Dairy Free - Round Two

Alrighty… dairy kicked my ass in round 1 as I tried October 1st to go dairy free again. I’ve done it before and know I can do it again… but October was not a good month to be without my comfort food. So here I am approaching the beginning of another new month and thinking that it is time for round 2… and I’m optimistic this time. Yes, things are still rather stressful and full of change… but too much dairy isn’t helping matters.

It’s not that I am officially allergic to dairy or anything like that… but it isn’t good for me or to me. After I eat dairy I generally feel like crap and have less energy than I started. Not to mention the huge fat content in dairy! I’m not a milk drinker… and I’ve managed to cut out yogurt for a while now… my nemesis is cheese. Ok, maybe chocolate too. Just the thought of a big slice of cheesy pizza makes me smile - the lump in my stomach and the bloated feeling afterwards… not so much. And yes… Dr.Bovee was right when she told me that a dairy free lifestyle will greatly reduce my menstrual cramps. It worked the last time I went dairy free… so that alone should be incentive enough! Or at least save me some money on Advil!

Ok, so here goes again… cheese, thanks for the good times… see you around sometime.

I've Come A Long Way Baby!

There was a time… not so many years ago… that the thought of getting a shot made me queasy. When I had knee surgery in high school I never did have the pre-surgery check up and I didn’t say anything as I knew a blood test was supposed to be a part of that check up. I recall one time getting ready for the flu shots at work and I was literally on the verge of tears from fear.

In 2005 I got a Deep Vein Thrombosis also known as a DVT also know as a blood clot. This meant a LOT of blood tests and a LOT of shots while an out patient and on blood thinners.

In 2007 I got pregnant and the doctors decided that due to my DVT history I needed to be on a daily dose of blood thinners to prevent another clot during the pregnancy. As the oral blood thinners would pass through to the baby, this mean the doses had to be administered by injection. Since I was on my own, this mean I would be responsible for the injections. Yup – a shot once a day until the last month… and then twice a day.

Needless to say, I got a lot better with the whole needles thing. At the end of 2008 I even worked up the courage to go to acupuncture. Getting a shot is one thing… but lying there on a bed with needles stuck in all over… whoa. Not only were the needles a little creepy… but I honestly wondered what good they could do. Nearly 2 years later I am a firm believer in the help of acupuncture.

Dr.Bovee (my naturopath and acupuncturist) is amazing. She is a fabulous Doctor and has helped with many things – easy to talk to and has an array of suggestions and solutions. But even more impressive to me is how I can talk about something that is bothering me and she can work it in to the session and hit spots with amazing accuracy. I know, I know… that is her job and what she went to many years of school for… but you have to see and feel it to believe it. Whether it is a stuffed up nose or a sore back or some swelling in my DVT leg or stress or raging hormones and emotions… she knows the spots and finds the spots and occasionally makes me peep and cry out. I’ve had to breathe through a few spots that were especially sensitive… but in the end, I can feel the difference and know it is worth it. The biggest challenge I have with each and every session is keeping my nervous bladder in check so that I can lie still and relax for more than 20-30 minutes!