Back to Basics

Longer time between posts because of a longer time between check-ins.  I've been trying to get some guidance on what form of protein would be best to try next but, as has been typical, there's no response.

Here's what my one real meal a day (lunch) looks like:

Mmm, salad! I add as many colors and fresh herbs as possible to simulate flavor.  The no vinegar or fun oils is killing me.  Breakfast is puréed soup and berries and dinner is reconstituted vitamins, so lunch is my favorite.

Decided to change things up a bit on the home front and pulled my china out of storage for daily use.  It's pretty and makes me happy to see it.  Due to the gold rim on the edge I can't microwave so I've kept some regular dishes for that purpose.  When I want to heat something up quickly I use those and then dump into the pretty dishes.  On the other side of that coin I've decided to use blue canning jars for drinking glasses.  They're not a color match to the china but I don't mind.  I haven't found the perfect swirl glass goblets I want for the formal place settings anyway.

Day 28 - 144.2 lb
Found out some interesting things about insurance claims.  Even if a receipt shows I've paid a practitioner in full when I submit for reimbursement the insurance company sends the practitioner the check anyway.  Now we're playing a back and forth game for getting the money back to me.  The clinic is insisting on waiting two weeks after depositing the check "to make sure it clears" before writing me a check.  As if the insurance company's check would bounce.  Gah!

Day 29 - 144.2 lb
More insurance fun.  Frustrated with the lack of response from Atlanta I'm exploring going back to the nutritionist.  I stopped previously because insurance covered nothing.  I called the insurance company and asked why.  Even though the only treatment for celiac is changing your diet, nutritionists aren't covered for treatment of a diagnosis of celiac.  Frustratingly, if I am diabetic or obese a nutritionist is covered 100%, no copay or coinsurance.  So I can eat myself into oblivion and insurance will help that, but not a genetic condition / auto-immune disease that has left me malnourished and will be a challenge for the rest of my life.  How unfair life is!

Day 30 - 144.4 lb
Ramping up the alternative doctor's visits in the next couple of weeks, directly proportional to my fed-up-edness with Atlanta.  Tante B flew in from Oz today!  Though Mom is whisking her away for some glamping it's nice to have her close and I'm looking forward to chatting with her.

Day 31 - 142.8 lb
Visceral massage.  I've been avoiding this for so long.  The idea of someone massaging my gut back to health has had me cringing in expectant pain for months.  My doc suggested again and I relented and scheduled an appointment today.  It was not at all what I expected.  Very light touch and absolutely no pain afterwards.  My insides rumbled and gurgled which apparently is a good sign.  The LMP said some interesting things about what she felt in relation to heat, breathing, and blockage of flow.  Basically from the neck up I'm fine and nothing moves well below that, whether it's heating/cooling my body, breathing normally (or while exercising), or relaxing. It's odd how many things are connected and I'm excited to see what subsequent sessions will do for restoration of all the crazy imbalances that are in my body.  My "homework" is to do castor oil packs on my belly daily, covered by a towel and hot water bottle.  Good thing I have so much couch time!

Day 32 - 142.8 lb
Winery concert!  My friends schlepped me up to Woodinville for the Gypsy Kings.  The music was great and the atmosphere was fun but I had a harder time than I thought I would watching energetic people all around me eating fabulous picnic dinners, sip wine, and laugh about all the things that have been going on in their lives.  The group I was with had creamy spinach-artichoke dip with pita chips, macaroni & cheese with caramelized onions and bacon, cornbread muffins, fried chicken, and kahlua cake.  I had 8 ounces of a reconstituted supplement powder a few hours before the concert. (Early liquid-only dinners were recommended so I can sleep at night.) Yum. Sitting in a lawn chair was a nice break from sitting on the couch but I'm glad that is the last one I signed up for this summer.

Day 33 - 141.8 lb
Totally wiped from my concert outing yesterday.  It's weird to me still that riding in a car and sitting upright for a few hours chatting occasionally can wear me out like that.  Barely moved from the couch before three in the afternoon.  The annual neighbor outdoor movie night (from when I lived in the rental house near Greenlake) is tonight.  I miss those guys.  I kept in touch by crashing periodically their weekly Sunday bike rides but I don't have the energy for that now.  It's a potluck and I was going to make my side dish but eventually decided that rest was better and I'd just use my own bowl to present a PCC salad.  This year it was a nice throwback, Sixteen Candles.  Ah the Brat Pack.  I had to leave early because of fatigue but it was cheering to see friendly faces.

Day 34 - 143.2 lb
Despairing and deflated I am.  Atlanta finally responded with orders to cycle back to a fast.  Only three days this time but it makes me sad.  I thought I would be able to work on the protein issue.  So I'm back to boiling a giant pot of vegetables for broth and trying to eat today what will go bad by Thursday without overeating. The good news is that disability was extended again so I have a little more time to figure things out before being thrown to the wolves at work.  And there are several more seasons of Poirot to watch on Amazon Prime.  I've gotten stuck into the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson as well.  Super fun reading!