Hair Delight!

Because I am rushing, and feel a little odd asking hubby to help with a pic tutorial, I don't have any photos to post that will verify what I am going to say, you will just have to understand how excited I am!

My hair has ruled my life in one way or another. It's a good day or a bad day. Mostly, bad days that result in me raking it back into a bun with an elastic and it looking, well, BAD! Until I started taking medication a few years ago for my migraines (I quit taking it, as previous posts about my migraines will attest to) my hair was uber thick and wavy/curly. Granted my younger brother has me beat in aces on both fronts but it just looks better on him when it goes wild. Now, while it is still wavy/curly and I have a lot of it, it is not as thick as it use to be, courtesy of a medication side-effect they neglected to list or tell me about til it was too late. Since then I have been very careful with my hair and what I do, or try to do, to style it.

Anyway, I ramble... I was watching a little television while getting ready for work the other morning and caught a commercial for Goody, the hair accessory company. They came out with a few new products that seemed very interesting and possibly quite easy for hair-styling-deficient me. So, doing something I most definitely DO NOT DO, I stopped at the store before leaving town and bought two items.

The Spin Pins come in a pack of two and each one replaces 12, yes you read that correctly...TWELVE, bobby pins! Super, SUPER easy to use and much better for my hair than pins and ponys!

The Modern Updo Pin is fabulous! I can now do a french twist in my hair with my own two hands! YAY! Granted, there is a bit more of a learning curve with this one but I was still able to figure it out for the most part in less than 10 minutes.

I will hopefully post pics soon. One of the great benefits of this? Since I don't have to use elastics with my hair when using these items, I don't have creases showing when I let my hair down! Just fabulous waves and barrel curls that some people pay hundreds of dollars for in salons. And it cost me less than $6. Gotta love it!

Ugh.

A two-day migraine, this time. Three pills in total. I was beginning to wonder if the pills were actual medication or just powder. Eventually, the pain did recede but not before it completely messed up my plans for Friday evening.

For three weeks in a row, I have been unable to attend the "knit nights" at our yarn shop with Mom and Tater (my niece). Hopefully, next week is a different story. I really liked getting together with so many different people and just visiting.

I have finished several baby blankets in the diagonal dishcloth pattern. I try different patterns all the time but rip them out and go back to my dishcloth pattern. It works for me. Mom says that she did the same thing. She would start a pretty pattern and then rip it out and do a basic. After having some time to think on it, the basic pattern blankets are great because the pretty ones don't get used all the time. Those are the "good" blankets. The garter stitch blankets (mine are usually made from cotton) tend to be the ones the babies can grow with and drag behind them all through the house. That works for me.

I am currently working on a new blanket in the dishcloth pattern with Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn in Lemon Custard. One of the girls my two oldest went to school with is getting married and just found out she is expecting (good timing). She is doing the nursery in a John Deere theme (she's a farm girl to the core!!!) so I figure the light yellow will work. I will make another one in a cotton variegated to give her a basic go-to blanket. You can never have too many blankets when you have babies.

An interesting evening with next-day issues

Yesterday, the two boys had there first day of the new school year. They were so excited to fill me in on everything they got to do. They both love their teachers and think they will have a great year. I checked their bags, signed assignment books, and read supply lists. Our state mandates that all student supplies are strictly optional. Meaning, no parents HAVE to supply school supplies. That is what our taxes are for. It's public school and we already pay for it, so they don't "require" us to send school supplies. However, the teachers send home lists of things that we could send to school for our child's personal us and for classroom use if we want. So, we do. Mr. Rebel only needed a few things this year as his teacher was fully prepared for the year, even down to the folders the kids are going to be receiving in a few days that will hold their work-in-progress and take-home papers. Mr. Pirate took several more things than that. With DH and I expecting to send a ton of supplies with both, the few things we did send came as a surprise and a blessing.

