Random Tid Bits

1. We've had a ton of zucchini growing in our garden.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. I don't feel like PMS makes me bitchy, but it sure does give me anxiety. If I have several big things to do I just innerly freak out. I feel my face getting red and hot, and my heart pumps really fast.
   
   Boss man wanted me call, and set up Adobe Creative Cloud for the teachers. I had never done this before. He had very specific things he wanted. I couldn't get everything he wanted, but it was a heck of a lot cheaper than last year, and got it approved.
   
   The next day he wanted me to back peddle to get things even cheaper. 


3. Some advice is worth taking. My parents have given me a lot of good advice in the past.
   
   Good Advice:
   
   1. Choose your battles.
   
   2. Kids make their own schedules based on what's going on in their life.
   
   Lately they've been off on their game.
   
   Bad Advice:
   
   1. You might want to talk to Isaak and tell him not to cry. He might get made fun of in school. - He hasn't had issues with crying in school. I didn't say it, but think it's great that he can cry in front of us. Just because he's a boy I don't want him to think he should keep his emotions in. I have to say that Mica was pretty unbearable at Isaak's age. He was pretty much a jerk. Now Isaak's at that magical puberty stage. He shows his emotions differently - with crying, and wanting to sleep. I don't know that he's worse, or better than Mica. Just different.
   
   2. You should probably read up on Asthma and Allergies. Start taking other things to help them besides medicine. - I didn't say too much, but in the past I tried a lot of natural things. By not taking meds I got a nose so full of polyps that the doctor had to cut out. Some of my nasal receptors went with that surgery. No thanks I'll stick to my meds. I do drink turmeric and ginger a lot + do the neti pot regularly. Those count as natural remedies. I think my doctors would agree that they want me breathing, so taking my daily inhaler when I need it is important.


4. Mica and Isaak have started fighting over really silly things. That's when I know it's time to go back to school. I let them both pick out snacks at the store. Isaak picked out Bunny Graham's.
   
   
   
   
   
   Travis got a call from Mica that he was all pissed because Isaak wouldn't let him eat the snack he picked out. In Isaak's defense, Mica would eat the whole box if he's able to. When I talked to them at lunch I said, "Maybe you shouldn't get a a morning snack. You don't have one at school."
   
   The next day we discussed their ridiculous spat. Travis found the whole thing comical because this is a snack I used to buy them when Isaak was in preschool. We decided we'd pour how much they get into bowls. Problem solved. I really wish they'd solve their own problems though.
   
   I explained that this kind of fighting is normal, for siblings. Travis never fought a whole lot with his sister growing up. His sister was inside a lot, when he was outside most of the time.
   
   I remember having battles with my sisters over the dumbest stuff. One time I tied my younger sister into her room. She wasn't tied, but her bedroom door was tied to the bathroom and my parent's bedroom door. She could not get out. I was way to old to do that. My friend got sent home. What's a silly thing you did when you were a kid?


5. The boy's back to school night it the same night, in two different parts of town. I knew this could happen. Mica's starts at 3:30, Isaak's starts at 5:30, so we figured we'd go to Mica's first. Then we got a letter saying they'd prefer younger kids to go earlier at Mica's school. They get what they get. Isaak's starts August 13, and Mica starts August 14. They have the younger middle schoolers go first to get used to the building. When do kids start where you live?

What to do to Make #Allergy Season a Little More Bearable

As my long time readers know I suffer from allergies and asthma. I've had a major nose surgery a few years back (polyps and deviated septum fixed). I have to get allergy shots once a month now. It used to be that I got them once a week! Yikes!

I'm not perfect, but I'll tell you what helps me to feel the best I can feel during allergy season:

1. Take showers at night. Many people take them in the morning. It helps to get that pollen out of your hair before you go to bed. 


2. Cut your hair. I cut mine just because I have to wash it daily during this time of year. I dated someone once that would get pollen in his beard. He had to cut that off. In Georgia the pollen is so bad, you can see yellow powder all over. 


3. Wash your pillowcase often. Thankfully I have a Grandma that had tons of pillowcases that had sweet embroidery things on them. I inherited the big stack! I switch all our pillowcases out.


4. Take Zyrtec and nasal spray at night, and Singulair (if it's prescribed to you) in the morning. Singulair is not an antihistamine. It is however one of the only allergy meds that helps with asthma.
   
   Why take Zyrtec at night? It decreases inflammation. Much of the time allergies are worse in the morning, and better at night. If you take meds at night, you'll wake up feeling better.  


5. Flush your system out with a sinus rinse. I know they aren't the most desirable at first. I'm here to tell you that this helps so much!
   
   Things to watch out for with sinus rinses: Don't share them, clean them after each use, use warm water with them, pour or squeeze the water in slowly if you have a cold (it can be hard on the ears, and you may be so plugged very little comes out), use only filtered water. 


