Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Surprise!


I got the best surprise when I got the mail today!!

I always love receiving and opening a package from Broken Tee
pee Designs!! Patty does a great job of making receiving one of her packages an event! The envelope that it arrives in is always decorated, usually with a smiling picture of a goat from Happy Goats Farm. Then once you get the envelope open you are rewarded with packages tied up with ribbons, bows, and origami. So fun!! There is always a note too which are hand written by Patty and sometimes with a little help from a farm resident too. Plus the awesome little treats of Happy Goat Soap Samples! Then you open the box and are dazzled by the jewelry. Swoon!

I was lucky enough to enter and win Patty's contest for her birthday. That is when the lovely Champagne Quartz and Pink Topaz earrings came to live with me. Plus I got a gift certificate to spend at her Etsy shop! I forgot all about that gift certificate until Patty reminded me and I went looking at her shop again. Oh the choices... So very many lovely things!! There was something about these London Blue Topaz, Peridot, and Pearl earrings that just spoke to me... I can't even describe how much lovelier they are in person than in pictures.

If you get a chance go visit Patty at one of her blogs or her Etsy shop if you are looking to treat yourself or someone else with some beautiful handcrafted jewelry or goat milk soaps!
The Maaaaa of Pricilla
Broken Teepee
Broken Teepee Designs
Happy Goats Soap

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Holiday Blues

I have a bad case of the holiday blues.
No Christmas tree has been put up and decorated at this house.
No lights have been placed on the house.
No other ornamentation has been done either.
Oh no wait I did put a holiday tablecloth on the dinning room table...

I did make one batch of cookies and one pan of fudge. Both safe for me to eat but really that wasn't to get ready for the holidays. It was because I couldn't stand it with everyone else eating the stuff everywhere and none of it being safe for me.

DH and I are not exchanging gifts.
DHs family decided to do a gift exchange instead of buying for everyone so he has 1 gift from his Mom and I have 1 gift from his brother.
We do have the box of gifts from my cousin and her family in Germany. Too bad their box from us is waiting to be mailed tomorrow when I go to town. Oops!

I am not even cooking a big traditional dinner for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
I think we decided that Christmas Eve will be Dairy & Gluten Free Buffalo Wings and Oven Baked Fries.
Christmas Day will be Dairy & Gluten Free Lasagna with Dairy & Gluten Free Garlic Bread and a salad.
Going all out now aren't I??

Really I just want to crawl into bed and stay there snug under the covers until 2010 is here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

It Even LOOKS Cold!

This is the view out the front door today. Our high was 10 degrees above but with the wind chill it was more like 20 below zero! Yikes!!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

December Comes In Like a Lion!

We had a snow storm on the 1st. About 2 to 3 inches of snow fell pretty quickly and behind it has been COLDer weather. Tonight it is already about 15 below and still dropping! That is cold enough that even the husky dogs don't want to be out in it, not that I can blame them.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

November, Where Did You Go?

I can not believe that it is already the end of November! Just barely over a month until a new year is upon us... 2010 is almost here. Can you believe it?? Where has this month and this year gone?

Our Thanksgiving went well. Just my DH, me, and his parents. I did the cooking of course. We had a Maple & Apple Cider Turkey with gravy, my special Ham, Sweet Potato Fries, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, Fresh Fruited Cranberry Relish, Spinach Dip & Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Tortilla Chips, and Chocolate Cupcakes. Everything was dairy and gluten/wheat free too!

I did head out early Friday morning for Black Friday. I only went to 1 store though to pick up a few things. I did get everything I went after though which was a nice surprise!

I haven't been feeling well the past few weeks. I don't know what is up with me all I know is that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. It could just be stuff related to my health issues, but I really don't know. Hopefully I can start feeling better soon though. I am thankful that I felt well enough to do the Thanksgiving Dinner.

Still nothing on the job hunt front. Things are ROUGH around these parts for those of us looking for work. I am trying to keep the faith that something is going to come up though!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Winter Blues

It has been a rough month. Actually it started out a rough month. After only 2 days of work in November I lost my job. Technically I quit but really I was being forced out. I got my paycheck for the last half of October and in the envelope was a note saying that I was only going to be paid full wages for 1/2 of my hours starting with that pay period. Meaning that instead of the low $7.25 an hour for all of my hours that for 1/2 of them I would only get $4.45 an hour. Needless to say I just couldn't continue working for those kinds of wages considering the abuse my body was taking to do the job.

No luck on the job front so far. I have applied for some fairly decent positions though and am waiting to hear back on those. I also keep applying for freelance writing jobs though elance.com but so far nothing there yet either.

Trying to stay positive and upbeat but it is becoming more and more difficult. Today DH had a blow out on a tire and now we get to spend some of our savings on a set of new tires. We were hoping that we would be able to hold off on replacing them until I found something to help out with earnings.

I don't even want to do Thanksgiving dinner anymore... It just seems like such a hassle since I have to do everything from scratch due to my dairy and wheat intolerances. If I do cook Thanksgiving dinner it will most likely only be for me, DH and his parents anyhow. And to be honest they and us have been invited to a community Thanksgiving dinner where they all can eat the food. Maybe they all should just go and I will stay home.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Snow Blahs

It is snowing here in wild Wyoming again. Actually it started snowing yesterday afternoon and isn't expected to stop for another day or so. Not too much of an accumulation yet with only a few inches thankfully.

I do not like the snow and cold at all. Well a little here and there is OK, but this whole snow and cold from September until May is a little bit extreme! Hopefully this winter isn't insane but it sure looks and feels like it is going to be a whopper!

I go see the PA again on the 2nd and the Rheumatologist on the 11th. I am hoping for some kind of miracle I guess. I do know one thing I am so sick of taking antibiotics that it isn't even funny!

Hunting season is finally winding down!! This means that work should go back to more regular hours. I am hoping that I don't get laid off again this winter though!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Looking for my Groove

I just can't seem to get into the groove. I love blogging and checking in with all my blogging friends, but somehow I just can't find the time and energy to do it. Well to be honest I can't find the time and energy to do a lot of other things that I really need to do too.

I finally got over the horrible UTI only to be greeted by a massive sinus infection that also is lingering. I think that the recurrent illnesses might have something to do with almost 100 hours worked in 9 days, but again I could be wrong. All of those hours might have been worth it if the pay check looked great, but it wasn't stellar.

I saw yesterday that one of the grocery stores in the town where my husband works is hiring a bakery manager and that it pays almost double what I am currently making. I am going to try to see what the hours are and possibly apply for that position. I also saw that the University also in the town where my husband works has an opening for a research scientist. I really need to get on sending in an application for that one since it would put me back into a science position which at least would be using my degrees.