So, I took the kids to the store to pick up the few things I didn't have in my school supplies storage bins. DH met us there and we did a little more shopping for the house. After getting home, we started dinner and I started working with Mr. Pirate on his homework...and then the transformer down the road blew up. Oh...joy. Blessings of blessings, I had already sent Mr. Rebel to the showers (early, I know but I wanted it done), so he was just finishing when we lost power. Dinner for Dh and Mr. Rebel was to be prepared in the oven and I already had it on. Thank goodness for gas ovens! So, those two shared their food with Mr. Pirate and me. We ate outside on the patio and had a great time visiting and talking about the day.

When the transformer blew, I had called the electric company to report the outage. While on the phone with them, the fire trucks could be heard arriving down the road. The electric company said they hadn't received any calls from the fire department as of yet but they documented everything. A little later, they called back saying that no one else called with a power outage report so I walked around to my neighbors (who had no power) and they all called the electric company. They were told it would be about 10:30pm until someone could get there. It was 7:15pm. Oh, well. It happens. We got lucky, though. A guy had been in the area and opted for the call. We had power back before 9:30pm.

So, the other interesting thing. Yesterday, I had to each lunch by myself. So, Dh told me to help myself to stuff we bought for his lunches because he bought too much and didn't want it to go to waste. So, I did. So, in conjunction with what I ended up eating for dinner last night, I gave myself a migraine. Dana, you will be happy to hear that I can add processed meats (lunch meat and meat topping on heat-and-serve pizzas) to my "DO NOT EAT!!!!" list. Lol! The base of my skull hurts so bad right now. The right side of my face is a combination of numb and itchy. Nice. Next time I will just stick with my routine.

Empty the cupboards...

Well, that is what I am doing. I am emptying my cupboards. By baking. I have so many mixes and ingredients for things. I know some of them are in danger of due-date demise so I am on a baking spree. Yesterday, I baked a devil's food cake in two bread pans.

While it cooled, DH and I went to Kroger's. Milk was on sale for $0.79 a half-gallon! We picked up 2 gallon's worth! After paying almost $4.00 a gallon, coming in around $1.60 for a gallon is a treasure! So, I called Grandpap and Grandma to check on their milk status and picked up a few half-gallons for them. We also picked up 3 gallon's worth of Kroger orange juice, as it is good til almost the end of the month. I love orange juice but it can be almost as expensive as milk, so I have not been getting any for a very long time. Having it is such a treat for all of us!

We picked up a few other items and returned home. After dinner, DH and I prepared dessert! I took the cake loaves out of the pans, placing them on a cutting board. DH got out the box of ice cream, cool whip, and marachino cherries. I opened the small tub of vanilla bean ice cream that had been left to soften (melt, really) on the counter. Then, we assembled! Pour a little bit of melted ice cream in the bottom of a bowl, a slice of cake, half a slice of ice cream from the box, a slice of cake, fudge sauce (melted in microwave per label's instructions), cool whip, cherry. Add a spoon. Give it to a child. Repeat til you get yours. Lick the spoon from the fudge sauce. Enjoy. *sigh* Nice.

Tonight, I made a Cranberry Quick Bread with Orange Peel. Delicious.

All of this has been enjoyable, if somewhat exhausting. I have had an awful migraine for the last two days. It peaked at a level 10 today, an hour after I took my medication. I am drained and sore. My teeth and gums hurt from the swelling and the right side of my neck at the base of my skull hurts greatly.

I had an MRI last week and the results were clean. Part of me is thrilled that there were no findings but another part of me is disappointed. I KNOW something is wrong. I can FEEL that something is wrong. Yet, NOTHING is there. Helpless. That is what I feel right now. So, I will empty my cupboards. I will bake. And probably gain 20lbs or get so sick of looking at sweets that I will lose 20lbs.

Anyway, another ramble.

Today was rather...en"lighten"ing

As is obvious from my blog badge to the right, I suffer from debilitating migraines. Several on my side of the family do. For the past several years I have been going to my general physician and, in just the last year, a neurologist. When I was referred to the neurologist, I was filled with such anticipation. I had done my research on him and really felt he would be able to help me move forward with my migraines and see improvement. Together, we would be able to figure out if there was an underlying problem.

