barefut impressions

There are stages we go through after diagnosis that go something like this:

1. Diagnosis

2. Shock

3. Denial

4. Adjustments

5. Proactivity

6. Gratitude

7. Acceptance

8. Peace

At least these are what I have experienced, along with an underlying grief that tends to resurface now and then.

In my first blog entry I talked about my diagnosis and my shock. When I was done freaking out, I moved in and out of denial for awhile. I figured as long as my symptoms weren't bothering me too much then I could just pretend that scleroderma didn't exist in me.

And while I was busy in denial, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, babysitting 5 kids in addition to my own, and generally knocking myself out with housework, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, and being chauffeur to play dates, sports practices and games, I realized that if I was going to try to keep up at that pace, then I was going to have to ask for help.

Since I was (and still am) not good at asking for help, I had to let some things go, beginning with my yard. It saddens me since I have always loved gardening and enjoy the feeling of a hard day's work and seeing the before and after. I take pride in my home's landscape. Now I had to watch the weeds grow, let my dream projects go and try to not let it bother me.

I have not given up on my gardening. I just do what I can, when I can, and try not to stress about what's always left to do. A garden is never reallly "done" anyway. But here is where that grief comes in. I will always long for the days when my body allowed me to do pretty much whatever I wanted. And I still grieve for the loss of what once was.

I still have a tendency towards denial, or "functional denial" as I like to call it. Sort of a healthy denial if you will, in which I do acknowledge scleroderma; I've taken my doctor's advice on treatment; I have made adjustments in my life to accommodate my limited abilities and I continue to go about my business of living life to its fullest without even thinking about scleroderma for the most part. So, I suppose you could call it acceptance.

Making adjustments was and is hard. Really hard! When you've always been one to do it yourself as well as for others, it's just not in your vocabulary to ask for help. I still have a hard time asking for help and won't unless it's absolutely necessary.

Making adjustments has been a real learning experience. I have had to learn to look at a scrappy yardscape and not care (too much). I have had to learn to be able to relax in a messy house. I have had to learn to not feel guilty for feeding my kids instant oatmeal for dinner two nights in a row and for having to dig dirty socks out of the hamper for them to wear because I just couldn't get around to doing the laundry. (Incidentally I solved this problem by buying more socks. Lots and lots of socks!)

Replacing the word "lazy" with the word "pacing" was helpful. If I was a healthy person, you could call me lazy. Since I have scleroderma, I am pacing myself. Most days I can get up and clean the house for 20 minutes then I need to take a break for 20 minutes. And that's okay. Things take longer to get done and I don't get near as much done as I would like to, or as I used to, but it's just one of those adjustments I've had to make and I accept it gladly in exchange for being able to do it at all.

I also learned that accepting help was almost as hard as asking for help. It does take a bit of pride swallowing and with my esophageal problems.....well you know.

After learning more and more about scleroderma and its tag along friends like Raynaud's, interstitial lung disease, the GI business and more, I decided I was going to take a proactive approach to my treatment and care.

I noticed some loss of range of motion in my hands. I dread losing any function in my hands. So I went to hand therapy as a preventive measure. I learned a lot of great stretching exercises and bought myself a parafin wax bath as well as a small hand massager that helps to keep my joints flexible. I use it on my tight face too and it helps a lot.

Since getting any kind of outdoor exercise in the cold months is aggravating to my Raynaud's, I bought myself a treadmill with the gift money from my dear ol' dad. Now just finding the discipline to get on it regularly is another story. But hey, it was a proactive move!

I also finally started making multi-vitamins, probiotics and glucosamine a regular part of my "pharmaceutical food group" as a fellow sclerodermian in my town refers to her handfulls of daily pills.

Massage is also something I would like to make a regular part of my care but it ain't cheap! Our town has a school of massage and offers student massages 3-4 times/year at a great rate, so I try to hit those.

It feels good taking charge of my body and my care and treatment. I feel empowered and determined to not let scleroderma rule me but for me to rule scleroderma.

I have two very active young boys who need me and too much life left to live to let sclero get the best of me.

Next: Gratitude, Acceptance and Peace

Wow! Been awhile....

What's new with me? A teenage driver (and all the angst associated with it) A new (used) car (and all the angst associated with that). Dating (and you guessed it - more angst)

All angst aside, I have missed this place! I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected. I am status quo for me :)

Need to do some reading and catching up and then will get back to you all with my usual wit and humor ;)

Spoons to all!

XOXO

Barefut

Hard dry skin that cracks and bleeds

Sausage fingers do impede

Whose hands are these

That so betray me

Stiff and clumsy

Oh how they fray me

And in the cold turn white then blue

Not to mention painful too

Whose hands are these

I don't recognize

Fingers swollen twice their size

I lay them in my lap to rest

Before I put them to another test

Telangiectasia are red

My fingers are blue

This disease feels like

Always having the flu

Sometimes I do well

Other times I do not

It's not just my body

My attitude is shot

So when I am angry

And I don't give a care

I come to this place

For my feelings to share

I know I am safe here

With my scleropeeps

For they understand

This awful disease

Contrary to what I know you all think of me, I don't have it all together. Nope, I'm not the calm, cool, collected supermom with all the answers that I appear to be. ;) But make no mistake! I USED to be! (if only in my mind). :rolleyes: That could be why I suffer from the occasional anxiety attack today. Just talked myself out of a full blown, chest crushing, hyperventalating, finger tingling, arm numbing, dizzying panic attack - well with a little help from my doctor's nurse, bless her heart!

