Lots of Rain and Pain

Currently Reading

I haven't been feeling so hot so for several days I've been unable to do much.  I've been trying to read a book but just keep reading the same lines over and over.  I'm in a reading group on paperbackswap.com where we pick a book that has been on our TBR list the longest and get it read.  I chose At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon.  I really have no idea why it has taken me so long to read it.  I was having such a hard time focusing that I tried listening to the audiobook but I keep spacing out.  When that happens I just have to quit trying and get some rest or I just stare into outer space for a while and gather some wool. 

I did manage to sneak out to get my hair done but I nearly slept through it.  My appointment was at 4:15 pm but I was still sleeping when my husband came home at 4 pm.  He woke me up and I quickly jumped up and got dressed.  I splashed water on my face and did the minimum required things and ran out the door... went back to get my glasses and then was off.  I sat there and zoned out while my hair stylist made me look beautiful.  She has special powers and always makes me feel better by the time I leave her presence. 

I am hoping it will stop raining soon.  Well, it isn't raining all the time and we have been having some beautiful sunshiny days but if it rains in the afternoon or evening my Fibromyalgia and/or Psoriatic Arthritis flares up.  Even if it doesn't rain right where I live but is raining in the distance I will flare up.  My muscles in my left shoulder get real tight and painful and I got this area that feels like a tight, knotted up muscle behind my shoulder blade where I can't reach.  I have to take a muscle relaxer which puts me to sleep for most of the day and that helps but then it rains again and it comes right back.  I just keep listening to Boxcar Willie singing You are my Sunshine and hoping for nothing but sunshine.  That's one of my all time favorite songs. 

~DJ

Smoke and Fire

Alaska is on fire.  I am in Fairbanks so we are okay but there are fires around us and we are getting smoked out.  I was feeling really bad yesterday and couldn't get to sleep because I was so achy.  I couldn't find any way to lay where I could get comfortable.  I had body aches all over.  I finally fell asleep and didn't wake up until 6 pm the next day.  Wow, that's so late.  I slept all day.  I feel like I've been run over by something.  It turns out that it has been raining and that is what triggered a Fibromyalgia flare up.  You know, I'm okay with that.  Alaska needs the rain right now.  I really hope it helps the firefighters get further in their efforts.  Hopefully there wasn't lightening to cause more fires.  Everything is so dry and we haven't been getting enough rain thoroughly wet everything. 

I'm not sure what I can do today.  I can't even think clearly and certainly can't concentrate to read.  I've been knitting though and the baby blanket I'm knitting isn't a complicated pattern so maybe I can continue working on that.  I hope so.  Here is a dark picture of the blanket I'm knitting.  It's more blue than it looks and that was about half way finished.  Now I'm working on another row of whales.  The pattern is called "Arthur" and it easy to work.  I'm also going to make a stuffed whale toy to go with it. 

This next week I am supposed to go to Anchorage for a doctor appointment.  My husband planned to drive us.  I am worried about whether the way will be clear or not.  I heard yesterday that Anderson was given evacuation ready status 2 and a nearby neighborhood is being evacuated because of a growing fire.  That is along the parks highway which is the way to Anchorage.  I know there will be smoke but I hope it isn't too much for me to breath or for us to see. 

I wonder how the animals fair that are in the smoke.  I'm not talking about the fire but just the thick smoke that is hard to breath.  I know I haven't seen any moose this year.  I've had to stay indoors several days with the house all shut up and an air purifier running.  My doctor gave me an inhaler to help and if I step outside I have to use it.  I found a dead rabbit in my yard and it doesn't appear to have anything wrong with it.  They are actually domestic rabbits that someone set loose some years ago.  They have been spreading and seem to do okay in the winter.  I enjoy seeing them in my yard since I'm allergic to them and can't actually have one as a pet.  I did have rabbits when I was a kid so I really miss that.  Here is what they look like.  I had one that was really friendly and kept coming up to my front step looking for food.  I was putting out carrots for him.  I named him Charlie but then several others of different sizes started coming and I lost track of which one was Charlie.  Now I call them all Charlie.  Some I call Big Charlie, one is fat Charlie, and one little guy born this year is little Charlie.  It was so sad to see the one that died and it could have been the one in the picture.  It was that size. 

