tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29728080898975966432024-03-12T17:09:28.004-07:00Inner Workings of Outward ExpressionsTaking the path to uncover the importance of focusing inward. Making sense of the world as it moves me...as seen through my own "lense" be it that of a camera, the stroke of a brush or marks of a pencil. Art is not necessarily pretty or polite, but is always an expression.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-19614998017298789502014-07-05T21:48:00.000-07:002014-07-05T21:48:02.623-07:00Hey Stranger...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2GG_yJTZ7hxk-P_1nGSt7IGzAPRiGKCG6mG7tz1nQl2nADCndoSFSXQ97X71XduXrN0e7nzbe9o93G7PQGiKsldcCXRw0aHTfE24f8SqE4m2lEPxY9PJYdxr6Vi4v9jVynaBdZcrd0ZI/s1600/DSC_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2GG_yJTZ7hxk-P_1nGSt7IGzAPRiGKCG6mG7tz1nQl2nADCndoSFSXQ97X71XduXrN0e7nzbe9o93G7PQGiKsldcCXRw0aHTfE24f8SqE4m2lEPxY9PJYdxr6Vi4v9jVynaBdZcrd0ZI/s320/DSC_0055.jpg" /></a></div>
It's been two years and one month since I've written anything and I can't even begin to relay all that's happened. Most of the past couple of years has been dedicated to treatment, being sick as a dog with co-infections of my Lyme being unwelcome guests, and drinking coffee. The coffee has been the best part.
Anyhow, I'll keep this short because my brain is mushy from treatment of Lyme and Babesia. I've been trying to get out with my camera every once in a while so I decided to head back to my hometown and shoot a few photos at the wildlife reserve there.
I am headed back down to D.C. to see my Lyme specialist in a couple weeks and am hoping to see some progress from this cycle of treatment. It's been like playing disease whack-a-mole with Babesia popping up all over the place with ugly symptoms. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to eliminate Babesia from the treatment picture soon so I won't have so many medications destroying me and I can have more decent days. Hopefully I remember to update with a new post after my appointment! Hope you are all enjoying the warm weather!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-79253036375583472732012-06-05T08:17:00.000-07:002012-06-05T08:17:55.947-07:00Safety Net<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUdOL3W9Dw-A9xlHHWSmNyyRfB_F0kCAsvbKn2pOh0si9Y-7xYehVV7qJwpSMU62ajuVJ-3_oSQYcvtc86kOktY2mfdm5QWMhRFHcaCMfY0Sn_IR3SuefzW0ibmPlrqwwN5aO0LcIiIBX/s1600/DSC_0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUdOL3W9Dw-A9xlHHWSmNyyRfB_F0kCAsvbKn2pOh0si9Y-7xYehVV7qJwpSMU62ajuVJ-3_oSQYcvtc86kOktY2mfdm5QWMhRFHcaCMfY0Sn_IR3SuefzW0ibmPlrqwwN5aO0LcIiIBX/s320/DSC_0025.jpg" /></a>
My parents are my immediate safety net when Lyme decides to swiftly kick me in the ass. I don't have many friends around home anymore to take the edge off the isolation although I do have some amazing, but unlikely "Lyme friends" that live in other states and we use every form of internet and phone networking to stay connected and hold each other up when needed.
I finally got out to take some photos last week and thought that this one had intricate strong lines in the bridge's structure. There was a subtle glow of sun peeking through the clouds and steel beams to soften the rigid structure. I can easily compare that caged in feeling with Lyme and the small break in the grey day with the group of supportive people in my life that I am so grateful for. You all know who you are. Much love to you all through the thick and thin of this illness!
P.S. You may need to enlarge the photo to see the nuances I wrote about.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-38553447015618217222012-01-05T13:58:00.000-08:002012-01-05T14:13:03.451-08:00Moving up in the world!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiIeJuZTPPc16wOlhGjrGCfnDy1YyqGTAdh39gkvSq15DOuvtJVmx0xOnOZ4XjeXMwuWAgXgBExIH4MSA3uRo4xNZVQZOBbOj_GxvkSkVWDbuzh070g44Q8UdFRjXNLCjwgIEVv8BP4kP/s1600/PB090088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiIeJuZTPPc16wOlhGjrGCfnDy1YyqGTAdh39gkvSq15DOuvtJVmx0xOnOZ4XjeXMwuWAgXgBExIH4MSA3uRo4xNZVQZOBbOj_GxvkSkVWDbuzh070g44Q8UdFRjXNLCjwgIEVv8BP4kP/s320/PB090088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694270894094238194" /></a><br /><br />It's been a while guys! I am well into my beginning months of oral antibiotics for treatment of Lyme Disease, moving into a 3rd floor walk up apartment (hence the title...witty eh?) and getting ready to start school again in a few weeks. It's a whole lot of change with a lot of unknown variables mixed in. I am starting a new combination of medications the week that I start college and I have no idea what effects that will have on my body. School is going to be stressful enough mentally and physically so I'm hoping I'll be able to tough it out without having to take medical leave.<br /><br />I went to the apartment last night with my parents and finished painting my room and put the mirror back on the vanity. I have always wanted one and I finally have a gorgeous antique with a little boudoir chair that goes with my bedding just by chance! This week will have to be a big moving week to get everything in and organized so that I'm completely settled before school starts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCekWr-_r-fI9ui-FZ3n2gf76CzLJlTPIs-Onpy52CPAjno2xmyZ34NLCOKwe9cOgs-7AlF6tbu_gnpoz9lT59s-z2MFs1BabvedkXsCZ40T8PYdaB57nGHrNlOAhwBFPT_vM-Z9gXa8r/s1600/PB090090.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCekWr-_r-fI9ui-FZ3n2gf76CzLJlTPIs-Onpy52CPAjno2xmyZ34NLCOKwe9cOgs-7AlF6tbu_gnpoz9lT59s-z2MFs1BabvedkXsCZ40T8PYdaB57nGHrNlOAhwBFPT_vM-Z9gXa8r/s320/PB090090.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694270910257961522" /></a><br /><br />There was a Lyme Disease support group meeting last night conveniently 5 minutes from my apartment which is much better than the half hour I would have to travel from my parents house. My parents came with me, and it was a nice low key group. I had an appointment this morning after which I rolled my ankle (how many more medical problems can I acquire?) and limped back to my car. I'm now icing it with the cat at my feet getting ready to watch some netflix! I'm going to go rest...hopefully my next entry will follow sooner rather than later!