The doctors and I are also looking into the possibility of hypothyroidism that isn't showing up with blood work. I have been taking my temperature prior to getting out of bed all month and I have been shocked to see numbers ranging from 96.2 to 97.8 instead of the typical 98.6. I also have a lot of symptoms that could potential point to hypothyroidism instead of what they are blaming them on now. I guess that is why it is called practicing medicine?

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Still Waiting...

I faithfully took the antibiotics prescribed to me for a full week, and when things just kept getting worse and worse I broke down and called. Lucky me got to start another antibiotic on Friday and if I am not markedly better by Sunday I get to go visit Urgent Care where our PA is working this weekend. If I have to go to Urgent Care then I get to experience a lovely shot of an even stronger antibiotic. The fun just never ends I guess. I really don't care what we have to do at this point all I know is that this excruciating pain in my kidneys and lower back has got to end.

Hunting season has opened here in our tiny town and our population has approximately doubled with the influx of hunters. All that really means for me is that work is insane and I am putting in 10 to 12 hour days. I really don't know how much more of it I can take with everything that is going on health wise right now though.

On to college football... My Auburn Tigers are still undefeated! I really hope that they beat Ball State today and continue the winning streak. They still haven't broken the top 25 but they are gaining votes in the poll.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Things Have Got to Get Better!

So, I broke down and went over to the health clinic here in our tiny town. The PA confirmed my suspicions... Another UTI. JOY!!! Not - LOL! Back onto the lovely antibiotics I go. I just hope that one super high dosage round is enough this time.

The PA also agreed that I just can not go on like I am with the constant pain and gave me a prescription for some pain medication. I will get it on Monday when the hubby goes to town and then hopefully get a little relief when the pain is just too intense to take.

Speaking of the hubby, he is off on an overnight adventure in search for a trophy buck antelope. He really wants a trophy and well the dogs really want the meat! :)

Which leads us to my girls night in :) Well not just girls... Rebel is a boy - sort of - since he is neutered. So I guess it really is a Mommy and Doggies night in. Plus I get to have most of the day tomorrow to myself with no work either! I plan on just reading, relaxing and resting. No housework allowed!

Sunday or Monday will probably be the day I start the final medication the Rheumatologist gave me to try for the Fibromyalgia. Keep your fingers and toes crossed because if this one doesn't work then I get to go for more big scary tests.

Oh in other news - The hubby and I both joined the volunteer fire department here in our tiny town. Him to actually play fire fighter and me to play with the trucks some but mostly to do the next EMT class.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Endoscopy Fun... Not!

The endoscopy yesterday was miserable. I guess that I just have a very high tolerance to the medications that they use to help people go to their happy place for these types of procedures. This is the 3rd such procedure I have had - 1 colonoscopy and now 2 endoscopies - where I was fully aware of what was going on and just doing all I could to get through it. They gave me as much of the amnesia drug as they could and it again did not do a thing. They gave me 4 doses of the relaxer medication and pretty much nothing from that either... The decision had to be made either just go for it since I was all the way down there and prepped or call it off and reschedule it at a different location at a different time where they could completely knock me out. We decided to just go for it. It was uncomfortable and stressful but it is over. I am still dealing with a very sore throat and probably will for the next few days.

Now the waiting game begins for the biopsy results to come back from the lab. I had some changes from last years endoscopy. The Barrets esophagus looked better. I had some new weird fold area at the base of my stomach which caused some concern. I also had some nodules at the very beginning of my small intestine which were not there before. The biopsies were also taken for Celiac disease which may or may not give us results since I have been wheat/gluten free for a few months already.

Hoping for good results and nothing scary to come back.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Frost Already??!!

As insane as it may sound we have already had frost for 2 mornings or more in a row here in Wyoming. I am so sad that I can't even begin to tell you.

It is true... Summer is over here on the high dessert plain it appears. Craziest thing is that it is currently 80 degrees outside now at 4 pm after a chilly frosty morning. I never will get the weather here!

We had a WILD Saturday here as the Wyoming Cowboys hosted the Texas Longhorns for football. Something like 40,000 Texans descending upon Laramie even though at least 1/2 of them if not more didn't have tickets to the game. Considering that Texas was ranked #2 nobody should be surprised that the Cowboys lost 41 to 10.

My beloved Auburn Tigers won yet again though! That puts them at 2 and 0 overall and 1 and 0 in the SEC. Still unranked but hopefully that changes soon!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Another Drug Bites the Dust

Well the second drug didn't work out either... This one caused me to pretty much go insane, or at the very least to lose control of my emotions and sometimes my actions. Yeah, needless to say it wasn't pretty. I only took this second drug, Seroquel, for 4 days before we realized it was just too much to handle. Now I get to detox off of this one for at least a week before trying the third and final option the doctor has currently given me.

Fibromyalgia stinks and I can't seem to find any relief...

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Medication Issues

I think that I started to have an allergic reaction to the Lyrica which I was trying for my Fibromyalgia. I have stopped taking it but I still am really miserable and dealing with a lot of the allergic reaction type symptoms that I was having. Add on to that the pain levels have increased dramatically since starting and then stopping this medication.

I am still waiting on the doctor to get back with me about what is going on... I wish that she would call already!

I think that I will go ahead and start the next drug to try and hope for better results.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

PIZZA!!!

OMGosh!!! I am eating pizza!!!!!!

OK, so to most people that isn't a big deal. However because I am allergic to both wheat and dairy pizza has been on the banned food list... Until now that is. I broke down and bought one of Amy's Gluten Free, Non-Dairy Spinach Pizza with Rice Crust. It was on sale so I figured I could have a treat. Overall I think that it is pretty good. The crust could be a tiny bit crisper so I think I would bake it a little longer than suggested next time. It also needs more cheeze so I would add some Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (I didn't have any on hand). I think that it would be better if you had some marinara sauce to put on top after it came out of the oven too since it really just doesn't have enough toppings or punch of pizza flavor. Overall it is pretty good and since I didn't have to fuss with making a scratch gluten/wheat free crust it is probably worth the $10 price tag.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Brrrrr!

I can not believe that at 4 pm on August 17th it is only 68 degrees outside.

I can not believe that we had a rain/snow/sleet/hail storm on Saturday at about noon that left drifts of ice pellets until about noon on Sunday. For a few hours after the storm it actually looked like the whole town was covered in white!

What in the world is going on?? I am totally not ready for cold weather! It just can not be the end of Summer and warm weather already! It just can't be!!

