Tales Behind the Chair..... Those Moments...

    Those moments when you realize the difference you make in a persons life.  I have a handful of clients that view me as a machine that I am only there to do their hair and be a sounding board, but other than that, they don't seem to think I am a living human being that gets ill, sad or tired.  They don't seem to realize that I too value time with my family, friends and that I too enjoy being home to have dinner with my husband and daughter or spend a full weekend with them.

  Then there are those moments.  Those moments when the most likely and unlikely clients all of a sudden, have your back, want to fight for you, make sure you are OK, check in on you, cry with you and for you and generally take over telling you to stay home, eat, get better and the ones that really know me, gently yell at me when I still think I am 20 years old and can just power  thru this illness.  I have never been sick in my life, and with it turning into pneumonia and ending up septic because of all the infections I had going on in my body without resting completely, it nearly put me into the hospital and I will probably takes months to fully recover.

     This is the moment where my army of loving considerate clients come in, the clients I now realize are my friends.  The clients who refused to come in until I was well, or at least felt up to it, and those clients are the ones that brought me wellness tea, protein bars because they knew how much weight I had lost, refused to get into my chair until I ate, brought me essential oils, vitamins and a vaporizer , texted me, called me and checked up on me daily and either stopped by with soup, sent me cards or offered to come sit with me, clean my house or bring me food.  Some of these clients are still checking on me daily.  I never expected the outpouring of love and consideration and realize that these are the reasons I have been doing hair for 27 years and probably will into my 80's.

     What about the Handful of clients that couldn't or adamantly refused?  Yes I had one send me a text that said "I am sorry you are so sick, but that is not my problem, I pay you to do a job and I have a very important meeting next week I need to look good for, so I will see you at 2:15 regardless... I will bring you soup."  That Client was 35 minutes late, brought me a can of condensed Chicken and Stars soup and even though I could barely stand up and had a mask on , told me not to talk to her because she could not afford to get sick.  That night was my second trip to Urgent Care.  She is also the client that has no showed me at 5 am and then demanded I get her in because her hair looked terrible, which it never has more than a 4 week outgrowth.  She has 2 strikes, I may even let her go before the 3rd.

     Because of this eye opening experience, I now have a compromised immune system but I have also learned that it is OK to take care of myself. My health is more important, losing a day or even 3 of work is better than the total of 9 days I had to reschedule and I also now know the clients I want to keep around, want to keep me around as well.  I guess I now realize they love me every bit as much as I love them.  Thank you too all of my Angels whether you were Hardcore or Sweet.... I feel it, and I love you too.

   

3-5 days to pack up and GIT!

Our landlord has been incredible.  The new place will be ready for us by Wednesday, which has had a rush put on it, by our new landlord, and our current landlord is doing everything in his power to help us move as quickly as possible.

 He came in and looked around and we talked about the washer hose breaking and how it was handled, or not handled correctly and how sick Stevi has been, including the fact that Jay and I have had a weird respiratory issue going on, he not only gave us what we needed deposit wise to get into our new home, he is hiring help for us to move, including 4-5 workers and a U-Haul to get it all done in one day.

 Today the Mold inspector came and got samples of the air quality, took a hamper that I had kept the rags in that unbeknown to me was covered in black mold spore and fuzz and disposed of it and also took samples of the mattresses and couch.  He is coming on Tuesday and pick up all of our throw rugs and area rugs and is taking them to a professional cleaner to get them treated and cleaned.

 I have a list of what I need to do in 5 days, I already contacted both schools so I can get Stevi's transcripts sent to Reno High School, my Mom is coming over to help me pack, they brought us boxes and wardrobe boxes today also to get started right away.

  The amount of time we have to move isn't much but almost perfect.  We are able to move her out of this toxic environment, whether the biggest culprit has been mold or stress,it's being handled and  this week is mid-terms ,so Monday starts a new quarter.

 New house, new neighborhood, new school and hopefully we can find an end to this sudden illness and all the madness and depression that has been happening.  One thing at a time.  Stevi is having her biopsies done on April 9th, so that will give us a definite answer about Celiac's Disease and also her Antibodies and her Immunities are being tested.  That will be 2 weeks into our new fresh and clean environment, so hopefully we can get her off of some of this medication and see our happy, active daughter come back........

Landlord on his way......

