Six Truths of Life
1. You cannot touch all your top teeth with your tongue.
2. All idiots, after reading the first truth, will try it.
3. And discover that The first truth is a lie.
4. You're smiling now because you're an idiot.
5. You soon will forward this to another idiot.
6. There's still a stupid smile on your face.
I apologize about this .
I'm an idiot and I needed company.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
My Lyme posts
Welcome to any new readers that are interested in learning about Lyme Disease. I may bump some important Lyme posts that I have written, but in the mean time most of my Lyme posts are listed in September of 2008. I have a few health related topics scattered in the other months, but I wrote most of my Lyme related things in September.
Remember: A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet. I welcome all my new friends. Old friends with Lyme ... if you see a comment that I haven't gotten to yet that questions about Lyme ... can you help me by commenting. :) Thanks
Remember: A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet. I welcome all my new friends. Old friends with Lyme ... if you see a comment that I haven't gotten to yet that questions about Lyme ... can you help me by commenting. :) Thanks
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My birthday surprise
I said on my birthday I would write later in the day to tell about my day, but I got busy with my wonderful husband. I was 10 minutes from work when I got a phone call. Could I come back because I had a package that was delivered? When I got there, I saw this:
And then I saw this:
And then I saw this:
And only after I saw the whole picture:
I saw THESE:
How awesome is my husband!
We met at T.G.I.F for my favorite appetizer: Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. My favorite entre: Chicken Tenders & Fries and my favorite dessert: Cheesecake. However, the cheesecake had to wait because I was stuffed from the first two C items! So I enjoyed the cheesecake last night.
I had a wonderful birthday. (keep scrolling: inspirational Thursday has been posted)
And then I saw this:
And then I saw this:
And only after I saw the whole picture:
I saw THESE:
How awesome is my husband!
We met at T.G.I.F for my favorite appetizer: Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. My favorite entre: Chicken Tenders & Fries and my favorite dessert: Cheesecake. However, the cheesecake had to wait because I was stuffed from the first two C items! So I enjoyed the cheesecake last night.
I had a wonderful birthday. (keep scrolling: inspirational Thursday has been posted)
Inspirational Thursday
When I was at my sickest, I would listen to this song. It has the amazing ability to make me feel better emotionally. So I present this Inspirational Thursday ~ With the song: I am Yours!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
:D That's all I got to say about that!
And yesterday I *ran* up and down the yard trying to get the Delivery guy to pay attention to me. He was supposed to come before 5pm to pick up a Medical package and he missed the driveway 3 or 4 times. So on my last day of being 32 I was running around in the yard.
Of course I felt extremely flattered when he said he thought I was a 12 year old kid running in the yard!
I'll update this later with some fun facts about what I did today!
I GOT A READER FROM AUSTRALIA! :o) :o) That little red dot made my DAY!
And yesterday I *ran* up and down the yard trying to get the Delivery guy to pay attention to me. He was supposed to come before 5pm to pick up a Medical package and he missed the driveway 3 or 4 times. So on my last day of being 32 I was running around in the yard.
Of course I felt extremely flattered when he said he thought I was a 12 year old kid running in the yard!
I'll update this later with some fun facts about what I did today!
I GOT A READER FROM AUSTRALIA! :o) :o) That little red dot made my DAY!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Come out Come out
Wherever you are!
I see that I have visitors from all over the US, some from Canada, some from the UK, and Norway (though HI: WAVE: to Lucy .. I think you're the one viewing from Norway)
I see that I have visitors from all over the US, some from Canada, some from the UK, and Norway (though HI: WAVE: to Lucy .. I think you're the one viewing from Norway)
Not Me Monday
Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
I absolutely did not get in a panic when I woke up to snow on Tuesday morning. I also did not worry that I wouldn't make it to work on my 1/2 tank a gas when I did not fill up my gas tank the day before when the weather men talked about the Arctic Blast that would give us 2 to 4 inches of snow because I truly did NOT believe them. They are actually saying that it will NOT do any wintery precipitation on my birthday (tomorrow).
I did not get upset when my boss has me scheduled for a potentially long day on my birthday which I have not shamelessly plugged all week on facebook.
This next thing may not be a bit TMI coming up:
I did not wear gloves when I did not have to pee in a cup for 6 hours. I did not consider getting in the tub to pee in the urine sample container upon worrying about whether I could actually hit the cup. I did not have to pour urine from the sample container into a huge orange jug. I did not get grossed out when I had to put said pee jug into the fridge next to the cucumbers so that the urine would not go bad before shipping. I did not leave the original pee cup out beside my husband's toothbrush just to make him change his toothbrush head on the electronic toothbrush. ;-)
I absolutely did not have to store a small vial of my own urine in the fridge on Saturday and Sunday for DHL to pick up on Monday. I most definitely did not consider leaving the vial of urine in a huge trashcan outside the house. And last but not least, I could never ask my mother in law to come over and sit with my box that contained the vial of urine waiting for the DHL delivery person.
I did not (see I told you that last thing was NOT the last thing) eat a huge pizza & a slice of cheesecake at the cheesecake factory in one sitting. I was not full at the end of my meal. ;)
Tune in next week when I tell you what all I did not do on my birthday! (which is NOT tomorrow)
Oh one more NOT ME that I forgot. I absolutely do not have the Christmas Village up on my Fire Place Mantle on January 26th. Not me.
I absolutely did not get in a panic when I woke up to snow on Tuesday morning. I also did not worry that I wouldn't make it to work on my 1/2 tank a gas when I did not fill up my gas tank the day before when the weather men talked about the Arctic Blast that would give us 2 to 4 inches of snow because I truly did NOT believe them. They are actually saying that it will NOT do any wintery precipitation on my birthday (tomorrow).
I did not get upset when my boss has me scheduled for a potentially long day on my birthday which I have not shamelessly plugged all week on facebook.
This next thing may not be a bit TMI coming up:
I did not wear gloves when I did not have to pee in a cup for 6 hours. I did not consider getting in the tub to pee in the urine sample container upon worrying about whether I could actually hit the cup. I did not have to pour urine from the sample container into a huge orange jug. I did not get grossed out when I had to put said pee jug into the fridge next to the cucumbers so that the urine would not go bad before shipping. I did not leave the original pee cup out beside my husband's toothbrush just to make him change his toothbrush head on the electronic toothbrush. ;-)
I absolutely did not have to store a small vial of my own urine in the fridge on Saturday and Sunday for DHL to pick up on Monday. I most definitely did not consider leaving the vial of urine in a huge trashcan outside the house. And last but not least, I could never ask my mother in law to come over and sit with my box that contained the vial of urine waiting for the DHL delivery person.
I did not (see I told you that last thing was NOT the last thing) eat a huge pizza & a slice of cheesecake at the cheesecake factory in one sitting. I was not full at the end of my meal. ;)
Tune in next week when I tell you what all I did not do on my birthday! (which is NOT tomorrow)
Oh one more NOT ME that I forgot. I absolutely do not have the Christmas Village up on my Fire Place Mantle on January 26th. Not me.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Jennifer's Lyme Life
**Updated** May 8, 2009
For those of you that are just learning about my Journey, go to these old blogs to see how far I've come.
