Doctors visit update

I went to my Rheumatologist today. I spent about 5 minutes praying in the van before I went in, I prayed for strength to say what needed to be said and for God to make Dr. W actually listen to me. Guess what?! God is Good! I went in and it was WAY less stressful than the last few visits. We chit-chatted about kids, Halloween, dogs, children's TV shows.....oh...and me. He said he can tell I'm hurting. My blood work shows it too, apparently my numbers are up that show inflammation. So we talked about some options and decided on the following changes. My methotrexate is being increased. I told him that I feel better on it than I do when I am off of it, but I still don't feel good. He agreed. And he is still hopeful that it WILL do great things for me. Next, we discussed Savella, which is the new Fibromyalgia drug. I seriously can't tell that I am even on it.....so I am coming off of it and going to try Cymbalta next. A few more things were discussed and changed (can't throw all my dirty laundry out here) and then I got a cortisone shot in both hips. YAY. No, I am not a glutton for punishment and NO I don't like needles. But these shots help the pain in my hips A LOT. Totally worth the big, giant needles that they use. (Sorry Amy, that was for you! LOL)

So that's my good news for today. I go back in 3 months. Lets hope the increase in meds and the change in other meds will help.

I have to say Thank you to God......he answered some serious prayers for me today.

OK, I'm off to watch Glenn Beck on my DVR. I highly recommend everyone else do the same. Because some VERY scary stuff is going on in our Country and we all need to know about it.

Goodnight!

Take Your Best Shot - Book Review

Buy		Read

I spent last night reading a new book. It is written by a teenager, for teenagers but it also has plenty of insight and inspiration for adults. The title is "Take your Best Shot" and it was written by Austin Gutwein along with Todd Hillard. The way that this young man uses his own life, experiences, and his faith to touch others is amazing. After watching a short program about African Orphans, he was led to help raise money. He took his love of Basketball and used it to raise that money. First to help a few orphans, then he recruited more and more people until eventually they were able to build a school in Africa. The program he created is called Hoops of Hope and each year on World AIDS day, Austin along with thousands of other participants shoot hoops after receiving pledges for donations. The need for teamwork is stressed and Austin constantly reinforces that he is just a "regular" kid who could only have achieved this success with a great team of helpers and most importantly with God. God put a burden on his heart, and God supplied everything he needed to accomplish great things. I think that anyone reading this book will be touched and will HAVE to think about how they can help others. Whether they help at home or across the world, it doesn't matter.

I do believe that many teens today think more about themselves and less about helping others. Hopefully with books like this one, more and more teens will realize that they CAN and Should get out there and help in every way possible. Adults, me included, tend to think that teens aren't able to do big things and we don't give them the opportunities they need. But Austin tells them to go ahead and do it anyway. Don't listen to the negative, be positive and do positive things. I think Austin was blessed with an awesome gift. No, I think he was blessed with several gifts. He has a strong faith, strong will, he is a great "cheer-leader" because he encourages everyone and makes them feel like they can accomplish great things.

Is there a teen in your life? This book would make a great Birthday or Christmas present. To preview or buy this book.....click HERE.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with this book to review. They have a great program for bloggers who love to read. If you are interested, click HERE.

Weekend update

I had a nice big blog to post. It was all about our camping trip this weekend and how much fun we had. There were going to be pictures of Amish buggies, Trains, and the Chocolate factory. But Hubby hasnt loaded the pictures yet and I tried and failed miserably. So I will just list a quick recap sans pictures.



We arrived Friday, in the rain. Setting up camp in the cold rain is no fun. Saturday was rainy too. This was bad and good. Bad because we couldnt go to the Corn Maze but good because we went to the Wilbur Chocolate Factory Museum instead. (WIN!!) They give samples and sell all the yummy chocolate you could ever want. Sunday we went to the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum and spent the day looking at real trains and playing with toy trains. Monday we did some shopping, went to lunch and headed home.



It was a great weekend. I seriously wish we could live in PA.



In other news.....I signed up to be a Scentsy consultant. Im very nervous about this because I am NOT the sales type and I am not pushy. But money is tight so I figured I would at least try. Anyone want to order some Scentsy products....please let me know.

Thursdays Nonsense

I wanted to spill the overload from my brain. Right now I have so much going on in there that I can not get anything accomplished. So maybe, just maybe if I dump the useless crap here, then I can move along with my day.
Thanks for tagging along on my little nonsense journey.....

-why does my laundry multiply when I am not looking? How can I be "almost caught up" and then have a mountain bigger than a small car staring back at me?

