Besides for the weather not a lot is new here. This past weekend we did some yard work for an elderly couple. Our small group got together and we managed to get a LOT done in not a lot of time, as is typical of dividing and conquering something. I was only allowed to do simple things -- like install the batteries in the solar powered lights, skim the pond (ah, good old swimming pool cleaning days) for leaves and leave the koi alone, and as Chris said, "entertain the old people." Chris helped dig up some dead grass (funny, when you salt your driveway and that gets on the grass, the grass dies), dead bushes, etc. He also helped trimmed some branches from trees. Here's a picture of some bleeding hearts the lady had that were around the pond. I found them to be spectacular flowers.
The other thing I did on Saturday was go to a gluten-free, allergy friendly expo. It was nice to walk around and see some of the different foods that are becoming available for gluten intolerant people. I found several things out there that I can eat -- mostly new stuff that will have to be special ordered off the internet. It was always interesting because I kept reading labels, and the people manning the booths were like, "it's gluten free, promise," (since anyone who watches for gluten reads labels religiously regardless of the advertisements on the front since the FDA hasn't standardized labeling -- there is a petition going on at www.1in133.org if you're interested) and would always give me a sympathetic look when I'd say that I was looking for more than just gluten. I did manage to get a subscription to "Living Without" which is a magazine with recipes and articles on recent research in the food allergy/intolerance community. This past issue, the April/May one, has an article on the eosinophilic disease that I have. Here's a link to the article if you want to read up on it: http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_13/Life_Without_Food-2400-1.html. It really is amazing to both Chris and me to read articles about eosinophilic disorders and literally check off symptoms that I had before we started messing with my diet. I personally love that the article is titled, "Life Without Food," as that's what it seems like at first. Then after a while you realize what foods are acceptable and go from there. The only real symptom that we can't seem to get rid of is the dysphasia (something stuck in throat feeling.). It was the last thing the GI doc and I were working on, and we had hoped that getting some allergy shots for my environmental allergies would help. While the shots have helped my environmental allergies, they haven't so much helped the swallowing problem. I suppose my new GI doc and I will get on that here in a few months once things settle down. Or, who knows, maybe it will just go away after Ripley comes.
Speaking of food though, yesterday we went to breakfast with Chris's dad. He was in town for a seminar and we were able to meet up with him for breakfast in Chicago. I didn't do my typical spiel with going out and managed to get some minor contamination. I could tell pretty quickly, and it has made me not feel so well today even. It was nice to catch up with Chris's dad and share in the excitement that is waiting on Ripley.
Well, I'm off to do laundry and fun stuff cleaning out the car so we can get the seat base in at least. We're contemplating having the car detailed since it has been a while, and quite frankly since we use it mainly for long car trips, it could probably use it. I'm also sorting through swag picked up at the conference and trying to find good websites that might help me along my journey. I've got to pre-register as well, but that involves talking with strange doctors for an unborn baby, and that just seems weird to me, though apparently it happens all the time.
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