Cautious Optimism

 A couple weeks back i had a really weird experience.  After eating a meal, i felt drugged.  As if someone had put Demerol in my food.  The first time this happened i prepared the food myself.  The second was eating at a restaurant.  The second time was worse.  I also had heart issues (called Premature Ventricular Contractions - PVCs but not considered problematic by most docs).  


I went to my "go to" buddies at Hawkes' Health (& let me tell you, it is the best alternative health forum on the net!) & presented this issue.   The response i received was that something similar had happened for a couple of other people, & that for them it had been following a meal that had food-trigger/allergy issues for them.  Most specifically gluten or dairy.  

As i knew that it wasn't gluten, it could not have been that.  However, both times were "cheese heavy" meals.  


I know that no one hears they may have a food allergy & says, "Hooray!  I can't eat _______!"  However, i'm already eating GF, & mostly vegetarian.  I also try to keep in mind Dr. Davis' recommendations on carbs/low carbs.  I struggle with that.  The idea of no dairy in my mostly vegetarian life doesn't excite me whatsoever.   

Regardless of my lack of enthusiasm, i had the doc i work with test me for food allergies.  He uses muscle testing (kinesiology) to do this.  Kinesiology for diagnostic work is somewhat controversial, especially to "real doctors" (said with much sarcasm).  I wasn't sure what i thought of it originally.  Three times now when he has used kinesiology to diagnose something for me, i've had it verified by lab work, & so i have come to trust it.      


The news was not as bad as i feared.  I am responding to some cheeses, but not all, & other dairy isn't a problem.  He didn't have an extensive selection of cheese to test me with, "mixed cheese" was the problem.  I'm ok with Swiss.  Also butter, raw milk, cottage cheese, yogurt.  Thank God!

The beauty of this particular system is that i can take in samples of what i actually use at home & have him test me on them individually.  I have not done so, yet, however.  Almost certainly cheddar will be an issue.  


When i got this news, however, i kind of threw up my hands in despair.  Many of the foods we like &; i have Rebecca make are cheese heavy.  One of our favorites - Mexican Lasagna - has a great deal of mixed cheese.   So i decided that for now i'm no longer going to try to do "integrated" meals for Duane & me.  I'd been trying to make vegetarian meals that we both could eat, or that i could just add some meat to his serving & we'd be ok.  That now just seems too hard & so i'm planning meals for Duane & i just eat, whatever.  Mostly veggies.  I tried sweet potatoes - which i really like - as a main part of my diet.  But they were distressing my insides.  I'll probably try a different variety again in a couple of weeks, but not now.  

Anyway, the title comes from the fact that i think i've got a bit more energy eating this way.  Managing the energy is a whole different & complex issue.  However, i am cautiously optimistic that if i'm careful, that i could see some improvement & am excited about that.  Because, frankly, i had been getting worse the past few months & was afraid of where that would land.  I almost feel "ADD/ADHD" with more energy, however, & need to work on focus. 


I've not been at a good place.  I thought that i needed to see an endocrinologist as hormones seem to be at the root of some of my issues.   However, i've not had good results in working with mainstream conventional docs (& have come to trust them not at all).  My friends (who are RNs) have warned me that most endocrinologists don't have a good handle on dealing with Chronic Fatigue issues & that their recommendations could harm me more than help.  That doesn't surprise me as i credit mainstream medical as being a large part of the cause of Chronic Fatigue for me to begin with.

You would think that being in Orange County, CA for 2 days a week would garner me access to all kinds of places.  And it does.  But i'm also spinning my wheels in neutral.  You see, there are alternative docs available.  I've been to a few.  Three of the have not worked for me at all, & we have spent/wasted a lot of money on them.  Another helped me some for a while, but i think i need to move on to something else.  Having spent a lot of money i hesitate to spend more.  If i could at least use insurance on a doc who was open to seeing things differently, it might be worth it.  I've even had recommendations on a couple of people now, but for one reason or another i hesitate.  So my indecision has me frozen in place, not sure where to go.   


Friday was suppose to be Rebecca's last day.  They are moving this coming week.  But her daughter was ill & Rebecca was starting to not feel well, either.  The other new person, Nina, had conflicts too.  They may come tomorrow.   I have the things to make fajitas for Duane.  I need to do that.

My BD was Wednesday.  Duane's parents took us & his brother to dinner.  (Not to sound *bit*hy* but i thought it odd that i wasn't asked where i'd like to go.)  It was a nice dinner.  Duane bought me lovely flowers.  I need to take pics of them.  He knows i like daisies.   I would have liked to go down the hill & spend time with some friends, but Duane had obligations this week that took him down the hill.  He wouldn't want to have to go back down when he gets home (in a little while).  So we'll probably just go picture hunting & end up having dinner in town.  :)

So, i really should go & use some of "my energy" to get things done before Duane gets home.  I think he kind of wanted me to go down with him this weekend, but i wasn't very enthused about that.  I don't know what i would have done while Duane was busy.  Since today is Father's Day, (yes, this is selfish) i thought if we were both down there we'd end up spending much more time with his family than i want to today.  If i'm home then he'll be coming before too long.  


Pics today are whatever goofy things i have in iPhoto.  The top one is how Duane used to sign our names.  He drew himself alone like the goofy guy for a long time.  When we got married he started adding me in.  He doesn't do this much anymore.  (He still draws himself, but doesn't draw me much.) 




 


345