Changes are a coming ...

Do you ever wish things were different? Take today for instance ... I had a great time teaching, singing and worshipping at church.  I had a blast making a watermelon bassinet with Olivia ( we made it for a friends baby shower).  We went to the shower and had a great time meeting new friends and enjoying the company of old friends.  Afterward we  had a restful afternoon at home.  Chris and Olivia decided to go out on our lake fishing and I just came in from walking the dog.  All is well, yet I'm sitting here in tears wishing some things were different. Why is that?  Tonight is the last "free" Sunday night before school starts.  I've been praying for Olivia for weeks, but now the time is coming that my daughter will start high school.  Wow, I guess going to a baby shower really made me realize how much time has flown.  That coupled with the fact that several of my best friends are school teachers and they will go back to work tomorrow.  Even though I've not seen those teacher friends as much as I would have liked over the summer, knowing that they were home and available to chat has been nice.  Now all of a sudden I feel like I'm getting ready to be alone :(   I am so thankful for my teacher friends and would not trade them for the world. However, at this season in my life I feel led to pray that the Lord will lead me to a new friend.  Someone similar to me, someone I can talk to and be there for. I'm always going to be there for my best friends, but my heart has room for more.   I've been praying for Olivia as she will start a brand new school next week.  Now I'd like to ask you to join me in praying for her to meet some sweet new friends. Friendships are so important and such a valuable part of our lives.  Right now she doesn't know anyone who will be attending her new school so this is going to be a big change for her.  So on this eve of the last week of summer break, I want to ask you to join me in praying for the changes to come. Change can be good and for the best, but also unnerving. Thanks for standing with me in prayer. 

Go be a blessing . . .

I never dreamed I'd be saying some of the things I'm going to say today :)

I never dreamed I’d be saying some of the things I am going to say today. Ok so I blogged already this week, but here I go again. You already know that on July 9^th I found out I have Meniere’s disease, but I also left that doctor visit with a Freestyle blood glucose monitor.  I had to check my blood sugar after every meal for a week.  On July 19^th I found out I am Pre-diabetic. Not something this chocoholic wanted to hear.  My doctor told me I needed to lose 25lbs and cut out carbs and sweets. So in a two week time frame I was told to reduce my sodium intake to help with the Meniere’s symptoms and then to basically give up every other thing I love to eat; pasta, pasta sauce, French fries, potatoes, macaroni  and cheese, doughnuts … you get the picture.  Being one who likes to follow the guidelines I started my new food journey. I eat granola and ½ a banana with blueberries for breakfast, raisins, plum or peach for snack.  Thanks to my friend Allyson Acker who modeled “whole” eating I have an egg, tomato and cucumber with almonds for lunch. Then supper is basically a small portion of meat, a green and something orange ( like a salad or asparagus with a baked sweet potato or cantaloupe).  After 3 weeks I’ve lost 4 pounds and feet great! This week I  decided it would probably be ok to feed my family spaghetti. The bad part,  I HAD to eat some too.  Eating a little would have probably been ok, but I tend to make enough for an army, so I ended up having it as my left over for the past two days L  I also indulged in the garlic bread.  So my point to this food blog is this:  You REALLY are what you EAT.  I have felt like crud the past couple of days. I found myself feeling bloated and eating tums.  I told Chris last night I couldn’t wait to wake up fresh and get back on track to healthy eating.  Yes, those are the words I NEVER dreamed I’d say, “get back on track with healthy eating”.  When I eat the “healthy, real food” I feel satisfied and I don’t get hungry so much in between meals.  When I went back to eating the “junk”, I had a very strong craving for chips and chocolate. There was a battle in my brain last night to say no to that junk, because I knew my body was full.   I was blown away by the powerful desire my mind had,  like an addiction, to the junk food.  I’ve often heard about our body craving more sweets, after indulging in sweets,  but I didn’t realize that feeling until yesterday.  I didn’t like that feeling and I don’t want to feel that way again.  Eating healthy is what’s best for my body and mind.  It gives me more energy to do what I need to do and to take care of my family.  It’s the right choice.  Praise God for freeing me from the addition of junk food one day at a time.  Feel free to help me along this journey with healthy recipes, encouraging posts, accountability questions etc.  I go back to the doctor in October and I expect to be released with a clean bill of health.  No more checking blood sugar and at the right weight for me.  Just as Philippines 4:13 says,  "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." We got this.   God bless you friend and reader.

 

Go be a blessing. . .

The Mystery is solved :)

The mystery of my hearing loss has been solved. A year ago next month, Sept. 21st, is when I lost hearing in my left ear. After an MRI and many other tests, no conclusion was drawn until two weeks ago. I wasn't feeling well and went to my doctor with a list of symptoms. He concluded that I have Meniere's Disease. 

According to the Vestibular Disorders Association website; "Ménière’s disease is a chronic, incurable vestibular (inner ear) disorder defined in 1995 by the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. In plain language, this means that Ménière’s disease, a form of endolymphatic hydrops, produces a recurring set of symptoms as a result of abnormally large amounts of a fluid called endolymph collecting in the inner ear. Ménière’s disease can develop at any age, but it is more likely to happen to adults between 40 and 60 years of age."

"Common symptoms of a Ménière’s disease attack do not reflect the entire picture of the disorder, because symptoms vary. Oncoming attacks are often preceded by an “aura,” or the specific set of warning symptoms, listed below. Paying attention to these warning symptoms can allow a person to move to a safe or more comfortable situation before an attack."

· balance disturbance

  dizziness, lightheadedness
· headache, increased ear pressure
· hearing loss or tinnitus increase
· sound sensitivity
· vague feeling of uneasiness
· ear fullness (aural fullness) and/or tinnitus

In addition to the above main symptoms, attacks can also include:

· anxiety, fear
· blurry vision or eye jerking
· nausea and vomiting
· cold sweat, palpitations or rapid pulse
· trembling
  concentration difficulty, distractibility, tendency to grope for words
· fatigue, malaise, sleepiness
· heavy head sensation
· neck ache or stiff neck

Following the attack, a period of extreme fatigue or exhaustion often occurs, prompting the need for hours of sleep.

Existing treatments for Ménière’s disease in the U.S. involves adhering to a reduced-sodium diet.  "Coping with Ménière’s disease is challenging because attacks are unpredictable, it is incurable, some of the symptoms are not obvious to others, and most people know virtually nothing about the disorder. Many people with Ménière’s disease are thrust into the role of educator—they must teach themselves, their family, friends, coworkers, and sometimes even health care professionals about the disorder and how it impacts them."

I know this is a long post, but I wanted to share the details of what I am dealing with. Notice all of the above paragraphs are in quotes. Those are not my words, but the words from Vestibular disorders association website. Now that you know what I am dealing with, I would ask that you pray for me as I learn how to deal with each situation. As always I trust the Lord in this and will continue to do as one of my favorite verses says; "

 

Thanks for your time and prayers.

Go be a blessing . . .