-Can you feed frozen waffles to you kid more than once a day? Does having Blueberry Waffles make them more "healthy"?

-Who gave my son the idea to "blow his nose" into NOTHING?!? Yeah, you read that right.....he just blew it.....and out it came, EVERYWHERE. ( Remember....I can handle anything EXCEPT Snot and loose teeth)

-How did I manage to NOT wreck the car when he did this? Thank you Jesus!

-Why is it that my family manages to always be the one in a million who's packages are lost by the post office? Seriously, this is twice in 3 months. What is going on over there??

-Has anyone started Christmas shopping yet? I am usually well on my way and I haven't even made a list yet. This alone can keep me up at night.

-C came for a visit last night. He doesn't do that very often now. No matter how much I beg or cry. Grumble, grumble.....teenagers and their busy lives. Ugh. (Love you C !!!)

-I have NO chocolate in the house. This is dangerous for everyone.

See, I told you it was all nonsense. But still....these thoughts were flying around in my head along with the real important stuff. Hopefully now I can get back to getting some things crossed off my To-do list. Hopefully!

Update....and making lemonade

I talked myself into fighting with the doctor today. I loaded the boys up in the van, drove 40 minutes and had a serious talk with myself, along with some prayers throw in too. I built up some fake courage and held my head high as I walked in the office. Only to be told that the doctor wasn't there. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? Then the receptionist told me that they "tried to contact me". Oh really? When? Get this! Back in September. NICE!

Anyway, I got a new appointment made for the 29th. Then I took the boys to the playground until Hubby finished work at 6. He was meeting us for dinner at a local restaurant. The boys were great. Dinner was great. So see, I took lemons and made lemonade.


P.S. Dear Cashier lady at the restaurant,
When someone mentions that they used to work there years ago. Asking them WHEN is OK. But then telling them "WOW....that WAS a LONG time ago" is NOT OK.

Maybe I should print this and take it with me

I have an appointment to see my Rheumatologist this afternoon. I don't want to go. Besides the normal "nobody likes going to the doctors" feeling, this is more. This is the dread of knowing that my doctor isn't always sympathetic to my situation. I don't even NEED sympathy. But EMPATHY would be awesome. Believe me. Trust me. Don't doubt what I tell you. Just because YOU think this "miracle" drug should be working miracles in my body.....does NOT mean it is. Yes, it is helping. But there are many degrees to helping. And your "miracle" treatment isn't very miraculous.
So I am dreading this visit. Because at the last visit he insisted that all I needed was more time on the treatment. Well, I gave it time. I swallow your little toxic pills. I do everything you tell me to do. But I am not where you said I would be.....Amazingly better. Nope. Not there.

So please, please listen to me. Listen to what Hubby told you. Let me go back on my old treatment. It worked better. In less time.

Sorry about whining....I just needed to vent a little....and try to work up the courage to NOT just give in and go "Uh huh" at whatever he says. Because I do revert back to a helpless 10 year old child around authority figures.

Winner!!!

Today is the day for me to pick a winner of the Sounds of Sleigh Bells Book. I went to Random.org and they gave me Number 1.
Amy said...
I love to read! I will read almost any genre. The Amish books are so good and easy to read! I hope I win!

So congrats Amy! You are going to LOVE this book!! Head over to Amy's blog and tell her Congrats!

Right or Wrong??

My husband says I am closed minded. I disagree. I believe I can HAVE my beliefs and opinions, hear and see his point of view and still keep my own beliefs and opinions. What do you think?

Apparently if I do not change my mind when he offers his opinion, then I am closed minded. This seriously boggles my mind.

Help?!?

I wish I taught Kindergarten

I think Kindergarten teachers are some of the luckiest professionals in the world. They get to spend the day with fun, happy little kids. Then right when things are starting to fall apart, when the kids are losing interest for the day and they are getting tired, they send them home. Home, where it is supposed to be a peaceful place for our families. I will be the first to admit that when my wonderful, funny little man gets home from Kindergarten he is no longer a wonderful or funny little man. He is an over-tired, temper-tantrum throwing force to be reckoned with. By Thursday and Friday he is over the top tired and I seriously lack the words to explain him to you. Yes, he is still my wonderful, funny little man on the inside but that is buried under days of fatigue and it is hard to reach down in there to pull him out.
I'm not sure where I was going with this, but I think I was just trying to (nicely) tell you J is being bratty. He wont nap, wont fall asleep early and wont sleep any later than 7am. At this point the best I can hope for is for him to pass out from exhaustion, right?

