Taking Control

Health insurance kicked in at the beginning of the year, so I decided it was time to have a standard physical. I have known for quite some time that I needed to have general blood work done, but I've avoided it. Partially because I didn't want to be out the cash. Partially because I hate needles. Partially because ignorance is bliss.

I survived having my blood drawn. When the lab results came back, my cholesterol showed as high. More disturbing, however, was the elevated activity shown by my liver. The doctor ordered an abdominal ultrasound. Now I'm sitting in the doctor's office to see the results and talk about the future "therapy." (Getting that phone call this morning scared the CRAP out of me. My mind has gone to the worst possible scenerios and I've tried to maintain a positive outlook.)

Knowing that my cholesterol is high, it's time to take control of my diet as well. I have been a picky eater my entire life. It's not that I don't want to eat food that is healthy for my body. The tastes and smells literally make me ill. I feel like a fool because I eat like a 4-year-old, but it's all I'm able to do.....until now. I'm determined to take control of my mind and conquer this.

Yesterday, I went to grocery with the plan of picking up one veggie and one fruit that I don't currently eat. I had already decided that baby carrots would be the place to begin. While in the produce aisle, I held the baby carrots in one hand and saw tiny carrot sticks just a few steps away. People must have thought I was insane as I literally talked myself out of getting the sticks (hey, they would have been smaller)! I went through several other aisles, looking for healthy food options that would be an improvement on my current diet.

When I got home, I knew I had to just dive into the new foods. I made a turkey sandwich accompanied by wheat crackers, 2 tiny carrot sticks, and a POOL of ranch dressing. I had to disguise the carrots by mixing them with larger portions of other foods, but I got them down! What a huge success for me. Then I realized that I'll be fighting the battle again very soon.

Today's adventure has been much less stressful. I began with a bowl of maple and brown sugar oatmeal. It's not my favorite thing, but I can eat it. I missed lunch due to meetings and the doctor's appointment, so I simply had a cup of Greek yogurt -- another new food for me. It is a little more tart than normal yogurt, but I can acquire a taste for it because of its health benefits.
Now I just have to wait for the test results and then head home for my date with 2 more carrots and a pool of ranch dressing!

(PS - Thankful that the only problem revealed by the ultrasound is a fatty liver. After this stressful day of waiting, I couldn't manage carrots for dinner. I'll get back on that tomorrow though.)

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