The first time I had a full blown anxiety attack was on a hot, stuffy, crowded plane. I managed to talk myself out of that one too. The fear of embarrassment and causing a scene was greater than the fear of what was happening to my body - even though all I wanted to do was rip off all my clothes and jump out the window. :o

The next one came in the middle of a meeting where as secretary, I was taking notes. I had to excuse myself and go home. The worst one was about 2 years ago here at home in the middle of the night. I thought I was having a heart attack and it may have been triggered by an esophageal spasm. I had to call 911 before I passed out. My youngest son is still traumatized by the EMT's taking me away.

Today, I just couldn't stop my mind from racing. I started fretting over - well, everything! The foremost in my mind - getting my son and his friend to their driver's ed class on time (I'd better be careful here or I may relapse). My mind flooded with what-ifs. What if the bridge opens for marine traffic and makes us late? If we're late they will charge us $15. What if there's an accident? What if WE are in an accident? I should not let my son drive...

From there it just went on and on until my stomach was in knots and my chest was so tight I couldn't breathe. I envisioned the medics coming again and I sure did not want that so I called my doctor's office and my nurse helped me to breathe regularly again. She consulted my doctor and he advised me to have someone drive me to the walk-in clinic and get checked out.

I told them I could have my son drive me there when he got home in an hour but after I felt a little better I decided not to go. I really, really do not want to worry him, or my youngest, plus I have to be here to babysit a 7 year old when the elementary bus arrives. I seriously considered asking my dad or my sister to drive my son and his friend to driver's ed but I don't want to put them out. So again, my fear of worrying others or having to put someone out of their way for me, overcomes my anxieties. I know that is wrong. But I cannot help it.

My nurse said turn on the tv for a distraction. Too annoying! Writing to yall here is a good distraction for me.

I made an appointment to see my doctor first thing in the morning to discuss what to do with me. Here comes the high school bus - time to suck it up - again.

*Sigh* I'll be alright - nobody worry about me! I mean it!

Later....

You - will - not - be - lieve - it! :blink: The bridge DID open for marine traffic! We were about 20 cars too late to make it across. I - do -not - be - lieve - it! I have not gotten stuck on the bridge in well over a year! Marine traffic is not a regular thing - maybe a couple times a week? And on the very first day of driver's ed class, the very thing I was fretting about, happened and made us late.

Thankfully not too late and as it turns out more than 1/2 the class (9 out of 14 students) all come from our side of the bridge. It's normally only a 1/2 hour drive but if you get stuck for a bridge opening (thus a closing) then you can add at least another 1/2 hour to your travel. The instructor didn't charge anybody for being late. I don't think that's fair anyway.

Well once there, the kids hurried in and I had brought my crossword puzzle book to occupy myself for the next 2 hours but there was a nice break in the rain and the night air felt good so I went for a walk. I had not walked through this olde part of this cute Scandanavian town in more than 15 years. It looks a bit like Santa's North Pole only without the snow. The shops are precious and the bistros and restaurants were warm and inviting as was the famous bakery which had all their wares in the window - taunting me.

It was a nice, peaceful walk, a good distraction. I got back to Betsy just as it started to rain again. I just sat and enjoyed the sound of the rain on the roof of the suburban. Before I knew it, the kids were coming out and we headed home. They have their first drive tomorrow! I can't believe my baby is driving.

Well it's off to bed now. I have an early doctor appt. Going to be pretty embarrassing. I hope he can fix me.

4:18 am - I'M UP!

In browsing some info on anxiety attacks, I found this from helpguide.org:

"A panic attack may be a one-time occurrence, but many people experience repeat episodes. Recurrent panic attacks are often triggered by a specific situation, such as crossing a bridge or speaking in public – especially if that situation has caused a panic attack before. Usually, the panic-inducing situation is one in which you feel endangered and unable to escape."

Ha-Ha-Ha!!!

"Humor is the sword with which I battle this disease" ~ Barbara Lowe

Whether you are battling a chronic illness or just life itself, humor is the sharpest, most effective weapon we have at our disposal. It's free, easy to use, you don't need a permit or any special training and you can't accidentally kill anyone with it (at least I don't think so). And the best part? You can open carry.

So where can we find this thing called humor? Well besides all of the obvious places like Comedy Central, your spam folder and the sheriff's log, it's everywhere. You just have to look. There is a variety of humor to choose from - something for every personality. And there are endless places to find it. Start by looking in your own home. My kids, for example, crack me up. Whether I am laughing with them or at them, there is never a shortage of humor there.

