I went to Anson, Texas (a town not far from Abilene) to my parent's house for Thanksgiving. I am really glad to be back in Austin. I love mom and dad, but definitely don't love Anson. My mom own's an antique mall there. Her mall is pretty neat and often there are neat things to see (and sometimes buy). I also got to hang out with my buddy and new blog partner Scott for a bit. His family also lives in Anson so he understands!
The whole family went to the zoo on Saturday. It's not very big, but the kids really enjoyed it and they fed the giraffes. There are two of them and they come right up to you. Julien about freaked out when a long giraffe tongue came shooting out to eat the cracker. Arden, being the animal nut that she is, also enjoyed it.
We finally got a house after over a year of selling one house, Voodoo Rental House and trying to get another house. We are moving in this week. The fridge was delivered today and the movers will be here on Wednesday to move the big items. We are moving everything else ourselves and so far have gotten quite a bit done.
This is short and semi-sweet, but bed time it is (so says Yoda). I only have a couple of weeks left of school for this semester and then I'm freeeee!! Ok, well I'm free for about a month anyhow until Spring semester starts! Talk to everyone soon!! Oh, and I promise Voodoo House will be finished! (eventually.....)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
All the Energy in the World *****An Update in the Life of Jennifer*****
Yes, it's been a long time since I've posted anything anywhere. As the semester winds down I get even busier than usual with various tests and papers. Also, we are in the process of moving into a new house. We close on Wednesday. It's been over a year since we started the process of selling our old house and buying a new one. This all started right when the economy started to take a dive and it's been quite the rollercoaster ride. I have absolutely no intention of doing that again any time in the near future. Also, I have vowed to have no excitement until the papers are signed and I have keys in my hand.
I recently discovered that I have an auto-immune disease called pernicious anemia. Apparently at some point a gene got switched on that caused my stomach cells to start attacking one another, destroying the lining that produces intrinsic factor, thus making my body unable to absorb B12 through food or vitamin supplements. I will now need B12 shots for the rest of my life at least once a month. It has been a long journey to arrive at this diagnosis. I have been, for years, becoming more and more tired in my every day life. Even with all the stuff I have going on, I felt I was unreasonably tired. I also was having a lot of joint pain and had developed sciatica. I had pleurisy not too long ago as well. My doctor had said they could find nothing wrong with me, but that they may consider testing me for Lupus. However, no test was ever done and I continued to feel worse and worse. People were telling me that it was either stress or just all in my head. I started to think perhaps I was going crazy. I finally decided that I needed to find someone who could tell me what was wrong with me because I KNEW that what I was feeling was not normal. I went to an internist because I have always read that they are the best diagnostic doctors. The internist immediately saw that I had a low white cell count in my last blood test done by my primary care doctor and so she took 8 vials of my blood and ran all kinds of tests. They discovered the B12 deficiency, so they ran a couple of other tests and discovered that in fact I will never be able to absorb B12 normally. I had no idea this condition even existed.
We usually think of anemia as being a condition in which our blood is lacking iron and where we have a low red cell count. This type of anemia is not like that. My red cells are not healthy because they are lacking in oxygen due to the low B12. It causes fatigue and also starts to cause nerve damage (thus the sciatica and joint pain and the tingling I get in my fingers and toes), which may or may not ever get better. The fatigue though will (hopefully) be much better once I start treatment. I truly felt vindicated when I got the diagnosis. I am not happy that I have a disease, but it is treatable and THAT I am happy for and I am happy that it is not a much worse disease. It is unlikely that I have Lupus as the tests that they did for that condition came up negative for me, and 90% of people with Lupus come up positive on those tests.
That's what has been going on with me. I start treatment next week the day before closing on my house. Busy, busy schedule! I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. Also, I promise to write more on Voodoo House once things slow down!
