Spoons & Stitches

Back when I began this experiment with hemp oil, I told you that I was hoping for some help with depression and mental health. Naturally, that kind of treatment takes time to show results. Any psychiatrist will tell you that mental health is a slow change and most prescription drugs show results only after six to eight weeks. Well, it's been about that finally! The good news is that I am seeing results! I was an emotional wreck for most of last autumn (the instigating reasons aren't relevant here). I was working through a LOT of emotional baggage. With a number of unexpected challenges that hit me and my family in quick succession, my depression increased tremendously as my morale decreased. I needed something to help me do the necessary emotional work to get back on an even keel. Q Sciences broad spectrum hemp oil, Q Fuse , is what I've been taking. In my previous posts I have told you how much it's helped with my energy, pain, and brain fog. Now I am comfortable s...

Greetings everyone! Sorry I missed last week's update. It's been a crazy couple of weeks in my volunteer organizations. If you've been following my blog, you know that this year I have chosen a goal of managing my fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and orthostatic tachycardia syndrome myself as naturally as possible . I have worked with doctors in the past for all three of these condition. However, the first two have not improved and in fact have been getting worse. I continue to work with my cardiologist on the last one. So this week's update is a bit more of the same--things getting better when I remember to take the Q-Fuse full spectrum hemp oil . I realized this week, though, that I haven't been including my brain fog progress. How's that for irony? Now if you have fibormyalgia, chances are you know the term "fibro fog" all too well. I ended up leaving my last paying job because my brain fog was so bad that I could not do the work. Caffein...

So, if you've been following the saga, you know that this is part of my multi-year experiment to get my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue under control. I left work in 2016 due my complete disability to do my job. Symptoms that landed me in trouble: Extreme fatigue and exhaustion, brain fog and cognitive dysfunction, widespread pain, migraine, chronic knee pain, sleep disorder. I have tried a series of prescriptions from my doctors, including Cymbalta, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, gabapentin, cyclobenzaprine. None of these have worked for my pain, exhaustion, or sleep disorders. I have since decided to approach my health from a more natural viewpoint.  Image copyright  Rainer Vandalismus . Used under cc license .  I have tried  herbs for migraines  with considerable success. I have also tried  bromelain and other natural remedies for chronic pain  with less success. Now I've decided to try hemp oil. This post continues the updates during my third wee...

This is my weekly update on the new therapy for my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  I decided in December that it was time to try something new, so I am working with a hemp-based, zero THC therapy to address my pain and energy loss. This is my second week taking the therapy as two half doses taken in the morning and afternoon. Monday : Took 2 half doses, both before lunch. During the morning I did my usual thing--sit around playing games on my tablet until after lunch. After lunch I left the house and visited someone in the hospital. While it's a big hospital with lots of walking, I did not feel fatigued during or after the visit. There's no need for us to go into all the yelling I did trying to figure out where to park. 😇😆 The only noteworthy thing is how draining that kind of stress usually is for me physically. I spent the rest of my afternoon getting paperwork done and had a meeting that went until 8pm. At the end of the meeting I was still awake and not dragging,...

So, if you've been following the saga, you know that this is part of my multi-year experiment to get my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue under control. I left work in 2016 due my complete disability to do my job. Symptoms that landed me in trouble: Extreme fatigue and exhaustion, brain fog and cognitive dysfunction, widespread pain, migraine, chronic knee pain, sleep disorder. I have tried a series of prescriptions from my doctors, including Cymbalta, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, gabapentin, cyclobenzaprine. None of these have worked for my pain, exhaustion, or sleep disorders. I have since decided to approach my health from a more natural viewpoint.  Photo  by  Chris H , used according to  license . I have tried herbs for migraines with considerable success. I have also tried bromelain and other natural remedies for chronic pain . Now I've decided to try hemp oil. Hemp oil is all the rage right now for treating many autoimmune diseases, particularly the ...

