Tofu time

     The challenges brought about by a no-corn diet are many.  There is corn, or a corn derivative in a large percentage of our food products.  I am certainly glad that what I {possibly} have is an intolerance and not an allergy.  If it were an allergy, I quite possibly could end up starving myself, or at least feeling like that is the case.  The one thing that has been the absolute hardest to give up, has been pop (or soda if you prefer).  When I was on simply a low-calorie diet I could work in the occasional glass of Pepsi so that I did not feel completely deprived.  No corn = no high fructose corn syrup = no Pepsi, period.  Ahhhh!!!!

    So, it's already been both frustrating and fun trying to find things that I can still eat.  Today I decided to try some tofu for lunch. This is something I have had a few times in the past, but mostly in Miso soup or at the Chinese buffet where we like to eat.  Today, however, I decided to fry up some for myself.  I used a non-stick spray on my skillet instead of oil to make it even healthier.  Tofu is like a sponge, it absorbs the flavors of whatever it is cooked with, and will soak up oils which will add unnecessary fats to your meal.  We had rajma masala over white rice,with spiced chicken breasts for dinner last night, and the flavors were so delicious I decided to incorporate them into my lunch.  It was delicious!  I am listing my little recipe here, it's nothing special but it might help if you've never tried cooking your own tofu before. 

You can add this cooked tofu to a salad, ramen noodles, broth, or serve it with rice.  There are probably a million other things that can be done with it as well!  I had mine with a half package of ramen noodles, some cheese, and a touch of salsa, for a total of about 220 calories! :) 

     So far it is hard to tell if the new diet has had any effect on my psoriasis or PA.  I  have lost 4 pounds and do have a bit more energy.  Some of my stomach troubles seem to be clearing up as well.  Overall it appears to be a good thing at this point, but we will watch how things develop. 

 

Fried Spiced Tofu:

Ingredients:
     3-4oz Tofu (may be sliced, diced, chopped, or however you prefer)
     Chili powder
     Cumin
     Ground ginger
     Garlic powder
There is really no measurement for the dry ingredients. I simply
used a pinch of each, with the chili powder being a bit larger pinch than
the others.

Directions:
     Mix all dry ingredients together and rub onto tofu slice, or pour over diced/cubed tofu and mix gently with wooden spoon until all tofu is covered with seasoning.  Spray 8 inch skillet with non-stick cooking spray and preheat for one minute.  Add tofu to skillet and cook until hot; approximately 3 minutes for
a 3oz slice--about one and a half minutes on each side.  (You can cook a bit longer if you prefer, but the tofu will start to brown just like chicken, so be sure not to overcook or it will turn into a mushy mess! )  

To learn more about corn in the foods you eat, I suggest reading The Ominvore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. 
    

Interesting choices

Hubby and I stopped by the store today for our first venture into the world of no-corn.  As I said before, this is not necessarily going to be easy.  I did manage to find some foods in the allergy section, mostly near the gluten-free items.  What I found was:

Tortillas
Ian's Alphabet Tater Tots
Amy's  Burrito
Keebler Flat

Cutting out corn

     Today my doctor informed me that I should cut out all food products containing corn from my diet.  As if I don't have enough to deal with already.  She said that she's had experience with people who cut out corn and it completely cleared their psoriasis.  This is NOT going to be easy!  We will be talking about this journey in upcoming posts as I learn what foods are available that do not contain corn. 

I've also got some other issues for which we may have to cut out wheat if cutting corn doesn't fix them.  This is going to be a long journey...hope you will stay with me and learn what our foods are made of as well as how they can affect our bodies. 

Disclaimer:  Everyone reacts to things differently, so what works for me may or may not work for you...please discuss any major diet changes with your doctor.

Support

     My husband and I attended a seminar sponsored by the National Psoriasis Foundation and entitled "More Than Skin Deep", in Washington, D.C. last weekend (July 16th).  At this seminar we met some truly wonderful people and gained valuable information for our fight against this disease.  Not only did we learn about the disease itself, but also about treatment and support options, as well as had the opportunity to meet others who suffer from this disease.  We are both very glad that we went.
      Support for people who have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is very, very important.  That is one of the main reasons I started this blog, along with reaching out to spread awareness to those who do not understand the kind of struggles that someone with this disease faces.  In addition to my blog, and the newly developed line of awareness jewelry, I am in the process of starting a local psoriasis support group.  I really feel that there is not enough that I can do to help find a cure for this.  I struggled for so long without any answers, and have been dealt both good and bad cards along the way since being diagnosed. It is by the grace of God that I am where I am today.  I want others to know that they are not alone in this fight, to show them that there is someone who understands their pain, but also revels with them in their joy over the smallest of victories. 
     I will do everything in my power to help find a cure.  My husband and son have both agreed to join me for an NPF Walk for Psoriasis, in D.C. on September 17th.  Between now and then we will be working on various fundraising efforts for the walk.  Stay tuned to your inbox for more info. :)