Hey....guess what?! I won a Tupperware giveaway over at Marine Corp Nomads. Thanks DevilDogWife. Head over to her blog and show her some comment love <3

The Sound of Sleigh Bells Book Review- GIVEAWAY

I love the Amish.
I love their food. I love their values. I love their farms, and I love their stories. OK, technically the Amish books I read aren't written BY Amish but lets ignore that fact, alright?
I recently got a copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells from Multnomah Publishing. I read it in one night. I needed to put it down and go to bed but I couldn't. I just HAD to keep reading and see how the story ended. It is one of those stories that give you warm fuzzies and make you wish you could experience their life. Well, I take that back because the main character of this story is in a very dark place. Her fiancé died over a year ago and she is still in mourning. Everyone around her tries desperately and unsuccessfully to bring her out of that darkness, but she has build up walls that prevent anyone from touching her heart again. She plunges herself into her work and plasters a smile on her face. It isn't until she finds a piece of carved wood that fascinates her, that she and her loved ones realize she isn't a “lost cause”.
After seeing Beth so drawn to this carving, her aunt Lizzy concocts a plan to break through the shell around Beth’s heart. I wont tell you any more because I don’t want to ruin it. It is really a great story, and I recommend it anyone who loves Amish stories or any type of love story. You wont be disappointed. Plus the book is so easy to read. It just flows and you get so engrossed that you’re halfway through before you realize it.

And I do NOT regret staying up to read the whole book. It was worth the extra yawns this morning.

If you are interested in reading this book, go HERE. If you are interested in WINNING a copy please leave me a comment. Any comment will do, but I would love it if you told me whether or not you read Amish books regularly or let me know what type of books you do normally read. I will be picking a winner on Sunday, October 18th.

Good luck!!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Award, update and more

Today was a busy day for us. We took J for his chicken pox vaccine. Ouch. He handled it VERY well, thank God. Then we stopped at the farm and had lunch with my MIL. This afternoon I went to my doctors appointment with the surgeon. I'm having a stitch issue. This offending stitch is in a BAD PLACE. Real bad. And this stitch is poking out, but it is under the skin. Does that even make sense? I hope so. Anyway, after the doc checked me out he said it is a Delayed Dissolving Suture and that I have a 90% chance it will dissolve on its own in 5-6 months.

Did I mention it hurts? Not a horrible hurt, but a catch you in the wrong way kind of hurt. Quick, sharp pokes in a BAD PLACE.

My options are A) wait it out. See if it dissolves on its own or B) outpatient surgery so he can remove the stitch quickly. I have already had 2 surgeries this year (3 if you count my colonoscopy) and I am not sure I am wanting another one. Yes, it would be a super quick, in and out thing. For most people. I am not most people. I have Sjogrens and Fibromyalgia and I am still fighting the effects of the last surgery.

Hubby said it is up to me, my choice. I said I would like to wait it out. I at least want to give it a month and decide by my next visit with the surgeon.

If you had a sharp suture poking you in a a BAD PLACE would you wait or have them take it out?



On to better things......

My friend Mimi from Screaming Mimi gave me a new award. A very, very pretty one too! Thanks Mimi.....love you!!!

This award states:
Neno's Award - Rules & Regulations:


1.As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.


2.To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.


3.Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it.


4.Don't forget to mention the person who gives you the award.


5.Answer the awards question by writing the reason why you love blogging.


6.Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.


7.Don't forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

My reasons for blogging have changed since I started. At first I just wanted to try something new. To have a place where I could keep a record of my family life. Now my blog friends ARE family. I have found some awesome friends, learned alot and grown as a person. Blogging helps me to feel like a part of something, which is great when you are home all day everyday. It feels good to feel like you belong somewhere. I love blogging. I love sharing my thoughts, good or bad and knowing I have support.

Blogging has turned into a very important part of my life<3

I am picking a few bloggers who I KNOW love to blog.....

Amy at Amy's Awesome Nest

Alice at Alice in Wonderland

Susan at Warm Chocolate Milk

The last thing I want to share today is a scripture that touched me today....

If you come back to me and trust me, you will be saved. If you will be calm and trust me, you will be strong. Isaiah 30:15

Resistance

This post might seem a little vague, only because I am not planning to name names or go into specifics. But I am hoping you will still understand my point.

I, after years of doing nothing for myself, am now spending between 3 and 5 hours a week doing what I want to do. There! I said it. See, aren't you all judging me? Saying how horrible it is for me to take a WHOLE 3 to 5 hours (a week) to MYSELF?!? How dare I!!! Right?

