Emanuel AME Church shooting suspect

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My heart breaks for you, Emanuel AME Church.   My heart breaks for the victims, their families, and Charleston as a whole.

The suspect apparently drove over an hour to get there and sat with his victims for another hour before opening fire.  Dylann Roof is his name. If you know him or where he is, please call the authorities.   He”s armed and dangerous.

Charleston will come together in wake of this tragedy.  You have not broken us.  Bruised, yes, but never broken.

Inside a Fibro flare

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All pain sucks.  It sucks the energy out of the body and mind.  Extended pain due to injuries takes a toll on the injured.  Days (or weeks) of pain seem impossible to handle until the pain eases as the injury heals.  With spinal issues, I ache daily.  When Fibromyalgia rears its ugly head, it’s agony.  Before it fully attacks, Fibro toys with me.  It pokes, prods, and smacks at different body parts before jumping on full force.  Fibromyalgia makes pain worse.

The early indications of a fibro flare throw my days off.  Yesterday started off great.  We attended the boy’s apprenticeship signing ceremony and had a fairly relaxing morning after that.  By early afternoon,  a dizzy spell hit that took me out for a few hours.  Out cold.  I didn’t see it coming.  By early evening,  my ankle began to tingle.  Tingle isn’t the right word, exactly.   The pain fell between a tingly sensation and pins and needles.   When it happened,  I knew – June’s flare is coming.

This morning,  on went the anke support.  Suppirts ease the pain and keeps those joints stable.  By 9 am, the knees, elbow, and shoulder tingling kicked in. All at once, the discomfort level rose.  I made a note to change my training plans (no lifting) and took the preemptive dose of anti-inflammatory herbs and meds.  By 10:30, my overall pain level went from 3 to 7 as my spine joined the pain party.  I had to switch from a seated to reclining position for work.  By day’s end, I’ll resort to prescription medication and an early bedtime.

The pain will either increase or remain at the 8-9 range for a few days.  Light either annoys me or hurts.  Sunglasses outdoors are a must, even if I’m in the yard with the dogs.  Otherwise,  it feels like heat rays boring into my brain.  There is no movement without pain and no comfortable position.   I’ll smile and socialize, but I’d rather be aslleep until the the flare passes.  I’ll eat because I have to,  not because I’ll want to or enjoy it.

Within a week, the pain level will drop to the 5-7 range with occasional spikes to 7-9.  Within two weeks,  I’ll be back to my usual self.  Some flares end sooner while others drag on for weeks.  While the general symptoms stay about the same,  something new pops up from time to time.  In May, it was a shap, stabbing pain in my hip sockets.

That’s what it’s like for me when a flare strikes.  If someone you know mentions a flare, be kind.  They’re not trying to blow you off.  Pain makes people angry, sad, frustrated,  and forgetful.  And hopefully,  it’s only temporary.

Until next time, I may or may not be in a blanket fort with a book or two and the Roku remote.  Peace.

You deserve a break!

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National Break You Make Day is coming up on June 3rd. Chobani Flips and I want to recognize those deserving of a break.

I am blown away lately by the strength the preserverance of family members, both blood and chosen. They are gracefully fighting health issues, burning the midnight oil, and putting themselves last while working toward future goals. While they all deserve recognition and a break, there are three who stand out the most right now. This trio I have in mind fought to find balance between school and family and had to start over from scratch. It’s hard to decide which of this three deserves the break the most, so I’m giving them all a shout.

There may or may not be misty eyes right now.

H, you are one in a million. Not only are you my baby brother, you are one I’d hand pick as family. I’m watching you juggle
classwork, homework, projects, church, wife, daughter, and family. You’re trying to give everything to everyone and everything because you know what the end goal is. You have so got this! You’ve found your calling and the people you work with will benefit tenfold because you are you. You deserve a break.

Lolo, I’m watching you, from the bushes outside your window. 😀 You’ve had a craptastic couple of years and are rising above the crap and then some. The long nights of studying are worth it. Your patients and their familes will love you. Enjoy your summer!  Sleep, swim, read for fun, laugh, and love like no one else. You rock, mama! You deserve this break.

A; my twisted sister. You’ve also had a craptastic year. You survived part one and will survive part two. You have all kinds of opportunities ahead. Breathe and focus on them, not the past (no matter how recent the past). Congratulations, grauduate! Welcome, neighbor!  You deserve this break.

Breathe and remember how amazing you all are. If you don’t believe it. just look at yourselves the way the people who love you look at you. You all rock and I love you.

Until next time, be well.