Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Monthly Blood Test Day

Today was the day I saw my hematologist for the monthly blood test.  Because I take blood thinners, I have to have it checked every month to make sure it is in therapeutic range.  I don't mind because I don't ever want to have a blood clot again.  It was awful, simply awful.

The myofacial pain is better today than it was on Sunday.  My teeth pain is better too.  Unfortunately, my sinus pain hates me, which is to be expected in this weather.  It happens every fall.  It is just the way it is.

I have had all my lessons this week.  I hope to get a few more, then I will have enough to keep me busy enough without exhausting me.  How I used to do 50 and 60 a week, seems to blow my mind but I was so much healthier then.  It was before my blood clot and the vasculitis.  They seemed to have made the fibro and definitely made the headaches worse.  The only thing I hate about fall is the headaches seem to get worse at night again.  I find myself getting up at night and going downstairs to get some Advil.

This is a short one today.  I have a lesson arriving soon.  She is a really talented girl and super nice too. She works very hard.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Myofacial Pain

My face is very sore today, including teeth.  Not like my teeth are loose or I need to see a dentist type pain, the myofacial type tooth soreness.  When they touch, ow!  My jaw hurts too.  I am not trying to whine, really I am not, but I am in a bit more pain that usual.  I tried to nap twice to take my mind off the extra pain, but it didn't help.  What finally did?  A short drive.  Believe it or not.  I drove for about 45 minutes in the car with Peony.  I took a road that I knew was pretty to ride down and just drove.  I had gotten something to drink (a soda pop not the alcohol type of drink) and just drove.  She was such good company.  Then we drove home.  I felt ever so much better.  I think the Advil started to work too so that may be part of it but I was distracted and that was what I really needed.  If not, the pain gets out of the world out of control and then nothing works.  That is when I end up in the hospital because it will travel to the rest of my head and cause an uncontrollable migraine.  Those, I am trying to avoid so distraction therapy worked for today for this particular pain issue.  Will it work again?  *shrugs*  Who knows? It is a try and see what happens disease.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

It got really cold (compared to last weekend, which went to the low 90s) this weekend.  We were in the low 60s.  Now, normally, I am one happy camper about it because I can take the 60s better than the 90s but we had to turn the heat on because poor Peony was shivering last night.  Heather BT had to take her upstairs and literally put her in the middle of blankets as she was so cold to the bone.  She is fine today and sporting her cute pink monster sweater.  Peony is back to normal.  She is staying closer to us today as I would expect because she wasn't feeling well last night.  I took her with me and she was happy.  She has gone back and forth between me and Heather BT all day.  She was on my bed when I tried to take the naps that failed miserably.  That is actually normal for her.  She will lie on my bed with me when I nap.  It is like she knows I don't feel well and that I need her.  Peony will do the same for Heather BT.  It is an awesome thing to know she is there.  Sometimes, I will even find a toy or two on my bed after she gets off.

School is back into session and I am hoping for a few more students.  One more has now come back for lessons.  She has pneumonia now so no lesson this week but will start next week depending on, of course, how she is breathing as she plays the clarinet.  I just love her!  Her mom and I have know each other since I was about 9.  We went to the same church growing up and have stayed in touch through out the years.  Allie is such a nice girl too.  I look forward to seeing her again.  I have room for about 4 more students and then I will be full.  I don't know if Jessie is coming back.  I hope so as she was such a good pianist and student.  I just love her.  She was nice and funny.  We always had a good time with lessons too.  Jessie did really well with lessons.  I also hope that Krista comes back.  That I should know in the next week or two.  So if those two come back and then I get 2 new students, I am completely full and things will go good for me.  It would be nice and financially I will be able to pay all of the doctor bills too.  Right now things are so tight because I am not where I need to be.  I am getting there and I am sure I will soon.  It is just the beginning of the school year and it often takes time to get a full load.  I will have to wait and see.

The house is in the Harry Potter mode right now.  C is reading the books and she and I watched the first movie last night with me doing the audio commentary since it doesn't come with it.  If the movie people do put the audio commentary (doubtful) on it, I will re-buy the entire set for that reason.  C said I did a good job of the audio commentary.  Next up, when we can, is the second movie.  We may re-watch the first one so A can see and our friend, Star can do the audio commentary (she really wants to do this) but we will see.  A is interested but not super interested at this time.  I think as the year goes on and he hears more and more about HP, he will become more interested in it.  A did ask if I thought he would like them and I said yes because I do believe he will.  Perhaps not right now, but maybe in a year or two.  He is only 10 almost 11.  I am re-reading the books myself.  I am on book 6.  I can't read them in my room because the book is hardcover and too heavy for my hands to hold it up.  It just makes my hands ache so.  I plan to read it while the kids are in school and I am done with getting reading for teaching.  Normally, I read at night and in my room, but I will need to read the last two books down in the dining room.  I just can't hold them up.  I tried putting them on a pillow, folding the pillow in half, nothing worked.  It was just a mess so down in the dining room when kids are in school will have to do it for me.  I have other things to read at night in my room.  When the kids are doing homework in the dining room, I like don't like to be there because I feel that I distract them.  They get so distracted so easy as it is, so me being there makes it worse.  That is why I will not read the book when they are home unless they have no homework.  I just can't be a distractor for them.  Homework is too important and the distraction level is too high to begin with.  Besides, I love sitting in my room, in my pajamas, in my chair with Peony near by, reading after dinner and dishes are done.  It is usually only about an hour or two before bed anyways so it isn't like I am hiding out or anything for hours upon hours.  The peace and quiet is lovely to lose myself in a book.  Of course, if A or C need help with homework, I am there too.  Sometimes, they do and I help.  All depends on the day.  So far, they haven't had much but it has only been the first week of school.

