For the second time this month, I have had a recurrence of symptoms that I am beginning to see as correlated with, but not directly related to, my chronic sinusitis.
A few days ago, at the tail end of a fun-filled visit with my husband's parents, I began to experience once again the achiness and fatigue that I have always associated with a flare-up of acute sinusitis. This time, however, there were no other symptoms to suggest that my daily experience of low-level illness ("feeling sick") had worsened into another acute sinusitis episode. In other words, sinus-wise, everything was the same, but my body hit a wall.
The same thing had happened a week earlier, a few days after my mom had visited. According to her, I was feeling worse because of "overdoing it" (she had seen me in action, she reminded me). It is true that while she was here, I was in constant motion unpacking and getting the house in order, shopping and cooking for everyone, and generally just being my go-getter self, wanting to take advantage of the extra set of hands in the house. I even managed to fit in a long run while she was here, the first in several weeks, and a fairly intense core workout. Apparently, I overdid it. A few days of rest and I was back to baseline by the time the next set of grandparents arrived. I felt fine throughout their visit, but somehow I must have overdone it again, even though I had made an effort to relax whenever possible, and only at the end did I do some racing around as I tried to maximize my time to get school shopping done.
When I woke up on Wednesday morning I knew I hadn't slept well. It had taken me a while to fall asleep, which I attributed to taking Afrin later in the day to help with congestion, and so I woke with a headache and without a feeling of well being. By the afternoon, all of my energy was gone. When I get like that, it is to the point that I can hardly smile or respond to a question. I am just wiped out, blank-faced and exhausted. After we said our goodbyes, I took a catnap on the couch while the kids watched TV. It wasn't enough. A little while later, I asked Jon if I could lay down while he finished up his workday. An hour and half later, I felt a little improved, but I was still so tired that I needed to go to sleep at 9:30, even though I had just slept from 4 to 5:30.
This fatigue has stayed with me through today. I have had to nap and rest throughout each day, and when I do move around the house, I feel like I am running a 5K. I slump into a chair afterward, exhausted. I have had to take multiple doses of extra-strength Tylenol for the dull headache that started last night and continued upon waking and throughout the day today. It is finally gone, so I can think a little more clearly and tolerate the commotion of busy kids a little better.
Next week is our last official week of summer. I hope to live it up with the kids as much as I can. I don't want to rush them off to school, but I am grateful that it will begin soon, since it is now obvious that the next order of business is to figure out the mystery that is my health. I am glad that we are here, in this beautiful place where I believe healing is possible. There are almost no distractions to keep me from my task, other than those I create for myself. Soon, I hope to have a treatment plan that I will follow with the help of my doting husband and a doctor whose philosophies line up with my own. I am ready. I am good to go!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Saltwater Swimming
I have always had a love/hate relationship with swimming. As a kid, my siblings and I would spend our summers in South Carolina with our grandparents, swimming almost every day at either the pool, the beach, or both. Somehow, we never got bored of our routine as we put on our swimsuits and rode our bikes off to the designated swimming spot each day. The only issue was the vote. Where to go, or at least, where to go first. I loved the beach for the sun and the waves, and the excitement of not knowing what it would be like each day. My brother and sister preferred the pool because it was cleaner and closer. For me, the chlorine bothered me enough to make me want to avoid being in it too long. I would wear goggles and, yes, a nose plug, because if water did get up my nose it would make me sneeze uncontrollably.
Later on in high school, it was my brother and sister who became lifeguards, and my sister a swim-team star, while I kept to my running and sitting the sidelines on the soccer team. The pool as a place for exercise never held on for me. Until now.
Our home here in Florida has a saltwater pool. According to wikipedia, Salt water chlorination uses dissolved salt as a store for the chlorine generator instead of directly adding chlorine. Chlorine is still present in the water, but in a lesser amount, so that it does not produce the level of irritation many people experience in a chlorine pool.