I have been so disappointed. Despite my efforts of thinking positive thoughts about the whole situation, I have come to the realization that this neurologist, for all his awards and accolades in the field of migraine research, is basically a joke. Having this need to research and learn all I can about migraines, I know that one of the first things many neurologists do for migraine sufferers is to send them for scans and other tests. I had ONE, yes ONE, run of blood work. Then, last summer, I ended up in his office on an emergency visit (honestly thinking I was going to die...and apparently, he thought so, too), I received an oxygen treatment that made it worse. I have one medication that I take for my migraines. ONE. It works. That's all I need. Just keep it coming!

However, this man thought that he should give me everything under the son. He knew I researched everything yet he continued to give me meds that I already vetoed. I refused to take anything with similar side-effects to Topamax but he still tried. He gave me fibromyalgia medication! For MIGRAINE! Yes, I know that some of those meds are found to prevent migraine but COME ON! I was getting med patches to put on my back, nasal sprays that burned my sinuses, awakening meds that they give to ADD/ADHD patients, and migraine meds that made the pain worse... Every time he would give me more meds, I would tell him, just give me another 'script for my Maxalt. We can stay with it for now. My migraines are changing as it is and I don't want to screw with them too much. He completely ignored me.

So, to my point. I went to my general physician's offices today. While I did not see my doctor personally, I did see my Uncle J (my mom's first cousin but all of us kids grew up calling that generation Aunt or Uncle...it was easier) who is an x-ray tech and PA there, as well as another PA/resident. I trust the people in this office. After explaining everything above to the PA, and telling her NO, I had not had any scans done, she was horrified! She had done a rotation with this neurologist and understood my dismay and disappointment. She immediately got me a 'script for my meds. After taking my bag full of medications my neurologist gave me, she showed them to Dr K in his office (next to my exam room). I could here him yelling through the wall! Lol! "Why in the WORLD is he giving Jenny all this crap!? She has MIGRAINE, not fibromyalgia pain! She's had migraine since she was a kid! What is he thinking?" *sigh* I love my doctor. It pays to go see a man that went to school with your parents. Sometimes. Other times it sucks because he tattles on you. Gotta love small town, old-school doctors. The best medicine sometimes is to tell 'mommy'! Lol!

Anyway, after almost a year of seeing this neurologist, I got fed up and went back to my general physician. Within 3o minutes, I was getting scheduled for an MRI. I don't know when yet, I have just been put on the roster for scheduling. They will call me by Friday. I have a few samples of my meds until I can get my 'script filled.

So, the play on words within my title? I feel lighter. My chest doesn't feel as tight. My DH doesn't have as many worry lines around his eyes. With my migraines changing and getting worse, he has been so worried. I try not to tell him how bad they are but he knows. He always does. I just hate it when he fusses. So, even though I am not out of the woods, I feel a little lighter, I can breathe a little easier, knowing that I can take a step forward instead of walking in circles.

Oh, and I leave tomorrow morning to get my van. God is good. We just have to stay on the Path to see it. No matter how many times we tell ourselves AAA won't cover it, just stay on the Path.

The last few weeks...

The last few weeks have been rather busy and stressful. On Independence Day we took Jonathan (aka Mr. Chef) to Pittsburgh and moved him into the dorms at PCI. He returned with us for one last family summer holiday and went back the next day. He loves it up there! He has figured out how to get to the grocery store using the transit system (only took two hours to figure out the six block trip) so that he knew which bus to get on should there be inclimate weather. He loves his classes! DH and I are so proud of him. We miss him terribly.

Now that both the older boys have moved out of the house, we moved the younger two into the bigger bedroom the older two just vacated. Isaac and Jonathan still have a place to come home to it's just the smaller bedroom. They assured us that a place to sleep and stash a few articles of clothing was just fine. It's still hard to realize that they aren't here anymore. I know Isaac has been moved out since last September but moving the younger two into the bigger room made everything seem so final.