I am not ready for Winter... Not at all!! I am not ready for the long, extremely cold Winter that they are predicting for here.

Ugh the joys of living in Wyoming.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Pay It Forward Packages Finally Mailed!

I finally got the packages out for the winners of my round of the "Pay It Forward" Challenge. I know you all thought that they never were getting mailed!

I had a rheumatologist appointment on Monday and have begun a new medication. I also have 2 other medications to try if this first one doesn't work out. Hopefully one of them helps me to feel more like me and better able to live life instead of sitting on the sidelines. These are some major medications that we are trying out so I am hoping for no side effects or allergic reactions!! So far the biggest thing I have noticed with the first medication (Lyrica) is that my pulse is a lot higher than usual and that I am very sleepy plus it makes me feel a little off or slow with my thinking. Hopefully these issues will lessen as my body acclimates to the medication.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

It Has Been Forever... Again

Sorry, I just can't seem to get into the swing of blogging on a consistent basis lately. Hopefully I can figure that out again very soon!!

My Rheumatologist appointment from the 3rd was canceled and has been rescheduled for the 10th. I am going to really push the doctor on the pain levels I am experiencing. I am hoping for different medication that actually will help with the pain and exhaustion. I also am hoping that she will consider at least talking about disability because my body just can't take the only work that I can find locally. If she isn't willing to listen and attempt to help me manage my pain or recommend a different doctor that can help me live my life more fully then I am going to have to just start calling and calling in hopes of finding someone who can help me. I am too young to have this much pain and to be this exhausted all the time.

Work has been intense and horrible to sum it up. The cafe shifts are killing me. I can't seem to get the help that I need from the other people working and end up doing way too much for my body to handle because the work needs to get done.

I applied for and interviewed for another position. The interview was this morning. It was for a desk type position. I found out this afternoon that I did not get it and that they selected another applicant. I guess that means that wasn't the answer to getting out of my current physically taxing job. I am hopeful that something else will pop up soon!!

I still need to get the "Pay It Forward" challenge boxes out!! I am still missing one address and will work on getting that so that I can complete my round of this amazingly wonderful challenge.

I am not going to promise that I will be around on a more regular basis because I just don't know that I will be. I also don't want to post daily just to post especially if all I am doing is boo hooing about my pain and other issues. I hope that you all do keep dropping by and I do promise to do better about posting... At least a little better!!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I'm Back

I'm back! Hopefully for good although I will not promise to post every day. Life is just too crazy and difficult for me to know how I will feel and what I will be up to doing from day to day. Especially since I am attempting to go back to work on a part time basis working 2 or 3 days a week up at the cafe again. Working is very hard on my body, but I know that I need to do something and other than the intermittent on-line freelance work I pick up and this is my only other option.

On the Challenge Front - I finally contacted the winners of my round of the "Pay It Forward Challenge". I am so sorry that it took me so long to get around to doing that. I plan on picking up a few more goodies for the boxes when I hopefully go to town with my DH tomorrow.

On the Company Front - Having my parents here was great and I was sad to have them leave last week. It is nice having the house emptier and less stress though. No matter how much you love having company and seeing those you love it is at times difficult, especially for me with the health issues. I want to go and do and be able to just enjoy but my body doesn't always or even often want to cooperate. I still push through most of the time but then I suffer for it in the end by being totally down for the count for a few days.

On the Health Front - The medication that I have been taking for helping me get restorative sleep which should help me to have less pain and to feel less tired all the time doesn't seem to be working like it should anymore already. I have upped the dosage like the Rheumatologist suggested and all that seems to do is make me sleep harder - to the point that I don't even hear the alarm clock - but still I wake up exhausted and in continuous pain. I see the doctor again on August 3rd but considering that she doesn't want to listen to me I don't have high hopes for the visit. I have been spending some time searching on-line for how other people are dealing with their Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I know that I am doing some of the right things already by eliminating dairy and wheat from my diet. However, I think I need to do some other things as well such as reducing refined sugar, increasing fruits and vegetables to 10 or more servings a day, greatly reducing preservatives and additives, incorporating probiotics such as lactobacillus acidopphilus and lactobacillus bifidus through supplementation, increasing leafy green vegetables, and more... Some people with these conditions find that they have a problem with vitamins B12, K, and D, zinc, magnesium, and biotin being too low. They also seem to have problems with calcium and iron inerfering with the others being too low. So I need to try to find a balance with these vitamins and nutrients and see if that helps with my symptoms.

I hope that all of you are doing well and are enjoying the summer!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

OMGosh Crazy Life

Things here have been insanely busy! I haven't forgotten about the Pay It Forward Challenge and have been finding treasures to put into the boxes in the little bit of spare time I have had lately. I will contact the winners and get the boxes out as soon as I get some time to do it.

My family and friends are here and have been for a week or so already. We did get the laminate flooring in but still haven't had the time to get all the trim and such put back. Work is crazy with 3 days a week up at the cafe. I barely have time to breathe let alone blog or have any me time!!

It looks like the month of June is going to be a bust on blogging and all that kind of thing, but July things should get back to more of a normal schedule with all of my company going home.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Pay It Forward!

Yesterday when I stopped into the post office to pick up the mail after a long day of cooking up at the cafe, I was pleasantly surprised to see a package!! The package was from Sherri of the blog My Life in the Fishbowl and was filled with the goodies she sent to me for being selected as a winner in her round of the Pay It Forward challenge.

I couldn't wait to get home and open up my package!! Inside I found a wonderful Starbucks gift card (how did she know how much I love a yummy coffee beverage!?), a cute photo album, a lovely notepad, a flowered nail file (I always seem to lose these so getting one was wonderful!), flower shaped post-it notes, cucumber melon antibacterial deep cleaning hand gel (this will come in so handy working up at the cafe), and lastly a very sweet note from Sherri! Even though we only know each other from the vast blogosphere I feel like our friendship is beyond the boundaries of the internet.

Now it's my turn to Pay It Forward. Please know that to play along with this game you do not need to go to grand levels for the goodies in the packages. The real point of this is to simply let others know that they are appreciated and to help them feel inspired as they blog.

On to the rules: To enter, leave me a comment saying you are interested in being a participant in the Pay It Forward challenge. The entry must include either an email or a blog address to reach you at if you are a winner. To help keep shipping costs down this challenge is only open to U.S. addresses.
I will accept posts/entries to the challenge until Midnight on Thursday, June 4th. On Friday, June 5th I will post the 3 winners of this round of the Pay It Forward challenge! I better get my brain in gear and figure out what goodies will be in my boxes to ship off!

