Have You Ever Had a Day….
22 May 2012 Leave a Comment
when you feel totally NOT “OK”?
I’m not usually tuned in to “harmonics” such as planetary alignment, but today was just a FREAKY WEIRD day.
A friend of mine felt as though I had crossed her boundaries, and told me about it.
Normally, I would respect the feedback and be grateful for the learning experience.
Today, however, I felt attacked.
Another friend lost a family member and was feeling very sad all day.
I hope she is OK.
Another friend listened to my story, and helped me feel better.
Yet, here I sit, feeling thrown off balance.
*sigh*
Off to meditate I go….
Stay Tuned….
So Far, So Good….
17 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Still following the “odd” gallbladder diet, but I’m grateful to report that I have been eating some fish (both cooked and raw) over the past few days without incident.
I had a busy day today, and I rather enjoyed it!
Still loving my tablet – it’s exactly what I wanted for the tasks I wanted to use it for.
I’m still catching up on my sleep loss, so I’ll sign off for now and check back in soon.
Stay Tuned….
Video Killed The Radio Star….
12 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Yes. ‘Tis true. I have this song (by the Buggles) on continuous loop in my brain.
It could be worse, of course.
So I am happy it is the Buggles. =)
It is an absolute GORGEOUS day today. I slept through the entire night WITHOUT waking up for my gallbladder. *woohoo!*
I am on an INSANE “diet” for my gallbladder now.
I thought my OTHER ‘allergies’ made my diet a nightmare, until this.
*sheesh*
Do I WANT to become a vegetarian/vegan?
Hells no I do NOT!
For now, though, that is what I am. =/
OK, let’s just lay this all out….
At 14 years old, I got my first job ever at a local ice cream shop.
Free ice cream, as much as I could eat. No joke– the owner encouraged us to taste everything. It was a kid’s dream come true!
Not for me….
I would go home from work with a stomachache, nausea, and diarrhea. =(
Back “then”, there was no word for what I had. It wasn’t until my younger cousin was born that we heard of “lactose intolerance”. Poor little kid almost died from his liver swelling up from formula’s with milk in them. =(
Luckily for me, my mom always listened to what was being said at family gatherings. She and I realized I had the same thing.
Flash forward to six years ago. I was at my heaviest weight of 210 pounds. =(
Nothing worked – Weight Watchers, the gym, nothing.
I was at work one day and my co-worker mentioned I should research “Candida” and the effects it has on the intestines.
Again, I was given the priceless gift of information.
The “diet” to address Candida overgrowth was very very strict.
*sigh*
No “night shade vegetables” (if you are wondering what they are, Google it).
No vinegar. Period. (*eek!*)
[Unbeknownst to me, EVERYTHING has vinegar in it.... ketchup; mustard; relish; salad dressing (yes, ALL salad dressing); anything fermented (wine, alcohol, Tabasco sauce, balsamic vinegar - hence the name); anything “pickled” such as marinated artichoke hearts and pickles (*sigh*), anything at the olive bar at the local grocery store including those yummy peppers I love; you can see my dilemma.]
Being a pretty decent wine aficionado, I was sunk. =(
I thought all of those concessions were “bad”. *scoff*
Those were nothing compared to what I now have to do to save my gallbladder from extraction.
Being a perpetual optimist, I asked myself “What is the GOOD in this situation?”
My lower abdomen is no longer as swollen as it was.
My “dizziness” is lessening.
And any remaining yeast is on its way out.
If you are truly curious to see what I have to do, check out this website, which is written and maintained by a Licensed Acupuncturist, Masters Traditional Oriental Medicine.
I am most grateful to Deborah. Thank you!
My husband and my mother both have witnessed how much I have had to change my life. It is not easy on those around me, trust me. They have to watch me eat, and DO, some very different things.
My husband actually WARNS ME when he is bringing “contraband” into the house. He will either call or text me in advance so that I can stay away from the temptations – I simply LOVE donuts and crispy, fried foods (chicken and the SKIN in particular), not to mention BACON – because an unhappy gallbladder/liver does NOT like those foods!
My mom is really cool – whenever I visit her she has a stash of my health stuff in her cabinet. =)
AND, she is a plethora of information about gallbladder pain. Turns out she had hers removed a few years back due to a malformation of the organ, and it did not even work. Good to know our family history, too – her aunts and uncles have had various gallbladder ‘incidents’ and she seems to remember them all.
