Sjogren's, Hashi and Keto and Me

Fasting

2019-02-06T14:12:00.002-08:00

So far so good. I did have a few palpitations yesterday and today. So today, I limited my coffee to one cup in the morning which was a cold brew. And I don't have a Ninja, so I had to do it from stratch. I will post the recipe.

But, I think the palpitations were from too much coffee. It could be my thyroid. My biggest problem is the conversion of T4 to T3. I have to keep in mind that will be impacted with stress and restricting my calories too much.

When I get weighed next week and if I am down. I will keep track. My levels of T4 may be too high.

With that said. I am only going to do fasting six days a week taking Sunday off along with my exercise as well.

So today, I limited my coffee to one cup in the morning which was a cold brew. And I don't have a Ninja. I will post the recipe.

I broke my fast at 3 p.m. with a coffee, a scoop of Quest protein powder, tsp of psyllium husk, a quarter tsp of MCT oil and a half tsp. Of heavy cream and a splash of Simply Skinny mocha.

I am going to have dinner at 5 p.m. and end my eating window at 7 or 8 p.m or depending on if I am hungry.

I am restricting my calories the most I will eat is 900 I can't possibly eat more in that window. I am filling up on protein and leafy veggies. I am not adding fat only in my dressing for a salad.

https://cookieandkate.com/2018/cold-brew-coffee-recipe/

THIRD WEEK DOING INTERMITTENT FASTING.

2019-01-29T17:17:00.003-08:00

Hey all, this is my third week doing 18 hours of fasting, and I am still feeling great.
Recovering from the weekend is always tough. I do struggle with hunger.
Today was a lot easier. I am looking forward to my weigh in on Feb. 14th. It's going to be tough since it will be Valentine's Day and I always treat myself to candy the day after when it's on sale.

My inflammation is low considering I twisted my injured knee last Friday. But I am working through the pain with DDP Yoga which I highly recommend. I will link it below.

The biggest challenge for me is not doing the traditional Keto which is high fat. The way I see it is I have fat on my body to burn, so I am not adding any extra.

https://ddpyoga.com/collections/workouts?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ddpyoga&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMDiBRDNARIsACKP1FFeLWkGfEEuxWkfRfYgxIsYaPXH3-MmnpFzfQiDmsZ4_mnhnuaYLawaAtCdEALw_wcB

https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/low-carb-cinnamon-twists/

Intermittent fasting

2019-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Vitamin D

2019-01-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know by taking 20,000 to 40,000 IU of Vitamin D3 and halt your autoimmune disease! I have been taking this amount just three days and my eyes feel so much better! I was watching the New Skinny on Fat the new Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough. Author, entrepreneur and wellness warrior, Naomi Whittle pulls from the most brilliant minds and cutting edge science-backed research to bring you this vital information.

I learned from Dr. Gundry the a renowned cardiologist and the author of the Plant Paradox that Vitamin D High levels of vitamin D3, he says, help heal the gut issues he believes are the root cause of autoimmune disorders and other diseases!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HWVEemS-KY

10 Weeks on Keto Update

2019-01-21T12:17:00.002-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. Life once again got in the way of me updating.

Good news everything is back to normal on the family front.

It has been almost nine weeks since I started the Ketogenic diet. I lost a total of 25 pounds! I have to say it was not too hard staying on board through the holidays. I made lots of keto friendly desserts. All can be found just by googling the best keto desserts. I made my version of my mom's stuffing by substituting with keto bread.

I started doing intermittent fasting just recently to increase Human Growth Hormone. I learned a lot through The Real Skinny on a fat documentary.

http://therealskinnyonfat.com/optin/?fbclid=IwAR1c5gQBjfJGGZ8HPtgGnLy8x2li_wxm3AuuqnvVxr1QVmrJumH4MXES4JA

I was so impressed with all the research!

What I can say about Keto is that it reduced the inflammation in my body-- cutting it almost in half just weeks into the diet.

