We got an early start this morning since we needed to meet our bus for the Desert View Tour at 9:10 am. We were so early that we had time to eat breakfast here at the motel and do some shopping at a couple of gift shops at the Yavapei Lodge and still be early for our tour! Much improvement over yesterday!
This tour was awesome! The driver/tour guide was named Bob and he has worked at several Federal parks and was a history major. He was a wealth of information about the park, its history, the plants, animals, other sights nearby, etc. He even takes great picture! LOL We SOOO enjoyed this tour. There were only 19 of us on the tour so the bus was not crowded. We never would have found out the tidbits or even known where to go if we had driven ourselves around. I took TONS AND TONS of pictures. So much to see and want to remember.
The last stop was at Desert View where the Watchtower is located. It is a recreation of a prehistoric Indian lookout. We climbed to the top (4 stories) and the view was breathtaking. We could see all the way to the painted desert. After climbing down, we walked to the snack bar and got some lunch. The weather was so perfect, we ate outside. A raven decided to join us, begging for food. But it is illegal to feed the wildlife within the park, so I just took pictures of him. He seemed to enjoy posing, and he was quite vocal, too!
After the tour, we took some shopping time. I even bought a "plant your own cacti kit" that the store employee assured me would be fine in carry-on on the plane. I wanted my own little piece of Arizona to take home. And I have bought tons of magnets... I always do. I've also bought myself about 3 pairs of earrings. Mom has bought quite a bit, too... we will probably be shipping some stuff home! LOL We even found scrapbooking items specific to the Grand Canyon.
After shopping, we were SOOO tired. The high elevation really does affect you. I didn't realize. It was about 2:30 - 3, and we went ahead and left the park. We did a little shopping out here near the motel and went to see the IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon. It was really good and you felt like you were THERE - on the river, riding the rapids to gliding in the air over the canyon. (Speaking of rapids, the tour guide told us that all other rivers have rapids graded on a scale from 1-5... except the Colorado River which runs through the canyon. It goes from 1-10!!) I barely lived going down the Chattahoochee on a tube... I would NEVER try it here!!
I am really tired now... so I will finish today's recap tomorrow night...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Phoenix/Grand Canyon Trip, Day 2, Thursday, October 15
We hit the road about 8:30 am. Got breakfast (at Chick-fil-A, of course!) and picked up 12 bottles of water at Wal-Mart (an absolute necessity in the desert). Then we stopped by the Goodwill... strictly for comparison to the Goodwills back home. And they win here. Clean store, lots of stuff, and reasonable prices. Thus began the thought process that accompanied every shopping experience on this trip: Will if fit in the suitcases in order to go on the airplane?? Or do we have to ship stuff home? Or will we have to do without?
Then we headed north to a couple of scrapbook stores. We got some cute Arizona/Grand Canyon things. They were nice stores. I even saw a couple of new things I had not seen yet. By this time, it was lunch, and they happened to have a Del Taco where we were! I miss Del Taco so much!
It was 1:15 and we were ready to head to the Grand Canyon. We had called this morning and made reservations for a bus tour there that began at 4:20 PM. More than one person we had asked told us it was 2.5 hours to the Grand Canyon. So we get in the car, I plug up the GPS, enter where we're headed... and it indicates it will take us 3 hours to get there! We are not going to make our tour. We make this entire wonderful, beautiful drive through the desert and cannot stop to take pictures of anything and have to worry the entire time about making the tour.
We pull into the park about 4:15... and the entrance line I pick to go through is slow as molasses. We finally get in and realize we are not going to make it. I call the tour desk and explain the situation. The helpful person on the other end of the phone says, "I would have left earlier." Well, duh?! Then he tells me to go to the first lodge we come to (Yavapei Lodge) and reschedule the tour with the tour desk operator there. We park, and I see a bus. So I think it's the tour bus, and I start rushing Mom and we go running toward the bus stop... but the bus kept going. We go inside and the girl at the desk was wonderful... she called for a car to come pick us up and take us to meet the tour bus! How awesome is that?!