My Diagnosis
My Therapy
A day in the life of a treatment
My PICC Line Story Part 1
My PICC Line Story Part 2
Grey's PICC Line Story
November 15, 2008 Update
Mercury Toxicity (My Mercury test came back negative)
Aluminum Toxicity
PICC Line Removal
Two weeks post PICC
Two year anniversary plus supplements
March 15, 2009 Update
Post PICC Pics
Conflicted Lymie
CDC Positive Test Results
Ups and down of Lyme
There ya go. The most important health blogs all in one place! Enjoy reading if you've not read them before.
For those of you that are just learning about my Journey, go to these old blogs to see how far I've come.
My Diagnosis
My Therapy
A day in the life of a treatment
My PICC Line Story Part 1
My PICC Line Story Part 2
Grey's PICC Line Story
November 15, 2008 Update
Mercury Toxicity (My Mercury test came back negative)
Aluminum Toxicity
PICC Line Removal
Two weeks post PICC
Two year anniversary plus supplements
March 15, 2009 Update
Post PICC Pics
Conflicted Lymie
CDC Positive Test Results
Ups and down of Lyme
There ya go. The most important health blogs all in one place! Enjoy reading if you've not read them before.
Coach Kay Yow
The head coach of NC State women's basketball team passed away this morning after battling breast cancer. She has been fighting it since 1987 and she was a hero to many. She entered the hospital last week shortly after announcing that she would not be coaching this season because of the severity of her cancer.
Many people will be in mourning. Not only the people that know of Coach Yow, but people who have lost their own families to breast cancer.
Check out this on WRAL's website to find out more about Coach Yow and how much she meant to NC state. Take this time to remind the people you love about how much you love them because you never know when your or their time is up. Only God is in control of that. Also this is a good time to remember Organ Donation & Blood Donation. Tell people your wishes so that in the event of your death, your organs can be used to live on in the life of another.
Many people will be in mourning. Not only the people that know of Coach Yow, but people who have lost their own families to breast cancer.
Check out this on WRAL's website to find out more about Coach Yow and how much she meant to NC state. Take this time to remind the people you love about how much you love them because you never know when your or their time is up. Only God is in control of that. Also this is a good time to remember Organ Donation & Blood Donation. Tell people your wishes so that in the event of your death, your organs can be used to live on in the life of another.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Chelation Challenge.
Tomorrow I have the Chelation Challenge.
I'm sure everything will come out just fine, but please pray that it goes quickly and that all my test results come back in normal range. I try to be strong and patient, but I am tired of this PICC Line and am ready for some normalcy (whatever that is).
I know it's all in God's time and I will be patient should I need to keep the PICC Line in for longer. However, it would be nice to know that the end of this PICC Line is in sight (like February maybe) and not have another kind of treatment on top of the maintenance part of Lyme Therapy.
I'm sure everything will come out just fine, but please pray that it goes quickly and that all my test results come back in normal range. I try to be strong and patient, but I am tired of this PICC Line and am ready for some normalcy (whatever that is).
I know it's all in God's time and I will be patient should I need to keep the PICC Line in for longer. However, it would be nice to know that the end of this PICC Line is in sight (like February maybe) and not have another kind of treatment on top of the maintenance part of Lyme Therapy.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Inspirational Thursday
I have decided the next few Thursdays .. I will declare Inspirational Thursday.
One of my favorite hymns. It gives me strength whenever I sing it.
And then:
It is well with my soul.
One of my favorite hymns. It gives me strength whenever I sing it.
And then:
It is well with my soul.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Time Machines
Let us suppose for a moment that time travel really were possible. Let's also suppose that going back in time would not alter our lives in a bad way. I've been thinking about this for a few years actually because I have been thinking if I were able to go back in time ... how much better would my life had been if I had known all along that Lyme Disease was the problem?
Suppose I could have gone back to tell the 1988 version of myself that leaving my friends and moving to a new city would not be the end of the world. What if I could have told that scared version of myself that I would find new and wonderful friends in this new place and that those people would change the course of my future. I would find a beautiful place to call home and make memories that would last a life time. I would meet my future husband all because of this one move.
What if I could have gone back to the 1993 version of myself and told me that I needed to stand up more for what I believed in and tell people exactly what I thought of them. I mean really. What if I had just said "Look I just don't like you. You are not very nice and I don't appreciate it." What is the worst thing that could have happened? OR on the flip side ... What if I had gathered up enough nerve to tell a friend that I liked him more than just a friend? What if I had told myself that the one guy that I chose to chase wasn't worth it and that I would never ever get him in the end? I wish I could have had a little spinner out of game with the right guy's names on it that I could have spun in HS. At least then my chance of decent guys would have been better than the guys I actually dated. Some of them were real "winners" and not in a good way either.
I mean suppose I could go back to the 1995 version of myself when I found the tick behind my ear and educated myself on Lyme Disease and tick borne illnesses. Suppose if I could have know immediately that the little tiny tick would cause all of my ailments in the future. Would it have prevented any of my surgeries? Would I have spent countless nights getting sick or prevented overnight stays in the hospital?
What if I could have gone back to the 1997 version of myself where I just wasn't quite sure who I was or even who I wanted to be with. What if I could have just told myself that I did not need to be with anyone at all or that I could choose more than one person at one time and that would not be a wrong thing to do? Or even that the one person that you think just tolerates you actually likes you a lot. I wish I could go back to that version of myself. I think that's when I would have listened to the future me. 1997 is the year of change. If I could go back to one year and one year alone, it would be 1997.
Who knows how I would have turned out. I truly believe that I probably would have wound up right in the same position I am now. A beautiful strong woman that loves her family and friends with a few regrets, but knowing that all the missteps that I made in the past make me who I am today.
Suppose I could have gone back to tell the 1988 version of myself that leaving my friends and moving to a new city would not be the end of the world. What if I could have told that scared version of myself that I would find new and wonderful friends in this new place and that those people would change the course of my future. I would find a beautiful place to call home and make memories that would last a life time. I would meet my future husband all because of this one move.
What if I could have gone back to the 1993 version of myself and told me that I needed to stand up more for what I believed in and tell people exactly what I thought of them. I mean really. What if I had just said "Look I just don't like you. You are not very nice and I don't appreciate it." What is the worst thing that could have happened? OR on the flip side ... What if I had gathered up enough nerve to tell a friend that I liked him more than just a friend? What if I had told myself that the one guy that I chose to chase wasn't worth it and that I would never ever get him in the end? I wish I could have had a little spinner out of game with the right guy's names on it that I could have spun in HS. At least then my chance of decent guys would have been better than the guys I actually dated. Some of them were real "winners" and not in a good way either.
I mean suppose I could go back to the 1995 version of myself when I found the tick behind my ear and educated myself on Lyme Disease and tick borne illnesses. Suppose if I could have know immediately that the little tiny tick would cause all of my ailments in the future. Would it have prevented any of my surgeries? Would I have spent countless nights getting sick or prevented overnight stays in the hospital?
