Spotlight on Chronic Illness Blogger: Simmi

I’m starting a weekly spotlight of a Chronic Illness Blogger.

This week’s Chronic Illness Blogger spotlight is I Fit Can’t My Jeans!!!!!!. Simmi blogs about living with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Lupus Star Foundation

Last year, Simmi started a nonprofit foundation Lupus Star Foundation to support lupus survivors and their families.

Simmi Thanks for all your great blogging and supporting Lupus….

Come back next week to see who the Chronic Illness Blogger is for Next Week

Taking Charge of my Health

Last week, I went to the rheumatologist to have my check up and lab work. My lab results won’t be in for a couple of weeks. He did the typical tests including checking my vitamin D level I always call about my test results. Why? I don’t want something to be found on my labs six months later that needed addressing. I know sometimes it annoys the nurse, but it’s my body and my health. It’s my way of being active in my own healthcare. Doctors  make mistakes just like patients make mistakes so I don’t want to fall through the cracks. Ultimately I’m the one that pays the consequences if something is missed. Usually two weeks is enough time to receive my results.

Do you call your doctor for test result? Should doctors call a patient even if the results are negative? It’s your turn.

Midwest Heat Wave Sure is a Pain

The Midwest is being hit by a heat wave this week, which is keeping a lot of people indoors. Today the feels like was 115. When I walk outdoors it’s like walking into a sauna. The heat has kept my daughter and I from taken our short walks in the evening. I’ve been desperate to reduce my pain level so I’m trying to exercise some. The heat has been affecting our air conditioner too. It seems the heat wave has increased my pain level. I don’t know if it’s the heat or a typical pain flare up. This morning my pain level was a 7 out of 10 and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Thankfully as the day went on my pain reduced some.

Do changes in weather affect your pain level?  How do you decrease your pain level? Have you been hit with the heat wave this week?

Are You Having a Boy or a Girl?

Are you excited about having a baby? Most women once they find out they are pregnant cannot wait to find out what the baby is they are carrying.

I can still remember how exciting it was finding out I was carrying a baby. I found out when I was between five and seven months pregnant. It was exciting to find out I was carrying a baby girl.

Today, you can find out if you’re having a boy or girl using at home baby gender test. So you’re wondering how’s that possible?  It’s done the same way as finding out you were pregnant. A little urine can show you if you’re carrying a boy or a girl. The test is over ninety percent reliable.   Take the test once you’re 6 weeks pregnant and you’ll know if you’re baby is a boy or girl.

Not having a baby? Going to a shower? Buy the gender predictor test as a fun way to find out baby’s sex. Everyone will be excited to see the test result, if mama wants to share.  Maybe Mama will share the results with you? It’s a fun way to celebrate a new life before the birth born and an unusual shower gift.

Writing and Chronic Illness

Would you ever write a book about your illness? It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a while. I don’t really know where to start. Does anyone want to listen to the struggles of living with a chronic illness? The reason I started this blog is to spread awareness of life living with lupus and fibromyalgia, but who would read about my many ups and downs of living with this illness. How would I make it a worthwhile read? A lot of questions go through my mind about writing about my illness. I don’t want to write something that makes people think poor woman living with a chronic illness. Yeah, that was how I thought to start, but I’ve learned to deal with it.
Would you consider reading or writing about living with a chronic illness and its many ups and downs?

The Many Faces of a Doctor’s Office

As you can imagine, I’ve spent a lot of time in a waiting room. I’ve seen such a variety of people in them. Some people are regulars in the doctor’s office. There are many ways you can tell regulars and first timers. Sometimes the doctors or staff knows the person by their name. Other times you see them with a tote bag full of goodies to pass the time. I’m the tote bag person most of time unless I leave it by the door. Time seems to pass quicker if you have something to do. One of the doctor’s offices I visit has sports and men’s health magazine. Sorry guys, I have a hard enough time I keeping up with my own health issues. I have a few magazine of my own that I’ll bring with me if I’m not in the middle of a good book.

Lately, I’ve not been allowed to be bored. I’ve learned the less time I take thinking about my illness the less time I spend depressed. I went through several years of that and still have some times where I want to take a large hammer to the lupus and fibromyalgia. But then I’m reminded that involves hitting me and I’ve had enough pain for a life time. So I just grin and bear it at times while other times I wish it away, but I’ve yet to put the perfect spell on it. Yeah, I’m off topic again.

