Cymbalta

 About a month ago, I saw an advertisement of SwingCare, which a one of a kind group of medical professionals that work with only patients who have Fibromyalgia.  It is a virtual office.  I did contact them last year  UT they did not accept my insurance.  The person I spoke to told MD to check back because more and more insurances were being added as time went on.  The second time I contacted them, my insurance was accepted after being added sometime last year.  They work with all aspects of Fibromyalgia.  My first two appointments went so good.  The doctor added Cymbalta to my meds.  I had tried it years ago.  Many years ago.  I was up for trying it again.  

After a month of taking the generic of Cymbalta, I have noticed some good changes.  The biggest one is my sleep has improved.  I actually can sleep 6-7 hours straight through.  This is huge for me.  I generally, for years, woke up every 2-3 hours from pain, and then I would need to get out of bed to get back in to lay on the other side.  Not now.  I also think it has helped my mental health.  I never thought I had I had any kind of depression, however, being in pain 24/7 for about 32 years does cause some issues.  The Cymbalta has helped.  I had an appointment with my doctor last week and I am very pleased with the plan that we are following.  Sometimes it is really hard being in pain all the time.  I do my best and try to keep a good attitude, sometimes it is hard.  

Chasing a Man Who Never Wanted to be my Dad

 My parents divorced when I was around 8-9 years old, it was so hard on us three kids.  Mom took each of us out individually so she could talk about stuff with her.  I was first as I was having major meltdowns every time she walked out the door and it didn't matter why.  She could be going to the store or school or the Armories, it didn't matter where.  We went to McDonald's for our special time together.  At the end of our chat, Mom pinky promised that she would not move anywhere without me too.  Mom said that we were a team, Mom me, and my two brothers.  Mom kept her promise.  She never left us.  Even at the end, when she passed.away.  she had Alzheimer's Disease.  Mom was heading into the last stage of Alzheimer's, stage 7.  

We visited our dad only a few times after he moved out.  He did get remarried right after the divorce.  I think I may have been about 10 years old the last time I spoke with him.   I can only remember a tiny bit of some of the visits.  I don't remember this, however, apparently, the last time he did call us, he had asked us if we wanted to move in with him.  I do vaguely telling him I didn't want to live on a farm.  Both boys agreed.  I guess when we did that, our dad decided to shut us out of his life, mind, and heart, only at the time we didn't know that.  

It was zero communication for about the next 41 years.  I had written a letter to my dad.  No answer.

In 2008, I joined Facebook.  I really liked it because I made friends differs groups I had joined and I found friends I hadn't since in years and years.  Started around 2017, I would randomly put my dad's name in under the find friends as well as my step mother's day is name.  Some time in 2017-2018, one night I put my step mother's name and my step mother's profile popped up!  I was so excited.  I found my dad.  I had been looking for him for years.  At first it was really good.  I did eventually block my step mother on Facebook.  It was better that way.  It really began to get harder for me to speak with them on a regular basis because of the mean things that they were saying to me about my mother.  I even told them that mom had never said anything derogatory about either one of them, which is true.  All she would say is, he is your father.  Unfortunately, it was not reciprocated until after my dad died.  It was very hurtful to hear from my step mother that according to her my dad never loved my mother and he only married her because he felt sorry for her.  It made me feel like I was born out of hate in the family, not love.  I asked my 2 uncles about this and they said that my mom and dad were in love so we were born out of love.

My step mother found my half sister in 2020.  This was a dream come true.  We hope to see each other in person this spring.  A few years ago, I was talking to my step mother around my dad's and my step sister's birthday that it wouldn't make any difference to my dad if we talked to him or if we didn't.  It was at the moment, I realized that I had been chasing my father who didn't want to be my dad.  

He passed away a couple years ago.  It was so weird to hear that he passed away and then to be asked if I wanted to be listed in his Obituary.  I said yes.  I wanted to be a acknowledged, I didn't want to be erased again.  That is how I felt.  My other siblings made their own choices.