Facebook. I have been facebook free for 29 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes. The thing I miss the most, besides my friends, is the humor. There's nothing like starting your day with a good abdominal workout from the belly laughs. Just be careful about drinking and scrolling or you could end up with the proverbial milk through the nose - in my case coffee - not pleasant.

We all know that laughter is the best medicine. Again, it's free. It's also safe, legal and you don't need a prescription or a green card. The only side effect is that it may be contagious.. The best thing? Overdosing on laughter is a GOOD for you!

It's hard for me to think of any downsides to using humor - unless you happen to run across someone who has never themselves used it before. With these individuals, you can take your best shots, using the most high calibur humor and still, they may remain impervious to it. You can try as you might to get them to take off their armor but if they don't want to, it's best just to move on to another target and hope for a bullseye. It's those bullseyes that make all your efforts worth it.

No need to bother opening the blinds this morning. It's going to be another one of those dreary, cold, winter days in the Pacific Northwest where the fog never lifts all day. There is no distinction between early morning and early evening because the light stays the same dark grey all day. Best to just keep the ugly outside and try and make my inside as cheerful as possible. On goes my happy light and I scoot it extra close and set the timer for the full 45 minutes.

Then it's time to don my sound blocking headphones and blog up my peeps because that always cheers me up.

My youngest is so very perky and chatty first thing in the morning, not unlike a small terrier scampering around your feet. "Are ya still gonna make strawberry shortcake for breakfast, mom? Are ya? Huh? Are ya still gonna do that? I'm hungry, can I help? Can I? Huh?"

I was up from 3am to 6am browsing the archives of my "Barefut Impressions" hoping that would put me back to sleep. I got a whole hour nap in from 6am - 7am before I was awakened by a cat's wet nose poking me in the face. "Are yew awake mama? Are ya huh? I'm hungry. Are you going to put some food in my dish yet? Are ya? Are ya huh?" Poke poke poke.

OKAY! I'M UP! Food in cat dish - the strawberry shortcake can wait until I am able to move without hobbling and I can remember my name. I warmed up a cup of the really, really bad coffee that I brewed at 3am. Note to self: Don't buy the cheap stuff anymore. No kind or amount of cream or sugar in the world will make it taste any better.

It is chore day. All day. Bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and laundry. My kids are going to hate me all day and because of my lack of sleep, I will be especially intolerant of their whining and half hearted "efforts" to get their jobs done. There will be a lot of yelling, from each of us, and a lot of door slamming and cussing from my youngest.

This is starting to sound like that new orange juice commercial where the guy sits down with everyone he will encounter throughout his day and they tell him what he is in for, "At 9 am you will have a flat tire..." And after hearing about all of his challenges for the day he smiles and says, "Good thing I have my orange juice".

I tell ya it's going to take a lot more than orange juice to get me through this day with a smile. I'm having a flashback to a dream I had recently...

"Hey mom! When are you going to make the strawberry shortcake?!"

Gotta go....

I just woke up from a dream that I was with a group of about 5 people who were supposed to be working with me as a team trying to save a bunch of precious historic photographs and stone artifacts before the tide came in and destroyed them.

Instead of gathering up the stacks and stacks of photos and putting them into the boxes, one woman kept taking them out of their boxes. Then she ripped one of the boxes and everything went everywhere. Everyone else was just fooling around on the beach, not helping at all.

It started raining tiny razor-like raindrops and the tide started washing over the stacks of photos that were sitting on the rocks. I tried to grab as many as I could and put them up on higher ground. My efforts were futile and everyone abandoned me on the shore because they didn't want to get wet and didn't understand why I cared so much about any of it.

I noticed that the water went from crystal blue to muddy brown. I was angry and frustrated and overwhelmed but I still kept on trying to save whatever photos I could as I yelled at the others trying to convince them that this was important and we had to get it done.

Wowza, well this one is a no-brainer to figure out. If you know me, this is my waking life. Dreams are fun, funny, weird, scary and sometimes dreams are a wake-up call.

yogurt

bagels and cream cheese

eggs

toast

cereal

instant oatmeal

bananas

strawberries

pancake mix

sausage

instant breakfast drinks

coffee

orange juice

milk

hot cocoa

"Most GOOD moms would not let their kids go to school without breakfast or at least would have food in the house!"

The honeymoon is over. Pretty amazing how quickly a mom of a teenager can go from feeling hugged to feeling kicked in the gut. That is the list of "No Food" you see there. Pretty obvious that it's not a lack of food in the house but rather the lack of a mom who is able, available or willing to get up and make it for him. I hate mornings.

And this morning I have someone else's sick kid home with me - coughing and gagging and hacking his germs all over the place. UGH. I had him 3 days last week too. We just finished going over the proper way to wash our hands - and when we need to wash them. He's pretty good about coughing into his shirt collar but I am mad that I threw out the child masks I picked up last week - though he wouldn't put them over his nose, he at least wore them over his mouth.

My nerves are fried. A coma sounds nice. I hate that I require so much down time. I swear, if I had no responsibilities to anyone but me, I would sleep for days and when I woke up, I would enjoy complete solitude for weeks before I would feel like I needed to rejoin the rest of the world. And it's not that the rest of my world is all bad - it's not - I love my life. I just wish I had the energy to live it.