DH and I are so proud of both the older boys - young men, really - and all they have done in their lives. Isaac has been able to maintain an apartment and a steady job while he was going to school and continues to do so since finishing his courses. That isn't something easy to do in today's economy, let alone while living in a college town. He is so grown up when he visits. I miss the little boy that was all knees and elbows, crawling onto my lap and falling asleep during church. *sigh* Memories...

Speaking of visits, Isaac did come up last week. His landlord hasn't fixed the washing machine, yet, and he needed clothes washed. As we have told him to do, he brought the clothes home. The younger two boys loved Isaac being home! They played video games and Yugioh card game. I would have enjoyed the visit much more had I not decided earlier in the day to sort through our metal storage building. Despite the fact that I drank enough water to turn me into a fish, I dehydrated...drastically! The culmination of said dehydration? A wonderful migraine that tipped my pain scale at a level 9. During the entire 20+ years I have been suffering from migraine, I can count on ONE HAND the amount of times I have been physically ill from the pain. I don't think I will ever eat another pickle again. Ever. And I love pickles. But not after this.

I was still dealing with the pain the next day and the weakness and lethargy lasted almost the entire weekend. My negligence in not wearing my medical alert is no more. I had become complacent in putting it on in the mornings, thinking it wasn't such a big deal as long as I had a card in my wallet. Yeah, not so much. I have once again put it on every day.

I rarely ask anything of the few readers who come to my blog. However, I am asking for prayers. My DH's cousin had an emergency c-section on Friday due to severe hemorraging. Her little girl didn't make it. We almost lost DH's cousin, too. So, please, though I give you no names, keep that family in your prayers and thoughts.

On a happier note...my van is ready. I pick it up on Wednesday. Praise God! Things may not happen in our time but they do happen in His time. He has taught me patience and humility in the last few months. A lesson I hope to retain.

Taking pictures again...

Calendula (calendula arvensis - field marigold) and Baby's Breath (gypsophila elegans). I am trying to learn the latin names for the plants and flowers in my daily life, so work with me. The Calendula is unedited except for my watermark. The Baby's Breath is unedited except for cropping and my watermark.

These are growing in my MIL's backyard. We were there Saturday for my BIL's birthday party and I was bored, so I took pictures. Since I don't drink alcohol and don't smoke cigarettes (Myself and my two youngest sons are allergic to cigarette smoke and prolonged exposure will trigger our migraines), I couldn't sit on the back porch and relax. Something I really wanted to do on my 11th Wedding Anniversary. Taking pictures kept me from mouthing off at my BIL/SIL about their treatment of my MIL. Sometimes I really hate my Etiquette Button. It kicks on at the most inopportune times. *sigh* Yes, Grandma M., I played nice.

Anyway, I am going to put these two photos in the Fair Photography Contest this year. I think. Still not sure. All I DO know is that I have to get Little Pirate to take some pictures. Since he has discovered this extreme fascination with rocks (he's found some real nice ones, too!) maybe him taking some macro shots of them could be an idea. Of course, it will be done on a tripod so that my camera lens doesn't somehow end up in the middle of a rock pile! Lol!

I let my kids play...

...with my mini photo studio kit, today. My 10 y/o had gotten out his camera because his brother wanted to take pictures of their cars. They had lined them up on the kitchen table and, despite my migraine, I just couldn't let them continue like that! Those pictures would have been sadly lacking in what they wanted. So, I grabbed my kit, set it up on the table, plugged in and set up the lights, played with a little tub of eraser caps to show them how to set up their stuff, then walked away!

This is what I did. I will post their's tomorrow. They had a blast! It kept them busy on their first day of spring break for well over an hour! They even did a little video of the cars crashing into each other! Sound effects and everything!

The Gs

Yesterday, Grandma had eye surgery. The surgeon said that the cataract so bad that he likened its density to that of a diamond. Today, well, she's in pain and on her way back to the doctor to get another checkup. We'll see how it goes.

