Starting a New Year

It doesn't have to be January 1st to start a new year.

We'll be starting a new year on April 26th.  

That is our wedding anniversary.  Our friends say that we are still newlyweds after only eight short years of marraige.  I like to think that we will always be newlyweds. 

I Love You...More!

A Borrowed Massage Chair

I spent most of my morning getting to know a borrowed massage chair.  Said chair is approximately ten years old.  Understandably it has a few quirks.

I'm not sure what dark corner the chair was stashed away in, but from the layer of dust I could tell it hasn't seen much recent use.  I pulled off the pads that were removable and used a warm soapy dish cloth to wipe everything down.

I had been warned that the armrest didn't lock in place and was tied up with a strap.  I untied the knot in the strap & loosened the buckle.  I checked the pivot points and locking mechanisms.  It appears that the strap is meant to hold the armrest up & the locking mechanism keeps it at the proper angle.  I retrieved an allen wrench and screwdriver from the garage and proceeded to tighten all of the fasteners.  I then rewove the strap through the buckle in a manner that would not require the knot to hold it in place.  I am hoping that little or no adjustment will be needed for the armrest when changing clients.

I then checked the height adjustments on the seat and the chair itself.  With a cable and locking pin the chair height can be adjusted, however; when in a higher position the chair seems unstable.  I like having a wider base and don't mind lowering my body to work.  The seat has a spring loaded locking pin adjustment and when put through the paces seemed to work well.  I did notice however that depending on where the chair height pin was placed limited how far the seat could be adjusted.

Considering the age of the chair it is in very good condition and should serve me well for the few hours required.  I am not a huge fan of chair massage and do not wish to purchase my own chair.  Next time someone asks me to do chair massage at their event I will talk them into Reflexology instead.

Rebecca

7 Things Mom Taught Me

Mom taught me how to cook.  Now I'm not a chef.  No one looks forward to what I'll bring to the next pot luck luncheon, but it won't be the paper plates or a bag of ice.  In our house black pepper was the only spice you were likely to find.  Thursday was spaghetti night and Sunday was usually pot roast.  If there was any left over we could have beef & noodles on Monday.  Mom taught me enough that I can feed my family.

Mom taught me how to clean.  I'm sure that I have an exaggerated memory, but I swear that I had to dust the entire house every Saturday while I was growing up.  To this day I hate dusting.  My brothers and I each had chores to do, but we all did the dishes together; wash, dry, & put away.  Mom would threaten us with stories of how her dad would make her and her sisters wash every dish in the cupboards if he found a dirty dish.  Cleaning included the laundry.  Over the years we had different scenarios from having to take the clothes to a laundromat to having a laundry chute take the clothes to the basement laundry room, but sorting was always an important job.  Mom taught me enough to keep my home & family presentable.

Mom taught me how to garden.  She taught me the difference between a weed and a plant.  If you pull on it and it comes out easy, it was a plant.  Her definition of a weed is anything that you don't want growing where it's growing.  Most people consider Dandelions weeds, but Mom & I looked forward to them blooming every Spring.  For me that was the sign I would be allowed outside barefoot.  I think Mom just likes them because they are yellow.  She taught me enough that I can work with mother nature.

Mom taught me how to crochet.  It has kept my hands busy and me out of trouble for many years.  Of course I took a good thirty years to learn to read a pattern, but until then I just used the stitches Mom taught me.  She taught me enough that there are a good many afghans in the world with strands of my hair crocheted into them.

Mom taught me to love to read.  I remember her reading out loud to my brothers and I when we were kids.  I also remember her having several books 'going' at the same time; one in the bedroom, one in the bathroom, one in her work bag.  I didn't understand then how she could keep them all straight, but now I have my own trio going.  Mom taught me enough to pass the love on to my daughter.

Mom taught me how to drive.  She swears I tried to kill her by driving us into a ditch, but she's the one who grabbed the steering wheel.  We also never actually ended up in the ditch or even off the road.  Should I mention that my driving instructor also claims that I tried to kill him?  

