Headache

Do you get headaches? I do!

I think I found a non-drug solution! Can you believe it !?!

One day I walked into my holistic massage therapist and told her that I had a headache. She proceeded to massage my head. She focused around my ears. As well as gently tugging and massaging my actual ears. I can say it was a very strange feeling.

But it worked!


I had to try it for myself!

One day I did. Did you know that there is a blood vessel that runs just above your ears? I had no clue until I tried to do it to myself. Gently tugging on them too just like Sue had. Making sure I massaged the blood vessel  mostly (on both sides). My head actually hurt there. So I made sure to to massage there quite a bit.

A few hours later I had realized that my headache had been gone for a while. I have no idea how long it took, but the massage had worked!  Yay!!!

So next time I had a headache I tried it again. And I told hubby about it. He said "Makes sense. You are getting more blood to the brain..."

Next time you have a headache...why don't you try it on yourself?

What do you have to lose besides the headache?

Salty

Oh come on...really!!!

I was making cheesy grits for breakfast. Yes, grits. Hey, the lady that helped my parents raise me was southern born. And I love grits!

First of all, I was starving before. It was already after 10 am when I started.

Everything was going great until I went to put salt in and the lid fell off...over the stove, of course!

[This isn't the worse part...I had already started to clean up...only because I didn't know what was going to happen if I burned the salt.]

It made a huge mess! 


Half of the kitchen floor, 3/4's of the stove (only 'cuz there was junk on the other burner), and all around the counter.

So I had to test my luck...Is it salty?

Yup! It tasted like ocean water. OK, it really is time to dump it and start over. At least it wasn't tonights dinner!

OK...I'm still hungry! But I needed to wait for the grits to solidify before I could toss them in the garbage without making another mess.

Sure...when I don't want them to get solid, they do...

Now, they take forever! 


Really?!? Come on!

Change

Is it possible for a person to change?

Some people say it is, some say it isn't...

My 14 year old high school freshman seems to have changed (besides going through puberty). I witnessed it the other morning when he actually managed to rush.

I have been trying to get this kid to rush, to drop steps out of his routine for years! He is one of the most inflexible people I know. He has never managed to do it except for Monday morning.

My husband wakes me up at 6:28 am..."Is A up?"...Umm, I don't think so...

I went to wake him up. He took his normal long shower and then when he comes out he says..."If I just eat a Hot Pocket...I can make the bus."





24 minutes after jumping out of bed...he's out the door!


OMG!!! He made it!!!


I kept listening for the front door to open back up and him to yell up..."I missed it." But he never did.

I guess people can change!

Way to go!!!

Machines

Well, when I tried to make my mother in law something for Christmas, I discovered that the darn thing would not pull any fabric through at all. So I ended up using a type of fabric super glue. When speaking to my sister in law she said she had a problem like that once and it took forever to fix and that I was better off just getting a new machine since mine was about 50 years old (no exaggeration).

So...

I am the proud owner of one of these now...

It's a  Brother Project Runway Computerized PC210PRW Limited Edition Sewing Machine!!!

I haven't worked on a new one since I was a kid. I'm so excited!

But before I can use it I need to clean this mess below up... (sorry for the weird change of font! I have no idea how to fix it).

And also reorganize everything and rearrange the tiny room.

VERY SOON!!!

I want to start sewing again!

Parallel

No. I am not the same math fanatic as my son. I wish!


I have been debating for about a year about writing this post but here it goes...


I feel like I have been living a parallel life to my family's since...well always.

I had my first kid when I was 30. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 29. So when my family started I was already sick.

"Sorry Sam...you really shouldn't go camping with us. You haven't been healthy lately."

Umm..."but I really want to go."

"Bad idea."

"S**t! But I really want to go!"

So I didn't go.

Remicade put me into remission when I was 37.

For instance, even when we are on vacation I can't do all that I want to do. I got left here...

when we went to Cleveland while the boys explored the rest of the gardens. I guess we always knew there was something else wrong with me. Hey, at least it was a beautiful place to be left behind.

Then, at 43 I get diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis (in every joint, and most ligaments and muscles in my body).  Really?


NOT FAIR!!!


I also have debilitating headaches. I've had those since I was a teen. They are probably migraines and I have yet to find the medication to work for me. It sucks!

