The OTHER Flare Factor

Although this blog is mostly meant to follow my digestive health and dietary adventures, it is also my personal blog, and guys...I NEED TO VENT.

I have been quite faithful with my diet, yet recently have struggled with a bit of a flare. Sit back and let me take you on a journey that is about 10-15 minutes of my life when the realization hit: The morning had gone awry, as my daughter fought me on almost every aspect of LIFE in general (which breakfast I offered that morning, which outfit I picked for her, she didn't want to go to the gym, she didn't want to BE at the gym, then she didn't want to go home...I could go on). I was standing in the kitchen, intending to make lunch for myself and the kids, dealing with uncomfortable cramps. Then I paused, and looked around me: there was water, some smeared gummy worms (the homemade kind with gelatin...super hard to clean), loose leaf tea (some dry, some mixed with water), and toilet paper (some dry and some wet) covering my kitchen table and kitchen and living room floor; the scientist was hard at work (and was only wearing pants...where did his shirt go?!). I looked down: there was my daughter, whining and screaming while hanging onto my leg due to the fact that her favorite pair of pajamas (the "sunshine clothes") were in the laundry, and she MUST have them NOW. Standing at the counter, I became distracted by the dirty dishes piled up in front of me, and then the swarm of thoughts hit: what should I make for dinner tonight? I still hadn't showered after the gym, and was stuck in my stinky gym clothes; I should take a shower, I thought, but wouldn't have time to do that after lunch for the kids, cleaning the house and extra mess, and needing to leave on time to pick up my husband from the train station. At that point my daughter took it to the next level and became louder, and began thrashing about on the floor, going through an emotional crisis over the lack of sunshine clothes. My son, the scientist, was then running full-speed through the house, naked. The dog was coming in and out, tracking muddy paw prints through the house (I just mopped tow days ago) due to the fact that the children were periodically opening and closing the door for him (despite my nagging to keep it closed), and then he and the naked scientist began wrestling. Daughter became louder and louder. THEN! I had to go to the bathroom--RIGHT THEN! I hastily began my commute to the toilet, sat down, and wondered why I was feeling so bad, as my daughter followed me, banging on the door, screaming. To top ALL of this off, I also struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, which has been worse this week. Then it hit me: OMG I AM SO STRESSED!!!

The science experiments and naked blur that is my son, and the nearly-constant meltdowns that my daughter exudes are quite normal--especially right now (they are going through some kind of phase. They usually take turns with phases, but this time they are working together to assist in my premature balding). My house is NEVER fully clean--and that stresses me out, I often cannot do the things I planned to because of meltdowns or destructive behavior (dependent upon to which child we are referring), the amount of screaming I hear in a day is enough to send me to an asylum, the strong-willed demeanor from the kids, and the fact that they often act like they physically cannot hear me has given me a probably-permanent twitch in my eye... LIFE HAS BEEN HARD LATELY. And to top it off I'm still trying to stick to this diet AND feed my family, go to the gym (and actually clean myself afterward, haha), keep my kids involved in out-of-the-house activities (which they often act ungrateful for once we have done), maybe make some mom-friends/try to build a "village", keep my house inhabitable ("clean" is just a silly word), and stay awake late enough to spend time with my husband after the kids have gone to bed. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS EXTRA MESS. And I ESPECIALLY don't have time for a Crohns flare!!!

I ALREADY KNOW what advice so many people have for me/anyone going through this type of thing (here's looking at you, millennials!): SELF CARRREEE. *gag* Treat yo self?! How about just take a shower. But really though, I am very lucky that I have a husband who would drop almost anything to help me if I ask. I try not to ask too often, though, because I feel guilty for doing so for some reason. Well, I feel guilty for leaving him in the situation which I described above! For me, just going to the grocery store alone often helps me feel more relaxed. I often wonder how on earth single parents do it and/or don't lose their minds. They often don't have the option of just taking off and dumping the children on someone else. How do they de-stress? When do they get a break? I see you, super-parents, and can't even imagine adding a disease to the situation.

I guess if there's one thing being in so much pain for so long (before starting this blog) taught me is I know my bandaids for flares: ginger tea (how I make it below), golden milk (I will post on this very soon!) and CBD oil. They have been my friends the past week or so.

I apologize that this blog was pretty much a big pity party, and that I have no/little advice or awesome recipes for you guys. It also stinks that I have to admit I had/am having a bit of a flare. But that's part of what I wanted to do when I created this blog--to take you through this journey with me (the good and the bad!). Even though I joke that I already know what advice you have for me (self care), I am certainly open to suggestions on HOW to attain self care, and how to calm down in the midst of chaos. How do you unwind after a hard day? How do you keep calm when everything around you seems to be in disarray?

GINGER TEA

Need:

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

8 oz water, boiled

Grate the fresh ginger, and add to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10-15 minutes, then strain!