The Curious Housewife

This looks like an artistic display doesn't it? Well, except for the outlet on the right. I haven't written a post in awhile and one of the reasons has to do with the above photo. To say that I have been preoccupied with all things bathroom related would be a real understatement. If you are squeamish about this sort of thing (poop talk), well, too bad. The post is really about my experience with OTC (over the counter) drugs and not entirely about poop. Just to give a little background, I was newly diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) earlier this year.  (For those not familiar, IBS is a  disruptive  condition, causing diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. It makes it nearly impossible to be regular in your toilet habits in any meaningful way. The condition is chronic and takes a real emotional and physical toll.) My problems have been ongoing, however, and came to a head about two years ago. (Although in retrospect, I have likely had problems like...

  It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my own experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  ___________________________________________ My exam day is finally here! I am offering up a prayer to the Poop Gods that my preparation is complete. (It sure feels complete, let me just say that.) Yesterday (day 6, the prep day) went much better than I ex...

It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my own experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  _______________________________________ Well. That happened! My bowel prep regimen includes Dulcolax stimulant laxatives and Miralax (an osmotic and "laxative"). Let's just say that the laxatives nearly did me in yesterday. And that is saying ...

It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my own experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  _______________________________________ And it's on to day 5! Yay me! Today is the first "pill" day. My regimen prescribed by the doctor is this: 4 Dulcolax pills on Sunday; 4 Dulcolax pills and 1 bottle of Miralax with Gatorade on Monday. Tha...

It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my own experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  _______________________________________ This morning (Saturday) I tried a larger breakfast all at once rather than several smaller meals. I had a slice of sourdough toast, a small serving of mashed potatoes, green beans, and a pumpkin cookie. I also had a l...

It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my own experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  _______________________________________ What a Merry Christmas! Actually, day 3 wasn't too bad. It is still just a low fiber diet day, not the prep day itself. I should mention that in following my own doctor's instructions, she specified 2-3 days o...

  It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  ______________________________________ I woke up way too early this morning. I am very anxious and already feeling a little ill from nerves and not eating enough. My tendency is to experience stress a little belatedly, after the fact. Right now though, I am i...

It seems these days that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to documenting one's experience of anything. Doesn't seem to matter how trivial or important that experience is so long as it is either recorded and published via a video or a still picture or a carefully crafted written work. Everything is fair game. In the spirit of that no-limits approach and nothing-is-too-boring approach, I will be documenting my experience. It's not just any experience, mind you. It's the experience of a vegan/plant centered person and it's mine! I will be writing for the full seven days about what is working and what isn't. I hope you will follow along and maybe at the same time, I can provide some useful information.  ______________________________________________________ In April of this year I turned 50. I was looking forward to that, had a nice day in fact, and went on about my business after celebrating quietly. Just another birthday you say? Hardly. The age is significa...

Puzzled 2016-Painted paper collage on board I love mulling over ideas! Lately, I have been thinking a lot about creativity: how is it defined, what does it look like, and what are the ways in which we use it? In the past, I believed that only artists were creative. If you weren't making something such as a painting or a piece of pottery then you weren't creative. It's only recently that I have come to view the word "creative" differently. Being creative can mean more than making something with your hands. It can also refer to the ways in which we think. That statement may seem obvious but I think that we often overlook just how creative we can get when we put our minds to it, literally! Creativity, flexing your creative muscles, can happen in a number of different ways and in many contexts.  Just as there are endless varieties of people and activities, there are also many different ways to be creative. Creativity shows up in our everyday lives more often th...

Well, I made it. Two weeks without visiting the grocery store. It's some kind of shopping miracle!  Let me backup a bit to explain the challenge that I gave myself (and my friends on FB) two weeks ago.  I had been watching a press conference with the President and his medical advisors, Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx. The doctors specifically said that the upcoming two weeks (the ones that just passed) would be critical in flattening the curve. It was strongly suggested to not go out, limiting time away from home for essential business only. They specifically said that now was not the time to go to the grocery store. I took that as a real mandate and frankly, it made me a little fearful. I am a compliant person (mostly) and so I decided to follow this advice. It's hard to know how to contribute during this crisis and this seemed a very concrete way of doing just that. I want to share what happened, what I found out and whether or not I would do this again. I came up with this ...

Joshua Tree National Park-Cholla cactus  During the first part of March, I took a solo road trip down to Southern California. I had never driven anywhere that far by myself before. My goal was to see if I could really do it, drive myself 8+ hours somewhere and arrive safely at my destination without too much pain and heartache, i.e. getting lost! Spoiler alert: I made it! And I didn't get lost. Well, that is a small fib actually. I took one wrong turn but quickly corrected myself once I saw that I was headed in the wrong direction (my car has a navigation readout on the dashboard).  During the next several days there were actually a few moments like the above; moments where I sensed I was going in the wrong direction and had to stop. I would check my notes, the map, and my phone, and then reset my course. After awhile, I became aware that I was actually navigating on my own, getting a good feel intuitively for which direction I was headed in. (I am very directionall...

The New Social Visit: This week my one "social" visit consisted of a trip to the cardiologist's office.  (For those reading who don't know, I have coronary artery disease and a history of having had a heart attack and bypass surgery.)  I see him twice a year for a check up. He tells me that the blockage in my carotid artery has not advanced and that he is happy with my lipid panel and liver values. I tell him about some anxious heart related problem that I have been pondering and he politely shoots my worries down. It's a pleasant time though because he is a really congenial guy, nice looking, my age, and possesses a very calm and reassuring demeanor. He usually enters the exam room and shakes my hand warmly. He is the only one who gets to call me "Liz." We chat, he listens to my heart and kind of checks to be sure nothing has changed in my activity level. Nothing ever changes in our routine. Until now. As can be imagined, things were a little ...