The other 'G'...it's report card day here. For the younger two, at least. They messed around at the beginning of the grading period despite my constant prodding and reminding them that they can't play with their grades. Hopefully, the turn around that happened mid-grading period will help. So, pray for them. And me. The weather has been wonky and I got hit with a migraine (they've been getting even worse and morphing into something I hardly recognize anymore...but that's a whole other post). I can't take my meds until this evening because Mr. Chef has to go to work and DH can't guarantee what time he will be getting home...so, no meds for me until then.

Migraines & Mom - Part 3

So, mom is home now. She is going to have rehab 2-3 times a week to keep her knee moving. So far she is doing well. We went out to one of her churches on Sunday (She came home on Saturday) for a wedding. She did not officiate because she wouldn't have been able to stand that long. However, she had another pastor coming anyway and he performed the service. It was wonderful. The groom owns a flower shop, so of course there were flowers everywhere! They were just gorgeous. The bride wore a tea-length, autumn brown satin dress. It was beautiful.

One of the blessings during the wedding on Sunday evening was that it was my first afternoon/evening without a migraine. I had one that morning that was taken care of with my medicine and time. Thankfully, I was able to function through it. Since going off my Topamax, I have been in a constant state of migraine. One long period of pain. I was finally able to describe the pain to my husband. It feels like someone is shoving a pike into my skull and using a blade to scrape the thinnest layer of skin off my scalp. ...Lovely...

My pain tolerance has increased, though. I seem to be able to handle the...geez, what can I call it?...symphony of pain, I guess. My worst day was Saturday, September 29 (?). The 16-year-old took his girlfriend to Homecoming at the high school and I was the driver. We drove the 30 minutes north to pick her up and take pictures with friends before dinner. On the way to drop them at the restaurant, my migraine hit - HARD. I faked a smile and a laugh expertly. Since they were eating just a few minutes from the rehab center Mom was at, I was going to see her until they were finished. I stopped to get some food and, in tears, drove to the center. I could hardly see by the time I got to Mom. I tried to eat but it was like cardboard in my mouth. I curled up on Mom's bed and slept for over an hour before the kids called to be picked up. I, again, faked the smile and laugh all the way to the house - I had a young lady who's hair was in need of repair. I then drove them to the dance. After I left the school, I had to call my husband. My head was causing me such agony, I had to have him talk to me just so I could make it home. When he got me in the door, he was prepared - medicine, water, wet washcloth, bed - all ready to go. I was helpless, couldn't function on my own at all. I seriously thought I was going to be able to get over this in a few hours and then pick up the kids and take them to the bonfire party at a friend's house. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. when my husband came home from taking the teenager's girlfriend home from the bonfire.

After sleeping until 8 a.m., I awoke still suffering from the migraine. It didn't go away until almost 1p.m., when we left for my MIL's birthday party. That was a rough 18 hours.

I am hoping that I can keep the migraines under control through the weekend. I have a photo shoot with a couple on Saturday and Mom has church on Sunday. The photo shoot is going to be a blast! It is my husband's best friend from high school and her life-partner. They did not have any formal photos for their ceremony (I think it was a year ago?) and would like me to do an album for them. They loved the photos I did for T's culinary portfolio assignment and my oldest's senior pictures, so they are thrilled I am going to do this with them. I got paid in CAKE when I did T's culinary shots. I wonder if I can get BROWNIES this time. Hubby LOVES brownies. See? You don't have to get money...bartering is fantastic! I just love that T is in culinary school!

This is one of the water lilies my MIL has growing in her Koi pond. Every time I have been over there, the lilies are closed but at her birthday party they were open and beautiful. This is an unedited photo, right down to the little bug on the petal. Lol!

Migraines & Mom - Part 2

For Dana - I completely agree about the food Mom has to be eating but from she says, it is pretty decent. They give her fruits and vegetables that she really likes and that has a lot to do with her weight loss, I believe.

Well, the doctor has taken me off the Topomax. He agreed with my husband, who wanted to flush my pills down the toilet, that this has to stop. So, for the next month the whole family gets to help me keep track of my migraines.

