Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving holiday could not have fallen at a better time. I needed a four day holiday to rest and really give me time to wrap around everything that has happened in a month.

Thanksgiving Day was a little exhausting. We woke up at 4:00 am to take some friends to the airport and decided it would be easier to just stay up until the annual Homerun for the Homeless. This year neither P and I were able to run, but it is a family tradition, so we had to go at least cheer on our family. It was nice to see the rain subside and the sun come out for the day. Ran into Perseverance, who I had not seen in awhile and she took a nice picture of P and I. Note the fine Thanksgiving headpiece. It was good to get out and spend some time with family and friends.

At P's uncle's house for Thanksgiving I was able to talk with his cousin more about living with MS. He has had a pretty rough time of it all since his diagnosis 12 years ago at the age of 22, but he reminded me that everyone has a different situation. Either way it was nice to finally talk to someone who has dealt with this for awhile. I am happy that I have the health that I have now, and I will work to keep that for as long as I can.

The rest of the three day weekend was taking long walks, naps, and reading. It was a much needed weekend of taking care of myself. I managed a 5 mi walk on sand run yesterday and felt like I had much more energy. I will be trying to run this evening (just one mile with a .5 mi warm up and cool down) and see how it goes.

The biggest reading that I did this weekend was the MS Recovery Diet. After doing a lot of research it seemed that a lot of people have had success with figuring out food allergies/triggers and modifying their diet. I figure, if cannot hurt, and if it helps than even better.

As this book explains, there are five common food triggers that can set off the symptoms of MS-dairy, grains containing glutens, legumes, eggs, and yeast. Yet because MS is such a complex disease, other foods play a role, as culprits or aides. The key is figuring out what triggers symptoms in me and eliminating them from my diet. I am waiting until after the holidays to start this, but I am excited to be really focusing on my health. I am sure I will see other benefits for this diet, that will only enhance my health.