A little pre-workout snack of mine, on the days I am able to workout:

1/3 cup dry couscous

1/2 cup apple juice (or water)

1 tsp olive oil

1 pinch salt (less than 1/8 tsp!!!)

1 small fuji apple - diced small

cinnamon/apple pie spice to taste

1 tsp honey

Put juice, oil, honey, salt, cinnamon and apple in a small pan and bring to boil.  Remove from heat, stir in couscous.  Cover.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.  Stir.  Eat!

I eat about 3/4 of it about 30 minutes before a workout, then have the rest afterward with a protein shake.

Spend all morning yesterday calling BCBS, the various dr’s I’ve seen, the hospital, etc, everywhere to find out what the holdup is on the insurance paying everyone.

It was the endo office not receiving paperwork.  I had BCBS fax them it again.  Hopefully they got it and sent what was needed in, or else he’s not getting paid either.

I’ll call the insurance again late this week to find out for sure.  Then I’ll have to call all the dr’s again to resubmit their claims.  GAH!!!

On the plus side, the swollen joints with redness and muscle pains caused enough concern for the specialist that he took me off the tapazole right away and told me to call him in 2 days and let him know if things get worse, stay the same or get better so he can decide on the next course of action.

My hands still ache a bit and are swollen on the backs/down the forearms and are red right on the tops of my hands, BUT I CAN WALK VIRTUAllY LIMP FREE!… right now.  And getting out of bed didn’t make me cry and struggle, except when I put weight on my hands.

I still dread driving the truck to work - it’s a stick shift and causes me agony in traffic through town with 8 red lights…

Hopefully, I can start working out again soon, but right now, I’m afraid I’ll trip or drop a weight on myself.

my hands hurt today.  the wrists and backs of them are swollen and red… hot too.  they have no strength left.

i don’t know how i’m going to work today like this.   i had to open the childproofed advil bottle with my teeth.  i certainly won’t be allowed to open stuff or carry things with my teeth at work lol

nothing is working for the pain today.

Now I’m finding out my hip pain from last week, wasn’t so much caused by getting out of the truck…

It’s caused from my antithyroid medication, the methimazole - because now BOTH hips hurt, both knees and my right hand hurt.  The joints feel like they are being bent backwards.  My legs get these horrible horrible charley horses in them that last days :(  I can’t get out of bed with out trying to pull myself up or I’m in agony.  Sleeping isn’t helping - because when the advil wears off, the pain comes back tenfold.

I have to keep taking 4 advil every 4 hours or so and 1 800mg skelaxin every 8 - 12 hours just to be able to limp around work.

I can’t call into work or I get points.  10 points = termination.  They are VERY strict about attendance.  Now, if I come in and get sent home after 2 - 4 hours,  I don’t get a point.  Not that I can afford to be sent home early due to pain.  I gotta keep my insurance!!! And no, they do NOT care if it’s medical - if you aren’t at work, you get a point.  Now, if you get lucky to have a nice supervisor, they can take you off the schedule so you don’t get points - if you aren’t scheduled, they can’t point ya for not showing up…  bu not all the Chef’s are like that.  Crazy isn’t it?