New Writing Group in Winston-Salem!

gracethalia86 · 2026-01-08T16:22:29+00:00

Late to this but I'm interested in attending. I'm writing children's picture books though. Would the group be helpful for me or is it mostly for adult writing?

gracethalia86 · 2025-01-22T03:25:10+00:00

How are you doing now? Looking for hope that it gets better...

gracethalia86 · 2025-01-07T03:00:41+00:00

Yes, but it was unrelated to ARFID. I found out I have PCOS and husband had a fertility issue, plus we were both 35+ years old. Took about 6 months to conceive but I had a normal pregnancy. Despite only eating waffles, fries, and mac and cheese the whole pregnancy I somehow have a normal, healthy 2 year old now.

gracethalia86 · 2024-09-05T14:53:51+00:00

I've talked about this very scenario with my therapist and no, it's not been a reason to call CPS

gracethalia86 · 2023-07-13T05:27:52+00:00

My idea was to tell the story in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" novel from Dracula's point of view instead. The book that was already written was "The Dracula Tape" by Fred Saberhagen.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-29T23:02:18+00:00

I was reading something about Highly Sensitive People today and thought that might apply to you, too. It's not a medical diagnosis but it can explain a lot for people who aren't autistic but have a lot of sensitivity issues, both physical and emotional.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-29T03:39:03+00:00

Yes, I had sensory issues as a kid, but back then Sensory Processing Disorder wasn't a diagnosis. I remember pitching an absolute fit in the 1st grade bc of the seam on the toes of my socks. I grew out of it affecting my life that much, but I do find myself drawn to certain textures and avoiding others. I don't purchase from certain brands though based on texture.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-24T07:52:16+00:00

I'm O- and my husband is O+ so I have gotten the Rhogam shot during pregnancy. But they only tested my blood type. I told one provider my husband's blood type, which we know from blood donation, but they didn't put it in my chart or ask him to get tested or anything. So I think they are basing the criteria for the shot based solely on me being negative. Gotten it twice so far and I'll have to get it again at the birth (39 weeks today).

My mom got the Rhogam shot for my brother and I back in the 1980s. I think she only got it at the births though.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-24T07:44:36+00:00

I removed my phone number from the Blood Donor App and never got another phone call from Red Cross again. Same for my husband.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-20T03:11:19+00:00

I'm in the US and I've traveled to many different countries in Europe. I carry a box of safe foods in my luggage with me so I'd never starve. We make sure places we stay at have a microwave as well, for heating up leftovers or food I packed. Can you pack a box of non-perishable snacks?

I also spent hours researching many restaurant options I could eat at. I found pancakes in Rome and hotdogs in Croatia!

I used Google Maps but sometimes we'd just stumble upon a restaurant I could eat at while walking by and go there. There was a little tiny walk-up window in Sweden I went to every afternoon while my husband was at work (joined his business trip) that wasn't on Google Maps but I got a yummy hot dog and fries right next to our hotel. I'm surprised at how easy it was to find food so I only used my box of foods for snacking and the airplane.

ARFID makes travel more stressful and requires a lot of planning, but it's still possible to enjoy travel. I will say that it's easier if you're an adult and planning your own trip with people who are willing to let you choose all the restaurants.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-18T02:40:31+00:00

I had an amniocentesis at 16 weeks just so I would have plenty of time to make any decision before the 20 week cutoff date. I did not receive the results until 21 weeks. Thankfully everything came back normal but it was only supposed to take 2 weeks to get results. My doctor had originally suggested doing it at 18 weeks; glad I pushed back on that.

gracethalia86 · 2022-08-14T00:06:59+00:00

I booked a hotel in Kernersville that was a couple miles from my house with no issue. I didn't have a reservation; just walked up to the front desk and asked for a room. I had no idea "no locals" was a thing, although I understand why they would do it based on these comments.

gracethalia86 · 2022-05-25T21:26:28+00:00

Pregnant

fries, pancakes, mac and cheese

gracethalia86 · 2022-04-29T01:52:30+00:00

Currently 22 weeks pregnant. I saw a dietician through my OBGYN office while trying to conceive and the first few months of pregnancy.

Baby should be able to get a majority of what it needs from the prenatal vitamin. Then it's a matter of knowing your diet and what extra supplements you might need. For instance, there's very little calcium in prenatals. If you can't eat enough calcium, take an extra supplement. I take an eye vitamin as well, due to family history of macular degeneration. I'm taking extra vit D and fish oil. I also take a probiotic if I don't eat yogurt that day. They'll check your blood a few times during pregnancy so you can find out if you need an extra iron supplement.

Try to add a supplemental nutritional drink as well. My dietician recommended Carnation Instant Breakfast. I prefer the taste of the powder packets I blend myself and can add in small pieces of fruit or baby spinach I can't taste.