Mom also taught me the importance of vehicle maintenance.  Things such as changing the oil before you can drive it to see your boyfriend; and staying in the garage even when your dad is yelling, because he is yelling at the car not at you.  Mom taught me enough to get where I need to go.

5 Ways I Use Thieves Oil

Thieves Oil Blending

I use thieves oil often; and by often I mean that I may use it several times a week or several times a day.  I have a bottle on my night stand, in my medicine cabinet, on my desk, in my bag (purse), and in my massage room.  I use it on myself, my husband, and my massage clients.  I have even used it on the dog a few times.

I find that it is considerably more rewarding for me to blend my own thieves oil. A good friend and colleague, Rebecca Lee conspires with me to do the blending. You can find her at Spiritworks Therapeutic Massage or the illustrated crone. We use Jojoba as a carrier for the essential oils.  Our not so secret recipe includes clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, & rosemary essential oils.  We make a new batch each fall for the cold & flu season.

Getting the last drop of the Clove Essential Oil while measuring the Lemon Essential Oil.

Adding the Cinnamon Essential Oil.

A funnel & steady hands needed for filling the 1 fl. oz. bottles.

Now for the ways I use thieves oil:

1. In place of commercial hand sanitizer.  I volunteer two nights a week at our VFW Bingo hall.  On average there are 200 people in the hall each night. Handling money can be a dirty job.
2. As an immune booster.  I rub some on the bottom of my client's feet.  The feet have the most concentration of pores anywhere on the body.  This helps to absorb the essential oils.
3. Deodorant.  The essential oils kill off odor causing bacteria and thieves oil smells great.
4. To calm Rosacea.  The cause of Rosacea is not known, but for me thieves oil calms my Rosacea symptoms.
5. To prevent infection. Those few times that I used thieves oil on the dog was after a tick bite.  

I'm sure that there are many more uses for thieves oil.  Tell me how you use it by leaving a comment below.

Weaning Off Cymbalta

I had been taking 60 mg of Cymbalta daily for approximately four years.  It was the first drug that I received a prescription for after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I remember the side effects the first few weeks were terrible, but I felt okay/good most of the time. The side effects lessened and the symptoms were under control.  After four years I was just tired of the never ending cycle.  The cycle is known to anyone dealing with a chronic illness: have a good day, overdue, pay for it the next day (or week).  The flip side of this cycle is have a bad day, feel guilty, push through it, and pay for it the next day (or month).  

I felt that it was time to do a self evaluation.  I wanted to stop taking the Cymbalta and find out how my body would handle the Fibromyalgia on its own. Okay I have heard and read a lot of horror stories about coming off of Cymbalta (and other similar drugs). I wanted to do this the safest way possible, so I checked in with my doctor.  This is not the original doctor who prescribed Cymbalta to me, but my current general practitioner. I have been seeing this doctor for maybe six months. At first she suggested that I could just cut the pills in half. Ha ha ha, see photo at top of page. Okay, a short discussion and computer reference later, she sent a prescription to the pharmacy for 30 mg Cymbalta qty 14,  and gave me a written prescription for 20 mg Cymbalta qty 20. The instructions were 30 mg daily for two weeks, 20 mg daily for two weeks, and then 20 mg every other day for two weeks.  Mission accomplished.

The main problem I have encountered is SLEEP.  My sleep cycle is not like anyone else's that I have ever heard of.  A typical example follows:

Go to bed at 10 pm and fall right to sleep.

Wake up at 11:30 pm -- wide awake.

Do quiet activity such as reading, crocheting, word search puzzles.

Tired again (finally) at 4:30 am.

Sleep til 9 am alarm.

This is rather aggravating. I have started skipping the going back to sleep part.  I was hoping that It would help me sleep longer, but so far no such luck. 

 I do have days that I can't stay awake:

Go to bed at 10 pm and fall asleep within a half hour.

