Thankful Thursday

Dang... they are back already... told you it would be shortlived!

Okies... they are off to watch one of many movie rentals this summer!  LOL

It is Thankful Thursday.

Here is my list:

1.     Indigo.  Today, Indigo, of Raven's Lament, sent me the wonderful coffee tag above!  This is not the first time Indigo has been so thoughtful, and probably won't be the last!  Thank you, again.  J-Land has given me many friends, and for that I am very happy.

2.     Plaquenil/Medicine.  I am happy that my rheumatologist had another medicine in her arsenal to try against my disease.  It could always be worse.

3.     Hubby.  Thanks for going out and getting me ice cream the other night, even though you were tired and didn't really want to go out.

4.     Kids.  Thanks for being silly and making me laugh.  I doubt any of us will ever forget when Fuzzy thought Gumby's name was Onion.

5.     Kathy.  I am so happy that tomorrow we will be getting together, one way or another.  lol  And, you always seem to know when I need to talk serious, and when I need to just laugh and be silly.  Thank you.

6.     Leigh.  It is always nice to find new friends in J-Land.  After reading my journal and exchanging a few emails, Leigh has started her own!  Please go visit her at: I Was Thinking.. 

                            

The boys were working today on summer reading and on Boy Scout badges.  Pumpkin decided she needed to practice math, so I did a bunch of multiplication problems for her to do, 3 digits times 2 digits, tough stuff!  LOL  Pumpkin, still not satisfied, decided to write down the times tables from 1's to 12's.

Bless her obsessive little heart! 

I have had 2 cups of the nectar of the gods, and I am heading for number 3 now.  I have to keep up that memory function!!!

be well,
Dawn

Tags: Thankful Thursday, kids, school, boy scouts, coffee, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, brain tumor, pain, fun, pain

Wild Thing

 

Signs You Drink Too Much Coffee

 

- You answer the door before people knock.
- Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.
- You ski uphill.
- You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
- You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.
- You lick your coffeepot clean.
- You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.
- Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
- You chew on other people's fingernails.
- Your T-shirt says, "Decaffeinated coffee is the devil's blend."
- You can type sixty words per minute ... with your feet.
- You can jump-start your car without cables.
- Cocaine is a downer.
- You don't need a hammer to pound nails.
- Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low."
- You don't sweat, you percolate.
- You buy 1/2 & 1/2 by the barrel.
- You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.
- You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.
- You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in.
- You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.
- Charles Manson thinks you need to calm down.
- You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.
- People get dizzy just watching you.
- You've worn the finish off your coffee table.
- The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.
- Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
- Your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.
- Instant coffee takes too long.
- When someone says. "How are you?", you say, "Good to the last drop."
- You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.
- Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil.
- You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.
- You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.
- You can thread a sewing machine, while it's running.
- You can outlast the Energizer bunny.
- You short out motion detectors.
- You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.
- Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.
- You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.
- You don't tan, you roast.
- You can't even remember your second cup.
- You help your dog chase its tail.

 

I am proud to say that most of these could be said about me!!!

 

be well,
Dawn

 

 

Tags: joke, coffee, caffeine, fun

Fool in the Rain

Great idea, Maxine, because I am sick of this flooding crap!

Can't it just rain 'normally' anymore?  Apparently not!  Either torrential downpours from hell or drought.  That's your choices lately!  UGH!

So, yep, more water in the freakin' basement.  Moving on now...

THANK YOU!  You are all wonderful!  Your comments build me up, give me strength, and help me smile!

Linda, over at Lost in my own thoughts, has done a meme that I haven't done yet!  HA!  She got me! 

So here it is...

10 Things you did today...

1.     Slept late, and I really needed it.  Just the stress and the pain, and the sleepover (LOL) catching up with me.

2.     Drank coffee... I am on cup #3 right now.  Did you see the big news story about the study that shows for women, drinking 3 cups a day helps your memory!  Wooohooo!

3.     Freaked out while waking Hubby up for work that there was the sound of water rushing into the basement.  The rushing sound was actually what the pump was putting into the slop sink... thankfully!

4.     Made a breakfast Hot Pocket for myself.

5.     Made Bagel Bites for the kids.

6.     Took a shower.

7.     Used the blow dryer to style my hair. (I count these separate as I have to use Spoons for each task see: The Spoon Theory)

8.     Read my emails and caught up on journal entries.

9.     Read an article that my mom brought home from work about the company that is buying her company.

10.     Started this journal entry!  Ta-da!

So there ya have it!  Thanks Linda!

I haven't done much today, I know, but the day is young here!