It looks so beautiful out today.  The sky is blue, blue, blue with puffy white clouds.  The temperature isn't too bad with a hoodie on.  I have so many hoodies that I love.  They go with different jeans or pants that I have.  Flowers are still in bloom.  Heather BT is the master gardener in our house and she IS a master gardener.  She has planted some lovely plants and flowers in the flower beds around our house.  The one thing that hasn't changed is the only carpet rose plant that my mother planted for my graduation party for graduate school in 2001.  She planted 3 and only 1 has survived.  Heather BT plans to keep that as a tribute to my mother.  I am glad.  Everything else she will, as the seasons pass, change, I don't mind.  She can.  I have the one flower and that is all that matters.

Speaking of my mother, this year will be the 5th year since she passed away.  I miss her so much.  When C and I were at the part in the movie last night when Harry found the mirror of erised, I commented that I would want to see my mother.  Since the mirror shows our most desperate of deepest desires, I know that seeing her is my most deepest and desperate desire.  I know that someday we will be together again and we will never part but that doesn't stop me from missing her so much now.  I think about her everyday.  I don't think a day goes by that I don't think about her.  It isn't all sad either, I do think about happy things about her too.  I will think about her when I look at clouds and I smile because she loved making shapes out of the clouds when she saw them.  That makes me happy.

It is almost dinner time.  We are having squash and ham.  I love the kind of squash we are having.  Momma loved squash too.  The boys didn't.  They would roll their eyes at Thanksgiving dinner when Mom would serve herself a big bunch.  We all love squash here.  Do you like it?

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Hello September and hopefully less pain!!!!!

Hello September!  I am so glad to see you!!!!  I can't wait for the weather to go along with the month.  This weekend, Labor Day, is going to be hot for here.  Although, I have very little room to complain about the heat this summer as we have had very little of it.  Most of the time, it has been very very very nice.  Very few days with 90 degrees and above, which is rare for Michigan but I will take it.

Pain level these days has been not so good.  My headache has been bad, my sinus have been bad, and overall, I just haven't been feeling like myself.  I hope the cooler weather that later next week is to bring will help.  I can only hope.

I saw my brother over the weekend.  It was a nice visit.  I hadn't seen him in person in over a year.  I just wasn't able to but now I can.  I hope to see him again soon.  It is a long drive so I have to be in good shape that day in order to see him.  I was doing alright until I got home.  I ate something at lunch/dinner that I shouldn't have and oh my.  I was so dizzy and out of it.  I literally had to either lie down or I would have fallen down.  I was in bed by about 8 pm that night.  My tummy has been upset ever since too.  It is improving but it has been a rough road for me.  I had some beer cheddar soup that I think totally disagreed with me.  It tasted fine but I don't think it agreed with me because I didn't feel well shortly after eating it.  I won't have it again.  That is for sure.  I will think twice about this.  I think next time maybe I will get a salad instead of soup.  It is a nice restaurant and they have good food.  I just tried something different and well, sometimes that is just not good.

I have 3 lessons today.  My Sammy has a bad headache so she is coming on the weekend instead.  Bob had a makeup from yesterday this afternoon, Alexis will have her lesson, and Quinn will have her makeup lesson from yesterday too.  Bob plays piano and has been playing piano with me for over 10 years.  He plays very good.  I am pleased with his progress.  He learns theory along the way also.  Alexis is new to me and she also plays piano.  She had another teacher who moved before she came to take lessons from me.  I am pleased with her progress too.  Quinn is a singer and simply adorable.  She is 7 and is very serious about singing.  She practices a lot.  Quinn does everything I ask her too.  Basically, she is a great student to have.

Peony had gotten a new harness on Sunday.  She chewed through it today.  Now we need to get her a new one so she can't go outside until we get her a new one.  We don't have a collar for her either since we use a harness for her.  I was not happy with her over this one.  Silly puppy.  You are supposed to chew your harness off.  It was only side but still, enough where she can't use it.  The last one Q broke during their wrestling time so that is why we had to get a new one.  I don't know but I think we are shopping tonight.