The driver picks us up and the only thing he said to us the ENTIRE drive is when he pointed to the right and said, "There's the canyon." !!! Again, duh!! I so wanted to ask him if he was always like that or if he was ticked cause he had to come pick us up! LOL He pulls up to the bus, which is at it's first stop, and we run up to the bus driver with our ticket and I tell her "We're the late ones." She points to another bus parked behind hers and says "You'll be on that bus." So we start over there and THAT bus driver comes down the steps and yells to the first driver, "They have to go back to Yavapei Lodge - you need to take them." Well, the first bus drivers huffs and puffs, snatches the ticket from us and says, "Get on the bus!" I said, trying to lighten the situation, "I'm not feeling wanted." And she says that her bus is packed and he had room. Well, we get on the bus and there are 5-6 empty seats!!! What a witch. It really did not start the tour off well at all.
The scenery was beautiful, though. I know I keep saying this over and over, but pictures do not do the Grand Canyon justice. It is really something you absolutely have to see for yourself to feel the magnitude, how immense, how beautiful, how awe-inspiring. And the bus driver did get better... she even pointed out a rock formation for us. The tour was called the "Sunset Tour" so we did get to see the sunset. It was beautiful. I took so many pictures! I'll post some here later.
After the tour, we came on out to the little town where our motel is (2-3 miles out of the park) and ate at McDonald's (there are not a whole lot of choices out here). Then we went over to the motel to check in. And that was a whole 'nother adventure! We didn't realize there was a problem... until we got to the building where our room was and found it was on the second floor and there was no elevator! My mom's knees are bad, and after dragging the suitcases up the stairs and almost passing out myself, I decided this was NOT going to work for 2 days! And then I'd have to get those suitcases back DOWN the stairs when we leave on Saturday. So I called the front desk and told them that they should have asked us if a room on the 2nd floor with no elevator would be acceptable... I then told them if they suggest we move and move our own stuff, to forget it. But she promptly moved us to a deluxe room in the main building and sent someone to move our suitcases!! Then we found out that the air conditioner uses re-circulated air from the outside and will not come on if the outside air is cooler than the inside!! Does that make ANY sense??? So he just opened out window!!! Unbelievable! I'm all for going green but I am not sleeping with my window open in a strange place... or any place for that matter!! It did finally cool down in the room and I closed the window before going to bed. It wasn't as cool as I would like in here, but I'm sure Mom was comfortable!! LOL
So that's the story of a looooonnng day! More fun due the next one!
Then we headed north to a couple of scrapbook stores. We got some cute Arizona/Grand Canyon things. They were nice stores. I even saw a couple of new things I had not seen yet. By this time, it was lunch, and they happened to have a Del Taco where we were! I miss Del Taco so much!
It was 1:15 and we were ready to head to the Grand Canyon. We had called this morning and made reservations for a bus tour there that began at 4:20 PM. More than one person we had asked told us it was 2.5 hours to the Grand Canyon. So we get in the car, I plug up the GPS, enter where we're headed... and it indicates it will take us 3 hours to get there! We are not going to make our tour. We make this entire wonderful, beautiful drive through the desert and cannot stop to take pictures of anything and have to worry the entire time about making the tour.
We pull into the park about 4:15... and the entrance line I pick to go through is slow as molasses. We finally get in and realize we are not going to make it. I call the tour desk and explain the situation. The helpful person on the other end of the phone says, "I would have left earlier." Well, duh?! Then he tells me to go to the first lodge we come to (Yavapei Lodge) and reschedule the tour with the tour desk operator there. We park, and I see a bus. So I think it's the tour bus, and I start rushing Mom and we go running toward the bus stop... but the bus kept going. We go inside and the girl at the desk was wonderful... she called for a car to come pick us up and take us to meet the tour bus! How awesome is that?!