Hello Spoonies! It's time once again to run the updates on the most recent pain management experiments and decide what's happening next. Since last time, I have continued to use regular feverfew and magnesium to prevent migraines. The good news is that my migraines have actually decreased  down to no more than one per month! This is my long-term therapy now and I intend to continue it indefinitely. Since the last post I have also invested in high-quality running shoes that adjust for my wide gait. These have definitely helped my knees, however the chronic knee pain has continued. To add to the fun, my family moved this year into a two-story house. The multiple trips up and down the stairs each day have not been kind to my knees. Since the bromelain experiment did not pan out, I have tried a few other things. The first thing I tried was topical analgesic creams. First was the Voltaren gel (prescription) that my doctor prescribed. While this is okay, it does not help very...

So this time last year I posted about using various herbs and foods to prevent migraines . As a quick recap, I turned to herbs because my migraines do not respond well to any of the traditional migraine treatments. I have tried the triptans, such as Imitrex and the like, and they do not consistently help. The side-effects from Maxalt were overwhelming and Relpax is just too expensive.  Feverfew was quite helpful in cutting down on my migraines and I mentioned this to my neurology specialist at my next appointment. What he told me was that it was a great way to start, but that he would actually recommend Butterbur for even better prevention. I did some research and it sounds quite promising! In fact, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has found that it helps with migraine prevention and hay fever treatment! Unfortunately, all of my sources also state that those who are sensitive to ragweed are not good candidates to use it, so that counts me out....

Back in April I posted about trying a new therapy for my migraines . Most preventative medications that are prescribed do not work for me or I cannot take them due to my low blood pressure. So in April I started taking a daily dose of feverfew as a preventative. Since that time I have gone from three day long migraines on a weekly basis to only two shorter migraines. One of those I was able to identify a new trigger--the chicken hot dogs we had for dinner. I haven't eaten hot dogs in over a year and it made sense due to the nitrite/nitrate issue involved. The other blindsided me. All in all, I've decided that this therapy is working pretty well. Now I'm researching ways to easy the physical pain. My most common issue is bad knee pain. I am started physical therapy this week, but in the meantime I'd like to lower the inflammation. After a few hours of research this weekend, I've decided to try pineapple for it's bromelain content . It's an enjoyable therapy...

After a year and a half of having almost no migraines, they recently began to recur. I used to have migraines for months at a time. I would have 2-4 migraines per week, though some of those were probably the same one not really going away, and last for about three months. I would try a migraine medicine and it would work--for about three months. Then it would become ineffective--most likely from frequent usage. I will confess that I have grown accustomed to not having these migraines. Unfortunately, with the onset of spring and pollen season, they have returned with a vengeance. I made an appointment with my new PCP and she recommended going back go those medicines. I went along with it, but with the frequency and severity of the migraines I am afraid that these medicines will be ineffective again. It took about three doses for it to help the first time. So instead of just taking these medicines, I've decided to return to my practice of herbal and essential oil remedies. After ...

Today I realized something new about ME and Fibromyalgia. That tight feeling that I get, like I can't stand the clothes I'm wearing or my skin is too tight, might be tied to the onset of rapid heart rate that I somtimes get. My new phone (Galaxy S5) has the ability to check my heart rate more easily than I used to do myself. This morning it went to 92 and then over 100 bpm. I was sitting still at the time with no stress at all. This isn't new--I've had it for over 11 years, though it hasn't been around much lately. What is new is this rapid heart rate and that tight feeling at the same time. I never paid attention before to whether the two occurred together. I'm going to have to monitor that going forward. The good news is that I've had all the heart tests (stress, EKG, and some I can't spell) and all is normal--just fast. I'm not sure what this can do to help things, but knowledge is supposed to be power-right? Have a great day!

