THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

On the ceiling in my room are 11 plastic glow-in-the-dark stars in different sizes. They are in the shape of the big dipper. When my daughter Nan was around six, (2001)I was going through another though time as far as health goes. I had been diagnosed with a tumor in one of my bones in my right forearm. The doctor diagnosed it as probably being cancer. I was to under go multiple test including a full body bone scan (this would let us know if there were other tumors), a CAT scan, and an MRI. These would all take about a month. Then I would have the surgery in which they would drill into my bone and remove the tumor. Before the surgery, I was told they weren't sure exactly what was going to happen when they got in there. Worst case scenario was I would loose my arm from the elbow down. I spent quite a bit of time in bed while waiting for the surgery. I tried to work as much as I could (waitressing), but being on such high doses of Lortab made it hard to stay awake and hard to concentrate. On night while I was at work, Nan decided that if I was going to have to spend so much time in bed, she was going to give me something to look at. I spent a lot of time looking at that ceiling in the months that followed my surgery. They are still there 13 years later. They are just one of the things that make me happy. I have found it doesn't take much; bubbles in soda, my family, silly things my dogs do, being able to move in the morning. These all make me happy.

JUST PUT THE STUPID BOOK DOWN AND GO TO SLEEP!!

I am having one of those "approach with caution" days. I don't know, maybe it was the fact that I stayed up until 4 am reading a novel, thinking all the time, "just put the stupid book down". Then I finally get to the end of the book. What a huge let down!! I hate books like that. Now I'm sitting here, it's 4:10 pm. In an hour, I have to go to work (waitress). I have spent the last 2 hours trying to remember the password to get into this blog. Do you know how many passwords are floating around in my head. So I thought I would just reset the password. I couldn't remember the answers to the security questions. Tell me, if you can't remember a stupid password, how do they expect you to remember the last person you e-mailed from that blog, when the last time you logged onto the blog, including month, date, and year, and who your first childhood friend was. So I have spent the entire day accomplishing nothing. I could have slept the entire day and got as much done.

NEW DOCTOR

I had an appt. with a new rheumy. It took me quite a while to get to the point I could see him. He is in the same practice as the one I fired, so I apparently I needed to be a "special case" to switch doctors. Well things went pretty well. I have had just a couple of small flares since my last visit. All of them where caused by not following the "starch-free" diet. I cheated during a couple of week-ends and ended up paying for it. It's one thing to be in pain, but it just makes it worse if you know you caused it. Back on track now.

UUGH!!

Would you like to know what happens to a 46 year old, pre-diabetic woman when she decides to go on a binge after following a starch-free diet for a while. She gains a whopping 10 pounds in 5 days! Just in case you are wondering, no that is not a typo. This last week, we went to Colorado for a nephew's wedding. We arrived on Thursday evening. When pulling up to the hotel we realized, it literally, was in the middle of nowhere. For the next 5 days, I would have a very hard time finding anything starch-free to eat. My brothers family provided lunch and dinner for most of the days. Wow, they are good cooks!! My daughter and I decided we would go off-plan for the duration of the wedding weekend then start starch-free again today. We have another wedding coming up in July. We will be staying with grandma and have more control over what we eat. This time we plan to bring our own food and stay on track.

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS, STARCH-FREE

Becoming starch-free has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, that means no corn, wheat, peas, beans, rice, potatoes, or any thing that ends in starch (corn starch, etc). This takes out a good portion of food. I have found over the last few months, that even though it is hard, it is something I can do. I have messed up a couple of times, don't we all, but so far I've done pretty good. Many have told me they could never do this, it would be impossible for them. As with anything, it depends on your reason for doing it. When I am starch-free I can move like I have no handicap. This means cycling, rollerskating, hiking, and most of all playing with my kids using no fore-arm canes. My kids are teenagers now and I want to spend as much time as I can with them making great memories. Very soon, they will have families of their own and I want all of us to look back and remember these wonderful times. I have no idea what is in my future when it comes to this disease. But no one will ever be able to say I didn't try EVERYTHING possible to at least slow it down.

So here are my reasons. First, for myself,  because I am worth it. Second, for my husband. Third, is for my kids.

SILLY SOCKS

I started collecting silly socks. My girls bought me a couple of pairs and then it just took off from there. I love wearing them. I work at an elementary school and the kids love to see what pair I'm wearing each day. I have come across only one problem What do you do when the dryer eats a couple? Not really socially acceptable, or is it?

NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be doing some of the things I do. I am a secretary, I burst out in song anytime I feel the urge, I highlight my hair regularly to hide the grey, I complain about my aches and pains, talk to myself, homeschool, blog and wear fuzzy slippers. All these things I never thought I would do as I got older nor do they paint a very good picture of me. As we age, I'm 44 now, we realize that when we were young maybe we weren't very realistic in the picture we painted of ourselves. These "quirky things" are what make me who I am whether I like it or not. I have to admit I kind of like who I've become over these years and I think my family doesn't mind too much either.