Where do I start.....

There is something that I wanted to talk about today and now that I am typing I am having a hard time putting my thoughts into words here. It basically starts off with last week I was told to contact a support group for Celiac's. Now I know support groups can be very helpful to many people for various reasons I just don't know that it is for me. Before I met with my nutritionist I had done some searching on the internet for information regarding Celiac's disease and even found a message board. I had found answers to most of my questions before I had even stepped into the nutritionist office. I felt like I got better answers from people online who are experiencing the same things as me versus someone who has just read about it. People say that the internet has an adverse effect to society and that may be true but there are still plenty positives to be had. I have found more support and even friendships via the internet than I could have ever imagined. I guess I have to thank Sarah for that. She was the first to turn me on to message boards. I was a stay at home mom with not many friends in same boat as me. She turned me on to a mommy message board where I met some amazing women. Eight years later I still am friends with MANY of those same women. We have had coffee dates, play dates, game nights, scrapping nights, you name it and we have done it. I have belonged to message boards for all kinds of interest such as books, movies,music, parenting, scrapbooking, and have been truly inspired. I may not have met them all in person but many have had a lasting impact on me that I will not easily forget. So I guess the internet can be a bad thing when it comes to going out and socializing like a normal human being but it can also can be a truly wonderful gift as well. I have some pretty amazing people in my life because of it.

I survived...

Well today is my first day back to reality. Made it home from Las Vegas last night around 8:30. It was a quick trip but so much fun. We started off the weekend staying the night in San Francisco which also happened to be 11.5 years of marriage for Jeff and I. We toasted it up with a few glasses of wine.

Then we were off to Vegas really early in the morning. We met Art and Melissa at the airport. We checked into our hotel and then it was off to the strip for some more drinking and gambling.

Sunday we headed to the track to watch the Kobalt Tools 400. The weather was perfect and my Driver, Dale Jr. came in 8th. That is the best that we have seen him finish in person.

Then we headed back to the strip, it took 2 hours to go 10 miles. Interesting conversations happen when you are stuck in traffic for two hours and you have 4 people who have to pee. Just sayin'.

We finished off the night grabbing some In-N-Out and taking it to the Wynn. Doesn't everyone eat a hamburger in front of a poker machine??

Special K, Nachos and Protein Burgers from In and Out seemed to be my staple foods for the weekend. I would have had to take a loan out to pay for anything else on the menu's that was safe for me to eat.




After the race we headed back to the strip but it took 2 hours.

I am in mourning...

Did you know you can grieve over food? Yea I would have never thought so until last week. And it is not the same kind of grief that one might experience losing a friend or family member. Heck even a family pet. But there is a sense of loss when you realize that the plate of spaghetti you had last week was the last. Or the last Sub Sandwich from your favorite sub shop will never be again. Everyday there is something that I have remembered that I will never have again and for the most part it's ok because I know that in the long run it is making me a healthy person. As time goes on, many more food companies and restaurant are expanding their awareness and are striving to make their food more Gluten-Free Friendly but there is still room for LOTS of improvement. This last week of being Gluten Free has had a great effect on me. I went from feeling like a 70 year old back to a 30 something. That is a great motivator to continue my diet without being tempted by food. Even when for example, last night my house was filled with the aroma of pizza and chocolate chip cookies both of which are now on the No-No list, I stayed strong and didn't have the slightest temptation to give in. Probably the thing I will miss the most is beer. I hate to say that, but it is true. From what I hear GF beer does not compare to the real thing. So when my husband is enjoying himself the occasional Blue Moon with an orange I think "must be nice". This GF lifesytle is pushing me to be more organized and to plan ahead. I always have had great intentions of planning ahead for many things but working that into reality has been something else. I have no intention of making my blog all about the GF lifestyle I have now adopted and my current complaints but it is what I am going thru for now. I am looking forward to my weekend in Las Vegas with the hubby, sister-in-law and future brother-in-law. Wish me luck!!!

In a Brain Fog

Yes it is a real thing, that has been me that last 2 months. Here I thought I was just tired from stress. January and February are the busiest time of the year for the Pealer's. So as the days went by I didn't really think anything of it. Then about a month ago I was having some pain in my wrist that eventually spread to my whole left arm. Pain meds had NO effect at all. Then I started having neuropathy in my hands. Doctor thought maybe I had a pinched nerve in my neck causing me these problems. I sat at work every day just willing myself to make it thru the day. I had no motivation, could not concentrate and was in pain. You know when something is wrong, then you get a little obsessive trying to self diagnose. Web MD is not your friend LOL. My Doctor was great, she ran an extensive blood panel on me, had xray's ordered and even and MRI when Steroids and Vicodin didn't seem to work. Well come to find out I have a an Auto-immune diease called Celiac's Disease. What is Celiac's you ask well this link explains it better than I can.
http://www.celiac.com/articles/572/1/A-Summary-of-Celiac-Disease-and-Gluten-Intolerance-by-Scott-Adams/Page1.html


Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133 Americans. Most people experience gastrointestinal symptoms. However my body decided to attack me in my joints, muscles and nerves. Lucky me. There is not a cure and the only way to relieve your symptoms is to eliminate gluten from your diet 100%. Sounds easy right? Well it is and it isn't. I have to read labels on everything I eat unless of course it is fresh meat or produce. Did you know that Soy sauce has gluten? Yea I didn't either. Gluten is hidden in so many things that we use every day. So far I have survived and plan to do everything possible to feel better. I have a great support systems in my family and friends. This is for the rest of my life. I hope that my kids will be spared from having Celiac's as well but there is no guarantee that it won't pop up with them at some point in the future. For now it is one day at a time. If I can get thru a weekend in Las Vegas without gluten that will make me a happy girl.

Slacker or just a Mental Fog..

Really it has been a little bit of both but I will explain that in another post. Since I really want to keep up on blogging, and have been inspired by some great people I have made a decision. Since I am so bad at remembering to post at any regular interval I have set my email to shoot me a reminder everyday. Pathetic I know but right now I really need that. I'm not really in the mood for deep reflection or anything too inspiring at the moment. I am very excited though to be headed back to Vegas in 3 days with the hubby, my sister-in-law and future brother-in-law. I see lots of good memories about to be made.

Well it's Wednesday

Half way thru the week but still have so much more to go. I feel like our lives have been sucked up into the funnel of a tornado and I am just waiting to be spit out at some other place and time. That's just the way life is I guess sometimes. Things are crazy but good. So I will just keep on trucking. I'm sure if you have children you can totally relate. I am really looking forward to next weekend not just because it is a long weekend but Jeff and I will be celebrating 11 years of marriage. Time sure does fly. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!