My mother was the first person to discover that the pool water was salty. She had been visiting for a few days the week after we arrived. We, of course, had been in the pool many times already, but hadn't been able to pinpoint the difference in the water. Somehow I had forgotten my long-ago sensitivity to chlorine. When my mom got a taste of the water in her mouth, she was in shock that it was saltwater, and that we had no idea. Suddenly, my memory was jostled back to life, and I recalled our real estate agent mentioning the saltwater pool in her description of the property she visited in our absence. It was a minor detail which I must not have written down as I hastily scribbled notes on her impression of this house, just minutes before agreeing, over the phone, to rent it for the year.
Ever since Mom's visit she has been telling me over the phone that I should take advantage of the saltwater pool. Her mom, my Nana, along with every other grandma out there, had always touted the health benefits of salt or ocean water for your skin, hair, sores, etc. My mother-in-law's mother says the same thing about going to the Jersey shore. "Breathe deep," she always says, "it will make whatever ails you go away." Somehow, I don't think it works as perfectly as either grandma likes to think, but research has shown them to be on the right track. Livestrong.com has several articles explaining the health benefits of swimming in seawater for the immune system, skin problems, as well as bronchitis and other respiratory issues. Lance Armstrong's team is advocating a nice, long swim in the ocean, which perhaps I will work up to, but for now, I am going to take advantage of the saltwater pool right outside my patio door.
According to another website, planetgreen.com, having a saltwater pool is an eco-friendly option as well as a healthy one. This article talks more about how a saltwater pool works and its positive health and environmental benefits.
I never would have expected that having a pool would somehow play a role in my healing, but I am willing to entertain the idea right now. It has been three weeks since we've moved in here, and more than a month since leaving Pennsylvania with my last prescription for antibiotics, and I still cannot wake up without having to expectorate. I am diligently doing my nasal rinsing with the steroid add-in, using Sudafed or Afrin occasionally to assist with the clearing, and taking my vitamins and supplements, while also trying to rest and relax as much as possible. These things are helping to keep me stable, but so far, I have not been cured.
The other day while the kids were watching TV after several hours in the pool, I decided to get some exercise. This would normally be the time of day, back home, when I would lace up my sneakers and go for a run outside or on the treadmill, if Jon said he could keep an eye on the kids. Here, it's too hot to run outside other than first thing in the morning or later in the evening. Instead, I thought about my mom's advice (and her doctor's, as well; she walks regularly with her primary care doctor, who heard about our pool and agreed that it would be good for me to get in it as much as possible). I put on my goggles and hopped in the pool, sans nose plug.
I set out to do 5 laps of each of my strokes: freestyle, back stroke, and breast stroke. It took several sets of this circuit to get my breathing regulated, especially on the freestyle, which has always been my struggle. In the past, I would gag down so much air during the breathing that I would need to burp at the end of the lap! This time, I worked hard to use my nose as well as my mouth to inhale, and to slow down my breathing so that I didn't need to come up for air as much. After thirty minutes of this exercise, I felt great. It felt like a run, only better. My whole body had been worked, including my nose. See, I can run by just mouth-breathing. If I do that while swimming, I end up drinking the water. Swimming forced me to bring air through my nose, which those airways desperately need for recovery.
So I will now be adding swimming to my personal (self-prescribed) list of physical therapy activities. I will try to swim laps three times a week, and run just once, maybe twice. I am not quite ready to give up the feel of my sneakers on pavement, but I already see just how much more beneficial the swimming is to my respiratory system. I may even try it in the ocean one of these days. Close to shore, of course.
Later on in high school, it was my brother and sister who became lifeguards, and my sister a swim-team star, while I kept to my running and sitting the sidelines on the soccer team. The pool as a place for exercise never held on for me. Until now.
Our home here in Florida has a saltwater pool. According to wikipedia, Salt water chlorination uses dissolved salt as a store for the chlorine generator instead of directly adding chlorine. Chlorine is still present in the water, but in a lesser amount, so that it does not produce the level of irritation many people experience in a chlorine pool.
