A Month of Hypo Symptoms

After experiencing hypothyroid symptoms (irregularity, bloating, gas,  indigestion, esp. reflux, fatigue, low body temperature) during most of April, I finally realized that I needed to increase my T3 dose by 2.5mcg (which is a small amount, but effective with T3 only treatment).  I tried that small increase off and on during the past couple of months, especially after my last allergen (vanilla) contamination incident.  Most celiacs react to contamination with diarrhea, not constipation, which is more indicative of hypothyroid than allergy reactions. However, I had experienced soooo many years of constipation before my hypothyroid diagnosis that I automatically think that I must have eaten the wrong food or not eaten enough of the right food or not drunk enough liquids or not exercised enough, etc., etc. I heard all that 'constipation cure'  advice for so many years that I can easily forget that the only longlasting solution for me is an effective thyroid dose.

 Last year I spent 8 months slowly raising my T3 dose (according to symptom appearance and resolution). So I believed I finally found my final, full effective dose, when I had no hypo symptoms for 8 months.  I wanted to stay at one dose. I didn't like having to request new prescriptions with new doses, although my doctor lets me tell her how much I need.   

 I should stay open to the possibility that I need to increase my dose.  Of course 2.5mcg is a tiny increase, but enough to notice a huge difference in my digestion, gut motility, energy level, body temperature and general attitude toward life.  I don't know whether I'll stay at this dose. So I plan to ask my doc to give me a new prescription witn a 5 mcg increase, just in case I need another small dosage increase.

What Are Your Favorites?

I've read several versions of the following questions on various social media, but I don't recall ever blogging my answers to questions about my 'favorites'.  So in the spirit of getting acquainted, I decided to list and answer the following 'favorites' questions.  I alphabetized the questions. (Actually I used the alphabet for inspiration.) Feel free to copy and paste these questions into your own blog post and insert your own answers ...

Favorite automobile: Mazda (first car was a GLC, now own a Mazda 2)

Favorite bird: penguin

Favorite color: orange

Favorite dessert: cookies or ice cream

Favorite eastcoast city: NYC

Favorite fiction book: "I Was Amelia Earhardt" (I don't usually read fiction, but recently read and liked that book)

Favorite game: Go Fish with Hawaiian species (Do you have any Hummuhummunukunukuapua'a?)

Favorite holiday: Wedding Anniversary which we celebrate in Maui.

Favorite ice cream flavor; Green Tea or Chocolate (I can only eat one brand which contains none of my allergens. Those are my 2 favorites of the 4 flavors I can eat. However, I can make in my blender and icecream maker many allergy free flavors, but that's more work.)

Favorite jewelry: Delicate, long earrings or lightweight necklaces with coral or freshwater pearls

Favorite knick knacks: My deceased aunt's colored glass pitchers.

Favorite lyric from a song: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."

Favorite musician: Enya (singer) or Geoffrey Castle (electric guitar player) for instrumentals

Favorite nonfiction book: "Waiting to Fly: My Escapades with the Penguins of Antarctica" by Ron Naveen

Favorite ocean beach: Kamaole Beach 2 in Kihei, Maui, HI is nice for swimming, but I prefer the beach behind the Lahaina Shore Condo/Hotel also in Maui for just walking and beachcombing.

Favorite perfume/scent: White Ginger

Favorite quotation: "(Y)ou'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." (Phillippians 4:8 from "The Message" translation)

Favorite restaurant: Tropica at the Ka'anapali Westin, Maui, HI (The chef loves making allergy free entrees with fantastic sauces just for me. I love the special attention and tasty meals.)

Favorite sport (either watch or play): I like to watch figure skating but actually skate occasionally. I like to play tennis during the summer.

Favorite tv show: "Project Runway" or "Once Upon a Time"

Favorite umbrella: animal print umbrella which matches my inifinity scarf

Favorite vacation destrination: Lahaina, Maui, HI

Favorite westcoast city: I like Seattle where I live, but San Diego is also fun to visit.