6. Get extra sleep. Easier said than done. 


7. Drink a lot of H2O. Flushes the system out more.


8. Drink or eat all the things that are known to reduce inflammation. Check out my Wellness Drink here! I'm not all about natural remedies. If they can work, I'm all about them. This Wellness Drink works. I researched all the things that reduce inflammation, put them in a pot to cook it, put it all in the blender to blend it, and 1/2 goes in the fridge, while the other 1/2 goes in the freezer. My husband looked at me crosseyed when I first made it. Now he asks, "Did you drink your Wellness Drink?" After about 20 minutes I get fluid up and out of my lungs. Isaak had a head cold. He had a cough that would not quit at night. He tried the Wellness Drink, and the cough went away in 20 minutes. It works so well! 




9. Want to go all natural? Try Quercetin with Bromelain. The combination helps with relief from inflammation. There are many different brands on the market.
   
   There's also Breathe Easy Essential Oils: Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Basil, Tea Tree, and Rosemary. You could mix them to clean with, or diffuse into the air. I think the all natural things help, but for me only minimally. Then again I have extreme allergies and asthma. I firmly believe that all bodies are different. What works for one person, may not work for someone else.
   
   Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar 3 times daily with "The Mother" is known to help allergies and asthma. 

Do you suffer from allergies and/asthma?

Extra Strength #Turmeric Curcumin with Ginger & BioPerine Review

Asthma Sufferers:

We started having cold, snowy, icy weather on Friday. As soon as the temperature dropped, my asthma picked up. I was hoping my nose surgery would have helped my symptoms. No such luck. I can just breathe out my nose now. That's a win.

I drink a ton of water, and typically a wellness drink full of ginger, turmeric, and other anti inflammatory things. It helps! As soon as I drink the wellness blend I get chest congestion up. I do get sick of always have ginger breath. 

I'm glad to now have pills I can take. 

Muscle and Joint Pain:

Travis is glad we have these as well. He has back problems. He works on large sculptures at home. He's lifting things that are too heavy for him to lift. What choice does he have, if he has to get the work done. Turmeric & Ginger help with muscle and joint pain as well. 

Pills:

The pills are a standard sized. When I take them, it isn't like I'm taking a horse pill. Yay!

I liked that they filled the pills all the way to the top of the bottle! It annoys me so much when a plastic bottle is only filled 1/2 full. 

It came with a cover on the bottle, and the lid had a strip of plastic on it.

There are 90 capsules per bottle. 

This product is made in the USA!

Where to Get it:

You can get Nature's Branch Turmeric & Ginger with BioPerine Black Pepper on Amazon for $10 here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L1BY4PW

Are you staying well this winter?

Disclaimer: I got this product for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser Review

I really love my new Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser. I swear I could have them in every room of the house, in my office, and in the classrooms. They just make everything smell better, and I heart that they put moisture in the air.

Where to Get This Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser:

You can pick one up on Amzaon for for $27.48 on Prime https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N8ZUJ9O

They have the dark wood base that I got for review, a light wood base, and a white one.

What it Comes With:

• A Manual
• A Standard Cord
• The Diffuser
• A Pour Cup

It Glows Green!

I was expecting it to be kind of a blue when the light is turned on, but it's more of a mint green. I'm not sure if this varies. The photo on Amazon looked blue.

Other Features:

• It uses a LED light, to ensure that it lasts a long time. 
• It's quite! I can't even hear it when the heater is going.
• It has automatic shut off when the water level is low. 
• It has a strong, and weak mist option. I chose the strong. 
• It holds 250 ml of water.

Can Be Used to Help:

• Dry air
• Allergies
• Asthma
• A cold or sickness
• Congestion 
• Just to make your space smell good

Do you have a diffuser, or a humidifier? 

Disclaimer: I got this product for review. This company in no way influenced me on what to write. I only write about things I think my family, or you my readers would find helpful, interesting, or fun.

Aspirin Desensitization #Allergies #Asthma #sinusitis

Last week I had my Aspirin Desensitization. 

What in the heck is an Aspirin Desensitization?

Taken off the internet to help explain it: In patients like me that have sinusitis and nasal polyps, endoscopic sinus surgery it was needed to help patients like me whose asthma is worsened by their nasal problems. After surgery is performed, it is often helpful to perform "aspirin desensitization."

In my own words: I'm allergic to Ibuprofen, which reduces inflammation. If I had an allergy or asthma flair up I couldn't take Ibuprofen or Aspirin; they are related.

What happened when I took it? My lungs would shut down, and I'd have a sneezing snot fest.

They gave me little bits of Aspirin every 90 minutes for 2 days, which could have lead to 3 days. I was closely watched in case something major happened.

What to expect with an Aspirin Desensitization?

The Allergy and Asthma Clinic couldn't give me a Aspirin Desensitization too soon after my septum and polyps surgery. Why? Because it thins the blood. It would have been dangerous for me. They also couldn't do it too far away from surgery because polyps could form. That still could happen, but I'm at less of a risk now.

They gave me an IV. I thought the Aspirin would be dripped into me. Nope! The IV was just in case they needed to save my ass. I was confused when they taped it to my arm with medical tape because I thought it was going to get used for 2 days.

Per usual I was stuck twice. It's either two or three times I get stuck. I just have small rolling veins.