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-7676978435000343182011-12-08T19:58:00.000-08:002011-12-08T20:23:44.859-08:00Getting schooled...Buddhist style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ctk7KosWLv5N1UtxUuucOFFURuGbcAe4sWaPkJaqCa5rKvh99FwD4gNMZN3vy_vrpSqRF9s9Or-vbnwcQSa4O40DCZ5-SP2QgoiA6cET_z-kpbpeIXK7logj3e2VqXUIHePvY0hSfXm8/s1600/380949_228228397249772_100783199994293_546771_433979579_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ctk7KosWLv5N1UtxUuucOFFURuGbcAe4sWaPkJaqCa5rKvh99FwD4gNMZN3vy_vrpSqRF9s9Or-vbnwcQSa4O40DCZ5-SP2QgoiA6cET_z-kpbpeIXK7logj3e2VqXUIHePvY0hSfXm8/s320/380949_228228397249772_100783199994293_546771_433979579_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683973661394605074" /></a><br /><br />Last weekend I spent my Saturday at the Tibetan Buddhist meditation center to which I belong receiving a teaching from Lama Pema. Lama Pema is a well regarded teacher and personally knows the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, an eminent meditation master and scholar in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Thrangu Rinpoche is the director of our center, but is based out of a monastary in Vancouver. <br /><br />The date of the teaching happened to be the day before the birthday of Rinpoche so the teaching was given on an account of his life story as a way to celebrate his birthday. It's hard to sum up the story so I will just say that it was enlightening and left most everyone in the sangha (group of meditation students) in awe. The Lama had a translator because he spoke Tibetan and very little English, but we were able to have some light conversation with him at tea after the teaching.<br /><br />Monday was the beginning of a new meditation sitting and study group which I joined because they were beginning to study with a new book. The more I learn about Buddhism, the more deeply its concepts resonate with me. I just feel blessed to have found a group of like minded people who are understanding about my health issues knowing that sometimes I may not be able to make it to the group because of my symptoms and make me feel okay about that. I grasped this opportunity at just the right time and it has helped me in so many ways.<br /><br />Hope you are all had a nice Thanksgiving and are enjoying gearing up for Christmas! I just registered for classes at Maine College of Art that begin in January so I have tons to look forward to, and lots to tell you next time I type!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-8548566187837407592011-11-25T19:43:00.000-08:002011-11-25T19:58:31.596-08:00Turkey Coma!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkbbj8LxSU9-IV1pH9f4yM-iPCsTGsO5B_IZwik1uPdVRkPk29NpPfEngtTPnKvZN98-DIYFn4cfxIWjTgxDbY3g-y0uUK0YQXwvUoK3wIxpuGnTYf7nwsyEMTmbdfsWtVVtTzGGSNnld/s1600/PA010029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkbbj8LxSU9-IV1pH9f4yM-iPCsTGsO5B_IZwik1uPdVRkPk29NpPfEngtTPnKvZN98-DIYFn4cfxIWjTgxDbY3g-y0uUK0YQXwvUoK3wIxpuGnTYf7nwsyEMTmbdfsWtVVtTzGGSNnld/s320/PA010029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679145667232319362" /></a><br /><br />May I blame my turkey come for the untimely posting of this blog entry? I don't think so since the tryptophan in turkey doesn't actually cause people to get sleepy. There goes the mythical excuse for lethargy! Oh well, it's a holiday. Meant for relaxing and spending time with family and recognizing things you may have taken for granted throughout that year that warrant acknowledgement.<br /><br />I find it really sad that the minute the clock hits midnight, Christmas takes over. People get so caught up in the rush of Black Friday that Thanksgiving doesn't have the moment it deserves. Right after Halloween stores race to put up all their holiday wares and decorations and it's as though Thanksgiving is barely a blip on the radar. Anyhow, that's how it seems to me and I wish it were a bit different. Above is a photo of my allergen free Thanksgiving dinner...I didn't take a picture of the glorious gluten free pie that I ordered through a local GF bakery, but I will say that its fabulosity (is that a word? Haha!) is causing it to quickly disappear! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday in whatever way you and your family celebrate it!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-67765661228670902142011-11-10T22:07:00.001-08:002011-11-10T22:13:41.925-08:00Stars and stripes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7lePYdqamvhKSU7G1bWGXPiSCac7sGOe7odndPdNxZFzEZJyhk2SEP1NG7g1Ye-MQK6OZWTcoTf7QBuot0HlqPy_BG-68gp-NYXMYlBa9vPHU3CRt0_oLI9-WdTrIDav-MywYF4Uh3YO/s1600/P9170023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7lePYdqamvhKSU7G1bWGXPiSCac7sGOe7odndPdNxZFzEZJyhk2SEP1NG7g1Ye-MQK6OZWTcoTf7QBuot0HlqPy_BG-68gp-NYXMYlBa9vPHU3CRt0_oLI9-WdTrIDav-MywYF4Uh3YO/s320/P9170023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673616131847373570" /></a><br /><br />It's Veteran's Day...I know, I'm punctual! It's about 1:00AM so I'm ahead of the game and just went out to put the flag out in my jim jams. I'm a dork. It's okay, I've acknowledged it and so can you. I just wanted to write a simple message to let anyone who has served our country that I am grateful for their service, and to let them know that it has not been taken for granted.<br /><br />Take out some time to thank anyone you know who has been in the service. This is a day for us to remember how fortunate we are to have so many brave men and women that dedicate their lives to furthering the values of the U.S. So, again in short, thank you!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-47491827084679654562011-11-01T12:59:00.001-07:002011-11-01T13:32:51.980-07:00Indian summer and early winter!