Trying to get my problems under control - again

I've never made it a secret that I'm suffering from IBS-D. It's truly a debilitating problem to have but earlier this year I heard of a special IBS-diet and gave it a go!

The most amazing thing is that for the first time in 5 or more years I was free of my problems with my stomache.

I've been eating ordinary food during the summer but now I feel I need to get back on track so from this day I'm back on my IBS-diet. I love this diet because I can live a normal life if I follow this diet. I also hate it because it's a very difficult diet to stay on.

Let me show you what I can eat and drink - I can't deviate from this plan for one second or I have to start all over again. It takes 6 weeks for my body to heal  and to get well once I've started this diet.

• rice, rice flower, rice milk (rice dream), rice cakes

• Soymilk (without flavoring)
• Cornflower, polenta
• Gluten free pasta
• Gluten free crispy bread (not "soft" bread)
• gluten free flower mix

• meat (beef, game, sheep, lamb) - unfortunally I can't eat beef – haven’t really tried the rest of them
• chicken
• white fish

• iceberg lettuce
• cucumber - peeled
• carrot, parsnips
• Tomato
• Squash/zucchini
• Avocado
• Olives
• spinach, nettles
• cantaloupe
• peach (fresh or canned without juice)
• berries (blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, raspberries, strawberries, black currant…)

I’ve found out that I can eat bananas without any problem

• homemade jam or lemonade - berries, sugar, water - NO additives
• herbal tea

• Oil
• milk free margarine/butter
• sugar, salt
• Pepper
• green herbs (oregano, time, tarragon, basil, dill, parsley)

This is what I can eat until you're free of all my symptoms, for at least 6 weeks. After that it's time to start introducing other things to eat.

* Oh by the way. I can't eat fried food. Everything has to be boiled or cooked in the oven.

7 different plotlines

From time to time I've heard that there are only 7 different plotlines in writing and I just had to find out exactly what they were so here you go:

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[wo]man vs. nature
[wo]man vs. man
[wo]man vs. the environment
[wo]man vs. machines/technology
[wo]man vs. the supernatural
[wo]man vs. self
[wo]man vs. god/religion
 
Ronald Tobias, author of "Twenty Basic Plots" believes the following make for good stories: quest, adventure, pursuit, rescue, escape, revenge, riddle, rivalry, underdog, temptation, metamorphosis, transformation, maturation, love, forbidden love, sacrifice, discovery, wretched excess, ascension, and decision.

Overlap must be common under this theory. For example, "Rocky" is a story of the "underdog," who goes through a "transformation" and falls in "love" while on a "quest." We're not sure, but we think "Dude, Where's My Car?" touches on at least 16.

There are also claims made that there are seven basic needs to a story line.
1. A hero – the person through whose eyes we see the story unfold, set against a larger background.

2. The hero’s character flaw – a weakness or defense mechanism that hinders the hero in such a way as to render him/her incomplete.

3. Enabling circumstances – the surroundings the hero is in at the beginning of the story, which allow the hero to maintain his/her character flaw.

4. An opponent – someone who opposes the hero in getting or doing what he/she wants. Not always a villain. For example, in a romantic comedy, the opponent could be the man or woman whom the hero seeks romance with. The opponent is the person who instigates the life-changing event.

5. The hero’s ally – the person who spends the most time with the hero and who helps the hero overcome his/her character flaw.

6. The life-changing event – a challenge, threat or opportunity usually instigated by the opponent, which forces the hero to respond in some way that’s related to the hero’s flaw.

7. Jeopardy – the high stakes that the hero must risk to overcome his/her flaw. These are the dramatic events that lend excitement and challenge to the quest.

Sourses:
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Oh have mercy!

It never ends! And you would think that the kids closets would be empty by now but that's where you're mistaken - they are still full of clothes.

But the best part is that the only thing I buy is underware and socks.. oh boy do I buy socks! What the frell is wrong with the world when all I find is one sock out of each pair and can't find the other one!

Someone should invent a sockfinder or something fun to do with one single sock! :)

Now I'm off to continue cleaning my home before the kids get home. :)

Surviving post patrum depression

I was just watching an episode of Private Practice and if you don't want to read any spoilers - stop reading this post here and now..

Anyway. This episode was dealing with Violet's struggle to work through a crisis and also struggling with her feelings - or lack of - for her son.

And it felt like someone punched me really hard in my stomache and I couldn't breath!

Nine years ago I went through a traumatic experience and during that same period I had a child - my firstborn, my wonderful son but I wasn't the picture perfect mom as everyone expects you to be and talking or admitting that you feel this way was something you did not talk about - ever!

I did the right things: I fed him, I changed his diaper, took care of his clothes, took walks but with everything that had happen I had a difficult time to connect emotionally with the whole situation. I had a hard time calling myself "mom" and I loved this child but I was not IN love with him so to speak.

It took such a long time for everything to change and even longer for me to feel that I was a good mom and to get over my guilt for not having these maternal feeling from the moment he was born and it still pains me to this day to think about those months 9 years ago because I feel that someone stole them from me and I can never get that back no matter how hard I try!

I love my son more than anything in this world and I'm so proud to be his mother and I tell him that every single day. Not a day goes by without me telling him how proud I am of him and how lucky I have to have him in my life.

My bonds with both of my children are incrediably strong and I couldn't have asked for better children and I know I'm a fantastic mom to these kids. I do make mistakes and I do have flaws like everyone else but you know what - I'm still a fantastic mom! :)

Different sides of my day today.

This is what my food-bag usually contains on a every day basis. Since I don't know if I get to have any meals where I'm going to work for the day I have to bring breakfast, lunch and a snack with me everyday.


I accidentally stumbled upon this as I went to the supermarket today! It's either "fun-sausage" or "ball-sausage".. Kul means both fun and ball in swedish.. it's a little bit like a freudian slip there. I couldn't help myself and I had to buy it! Can't wait for my kids to get home to see this. They are going to freak out!  Big time!

This is my Sunday.

I'm officially done for today! I'm way to tired for uploading new pics and the fact is that my last pic will show what the rest of the night will be like before I finally go to bed.

To be honest - I never expected to get this many visitors today to see what we've been up to in my family. My life is far from extraordinary - in fact it's very ordinary but it's my life. :)

Feel free to post a comment and hope you'll come back to visit my blog again in the near future.
/Seven and kids wish you all a good night. :)

A cleansing experience

I haven't been able to lift my knees high enough to get into the bathtub for a week due to a back injury I sustained but today I felt really good about my back and got to take my first bath in a very long time!

It's been a struggle to take showers as well since I couldn't raise my arms up over my head and I also have this burn injury on the side of my stomache and it hurt really badly to get water on it.

But now I took a long, really hot bath accompanied with a deep cleansing facial mask and an oil treatment for my hair! That along with lit, chocolate scented candles!

Oh my gosh! I'm in heaven!