My 15 year old son gave me an unsolicited hug this morning then a few minutes later we had this exchange:

He: Do you feel really bad when you don't take your pills?

Me: Yes

He: Do you feel really bad when you do take your pills?

Me; Well some of them do have some bad side effects.

He: Like what?

Me: Well 2 of them make me dizzy and nauseous but then so does this disease (gastrointestinal involvement) And one of them makes me irritable (we smile at each other)

Me: Why are you asking?

He: Because I just want to know how you feel.

Me - instant tears. What sclerodermian does not want to hear that?! From ANYONE let alone their children? Ohhhh I'm going to feel hugged all day. This gave me chills yet made me feel warm all over. And then I thought about what it must be like for him to have a mom with scleroderma.

I would love to interview children of parents with chronic illnesses and put together an anthology. In fact I am composing questions in my mind as I type this.

Ahhhh it was back to school for the kids today after their 2 week holiday break - which felt more like a month! I tell you, I couldn't get them out of the house fast enough this morning (Where IS that bus?!) I was easily irritated and felt like my nerves were fried with the first clink of a spoon this morning. I don't do sudden loud noises very well. If I was a cat you would find me clinging to the ceiling by my claws. I'm not usually that bad in the mornings but alas - it's a wonder how very little sleep will change your personality.

So being as I hardly slept last night, I curled up on the couch with my heating pad the minute the last kid set foot on the bus. Now I am up from a 3 hour nap, feeling as fit and refreshed as a troll run over by a bus and ready to start my day at the crack of noon. As it should be - and guilt free. (Yea good luck with that guilt free part there kiddo.) Although there is a lot for me to do around here I decided to allow my body one do-nothing day. Now if I could just get my mind to follow suit.

Dirty bathrooms, piles of laundry, and moldy window frames are haunting me. Not to mention that giant box of papers I need to dive into, sort out, and figure out, in preparation for the Little League Auction and Spaghetti Dinner in April. It's been 15 years since I worked in Banquets/Conference Services but I have not forgotten what a lot of work it is and how attention to details - and lots of them! - is mandatory. I am worried that my now feeble sclerobrain will fail me - and therefore everyone! AGH! The pressure!

I'm going back to sleep.

7 years ago yesterday I heard my doctor say "diffuse systemic scleroderma" to me over the phone. It was the same day my friend and neighbor heard his cancer diagnosis. I am thankful beyond words to still be here and call myself a survivor because my friend did not make it. He fought hard for nearly 3 years and left behind a 13 year old son, my son's best friend.

I always take this time of year to reflect back on everything I have been though with this disease and then count my blessings for having been able to come through it. To be able to continue to be mom to my boys is - well there is no greater gift.

And I remember all of those precious fighting spirits that we have lost to scleroderma. All amazing people who suffered more than anyone should have to with any disease. All of whom were always there encouraging others and always seemed to be smiling though they themselves had it so hard. When I think of what they fought through I am ashamed of myself for complaining even one little bit.

It is from them that I draw my strength and perseverance every day. I feel like I owe it to them to take the best possible care of myself and my boys - because I am still here. I am one of the lucky ones. Scleroderma has been kind to me in that it's onset and progression has been slow. I have been blessed with time. Time to learn, and love and laugh. Time to grow spiritually, emotionally and creatively. Time to just be all that I am, warts and all and to share the precious time that I have been given with my boys and my family, friends and community. And for that time I am thankful beyond words.

Ohhhhhhh my goodness will someone please remind me to never, ever even THINK that I can take my two boys, my eldest's friend and the 7 year old I sometimes babysit on a 45 minute car ride to the next town for shopping - even if it is only to pick up the photo prints I ordered and exchange a gift.

It's only 3:30 pm and I've cracked open a beer for lack of any other sedative in the house. I feel like my head has been through a blender and I really don't know HOW we even got home without an accident. "STOP KICKING MY SEAT!" "STOP CALLING ME A LOSER!" "STOP SPITTING ON ME!" "I'M NOT SPITTING ON YOU!" "YES YOU ARE!" "NO I'M NOT!".........You get the idea.

It would seem to me that 15 year olds would understand the cause and effect logic behind poking a sleeping bear. No different, mind you, than throwing a balled up gum wrapper at a 7 year old in the back seat.

Just when we thought he was settled down....

7 yr. old: "HEEEEEYYYY!!!! WHO THREW THAT AT ME?! THEY'RE THROWING ROCKS AT ME!"

Two 15 yr. olds: "Shhhhhh! You're too loud! You lose the quiet game! Mom, make him be quiet."

47 yr old: "You poked him just to hear him roar so enjoy the fruits of your labor."

7 yr old: "FRUIT?! WHO HAS FRUIT? I WANT SOME FRUIT!"