After he died, my step mother stopped saying mean things about my mom.  She misses my dad so much, which I can understand.  They were married for 46 years years.  It was difficult for me to hear all the time what a good man and dad he was.  This was his 3rd marriage and while yes, I am glad he learned how to be a good husband, he wasn't a good husband to my mother or my half sister's mother.  He may have been a good dad to my 2 step sisters and a good grandfather to my step sisters' children,  I am glad he was to them, however, again, he wasn't for the four of us.  You have to be present to be a good dad.  He wasn't.  

After he passed away, I did keep in touch with my step mother.  I called her my bonus mom.  She really doesn't like the "step mother" title so that is when started calling her my bonus mom.  I really did try to be as understanding as I could, right now though, I need a break from hearing how good of a man my dad was.  I just had to take a break.  My heart couldn't take knowing that my father loved my two step sisters, yet not his four children.  I just couldn't.  He abandoned me, us.  Some scars take decades to heal.  Being abandoned hasn't healed yet.

Who knows, maybe 2025 is the year it finally gets worked through.  I can always hope!

How do we know if we are a good person?

 Sometimes I think the world has gone mad.  I  don't understand how some forget that everyone deserves kindness and respect.  Some of my favorite verses are Matthew 25:35-40. 

Matthew 25:35-40

New International Version

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I know that every culture and religion has similar.  It isn't a new idea to treat people the way you want to be treated.  This is something that was important in our house, however, depending on the day is whether or not this was in practice.  I do aspire to this ideal. Sometimes, I reach close to it, a lot of times, I fail miserably.  

When I started teaching, I had a couple of role models, one I wanted to be similar to, my ballet teacher, Debbie Martin Carlisle, and one I never wanted to be like, the voice teacher I had at Wayne State University. He was mean and lazy too.  the first three semesters, I sang everything I had  sang the prior 2 years.  He definitely showed me that being mean and cruel was not very inspiring and not helpful. Debbie, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.  I noticed that Debbie got great results out of her students without being mean or cruel or putting them down.  To this day, I really try hard to be a teacher like Debbie. 

I love teaching.  I really miss teaching full time.  When I was younger, I thought I was born for Broadway.  Then I got sick.  No more Broadway.  Thankfully, I had teaching to fall back on.  That was when I discovered I wasn't born for Broadway, but teaching.  Every lesson, choir, band, performance, class, all of that was to prepare me to be the best teacher I can be. I am thankful I  can still teach a tiny bit.  It is better than no teaching at all.

Finding My Value and Acting On It

 Yesterday was an absolutely horrible day.  Simply awful.  I think I cried more yesterday than I have in a very long time.  I missed my mother as much as I did the day she passed away.  I have caught the guck, as we call it, that is going around.  I have infections in both ears and I had a lot of congestion.  With the help of meds I am on the mend.  I somehow slept from Saturday Midnight to Monday noon.  Yup mostly straight through, which of course means no meds at all on Sunday as I was completely asleep.  On Monday, when I woke up, I was very light headed and it was not good.  

I was watching some videos on FaceBook when one really caught my eye and practically hit me right in the face.  So it was about a bottle of water.  in the grocery store it is $1, then a restaurant is $3 or something like that, and then I think there may have been one more with the last being the bottle is $6 in an airport.  The point was, if you don't feel like you have value, maybe you are in the wrong place.  So, as the day progressed, I realized how I have I allowed people to speak to me with disrespect and not only with disrespect but also treat me with much disrespect.  

Today, it was like night and day when I woke up.  I do think that making the decision I made yesterday was a part of it, also, I hadn't realized that the newest med I have from SwingCare has done more for me than just help the Fibromyalgia.  SwingCare added Cymbalta.  After yesterday, with missing a full day of meds, including Cymbalta, I realized that it is also helping my mental health.  This does makes sense since it is an anti-depressant. I feel so much better today.

Watch out world, here I come!