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqYCmH_4r8vUkZaBPBEC7708oyh2R4uY3LMuCY9k-DZ0rVmAgzpG4jbJt3Ik3QNVgyO23qLw_Qq-aLRy0C9v30gL7Sh9kLSxZ-gjCD2hvifCUL_OQ07jGsBbm-HAuZnuHFjeycWH4T3u4/s1600/P8280004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqYCmH_4r8vUkZaBPBEC7708oyh2R4uY3LMuCY9k-DZ0rVmAgzpG4jbJt3Ik3QNVgyO23qLw_Qq-aLRy0C9v30gL7Sh9kLSxZ-gjCD2hvifCUL_OQ07jGsBbm-HAuZnuHFjeycWH4T3u4/s320/P8280004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670120124485802402" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday was Halloween and actually saved up enough energy last week to carve a pumpkin! I drew my own design and carved out my little owl sitting on his branch. The day I carved the pumpkin it was about 70 degrees here and the next day it was in the 40's and back up in temperature the next. Crazy Maine weather was a sign on Mother Nature's ambivalence about the transition from summer to fall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-q6u9YWmHlF8FLPnoWSX50qbQAFeSsomrY7PEU0TLWY4Ydh6xi-tnXqq6UQaTo8kjSY3MqJMUrD9Y4uG0JJAt9xIzcmeh2y_A0F2Qqo-1KsB-4kIbJLtWGBgcQnOdZn4h8HQ9c5n2r_6/s1600/P9020010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-q6u9YWmHlF8FLPnoWSX50qbQAFeSsomrY7PEU0TLWY4Ydh6xi-tnXqq6UQaTo8kjSY3MqJMUrD9Y4uG0JJAt9xIzcmeh2y_A0F2Qqo-1KsB-4kIbJLtWGBgcQnOdZn4h8HQ9c5n2r_6/s320/P9020010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670120129428008626" /></a><br /><br />The changing colors of the trees was gorgeous, but because we've had so much rain the foliage never hit it's peak. The colors of this farm photo are still stunning to me. It's on a back route that I travel often and I've been wanting to photograph it for a while. I had my camera with me for other reasons that day and when I passed I had to stop because the light was perfect and the stark contrast of the white farmhouse against all of nature's colors was striking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80kMLcgHrRk04mRG8DC8bCHZ3vqqS9mNG9iGmwlnQqv6REeupIBWziiRrElohpQLAYWmYOKleEm6XAvnR2kbvv-7ft5KEFV4KSfOqdA4gj46PUbUzFtzNANluzQnwkogoPA5-Nhhx4c3Z/s1600/P9040004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80kMLcgHrRk04mRG8DC8bCHZ3vqqS9mNG9iGmwlnQqv6REeupIBWziiRrElohpQLAYWmYOKleEm6XAvnR2kbvv-7ft5KEFV4KSfOqdA4gj46PUbUzFtzNANluzQnwkogoPA5-Nhhx4c3Z/s320/P9040004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670120142140721314" /></a><br /><br />A couple of days later I headed back down that same road to go to Freeport where the Pumpkin Festival was going on. The Pumpkin Fest is a fundraiser for Camp Sunshine which is a summer camp in Maine for children with chronic and terminal illnesses. These festivals are held every fall in a few places. This year it was Maine and Mass. People donate money to carve pumpkins, vendors sell food and other things with all the proceeds going towards the camp. I volunteered at the vendor's table that was selling whoopie pies and pumpkin pie and for 6 hours three of us were running around trying to get pie on plates fast enough because people were just buying it like crazy! Then the "early winter" started...it began to snow and we were all freezing but so happy to help that we didn't care. At the end of the night all of the pumpkins carved were lined up on this huge tower and lit up. I got this neat shot of the pumpkins and the snowflakes falling in front of the camera. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3GnCmEBELJs9Jt7G5ynaPSWhhBXdJ09BUm3eAK7jlkpbDd0FIPAIJPfAcgMGWun8s-jJ0-yn_CdETnfoH2izFM6AWavjtfai-JIU6iJAiFuUXX6cWncWQKm4POlymrocYuNndnFfSDax/s1600/P9050013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3GnCmEBELJs9Jt7G5ynaPSWhhBXdJ09BUm3eAK7jlkpbDd0FIPAIJPfAcgMGWun8s-jJ0-yn_CdETnfoH2izFM6AWavjtfai-JIU6iJAiFuUXX6cWncWQKm4POlymrocYuNndnFfSDax/s320/P9050013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670120150642473682" /></a><br /><br />I came home stiff, sore, and chilled to the bone, but so happy I was able to help a cause that hit close to home. These fundraisers are what allow the kids to attend Camp Sunshine for free with housing, meals, medical care and recreational activities. It really just gives them a break from a consuming illness, and gives them a time to just be a kid! I'm still fatigued from the effort, but it was well worth it. We got 5 inches of snow that night and it was 34 degrees for the next couple of days. Last night, for Halloween, the weather was a bit better. It wasn't so windy and it was warmer. Almost all the snow has melted now so hopefully we can had a real fall!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-17357888838443063522011-09-23T15:26:00.000-07:002011-09-23T15:39:27.915-07:00An acquired taste<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mkGRndjAS5NzDQCqwbvXKfktRYsVqsgak1q7ICkAmEpCPUYFZhl1Y7uyD-C30JNGND77tjnZ4-wMiHlCjx-cJUNwNuRDT37S1ebCQQyuYlSRdrva48IqrErxwwAcz0G0GwoJXiuLpjm0/s1600/P8010003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mkGRndjAS5NzDQCqwbvXKfktRYsVqsgak1q7ICkAmEpCPUYFZhl1Y7uyD-C30JNGND77tjnZ4-wMiHlCjx-cJUNwNuRDT37S1ebCQQyuYlSRdrva48IqrErxwwAcz0G0GwoJXiuLpjm0/s320/P8010003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655685303632518642" /></a><br /><br />I guess that's all I need to say to sum up this picture. Most people would not include a B12 injection as part of their dessert, but I have to find new ways to make the not so fun stuff a little more easy to take. I just got these adorable bunny mugs down the street at this little gallery that carries the most unique things that are just so enjoyable to paw through. I got a set of two to take to the new apartment, but hadn't brought them over yet so I used it for my dessert last night.<br /><br />Fresh Maine blueberries, raspberries and perfectly ripe pineapple with a family heirloom silver "fruit fork" which is gorgeous and so functional. The little prongs on the sides keep the fruit from slipping off! Genius! <br /><br />Anyway, just wanted to share my aesthetically pleasing dessert and the excitement about my PICC line possibly coming out next week! I am waiting on the paperwork and x-rays and medical blah blah blah, before I can actually make an appointment. I have also started a drawing class that meets once a week to slowly get my feet wet again with my artistic side. It's a "drawing with color" class so it will be fun to dabble in colored pencil! Hope you're all doing well and handling the transition into fall more smoothly than mother nature...she can't make up her mind!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-18880861653116691732011-09-04T15:58:00.000-07:002011-09-04T17:01:41.689-07:00Last breaths of summer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ0NVD4JfFaUUCZJrvrldHp5FgINCGyAq8T2WPBWivBgL2J2IwH-1J6Qs6RBN4Sb_rDJF0l0xN4ARI4nWcWZ-wewibzGzy_kA9M3eScHer5aBr-lXU5C-KjR2-n3wDdwuMoTBkXCF_Ks7/s1600/P7120038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ0NVD4JfFaUUCZJrvrldHp5FgINCGyAq8T2WPBWivBgL2J2IwH-1J6Qs6RBN4Sb_rDJF0l0xN4ARI4nWcWZ-wewibzGzy_kA9M3eScHer5aBr-lXU5C-KjR2-n3wDdwuMoTBkXCF_Ks7/s320/P7120038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648648827189451074" /></a>
