Feasting

[radegund]

Make that sixteen. SIXTEEN hours without food or water (apart from the glucose drink I had at 9:50). Three hour-long chunks of sitting on an uncomfortable padded bench in an airless waiting room, with 98FM playing at a volume just too loud to read through and too soft to make out without concentrating, punctuated by bloodlettings. I did get a lot of cardigan knitted, mind you, so it wasn't all bad.

On my release I shambled up the road, stopping first in Cafe Sol for a smoothie to keep me going, and then at Dunne and Crescenzi, where I sank into a chair and husked "mounds of food, please" at the waiter, and after about six very floaty and nauseous weeks found myself in a position to tuck very carefully into bruschetta al pomodoro and salsiccia e fagioli alla Toscana and salumi misti. And now I feel almost human again. Almost. (I've to phone tomorrow for test results. This seems entirely secondary, somehow!)

I do go on about it, I know, but foodlessness is really not my bag, baby. I'm still half-amused, half-gobsmacked at a conversation Niall and I had a while ago, where I finally realised that he'd been assuming all along that my experience of hunger was more or less like his - i.e. a mild distraction, perhaps shading to discomfort in extreme cases - and therefore that my behaviour and reactions when I hadn't eaten were totally over the top (which, if you accepted his premise, was a reasonable attitude to take). He was surprised to hear about the pain and the dizziness and the loss of coordination and the weepiness and the panic.

It's a genuine physical reaction, but I'm uncomfortably aware how psychological it is, too: last night, although I had a substantial Condemned Man's snack at 20:45 (fast began at 21:00), hunger pains and panic had set in by midnight. I know they wouldn't have been there if I'd been looking forward to my customary vat of porridge at 8:30.

I wonder if I'll ever get over this? It's bloody inconvenient.

Comments

[leedy.livejournal.com]

the pain and the dizziness and the loss of coordination and the weepiness and the panic

Brian refers to this as HLS (Hungry Lisa Syndrome) - I get very bewildered and dizzy if I don't eat. I greatly sympathise!

[radegund.livejournal.com]

HLS - how transferrable! :-)

Even now, at half past eight, I'm still feeling a meal or two behind on the day. (Fortunately, I bought Maya Gold IN BULK at the Dublin Food Co-op last month...)

[chiller.livejournal.com]

loss of coordination and the weepiness and the panic.

See, I get that. But it sort of does sound diabetes-ey doesn't it?

I dono about the pain thing. I've never had that. But of my close friends two of them do get all the symptoms you describe. One of them is um ... yanno, large. And one is incredibly (seriously) fit. I've sort of quietly concluded that people whose calorie requirements (for whatever reason) are at the high end of the scale really do go through hell.

[leedy.livejournal.com]

I've had it since I was a teenager, though, and I am neither very large nor terrifyingly fit. It was actually worse when I was younger, to the extent that I used to faint if I didn't eat, so they ran a battery of tests on me (diabetes, epilepsy, anemia, blood pressure....) and ... pretty much nothing was wrong with me (BP maybe a tiny bit low but it's normal now). The doctor recommended eating little and often, and if I remember to do that it's fine. I think it's just the way my body likes its fuel.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I had a sudden onset of similar symptoms a few years ago, which escalated to almost unmanageable proportions. I had the battery of diabetes tests and came out with hypoglycaemic-type reactions. I got the 'eat little and often' bit as well, which was fun trying to organise when your ability to think straight is proportional to the amount of food in your stomach. Then, this spring, it miraculously went away. I have no bloody idea what happened there, but am appreciating my lack of dizzy, because dizzy spells three times a day are no fun at all.

[sshi.livejournal.com]

that was me, btw :>

[socmot.livejournal.com]

It's only a theory mind, but I have wondered if one of the reasons for this is the fact that we eat a quite a lot of rice, and perhaps something in the rice is providing your digestive system with something or other?

[sshi.livejournal.com]

Nah, it has spanned periods of rice, lots of rice, and no rice, so I don't think it's related. It happened after a particularly bad bout of intestinal nastiness and my current theory is that I probably broke something else and they balance out...

[radegund.livejournal.com]

...it miraculously went away

Now this, I like. I wonder who the god of hypoglycaemic symptoms is?

[sshi.livejournal.com]

Me, too. I still consider it a minor miracle and haven't manage to shake the fear that it will Come Back.

I'm not sure if it is physically possible to sacrifice a bowl of porridge...

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thin and now I'm fat, but the dizziness etc is the same. I think. It's hard to remember back.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

I haven't had the battery of tests, but that's mostly because it's never been so bad that I've actually fainted (I get homicidal and hunter-gatherer*-like long before that point). My BP tends to the low end of normal as well, and big appetites / speedy metabolism run in my (maternal) family.

I think it's just the way my body likes its fuel.

This is my working hypothesis, yes. AND, of course, it's why I fought Holles Street tooth and nail to get a concession on their daft "no eating in labour" policy. Grr. (Apparently the community midwives don't enforce this. I need to double-check that with them.)

* I originally typed "hunger-gatherer". Hee.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

My blood pressure's been normal every time it's been checked.

[sshi.livejournal.com]

From my experience, it wasn't anything to do with blood pressure, but with blood sugar levels. You need one of those diabetic glucose meters to do a test, but I'm not sure where you could get a go of one without having to buy one, unless you know someone diabetic. I sold mine on eBay :>

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

A guy in work has tested me twice. Once I was feeling very wobbly before eating, and still off a couple of hours after. It came up the low end of normal.
Another time, I was post-migraine. I got him to do it to see if low blood sugar had anything to do with the post-migraine crapness, but it came up smack bang in the middle of normal.
He says you can get them in a pharmacy and they're not that expensive. Perhaps we could get one between the lot of us!

