Never Have I Ever (#NHBPM Day 25)

Today has not been a good health day.  I have massive joint pain in some crazy joints.  The joints by the balls in my feet, my hips, my knuckles and my wrists.  ugh...  Nothing to do but stay off my feet.  So no Black Friday Shopping for me!  Okay you caught me, I did some internet shopping for myself.

Photo by Salvatore Vuono

Today's assignment is to write about something I have never done but want to.  The list of things I have never done but want to is long.  I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle, go on a zipline through a forest, go parasailing, go the Galapagos, take a cruise to Alaska, travel to see my friend in Australia, see the pyramids, go to Africa and go on a safari, and drive across the USA again on the northern route.  It seems a lot of my list is travel.  Since I have gotten sick the thought of travel gets more and more out of reach.  I know I can do it but it gets harder and more difficult.  The last time I traveled with my Enbrel I had a problem keeping it cold because we were in a really hot climate.  I almost ruined $700 worth of medicine by letting it get too hot.  It gets to be a pain that I have to bring extra medicine in the bottles on vacation and I have to bring it on the plane with me.  That takes half my carry on bag!  And most of the medicine I will never use but have to bring "just in case". 

There are roadblocks keeping me from doing all these activities.   I worry that we would make plans to go on a big trip and then I would have a day like today.  I literally can't walk without massive pain.  I guess I could get a wheelchair at the airport and that would help.  I can only drive so many hours in one day so driving across country would be a long trip.  Last time I drove across country, I drove all day for 8-10 hours.  I can't do that anymore.  I could drive eight hours one day but not day after day.  It would have to be a much more leisurely trip.  I worry about taking a cruise because I have heard of so many people getting ill on those ships.  I would be so unhappy if I got sick on a cruise and not be able to contact my doctor. 

So, I guess for now I will dream of doing these activities and hope that some day soon I will be able to do them.  I will keep my fingers crossed that that day will come soon.  Meanwhile I will concentrate on the activities I can do.  Walking my dogs (okay, not today!), scrapbooking, taking pictures, reading, watching movies, cooking, finding good recipes, and blogging!  Those activities are keeping me busy.

What have you never done but want to?  Is it bungee jumping?  Hang gliding?  Flying a plane?  Write and tell me.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

My Mascot! (#NHBPM Day 24)

Happy Thanksgiving!!  We had a lovely time with our friends.  We had three men over to eat great food and have interesting conversation.  Brenda made Cornish hens and I had a super great acorn squash with wild rice stuffing.  Yum!  I made mashed potatoes for the first time solo.  They turned out great!  I also made my famous stuffing and green beans.  One of the guys brought two pies.  I can't wait to eat left overs tomorrow.

Our scheduled topic is to give myself or my condition a mascot.  (Boy, I can't wait until some of these weird topics are over!)  I chose to give my condition a mascot.  I thought about making my mascot a cute little car with a big smile or a cutie animal or a smiley face.  But none of these spoke to me.  I needed something with a story.

Photo from Edkins Family Index page

My mascot is Ra.  Ra is the patron of the sun, heaven, kingship, power, light.  The meaning of Ra's name is uncertain, but it is thought if not a word for 'sun' it may be a variant of or linked to 'creative'.  In artwork Ra primarily is depicted as a man wearing a pharaoh's crown (a sign of his leadership of the deities) and the wadjet sun disk above his head. Often he had a falcon's head crowned with a sun disk or a man with a falcon's head.

From The Edkins Family Index Page "Ra was the greatest of the gods and he kept his power in his secret name, which only he knew. He had started to grow old, and sometimes he dribbled. Isis collected some of his saliva and made it into a snake. She hid the snake where Ra would walk. When Ra trod on it, it bit him, and Ra screamed in pain. All the gods gathered round, but none could heal him. Isis said "If you tell me your secret name, this will give me enough magic power to heal you." Ra didn't want to do this, but eventually the pain was so bad that he had to. Isis healed him, and ever since then she has the magic powers that Ra had."