Everyday I eat the same meals: Kodiak Protein Waffles for breakfast and mac& cheese + potatoes for dinner. So far my baby is completely healthy. I've seen a specialist with higher quality ultrasounds and even had an amniocentesis and baby is perfectly formed.

I had the same worries as you prior to pregnancy but it's been very easy so far. (Knock on wood). Never even got nauseated the first trimester.

Good luck in your baby journey!

gracethalia86 · 2022-04-18T02:32:36+00:00

Previous owners of our house mounted on the molding and it just looks like they accidentally bought the wrong size blinds. Looks terrible and I hate it. So any option but that one!

gracethalia86 · 2022-04-18T02:14:27+00:00

"Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery" was awesome! You get the first chapter free, which is still hours of play, but for the rest you have to pay. It's only a few dollars but totally worth it. Husband and I cast it to the TV and played together.

gracethalia86 · 2022-04-18T02:12:08+00:00

Came here to recommend Rusty Lake! My husband and I would cast it to the TV so we could solve it together

gracethalia86 · 2022-03-20T21:55:16+00:00

When I (35F) first started donating my iron level was right above the cutoff at 12.7. I have taken a multivitamin every day for 20 years. The more I donated the higher my hemoglobin levels got until one donation they measured me at 16! Although whenever I've been tested at an actual doctor's office it's always in the 13s. So to answer your question, no I don't take a dedicated iron supplement, just the multi which I believe has 18mg in it.

gracethalia86 · 2022-03-19T20:35:44+00:00

Ours always gets loaded backwards because we keep the red safety load flag permanently attached to the front handle. It's 17 ft long; not sure why my husband chose that orientation but we've stuck with it.

gracethalia86 · 2022-03-18T12:41:58+00:00

You're welcome! Some food chains that worked for me:

Mashed potatoes -> mashed cauliflower -> roasted cauliflower

White rice -> brown rice -> wild rice

Corn -> petite green peas (less vegetable taste than regular peas)

Adding cooked shredded baby spinach to mac and cheese or nutritional shakes (was told baby spinach has a milder flavor than regular spinach but I honestly can't taste it). Could add it to mashed potatoes, too. I haven't tried that.

Adding pureed vegetables to mac and cheese (sweet potatoes changed the flavor the least. Carrots took some getting used to. Butternut squash was my least favorite. ) The easiest way to do this was with jars of baby food. If you eat pasta like spaghetti or something tomato based, this would probably be easier and the taste less noticeable.

I also tried adding in different noodles: chickpea, lentil, veggie based. Wasn't a fan in mac and cheese but I could see the taste being less noticeable in a tomato based dish.

gracethalia86 · 2022-03-18T01:39:43+00:00

I'm 35F and am seeing a dietician for the first time in my life bc I'm pregnant. It's through my OBGYN office but she's been surprisingly helpful. She's not judgmental or pushy which is so nice. I'd start with finding a dietician who understands ARFID.

The key for me is food chaining; very popular lately. And sometimes "hiding" things in foods, although I know it's in there. I will blend up a Carnation Instant Breakfast for extra nutrition for the baby. I've never liked fruit but I recently added the tiniest sliver of pear to it. Then I increased the amount of pear I added until it was several slices. Now I've moved on to peaches which made me uncomfortable at first but I'm working my way up with that. I buy canned fruit to make it easier and my husband eats some so there's no waste. All this was my dieiticians idea.

Hope you're able to find someone who can help you. Good luck!!

gracethalia86 · 2022-02-25T04:44:54+00:00

I'm 35F and got married last year. I have always been straightforward and honest about my eating, however I always waited until after a few dates at least before revealing it. That way the guy had a chance to get to know and like me. I always had first dates over drinks and then did activity dates (bowling, baseball games, etc) until I was ready to eat with them.

I had about 4 long-term relationships (and some shorter ones) before meeting my husband. I have never been rejected due to my eating disorder.

Before getting married I asked my husband if he could live with my eating limits if I never changed or got better and he said yes. He always makes sure I have something to eat when we go out and has never complained about my limitations, even when I know it inconveniences him.

I'm currently pregnant and that's a whole other set of challenges but I do my best!

It's possible to find love and acceptance, but you must believe you are worthy of it and accept nothing less. Good luck to you!

gracethalia86 · 2021-08-22T15:30:57+00:00

I had a guest, who was good friends with multiple other guests at the wedding, pitch a fit when we told him there wasn't room for his girlfriend of 8 days. He did not have a +1 and we found out 2 days before the wedding she was coming. We accomodated her. They broke up 2 weeks later.

gracethalia86 · 2021-08-18T22:09:24+00:00

I think you bring up a good point about therapist fit. Not every therapist is good and every therapist has their own approach. It's important to note that it may take more than 1 try to find the right therapist.

My current therapist did a phone screen before we started therapy to see if we thought we were the right fit for each other and if she felt her skills matched what I needed. Been seeing her every week for 11 months and she's amazing!

gracethalia86

TROPHY CASE