My Sally Field moment

Wow.

Wow.

Thank you guys so much. I was not expecting such an outpouring of love. I really don't know why we never get trolls here, and why everyone is just so happy to be here and so supportive of everyone and of me. But it feels really good, every day, and especially yesterday and today.

I woke up yesterday morning knowing that post had auto-posted just feeling so free. A decade of hiding was way too much.

I've had so much love and support IRL, too. When I was in the middle of it, I'd closed off from people. But once I made the decision I decided that if I could trust God I could trust people, and just let myself freefall. What happened then was truly amazing--hands appeared to catch me from all sides, from old friends and new ones. I've never felt as loved--as connected--before in my entire life.

Now some clarifications:

1. No evil person is outing us. An impartial publisher released a book yesterday in which my kids' father has written a piece that mentions the divorce. So you can save your righteous ire for the fight to get that PPD act passed.;-)
2. It makes sense now why I stopped posting on my personal blog. I had nothing to say that wasn't about the process, but I couldn't say that. Maybe I'll start up again...
3. It also makes sense why I suddenly went back to work.
4. If you emailed me to ask how I "do it all" or what my daily schedule is, now you know why I didn't answer.
   
5. Remember my gluten intolerance from fall '06? It went away completely as soon as I told him. (I know!) So I've secretly (from you--the people who know me IRL knew about it) been scarfing down banh mi and chocolate croissants for 17 months now. (In a strange twist, however, I've been off gluten since Sunday, just to see if it's making me bloat slightly. Thank goodness for the gluten free goodness of Kozy Shack rice pudding.)

And now some sad news: Hedra didn't get the job. (She said I could tell you.) I predict that the company that didn't hire her will go bankrupt within 18 months.

Thank you so much for being out there. Your stories help so much.

Comments

[alchemilla]

I am so sorry that you have been going through this. I can only imagine how hard you must have fought to keep things going, and you certainly have the personal/emotional skills to have given it the best possible shot. I feel strongly that if *you* could not make it work, then it wasn't for saving. Only a small consolation, I imagine.

Now seems the right time to thank you for reaching out to me via an anguished comment I left on Tertia's blog, six months after the birth of my son, and deeply upset at my lack of any pelvic strength. Your kind and practical advice (which worked, btw) brought me to your blog and your readers and I have been here ever since, very happy in the warm, wise and supportive community that you have gathered about you. I am very glad that we can now be of some small solace to you.

Thank you Moxie.

[paola]

Relating your gluten intolerance:

I have a wheat sensitivity too ( also positive reactions to corn-meal, soy, egg plant, peanuts, tree nuts and anaphylaxis to buckwheat and walnuts). Basically I can't eat anything, but I do (except what would kill me). I did a blood test for the above and came out positive, even if I have never noticed any symptoms with corn and wheat products, did a seperate blood test for celiac disease, and fortunately nothing. So I'm not celiac, but am officially intolerant to wheat(plus the others). When you say an 'intolerance', what do you mean exactly? Did you have it tested or was it just something you noticed after eating wheat?

[Slim]

OK, now I have Tom Petty's "Free Falling" stuck in my head, and it's not even applicable (unless there are vampires in NYC, too?).

Now on to Amazon through your link. I'm buyin' stuff for *your* sake -- retail love, the only kind left to offer, unless you let us know where to send pudding.

[Brooke]

Heh. Did you just curse the company that didn't hire hedra? That's kind of funny.

Glad you can eat bagels again.

[amy]

I'm not sure if she just cursed them or predicted the future. I mean, how can any company make such poor choices as not hiring hedra stay in business for any length of time?

All my love to you, Moxie. I'm glad the burden is lifted/lifting.

[Reese]

I can only imagine what a wonderful feeling it is to not be carrying the burden of secrecy anymore. Good for you, girl! God is good!

[hydrogeek]

Hedra - I'm sorry about the job. I think it's the universe's way of telling you that you need to START BLOGGING!

Moxie - Thank you so much for keeping this site going through the tough times you've been facing. I found it when my daughter wouldn't sleep (4 months old) and have been a constant reader since, not to mention directing TONS of people this way. Some days it is my sanity, others just a nice place to be. I hope that your life is quickly turning into a very nice place to be. The relief when a bad relationship is over is AMAZING. Keep on keepin' on.