In other news:

Suzy is doing a little better today. I am getting her to eat a few bites of food a few times during the day and she seems to be feeling better with less pain. However, she seems to still be having some lingering issues unrelated to the colitis from how the vet techs handled her. I think that she might have had a small brain bleed or mild stroke from the stress and such of their treatment. But slowly she is starting to become the sweet girl again that we left behind when we went on vacation. It is going to be a long road and probably have more than a few bumps in it, but I believe that we will come out the other side of this journey.

I worked 2 days in a row up at the cafe and know now that at this point 2 days in a row is my limit. My body just is not capable of more than that due to my illness. I also have been trying out the second medication to help me reach that restful stage of sleep and I think that the first medication is better at the job for me. I see the Rheumatologist again on Tuesday, June 2nd and hopefully we will move forward with some other treatment options in addition to the medication to help with sleep. I still have a lot of pain and muscle burning. The brain fog episodes are a little less frequent but I still am having them especially when I am working or exerting myself. Right now my schedule for the month of June is to be the cook up at the cafe on Wednesdays and Thursdays but the other cook doesn't want to work 5 days straight per week as it is just too much for her to do. So my schedule might be changing to help out more up at the cafe.

We are hoping to get some major work done on the laminate floor laying on Saturday and the repair man is scheduled to come to fix our satillite internet too. Hopefully they do fix it and we stop having all the problems which have been going on for the past 2 weeks or so. If things are fixed then I should be able to post on my blogs more regularly again!!

Enjoy the weekend everyone! Don't forget to enter my round of the Pay It Forward challenge!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Will the Stress Ever Decrease?

I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders from all of the stress I have in my life right now.

Suzy has made another turn for the worse and I begin to wonder if she will ever get over this colitis. She is refusing to eat; although I was able to tempt her into eating a few spoonfuls of yogurt. I am having to give her the Pepto-Bismol again as she is yelping with belly pain again. I need to her pull through this illness. I just can not bear the thought of losing her.

I know that I need to work shifts up at the cafe, but the schedule for June is still not posted and nobody has called asking me what shifts I will be available to work and which I will not be available to work.

The laying of the new laminate floors is going slowly. I know that the rain is a blessing considering that we live on the High Desert Plains, but it sure does make it difficult to get the pieces cut that need it out on the table saw!!

I also think about the stress of others at this time with it being Memorial Day. The remembrance of the sacrifices of the brave men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. The remembrance of the sacrifices of their families. The remembrance that FREEDOM is not FREE and that the price of it has been and continues to be paid in blood. I am thankful for all the brave souls who have, do currently, and will in the future serve this great country and I am thankful for their families for allowing them to do so with honor and support.

Happy Memorial Day!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Long Days

It seems like I just can't get enough rest. I am tired all the time even with the medication to help me enter that restorative part of sleep. Maybe it is just because of all the stress and worry over the sick Suzy dog the last week. Maybe it is something more. I don't really know.

Suzy is doing better every day now. She is still not eating very well for us but you can tell she is definitely doing better. Hopefully things can get back to "normal" now that she has made the upswing with her colitis.

It is raining here pretty hard this afternoon which makes it really hard to run in and out to the garage to use the table saw for the laminate floor project. I guess it is always something! LOL

I have a turkey baking in the oven and it smells wonderful! Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells :) Around here turkey is what happens when you don't get to the grocery store to get provisions after being on vacation. Only one left in the freezer now... I guess that means that I had better get groceries soon! I wish that the grocery store wasn't 60 miles one way or that I had more time so that going wasn't an issue! Hopefully I will have the time to pick up a few things when I go into town for the dentist on Tuesday.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

100 SPF Sunblock

Today I am going to share a story with you from our recent vacation to Florida. I hope that you find it as funny as I did! Sorry no photos to go with it as I didn't even think to try and snap some!

DH went fishing with a family friend one day of our vacation. He had a wonderful time and got to experience a lot of new for him experiences. He helped cast net for the live bait they would use. He went flats fishing for the first time. He caught a keeper sea trout, and saw our friend catch many sea trout and a redfish. He had just a great day out on the water!

OK, now for the funny part... I told him that he needed to wear sunblock and that he should put it on before he left and then again after about 4 hours. He decided to use the 100 SPF that we had gotten for me to use since I am very fair skinned and need to protect it due to the EDS. Anyhow DH put the sunblock on himself and didn't ask anyone for help. Now in case you didn't know 100 SPF sunblock has the texture of toothpaste almost. I mean this stuff is THICK! Well needless to say you could see all kinds of alternating white and sunburn streaks on DH - from his legs looking tiger striped to his face. At least it wasn't a horrible sunburn and just a mild one that turned to tan on him quickly, but none the less very funny to see!

Suzy update: I had to take her back to the vet on Friday for blood work and x-rays. The vet was out of the office on a ranch call but the vet techs were there and could do these tests for him to review. The vet techs were able to draw blood but were unable to muzzle her to do the x-rays. When we went back to help muzzle her she was very worn out looking and very stressed. She did let us muzzle her and then the vet techs picked her up and put her on the x=ray table. It was very stressful to say the least for the little girl and she suffered an eye injury that should self heal in about a week. Thankfully the eye doesn't seem to bother her. The vet called and said that the blood work and x-ray looked OK. Suzy seems to be doing a little better today and I hope that she has made the turn so that the worst is behind us.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Home Again & Back to the Grind

We got home very late Sunday evening from our vacation. We had a great time and I have a lot of stories to share over the next week or so.

However, today I am going to just touch on how this week has been so far...

I think that the medication that the Rheumatologist prescribed to help me get better sleep is helping some. I still have the horrible burning muscle pain but I am having less "brain fog" issues which is a step in the right direction. I ended up working a partial shift on Monday and a full shift on Tuesday up at the cafe as a waitress. It was very hard and I definitely can not do what I used to be able to, but I was able to get through it. Towards the end of the full shift I started having "brain fog" issues pretty severely.

Also, our female husky was a little off when we got home Sunday night and jus kept getting worse so we ended up making an emergency vet run when DH and I got home on Tuesday. She should be OK but she is in a lot of pain and in a horrible mood because of it. She has to eat special prescription dog food for a few days and take antibiotics for a week. The vet said that it is colitis which is basically an infection in her digestive tract. So needless to say that whole situation is adding to my stress levels which doesn't help with the pain and other stuff at all.

Today I am trying to rest some from all the exertion of the last few days and get some work done on my frelance projects since I am way behind from vacation! I am having a hard time focusing today for some reason so the writing isn't going so well for my articles :(

To end I will share one thing from our vacation... My parents generously bought me a new laptop! It is my first ever laptop and it is WONDERFUL!! It actually is quite a lot better than my old computer which to be honest is on it's last legs so to speak. In case you are wondering which laptop I got you can go here to see.