 Jay called the landlord Thursday night after we decided the only way to get Stevi better is to remove her from this environment as soon as possible.  Everything we've been told is to get her out right away.  It's hard when we both work and have been working overtime as much as possible because of all this expensive turmoil.  The landlord lives in California and is coming today.  Thankfully.  We had every intention of giving him the proper 30 day notice but in light of all that has happened over the last 6-7 weeks, and talking to her now 4 different Doctors, the one conclusion they have come up with until her biopsy, is that she needs to be in a safe non-toxic environment.  Jay and I are still sick, chesty, with coughs, mainly at night and as soon as I walk into our home, my eyes, nose start running, the coughing begins.   Thankfully with all the medication Stevi is on, her symptoms are less frequent, she was missed 54 classes in the last 6 weeks due to medical reasons and couldn't cheer the last 2 games and has missed practice this week.  Wednesday night I was up with her until 1:30 because she couldn't breathe and her chest was tight and throat swollen and her tongue felt big and fuzzy.  I know that not all people are susceptible to serious issues with a slight amount of mold, but some are.  The fact that the old carpeting is still in the house and now I have found new mold spore growing in areas that are near moisture just reiterates that when the spore was introduced into the air and the series of events with illness, it is airborne.  We need to move.  Thankfully, as soon as Jay spoke to our landlord and he was made aware that he may have a mold problem, he is jumping into to action....I felt and expressed that the carpeting was so soaked and being so old that it should be replaced....it wasn't.  Could that be harboring mold as well?  Very possibly.  We do not want to cause any problems for him as he really has been a great landlord.  Jay really likes him and that was part of our tough decision, but our families health is first and foremost.  The new place we found isn't ready but when we told him we may need to move into my Mom's just to get away from this environment he said he would have it ready for us by Wednesday.  Is it an emergency to move?  I don't know...I feel it's essential that  we do.   Stevi goes in for her biopsies on April 9th, and the new school quarter starts March 26th....That really is a week and 4 days away.  With all the research I've done, and I woke up with hives this morning on my ankles... weird, and Jay and I are now coughing up jellyfish again, seems to be more on the weekends when we are home, I think it's time.  We have been here 2 years and had planned on not moving again until Stevi graduated.  As you know, the school out here has been less than impressive and we were really thinking of moving this summer to start her in a better, less populated area.  Reno High has a lot of generational support, even the Alumni still donate money and volunteer at the school and everyone I've talked to, their kids love going there.  God works in mysterious ways and sometimes it takes a minute to figure out what to do especially when all Hell is breaking loose from 10 different directions.  The new house is primarily laminate and tile flooring....knowing how much bacteria and God only knows what else old carpeting can be collecting, that brings me a sigh of relief.  This has all happened so fast, but sometimes you need to just jump into action and fight it head on....step by step...........Today when our landlord comes out he will be hopefully be  testing the area and see how high the percentage in the air is....All I know, is I want Stevi to become normal again, being an athlete that can't even exercise very well and an honor student who has missed so much school, she is doing homework non-stop just to get caught up and never missed school before............We  just want life to get back to normal, move forward.........anyone have any boxes?

Wheat fee, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Nut Free, Corn Free, Pork Free, Shellfish Free........

 Stevi and I went to a specialist today to try to pinpoint her allergies.  The tests came back positive for 100's of allergies, some small, some very serious.  Yes she did test positive for the allergies to wheat and gluten...easy once you know.  Not for us.  Not only is she allergic to wheat and gluten which seems to be in everything, she is also allergic to any tree nut, soy and corn (which is in most gluten free items), pork and shellfish.  So allergic in fact, the Dr. gave her another prescription for an additional epipen, and an inhaler, both of which she must have on her at all times, and she is now on prednisone to help with her hives and itching.  As of now, she needs to stop taking all antihistamines for at least 72 hours and Monday we go back and she will be getting the allergy scratch test since the blood tests are not as accurate as far as which allergies are deadly and which once are just going to be irritating to her.  Monday will take about two hours and we should know exactly which ones are life threatening to her and which ones she may just have an intolerance to, as of now  she is to stay away from ALL gluten, wheat, soy, corn, shellfish, nuts, and even salmon, which includes all bi-products and possible cross contaminations.  She will be put on a '504' at school which is for all students with any life threatening diseases, allergies or health issues.  There have been a lot of tears, me and her and Daddy, try shopping with a 15 year old and looking at the boxes and essentially putting everything back on the shelf.  Next time you shop, or go to your cupboard  try to find 3 things within 5 minutes... bet you can't.  She can have beef, chicken, rice, potatoes and all fresh fruits and vegetables, except corn...sounds easy, but it isn't.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks must all be eaten this way.


After her Dr. appointment she was starving of course so I took her to PF Chang's, they have a Gluten free menu.  But all gluten free cooking contains soy or corn of some sort in the sauces.  We told the waitress and she was AMAZING!!!! She went and got a print out of the menu eliminating all of her allergies and brought the manager to us.  The only thing she could have was the Budda's Feast with steamed white rice.  But the manager took one look at her disappointed face and said, "We can steam some chicken for you so it doesn't touch the grill and steam the rice and vegetables so we don't risk it coming in contact with any other ingredients..."  So that is what we had, the waitress and the manager came over more than a few times to ask how it was, if she felt OK and the waitress actually sat at our table and talked to Stevi about how hard it must be and some of the diets she has had to be on herself.  Then out of the blue she asked Stevi..."CAN YOU HAVE HONEY?!"  "Yes" Stevi replied.  She said.." I'll be right back I have a special treat for you!"  She left and came back proudly holding 2 smoothies for us that she had made in the back, by herself with honey and fresh berries.  Not only did she make them herself, she didn't charge us and again the manager came over and asked if it was good.  The best service I think I may have ever had with genuine concern and kindness.  The waitress' name is Asshlee Lanskey, she is a beautiful young black woman from Alabama and she has  just moved here.  If you go in to PF Changs' please ask for her and  you will be treated well with a smile and nice sweet conversation.  When you have special needs like that, a lot of servers would fake it or even be put out... I am still speechless at the care we were given and the kindness to a 15 year old girl who is having a difficult time realizing that this is going to change the way she eats for the rest of her life.  Thank you Asshlee... from now on, if we are able to go to dinner, we will be dining in your section. 