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE watching that little 7 year old. He is a hoot! Smart, smart, smart and asks A LOT of questions - that's why he's so smart. And he remembers everything you tell him - EVERYTHING! I don't mind answering his endless barrage of questions - most of the time. I told him to never stop asking questions even if a grown up tells him to because that's how you become smart. I regretted that the minute it came out of my mouth and the next second found myself telling him he asks too many questions.

I had to explain the difference between a smart question and a, well, a question that he can answer for himself:

"Ya know kiddo, sometimes if you just go with the flow and wait and see, a lot of your questions will be answered before you even ask them."

7 yr. old: "What do you mean?"

Me: "Just wait..."

So my youngest has gone off to his friend's house and the two 15 year olds are outside shooting hoops and "my" little 7 year old just now comes up and gives me an unsolicited hug for no apparent reason.

Awe ♥ I told you I love that kid.

Every time I pull into my driveway and see the over grown weeds, the lawn that needs mowing and all the unfinished chores and projects, I wonder what others think when they come over to drop off their kid or to pick up mine. I wonder what my neighbors think. What do strangers think? "Boy, there's a house that needs painting, a yard that needs mowing..."

Then I think, what does it matter? It only matters if it matters to me. I certainly care more about what I think than what others think. So I have to decide if it is worth the physical, mental and emotional effort to step up the maintenance and consider what would be neglected if I did because I can't do it all.

I also have to consider whether or not it is physically, mentally and emotionally economical to let caring about it take up space in my head. I am constantly reassessing what to allow myself to care about. What is really important? What/where should my priorities be? The limitations this disease puts on me makes those decisions much harder than if I were healthy. Not that I could do it all alone if I were healthy either but I could certainly do a lot more!

Having to be an example to my kids also makes these decisions harder. What do I want them to see? How do I want them to be? What matters? Does it matter if it looks like we live in an abandoned house? (I exaggerate, but not much) Does it matter if everything around here is falling into disrepair? Does it matter if our whole house is always messy?

What matters to me is my choice. What matters to my kids is also their choice but they are still in the process of learning from me. That's a lot of pressure. Most days I cannot lead by example and it is pretty lame to say, "If I felt better the house/yard/whatever would not look like this - I need your help boys" No, they are watching me and absorbing my habits like little sponges. What standards they grow up with will be the standards they carry as adults.

I grew up in a neat, clean house with beautiful landscaping. My parents let us keep our bedrooms how we wanted - if they were messy we had to keep the door closed but the rest of the house had to always be presentable as if company were coming. And this is how my home and yard were always kept until scleroderma came knocking.

These days most of the house keeping takes place in my head; whether I am wishing the dishes clean or organizing my thoughts and throwing out the ones that don't matter.

Helloooo Again My Friends!

Well, baseball season ended with my youngest as starting pitcher for the 9 - 10 All Stars. He pitched a no hitter! This proud and shameless momma had to send her best pic to the newspapers ^_^ We beat our rivals in that game 12 - 2. We lost our next 2 games and this ended our season.

My 14 year old ended their season 9 and 2. They didn't have enough players to compete in All Stars as everyone went on vacation.Speaking of vacation.....My youngest didn't want to go to camp this year so instead of getting a week of solitude at the most beautiful lake on earth, I am struggling to find a place for him to stay for 2 days and one night so I can get away. My oldest has been practically living at a friend's house all summer - I felt so guilty I bought them some groceries.

Anyone want to buy a candy bar? I over-ordered and am stuck with 6 cases! I feel horrible but people kept telling me they needed more and could sell X amount...by the time the candy got here everyone was done. There are also STILL a hand full of people who have not turned in their money! This makes me mad and stresses me out!! Looks like I'll be selling candy all year.

Football season begins for my 10 year old next Monday. It seems I define my seasons by sports - you certainly can't define them by the weather around here! This has been the worst "summer" for weather here in the Pacific Northwest that I can ever remember. Anyway, Henry is so excited - is it possible for a kid to be addicted to sports? He lives and breathes athletics, works out every day and tells me what is not healthy to eat. Most kids his age are watching cartoons, he watches Sports Center, CONSTANTLY! I love it.

My oldest begins high school in a month! I truly cannot believe I have a highschooler. He does not want to play football this year. Those seniors are big! He is interested in photography, like his mom, and woodworking, like his G'paw.

And speaking of G'paw.....His house is complete! He is all moved in to his new home on my sister's hobby farm property just 15 a minute drive from us. Sister and brother-in-law finally sold their home and will be building their new house next spring.

Me? I have not put as much time and energy into my new business as I had hoped I would have by now. I discovered that our local Friday Market is not worth my time and energy and the big Farmer's Market is not accepting 'artists'. We have a new community owned mercantile opening in September and I went to their 'show and tell' day. The buyers seemed genuinely interested in my photo greeting cards and now I am just waiting for a call. I also have not been out on the beach since May!!!

STILL waiting on approval (refuse to even consider a denial) of a mortgage modification. Applied last September! Have had to resubmit paperwork 3 times! SO very frustrated with that and am trying to stay peaceful and breathe.

