Saturday, May 26, 2012

"live life at your own pace" ??


That’s what you are told when diagnosed with POTS.  When I first heard that I kind of pushed it aside and ignored it, thinking it sounded really………….hmm…..can I say spoiled and……selfish.  I thought that if I just pushed through the fatigue and the ‘not feeling well’ and stopped slacking that I might be able to learn how to deal with it.   NOT a good idea.  I guess I'm sort of learning just what it might mean..........especially this week.  Sunday night I babysat a 2 1/2 year old.  For about an hour and a half, she literally screamed, fussed, cried ect.  It completely wore me OUT.  mom had to come over and put her to bed for me.....I was conked out on the sofa.  I think it was the noise and stress of trying to stop her crying that did it.  I ended up sleeping ok, and when I got back home in the morning I went back to bed.  I had planned on taking my last Chemistry test that morning because I had PT later in the morning and I had to babysit overnight again Monday night.  I figured that I would be too tired to it do later so it was basically then or never………so I thought. Mom was not convinced that I should take it because I bombed the same test a month or so prior partially because of fatigue and ‘brain fog’…….thanks to POTS!!  So I just rested for a little while and left for PT later that morning. 

The news with PT is short but a lot!  I have one more appointment before being discharged!!!!!!!!!!!! The other thing is I’m probably going to have to see a doctor for my hip to find out if they can’t do some non-surgical stuff to it.  And I’m not sure what’s going to happen to my ankle.  It still bothers me a bit and I now have tendonitis in it but it really doesn’t stop me from doing anything, only hurts occasionally. 

After PT and lunch, I slept most of the 2 hour drive home, and that’s including thirty minutes of waiting for mom to get out of the grocery store (something I never do).  Once I came home I went straight to bed and slept for about three hours.  Mom had to try to wake me up several times and each time I went right back to sleep.  I finally got up and had dinner.  Around that time I found out that the babysitting job had been canceled…………more sleep! I was in bed around eight thirty or nine and got up around nine thirty in the morning.  By then I think I felt like I was beginning to revive some, enough to take the test. 

This past week has been basically been about not overdoing it.  If I want or need to do something I have to prioritize and not do everything at once or in one day.  I’m not good at it and probably drive mom up the wall when I insist on doing stuff.  Hopefully I can get the hang of it SOON!

I can't say that "living life on your own pace" is selfish because sometimes you really don't have a choice.  You may insist on something but your body can insist on something entirely different and it usually wins.  It’s the admitting it and actually "living life at your own pace" that is the hard part. It’s not that you are giving up, it’s just you have to be more creative and unique with what you do and how.  

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Bear Xing

Friday we ventured up to the Skyline Drive.  It was a beautiful day and about 60 degrees up there.  Once up there for about five minutes, we came across two cars with their caution lights on and a bunch of people taking pictures.  A sure sign that there is something......usually not deer......there's enough up there where you don't have to stop every mile to get fifty shots of them. It was a bear! And her two cubs.  The lady who had been there for about twenty minutes said that at one point the bear did a false charge at her.  But it seemed pretty relaxed when we got there.  The cubs where up in a tree so that is probably why. We kept a door or two open................hmmm.......might be a good idea to have an escape rout planned..............JUST in case!
One of the cubs up in the tree


Mountain Laural

Harrier Hawk, Glider

The homeschool co-op that I go to for Chemistry had a visitor there Thursday!! A falconer and his Harrier Hawk.  It was really cool!! Here are are few pictures.

Glider
Glider and his owner, Mr. Straka
Take a look at those talons!
I'm so glad that I took my camera! It was a beautiful, cool, and sunny day.  The weather was perfect.  

Friday, May 11, 2012


  I'm dearly loved

Forgiven beloved

Hidden in Christ

Made in the image of the Giver of Life

Righteous and holy

Reborn and remade

Accepted and worthy this is our new name

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Her Highness Olivia Rose, Champion Napper

Yesterday I promised to make another post of K's cat, and here it is.  Livy (the gray kitty) is also known as Her Highness Olivia Rose. Enjoy!

June 2005
Her Highness's repose is guarded by her sister Pansy.



January 2005: cat nap

Livy and Pansy catch forty winks together
September 2005
A basket full of cats

August 2007


October 2007


 June 2011

July 2005

Livy the Cheerleader


Monday, May 7, 2012

Air raids, milk shakes and a country drives

Well, first off, no, its is not WWII and we are not being invaded......................well maybe.  Before you start to panic, its nothing you'll hear about on the news.  So I better start and clear something up before I go on.  K and I happened to be eating our lunch on a mill stone under some trees (minding our own business of course:-) when I seemed to have been the target for an unsuspecting bird in the tree.  Yeah, I know.............I probably said GROSS like a hundred times and washed by hands about fifty (more like five times................in a row:-) Fortunately it landed on my hand and didn't really get on anything else, THANK GOODNESS!! So K and I are going to announce to our family that we survived air raids when they get back:-) LOL

Next, we went and fed da horses carrots!

 Then we saw the Sheep.

 

There was a few in the pack that were total pigs! They LOVED the grass:-)

 After seeing the sheep we headed out and got milkshakes.  Then went on a country drive.  Welcome to the mountains! Enjoy:-)
 
 


 Some old barns.................

 


Now finished our excursion, I'm not sure what we'll do.  Might watch North and South later on.  I think I'll go see Livy. Livy is K's cat.  She is so sweet! Here are some pictures of her...............oh wait. On second thought I'll have a new post of her.  Ya'll see why:-)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Five Days and Counting!

Mom and I start our trip down south in five days to spend a few days visiting friends !!  I also get to hang out with my oldest brother!

Right now its more of trying to get school done and some chores.  As a matter of fact, packing hasn't even begun and probably won't until Saturday.  First a chemistry test, finish a lab report and maybe another test or so.

I didn't go to PT today :( For the past few days my poor heart can't seem to make up its mind to speed up or slow down.  The plan was that if it wasn't better this morning that we wouldn't go to PT.  This morning it was better but just not enough.  We think its just having to do with my body getting use to the new medication and possible being too active Friday with a field trip and picnic and fun.  Huh.  More energy so more fun.  Crash.  POTS is so persnickety!

Finally I think its time for some humor.  How about my favorite character in Hogan Heroes with my favorite saying!

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This is actually the back of a T-shirt!  Go here for more information.


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Sgt. Schultz
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