Back in the Saddle.......

The clouds are starting to clear...
 

This week was exhausting but it was such a great week.  It was a roller coaster of emotion and at one point I said to my friend Sherry.."Bring it on, what's next!?"  Her response was..."Quit asking for it..."  She is so right.  Ever since my Dad died in 2006, with the economy tanking, it has been one thing after another.  I generally have a positive outlook and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I must admit, when I broke my ankle 9 weeks ago, I felt defeat.  My exercise program was the glue to keeping me whole and feeling sane.  I felt great and was looking great.  Then I hit the wall.  With Jay out of town, Stevi being sick a lot, business down, the broken ankle, the house flooding, my Mom's dog dying, the IRS chasing me, getting food poisoning, losing our house, my Harley and closing the salon I worked so hard to build, I sometimes wanted to crawl into a hole in the fetal position and just go to sleep.  Not being able to sleep is a big issue especially emotionally and physically.  It begins to take its toll on anyone.

Since Jay is now home, he got laid off and starts a job in Incline Village on Monday working 4-10's which will be awesome, and Stevi just finished cheer season, we will be able to have family dinners again.  Also, with Jay home, I won't have to do all the running around and with a possible diagnosis for Stevi's constant illness, we now are forced to change the household to a Wheat free, Gluten free zone to make it easy for her.  I just finished Cross Fit this morning and it was an amazing workout that felt so good I could of cried!  I didn't crave the usual daily naughty coffee, but instead stopped at the Jus Bar and got an Age Reversal juice with spinach and chugged that down feeling even better. There are a lot of Sun ray's coming through the clouds, we got the flooring replaced this morning and after 5 weeks, I may be able to actually do our laundry at home.  Stevi will have more free time and wants to start going to Cross Fit with me and probably start dance again as well as Volleyball and practice her singing.  I now need to look forward to what life has to give instead of looking back to what life has taken.  We are all struggling to survive.  I now  realize that I had lost my ability to see all the good in the world and I chose to start living happy and stress free.  My neck is back in place, weekly visits to the Chiropractor have helped me with that, I have eliminated my freebies, given the kids money towards their wedding at the end of June, gotten through cheer seasons hectic schedule with Jay living out of town , I am able to hike again, run a little and exercise.   Now we will be eating healthy and my body can already feel the difference.  So I chose to dismount my horse I've been riding to the pity party and start this rodeo all over again, after all, it's not my first.

My daughter the Celiac?

The Epipen in case ......

 Since she was 10, she has had stomach problems, I thought she may be lactose intolerant, sometimes I thought it was an excuse to be a picky eater.  Like me she has issues with her stomach..(If you read my blog on the 5th 'Let's talk Poo', you know what I am talking about.  It is frustrating as a parent to have a child who is sick all the time and has a stomach ache, cramps and other issues.  We have been to the doctor multiple times and she has been treated for acid reflux. Unsuccessfully. Yesterday morning it was my Mom's turn to rescue us.  She woke me up at 6 am freaking out because she thought she had chicken pox.  As she scratched herself like a dog with fleas, I assured her she was having an allergic reaction and she was broken out with hives.  We got her under control with Benedryl and Hydro cortisone Cream so she calmed down and I called my Mom.  As I was calling my Mom, she started to try to get ready for the day and started freaking out again because her face was burning.  I looked at her and she looked like she had chemical burns or like she had gone snow skiing and had severe wind burn.  So I made her wash her face and nothing we tried would relieve the burning.  I made her an appointment with the doctor and she got in with one of his assistants.  She made herself a list of all her ailments and brought them with her when my mom came to take her.  She needed to be tested for Celiac Disease.  Why didn't I think of that!?  I have so many clients with this disease and I never ever thought that would be what would come up.  It all makes sense.  I read all day yesterday and until 3 am this morning.  I did research with google and all my clients that are living with this disease.  If this is what it is, which makes perfect sense, it would explain every issue she is having and can be controlled primarily with diet changes.  It's amazing how many foods contain wheat or gluten products.  Below is a basic list of Okay foods and not okay foods. We are assuming this is the problem and are trying to be proactive as this is a healthy way to eat with or without Celiac Disease.  It's the clean way to eat and is the basis for many diets such as P90X and the Paleo and Mediterranean diets. This is a very healthy lifestyle change so we will see if it makes a difference and I still need to call the doctor for the lab results,  I'm almost thinking that Jayson and I may have at least an intolerance.  It would certainly explain a lot of my issues that just have become regular to me.  Although it took me 20 minutes to find Gluten Free cereal and Soy milk (Rice Chex has 5 varieties)  I am now aware of the options out there since this seems to be an epidemic. Stevi had a party for cheer this afternoon after school, and it was really difficult for her, she was able to have Corn chips and cheese, but my friend Barb told me that the new coffee shop Lighthouse Cafe on the corner of Pyramid and Eagle Canyon, right near our home and the school, that gets a new delivery every Thursday afternoon of all locally baked Gluten Free pastries, cookies, do-nuts and scones, they also have bread.  I have gotten quite an education and a quick look into a world of frustration and serious allergic reactions.  All I want is my daughter to feel good and normal and to not have to cover up rashes and other skin ailments.  I have a long road of educating myself ahead of me, and I intend to make sure my daughter is healthy, happy and comfortable.  