Speaking of breathe ;).... I went in for a CT with contrast of my lungs back in May. Doctor said they do appear a little worse than last scan but nothing major. I tried to reduce dosages and/or eliminate some of my meds. With my doctor's approval, I went completely off prednisone and quickly found out that is not an option for me. I am back on 5mg/day and still contemplating asking to go back to 10mgs. Most days are still so very, very hard. I also weaned off of my antidepressant and also found out what a mistake that was. I am back.

Right now my biggest struggle (besides being a single mom to a teenager!) is, and always seems to be, the muscle pain and stiffness. While taking photos of my sister's farm for her, the muscles in my legs and hips burned and cramped so badly I had to sit down in the middle of the blueberry field. It took about 20 minutes before I recovered enough to get up. I promised my rheumatologist that I would walk every day - she asked for a mile and I laughed. I see her in September. I wish she could know this pain. After the blueberry patch episode, I will ask for another 5mg of prednisone. I have decided that the benefits are worth the risks of long term prednisone use for me. I have worked hard for many years to keep the dosage as low as possible. I have found that 10mg makes life bearable. And I am done attempting to taper just to see if I can do it - that was stupid.

I have been trying to get back into my more serious writing. I went out of my comfort zone and attempted some fiction - not too bad but not ready to share. I have poetry welling up inside me. It wants to get out but I think I need those days at the lake to pop the cork.

Wishing everyone a pain free day, week, month year.....

Love and hugs to you all!

Well Helloooooo My Sclerodermian Peeps! :)

I've got to say that even though I am not blogging much lately, I am still always thinking of my friends here. I've been feeling writer's block. Not sure what anyone wants to listen to from me - ha! Anyway, I figured I'd at least check in and fill you in on what I've been up to lately.

I have put 2 of my passions to good use in a new home business which I launched last October. I am using my nature photography to make greeting cards and my love of sea glass to make jewelry. I also incorporate my love of all things 'beachy' into making other crafts as well, such as picture frames, driftwood signs, ornaments and bath salts. I am having a lot of fun with it and learning a lot about being a small business owner along the way. I welcome your crafty ideas as well as any business tips and advice!

It is good for me to be able to work from home, be my own boss and make my own hours. Now if I could just make some big money! My family and friends have been so supportive and encouraging, both with their purchases and their kind words. I am truly blessed! I have to say that it is so very nice, therapeutic even, to be able to go into my craft room and zone out on the rest of the world and just spend a few hours focusing on what makes ME happy. It is a great escape as well as a good distraction from all that ails me. The BEST part of my new job though is combing the beach for sea glass. That is my happy place - where I meditate and it is good for my soul.

I am still working on fine tuning my website and getting the online store launched. Also, it is my goal to have my jewelry in our local shops downtown before the tourist season hits, which is getting close! I also hope to be able to make enough money to purchase some greeting card racks and get my cards into local shops too. I'm learning it takes money to make money! I am impatient. Like the bumper sticker I saw, "I want it all and I want it now and I want it delivered!"

Other news, it's baseball season! Now if only the weather knew that! Both boys are playing Little League this year. My oldest (14) took last year off. I am glad he is back in the swing. I was somehow wrangled into being the Fundraising Coordinator this year. I'm pretty sure the outgoing coordinator waited until I had a glass of wine in me at last year's Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser and then pounced with her request for me to take over. "SURE!" I heard myself say. She was SO grateful it scared me. I have 33 cases of 3 different kinds of candy bars being delivered to my house on Friday! That's 197 boxes for a total of 4,728 candy bars! Each box comes with one kind in it and needs to be reorganized so that there are 3 different kinds in each. That should take care of the Spring Break activities next week! I have to distribute the sorted boxes at the Jamboree on April 7th.

That's all for now.

Stay Healthy, Happy, Safe and Warm!

My sister shared with me The Eyeliner Rule. Back when they were in college she and her friend made the rule that, no matter how lazy they were or how bad they felt, they are to never ever go a day without at least applying eyeliner. I must have been letting myself go.

"If you look good you feel good" she said. Well.....okay...? She obviously has never walked a day in my shoes. I could look like Farrah Fawcet and still feel terrible. But I tried The Eyeliner Rule anyway. It took little effort and it did make me look a little more lively. I had stopped wearing makeup when I quit working at the bank. It's been 2 years now. One less thing to do in the morning when my hands don't work anyway and I have no one to impress.

One day my 9 year old son came home from school and said, "Mom, did you know it takes 21 days to make a good habit?" I must have surpassed the 21 day mark because I had been faithfully applying my eyeliner even on my darkest days. Once in awhile I'd throw on some blush too.

If there is one thing I am consistent at, it's being inconsistent. That is why I surprised myself with The Eyeliner Rule. What other things might I be able to accomplish if I applied The Eyeliner Rule to them?

A Happy New Year to All ~

Six years ago today I learned of my Diffuse Systemic Scleroderma diagnosis. I have come a long way since then thanks to all of the wonderful people I have met here on ISN.

It's been said hundreds, maybe thousands of times by hundreds, maybe thousands of people, what a great place ISN is to find support from the most sincere, kind, compassionate people in the world. Not to mention the best place to find the most abundant, up to date, reliable information on such an obscure, and confusing disease.

