Thirty

I've been 30 now for 10 months. AND I FEEL LIKE AN OLD MAN. 

Don't get me wrong, I actually feel in pretty good shape: I have energy, I don't feel like I'm falling apart, but there have been some new health/behavioral developments that, when I think about them, make me sound like an old FART. I think about them, and I say to myself " Charlo, you are an old fart." To this I reply "yes, yes you are."  Granted, many of them are directly related to pregnancy, but not all. Let me explain. 

 T is for Thrifty: 

So thrifty, I don't flush the toilet between the hours of midnight and 8 am, because that would be wasteful.  Seriously, all those tanks of water flushing down miniscule amounts of urine. What a waste. 

Pregnancy hasn't been a big help with this one.

H is for Hemroids:

 When I think of Hemroids, I think of Old People. Young people don't get throbbing pain as their vericose veins pop out of their bottom.  Well, of all the stereotypes for pregnancy that I didn't get (bad nausea for one),  I was lucky enough to get this one, even though I had NEVER heard about it happening with pregnancy.  Pain was helped with WITCH HAZEL on cotton balls (homemade tucks pads). Now I rarely feel them, though they are there.  when they itch, I pull out the witch hazel.

I is for Insomnia and Bladder Infections:

Fortunately, the insomnia isn't constant. It comes in few day incrimints wherein I can only sleep in 3-4 hour time slots before I am completely awake... and it's not just the peeing. I can fall right back asleap most of the million times I wake to pee. It's not even baby discomfort. It's just hormones, I guess. Makes me think of Grandpa Jim. I swear the man never slept. He took naps. Lots of them.

Oh, the bladder infections.  I startedg getting mild ones several times in the last several months. Not so bad now, but part of that is because I've learned to pee even at the slightest inkling to avoid backwash. This means I might get up 5 times in a 15 minute period when I've just laid down to sleep, hence my reluctance to waste water by flushing 20 times.

 R is for REFLUX, RIBS, and RECEDING GUMLINES:

Oh, the Old people and their silly " I can't eat that, it will give me heartburn."  I loved my spicy food and acidic fruits, and tomato sauces.  I secretly thought I would never have to worry about that stuff. I was tough. I was imune. 

I was stupid. In the begining of February Heart burn came out of no where and ruined my life.  Then, it evolved from my standard discomfort, to deep discomfort, to actually being able to feel the fluid move up my throat. Yuck. Sometimes I'd have to sleep sitting up. Cayenne pepper in water, oddly, helps a lot with this though. 

RIBS: So last week I had to start holding my rib when I coughed. BECAUSE IT HURT SO BAD.  Holding in your rib while you cough does not make you feel spry. 

RECEDING GUMS: Yup. I had to switch to a "SOFT" toothbrush, and change my toothpaste.  I couldn't see the recede, but I wen't into the dentist and confirmed that the pain at the top of my tooth near the gum line was receding gum lines.  My mother had success with putting coconut oil on hers, So I switched to using baking soda mixed into coconut oil as my toothpaste, and slowly the pain went away. Now I don't notice when I eat, though I can still find some peircing pain with my finger nail if I look for it. BUT ON LESS TEETH! yip yip. 

 T is for Temperpedic:

Ahhh. The mattress of the Octogenarian. Old people love them. I love them.  I was hating our mattress, my back hurt, I wanted space. We tried a Costco nock off. returned it, then come black friday, we splurged. We got the mattress I'd been eyeballing for 6 months "on sale" for 2K. Who the heck spends 2K on a mattress? Me. I did. If I didn't want it before I was preggers, I sure wanted it now that I was 2 months preggers.  I had brett massaging my back every night at that point.  A couple more back rubs and 2 weeks of breaking myself into the temperpedic (I didn't like it at first, but they don't let you trade until 30 days) and AHHHHHHHHHH. no more back pain. Amazing support. Better sleep... and since we got a King, no more sweaty Brett legs pushing me off the bed. 

