17 days until surgery

~ Days31-34: Parts 1 & 2 of reintroduction and some positives ~

I can go on and on about adding something every few days and its affects, but I'm trying to keep it simple and journal all the details instead of blogging them.  So here's the quick and dirty version:

Wine + and -
- made me crave salty bar-food (no surprise there) and of course, more wine.  I refrained from both!
- made me very tired a few hours later; thought I was going to get solid sleep but...(continue reading)...
- terrible sleep, nightmares in fact; had strange paranoid dreams about people breaking into my car; actually got out of bed to check when I heard noises!
- upset stomach following day, but no bloating thankfully +
+ did not affect me mentally
- increased bleeding that night and also experienced cramps; had Nathan get ibuprofen and my massager in the middle of the night
- noticed some skin blemishes following day
Conclusion:  The fact that wine could be making my fibroids/bleeding worse is a huge red flag, so I will have to see how my body reacts post-surgery;
RESULTS INCONCLUSIVE/NOT WORTH IT (only 25% worth it)

Gluten-Free Beer + and -
+ no cravings
+ not tired
- sleep was okay; weird dreams about looking for forks at school
- felt bloated
-- this was the worse: even though the physical affects weren't as bad as the wine, I just went to bed feeling like it wasn't worth it; I've been making so much progress and this just felt like a set back
++ no noticeable symptoms or reactions
Conclusion:  Even though the affects were less negative than the wine, the mental aspect of this and knowing it wasn't worth it THAT NIGHT say it all!
NOT WORTH IT (technically 50% worth it, so maybe I should try again/try a different brand?)

Rice & Homemade Tortilla Chips + and -
+ no cravings really (I let myself savor each food as I was eating in moderation); just noticed that I was hungry soon after the rice; ate chips as appetizer and enjoyed guilt-free carne asada lettuce wraps
+ not tired
- felt bloated
+ no mental affects other than thinking, wow, that was really easy/convenient (although that's not a good reason to eat something; in fact, it might be a horrible reason)
- increase in bleeding/some back cramping later that night
Sleep: TBD
Conclusion:  I would consider eating gluten-free grains AS NEEDED, which wouldn't be that often since I know I can avoid them for at least 30 days.  However, for a cheat meal, I might let them slide but NOT simultaneously with another problematic food group.  I'd like to think I'm not dumb enough anymore to eat rice, beans, cheesy enchiladas with a sugary margarita and wonder why I feel...well, you know...
KINDA WORTH IT (60%)

Random side-note/shout out:  My husband made dinner tonight.  Not only is he a great cook (especially anything grilling, anything meat), but he puts up with my wacky whole30 demands.  He made one of our favorites: carde asada tacos (lettuce wraps for me).  How did I get so lucky?!

Other details on NSVs (non-scale victories):
We calculated/estimated that we saved about $600 not eating out last month; we could've save more but we treat ourselves to nice meals when cooking (like steak tacos tonight!)

More to come as I introduce dairy and gluten over the next few days while also trying to eat whole30 for my spring break stay-cation.  As of right now, I'm feeling indifferent about dairy but really looking forward to some bread :)

Although who needs bread when I can have these lovelies:


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