And just like that....it's over.

I'm done. Done saying, "I can't have that" or "none of this today", done checking my little cards to see if certain foods are on my list of the day.

Last week I went to see a different doctor, and I am thoroughly convinced that if you go to enough doctors, you will eventually find the answer that you want to hear. At least in "food intolerance" cases like my own (obviously some medical problems are clear cut and diagnosis is diagnosis). I don't think this gal actually told me what I wanted to hear, but she did disagree with the allergist about the food problems causing all my skin & rash craziness. After much discussion between Eric and I (and Jodi since she was in town), I decided to scrap the elimination and rotation diet.

Ya know what the first thing I did was? Went to Culver's of course! Chocolate Heath Bar was the flavor of the day. Woot, woot! And as soon as I make it back to Wichita...a Squeak's cinnamon roll is on the menu! (Thanks for having one in my honor Jo).

Five days later now, and I really feel like a new woman. At least mentally. Every moment of the four weeks I was following that regimen my brain was constantly reeling, trying to figure out how to keep my body going on a limited range of foods...frequently failing as I stood in the kitchen at 7 p.m. starving and saying bleary-eyed to my family that I was going to the store to buy something, anything, to eat before I passed out. Unfairly, I know, I'm sorry gals...I was also continuing to lose weight...not such a good thing to be 15-20 pounds off the "healthy" range for my height.

So now I must say thank you to all of you who encouraged me in that adventure! So many people helped me find recipes, asked questions, brought me cookbooks, referred me to websites and just listened to my attempts at following that path. I genuinely felt so loved and cared for and I truly thank you for taking the time to help me try to figure it all out. I'm not sure what the "right" answer is for my total health...but for now having one less thing to worry my little head about is the right answer for me and my family. I need to focus on them, on getting ready for school, and getting our lives back in order. Hopefully I will be staying well and won't be wearing turtlenecks through a warm October like I did through April!