Onward to both Hips injected and my lower vertebra also injected next week...

YUCK!!! I first of all, have a very nauseated stomach and now am getting a stupid headache. It was almost like a "de-ja-vu" for me just a bit ago. I had this overwhelming feeling that I had been in that exact "space and time" before. Well, I had. Years ago, when my migraines began, it seems I would have these stupid things either on Friday or Saturday night!!! It seemed to never fail, that when Friday came and I was looking forward to either going out to dinner or dancing with friends, next thing you know, I'm headed for the ER with a very severe migraine. Most of the time, nothing would take those away, especially when I got badly nauseated also, but going in for IV fluids, some type of strong pain killer, morphine, back then they used Demerol for that type of pain. Then in a few hours it was home to hopefully keep the stupid thing at bay so I could still have a good weekend. Anyway, when I first got out of bed, my stomach was already very upset, and then the headache began to come on quickly also. And it is FRIDAY! Of course now, I am no longer able to "work" outside my home, so the circumstances are a tiny bit different. Yet, I really NEED TO GET MY MOM'S TAXES DONE!! And the plan was for me to do a few things online, then do her taxes and get that out of my way. So, I took some Promethazine, my meds for pain, etc and am trying to make sure I get my few posts in, and hopefully finish those taxes or at least get the most of them done, so I can go to the sofa for the rest of the day. I can tell this is going to be "one of those bad headaches" and my only option is on the sofa, and to remain still as possible so it will finally go away...

Also, I FINALLY HAVE THE APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK (Well both of them) one to have both hips injected on Tuesday here by my Orthopedic surgeon. Then I have to go to Dallas next Thursday (have to be there at 7AM) not looking forward to that drive in Dallas at that time of the morning. My pain doctor finally is going to inject both sides of the last vertebra down by my tailbone. He thinks at least a portion of the horrid pain I've been having is coming from there. I have a bulge of a disc there, plus probably a great deal of inflammation which waxes and wanes so some days it hurts much worse than others. But, I feel my hips are still a part of the problem. I had them both injected about this time 2 years ago. That seemed to help, SO I am hoping I can continue to do without hip surgery. Anyway, between the both of them, I am keeping the faith for relief. Plus if those work then we know for sure, where the real problems are coming from.

BUT< what truly SUCKS! Of course Jim can't drive at all, and my Mom could never drive in Dallas at all... she barely gets back and forth from the market, bank and home here in this small town, much less Dallas traffic. Well, they will have to give me a bit of something to put me out or to the place as I used to call it (" don't give a damned medicine in my IV)... I know this routine like the back of my hand. Plus I know they "think" my husband will be there with me, to possibly drive me home. Well, he could "help" some if I needed help... BUT usually with that light of meds to put you asleep for a 10 minute procedure, you are wide awake, drinking juice or something before you go anyway. So, that is a drawback of having Jim not be able to drive, plus Mom can't and no one I know here close enough that could drive me back and forth to Dallas on a weekday... So, we are going to have to be a bit "creative" in making sure they don't see me being the one driving myself home. I know I won't have a problem at all. As I said, you really don't go out for long, and that med wears off quickly especially since I've had to go through this several times.... so that is my "hectic" schedule for next week, along with possible RAIN and Thunderstorms for the next 10 DAYS!!!


#HIPNeckSteroidinjections

"Comfort Food?" Sweet, Salty, Tart, Citrus, Beef, Chicken, Pork.. Chinese, Tex-Mex, Hometown American, French, ORA is it another? WEGO #HAWMC

#HAWMC
WEGO Health Writer's Challenge April 10, 2015

Friday and What We like for "Comfort Food?" Do I cook, bake, and make most meals at home "from scratch?" The answer is YES! I am a home grown Texas/Czech background, and my tastes very widely. Fro, made here in our town "Klobase" (usually half pork and half venison with LOTS of black pepper) stuffed into a casing and smoked in a smoker, to Poppy Seed rolls, Kolaches (sweet pastry dough with prune, cream cheese, apricot, or other types of filling put in a little "well" in the middle of the dough. Then allowed to rise and then bake. Just to name a few down home "Czech" favorites around my home town.

I've been one that LOVES to bake sweets all my life. From fudge, to "no-bake fruitcakes". From Red Velvet Cakes, to lemon custard pie, you name it I love to bake it.

I also am quite the user of a "slow cooker" or "crock pot", depending on what name you choose to call it.

So, if I had to pick a favorite that I cook, and consider "comfort food" is a bit difficult for me. I LOVE sweets so well, and usually if I am stressed or upset, the first thing I think is, cookies, pie, cake, or just about anything sweet around.

But, my home made all from scratch slow cooker low in fat, carbs and calories has to be my favorite to cook, and what I would say is my favorite "comfort food".

