Tuesday, May 25, 2010

How I got over

Just got over the most horrendous case of soy milk poisoning. Not the throw up, better in the morning kind of poisoning, but the slow, insidious, lethargic, foggy headed kind where you realize, oh f--k, I must be allergic to soy! Which would make sense considering how I'm allergic to peanuts, wheat, barley, oats, grasses, pollen, dust, et cetera and so on. Not that I've allowed this to keep me from enjoying all the foods which should be on my do not eat list: pizza, pasta, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, all kinds of beer, toast, all those wonderful, comforting foods which play havoc inside my body making me somewhat tired and nasal drippy but which can also be effectively counteracted with sugar and (until last year) caffeine.

But no more voluntary food poisoning for me. Not after experiencing the kind of fatigue (making it extremely difficult to write or paint) which, no matter how much I slept, only got worse with each cup of soy milk I innocently ingested. Not after doubling over in excruciating, utterly blinding pain (when before I would feel just a twinge of discomfort here and there) making me want to schedule my surgery for that very day to have these benign little suckers ripped out of me once and for all. I can't help wondering now if I would have even had a fibroid issue in the first place if I hadn't been slowly poisoning my body all these years. Maybe, maybe not.

So for the past week I have been eating nothing but safe foods. Eggs, chicken, lots of veggies and fruit, popcorn, goat milk, cottage cheese. Even so it took me about five days to bounce back to normal. I hate soy with a passion now. I want to poke holes in every carton I see. I'll probably want to knock them out of the hand of every shopper about to put a carton of that foul tasting poison into their grocery cart. Don't drink that crap! I'll want to scream. Don't chew it, suck on it or lick it either!

Even though, to be reasonable, it was probably my propensity towards food allergies that made my reaction so strong. Then again, a friend of mine who is allergic to nothing, tried soy milk for a while and noticed it changed her previously like clockwork menstrual cycle. And since she works in a hospital, she had many, many other horror stories involving soy to tell me.

Anyway, on to my photographs of the week:

1. People looking at art in the De Young...
I love this elegant older lady...
I bet she lives in a large, beautiful house filled with original art.

From Glide, where I will be doing my community service...
Food I will no longer poison my body with (except on special occasions)...
Sunday plein air painting. Except, because I was still getting over my soy poisoning, I only had energy enough for doodling...
A bluebird about to eat whatever the hell it wants...
The shi shi rich versus them world of Sausalito, where I once made enough money as an unlicensed street artist to fund a summer backpacking all over Europe.

5 pm. Almost dinner time now. Hmmm, what will I have?

22 comments:

  1. My physiotherapist always tells me, “Listen to your body.” You definitely heard what your body had to say about soy!
    I’m not allergic to any foods – just stress. ;) Once got a wicked case of hives that lasted a week. Ouch.
    Take care of yourself!

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  2. I will, thanks Beth! I've learned to trust my body. It's not always right, unfortunately. Or maybe in those instances my head overrules the rest if me.

    I've had hives too, right after the chicken pox!!! That was a bad summer. I still get hives if I eat to much sugar, another signal I have to listen to more...

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  3. What an idea to drink soy milk! ... or any milk actually! :-)

    (I keep looking for your Paris gallery!)

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  4. Oh, honey!:-( I am so sorry. Back when I was a vegetarian I ate TONS of soy. I got hypothyroid. My MD was convinced it was from all the soy I was eating. I have ever since had a grudge against soy. Now my soy grudge is larger. I hope you are soon feeling better!

    Thanks for the art. Love the older lady!!!
    xxoo

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  5. Lately I have been on a roller coaster from hell with my digestive woes, (caught a super-bug) and I hear you loud and clear. I never had problems before so now I am so much more sympathetic than I used to be. Sigh. I have a thing for older ladies that get all dolled up. They slay me.

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  6. So glad to hear you're feeling better. I would happily make you a raw food feast! Beautiful photos- I love the graceful older lady in the gallery.

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  7. Hi Peter, I read Europeans don't drink soy milk. I only we Americans were so wise...

    And thank you!!!! If I get into a Paris gallery I will consider you my fine art guardian angel!

    Hi La Belette Rouge, another horror story! I so wish I;d read up on soy before experimenting with it. Why! Why...the only good thing to come out of it is my new resolve to be better about not eating foods I'm allergic to. Everything else about it sucks...Today, had another sleepy day, five days after going off soy. So I got some thyroid supplements to see if it makes any difference.
    xoxo


    Hi Elizabeth, ugh, a super bug sounds as bad as soy poisoning! Hope we're both one hundred percent soon.