Mom really despises the word “old”, and I agree that the connotation of that word does not sit well.
The one thing I have realized about this entire gallbladder situation is this:
“Old” has nothing to do with it.
“Neglect” is more appropriate.
It is the exact same thing if you would neglect to change the oil in your car!
What would happen to your engine after time? Damage.
This is what I have recognized within myself.
I have not cleaned out my organs. Ever!
Yes, I have done a spring time cleanse for the past 8 years – voluntarily.
This year, however, my cleanse was forced on me by the gallbladder incident.
To my dismay, I found out that I have only begun to scratch the surface of cleansing!
There are many different types of cleanses.
So, hang in there with me and I will share what I learn.
Stay Tuned….
Here It Is, 5 Days Later….
10 May 2012 Leave a Comment
and my gallbladder FINALLY stopped hurting!
Thank you very much to this particular gallbladder website, and in particular to the author of this site.
The Flax tea is what stopped all the spasming and pain.
Now, as soon as I feel a specific area of my back start to hurt with a specific type of pain (not muscular), I am making that tea!
I will continue to cleanse my gallbladder and liver, and I am confident that all organs will be fine!
Stay Tuned….
Take Care of your Gallbladder….
08 May 2012 Leave a Comment
I kid you not. *ugh*
Saturday I was happily eating my way through a delicious pile of fried chicken wings from our local farmers market. *yum*
A few hours afterwards, however, I was truly regretting my culinary selection!
Doubled-over in pain, couldn’t catch my breath.
No. Not a heart attack. My heart was beating normally, and none of the other “signs” of a heart attack were present.
Definitely gallbladder.
I did what I did the last time this happened (took a spoonful of Mylanta), to no avail.
What now?
*sigh*
Out came the “health” books.
I found the recipe for the juice cleanse I’ve been doing every spring for the past 8 years. *groan* I really don’t like doing the juice cleanse.
However, if it is a choice between doing the juice cleanse or getting my gallbladder sucked out with a bendy-straw, then juice cleanse it is!
Made it through Saturday night. Next morning sent my husband off to the grocery store with a list and the everlasting memory of me doubled over in pain, groaning like some weirdo.
Made 5 days worth of juice. Started drinking it.
OK. Not good. More cramping! *ouch!*
So, here it is…. Monday (actually Tuesday as I glance at the clock).
Yes, I ended up on the floor with a golf ball under my spine to stop the back spasms and a hot compress on my stomach to stop the gallbladder spasms.
How did I end up like this?
All I know is that I still have 12 more days of juice cleanse to go. After that, I have a 2-week reprieve. Then, the Gallbladder and Liver cleanse begins. *joy*
Many tell me “You don’t really NEED your gallbladder. Just get it taken out.”
I don’t know. For some reason I have the thought if we REALLY didn’t need our gallbladders, then why were we BORN with them??
La la la la…. here I go down the “river less floated”…. why can’t I ever just take the EASY way out??
*sigh*
Maybe because my mom told me “I NEVER told you that life was easy or fair. So get with the program and quit whining.”
Say some prayers for me and my decrepit gallbladder. Onward and upward.
Stay Tuned….
Cinco de Mayo…. and Star Wars….
05 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!
I learned about this back in seventh grade Spanish class.
Cannot remember the history of the holiday, but I DO remember it has lots of music, and food, and is a darn fun day. =)
As you all know, especially if you read my last two posts, I got a tablet. Up until now I have been reading my eBooks on my iPhone.
The tablet, however, truly makes reading books a joy. *love*
I really love to read – and I have since I learned how to read wayyyy back in kindergarten – so it should come as NO SURPRISE to you that I am a book reviewer. For real. =)
As of this moment, I have a leaning tower of books on my desk awaiting my attention.
Plus, I found out today that a new friend of mine published a childrens book a few years back. WHAT?! Oh, soooo cool!!!! I am eagerly awaiting my copy as we speak. =)
And now…. on to Star Wars….
Today is really cool when it comes to Star Wars…. actually YESTERDAY was really cool when it comes to Star Wars…. as in “May the 4th be with you”…. NO JOKE!