[hedra]

You made me crack up, seriously.

I don't think they'll be out of business (they could hardly do worse than their competition is doing in the area I'd have been working - the competition SUCKS, the previous staffer was so-so and still was blowing away the competition)... but I suspect they'll be feeling a bit sorry for themselves.

They're getting my direct contact information, so ... well, we'll see if they add me in later. They may need another body in a year or so.

Enough about me, though. That's a blip. It was a huge possibility, a lifetime job ... BUT, there are many other paths, and I'll take whatever one I'm on.

Meanwhile, I was reminded by Moxie's gluten intolerance suddenly getting better that our bodies and minds are very closely engaged. Stress, certainly, gets involved with the GI system.

Glad you got so many hands reaching to catch you, Moxie. It's amazing, isn't it? Nothing like a true leap of faith to teach us to trust the universe - and ourselves.

[Moxie]

It wasn't a proactive curse per se. Just a reminder that a company that makes bad choices in one area is probably making them in others.;-)

Paola, whenever I ate anything with wheat or gluten (including teeny tiny amounts of soy sauce) I'd feel that horrible nausea that leaves you with that metallic chill down your jaw, a stomach ache, headache, and dizziness. Never tested, because it was a pretty straight equation: Eat wheat-based products = feel like shite. Don't eat wheat-based products = feel decent.

I really never knew before how my body held all my stress. This has been another amazing discovery for me!

That Tom Petty song is about a vampire?

[Moxie]

It wasn't a proactive curse per se. Just a reminder that a company that makes bad choices in one area is probably making them in others.;-)

Paola, whenever I ate anything with wheat or gluten (including teeny tiny amounts of soy sauce) I'd feel that horrible nausea that leaves you with that metallic chill down your jaw, a stomach ache, headache, and dizziness. Never tested, because it was a pretty straight equation: Eat wheat-based products = feel like shite. Don't eat wheat-based products = feel decent.

I really never knew before how my body held all my stress. This has been another amazing discovery for me!

That Tom Petty song is about a vampire?

[JB]

OF COURSE they need hedra to succeed. But hedra (despite the very real disappointment of not getting a job you really want) will be fine, always.

I'm headed to Amazon, too, Moxie! I have all my professional development money left to spend!

[JB]

p.s. Free Fallin' goes:

All the vampires walkin through the valley
Move west down Ventura Boulevard
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
And all the good girls are home with broken hearts

And I'm free, free fallin
Yeah I'm free, free fallin

[Lee]

I meant to post this yesterday, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't because it gave me time to think long and hard about what I really wanted to say.

Your news has saddened me much more than I would have thought. Non blog-addicted friends don't appreciate the close relationship you so kindly forge with your readers, even if most of us stay hidden. It's almost like my best friend has called me with this sort of sad update.

I'm curious: have you read LOD's essay in the book? Did he seek your input/approval before submitting it?

[michaela]

Gah, am idiot. Ordered stuff from Amazon last night and totally forgot to click thru here first. I wish there was some little popup that would remind me to do that...

Speaking of bodies and jobs and stress (hope I am not hijacking this thread): I have been juggling many, many things... a very busy freelance writing career, a teaching gig at a nonprofit I love, some side projects, the board of my local moms' group and, oh yes, a lovely, crazy toddler and a wonderful, overworked husband. For months, when someone asked me how I was doing, I'd say, oh great; I'm doing one too many things, but it's ok because I love it all.

Ummm, no.

I finally listened to myself, and heard what I'd been saying about "one too many things." So a couple weeks ago I regretfully resigned from the teaching gig. Went away for a long weekend with my family, came back and... promptly got pneumonia. I have had to cancel all my plans/deadlines/obligations for the week and you know what? The world didn't fall apart while I was watching six hours in a row of America's Top Model. In fact, it's going on just fine.

But was this the universe's way of reinforcing my decision to slow down a little? I very much think so. And with that, back to the couch and the cable remote.

