected gluten.
I've learned the burning in my chest is really a Celiac reaction in my body.
I've learned to call every manufacturer about any product I'm using. Cause gluten lurks everywhere. Freaking meanie.

Am I feeling any better?

My chest pain is still around 25% better and holding, I'll keep you posted. I don't have my mineral/vitamin intake quite balanced yet- but by tomorrow I will. And I'll continue eating as plain as I can in order to give my stomach a chance to freaking leave my ribs alone.
I have, however, noticed...my PMS is gone...wild. I'll take it. Who knew bad PMS was a symptom of Celiac? C.R.A.Z.Y.
I'm sleeping better and waking up easier.
Digestive track is MUCH happier- holla!
My nails are growing.

They always say the first year is the toughest. But I say the courtship sucked, so I'm grabbing this marriage by the balls. That's right...I said it.

Costochondritis- Celiac Q & A

2010-03-23T21:45:00.042-05:00

This is my 100th post....wow.

That deserves an electric slide with a pop and lock to finish it off- dance.

To those new to the blog, welcome- I've just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the reason for my Costochondritis. To my normal peeps, may I just say thank you with all my heart to everyone who has been celebrating with me! It has warmed my heart soooooooo much. You all are such a life line to me. Seriously, I have lots of luv for you people, no lie. That's right, I said luv. Cause I'm attached to all you crazy cats. That's how I roll. All attached and stuff.

So the past week has been a wee bit NUUUUTs! My mom had her last surgery from her breast cancer battle and she's doing amazing. Cancer free looks good on her. And so do her new boobies! You knew I was gunna TMI on you. I can't stop it. So I've been with her a lot and loving it. Soooo...I won't lie, I've been unbelievably excited about the new Celiac diagnoses. And going gluten free is wild. I have slowly...okay, whom I kidding, I've been like a gigantor tornado trying to make sure everything that remotely comes near my body is gluten free. I have the food down, then yesterday I started checking the gluten content on all my vitamins, thyroid meds , makeup, shampoos, laundry detergent, leave in conditioners, hairsprays, hand soaps etc...so I've been on the phone for like 10 years so far, calling all the manufacturers, making sure that what's on my body is gluten free. I thought I was going gluten free...yeah...no...not so much. I feel a little jaded- lol-...because I was SHOCKED at how I'm practically bathing in gluten every day. One of my vitamins has gluten, my hairspray- (ewww- I'm INHALING it!? lol.), my lipstick, my mascara...AHHHH!!!! ....and the list goes on. This is encouraging- so folks, I have yet to make it one full day without putting it on my person. And I thought I was all gluten free already. oops.

I tried to cook something gluten free and well....I still have to work on what a square is. chuckle.

Alrighty then, let's get to business, here are some Q & A from my comment section, here we go!

Did you have an endoscopy? My G.I specialist suspected all my issues were coming from my stomach and wanted to do a endoscopy to check my small intestines. I showed up for the procedure at the hospital, the smell just blew me over, and I went down hill from here- hives, shaking, panic, a full blown PTSD episode and all. Glorious. My fault for not going to this hospital before hand and walking through and letting my body adjust before the procedure. So no...no endoscopy for me....soooo we went a different route.

How did you come to the diagnoses of Celiac? So here's the delio- when the 90 year old Dr. in chaps-lol- Michelle!!...told me he thought I had Celiac, I started rocking out the gluten free diet (or so I thought!). This meant that my gastro doctor could not do any normal Celiac tests on me unless I wanted to go back and do a "gluten challenge" for a month. I most certainly did not, I had started to feel better and there was no looking back. So this is how I was diagnosed:

My blood was packed with protein.
After 5 weeks of being mostly gluten free, I started having heart palpitations, so we did a blood test to check my thyroid 2 weeks ago- and it confirmed that my meds were waaay too strong due to my body beginning to heal without gluten in it- super cool. (Heart Palps are one major symptom to thyroid meds being too strong- and since the only change I'd made was the gluten, I requested that it be tested....no, that's a lie- I called and sorta demanded it...in a nice but- I've had this crap for way too long and my heart is skipping beats, run his test now...sort of voice.).
Then we did a blood test that showed I was experiencing malapsorbtion- a marker for Celiac. If you are consuming gluten, you can do a stool test for this.
And last, we did Genetic testing, the test I was waiting on. Mine came back positive, positive, positive. I can back with the strongest DNA combination for Celiac disease that you can have. Holla!
So with those results and my symptoms, the conclusion was Celiac. ta-da!

Are there other ways to conclude Celiac? Sure, absolutely. I did the best I could with where I am in my life. I wish I could have done the endoscopy. But it's all good. Other Celiac and more traditional tests can be checked out HERE .

Do you feel better being off gluten?
Crap yes- I feel better! Healed, No. But one day at a time. Here is what I have slowly noticed:

My headaches are GONE. (Insert booty shake victory dance here)
I can wake up easier. While on heavy gluten, I can easily sleep 14 hours a day. If you suffer from fatigue or mood swings, maybe getting checked would be a good option.
My insomnia is gone
I think I'm a Celiac who's stomach hates Citric Acid- steering clear
My nails are starting to grow
My back pain /tightness is releasing more and more each day
My right neck/shoulder pain is getting less and less
My stabbing attacks have almost stopped and my breathing is getting better and better. My pain is about 25% less than it was 6 weeks ago. Am I nervous it won't all together go away? Yes. Si. For Shizzle . I totally am. But I can't focus on that, I have to focus on the task at hand: Target gluten. Slay Gluten. Then run like mad from the SOB... So yes, I still have Costo and I have no idea how long it will it will hang around. I'll keep you posted.
TMI ALERT, PEOPLE! I'm not constipated anymore if I stay away from dairy and gluten, and I don't have diarrhea any more due to staying away from canola and palm oil. Here's the deal...can't believe I'm going to say this.Ugg. The next time you visit the loo, check out your ...(you know)...and if it's soft, fluffy, light brown, and one long tube-ish , and you have this little experience once or preferably 2 or 3x a day, chances are your digestive system is SUPER happy with you! But if you are constipated, have diarrhea-ish/ or stringy/ or pile-ish poo etc...then yes, getting checked for Celiac could be a good thing. Mercy,I want to wash my hands just writing about it. AHHH!!!

So what do you eat now? Well, Since my tummy is so jacked up, I'm not drinking cokes, or eating gluten, dairy, soy, corn, or any oils. Not until my stomach is healed. I hoping to add corn, soy, oil, and possibly dairy back into my diet after 6 months to a year. So currently I'm eating a pretty plain all organic diet:

Homemade toubule Salad- I substitute water or applesauce for oil
Red Beans
Black Beans
Brown Rice Cakes
Veggies
Lundberg Brown Rice
Mary's quina Pretzels- the sea salt ones
Chocolate Chips- Yum!
Sweet Potatoes
Apples
Bananas
Blueberries

How does it feel to have this answer? Weird, amazing, overwhelming, peaceful...and just right. I feel like a I just met a weird brother I never knew I had, ya know? But one that I want to shake with excitement...and then make him go square dancing with me and tell everyone we are related. Even though he's ugly and awkward and I'm pissed off at him, I'm proud to finally know him. I also feel a little guilty. I know there are so many amazing people out there waiting for their good news of healing. It's so strange to go from, "I'm a girl with Costo" to " I have Celiac." I'm still in shock. But I feel really blessed, and eternally grateful to God for this gift. After walking through the past 3 1/2 years, living the anti-gluten life will be my honor. And I know in my heart that I will never feel bad for myself for being a gluten freak, cause this kind of freakishness is totally welcome. Bring it on!

If you'd like to check out another great chick who has costo and Celiac as well- you can follow Alyssa's healing journey at Young and Going Gluten Free.

What did you do when I found out? Well...my hubby and I quietly celebrated all day on Friday. He brought me roses, very sweet....and then I got money and went shopping!! haha! It was awesome! I love shopping by myself and never do it anymore...I mean...am I going to ice my ribs in bed in a comatose state while in a new pair of hot jeans before I drag my exhausted self to the granny stroll? Nada. But maybe one day....so did I buy a pair of super sexy unneeded pair of hot jeans and a romper that is OH SO CUTE??!- You bet I did!! I went crazy. lol. I even bought lipstick. What?! Then my hubby rubbed my feet Friday night and we watched a chick flick. It was such a quiet, but really joyful and peaceful day. I was in awe and shock all day. And you know I strolled extra saucy during my granny stroll..uh huh!

Are you going to do a Celiac blog? You know it!! It's in the works.

Alright folks- wanted to add a few random links where folks are chatting about Costo and Celiac:
Chatty Link 1
Chatty Link 2
Chatty Link 3
Super Long but AWESOME Link 4
Chatty Link 5
Random person with Costo and Celiac

Here's a website with more Celiac info and both GI and non-GI symptoms of Celiac

And remember, I'm not saying that everyone with Costo has Celiac. What I AM saying is that it's one more option to check out: if you notice your costo gets worse after you eat...or your attacks happen sometimes when you aren't lifting anything at all (sign of delayed gluten reaction) or just chilling, get yourself checked for Celiac. If you're looking to get tested on your own, cause your doctor is a knuckle head, these are some great tests in the USA:

My Celiac ID
The University of Chicago Celiac Testing Center

Well, that wraps up this post. Let me know what I can answer- or if I can help in any way. Much luv and prayers to everyone. May you feel the hope seeping through this blog to you, and the peace of God leading you to towards healing.

Costochondritis - Celiac Test Results...

2010-03-18T22:17:00.021-05:00

The forest begins to thin, the long winter snow begins to melt, and the silky sun peaks out from behind the rugged mountain my feet are climbing. I'm in utter awe and shock as I stare at the warmth of the sun, mesmerized. I have Celiac Disease. I finally know where all my pain is coming from. I finally have my answer.

I tested positive. Wow. Ummm....yeah...wow. Today has been a roller coaster. I've been waiting for the results all week...and when they finally arrived, my heart was pounding. I knew that if the test was negative, I would be headed back to the drawing board. And, as we all know..the what the crap is going on and where to I go next, room...yeah-not so fun. I literally screamed out loud in excitement when I found out my test was positive. Like loud. I just can't believe it. I have Celiac. My costochondritis IS my celiac. I have costo because of Celiac!! WHAT?! I'm gunna get well?!? Breathe, Lucy. Breathe.

A million things have been running through my mind. I'll share more later. But I know that many of you rock stars have been waiting on these results with me- so I wanted to share. Hugs to all of you. I'm sure the wheels are turning in some of your heads. -) Cause yall- I ain't the only previously undiagnosed Celiac who has costo. Holla!

All the glory and praise to God for today. In every way, I'm so thankful to Him for taking me down this road. It's so humbling. My heart is celebrating in this exciting truth about my body...and warmly, I can feel the sun on my face and smell the sweet aroma of the approaching Spring.

Costochondritis- And Gluten

2010-03-14T12:12:00.025-05:00

What is gluten?

Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, and barley. There are hundreds of ingredients that derive from gluten.

So here's the delio. You all know me. I'm like the eternal lab rat for Costo. Anything for the cause. lol. Someone joked on another post that although the commended me for all that I've tried, the liver flush was pushing it. HAHA! So true. But hey, tough times call for tough measure, people!

So what am I currently giving a whirl? You guessed it. I'm on the gluten free train. I've been gluten free for 4 weeks and 6 days. But who's counting. I've been monitoring my pain, and I won't lie, I've noticed some wonderful differences in the crap shoot called Costo. My stabbing attacks are fewer and farther between. And there is no bulge in my stomach pushing up into my ribs. Gross. And since I've cut out all gluten, white potatoes, oils, and fried food, my pain has not once increased due to my eating choices. Holla!

"What do you eat?" One might ask. Well, to that I answer, "I chomp on organic rice, veggies, fruit, flax pretzels, beans, some yummy gluten free animal crackers in awkward shapes that look nothing like animals, sweet potatoes, and salads. " I know, very exciting. But after I mourned all the comfort food that has been a really good friend on the days where I can't move, but I can eat...I got over it. Gotta do what I gotta do.

Will I stay gluten free? Yes. I'll continue to monitor it, I'm crazy about writing stuff down on my calender. lol. Will I heal from this? I dunno. But I'm giving it a minimum of 3 months. I'll keep you posted.

So how would gluten cause Costo? Celiac disease is one possibility.

1 in 133 people have Celiac,
Close to 97% of people with Celiac are undiagnosed
On average it takes 11 years for someone with Celiac to get diagnosed
Over 200 unrelated symptoms can present themselves.
Other possibilities of gluten derived costochondritis can be a result of allergies or intolerance to gluten.

Do I think everyone with Costo has Celiac? Heck no. I'm not saying that at all, I'm just in the business of putting as much information out there as possible so that everyone can come to their own conclusions. lol. I just said I'm in the business.

If you are interested in riding the gluten free train, here are a few links that may be of help:

Safe ingredients for a gluten free diet
Unsafe ingredients for a gluten free diet

So if you under the impression that your pain increases after you eat certain foods, take this as a positive thing- you have another clue that inflammation is being caused by what you're eating. Does this suck? You bet your best Barbie it does. Ugg. I don't even like Barbie. Plastic, unrealistic, perfection. gag. However, all I'll I'm saying is that you really should take this clue as a positive thing. Explore it. Keep a journal of all the ingredients in the foods you eat that cause more pain. Keep digging, people!

And throw your Barbies in a dumpster.

Costochondritis- And Weed

2010-03-10T22:33:00.010-06:00

Checked my stats today, someone found my blog via searching for, "will smoking marijuana make my costochondritis worse?" AHHHHHH!!! This blog is drug free.

Quit doing drugs, dude! I'm sorry, I just had to blog it, I couldn't stop myself.

-)

Costochondritis- Oscar Day

2010-03-07T12:18:00.052-06:00

Sundays. I wake up and immediately, and I'm jealous that mere strangers, who probably don't even like kids, are sitting near my 6 nieces and nephews at church, and I'm not. lol. I love those little munchkins. Ages 1-7. They sooooo hold my heart. The 7 year old asks me every week when I'm going to be well so that we can have a slumber party. Melt the aunt!

So I'm chilling here listening to a sermon on CD. I won't lie, it took me a while to want to listen to these. Possibly because I was just pissed I was sick, and partly because I wasn't spending time with God, so I didn't have the desire to listen to these. Can we say hardened heart? That's a yes. Thankfully, I'm in a different place. A perfect place? Nope. Don't believe in those. But in place where I'm sitting at the feet of God and seeking His hand in my life? yes. And does that bring me a lot of peace. You bet, wish I would have done it sooner.

Today's message was all about the purpose of life. And how it's not about how long or short, ill or well we are, but about how we make our Heavenly Father, day by day, moment by moment, decision by decision, the center and honor of our lives. I'm totally butchering it, but it was a beautiful message. Blessed me.

So it's Oscar Day. I love Oscar Day. Usually I'm all about an Oscar Party. This year, it's me, my hubby, and my stuffed bear. That's alright. Both are good company. So in honor of the arts, I leave you with...

The nominees for "ICKIEST Part of an Invisible Illness" are:

10) You realize that Late night McDonald Runs in super hero pajama pants are out.- gasp.
9) No more biker shorts and spin class. It's the only time you can reasonably wear such a trend.
8) You have to throw out hoochie high heels. Sigh. Trying to look sexy in beige crocks is a crock.
7) No more bras. Let's just say that freeing the girls in public is awkward. For everyone.
6) You catch yourself drawn to the home shopping network at 3AM, never a good sign.
5) You begin to look forward to catalog shopping.
4) You began to ponder which sweat pants make you look thinner.
3) You realize that plucking your chin hair is on your "to do" list in place of lunch outings.
2) You began to wear patterned scrunches and think they look trendy, even while off your meds.
1) You think you might be able to handle the senior citizens water aerobic class, and then realize that you can't hang.

Costochondritis- And Candida

2010-03-03T21:18:00.037-06:00

My experience with candida is that I know I have it. That about covers it. lol. No, really though, candida is a known cause of Costochondritis. YEE-HAW! I just want to share 2 different stories of struggles with candida and little info on how it causes costo...here we go!

A MOM'S STORY:
So, a few months ago, I had a conversation with a woman who shared her experience with Candida and was kind enough to share her thoughts with me, here's what she had to say:

"Hi Lucy,
I know I have candida because I suddenly developed acid reflux,mild joint pain, recently & I think I have been had what they call IBS since 2003 but I didn't know nothing about it then. I have developed a list of issues now that the doctors just shrug there shoulders & say "your fine you just need a anti-depression pill"! Just dope you up so you don't know what your body is trying to tell you. I never had a healthy diet & drank a lot of pepsi & then after I got pregnant twice & breastfed 2 babies that's when my issues started. I think the babies made me have mineral deficiencies that can weaken your body.

I went on a anti candida diet around sept/aug 2009 & was doing really good & my chest pain was gone & my acid reflux started to go away but then I cheated & kept binging on the diet before you knew it, my candida was back to the friendly yeast. Also my diet I think had too much protein & fat on the anit candida diet. Protein is the hardest for your body to break down & fat slows down digestion & with candida your digestion is already bad. So now I'm back to square one & am seeing a naturopathy in hopes she can help me stay on the right path once & for all." -A

A LITTLE INFO:

Here is an excerpt about Costo and Candida, thought you might want to check it out, WARNING...lots of gibber gabber:

Candida arthritis, osteomyelitis, costochondritis, and myositis
Candidal musculoskeletal infections were once uncommon; recently, they have become much more common.The most common sites of involvement continue to be the knee and the vertebral column. The pattern of involvement is similar to the pattern observed in bacterial infections. The infection may be divided into exogenous or endogenous forms. The exogenous infection is due to the direct inoculation of the organisms, such as postoperative infection or trauma. Affected sites include the following:
Ribs and leg bones
Vertebral column and paraspinal abscess
Flat bones
Sternum - Generally observed postoperatively after cardiac surgery. The patient is frequently asymptomatic, and the history reveals risk factors typical of disseminated candidiasis, as well as pain localized over the affected site. The physical examination findings are frequently unremarkable but may reveal tenderness over the involved area, erythema, and bone deformity, occasionally in association with a draining fistulous tract.
- Arthritis: Candida arthritis is generally a complication of disseminated candidiasis but may be caused by trauma or direct inoculation due to surgery or steroid injections. In addition, Candida arthritis after joint replacement is not uncommon.
- Osteomyelitis: Candida osteomyelitis originates either exogenously or endogenously. The exogenous infection is due to direct inoculation of the organisms via routes such as postoperative infection, trauma, or steroid injections. The endogenous form is a complication of candidemia or disseminated candidiasis. In most cases due to hematogenous seeding, the vertebral disks are involved and frequently progress to discitis with contiguous extension into the vertebrae body. Other bones affected include the wrist, femur, scapula, and proximal humerus.
- Costochondritis: This is an uncommon form of infection and also has two modes of infection. Candida costochondritis is usually due to hematogenous infection spread or direct inoculation during surgery (median sternotomy).
- Myisitis: Candida myositis is uncommon but is frequently associated with disseminated candidiasis. Most patients are neutropenic and report muscular pain.

ANGELA'S JOURNEY:

Also, a big thanks to Angela, who commented on this blog and said I could share her recent experience as she's on her journey to healing!

"Yes, I do want to tell you about Candex by Pure and Pearls Active Cultures. I strongly believe(d) that I had candida overload in my body, so I went to Whole Foods to ask for a probiotic that would make it past my stomach into the intestines. Research was telling me the candida was in my intestines. I'd been taking Neem, but I think that wasn't making past my stomach.

So, I found that long lasting probiotic (Pearls). And the dear, sweet, little woman that was helping me told me about Candex. She said, "yeasts and fungi can flourish as long as their cell walls remain intact." Actually, it says that exact thing right on the bottle too. :) I think they should change the wording from 'flourish' to 'survive' or 'kick butt.' Flourish is too pretty of a word to give to candida and yucko yeast! In fact, I refuse to give candida and costo capital letters. They are not proper enough in my book, and do not have my respect enough to give them capital letters. I purposefully type that small caps 'c' with extra oomph as if to say, "costo, you're not in charge here. I am! And you're on your way out!" How do you like them apples?

Anyway, I was a half skeptical and half excited beyond belief, before I even took my first pill. Skeptical because I've gotten excited before and had my hopes dashed. But excited because I know that I know that I know that too much fungus lived in my body. And the more I read, the more I learned that too much fungus among us can wreak havoc in soooooooooo many ways.

So....I'm on pill four, just after two days of it, and I felt a slow and steady change (erase of symptoms) (And you know, slow and steady wins the race). Can't rely on these quick fixes any more. PS. I'm almost sure I have slight scoliosis, too.

Anyway, I say that because, I'm not sure how similar we are in reasons for costo, but I am pretty sure two of three are the same. Lifting/strain on the cartilage, and scoliosis. But I'm trying to rack my brain as to why if I've had scoli for some time, I haven't had costo for equally long. And if I've lifted a thousand heavy things in my life (and I have!), why I didn't get costo sooner. The only connection I have is that when my lovely little fungal infection met my feet, and then introduced itself to my hands, and then to my blood and my colon, only then I was put into this arranged marriage with costo by my adoptive parents candida and fungi. Well, I don't believe in divorce, unless there's abuse. And costo has abused me! So I'm getting out.

And by the way, my fingers (along the nail bed) look the prettiest I've seen them in two years. And my feet, soft for the first time. Don't know if you've gone down that candida cause route, but it's worth try. I'm also noticing things go away that I didn't know I had: bloating of entire abdomen. I feel like I've lost weight--bad weight. It might not even be weight, but bloating that went away. I look thinner. In fact, in the past four months, I was really starting to wonder why I was gaining weight. Have never gained weight like that in all my years.

And this is for everyone reading. I hope it might be the key to someone else, to everyone else.No false hope here, just a possibility."- Angela

A big thanks to Mom A., Angela and the random internet information site. -) Okay ladies and gents, so candida and costo. is definitely a route to look into as you are on your way to healing! Here's an idea of an anti-candida diet and the Candex that Angela kindly left in the comment section:

Hugs,
Lucy

PS- I almost put a picture up here of Candida....and then decided that everyone might not want to throw up today. That is all. No offense to anyone who has it.