This Christmas season I find myself thinking about my grandparents that have passed away. My step-grandfather, Jim, passed away last century. My maternal grandfather passed before I was born, so Jim was the only grandfather I knew in my mom's family. My maternal grandmother passed a few years ago. My paternal grandparents both passed this year. All of them were dear to me and made every visit feel like a special occasion for me. I remember visiting Grandmommie (my mom's mom) and she always made these wonderful holiday meals that were very southern. Jim made the best pumpkin pies and also the BEST strawberry and rhubarb pies in the summer. We would beg him to make a pie when we visited! I still remember how he used to bend down and hug me every time I came, treating me like the most special girl. His hearing aid used to beep when he hugged me and he would tell me that it was an alert that a pretty girl was near. The house always smelled wonderful and they had a whole room dedi...

By now you can tell that I am back from London and running way behind in posting about the trip. However, I still want to finish the write-ups. So today I'm going to write about our second bus trip out of town. We visited Windsor Castle, the Roman baths, and the well-known Stonehenge. Outside view of one of the towers Windsor Castle The town of Windsor was quite beautiful. The old-timey look of the buildings was beautiful. The castle was beautiful too, of course. There was quite the line to see Queen Mary's dollhouse, though I didn't join it. I'm sure it's fascinating, but doll houses just are not my thing. Pictures inside Windsor Castle are forbidden, so I have mostly pictures of the outside (naturally). The rooms were immense, including the ball rooms the king's and the queen's), as well as the sitting rooms, presence rooms, dining rooms and the rest. There was one room that held what must have been the crests of every family in Britain there were ...

It's taken me a few days to get to posting about this trip and my apologies to my few loyal readers for that. We were taking these all-day tours that started at 6am and ended at 10, so finding time to do much else wasn't happening. So let me try to catch you up. Warwick Castle Proper apparent pronunciation: Warrick Castle This is a medieval castle, architected by William the Conqueror circa 1068. It is located in the area of Warwickshire (shocking isn't it?). The castle has been added to, burned, rebuilt and otherwise altered in that time. The bedrooms inside were interesting, though few. There are a number of drawing rooms, sitting rooms, receiving rooms, and other such rooms. In fact, Queen Anne's bed is supposed to be in here, too. What I honestly loved the most was the beautiful rose garden. This is only a small view of a few roses. The garden includes white and pink roses, among others, in a beautiful walking path. Lest you think that this castle has nothi...

Happy Fourth of July Independence Day to everyone! It's been quite strange over here. While my group hasn't done anything terribly outrageous, we did see some fun things today. We caught a group of Americans singing (in a beautiful a Capella harmony) the Star Spangled Banner right outside Buckingham Palace after the changing the guard. Gutsy and earned much applause. The changing of the guard was fun to watch, though we missed the beginning due to a late start. We knew we were in the right place when we could hear the drumming, then the music, of the band (see them in red to the right). The ceremonial aspect of the pageantry is impossible to portray in pictures, but it was impressive. When the guards began to move you could see the entire crowd take off after them. Talk about a mob! We followed at a distance and watched the guard march toward Buckingham Palace. All in all, this even took over an hour. After that, we decided to head toward Kensington Palace. My young class...

Today our class went to see the Tower of London. I had hoped to get out to see the All Hallows Church at the Tower, but that didn't happen. My shins are screaming from all the walking we do here. :) The first thing we saw was the HMS Belfast , the only ship of its kind still in existence. It's quite impressive! From there, we crossed could see the Tower of London. The Tower was an incredible experience. We saw it from across the Thames River and could clearly see the Traitor's Gate, as it was seen by the incoming prisoners. the Traitor's Gate was originally called the Water Gate because it's on the river. Henry wanted to avoid transporting prisoners via the streets. He eventually had to add a portcullis and receiving area to protect this entrance from marauding ships. Another impressive part of this area is the Tower Bridge. This bridge is quite busy and quite long. Here you can see two views of the bridge. The first is from upriver (by the HMS Belfast). The s...

