Today I am grateful that after not one, but two separate hospital stays, that Miss Artistc is not only home, but with a diagnosis.

Today I am grateful that after investigating obvious answers, and then some really scary possibilities as well, that her diagnosis is nothing more serious than GERD and vasovagal syncope (usually triggered by exertion (think Tae Kwon Do) or coughing (think asthma and acid reflux)).

Today I am grateful that helping her get better involves nothing more than adding a new medication to her regimen and making changes to her diet and lifestyle.

Today I am grateful for having health insurance I can barely afford so that I only have to stress about a little over $1000 in medical bills related to said hospital stays as opposed to the tens of thousands I’d otherwise be paying.

Today I am grateful to have a job that allows me to have such flexibility in my schedule.  While I will have to suffer through the lost pay from the past weeks at least I still have a job to return to.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:blog your blessings sunday, GERD, health, syncope

A routine follow-up at Miss Artistic’s pulmonary specialist led to an unplanned hospital admission.

We’ve been dealing with troubling symptomology for a while now – episodes of coughing up blood as well as passing out and other more vague complaints. We’ve ruled a number of things out, but there is more yet to test for. Its not a good feeling when the Doctors are as clueless as we are. It makes you wish Dr. Gregory House really existed, cantankerous nature and all.

As of right now she is in the hospital until at least Thursday. The next major test will be an endoscopy. There is also the possibility of an abdominal ultrasound, CT scans, and whatnot.

Her spirits are good, her biggest complaint being boredom. Insofar as the rest of us?

Gamer Dude & I are stressed. In addition to the fears naturally related to having a sick child and not knowing what’s wrong, there is the added stress associated with my having a job that does not provide paid time off. So what was originally going to be a week with just enough work to cover my insurance premium has turned into a week in which I won’t be at work at all.

On top of which we have Mr Grumpy’s 70th birthday dinner this Saturday, and a friend of ours coming in for the weekend as a result. So the timing is bad, especially as I still have a house to clean.

But, it will be okay. No matter what.  I have my family.  I have good friends.  I have my faith.  We’ll get through.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

cross-posted over at Blade & Cauldron

Written by Mama KellyTags:hemoptysis, hospital, illness, sick, syncope

This week on Thursday I will be leaving for Womongathering, a four day retreat - I’m so excited. I’m taking my mom this year and she is just thrilled. She has only been once before when we went at least 20 years ago (I don’t remember exactly when, it’s been that long). Two years ago Mama Kelly and I went together and we had an awesome time (see post: Highlights of Womongathering 2008). 

I am also getting healthy and feeling awesome!  I am now 25 lbs from goals! (5 more lbs dropped this month) Wahoo! As exciting as that is I am keeping in mind that NUMBERS do not count (not weight, not age, etc.) – yes it’s nice to have a visual goal to keep in sight, but my main focus is on getting healthy and enjoying life.  Two weeks ago at my checkup I got a clean bill of health from my cardiologist – the congestive heart failure is totally gone.  I no longer have to see him and I am off all medications. 

This weekend we started our farm shares – weekly pickup of lots of fresh, organic produce at a farm about 15 minutes from our home. This week the share included dark green lettuce, red lettuce, mixed greens, spinanch, white radishes, and we picked our own strawberries (3 pints). We also got to snip some herbs (catnip for our kitty, and some oregano and lemon balm). The farm shop also carries other items from farms in the area such as organic eggs, honey, and roasted coffee. We had a great time at the farm and are looking forward to visiting every weekend from now until November. If there are farms near you that you can buy shares from, I highly recommend it. It may seem like a lot of money to put out all at once up front – but over the course of the entire year it is a lot cheaper for all the wonderful produce you get, plus it is so much fresher and healthier for you, and better for the environment too since the produce isn’t shipped from all over the country.

The freshness of the produce makes such a difference; the taste is great. Even my daughter (who is 14), who used to eat only romaine lettuce as a salad has been enjoying a big bowl of mixed dark green salad every day (with very little dressing on it!). The white radishes were amazing and the strawberries were out of this world.