Wake up at 9 am to the sound of a whining dog who needs to go outside.

Let dog out. Feed fish. Take medicine.

Back in bed asleep by 9:30 am.

Awake at 1 pm by bladder.

Wake up between 5 pm and 7 pm starving.

Eat dinner and wander around in a daze (fog).

Go to bed at 10 pm and fall right to sleep.

Sleep all night.

I am trying the Fit Bit Flex to track my sleep habits as well as my activity levels. I am hoping that this will lead to discovering ways to improve my sleep.  More time is needed to work on this.

After only a few days since my last dose of Cymbalta, I am noticing an increase in the pain in my legs along with an overall achy feeling.  I prefer to stay off of the medication indefinitely, but have set a minimum of one month for myself.  I will try supplementing natural minerals and herbs before going back to a chemically produced solution.  I am also still working on the reduction of processed foods and sugar in my diet.

More updates after the first of the new year.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment or contact me.
Rebecca

One Month Weaning Off Cymbalta Down: One Week To Go

I considered doing a video blog today, but then I saw myself on camera. That will have to wait until I have improved my speaking skills. Here is a picture from the testing instead.

I am down to taking 20 mg of Cymbalta every other day. Yesterday was the first day that I 'skipped'. I was tired most of the day, but then couldn't sleep last night. As I write this I have been awake for more than 24 hours. I am hoping that once the medicine is completely out of my system my circadian rhythm will balance out.  (My loving husband would like it to be sooner.)

I received a massage this week from a therapist whom I have not seen in over a year. It was nice to chat while he worked out the kinks for me.  I think that I should have been paying closer attention to my body though. The next day I was extremely sore, but the tension and knots were gone. The soreness faded throughout the evening and was gone by morning. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression; I get a massage at least once a month, usually twice a month, more if I can trade with several therapists. How often do you get a massage? Do you prefer to stay with the same therapist? Or do you like to change it up?

I have lost a few pounds over the last couple of weeks.  I do not know if it is from the general sugar detox or from mostly giving up my sodas. I still have a Mountain Dew every few days with a meal. I am just not ready to let go completely. It is a comfort that I have relied on for more than 30 years. If anyone has faced this and could give me some guidance, I would really appreciate your comments.

This week I have also started using a Fit Bit Flex. The app has a food log along with the activity and sleep trackers. I like that I can monitor it from my computer, tablet, and smart phone. It is helping to keep me motivated. If you are interested, there are plenty of evaluations on You Tube. I recommend doing some research as there are many devices out now with these capabilities. That is how I decided which one was right for me.

I am finally starting to drain down. I'll be taking a nap today. When was the last time you had a nap? Did it change how you slept that night?

Week Three

Things are going surprisingly well for me. I dropped down to 20 mg of Cymbalta yesterday. I am still watching my sugar and carb intake, but not as strictly as I did the first few days.

I was anticipating a lot more symptoms.  I can say that I am definitly irritable. My sleeping patterns are still on a rollercoaster.  I am not noticing any other changes.

I am still struggling with the soda craving.  It is a comfort food for me, so I'm sure that it is all mental.  I allowed myself to have one tonight, but not until after supper. I have been drinking a lot of hot tea, especially in the morning and for lunch. Evenings are a glass of iced tea and then water, or just water.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I made a Pecan Pie this afternoon. It looks and smells so good. How do others do this during the holidays? We are having turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet rolls. All those carbs that I wanted to eliminate from my diet. This must be why my Aunts always wanted people to take food home after hosting a family dinner.

Nightmares! I Forgot.

Day 7

I am a week into the reduction of Cymbalta. I am doing okay, but have noticed a few side effects.

I am more sensitive to light and sound, not to mention smells. Wow, the smells!  I can no longer stand to be near cigarette smoke.  We have a dog whom I love very much, but it is raining out. I am ready to lock the dog outside in the rain so that I don't have to smell him. Cooking has not been pleasant either.