My chili contains very little "beef". I know that sounds nuts, but I use "ground turkey" for a large portion of the "meat". Then I usually buy a very small portion of beef, usually something like "stew meat" or a piece of a cheaper piece of beef, because I know it will definitely tenderize by the time it is ready to eat. I also for the mot part have cut down a large amount of the "tomato" base for my chili. Both my husband and I have problems with GERD, thus one of the reasons I first of all make my own chili, and enough for several meals to freeze, plus I can keep up with the calorie count in the portions making sure I put in it, what I want to taste it like when I'm through.

I also rather than so much "meat" of any kind put LOTS of different types of beans in it. Quite often I'll have some of my pinto beans in the freezer, and I use some of them in the chili But, I also pick up about 10 cans of different types of beans to go into it. I love the very dark kidney beans, and the light ones also I also use a few cans of black beans, red beans and if I don't have any of my own cooked, then I add a couple of cans of pinto beans into the mix. It varies, but usually there are on the average of 10 cans of all different types that truly give it that thickness and hardiness that chili needs. Plus I rinse all of them off to rid a great deal of the sodium in them, plus I don't want the juices in those cans to "mix" with the taste of the chili, Then I add several different types of steak sauces into it. I try to limit myself to 1 can of either tomato paste, or better a can of roasted tomatoes in it. From the couple of steak sauces, to the tiny amount of tomato, then I put some white or yellow finely chopped onion into it, a bay leaf, a good deal of chili powder (we like a lot but it is up to your preference) as far as how much to use. What I do is start out with a bit less of all of my spices. I allow the entire thing to come to a good boil in the cooker, then add more as it cooks. There is cumin it in, a bit of paprika that is more for color than taste, LOTS of black pepper, some sea salt, but I try and stay away from as much sodium as possible without ruining the flavors of the chili. Sometimes I put some chopped garlic in it, but just a tiny amount. I don't want to overpower the other spices with too much garlic.

As it cooks, if it seems to be too thick then in small amounts I add very hot water to it, then wait and watch before I add more.

My very favorite way to eat it is usually the next day, after it has cooks for 8 t0 10 hours in the slow cooker, with corn chips, mustard and a bit of grated cheese on it. If you are not familiar with "Frito Chili Pie"... probably more of a Southern/Texan sort of dish, then you are missing out for sure.

Cooking as a whole has always been another one of the ways that I tend to get rid of my stress. Once I'm in the kitchen, then my attention is completely focused on whatever I am preparing. There are many great memories surrounding me from years past when I am baking or cooking. We always had a huge dinner at my Grandparents home all the years I was growing up. Most of the cousins were about the same age, so Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and others give me that special feeling as a child of the love that was shared and prepared in that kitchen.

My Grandmother who was full Czech, took care of me the years before I went to school. So, I spent lots of time in the kitchen with her, watching, then getting old enough to help and those memories also hold a very special place in my heart. Even though she has been gone now for about 12 years, the special times in her kitchen will always remain vivid in my thoughts.


#HAWMC

A "Daunting Challenge in Life" WEGO Health Writers Challenge April 9th, 2015

I could start off with a couple of periods in my life, that offered up a "challenge" or actually more than one, that truly put me into the realms of being not so sure I could "last" through that time.

I had a couple of those types of circumstances at 25 years old, and having to have my face "fixed" mainly my upper lip from a 4 wheeler accident that honestly I am here today wondering why I even made it? Another story for another time.

Also, at about 40 years old, suffering through a heart attack, by myself during the very beginnings of it, as I was also going through a horribly abusive relationship, him leaving completely, and the decisions that I had to make in order to basically "stay alive". Again, another story for another time.

There was the time at 50, I spent well over 6 weeks in two hospitals, and to this day, I don't think even my doctors knew exactly why I got so ill, in such a very short amount of time, and went through at least 4 surgeries, and was told to "call my family" on one of them, because they were not sure what the outcome would be. Once more for another time.

Then, there is what happened a year ago March 26, 2014. I had been in Washington DC, with the Arthritis Foundation, and their annual "Summit on Capitol Hill" for 3 days. I had found out very close to the date it was actually going to happen, and sent in an application for a "travel grant". I figured for one, I was too late to even get anywhere as far as a travel grant, plus at the time my health had been waxing and waning with Lupus and several severe flares I had been having at that time.

Yet, as "fate" would have it, I DID get the TRAVEL GRANT, and I was accepted to actually to go Capitol Hill, face the very Congress I had always wanted to face, and tell my own story, along with the story of others. I felt if I could do that, I could make a huge difference in how the nation, the world, and those in Congress "viewed" Autoimmune and Arthritic Diseases. Thus, it was a dream come true and I was in shock for a day or so, in disbelief I got the award to go.

