So I guess this is visible to some of you but not to others. I certainly don't see it and don't know what's wrong. I think the people who saw it, got it in their email. Anyway, here it is (again?):
VACATION! Jeff is taking off of work next week so we can go on
vacation! This won't be the typical wild and crazy, activity-based
trip. We are going to drive to Utah, hang out in the new house, visit
the Hot Springs pool EVERY day, have the grandkids entertain us and
maybe even see if Jeff can't get in a day or two of golfing!
I've learned that having expectations can be a risky business with my energy level, so I'm redefining it to hoping to do these things. I'm hoping
to actually getting back to sewing and making a couple of baby quilts!
Or at least getting one of them started! Jenelle left behind her
really nice sewing machine, so that should really reduce my stress
level! LOL MY machine has had problems for years, even after getting
tune-ups, so I really appreciate her generosity of letting me use it
while she's in Maryland.
I think the drive might be hard on me as well as for Jeff (as usual), so
it's a good thing we don't have a deadline of when we expect to
arrive. If we have to stay overnight for several nights just to get
there, well, then that's what we'll do! Jeff is flying back. If I'm
still not feeling up to driving back by myself soon after that, Jordan
has volunteered to do the drive for me and then he can fly back. Woo
hoo for amazing kids! They've all been so supportive, loving, caring
and thoughtful. I only wish we all lived in the same state! Pretty
soon, I'll be saying, I wish we all lived on the same side of the
country!
A NON FA-REEAKY DAY :)
Yesterday was a pretty decent day. No crazy, freaky symptoms reared
their ugly heads. I really tried to pace myself and it seems to have
paid off. I actually got in a shower, returned some emails, did some
online research and got to my therapy appointment without any fatigue
attacks, major stuttering attacks, or anything new. Yay! What a nice
break. I watched two more episodes of Planet Earth and it was really
interesteing as well as calming and relaxing. I dozed for about 20
minutes I think, as well.
Jensen was home for most of the day and went to the grocery store for
me. Also, all of a sudden we're getting lots of meals just dropped off
by friends and neighbors! Dianna, Merilee and Cindy E, if you're
reading this, please know how much we really appreciate this gesture of
help and love. I'm sure we all realize how hard it is to accept help,
but I'm SO there at this point. We now have enough ready-made food to
last us the rest of the week! I'm sure Jeff REALLY appreciates these
home-cooked meals besides not having to come up with ideas of what
drive-through to go to for dinner!
HYPOADRENIA or ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY - Those are the Western Medicine
terms that's most closely resembling most of the symptoms of my current
condition. In the Alternative Medicine world, it's Adrenal Fatigue or
"non-Addison's Adrenal Fatigue". I'm sure it's just one component of
everything that's going on, but certainly one of the more prevalent.
THEN ON THE OTHER HAND....Is this a "real" condition" ( http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/fatigued-by-a-fake-disease/ ). It seems to be a really controversial topic!
I just have to put together the events: my cold-turkey attempt to
eliminate 18 years worth of high volumes of Aspartame and caffeine
consumption, the ridiculous amount of time I was on a potent
pharmaceutical that I didn't even need (the Tegretol), a 15 day
respiratory flu I had in February, the bad colds I had in January and
again in March, the REALLY stressful month I had in March and now
withdrawal symptoms (from the Tegretol and Trazadone). Voila! Adrenal
Failure? Actually if I had total Adrenal Failure, I guess I'd be dead or on steroids for the rest of my life, but that sounded pretty dramatic so I had to put it in there! LOL
BUT is there something else underlying all of this? Western Medical
doctors seem to have been of little or no use to me. Is it some sort of
auto-immune disease (or something else) causing all of these
symptoms which mimic what Alternative Medicine believes IS a "real"
condition? Who knows? I certainly don't know where else to turn.
