Happy Valentine’s Day from Tahoe

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‘Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m sporting my red scarf for valentines!’

‘Dad and Mom always get cards for each other that have pups on them…because they love ME!’

Last year from Dad:

Last year from Mom:

This year from Dad:

This year from Mom:
Notice the tear at the top…Mom dropped it and I picked it up and signed it on the way to her lap!

‘The cards are on the fridge. Boy, I look a lot like that puppy.’

‘Let me look from a different direction. Yes, I believe that’s what I used to look like’.

‘Yep, that’s me!’

‘I think I want that card…’.

‘OK everyone, let’s go eat gluten-free cupcakes…or dog biscuits!’

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

The Almost Indestructible iPhone Case

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I love my OtterBox Defender iPhone case even though I wish it was more sleek and feminine.  What it lacks in fashion it makes up for by saving my iPhone from total destruction nearly every day.  My case needs to have a bit of a rubber-sticky feel so it’s easier to grip and it must protect from the inevitable two or three mishaps (aka drops) a day!

I have a boring black case – partly because  I carry it on my lap all the time (Brent thinks it is less noticeable) and partly because I can’t decide between the black, blue or pink (there are other colors too).  Don’t get me started on my indecisiveness, there’s a post coming on that subject as soon as I decide to finish it!   I can’t justify the nearly $50 each for a wardrobe of case colors, but if I had one other color, I’d pick the blue as a back-up.  What do you think?

One sleepless night when I was laying in bed listening to my iPod, I used my teeth to position my phone  in my hand so I could change the podcast. Low and behold I heard a faint ‘crack’. The next day Brent took a look at my phone and said, ‘You have a crack across the glass on your phone!’, I was aghast and wondered how in the world something like that could happen! Not wanting to go to the Apple store and beg or use every manner of my wheelchair influence to finesse a free or reduced price replacement or much less pay full price to replace the glass front of my iPhone; we looked more closely and found that it was only my OtterBox case that was cracked!  OK, it was a nearly $50 investment, but at least I wouldn’t have to go to the mall (yikes) to the Apple Store to get on the list, wait, and potentially buy more accessories or a new sweater at Ann Taylor next door.

I quickly called OtterBox and they asked me a few questions which I reluctantly answered honestly! And the next thing I knew they were sending a brand-new OtterBox Defender free of charge! Their warranty is extensive and user-friendly.  The new case arrived within ten days.  Meanwhile, I cautiously used an old Otterbox case that was not made for my iPhone version.   Impressive response and outstanding customer service.  Otterbox ROCKS!

My use of the OtterBox has pushed any limit you could expect from a case:
– I’ve dropped it from a height of 3-5 feet on to concrete, tile, wood, etc.
– I’ve rolled over it with all 350 lbs of me and my power wheelchair but really don’t want to do that again!
– Tahoe has picked up my phone off the floor and run around the backyard with it more than one time.  The stinker…he gets so proud of himself.
– Last night I dropped my phone on the floor in the kitchen while we were engrossed in eating strawberries with freshly made cream cheese frosting (big kudos to Brent for his first experience and success making this staple). I’m sure Tahoe tried to give it to me, but when I licked the spoon and spatula clean there was no sign of Tahoe or the phone. Uh oh! In comes Tahoe, but there was no sign of the phone in the house or the yard. Our last resort was for Brent to call my phone…we listened for the barking dog ring tone….no, not in the house…hmm…we walk outside and hear a faint ‘ruff, ruff, ruff’ coming from the thick green bushes where Tahoe likes to curl up and relax.  Alas, there lay my phone.

If you are as clumsy as Madge or want to trust your phone with your 3 year old or your new puppy, give up your stylish case and get the OtterBox Defender!

The Wonder and Wisdom of Cayenne Pepper

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Many articles have been written about cayenne pepper and its benefits yet i’m compelled to write another one. Wow! I would’ve gone through less testing and chronic discomfort if I had known about this miracle powder three or four years ago.

My symptoms included all kinds of digestive problems which often triggered cold sweats. Yuk…let’s not talk about them (but if you should want a more detailed discussion – email me). I tried yogurt, probiotics, enzymes, elimination diets where I only ate bananas, rice, and applesauce and a bit of chicken for what seemed like weeks. Multiple trips to the doctors and many tests by the GI specialist revealed nothing but low salt/electrolytes and a lack of protein which was understandable with my symptoms.

It’s frustrating when you feel like you have no where to go for a chronic medical problem that you just know has an answer. The diagnosis was IBS (in my mind it was I‘ve Been Sentenced). Basically, ‘We are sorry we can’t help you.’

Last October, my hero husband told me about some cayenne pepper pills he had bought to help him, and he thought I should give them a try (you know from my prior post he had undiagnosed Celiac disease). Wow, we sound like we were a mess, but we functioned quite well even with our undiagnosed maladies!