The driver picks us up and the only thing he said to us the ENTIRE drive is when he pointed to the right and said, "There's the canyon." !!! Again, duh!! I so wanted to ask him if he was always like that or if he was ticked cause he had to come pick us up! LOL He pulls up to the bus, which is at it's first stop, and we run up to the bus driver with our ticket and I tell her "We're the late ones." She points to another bus parked behind hers and says "You'll be on that bus." So we start over there and THAT bus driver comes down the steps and yells to the first driver, "They have to go back to Yavapei Lodge - you need to take them." Well, the first bus drivers huffs and puffs, snatches the ticket from us and says, "Get on the bus!" I said, trying to lighten the situation, "I'm not feeling wanted." And she says that her bus is packed and he had room. Well, we get on the bus and there are 5-6 empty seats!!! What a witch. It really did not start the tour off well at all.
The scenery was beautiful, though. I know I keep saying this over and over, but pictures do not do the Grand Canyon justice. It is really something you absolutely have to see for yourself to feel the magnitude, how immense, how beautiful, how awe-inspiring. And the bus driver did get better... she even pointed out a rock formation for us. The tour was called the "Sunset Tour" so we did get to see the sunset. It was beautiful. I took so many pictures! I'll post some here later.
After the tour, we came on out to the little town where our motel is (2-3 miles out of the park) and ate at McDonald's (there are not a whole lot of choices out here). Then we went over to the motel to check in. And that was a whole 'nother adventure! We didn't realize there was a problem... until we got to the building where our room was and found it was on the second floor and there was no elevator! My mom's knees are bad, and after dragging the suitcases up the stairs and almost passing out myself, I decided this was NOT going to work for 2 days! And then I'd have to get those suitcases back DOWN the stairs when we leave on Saturday. So I called the front desk and told them that they should have asked us if a room on the 2nd floor with no elevator would be acceptable... I then told them if they suggest we move and move our own stuff, to forget it. But she promptly moved us to a deluxe room in the main building and sent someone to move our suitcases!! Then we found out that the air conditioner uses re-circulated air from the outside and will not come on if the outside air is cooler than the inside!! Does that make ANY sense??? So he just opened out window!!! Unbelievable! I'm all for going green but I am not sleeping with my window open in a strange place... or any place for that matter!! It did finally cool down in the room and I closed the window before going to bed. It wasn't as cool as I would like in here, but I'm sure Mom was comfortable!! LOL
So that's the story of a looooonnng day! More fun due the next one!
Phoenix/Grand Canyon Trip, Day 1, Wednesday, October 14
Drove to the airport in the rain. Even with stopping and getting Chicken Minis, we made it to the Park 'n Go by 9:15 am. Our flight was due to take off at 10:45. Tracy had let me know there was no holdups on the highways or through security at the airport, so I knew we had plenty of time. Dropped the car off and headed off to the airport. Had no problems checking our bags (I had paid for them when I checked in for our flight the day before.) and breezed right through security. I even forgot to put my quart-size Ziploc bag in the tray to go through the machine!! They didn't even say a word.
Got on the plane... and it ended up being 30 minutes late taking off. Because of the rain, there was a long line of planes ahead of us. But the pilot was entertaining and made it his mission to make up some of the time... which he did... about half of it. The flight was the smoothest I've ever taken. VERY little to no turbulence. Great experience for Mom's first time flying.
We landed in Phoenix and I have NEVER gotten checked luggage so quickly! We walked out to catch the rental car shuttle and it was already there! Phoenix Airport has all of their rental car companies under one roof. Very convenient! Getting our rental car (mini-van) was very simple, also. So we hit the road to find us something to eat! The only thing they gave us on the plane was 3 crackers and a little bag of pretzels, and our stomachs were on Georgia time! And that time was 3 o'clock!
I was amazed from the first moment I saw Phoenix. It is beautiful here. SO different from anything I've ever seen! There are rocks in front yards instead of grass. There are cacti everywhere... just like the ones you would see in the old Westerns! The trees and flowers are different... it is so interesting. And it appears that the zoning is the same all over Phoenix.... adobe houses and roofs... the western "feel" and "look" all the way! Even the McDonald's fit the style!
