Chronic Diva

Hello again after a very long, somewhat unexpected hiatus. Part of my absence was planned as I spent ten glorious days traveling to and visiting in Wisconsin. My husband grew up there just outside Wausau, in a farm house that was converted from a barn. It is very old and very lovely and sits on many acres of land that was once used by them for dairy farming. He grew up with cows and chickens and goats and horses, all of which I thought was very novel and cute when I first married him, but quickly realized how much hard work that lifestyle is. I grew up somewhat a city-girl, but then moved to a more rural suburb in Connecticut. I really loved my home in Connecticut and the openness of it all. Certainly nowhere near the type of rural my husband grew up in but I did love it all the same. I enjoy going up there because it gives me a taste of what I really love and as I am Wiccan and hippie girl, it brings me back to nature and I really get the chance to decompress and be one with the land. Our time up there was wonderful, aside from the drive going up we ended up stopping in Kansas because I got a bladder infection. The one time you don’t want to be making 20 pit-stops and I get a bladder infection! My timing is impeccable.
Once we got back home I knew I was scheduled for surgery on my back. That happened July 14th and they kept me until the 15th. The purpose was to look at the hardware in my lower spine and replace it if for some reason the bones hadn’t healed. Lucky for me the bones seemed perfectly sturdy and so they just closed me up and called it a day. But Friday I ended up being in excruciating pain. I think the surgery triggered a fibromyalgia flare and sent my body into over load in the pain department. By the time I rationalized to myself that I had to go to the ER and my mother assured me I wasn’t being a hypochondriac, it was 6pm Friday night. They pumped me with morphine and valium and toradol and finally I felt better. They also found out I had another bladder infection and pumped me with some antibiotic and sent me home with more meds. It has taken all weekend to get to feeling somewhat normal and even so, the surgery kicked my ass. I’ve slept more than I usually ever do and made the decision to give myself a few more days with the blog until I felt good enough to get something up. I am calling this post The Transition, to give an update and get back on track.
The next post will pick up where I left off talking about Mind/Spirit, then Fitness, then Energy Supplemental Nutrition and last, Body Work. When that is done I would like to go back a little and continue where I left off on Food Karma. I promised when I got back from Wisconsin and after my surgery that we would take a health plunge together, but the health plunge I take might be into much deeper waters than what I intended. Let me explain.
I watched a documentary recently while recuperating ,(I am notorious for watching documentaries when I am in pain or sick) called What the Health. Mr. Andersen also produced Cowspiracy, though I have not watched that, mostly because I have not eaten meat for 15 years. But this particular documentary shows the direct correlation between our meat based diet and bad health. And not just obesity, but everything from arthritis to diabetes and heart disease and I had an epiphany. You see so far, no matter what Doctor I see, no one can tell me “Hey Liza, if we do this and this and you do this and this for yourself you could see 80% improvement, you could eliminate pain meds and bipolar and hypertension meds.” So far the only thing I have heard is “We can manage you and your pain.” Well, I am not so certain I want to be managed. I really think that the best thing for me might be a plant based diet where maybe and without harming myself in any way, I might be able to change my future which right now, looks pretty dim. This isn’t a guarantee either. But I can certainly give it 6 months and see how I do right? and by 6 months I am including 1-3 months for transitioning which I would start out by eating clean and adding more plant based meals every week. I never saw myself as going completely Vegan. I like chicken, I like fish, I like cheese. And if I am being completely honest, and hopefully every Vegan out there won’t come after me, I am not sure I could go 100%. But maybe at least 95% and sneak in some salmon every couple of weeks. This decision is not moral based, it is health based- again I hope the Vegans out there do not think I am perverting their choices, but all I am trying to do is eat in a manner that is going to help me get better to a better me and in the process, yes, I will be making choices that are more socially conscious. One of the things that affected me most (as my husband is an avid hunter and I understand the need to hunt and cull some populations of animals) is what the food industry is doing to some segments of our population who live near these areas that raise and kill animals, and how no one is seeing these atrocities in their local news. So by not being a part of what is happening by eating the meat, I would certainly feel better about my role in what is happening to some of these people.
Ultimately the idea of food karma remains the same. My decision, if I choose to go the Vegan route, is my own and I would never ever think to try and convert anyone else, or shame them for the decisions they make in what to eat. What I will try to do is when I post about clean eating, give you enough examples of how you can successfully change your menu slowly that when I head down a different path you can still continue on yours armed with enough information. Those who choose to go the Vegan route with me can continue. I will still be posting about chronic pain and fibromyalgia as well. My blog is not suddenly going to shift to health and fitness. The whole idea about my blog is what you can do to live the best life you can. And what works for me may not work for you and that is okay.