Costochondritis- The Emotional Journey

2010-03-02T19:20:00.064-06:00

Today I found out a few things:

I'm not allergic to the normal rap sheet: dairy, corn, meat etc. - yay.
That the lab messed up my Celiac test and I'm having to do it all over again- booo.
Some times I have a crappy pissed off attitude that needs serious adjusting.- Oops.

I woke up in a terrible mood when I became aware that I had other pains in addition to my chest pain. I. was. Perturbed. Then the lab calls me to share the glorious information that my Celiac test was jacked up, and I'll have to re-do it. And once I do the test, and it's back to the lab, I should receive the results in 7-10 business days. I don't know why, but I hate that answer. 7-10 business days is a crappy answer. giggle.

And then was ticked off that I was ticked off. lol. There's this judging of myself that I do when I'm angry. It's like I can't seem to rise above myself. Ugg. Do you do that? Judge how you're handling a certain situation? Or your pain? So today, I decided to just let myself feel it. I did my ticked off granny stroll extra granny style, and just let myself be. When I allow myself to feel my anger, it always goes back to the root of the anger, disappointment and/or fear.

TMI alert: What I call the fear-anger has been a life long battle with me. I was born with a birth defect called hypo-mid-facial-plasia. Now there's an awkward blog. It's a fancy word for the face not being fully developed. Yeah...eek is right So...I didn't have the equipment to breathe, and thus a slew of surgeries followed. I've had so many, I've lost count. Ummm...I feel weird sharing this, but here goes. My dad says there was one night during the months they told my parents I couldn't breathe and they didn't know if they could fix it....that he started praying. He told the Lord that he'd devote his life to teaching me about Him if I could live. He said that the next morning he was able to see me and instead of looking like I couldn't breathe, I just look pissed off. HAHA! Anyhoo, It was like God lit something in me that to this day, comes out. A lot. Anger was a survival tool at the time. But now, I'm trying to change my tune.

So over the years, I've had many surgeries...a tumor removed from my head, many surgeries on the structure of my face, I have no tear ducts, PTSD, and my eye lids don't work- yeah, that's awkward. I wear sunglasses as often as I can because I don't dig it when people stare at my eyes and the scars I try to cover up. I get so hacked. I'm kind of a mess. I like to think I'm a hot mess. -) And if you poor water in my nose like from a netty pot? The water does not drain out the other side, where does it go?!? HAHA! I know it's weird to laugh at this, but truly. it's funny.

My last head surgery was when I was 18....In some weird way, I thought I had served my time, ya know? Lived through it. Survived. In my head, I had a challenging start and was gunna be the girl who was on Broadway and sit on David Letterman's couch and say, "yeah, it was rough start, but here I am world!" And you know, that's okay that I feel this way. I'm not going to judge myself anymore. Because then I'm denying where I am. In this moment. It doesn't mean we can't move through the pain of disappointment, mourning, anger, or fear...but before we move on, maybe we can acknowledge these pieces of ourselves.. Give them a voice. Maybe some crevice of our soul just wants to be heard. And it has to tap into our raw emotions in the disguise of anger because we won't give it a voice.

I think I use to get so angry as a kid and teen because I had no words for the fear that captured my body. But today I'm an adult, fully capable of allowing a feeling to permeate, mature, exist, and then move on from it into hope and light.

Maybe the Lord is giving me a second chance at this gig. lol. Maybe it's another chance to tear down the walls, take off the sun glasses, be real, be truthful, put down the emotional gavel of judgement on myself, and just be the creation He made me, in all His glory, not mine.

If you met me today, you would barely see the scars from my past. Someone said to me last week that I needed short blond hair because it matched my personality. That made me laugh...and think. There is a piece of me that is very blond, bubbly, and fun. That's the little girl in me who is blond, and so crazy. She'll always be a part of me. But my adult self? She's a strong brunette who's not ashamed of where she's been and who's trying to acknowledge where she is. And who knows? If the ever present scars of 18 years of surgeries can look so minimal now, maybe the scars of this battle will be but a dim memory as well. That is my prayer, my heart, my plea, and my truth without the shades.

Costochondritis- Symptoms and a Piggy Back

2010-02-27T13:56:00.037-06:00

This post is a shout out to Sophie, who asked for a post where you could comment on what makes your pain worse, and compare with other costo cats.

Random: I don't know about you, but ever since I went to the marathon, I keep thinking about my journey as a marathon. This could possibly be because I don't get out much. And you know how they have water stops every few miles? And people run by and grab water and don't ever look at the water holders? I so just want to jump onto the water holder, wrap my legs around one of them, give em a jolly ol' "giddy up" and get a it's a healing party piggy back ride off the course and straight to Pizza Hut. ....hmmm...it's been a long time since you and me made out, Mr. Yummy Slice.

Back to the topic at hand:

Okay, here we go, all of the symptoms I currently have are as follows:

Chest Pain - I know...that was a shocker to everyone
Burning in the Chest
Stabbing Pain in the Chest
Pressure in the Chest - mostly left side
Chest Spasms - when laying on my back
Lower Back pain
Pain in upper left stomach
TMI alert....diarrhea, lethargic, moody after eating any food with oils (canola, sunflower, safflower)
Acid reflux and increased burning chest pain (and wake up feeling hung over the next day) if I eat dairy, potatoes, fried food, tomatoes, or gluten- hence- I avoid.
High Protein in my Blood
Slow digestion-in my small intestines
Low blood circulation
Candida
Numb left hand, tingling down extremities

Symptoms that I've had the past 3 years, but are not there as of the past month with certain changes, mostly diet changes- Holla!:

Lethargic
Felt like I could not get enough sleep-and then felt hung over upon waking, this stopped when I changed my diet- (insert celebration dance)
Pin needles down legs and right foot
Tightness in throat
Bladder Infections - yeah, that was fun to admit- gag
Ovarian Cysts
Mid- Back pain
Thyroid is sluggish - on meds.
Dark circles under eyes
Blurred Vision
Left Facial Pain...I know...WHAT?
Hot flashes
Headaches- haven't had one in 3 weeks!
Tightness in throat- feels like it closes up- and burning after eating
Cramps in my Calves
Imbalanced Hormones
Bad PMS - yes, that makes for a fun week- lol- you what I'm talking about ladies!
Low Vitamin D

What makes my chest pain worse:

Breathing
Talking
Laughing
Singing
Laying on my left side
Laying on my stomach
Lifting anything heavier than a pen
Exercising
Coughing
After eating Canola, Sunflower, and Safflower oil
After eating potato based food
After eating tomato's
After eating gluten
Jumping, moving in general
If anyone touches me
Caffeine
Sitting up
Sitting for long periods of time
Driving
Shaving my legs -)
Bending over in general - keep your mind out of the gutter people! (insert chuckle)

What makes my Pain Better after all this Guinea Pigging

Sleeping on my Back
Walking daily, light stretching
Avoiding Gluten, Potato, Oil, dairy, fried foods, and Tomatoes
Skilled Relaxation Exercises, prayer, meditation, reading the Word, everything that calms me down
Sauna
Not lifting anything, zilch, nada
Staying as quiet as I can
Medical Massage Therapy
Watching totally cliche chick flicks

My worst pain with all kinds of hospital trips was about 10 months ago when I was touring and singing, lifting all my bags on and off the tour bus everyday, my mom had cancer, and I was doing the Mediterranean diet - lots of bread an oils. So that's what my rap sheet looks like. If you feel like sharing your symptoms and what makes it worse, feel free and thanks in advance for dropping a line in the comment section, where it's always a party. I didn't say a good one, with like cake and a pinata of giant, inflamed ribs....haha...okay...I just made myself laugh. I better go now.

-)
Lucy

Costochondritis- On a Bad Day

2010-02-24T12:04:00.022-06:00

So what do you do, in bed, on days when your pain is really bad?

1) Pluck your fuzzy eyebrows- don't make them suffer for your pain
2) Shave your feet - no need for them to look like fuzzy sliipers
3) Watch the movie, Funny Girl, and swim in ice or heat
4) Text your bff and tell her what you had for a snack
5) Blog about Marathons
6) Watch Funny Girl again, this time in a comatose state
7) Wait for dog walkers (who have dogs that poop under your window and stink up your room) to come near your window.... and then proceed to bang on the window like a crazy person and duck.
8) Read blogs
9) Resist the urge to log back into facebook and stalk people
10) Watch exercise videos and critique them
11) Try on wigs and see what hair colors you should try in the future
12) Shop online for outfits you can wear sans-bra...then note that PJ's rule
13) Floss
14) Watch Funny Girl, with pain meds in your arms instead of fuzzy bear
15) Organize the medicine cabinet
16) Read Food labels
17) Once again, brainstorm about "at home" jobs
18) Read motivational quotes, that you put on the ceiling sans-pain.
19) Once again, E-mail someone explaining why you do not look sick.
20) Practice looking sick.
21) Read a self help book, realize you can't go outside to "help" yourself, and throw it away.

Costochondritis- Bam! sLpAt! PoW!

2010-02-23T11:38:00.044-06:00

tWe've all had interesting conversations with people about our pain. Some of the conversations are a gift, some of them drive us batty, and some drive them batty. Recently, I had a quick chat with someone about my experience with an invisible illness...and, as if on cue in a bad script, came the twist in the seemingly peaceful plot when he said...

Him: "Oh come on, it's not like you're an invalid or anything."

Me: Blank stare

Here is where I nearly turned into a super hero, punched him in the testicles, shoved my ice down his throat, broke his ribs, and ran off with his french fries. Volatile? Yes. Chuckle worthy in my head? Double Yes. But I resisted my urge to beat up the Ding Dong. Good for me...and bummer for super hero story telling.

-)

Lucky dude- still has all of his appendages.

Costochondritis- A Valentine Marathon

2010-02-14T18:40:00.001-06:00

Well...I thought today I would blog about Valentine's Day. I was going write about trying to break up with Costochondritis who, stubborn SOB, does not want to break up with me. No matter how much weight I gain, how rude and moody I get, he will not leave me. Gag.

However, I'm going a different direction. =) I don't do much as far as getting out of town since it's painful, but I had to be there for this. Today, I had the honor of watching my brother, and my beautiful sister-n-law finish a marathon. It. Was. Awesome. We got up really early and met them at different parts of the course- after we cheered them on, we would run to find our car and scramble to get to the next mile marker before they did...and I loved every minute of it. I even yelled. A lot. Did it hurt? Yup. Did I do it anyway? Yup. Because today, as far as I was concerned, I was not a girl with a life changing condition, I was just a sister who was REALLY excited to cheer on her family.

So today, on this stunningly beautiful Valentine's Day, I refused to pay attention to the blood sucking Valentine that doesn't seem to get the phrase, "ummmm, this isn't working out for me."

It's hard not to watch a grueling and powerful event, like a marathon, and not relate it to life. You knew I was headed this way. -) So as the sun beat down on us and I watched these exhausted, strong runners at mile 23, I began to think about the journey I've been on. That we've all been on. I began to think about the different turns, the different temperatures, and the hills, the downhills, the weather, and the strength and pace it takes to finish a marathon. The whole motto of "give it what you got, and then give it what you don't got" rings so true.

And what about the people on the side holding up signs and cheering for us?! It was so wild to watch the different reactions today while I was on the sidelines. Some runners paid no attention to our cheers. Most likely they were in a stretch of their journey where they needed to dig deep, stay on course, and couldn't relate to those around them. And I totally respected that.

Some people offered smiles at my crazy chants. Mostly likely they were in a place where they couldn't verbally relate to us, but they could acknowledge us, and in their own way, show that they appreciated the support. Which selfishly made me feel good and consequently, I would crazy cheer some more.

And then there were the people who would laugh, chant back, and hoot and holler with us. Even though they were spent, they fed off our energy and cheered right back. Obviously, I loved those people because they loved us. lol. Typical human behavior.

But there was one more group. The group who were not in a zone, who were not smiling, who were not laughing...but struggling with every fiber of their being to put one foot in front of the other. This group, I needed to encourage and ask nothing in return. But they knew we were there. I knew this. And at different points in our journey, we can all relate to this group.

And at mile 22, this one runner ran off the course, grabbed his water at a H2O stop, started laughing and yelled," THIS SUCKS!" This was a highlight for me. I could not stop laughing. And he kept laughing with me. And then he got on with it. And finished the race.

Another highlight was when at mile 23, I got to see my brother running like a champ, and then my sister-n-law running like a rock star. I was so excited to see them, knowing they were both was so close to finishing their goal. Then my brothers friend and my hubby jumped in the race with him to finish the last 3 miles. I won't lie, I was jealous that I couldn't run with him. But you know, this race wasn't about me, it was about them. And my brother was not alone in the hardest part of the race. I had a lot of comfort and peace about that. He had support on each side. This sight was so powerful to me. And my sister-n-law had a friend running the last 7 miles with her. Super cool friend. And by the way, she ROCKED it! It was SO cool be there to watch her run this beast of a marathon. I loved cheering her on. She's amazing.

But then came the rough part. My brother started to pass out the last mile and a half- the dude had been TRUCKING! And he'd only had 1 goo (the nasty food that marathon runners eat- you are suppose to eat at least 3-4). So when he and my hubby finished, my brother passed out at the finish line and woke up in the Medical tent with an IV in his arm and a thermometer in his booty. =) It really scared me, but he's okay. An hour and a half later he had his marathon medal around his neck and a smile on that handsome face. They made it. They did it. They finished.

I think the hardest thing about the invisible illness marathon is that you don't always know where the finish line is. And when did the starting gun go off?! I didn't have my proper running shoes and attire on! Nor did I get the map, the schedule, the t-shirt, or the website. And I was like dressed in formal attire and spiked heels when I heard the loud "pop," go off and whoosh- there I went!....and then at mile 2, I was like "Whaaaaaaat in the world?" Anyone else?

So what do you do when you find yourself in a race you didn't sign up for? ....well, I'm still learning. All I have so far is: kick off your heals, let your feet toughen, hike up your dress, pace yourself, pray to get from mile to mile, and from time to time, look up and smile at those cheering you on. Receive it. Unless it's a doctor who is throwing sedatives at you like party favors and boots you out of his office like a sling shot covered in, "I have no clue, I wish you luck, that will be $700." Then just stick out your foot and trip him.

So wherever you are on your journey: The starting line, half way, in the rain, drained by the heat, on rough terrain, coasting, your blistering feet don't want to walk any more. Or maybe you're battling grueling miles that seem never ending and you can't lift your head up and talk to anyone. No matter where you are, I leave you with this cheer:

Give it what you have and then give it what you don't,
Keep walking and stepping, if jog, your muscles won't
And know that you can pull off this rough trail of muck,
And laugh, and cry and scream and yell, "This really really sucks!"

Then keep a moving!!

So this is me, on the sideline of your journey, cheering you on.

Woo- HOo!!!! KEEP GOING!!!!!!!!!! You Got this!!!!!
gasp...oops...watch the curb....that had to hurt.

Costochondritis-New Poll Question

2010-02-12T13:47:00.001-06:00

Hello my amazing blogger friends,

I just posted a new Poll question to the right:

"Is your costo worse after you eat?" If you get a second to vote, that would rock so we can see how many of us have this symptom and how many don't.

And you rock. Sick or well, you rock.

Don't forget that. And if you do forget that, listen to some kicking 80's music and shake it. It'll come back to you.

-) Thanks Everyone!

Costochondritis- Food Allergies

2010-02-10T00:57:00.001-06:00

Is it my opinion that everyone with Costochondritis should be tested for food allergies? Yes. If for no other reason that I had to do it, so you should too. =) lol. I'm kidding, people. I get tested more for celiac next week, but today was food allergy day.

Seriously though, if you suspect something like a food allergy is causing inflammation to light up your body like it's Christmas at Easter, then you need to find out what it is, nail it in a coffin, and get better. End of story.

I didn't notice that food affected my chest pain until about a year ago...weird? Yes. But really, is there anything normal about any of us? I'm just saying. Don't you leave me and try to get on the normal side of the tracks! -).......tisk. But if you must leave the world of "invisible but painful," I will throw you a party and dance a jig. And not just any jig- a seriously good one worthy of such an occasion.

So I got tested today just to rule out one more thing. Do I really think I have a food allergy? Not really...but since my pain is so affected by the foods I eat- gotta rule it out. Do I secretly hope I have one and will be healed by avoiding it? Ummm...that's a yes.

I drank like a 100 ounces of water by noon so that the process wouldn't suck. I have issues. haha. But my mom, who is recovering from cancer...and has lymphodema...is a total rock star, (who held my grown up self's hand via my panic) told me some good stories to keep my mind off of the vampire lady. Kuddos to my amazing mom. Big time.

But before Vampire lady came to get me, I saw the woman who tried to get my blood last time...who poked my already violated arm a million times...and then a million more, and then I passed out b/c we (and by we, I mean her) kept taking the needle in and out while trying to fill up 6 bile's of blood. I froze.

I was mortified I might get her again...so you know those moments when you are planning your escape in your head, (but in your head you are dressed in a super cute hero outfit with adorable non-hurting high heals and a perfect set of ribs, and then you drop kick the villain and swing gracefully out the window into Superman's arms?) Yeah, that didn't happen. Thankfully though, I got saved by someone else, Vampire lady #2, who was good (if I don't pass out- she's good). So the first Vampire lady was off the hook from my crazy rampage and escape. Lucky her.
-)

Moral of random rant?
Get tested if you suspect food allergies.
Please pick your Vampires wisely.
Always have cute high heels in your escape plan.
That is all.

UPDATE:
Okay, so after some wonderful questions in my comment section, I wanted to add a little Q &A in the event that you may be wondering some of the same things.

What tests did you have done and for what foods?
I had a food allergy test done. I went to my doctor (any Dr. can order this test, which is awesome), talked with her about a list of foods that I noticed a difference in my pain after I ate them and told her I wanted the test done. I was a little bold. =) This list included:

Dairy
Gluten
French Fries
Anything Fried
Meat
Large Meals
Tomatoes
Potatoes

The doctor then made a list of foods (called a panel), and made sure there was a general food panel test (includes about 40 of the most popular food allergies) and added any additional foods that I was suspicious of.

Next, after you complete those steps, you then take that sheet and go to your nearest pathology lab, they draw blood- and 7 days later, you meet with your doctor to discuss the results.

If there's relief....how do I isolate certain food groups or more preciously certain spices mixed into our foods?

If there is relief, that's awesome. You'll have to do some food journaling and detective work to find out what's making it worse and then really work to eliminate those foods. You can totally do this! Most folks with Costo who have food issues are affected by nightshade foods: potatoes, tomatoes etc.

As per the spices, Eek- I don't do lots of spices, so that's out of my realm, wish I was of more help here!

Do you use cayenne spice in your food?
I personally don't, only because my plate is full with trying other things, not because I don't think it's awesome. I've heard some positive reviews from it, but haven't tried it myself. Great questions!

Hugs to everyone!

Costochondritis- Forgive the Cactus

2010-02-08T12:05:00.002-06:00

Dear Friends,

It would appear I have offended and scared a few folks I love dearly and deeply when in a previous rant I talked about not wanting to be asked about my progress....and I wrote the word BONKERS a whole lot. I'm so sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings. Please forgive me. Did I mean it what I said? Yes. But if you and I are close, we talk often, are blog buddies...or related...or pretend we are related, you do not fall into the category of "leave me alone." lol. Especially if it's via text or e-mail. Cause it hurts to talk. So the odds of getting me phone chatting are slim to none. A friend did ask me, "if I want an update and you don't want to answer, what do i ask?" That was funny. We came up with, "anything new with the costo?" And I was like, "nope." Chuckle.

And most often, I'd love to listen about your life, because while mine is blessed, it's tedious, and slow moving. Not much on the news front. I'm like a catus. Slow growing, feel like I'm in the hot dessert, have thick skin due to survival needs, and I have prickles on my person to protect myself. From what, you ask? Well, that's another post all together. But, a Cactus is a tough little fighter, so forgive me if I jabbed you with my prickles. What the crap do you call those sharp things? I know it's not easy for those who love the cactus to deal with this either. So for that, I ask your forgiveness and extend my gratitude.

One day my little flowers will bloom. And the dern spikes will fall off. Promise.

I leave you with a little chuckle: It was the middle of the night. Suddenly there was a loud rapping on the doctor’s door, followed by a groan. The doctor angrily thrust his head out of the window. “WELL?” he shouted. “No,” moaned the man. “Sick.” hehe.

Ii's not that funny, but it made me smile. -)
Sincerely,
Lucy

Costochondritis- Q & A

2010-02-07T12:29:00.001-06:00

A reader posted these questions in my comment section. I'll do my best.

1. How do you check to see that your costo is still around? Is there a certain movement that you do or can you just feel it regularly without movement? Is it only on one side?
I feel it constantly, on the left side. Occasionally, on the right as well.

2. Is your chest tender? Can you feel it underneath your clothes?
Yes, tender to the touch and Yes. Always

3. What methods of pain alleviation help you? Have you ever seen any kind of improvement or is it too hard to tell?
That's a loaded question that I'm walking through and working through. The biggest change I've seen is while keeping a calender of my pain, it's gone down a couple of notches as I've figured out what makes it worse. This way, I can nail the sources of aggravation. As you read through the blog, you can see has worked and what has not. And I blog about what I've tried HERE.

4. What kinds of natural anti-inflammatories are there? I'm worried that I am taking too many Ibuprofen and needing to get my kidneys flushed.
Unfortunately, I'm not an expert in this area. I stopped taking anti-inflamms because they didn't help me. I did at one point take natural willow bark. I'd go to your local health food store and chat it up with them. I think it's a balance of taking the edge off...and trying not to mask the pain, but digging to find out why we have it in the first place.