We found a Jack in the Box on the way to Aunt Evelyn's house in Sun City West. We talked to a nice guy there who commented on my accent first thing!
After eating, we drove to Aunt Evelyn's house. It was my first time to meet her and her husband, Ted. Mom had not seen her sister in over 45 years! It was an emotional reunion. Since both of them have been unable to drive due to health problems, we took them on a couple of errands and then we had dinner at Olive Garden. We dropped them off at home (after some mis-communication with the directions... let me just say that Aunt Evelyn is all over the place and worries a lot and forgets even more) and went to our motel, which was nearby.
I was wound up and while tired, really did not want to sleep! Too much to see and do and I felt like I didn't get started today. The only picture I took was of Aunt Evelyn and Ted, which was great, but I was itching to take pictures of the area!
(Oh, and as I had feared, it gets dark earlier here... 6 o'clock today! I don't like that too much and it's harder when you're traveling in a strange place and have to find your way in the dark. That might be the deal breaker to keep me from actually moving out here to this pretty place! LOL)
Got on the plane... and it ended up being 30 minutes late taking off. Because of the rain, there was a long line of planes ahead of us. But the pilot was entertaining and made it his mission to make up some of the time... which he did... about half of it. The flight was the smoothest I've ever taken. VERY little to no turbulence. Great experience for Mom's first time flying.
We landed in Phoenix and I have NEVER gotten checked luggage so quickly! We walked out to catch the rental car shuttle and it was already there! Phoenix Airport has all of their rental car companies under one roof. Very convenient! Getting our rental car (mini-van) was very simple, also. So we hit the road to find us something to eat! The only thing they gave us on the plane was 3 crackers and a little bag of pretzels, and our stomachs were on Georgia time! And that time was 3 o'clock!
I was amazed from the first moment I saw Phoenix. It is beautiful here. SO different from anything I've ever seen! There are rocks in front yards instead of grass. There are cacti everywhere... just like the ones you would see in the old Westerns! The trees and flowers are different... it is so interesting. And it appears that the zoning is the same all over Phoenix.... adobe houses and roofs... the western "feel" and "look" all the way! Even the McDonald's fit the style!
We found a Jack in the Box on the way to Aunt Evelyn's house in Sun City West. We talked to a nice guy there who commented on my accent first thing!
After eating, we drove to Aunt Evelyn's house. It was my first time to meet her and her husband, Ted. Mom had not seen her sister in over 45 years! It was an emotional reunion. Since both of them have been unable to drive due to health problems, we took them on a couple of errands and then we had dinner at Olive Garden. We dropped them off at home (after some mis-communication with the directions... let me just say that Aunt Evelyn is all over the place and worries a lot and forgets even more) and went to our motel, which was nearby.
I was wound up and while tired, really did not want to sleep! Too much to see and do and I felt like I didn't get started today. The only picture I took was of Aunt Evelyn and Ted, which was great, but I was itching to take pictures of the area!
(Oh, and as I had feared, it gets dark earlier here... 6 o'clock today! I don't like that too much and it's harder when you're traveling in a strange place and have to find your way in the dark. That might be the deal breaker to keep me from actually moving out here to this pretty place! LOL)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Testing and playing with my new SmartPhone
I'm checking to see how hard it would be to do a blog post with my phone. Not impossible, but I'd hate to write a long one this way!
This new phone is fun, but does have a learning curve that I will be riding for awhile!
Needed a new cell phone, but couldn't justify a Blackberry. So I ended up with this Nokia Surge. Full keyboard, e-mail, Internet, 200 text messages a month. All for only an arm and part of a leg. Am not looking forward to the first bill...but I'm having fun in the meanwhile!
This new phone is fun, but does have a learning curve that I will be riding for awhile!