Favorite xanthum gum use: Gluten free cookies, breads or cupcakes.

Favorite yogurt: Amande raspberry yogurt with additional raspberries.

Favorite zoo: Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, but San Diego's SeaWorld "Penguin Experience" is the best penguin exhibit I've seen.

Little Known Facts About Me

I was inspired by a friend's blog post about funny things about her and another blogger's post of 5 things people don't know about her.  So here's my list of little known facts about me:

I'm a penguin freak. I collect stuffed penguins, penguin clothing (not tuxedos LOL), jewelry, penguin ornaments (our Christas tree has penguin lights and ornaments), books about penguins, etc., etc. When I was very bloated with undiagnosed CD and food allergies I often described my body as 'penguin shaped'. 

I'm addicted to fashionista blogs.  I read them daily and get inspired to improve my style.

I prefer sewing (making new garments or altering old ones) to almost anything else.

As well as penguin paraphenalia, I collect clothes.  I make them, buy them, alter them for better fit.  When I travel I buy clothing 'souveniers, like tee shirts or dresses.

If I ever won the lottery, I'd buy a house on the beach in Lahaina, Maui, HI.  I've been to Maui about 8 times and always return to Lahaina.  The manager of Lahaina's Serendipity boutique knows me well.

I walk 45-60 minutes daily to keep my bones strong. I lost 1-1/2 inches of height during the years I had undiagnosed celiac disease.  Several NTX tests proved that I'm no longer losing bone, because I'm no longer eating gluten. So I can easily absorb calcium from my diet.  However I still take daily magnesium and vitamin D for bone health,  I also lift weights daily.

I weigh 40 pounds less than I did during my freshman year of college. Instead of the 'freshman 10' I gained 25 pounds during my first 3 months of college.That was the first time I could eat freely without teasing or critcizm from my family about my weight (which was 115# when I entered college).  Of course I'm 1-1/2" shorter now, but I'm happy that I no longer worry about weight, thanks to a healthy metabolism with thyroid supplements.

I'm 4 years older than my husband who won't be able to collect full SSN benefits for another 4 years.  (Do the math.)

Like my friend, I need to do something with my hands when I walk or stand. If I can't put them into pockets or carry something, my hands, arms (wings?) automatically slip into full penguin position.

That's enough for now.  I feel a little embarrassed after revealing all that  ... SIGH

April Update

After 1-1/2 months of not posting I realized that I prefer enjoying my life to writing about my activities, health, beliefs, etc. Nevertheless I decided I could at least post a monthly update.  Friends who read my blog tell me that they enjoy reading about my day to day activities. However, I get the most 'hits' on posts about my medical experiences. So I'll share my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual news:

PHYSICAL:  I'm still doing very well on 55mcg daily of liothyronine (T3 supplement). Over a year ago I stopped taking my T4 supplement and started T3 only therapy.  After 8 months I reached my effective T3 dose and have stayed at that dose for the past 8 months. 

However, a week ago I accidentally consumed a small amount (1/2 teaspoon) of chocolate sauce which contained vanilla (one of my diagnosed allergens to which I strongly react).  After 7 days of cramps, bloating and reflux I'm finally feeling almost normal digestion again (and my typically flat stomach).  I was so angry at the sales person who gave me that tiny sample. I specifically asked what ingredients were in the chocolate sauce. She told me "only cocoa and agave". AFTER I tasted that, I looked at the label on the container and saw the word 'vanilla'. I asked the salesperson why she didn't tell me it contained vanilla. She tried to wriggle out of the situation by saying she didn't think the company added vanilla, but the cocoa already contained vanilla.  Just the same, the label stated vanilla and she lied by omission by not telling me when I asked.  NOTE TO SELF: Always read the container. Never trust the salesperson. SIGH

