What's Plaguing Me-The Conclusion

I am FINALLY back to being me! Thank the Lord. Can you believe that I had been having an allergic reaction to my beloved cat Shadow. Let me explain...I adopted shadow about a year ago from a friend that needed a good home for her. I instantly fell in love with this cat. She is the sweetest girl ever. But in my old apartment she never cane in my bedroom or slept with me. Well when I moved, she wanted to be in my bed and near me, all the time. She was literally not happy unless she was laying on me or right by my face. I started having all these crazy symptoms that I brushed off as the common cold. Well, the symptoms as I blogged previously, just kept getting worse. I ignored the symptoms so long, that it turned into terrible bronchospasms with an asthma attack type response.

I am glad to report, that after about 5 days on the 2 different allergy meds, Benadryl and Pepcid round the clock, I am cured! Woot! Woot! But poor shadow has been banned from sleeping with "mama" anymore. And she is kinda distraught about it. Poor baby...

What's Plaguing Me-Update

This terrible respiratory issue I've been having came to a head last night while I was at work. Thank goodness I work in the ER. But I am the worst patient ever. I don't like hospitals or doctors when I have to be the one in the gown that opens in the back. But my breathing got so bad that I had no choice. I decided 6 weeks of shortness of breath was enough. The good thing about getting checked out in the ER you work in is I got to hand pick my nurse and PA. So I was immediately more at ease knowing I got to choose them. I had a breathing treatment and a chest x-ray. The x-ray was clear thank goodness. And the breathing treatment made me breathe a lot better. But there was still no answer as to what us causing this. I'm hoping its just a reaction to some allergen. I am now doing different nebs at home and taking an allergy medicine. Here's hoping it gets better soon, cuz I got a carribean cruise to go on in 2 weeks. But as you can see in the picture my oxygen saturation is running quite low. FML

On My Way To A Healthier Day

I do a lot of my contemplation and self reflection in the car. I think that stems from the extended amounts of time I have spend in the car over the last few years. Driving 45 min one way to work will give a girl some serious time to soul search. Well today was no different. As I was driving, I was mulling over all the changes I have been wanted to make, but for one reason or another haven't yet. And I realized how different the last few months have been compared to...well the last 10 years of my life. I made a huge decision a few months ago that has jump started this massive change for me. But I will leave that sorted tale for another post...You're welcome. LOL I realized that 2016 is going to be a very different year. And I am so excited about it. So I have decided to stick to my goal of documenting my life here. 

I wanted to be able to look back at my journey. This post is the start of my journey back to a healthy me. I have really let stress, life and many other factors hinder my health, specifically letting myself get fat. It gas been quite a journey let me tell you. And I know it was a lot more fun to abuse my body, with all things bad for me then it will be to transition to a healthy lifestyle, but it needs to happen...badly. With the help and encouragement of a very dear friend, and after watching her journey to a healthier her I am inspired. So, I went out and bought some new shoes and workout gear, downloaded the MyFitnessPal app, got a gym membership and got rid of all the unhealthy food in my house. I know this is all just the beginning of making a real lifestyle change. Now my goal is not to be some body builder or ever be a size 2. I really juat want to be healthier. I will continue to post about all the good, the bad, and the ugly along the way. Stay tuned. 

And this ER nurse turned photog could not document anything without a few photos. So here I am! And of course 1 photo of all my new workout gear!

January 2016-What's Plaquing Me

The first week of this new year is coming to and end. I've decided to write on this blog as often as I can...about all the things I'm thinking, feeling, dealing with and going through.

Everyone that knows me, knows that I've always been kinda sickly. If there are germs around, they find there way into my body. Well for the last 6 weeks or so, I have had a terrible respiratory illness plaguing me and wreaking havoc on my body. Being sick for so long is weighing heavily on my psyche. It's seriously making me depressed. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired...Literally. I have reached my breaking point. I'm a terrible patient. I always have been. I don't like doctors or hospitals. Go figure right?! Cuz I work in health care and I'm surrounded by them all day long. But it's different when I am the patient. And for this reason I have no primary Doctor.
So I have had to resort to another provider to help me with this plague. I am now on steroids daily and albuterol nebulizer treatments. But let me tell you, the side effects are wicked bad. The treatments give me the jitters so bad that I can't even sit still. And the steroids cause excessive sweating. After the first dose I had to take 2 showers and change my jammies 3 times in 6 hours. It's really kinda pitiful...