Needed a new cell phone, but couldn't justify a Blackberry. So I ended up with this Nokia Surge. Full keyboard, e-mail, Internet, 200 text messages a month. All for only an arm and part of a leg. Am not looking forward to the first bill...but I'm having fun in the meanwhile!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
My other invisible illness
The illness I live with is Depression.
I was diagnosed with it about 1999.
But I had symptoms probably my entire life... at least since my teen years. It is heredity in my family.
The biggest adjustment I had to make at the time of my diagnosis was wrapping my mind around having to take the medication every day. My antidepressant was the first maintenance medication I ever had to take.
Most people assume that I'm fine. Or that it will pass. Or that I'm mad because I'm so quiet.
The hardest part about mornings is the feeling and memories all come flooding back.
The hardest part about nights is not being able to go to sleep. My mind won't shut off.
Regarding alternative treatments, I have tried quite a few in addition to the medication: therapy, group, journaling, meditation.
People would be surprised to know how often I have suicidal thoughts.
My illness has taught me that I can be quite good at hiding my true feelings about myself.
One thing people say that gets under my skin is "Oh, you shouldn't think like that" or "You shouldn't feel that way." I know all that, but this illness is in the brain and when I'm in a depression, I don't think rationally.
But I love it when people notice that something is not right and ask me (genuinely) "What's going on?". But that rarely happens.
When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: This one is tough; it is a lifelong battle. Get all the help you can every chance you get. Just taking a pill may not fix it.
Something that has surprised me about living with this illness is how the slightest thing - a comment, a rainy day, or a TV show - can set a depression in motion.
The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was acknowledge my feelings, no matter how magnified they might be.
Society wants its people to be optimistic... happy... positive... certainly not negative and full of doom and gloom. Honest feelings (such as anger, sadness, or frustration) are looked down upon... we should not discuss such things. "We need to snap out of it. No one else wants to hear our problems." Many times, none of that is possible for a person suffering from depression. I don't have a broken arm to display; I have a broken mind. Mental illness is still taboo in many ways. So when I am depressed, I feel isolated. That adds to the depression... it's a vicious cycle. Most times I just want someone to notice... sometimes I don't want to talk about it. Sometimes I want to scream my pain from the rooftops... most times, I just want to hide in my house with a blanket over my head. I probably won't go looking for comfort... I want it to come to me. Many times, my feelings are genuine... just magnified. Just because I have an illness of the mind does not mean that my feelings are never correct or justified. A careless comment that deserves my anger or hurt may set it off, but in the end, I will figure out how it was my fault... how everyone would be better off without me. As they say, depression is anger turned inward. Most of the time, I can hide it; sometimes it is obvious. Most times, I can go months without a depression... and then when it comes, it can linger for weeks. I can't speed it along. But it will go as quickly as it came. Until the next time.
I was diagnosed with it about 1999.
But I had symptoms probably my entire life... at least since my teen years. It is heredity in my family.
The biggest adjustment I had to make at the time of my diagnosis was wrapping my mind around having to take the medication every day. My antidepressant was the first maintenance medication I ever had to take.
Most people assume that I'm fine. Or that it will pass. Or that I'm mad because I'm so quiet.
The hardest part about mornings is the feeling and memories all come flooding back.
The hardest part about nights is not being able to go to sleep. My mind won't shut off.
Regarding alternative treatments, I have tried quite a few in addition to the medication: therapy, group, journaling, meditation.
People would be surprised to know how often I have suicidal thoughts.
My illness has taught me that I can be quite good at hiding my true feelings about myself.
One thing people say that gets under my skin is "Oh, you shouldn't think like that" or "You shouldn't feel that way." I know all that, but this illness is in the brain and when I'm in a depression, I don't think rationally.
But I love it when people notice that something is not right and ask me (genuinely) "What's going on?". But that rarely happens.
When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: This one is tough; it is a lifelong battle. Get all the help you can every chance you get. Just taking a pill may not fix it.
Something that has surprised me about living with this illness is how the slightest thing - a comment, a rainy day, or a TV show - can set a depression in motion.
