House

Hello everyone Seems like I haven't been on here in awhile I have been busy since I took my Christmas decorations down which I did earlier this year than I usually do, but I really wanted a electric fireplace, more for the decoration aspect of it than for heat. I found one I really liked on sale so I needed to have the room for it. I have a very small house so I had to get rid of a ottoman I had as a coffee table I put it in the basement where my daughter stays so my grand daughter could use it as storage. It opens up she put all her papers, coloring books, crayons and markers in it saved a lot of space.
I was jealous of all the Christmas mantle decorations I saw on Facebook so I had to have a fireplace with a mantle that I could decorate. The one I saw in a sale ad was not the one I ended up getting. This one is awesome it looks like stone with a dark wood mantle. I have a picture and a winter flower arrangement on it for now, but I will be decorating it more when I find a really cool runner to put on it. I have been looking around but nothing has caught my eye yet.
So I rearranged my living room and with the ottoman out there and the new throw rug I put down the living room looks so much bigger, I love it. I still have a lot of things to do to my little house to make it where I really want it decorating wise. I am not sure if anyone is really ever done decorating their house they always seem to want to change paint colors, or bedding, or pictures etc.
I wish I had the money to really do more but I think I am doing good for my budget. In the next month I will be painting a wall and doing touch up paint, and I am really excited to be trying my hand at furniture painting with chalk paint. I am hoping it goes well.
Well all until next time God Bless!

Christmas 2012

My family and I had a very nice Christmas this year as we do every year. I never have a lot of money for gifts, this was a especially hard one financially as I have been off work on disability since August 2011. I think I did very good though my 2 children, grand daughter, and parents were very happy with their gifts.
My children and I opened our gifts to each other and spent family time on Christmas Eve, Wee woke up early and watched my grand daughter open her gifts from Santa on Christmas morning, then we went to my parents house for a family breakfast, gifts, and the most important spending time with family.
Christmas isn't about the gifts, although it does feel good to me to give to others, it is about spending time with family, the decorations, and most important the birth of our Lord and Savior.
My grand daughter was both surprised and disappointed on Christmas morning. She said she didn't think she was getting anything from Santa as she didn't think she had been very good, so all the presents she was very excited about, and she got a lot. She was also disappointed because she expected her grandpa to be sitting on the couch when she woke up, that is the present she wanted the most. My ex told her beginning of November that he would for sure be there, he told me on December 14th he would be there for sure I told her to expect him she was so excited she did the happy dance. Then the very next day less than 12 hours later he said he couldn't come something to do with his parents. Which is always the reason he breaks promises to her. I knew better than to tell he was coming that something would come up but he sounded so sincere this time so I made the mistake and told her I will never do that again, But it turned out good she got over it quickly and we all had a great 2 days.
I did not do very well with the decorating this year as I hurt very badly and most of my outside decorations are old and do not look very good anymore. I went shopping for Christmas items yesterday the day after Christmas is always a good day to get at least 50% off of holiday decorations so next year my front porch will be awesome. I always have a great looking tree a mix of store bought ornaments and ones my children and grand daughter have made. I love seeing the handmade things and wouldn't trade them for all the fancy ornaments in the world.
Right after the 1st of the year I will be taking the ornaments off the tree and taking the tree down if I had my way I would leave it up all year I just love it but my little house just does not have the room for it to stay up long. I will be a little sad taking it down but it must be done.
Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a Happy New year!
God Bless!

