Today was my last check in for the patch testing…and there was absolutely nothing. So not sure where we’re going from here, other than the allergy shots…
Not one allergy reaction!
Category Archives: Health & Well-Being
Patch testing was a bust.
I was legit not allergic to a single thing they tested for. Which sounds great — yay, no allergies! — but it also means I have no answers. I technically still need to wait two more days (and come back again) in case there are any latent reactions…but I’m not holding out hope. And again, no showering.
Patch testing day!
Testing a whopping 43 different things like chemicals, metals, preservatives, medications, etc. I’m really hoping this gives me some answers.
I get to leave these for two days, at which point I come back so they can remove them and see if I have any reactions. So no showering because I can’t get them wet.
Katie’s first blood draw!
She went in for a possible UTI (it was negative) but while we were there discussed her frequent nose bleeds and the doc said we might as well get her tested for blood clotting disorders as the first step… She did great! That test was negative, too.
A new way to stop hiccups!
I just googled how to stop hiccups in case there were any new methods I didn’t know and found these (all ways you can try to release the pressure):
- Holding your breath (for 5-10 seconds)
- Bearing down (for 5-10 seconds)
- Gargling with cold water
- Swallowing air
- Pulling on the tongue
- Pulling the knees up to the chest for up to a minute in a seated position
- Pressing firmly on closed eyeballs
- Biting into a lemon
- Spoonful of sugar
I hadn’t seen the eyeball thing and it sounded ridiculous so of course I tried it…and holy crap it worked!!
https://www.prevention.com/health/a42420343/how-to-get-rid-of-hiccups/
Allergy testing!
Here we go! I’m hopefully going to get some answers to why my eyes (and face) have been red, dry, and puffy.
I confirmed that environmental intradermal testing is first. Then a patch test (for chemicals, etc., at another date), and then it’s a discussion with the doctor of we want/need to try foods.
The first tests were just a simple pinprick. The follow up are actual under the skin shots. I need 19 of the 21 available.
By the time she was done with all 19 individual shots, this is what it looked like…and then 30 minutes later.
The shots are going to be freaking annoying since I have to do them there. Either once a week for 9 months or once a week for 9 weeks (sped up process in which I get two shots pet visit with a wait in-between). I have to call insurance to see what’s covered.
5 Cottonwood tree
6 Oak tree
10 sagebrush/mugwort weed
12 Alternaria mold worst
13 Aspergillus mold
14 Helminthosporium mold
16 DP Mite worst
18 Feather
19 Cockroach
20 UF dog
21 AP cat
So, I wasn’t super allergic to anything…which is technically good, but rather disappointing because that means it wasn’t an easy answer to what’s been going on.
This is what I’ve been dealing with since February.
You might not think this picture looks really bad, but it is in person.
Look at how red and puffy my eye area is?! And you can’t really tell in this pic but my eyelids are so dry and scaly it’s awful—I stopped using any of my skincare on it because nothing was helping so I thought maybe I’d become allergic to something and I was making it worse. But that didn’t help. Some mornings I wake up in my eyes are so puffy it kind of blocks my vision!
I’m so glad I have my allergist appointment tomorrow to hopefully get some answers.
Float therapy!
I’ve always wanted to try a float tank…and today I finally did it!
First you shower and wash your hair. They provide earplugs and a cool foam ring headrest.
I didn’t take my phone inside the sensory deprivation tank, so I didn’t get “during” pictures, but I took this one after
It was really disconcerting to step into a tank of water that was only about 8″ deep knowing you’d be floating in it. It was a little slippery.
You could either be in total darkness or have pinpoint stars (my choice) as well as silence or relaxing music (my choice).
And you really did float! Nothing ever touched the bottom of the tank! It took awhile to actually relax and figure out where my arms felt best—I had them above my head but that ended up feeling weird so I put them at my sides and they floated out away from me.
It was also weird having earplugs in—because it makes everything louder in your head and you hear your breathing and realize you’re breathing faster than you need to. I wasn’t nervous, but it was a weird sensation to get used to. I tried to take consistent breaths and just let my mind wander. I was warned it was possible to fall asleep and I didn’t think it would happen…but I must have dozed off a few times because I woke up a few times. Again, weird.
Before I knew it the announcement was playing telling me my time was up. I got out and showered again. I did feel calm and relaxed. I’m not sure I got any definite health benefits out of it, but I think I’d like to do it again—now that I really know what to expect, I might relax sooner and get more out of it.
In honor of my dad…
I went to get my nails done today and realized it’s the two-year anniversary of my dad’s death so I did my nails in his honor…blue + daisies.
Katie’s got braces!
She is less thrilled than she looks.
Some days my veins play nice.
Today was not one of those days. Two sticks in the back of my hand to get about 8 vials of blood for a bunch of tests… Thyroid, allergies, menopause…all hoping for some answers as to why I’m still wheezing after three months, why my eyes have been puffy and itchy for the last month, and if I might possibly be starting perimenopause.
Bah humbug.
Katie tested positive for Covid (her second time!)—she even took two tests. I blame the cesspool of middle school. Tom and I are as boosted as we can be so fingers crossed we don’t get it.
She was super upset and crying when we got the results—she really wanted to go to Gramma’s house. I’m just glad we decided to test her at all because we thought it was just a cold.
Back is at it again.
OMGGGGG Y’ALL. So I hurt my back yesterday just doing housework prepping for the cleaners…but I took an Oxy which pretty much made me forget about it.
Fast forward to the middle of the night when I woke up and couldn’t move! Freaked me out until I realized that the Oxy had just worn off and my back was super sore again—and it was just tough to move.
