Beefy Or Peachy

Well I have been feeling so poorly lately that I just haven't felt like posting. I think of it almost everyday but then when I get to it I'm feeling tired and then, uninspired to do anything but take a nap.

I saw a specialist today and I'm scheduled to have an endoscopy done in a few weeks to see if my reflux is worse and to biopsy my stomach. I must admit I am quite worried because my fatigue level has been very bad.

I hope things are going well for you folks, and I'll try to post again soon.

Hugs,
Aly

Well I just having been feeling very well for several weeks again so I just haven't been feeling very upbeat about posting. I wish I felt creative so I could get back to posting on a regular basis. Hopefully soon. I am going to either go to the ER or insist my dr run more tests or go get a second opinion. I can't keep letting this get the best of me.

I hope folks have been doing well during my absence here.

May God Grace us all with better health and Peace,
Aly

I have felt so poorly for the past few weeks that I haven't even felt like posting here. Its not that I haven't thought of posting, or of the other bloggers here, because I have.

It is highly likely that part of my problem is my fibromyalgia syndrome playing a huge role in making me so fatigued every day. I have slept more in the past few weeks then I ever have period. So a visit back to my doctor prompted her to give me a hefty shot of antibiotics and a different prescription as well to try and help me on my path to wellness. I sure hope this works as I have been quite scared this time because I have needed so much sleep.

My son is coming to the valley this weekend and it will be good to see him again. I pray for strength and courage to get through this latest episode of infection and fibromalgia.

Peace to all,
Aly

Well I don't think hubby and I have been to see a chiropractor since before my surgery on my knee in early March and boy were our backs and necks telling us to go. We use to travel to Scottdale and that is a long trip for us now and the traffic is always heavy so I did some research with our insurance company and came up with this group about 5 miles from where we live.

We were greeted by a pleasant receptionist which is always a good sign and Dr. Joe was just as pleasant and informative as I expect a good chiropractor to be. No snapping and cracking adjusting as they have a device they use to align you that is so easy to handle and you can just feel your body relaxing as he moved along the spine and neck. We go back tomorrow for the results of our x-rays and to discuss our treatment plan. They do treat fibromyalgia patients and that is also a good thing. I am optimistic about the treatment they can provide and relieved we won't have to travel so far to see one :)

Well we had dinner and I am resting now and so is hubby so I guess it is going to be a quiet evening.

Later all folks,
Aly

I am still deciding what to do about Levaquin ruining my knees. I have contacted 3 attorneys thus far and not one has taken the case so far. I can't believe the pain and suffering that drug has caused me and how it has ruined our lives since last September. I am still walking with pain and most likely looking at having to have at least one knee replaced. I can't believe this drug is on the market without a huge warning about the fact that it can rupture tendons!!! Had I known this or been informed of this possibility I would have insisted on a different drug for my infection.

I guess I will continue looking for an attorney who cares about us, the people and consumers, who are prescribed this drug for an infection but who are then left with debilitating side effects and or injuries. I am so furious about this I can't put it into words!!!!

Furious in Phoenix,
Aly

Well since we had to buy the new 'used car' unexpectedly and my son's arrival here a month ago we have undergone some new financial stresses. Hopefully by this time next month we will be better off again and not under the financil gun so to speak. Emotionally since I have had these gel injections I have been on a roller coaster ride and flushing whenever and sleeping more. I have slept half the day away the last two days, sigh.

My son went to Tucson this morning after getting the struts repaired on our other car before he has to make his way up the big mountain on the way to Springerville Monday. Hubby has to return to work tomorrow and that will be hard to take after him being home with me for 4 days straight. It seems my depression is directly due to the lack of people in my life as when I am not alone I do much better.

Our friend Dar will be coming over tomorrow as she will want to visit with my son before he leaves as well. She just adores him and loves his sense of humor, smile. With very little money between now and next weekend it will be interesting to say the least.  I hate being stressed out over finances. My knees are touch and go and I guess it is a waiting game now to see if these injections actually help. We are going swimming in a little bit once the sun goes down as it has been very hot here the last few days. Soon the monsoon season will be hitting and we will be getting some rain that is sorely needed here.

Make it a good day folks :)
Aly

Well after this morning of being given novacaine by the dentist and then the gel injection by the surgeon I feel like a pin cushion with a swollen nose and lip. Man am I wiped out!

