It all happened about 5-6 weeks ago. If I were to be sincerely honest with you I would say it all happened 56+ years ago, but I’m not going to bother you with all that history. 5 to 6 weeks and a rough outline of the story will do just fine. So, 5 to 6 weeks ago my doctor and I decided to change my medications we were using to treat my Fibromyalgia. Maybe some of you read my earlier post about this, titled “Massage Techniques” (talk about a lot of spam just from using that title! Good grief!). If you read that you will get a bit more history, if you want it, into what’s been going on with my health. If not, then hopefully you’ll get enough information here to follow along. The change of medications this time that my rheumatologist and I were changing were for my Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, namely going back on Celebrex (for Osteoarthritis) after trying Voltaren and finding out it wasn’t doing the job. Then secondly, changing from Savella to Celexa for the Fibromyalgia eventually upping the dose, due to the fact that it wasn’t calming my Fibro down enough so I could walk, a task I’m still struggling with.

With the addition of the new drug Celexa and my old stand by Celebrex came a new set of symptoms that I thought were related to either the combination of the 2 drugs or something different entirely. This first symptom started out as Tinnitus, mild enough at first to cause my MD, during my visit, to say it was a normal change as we get older. The second new symptom was a feeling of fullness in my left ear, and the third symptom was a terrible case of vertigo leaving me unable to drive or walk. These 3 new symptoms caused my rheumatologist and I to make a few changes to my medication doseage to try and figure out what was happening. After living with these symptoms for about 5 1/2 weeks, and feeling like I had done everything I could to figure out what was going on I decided to head on over to an ENT, ear, nose and throat doctor.

For anyone who has dealt with severe Tinnitus, you can attest to not only the discomfort of the annoying ringing in one or both ears, but also the loss of “quiet” which a normal hearing person hears. Tinnitus or (ringing, hissing, roaring) is what a person hears when they have a lack of noise in a their ear. I had been dealing with that discomfort for the first week or so when along with it I got a new symptom, a feeling of pressure in my ear. Have you ever felt your inner ear pressure change when you’re taking off on a plane trip? Or maybe it has happened to you when you descend from the skies down onto the runway. This was the new symptom in addition to the intensely loud ringing and terrible vertigo I had been experiencing for quite some time.

It’s been a long time since I have had any kind of ear test so I was pretty surprised how involved it was. The total test time was approximately 40 minutes. Throughout that time I knew I wasn’t going to come through with shining colors. The audiologist was a young, kind woman. She was very thorough throughout her job and explained what she was looking for, the full range of high and low frequencies, as well as how well I performed while testing each ear independently. With each different set of specialized ear plugs that were placed in both ears, first then the left and then right, it became even more alarming just how bad off my left ear was. Once I was done with the hearing test I was taken to the ENT’s exam room to await his arrival and go over the results.

Our children used to go to this very ENT office, to see a pediatric specialist who is still in practice there today. My ENT was someone whom I had heard about, and is known as one of the best specialist’s in his field in our area. He introduced himself, apolgoized for having laryngitits which just came on that morning and proceeded to go over my health history with me. After I received a full exam he diagnosed me with AIED, or autoimmune hearing disease with the possibility of Meniere’s disease. AIED is a rare autoimmune disorder, meaning that the immune system attacks a part of the body. This attack on the inner ear results in a rapid hearing loss. Sometimes people with this condition also experience balance problems and many have pain. AIED is thought to be another condition brought on by several auto-immune diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, or Sjogrens Syndrome. 2 of those diseases I have, so I suppose it wasn’t surprising, just shocking, and something I never even knew about. Meniere’s Disease symptoms are fluctuating rotational vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, fluctuating tinnitus, and fluctuating sense of fullness. The ENT was not sure I had Meniere’s Disease but was going to treat me as if I had both AIED and Meniere’s.