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<br />A couple days ago I went to Five Islands with my friend Kate that I met through the Pilates class. We headed down to the restaurant with her big adorable dog and watched the sunset while we ate fresh seafood. The Five Islands restaurant is right on the dock over the ocean where the boats unload fresh seafood that they cook right there. It's pretty much as fresh as it gets. What was amazing about it was that they had gluten free batter for the fish and chips. I had clams and chips which was soooo tasty. The picture below was dinner last week. The only good thing that came out of hurricane Irene was that the lobster prices got down to $3.99 a pound because lobster men wanted to get their boats unloaded before the storm. Corn is in season too which is the best thing to put alongside a lovely lobster!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDfmzzZp7I50EtWygO8KkD988W6iJ6UFv80IJ7mN-LnhWvRnro2EgVIBFhBVi0mNI5GGVpdvd8Zrk7nQ6rWqiumwyPbD2liLX3WZa3YdphNKK7FTrGWTy8NRMddxGvBTJa1VdRKkb_hXG/s1600/P7060039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDfmzzZp7I50EtWygO8KkD988W6iJ6UFv80IJ7mN-LnhWvRnro2EgVIBFhBVi0mNI5GGVpdvd8Zrk7nQ6rWqiumwyPbD2liLX3WZa3YdphNKK7FTrGWTy8NRMddxGvBTJa1VdRKkb_hXG/s320/P7060039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648648832079442322" /></a>
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<br />This past week I bit the bullet and got a tattoo that I've been thinking of getting for a very long time. As it turns out, my lovely Lyme friend that goes to see the same Lyme specialist that I do, has the same tattoo in the same place. I asked her in advance if she owned the rights to the tattoo ;) She gave me her blessing and I took the plunge with an phenomenal tattoo artist in Portland. He was booked out until March/April but took the time for me after hours because it was important for me to do it between treatment weeks. I took a picture which, I think, shows both the tattoo "FIGHT" and the reason for it all in one powerful image.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHNzrdQiLwrIUBte9NdFxpP04s3cXQsSahaZkMV5-H-Yh_3j_yPMgOK4Q1-AIAqB9tmRac4TjAVZ502Qk076d9AIz_cc23V4ErbzOkPS3FvE-GqMwRqWSpvwW6baaGjEta09LI_g4moJN/s1600/P7060047.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHNzrdQiLwrIUBte9NdFxpP04s3cXQsSahaZkMV5-H-Yh_3j_yPMgOK4Q1-AIAqB9tmRac4TjAVZ502Qk076d9AIz_cc23V4ErbzOkPS3FvE-GqMwRqWSpvwW6baaGjEta09LI_g4moJN/s320/P7060047.JPG" border="0alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648648831119566850" /></a>
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<br />Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-89656296102176393902011-08-22T12:55:00.000-07:002011-08-22T13:50:42.920-07:00Little Dog Blog
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<br />I am sitting here at a cute coffee shop in town that is not Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks or Tim Horton's. It's an honorable independently own shop called "The Little Dog Coffee Shop", with better coffee, art from local artists hanging on the wall and more character and comfy chairs than any of those chain stores combined. Speaking of local artists, my mom has an art showing at a gallery here in Brunswick, Maine. If any of you are familiar with Brunswick, it's at Gallery Framing on Pleasant Street. She mostly does traditional Japanese indigo dye on scarves and wall hangings etc. Below are some examples of the fabrics and colors she has been working with
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMZBhUZ1aSI5EGfrG1zuGGQoYbLOeSwLMyozmlVGShlpLJdxhfaR-R-DSsIIKZoeYT6B5t9pkMjI930nLtEMfNojEbeZbeXi6PYvEW4-OjRMaRvaKuu7mg8mj8Pidtt4VezD3662OSMKN/s1600/P6160036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMZBhUZ1aSI5EGfrG1zuGGQoYbLOeSwLMyozmlVGShlpLJdxhfaR-R-DSsIIKZoeYT6B5t9pkMjI930nLtEMfNojEbeZbeXi6PYvEW4-OjRMaRvaKuu7mg8mj8Pidtt4VezD3662OSMKN/s320/P6160036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643773569745371186" /></a>
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<br />This fabric below has been stitched by hand to restrict the flow of dye to make the pattern. The art of this type of dying is called shibori and many different colors and techniques can be used.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e9oEYcm96LlZ-y2iyDNhsA-GgOuShDmhndsNgrb8xlerdoiooacYJ_iB_coq6PvHBXYSEYcp97barHW7qPbgEhZQQO5wEgmsY4TJvpvCyyuA2uYkdT3iPhl9VcG4b40Ddtnsya4rHrLK/s1600/P6160035.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e9oEYcm96LlZ-y2iyDNhsA-GgOuShDmhndsNgrb8xlerdoiooacYJ_iB_coq6PvHBXYSEYcp97barHW7qPbgEhZQQO5wEgmsY4TJvpvCyyuA2uYkdT3iPhl9VcG4b40Ddtnsya4rHrLK/s320/P6160035.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643773558416508466" /></a>
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<br />I tried to artfully display as many different fabrics as possible, but she is always creating something new and working frantically to fulfill orders from local boutiques. Even with all the pressure to get scarves are other things done for others, she still has time to experiment just for herself and make happy mistakes that turn into masterpieces.