I wonder if someone put out poison.  I know some people in the neighborhood don't like them and try to run them off or kill them. A few were caught and taken to the pound.  I wanted to try that but I'm too allergic to them.  I hope those did okay and they were able to tame them.  I am pretty sure some people shoot them.  I don't know how you could poison a rabbit but that really worries me because then a dog could get it and get poisoned too.  At least I know my dog won't get one.  I keep my dog with me and he doesn't run around loose.  Knock on wood, he's never gotten loose yet anyway. 

I guess the rabbit could have had some sort of disease and in that case I sure hope he didn't share it with the others.  I would miss seeing them.  I love seeing them laying around outside.  The stretch out real long on the asphalt, sometimes right in the middle of the road. I haven't seen any hit my cars though because they are quick to move when cars come. 

Take care everyone and be safe if you are in the path of the storm (Louisiana).  Prayers for you. 

Donna

Thrift store finds and Fibromyalgia attacks

Last Saturday I was feeling pretty good and wanted to go do something.  We picked up my mother in law and went out to eat.  It was so hot I didn't feel like eating much.  We went by the used book store briefly but I didn't see anything I needed in the books.  I just like going just in case they happen to have something I'm looking for or some kind of cool surprise I didn't expect.  I just bought this one cross stitch pattern I found.  We went by Value Village and I am very happy with my find there.  I found over 60 cross stitch magazines and got them all.  Only one of them was a duplicate with what I already had.  Not too bad.  I also found an unopened package of perforated paper and a cross stitch kit that I've been wanting for a long time.  I thought I bought that kit once but later discovered it was actually a needlepoint kit that is very similar.  I bought that before I knew anything about cross stitch.  Since then I've been thinking about buying but I have been waiting for a sale.  I was very happy to find the kit for $13 and even more happy that it was unopened.  I also found a large skein of vintage macrame cord in a warm brown color in new condition.  I'm not sure if I'll use it to try out some macrame design or if I'll just make another crocheted rug like the rug on my front porch.  I used a round doily pattern and I love it.  I get a lot of comments on that rug too.  

After the thrift store my mother in law was tired so we took her home.  I started sorting the magazines and putting them in order.  Around 6 pm I suddenly felt like all my steam was gone.  It was like a curtain fell and I didn't have the energy to put anything away.  I just had to lie down.  I slept hard and didn't wake up till 10 am the next morning.  That is Fibro for you.  You never know when you are going to run out of energy.  Sometimes when I have a flare up I end up in a lot of pain from head to toe so I don't mind just crashing out instead.  

I was eager to start that cross stitch and I've been working on it for a few days now.  It's a design called Butterfly Profusion by Dimensions.  I'm loving it so far.  

I've also been reading again, which is nice.  I just finished The Chase by Clive Cussler, which I have already read twice at least.  It had been a long time so I wanted to read it again.  I love that book.  Now I'm reading Fire and Fog by Dianne Day and just started The 5th Horeseman by James Patterson.  I think it is ironic that all 3 books just happened to be set (at least in part) in San Francisco.  The Chase and Fire and Fog both involve the San Francisco earthquake.  Ironic I think.  

Donna

On the mend

I am finally starting to feel better.  I still have a stuffy head and I'm still going through tissues but I feel like I'm headed in the right direction.  My husband is also starting to feel better and he's back at work.  He still felt bad during the weekend and I feel so bad for him.  He was really sick on his birthday, the 3rd, and still sick on Father's Day.  I did talk him into going to breakfast with me and it was really good.  He's actually rubbing off on me. 

My husband likes to do things for other people to make their day.  If he wins money at pull tabs he'll give someone a nice tip.  I've always been very frugal and always make sure I tip enough but never a lot extra.  I do like to give an extra tip to the cook if I get a really good steak.  I never know what they get of the tips normally left.  Anyway, I had steak and eggs and the steak was so good it didn't need anything on it.  It was AMAZING!  Then the cook actually came out and asked us both how we liked our food.  This was not expected since it was early and the place was empty.  We've also eaten there a lot and that has never happened.  I can only assume she is new there and she was amazing.  She was one of those happy people that leaves everyone she talks to smiling and laughing.  When she came back through I asked her what her name was and shook her hand, slipping her a $20.  She was very grateful and it was so nice to be able to do that.  I remember times when I couldn't have ordered a steak and had to keep a running total in my head at the grocery store because money was tight.  It is a really good feeling to be able to spread the love a little and Ms. Candy sure deserved it. 

