Raynaud's Phenomenon Has Nothing To Do With Actually Being A Phenomenon...Unless You're Brad Sloan

The other day while I was driving to St. Louis, my fingers went totally white...and numb.  I wasn't pariticularly anxious about anything. In fact, I was headed for a day of relaxation, shopping and eating at my favorite St. Louis haunts. So, it startled me that my fingers, which didn't feel too tightly gripped on my steering wheel looked as if they might glow in the dark!

I was right outside of Warrenton, so I stopped the car at the first gas station I saw and got out to move around a bit. When the color (and the feeling) finally came back to my fingers, I proceeded to forget about it and spend the day in what I call "Brown Bag Bliss" which means spending the day eating at my favorite place or places, discovering new cheeses, and spending ridiculous amounts of time perusing Ken Meisner's and Sur La Table in Plaza Frontenac and dreaming up things I could do with all the goodies & gadgets that I can't yet afford!

Not that it's important, but the day did not include wine sampling - and Brown Bag Bliss doesn't always include alcohol - which may surprise those who aren't exactly fans. :-)

Okay, so uneventful trip home, but a few days later, I'm in one of the huge refridgerators inside The Lodge of Four Seasons kitchen and...you guessed it....fingers go ghostly! I freaked out and called my friend Dr. Brad Sloan because he is the individual who literally saved my husband's life in 2008 when we were in the throes of hubby's rheumatoid issues.

Dr. Sloan is not only a friend to our family, he is a phenomenal doctor (and you can verify that on Google where Dr. Sloan is rated so high that he is classifed as a "Rare Find").

He took the time to ask questions and find out everything that's going on with me before suggesting anything could be wrong. However, he did introduce me to the possibility that I could have what is called Raynaud's Phenomenon which, after I checked the link and saw a picture...is exactly what I've been experiencing. Plus, Dr. Sloan is an expert in what is called Metabolic Syndrome which is brought on by many things including weight gain.

This is a wake up call. Although I consider myself a positive, optimistic and over all healthy person, I have burnt the candle at both ends for way too many years. With the advent of A Brown Bag Gourmet, my mind is turning so much that I find myself cooking at 3 a.m. then not allowing my body to nap when I know it's necessary. Too often, I eat the wrong foods or explore too many foods, drink too much coffee and simply do not move my body.

I did join a gym, and have yet to do more than walk on the treadmill.

Age, of course, plays a factor in this and there is nothing I can do about that. But, I CAN make healthier decisions including getting more rest, eating better and exercising more, and saying "NO" to more things/requests for my time. You can't be everything to everyone, especially if you can't even be the best to yourself! It's time and a change is gonna come.

Progress reports forthcoming!