As quoted from the CIDP International Foundation, found at http://www.cidpusa.org/index.html, “Until recently it was thought that the inner ear could not be attacked by the immune system. Studies have shown that the perisacular tissue surrounding the endolymphatic sac contains the necessary components for an immunological reaction. The inner ear is also capable of producing an autoimmune response to sensitized cells that can enter the cochlea through the circulatory system.” AIED can be treated with drugs. Prednisone, Methotrexate, and even Remicade, Humera or Enbrel are all drugs the doctor will use to try and correct the progress of this disease. If it is caught early enough the hearing loss may be reversed, or at least stopped from progressing any further. Not everyone is able to tolerate such strong doses of these drugs though. There is no cure for Meniere’s Disease, although treatment is often in the way of prescribing a diuretic, to treat what may be fluid in the inner ear, based on the theory that Meniere’s Disease symptoms result from excess endolymphatic fluid in the inner ear (“idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops”). While this is the prevailing theory, it is not the definitive theory or the only theory. Diet and stress reduction have also been practiced in treating Meniere’s.

My ENT placed me on high doses of Prednisone daily along with a diuretic and instructed me to return in 2 weeks time for another full hearing test and exam. He told me that in many cases his patients have responded well to the Prednisone, in other cases they did not. He explained if I did not respond to either medication, they would be stopped and I would need to learn to live with this diagnoses. If I did respond well to the treatment he assured me he would alter the medications and continue monitoring me.

Since my diagnoses, I have begun to experience the same sensations in my right ear that I now have in my left ear. The ringing has intensified, the vertigo is back, and I have that same muffled or full feeling along with pain. It feels as if my hearing is diminishing in my right ear. I am hoping that the recent Remicade treatment for my Osteoarthritis and the high dose of Prednisone along with already taking Methotrexate for my Rheumatoid Arthritis will halt both ears from becoming any worse and maybe even better reverse some the hearing loss, vertigo and pain I am experiencing. Right now I can still hear well enough to carry on a conversation if the speaker is aware I am somewhat limited by the amount of hearing loss I have, and that the surrounding noise levels can and do make a difference in not only how much I hear, but also in whether or not those noises are too distracting. I am still able to speak on the phone, for those of you who are interested in calling me, and hopefully I can get a hearing phone before or in case I have any more hearing loss.

So that happened!

Serves-Plenty
Cook Time-Weeks

This is the ultimate high-tech I love to have it all recipe. Start with good-natured stock, preferably young people who are committed to a lifetime of companionship. Allow time for all ingredients to mature and grow before adding too many complicated and expensive items as this may make the stock bitter and tough. Top this recipe off with a large dollop of humility, patience and love.

INGREDIENTS

1 one story 3 bedroom 2 bath, 2 car garage house,

with unfinished attic

1 happy to be empty nesters married couple, photo of your choice:

1 HP Desktop Computer: Dual Processor, 2GB memory, 300GB harddrive, just under 2 years old, still under warranty:

DIRECTIONS

Set aside 1 one story 3 bedroom 2 bath house and married couple for now.

To 1 HP desktop dual processor computer add:

1 22″ HP sleek adjustable Tinkerfied screened monitor

1 My Book terrabyte external hard drive

Set 1 HP Desktop Computer aside for now.

To attic in 1 one story 3 bedroom 2 bath, 2 car garage house add;

To 1 one story house with unfinished attic add appointment for inspection and cleaning of heating and cooling ducts.

Upon completion of noisy and dirty duct inspection and cleaning of heating and cooling ducts, wait.

(Recipe Note* As with any recipe posted on this site please note: With entry to crawl structure spaceways comes the risk of disturbances, which may result in unpleasant and smelly outcomes. We here at pitterpat can in no way be held responsible for any such outcome.) If such outcomes do occur when following this recipes guidelines please do the following:

To 1 one story 3 bedroom 2 bath, 2 car garage house with unfinished attic add one complete attic inspection:

Upon completion of the total attic inspection which may or may not have resulted in total personal emersion of unpleasant and smelly outcomes and which can in no way be the responsibility of pitterpat’s recipe or any affiliation of pitterpat or subsequent companies who may hold or join her in marriage, the following products are to be used only as a suggestion to the remedy of said outcomes.

