Out and About and some Vintage Finds

My Mom, Sis and I got together this last week and had lunch, then did a little shopping around town. We all don't get out together often, so this was lots of fun. Then add in some vintage goodies to wander through... even better.

Fashion Finds for Summer

Hi Friends, just wanted to share a little post on some Fun Summer Fashion I've found. I love to go shopping, but lately I've let my fingers do the walking and just browse around the Internet. That can lead to finding some great pieces, and some trendy boutique items that are still at good prices. This isn't a sponsored post, just sharing some things I like and have purchased. I love to see what you all are wearing and get some ideas for myself. 

I like a bigger bag, no matter what the season. I have a lot of "stuff" that I seem to need to carry around with me: make-up, meds, contact lens paraphernalia, phone, glasses, sometimes a camera... the list goes on and on. I also like to change out my purses to match my outfit; color coordinate, especially in Spring and Summer when I tend to wear brighter colors.

French Wagon Vignette

Earlier in the Spring you might remember that I decided to paint my little black Frenchy wagon a light gray. Since then it's become my favorite tabletop decor piece for the Dining Room. I had put off painting it for years, even though I knew I would like it much better. Now it sort of "disappears" on the tabletop, which helps it blend in with all the other elements I love to use.

What you might be missing, Part 2

We left off the Series, with me still not having answers to all my questions but at least I was coping. I found a pain pill that helped with my dizziness, headaches, and neck pain. It didn't seem to have any bad side effects and my life kinda-sorta became manageable. I wasn't in a hole anymore and I felt like the gray cloud had been lifted. It didn't take away the severe fatigue but I felt like that was a trade-off I could live with since I could now drive and turn my head without shooting pains.

I had been diagnosed with Occipital Neuralgia back in the early Fall by a Neurosurgeon. My neck is a mess with bone problems and narrowing of the foramen (little holes the nerves run through). But he didn't think my symptoms were related to those issues. I was sent back to my Cervical Spine Specialist and had a Nerve Block done twice last Fall. It helped, and verified the diagnosis, but wore off after a few weeks. That's when I started on the pain pills. (Muscle relaxers don't work for me, just cause me to have horrible dreams).

Then came Christmas and I was talking with my two daughters about Thyroid issues. One of them said she took a dose of T3 along with her regular Levothyroxine. WHAT..., you take another Thyroid Hormone replacement pill? that's the first time I'd heard of this.

The one thing I didn't know about Thyroid Replacement Therapy was that there are two hormones that can be used to supplement an underactive Thyroid. The usual replacement medication is Synthroid or Levothyroxine which is the T4 hormone. In theory T4 converts over to the most important, but much more difficult to administer, T3 hormone.

At my next doctor appointment I asked my Internist/Primary Care doctor about this and she said yes, but we would have to do a current Thyroid test to see where I was. Holy Cow,  my fabulous all purpose pain pill for my Occipital Neuralgia (literally a pain in the neck...and back of the head) had really screwed me up. It was causing my Thyroid to go crazy and put me in the HYPERthyroid area. Plus I was taking multiple supplements that included iodine, and iodine is used to treat underactive thyroid issues. The iodine was masquerading as seaweed, kelp, etc. energy synergy blah, blah, blah. in bone and joint supplements, nerve rebuilders, vitamins, healthy green drink smoothie powder, and whey protein. If you take a Thyroid supplement or medication don't take iodine, because it will mess with your meds and thyroid labs. I also learned it was in my B Vitamin Supplements as I was consuming mass quantities of because my B12 was in the tank. Also learned too much B12 can mimick signs of overactive Graves's disease with heart palpatations, increased pulse and angina. Good grief, I've now learned to check everything and read the ingredients in EV.ER.Y. Thing.
I decided to get off the pain pill and had to wait 6 LONG weeks to get my lab tests rechecked before she could even think about prescribing the T3. I begged, she said no.

I try to research all my meds and problems on the Internet. You know how people say, "Well, you just can't believe everything you read on the Internet." (with a finger wag). In some things that's a very true statement, but when you're going to websites like Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Heart Clinic, and Mayo Clinic, I think you can generally rely on what you read as being somewhat reliable and based in science. When you don't research things on your own you're at a real disadvantage because even the doctors aren't up on the latest findings. Research Papers, journals, etc. lie unread in their email inboxes and on the top of their to-do reading lists.

Well, I had been lulled into complacency by years of doctors telling me my Thyroid Lab tests were "normal". oh people, get the numbers and ranges and look at them yourselves. Don't trust someone to say your normal in Thyroid Labs, they are notoriously not to be trusted. The ranges are crazy and change from lab to lab. Look at them yourself, then question your health care person in person, eye to eye.

So as I said in my last post, I've been on the T3 Replacement for almost a month and I'm seeing a little improvement. When I went off the pain pill, Tramadol, within just a few days the severe neck pain, headaches, and fatigue were back. The Tramadol had messed with my thyroid so when it started to go back down the nerve pain came back. That's where I am now. I'm hoping the T3 will help build up the outer layer of the nerves, (the Myelin coating) I've read where it can cause the neuropathy to reverse and the nerves to heal. But I'm going to ask to see a Neurologist to check for the root cause of the Occipital Neuralgia. First place to check is other Auto-immune related illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Guillian-Barre (which I've had before). I'm tired of messing around and I want answers to all this. I think I deserve them.

The Official, better late than never, Spring Home Tour

Hi Friends, after the last post, there's probably no doubt in your minds that I've been a little cray-cray this year, but I realized that I've never posted a complete Spring Home Tour. I like to keep an "Official" Tour on my sidebar and on my "pages" for each season. I just rounded up most of my photos from earlier this Spring...before Easter, so here they are, all in one spot.

Do you know what you might be missing?

Since I mentioned sharing my latest health information and update a couple of weeks ago, I've been in the process of chickening out on writing this... because I'm still a work in progress. What I'm going to share is what I've learned from research on the Internet, (and in speaking with my doctor). I've been digging on numerous reputable sites; hospitals, specialists, drug trials, research studies, and also on patient forums. I like to think of myself an informed patient, who doesn't sit there passively believing everything I hear. I actively check information and facts and opinions; important health information, and drugs I've been prescribed. But unfortunately, I had been lulled into a false sense of security over the years.

all images Google Images

Easy Spring Wreath and April on the Settee...

This last week, after Easter, I slowly made some changes around the house to bring it more to a place of "Spring", and not so much "Easter". I had a bunch of bunnies hanging around, so this week they've been packed away...except for one or two that do "double duty". One of my favorite little guys is this felted wool fella that I use on my Springtime wreaths.