My mother was the first person to discover that the pool water was salty. She had been visiting for a few days the week after we arrived. We, of course, had been in the pool many times already, but hadn't been able to pinpoint the difference in the water. Somehow I had forgotten my long-ago sensitivity to chlorine. When my mom got a taste of the water in her mouth, she was in shock that it was saltwater, and that we had no idea. Suddenly, my memory was jostled back to life, and I recalled our real estate agent mentioning the saltwater pool in her description of the property she visited in our absence. It was a minor detail which I must not have written down as I hastily scribbled notes on her impression of this house, just minutes before agreeing, over the phone, to rent it for the year.
Ever since Mom's visit she has been telling me over the phone that I should take advantage of the saltwater pool. Her mom, my Nana, along with every other grandma out there, had always touted the health benefits of salt or ocean water for your skin, hair, sores, etc. My mother-in-law's mother says the same thing about going to the Jersey shore. "Breathe deep," she always says, "it will make whatever ails you go away." Somehow, I don't think it works as perfectly as either grandma likes to think, but research has shown them to be on the right track. Livestrong.com has several articles explaining the health benefits of swimming in seawater for the immune system, skin problems, as well as bronchitis and other respiratory issues. Lance Armstrong's team is advocating a nice, long swim in the ocean, which perhaps I will work up to, but for now, I am going to take advantage of the saltwater pool right outside my patio door.
According to another website, planetgreen.com, having a saltwater pool is an eco-friendly option as well as a healthy one. This article talks more about how a saltwater pool works and its positive health and environmental benefits.
I never would have expected that having a pool would somehow play a role in my healing, but I am willing to entertain the idea right now. It has been three weeks since we've moved in here, and more than a month since leaving Pennsylvania with my last prescription for antibiotics, and I still cannot wake up without having to expectorate. I am diligently doing my nasal rinsing with the steroid add-in, using Sudafed or Afrin occasionally to assist with the clearing, and taking my vitamins and supplements, while also trying to rest and relax as much as possible. These things are helping to keep me stable, but so far, I have not been cured.
The other day while the kids were watching TV after several hours in the pool, I decided to get some exercise. This would normally be the time of day, back home, when I would lace up my sneakers and go for a run outside or on the treadmill, if Jon said he could keep an eye on the kids. Here, it's too hot to run outside other than first thing in the morning or later in the evening. Instead, I thought about my mom's advice (and her doctor's, as well; she walks regularly with her primary care doctor, who heard about our pool and agreed that it would be good for me to get in it as much as possible). I put on my goggles and hopped in the pool, sans nose plug.
I set out to do 5 laps of each of my strokes: freestyle, back stroke, and breast stroke. It took several sets of this circuit to get my breathing regulated, especially on the freestyle, which has always been my struggle. In the past, I would gag down so much air during the breathing that I would need to burp at the end of the lap! This time, I worked hard to use my nose as well as my mouth to inhale, and to slow down my breathing so that I didn't need to come up for air as much. After thirty minutes of this exercise, I felt great. It felt like a run, only better. My whole body had been worked, including my nose. See, I can run by just mouth-breathing. If I do that while swimming, I end up drinking the water. Swimming forced me to bring air through my nose, which those airways desperately need for recovery.
So I will now be adding swimming to my personal (self-prescribed) list of physical therapy activities. I will try to swim laps three times a week, and run just once, maybe twice. I am not quite ready to give up the feel of my sneakers on pavement, but I already see just how much more beneficial the swimming is to my respiratory system. I may even try it in the ocean one of these days. Close to shore, of course.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Birdwatching
The other day Jon and I were discussing potential hobbies or interests we should pursue now that we are here in Florida, more or less on a yearlong (or more) vacation. Actually, the list is quite long, and includes cycling (Jon only, this has never interested me), fishing, kayaking, and, perhaps surprisingly, birdwatching.
Now as recently as a week ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of pursuing birdwatching, more properly known as "birding," as a hobby. In fact, when it first appeared on our list of ideas, it was as a joke. This area of Florida is known for its wide array of birds and even draws tourists throughout the year for whom the birds, and not the beaches, are the focus of their vacation. To us this has always seemed rather, well, nerdy. Picture gray-haired ladies and gents with giant hats, pants with lots of pockets to hold an assortment of binoculars, cameras, and other birding "gear."
