Long Time No Post!

~Everything's More Fun When It's Upside Down!~

My dog has a habit of taking her favorite toys and playing with them upside down, which I think is hilarious. Makes me think that everything is more fun when it's upside down and topsy turvy - which is how everything is going at the moment. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic: my pain has been pretty bad, I've been trying a new medication (which I have to stop taking because it is making me VERY sick), I was making all sorts of pieces for Louise Ingram of Fireseed for her bead show (TOO much fun!!), and now I am putting the finishing touches on my displays for an upcoming jewellery party this Saturday...WHEW! Not to mention all the regular stuff of trying to have the energy to clean the house, do the laundry (and fold it and put it away - the bane of my existence!), and everything else that just seems to exhaust me. I have managed, however, to move my bird feeders to the deck so that they will be easier to reach when the snow finally does begin to pile up, and the birds are loving it! I'll have to try and get some good pics of them and post them too!
Well, I have 3 other blogs that need posting to so I'd better scoot - I promise I'll be posting more regularly!!
Meghann

Squishy Kitty

~My Squished Cat in a Red Box Needs Prayers~

In the midst of the worst flare up I have ever had, complete with the worst pain I have ever endured, I noticed that on my cat's sore hip there is a little spot on his leg that he has chewed his fur off. A few days later I noticed that he had chewed a small sore in the same spot, so he is off to the vet on Saturday. He needs all your prayers, as I think he is getting displaysia in his hips. He already needs dental surgery (we are trying to come up with the money somehow), but the displaysia is sort of a deal-breaker. I had a dog with displaysia as a kid, and it doesn't matter what you do - drugs, surgery, anything - it doesn't fix the problem, only prolongs their pain and suffering. Even though he is pretty healthy now (he is 13, so no one is perfect at that age), I don't want to fill him full of drugs that are going to have side effects and make him dopey, or the other extreme - hide the pain so that he damages his joints without realizing it. We need lots of prayers that whatever is going on is fixable (and that we can afford to fix it!!) or I am afraid I will have to make the most difficult decision of his (and my) life. I love my little fuzzy buddy, and he is my best furry friend. I want him to be happy, healthy and safe, and I can't in good conscience keep him doped up on meds when I know that he shouldn't be. If need be, I will make the decision to let him go to 'kitty heaven'. We need prayers - for him and me!
Until then, I am taking lots of pictures and giving him lots of chin scratches :)
God bless,
Meghann

Busy, Busy!

~One of My New Rings on the Etsy Store!

Well I must say that the new Etsy store is keeping me busy! I've been really tired and cruddy-feeling lately but I've been doing my best to ignore it and make myself busy on the Etsy front. Not being on any mdications means I have to get really creative in managing my disease (that or I sleep!). I've made a few new items that are for sale on the Etsy store and I have even joined a team of Etsy sellers from the Ottawa area called Capital Crafters - you can find us by going to the blog site at: http://capitalcrafters.blogspot.com/ (check out a mini-interview of yours truly!) or by going onto the Etsy site at www.etsy.com and searching for "ottawa team". I'm off to update my other blogs and make more jewellery (and maybe tidy my house - it's looking a little worse for wear, lol).
Take care,
Meghann

