Forget the day number thing. I've missed enough days that it feels kind of dumb.
Well, I found out why I've been so tired. I have Mono, AND Addison's Disease, AND Hypothyroidism. Triple whammy. And, it's not healthy to push myself to exercise when dealing with this level of exhaustion and illness. So I'm temporarily postponing the 100 days of exercise thing. I'll try to keep up with the blogging, but I'm not promising anything. Basically I need to give myself license to rest and just rebuild and focus on getting better. Dr. Doug Leber (a friend of a friend) diagnosed me using electro-dermal scanning, which has been proven to be very accurate and is widely used in Germany and Europe, but (naturally) is not widely recognized here in the States. And Dr. Leber is only in town for a short visit, then he's heading home to Texas. And my local N.D. is insisting on doing all her own tests, so it will be early December before I get an action plan from her. Which is kind of scary because having Addison's means my adrenal glands are not working. They're dead or dying. And the adrenals are very important, they control blood sugar, mineral balance in the blood, energy and how the body responds to stress, and more. I need to be on adrenal hormone replacement. Most Addisonians need to be on adrenal hormone replacement for life. If I get in a stressful or emergency type situation when I'm not on hormone replacement, I'm at risk for having an Addisonian Crisis, which can lead to coma or even death as my body can't depend on cortisol and/or adrenaline from the adrenals, to deal with the crisis. And the mono and other problems I'm dealing with are already a further stress on the adrenals. Lord, help me to have patience! It's hard to believe I have to wait at least another month and a half before getting the medication I need. Well, maybe we'll be able to find a way around this. There has to be some way of making this doctor see the urgency of the situation. We did send off a blood spot and saliva test that we ordered independently, before we saw the doctor. Maybe when we get the results of that back, it if it's clear enough that my cortisol levels are dangerously low, the doctor will agree to start me on some kind of replacement, even before she gets the results of her tests back and figures out a grand master plan of treatment.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Crazy Day!
Day 41
Today on the way home from church, I was starting to stress a little because I had a gig at 2 and with one thing and another, it was already 1:20 and the gig is about a 15 minute drive away! So I was looking at about 15 minutes to throw my kit in the car and change clothes, before heading to the gig! We stopped for gas... and after Tim filled up my car, it would not start up again. It just died! (he suspects spark plugs or something like that). Grr. And we only have one car. We had to walk the remaining four blocks home, then I had to totally re-pack my kit so that it would all fit in a backpack, so my husband could take me to my gig on his motorcycle! It was rather crazy. I had never had to use such a small kit before! I had to call them and explain the situation and let them know I'd be about 15 minutes late. I managed to fit all the important stuff, somehow.
It was a very fun birthday party, very chaotic but a good time. Freezing cold but sunny, out in a park. I got to try out several faces I hadn't done before, including the full-face Spongebob someone posted on the online face painting forum (facepainthq@googlegroups.com) a while ago! I didn't have a picture of it, but I remembered it. I hate doing the Spongebob cheek art, so when a boy asked for the cheek art version, I suggested the full face and he went for it! He and everyone else loved it, though it is such a face-transforming design (with the big eyes and wide smile and all) that several people said it was kind of scary looking... and the other kids started calling him "SpongeBob CreepyPants"! He loved it. I also did several masks and eye designs and fun stuff... but not one butterfly, princess, Spiderman, or batman!
It was a great time. I ended up having to stay late to finish everyone, and I was just going to count it as my fault for taking my time and making the faces really nice and elaborate... but the family insisted on paying me for an extra half hour. I agreed because the uncle really wanted to pay, as a way of chipping in for the birthday gift for his niece! He even drove to the bank to get cash for me!
It was a very fun time, very memorable especially since the birthday girl was one of my most faithful customers all summer at the farmer's market, and she's been talking all summer about how much she wanted me to come to her party!
Here's two pictures...
One of SpongeBob CreepyPants (he slobbered a little and messed up his lips... but you get the idea)
and my very first skull ever, painted at the farmer's market last week. I suggested a more "girly" skull, but nope, she wanted to go for scary. I wasn't entirely happy with it and will change it a bit next time (i.e. eye sockets not quite so round, and make the cracks more subtle), but she was delighted.
