Friday, December 18, 2015

Lucky #7

Siete. 
Sieben.
 Sept.
Sete.
Chee. 
Bay.
S-E-V-E-N.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 
As of right now, there are only SeVeN classes standing between me and my... 
BaChElOr'S DeGrEe. 
Seven years later, after countless days and nights spent working hard on assignments, I will earn my Undergraduate Degree next October in Communications Studies with a minor in Journalism.  
After having no choice but to drop out of school my freshman year, starting the SCD, tweaking the SCD, launching and then being forced to close my own baking company, launching this life-saving blog and support page, attending a community college for 3.5 years and earning my Associate's Degree in General Studies, dreadful weight-gains, multiple trips to the ER, kidney stones, hives for over two months, never-ending food-allergy experimentation, two blackouts, countless wishes for a different body, gallons of tears shed, bizarre medical mysteries, a Chronic Lyme diagnosis (ten years after the tick bite, as well as multiple misdiagnoses), and meeting the love of my life,
"I am finally going to be a COLLEGE GRADUATE." 
It hasn't been smooth-sailing. 
I've wanted to give up numerous times.
Switching to an entirely online program was not an easy decision. 
It's been a lonely journey.
I've had to walk away from dream jobs/internships.
I've watched my social life disappear right in front of me.
My body has pushed me to the edge more times than I can count. 
The years have been sprinkled with severe flares at the most inconvenient of times, some of which left me on the bathroom floor all night, shivering like a leaf in the wind. 
I've had to ask for extensions at times because I couldn't push through the hip pain, or the brain fog, or the pain in my gut. 
But, I have never quit. 
I have continued to put one foot in front of the other. 
I have not stopped looking forward and imaging the finish line within my reach. 
I have not stopped believing that I can beat my body at its vicious game. 
And, here I am, beating my body and approaching the finish line. 
After all these years. 
After seeing countless friends move into the next phase of their life, while I sit over here, slowly plugging away at this one. 
It's about to be my turn to move into the next chapter. 
I told my body that it could try to beat me, but I would do anything to prevent that from happening. 
I told the bugs that they could try to stop me, but I would never let them win. 
E-V-E-R. 
So, here I am. 
Waiting for my last spring semester as an undergrad. 
Waiting for my last summer class as a Communications Studies major. 
Waiting for my last fall semester before reaching the finish line.
OcToBeR oF 2016
That's my target
That's when I'll finally be face-to-face with the finish line. 
That's when this chapter of my life will finally come to a close.
Some say I'll be sad to see it end. 
NOPE. I won't be sad, but I'm sure the bugs will be. 
;)  
 At that point, they'll know that they lost this fight and I WON. 
At that point, I will have...
S-U-C-C-E-E-D-E-D. 
My message to you: always fight. Always push for what you want, even if the bugs try to stand in your way
~Souper Douper SCDer~

Thursday, November 26, 2015

HaPpY tHaNkSgIvInG, sCdErS!! What are YOU thankful for? :) ♥︎

I could NOT let this wonderful day go by without a post. 
HaPpY tHaNkSgIvInG, eVeRyOnE!! 
Coconut positively LOVES shoes. :) I can't get enough of this cutie pie. 
I hope you all were able to spend some quality time with family/friends that are basically family today. I'm so grateful/thankful for my incredibly healing family. 
(What are YOU grateful for??)
♥︎ 
Time spent with family has the potential to lower inflammation throughout the body. ;) 
Was there laughter involved?? I hope there was, guys! Laughter is ThErApEuTiC!!
Did you have your own personal plate of Thanksgiving dinner (with plain food, no gluten, no sugar, no dairy, no fruit, no grains, no potatoes, etc.), or were you able to tolerate some of the meal on its own? 
I also wanted to take the time to remind you that it's the
H O L I D A Y S.
In other words, please BE SURE to love yourself during this time of year.
Don't cave in to TeMpTaTiOn.  
Don't eat something...
SCD-illegal
or high in FODMAPs, 
or high in histamine.
Eat "YOU-friendly" FOODS to avoid a FLARE! 
Do whatever you have to do to be happy during this 'sweet' time of year, 
which is overflowing with goodies that will 
set you back for WEEKS
 I promise you that one bite of cake/pie/a cupcake/chocolate/apple/mango/brussels sprouts/potato/grapes/pineapple is NOT worth the negative consequences. 
TRUST ME, PLEASE!!!!!!!!! I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, GUYS!
I want to hear how WELL you are over the next month 
during the most delightful 
H O L I D A Y S 
of the year.
:) If you need any help with "YOU-friendly" snacks, 
or desserts that won't send you into a horrible flare, 
please don't hesitate to 
comment here or email me!  
Until next time, 
please be endlessly happy, be friendly to yourself, and LOVE YOUR GUT!
Lots of love, 
Allie 
:) 

Saturday, October 31, 2015

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN, ScDeRs!!