Y is for Yada yada yada:

First of all, Do you know where I am typing this from? My Balcony. I put a chair on my balcony so I could sit here and people watch while I do this. If it were a rocking chair and I had a bowl of cherries next to me, it would be even better.

I finally have a fairly consistent bed time,a nd sometimes I will even go to bed crazy early. I have never gone this long without staying up crazy late. I even leave peoples houses because it is 10:30 and I need to get ready for bed.

THE PILL BOX: So I totally have a weekly pillbox now so I remember to take everything... and I put an alert/ checklist in my phone to remind me to take them, so that I could disperse them throughout the day.



It's compartmentalized, isn't it beautiful? Fortunately, I'm not on everything anymore, but at one point I had:

4 vitamins
2 Cranberry concentrate pills (bladder infection)
1 lysine (Cold sores were coming like crazy any time I stoped taking them in the winter)
2 Cod liver oil
2 Herbal Laxatives/stool softeners.  (Hemorrhoids, because apparently once a day isn't often enough)

Measurable changes

Weight: @ 23 weeks, I weighed the same as I weighed 7 months ago.  Goes to show, going off all sugars for 2 months, than only eating it once a week for the third month really makes a difference... In fact, only thing that has EVER made a difference for me with weight loss. Loosing weight just to get pregnant and put it back on might seem like a waste of time, but I'm quite happy with this transition. 

So,  since getting pregnant, I've now (@24 weeks) only gained about 13 lbs. 16, if you count gaining back the 3 I lost the first month of pregnancy. I'll admit. This worries me a bit. with twins, I'd think I should've put on a lot more by now... but some people put it on at the end and my belling is growing satisfactorily. Plus, as I've learned from some other measurements I took, I'm pretty sure the babies are stealing fat from other places.  Good babies. 

Hips: Grown added about an inch and a half since getting pregnant.

Waistline: Grown about 5 inches

Bra:  I've had to buy a new bra twice. That's all you need to know. 

Neck: Strange, I know, but since men's dress shirts come with neck sizes, I've been curious about this and measuring for over a year.  I've actually LOST  half an inch in my neck since getting pregnant.  See what I was saying? The babies are stealing my fat. Best babies ever. 

Forearm: What? You don't measure your biceps/ triceps, and deciceps? What can I say, I measured a while before going off sugar to see what it would effect, but my forearms stayed pretty consistant. Since getting pregnant, however, I have definitely lost a quarter of an inch in my arms. Maybe the babies are stealing muscle too. 'Cause I was ripped baby (har har har.).

Thigh: I lost an inch going off sugar, but gained back an inch and a half since getting pregnant. 

Fundal Height:  So there is this funny little thing they measure in pregnancy. It's called your uterus. They start a tape measure at your pubic bone, and run it up your belly until they can feel the top of your uterus muscle. Uterus' vary from individual, but what I've googled says they average about 7.5 or 8 ish centimeters tall, and could contain a volume of LESS THAN a quarter of a cup. 

This muscle is going to contain the volume of 2 babies and all their fluid and 2 new temporary organs (placentas). This amazes me. What other muscle could stretch like this with out being destroyed? ANYHOW, this measurement is one of those factors that often tip doctors off to the fact that you might be having twins, because your uterus gets bigger faster with twins.  

8 cm =  aprox size prior to preg. 

15cm @ 14 weeks (aprox doubled! no wonder I was cramping)

24cm @ 18 weeks

30cm @ 22 weeks (doubled again in 2 months)

The 8 week Challenge.

I mentioned the 8 week challenge in my last blog, briefly. It starts next Tuesday, and in spite of my loathing of the concept, I decided to do it, and I signed up yesterday. 

Partially because it had a concrete start date and would commit me to resuming my no sugar thing soon, but mostly because it will simply be a way to "bond" with my neighbors that I know, but not very well—because I'm not part of the mommy brigade, the playground platoon, or the pool-time playgroup.  I could just go hang out at the playground and get to know all the parents there, but there is something creepy about  a childless adult— that you only sort of know—sitting on a bench, waiting for children to come out after lunch, is there not? So, joining the 8 week challenge is what I consider "a social effort." Sometimes I have to force my self to make small talk and form new relationships. 