I love this business!
Today on the way home from church, I was starting to stress a little because I had a gig at 2 and with one thing and another, it was already 1:20 and the gig is about a 15 minute drive away! So I was looking at about 15 minutes to throw my kit in the car and change clothes, before heading to the gig! We stopped for gas... and after Tim filled up my car, it would not start up again. It just died! (he suspects spark plugs or something like that). Grr. And we only have one car. We had to walk the remaining four blocks home, then I had to totally re-pack my kit so that it would all fit in a backpack, so my husband could take me to my gig on his motorcycle! It was rather crazy. I had never had to use such a small kit before! I had to call them and explain the situation and let them know I'd be about 15 minutes late. I managed to fit all the important stuff, somehow.
It was a very fun birthday party, very chaotic but a good time. Freezing cold but sunny, out in a park. I got to try out several faces I hadn't done before, including the full-face Spongebob someone posted on the online face painting forum (facepainthq@googlegroups.com) a while ago! I didn't have a picture of it, but I remembered it. I hate doing the Spongebob cheek art, so when a boy asked for the cheek art version, I suggested the full face and he went for it! He and everyone else loved it, though it is such a face-transforming design (with the big eyes and wide smile and all) that several people said it was kind of scary looking... and the other kids started calling him "SpongeBob CreepyPants"! He loved it. I also did several masks and eye designs and fun stuff... but not one butterfly, princess, Spiderman, or batman!
It was a great time. I ended up having to stay late to finish everyone, and I was just going to count it as my fault for taking my time and making the faces really nice and elaborate... but the family insisted on paying me for an extra half hour. I agreed because the uncle really wanted to pay, as a way of chipping in for the birthday gift for his niece! He even drove to the bank to get cash for me!
It was a very fun time, very memorable especially since the birthday girl was one of my most faithful customers all summer at the farmer's market, and she's been talking all summer about how much she wanted me to come to her party!
Here's two pictures...
One of SpongeBob CreepyPants (he slobbered a little and messed up his lips... but you get the idea)
and my very first skull ever, painted at the farmer's market last week. I suggested a more "girly" skull, but nope, she wanted to go for scary. I wasn't entirely happy with it and will change it a bit next time (i.e. eye sockets not quite so round, and make the cracks more subtle), but she was delighted.
I love this business!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Prepare to Dye!
Day 40
I am seriously thinking of dying my hair with henna. I have been admiring photos of gorgeous hair on www.hennaforhair.com off and on all day, and think it could be a lot of fun. I might enjoy doing something different. The only permanent thing I've ever done to my hair is that I got it highlighted with blonde before my wedding. Naturally, it's a light ash brown, with a little bit of golden and red highlights. It's not a bad color, in fact I rather like it. But, it could be fun to do something different. Or, I might hate it. I really don't know. What if it turns out bright orange? What color do I even want, really? I love the pictures of bright burgundy hair I've seen, but how would hair like that look on me? Would it look really weird and fake? Would I look like Ronald McDonald? Or would it be really gorgeous? It's so hard to know. I think I'll probably eventually do it. I'm just trying to screw up my courage, and imagine myself with either light auburn, or flaming red hair. Wow.