The internet offers such a wealth of information. Some of it spot on -
all the way to sounding almost believable, but completely inaccurate to
some. Everyone that posts something really seems to believe in their
angle, information or opinion. The more I read, the more I feel like I
have to be very selective, use my own intelligence and intuition, and maybe even most importantly, listen to the Holy Spirit.
There are not any pharmaceuticals developed for this condition (except
post-failure = steroids) and that seems to be a deciding factor for the
recognition of the traditional Western medicine world - if there is a
pharmaceutical for it, it must be a "real" condition. From my
understanding (which I could be completely off here), it seems that if a
drug can help a condition, it is a "condition", "disease", or a
diagnosis has been created.
There is a saliva test that the Alternates state can confirm the Adrenal
Fatigue diagnosis, but since it would be tested through an alternative
medicine facility it is not covered by my insurance - and it's very
expensive. The test is swabbing your mouth 4x a day for 4 days. There
is a lot of controversy about whether this shows any "medical evidence"
(science-based, hard, tried and true). So, I've decided since I don't
really know how I feel about it, I'm going to skip it for now at least.
All I can say is, since Western Medicine is not offering any real
answers, I'm going to go with what seems to have worked to help other
people who have been diagnosed with "Adrenal Fatigue" from their
Alternative Health Care Provider.
I know I have additional symptoms that don't match up, but I'm going
with Adrenal Fatigue recovery methods. Or at least with trying the
ideas of how to treat it and see what works. At least to relieve
some of my symptoms. I'm willing to go down that path. If it works,
I'll be a believer that at least some of what I'm reading about it real
or true. I hope I don't offend anyone who are complete believers in
one type of medicine or the other, but as long as I'm told that I'm
doing anything harmful, I'm going for it. I know that I seem to
be walking down the middle of the road on this, but I guess that just
means I'm "open-minded"?
There are several websites about Adrenal Fatigue, but limit information
on the nitty-gritty details about treating it, so I got a book yesterday
all about it. I know all of the authors stand to gain financially from
the sales of their books, but it also seems that they stand to gain
financially from the supplements they recommend - since, it seems, they
have developed them themselves and sell them. The book I bought actually
comes with a coupon for a free sample that you can order online for a
supplement, but I'm skeptical and suspicious that it will be a
commitment of a monthly, auto-ship supply/order. I don't think any of
these authors are completely in it for a non-profit type of purpose.
So, with that being said, again, I'm still going to read the book and
use my own judgement as to any kind of treatment.
The Alternative Health Care Provider that I'm seeing right now,
recommends that I give the supplements that she has recommended to me "a
length of time" to really kick in and start making significant
improvements. She seems to be really cautious about putting a label or
diagnosis on anything. I respect that...a lot. She told me that she is
not sure of what is going on, but always says, "it sounds like..." or
"it could be... but I can't say for sure". Then recommends different
supplements and lifestyle changes, with the disclosure of " let's
try...." or "let's see if xxx will make a difference". With the
assumption that there is some adrenal insufficiency, she says it's hard
to say to what extent or even what kind of damage there has been.
The massage therapist that I've seen twice now, said that the first time
I came in, she saw signs of Adrenal Fatigue but didn't bring it up
since it's not appropriate for her to express any kind of opinion on
sources or causes of conditions - and certainly not within her scope or
authority to diagnose. Once I brought it up to her, she felt
comfortable in concurrence. I asked her for recommendations and she
told me that if she had it, she would just give her body time to
level-out or recover. She also mentioned that she would not try to increase
energy level just yet. That maintaining a quiet, slow-paced, lifestyle
with very limited stimulating activities might give my systems the
time, rest and recovery they need before I go and schedule out the rest
of my week, month, year or life. Funny thing, when I came to this
realization myself was the day that the scriptures of the day was, "Do
not run afaster or labor more than you have bstrength and means..." and "Done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster
than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be
diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things
must be done in order." How blessed I am to be in
circumstances where little is really being required of me especially as
far as having to work and to meet our basic needs.
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