Day 10

 October 31:

Yes. Halloween. 

Last night my knee hurt too much, again, and I took a tramadol tablet. Made me feel fuzzy in the morning. 

I have been walking without my cane all day today. Not that I have walked much, but I feel stronger for doing it. 

It occurred to me that split peas and lentils are among the foods I can eat on this plan. Today I bought a couple of bags of each and made a pot of split pea soup without onions or vegetable broth. Just carrots and celery and garlic. I like it a lot.

And today I can relieve myself of some temptations. I have a bag of peanut butter cups in the freezer and a bunch of energy bars in the cupboard. I can leave some out for anyone who comes by for treats, and bring the rest to Elaine's house, where it can all stay if not taken. 

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It's almost 8:00 pm. I took a ropinerole tablet at 6:50 pm. But my legs are going into restlessness now.  My right leg now, not just my left. 

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9:33 pm. Still dealing with the restless legs. It doesn't seem like the ropinerole is doing any good.

BP: 126/74

Weight: 101.6

Day 9

October 30:  I slept better last night than the night before. The pain in my knee did not continue yesterday but I definitely felt it this morning. Not as intense as the other night, fortunately, but I wonder about it.

BP: 140/72

Weight: 200

Week Two begins

October 29: Last night sucked. I had the usual restless leg, then after I got to sleep I woke with my left knee hurting. I'm trying to remember if the pain is the same as it was before surgery. I don't remember. I couldn't get to sleep with the pain. I tried rubbing it and stretching it and trying different positions but it did not ease. I finally took an oxycodone tablet. I had stopped taking the oxy tabs several days ago and didn't relish the experience but ultimately it seemed to be the right move. The pain did let up, although I felt nausea and that icky lightheadedness that comes with narcotics (for me, anyway).  I finally was able to get a little sleep. Not enough. I am still feeling really sleepy and I have been up for about four hours.

Just a little bit ago, my right leg started to cramp up. I'm not sure if "cramp" is the right word but it's close. I have been walking around the apartment, trying to get both my left leg, which has gone restless again, and my right, to feel normal.

Later. . .

The knee pain seems to have gone away for the most part. Restless leg continues to plague me no matter what time of day. 

I bought two large jars of applesauce yesterday. I have almost finished one of them. Along with many rice cakes, a can of garbanzo beans, and several ounces of sweet potato. I have exceeded the macros again. Usually do, in spite of the weirdness of what I'm eating.

BP: 147/80

Weight: 200.6

Seventh Day

October 28: So the first week comes to a close. I am still on the plan. However, the list of triggers is slightly different in different places on the PCRM website and in Barnard's book and I am eating some foods that are listed as triggers on at least one of the lists. I am limiting my consumption of these foods but I haven't cut them out. These are tofu and garbanzo beans.  If I am not sensitive to these foods, no harm done. 

So far I am not noticing a meaningful reduction in pain. Of course I am still recovering from surgery so some improvement is normal. It could take four weeks or even longer to get at the inflammation that is practically built-in over so many years. 

I have been looking for a support group or just a person to answer questions. I looked on Facebook and found one group called anti-inflammatory eating for beginners, or something similar. I joined it and got a booklet created by the group's creator. It doesn't coincide with Barnard's lists. I'm not sure it will be helpful to stay in there. I was unable to find groups specific to the PCRM elimination diet. Maybe I need to use that term in my searches.

I have not found it difficult to get a lot of calories each day. Not as easy as it was with foods on that triggers list, but not difficult. I do get full, too, with all that fiber. I enter my foods in Cronometer so I can see what I am eating and how it shapes up on the nutrients lists. So far I seem to be getting plenty of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. And all just from these unprocessed foods. Or nearly unprocessed. There is some processing in making rice cakes, tofu, and rice noodles, but not much.

BP: 139/77

Weight: 200.2

Day Six

 I slept better last night. Had restless leg going on as usual but I did get to sleep and didn't wake too often.

I'm going to my first appointment with the outpatient physical therapist today. I think it is the same place I went to for a previous PT series. Even the same therapist, I think. 

Turns out I was wrong. It is a different physical therapy office. Very near the other one. I made an entrance today by tripping and falling on my knees as I went up the steps. Several therapists rushed out to help but I was able to get up easily. I don't think I would have been able to before surgery.

The offending steps

This afternoon I made a carrot soup, which I will eat tomorrow, and rice noodles with a pesto sauce made with zucchini. Not bad at all, the pasta. I ate all of the applesauce I made yesterday. I might just start laying in jars of applesauce. 

BP: 156/93

Weight: 200

Day Five

 Bad night. Not the worst but far from the best. It started with restless leg. That went on for a while, as I got up and down and stretched and relaxed and finally fell asleep. Then I woke up with a cramp in my left leg. It took some time to calm that down. I got up, stood on that leg, walked, stood, sat down, stretched, until it finally eased. Not long after, I woke with a cramp in my right leg.  I went through similar efforts, finally getting back to sleep. Sleep never lasts long for me, so it was tossing and turning until early morning, when I fed the cats. After that, I managed to rest a little because my leg wasn't bothering me, until it started to hurt a little again.

