Diatomaceous Earth, "Alkaline Water" "Life Water" and the body, houseplants, our "Fur babies" and more...

Since the subject of "Life Water" or I think it is an "Alkaline Water" if I am correct, I wanted to raise the issue over" how long does a complete detox take with diatomaceous earth?" YOU MUST use "Food Grade" or I would for sure, if you are going to take this for a supplement, or if you are using it in your home on pets for flea control and so forth.

I know I had it out around the house before winter, and up until now our weather is beginning to show some "signs" of spring, like I saw a HUGE HAWK, right here in almost downtown Ennis on Friday afternoon. It flew down into my trees in the front, and I sat and watched it with a "wandering mind" as to "why" I believe after looking it up, it was a "female" she was doing "here" almost in the middle of town. We have LOTS of trees in our neighborhoods and the birds are just like a jungle all through early spring through summer and late fall... I've even already seen a red headed woodpecker in my front tree also, plus I've heard the wrens out some, so when I begin to hear birds again, I know "hopefully" our main very bitter cold weather is coming to a close, or I PRAY it is... don't get me wrong WE NEEDED A BITTER BELOW FREEZING COLD, THIS YEAR! We have basically NOT HAD a "winter" type weather here now for at least 3 years maybe more... of course it's been cold, but not where it was way below freezing, and lasted for a week or more, several times in the winter months. And believe me you can always tell, before spring even gets here every kind of a "bug" comes out, if we have no really COLD winter...

so I PRAY we have had enough at least to kill off some of the damned bugs that are driving me nuts, fire ants have been horrible, fleas I pretty well had hold of, but I was very, very well prepared, and even then sometimes they are bad, but other ants, every kind of a "kissing bug" or what I call a "stink bug" and they were horrible just before it got cold this year... they were everywhere, and they can be very bad if some of the ones that "sting" bite you... it can make a human or a dog or cat sick... they are nothing to be messed with from what I've read, but the gnats, the ants, the spiders, you name it, I actually put out the stuff I use on my lawn very early the past 2 or 3 springs, and usually I "may" have to do it one more time mid-summer, but this past year, I put it out at least 3 times, and actually before it finally got cold, I put it out again... and that usually never happens... anyway, so hopefully we had "enough" to kill out the bad bugs and critters, but we are now hopefully going to "get out of that bitter cold" that has just about put me under with the severity of pain, and how badly it's effected my Lupus, RA, and autoimmune illnesses and chronic pain.. I went well over a month and usually I have a "Lupus flare" but the RA is mainly the "same" all the time, not this past few months, the RA has been totally out of control, and even the huge prednisone doses and the huge injection of corticosteroids really did not rid me of either flare...

I got somewhat "better" but unlike most of the time, I never really got over either one... so that is why I am going on "Zeljanx" that is AFTER WE GET THE INSURANCE TO PAY HOPEFULLY OR I MAY HAVE TO HAVE THEM PAY AND IF MY CO PAY IS TOO HIGH THEN THEIR PHARMA COMPANY WILL HELP ME WITH THE BALANCE... I've already "applied" for their patient program, so I will have that much done, just in case the insurance company decides to give me hell about it.... I really should have gone to Urgent Care this weekend, or yesterday, they are not open here on Sundays right now... I "think" I am dealing with a sinus infection, that is what is causing my nasal passages to be bleeding, and they continue to be almost scabbed over and hurt like hell... I try to leave it alone, but it hurts so much I have to put lotion or cream, or vaseline on a cotton swab. and rub both of them down. They are so "tight" from being dried out also... but I've been messing with it now again for weeks, and keep putting it off... as I said on Friday, I "feel too bad" to even take myself to Urgent Care...

Anyway, now I am suddenly fighting gnats! They have not been in my houseplants all winter, and this past couple of days ago, when I watered, now I am dealing with those again, which means my fresh garlic is "fizzled out" and I think as usual no matter how much I clean my kitchen drain or with what they like to "hatch" down deep in the drains then fly out and get in everything... I've been seeing them even in one of my closets... so I put out some of the "diatomaceous earth" and that will also help to rid my plants of them, and put out some "lemongrass oil" around the tops of the planters, a mixture of that with Tea Tree Oil usually will get rid of them also.... so the one thing I don't "cherish" about spring coming is the damned critters flying around...

diatomaceous earth, alkaline water, "Life Water".... supplements, Lupus flare, RA Flare, spring, summer, critters, ants, gnats, TX and living with Autoimmune Illnesses....

