Thursday, October 28, 2010
Come on Immune System
My Immune System is like the Little Engine that Could. It's slowly kicking in and kicking butt too. I feel pretty good today. Low grade fever around lunch time and still have a low grade fever, but I only took Tylenol once today. Minimal sore throat and ear pain. The fatigue is crushing, but ... compared to yesterday I'm in Heaven. I will still be keeping my 10am IV appointment tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Immune Function
Update:
I do feel better this morning! My eyes aren't swollen (Yah God & Claritin). My fever is down to a typical person's temp (which is still high for me ... but I'll take it!). My throat isn't as on fire this morning. I'm hoping that my immune system is waking up saying, "Hey there's something here I'm supposed to be fighting" and actually getting the job done. Just to be on the safe side though, I"m taking Vitamin C, Tylenol & Claritin to work ... ya know just in case. :)
****
Original Post:
So there is something I have to be very cautious of. I have to watch out for large crowds and germs. Now as much fun as I had last week, I did do several things that were huge "uh ohs" for me. 1st: Crowd at the State Fair on a Sunday. 2nd: Thursday Night Work event in which I was in small place with lots of people. 3rd: Friday Night Vikings Kick Cancer Game 4th Saturday Marching Band Competition. Then Tuesday: I began helping out at another center with new teachers and new babies ..meaning new germs.
It only makes sense that I'd get sick. I'm feeling quite lousy. High Fever (for me) and sore throat. Not very lovely combination. IV on Friday. Pray for an easy stick.
** Added **
So apparently I've developed an allergy to Motrin. Sometimes I have "delayed" reactions to medications. So two hours after I took the Motrin (aka right now), my eye started itching. I just realized it's quite swollen. The good news is that my fever is down to a normal person's normal. I don't like to take OTC meds. I don't like how they make me feel (more or less most make me sleepy for 12 hours). So within 2 hours ... Motrin, Claritin (to help with the allergy) and .. now my Prescribed meds. I'm going to be conked out shortly .. miss my favorite show. :( I know. It's not the end of the world. But it is the one day a week I stay up until 9. That won't happen today.
Just pray for me regarding the Fever, Sore throat (and now add itchy eyes to that).
I do feel better this morning! My eyes aren't swollen (Yah God & Claritin). My fever is down to a typical person's temp (which is still high for me ... but I'll take it!). My throat isn't as on fire this morning. I'm hoping that my immune system is waking up saying, "Hey there's something here I'm supposed to be fighting" and actually getting the job done. Just to be on the safe side though, I"m taking Vitamin C, Tylenol & Claritin to work ... ya know just in case. :)
****
Original Post:
So there is something I have to be very cautious of. I have to watch out for large crowds and germs. Now as much fun as I had last week, I did do several things that were huge "uh ohs" for me. 1st: Crowd at the State Fair on a Sunday. 2nd: Thursday Night Work event in which I was in small place with lots of people. 3rd: Friday Night Vikings Kick Cancer Game 4th Saturday Marching Band Competition. Then Tuesday: I began helping out at another center with new teachers and new babies ..meaning new germs.
It only makes sense that I'd get sick. I'm feeling quite lousy. High Fever (for me) and sore throat. Not very lovely combination. IV on Friday. Pray for an easy stick.
** Added **
So apparently I've developed an allergy to Motrin. Sometimes I have "delayed" reactions to medications. So two hours after I took the Motrin (aka right now), my eye started itching. I just realized it's quite swollen. The good news is that my fever is down to a normal person's normal. I don't like to take OTC meds. I don't like how they make me feel (more or less most make me sleepy for 12 hours). So within 2 hours ... Motrin, Claritin (to help with the allergy) and .. now my Prescribed meds. I'm going to be conked out shortly .. miss my favorite show. :( I know. It's not the end of the world. But it is the one day a week I stay up until 9. That won't happen today.
Just pray for me regarding the Fever, Sore throat (and now add itchy eyes to that).
Monday, October 25, 2010
Vikings Kick Cancer
They are still calculating the fundraising total for Vikings Kick Cancer, but it was a total success. The competing high school raised almost 1,000 dollars and the feeding middle school brought in about 1,300 dollars. There are a group of tiny cheerleaders (I forget their official name) and they took around jars for cash. During the game, they raised 300 dollars. Who can say no to tiny cheerleaders asking for donations for Breast Cancer Research? Not me.
It was extremely hard to take photos since the game was held at night (obviously). Anyways, here are some photos from the 1st Annual Vikings Kick Cancer Football Game.
All of these are pre-game photos. It was a good hour before the game.
The Vikings wore Pink Jersey's.
The opposing team wore black jerseys and their numbers were outlined in pink. They also wore pink socks. Not the C on all their jerseys too.
These shirts were for sale to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and some people had their own special way to show off their "Pink." See "Twisdale" on the shirt. That was our beloved teacher.
Bunches of Pink Balloons walked by often to hand each individual a balloon or two for release at the start of the game.
Home Side of the game. :)
It was extremely hard to take photos since the game was held at night (obviously). Anyways, here are some photos from the 1st Annual Vikings Kick Cancer Football Game.
All of these are pre-game photos. It was a good hour before the game.
The Vikings wore Pink Jersey's.
The opposing team wore black jerseys and their numbers were outlined in pink. They also wore pink socks. Not the C on all their jerseys too.
These shirts were for sale to raise money for Breast Cancer Research and some people had their own special way to show off their "Pink." See "Twisdale" on the shirt. That was our beloved teacher.
Bunches of Pink Balloons walked by often to hand each individual a balloon or two for release at the start of the game.
Home Side of the game. :)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fair Fun(k)
So this morning we woke early to head to the North Carolina State Fair. We typically go every 4 years or so and we were just there last year. But, we had so much fun last year (taking photos and looking around) that we decided to go back this year. I found out there was a spot to park for free so that was a bonus too. We get into the fair grounds and I realize right away that our day was not going to be as fun as anticipated. I pulled out my camera to take a photo of something and wham ... I realized that my memory card was at home.
I tried not to really let this bother me, but the only reason I go to the fair is to take pictures and to eat food. :o So we decided to go ahead and get some breakfast. The "good" part of the breakfast was that our biscuit was HOT. We had to wait for quite some time to get our breakfast and the rest was just mediocre. We looked around to find vendors that might would sell memory cards and looked around. We even left the fairgrounds and walked across several roads to by one at the gas station, but .. they didn't have one either! :O I think I found a new vendor market for the Fair! Memory Card Vendor.
So we walked around the flowers and realized we were starting to get hungry. I *love* roasted corn so we walked that way only to realize that it was a cash only place. Guess who had no cash? So we went to the ATM to wait in line. We waited there about 10 minutes only to realize this nice fact: guess who left her purse in the car (on purpose mind you so that I wouldn't have to lug it around) and guess who didn't know the pin number for the ATM tied to my account?
Was I disappointed about the card? yes. Was I disappointed about the money? yes. But, the angry people walking around was starting to rub off. So we decided to leave. We ate at TGIF and came home. Oh well. Guess we won't be going back for a few years .... that and we'll carry an extra memory card in the camera case ... ;)
I tried not to really let this bother me, but the only reason I go to the fair is to take pictures and to eat food. :o So we decided to go ahead and get some breakfast. The "good" part of the breakfast was that our biscuit was HOT. We had to wait for quite some time to get our breakfast and the rest was just mediocre. We looked around to find vendors that might would sell memory cards and looked around. We even left the fairgrounds and walked across several roads to by one at the gas station, but .. they didn't have one either! :O I think I found a new vendor market for the Fair! Memory Card Vendor.
So we walked around the flowers and realized we were starting to get hungry. I *love* roasted corn so we walked that way only to realize that it was a cash only place. Guess who had no cash? So we went to the ATM to wait in line. We waited there about 10 minutes only to realize this nice fact: guess who left her purse in the car (on purpose mind you so that I wouldn't have to lug it around) and guess who didn't know the pin number for the ATM tied to my account?