Just a few days ago our view of this hobby has suddenly changed. It happened during a rainstorm on Sunday afternoon. From the family room, Jon caught a glimpse through the sliding glass door of a giant bird landing directly in our backyard, between the edge of our screened lanai and the canal seawall. I snapped a picture as we all gazed in amazement at this beautiful creature we had never seen in real life, much less this close. After it flew away, I looked it up on the internet and believe it to be a Great Blue Heron. This, I guess, was the beginning of birding becoming an actual contender for our time and interest this year.
Today, while swimming in the pool with the kids, we observed several more unique species, all within plain view. One, his landing directly in the spot where the Great Blue Heron stood a few days ago, prompted me to have Emma grab Jon from his office to come and see. This time I did not have the camera handy (I am not yet a true birdwatcher, apparently), but I did some quick research and believe this was a Great Heron. He or she was tall, with a great long curved neck and a pointy orange beak. He just stood by the canal's edge for a few minutes, then gracefully flew to the water below. It flew away only when Jon approached the dock for a closer look.
Although the sightings of these two magnificent birds is fairly rare for us, each being spotted only once in the two weeks we have been here, others are commonly seen every day. At least one Red-winged Blackbird lives in our yard, regularly singing his distinctive song to a friend or mate down the way, who always answers in echo. A lone morning dove, one bird species we used to see regularly back in Pennsylvania, landed on the roof of our lanai during our swim today as well, moving delicately along the edge, watching us. Two large white birds with black-tipped wings were perched in a tall needley tree across the canal from us, swaying in the wind on their branches for quite some time as I floated on my raft near the kids. And, as I write, birds all around are chirping and singing, while a tiny lizard hangs out on a screen nearby, where he has been stationed for most of the afternoon.
Perhaps there might just be something to this bird-watching thing after all. It's a stroke of luck that we already own a decent pair of binoculars, a gift we selected from among several others Jon's company offered in honor of his five year anniversary a few years back. Though chances are you won't find us in baggy pants or big hats, we will, most likely, be snapping pictures whenever we can in order to document these everyday Florida, amazing-to-us, discoveries.
Now as recently as a week ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of pursuing birdwatching, more properly known as "birding," as a hobby. In fact, when it first appeared on our list of ideas, it was as a joke. This area of Florida is known for its wide array of birds and even draws tourists throughout the year for whom the birds, and not the beaches, are the focus of their vacation. To us this has always seemed rather, well, nerdy. Picture gray-haired ladies and gents with giant hats, pants with lots of pockets to hold an assortment of binoculars, cameras, and other birding "gear."
Just a few days ago our view of this hobby has suddenly changed. It happened during a rainstorm on Sunday afternoon. From the family room, Jon caught a glimpse through the sliding glass door of a giant bird landing directly in our backyard, between the edge of our screened lanai and the canal seawall. I snapped a picture as we all gazed in amazement at this beautiful creature we had never seen in real life, much less this close. After it flew away, I looked it up on the internet and believe it to be a Great Blue Heron. This, I guess, was the beginning of birding becoming an actual contender for our time and interest this year.
Today, while swimming in the pool with the kids, we observed several more unique species, all within plain view. One, his landing directly in the spot where the Great Blue Heron stood a few days ago, prompted me to have Emma grab Jon from his office to come and see. This time I did not have the camera handy (I am not yet a true birdwatcher, apparently), but I did some quick research and believe this was a Great Heron. He or she was tall, with a great long curved neck and a pointy orange beak. He just stood by the canal's edge for a few minutes, then gracefully flew to the water below. It flew away only when Jon approached the dock for a closer look.