Happy Hump Day to all, and I will try to be back later!

be well,
Dawn

Tags: water in basement, rain, flood, meme, thank you, J-Land

I Will Survive

Gloria always knew how to help me get my head on straight!

Today, I had the appointment with my rheumatologist.

Much as I suspected, with everything still so much up in the air for me, there isn't much she can do for me.

All of the remaining aggressive drugs that I have not used for Lupus/RA yet, have potentially serious or deadly side effects for someone with MS.  So, until I have the MRI in November under sedation, and the MS question is completely confirmed or denied, she did not want to give me anything aggressive.

However, she did put me on what used to be one of the only disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs,  plaquenil.  You can read more about it here: Plaquenil WebMD, if you wish.  The thing with this drug is that it doesn't usually start to work until after you are on it for 3 months, but at least I know it is safe, and it does usually help.  It has a proven track record with Lupus and RA.

The doc also renewed my pain meds, and increased my methotrexate, which you can see more about here: Methotrexate (Anti-Rheumatic) WebMD.  Doc also suggested doing a short taper/burst of prednisone to help with my symptoms occurring now.  Both of us want to avoid me being on the prednisone all the time, as it is so damaging, even with all it can help with.

I kind of figured that this is what I have to for now.  I will survive.  I will cope until November, and then afterward, we will have more information with which to move forward.

As for the facial tingling, numbing and pain, it could be three things.  The Lupus/RA, MS (multiple sclerosis), or the brain tumor. 

Hubby was VERY vocal during the appointment. 

On the one hand, this is good.  The doc can see that he is caring and committed to helping me cope with my disease and what not.

On the other hand, when he was making me out to an overtired, cranky uber-bitch, that he wanted a magic pill to make 'it stop', I was not so amused.

I jumped to my defense and made it clear that some days (and not all) I get cranky and snap-ish after trying to cope with pain all day (and I always apologize!).  The doc gave me a knowing smile, and stated how clearly 'normal' that is for anyone dealing with the diseases and the symptoms on my plate.

Then, Hubby basically demanded, 'How do we stop it?', and I shaking my head sadly, said to the doc, 'He is still in a fantasy land that there is a cure.', to which she again, gave me a wonderfully sympathetic smile (you know the kind ladies, the 'poor you, I have one of those at home too' that you get when your kid is throwing a tantrum), and told Hubby, 'There is no answer to that.' 

Did he hear that?  I mean REALLY hear that, understand it, process it?  I doubt it.  Ugh.  Men. 

He wants it 'fixed'.  Unfortunately, my immune system is irretrievably broken.  This is a whole body system, brain, blood, organs, tissue, and muscle, and it doesn't work right.  It recognizes itself as the enemy and is constantly on the attack.

No 'off' switch medicine has been found.  The only meds available are those that can shut off parts of the inflammation process, or those, like chemotherapy, suppress the immune system responseas a whole. 

That's it.  No other solutions at this time.  No magic pill.  None even on the horizon yet. 

Anyhow, I am okay.  And, I will survive.  And, I will try to keep smiling while doing it!

I am not mad at Hubby... he was trying to help! (hope it gave you all a chuckle, too)

be well,
Dawn

ps... If Hubby wants bitchy I can order some of that up, like this graphic says...LOL

Tags: lupus, plaquenil, methotrexate, multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, rheumatologist, doctor, husband

Twilight Time

The kids are finally settled down for the night.

Thankfully, I had a nap this afternoon, that helped me cope with tonight and the pain.

'Finding Nemo' is really such a treasure!  It pulls at your heart strings, but delivers that happy ending you just have to have!  Like Cin commented, as we plod along we will quote Dorrie, 'Swimming, swimming, just keep swimming!'. 

I also love to quote the part when she mispronounces the word 'escape' as an exotic spanish sound 'ess - cop - paaayyyy'!!  Oh how that makes me laugh! 

Good lessons too in that movie!  Who gets the dad through it all, happy go lucky, naive, sweet, 'half-full' Dorrie!  LOL   I guess that is why I love her so much, seeing as how I can identify with her personality!  Even the memory thing, as I get frustrated on days that are very bad with cognitive issues from the Lupus/Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupie Fog, as I like to call it, I think of Dorrie, and smile.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, so I wanted to get the newest edition of the Tuesday Twelve to you all now!

Okay, as a reminder, this is a word association game.

I say __________, and you say ___________.

1.     Money.  I instantly hear the kachinking sound of coins from Pink Floyd in the song 'Money'.

2.     Voices.  Carry.  As in the 80's song, 'Voices Carry'.  I don't remember who sang it...but there ya go.  I am apparently in quite the musical frame of mind this evening!