What if I could have gone back to the 1997 version of myself where I just wasn't quite sure who I was or even who I wanted to be with. What if I could have just told myself that I did not need to be with anyone at all or that I could choose more than one person at one time and that would not be a wrong thing to do? Or even that the one person that you think just tolerates you actually likes you a lot. I wish I could go back to that version of myself. I think that's when I would have listened to the future me. 1997 is the year of change. If I could go back to one year and one year alone, it would be 1997.
Who knows how I would have turned out. I truly believe that I probably would have wound up right in the same position I am now. A beautiful strong woman that loves her family and friends with a few regrets, but knowing that all the missteps that I made in the past make me who I am today.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Amazing Day of Snow
3 posts one day. Please be sure to scroll down to see the other pictures. I know for those of you up in Northern United States and in Canada that this is not unusual. However, this is extremely unusual for us so I take LOTS of pictures.
I wound up not working today at all. My boss said she would call if she needed me and she never called and then the work place closed early. So it was a blessing. Tomorrow we get a two hour delay.
Here is a picture out the window of my husband's truck as we were out and about to see how bad the roads are today.
We stopped by a place to eat on the way and this was one of the views we saw. :o)
And here is ME ecstatic in the snow! I was jumping for joy. I am glad I did not fall! Yes I know I am bundled up big time, but I don't do cold really well. It makes me very sick. I will probably be extremely sick next week just because I was out in this beautiful mess. Who cares today though .. I saw pretty snow & ate Snow Cream! :D
I wound up not working today at all. My boss said she would call if she needed me and she never called and then the work place closed early. So it was a blessing. Tomorrow we get a two hour delay.
Here is a picture out the window of my husband's truck as we were out and about to see how bad the roads are today.
We stopped by a place to eat on the way and this was one of the views we saw. :o)
And here is ME ecstatic in the snow! I was jumping for joy. I am glad I did not fall! Yes I know I am bundled up big time, but I don't do cold really well. It makes me very sick. I will probably be extremely sick next week just because I was out in this beautiful mess. Who cares today though .. I saw pretty snow & ate Snow Cream! :D
"Arctic Blast 09"
We rarely get snow. So the news always makes everything sound like a disaster. Because I did not think that we would really get snow, I jokingly dubbed this "Arctic Blast 09." Here are a few pictures from Arctic Blast 09.
This is right before I cleared my car this morning at 5:15 am.
This is probably 8:40 am. If you go back to the first post on snow, you see how much has fallen since 5:15 am. Though it can be a bit deceiving because of the "drifts" on the grill.
This is the car at 8:45. Remember I had desnowed the car at 5:15.
This is right before I cleared my car this morning at 5:15 am.
This is probably 8:40 am. If you go back to the first post on snow, you see how much has fallen since 5:15 am. Though it can be a bit deceiving because of the "drifts" on the grill.
This is the car at 8:45. Remember I had desnowed the car at 5:15.
PIGS ARE FLYING!
IT'S SNOWING IT'S SNOWING
Here where I live, the meterologist often "predict" 2 to 4 inches of snow and it never happens. So yesterday when I got "wind" of a little snow fall. I decided it wasn't worth it to get a bit excited at all.
IT'S SNOWING IT'S SNOWING!
I still gotsta drag my sorry butt out though and go to work b/c my work place NEVER closes or delays. We'll see. Maybe it will mean for a slower morning though.
EDITED: We're on a two hour delay. Just spoke to my boss online and she said for me to stay at home. Hopefully we'll turn into a closure, but that she'd call me if she needed me. But otherwise just enjoy the day.
I wish I could be one of those "people" that just could "call out," but I've always been dependable. So unless I can not get OUT of my driveway ... I'll be there. Only time I"ve ever not gone into work b/c of snow was the time it took us about 2 hours to get 1 mile down the road and at that point we HAD to turn around b/c there was a huge wreck that covered the road.
That was on my birthday a few years ago. January 27, 2004. :) So if it snows in one more week, I'll get birthday snow again! :-)
Here where I live, the meterologist often "predict" 2 to 4 inches of snow and it never happens. So yesterday when I got "wind" of a little snow fall. I decided it wasn't worth it to get a bit excited at all.
IT'S SNOWING IT'S SNOWING!
I still gotsta drag my sorry butt out though and go to work b/c my work place NEVER closes or delays. We'll see. Maybe it will mean for a slower morning though.
EDITED: We're on a two hour delay. Just spoke to my boss online and she said for me to stay at home. Hopefully we'll turn into a closure, but that she'd call me if she needed me. But otherwise just enjoy the day.
I wish I could be one of those "people" that just could "call out," but I've always been dependable. So unless I can not get OUT of my driveway ... I'll be there. Only time I"ve ever not gone into work b/c of snow was the time it took us about 2 hours to get 1 mile down the road and at that point we HAD to turn around b/c there was a huge wreck that covered the road.
That was on my birthday a few years ago. January 27, 2004. :) So if it snows in one more week, I'll get birthday snow again! :-)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Not Me Monday!
Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
On Saturday, I absolutely did not rethread my shoe laces THREE times because they were uneven on both shoes only to look down to realize that I had rethreaded them the wrong way. One shoe the right lace was over top and the other shoe the left lace was over top. I left them like this and it did not bother me in any way, shape or form!
I did not mention that my birthday is coming up 5 times at my PICC line dressing change and I did not suggest that they should purchase me a birthday cake. I am not shamelessly hinting right now that my favorite cake is white cake with strawberry frosting in the middle with white frosting on the outside!
We absolutely did not change from cable to satellite dish because our bill was raised by seven dollars. This is after not changing from Satellite to cable three years ago for the exact same reason. ;) I am not looking forward to having a DVR in the house for the first time ever. I think it's a complete waste of time and effort and why would anyone ever want one when they can use a VCR instead.
Tune in next Monday for the next edition of Not Me Monday!
On Saturday, I absolutely did not rethread my shoe laces THREE times because they were uneven on both shoes only to look down to realize that I had rethreaded them the wrong way. One shoe the right lace was over top and the other shoe the left lace was over top. I left them like this and it did not bother me in any way, shape or form!
I did not mention that my birthday is coming up 5 times at my PICC line dressing change and I did not suggest that they should purchase me a birthday cake. I am not shamelessly hinting right now that my favorite cake is white cake with strawberry frosting in the middle with white frosting on the outside!
We absolutely did not change from cable to satellite dish because our bill was raised by seven dollars. This is after not changing from Satellite to cable three years ago for the exact same reason. ;) I am not looking forward to having a DVR in the house for the first time ever. I think it's a complete waste of time and effort and why would anyone ever want one when they can use a VCR instead.
Tune in next Monday for the next edition of Not Me Monday!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
What you don't know about me!
25 things that you don't know about me (well Missy & Kellie probably does, but the rest of you ... maybe or maybe not).
1. I don't have my ears pierced currently.
2. I had my ears pierced for a very short time in like the 3rd grade. I hated it.
3. I played the Flute in Middle & High School and I would practice on the way home by rolling down the windows and sticking the end part OUT of the window.