I recently discovered that I have an auto-immune disease called pernicious anemia. Apparently at some point a gene got switched on that caused my stomach cells to start attacking one another, destroying the lining that produces intrinsic factor, thus making my body unable to absorb B12 through food or vitamin supplements. I will now need B12 shots for the rest of my life at least once a month. It has been a long journey to arrive at this diagnosis. I have been, for years, becoming more and more tired in my every day life. Even with all the stuff I have going on, I felt I was unreasonably tired. I also was having a lot of joint pain and had developed sciatica. I had pleurisy not too long ago as well. My doctor had said they could find nothing wrong with me, but that they may consider testing me for Lupus. However, no test was ever done and I continued to feel worse and worse. People were telling me that it was either stress or just all in my head. I started to think perhaps I was going crazy. I finally decided that I needed to find someone who could tell me what was wrong with me because I KNEW that what I was feeling was not normal. I went to an internist because I have always read that they are the best diagnostic doctors. The internist immediately saw that I had a low white cell count in my last blood test done by my primary care doctor and so she took 8 vials of my blood and ran all kinds of tests. They discovered the B12 deficiency, so they ran a couple of other tests and discovered that in fact I will never be able to absorb B12 normally. I had no idea this condition even existed.
We usually think of anemia as being a condition in which our blood is lacking iron and where we have a low red cell count. This type of anemia is not like that. My red cells are not healthy because they are lacking in oxygen due to the low B12. It causes fatigue and also starts to cause nerve damage (thus the sciatica and joint pain and the tingling I get in my fingers and toes), which may or may not ever get better. The fatigue though will (hopefully) be much better once I start treatment. I truly felt vindicated when I got the diagnosis. I am not happy that I have a disease, but it is treatable and THAT I am happy for and I am happy that it is not a much worse disease. It is unlikely that I have Lupus as the tests that they did for that condition came up negative for me, and 90% of people with Lupus come up positive on those tests.
That's what has been going on with me. I start treatment next week the day before closing on my house. Busy, busy schedule! I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. Also, I promise to write more on Voodoo House once things slow down!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Spookiness, Another Foot in the Grave & A Race ***An Update in the Life of Jennifer****
Well I will make this short and sweet because i am EXHAUSTED. Friday night we did the trick or treat thing and then downtown we went with my very good friend M'Lissa and her husband. This was a combined Halloween and birthday celebration for me. Paul and I went as Demented Alice in Wonderland and Demented Mad Hatter. We were out until 4:30 AM and I had to get up at 8 AM to get ready and be at a birthday party for my niece and nephew. My mom was in town and she and I then went shopping for my birthday. This morning I got up and went downtown with my friend Kelly and my daughter and we participated in the Race for the Cure. It was a 5K and while we did not run it, it was a very long and tiring walk, but it was fun nonetheless. It was nice to see so many people involved for a common cause. Now I am quite tired and I am ready to pass out. Another work week starts tomorrow. Oh, here are some pictures from Halloween!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Ground Control to Major Tom....
Well, so I finally picked a costume!! I have chosen to be a demented version of Alice in Wonderland. For those of you who ever played the video game "Alice," it's kind of like that with my own little spin. I'm very excited. I haven't gotten to go out for good Halloween fun in several years. Usually it is trick or treating with the kids and then home, but this year no. It's on Friday and the next day is my birthday, thus I'm going full out! Paul is going to be a demented version of the Mad Hatter. I decided that would be appropriate given my Alice. I will take the kids trick or treating and then my mom will babysit them for me as I go out and introduce the world to my own version of Alice! Hopefully the temperature cooperates. :)
Friday, October 24, 2008
(Misguided) Pride of the South - The Sequel
Well I have an answer to my question posed in my previous blog found here. Who would buy such a ring as this? Well, so it seems I have had several hits on my page from people in Virginia and Florida who found my page by running a Google search for this ring. I am honestly not trying to be offensive, but seriously, do they understand the symbolism of this ring? Yes, yes. I'm sitting in front of my computer shaking my head as I type....