New Blog/Vlog will begin with the New Year 2025

 This blog has been, at times, a friend, sounding board, and most importantly, a place to grow.  It has been a very long time since I have posted daily.  I am about to begin a new journey in 2025.  I have been inspired to start a 365Grateful Blog/Vlog.  It is something I am doing for myself.  On the days I don't have any . or appointments, I have difficulty wanting to even get up.  I only get up to take care of Peony my dog.  I read an article about a woman named Hailey who created the 365 grateful challenge. She is a photographer so she used photography.  I think it is a really neat thing to do.

Look for the new project later this week!!

I don't want to be me today

 For the last few months I have really come to not like that I cannot do so many things myself.  On Thursday, November 8, I fell out of bed.  About six or so months ago we had taken my mattress and box spring off of my bed frame. The box spring is on the floor with the mattress on top.  I did not fall far.  I actually slid out of bed.  I really don't know how I managed to do this.  It took an hour to get me back in bed.  I tried for about 20 minutes to get up on my own.  I knew how. I couldn't do it.  I didn't have the strength.  Finally I had to text one of my housemates.  She came right up.  I think she flew.  I still couldn't get up.  She went and got her dad, another housemate. He ended up picking me up in two stages and then he moved my legs on my bed.  I was sore when I got up later that morning, I had no idea what was about to hit me.  I had gone to the Cleveland Clinic to see if I had Lipedema or Lymphedema.  At that time, I was told I did not have Lymphedema.  Well, the doctor was wrong.  The lower part of my legs, knees to toes, blew up with fluid.  My legs were weeping and they really hurt especially the right leg.  I couldn't get in or out of my car or any car for that matter, by myself.  I had gone to the ER to check that there was no blood clots as I have a genetic blood disorder.  There weren't any.  I was in the ER for about ten hours.  I came home with a new walker.  It is a more simple one as there is no seat.  I use it in the house as I was instructed to by the ER doctor.  It is actually easier to use in the house than my cane.  I had to see my doctor for a follow-up visit.  When I got weighed, I weighed 13 more pounds than I did two weeks before.  Yup.  There was 13 pounds of fluid in my legs. I couldn't wear shoes or slippers. I ended up wearing my slippers with not putting them on properly.  Now I can. Yes, I am healing from the fall.  The fall really showed so much of what I can't do for myself.  I have been sick for more than 1/2 my life.  I was 25 when the fibromyalgia showed up and never went away. I had had bad headaches since elementary school.  I was born with tummy problems. On average, I missed one day a week of school since kindergarten.  Fortunately, I do have good friends who understand me.  These moments do not last long.  I am grateful that I can do as much as I can.  I am so thrilled to see my best friend, Kathy on Holidays and her family.  Her mom is such an awesome person.  I am making Christmas Dinner.  I am quite excited about it.  Another housemate is helping me.  I am looking for recipes for what seasonings to use.  I think we just used salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. I am unsure.  I am going to be asking my aunt Michelle.  She is an amazing cook. 

The journey of grief

 When the physical therapist told me it was time to call hospice, my heart sank.  How could it be time?  How could I live without my mother?  I wished so much at that time I had listened when she wanted to tell me about how I was going to live without her. I had this fantasy in my head that we would both die on the same day at the same time. I had never lived anywhere but in my childhood home. After I graduated with my bachelor degree, I can't remember exactly how much time passed before the fibromyalgia showed up and never left. At the time of the flair, I taught private music lessons at a music store and at the students house. Generally, I would wake up when my mom did because she would make us breakfast, then I would go back to bed and sleep or read when I woke up in time to go and teach. I think it was about a year, maybe less when mom said resting all the time was not helping. That is when we started with light stretching. It did help. I had more mobility.

It was years though before I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia. When the nurse from hospice came, I had to sign so many papers. It is crazy how many. Mom had been in a nursing home for rehab several months earlier and she came home with a pressure sore. I told the nurse about it. 