Here...judge for yourselves...Hopefully I can overcome this sickness soon...

Is It Still The 1950's?! Cuz I Thought It Was 2016...

I figured why not start out 2016 with a post that is designed for exactly what my blog is titled to be about. So here it goes, my first rant of the new year. I woke up early this morning, and started my day as I usually do...scrolling through Facebook. I came across a very interesting post by one of my friends. Her post definitely sparked some anger inside me. So I feel the need to rant. Here is the facebook post from my friend Jackie: "Tonight I was told that women don't belong in the fire service, and by another woman. Usually I don't make huge deals about things like that... But I've worked my ASS off to get where I'm at. I've gone through paramedic school being the only female in the class and having to prove that I've EARNED the spot I fought for. I've gone through the fire academy with 16 people and 13 of those people happen to be men. I've proven myself, maybe more than other with how dedicated I am to this service. And I know quite a few other woman who are strong, amazing, and dedicated woman that have accomplished this and much more. I have proven myself OVER AND OVER again being a firefighter. To have someone tell me I don't belong in the career I have successfully dedicated my life to is UNACCEPTABLE. I'm making the clear that no matter what you wanna do... It's Not something you can never accomplish. You put your mind to something you will definitely be able to achieve your goal. I know I did. And I'm pursing that goal even further. Never let hurtful words decipher who you are or what you should do. Because that's exactly what they are is words. If there's anything 2015 taught me, it's that I'm always gunna be the bigger better person and that I don't need negativity like that in my life. So goodbye to that unrealistic attitude and hello 2016. I've been looking forward to you." I felt the need to comment immediately. Here's what I had to say "F*** that girl. Its bitches like her that give women in general a bad name. This is not 1950. U are amazing and deserve what u worked so hard for. Don't let the ignorant opinion of a stereotypical dumb broad bring u down. And when her house is on fire or she needs a medic, she better pray for a public servant as amazing as you. Cuz in her time of need she'll be begging for someone like you to save her miserable self. Next time some sexest bitch says anything to you, you tell them that jealousy is an ugly color on her and that she's only jealous that you are part of a boys club she only wishes she was strong enough to be a part of. Ur the coolest chick I know. I couldn't do what you do. Keep doin ur thing! #JealousBitches #DontGiveThemTheTimeOfDay #BitchIsLuckyIWasntThere" For anyone that knows my friend Jackie, they know that she is one of the most dedicated, hard working, badass chicks ever. Jackie's post talks about being the bigger person. And she always is. She has much more grace that I could ever hope to have. I can honestly say I've never had to deal with anything like Jackie must have to on a regular basis. I can't even begin to imagine how she handles comments and stupid opinions like that. But I have to say that dumb b**** was lucky I wasn't there. Because it's situations like that where I have absolutely no problem telling it like it is. It's been said "When you're dealing with pigs, sometimes you gotta roll around in the mud. That conversation would have gone as follows "Oh honey did you mean to say that out loud?! And what's that all over your upper lip? Oh it must be the haterade that you've been guzzling. Let me just tell you somethin' sweetie, jealousy is a very ugly color on you. So why don't you take your sexist, ignorant opinion back to 1950 where it belongs." I'm still trying to figure out where an uneducated opinion against your own gender even comes from. At the end of the day though, I think Jackie has the right idea. Ignoring stupid people, bettering yourself, continuing to grind, and accomplishing your goals is the best way to be. "The best revenge against haters is to live well." So, to all those women living and thriving in a man's world...Keep that shit up! Cuz, y'all are my heros!

Another New Year...

I have not visited my blog for a very long time. But as I come back to it at the beginning of a new year, I've noticed at the end of each year that I make a bucket list for the next year, that I inevitably ignore. I have wanted to revive my blog for the last few years but as you can see I have failed. So for 2016 I've decided to do things a little differently. There will be no bucket list, but more a chronicle of all the things that are happening. So here's hoping to changing it up will help me be more successful this year. Cheers!