It’s getting incredibly hard to enjoy this diet without more spices. Time to branch out from my Jane’s Crazy Mixed-Up Salt!
I think I am starting to feel a difference in my body. It’s hard to tell because I still feel pretty rotten from sugar withdrawals, but I’m staying positive. I need to start walking, although I’m completely terrified of hurting my knee again after it dislocated a couple of weeks ago. Two days of ice helped a lot – but jeez! My knee is bitching at me because I’m not exercising because my neck/shoulders/head hurt. What a mess.
Don’t let your kids break your neck, people. It causes a lot of problems.
I wasn’t planning on writing about our Whole 30 adventure when we started, but John and I are so excited and have other friends doing it, so now we want to share our experience.
I’d been planning on this for a while, but was nervous about how much more expensive our grocery trips would be with buying all organic and free range foods. Whole Foods is pretty pricey! (A former boss calls it Whole Paycheck – ha!) But thanks to the fabulous Trader Joe’s near our house, we have stocked our kitchen with a ton of good stuff for no more than we were spending on groceries anyway.
On Saturday morning, (Day 1), we had eggs for breakfast, the only acceptable food we had on hand. Then we went to Trader Joe’s and bought 3-4 days worth of food. I figured that right at first, it would be better to only buy for a couple of days until we had a better idea of how many vegetables and fruit we would need so that we wouldn’t be wasting a lot of food. I have the tendency to buy a ton of stuff and never get to it before it goes bad.
John and I spent the whole weekend eating awesome meals and high-fiving each other. I think our excitement even spread to Charlie, who actually strayed from his normal apple cinnamon Nutri-grain bar diet and ATE a baby carrot.
I’ll let John share his reasons for trying the Whole 30. For me, it made perfect sense. The last few months have been Hard and Just Plain Awful, so of course any healthy eating habits I had flew out the window. When I first read about the plan, it seemed so much more realistic than other diets I could be on. You eat real food. That’s it. No point systems or calorie counting or staying hungry all the time. But what I like best is that while you’re eating this real, healthy food, you are also supposed to think about how it makes you feel, how it tastes, and what your body is telling you. Which is totally easy to do when you are eating such high-quality foods.
The last three days have been surprisingly easy for me. I guess it helps that I’ve been getting mentally prepared for a while. I’m not gonna lie though – at 6:30 p.m. on the dot, my body freaks out and I have to fight everything within myself to not have any carbs or sugar. But it will get easier!
My main goals for doing this are more personal than losing weight, although I’m looking forward to that too. I can’t believe I’m going to go through Halloween without touching a piece of candy! And then I have a girls’ trip planned in a couple of weeks. But I have to jump in sometime, right? At least I’m going into the holidays with a healthy start so that I’ll feel better and make better choices.
Hopefully John will share his experience soon too. More to come!
I haven’t shared the story of my neck injury and all that has happened since then on this here blog, so now I’m going to condense it and stick with the main points.
June 29, 2010
• At the pool with our friends Kelly and Drake, Charlie is having a ball leaping off the side of the pool over and over…and over…so I ask him to take a break for a little while.
• I stay in the same position as when I was catching Charlie, but have turned my attention to Kelly and don’t see my little boy getting out of the water and running to the side of the pool again.
• Charlie jumps to me, this time landing on my head. I immediately feel a couple of painful crunches, but am more concerned about Charlie, so I hold him on my head, get into a steadier position and pick him up off of my head to make sure he’s okay.
• The lifeguard comes over, very concerned because he saw what happened and could tell it probably hurt. Kelly and Drake aren’t sure how to react, because I’m not reacting other than to comfort my crying son, who had his breath knocked out of him for a few seconds.
• We sit for a few minutes then I pack up all of our stuff, and carry it AND Charlie to the car, who is still upset. I notice for the first time that I can’t hold my shoulders straight.
• Lots and lots of pain. I decide the next day to call a chiropractor. (Looking back, I clearly didn’t take my pain seriously enough to go to the ER or a Neurologist, but every step in this process turned out to be a good one because of that amazing chiropractor.)
