DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 113.  A month ago I noticed a red mark on my arm.  It was while I was in the hospital.  I didn't say anything because, well, other more important things were going on.  I knew I had an appointment with my dermatologist coming up and decided to wait to see the doctor.

Today was that day.  She looked at it and it is not cancer.  Yay!  It is some long name that is basically a mark that means I am getting old, am fair skinned and spend time in the sun.  It is nothing.  This makes me happy.

My rosacea has come back.  My face is red and has bumps since I was in the hospital. The doctor gave me a special medicine to use. Hopefully it will go away.

Finished my taxes and I am sending them off tomorrow.

Going back to the Happiness Project soon now that I am feeling better.  The month of March was a bust!

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND TWELVE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 212.  Taxes.  The deadline is looming and I have to get my tax prep done.  Usually I take my tax prep to the accountant but this year since I have been ill, I will be mailing it to her.  The last thing I want to do is make an accountant sick around tax season.

At this point I just have to do the best I can and get it in the mail if I want to make the deadline.  Luckily I am really organized the way I send it to her.  She usually can get it completed in a day or so.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND ELEVEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 211.  I went out today and without a mask.  It is day 7 since I was in the ER so I feel pretty confident that I am no longer contagious plus I am barely coughing anymore.  I don't think I am able to spread it.

I took Lucky to her behavior appointment.  Lucky has an issue with space.  She resource guards space.  I have a bunch of things I need to do.  I need to put items on the places that she likes to covet.  She likes a certain chair so right now the chair has a box on it.  I can use other things: a prickly mat, a thunder mat that makes a loud noise when she jumps on it or thunder can that sprays air at her. 

I also need to stop the dogs from going on my bed by themselves.  I need to allow them to go on the bed with my permission.  This will be harder.  I will have to think of a way to do this since I don't have a regular bedroom door. 

I need to remove all the dog beds and leave one for each dog in the living room and the office.  That is it.  The rest need to go.

I need to treat Lucky when she does the correct things and ignore her when she does other things. 

I have my work cut out for me.  I need to work as hard as I worked when she had food issues.  The behaviorist seems to think it is something that is workable.


Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND TEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 210.  I went food shopping!  It feels so good to have some food in the house again.  I wore my mask and, yes, people starred.  I just ignored them.  It was probably just as well that I wore it.  All those germs at the grocery store!  Who knows what else I could catch!? 

I bought bread.  I had soup and sandwich for dinner.  It was delicious.  I also had an ice cream bar.  I am in a happy place.  I didn't buy much because I didn't want to carry too much. 

I have been working on my tax prep.  Since I have been so sick, I had to postpone my tax preparations.  It is getting rather late and I am finally able to work on it.  If I can finish it by the end of this week, I will be able to file on time.  Yay!

I am feeling better but still real tired.  The coughing has decreased so that is really good.  Progress.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 209.  Happy Easter!!  I watched a couple of movies over the last few days.  Bridge of Spies, Hop, Redwood Highway.  They were all very good.

My neighbor was very nice and went to the store for me and bought me soy ice cream.  I have been craving ice cream for days.  She also picked up a package for me.  It was a book I bought.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHT OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 208.  Another day laying around.  I would never believed I would get tired of laying around and being stuck in the house.  People have said read a book, watch a movie, watch TV, listen to music.  Sure.  But I have been laid up since February 22nd.  That is 33 days.  The first week I was in the hospital and pretty out of it.  Then I was home and my brain was not quite right so all I could do was watch TV.  Now I can do more and I don't have the energy.  I am now reading a book.

I have one more Tamiflu left to take and then I am done with the medicine.  I don't have to wear a mask anymore but I still need to be careful around people.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 207.  Today was another day of lovely weather and I am in bed.  I went out on the balcony for a few minutes to enjoy the sunshine then I went back to bed.  I forgot it was Easter weekend.  I called a vendor and they were closed for Easter.  Did companies close for the Friday before Easter anymore? 