The cayenne didn’t change the way he felt, but it was nothing short of a miracle for me! Within a day or two I was 90% better!! No going back now! Who knew hot cayenne in my stomach would make me feel better and not worse? I guess many people already had figured this out, but I had either never come across this research or was unwilling to accept that it could possibly help. Admittedly, when Brent suggested it, I was merely appeasing him and really didn’t think cayenne would help.

I’m not promising results for others, because I think it’s one of those things you have to try, but a friend of mind that had ongoing headaches has also had great results with cayenne.

The Solaray Cool Cayenne 40,000 HU capsules at Whole Foods is what we buy, but you can use the loose powder or buy a liquid form as well.

Cayenne has been used as an alternative medicine for years to fight infection, improve circulation, prevent heart problems and help digestion. Apparently, the capsaicin in the powder increases blood flow and research is widely available on the Internet. It’s a wonder that reading many forums never brought me to information touting cayenne!

My personal experience fervently attests to cayenne’s benefits. I feel so much better. ..and an added side effect is that it has reduced my cold natured tendency. Incidentally, when my Rehab Specialist heard how cayenne helped me, he was VERY interested and took notes on the information to share with his fellow MDs at the Shepherd Center! You have to love a doctor who is willing to incorporate alternative approaches.

My truly unbelievable experience with cayenne will hopefully help others! My habit is to take one capsule in the morning and sometimes a second capsule in the afternoon. Occasionally the capsule’s contents are sprinkled on my food for a little spiciness! Reportedly, it is good to taste the heat because it alerts the stomach that something hot is on the way, but I haven’t noticed any improved results from using it as a seasoning.

Give it a try! Geez! I’m thankful to God (and Brent) that I did!

‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all’ ~James 1:5

‘No soup for you!’ …going gluten free

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Welcome, my cereal loving husband, Brent, to the gluten free world! A few weeks ago he had his final test and Celiac diagnosis. He’s not a stranger to Celiac because his sister has had it for years. She is a pro at navigating the diet and there are many others that have a gluten intolerance. We are not alone.

Hopefully a new diet will quickly eliminate his symptoms, which by the way, were not some of the typical symptoms you often hear about with Celiac. He was unaware of the digestive problems within his system. He had chronic fatigue as well as low iron and other deficiencies in his blood work.

Because it’s just the two of us, and Brent is the one who eats most of our food, we decided to keep our house as gluten-free as possible, at least while we learn more about his new eating style and he establishes new habits, We both will be strict about not eating gluten. Okay, I have to admit that I might cheat occasionally whenever we go out to eat, but I’m committed to initially walk this road with him. Who knows, maybe gluten-free will help both of us and it will ensure my food doesn’t cross contaminate his when we are eating out, and he will not be tempted at the house with snacks that are off-limits (he LOVES his snacks). It doesn’t seem like a sacrifice for me so far, but there’s no denying that when you can’t have something you might crave it!  I just bought some Udi’s gluten free bread to satisfy my craving for bread with butter!

Brent is such a sport! My helper, Diane, and I cleared the pantry of all the gluten-laden foods a few weeks ago.  I couldn’t part with a brownie mix we can use to take to friends and a couple other mixes as well as some canned soups…’just in case’..but they are isolated on one pantry shelf.

Brent watched and said goodbye to his Shredded Wheat forever.  You see the big cleaning we did to eliminate the gluten in our pantry and our refrigerator. Some of the freezer foods have not gone yet but we have a shelf set aside to give away as we can.

I’m sure there will be times when Brent is frustrated with a severe craving for something that he can’t eat, and I feel for him, but I’m glad that he’s on the road to recovery…and he can always buy some gluten-free DONUTS!

We try to consider new normals as opportunities. This diagnosis just might be a place where we can support others as well as a springboard for improved health. We are looking forward to making cyber friends that share the challenges involved with eating gluten-free. And for me, the most frustrating thing is that I’m constantly having to put on glasses to read the tiny labels for ingredients!

Restricting a diet to exclude gluten is easier than ever with awareness growing and an ever increasing array of specialty ‘gf’ items available. We only wish gluten free prices would come down! We both concede that our diet will be healthier without as much junk food, thus we are taking this opportunity to clean up our diet. I don’t think we will buy a lot of specialty gluten-free junk food, but we will report back in a few months, maybe we are kidding ourselves!  There ARE Fritos and potato chips in our pantry!

We will share our favorite restaurants and gluten free ‘finds’ as we progress on this journey.  We have already experienced eating at quite of few restaurants while we were recently out of town. As of now, Longhorn’s wins the prize for ease of choice because of their extensive GF menu.  Too bad Brent’s not a big Chipotle fan because just about everything they have is gluten free besides the tortillas.  Thankfully, we have a Whole Foods within a mile of our house and are grateful for their vast, well marked, although expensive, selection.

Oh, please let us know about your favorite gluten free foods and restaurant ‘finds’!