November 15, 2008 by mrsp98
Living in a high altitude area is certainly not boring! The other day I wrote about how wonderfully cool our autumn weather was, and the very next day it felt like summer was back. I heard this saying years ago but it applies to this area more than anywhere else I have ever lived:
“If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.”
Boy, is that ever true here! However, I found this quote about weather that I like much better:
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” —Anthony J. D’Angelo
I really like the idea of bringing my own sunshine wherever I go because if there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s being able to coax a smile out of someone who is physically, emotionally, or spiritually hurting. That’s just one way I can spread God’s joy to people who really need to hear about it!
Posted in God, attitude, autumn, blessings, cooler weather, fall weather, joy, seasons | Tagged God, autumn, weather, joy, high altitude | No Comments »
November 12, 2008 by mrsp98
There are many days when the most I am able to do is snooze in my recliner in front of the TV. I am either in a lot of pain, whether from my FMS or a migraine, or I am having a CFIDS flareup. On other days, I can do some crocheting and catch up on my reading. But on some days, like today, I have a surge of energy and try to do as much as I can before I crash again.
I have been heard to whine a bit about how I can’t do this or that, or have to leave early from doing something I’m enjoying, but when I think of how God has blessed me, I can’t help but be joyful no matter how else I’m feeling.
Up here in the High Country, we’re having some gorgeous autumn weather. The temps go down to the low 30’s at night but rise to the low 60’s during the sunny days. From our back patio, we have a wonderful view of the San Francisco Peaks, which are about 100 miles to the northeast of us. Today I noticed that our gloomy, rainy weather earlier in the week had obviously produced some snow north of us because the Peaks have a lovely mantle of snow.
I hope you’re all enjoying this season as much as I am!
Posted in CFIDS, CFS, FMS, God, autumn, blessings, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, cooler weather, fibromyalgia, joy, lack of energy, migraine, rejoice, seasons | Tagged migraine, crochet, CFIDS, FMS, autumn, read, San Francisco Peaks, snow | No Comments »
September 30, 2008 by mrsp98
My hubby and I just got home from seeing the movie, “Fireproof.” Kirk Cameron stars as Caleb Holt, the captain of a fire company in Albany, Georgia, who is struggling with his crumbling marriage. His father intervenes with a challenge as a way to save his marriage, and even though he doubts anything can save his marriage, he accepts the challenge and finds his whole outlook on life changed.
I would recommend Fireproof not only for married couples, but also for those engaged to be married and single people too. To read more about this movie, visit www.fireproofthemovie.com .
Posted in marriage, salvation | Tagged Fireproof, fireproofthemovie.com, marriage, salvation | No Comments »
September 13, 2008 by mrsp98
I am so sorry I wasn’t feeling well enough to post this on September 11, the 7th anniversary of that terrible day in New York City, but I wanted to make sure to post this link to a wonderful video you just have to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzg1qL6b4uk
There is nothing I can add to what you are about to watch, so I’ll simply say turn up the sound and let the words wash over you.
Posted in 9/11 | Tagged 9/11 | No Comments »
September 9, 2008 by mrsp98
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about something our church did this summer. The deacons stood at the back of the church one Sunday and gave out a $50 bill to anyone who was willing to invest the money using their God-given talents to increase that $50. One couple was good at investing, so they invested the $50 in stocks, bonds, or whatever. One woman who sells Mary Kay used her business to increase the $50. Another woman makes dolls and quilts. And so the testimonies went.
I told a few friends and family about this, and after thinking and praying about it for several days, I had my answer. One friend thought I could use my love of crocheting for this purpose, but I couln’t see how or where I could sell my work. A couple of days after that, another friend reminded me that our local American Legion hall has an annual pre-Christmas craft fair. That’s when I had my “aha!” moment: I could crochet things to sell at the craft fair and donate to the church any money I make over and above my $50 investment. I could even make bookmarks with Scripture verses on them to attach to each item I make.
Oh, I love it when a plan comes together!
So I found a place online where I bought tons of yarn to crochet scarves, mittens, shawls, pot holders, and bookmarks. Now I’m busy crocheting away in preparation for the craft fair. I can’t wait to see how much I can increase that $50!
