Day 22 of my Whole30 diet
by Rita Davidson
Well, today is Day22 and I’m nearly at the 30 day mark. This elimination diet taught me alot…and had a few challenges I wasn’t prepared for.
Day 1-11
These days went pretty uneventful. I was surprised actually. I mean learning to like BLACK COFFEE (I’m a double-double girl) wasn’t as hard as I thought. NEEDING to have meals prepared THAT was pretty important so you didn’t end up eating just nuts, or just something cause it was THERE.
I’ve spent years reading labels, as we are already gluten free (and the boys dairy free) so I thought how hard can this be? But starting to read labels again now to find out there is sugar in ALL packaged meats and in all the bacon I could find! So having NO bacon was a dissapointment…I know I’ll find one ONE day, but wow, that was an eye opener for me.
Another eye opener was that I actually cooked green beans to DIE for…I mean they were SOOOO delicious with olive oil and lemon….I mean REALLY delicious…how could I have known? LOL
Day 12
Well today I went shopping at Home Depot…it was a fun day thinking of the house work we will finally be getting started. After talking to everyone there, getting advise on work….and looking at prices (and tryin NOT to faint…) I came back to the van…utterly zonked…I mean so much so I thought wow…did I forget to eat? I really wondered if I could even drive home at that point.
Day 13
Today I had a headache…bones sore and foggy headed..I though ohh ohhh there you are detox! I guess it was my turn… I had a low grade fever of 99.4 and had a nap. It was one of those days and I did the best I could do to cope. We had a furnace maintenance guy there this day and I was only hoping to get my head straight to process all he was saying. I needed your prayers. Could barely keep my head lifted let alone keep my eyes open. All I’ve been doing is sleeping for the past day. In so much pain and achiness, low grade fever. Never been hit so hard with a flu like this. Finally taking Tylenol to get pain down… I wasnt on much as I was kinda delirious so that could be dangerous! I didn’t even feel funny but that was kinda funny.
Day 14
Wow, that detox was sure taking it’s effect…lethargy…flu like symptoms really, tired achy and low grade fever.
Day 15
Now with all those detox symptoms I had back pain…I’m not sure when it began but it was painful enough that I couldn’t get out of bed and I couldn’t cope with the pain. So I finally started taking painkillers…oh those pills I rarely touch but then when things get bad you just don’t care. I didn’t get out of bed all day this day and didn’t eat either. Though I kept drinking lots of water.
Day 16
This was a repeat of the last day, more back pain, pretty out of it. Pulled out my essential oils the day before, to try see what things I could use for back pain to get more comfortable. Mark, my better half, was coping with the rest of the house at this time as I was so useless to everyone. Poor guy
Day 17
By now I was in tears…the pain in my back so bad. Barely gotten any sleep, Mark was frantic. We both decided I should call a chiropractor to see what was going on with my back. Scans, X-rays and first Chiropractic adjustment done! All on the Feast of the Assumption! Praise you Mary for watching over me on this painful and tiring day. Now heading home to rest! Thank you my friends! ?
After a long day First chiropractor adjustment and two naps I’ve got ice on my neck to help with stiffness. Doctor found some degeneration in my spine because I’ve got a straight spine.. but my latest PAIN is caused by my locked immobilized ribs exerting pressure and now full of inflammation from my waist to my neck. I didn’t know that’s why I had rib pain and was having trouble taking deep breaths! Oh we never stop learning!
All I want is a good sleep now. Blessed sleep!
Day 18-19
Pretty much the same…tired, not able to sleep, coping with back pain but the first adjustment gave me one day of BLISSFUL NO PAIN which I was so thankful for. I finally discovered alot of my back pain was from back spasms…so it was my essential oils I used to help cope with the back spasms and slept fitfully one hour at a time… Here is where I spent most of my day in bed. My back spasming and would have been the second night of NO sleep if not for this Essential Oil Reference guide that helped me find an oil to calm my back so I could sleep. Ohhh the purgatory of last night! Right after I calmed my back then my armpit lymph nodes swolled up and were so hot, angry, and inflamed I thought my arm would burst! If ANYTHING else can possibly go wrong?! Another oil for those too. By morning they were half the size… but today just feeling so rough. My head is sore again but fever is gone now. Sometimes God just wants you to SIT for a while. (Like a dog, you know, to teach us something) ?? well I’m listening Lord….
Anyhow that was my day friends. Please keep praying for me that I can beat this. This has taken all my strength and energy and I really could use another burst of grace.
Day 20
my days have been reduced to pain management and so leaves out pretty much everything. Thankfully each day I am improving but everyday changes mean managing different pain. My comfort level is at about 0 right now as I can’t lay down (even for sleeping). Back spasms returned after I indulged on a warm bath ( how dare I?!) The morning sun is coming up (I seen most of the night pass).
Day 21
As I thought I was making a bit of progress. Chiropractor was working with me as it turned out he was a Whole30 fan and really understood this detox and how it was affecting my back etc. I also managed to stop bowel movements at this point so was a few days overdue for one and was trying to trouble shoot with him how to get this moving again. I knew the key to my detoxing was keeping this channel open…My face was feeling a bit strange though so in talking with him he suggested I get it looked at. So off to emergency I went….
Day 22
Ive been sleeping in my office as I can’t lay-down” to sleep right now. I was so late at emergency last night I couldn’t post an update. Oops sorry! Thank you for all your prayers for me, you truly have no idea of how much good it has done me. I went in yesterday to hospital cause my face was acting wierd. I couldn’t get my face to work and so my chiropracter suggested I better go in to check. So Emerg doc ruled out no stroke. Thank GOD! But I DO have a case of “Bells Palsy”. He started me on cortisone and side benefit it might help with all the rest of my inflammation in my back! I was so relieved, you have no idea! So today I have to see the chiropractor for adjustment and hoping for an overall good day. Thank you heavenly angels and Saints.
So there you have it… I have Bells Palsy...and from what I’m hearing it’s very common, many have said they had it and it has improved…so I’m hopeful. After this pic my face continued to ‘drop’ and so took about 3 days to get much worse.
It’s given me lots of food for thought…I mean I began this diet in hopes of getting my health under control. Often that means getting sicker before getting better. I was never quite ready for the detox, pain, and Bells Palsy of this but if it gets me healthier I suppose it is worth it.
I’m still dealing with back pain, general fatigue and sore lymph nodes…though each day they are improving. Last night I even slept in BED! (after 6 days of little sleep sitting up). Praise God for His mercies!
Imagine all this detox sitting in me? Eeewwww I’m glad to have it out instead!
So there is my 22 Days…how the next few days will go should be interesting…I’ve learned that I do like this diet, but to have the energy for it again would be nice.
Please PRAY for me if you will. That this Bell’s Palsy will improve and my health will return so I can take care of my family.
Love you guys…
Rita xxo
Rita is a Catholic wife, and mother of seven, with three autistic boys. Author, of “Immodesty, Satan’s Virtue” (2001) and speaker, she has a PASSION for making #realcatholicmodesty understood. She is a licensed Hairdresser, and Make Up Pro, Certified Christian Image Stylist. With a degree in Natural Health she enjoys essential oils & Jamberry Nail Wraps. She enjoys making people smile and sharing God’s love with anyone who will listen. After overcoming a stroke, disabilities, they lost everything in a devastating house fire that made them homeless for six months. She is determined to lead souls back to Christ by finding the #realcatholicbeauty in their lives by carrying their cross with JOY!
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