Was I disappointed about the card? yes. Was I disappointed about the money? yes. But, the angry people walking around was starting to rub off. So we decided to leave. We ate at TGIF and came home. Oh well. Guess we won't be going back for a few years .... that and we'll carry an extra memory card in the camera case ... ;)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Vikings Kick Cancer
I wrote this about a week ago, October 22nd: My High School Alma Mater is having this HUGE big deal game! It's a "Vikings Kick Cancer" Football game! The team will wear Pink and will be raising money for Breast Cancer Research. About two years ago, we lost a beloved teacher to breast cancer. I think this has been in the works ever since. I'm sure there will lots of funds raised. As far as they know, this is only the 2nd high school in the country to do something like this. If you want to send donations to the school, leave a comment with your email address and I'll get in touch with you as soon as I can. Remember, I moderate all my comments so your email address will only be seen by me. I'll be posting about this again soon.
****
It's time for me to post about this. As you all know, October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Not only is my mother in law a Breast Cancer Survivor, I have a friend who is currently battling this disease. In addition to this, one of the teachers at my high school passed away from Breast Cancer about two years ago. While I didn't have her as one of my teachers, I saw her nearly every day. I'm sure there are others that I know that have or have had Breast Cancer, but those are the three that I think of when the words Breast Cancer come to mind.
Then there was my own potential scare. I don't remember what year, but I do remember the lump in my throat when I felt a lump in my breast. At the time, I wasn't a doctor visitor. I didn't spend a whole lot of time at the doctor because of my previous experiences with physicians. But, this lump caused me to take notice and run to the doctor. I thought she'd go, "Oh that's nothing," but she said "OOooh" and sent me to get an ultrasound. Again, I thought I'd get "Oh that is nothing," but they sent me to a surgeon. I thought the surgeon would say it was nothing, but then she decided the lump needed to be removed and biopsied. While we were at it, we had my birthmark removed as well. Prior to actually seeing both under the microscope, the surgeon thought that either could be cancerous. She even suggested that both could be and I could potentially have both Breast & Skin Cancer. Fortunately, my biopsies came back clear.
So I'd like to share with you about the Vikings Kick Cancer Football Game. The information straight from the school website is as follows:
****
It's time for me to post about this. As you all know, October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Not only is my mother in law a Breast Cancer Survivor, I have a friend who is currently battling this disease. In addition to this, one of the teachers at my high school passed away from Breast Cancer about two years ago. While I didn't have her as one of my teachers, I saw her nearly every day. I'm sure there are others that I know that have or have had Breast Cancer, but those are the three that I think of when the words Breast Cancer come to mind.
Then there was my own potential scare. I don't remember what year, but I do remember the lump in my throat when I felt a lump in my breast. At the time, I wasn't a doctor visitor. I didn't spend a whole lot of time at the doctor because of my previous experiences with physicians. But, this lump caused me to take notice and run to the doctor. I thought she'd go, "Oh that's nothing," but she said "OOooh" and sent me to get an ultrasound. Again, I thought I'd get "Oh that is nothing," but they sent me to a surgeon. I thought the surgeon would say it was nothing, but then she decided the lump needed to be removed and biopsied. While we were at it, we had my birthmark removed as well. Prior to actually seeing both under the microscope, the surgeon thought that either could be cancerous. She even suggested that both could be and I could potentially have both Breast & Skin Cancer. Fortunately, my biopsies came back clear.
So I'd like to share with you about the Vikings Kick Cancer Football Game. The information straight from the school website is as follows:
South Granville High School in Creedmoor, NC is excited to host the Vikings Kick Cancer football game on October 22, 2010 in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This all-pink football game will take place during the regularly scheduled Friday night football game at S. Granville vs. Northwood. Game time is 7:30pm. Thanks to a generous donation from Regional Cancer Care, the Vikings will be playing the game in PINK jerseys! As far as we know, only one other high school football team IN THE NATION has ever done ANYTHING like this! This cause is near and dear to the South Granville Family. Our beloved teacher, Ms. Cynthia Twisdale lost her battle to breast cancer about 2 years ago. This year's Vikings Kick Cancer football game will be dedicated to her and all the people in our community that have been touched by this horrible disease. Proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The students, staff, and Vikings community have many activities planned surrounding this game. Some include selling pink t-shirts throughout the season leading up to the game, encouraging spectators to wear pink to the game, releasing of pink balloons at kick-off in honor of those touched by cancer and much more.
In order for this event to be a success we would appreciate your support. If possible, we would love for you to consider doing a story about our event before the game to help us in getting the word out to the community at large. And, we'd also like to invite you to have a presence at our game that evening. For further information, please contact Jenny Hobgood (Vikings Kick Cancer Committee Chair) at ....
I removed Jenny's email and phone number, but feel free to contact me directly through comments and I'll be glad to give you the information to reach her. :)
I removed Jenny's email and phone number, but feel free to contact me directly through comments and I'll be glad to give you the information to reach her. :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Guessing Game
So lemme get real for a mome.
I am actually petrified of doctors. Terrified even. I remember once going to the Optometrist and trying to hide in the closet. I don't know where my fear came from, but it was always there. Still is if I'm being honest with myself. Other than the actual fear of Optometrists (and any doctor really), I fear the actual picking out of my glasses. So in between 7th and 8th grade, I was pretty much forced to go and get new glasses. A: My parents made me (thanks a lot Mom) and B: I really was struggling to see out of my old pair of glasses. So we went and I picked out a pair. I tried them on and thought I loved them. I thought I loved them UNTIL I saw them. Then because I felt so tortured there, I refused to go back for years ... I mean YEARS. I don't think I went for 5 or 6 years.
Of course when I went, my prescription had changed again drastically. I had someone go with me that I trusted to help me pick out frames. The trip was better, but not great. Then I started dating my husband and we went in to pick out frames. The visit was also traumatic, but the frames were byfar the best I had ever had. They were actually children's frames, but they fit my face perfectly. They were the pair I wound up marrying him in.
Sooner or later, it was time to go back. I was getting headaches and I knew that was my personal sign from God that I needed to go. But I was terrified. Then one day a lady came into the store I worked. She was so kind. Then I found out she worked for an Optometrist office right in the area. For weeks I went by and finally found the courage to go in. We worked together to find some frames and then eventually scheduled an appointment to go see the doctor.
Eventually, they got this new machine that made the visits less traumatic and there was a really awesome doctor too. I also never felt pushed to do anything I didn't want to do. It was awesome. Then a few years ago, I went in and realized that I could use a camera to help me decide on frames. This was the biggest blessing. Sooooo with all that said, today I went in to pick out new frames. I'll be going back in November for my appointment. I wanted to make sure that part of the stress of the appointment was out of the way so I went in today with camera. Can you guess which pair I chose?
Guess which pair of glasses I ordered:
Option A: I call them Steve Urkel
Option B: I call these Drew Carey. Btw: I don't know if Cleveland OH Rocks, but Cleveland NC isn't half bad.
Option C: I call these Sally Jessie Raphael's Cousin.
Option D: I call these 1955 George McFly.
Option E: Purple & Gold!
I am actually petrified of doctors. Terrified even. I remember once going to the Optometrist and trying to hide in the closet. I don't know where my fear came from, but it was always there. Still is if I'm being honest with myself. Other than the actual fear of Optometrists (and any doctor really), I fear the actual picking out of my glasses. So in between 7th and 8th grade, I was pretty much forced to go and get new glasses. A: My parents made me (thanks a lot Mom) and B: I really was struggling to see out of my old pair of glasses. So we went and I picked out a pair. I tried them on and thought I loved them. I thought I loved them UNTIL I saw them. Then because I felt so tortured there, I refused to go back for years ... I mean YEARS. I don't think I went for 5 or 6 years.