I didn't feel the need to take any more Tylenol after the Tylenol PM that I had taken at about seven last night. I'll try going another day without.

I always seem to be digesting food when I take blood pressure readings. I shall remind myself not to do so in the future.

My back pain has been acting up more lately. I wonder if it is the stress of buying a home, getting ready for the move. Whatever it is, it is really irritating when I want to get something done.

As for my food! I am just eating stuff. No organized meals, just what is available that doesn't take much effort. Right now I am eating a bowl of green peas. Earlier I had rice cakes and then watermelon.

Later....

I made more strawberry applesauce, using six apples, a pound of strawberries, and about a half can of apple juice concentrate. It isn't nearly enough. Need to make more.

BP: 141/98

Weight: 199.8

Day Four

 

I'm still on the plan. However, when I looked at the PCRM website and looked at the pamphlet they provide on the arthritis elimination diet, I see that they included soy and chickpeas in the possible triggers section. These two are not on the list that is on the website itself, however. (Nor are they on the list in my copy of the cook.) I have been debating whether to stop eating these two foods for this four-week period. 

I'm thinking of getting split peas so I can make a simple split pea soup. Very simple. 

Today I have not walked a lot. Went to the dentist for a checkup and ended up having a tooth filled. That is, a part of the filling had broken off so I had it replaced. Then I picked up an order from Target by sitting in my car and having them bring it out. 

I am trying something of a test.  The last time I had any Tylenol was 7:03 pm last night. I decided to forgo it for today, see how it goes.  I will take Tylenol PM later, though. It has been helping me get to sleep in spite of that restless leg and wound pain.  So far I don't notice any more discomfort than usual. 

BP: 142/79

Weight: 200.2

Day Three

 I've made it to day three. I'm relying on rice cakes and tofu and garbanzo beans to survive. Mainly because these are foods I can eat without much prep or no prep. I get so impatient. I want to eat now.

I haven't eaten all foods cooked. Yesterday I had watermelon. Nobody cooks that. I think I understand the reason for cooking everything - eliminate any possible source of inflammation. 

Lately I have noticed that I can get dressed more easily. I think this is because the swelling has gone down quite a bit. It will be quite the day when I don't need that sock helper to put my left sock on.

Later...

I met my physical therapist outside as I was bringing a bag of trash to the dumpster. He followed me to see how I was walking, said I was walking very well. On the way back he said, "now try without the cane" and I did. "Just as good," he said. But I had some back pain. I mentioned it and he said the hip surgery may have caused it and it should go away. I hope so but am not too hopeful because this pain is something I have had for about three years, intermittently, and I have yet to find out what is really causing it. That is a story for another day, though.

Before seeing the PT I went to my post-op appointment with the surgeon. He said I'm "doing awesome". Two more weeks before I can submerse myself in water (but showers are still fine). He will get x-rays at the next appointment, in four weeks, to see how the joint is doing. 

After the PT had me trying walking without my cane I tried it during the day and now I am walking without it as much as with.  I am very happy with how quickly I am recuperating. 

BP: 160/84

Weight: 202.2

To reiterate

 Here is my plan, straight from Dr. Barnard's book:

The pain-safe foods are:

and the triggering foods are:

So today I started my day with rice pudding I had made last night. Simple - cooked brown rice, rice milk (that I had made earlier using more brown rice and a bit of date paste), maple syrup, and vanilla. Moved on to reheated tofu cubes that I had cooked in the air fryer last night (pressed tofu, cut in cubes, salted and air fried).

It occurs to me that it might be helpful to me to record my pain here. Daily if I think of it. 

I have been taking extra-strength Tylenol pm at night lately because of restless legs and pain in general on my hip. It helps me get to sleep. There comes a time when I don't feel any pain while lying in bed. But then that stops. I try to get back to sleep and can't, so I get up to brush my teeth and take a shower and get dressed. Standing helps with restless leg and walking does loosen the joint.  So what I have noticed:

My left leg is uncomfortable much of the time. I am either in pain or feeling that restless leg thing. My right hand is hurting lately. I think because I'm using a cane now and am leaning on my right hand. I am trying to use the cane more to steady myself and not to lean, but this will take time. 

I also have the pain in my lower back that comes along when I am preparing food or something when walking. It seems to happen every day, at least once a day, and I have to sit down to relieve it. 

That's the pain report, best as I can remember.

BP: 154/74

Weight: 203.4

DAY ONE

As I prepared for the Great Four Week Inflammation Test, I looked at foods not on either list (see previous post). Soy is one. I was delighted to find that soy is great at reducing inflammation. So yay! Up with Tofu! Up with soy milk!

I took my copy of Neal Barnard's book, Foods That Fight Pain, from my shelf so I could read up specifically on the arthritis elimination diet.  Instructions are clear: Eat mostly from the safe food list. Avoid foods on the trigger list entirely. Eat foods that are not on either list but focus on the safe list.

