it's the holidays, but don't eat that!

hangovery sluggishness didn't ruin today. it was my last day of work 'til january! just like a student w/a long winter vacation! my boss' clever hot tip: use up family/personal leave since, unlike annual leave, it doesn't roll over to the new year. i still have one more thing to do for that online short-course tomorrow and then i can truly forget about work for couple of weeks. it's a welcome break b/c i'm physically struggling... if i could pick just ONE symptom to magically shed, it would be fatigue b/c it's always been my most debilitating, frustrating one. unfortunately it's the most nebulous and difficult to treat, increasing my frustration towards my rheumatologist.

my acupuncturist suggested i consider an "elmination diet" to see if food allergies make me feel worse or more drained. (huh?) he said people are often allergic to dairy, eggs, bread, and...i forget...citrus, i think? basically you must stop consuming all sorts of things and see if you feel better. if so, then you're allergic. the thing is, wouldn't i *already know* if i had an allergy? none of those things give me hives or breathing problems, so i'm fairly confident i don't have a food allergy beneath all this. and i already follow a healthy and balanced diet, so this kinda confuses me. AND, it is the holidays, when it's harder to say no to baked goods, alcohol or caffeine, cheese, and egg nog.

on a deeper level, it scares me. i saw a nutritionist for a while, when i was 19. it intimidated me. BUT despite my skepticism, i want more info/guidance regarding the whole allergy elimination diet. i'm currently not sold on dr. glick's idea, but i'm trying really hard to be open-minded if it'll help provide relief. are elimination diets valid, or all a huge crock?

bedtime. i'm halfway done w/ my cards. for a good laugh, i'll leave you with THIS. (jibjab again)