Here is the break down of the challenge—

On Goal Setting: what works for me.

I'm a firm believer in setting goals. Setting them, and tracking them. It's been shown that those who set goals and constantly review them are extremely more likely to reach their goals, whether they be spiritual, mental, physical, or financial.

Now, My church Ward/condo complex women (because in my case the boundaries are the same) and a few men decided to do an "8 week challenge."

Even though I'm big on goals, I'm not particularly fond of these challenges. I don't mind the competition, I just hate the concept of having to pay to do something you should just do for free (ie: run 5k). I also think it is a little arbitrary to have one set of goals for multiple people. No one is at the same point in their life, and different people need to work on different things.

But I blather on. Today is my last day of 30 days no sugar, and I did it on my own. It wasn't the first time I tried to go off sugar, it's just the first time I did it without cheat days.

I made a spread sheet for all my goals. I marked them off (or left them blank) every single night.  It took some getting used to, and I had to start bringing my charts with me  on campouts and vacations. Started trying to chart in september, but it wasn't until june 1st that I charted consistently.  

My intermittent charting helped a lot. Even though I wasn't tracking my goals obsessively, I was still reviewing them periodically, and because of that, I'd forget my goals less often, and I'd make efforts to incorporate vegetables into my meals, etc.

But it wasn't until I started charting every day that things really became habit forming. I wanted to mark things off, and when I pulled it out right before bed, I'd see things that I could still squeeze in and mark off.

That's when the power of the streak began. I couldn't bring my self to break my streak. There was something about the visual... about seeing 25 bubbles in a row filled in (see today's other post on scripture reading). And so, no matter how tired I was, no matter how boring the section I was in was, I had to read at least one verse. But I never did. I read at least half a chapter, and more often a whole chapter... or two.  There are still nights when I forget to do it, but I pull out that chart as I climb into bed, and I'm reminded that I'm on a streak... and you can't break a streak. 

I decided to try for the power of the streak with sugar. As I mentioned last week, I doubled that up with a goal to use money saved from eating junk food (increased daily $ value the longer I maintained that streak).  

And it worked. Set Goals. Review Goals. Track Goals. Give yourself Visual feedback to show your progress.  Eventually, I am going to be awesome.

The Long Lost Goals of 2011— Goal 11

So, clearly I am not doing these goals in a row, forgive me. Or don't. Either way, I am doing them out of order.

Goal 11—Addictions: I need to control sugar. This is going to be one of those lifetime journeys, I’m sure. Some people don’t have a sweet tooth. I am not one of those people. I’m not going to go for “no sweets,” because frankly, One cookie a day would be a huge improvement over  my current habits. It is a wonder I haven’t gained more weight than I have. Too my credit, my actual food is much healthier than it used to be (since I have been doing more from scratch, eating occasional vegetables, learning to drink water), it’s only the sugar that gets me. 

Okay. This is one of those cases where little steps  can be giant leaps for Charlo-kind.  In 2011, I went about 3 weeks without sugar.  Now, this was not consecutive, mind you. Still, I went without out sugar for about 3 weeks during about a month and a half. That deserves a half-hearted clap, if I don't mind saying so myself. 

Then, Naturally, I spiraled wildly out of control... okay, I mostly just had no motivation to start it up again.

Sugar struggle 2012

It took a while to get motivated again, but I am back at it again. I am applying some lessons I learned last time:

1. I learned tricks to curb that sweet tooth ( like the tea trick, which I love, and have only used on one day)
2. I learned that planned cheat days usually evolved to cheat weekends. 
3. I learned that I am much more motivated when the rest of my food is healthy. 


Things I am doing differently this time:

1. My motivation is different this time. After that non-fiction kick, I understood a little better why I shouldn't eat sugar, and when I understand things, I don't stubbornly fight it in the back of my head.

