Santa Claus, Please Accept My Heartfelt Apology

I have a confession to make: Today, I made Santa Claus cry. But, in my defense, he does have a very big heart! You see, today my family and I went on a trolley ride with Santa. As you can imagine, it was a whole lot of fun for both young and old alike.

When it was our turn, Santa asked my kids if they were good and also asked what they wanted for Christmas. And then, well...Then he asked me the same questions. And suddenly, without realizing what I was doing, I looked poor dear Santa Claus right in the eyes and choked through my tears, "Please Santa, I'm very sick, and all I want for Christmas this year is a cure for Lyme disease."

And Santa--sweet, jolly Santa--looked back at me with big tears in his eyes, caught completely and utterly off guard.  Oh dear lord, what have I just done?? I just made jolly old Saint Nick cry! He didn't know what to say; and I don't blame him. Now I know why he only asks kids what they want for Christmas!

So let me just take this minute to apologize:

Dear Santa,
I'm sorry I made you cry.

Love,
Alyson

PS Thanks for my pony.
PPS I will leave you extra cookies this year.

Finding Peace

I've hit a rough patch in my battle against Lyme disease. I was doing so well, and then, suddenly, not well. These past few weeks have been a struggle and I've been frustrated and very sad with how quickly and unexpectedly things went downhill.

No matter how I try to shake it off, this question just keeps haunting me: Is the rest of my life going to be this incredible struggle with my health? I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I don't; my answer differs depending on how I'm feeling at the moment.

I realized something very important yesterday: This journey I am on is not about whether or not I am cured; it's about learning to be at peace with my body regardless of whether I am sick or well. Much as I wish there were, there is no magical handbook on what to do when faced with chronic illness. I only have this blog where I can record and revisit the lessons I have learned that have brought me where I am today.

Being on the right path toward being at peace in my body means accepting the things that I cannot change. No matter how much I struggle against it, I cannot change the fact that I am battling a very severe illness and I cannot change the fact that my health is in an unpredictable state right now. But I can change my attitude toward these things.

Whether or not I am one day cured, I can still be grateful toward my body right now for all it has done for me. My days may not look like what I want them to look like right now, but that does not mean that I will let them slip by without soaking up as much joy as I possibly can. It's not easy, but I am trying. I am trying.

"If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud."~Émile Zola

Vitamin K Deficiency

A few days ago, a friend sent me an email saying that she recently learned in a nutrition class that long-term antibiotic use can cause a Vitamin K deficiency and she asked me to look up the symptoms to see if it sounded like something I might have. I hadn't heard of it, so I looked it up. Three days later, I had something very scary happen to me (trust me, you most likely don't want to hear about it) that made me extremely glad to have my friend looking out for me...

Vitamin K is important for helping your blood clot normally, so people with a deficiency can have excessive bleeding from cuts. Long term antibiotics (especially cephalosporins) can deplete your body of Vitamin K, and, ladies, one of the ways a Vitamin K deficiency can manifest is as heavy periods.

I've been noticing an increasing trouble in getting my blood to clot after my shots. As I said, I also had something very scary happen to me a few days ago that made me practically run to my doctor's office begging for a test for a Vitamin K deficiency. I am anxiously awaiting the results, thanking my lucky stars for the timing of my friend's email on Vitamin K, and I will keep you all updated on my results.

For those of you on long-term antibiotics or simply concerned about a deficiency in this vitamin, here is a list of the top ten foods highest in Vitamin K. Maybe this is why I've been craving asparagus lately (and absolutely nothing to do with why I've been craving ice cream!)

(Photo Credit here)