Besides trying to get some work done, I am binge watching one of my favorite time waster BBC shows Death in Paradise.  It is really silly but it is fun to watch.  Sort of like Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.  Very British humor but this one has a wonderful beach background.  Nice to look at when laid up!

Not much else going on here except I am running out of food and may have to venture out to the supermarket with my mask on to get more sustenance.  Also some ice cream.  I want ice cream and I ran out a few days ago.  You know how you crave something once you don't have it?  I am at that point. 

I think the March Happiness activities have gone by the wayside.  I have been doing more of the April activities.  Those activities are more about family, reaching out, connecting with people more.  Nothing makes you connect with family and friends like two possible fatal diseases!  My family and friends have been more than wonderful.  Offering to come take care of me.  Doing favors for me.  Taking care of Lucky and Happi.  Asking me if I need anything.  Driving me places.  Super nice.  I could not ask for nicer folks.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SIX OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 206.  I can feel the Tamiflu working already.  I had to go check in with my primary today.  I kind of wish I didn't have to go because I didn't feel well.  At my appointment my primary told me there were two things I have watch out for.  One is some weird thing where my body eats my lungs.  I told him to stop talking it sounded so horrible.  The second is bacterial pneumonia, something I know all to well.  I have had it two or three times so far.  I am not trying for another time.

I had to get this paperwork in to the city for an assessment and it took all my brain power to get it done over the last 48 hours.  I had to seal and reseal the envelope 4 times because I left out the check, put the copy in instead of the original, put two copies in instead of the original.  It was a mess.  I have high hopes that the paperwork goes through.

Now I just have to rest and get better.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 205.  I could not sleep all night.  I was hot. I was cold with the chills.  I was nauseous.  I ached everywhere. I could not think straight. I thought I had meningitis again.  At 3am I wanted to go to the hospital but what was I going to do with the dogs?  I stuck it out until 6 am when I texted my neighbor to ask if he could feed and walk the dogs.  When he said he would I caught a cab to the ER.

When I got there my blood pressure was really low.  So low that they took it twice and asked me if my blood pressure was normally low.  I said yes and they asked me how low?  I told them I was too sick to answer any more questions and began vomiting.  They then took me directly back to a single room.  Meningitis and low blood pressure (as well as chest pains) really get you fast service and a room to your self.

I got one of my favorite docs and he ran a bunch of tests.  Blood, more blood, flu test.  Gave me some morphine and called my primary.  They decided I had been through enough in the past month and another spinal tap was not necessary.  The flu test came back positive so I have the flu.  Not the "oh, I think I have the flu" type of flu.  It is the you have flu, wear this mask for 5 days and take Tamiflu.  You are contagious type of flu.

I went home and got in bed and fell asleep.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FOUR OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 204. Today I basically didn't really get out of bed.  I worked from bed, ate from bed, hung out in bed.  I kept falling asleep.  My back is killing me, I have a headache.  Nauseous.  Miserable.  Going to sleep.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THREE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 203.  I am sorry I can't write much I feel horrible.  I thought I would be able to do more today but I don't feel very well.

I got all excited because my Amazon Echo arrived but I barely had the energy to set it up.

Going to sleep.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND TWO OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 202.  I left the door on my car cracked open and my battery died.  I went out to go to the supermarket and my car would not start.  I had to call AAA to jump my car.  At that point I had to drive the car around to charge the battery and my idea of shopping was gone.  I took a bath instead and got into bed.

My friend is having a baby so I got to internet shop for baby clothes!  So cute.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND ONE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 201.  I am in a book.  Really, in a book.

Remember back in September when I went to Oregon?  I had the pleasure to have dinner one evening with two gentlemen.  I went to a pizza place and the two men next to me started talking to me and we decided to eat together.  One of the men was riding his bike from Canada to San Francisco.  He was then writing a book about it.  I just got an email telling me the book was completed and I am mentioned in the book.  How exciting!