Besides information, ISN and all of it's members and staff have brought me tears of compassion, joy and laughter, peace of mind, confidence, and hope. And enabled me to focus on living my life to it's fullest no matter what obstacles scleroderma throws in my path.

Knowing I am not alone in battling this disease is a blessing and I thank each and every one of you for being brave enough to share your stories and your struggles with us all so that we all may learn from, and gain strength from each other.

I take a moment and remember our friends lost to scleroderma and am thankful to have known them, to have been comforted by them, to have learned from them. Beautiful souls.

Best wishes to you all in 2012 for a year full of good health, prosperity and abundant peace, joy and love!

Stay healthy, happy, safe and warm!

I am grateful for my good days. You know the ones - when body parts seem to be cooperating or at least not giving you too much grief. You are cheerful, productive, grateful and optimistic! You think, okay what am I doing right today? What did I eat yesterday? Can I repeat everything so I can have these good days all the time? Then BAM! You wake up the next morning and wonder how many cars were on the train that ran over you last night. If you can get out of bed, you can barely move and everything hurts. And if the pain and fatigue itself is not bad enough, you are crabby, helpless, bitter and mad. You don't even want to be around yourself so you know you'd better stay away from friends and family. Ironically, this is the exact time when you need friends and family the most.

And so the story goes day in and day out. You never know when you go to 'sleep' at night (and I use the term 'sleep' lightly - pun intended) how you are going to wake up in the morning. Will you be at the top of the roller coaster full of energy and optimism? Or at the bottom of the roller coaster looking up at the hill you must climb? Psychologically this makes a perfect recipe for bipolar disorder. If your physical pain does not drive you crazy the emotional highs and lows surely will.

Subsequently, I find that on my good days I am probably overly cheerful, grateful and optimistic (nobody wants to be around that either) so I tend to think I can conquer the world. Play catch up for all of my down days and solve the world's economic crisis at the same time. Then, you guessed it - crash and burn.

Finding balance is especially hard when dealing with chronic illness. Our highs are higher and our lows are lower than your average healthy person. Pacing ourselves is crucial to finding balance. As well as paying very close attention to our bodies and our moods.

It is recommended and I know a lot of us do keep a health journal. Writing down what we eat, how we feel and what our day consisted of can be a helpful tool in learning how to pace yourself as well as find balance. This doesn't have to be time consuming. It can be as simple as using a calender to assign each day a mood and/or pain marker on a scale of 1 - 10. Keeping a separate food diary where you record what you eat and time of day can also bring insight into what makes us feel better or worse.

Paying close attention to our bodies is especially important. With chronic illness, we tend to ignore so much. It's innate; I think it's a survival mechanism. We don't want to be constantly focusing on every single body part that squeaks but I think we do need to set aside some time in our days to sit still, be quiet, close our eyes and take inventory of what is going on in our bodies. Write it down and then move on. When I have done this and then gone back and read past entries I have been surprised by a lot of what I wrote because I had forgotten about this or that - these being recurring things that are worth mentioning to my doctor.

We also have to give ourselves a break. Not only physical breaks but mental/emotional breaks. First of all NOBODY is perfect even healthy people, so if your house isn't as clean as you'd like it (my hurdle) or you have to give up some things and/or give in to others, tell yourself it's OKAY. Just don't fall into the trap of doing it all the time and becoming truly lazy. We can give ourselves breaks but we also have to know when to get up and PUSH! Think of PUSH as Persevering Under Sorry Health and ask yourself, "Can I PUSH today? Or do I need to lay low?"

One last thing - chronic illness and depression go hand in hand. Be aware of the signs of depression. These include: prolonged sadness, apathy, social isolation, lack of motivation, and a feeling of hopelessness. Please don't be afraid to ask your doctor for help. You deserve to feel better.

The cursor sits blinking in sync with my heartbeat waiting for me to grace the blank white space with words of wisdom, hope, empathy, humor or a share of despair.

But who am I to think I can write? Who am I to think I can change a life?

The cursor mocks me. Dares me. Laughs at me. Yes, who are YOU?

I am just a girl. Just a mom. Just a person. Just swimming.

Breathing, seeing, listening, breathing.

Experiencing, learning, evolving.

Stepping carefully and sometimes not so carefully - sometimes on people's toes - but always learning.

Paying attention, making mistakes, paying my dues, and making progress.

Slow by some people's standards but still progress nonetheless.

Careful not to judge others and yet judging myself by standards set on high.

Who am I to think I can write - change a life with my words, or just make someone think, or laugh, or feel better for just a moment?

The cursor IS my heartbeat. The words are from my heart.

It is with great pleasure that I am able to tell you that our Sweet Pam is just as Sweet IN PERSON as she is here in the forums!

On Saturday August 20 Pam, her hubby Brian and their little fluff ball Pomeranian arrived in Port Townsend, via their way cool speed boat, to meet me. Little old ME! Yes, there were tears.