I am seriously thinking of dying my hair with henna. I have been admiring photos of gorgeous hair on www.hennaforhair.com off and on all day, and think it could be a lot of fun. I might enjoy doing something different. The only permanent thing I've ever done to my hair is that I got it highlighted with blonde before my wedding. Naturally, it's a light ash brown, with a little bit of golden and red highlights. It's not a bad color, in fact I rather like it. But, it could be fun to do something different. Or, I might hate it. I really don't know. What if it turns out bright orange? What color do I even want, really? I love the pictures of bright burgundy hair I've seen, but how would hair like that look on me? Would it look really weird and fake? Would I look like Ronald McDonald? Or would it be really gorgeous? It's so hard to know. I think I'll probably eventually do it. I'm just trying to screw up my courage, and imagine myself with either light auburn, or flaming red hair. Wow.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Day 38
I actually feel pretty good today, all things considered. I'm amazed... I haven't gone a day without taking some kind of supplements, since 1997. They've sort of become like a security blanket for me... taking a mouthful of vitamins or something once or twice a day is like a comforting little ritual to banish the ever-present subconscious fear that someday I might revert back to the poor health of my teens... no energy, listless like a zombie, gazillions of allergies, asthma. But apparently I am made of stronger stuff than I thought. At least I haven't totally fallen to pieces in just three days. Actually, in some ways I've actually felt better. I'm tired at night, and seem to be going to sleep faster. I'll have to remember that... apparently something I was taking was giving me extra energy at night, when I don't need it. My brain is still pretty fuzzy though. I've had to ask Tim to remind me about some things... he's so considerate, bless his heart, that he doesn't want to nag me or feel like he's treating me like a parent or something... he'd rather let something go and just not get done, or do it himself, than have to remind me. He is careful to always treat me respectfully, as a full equal. So I've asked him to please go ahead and remind me, because sometimes there are things I really did mean to do, and I'll feel bad if he does it, it just slips my mind because my brain is kind of clouded feeling right now. It is kind of a weird sensation because usually I have a near-photographic memory.
But anyway, let's focus on the positive here.
I did go for a bike ride down to the mini-mall nearby, to mail a box at the little postal store. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, but very crisp and cold. Autumn is definitely in the air.
I think one of the reasons I've felt so good today is because I've spent much of the day reading. Reading almost always makes me feel better. Maybe it's simply the escapism of it... I get to leave my discomfort and problems behind for a while when I immerse myself in a good story. That's why I read so many books in my teens. Now I'm grateful, in a way, because that illness when I was young has made me into a better-educated and well-read person now as an adult. Anyway, right now I'm reading the second Twilight book, "New Moon", by Stephanie Meyer. It is very suspenseful. No, I'm not going to turn into one of these crazy girls that are mad about Twilight and swoon over Edward or Jacob. I already have my own wonderful, amazing, fully human man, and I have no desire to fantasize over any kind of handsome monster, or other man, for that matter. But I do like to keep tabs on bestselling fantasy fiction. These books are very masterfully written. I actually think that New Moon is better written and in some ways more realistic and believable than Twilight.
OK now I'm going to go finish reading it. :-)
I actually feel pretty good today, all things considered. I'm amazed... I haven't gone a day without taking some kind of supplements, since 1997. They've sort of become like a security blanket for me... taking a mouthful of vitamins or something once or twice a day is like a comforting little ritual to banish the ever-present subconscious fear that someday I might revert back to the poor health of my teens... no energy, listless like a zombie, gazillions of allergies, asthma. But apparently I am made of stronger stuff than I thought. At least I haven't totally fallen to pieces in just three days. Actually, in some ways I've actually felt better. I'm tired at night, and seem to be going to sleep faster. I'll have to remember that... apparently something I was taking was giving me extra energy at night, when I don't need it. My brain is still pretty fuzzy though. I've had to ask Tim to remind me about some things... he's so considerate, bless his heart, that he doesn't want to nag me or feel like he's treating me like a parent or something... he'd rather let something go and just not get done, or do it himself, than have to remind me. He is careful to always treat me respectfully, as a full equal. So I've asked him to please go ahead and remind me, because sometimes there are things I really did mean to do, and I'll feel bad if he does it, it just slips my mind because my brain is kind of clouded feeling right now. It is kind of a weird sensation because usually I have a near-photographic memory.
But anyway, let's focus on the positive here.
I did go for a bike ride down to the mini-mall nearby, to mail a box at the little postal store. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, but very crisp and cold. Autumn is definitely in the air.
I think one of the reasons I've felt so good today is because I've spent much of the day reading. Reading almost always makes me feel better. Maybe it's simply the escapism of it... I get to leave my discomfort and problems behind for a while when I immerse myself in a good story. That's why I read so many books in my teens. Now I'm grateful, in a way, because that illness when I was young has made me into a better-educated and well-read person now as an adult. Anyway, right now I'm reading the second Twilight book, "New Moon", by Stephanie Meyer. It is very suspenseful. No, I'm not going to turn into one of these crazy girls that are mad about Twilight and swoon over Edward or Jacob. I already have my own wonderful, amazing, fully human man, and I have no desire to fantasize over any kind of handsome monster, or other man, for that matter. But I do like to keep tabs on bestselling fantasy fiction. These books are very masterfully written. I actually think that New Moon is better written and in some ways more realistic and believable than Twilight.