I’ve seen hundreds of different faces in the waiting rooms I’ve visited. It’s not how anyone plans to spend their time, but eventually everyone is seen by a doctor. Remember most of you are seen by a doctor after birth and you will definitely be seen by one when you die. I would harp on the last topic cause most people don’t want to think about death. I know I don’t want to think about it. Each waiting room I’ve visited has different people. The nervous people usually look around a lot and you cannot get any eye contact. The “regulars” usually keep their head in a book or on the television. Then their are the people that are in a big hurry. Each time someone’s called they jump up a bit. It’s amazing how many different styles of people. Then there is the ones who go up to the staff and say I was first. Well that annoys the heck out of me. Doctors have multiple patients with different needs. Would you put an earache in front of a heart attack? You wouldn’t do that even if the child is in pain. I hate seeing kids in pain. My daughter and I have had enough earaches for a life time.
A dead giveaway of a new patient is someone with a clipboard in their lap with a drug company pens in their hands. At times they’ll look around like they are in another world, which is when they’re trying to remember their medical life history. I have a hard enough time remembered mine without being 90 and trying to get heads or tails of my complete medical history. Its times like that when it would be nice to have had a note taker for the last 90 years. But that’s not possible unless you change who’s your note taker.
I’m a regular at my doctor’s office and I love to take note of the many personalities in a doctor’s office.

What’s the most memorable person when you sat in a doctor’s office??????

I’m back I think

I’ve been neglecting this blog for a while truthfully. Its not that I don’t still live with lupus and fibromyalgia. I just haven’t felt like writing over here, but I’m getting back to posting regularly over here. I’ve been busy with a lot of things. My daughter has gone back to public school which has taken a lot of pressure of me. I have been trying to keep myself busy with other things. I’ve been sewing some when I’m feeling up to it. Our kitchen table has been the permanent place for my sewing machine. I’ve done some experiments with creating. It’s helped me deal with my illness better and it makes me feel like I’ve finished something. I’m working on improving my writing stories. We’ve had more appointments than normal lately. My partner was in the hospital for a while which wasn’t an easy thing to go through being sick myself. Our dogs have been doing well. Both had a birthday over the summer so they’re 8 and 10.

Here’s some good links for lupus:
talkinglupus.com

lupus.org

I can’t fit my jeans

The Pros and Cons of Snow Days

All it has been doing is  snow for t he last couple of weeks. The snow affects me by increasing my pain level.It is hard to get around with a cane and a wheel chair in the slushy snow.  I  fell when I was walking in the house a week ago, but I did not get hurt. My wheelchair has a mind of its own when I wheel  over ice. I am counting down the days until spring.I u have a flare with the lupus every year when the  seasons change. I am praying the snow and cold does not stay very long. My boy dog, Mason, loves the snow, he  plows the snow with his nose. Then he comes in the house covered with snow so and we have to dry him off with a towel. Snow days have pros and cons, but to me the cons outweigh the pros.

2 Cleanings a Year Keeps the Extraction Away

Last week, I had a tooth pulled which has been in the works for the last couple of months. I was supposed to have the tooth pulled back in November, but I was sick with an upper respiratory infection. The last thing someone with lupus needs to do is have a tooth pulled out when their immune system is low anyways. So I had to cancel the appointment the day before. It took a lot of nerve for me to go to a dentist at all. It took me over 15 years (yes, you read it right.) to get the guts to have the tooth pulled. Back when I was pregnant with my daughter I had a filling done and the filling did not stay. If I knew then that I had a vitamin D deficiency it would have explained to me why my teeth kept on chipping and I was drinking at least a gallon of milk while I was pregnant with my daughter. Really, it should have been a light bulb moment for my doctor, but he probably figured it was just another crazy pregnancy craving. I could not get enough milk throughout my pregnancy, but I could not drink any juice at all. If I could go back I would have gone back to the dentist to get the tooth filled again or pulled earlier. If you have had a molar pulled you know what I mean. I thought I was going to lose my mind while the dentist was trying to yank this tooth out of my mouth. On top of that I started feeling the pain from the actual scalpel (not sure if that is what a dentist uses to cut around a tooth.) cutting into my gums. She would have numbed it again, but I was afraid I would chicken out when she returned. It took all I could to finish the extraction. I held onto the side of my pants and the chair to refocus my mind. I was told to try to refocus my mind on the music playing, but who can hear any music over the suction machine. I was concerned about having an excessive amount of bleeding because I have a platelet deficiency. So I had good reason to be concerned. In my next post I’ll share ways to find dental service less expensive. I need to have some fillings done next time I see the dentist. I am hoping she will do them all at the same time. I need to buy a splint for my TMJ, but I am not sure if I will be able to afford to buy a new one. I have to have an exam from a new dentist, fitted with the splint, and purchase a new splint. My mouth is beginning to feel better now, but my TMJ is still in an uproar.

Lupus Butterfly Rash

Really, I need to go to bed as I’m pretty tired, but have a habit of pushing myself to my limits. It’s been a busy day with my daughter going to tae kwon do and her volunteering at the library. Today, I did treat myself, I purchased some cosmetics. I bought 2 new lip sticks, cover girl foundation, and new black eyeliner pencil. I don’t wear the make up all the time, but helps hide the butterfly rash that appears across my cheeks and over the bridge of my nose. It doesn’t cover it completely, but it does help me feel a little better when I look in the mirror. It’s bad enough having lupus without the constant reminder when I look in the mirror.