You know, I started this entry two days ago but a migraine had me so brain-fogged I couldn’t think of how I wanted to write about my crochet challenge. The monsoon activity in our area has really picked up over the last week, and most days I have mild to severe migraines. My doctor and I have not yet found a medication that gets rid of these migraines, so I’ve had to make do with Excedrin Migraine at the beginning of a migraine and then Darvocet if the Excedrin doesn’t do the job — and most times it does not, and there have been several days where I’ve been in bed most of the day.
I’m not complaining, mind you. I just wish we could find something that works for me!
Posted in Christmas, migraine | Tagged Christmas, craft fair, crochet, migraine | No Comments »
You know that song about the “lazy, crazy days of summer”? Well, in my case I have to say that the “crazy” part refers to the weird monsoon weather we have up here in the high country. Last Friday morning, I told Rick that we were going to have a bad storm sometime during the day because I felt nauseous and lightheaded while at the same time a familiar ache was sliding up the back of my head from my neck. On top of that, I also had a peculiar uneasiness that oftentimes comes over me just before a storm. Like I enjoy saying to Rick, I can usually predict the weather around here.
Even though it was gorgeous and sunny in the morning, by mid-afternoon the temp dropped from 99 to 65 in about 30 minutes, and suddenly we were in the midst of a wicked monsoon accompanied by high winds and driving rain such that we couldn’t see across the street at times! After about 1/2 hour, the worst of the storm was over and a gentle rain continued for several hours, which we really appreciate up here because the high desert ground gets to soak up the rain instead of experiencing the usual runoff.
Last Friday was memorable, too, because I received my new passport—and that only took about 10 days. In the same mail I also received the first of several Italy travel brochures, which I am enjoying looking through. I love thinking about this trip, even though it is more than a year away. Before my daughter asked me if I’d like to go on the trip, I had never given a thought to traveling overseas, so this is a huge adventure and step of faith for me.
And now I can’t wait!
Posted in Italy, faith, migraine, nausea, rejoice | Tagged Italy, migraine, monsoon, overseas, rain, summer, thunderstorm, travel | No Comments »
Thought I’d give you an update on my Lyrica situation. I’m happy to report that Lyrica seems to be helping my FMS pain a lot and is definitely not making me gain weight—in fact, I have lost 5 pounds over the past 2 weeks. A friend then told me that Lyrica has also been shown to help migraines, so after talking to my doctor last week, I stopped taking valproic acid for my migraines and increased my Lyrica dosage from 1 pill/day to 2/day. I have had nonstop migraines since last Monday, but I am giving the Lyrica a full week to take effect. We’ll see how that goes.
One reason I’m excited that Lyrica is working for my FMS is that I am planning on taking a trip to Italy in October 2009 with my friend Marie, and my daughter Kathy and several of her girlfriends.
I have to tell you that my first inclination when Kathy asked me if I’d like to go on the trip was to say no. I do not travel well, what with all the aches and pains and having to haul a body pillow and all my pills, etc. around with me. But as I prayed about it I realized that I need to step out in faith with the assurance that God will smooth that particular travel path for me. Plus, now that I’m taking Lyrica, I should be able to enjoy a fairly pain-free time.
As you can imagine, Lyrica is very pricey so last week I sent an application to Pfizer (the manufacturer) for a patient assistance program. These kinds of programs are based on income level, and if I qualify, Pfizer will send Lyrica to my doctor’s office every 90 days and all I have to do is go pick it up. Until then, my doctor has had enough Lyrica samples to give me what I need.
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer. We’re not experiencing the high temps of Phoenix up here in the High Country, but the high humidity during this monsoon season certainly takes its toll on me. So far our temps are staying low enough that we haven’t had to turn on the A/C much, which is great news for our electricity bill!
Oops, my cell phone just rang me that it’s time for me to go ride my recumbent bike, so I’ll scoot for now. Till next time…
Posted in FMS, fibromyalgia, migraine, seasons | Tagged fibromyalgia, FMS, Italy, Lyrica, migraine, summer | 1 Comment »
Well, we’re officially into our monsoon season here in the high desert of Arizona. If I had no windows in my house I would still know what the weather was like because my body is this household’s weather indicator. I like to joke to Rick that I can predict the weather! I awoke this morning with the beginning of a migraine which doesn’t feel too bad right now thanks to Excedrin Migraine, but I’m fairly sure we’ll have a storm this afternoon. That’s just life in the high country, still an absolutely beautiful place to live, in my opinion!