Although the sightings of these two magnificent birds is fairly rare for us, each being spotted only once in the two weeks we have been here, others are commonly seen every day. At least one Red-winged Blackbird lives in our yard, regularly singing his distinctive song to a friend or mate down the way, who always answers in echo. A lone morning dove, one bird species we used to see regularly back in Pennsylvania, landed on the roof of our lanai during our swim today as well, moving delicately along the edge, watching us. Two large white birds with black-tipped wings were perched in a tall needley tree across the canal from us, swaying in the wind on their branches for quite some time as I floated on my raft near the kids. And, as I write, birds all around are chirping and singing, while a tiny lizard hangs out on a screen nearby, where he has been stationed for most of the afternoon.
Perhaps there might just be something to this bird-watching thing after all. It's a stroke of luck that we already own a decent pair of binoculars, a gift we selected from among several others Jon's company offered in honor of his five year anniversary a few years back. Though chances are you won't find us in baggy pants or big hats, we will, most likely, be snapping pictures whenever we can in order to document these everyday Florida, amazing-to-us, discoveries.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Finally!
I am finally writing from our new home in Southwest Florida. It is beautiful here! Tonight after putting the kids to bed Jon and I watched the sunset from our front porch, pink and orange over a huge sky. We talked about how I have been feeling, and how amazing it is that we are actually here.
When we first rolled into town at the end of the longest drive of our journey, Cape Coral was deserted due to the Fourth of July holiday. No stores were open, and everything looked bleak and dreary, as a huge thunderstorm had just blown through (which added time to our trip, right at the end when we had all hit our limit of car-time!). Without saying a word, Jon & I knew what each other was thinking: "What on earth have we gotten ourselves into?". We had only visited this town once, for ONE day, during a three-day whirlwind tour of the area. We had never seen our home in person, but simply put our faith in the realtor I had found online, and trusted. We had some idea of the neighborhood in general, but not the specific street or area right around this home. We literally arrived here on faith.
Knowing what he was thinking, because it was the same as me, I told Jon, "Just don't think about it. Don't think about anything. Just get to the hotel, and we will see what happens tomorrow." I knew our emotions were not to be trusted. We had not slept in our own beds or our own home in 9 days. Even though it was fun to see friends and family, we were worn out from so many days of living out of suitcases and being in the car. That day in particular was the worst of all. We had woken at 5:45 AM in order to leave by 8, and didn't arrive in town until almost 6 PM. The hotel experience was less than ideal, only because it had two queen size beds and there were five of us, but we survived. The next morning we once again woke up before 6 so we could have breakfast and be at the rental office by 8 for the keys. By then, the sun was out and it was gorgeous. The town was alive again, and it was as beautiful as our favorite Caribbean island, Aruba.
Our entire family was filled with nervous excitement as we drove to our new home and finally unlocked the doors. It was better than we could have imagined! Beautiful, new, and clean, with rooms the perfect size for us, and giant closets for all the toys from our previously huge playroom (which we don't have here), this house has everything I could have ever wanted, and more. It is not a mansion by any stretch, nor is it total luxury, but it has a lot of high-quality features that seem to make life easier and more pleasant. There is something wonderful about a master bathroom with a giant soaking tub and a toilet with a door. Hello, relaxation! In choosing to live in Florida, one thing we considered a must was a swimming pool. For years in Pennsylvania we had been members of our community YMCA pool, and though we always had a blast there, for me, taking three children alone was more work than it was worth, and thus we didn't use it as much as we would have liked. Here, it is right out our back door, and we have the bonus feature of total privacy, since there are no neighbors next door and the canal behind us provides a generous buffer between us and the street behind. The view is truly incredible as well. There seems to always be a breeze: again, just like Aruba! When I am out there, I breathe as deeply as possible (which is still a little tricky on that pesky right side), and soak it all in.
Symptom-wise, yesterday was the first day I truly began to feel good again. It was also the final day of my SECOND round of antibiotics. 20 days in total, going back to mid-June. Finally, the signs of infection are all but gone, and I am breathing almost normally again. There is a slight sensation of swelling or congestion on the right side, but air is flowing, which feels fantastic. I am continuing with the strictest regiment of twice daily rinses with one pulmicort (steroid) rinse, two nasal sprays, twice a day (an antihistimine and a steroid), and Zyrtec. I am also continuing to take my supplements and vitamins, to which I recently added Calcium at the suggestion of the doctor friend we had stayed with in North Carolina. Apparently, prednisone gets in the way of calcium absorption, something which would have been helpful to know a long time ago, especially considering my age and gender. At least I know now, and am going to step up my calcium to try to make up for it.
