Tired, Worn Out And Need Vitamins

“Bella! Bella! Wake up!!!”

“Huh? What? What do you want? Can’t you tell I was sleeping and I’m tired?” are the thoughts Bella conveyed with her one eyed glance that she could barely focus on me.

“The sun is going to set in just a minute! I can tell the sky will be orange and pink today. I thought you might enjoy watching it with me. Don’t you want to watch?” I asked Bella.

“You’ve got to be kidding! THAT’s why you woke me up? You just want me to see a sunset” Bella’s accusing stare suggested.

“Yes! I want you to see the sunset! It is totally beautiful! Don’t go back to sleep because it is going to set in just a minute,” I implored.

Tired, Worn Out And Need Vitamins

Several things changed dramatically in the last few months, but I just want to tell you about two right now.

Number One

Bella used to stay in Alyssa’s large bathroom during the day while I was at work. There was plenty of room for her to play, a place for her to piddle on the piddle pad and her bed fit in there nicely too. Most of the day Bella sleeps anyway, so having her confined to the bathroom instead of roaming free was the only way we could ensure that she wasn’t going to get into anything she shouldn’t since Bella is known for this bad behavior.

A couple weeks after we moved, I decided that it was time for Bella to roam free during the day. So on a Saturday, I put the baby gate on the door of the guest bathroom where she had been confined, but I left about a foot of space open at the bottom. I needed to do a few errands that day, so I told her goodbye and then headed off to get gas and pick up a few things from storage.

When I got back home, Bella was still in the bathroom. After being home for about thirty minutes, I left again to buy some groceries. This time I was gone for about an hour. Surely she would be out the bathroom when I got home. Nope. Bella was stretched out on her fluffy bed in the bathroom when I walked in, however, I could tell that she had piddled on the piddle pad by the back door. Yay! Success!

Since that time I have let Bella run loose. We keep Alyssa’s bedroom and my bathroom door closed, but other than those two rooms, she has full run of the place. Not only do I think she is happier, but I also think she is healthier. She gets to run, bark, bask in the sunshine and investigate the nooks and crannies. Also, Bella has a better sleep cycle. Because of the extra exercise she gets during the day, Bella is ready for an earlier bedtime.

Number Two

Because I have a grain allergy and can’t eat or touch grain anymore, I have not been able to find a good vitamin that is also grain free. Did you know that most vitamins either have wheat fillers in the tablets or are derived from corn?

Well, at first I kept taking my vitamins because I thought it was stupid to think that a wheat filler could cause any problems for me.

Sigh.

I was wrong. Acting ignorantly didn’t help me at all. My face kept breaking out and swelling, so I quit taking my vitamins. Ya’ll, I NEED vitamins. I’m nearly (cough, cough) 50 years old and my body just doesn’t produce everything it needs.

This truth was never more apparent than it is now. After I got home from work on Friday, I was really tired. By 6:30 p.m. I was sound asleep and I didn’t get up until 11:00 a.m. Saturday. It is DEFINITELY time for some vitamins!

I’ve searched and searched and searched for vitamins. Even though the ingredients do not say, “Wheat filler” or “Derived from corn,” it can still be true. So the only way to find out is to call the company that produces the vitamin and ask them a billion questions.

I thought I had really hit pay dirt when I found Pure Encapsulations because they offer Hypo-allergenic Nutritional Supplements that “are free of wheat, gluten, preservatives and hydrogenated oils.” I found the multivitamin, read the ingredients and then pulled up the more in-depth information page. Throughout the whole thing it says corn! I was so disheartened!

Well, I still need vitamins and haven’t found any yet that are grain free and not derived from a grain, so my tiredness will probably persist. I won’t give up looking for a vitamin because I am tired, worn out and need vitamins!

Right now, however, Bella and I are enjoying the orange and pink sunset. Yep, even Bella is enjoying it.

Isn’t she just the cutest little red dog you’ve ever seen?