There's a Surprise in the Bathtub - and Other Tales of Glorious Ignominy

The other day as I took items out of the fridge in preparation to make my day's lunch (with snacks), I paused and decided it was worthy of a picture. Back in the day I used to take two peanut butter sandwiches, a granola bar, an apple and a carrot, maybe some cookies, and that was my lunch for a day's work. Now with eating protein every 2 hours and trying to balance that with enough good carbs and vegetables, I get out the almonds and the cottage cheese and the whole wheat bread and the cooked grains and the leftovers from yesterday's supper and the apple and the carrots and the spinach and the cheese and crackers and the mayo and the meat...and I'm still hungry at the end of the day, and I'm still losing weight! Hmph.

And now that we've talked about lunch, here's another photo and I hope it doesn't make you lose yours:


I was giving Kate a bath and had just decided to get a book and let her play for awhile when I noticed a look of studious concentration on her clean, wet face. "Oh no," I said with great dread. "I hope you're just making bubbles." Alas, it was not so.

Worship

A few people have asked how I am doing lately (healthwise). Depending on how I am doing at the moment, I answer accordingly...overall I am doing quite well (better than I have been in ten months), but I still have moments/days that are not as fun.

Last night I experienced the interesting phenomenon known as 'crawling skin.' It literally feels as though my skin is crawling. Apparently it shows up in people who are lacking sleep and under stress, but is known to the hypoglycemic as well. As I had been short on sleep the night before, I guess that's why my skin chose last night to crawl... fun hey?

This morning at work I was also feeling a bit off, and was praying to my Father to help me make it through the day. I seem to feel closer to God when I am in greater need (desperation). It shouldn't be that way. But I also noticed that this afternoon when I felt much better, I was thankful and praising Him for that. So I guess I felt close to Him then, too. It is worship to need God, because He created us to be dependent on Him. It is also worship to thank him for every breath. Hallelujah!

Hypoglycemia Book Reviews

The first three books I read when I suspected I had hypoglycemia are briefly reviewed below. They are all available through the Fraser Valley Regional Library.



Hypoglycemia: The Other Sugar Disease by Anita Flegg
This is a good primer to hypoglycemia. The author identifies and sympathizes with many symptoms. The real-life examples of people in different stages of struggle are encouraging, as many of them show that progress is possible! It is also a Canadian book, which is nice...It is written in easy-to-understand language and explains things such as the Glycemic Index. I e-mailed the author to thank her for her book, and she actually e-mailed me back! Recommended if you or someone you know thinks they may have hypoglycemia.


Hypoglycemia: The Classic Healthcare Handbook by Saunders & Ross
This book has been around for many years (in fact the MD coauthor has since passed away). It is quite heavy on the 'health nut' side of things but explains the reasons why. The author rails against the evils of sugar, processed foods, etc...which gets a bit tiresome. I enjoyed the medical side, though, such as the explanations of why some glucose tolerance tests get misinterpreted, and the three stages most patients go through (I was in the middle stage and getting quite discouraged until I read that my symptoms were expected). A good technical book with some good health-nut ideas too.


Hypoglycemia for Dummies by Chow and Chow
This is another good primer for hypoglycemia. It is written in easy-to-understand terminology. I enjoyed the coverage of the 'sugar blues' side of things (depression) and was glad to read more about the impact stress has, and how to manage stress through various exercises (though some were a little too far out for me).

Overall I got something new out of each book and am glad I read them all. A friend I know from high school youth group recommended another one about adrenal fatigue, so I have requested that from the library. Incidentally, this friend is struggling with the same thing I am, though he has it a bit worse right now...it is good to know I'm not alone!