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<br />I feel like there's so much to fill you in on because it's been quite a busy couple of weeks. Before I started the dreadful treatment cycle of IV and oral antibiotics last week, I pushed myself through a Beginner Pilates Mat Certification class. I think I passed but won't get notification and a certificate (if I passed) for 2 to 4 weeks. It was really tough physically and mentally for me because a Lyme body doesn't take three days of endless Pilates workouts and drills very well. Lyme brain doesn't handle memorization and quick word retrieval well either. I'll keep practicing until I find out if I'm certified to teach or not. I can't wait to teach because I want to help others like myself. People with physical limitations that need modification to become stronger and overcome those physical adversities. This is a picture of the group that took the class. We look a little distracted, but I'm sure you would be too after all that information, and physical torture! Haha! The best part of the class may have been the fact that I met someone else the same age as me with the same name who also loves art and also has Lyme...crazy right! She also just happens to live about 5 minutes away! It's always nice to have a friend with Lyme that lives so close. So I guess that's it, I'm exhausted now...signing off!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQItrHI61ePg9n0DJrrxKTqHvd6tRpuF37wPl8VNA3i-T948-GjOWkNWNCDRErf3cOkNBGUCMFct6ZbiIycSAOMfVL5BA_UGLnLke14NbUYYSWtUom0vOXQH9wGM7H5_RqE8Gg2I0mu07/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQItrHI61ePg9n0DJrrxKTqHvd6tRpuF37wPl8VNA3i-T948-GjOWkNWNCDRErf3cOkNBGUCMFct6ZbiIycSAOMfVL5BA_UGLnLke14NbUYYSWtUom0vOXQH9wGM7H5_RqE8Gg2I0mu07/s320/photo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643773547607099138" /></a>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-34390698159484309642011-07-20T18:15:00.000-07:002011-07-20T19:06:53.607-07:00Envision Whirled Peas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYwq9VFaDkbX2p6AjqBFMuwAJZehBrwmHFRb6nBJ5a6_Y0D_6ze1DuPu924ZDwlIlRmyNKvYlxsGm4_IUzwetNlyV8yqRzfp5P8ALd1NR33vwSAtcopbM5pcla6QvxQEenn0wPfElqVkB/s1600/P5270041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYwq9VFaDkbX2p6AjqBFMuwAJZehBrwmHFRb6nBJ5a6_Y0D_6ze1DuPu924ZDwlIlRmyNKvYlxsGm4_IUzwetNlyV8yqRzfp5P8ALd1NR33vwSAtcopbM5pcla6QvxQEenn0wPfElqVkB/s320/P5270041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631608605358136178" /></a><br /><br />You won't find a farm stand anywhere near here! I've landed in Washington, DC and have had many obstacles along the way in this concrete jungle! The heat is so oppressive and feels more stagnant, being trapped between tall buildings, than it would be at home in Maine with room for that air to roam. The whole east coast seems to be existing in a state of sweltering heat and dew point induced haze. My body is screaming at me...jackhammers throwing my nerves off and the heat triggering the dysautonomia, you name it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIG794sLOEsktAyK5qGfK5fSdzEht7FXS78f9LiJBm-G_uQkIxPnqwEjslYZpIKdGDmx6MIjcDbUypUjbXG06nyiv9OtZ-kxVTGCqkRoMezeuKmCDm8iNI3uvGDCbuwlJK9NqhZOvANJqu/s1600/P5270044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIG794sLOEsktAyK5qGfK5fSdzEht7FXS78f9LiJBm-G_uQkIxPnqwEjslYZpIKdGDmx6MIjcDbUypUjbXG06nyiv9OtZ-kxVTGCqkRoMezeuKmCDm8iNI3uvGDCbuwlJK9NqhZOvANJqu/s320/P5270044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631608607993188466" /></a><br /><br />I wanted to share these photos that I took of the haul from the local farmer's market near home. These fresh peas were amazing! I laid in bed with a colander in my lap and shucked the peas which is one of my favorite things to do when they're in season. It's actually pretty relaxing and I always sneak a handful of raw peas before anyone notices. My dad and I also got a box of fresh raspberries too which have been heavenly! Nothing compares to fresh local produce and I can't wait to get back home to some wide open spaces and lettuce, leeks and maybe more peas :) For now I am going to go rest my body and anxiously await my appointment tomorrow with my Lyme doctor to see what's next!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-45511715509989701012011-06-26T06:48:00.001-07:002011-06-26T07:11:50.649-07:00June Dew<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Yu7QoPBDGhtEO8PBenpz388ntrC1fhPbxjMeE5wn5F9YXFtsmbENTk7EsRmcDbKp4YVO1u1t46VIZgHBpVOB_i0li1T9ha2-sptGrqY-8b9gSrJqQzaacezE4hbISXeUnvBk79Ey918/s1600/P5140038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Yu7QoPBDGhtEO8PBenpz388ntrC1fhPbxjMeE5wn5F9YXFtsmbENTk7EsRmcDbKp4YVO1u1t46VIZgHBpVOB_i0li1T9ha2-sptGrqY-8b9gSrJqQzaacezE4hbISXeUnvBk79Ey918/s320/P5140038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622525181169521618" /></a><br /><br />Once again, it's been a long time since I've written! I took a while off treatment for Lyme and am now back on a "pulsing" program with antibiotics. Since my last entry I've tried almost everything under the sun for nausea control. IV forms of the oral drugs that weren't working so well along with Marinol. Marinol is basically pot in a capsule. It didn't do much for me nausea-wise, but it did give me a good case of the giggles and then knocked me out for a good long nap. I guess I'll just have to live with the nausea barely controlled with oral meds until this IV treatment is over, which will hopefully be soon!<br /><br />Summer is here! For the most part it has been nice...warm and sunny...the humid part is not so nice for us Lymies. For the past week it's been pretty grey and rainy, but at least there was one nice day of sun that happened to fall on my birthday! My birthday was so nice as I was able to muster the energy to go out to a yummy GF restaurant with my parents for a change of scenery. Looks like there is more sun to come pretty soon so that will be easier on the joints than the low pressure systems that the rain brings! At least the rain produced a beautiful shot of a dewy flower climbing our trellis.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicib55J-2JcXF7kN8AKTgOltQF-Lc890RTDcdat5A9_99oA7nzUJxVWZ368Q8rm5fvZJr7cXYlOSs0_Npzkjvp65FpzsRcc09UYYA28kWzECH-ecaL-MAvGwFe2ZZD7Oh8Dxl0BYNVjGFF/s1600/P4170057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicib55J-2JcXF7kN8AKTgOltQF-Lc890RTDcdat5A9_99oA7nzUJxVWZ368Q8rm5fvZJr7cXYlOSs0_Npzkjvp65FpzsRcc09UYYA28kWzECH-ecaL-MAvGwFe2ZZD7Oh8Dxl0BYNVjGFF/s320/P4170057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622525173906208514" /></a><br /><br />I've been digging out the old records my parent's had collected (a lot of which are missing because of a yard sale mix up) and have been trying to repair the turntable and get the right cables to convert it to "modern" receivers. Part of that process included getting a new drive belt which came in the mail a while ago and had been sitting on my dresser up until a few days ago as an example of my fatigue level. I finally got it onto the turntable, but it's so new that the tightness was causing things to rotate faster than normal. I keep stretching it and trying to get it to a normal tension, but I guess that from now until I write next, I will be fine tuning things so that Fleetwood Mac does not sound like a bunch of chipmunks!