Yesterday we stayed home as my son Mark had to work early today and we didn't feel up to the trip to Tucson and back in one day in the heat. Instead, our friend Dar came over and she made a tuna macaroni salad and brought fresh salad and we fixed hamburgs and hotdogs and beans for an early dinner. After that we played a game of Phase 10 which was a lot of fun ( I won :) and then settled down for the night.

Well we had leftover chinese tonight and now I've entered into the 'flushed face' part of these gel injections and feeling a bit strange so I'm putting myself to bed now.

Have a good evening and tomorrow everyone :)
Aly

Well since I got past the nausea using Tigan I thought I was going to make it through the night without any awful side effects from my injection. Well how wrong I was as around 11 pm I started in with bouts of increased anxiety, crying jags, and ended up with the restless leg syndrome. My body just does not handle these drugs well at all. So I was up until 4 am this morning and couldn't get up until 1 pm and then we had errands to run. Now again, I feel like a limp noodle with absolutely no energy left to do anything :(.

I have one more shot to go next week the day after the holiday. I know my sister wants us to go down there but I'm not sure we can with all I go through with this shot and the after effects. It is also her birthday on the 1st of July and we may have to delay her celebration which is not fun.

Well I guess we have more errands to do if I can muster the strength to do them. I just want to sleep.

Drive safely over this upcoming Holiday.
Aly

Mood: what a rare mood I'm in

Well little did I know how terrible a day I was going to have. Not long after having my morning protein drink I started to experience shortness of breath. I took all my daily meds and used a heating pad but nothing helped. I called hubby as he knows how to adjust my back when I have trouble but he just couldn't leave the office then. I called my friend to come over (woke her up :( ) as I was getting so uncomfortable I thought she would have to knuckle my back for me. By the time she got here I was so exhausted I had fallen asleep. Hubby came home at his lunch break and worked on me and said I had a rib protruding on my left side! I knew I was suffering I just couldn't move right to get it to move back into place.

So all afternoon I was in bed. She came in and we watched the marathow showing of "Project Runway" something I don't usually watch but she was enjoying it. Some of it was interesting although most of the clothes the 'normal' person would never wear, lol.

Tomorrow afternoon is the 2nd gel injection so I hope my back is in better shape before that happens, sigh. Not a great day for my health.

Hoping tomorrow is better. Hubby is going with me so that will be helpful to me :)

Hugs,
Aly

My son has just recently moved back to Arizona to work and then bring his family out here. He called a little while ago and said he almost collapsed and his kidneys hurt. I am worried he is suffering from heat stroke and he can't leave the job site until the other guy who is scheduled to work arrives at 4 pm. Although he has been drinking water and gatorade apparently it isn't enough for him.

It doesn't matter how old our kids are when they are sick, as a parent we worry. He has some other health conditions as well so it makes it doubly hard to hear him feeling so poorly. He will have to bring kerchiefs or something like it to wet and wrap around his neck etc if he is so bothered by the heat even while drinking fluids. He has been working since 5 this morning and I guess he won't be done until 4 or 5 tonight. After living in Connecticut this is a drastic change for him even though he use to live here years ago.

I am looking up information and going to put on some soothing music to try and calm myself. I can go thru all kinds of physical problems but when it comes to my sons I worry or flat out panic.

So now I have to deal with calming myself until he gets home safely.

Later all,
Aly

Well I just felt so miserable last night and had the chills this morning when I woke up that hubby had to take the car to Jim Click Ford without me. He is there now waiting to hear what is wrong with it. I sure hope it doesn't take long as it is his day off and our day together, or should be. At any rate as long as it isn't anything too bad they are going to take care of the repair at no charge to us since we just bought it which is a good thing for sure.

My son turned the AC up so I wouldn't be so cold and I turned off the fan in my room and he brought me so weak but warm coffee to drink which was nice. He's off running errands so it is just me and our cat hanging out here with me propped up on pillows. He was sacked out in here earlier with me but now he's probably looking out some window somewhere being tortured by the birdies, lol.

My sister sounded disappointed to hear that we weren't going to stop in today but I told her perhaps next weekend as it is her birthday on the 1st of July.

Well I wish you all a healthy and safe weekend coming up and remember to tell those you love, that you love them. Never take them for granted....
Aly

Well as we were on the way to my doctor's office I wasnt really too nervous about it as I thought it can't be as bad as having the fluid taken off my knee..... HOW WRONG I WAS!!! I don't know if was because it was in the same area of all the cortisone injections and where the fluid was drawn out but I know I stopped breathing as the nurse reminded to keep breathing. I am sure I turned colors right before their eyes. I was told to move my leg right after he injected me which I did.