Don't get scammed by all the new products saying Keto, most are just people trying to make a quick buck. Please don't fall for the scams I would do Dr. Eric Westman's protocol. And Heal Clinic's keeping Keto Simple approach.

https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Eric-Westman-127133981830/

I will link all the information I found to be useful.

https://healclinics.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMZfyEy_jpI

Keeping it Simple food list

. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

Back on Keto

2018-11-06T16:46:00.001-08:00

I did it. I am back on Keto and the flame of inflammation has been put out. It's only been a week and I am already feeling better. And my jeans are looser. I am not doing it for looks or what the scale says this time. I am doing to feel good. I can not tell you the difference I am feeling. I know its going to be tough around the holidays but with Keto Slimfast and quest bars and Atkins snack bars and all the keto and quest recipes I should be fine. I do plan on raising my carbs on Thanksgiving and Christmas between 55- 100 and go right back down to 20-30.

I wouldn't have started again if it wasn't for two woman in the Walmart store when I was looking for regular slimfast- both woman were looking for Keto friendly snacks. After talking to each woman both in their 40's and 50's I was on board with Keto. I wish I would have never fallen off the wagon. I look back on pictures when I was doing Keto and I look fit, and healthy.

I stocked my kitchen with Keto friendly foods, and snacks and downloaded Keto Slim-fast plan. I was amazed on how they approach the Ketogenic diet. It's all spelled out and easy to follow and you will lose weight because you still count calories. The calorie intake for woman is roughly 1250 and around 1650 for men.

The thing is you are not hungry because of the high fat. You still eat carbs but they are smart carbs like lettuce, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, strawberries, berries, cantaloupe, nuts. Protein is moderate. I have no more than 10 oz.

I will say its best to take a fiber supplement if you are used to eating a lot of fruits. You should be OK if you eat the keto slimfast and quest products and a serving of veggie at all meals and have a nut serving.

Please comment below if you had pain relief doing Keto!

www.jenicassio.com
www.creativewhisperings.com
https://www.facebook.com/jenicassio/
https://www.facebook.com/RockyTheRockefellerTree/

Whole 30

2018-10-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

Pain. We all have it whether we like or not. I believe it’s a good way of looking at life as long as you have it you know your heart is still ticking. If you don't then you're dead. Living with an autoimmune disease in my case causes inflammation or does it, or is it the junk we stick in our mouth that is causing all the aches and pains of life? According to the author of Whole 30 Melissa Hartwig it’s the sugar, grains, and diary along with MSG and the preservatives in our food that is causing the pain. She claims these types of word is the problem.

"Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition, like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies, or chronic pain, that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms are often directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?"

Hartwig's whole 30 is basically the https://www.healthline.com/health/aip-diet in a nut shell, or the elimination diet.

I have a big problem with eliminating sugar, grains, and diary at the same time because re-introducing the foods back into our systems may not solve the problem. Which is it the sugar, or the flour? What is the true culprit?

My mother always told me moderation--a little of this, a little of that is no problem its when we overload our bodies that is the problem.

What I've learned from experience that helps with the inflammation is to stay away from cow's milk, gluten, corn, and night shade and increase good fats like olive oil, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, almonds, macadamia nuts and stay away from peanuts. And most of all if God did not make it, stay away! Believe me, that is a tough one because we are a nation of convenience. I stock up on protein bars and shakes especially when dieting.

Over the years, I tried the keto diet and I will tell you I was never inflamed when doing it. Which leads me to try a new approach to the keto diet bringing back healthy fats and lean meats, veggies and keeping the grains at bay.

I am doing a tweaked version of the whole 30 but keeping diary in because it does not bother me. I also have two stevia for my coffee. I just can't do the black coffee.

Will this approach to eating calm the flame of inflammation and help in the healing process of my banged up soft tissue around my knee? I can only pray it does.

I hope some of this is helpful. And if you know of a sure way to reduce inflammation please comment below!

CBD OIL

2018-10-17T11:07:00.001-07:00

Is CBD oil right for you?

I think it relieves some of the nerve pain I have. Does it do anything for my joint pain? Not really. Does it relieve pain on contact? Yes. I drop some on my knee and it relieves the pain within minutes. I also have a balm and it's wonderful.