Let's talk Poo........

I'm just special

 Not a typical open  conversation we will really be talking about the Bowel System so some of you may choose to not read any further.

I have never been regular.  When I was 8 I had severe food poisoning from Dairy Queen which had Botulism (Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium Botulinum bacteria.  The bacteria may enter the body through wounds, or the may live in improperly canned or preserved food.  Symptoms usually appear 8-36 hours after consumption. )  I remember that miserable week, I thought I was going to die and the babysitter we had Peggy Stock (sp?) only had one bathroom.  NO BUENO.

At 23 I ended up getting Shigella from Port-of-Subs (Shigella are bacteria that can infect the digestive tract and cause a wide range of symptoms, from diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, and nausea, to more serious complications and illnesses. Infections , called shigellosis sometimes go away on their own; in others, antibiotics can shorten the course of the illness.  Shigella bacteria produce toxins that can attack the lining of the large intestine, causing swelling, ulcers on the intestinal wall, and bloody diarrhea. In very severe cases of shigellosis, a person may have seizures, a stiff neck, a headache, extreme tiredness, and confusion. Shigellosis can also lead to dehydration and in rare cases, other complications, like arthritis, skin rashes and kidney failure.)

At 32 I had my Gallbladder removed because I am hypo-glycemic and had been put on a strict low carb diet to control my shakiness and migraines.  I believe the strict diet that I stayed on for 9 months may have caused the Gallstones, (Gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form inside the gallbladder.  Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball.  The two main causes of gallstones are, Stones made of  cholesterol, which are by far the most common type.  Cholesterol gallstones have nothing to do with cholesterol levels in the blood, the other Stones are made of bilirubin , which can occur when blood cells are being destroyed, (Hemolysis).  This leads to too much bilirubin in the bile.  These stones are called pigment stones.  Gallstones are more common in women, Native Americans, Hispanics, and people over the age of 40.  Gallstones may also run in families.)

So I guess those could be reasons I am not the most regular, Shigella and Botulism are parasites that stay in the system and lay dormant waiting, so I do get food poisoning easier than most, and without a gallbladder, I don't have the bile holding tank that helps filter all the bad stuff for me.  So when I had a client last week say you are sicker than anyone I have ever met, (I've only re-scheduled her once in 6 years...) It kind of made me feel like a Hypochondriac... but I think it may have to do with the above.......I've given you my "Out-put"  so what is your input?

Will this food constipate me or give me diarrhea?

I survived.......

My Mom doing 50 Burpees
As you know , I started my week with a wonderful 3.1 mile hike on Monday then that evening ended up finishing my Monday getting food poisoning which put a damper on my plan to jump right back into my fitness routine.  The only change I am making is one less 'run' day which I will now call a 'Cardio' day until I feel my ankle is ready to take a pounding since I generally run on pavement.  God's way of holding me back, I am sometimes unable to do that myself because I just don't have it in me to quit.  Thursday I felt OK and was hoping to get to Cross Fit but ended up getting over booked that day to get caught up from being sick....Thank you again to my "Higher Power"  I'm sure I needed that extra day of rest.  So as of now, my schedule is Mon and Fri Cardio, Tues, Thurs and Sat. Cross Fit.

Sierra Nevada CrossFit Gym...Love it! 

This morning my Mom thankfully agreed to the 9 am class, as much as I would rather sleep in a bit longer, I really enjoy my Saturdays with my family, especially since Jay is still living in Susanville while he works and comes home on the weekends.  So today was officially my first day back, (I tried once but I wasn't ready).