4. I marched Color Guard & Winter Guard in Middle, High School & one semester of College and much to the chagrin of my mother I would practice twirling the rifle IN the house. :o)
5. I also learned how to spin a sabre my senior year of High School.
6. I had my first and only solo in Winter Guard my very last show of the season.
7. In 8th grade, I did a duet during the Winterguard season. It was awesome! :-)
8. My ballet instructor in Elementary School was a nice lady and she was a funeral home director's wife. My ballet instructor in Middle/High School wasn't so nice. She was a pastor's wife. Isn't it ironic?
9. I have my Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
10. I have an obsession with the time 1:27. If I'm in the car when it hits the time 1:27 and I realize it's 1:27, I smile a lot.
11. I worked for one summer at a Camp for the Blind. It was the most rewarding thing I had ever done. I met amazing campers and counselors.
12. My most treasured item is a T-shirt that my Granny gave me. It is a signed T-shirt by the starters of the Carolina basketball team when the 1993 team won the championship.
13. My home was broken into on Homecoming my senior year of High School. The thief only took a few things, but broke a lifetime of memories when they shattered my little red piggy bank that had belonged to my father when he was a boy. It was a cute little piggy too. It had a cork for a snout. Now you tell me, if they wanted money .. couldn't they just take the snout out and get it that way. That piggy bank had about 7 dollars in it ~ all silver dollars and 50 cent pieces, but I had always had that piggy. They must have not been a UNC fan because my prized T-shirt wasn't touched.
14. My favorite dessert when I was a child was banana pudding (with Nilla wafers) from this little restaurant in Rich Square. (I think it was Rich Square; it could have been Conway)
15. I have lived in North Carolina my whole life and I say ya'll and sometimes when I visit WCU I say yuins when I get back.
16. It was my dream to get married in a church with a steeple. I did not care where, but the only requirements were that I had to get married in a Steepled Church and it had to have a center aisle! I just could see me as a child clasping my hands together and saying, "Here is the church and here is the steeple; open the doors and see all the people." I wanted to open the doors and see all the people!
17. I only had one adult female attendant on my side in the wedding. This is the ONLY wedding related decision I regret. I wish I had chosen my other best friend to be in the wedding. I did not because he was a he and I thought that a he couldn't stand up for me. That was a huge mistake that I will regret for a life time.
18. I thought I was sexy in my Army Green Colored Corduroy Overalls in the early 90's. (eeks)
19. I have an obsession with a neat sock drawer.
20. My Dad really wanted me to play the Oboe.
21. Most of my family are musicians. My cousin misheard the word musician when he was born and became a magician instead! Actually he's a musician too, but he is an excellent magician.
22. I am terrified of needles. I can't look when others get IV's and before Priscilla (my name for my PICC line) I couldn't look when I got my own IV's inserted. I cough every time I get a heparin shot in my PICC line.
23. I was extremely shy in Middle & High School. I did not date a single person that attended my High School. The only guys I dated did not go to my school because the one experience I had with dating a guy at the school was extremely embarrassing. To lessen teen angst, I had a rule to not date a guy from my school ever again. Of course this guy moved that I had been dating and I dated him off and on through HS, but that doesn't count now does it since technically he did not go to my school anymore.
24. I dated 5 guys in one semester of college. I went from being the anti-dater to the dater extraordinaire. Of course 3 of 5 of the guys were major A-holes. One of the guys was from the previous semester/summer and the 5th guy was a very sweet guy that just wasn't right for me. He lasted from the dating semester through the summer through part of the next semester. Two days after we broke up, I started dating my husband (who ~ did not go to my school ~ I decided maybe it was time to reinstate the not date a guy from my school ever again rule).
25. When I was in college, I did a presentation on a disorder that I actually had been diagnosed with my second semester of college. I just "accepted" the diagnosis and never really looked into it. During one of my last classes, I had to pull a "social/personality" disorder out of a hat and do a presentation on it. After the presentation, I realized my diagnosis was full of pooey and I most certainly did NOT have it after I realized I did not meet the DSM IV guideline requirements for the disorder. I want to go to every single doctor that ever diagnosed me and give them a good kick in the rear for not listening to me when I knew there was something wrong. Of course I bet you all know that. Instead I pray that their next patient got more compassion than I received and that maybe they learned a bit about tick borne illness that manifests itself in a psychological/physiological/Cognitive way.
1. I don't have my ears pierced currently.
2. I had my ears pierced for a very short time in like the 3rd grade. I hated it.
3. I played the Flute in Middle & High School and I would practice on the way home by rolling down the windows and sticking the end part OUT of the window.
4. I marched Color Guard & Winter Guard in Middle, High School & one semester of College and much to the chagrin of my mother I would practice twirling the rifle IN the house. :o)
5. I also learned how to spin a sabre my senior year of High School.
6. I had my first and only solo in Winter Guard my very last show of the season.
7. In 8th grade, I did a duet during the Winterguard season. It was awesome! :-)
8. My ballet instructor in Elementary School was a nice lady and she was a funeral home director's wife. My ballet instructor in Middle/High School wasn't so nice. She was a pastor's wife. Isn't it ironic?
9. I have my Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
10. I have an obsession with the time 1:27. If I'm in the car when it hits the time 1:27 and I realize it's 1:27, I smile a lot.
11. I worked for one summer at a Camp for the Blind. It was the most rewarding thing I had ever done. I met amazing campers and counselors.
12. My most treasured item is a T-shirt that my Granny gave me. It is a signed T-shirt by the starters of the Carolina basketball team when the 1993 team won the championship.
13. My home was broken into on Homecoming my senior year of High School. The thief only took a few things, but broke a lifetime of memories when they shattered my little red piggy bank that had belonged to my father when he was a boy. It was a cute little piggy too. It had a cork for a snout. Now you tell me, if they wanted money .. couldn't they just take the snout out and get it that way. That piggy bank had about 7 dollars in it ~ all silver dollars and 50 cent pieces, but I had always had that piggy. They must have not been a UNC fan because my prized T-shirt wasn't touched.
14. My favorite dessert when I was a child was banana pudding (with Nilla wafers) from this little restaurant in Rich Square. (I think it was Rich Square; it could have been Conway)
15. I have lived in North Carolina my whole life and I say ya'll and sometimes when I visit WCU I say yuins when I get back.
16. It was my dream to get married in a church with a steeple. I did not care where, but the only requirements were that I had to get married in a Steepled Church and it had to have a center aisle! I just could see me as a child clasping my hands together and saying, "Here is the church and here is the steeple; open the doors and see all the people." I wanted to open the doors and see all the people!
17. I only had one adult female attendant on my side in the wedding. This is the ONLY wedding related decision I regret. I wish I had chosen my other best friend to be in the wedding. I did not because he was a he and I thought that a he couldn't stand up for me. That was a huge mistake that I will regret for a life time.