After adding the above recommended products, stir often, then wait 3 to 4 days.

As often happens when adding odd and seemingly unconnected products to any intelligent and highly technical recipe multiple problems can occur all at once, resulting in unpleasant odors, unexplained coincidences, unmentionable expletives and multiple late nights. These incidences most often will happen without notice, after all monies are paid and in some but not all cases, stated warranties have run their course.

That said, this is what one of the multiple problems and unexplained coincidences can look like:

Upon inspection of this recipe ingredient it was determined the 1 My Book terrabyte external hard drive had an expired expiration date, or in other terms, was no longer working, after of course all monies were paid and stated warranties had run their course.

Additionally what may appear to be 1 failed portion of the recipe will sometimes present itself as a BOGO or two for one problem, with the 2nd failed portion shown here (click picture to enlarge):

To address this portion of the failed recipe it is recommended you bring in an expert Head Chef in the field, as allowing spouses…..errr……the Chef In Training to closely inspect the ingredients may result in further damage…..ummm….a failed recipe.

Finally, turn all cooking, stewing, cursing and mulling over to Head Chef.
Wait.
Taste for doneness.
Season as needed.

Serve if desired, or refer to Head Chef notes, seen below:

Head Chef Notes:

Pictures of discussed 1 happy to be empty nesters married couple follow this report.

New recipe ingredients ordered:

1 HP desktop dual processor computer return box
1 new Buffalo brand terrabyte external hard drive ordered

Recipe Diagnosis:

Head Chef – 1 diagnosis of flu – recommendations: bed rest, aspirin, patience
(Head Chef faking looking healthy for photographer AKA Chef In Training and owner of 1 HP Desktop Computer )

Chef In Training – recommendations: phone Dr – diagnosis – Bronchitis – RX medication needed
(Chef In Training not faking looking sick and missing terribly her 1 HP Desktop Computer!)

Head Chef Additional Notes:

HP states 1 HP Desktop Computer: Dual Processor, 2GB memory, 300GB harddrive still covered under warranty, upon receipt will access situation, repair, and return ASAP

French Vanilla Air Filter removed from return AC filter and thrown in garbage. No plans to purchase more in the future.
Odor Eliminator Charcoal remains in attic, no ill effects noted at this time.
Oust Clean Air candles used and found to be effective.

Unpleasant and smelly outcomes otherwise known as unfound deceased rodent in attic odor ceases to exist at present time.

Total attic inspection with cleaning of heating and cooling ducts appear to be effective in cutting down on dust and allergies (with exception to above mentioned deceased rodent episode) as well as significant improvement in air flow and reduced noise in ducts.

End of Head Chef notes.
Signed Out.
End.

I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends.

One is engaged, one is a mistress, and of course I have been married for 20+ years.

We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by wearing a black leather bra, stiletto heels and a mask over our eyes.

We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes. Here’s how it all went.

My engaged friend:
The other night my boyfriend came over and found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask.
He saw me and said, ‘You are the woman of my dreams. I love you.’
Then we made love all night long.

The mistress:
Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing the leather bodice, heels and mask over my eyes and a raincoat.
When I opened the raincoat he didn’t say a word, but we had wild sex all night.

Then I had to share my story:
When my husband came home I was wearing the leather bodice, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes.

As soon as he came in the door and saw me he said, “What’s for dinner, Batman?”

