My Elimination Diet

Halloween night, a three year-old Batman Ninja and his twelve year-old chaperone irked me. First the chaperone came to the door, Ninja at the sidewalk ten yards away. I opened the door, my bowl of Snickers in hand, and he mumbled trick or treat. I looked him up and down "What's your costume?" He answered, "I don't have a costume. I'm the chaperone," and he nodded with his head to the kid on the sidewalk. "Well, send him up here.That's how trick or treating works." He wanted to know if he got a Snickers bar. "Not without a costume." I can be a grinch on Halloween. No costume needed.

Batman Ninja ascended the stairs and held out his bag. He was cute. I dropped a Snickers in the bag, and he stood there, bag still open, with his pointer finger up. "Only one?" he asked, clearly disappointed. "Yes," I said. "Only one. And share with your chaperone."

Batman Ninja went down the stairs, and I turned off the light. It was only 6 p.m., but I was clearly too irritable for this job.

That afternoon, I had talked with the representative in charge of overseeing my application for disability. He told me that they had "closed my case" because paperwork from the hospital hadn't arrived. I told him that this was my fifth phone call, and that he hadn't returned other calls asking about the paperwork. He said that I had only called once. I felt like I was talking to a crazy person who was in charge of my destiny.

Fatigue has been rough since the car accident five months ago, and I'm starting to get grumpy. My dad asked if maybe I was still doing too much, pointing out that this habit runs in my genes. He has a point, so I'm going on an elimination diet.

Friends with food allergies have gone on elimination diets to learn what they're allergic to. They start out eating something pitiful, like white rice and water, and gradually add in other foods.

I'm cutting back on my activities to the bare minimum, and then I'll add in new activities gradually as I learn how much I can do, how much is too much.

So I'll be taking a few months off from blogging. I'll see you again in the New Year, probably February. In the meantime, happy holidays to you and yours.

Mary