Of course the 'Eye Candy" showed up as we were leaving...
We started with a warm up of running the Switchbacks up behind Mayberry Park.  As you can imagine, I was told to hike it, not run it.  It has been 8 weeks today since I fractured my ankle and I must admit, I have been a bit scared to re-injure myself because it was really a painful couple of months.  So I listened to Kat (My beautiful Trainer, I want to look like her when I grow up) for about 5 minutes.  I was listening to my body and my body told me to try to run.  I did for about 30 seconds.  Still too tight in my Achilles tendon, so I kept walking.  On the way up the switchback my body begged me to try again, so I did and even though it was uphill, my ankle let me go, but being 25 degrees out at that time, my lungs told me to stop.  Walking at a quicker pace now I was starting to feel good, actually great, not just physically but mentally, although I was completely aware of just how out of shape I had gotten.  It took 10 weeks to get where I was before my injury, and 2 weeks for it to be all gone.  Very discouraging but I will fight it head on.  I ran a bit but mostly hiked to the top to meet the others...(I wasn't last though!!! Yay Me!)  then Kat was sweet enough to make us do 100 back lunges.  Thanks Kat, because my ass has fallen and it can't get back up.  On the way down I felt warmed up and very inspired, my body said "RUN LIKE THE WIND!!"  I tried and ran most of the way downhill but the only wind I think that was happening was my lungs saying "Are you f'ing serious right now?" and my Mom's lips causing wind by saying "Be careful, Lisa, don't overdo it!"  Love you Mommy.  She told Kat to tell me to stop and Kat's response was "If she won't listen to her own mother, do you think she will listen to me?"   She knows me well.  But I WAS listening to my body and I felt great, so great in fact on the last stretch back, we all ran (slowly) in. I could have cried I was so happy, then I almost did when I saw the WOD (work out of the day) board.
Everything listed was followed by 100.....


http://www.crossfitsierranevada.com

My trainer Kat Baltierra is the hottie with the naughty body in the middle.. To train with this amazing young woman you can click the link above for the gym or contact her personally @ 775-772-8991

I was amazed at how well I did, as well as how out of shape I had really gotten.  I took it very slow, at that point I now needed to really modify so I didn't hurt myself, a very humbling experience for me.  Back to the black bands for the pull ups, the burpees I had to step back instead of jump and step forward and rather than jump up, I had to do toe raises.  The box jumps ended up being step ups, I use a lower box generally but I did choose a bit taller of a box since I wasn't actually jumping.  I completed all of those exercises, very slowly, the burpee to pull-ups I had to separate into two different exercises instead of all in one so those only ended up being 50 of each....Still hard after laying dormant for 8 weeks and the last exercise  I only got half way through were the straight legged sit-up....I got to 50 and it was time to stretch, which on the left was actually harder than the exercises themselves.  I have recently become obsessed with Lingerie Football and Kat said she can get me to look even better than those girls before Jayson and Guoda's  Geez you're a maniac)  And thank you God for slowing me down this week, I'm sure I needed that!

A Monday to Smile about.......

First hike after broken ankle, it's a start
Today started off as usual, getting up around 7:10, bringing Stevi to school.  But it was a different and exciting day for me.  I only had 2 loads of laundry to bring to my Mom's house and we were going to go on a hike.  Yes my first hike since I fractured my ankle.  It was an easy hike, only 3.1 miles.  One we could very easily take the dogs on.  My Mom was quite impressed at the clip I was going, not as fast as her, but definitely not as slow as my Aunt Dottie . (Sorry Auntie if you are a reader!)  As we went along, my ankle felt sore in the beginning but as we walked along, it felt better and better, even as I jumped a natural water made ditch.  My Mom even said "Wow, that was great!"  As we went along , the better I felt , and I could have kept going but I followed Dr.'s orders and it was a perfect first hike.  I felt so great in fact I can't wait until CrossFit tomorrow.

No hills but uneven surface

My ankle feels better tonight than it has in 7 weeks and at 11pm., I haven't even iced yet.  I finished our laundry and then went to pick up Stevi to bring her to Davids Bridal to fit her into her Bride's Maid's dress, for her Brother and future Sister-in-Law's wedding in June and she grabbed a size 6 which fit her perfectly!  In and out in a jiffy.  That was so quick, we had to kill time before her 8 pm Advanced Hip-Hop Class, so we headed to Joe's Diner to grab a burger.
That was a bad idea, Stevi is now in bed feeling like she may be sick (food poisoning I imagine)  and I have had gas ever since.  Sitting on vinyl benches, why do the farts come when the loud hip-hop music stops.........not like anyone wouldn't notice anyways, I smelled like I ate Roadkill....Sit and smile, Sit and smile.....

Slicing fruit, I suck at it, I'm to aggressive....
After Joe's wonderful dinner, I had bought $40 of Arcade play at the Atlantis for $15 so we had to use them before they expired.  I can't believe the new technology ,  most of the games are touch screen. I am like a bull in a china store so it was a challenge.  Stevi looked like she had been in a Yoga class meditating for two hours as she stepped up and played, I was worried I would break the screen!

