I knew I needed to go grocery shopping when… August 14, 2007
Posted by Karen Joy in Christian Living, Parenting, The Dear Hubby, The Kids.add a comment
…my 10yo son came to me this afternoon, in all seriousness, and said, “Mom, I know we’re short on food, so I won’t ask for a snack.” His self-sacrifice was very touching and gave me a bit of hope for his future. It was funny, though, for a couple of reasons:
- We actually had plenty of food — just not the kinds of food he likes (like eggs, applesauce, potato chips and lunchmeat).
- I grew up dirt poor, and even when my mom’s cupboards were at their fullest, they surely had less in them than mine do at “empty.”
Grocery shopping tonight, I was reflecting on how the way I grew up has affected me as an adult; I’m extremely thankful for all the many blessings I have received, and I’m careful to draw the line between Need and Want, careful not to let myself feel bereft when, say, my entertainment center could use replacing. My hubby grew up very needy, as well, and it has affected his adulthood, too: he vowed to take better financial care of his family than his dad did him. His dad was itinerant in many ways; Martin is the epitome of faithfulness.
I’m happy that my kids don’t have to go through the unstable feelings of not knowing for certain if there’s going to be enough on everyone’s plates, but it’s harder to impress the concept of thankfulness when there’s food (and most everything else) aplenty.
Whining about bone pain & calcium supplements August 14, 2007
Posted by Karen Joy in Celiac Disease, Digestive Woes, Medical Stuff, Whining.7 comments
I’m typically not a whiner. At least, I don’t consider myself a whiner, and I hope no one else does. But, my legs have been hurting me for about six months, and it’s wearing on me.
Here’s the deal: After I found out that I had celiac disease, I found out that my chronic deep bone pain was likely from the fact that my body wasn’t absorbing calcium well, and since the body needs to maintain a certain level of blood-calcium, it was likely sapping it from my bones, leading to lowered bone density and deep bone pain. I used to hurt, nonstop, from my lumbar down to my knees. For the last five years, I’ve been careful to maintain my calcium intake, usually supplementing with calcium citrate.
But… I’m in a season where I just can’t give my body enough calcium, and it’s hurting my bones. I’m still nursing my 16mo baby, my body is still repairing the holes in my jaw from oral surgery in February, and I broke my toe. All of those things lead to my body needing extra-extra-extra calcium. However, one has to be careful about calcium supplements, because too many of them can lead to the neutralization of acid in the stomach, and too little stomach acid leads to other digestive problems, which I certainly don’t need.
In addition to my regular diet, which does provide some calcium, I’m trying to take at least 1500 mg of calcium daily, but it’s just not enough. I’ve tried to take more supplements than just the 1500 mg, but then it messes with my stomach.
Ugh.
OK. That’s enough complaining. If anyone has some suggestions, I’m open to ‘em!!
P.S. I have tried lots of different forms of calcium, besides the citrate, which are in tablet form. I’ve tried bone meal, Crystal Calcium by KAL, and liquid calcium citrate.