5. How often would you say you check for pain and if so, how do you check for it? Do you think this leads to increased inflammation?
I don't have to check for it, it never goes away. If a costo sufferer has to check for it, that's a great sign. I feel it just standing and breathing. It's not a matter of if it's there or not, it's a matter of if it escalates to where it's stabbing-heart attack feeling-can't catch my breathe pain, or moderate pressure- in- my- chest-I can't -think -about- anything- else -but- THIS- pain. And yes, if a costo sufferer is constantly checking for the pain, I do think it will get more aggravated.

6.a. Has you ever felt this kind of pain in your back?
Yes, when I was diagnosed, I felt I was walking around with a spear sticking through my heart to my back. The massage therapist has saved the day with my back. I still have to be very aware of my posture and stretching so that my back doesn't pain the for the sins of my ribs.

6.b. Is yours only on one side and if so, which side?
Left side, sometimes on the right. But always on the left.

7. What would you say is your daily schedule (Heating, diet, exercise) relating to costo and what methods you think have helped?
It changes depending on what is helping and what's not. I'm always on the hunt for the formula that works best for me. Currently, almost daily, I ice, walk, rest, medical massage therapy, skilled relaxation, keep a calender, journal, pray, read, sauna, eat organic, now trying gluten free. It's all trial and error.

8. Do you believe in the possibility that costo needs to be inflamed in order to get blood flow to the area in order to be healed?
No. I think circulation is key, not inflammation. This is why light exercise, sauna and massage therapy can be helpful in the healing process.

9. What did you in the two years where you were not diagnosed with costo? Did you just continue to work out regularly?
I was terrified every day, not knowing why I couldn't breathe without pain. I continued to work out. Hard. Very Dumb. Very driven, but very dumb. But I had no clue that I was making it worse. At that time the pain was so bad- I couldn't tell the difference between the pain of breathing or picking up a 20 lb weight- it all killed me. I did, however, stay away from the beach press- both a regular bench press and an overhead bench press. I ended up in the ER every time I tried one. Then slowly, I became more debilitated, and stopped it all together. The bouncing from just walking would take my breathe away.

10. What was the exact exercise that led to you having costo?
I was driving down the road to work when I had my first attack. I was just....driving. I do not believe mine is trauma alone. I believe it's auto-immune, emotional, and food related as well. I was training physically VERY hard at the time. I had just changed my diet, my physical routine, and had just had my heart shattered into pieces by my 7 year on and off again cheating man who got another girl pregnant. Ladies, if he shows you who he is the first time? Believe him.

-)

Alright, so there you have it. Ladies and gents, I'm no pro and my answers may or may not help anyone. But if you have learned just one little helpful hint from this blog, I am BEGGING you to put your story out there for others to read or listen to. I don't care if it's on this blog, or an e-mail to a friend, a FB page, or in support group, or a forum, or sharing with all your co-workers. Share your condition. Pay it forward.

You can help others with their condition by taking just a few minutes to talk about yours. Share your story. We gotta tear down the fear and stigma that comes with invisible illnesses. And by sharing with just one person your story, so can they learn from you, it becomes a little less invisible.

End Rant.

Costochondritis- I have WHAT!?

2010-02-04T13:53:00.001-06:00

On Monday I called a doctor who does a national radio physician show -(3 shows,5 days week). It's pretty cool. You call in, talk to him about your symptoms (for free) and he tells you his thoughts. I've followed his work for years- his books etc....My mom knows this dude, so I felt comfortable calling in 4 months ago to talk about ovarian cysts (had them for 4 years- blah). Buuut after his help, I have NO MORE cysts as of 2 months ago. YAY! TMI? Of course! Wouldn't be a post with out it. You know this. But very good stuff, none the less. And I did a big ol' electric slide jig to celebrate.

So I called back in to tell him that my cysts were gone and thank him for taking the time to listen to me...and I thought...I'm going to talk to him about my costo...then I was like "no...there is NO way he will be able to help me..." Sigh. But my OCD in cahoots with the Holy Spirit opened my mouth and out came in a fast tumble, "I have costochondritis, it's terrible, and doctors don't kow what to do with me." lol.

He proceeded to ask me quite a few questions about my symptoms....and he learned that I have had psoriasis, gum disease, too much protein in my blood, my small intestines are not digesting food, I have pressure in my stomach as well as the ribs, that Costo gets worse after eating wheat, fried foods, dairy, and tomatoes. He learned that I've had odd bouts of inflammation problems such as gum issues, etc...even before the chest pain came in and turned me up side down.

Then after he kept firing questions at me...he said, "I'm about to make your day, young lady." I was like..."ummmm..okay." He then proceeded to tell me that I have CELIAC DISEASE. Silence..... Cricket..... Cricket.

I have WHAT????????!!!!!!!!!!

I was in shock. Still am, to be honest. He talked to me about how it can manifest itself into Costo.

Celiac Disease is an inherited auto-immune disease in which the small intestines are damaged by the consumption of wheat, barley, rye, and all gluten. Which is wild, because my Dad has many issues related to his stomach and eating. I have always thought maybe I just inherited his sensitive stomach. But nope. He gave me a freaking disease. lol.

The Dr. shared that in the month following, if I cut out gluten, the inflammation in my body would cease, including my Costochondritis. Wow.

There is a part of me that is excited and hopeful all over again. This diagnoses is the only explanation for all the odds things that have happened in my body. May have to change the name of the blog. lol. Just kidding, folks. And the other part of me is tentative. So many false hopes over the years. You all know how this goes. Buuuuuut, you gotta celebrate the hope! So I'm doing a little 80's jig. Woo-Hoo!

I wasn't going to share all of this but maybe some one out there, reading this, has these symptoms and this crappy condition, and can get out this pain! I don't know... But if you suspect it, you can cut out all gluten and see what happens. Cool, huh?

So I'm done with the cleansing for now. I lied about doing flush #3. Sorry, folks. I'm DONE! Well, maybe I didn't lie...just decided to call it a day. lol. Now on to a gluten free diet...we shall see. One day at a time. And if this is the answer, wow. If it's not, I'll keep a digging. So you better do the same. =)

Costochondritis- The Granny Stroll

2010-01-31T23:19:00.001-06:00

Today I was doing my granny walk in the fitness center. And everyone around me was like running marathons at lighting speeds...and doing military sit-ups, and the for rizzle pull ups. It was like someone had posted a "only real athletes can work out today" sign and I TOTALLY missed the memo.

Before my Costo days. I now call them my ignorant glory days...I use to watch people "stroll" in the gym and would think to myself..."pansies....that ain't gunna cut it...they need to kick it up or just go to the old lady water aerobics class." GASP. Was I that rude in my head? Yes. Why yes, I say. Which I'm quite ashamed to admit. But since my pride and my hot pink work-out tank tops made off with my push-up bras to a beach in Mexico- I can openly admit to such ridiculous thoughts now. With vigor.

Oh me. oh My. The things we learn as we grow older. And the lesson of this little tale? You never really know what someone is going through. Never. And grace is a much more beautiful and colorful quality than judgement.

And you know what? My aunt who is totally bedridden with MS? She'd loved to be doing the granny stroll. So today... in honor of my ever positive and cool Aunt Jenny, I strutted my granny stroll on the treadmill like I was cooler than the new ipad with wings. And I let go of what others were thinking of me. Thanks Aunt J. (Insert We are the Champions song and a janky hip shake for the victory dance).

Costochondritis- Liver Cleanse #2

2010-01-28T19:18:00.002-06:00

Oh mercy. Just finished liver cleanse #2. Up chucked all night because of it. TMI? Why yes, of course. So my costo hurts worse due to the -you-know. Gross. Ouch. Eeek. And ironic, you say? Why yes, course -take 2.

So I won't be doing this particular flush again. =) Me and Olive Oil do NOT get along anymore. Told Miss Oil to go jump in a pond with the leeches. Cause my house is no longer accepting "It'll be a great party with a little up-chuck drink as the main event" applications.

Going to try another liver cleanse that's more gentle in 2 weeks. .....much more gentle. Will I give up? Sheesh. No. I'm telling you. It's that OCD. I can't help it. I'll try at least one more. My goal was 3 and dern it- 3 -I shall have.

The upside? Expelled another 110 stones. TMI again? Yes, of course. But Woo-Hoo for that! I'll let you know if' I'm doing a "my pain is less" electric slide jig this next week. Come on- everyone loves the slide. Even if you can't dance- you can shuffle and slide. Don't lie.

That is all for today, my friends. Hang in there, praying you have peace amidst your storm today. And that you are in the palm of the Ultimate Healer. Where peace truly lives.

Costochondritis- Success Story

2010-01-23T16:29:00.002-06:00

I have total Success Story OCD. If I find anyone who has healed in any way from Costochondritis, or what they thought was Costo., I hit NEW POST faster than my dog can knock ice cream out of my hand. Found this on another site...just sharing...

"I was diagnosed with Costochondritis when I went to see the doctor complaining that I had sore ribs. I initially had this very sharp pain in my chest, near to my heart, and thought that I had perhaps torn something. a few weeks after my ribs began to feel sore at the front of my chest, particularly if I raised my arms, arched my back or pushed down on my sternum. The doctor gave me some anti-inflammatory drugs, which helped.

I then went back and checked on the internet and everything at that point seemed to make sense.

A few months passed and the symptoms never went away. The symptoms changed slightly, in that on days that my ribs were not sore, I got the felling of indigestion and acid reflux. I started to develop an itchy cough.

A few more months passed and I noticed that my stools were rather black and tarry. At this point I went back and met another doctor (one who specialized in Gastroenterology), who gave me an endoscopy and confirmed that I had a stomach ulcer, presumably as a result of taking too many anti-inflammatory drugs.

I was also told that I had an inflamed Esophagus junction (EG Junction/OG Junction) and this was later diagnosed as Barrett's esophagus, which is a little more worrying.

I had been introduced to the idea of acid reflux but I was convinced that I had costochondritis. If you think that you have costochondritis, but you sometimes get the feeling heartburn or acid reflux or general indigestion, or a feeling of having a lump in your throat, then it is probably your esophagus. You should not exclude this possibility, and get it checked out and dealt with."

The OCD itch has been officially satiated for today. Now where's the ice cream? J/K...I mean organic yogurt. Gag.

Costochondritis- Cleansing Update

2010-01-19T13:15:00.001-06:00

To those new to my Costo blog, welcome. Glad your here, hope you find what you need, heal quickly, and never have to come back. =)

This post is an update about the cleansing process I'm doing. I really feel a lot of my costo is related to food and inflammation and thus I've headed up the steep mountain of cleansing, determined to get to the top and see what the view is like from up there.

So far, these are the cleanses I have done....

Colon Cleanse -7 days-CHECK!
One Week Break - CHECK!
Parasite Cleanse-18 days - CHECK!
One Day Colon cleanse with Oxy powder - CHECK!
Kidney Cleanse -15 days - (with 2 Oxy powder every 3 days) CHECK!
Liver Cleanse #1 -2 days- CHECK!
2 week break (using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)...ON IT!
Liver Cleanse #2 -2 days
2 week break (using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver cleanse #3 -2 days ( I will be repeating this process until I have no more stones, eek.)

If you click on the liver cleanse or scroll down and read about it, you'll get a play by play of how I'm doing after the cleanse, I'm keeping it updated.

However, I would like to let my blogging buddies know that my pain subsided for 2 days thus far after my liver cleanse (finished 5 days ago). Shocked me, to be honest. It felt so good to breathe deeply. And since my pain is consistent and very predictable at this point, it was a sweet gift....and that's my shocked cartoon picture (it's how I felt and looked after the liver flush).

Thus I'm continuing to do this cleanse along with relaxation exercises, icing, resting, eating an all organic diet, and still seeing my medical massage therapist. Good stuff.

Anyhoo, I'm going to keep at the liver flushes every two weeks and see what happens. I'm very curious. Not putting all my eggs in one basket...or maybe I am. But really, what have I got to lose, besides this blah condition?

Still praying and plugging along.

-Me

Costochondritis- The Dream Play

2010-01-17T14:43:00.001-06:00

Warning, I'm ranting and there are no exclamation marks in this post.

Curtain up:

Begin Monologue: So...the day after the liver flush, I was doing a little exercise. Well...I USE to exercise...now it's more like a ridiculous granny sway. Pathetic. Anyway, so there I am, doing my "exercise" and the tears start a coming. I was a little confused, but mostly overwhelmed by the emotions I felt. I use to cry all the time about costo., you see. But these days, I'm more in the mode of chugging along- pretending that one day this will all be over. And I just gotta do my part until it is. Some would call that denial. I call it, "walk in my shoes for ones day, and if you don't jump off a cliff, then come talk to me."

Soooo the emotions kept coming and coming. Sadness, Frustration, Anger, and mostly...disappointment. I came back home and my poor husband- he got an earful. Thankfully, it wasn't really directed at him. Which is a relief, cause when that happens at the organic market of Lucy with gigantor issues, there's a HUGE cleanup in aisle this really sucks for the marriage.

I went through the gamut of emotions. I think the major issue in my deepest of deeps is that I'm so utterly disappointed. Can't blame me. This is my monologue, let me have a moment of self pity please. .....okay, moving on. I had finally gotten my equity card, finally able to start auditioning for Broadway. I was so excited, it was all coming to fruition. Then everything I'd worked for came out from under me.

And I have spent 3 years thinking, "I just gotta get through this, then I'll be on the next plane to NYC and back to where I started." But what hit me was that I may not. There may be no plane. Some would call this reality. And although my vision of life may seem silly to others, it was my dream. Other girls wanted to grow up and be married, and all I ever would mutter is, "Broadway." Some people would say," well, you just want fame- you should get that out of your system." Really? Can you name 10 people on Broadway right now? Yup. No body knows them. But all they ever wanted to do was theater. It's like this burning flame inside of you that can't be snuffed out. Trust me, I've tried. Cause people don't get people who want to do theater. At all. They just don't. And that's fine, I don't get certain aspects of others people's lives. It's all good.

Why couldn't I have dreamed to be a beach bum, or a wonderful wife who is taken care of, or someone who wants to have a writing career? Or a software developer?! Now there is a perfect candidate for costo....no human contact, can work from home, not much laughter. Boring. Lol. My husband is a software developer. =) He'd be perfect for this. Oh come folks, I'm kidding. Gotta love him. Now, don't get me wrong,I have NOTHING against all those careers. They are awesome. Especially when the person doing them is fulfilling a dream. But my dream was to live in crappy Queens, New York, with no money, a waiting tables job, and audition my little heart out. Sounds glamorous, huh? Yup, that's me. Just call me glamor-lishous.

But to be able to sing, or carry groceries on your own, or walk your luggage up 5 flights of stairs (yes, that's right folks, I lived in a 5 story walk up with no elevator- lol), you cannot have constant chest pain when you merely breathe. And I REALLY struggle with this. Because I could at least be in pain and be fulfilled in what I'm doing if I dreamed of something I could do from home. Like make huge florescent bows or something. Buuuuuut I don't.

And there in lies my deepest disappointment that I am ashamed to admit, because it sounds so shallow: I cannot chase my dream.

In my head....I see your faces in the audience. The looks of confusion. Are they thinking -"this can't be that bad can it? Really, why all the self pity?"

And thus I continue in my strongest stage voice:

I. am. blessed. I don't argue that at all. I finally have a diagnoses, my husband can take care of us, and my family loves me. But I miss LIFE. I miss laughing, cutting up, my amazing friends, road trips, auditions, long hours of dance classes even though I sucked, talking on the phone, hugs, dreaming of the future....all of it. I just miss it. There's a hole in my heart and pain in my chest. Now there's a sad little country song for you.

And that's okay. There's no reason I should be omitted from the trials of life. But from time to time...I may not be happy about it. And you know what? I'm okay with that. God's okay with that. I wish other's could be okay with it. I wish people wouldn't want me to be better like yesterday cause it would them feel better about them. I'm making it. I don't want self pity, just from time to time...a "bummer, that SUCKS...I'm praying for you, wanna watch a chick flick in silence or can I lend an ear?" I don't want my progress monitered. That drive me BONKERS. Don't ask me how I am every time you see me. Again, BONKERS. I don't want to talk about it. Keeping people informed of my progress drives me just as nuts as this condition does. I'll let you know when I do. Trust me. And if I've offended you, I'm sorry. I only don't want to talk about it because I'm insecure about the outcome. Unsure. And for that, I'm sorry that I react this way. My foolish anger is always rooted in fear. And thus, the age old adage is true, it's me...not you.

Soooo...word to the wise, liver cleanses make you emotional. And the next time I do a liver cleanse in 2 weeks, I'll buy some heavy duty tissues as well.

Look at audience one more time. Feel insecure. Yet honest.

End scene.

Curtain down.

The Big Bad Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse

2010-01-15T07:46:00.003-06:00

To those new to my blog, welcome! I'm going through a series of cleanses to see how they affect my costochondritis. PS- they found my hubby's friend in Haiti today! Alive! Trapped in an elevator for 3 days beneath the rubble of a hotel. But he's on a plane home!!

Okay...so mercy, goodness. I'm so glad to have finished the first liver flush of 3 liver flushes or more. I was a nervous Nelly about this flush. Alas, I made it. Double Woo-Hoo and triple cheers to that. If you get grossed out easily. This is not your post to read. lol. Seriously though.

Okay, so I combined the HULDA CLARK LIVER CLEA NSE and the OXY POWDER LIVER CLEANSE. Hulda Clark suggests Epsom salts the morning after the cleanse. I chose the oxy powder pills since I'd rather live in the woods with cannibals than drink more Epsom salts.

Here's the liver flush combo I chose to do:

Preparation:

5 days before the flush,no caffeine, started drinking minimum of 70 ounces of water a day- with 2 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar per every 32 ounces of water. And I drank organic apple juice, 8 ounces per day. This softens all the stones.

Ingredients for cleanse:

Epsom salts: 4 tablespoons

Olive oil: half cup (light olive oil is easier to get down)

2 lemons

Ornithine: 4 to 8, to be sure you can sleep. Don’t skip this or you may not sleep.

Large plastic straw: to help drink potion

Black Walnut Tincture, any strength: 10 to 20 drops, to kill parasites coming from the liver.

Choose a day like Saturday for the cleanse, since you will be able to rest the next day. Take no medicines, vitamins or pills that you can do without; they could prevent success. Stop the parasite program and kidney herbs, too, the day before. Eat a no-fat breakfast and lunch such as cooked cereal, fruit, fruit juice, bread and preserves or honey (no butter or milk). This allows the bile to build up and develop pressure in the liver. Higher pressure pushes out more stones.

2:00 PM. Do not eat or drink after 2 o'clock. If you break this rule you could feel quite ill later. Get your Epsom salts ready. Mix 4 tbs. in 3 cups water and pour this into a jar. This makes four servings, ¾ cup each. Set the jar in the refrigerator to get ice cold (this is for convenience and taste only).

6:00 PM. Drink one serving (¾ cup) of the ice cold Epsom salts. If you did not prepare this ahead of time, mix 1 tbs. in ¾ cup water now. You may add 1/8 tsp. vitamin C powder to improve the taste. You may also drink a few mouthfuls of water afterwards or rinse your mouth.

8:00 PM. Repeat by drinking another ¾ cup of Epsom salts.You haven't eaten since two o'clock, but you won't feel hungry. Get your bedtime chores done. The timing is critical for success.

9:45 PM. Pour ½ cup (measured) olive oil into the pint jar. Add 2 drops HCl to sterilize. Wash grapefruit twice in hot water and dry; squeeze by hand into the measuring cup. Remove pulp with fork. You should have at least ½ cup, more (up to ¾ cup) is best. You may use part lemonade. Add this to the olive oil. Also add Black Walnut Tincture. Close the jar tightly with the lid and shake hard until watery (only fresh grapefruit juice does this).Now visit the bathroom one or more time, even if it makes you late for your ten o'clock drink. Don't be more than 15 minutes late. You will get fewer stones.

10:00 PM. Drink the potion you have mixed. Take 4 ornithine capsules with the first sips to make sure you will sleep through the night. Take 8 if you already suffer from insomnia. Drinking through a large plastic straw helps it go down easier. You may use oil and vinegar salad dressing, or straight honey to chase it down between sips. Have these ready in a tablespoon on the kitchen counter. Take it all to your bedside if you want, but drink it standing up. Get it down within 5 minutes (fifteen minutes for very elderly or weak persons).

Lie down immediately. You might fail to get stones out if you don't. The sooner you lie down the more stones you will get out. Be ready for bed ahead of time. Don't clean up the kitchen. As soon as the drink is down walk to your bed and lie down flat on your back with your head up high on the pillow. Try to think about what is happening in the liver. Try to keep perfectly still for at least 20 minutes. You may feel a train of stones traveling along the bile ducts like marbles. There is no pain because the bile duct valves are open (thank you Epsom salts!). Go to sleep, you may fail to get stones out if you don't.

Next morning: Take 4 oxy powder pills. Take 2 tablespoons of Apple Cigar Vinegar in water. Eat only fruit for breakfast, soups and light, organic foods this day. During the day, take all the parasite maintenance products.

The Next couple of days: Take 2-4 oxy powder to get ALL stones out of your colon.

About Stones:

A gallstone's size can vary and may be as small as a sand grain or as large as a golf ball. Gallstones have different appearance, depending on their contents. On the basis of their contents, gallstones can be subdivided into the two following types:

Cholesterol stones are usually pea green, but are sometimes white or yellow in color. They are made primarily of cholesterol, the proportion required for classification as a cholesterol stone
Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in bile. They contain less than 20% of cholesterol.
The rumor is: to heal from certain issues, you need to expel 2,000 stones, hence the 6-15 recommended liver flushes with 2 week breaks between the flushes, (depending on how many you expel per cleanse).

THE END!!!

THOUGHTS: Whew....it's weird to think that I've been doing all this work to get to the liver flush. Okay, so my experience with the flush? It sounds as bad as it looks. lol. There are lots of reports of people throwing up after drinking the oil. Thankfully, I did not. I really prayed about this. Cause I'd rather run a marathon in stilettos than throw up. And thankfully, I didn't have to do either. Rumor is if you have BM's due to the Epsom salts before you drink the oil, you don't get nauseated. I'm a fan of no nausea.