Yet, I did. And even up until the very wee hours of Monday morning, April 24th, 2014, I was not sure I was truly well enough to go. But, a very good physician at one of our local Urgent Care Centers, happened to have Lupus himself. So, he gave me the medications I needed, along with an injection of corticosteroids, and I was up on my feet and able to make that flight. I was elated.

My spouses Step Mom lives very near DC, and since I had never met her, plus my husband had not seen in her over 10 years, he was going to fly out on that Wednesday the 26th of March, to meet me. We were to visit and also have a vacation until the Following Sunday, before flying home. It was kind of a trip of a lifetime for both of us. I definitely loved what I saw on Capitol Hill, and had felt like the trip had really given me more hope, that what I was doing as an Ambassador, activist, and advocacy voice, truly would make a difference.

On that Wednesday, my husband was to drive to Dallas, to the DFW Airport. It was about a 65 to 70 mile drive, before flying out. I had been finished with my own items to do with the Summit around noon that day, so his Mom was to come by the Hotel and pick me up. He was to get into DC around 7PM or so.

Just about the time it was close to time for me to be picked up by my Mother in Law, my cell phone began to ring, ring, ring, and ring. I had been outside of the Hotel, it was very noisy, so I really had not heard the phone ringing, until I walked back in. After seeing the number of calls from my daughter, I rang her back right away. Her voice sounded terrified, and as she said, Mom, Jim's (my husband) been in a very severe car accident in Dallas. He is in the ER at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, and the doctors need to talk to you ASAP! I almost lost it then, but I held myself together long enough to make that phone call. As I listened to the "voice" of the doctor over the phone reading out this "LIST" of things wrong with Jim, I just sunk to the floor and was sobbing uncontrollably. So, one of the kindest men I've ever known, had been in our group during the Summit, heard me. He came over and asked about what was happening, and I asked him to please take the phone and write down what the doctor was telling him. Most ribs broken, a very severe back injury from possibly C-7 through T-7, broken shoulder, concussion, a broken leg, a whiplash, a "nick" in the Aorta, and the list continued to seem endless.

About that time, my Mother In Law, came up to tap me on the shoulder. She of course didn't know any of this at the moment, so she thought I was crying because I was happy she was there to pick me up. I had to look this woman, my Mother In Law, that I had never met until that moment, in the eyes and tell her, that her son, was in critical care, headed to ICU in Dallas due to an 18 wheel tractor trailer "running over him" in Dallas. By this time, the woman who I just owe everything to from the AF had already spoken with Chris (the man helping me on the phone with the doctor), and they had made flight arrangements to send me to Dallas within a couple of hours. I am still in such awe and have so much gratitude for them, and her. I still feel I owe them so very much, for their kindness and generosity at that moment.

Basically, when I look back on it, the next 72 hours, I believe I ran off of shock, horror, dismay, and honestly I think I had truly become "dis-associative" in order to be able to "deal" with everything that needed to be done so quickly.

Needless to say, that date was just a year ago, this past March 26th. For almost this entire year, between my own ordeal with totally losing my own teeth to Sjogren's, Jim's long and laborious recovery, the doctors, bills, medications, therapy, the 3 months he spent in the hospital... all of the integral parts of him being partially parapalegic. He had been MY CARETAKER, before the accident. NOW, and probably possibly forever, I've had to become a caretaker for him, myself and honestly often my Mom, who will be 80 years old this August.

I've had many, many people ask me how I have been able to "cope". Truthfully, I am not even sure if I have. There are days, moments, weeks, that I feel so totally trapped, others I feel we will conquer, and times I am so ill myself, like I was last year right after his accident, I came down with double pneumonia. I had to do everything in my power NOT to have to go to the hospital. The doctor really wanted me to. Yet, I just felt if I could get well at home myself, then I could get things accomplished, that I would not be able to in the hospital.

Day to day, moment to moment, hours, weeks, months and now a year later, I'm not really sure if I am "sane", or if I've become insane. I've tried to take each step in stride, hoping for a better tomorrow, week, month, and years.

Yet, I am not sure exactly what to tell anyone in this situation other than, believe in yourself, try to take care of your own health as much as possible, accept others help when they offer it, or ask if you have someone that could help with some things. Try to stand tall, know that each moment, each step forward is one more to whatever a new "normal" will be. Also, keep hope and faith, along with asking others for prayers too, can be a huge help to be able to accept what has happened. You must finally in one way or the other truly "deal" with the issue, and then you can work on all of the other stuff.

Plus just that. Come to your own place that you must, you have to accept, "normal" as you knew it will never be again. You must find a "new normal"... and sometimes possibly several of "new normals" through out the process....

Rhia Steele April 9th 2015

#HAWMC

My First "Victory" 25 Chapters in my latest book written and a huge word count over 50% finished!!!!