That IV was left in the whole time - 2 days. The boys freaked out when I got home that first night. Mica, "Mom a needle is really stuck inside your skin still?" Me, "Yes. You be good, or I'll stick it inside your skin!" Totally kidding of course, but I didn't need to say that to him. He knows my humor. Mica, "Isaak! Mom has a needle stuck in her skin!" Isaak, "Really?" Me, "Yep!" Isaak, "Gross!" For some reason it was a big deal to them. I told them both that they had an IV needle stuck in their skin for a few weeks when they were babies - one had Meningitis and the other had a Staph Infection. 

They flushed the IV out that 2nd day with saline just to make sure it worked. Other then that, that's all it was used. 

Aspirin:

Liquid Aspirin was given to me in a little medicine cup with some gross stuff that tasted like Alka Seltzer. If you're getting this done have something to drink to wash that crap down! Luckily gross drinks don't bother me. 

After my first dose I had to use the bathroom. I drink coffee, a smoothie, and a tall glass of water in the morning! When I left the office to use the bathroom the cute doctor said, "Are you ok?" with a concerned look on his face. I wanted to joke with him by saying, "I am now that I've seen you." Of course I didn't say that though! Ha! I just asked a nurse to show me the way through the maze to the bathroom. I feel like all medical offices are mazes in the back! Are like that to you? It was then I figured out that the gross drink was my Aspirin. I really had no idea! 

I had one of those shots of liquid Aspirin drinks every 90 minutes along with a breathing test, my blood pressure taken, and they checked my pulse. My blood pressure and pulse were fine, but almost every time - except the first time - I failed my breathing test. 

Was it the Aspirin, or was it the nasty storm that came through that day? I'm not bitching about the rain; we needed it! I just know storms that come through make my allergies and asthma act up! We didn't have one for awhile. They were thinking it was the Aspirin. I beg to differ. I think it was the storm.

I Got a Nebulizer Treatment About 5 Times That Day:

What did I learn? Don't breathe deeply the whole time with a Nebulizer! I was majorly tingly almost every time afterwards + I was out of breath when they tested my breathing again. Breathe normal. 

Bring Stuff to Do:

I wanted to paint, but figured that would be too messy + it would require more trips to the bathroom for cleaning out water. Too bad I wasn't in a sewing stage of an art project. To be honest I haven't had the energy to paint much all summer. Lame! I'd say excuses are for losers, but that surgery took more out of me than 2 c-sections ever did. 

The first day I wrote down 30+ ideas to paint. I also looked through art books.

Javier Mariscal: Mariscal Drawing Life

This is his character Twipsy done in different styles. He's from Spain. Fact: He's won awards for the best animated feature and he created, he created the character Cobi for the Atlanta Olympics in 1984, and he did all the graphics inside a Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio! He's kept up with the times in Spain. He's not known as much throughout the US.

Joe Sorren

This is a limited edition book. His work went from illustration to privately owned pieces. It's very dream-like. He's from Arizona.

I was at the Allergy and Asthma Clinic all day day 1. My cute doctor only visited me twice. 

Day two my cute doctor informed me that I still could have a bad reaction. The Aspirin went from liquid to pills, which they nearly doubled the dose. 

I I brought a laptop, and finished my sister's t-shirt design for the most part. 

I got a visit from the cute doctor at 3:30, which he said I was released for good. I passed all my breathing tests day 2. Now I'm on 2 Aspirins a day 2 times a day. 

One other thing to expect if you have an Aspirin Desensitization: Bring food! I had a freezer bag with a sandwich, raw veggies and fruit. 

I've also learned in the process that the doctors consider all my nose stuff to be a disease. I never thought of myself having a disease. Apparently to them I have one. 

After months of taking Aspirin I should be able to take more pain meds. That will leave me just allergic to Sulpha. 

Are you allergic to any meds?

Random Tid Bits

1. I have a coworker that says he hates The Beatles music, yet he whistles The Beatles tunes often. Maybe he doesn't know that Joe Cocker's greatest hit was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
   
   Do you have a favorite Beatle? I used to like John because he brought so much creativity to the band, and different sounds to their music. Then I found out that John basically abandoned his son Julian when The Beatles started, and Yoko Ono came into the picture. My interest moved on to Paul. Paul visited Julian often (I have a soft spot when it comes to kids), when his own father didn't visit him. I kind of feel like Paul is pretty cocky. My interest moved to the quiet George. I do like Octopus's Garden and Yellow Submarine, which Ringo was the lead vocal on those songs, he was never a main player in the band, so certainly not my top pick as a favorite. 


My Octopus' Garden



2. I feel for Travis this week and next. His 2 bosses and 1 co-worker are in Mexico. They are all related and there's a family wedding there. Anyhow he's supposed to be the main guy in charge. Ekkk! On top of it all my parents said they were going on a trip last week, but last week turned into this week. They were like, "I think we'll be gone about a week." They didn't seem for certain. They usually help watch the boys a few days a week. This week and next are when his co-workers will be gone. I will have had my Aspirin Desensitization Wed, Thurs, and Fri. I'm pre writing this on Tues. We were hoping my parents could help take and/or pick up Isaak from Basketball Camp Wed, Thurs, and Fri. Thankfully my older sister has offered to help. Travis' plate is overflowing with manning a lab, finishing his art residency, and being a chauffeur for Isaak. I hate that I'm not able to help. 