OK now I'm going to go finish reading it. :-)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Day 37
Blah. My second day off all my supplements and I'm starting to feel like a zombie. My brain is all fuzzy and it's hard to focus on things and I lose my train of thought or get distracted a lot. Blah. Anyway, I did get my exercise in today. I took our car in for an oil change, and it was only a few blocks away from a fresh produce stand, so rather than sit in the waiting room and read old copies of "Sports Illustrated" or "Business Week" (Somehow car dealerships never seem to have copies of magazines I'd actually enjoy, like "Better Homes and Gardens", "Sunset", or "Martha Stewart Living".) Anyway, rather than read stale old guy-magazines, I decided to walk to the fruit stand and go shopping. I got a couple bags of very nice fresh apples, some pears, a jug of fresh-squeezed apple cider, and some miscellaneous vegetables for the kitchen. I'm really enjoying my new habit of only eating fruits that are in season. Apples certainly taste better now, in the autumn, than they do in the spring or summer, when they have to be flown in from New Zealand or somewhere. Maybe it's that the ones that are in season now are locally grown and fresher. Anyway, I am excited to make an apple-pear crisp tomorrow, and Tim was already raving about the cider. It really tastes like biting into a fresh apple. I ended up getting so much stuff at the fruit stand that I couldn't carry it all back to the Chevy dealership, and had to ask them to keep it for me while I went and got my car.
Blah. My second day off all my supplements and I'm starting to feel like a zombie. My brain is all fuzzy and it's hard to focus on things and I lose my train of thought or get distracted a lot. Blah. Anyway, I did get my exercise in today. I took our car in for an oil change, and it was only a few blocks away from a fresh produce stand, so rather than sit in the waiting room and read old copies of "Sports Illustrated" or "Business Week" (Somehow car dealerships never seem to have copies of magazines I'd actually enjoy, like "Better Homes and Gardens", "Sunset", or "Martha Stewart Living".) Anyway, rather than read stale old guy-magazines, I decided to walk to the fruit stand and go shopping. I got a couple bags of very nice fresh apples, some pears, a jug of fresh-squeezed apple cider, and some miscellaneous vegetables for the kitchen. I'm really enjoying my new habit of only eating fruits that are in season. Apples certainly taste better now, in the autumn, than they do in the spring or summer, when they have to be flown in from New Zealand or somewhere. Maybe it's that the ones that are in season now are locally grown and fresher. Anyway, I am excited to make an apple-pear crisp tomorrow, and Tim was already raving about the cider. It really tastes like biting into a fresh apple. I ended up getting so much stuff at the fruit stand that I couldn't carry it all back to the Chevy dealership, and had to ask them to keep it for me while I went and got my car.
Day 36
I really need to start writing in here earlier in the day. Lunchtime would be good. If I actually ate lunch. Most days I eat breakfast around 11 or so (my stomach takes a couple hours to wake up, before I feel like eating), so I'm not hungry again until around 3 in the afternoon. But anyway, whenever I eat lunch, it would be good to write my blog post then, instead of waiting until the very end of the day when I'm tired and just want to go to bed.
Today I've been doing some fantasizing about a way I'd like to expand my Party Art business. I want to come up with some creative carnival type games! It would especially be cool to come up with some one-of-a-kind games that have more of a built-in prize for them, so I don't have to start giving out candy. It bothers my conscience to give out candy to kids because it's SO bad for their health now, and building a habit of eating candy a lot now will be bad for their health all the rest of their lives, too. I don't want to contribute to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes and other problems linked to eating too much refined sugar.
So anyway, here are a few ideas I came up with. I'll try to describe them, since of course I don't have pictures yet.