Christmas and RSD

Well the Christmas season is upon us I love the lights and decorations people have out. I have my tree up and a little village on my marble table, I made a quick centerpiece for my kitchen table I out gold ornaments and a small strand of white lights in a clear glass jar surrounded the front in gold ornaments on one side I have white point settias it took me all of 5 minutes to make up. I just wanted some decorations in the kitchen.
I have my Christmas shopping done I usually buy things a little at a time all year long I do a layaway sometime in the summer and again in October I know what my grown children and grand daughter like. Then I wait till the last minute to buy gift cards for the stockings and for my parents because I would hate to lose them. I have 1 gift card left to buy.
I was really lucky this year I signed up for the Salvation Army Toys for Tots I needed a little help this year. We received a small box of food and a voucher to use to get a turkey or a ham. I appreciate it very much. Last Wednesday my grand daughter got chose to go to with our local shop with a cop program I was so excited as was she. She has always been afraid of policemen I think because of her grandpa (my ex) being arrested several times in front of her,  but now she has a better attitude towards them. They met at the police station rode a public transportation bus to Wal Mart got to shop with the police officer assigned to her with a $100.00 and then they had a pizza party I am so grateful to  a lot of sponsors of this program for this. She had a real good time.
I have had a bad week with my RSD I have had 3 flare ups which is the most in a week I have had. It is so painful and no amount of pain medicine, moving around, laying down, or heating pad makes it better.  I have had a lot of stress lately which causes a flare up, I have not been sleeping very well, and the weather here in Michigan is getting colder, all of these things make the RSD worse.
I am hoping my next visit to the pain Dr she gives me more pain meds and ups the MG on my Neurotin. Hopefully these things will at least take the edge off.
This disease is something I will have for the rest of my life there is no cure and it will only get worse. It has traveled to other parts of my body in a very short period of time.
It is very depressing not to be able to take a walk, get on the floor, or do simple things like vacuuming, or laundry. My fingers have been aching more I 3 times this week dropped things a cup of  coffee, pudding and water theses things we not heavy but my hands just couldn't handle them.

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
God bless!
 

Weather Changes and RSD

T am having more trouble with pain and tingling I was wondering if the cold weather we are having here in the great state of Michigan had anything to do with it-so I went on the internet and came across  this article I though tI would share with everyone. Weather does play a big part in the way RSD acts  up.

I really want to move to Florida or Tennessee where the weather is warmer so I don't hurt so much, but right now that isn't a possibility so I do what I can to minimize it as much as possible.

 CRPS - Weather changes, do they affect CRPS? RSD?

DOES THE WEATHER AFFECT CRPS? 

Now that the winter season is upon us, for most of the country anyway, many patients are seeing changes in their pain although quite a few may not have ever made the connection. In talking to patients I often run into some who do not know that the changes in the seasons cause changes in their pain. They might have noticed that they get colder in the winter, that storms bother them, etc. but did not understand that there is the direct connection.

Barometric changes, especially drops in the BP, can cause increased pain for many patients. These can come from violent storms such as hurricanes and thunderstorms but they can also come with snowstorms and changes in the highs and lows you hear the weatherman describing all the time. 

When you watch the weather next time, pay particular attention to when the next Low Pressure system is moving in and monitor your pain. See if you notice any changes/increases in your pain. Chances are that you will.

The other issue that CRPS patients face in the winter months, especially those who live in the colder, wintry states, is dealing with the extra pain that comes with the extreme cold. 

One of the ways that CRPS patients suffer pain, (and I realize this is oversimplifying things) is from constricted blood vessels. These constricted blood vessels not only cause pain but also restrict blood flow thereby lowering the temperature of the extremities.  When the temperature drops these blood vessels constrict further, increasing the pain and lowering the temperature even further. 

The patient ends up in more pain and an inability to get their feet/hands warm. 

So what do you do, to decrease the pain and effects of the winter?

Well, you could do what I did, move south! It is nearly Christmas and it is 70+ degrees here. But that isn't practical for most people so you need other solutions.

- Layered clothing helps, and definitely you need to keep your hands and feet and head covered as much as possible. 

- If you have access to a warm water pool (85 degrees of more) that is EXTREMELY helpful, not only for raising the temperature in your extremities but also for keeping the chronic pain patient's body in shape and lowering their overall pain level. 

- Soaking in warm water with Epsom Salts is very beneficial. You don't need fancy bath salts/oils but by using epsom salts your body absorbs the magnesium, which helps in restoring normal blood flow. 

- Using microwave moist-heating pads (the kind with beads inside) helps as well. 

What ideas have you tried that have helped? Share them here in the comments!

 

Hope this helped.

Have a great day everyone!