3. I have no idea what to expect with this Aspirin Desensitization. Will my lungs freak out? Will I be a snotty, blubbery mess? Maybe it will be dripped so slowly into me that nothing much will happen. We shall see. 


4. Because I'll be at the Allergy and Asthma Clinic for 3 days I've gotten 3 email reminders and 3 phone call reminders. I talked to the ENT office because I double booked appointments for Fri. I told them that I may not need to be at the Allergy and Asthma Clinic on Fri. They said the Aspirin Desensitization will take 2 to 3 days. I asked if I should reschedule my ENT appt? They said, "No." Well now I've gotten a phone call and an email asking to confirm my ENT appt. that I don't know if I can be at. 


5.  I've been trying oh so hard to get rid of a cyst on my forehead. I now had a big red dot from the Apple Cider Vinegar. It seems to be rising to the surface more. I just hate the big red dot. 

What to Expect After a Sinus Surgery #deviatedseptum #septoplasty #polyps #polypectomy #sinuses

I promise that this post won't be gross, bothersome, just informative.

If you're a new reader: I just had a deviated septum surgery. My septum was really crooked on the inside! I was born with it. I had polyps that really did some damage. They ate through nasal receptors. I don't know if I'll ever be able to smell again. I'm really lucky they didn't eat through that bone by my brain! 

1. Typically this kind of surgery is outpatient. There's a few things you'll have to do before they'll let you leave: Walk and pee.
   
   Walking wasn't hard, but for some reason I was shivering up a storm! I wasn't cold, so I imagine that it was just from the anesthesia. It was odd because I didn't shiver at all when I was laying down.
   
   I did learn that the bladder is the last thing to wake up after having anesthesia. I felt like I needed to go, but not a whole lot comes out. The nurses wanted to make sure I could go well before sending you on my way.


2. At first I just relaxed. They sent me home from the hospital with gauze, and something that helps hold the gauze on. If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy more gauze! Enough to last about 4 days, with changing it every 4 hours.
   
   
   


3. Everyone is different with how long the anesthesia stays in your system. I needed those pain pills. I took one before bed for a good solid week regardless of how I felt, so I'd sleep better. I still have a lot of pills left over.


4. Naps are wonderful! I can't always nap when I want to. There was one day where I fell asleep at 1, and slept until 5! Keep in mind that I didn't sleep all night for the first week of recovery. 


5. I had to sleep propped up for the first week and a half. No bending over. I still have to use your knees to bend over. They want your head above your heart. 


6. The breathing tube from surgery really hurt my throat! I got lots of people telling me to try this and that. The things I thought worked great for me: Less talking, lots of cold water to drink, and have a few boxes of popsicles in the freezer! Real fruit is better than others, but I bought bomb pops for the boys for the 4th of July. You can also make your own with your own molds. Smoothies taste good in the molds! I'm sure everyone is different with this. Other things to try: Warm tea with ginger and local honey, and water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar that has the mother in it. Keep in mind they say no spicy things. I'm used to cayenne pepper in a drink I have. I still have to be careful of that, and I'm on week 3 of my recovery. 





7. I have to have someone around for my first few showers. I made sure it wasn't too hot! I get really fainty on those pain pills.   


8. Ice is great! I wasn't able to use it much until about day 3 of my recovery process. It's just too hard to use it with the gauze. About day three or four I didn't have to use gauze as much. You can use ice packs, or small bags of peas (that you keep refreezing to use just for your nose).
   
   To make your own ice packs: 1 part rubbing alcohol to 3 parts water. This gets really cold, but never hardens.





9. Have soft washcloths on hand! I'd wet them, put them in the freezer for 10 minutes, and they felt wonderful for my nose! I started using them in replace of tissues because they are much softer. If you have access to baby washcloths that's the way to go! Bamboo ones work great too!


10. Take a few Tylenol before getting the splints out. No Ibuprofen. It isn't comfortable. They are much bigger than I thought. I read that there's a lot of relief when those splits come out. I actually hurt a few days afterwards. I've never been able to breathe through my nose fully. With the healing process it's very dry! Air going through everything is so painful I thought. Maybe this was just me. I've read that a lot of people feel so great when the splints come out. 


11. I took ALL of my antibiotics as prescribed. One huge pet peeve of mine is when people don't take antibiotic as prescribed. People that do that - sorry, but you're part of the problem with Super Staph not being able to be treated now a days. (Speaking from someone that had a child with a Staph infection). Take your antibiotics, and probiotics to put that good bacteria back into your body. 


12. The ENT doctor will have you do sinus rinses. I expected it to burn. NOPE! It didn't burn at all. Prior to surgery I bought Flonase. Check with your ENT to see if they'll want you on that after surgery. Mine wants me on a specific Steroid that replaces Flonase. Now I have a whole bottle of it that won't get used. This sounds really odd, but I need something bigger than a tissue for sinus rinses. I use old spit up rags. They work great. I have a stack of them, and wash them after each time. 


