Overheard

Clerk at Dollar Store: That'll be $17.96.
Woman Ahead of Me in Line at Dollar Store: Oh, look at this brush here. I think I want this brush too. I need a new brush. How much is it?
Insanely Patient Clerk at Dollar Store: It's one dollar.
Woman Ahead of Me in Line at Dollar Store Who Has No Awareness of the Six People in Line Behind Her: Yeah, I want to get this brush too. I like it.


TC is trudging across the living room.
Me: You okay, buddy?
TC: My eyes can't see becepts forwards.

He then laid down on the couch, pulling a quilt over himself, and was literally asleep thirty seconds later. Tom just got home and told me that when he was leaving for work (at 4am) the boys were wide awake and playing in their room. Apparently the time change has screwed them up a bit!

Random Stuff

I have my shiny happy laptop back. Yay for me. :)

I am slowly feeling better but finding it surprising at how long this medicine stays with you. Blech. I'm still praying for answers, and trying to not let it continue to get to me. I'm thankful for friends who pray. :)

We celebrated Tom's 40th birthday yesterday. It was an amazing day with friends & family. We asked guests to bring their spare change to donate to our Relay for Life team, which benefits the American Cancer Society. The donations came to $229! We're so pleased about this. Our team, Debby's Sweet Angels, will walk in the Relay this June.

Yes, TC is wearing a pumpkin costume. He really loves that thing and wears it often. This was his second costume of the day, as he wore his tiger one first. Such a character. :) 

Struggling

I started taking a generic form of Synthroid a week ago, in an effort to bring down my TSH levels and get my thyroid to function correctly. I had high hopes for this because I have struggled with fatigue for as long as I can remember. In the past six months or so it got worse, combined with heart palpitations, hair loss, forgetfulness and muscle tremors.

After seven days I called my doctor today to tell him that not only am I not feeling any better, I feel about fifty times worse. I am so exhausted all day that I can barely keep my eyes open, and I have nausea all day long. I'm also non-stop starving and have gained two pounds. The muscle tremors are out of control. I mopped the family room today and afterwards couldn't stop shaking for hours. I'm on an emotional roller coaster where I'm joyful one minute and hysterically crying the next. I feel as if I'm going mad.

My doctor told me to stop taking the medication, and let it clear out of my system for two weeks. He said to call him after that and we'll talk about the options.

I just keep praying to God, and all I can say is 'Help.' I don't know what to ask for. There seem to be no answers or solutions and I just feel defeated. I don't feel that way all the time, because the emotional roller coaster is great that way. I was at the chiropractor yesterday, completely in knots and he was very concerned. He said I didn't even feel like me. He asked me how my stress level was and I said medium? I don't even know. It was the longest adjustment I've ever had, with deep tissue massage, this technique and that technique, and much pain. He finally got me all straightened out, and I told him that I had started taking a medication for my thyroid. He told me that the thyroid is 'his thing' and he loaned me a book. He's concerned that I could have Hashimoto Disease. I can't even let my mind go there at this point. He said it would mean giving up some things. I said you don't even know all that I've already given up. I quit smoking and got sober and lost weight and eat whole grains and tons of vegetables and I still feel awful. The unfairness of it just sucks.

Lord, show me the light in this darkness. Lead me out, because I don't know where I'm going or how to get there. I trust you, but I'm lost. Amen.

ps

I just ate four Twix bars. Lest anyone think that Tom is not taking good care of me during my foray into insanity.

Hiatus

I think I forgot to mention that my laptop is in the shop yet again, hence the quiet blog. I should have it back in 2 to 4 weeks, oy. In the meantime, I'm of course using the disgusting family computer. I feel like I should get a tetanus shot after each use. I'm so glad we have a rule that no one can eat in front of this computer, otherwise it would have a keyboard with keys that stick because of all the crumbs and junk under them, or a sour milk smell from a drink that was spilled on it. Yeah, thank God we have that rule.