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Insert Comical Title Here ****An Update in the Life of Jennifer*****
Well hello there my Blogger friends. It's been awhile since I gave an update on myself. I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats. :P Apparently the humor has left me. I can usually come up with at least some sort of humerous or at least midly humorous title to put on these things, but that's the best I've got for today. I'm getting old apparently. I guess it happens to all of us, but for some reason I'm just constantly exhausted and thus I feel like an old lady. Sadly, though it's been awhile since I actually gave an update on myself, I have nothing very interesting to say. I'm still trying to move out of the Voodoo House, though I promise that I will pick up the story where I left off and put out new material as soon as I have time. It's very hard to write for pleasure when school is in session. :) I have plenty of material from my time here, plus plenty of invented material that I should be able to put together a fairly entertaining story. I need a new picture for my profile. That one is so old and I am horrible in all photos. Any ideas for interesting photos? Lay 'em on me.
I'm trying to decide what to be for Halloween. Yes at 28 (29 in about 10 days) I still feel the need to dress up. I think Halloween is just the best holiday of the year. Dressing up and letting one of your alter egos loose for the night is always fun, well provided your alter ego isn't completely psycho. I don't think any of mine are...well not yet anyhow lol. I want to go out one night and hit several of the haunted houses around town. I've been to some of them in years past. I haven't been impressed by most of the ones I have been able to get to; however, I've seen a few that seemed promising. Anyone else out there been to any here and been truly scared?
I'm finding it hard not to comment on politics here; however, I am trying to save all of that material strictly for my commentary blog. It's hard to hold back though since it is just so easy to find material right now. Must fight urge to type...Palin....moron...ok, it's out of my system...for now.
My Yoga class is good. In about 11 days I'll be doing the Race for the Cure downtown. I'm still begging for people to contribute to me (see previous blog), so if you can and/or want to, support finding the cure by being a donor for me!!
That's it for now! Pele out :P
I'm trying to decide what to be for Halloween. Yes at 28 (29 in about 10 days) I still feel the need to dress up. I think Halloween is just the best holiday of the year. Dressing up and letting one of your alter egos loose for the night is always fun, well provided your alter ego isn't completely psycho. I don't think any of mine are...well not yet anyhow lol. I want to go out one night and hit several of the haunted houses around town. I've been to some of them in years past. I haven't been impressed by most of the ones I have been able to get to; however, I've seen a few that seemed promising. Anyone else out there been to any here and been truly scared?
I'm finding it hard not to comment on politics here; however, I am trying to save all of that material strictly for my commentary blog. It's hard to hold back though since it is just so easy to find material right now. Must fight urge to type...Palin....moron...ok, it's out of my system...for now.
My Yoga class is good. In about 11 days I'll be doing the Race for the Cure downtown. I'm still begging for people to contribute to me (see previous blog), so if you can and/or want to, support finding the cure by being a donor for me!!
That's it for now! Pele out :P
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Race for the Cure
I am going to participate in this year's 5K Race for the Cure that will benefit the Susan Komen Foundation.
If at all possible, please go to this page and make a donation to support me in this race! I'm going to have my daughter walk it with me (I am not competing in the timed race of course).
Breast cancer is something that has always been there and always a concern to me, but it has become very personal with a friend's diagnosis at a young age with breast cancer. Understand that breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women at some point in their life. We tend to think of it as older women, but my friend is in her early 30s, which is becoming more and more common. Your support is much appreciated!
If at all possible, please go to this page and make a donation to support me in this race! I'm going to have my daughter walk it with me (I am not competing in the timed race of course).
Breast cancer is something that has always been there and always a concern to me, but it has become very personal with a friend's diagnosis at a young age with breast cancer. Understand that breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women at some point in their life. We tend to think of it as older women, but my friend is in her early 30s, which is becoming more and more common. Your support is much appreciated!
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