In my previous life, I used to bake deadly CuPcAkEs to celebrate Halloween.
*The only 'deadly' thing about these cupcakes was the presence of GLUTEN!*

Nowadays, I do something a little different to 
celebrate this SpOoKy holiday.
Something more along the lines of a date that certainly keeps you on your toes.
I figured that a good ScArE would frighten away all of the inflammatory cells in my body. SO, two weeks before Halloween, Hon and I went to a haunted house. However, when we got back, something was different. It was almost as if we brought the 'HaUnTeD'-ness home with us.
BOO!
:D
HaPpY HaLlOwEeN, 
SCDers! 

Lots of love and wellness, 
Allie 
❤︎



DISCLAIMER (and reason for no current photos): 
This is really the FIRST year (in a while) that I wasn't well enough to "DO" Halloween. [We ventured through a haunted forest several weeks ago.] Being an October baby, Halloween is basically my holiday. It's in my genes to LOVE Halloween. The fact that I was sick the whole week prior to this bloody holiday makes me so incredibly sad, but I'm trying to make the best of it. :) I hope YOUR guts/bodies were cooperating, and that you were able to be whoever you wanted to be on this freaky holiday! Share photos of your costumes, if you'd like to spread some ghoulish cheer!! ^__^ 
P.S. It's sort of my tradition to post on the last day of the month, so I couldn't break the code, right??? ;) 

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Taking a moment to say... THANK YOU :)

I'm sorry, but, does it honestly get ANY cuter than this?????
My cuddle bug. Ain't she PRECIOUS?!
Pictured: Miss Coconut Cashmere Cabana, healing me more and more with each passing day. 
This post goes out to my guardian angels (you know who you are!).
I reached out to them via Facebook for help with a journalism assignment, and they immediately embraced me with open arms. 
(I LOVE YOU!) 
I may be drowning in school work, 
my list of 'safe' foods may be about as long as a toothpick
my inflammation may be through the highest roof in allllllllllllll of the land, and
I may be struggling to see the light at the end of this ridiculously LeNgThY tunnel, BUT... 
 I know I will be OK and I owe it all to you guys.
I haven't been well, and you all were more than willing to assist me by providing information for my assignment. 
Turns out I received an A on the News Story. 
That A is...
totally yours
Since I can't bake you a big batch of cookies like I would have done in the past [trust me when I say I wish I could!], I'm going to try something new: 
I'm DeDiCaTiNg this blog post to you
Thank you so much for helping me with the assignment. 
I was overwhelmed by 
your love... 
kindness...and
warm EmBrAcE
I hope the photos of Coconut bring you smiles, too!! :) 
LOVE, 
Allie 
❤︎

Monday, August 31, 2015

BEEisms

Bee happy
Bee optimistic
Bee silly
Bee carefree
Bee giggly
Bee playful.
Bee emotional
Bee messy
Bee creative
Bee artistic
Bee imaginative
Bee active.
Bee inspired.
Bee motivated
Bee determined
Bee tough
Bee strong
Bee committed.
Bee adventurous.
Bee daring
Bee curious
Bee outgoing
Bee confident.
Bee brave.
Bee calm
Bee hopeful
Bee alive.
Bee ambitious
Bee busy
Bee cheerful
Bee childlike
Bee affectionate
Bee delightful
Bee enthusiastic
Bee fearless
Bee fierce.
Bee joyful
Bee kind
Bee kindhearted
Bee organic
Bee natural
Bee raw
Bee grateful
Bee appreciative
Bee wild.
Bee well.
Bee healthy.  
BEE YOURSELF.  
❤︎
It's been a month since we last spoke. 
This seems to be happening quite often, doesn't it? ;) 
I promise you that once I get another break from school, 
you will see more posts from me. 
 I wanted to send you all this message before August comes to a close. 
I saw this little bumble bee the other morning, and he passed along some of 
his 'bee'-utiful wisdom to me. 
My goal? My goal is to just BEE. I don't want to overthink things, 
or stress myself out about trying to be well. 
[That's easier said than done, I know... 
But, we can try.]
I just want to take things one day at a time, and just BEE
I don't want worrying about healing from these diseases 
to consume 100% of my thoughts. 
"I want to bee a busy bee, thinking about other bee-utiful things." 
And...I would love it if you guys did the same. 
:) 
Until next time, 
BEE happy, BEE tough, BEE YOU. 
LOTS OF LOVE 
AND 
HEALING VIBES, 
Allie/Souper Douper SCDer
  ❤︎

