Update on a Beautiful Day
It is a FANTASTIC day today. The windows are open, a nice breeze blowing in the apartment, the birds are singing, the squirrels are in a frolic mood, and I'm feeling absolutely wonderful. First weekend in a long time that I haven't had a major headache, nausea, and just absolutely felt in my right mind.
After last weekend, I began researching migraines and headaches. Frankly, I did not want to have another headache, but I also didn't want to take the headache and nausea medicine I was given. Every time I'm on it, it scares Ginger, because I'm quite literally not in control of my mind (thanks to my Mom for giving me those words, which described exactly how I felt). I acted different, quite loopy, and just, well not myself. Last weekend I had taken it without Ginger's knowledge so she had no idea what was wrong with me (and was relieved to find out I was on medication). It is quite literally how Ginger is when her bipolar is bad, not herself, and you're just praying for your loved one back. Anyway, I came across something about aspartame. It is an artificial sweetener for those who don't know. For a little over two months I've drank, almost exclusively, flavored water or crystal light. Throw in a coke or two, but from morning to night I was drinking it. Grape, lemon, mandarin orange. I'd even replaced regular water with it because I figured I was drinking water. It is the only thing, diet wise, that I'd changed recently. And the research I came up with, depending on where you looked, seemed to link three things I was suffering from to aspartame, headaches, nausea, and blurred vision. So as I began to look at labels of what I drank there was one constant, aspartame. Willing to try just about anything, I took it out of my diet. I got up in the morning and began having a cup of coffee. I drank water for the rest of the day, sometimes having a coke at lunch. I got home, had water. Call it mental or not, my nausea got better, my vision is better, and I have not had the frequency or severity of headaches I had. (Though Ginger got a scare this morning, she heard me get in a pill bottle and I could hear in her voice, "Do you have a headache?" No baby, just my normal aches from a week of work. How thankful I am for normal aches!). And now, Saturday, I'm not laying on the couch seeing aura's or feeling the new familiar pressure of a coming storm in my head.
The proof, of course, will be in the coming days, though it is funny how every major illness I've suffered had to do with something I drank! Mental or not, at this moment I feel good.
We have made other changes as well. Stress is not affecting me as much because I'm talking to Ginger and my brother in Christ David. Leaving work at work! I've begun getting more ventilation in the apartment when I paint and take precautions with oil based paint. And Ginger and I had my friend David, and our friend Felicia over last night. We went to BJ's and then came back and played Outburst! It was a blast. Felicia taught Ginger how to Wobble (to which I'm very thankful for! ha ha!). Oh yes, another change as well, if I'm ever on medication I'm not blogging (Combine out of your mind medication and listening to music you can relate to on your past and, well, just read the last post, you'll understand!). I do, however, stand by the fact that the two CD's I've recently purchased are, in fact, two of my all time favorites! But I must give a plug to Ginger's cousin's band, My Excuse who is on an American Tour right now, who have two of my favorite songs, "Is It Over" and "Silent Revolution". When I can pry the CD of their music away from Ginger I can listen to the other songs!
Needless to say, we will be having Felicia over more and David, well, we are always finding ways to hang out! Ginger feels a real connection with Felicia, those two just talked non stop, and Ginger has always loved David. In terms of the guys vs. girls tally, we are one up! (And if they could have come up with just one famous jockey, David and I would have to Wobble. Wobble we did not!)
God has been walking with both Ginger and I through this storm, we have learned the power of prayer, and we have grown ever closer and stronger through this time. God continues to be the glue of our relationship and as we grow closer to Him, we grow closer to each other. Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement (got to give a special shout out to Mom, ever my encourager!). Now to continue my research on camera lenses and what my next purchased lenses will be, though I'm loving my new book on Speedliting! May have to cash in some of my best buy certificates for some lighting equipment for our studio!
Baa
P.S. Here are two pictures of a wood pecker I've been trying to photograph for years! I added these pics after I published this post but had to put them up! Enjoy!
After last weekend, I began researching migraines and headaches. Frankly, I did not want to have another headache, but I also didn't want to take the headache and nausea medicine I was given. Every time I'm on it, it scares Ginger, because I'm quite literally not in control of my mind (thanks to my Mom for giving me those words, which described exactly how I felt). I acted different, quite loopy, and just, well not myself. Last weekend I had taken it without Ginger's knowledge so she had no idea what was wrong with me (and was relieved to find out I was on medication). It is quite literally how Ginger is when her bipolar is bad, not herself, and you're just praying for your loved one back. Anyway, I came across something about aspartame. It is an artificial sweetener for those who don't know. For a little over two months I've drank, almost exclusively, flavored water or crystal light. Throw in a coke or two, but from morning to night I was drinking it. Grape, lemon, mandarin orange. I'd even replaced regular water with it because I figured I was drinking water. It is the only thing, diet wise, that I'd changed recently. And the research I came up with, depending on where you looked, seemed to link three things I was suffering from to aspartame, headaches, nausea, and blurred vision. So as I began to look at labels of what I drank there was one constant, aspartame. Willing to try just about anything, I took it out of my diet. I got up in the morning and began having a cup of coffee. I drank water for the rest of the day, sometimes having a coke at lunch. I got home, had water. Call it mental or not, my nausea got better, my vision is better, and I have not had the frequency or severity of headaches I had. (Though Ginger got a scare this morning, she heard me get in a pill bottle and I could hear in her voice, "Do you have a headache?" No baby, just my normal aches from a week of work. How thankful I am for normal aches!). And now, Saturday, I'm not laying on the couch seeing aura's or feeling the new familiar pressure of a coming storm in my head.
The proof, of course, will be in the coming days, though it is funny how every major illness I've suffered had to do with something I drank! Mental or not, at this moment I feel good.
We have made other changes as well. Stress is not affecting me as much because I'm talking to Ginger and my brother in Christ David. Leaving work at work! I've begun getting more ventilation in the apartment when I paint and take precautions with oil based paint. And Ginger and I had my friend David, and our friend Felicia over last night. We went to BJ's and then came back and played Outburst! It was a blast. Felicia taught Ginger how to Wobble (to which I'm very thankful for! ha ha!). Oh yes, another change as well, if I'm ever on medication I'm not blogging (Combine out of your mind medication and listening to music you can relate to on your past and, well, just read the last post, you'll understand!). I do, however, stand by the fact that the two CD's I've recently purchased are, in fact, two of my all time favorites! But I must give a plug to Ginger's cousin's band, My Excuse who is on an American Tour right now, who have two of my favorite songs, "Is It Over" and "Silent Revolution". When I can pry the CD of their music away from Ginger I can listen to the other songs!
Needless to say, we will be having Felicia over more and David, well, we are always finding ways to hang out! Ginger feels a real connection with Felicia, those two just talked non stop, and Ginger has always loved David. In terms of the guys vs. girls tally, we are one up! (And if they could have come up with just one famous jockey, David and I would have to Wobble. Wobble we did not!)
God has been walking with both Ginger and I through this storm, we have learned the power of prayer, and we have grown ever closer and stronger through this time. God continues to be the glue of our relationship and as we grow closer to Him, we grow closer to each other. Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement (got to give a special shout out to Mom, ever my encourager!). Now to continue my research on camera lenses and what my next purchased lenses will be, though I'm loving my new book on Speedliting! May have to cash in some of my best buy certificates for some lighting equipment for our studio!
Baa
P.S. Here are two pictures of a wood pecker I've been trying to photograph for years! I added these pics after I published this post but had to put them up! Enjoy!
Incredible capture! We can keep coming back to look @ these pics, whenever we want the treat of seeing the woodpecker!
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