Happy hump day everyone!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Quickie...

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to let you all know that we made it down to Florida OK and are having a great time so far! I should have lots of fun stories to share when I get home :)

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Laundry & Packing

Been working on laundry and packing for 2 days now... So not fun! I will definitely need the vacation to recover from all the work of getting ready to go! LOL

Actually with everything planned, I bet that I need a vacation after the vacation to recover from all the fun!

We are going to Florida to celebrate my parent's 40th wedding anniversary! Wow! That is a lot of years to be together! There is a day of flats fishing and a day of grouper fishing planned as well as a trip to Webster for the big flea market. Then there is the Mother's Day/Anniversary dinner out on Sunday plus church of course. Basically from the time we get there until at least Thursday there is stuff planned for each day. Hopefully Friday and Saturday we can relax a little before flying home on Sunday.

Also I won the privilege of participating in the Pay it Forward game going on in the blogosphere. So look for a post about how to win a chance to play too soon :)

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Preliminary Diagnosis - Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome & FIbromyalgia

Sorry for the delay in letting everyone know what happened with the Rheumatologist appointment on Monday. I really was wiped out today after the trip and spent most of the day in bed to be perfectly honest. I am having a hard time accepting the news I think... So bare with me if this doesn't make the most sense ever or I leave out some details.

The preliminary diagnosis is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Fibromyalgia.

EDS is an inherited disorder that causes a genetic defect in collagen and connective-tissue synthesis and structure. It is also known as Hyperextensibility Syndrome. There are quite a few types of EDS and right now we are not positive as to which one I have. In order to know for certain that would require genetic testing and knowing the type doesn't appear to be necessary. EDS is characterized by (1) joint hypermobility, (2) cutaneous fragility, and (3) hyperextensibility. One estimate is that 1 in 400,000 people have some form of EDS from mild to severe. Some clinical manifestations that allow for diagnosis include many things from muscle weakness, muscle pain, tendency to fall down easily, poor body control, difficulty walking, bruise easily, joint pain, white and soft skin, underlying vessels are easily seen through the skin, skin has a doughy feel, skin is easily hyperextensible, molluscoid pseudo tumors form at scar sites and pressure points, fragile skin, poor wound healing, joints are hyperextensible, joints dislocate, skin scarring, skin scarring with hyperpigmentation, varicosities, early onset of osteoarthritis, nearsightedness, scars that stretch over time, and scoliosis to name just a few. The management and treatment for EDS is basically to protect the joints and the skin while treating the other symptoms as best possible for the patient.

Oddly it appears that EDS and Fibromyalgia occur together at a high rate of incidence... Lucky me.

If you want more information on Fibromyalgia I have posted about it before here on my blog so just check out the previous posts.

I am to see the Rheumatologist again in 1 month. The current treatment plan for this first month is to get me to regain restorative sleep. This means I get to start some new medications that will hopefully aid in getting to the restorative part of sleep. It also means that I am not to be woken during the night which we are trying to figure out with the dogs and the different schedules that DH and I keep. Another thing that the Dr. said is that there is no such thing as too much sleep for me right now. My DH isn't too happy about either of these orders from the Dr. but I do know he wants me to get well so he is trying to respect her opinion. I honestly think that if I could just wake up and feel refreshed and not still exhausted that things would/could be so much better.

I do appreciate that she is going slow with this and starting with the least dangerous medications possible. Also that she isn't trying to throw too many things into the mix all at once is a good thing in my book too. Yes, it might take longer to get me well this way but it should limit any potential issues that may arise due to medication problems and it should help us to see which things work and which don't much easier. Actually doing it in a systematic stepwise fashion could get me to feeling better faster than throwing a bunch of medications at me and praying for the best considering how many drug allergies I have and how they have a way of not acting as expected.

I know that I am not going to start feeling better overnight, and that I never will feel entirely well again ever. I am working on dealing with that and coming to terms with it. I need to get to a point where the pain is manageable and not all encompassing and I think that we can do that...

Friday, May 1, 2009

Starting to Get Excited!

I think that both myself and my DH are starting to get excited about our upcoming trip! We will be leaving on next Friday to drive to Denver to catch a very early morning flight to Florida. We are going to visit my parents for 8 days! Sunday is both Mother's Day and their 40th wedding anniversary! So we are going to celebrate with them and do some fishing which makes DH very happy! The plan is to go flats fishing on the West coast with one of the friends of the family and then to go sports fishing on a charter off the East coast too. DH is just too excited about the idea of going fishing!! He loves to fish and he loves to eat it too... Me I like to fish but hate to eat it!! Ewww gross!!

Then shortly after we get back my parents and a couple of their friends are coming out here to Wyoming. They should be here sometime in June and stay for probably a month off and on. They are planning on using our house as their base of operations to go visit places like Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, and who knows where else. It should be fun though!

DH is already stressing out about getting the laminate flooring all laid, the painting he has started but never finished actually finished, and about 10 other projects that he has needed to do but just hasn't gotten around to! LOL - Men!! Yes, the floor and painting have to be done but who knows what else he will stress himself and me out about!!

Monday is finally the rheumatologist appointment. I am nervous and excited about it. I really just hope and pray that I get some answers and some help!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Refrigerator Recall Fixed Finally

The repair man for my Maytag refrigerator recall was able to finally show up on a scheduled day. The part was switched out and took all of 5 minutes to do the actual repair. I did ask why he didn't come last week as was initially scheduled and he said that they don't get told what they are doing until that day and that they dislike the scheduling department that is taking care of this recall as much as the customers. He drove almost 2 hours from Casper to my house in Medicine Bow then next had to drive back up to Casper then over to Douglas for the next service call. The scheduling people working this recall just have no clue what is going on it seems :( Really sad!! I am glad that my refrigerator shouldn't burn the house down now though!

Yesterday was my DH's birthday! I made him a special dinner and his Mom baked him a cake too! Plus his parents had taken us out to dinner for his birthday on Saturday. I also got him a cute t-shirt and a new tape measure as gifts :) So he made out quite well!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Fantastic Book- The Daily Coyote

Have you ever wondered what Wyoming is like? Probably not before you started reading my blog and realized that I live in Wyoming...

Do you love pictures of nature?

Do you love animals?

Well if you answered yes to any or all of those questions then do I have a book to recommend to you! "The Daily Coyote" written by Shreve Stockton is simply awesome. It has everything from the basics of living in small town Wyoming to a love story and so much more...