[SarcastiCarrie]

When my husband is super-stressed, he totally gets GI symptoms. I think he was hospitalized during finals in college. He was diagnosed with IBS w/o constipation, but it miraculously goes away when things are running well.

I have to say I thought it was a little odd when you went back to work without a pre-post like "OMG, I have a job interview. What should I wear?"

And since this is Ask Moxie (and Ask Moxie's Awesome, Polite Commenters), I have a question. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I bought Siblings Without Rivalry. Well, I did that because I am excitedly expecting a sibling for Chuckles around Thanksgiving. This is especially great because I have PCOS and am infertile/subfertile (whatever). I do not appear to have insulin resistance (but the PCOS, oh yes), but since finding myself knocked up, I am completely unable to control my blood sugar (I bought a meter and everything). My doctor's office was unhelpful. My blood sugar is not going too high. No no no. In fact, I don't think it ever gets high enough. An average blood glucose reading for me is 74 (sometimes in the afternoon in the low 60s). I might see 85-90 if I test a half hour after eating a bowl of strawberries. Has anyone else had this little "problem"? I googled and googled hypoglycemia and pregnancy and PCOS and I got nothing except hypoglycemia brought on by taking too much insulin when a diabetic. And all the "treatments" for it involve eating junk (like Skittles) to bring it up. Well, I guess that's ok if your sugar is low once a week, but not if your sugar is low all day long even though you eat all day long.
I know someone here mentioned having a daughter with hypoglycemia. How do you handle that?

[ValleyGal]

I am both sad and happy for you. Sad, because it sounds like you've been through a really tough time. Happy, because it sounds like you've committed to finding yourself personal happiness. Divorce is never an easy thing, but just because it's hard doesn't mean that it's bad per se. Your children will be fine. Because you love them and you love yourself enough to make a tough decision to commit to a life you can truly love and you will teach them how to love themselves. (Oh, and we do love you, really really love you, too!)

[Sarah]

I'm super happy to read your post today. It's evident in your writing that a heavy burden has been lifted. What a wonderful feeling that must be.

Anyone remember Kozy Shack chocolate pudding? Or am I imagining it? I craved it while I was pregnant and it would be just like me to crave something that doesn't exist.

I'm sorry to hear that that position didn't work out for you, Hedra. I can relate to the frustration of knowing how well a position will fit and that you are more than capable of handling anything it can throw at you, but it just doesn't work out. Others have told me when this happens, it only means better things are in store. Usually they're right. Good luck to you!

[Aaron]

That's what I love about this blog -(which I also found when my now 10 mo stopped sleeping well at 4 mo)- when life gets us down, we keep dancing.

This is a fav little saying of mine. Life's a dance and when it throws you a curve ball - i.e. divorce, denied a job of a life time, baby and husband have the stomach flu with vomiting and diarrhea(:( ) - all you can do is keep dancing.

This community, with the help of everyone who posts, gets it, and with the help of another we learn that all we can do is keep dancing.

Good luck everyone.

[hydrogeek]

SarcastiCarrie - Can I just say me too? PCOS, tend toward hypoglycemia (all the time, not just when pregnant, but it's worse when I'm pregnant) and also just found out I'm expecting #2! The only thing I've found to do is just eat something (something healthy, preferably) every 2-3 hours. Even if it's just a few peanut butter crackers it'll keep me from getting that shaky nauseas feeling. I'm bad about forgetting until it's too late, though... Also, congrats!

[Bella]

Similar to Lee, I was surprised to find how moved and saddened I was of your news yesterday, Moxie. I continually find it amazing how I can feel close to people I've never met and with whom I've had so little interaction.

Anyway, all this is a preamble to say that at 1 am this morning I found myself thinking of you and remembered a poem I so, so love by Mary Oliver. Although I don't share your faith in God (any God, not just "yours"), there is certainly a beautiful order in the universe that has me in constant awe and this poem reminds of how we're connected to that order and its incredible potential...

The Summer Day
Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

[Maria Wood]

hehe, I have some Cozy Shack rice pudding in my refrigerator right now!