Physically I am finally over the feeling of total exhaustion that has been with me for weeks. Unlike with past infections, when I would feel this way for no apparent reason, this time it was pretty clear that I was tired because of the physical labor involved in moving. Also, when I take prednisone I don't sleep as deeply, so probably this contributed as well. Yesterday I slept in until 8:30 for the first time in forever, and it felt great! Now I feel like I am almost back to my normal self, rested and just about over this infection (but not quite there yet).
Despite the boxes to unpack, things around the house have been mostly calm and quiet. The children are in heaven with the swimming pool out back, and they are highly motivated to get along, clean up, or eat all of their food if a chance to go swimming is the reward. Having a one-floor home seems to contribute to cooperation and happiness as well. While I am in the kitchen or laundry room, they are playing in one of their bedrooms just a few feet away. Somehow, it makes things easier and everyone has been super happy.
Now that we are getting settled, we have entered a small stage of having visitors, beginning with my mom's arrival from South Carolina. We are so happy to have her here! It is fun to finally have someone to share our joy with, as we can hardly contain it! In two weeks, Jon's parents will come as well! God has been so faithful to us so far, and we have no doubt that He will continue to provide for all of our needs, including my health and restoration as each day I feel better and better! We are incredibly thankful for all of the friends and family out there who have been praying for us. Keep it up-- it is working! I hope to continue to be able to post positive updates on this blog.
Tomorrow we are taking our first excursion over to Sanibel Island, which we visited back in April. It is one of the most gorgeous natural settings we've ever visited! Mom has never been there, so it will be fun to explore it some more with her, and to relax and let the kids play in the sun and sand for as long we we care to stay. After all, it will only be a thirty minute ride back home again!
When we first rolled into town at the end of the longest drive of our journey, Cape Coral was deserted due to the Fourth of July holiday. No stores were open, and everything looked bleak and dreary, as a huge thunderstorm had just blown through (which added time to our trip, right at the end when we had all hit our limit of car-time!). Without saying a word, Jon & I knew what each other was thinking: "What on earth have we gotten ourselves into?". We had only visited this town once, for ONE day, during a three-day whirlwind tour of the area. We had never seen our home in person, but simply put our faith in the realtor I had found online, and trusted. We had some idea of the neighborhood in general, but not the specific street or area right around this home. We literally arrived here on faith.
Knowing what he was thinking, because it was the same as me, I told Jon, "Just don't think about it. Don't think about anything. Just get to the hotel, and we will see what happens tomorrow." I knew our emotions were not to be trusted. We had not slept in our own beds or our own home in 9 days. Even though it was fun to see friends and family, we were worn out from so many days of living out of suitcases and being in the car. That day in particular was the worst of all. We had woken at 5:45 AM in order to leave by 8, and didn't arrive in town until almost 6 PM. The hotel experience was less than ideal, only because it had two queen size beds and there were five of us, but we survived. The next morning we once again woke up before 6 so we could have breakfast and be at the rental office by 8 for the keys. By then, the sun was out and it was gorgeous. The town was alive again, and it was as beautiful as our favorite Caribbean island, Aruba.
Our entire family was filled with nervous excitement as we drove to our new home and finally unlocked the doors. It was better than we could have imagined! Beautiful, new, and clean, with rooms the perfect size for us, and giant closets for all the toys from our previously huge playroom (which we don't have here), this house has everything I could have ever wanted, and more. It is not a mansion by any stretch, nor is it total luxury, but it has a lot of high-quality features that seem to make life easier and more pleasant. There is something wonderful about a master bathroom with a giant soaking tub and a toilet with a door. Hello, relaxation! In choosing to live in Florida, one thing we considered a must was a swimming pool. For years in Pennsylvania we had been members of our community YMCA pool, and though we always had a blast there, for me, taking three children alone was more work than it was worth, and thus we didn't use it as much as we would have liked. Here, it is right out our back door, and we have the bonus feature of total privacy, since there are no neighbors next door and the canal behind us provides a generous buffer between us and the street behind. The view is truly incredible as well. There seems to always be a breeze: again, just like Aruba! When I am out there, I breathe as deeply as possible (which is still a little tricky on that pesky right side), and soak it all in.