Friday, July 31, 2015

über busy being HAPPY and in LOVE

GAH! Sorry for the HUMONGOUS spaces in between my posts. I've been SO, SUPER, über busy with keeping myself distracted from my body. What does the trick, you ask? LOVE and HAPPINESS.
*My soulmate, and my partner in my fight against Chronic Lyme Disease.* 
I didn't want July to go by without a post, so I'm just sticking this one in before it strikes midnight!!!
My message to you on this lovely last-day-of-July evening? 
CHOOSE HAPPINESS. 
Don't let these nasty diseases keep you from smiling. Take it from me; letting these illnesses win is the LAST thing that you want to do. 
Fight through the tears, push through the pain, look for the light in your darkest of moments... and find it within your soul to let a SMILE shine on your beautiful face.
Love and healing vibes to each of my friends fighting an invisible disease, or multiple diseases. We're in this fight together. 
 ❤︎

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

LOW-FODMAPs Diet: What you NEED to know

If you're on either the...
*SCD diet,
*GAPS diet, 
*Low-histamine diet,
*Lyme diet, 
*AIP diet, 
*OR, a combo of these diets, 
and you are STILL unable to achieve wellness, 
this post is for YOU. 
Bloated? Cramping? Constipated? D*******? Gas? Abdominal swelling? 
☞[KEEP READING!]☜
A hamburger ordered with GLUTEN-FREE specifications! Hon ate the rest of my plate. 
I'd like to introduce you to the concept of...
F-O-D-M-A-P-s
"What the heck is a FODMAP???"
_ _
O
*That's what my face looked like when I first read 
about FODMAPs, too!*
[Well, here's the secret behind the acronym]
Fermentable
Oligo-
Di-
Monosaccharides 
And
Polyols.
In other words, they are...
C-A-R-B-O-H-Y-D-R-A-T-E-s.
HOWEVER,not ALL carbohydrates are lucky enough to be called FODMAPs. 
Here are the repeat offenders:
*Fructose *Lactose *Fructans 
*Galactans 
*Polyols 
SO....
"What do you DO with this information, you ask?"
I would recommend following a... 
LOW-FODMAP diet. ✔︎
One of the stunning views from the Washington National Monument. 
Since I suggested a LOW-FODMAP diet, you probably want to view a list of the foods that are HIGH in FODMAPs and LOW in FODMAPs so that you can feel better! 
[I got the lists of foods from IBSdiets.org. THANK YOU, GUYS!!!!!]
❤︎
The list is a BIT lengthy to include in this post, so please feel free to 
access the link I listed above within the brackets. 
H-O-W-E-V-E-R, 
here are some of my FAVORITE foods that I've had to cut out as a result of following a LOW-FODMAP diet. 
I'm telling you this because these foods
 might be your favorite 
(but DEADLY
foods, too! 
_ _
O
*Don't panic!!! I promise you that once 
these foods make their way out of your system, 
you will be ECSTATIC!!*
Garlic
Onions
Cauliflower
Scallions (the white part!)
Apples
Watermelon
Avocado
P.S. I have had to cut these foods out for other reasons besides adhering to the LOW-FODMAP diet, but now I know to NOT add them back in!
In conclusion, 
I hope this post has helped you to understand the FODMAPs diet!
❤︎ 
ALWAYS REMEMBER...
to listen to your body as you tweak 
your diet to achieve 
wellness.  
Lots of love, 
Allie 

P.S.  I am not a doctor. This post comes from my heart, regarding my own personal experiences throughout my battle for wellness. I've gathered this information through extensive research. PLEASE feel free to contact your physician or a naturopathic doctor regarding the LOW-FODMAP diet. You may only have to be super restricted for two months, while others may have to stay on a LOW-FODMAP diet forever (such as myself). You just have to listen to your body!!!!! XOXOXOX