18. I thought I was sexy in my Army Green Colored Corduroy Overalls in the early 90's. (eeks)
19. I have an obsession with a neat sock drawer.
20. My Dad really wanted me to play the Oboe.
21. Most of my family are musicians. My cousin misheard the word musician when he was born and became a magician instead! Actually he's a musician too, but he is an excellent magician.
22. I am terrified of needles. I can't look when others get IV's and before Priscilla (my name for my PICC line) I couldn't look when I got my own IV's inserted. I cough every time I get a heparin shot in my PICC line.
23. I was extremely shy in Middle & High School. I did not date a single person that attended my High School. The only guys I dated did not go to my school because the one experience I had with dating a guy at the school was extremely embarrassing. To lessen teen angst, I had a rule to not date a guy from my school ever again. Of course this guy moved that I had been dating and I dated him off and on through HS, but that doesn't count now does it since technically he did not go to my school anymore.
24. I dated 5 guys in one semester of college. I went from being the anti-dater to the dater extraordinaire. Of course 3 of 5 of the guys were major A-holes. One of the guys was from the previous semester/summer and the 5th guy was a very sweet guy that just wasn't right for me. He lasted from the dating semester through the summer through part of the next semester. Two days after we broke up, I started dating my husband (who ~ did not go to my school ~ I decided maybe it was time to reinstate the not date a guy from my school ever again rule).
25. When I was in college, I did a presentation on a disorder that I actually had been diagnosed with my second semester of college. I just "accepted" the diagnosis and never really looked into it. During one of my last classes, I had to pull a "social/personality" disorder out of a hat and do a presentation on it. After the presentation, I realized my diagnosis was full of pooey and I most certainly did NOT have it after I realized I did not meet the DSM IV guideline requirements for the disorder. I want to go to every single doctor that ever diagnosed me and give them a good kick in the rear for not listening to me when I knew there was something wrong. Of course I bet you all know that. Instead I pray that their next patient got more compassion than I received and that maybe they learned a bit about tick borne illness that manifests itself in a psychological/physiological/Cognitive way.
Friday, January 16, 2009
A wee bit of fun
Tomorrow after my dressing change, I am going to be hanging out with an old friend of mine.
I am so excited because I really rarely every hang out with friends and this friend is coming a good 3 hours to visit! I really am not quite sure what is on the agenda, but whatever it is we will have fun. We always do! :-)
Yah for Missy! Her birthday was 10 days ago and she's going to get some part of her ear pierced. She wants me to take PHOTOS. *gasp* Yes I know what you guys are saying: Jennifer you have an IV permanently in your arm and you can't even think about watching someone get their ears pierced .... Isn't that messed up? I don't even want to think about it. I'm so squeamish! So sorry Missy you may not be able to get a photo of your new hole cause I may not be able to stomach watching!
I am so excited because I really rarely every hang out with friends and this friend is coming a good 3 hours to visit! I really am not quite sure what is on the agenda, but whatever it is we will have fun. We always do! :-)
Yah for Missy! Her birthday was 10 days ago and she's going to get some part of her ear pierced. She wants me to take PHOTOS. *gasp* Yes I know what you guys are saying: Jennifer you have an IV permanently in your arm and you can't even think about watching someone get their ears pierced .... Isn't that messed up? I don't even want to think about it. I'm so squeamish! So sorry Missy you may not be able to get a photo of your new hole cause I may not be able to stomach watching!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Cleaning my life up
My last post described with a bit of detail my life for the last five years. Sometime in the last 3 months, I woke up from this horrible nightmare to look around at another horrible nightmare.
By the time I came home I generally crashed on the couch and spent the rest of my evening either asleep or on the computer with others that understood the demands on this Lyme life all because it took every ounce of energy I had just to get up in the morning and go to work. I really had failed to take a good hard look at what Lyme Disease had done to my home. On Saturday for some reason, I took a good look.
Lyme Disease had turned my home into a nightmare. I am working on correcting that nightmare. I worked with determination and great speed to clean my living room and master bedroom yesterday. Today, I worked with great effort to clean my bathroom. I have lots to do still, but I am hoping that within the next two weeks that most nooks and crannies will be able to be seen by a perfect stranger and not realize that the Lyme Life had taken over my home.
I am positive that my husband was completely embarrassed to have any sort of company over. Of course, we are not the kind of family that just have company over. He gets home fairly late and by the time we eat dinner ... I've been in the bed.
I do not make "resolutions" because "resolutions" are broken. There is also nothing to be "resolved." I make goals and I challenge myself to be a better version of me every year. Last year, I challenged myself to be a happier person. Now you can't just say "I want to be happier" and expect it to happen. I broke it down. I wanted to smile at least once a day and I wanted to make at least one other person smile at least once day. You may find that to be an "easy" challenge, but not for me. I've always been the kind of down in the dumps and not very easy to smile kind of person. But last year ... 2008 was the year that I smiled EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter how awful I felt. I smiled at least once.
So what is my challenge this year? My challenge for myself this year is to keep my house looking presentable. That pretty much means that I would really like for the Living Room and Kitchen to be looking good at all times and the Laundry to be kept up. We've already fixed one of our problems in the Laundry area ... we had no place to put the dirty clothes. So now we have two beautiful laundry baskets and as of January 1st .. we've had no piles of dirty or clean clothes on the floor. Yes I know it is only the 15th .. but TWO WEEKS is unheard of in my Lyme Life home! :)
We'll see how this "challenge" goes. Something is better than nothing.
By the time I came home I generally crashed on the couch and spent the rest of my evening either asleep or on the computer with others that understood the demands on this Lyme life all because it took every ounce of energy I had just to get up in the morning and go to work. I really had failed to take a good hard look at what Lyme Disease had done to my home. On Saturday for some reason, I took a good look.
Lyme Disease had turned my home into a nightmare. I am working on correcting that nightmare. I worked with determination and great speed to clean my living room and master bedroom yesterday. Today, I worked with great effort to clean my bathroom. I have lots to do still, but I am hoping that within the next two weeks that most nooks and crannies will be able to be seen by a perfect stranger and not realize that the Lyme Life had taken over my home.
I am positive that my husband was completely embarrassed to have any sort of company over. Of course, we are not the kind of family that just have company over. He gets home fairly late and by the time we eat dinner ... I've been in the bed.
I do not make "resolutions" because "resolutions" are broken. There is also nothing to be "resolved." I make goals and I challenge myself to be a better version of me every year. Last year, I challenged myself to be a happier person. Now you can't just say "I want to be happier" and expect it to happen. I broke it down. I wanted to smile at least once a day and I wanted to make at least one other person smile at least once day. You may find that to be an "easy" challenge, but not for me. I've always been the kind of down in the dumps and not very easy to smile kind of person. But last year ... 2008 was the year that I smiled EVERY SINGLE DAY no matter how awful I felt. I smiled at least once.
So what is my challenge this year? My challenge for myself this year is to keep my house looking presentable. That pretty much means that I would really like for the Living Room and Kitchen to be looking good at all times and the Laundry to be kept up. We've already fixed one of our problems in the Laundry area ... we had no place to put the dirty clothes. So now we have two beautiful laundry baskets and as of January 1st .. we've had no piles of dirty or clean clothes on the floor. Yes I know it is only the 15th .. but TWO WEEKS is unheard of in my Lyme Life home! :)
We'll see how this "challenge" goes. Something is better than nothing.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Living the Lyme Life
This is a long post. Sorry in advance.