Migraines & Mom

Okay, so Mom had her surgery on her left knee. She is now in a rehab center for a few weeks and is doing very well. Besides her knee healing, she has also lost weight! YAY! This is what we have been waiting for. It is difficult to exercise if you can't walk - now she is starting to lose weight that she has been trying to get off for years.

I am going to the doctor today. I actually have to leave in a few minutes. I just needed to get this out of my system first. My migraine medication, the preventative - Topomax, is causing me so many problems. The good things no longer outweigh the bad. I can't continue with it. My memory STINKS! I am unable to remember things the kids have told me. I don't remember conversations. I can't concentrate on anything - I haven't made any jewelry in so long! I am unable to focus on simple tasks, like cleaning the house. Ugh! It's a monumental feat to get things done. I lost the van in the store parking lot the other day. This wasn't just forgetting the exact location but knowing the general direction to go - I LOST THE VAN! Luckily, my 18-year-old was with me and I just followed him, after I told him I did not remember where the van was.

My system reacts to medication in such an odd fashion. I could only take 1/4 of the dose of Topomax my doctor wanted me to take. I don't like the way I am right now. I don't like forgetting things. I am afraid that one day I will forget to go get the kids or even forget that I have kids.

Am I scared? Yeah. Do I think that another medication is the answer? . . . I don't know. I just want to be me again.

Migraines & Marines

My migraines have been kicking at me for the last week. I actually had to fill my prescription for my Maxalt. The pharmacy could only give me a partial fill because they ran out of the pills I take. When I went in on Monday to get the rest, they had a call in to the doctor's office to see if they could give me the quick-dissolve strips due to the wait-list for Maxalt tablets. They had placed the call in the morning and I was there at 3 p.m. They were still waiting.

So, what does any self-respecting person do when faced with a frazzled pharmacist who is getting more frazzled by the minute due to the number of prescriptions to fill and this ONE prescription is not getting anywhere? I pull out my cell phone and call my doctor's office! I tell them what is going on and they tell me that my file is on the doctor's desk and that he will get to it when he can...click. Oh - bad idea. My mom, who is with me because we had been to that same doctor's office to pick up x-rays of her knees, takes my phone and calls back. She asks for a certain medical tech that works there and is transferred. After explaining the issue she hands me the phone and says, "Give the phone to the pharmacist." Yes, ma'am! Two minutes later my prescription is on it's way to being filled! Thank you, Uncle John!!!I have no idea how the strips will effect me but I do know that some people have said they leave a bad taste in your mouth.

I did experience a sad thing the other day. Well, sad to me. My younger brother would probably do a happy dance since he had been trying to get me to quit drinking pop for years! My pop separated!!! Ewokgirl said that she experienced this when she was on certain meds for migraines. The syrup and carbonated water seem to separate in the mouth and you can taste them individually. Ewwwww!

A good friend of our sons', and a young man we consider one of our own, has made a decision that has been in his heart for over two years. On Monday, August 20, he leaves for Parris Island to begin Boot Camp for the United States Marine Corps. His MOS will be Computer Avionics (Radar). He will be back just in time for Christmas. The kicker of it? His girlfriend is leaving in September for the Airforce!!! Semper Fi!!!

Ewokgirl asked about me being able to get samples of my medication. Yes, I have gotten samples from my doctor but with my migraines coming more often and with more intensity, he felt it was safer for me to have a prescription on hand, should I need it. Good thing he did because I had no more samples left when my migraine hit the Friday I tried to fill my prescription. At least I was able to get a partial fill that day and the rest on Monday. It all worked out in the wash.

Black-Eyed Susans

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday, a check up for my migraines and how the medicine is working. Eh. So-so. The Topamax is holding at 25mg a day and doing well. The Maxalt is not working as well as it did in the beginning. I go back in three months with instructions to come in earlier if I am having difficulty.