This is my first month using the oil. And I can not stress enough get a high-quality oil that is made in a state that is legal that is because they have stricter government standards. If you don't you get poor quality oil that you wouldn't want to put on a salad.

I am a sucker and purchased one from a Facebook ad. Natures Touch. I literally threw my money away. They sent me five bottles for 35.99 I knew that should have been a red flag. I tried it and it did absolutely nothing!

After a few weeks, I saw an ad from my local pharmacy they were selling Ananda full spectrum CBD oil.

I visited my pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me a quick lesson on the effect it has on the body and the dosage. He did say there is a small amount of THC and to make sure if I was having a drug test at work to tell them because it may show up in the results. For the first week, I was only to take a .50 ml then increase to .75ml and then a full dropper.

I had a side effect of a full dropper so I cut back to .50 ml. I got vertigo which was awful. It took a full day out of my life to feel normal again.

Some reported side effects of cannabidiol include dry mouth, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and drowsiness.

I am not 100 percent it was the CBD oil that caused the dizziness all I can tell you it happened once before with the Natures Touch even though I did not see any pain relief.

It's worth the try.

If you have any thoughts or are taking CBD please comment below!

My eyes are sooooo dry

2018-10-16T20:23:00.002-07:00

I can hardly write this. My plugs came out again. I am so close to getting them cauterized. If you don't know what that means its when they burn the tear ducts shut so the scar seals them shut. Its suppose to keep what tears you have in so they don't go down your throat. I know. Sound disgusting. I am going to try xiidra one last time. I found out if you warm up the little plastic container in your hand and shake it up a bit it does not burn so much. The only thing I really hate is that it blurs your vision for about 5 minutes. Unless you have damn good insurance its like 200.00 a month which is bull shit. I tried everything to beat the inflammation like giving up gluten and I really don't think it does anything. Well, since my eyes are soooo dry tonight I am going to bed.

https://www.xiidra.com/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=G_ENG_Branded_Drug-Information%3BS%3BPH%3BBR%3BVIS%3BDTC%3BBR&utm_content=G_Drug-Information_General_E&utm_term=xiidra&mid=XII_BR_S0_089&utm_source=google&gclid=CjwKCAjwmJbeBRBCEiwAAY4VVVR-3f5INhWEn6F6z64CyEnARTyNyoSDlhk-m39XmJVcNR7WGpVaSxoCawMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLzH3eDBjN4CFcMaDAodWmUOhA

Check out my other blogs and author page!

www.creativewhisperings.com
www. jenicassio.com

Eight Months out from the accident that almost did me in.

2018-10-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been 8 months since the accident that almost did me in, I am still dealing with the hematoma on my leg! I just started going up and down the stairs with one hand on the railing whooohoo! I lost the 17 pounds I put on being laid up. I still have a lot more to make it easier to manage.
I truly believe my recovering is taking longer because of the inflammation of the Sjogren's disease. Staying positive is tough too. My mind wants to go but my body drags. I try not and complain because things could be so much worse.

October is so pretty with all the beautiful colors of fall. I would love to go for a walk but the joint pain and nerve pain holds me back. I get up every morning and put a smile on and thank God for the many blessings I have instead of complaining. We all know too well with one autoimmune disease comes another. I deal with Hashimoto (thyroid disease) as well as half the nation. Most likely all the grab they put in our food.

I have to post a wonderful product that is helping with moisture!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BKR31E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Some other fabulous news my new author page is up and running. Please check it out. www.jenicassio.com And my new book blog: www.creativewhisperings.com there you find some great books, and updates on me!

Some graphic pictures of my leg. My ribcage, my breast were bruised just as bad. I will not post them. My leg was three times the size. I could not wear my jeans, or yoga pants. I am lucky I did not lose my leg or my life.