However, here is a list of eight Star Wars eBooks you can download for FREE (but you better hurry up ‘cuz they take them off of the FREE list really really quickly!):
1. Book 1
2. Book 2
3. Book 3
4. Book 4
5. Book 5
6. Book 6
7. Book 7
8. Book 8
These are KINDLE-format books, and you can download FREE reading apps here:
Kindle app download page
I have the Kindle app installed on my iPhone, MacBook, Nook Tablet, and my ‘spare’ PC. You can read your books anywhere, anytime. Best part? The app remembers your place in the book so if you open it on a different device, you are at the EXACT SPOT you left off. =)
OK, now hop to it.
Stay Tuned….
OK, not a programmer….
03 May 2012 Leave a Comment
but I HAVE officially HACKED my tablet…. all on my own. *tah dah!*
None of my computer friends had any knowledge of how to do this.
No one could help me.
So, I figured it out all by myself.
Best part?
I did it with my MAC, versus a PC.
Learned how to use the Terminal app on my Mac, too!
I’m the proud owner of a Nook Tablet, hacked (or ‘jailbroken’), with the Amazon app store, the Android app store, a plethora of other apps, not to mention being able to read all of my AMAZON KINDLE books on it!
Take THAT, B&N!!!! =p
Stay Tuned….
I am NOT a programmer….
30 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
I love tech. All kinds. Computers. TV’s. Phones. Portable music devices. DVD players. Video games (anyone for some Wii?). And most recently, I have been obsessed with procuring a tablet.
My criterion:
1. Not too expensive (the iPad is my fave, but i don’t want to drop $500 for the cheapest model).
2. I want to read my Amazon Kindle books on it – don’t care if i have to “root” it to do it, but i don’t want to have to re-purchase all of my books.
3. It needs to be larger than my phone, but smaller than the iPad.
4. The menu needs to be simple – the Kindle Fire tablet has the most CONFUSING menu!
OK.
So after MONTHS of exhaustive research, I decided upon the Nook Tablet.
Got it. Got the anti-glare screen protector installed with NO BUBBLES (*yay!*), plus the silicone sleeve.
Now, on to the “rooting” and “hacking”….
*sigh*
I am NOT a programmer!!!!
Yes, I can, and do follow instructions step-by-step.
Yes, I can do simple updates to a Windows computer.
No, I’m NOT an idiot.
After over 4 hours of dickering with this tablet, I STILL can’t turn the wi-fi back on due to the fact that it will auto-update itself back up to the OS version that won’t allow “side-loading” of 3rd party apps.
I sent out some emails.
I sent out some Facebook private messages.
Now? I sit and wait for help to arrive.
Me and my bright ideas. *rolling eyes*
Stay Tuned….
It’s Been A Long Time….
26 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
….since I last wrote anything!
Oh my goodness! The past few weeks have just been an incredible whirlwind of both physical and non-physical happenings!
*whew!*
The sadness of witnessing people dying has been overwhelming. I can’t emphasize this enough! The absence of their physical presence is just devastating. It’s been challenging just being able to get out of bed every day, let alone actually accomplishing any tasks. I am grateful to be on the upswing of this sadness.
The sleep “challenges” I have been experiencing have been exacerbated by some physical pain. Again, I am most grateful to be on the upswing of this!
I’m most certainly busy with my friends and family, as usual.
Some technological gadgetry has popped into my life and is delighting me – a new tablet! *yay!*
So much to learn! I LOVE it! Then again, I have never backed away from a challenge…. be it tech, or education, or personal.
I’m feeling as though the writing channel will be opening up to more than a mere trickle in the near days. At least I am HOPING!
Stay Tuned….
Apple-A-Holic….
07 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
Ok, wow. If anyone ever doubts that Apple is better than PC, I can testify.
Yesterday my laptop crashed. Dead. =O
Yesterday my husband took it in to our local Apple store.
Brand new hard drive installed – no charge.
Restored the hard drive from my wireless backup device.
Wireless backup device decides to not work properly.
8:00am this morning I’m on the phone with Apple Care tech support.
9:50am this morning everything is restored, the wireless backup device is working properly, I received an email with all the steps my tech walked me thru, and I am back in action.
THANK YOU APPLE!!!!
I’m a loyal Apple-a-holic! =)
Stay Tuned….