After that we went and bought some flowers for my yard at a local nursery.  I was worried it was getting too late to find any good flowers.  I couldn't get any of my favorite "baby duck" petunias because they'd all been moved to hanging planters.  I don't want hanging planters because I wouldn't be able to water them myself.  My husband did get me a new bleeding heart since I couldn't find mine and I got two new lilies, some Shasta daisies, and a Columbine for my perennial bed.  I got some annuals for the other areas.  Chris was feeling bad so he went to bed but my son Riley helped me get my flowers planted.  I had a great day outside even though I still had my tissues close by.  I love all the flowers.  I have more to do in the yard but I have to do a little at a time.  Riley did trim my trees some so I could actually sit on my bench again.  Three quarters of my bench was in the trees and sticker bushes!  Riley took out so many sticker bushes and tree limbs it was amazing and there is still more to be done.  It looks a lot better though. 

I have also been doing some more small cross stitch kits but I'll post about that on my cross stitch blog.

Donna J.

Long time no post

It has been a long time since I have felt like posting but I am trying to pull myself out of the funk I've been in.  It is so hard to stay positive when you feel bad all-the-time.  Right now I'm fighting the black plague that swept through my house.  Only my youngest son Riley didn't get sick.  He just got the sniffles while the rest of us has been on our death beds.  Jared, my oldest son, is super healthy and very rarely gets sick.  Whenever he does get sick he just goes to sleep early and wakes up feeling better.  This time he got sick though and had to miss a few days of work.  I think it is the only time he has ever called in sick.  I have been sick for 2 weeks and my husband for 3, at least as far as I can remember.  My husband and I went to the doctor together and they actually saw us at the same time and we got matching prescriptions for the most part.  We both have bronchitis really bad with spasms of coughing so bad we couldn't breath.  My abdominal muscles are really sore from coughing.  My husband had 2 nasty ear infections though and I only had sinus infections.  They gave me a few days of steroids to help the inflammation in my throat because it was so painful.  I was very grateful.  I can tell the medication is working and I am sllllowwwly feeling more human.

My husband is lucky he is a manager where he works because he missed a lot of work.  He had the days to take off but of course that takes away from vacation time.  I just think about the jobs I've had and wonder what would have happened if I'd still been working there.  I used to be a CNA and was only allowed to have 4 instances of sickness in a year.  Most of the time I went to work sick because I had to stay home with my kids when they were sick.  If I were sick more than 3 days I would have to get a doctor's note for them.  I can't remember now but if I missed much more than that I'd have to go on medical leave.  At the hospital, nurses and CNAs are in short supply so they have to be strict on sick leave.  You would think they wouldn't want sick people around the patients that are already being treated for something.  Where my husband works, in IT, if someone gets sick they don't want you to come in and get everyone sick.  When my husband tried to go back to work they ended up telling him to go home.  It is just frustrating thinking of the young parents trying to take care of their kids and not get in trouble for being sick when other people have it so much easier.

Anyway, I am working on finishing up a little cross stitch kit I bought on ebay.  I got them to work on when I was sick because they were very simple.  I also think they are really cute and I am going to get the supplies to make up a bunch for gifts.  I'll take pictures later.  Right now I'm going to go get showered up and dressed.  I have been looking like death for so long I want to make myself look normal for once.  I know that will make me feel better.

Donna

It's Christmas morning...

and I don't know why I feel sad and empty.  It's almost 2 am and I'm still awake. 

I think part of my problems is....  feeling so useless. 

My husband's family always opened presents on Christmas eve for some reason so we did that too.  When the kid's were little they opened the presents from us and then in the morning they got the presents from Santa.  Anyway, our little family opened presents on tonight (Monday night) and it just made me miss my little boys.  I miss my babies and kissing their fuzzy little heads.  I miss my toddlers and how they were so sweet in completely different ways.  I really miss those 4 year olds... that was my favorite age for them both.  Most of all, I miss being needed.  I miss being missed. 

My baby will be turning 22 on Jan 19th and I often feel like our roles have reversed.  He picks up the house, cooks, and tells me to put away my books....  and I whine and say I'm too tired.  I am always so tired and so achy it hurts to move.  I am always forgetting everything.  Maybe it's the fibro-fog, maybe it's all the medications they have me on, or maybe I'm just getting old but I am always forgetting.  Oh well, at least I'm still alive and I've got my family to remind me when I forget. 