A friend from church let me borrow the book and I have to say that I now need to own this book. The photographs are stunning and I know that I will want to read it again at least once.

It isn't a very long book and is a quick read. If you need to laugh a little and maybe even cry a little then I recommend you seek out this little treasure and read it yourself.

If you want to get a sneak peak at some photos and more go check out "The Daily Coyote" blog too.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Queen of Alll Things Awe-Summm!!! Award


Staci at Just Bloggled has given me this Awe-Summm award! :)

So here are the Awe-Summm rules:
  1. List seven things that make you Awe-Summm.
  2. Pass the award on to seven bloggers you love.
  3. Tag those bloggers to let them know that they are now Queens of All Things Awe-Summm.
  4. Don't forget to link to the queen that tagged you.
  5. If you would like, copy the pic and put it on your sidebar so everyone knows that you're a queen.
What are seven things that make me Awe-Summm?
  1. I have a knack for turning what seems like nothing in the pantry into some pretty good grub! If you don't believe me just ask my DH - LOL!
  2. I can beat all of my family at Wii Sports Bowling even though I can't beat any of them at any other type of video game! Pretty nifty considering one is a Marine!!
  3. I can take recipes that call for dairy and turn them into dairy free deliciousness!
  4. I am learning how to bake wheat and gluten free! Let me tell you that this isn't easy to begin with and I am learning to do it at an altitude of almost 7,000 feet!
  5. I love my dogs so much that I cook for them from scratch due to them both developing seizures from eating commercial dog food. Now if that isn't Awe-Summm love I don't know what is...
  6. I live next door, just across the alley to my in-laws in a town of less than 300 people and I haven't killed anyone yet! Let me tell you that is an easy feat some days and not so easy on others.
  7. I live 60 miles one way from the grocery store. We have lived here for going on 3 years now and I have managed to never run out of food even during prolonged blizzards that have snowed us in for days at a time!
OK, and now on to the recipients...
  1. Sinclair from Nature with Me
  2. Storm from Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
  3. Lin from Duck and Wheel with String
  4. Nipsy from Nipplelicious
  5. The bloggers at Today.com Exiles
  6. Patty from Greys & Things
  7. Maxie from Marilynne's World

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Floor is in the House!

The laminate floor is in the house!! So exciting!! Now to get it installed! LOL - Hopefully DH and I are able to get it done without too much fighting and other issues :)

The weather yesterday going to get it was not very good. We had to go about 110 miles each way to Lowe's in Cheyenne and we had to cross the summit both ways! As we left the house it was raining with a little snow mixed in and as we got 10 miles or so down the road it turned into pure snow but the roads were good and we kept going. We got to Laramie and it cleared up and the summit looked to be sunny from there. We got to the summit and the weather was fine but the rest of the way to Cheyenne was a little foggy with some rain and snow mix. We hurried up and got the flooring and got it all loaded up and tarped to stay dry. The loading it was easy as they just used the forklift to put it in the back of the truck! We left Cheyenne and the weather looked like it was clearing up some maybe. Barely out of Cheyenne we hit fog well that isn't even the right word for it as actually it was clouds - very thick and hard to see anything through. We slowed down to a safer speed but other cars slowed down to literally a crawl and we saw so many almost accidnets because of it. I really wish if people didn't feel comfortable driving that they would just pull off and wait or calm down or whatever because it would be so much safer!! We finally got home just ahead of another wave of the storm.

When we got home we called around looking for some help getting unloaded but nobody was around. DH and I ended up unloading 30 boxes of laminate flooring plus the few other things ourselves. DH did a lot more than I did, but I did try to help. Today I am suffering immensely from the pain and burning in my muscles which I know is the Fibromyalgia telling me i did way too much. I am sure that the migraine I woke up with in the middle of the night and that still hasn't 100% went away is because of it too. It is so frustrating that I can't do the things that I want to do because of this disease and then if I do try to push through and do things that I suffer for having done it. I come form the suck it up and keep going school as does my DH but with this when I do that everything just gets so much worse. I don't think that he really can grasp how much worse things are today for me just from having done the little that I did do physically yesterday. I know that I did all that I physically could yesterday because on the last box I carried I about dropped it like 5 times. This is such a hard pill to swallow and I don't know how to deal with it.

I am holding out hope that the Rheumatologist can give me a firm diagnosis on May 4th when i see her and that we will be able to do something to help me get my life back. I don't want to live like this where I can't do the things I enjoy, I can't do the things that I need to do, and I can't do the things I want to do.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Christmas is Officially Over!!

LOL if you have been hanging around my blog for long then you know that we have had a delayed ending to our Christmas celebration. Well technically not the celebration of Christmas itself but the removal of the physical Christmas decorations. You might remember that about a month ago we finally were able to get the inflatable Christmas decorations unfrozen and dried out enough to get taken down from the front yard and put away. You might also remember that a while before that I actually undecorated the Christmas tree and took down the other indoor decorations other than the physical artificial Christmas tree.

Well yesterday I had decided that enough was enough and that DH was never going to get around to taking the darn thing down and putting it in its box - Lets not even go there with putting the box away in the garage rafters because honestly the boxes of other decorations are still setting in a neat stack where I left them when I took them down.

Now if you are new to From Huskies to Husbands then you might be wondering why I don't just take care of the boxes myself and also wondering why it was such a big deal to just take the Christmas tree down myself. Well the answer to that is because honestly I physically just am not strong enough right now and even if I am strong enough the repercussions of doing that kind of physical activity aren't worth it. I am suffering from taking that darn Christmas tree down too :( I had hoped that I wouldn't but hoping got me nowhere on that one! Can we say increased burning and muscle pain?! I so can not wait for the Rheumatologist appointment on May 4th. I hope that the doctor can give me a firm diagnosis for this be it Fibromyalgia or something else and get me on the road to less pain and a better quality of life!!

In other news, we are set to go get the laminate flooring in Cheyenne tomorrow!! Now for the weather to cooperate and us to be able to get across the summit! LOL! You might remember that we were supposed to go do this last weekend but then we had a HUGE snow storm and the road across the summit was closed for days! We will be using either Lowe's or Home Depot for this purchase since they both have a pretty good price of less than $1 a square foot and they both are willing to do a credit card purchase over the phone since my parents are kindly and generously footing the bill for the materials. Aren't they the greatest for wanting to get rid of the carpet in my home so that my allergies aren't as bad??!! :)

TGIF!!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Maytag Sucks!!