I have been keeping busy getting my new venture underway as a Slumber Parties consultant (offering education and quality products to empower women, and improve romance and intimacy), see introductory post Silliness, Secrets and Sexy Surprises. I am having a lot of fun, meeting awesome women, and looking forward to expanding my inventory over time.  I am truly enjoying  helping others achieve sensual empowerment.

Reminder – I am on Facebook (profile link) and have a new Twitter account too, please feel free to friend me and\ or follow me.

Wishing every one bright blessings, Lady Rose

Slumber Parties consultant contact information:

Cynthia King
Your Confidential Romance and Intimacy Enhancement Consultant
I want to give you a FREE shopping spree and discounted items for having a FUN “Ladies Night Out” get together. 
Website: Slumber Parties by Cynthia King – Shop my website 24/7 with confidential and secure orderin!
Email: cynthia.king@slumberparties.com
Facebook page: Slumber Parties by Cynthia (direct link: http://www.facebook.com/SlumberPartiesbyCynthiaKing)
“Like” my facebook page for HOT HOT deals and discounts!

Written by Lady RoseTags:organic vegetables, weight loss, women's health, womongathering

Miss Artistic saw the pulmonary specialist today.  First and foremost I really really like the man.  Very much on his game, great bedside manner, good sense of humor.  They did a breathing test – a Spirometry – and diagnosed her with asthma based on the results.

We came home with samples of 3 meds (a daily inhaler, a rescue inhaler, and a nasal spray for allergies) that she is to start on. Including the headache medication she started also tonight, this brings her daily medication total up to 8.

Don’t even get me started on how much all these meds cost (or will cost) us each month.

She also has to get some more tests done. As I mentioned yesterday she has to go for an MRI for the neurologist, but now the pulmonary specialist wants her to get a chest MRA as well.

I will of course keep you all posted …

In other news, Gamer Dude & I had our follow up with our GP this afternoon. He is officially down 29 pounds and I am down 17. His triglycerides are still high but our Doctor is willing to let him come back in 4 months for a recheck and have us try using Omega Fatty Acids in the meantime. My own cholesterol numbers are greatly improved, but he is keeping me on medication at least until my own followup blood work in November.

We also discussed the results of my sleep study which show issues with my sleep architecture. In layman’s terms I am sleeping, but am failing to get enough deep sleep or REM. Additionally, because Chiari malformations can run in families (and I have the “right” type of headache to make such speculation logical) he is ordering an MRA of the brain for me.

I plan to enjoy my food this weekend. I am preparing lighter fare than we generally consume on a summertime holiday weekend, of course, but I plan to give myself permission to enjoy myself and then as of Tuesday I will be tweaking the eating plan to get myself off of the plateau Ive been sitting on for the last couple of weeks. But this weekend I am going to enjoy the first weekend of “summer” and time with my family and 3 days in a row that don’t require that I set my alarm clock.

May you enjoy your weekends as well.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:family, health, kids

Today finds me with another long weekend, full of unpaid time off.  I thought about going to work today and sending Gamer Dude and Miss Artistic off to the neurologist without me, but reconsidered.

First of all, it has been a terrible few days at work.  Beyond that though, of the two of us I have a better head for all things medical and as I wanted to make sure we touched on topics such as medication, risk of other family members having the Chiari malformation, and my own diagnosis with neurofibromatosis it seemed a better idea to have me there than to have Gamer Dude try go off with a list of prepared questions and an admonition to remember everything said or discussed.

We don’t really know anything more than we did before going to the appointment.  He’s ordering more MRIs (of her cervical and thorasic spine to rule out spinal cord cysts) and is going to try a daily migraine medication to see if it will help her pain levels at all.  Other than that we will go see him in a month, review all of her films and decide what, if anything, needs to be done from there (in terms of more testing, different medications, or a referral to a neurosurgeon).

