Diana's Blog

Well, the only way to find out if some treatment or other helps with psoriasis is to try it...so on I go. I have a few insights, which are clearer now looking back at the last few years. Having no control group of myself, I don't know if I'm right, but here's what I suspect:

Sleeping in a hypobaric tent may have slowed down the progression of my psoriasis. During that time, my stress level increased (re: my job), and the spots on my lower legs seemed to intensify. But, it was as if something was held in check. (To complicate things, the slowed immune response meant I got sick more easily, which stimulated the immune response, and caused skin outbreaks.) The rapid worsening and creeping-all-over only began after I got out of the tent in 2007. So, tent = good for suppressing auto-immune disorders; but ultimately bad for overall energy and immune-system strength. Lovely paradox.

The psoriasis response in 2007-2008 seemed like a rebound effect; not only did the skin get worse, but it seemed to be moving very quickly, as if to make up for lost time.

When I tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy recently (after researching how it speeds up repair of body tissues), I felt healthier and more energetic, but my skin, which had begun improving in response to Humira (biologic immunosuppressant), suddenly stagnated and even made a turn for the worse again. Two days after my last hyperbaric session, the skin began to calm down again. In the meantime I'd also added PUVA (narrow-band UV light), thinking the Humira wasn't working for me. I know, seems chaotic and unscientific, but...the need for relief from psoriasis and its multitide of related frustrations is powerful.

And, with this stuff, you only have answers in hindsight! Currently, I believe Humira + UV light is helping the skin. How to boost or stabilize my energy levels remains mysterious, as effective solutions only seem to make my skin explode. Right now I'm hoping my attempt at tapering off topical steroids is successful. Maybe, in a year or two, my skin will rebuild the outer layer that has been dissolved by steroids, and tears in response to the tiniest of twigs!

Given how long it can take for the immune system to adjust to change, I still believe that in time, my skin will become calmer on its own - time being the key word.

I'm wondering if I should start carrying around little cheat-sheets with a bulleted summary of this problem, for the people who ask, "What happened to your skin? Psoriasis? Have you tried xx?"... 

Sara, my best friend from high school...is pregnant! Yaaaaaay, Saraaaa! I am ecstatic for her.

Sara is a mind-bogglingly talented bassoonist and music teacher. Her husband Harris is also a crackerjack musician. Any guesses as to whether their kid will have musical talent?

Naturally, Sara has a bunch of cool friends, musicians and artists and helper-types. Hers was the best baby shower I've ever been to - just a fun party with lots of food. --Not just any food, but delicious, gourmet, healthy food made by the host, Ellen. She made crepes, and then had fully-stocked savory and sweet filling tables. There was spinach-mushroom stir-fry, some other tasty greens, butternut squash/onion filling, chicken/cauliflower gravy; and bananas, fresh berries, maple syrup, Nutella, honey, sugar...and I haven't even started on dessert.

I miss Sara since she has been in New York!

When I parked in the driveway yesterday late afternoon, I heard an intense humming - maybe the neighbor's pool pump? Maybe someone vacuuming? But the sound was closer...bees?

Apparently, our trees in front burst into blossom every Feb. I looked into the tree for a long moment; slowly they came into focus - a fair battalion of bees! Imagine what a tree covered in tiny blossoms must look like...it's bee nirvana! The mother lode of blossoms!

I feel different lately. As in, more like myself. The yawning gap between what I'm doing with my days (and how I feel I have to act) and what I really want to do and be has shrunk down to a small crevice; it could even disappear altogether, if I'm patient and keep listening quietly to what I really need. I find that in working on something that's so much closer to my heart, my real self comes out and seems to make others light up too. Every day now, sometimes several times a day, I have that warm ball in my chest, as I stop and think of the great things I have and the people I love.

So many good things have happened in the last few months, all part of a positive process. I find I can actually see myself doing things I couldn't quite see before. I hesitate to say much more; I'd rather let myself keep working on this progression. As more good things materialize, I'll be posting specifics...but I'm in the middle of an exciting (and scary) transition to a new job as a personal trainer.

Aside: It's so funny how we let fear stop us from doing things. When you're afraid, other people seem so confident, so capable and "together." How do they do it? And then, you realize two things: One, you're so capable it's silly you thought for a moment that you weren't; and two, *everyone is scared sometimes.* What's more, people who seem hyper-productive in one area are often doing that extra work because they're *avoiding other things they fear more.*

I figure, that little edge of fear or nervousness about something you really want to do means...just do it!