EMOTIONAL: This month began on a high note. A longtime friend spent her vacation seeing my city and spending time with me during the first week of April.  We packed so much into the four days we spent together. We shopped for clothes, ate lunch together every day, did the 'house tour' of my home, walked around my local lake and fed crows and coots, prepared and enjoyed a meal at my home, visited the art museum and waterfront aquarium, rode the Space Needle to the top and took lots of photos, saw the Dale Chihuly Glass Art Museum (first time for both of us) and enjoyed dinner at the Whole Foods Deli one night and at PF Chang's before she boarded the train to the airport and flew home home.  While doing all that we talked nonstop and learned so much more about one another. We walked so much each day that at one point I reminded my very tired self that I could return to my usual relaxed pace the following week. However, I felt rather numb during the first few days after she left. I didn't feel anything. Then yesterday I had to go into town to run errands before meeting my husband for dinner and a meeting at our church. When I returned to one of the same shopping malls where I met my friend several times during her visit, I realized why I felt numb. I really felt sad. I had just spent a wonderful week with a great friend, but now I was visiting those same places alone.  Just acknowledging that sadness and realizing how much I missed my friend helped me move on.  That experience reminded me that I used to feel numb, rather than face unpleasant feelings. I became more aware of my feelings several years ago. So that 'numbness' took me by surprise.

MENTAL: I still enjoy altering clothes that don't fit or flatter my body as well as I'd like.  Every garment is a new challenge, although some garments require alterations which are similar to previously altered garments. Of course, every successfully altered garment is like a brand new piece of clothing. I previously donated to charity (or tried to sell in consignment shops) clothes which no longer fit well (or never fit well, but I didn't really know when I bought them).  Now I love to pin, rip and resew anything I can find.  I haven't followed any patterns to make new clothes since last year.

SPIRITUAL: After reading "A Course in Miracles" cover to cover (in 3 months) and attending a study group about the "Course" for almost 8 months, I took a break from that group while my husband and I battled a bad cold. (The group met in the leader's small living room, where we could have easily shared our cold virus with the whole group.) After a few weeks away, I didn't really want to return to the group. We did return one night, but decided to stay away for awhile, at least until after the first week in April, when my friend visited.  However, on Easter on minister announced that she would lead a class on affirmative prayer during April.  We have attended Unity of Seattle for 8 months, but we're still mystified by that church's approach to prayer. So both my husband and I attended the first class last night and decided to take the whole course (another 3-4 weeks).  I realized after the first class that reading "Manifest Your Dreams" by Wayne Dyer familiarized me with the logic of affirmative prayer, without actually calling the approach 'prayer'.  (Maybe he could sell more books by not calling it 'prayer'.)  I know a bit more than I did before the first class, but I'm still struggling with practical application. Of course, that's why I took the class.

I'm uncertain where 'gardening' fits into my categories (physical? emotional?) ... but I wanted to mention that we started our vegie gardens. I transplanted brocolli plants (from a local store). My husband and I planted seeds for lettuce, green onions, kale, carrots, golden beets.  We will wait until we have warmer weather in May to plant zucchini and green bean seeds.  I still need to clean out the strawberry patch and transplant some strawberry 'volunteer' plants which pop up wherever birds (who eat the berries) drop the seeds.  Our raspberry and blueberry bushes are blooming, but we won't see signs of life from our grape arbor until after a few more weeks. My cold weather herbs are doing well. I need to use or freeze the rosemary before summer, because it thrives during cold weather and barely tolerates heat.

 

March Update

As expected, my life became more complicated after my last post.  I did make Valentine cherry flavored cutout cookies with coconut flavored frosting. My husband LOVED those cookes, but we still have 6 left. He wants more decorated cookies for St. Patrick's Day, even though he never celebrated that day before he met me.  Any excuse for more cookies ... but I need to explain what happened on Valentine's Day. 

