My Enemy's Name

            As I drive home from Tulsa, a familiar weariness settles over me, yet a burst of clarity cuts through my foggy brain. I suddenly know my enemy’s name.

            My enemy is not my health insurance, though it stings to pay a coinsurance of $240.02 for my annual mammogram.  (I must digress here to say I received another “everything’s fine” from the radiologist’s reading of the films.)  My enemy is not even my eczema, which is gradually getting better, though new sores appear here and there.  (I’m sporting two types now:  atopic and dyshidrotic dermatitis.)  What is my enemy, then?  Sugar.

            You see, after my mammogram at Hillcrest Medical Center, I do what any salad-loving person would do:  have lunch at Panera.  Somehow I resist the temptation of the scrumptious-looking bakery items, but I decide to test my gluten tolerance by having a half sandwich with my strawberry poppyseed salad.  Both are delicious.  I even eat the bag of potato chips.  However, I drink water instead of coffee. 

             As my energy flags on the drive home, I realize that between the slice of white bread, the potato chips, and the sweet salad dressing, I am experiencing a carbohydrate crash.  It’s a good thing I did not add a muffin to my meal, because then I might have fallen asleep and had a car crash, too.

            So little sugar, so much effect.  When I get home 45 minutes later, I go straight to bed and sleep.  Waking up an hour later, I still feel weary, so I eat a small handful of pepitas to fuel my body with protein.  I scratch my intensely itching hands.  Later, I make a delicious stir fry for supper: zucchini, green pepper, red pepper, and onion seasoned with olive oil, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, turmeric, garlic, paprika, and basil.  As soon as the vegetables are crispy-tender, I crack two farm fresh eggs and mix them in.

            The next day, my eczema flare flares up a little more.  The weariness has left, but my awareness remains.  It’s a happy/sad feeling to know that a couple simple carbs and a little sugar can momentarily destroy my newfound energy and well-being.  Sad because I do love the foods I’ve given up, but happy because finally I have the energy to live a life beyond my recliner.