So, the deal with my house...

I know, not about Fibro at all, but it's Christmas, and I just want to talk about my new house... Deal with it.

Take a look at what was on my wish list for a house:

1. Architecture -- Victorian (never gonna happen in Anchorage) or Craftsman (possible here)

2. Front Porch

3. Open Living Room with Dancing Space

4. Living Room Open to Kitchen

5. Easy-to-Work-in Kitchen

6. Good Storage in Kitchen

7. At Least Three Bedrooms

8. At Least 1.5 Baths; Half Bath Downstairs, Full Up

9. Two Story

10. My Bedroom and Bath Upstairs

11. Preferably One More Bedroom Upstairs for an Office/Den/Man-Cave

12. Laundry Room, not Laundry Closet

13. Fenced-In Yard, not Big, but Enough for Visiting Kids to Play in Safely

14. Detached Garage

15. Big Garage

16. Alley Access to Garage -- no Garage Doors Being the Focal Point of the Front View of the House (i.e. Snout-House)

And you know what I got?

16/16.

And then some!

I'm still not quite believing it...

Moving Day!

Yes, I've been slowly moving bits and pieces into the house all month, but today was the furniture day, meaning that my bed is here now -- so tonight I am sleeping in my new home! Is my body sore? Heck yeah. But it always is, so no biggie!

I think all ten of you know this...

I bought a house! I am taking all of December to move in. And then I am living there for at least 30 years. And yes, it has two stories, and I am planning on being just fine with the stairs for at least 30 years. And yes, it has a big garage, and I am planning on driving for at least 30 years. And yes, the living room is big enough for some dancing, and I am planning on dancing for at least 30 minutes...

You Know What is Weird?

Okay, every entry in my blog is weird, but it's 4am, so that was the title I came up with...

What's weird (at the moment) is having a broken ankle and being able to put all of my weight on it. Granted, I have to do so slowly, but that is what I woke up to in the middle of the night this time, a broken left ankle. So I walked to the kitchen to get something to drink...

My exciting life!

Will December Ever Come?

No, it's not that I am eager to see Nordstrom's Christmas displays (although I greatly approve of their plan to not put them up until after Thanksgiving!). I just have a distinct lack of need for November at the moment. Yes, that's it! 

This will, at some point, make sense.

I did kind of have fun with my Health students the other day. I have told them about my Fibro -- actually worked it into a lesson about invisible diseases -- and when we were talking about medicines and interactions Tuesday, somehow it got back to yet another question about my 'seizures'. It made sense at the time, but I can't recall how right now. At any rate, I mentioned having already had three that day, and several of the kids looked skeptical about it. The when I said, okay, actually I'm having one now, most of the kids got those looks on their faces. So I asked if they had ever noticed how often I pace around while addressing them, instead of standing still. Yeah... then I stopped moving, and my right leg didn't. 

They were a bit taken aback. Heeheehee...

Big News on the Way!

But not here yet... What IS here is lots of broken bones, especially in the lower legs. Each of my lower legs apparently has six or seven shinbones, most of which are indeed broken at the moment. I have not tried walking. I have not decided if I want to try walking. I'm just trying to find a position where they fall back into place...

Too much, too much...

So I'm not writing about anything... but soon! Maybe!

Ta-Da!

Made it through first quarter -- pretty impressive, huh? :)

Ugh again.

Accurate title.

Strangest Sensation Ever? No...

... but certainly in the running for top ten!

Many times today I was bothered by the sensation that a bird of some sort had landed on my head. I could very distinctly feel all of the talons of each foot... to the point that I'd reach up to shoo it away. Bet I looked weird!

Didn't Push Myself Today, but...

... for the last hour, I've been breaking bones right and left -- more left than right, actually. The left foot feels like it should sound like a bowl of rice krispies when you first poor the milk on -- snap, krackle, and pop! As long as I can sleep through the breaking, I should be fine...

Stress, Stress, Stress, Stress, Stress...

Breathe, Breathe, Breathe, Breathe, Breathe...

Sorry...

No less cryptic... suffice it to say that the interesting keeps getting more so. Breathe... breathe...

What to say...

Driving in to work is a little better since I learned to use my cruise control... but that won't help so much once winter comes. I'm really enjoying my new teaching assignment other than the commute, so that is a good thing. Some other 'elements' are complicating things in both good and bad ways. 

Cryptic enough?

Only Me...

So, tonight I broke my hand by shampooing my hair too vigorously... and now typing doesn't hurt, but sleeping does... 