Tomorrow will find us at a pulmonary specialist.  Again, I do not expect to learn anything new other than to come home with orders for other (probably somewhat more invasive) tests and perhaps a prescription of some kind.  Later in the day Gamer Dude & I have our own appointment with our GP to review our recent bloodwork, determine my need to continue on cholesterol meds, and discuss either starting hubby on one himself (or hopefully get a reprieve for a while, make more dietary changes, and test again in 3 months or so).

In between all of this we have to follow up with the Walmart vision center who is trying to convince my insurance that I really really didn’t get new eyeglasses last year and so I do deserve them, start shopping and cooking both for the week to come and the holiday weekend ahead.  And in my spare time (what’s that?) I have work yet to do on my super secret side project which will be announced right here just past midnight on June 1st.

That’s it in the proverbial nutshell.

Be well

Be blessed

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:chiari malformation, family, health, life

With so much weight to lose, its hard to not get frustrated at how slowly the scale is moving in the right direction. But, I am not in this just to change my shape, or my size, I am in this to reclaim my health. Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I hear the call of naughty nibbles.

Today is day 19 of being on the straight and narrow and honestly so far so good. I am not obsessing about calories, just trying to eat smaller servings of healthier fare with a much heavier focus on fiber, fruits, and vegetables. (My digestive system is complaining about this, believe you me)

The original smoothie I was drinking for breakfast went through a couple of changes.  I tried adding spinach leaves for a while, but found it got watery too fast.  Then I decided to cut its calorie count, so I would have more wiggle room the rest of the day.  Right now my smoothie is 1 cup of water, 2 cups of frozen fruit (give or take a couple of stray berries, cherries, or peaches), and a scoop of protein powder.

This, and an almost daily diet coke (for the caffeine I need so desperately), carries me through happily until lunchtime when I eat about 1 cup of whatever I have handy for lunch (this week it has been Jasmine rice, and homemade (and vegetarian) Indian food).

As a snack I eat 2 or 3 dried apricots, a mini box of raisins, and a couple of fresh strawberries (or baby carrots depending on what’s in the fridge).

For dinner I eat whatever I’m feeding the family.  But the focus is on a lot of vegetarian dishes (like pasta with mushroom sauce) or other kinds of lighter fare (like tonight’s cod and shrimp with vegetables).  But I focus on only having one small serving and enjoying every bite.

Snack is pretty much a thing of the past.  A couple of times Gamer Dude and I have shared some Guiltless Gourmet tortilla chips and salsa.  A few times I’ve had fat free yogurt with some honey on top.  But, generally I just don’t have anything at all.

Almost 3 weeks in and I haven’t really cheated.  I haven’t felt deprived.  I’m beginning to think I can actually stick to it this time around.

Yea me!

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:diet, dieting, weight loss

Well I had my sleep study last night.

I fully intended to post embarrassing pictures, but GamerDude only  stayed with me for about 45 minutes before going home to put the girls to bed.  It was a good thing as they didn’t start wiring me up for about another 45 minutes, at which point they put me in bed and turned the lights off on me.

I won’t know the results for about 2 weeks (10 business days) but since they did not come in to put me in a CPAP mask in the middle of the night the odds are that I either do not have sleep apnea, or only have a mild case.  Which is a good thing, definitely, but ruling it out doesn’t necessarily help me figure out why the heck I wake up exhausted each and every day.

This morning they wanted me to estimate how long it took me to fall asleep and how many hours sleep I got.  Since I was in a completely dark room, with no clock, everything was a guess – which I assume is what they were looking for – my interpretation of my sleep quality.  I “guessed” that I fell asleep after about 15 minutes initially (it had been a long and emotionally exhausting day which oddly enough worked in my favor for a change) and “guessed” that I slept about 7 hours (though broken).

The question that made me chuckle was them asking me to compare last night’s sleep quality to my usual sleep.  Seriously, its like comparing apples and oranges.