Nonsequitur comment...I love making food! This was a simple grilled-veggie project - just stuck 'em in a Ziploc with soy sauce (Bragg's, actually), a bit of fish sauce, tons of garlic and ginger (TONS), mirin and olive oil, and then grilled. :> The portabella mushrooms in particular were tasty!   

Here’s some of the low-down from our Hawaii trip...

On Kauai, we stayed at Bed, Breakfast & Beach, in Hanalei: http://www.bestvacationinparadise.com/bandb.htm

It was a five-minute walk to Hanalei Bay – literally, five minutes and you were in the water! I really liked this place, and felt we got a lot for our money. The Bali Hai Suite upstairs is quite large (enough for a group of three or four), and has a partial view of the bay. Unfortunately, the co-owners are working on selling the place (for a cool 2.5 million).

The dining highlights in Hanalei were…

-       Hanalei Mixed Plate, a roadside café run by two Asian guys cooking stir-fry in industrial-sized woks. Fresh, super-cheap, super-tasty, Asian-style food – and it’s quick!

-       Sushi place – can’t remember the new name right now; used to be Sushi Blues; it’s the only sushi place in Hanalei. Excellent, fresh fish.

-       Bubba’s Burgers – I’m not really into burgers with white-flour buns, but I wanted to try it when I saw the beef was locally produced, range-fed, etc. The trappings were nothing special, but this was the best beef hamburger I’d had in many years! The patties come in a range of sizes …And, it’s cheap!

-       Papaya’s Natural Foods, a market like a tiny Whole Foods, in the center of town.

Maui 

We stayed on west Maui, in Honokawai, about a 15-minute drive north of downtown Lahaina. Most of the condos and resorts along that side are right on the beach. There was one winter “storm” while we were there, a day’s worth of rain and heavy winds; but even then, conditions were pretty mild.

(We didn’t go up to Haleakala, as the day we’d planned to do it was rainy, and all the weather reports for 10,000 ft. sounded terrible – 45 MPH winds, chill factor below zero, clouds, rain. We checked a webcam, and all we saw was a thick, windy-looking fog. Apparently it cleared up some before we left, though I think it’s very cold up there in winter no matter what.)

Our place was the Hale Kai resort; as I was telling Mom, we ended up with an upgraded unit with a decent bed, but were first placed in a second-rate unit with a really crappy bed! (I persisted politely until our needs were fulfilled.) There’s a crowd of retired, repeat customers at this place, most of whom know each other. They tend to reserve the best units early.

My first choice was the Kuleana resort, up the road from us: http://kuleanaresorts.com/rooms.html# It looked nice up-close, though I didn’t get to see inside. If we went back, I’d probably try that place, as it’s a short walk from a surf spot we liked.

Both are about halfway between downtown Lahaina and Honolua Bay, which I surmised was the premier snorkeling spot on west Maui. There are several reefs and mini-bays at Honolua, each of which hosts unique marine life. One reef is home to sea turtles! We didn’t catch any turtles there b/c the winds had been up, but we got very close to both turtles and whales while surfing.

I would’ve like to take a ½-day snorkel trip to Molokini, or a day trip to Lanai. Some of the quieter spots out there are supposedly full of turtles. (Since surfing was a high priority, the waves determined how we spent some of our time.)

Honolua can be really calm (best for snorkeling), but if it’s windy, the water murks up. If the surf’s up, then the outer breaks are crowded with surfers.

We had several good dinners:

-       Kimo’s is an experience; I don’t think it has changed much in 30 years! Its atmosphere makes the food taste even better.

-       Roy’s was very good, but overpriced for what you got.

-       Farmer’s Market and Deli, in Honokawai – another natural foods market, but with several prepared-lunch options too: salad bar, hot bar, sandwhiches, etc. We tried five of their dips and dressings. I especially loved their Maui Onion dressing and Cashew Carrot dip. (I’m gonna make this dip – it’s basically cashews, carrots, garlic, vegenaise, and Bragg’s.)