• Chiropractor is quite concerned and sends me immediately for x-rays. (And thankfully doesn’t try to do any kind of adjustment.) I return to him the next day after he’s gotten the results of the x-rays. He refers me to a non-surgical spine doctor because he knows that this situation is beyond what chiropractic care can help.
• Spinal doctor gives me glorious pain medicine and schedules me for a nerve conduction study. I have my first freak-out because I’ve had that before and it is painful and awful and just plain mean.
• I should add here that from the beginning, I have diagnosed the problem as an issue in the C6-C7 vertebra area and that my ulnar nerve is pinched. More like completely squashed. I tell this to every doctor I see, who is impressed with my knowledge but has to do all the stupid tests to diagnose it themselves anyway.
• I should also mention that I’d barely slept a wink since the incident occurred, because lying down induced the most pain of any position.
• Spine doc confirms my diagnosis and schedules me for an MRI.
• MRI shows the slipped disk and squashed ulnar nerve that couldn’t be seen with x-ray and schedules me for an epidural.
• Epidural isn’t comfortable but isn’t too bad either. The numbing shot hurt worse than anything else.
• Epidural does nothing to relieve my pain.
• Nerve doc refers me to a Neurosurgeon.
• Neurosurgeon looks over everything and says that I am the perfect candidate for surgery to remove the slipped disc.
• I immediately schedule the surgery. It will be a Microdiscectomy. After many sleepless nights, all of my research on neck treatments has informed me that there aren’t really any other options after an epidural other than surgery. And I’m stoked to finally be getting fixed!
• I should also mention here that Every Single Person I have dealt with, from the chiropractor and his staff to the Spinal Doctor and his staff and the Neurosurgeon and his staff and the imaging people have been WONDERFUL!!!!!! I would highly recommend all of them. Nothing is better than working with good – no Great – medical professionals.
• And then I have pre-op at North Fulton Hospital, and everyone there is awesome! Very weird. Too many nice people. That’s not normal.
• My Dad and I laugh over the list of diagnoses that one might have if they are getting a Microdiscectomy…one is Ridiculopathy, which is basically a pinched nerve. Ridiculopathy…SO Harry Potter.
July 29, 2010
• Surgery is performed on my neck. Upon awakening I learn that instead of one disc being removed, the surgeon removed TWO discs and removed bone spurs on three vertebrae.
• During the next week, I develop a rash from an allergic reaction to the Dermabond used to seal my incision, and my neck looks awful! It itches and hurts and looks disgusting. Plus, I’m hurting a lot. Charlie is at his grandparents’ house and my mom is staying with me.
• I go back to the doctor twice about my incision, and now I’m on steroids and antibiotics to help the allergic reaction.
• I’m still not sleeping well, obviously because my neck hurts.
But what I really want to talk about is how many GOOD things have come from all of this. Because of my injury, I realized how many people I have in my life that are ready to jump in and do what they can to help out. My friends helped with Charlie, my family helped with Charlie, my friends have brought me meals, I get phone calls and emails and Facebook messages wishing me well. Family members have stayed at my house to help. And all of those medical people were so wonderful! There is so much to be thankful for that I really haven’t spent much time feeling negative. It has been easier than I would have imagined to be positive.
Of course, I can’t wait to have my life back and get to be Charlie’s Normal Mommy again and jump back into all of our awesome activities. And be able to bend over and pick things up. Oh, and sleep!
So that’s it in a nutshell. Here are the fabulous medical professionals I highly recommend:
Charlie gets a burst of energy and happiness every afternoon when Daddy gets home. I think it is precious and it usually gets me to perk up a bit too. Although I have to admit that sometimes when our day has been one long whinefest, it gets on my nerves a little. Mom gets all the crap and Dad gets the good stuff…no fair.