There are so many times when the boys go to do stuff, in the house and out, without me because I'm not feeling well. I'm missing my life..and theirs. Everyone assumes I'm not coming with them or doing with them. I feel stupid when I do feel good and want to go with or do and I have to ask my own family if I can join them. I know I can but they don't expect it, so I do feel like I do have to ask if I can participate in my own life.

I want to be a work at home mom for the kids. Not because my body can't always hack It. By "It", I mean life in general.

I'm putting all of my confidence in this new medicine...Cimzia. I really hope it takes care of both of my immune diseases.

I hope it gives me back my life...Please!

Shopping at the Aunt's

Both my aunt and I were born on the same day. Or should I really say that my Mom picked my Aunt Marilyn's birthday to have me. (I was cesarean, she did have a choice.)

So this weekend Marilyn decided that she was going to throw herself a 70th birthday party at a swanky new Peruvian restaurant. Great food, by the way.

At some point during the night she sat down next to me and told me that she wanted me to go shopping in her earring drawers in her jewelry box. I can have any pair, other than the pair currently in her ears.

OK. Twist my arm.

The first pair she shows me are this pair of one inch square earrings encrusted with black and white diamonds. Umm...really? You want me to take expensive of a pair?

Apparently yes, because the next few pairs she shows me are also encrusted in diamonds. Like I said...twist my arm.

I can't imagine picking a pair encrusted with diamonds so the first one I really pick up and try on are these...sterling and sapphire.

And then this other pair catches my eye. I now have one of each in each ear. I tell Marilyn that I can't decide which one I want.

Her response. "No problem. Take both."

So I also now own a pair of earrings with 32 crystal clear, full cut diamonds on each (can you see the diamonds?), along with the 4 sapphires. (I think the fact that these have an "S" on them made them tough to pass up.)

Some nice birthday present, huh?

WOW! She has always been my favorite aunt!

Oh, and to top it all off...she says "And I want you to wear these as every day earrings. Wear them with jeans"

Well, they are her directions...

The sterling ones will be easy, but those diamond ones, will be tough to put on with jeans.


But I'll do it!!


Thank you Aunt Marilyn!!! I love you!!!

No happy medium.

OK, when I first started this blog I wanted to write about my creative process while trying to deal with 2 middle school boys. Then...all of a sudden, what I thought was just a freak injury turned out to be a chronic disease. It is much easier to speak to people about having a bad back than telling them you have an auto-immune disease. Let alone telling them that you actually have two.

I have had a really bad week this week. Sunday, though having beautiful weather, my loving hubby didn't think I should go for a walk because he could tell I was in pain. Some days I wish he wasn't a PT. I don't want to have to put my life on hold because of that. So we went for our 2 mile walk on an Indian summer afternoon. It was really nice. Come Monday afternoon I was in pain all over my body, on both arms and legs, joints, muscles and skin. I was worthless that night. Tuesday morning I was is a very weepy mood and I had an appointment with my rheumatologist.  I walk into the office and my Remicade (poison) nurse is standing there. She says, "Oh you have an appointment with her before your appointment with me?"  Umm...I guess so. It's a good thing she happened to be standing at reception! And because of my stupidity I have yet another weepy day. Then Wednesday, I am trying to get my weepiness under control by looking for an online guided meditation. After I turn off 3 because I have decided that I don't like them...the phone rings. It's from my hair dresser. I forgot my appointment with her today. Now this is something this almost totally grey 44 year old cannot miss. Since I'm usually quite prompt for appontments she calls me and says she'll wait for me. I do not have to reschedule. Thank you Sue! I guess it pays to stay with the same person for 21 years. And of course because of my stupidity once again, I have another bad day. Then I have to finish this lease I promised to have done by afternoon. OK. I can do this! I finished it before dinner.

Today...

I just lost it when I was taking a shower. I kept crying and had problems stopping.

Damn it! My eyes are starting to tear up again!

I would love to talk to people on a regular basis without them thinking I'm complaining or whining about "a little pain", "everyone has pain", or having people tell me that I am taking the wrong course of action to tackle my health issues. Or the other extreme...some people look like they feel sorry for me. I am not looking for pity...just for a place to blow off some steam. Some days I just need to talk for a couple of minutes about my bad health and then I would love to hear about your life...good and bad.

I don't think there are too many people in my life that I can do that with. Any takers?

I think my one buddy has got to be getting really tired of hearing me talk some days. She's a real sport, and I want to thank her. (She knows who she is. I love ya!)

I will get past this. I have to.