SIDE EFFECTS: During the first part of the cleanse, I was hungry for shizzle. Tried to keep my mind off of it. Once I started on the Epsom Salts, the hunger went away. And once I downed the oil, I wasn't hungry, just mortified at what I had just sucked down. lol. It tastes terrible. At first I didn't feel anything as I laid down as still as possible. Then at one point I felt something like marbles moving in my back. WILD. But no pain. Then as the night when on and I was watching everything I could on my DVR, I started to feel some pressure in my back on the right side. After a while, I finally fell asleep around 3AM.

I woke up at 6AM. I could still taste the oil in my mouth. Gross. My stomach felt weird. It passed. I took all my oxy powder and waited for the magic to happen. lol. And it did. I have read of people feeling really weak and sick the day after. I feel fine, thus far. Tired, sleepy and hungry, but no where near what I thought I'd feel. Very much a blessing. My back feels a little sore (I think from stones passing- I have no freaking clue). But I'm just fine.

RESULTS of FLUSH: Thankfully, I've passed plenty of stones today- currently around 250. TMI? Oooooh yes. Pretty yucky and yet, oh so cool. Oh-don't wrinkle your nose. I warned ya. lol. I'm actually pretty shocked that all those stones were in my body. Eek. Yuck. Ewww, and Wow.

HOW DID IT AFFECT MY COSTOCHONDRITIS?: How will this flush affect my chest pain? I'm not sure. I'll keep you posted. Honestly, I feel about the same today. More energy even though I'm way tired. Where the worst of my chest pain is, I am sore...odd. I'll know this week if it affected my costo. in a positive way. Will I do this cleanse again? Sigh. Yes. (insert gag reflex). I think it's very important to give it a fair shake. So I'll do it every 10 days-2 weeks for at least 2 more flushes- 3 total. That's my goal. And I'm sticking to it.

To those new to the Costo blog and costo-community- I'm going through the following cleanse:

Colon Cleanse -7 days-CHECK!
One Week Break - CHECK!
Parasite Cleanse-18 days - CHECK!
One Day Colon cleanse with Oxy powder - CHECK!
Kidney Cleanse -15 days - (with 2 Oxy powder every 3 days) CHECK!
Liver Cleanse -2 days- CHECK!
2 week break (using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver cleanse -2 days

There you have it. I'll let you know the verdict when I do. Some people noticed a difference after their first liver flush. Other people noticed it after the 2nd or 3rd. So I'll keep plugging along. All the glory to God for getting me through this.

Aaaaaand Exhale.

Updates:

TWO DAYS AFTER THE LIVER FLUSH: Felt good, positive, tired, and then became VERY EMOTIONAL, no physical pain. Costo pain is the same. Bulge under left ribs is smaller.

FOUR DAYS AFTER THE LIVER FLUSH: I'm sore and have moderate pain in my mid-back (feels almost like severe back indigestion), have mild pain in my side from time to time, and my shoulders are stiff, stiff stiff. I've read this is all normal due to the loads of toxins released. All of this is worse after I work out and take my vitamins. On a breathing pain scale of 1-10, (1-no pain, 10- highest pain), my costochondritis pain averaged a 2. Umm...excited pain was lighter today, but proceeding with trepidation.

FIVE DAYS AFTER THE LIVER FLUSH: Okay, I'm still stiff, but the non-costo pain I've been feeling in my body has vanished. SO thankful for this. Decided to take it easy today and rest, since the "after LF pain" gets worse after I work out or take vitamins. Costochondritis pain was a 3 this morning. Saw my massage therapist. Ouch. Pain is always higher after this. And sore. Eek.

SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE FLUSH: I finally realized I needed to be taking probiotics in between these flushes. Oops. So I'm on it. I've not worked out and really rested these past 2 days trying to give my body a rest. Just really realised how hard this was on my body. My soreness in my right side and back are minimal but still there. Started feeling some sciatica issues today. Eek. May be nothing, may be something. Tomorrow- a day of colon cleansing. woo-hoo. Costo pain is a 3. Still sore from my massage.

8 Days Later- FINAL THOUGHTS OF LIVER FLUSH #1: Will I do it again? Yes. Was it fun? No. What will I do different? I will rest for a few days after flush, take probiotics in the days following, and try Epsom salts the morning for one dose, followed by the Oxy podwer a few hours later and see if my soreness is less. Today I'm still sore in my back and right side, but it's mild. Well...I start the ACV and apple Juice in 3 days to prepare for LF #2! Eek. I saw changes in my costo pain for a few days, so onward I go...

Costochondritis- Little Engine that could Cleanse...

2010-01-13T14:31:00.001-06:00

Please pray for the people of Haiti...such devastation, so many heroes, too many casualties, and a tight time constraint to get people out...my heart is so broken over this. My husband has a friend down there that we can't find. I feel so helpless...

Donations can be made to the RED CROSS.

Okay....moving on to what seems so small in light of a tragedy so severe....I just concluded the kidney cleanse. Double Yay for that. I'll have to say I'm a fan of the product I chose. Easy, Breezy, beautiful....kidney cleanse. So here's where I am:

To those new to the Costo blog and costo-community- I'm going through the following cleanse:

Colon Cleanse -7 days-CHECK!
One Week Break - CHECK!
Parasite Cleanse-18 days - CHECK!
One Day Colon cleanse with Oxy powder - CHECK!
Kidney Cleanse -15 days - (with 2 Oxy powder every few days) CHECK!
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break-using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break- using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver cleanse -2 days

Advice I have for the kidney cleanse? If you choose to do it, don't take pills 5 and 6 very late night. Otherwise you'll end up having to hit the ladies room/men's room cleaning out your kidneys and your bladder instead of snoozing.

Next up, liver cleanse. If you're ready for me to get off this cleansing kick, that makes 2 of us. lol.

Chug, Chug, Chug...

Costochondritis- Kidney Cleanse

2010-01-05T18:40:00.001-06:00

I'm on day 7 of my kidney cleanse. So far, so good. CLICK HERE for the product I chose to use. It's easy, not too harsh. I've actually had a couple of days where my pain was less intense....hmmm... We shall see...

2 pills, 3X a day for 15 days.

Not too shabby. I chose this product because it looked really safe and easy. After the intricate parasite cleanse...what can I say? I was tired. =)

However, if I was to do another kidney cleanse- would have chosen the challenging but only 5 day/ credible Dr. Shultze kidney Cleanse.

Tomorrow I start back up on the organic raw apple cider vinegar in preparation for the liver cleanse next week.

Side effects on the kidney cleanse thus far?

lower back pain- started going away today- day 7
cloudy Number 1 some days - grooooooss!!!!! But I gotta put it out there for you future cleansers. Sheesh. -)
Hard time falling asleep a bit

So far, here's where I am:

To those new to the Costo blog and costo-community- I'm going through the following cleanse:

Colon Cleanse -7 days (Oxy powder, Click HERE for info) -CHECK!
One Week Break - CHECK!
Parasite Cleanse-18 days - CHECK!
One Day Colon cleanse with Oxy powder - CHECK!
Kidney Cleanse -15 days - (with 4 Oxy powder every few days)....in the middle of it...
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break-but using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break-but using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver cleanse -2 days

Still plugging along on my little train....chug... chug... chug....praying the next stop is the bright city of " Praise God, I'm pain free!" With Costo in the rear view mirror...as road kill.

I dig it.

Costochondritis- Tests Before Diagnoses

2009-12-29T15:25:00.001-06:00

Alright, ladies and gents. I had a great question asked in the comment section of another post, "what tests and diseases did you get done and ruled out before you were confident in the Costo diagnoses?"

These are the tests performed previous to my diagnoses. And although I've had tons of other tests and a rough ride like many of you, these were the ones I found most informative:

Cardiologists- ruled out all heart problems
Chest X-RAYs
Head MRI (I get tension headaches- ruled out tumors since I had one when I was 16)
Allergy Testing
BACK MRIs (I was having LOTS of referred pain to my back from my chest...it was important to rule out that the bulging disks in my back were not causing my chest pain.)
Bone Scan- to rule out any strange bone diseases
Ultrasound of chest area, stomach, liver, gall bladder
OBGYN - you may want a mammogram. I did not have one since I knew my pain was related to working out. But my mom did have pain in her arm before her breast cancer diagnoses. Don't let this scare you, just let it be a piece of your puzzle.
Rheumatologist- Full Blood work up (took 5 biles of blood) -she tested:

Thyroid level
Ana Nuc. Antibodies
Protein electorphonoresis
Rheumatoid arthritis
HLA-B-27 (this gene and Costo are associated with ankylosing Spondyltis and several other diseases)
Glucose
Complete Blood count (important test)
Cholesterol
Sedimentation rate

With you receive tests results, get copies from your doctor asap (and keep it filed away)- to take with you from doctor to doctor. Don't be shy in getting copies, these are your results!

If I had it to do all over again and was trying to get diagnosed, I would hit up:

Cardiologist- rule out heart problems
Rheumotologist -rule out major diseases
General Practitioner- to order ultrasound of area
MRI of spine - make sure no back problems are causing the chest pain
Then call around to every pain management specialist, cardiologist, and general practitioner in my area and I would ask if the physician was confident in diagnosing Costochondritis. And if I found one that was, I would march into his/her office asap. When I was diagnosed, my physician was extremely confident- which helped immensely. Remember, if you can recreate your pain by pushing on the area near the sternum or lifting objects and the pain returns- it's a good sign it's costo. Just a thought...

If there are any tests you found helpful, let me know and I'll add them.

2010....here we come.

Costochondritis- Parasite Cleanse

2009-12-26T20:56:00.001-06:00

Hugs to everyone. I truly hope you had a blessed and beautiful Christmas.
Happy Birthday to my amazing savior, Jesus Christ. Luvs you!

Alright- to my costochondritis peeps- I'm finally finishing up this parasite cleanse in the next few days. YEEEEES!! FINALLY!! Holla!! It sounds so gag-ish, but honestly- the critter cleanse wasn't too bad.

To those new to the Costo blog and costo-community- I'm going through the following cleanse:

Colon Cleanse -7 days (Oxy powder, Click HERE for info) -CHECK!
One Week Break - CHECK!
Parasite Cleanse-18 days - CHECK!
One Day Colon cleanse with Oxy powder
Kidney Cleanse -15 days
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break-but using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver Cleanse -2 days
2 week break (Liver Cleanse break-but using oxy powder maintenance dose every 3 days)
Liver cleanse -2 days

I chose to do Hulda Clarkes 18 day Parasite Cleanse. The following is the chart and info for the cleanse. For more information on the Hulda Clark parasite cleanse, you can CLICK HERE

Hulda Clark's 18-Day Herbal Parasite Cleanse Handy Chart

(1 teaspoon Black Walnut Hull Extra Strength Tincture = 1 Black Walnut Hull capsules). Take 1-4 Othinine at night to flush out the toxins left by parasite die off.

www.HuldaCl ark.co m	Black Walnut Hull Tincture Extra Strength Dose	Wormwood Capsule Dose (200-300 mg)	Clove Capsule Dose (Size 0 or 00)
DAY	drops 1 time per day, like before a meal.	capsules 1 time per day, on empty stomach (before meal).	capsules 3 times per day, like at mealtime.
1	1 drop (or 1 capsule)	1	1, 1, 1
2	2 drops (or 1 capsule)	1	2, 2, 2
3	3 drops (or 1 capsule)	2	3, 3, 3
4	4 drops (or 1 capsule)	2	3, 3, 3
5	5 drops (or 1 capsules)	3	3, 3, 3
6	2 tsp. (or 2 capsules)	3	3, 3, 3
7	Now once a week*	4	3, 3, 3
8		4	3, 3, 3
9		5	3, 3, 3
10		5	3, 3, 3
11		6	7
12		6	Now once a week*
13	2 tsp. (or 2 capsules)	7
14		7
15		7
16		7
17		Now once a week*
18			7

The following are the products I chose to use for this cleanse. I found them all at my local health food store.

Side Effects: mostly acid reflux (from the cloves), stomach upset (when you get to the 2 tsp of black walnut), and some muscle soreness in the beginning. I used tums to offset the acid reflux and all was well with the world again.

The products I used were:

Black Walnut - Click HERE
L-Orthinine link - Click HERE
Wormwood link- Click HERE
Cloves link - Click HERE

If you choose to do the cleansing process and have completed the colon cleanse and are moving on to the parasite cleanse...and you think "ummm...that cleanse looks WAAAY to crazy...too many pills and crap."

Never fear....there are 2 other parasite cleanses that seem to be really popular, easier to do, and safe:

First is HUMAWORM (30 day cleanse).
Another popular parasite cleanse is PARASITIN (30 day cleanse).
The reason I chose the Hulda Clark cleanse is although it's intense- it's only 18 days to Humaworm and Parasitins 30 day cleanse. All three are great choices. I was just ready to get on with it. lol. Next year, when I know the outcome from this round, I'll take my time with the Parasitin cleanse.

So there you have it. The Parasite cleanse chapter is coming to a close in the next few days. I'm SO happy to be finishing this up. I'll stay on the maintenance program though. gooooo (sounds like ewwwww). So did my pain get any better doing the parasite cleanse? Not really. Not unless it was related to side effects that were bathroom related. Catch my drift? So if you think your costo is related to your stomach, intestines, colon,liver, etc...you may experience some relief while doing this cleanse due to more frequent bathroom use, thus less inflammation in certain areas. Kapeesh? But for the most part, the reason I'm doing the parasite cleanse is because it's on the check list of safely getting to the liver cleanse. Which is where we (or I) want to go. Cool? Cool.

Next up: one day colon cleanse, then on to the 15 day kidney cleanse. TMI for one post? ummm...yes. =)

Costochondritis- And Tums

2009-12-19T23:37:00.001-06:00

Just a thought....

Are you curious to test if your stomach issues and/ or foods you eat are contributing to your Costochondritis?

Try tums or another anti-acid throughout the day and see if you feel any better (only if doctor allows..you know the drill.=)

I discovered that while using Tums when I ate a food that I knew would make my costo worse (for a special occasion)...the pain wouldn't intensify that much. Super Cool.

Costochondritis- Foods Causing Inflammation?

2009-12-17T17:37:00.001-06:00

Curious about which foods cause more inflammation and thus...more pain?

Click on THIS LINK, register (for free, holla!), then click on the nutritional label icon and you will be directed to a page where you can enter any food and find out what it's inflammatory response will be in your body....good or bad..... Nice.

Short and Sweet!

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-12-12T21:16:00.001-06:00

The following costochondritis success story is from curezone.com. Here goes...

"I'm a 24 year old female and come from Europe. I will describe my painful Costo experience over the years!!!

Ever since i was little, i have now and than had a HORRIBLE knife-sticking pain between my 6th and 7th rib on the left side, near the sternum. When i was about 10, my mother took me to the dr., who said, that i was just stressed and i should drink a glass of water. Well, i did it the next time i had it, but it didn't do anything.

Last year I had my attacks:

1. One time during sex
2. Two times before badminton, cause i was coughing a lot
3. Couple of times just so, without any reason, when i came home from work.

Every time i had it, i could hardly breath (fast and shallow breathing) and could just be in a vertical position - every movement from it felt like a heart attack.

Then I caught a cold from my co-worker and it was now constant. So my doctor send me to a pain clinic, where i was crying because of the pain and they didn't give me anything. They said i should stretch. I did it and it got worse!

I went to a acupuncturist, who i told all my problems and that i think i have intercostal neuralgia. First she needled my heart meridian and i almost went unconscious- she took the needle out and said that i have a sensitive heart (nothing wrong with it) and that's why I had to start slowly with everything (and in fact i was doing everything in my life VERY FAST!!!). Than she said, that such a pain between the ribs in Chinese medicine indicate a liver and gallbladder energy depression or a stagnation of blood there.

Then she needled me in the liver and gallbladder meridians, so that the energy started to flow again. After the first session (the affects takes place after 1-2 days) my pain went away for 25%. After the second acupuncture she took another 50%. I went back to work. After the 3rd acupuncture i didn't feel that well, it was cold outside and my ribs were shaking because of the coldness, everything started to hurt again. The next morning i woke up, wanted to cough a little and I HAD AN ATTACK AGAIN! When it went away i went for a walk with a friend. I had 6 attacks during the walk, so she took me to the ER. They gave me an intravenous analgesic and while i was getting it, I HAD 2 MORE ATTACKS, this time - FOR THE FIRST TIME - between the 4th an 5th rib.

They tested my blood in the ER and found out, that there are signs of an inflammation! Gave me antibiotics. The pain didn't go away.

The next day i went to acupuncture and she needled me 1 mm over the spot, were i get the attacks, and i couldn't breathe anymore - it was like someone was sitting on my lungs!!! Then she needled another point and i said OAUUU out loud - she said this is the ALARM point for a gallbladder problem. The gallbladder is a very sensitive organ, which takes damage, when you're really emotional. And indeed I was very depressed for actually no reason, ok i was working to much and was unsatisfied with my life!!! And every time i had something to worry about i felt it in my stomach and sometimes even vomited green gallbladder stuff. And here we are! 3 days ago I was coming home from the neighbor country with a train and my whole cartilage next to the spine was hurting on the left and the right and it was swollen.

So I cleansed my colon yesterday, today I'm starting a liver flush.

I hope it will help, because i have to go to work soon. I've been at home about 5 weeks now, i do not want to loose my job!!!!!!"

She posted again a few days later....

"Oh My Word. Since I did the liver flush this Weekend, 95% of the pain is gone!!!! Wuhuuuuu. I can breath normal again, I can move normal. I feel good again.

I started on Saturday, when I quite eating at 14.00 at just drank teas and Water and flushed my collon. On Sunday at 17.00 I was so hungry, but I pulled myself together and didn't eat anything. At 18.00 I drank the first cup of Epsom salt water. The hunger was gone and I almost felt better with my chest pain. I drunk the second cup at 20.00 and at 22.00 I drunk the oil-grapefruit cocktail, which was better than I thought. I slept til 01.00 in the morning, when I felt the oil coming upwards in my throat. I tried so hard not to puke, but I had to - 4 times. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I watched the Oscars the whole night. It was the worst night ever!!!

At 5. and 7. in the morning I drunk the last cups of Epsom water. I was on the toilet every 15 minutes and at 6. in the morning the first stones came out. Til 12.00 there were about 50, some were larger and some smaller, all of them were grass green!!! I felt better Immediately, and it got better every hour. It's been 2 days now, I do feel a little tenderness on my cartilages, but only 5% and there are times, that I even don't feel this 5%. I'm so happy and thankful that i found you. God bless you!!!

The kind person, Molly, who helped her responded with:

"My pain went away with my first liver flush too. I think that sometimes our pain is tied to our stress, which is tied to our colon. The liver flush is a tremendous colon cleanse. Almost intense.

It think you'll find that as long as you continue the colon cleanses , you'll nip this in the bud. A stressful digestive system does play havoc with your costal region. Believe me on that. Liver Flushes are king. Colon cleanses are their queen.

It's all about inflammation. Cleanse the body, and the body can fight anything. -Molly"

Costochondritis- Most Popular Questions

2009-12-11T13:42:00.004-06:00

So we all have questions about Costochondritis. I had tons when this all started for me.

I thought you all might be interested in this...whenever a person googles a certain phrase and lands on my site (I cannot believe that I just used "google" as a verb, ha!). I'm able to see what that phrase is. Don't worry, I don't get any personal information or anything like that. lol. I'm in too much pain to care even if I did (chuckle).

However, being able to see what is most googled (about costochondritis) has been fascinating. So below, you will find the most popular questions googled about costo. Wild, huh?

I'm no doctor...so the following are all of your questions and just my opinions for answers. You knew I was going to write that. No need for some crazy "BUT LUCY TOLD ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" lol. You have a brilliant brain, so use it wisely. Just think of all my blog posts as a part of your journey. Pieces to your puzzle. This crazy, jigsaw, jacked up, messed up puzzle titled, "I'm being stalked by Costo. gag."