This week, Charlie has been at his grandparents’ house, and I realized something…I get a burst of energy and happiness every afternoon when John gets home, without Charlie’s influence! I am excited to tell him about every moment of my day, all of my conversations and texting, any gossip I’ve heard, the things I found interesting in Google reader, and then bounce around the house for a few minutes like my son does when he’s here. Oh, and then recite all the things I want him to do around the house that night. I’m sure that’s his favorite part.
What a great man we have, that his mere entrance into our house at the end of the day is always celebrated!
If life had a pause button, I would have used it this morning. Charlie and I had one of those precious moments that I’ll spend lots of time recalling when he is a teenager. He was wearing only a diaper and I was in my pajamas, and we were snuggled in a chair together with a couple of his super soft baby blankets. For over half an hour we sat there, just enjoying each other. The TV was off and the house was silent except for the sound of Charlie crunching on Cheerios. Words cannot describe the joy I felt in holding him close to me and breathing in his scrumptious baby scent, kissing his soft hair, and watching him feed himself so easily when it was such a short time ago that he was just developing motor skills. Either he was in an extra cuddly mood or could sense that I was exploding with happiness – whatever it was, I am so thankful for those 30+ minutes that he let me enjoy having him in my arms.
….Said (by Charlie) in the span of a few minutes while jumping on the bed:
“I’m gonna have a little baby sister. And she’s gonna have a little baby daddy.”
“I’m just a little boy.”
“I’m just a growin’ up boy.”
“I’m ready to rock.”
NOTE: We are NOT NOT NOT NOT expecting. We do not discuss this with Charlie. He wants a little baby sister because his friend, Tommy, has a little baby sister. And Finley is so precious, how can he not want a little sister???
So I’m chatting on the phone with my mom, listening to how amazing and beautiful and incredible and perfect Hawaii is and what an awesome time they’re having, (green with envy), when I hear a little voice from the stairs say, “Hey, Mommy!”
Uh oh.
It is 1:33 p.m. Charlie should be asleep. Naptime started at 12:30 and usually lasts 2.5 to 3 hours. This means that he has accomplished two things today: climbing out of his crib and opening his bedroom door.
Sigh.
I’m so excited for him – he’s reached a big milestone! Soon he’ll be in a toddler bed! But I also feel exhausted thinking about how he’ll be exploring his newfound freedom and how we all might lose some sleep.
I can barely keep myself from laughing because of how cute he is, standing on the stairs and trying to figure out how this situation is going to unfold. My mom is DYING laughing over the phone and giving my dad details. So now she’s in paradise AND laughing at me. Hmph.
Before I do anything else, I must get a video of this! We rush upstairs and I capture him climbing out of bed for the second time.
I let Charlie come downstairs and watch TV for a little while because I can tell that he’s pretty excited and won’t go to sleep. Plus it gives me a little bit of time to think about how I’m going to handle getting him into bed: How am I going to handle this using Positive Discipline, and How can I get him to take a nap that I so desperately need he needs?
I don’t know what to do so I choose to wing it. Even if I have my mind set on how I will get him in bed and STAY in bed, I don’t know if he’ll go along with it. And I need this naptime!!! We watch TV for about half an hour, and then I ask him if he would rather go take a nap in my bed or his bed. I know he’s going to pick my bed, which might help me eventually get him into his bed after he doesn’t settle down. (Setting my child up for failure…definitely a Positive Discipline technique, right?)
As always, I’m right. (Right, honey?) He jumps on the bed nonstop while I tell him a couple of times that he needs to lie down and rest. After he gets up and starts jumping a third time, I inform him that it’s time to go to his bed for a nap because he isn’t resting on my bed. He is more than happy to cooperate and responds:
Charlie: Climb back out of bed! Me: No, bud. It’s naptime and we all need to rest right now, so I need for you to stay in bed. You don’t have to go to sleep, but it’s very important that you have some quiet time. Charlie: ‘Kay.
