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 Gluten?

Right before I went on vacation my chiropractor suggested I go on a gluten free diet.  I decided to live it up on my vacation eating all the things I knew would soon be forbidden.  Bread is my all time favorite food, more than chocolate!  She thinks this may help my fibromyalgia.  Friday is the big day.  I've decided to start that day.

I'm trying to have a positive attitude.  I've tried so many different things that haven't amounted to much.  I need to do this though to see what happens.  She wants me to do it for at least two months.  The worst that can happen is a lose a few pounds.  I can handle that! 

My step-sister went on a gluten free diet for severe migraines.  Nothing was helping.  She was even at the Cleveland Clinic overnight.  She found out on the Internet that a gluten free diet might help.  She's been headache free ever since!  She was one of the lucky ones to have a found a cure so soon.

So off to the grocery store I go, armed with my list of acceptable foods.  I'm glad that most grocery stores now have a gluten free aisle.  Has anyone tried a gluten free diet for their illness?  Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Coming Home

We got back from Ocean City, New Jersey on Saturday.  It was warm weather with a breeze for the most part.  No rain.  Yeah!!  I always feel so relaxed when I'm there.  It's hard not to feel relaxed when your goal for the day is to sit at the beach and read and then go out to dinner.  Is there any way you can bring that feeling home with you? 

I ate so much though.  The people we were staying with would bring home chocolate goodies from the candy store.  I am on a weight loss program which I kind of chucked out the window for the week.  I was bad.  Now it's back to taking good care of myself.  My chiropractor wants me to go on a gluten free diet.  More about that in my next post.  I hope everyone has a chance to get away, even if it's for a little while.

Will be back soon!

Am on vacation.  Will be back soon with lots of things to share.  I hope everyone is enjoying their vacation!

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?

Songs that speak to me

I wanted to share with you some songs that speak to me when I'm having a hard time putting one foot in front of the other. I bought Sanctus Real's new cd. It has many great songs on it. I especially like "The Redeemer". You may have heard it on the radio. Some of the words are:

"Sometimes I just want to start over because everything looks like a wreck and I need the courage to carry on because I can't see what's ahead." The rest of the lyrics can be found on many sites, you just need to google the name and artist. I can really relate to those words. When I'm in the middle of a flare I feel like everything is falling apart. It's hard for me to get a new perspective. I don't like not knowing what's going to happen in the near future. It's hard for me to trust God with my days. I am still learning to let go and not feel the need to know everything.

Another new cd I love is "What if we were real" by Mandisa. My favorite songs are Stronger and Lifeline. They remind me that even though I may not like the place where I am, God can use it for His good to make me stronger. Lifeline reminds me to rely on Him. Check out the lyrics and let me know if they speak to you as well.

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!!