The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was acknowledge my feelings, no matter how magnified they might be.
Society wants its people to be optimistic... happy... positive... certainly not negative and full of doom and gloom. Honest feelings (such as anger, sadness, or frustration) are looked down upon... we should not discuss such things. "We need to snap out of it. No one else wants to hear our problems." Many times, none of that is possible for a person suffering from depression. I don't have a broken arm to display; I have a broken mind. Mental illness is still taboo in many ways. So when I am depressed, I feel isolated. That adds to the depression... it's a vicious cycle. Most times I just want someone to notice... sometimes I don't want to talk about it. Sometimes I want to scream my pain from the rooftops... most times, I just want to hide in my house with a blanket over my head. I probably won't go looking for comfort... I want it to come to me. Many times, my feelings are genuine... just magnified. Just because I have an illness of the mind does not mean that my feelings are never correct or justified. A careless comment that deserves my anger or hurt may set it off, but in the end, I will figure out how it was my fault... how everyone would be better off without me. As they say, depression is anger turned inward. Most of the time, I can hide it; sometimes it is obvious. Most times, I can go months without a depression... and then when it comes, it can linger for weeks. I can't speed it along. But it will go as quickly as it came. Until the next time.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
29 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know
I just read a blog post by a scrapping friend of mine from last week about it being Invisible Illness Week. (See http://invisibleillnessweek.com) I had no idea there was such a thing, but it sure sounds like a good idea to me. I found the questions that my friend and over 70 bloggers answered last week to bring awareness to invisible illnesses, and I wanted to share with myself and you how I feel about my illness at this point in time.
1. The illness I live with is: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2007
3. But I had symptoms since: Probably almost my whole life... at least since my teen years. However, I believe that what really set it off was a stomach bug I had in March of 2007.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: not being spontaneous anymore. I have to think through what I eat, where I'm going, where the bathroom is, etc.
5. Most people assume: that my symptoms are caused by something in particular I ate. I mean, what I eat does have a lot to do with it, but I can eat a McDonald's hamburger today and be fine. But I eat the same hamburger tomorrow and have an IBS attack. For instance, my husband loves to grill out on Sunday evenings, and many times, it is steak he grills. For several weeks, every time I would eat a steak, I'd be sick. But then suddenly, everything was fine. I have eaten steak a couple of times in the last three weeks and had no problems whatsoever. There is really no rhyme or reason to it.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: I actually have fine mornings, unlike many people who suffer from IBS. The time of day when I most likely suffer an "attack" is 5-6pm, which really cuts into the cooking supper time, as my husband can attest.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: I don't watch them.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my throw that the neighbor's daughter made for me. I use it to cover up with when I have an attack because I have chills.
9. The hardest part about nights are: avoiding heartburn (which I never had until I got IBS).
10. Each day I take 5 pills & vitamins. Only one is for symptoms... an antacid to avoid the heartburn I mentioned above. I was given a antispasmodic to take when I thought I was going to eat something that would set off an attack, but I haven't taken those in months. I also have anti-anxiety medication to take as needed, because as I told my doctor, worrying about where the closest bathroom is at all times causes anxiety!
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am open to most and may have tried a few... such as peppermint.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Definitely invisible... though there are times that I wish I could wear a banner so that people understand why I'm acting the way I am. I read once about a woman who has IBS who had made up cards to explain to people why she needs to cut in line ahead of them in a public restroom. I've never had to resort to that, thank goodness, but I can sure understand it!
13. Regarding working and career: I have been out of work for 2 1/2 years. One of the reasons is my IBS - in the beginning, I could not have held down a job. Now, my symptoms are better, and I could go back to work if I so chose. Right now though, being a homemaker is fine with me.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I am constantly aware of what I am eating and how it will affect me and where the closest bathroom is. (Oh, and that I never burped out loud until I was diagnosed with IBS!)
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: Having to take so much down time. I wasn't used to that, but now I may have to lie down for awhile every day, waiting for an attack to pass.
16. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: eating at Wendy's and Red Lobster!
17. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: I have managed to eat Wendy's a couple of times recently.
18. The commercials about my illness: I haven't actually seen any commercials about IBS. There are no specific medications for it. You just have to manage it yourself.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: milkshakes. I sneak ice cream sometimes, but milkshakes are a no-no. And my mom makes the best!
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: I haven't taken up any new hobbies... I am fortunate that I am able to scrapbook and read like I always have.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: eat lunch at Wendy's and dinner at Red Lobster. AND go hiking to a waterfall!
22. My illness has taught me: that resting and down time is OK. I didn't believe that before... I always had to be on the go.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "Well, it must have been that (insert whatever food here) that you ate. You may not be able to eat that anymore."
24. But I love it when people: don't look at me funny because I just spent 20 minutes in the bathroom.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "This, too, shall pass."
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It is not the end of your world. It is just a bump in the road that will smooth out as time goes by. And you will be stronger for having been through it.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how many people do. I have met so many people with IBS since I was diagnosed... I had no idea. Including members of my own family!
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: cook supper, clean house, put a wet washcloth on my forehead... and all of this has been done by my wonderful, understanding husband.
29. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: vulnerable... because I have just shared way more with you about my digestive habits than you ever wanted to know. But also glad if I bring more understanding about IBS to someone.
1. The illness I live with is: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2007
3. But I had symptoms since: Probably almost my whole life... at least since my teen years. However, I believe that what really set it off was a stomach bug I had in March of 2007.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: not being spontaneous anymore. I have to think through what I eat, where I'm going, where the bathroom is, etc.
5. Most people assume: that my symptoms are caused by something in particular I ate. I mean, what I eat does have a lot to do with it, but I can eat a McDonald's hamburger today and be fine. But I eat the same hamburger tomorrow and have an IBS attack. For instance, my husband loves to grill out on Sunday evenings, and many times, it is steak he grills. For several weeks, every time I would eat a steak, I'd be sick. But then suddenly, everything was fine. I have eaten steak a couple of times in the last three weeks and had no problems whatsoever. There is really no rhyme or reason to it.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: I actually have fine mornings, unlike many people who suffer from IBS. The time of day when I most likely suffer an "attack" is 5-6pm, which really cuts into the cooking supper time, as my husband can attest.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: I don't watch them.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my throw that the neighbor's daughter made for me. I use it to cover up with when I have an attack because I have chills.
9. The hardest part about nights are: avoiding heartburn (which I never had until I got IBS).
10. Each day I take 5 pills & vitamins. Only one is for symptoms... an antacid to avoid the heartburn I mentioned above. I was given a antispasmodic to take when I thought I was going to eat something that would set off an attack, but I haven't taken those in months. I also have anti-anxiety medication to take as needed, because as I told my doctor, worrying about where the closest bathroom is at all times causes anxiety!
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am open to most and may have tried a few... such as peppermint.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Definitely invisible... though there are times that I wish I could wear a banner so that people understand why I'm acting the way I am. I read once about a woman who has IBS who had made up cards to explain to people why she needs to cut in line ahead of them in a public restroom. I've never had to resort to that, thank goodness, but I can sure understand it!
13. Regarding working and career: I have been out of work for 2 1/2 years. One of the reasons is my IBS - in the beginning, I could not have held down a job. Now, my symptoms are better, and I could go back to work if I so chose. Right now though, being a homemaker is fine with me.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I am constantly aware of what I am eating and how it will affect me and where the closest bathroom is. (Oh, and that I never burped out loud until I was diagnosed with IBS!)
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: Having to take so much down time. I wasn't used to that, but now I may have to lie down for awhile every day, waiting for an attack to pass.
16. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: eating at Wendy's and Red Lobster!
17. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: I have managed to eat Wendy's a couple of times recently.