I was traveling all day yesterday and haven't read all the lovely polite comments. But I'm glad you're ALL here. And I'm sorry Hedra didn't get the job, whatever it was, but I second the notion that it would be heavenly if she'd start blogging.

[Shelley]

Yes, the slowdown of posts on your personal blog and your decision to rejoin the workforce make a lot of sense in context. Not that you couldn't reasonably do those things for other reasons, of course, but it is much clearer now.

And it is *amazing* how closely the mind and body connect. Personally, I find that when symptoms I have that are related to stress (GI stuff sometimes, muscle cramps other times, etc) and then focus on the symptoms, they get worse... when I move past them, they go away. Mega annoying -- but what a realization -- the symptoms are real, but the cause is stress.

[SarcastiCarrie]

hydrogeek - Yay. When I mentioned the shaky feeling at the doctor's office, they kind of blew it off. Yes, my jaw feels shaky. My hands get kind of shaky and nauseated but not like morning sickness. Sometimes I even cry and my husband will hand me a piece of cheese to make me stop. The doctor's office said hormones and I said, "cheese doesn't make hormones go away." I feel a thousand times better knowing I am not a nutcase and this happens to others too. And I have to eat every 1 hour to 90 minutes. I find myself bringing snacks to 1-hour meetings at work.

[pnuts mama]

my husband sings the song free falling as free-b*lling...i know, so gross, right? so gross that whenever pnut would start up a diaper rash as an infant we'd let her go bare butt on a waterproof pad/cloth diaper and sing "free booty"- now, i swear whenever the real song comes on the radio, she says "that's my song!"

stress totally manifests itself physically- my husbands has a condition called microscopic colitis which his gastro told us could be triggered by unresolved emotional stress. when my mom died, i broke out into this splotchy rash a few months later that was biopsied and diagnosed as gottate psoriasis. good times. maybe we should be in therapy?

moxie, i had a dream about you guys last night. not to creep you out, just to let you know that you've been on my mind and i too can't believe you've been dealing with this for so long, even just logistically-wise. your points up top were things that clued me in a while back that something was going on somewhere in your life, (things on lod's site as well) but really, what i'm trying to say is it's amazing what clarity hindsight gives us, isn't it? anyway, we really do love you, and i for one am thrilled that you are able to enjoy all things wheat based. mmmm.

hedra- :( -that just sucks. really. i don't really ascribe to the concept of "things happening for a reason," but i do think that we all possess the grace to deal with whatever life throws at us. enjoy some mindless eating today- you deserve it!!

sarcastic carrie- congrats!! sorry i can't help you w/ the hypoglycemia thing, would eating more complex carbs and throughout the day help? i know there is someone here who can help you!

[Mommy-O]

I was in a common-law relationship when I was in my 20's. He had kids from a previous marriage who I adored. I was diagnosed with IBS during this time and cut out almost everything from my diet to see what was causing it. When I finally ended the relationship after 7 years my symptoms disappeared and I could eat anything.

Now, I still get symptoms once in a while when I am PMSing.

[Charisse]

@SarcastiCarrie and hydrogeek, no experience with it in pregnancy, but Mr. C and my MIL are both mildly hypoglycemic and what really helps them is to steer clear of "quick" sugars and eat high protein and high fiber, and more complex carbohydrates. So start the day with peanut butter on whole wheat, sometimes have an egg for breakfast, etc. If you feel that out of it feeling, go for some nuts or protein. It really helps.

Sorry I'm on my way to wake Mouse so we can head out the door here on the west coast--more later.

Moxie, you are amazing.

[Mardougrrl]

This blog has helped me SO much...and I have not often commented because I'm not sure I have much advice to give. And I am not giving any now. Just my heartfelt "good luck" Moxie...you've given so much, and now I hope the Universe gives LOTS back.

[effective nancy]

"decade"?

[Bobbi]

Ha!! pnuts mama, my husband sings that too!!

I just wanted to say "me too!" to Lee's comment also. I feel like a good friend's hurting, and there isn't anything I can do about it. You and LOD and the boys remain in my thoughts....

[betseeee]

Wow, I missed reading you for a bit and boy did I come back at the right time. I am so sorry you've been going through so much and been unable to talk about it with most people. I hope things will get better and easier for you and your kids as time goes on, and I hope your kids' Dad treats you properly through all this.

