Day Five

The sun is finally peeking through after much-needed precipitation on a late Saturday morning. I'm nursing room-temperature oatmeal, cooked in the microwave with an egg, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. And because I'm feeling a bit daring, a bit reckless, today I wash a small container of blackberries and toss them into my cereal. I eat half of them raw, careful not to crush them between my teeth because I hate having seeds stuck between all the nooks and crannies. The rest slightly dissolve in the brief cooking process. They taste wonderful.

Daring and reckless because I am suffering from two ailments that seem to have diametrically opposed solutions. The esophagitis and tender stomach calls for bland, soft foods with no roughage or fiber, and low acidity. No fresh fruit except for bananas, and I can barely stomach the smell of those. Literature suggest applesauce, but no apples. However, having a yeast infection requires lowering my body's pH into a more acidic range. Cranberries are suppose to be good for this. I like dried cranberries in my oatmeal, but dried fruits are also prohibited.

I slept propped up on pillows last night and woke up without the nasty taste of vomit in my mouth. Yaaay! But I miss coffee. My stomach and throat won't tolerate that yet. Everything that soothes my throat and stomach is starchy and/or sugary. And what don't I want to eat if I have a yeast infection? Lots of sugar! Scrambled eggs are suggested as a way to intake soft protein. I made two eggs last night but could barely finish them, hungry as I was. The dog got the last bites. I've been sipping plain unflavored aloe vera juice during the day. Because it's bad enough that I haven't been to the gym all week, and that I don't really feel like I have the energy to go to the gym, but I certainly don't need to suddenly eat a carb-laden diet as well. This seems to be the fast-track to Spudsville.