Seriously, I could not make this stuff up!

Got a New One!

So, as I turned my head to look over my shoulder while merging onto the freeway on my way home, I broke my left cheekbone! Yes, I've had broken cheekbones before, but never 'caused' by looking over my shoulder -- it's a new experience! Wheeee!! 

And, FYI, it was healed up enough by the time I got home that I was able to eat a small quesadilla...

And We're Off...

School starts tomorrow for the kiddos. Whew...

I am indeed at the same school, with the same commute. However, when I showed up last Wednesday, my principal called me into her office and said she had reassigned me -- again -- and hoped I would be okay with the challenging new job she had in mind for me. Long story short, I am finally classified as a Social Studies teacher within the district, which is my primary certification with the state, but the hardest department to break into in Anchorage. And the challenging part? I will have a block class set up for two periods in a row with our school's eleven English Language Learners -- what used to be called ESL/English as a Second Language students. I will be their English and Social Studies teacher, and can flex the lessons each day in whichever direction I feel is helping them the most. I'm very excited and a bit scared all at the same time! 

So as long as the body holds up, the mind should be very happy!

Ugh...

I've been holding my breath while applying for every job I qualify for, and still nothing. Teachers report tomorrow. It looks like I will be doing the commute again this year... at least until I can't take it any more. Hoo-boy...

Sorry, can't find any humor in this one.

A rough one...

Last night/this morning at some point I was awakened by one of those machines that takes a flat strip of metal and twists it so that it ends up twirled, like an oil dipstick, except that it was doing it to my body. Then this morning, I had trouble sitting forward in a car -- I was still twisted. Yes, you may take that any way you like to...

Creative Solutions...

My big toe exploded an hour ago, so I did the best I could -- I took a nap. Woke up, the toe is fine. Now if only all of life's problems could be solved with 45 minute naps!

Onward and... um...

It's been a very interesting week-plus. Lots of aches and pains, many of them real. My best friend and I loaded over 5,000 pounds of broken up concrete sidewalk into his trailer, and then unloaded it at the dump. His wife has been out of state for two weeks now, so I have been helping with the kids even more than usual, which does tax the body. And my summer job started two weeks ago, teaching musical theatre dance to 5-17 year olds. So, yeah, I'm beating up a body that doesn't need help hurting.

However -- Getting through it okay. I am so used to hurting that it's really not so different. Now if I could just get one of those clear booths filled with little balls to sleep in so that I could find any position supported...

Really gross one today...

If you want to know what it was, ask -- otherwise I would not want to subject anyone to accidentally reading about it! But it disappeared for most of the day, that's the good news...

First Day Back at my Summer Job...

Teaching at a musical theatre camp? Teaching/demonstrating dance? With MY body? I got home and crawled into bed. Didn't even stop for Advil... Great kids, wonderful organization, really fun assignments this year, but... can I last five weeks?

And the days fly by...

Well, one did anyway. Yesterday afternoon I had a 24 hour flu go through me in two hours. Yeah, pretty sure that was a fibro trick. 24 hour bugs usually take about 28 hours with me. I might have even believed 18... not two! However, for the record, I would not mind that happening with all future 24 hour flu occurrences.

Words Found!

I was far too discombobulated last time to come up with the image, but it was so easy... bubbles! Think about it: the soapy water is all together in the bubble wand, but then when you blow through the opening, the liquid splits into many bubbles, different shapes and sizes, moving at different speeds and in varied directions. Now take a snapshot of them. That is a perfect picture of what my body felt like last night. Easy! Well, the imagery -- I'm not sure I would call the feeling easy...

At a Loss for Words

I know, that is unusual for me. But it's true. I really have no idea how to describe how I am feeling right now, at 4am... I can't go to sleep because I can't seem to get all of my body into the same category of existence. No, that's not right, but it's the closest I've gotten yet. The only thing I can think of is a piece of art I once saw (and have since seen other attempts at the style) where it looked like something had been painted on a flat surface, but then that surface was pushed from behind, so different parts of it ended up further out than others, like a whole bunch of hydraulic lifts had been attached to squares that were drawn on as one big canvas, and then the lifts pushed their little squares all to different heights. You could sort of see the whole picture if you looked from just the right angle, but any slight variance and you lost a bunch of it. And that is how I am feeling right now... kind of... yeah... loss for words and cohesiveness!

It's starting...