[rudyinparis]

I know Christiane Northrup references Jung in "Women's bodies, women's wisdom" saying: illness is a sign of the God's trying to speak with us. I think of this a lot, with health problems I've experienced.

SarcatiCarrie--also no experience with hypoglycemia, but please accept my congratulations!

JB--way to pull out the Tom Petty lines. BTW, I ran to an appointment last night and grabbed Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin (you had said you liked her, too, right?)off the bookshelf to read while I waited... She is so wonderful! Every time I open Home Cooking or More Home Cooking it's a revelation and a joy. I feel persoanlly sad about her death, almost in the same way I felt personally sad when I read Moxie's news yesterday.

Bella, thank you, thank you for putting my very favorite Mary Oliver poem (and one of my favorite poems, period) here today.

[Robin]

@ Sarah, Oh yes -- Kozy Shack chocolate pudding still exists! When I was pregnant I could eat a whole container of it in one sitting. Well, who am I kidding - I still could! I usually find it in the produce section of my regular grocery store, which seems like a weird place to me. The chocolate pudding in the refrigerated section at Trader Joe's is similar.

Moxie, just wanted to send a hug your way today. Thank you for moderating this amazing space. I don't know how I would have made it though my son's first year without you & everyone who comments here.

[hedra]

@EffectiveNancy, I think she's referring to the entire marriage decade.

@SarcastiCarrie, I hate to ask - have you had an ultrasound? Because that barely-keeping-the-blood-sugar-up was my first sign it was twins. I do get blood sugar crashes/shakes in pregnancy early on, but the all-the-way-to-the-jaw shaking, eat-now-or-die thing was twins. Granted I also had nausea that was so bad some days I just put my face on my desk to feel the cool, and I could barely see past the haze it produced... but some don't get sick with twins. HUNGRY, desperate for food, all the time (literally eating full meals every 1.5-2 hours or so, and if not, suffering)...

just checking. (though interesting on the PCOS - I don't have that, so I don't know.)

Solution for me was every snack had to have protein, and preggie pops were a good instant-fix-for-long-enough-to-get-protein. (Also good for the morning sickness - I'd get about a 20 minute break after the preggie pop, in which time I could eat.)

Oh, and congrats on the impending sibling! :)

[Julie]

Yes, this is such a special place, such a special group of people. I think the reason there aren't any trolls here is because Moxie has set such a good example in her writing of being open-minded, honest, and to the point about many different topics. She is always careful to be respectful of other people's beliefs, even if she might not share them herself. So it's natural that her commenters would follow her example.

I also think that because so many people are regular readers and commenters, when we *do* get someone who comments with a bit of bile, people are quick to defend their community - but still, in a respectful way that mirrors what Moxie has set up here.

I am curious about what LOD wrote in the book (I've read his blog), but I am wary as well because even though I don't know Moxie IRL, she is my friend and I feel strangely protective of her. I know there are two sides to every story and I'm sure he has his own story to tell......but I'm not sure I want to hear it and I'm not sure it matters to me. I'd rather just know what she chooses to share with us and support Moxie, the boys, and hope for the quick resolution to this phase in their lives. That is what I care about.

And likewise, I'm indignant on Hedra's behalf for not getting the job......how could they be so close-minded??? Do they not realize they missed out on an insightful, brilliant woman? I believe, though, that Hedra is on her own path and all will become clear as she moves forward. Another vote for her to start her own blog.

[Joceline]

Hedra, so sorry about the job. I'm sure there will be a better one down the road, but I know it is always disappointing when it doesn't happen.

[liz]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I hope that you guys end up being better friends and parents apart than you were together.

[Jan]

@SarcastiCarrie: I did a bunch of hypoglycemia research awhile back (thought it might be the cause of the hubby's altered-state episodes -- before PTSD diagnosis). What I found was that there can be kind of a rebound effect. So what you need to do is have sort of medium-glycemic-value foods (high fiber fruit, for example, or whole grain crackers) at very regular intervals (every 2-3 hours). If you pair these foods with a protein, you should see an evening out of your blood sugar.