I am starting the plan today! Mark this date: October 22, 2023. Four weeks. Can I do it?

When I went to Costco to pick up medication yesterday, I picked up some fresh fruits and vegs and avoided the breads and processed foods that I often like to eat. 

My small haul from Costco.

The directions say to cook most of the foods also. So this morning I cut up an apple and a pear and cooked them in the microwave. Later I cooked a pot of brown rice and just ate that with a little salt. Right now there are sweet potatoes cooking in my air fryer.  Obviously I'm not making any recognizable meals right now. However, the book includes a number of recipes I plan to try. Especially the rice pudding.

The plan is to fight that inflammation

When I was working on my other hip and my knee recoveries, I explored changing my diet to reduce inflammation. The best source I found out there was Neal Barnard from the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine. What I like is the simplicity of the plan:  To determine what is causing inflammation, first eliminate all possible triggers. This means eat from a limited group of foods for four weeks, at which time I should see some change in my body. Then gradually add in triggers one at a time to test whether they cause inflammation. 

When I looked at the Safe Foods list I saw that it is quite limited - brown rice, some fruits and vegs, cooked, some condiments. The list of triggers is much longer. To my dismay I saw bananas, peaches, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, and onions on the possible triggers list, and I have all of these sitting on my counter. I also have almond milk, and nuts are on that triggers list too.  So I decided that I will use up these trigger foods, then embark on that four-week journey.

Here is a brief description of the plan from the PCRM website:

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Try the Four-Week Anti-Arthritis Diet

Here's how to get started on the Four-Week Anti-Arthritis Diet. For four weeks:

Enjoy an abundance of foods from the pain-safe list.

Avoid common triggers completely.

Foods that are not on either list can be eaten freely.

You may start feeling better earlier than four weeks, but it often takes at least four weeks for chronically inflamed joints to begin cooling down.

After four weeks, if your symptoms have improved or disappeared, the next step is to nail down which one or more of the trigger foods caused your problem. Simply reintroduce the foods you have eliminated back into your diet one at a time, every two days.

Have a generous amount of each newly reintroduced food, and note if your joints flare up again. If so, eliminate the food that seems to have caused the problem, and let your joints cool down again. Then continue to reintroduce the other foods. Wait at least two weeks before trying a problem food a second time. Many people have more than one food trigger.

Pain-Safe Foods

Pain-safe foods virtually never contribute to arthritis, headaches, or other painful conditions. These include:

• Rice 

• Cooked Green Vegetables 

• Cooked Orange Vegetables 

• Cooked Yellow Vegetables 

• Cooked or Dried Non-Citrus Fruits 

Common Pain Triggers

Common triggers often cause pain in susceptible people. Certain drinks and additives are also common triggers, including alcoholic beverages (especially red wine), caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, and colas), monosodium glutamate, aspartame (NutraSweet), and nitrites. Here are the common food triggers, also known as the "Dirty Dozen":

• Dairy
• Chocolate
• Eggs
• Citrus Fruits
• Meat
• Wheat
• Nuts and Peanuts
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Corn
• Apples
• Bananas

After four weeks on the elimination diet, you may find that a plant-based diet is the key to remaining pain free.

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So my first step is to get to the beginning. Get rid of perishable items that are on the trigger list, and start eating from the safe list plus additions that are not on either list. I still have some fruits and nuts and bread to get rid of. I'll also want to investigate what I might have instead of coffee. I have cut way back on coffee but sometimes I still want it.  I will announce when the four weeks begins officially!

Another ten years, another hip

 I am eight days away from an operation on my left hip. Same operation as the left, a total replacement, anterior. It has been a long and often painful journey (and boring too) but finally I got into that operating room and here I am, eight days later.

Lately I have perused my notes from my first hip replacement, to remind me how it went. It was not a case of immediate pain relief. I did not expect that it was, but my memory was that it was so much easier than the hip replacements that it seemed instant. 

Today I drove for the first time since the op. I had been taking some narcotics (oxy) so could not drive even if I felt up to it, and I did not feel up to it. I stopped the oxy yesterday afternoon and today I felt ready.  In fact, there was quite a change between yesterday and today, both in the level of swelling I see and in the pain I am experiencing. 

Here are my feet yesterday. Notice that the left foot is very puffy. My leg was similarly puffy.

And here are my feet today. They look almost identical. You can't see my thigh, where the swelling from the operation is most noticeable. But the difference in my feet is reflected in how much better I feel.

I had the hip operation because the hip is worn out. The doctor thinks that the hip was causing the knee pain I had in my left knee for the last few years. I have been cautiously optimistic. It is still too early to tell for sure because I still do have pain and swelling to work on, but I am gaining in hope. I met with the physical therapist today and he had me climb some stairs. He said just to try stepping up with the left foot, just see if it hurts too much. He didn't want to pursue it if it did hurt too much. But it didn't. In fact, I think it may have been less painful than it was before the operation. That's what is giving me hope.