I could feel it on the inside. Every muscle and bone ached ... I couldn't see straight. I was dizzy. I was overall miserable. It was at that moment that I stopped living a normal life and began living the Lyme Life. I was sick all night and slept just a little. I woke up, I went to work, I came home and I ate. Then I went to bed only to be disrupted by a night of vomiting and diarrhea. Then the next day looked exactly the same. It wasn't pretty, but it was my life.
Every moment of my day was filled with vitamins and antibiotics. If someone wanted to invite me for dinner, I had to insure I had my little burgundy lunch bag with me. It did not have food in it. It had my antibiotics in them and other vitamins that I may need IF lunch/dinner ran late. I stopped exercising at the gym because it was too inconvenient and painful. My brain wasn't working well enough to do the Step Aerobics that I just loved and my body was failing me. Also it was too difficult to stop half way through a wonderful work-out to take my antibiotics.
I fell into the Lyme rabbit hole. It was a different world than I was accustomed. If I had to make a guess I would assume that most people couldn't even begin to understand my body's own personal prison. Every person with Lyme Disease is affected differently and I can not even begin to understand my friend's personal prison. Their prison is different than my prison.
After a year of treatment, my prison was becoming more and more restricting. The restrictions of the medications themselves were suffocating. Take this two hours away from this and you have to eat with this one, but you can not eat with that one and the one you can eat with you can take with this other one, but only if you don't eat dairy! You can only have dairy two hours away from another drug and make sure you don't lie down at least 2 hours after you take this one and whatever you do ... do not go out in the sun or you'll get sunburned! This one will make you vomit and this one will give you diarrhea and be careful with this one because it can cause severe dizziness, tendon ruptures and embarrassing flatulence!
Before my diagnosis, I thought knowing what I have is better than not knowing what I have. But I was beginning to think after over a year of treatment .... I'd rather be dead than live in this personal prison. My last straw was on a day in which I passed out at work and was hallucinating streaks of pastel colors. Finally in May of 2008, I was offered a key to get out of this imprisonment. I was offered the AMT treatment that would leave me not taking a single antibiotic. I would be able to eat dairy whenever I pleased and would be able to nap without worrying about acid reflux and go outside (should I really want ... and at this point can you blame me for not wanting to be out and about with the ticks at large?).
From May to July, I spent in my own personal IV prison. It would take 3 or 4 jabs to get an IV started. I would drink 24 or more ounces of water & use a heating pad for them to get an IV started. Then finally on July 17, 2008, I was given a reprieve of needle sticks. My PICC line was inserted. It gave me a new set of problems, but these were much better than the alternatives.
Now in January, I still have the PICC and am working on Living the Life instead of Living the Lyme Life. Most of the time, I forget I even have the IV in my arm. In fact, I am forgetting so much that I have forgotten on several occasions to put in the Heparin in my line on each night and almost got in the shower the other night without my picc line cover!
I am taking my life back. I have started exercising again. For Christmas, I was able to locate my husband the Wii. He has been wanting it for a while so that we could buy a Wii Fit. I was hesitant because I figured that the Wii is just a "fad." Well, I purchased it for him and we have really enjoyed it. My parents located and purchased a Wii Fit for our birthday. Both of our birthdays are in January. We began working out on December 30th and I have only missed two days. I have worked out at least 30 minutes every day. Some days I have even worked out for 90 minutes.
It's amazing to be living life again after living so long in the Lyme life! There is hope for all of you living the Lyme Life! Yes I am still in treatment and I am not at 100 percent, but my days are so much better than they were a year ago ... even 6 months ago. Maybe one of these days I won't even consider myself a Lyme patient, but a Lyme Conqueror.
I could feel it on the inside. Every muscle and bone ached ... I couldn't see straight. I was dizzy. I was overall miserable. It was at that moment that I stopped living a normal life and began living the Lyme Life. I was sick all night and slept just a little. I woke up, I went to work, I came home and I ate. Then I went to bed only to be disrupted by a night of vomiting and diarrhea. Then the next day looked exactly the same. It wasn't pretty, but it was my life.
Every moment of my day was filled with vitamins and antibiotics. If someone wanted to invite me for dinner, I had to insure I had my little burgundy lunch bag with me. It did not have food in it. It had my antibiotics in them and other vitamins that I may need IF lunch/dinner ran late. I stopped exercising at the gym because it was too inconvenient and painful. My brain wasn't working well enough to do the Step Aerobics that I just loved and my body was failing me. Also it was too difficult to stop half way through a wonderful work-out to take my antibiotics.
I fell into the Lyme rabbit hole. It was a different world than I was accustomed. If I had to make a guess I would assume that most people couldn't even begin to understand my body's own personal prison. Every person with Lyme Disease is affected differently and I can not even begin to understand my friend's personal prison. Their prison is different than my prison.
After a year of treatment, my prison was becoming more and more restricting. The restrictions of the medications themselves were suffocating. Take this two hours away from this and you have to eat with this one, but you can not eat with that one and the one you can eat with you can take with this other one, but only if you don't eat dairy! You can only have dairy two hours away from another drug and make sure you don't lie down at least 2 hours after you take this one and whatever you do ... do not go out in the sun or you'll get sunburned! This one will make you vomit and this one will give you diarrhea and be careful with this one because it can cause severe dizziness, tendon ruptures and embarrassing flatulence!
Before my diagnosis, I thought knowing what I have is better than not knowing what I have. But I was beginning to think after over a year of treatment .... I'd rather be dead than live in this personal prison. My last straw was on a day in which I passed out at work and was hallucinating streaks of pastel colors. Finally in May of 2008, I was offered a key to get out of this imprisonment. I was offered the AMT treatment that would leave me not taking a single antibiotic. I would be able to eat dairy whenever I pleased and would be able to nap without worrying about acid reflux and go outside (should I really want ... and at this point can you blame me for not wanting to be out and about with the ticks at large?).
From May to July, I spent in my own personal IV prison. It would take 3 or 4 jabs to get an IV started. I would drink 24 or more ounces of water & use a heating pad for them to get an IV started. Then finally on July 17, 2008, I was given a reprieve of needle sticks. My PICC line was inserted. It gave me a new set of problems, but these were much better than the alternatives.
Now in January, I still have the PICC and am working on Living the Life instead of Living the Lyme Life. Most of the time, I forget I even have the IV in my arm. In fact, I am forgetting so much that I have forgotten on several occasions to put in the Heparin in my line on each night and almost got in the shower the other night without my picc line cover!
I am taking my life back. I have started exercising again. For Christmas, I was able to locate my husband the Wii. He has been wanting it for a while so that we could buy a Wii Fit. I was hesitant because I figured that the Wii is just a "fad." Well, I purchased it for him and we have really enjoyed it. My parents located and purchased a Wii Fit for our birthday. Both of our birthdays are in January. We began working out on December 30th and I have only missed two days. I have worked out at least 30 minutes every day. Some days I have even worked out for 90 minutes.