 

 

RSD Symptoms

These are some of the symptoms of RSD this terrible chronic pain disorder that people can not see- It is invisible no one knows what we with RSD go through everyday. We look like normal people with no problems, but we have some kind of pain all day every day. I do not have all these symptoms but I do have a lot of them, it is hard for me to do everyday tasks even sometimes it is hard to put socks on. My feet and legs get very cold, my ankles swell, I have muscle spasms in my legs and feet, muscle ticks, and chronic pain all day everyday in my feet, legs, lower back and now my fingers are being affected. I have chronic fatigue, and arthritis, I walk with a cane and use a wheelchair if I want to do anything that requires walking more than a few feet.  It is sometimes hard for me to hold onto things as simple as a full coffee cup. I deal with this everyday I have no choice it is what it is, Thank Goodness my daughter lives with me who does most of the driving, and things around the house I can not do I really cherish her.
Don't berate people for being on disability, parking in a handicapped parking spot, or not working you do not know what they are going through or what their capabilities are. 
Thank you to the people who open doors for me at a store I really appreciate it.

SYMPTOMS: Not all patients have exactly the same symptoms but the most common are: severe sensitivity to touch and temperatures, swelling, muscle spasms, myoclonic jerks, sweating, muscle ticks, inflammation, anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, irritability, bone loss, skin lesions (rare), immune system problems, with the most prominent symptom being chronic pain. The pain has been described as burning, shooting, stabbing and aching. Some report bizarre feelings of cold water being splashed on the affected area, goose bump, and distonia (difficulty initiating movement). Over time symptoms can change, become worse or better and sometimes spread to other areas apart from the original injury. Pain has the tendency to become less severe the longer the RSD/CRPS is present.

Other symptoms of RSD/CRPS, not always mentioned, caused by the malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system: allergies/asthma, absence or abnormal menstrual cycle, chest pain, cardiac complica

absence or abnormal menstrual cycle, chest pain, cardiac complications, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders such as arthritis and Crohn's disease, IBS ( digestive problems-acid reflux, constipation ), fibromyalgia/myofacial syndrome, hypertension, Raynauds disease, increased sensitivity to external stimuli ( sight, sound, smell ), insomnia, memory loss, migraine headaches, mood swings/anxiety, tremors, visual disturbances.

Thank you for reading and God Bless!

 

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Blessings~

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Domestic Violence Month

Just a reminder that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month I have been reading posts and updates on the subject and it is really very sad. Women as young as 15 are victims of this terrible thing, I can not figure out how we fall prey to domestic violence. How are we attracted to these type of men? I read they are so nice and polite at first after you move in with them or after marriage it starts almost right away. They want to control your every move. It just isn't right.
Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten.
Everyday in the US three women are murdered by their boyfriend or husband.
Remember if you are in a abusive relationship weather it is a physical, emotional, mental or verbal relationship keep all the recordings, emails, text messages whatever you can from the abuser so that when it comes to court you have evidence of the abuse. It is a sad fact that although relatively easy to get a restraining order, in court judges want proof of abuse it is a he said she said thing and in order for thing sot get better you need that.
Children can be very big victims. If they are not being directly abused they see and hear abuse their mother is going through. It can be a very devastating thing.  Boys exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic violence are 4 times more like to perpetuate domestic violence as adults.
My children witnessed  the verbal abuse I went through and it just isn't right. They are so innocent, and can grow up to be a abuser also. Thank God both of my children, now adults know that it isn't right. My son will not be a abuser and my daughter will not be a victim thanks to their good sense.
I know a lot of woman think there is no way out. They say to themselves I have no job, I have no place to go, But are shelters you can go and people willing to help you. There are people willing to give you a job. It is better to get you and the children out of the violent situation than to think of those things and stay. Most times the violence only gets worse.
 Many victims of domestic violence face homelessness when trying to escape the abuse they are experiencing. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 28% of families were homeless because of domestic violence in 2008, and 39% of cities in 2007 cited domestic violence as the primary cause of family homelessness.
Please women get out, before it gets worse. 
Please speak up against domestic violence once you save yourself and your children you may be able to save someone else.
God Bless All!