-       The real standout was A Saigon Café, in the small town of Wailuku, just east of the Iao Needle (we hiked around there too, up to a nearby ridge and around the valley a bit. Parts of the ridge trail were a bit like bushwacking, and I had to cover my thinned leg skin so as not to get cut).

Probably the highlight of the trip for me was the Masters of Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar concert (see my blog entry, http://dianalovejoy.com/dianalovejoy/blog/post/A-Dying-Art.aspx). They play every Wed. night at the Napili Kai Beach Resort. It was just over 2 hours, and tickets were $45 each – but worth every cent. I highly recommend it!

(A close second was our last day of surfing at “S-Turns” – glassy, fun, 4-6-foot waves, with an occasional bigger wave rolling through.)

The other night we had one of those magical moments, one that makes you feel you're exposed to something very special, and perhaps transient. It was a Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar concert, held in a big white tent in Napili, just north of where we were staying. They hold a concert every Wednesday; the audience was a mixture of tourists and regulars.

Host Gerorge Kahumoku Jr. is a master player who graced us with his pleasant fun-poking and his beautiful playing. I would describe his voice as a tree growing, something that comes right up out of the earth.

Led Kaapana had a more lilting style, but his flawless playing and caramel voice with its flowering falsettos captured me. This was about as close as you could come to being sung lullabies as an adult. Seizing an opportunity that I sensed would be rare, I bought his Grammy-nominated CD (which includes collaborations with Bob Brozman and others!), and had the artist sign it. Oooh, such things just can't be replicated!

Traditional Hawaiian music is endangered, though there are valiant efforts to keep parts of it alive. In encouraging contrast to the laid-back mastery of the older players, we also heard two "next generation" players. They clearly showed promise of great musicianship.

As an extra-cool bonus, we were treated by two hula performances - one being an impromptu guest appearance by a middle-aged local guy who rose from the audience, took off his shoes, and did one of the most graceful dances I've seen, in his jeans and white button shirt.

The strong, Maui winter winds and pummeled and rippled the big white tent so violently that at times it almost drowned out the melodic strumming. But the players continued, steady and unflappable. I hope this is an indication of the enduring power of this unique art.

Our stay in Hanalei was, as might be expected, pleasant, quiet, pleasant, quiet, and quiet (except for the roosters, who seemed to have day-night confusion, and crowed proudly at any and all hours). I recommend the B&B where we stayed, Bed & Breakfast by the Beach - nice accommodations, three-minute walk to Hanalei Bay, friendly - but genuine - co-owner who served us tropical fruit and tasty muffins...the only catch is, the place is up for sale, so I'm not sure how much longer it'll be there!

The bucolic nature of bayside Hanalei (a rather upscale town, judging by real estate prices) appears to be somewhat threatened...by the arrival of new homes. Construction is a daily affair. At least the developer seemed to be preserving the traditional style of Hanalei houses: roomy, multi-level  and full of windows (of course, so everyone can see the ocean). I hope the uniqueness of homes is preserved...

On the outskirts of town, the traditional homes are built on stilts, basically - allowing easy access to the underside of the house, preventing potential flood damage, and affording everyone that amazing view. You really only need a few feet to prevent flooding; but these people take their views seriously, as would I. Some of the first floors were built a good 1.5 stories off the ground - giant, sleepy tree-houses resting in their expansive beds of greenery.

Maui, by contrast, already is developed, developing, and developing some more. Lots of great dining, artistic activity...and a growing number of cookie-cutter houses. I wonder how much development it'd take to kill the truly unique island atmosphere? An infinite amount, I hope.

Both Greg and I have been to Hawaii multiple times...but we decided to do two islands we hadn't done together (Kauai and Maui). Hanalei, Kauai is super-lush, fairly rainy, somewhat cut-off from the rest of the island, and definitely crunchy. Hanalei Bay is the prettiest place I've ever sat on a board. Looking back at the beach is a rare combo of green mountains, flat, yellow sand, and even a waterfall in the distance.

Yesterday we hiked the Kalalau Trail (Na Pali coast), to Hanakapi'ai Falls, 9+ miles total. The books say it's 8; the GPS said 9; it felt more like 10, due to some very rough, slippery terrain. I'm still not sure if the GPS counts vertical distance too - ? Anyway, well worth it! I had a great ice bath in the pool under the falls, got my legs all nice and recovered, and then hiked the 2+ hours back . :> Staring up at the waterfall, mountains and sky really puts things in perspective. Even several yards away I was almost blown backward by the misty wind generated by the waterfall.