Guitar Hero playing Barracuda by Heart

 After playing at the Atlantis for a couple of hours, we still had around 45 minutes to kill so we went to the Starbucks and ordered decaf coffee and Italian soda with a yogurt Parfait for Stevi before dance.  Now I have shut down the salon many times, a few bars and clubs and been kicked out of various places in my 43 years,  but Stevi and I were asked to leave Starbucks not once but twice because they were closing....AT 7:30!  I thought Starbucks were 24 hours or darn near close...my bad.


So off to Dance Unlimited.  Stevi opted for a drop in because her schedule has been so busy, after a few minutes of loosening up from all the Cheer she has been doing, she was back.   She shone in that class...She had the same smile on her face that Jayson used to get when he was enjoying what he was doing and it showed.  I watched the whole class with a smile on my face because I know she was feeling it.  She did not look like she hadn't  been in a dance class for 2 years, she fit right back in and worked up an awesome sweat.  For now, with her cheer schedule coming to an end and her interest in starting Volleyball.... the drop in classes are a bargain for us.  She felt great to let it loose and I loved to watch her.  Her first day back looked like a breeze and my first day back felt amazing.  Great way to end our January and start our February out on an amazingly positive note.  Weeeeee're back.


WATCH OUT!

Back at Ryan's Hip-Hop at Gina's did awesome for 2 years off!

My Relaxing day off.....

 Today is my day off.  And just like every day off I have other than Sundays and the 1st of the month, it is more jam packed than any day I have to work.  It is now 2 am and I have just gotten a chance to sit down and try to relax enough so I can go close my eyes and fall into that peaceful slumber known as sleep....you know, to recharge my batteries and start again.

 My day started around 7 am because my daughter needed a ride to school, then I came home and grabbed all the dirty laundry I could find because the washer and dryer are now out in the garage, because of the flood of 2012, so my wonderful Mom said I could bring it over to her house and do it there.  As always, I don't have a leisurely day because, well, that's just my life.  I reached her house a little after 9 am and got my first load of towels started , we sat, had coffee and chatted away before I got to start my second load then, off to the races.  I had an 11 am nail appointment with Tita.  We finished at Destinations and were out the door around 12:20 ish.   I was starving and because my Mom is letting me use her water and power, I took her to lunch after making a deposit at the bank.  We ended up at Ihop because it was right there and I should have known I was cranky because a group of 3 gay kids came in, don't care that they were gay, but they were loud and proud, rude and obnoxious.  Survived lunch, it was actually really good, then it was off to the beauty supply.  I only go once every week or two because it is usually anywhere from $250-$600 depending on how many supplies I need, and now with the economy, I text all my clients for the week and see if they need anything, then since it is a special order I give them a 25% discount when they pick it up.  I don't sell as much product as I used to, so keeping my shelves stocked as a sole proprietor in a Studio is just a waste of money.  After the beauty supply I special delivered my sisters Shampoo, Conditioner, Oil and Mineral make-up then I received a call from my friend Wayne also my contractor.  He needed me to get out to the house because his buddy Scott needed in to get a couple of the fans (we have 5 going at all times, can't WAIT for the power bill) for another job.  I have to answer it because right now, I am relying on him to fix my flood problem via my husband and the landlord.  I usually never answer the phone when I am driving.  A- It distracts me while I'm driving. B- I HATE talking on the phone , I'm just too busy for small talk, I know that sounds rude but I have never liked really talking on the phone.  So I was a bit shitty and a smart ass to Wayne, but he knows how I am so I am sure he realizes I am under a bit of stress at the moment.  Run out to the house, pick up Stevi from the school, keep her out of cheer (which was a good thing seeing that I didn't get home until after midnight), run to the house, unlock the doors for the carpet/flood guy so he can come get his fan, I didn't have time to wait so off we were to Costco.  I haven't grocery shopped in probably 6 weeks, maybe 7, since I broke my ankle so we were out of a lot of stuff.  I can't use my Mom's washer and dryer and all her soap on top of it!

 Thankfully the dogs came with me to play with their beautiful cousin Chyla, she's a lovely bitch,  we ended up doing dinner, homework and 8 loads of laundry at my Mom's house which got us out of there around 11:45.  My poor dogs were dead tired from tearing up Chyla's toy, my Mom looked like she had toothpicks in her eyes to keep them open and Stevi after finishing her home work passed out on the couch.  I have insomnia so I was rearing to go.  Folding laundry and watching my boyfriend Simon Baker on the Mentalist.


My Mom made us each a martini and I popped the chicken Alfredo in the oven and we just chilled, watched TV and posted pictures of my Mom's bulging biceps on FB.

All in all it was a normal productive day off, however, poor Stevi was dead tired so as we pulled into the driveway I told her to go to bed and I would handle everything else.......get the dogs out of the car....four baskets and two bags of laundry, the detergent and bleach, then the Costco groceries, and the mail.  After I put the groceries away and laundry away I poured myself a glass of wine, after all, my martini was around 4pm and it is now 2 am, I need to relax for bed.  But I do think those Macaroons are calling me and if Stevi is in bed and Jay is out of town........It doesn't count if they don't see you eat it right!?  

