Doing well-ish

Just a quick hello to say I've not fallen off the wagon. I did however go to sleep around 2am Friday night and slept through till 10pm Saturday night. I know those of you with young children are probably thinking "must be nice" and it was, but it's hard on my family and it does somewhat make me feel like something isn't right that I can do that, or do do that. When I did wake I had quite the headache and didn't want to move much, so that could have been what was in part gluing me to my spot all those hours. I will say that I feel refreshed finally after a week of poor sleep, and when one hasn't been feeling like oneself for a long time, it's hard to knock sleep.

The organic strawberries are still in the fridge untouched, looking only slightly worse for wear, a few will need tossing. They are good enough to eat just as they are, without even any sugar, but I would like to get those scones made just for the glory of the combination. I don't think I'll do them like shortcake but rather like Scottish tea scones done with some butter and or whipped cream and berries in between. I wonder if you can make yourself sick on strawberries, cause I think I might need to eat like a pint of them today.

I opened my bag of "dirty chips" (brand name, not moral judgement) without having a bad day but to enjoy rather with a favorite show "Lark Rise to Candleford." I am pleased to report that while they were nice and tasted good, they didn't grab me like they have in the past. I felt even somewhat pressed to eat the whole small bowl I had poured. This is good news to me, they were nice, but not glorious. What has happened to me I know not and I am starting to think it must have been the prayer after all, that the desire for these things has just abated, either that or I am seriously unwell (-:

When I was talking to my friend Erin, it occurred to me that I probably need some kind of plan as to what I am going to do about this anemia or feeling poorly. I'm thinking after a good month or 6 weeks of taking my liquid iron faithfully, I should have my blood tested again, and see where my numbers are, and I may also insist he check my vitamin b12 to see if I have a deficiency that can exacerbate iron deficiency anemia as well as be it's own form of anemia. If I am still poorly numerically, I think it is time to press onward, either to see an internist who might try harder to get at the bottom of this, or a hematoligist. I'm rather hoping of course that the iron taking and the good eating will be enough.

For my young friends, know that I got discouraged in all my years of being "in the way of women" from taking vitamin supplements WITH iron by all these news stories and reports of how you "could" have trouble processing iron and as such you should NEVER take it without a physicians recommendation. Well, while there are a rare few who do have hemochromatosis (more men than women) there are far more women who are anemic, especially those who bleed heavily AND in fact, bleeding heavily can be an egg and a chicken, both a cause and a symptom of iron deficiency.

SO, if you are a woman and bleed, please be sure your vitamin has iron in it...just be exceedingly careful to keep these away from children as Iron is very very dangerous for the little ones and is a leading cause of child poisoning. Because of this fact, in part, I half wonder if we are serving our children poorly by giving them vitamins that are "fun shaped" and tasty, I think perhaps vitamins should be more of a neutral chore, not something to tempt them like candy. They must have kids chewable vitamins that aren't so great or awful out there, or liquid you could dose their drinks with. I'm thinking medicine should be medicine, not candy. Just one concerned gramma's opinion.

Sarah, thanks for reading and commenting. I am encouraged by your desires to take baby steps too, and that I'm not the only one who needs to make small changes at a time. In my youth I was more all or nothing, and I don't know that that has been the best path for me, because then when one has seeming setbacks it is too easy to get discouraged and just give up a better way of living and eating all together. At least it has been for me.