It's amazing to be living life again after living so long in the Lyme life! There is hope for all of you living the Lyme Life! Yes I am still in treatment and I am not at 100 percent, but my days are so much better than they were a year ago ... even 6 months ago. Maybe one of these days I won't even consider myself a Lyme patient, but a Lyme Conqueror.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Not Me Monday!
So I have been reading MckMama's blog for a while. And she has been doing a thing called Not Me Monday for quite some time. I thought that I would NOT do this today and look what I am NOT doing! I am NOT posting about the things I did NOT do today.
There is no way that I would ever fall asleep in the middle of the UNC basketball game last night. I absolutely did not wake up exactly 15 minutes before I was to leave for work today. You know what else I did not do last night? I did not read one whole book in one sitting and it absolutely was not a book from my tween years.
I did not walk into the house today and ignore the clothes in my dryer. There is no way that I would sit down and get on facebook first while the laundry has been sitting waiting for me since yesterday. No, not me! Take a deep breathe here because there is no way on this Earth that I would cheat on the Wii Fit today by using a Swiffer Dust Pole to stable myself while doing the "Tree" Pose. I certainly did not do this! I did not stop exercising after only 32 fit credits just to sit on the couch to eat Peanut Butter on Crackers.
I do not have an obsession with my sock drawer and I most certainly didn't go to the store yesterday to purchase 12 brand new socks just so I could make my sock drawer look neater!
You wanna know what else I didn't do? I didn't call my friend Kellie out on my facebook status just because she's been away and I certainly don't miss her at all! And I am not going to post a blog the rest of the week!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Big Question
So since the beginning of my treatment, I have always wondered the big question.
When is a ------------------ just a ---------------------?
You can fill in the blank with any symptom. When is a headache just a headache? When is an itch just an itch? When is joint pain just joint pain? "Normal " people get headaches & itches & even pain in their joints just for no known reason. Idiopathic. Well I have a "cause" for my headache (Lyme), itches (Candida) and joint pain (Lyme or other tick borne illnesses). But when does the bug go away enough that my headache is just a headache or my itch is just an itch or my joint pain is just joint pain.
You see I haven't had a headache in probably 8 weeks. I got one on Friday. After my long sleep Friday night, I woke up free & clear of a headache. I thought, "Wow a headache was just a headache." That is until this morning when I woke up with a whopper of a headache. These headaches are reminiscent of my early on Lyme headaches so it begs the question ... am I well enough to spread my treatments out by 8 weeks? I suppose time will tell. If the headaches continue, then I will have my undesired answer.
My itches & rashes come and go. One day they are not there and I have a tiny itch and the very next I have a huge rash wherever the rash is. The question becomes how quickly do I treat Candida. If I have a moment of itchiness, do I think immediately jump the gun and start Diflucan treatment? Or do I wait until the rash shows up?
This morning along with my headache, my knees were hurting. However on December 30th, I received a Wii Fit as a gift. I have worked out 10 of the last 12 days. I would attribute this to the joint pain ... IF ... I had never had Lyme Disease at all.
So my big question is
When is --------- just a blank? Can anyone answer this?
When is a ------------------ just a ---------------------?
You can fill in the blank with any symptom. When is a headache just a headache? When is an itch just an itch? When is joint pain just joint pain? "Normal " people get headaches & itches & even pain in their joints just for no known reason. Idiopathic. Well I have a "cause" for my headache (Lyme), itches (Candida) and joint pain (Lyme or other tick borne illnesses). But when does the bug go away enough that my headache is just a headache or my itch is just an itch or my joint pain is just joint pain.
You see I haven't had a headache in probably 8 weeks. I got one on Friday. After my long sleep Friday night, I woke up free & clear of a headache. I thought, "Wow a headache was just a headache." That is until this morning when I woke up with a whopper of a headache. These headaches are reminiscent of my early on Lyme headaches so it begs the question ... am I well enough to spread my treatments out by 8 weeks? I suppose time will tell. If the headaches continue, then I will have my undesired answer.
My itches & rashes come and go. One day they are not there and I have a tiny itch and the very next I have a huge rash wherever the rash is. The question becomes how quickly do I treat Candida. If I have a moment of itchiness, do I think immediately jump the gun and start Diflucan treatment? Or do I wait until the rash shows up?
This morning along with my headache, my knees were hurting. However on December 30th, I received a Wii Fit as a gift. I have worked out 10 of the last 12 days. I would attribute this to the joint pain ... IF ... I had never had Lyme Disease at all.
So my big question is
When is --------- just a blank? Can anyone answer this?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Feeling better
For those of you that were worried, I am feeling much better today. I even accomplished something! I cleaned my living room and did laundry! Amazing how much stuff accumulates around when you aren't feeling good.
Hung out with the hubby and the cuz'n today at the mall. I was reminded that many of my flaws are just due to heredity.
Hung out with the hubby and the cuz'n today at the mall. I was reminded that many of my flaws are just due to heredity.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Prayers please
The past few days I have been really irritable. My overall mood has been less than stellar and I know it is all hormonal related which makes it even more frustrating because I am TRYING to snap out of it yet my hormones are just going crazy which makes me turn into a big ole meanie!
Last night I was so upset (and for good reason: I had 4 things back to back happen that were beyond my control) that I just decided to go get snug under my blankets, read a good book and go to sleep!
Anyways, just pray that my mood stabilizes soon. I don't see where my mood swings help anyone including myself.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
There I feel better.
Actually I don't, but hopefully after 8 hours of work .. I can come back home to relax.
Last night I was so upset (and for good reason: I had 4 things back to back happen that were beyond my control) that I just decided to go get snug under my blankets, read a good book and go to sleep!
Anyways, just pray that my mood stabilizes soon. I don't see where my mood swings help anyone including myself.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
There I feel better.
Actually I don't, but hopefully after 8 hours of work .. I can come back home to relax.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Happy Birthday Gwyneth Rose!
I just wanted to make a note that today is Gwyneth Rose's birthday. This is truly an inspiring tale of God's miracles and a couple's dream come true!
I've changed my blog up today just for Gywneth. :)
This post right here changed the Lawrenson's world and everyone that knows them.
I've changed my blog up today just for Gywneth. :)
This post right here changed the Lawrenson's world and everyone that knows them.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Happy Birthday MISSY
My friend Missy had a birthday January 6th. :)
Other than Carolina Blue and all things Tarheel related, her favorite color is purple.
So here for her viewing pleasure is a Lava Lamp (remember when I gave you one years and years ago?) with the color purple and some crazy music.
Next up 3 little cute guys that are ORANGE. Apparently your LEAST favorite color. :D
Other than Carolina Blue and all things Tarheel related, her favorite color is purple.
So here for her viewing pleasure is a Lava Lamp (remember when I gave you one years and years ago?) with the color purple and some crazy music.
Next up 3 little cute guys that are ORANGE. Apparently your LEAST favorite color. :D
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Vanessa!!!