Of course when I went, my prescription had changed again drastically. I had someone go with me that I trusted to help me pick out frames. The trip was better, but not great. Then I started dating my husband and we went in to pick out frames. The visit was also traumatic, but the frames were byfar the best I had ever had. They were actually children's frames, but they fit my face perfectly. They were the pair I wound up marrying him in.
Sooner or later, it was time to go back. I was getting headaches and I knew that was my personal sign from God that I needed to go. But I was terrified. Then one day a lady came into the store I worked. She was so kind. Then I found out she worked for an Optometrist office right in the area. For weeks I went by and finally found the courage to go in. We worked together to find some frames and then eventually scheduled an appointment to go see the doctor.
Eventually, they got this new machine that made the visits less traumatic and there was a really awesome doctor too. I also never felt pushed to do anything I didn't want to do. It was awesome. Then a few years ago, I went in and realized that I could use a camera to help me decide on frames. This was the biggest blessing. Sooooo with all that said, today I went in to pick out new frames. I'll be going back in November for my appointment. I wanted to make sure that part of the stress of the appointment was out of the way so I went in today with camera. Can you guess which pair I chose?
Guess which pair of glasses I ordered:
Option A: I call them Steve Urkel
Option B: I call these Drew Carey. Btw: I don't know if Cleveland OH Rocks, but Cleveland NC isn't half bad.
Option C: I call these Sally Jessie Raphael's Cousin.
Option D: I call these 1955 George McFly.
Option E: Purple & Gold!
The College Trip
I had the absolute best time this year! I decided at the very beginning that flexibility was going to be key in having a great time. I wasn't going to be a clock watcher or overly worried about things. The plan was to not really have a plan. For those of you that know me in life, know this is a very difficult task for me. Even when I was deciding to date my husband, I made a pro/con list! I'm a planner by nature. I think of all possible scenarios in my head and plan ahead.
I left about 9am and drove about 3 and 1/2 hours to my friend's place. We left immediately and went to where we would be staying. It was a nice little place where there were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We each had our own private space. We headed back to the campus where we took our own mini walking tour. We walked by the part of campus where we "used" to eat. In it's place were two new dorms and a new cafeteria. Two years ago when I was last there, they were demolishing the dorms that were there and the cafeteria. It is so sad when a huge part of our lives is gone, but the buildings in their place are absolutely exquisite.
Here's a photo of the archway that connects the dorm on the right to the dorm on the left.
Afterwards, we took a quick walk by the building where we met though we didn't go in because we weren't sure if it was open. Then we headed onto the Wesley Foundation. For those of you not in the know, a Wesley Foundation is United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part (depending on the congregation) by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus. While we attended the Wesley Foundation, it was downstairs of the church. Since my last visit, they have added onto the United Methodist Church and the Wesley Foundation is now in the upstairs.
While I am not huge on change, this was absolutely beautiful. We always entered through the back of the church, but now the Wesley Foundation members can enter from the front of the church easily as it is now upstairs and there is a bridge connecting the foundation to the road. It's very nice. I failed to get a lot of photographs, but here is the backside of the church.
We spent quite a bit of time looking around. In the late 90's, if I wasn't in class, my room or the library, I was here sharing my love for Christ through socializing, singing and worshiping. It was the best part of my collegiate experience. It was in this place where I made close knit friends. Not only did I have great college friends, but there were adults there that guided us to make good choices during our college careers that represented Christ. Each student that wanted was partnered with couples at church. We became family. We were there for each other physically, emotionally and spiritually. I still talk to Kathy & Gene often.
Now I have often wondered if there were remnants of our lives there during our time at the Wesley Foundation. Seeing the addition to the church really made me wonder if our mark was left there. So we walked downstairs to go to what we called the Library to see if our mark was there. In 97/98, our Campus Minister Retired. This is during our time there. We had a frame made for him to honor his time and each person that was a member during that year had their photo placed in the frame. Needless to say, our mark was left. I'm in the top row on the right counting backwards from the person closest to the frame from right to left, I'm the third one there. The friend I went with is on the right side bottom one photo up on the right.
On Saturday, we tailgated at the Wesley Foundation. There were about 10 people there from during the time we attended. After a sort slide show and a lot of talking, we went to the football game. It was hot ... and the team stunk, but we had a good time anyways. (especially watching the band!)
We hung out with old friends after the game and on Sunday we went to the worship service. It was our first experience with the minister (both the Wesley Foundation Minister & the Church Minister) and they were so extremely kind. I felt very welcomed back "home" and know that I'm welcomed back anytime. I definitely remember why I attended in the first place. They have open hearts, open minds and open doors.
I'd post a photo of my friend and me, but I haven't gotten permission. So you'll have to do with the ones above! :)
I left about 9am and drove about 3 and 1/2 hours to my friend's place. We left immediately and went to where we would be staying. It was a nice little place where there were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We each had our own private space. We headed back to the campus where we took our own mini walking tour. We walked by the part of campus where we "used" to eat. In it's place were two new dorms and a new cafeteria. Two years ago when I was last there, they were demolishing the dorms that were there and the cafeteria. It is so sad when a huge part of our lives is gone, but the buildings in their place are absolutely exquisite.
Here's a photo of the archway that connects the dorm on the right to the dorm on the left.
Afterwards, we took a quick walk by the building where we met though we didn't go in because we weren't sure if it was open. Then we headed onto the Wesley Foundation. For those of you not in the know, a Wesley Foundation is United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part (depending on the congregation) by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus. While we attended the Wesley Foundation, it was downstairs of the church. Since my last visit, they have added onto the United Methodist Church and the Wesley Foundation is now in the upstairs.
While I am not huge on change, this was absolutely beautiful. We always entered through the back of the church, but now the Wesley Foundation members can enter from the front of the church easily as it is now upstairs and there is a bridge connecting the foundation to the road. It's very nice. I failed to get a lot of photographs, but here is the backside of the church.
We spent quite a bit of time looking around. In the late 90's, if I wasn't in class, my room or the library, I was here sharing my love for Christ through socializing, singing and worshiping. It was the best part of my collegiate experience. It was in this place where I made close knit friends. Not only did I have great college friends, but there were adults there that guided us to make good choices during our college careers that represented Christ. Each student that wanted was partnered with couples at church. We became family. We were there for each other physically, emotionally and spiritually. I still talk to Kathy & Gene often.
Now I have often wondered if there were remnants of our lives there during our time at the Wesley Foundation. Seeing the addition to the church really made me wonder if our mark was left there. So we walked downstairs to go to what we called the Library to see if our mark was there. In 97/98, our Campus Minister Retired. This is during our time there. We had a frame made for him to honor his time and each person that was a member during that year had their photo placed in the frame. Needless to say, our mark was left. I'm in the top row on the right counting backwards from the person closest to the frame from right to left, I'm the third one there. The friend I went with is on the right side bottom one photo up on the right.
On Saturday, we tailgated at the Wesley Foundation. There were about 10 people there from during the time we attended. After a sort slide show and a lot of talking, we went to the football game. It was hot ... and the team stunk, but we had a good time anyways. (especially watching the band!)
We hung out with old friends after the game and on Sunday we went to the worship service. It was our first experience with the minister (both the Wesley Foundation Minister & the Church Minister) and they were so extremely kind. I felt very welcomed back "home" and know that I'm welcomed back anytime. I definitely remember why I attended in the first place. They have open hearts, open minds and open doors.
I'd post a photo of my friend and me, but I haven't gotten permission. So you'll have to do with the ones above! :)
Friday, October 8, 2010
On the Road again
For me the worst part of the trip is that I have to drive. Usually, I get up at the crack of dawn and head out. But this time, I decided to do things a bit differently. The other thing that is going to be different is that I typically drive straight through with no stopping unless I am running out of gasoline. I'd rather push through 5 hours of driving than stop and make it a 7 or 8 hour trip.
