About Me

I have tunnel vision today guys. I spent a good portion of the afternoon finally getting our About Us page up and running... anddddd a majority of the time spent was going back through my archives, updating posts with the appropriate labels (sorry if some old posts popped up in your blog reader, I tried to keep it from doing that but I think a few snuck through). Sounds like a weird OCD thing, right? you are probably right. But I am also working on getting all the DIY and RENO pages updated and that is a big chunk of the work needed to get those up to snuff (what does that really even mean? I think it'll be the last time I use that saying...).

One thing I didn't include in the About Us page is something I've been struggling with lately. I didn't really want to talk about it on the blog, mainly because I'm not one to complain, specially publicly, but I felt maybe others can relate and offer some personal input. 

You may recall a Caprese Salad I shared with you guys back in January. I was darn near obsessed with it, eating it a couple times a week for lunch, but after the first week I started to notice I had stomach cramps afterwards. I didn't even really think about it, but after the second or third time I decided that the Balsamic vinegar must be giving me indigestion so I decided to cut the salad for a while. On and off for a month I had small cramping after certain meals, etc. but really didn't find it overwhelming or anything serious. 

Fast forward until our second or third day of holiday back at the start of March when I ordered a breakfast burrito and about an hour later while we were out shopping I found myself unable to continue a conversation due to lack of breath. I immediately knew something wasn't right and told Sean to take us home. I laid in bed for about 3 hours with shortness of breath and knife like cramping in my stomach. It almost felt like asthma, but I don't have asthma. I took some tums, but no improvement led me to believe it wasn't indigestion like I originally thought. After recovering over the evening I shrugged it off and decided to carry on. Everything was fine until 2 days later when I ate half a slice of tomato at dinner and yet again felt like I could not breathe and was doubled over in pain.

FINALLY it clicked: the tomatoes were doing it. Within the course of only a few more weeks I could no longer even enjoy a teaspoon of ketchup at breakfast without feeling the side effects and somehow have the same response to potatoes and potato based foods. YEAH I know, no chips, no fries, is life worth living???

So anyways, I tried to keep it short and simple and failed, but after living 28 years without an allergy I have a full blown life threatening allergy to Night Shade plants (Tomato, Potato and Tobacco and the most common). I now tote an epi pen and benedryl everywhere like my life depended on it... oh wait it does. How bizarre is that? I have really been struggling lately because until you cannot have a tomato or potato you really don't realize that THEY ARE IN EVERYTHING. It has been a blessing in that my food choices are really limited to more healthy options and that we cook at home nearly every night {I don't trust eating out after a few bad incidents} so our bank account is happy with that. 

If anyone else out there has dealt with this or any food allergy let's all drown our sorrows together and share some meal ideas because my same 4 meals are really getting played out!

Thanks for listening and be sure to check out the FINALLY updated About Us page right up top.