The book is called "A Long Ride Coming: How the Struggle of Losing a Parent Led to a Bicycle Journey Nearly 50 Years Later" by Buzz Ponce.  I have not read it yet so I can't give you a review but I read the part I am mentioned in and it is great!

I am really trying to spend time in bed resting.  I had a few errands to run and I went to a neighbor's fundraiser for an hour.  Then I came home and ordered Thai food and watched Annie.

Until tomorrow...

DAY TWO HUNDRED OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 200!!!  It is day Two Hundred.  Wow!  How exciting!

I got Lucky's vet results and her lab results are good.  Now she has to have her teeth cleaned and checked.  Her appointment is not for weeks.  Poor thing.  I hate getting her teeth cleaned.  She has the worst teeth.  She has had 9 removed already.  The doctor did say they didn't seem as bad as other times.  Only a level two this time.

I sat down to do a big project and fell asleep for 2 hours this afternoon.  I know I am overdoing it.  It is hard to balance the needs of living and work with the need to stay in bed and relax.

I know I mentioned it before but the meninges in my head are inflamed and they are causing horrible pain in my neck and back.  Sometimes the pain in my shoulder blades is unbearable searing pain.  Sometimes the pain is down where the lumbar puncture was done. My neck is so stiff.  Sometimes I forget about it and I turn my head and pain hits me like a knife stabbing me in my neck.

Below is an illustration of a head.  You can see the skin, bone (skull), then the meningies: Dura mater, Arachnoid, and Pia Mater.  Under the meningies is the brain.  Between the Arachnoid and Pia Mater is where the spinal fluid is.  

By SVG by Mysid, original by SEER Development Team [1] - Vectorized in Inkscape by Mysid, based on work by SEER Development Team, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10485059

I am going to spend a lot of time in bed this weekend drinking lots of fluids.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-NINE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 199.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Today was a tough day.  I did too much.  I had to take the dogs to the vet.  Lucky has not been feeling well and not eating so I wanted to get her checked out.  Meanwhile I brought Happi to get her shots at the same time.  2 dogs one stone! 

I had a client that kept insisting that I come to their office to do a simple task: putting items in a Fed Ex and making sure the Fed Ex got sent out.  I explained that I could not come.  I needed to take it easy.  She kept telling me that I needed to take care of this task.  I sent an email with the steps on how to do the task and still she insisted that I come and take care of it.  So after the taking the dogs to the vet, I drove 45 minutes to take stuff the Fed Ex.  I am sick but I decided to act a bit sicker when I got there.  It wasn't hard because when I got there, I felt awful.  It took me 45 minutes to drive home.  When I got home, I got an email from her thanking me and telling me she felt bad for making me come over for such a simple task when I looked so ill.  Then she said I should get back in bed.  So my plan worked.  I wanted her to realize that she needed to listen to me and know that I was not making it up.  I was really ill.  In my life I have run across people like this.  Until they see you looking like you belong in the hospital they don't believe you are really ill.  But once they see you, they are very sympathetic.  Now she will stop pushing me and let me heal at my own pace.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 198.  Tried to get bed rest today.  On the fly my new contractor called to say he wanted to come over and look at the work I need to get done.  I was so excited I said come on over!  He stayed for almost 2 hours!  I have along "Honey Do List" and he is willing to work on all of it.  Yippee!

He is going to fix the two leaks I have, my water logged doors, shingle ripped off my home, my loud drier vent, and some other things.  I am so happy.  It will be like a new house.  Just the dryer alone is worth it.  The tubing is vibrating so loud that I can hardly watch TV in the room above.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 197.  I tried to spend much of the day in bed.  I never got out of my pajamas.  That is a good sign!  Can't go anywhere if I don't get out of my PJ's.

I am tired of being in bed.  There is only so much TV I can watch.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 196.  Today was my first day back at work.  I went to a clients location.  I drove my car for the second day.

Then my brother and I went to a museum.  I had to leave early because my back was hurting a lot.  I came home and called my doctor.