I JUST officially HIT Chapter #25!!! In the latest book I am writing!!! I now have 47,383 WORDS!!!! I am so elated. Much of it of course will have to be gone through, spaced, and so on... going to take a great deal of going over, and over.. and then going over it again to have it to the "publication date"... But, having that much into "copy" for now is exciting!! Jim just looked up the "typical" word count for a book such as this, and it is between 80,000 to 90,000 WORDS. So, I am at my half way or more point in the writing process... I have to admit I HATE proofing!!! I get so tired of looking at it over and over.. so I always have Jim also proof it for me several times also. That way, hopefully between the two of us, it is "readable" and makes sense. I know with this "brain fog" that seems to be growing worse by the day, I tend to find myself "repeating" something that I may have written a few weeks back. Now, to "take up" for myself, often that is because some new light has been shed on the subject, or I've gotten more news, did further research and so forth. Thus I may post on the "same subject" several times. But, I do find myself "forgetting" much more than I used to just a year ago. It really concerns me... BUT for NOW I am going to feel very "elated" that I've made the half way point in my book that shall be titled "It's Not ME! It's the Disease! ( actually when we first came up with the title, we almost wanted to ad in "It's not ME Stupid! It's the Disease! Yet, I don't want to make people feel stupid or any thing like that... because these illnesses are extremely complex, and my entire reason for writing them, this one especially is to help make people understand these illnesses better.... also I am now Kicking the Can around on making this a "2 Part" book... In other words, publish this first one, yet move on forward and write #2 - like they both should follow one then the other.... I am still thinking on that one... and I'm not sure how I feel about this whole "Volume 1, Volume 2 etc ordeal... I am not a huge fan of it in the movies, and the only time I really loved it is in the 4 books "Twilight, New Moon, And The Twilight Saga, Part 1 and art 2" Those really and truly "fit the bill!" But, of course I will always be a writer and author and if by the Grace of God Go I, my intentions of course are to publish more in the future. But, I've thought about taking a stab at writing "thrillers" based on "medical things gone bad" etc... there are so many things out there now, that would make for incredible thrillers with the medical issues today, that I have really given that I very big possible yes... plus I am still writing on the "Texas Sayings" so it will of course be much smaller but I am also going to publish it too....

"Things Remembered" - #HAWMC - WEGO Writers Challenge April 8th 2015

This is probably one of the simplest of all things for me to write about.Without one doubt my "Grandmothers" blanket that has satin/silk border around the entire thing is and always will be something near and dear to my heart.

It was hers and she kept it in beautiful shape actually for me. I have to say I've worn out MANY blankets with the satin/silk border on them. So even though this one that was my Grandmother's is not the "original" it of course still holds the many memories of me rubbing the silk on my blanket. I've kept them each for many, many years. Once I found one, that had the exact type of "satin" border I loved to rub, I would keep it until every little bit of that was rubbed off before I would give it up.

I have "rubbed" silk on a blanket as far back as I can remember. I guess even before I can recall it, Mom said I did that rather than sucking my thumb etc. I found it a bit embarrassing to say I still do this, and here I am just over 50 years old. but, I do it out of being stressed. Or, if I am sick, or down with a bad flare, then I want that blanket. I will rub that satin anytime I am down and out, stressed out, feeling lousy, the silk is like something that calms me down.

My Grandmother passed away over 12 years ago, yet I still have such incredible memories of her each time I put that blanket on my side of the bed.

I also have another item, that is about as near and dear to me, that in fact is also something from my Grandmother,  She had a cookie jar that was covered in different kinds of "cookies". It was ceramic and has a "walnut" for the top on the lid. I LOVED that cookie jar from the time I was old enough to watch her bake in the kitchen. She just about always had home made, from scratch cookies, almost like a tea cake, and they had one "whole half of a pecan" in the middle of each cookie.

I had said for many, many years, that if something happened to my Grandmother I wanted that cookie jar. There were many beautiful pieces of china and silver that we had given her over the years. Yet, that cookie jar held and still holds so many awesome childhood memories for me that take me back to a much more serene, simple time in my life.

So, after she passed away, my Mom made sure it was saved for me. Along with it, was two of my Grandfather's fishing reels, because I fished with him and Dad when I was young, and of course the blanket. Also, I have a completely by hand done quilt that she also did for me.

So, as time continues to pass by, faster it seems with each day, there are a couple of "material" items that always help to bring back those wonderful times when I played under the shade trees at home in the Summer with my table and chairs, or fished for "crawdads" in the ditches around my Grandparents house, watched Dad garden, take care of quail he used to raise, go fishing, go to the deer lease, vacations, and many, many incredible memories at my Grandparents home, from all of our family holiday dinners, to just how wonderful it was to have a place that almost felt like a refuge from life when it seemed almost too much to bear.