Yeah, right!!! I can see the mischief in his eyes before I even turn to leave the room. I walk out, close the door, and stand there. Immediately I hear movement and then a loud “THUMP!” Two seconds later he is opening his door. Surprise!!! He is completely shocked to see me standing there. It takes all of my strength to wipe a huge grin off my face. My child is SO CUTE!!!
Me: Charlie, you need to take a nap. It is time to rest and not time to climb out of bed. Charlie: ‘Kay.
Yeah, right!!! I park myself outside his door again and wait. Rustle, rustle, THUMP! He’s back at the door and looking even more surprised that I’m there a second time. I say the same thing and put him back in bed. The next time it happens, I say nothing and scoop him up and lay him down. Repeat 8 or 9 times. The final time, he is not happy but he stays put. Not even 3 minutes later he is fast asleep. Woohoo!
Since then he has stayed in his bed. We’re taking bets on how long that lasts.
While getting dressed:
Charlie: I’m CUTE!
John: Did somebody tell you that you’re cute?
Charlie: GrandMommy says I’m cute.
After supper, when it was nice and dark, we decided to take Charlie out to see some Christmas lights. There is a house near us whose owners have bedecked their yard and home with lights and decoration, and everything is coordinated with Christmas music from a radio station you tune into while in front of the house. (Note: For you LaGrangians, it’s not anywhere as impressive as the Foxcroft guy, but still pretty cool.) While there, a pick-up truck drove by, with Santa standing in the back yelling “Merry Christmas!” and throwing out candy. Following them and keeping them safe was a firetruck, with all its lights going, and a fireman saying “Merry Christmas” over the PA system. It was just awesome. Thanks to some raging PMS, (because I’m never very emotional, right?), I was overcome with tears of joy to see Charlie so excited – Christmas lights, music, Santa, and a FIRETRUCK!!! Children and parents were pouring out of their homes to see Santa and the firetruck…we saw one mom carrying a baby dressed in only a jacket and diaper! (The baby, not the mom.) It was one of those moments that will stick with us the rest of our lives.
On the way up to bed:
Charlie: Goodnight, Daddy! Goodnight, Mommy! Goodnight, Football!
Thanksgiving was truly wonderful this year! Although John loves huge, chaotic family gatherings, I prefer a more intimate and relaxing atmosphere, (not that either are better than the other, it’s just personal preference). We decided last year that we would alternate Thanksgiving holidays between his parents and mine, and it was my family’s turn this year. Some of the activities included:
Kitchen Nazi Mom’s amazing cooking
Lots of walks
Lots of laughter
Lots of coffee
Photo shoot
Decorating the Christmas tree (my annual job – I’ve been the lone Christmas tree decorator since middle school)
Football
and Plenty of entertainment from Charlie
Oh…and horseback riding on Gordon Street (LaGrangians understand the randomness of this. It’s a residential street in the middle of town.)
John and I went to dinner and a movie to celebrate 13 years together. Isn’t that amazing??? Our first date was on Thanksgiving Day, and we had to eat at Burger King because it was the only restaurant open. Then we went and saw The Preacher’s Wife. This year we saw New Moon. I’m DEFINITELY on Team Jacob now. )
I am so excited about this…my future sister-in-law, Andrea (aka Froo), asked me to help coordinate the wedding. How special is that?! I am all over it. Tyler and Froo are getting married at Camp Calvin, a Presbyterian camp for kids where they met and have been counselors (Ty) and Head of the Horse Barn (Froo) for several years. I’m sure there is a much more appropriate title than Head of the Horse Barn, but I am brain dead.
We stayed at LaFayette Garden Inn one night (I wish it were still the Ramadama) and it just happened to be the same place that Auburn’s football team was staying. John thoroughly enjoyed fantasizing about all the ways he could sabotage their sleep before the big Alabama/Auburn game, although he didn’t end up doing anything. I offered more than once to go buy shoe polish and toilet paper to decorate their buses, but he wouldn’t let me. It would have been so fun.
So that was our holiday. Good stuff. And there’s lots more good stuff to come!
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