Check out the color of that water (off the Na Pali coastline)... and no, those aren't diapers; just a creative way of keeping my skort dry.

This is very important to me! I was always frustrated with the lack of time for creative cooking when I was working, commuting and training full-time. Right now I have a little more "open time," as well as a good-sized kitchen...ooohh, the luxury. Got to savor it while it lasts!

In the process of trying out new, fun recipes (like Vietnamese clay-pot fish, which we *love* to order when we get down to Saigon On Fifth in Hillcrest), I've entered a few recipe contests. I mean, why not? I haven't won yet, but Contessa was kind enough to send me about $30 worth of free product coupons - for frozen shrimp, which I use all the time. Extra bonus, we get to eat the stuff I've made!

This is the Vietnamese Shrimp Salad (minus the requisite shredded cabbage) that scored me the free product:

A couple of weeks ago, feeling stuck and unsure of which step to take next in my transition to a career in fitness and wellness, I happened upon an article in the Perform Better e-newsletter. Todd Durkin had contributed an article on holiday gift ideas for clients; and under his photo were the words,

3 Day Mentorship
with Todd Durkin at
Fitness Quest 10
San Diego, CA
Dec. 10-12, 2008
"Transform Your Business"

I clicked, read, slept on the ROI of the workshop fee, and then signed up. I now feel this was one of the best things I've done in my working life (right after quitting my office job so I could better my own health and realize a dream of a completely different way to work).

Fitness Quest 10 is the result of Todd Durkin's vision, along with a lot of sweat, passion, commitment and teamwork. He drives several different programs and workshops for fitness professionals; this one dropped into my inbox at exactly the right moment. Best known for training pro athletes like LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees, FQ10 also trains regular people, and offers a superlative source of scientific, business-related, and motivational/spiritual material for those with lofty athetic or business-oriented goals.

We actually got to observe (closely!) some of the pro workouts...you'll probably not see a harder gym workout, ever. By "harder" I don't mean "lifting tons of weight," though weight does get lifted (or dragged, or pulled, you-name-it), I mean a grueling, rapid-fire menu of core strength, power, functional strength, muscular endurance and speed work that would make the fainter-of-heart lose lunch or at least pass out. (See a video sample of LT's workout.) Every move has a purpose, though - sessions are carefully crafted to maximize the athlete's time, effort and performance.

Todd, Strength and Conditioning Director Ryan Rogers, and Biz Manager Julie Wilcox put together a truly excellent group of fitness "mentors" - people who had created fitness businesses of their own, and/or were looking to expand; and people who were on the path to more fitness work (such as myself). It has been forever (if ever!) since I encountered such an intelligent, high-integrity, sharing and excellent group of people.

Describing the program would take more than one entry...but along with tons of valuable business and technical information, I got a huge dose of the power of vision and positive mindset. In corporate software and everywhere, really, negativity is rampant. "Can't do it, not enough time, too tired, not enough money, don't feel good, just can't." Long-term exposure to this culture really had beaten me down, setting off more of the negative processes in my mind and body. But - not only do I have the choice and the nature to be positive and feel better, I have the power to help other people feel better and more motivated, too.

Todd's focus is not just excellence in fitness training or athletic performance; it's a total mindset. How gratified was I to see a former athlete and business superstar take the importance of mind/body connection and continual learning to heart, and then disperse his knowledge for others' benefit?

If I can be just a fraction of the positive influence Todd and my fellow mentors have been, I will consider that "success."

As a super-bonus, I also won an autographed copy of Great Quotes from Great Leaders - autographed by the guy who, if he says so, will be the "best who ever played."

So Greg and I (mostly I) have been entering creative contests, as I mentioned in an earlier entry. Well, I actually won one!...Which meant a good chunk of much-needed cash!

I did a creative advertisement for Alka-Seltzer (photo + ad copy), along the lines of a given theme, The Great American Road Trip. I guess Bayer liked it, hooray! It's very exciting to find a flat FedEx envelope on your doorstep, and then a nice check a week later.

Now we've ventured into amateur video too - for an Excedrin contest, and a contest for a Doritos TV commercial for the Super Bowl. (See YouTube for low-quality samples.)