I just came across a comment that was written back in October by a High School Senior named Vanessa. If you are still reading this blog, I hope you will comment! I would love to talk to you more about Lyme Disease and your treatment options. I hope that you are feeling much better by now, but I know this disease is a roller coaster ride.
Rash part 3
So last night I did the whole Benedryl, cream, Diflucan combo and it seems to be working. I slept for 12 hours straight! I woke up this morning and the 4th dose of Diflucan must be the magic number b/c the rash is slowly fading and the itch is pretty much non-existant. In fact, I didn't even use the cream this morning. Tonight, I will do the Diflucan and Cream only b/c Benedryl knocks me out for too long. It's like a Benedryl Coma and I have to work in the morning.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
update on rash
**** New Layout for the New Year **** I may change it back to where it was before, but I think I like it. It's nice and relaxing.
Back to your regularly scheduled posting:
I still itch and it's like water torture. I got an email from my doctor this morning (yes on a Saturday) to come on by the office to have my face and arm checked out.
First things first:
My arm looked great. We changed the dressing and there were no blisters or rash under the dressing. That is a blessing because every time I get infected with yeast my picc line goes haywire.
Seconds: My nurse is almost positive it's just a yeast overgrowth. So I'm to continue the Diflucan. Last night at a moment of brilliance, I took some Benedryl. I don't know if it stopped the itching all night or if it just put me in a Benedryl coma. Either way, I got some much needed sleep. We also picked up some Benedryl Cream to see if that might help with the itching to not put me in a coma during the day. I have in the past used an over the counter anti-fungal cream to reduce the itching to a minimum, but in this particular situation that antifungal isn't reducing the itching enough. I want to share a picture, but the rash doesn't show up well on camera.
If the itching and rash isn't reduced significantly by Monday, I am to call up to the office again. They will either prescribe another antifungal medication or get me something. I dunno what they'll do. She said the option is that I could have something viral that gave me the rash. Hopefully between the Diflucan and the Benedryl cream, I will be feeling back to my normal self soon.
Back to your regularly scheduled posting:
I still itch and it's like water torture. I got an email from my doctor this morning (yes on a Saturday) to come on by the office to have my face and arm checked out.
First things first:
My arm looked great. We changed the dressing and there were no blisters or rash under the dressing. That is a blessing because every time I get infected with yeast my picc line goes haywire.
Seconds: My nurse is almost positive it's just a yeast overgrowth. So I'm to continue the Diflucan. Last night at a moment of brilliance, I took some Benedryl. I don't know if it stopped the itching all night or if it just put me in a Benedryl coma. Either way, I got some much needed sleep. We also picked up some Benedryl Cream to see if that might help with the itching to not put me in a coma during the day. I have in the past used an over the counter anti-fungal cream to reduce the itching to a minimum, but in this particular situation that antifungal isn't reducing the itching enough. I want to share a picture, but the rash doesn't show up well on camera.
If the itching and rash isn't reduced significantly by Monday, I am to call up to the office again. They will either prescribe another antifungal medication or get me something. I dunno what they'll do. She said the option is that I could have something viral that gave me the rash. Hopefully between the Diflucan and the Benedryl cream, I will be feeling back to my normal self soon.
Christmas Stuff
Here are a few of my favorite photos from my house from Christmas 2008. Told you I'd get them up soon. :)
My Christmas Tree with IV pole in back & snowman lamp.
My IV Pole Christmas Tree
My favorite ornament from my childhood.
The Snowman ornament that started it all
My favorite Photo from Christmas!
My Christmas Tree with IV pole in back & snowman lamp.
My IV Pole Christmas Tree
My favorite ornament from my childhood.
The Snowman ornament that started it all
My favorite Photo from Christmas!
Friday, January 2, 2009
I promise
The Christmas ornaments will be uploaded soon. I just haven't had the time to get them on the computer from my camera yet. Maybe I'll do that today or tomorrow.
The rash is ever growing! I could just shoot myself for not starting the fungal therapy sooner. Oh well, I'm sure the rash will be a faded memory in the near future. In the mean time, it itches like a --- well I'd prefer not to use profanity on my blog!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful 2009 so far.
The rash is ever growing! I could just shoot myself for not starting the fungal therapy sooner. Oh well, I'm sure the rash will be a faded memory in the near future. In the mean time, it itches like a --- well I'd prefer not to use profanity on my blog!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful 2009 so far.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009 Health Bang
Happy New Year everybody. My Mantra is that "In 2009, I will be fine." I'm sticking to it even if on the first day I have started with health crisis already.
Three days ago, I noticed a bit of itching on my face. I thought maybe I had a mosquito bite. Well it kept itching and yesterday morning I noticed a bit of a small rash. So last night I started my Candida protocol (aka Diflucan). This morning (Happy New Year to me right?) I woke up with a rash on my leg too.
This is what happened here. So I am going to make an assumption that this is all Candida related (aka Yeast ~ no you can't add butter & jelly and have me for dinner!) and begin Diflucan. If the itching really drives me crazy, I'll add him a little anti-fungal cream for good measure. Of course my doctor's office is closed today and tomorrow so I won't be to get a hold of anyone from my great and powerful Oz (LLMD) until Monday. Hopefully by then, I'll have gotten it somewhat under control. I am beginning to think that part of my die off is getting a systemic yeast infection. My last treatment was Dec. 13th. Almost two weeks to the day, I begin itching.
After my 9/9 treatment, it was less than a week when I started itching and by 9/19 I was in full blown itch mode. It was at that time I realized it was yeast after doing the antifungal test.
As long as it doesn't get like it did in September/October, I will be happy. I could not sleep it was so bad during those times, but my face and neck feel like I have a bunch of little ticks crawling all over them. And my legs are starting to feel the tickles too.
Please pray for complete healing. Thanks.
Three days ago, I noticed a bit of itching on my face. I thought maybe I had a mosquito bite. Well it kept itching and yesterday morning I noticed a bit of a small rash. So last night I started my Candida protocol (aka Diflucan). This morning (Happy New Year to me right?) I woke up with a rash on my leg too.
This is what happened here. So I am going to make an assumption that this is all Candida related (aka Yeast ~ no you can't add butter & jelly and have me for dinner!) and begin Diflucan. If the itching really drives me crazy, I'll add him a little anti-fungal cream for good measure. Of course my doctor's office is closed today and tomorrow so I won't be to get a hold of anyone from my great and powerful Oz (LLMD) until Monday. Hopefully by then, I'll have gotten it somewhat under control. I am beginning to think that part of my die off is getting a systemic yeast infection. My last treatment was Dec. 13th. Almost two weeks to the day, I begin itching.
After my 9/9 treatment, it was less than a week when I started itching and by 9/19 I was in full blown itch mode. It was at that time I realized it was yeast after doing the antifungal test.
As long as it doesn't get like it did in September/October, I will be happy. I could not sleep it was so bad during those times, but my face and neck feel like I have a bunch of little ticks crawling all over them. And my legs are starting to feel the tickles too.
Please pray for complete healing. Thanks.
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