I had forgotten about the vivid dreams/nightmares. Early Sunday morning I woke my husband up by yelling "Heeeeeey!" in my sleep. I don't know if I woke myself up or if he woke me up. I also woke up around 3 am Monday morning as well, but no yelling this time.  So much for the good sleep I was getting after first decreasing my dose of Cymbalta.

I made it through the three days of the Sugar Detox. I need to go back and read the book again.  I have been focused on the World Massage Conference. Learning a lot of new things and being reminded of a lot of useful things.

I received a massage Tuesday morning.  Thank you Rebecca Lee! It was amazing.  I actually fell asleep.  I mean sound asleep. I felt great all day after that.

No other changes to report. Stay tuned for future postings.

I Survived Another Day

Saturday, Day 5

I am too hard headed to give in after suffering for two days.  I did not drink a soda even though I really wanted one.  I am feeling better on day five of this adventure.

I tried to get up at 9 am today when my husband woke me to see if I wanted to go out for breakfast. I suggested he go without me as I desperately needed a shower and wasn't ready for the temptation of maple syrup. I planned to get a shower while he was gone. Instead I slept until noon when he got back home. I then took a long, hot shower.  I have found that while detoxing the body gives up a lot of foul smells.  No matter how exhausted and miserable I feel, showering is essential.

I am finding that I am also more sensitive to smells, loud sounds, and bright lights. This could be a result of the decrease in medication. If that is the case, coming off the Cymbalta is not going to work out for me. I will continue on with the dose of 30 mg Cymbalta daily for another week as planned.

The cold weather that has moved in does not seem to be affecting me very much. I am keeping a throw blanket over my legs while sitting still.  I went out with my husband this afternoon. The temperature was in the low 50's. I had no resulting aches or pains.

If there is nothing major to report tomorrow, I will take Sunday off from writing and report back on Monday.  Please remember to feel free to comment below with any questions or suggestions.

Second Thoughts, But Struggling On

This fits me entirely too well today. Mostly it is just a headache. That being said; I'm sure you know how much of an understatement that can be. I have had second, third, & fourth thoughts about continuing on with this Sugar Detox at the same time I am reducing my Cymbalta.

I would like to write more, but I am having difficulty focusing on the computer screen. There are no other changes that I have noticed. Some nausea, but I can't tell if it is from the headache or the change in medicine dosage.

Either I am a glutton for punishment, or I am brilliant.

Either I am a glutton for punishment, or I am brilliant. I have decided to come off of the Cymbalta medication that I have been taking for four years. I have also decided to go through a sugar detox due to my doctor informing me that I am borderline diabetic. My thinking is "Why be miserable twice?", so I am doing them at the same time. Allow me to give you a little background.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome in 2009. A rheumatologist prescribed 60 mg Cymbalta once a day. The side effects were unpleasant, but not unbearable. After a few weeks most of them went away. The medication did wonders for my symptoms. Over the last few years I have done a lot of research and joined several support groups. I have changed my lifestyle and my eating habits. The symptoms of my Fibromyalgia have fluctuated along with these changes. Over the last year my largest complaint is insomnia. 

Cymbalta

My mother and recently my oldest brother have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Both are controlled with diet and medication in pill form.  Due to my medications and conditions my doctor does a regular blood panel on me. The last two draws done three months apart are listed below:

Component	Standard Range	Your Value
Glucose	65 - 99 mg/dL	102

Glucose

65 - 99 mg/dL

109

Due to these results my doctor ordered an A1C:

Component	Standard Range	Your Value
HEMOGLOBIN A1C	4.8 - 5.6 %	5.8
ESTIMATED AVERAGE GLUCOSE		120

Normal is less than 5.7, prediabetes is between 5.7-6.4, and over 6.4 is diabetic. So, you are just barely prediabetic.