My brother made us soup.  It was really good and I got to freeze some of it.

My doctor called and he said I was overdoing it and needed to get back in bed.  My meninges were inflamed and this was not good.  It was causing me to have pain in my neck and down my back.  My shoulder blades feel like they are on fire.  The meninges are in your head, the lining covering your brain.  When they are inflamed, it is horribly painful.

Back to bed.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 195.  Today I went food shopping to get ready for my brother's arrival.  My brother came back to visit.  This time he was around a while.  We went out for salads at a burger place.  We also went to see Kung Fu Panda 3.  It was really cute.

Maybe I overdid it??

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 194.  Today I went to buy flowers for the few people who have helped me.  I delivered them to their homes with thank you notes.  I finally felt well enough to go to the florist.  I wanted to thank them for being so nice to me.

My helper came to cut down the ivy on a fence that pulled down a shingle on my home.  She worked very hard cutting down the ivy.  It was hard and dirty work.  

Then I went to lay down.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-THREE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 193.  Today I had to empty the pond half way.  It was raining so hard that the water almost overflowed.  I stuck the pump in and set the timer for 30 minutes.  Low impact work.

Tonight my real estate neighbor had an open house down the street.  It is a cute cottage for sale.  I went for a short time to socialize.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-TWO OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 192.  I went to a doctor's appointment today in the pouring rain.  The rain has not stopped for days.  I mean days.  The pond is 3 1/2 feet deep and it is almost full.  I am going to have to empty it soon.

It takes everything out of me to do the simplest things.  It is frustrating that I am still sick this many days after my hospital stay.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY-ONE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 191.  Tonight I actually went out.  My neighbor had a birthday pizza party and invited me.  I figure I could sit at home or at her home.  I chose her home.  It was nice to get out for two hours and be around people.  I slept good that night.

I had to stop the pain killers.  I was having a hard time sleeping.  They stop working for me after awhile.  Then I can't sleep.  I do have the weirdest dreams.  I am not a person that dreams much or remembers them much.  But on this medicine, I have the weirdest dreams that I remember.  It is bizarre.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED NINETY OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 190.  Today is Lucky's birthday!  She is around 8 years old.  I could not get out and get her a special doggie cupcake so she got a liver treat.  She loved it.  Happi got one too just to be fair.

The dog walker came and took them both out for a walk in the rain.  The dogs have been hating the rain.  They don't want to go out for a walk.  I think Happi slipped in the back yard.  She is avoiding going in the backyard as much as she can.  Poor baby.  Three legs makes it hard when you slip.

Still trying to rest.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 189.  Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law and my friend B.  I slept almost the whole day.  I was very tired today.  My shoulder blades are really sore.  Not sure what that is all about.

Today I googled Meningitis.  Gosh that is a scary thing to google.  It is really serious.  I am glad I didn't know all this information when I was in the hospital.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-EIGHT OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 188.  I cooked some food so I would have something to eat for a few days.  I also relaxed.  Tomorrow was supposed to be my first day back but I don't think I can drive so I told my client I could not attend.  I still need to rest up.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVEN OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 187.  My brother left today but he will be back in a week.  I slept a lot today.  Just watched TV and hung out.  My friend J came by to see me for a short while.  He brought me a small plant.  It was very sweet and I hope I don't kill the plant.  It was nice to have a visitor.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 186. It has been hard to keep up with blogging.  I think about what I want to write but I have no energy to open the computer and write any thing.  I get so nauseous when my eyes move to much like typing or watching too much TV or driving or reading.

Today my brother arrived.  He was supposed to arrive earlier in the day but his plane was delayed.  I decided it was important to run some of my errands myself.  I took a cab to the pharmacy and got my prescription, the bank to get some cash, and to the post office to pick up my mail.  Then I came home in a cab.

When my brother arrived we went out to a restaurant and then to the supermarket.  I got enough food to last another week.