Can I get Costochondritis from weight lifting? Yes Yes Yes. Scroll down and you'll find the post on it. That, scoliosis, and stress is how I got it. Gag. Blah. Eww. The costo-sternal joints are not the the strongest part of our body. With inflammation, irritation, and low blood flow, this area is a susceptible target for inflammation and injury.
Can I die from Costochondritis?- No. Costochondritis is not fatal. The pain may kill you, but the condition won't.... it's a joke, people. Just a chuckle. No one is dying from the pain. If you have Costochondritis alone, you are in no danger, just heaps of pain. Hence, very important to get all major conditions ruled out. You want to make sure that your symptoms are Costo. alone.
Does Costochondritis make your back hurt? Mercy, yes. Hunching over subconsciously to protect your chest/ribs causes stress on your back muscles, often causing a lot of pain. Also, I've been told the pain in the chest can simply radiate to the back- going straight through. My back pain started 3 months after the chest pain. Sleeping on my back, good posture, stretching, walking, and medical massage therapy have alleviated the back pain my case. YES! A victory!
Does Costochondritis show up on an x-ray? I have heard of a case or two where they saw the inflammation on the x-ray (such as from the comment on this post- thx Melissa). Unfortunately, most often, it doesn't show up this way. Bummer. It's usually diagnosed through physical exam. Getting diagnosed is half the battle.
How long will it take to heal? Friends, I wish I knew. This is the million dollar question. Everyone is different. Click on my post in the right column for more info. on this question. Anywhere from 2 weeks to a life time. I know....Eek, gag, crap, sigh, and REALLY? .......Think of your body as an equation. A+B+C=D. It's up to each of us to figure out the different variables in our own case. The cause of your pain is the best place to start. Was it from lifting a baby? Did you get it by repetitive light trauma, like painting? Stress? Did you get it from playing sports? Did you get it b/c you have poor eating habits and your stomach, liver, kidneys, or colon are crying out for a cleanse and better food? I'm not sure. But you really have to take inventory of your body. And I know...we are all like, "we don't have TIME FOR THIS!" But folks. You will have to make time. Because Costo is one stubborn SOB.
Where do you feel the pain of Costochondritis? Most often, but not always, the pain is felt in the 3-6th ribs. Most often it is seen on the left side- where the under wire of the bra is located. It can range from constant dull pressure to sharp stabbing "attacks" pain. I have them both. Joy. You can have pain when breathing, exercising, laughing, picking up any objects, eating large meals. Basically, if you exist, you can feel the pain. lol. I know, I know....not funny. =)
Can Costochondritis be caused BY acid reflux? If you have acid reflux and costo...instead of thinking, "oh crap, this really sucks." You should be very thankful. This means you can really focus on your diet and do some cleanses and you could possibly be feeling better in a couple of months! If you have acid reflux...change your diet TODAY. Eat Organic foods and stay away from nightshade foods (foods that cause inflammation). Consider doing a full body cleanse. If you have acid reflux, it's a huge sign that your intestines are NOT happy with you. This could possibly be one of the causes of Costo. for you. And that is awesome! So don't waste any more time. Get it under control! I know, I'm ranting. =) I can't help it.
Does Costochondritis CAUSE acid reflux? No. Intestinal issues cause Acid Reflux and costochondritis, not the other way around. Just my opinion.
Can/Will a bone scan show Costochondritis? If you have infectious costochondritis from an infection, yes, some times it can show up in a bone scan. I have had a bone scan, it showed nothing. This is most likely since I have inflammatory Costochondritis caused by scoliosis, stress, bracing, acid reflux, and a stomach that needed serious cleansing and help with the foods I'm eating.
Can stress cause costochondritis? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It is often called the "bracing disease." I totally recommend skilled relaxation exercises daily. Scroll down to see the skilled relaxation exercise I use.
Should I go swimming with Costochondritis? It's different for everyone. Try it once and you'll know immediately. I cannot swim at ALL. Very Very painful for me. Some percentage of people do better when swimming. Unfortunately, you will have to do some trial and error with Costo. Blah.
What type of doctor will/can diagnose costochondrtitis? Any doctor who is familiar with Costochondritis can diagnose it. The key is finding that doctor. I have found certain general practitioners and pain management doctors to be the most knowledgeable.
Can Costochondritis cause pain in the upper back and shoulder too? YES!
Does/can Costochondritis pain come and go daily? Yes. If yours comes and goes, be VERY thankful for this. It means you are closer to healing that those with constant pain.
Can I/should I stretch with Costochondritis? Yes. Very gently. Scroll below for stretches.
Should I work out if I have Costoshondritis? Yes. Walking is great. You want to be as stress free as possible. Walking/working out relieves stress, allowing you to sweat out toxins, and keeps your muscles loose. Some people also believe that the only way to heal this condition is for the ribs to oscillate. Kind of like oiling up the joints. You can get your ribs to oscillate with skilled relaxation breathing exercises and/or light jogging or working out in ways that get the ribs moving via breathing heavier than your resting heart rate.
Can an under wire bra cause Costochondritis? Yes. Or it may just be the straw that breaks the camels back. Just my opinion. Scroll down and read the post on this subject..
Can Large Breasts cause Costochondrits? Not the breasts themselves, but the bra (that you have to wear to support the weight) can. And/or the weight of the breasts can put lots of pressure on your ribs, causing or contributing to costo. I'm no expert in this area. lol. ha-ha! But I do know that this is a VERY common question.
Will a Breast Reduction help? I do know of a couple of women who went this route. It helped some ladies and didn't help others.
Why can't a doctor help me? This is the 2 million dollar question. Here's the bottom line. Costochondritis accounts for 3 out of 10 people that go to the emergency room with chest pain. Crazy. One would think with such statistics, this condition would be well known and talked about ALL the time. My little ol' opinion is that since our condition is not deadly, it's quickly dismissed. And unless a doctor has lived through the crippling pain of Costo....to them it's just "inflammation."
Does Costochondritis burn? Yes. It can burn, stab, spasm, be lots of pressure, mimic a heart attack, etc.
What makes it worse? Everything! Moving, breathing, talking, running, laughing, picking up objects, coughing, throwing up, cold weather, sitting for long periods of time, driving and ...etc....
Is costochondritis affected by the seasonal changes? Yes. Whether it's allergy induced inflammation due to Spring, or Bracing induced pain due to the cold weather, yes, both weather and seasons can affect Costo.
Does Caffiene make my Costo worse? Yes. Scroll down to read the post on caffeine and Costo.
Will a full body cleanse heal my costo? Not sure. But it's totally worth a try. I'm in the middle of one and will let you know how it goes!
What natural remedies can heal my Costo? Mercy...scroll way down to read the mammoth post I wrote on this. =)
How do I not go crazy? Good question...sigh. I know...this condition affects every aspect of your life. It's very tough. In the middle of this monsoon of a storm, my sanctuary has been spending time soaking up the bible, lots of journaling, praying, and basking in the peace of God before I go to bed. This is has been my sanity. This is where I find peace.

There you have it! Whew. That made me tired. Feel free to let me know if I missed or need to add something. I'm by no means the expert on anything but my own body. Hoping that as individuals, we all become our own specialists. And as a group, we all become each others greatest supporters. Remember...when you don't know, it's time to learn. And when you do know, it's time to teach.

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-12-05T09:55:00.001-06:00

Success Story from Parenthood.com

"Regarding Costochondritis: I have that problem. Not that bad, but was taking Ibuprofen 3x daily for it for several years, getting progressively worse. A guy at the health food store said it might be food allergies. I quit eating everything I knew I was allergic to and anything I suspected I was. Then I went on a gentle liver cleansing diet (with lots of raw veggies) for 3 weeks and it went away. My anxiety and seasonal allergies also cleared up. I was starting to think I should get checked for asthma but that also went away. As long as I am vigilant with what I eat it stays away. If I start eating junk again it starts to return. It's a pain to have to monitor my eating so much but the reward is well worth it.
Another line of thought could be parasites. Allergies and inflammation can sometimes be brought on by parasites. I traveled abroad and picked up 5 different parasites and bacteria, which went undiagnosed for 14 years, so maybe that's what caused such bad allergies in me. Maybe the liver cleanse cleaned out the parasites and that's what did it.

I have no idea if that's always the root of the problem or just mine. I just know what helped me. Hope you can find something here that might be helpful to you as well."

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-12-04T08:22:00.001-06:00

The story of Molly- She's a very kind person who helped and inspired me when I was first diagnosed. I've shared bits of her story on another post- but wanted to share her full story. Here goes....

"I think I've come full circle with my natural health regiment.

The reason I came to Curezone forum over 2 years ago was because I was battling a debilitating case of Costochondritis, which is inflammation of the rib cartilage. For over three years I went to GP's and specialists. Costo is a diagnosis of exclusion. They check everything, pleurisy, cancer, MRI's, Ultrasounds, etc etc. When no other diagnosis is found, they end up with this diagnosis. They treat this with a variety of NSAIDs and Gabapentin (anti-seizure meds), and I was on about 4 different pain meds, each getting progressively stronger. My GP told me that NO ONE has chronic Costo, and finally, in exasperation told me that I WOULD get my gallbladder removed. When I questioned this, he said that I didn't need my gallbladder anyway, and he didn't know what else to do for me. I said NO, walked away, and have only gone back except for virulent infections that I absolutely needed antibiotics. My husband walked away too, after suffering for decades with clinical depression. He had been on Prozac for 10 years, and was still going to bed on the weekends and pulling the covers over his head. Neither of us knew anything about natural health, and indeed had mocked those who we thought were airy fairy herb takers.

Needless to say, we were a mess. We were both overweight, physically and psychically destroyed. I was about to request long term disability. I was worried that my husband would not be able to work anymore also. We had a child in grade school. Our diets were typical American with many processed foods. We would eat low fat items, thinking we were doing ourselves a favor. We both had terrible acid reflux...and were taking at least one Tagamet a day. If I didn't have Tagamet in my purse when I went to work, I would panic.

The one diagnosis I had was a fatty liver. So I found Andreas Moritz 's book on-line called the "Amazing Liver Flush"....By then I was desperate, so I decided to try the liver flush. I was pretty scared of the whole process. I read carefully about cleansing all the organs. The rest is my very short history.

So I did the liver flush. Personally I think I was dealing with chronic constipation also. All of these things, I believe were adding to my inflammation issues.

After the first liver flush, amazingly I started to have some pain free days. It was the longest two weeks of my life before I could do another one. I think that the flush also helped relieve some of my colon problems by virtue of the Epsom Salts flush.

After the second flush, I could go for weeks without pain. I started to read...hours and hours of reading. I have over 1,00 health sites bookmarked on my computer. My husband was suffering from something strange. He had really bad breath. He had athlete's foot, that would not go away. He would sweat at night, and it smelled horrible. And this was the worst.....the sweat he seemed to be generating was causing mold on the walls near the bed. I kid you not.

I started to drag the man down this path with me. We stopped eating acidic foods (coffee stopped also). We did some Liver Flushes , and then we did a colon cleansing, along with a few colonics. We did a parasite cleanse. We started taking ginger and turmeric (those were our first two supplements). My pain had at long last gone away, and we started to exercise almost everyday. Soon I started weeding my husband off of the Prozac (he has been off for over a year, and has far fewer attacks of depression that in the last two decades).

Well, about three weeks ago my Costo came back. And it was worse than before. I was devastated. But then I realized that all those things I had learned in the beginning I was not practicing like I had before. Sure we have changed many things....distilled water, Organic foods and many more vegetables and fruits. We don't eat anything white anymore. But we had stopped doing those things that were sure fire cures for us.

Most of you that know me, know that I spend all my time on the Oil Pulling forum. I know a lot about oil. I Oil Pull everyday, and I only use Coconut Oil to cook with (with occasional Olive Oil). But I have stopped eating as much oil as I used to.

In fact, I have not really been paying attention to my cleansing anymore. It's been a long time since I've done a Liver Flush . I haven't concentrated on my colon. I am overdo for another parasite cleanse. I don't ingest enough good EFA's like I should be doing. And I have forgotten the overwhelming benefits of Turmeric and Ginger in fighting inflammation. In a word, I've gotten lax. So lax that my arch nemesis has reared it's ugly head again. To me that means that inflammation has crept up again, and this is a very clear warning.

So, I am going to start all over again. The nice thing is that I don't have to do all the reading I did before. And I can do everything in it's proper order (Colon, Liver then Parasite, then liver again).

It is well know in both natural as well as allopathic practice that inflammation might just be one of the biggest killers of the humans body. They have linked it to heart disease, organ destruction, brain diseases - like depression and dementia. One of your best bets is good EFA's, and by that a well balanced Omega 3-6-9.

That is why I posted here. I think that much more attention needs to be paid to inflammation and good Omegas. And for those that have just started this natural healing, be perseverent. When your symptoms go away, do not become complacent. All of this takes time. There are no magic bullets, either in natural health, nor in allopathic. The beauty of natural health however, is that all the dots are connected. Your liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, hormones, colon, mental outlook....integrated into the human machine. You've heard of a "well-oiled" machine?....well that's us!

My husband and I are healthier than we've ever been.....but I think it's time to take it to another level. We've tried many many things now, some very helpful, some not. It was all hit and miss. Now it's time to take all we've learned and synthesize it to a protocol that will be consistent, the things that have worked for us personally. Both protocols will be different, because what has worked for my husband, has not always worked for me. You can't ask someone what their personal protocol is, because we are all different, with the EXCEPTION, or cleansing. Everyone needs to cleanse. It's key.

As for me....I have some liver flushing, good EFA's, a colonic, ginger and turmeric in my near future. I have to pretend I'm starting all over, but this time I will not feel fatalistic.....or paranoid.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I absolutely do not want to go back to that life of pain!"~Molly

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-12-03T11:58:00.001-06:00

This is a Success Story from the yahoo forum just 2 days ago. Although I went down this road and it didn't work for me, I still feel it's necessary to share any and all success stories for our encouragement. We all need it.

"Hi Everyone

I thought I'd give you my 2 week update on the cortisone injections I've had in my shoulder and back.

THEY HAVE WORKED!!!

I'm over the moon, i have had no pain at all, which is unbelievable considering I'm classed as chronic and suffered pain in the areas on the scale of 6-8 for 6 years.

Keep everything crossed that it lasts, as i cant have a top up for 4 months.
I know everyone is different and this hasn't worked for some, but maybe for those of you who haven't tried it yet, it could bring you relief." -N

2 weeks later, he posted that his pain came back after getting a flu vaccine. =(

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-12-02T18:06:00.002-06:00

Success Story by AK from the Natural Health Forum

"I've suffered from
chronic costo for 3 years now. My doctor gave me an ultrasound for gallbladder, and then
an MRI. Everything was negative, except for a fatty liver diagnosis. All he did was
prescribe painkillers, which really did very little when I was having an attack. My attacks
usually happened when I was standing and then twisted around at a certain angle. It
usually put me off my feet for hours after that. I haven't been able to do sit-ups for years,
for fear of pain. I can barely do housework.

So, I am now pain free, and I thought I'd share what I did in case anyone is interested.

I'm not a big herb taker or health food nut. Never have been. When the Dr said that I'd
just have to live with this, I thought, no way, my life will be over. I ended up on a website
called curezone.com, which is alternative medicine. I plunged into a complete body detox.
I did a liver cleanse first, which involves epsom salt and olive oil. Then I got some safe
parasite cleanses from Colonix. I also started a colon cleanse with this stuff called
oxypowder. Believe me, I am very careful about what I put in my body, so all this stuff is
pretty benign (no strange chinese herbs, etc). Then, to top it off I started getting hydro
colon therapy. I started all this two months ago. Within one month my pain is gone, and
has not recurred at all. The funny side effect to all this is that I lost 35 pounds in two
months (which I really needed to do).

I also gave up coffee for green tea (which does contain some caffeine) and surprisingly I
don't miss coffee at all. Believe me, I LOVED coffee.

Then last but not least, I take ginger caps for pain, and tumeric caps (the spice in curry)
for inflammation. I honestly believe that inflammation is KEY in costo (well, obviously).

I think that alot of costo cases come from chronic inflammation, stress and your internal
organs crying out for help. That is for the chronic cases.

Make use your doctor gets you an ultrasound for your gall bladder. This is important. But
please, do not consider surgery until you look at all the alternatives.

If my costo was from stress, I have to tell you that detoxing your body really does give you
a great deal of calm. I feel half my age. So I don't know if my organs were making the
situation worse, or if by working on my organs, I alleviated stress. I don't care either, but I
am totally, completely pain free. Some other things did happen too, weight loss, eyes
became white and clear, complexion is fantastic, arthritis in knee is gone, lower back pain
is gone, allergies are gone, black circles under my eyes are almost gone. I also
discovered, much to my great surprise and delight, that I was harboring quite a few
parasites. Yuck, I know, but I'm glad they are somewhere else now, not in me. Also, my
husband started doing this and he popped at least one Tagamet a day for heartburn. He
has not taken one tab for a month and a half. He also had bad breath, for years, and it's
completely gone (thank goodness).

Check out the following:

Dr. Natura for Colonix - read the testimonials
Dr. Hulda Clark at curezone.com for details on the liver flush - all natural, don't need to
buy a thing
search for oxy-powder - colon cleanse
If you are interested in Hydro Colon Therapy (this was a rush completely) you can find info
on the curezone, or just look up in a search engine
You can easily get tumeric and ginger at any grocery store that sells vitamins

I had to come back and share with you all. Thanks for listening!"

Cosotchondritis- Colon Cleanse

2009-12-02T11:14:00.002-06:00

LOL. Just saying the words "colon cleanse" makes me giggle. But then it hurts, so I stop. =)

Okay ladies and gents....my personal opinion is that many of us have Costo as a result of our diets which cause inflammation and serious candida- a known cause of Costo. I believe this is not the only factor in this crippling condition, but a major contributor to the problem...I believe:

1/4 of my Costochondritis is due to diet/inflammation/food intolerance/candida

I believe 1/4 is scoliosis, so I'm predispositioned to it.

1/4 is injury through repetitive trauma (weight lifting)

1/4 is bracing through stress.

Yours may be due to a combination of these listed above or soley from another source.

Anyhoo- I'm fighting the food/inflammation/candida problems with an organic/anti-inflamm diet and a full body cleanse to get rid of the inflammation and as much candida as possible. If you have acid reflux in any way, gerd, have been sent to a GI doctor, or if below your ribs you feel a little bulge...or if the space below your ribs/under your ribs on one side is tighter than the other side, you may have food issues that are causing inflammation in your stomach, colon, liver, and kidneys.

OOOOORrrrr, your diet and stomach may not have anything to do with your Costo. lol. Unfortunately, each case is specific to the make up of your body and thus tons of trial and error is needed to find the smoothest road to healing. Blah. Arg. Gag.

One way to tell if your stomach is contributing or causing your costo is to follow the Margaret Hill Diet and see how you do.

Another option in addition to ant-inflamm. diet is to cleanse. Remember I'm just putting options out there for all of us to try. Feel free to take it or leave it. You know your body best. I'm trusting all of us to use our own filters.

The order to do a a full body cleanse is:

Colon Cleanse (I used Oxypowder, Click HERE for the website)
One Week Break
Parasite Cleanse
Kidney Cleanse
Liver Cleanse
2 week break
Liver Cleanse
2 week break
Liver cleanse

I just completed the 7 day colon cleanse. Without a doubt, I could tell a difference in my pain, so I'm going to continue to trudge through all of the cleanses. The entire process takes a few months. I start the parasite cleanse on Sunday. I'm using Hulda Clarks Parasite cleanse. I'll keep you posted as I go. For the colon, I used Oxypowder after a lot of research and prayer. It's all natural and I took it during the day instead of the nighttime. I'm a nervous nelly with any herbs or meds...so I called the headquarters and they told me I could take it during the day. lol. They only reccomend that you take it at night so you can be all "cleaned out" before you go to work.

I took 8 pills a day for 7 days and was very pleased with the results and the product. VERY gentle. Make sure you eat as organic as possibly and add the apple cider vinegar/raw honey as the instructions suggest. Helps things along. lol.

Tip: Also, make sure you eat healthy and organic the day before you start it...this will keep you from having a churning stomach all night or day. Don't be like me and think, "heeeey, I'm doing a colon cleanse starting tomorrow, I'm gunna eat lots and lots of yummy fries today!!!"

....big no-no. Bad Lucy.

Costochondritis- Apple Cider Vinegar

2009-11-30T14:38:00.002-06:00

Hello friends, Here's a remedy I use 3x a day. I started it last week. Thanks Sally and Cathy! I add Bragg raw/organic honey to it. I'm using it to detox my body and fight candida- which I believe is a huge cause of Costochondritis. It's great in helping to aid in inflammation. If you have stomach problems, gerd, or acid refluc- I'd add it right away. It's not an immediate cure for costochondritis, but it's definitely a tool to add to your belt on your journey to healing. I've tried it, I like the results I see, and I'm keeping it. =)

"Apple cider vinegar is more of a natural health tonic that helps the body to heal itself and is especially effective when used as part of a general detox plan or a healthy lifestyle. That is when you'll see the best results.

The general recommended dosage is usually 2-3 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar and honey to taste in a glass of water, taken three times a day. The dosage and application, however, may vary depending on what it is being used for.

Here's a list of Apple Cider Vinegar remedies and recipes for various ailments. They're fun to try with no dangerous side effects.

Other Apple Cider Vinegar Cures List

Acid Reflux Syndrome.

If you suffer from acid reflux syndrome you should take a little apple cider vinegar in water with each meal as it helps to prevent the symptoms and cure acid reflux syndrome.

Arthritis.

One area where apple cider vinegar may be used is for arthritic pain. When using it to relieve this pain it is best used externally either by creating an apple cider vinegar poultice (dip in a mixture of ACV and water) or by soaking aching hands or feet in an ACV and warm water solution.

Asthma

Sipping a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (approximately 1 tablespoon of ACV to a glass of water) can help to relieve the wheezing of asthma and can be repeated if necessary.

Candida

Create a douche using 2 tablespoons of ACV to 4 cups of warm water. Also try Yeast Infection No More

Cholesterol

If you have problems with high cholesterol you can get help by using the general recommended dosage of ACV with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Coughs and Colds

1-2 teaspoons of ACV can be used in ½-1 glass of water for colds and coughs; for colds drink half a cup several times a day and for coughs drink when the throat is irritated or before meals.

Fatigue

Taking the generally recommended dosage of ACV three times a day, with meals, can help to relieve fatigue.

Hay Fever and allergies

Hay fever and allergy sufferers can also benefit from taking regular doses of apple cider vinegar (the generally recommended dosage.

Applw Cider Vinegar Cures: Weight Loss

This is a bit of a controversial topic but apple cider vinegar for weight loss has been used for centuries. Some report amazing resultsd and for others it's uneffective. The claims are that the regular dose of apple cider vinegar with your meals can help increase your metabolism and so help your body to burn more fat and calories as well as suppress your appetite naturally.

Menstrual and Menopausal Problems

Some women have found that regular dosage of ACV tonic can also be used to help alleviate symptoms of heavy and painful periods, as well as the hot flushes and sweats associated with menopause.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Your Teeth

When using apple cider vinegar cures it is important to realize that in it's undiluted from ACV can harm your teeth and dental enamel. As an extra precaution, you can rinse out your mouth after drinking your ACV tonic.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Your Digestive Tract

You should never take ACV in undiluted form as the acid can harm the digestive tract.

The benefits of Apple cider vinegar cures and natural remedies are quite vast but as I mentioned before it is best incorporated into a healthy lifestyle for best results."

PS- I drink it with a straw so it won't hurt my pearly whites.

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-11-22T17:25:00.001-06:00

Here is an excerpt from a post by Sally from the teitze facebook group. She's been doing the Margaret Hill diet and is feeling awesome. So so so cool. I was doing a lot of research about costo, the raw diet, acid reflux, gerd, inflammation, the stomach, and raw apple cider vinegar with raw honey when I came across this post.