My husband caught a cold from a coworker about a week before Valentine's Day. He shared that cold with me. He developed a painful cough. I developed a sinus infection. So by Valentine's Day we were both too sick to celebrate much, even though he took time off to spend the day with me.  We walked to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch, because I always crave spicy foods when I havea cold. He also gave me an H&M gift certificate with his Valentine's card for me. No chocolates, because we can't find any chocolate free of dairy, soy and cane sugar. I can make allergy free fudge, but that's too much work for the few times I crave chocolate. I can always eat my allergy free chocolate ice cream on those rare occasions.

Despite taking lots of zinc, vitamins C and D and arabinogalactins (the source of echinecea), eating many oranges, getting lots of sleep, the cold lingered on for weeks. When my husband returned to work, he heard everyone coughing and their stories about getting a severe cold that lingered for weeks. My husband is still coughing a month later. I still get a sore throat (my first symptom), when I get tired early in the evening.  Nevertheless we both recovered somewhat.

I never finished altering one pair of pants, although I successfully altered the other 2.  After days of struggling to resolve a crooked pleat problem, I gave up and hung the pants in the back of my sewing closet, behind many other garments, which I'll probably want to wear sooner than those pants. 

We had sunny, warmer weather this weekend. So we cleaned out last year's vegie gardens by harvesting the rest of the carrots and leeks, but threw out brocolli plants, which our local birds considered part of their daily diet.  Although we have 2 seed feeders and 3 suet feeders, the birds attacked my brocolli regularly. So I only harvested a few small brocolli heads from about a dozen plants. This year we will plant brocolli far away from the bird feeders and cover the plants with netting.

I've also spent several weeks hasselling with Express. I bought a pair of columnist pants last month and was told I'd get 50% off a second pair.  The first pair was a store return, which fit perfectly. However, that size is usually only available online. So the manager ordered another pair online, but we could only guess the color, because online colors are deceiving.  Over a week later, the 2nd pair of pants arrived, but the color didn't match anything in my wardrobe. The fit was fine, but just not my color. So I returned those pants in store and was persuaded by that store's personnel to buy another pair in a different color. However, those pants were the same number size, but different length.  I soon realized that a 00r (regular) is actually bigger all around (waist, hips, thighs and lengths) than a 00s (short), the size of my original purchase.  However, I also had ordered 2 more pairs of columnist pants online in my size and colors which seemed to fit into my wardrobe.  Before the 2nd 2 pairs arrived, I returned the 00r to a local store.  The next day I received the 2nd 2 pairs in the mail.  One pair was labeled size 00short, but they were huge. I could put them on and take them off without even unhooking or unzipping them.  The second pair was another 00regular, which were a little too big, but I ordered those before I realized that 00regulars were bigger, not just longer, than 00shorts.  However, I measured the waist of the 00r, which was 28 inches. Then I measured the waist of the 00short pair, which seemed waaaay too large. The 00s was actually 32 inches in the waist.  Obviously those were mislabeled. So today I returned the mislabeled 00s and slightly too big 00r pants to the store.  I need to mention that I ordered another 00s pant in a true white color.  Hopefully the color and the size will be correct this time. Fed Ex estimates I'll receive that last pair on Friday, the day before St. Patrick's day, when I'll be baking cookies.

 I hope Express finally gets one right.  After this experience, I'm done ordering online. I'm glad H&M only offers garments in the stores. If they don't have my size, I move onto another garment (or store).  By the way, I've already blown that H&M gift certificate, which my husband gave me for V Day.  I don't know why I bother shopping anywhere besides H&M.

Alteration Trials and Tricks

Related to my addiction to clothes is my alterations passion. Rather than give away clothes which I previously loved and wore BCDD (before celiac disease diagnosis when my stomach was bloated almost 24/7), I learned to alter garments so that they fit my current (flat abdomen) body. I haven't posted again on my blog since my birthday, because I've been busy doing alterations on dressy pants.