Well today, I'll be making a detour to pick up one of my collegiate best friends. Then we'll head out together. The other thing is that I typically stay within 10 minutes of the university. This time it's more like 30. I'm not sure how the weather is going to be. I'm not really caring. I've not packed yet. Usually I pack a week in advance. My camera isn't charged. Mentally I've been in the mountains for a week. Physically I've been in a really bad place. I'm hoping that I'll be able to push through whatever symptoms arise over the weekend and have a great time.
I even "practiced" staying up "late" last night. I didn't sleep until 11pm and got up at 6:45 just to see how that would go. I won't lie ... I'm exhausted this morning, but I don't have that cold I thought I was getting. I'll be taking Vitamin C with just in case it happens again.
In less than 2 hours, I'll be getting in the car with my small bag of luggage and my hangers full of clothes. I decided to carry two full hangers of clothes so I don't have to worry about wrinkles instead of just throwing everything in the luggage. We'll see how that works out. :O
Change ... my how I've changed over the last 3 years. Going to a friend's house without 20,000 maps. I only have the GPS to guide me. Going without an arsenal of medications. Going without any preconceived notion about what is going to happen. Watch out world, Jennifer is changing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2drg8FtBg
I just realized that the last time I was at WCU, I was sporting a PICC Line and long hair. I had made the decision not to cut my hair until I was done with antibiotics and the PICC Line. Since I got it cut, I've kept it fairly short since. I say "fairly" because I don't like "short short" hair. :) It took me one hour to pack, shower and dress. That's not bad --- for a woman! Only missing two things from my bad that I have to grab. My camera (most important) and "Hot Hands." (ya know those things you open up and keeps your hands warm?). I have to check the weather forecast.
AHHHH in less than 30 minutes I'll be on the road! I'm so excited I could burst!
Well today, I'll be making a detour to pick up one of my collegiate best friends. Then we'll head out together. The other thing is that I typically stay within 10 minutes of the university. This time it's more like 30. I'm not sure how the weather is going to be. I'm not really caring. I've not packed yet. Usually I pack a week in advance. My camera isn't charged. Mentally I've been in the mountains for a week. Physically I've been in a really bad place. I'm hoping that I'll be able to push through whatever symptoms arise over the weekend and have a great time.
I even "practiced" staying up "late" last night. I didn't sleep until 11pm and got up at 6:45 just to see how that would go. I won't lie ... I'm exhausted this morning, but I don't have that cold I thought I was getting. I'll be taking Vitamin C with just in case it happens again.
In less than 2 hours, I'll be getting in the car with my small bag of luggage and my hangers full of clothes. I decided to carry two full hangers of clothes so I don't have to worry about wrinkles instead of just throwing everything in the luggage. We'll see how that works out. :O
Change ... my how I've changed over the last 3 years. Going to a friend's house without 20,000 maps. I only have the GPS to guide me. Going without an arsenal of medications. Going without any preconceived notion about what is going to happen. Watch out world, Jennifer is changing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU2drg8FtBg
I just realized that the last time I was at WCU, I was sporting a PICC Line and long hair. I had made the decision not to cut my hair until I was done with antibiotics and the PICC Line. Since I got it cut, I've kept it fairly short since. I say "fairly" because I don't like "short short" hair. :) It took me one hour to pack, shower and dress. That's not bad --- for a woman! Only missing two things from my bad that I have to grab. My camera (most important) and "Hot Hands." (ya know those things you open up and keeps your hands warm?). I have to check the weather forecast.
AHHHH in less than 30 minutes I'll be on the road! I'm so excited I could burst!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
So far
My Xtra tab of Vitamin C, Xtra Zinc and magic drops seem to be working. I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. So I'll continue the regimen praying that it works well enough to keep me healthy during my trip. Only thing bad about the regimen is that if I overdo it on the Vitamin C, I'll spend the day in the bathroom. The rule about Vitamin C that I was given was .... (and: do not take my advice because I'm not a doctor, consult your doctor about anything before taking any vitamins or supplements PLEASE) you can take as much as you want, BUT ... once it gives you runny stools to back off by one gram. So I never know each spell whether I'm at last spells dose. So yesterday I took 6 grams in a 2 hour period. My stools are fine so far, but today I'll probably take 10 grams in 12 hours. If I can take more, I will. However I'm going to be very busy today so I may not have time to get it all in. Feels like a nursery school song.
Ole Doc Brown* gives out some meds
CZCZO
with ..
2 grams here
and 2 grams there
here a gram
there a gram
everywhere a gram gram
Ole Doc Brown gives out some meds
CZCZO
C = Vitamin C
Z = Zinc
O = over the top special magical drop
* 2 Million Bonus points to the first person that can accurately guess why I said "Ole Doc Brown."
Ole Doc Brown* gives out some meds
CZCZO
with ..
2 grams here
and 2 grams there
here a gram
there a gram
everywhere a gram gram
Ole Doc Brown gives out some meds
CZCZO
C = Vitamin C
Z = Zinc
O = over the top special magical drop
* 2 Million Bonus points to the first person that can accurately guess why I said "Ole Doc Brown."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
IN 4.5 seconds
I go from "unsick" to "getting sick" very quickly. I mean in like 4.5 seconds quickly. I was fine an hour ago. Now my nose is getting drippy and my head hurts. Pray that it goes away very quickly because I leave Friday for my Homecoming weekend. I'm taking Xtra Vitamin C and Zinc tonight with my special drops too hoping to keep it away., but first comes prayers. Pray that I don't get sick. Thanks!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
October
October is going to be crazy busy for me. I typically have one big planned thing in a month. It's most of the time not even really that big of plans, but this month ... the plans are enormous. Seems like the month is filled with one thing or another. I'm having to cut out things that I would really love to do because I don't think I'll have the energy for it. We'll see though. I may still do those things after all.
I'm getting my hair done. This takes energy out of me in and of itself. Something about sitting in one place unable to move for over an hour just does me in. I always get back feeling fatigued and exhausted.
I'm leaving to go to the mountains. I'll head to Hickory first and then onto my Alma Mater for the Homecoming weekend. I'm sure a trip to the Clothing & Gifts store will be the first order of business to purchase my Purple & Gold Apparel if I arrive before I can check into the lovely mountain Inn I have booked for the trip. I haven't bought a new WCU shirt in two years. I wear them often so they are quite worn out.
Tailgating (What? ME?; yes just with no Alcohol people!), Alumni Church Meeting and Football Game. I'm sure there will be other things to pop up as I run into a few people I know. Because I'm going Homecoming weekend, there are several college friends that are going. One I haven't seen in about 13 years. I'm pretty excited about that!
I'm sure I'll be to sing this at least once with the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band! Yes, they sing!
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Faithful, kind, and true;
Every son and every daughter
Offers praise to you.
The following day is our big Work Professional Day. These about take the breath out of me. It's really exhausting learning a lot of stuff in one day. :P
Then that same week is UNC Basketball Baby! Late Night with Roy. I may have to cut this from my agenda. :(
October 22nd: My High School Alma Mater is having this HUGE big deal game! It's a "Vikings Kick Cancer" Football game! The team will wear Pink and will be raising money for Breast Cancer Research. About two years ago, we lost a beloved teacher to breast cancer. I think this has been in the works ever since. I'm sure there will lots of funds raised. As far as they know, this is only the 2nd high school in the country to do something like this. If you want to send donations to the school, leave a comment with your email address and I'll get in touch with you as soon as I can. Remember, I moderate all my comments so your email address will only be seen by me. I'll be posting about this again soon.
The next day, I really want to go to Charlotte. My favorite movie is Back to the Future. They are going to present it in only two movie theaters in NC and both are in Charlotte. SO, if I want to go, I better buy tickets now. The problem with this is that I will be up really late on the 22nd and I'd have to leave at the crack of Dawn on the 23rd. But, it's a once in a lifetime kind of thing. SOoooo I might have to bite the bullet and do it anyways!