My brother and sister-in-law sent me some adult coloring books and pencils.  That was such a sweet gift.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 185.  I had called for more pain killers a few days ago and today I called to follow up and the doctor's assistant said I had to come get the prescription.  She said it was ready for a few days.  I asked her why she didn't call to tell me?  I was there yesterday and now I have to come back and I can't drive.  Ergh...

I called my neighbor again and asked him if he could drive me again across town to pick up my prescription.  Controlled substances can not be called in to a pharmacy anymore, I have to walk in with the prescription.  Luckily (or unluckily) I spend so much time at the pharmacy they know me and filled the prescription quickly so I could go home to rest.  Once again I got ill from all the movement.  I came home and took a two hour nap.

My helper came over again to clean the house some more.  She also walked the dogs, took out the trash, and did some more things.  The house is all ready for my brother to visit tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 184.  I went to see my RA doc today.  She was better than last time I was there.  Maybe I was just feeling horrible, who knows.

I was correct that I will have to stop taking Enbrel.  I can't take Humira either.

The plan is this:  Wait until I feel better before I do anything.  Once I feel better, start taking Plaquinel.  She wants me to reduce my Prednisone dose.  Come back and see her in 30 days.  If I feel worse before 30 days, I am to call her.  She thinks I may not need to go back on another arthritis medicine.  I am not sure I agree with her but I will wait and see.  Now I have all this Enbrel in my fridge I wish I could give to someone.  I don't know anyone on Enbrel or I would give it to them.

On my way home from the doctor's I got really sick.  I don't think I would make it back home before I vomited.  I did and my friend K stayed with me for an hour to make sure I was okay.  They said I was completely white.  It took me about two hours to feel better.  Movement makes me feel crappy.  I need to stay in bed!

Until tomorrow...

DAY ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

Day 183.

 Celebrate Good Times!  Why am I celebrating?  I am half-way through the Happiness Project!  I have been writing and participating in the Happiness Project for 6-months!!!  Yay!!

Today is the first day of March and the month of My Passions.

But first a recap of February and the month of Games I Want to Play.

• Do things that make you happy.  - At the beginning of the month I did things that made me happy.  I went to the museum, I went to two concerts, dinner with a friend, movie, out for ice cream, went to a sing-a-long movie, lunch with a friend, the Superbowl.  I did a lot of things that made me happy.
• Do things you have never done before. - went to a sing-a-long and by myself.  I went to the museum.
• See Lots of movies - I went to two movies.  I wanted to go to more but I ended up in the hospital and that put a kink in my plans.
• Continue to Blog as long as it makes you happy. - was very tired of writing this blog but I have a renewed energy.
• Find someone to play board games - alas, I have no one play board games with.  I will continue trying...
• Museums; Cultural things - I went to the museum.  I had play tickets that I missed because I was in the hospital.  Do rock concerts count?  I went to two. 
• Take time for projects - It was a short month made shorter by spending a week in the hospital.  No dice here.
• Train for the Bike Ride (I know it is not a game but it is time to start training for July!)  This was Play Wii more often.  I can do that too!  - I had to stop riding the bike when I got sick and then I was in the hospital.  Nothing more to say.

 March - My Passions

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

• Visit places I have never been
• Cook food (eat food) I have never been able
• Take lots of pictures
• Sit on a rock in a desert
• Take a road trip or mini adventure
• Camping, concerts, Things on the fly and unexpected
• Just follow your passion
• See the world!

I am ready to search for my passions once I feel better.

Health update:
Today I had a person come over to help me with some things.  She helped with taking out the trash, vacuuming the house, and some other small tasks that I can not do.  I also had another person come and walk the dogs.  He is going to walk the dogs for a while until I am feeling better.  I appreciated my neighbors doing it but I felt I had been taking advantage now that I was home so I hired someone to come two times a day.  The dogs are very happy.

I just have to rest more.  I had another episode where I got light headed and faint.  It is scary that it comes on so fast.  I will try to rest more.

Until tomorrow...