2. A different goal.  I decided that the money I save on candy should go towards extra Fast Offerings. Each day starts at  a measly 50¢, but there is a bonus that goes up at the end of every week  I go without sugar consecutively. After one consecutive month, that's $30 bucks to help someone else, instead of  money spent selfishly killing my own organs.  This has been really leveling for me. It's not guilt motivated, but it makes me realize how I don't need sugar, while other's might desperately need a little help. 

3. Banish Brett to the Basement. Okay, that's a lie, but I used some "fun money" I saved up, and I bought a chest freezer  for the garage. Mostly, it will be used for our 1/4 a cow, and I have a lot of homemade soup down in it (to thaw on my lazy cooking days). Well, now, when Brett buys ice cream (which he recently went through quite the surge of ) the ice cream gets banished to the garage.  I also put things like my left over lollypops down there, some cookies I had left in the freezer. If Brett wants it, he can have some. If I want some, well, that's my choice, but I have to go down 3 floors of stairs and around the building to get to it. This has made me realize how much of my crappy eatting is just pure lazyness. To lazy to chop up fruits.  blah blah blah.  I don't have to look at ice cream whenever I open the freezer in my kitchen, and that helps.  Brett also slowed down his ice cream consumption by about 50% when I banished it. He won't admit it though, because he "doesn't have" an ice cream problem. 



4.  Pack food everywhere. Since Carrisa is pretty strict on her WAPF  food, she has to do this. So, I started doing this too. I pack healthy food, (because I am also trying to minimalize processing and chemicals), I pack a lot of it (because you never know what you will be in the mood for), and I plan for snacks—

 Like this ugly but effective "Lara bar" I made by blending almonds, cashews, and unsulfured/unsweetened dried fruit  together. Roll between was paper, and cut. Voila.   I have also developed a love for organic grapes with Kolona cottage cheese (it's just yummier than any other cottage cheese), topped with Parmesan Ragiano. Strange combination, but I made it up, and liked it. Now, I make it whenever Brett eats ice cream. Jerk. 


Anyhow, so far, compared with last november, I have now gone 12 strait days without sugar.  I only had tea one day, and cocoa one day. So, less "titches" of honey this time. AND NO CHEATING.

Bye Bye Sugar?

Just before halloween I decided that the time has come for me to give up sugar. 
While charting my daily goals on paper, I noticed I hadn't gone a single day without sugar. yikes. But I couldn't bring my self to give it up on the spot, but knew if I didn't commit to doing it, it would never happen. So I did something I never did before. 

I picked a date. No Sugar starts November 5th. 

I hate that mentality... I'm starting my diet on such a such date. I always thought it was silly. If you are going to do it, then do it. Right? Why put it off? But, their was a birthday party coming up, and if I blew it there, I might loose momentum and stop trying. 

So, the sugar fight started Nov 5th. I'm calling it a fight, though it is probably technically a diet.. except I still eat butter and carbs and stuff... but still. 

I allowed myself 1 exception. Tea. Eventually, I'd like to take in no sugar at all. For now though, when I get to the point were I really want that piece of maple candy, I have tea instead, and it works. Here's why: 
1. It keeps me from baking something and allows my mind to drift away from sugar while I am waiting for the kettle to whistle. Half the time my tea gets cold because I'm not craving anymore. Then when I get another craving, I drink my cold tea. 

2. I don't chain drink teas. One glass doesn't make me want another ( like one cookie makes me want 15 more) 

3. If I am in a sweet/ tart mood, Hibiscus tea is fruity enough to sooth me. If I'm munchy, lemon-ginger-tulsi tea makes me feel full. 

The two on the right are my favorites, though I went through a recent brief wild orange phase.

4. If I am feeling chocolaty, I found a recipe for cocoa that uses as much honey as I used in tea (so I don't feel guilty). This, unfortunately, was good enough that for two days I had two cups of cocoa in a row and fought the urge to make more (danger zone, but at least better than brownies). I ran out of my favorite cocoa powder though, and since replaced it with a less yummy powder. It's not as satisfying, but it's not as addictive either. 