I feel like there is other stuff too, but I can't recall right now what everything is. The two biggest are WCU trip and the HS Football Game.
I'm getting my hair done. This takes energy out of me in and of itself. Something about sitting in one place unable to move for over an hour just does me in. I always get back feeling fatigued and exhausted.
I'm leaving to go to the mountains. I'll head to Hickory first and then onto my Alma Mater for the Homecoming weekend. I'm sure a trip to the Clothing & Gifts store will be the first order of business to purchase my Purple & Gold Apparel if I arrive before I can check into the lovely mountain Inn I have booked for the trip. I haven't bought a new WCU shirt in two years. I wear them often so they are quite worn out.
Tailgating (What? ME?; yes just with no Alcohol people!), Alumni Church Meeting and Football Game. I'm sure there will be other things to pop up as I run into a few people I know. Because I'm going Homecoming weekend, there are several college friends that are going. One I haven't seen in about 13 years. I'm pretty excited about that!
I'm sure I'll be to sing this at least once with the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band! Yes, they sing!
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Faithful, kind, and true;
Every son and every daughter
Offers praise to you.
Hail to the dearest spot of all;
Hail to WCU!
Light and life and fond devotion
All to thee are due.
The following day is our big Work Professional Day. These about take the breath out of me. It's really exhausting learning a lot of stuff in one day. :P
Then that same week is UNC Basketball Baby! Late Night with Roy. I may have to cut this from my agenda. :(
October 22nd: My High School Alma Mater is having this HUGE big deal game! It's a "Vikings Kick Cancer" Football game! The team will wear Pink and will be raising money for Breast Cancer Research. About two years ago, we lost a beloved teacher to breast cancer. I think this has been in the works ever since. I'm sure there will lots of funds raised. As far as they know, this is only the 2nd high school in the country to do something like this. If you want to send donations to the school, leave a comment with your email address and I'll get in touch with you as soon as I can. Remember, I moderate all my comments so your email address will only be seen by me. I'll be posting about this again soon.
The next day, I really want to go to Charlotte. My favorite movie is Back to the Future. They are going to present it in only two movie theaters in NC and both are in Charlotte. SO, if I want to go, I better buy tickets now. The problem with this is that I will be up really late on the 22nd and I'd have to leave at the crack of Dawn on the 23rd. But, it's a once in a lifetime kind of thing. SOoooo I might have to bite the bullet and do it anyways!
I feel like there is other stuff too, but I can't recall right now what everything is. The two biggest are WCU trip and the HS Football Game.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
I'm no Betty Crocker
I probably have maybe 5 things I can make in the kitchen. I am no Betty Crocker. There is really only one thing I can make that is *really* good. This is the one thing that gets requested at "functions" (that I don't go to so I rarely even make). It's my Granny's special Homemade Macaroni & Cheese. Well recently I began reading a blog that made me go "YUM." I saw one thing and thought, "I bet I can make that." Now this rarely happens and even when it does, the "thing" winds up in a trash faster than it comes out of the oven. But, I decided to give it the ole heave ho and try it anyways. It's called Peanut Butter Marshmallow Krispy topped Brownie, but I think I'd have to rename it to, "Dr. P would never approve this Brownie."
I used the Brownie recipe that "Skinny Chick" used and wouldn't you know ... it turned out rather well. There are a few changes I would make should I choose to do this again, but turns out maybe I'm no Betty Crocker ... but her really bad cooking cousin Barbara who lucks up every now and again.
I used the Brownie recipe that "Skinny Chick" used and wouldn't you know ... it turned out rather well. There are a few changes I would make should I choose to do this again, but turns out maybe I'm no Betty Crocker ... but her really bad cooking cousin Barbara who lucks up every now and again.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Surprises
I'm not a huge fan of surprises. I do not like to discover things suddenly and unexpectedly. That's not to mean that surprises don't have their joys, but generally speaking I am not a huge fan of them. I guess I have this image in my head of a room full of people waiting to yell "Surprise." The unknowing culprit about to walk into the room where the room full of anticipation is growing. The air in the room sucked out of by the people holding their breath trying to be very quiet .. just the whole thing makes my heart palpate.
Then there are the whole other kind of surprises. You head out to a friend's house and they announce to you that you're going to have "Pineapple Surprise* " for dessert. You enjoy your dinner and then begin to dig into the dessert. Oh it is the best thing ever. You ponder what the "surprise" is that makes it so tasty. Ten years later you find out ,that *surprise*, there was absolutely nothing extra special in the Pineapple Surprise Dessert.
Of course there are the little surprises of life along the way like detours. Now that I have the GPS, these surprises go over a little easier. But I would rather not have these daily surprises pop up on me. I think it all has to boil down with change. There have been a few good "surprises." Like the time that my husband surprised me by bringing home a "new" type of Mozzerella Cheese Stix. Now, I am one for consistency. I'm a consumer of cheese. I have great expectations and generally stick to the same brands. I wasn't expecting to like it, but surprise I did. Then there was the time I even surprised myself by climbing Cape Hatteras.
After a decade of Lyme Disease, nothing should surprise me regarding my health. However, it does. And I don't like it! Last night I went to bed and felt a pinch of pain in my lower back. Then it migrated to my shoulders and as if that weren't bad enough I woke up with a twisty writhing pain in my hand. I turned the light on and realized my hands were swelling. I removed my wedding rings and tried to rest through the writhing twisty pain in my body.
It also feels like I worked out too long with a bookbag full of 50 collegiate books on my back. I remember feeling this way every day for years. I forgot what the pain was so I was completely surprised when I felt a twinge last night. I'm not a huge fan of surprises.
Then there are the whole other kind of surprises. You head out to a friend's house and they announce to you that you're going to have "Pineapple Surprise* " for dessert. You enjoy your dinner and then begin to dig into the dessert. Oh it is the best thing ever. You ponder what the "surprise" is that makes it so tasty. Ten years later you find out ,that *surprise*, there was absolutely nothing extra special in the Pineapple Surprise Dessert.
Of course there are the little surprises of life along the way like detours. Now that I have the GPS, these surprises go over a little easier. But I would rather not have these daily surprises pop up on me. I think it all has to boil down with change. There have been a few good "surprises." Like the time that my husband surprised me by bringing home a "new" type of Mozzerella Cheese Stix. Now, I am one for consistency. I'm a consumer of cheese. I have great expectations and generally stick to the same brands. I wasn't expecting to like it, but surprise I did. Then there was the time I even surprised myself by climbing Cape Hatteras.
After a decade of Lyme Disease, nothing should surprise me regarding my health. However, it does. And I don't like it! Last night I went to bed and felt a pinch of pain in my lower back. Then it migrated to my shoulders and as if that weren't bad enough I woke up with a twisty writhing pain in my hand. I turned the light on and realized my hands were swelling. I removed my wedding rings and tried to rest through the writhing twisty pain in my body.
It also feels like I worked out too long with a bookbag full of 50 collegiate books on my back. I remember feeling this way every day for years. I forgot what the pain was so I was completely surprised when I felt a twinge last night. I'm not a huge fan of surprises.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Making Plans
I've always been a planner. A list maker. No matter what I've done, there has always been a plan. Sometimes a written out detailed list of what was going to happen. Times, places, people, things I need to take with. Even if there wasn't a written list, there was a list in my head. Almost constantly. Then, I got Lyme.
I'm not sure if Lyme made it worse or better. I'm constantly thinking of times, places, people, things I need to take with, but I'm also more apt to be a little more spontaneous though .. also a little more stringent in where I go and how late I am out.
Typically now a days, I don't make concrete plans anymore. It's partially to do with how I never really know how I am going to feel on any given day. But, it's also partially to do with how I have been disappointed over the years in others that break plans. However because of Lyme, I think that I've learned to "plan for the worst, but hope for the best."
