Tag: hawmc

April 20, 2013

HAWMC Day 20: Burnout

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to write about burnout. What does it feel like? What are your burnout triggers? What gets you OUT of the pit of despair when nothing is going your way?

In college, before I was gluten-free, my friends all knew that if I was studying for a test there would be cookies. If I had a long day at work, there would be brownies. If I had a fight with MammaCakes, there would be a cake.

When I went gluten-free, I turned to knitting to unwind. It was a little better for my waistline.

But, then I learned how to bake gluten-free. And my brownies didn’t taste like beans. My cakes weren’t gummy. And there was joy in baking again.

The magic of butter and eggs. Sugar. A small army of flours.

The soothing nature of stirring and whipping. Whisking. The motions of the kitchen.

So, if you are suffering from burnout, I offer you my tried & true burnout cure, brownies. I have my base recipe memorized, and they are endlessly adaptable. And you just need 1 pot and 1 pan.

Brownies are the best.

My favorites are Gluten-Free Mexican Spice Brownies, Gluten-Free Espresso Brownies and Gluten-Free Strawberry Brownies.

April 19, 2013

HAWMC Day 19: Vintage

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to post a photo and where you were with your condition and diagnosis.

These photos are all post-weightloss. The first two are from before the knee injury that started everything, and the third one was not long after the injury, while I was doing physical therapy for an IT band problem and a kneecap being out of whack.

I was diagnosed about 3 months after the bottom photo was taken.

There aren’t too terribly many photos from diagnosis to now. Partially because I have never loved getting my picture taken. And partially because being unable to run or workout due to the pain, I gained a bit of weight back.

These bottom photos are all from the past year. The top two are the most recent. I decided this year that I am taking my body back. And that I am going to love being me, no matter what shape my body is in.

April 18, 2013

HAWMC Day 18: This might come out wrong

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to write about a time that someone said something to you that they wished they could take back. Did you forgive them? Why or why not?

“This isn’t a good time for you to have your surgery. It’s not like you have cancer.”

I had been suffering from the non-stop pain of CRPS for nearly a year and a half. I had suffered through an intrathecal drug pump, 18 nerve blocks and a pile of prescription drugs. And to be fair, my boss did have cancer, which is always a horrible and scary thing.

But that doesn’t mean that my health was ok to be ignored. And I love my old boss.

So, when she was diagnosed, I took my time getting life together for my spinal cord stimulator implant. I did the psychological testing. I did the x-rays. And I started the process of fighting with my insurance to get everything all prepped.

All said and done, it tool five months from the decision to have the implant to the time I was able to finally schedule the surgery. I was finally going to have some relief.

But it wasn’t a good time. The place I was working was struggling financially. I was rebuilding all the websites that we had, but we had fired our in-house web developer. I was managing a creative team and making sure a newspaper got printed every day. My boss had reduced her hours after having chemo. I knew this.

But I needed to take care of me. So, I asked about scheduling surgery. I needed to give my body a break. and they told me:

“You know the timing is bad. We have websites that you need to launch. [Your boss] is not able to be here full time. This isn’t a good time for you to have your surgery. It’s not like you have cancer. You should really put it off”

But, really?

I’m not sure I forgiven the woman who said that to me. Why? Because I had been very open about the treatment process. What my condition was. How it affected my job. I had even gotten in trouble for tweeting about feeling miserable and just wanting my mom.

They knew how bad it was, and yet, because it wasn’t cancer, it wasn’t a priority. They didn’t understand, and I couldn’t make them understand. It took my boss coming back and telling me to take care of myself for me to finally get the treatment I needed.

I know it is time to move on and forgive. So I will try. Their ignorance was the catalyst for a waterfall of good in my life.

April 17, 2013

HAWMC Day 17: {nearly} wordless wednesday

Today’s loose interpretation of the rules is bringing you one of my favorite quotes from my favorite TV show. Because it exemplifies the attitude that I strive for every day. Look on the bright side. Stay hopeful. Keep on dreaming.

Also, if you haven’t submitted your favorite inspirational quotes, please do! I am working on a new project based on these posters I designed last summer.