A new direction

     After a long and bitter struggle, I finally received my medication on June 30th.  As per the doctor's orders, I took two shots the first day and one shot a week later (June 7th). I will now begin taking them once every two weeks.  I am one of the lucky people who does not have to wait forever to notice a difference with my meds.  I immediately started noticing a change, not only in my mental attitude and feelings, but also in my physical condition.  My husband also noted these same changes. 
     As I previously mentioned, I was approximately 85% covered in thick, flaky, itchy, and ugly psoriasis patches.  The patches have thinned quite a bit and are much less flaky than before; the percentage of coverage has dwindled maybe 5% already.  I am in shock that it's working this fast, but of course am not complaining!
     It is so amazing to me how many things we do everyday that are taken for granted until there comes a point that we can not do them.  For instance, I am thankful now that I can get dressed by myself, fastening a bra (in the back) and even putting on shoes that tie without assistance from my husband.  Just a few short months ago I spent days refusing to wear anything but a nightgown because it was just too frustrating to try to dress myself and too humiliating to have to ask for help all the time.  My hands would cramp and hurt when attempting to fasten my jeans, my arms ached to the point that I could not even begin to reach behind me to fasten a bra (I only own one front fasten kind), and bending down to tie my shoes, even while sitting, was nearly impossible.  There were days I even had to have assistance taking a shower.
     I am very grateful that I started feeling better when the weather warmed up, and even more so with my Humira.  There are still so many "little" things I look forward to being able to do: sitting on the floor to play with my son, playing outside for more than 5 minutes at a time, going shopping without having to use the wheelchair, wearing dark colored blouses and not worrying about flakes, and I am even looking forward to being able to properly shave my legs again!  I never asked for miracles, I don't want to run a marathon or lift a hundred pounds, or anything fancy...I just want to be able to say "Yes, Mommy CAN  do that with you," for a change instead of having to explain to him about pain and chronic fatigue, things a 3yr old should not have to try and understand.

Faith

I just received a phone call from the pharmacy that my medication has arrived and I can pick it up in 1 hour, YAY!  If I could I would be dancing around the room...give me a month or two LOL!  I think that nothing says it better about handling this long struggle than the words of the following song:

Faith of the Heart
Rod Stewart

It's been a long road
Getting from there to here
It's been a long time
But my time is finally near

And I can feel the change in the wind right now
Nothing's in my way
And they're not gonna hold me down no more
No they're not gonna hold me back

Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith
I've got faith
Faith of the heart

It's been a long night
Trying to find my way
Been through the darkness
Now I finally have my day
And I will see my dreams come alive at last
I will touch the sky
And they're not gonna hold me down no more
No there not gonna change my mind

Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith
Faith of the heart

I've known a wind so cold and seen the darkest days
But now the winds I feel, are only winds of change
I've been through the fire and I've been through the rain
But I'll be fine

Cause I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe
I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith


I've got faith of the heart
I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got strength of the soul
And no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith
I've got faith
Faith of the heart

It's been a long road

Oh, it's been long road

Light at the end of the tunnel

     I just received fantastic news.  My application for assistance has been approved and my Humira shots will be arriving on Wednesday or Thursday of this week!!!  My son's birthday is on Sunday (July 3) so I am getting a present that I can share with him; the gift of Mommy being able to be Mommy again instead of a wreck who always has to apologize for things she doesn't feel like doing.    

    I realize it's been a while since my last post; but I am back.  The past few weeks have been a mixture of both good and bad days.  Thankfully none of the days have been as bad as what I experienced over the winter.  I have been able to be out enjoying some sunshine which has helped my psoriasis keep itself in check (meaning that it has not cleared but has not gotten worse either).   When I've gotten a good amount of sun the plaques will start to thin and not be so itchy, some smaller spots even clear up altogether.  However, when I've not been able to be in the sunshine for a few days I can feel the plaques getting thicker and the itching becomes almost unbearable, even with my Triamcinolone cream.
    
     On the arthritis front, I have felt generally okay over the past few weeks.  I've been having trouble with my knees though, still feeling like someone has taken a sledge hammer to them.  I have been crocheting a lot more, creating a baby afghan for a very special friend, and the weirdest thing is that my fingers are not nearly as sore as before, but my left wrist aches a lot.  Not sure if that is the arthritis or a bad case of tendonitis.  Since being off of the Prednisone (about a month now) I have lost some of the weight I gained while taking it, which feels pretty darn good, and I know it helps my joints have less pressure on them.
I am thoroughly looking forward to getting back on the medication and being able to lead a somewhat normal life again...thank God for small miracles.

     I wanted to share with you a story that was recently shared with me.  While my blog is intended to help readers understand more about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, it is often difficult for people to grasp what it really means to have this type of disease.  No one can sum up what it is like better than Christine Miserandino did when she developed "The Spoon Theory".  Please read her story, and then take a moment to say a prayer for anyone you know who suffers from any type of sickness or disability.