The not driving 50-75 miles per day? I don't want to jinx anything, but I've been having glimpses of low pain levels! It's kind of like Swiss cheese right now, I just 'pop into' the holes every once in a while, but I have not even had that much clearance in many months. I'm liking this! 

Of course, the fact that I have not pumped gas in a week is kind of nice too...

FYI Response...

I did lose two pounds! If I get the flu four more times, I'll make my target weight!

FYI...

The flu is worse with fibro. And fibro is worse with the flu. Funny how that works...

But on a positive note, it was a 24 hour bug, and man, did I feel great after the 28th or so hour! Sleeping and eating are good things. Having both taken away at once? Not so good. Of course, I am posting this at 2:30 on a school night, so the sleeping thing is still off-kilter, but the eating thing is just about back to normal!

I'm So Unique!

I have a couple of ribs that run vertically down the sides of my ribcage! Of course, I had never noticed them before... because they'd never been broken before. All the rest of the bones that are broken right now are normal ones. No story there, but I figured the two new ribs rated a blog entry!

Pain, Pain, Go Away...

...but you can skip the 'come again another day' part!

Made it to May!

Whew! The last week of April was incredibly intense. And of course the body has been reacting. 

The school musical went very well, but took a lot out of me. Just to add to the fun, I've had three interviews for positions for next fall... the same week as the show. Extra, added fun heaped on top of running my classroom! 

Chronic Fatigue and broken bones have been the main culprits through this -- both of which I am pretty used to. Chronic Fatigue while driving from the classroom to one of the interviews is special; being nervous and fighting to stay awake while operating a motor vehicle? Priceless!

Reflection...

Great song...

But what I was really intending to talk about: another friend just read parts of this blog, and said how awful it sounds. So I went through and re-read it all. I still think most of it is funny. Is it because I am used to it, or because I lived through it, or because I really have a sick sense of humor? Or, I suppose, option D -- all of the above...

Total Disconnect

This morning was mildly interesting physically, but really left me curious socially...

All of my joints in my legs and arms were disconnected. I really had to work at operating them semi-normally, and could see that they were moving a little strangely -- not as strangely as they felt like they were, but still, a bit off. Not a single person commented. I work at a middle school. With middle schoolers. They don't hold their tongues. 

Am I really that easy to ignore at school, or is everyone there that used to my moving strangely, and no one even thought enough about it to ask?

Living for the Weekend...

Okay, I am in a song title mood these days, I admit it. 

This weekend has been most interesting, meaning really dull. Remember, dull is a good thing some of the time! Saturday and Sunday have both been fairly low on the pain scale, with nothing interesting. The chronic fatigue has still been here, but since it was indeed the weekend, I just took naps. Got time with the little ones, did some shopping, read a little of the new book I got... What a great weekend!

An Elephant Man Never Forgets...

I am not really sure what that title means, except that my body has been feeling exactly like I picture the Elephant Man for about six hours now. I can still function, even drive, but it sure feels uncomfortable. I keep having to remind myself that I don't look like I feel... that explains why people are NOT staring at me or covering their children's eyes!

Wow, explained...

It's been an incredibly rough last two days. I've been feeling all sorts of nasty sensations, pain, etc. For those of you into the really weird stuff, for a while I was feeling a yo-yo shaped pain source -- and the yo-yo was operating, in slow motion, going from left of my heart down to my right thigh and back. Also one of the 'usual' ones: Scrubbing Bubbles trying to wear out my organs from the inside. No, this blog is not connected to SC Johnson...

Wow...

yeah, that about sums it up...

The most fitting rehearsal ever...

Yesterday I choreographed the song and dance number for the character who is supposedly 160 years old. 

It will look surprisingly authentic.

Horrible... horrible... but...

Okay, so it was a really bad day, one of those days where functional is possible, but not by much. I should have called in to work, but didn't feel up to it... so I went in instead. Easy day in the classroom, just interminably long. Then I drove to my other school for rehearsal. I really wanted to at least finish the last huge number; my original goal for today had been that and setting one of the 'easy' numbers. Well, I got to school number two, and gutted my way through... and actually accomplished all I had originally planned for! The cast of the musical is so great this year, with such positive energy, they managed to pick me up enough to make it work!

I think that if I could just start there, then move to my classroom, my days would be so much smoother, lol...

Just When You Think There is Nothing New Under the Sun...

Yeah, I got a new sensation today... at least I don't remember this one happening before. I woke up with a broken neck. I've had a severed head before, but that's not the same. This was broken bones in my neck, with my head still attached. Maybe I have experienced it before, but don't remember, because the memory part of the brain was damaged when my neck broke... hmmm....

