The trouble with dumb decisions is....

It's a law you know; the law of sowing and reaping.  The Bible talks about it many times. Some refer to it as Karma. Whatever you see it as, it remains a law. And if it ins't, it should be.  If you do good things, good things should return to you. If you do bad things, bad things will eventually return. If you plant corn seed in summer and work your garden efficiently, you will reap grown corn in early fall. If you work out 5 days a week for an hour, you will build muscle. If you study hard for a test and learn the information that you need to for an exam, you should do well. When you go to the cafeteria at work and it smells heavenly with the smell of fried foods that you are not supposed to eat, and you decide to eat them anyway, the forces of evil will invade your bowels and you will wish death upon your soul.

Well, it wasn't that bad, but it almost was. The latter, I am afraid to say, did happen. I woke up late because I was tired and decided to shower instead of prep food for work. I grabbed a few things and threw them in a bag, but they really weren't food that I was excited to eat. When I walked down to the cafeteria to see if they had anything that might taste better than what I had brought and found perfectly cooked little bite sized pieces of chicken nuggets I had the thought, "Oh, I will just cheat this once. It can't be that bad. I have eaten gluten for years and I lived another day. I might as well enjoy myself today. I deserve it." WORST..... THOUGHT...... EVER!

It wasn't an instant transformation. I remember thinking after I ate the few bites of breaded chicken bites, if it was a smart decision and also thinking, "Really, how bad could it be?" My stomach didn't really hurt after I ate. I just felt full. As the last few hours of my shift went on, I began to get horrid pain in my joints. I mean, I looked like I had done about 1,000 squats and could barely walk. I ran by the store to get some Epsom Salts so I could soak in a bath when I got home. I had a short nap after and when I awoke I felt like a MAC truck had ran me over, backed up, ran me over again, and just for good measure, repeated said action. The pain...the horrid pain that I had gone without for 3 weeks now, had returned with a vengeance.

I don't know if my pain receptors had been so overworked in the past that they just lived in a dull state, or if they were just really trying to get across that I should never eat little, breaded chicken bites EVER AGAIN! Whatever they were trying to do, it worked. I actually cried over said pain. I have had Fibromyalgia pain for more years than I would like to remember and I usually just cried over the lack of relief and the frustration of having the disease, but I never actually cried out of the physical pain. I was trying to get ready for church and my slow moving body just would not let up. The act of just being on my feet sent horrid jolts of pain into my knees and hips. It was like growing pains or shin splints on steroids.  I just broke and finally relented.  I cried because of the pain. I cried because I wanted to go to church and my body just wouldn't let me. I cried because I really didn't want people to see me in this state and I knew that my family would be affected most by the incapacitated Mom. I finally realized I was broken and a dumb decision was the cause.

A person cannot convince me now that diet is not related to Fibromyalgia after last night...at least in my case. If you are struggling with your Fibromyalgia, I sincerely urge you to try going gluten free. Yes, it takes some planning and it will probably mean giving up your beloved Chicken Nuggets, but the benefits are so worth it. Pain levels at a minimum, fresh non-foggy brain, and the ability to be the person God created you to be are all side effects that can be achieved by giving (the evil) gluten up. I'm sure that the episode of weakness that I had yesterday when I decided to eat it "just this once" will not be the last time that I will fall to temptation. As long as those moments of weakness get less and less though, I'm sure that this will be worth it. My journey isn't over. I will be healthy this year and I am already coming back fighting! Trek on fibromites. You are worth it!