Fab New Diet

I've got it. The next diet craze. I will make millions. I'm going to call it... "Get a severe illness."

It's going to be huge. Hop on board now, before everyone figures it out. My book will be sold out and no one will be able to get a copy.

Okay, obviously I'm kidding, but it was pretty much the only silver lining to three of my four days off this past holiday weekend. Thanksgiving itself was lovely, but Friday? Friday was probably the worst day of my life. I developed Toxic Shock Syndrome, though, of course, at the time I didn't know what it was. First I thought it was my muscle relaxant (soma). Then I thought it was the flu. No such luck. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but essentially I found out it was TSS on Saturday night. Had I known on Friday what I figured out on Saturday, I would have been in ICU. Because that's where they put people with TSS. It's fatal in over half of all cases due to major organ failure.

I managed to fight off the worst of it on my own by forcing fluids whether I couldn't keep them down or not, sleeping, and staying bundled up to stoke the fires of my fever. Later I got antibiotics to kick the rest of it. What is even better than the fact that I am now probably one of the only people to actually lose weight this weekend, is that I gained a new and amazing appreciation for my body. I may fight with it over pecan pie and perfectly roasted turkey, but it's got my back in a serious fight.

And for that, my body is beautiful to me.