You’ve probably seen the commercials for Lyrica, a drug that has been approved for fibromyalgia. My doctor gave me some samples to try, which I started taking a couple of weeks ago. I decided to start on the smallest dosage—75 mg. once/day—and see if it helps me at all. At almost the same time, I read that one of the side effects can be weight gain. Oh goody, as if I don’t have enough problems with my weight!
So I decided to stay on the Lyrica but be very strict with myself on a thyroid diet I’ve been following. I figured that if I gain weight while being so strict with my eating, the Lyrica would be responsible. So far, I will cautiously state that I am losing weight, and I also have to share that the Lyrica seems to really be helping the aches and pains of my FMS. I’ll keep you updated on this.
I have about another 2 weeks of the Lyrica left, then an appointment with my doctor to discuss it, before we decide if I should stay on it. One major concern is the cost, of course. I have no health insurance because I have too many “pre-existing conditions” for any insurance company to agree to insure me, so I am going to investigate the possibility of applying to Lyrica’s patient assistance program, if there is one. I’ll keep you posted on that too.
May your day be blessed as you bless others!
Posted in FMS, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraine | Tagged fibromyalgia, FMS, Lyrica, migraine, monsoon | No Comments »
It’s officially the first day of summer but here in Arizona we’ve been feeling the high temps for over a week. Phoenix has had temps in the last few days of like 110 to 114 and thankfully it’s not that hot up here in the high country, but today it did reach 100. It’s a good day to stay inside and veg under a ceiling fan.
But for some reason (and I never question why), this has been a great day for me. I had to pick up my new eyeglasses this morning and I felt so good that I decided to take a rare day to just walk around some stores and do a little shopping. I rarely do that so it felt good to take my time doing something just for me.
Does that sound selfish?
I love being a homemaker, taking care of my home and hubby and making sure everything runs smoothly around the house. That usually means I ignore my pain levels so I can get things done, but things were different the past few months. The legal battle Rick was going through stressed me a lot, both emotionally and physically. For months, my days have been clouded by extreme fatigue and constant pain. After my Dad went back home, I realized that it was finally time for me to make myself rest as much as possible. That is very hard for me to do, especially when I notice dust on the furniture or dishes left in the sink.
All of that rest did me an immense amount of good, though, because the downtime gave me even more of a chance to meditate and reflect on how blessed my life is. I am married to the greatest guy I met online 10 years ago (that’s a whole other story!), we live in a gorgeous part of the country, we have enough to eat, sufficient clothing, can still afford gas for our vehicles, and we serve a God Who is very real and vibrant in our lives.
Enjoy your summer!
Posted in God, blessings, chronic pain, lack of energy | Tagged Arizona, blessings, Chino Valley, chronic pain, God, high country, Phoenix, summer | No Comments »
I was shocked just now to see that I have not posted here since May 1st — shocked but not surprised because the past few weeks have been filled with activity and that usually means my CFIDS and FMS symptoms get worse.
First we had some stormy weather in early May that caused some migraines that just wouldn’t go away. And then on the heels of that, a good friend unexpectedly came to visit for a few days. While he was here, I twisted my bad knee so that it swelled to the size of a cantaloupe — I’m not kidding! I had to spend lots of time with my leg elevated and an ice pack on that knee, and it is only now — almost a month later — that it is starting to feel somewhat normal again.
A couple of days after my knee incident, I developed a bout of sinusitis/bronchitis. Thank God for strong antibiotics because I had only 3 days to feel well enough for a trip to Phoenix to pick up my Dad at Sky Harbor airport and bring him home with me for a 2-week visit. Picture me with a big knee brace and cane limping through the baggage claim area, and coughing enough to cause people to back away when they heard me approaching.
Dad’s visit here was great, in spite of how I felt when he got here. He has never been to the southwest, or any part of the west for that matter. We took him to the Grand Canyon, of course, and he was thrilled with God’s creation. Here’s a photo of us there:
Dad was very intrigued with Rick’s trike. Here’s a peek of him having fun as Rick’s passenger:
Dad flew back home to Florida last Tuesday, and Rick and I both agree that we would like him to come back for a visit again next year.
I spent the rest of last week in recovery mode, resting as much as possible, knowing from past experience that it could take weeks to feel whatever is normal for me. In the meantime, it is early summer here in the high country of Arizona, and I am enjoying the cool nights and warm days.
Posted in CFIDS, CFS, FMS, arthritis, blessings, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, hope, lack of energy, life, migraine, seasons, trike | No Comments »
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