13. I can sniff, but not blow my nose. What's the difference anyway? I can't plug a nostril and blow. I can blow softly out both nostrils. 


14. Have a few saline mists on hand. I love Ayr Saline Nasal Mist! Other brands sting when I spray it. I've been so dry. This is much of the recovery process. You know when you skin your knee? How it hurts and is dry. That's how my nose is inside. They say spray every two hours, or more.


15. Reading is overrated! I got books to read. I'd read about 2 pages, and feel like falling asleep. About the only things I got done with surgery is: I watched a lot of TV (sad, but true), I paid bills, I played board games with the boys, and I did crafts with Isaak. Thankfully I did have some meals made ahead of time. Travis has been busy with yard work, dealing with insurance because of hail damage we had, working, and he's in the middle of an art residency. When I did make meals it seemed like I was wore out afterwards. Mica washed dishes by hand for the first time (I did have to check his work), both boys unloaded the dishwasher, and I had the boys lug the laundry baskets up and down the stairs for me. 





16. Shaving is overrated. Remember that I can't bend over unless I use my knees. I went awhile without shaving. 


17. I had very little appetite after surgery. It helped to have applesauce, JELL-O, smoothies and anything soft like that. 


18. My upper jaw is sore. I had to ask, but it's normal to have a sore upper jaw. All the work that was done, was above that spot. Biting down on food that's thick just wasn't something I could do. It's still a bit sore on week 3 of recovery, but it's getting better day after day.


19. Makeup is overrated! With a sore upper jaw I can't put lipstick on easily. I don't even want to touch my nose, so rubbing base in is out of the question. I wasn't a big makeup person, but I always wear a little bit. 


20. One thing I never did much is swell, or get bruises. I read that a lot of people do swell and bruise. The spot where they poked me to put in an IV looked worse than my nose, or eyes. That was a pleasant surprise. 


21. Sneezing and yawning are all awkward and uncomfortable. I have to sneeze with my mouth open. I can't really do anything about yawning. Yawning is like stretching a wound. 


22. Where my nose and forehead are the skin on the outside is so dry! Of course it hurts to even touch my nose, let alone put lotion on it.


23. I had to tell my son Isaak, "No Eskimo Kisses!" 

Nose Job! Yikes!

I had my ENT appointment yesterday. The doctor was running behind, per usual. I'm not saying usual with this particular doctor. Just usual with doctors in general. I rushed over there, was nervous about finding it, then had to wait.

It wasn't really a great day for feeling good. It's been raining for 4 days straight. Mica said, "Mom I think you get headaches from the barometric pressure. I've often wondered that. Dang that kid is so smart at times. He's a classic book smart kid, but needs step by step instructions to make his bed.

I figure I should get some selfies before I get my nose job soon. I won't really fix my nose in any way other than to make it straight, and get those polyps out. I haven't noticed in awhile how messed up my deviated septum is because the other side was swollen with polyps. Now that the polyps have gone down my nose looks really off. Day with rain my eyes are horrible!

Off to the side of my face I have a chicken pox scar. Kids always ask what that is because no one really gets chicken pox anymore with the vaccine that's available.

Nurse's First Question:

"Have you had a CT scan lately?"

Me:

"No." The last one I had was 11 1/2 years ago when I was prego with Mica. He was breech, I was low on fluid, my birth canal was tilted funny, so they wanted to see if there was room to have him if they got him turned around. There was room, but they couldn't get him to turn. Never try to have a doctor turn a baby from the outside. Opt for the C-section. There's my advice for the day. It hurt worse than the epidural, or post C-section + it puts stress on the baby. What was I thinking?

Anyhow I didn't tell the nurse all of that. I'm pretty sure 11 1/2 years ago isn't a recent CT scan, nor does it have anything to do with my nose.

CT Scan: 

I was thinking, Oh God this is going to be a hassle + expensive. I'm sure that later part is still true. Hassle not so much. They had a scanner right there in the office.

See all the grey. There's suppose to be white spots in there. Yep polyps have taken over where I can't see them. :(

Check out my nose! It gets even more crooked inside!

Eye Sight Loss Scare:

All the grey by my eye is polyps. Yep if he digs in to get them out, and hits my eye I'll have seeing problems afterwards.

Meningitis Scare:

Do you see the thin line of white? That's bone. Below that is all polyps. If he hits that bone I could get Meningitis. He asked me if I knew what Meningitis is? Umm yep! Isaak had that at 2 months of age! I know how scary it can be. It can cause hearing loss, and brain damage. Not to mention high fevers, high white blood cell count, and pressure on the brain. Fun stuff! Not! Sometime ignorance is bliss.

Polyps central.

My messed up nose!

It has to be sawed, and put back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

I know they have to tell you everything. Travis wants to know everything. He wants to look it up, study it. He's already read all about Septoplasty - Deviated Septum Surgery. He's watched YouTube videos on it. Me on the other hand, I usually like to research the heck out of things. I'm not feeling it with this. It makes me more worried. I'm not saying I can't handle the information. Put it on the table. I'm not about to go look up what he's going to hack away. 