I was so glad to leave his office but sad to say I have 2 more of these injections to look for. On the way home we called my son and he came to meet us for lunch which was nice. We ate at a Black Angus Restaurant and then went directly to Fry's market to pick up a few groceries... well $91 smackers later we left and came home. Shortly after that I started to feel a bit nauseous and so very tired. I came in our bedroom and laid down and took all kinds of stomach medicine. When my hubby came home I asked if he could rub my shoulders and my legs to try and help soothe me. Being the sweetheart he is he did and then I cuddled up to him and fell asleep. I still feel abit funky. I don't think this is a reaction to the injectionn but maybe a reaction to the sharp pain and the experience, or, it may not be related at all and I have a touch of a virus, I am not sure.

Well tomorrow we are suppose to go to Tuscon with our car for repair but if I still feel this funky I am not sure I will be able to go. I hope I can so hubby won't have to drive all that way alone and I would miss spending time with him.

Well I will sign off now. I hope you all have health and love in your life,
Aly

2. Thyme It makes it into grilled poultry, fish, and meat marinades by virtue of its minty, lemony flavor; it makes it onto the RealAge list of healthy herbs by virtue of its anti-cancer potency. It's also long been used as an antiseptic -- yep, that could be thyme oil in your mouthwash. If you've got a fresh bunch, mince some into your vinaigrette. Yum.

3. Cumin Concealed in your humble chili powder is one of the world's most popular spices (it's a key ingredient in Indian curries too) and another anti-cancer soldier. Go exotic and add cumin to rice and grain salads and marinades, or try this heart-healthy Ultimate Beef Chili made with chunks of fat-trimmed meat.

4. Oregano Thank our GIs for bringing oregano home from Italy after WWII. A food world superpower, leaves of the herb boast 42 times more antioxidants than apples. Wow. Use oregano to add a delicate flavor to salad dressings, garlic bread, and omelets, as well as your favorite pastas.

5. Turmeric Called the "Queen of the Kitchen" by Indian cooks, turmeric (and its active ingredient, curcumin) has earned its crown. Studies show promise in fighting cystic fibrosis, colon cancer, arthritis, and even Alzheimer's -- is there anything this golden gal can't do? For an earthy flavor and yellow coloring, add a pinch of turmeric to rice, stew, or lentils -- hey, it might even help you remember where you left your keys last night."

I absolutely love cimmanon and I had no idea it could help so many problems. I will be using it every day since I have some of those health issues!!

Sweet Dreams,
Aly

Well this Thursday I get the 1st of 3 gel injections and I am not sure what to expect. I have had cortisone injections, fluid removed which was very painful, and now these are my next step. All trying to avoid knee surgery at this point in time. I sure hope they work.

My friend came over to visit as I was having a rough day today just to add some moral support. It helps not to be alone when you are struggling or are in pain.

Hope you are all having a good day :)
Aly

Well hubby pushed me to go the surgeon this morning and begrudgingly I went. I am glad now that I did as he explained in more detail to me what is wrong with my gallbladder. I thought it was an inflamed gallbladder but after looking at my results from the scan he said I don't have an inflamed gallbladder nor do I have stones I have a gallbladder that ejects at a slower rate then most people do. I guess the normal range is 30 % and up and mine is 19%. He sais as long as I am not very symptomatic I don't need to worry about sepsis or an infection. He said it may have flared up a bit after surgery as the anesthesia and pain meds would slow it down even more. He said for now there is no need for gallbladder surgery and that was music to my ears!

We are also waiting to hear if we can get the car into Jim Click Ford for diagnosing why it is sometimes grinding when starting or hesitating. It is not the battery as we had that checked. So maybe the timing, the ignition, or the fuel injection, we don't know for sure. It runs and drives like a dream but this problem needs resolution.

Well off to relax abit after all the walking this morning. My knee is abit cranky...

Have a good day all,
Aly

Well today has been very difficult for me from the moment I woke up today. Every area that I have a problem with hurt me even before I got out of bed. I had to change my bed and while doing that I felt a twinge in my knee and that scared me but I managed to finish the job. Next I wheeled my laundry basket to the washing machine and got some clothes washing and folded the ones in there from last night. With just that effort I was tired and out of breath. I am so exasperated with my body today that it has caused an emotional meltdown for the last hour.