I started on Tuesday, because Mondays are bad enough without trying something crazy.  I started taking 30 mg Cymbalta daily as prescribed by my doctor. This will be for two weeks at which time I will drop to 20 mg Cymbalta daily for another two weeks. If I last through the month I will then take 20 mg Cymbalta every other day for two weeks. My Christmas present to myself is being free of the drug.

The first change is in my sleeping.  I got up Tuesday morning and took the new dose of medication. Around 2 pm I was exhausted and lay down. Woke up sometime around 7 pm and ordered pizza for dinner being too tired to cook.  I watched television, ate dinner, and then went back to bed between 10:30 and 11 pm. I slept through the night and awoke Wednesday morning around 9 am. I was not as tired on Wednesday and stayed up until 11:30 pm. I slept until 11 am Thursday morning. 

Per my doctor I am keeping a food journal. This is to open my eyes to what I am actually consuming rather than what I think I am. I have chosen to do a sugar detox on my own. I will be using many sources, but was inspired by a book written by Gina Crawford titled Sugar Detox For Beginners. The most difficult part for me will be cutting out Mountain Dew.  I have done this in the past, but always gone back to drinking it. Prior to starting this detox yesterday, I had reduced my intake to two 12 oz cans per day. 

Today I have a slight headache. This is most likely due to caffeine withdrawal. I also need to consider that the temperature dropped about 20° overnight. I have not noticed any other changes as of yet. 

If you would like to follow my progress with this adventure, please, subscribe to this blog using the buttons in the right column of this page. If you have any questions or would like to submit suggestions, please, leave a comment.  You may share this blog as long as it is linked back to the original posting. 

More Mobility Massage Newsletter, Fall 2014

My blogging abilities still need some work. I would like to have the newsletter here for you to read, but haven't been able to make that happen. So, you will have to click on the link below and it will magically appear.

Fall 2014 Newsletter

5 Things I Can Tell You After My First Oil Pulling Session

Oil Pulling is the latest health fad out there, but has been an Ayurveda practice for hundreds of years. I'm sure that you, like me, have been hearing and reading about it everywhere. If not, I suggest you do plenty of your own research. This blog is to document what I have chosen to do and how it is progressing for me.

This may be a scary photo, but I wanted to document where I'm starting.

1. Start with the smallest amount of oil. I used a rounded teaspoon of coconut oil (see #2). My mouth started producing saliva. This increased the volume in my mouth creating a swallowing reflex. I knew that I did not want to swallow the oil. 
2. If using coconut oil, warm it to a liquid form before starting. I naively figured that the solid coconut oil would liquefy instantly in my mouth. Not true, some bits took over a minute to liquefy. It made me want to chew and could have increased the saliva production (see #1). 
3. If you don't like the taste of the oil, this will be much harder to do. I don't mind coconut flavor and cook with it often. This is not the same thing. The flavor intensified as I was pulling the oil through my teeth and holding it in my mouth. I may get some sesame oil and try it. I am hoping it will get easier as I use the coconut oil.
4. Stay near a trash receptacle. Remember that you do not want to swallow the oil, and you do not want to put is down your drains.  Between the increased volume and the over powering flavor, I was starting to gag after only 5 minutes. With a target time of 20 minutes I was not going to make it. 
5. My teeth feel like I just came from a dental cleaning.  I brushed my teeth after spitting out the oil and rinsing my mouth with warm water.  My teeth feel polished smooth.  The plaque buildup between my front bottom teeth is gone.  Usually I am scraping this off with dental floss (and cutting my gums).

I will be continuing the oil pulling process.  Look for a follow up next week to see how I am doing.  Do you use oil pulling? Or have you ever tried it?  Would you like to try it along with me?  Leave a comment and/or a picture to let me know.  We can encourage each other to keep going with it.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Massage Room

Things around here have been very busy over the past month.  The new massage room is finally complete. My loving husband received the first massage in it this week (after shoveling snow). I'm sure that there will be some refinements as I work and discover where things should be.

My Virginia license hangs prominently over the water cooler as you enter the room.