No? Really? You don't think that is the worst thing you ever heard? You don't judge me (except Kristina P) or think I am horrible? Wow. I'm shocked. Because if you knew the crap I am dealing with now you would think that I took up a hobby of skinning cats or worse.

I don't know why. No, I take that back. I KNOW why and I know what the problem is, the problem is that I have slowly given up every part of me. It didn't seem like much because it was a little bit here and a little bit there. Eventually over time, all of Me was gone....and no one noticed but me. So now that I want a little bit of that part of me back, I am the bad guy. Or at least certain people would have you believe that.

Want to know a secret? I'm not falling for it this time. Nope. I am older, wiser and have my priorities set. And I am not giving in......you can't make me.

So there!!

Take the pledge....

Take the "Keep Your Mind on the Wheel" Pledge

Our Pledge

Driving while distracted can be more dangerous than driving drunk.
As moms, we want safer roads.
We know the time has come for us all to recognize the risks of distracted driving, to be more responsible and to mind the wheel.

Here is what we pledge:

We pledge to model safe behavior when we drive.
We pledge to set firm house rules on texting and phoning while driving.
We pledge to help spread the word on the dangers of distracted driving.

Here is what we ask for:

We ask for the dangers of distracted driving to be included in drivers’ education classes.
We ask for innovations in technology to help solve the problem.
We ask for laws to make it illegal to text and drive.
We ask for enforcement of existing distracted driving laws and consequences when the laws are broken.
By working together we will make everyone safer.

I took the pledge and Im asking that you will too....to keep all of our famlies safe.

Please go HERE and take the pledge.

Alphabet game Meme

I stole this from M-Cat at That's what she said





Alphabet Tag


A: Addiction: Chocolate or Internet, lately they are running a close race.


B: Breakfast: Decaf and raisin bran cereal


C: Chocolate or Chips: Chocolate.....duh!


D: Dessert or Appetizers: Dessert


E: Essential Items: books, Bible, cellphone


F: Favorite Color: Purple


G: Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Bears


H: Hometown: *****, NJ


I: Indulgence: Books


J: January or July: JULY....camping season!!


K: Kids: 3....all boys.


L: Life isn't complete without: Jesus


M: Most exciting memory: I dont remember, lmao


N: Number of Brothers and Sisters: 1 brother....and we aren't close.


O: Oranges or Apples: Oranges, but I only like them cut up


P: Phobias or Fears: Losing a family member or friend


Q: Quote: Our God is an Awesome God!


R: Reading: Just got my copy of "Arguing with Idiots" by Glenn Beck today


S: Summer or Spring: Spring


T: Tag 6 people: Nope.....not tagging anyone. Take it if you want it.


U: Unknown Fact About Me: I have abnormally short toes. Hubby calls them Barney Rubble feet.


V: Vacation I want to go on: I would love to go on a cruise to Alaska. Or a road trip across the entire USA.


W: Walking or Running: Walking


X: X-Ray or Ultrasound: X-Ray....ultrasounds use that COLD gooey jell, YUCK!


Y: Your favorite food: Mexican, Seafood or CHOCOLATE


Z: Zoo or Bowling: Zoo, I suck at Bowling....in fact when I was a girl scout I got a trophy for being the WORST bowler. Yep. That was a proud moment.



Grab it if you want it.....and if anyone sees my Hubby tell him to bring home some Chocolate. Please.

Happy 1 to Me!!!

Today is my One year Blogoversary. This time last year I didn't even know if I would finish blogging for one week, let alone a whole year and 300+ posts. Now I have over 80 followers. Wow! All my life I could barely get one or two people to listen to me and now 80 people read my foolishness. And I love each and every one of you....seriously. You are now part of my extended family, and I share more with you than I do with most REAL family members.



I was trying to decide what to do for my big day. Confetti....No, too messy. Food.....sure, but in the end I would be the one eating all of it. Gifts and Prizes.....I wish I could, but I am broke. (so broke that I cannot join in the Secret Santa over at Georgies......boo hoo) So that leaves me with Posts. My old posts to be exact. I am going to list a few of my favorites, and you can skip them or read them, maybe even for the first time. Let me know what you think, and if you think I have progressed in the past year.



Boardwalk Fighting



Brotherly Love



I'm Still a Girl



My Lifeguard



Sleepwalking



Abbott and Costello



Poppop



I cried last night



He must like fat girls



I Lose



TMI



Health Class 101



Good Friday



T-Ball



He likes older women



I know, I know...that is a long list. But these are old posts that I really enjoy. Hopefully you will enjoy one or two also.

