So blah

Today I woke up tired, but okay. I ate my usual Cheerios—sharing them, of course, with the dogs—and went upstairs to take a shower. When I was getting out, I started feeling super queasy, which I found odd. The feeling passed and I left for work soon after.

On my way to work, I stopped for my daily coffee from the local Philips (only 86 cents!). After a few sips I started having bad stomach pains, but not like digestive pains or anything. More like my stomach muscles were really tight and contracted, and my stomach just hurt. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I hadn't been eating anything weird lately. Heck, I haven't been eating anything lately period, thanks to a lovely thing called a diet (I'm still majorly loving Lose It!, by the way). I did have a salad...maybe my body was rejecting the first large helping of healthy vegetables I had consumed in weeks?

Needless to say, I felt like crap most of the day, and even tonight, while I was on the treadmill doing a gentle but brisk walk. What is up with my body? I can lay in an isolation booth for a month, eating nothing but carefully measured and selected meals, and I will STILL develop some sort of stomach, head, body, mouth, or any other kind of pain imaginable. It's days like these when I feel like giving up the good fight and just grabbing that bag of Doritos out of the pantry. I'm puffy and feel uncomfortable in my own skin, much of that caused by whatever bug or food is passing through me.

But I always stop myself short, and instead turn to other things as a distraction. Sleep is a good one because it's not only beneficial, but I can just fast forward to the end of the day and start all over in the morning with a clean slate. Television can be a nice way to zone out and forget what's bugging me, but I often get stuck watching something dull on the Military Channel with Pete. That's a bit too much zoning out for my tastes.

And then, of course, there's blogging. If I want to pour my feelings out, relate a funny story, or share some cool pix, that's the route to go. And here I am, writing this while my stomach continues to cramp, my husband snores away on the couch, and I find myself wishing it were 10:00 so I could justify going to bed right away. (It's only 8:15. Damn.)

After having several good, amazing days where I felt pretty healthy, was energetic, and happy, these kind of days hit me like a ton of bricks. What to do in such a situation? Get up, shake myself off, and move on, I suppose. At least my diet is benefiting from my lack of food desire...

Grant me immunity

I'm not sure what to do anymore. I consider myself a person who follows a fairly healthy lifestyle. I don't smoke, I drink only once in a while, I eat well, I get some exercise and sleep (both areas I'm trying to improve), I take my vitamins and I'm in a healthy, loving relationship (with Pete AND my pets). I eat lots of fresh foods, salads, organics, I go easy on dressings and other things (butter, creams, spreads, etc.) and I try to stay away from red meat and other problematic foods.



But as you may have noticed, my immune system seems to have given up, and I'm constantly getting colds or feeling under the weather (like now). My skin is horribly broken out (has been since our honeymoon) and I'm constantly suffering from weird aches and pains. My stomach is always a mess and I am forever having trouble coexisting with certain foods. I'm always dead tired and hurting, and as a result, I'm crabby, moody, and sullen. I don't want to do anything that requires great physical effort because I just can't muster up the energy. So what gives?



Yes, my Hooveritis* has much to do with it, I suppose. I've noticed a general demise in my overall health since it began almost two years ago. It tends to act up during the colder months, too. But I get regular massages and have been working out to help keep flexible and loose. And yes, I've always been plagued by headaches and migraines, especially during the last several years, but I've been careful to avoid triggers like red wine and try to get plenty of sleep (I try). Of course I have a very stressful job, and times are tough, but that's been the case in past years and have never been so sickly like this. I wake up every day feeling like I'm 85, not 35. What am I doing wrong?



Have you been having trouble with your health? What kinds of problems do you have? What do you do to feel better? Do you work out, eat right, sleep well, take vitamins, etc., or do you have another regimen you follow? I'm curious to know, because although I am taking steps to get healthier, not much seems to be changing. It's almost scary. No, it IS scary!

One POSITIVE change though: Claire has so helpfully suggested that I take Lysine for my canker sores. Since I started taking it several weeks ago, I have not had a single recurrence, which is utterly remarkable to me. So thank you, Claire! Every little bit helps.



Anyhow, I hope you are feeling great, healthy, happy, energetic, and well rested wherever you are and whatever you're doing, and I hope you are dodging those winter bugs so far too!


*Undiagnosed nerve disorder/injury that causes pain, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion