I have no explanation. Last week I was still "bubbling" and "burping" and feeling queasy every evening. I tried two different prescription meds from the doctor that resulted in another episode of nausea on Tuesday. I quickly took an anti-nausea pill in the morning which let me sleep for the next 24 hours (off and on.) During one of my conversations with God about this dilemma, I admitted that I had run out of ideas, was really tired of going to doctors and taking medicine, and just asked for mercy.
So... on Wednesday I put away the IBS meds and the laxatives. They were just making me feel bad. I went back to my usual vitamins and Niacin and added the Pepcid. And we determined to eat only freshly cooked and very bland food, which means we are eating veggies and fruits and chicken and eggs.
I woke up on Thursday morning feeling pretty good. I fixed up some very plain potato salad - that tasted soooo good! We had that with cold cuts and fresh fruit. As I was getting ready for bed I realized that I still felt good and the "bubbling" was much less intense. That night I thanked God for His mercy. And today I have felt almost normal - praise Him!
One suggestion that I think I can live with came from a doctor friend of Meredith's who, after hearing her describe the symptoms, asked if I had been under any undue stress recently. She said, "As a matter of fact, she just lost her dog last month." And since this all started about a week after Treasure died, I have to believe that my body just let go and my immune system nearly shut down.
My heart has been healing - slowly - and I am recognizing that I don't need to be a hero and withhold my feelings of grief. I just read a book by Mark Levin ("Rescuing Sprite") about his sorrowful journey with an elderly dog who had to be put to sleep. I identified with so many of his thoughts and emotions as he struggled to come to grips with what had to be done. Writing was cathartic for him, and I believe it might be time for me to start writing about Treasure. I have a file in my computer for "Treasure's Tales" and it's just sitting there waiting for me to open it.
And suddenly, I'm feeling better.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tasty Christmas Cookies
Every December I look for new and different Christmas cookies to try. Some are winners, most leave something to be desired! This week I have tried out three new recipes (all from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen) and two out of the three are definitely keepers!
The cookies on the left side of the plate are called "Amy's Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies." The great thing about this cookie is that you are almost guaranteed to have all the ingredients in your pantry. The shortbread cookie is made from butter, sugar, flour and almond or vanilla extract. Any jam you have around works, and the glaze is just powdered sugar and water (or milk.) The recipe can be found here. I hate having to pick just one flavor of jam, so I used the three I had in my refrigerator and mixed them up!
The cookie on the other side of the plate is called "Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Spice Cookie" and it is really yummy. It takes just a little longer to prepare, and you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry. I had to make a grocery run to get the oats, cranberries and chocolate chips, but as long as you have eggs and shortening, the rest are staples. These may look like your every day oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie, but you'll be pleasantly surprised from the taste of the allspice and cinnamon. The recipe for this wonderful cookie is found here. The recommendation is for very large cookies. I made mine the regular size and got four dozen minus one from the batch. I also baked mine for a full 14 minutes. I made no substitutions, but this cookie would work well with a variety of fruits or nuts. Have fun with it!
The cookies on the left side of the plate are called "Amy's Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies." The great thing about this cookie is that you are almost guaranteed to have all the ingredients in your pantry. The shortbread cookie is made from butter, sugar, flour and almond or vanilla extract. Any jam you have around works, and the glaze is just powdered sugar and water (or milk.) The recipe can be found here. I hate having to pick just one flavor of jam, so I used the three I had in my refrigerator and mixed them up!
The cookie on the other side of the plate is called "Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Spice Cookie" and it is really yummy. It takes just a little longer to prepare, and you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry. I had to make a grocery run to get the oats, cranberries and chocolate chips, but as long as you have eggs and shortening, the rest are staples. These may look like your every day oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie, but you'll be pleasantly surprised from the taste of the allspice and cinnamon. The recipe for this wonderful cookie is found here. The recommendation is for very large cookies. I made mine the regular size and got four dozen minus one from the batch. I also baked mine for a full 14 minutes. I made no substitutions, but this cookie would work well with a variety of fruits or nuts. Have fun with it!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Unraveling the Mystery
I got word yesterday from the allergist that the tests for pepper allergy all came back negative. So, no allergies to peppers, just sensitivity to them. It's nice to know that an accidental pepper won't close up my airway!
After another episode last week, we finally convinced the gastroenterologist to run some tests for a parasite or an infection. I will find out tomorrow what the results are. This would be the easy answer, because there's a medication I can take that will kill that bug.
Meanwhile, I felt well enough yesterday and today to do some Christmas baking. I poked around on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site and found several cookie recipes that look wonderful. And PW had an interesting recipe for Fruitcake Cookies that I copied and adapted to my taste. Here's what I have accomplished:
This is my adaptation of the fruitcake cookie. I made them in small and smaller cupcake papers to closely resemble one of my favorite Christmas finds - Little Puds. PW's recipe called for brandy as the liquid in the recipe, but I substituted Apple juice, just in case my grandson takes a liking to this cookie. They are so moist and fruity. You can check Pioneer Woman's website for the original recipe.
The recipe made 24 tiny cupcakes and 18 small ones. I put a little powdered sugar glaze (mixed with apple juice) on these to make them prettier.
This is a recipe for thumbprint cookies that I got from Tasty Kitchen. The cookie is an easy shortbread, filled with your favorite jam. Because it's impossible for me to choose, I used three different jams. Can't wait to try one of these. I still have a few more recipes I want to try. I think the mailperson (ours is a gal) will be very happy this December!
After another episode last week, we finally convinced the gastroenterologist to run some tests for a parasite or an infection. I will find out tomorrow what the results are. This would be the easy answer, because there's a medication I can take that will kill that bug.
Meanwhile, I felt well enough yesterday and today to do some Christmas baking. I poked around on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site and found several cookie recipes that look wonderful. And PW had an interesting recipe for Fruitcake Cookies that I copied and adapted to my taste. Here's what I have accomplished:
This is my adaptation of the fruitcake cookie. I made them in small and smaller cupcake papers to closely resemble one of my favorite Christmas finds - Little Puds. PW's recipe called for brandy as the liquid in the recipe, but I substituted Apple juice, just in case my grandson takes a liking to this cookie. They are so moist and fruity. You can check Pioneer Woman's website for the original recipe.
The recipe made 24 tiny cupcakes and 18 small ones. I put a little powdered sugar glaze (mixed with apple juice) on these to make them prettier.
This is a recipe for thumbprint cookies that I got from Tasty Kitchen. The cookie is an easy shortbread, filled with your favorite jam. Because it's impossible for me to choose, I used three different jams. Can't wait to try one of these. I still have a few more recipes I want to try. I think the mailperson (ours is a gal) will be very happy this December!
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