Greetings from Vancouver

I made it through Day One of the almost-fast, and I'm doing fine. I say almost-fast because the diet came with an escape hatch: "If you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, or you feel dizzy or lightheaded, you may eat one of the following..." 

So yesterday, in the early part of the day I had a 4-ounce can of low-sodium vegetable juice, and when I arrived at the airport hotel, I had one hard-boiled egg. Other than that, I had only water or juice. I never thought I'd be able to do that!

Silver lining. The urticaria has a special torment: after I eat, there is massive stinging, burning, and itching over my entire body. The stinging is actually painful. It feels like being stung by an insect, dozens of times, all over. Fasting has removed this particular hell. I still have itching, and I'm taking the antihistamines, but getting rid of the post-eating torture is a relief.

Yesterday afternoon I flew from our little remote town to Vancouver. The flight is about an hour, and if it's not raining -- which happens occasionally -- you can see the snow-capped North Shore Mountains the whole time. Yesterday was beautifully clear. 

I caught a cab to the Coast Airport Hotel, and because I'm a Coast Rewards member, they offered me a free room upgrade. So I'm staying in "King Superior" room for the ridiculous rate of $65. Coast Hotels are not usually so budget-friendly! I guess they need to compete with the other airport hotels. Pro tip: don't stay in a Day's Inn when you can stay in a Coast for the same price.

It's a good thing I'm not relying on the hospital for nutritional support. The dietitian sent me the diet at the last minute (which caused quite a bit of stress, as I thought I needed to order Optifast... and that would take time where we live), then never checked in with me. Not one call or email. I thought that was pretty poor. Fortunately for me, I have the RD from our local primary-care health centre -- and she is amazing. We're actually speaking today while I'm between flights.

Today is the challenging day: fasting while traveling. But yesterday's experience has given me more confidence. Yesterday morning I was thinking, How am I ever going to do this?? and this morning I'm thinking, I am going to do this. 

I know at least four people are reading this and have been incredibly supportive. I am profoundly grateful.