April 15, 2013

HAWMC Day 15: Sharing

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to pick someone else’s blog post and write a comment to them. (And yes, there is a lot of writing about other people going on in this challenge, but I think this might be the last one).

I have made it halfway through this challenge, and I can certainly say that I am learning an awful lot about myself. And it is incredible to feel so much less alone. To know that there are others out there who suffer as much as I do. To know that other people have faced the same type of choices that I face. To know that other people are pushing through too.

Getting a diagnosis is hard. I don’t care what it is for. There is always a relief knowing what is causing your symptoms but that little relief is often overshadowed by the fear of the unknown. Not knowing how soon you will get your life back. The uncertainty that plagues your research and tests your hope and faith.

This post about the moment of diagnosis from Breaking Up with Captain Crunch brought me to tears. Go read it now, I’ll wait for you to come back.

I have been that girl, too. The one overwhelmed in the grocery store. Trying to figure out which unfamiliar products to buy. Resenting the experience of shopping.

Thanks for telling it like it is, Alissa. I would give that girl a hug too!

April 14, 2013

HAWMC Day 14: Share the love

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to thank a few of your fellow activists for what they have done.

I mentioned some of my favorites on Day 4 of this challenge, so my apologies if some of this feels like a repeat.

There are some lovely ladies in the gluten-free world. Ones who fight the good fight every day to bring awareness. There are so very many who I consider to be friends, but I want to take a couple of paragraphs to talk about just a few of them. To give you an idea of the variety of activists that my community has.

Brandy Wendler, Mrs. Alaska International 2012, Mrs. Northwest International 2013

Facebook | Twitter | Website

I was kind of terrified of Brandy the first time I met her. She is pretty, incredibly intelligent and darn funny. She can grab and hold the attention of a room full of people. And she can make them care. I was lucky enough to spend a whole weekend with her in San Francisco this year, and I can tell you she is the real deal. She travels the country talking about Celiac disease, gluten-free diets and heart health.

Kyra Bussanich, 2-time Cupcake Wars Winner

Facebook | Twitter | Website

I actually met Brandy through Kyra at an expo just over a year ago. Kyra is taking the gluten-free fight to mainstream media with 2 wins and 2 second-place finishes on Food Network’s crazy popular Cupcake Wars. Her gluten-free cupcakes beat out traditionally baked ones every time. If you ever get the chance, you need to stop by her bakery outside of Portland, Oregon.

Aime Valpone, Culinary Nutritionist, Personal Chef, Author Extraordinaire, Health Conqueror

Facebook | Twitter | Website

This lady is a force to be reckoned with, and I hope that I have just one quarter of her optimism. She came back from an incredibly painful mystery illness that doctors gave her just days to live and is now rocking the healthy-eating world. Her struggles closely mirror mine, and her positive, encouraging posts and delicious yet healthy recipes are inspiration for anyone who is struggling with any health or diet issues.

Candice Clifford, Bravely blogging about gluten, CRPS and grad school

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Candice is incredible. I do not know how she handles a blog, grad school and CRPS all at once. And with such poise. I had a hard enough time just living gluten-free at her age, her strength through her struggle is incredibly inspiring.

I could keep going and adding more gluten-free rock stars to this post

But I need to end this list somewhere. Check out my Day 4 list, or check out my Resources page to find all the best gluten-free people of the internet.

April 13, 2013

HAWMC Day 13: An acrostic

Blogger say, what?! I haven’t told you enough about my Crazy Ridiculous Painful Soul-Crusher enough already? I think I have.

See what I did there? It was clever, right?

Good, now that we have that business set aside, I want you to know that I appreciate all the support from my regular readers as I share some bits about my health in the hopes of showing others that a normal(ish) life is possible despite so many odds.

Now, I need a favor. I am working on a new project. One that involves my clever little quote images that I have been sprinkling throughout these posts. I started making them as a challenge to myself last summer, and I wanted to make a proper project out of them. So, I have purchased a domain and will start posting new images shortly (as soon as I have worked out how often I will make them).

