Jelly Bean Logic

Image by Steve Kay via Flickr

My sore eye turned out to be gastro. I know that seems like a crazy leap of logic, but hey I was the one heaving my guts all day so I get to make unsubstantiated claims if I want to.

It was typical garden-variety gastro. You know the one where you feel a bit weird at 6am in the morning and you wonder if maybe you’re pregnant (!!!), even though it’s way too early to tell, so you decide to drink a big glass of water, becuase everyone knows water makes everything better…only to find that not long afterwards, the spew bowl you’re clutching is your new best friend. And then, not long after that, you’re puking gross greenish black stuff and you think “Far out- I’m dying!” because you’ve never ever seen that colour stuff come out of a human mouth before. Surely this is not normal! My body shouldn’t have stuff that colour in it!

So, Doctor Google is summoned and is reassuring that this greenish black stuff is actually just bile. Phew- you are not dying. In any case, the husband and son are dispatched to the chemist pronto, as even though you’re not exactly dying, you could almost be half-way there and some pain relief would be nice.

They return with suppositories, which you’ve never used before, but now seems about a good time to try. Spew buckets are in frequent rotation- a used one for a clean one- and thankfully the husband takes them away efficiently. At one point, you realise that the container you just filled is actually one that you borrowed from the toy library. Oops.

The day continues in a blur and finally you start to feel a little better and can take a few sips of Hydralite. And then you feel brave enough to have some jelly beans, taking care to avoid the green and black ones of course. You are grateful for feeling more human, but you can’t help but think that the little jelly bean of potential life that could have been in you this morning by now must have been vomited up along with everything else.

So yes, just your normal run-of-the-mill gastro.  Complete with illogical ramblings and all…

Amazingness

Amazingness happens when you do.

Poison

Image via Wikipedia

Well my darling husband had food poisoning.  A rather terrible case.

Preparing hot water bottles, fetching buckets, being awoken at midnight by the sound of violent retches, rubbing his back whilst his stomach worked hard to expel the evil chicken…and again at 3am…and having to clean it all up… I suppose it’s just one of those experiences of marriage that everyone will probably have to deal with at some point.

Our household has had gastro before, but this seemed a whole lot more nasty.

Anyway, afore-mentioned tummy is feeling much better now.  Begone with you salmonella!  And never dare to show your ugly face in this house again!

Life without sugar is much sweeter

Image by kevin (iapetus) via Flickr

So my naturopath has told me for years that I should cut out all sugar & refined carbohydrates.

Do you think I listened?  Hell, no.  I would try for a day or so & it would just be way too hard.

The only thing that is different this attempt (which has so far lasted for nearly TWO weeks!) is that I have been following principles from the Dukan Diet.  Yes, that crazy doctor who says we should eat massive amounts of meat & eggs; the reincarnation of the Atkins Diet for 2010.

Now, eating a cow a day doesn’t actually appeal to me all that much.  But I have certainly increased my protein intake.  I’ve also cut out bread, pasta, rice, potato & sugar.  It’s basically a WHITE-FREE diet.

It has been much easier this time, as the protein keeps you full, curbs your appetite & pretty much stops all the cravings for mid afternoon chocolate bars & after dinner desserts.  It’s a miracle!

Best of all, I’ve lost some of those pesky kilos.  My stomach is no longer bloated.   Hurrah!  My skin is clear (although I have been using a new beta-hydroxy lotion).  I’ve been exercising for half an hour every day, even if it is often at 10.30 at night.  I feel really good.  Which is great considering for most of this year, I’ve felt really crap.

Most people who know me realise that I am a person prone to passionate exuberance at the beginning of undertaking a new project.  This quickly wanes into laziness, half-heartedness & eventually results in a complete relapse into previous habits, where the scale of my inital excitement is barely remembered.  Yes, you all know me too well.

We shall see…we shall see…it has after all be nearly TWO weeks…a personal record!

Fresh

Image via Wikipedia

This blog has had a makeover!

Considering the previous header was of a photo of me sloshed & gripping onto my wine glass…I figured it didn’t really fit in with my new “healthy” persona!

So voila…

General health overview

I do have a tendancy to be melodramatic, & have been known to be a hypochondriac too.
But I’m really happy with my new GP, who ordered about a zillion blood tests for me, which has provided me with information about my health in a very broad sense. I’ve always thought of myself as a healthy person. And while nothing too major was revealed by my results, there were a few surprises which make me think I really do need to start taking much better care of myself. The results were:
High cholesterol (never ever had this before!!!)
Elevated liver enzymes
Positive for anti-nuclear antibodies (these are antibodies that attack the immune system/ associated with arthritis, lupus & many other autoimmune diseases)
2 x blood clotting disorders (MTHFR & Factor V Leiden)

So I’ve of course been googling & have discovered a link between all these factors. It makes sense. Blood is the lifeforce of the body. Cholesterol & liver are very connected, & both are linked to blood clots, which in turn is a feature of autoimmune disorders.

I don’t think much of this has too much impact on daily life, apart from me being sensible with food & exercise. And no alchohol!!!!!

Results

I walked to the doctor this morning, & walked back again past the local primary school to cast my vote.

I have my blood test results. Very interesting. Wait for it. I carry not one, but TWO gene abnormalities that are associated with recurrent miscarriage & carry much higher risk of pregnancy loss, in all trimesters. Factor V Leiden & MTHFR gene. I’ve been googling & appears that neither are totally rare & some people have gone on to have successful pregnancies. Although the treatment is fairly simple, it doesn’t sound all that nice. Daily injections!!!!!

Anyway, I suppose I am getting ahead of myself. Next step is the gynae. I can’t wait to see him. My appointment is September 10th.

I keep thinking that Ash is our miracle baby.

Are you pregnant?

Sob sob sob. This is what one of my students asked me today.
I have been forced to come to the conclusion that I am now fat. This “pregnant” belly is just not disappearing.
Of course, I came home & cried to Paul, who gave me a big hug & showed off his own “pregnant” belly to try to make me feel better.
Then I ate one of those damned custard creams, & hopped on the scales.
Yup. I am about 5 kgs heavier than I would like to be.

I’m so very very depressed.

Homeless…….

At this point in time, we shall be homeless on the 8th of October.  Our house has definitely sold.  But I’m finding it a bit challenging to find a rental.  I know there is still plenty of time before the moving day, so I’m trying not to be too concerned, but I really would like it sorted!

I’ve been feeling a little down about the whole thing though.  Not about selling the house though- I am really very happy to have sold our house & to be moving on.  It’s just that we have now missed out on 2 blocks of land & I’m starting to wonder where on earth we will build?????

We have narrowed down our ideal future area, so I suppose we just have to wait & see.  We have decided we would really like to live close to the beach, or in Adelaide Hills.  My current desire is to build an underground house!!!!!

Other happenings include the fact that I am still quite dizzy a fair bit of the time. I think my monumental snowboard stack has really stuffed up my neck.

Dizzy

I’ve been feeling very dizzy!  Sometimes when I pick Ash up, especially when I lie down, & even more so when I roll over in bed.

The doctor diagnosed vertigo, possibly caused by a cold I had recently.  Today I’ve also been to the chiro who said my neck was in quite a bad way, which can cause dizziness.

Anyway, it’s nothing too extreme or serious.  But not a very pleasant feeling!