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-83295642381530842142011-05-28T07:56:00.000-07:002011-05-28T08:35:54.483-07:00Savoring the last few days of Lyme Awareness Month!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI793s2SK7OVvsSmxp70AWwtppMzllz4Pqled19B68EK8AxENFi4HhdylY7oOawGvJWvvID4JWyQiu14FYJUy3iIXfZNJkff1ocnpV1_BPFqFsAUc8BIJngo-cg5Yp3BYxp3HBpwrj21x-/s1600/P4170073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI793s2SK7OVvsSmxp70AWwtppMzllz4Pqled19B68EK8AxENFi4HhdylY7oOawGvJWvvID4JWyQiu14FYJUy3iIXfZNJkff1ocnpV1_BPFqFsAUc8BIJngo-cg5Yp3BYxp3HBpwrj21x-/s320/P4170073.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611781775092972722"></a><br /><br />May is Lyme Awareness Month and I know I am extremely late in getting this blog entry posted. I have been very sick and have relapsed badly and have had a hard time with toxicity. I am clearing toxins from the die off of lyme bacteria now so things are going a little better. I'll be going back on treatment in two days and am bracing myself for the crazy, awful nausea that will be taking hold of my body. <br /><br />I will be trying a new anti-nausea medication this time around because the two medications I've been using have only been taking the edge off of the nausea which just isn't acceptable when I have to endure 24/7 nausea for two weeks. The new medication is a capsule form of the active ingredient in marajuana. Hopefully it will work without making me feel too loopy. I've heard mixed responses from other Lyme patients so I feel that it is sort of hit or miss. If that doesn't work I will resort to IV Zofran. I've had Zofran in pill form, but the IV version of any medication penetrates your body's blood stream more effectively than a pill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdVxAi1QuBXlowU8rrhB1BieXfV_sfR6oxdTM4AKrtqfKJqSN2Tjb_bT46ruiLTj8TRbkz32urtQnWqs3RBGde7Aftvm6PUqiKwigsXyEQedmMszC9UaAT-A780TsY904_0Y1QFDnfau6/s1600/P3170037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdVxAi1QuBXlowU8rrhB1BieXfV_sfR6oxdTM4AKrtqfKJqSN2Tjb_bT46ruiLTj8TRbkz32urtQnWqs3RBGde7Aftvm6PUqiKwigsXyEQedmMszC9UaAT-A780TsY904_0Y1QFDnfau6/s320/P3170037.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611781778446953842"></a><br /><br />Aside from all the medical mumbo jumbo I've been posting videos on my YouTube channel and posting one every few days on my Facebook page. If you'd like to check out my YouTube channel that is focused around Lyme Disease. I've been wearing my Lyme Disease bracelets pictured above, lyme green ribbon pin and this lovely scarf that was sent to me by a dear friend that I met through YouTube. I hope that this blog and my YouTube videos will help you gain some knowledge and awareness about Lyme Disease! That's it for me until next entry!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-36052375880099080732011-04-26T10:45:00.001-07:002011-04-26T11:08:22.984-07:00Happy Belated Easter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio3iQN9PkH2l0CZJNSOS1Z2JzVqBf3rFEcTFgianLqc3xhyNGLQeJO7DgXUs-CJ5OXUyfhxEIX4Nd6vxb4On46l8VV8PGGQQRL9kcqi9Ul0XRmK6bnS08quqWAA3Gj4UB99TV5n7NeLOK/s1600/P3190033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio3iQN9PkH2l0CZJNSOS1Z2JzVqBf3rFEcTFgianLqc3xhyNGLQeJO7DgXUs-CJ5OXUyfhxEIX4Nd6vxb4On46l8VV8PGGQQRL9kcqi9Ul0XRmK6bnS08quqWAA3Gj4UB99TV5n7NeLOK/s320/P3190033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599950287425775442" /></a><br /><br />I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! It was pretty quiet here. Just a nice dinner and a little Easter basket. The braised ham was phenomenal and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, yum! It was the best meal we've had in a long time and now I am looking forward to my dad making his delicious pea soup with the left over ham in it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFMtUnfGQwxhv8WHnVMKEtLIALKW6Dmf89-B9xK67pMxNg5m8tWiYImgua62_0ijs113Vb8Q0iuNRm_Fgle-GGxqGkoh5OJWziXA5TfO6m3CU-tjc6lxafamSIHZtuUtZOIF9gayxFqhN/s1600/P3190028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFMtUnfGQwxhv8WHnVMKEtLIALKW6Dmf89-B9xK67pMxNg5m8tWiYImgua62_0ijs113Vb8Q0iuNRm_Fgle-GGxqGkoh5OJWziXA5TfO6m3CU-tjc6lxafamSIHZtuUtZOIF9gayxFqhN/s320/P3190028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599950291599212418" /></a><br /><br />Things health-wise have been really rough for the past six weeks. I was so toxic after the last round of antibiotics that I had to stop treatment to detox. There was a turning point where I knew that my symptoms were not those of toxicity, because I know all to well what it feels like to be toxic. I knew that my symptoms were reverting to what they were like before I started treatment a year ago and I needed to go back on treatment as soon as possible because I was losing ground fast.<br /><br />I finally spoke with my doctor over the phone and asked him to put me back on the strongest IV antibiotic that I'd had. This medication causes ridiculous nausea, but I'd rather make progress and feel like absolute crap than backslide. The only thing keeping me cheered up is my bright nail polish (far left called "sunset orange") and my gorgeous Easter lily! If you'd like to know more about my Lyme treatment you can head over to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/lymeoptimisticKathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-49867611470573711792011-04-13T14:00:00.000-07:002011-04-13T14:57:03.552-07:00April showers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD3Ngz_D-mu_2hHOeU-ONbad92OHIK6MX9FfRG14YjeTm4DmClHi-0Pz7HTOTUUhVSfpRB1iFNjBMFpSVRcXkT06P9NaKkj34uLmuldRABWENGJdImsa2vHjCDYGTRbZ0g2LXigBIlS1C/s1600/P3100034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD3Ngz_D-mu_2hHOeU-ONbad92OHIK6MX9FfRG14YjeTm4DmClHi-0Pz7HTOTUUhVSfpRB1iFNjBMFpSVRcXkT06P9NaKkj34uLmuldRABWENGJdImsa2vHjCDYGTRbZ0g2LXigBIlS1C/s320/P3100034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595176755960846130" /></a><br /><br />I've been waiting, very impatiently, for the release of Jessie J's first record. It dropped yesterday and I picked it right up and started blasting it in my car as soon as I had it in my hot little hands. I wanted to get the physical CD rather than going through iTunes because when you buy online you miss out on the little booklet of lyrics and photos and whatnot in the cover of the album. It's been so long since I actually played a CD in my car rather than my iPod that I forgot CD's skip when you hit a bump, of which there are many because of the state of our crap roads, haha! <br /><br />I've had a really tough time this past month, being bed bound or house bound for many days at a time, and it has intensified that feeling of being behind the glass and watching the rest of the world race by. Being so fatigued has taken away all of my creative and emotional outlets. I haven't been able to cook, paint, draw or write. Being so sick creates so much emotion that needs an avenue to be released, but the sickness also creates the inability to used those avenues. It is such a vicious cycle.