Blog Traffic

Last week I pinned (on Pinterest, for those of you not yet familiar) the blog post that I wrote about my son and ADHD: 13 Things my ADHD Child Wishes You Knew. I hoped that others might find it encouraging or informative.  This morning I checked my blog traffic and was stunned:

I also have several comments from people on the Pinterest page itself, all of them thankful or encouraging. I am truly in awe that there has been such a response to that post. It's very humbling and I thank you all. I'm especially thankful for those who are in the same boat as me, because we need each other's support to raise our ADHD kids.

October Baby

Tonight Tom and I went to see the pre-screening of the movie October Baby. I wasn't exactly sure why I was going, because this screening was intended for pastors & leaders, people in the pro-life movement, or people who work as crisis pregnancy counselors. I left the pregnancy loss ministry behind at my old church more than three years ago, so I had no reason to go see this. But when I got the email from ARIN about it, and watched the trailer, I just felt like I needed to see it. I'm not sure where God is calling me, but He's had my attention lately, letting me know that something is coming.

I won't give anything away, but there were a few times in the movie where God spoke to me clearly. One of them was the use of John 8:36, which is my life verse. He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed. I am nervous & excited to see where God leads me.

In the meantime, please go see this movie when it opens on March 23rd. It is an amazing story, and so well done. Sometimes Christian movies have a great message but the acting is cheesy or it just looks cheaply done. October Baby was nothing like that at all. It was beautiful, powerful, inspiring and healing. Go!

What I Actually Do

Have you seen these? They've been very popular on Facebook lately, as everyone jumps on board to describe who they are too. (Sorry it overlaps the sidebar, but if I made it any smaller you wouldn't be able to read it.)
I sent this one to my friend Laura, who has triplets:

And all my church friends are enjoying this one....





But this one is definitely my favorite....

Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

I keep hearing about this casserole. People speak of it in such reverent tones that I decided I needed to go find the recipe. I kept thinking, what is so great about poppy seeds? I like poppy seed dressing but really, it's not the seeds that make it so good, it's all the dressing surrounding it.

So I found the recipe here: Weeknight Bites, Heather's Poppyseed Casserole

And you know what? You people are KIDDING yourselves. This is not about poppy seeds. This casserole is nothing but a vehicle for full fat cream soup, sour cream, saltines and butter. There is one spoonful of said seeds in the entire thing. I am not fooled!  I mean, I'm tempted certainly, but not fooled. I'm not buying poppy seeds just so I can make this. I can stir up a pan of dairy & fat, throw in some chicken and call it Awesome Casserole without the pretension of the Poppyseed title. I'll let you know how it turns out. (You'll find me licking the pan clean, who are we kidding.)

ADHD sucks

Remember those 'behold the power of cheese' ads from a few years ago? Picture what people did in those commercials to get the cheese, and you will have a picture of how E feels about fried shrimp. He has now had two complete meltdowns over fried shrimp. Once, at IHOP because they didn't have them. (He had them there once before when they were on the Specials menu.) Then again today, when they ran out of popcorn shrimp in the school cafeteria. I had a conference call with him, the school nurse, and guidance counselor because he was hysterical about not getting any shrimp. He kept sobbing that he just wanted to come home. I ended up going to get him fast food, which I gave to the counselor in the office without him seeing me. We agreed this was a one time only food delivery, but we're hoping that it will calm him down to the point that maybe he will tell her what is really going on with him. He's told me 2 or 3 times this week that he doesn't want to go to school anymore.

I'm pretty sure I'm just going to let him live with me until he's 47, because I swear I am making zero progress in turning this kid into an adult. Part of ADHD is difficulty in modulating emotions and problems dealing with disappointment. I have a feeling that counseling is in our future.

If anyone needs me I'll be hiding under my bed.

This & That

Whitney Houston - Everyone's talking about the recent death of Whitney Houston. I can't add much to what's already been said across the web. I'm just so sad to see another person succumb to their addiction. I liked what this writer had to say about celebrities having a harder time staying clean because they don't have to worry about the same things that an Average Joe has to think about.


Alcoholic.org - "Alcoholic.org, a newly re-launched website devoted to providing help and information on alcohol addiction and alcoholic rehab programs, offers easy-to-use support and assistance to people who are concerned about their alcohol use. Visiting the website enables people to determine whether they have a problem, and it also connects them with alcoholism treatment centers."  {Quote from PRweb.com}