Day Two: "And that's how Regina George died."
I made it through Day Two.
According to the Whole30 timeline, I should be experiencing symptoms similar to a hangover. I've had a hangover before and unfortunately, this was nothing like that. It was worse. Way worse. I felt exactly like Regina George felt after she got hit by a bus.
My head was throbbing. I was irritable and exhausted. I wanted to crawl under my desk and nap. I hardly had an appetite but forced myself to eat something so that I wouldn't pass out or throw up. After suffering many hours with the headache from hell, I succumbed to the Excedrin migraine pills. I really tried not to take the meds, but there was no way I was going to get through the day with THAT headache.... and it was only noon.
At lunch, after I started feeling relief from my horrible headache, my friend Chris and I decided to spend our lunch break outside enjoying the nice weather. We chatted about our usual topics: politics, religion, work. Chris is an incredibly insightful person and our conversations are always intellectually uplifting, despite the fact that most of the time we are really just complaining about something. Chris is searching; searching for something to fulfill his life. He has beliefs but he can't wrap his mind around faith. He wants something tangible and factual. Not something abstract and unquantified. It made me think: he's not that different than me. Or you. Don't we all want that?
I told him that despite all the crap that comes in my life, I still walk away with hope. There is hope in Christ. I very confidently said this to him, but I wasn't sure if I was just trying convince myself of this fact or if I truly believed it. Hope is a difficult thing to have when life seems to so out of control, especially in the midst of physical ailments. It's hard to hold on to hope knowing that things in life are on a downward spiral. But Paul writes, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Luckily, this task isn't all on me personally. I have many people who care about me and who are ready to remind me of the hope I have in Christ and to walk beside me in my suffering and who pray constantly for my well-being. And I was reminded of my need for these people when things continues to spiral out of control....
Yesterday, I went to the cardiologist to get my heart checked out. I ended up with a heart holter monitor that constantly records the heart's rhythm for 24 hours. I had wires hanging out of my Spurs shirt (GO SPURS GO!) and a hot pink fanny pack around my waist holding the monitor. (It was actually my SPI Belt). I asked the nurse if this really was just a device for the NSA to record my conversations. She just laughed and said, "Probably!" The whole experience was so odd. I felt like I had lost all control over my body despite the fact that I was embarking on my Whole 30 journey for an entire month, a program that requires complete control.
Then later that afternoon, I found out about the results of some blood tests that were taken last week. I called my doctor's office during work hours only to discover that he is referring me to a rheumatologist because of the results. I succumbed to fear and started to panic. Could I really have ANOTHER issue to add to the many other issues? I lost it to tears. Luckily, I have amazing co-workers who are so supportive. Dan demanded that I take the last hour off and go home. (I ended up at Trader Joe's. How did that happen? #comfort) It was exactly what I needed to get me through the remainder of the day.
Whole 30 requires a commitment to changing your relationship with food. It requires that you are diligent to planning out every meal, and intentional about every bite you take. You can't be lazy and go through a drive thru when you get bored of your lunch. When you allow your health to get out of control, other things start falling apart. Luckily, I have a community around me that supports me in this crazy journey I am taking. It's not just about losing weight or doing some trendy new diet, but it's about saving my life. It's about my health and ensuring that I take care of the body God gave me. Thank you for your willingness to journey with me this month of May. Your support is necessary to my success and I couldn't do it without you.
Bring on Day Three!
According to the Whole30 timeline, I should be experiencing symptoms similar to a hangover. I've had a hangover before and unfortunately, this was nothing like that. It was worse. Way worse. I felt exactly like Regina George felt after she got hit by a bus.
 |
| You go Glen Coco. |
My head was throbbing. I was irritable and exhausted. I wanted to crawl under my desk and nap. I hardly had an appetite but forced myself to eat something so that I wouldn't pass out or throw up. After suffering many hours with the headache from hell, I succumbed to the Excedrin migraine pills. I really tried not to take the meds, but there was no way I was going to get through the day with THAT headache.... and it was only noon.
At lunch, after I started feeling relief from my horrible headache, my friend Chris and I decided to spend our lunch break outside enjoying the nice weather. We chatted about our usual topics: politics, religion, work. Chris is an incredibly insightful person and our conversations are always intellectually uplifting, despite the fact that most of the time we are really just complaining about something. Chris is searching; searching for something to fulfill his life. He has beliefs but he can't wrap his mind around faith. He wants something tangible and factual. Not something abstract and unquantified. It made me think: he's not that different than me. Or you. Don't we all want that?
I told him that despite all the crap that comes in my life, I still walk away with hope. There is hope in Christ. I very confidently said this to him, but I wasn't sure if I was just trying convince myself of this fact or if I truly believed it. Hope is a difficult thing to have when life seems to so out of control, especially in the midst of physical ailments. It's hard to hold on to hope knowing that things in life are on a downward spiral. But Paul writes, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Luckily, this task isn't all on me personally. I have many people who care about me and who are ready to remind me of the hope I have in Christ and to walk beside me in my suffering and who pray constantly for my well-being. And I was reminded of my need for these people when things continues to spiral out of control....
Yesterday, I went to the cardiologist to get my heart checked out. I ended up with a heart holter monitor that constantly records the heart's rhythm for 24 hours. I had wires hanging out of my Spurs shirt (GO SPURS GO!) and a hot pink fanny pack around my waist holding the monitor. (It was actually my SPI Belt). I asked the nurse if this really was just a device for the NSA to record my conversations. She just laughed and said, "Probably!" The whole experience was so odd. I felt like I had lost all control over my body despite the fact that I was embarking on my Whole 30 journey for an entire month, a program that requires complete control.
Then later that afternoon, I found out about the results of some blood tests that were taken last week. I called my doctor's office during work hours only to discover that he is referring me to a rheumatologist because of the results. I succumbed to fear and started to panic. Could I really have ANOTHER issue to add to the many other issues? I lost it to tears. Luckily, I have amazing co-workers who are so supportive. Dan demanded that I take the last hour off and go home. (I ended up at Trader Joe's. How did that happen? #comfort) It was exactly what I needed to get me through the remainder of the day.
Whole 30 requires a commitment to changing your relationship with food. It requires that you are diligent to planning out every meal, and intentional about every bite you take. You can't be lazy and go through a drive thru when you get bored of your lunch. When you allow your health to get out of control, other things start falling apart. Luckily, I have a community around me that supports me in this crazy journey I am taking. It's not just about losing weight or doing some trendy new diet, but it's about saving my life. It's about my health and ensuring that I take care of the body God gave me. Thank you for your willingness to journey with me this month of May. Your support is necessary to my success and I couldn't do it without you.
Bring on Day Three!
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