I don’t generally go to sleep with wires down my pants, glued to my legs; or an air flow monitor tickling the inside of my nostrils; or electrodes glued to my scalp, face, and neck; or a pulse oximeter taped to one finger.

I don’t generally sleep in a bed that isn’t mine, without my husband beside me; or with a stranger waking me up twice during the night to reattach or readjust my monitoring devices.

But, I figured my sleep at home is pretty broken, and I woke up feeling just about the same that I do at 6:10 on a typical morning so I judged it “about the same.”

At least I know they recorded me waking up at least 3 or 4 other times, and hopefully my brain waves will tell them why.

I got home at about 7am, hugged my girls, and poured my weary self into my own soft and comfy bed.  Miss Artistic, who has been having another flare up in her depression issues (see the emotionally exhausting day noted above) crawled into bed beside me and we dozed on and off for a while.

I am up and showered (hopefully managing after 2 shampoos to get all the glue out of my hair) and not entirely sure what I am doing with the rest of my day as yet.

Here’s hoping everyone has a lovely weekend.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:health, insomnia, sleep study

I am pleased as punch that the health care legislation bill passed.  Is it perfect?  No.  Does it do everything I could’ve hoped for, as quickly as I would’ve liked?  Again, no.  But it does a great deal that will help a large number of people.  And, it helps my family right out of the gate.*

Once everything is finalized, I no longer have to worry about my insurance company dropping me, or any of my family members, for either having a chronic condition (among the 4 of us we have a few of them) or developing one.

Once everything is finalized, I can carry my girls on my policy until they are 26.  As it becomes harder, with rising tuition costs often necessitating students to go to school only part-time so they can work, for young adults to finish school in 4 years alone this alone is a blessing.

Once everything is finalized, my father will see the Medicare doughnut hole he lives in fear of every year gradually diminish and disappear by 2020.  And, as of 2011 he will have better access to preventative care as well.

Once everything is finalized, and come 2014, I will have more options insofar as finding insurance for my family.  Hopefully, with more competition (and more people in each insurance pool) this will also see premium costs decrease.

Once everything is finalized, and come 2014, I will be able to receive tax credits to make sure that we do not spend more than 9.5% of our total annual income on insurance premiums (currently we pay closer to 20% ).  Additionally, there will be caps on out-of-pocket costs for deductibles and co-payments.  This eliminates the frustration of paying so much in premiums, and having such high co-pays, that you can’t afford to use the health insurance you do have.

Once everything is finalized, and come 2014, I will no longer have to worry about annual or lifetime benefit caps on my coverage.  As a family with multiple chronic health issues, and the ever present possibility (for us or any family) of a catastrophic illness or injury, it’s good to have one less thing to worry about.

I’ve heard the rhetoric, and read some of the supposedly scary snippets from the bill.  But, when you go and read the bill itself and find the snippet in context you realize that there is really nothing to be scared of.

Hospitals and Doctors will be accountable for preventable re-admissions, or other complications.  Isn’t that how it should be?

My insurance company is required to pay for me to have an end-of-life consultation with my Doctor.  My doctor is required to give me all the information, and access to resources, that I need.  Isn’t that a good thing?

My insurance company not only has to pay for traditional mental health services, but marriage and family counseling as well.  On what planet is that the government intruding on my family?

Maybe, with more people having insurance, and having better access to both preventative care and illness treatment, we can see our health system’s ranking go up from #37 out of 190 countries, as charted by the World Health Organization.

One can only hope.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

* “assuming final Senate passage later this week”

Source:

Health Reform: A Year by Year Rundown of What Happens and When

What Does the Health Care Bill Mean To Me?

The World Health Organization’s Ranking of the World’s Health Systems.

Written by Mama KellyTags:current events, health care bill, health insurance

As of this writing my only celebration is my continued journey on reclaiming my health.

GamerDude and I had our follow up appointment today with our GP.  This is the summary.