Example 'meals' (snacks?):

cottage cheese and an apple
pita chips and hummus
cheese quesadilla with guacamole
high fiber cereal (no sugar added) with milk
apple slices dipped in natural peanut butter
cream cheese on whole wheat crackers
red beans and rice (with spices/broth)
peanut butter sandwich (no or sugarless jam)
baked potato with shredded cheese & broccoli

You get the idea. Eating sugars paired with a protein slows the absorption of the sugar and is less likely to cause either a spike in blood sugar OR the (sometimes) resulting dip. Honestly, in many ways, eating for hypoglycemia is very similar to eating for diabetes. (Of course it's my contention that it's pretty similar to eating for good health, so take that with a grain of salt.)

@Moxie, I can't tell you how glad I am that you've had good support in "real" life. You told me a million years ago (OK, one) about the breakup and I never mentioned it out of respect for your privacy, but yesterday I got worrying that maybe you would've wished I'd been somebody to talk/vent to, since I already knew ... (I, you see, am able to make anything and everything all about something for me to WORRY about. It's a gift.)

And amen to the stress-based medical problems. I had, at one time, insomnia, an ulcer, clinical depression, clinical anxiety and chronic headaches. All of which magically disappeared when I quit a job that I loved with a manager that made my life a living hell (example: if his car was in the parking lot when I got to work, I usually needed to make a quick stop in the ladies room to throw my breakfast up). No one will ever convince me that there's no mind-body connection.

[Charisse]

@hedra, I missed the post about your job since I was on a (shortened & thus intensified so I could get home to the fam) business trip last week. Sorry to hear that! It's happened to me at least twice that the lifetime job I was crushed not to get was succeeded by something much better a few months down the road, so that is what I hope for you! (And I agree, not hiring you is kind of a sign that management's head is stuck, um, where the sun don't shine.)

@SarcastiCarrie, that sure does sound like a sugar crash--if my hypoglycemic husband overdoes the simple sugars, he gets this nauseated, skin crawling feeling and then an overpowering urge to go to sleep. Now that he's aware and careful, it rarely happens, but before we figured out what was going on, he used to keep nuts around as a rescue item--a handful would have him back to almost normal pretty quickly.

[Carla Hinkle]

I am so glad you can tell how much all your readers admire and appreciate you. You have made a big difference for so many of us.

It does make me sad to hear that you felt like you spent a *decade* "hiding." Wow. No wonder you feel like a weight has been lifted now.

Welcome back.

[SarcastiCarrie]

HEDRA - Bite your tongue. For a split-second when my beta was sky-high (for me) I thought maybe twins. But, yes, I had an ultrasound at 6w1d and saw one sac and one fluttering spot of a heartbeat. I'll be 11w0d tomorrow and am hoping to hear the (single) heartbeat on a Doppler. But funny. Very very funny.

Jan - Generally, I eat pretty well. I had Cheerios for breakfast (with skim milk and some granola on top for sweetness) and an hour later, I was 86. I had some whole grain sesame sticks with cashews then and an hour later I was 71, at which point I decided to eat strawberries. An hour later, 76. Does anyone know a good blood glucose range for a non-diabetic? I know diabetic control is 90-110 or so. When I actually get up near 100 (after eating funfetti cake at my nephew's birthday), I actually feel pretty good (but who wouldn't feel good at a kid's party with CAKE?).

Moxie - I didn't comment yesterday, but I read everything everyone else said, and I wish you peace. I feel terrible for you not being able to share, but it's your story to share as you see fit.

[Sky]

Moxie, I'm so, so sorry to read your news. Divorce is very sad but sometimes for the best and it sounds like it is in this case. It sounds like you both worked very long and hard to try to mend the relationship, so much credit to you both for trying so hard. I'm glad you are now finding freedom and release.

