Fighting off something...



...I think. I've been freezing cold all day, something that hasn't happened since I got on my current dose of thyroid meds several months ago. Have mild congestion in my sinuses, chest and ears. Perhaps I'll be strong enough to not get the "full fledged" version of whatever is going around.

My knees were correct...it did snow on Saturday. Nothing huge...less than four inches. I did get out to Penney's and shopped myself silly...bought four tops and three pair of pants and STILL had $12 left on one of the gift cards! Let's see...it was a black chenille sweater, a fuschia v-neck cotton sweater (I'm allergic to acrylic and wool), a white sleeveless stretch Henley, a white button-down shirt, black velour exercise pants (hmmmm...maybe it will inspire me to exercise?) and two stretch denim carpenter's pants.

Spent Friday evening and most of yesterday researching possible vacation sites....Dan and I are planning a big two-week extravaganza if we can get the time off. Mainly, I was just seeing what was out there and pricing it as we have no idea when this year we can go. As much as I'd love to go someplace unique like Italy, New Zealand or Australia, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have the energy to see much once I got all the way out there, which would upset me very much. So we're looking at something closer to home but tropical....if I'm all pooped out by the trip there, I can just laze on the beach and not feel guilty. The Sandals resorts are tempting because they are all inclusive, so you can calculate every penny of the cost ahead of time except for spa services and souvenirs. But with all my dietary restrictions, I'm not sure it would be wise for me to rely on restaurant food, and if I didn't eat in the restaurants, I would be wasting money because it's already paid for. So a condo makes more sense in that I could cook my own food. Hawaii has tons of condos....the only problem there was deciding which island we liked best. I was caught between the big island, Maui and Oahu....each looks wonderful. We came up with the idea of spending a few days at two different islands and doing a day trip on the third island. I didn't see any packages that would allow you to do that, so I calculated the accommodations, car rental and airfare separately and was surprised at how expensive it was. If we do decide to go to Hawaii, I'll check with a travel agent to see if any deals can be worked out.

Used my home paraffin spa last night on my poor dry achy hands. I've got cracks in the skin on my fingertips and knuckles that lotion hasn't helped. This felt great, though, and my hands definitely look better. I've got enough wax left to do another treatment tonight.

My stomach is terrorizing me again. I think this time it was because I had cheddar cheese at my last meal before bed last night. I bought regular full fat cheese because I knew it to be gluten free. The reduced fat stuff had a lot of chemicals in it. I'm not bothered with the regular cheddar as much during the day oddly enough. Anyway, I slept about four hours until stomach pain awoke me. I've eaten mild meals all day today and it hasn't settled down yet. At least now that I'm not eating gluten, I no longer get weak, faint or exhausted after trips to the potty, and the abdominal cramping is less extensive. But the gastroparesis is still interfering enough in my life to really annoy me.

Pain level: 7
Fatigue level: 8

Rave of the Day: Got a Paul Simon CD for Christmas....there's a song on there that I really like called "Quiet". Here are the lyrics....

I am heading for a time of quiet
when my restlessness is past
and I can lie down on my blanket
and release my fists at last

I am heading for a time of solitude
of peace without illusions
when the perfect circle
marries all beginnings and conclusions

and when they say
that you're not good enough
well the answer is
you're not
but who are they
or what is it
that eats at what you've got
with the hunger of ambition
for the change inside the purse
they are handcuffs on the soul, my friends
handcuffs on the soul
and worse

I am heading for a place of quiet
where the sage and sweetgrass grow
by a lake of sacred water
from the mountain's melted snow

Posted: Sun - January 4, 2004 at 10:37 PM      


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