I would love it if you would submit your favorite quotes. They should be inspiring(ish), hopeful, maybe even funny, but above all, they should be positive (and not overly religious – this is not a project about faith or religion).

April 12, 2013

HAWMC Day 12: It gets better

I am attempting the Wego Health Activist Writers’ Month Challenge. A post each day in April. So, now that I told you I am going to do it, I oughta follow through, right? Today’s prompt is to post about what you would say to yourself on the day you got diagnosed if you could go back.

I think today, I should focus on the food. Most of my readers come here because they want to bake and eat fabulously with just a lot less (read: none) gluten.

There aren’t a whole heck of a lot of things that make the sting of having to change your entire diet sting less. Or seem less daunting.

Well, except…

It gets better.

Dear Me, Age 22,

Oh, dollface, it really does get better. You won’t mind that people think you are weird because you can’t drink beer. Your migraines are going to ease up. You are going to feel like living again. Your immune system won’t decide that every bug should just come round for a cup of tea.

You are going to start eating better.

At first, you are going to be forced to eat better simply because 90% of the pre-made gluten-free stuff tastes pretty darn bad in 2006. And it is crazy expensive, and you are on a student budget. So, you are going to eat a lot of vegetables. And rice. And you are going to start to love Indian food because of how easy it is to eat out.

After a while it is going to be habit. You are even going to find the strength to lose 120lbs. (Don’t go back to eating junk when it starts to become readily available – or else you will gain some of it back).

You are going to feel like a new person.

You will have energy you never knew you could have (you are going to work 3 jobs your senior year, graduate with honors and with a couple of job offers – this time, don’t turn down Google, you idiot).

Your migraines are going to stop being constant. Your stomach will stop being upset after every meal. You will be less grouchy.

Your friends will come around.

Sure, it is hard for them. It was hard for you. They aren’t going to know what to say when you turn down dinner plans because you can’t eat somewhere safely. They are going to be weird when you can’t drink at a party because there is just a keg. You’ll get over them being weird, and they will get used to the new way you have to eat.

Sincerely, You, age 28

April 11, 2013

HAWMC Day 11: Favorites

I don’t think the spirit of the prompt was to encourage me to write about Piction. Or how to effectively text using only emojiis (although I am quite skilled at that).

And this post doesn’t involve cupcakes. Which is terribly sad; I hope you can forgive me.

I hope that I can make it up to you tomorrow. But today, I am going to take a cue from my friend Candice, and tell you a few of my favorite things.

Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: ~~Carrots~~ French Silk Pie
Favorite Vacation: Munich for Oktoberfest
Favorite Disney Princess: Cinderella
Favorite Book: I have to choose one?
Favorite TV Show: Doctor Who
Favorite Season: Spring
Favorite Month: June
Favorite Store: Does Zappos count?
Favorite Subject in School: French
Favorite Animal: My baby, Cecelia
Favorite City, in USA: Chicago
Favorite Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s and White Christmas
Favorite Team: Da Bears
Favorite Singer: Celine Dion
Favorite Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day because it is the only time my mom makes her famous bread pudding with whiskey caramel.
Favorite Sport: Football
Favorite Thing about Chi-Town: The Art Institute
Favorite time of Day: Midmorning… It’s when I feel the most awake
Favorite App: Other than Facebook? Currently it is Piction.
Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday
Favorite Magazine: Jamie Magazine
Favorite Past time: Knitting and baking
Favorite Quote: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different” -Coco Chanel

April 10, 2013

HAWMC Day 10: {nearly} Wordless Wednesday – I feel pretty

I learned a little something about myself when looking for a picture to post.

I tend to make faces when a camera is in my face. All sorts of silly i-don’t-feel-so-pretty faces. The kind of faces where you try to make it seem like you have a devil may care attitude. When all you really want is for the camera to go away.

And that is in the pictures that I let get that far. Normally I prefer to be on the other side, snapping away. Finding and framing a world that sometimes I feel like I am not part of.

But every now and then, a picture where I am not making a ridiculous face slips through.

Enter this photo. It is me and my newest cousin (my cousin-in-law if you will). Dressed to the nines.

Having fun despite the pain. Living life and not letting it pass me by.