Distraction is the Best Medicine

So someone asked me the other day how I deal with the constant, unrelenting pain of Fibro, and I really had to stop and think. I'm not taking any medication at the moment (the Cyclobenzaprine was doing some nasty things to my digestive tract and not helping the muscle cramping at all). This now brings the total to somewhere around $900 in wasted meds over the last 6 months that haven't done a thing but make me sicker, the pain has been getting worse over the last 2 months, I'm absolutely broke and stressed and really sick of the whole situation.
So Pain Management? Not really. Pain distraction? ABSOLUTELY!! The only way I've found to manage the pain, not to mention the whole host of other symptoms that come with this disease, is to distract myself. Here are some of the things I do:
1 - I love to cook and bake to suit my many food allergies, and I've now started a blog called Low Allergy Kitchen, you can find that here at: www.lowallergykitchen.blogspot.com and my aim is to help others manage their food sensitivities too. I have a cookbook that I am trying to get published, or I'll do it myself, again to share the knowledge I've gleaned while trying to ignore my Fibromyalgia.
2 - I also love to make jewellery. Since I've been unable to work since November 2007, I've started selling my jewellery as a business, not just a side-hobby/obsession. I have a website where I sell my jewellery at www.littlestudio.ca or you can read my jewellery blog at: www.meglittlestudio.blogspot.com where I describe the methods and inspiration behind the pieces I make.
3 - I love to read. Fantasy is great (LOTR, Inheritance, Harry Potter), Crime is awesome (Dick Francis anyone?), and of course, Non-Fiction is just superb (Cookbooks, Gardening, Jewellery, you get the idea).
4 - I love to garden. Though I can't do as much as I used to, being in tune with our planet is very humbling. Seeing birds grow up in my backyard and return year after year is incredible and puts things into perspective - sure I'm sick, but I don't have to hunt for food, travel thousands of miles each year to get to a warmer climate to survive, build a new house every six months, fight for my life every second of every day, and procreate whether I want to or not (I think my species will still survive if I don't). Makes me feel almost lucky.
5 - I love to exercise. Sure, it's painful, and there are times I'm crying on my exercise bike, but it helps the pain. There are days I can't exercise. There are days I can't even think of exercising, but when I can, I do. It's incredible how yoga makes me happy. I'm still a stark beginner, but yeah, I'm hooked.
Distraction really is the best medicine. Nothing else works anyway! I try to stay positive and distract myself as much as possible, and if that doesn't work, I'll sleep! Or watch Katherine Hepburn or Humphrey Bogart movies - they're always awesome!
Take care, I send you happy thoughts!
Meghann

Keep on Truckin'

Well it's been months since my last post on this blog, but nothing much has changed. I had to stop working in November, and I haven't been able to return to work yet. My rheumatologist hasn't lost faith that we'll find a drug to help me with the pain and spasms and insomnia, but I am getting more doubtful as the list of medications I can't take is growing steadily.
However, I am trying to stay positive, so I am making lemonade with the lemons I've been given: I am trying to make my living creating and selling my jewellery online, in local stores, and through jewellery parties. It's getting better all the time as people see the things I create, the quality of the materials and craftsmanship, and the great prices I'm able to offer. It is a great stress reliever to be doing something instead of just sitting on my rear and waiting for the latest wave of pain, exhaustion and spasms to dissipate. Of course, there are still times quite often when I am unable to make even a piece of toast, but it just makes the time spent at my work table all the more precious.
My fiancee is so supportive, I am so blessed to have him, and he is supporting me until my jewellery is able to make enough to help with the bills. My family is also so great and understanding, and my animals are my best companions during the day when my fiancee is at work. Staying positive isn't always easy, but with great friends and family around you, it sure is better than being alone.
OH! We set a date for the wedding finally! September 12, 2009 it is, and my parents are not only paying for my dress, my mom is actually making it! We bought the fabric this past weekend and I'm so grateful, I can't even explain.
That's it for now, blog you later!
Meghann

The Fibro Diaries: December 12

After a visit to my rheumatologist this morning, I am finally able to wean myself off the Lyrica. It has been giving me constant nausea, and I have been having increasingly bad asthma attacks and chest pain on this medication. Though I was willing to accept the severe side effects if the pain subsided, the pain has done nothing but increase steadily over the last few months.
After going off this medication, I will be trying Cessamet, a synthetic THC derivative. Some Fibromites have has success with it, and I hope to add to that number.
I am still unable to work, and my exams dates draw ever closer, so I need relief as soon as possible.
My prayers go out to everyone who have this disease, and hopefully we will have a cure soon.
Keep checking back, as I intend to start a new blog on Gluten free and Low Allergy cooking as soon as possible. I'll post the links as soon as it's up.
Happy Christmas!
Meghann