I'm getting to ready to visit my mom in Michigan.  My two kids and I are actually riding the Megabus.  You can get tickets as low as $1 a person depending on how far in advance you book your trip.  I decided to take the bus because it's hard for me to drive long distances.  It's also a lot less money. 

I was a little concerned about the trip because I was just recently diagnosed with Factor V Leiden.  It just means I'm more susceptible to blog clots.  I knew I wouldn't be able to get up and walk around.   I'll be on the bus for almost six hours.  The doctor said I have to give myself an injection of a low dose of blood thinner on the day I leave and the day I get back.  At least I won't be worried about sitting for so long now.  I'm hoping I feel better  when I get to my mom's.  I've been in a lot more pain this week and feeling real tired.  I did get to go to my chiropractor yesterday and had a massage.  I always feel better after a massage.  I just wish it would last longer than a day.  I know I am one of the lucky ones that can afford a massage.  My husband actually got me a year's membership for Christmas.  What are some of the ways you make yourself feel temporarily better when dealing with your chronic illness?

Got Sleep?

We tend to take sleep for granted when we are getting enough.  It's when we don't get enough that we remember just how vital it is.  It replenishes our muscles, helps our nervous system to work properly, is necessary for our physical performance and memory. 


The other night our air conditioner wasn't working.  It was registering 85 degrees in our house.  Needless to say I had trouble sleeping that night. My body is very sensitive to lack of sleep.  Even more so since I developed chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.  I can miss just a half hour of sleep and it usually effects me for the next few days.  I feel weak, sore from head to toe and have severe exhaustion.  If someone invented a pill for instant sleep I would be willing to pay big bucks for it!!


I try not to complain to my family, but it's hard not to mention it when I have a hard time doing even normal daily activities.  We are also getting ready to leave for a week at the beach.  I have things to do!  It's time like these that I take my to do list and weed it down to only immediate, important things.  Now that my children are twelve and fifteen I can enlist their help more.  My daughter did some laundry for me, washed dishes, and helped me clean the kitchen.  My son swept and folded laundry and is helping me pack.


I used to feel bad when asking them to help out, but then I remembered that they are a part of this family too.  There's nothing wrong with asking them to help out with preparing for our family vacation.  I hope and pray once I get to the beach and breathe in that ocean air, my body will relax and heal.  How do you handle getting ready for vacation when your physically limited?

It's Been Too Long!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. I was working as a preschool teacher for the past three years, so I decided to put my blog on hold for awhile. I am now exploring the idea of working from home. I've been selling things on ebay and am also working on building my tutoring business. I would like to be able to have a flexible schedule to accommodate my health and kids.

I have been struggling with my health for the past two weeks. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. They can rear their ugly heads at times. Sometimes I'm able to point to a specific activity or event that led to a flare, other times I don't know what caused it. Even when I know what may of caused it, I don't understand why it takes so long for me to get back on my feet sometimes. I went to an amusement park on Friday the 24th with my kids and husband. I had already been dealing with increased pain. I was undecided on to whether to go or not. I always have a hard time making decisions like that. I want to go to be with my family, but am not sure how much I'm going to pay for it afterwards. My son really wanted me to go. I knew if I stayed home I would feel depressed about not being with them. I ended up going and five days later am still effected by my choice. Should I of made a different choice? That's the thing about chronic illness. You don't always know what the best decision is. You just have to decide and hope it was the right one.

I hope everyone's summer is going well. Let me know some of the issues you deal with because of your illness. I am here to support you!!