Case in point: One of my close friends is notoriously bad for standing me up. She (oh that got you guys to thinking eh? I hardly have any female friends) has so much on her plate that she just fails to remember she's made plans with me. This person doesn't have children. This person doesn't have a husband. She's just busy. ALL the time. It used to really bother me. Who am I kidding, it still bothers me. I haven't seen this person in over a year. In fact, I may have only seen this person one time since my Lyme Diagnosis. This person simply overplans. This person will make plans with about 10 different people in a day and when she gets overbooked with things to do, I'm the one that gets cut lose. That stings just a little. Every time she plans to visit, I think "Oh she won't come." Now I say 99 percent of the time, she does not come. Can you imagine the elation I feel the 1 percent of the time, she actually does show up? It's huge!
Well I don't like to disappoint people like my friend disappoints me. So instead of making firm plans anymore, I just pretty much have reigned it to say we'll have to see closer to the time. Before I would have jumped in with both feet already having a list of things I'd need to do to be able to do said things. This week was a tough week. A very tough week. One of the toughest weeks I have had in a year. Outside of work, I did two "spontaneous" things. However, imagine if I had made plans for those same items say on Monday. The day I wound up at Urgent Care having a shot of Cortisone slammed in my rear end muscle and slept for 3 hours upon arriving home from said shot. I would have disappointed people which would have disappointed me.
In October, I have two set in stone plans. This kind of scares me. No matter how badly I feel, I will more than likely go to both set in stone plans ... especially since the first event cost me a great deal of money to attend. Doesn't help though that I had such a "bad health week" so close to said event. What if I'm so exhausted I can barely keep moving? Fortunately I have people in my life that push me through the worst part until I can actually collapse from fatigue.
The other is that in the first event, I have people there that understand what I have been through and know where the nearest ER is just in case. ;) Even though I won't need it, it does help knowing that it's available. I used to not worry about such things. I'd go on vacations and not even think where is the nearest Urgent Care or ER. Until I got Lyme. Then I'd constantly ponder such things. We (hubby and I) go to the beach and when we pass the hospital on the way to the hotel, I always point it out. I've (knock on wood) never needed them, but still nice to know that they are there.
I imagine by the end of October that my body is just going to collapse. I just wish that most people got it. That most people understood. I get invited to a barbeque. Can I go? I just don't know. And I won't know until that day. It just depends on how I feel. And if I do go? I won't eat. And they'll be offended. They just don't get it. Then it gets to the point where people just don't invite me anymore. That stings too.
Guess that's what is on my mind lately. Making plans, breaking plans, wishful thinking that Lyme could disappear to the point where I could start having a life on Friday and Saturday nights that don't include a mattress, pillow and a blanket. (aka Sleep)
I'm not sure if Lyme made it worse or better. I'm constantly thinking of times, places, people, things I need to take with, but I'm also more apt to be a little more spontaneous though .. also a little more stringent in where I go and how late I am out.
Typically now a days, I don't make concrete plans anymore. It's partially to do with how I never really know how I am going to feel on any given day. But, it's also partially to do with how I have been disappointed over the years in others that break plans. However because of Lyme, I think that I've learned to "plan for the worst, but hope for the best."
Case in point: One of my close friends is notoriously bad for standing me up. She (oh that got you guys to thinking eh? I hardly have any female friends) has so much on her plate that she just fails to remember she's made plans with me. This person doesn't have children. This person doesn't have a husband. She's just busy. ALL the time. It used to really bother me. Who am I kidding, it still bothers me. I haven't seen this person in over a year. In fact, I may have only seen this person one time since my Lyme Diagnosis. This person simply overplans. This person will make plans with about 10 different people in a day and when she gets overbooked with things to do, I'm the one that gets cut lose. That stings just a little. Every time she plans to visit, I think "Oh she won't come." Now I say 99 percent of the time, she does not come. Can you imagine the elation I feel the 1 percent of the time, she actually does show up? It's huge!
Well I don't like to disappoint people like my friend disappoints me. So instead of making firm plans anymore, I just pretty much have reigned it to say we'll have to see closer to the time. Before I would have jumped in with both feet already having a list of things I'd need to do to be able to do said things. This week was a tough week. A very tough week. One of the toughest weeks I have had in a year. Outside of work, I did two "spontaneous" things. However, imagine if I had made plans for those same items say on Monday. The day I wound up at Urgent Care having a shot of Cortisone slammed in my rear end muscle and slept for 3 hours upon arriving home from said shot. I would have disappointed people which would have disappointed me.
In October, I have two set in stone plans. This kind of scares me. No matter how badly I feel, I will more than likely go to both set in stone plans ... especially since the first event cost me a great deal of money to attend. Doesn't help though that I had such a "bad health week" so close to said event. What if I'm so exhausted I can barely keep moving? Fortunately I have people in my life that push me through the worst part until I can actually collapse from fatigue.
The other is that in the first event, I have people there that understand what I have been through and know where the nearest ER is just in case. ;) Even though I won't need it, it does help knowing that it's available. I used to not worry about such things. I'd go on vacations and not even think where is the nearest Urgent Care or ER. Until I got Lyme. Then I'd constantly ponder such things. We (hubby and I) go to the beach and when we pass the hospital on the way to the hotel, I always point it out. I've (knock on wood) never needed them, but still nice to know that they are there.
I imagine by the end of October that my body is just going to collapse. I just wish that most people got it. That most people understood. I get invited to a barbeque. Can I go? I just don't know. And I won't know until that day. It just depends on how I feel. And if I do go? I won't eat. And they'll be offended. They just don't get it. Then it gets to the point where people just don't invite me anymore. That stings too.
Guess that's what is on my mind lately. Making plans, breaking plans, wishful thinking that Lyme could disappear to the point where I could start having a life on Friday and Saturday nights that don't include a mattress, pillow and a blanket. (aka Sleep)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Quiet Month
I was once asked how I balance blogging, family, work and illness. Well this month, it's been very quiet. I've just been way too busy to really think about the blog.
Between preparing for work stuff, doing family stuff, surviving an allergic reaction and dealing with Prednisone fall out, the blog has been the last thing on my mind.
Hope you all didn't miss me too much.
Between preparing for work stuff, doing family stuff, surviving an allergic reaction and dealing with Prednisone fall out, the blog has been the last thing on my mind.
Hope you all didn't miss me too much.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Shot I'd Never Get
For the past three & half years, I pretty much swore (except like MckMama, I don't) that I would never ever get a steroid shot. I have gone to the Urgent Care on a number of occasions and they've written me out oral prescription for steroids along with suggesting a shot of steroids. I have always denied. I try to tell them why, but they look at me like I have five eyes. There is widespread thought by Lyme patients that steroids can cause a severe increase of symptoms. I for one am intrigued by the thought because I myself had oral dose of steroids and it was shortly after that when the straw broke the camel's back. Coincidence? I'm not sure. One thing I was sure of was, "That's the shot I'd never get."
Well Saturday morning, I woke with a tiny bit of itching in my left ear lobe. I thought it was odd, but then again I am prone to itching. I'm also prone to mosquito bites. So I thought maybe a mosquito had entered the house and bit me in my sleep. Well as the day progressed, the ear became more and more inflamed and itchy. Slowly, both ears became itchy. Last night I slept a total of 60 minutes due to the itchy nature of my ear lobes. Also in the middle of the night my arm started itching. So I went to work because well I love my job and this is a huge week for us and at some point I felt like just chopping off my ears they were driving me absolutely bonkers.
So once I left work for the day, I drove straight to Urgent Care. I was hoping that the words steroids would not be mentioned, but honestly I expected it. Went over my symptoms, my medicines, my surgeries, my allergies and waited. Then the doctor came in. After we had a few minute discussion, he determined that I *must* be having an allergic reaction to something (duh). He immediately started talking about the oral pred pack and then he said the words .. "The nurse will be right in to give you a shot. It will clear that rash and itchiness right up." I gulped and decided that I couldn't tolerate one more day of this itchiness and gave in to the shot. OUCH. For about 10 seconds, I forgot about the itchiness because my butt hurt so bad that I couldn't focus on my ears.