<br /><br />Music is one of the things that helps me relax and when I started listening to Jessie J's album last night, the creative juices started flowing for the first time in a very long time, and I was able to do a little drawing. The piece was done with ink and colored pencil. I often have a hard time giving my art pieces a title, but this one was easy. I called it "Eat Your Words". I think it's relatable to almost everyone because I think everyone has had an experience that this visual and feeling can explain.<br /><br />That was my short burst of creativity for now and I think it will be a while before I'm able to muster the energy to do that again, but man was it cathartic! Anyway, that's it from me for now. I'm going to snuggle up with the kitty in bed while the rain pounds on my windows. April showers I guess!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-73355990934539461982011-03-28T15:33:00.000-07:002011-03-28T17:45:16.637-07:00Early Spring Outings!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdnxzQILtwv23xDtw_l-PAkJmpBrRNcay44vIEqx3yKnirJrhlJgEmec7tkXxJbZayiuhkWANyndUJynwQNuXQlT6Sc4rJSl2Xd7YGCWJ4IM295LnsRHstNbWRn3aLC_Wt734_2jqhxO/s1600/P2210023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdnxzQILtwv23xDtw_l-PAkJmpBrRNcay44vIEqx3yKnirJrhlJgEmec7tkXxJbZayiuhkWANyndUJynwQNuXQlT6Sc4rJSl2Xd7YGCWJ4IM295LnsRHstNbWRn3aLC_Wt734_2jqhxO/s320/P2210023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589264810029389666" /></a><br /><br />I've been out of the house a lot this week for a change, although not all because I feeling well. I'll begin with the good outing first. My dad and I went out to a local farm for Maple Sunday which, for those of you who don't live in a state that does this, is a day that the sugar houses open and let people come in and see how the syrup is made. I've tried syrup from other states but nothing beats pure Maine maple syrup! Unfortunately, because of my dietary limitations because of Lyme, I wasn't able to have a little scoop of ice cream with syrup on top which, by the way, is one of my favorite ways to enjoy syrup (no dairy), or maple sugared walnuts (no sugar). I did, however, indulge in some maple tea because I wanted to throw caution to the wind for one taste of maple deliciousness because, after all, it was Maple Sunday. This tea was so yummy! Made with black tea, orange juice, a hint of maple syrup and something else I can't remember, but man did it dance on my taste buds!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfGJHNQcumzOfzxhyphenhyphenEZ0GN1NAW2RWeJRqBUWhtfYZKcRMDOEvZ8WJN3yAXyioske2BESLFtDZ63uoRyhwU9X138b_qMlO6unDxh47EU-47X0N4Nb7HSPK0-m06LW0u5599fv1u6ukgY94/s1600/P2210016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfGJHNQcumzOfzxhyphenhyphenEZ0GN1NAW2RWeJRqBUWhtfYZKcRMDOEvZ8WJN3yAXyioske2BESLFtDZ63uoRyhwU9X138b_qMlO6unDxh47EU-47X0N4Nb7HSPK0-m06LW0u5599fv1u6ukgY94/s320/P2210016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589264800902186818" /></a><br /><br />We bought some syrup for home and some to bring to our cabins on the pond for the summer and then took a look around for a little while. The farm had their antique tractors out and there were cute goats along with a few trees with sap collecting buckets that were visible although there were many more spread throughout the surrounding woods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2K3zyh_ujxe76qrHO0mI_grQ0GrdzYIX6zoi3B-zT5GEWRTKnqOjqOLEy5Lyz6Cfe7mwp80kjv5ecg59qyCVpW4CRv_eEEFJN74rSoJzLJpiLg88X8qEhN5oYWUL9ILPSRwxLwp7fETL/s1600/P2210020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2K3zyh_ujxe76qrHO0mI_grQ0GrdzYIX6zoi3B-zT5GEWRTKnqOjqOLEy5Lyz6Cfe7mwp80kjv5ecg59qyCVpW4CRv_eEEFJN74rSoJzLJpiLg88X8qEhN5oYWUL9ILPSRwxLwp7fETL/s320/P2210020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589264807383202562" /></a><br /><br />On a quite different note, I had two outings to the emergency room because my PICC line (the line that I infuse IV medications through) was causing me some trouble. It seemed like it was blocked, possibly by a clot of blood surrounding the inside of the tubing, because the IV solution was dripping really slowly. <br /><br />The first visit was pretty useless because all they did was flush the line with saline and heparin which is an anticoagulant medication. I use both of those at home regularly so it was nothing new that I had not been doing already. The they tried hanging the bag of solution higher so that gravity might help it drip faster, but to no avail (another thing I'd already done at home). The doctor then came in an informed me that, instead of trying to use a solution to break down the clot, he wanted to take an invasive approach and insert another PICC line. What??!?!? Are you kidding?<br /><br />They nurse put me on an IV pump to force the bag of fluid to drip faster and then decided to just send me home without a new line (thankfully), but without doing anything else! Exhibit A below: smiling through the pain and trying to ham it up to take my mind off of the harebrained healthcare "professionals" whose hands I was in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA9ygd3h71Ue_YUNj6AnEG5Ved_hc28wkLjdt8hVT4B-gIc3NwfRktckk1RhlJ4B_UVlsRUIM8UbK81HtJeAcOM-mUzfOfMlAprc9yeQ2iG24uftU2z_ximZxiLIW20en-cXsRRGO0ybt/s1600/IMG00027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA9ygd3h71Ue_YUNj6AnEG5Ved_hc28wkLjdt8hVT4B-gIc3NwfRktckk1RhlJ4B_UVlsRUIM8UbK81HtJeAcOM-mUzfOfMlAprc9yeQ2iG24uftU2z_ximZxiLIW20en-cXsRRGO0ybt/s320/IMG00027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589287467262501650" /></a><br /><br />Outing number two to the emergency room was more fruitful because they actually did what I said I wanted them to do based on the advice of my doctor who had the PICC line ordered in the first place. I told the attending physician at the ER that my Lyme doctor's office wanted him to call for the orders to do what they'd recommended. Of course, because doctors don't like to deal with other doctors because of ego territory issues, the ER doctor ordered X-rays to make sure that the tubing wasn't bent or twist (as if I was out playing football without pads or something heinous!). Of course the PICC was placed perfectly and nothing was bent or twisted. I wouldn't imagine that much would have changed because this disease has caused me to be house bound and sometimes bed bound for the better part of this past year.