[sshi.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. I got mine from the diabetic clinic, so wasn't aware that you could buy them like that.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

But it sort of does sound diabetes-ey doesn't it?

Well, yes. I've often wondered if there might be something of that in it. Never investigated it before now, though. I'm very interested to see so many other women chiming in to say they experience the same thing. My mother gets it as well, although I think not quite as badly as me.

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

if i feel an unexplained urge to burst into tears, i should know by now to go and eat something. also, i get awful stomach pains and headaches if i'm hungry, and just, basically can't cope AT ALL until I get some food.

it is much worse since i had children, and when i was pregnant? i went NOWHERE without an emergency mars bar in my bag.

your breakfast meal today sounds positively wonderful. shame it's leftovers night here...

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Usually, once I get the headache, it's too late - it won't go even when I eat.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

When I get a headache, my first move is to drink a pint of water - it often makes more of a difference than food. (I eat too, obviously.)

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I've tried that for a lack-of-food headache, but I don't think it's a factor for most of my headaches, as I do drink a lot of water. I can get very thirsty around a migraine. Which reminds me, I must journal this weekend's migraine.

[sshi.livejournal.com]

What I found through trial and error was that sugary things like chocolate only worked in the very short term and generally left me feeling even worse than before after about ten minutes. Okay if you're just waiting for food, but not if you have a way to go before eating. Slow release carbs were to way to go, so I always had an emergency stash of grain bars. Still have a tendency to, but that's just habit now.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Can you recommend a particular brand?

[sshi.livejournal.com]

I used to swap around fairly regularly, as I'd get bored with the taste, but I found that the NutriGrain ones were good (and easy to find in bulk in the supermarket). The dietician recommended Rice Crispie bars, but they are hard to get without marshallow and chocolate on top. I also found an organic, Fair Trade line, but now can't remember what the brand was. They have them in the TCD cafes and a few other places.

[(Anonymous)]

GEO Bars, I think. Though they have milk in them, boo.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

I think McDonald's would've tasted positively wonderful after sixteen hours. (OK, maybe not.) But yes, it was pretty damn good :-)

I'm trying to decide if it's worse now than before I had Oisín. I think probably not. I've had to explain to him a few times that I'm cross-because-I'm-hungry, rather than because of anything in particular he's done...

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I'm like that about food. chillies has got to the stage of just insisting on me eating anything when I get stuck in my must-eat-but-have-food-rules-and-nothing-appeals-oh-god-I-hate-food cycle.

I think my fear of hunger has been a factor in my weight gain at times. I wouldn't wait until I was hungry before eating and end up over eating.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

must-eat-but-have-food-rules-and-nothing-appeals-oh-god-I-hate-food

You are me, and I claim my five currency units.

D'you mind my asking a related question? I gather from recent mentions that you're still avoiding cow's milk: is this because you remain personally sensitive to it, or is it just that Aisling's sensitivity persists?

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I think Aisling is still sensitive through me though I haven't actually tested for a month or two. And I'm loath to try a direct test until I've had some without her reacting. I don't seem to have any obvious symptoms when I have milk, but in general I feel healthier than I have for a very long time, so I am considering just not reintroducing it. But then I think of gorgonzola and chocolate icecream and realise that's not very plausible. We shall see.

[leedy.livejournal.com]

I initially read that as "gorgonzola and chocolate" icecream....

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Count me as another with physical symptoms of hunger - I get dizzy and headachy and weepy if I go a quarter of an hour past mealtime. So generally I eat five times a day, just to be safe. TBH, since I don't have a food scarcity issue, I'm not very bothered whether it's normal or not. Or psychological, really.

Good luck with the results. Keeping in mind, though, that there was no reason to wonder about your health if it wasn't for entirely coincidental tests.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Count me as another with physical symptoms of hunger

I was mightily glad of this similarity when we visited you last year. I've stayed with nonchalant eaters a few times, and it can be HELL.

no reason to wonder about your health if it wasn't for entirely coincidental tests

Indeed! That aspect of it certainly does irk me, but at least I had the test as part of a nutrition study and not just for the hell of it.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Ha, and you were visiting me both in my natural grazing state and pregnant. I think I out-ate you by a yard.

Incidentally, I guess I'll next see you (with NewSpawn!) in March? Must organise myself.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

I think I out-ate you by a yard

Yes - it was profoundly comforting :-)

Regarding March, I seem to recall that the event to which you allude coincides with Easter, when we have our totally-set-in-stone extended-family holiday. So I'm not sure what our movements will be. I need hardly say that if it proves in the least bit feasible, we'd be more than eager to meet you while you're over, one way or another.

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

I've stayed with nonchalant eaters a few times, and it can be HELL.

I've become pretty good about saying 'I have to eat now!' I hate the way some people try and shame me about it, like it's just a habit or indulgence but most people are OK. Admittedly I am shameless about playing the lactating woman card.

[merryhouse.livejournal.com]

my husband gets pains when he's hungry (he has a very high metabolic rate, and was under 8 stone till his mid twenties).

Oh, the glucose drink! Isn't it delicious? she said sarcastically - like drinking icing sugar.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Interesting - first male to present with the symptoms :-) I wonder if women tend on average to have a higher metabolic rate than men?

My glucose drink tasted like very cheap orange juice, I think. I was so grateful to get it, after more than twelve hours, that it seemed pretty good!

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

I _think_ men tend to have a higher metabolic rate. Perhaps due to tending to have more muscle, perhaps something else.

[ailbhe]

I get so hungry I feel sick, sometimes, and then can't eat until I've drunk something warm and sweet. But that's because I, like Niall, find hunger a low-level distraction until a certain point. I ignore it less now, because if I'm peckish, chances are one of the people for whom I'm responsible is also hungry, and That's What Matters.