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.