I chose this as my mascot because Ra reminds me of the warm pain I feel in my hands and feet in the morning when I have a flare.  The story above speaks about Ra stepping on a snake and feeling the pain in his feet.  He is in pain and all the gods could not heal him.  Isis had the magic potion to heal him but only if he gave up his magic powers.  This reminds me of my story: I have pain in my joints, the doctors try but can not heal me.  The pharmaceutical companies can heal me with their magic potions but the insurance companies stand in the way. I have to give up my magic powers (i.e. all my money!)  See how we have the same story??  I have a real kinship for Ra.  Not to mention Ra and RA get it?  There you go, my mascot.  A falcon with a sun disk on it's head.

What would be your mascot?

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

Health Activist Choice (#NHBPM Day 23)

Today's post is Health Activist Choice. We can write about whatever we want!  So I have decided to write about what I am thankful for.  Seems appropriate considering tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for:

• my family
• my friends
• my pets who love me unconditionally
• my health (you may think this sounds weird but I am thankful my health situation is not worse.  It can always get worse...)
• my work.  I love working for myself even if it means I will not get financially rich!

Tomorrow we are having what we call "orphan's Thanksgiving".  That is when our friends who have nowhere else to go and no family in the area come to our house to celebrate.  We have three folks coming to celebrate.  It should be fun.  The neighbors on our block have a tradition where we come out at 2 pm to toast each other.  We gather in the street with a glass of wine or whatever and toast to what we are thankful for.  Then, of course, we watch FOOTBALL!

We are serving Cornish hens and I am having a stuffed acorn squash with all the regular sides.  I am hungry just thinking about it.  I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving.  Write in and tell me what you are thankful for.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

Be Present (#NHBPM Day 22)

 Today we are supposed to Be Present.  I am supposed to write about something peaceful with imagery.  Well, if you know me, you know that I am not a very peaceful with imagery kinda person.  I don't really think of unicorns and rainbows.  Okay, maybe I can conjure up a beach in Kauai with palm trees blowing in the breeze but that is the best I can do. 

Instead I want to talk about a real problem.  Big box stores opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day.  I don't know about you but I am annoyed that these big box stores are opening earlier and earlier each year.  Pretty soon Black Friday will start on Wednesday!  Not only do the commercials annoy me (although that lady on the Target commercial does crack me up), it annoys me that the stores have to keep "one upping" each other.  Target is opening at midnight so then Walmart is going to open at 10 pm and at some Best Buy locations they are playing a movie for waiting customers at 8 pm. 

Walmart circular ad

The most important thing that the big box store executives don't seem to consider is that real people have to work in those stores.  Those executives are warm and cozy sitting by the fire with their families watching football and eating turkey while the real minimum wage people have to show up to work one hour before the store opens up.  Which means they have to leave their homes sometimes one hour before that. So to get to work at Walmart at 10 pm, they have to leave their homes around 8 pm.  We all know that mass transit doesn't run on a regular schedule on holidays so the trip will be horrendous!  Not to mention that 2/3 of workers at places like Walmart and Target are women.  Most of these women traditionally have cooked all day to put a Thanksgiving feast on the table for their families.  Sometime during the day, they need to take a nap so they can stay up all night working! 

Well, I think it is time this craziness stops!  Do we all need a cheap Cuisinart so bad that we can't wait until 8 am on Friday?  Can't the latest video game still be 1/2 price at 9 am on Friday?  Can't the American worker spend Thanksgiving Day with family?  Many of these families work multiple jobs and don't spend much time with extended family.  Many times holidays are the only time spent time together with family. 

There are petitions going around on Facebook and other places to stop this insanity and let the American worker at Big Box stores spend Thanksgiving with family.  I mean, after all, isn't that what Thanksgiving has become all about?  Not about getting the best deal on a Xbox 360 4GB console with Kinect.  What do you think?  Family or Best Deals?  (Remember you can't take it with you.)

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

Ekphrasis post (#NHBPM Day 21)

Today's post is an Ekphrasis (writing about another art form).   Don't worry, I had to look it up too.  We were supposed to find a Flickr Image that inspired me in some way and write about it for 15 minutes with out stopping or editing.  So here is my disclaimer: I have not edited this blog prior to publishing!  So I can't be held responsible for bad typing, horrible grammar, or run on sentences.  For that you can blame my public school education and my 9th grade English teacher who was a drunk and would pass out on her desk.