Within a few weeks, mom choked her dinner down, even the mashed potatoes. Starting in the previous February, she barely ate anything I had to add Ensure drinks to her diet, specifically the protein ones. I called the emergency line and a nurse came out. She was able to clear mom's throat.  The next day, October 10, 2010, it happened again only worse. The person who answered the phone said a nurse would be there as soon as they are able. The nurse was at another house and it was an emergency.  The nurse arrived about 9:30 pm. She tried to clear mom' s throat but couldn't. We had to go to the ER. At the ER, the doctor tried to suction mom's throat but she kept biting down which frustrated him. The nurse kept saying, she has Alzheimer's, you have to keep saying what you are going to do. She was admitted soon after. I went home thinking I would be picking her up in the next few days. Boy was I wrong.

At 9 am I got a phone call from the doctor. Mom failed the swallowing test. I didn't quite understand. He said it again. I got it that time. He said. This is it. There is nothing we can do.  I asked about a feeding tube. He said it would go into her lungs. This is it. Do you want to take her home or keep her here on the hospice floor. I picked the hospice floor. I got dressed and cried the entire way. 

I can't write anymore. 

It's a Saturday!!!!!

 Today is Saturday!  On this particular day I do not have any lessons.  Greg is absent and so is Madonna.  I so love her name!!  I am sitting in the living room I teach in because it has a/c. My bedroom does have a portable a/c like this room but I really don't feel like going up there right now.  Peony is in here too.  She is just hanging out with me.  Because of the bursitis in my shoulders, I cannot hold my arms up long enough to wash  and dry my own hair so I go to get it done.  Usually, I get it done on Thursdays, but this week I had a doctor appointment so I needed to reschedule to today.  I so love that when I do need to reschedule that the two young ladies on Saturday french braid my hair.  Ruth, my usual person, does my hair a bit different and I really love that too.  Overall, I really like everyone at the salon and the owner is my across the street neighbor so I am supporting a good neighbor!!!!!  

It has been really hot for the last few weeks here.  Today I really really just ache a lot from it.  My everyday headache is more than the usual level.  I am not as nauseated as I was yesterday, just the usual amount of nausea.  Thank goodness starting tomorrow it will be cooler for us.  I am so glad.  

Last night I was sitting at the table with C. and I was finishing up my dinner when I took a drink of water that went down the wrong pipe.  It happens so often now.  I don't know why.  Anyways, Heather BT happen to be in the kitchen/dining room area when this occurred.  I told her this happens a lot when I drink water.  She said to use a straw.  I have since then and wow, it has really helped.  She was also right at how much you drink more of because you are using a straw!! I now have chosen some reusable straws for my water bottle.  It was so much easier to drink all the water I needed to last night.  Generally, it is a huge struggle because of the swallowing issue.  I am just really happy about this.  reusable  straws rule.  

In my Michigan Lipedema group, a woman was giving away her old vibrating plate machine.  I was the fourth one to say I am interested in getting it.  Apparently, the first three either didn't get back to her or never came to pick it up, who knows, she messaged me to see if I was still interested, which I  was and told me to come and get it.  James and I went the next day.  Now, I had no idea what it looked like or size or how to use it or even what it would do, I just knew that some members of the group said it really helped.  We picked it up.  Bill brought it in later that day and when he asked me where I wanted it, I said oh in my room would be fine, he laughed then said it won't fit in your room.  I said, oh, the living room?  That is where it is at.  I have used it a few times.  Because my standing ability at this point in time really sucks, I can't stand on it very long, we're talking at most, 1 minute.  The problem that has arrose is that in about 30 or so minutes later, my daily, never ending headache gets worse.  Yes.  Fortunately, I say my neurologist and she knew exactly what machine I was talking about even before I showed her the picture!  She said she wasn't surprised about the pain getting worse afterward.  C asked about me sitting in a chair and putting my feet on the machine and using it that way.  Dr. A said that would be really good because then my head won't be vibrating also.  The cool thing though, is that both Heather BT and James love the  machine.  Heather BT uses it everyday.  I am so happy about this.  She is up  to 10 minutes and I am really glad.  I just now need to find what will work for me.