I iced my ankle at my Mom's house and although I still hurt at the end of the day and am still swollen, I NEED to get back on my schedule.  Next week I will be starting my 6 day training with Mon, Wed, and Fri running and Tues, Thurs and Sat. CrossFit

Danger in the Bathroom!

Dyna, my guardian and bodyguard, nurse etc.

 Every morning Dyna and I have our bonding moment when I get up.  I always go straight to the bathroom to do my business and if the Metamucil from the night before has done it's job, we bond long enough for me to check my messages, my e-mails and FB.  Living in this family we have discovered that buying room sprays for the bathroom are not only expensive but un-effective, so we do it old school.  A good old box of matches.

Who knew I was facing danger and had to jump into action like Wonder Woman!  I struck the match.......the end that was on fire flew off..........landed on my fluffy bathroom throw rug.

Thankfully my pants were up and I was "fresh" before I had to stomp it out in the bathroom!  Dyna was quite impressed.  Who needs coffee when you make up like that!?

Room Spray

It's 3 am......Might as well get up....

Jack Sleeping like a baby

 Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles.^[1] It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, and is more easily reversible than being in hibernation or a coma. Sleep is also a heightened anabolicstate, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It is observed in all mammals, all birds, and many reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

The purposes and mechanisms of sleep are only partially clear and are the subject of intense research.^[2] Sleep is often thought to help conserve energy,^[3][4] but actually decreases metabolism only about 5–10%.^[3][4] Hibernating animals need to sleep despite the hypometabolism seen in hibernation, and in fact they must return from hypothermia toeuthermia in order to sleep, making sleeping "energetically expensive."^[5]

I'm jealous of this kind of sleep eye right now!

It's 3 am and I fell asleep on the couch around 11:30 got up to go to bed and never fell back to sleep.  I am a bit of an Insomniac so this happens every now and then.  Until my Dr. gave me something to help.  I know a pill for this a pill for that.  Is that a sign of getting old?  Up until recently I took pretty darn good care of myself. Exercise and diet were my top priority so I could take care of myself now and not be an old woman relying on pills to stay alive and normal until recently when I broke my ankle.  So I got up and took a pill because it is 3 am, walked it off because my foot is extremely swollen, therefore in pain (I stepped on an uneven surface at Walmart yesterday and wrenched it sideways so I may have hurt it, it hurt right away and felt it crack, of course it still isn't really healing yet as far as I know, until Monday when I get more x-rays) and so I had to loosen my boot to barely nothing and loosen the Velcro, and grabbed some ice water and my book, so I don't keep Jay awake tossing and turning and am currently on my way to the couch to read for awhile and see if my Xanax will help me fall asleep.

Me and Murphy asleep

Tomorrow if football lazy Sunday so I will probably read and nap in shift anyways, another sign of getting older, is suppose.  Napping in this house is called having an accident.......If we fall asleep during the day, it was an accident.

Dogs sleep all day, why can't we?

To me, sleep is sacred because it's rare for me to get a full night, especially now with this very comfortable stylish boot I get to wear to bed and my foot swelling and having pain at odd times.  I hope you all are sleeping right now, although, this is Reno, I know a handful of you are probably still out dancing the night away.

Oh to sleep like a baby again...........one can only fantasize these days....Goodnight or good morning, I'm not sure which it is.  Anyways happy Sunday.

Asleep at the table at Noodle Cafe, Grandma holding his head up so he can (it was an accident!)

How I try to get sleepy

I need a bumper to bumper warranty.....(TMI Blog)

UH OH... Time to go!

OK, I need a bumper to bumper warranty.  I am broken from head to toe as you all know.  First of all, I have never really had to take any prescription pain medication for more than a day or two, and although I should have remembered this because Jay has had four knee surgeries and when my Dad was dying of cancer, he was on some pretty good pain medication as well.

I forgot about the fact that it constipates you.  Yup no poo poo for you, long time. I went to Renown, and an orthopedic surgeon within two days of each other and also went to the pharmacy and not one person mentioned that I may need a little extra fiber.

10 days.......yes 10.  Then I went into labor.  I now know how Elvis died on the toilet.  I almost had to call 911. 45 minutes later I gave birth to a rabid badger that was fighting and clawing for it's life.  I almost died, shit you not (no pun intended ;-).

Now I have to have Metamucil or Activia every day because I am scared to death of going into labor again.  

