pitterpat

A Blooming Garden

Patricia — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:37:51 +0000

Although spring is not yet officially here, my garden has decided to go ahead and start blooming. With all the weather changes over the past few months so many of our plants including our trees even, are really confused. The hydrangeas are leafing out, the one faithful purple bachelor buttons has bloomed, our 2 fruitless mulberry trees are budding. Bulbs are flowering, roses are growing their new red and green leaves. All this means time to get back to gardening.

Reluctant Farmville Addict

Patricia — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:54:40 +0000

I hate to admit it yet I will. I play FarmVille on Facebook. I am slightly addicted to it. Some might say I’m hugely addicted to it. I would disagree by saying I used to be, hugely addicted to it. Lately I’m losing interest in it due to the fact Zynga hasn’t introduced anything new to the game in some time and it has become stale. I still play but only because I AM NO QUITTER! I started playing FarmVille because it is an escape for me. I can relax with my laptop, visit with the friends I have made while playing the game and not think about things. Several of my friends play this game, 1 from high school, several who live in other states, even my sister. I’ve also made new friends, friends of friends, who as it has turned out have some of the same health conditions that I do. This has made the game a little more special because we end up chatting about our lives while we plow each other fields, or share our collections of farm tools. So in honor of all that is FarmVille I made this card and bought 2 little wind up toys at Michaels Crafts Store. Fun and silly. Yup, kind of sums up part of what is me.

Massage Techniques

Patricia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:55:11 +0000

My absence as of late has not been due to a busy schedule, quiet the opposite. Instead I have been experiencing the darker side of my Fibromyalgia, a disease I’ve had for over 20 years.

It started quite some time ago when I began experiencing the unpleasant side effects of one of the newer drugs I was taking to treat the disease. I kept in close contact with my doctor and eventually changed from this new SNRI (serontonin-neropinephrine reuptake inhibitor) to another anti-depressant commonly use to treat Fibromyalgia. When the side effects of this new medication began taking its toll on me, my rheumatologist and I decided together to see how my Fibromyalgia would react without the aid of any medication, something I hadn’t done in years.

Going off these drugs must be done slowly, stepping down week by week until you are off of them. Even though I’ve been treating my disease with these medications for some time I would still have flare ups, some of them for what I knew at that time, to be fairly bad. By the second and third week stepping off this last medication I could tell the changes that were happening to my pressure and trigger points was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. The hardest hit ones were in my calves and thighs, although my arms and shoulders were also experiencing extreme pain, tenderness and muscle weakness. And yet I honestly kept thinking it would get better, that I just needed to rest more. When I could no longer stand or walk because of the pain and weakness I figured it was time to call the doctor to make an appointment and had my awesome husband Jerry take time off work to drive me in.

I have been with this rheumatologist for a long time, trust her completely and was happy with our next plan of attack. Rest, change of medications, for both my fibromyalgia and my rheumatoid arthritis and a short course of steroids followed by a checkup. Oh and patience. Plenty of that. I am very fortunate I don’t have to work outside the home. Like I said before I am grateful and thankful for my awesome husband, without him I could not focus on my health. I am going to get better, it may take me longer than I like, but I am focused on that positive outcome.

For those of you who are skeptic about my course of treatment or who believe in alternative therapies, or even have a whole different idea of how one should go about treating this or any other kind of illness I will just say this. To each their own. I have tried many other kinds of treatments. I do not believe in using pain pills alone as treatment for my conditions. There are many theories on how to treat this disease, please do not judge me.

For some additional home massage treatment I use the items shown in the photo above. The hand held massager is one I’ve had for years, it is a Homedics brand and has several variable speeds. I have tried several other brands over the years yet keep coming back to this heavy duty massager as my favorite.

The tennis ball may seem like a impossible massage tool but placed inside a sock it can become very useful. Hang on to either end of the sock, lean up against the wall with the ball against your back on a pressure point and dig deep. Sweet relief!

The S Hook Massager can be found on line or at your local Mother’s Market. While not cheap, they work really well at quick release work on your pressure points. Excessive digging with this tool will only aggravate your pressure points so do be careful.

The large dense white massage roll is an excellent way to work on your back while getting an arm workout at the same time. They are also good for IT Band massage or glute massage. These rolls can be purchased on line or at a larger local medical supply in your area. Instructions on how to use them can be found on line.

I hope that by sharing some of my story you can better understand what it is like to live with this frustrating and silent illness, Fibromyalgia. Coupled with several arthritis’s, and Sjogren’s Syndrome it can be challenging at times. What you see is not always all there is. Be kind and patient, take time to look beneath the surface and I believe we will all be better for it.