I met Pam online when I joined ISN back in 2006. For awhile I was a support specialist alongside her. I have always wanted to meet her and thought it would be possible ‘someday’ as she lives just a hop skip and a jump over the Cascade Mountains from me. I am so grateful that she and her wonderful husband, Brian made the effort to make it happen.

We had so much fun! After the boys and I picked them up at the marina we went out to visit my sister and brother-in-law at their mini farm. After a short tour we sat on the covered porch of the barn, enjoyed the cool breeze and talked while my youngest son Henry brushed Bob the sheep.

We came home for an easy dinner of pizza. It was so great to have her here in my home. I wished she didn’t have to leave. Just before dusk we drove them back to the marina. I think my boys asked Brian for a boat ride and before I knew it we were speeding along Port Townsend’s bay at dusk, looking at the lights of town and enjoying the delighted looks on my boys’ faces.

Braden got to drive the boat, Henry was too afraid he’d wreck it, but was happy to sit next to Pam and I and enjoy the wind in his face and the speed of the boat. I enjoyed seeing my town from the waterside, a view I have only seen from the ferry so it was nice to get a closer look. We boated out to the lighthouse. On the way back, as we approached the marina, I started to feel a lump in my throat as I knew I was going to have to say good-bye in a few minutes.

It was almost dark once we docked. There were hugs all around, more tears as I choked back that lump in my throat and then we were on our way back home. I felt like I had known Pam all my life. She and Brian felt like family. They ARE now my family! The boys and I are planning the trek over the mountains next summer to visit them. And if my evil plan works they will be moving to Port Townsend soon!

So my oldest son, Braden (13) had never heard the term "head shrinker" before and when he saw the note I wrote myself reminding me of my first appointment with a mental health counselor, he thought I was having plastic surgery.

I have not seen a counselor since my diagnosis 5 1/2 years ago, though I have struggled with depression off and on all my life. Lately, and by lately I mean since I quit working a year and a half ago, I have been struggling with it again.

For those who suffer with depression or are close to someone who does, I don't have to tell you what an insidious monster it is (hey, kind of like scleroderma!) Social isolation, lack of motivation, prolonged sadness, apathy and hopelessness take over and on a good day, you feel like an extension of the couch you lie on. When you DO care about anything, the feeling is guilt for not being, doing, accomplishing what you think you should. And then more sadness for being AWOL on your kids, and other loved ones and feeling like you are losing/wasting precious time, precious life.

All the things you once loved doing are now chores and all the chores you once hated doing are absolute impossibilities. Daily, hourly weeping feels good because at least you are feeling something. However, it does sometimes get in the way when you are pumping gas and you start bawling for no apparent reason. The last thing you want is complete strangers asking what is wrong and if you are okay.

So, I am seeing a head shrinker now and if she really could shrink my head that would be great because between my weight gain and the prednisone, I am pretty much hating my chipmunk face.

She, we'll call her Deloris, gives me homework assignments. The first week's assignments were geared towards getting back to doing the things I love and reducing stress. So #1. Write. Just keep writing. Even if it's just a line or two just write. #2. Let my boys work out some of their squabbles (nice word for it) with each other, on their own. #3. I don't remember #3 but hey! 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

At today's appointment I cried about feeling guilty and like a loser when my sister comes over to do her laundry and then always cleans my house when she's here. So, we are working on getting rid of the guilt. My assignment: Repeat, "I have an illness, I AM NOT THE illness." whenever I start to feel like a worthless loser. However, I cannot let myself use scleroderma all the time for my lameness.

Finding balance is hard.

Money in the bank. Bills paid. What a relief! :emoticons-line-dance:

So tired today - must go nap. Wanted to spread the good news first.

Everyone take good care!

When my boys have left the nest

Am I going to miss their mess?

Will I be a sad mom lonely and old

Sitting in a clean house missing the mold

The wet towels on the bathroom floor

The toothpaste in the sink that makes me roar

Moldy dishes in their window sills

Muddy footprints and sticky spills

Dirty socks behind the TV

Suckers in the carpet and pee on the seat

Candy wrappers everywhere

Bubble gum stuck in their hair

All these things that make me weary

When I am old, will I be teary

When I am old will my only wish

Be for a muddy footprint, a moldy dish

My heart and head says today embrace it

Because tomorrow I will want to retrace it

05 November 2008

Posted by barefut

Okay Barb, do you want to stop making me cry now?

I couldn't agree with you more on all points except for maybe the part about me dealing with parenthood immaculately. I muddle through. Seems I am constantly looking for role models and asking every parent I know, "Do you run into this (or that) - what do you do?" As with Scleroderma, I guess I just don't want to feel all alone in this uncertain adventure called parenthood.

Then there's my two subtypes of being a Parent:

1. Single Parent

2. Single Parent with Scleroderma

Yes, we are rare. I would like to bend the ear of other single parents with scleroderma. I don't know of many. Maybe I will put out an all points bulletin in the Sclero Den. I think I need to be relieved of some of my guilt by knowing I am not the only one who ...parents like me. For me, sclero mom equals slacker mom.