Symptom-wise, yesterday was the first day I truly began to feel good again. It was also the final day of my SECOND round of antibiotics. 20 days in total, going back to mid-June. Finally, the signs of infection are all but gone, and I am breathing almost normally again. There is a slight sensation of swelling or congestion on the right side, but air is flowing, which feels fantastic. I am continuing with the strictest regiment of twice daily rinses with one pulmicort (steroid) rinse, two nasal sprays, twice a day (an antihistimine and a steroid), and Zyrtec. I am also continuing to take my supplements and vitamins, to which I recently added Calcium at the suggestion of the doctor friend we had stayed with in North Carolina. Apparently, prednisone gets in the way of calcium absorption, something which would have been helpful to know a long time ago, especially considering my age and gender. At least I know now, and am going to step up my calcium to try to make up for it.
Physically I am finally over the feeling of total exhaustion that has been with me for weeks. Unlike with past infections, when I would feel this way for no apparent reason, this time it was pretty clear that I was tired because of the physical labor involved in moving. Also, when I take prednisone I don't sleep as deeply, so probably this contributed as well. Yesterday I slept in until 8:30 for the first time in forever, and it felt great! Now I feel like I am almost back to my normal self, rested and just about over this infection (but not quite there yet).
Despite the boxes to unpack, things around the house have been mostly calm and quiet. The children are in heaven with the swimming pool out back, and they are highly motivated to get along, clean up, or eat all of their food if a chance to go swimming is the reward. Having a one-floor home seems to contribute to cooperation and happiness as well. While I am in the kitchen or laundry room, they are playing in one of their bedrooms just a few feet away. Somehow, it makes things easier and everyone has been super happy.
Now that we are getting settled, we have entered a small stage of having visitors, beginning with my mom's arrival from South Carolina. We are so happy to have her here! It is fun to finally have someone to share our joy with, as we can hardly contain it! In two weeks, Jon's parents will come as well! God has been so faithful to us so far, and we have no doubt that He will continue to provide for all of our needs, including my health and restoration as each day I feel better and better! We are incredibly thankful for all of the friends and family out there who have been praying for us. Keep it up-- it is working! I hope to continue to be able to post positive updates on this blog.
Tomorrow we are taking our first excursion over to Sanibel Island, which we visited back in April. It is one of the most gorgeous natural settings we've ever visited! Mom has never been there, so it will be fun to explore it some more with her, and to relax and let the kids play in the sun and sand for as long we we care to stay. After all, it will only be a thirty minute ride back home again!
Friday, July 1, 2011
North Carolina
Today we are in beautiful Cary, North Carolina visiting PA friends who recently moved here. We arrived last night and spent the day today relaxing and seeing a bit of the area, including a lovely park where we rented canoes and explored a small lake.
My health symptoms are improving a bit now that I've been on the new antibiotic and steroids for three days. My left side is completely clear and the right is almost there, although I am still not getting full air flow. I haven't been able to do my rinsing like I do at home, since we've been on the road and in other people's homes. Hopefully I will get one in tonight, as that does help a little.
We have one more day here tomorrow, and then we hit the road again early Sunday morning for South Carolina. The adventure continues!
My health symptoms are improving a bit now that I've been on the new antibiotic and steroids for three days. My left side is completely clear and the right is almost there, although I am still not getting full air flow. I haven't been able to do my rinsing like I do at home, since we've been on the road and in other people's homes. Hopefully I will get one in tonight, as that does help a little.
We have one more day here tomorrow, and then we hit the road again early Sunday morning for South Carolina. The adventure continues!
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