Fibro flare

I spent nearly all last week in bed, too tired to do anything but go to the few appointments I had. Now I am spending this week getting caught up on all the work that went undone. I was disappointed that my children would not pick up the slack. As a matter of fact, they even let their usual (few) chores go undone. Atleast they let me get the rest I needed without asking me to do things for them. I feel like they just do not understand how stressed I get when I have to play "catch up" after a flare. I get kind of cranky those first few days after I get hit with a flare up because of all the things that go undone, and even though I tell them thats the reason I am cranky, they still balk and fuss about the few chores I ask them to do.

So, anyway, I was reading up on fibro on health.com. Nice to FINALLY see a little new info, about new medicines, mostly.

I went to a tanning salon for the very first time today. Believe it or not, my muscle and joint pain felt a bit better for several hours afterward!! i was only on the tanning bed for 3 minutes!!! I mentioned it to the staff and the said I am not the only one to say that..... they said there are a few elderly women with arthritis who come in regularly because it lessens their pain. I have never before seen or heard about pain relief from tanning beds or I would have tried it sooner!!!! Especially since the first week is free, so if it didn't help, nothing lost but a few minutes of time and the small price for the eye protection! Having never tanned before in a salon, if I had heard of pain relief from tanning, I might have assumed the active element would be heat, but it wasn't that hot. I would have to use much hotter water in a shower than the heat those lights produced to get any where near the relief I got on the tanning from taking a hot shower. I mean water hot enough to make my skin red! And the shower would have to be a lot longer than 3 minutes. And after such a hot shower I would be drowsy and unable to do anything until after a nap.

Well, back to the pile of dirty dishes laying around the house!

Back from trip

We got back from our trip on Saturday. I have some reviews to post for the hotels we stayed at and a few other odds-n-ends places, but I need to rest a bit first, the trip took a lot out of me.

Update

I don't think I have yet mentioned my 1 year old grand daughter and her health issues. Since she was about a month old she has had breathing difficulties and ear troubles after a bout with RSV. The tried to do a sweat test for Cystic Fibrosis but she did not sweat enough. She went through a test for acid reflux and that was negative. She had tubes put in her ears but they had to be removed about a month later, at which time she had her adnoids removed. She has ear infection after ear infection. Antibiotics clears it up but then she gets a horrible rash that does not respond to the prescribed ointments and the ear infection returns just days after the antibiotics are finished. She is always wheezing and nebulizer treatments and inhalers don't do a thing. So, to the point, I think they should repeat the sweat test but they want to stick a tube up her nose and into her throat for 24 hours, during which time her mom has to keep the poor child from messing with the tube! Absolute torture!!! Also, when the doctor took the ear tubes out, he biopsied some tissue to see if her problem was Immotile Cilia disease. The biopsy was not enough tissue, but they did not some abnormal cilia. So, being the worried Gramma, I called upon the worlds best pediatrician, who is now retired, to ask his opinion. He was my pediatrician when I was a child and he was my children's pediatrician until he retired about 5 years ago. He agreed with me about retesting for cystic fibrosis and about reflux being over hyped as a cause for children's chronic breathing problems. He also suggested a PPD, a test for TB. He also told us we were in good hands with the ENT she has and that we should ask him to speak up to the pulmonologist about not sticking the tube into her nose just yet. I feel very strongly that reflux is NOT this childs problem and so I feel better knowing that I am not just an over protective Gramma!!

On a different note, we are leaving for Chicago tomorrow after my cardiologist appointment. We will spend the night in Ohio, since it is roughly half way. Then to Chicago, where I hope we arrive early enough to visit Lincoln Park Zoo and the Navy Pier. I hope to cram in the Shedd Aquarium also. Then we drop back down to Lafayette Indiana to visit my ex husband and the Wolf Park. I really wanted to go for 2 days in Chicago, but it is so expensive there for hotels.

Spring is really here, I wake up every morning by 3 am and can't get back to sleep. Oh well, I enjoy hearing the chirping birds before the day starts for the rest of the family.

MEN!!!! GRRRRR!!!! I told my boyfriend over a week ago that I think his computer has a virus because I kept getting odd emails from him. He kinda brushed it off, even though I received one of those emails while I was with him so he knew he did not send it himself. Well, yesterday he called me and said "Don't open emails from me! I think my computer has a virus because the guys at work are saying they are getting strange emails from me." DOH!!!! He then goes on to say that it must be MY fault since I am the only other person that uses his computer (not true! His son was here from Georgia just a week ago or so!). He kind of likes to go on the porn sites for girlie pics he also uses lime wire. He is forever searching for sites to give him the winning numbers for lotto. All places one would likely find a computer virus. Oh well.....

On to a new topic: My front lawn was more mud than grass. The dirt was packed so hard that it was almost as hard as concrete. So I loosened the top inch or 2 and planted new seed. I should have added some topsoil because the dirt is really bad, but I rent so don't want to invest a lot to make improvements. I have to fertilize next but it's been raining so I guess it has to wait.

I've been dieting lately because at 5'6" and 210 lbs, I am obese and that extra weight isn't helping my aches and pains. I've been using Slimfast shakes. One in the morning works well since I am not a breakfast person and I hear eating breakfast helps to lose weight by not making your body feel like it needs to store fat because of starvation.Then I may have a snack at some point, then dinner, which I have already been working on making healthier. And, finally another shake or snack before bed. So far I think 've been down to about 190 but I'm not sure how trustworthy my scale is. The exercise part is the hardest because of the pain, but I use the Wii fit and then there is also the yard work I've been doing. Also, whenever possible, I don't ask the kids to carry the laundry for me. It's extra pain, but I think if I can lose the weight, it will be worth it.