Flickr photo by xomiele

So I chose this photo of a twenty dollar bill with an occupy wall street stamp on it.  I am sure I would see one of these bills around but I don't have much cash on me these days.  I chose occupy wall street because it is in the news every day where I live and it is such an interesting time for our country.  Whether you agree with Occupy or not, it is an interesting concept: the 99%.  That people feel they are kept out of making decisions that affect (or is effect?  There is that public school education again) them.  Whether they really are being kept out or not, really makes no difference if they feel they are.

Every day you hear about people losing their retirements, losing their homes, losing their jobs, just like the newscasters are reading off a shopping list; like it doesn't mean anything.  Like real people aren't being affected.  The unemployment rate has risen again, they say.  Like that doesn't mean dad won't be able to afford a Thanksgiving turkey this year or be able to pay the rent, mortgage, heat, cable bill. 

Meanwhile more jobs go overseas because their labor will work cheaper and longer hours.  I recently bought a dresser from a company that only sells furniture made in America.  Not that I think everything can be made in America but if it can be made in America why in the heck are we having it made somewhere else?  I know because it is cheaper but is anyone getting the clue that cheaper and made from another country means higher unemployment in America?

Okay back to the Occupy photo.  I picked it because where I live there are many encampments and there have been times when the police have stepped over the line.  I believe that all Americans should be able to non-violently protest without being beaten by the police, stopped by the police, or pepper sprayed by the police.  If the protestors are being unlawful, fine arrest them, most protestors know what they are getting into if they choose to lock arms and sit in the street.  In most cases they have decided in advance to get arrested and have planned for it.  But pulling hair, pepper spraying, hitting on the head with a bully club and shooting smoke canisters directly at protesters is crossing a line.  We see this in other countries and condemn them for hurting their own people.  How can it be happening in my own backyard?

So, that is why I chose the Occupy photo.  People want to be heard.  Just like in the 60's and the 70's.  When people don't feel they are being heard, they act out.  I just wanted to say I hear you! 

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

LOL Post (#NHBPM Day 20)

Today we are writing about something that makes us laugh.  I tried really hard to think of one thing that makes me laugh but I couldn't think of one thing that I could write a whole post about.  There are many things that make me laugh: the show Mike & Molly cracks me up, watching my dog Lucky try to pee when the grass is wet and she doesn't want to put her bottom near the wet grass, the Target commercial for Black Friday with that crazy lady working out, Two and Half Men (the old ones with Charlie Sheen) episodes especially with Berta, most Pixar/Dreamworks/Warner Bros./Disney animated movies, and my partner's laugh. 

It is important to have moments that make you laugh, especially those deep, belly laughs.  I believe laughter is the best medicine.  What makes you laugh?


This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

"Best of" Post (#NHBPM Day 19)

Today we are to take one of our archived posts and repost it with comments.  I have chosen to repost Cone of Shame from Sunday, October 23, 2011. It was when my dog Lucky had a spot on her leg and had to wear the cone of shame.  Poor thing had such a hard time.  She fell going UP the stairs and then refused to climb the stairs for the rest of the 13 days she had the cone on.  I had to carry her up all day long!

The Cone of Shame

My poor little dog Lucky had to go to the veterinarian yesterday because she has been licking a spot on her leg.  She licks and licks her "elbow" and won't stop.  Since she has aggression issues, I can't sort of make her stop by any other means than by letting her up on the couch and letting her cuddle (which she isn't supposed to do.)  She isn't supposed to get up on the couch because then she thinks it is Her Couch and growls at our other dog Happi if she comes near it.

Anyway, I have gotten off point.  Poor little Lucky went to vet early Saturday morning and she was already miserable because I can't feed her before going in the car unless I want to see her breakfast all over the seat about four blocks later.  Little Lucky gets carsick.  So she got no breakfast and had to go in the car.  (It is funny, she loves to go in the car; just hates when it moves.  Explain that to me.)  We drove to the vets with her doing this funny little whine/cry at about the half way point. 