Several years ago I bought wide leg pants with high waists. I loved the high waist part, but I'm really too petite (short and thin) for wide leg pants. I also dislike the constant flapping of the pants bottoms against my legs. Those are dark colored, light weight wool. So I would wear them in the winter, but the wide legs don't provide much warmth. Similarly I bought flare pants, which got wider below the knee. Again too much flapping for me. So I've been working on reducing the flare (and flap) on 3 pairs of pants. After I get those to hang straight, I'll tackle 2 more pairs of wide leg pants. I'm also altering a wool bias cut skirt (from long to short plus narrowing the sides a bit).

I did include 'tricks' in the title of this post. So I need to add that if you take in one side of a pant leg (i.e. outer seam) below mid thigh, you need to take an equal amount off the other side (i.e. inner seam). Otherwise, the pleats don't hang straight.  If you have narrow hips (yeah that's a rare problem, but I have that), A-line skirts may 'collapse' on the sides and create 'tails' in the front and back of the skirt. So you need to fit the skirt pattern to your own hips or alter the finished garment (which I usually do). Bias cut skirts tend to collapse more obviously in the front and back, when your hips are too narrow. So, instead of tails, you get inverted tails or ruffles over your knees with a deep indentation between your legs. SIGH The heavier the material, the more a bias cut skirt can collapse, rather than forming even little ruffles at the  hem. I plan to take in the hip area and use a serged rolled hem to create even ruffles on my wool bias skirt.

Amidst all that I need to find time to make Valentine's Day cookies. I doubt I'll post again until after this week.

Cake Occasion

I love frosted cake. Even with 7 food allergies (gluten, dairy, soy, cane sugar, egg, vanilla and nutmeg) I can bake tasty, allergy free cakes which I LOVE to eat.  I consider every holiday a 'cake occasion' or at least a cooky occasion if a cake occasion will occur in the same month.

Today is my birthday. Because we'll be busy all day attending church, seeing a movie, shopping and having 'birthday' dinner at PF Chang's, I made (and ate) my birthday cake yesterday. I hadn't baked a bundt cake since my husband's birthday 2 years ago, when I made a lemon poppyseed cake with lemon glaze. We enjoyed that cake so much that I wanted to try a recipe for apple spice bundt cake.

I like to 'enhance' recipes.  Besides the suggested cake batter ingredients (all gluten/dairy/soy/egg free), I substituted finely chopped pecans for raisins (one of my husband's allergies). Instead of vanilla (an allergy for both of us), I used my favorite 'ginger peach' flavor. I also added ginger and cardamom to the recommended cinnamon spice. I always substitute beet sugar or coconut palm sugar for cane sugar in recipes, because I'm allergic to cane sugar.

I totally changed the recipe's glaze. I tried combining maple syrup with powdered sugar (per the recipe), but I hated the flavor (icky sweet). I always taste what I prepare, esp. glace or frostings. LOL Rather than the sickening sweet syrup/sugar combo, I decided to add some Earth Balance soy/dairy free spread (like a soft margarine) and more ginger peach flavor,  I spent awhile adding and tasting, before I created the taste and texture I wanted, but I liked it. While the cake cooled, I refrigerated my version of the 'glace'. Later before dinner I set the glace on the counter to soften a bit, because refrigeration hardened it beyond spreading.  Even after an hour at room temperature,  I still had to spread the glace rather than pour it.  However, after the glaced (frosted?) cake sat on the dining room table, while we ate dinner, the glace began to melt and run off the cake just a little. So we'll store the cake in the refrigerator.

I enjoyed the cake part, but still thought the glace/frosting was too sweet. My husband suggested that I just scrape off the frosting, when I cut a piece of cake for myself, and put the extra frosting back on the cake or cake plate. He assured me that he would take care of any extra frosting. LOL I suspect I will enjoy the frosted cake on a day when I haven't been preparing and tasting frosting. I can easily get sweets overload!

I won't mention my age, because I feel healthier and more energetic than I did 25 years ago. Age is relative and most related to mindset.  My ACIM lesson for today is "I could see peace instead of this".  That's my favorite lesson so far.  I may find situations in which to practice that today.