Sick!

So I thought I had the flu...
I was miserable. Fever, headache, runny nose, fatigue, sore throat, body aches and more! Absolutely awful! I actually had to call in to work for 3 days straight and since we're so shorthanded, that means that each day I called in, 2 other people were forced to cover my shift so they had to work 12 hours that day instead of 8. That made me feel even worse.
On the third day, I developed the worst sore throat I've ever had in my life...so I went to the doctor. Turns out, it's not the flu, it's a sinus infection. But the doctor was more concerned with some other problems I'm having. My blood pressure is too high (135/100). And I've gained 14 pounds since the last time I saw the doctor 6 months ago. So now he's sending me to get bloodwork done to check for thyroid problems, diabetes, liver problems, etc. And he gave me a prescription to take care of the sinus infection.

After starting the meds, I was still having extreme pain in my throat, so I looked online for a home remedy to help. I tried drinking warm water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. It worked! The pain came back, but there was definate improvement for a couple of hours.

Further home remedy reading caused me to find that meditating can improve blood pressure. I've never meditated before but I knew my dad has done it to improve his health so I gave him a call. He praised the practice, stating that it did help his high blood pressure and also caused him to have more energy when he meditated routinely. So I decided to try it. Ray saw me sitting up in bed in the dark and became concerned. He wanted to know what I was doing and when I told him, he thought I'd gone crazy! He asked me not to do it because it's too weird! (I'm sure he imagined a person meditating making a humming noise and levitating in an Indian style sitting position while thinking profound thoughts about the universe and the meaning of life!) But I assured him that I wasn't doing anything weird, just being quiet and relaxing with a blank mind (as blank as possible). I sat for 20 minutes in a relaxed position and let thoughts run through my mind without concentrating on them. I began to feel like I was spinning, not dizzy, but freely spinning like I was floating. It was not unpleasant. After I opened my eyes, my body felt so relaxed and so heavy in it's position. It was nice. I'm planning on experimenting more with meditation and moving up to meditation using visualization. I've realized that this is not my first time meditating: I did it during childbirth using the Bradley Method, relaxing and visualizing my cervix was a flower that was opening up and blooming. And also during a cool down period of a dance class I had in college in which the instructor walked us through a deep relaxation. I just never knew that's what meditating was.

So hopefully something good will come out of this bout with illness. And I thank God that no one else in the family has gotten sick! I pray that good health stays with all of them~

LOVELY HUSBAND AND JOYFUL KIDS

Haven't had time to blog in a while. But I just wanted to put down a few of my thoughts before I forgot about them.



The other day I was running late for work. I barely had time to jump in the shower, never mind eat lunch or dry my hair! But as I rushed to my bedroom after showering, in walks Ray with a plate full of food and a hairdryer in his hand. I sat on the bed and ate my lunch while Ray dried my hair. That, my friends, is one of the many reasons why I love my husband!

On another note...my kids also bring joy to my life. The other day my friend Jenny and her kids were at our house. We all had dinner together and just hung out, watching tv, playing toys, listening to music, checking myspace...when out of nowhere Malachi stops to ask me, "Mom, is this a party?" The little comments like these just melt my heart. He was having so much fun with our friends that it seemed like a party to him. I am glad that our regular family life with it's friendships and activities are so exciting and fulfilling for him.

Thank you God for my family!!!