As you turn to the left into the room the massage table is centered for ample access in any direction.

My Loving Husband calls this my 'Ego Wall', displaying my certificates and diploma.

Around the corner hangs a Reflexology chart.

A Hobby Lobby find.

A re-purposed computer cart holds my paraffin bath and hot towels. The middle shelves pull out for access.

A family heirloom hangs above the mini refrigerator.

Looking back toward the hallway.

A storage bench from Kohl's under a great find from Lowe's. I could not have picked a better matching color.

This view shows the spacious entry with a side view of the water cooler.

The walls are Dew-mist Delight, the trim is Mushroom, and the doors are white with brushed nickle hardware.

Let's see what's inside.

Hand crocheted bottle holster.

Plenty of room for storage.

Hooks and hangers for the client.

Oils and lotions.

Essential Oils and Special treatments.

The lamp is also from Lowe's.

I hope that you enjoyed the photo tour. I left out a few special details though. Subscribe to my blog to be notified when my next blog posts covering those.  If you have any questions about how we did something or where we found an item that I didn't cover leave a comment.

Focus on the New or the Old?

It is pretty much a given that all Bloggers post a New Year's Blog.  The question I asked myself was should I review the past year, or should I look ahead to the coming possibilities.  I'm certain that there are many ways to include everything such as writing two separate posts, following a timeline, or write before and after scenarios.  I wonder how you, my readers, feel about it.  Do you mark the new year with resolutions or celebrate that you survived another year?

I believe that we all need to review our past to a certain point.  I like to look at things and consider what I could do better.  There is always room for change, but I don't believe in waiting.  I try to make changes as I see the need, not on a special date or when 'everyone' else does.  That is the extent of my thoughts on resolutions.  I do wish the best for you if you choose to make them.

To look forward to the new year I have a project planned.  My husband and I will be creating a new massage room.  My current room is a little cramped and a larger room has become available.  It is empty and the possibilities are endless.  I plan to document the progress in regular blog posts.  I invite you to come along for the journey and make suggestions if you like.

The first step will be to prep and paint the walls.  We are planning a No VOC paint in a light green such as Beach Glass:

Dewmist Delight:

Flowering Cactus:

Delicate Frost:

Pick your favorite and leave a comment.  

Thanks for being a part of our lives.

Booking Appointments

If every time I heard someone say "I need to make an appointment with you" they actually made an appointment, I would always have a full schedule.  Unfortunately, this is usually followed by one of many excuses; i.e. 'I don't have my calendar' or 'I need to find a sitter'.  Comment below with the best excuse you've heard from a client for not booking a massage.  I will make recommendations during their session, but it is ultimately up to the individual.  I am not 'pushy' about booking appointments. I feel that a person knows when they are ready for or need a massage.

If it is a regular client, I give them a couple of choices that I know are available so that they can make a quick choice. If they aren't ready to schedule, I usually ask them to call me the next day.  I already know that they will book the appointment, it is just a matter of how soon. I have the same general times that I like to book my appointments, but for a frequent client I am willing to adjust my schedule occasionally.

If it is someone that I have not worked with before, I give them my business card and suggest that they review my web site.  This usually answers questions that they may have as well questions they haven't even thought of.  New clients are usually less sure of booking.  Even after they book an appointment it is more likely to be rescheduled or canceled.  Just like many doctors I have specific days and times that I will see a new client.  This allows me to set aside more time for intake and evaluation.  I want them to relax and become comfortable with me not feel rushed or anxious.

I like to keep things simple.  I use an on line calendar to keep track of my schedule.  I am familiar with how it operates and it doesn't cost me anything.  It syncs between my computer, my tablet, and my smart phone so I always have an up to date schedule.  I can set reminders for myself by email or notification and email confirmations can be sent to the client automatically.  This helps prevent missed appointments. Which is an entire topic on it's own to be discussed in a later blog.

Along with the excuses I'd love to hear how you respond to get the client booked.