Stress Awareness Month - WEGO Health #HAWMC Writer's Challenge April 19th 2015

Definitely a great question for ALL of us that have to contend with a stressed filled, everywhere you look and feel world! Daily stress producing items are all around us. Whether you are "chronically ill or in chronic pain" or not, the news and medical world tells us that our daily stress levels are off the charts. This also means that stress effects us in so many different ways, especially when it comes to your physical and mental health.

Then you take all of that into consideration, jobs, families, travel, homes, cars, kids, and just what we see in the news daily, is enough to cause us an insurmountable bunch of stress. We have known for years that stress contributes to heart problems, it definitely effects our immune systems, allowing things that normally not make us ill, to sometimes makes us more ill than we think.

Now let's add in doctors visits, 15 or more medications a day, feeling overwhelmed already, yet due to chronic illness and the pain that comes along with it, the stress levels can be way over the top of the glass, and pouring down all around us in a puddle. Just having to deal with a drive to a doctor in Dallas, maybe two in a weeks time. Making sure all of my medications are filled properly, and with me so I don't miss any. Not feeling well some days, either with some type of "flare"; whether Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Sjogren's, and the list continues. Add those onto trying to keep a job, do errands, take care of a home, a yard, a car, buy groceries and prepare meals, do laundry, and all of the 1001 things that can pop up at any moment, to distract us from what else we are doing. Then our bodies all too often "revolt". So, now I am dealing with a huge amount of fatigue, severe headaches, my hips and lower back hurting, perhaps like last week for me, having the procedure done on Thursday - even though a "good procedure" to hopefully help reduce the horrid pain in my lower back, hips and legs, was still "stress". So I get up on Friday, with bright pink cheeks, feeling like a train had run over me, seeing everything piling up I need to do, and guess what, here is a flare. I would "assume" a Lupus flare, due to the pink hot cheeks and nose. That all too familiar "Lupus "The Wolf" Mask" we get when one of those comes on

So, I've spent over a week at doctors offices, having that procedure done, then coming home to know I am behind on everything. Now I feel lousy, the weather brings on a new set of stress on it own, and I now have a very low potassium situation they discovered last week when I had the Transforminal Epidural Steroid Injection done in my lumbar spine. My potassium was at an "dangerous" low. Most of the time at what mine was, and they even checked it twice, I probably should be getting IV Potassium to try and get it back up a bit, then follow up with pills. But, I didn't hear from my PCP even after calling at 9:00 A< Friday. So, I followed up with my Cardiologist, who immediately called in a script, told me to take two of them for two days, then one a day, and come in on next Friday so they can check the levels again.

Now, after all that being said, "How do I, did I, deal with all of the stress"? My first way to "deal" with stress is "listing" and writing down, what is "MOST" important to get done quickly, and what may be able to wait a day or two? That helps me a great deal, to literally "write down" a list, and prioritize things. Then I take stock in how I feel mentally and physically. If I am feeling very lousy, then I know I need to do absolutely what has to be done, and save others for later, when I feel better.

From there, I allow "time for me". Even though my to do list might be long, I still need to be able to either go outside, and do my walking. I enjoy baking. So, for me going into the kitchen and making a pie, cake, cookies, or whatever I feel like I might enjoy baking, I do that. There are days, that I may have to do one or two things, then sit down at the computer and write, or take an hour to watch a movie with my two pups. I also very often find if I go over to my Mom's, and just spend some times away, where I can talk, and "gripe" if I want to, Being able to express my stress is critical. If I can't write it down, or say it, or find some type of avenue to be able to "purge" some of the bad stress, then I really find myself unable to get much of anything done. I am too wrapped up in what I CAN'T, thus what I can does not come to me, when I don't just take that walk, talk to my Mom, write on my book, or post on my blog. Summer as I had mentioned in another blog post earlier in the week, tends to help. I can open up my home, and let the fresh air in, get some light streaming in, and I have a "renewed" feeling, that tends to be a great deal stress free.

Being ill with so many of these diseases, syndromes, and such do add a HUGE amount of stress in my life, but my husband, Mom, and others can "feel" that tension in the air. So, between all of us we try to keep me in check with stress. It may mean a day trip to Oklahoma and the Casino. Which in saying that, we are LONG overdue to go. It has been several months, possibly about 4 or more months since Mom and I made that 2 hour journey into "freedom" for a few hours at least.

Just a day trip away from it all, is an incredible way for me to get back to the matters at hand daily, and lead my body and brain into a new perspective.

Writing has always, and will always be one of my biggest ways, that I can "purge" out the stress, remain half sane hopefully, and try to carry on up that "mountain" always reaching out to attain a goal.

#HAWMC