He'll do a CT Scan, while the surgery goes on. That way he can see what he's doing.

He wants my allergies to be up to par because I can't blow my nose for 3 weeks after having this done. I'll miss 2 weeks of work, but will not be recovered for months. Yay! Not!

I'm thinking mid to end of June. Then I won't miss class, I'll have recovery time, I can also be home with the kids and spring allergy season will be over. I'll have to talk to Dr. Shakir - my allergy asthma doctor. 

I was doing great with all this slammed down information. Then a muscle car almost hit me on the way home - all black with bright green wheels was driving pretty fast on the express way. 

Then I started crying after talking to my parents. I could barely get out what to say to my youngest sister mainly because I just talked to my concerned parents. I pulled it together when I talked to my older sister and aunt. They were more, "Oh Alissa you'll feel so much better after this surgery! They have to tell you everything." 

Not quite the nose job I want to have. I really don't even mind my nose. Sure it's crooked, but it's my nose. I've grown to love it through the years. If it's so crooked it's restricting me from breathing it needs to be fixed.

I'm pretty sure the boys are freaked out with all the talk of this stuff. Isaak is usually filled with empathy. He said, "Mom I wish I had a different Mom that didn't have allergies. Then maybe I wouldn't have them. I would have skin problems either." Thanks son. He is a bit right. Kids do say what's on their minds. It really didn't hurt my feelings per say. I agree with him. Allergies, asthma and all this nose stuff sucks!

I'm Still in a Fog

I scheduled my ENT appointment for later this month. That's when they could get me in.

I've already messaged my allergy/asthma doctor twice. The first time was to get a sheet that they forgot to give me at the office. I don't blame them for forgetting. I kept them there an hour past closing time.

Here's my original post if you feel like you're reading this, and you're lost.

Here's a list of foods I shouldn't have during season where their counterparts are in bloom or in seed:

First column is spring, second is summer, third is late summer and early fall, and last is fall.

I can have any one of these things. Just not when their relative is in seed, or in bloom. 

We were very successful with growing tomatoes last year. Luckily we don't have them very much during the summer. We canned most of them late fall and winter. The tomato liquid was frozen into ice cube trays, and we use them for soups, beans and rice, and dishes like that.

We can make sauerkraut with the cabbage we grow. Then we can have cabbage at any time.

Fruits that shouldn't be consumed in one season can be frozen for smoothies for another season. 

I like peanut butter, but should stay off it now. Almond butter would be ok though.

Isaak and Mica should stick to this pretty well too. They don't have the asthma I have, but did get some of my allergies. Not nearly as bad as me. Both can be around dogs. Isaak can be around cats with no problems. Mica sneezes and his eyes itch around cats. They both have seasonal allergies. Isaak's poor eyes get it bad! 

I've been waiting for a list like this my whole life. They never had this when I went to an allergist before. 

Another message was sent in to Doctor Shakir. I was to be off my meds for 5 days prior to seeing my him - my allergy, asthma doctor. I need to know if I should be off anything before seeing my ENT. Doctor Shakir was very clear that he wanted to get my polyps down in size. If I go off my meds they will get bigger. That's good because then the ENT can see what he's up against surgery wise. It's bad because he won't really know their real size. I know they've gone down. I can breathe through my nose a bit.

I still have a cloudy WTH feeling going on in my head. That's from the powerful steriods I'm on. They're stronger than a typical inhaler used for asthma. 

Of course it's hard to focus on school things. It's midterm week. I couldn't even read papers one day last week. I did get through them the next day. If I can just finish writing the tests, I should be good. They are already there from last year. There's a computer program that grades them for me - YAY! 

Have you ever been on a med that made it hard to concentrate? 

#Allergy, #Asthma, and #Polyps Oh My

I mentioned I had my big allergy asthma appointment on Monday. I scheduled the appointment at the end of the day, so I wouldn't miss work. I kept them way past their work day, and feel bad for it. They closed at 6:30, but I was there with me from 5:30 to 7:30. Saying the boys and Travis were hungry by the end of my appointment is an understatement. We never eat that late!

History

I haven't been to an Allergist Asthma Specialist, since about 2003 or so. I got shots for about a year. Then their office moved way far away.

My Dad talked about his allergies acclimating themselves - meaning that he got shots for certain things, became less allergic to those certain things, and more allergic to other things.

Before that I got allergy shots when I was a kid from about the age of 4 to about the age of 10. My Mom used to give them to me. She was an RN for years. I was annoyed as an adult because all the sudden I couldn't have my Mom give me my shots. They made me go in the clinic to get them, then wait 20 minutes afterwards to see if I had a reaction. I get it. They didn't want a law suit if someone died from a reaction. At the same time diabetics give themselves shots. They too could have a reaction.

Feeling annoyed about my Dad's allergies acclimating themselves, spending money on shots, gas money on driving, my Mom not able to give me my shots I quit.