And, finally, something so great!!!!! Yesterday morning the 11 year old whom I usually have to really hound to get out of bed and get ready for school, got up BEFORE I even had to say a word!!!! AND she got dressed and ready for school without me having to even tell her one time to get ready!!!!!! It made my day and I told her so!

Well, past time to start the morning thing again. Hope this morning is as good as yesterday.

Relationships

Easter weekend was sort of disappointing, not because of the Holiday itself, it would have been a disappointing weekend no matter what, but because my boyfriend of 9 years and I had a bit of a falling out. He was supposed to go with me to my sisters house and spend time with our now 6 year old. But because of bad feelings between him and my oldest daughter, he opted out. I knew we would be at my sisters past 7pm, so I told him to stay at his place and I would spend the night at his place. That was fine until I mentioned what time I would be there, then he did an about face and told me to stay home, he didn't want company. I told him to call or text me when he got over it, he said he wouldn't get over it. I asked what he meant by it because for awhile in our relationship, that was his way of saying he wanted to end it, I wanted to know if that is what he meant. I didn't get an answer, until this morning, when he texted as usual, like nothing was ever wrong. Though I did notice he didn't call or text as much as usual. On the one hand, I do love him and I am sure he does love me. On the other hand, the baggage he carries from his failed marriage (she cheated on him, got pregnant by the other guy, then kicked him out with nothing but his clothes.) is really wearing on me. He won't commit to living together for fear of it happening again and I really do want for us to live together. I am NOT anything like his ex! But I feel I am too old to start another relationship. I know I am only 43, but I am not into the bars or clubs or chat lines. Even if I was, those aren't really places to find a relationship kind of guy. Church activities seem to only draw the elderly guys, and while I do like older guys, I don't want one who is past 65. I won't consider younger guys because I want a relationship based on something more than sex. I've even considered my ex-husband, but then the reason I divorced him always pops into my head, though I'm getting to the point where I could almost over look those reasons (he's an alcoholic, he expected me to do everything: cook, clean, take care of the kids, draw his bath for him, wash his hair, even when I was working a full time job!! He didn't want just a wife, he wanted a mother!!!) So any way, I feel like I want my boyfriend to get over the past and quit protecting himself as if I was like his ex-wife, or just end the relationship with me (or I will), but I don't want to be alone when my children are all grown and on their own. I am not a very social person, I prefer to stay home most of the time, or to travel. I don't like going out to bars, or hanging out at someone else's house, I don't like large groups of people. I get along well with other people, I just prefer a few close friends rather than many friends, especially as I get older. I don't even like to hang out at my oldest daughter's house.

So, that's my weekend. Oh, I all most forgot to mention the great weather! 84 on Saturday, about 74 today..... OH AND LEAVES APPEARING ON THE TREES!!!!! YAY!!!!!

Getting children to school

Monday through Friday during the school year really causes my fibro symptoms and depression to flare up! The 11 year old is difficult to wake up and get out of bed, it takes no less than 30 minutes of me shouting for her to get up. Then we go through the drama of getting dressed! Always an excuse, clothes don't fit, can't find what she wants to wear, etc...... Getting the clothing around the night before does not help, she changes her mind about what she wants to wear, forgets something, whatever..... More excuses. Then we start the search for the sweater and book bag.... again, attempting to prepare the night before does not work. The 5 (almost 6) year old is not a huge problem, she just tries to mimic her sister's behavior but she does not stick to it, she is easy to redirect.

By the time I get them to school I am exhausted!!!! I have tried everything...... Talking to staff at school to see if there is a problem hasn't helped, no punishment I can give has any effect other than to make the home a battlefield! She is an Honor Roll student, so it's not an academic problem. I guess I just have to deal with it until she (I hope) graduates.

Funny thing is, she wants to go to a charter school next year that has a longer school day and a longer school year!!!!!

I remember going through all that as a child, back in the day when parents hit their children with belts. I did not, however, get away with a flat out refusal to go to school!!! I would never want to hit any of my children with a belt, but a spank on the rear with my open hand may prove helpful, but you can't do that these days.... We have to treat children as miniature adults..... reason with them instead of spanking. I do not agree with those that use a spank as a first response or slap anywhere other than the rearend (clothed), nor do I advocate beating a child, but they are NOT mini adults! They do not have the life experience or reasoning abilities that one would hope an adult would have and sometimes words are NOT enough to teach them whet they need in order to grow up responsible adults.

From what I've written above, one would be inclined to think I spank my kids. I don't. I have heard atleast 3 cases where a parent was at least investigated by Child Protective, locally, for spanking. These cases happened at 3 of our area malls, if I recall correctly. I don't know what the outcome of any of them were, but my children are my life and I'd rather not risk putting them through that. And, also, there is my fear that a spanking in the heat of the moment could let the temper I've worked so hard to repress escape and escalate the situation, so, though I believe spanking is a last resort kind of discipline, I do not practice it.

My Baby

I nearly forgot this, but it's too cute not to include just because I remembered just before going to bed!!!

I have a Congo African Grey parrot who will be 1 year old in July. She has spoken a few words already ("Thank you" "Love you") but now she is adding the sound we here when our cell phone gets a text or e-mail!!! She also whines and barks like a dog, but the cell phone imitation is just too cute!!! She hasn't gotten it exactly, but close enough that we do recognise it. I know this species is know for it's intelligence and speech ability, but I was told the imitation does not start until later. I'm pretty sure she understands the words she says..... If I give her something she says (sometimes...lol!) "thank you" and she says "love you" when we are snuggling (though I tell her "love you" more when I am just passing by her while she is on top of her "bedroom" or when I have to leave the house without her.) Hmmmmm..... who is trying to train whom?