On Tuesday, both C and I will have our botox shots at the neurologists office.  This will be my third round.  It was funny because when Dr. A asked if I thought they were helping, I couldn't answer.  I didn't know.  I said I think so.  After this round I will pay more attention.  I did tell her I had bought a chronic pain tracker.  I hadn't used it, but I have it.  She laughed and said she wasn't surprised.  I said I really try not to focus on my pain level.  That Dr. A said is good.  I am donating the chronic pain tracker book.  I used it once.

Pictures: Top picture is Valerian - he is a Yorkie.  Then Me and Peony.  Third down is Peony, my dog, Fourth down is my sister, bottom, Peony

new portable a/c unit

 About a week ago, a new portable a/c unit arrived!!  It has helped a lot.  I will be ordering another one this  week.  I am really happy about these because we are expecting a very hot and humid summer.  Not as hot as the south, true, but for SE Michigan, hot.  I  have one for my room and we have one for the living room, which is where I teach.  The next one, I am no longer sure where it is now going.  It will be helpful no matter where we put it.

Anyways, enough about that.  I can't believe it is July already!!!!  Where did June go?  Seriously??  Peony and I have been hanging out as usual.  She is such a beautiful little pup.  She is 8 now.  8!!!  What a joy she sure is.  All my students love her.  One is afraid of dogs so I always have all the dogs blocked.  I will not force our dogs on anyone.  It is mean and rude to do that, especially if the child is afraid.  I was afraid of dogs for the longest time growing up.  I was walking past a house in our sub and that family's dog jumped over their fence, pinning me down.  I was screaming.  I was not very old.  Early elementary age, I think.  The family was in the back yard but they weren't paying attention to their dog.  They didn't even notice it wasn't in their yard.  a neighbor was pulling in our sub and happen to see my pinned to the ground by a big dog.  He and his wife hopped out of their car to help me.  It seemed to me it took a long time for him to get the attention of the owners in the backyard.  I, naturally, was still rather upset and crying while she was trying to calm me down.  I do remember them driving me home.  They knew where I lived as they were neighbors.  They told my mom what happened and boy was she mad.  I finally calmed down.  I avoided walking anywhere near that house for years.  They moved several years after that incident.  So, like I said, I understand being afraid of dogs.

I have been so so so nauseated these past few weeks.  The heat has really gotten to me and so has the pain.  Generally, the meds I take help enough to take the edge off.  Not these last few weeks.  I have also had way more migraines than usual.  I know a lot of it is the weather and the changes of the weather but not all of it.

I am hungry so I am going to go and get something to eat now.  I hope your 4th of July was a good one!!!

June 22

 I had an appointment with my Rheumatologist today.  It was just a regular check up.  My right shoulder is starting to hurt again at the bursa part of the arm.  I have an appoint with the specialist on July 13.  I am going to call  tomorrow and see if I can get in earlier.  I really don't want it to get worse and freeze.  It was partially frozen when I first saw him in May.  Not good.

The heat wave is back.  It is 90* right now and with the heat index it feels like close to 90*.  The rest of the week will be super hot too.  Ugh.  I know there are parts of the country in the south that are much hotter, I feel for all who live there.  Anyways, I am in my living room where the portable A/C unit is.  I am hoping by the weekend we will have at least two window units.  One is definitely going in my room.  I think the second should go in the other Heather and Bill's room.  

Peony is doing pretty okay. Her wound is healing really well.  She is no longer wearing a cone or a collar.  When she had the cone on she looked so pathetic and sad.  She did look too sad with the collar.  My poor little girl.  She is my favorite companion to run errands with.  She loves riding in the car.  Simply loves it.  I have a seat belt leash that I put on her.  This way she can look out the window with the window part way down and I don't have to worry about her jumping out.  Peony is enterprising enough to try that once.  She is fearless.  She is such a beautiful little girls.  She is a terrier mix.  I could do one of those DNA things for dogs but they are expensive and seriously, I don't really care.  She is mine and that is what matters.  She loves sleeping on my bed at night.  I love having her sleep on my bed at night, now that we took the bed off of the frame.  It was so high that I was kind of jumping to get in my bed.  When Heather BT saw that she was like, you are going to fall.  I probably shouldn't have pointed out that I had, many times.  Well, the little foot stool we call the jump came in for me to use.  It worked.  Then we realized why don't we just take the bed off of the frame.  I really like it this way.  I can actually sit and my feet are on the floor.  It is beautiful.