    Me too, I want to be like that when I'm old, with pearls and beautifully tailored suits, taking tango lessons and visiting art galleries...


    Hi Sophia, nearly better. I would so love to try one of your raw food feasts! Hopefully my culinary skills will improve enough for me to contribute at least one dish.
    Thanks! She's my fave too.

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  8. Oh man - I'm so glad you are fully back in the world! Sounds awful! Well - you know I'M partial to goat milk... grin. Glad you are well and I love your "doodling"... great pictures! Cheers - Shanster

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  9. The trick is to make it so nothing can survive within your body, bacteria included. I've gotten to the point where my body rejects anything below 80 proof.

    Vodka. Does a body good.

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  10. Hi Shannon, me too! And you are so lucky to have your own ready supply of goat milk! I wish it came in gallon containers. Boy, is that stuff yummy!

    Thanks, to me it's just okay, because I know I could have done better had I felt more myself. But still preferable to not drawing at all...

    Hi De Campo, good advice! Will try toute suite. A shot along with my morning tea, another just before bed time...

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  11. owww. i on't know what i'd eat if i was allergic to pizza. i mean, fresh fruit and veggies obviously, and eggs. but all the things you are allergic to are things i crave.
    my safe food is oatmeal. its what i eat when my stomach can't eat anything else. i guess i could substitute squash soup, but oatmeal is so *convenient*
    i love your photos and the painting you did. i also went over and looked at your photo blog (the one you haven't posted a photo to in six months!) great work. i'm impressed.

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  12. p.s. i hope you are feeling better!

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  13. As above, how about goats? I am allergic to much. Deathly allergic to horses, have to drug up to pet cows, but goats...... ah the goats. I can pet them without hives, I think I could probably use them as a pillow. So, the milk would follow yes? Following the body. Once you're EVEN better you might want to give it a little try with your clean palate (figurative). Get better so I can see more art.

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  14. Hi Seraphine, I love your name! Yeah, food allergies are the pits. I love oatmeal. esp. during cold weather. I love all those horribly poisonous to my body foods. On the plus side though...my metabolism has kicked into overdrive.

    And thanks! Yeah...I have neglected my photography lately....

    And yes! feeling much better finally!


    Na'he!!! Great to see you here! Wow, deathly allergic to horses? I didn't even know that was possible. Ah, hives! I tend to get that when I eat too much sugar. Total bummer. Should be grateful, at least, am not allergic to goat milk as well. Love that stuff.

    Yes, energy levels are back to normal now, and eager to get back to painting!!!

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  15. I'm happy to read from your comments above that you're feeling better, Cheryl, but I'll still send you some healing well-wishes. :) Thanks for sharing the photos. You're a star, bright one. xx

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  16. Hi Carol Anne, thank you, much appreciated! Yes, I am feeling so much better now! XX

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  17. Poor you! I'm glad you are feeling better.

    I don't know about Peter, but we Europeans do drink soy milk (I don't, but I hate any type of milk, except chocolate milk :)
    It's all a matter of taste, I guess.

    Doodling???? Yeah, right. Excellent work.

    Have a nice day!!!

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  18. ack! who knew soy could be so dangerous! please steer clear of that in the future!!!

    bleh. food allergies just SUCK.

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  19. just passing by to say a quick hello...

    Food allergies are a pain!!!

    Take good care, Cheryl... XXX

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  20. Don't you hate how getting sick can taint the memory of a previously-cherished food?

    I recently got quite sick after a meal in which I ingested a large amount of soy milk, and I worry that it will never taste the same to me anymore, even though it may not have been the culprit.

    Thank God you can still eat popcorn. Losing that one would kill me.

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  21. Hi Dutch Donut Girl, oh no! They drink it over there too? They should flush every last drop of that estrogenic poison!!!! Boo soy milk!!!

    Thanks :) and you too!

    Hi Drollgirl, yeah, the certainly do. Bought groceries today and looking over my shopping list I thought, oh God this is all so f'ing boring!!!!

    Hi, hello, hola, bonjour Lena!!!! Thanks for stopping by! And will do :)

    Hi BB, yes!!!! Once got sick from Baskin Robbins ice cream. Have never eaten there since. Oh, please do not drink soy milk!!!! Strike it off your list forever. That stuff is complete crap.

    Yes, comfort food popcorn and I are still buddies :)

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