"I feel cured, and I am proud to shout it out. I did not have it lesser than you guys, I have really suffered too but using the Margaret Hills' diet I definitely feel cured - I did not have a little of it, or a touch of it, I had full blown Tietze like everyone else and was in the hospital believing I was dying. It was sheer hell.

I am posting only to help where I can and this diet can be partially done to see improvement, and it can be done like this:

1.Remove ALL nightshade vegetables (potatoes, spinach, egg plant, tomatoes etc)

2.add Apple cider vinegar and honey (as Cathy said, 2 teaspoons in a 200ml glass of water, 3 times a day)

if you wish to do more, remove foods that cause inflamation (dairy milk products, animal milks (all dairy but not eggs) junk food, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, citris fruit)

and

add anti inflammatory foods, such as lean chicken, fish, apples, salad, molasses etc and anti inflammatory herbs: Basil, ginger, turmeric etc

to aid bone improvement and keep inflammation down add a good multi vitamin tablet daily, glucosamine/chroiditine and calcium/magnesium, and vitamin C. (500 OR 1000)

to aid healing and detox add Epsom Salts in the bath once a day (before bedtime as the pores open and this is not good if you are going outside)

....as all I know is listed above and I feel amazing! Please try it guys as it IS curable despite what the doc says. and here is the cure and this will get you going on finding out more about what is good for YOUR body.

This has got to be better than all those anti inflammatory drugs that do not heal the body just help the pain - I know my brother and my mother are following this route and are still suffering. (please do not ask me why they do not listen to my advice - as the answer will be the same as why so many won't listen to my advice here.) It seems it is too much effort, too much to give up etc, well then I do not know what else I can do.

It isn't easy, I know, I have had to do it. It was so hard, but you know what, I would not go back, I have my son back, my health back and we are LIVING! Unless you go for it, things will not improve with the medications, you have to go back to the cause. What has caused the inflammation in the first place, start there, and then take it out."

Sally

You can find the Margaret Hill book she followed by CLICKING HERE.

You can read more reviews of the book by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks Sally!

Costochondritis- Tight Diaphragm and Abs

2009-11-19T15:57:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but after 2 years with Costo, all of a sudden, my diaphragm started to get tight, tighter, and tightest. I believe all the "tensing," and shallow breathing that occurs causes the abdominals and diaphragm to freak out and tighten up like crazy, thus causing more discomfort. Gag. So I went in search of some answers to loosen up this area.

The answer for me is a work in progress with my massage therapist (who works on my diaphragm and abs weekly) this exercise I do once a day, and the stretching exercises you see if you scroll down. I had no clue just how tight the abs and diaphragm were since I was so focused on my ribs. But my massage therapist tells me constantly that a tight abdominal and diaphragm is no friend to the Costo.

Breathing Exercise for tight Abs and Diaphragm:

"Give it a workout by practicing deep diaphragmatic breathing. The inhalation begins with the diaphragm doing what every muscle does when it contracts, it broadens. Only at the end of a full breath might the shoulders ever so slightly ride up on the newly expanded thoracic region. As for the exhale, blow out, blow out, and now blow out. The exhale is when the diaphragm is relaxing and going back into neutral so give it a chance.

Once you have just watched and got in touch with your breathing for a while a good pattern to practice, at what ever pace is comfortable for you, is the 4-7-8. Inhale for a 4 count, hold for 7, and then gauge the exhale for an 8 count. Remember it is the exhale that is the measured test for respiratory efficiency. This is when the carbon dioxide is released from the alveoli and replaced with oxygen. Shallow breathing that utilizes the wrong muscles becomes a loop of self destruction that leads to neck, ab, and chest tightness.

Ideally, with each inspiration, the diaphragm is drawn down, the lower ribs expand outwards in all directions, and the viscera are pushed down and out, all this as the abdominal muscles partially release reflexively. With 'tight abs', the diaphragm cannot go down and the ribcage cannot expand, so breathing is restricted greatly." by Graeme Lynn and the Bowen Website.

PS- also, an oxy powder colon cleanse helped a TON with my diaphragm tightness. It's good to figure out if your diaphragm is actually tight from breathing shallow...or if your are in need of releasing toxins and candida from your intestines. Or maybe both.

Costochondritis- Two Different Types of Costo.

2009-11-18T11:54:00.001-06:00

Contrary to popular belief. Well...maybe not popular- since no one seems to know what in the world costo is. =) Anyway. The different kinds of costochondritis are inflammatory costo and Infectious Costo. Below you'll find the different kinds and how they are generally daignosed. You'll read about the different causes of infectious costochondritis as well. My goal is to put as much information out there so all of us crazy cats can heal!

Costochondritis - The Different Kinds of Costo. by Richard M. Kravitz

Inflammation of unknown or known (such as fibromyalgia) origin (histologic examination can be normal if origin is unknown)
Infection:
- Can present months to years after surgery (the costal cartilage is avascular, making it vulnerable to infection if it has been exposed, injured, or denuded of perichondrium)
- Complication of median sternotomy
- Occurs by spread from adjacent osteomyelitis or may arise de novo during surgery

Costochondritis - How you got it

Infectious:
- Bacterial:
  - Staphylococcus aureus
    (especially after thoracic surgery)
  - Salmonella (in sickle cell disease)
  - Escherichia coli
  - Pseudomonas species
  - Klebsiella species
  - OR
- Fungal:
  - Aspergillus flavus
  - Candida albicans
  - OR
Posttraumatic injury
Inflammation costo from known or unknown origin

Costochondritis - Diagnoses, signs & symptoms

Costochondritis - history

Inflammatory costochondritis:
- Pain usually preceded by exercise or an upper respiratory tract infection
- Description of pain:
  - Usually sharp
  - Affects the anterior chest wall
  - Localized or radiates to the back or abdomen
  - Usually unilateral (left side greater than right side)
- The 4th to 6th costochondral junction is the usual site of pain.
- Motion of the arm and shoulder on the affected side elicits the pain.
- Girls are affected more often than are boys.
Tietze syndrome:
- Onset is usually abrupt, but can be gradual.
- Believed to be caused by a minor trauma, though etiology is unknown
- Description of pain:
  - Radiates to arms or shoulder
  - May last up to several weeks
  - Swelling at the sternochondral junction may persist for several months to years
- Usually affects the 2nd or 3rd costochondral joint
- Pain is aggravated by sneezing, coughing, deep inspiration, or twisting motions of the chest
- No differences in frequency between sexes
Infectious costochondritis:
- Slow, insidious course
- Usually unimpressive clinical symptoms

Costochondritis - physical exam

Usually normal
Inspect for evidence of trauma, scars, bruising, and swelling
Palpation and percussion of the costochondral and costosternal junctions should reproduce and localize the pain.
In Tietze syndrome, spindle-shaped swelling is visible at the sternochondral junction.

Costochondritis - tests that have been used and not been helpful

Costochondritis - lab

WBC count not helpful (even when infection present)
EKG (may be helpful if cardiac etiology is being considered)

Costochondritis - The different types of imaging used to try and diagnose Costo.

Radiologic studies (chest x-ray, CT) usually not helpful
Gallium scan:
- May be useful in some cases of infectious origin
- Not highly specific
- May show increased radionuclide uptake
- No evidence of osteomyelitis of the sternum in most cases
Technetium bone scan:
- Not highly specific

"Infectious (bacterial or fungal) costochondritis should be treated initially with IV antibiotics. Afterward, antibiotics by mouth or by IV should be continued for another two to three weeks to complete the therapy." (information from webmd.com)

Costochondritis- Misdiagnosis

2009-11-17T18:36:00.003-06:00

Costochondritis is often misdiagnosed and mistaken for another condition. Bummer times ten. It's often diagnosed by an important process of elimination with a doctor who will stay the course with you. Finding that doctor can sometime be harder than diagnosing this insane condition. Here are a list of misdiagnoses as written by Richard M. Kravitz. It's a great place to start if you are looking to rule out problems to confirm that you have costochondritis. I'm not seeking to scare anyone in any way. This list is for those seeking a diagnoses. I was misdiagnosed with 6 of these from the list. Gag. You can literally print this out, march into your doctors office with confidence, and let him know you need these conditions ruled out. By the way, little tip, don't look happy in ANY way when you are seeking a doctor. I made the mistake of smiling, dressing up, and laughing with docs...and they were all like..."you are fine, it's in your head." Then one day, my mom was like, "they don't take you seriously because you look like you feel great." Light bulb! So from then on, the more miserable, somber, and determined I looked, the more serious they took me. So dumb, yet so true. Don't wear your makeup, don't wear your cute clothes. BUT, this one is important, take a friend or spouse and have them dress to impress in a suit or dress. This way, you look serious, sick, and have a viable/credible witness. It makes them take you seriously. There you have it. The twisted thoughts in my head. =)

And always remember: The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Costochondritis - differential diagnosis

Cardiovascular:
- Myocardial infarction
- Pericarditis
- Pericardial effusion
- Myocarditis
- Endocarditis
- Cardiomyapathy
- Premature ventricular contractions
- Supra ventricular tachycardia
- Dissecting aneurysm
Pulmonary:
- Asthma
- Exercise-induced bronchospasm
- Pneumonia
- Pleural effusion
- Pneumothorax
- Pulmonary embolism
GI:
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Esophagitis
- Gastritis
- Achalasia
Mechanical:
- Muscle strain
- Stress fractures
- Precordial catch syndrome
- Trauma
Rheumatologic:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
Oncologic:
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Leukemia
- Ewing sarcome
Miscellaneous:
- Tietze syndrome
- Psychogenic chest pain
- Breast tissue pain (both sexes)

Costochondritis- Stretching Exercises

2009-11-16T17:32:00.002-06:00

Stretching for Costochondritis is a great choice to make. If you do use these stretches, make sure you sretch after you walk or exercise so that you're warmed up. We don't want any more injuries. lol. Here are a few stretches to use at your own risk. You know I have to say that. =) If you want to try them, give it a go gently to see how you do. I also stretch out my legs, back, neck etc....but these four are especially helpful for costochondritis.

Start in the doorway with your hands on the door frame around your ear/shoulder level.

Step through the door with one foot and lightly stretch the chest.Once you have done this stretch with the hand at ear level, repeat with the hands high up on the door frame. As you are stretching, turn your head gently to the left, right, up and down. Continue breathing!

This stretch is more advanced, it stretches not only the chest wall, but the abs. When the abs are tight, they pull on your upper body and back, causing more pain for you. So keeping them loose is a great choice while healing from Costochondrits. Gently lay on the ball and open your hands to the side. Breathe.

This is another advanced stretch. Gently lay on the ball and hold your hands above your head. Don't hold your breathe. It stretches those lower abs- so they don't pull on your diaphragm and ribs.

Costochondritis- Massage vs. Medical Massage

2009-11-15T16:46:00.002-06:00

Reading through my blog, you'll see that I'm a fan of medical massage therapy. Many people have asked me, "what's the difference between the 2?" Well, I have no clue. =) But I came across this article that went into great detail about the difference between regular massage therapy and medical massage therapy for Costochondritis. My goal is never to steer anyone to do what I'm doing, but to simply put as much information out there about Costo and the different ways that sufferers handle and heal from this Gag Gag Gag condition. =)

"Simply put, Medical Massage Therapy is the focused use of advanced massage techniques to treat a specific condition and achieve a specific outcome. In some cases the condition treated is first diagnosed by the patient’s physician. In other cases the medical massage therapist simply treats the patient based on the patient’s subjective description of his symptoms following a thorough assessment of the patient’s muscles, posture, etc.

Techniques used during a medical massage often include neuromuscular therapy, myofascial release, and lymphatic drainage massage among many others; however, they can also include more common techniques such as Swedish massage. The major difference between a medical massage and a regular massage is that it is performed by therapists with advanced training and the treatment is structured to obtain a specific outcome.

All massage therapists in Arizona must be licensed by the state to legally practice, however, there is no separate license that recognizes “Medical Massage Therapists” over any other licensed massage therapist (LMT). Any LMT can legally perform any type of massage, including medical massage.

Despite this, it is very helpful to seek out a Medical Massage Therapist if you require massage therapy to treat a specific symptom. Any therapist using this term to describe himself or his practice is clearly advertising that he focuses on medical massage. This will narrow down your search for the proper massage therapist for your needs from among the thousands of therapists who mainly focus on relaxation or general therapeutic massage techniques. You can think of the term Medical Massage Therapist as a specialty among massage therapy. It is similar to a family practice Medical Doctor advertising that she specializes in “medical care for women”. The MD is still just an MD like any other, however, knowing her focus is a great help to the patient when seeking a doctor.

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. It causes sharp and often severe pain in the costosternal joint (where the ribs connect to the sternum), sometimes mimicking a heart attack. While the cause of this condition is not know, medical massage therapy focused on the breathing muscles and other muscles that attached to the thoracic cage (rib cage) has been shown to be an effective treatment for the pain associated with costochondritis.

Humans normally have 12 rib bones on each side, ten of which attach to the sternum via costal cartilage. Cartilage is softer and more pliable than bone allowing the ribs to expand during inhalation. Dozens of individual muscles attach to the ribs and many of those muscles are used during inhalation. When these muscles are tight (hypertonic) additional stress is place on the costal cartilage contributing to the painful condition.

Additionally, the pain from the cartilage inflammation sometimes causes patients to breathe more shallowly contributing to muscle tightness that can cause continued pain long after the cartilage inflammation has dissipated.

By assessing the condition of the breathing muscles and other muscles connected to the rib cage, your medical massage therapist can formulate a treatment plan to effectively alleviate your symptoms completely in many circumstances. Your therapist will stretch and release hypertonic muscles in the intercostals (muscles between each rib), diaphragm (your main breathing muscle) as well as the other muscles he or she finds are exerting an abnormal amount of pressure on the costosternal joints.

For the massage therapist:
Be sure to assess all muscles of inhalation as well as any other muscles which attach to the thoracic cage or thoracic spine. While all muscles are important to assess and treat if needed, specific muscles which should not be overlooked are; the sternocleidomastoids, scalenes, obliques, rectus abdominis, internal and external intercostals, pectoral major and minor, diaphragm, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, and trapezius. Muscles on the posterior of the body must be addresses even though symptoms may only present themselves at the costosternal joints because of the pressure these muscles exert on the thoracic cage. You may experience difficulty in palpating and releasing deeper muscles until the more superficial muscles are released. According to the Mayo Clinic other treatments for costochondritis include muscle relaxers, NSAIDS, antidepressants, physical therapy, and heat." - written by Steve Ibach with help from the mayo clinic website.

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-11-12T23:30:00.001-06:00

Hey friends, Here's a success story that was shared in the yahoo group I'm a part of. I wanted to share what Heather wrote. Thanks for sharing, Heather!

"Hello all-
I have only been a member of this group for about 2 months. I started reading and posting about a week after my breast reduction. Just to review, I had pain mostly in right sided 7th rib (directly under my breast, but sometimes on the left. It started 10 years ago while I was running. Since then I had become extremely limited in my ability to exercise. Then I had my breast reduction in hopes that it would help my rib pain.I believe this is where I was in the story when I last posted. One week after my surgery my rib pain began again. I was very upset. However, because of a persistent cough I had (which seemed to be caused by a post nasal drip) I decided to use my inhaler. And my rib pain went away within 30 minutes. I was shocked, after 10 years of suffering, do I have a solution?

I wasn't quite ready to declare that though, so I went on with my life. 2 weeks after that my rib pain began the day after I had done a lot of fast walking (something that used to ALWAYS flare my rib pain). I was upset because I was still thinking that my inhaler giving me relief had probably just been a fluke. But, I tried it anyway, after 10 minutes, no relief, and I was starting to get very upset. Then almost exactly 30 minutes after using my albuterol inhaler, the pain was completely gone. Halleluyah!!!! I am so excited. This happened about a month ago and I have walking and even jogging (YEA!!!!) without any flare ups at all. I had not been able to walk fast or jog in 10 years because of the "rib" pain. So, obviously,this problem is due to some pathology in my lungs. I'm not sure what yet, I intend to visit a pulmonologist, but to tell you the truth, I don't care what the reason is. I HAVE A SOLUTION NOW. I feel like a brand new person. Anyway, so it took me a month of being pain free to decide to go ahead and shout this from the roof tops, and I'm still a little bit afraid that I might be
"jinxing" myself by telling all of you this...but hopefully not.

So, the good news is: I have a cure for my pain. The bad news is: the cure is not for costochondritis. Good luck to all of you. I will still be checking in and reading and/or posting messages, but probably not as often. Please spread the word on my behalf, if anyone you know, or if any of you, have similar symptoms and have asthma, try your inhaler. I would hate for anyone else to go on suffering and limiting their activity as long as I did, when all they have to do is use their inhaler." -Heather

Costochondritis- Helpful Tips

2009-11-03T14:00:00.002-06:00

If you can go through your day and cut down on all the small things that add to your pain, it may help bring it down a notch. Definitely a plus.

No one wants to change their life for this condition...I get that. I battled the current of change for 3 years. There's a a part of you that thinks if you change your life style, that your resigning to the pain, admitting that this is your life. Or maybe that's just stubborn little ol' me =)... sigh. I'm sick of Costo. But I'm also sick of working against myself...so these are some of the adaptations I've made on my journey to healing. Hope you find a tip or two that helps make your day a little less painful.

Towels- if you are lifting heavy towels up every time you shower, snag some thin ones, drop the heavy ones that add to your pain. Go check out your towel and see how light or heavy it is.
Liquid in the Fridge- Put your milk, juice, sodas etc in a pump bottle that you can snag at Walmart. Lifting those heavy liquids can ruin your day quick. Grab a pump bottle of your choice and stop lifting those liquids!
Travel Size- Buy your shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, hair serums, mouth wash, etc in a the travel size.
Your Laptop- If you can, use your computer at a table where you can stand while using it instead of sitting down. (I have a huge box under my laptop so that my computer is high up- this way I bypass the chair).
Soap- Use the pump soap, no bulky bar soap. The less lifting small or large, the better.
Your Purse- Make is as light as possible. Use your lightest purse or bag. Take out EVERYTHING that you don't use each day. What can you leave at your office desk? Or in your car? And trade that huge adorable bag in for a little bitty purse to lighten your load and easy your pain.
Flats- Wear Flats...high heels jar the ribs as you walk.
Straws- Use straws with your sodas, water, or juices. Take your mouth to the drink and use the straw, don't bring the drink to you.
Detergent- Put your liquid laundry detergent in a pump bottle so you don't lift the detergent.
Plastic Wear- Use paper plates, paper bowls, and paper utensils.
Your Kitchen Cabinets- Reaching above your head for soups, pretzel bags etc causes irritation to your ribs. Rearrange your cabinets so that all the food you reach for is around eye level.
No Hugging, No Hugging, No Hugging. Just stay away from touching all together. lol.
Driving- very painful...do as little as you can. Try to stay in the passenger seat as much as you can. However, if you have to drive, I find that leaning my seat back as much as I safely can (so that you're not sitting straight up) helps with the pain. Try to relax and breathe as much as you can while driving.
Bra's- just say no. =) Check out my earlier post and click HERE for some detailed info on other options for bras and why they hurt like crazy.

Let me know if you have a tip that I haven't put here, thanks!!

Costochondritis- Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T12:32:00.002-05:00

Today is my 3 year anniversary with Costochondritis. Gag.

I should dress up like a bunch of inflamed ribs. Double Gag.

Costochondritis- Hurts Worse at Night

2009-10-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

Alright my fellow costo buddies. If you are wondering: is a symptom of Costochondritis that your pain is worse at night or is your pain is worse later in the day? You hit the nail on the head. As you move about your day, sit for long periods of time or pick objects or adorable little children, the inflammation will increase as the day goes on, irritaing your Costochondritis further. Our Costo feels better in the morning because the body has the time to recover a little bit and fight some the inflammation.

What do we do about this? I know we all handle this condition differently and I respect that. The way I'm dealing with this particular symptom of Costo is to take a look at the choices made throughout the day, trying not to pay a higher price at night. Eek!

If your Costochondritis hurts worse in the morning, read the comments below- you are not alone! From what I understand, some people have more pain in the morning due the way they sleep at night. Double Eek!

Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation Exercise

2009-10-28T13:11:00.002-05:00

Here's an example of a skilled relaxation exercise for Costochondritis. You can use it or discard it it. Just throwing it out there. Please use at your own discretion and liability. =) lol. Gotta put that in there. =) Those who have benefited from an exercise like this, did it 2X a day for 20 minutes. Those who claim to have kept Costo away permanently with skilled relaxation, did it every day, 2x a day for a year.

What do you need to do this exercise?

1) Dark Room
2) 20 minutes of Relaxing Music (think yoga or piano music)
3) A soft place to lay on your back
4) Optional Tip: Lay on a heating pad- put it on your back

HERE WE GO!!

