Wow, it has been a very long time!

Wow, I can't believe it has been so long since I have last checked in.  My life has been crazy and I have been having some health problems but that isn't any real excuse for not checking in...in fact it probably would have done me good to check in and write about some of my frustrations!!!!!

Oh well, it is summer right now and the kids are home for the summer and we are going full-bore with life and to be honest I am completely and utterly exhausted right now.  It is so hard right now.  My baby sister just got married last week and it was an absolutely beautiful wedding and I'm so happy for her but her bachelorette party was Thursday, rehearsal Friday and wedding was Saturday and then we had to drive the 7 hours home on Sunday so needless to say, I am completely exhausted.
Lauren and Ryan were great and had so much fun at the wedding and so did Conor and I but I am definitely paying for it this week.  The kids wanted to resume our normal go-go-go lifestyle but I just couldn't.  I am so tired.  It is 6:45 on a Saturday night and I'm already in my jammies trying to keep my eyes open...I think Daddy is on duty tonight :)

I have to remember that it is OK to ask Conor to step in while he is home for the weekend so that hopefully I can regain my strength for the upcoming week.

Diet soda no more!!!!!

 As you all know, I have a major diet coke addiction but over the past few weeks, I have been cutting them down about about 1 per day which I'm very proud of.  Well, today, because I didn't feel well, I lapsed back into my bad behavior and had more than I should have.  Guess what...it is is 2am and I'm awake because I was laying in bed with such bad twitches that once again the whole bed was shaking.  This hadn't happened in about a week and it got me thinking to what triggered it the last time and I realized the last time was when I had more than a few diet sodas in a day.  I had been getting the "twitches" on a pretty regular basis but then they had gone away until last week and then again today.  The neurologist had been chalking them up to my CNS involvement but could it be due to the diet soda?????

Paleolithic Diet

I was talking with a coworker the other day about this diet which basically has you eat what your ancestors ate and it seems to make sense.  Basically you eat non-processed foods and what the cavemen ate.  I've done some reading and there is some anectodal evidence that it has helped with Lupus symptoms so I think I may give it a shot.  It is going to be very difficult to stick to as it cuts out all of my favorite foods like sugar, breads and pasta but in the long run, even if it doesn't help with my lupus it will help me to eat better.

I did it

I got my butt in gear and made it to the gym this morning!!!!  Yeah to me!  It sucks because the only time that I can go is 4:30am because of the kids but at least I went.  I sure hope that this is the beginning of good things for me.

Please keep my dad in your prayers

I am now at my parents' house as my father suffered a massive heart attack last night.  My mother called me this morning to let me know and we came up here as soon as we found out.  I just got back from visiting him and he is doing better but it is so tough to see my daddy looking so tired.  He is in the ICU but they plan to move him down tomorrow and hopefully he will be discharged in a few days.  He exercises and eats right so it is just one of those fluke things.  It came as such a huge shock to all of us because he is so healthy but it is his good health that also kept him alive and will allow him to heal.

Live each day to the fullest as you never know when today could be your last and love like today is your last!!!!!

Going Out Tonight

I can't believe it but I finally feel well enough to go out with my husband tonight.  I'm nervous because I'm meeting a bunch of his friends from work which I have never met before but I'm also excited.  We are heading into New York City so it should be a good night but I've got these irrational fears that make no sense.  Since I'm on high doses of prednisone, I've got the lovely moon face so I'm very self-conscience of that and even though I'm watching my eating and joined the gym there is nothing I can do about my "round" face.  Then I wear a wig because I have lost most of my hair due to the Lupus so I worry that they will either notice it is a wig or it will fall off or something.  I know that these are completely irrational but since it has been so long since I have been out with "new" people that I'm a nervous wreck.  I'm super excited but also super nervous.

I joined a gym!

I'm so excited and I just had to share that I went and joined a gym this evening.  My doctor told me that it would be a good idea to start exercising and that scared the crap out of me because in the past everytime I have tried to exercise, it has resulted in a major flare and I told her that.  She told me to join a gym and get a trainer that can help design a plan for me and just take it slow.  About five minutes down the road, a new gym is just opening tomorrow and I decided to join.  It is a bit on the pricey side but the trainers are certified and are used to dealing with disability and arthitis.  The biggest thing though was that the gym has a pool which none of the other "cheaper" gyms have around here.  Water aerobics is the best thing for me and my joints so I'm super excited about it.  I do feel a little guilty though as we are trying to watch our spending and we have a "gym" in our basement but I feel like I need the "push" of a trainer and the gym to really get me going.

Besides, I need to loose some of my prednisone weight before boating season starts in another few months ;)