So today was our first full day of "class" here in London. I am studying Church History with classmates from Liberty University here in London. It's been great getting to know them all. out of 13 students, three of us are studying pastoral counseling, one or too more are studying chaplaincy. Others are fulfilling history requirements for various undergraduate degrees. Outside of Westminster Abbey Today's trip was to Westminster Abbey . It was incredible! The Gothic architecture is breathtaking. We saw the high altar where the coronations take place. We also saw the coronation chair, which is kept in St George's chapel when not in use. Saw the tombs of so many monarchs, though I found the one for Elizabeth I the most breathtaking. Right next to St George's chapel is a remembrance in honor of Franklin D Roosevelt . This is quite close to to the memorial for Winston Churchill and the tomb of the unknown soldier. Sorry, inside photography not allowed. ...

It's been a long time since I posted here. Not since my last birthday, in fact. Part of that reason is I've been in a flare with the Chronic Fatigue for almost a year. I rarely find energy to do the extra things that I want to do. Sometimes my brain just doesn't want to work. Recently I was forced to take a good, long look at myself and my health. I realized that I missed almost a month of work for sickness last year. That doesn't include the days that I worked from home when I was sick. I finally looked at that number and thought, "A month? That can't be right." It's not normal, anyway. So I broke down and talked to my doctor. I took my articles, my list of questions and concerns and we had a good long talk. She wants to try some new therapies, though I am thinking it might be too late. But we're trying them b/c she's the medical professional, after all. One of those new therapies is working okay, but the other had to be discontinued due to ...

A friend of mine is having her first baby girl anytime now. She has picked out the beautiful name, painted the nursery, and is ready to be a mama! Her baby shower was a few weeks ago, so I can finally put out the pattern I used for her baby blanket. I got this idea from the beautiful hooded blankets that my mother made for my boys when they were due. My first confession is that this is not a hooded blanket nor is it nearly so intricate as my mother's work. I wanted to design something that would be reasonably quick, easy for beginning knitters, and could be made with the yarn I already had. I picked up some lovely ivory and peach yarns at the thrift store, so I wanted to use those for the blanket. I agonized over what to make for ages! Like, the entire summer until almost August! I finally decided on a wide stripe diagonal baby blanket. Due to my limitations in needles (can't find my circulars), I was limited to what I could do with the needles I had. So rather than a full-si...

What? Two blog posts in one day? Yes, it's a special day. That and I couldn't figure out any other way to show what I'm about to show you. My oldest son LOVES to draw. He's an artist at heart and he has been saying for years that he wants to be a cartoonist when he grows up. (I asked him why he wanted to wait that long.) So here is the card he made for me, which is actually more like a book. If your kids are as much into Minecraft as mine are, then you probably recognize this as Steve from the game. They like to play in creative mode, just discovered this week. At least one of my men gave me diamonds for my birthday. :) But Minecraft hasn't completely dwarfed his love of Yoda or Origami. Particularly together. And he likes giving out the real thing. Finger puppet! He's always been funny, but this made me truly laugh! He asked me a few days ago which was my favorite of his comic book characters. He made a few for me.  Some are tou...

My dad. Not looking much different from 40. So today is my birthday. If you are my "friend" on Facebook then you probably already figured that out. Today I'm reminded of a picture that used to hang in our finished basement den in Summit, New Jersey when my folks and I lived there. It was a picture of my dad, in his U.S. Navy athletic shorts, sitting (leaning really) on a balance beam. Underneath he had a caption posted: "Forty isn't over the hill." I'm also reminded of a poem that my dad wrote (to his little brother I think) that used to be posted in my uncle's old bedroom at the grandparent's place. I can only recall the first line, but that has always stuck in my head with its own little melody, like a song. "Forty, that mystical imaginary borderline..." I think the reason that my dad comes to mind when I think of the age of forty is that it was a big deal to him. He had something prove at that age--that he was still in his prime ...