18. The commercials about my illness: I haven't actually seen any commercials about IBS. There are no specific medications for it. You just have to manage it yourself.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: milkshakes. I sneak ice cream sometimes, but milkshakes are a no-no. And my mom makes the best!
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: I haven't taken up any new hobbies... I am fortunate that I am able to scrapbook and read like I always have.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: eat lunch at Wendy's and dinner at Red Lobster. AND go hiking to a waterfall!
22. My illness has taught me: that resting and down time is OK. I didn't believe that before... I always had to be on the go.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "Well, it must have been that (insert whatever food here) that you ate. You may not be able to eat that anymore."
24. But I love it when people: don't look at me funny because I just spent 20 minutes in the bathroom.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "This, too, shall pass."
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It is not the end of your world. It is just a bump in the road that will smooth out as time goes by. And you will be stronger for having been through it.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how many people do. I have met so many people with IBS since I was diagnosed... I had no idea. Including members of my own family!
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: cook supper, clean house, put a wet washcloth on my forehead... and all of this has been done by my wonderful, understanding husband.
29. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: vulnerable... because I have just shared way more with you about my digestive habits than you ever wanted to know. But also glad if I bring more understanding about IBS to someone.
Friday, September 18, 2009
August 2009 Roundup
What books did I read this month? Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
Magazines? Real Simple; Reader's Digest; Guidepost
What movies did I see this month? Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Netflix); Seven Pounds (Netflix); The Ugly Truth (theater); Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Netflix); Ratatouille (TV); Music and Lyrics (TV) (Repeat); Ghost Town (Netflix); Seven Pounds (Netflix); Bonnie and Clyde (Netflix)
TV Shows? 24; Leverage; Burn Notice; America's Most Wanted; John Edward's Cross Country; In Plain Sight; The Bill Engvall Show; The Cleaner; Dog the Bounty Hunter; Army Wives; CMT Insider; Golden Girls; Dateline on ID
What special days did I celebrate and how? Karen Tisdale's 40th Birthday party in Montgomery
What illness or health concerns did I have this month? Bronchitis
What fun things did I do with friends and/or family? Trip to Jacksonville with my sister; dinner with Missi and family while there; went to Montgomery for Karen's birthday party and had laughs with her and her friends; cropping with Carolyn at Archiver's
What new foods, recipes, or restaurants did I try this month? A couple of new restaurants in Jax - nothing too memorable
What special or unusual purchases did I make? Lots of scrapping supplies on that trip to Jacksonville!!
What were this month's disappointments? Just the usual loss of faith in humankind... :(
What were my accomplishments this month? Pulling together my sister's birthday gift... a tote bag of scrapbooking supplies!
Magazines? Real Simple; Reader's Digest; Guidepost
What movies did I see this month? Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Netflix); Seven Pounds (Netflix); The Ugly Truth (theater); Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Netflix); Ratatouille (TV); Music and Lyrics (TV) (Repeat); Ghost Town (Netflix); Seven Pounds (Netflix); Bonnie and Clyde (Netflix)
TV Shows? 24; Leverage; Burn Notice; America's Most Wanted; John Edward's Cross Country; In Plain Sight; The Bill Engvall Show; The Cleaner; Dog the Bounty Hunter; Army Wives; CMT Insider; Golden Girls; Dateline on ID
What special days did I celebrate and how? Karen Tisdale's 40th Birthday party in Montgomery
What illness or health concerns did I have this month? Bronchitis
What fun things did I do with friends and/or family? Trip to Jacksonville with my sister; dinner with Missi and family while there; went to Montgomery for Karen's birthday party and had laughs with her and her friends; cropping with Carolyn at Archiver's
What new foods, recipes, or restaurants did I try this month? A couple of new restaurants in Jax - nothing too memorable
What special or unusual purchases did I make? Lots of scrapping supplies on that trip to Jacksonville!!
What were this month's disappointments? Just the usual loss of faith in humankind... :(
What were my accomplishments this month? Pulling together my sister's birthday gift... a tote bag of scrapbooking supplies!
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