Fast Forward to Two Months Ago

I got sick with an upper respiratory infection something. I went to my primary doctor. He gave me some antibiotics, and an inhaler for my asthma. I've been hoarding inhalers in case I need them.

I kept get an asthma attack each and every night. It wouldn't stop. The inhaler gave me relief, but I was puffing one every night. I was so done with it. That lead me to make the appointment to go to the clinic.

Allergist Asthma Specialist

I have a new doctor: Ebrahim Shakir. I love him. Travis said, "Am I going to have to watch you with him?" Ha! No. He is informative, supportive, concerned, and handsome. My husband is handsome as well. :)

He looked in my nose and said, "Has anyone ever told you you have polyps in your nose." I'm like, "No. I thought that was snot." He said, "They are the biggest polyps I've ever seen. I'm going to send you to an ENT. One that I'd only send my own family to. I'm going to treat you with ibuprofen, and allergy meds." I said, "I can't take ibuprofen. I'm allergic to it." He said, "What? What does it do?" I said, "Well I start sneezing, then my lungs close up." He said, "WOW! Well that changes things. You're at high risk for getting polyps because you can't take ibuprofen to reduce swelling for you asthma and allergies." I said, "Well this would explain why I haven't been able to smell anything for a few years."

Medicine:

I'm on 2 inhalers, Zyrtec in the morning, Singular (off brand) at night, a nasal wash at night followed up with Flonase. That is only until I can visit the ENT doctor to discuss surgery to remove the polyps and more than likely fix my deviated septum I've had since birth.

Testing:

I failed the first breathing test. They gave me a breathing treatment, while they testing me for my allergies. I'm 70% down in my breathing for the little branches in the picture. I'm 20% down in the bigger branches. Basically I'm not able to breathe properly. I don't smoke, I'm not around smoke, I don't own any pets, I don't have carpet, and I wash our bedding regularly.

10 minutes of this...

Dr. Shakir questioned if I should do the back prick test at all. He didn't want to throw me into an asthma attack. They decided to do it anyhow. One good thing...I'm not allergic to milk like I thought I was all these years.

...while this was going on.

28, 29 30, and 31 are all grasses.

Luckily it doesn't really hurt to get the back prick test done. It just tickled. My back is really ticklish. It didn't even itch that bad. Maybe I'm just used to itching. Ha! I had my breathing treatment going on, and my kids in the room to take my mind off the itching. 

This is after the test is done, my back is wiped down, and calamine lotion is put on it:

Dr. Shakir says I'm a special case. As if I didn't know that all ready. ;) After I meet with the ENT doctor, I meet again with Dr. Shakir. He has 2 plans of action I could do: 1. I can't remember exactly. 2. Allergy shots. I explained my frustrations with them. He said he could send them to a clinic close to me. 

Right now I'm tired, even when I'm sitting up. I would think steroids would get me moving! I kept falling asleep at 8 last night. Maybe I'm catching up for lost sleep. I also feel like I have small bees buzzing in my head. 

Later in March I see my ENT doctor. I was hoping it was earlier, but nope that's when they could get me in.

Random Tid Bits

1. I finally broke down, called my doctor's office and said, "Here's the deal: I got sick shortly after Christmas with a cold. I got put on antibiotics and cough syrup from your office. The antibiotics did nothing. It went into asthma. I still feel like crap. It's a revolving door of not being able to breathe. I need your advice. Do I see your office for a full check-up, an Ears Nose Throat Specialist, or an Allergy Asthma Specialist? How does that work with insurance? Do I need a referral for a specialist? I'm sick of not having any energy."
   
   Thankfully I had a nurse call back with all my answers. I'm seeing a Allergy Asthma Specialist towards the end of the month. I feel like I'm taking 5 steps back in life because I used to see one in the same office when I was a kid, but it's needed. 


2. I spotted the t-shirt below. I can't stand shirts that make it seem like someone does nothing wrong. It's one thing to have an empowering message, but another to send a message like the one below.
   
   
   


3. I love my first year students way more than the class I had last year. They are just so attentive, respectful, and we can still joke back and forth. It's such a relief because I was beginning to think it was a generation problem. Not so! So I'm sorry if I complained a lot last year. Now I get to hear other teachers complain that teach them now.


4. I give my students podcasts to listen to in one class. I have worksheets that they have to answer questions about what they listened to. Illustration books kept going out of print for me. This way they don't have to pay for a book. The podcasts are interviews with illustrators, art directors, editors, designers, and stock houses. I found them interesting. I ask the questions in order, so they can work and listen at the same time. I found that the ones that actually listened were getting all of them right. The ones that were not listening missed about 1/2 of them. We had a talk today about guessing, and copying. I can't prove that they are copying. They could listen in a group, and fill out the answers together. It just so happens that they all in a group get really wrong answers. Today all of my students got most of the questions right. YAY!


5. It's supposed to be in the 70s this weekend. Is it nice where you live?

Random Tid Bits

1. Next week I have the whole week off. I mainly took it off to take the boys to and from camp. It's about a 25 to 30 minute drive to their next camp. The camp that they will be going to is at Lake Zorinsky. They will be canoeing, fishing, going on hikes, swimming, doing archery, and more. I think it will be fun! Some firsts for the boys with fishing and canoeing. Travis hates fishing, so it's not anything we've done.