• We have to go in on May 21 for repeat blood-work and then a week later to review results.
• GamerDude has until our next appointment to get his cholesterol and blood sugar down or he is joining me on the medication bandwagon.
• My blood pressure remains high, although taking a few deep breaths allows him to get a reading in the safe range.
• My hormonal blood work shows that I am still not in menopause despite the removal of my ovaries 5 years ago – proving the presence of an ovarian remnant – and explaining why my pain is creeping back up to pre-hysterectomy levels.
• The scale moved a couple of pounds in the right direction since we were last there 6 weeks ago.
• My Prozac dose was increased.
• I have a script for some kind of steroidal medication to deal with some scalp eczema I’ve been self-treating unsuccessfully for the last year and a half.
• Our dietary changes were all approved with the exception of flax seed.

My goal is to try and lose 15 pounds before we go back, stick to all of my healthy eating changes, and maybe even get in to see my gynecologist.

On the way home I ran in to the health food store and bought more fat free yogurt (I am starting to live on the stuff) and picked up an unflavored and unsweetened soy-based protein powder to use with our shakes.  Not only will this trim a bit more cholesterol from our diets, but it will trim a bit more sugar from GamerDude’s as well.

Other than that, its just another day in Mama Kelly Land.  I am keeping my fingers occupied with my super secret side project (to be revealed, hopefully, on June 1) and my brain busy trying to convince myself that my health is worth the extra money at the grocery store, the extra effort, and the loss of potato chips and bacon-horseradish dip.

I plan on spending the rest of the weekend doing my usual cooking, some additional cleaning and de-cluttering, watching TV with my girls, and probably drop the car off for repairs.

Happy Ostara one and all!! May the budding earth and returning warmth brighten your hearts and lighten your spirits.  May you each be truly blessed.

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:diet, health, life, Ostara

… but the health food store sure can!

Tonight, I dropped the girls off at Tae Kwon Do and dashed over to the neighboring shopping center where there is a health food store. I am determined, one way or another, to reclaim my health and as we are just about a week before Ostara (and more importantly a few days ahead of Gamer Dude’s monthly check) it seemed a fitting time to start making some major changes in what I’m putting in my mouth each day.

I bought a bunch of supplements. Green tea and chromium to boost my metabolism from its present slow as a slug rate. I plan to (hopefully) be able to have the caffeine in the green tea replace my morning coffee (and the fat and chemicals it contains). An omega 3-6-9 supplement for heart health. Nature’s Plus – Animal Parade Kid Greenz since with my digestive issues (no gall bladder and bowel adhesions) often cause any intake in greens to cause an increase in pain.  And I finally broke down and spent the money on supplements I can found in my research several months ago (Nature’s Plus – Source Of Life Green/Red Bilayer Tabs) because they contain all kinds of trace levels of whole foods.

I also bought some fat free strained Greek yogurt (love this stuff!), local honey (to help the allergies), an acai-pomegranate-cranberry juice blend, and some whey protein powder.  The latter two will be used to make smoothies for breakfast every morning along with frozen and fresh fruit I have to buy tomorrow at my supermarket.  I also picked up raw almonds (a few a day for “good fat”), Guiltless Gourmet Blue Corn Organic Baked Tortilla Chips, and some ingredients for some dishes I’m making this coming weekend.

In other news, GamerDude and I are talking again about a home business idea we came up with 5 years ago and, right now, this is looking like not only do I have to get off my tail and start blogging more regularly here again, but I am going to have a whole new blog/website to get up and running too.  Thus, my motivation for jumping on the bandwagon with both feet and trying to get myself on the path to wellness.  On the bright side, this probably means I’ll be getting a new laptop sooner as opposed to later.

Finally, my thanks to those who took the time to leave kind words on my last post, or who have held me and my family in your thoughts. Words alone cannot express how much it means to me.  The wonderful thing about the Internet (as was summed up in a recent episode of House) is that no one ever has to be alone again.  All of you …  every day … keep me from feeling alone …. and I love and bless you for it.

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:diet, health, life, supplements