Lucky Cone of Shame by Adrienne

When we got there of course she was a perfect angel.  The doctor did things to her that if I did them she would have take a snap at me!  Turns out she has a little bug bite or something that is just annoying her and she keeps licking it.  We have to get her to stop and that requires antibiotics and The Cone of Shame.  She is not happy about the cone.

I brought her home and she just stood in the middle of the kitchen with the cone on.  She didn't move.  It was like she thought the cone would disappear the way it appeared if she just stood there long enough.  Well, it has not.  We went on a walk and she walked five steps then stopped, five steps then stopped.  It took us 40 minutes to go around the block.  She wanted me to carry her but I held strong.  She has to figure this out on her own.  Then she woke up at 2:30 am to cry because she could not get comfortable.  That went on for 30 minutes.  Finally I took her upstairs to put her in her cage and she fought to not be put in.  My heart melted.  I told her she could go back downstairs but no crying.  She ran downstairs (as fast as you can with a cone around your neck!) and got in her bed and that was the end of the crying.  A little tough love.

This morning she climbed the stairs herself and went outside herself.  I was very proud of her.  She seems to have given in to the fact that she will be wearing this for a while.  (really only a few days)  But she seems to have a new attitude about it this morning.

It got me thinking about when I had a flare like last week.  I know I want to cry and curl up in a ball (and wish someone would carry me around and up and down the stairs!) But I know with each flare I make it through, I do feel proud that I made it through yet another battle.  It is not fun to wear a cone or be in a wheelchair or have a foot brace and it sucks to have to give into using assistance devices but when I felt better and did not not have to use them, I felt like I had conquered something.  I know that someday I may have to use some assistance devices all the time but that day is not today.

Update:
Today I had to take Lucky to the vet yet again.  This week she accidentally got into a cup of nut, raisin, M&M mix.  She didn't even chew the stuff, just swallowed it whole.  A day later she began having peanuts in her poop.  Then on Friday morning she vomited up some almonds.  Since I thought she might have more almonds in her system, I took her to get an x-ray and some blood work (for the raisins).  She spent the whole day at the vets.  Everything came out fine but they think she has gastroenteritis.  Poor dog has the worst luck.  We should have named her UnLucky! 

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

A Comment As A Blog Post (#NHBPM Day 18)

Today our challenge is to pick someone else's post and write a comment to them.  I decided to choose a blog called Feelin' Swell: My Life with RA.  The current post is titled Blog Guilt.  I found this blog post to be very interesting and something I have been struggling with myself.  "Squirrel" is a woman from Scotland who wrote that she had blog guilt because she had not written in her blog in a long time.  She has probably written three times in six months.  Not because she was feeling poorly but because she was feeling GREAT!  How wonderful!  Feeling great is the point.

Comment:
I understand what you are writing about.  There are days when I sit down and feel like I have nothing to write.  Nothing has happened that day or I can't think of anything interesting to say.  There are also days when I feel great and I don't want to go on and on about how great I feel.  It is sort of like survivors guilt.  When others are feeling so poorly, I don't want to go on about how wonderful I feel.  Just like you wrote in your blog post.

On the flip side, when I feel crappy, I don't want to go on and on about how awful I feel because that is not who I am.  I don't like to complain, even though I know my audience (especially) knows it is not complaining.  I just don't like to dwell on the negative.  I say "I don't feel well" and move on and figure out a way to feel better.  But there are days I just can't feel better but I do my best. 