2. The camp the boys wrapped up is Fine Lines. It's an We're not taking a vacation this year. We're just doing fun things on the weekends. It was a writing camp for all ages. I have to be honest that I was a little nervous because there was construction all over the area where it was at - including inside the building. I had the boys meet me outside. I was also a little anxiety driven over the fact that it was for all ages. I knew little Isaak would be one of the youngest campers. They did pretty good. We got on Mica about writing better, and he wrote a pretty good story. 


 Our Meeting Spot








3. Our hot water heater has an issue. We won't have hot water until Monday. :( 


4. A person passed away here this week due to an asthma attack. I've been having issues with nocturnal asthma for about 4 weeks now. 5 or 6 o'clock rolls around, and I'm wheezy and coughing up a storm. I hate spraying in my inhaler. I get every side effect listed. I'm thankful that it's there to save my life if needed. 


5. I'm so down about all the shootings lately. Words can't express the sorrow that victim's families must feel right now! I thought by having a president that is part black that racism would get better.
   
   There seems to be 2 sides: People that love guns and people that want them banned.
   
   Then there's the other 2 sides: People that hate blacks, and people that hate cops.
   
   There's bad and good in blacks, whites, cops...
   
   I like the idea of freedom to bear arms because one of those gun owners could save lives in a mass shooting situation. People should be able to protect themselves. The flip side is that guns do get into mentally unstable people's hands. A mentally unstable person could do damage in other ways besides using a gun.
   
   I don't know what the answers are. It would be nice if I could wave a magic wand and say, Ok we all have to play nice now.
   
   I'd love it if families would go back to 1 person staying at home. I think it's sad that kids raise themselves to an extent. We're too busy to fix meals, grow our own food, keep a clean house, and play with our kids. It wouldn't have to be the mom that stays home. Playing video games, watching tv and eating crap can't be good for our kids. We're limiting recess, and many creative outlets from our education programs. When I say "Our Kids" I'm talking about the world's children. I limit a lot of screen time for Mica and Isaak, but I'm not perfect. 

By one of my favorite artists -  James Victore. I don't like his work because it's "pretty". I like it because his work speaks the truth. His podcasts on YouTube are just as truthful.

Something Pretty - Artist Unknown

This one is just ingenious. It's a poster by Milton Glaser. He's famous for the I Heart NY logo, the Bob Dylan poster, and he designed all of Brooklyn Brewery's stuff.

Premium Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier Review

Our air quality in Nebraska was rated very poor a few weeks ago. Kansas had grass fires, and it was blowing in our direction. Since then I've developed a raspy cough for a good solid 2 weeks in evening. The fires have stopped, but I can't seem to get the cough to go away. It's gone during the day, and comes back each and every evening.

I started using Premium Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier I got for review. In the past I've noticed when I develop a dry cough humidifiers help. It has broken up my cough a bit, but it's kind of early to know if it's going to eliminate the cough all together.

Low Humidity... 

• can lead to a dry cough
• irritated sinuses
• itchy eyes
• dry skin

It's been rainy here, but Isaak has itchy eyes, I have a dry cough, and the boys and I all have irritated sinuses. I know something is in the air driving us batty!

I'm hoping that this humidifier is the solution to our problems.

It opens up with ease. If filled all the way, you can use it for 7 hours.

You twist off the filter, and fill it up with water. I love that it has a filter to make the water cleaner as it passes through.

It comes with 3 extra filters. I do have to say that I'm glad it came with extra filters. It was concerning when I took them out of the bags, and about 4 small plastic beads came out with them. My boys are older, but if I didn't see them, and I had toddlers around the house that could have been bad.

It has a funnel to help the water go in. I find the I didn't really need this. The humidifier fit right up into our water dispenser pretty well.

A mist came out right away. You can control where the mist goes. I'm still playing with that. It only wanted to go in the back for me. I did have it on a pretty low setting, but water collected on the surface it was on. I may want to put it on a towel next time I run it. I guess if I have to say one thing that I wished it had, it would be to put the mist out higher and more into the air.

You can see when it's on by the green light. The LED ON/OFF allows colors to change. This feature is pretty cool.

Here are some of the colors I captured:

• Ultramarine Blue
• Aqua Blue/Green
• Mint Green
• Pink
• Lavender

It has 7 colors all together.

 It took me awhile to find the Diffusion Tray. It's labeled, but on the very bottom in the back. This is where essential oils go in.

Cost: 

$170.84, but on sale for $24.97!

It comes with different sachets:

• Vanilla
• Lavender
• Ocean

I plan on using one in my bathroom, and one in my bedroom, and one in my car. Each sachet comes with a ribbon that matches the sachet. The ribbons are not shown in this post.

The humidifier does have an automatic shut-off when the water is empty.

Do you use a humidifier? 

Disclaimer: I received a free humidifier for the purpose of this review. The opinions are 100% mine.