OK, so if you read the previous post you know that today I am sitting at home waiting on the Maytag repair man. I was scheduled by Maytag for repair service on this recall when I called them on the 13th. They told me that they would be here between 8 am and 5 pm on the 23rd which is today - I did not have a choice as to what day of the week the service would be on. I was called last night not once but twice to be reminded that I needed to be home between 8 am and 5 pm for the repair today. I cleared my schedule and didn't go to town with DH today because I had to be here for the Maytag repair man.

Well at about 10:30 am today they call and say to me we have to reschedule. We don't have service people in your area on Thursdays they are only in the area on Wednesdays. WTF are you kidding me?? You have 10 days lead time and you don't figure that out until 10:30 am the day of the service!! You scheduled me for a Thursday, I didn't choose to have service on a Thursday!! OMGosh the scheduling on this recall is horrendous so if you call be prepared for that and specifically ask them if they have someone in your area on the day that you are scheduled.

Then the real problem begins of trying to get them to realize that they have screwed up and that I need them to fix the problem. After many telephone calls and getting hung up on many times and getting passed around like a hot potato I was given a recall authorization ID which I was told to use to get the recall service done locally. I called the "local" place which is 120 miles away round trip and was notified that they could do the repair but that it would be in 2 weeks and I would have to pay time and mileage which added up to a lot!! OK I didn't put the faulty part in my refrigerator so why should I have to pay to get it fixed. Back to the telephone I go and begin calling Maytag again only to receive the same treatment as before. Finally, I get someone who seems to actually give a crap and they schedule the service call for Wednesday, April 29th between 8 am and 5 pm and tell me that there is a $50 check in the mail for my difficulties but that it wont arrive for 4 to 8 weeks.

All I can say is that Maytag has horrible customer service with this recall and has chosen a less than stellar company to do the actuall service scheduling and repairs.

Great so now I get to sit at home on the 29th again which really sucks since that is DH's birthday and I had wanted to go into town with him and hopefully go to dinner or something for his birthday... So much for that!

Refrigerator Recall

Today I will be sitting here at home waiting for the Maytag repair man *giggle* I thought he was the one who never had any work because their products were so great?

The reason that I am waiting for the Maytag repair man is because our refrigerator is involved in a huge recall!! If you own a Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag, or Crosley brand sided-by-side or top freezer refrigerator you could be involved in this recall too and should call this number 1-866-533-9817 to find out if you are involved in the recall. Be sure to have the model number and serial number ready when you call. This recall is due to a defective part that is a fire hazard!

Yup, you read that right a fire hazard!! According to the information that I recieved there have been more than 40 reports of the faulty part igniting and at least 16 of those cases have had property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage. Scary stuff!!

Please if you have any of the mentioned brands of refrigerators please call and find out if you are involved in the recall!!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Fibromyalgia Information

A little bit of information about Fibromyalgia since this is why I am scheduled to see the Rheumatologist in early May and this is what the PA and the GI specialist think that I might have.

According to the Mayo Clinic …”Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points — places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. (Yes)

Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary, depending on the weather, stress, physical activity or even the time of day. (Yes)

Widespread pain and tender points
The pain associated with fibromyalgia is described as a constant dull ache, typically arising from muscles. (Yes) To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist.

Fibromyalgia is characterized by additional pain when firm pressure is applied to specific areas of your body, called tender points. Tender point locations include:

  • Back of the head - Yes
  • Between shoulder blades - Yes
  • Top of shoulders - Yes
  • Front sides of neck- Yes
  • Upper chest - Yes
  • Outer elbows
  • Upper hips - Yes
  • Sides of hips - Yes
  • Inner knees

Fatigue and sleep disturbances
People with fibromyalgia often awaken tired, even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. (Yes) Experts believe that these people rarely reach the deep restorative stage of sleep. Sleep disorders that have been linked to fibromyalgia include restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.

Co-existing conditions
Many people who have fibromyalgia also may have:

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome - Maybe
  • Depression - Yes
  • Endometriosis - No, but PCOS
  • Headaches - Yes
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - Yes
  • Lupus
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Rheumatoid arthritis”
WebMD says that people who suffer from Fibromyalgia should avoid 7 foods in particular.
  1. Aspartame or NutraSweet
  2. Food Additives such as MSG and Nitrates
  3. Sugar, Fructose, and Simple Carbohydrates especially High Fructose Corn Syrup
  4. Caffeine including Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, and Soda
  5. Yeast and Gluten
  6. Dairy
  7. Nightshade Plants such as Tomatoes, Peppers, Potatoes, and Eggplant. However, these should only be eliminated if they are specifically a problem for the individual because they are highly nutritious.
Yeast, Gluten, Dairy, MSG, and Aspartame all make sense to me as these things do greatly play a role in my health. The Caffeine, Sugar, and Nightshade Plants I am not sold on.

Then you have a ton of information from Anne Hillebrand at FibroFix. A lot of this information is based on her personal struggle with Fibromyalgia and on the food front it conflicts with the information from WebMD in more than a few points. But there is a lot of good information there I just need time to process it all and start trying some different things.

MIL Update

They did the stress test yesterday and decided that she was well enough to come home, so they discharged her yesterday evening. We all are really happy to have her home. However, she needs to see a cardiologist as they did find something but what that something is we don't really know yet. But, she is feeling a lot better :)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Rough Week So Far


It has been a very difficult week here in the middle of nowhere for our family.

If you remember from my post over at Today.com about riding the steam train then you probably remember this photo of my MIL. Well she gave us all quite a scare yesterday and got to ride in not 1 but 2 ambulances on the way in to the hospital - I guess that is what happens when you cross county lines. I waited here in the Bow for her husband my FIL to get here from one town over where he teaches high school then we headed in too. She was experiencing shortness of breath, radiating chest pain/pressure, and a headache when she went over to the clinic here in Medicine Bow and had the PA take a look at here. It was then that the clinic called me and said to get right over there. I did and then I called my FIL and let him know what was going on. Once we got to the ER they started doing tests, lots of tests but not finding the cause of the problem and her distress. They did find quite a number of things that could have been the problem but were not the problem though. Eventually they decided to admit her to the hospital and sent her upstairs. Today she is having more testing and we do not know whether she will be coming home tonight still. So needless to say things have been stressfull around here...

My body is not handeling the stress well. I guess that is to be expected though with all my medical issues. As soon as the stress hit me it was like every muscle in my body was on fire and it really still has not subsided over 24 hours later - I guess that is expected with fibromyalgia and stress though. In addition I have been very light headed and have felt like I was going to pass out a number of times. To top it all off I am very queasy well actually more than queasy as I have actually thrown up a few times. I don't know if that is from the pain or what though. I am thankful that yesterday when I need to be mentally clear at the ER I was able to think and communicate. Today is a different story though and I have had difficulties with getting my freelance writing done do to the "brain fog". All I know is that I feel horrible and the pain is so intense that I just want to lay down and not move.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Blogroll & Entrecard

Over the course of the next few days I will be migrating over my blogroll from the Today.com From Huskies to Husbands to this site. I apologize for the delay in doing so but as most of you know our satellite internet connection causes me to have some difficulties at times!