Start music, lay on your back, and relax
First Song - Just take the time to relax and calm down. Then check in with your body, start head to toe and acknowledge where the tension is. Example: I feel tension in my neck, I feel tension in my shoulders, I feel aches in my knees
Second Song - Check in with your feelings. Time to let it out. =) Example: I feel tired today, I feel scared I won't heal, I feel angry about XYZ (say it out loud).
Third Song - Tension Release: Start Head to Toe. Gently Flex EACH and EVERY muscle as you count 1-7, then on 8,910, slowly release the muscle. Example, Tighten your face then release, tighten your neck, then release, tighten you upper back, release, tighten you wrist then release, tighten your forearm, then release, tighten you bicep, then release....etc. Work your way down your body all the way to the toes.
Fourth Song- Sand Exercise: Start head to slow and imagine your body is sand dropping off but by bit as you breathe calmly. Relax
Fifth Song- Heat Exercise - Start head to toe and imagine your a deep warmth washing itself over your body, relaxing all your muscles - imagine your on the warm beach.
Sixth and Seventh Song- Breathing Exercise: Laying on your Back, allow your belly to be as soft as possible. 1) Breathe and allow your lower belly to fill up with air with each breathe. (not your chest, only the belly) 2) Next as you breathe, fill up the lower belly and then middle lungs with air. Release the middle lungs and then then let the belly fall. 3) Next, (in one breathe) fill the belly first, then the middle lungs, then fill the chest with air....as you exhale, release the chest, then middle, then exhale the air from your belly. Repeat this 3rd step for as long as you are comfortable doing. If if feels like too much, just breathe easy and then go back into the 3rd step.
Eighth and Ninth Song- Color Breathing: Relax...inhale and exhale slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your breathe, and give it a color. Blue and Lavender have a calming effect. Imagine inhaling this peaceful color as it fills your body through your nose and exhales through your mouth.
Tenth Song- This is your song. Imagine on the inside of your eye lids is a screen and you see all the words that are who you want to be...relaxed, Peaceful, Joyful, Strong, Healed. Etc...When I get stuck, I always just focus on the word RELAX......
You're Done! YAY!

You can customize it/combine it with other exercises you like, etc. If you are looking to follow a CD, CLICK HERE for the CD I started with and still use from time to time. Great stuff. You get the music links in your e-mail immediately when you buy it. Cool.

Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation Update

2009-10-26T14:03:00.001-05:00

Alright folks...I'm on day 9 of doing skilled relaxation exercises 2 times a day laying on my back. (Sometimes I use THIS CD in I talked about in a previous post- other times I do relaxation exercises to a yoga CD). I totally recommend it. I'm doing SR once in the morning at once at night for 20 minutes each time. It's not always convenient...but DEFINITELY worth putting into your routine. Try it for 2 weeks and see if you notice a difference. I have and I'm optimistic about it. I originally threw this idea out the window...but thought I'd give it a shot and I'm very pleased with it.

This combined with:

sleeping on the back (I had to stop lifting ANYTHING for months before I was able to sleep on my back....just an FYI)
fish oil
Ice 2X a day
sauna
Medial Massage Therapy 2X a week
walking daily
Joggin for 2 minutes only 2-3 days a week
not lifting anything
being very anti-social
not talking much
light stretching
no caffeine
Keep a calender of pain scale and daily activities
NO HUGGING PEOPLE!!

...These are all good things that have brought my pain down a notch this week. Good stuff. I'll stay with it and keep you posted. I'm hoping I've turned a corner....a very slow painful corner. lol. But I think if anything has brought the pain down a notch, it's important to share asap. =) Stay tuned for the costo exercises I do daily.....coming sooooooon.....

Costochondritis- Stress, Anxiety, and Fear

2009-10-21T10:50:00.004-05:00

If you're new to Costo and wondering if emotional stress, fear, anxiety, tension, worry, apprehension, or being nervous can cause an increase of pain in your costochondritis, you are spot on. You are not crazy or mental. =) You just have a cruddy condition called Costochondritis...which in turn can make you mental. lol.

I wish during the 2 years when I didn't know my diagnoses, someone would have not only diagnosed me, but told me how painful, yet non fatal this condition is.

Here's the cycle: constant pain in your chest....then Stress hits, Pain in the Chest doubles where the heart is, Trouble Breathing, Panic, THEN More Stress, More Intense Pain, More trouble breathing, More Panic...and the cycle goes on and on until it elevates and you end up in the emergency room. Most of us have been there multiple times and can attest to this traumatic cycle that can run your life into the ground.

These cycles can cause panic attacks, depression, and a lot of doubt about your health and sound mind.

Why does stress induce more pain with costochondritis?

When your body thinks it's in danger (real or imaginary), it begins to spring into action. It prepares the body to respond to the danger and protect you. So when you began to get stressed about anything in your daily life, these are just a few of the things that occur:

Your body begans to brace itself in preparation for defending you

Muscle tension increases to prepare for action
Breathing gets shallow and faster to supply more oxygen to the muscles and body tissue
Heart rate increases and heart increases its strength of contraction to pump more blood

So if you are stressed, your body begins to prepare to fight...everything gets tense, ready for battle. And since we know that bracing from lifting precious kiddos, talking, lifting weights, or singing can cause pain. Stress is in the same boat.

Stress = bracing = More Pain in Costochondritis.

So What do I do about it? My life is crazy, I can't cut down on stress!

I'm not going to tell you what to do. You have to make your own decisions. I personally have really stepped out of my professional and personal life this year. It's been extremely challenging and honestly- sad. But I'm dedicating this year to doing everything I can to heal. This means reducing stress in every way. As much of it as I can. My hubby supports me fully. So my life revolves around preventing my body from bracing in any way.

So take some time to really contemplate what you can do in your own life to reduce the stress induced cycle. Big or Small. It will help. Also, adding in skilled relaxation is a great tool. You can check out more about it HERE.

So when you start the cycle of stress, pain, difficulty breathing, panic....stop yourself. Don't give your control over to the panic. Tell yourself that you have Costo. Tell yourself that you are okay. Tell yourself that's it's inflammation. Tell yourself that you are safe. You have to find that trigger that calms you down. It's a must with this condition. My trigger is simply, "You are just inflammation." Sounds corny, but it's what I use. Then I place my hand where it hurts the most to calm myself down, and go through my body and relax each and every muscle while listening to music that relaxes me.

It's time to stop the cycle. I pray as you read this, you will find a way to reduce the stress in your life. It took me being in so much pain, I couldn't even smile when my hubby walked through the door just to tell me how much he loved me. This condition has seeped into every aspect of my life. And I know it's done the same to you. And for that, may I say I am so sorry. I am so sorry.

I use to think I was indivisible to stress. It never really bothered me. I know now that was a load of stinky horse manure. We can't change where we've been, but we can contribute to where we're going....

To panic, or not to panic....that is the question.

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-10-17T20:13:00.001-05:00

Hey Costo Buddies,
Found this success story, wanted to share it...encouragement is a good thing....

"It's been since November, 2002, when I was first diagnosed with costochondritis after being in a mild car accident.

Since then, I have attended physical therapy for 8 weeks, massage therapy, done SR (skilled relaxation) at least 3 times a day (and still doing it), and started off walking on my treadmill for 10 minutes a day at a slow rate. Also, I am taking Xanax 2 times a day for the anxiety. Also, I am practicing stress management. The TMJ pain has also gone away.

It was not a pleasant experience at all. I missed almost a month and a half of work and I thought I was dieing. That's when I started experiencing the anxiety/depression/panic. It was horrible.

Today, I am TOTALLY pain free. I am walking 45 minutes on the treadmill and doing some weight lifting to improve my strength. I am also back to work.

It just takes a lot of time and patience! :}" - Janice

Costochondritis- Pain when Laying Down

2009-10-16T18:13:00.001-05:00

So you've have a crazy day...you're in lots of pain...and you think to yourself...."I just want to lay down and hide from the world!" You run into your house, throw your stuff down, and gently lay down on the bed. Sigh. Then Relief.

Just when the stress begins to melt away- BAM...the stabbing and pressure attacks you with the vigor of a tiger to a wide eyed Bambi. EWWW!!! That right, I said that. So....OUCH! You sit up, wig out...and start thinking "WHAAAaaaat???????"

So to everyone who's wondering, "can my costochondritis hurt worse when I'm just lying down?" The answer is "yes!" You are not crazy or imagining things. It's a very normal symptom of Costochondritis. Put a bunch of pillows behind you and rest at a 45 degree angle, you'll be much more comfy. For sleeping tips, click here.

So why does it hurt when you lay down on your back? I have no medical clue. Something about gravity, I think, or just something called plain RUDE. Yup, Costo, you are RUDE! ...hmph...and annoying...and no fun at parties. Ever.

Costochondritis- And Caffeine

2009-10-14T12:51:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you. But I love Diet Dr. Pepper. If you are thinking..."you can't love a Diet Dr. Pepper, Lucy. That's silly!" I say to you, "why yes, my friend, you can. I LOVE Diet Dr. Pepper. I am exhibit A." I love the stuff. It is usually glued my person, so to speak. We have been in a disfunctional relationship for years.

But here's the problems. Caffeine exasperates the problem of costochondritis. How does it do that? I have no clue. =) But somehow it encourages us to "brace" more in our ribs and thus, causes more pain.

So I went off Diet Dr. Pepper on Sunday...I'm on day 4 of my trial run. Does my pain feel any better? Nope. Nada. No way. Still there, about the same and holding.

But I do know that it's good for the body to be off diet drinks or sodas in general. I'm sleeping better and that's a plus. I'm really into getting my body all the vitamins, minerals, calcium, fruits and veggies it needs. I just want to give it the best opportunity to heal, ya know? So if diet drinks strip the body of the vitamins and minerals it needs, my verdict is that I'll stay away from the yummy stuff that is oh so bad for me. I'm trading them in for green tea.

So Diet Dr. Pepper, I am breaking up with you. Our long term steamy relationship is through. Over. Done. Finished. (insert sad country song here).

Costochondritis- And the Cold

2009-10-13T22:39:00.002-05:00

Does the cold weather affect costochondritis? YES! When we get cold, we "brace"- a big no no for Costo sufferers.

So if you've just struggled through a cold day and are wondering if it affects your Costo, you are not crazy or making things up.

So what to do about it?

1) Layers!!
2) Hand warmers in your bra or your shirt around the ribs
3) Get in the hot tub or sauna often to thaw out and increase your circulation
4) Breathe...sounds simple, but really focus on breathing deeply (don't hold your breathe)
5) Move to Mexico. =)

Hugs to everyone! Stay warm this winter!

Costochondritis- Blame the Underwire Bra?

2009-10-10T18:20:00.001-05:00

If you are having pain in your chest/ribs due to the underwire bra you wear and you're wondering if you have Costochondritis...check out the symptoms post for more info. But yes, pain from wearing a bra in your front ribs under the breasts is a road sign of Costo. However, if that's your only sign, that's great!! Get diagnosed, get a different bra and don't lift heavy objects for a while and you may be good to go soon!

For those already diagnosed....We all know that wearing a bra is no bueno. The following article is tedious and a bit wordy, but helpful in explaining the details of Costochondritis. It's written by David S. Klein. He claims the under wire bra is responsible for some cases of Costo. Are you still wearing one?

"In our well recognized spare time, it pays tremendous dividends for the practitioner to re-examine the anatomy of the skeletal chest wall. This anatomic review reveals a complicated matrix of joints, some are bone to bone, others are bone to cartilage, and some are cartilage to cartilage. Each of these joints can be jammed, jolted or otherwise damaged with physical activity, coughing or external trauma. Review of the anatomy demonstrates the predominance of bone-cartilage joints in the anterior thorax, in the area surrounding the heart. Cartilage-cartilage joints form the inferior costal margin, over the viscera. Injured with forced extension of the arm, these joints can be injured with blunt trauma to the chest, they are vulnerable with motor-vehicle mishaps, and they are vulnerable to injuries sustained with lifting, slips, and falls.

The joints of the rib cage are innervated by branches of the anterior cutaneous branches of the Intercostal Nerves, the lateral cutaneous branches of the Intercostal Nerves as well as through autonomic nerves that accompany the many vascular elements within the area.

Careful physical examination will nearly always demonstrate which of these joints in the anterior chest wall has become damaged or dysfunctional, resulting in the complaint of chest pain.

Symptoms of inflammation of the costochondral joints include pain in the anterior chest and arm, aching under the breast, feeling ‘as if it were a heart attack.’ This pain is autonomically modulated. The stabbing, intermittent, knife-like pain is usually somatically modulated. It is common for the patient to be unable to assist in the precise location of the pathology.

The precise symptoms will differ significantly due to the factors that impart physical stress or move the joint, and the symptoms are different due to the peculiar innervation of these joints. When these joints are damaged, they become inflamed, as expected in any joint present in the body. When damaged, the resulting pain is modulated partly through the Intercostal Nerves, but also through the Autonomic Nervous System, resulting in referred pain patterns that can be similar or identical to cardiogenic pathology. This is the obvious clinical challenge. Because the innervation of these joints is largely autonomic in nature, symptoms are most often vague, dull and aching in nature.

More and more common in clinical practice women are presenting with self-inflicted Costochondritis. Unwise clothing options can damage these delicate joints, as well as damage the nerve fibers that innervate the joints. Under-wire bras are often to blame. Once used chiefly by large women, this type of garment is now much more commonly encountered in the general female population." -David S. Klein

I know the bra didn't cause my costo. But it really ticks it off, so I abstain.

However, If you are looking for a bra to wear with Costochondritis due to the pain you feel in your chest- you can check out a few options HERE.

Costochondritis- Personal Assistant

2009-10-08T16:53:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we all know that having Costochondritis or any other ailment is really tough on you and the loved ones around you. For instance, cleaning REALLY freaking hurts.

So one day, I was so flustered because I had just cleaned and was in so much pain- then a light bulb came on inside and I thought, "I really need a personal assistant." Then I laughed at myself....then I was like "wait a minute....hmmmmm...."

I can't spend a lot of money like a lot of us reading this post, but I could use the money I use to have to go out or buy clothes to make life a little bit easier. So my hubby and I put an ad out at church about looking for a college student who wanted to clean our apartment and be a personal assistant. I live near a college and knew tons of great kids are always looking for odd jobs.

They need really flexible hours and are great with $10-14 an hour. I got a bite really quick and yesterday I hired Kristin for 2 1/2 hours. It was such a blessing and just awesome! She cleaned the place. Then we quickly went through a list of things I needed done (that I can't do because of lifting things). We got tons done and the best part? For the first time in 3 years, our apartment and car were clean, and my costo wasn't worse. Consequently, I'm going to have her come every week for just a couple of hours to clean, help me cook, run errands, etc.

I have no clue what your personal financial situation is. But if you are able to hire someone for just a couple of hours a week to make your life more peaceful, it may be worth a go.

Cheers, Lucy

Costochondritis- Weight Lifting

2009-10-06T12:31:00.004-05:00

Can I get Costochondritis from weight lifting or exercise?
YES YES YES!!! This is how i got Costo. =(
Weight lifting can cause your Costochondritis or aggravate it once you already have it.

Can I weight lift with costochondritis?

This is something the Costo health nuts (luvs ya, health nuts!) want to know. When can I start weightlifting again if I have costochondritis!? I'm with ya. Here's the bottom line, it's different from everyone. Some folks are able to lift light weights. And if you are one of those, I'm jealous, please go visit someone elses's sight. j/k -).

Important: If it hurts, don't lift it. That's my rule of thumb. I use to ignore that rule and found myself in in the same rusty pain boat 3 years later headed to the island of "this sucks."

So if you want to stay active, you may have to get on the walking train with me. Or focus on stretching, easy yoga poses for strength, and a light cardio of your choice. And if you are in a place where you think..."I'm really healing, I want to try something out." Don't be a ding-dong and go all out. Try something very small. Only lift 2 lb weights and only do one or 2 exercises that first time. Then see how your body responds.

Or if you are trying to run or walk and see how your body does, try only 10 minutes or so. Trust me on this. Lots of us have tried too much, too soon. And actually, I'm thankful for those who have are brave enough to share this info so we could learn from it.

And if you are one who believes you can lift weights to heal Costochondritis. My friend, you do not have a severe case. And once again, I'm jealous and happy for you, go to someone else's site. =)

Costochondritis- Stupid Door

2009-10-05T20:53:00.001-05:00

I don't do lunches or parties anymore. Sometimes I'm okay with that, trusting the bigger picture. And sometimes I act like a child and throw a fit in my head that I can't go. =) If you throw a real fit, you'll just be in more pain, so that is out of the question. lol.

Buuuuut today I went to lunch with an elderly woman that I love dearly and haven't seen in 2 1/2 months. We went to the olive garden. I pulled my car up, walked up to the door and stared.... at the heaviest door I've ever seen. Sigh. I began to sweat. Spears stabbed through my chest as I struggled with the door, praying one the hostesses would come help me open it. When I finally got it open, (much to my ticked-offness at Olive Garden's design department) standing there were 4 hostesses/waiters giggling b/c it took me so long to open it. They were just laughing at my expression, but I wanted to throw their buttered up bread sticks at their perfectly pain free ribbed selves..

So I walked to the table of my loved one, all a mess in my head. and she looked at me and proclaimed "well you don't look sick, you're suppose to look sick. You look good!" I stared in awe, feeling defeated. I thought getting here was a victory! If only she knew what energy it took for me to get dressed after my physical therapy, put on makeup, and open that freaking frapping elephant of a door.

I love this woman, it's not her fault or anyone else's. But if sacred energy is spent on convincing people that I feel like glass resides in my ribs, there won't be much left to focus on healing. I really struggle with this. Illnesses you can't see are just so weird. And I know they are just as weird for our loved ones as they are for us.

So if you happen to pass me on the street and you think "she looks good, wonder what all the fuss is about?" (Thanks for the complement, by the way. =) But let's take that thought, hog tie it, and toss it in the compost pile. (Julie, remember your compost pile!!? When we were kids, I loved eating a banana and running outside and tossing it! I have no clue why that was so fun to me) .

Anyhoo, when I feel better, I promise, I will be shouting it from the rooftops. You won't be able to get away from my "I FEEL GREAT" rants. =) In fact, I'm so gunna throw a party. For real. No kidding =). Until then, I'm doing the best I can. And part of that is having no desire to try and make myself look worse. Costo makes me feel like crap enough. I won't let it deprive me of my adorble necklaces, headbands, and smiley faces on emails. So if I'm dressed up...maybe, just maybe, I'm pretending that Bart doesn't live in my ribs. And honestly, sometimes I'm glad you can't see my Costo. Because occasionally I pretend it's not there. Love me some make believe. -)

Sigh, and maybe, just maybe, I should give people some slack and stop ranting. It's possible they have more going on in their lives than meets the eye as well. Don't we all?

Costochondritis- Current Action Plan

2009-10-03T14:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture drawn by Lynn Armede DeBeal. Thanks for sharing your drawing with me, Lynn! You captured it perfectly.

Alright folks- so I've thrown out a TON of things for everyone to try. I'm going to update you on what my crazy/hurting/sometimes hopeful/sometimes just ticked off self is currently doing:

The sauna 3 days a week- this is helping with the pain- sweat is good stuff
Walking 6 days a week
Jogging 3 days a week for 30 minutes- I JUST started this. Ouch. It hurts. But I feel more opened up in the rib cage after I do so. Gotta tape up the girls though.
No talking- Yup- keeping the trap closed. It hurts to talk, so I don't do that often. Not irritating the injury while willing it to heal is a good thing. I don't even talk on the phone anymore- I'm a texting machine.
Serrapeptesse at night- I take 2 pills a day. Does it help? Beats me. But a natural pill that eats inflammation Sounds good, though.
Fish Oil and Yarrow
Taking all vitamins, minerals, calcium, and Aciai berry daily. Gotta keep the rest of the body well.
Starting Yoga on my own today. Only poses that don't hurt the rib cage...I've tried it many times and it hurt like crap. But today I'm trying only poses that are pain free and will post them soon.
Light Stretching
Praying for healing and daily strength/along with journaling and bible reading
Medical Massage Therapy 2X a week
Skilled Relaxation 2X a week- very good stuff- helps with the pain.
Rest 2-3 hours a day at a 45 degree angle so I won't further irritate the ribs.
Ice daily
Keep a calender of everything I do and my pain on a scale of 1-10

This current game plan of trial and error has gotten my breathing pain on an average of 4/5 to a 3/4 this month. Yes, talking, moving, etc pain is much higher, but the breathing pain has got to come down. That's been my first goal.

Costochondritis- Admit you Have it

2009-10-01T16:19:00.001-05:00

I'm going on three years with this pain. Some of you just got it-eek!...but many who read this blog have had it much longer than I have. And for that, I am deeply sorry.

I don't know everything. But I do know this: if we treat our bodies as though we DON'T have Costo- we will never heal.

It took me a long time to grasp that my life was going to have to change if I wanted a shot at healing. So I encourage all of us to not only turn to our doctors, but to respect our bodies. And my friends...if it hurts to lift it, put it down. If you push it, you'll pay for it. You know this deep down. And when we can admit this to ourselves...maybe, just maybe...our healing can begin.

If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep getting what we're getting.

Costochondritis- Scoliosis

2009-10-01T16:01:00.001-05:00

I'm so curious how many of us also have scoliosis. I for shizzle do. It's only a 15 degree curvature, but it's there in the thoracic area. I definitely believe it contributes to my costo.

So my therapist just started working on my ribs where they attach to the spine.

After she worked on the rib heads and the muscles in my back, the my rib cage in the front was even. Pretty Cool (When we started, my left side on the front left side was pushed out a little more than the right side).

Just sharing all that so you all can keep it mind or discard it as you are on your journey to healing. Hugs to everyone.

Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation

2009-09-25T21:09:00.001-05:00

There is a lot of buzz about skilled relaxation and Costochondritis. Skilled Relaxation is the continued practice of relaxation techniques. We all have a flight or fight response to stress...so skilled relaxation is a coping tool for the stress we have each day. It teaches us when we are stressed or have increased pain, to relax instead of bracing.

Will it heal costochondritis? I have no clue. I wish. =) The jury is still out for me. However, we all know the second we get stressed out, the Costo pain gets worse, way worse, due to the bracing. S.R. teaches us to relax instead of tensing. Good Stuff. Stress is really hard on our bodies and we don't want to give our bodies any reason to increase our pain.

Better to spend 20 minutes a day teaching your mind and body to relax than to spend it focused on the pain.

This CD is the one I use- cheap, price: $11.98, and only 20 minutes a day- you can buy it and then you get an e-mail with a link to download the material. So you get the CD on your computer in seconds. There are 4 tracks you can use to mix it up. Good Stuff. Click HERE for Emmett Millers Letting Go of Stress CD

Or you can click HERE for another skilled relaxation exercise I use.