Look! Just in time for my Blogoversary! My buddy Alice in Wonderland gave me a new Award.....and I do believe this is one of the most beautiful ones that I have received. Thanks Alice!!! You Rock!


And thanks again for stopping by and celebrating my Big Day!

What difference do it Make - Book Review

I just finished reading "What Difference Do it Make?" by Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent. This is a follow up book to their hugely successful "Same Kind of Different as Me". I have not had a chance to read the first book, but that did not take away from the impact this book made on me. Every chapter is a new story about hope and healing, friendship and survival. And each chapter is written by either Ron or Denver, who are from opposite worlds, but have become friends through Ron's wife Debbie. Debbie, who passed away a few years ago, was a kind hearted and giving woman who talked her stubborn husband into volunteering with her at a Texas homeless shelter. This is where they met Denver, a hard working and very unlucky homeless man. The lessons learned from this friendship are what made up the first book and part of the second one. Lessons about friendship, grace, giving, and forgiveness. Ron's chapters are mostly about his childhood and how having an alcoholic father affected his life. Because of this he has built up some pretty big walls and even bigger grudges. Denver grew up a share-cropper, which is just a nicer name for a slave. His story is so sad and frustrating. Frustrating that people can be so harsh and cruel. But I believe Denver is truly blessed. Even with all the bad things he has lived through, he can see the good in all people. He is generous and forgiving. Way more forgiving than most people would be if they were in his situation.

Denver always seems to keep Ron on track and guides him to forgive others (especially his father) and teaches him how and why not to judge people because they are different. After seeing life through Denver's eyes, I believe I will see everyone in a different light. I will stop jumping to conclusions about their situations and worry more about how I can help them. Whether they deserve it or not.

I recommend this book for everyone to read. It will touch your heart and help you to see people differently. No more giving and helping based on whether someone deserves it, but giving and helping because this is God's will for us.

Friends and Illness

Something happened recently that reaffirms my reasons for not discussing my health issues with friends. Yes, I do have a few that know what is going on in my life, but for the most part people who read my blog know more about ME than my friends. And this is why....

Someone (another fibro patient) left a comment to me on Facebook offering me "Spoons". Spoons refer to the "Spoon Theory" which gives an awesome description about how people with chronic illnesses have to ration their energy supplies. It is long but worth reading if you know anyone who is sick. OK, back to my point. So one of my oldest and dearest friends (who I have not been open and honest with about my diseases) asked what "spoons" meant and I gave a brief answer and then sent an email to her. I thought maybe this would be a great time to open up to here and explain my situation. I told her in the email what I have and how I am, and sent her a link to the Spoon Theory.

This was nearly a week ago and I have yet to hear back from her. Illness makes people uncomfortable. It freaks them out. I know this, and I am not Mad at her, but a little disappointed. Any response would have been better than none. So I will go back to pretending I am fine and not sharing much about how sick I really am (at least with the real world). Because I have enough going on and don't want to lose friends because I made them uncomfortable with the truth.

If anyone asks.....I am fine. Just fine.

Friday Fill in

And...here we go!

1. I have a history of being impulsive.

2. How to knit is something I wish I knew.

3. I'm eating (or recently ate) Chocolate (Duh!)

4. In a few weeks we will be on the road.

5. So that's it, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

6. Love is better than nothing!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Hubby being off work, tomorrow my plans include hitting some yard sales and Sunday, I want to try out a new church!

Happy Friday Everyone!!

I hate nightwork.....or maybe not

When Hubby works night work a part of my brain goes into hyperdrive. This means that no matter how hard I try I cannot sleep. I can be exhausted and still be unable to fall asleep. Why? I don't know. I wish I did. Maybe I'm afraid to be home "alone"....but I don't believe that. I don't feel scared. And I LIVED alone for years and slept just fine. So I don't think that is the answer. Am I worried about him being at work? No, not any more than if he was on any other shift. So that leaves one more option.....this is the only shift when I get real ME time. The boys are in bed, the house is quiet. I can watch what I want. I can read if I want without distractions. I can stay on the computer as long as I want. Selfish, maybe. But I can't help that part of my brain that wont relax enough for me to sleep. It wants me to milk every second I can to get done all the things I can't do when Hubby is working other shifts or when the boys are awake. So that's that. I hate night work because I would much rather have Hubby home at night to cuddle with. But I don't hate it because I get a slight sense of freedom.

How do you experience your moments of freedom?