Looks Ghetto, but I like it better than hersheys and one Ghridelli variety I tried.  Makes cocoa to tempting for my taste buds

5. I only use caffeine-free herbal teas, so I don't have a caffeine craving drawing me back for more, it won't dehydrate me, and it won't leach calcium from my bones. 

6. I may be taking 1-4 spoons of honey with my tea each day, but it is still (sadly) better for me than the 10 cookies I would have eaten 

7. Honey is still sugar, but it isn't refined, so I feel better about it. Plus, it is only about 25 calories for each cup of tea (vs. a soda, or a juice, or a cookie). I'm not a calorie counter, but It's good for me to be aware of how bad some treats are. 

8. I've set aside a few exceptions (Thanksgiving, one scoop of ice cream at an upcoming birthday). Knowing that I'm not saying good by to my sugar friend forever helps me feel more realistic and more motivated. I'm trying to make sugar consumption an exception, not a rule.


9. I can occasionally substitute a juice or a juice soda instead of a tea, as long as it is just juice and not sugar. 


Now, It's only been a week and a half, but I've cheated twice. 

Still an improvement, but it's taught me this: 

1. If I eat out or if the well intentioned Mr. B microwaves me a burrito, I have a harder time seeing the point of abstaining from sugar. I feel like there was probably already sugar in my pasta sauce, and who knows what kinda chemicals in the burrito, so if I'm not eating healthy then what is the point? 

2. It really does help for others to know what you are trying to do. Several times I wanted to use the "but I already ate crappy food today" excuse, and Mr. B was quick with the "but it wasn't intentional sugar consumption so you can still count today as good." Even though at the end of the day I still didn't feel like it counted, It's still worked most the time at deterring me from a lolly. 

3. I fell for the "you have to try this" and I can't again. I was good and took the tiniest sliver instead of 1/3 the candy bar offered, and I was proud of that at first, but 10 minutes later I ate 7-10 dove chocolates. When I got home, I topped it off with a few hard candies. Checking that "no sugar today" box really is the key to me. 

4. It's easier to say no with a reason. When I tell someone "no, I'm trying to break my sugar addiction so I am trying to go a few weeks without eating any," it reminds me of what I am trying to do and why I am saying no. It often strikes up a conversation about it too. and I noticed that someone who usually offers me and Mr. B ice cream didn't offer us ice cream after I turned down chocolate. 

A GAME PLAN... 
Someone just invited us for pie T.G. night, plus someone (excited about their first TG in their new home) invited us for a Friday T.G., and I am hosting a T.G. lunch for Mr. B's family on Saturday. I don't wan't to exclude myself from the celebrations or insult someone who is excited to share, but I also don't want the whole weekend to be a wash. I've decided I need to plan ahead. 

I know I can't say "I'm only going to have one piece today." Maybe, though, If I plan ahead, I can build up my commitment. I want to figure out today what I will allow myself, and think about it every time I think about my T.G. weekend plans. On the actual days, I will remind myself that if I stick to my allotments and no more, I can still give myself half credit for that day because it wasn't an impulsive decision. Then I can still have the satisfaction of filling out half a bubble on my goal chart at the end of the day.

Things marched by

Har har.... har har.. ha ha. har ha ha har.

Some things that happened in March.

1. Holi.
I didn't do anything special for Holi because (a) I am not Hindu, and (b) I was taking Brett up to the airport that day and acknowledging his family for the first time since my surgery (since I was already in SLC), so I didn't get around to inviting myself to tag along with the Indian neighbors when they wen't to the festival.

I did, however, Visit Rama the next day. She gave me some Gugia (shown below) which I loved. She is always shoving Indian food down my throat in the name of hospitality. I haven't complained yet. that would be stupid. Complaining might mean less nummies when I visit.
GUGIA:

And because I wasn't home on Holi when she came by, she made sure to paint me that day. She miscalculated my resistance to embarrassment though, and wiped it off my face when I came by an hour later to take her to the store. It did however, stain my skin for over a day, because I am white,a nd not Indian.