Costochondritis- The New Me

2009-09-21T12:42:00.001-05:00

When I wake up in the morning, my first thought is "YES!!! I'm still alive." Now, if that's funny to you, well, it should be. =) You see....I spent 2 years without a diagnoses, with terrible constant stabbing chest pain. I had no clue why I felt like I had glass in my ribs...I was terrified one day I wouldn't wake up.

Breathing has always been my tipping point. I hate that I can't breathe pain free. I get that Costo steals the joy I have from being able to pick up my nieces and nephews. I get that if I laugh at a joke, I will feel like some one punched me in the chest for each giggle. I get that. And you know what...sometimes I'm like "screw you Bart, punch away, I want to laugh" (that's what I call my Costo- I think Bart Simpson is SO annoying and defiant and never shuts his trap). Sorry if you love him. =) Just let me hate on the little ugly cartoon, kay?

And I dream about the new me. The "me" without pain. You see, I will be without pain one day. Either on this earth or in Heaven; I will be without pain. I know, I know, the drama! So... If I am pain free on Earth (as is the current plan =), I know there are so many things I'll do different. For instance, I won't get nervous at my musical theater auditions (that's right, folks, I was a personal trainer (day job) pursuing Broadway in NYC before Bart sucker punched me). I was actually on a national tour of Junie B. Jones when I knew I couldn't sing any more with the pain. Walking away from that tour was so tough for me, cried the whole plane ride....But my mom had gotten cancer, it was stress city with the physical and emotional pain...I love her so much, and I so I packed my bags...and headed home. By the way, she's in remission and had breast cancer....she's been through so much and she's doing beautifully. Praise God for that!!

I will not get angry easily. What's the point? You get stressed out and that is crappy for your body. Don't get stressed by stupid stuff. Really, some things just DON't matter. You know this. -)

When I'm well, I will have no issue stating that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light. He's the only reason I'm not in a straight jacket from this experience. Yes, in my twisted mind, this is still an "experience." Leave me be...I'm coping. =) Jesus has been my rock, my peace, my strengh, and my hope. I don't know about you...but I'm not a people pleaser...but I do, however, want people's approval. They are a little different. -) But, as of the past few months, needing approval went down the drain along with pride and my skinny jeans. When I'm better, I will never take talking and laughing for granted again. I won't keep my joy and peace to myself.

Again, I have a dream. And it involves Bart falling off a cliff and croaking. That's right, I said it, I want the annoying cartoon that feels like glass in my ribs to die. And I want to live. I desperately want to live my life to the fullest. And so each day, I wake up, thankful I'm alive, followed by a punch in the ribs. And then I tell myself for the first time of the day, "crap, that hurt...breathe slowly...don't move, OUCH....okay, that hurts, deep breathe....okay... I'm alive to feel it, that's a good sign. " And then I smile... and get on with it...hopeful, tentative, and in pain.

Costochondritis- PT's Point of View

2009-09-17T12:27:00.002-05:00

Hello all! So I wanted to share with you what this physical therapist shared with me. I've seen 3 different PT's to no avail. However, I've interacted with Neil Chasen and what he said was interesting...thought I'd share.

"Occasionally, and typically following trauma, but not always, one can sustain an injury to the juncture between the ribs and the cartilage between the breast bone (the sternum) and the ribs. Alternatively, the irritation can arise between the sternum and the cartilage. I usually see these sorts of injuries after a motor vehicle accident where the seat belt coming across the rib cage creates the injury or when the chest is driven into the steering wheel is the cause. I have one recent case where the irritability was not traumatic at all, but came on after a case of severe and persistent coughing. Patients following open heart surgery often have to deal with this injury.

This is a difficult injury to manage because there is not much blood supply. The pain is seemingly irritated with breathing deeply. Palpation of the joint line can illicit pain. The pain can be bilateral, but is most often unilateral.

The best treatment for this condition is a combination of aerobic exercise, even though it might hurt to breath at first, ice on the irritated chest wall, and a therapeutic dose of NSAID's on board as tolerated. Physical therapy in the form of manual therapy is valuable to oscillate the joints to promote healing, but this is tricky and needs to be done very carefully." - Neil Chasen

Okay, for me, I've had a very difficult time with his theory of aerobic exercise b/c moving is so painful. As you all understand. =). However, this is something I'm looking into and started this week. I jogged lightly for 20 minutes in addition to my daily walk- followed by the sauna. It hurt to do so, but I have noticed an improvement in my breathing, and for that, I'm very thankful.

I don't think I could have done the light jogging until now. I've been on a little bit of a house arrest, no talking, no hanging out with folks, trying to get the inflammation down as much as possible. And I'll continue to do so.

Other forms of cardio didn't work for me b/c chest muscles are needed to swim, use the elliptical, arc trainer, etc...translation: OUCH!! I'll keep you posted. Remember if you try this theory out , it needs to be coupled with NO LIFTING anything. =)

The End.

Costochondritis- The Sauna

2009-09-12T14:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, here's a shout out and credit given to Corey, who challenged me to do some more research on the blood flow and soft tissue healing.

When you read and talk to PT's about healing soft tissue, they use therapies such as an ultrasound and laser light therapy to increase the blood flow to the injured area.

Everyone's Costo comes from different sources, mine was from repetitive trauma and stress on my ribs through weight lifting and being stressed to the max at the same time.

So here we have a soft tissue injury that is painful and deep. The goal with my medical massage therapy is to push out the inflammation as well as increase circulation in the ribs to aid in the body's healing.

It's been cited in several medical journals that people with chronic pain have toxins built up up in their system. I had a test done a month ago and my lymph system is retaining about 25%. This doesn't surprise me because it's very challenging to really sweat out toxins , especially when when moving causes increased pain.

It's also been cited in several medical journals I've been reading that going into a sauna and having toxins released can lessen the pain of chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia. Not only does a sauna release the toxins in your body, it raises your core body temperature and increases the blood flow in your body, allowing your body to really fight inflammation.

Since the ribs have such a low blood flow, I think adding the sauna to your regimen is a wonderful tactic.

I'm on day 2 of adding the sauna after my 1 hour walk/stretching....I'll keep you posted!

Costochondritis- Success Story

2009-09-11T20:24:00.001-05:00

This is a success story from a group I'm a part of:

"I had my first flare up about 2 years ago. I tried everything from rest, stretches, therapy, injections, just about everything. Then I started going to the chiropractor which helped by giving me more mobility in order to do exercises. After about a year in constant pain, I started to walk around the neighborhood. After I got home from my walks I would be sweating a little bit and I noticed my costo didn't hurt at all. After a few weeks I was running on the treadmill in the gym and after every run my costo was getting better and here is how sweating and body heat will heal your costo.

HOW He HEALED FROM COSTO:

costo is an inflammation of the soft tissue connecting the rib to the sternum. In order to heal soft tissue there needs to be sufficient blood flow. Just sitting and taking NSAID's isn't going to stimulate blood flow. Therefore, you must start slow like walking and work your way to other exercises.

1. Sauna/Steamroom- This is what has helped me heal the most, your body temp will rise higher than if you were exercising and you get better results for the cost.

2. Hot tubs- hot tubs can help the same way a sauna would except not as effective

3. Chiropractor- the chiropractor has been straightening my spine which was out of place because of costo and these treatments are the backbone of my healing.

YOU NEED TO HAVE A HIGH BODY TEMPERATURE IN ORDER TO HEAL SOFT TISSUE BY SWEATING AND INCREASED BLOOD FLOW TO THE PARTS OF YOUR BODY WHICH NEED IT(COSTO JUNCTION) THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS HEALED MY COSTO FROM THE POINT WHERE I COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED TO NOW WHERE IM SO ACTIVE I ALREADY INJURED MY ANKLE FROM PLAYING SO MUCH BASKETBALL AGAIN HAHA! TAKE IT SLOW, DON'T GET HURT, TRUST ME!!"

I then asked him what he did at the Chiropractor b/c getting adjusted for me is very painful if I lay on the table, face down. I've seen 3 chiros and they all cause far more pain then help.

"He took an x-ray of my spine and it turned out I had a slipped vertebrae in my
back which was connecting to the same rib as the costo(I think it was rib # t-5
or t-6 on my right side) and he would adjust my upper back while I was lying
face down then I would lie on my side and he adjusted my lower back.

Have you tried running? I too was afraid it would cause more inflammation and
pain, and my doctor's at Stanford kept encouraging me to exercise because that's
the only way it will heal. And I kept telling myself the doctors didn't know
what they were talking about because costo is fairly rare, and most doctors,
even the ones at Stanford have never dealt with it before. So after more than a
year of pain and missing the outdoors, I thought I have nothing to lose so I
started walking and biking slowly and if I feel any pain I'd stop and go home
at take pain killers haha. But there was no pain, and kept a steady regimen and
after about 6 months I would say my costo area is almost better/stronger now
then before I hurt it! You have to take the initiative yourself to heal
yourself. The sauna works wonders also!"

Ok, so this success story is awesome!!! For me, since I was a personal trainer at the time I got costochondritis, working out harder is more painful. For me, when I decreased the intensity of my cardio, and my pain subsided a notch. However, I think mine was so incredibly inflamed...moving wasn't the problem, I needed to chill out. But for others, this may be a great route to try.

Thanks for sharing, Cory!

Costochondritis- Q & A

2009-09-08T15:41:00.002-05:00

More Q & A
Great Questions
Just my opinions for Answers. =)

Is the dull constant discomfort a normal symptom?
For me, yes, even on the best days: I have dull constant discomfort.
Worst of days: constant stabbing pain and can't breathe deeply.
Had I taken care of mine early on or known what my diagnoses was, I wouldn't be in this 3 year boat of blah. =) So really baby your Costo, don't lift anything that hurts. Run away from heavy objects! =)

Do others feel best in the morning and then start to get more symptoms
throughout the day?
Yes, My best moments of the entire day are in the mornings. Your body has been relaxed all night, and so you aren't "bracing" at night... and your body has had time to fight some of the inflammation. We irritate it as we go about our day talking, laughing, picking up adorable kids etc.

Does it make sense that lifting my 30 lb daughter would aggravate it?
Oh mercy, yes. I have 6 nieces and nephews and I can't pick up any of them. Weight lifting of any kind is very traumatic to Costochondritis. Also, sitting for long periods of time like driving is really hard on your Costo.

Has anyone had any long term problems with being on Celebrex or similar meds?
I haven't personally taken Celebrex.

Any non-traditional types of drs or therapists to try (a friend recommended
acupuncture)?
Healing Naturally Post

Costochondritis- Q & A

2009-09-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

Okay, here are some great questions on a forum I'm a part of...insert sassy, adorable, authoratative voice here "please use your own discretion and consult your doctor for all your medical questions." =)

Medical Massage Therapist:

Lucy:
Could you please talk a little more about what type of therapy
the therapist does? You mentioned massage therapy, and I
know when I've tried that in the past, I could not tolerate it
at all, and I got terribly ill for days after with what seemed like
a horrible flu. Does the therapist massage the front of your
ribcage? That might be a little difficult, I would imagine, but
I do remember thinking quite often "if I could get these
muscles to release throughout my ribcage, esp. under the
breast area...the thought of it though just makes me cringe.

You are SO SO SO right! Before I found my medical massage therapist, when I went to normal massage therapists, I would walk out in SOOOO much pain. Laying on my stomach was YIKES, OUCH, and oh CRAP THAT HURTS! So laying on my stomach with someone pushing into my back would leave me bed ridden for days afterward in pain.

However, my back was killing me, so I found this medical massage therapist who works at my physical therapists office. And for 2 months, I did massages sitting in a chair (on my back only), much more comfortable and less painful. I wouldn't let her put me on the table. But I got little relief from it in terms of the Costo and the back relief was very temporary. My therapist asked me for 8 weeks if she could please work on the Costo. I was like "over my dead body, chick-a-dee." =)

Then one day she looked at me and was like, "I've had Costo before, please let me work on your ribs"...after a shocking minute, I said, "okay, 10 minutes." So this is what the first session looked like:

1) Lay on back

2) Therapist VERY lightly would lay her finger on the tender spots in between my ribs(at the sternum around the 7th rib) and stay there for about 2-3 minutes until she felt the sore spot lightly release. She would work her way outward to the sides. She started on the left side of my rib cage and then moved over on the right side. I was so tender, the pressure she used was equivalent to a light touch to the lips and I still screamed and she was like "breathe woman!." However, when I left that day, my chest was opened up a little and I wasn't in more pain when I left than when we started like I normally was with a message therapists. It shocked me.

For the next 8 weeks, that was our drill. VERY light (penny on your stomach) pressure, me laying on my back. As we continued the therapy, my chest muscles started opening up and every week I could take a little more pressure and breathe a little deeper. Melissa (my therapist) said she was literally pushing out the inflammation and opening up the chest muscles.

Starting on the ninth week, I could take more and more pressure as she got deeper and deeper into the inflammation. It's a light talking session. Her constantly asking how the spots feels and me answering. I had no idea until I started the therapy that there were pockets of inflammation ALL OVER my ribs, not just where it hurt like crapola to breathe. And my BACK started to feel better!! That rocked.

After 8 weeks, we would do part of the therapy laying on each side. She would start the light pressure with one hand at my sternum on rib 7 and with one hand and on my back on the same rib on my spine and work her way together with her hands until they met in the middle. ....always following along the same rib.

Currently, out we start on each side and then I lay on my back and she does repetitive strokes starting at the sternum in between the ribs and working her way out again. She also stretches the rib cage, diaphragm, and neck muscles. And she has me doing the stretch every day where you stand in the doorway and step through to stretch the chest muscles (do the stretch with your hand near your shoulders and then again, only with the hands higher up on the door frame).

I've been going for 3 1/2 months...Melissa feels my pain will resolve in about 6 more months...we shall see. That would a miracle. =) My results so far are that I can breathe soooo much better, which I'm so excited about. After everything I've tried, I'm staying with this since I'm seeing results.

Anyhoo, so that's the dealio. It's been a huge blessing to me. My back is almost pain free. Pretty Cool. =) I know that was really long winded. Hope it helps. =) Oh- and I didn't really see progress until I married the therapy with no talking. Yup, the cruddy no talking policy. But it helped me. The less irritating we can be to our ribs, the better.

How do you go about finding the right medical massage therapist?
I'd call around to the physical therapist offices in your area and ask if they have a massage therapist who deals with chronic illnesses or costochondritis. If you can't find one, then start calling the massage therapists and see if you can find someone who has worked on Costo.

Did you ask about if they had experience helping people with costco?
Definitely. If they aren't familiar with the condition or willing to do the research on the condition, then run! =)
If you find someone you think would be a fit but hasn't worked on Costo., I'd meet with whomever you choose and basically interview them first, and print out info on Costo. Also, print out my previous post on how the massage is done by my therapist and take with you and talk to her/him.

FYI: If they ask you to start the massage laying on your stomach...bolt out of there, they don't know what's going on and you'll walk out in a lot of pain.

Is the type of massage different?
The biggest difference for me is that even though we work a lot on the chest, neck and back muscles, we spend most of the time working on the cartilage inbetween the ribs, gently pushing the inflammation from the sternum to the lymph nodes, then from the spine to the lymph nodes under the arm- and stopping a LOT when we land on a spot that is tender to keep the light pressure on the spot and once it releases a little bit, she continues working her way out. It's a very slow process. Since the ribs have such a low blood flow, massage can help get blood flowing and circulating in your ribs...and that is a beautiful thing.

Injections:

And I believe it was Lucy who said the Intercostal blocks weren't beneficial for her
because she's had costo over 2 years (?). I suppose since I've had costo
for decades (over 3) that doing this then would probably not help, is that
what you're saying Lucy?

I think it's different for everyone. Unfortunately for me, my Costo wasn't diagnosed until 2 years later. I'm currently going on 3 yrs right there with you. Ick!! Had mine been diagnosed off the bat, I personally think the intercostal shots would have really worked. However, I was a personal trainer at the time, and still searching for a diagnosis, I continued lifting weights. The WORST thing I could have done! AHHH!! So my pain got worse and worse and I got desperate. Now I can't lift a pen without pain. You know how that goes. (However, I can breathe deep without pain, now. Yay!) So I think I contributed to my inflammation greatly over those 2 years. But for those who haven't exasperated the pain, shots may be a wonderful tool through the journey of healing. Some speculate they only mask the symtoms. For me, they didn't work, but I really hope it works for someone else.

Costochondritis- Day 28 Of Chill Time

2009-09-06T23:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm on day 28 (1 month, go me! =) of modified bed rest/very little talking/still seeing medical massage therapist/ and eating an all vegetarian diet. Really trying to get the inflammation down. So far, the medical massage therapist has helped the most out of all the therapies and meds. I've tried. She's confident that she can get the inflammation out in 6 more months (I've been seeing her for 3 1/2 months). We shall see.

The reason I'm doing all this is that I'm taking a step back. Since my diagnoses wasn't made until 2 years into my condition and I greatly irritated it for 2 years; I'm going back and doing what I would have done if I had been diagnosed early on. Today I'm at...

Pain Scale 1-10 (1 low, 10 High )

Breathing Pain-3
Talking Pain- 5
Moving Pain- 6
Picking up something- 7
Acid Reflux- 0 (yay!!! It's gone, holla!)

Lowlight of the week: My therapy was more intense than it usually is. I hurt pretty bad Tues and Wed- lots of stabbing, pain averaged a 7. Yes. There were tears. =)

Highlight of the week: But then my talking pain was a 3 on Thursday!! A THREE!! That's a first! And it rocked cause I was with my bff, my mom...and I love to gab with her. =) It's Snail Slow Progress. Yet, alas, I will take it. Shocked me. I like that kind of shock. =)

Costochondritis- Staying Healthy

2009-09-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Alright folks, you are working your booty off to heal that Costochondritis. Something REALLY important is getting yourself healthy. Give your body as much of a chance as possible to heal.
Drink your water, take your minerals, vitamins, calcium, veggies, and fruits!! I'm serious. =) Walk daily and eat beautifully. Don't work against your body, work with it. The End. I'll stop lecturing now. =)

Costochondritis- Sleeping Tips

2009-09-05T13:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, for those who are in the rocky, pain 'round the clock, boat with me, sleeping is a challenge. Here are a few tips, to use are your discretion, to aid in the healing process. That's right, I said healing. Do not give up on the hope that you will heal. Don't you dare! =)

1) Try to sleep on your back- this is helpful because you want to stretch out the ribs and chest muscles, not constrict them. (However, if you are just relaxing, I have found the most comfortable position is a 45 degree angle with pillows under the back an head...I feel pressure in my ribs when I lay flat on my back. So I only attempt it when I'm sleeping).
2) If you are a side sleeper, use a large pillow between your arms, don't let your arms cross over each other, causing that chest muscle to constrict.
3) When you are laying in bed, just watching TV or hanging out, take the arms and gently open them up, laying them out to your side with a pillow underneath each arm- open your chest up.
4) When you are hanging out in bed, put a pillow under your lower back, it will help keep your ribs and chest opened up.

I know that for many, sleep is very difficult. I spent 18 months sleeping about an hour at a time and would wake up to stabbing pain in my chest every time I remotely moved . It was awful. Once I shut down my personal training business and subsequently quit picking up the weights all day for clients, my sleeping slowly got better and recently I'm able to sleep on my back. Yeah...I'll never take that for granted again. =)

Costochondritis

Update

A New Direction

Costochondritis- Genetics

Chest Pain- Cause: Low Stomach Acid?

Costochondritis- An Award for me?! Woo-Hoo!

Costochondritis- And Water

Costochondritis- Happy Mother's Day

Costochondritis- Letting go of the Past

Costochondritis- Caused By Vitamin Deficiency?

Costochondritis- Just Because I like it....

Costochondritis- Lucy Update

Costochondritis- Video Blogging- Oh Mercy.

Costochondritis- Happy Easter

Costochondritis- The Doctor Show

Costochondritis- Celiac Symtom Check List

Costochondritis- The Celiac Honeymoon

Costochondritis- Celiac Q & A

Costochondritis - Celiac Test Results...

Costochondritis- And Gluten

Costochondritis- And Weed

Costochondritis- Oscar Day

Costochondritis- And Candida

Costochondritis- The Emotional Journey

Costochondritis- Symptoms and a Piggy Back

Costochondritis- On a Bad Day

Costochondritis- Bam! sLpAt! PoW!

Costochondritis- A Valentine Marathon

Costochondritis-New Poll Question

Costochondritis- Food Allergies

Costochondritis- Forgive the Cactus

Costochondritis- Q & A

Costochondritis- I have WHAT!?

Costochondritis- The Granny Stroll

Costochondritis- Liver Cleanse #2

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Cleansing Update

Costochondritis- The Dream Play

The Big Bad Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse

About Stones:

Costochondritis- Little Engine that could Cleanse...

Costochondritis- Kidney Cleanse

Costochondritis- Tests Before Diagnoses

Costochondritis- Parasite Cleanse

www.HuldaCl

ark.com

Black Walnut Hull Tincture Extra Strength Dose

Wormwood Capsule Dose (200-300 mg)

Clove Capsule Dose (Size 0 or 00)

Costochondritis- And Tums

Costochondritis- Foods Causing Inflammation?

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Most Popular Questions

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Success Story

Cosotchondritis- Colon Cleanse

Costochondritis- Apple Cider Vinegar

Other Apple Cider Vinegar Cures List

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Tight Diaphragm and Abs

Costochondritis- Two Different Types of Costo.

Costochondritis - The Different Kinds of Costo. by Richard M. Kravitz

Costochondritis - How you got it

Costochondritis - Diagnoses, signs & symptoms

Costochondritis - history

Costochondritis - physical exam

Costochondritis - tests that have been used and not been helpful

Costochondritis - lab

Costochondritis - The different types of imaging used to try and diagnose Costo.

Costochondritis- Misdiagnosis

Costochondritis- Stretching Exercises

Costochondritis- Massage vs. Medical Massage

Costochondritis- Success Story

Costochondritis- Helpful Tips

Costochondritis- Happy Halloween

Costochondritis- Hurts Worse at Night

Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation Exercise

Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation Update

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