The worst thing ever, or how I intend to survive an elimination diet

July 16, 2015 Karen Huber

Photo by Drew Taylor on Unsplash — Photo by Drew Taylor on Unsplash

2015 may be the year of "submit," but it's also the year of migraines, tiredness, anxiety and eczema. I keep trying to convince myself it must be "something in the water" or "allergy season" or "this bag of tortilla chips just fell in my lap." Just when I thought I'd established a good rhythm in one area of my life, my health is dancing to an entirely different (and altogether funky) beat.

So it is with an extreme amount of regret that I inform you that I have begun an elimination diet. Clearly there is only one way this can go and that is with an eventual mental breakdown. I can't decide on a can of diced tomatoes at the grocery store, let alone...

When we are cloaked in shadows

June 3, 2015 Karen Huber

I love the smokestacks in the port of Dublin. I've heard they're disused, unneeded, but the general population (or perhaps, the more traditional, sentimental of the population) fight against their potential destruction. I can see why they would fight it.

Is that my Diet Coke?

January 25, 2014 Karen Huber

We have a running gag in our family. It's usually no laughing matter to make light of addictions, but we just can't help it.

My mother is known for her wit, her warmth and her strength. She's also known for her Diet Coke. Every day, at least once, if she spots you with an open container, she'll ask, "Is that my Diet Coke?" Nine times out of ten, it is. She'll open one before bedtime, take a sip and set it aside for morning. You, being that amazing homemaker that you are (ahem) will think it's rubbish and head for the kitchen. Mom will stop you before you hit the sink. It's still good, she'll say. "I just need a hit of Diet Coke."

The eczema report of 2014

January 8, 2014 Karen Huber

It's that time of year again, the wintry mix of dry and itchy skin, red rashes, cracked hands and lotion experimentation. Blessedly, it's been one of the better years for the two of us, Ella and me. We're still using some of the meds and ointments she got last Spring and my hands haven't started bleeding yet. Bonus! But still we cope the uncomfortable scratchiness of nearly everything, do the moisturization dance twice a day, and I'm having to find creative ways to keep everything off my neck, where my outbreak is worst.

I can't really believe it's taken this long to come to the realisation that what E and I have is an actual chronic illness, having given up hope that it will ever really go away and trying to find ways to just deal with it. It's a never-ending quest to find products that keep us functioning and don't make it worse. Very few things ever really improve our symptoms, but there are a few lotions, moisturizers, soaps and such that make living with eczema slightly better.

Here's what's in our proverbial medicine cabinet (we actually don't have a medicine cabinet, but that sounds better than "littering our night-stands and every other bedroom surface").

On falling off the wagon :: 31 days of messy parenting {day 29}

October 29, 2012 Karen Huber

You know how they say you shouldn't fall in love/get married/give away your flower until you love yourself and/or find your wholeness in God? And then they say you shouldn't have kids until you've travelled the world, paid off all your debt and bought a house? And then, you know - as a parent - you've now got it all figured: the planning, the budgeting, the disciplining and the healthy eating?

Yeah, well, I've just fallen off the wagon.

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