You wrote that when you were diagnosed you were unable to find upbeat stories of people with RA and you vowed that you would continue to write in your blog even if you were feeling better.  When you started feeling better you weren't sure anyone wanted to hear about how great you were feeling.  I think you should continue to write about how great you are feeling.  Other people with RA need to hear those good stories.  Not everyone is in constant pain and has operations all the time and takes a mound of pills and shots.  Some folks go into remission or take one medication and feel better.  That is great!  You are lucky!  I think it is important to find positive stories of the lives of RA patients.  I know I have highs and lows with this disease.  I think the 30 blogs in 30 days has taught me a very good lesson.  It taught me how many things I can write about that are positive and upbeat and still interesting.    It is so important to hear all sides of RA and Crohn's.  Squirrel keep posting when you can.  I am interested in hearing where life takes you.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J    

Let It Be (#NHBPM Day 17)

Our challenge today is to "Let it Be" and write about something that bothers me or weighs on me.  Well this is going to be a challenge for me.  Trying to think of something that weighs on me or bothers me that is interesting enough to write about.  There are so many things that interest me: the Occupy Movement, cost of healthcare, the fact that my Ipod Nano has been recalled, Regis Philbin leaving LIVE! tomorrow, Penn State's situation, the Citadel's situation, Herman Cain and all these sexual harassment claims, and why some company shaped tofu into the shape of a turkey-breast and called it Tofurky.  

I think I have chosen Tofurky to write about.  Now I started eating the actual brand Tofurky very recently.  I have been a vegetarian for about 30 years.  I have been eating tofu the whole time mostly in Chinese stir fry and that sort of stuff.  It is only in the last 13 years that I have been more adventurous and started cooking tofu various ways at home.  Sesame encrusted tofu, tofu scramble, tofu Parmesan, and other excited tofu recipes.  I thought the idea of Tofurky was disgusting. 

A few months ago Brenda and I went to a Katy Perry concert and there were some vegans handing out pamphlets outside the venue.  One of the pamphlets had vegan food options and one was the Tofurky brand.  It turns out that Tofurky sells lunch "meat" made out of tofu.  We decided to try some of the vegan options on the pamphlet and we loved the Tofurky lunch "meat".  So, I have become a Tofurky brand convert. But...

Wikipedia

I still can't bring myself to buy a turkey-breast shaped blob of tofu.  Tofurky is "seitan and soy based and was created to have a texture similar to that of meat products; the vegetable-based turkey-like flavorings are intended to make it comparable to traditional Thanksgiving fare. In order to make the product as similar to flesh as they intended, its creators designed the roast so that it tears off at a forty-five degree angle with the grain" from Wikipedia.  Tofurky has a whole line of holiday meals: Tofurky Roast, Tofurky Feast, and Tofurky Giblet and Gravy. 

Maybe I will try it like I tried the Tofurky lunch "meat" some day in the future.  But this will be hard.  I don't like things that are fake and shaped like the real thing.  I think this Thanksgiving, like other Thanksgivings, I will stick to making a stuffed acorn squash, stuffing (or dressing), vegetables, mashed potatoes, salad and some other vegetable.  No Tofurky in our house!

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J   

Little Engine Post (#NHBPM Day 16)

The Little Engine that Could

I have been asked to write a list post with 10-15 lines that each start with "I think I can..."  Then I have been asked to write 5 lines that start with "I know I can..."  So here goes my attempt.

1. I think I can be better about taking my medicine every day.
2. I think I can exercise more often and lose some of this weight.
3. I think I can finish this 30 blogs in 30 days project.  Whew...
4. I think I can read this months book club book selection in time for book club.
5. I think I can continue my current scrapbooking project and start and finish the next two in a timely manner.
6. I think I can get through the holidays in one piece with no RA flares, Crohn's attacks or the flu.
7. I think I can keep dreaming of vacations to far away places, in far away lands, in far away galaxies.
8. I think I can do more projects around the house rather than hire someone to do them.  It is satisfying to do them myself when I can.
9. I think I can get the hot tub up and running so we can hot tub this winter.
10. I think I can raise money and walk in this year's Arthritis Walk.  Anyone want to join me??

1. I know I can be a great Arthritis Ambassador and go to Washington, D.C. in April for the lobbying gathering.
2. I know I can laugh, laugh, laugh.
3. I know I can continue to love and walk my dogs.
4. I know I can continue to cook and eat healthy.  I am getting better at the cooking part.
5. I know I can keep this sense of humor through it all.

Can you think of a list of "I think I can..." or  "I know I can..." ?  Will you share??

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J