March 30

March 31

April

May

March 31

April

May

last week

Recovering from an Accident

2018-07-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

On March 29, 2018, I was involved in a four-car accident. It's been four months and I am still trying to grasp what happened. Having Sjogren's and Hashmotti along with my spinal stenosis has made my recovery long and frustrating. Just trying to focus has been trying.
“The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” — author unknown.

In just a blink of the eye…everything changed. It was the noise I remember. Oh no, is what I thought. I can’t believe this happening. My kids. My dog. Dear Lord don’t let me die. Is this what my sisters thought, my brother, my dad the day they drew their last breath. It was happening to me. Why didn’t I stay home? I should have stayed home. What was so important? I never go out on Good Friday. My mother never let us as a kid. Please God let me be ok. I promise I'll be better person. They say you re-live moments of your life before you die. Is that what was happening to me.

“Mom, I was in an accident and it’s bad.”

“Where are you?”

. “I just want to let you know I love.”

I couldn’t find my sons number. I wasn’t thinking clearly. My phone numbers were jumbled. Finally, I found it.

I was only a few minutes from my house. A few minutes. I was singing to Kesha’s Praying on the radio. I felt the impact. I didn’t see it. It was white. The airbag blocked my vision. Please God don’t let me die. I want to see my kids get married, I want to see my grandchildren. I don’t care about anything else. I promise I will be a better person. I promise. Again, and again, and again I was hit. And then I stopped. The door opened. A woman. I remembered seeing her weeks before at a wine tasting party at her floral shop.

That's basically all I remember. One of the symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome is brain fog. Was that what caused my accident? I wish it was that easy.

I finally started to make it down the stairs leg over leg. Getting out and about has been a struggle.

I just gave up the cane, but its scary walking across the parking lot when you take baby steps and at any moment your knee may give out or you land to fast on the pavement. I don't know if my autoimmune diseases are making my recovery slower or not.

Prayer has helped tremendously and Reiki self-healing. I am still doing the no- wheat and low sugar to try and beat this inflammation. I have neglected this blog but that is going to change. So many life changes are putting me into a slump. My sons are leaving the nest, I was terminated from my job because of a clerical error in HR not getting my medical forms in on time. I lost more siblings and my dad over the years. My writing career is in a slump and the heartache of having your stories ripped out. Staying positive in a negative world is hard. But I am doing it like I always do. I pull my bootstraps up and smile. I am back on the saddle again.

http://info.sjogrens.org/conquering-sjogrens/bid/256987/Brain-Fog-and-Sjogren-s

https://missdiagnoses.com/2017/07/16/50-shades-of-brain-fog-part-one/

2015-04-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

Today was not a good day....My pain was unbearable. I actually broke down and cried. The only thing that was not inflamed were my eyes. My plugs are working out great. I hope they stay in. I was trying to figure out why did I hurt so bad today. The only thing I did that was different was go grocery shopping for Easter with my mother. Was it the task itself, getting in and out of her SUV the only other thing that I have been doing is walking on the treadmill on an incline and the only reason why I'm doing that is because of my lumbar spinal stenoisis

At one point today I decided to try a topical cream other than the ones I am been using. What I did was open two Gel Aleve and mix with lotion it worked. I still have the unbearable sciatica pain and numbness but my hip pain is gone.

I called my pharmacist he gave me the name of good topical called Voltaren gel. I'm calling the doctor.

2015-03-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up today feeling good until I went to my doctors appointment. I think its the last time I am going to a rheumatologist. This doctor I will call Dr. Evil had the worst bedside manner ever. She never made eye contact and when she did she looked away quick. Not only did she have no answers she was picking her finger nails that made me want to grab his hands and shut them in the door! I told her plaquineil was only making make me catch colds and infections and I no longer wanted to take it. So then she replied well then I can't help you then. So from now on I am just going to go to my PC. This so called specialist not only disrespect as a human being I had to wait 20 minutes in the waiting room and then another 20 minutes in the examining room.

My son wants to be a doctor someday I swear if he treats his patients like this doctor treated me I will smack him.
If you live in my area and want to know who this doctor is please leave your email address in the comments and I will gladly tell you her name!

Raining Days Always get me down.