Remember those sticky hand things that you used to be able to get in candy machines? Stretchy and sticky? Well I found a larger version on a website, with a black plastic handle so you don't have to touch the sticky part. Here's my idea. I get a big box and decorate it. In the bottom of the box I put a layer a couple inches deep of inexpensive stickers (you can get nice colorful stickers for like two cents each on some of the websites I found). Then the kids stand around the box and get to go "fishing" for a sticker, using the sticky hand! Wouldn't that be fun?
Here's another idea. I make a board with a stand, and drill holes in it the right size, so I can stick lots of pencils in the holes on this board. Fun, colorful type pencils. And maybe some lollipops in there too. (I found some that are sugar-free!) Then the kids throw rings at the board, and whatever pencil or lollipop they throw their ring around, they get to keep!
I had another idea too, not sure yet how it would work out... Another big box, like the sticker thing... only put a bunch of inexpensive plastic animals or dinosaurs in there. Then they get one of those animal mouth things, where you have an animal mouth on a stick, which you can work with a trigger... I saw one that was a T-Rex head, that would be perfect... and the kid is blindfolded, and has to try to "catch" an animal in the box, using the T-Rex head! Then they get to keep the animal!
This evening Tim and I watched a great video by Rick Green of the Torch of Freedom Foundation, about Ronald Reagan and the Truth about the Eighties. It was awesome, and some of Reagan's speeches brought tears to our eyes.
Today, I'm grateful for our country. I'm grateful that we were great in the past, in many ways we are still great, and in the future, we have the opportunity to make the right choices and be even greater still. God Bless America. And please Lord, raise up another Ronald Reagan! We need good leadership, real statesmen, that can inspire and educate and accurately articulate the principles and ideals which will make this country great!
I really need to start writing in here earlier in the day. Lunchtime would be good. If I actually ate lunch. Most days I eat breakfast around 11 or so (my stomach takes a couple hours to wake up, before I feel like eating), so I'm not hungry again until around 3 in the afternoon. But anyway, whenever I eat lunch, it would be good to write my blog post then, instead of waiting until the very end of the day when I'm tired and just want to go to bed.
Today I've been doing some fantasizing about a way I'd like to expand my Party Art business. I want to come up with some creative carnival type games! It would especially be cool to come up with some one-of-a-kind games that have more of a built-in prize for them, so I don't have to start giving out candy. It bothers my conscience to give out candy to kids because it's SO bad for their health now, and building a habit of eating candy a lot now will be bad for their health all the rest of their lives, too. I don't want to contribute to the epidemic of obesity and diabetes and other problems linked to eating too much refined sugar.
So anyway, here are a few ideas I came up with. I'll try to describe them, since of course I don't have pictures yet.
Remember those sticky hand things that you used to be able to get in candy machines? Stretchy and sticky? Well I found a larger version on a website, with a black plastic handle so you don't have to touch the sticky part. Here's my idea. I get a big box and decorate it. In the bottom of the box I put a layer a couple inches deep of inexpensive stickers (you can get nice colorful stickers for like two cents each on some of the websites I found). Then the kids stand around the box and get to go "fishing" for a sticker, using the sticky hand! Wouldn't that be fun?
Here's another idea. I make a board with a stand, and drill holes in it the right size, so I can stick lots of pencils in the holes on this board. Fun, colorful type pencils. And maybe some lollipops in there too. (I found some that are sugar-free!) Then the kids throw rings at the board, and whatever pencil or lollipop they throw their ring around, they get to keep!
I had another idea too, not sure yet how it would work out... Another big box, like the sticker thing... only put a bunch of inexpensive plastic animals or dinosaurs in there. Then they get one of those animal mouth things, where you have an animal mouth on a stick, which you can work with a trigger... I saw one that was a T-Rex head, that would be perfect... and the kid is blindfolded, and has to try to "catch" an animal in the box, using the T-Rex head! Then they get to keep the animal!
This evening Tim and I watched a great video by Rick Green of the Torch of Freedom Foundation, about Ronald Reagan and the Truth about the Eighties. It was awesome, and some of Reagan's speeches brought tears to our eyes.