2. Our Ward Split. Now our ward is just our complex, plus the bishops family. This means we do church backwards (sacrament last), start 30 minutes later, move to the 3rd church building since we moved to this condo 1. 5 years ago (and it is further away, of course), and have only 2 nurseries full of cranky kids who are missing their naps.

3. I baked a yummy spice cake with Carissa, but am now pretty certain that XYLATOL makes me sick... which will severely limit our baking adventures since I cannot tolerate her sweetener anymore with out getting queazy, and it's the primary sweetener of her diet. At least we can have a little honey or raw sugar together occasionally.

4. My arm has had a month to heal. Dr. said yesterday it is pretty normal. I now only have to wear my brace when I plan on falling on my arm, and can do some activities. he said I can ride my bike, even mountain bike if is a smooth path (which isn't as mountain like as it is like a sidewalk on a hill). I'm not supposed to lift more than 5 pounds, yet he gave me permission to rock climb, because it would help rehabilitate my muscles... so I'm pretty sure he's crazy...either that or he things I only weigh 20 lbs (divide by 4 limbs= 5 lbs, right?)

This means it is time for me to get back focused on my goals.

Little happy moments

• Finally stopped itching everywhere a week ago (after building an immunity to the pain killers).
  
• Pain killer free since Saturday night
  
• nausea pill free (and therefore prescription free) since Sunday morning (it didn't seem to be helping anyway).
  
• Finally wen't to bed in my own bed last night and woke up in my own bed.
  
• Barely noticed my sleep bones last night
  
• minimal morning tummy nausia yesterday
  
• highly productive yesterday- not drowsy
  
• only 20 min of "arm nausia" this morning and NO tummy nausia! (are the withdrawals over?!)
  
• The funny smell every thing everywhere started having 1.5 weeks ago is finally gone
  
• seriously concidering NEVER taking perscription pain killers again, even though Dr. is surprised that I am already off them.
  
• FINALLY get to pick up my raw milk today after 4 weeks of delays (who knows if I could have drunk milk durning my stint anyway)
  
• Finally tracked down the expensive point and shoot b got me for "rugged" memories (lost few days before V_Day)
  

Things you didn't want to know

• Nausea can be worse than pain.
  
• Pooped no less then 4 times monday and 5 times on Tuesday... far cry from the once a week after my accident while I was taking so-called-softeners to combat the side effect of the pain killers.
  

that is about it.

Updates

• first day I got to see my surgery scars
  
• Upgraded from splint to brace
  
• my screws are still well secured, and my bones are still strait.
  
• first good wash of my left hand
  
• first day 100% Drug free
  
• first day I got to drive a little bit.
  
• craved a lot of fruits and vegetables in the last few weeks.
  
• every attempt to eat bananas made me feel sicker.
  
• First day that more than one food sounded edibleat a time
  
• I've been craving a lot o junk food lately
  
• some how lost 2 pounds (including splint weight) even though I've been eating a lot of crud.
  
• I've been craving a lot of soda lately (mostly because of nausia)
  
  
• decided I REALLY like Izze sodas - sparkling water and fruit juice... settles tummy best, and I just like.
  
  
• Brett discovered he really likes Boylan Sodas. (I admit they have one of my favorite cream sodas).
  
• a lot of nausea lately, especially last few days (hopefully just with drawls from my extreme low dose of painkillers- I'm still on my pre-surgery prescriptions)
  
• brace for 1 month (next apt)
  
• I've been sleeping on couch b/c brett got it perfecly set up (w/7 pillows) for sleeping my arm
  
• I'm sick of sleeping on couch (certain bones started getting sore from it the last weekend), and tried to sleep in bed last few days, only to end up on couch.
  
• I'm super excited that I can take brace off to sleep.
  
• fantacising about sleeping in my bed.
  
• I can now get my left arm wet
  
• I might actually bathe daily now
  
• my hair has faded a bunch, probably because bathing was a hassle, so I only bathed every 3 days, thus always used dandruff shampoo... which I believe killed my color.
  
• I still like the coloring left in my hair though, and I think I will repeat the color.
  
