Chronic Pain Is a Slap in the Face

Happy Mother's Day!

Reasons Why I Love You, Mom:

You love unconditionally.

No matter how old I am or how safe I am, you worry about me.

You lead by example.

You listen.

No matter how crazy the idea or concept, you always respect my thoughts.

You are the strongest person I know.

You have faith. Faith in God, faith in people, and faith in yourself.

You cry with me.

You laugh with me.

You value relationships over all else.

You are spontaneous.

You taught me the "yea much" cooking technique, which is now helping me maintain a semblance of sanity.

You've taught me that the only friendships worth having are those in which there is not judgement, but acceptance.

You helped me come to terms with a little known disease, and taught me that just because you accept a problem doesn't mean that you don't fight it.

You trusted me with managing my own medications when I was barely a teenager, allowing me to develop a sense of what I need to even begin to function.

You cried with me at my wedding.

You always have a full meal at hand, despite what you may consider to be a full meal.

You taught me how to bargain shop on everything.

You instilled in me an appreciation of other cultures and backgrounds.

You care more about the other 364 days of the year than you do about Mother's Day.

You let me forget holidays like Mother's Day without reproach.

You give of yourself freely, and are surprised when you receive.

You are open to new ideas and concepts.

You let me pursue my goals and aspirations, no matter how far-fetched.

You give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

You don't ascribe intentions.

You are creative.

You won't believe me when I tell you that this list could go on infinitely.

What's Wrong with Me? A Detailed List of My Diagnoses

While I primarily focus on blabbering about my diagnoses of latex allergy and fibromyalgia, I have a number of other related- or not related- issues. The following is a list, some of which I am no longer suffering from but have dealt with at some point. If you'd like to know more about my experiences with any of them, please do let me know. I'm happy to share!

Surgeries:

• Appendectomy 
• Sinus surgery
• Laparoscopy with laser
• D&C
• Cryocautery
• Kidney stone surgery
• Hysterectomy

Diagnoses:

• Fibromyalgia
• Migraines
• Restless leg syndrome
• Periodic limb body movement syndrome
• Narcolepsy
• Insomnia
• Hypersomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hypertension
• Raynaud's syndrome
• Dysmenorrhea
• Adenomyosis
• Ovarian cysts
• Osmotic diarrhea
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Asthma
• Nausea and vomiting
• Kidney stones
• Dizziness/vertigo
• Psoriasis
• Sprained ankle
• Broken ankle
• Ulcers (caused by NSAIDs)

Allergies:

• Latex
• Penicillin
• Doxycyclines
• Excedrin Migraine
• Mold
• Trees
• Grass
• Ragweed
• Candida
• Dogs
• Smoke
• Cockroaches (ew!)
• Bandages/Adhesive
• Wheat
• Rice
• Soy
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Cinnamon
• Corn
• Coconut
• Bananas
• Cucumber
• Cashews
• Black pepper
• Raw tomatoes
• Spandex/Lycra/Elastic
• Chlorine
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body wash
• Deodorant
• All soap with the exception of 3 bar soaps
• Perfumes
• Lotion

Tests:

• Blood (lots)
• Allergy (multiple types)
• Endoscopy (lost count of the number)
• Colonoscopy (don't recall how many)
• Arterial blood gas
• Methacholine challenge
• Many more

If you're wondering why in the world I just shared my medical record with the world, there are multiple reasons:

• It shows others with similar problems that they are not alone (could be you!).
• It provides a glimpse into my background and some context as to where I am coming from.
• It probably makes anyone with fewer issues feel better (though many are worse off than I am). 

And the #1 reason why I shared?

             ... drumroll pelase...

I can't lose it!

Moving on Down

As I am preparing to move from a 1700(ish) square foot house to a small one bedroom apartment, I decided to take some "before" pictures. It's a blank slate now, and I have tons of ideas to make it a nice comfy home. So check it out, and stay tuned as I'll post more pictures after we move in!

The bedroom closet. Small, but then my wardrobe is small now anyways. There's no door, but there is a rod to hang a curtain! Oh, the potential!

Apartment bathrooms never seem to be pretty. This will probably be the last room I try to make cozy.

We'll have to see about that little gas stove. There's room for a full size stove, but we're waiting until I actually have time to try it out before jumping for a full size stove.

The kitchen window, where I'll put my sewing table so I can bask in the glorious sunlight.

The couch and loveseat were left by the previous tenant. We're keeping them and selling our sectional. They are comfy and that's one less thing to move.

So, as you can see, it's nothing fancy. But it does have a front porch, space for a garden, and a patio. Most importantly, we can afford it and the landlord is super nice. I'm so excited to have a fresh start!

Now it's your turn- what do you think? Have any ideas for making the best use of the space? I can certainly use them!

It's a Plan! (A Blog Plan, That Is!)

Like most people, I work better with a mapped-out plan. Following the advice of bloggers that are way more experienced than me, I've developed a little plan as to what to expect:

Monday: Make Me or Buy Me Monday

• From vegetable stock to toys, I'll be comparing an online deal on a product with making it yourself. While I'm guilty of using the saying "everything is better homemade," it's not always actually the case! I'll present both options and you can draw your own conclusions. 

Tuesday: Recipes or Food

• It is ridiculous how many foods I am allergic to now, making it incredibly difficult to stick to a four day rotation. As I work my way through a recipe box full of allergy friendly recipes, I'll share with you my successes (and failures!).

Wednesday: Sewing, Craft, or DIY

• My world was turned upside down by a latex allergy, resulting in having to get rid of lots of craft supplies, items to upcycle, and most of my wardrobe. With beginner sewing skills and hardly anything to spend, I'll be sharing my latest projects and any tips I pick up along the way.

Friday: Fibro Friday- or Other Health Stuff

• Chronic illness has changed my life, but since I've been diagnosed with fibro for so many years, I'm learning to deal with it as best as I can. It's the countless diagnoses on top that seem to put me over the edge into almost being an invalid.I'll let you know what works for me and what doesn't, along with any information that may help you cope better.

Saturday: Savings Saturdays

• A roundup of some of my favorite deals on the 'net and tips on saving money. I'm a cheapskate and I always have been!

Everywhere in Between

• Whatever floats my boat, including flash sales, Amazon deals, and probably some gardening whatnot. 

We'll see how this plan goes. I'm hoping it will help keep me on the track of healing from my surgery and from all the other chaos in my body while helping you save time on searching for deals and information!

It's My Birthday and Google Knows It!

Check out Google's birthday present to me!

Is that fun or what?