I’m late posting photos, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

I had just gotten home after taking our houseguest Valerie to the airport (she went home to Illinois for the holidays) when I saw Jerry’s car in the driveway. I was so excited to see him home for lunch! I was sure he had come home to see me so I rushed in the front door to say “hi sweetie”. When he walked out of his study and I saw the look on his face I knew there was a different reason for him being home in the middle of the day. You know the rest of the story, another job lay off with the holidays right around the corner. This short story line leads up the photo of me with a very special person in my arms, baby Jack L. Hord. Carol’s daughter Teresa, husband Jeremy, and daugher Emily welcomed Jack into the world a few days after Thanksgiving this year. Jerry had gone back to work after telling me about the job lay off news, and I was on the phone with my girlfriend Pauline boo-hooing about it. I was in no mood to break away from my conversation with Pauline, despite Carol’s persistance. She called my cell several times, then the home phone. I finally gave in and took her call. She didn’t tell me that Teresa and Jack were with her, she didn’t know about Jerry’s recent job status. She just knew how much I loved her girls and T’s kids. I hung up with Pauline and waited for Carol to come over like she said she was going to do. When I answered the door I was so tickled. I also knew that I needed a baby’s love at that very moment to lift my heart. Thank you baby Jack, Teresa and Carol.

We started our festivities by having good friends Terry and Karen over to enjoy the Christmas vibe. Karen brought over hot chocolate and we enjoyed that while we opened our gifts.
It was Jerry’s year for all things Coke related. Maybe next year we’ll put up a small tree in his study to show off his Coke ornaments.It was the year of the fairy for me. I was blessed to receive Tink in many different forms this year and loved it. This was a Mary Cicely Barker calendar, another favorite artist of mine who illustrates exquisite fairies.

Terry’s gifts came in the form of Disney. Not too big of a surprise because that’s his mantra, his main thing, what makes his heart go thumpedy-thump. Karen and I went to an estate sale this last year that had a awesome amount of Disney items for sale. We found out as we were purchasing our items that the estate sale was due to a foreclosure which made it very sad. But in the end Terry got this shirt and a cool Disney blanket, so I was thankful for those gifts.

Next on our holiday festivities was spending Christmas eve with good friends the Bennets. Jill made everyone a wonderful mexican feast with delicious margarita’s, and Matt joined us for dinner that evening which was nice. In a festive mood Jill placed celebratory New Years eve crackers on each table setting which was a lot of fun.
Inside each cracker were crowns, a joke, and a prize. Each end of the cracker was tied up with twisty gold ball ties. Those ended up being the most entertaining, something akin to the box, not the contents. Patrick made “knuckle-cracking-beaters” out of his. Steve proudly shows off the paper crown. It seems to fit him just right, don’t you think? Jill bravely shows there is more than just 1 thing you can do with the New Years cracker ties thank you, while Matt tries not to notice that mom did not have her focus set right!

We had a nice treat this year with having both boys home for Christmas. Jason and his good friend Christina, better known as Chuck, made the long trek down from Arcata, Ca in his dependable blue Honda. Since it is about a 14 hour drive one way, they decided to stop over in San Fransico on their way down. It had been almost 2 years since we’d seen Jason last, so we were all very excited. Christmas morning was nice. We slept in a bit, and Matt drove down from Newport Beach to open gifts with us. Matt appreciated his gifts as did Jason, of course, yet the best part for Jerry and I was the fact that we had both the boys home for the holidays at the same time.
As part of our family tradition, we traveled down to San Diego for Christmas day dinner at Patty’s cousin’s house. Greg and Doreen make the best prime rib known to mankind and are the most gracious of hosts. Getting to see Greg’s parents, and Patty’s closest aunt Lou and uncle Jim who live a stone’s throw away, is another part of the wonderful tradition, as is seeing a whole host of other family members. It is time spent with great food and spirits, lots of wonderful stories around a long table, and best of all simply the best family a girl could ever wish for.

Monday started out like this…..woke up to my 8:26am alarm, which I set so I could say goodbye to my sweet hubby before he headed off to work. I end up staying in bed until he comes and kisses me goodbye and I fall back asleep, too tired to even think about getting up. Wake up a second time at 9:30am and realize it feels like only a minute has gone by instead of an hour. I decide to get up and first things first go turn on the coffee pot. Second, eye drops, thyroid pill, potty stop. TMI, I know. Get over it.

