2/25/14. The post where I talk about almond milk and the angel on my shoulder.

2/25/14: a pretty good night's sleep!  In fact, my alarm woke me up this morning.  This is the first day since I quit taking the Lyrica that I haven't woken up long before my alarm.  The little devil on my shoulder told me to turn off the alarm and go right back to sleep while I was on a roll.  But the little angel on my other shoulder (who was wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase) reminded me that a restful sleep would help me get through the work day and I should save my time off for the really bad days.  Man, I hate that angel sometimes.  

Last night, in addition to the vitamin C extravaganza, I also drank a glass of almond milk.  Almonds are a good source of serotonin, which promotes sleep.  Being more conscious than usual of my calorie intake these days, I opted for unsweetened, so it tasted a little like drinking dirty dish water. (My patient, long-suffering husband had the pleasure of seeing me make what he lovingly refers to as my "prune face" while I drank it, so I think he enjoyed the experience more than I did.)  I'm not sure if I slept better because of the almond milk, a decrease in pain, or sheer exhaustion. But I can tell you that I intend to choke down another glass tonight, just in case.  

I set off for work with a pain level at about a 6. Woo-hoo!  I took advantage of my well-rested state and did some work that required a high level of concentration.  When I got home, I did some personal work on the computer that I'd been putting off for awhile because I hadn't felt mentally up to it.  I'm trying to take advantage of days like this when I can.  PT for my mind, I guess.  

Even in my flurry of mental activity today, I was subconsciously thinking about the weather change and wondering if/when it was going to cause the pain level to ramp up again.  One of the strange symptoms of RSD is the temperature differential between the affected limb and the other limb, which is a result of circulation issues and, at least for me, an indicator of increased pain.  When my feet get hot, the right foot is hotter; when they get cold, the right foot is colder.  The difference is noticeable enough that you can feel it if you hold both my feet.  (And now, in case the prune face comment isn't bad enough, you are stuck with an unpleasant mental image of yourself holding my feet.  You're welcome. At least you aren't drinking dirty dish water.)   

Tonight, the cold front is officially here and I've moved up to about 7.5.  I'm hoping it won't get any colder or any worse, but in any case, I'm glad I listened to the little angel on my shoulder this morning.