2015-03-14T08:15:00.002-07:00

I don't know about you but I hurt all over! I almost cried yesterday from the pain. Not only were my joints aching and stiff but my legs were numb and weak most of the day. I blame it on the rain. Geez it's only March and April showers are still to come.

I can only hope its from over doing it with the resistance bands I started using two days ago and not the rain.

I just started the Bromelain yesterday so I can't give you any information on how it works yet although I would not get Puritan's Pride Natural Pineapple Enzyme because the tablet's gritty. I couldn't swallow it without gagging! I am going to call them and see if there is a capsule form.

I checked out amazon. They have a number of different brands. Destination Vitamins is my next stop...

One suggestion I have for pain that works 100 percent is a warm espson bath for 20 minutes. Don't make it too hot unless you want a sauna effect and some of you might to rid water from a night of overdoing it. What I do is mediate. You can find a lot of different types of mediation on ytube. My favorite is Free Healing Meditation from Deepak Chopra by NPowerYourMind.com

I just wanted to add my power breakfast to today's post! It fights inflammation and I hope it will help me take off 50 pounds I need to take off! It goes to show it doesn't have to be the same veggie and fruit everyday. I mix it up like today I added cucumber and almond butter instead of peanut butter. The cucumber acts as a diuretic which helps with inflammation as well.

Off to mediate!

Disclaimer:
I am not a medical doctor or claim to be one. These are my opinions.

Bromelain

2015-03-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Let me start off by saying I LOVE MY PLUGS! (Tear Duct Plugs) I am actually enjoying life again! I pray they stay in this time. My doctor has replaced them three or four times

trying to get the right size.

It’s crazy when my eyes feel good my back starts bothering me, which leads me to

Bromelain. I was on Facebook the other day, and someone mentioned it was had helped her with inflammation.

Of course, I had to order some to try. I even went to the grocery store to buy pineapple until my order is shipped. Pineapple is loaded with Bromelain.

“What is Bromelain?

Bromelain is a blend of enzymes naturally in the juice and stems of pineapples.

A proteolytic enzyme, Bromelain it is said that it can help in the digestion of protein.

Many holistic doctors and nutritionist say, some Bromelain may be absorbed by the body intact, so it's also thought to have effects outside the digestive tract. They believe Bromelain is natural anti-inflammatory for conditions such as arthritis.

What is Bromelain?

Bromelain is a blend of enzymes naturally in the juice and stems of pineapples

A proteolytic enzyme, bromelain it is said that it can help in the digestion of

protein.

Many holistic doctors and nutritionist say, some bromelain may be absorbed

by the body intact, so it's also thought to have effects outside the digestive

tract.

They believe Bromelain is natural anti-inflammatory for conditions such as arthritis.

I ordered my Bromelain through Purtian Pride.

I will try anything to rid my body of inflammation.

If you have any tips feel free to post!

2015-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was visiting https://www.facebook.com/groups/SjogrensAlternatieTherapies/ Facebook page today and was amazed about how many people complain about their doctors. One post commented on

how her doctor said most of her ailments were in her head! When I hear this I want to scream.

Yerika said

"Ok so my general doctor thinks 95% of my pain, and symptoms are caused by depression! !!

Really? Diagnosed with Sjogren, bulging disks, dysphagia, arthritis, scoliosis, trigeminal neuralgia,

neuropathy, giant platelet. Its just depression! Damn I'm mad. Too bad I cannot change doctors, she the only one in practice that takes my insurance! Venting."

I just want to scream when I see this. I have the same issue as the Yerika and believe me its not

from depression. I went to a new Rhemy, whom I was so excited about going to until she treated me like cattle. She would not even look me in the eye. I was so upset by the time I left her office, I was in tears. My PC wanted to drug me up with

Cymbalta and neutrion! Doctors are so willing to pump you up with drugs to shut you up. I don't need someone telling me I'm depressed. Feeling like shit 24/7 will make you

depressed and dumping drugs into your system is not going to make you feel better.

Needless to say I am not going back to that doctor.