I called my hubby, my son, and my brother just to hear the voices of those I love. I know it is too dangerous for a person in such a low frame of spirituality to stay alone with it and not reach out for help so I did as much contacting as I could. I am so tired of feeling like my body is failing me. I have tried so hard to get walking without the crutches at least in the house that perhaps it is just tiring me in more ways then I realize. I just haven't had the stamina I use to have since I had the knee arthroscopy.

Emotionally worn down in Phoenix....
Aly

Well for the first time in about a year I finally got to go swimming! I had to be careful with my knee but with hubby's help I got to go swimming and sit in the jacuzzi for a little while this afternoon. It was a few moments in heaven for sure with the warm sun sparkling off the cool crisp refreshing water, the palm trees around the pool and no one else there but us.

Then we went to get a key made for my son, my bangs cut, and a few things we needed at CVS drug store. I am trying to walk a little more each day without using the crutches and did some easy exercises with it while in the pool since there is no impact in the pool.

Now we are relaxing while my son studies for all the tests he has to take this upcoming week. It is wonderful to have him here. He got up this morning and cleaned up the patio, cleaned out the refrigerator and was out on the patio that overlooks the golf course and studying. He seems relaxed and contented.

Well that's it for now. Keep hope in your hearts :)
Aly

We already knew that there were videos and classes dedicated to pole dancing as exercise.  Now there is an Exotic Dance Workout DVD where you will learn the moves of the exotic dance industry while losing weight! The video teaches classic stripper walk moves like the “model turn” and the “profile wave”. It also includes a section on floor work where exercisers learn to slink around on the floor with moves like the classic “black cat”. As a bonus the video includes chair prop work that can be performed with any regular chair you have in your home to give your exotic dancing a boost as well as deepening and strengthening the worked muscles. Yes folks, this one is a real product! So put on your pasties and power up that exotic dance DVD and learn to shake some stripper booty!

Well I know I need to add exercise to quicken the weight loss but this new trend won't work for me with a busted up knee! I'm sure hubby wouldn't mind it though, lol

Make it a good day folks!

Hugs,
Aly

Well since I know I am facing two surgeries in the not to distant future hubby and I just started drinking the Adkins Advantage protein drinks for two meals supplemented with sugar free pudding and or popsicles in between. Dinner time will be meat and salads and if we need a dessert it will be another pudding or popsicle. We will be looking up other drinks to make so we don't get too tired of it but this is one of the drinks recommended to drink for two weeks prior to the lap band surgery. My knees are really suffering today and I can only hope with less weight will be less pain!

I managed to clean the bathroom minus washing the floor or doing the tub, and continued the laundry and started up the dishes and I am now wasted and packed on ice.

Our friend is coming over tonight to have hubby help her with some personal letters that need to be written and to visit abit. I am sure she must be abit lonely too as in the hospital at least  you hear people all around you even if they aren't in your room.

Off to rest awhile. May courage and love fill your days and nights.
Aly

Well as we were driiving to my surgeon's appt our friend Dar called to say they were taking her into surgery at 5pm and my appt on the other side of town was at 3:30. I called my sister and aunt and they hightailed it over to the hospital to be with her before the surgery. They could feel her nervous energy and I guess almost all of them got sick to their stomachs. By the time we got back down there my sister and aunt looked bedraggled and she was still in her surgery. Not one family member there during her time of need! I pass on their behavior at this point in time. I guess they are discussing letting her go home (to her brother's) tomorrow. She is already brushing off their negligent, hurtful behavior because she is afraid of losing them. She's never had them in my opinion.

My surgeon reexamined my latest xrays and my knee and said he wanted to remove some fluid to make sure there wasn't any infection and to drain some it off my knee. He said a knee replacement is inevitable but that in the meantime we could try the gel shots to try and buy some time. He also knows I need a gallbladder surgery done. Now we wait on the insurance to hear about that. It doesn't feel quite as painful today. I am just tired out.

I expect we'll also be hearing more from my son about his plans soon. That is some really good news for sure. We can all use some of that.

Well I'm gonna do some resting up. My aunt and sister left for Tucson so the house is unusually quiet as they have been with us since last Sunday. We needed and appreciated their help.

Live in Harmony and Health,
Aly