And the results are eh

Okay, so the drive in today, no fun. Still felt that drive when I went to drive home. No fun. Then got home and napped. Fun. Then went upstairs and played with the babies. Way fun. Then came back downstairs and did a little research. Slight fun. 

Then, about 45 minutes ago, a few of my ribs broke. And they and their rib buddies keep doing it. I'm up to about 35 breaks so far. I keep trying to convince them that this, too, is no fun, but they aren't listening to me. Ribs are fickle that way.

And the results are in... sort of...

Well, this week has been spring break. I have done very little driving, seeing how much that helped my body. The first part of break I really felt good almost every day. Yesterday and today, not so good. And tomorrow I go back to commuting. I wonder if the last two days have been my body's knowledge of the upcoming driving, or if driving has not really been aggravating me as much as I had thought... arrggghhhhh 

It's one of those days...

So we should discuss something else... um... anyone have any good, easy soup recipes for the crock pot?

Life is Full of Rude Awakenings...

Like this one: I was dreaming, and someone bumped into me, and I immediately woke up because the person bumping into me broke four of my ribs on the right side... and I woke up with them still broken...

Ugh is right...

Pain, pain, pain... the legs have felt like they were down the disposal or in a meat grinder all day. Driving to work my shoulders and most of my left arm were shattered. And yet, I made it through the day and played with the babies upstairs for about an hour. It's all just a part of the deal, I guess.

Aaarrrrggghhhhhhhh.... Part Deux

Third night in a row of waking up in the middle of the night, sick as a dawg... I just have to hope this will be followed by the third morning in a row of waking up with no trace of the sick as a dawg from three hours earlier...

Fibro is whack.

Wrong...

I'm sorry, but there is just something so totally wrong about breaking your knee by adjusting your blankets around you...

No news is... no news.

Yeah, nothing too unusual to report lately. Aches and pains, yep. Misconnections between the brain and the limbs, check. Sleep messed up, you bet. But unusual things? Hmmmm... the other day I felt like I was cross-eyed, but wasn't... that's the only unique one during the past two weeks.

Tagalong Part Two (I Think...)

I might be able to sleep right now if I hired someone to hold my right foot still. Of course, restless leg syndrome doesn't just affect my sleep... you should see what it does to my typing. 

The Usual...

Nothing new to report. Still getting over some of the medical testing side effects almost two weeks later. Still feeling things that aren't there. My left calf muscle is trying to do macrame by itself, that's a little new... Oh, and I suppose the 50th birthday part was news, but even that is old news by now...

Medical Testing...

Well, the medical testing I mentioned last post went... um... okay? It was a day surgery thing, and I got to go out for breakfast after it was done. That was the best part. But after a day of just fluids and then half a day of nothing, I only lost about a half a pound? NO FAIR! 

So it's been quite the couple of days since then. All sorts of thinking what's the matter, is that a fibro thing or a complication from the surgery any time something felt wrong. Of course there are all sorts of things feeling wrong, as usual, so it's been lots of second guessing... third guessing... nineteenth?

I just love fibrolife...

Squeamish? Do NOT read this posting!

Seriously, you have been warned... but for those who want to know what a bad day is like for me, read on...

Yesterday was one of the worst days I have had in quite a while. I spent much of the day on the verge of tears due to the pain. Ironically, it was the first day that I was not allowed to take any pain meds due to some medical testing I will be having Thursday. I don't take pain pills very often (maybe 3-5 times a month max), but yesterday would have been a full load of them if I could have.

Last warning for the easily grossed out -- turn back now!

For those still reading -- maybe just for myself -- I'll just describe a little of what I was going through. Both cheek bones were shattered, the right one all the way to the ear, the left a bit beyond it. The right eye had something like corn flakes crumbs in and around it. The left had a pencil or more likely a Phillips screwdriver stuck in it so far it came out the roof of my mouth. My forehead had some of that expanding foam (like you squirt into the walls around an outlet to insulate it) shot into it, so it was pressing my skull outward and my brain inward. My skull had been bashed in up and behind my left ear. At the base of my skull, someone had taken the two bottom corners and pulled them apart very forcefully, ripping the skull up the back, and turning my head into that of a bobble-head figurine. The right jaw had a hairline fracture; the left had a major crack all the way up through it. And that is just how my head felt all day, all night... I am guessing that I don't need to describe anything else. Enough of a picture has been given.  

Even with no sleep to speak of, today has been better.