Short Update

Hello everyone.  I'm alive and unwell.

After having the cryoablation on my cervix a couple weeks ago I caught a cold.

I'm tired and not up for much of anything so the blogging has been slow.  Sorry.

Medical Update

This might be a bit too much for some, so be warned.

Yesterday I had day surgery, cervical cryoablation.  There was no anesthetic though, and with the fibro the pain kept getting worse well past the time the doctor said it should have leveled out.  Dealing with the after effects of this procedure is not something I want to go  into too much detail about.  Lets just say....ewwww....and leave it at that.

It was before the doctor went in that I learned something new.  His prognosis; PCOS.  That is the abbreviation for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  I feel like I might be some nefarious higher powers' beta test.  How much can one woman handle?  How many things can I load onto her before she breaks?

The list so far:
Depression (multiple kinds I've been told)
Anxiety
IBS
Fibromyalgia
Knock Knees
Arthritis
Acid Reflux
Extreme Light Sensitive
Chronic Post Nasal Drip
Tinnitus
ADHD
Headaches/Migraines
Costochondritis
Hemroids
and welcome PCOS!

The sad thing is that this is by no means a complete list of the "issues" with my body medically.  They are simply the ones that are basically separate medical conditions of their own.

Fantastic Man

I married the most wonderful man. Sometimes he doesn't show it but today he screamed it out with his actions.
I spent the day out with a dear friend whom I have missed spending time with. We went to lunch, did some window shopping and relaxed at her home while petting dogs and cats.
When I got home I was surprised to find most of our laundry done, most of the dishes cleaned and a generally clean and tidy home. That was an amazing feeling. I'm so grateful for his unwavering support. He does so much for us, even have the kiddo a bath.
And the biggest relief for me was the cage for our recently departed pet rat had been dismantled, cleaned and disposed of so that I did not have to see it around anymore.
I'm feeling lucky today!

Depression Sucks

I look around me at the mess and I have no will to do anything about it. I've been sad and tense all day and now the one thing that was making me feel better has fallen through.
I was invited to a gathering of people from DH's work and I was really looking forward to going. Had a shower and got dressed in a nice shirt and jeans (hubby loves me in jeans). Even did my hair nice and put on make up.  That's a lot for me, it takes spoons to do all of that and I tend to be greedy with my spoons when I have them. It's how I've survived.
Went to start my car and it seemed to be okay, a little stiff to turn but then okay and then stiff again. The snow was holding little half frozen puddles of fluid from my car. I'm assuming it's power steering fluid. Which is funny since I just had the power steering repaired a couple weeks ago.
I'm so stressed out with this dammed car!

Enrichment

The process of getting my child into enrichment programming is convoluted and I barely understand it. Last year she didn't get any time to meet with the enrichment teacher that goes from school to school.  She's not assigned to only one school she has several. I think she may have been introduced but nothing more. My DD did get access to the blog for the program.  That was apparently the first step.
Step two happened this week when my DD was officially put on the verbal list (something that happens at the  enrichment meeting that happens once a month and seems very important) for this programs next step. If accepted, she will attend a completely different school one day a week and have classes there with other gifted children her age.
Next step is after she is in THAT program for a while and the teachers there get a chance to know her better then she can be put forward for the full enrichment program.  And that is what we are working so hard for.  She's such an amazing person.

Healthy Snacking

I had been on the lookout for an easy to make granola bar recipe for a very long time.  Granola bars are a staple in my home and my family gobbles them up quicker than I can buy them! I'm so glad I found this very easy and very flexible granola bar recipe.   Healthy Easy No-Bake Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1/4	cup	peanut butter (or no-nut butter)
1/4	cup	honey
1&1/2	cups	quick oats
1	cup	dates (or sultana raisins)
1-2	cups	Other Stuff
Other Stuff (suggestions):
Nuts of your choice
Cranberries
Pre-mixed granola (this will make a slightly more crumbly bar)
Chocolate chips
Sunflower Seeds
Pepitas
Cinnamon
Mini Marshmellows
Flax Seed
Hemp Seed
Vanilla Extract
Instructions:
Put dates (raisins) in a blender/food processor and chop until ball forms (about
one minute) and set into bowl.
Add oats and "other stuff" to bowl and set aside.
Heat peanut butter and honey in saucepan until combined and warm.
Pour mixture over ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
Press into 8"x8" wax paper lined pan and put in the fridge/freezer for about
15 minutes.
Cut into bars and enjoy, keep all leftovers refrigerated!
Originally from :  The Minimalist Baker
My version is slightly different

Just like most days

This morning was nice, I got to sleep in until about 11:30. I went to bed at a decent enough time so despite my usual frequent waking up and tossing and turning I was able to get more rest than I usually do. When I finally got out of bed I wasn't in as much pain as I normally am in the mornings. Also not nearly as stiff.
There wasn't much different this morning from any other morning; bathroom, make coffee, pet rat, talk to family, bathroom again. I ran a bath for my daughter, watched something on Netflix, brushed my daughters hair, spent 15 minutes tidying in the kitchen, made myself something to eat and ate it, and spent about about 5 more minutes cleaning up. I drink a little bit of water too. After only three and a half hours out of bad and very minor things done, I am back in bed again lying down. I'm tired, my ankle is very sore, my legs are stuff, and I'm a little dizzy.  But truly this isn't much different than any other day. With the exception of when I'm working, like next week and last week, I have no choice but to push myself further. Even if that means later on I will crash, and my pain will be much worse. I have no choice because I have a family to take care of, it's not just about me.