Happy 31st Birthday Jason!!

Patricia — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:33:40 +0000

31 years ago Jerry and I welcomed our 2nd son, Jason Theodore into our lives. I can recall as if it were yesterday the moment the nurse brought him into my room and handed him to me. Jason was so beautiful at birth, he didn’t have any of the usual discoloration most newborns have, his skin had a soft pink glow to it. His little head wasn’t misshapen and he was very alert, he looked directly at me when I talked to him. My heart burst with love when I cuddled his small body next to mine, and I was sure there wasn’t a mother alive who had felt such love for their child as I did for mine. The struggle and heartbreak to arrive at finally having a 2nd child, one who was healthy on all counts seemed to be the greatest gift I could ever receive, and to this day I am grateful for him. Happy Birthday sweetie! we love you!

A Family Visit

Patricia — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:38:55 +0000

Matthew and Ms Yuki came for a visit this last Saturday, which is always nice. Yuki is on strict bedrest due to her recent back re-injury, and she’s not too happy about it. Matt brought his bike down and went for a short ride so I took Yuki outside for a few photos. She has gotten pretty used to using the doggy door that the Bennets wonderfully donated from their dog Anna’s belongings. Whenever she goes outside with any of us we have her use that door instead of coming through the regular people entrance. Once through the door Yuki goes bounding onto the grass looking back with hope in her eyes at me that we will play ball and it breaks my heart.

A few weeks back when Matt and I took her into the vet because she was unable to bring her back legs up and get into a standing position I never expected to hear the him say she should have a sedentary lifestyle from here on out. Xrays of her back showed her discs to be in different states of chaos. Several discs up towards her neck area are fusing together, a result of the trauma she suffered from her being hit by the truck. Almost all the other discs have little to no space in between, are full of degeneration and bone spurs. As a result the vet said he was amazed that she even recovered and could walk after her amputation. Yet despite all this Ms Yuki has a happy heart. She shows such love and enthusiasm when she enters our house which of course makes us happy. Keeping her down will be another story. How do you ask a young puppy, because she still is that, barely 3, to live like a 15 year old dog? We love you Ms Yuki, thank you for bringing such joy to our lives. You are a blessing and a treasure.

And Here We Go Again!

Patricia — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:40:29 +0000

38 years ago today my Aunt and Uncle’s house was abustle with preparations for our wedding. My mom Ruth, was helping my Aunt Lucy and Grandmother Eleanor with finalizing everything related to decorations and seating while my father George, was more than likely enjoying the company of my Uncle Jim. Something borrowed, something blue was taken care of. Jerry arrived at the house in Whittier and got busy washing the car in the open courtyard. My older brother Richard was there, but he arrived closer to the actual wedding ceremony. My younger brother Dan was trying to stay out of mom and Lucy’s way. Sadly enough Jerry’s family could not attend, something I know touches his heart and mine to this day. The ceremony would take place in front of the brick fireplace, yellow and white mums on either side of the hearth. A small table was set up off to the side of the room, the sheet cake and tierd cake placed on it, gifts stacked on the floor next to the table. Jerry’s friend Greg from college, was asked to be the photographer, Patty’s cousin Mags was the Matron of Honor, Jerry’s friend Jim the Best Man. It wasn’t until the time came for the ceremony to begin that I began to become very nervous. I’ve never been comfortable being in front of a crowd, and even though these were my relatives I was still shaking in my sandals. And then we were saying our vows, I was looking in his eyes and I was calm. My best friend and I were commiting to each other forever, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. Little did we know the road we would travel to get to where we are today, the struggles, sorrows, and joy we would face. We were so young, and naive. Yet looking back, yes, sweetheart I would do it again. Just give me a minute to see if I can still fit into that dress…..

A Bit O’ ReArranging

Patricia — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:44:01 +0000

Earlier last year with the help of a good friend I repainted our master bedroom and retreat. At the time we had our bed in the retreat area and my craft and computer desk were in the actual bedroom area. Waking up every morning to my craft/computer work space staring me in the eye, especially if I hadn’t picked everything up was beginning to drive my soul to distraction. Jerry reluctantly agreed to move our bed back into the actual bedroom area and my computer into the retreat area. As well, I moved my crafting area into the guest room so that it is now a combined guest/craft room. I love having all my crafts in one place and away from the place where I rest my head and soul at night. In this first photo you can see the retreat area where my computer desk is. The patio doors going out to our backyard are on the right with the door leading to the hallway and the rest of the house to the left by the mirror hanging on the wall.