@SarcastiCarrie Re: Hypoglacaemia - I had this very badly as a teenager and had regular blackouts, which were misdiagnosed as epilepsy (a real fun time!). I managed to totally cure myself and cut out all symptoms by following a herbalist's advice (with the agreement of my regular doctor). Basically it was to cut out every and all type of sugar and sugar replacement. I went 'cold turkey' on it, which may not be appropriate during pregnancy. I also took a herbal tonic to support my system during that time. It was also recommended that I eat a lot of raw foods which seemed to help as well. Dried apricots and raisins became my snacks. This completely cured me and I now eat totally normally, but keep an eye on the sweet things and don't overindulge.

Regular doctors often seem to recommend eating sugary snacks very frequently to combat hypoglacaemia (which sometimes causes the problem to begin with) which just keeps the problem going and can end up as diabetes in the long term. Good luck with sorting it out.

Again, Hedra, sorry about the job but I really think the universe is telling you to write and blog!

[caramama]

Moxie - I'm so glad you feel such relief. I'm also so glad to know that you've had great IRL support, although I'm not surprised. If you attract these wonderful readers to your blog, I'll bet your IRL friends and family are great also. I thought about you all day yesterday, hoping that you were doing alright. It sounds like you are. Just always know you can be honest with us, and we'll give you support--the way you do for us. And I LOVE Kozy Shack's tapiocca!!!

The GI issues being related to stress might have just really cleared up an issue I think someone close to me has! I will talk to him about it. Once again, you have helped someone out. Thanks, Moxie!

And as a side note, my sister got shingles recently because of a really stressful period at work (she assumes it was because of work). Just goes to show how stress really affects the body.

Hedra - So sorry about the job. It truly is their loss. And I agree it's a sign you need to start a blog!

SarcastiCarrie - Congrats on the baby (again)! Glad you are announcing it! I know nothing about the blood sugar levels. I was constantly hungry, but I don't think it was a blood sugar thing. Good luck!

hydrogeek - Congrats to you too! How exciting! Good luck with the blood sugar level!

And now I'm off to find chocolate pudding, cause you people have made me hungry for chocolate...

[hedra]

Okay, okay! Blog linked. I'll be doing a Wiki for the Fructose malabsorption thing, though - ep and I agreed that a blog isn't the right venue for that.

I'm only promising once a week. And it's all navel-gazing, so far (a whole one post). Expect more navel gazing down the line, too.

[clucey]

I read your post yesterday, Moxie, and have thought about you all night. Congratulations on listening to your voice and knowing what you had to do!

I also personally know how emotionally draining it is to keep something inside - and how freeing it is to finally speak your truth.

Although divorce is challenging, you have given your children a gift!

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
- Jon Kabat Zinn

[rudyinparis]

Yay for Hedra!

[Mommy-O]

Congrats SarcastiCarrie! and Congrats hydrogeek! I have nothing to offer on the hypoglycemia but I will be here once baby #2 arrives because I hope to be a "mother of 2" pro by then.

Congrats hedra! Looking forward to reading your weekly (or so) posts.

[Robin]

I agree: YAY HEDRA!!

[Julie]

My favorite saying:
Leap, and the net will appear.

[rowan+keaton+mama]

Thanks for bringing up the hypoglycemia thing- it's been an issue for me my whole life and every doctor I've seen basically just told me to "eat a cracker" when I get bad. The only time I didn't have a problem with this is when I was pregnant because I didn't eat ANY solid food (that I didn't then promptly throw up) for the first 6 months. The absolute worst time has been breastfeeding- my body goes from fine to uncontrollable shaking and RAGE in seconds. My husband is ready to lock me in a cage and just throw cheese sticks at me every 30 minutes.I will definitely try the snack suggestions and hopefully get some relief. Congrats on the new fetuses ladies!!

[Katie B.]

go go Hedra! Don't worry about irregular posting. I have sometimes gone months without posting... and hey, no apologies for navelgazing, it's your space!

Moxie, I would have posted my sympathy and support yesterday, but for some reason I COULD NOT get through to your site. No clue why, really. I do find it odd that it's ok for your ex to publish about the breakup in a book when it wasn't ok for you to blog about it, but I'm not a lawyer. I do think it's not ok to out people without their knowledge or ok generally - hello, consent issues? Not to mention privacy, which is a legal thing. I can't really throw stones, though, given my recent history... (long story, much angst, messy situation, very small community. I'm still not happy about what I did, though.)