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alanasdesigns 

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Anytime Fitness Contest, Shop, POTS, whatnot and so forth!

Wow, these past weeks have been hectic - thanks to my ever so faithful friend, POTS!!! lol  First off I wanted to let y'all now that I have entered into a contest!!!  Please feel free to read and vote and also if you want to share it I wont complain one bit! ;)  Living with EDS and POTS 
Between feeling pretty poor and losing the draft(s) about half a dozen times, I was kinda surprised I was able to pull it off in time.  Every time it was deleted or lost it got a little frustrating  but I kept wondered if it was a God send that it had deleted.  There were so many times I wasn't pleased about how I had written it and was so close to submitting it before it was deleted. I'm happy be able to sit back and let God do the rest!

I know I promised some pictures of my shop in my last post.  Better late than never I guess! Here's a variety of pictures.  I don't have any new shop pictures right now but I am working on setting up an official website!

The back of this counter was really  icky so we put a piece of linoleum on back and it looks great!!

 

Getting flowers ready for the opening day!

Love what spring times does :)

Perfect way to end a good workout!

Another amazing sunset on the way to an evening play!!

A Little Update

Seems like its been ages since I've written on this blog.  Well, I guess it has been ages!  Time seems to fly by lately.
My hips doing good.   No major complaints.  Things are still healing but I'm 96% back to all normal activities.  The screws can get a little annoying at times but nothing I can't handle. 
No major injuries for the past several months.  Still in PT for cervical instability.   POTS has probably been giving more trouble than anything else.  But that's life!
For the past two weeks I've been working on opening up a studio and gift shop in town.  It been a lot of fun.  It feels good to work hard at something and get lots accomplished.  POTS has pocked its head in the door more than once during these weeks but its all about adapting and making the most of what you CAN do.  Setting up a shop has been a good experience.  Its been good to just step out and take a risk.  Learning new business terminology (ugh!), and what its like to have a lot on your plate!  I'm loving every moment of it and wouldn't want to do anything else right now!

Will post more about my business adventures and pics later!!

Photography Blog!

alana fuller photography

Focus

Almost Six Weeks Later................

PT is going very well and I'm pretty much 95-100% off my crutches!!! What a relief.....not sure if my shoulders could have handled it for much longer!  The past week, while walking without crutches, my leg is so weak that I tend to walk like Festus (which happens to be my new nickname :P)!  My therapist said most of my left leg movement is horizontal causing a lot of truck rotation which in turn is bothering my back, neck, shoulders, ect.  I've started to walk more normal now since my leg is getting stronger and I think I can tell a difference in discomfort.  The other week I went for my four week post-op check-up and had x-rays done.  Apparently I don't have two screws....I've got four.  So far everything is healing nicely and I'm happy with it!

Four Weeks Later

I can't believe is only been four weeks since I had surgery and I ditched a crutch last week. Besides separating a joint in my left foot and pumping a tube of air into my blood stream, recovery has gone well!!!!  My foot healed up quickly (Thank-goodness)  and the air thing......well lets just say I'm not likely to forget to prime the tube again.  Recovery has gone drastically different than expected.  With changes to the surgical techniques I had no hip restriction from the beginning.  Meaning weight as tolerated ect,  Every day brings new surprises with what I can do.  I'm just having trouble slowing down!  I had no intention on having my other hip done anytime soon but now that I know how things go, I'm putting that on the plate as a possibility next year.  We'll see what happens.

Nothing to Fear

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup, and have made my lot secure.   Psalms 16:5

My New Hip!!!

Having a PAO was a big decision but so far I'm happy I made it! Now on to recovery:)

Ramblings

One bum shoulder (right) and with the fact that I'm right handed I figured I'd sit down and begin the art of mastering such tedious matters left handed!  Hip surgery is approaching and as I prepare for that I'm also busy with pre-op appointments, commissions ect. ect. ect.....

I had to donate over 500ml of blood for this surgery coming up.  With all honesty, I'm just starting to feel a little better from it and its been a week.   Losing all that blood really didn't help POTS;)

one of many paintings I've been working on!

LOVE it !!!!!

Love, LOVE this song!!!!

"We need to live by faith not by sight" Derick Rabelo 

 WOW Films is coming out with a movie, called Beyond Sight, about Derick Rabelo who is a truly inspiring blind surfer!!

New Blog!!