As you can see the retreat area is just off the master bedroom and now where my computer desk is situated. The words “sleep dream inspire” on the archway were a rub on I bought at Lowe’s.

In the retreat area the window looks out to our narrow side yard. The yellow painted chest was my sister Dee’s as a child. I hand painted and left her signature written in red ink on the inside! The chair is a treasured keepsake; it was my grandmothers, handed down to my mom and then to me.

From the viewpoint of the bed you can see the vaulted ceilings in our bedroom. The patio door to the backyard is on the left, the master bath and hallway to the right. The area above the closets screams for a big screen TV. Let’s not get greedy!

Looking towards the master bathroom and down the hallway out towards the rest of the house.

As you enter the master bedroom from the hallway you see the patio doors leading out to the backyard.

The new and improved craft/guest room. We have a full sized-full height blow up mattress that we place in this room for guests. I made the scalloped toile curtains, the design is of children playing outdoors and one of my favorite pieces of fabric. The adorable face pillow is on loan from gf Beth and hard to give back to her! The beads on the wire silhouette frame are from Disneyland !!!!

The wicker seat is vintage and something I found at a garage sale for $20.00 It has a lot of room and currently stores blankets. And Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and that is a christmas tree in the corner which holds all my Tinkerbell ornaments. Jason’s trophy from high school track sits beside the vintage dolls, not sure how he feels about that

Let’s Learn Skype

Patricia — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:00:57 +0000

So I’m all excited about adding Skype to my new laptop because it has a video camera. Got it done. Then, and I don’t care if those of you out there don’t believe this next part is true or not, but I no sooner get comfortable on our recliner, turn on the big TV and turn on my laptop then I see our good friend Ron in Georgia requesting a Skype phone chat. And all I did was bring up the internet! Honest. Ask Jerry. The same thing happened to him when he tried it. Of course I could decline, but then Ron would just call me back. Of course I could select “voice only” with no video. But then Ron would have a thousand questions. So sitting there on the couch in my pj’s with robe, hair a mess, no makeup I accept the phone from Ron from Georgia. And he starts in with “you called me”, haha! We had a splendid conversation with Jerry joining in, and ultimately figured out that yes my new computer is possessed! Jerry exersized that demon out of later in the day and now I can once again use my new laptop with no fear of it ringing up who knows who on my calling list while I’m not looking my best. Or can I?

Loving Ms Yuki

Patricia — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:18:23 +0000

Being young (Yuki turns 3 in July 2010) and playing hard with her girlfriends Koosh and Queenie is just a part of who Ms Yuki is. Watching her play brings a sense of her she is in full view, her love of life shines bright because she is full of life. Combine Yuki’s love of life and play with the damage her body took from being traumatically hit last year and the end result is she has suffered a relapse.

As of last night Yuki is unable to come to a standing position or support herself once helped to a standing position. Yuki’s hind feet are once again curling under, an indicator her vet has said is a clear sign her spine is involved. An emergency veterinary appointment this morning with Yuki’s father Matt, and I, showed us what was going on. Her vet took several xray’s today of her spine and the results were not good. The xrays of her spine show her disks full of calcifiation, spurs, fusion, & deterioration. The vet was suprised she has been able walk following her accident, amputation, & rehibilition. It appears she probably injured herself by just living a dog’s life. The vet did say that Yuki is not a candidate for surgery as there is too much damage. Instead the focus is on rest coupled with steriods. Yuki will be confined to a crate for 3 weeks, allowed only to leave to use the big outdoors as her bathroom! He is hopeful that within that time frame the swelling will go down and she will be able to walk again. So, after a stop at our local pet store, The PetStop to buy a crate, Matt has taken her home with him to begin the recouperation process. My heart goes out to both of them as once again they are faced with the struggles of Yuki’s injuries. Jerry and I love them very much and will be there for them if needed.

Sharing The Holidays

Patricia — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:44:34 +0000

We had a quiet Christmas this year, with the exception of a wonderful visit from Jerry’s niece Kathleen from Japan. Those photos will follow this post when time allows. Jason stayed in Northern California, Matt came down for Christmas morning with Yuki and we traveled to San Diego to visit my family for their traditional Christmas day dinner feast.

Even though Jason wasn’t here I always hang his stocking. These stockings were made by my family, my grandma Eleanor Wight and other family members and I treasure them. My stocking is the oldest and in need of some repair. The stocking hanging on the right is Yuki’s. Love that girl! You can see her Christmas card photo that her dad took on the mantel.

Matt brought his new bike down for a ride before we headed down to family in San Diego. He’s become quite the bicycle buff, a great sport!