Another trip out to the kitchen to heat up my coffee mug using the hot water spikit we have. Back to the bedroom and I turn my heating pad on and position it in my computer chair so I can get my back warmed up in hopes of getting a bit more limber before I have to move around much. My 3rd trip to the kitchen and I get my coffee and plop down at the computer to read email, the news, check out my friends websites, etc. I usually sit at the computer with my first cup of coffee for about 1/2 hour, then I either get my second cup or I get breakfast depending on how my tummy feels. Today it’s 1 cup of coffee followed by a bowl of cereal and then a phone call to our local trash company to schedule a pick up of our old spa cover.

After my cereal I start to get my head in gear and somehow my body follows. I brush my teeth, clean my face, look in the mirror and try to decide if I am going to apply a lot of makeup or just go out commando. (In this case that does not apply to no underwear). I decide on just foundation and a quick brush of my hair. I change my clothes, and gather my belongings to get ready to go to the gym. This routine usually takes a while because now that I’m 55 I need to check and triple check if I have everything before I head out the door. Just kidding. I only check twice.

My purse is loaded, the small hand carry ice chest is packed with ice, a piece of string cheese, and water for my trip out. Before I leave the house I check that all windows and doors are locked up and both phones are on the charger if needed. I also check if the lights are out and that I have the house keys. Told you I double check.

Load everything into the car and try to back out with an obstructed view because my neighbor once again has to have his I-have-a-small-weeny-so-I-need-a-big ass-truck-to-prove-I-am-a-man parked so that half in his mom’s driveway and half in the street. Oh and blocking the entire sidewalk, but that’s another story.

I make 1 stop at our local library used bookstore to see if they any good used books I can’t live with out. Get slightly annoyed because a lady decides she has to park her car in backwards and takes 5 turns to get it right. Okay, she only takes 3, but WTH?! I grab a few good free books and hear the gym calling me. Wish I could ignore it.

Make it to the gym, through the door and start looking for my ID badge which is not in it’s usual place in my purse all the while talking to Chris, one of the managers there as well as another young (hell, everyone’s young when you’re this old!) girl who’s working the computers. Try to swipe my debit card, once again showing my age gosh-damit and continue digging through my purse and telling Chris I’ve been coming 2 times a week and I wondered where HE was. That should stop his questioning whether I’ve been in lately. Try to swipe my Lake Mission Viejo badge while Chris tells me they won’t take that either and the young girl says “Why don’t you give me your last name and I’ll check you in that way”, which I agree to but still decide to find my ID badge. I get logged in thanks to the girl whom I need to ask her name on Friday, when she says “Let me check and see if someone turned it in. You might have dropped it.” Now I’m feeling insulted and truly old so I quickly come back with “Oh no, it’s in here somewhere I just used it.”, only to have her quick as a whip pull it out of the “old people who’ve dropped their badges box” and say “I thought so!!” Great. She also offers to put a clip on it which I hate but agree to because she was so nice.

Now that that whole rigamarole is taken care of I grab a towel and head towards the treadmill. I change the channel to HGTV and start my 30-45 minutes of walking at a regular pace for 3 minutes, super fast for 1 minute. You try doing that for long. It’ll make you wish you never got out of bed.

Once off the treadmill I drag my sweaty body to get a floor mat and start my stretching. 15 minutes later and I’m so glad to be leaving. With my ID badge and maybe my dignity since neither Chris or the young girl are anywhere to be found.

Trader Joes is busy, but I get through the store pretty quick carting my 2 recyclable grocery bags with me. I gather veggies, a bit of protein, half and half for my coffee, and a few other edibles up to the checker. I love this store for it’s great prices, great food and friendly atmosphere. Plus I get an additional work out for this old body while I carry the bags to my car. Always love it when I can multi-task!