I'm praying that this doesn't screw up my Lyme progress. I just couldn't take the itchy swollen ear lobes anymore.
PS. My ear is less swollen and less itchy. I took 12.5 mg of Benedryl to try to get the itching to ease off even more. The problem is that the shot can cause "restlessness." The special place where they inserted said shot hurts as well. OUCH. So between the ouchy and the restlessness and the slight itchiness ... i'm behind in sleep again tonight. However, I did get a couple of hours this afternoon right after the shot was given. Even though the area was painful, I was so exhausted that I just passed out as soon as my face hit the pillow. Just in case there was some allergen in my sheets, I put on new sheets before hitting said pillow. ;)
Well Saturday morning, I woke with a tiny bit of itching in my left ear lobe. I thought it was odd, but then again I am prone to itching. I'm also prone to mosquito bites. So I thought maybe a mosquito had entered the house and bit me in my sleep. Well as the day progressed, the ear became more and more inflamed and itchy. Slowly, both ears became itchy. Last night I slept a total of 60 minutes due to the itchy nature of my ear lobes. Also in the middle of the night my arm started itching. So I went to work because well I love my job and this is a huge week for us and at some point I felt like just chopping off my ears they were driving me absolutely bonkers.
So once I left work for the day, I drove straight to Urgent Care. I was hoping that the words steroids would not be mentioned, but honestly I expected it. Went over my symptoms, my medicines, my surgeries, my allergies and waited. Then the doctor came in. After we had a few minute discussion, he determined that I *must* be having an allergic reaction to something (duh). He immediately started talking about the oral pred pack and then he said the words .. "The nurse will be right in to give you a shot. It will clear that rash and itchiness right up." I gulped and decided that I couldn't tolerate one more day of this itchiness and gave in to the shot. OUCH. For about 10 seconds, I forgot about the itchiness because my butt hurt so bad that I couldn't focus on my ears.
I'm praying that this doesn't screw up my Lyme progress. I just couldn't take the itchy swollen ear lobes anymore.
PS. My ear is less swollen and less itchy. I took 12.5 mg of Benedryl to try to get the itching to ease off even more. The problem is that the shot can cause "restlessness." The special place where they inserted said shot hurts as well. OUCH. So between the ouchy and the restlessness and the slight itchiness ... i'm behind in sleep again tonight. However, I did get a couple of hours this afternoon right after the shot was given. Even though the area was painful, I was so exhausted that I just passed out as soon as my face hit the pillow. Just in case there was some allergen in my sheets, I put on new sheets before hitting said pillow. ;)
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Cold that Almost Was
The Cold that Almost Was by Jennifer The Lyme Patient
Once upon a time a beautiful tired Queen woman woke up with a very sore throat. The tired woman knew that this was a sign of things to come as this had happened a multitude of times before. In previous months, the woman would wake with the sore throat and a snuffly nose. Within days of this occurrence, the tired woman would begin to cough. Within 5 days, the beautiful tired Queen woman would wind up with pneumonia, bronchitis or sinus infection.
A few years ago, the great and powerful wizard gave this tired woman a bottle. This bottle contained magical drops that appeared to fight off powerful bacterial and viral infections. The tired woman also had a case of amnesia forgetfulness when she would awake the very first morning with sore throat. The woman would forget the drops existed.
Well five days ago, the tired woman woke with a very sore throat and she felt a slight dripping in her nasal passage. This time was different however. The health spirits were with her on this day and she remembered the magical drops in the tiny bottle. So she walked over and opened up the bottle dripping 10 drops of the magical juice into her mouth. The next morning she awoke expecting to have a stuffed nose and a slight cough, but instead only had a small sore throat.
Excited about the prospects of not going through cold turns to something really bad, she again took 10 drops of the magical juice. By the next morning, the tired woman felt pretty good. There was no sore throat, no stuffy nose and absolutely no coughing. The woman decided to take 5 more drops of the magical juice. And that is how 25 drops of magical glory gave this woman health instead of the Cold that Almost was.
****
That was 3 days ago. I feel fabulous. Now, there is a small chance I'll actually get a cold that turns into something more dastardly, but for now ... I'm thrilled that 25 drops fixed my cold that almost was.
Once upon a time a
A few years ago, the great and powerful wizard gave this tired woman a bottle. This bottle contained magical drops that appeared to fight off powerful bacterial and viral infections. The tired woman also had a case of
Well five days ago, the tired woman woke with a very sore throat and she felt a slight dripping in her nasal passage. This time was different however. The health spirits were with her on this day and she remembered the magical drops in the tiny bottle. So she walked over and opened up the bottle dripping 10 drops of the magical juice into her mouth. The next morning she awoke expecting to have a stuffed nose and a slight cough, but instead only had a small sore throat.
Excited about the prospects of not going through cold turns to something really bad, she again took 10 drops of the magical juice. By the next morning, the tired woman felt pretty good. There was no sore throat, no stuffy nose and absolutely no coughing. The woman decided to take 5 more drops of the magical juice. And that is how 25 drops of magical glory gave this woman health instead of the Cold that Almost was.
****
That was 3 days ago. I feel fabulous. Now, there is a small chance I'll actually get a cold that turns into something more dastardly, but for now ... I'm thrilled that 25 drops fixed my cold that almost was.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Quick Update
This is going to be a scattered update:
1. LDN: Last week I decided to take one night of 1.5 mg. That 1.5 mg night through my world into a whirlwind. My left knee hurt so badly that I pulled out the CMO cream and used it three days in a row. I also pulled out the knee brace and not only wore it at home, but wore it to work as well. I decided though to not skip a night, but just the next few (well 5 or 6) nights to take the 1mg LDN and hope that things improved. They did so last night I took another night of 1.5 mg. This morning so far is "okay." No particular pain, but my throat does hurt a bit and my hands are a bit swollen. We'll see how the rest of the weekend goes.
2. My hubby is about .2 pounds above where he *should* be, but by tomorrow he'll probably be back down to within the 4 pound range. He struggled with having free reign and has now a plan implemented that includes medical shakes and the traditional 500 calories food which should give him 1500 calories a day. We'll see how this work. Then once he's stablilized he'll probably add in some other things while removing one of the shakes. It just seems like it will be easier this way for him.
3. In other news, I went to get him a new pair of pants last night. Now all of his pants were about 38s .. I wasn't sure exactly what to get him so found a pair of 33's in his pant length and came home. They fit almost perfectly. We only got him one pair because honestly he doesn't wear dressy dressy pants that much. These will be good for church or for interviews or such. Then we went out to buy a dressy l/s shirt. Now his "biggest" shirt neck sized was 18. The new one we bought was size 16. Woo hoo.
4. We'll probably pack up all his "big" clothes today and take them to goodwill at some point. Maybe even take cash with us to see if we can find some Wrangler Jeans in his new size or some dress shirts. It's time.
5. One of our dogs has been "hurt." For the last couple of months, he's been acting funny. He's been yelping and we went to the vet about a month ago. They gave us some medication to help with the pain and were hopeful it would take care of the problem. Well once he was off the medication for a good number of days, he would start acting funny again. Lethargic even. So we went back and asked for an Xray. Though we were certain he didn't break anything, he had starting limping often. The good news is that there were no visible breaks, cancer or arthritis. So more than likely it's either a pinched nerve .. or my thoughts .. LD. Though Rob disagrees. Told him he was acting like a MD and laughed. ;)
6. Remember all those that serve this country whether it's the military, fire fighters, police officers, pilots, teachers, ministers, volunteers. Pray for them. I can't believe it's been 9 years since the gasp was heard around the world.