It is almost time to teach the only lesson of the day.  Bye!!!

Heat Wave

 Yesterday was 97*, however, with the heat index it felt more like 105*.  Today is only 93* and it has cooled down to 90*.  I do not do well in high heat or super cold.  Both make me ache more.  Right now i am in the living room which has the portable air conditioning unit.  It feels wonderful.  I do have 2 window fans now and we do have an attic fan.  When the temperature is 90 and above it is pointless.  It could be much worse though.  We could live in the southern states.  I will keep what weather we have.  This weekend is suppose to be nice out and cooler.  I will definitely enjoy that.

On the brain fog front, it hasn't been super bad, just the usual.  I can only focus for so long and. then I need a break.  I think what really helps me with teaching lessons is a combo of being able to focus for a bit and the the hyper focus of the ADHD.  I definitely think that is my superpower.  Also, when I am focusing on a lesson, my pain level doesn't seem as high.  That is a good thing.  I am really learning a lot about my ADHD.  I always try to improve myself and strive to do better.  I want to be the best me I can be.  Yes, I am in pain 24/7.  Yes, I have all the other things that go along with fibro, I don't think that for me, that it means I can't strive to be a better me.  The more I learn about ADHD, the more so much of me is explained.  My extra chattiness.  Yes, I was that child.  The one who talked to everyone in class.  My mom once told me that when she went to my first school conference for first grade, my teacher asked my mom if I ever stopped talking.  My mom asked her if I talked all the time in class.  The teacher said no, just most of it.  Mom said that was good, last year, she talked all the time.  Yes, that was my ADHD.  It wasn't something that anyone really tested for in girls at that time.  This was the early to mid 70s.  When I wasn't talking, I was daydreaming.  I have this really weird thing I can do.  I can see my daydreams in front of me.  Like I am watching a movie.  I tried to explain it to my best friend once and she thought it was so weird. Again, inattentiveness, ADHD.  I have a really hard time falling asleep.  I always have.  My brain never shuts up.  You would think with the amount of brain fog I have, that it would be easier to fall asleep.  Nope.  Not at all.  Again, ADHD.  This is just a few of what I have learned in the past six or so months since being officially diagnosed.  

I am so excited that the Dowton Abbey: A New Era movie is out!!!!  Kathy, my best friend, and I are trying to find a weekend where she can come to town and then we can see the movie!  Her mom wants to see it too.  That will be a lot of fun.  I love her mom.  She is a really neat person.  I have pretty much known her almost all of my life too since well, I have know Kathy almost all of my life.  It makes sense.  Kathy's Dad passed away several years ago now.  He was a really good guy.  A good dad.  I remember at Kathy's wedding, she didn't want to do the Daddy/Daughter Dance because both she and her Dad are quite shy.  I didn't blame her.  She had always been shy.  One of the things I loved doing when we were young was going to her house and hanging out.  We would read and listen to music.  Apparently, we would also dress up their toy size poodle Pepper in doll clothes.  Pepper was such an awesome dog.  I really loved that dog.  Kathy's mom said that she would let us put whatever clothes we wanted on her.  We also would put her in a doll stroller and walk her outside.  That poor dog.  We both loved her though.  She was love in the form of a dog.  Plain and simple. Just love.  Kathy and I still like to hang out and read together.  I have much more time to read than she does since she has these cute minions she is raising, although one is now 24, I think, and another is 19.  The youngest two are 15.  She also has a hubby.  I can't wait to see her and her mom soon and the movie!!!!!