I am really hoping that the Keto diet will eventually help lower my inflammation levels and I'll start to feel better.  I've been having a lot of pain lately.  I have been trying to do at least 15 minutes on my treadmill every day but sometimes I just can't stand up for more than a minute or so.  I always try though.  Some days the walking helps but some days I just can't do it.  So far it seems I can't do more than 15 minutes but if I rest a while I can sometimes do another 15 minutes.  I just have to break it up.  I have to be careful not to try to do too much or go too fast or I won't be able to get out of bed the next day.  That treadmill is definitely the best present I could have gotten for my birthday though.  I'm glad I asked for it. 

It is almost the end of December now and I have have lost 15 pounds since Nov 1st.  I am going to keep working at it through the next year and see how far I can get.  I'm right at the edge of being able to go down a size.  My 2x clothes are big but I'm waiting before buying anything.  I still have a few XL tops that I want to get into before doing that.  I also have some size 16 jeans.  The leggings I have should fit okay for a while too.  I really just want to wait for spring and summer to buy new clothes because I hate the dark, gloomy colors they have out right now.  I don't want to wear black and gray.  I want to wear colors and flowers! 

Okay, I really need to try to get some sleep so I don't sleep all day tomorrow. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Day!

DJ

A happy November

In October my sister told me about the Keto diet.  She and her husband had been doing it and they had both lost a lot of weight.  I was feeling really bad right then so I told her I'd look into it but I was very skeptical.  Then I heard my brother was doing it to and had lost 70 lbs!  My sister said it was supposed to help reduce inflammation and thought it might be able to help me.  I'm always so skeptical about these things.  People are mostly out to make money and profit off of people who are suffering.  After I talked to my sister I kept hearing more about it and did some googling.  I finally found a site that outlined what you can and can't eat.  While you can't eat bread, sugar, fruits etc you can have fatty stuff like meat and bacon.  I like veggies so that's not a problem.  Once I realized I could eat food I liked I decided to give it a try.  I started on November 1st.  Now it is the last day of November and I have lost 12 lbs!  I've lost 1.2 % body fat and my lean muscle mass has increased by 16.3%.  I've lost 4.5 inches off my waist. I even lost 1.25 inches from my neck!  I still have a long way to go so I really hope I have the will power.  Thanksgiving and my birthday sure were hard.  

For Thanksgiving I had planned out some yummy stuff for me to eat but it was still hard seeing the pies and corn on the cob etc.  I love corn!  Then my husband went to a poker party and we ended up with one of those assortments of cheese cake in our fridge.  OMG!  I was so so close to just wolfing one of those down.  I even had it in my hand but then I looked at the label and knew how bad it would set me back.  I put it away and put something in front of it to block it.  I've been bribing my kids to eat it.

Earlier in the month, I decided I wanted a new hair do to go with my new me.  My gray was starting to show at the roots and my cut had grown out.  My bangs were past my ear.  I saw a music video and liked the highlights the woman had.  I looked through lots of pictures before I finally decided on what I wanted.  It wasn't really like any of the pictures so I ended up explaining it to my stylist, who is amazing, and she did a perfect job.  I'm allergic to PPD (p-phenylenediamine) so I have to be careful with hair color.  I had her just clean up my ends a little and kept my hair long with no bangs.  It feels really good to have a new hairstyle.  The color looks darker in this picture but there is gold and a warmer brown blended in with my normal color.  The gold doesn't show up in that picture for some reason.  

My birthday was Tuesday the 27th.  My husband bought ordered me a treadmill so I could walk during the winter when it's too cold and slick.  It arrived on the 28th so I've only had it a few days.  It's a nice one that folds up easily and lowers itself when you push this bar with your foot.  That's great because I hate having to rely on other people to do things for me.  Right now it is in my kitchen so we still have to find a better spot for it.  I think I'm going to move it over by out front window so I can look out the window while I walk.  

Anyway, I've had a good month.  I've still had some flare ups when it snows or the atmospheric pressure drops but for the most part I'm feeling better.  I didn't have a single IBS flare up this month which is crazy since they told me it was caused by eating fat.  I was avoiding fats and oils for a long time but still getting really sick about once a week.  I didn't even think about that when I started the Keto diet where you decrease your carbs and increase the FAT!  Sometimes my colon would start spasming on the right side and it was like watching a baby move in a pregnant woman's belly.  That also didn't happen this month.  One person thinks it could be that I'm not eating wheat anymore but I can't really be sure.  Whatever it is, I'm glad I'm doing better.  

DJ