July 15, 2015

No journaling for a while because we’ve been so busy planning my parent’s 50th anniversary party. My sisters and I worked overtime pulling together nostalgic photos, decorations and a tear-jerking video, and we’ve all made it back home for the big party tomorrow. It’s hot and humid, hectic, but wonderful to have the Johannsen Five all back together and under the roof of our childhood home. Today, we got the hall whipped into shape and capped off the evening with Tofft’s chocolate almond ice cream (I just allowed myself a few spoonfuls to avoid an allergy nightmare). Brian and I hit Kroger earlier, so I could have some sort of normal meals, but we were so tired, I went to bed without grilling any chicken or chopping any veggies. Hunger beats bad reactions any old day.

June 13, 2015

Migraine’s subsiding. Just a dull one in its place…and some serious neck and rib pain stemming from all the inflammation from my mysterious food reaction. I believe the corn was indeed the culprit. Going to test my theory this weekend (when I don’t have to be “on” for work and worry about making myself sick). I must admit, I’d broken one of my cardinal eating rules: Don’t eat the same food two or more days in a row. Because I love popcorn (and because I just read a study stating that plain popcorn has more health-promoting polyphenols than fruits or vegetables!!), I’d been feeding my face with the fluffy kernels practically every single day. Stupid decision, yes. But I’m human, so sue me!

June 12, 2015

Had nightmares and a really restless, annoying night’s sleep. Awoke to an even worse migraine. Haven’t tossed the cookies yet, but I’m predicting that’s on the docket for today. A breakfast of The Headache Medicine (again) and a nice green drink (kale, apple, carrots) to help out my poor liver. Clean eating hasn’t helped my case this week. I have a feeling my food allergies have flipped again, so I’m back to sleuthing to figure out what’s causing this set-back. I’m thinking my organic popcorn is a big fat NO now (I normally can eat it without problems – as long as it’s oil-free – but it’s now making me nauseated, and I’m pretty sure it’s partially to blame for my skull-throbbing headaches). I’m amazed that some people can eat pretty much anything without ridiculous reactions. It’s a concept I can’t begin to understand. But I can tell you this: I’m insanely envious of those freaks of nature. Or am I the freak? Yeah, I probably am. PS: I can’t find my syringe of Rick Simpson Oil – nature’s potent, inflammation-killing analgesic. I’d been taking it nightly, but slipped out of my routine lately, which could also be compounding my problems. ARGH!

June 11, 2015

Migraine. Again. A bad one, too. Feel like I could hurl, and I’m on killer deadlines, so no sick day allowed. I popped way too many Excedrin again (which I hate doing…but they’re the only thing that lets me function). As soon as they start to wear off, the pain comes back with a death-grip, so I have to pop more to keep it in check.

Somehow, I managed a 9-hour workday. My eyes are throbbing and blurry, so I’m hitting the hay early. As in 7:30 p.m. early. Yeah, a lot of people might be jealous of my wild and crazy life!

June 1, 2015

Remember that commercial with the song, “I love eggs, from my head down to my legs”? Yeah, well, eggs can suck it. I had a couple of the Vital Farms eggs (hatched from grass-fed feathered ladies) this morning, and I loved the taste, but have hated how I’ve felt about a half hour after swallowing the last bite. Jacked-up stomach, bad headache (not a migraine – yet), sausage fingers, inflamed neck muscles…and a really crappy mood, to boot. As in, ‘Don’t look at me cross-eyed or I’ll either burst into tears or jab a fork in your eye.’ Clearly, my egg sensitivity is back with a vengeance. Sunnyside up, my ass. To add insult to injury, I had a side of fresh watermelon (another of my summer favorites) and my mouth erupted in disgusting canker sores. All served up with a ridiculously stressful workday that went on forever and ever and ever. Faaabulous.

At this rate, I’m half tempted to just crack open a bottle of pinot noir and drown my day in grapes. Too bad I’m allergic to those, too, and one more reaction pile-on could send my poor hubby packing his bags and heading for the hills. Sigh. Yeah, this is some serious bull.

May 30, 2015

It’s a Christmas in May miracle! Woke to a mildly nagging headache, but no notable stomach complaints. A solitary Excedrin was all I needed. Won’t be tempting fate today, though, and piling on the potential for a full-body, allergic meltdown. No processed crap today and I’ll be good as new. It’s already after noon and all is surprisingly A-OK.

Sent B on a night at TopGolf with our friends, while I sorted and scanned a gazillion and one old family pics that’ll go into my parents’ 50th anniversary DVD. Bawled like a baby with some of them. Laughed like crazy with others (my 4th grade self smiling in my anti-migraine, Elton John-esque goggles? Hi-larious! See Exhibit A). Flipped channels relentlessly. Nothing on. Remembered I still hadn’t seen the Bruce Jenner Diane Sawyer interview, so…I popped some hot air corn (no oil, just Mediterranean sea salt).

Finished the show and B got home shortly after, around 11. Going to bed feeling a little blue and nostalgic, thanks to those old family photos. At least my hair looks better now than it did back then.