Outside of the doctor's office is a huge bunch of Black-Eyed Susans. I have been debating on making an idiot out of myself for a few months and laying on the landing, leaning over and snapping a picture. So far, I have avoided it. On Monday, I became a goof. The picture is decent, though.

Edit: To Ewokgirl, as far as taste goes, I take the pill version of Maxalt. My doctor just asked me Monday if I would like to try the quick-desolve dose but I declined. I was thinking that the aftertaste might be a bit much for me. However, I am noticing some taste changes. Pop is starting to taste a bit off. I am drinking more water than EVER. I was also asked by my doctor about trying Imitrex injections after my next visit. Oh, the joy.

The humidity is getting unreal here as well. I hope that you get some relief soon. You are in my thoughts.

Still here...just busy!

So, here's a quick update.

Oldest started classes a week earlier than we thought, the 16-year-old had uniform fittings for band, I have had two migraines that snuck up on me, Saturday involves a Band Car Wash and a military funeral Mom is officiating, I have four jewelry projects that I HAVE to get done...what else?...oh, yeah!...I GOT A CALL BACK FOR A JOB!!!! YAY!!!

As I said, this will be quick! So, the job is for a church here in town, as their Wedding Coordinator. I have been doing this stuff on a volunteer basis for 10 years for my own church and I love it. When I get the chance to return to college, I plan on also taking accredited courses online for Wedding Planning/Coordinating. I don't just want to hang a shingle and say I can do this. I want the experience, yes, but I also want the credentials to go with it. I will say this, life can't be replaced by the classroom, sometimes.

I don't have the job, yet. The pastor (who is also my mom's supervising pastor) wants to meet with me again to go over the separation of responsibilities. That way I know what my job is and what his job is. I already know, but he is worried that I may try to take on his stuff since I worked with older pastors that weren't able to do as much and took on more tasks than traditionally necessary for an in-church coordinator. Hey, each church is different. They run it their own way. With well-established churches, such as this one, they have the weddings down pat. They just need a referee, basically. PICK ME! PICK ME! *insert jumping up and down here*

On a lighter note, I finally got my husband to play with my camera a little bit. He is the one who took the picture of me that is now on my profile. It took him 30 minutes to get that picture! I have all the rest to prove it! The shaking, the blurring, the bad focus...oh my. At last, he just put the camera on a stack of books, set the timer, and went about trying to make me laugh! We had fun. It all started, actually, with me wanting him to take pictures of my hair for my hair journal. I am getting it reshaped next week and wanted pictures just in case something went wrong and I had to get it severely cut!

Hey, this is the longest I have had my hair since I was in Kindergarten and gave myself a haircut! Besides, my younger brother's hair is long, too. Only thing is, his looks shorter but when you pull on those corkscrew curls, boy does it get long!!! Love you bunches, G!

Okay, the quick note has turned into a longer one. Just wanted to let you all know I was still here.

Quick Wedding Tip: To keep the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer in place during the wedding, (i.e. standing in one spot!) tape a Gold Dollar to the floor! Tell them that if they keep their foot on that coin the entire wedding, unless they HAVE to move, they get to keep it! After the ceremony, have the photographer take pictures of them on their hands and knees with the bride and groom getting the coin off the floor. Make sure that each child gets a copy of the picture as a keepsake. I have kids from 5 years ago that still have their dollars and their pictures! They loved the memory it made. The bride and groom loved the personal touch the pictures created.

Are we done yet!?

For the past week I have been going to church with my aunt and my mom to decorate for Vacation Bible School. The other co-director had hand surgery on the 11th, so she hasn't been able to meet us every day. My husband, God bless him, has been such a big help. He has taken care of the house, managed the kids (which is is more than capable of doing), and put up with me coming in at 10:30 p.m. almost every night.