Hey everyone!!  I just set up a site for my art and photography business. Feel free to check it out!! :-)

The Studio: Alana's Art and Photography

Good Ol' Summertime

My summer has been a busy one, but I can't complain too much.  I'd rather have things to do than nothing at all! It was only about three weeks ago that I really started reacting to the heat.  I'm so thankful for feeling a wee bit better this summer:D

Earlier in the week, I went on a trip.  It was lots of fun but sitting in the car for 10hours and then the trip to PT wasn't all that great on my SI joint and hip.  My SI came out of place the other night.  I was able to get it back in but during PT the next day it came out again.  My plan for this week is lots of time in the gym and no long car trips.  With POTS really giving me a hard time the past week I'll probably remain horizontal when I can't be vertical :)

I have to say that I have found my new all time favorite smoothie! A friend introduced me to green smoothies.  The sound 'green' smoothies made me.......lets just say it got me interested :) She really liked them and with that said, I was willing to try it.   Not because she was my best friend, more like I trusted her taste buds better than say....my brothers :D

It doesn't look all that green because I put blueberries in it.

You can put pretty much anything you want in it. Today I used bananas, spinach, avocado, blueberries and frozen orange juice.  Next time I'm going to put our homemade Greek yogurt in it!!  You pretty much put anything vegetable and fruity in it and walla!! Since I don't eat vegetables for breakfast this is a good way to have something full of protein and vegetables and still call it breakfast.  It even a good snack and also makes a good lunch :)

A few pictures from a rodeo earlier this month.

Hip Chick and Artsy Randomness

For the past few hours I've been busy cooking, cleaning, laundry ect.  For the past two hours my bad hip has been trying to get a message through that its just plum tuckered out.  Unfortunately I seem to be ignoring it ;-)  I still have a few things to do but I'll make myself take it easy for a little bit.  I love being busy and active but having a bum legs kinda gets in the way sometimes :-D  

making homemade granola!

The past few weeks I've been getting really busy with art.  I'm also getting ready for some art shows and competition this summer!


Here's a few things I've been working on lately:

watercolor

watercolor

watercolor

Its gonna be loud this summer!

Now, these insects aren't the most attractive or let us say.........quiet, but it only happens every seven years.  Yesterday, as I was walking around the yard picking flowers I noticed several cicadia  skins on an iris bush.  Then, THE bug in a flower. A few moments later I noticed that they were all around.  In the bushes, trees, even in the tall grass in the woods......all full of skins. The more you looked the more you saw.  Its was quite a sight. I only remember hearing them when I was younger (probably when I was about 11 ;) 

yes that is poison ivy :)

I must have seen about twenty or thirty of theses things!!

Its gonna be a loud one :D

Spring has Sprung

Spring has come quickly.  Its seems like it was just the other day when we got a couple of inches of snow.  A little over a week ago I finally finished high school.  It took a week or so to get use to the idea of waking up in the morning and not having to do school!  So right now, I'm off to new things-looking for jobs, taking classes and working on getting a business going in the next year or two.  It takes a lot of thinking and planning beforehand- this I've realized quickly!

watercolor and pen/ink

watercolor and ink
Soon to become stationary!

watercolor and ink
First painting of mine to go up for sale in a gallery!!

 

graphite and pencil sketch
Finally finished and framed.
It took about 40 plus hours of work to complete it!

Photography class this past month

In February, I took a photography class and loved it so much!! May is going to be full of photography workshops, watercolor classes, a painting class and drawing classes.

Best time of the year!!

The past week or two has brought 80 degree weather and surprisingly I have been able to weather it fairly well with POTS!  I am really hoping I'll have a better summer than the last one.  I staying busy working out at the gym.  I'm still planning on going surfing this year!!!

"Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  See my hands and my feet, that it is myself.  Touch me and see."      Luke 24:38-39

It looks like Narnia!

Eight inches and a possible five more to go!!!! I'm hoping for a good snowball fight before this is over : ) Even thought the snow is beautiful, EDS never ceases to make its presence known in this cold weather!  I was feeling it even before it started snowing last night........great weather announcer I'd be : )   

Finding Joy In the Simplest of Things:)

Earlier this morning:

Had fun taking these pics!

I was able to snap some shots this year as opposed to last year. :D

Right now:

POTS is making me feeling plum tuckered out
I feel like giving in
I feel unproductive with my day
I'm fustrated

I'm feeling lazy

But:

All I need to do is focus on the things I CAN do and take joy in the simplest of things that I'm blessed with each moment:)

Two things that make me smile:

One of the best two cats in da world!!!
Earline playing with my camera 2010:)

 

The other best kitty in da whole world:) 
Her royalty in all her glory:D