Also, I have changed the site associated with my Entrecard account for From Huskies to Husbands and am now up and running here with that as well. I hope to see some of you dropping in on me again soon!

In other news, if any of you grabbed my button from the old From Huskies to Husbands I would love to have you update the site information for the button as well as if any of you have me on your blogrolls.

In addition if you are new to From Huskies to Husbands and want to be on my blogroll or exchange buttons please let me know either via e-mail or via a comment here! I am always happy to make new blogging buddies!

Thanks so much everyone!

What is Sacroiliitis?

One of the things that I struggle with medically is Sacroiliitis. My PA and I believe that I now suffer with this condition and will for the rest of my life because of an untreated urinary tract infection. The not so funny thing is that I had been trying to get one of my many specialists to treat me for the urinary tract infection for over a month and a half before I found my new PA and he agreed to prescribing antibiotics.

Here is some information about Sacroiliitis. (More information can be found at the Mayo Clinic Website)

Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints, which connect the lower spine and pelvis. With Sacroiliitis, even the slightest movements of the spine can be extremely uncomfortable or painful.

Sacroiliitis symptoms may include:
  • Pain and stiffness in the lower back, thighs or buttocks.

  • Pain that worsens with walking because the motion of the hips strains the sacroiliac joints.

  • Inflammation in one or both of the eyes (uveitis or iritis).

  • Psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition

  • Pain radiating down the leg.

  • Limping.

  • Decreased range of motion in the hip joint.

  • A fever that appears quickly.


Complications:
  • Delayed treatment of Sacroiliitis — Either because of an incorrect diagnosis or because of delaying going to the doctor — can cause serious harm to the sacroiliac joints.

    Sacroiliitis may be part of a larger inflammatory arthritis condition known as Ankylosing Spondylitis. Complications of this condition can be very serious, including difficulty breathing, spine deformities, lung infections and heart problems.

  • Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily causes pain and inflammation of the joints between the vertebrae of your spine and the joints between your spine and pelvis (sacroiliac joints). However, Ankylosing Spondylitis may also cause inflammation and pain in other parts of your body as well.

Initial symptoms - Early signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis may include:
  • Chronic pain in the lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity.
  • Stiffness in the lower back or hip area, especially in the morning.
As the condition progresses - The condition may change over time, with symptoms getting worse, improving or completely stopping at any point. Over time the pain and stiffness, which usually begin gradually, may progress up your spine and to other joints. One may experience inflammation and pain in these other parts of the body:
  • Where the tendons and ligaments attach to bones.
  • Joints between the ribs and spine.
  • Joints in the hips, shoulders, knees and feet.
  • The eyes.
Symptoms of advanced stages - In advanced stages, the following signs and symptoms may develop:
  • Restricted expansion of the chest.
  • Chronic stooping.
  • Stiff, inflexible spine.
  • Fatigue.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Weight loss.
  • Eye inflammation (uveitis).
  • Bowel inflammation.

Signs of Depression

I know that talking about depression can be a taboo subject with some people. However, I am honest with myself and others about the fact that I suffer from both depression and PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). (For more information on this topic check out this site.) I am a firm believer that sometimes talking openly about one's own problems can help other people who might be going through the same or similar exeriences.

At times I can feel the depression starting to weigh me down like a ton of bricks on my shoulders. Other times it feels like I am drowning. Still other times it feels like I am in a deep dark pit from which I can never climb back out of. Other times I feel just fine and go about daily life without even a depressing thought. I am not on medication for either of these issues currently - Mostly because I am sick of being a guinea pig and trying all kinds of new medications only to have them make me feel worse instead of better. I had gone that route for about a year straight at one point and the result was that I found a lot of medications that almost killed me. So, for now at least, I just deal with it and try to be cognitive of when the weight is beginning to press down and try to keep myself from falling down into the black abyss.

I want to share some signs that for me are clues that I am beginning to fall down into the abyss.

  • I either start sleeping more or start sleeping less - a change in sleep habits.
  • I stop caring about showering or taking care of myself in the most basic ways.
  • I cry or get angry a lot about almost anything. Mostly about things that crying or getting angry about makes next to no sense.
  • I become unpredictable in almost every aspect of my life.
  • I pretty much refuse to leave the house for any reason what so ever.

About Me

Hi! In case we haven't met before I want to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Stephanie and I am a 34 year old female with a husband and 2 huskies furbabies. My husband and I have been married for over 5 1/2 years now!

I live in a small town in Southeastern Wyoming called Medicine Bow. The population is under 300 and the closest town with grocery stores and shopping is 60 miles away. I was born and raised in Florida just about 45 minutes outside of Tampa. So moving here was culture shock on many levels!

I know that this may come as a shock to some of you, but I am an educated women with a B.S. in Biology from The University of Tampa and a M.Ed. in Exercise Physiology from Auburn University. I sometimes work at The Historic Virginian Hotel, Cafe & Shiloh Bar here in Medicine Bow. I also do freelance work part time currently but I am trying to build that aspect of my employment up.


I have PCOS, IBS, GERD, PMDD, Sacroiliitis, asthma, a ton of allergies and food intolerances. One of my biggest food issues is my problem with dairy in any quantity at all. I also am working on getting a firm diagnosis on what appears to be Fibromyalgia. I am admittedly overweight, but I am working on that at
www.SparkPeople.com where my username is SLColman as well. I also use my Wii and Wii Fit to help get in some fun exercise when I can.

I love food and cooking. I enjoy scrapbooking, gardening, and other crafty type things.

My husband is a Southern Baptist Minister, so faith plays an important role in our lives. However having said that, we still are real people with real issues living out in the real world. My husband is also the mayor of our small town - Talk about a man with many different hats!

If you want more info on me just let me know!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Welcome!!

Initially this blog was started to be only a placeholder of the title "From Huskies to Husbands" since that is the name of my Today.com blog. Well with all the changes happening over at Today.com I am going to be posting over here much more often than I initially thought.

Please come visit me at From Huskies to Husbands at Today.com to get caught up with me from the beginning. I wish that I could just move all those posts over here but Today.com doesn't allow for that to come to pass.

I hope that old friends are able to find me here and that I can make many new friends as well!