In March 2009, I did something that made no logical sense for my health but was a wonderful experience. I went with my mother, my sister, and 3 cousins to Italy. It was a nightmare for my body, but I just didn’t care. I decided up front to plan to spend every second day in bed (and stocked up on a bunch of Sicilian mysteries by Andrea Camilleri on my Kindle). […]
Pain has been a consistent companion to me for many years, starting in earnest in 2001. Back then, it was wrist pain that shot up into my arms and neck. Even with all the pain, the hokey diagnosis, and the multi-year weekly treatment to keep it under control, I never considered myself a person who suffers from chronic pain. Then there are the years since 2007, when I reached a […]
The wedding I went to on Sunday took place under a large L-shaped tent in a sloped upstate New York backyard. Rain poured down audibly and consistently all day. Everyone looked a little washed out, and the curly hair on many heads (including mine) was extra frizzy. The grass was wet under the tent. I had on a semi-formal dress, but never changed out of my Tevas. This was my day […]
I recently made an attempt to expand my diet. I was thrilled with the idea of eating more fruits that were previously on the list of foods that aren’t good for one’s blood sugar. The trick was to find some that don’t trigger an allergic reaction in my gut. I started with cantaloupe then mulberries. But something went wrong. Shortly after I introduced mulberries, all my symptoms got worse. I […]
I saw my naturopath, Dr. Darin Ingels, on Saturday. He was astonished to see me walk in without a cane or limp. He was equally astonished that I drove myself there without my mother, who had accompanied me to every visit with him for two years. This was my first visit in a year and a half. We went through my medical history since then. I asked for a different […]
Summer is always the best time for fresh produce. When I was a child, my mother would stop on the side of the road on Long Island and buy freshly picked corn to eat that evening. It’s a different kind of food than store bought corn stalks. This summer, by some miracle, I’m eating a few more foods. I found yellow plums today, which I think are on my doctors […]
Two nights ago, I went to the U2 concert at the Meadowlands Stadium. There was so much that was great about the experience. I enjoyed hanging out with one of my friends from high school. He was so chill about everything and happy to go at the slow pace I need to handle these kinds of events in such a large location. International Space Station There were a few big […]
I’m taking to heart my doctor’s suggestion that it’s time for me to eat more fruit. I’ve been taking it slowly, even with apples, because I’m trying so hard to end the Candida infection. But when he saw me last, my tongue looked better, with very little sign of active candidiasis. Today I had cantaloupe without feeling guilty. I had it recently when I was with my sister, but I […]
I am one of the minions that trekked out to see Harry Potter on the opening day. It is a ritual I enjoy with my parents as each new movie has come out since 2008. We go to a matinee because we all do better with daytime outings rather than at night. After I stopped working, I felt very guilty every time I did something fun. Often these “fun” activities […]
I went to visit two of my mother’s sisters today. Aunt R lives nearby. She’s 95 years old. In the past week or two, she’s started using a wheel chair because of back pain. She sleeps a lot. She has no short term memory and has difficulty hearing. Yet she’s cheerful and friendly with me when I visit and with the women who take care of her. She’s cooperative and […]
Coiling for Lyme 