Today, I'm grateful for our country. I'm grateful that we were great in the past, in many ways we are still great, and in the future, we have the opportunity to make the right choices and be even greater still. God Bless America. And please Lord, raise up another Ronald Reagan! We need good leadership, real statesmen, that can inspire and educate and accurately articulate the principles and ideals which will make this country great!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day 35
My mind is blank. I don't feel like writing. I am tired. I want to go to bed. I'm stiff and sore all over but I haven't really done much of anything all day. Except I did go on a bike ride to the park with Tim. That was fun. He does a great job of motivating me to exercise, by offering to do things with me. My appetite was also very low today.
The conference was great. I learned a lot. So much that I'm not going to try to summarize anything here. I took notes, but I didn't do any journaling at all, not one word. It was hard to budget my energy so as not to exhaust myself. We did pretty well at that. Tim was very caring and sensitive to my needs. I am not as exhausted today as I have been before after a weekend conference.
Today I decided that I should go off all my supplements for the week. All of them. Because I'm doing a saliva and blood spot test the end of the week to check my adrenal, thyroid, and estrogen/progesterone levels, and I want a good honest baseline. I want to know where I'm really at, and then we'll be better able to gauge if the supplements are helping me or not.
My mind is blank. I don't feel like writing. I am tired. I want to go to bed. I'm stiff and sore all over but I haven't really done much of anything all day. Except I did go on a bike ride to the park with Tim. That was fun. He does a great job of motivating me to exercise, by offering to do things with me. My appetite was also very low today.
The conference was great. I learned a lot. So much that I'm not going to try to summarize anything here. I took notes, but I didn't do any journaling at all, not one word. It was hard to budget my energy so as not to exhaust myself. We did pretty well at that. Tim was very caring and sensitive to my needs. I am not as exhausted today as I have been before after a weekend conference.
Today I decided that I should go off all my supplements for the week. All of them. Because I'm doing a saliva and blood spot test the end of the week to check my adrenal, thyroid, and estrogen/progesterone levels, and I want a good honest baseline. I want to know where I'm really at, and then we'll be better able to gauge if the supplements are helping me or not.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Day 31
I just remembered that I forgot to say something I was thankful for, the last two posts. So, I'll list two things right now, before I forget.
I'm thankful for my wonderful Tim working hard and letting me stay home and not go to work.
I'm thankful for black licorice. (I love the stuff, I'm eating about a box of it every couple days!)
OK that was kind of random.
Today was another very short day. I didn't sleep well last night, I lay awake for nearly an hour and a half. Finally I took a homeopathic sleep aid, these lozenges called "Moon Drops". I fell asleep about 15 minutes after taking those, but I slept pretty lightly and kept waking up partially and tossing and turning. For some reason I seem to sleep better in the morning, i.e. between 7-10am. Today I slept in until noon. And I still didn't have any energy all day. I worked some on my website, did a little laundry, went and got a massage (that was WONDERFUL) and worked on packing for our trip to Portland this weekend. I won't be able to post in my blog while I'm gone, so I will plan on writing in my journal every day that I'm away.
Today I'm thankful that God's grace is made perfect in my weakness. I simply can't do everything on my own... it's a good reminder to lean on Him.
I just remembered that I forgot to say something I was thankful for, the last two posts. So, I'll list two things right now, before I forget.
I'm thankful for my wonderful Tim working hard and letting me stay home and not go to work.
I'm thankful for black licorice. (I love the stuff, I'm eating about a box of it every couple days!)
OK that was kind of random.
Today was another very short day. I didn't sleep well last night, I lay awake for nearly an hour and a half. Finally I took a homeopathic sleep aid, these lozenges called "Moon Drops". I fell asleep about 15 minutes after taking those, but I slept pretty lightly and kept waking up partially and tossing and turning. For some reason I seem to sleep better in the morning, i.e. between 7-10am. Today I slept in until noon. And I still didn't have any energy all day. I worked some on my website, did a little laundry, went and got a massage (that was WONDERFUL) and worked on packing for our trip to Portland this weekend. I won't be able to post in my blog while I'm gone, so I will plan on writing in my journal every day that I'm away.
Today I'm thankful that God's grace is made perfect in my weakness. I simply can't do everything on my own... it's a good reminder to lean on Him.
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