First off, doctors need to have a little compassion with their patients and not make us feel like we're

children. I've decided to treat my symptoms and come to terms with this disease. One of the ways I'm doing this is not letting the disease label who I am. I am not Sjogren or Hashimotto

or Spinal Stenosis or RA. These diseases do not dictate who I am....I am a beautiful 52-year-old woman in the prime of her life with some challenges.

I love the social media sights, and I get a lot of information about Sjogren's but sometimes when I leave the page I feel my symptoms more and

then I begin to dwell on my physical problems making them more noticeable, that's when I try to limit my social media interactions,

Just remember, we are living and breathing. A little reminder as long as we have the pain we are still alive, others don't have the luxury.

Remember to treat your body with respect and love, and it will show.

My morning shake brings a smart start to my day...

I scoop of protein powder(gluten free organic)

8 oz of almond milk

2 cups of power greens

1/4 of Greek yogurt

2 TSP of tart cherry juice( great for inflammation

1/3 cup of berries(any kind)

1/2 of banana

purified water

Sea Buck Thorn

2015-03-03T15:49:00.001-08:00

It’s really tough trying to be a writer when an illness is trying to defeat you. Thankful my
four tear duct plugs are making it a little easier. The upper plugs are a little irritating, but I
am trying to ignore it. I don't know how long they will stay in so I am taking advantage and writing as much as possible. Likely my doctor will replace them as needed. There is an option and that is to have my ducts permanently closed. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?12674-Tear-duct-cautery-permanently Just the thought turns my stomach. Hopefully I won't have to do that any time soon.

Like I promised I would discuss the benefit of Sea Buckthorn Oil.

Not only is Sea Buck Thorn oil loaded with omega 7 it has omega 3, 6, 9 which is essential to alleviate inflammation. It boosts the immune system while aiding in
digestion.

It can be used as a topical treatment for skin ailments such as eczema, acne, rosacea, burns, and wounds and as a traditional beauty treatment to preserve youthful skin tone, texture.

And a study was shown to help lose weight! Now that a big plus. Nevertheless, I use

Sea Buck thorn to help increase my tear production. Sea Buck Thorn 2,000 mg a day may

help improve lubrication throughout the body – including tears, saliva, bowel protection an with vaginal dryness.

According to the study, “ In clinical study on Sjogren’s and Sea Buckthorn, twenty-three female patients with typical symptoms of dryness, pain and itching in the genital tract mucosa took Sea Buckthorn oil for three months. Conditions of the genital mucosa were evaluated using a visual analogue scale method before and after each treatment period. It was found that the use of Sea Buckthorn oil resulted in a higher rate of improvement in all symptoms."

http://www.seabuckthorninsider.com/health-benefits/sjogrens-syndrome/

I would love to know if anyone is having luck with the oil.

2015-03-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone... So sorry for not posting any updates. Depression has kept me out of the loop... Losing two sisters from cancer and then my dad dying really put me in a dark place. However, I'm back! This has been such a lousy year for my autoimmune diseases. Winter is the worst for Sjogren's I am not going to lie. The dry heat is killing my eyes. My recent trip to the eye doctor is helping with the dryness. I had two more upper plugs. I cannot tell you how well it feels. Although they are somewhat irritating if I think about it. Having tears is great for writing. I hope they stay in because so I can start to write more because I have a paranormal YA novel From The Sky coming out soon! Yippie!

I want to tell you all about Sea Buck Thorn oil capsules. I am starting taking the oil in a juice form but the calories are too high for my liking. I ordered from Purtian Pride. There are so many great products out there and so many bad ones. Thera Tears work great...I got them years ago and then I could not find them until now. What really makes me angry is that my health insurance will not pay for supplements!

Sjogren's isn't the only thing making my life cumbersome. I have lumbar spinal stenois. I got that from my father. I am trying to avoid surgery. One product that is making life a little easier is the KYRO Back http://www.trykyro.com/ps_f4/how-kyrobak-works/

Tomorrow I will post what is in Sea Buck Thorn and what it does to help me. Please post remedies that you do to help...