Saturday I spent all day out of the house, doing things for VBS, well, not all of it was VBS but tell that to my Mom when she sees a yard sale!!! The upside - I have maybe an hour's worth of work left and I am done (as long as we have decided not to paint-in the last two backdrops). The downside - I have had two major migraines this week. The first one last three days because I wouldn't take my pill. I was down to my last two and wanted to wait until I could get more from my doctor. I solved that issue on Friday. The second started Saturday when I was helping my mom trace a backdrop onto a flatsheet using an overhead projector. The bulb kept flickering, driving my vision nuts and triggering my migraine. Then the paint fumes when we painted two backdrops didn't help. I wasn't able to take my pill until I was just almost home since I only have 20 minutes from the time I take it until I start feeling it. This was a bad one, though.

I am officially exhausted and I haven't had the first day of VBS yet! We will see what that brings.

Went to the doctor's...

I had a check-up with my doctor Wednesday, since he put me on medication for my migraines on April 30th. After the adjustment in dosage, now only taking one 25 mg pill a day, I am doing well. Actually, I am doing amazingly well. He is keeping me on the 25 mg pill dose with instructions to call him if I get any increase in migraine. Normally, I would have had seven by now. I have had two -- that's what I said -- two! Hopefully, I won't have to increase my dose.

He has also put me on Magnesium Oxide, but I am a little iffy on taking straight magnesium. With as sensitive as my system is, and with this vitamin supplement also having laxative qualities, I don't know if I like that. I don't want to be chained to a bathroom all day!! Oh, well. The possibility of my migraines being lessened by building up the deficiency in my body outweighs some of the bad, I guess.

Oh, and I have lost 10 pounds! WOOHOO!

New Dose

Talked with my doctor and his nurse (who are husband and wife, actually). They both agree that I should go down to one pill a day, taken at night since I am showing signs of tiredness. I have an appointment on May 30th, so we should be able to see some results by then.

In talking with Mrs. "Doctor", she said that she may change her medication regimen. She is also taking Topamax and has been feeling more tired than normal.

Hopefully, I can come out of this fog soon. I have a lot to do.

Please forgive any mistakes I may have made. I will edit them out later, when I am more lucid. :-)

Medication overload...

*Because I am having so many problems with this medicine, and I have read enough to know that I am not alone, I think it is fair to name the med - TOPAMAX. It is an anti-seizure medication that has been shown to prevent migraine.

I am in my third week of migraine medication and taking 3 pills a day. Last week I was taking two pills a day and noticing some difficult remembering things, struggling to talk, lack of coordination in my motor movements. This week, I feel like I have been hit with a truck. I can't remember things my sons have told me ten minutes previous, I write things down or type them (even now) and the don't look right. I can't remember how to spell simple words. I am so tired all the time. I can't even focus long enough to clean the house. NOT GOOD.

So, I am calling the doctor. I talked with my husband about this. We agreed that the medicine IS working but my system just can't handle this amount. I take a CHILDREN'S CHEWABLE VITAMIN for crying out loud! My system can't handle a lot of things that many adult systems can.

Week 1 - I had NO problems. I think that 1 pill a day is the largest dose I feel I can take right now. We will see what happens after I talk with my physician.

EEK! I HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT!! Hahaha!!!

My SIL, the one who makes those beautiful cards, did not know I had a Blogger account. I got into a little, TEENSY bit of trouble. Hahahaha. She loves me! I was waiting until I was comfortable putting my life out there for everyone to see, well, some of it. Her best friend, Mary, discovered my page and talked with Dana about it. Needless to say, she had no clue what was going on! SORRY!

I do thank you for the comments and compliments on my postings. I knew that once you were aware, Dana, that I had this blog, you would be completely honest with me. Thanks!

In regards to my migraines and my meds...*sigh*...John and I did the food elimination a few years ago. I still have to stay away from sugar-free stuff (always have), msg can be iffy, oregano was discovered in high school, fresh DRIED lavender (two weeks ago), ginger (can be eaten in very small doses), and not enough red meat/iron-full foods. That is about it for the foods. I don't like being on meds anymore than you like me being on them. We will see how everything goes, though. After 18 years, I am willing to try almost anything.

Anyway, I took this picture this morning when I was waiting at the bus stop with Mr. Rebel Without A Cause. (I think that fits him. What do you think?)