Next issue.  I pretty much over-dosed on Acetaminophen as you may know from reading my previous blog "You're Fired."  So besides the vomiting, I ended up with diarrhea for the last two weeks, "Dr. Peters" said it's most likely my body trying to rid itself of those toxins.  So my question to you is, what do I do?  I get constipated then go into labor, after I lose my plug it's like a fire hose full blast for oh at least 20 minutes or so, this really sucks for a multitasker such as myself.  Do I still need the fiber intake or not?  I definitely don't need a stool softener.  I also am not sure if I may just have some kind of flu, I am currently drinking Gatorade because I am aware of how dehydrated I am.  My Dr. made me give him a urine sample and it is brown because my liver is working so hard.....(TMI, I know but this is MY blog and you chose to read it despite the content warning!)

My Tebow, before and after...the  "event"

Oh God!.......

Oh and did I mention, I think I may have strep throat or I got a pill stuck sideways on both sides of my throat because despite the Vicodin, Prescription Ibuprofen Cloreseptic and Ceprecol, I can't yawn or even swallow water let alone a pill.  I had to smash them up and put them in water to get them down today because I had to be to work at 6 am.  I think it's time to trade myself in for a new model.......

YOU'RE FIRED!!

"The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

At Urgent Care

 Today I went to see my General Practitioner as a follow up for my Physical I had around 6 weeks ago.  I have been going to "Dr. Peters" since I was 8 years old.  35 years.  He has always called it as he sees it.  No filter.  Some people probably can't handle it but I sometimes think it's comical, sometimes too much, but you always know where you stand.  Today he asked me what happened with my ankle so I went over the whole story.... was working out at CrossFit, getting in my monthly assessment , at the tail end of the hour, I was strapped to bungee cords that were anchored to the wall.  You run against them to reach a certain point and fight them so you don't get a sling shot backwards when you are at the end.  Believe it or not, he knew exactly what I was talking about, he used to train that way in England when he played semi-pro Rugby.

As we talked it turned more towards how I was healing and so forth.  My 15 minute follow up turned into a 2 hour appointment with him getting all my records from "Dr. Brand's" office , reviewing them and becoming more and more agitated as he reviewed my records from the Urgent Care to the Orthopedic Surgeons office.

I never saw the surgeon only the Nurse Practitioner  "Laura Danwick" and she gave me much better news than Urgent Care.  Urgent Care said I needed to see an Orthopedic right away because of my fracture and prescribed me 800 Ml. of Ibuprofen for the swelling and Norco for the pain.  That was a Saturday, I got in asap on that following  Monday.  My mom took me and we did another x-ray.  Laura said it was a fracture, put me in a boot, told me she wanted me to wear it for 6-8 weeks, no surgery is needed, no need to see Dr. Brand, told me NO anti-inflammatory medication at all it will help healing.  Ok.. There are two different directions, but this is coming from the Surgeons office so great!  Also I can walk on it when I am ready, ride a stationary bike for exercise when I feel ready and also I can sleep with the boot on or off, which ever I prefer.

My fab boot which should be a cast

I have been in pain this whole time. It was the worst the first 2 weeks but it still hurts.  I'm sure its because I haven't taken one minute off of work due to my broken ankle.

Dr. Peters listened to me and said that all sounded incorrect so he ordered my x-rays from Urgent Care and the Orthopedic Surgeons office and reviews all the notes.  He called Dr. Brands office 4 times because he couldn't understand why I hadn't seen a Dr. only a Nurse Practitioner.  I was in the room and I could hear his conversation as his voice was raised telling "Julie" on the phone that I should have seen the Dr. for a Fracture like this, not a Nurse and should have been casted right away, he told Julie I had a fracture not a cold.  Not told the information I was told and also, after the pharmacy faxing over my request for more pain medication...3 times ... they still hadn't gotten to it.  Yet , I couldn't take anything but Acetaminophen and NO anti-inflammatory.  My ankle is still swollen and in pain after 4 weeks in my boot, (which I've been taking off at night to sleep for the last 2 weeks because I thought that was OK)  Now apparently, the reason I am still in pain is because my bones that have fused haven't done so correctly because they are still moving around, haven't been stabilized 24 hours a day as they should have been.  Dr. Peters then yelled at me for going back to exercise and riding a stationary bike (which Laura said would be fine).  Now mind you, I didn't rest and take care of myself exactly as I was told, but apparently I was told things were not as bad as the Urgent Care had made them sound, so in the mean time, I've just been trucking along.

Now I need more x-ray's , Dr. Peters says I should have been casted right away, so that is a possibility, if it needs to be re-broken first I don't know.  He canceled my appointment with Dr. Brand and told Julie I would no longer need his services unless he spoke to the surgeon himself, he would handle my ankle from this point on and make sure it is tended to correctly.  Now I am a little worried so here are the NEWEST Dr.'s orders that I will be following....

How I X-mas shopped with Stevi at Hollister

1. Boot stays on 24-7 till I see him on the 16th
2. New X-rays that morning
3. NO exercising until PT gives them to me and follow that first
4. I can take Advil for my pain and swelling.
5. It may need a re-break for the casting I should have had in the first place. He thinks a pin would be a bad idea at this point.
6.  I apparently am not drinking near enough water

Dyna forever standing guard of the boot.