In the A.M.

As my family and former roommates can tell you, I am NOT a morning person. I stopped eating breakfast in high school. We had early morning seminary 5:45-6:40 Monday-Friday because our class had 5 different high schools we had to scatter to every morning. School didn't start for me until 7:50 so I used the time I should have been eating to shower and get dressed.

When I left for college, if I made it in time, I would eat breakfast in the Morris Center Cafeteria and take a bagel, cream cheese, and apple to go. Eating breakfast was sporadic. As the symptoms I started having due to PCOS got worse, I stopped eating in the morning because I felt so nauseated. The smell of anything cooking before 11 AM made me vomit. I tried various foods and mealtimes, but was only successful at eating breakfast when one of my roommates would cook or bake. I don't know if it was a psychological thing or what but when someone else cooked breakfast or I made something ahead of time, I could eat in the morning.

The past 18 months, I have worked either graveyard or swing shifts and it has taken its toll on my body. So breakfast has been more like dinner. I rarely get sick and this past month I have had a virus that has been kicking my butt. The past 2 weeks, I have worked one 8 hour shift a week where I have been sitting with a hospice patient so I haven't had to physically exert myself. It's been good for me but horrible on the paycheck side of things. I've had to give myself permission to not be Superwoman. In fact, I was ordered to not physically exert myself until the 27th of the month; just rest.

I've been trying really hard to eat right and not simply order pizza because I feel so crappy. It's challenging when you break out into a cold sweat simply loading the dishwasher. Last night, I made this recipe I found on Pinterest: CrockPot Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal. It took less than 10 minutes to prepare. Chopping up the apples took the most time. My sister was Skyping with me so I emailed her the recipe and she read it to me while I put in all the ingredients. I omitted the brown sugar, didn't peel the apples, and used whole milk. It was delicious! And I didn't have to cook it! (technically)

Since I have had to eat Gluten Free I've had trouble with my blood sugar levels. A lot of the grains Celiacs can eat is very starchy. Because I have PCOS, my pancreas over-produces insulin and I always have trouble with my blood sugar being low. It has been a huge dietary adjustment discovering what maintains my sugar levels and what throws it into a horrific roller coaster ride. I had my PCOS symptoms under control through diet and exercise but the Celiac symptoms are causing some problems. Let's just say, I haven't been feeling real great lately and the added stress from work has really caused problems. But I've been eating the oatmeal all day today and feel more normal. I've also been sleeping whenever I feel tired; sometimes my body needs that to re-balance. I'm hoping that I will feel better and better every day this week so I can go back to normal. I hate being in pain and feeling weak.