PLEASE.....Someone tell me this is just a cruel joke or a bad dream!

Ok, well as it turns out, it's not a joke or a bad dream, like I had hoped! This past few weeks have been rough for me because of a horrible diet my doctor put me on. I mean it's bad enough, that I have been pretty ill for almost 4 months, but don't be messin' with a girl's food!!! Especially, since I have my appetite back now! I usually don't get too personal on my blog, but this is so unfair, that I just have to tell all.

Here's how it all started...

Almost 4 months ago I got bronchitis and after 2 rounds of antibiotics, I was still having a lot of trouble breathing, so I went back to the doctor. He said I wasn't getting enough oxygen.....duh, that's why I was there! (do you detect a little attitude in my voice?) He gave me a nebulizer treatment, plus sent a nebulizer home with me, along with many other drugs. (I really hate taking medications, but I had no choice, I mean come on, I have to breathe!) After a chest x-ray, pulmonary function testing, allergy testing, plus 3 visits to my family doc and 4 or 5 to the Allergy Specialist, I still couldn't hardly breathe. BTW, the pulmonary function test was not fun. It wasn't too bad breathing into the machine, until he switched it to oxygen. He forewarned me that people new to scuba diving, have trouble breathing with the oxygen tanks and they sometimes panic. He said this test would be like that and that I would probably feel like I wasn't getting enough air.......HELLO.......I'm already NOT getting enough air! Oh and FYI......I'm not a scuba diver either! Needless to say, I almost panicked and ripped that thing out of my mouth, but he said if we didn't get a proper reading, we would have to redo it. I had to redo it 3 times because the first two times I was hyperventilating through the whole test. Anyway, the results revealed that my lungs are functioning properly, so he thought the obstruction must be caused by inflammation.

So far, I have had two really bad asthma attacks and both times, I ended up having panic attacks because I literally couldn't breathe and thought I wasn't going to make it! Let me tell you.....that will freak a person out! I made a real spectacle out of myself, when it happened at church in the middle of the service, recently. Fortunately, I went out into the foyer, but as my air became more constricted and the terror set in, I became more panicked. I thought I was going to drive myself home to use my nebulizer and was trying to convince myself and the ushers that I was going to be fine. Ok, at this point I was not thinking clearly! Apparently, I just got louder and louder the more panicked I became and the next thing I new, my husband busted through the door......he could hear the panic in my voice over his preaching and knew exactly what was happening. He didn't even get to finish the sermon.....we left and the rest of the church stayed and prayed for me. Isn't that so sweet? Some of them even met at the church the next night to pray for me, also. I am so thankful for all of them!

Anyway, It wasn't until the next day that I realized, after talking with Andy that everyone in the auditorium could hear me panicking and freaking out in the foyer. Oh my goodness, I was so humiliated that all I could do, was laugh at myself! Thank goodness our church members are all my friends!

I went back to my doctor and he thinks I am having acid reflux ,that is backing up and spilling into my lungs, which is causing my lungs to constrict and making it hard to breathe.

SO......this brings me to the unfairness I mentioned in the beginning of this post...

I am now on a very bland diet for a month to see if part of the problem really is acid reflux. I've been on this awful diet, for a few weeks and let me just share with you, how rough it really is....

Here are some of my favorite things that I can't have. What? Does he seriously think I can live without my spicy foods? I can't even eat soup without cayenne pepper and literally dumping two kinds of hot sauce in it. Plus, how will I eat scrambled eggs without my Cholula sauce? No acidic fruits or vegetables, so that rules out anything with tomato........NO PIZZA, SPAGHETTI, OR LASAGNA! I was going to buy some tomato plants to make homemade salsa with.....hmmm, guess that won't be happening! I can't even have oranges or pineapple in my smoothies.......this is getting rediculous!
Ok, so this is where I'm hoping I'll wake up and find out this is just a bad dream! I can't even have my favorite mexican food from Plaza Jalisco! Oh my goodness, I can almost taste those luscious enchiladas ranchera and that awesome salsa, right now. I sometimes just eat the salsa with a spoon.....seriously, it is the best salsa I have ever had! I better move on to the next picture before I start to weep.
Alright, this is the last straw! This really has to be a cruel joke! I can't even have my favorite tea? Come on! These are just 3 of my favorites, but they all contain something I can't have. My other favorites are Stash decaf Chai Tea and Stash Lemon Ginger. I can't have caffeine, chocolate, or any kind of mint or spices, so all of my favorites are out! Do you know how hard it is to find tea without caffeine, mint, lemon or ginger?

I do hope this torture is over soon, but if it solves some of my problem with my lungs, then I guess it will be worth it. I mean, I would really love to feel good again and most importantly, be able to breathe easily again! Now, those of you who love spicy foods, don't you feel sorry for me? You can all come to my pity party if you wanna......the door is open!