How To Choose The Right Dry Eye Drop.

2011-02-13T19:20:00.001-08:00

Choosing the right dry eye drop can be tedious and frustrating.

Systane Ultra-five stars. This is a great drop to add throughout the day. I found if I use it more than two times a day my dry eyes became worse. It's best to use in the morning then again in the early evening.

Genteal Liquid Gel Drops- Five stars. This is the best morning and nighttime drop. I use it daily and right before I close my eyes for the night. I've found it to be too heavy for day time use.

Thera Tears-Five star drop. I Switch between Systane and Thera tears. The most important thing I've learned was with dry eyes is to use preservative free drops no matter what drop you choose.

Natures Tear Spray- Two stars. I bought this hoping it was the answers to my prayers, but I was disappointed. This is great for people who have a mild form of dry eyes.

Clear Eyes Liquid Gel- One star. Not recommended for severe dry eyes.

I am not a fan of lubricant eye ointment. I've tried every brand out there and I found not matter what brand they burned my eyes and caused daytime blurred vision.

Disclaimer- I am not a medical professional and any information on this blog is not intended to be medical advice. It is my opinion.

Next time-nutrition for dry eyes.

What The Heck Is Sjogren's

2011-02-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

According the Mayo Clinic Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. Today, as many as 4 million Americans are living with this disease.

In 2004 I never heard of Sjogrens. I had not gone to the Walmart for a new prescription for contacts I would have never known. The eye doctor said I had an active eye infection and put some drops in my eyes. The drops stung so bad I almost hit the roof. He said it was normal. Then he said to put one drop in three times a day. But each time I put the drops in the more my eyes stung. I called the doctor the next day and he said it was normal. Normal, for who. The next day I could not see out of my eye. I panicked and called the doctors back. He said to stop using the drops and come right in. When he looked at my eye he could not explain what was wrong with my eye. Slowly I got my vision back but I was left with seeing halos around lights causing me not to be able to see at night.

Franitc I went to an ophthalmologist. I stumped him too he couldn't find anything wrong except my cornea was scarred beyond belief. He said it was like someone got a nail file and filed my cornea. He was amazed I could even see out of that eye. The last thing he did was placed schirmer strip on on my eyes. It's a test to see how much moisture is in the eyes. What he learned was my eyes were severely dry. He gave me a bottle of dry eye drops and sent me on my merry way.

Frustrated I left with not only dry eyes but confusion. It wasn't until I had blood work because of a rapid heart rate that I learned my thyroid was not working right.

The blood test results were not good. Not only was my TSH at 6.75 and the normal is 3 I had a positive ANA and rheumatoid factor 97. My primary recommended I see a Rheumatologist. I thought a Rheumatologist only treated arthritis.

The end result––I was told I had Sjogrens. I couldn't even pronounce the word let alone heard of it. To make sure that was indeed what I had the doctor ordered more blood work. Sure enough my doctor said it was positive. I was told I had Secondary Sjogrens. My first autoimmune is Hashimoto's disease is a disorder that affects your thyroid.

Now I have a thyroid condition and Sjogrens. Living with Sjogrens is a frustrating disease because there is no cure.

Everything makes sense now. For years while I was working as a hairdresser my eyes were a mess by the time I left the shop. Hair sprays and chemicals would stick to them.

Now I am constantly putting drops in my eyes. I have plugs to help keep my tears in my eyes. But that doesn't work either. I tried Restasis the ingredient has been linked to Lymphoma. Why would I want to put that into my body when people who have Sjogren's may be at a higher risk for the cancer? The high price wasn't very attractive either. A three month supply is $300.00. Sjogren's is a nasty disabling disease with no cure.

Try writing without your eyes, It's almost impossible. I have to take short shut-eye breaks. Now that I know what works and what will not work I will share this with my readers. Sjogren's is a chronic disease that has some unpleasant symptoms.

Each post will touch upon something that will be helpful. I want to let people who have the disease know they have somewhere to go and discuss different topics. I hope my readers will feel comfortable discussing anything about dealing with Sjogrens.