Stayed in bed laying down because it didn’t hurt if I wasn’t moving. Got out of bed at 9 to take another Oxy and sat on the couch hoping to take a nap until it started working…but the dogs kept playing and making noise and jumping on me and waking me up. So I kept floating in and out of sleep.
Guess who’s JUST NOW finally getting up?! OMG it’s almost 2:30.
And look who FINALLY settled down now that I need to get up.
My first day of trying bifocals
How long did it take you to get used to them? I’m feeling nauseous after about 35 minutes. The line per se doesn’t bother me, but what does bother me is that I can see the difference in my peripheral vision.
I went to the doctors to get my anxiety meds refilled
Y’all. I went to the doctors to get my anxiety meds refilled and he asked if I’ve ever thought of going off it as a trial since I’ve been on it for two years.
I said dead straight I HAVE AN 11YO DAUGHTER and he just laughed. And gave me a refill. And said “maybe when the kids go off to college.”
One starts today and one finishes today!
Congratulations Owen!
Katie can only use Snapchat on my phone…so today we did some filters while waiting for the orthodontist. It’s making memories, right?
New grade, new school, new hair!
She’s wanted her hair professionally dyed forever but I’m not gonna drop that amount of money on a kid’s hair…so when I saw an opportunity for a student to do it at lower cost, I figured why not do it as a surprise! She was thrilled!
TA DA!
We also had a talk about how much fun I had hanging out with her today—how much fun she was—without all the sass and attitude and talking back. She agreed. Let’s see if this changes anything…
I’m a fast reader.
A lot of people ask me how I can read so many books so quickly (I’ve finished 116 so far this year). I say I’m a fast reader.
So I just did a test to see.
I listened to 30 minutes of an audiobook at 1.25 speed (the fastest I can stand) and then read the same book for 30 minutes.
Audio book? 30 pages
Visual book? 60 pages
(I don’t have time for audio on a regular basis but listened on my walk this morning. I rarely listen to audio books because I have a hard time keeping my mind on task. Walking is about the only thing I can do.)
There are a bunch of websites that will test your reading speed — the one I took resulted in 387 WPM (Words per Minute). Take this quiz now to check yours!
Can’t wait to not turn beet red after a simple walk.
I had a little hiatus.
It’s that time, ladies!
Consider this your reminder to go get those girls squished! It legit took me 5 minutes! And honestly I’d rather do this than go to the dentist!!
I know mammograms aren’t usually a fave thing to do but seriously it’s NO BIG DEAL. GO DO IT NOW!
That dang scale though.
Follow me!
If you want to follow along on my new weight loss journey, give me a follow on Instagram. I’m keeping it real. No filters. 100% honesty. (Even days without makeup and looking a hot mess!)
I need the accountability to stay motivated!!
Fingers crossed.
It’s official. Tom and I have started yet again. Hopefully for the last time.
I’m tired of feeling like shit after gaining back almost everything I lost back in 2015-2016.
I’m beyond tired of being tired and having everything hurt and never having any energy to do anything.
I’m tired of hating myself in every picture.
I’m tired of getting winded walking up a flight of stairs.
I’m tired of buying clothes when I literally have an entirely new wardrobe in my closet. (And I hate staring at a closet full of clothes I can’t wear.)
So even though I absolutely love food and sugar (and margaritas!) and I have zero energy for exercise…and even walking makes everything hurt…I have got to do this. Got to.
I’ve figured out some reasons why it was easier the last time… One, I was younger. But two, and most importantly, we didn’t really see friends that often for meals. Huh? Why would that matter? Well, it was easier to just have our little meals and use our timers and everything. When we did have a party or dinner with friends, it was one night of debauchery.
These days? We usually eat dinner with our best friends anywhere from 2-5 nights a week. Sometimes with apps and always with drinks. SINCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. And we go out for dinner probably 2x a month. Is it any wonder I’ve gained it all back?
I’m not sure how I’m going to do this going forward because I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to do all the right things all the time… But I have to try. One day at a time.
Fingers crossed.
Yep, both ankles.
I guess it’s been a hot second since I’ve taken a tumble and hurt BOTH my ankles… I was walking home from watching Owen practice hitting with the pitching machine at the park…and stepped off the curb and must have hit the raised edge just right (they haven’t finished repaving yet) in my flip flops and went down. Thankfully I can walk and nothing is broken but I know I’ll be sore for days.
Calgon, take me away!
Owen’s baseball stuff is in Tom’s truck BECAUSE OF COURSE IT IS.
I don’t have enough time to go get his stuff and make it back to pick him up from strength training and then get to baseball camp.
Owen doesn’t want to go to baseball camp anyway because his arm hurts.
Oh, and he doesn’t want to go to baseball camp at all anymore because “he knows everything already” — forget that we spent $200 on it.
Tom isn’t answering his texts.
I checked Owen’s summer health class scores and they are not where they should be.
The housekeepers come tomorrow, and I just want to burn the house down.
And the new swipe keyboard I’m testing is a disaster.
Watermelon nails!
Almost the exact color of my Plumeria LipSense!
It took me a loooong time to come to accept this.
Just because my hard is different from your hard, doesn’t mean it’s any less important.
I’m officially old.
I legit just asked Tom if he could see my glasses anywhere.
Did my Botox shot make me look younger yet?
Just kidding, it’s for my jaw pain. Hopefully this will let me open my mouth without pain again.
That said, I don’t think I look 49, do I? I don’t need any other Botox because SeneGence has taken care of all that for me!