• Dr. gave me the option of physical therapy, which I decided to just do on my own as my exercises only consist of working my way up to doing this:
  
  and this:
  
  ..so paying the copay on a therapist seamed idiotic to me.
  

2 nights

2 nights of painless deep sleep, A promising Sunday with the fewest coughs I've had in weeks, and theeeeeeeeeen back to a very uncomfortable sleepless painful and coughing night... and Brett-Brett is out of town.

Good for him because he is probably sleeping well. Bad for me because I have no one to crabbily complain to.

I want to go to sleep. I want my tummy to stop being icky. As some one who has typically had better luck walking things off then getting any sort of help out of a doctor, I'm trying to decide how long I need to go with pain before I should see "one of them."

Ever cough so much you want to cry?

Friday night, Brett burnt a good half a loaf of sourdough toast in the oven, as well as burning something else that I cannot recall. Now, usually my husband is an excellent cook, but that night when I went to bed I could still see and smell smoke in the air.

So, when I woke up Saturday morning with a little cough, I thought it was from all the smoke I'd exhaled through-out the night... after all, I started coughing shortly after Brett set off the fire alarm.

However, come Sunday night, I began to suspect I was actually sick, and not simply "clearing the smoke." I can't sleep because the coughing gets worse when I lie down. When I finally do fall asleep, I wake up a few hours later with the most mysterious cramp-like feeling right here:


When nothing I do seams to relieve it, I spend the next few hours in and out sleep feeling that strange pinching cramp. Just before I finally decide to stop trying to sleep and get up , the cramping has decided to also annoy my uterus. Around 10 am it leaves the uterus, and then slowly fades from under my ribs.
I don't get how this horrible pain repeatedly comes on around 4:30 am?

Meanwhile the cough comes and goes, and sometimes I get this rattling feeling near my voice box when I breath, but there is absolutely nothing in my throat to clear if I cough. So, while there is really no point in my coughing , I cant help it, and during some of the fits, I want to cry.

ANd my tongue is raw from all the cough drops

and my nose is raw from all the Kleenex.

mini walk

So, yesterday I decided that since I don't always have time to take polo on long walks everyday, I should just start taking him on mini walks throughout the day... which consists of walking him down my street, then back up it. It isn't a very long walk, but a very steep one. Ick.

I thought it was funny that, at the end of the day, I was more sore from Four 5min walks, than I ever get from my 1 hour walks. My bottom is gunna get fox if I keep this up. Today I only did it 3 times (but the last one was longer than normal).

I actually think I am more productive when I have to get up and walk him frequently... it pulls me away from whatever I am doing that is distracting me from what I should be doing.

Spondylolisthesis

My sister went to the E.R. Last night. She has had pain all over for a long time and has been going to doctors and pain management, etc. She finally decided to go get an MRI (or her boyfriend dragged her stubborn self there...I am not certain) in the middle of the night because of the intense pain. They said she has Spondylolisthesis, pain meds don't help, and the doctor said it is too dangerous for her to go back to work (which seems to be driving her crazy). She has an appointment with the specialist on Wednesday, and might have to have surgery.

Poor Poor Ceese.

and a slight astigmatism in one eye

Last week I went frame shopping... as in, for glasses. It has been about a year since I lost my pretty blue ones in the rain. I found the place with the best match for my face (and also, conveniently for my wallet) and managed to get my eyes examined on Friday. 2 frames and exam ended up cheaper than one frame and exam. go figure. "Figure what," you ask? I have no idea. I don't even know how to properly use question marks with quotations. Been too afraid to look it up.

Good news: I don't have glaucoma, poor peripheral vision, or strange blind spots (although when I got my drivers test several years ago, the UT DMV insisted a letter was there that I could not, for the life of me, see) AND MY PRESCRIPTION WAS Almost HALF AS STRONG. -1.25 to -.75 in the course of 3 years.

Marriage is good for your eyes.

or maybe not wearing your glasses is good for them.

Bad news: There went my birthday money.

Dear Allergies

May I pleas go to bed now? I'm tired of being up until 5 am every night.

-Charlotte