Once home I get busy cooking: soft scrambled eggs with cut up low fat chicken sausage for this weeks breakfast, crash potatoes for Jerry’s dinner, cajun salmon for my dinner, and fresh steamed and seasoned veggies for both of us. He’ll cook his meat when he’s ready to have dinner. Everything’s put in tupperware, then the fridge, and I clean up the kitchen nice and shiny. Love my granite countertops!

Next is me time. Sort of. I change into comfy at home clothes, open the new spa cover lid 1/2 way and soak my tired feet and knees for 10 minutes, then gather photos that have patiently been stacked on my desk waiting to be put into our albums, some sticky tape and a glass of diet homemade lemonade. Ahh! Dam that bed feels good. The computer screen is positioned towards the bed and I lay there for quite a while watching TV and remembering events through the photos as I put them in the albums.

I end up chatting with 2 girlfriends, 1 local and 1 in Illinois for a total of almost 1.5 hours during this rest time. My girlfriend in Illinois’s basement flooded due to Ike’s wide path. More TV followed by saying hello to my hubby when he came home. I eat dinner around 6:30, then rest more until he eats. We watch The Closer finale while he eats dinner, I eat pineapple, then clean we up the kitchen.

My sweetie plays Wii and shouts out his wins while I finish painting the last small area of the kitchen…Yeah! I’m Done…a beautiful turqouise color. I wash out the brushes and put everything back, including helping my helpful hubby rehang the plate rack we took down so I could paint.

More Wii playing ensues while I go out into the spotlight lit back yard to fertilize our long row of cypress trees. 2 garden hoses have to be connected to get the length, the fertilizer bottle has to be filled and the hose end has to be hoisted up over the fence to the side yard. The gate lock is frozen shut. Thus the spotlit hoisting over the fence gate. 1 frozen gate lock is good to keep out neighbors. Doesn’t work too well for possums, raccoons or other animals. Oh well.

Walking through several large spider webs between the cypress trees and the house I muffle my screams in the night because I don’t want to disturb the neighbors so late. I’m in the “garden-zen-mode while I fertilzie. Then more hoisting the hose back over the fence, turn the water off and finally shuffle back into the house. The Wii games have ended, I haven’t found out the final score but I’m sure he still retains his bronze or pro status, reminding me I need to get in there and Wii myself up a bit!

Now for bed. Makeup off, brush the teeth, pj’s on. No need to look in the mirror, nothings changed anyway. The bed becons. Loudly. End of a Monday. Tuesday will follow with more exciting day-in-the-life-of adventures. For sure.

Before you dive into this blog you might wonder if these topiaries at Disney World and Disneyland Resort are real. I am not sure if the Peter Pan and Snow White topiaries shown here at Disney World in Florida are real, but I do know the others are as I’ve seen them up close. The only part that is not real on the topiaries in Disneyland Resort is the yellow main on the lion. That is made out of some synthetic fiber. I hope this bit of information is helpful.

My girlfriend Pauline took these topiary photos while on a trip to Disney World in Florida with her 2 children, David and Valerie, a place I someday hope to enjoy to the fullest. I am a huge fan of Tinkerbell, for those of you who don’t know me well. I love the fact that Peter Pan is getting some recognition in these topiaires, he’s really how Tinkerbell came to be know now isn’t it?

This topiary of Snow White and a few of her adorable dwarfs is just remarkable. I wonder why they can’t do this in Disneyland or California Adventure. Maybe because of Florida’s climate, where it is more humid. The California sun can sure beat down on our horticulture.

I’m not saying Disneyland doesn’t have some amazing topiaries, as shown here with their lion ornamental tree. I’ve looked at this lion up close and the mane is made out of some kind of synthetic fibers. This particular topiary is over by It’s A Small World, where they have the largest variety of topiaries in all of Disneyland and California Adventure displayed.

I love their swan featured also by It’s A Small World. The pink flowers are geraniums and are remind me of a peacocks feathers.