3.     Machine.  Damn.  I can't stop.  'Welcome to the Machine' by Pink Floyd, again. 

LOL  The funny thing is I do this list on paper in the afternoon, I steal some words from the web then change it with my own, and add on, so that when I do the entry I can have fresh word associations!

4.     Beach.  Boys.  Oh boy... now their songs will be swimming in my head with Floyd... bizarre!

5.     Roommate.  College.  I didn't go away to college (I commuted) and have one of these, but it still popped into my mind first.

6.     Cyclone.  Coney Island Amusement Park!  There is a famous wooden roller coaster there, called The Cyclone.  I think they are going to try and save it when they knock the park down later this year.  There is already an exact replica in California somewhere.

7.     Theater.  Cinema 35, the name of the theater that I worked at (and Kathy, too), which is no more. :(

8.     Pregnant.  Me!  I loved being pregnant.  Even with the problems I had, it was the most happy, wonderful, amazing experience, all three times!

9.     Style.  My mom, she is very stylish, and always looks great!

10.     Wrist.  My left one that I broke at the theater a long time ago. 

11.     Suede.  Skirt!  My friend, Fred, bought me the most amazing brown suede skirt and matching Kenneth Cole brown suede pumps for my birthday in 1987 or 1988.  Fred had missed a few birthdays, earlier and he wanted to make it up to me.  :-)  He did! 

12.     Star.  Twinkle Twinkle... you know the rest!

Okie dokie... you know what to do!  Copy and paste, and put in your own answers, and be sure to leave me a comment so I can come check it out!

It is late.  Painkillers are working, and it is time for sleep.

be well,
Dawn

Tags: Finding Nemo, Dorrie, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Tuesday Twelve, meme

Kids in America

Guess what?????!!!!!

Sleep over at our house again! 

Russ is staying over! 

The kids played with the Wii all day, and read Harry Potter books!  Russ is on book 6, and Fuzzy finished book 6 and started 7, earlier today! 

Pumpkin read her books, and Hammer was on the computer.

Right now, after having a snacks and slurpees, they watched the very end of Hell's Kitchen, and then put on a movie.

Finding Nemo!  Yep!  Almost 15, almost 13, 12 1/2 and 10 1/2, riveted to Nemo!  I love the movie, too, I can't blame them!  I just looooove Dorrie!!!  Ellen DeGeneres turned that little fish into a star!!!

More later...

be well,
Dawn

ps... this is on my side bar, a graphic from 'Finding Nemo' as a little shout out to Kathy's son... who turned us all on to the joys of Nemo!

Tags: sleep over, Nemo, wii, kids

Don't Stop!

 

Thank you dear, SUGAR, for this wonderful tag and compliment!  You are an amazing warrior!  Everyone who doesn't know Sugar, should click her name and check out her journal! 

 

For those of you who were not sure what a Wii is all about... it is a Nintendo video game system.  It uses really cool technology so that the controllers that you hold in your hands are wireless and respond to your exact movements!!!

 

So, if you are playing the bowling, you actually bowl with the controller as if it was a ball, without letting go!  Same for the baseball, tennis and golf.  Boxing, too. :-)

 

Now you know why I am scared about things breaking and injuries!  LOL

 

And now, a quick meme.  I saw this over by Cin first, and then by Julie!

 

Google your name and needs in quotes, like this: "Dawn needs", and then print the first ten results here.

 

Apparently, a lot of Dawn's were doing this meme, so I skipped any answers that were from other meme's and just use the ones in random websites.

 

Dawn needs a headcount before Thursday.  (I really wish those heads would stop rolling away so I could count them...)

 

Dawn needs a tripod.  (Ummm, nothing snarky to say to that.)

 

Dawn needs to get over herself.  (Yes, I do... I knew I was complaining too much on my blog again!  lol)

 

Dawn needs to fly.   (I don't really need to, but it would be nice.)

 

Dawn needs a drummer!   (I guess I am getting a band together!)

 

Dawn needs a reality check.  (Hmmm, no, actually, I think I am fairly well grounded here in reality! lol)

 

Dawn needs a bass player.   (Of course, I do... to go with the drummer!  And, I have no talent...)

 

Dawn needs to firm up her group's flextime options.   (I'll be sure to get on that... when I find a group.)

 

Dawn needs an icon.   (Don't we all really?)

 

Dawn needs to go plain and simple.   (Usually, plain and simple is best!)

 

Thank you for indulging me in my silliness!  That was fun!  Maybe some of you will play along! 

 

So sayeth the Princess of Meme's!  (Did you hear me Dan?)

 

be well,
Dawn

Tags: tags, friends, memes