What do you do when your husband has been diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure and a sleep disorder, you have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, your lower lumbar disc starts bumping your sciatic nerve again, and two of your children are going through testing to get to the bottom of chronic gastrointestinal issues, all in the span of a four week period?

Well, you allow yourself to be pathetic and feel sorry for yourself for five minutes…

And then you count your many blessings, say a prayer of thanks that it’s nothing worse, blow your nose, and get on with the task of adapting to the new normal.

My family has been going through a Bad Patch.

However, there are things we are grateful for:

1.  Zan’s high blood pressure was diagnosed before anything terrible could happen, and it is already back down with medication and a diet overhaul. And hopefully he’ll be able to sleep well again in the near future which would be a totally new and welcome experience for him.

2.  All my lab tests, including blood tests, heart tests, and artery tests have come back normal…a great relief following some scary experiences and a dramatic increase in migraine headaches.

3. The diagnoses of Fibromyalgia, albeit unwelcome, explains a lot of problems I’ve had throughout the last year.  Thankfully I do not have some of the crippling symptoms of depression and anxiety that some experience, and my case is considered mild to moderate.  My body simply feel 90 years old…it could be worse!  🙂  At least now I can be proactive and take steps to manage it.

4.  If we have to go Gluten free, Wheat free, Soy free, or Dairy free for my kiddos, at least there are innumerable resources and foods available to help us do that.  We will hopefully know more when their lab work comes back next week.

5. My damnable slipping disc is at least giving me a warning signal by bumping my nerve, rather than dropping me to my knees immediately.  I can take steps to heal it while still able to move around.

6.  My wonderful parents have been available to watch kids and give rides to appointments when necessary while we go through all this stuff.

7. We have each other, and our world has not been shaken apart.  All this can be managed.

I thought I had better disclose this saga, as I’m sure there will be posts related to our new directions in the future, as we seek to change our lifestyle to adapt to our new circumstances.  Maybe even some new recipes as I seek healthier alternatives for me and my family?  I am actually quite excited about this book coming in the mail.  It will look pretty next to my copy of their original “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.”  You’ll be hearing more about that one, I am sure.  🙂

So enough about poopy things.

I leave you with evidence gathered when I was in Newport that spring really is approaching.  When passing through the dark of winter, one must always keep sight on the light of spring.