10 Month Post Angio Update

This post is all about how I am trying to maintain my vascular health and increase my muscular strength by eating right and exercising. I cant stress enough how just getting angio'd for CCSVI is not enough. We all need to take better care of ourselves and I am doing everything I can to help my body heal itself.

I was previously going to the Good Life gym in my neighborhood but I felt I was not getting a good workout on my own and a personal trainer costs $8,000.00. I decided to join Curves again. Years ago, when I was first diagnosed with MS I joined Curves.

Currently, I have been going to Curves 3 times a week for about 4 weeks now. Curves is a women only circuit gym using hydrolic machines to work all the muscle groups in your body. The circuit consists of various machines with recovery area platforms in between each machine. Music plays in the background and every 30 seconds a voice prompts you to move to the next machine or recovery area. You complete the circuit twice and then do your stretches all in 1/2 an hour. Something new to Curves is "Curves Smart" technology. A computer program monitors your strength and weaknesses and adjusts to keep you from plateauing. It's like having a mini personal trainer. I can monitor my strength now and I can actually see that my legs are getting stronger! My body seems to really like the circuit training. I think it is because I am only working a muscle group hard for 30 seconds and then moving on to another group. My legs are getting stronger as I can perform more reps every week!!!

I also wanted to lose some weight and tone up after the last couple years or inactivity played it's toll on my body so I did a 2 week cleanse diet that my curves coach designed for me to help rid me of my sugar cravings. Basically it is just "eating clean." Clean eating involves consuming fresh fruits, veggies and lean meats instead of pre-packaged, refined and processed foods.

Clean Eating Principles
•Eating a mini-meal every two to three hours (5 to 6 small meals per day total) to keep blood sugar level and prevent hunger
•Combining lean proteins and complex carbs at every meal
•Avoiding all over-processed and refined foods (especially sugar, white rice, and white flour)
•Avoiding saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats
•Avoiding soda and other sugary juices and drinks
•Avoiding high-calorie, zero nutrient foods (i.e., junk food)
•Eating proper portion sizes
•Drinking at least 8 cups of water every day
What Clean Eating is Not
When describing clean eating, it's important to point out what eating clean is not. Clean eating is not a diet, although it is a great way to reduce body fat, lose weight, and keep the weight off. Clean eating is a lifestyle that requires time, commitment, and pre-planning and is not just a way of eating that can accomplish weight loss or overall health just by doing it on the weekends only. Clean eating is not about deprivation, avoiding food groups, counting calories or starvation, but about making healthy food choices and providing the body with the best foods possible.

One thing I have noticed since I started "eating clean almost 2 weeks ago is that even after my angioplasty my legs were still weak and I had some heaviness in my legs that would not go away. Now, for about the last 4 days that heaviness has gone! Im hoping it's going to stay gone and this is not just some short term phenomena. Time will tell, I guess.

Overall I am still feeling great. I haven't bothered getting re-dopplered since my 3 month Doppler as I believe my stent is doing it's job. If I start to feel MS symptoms coming back I will go get checked as that is usually a sign of re-stenosis or clot.

A funny thing occurred last week. I got a message from the Calgary MS Clinic saying they want to schedule my check up with a Dr. Davenport. I was banned from the clinic after an emotionally heated blog post I did involving the clinic's director, Dr. Metz. I had also written my neuro, Dr. Murphy a goodbye letter accompanied with a CD of my lesion covered brain right before I went to Poland for my treatment. I had stopped taking the copaxone about a year prior to that. So is this a clerical mistake? Or do they really want to see me and why? I will go as I want them to see how well I am doing. I know my GP marvels at that when he see me. I also am extremely curious how the lesions on my brain look now. I was told by Dr. Simka that because of my stent, I would have to wait 1 year before having a MRI. Maybe the lesions are going away? If they are will the neuros finally believe that MS may be vascular? Hopefully I will have the answers to these questions soon.