1. LDN: Last week I decided to take one night of 1.5 mg. That 1.5 mg night through my world into a whirlwind. My left knee hurt so badly that I pulled out the CMO cream and used it three days in a row. I also pulled out the knee brace and not only wore it at home, but wore it to work as well. I decided though to not skip a night, but just the next few (well 5 or 6) nights to take the 1mg LDN and hope that things improved. They did so last night I took another night of 1.5 mg. This morning so far is "okay." No particular pain, but my throat does hurt a bit and my hands are a bit swollen. We'll see how the rest of the weekend goes.
2. My hubby is about .2 pounds above where he *should* be, but by tomorrow he'll probably be back down to within the 4 pound range. He struggled with having free reign and has now a plan implemented that includes medical shakes and the traditional 500 calories food which should give him 1500 calories a day. We'll see how this work. Then once he's stablilized he'll probably add in some other things while removing one of the shakes. It just seems like it will be easier this way for him.
3. In other news, I went to get him a new pair of pants last night. Now all of his pants were about 38s .. I wasn't sure exactly what to get him so found a pair of 33's in his pant length and came home. They fit almost perfectly. We only got him one pair because honestly he doesn't wear dressy dressy pants that much. These will be good for church or for interviews or such. Then we went out to buy a dressy l/s shirt. Now his "biggest" shirt neck sized was 18. The new one we bought was size 16. Woo hoo.
4. We'll probably pack up all his "big" clothes today and take them to goodwill at some point. Maybe even take cash with us to see if we can find some Wrangler Jeans in his new size or some dress shirts. It's time.
5. One of our dogs has been "hurt." For the last couple of months, he's been acting funny. He's been yelping and we went to the vet about a month ago. They gave us some medication to help with the pain and were hopeful it would take care of the problem. Well once he was off the medication for a good number of days, he would start acting funny again. Lethargic even. So we went back and asked for an Xray. Though we were certain he didn't break anything, he had starting limping often. The good news is that there were no visible breaks, cancer or arthritis. So more than likely it's either a pinched nerve .. or my thoughts .. LD. Though Rob disagrees. Told him he was acting like a MD and laughed. ;)
6. Remember all those that serve this country whether it's the military, fire fighters, police officers, pilots, teachers, ministers, volunteers. Pray for them. I can't believe it's been 9 years since the gasp was heard around the world.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Day 42 of the CD
If you recall, CD stands for Crazy Diet. Here is what I wrote about it on July 25th to jog your (and my) memory.
****
But in addition to some specific medications that were prescribed by my crazy doctor, my husband is going to be having 2 days of crazy fat foods. He's to eat burgers, cheeses, carbs, ice cream, and whatever else he desires that has high fat content. THEN, for 40 days he can only consume 500 calories a day along with these prescribed things that I don't want to get into. It surely will be interesting. My doc's first patient is someone that works in his office. He's completed the 42 day CD and he's been in the maintenance phase for a while too and he's still within 2 pounds of the last day of his diet.
****
So the big question is, "How did we do?" Honestly, I have to admit I was a tad bit skeptical. Most docs only recommend losing a couple to 3 pounds a week much less 34 pounds in 42 days. My husband has tried to lose weight before and with varying degrees of success. He actually lost about 25 pounds a while back, but then gained almost 1/2 of it back with vacation and the loss of my grandfather. How did he actually do? I'll admit. He did a fabulous job. There were some cheat moments here and there, but did he meet his goal? Did he lost 34 pounds in 42 days? I'll let you ... tell me!
I did crop his face out of this one just because he thought his face was kind of silly, but it was the best photo of the bunch to show off his new physique.
Now for the facts. He did indeed meet his goal. He's lost 34.6 pounds. His BMI went from around 33 percent to around 25 percent. I created a chart of foods. In this chart, I typed in every food he ate along with his weight every morning. It was a fairly simple chart in which I also included any "cheat" foods he ate. He had his own more complex chart he filled out every day as well which included his BMI and any exercise he might have done.
I also had a measurement chart. On the day he started the CD, I took measurements from his neck, chest, stomach, waist, right arm, right calf, right ankle, right thigh, hips, etc. Then every once in a while, we'd remeasure to see how things were progressing. We saw how things were going on the scale, but this really was the indicator to me that things were working. I won't put the actual numbers due to the embarrasment factor, but I will put the "loss" number.
Neck: Lost 1.5 inches
Right Arm (bicep area): Lost 1.25 inches
Chest: Lost 5.5 inches
Waist: Lost 4.75 inches
Stomach: Lost 5.75
Hips: Lost 3.75 inches
Right Thigh: Lost 2.75 inches
Right Calf: Lost 1.25 inches
Right Ankle: Lost .75 inches
Where do we go from here? Well for the next three days, he will stop the medications and continue the 500 calorie diet. Then upon that milestone, he will pretty much be able to eat whatever he wants minus Carbs. The goal is to stay under 1500 calories, but we really won't be counting. He just has to watch the scale. If he loses or gains 2 pounds, then he has to recalculate what he's eating to maintain where he is today. We'll see the doctor again soon and see how much further he has to go, but we're thinking it's about 15 pounds.
I am extremely proud of my husband. He went from fitting comfortably into a XLshirt to fitting comfortably into a MEDIUM shirt. The orange shirt above was even a size Small!
****
But in addition to some specific medications that were prescribed by my crazy doctor, my husband is going to be having 2 days of crazy fat foods. He's to eat burgers, cheeses, carbs, ice cream, and whatever else he desires that has high fat content. THEN, for 40 days he can only consume 500 calories a day along with these prescribed things that I don't want to get into. It surely will be interesting. My doc's first patient is someone that works in his office. He's completed the 42 day CD and he's been in the maintenance phase for a while too and he's still within 2 pounds of the last day of his diet.
****
So the big question is, "How did we do?" Honestly, I have to admit I was a tad bit skeptical. Most docs only recommend losing a couple to 3 pounds a week much less 34 pounds in 42 days. My husband has tried to lose weight before and with varying degrees of success. He actually lost about 25 pounds a while back, but then gained almost 1/2 of it back with vacation and the loss of my grandfather. How did he actually do? I'll admit. He did a fabulous job. There were some cheat moments here and there, but did he meet his goal? Did he lost 34 pounds in 42 days? I'll let you ... tell me!
I did crop his face out of this one just because he thought his face was kind of silly, but it was the best photo of the bunch to show off his new physique.
Now for the facts. He did indeed meet his goal. He's lost 34.6 pounds. His BMI went from around 33 percent to around 25 percent. I created a chart of foods. In this chart, I typed in every food he ate along with his weight every morning. It was a fairly simple chart in which I also included any "cheat" foods he ate. He had his own more complex chart he filled out every day as well which included his BMI and any exercise he might have done.
I also had a measurement chart. On the day he started the CD, I took measurements from his neck, chest, stomach, waist, right arm, right calf, right ankle, right thigh, hips, etc. Then every once in a while, we'd remeasure to see how things were progressing. We saw how things were going on the scale, but this really was the indicator to me that things were working. I won't put the actual numbers due to the embarrasment factor, but I will put the "loss" number.
Neck: Lost 1.5 inches
Right Arm (bicep area): Lost 1.25 inches
Chest: Lost 5.5 inches
Waist: Lost 4.75 inches
Stomach: Lost 5.75
Hips: Lost 3.75 inches
Right Thigh: Lost 2.75 inches
Right Calf: Lost 1.25 inches
Right Ankle: Lost .75 inches
Where do we go from here? Well for the next three days, he will stop the medications and continue the 500 calorie diet. Then upon that milestone, he will pretty much be able to eat whatever he wants minus Carbs. The goal is to stay under 1500 calories, but we really won't be counting. He just has to watch the scale. If he loses or gains 2 pounds, then he has to recalculate what he's eating to maintain where he is today. We'll see the doctor again soon and see how much further he has to go, but we're thinking it's about 15 pounds.
I am extremely proud of my husband. He went from fitting comfortably into a XLshirt to fitting comfortably into a MEDIUM shirt. The orange shirt above was even a size Small!
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