<br /><br />I was finally given then solution that is injected into the line, allowed to sit for 30 minutes, and is then drawn back out. After being given the treatment that I should have gotten in the first place, my PICC line was flushing perfectly and was all cleared out. Since that ER a few days ago things have been going swimmingly except for the fact that my Lyme symptoms are flaring up bigtime and I am having a ton of nerve pain, Lyme rage, sweats, vision problems...the list goes on. Exhibit B: Smiling through the pain of all those symptoms on an uncomfortable hospital bed with the cool Activase contraption!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DMZ5rBd9g9y-BwzFkxNAWzSFcH4uG2vVRCM4l7c57SyeF-XjEe0vQcv_1IEGIALRsLvez-AsXR8-QWOttwEVtOfGAviDDGeXn8dXJYByXroB7mJBD8eXi5gapaP95aho6oP2_mAIgfru/s1600/IMG00031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DMZ5rBd9g9y-BwzFkxNAWzSFcH4uG2vVRCM4l7c57SyeF-XjEe0vQcv_1IEGIALRsLvez-AsXR8-QWOttwEVtOfGAviDDGeXn8dXJYByXroB7mJBD8eXi5gapaP95aho6oP2_mAIgfru/s320/IMG00031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589264816006884514" /></a><br /><br />Anyhow, until next time!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-84161150046163983042011-03-13T12:37:00.000-07:002011-03-13T13:37:57.947-07:00Roller Coaster!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS71M9RZg9Z0J4eG79zvsOsL6MM102IiLtg96RbyO91MxCwgmBc7wflI3uI7yBXAAHfE94MtQm3EMddefKVh-tqqB9LSFIjJrCWXYqr-Bj7UXBQiLLYbOXRJMCR5ecMs5mKIJofb-Sgb9/s1600/P1270002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS71M9RZg9Z0J4eG79zvsOsL6MM102IiLtg96RbyO91MxCwgmBc7wflI3uI7yBXAAHfE94MtQm3EMddefKVh-tqqB9LSFIjJrCWXYqr-Bj7UXBQiLLYbOXRJMCR5ecMs5mKIJofb-Sgb9/s320/P1270002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583661642319128402" /></a><br /><br />I've been pretty sick lately so I haven't had the wits about me to write a new post. My Lyme symptoms have been quite unruly, cognitive and neurological in particular, which causes a lot of pain and makes me feel as if my brain is made of cotton balls. My skin around my face and my scalp has been really painful to the point where it hurts my eyelids when I blink and my hair follicles hurt when I move my hair. I can't list all the types of pain because I'd be sitting here until my muscles atrophied so I'll just leave it at that.<br /><br />I was recently in D.C. again to see my Lyme doctor and things are still so up and down, as far as herx symptoms and flares, that he decided to tag on a few more months of IV therapy. It was disappointing because at my appointment last month he thought that this month would be the last month I'd be on IV treatment but I know that it's for the best to stick with it a little longer. Until my symptoms stabilize more I will have to rock the PICC line, but I'd much rather go through more of this infusion treatment than to stop too soon and then backslide because of it. <br /><br />Insomnia has been just one of the myriad symptoms I've dealt with recently so my doctor decided to try a new combination of oral medications to tame that beast. For the first week it worked like a charm...until last night when I couldn't get to sleep until 7:00 this morning. I finally slept until my dad woke me up for breakfast so I could stay on schedule with my meds and after swallowing a handful of pills I went back to sleep until early afternoon. Looks like I'll have to up the dose and see if that does the trick tonight. <br /><br />So now that I've basically turned this "art blog" into a novel about Lyme disease I'll explain the one photo I've taken in the past month that has nothing to do with this disease that's consuming my life! I haven't been able to put pencil to paper or brush to canvas so this is it! I went for a drive to see my mom at her art studio and decided to drive down the road a piece and reacquaint myself with my old stomping grounds. I've driven past this tree in front a trailer on a little traveled road and this time I noticed a few more license plates and a bird house and decided to stop and take a picture because no one was home which made me a little less of a creeper, haha! I don't know if it's just Maine, but there are a lot of remote houses with collections of odd things nailed to anything that's easily visible...hub caps on the side of a barn, par exemple. <br /><br />Anyhow, that's the only out of house adventure I've had in the past month that's worth writing about so I'll bow out gracefully and hopefully post at more frequent intervals in the future.Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-68994310874503245122011-02-19T16:50:00.000-08:002011-02-19T21:25:02.796-08:00Life is too short for low thread-count sheets!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr4naPHUUiGyk7YhduQKcxxRPmcpZyXSaOcxRTARniLLYOjKe8PvsrtCNd553rQ0W0zf42-0vpajoiGnpIgktQ5vcXeMS5u7CoXjOWh10nB6ClOuvo9SAlGgoHage8Aukf1hsXndVpNNr/s1600/P1010004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr4naPHUUiGyk7YhduQKcxxRPmcpZyXSaOcxRTARniLLYOjKe8PvsrtCNd553rQ0W0zf42-0vpajoiGnpIgktQ5vcXeMS5u7CoXjOWh10nB6ClOuvo9SAlGgoHage8Aukf1hsXndVpNNr/s320/P1010004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575568569295646210" /></a><br /><br />Where do I begin? It's been so long since I've felt well enough to write, but even now it's a huge effort! The last two months have been quite hellish for me, as far as treatment for Lyme goes. I have had two months worth of an IV medication that makes me feel nauseous around the clock! I take two medications to subdue the nausea and they barely take the edge off. They also make me extremely dizzy and drowsy so I'm pretty much incapacitated! <br /><br />My new set of sheets came just in time for this two month spell of being bed-bound. The thread count is heavenly and the print is perfect for my room. In following my nature, buying something new meant there must be a bargain involved, which there was. I asked the man at the counter if he could check the price for me because I wasn't sure I was reading it correctly. As he was doing so, I was sizing up his mustache, which was rather like a thick painter's brush. I walked away with stupendous deal and some good people watching to boot!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iVMbtsDIo-7gxsTxXnRTxG2iteI3s78QVQNSUyw5c_Fzm5qWDYTGXGSxjb3kT_HcqzeWL5ghRIZpnXJ09rvhL2Lvvt2wW1Q0TTNslHtmmE2_BO8LPqBCofQP4FeJgl8nGb2TmYHCu32E/s1600/PC310011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iVMbtsDIo-7gxsTxXnRTxG2iteI3s78QVQNSUyw5c_Fzm5qWDYTGXGSxjb3kT_HcqzeWL5ghRIZpnXJ09rvhL2Lvvt2wW1Q0TTNslHtmmE2_BO8LPqBCofQP4FeJgl8nGb2TmYHCu32E/s320/PC310011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575568563627119906" /></a><br /><br />When I got home with these luxurious sheets and decided that my comforter needed a good washing too, I didn't think of all the work involved until I was too far into the process to get out! I ended up going down to the sketchy laundromat because my big comforter only fits in commercial grade front loading washers. It took forever for it to dry and I figured I'd do no harm in throwing the pillow shams in too except for the small fact that a.) every ruffle needs to be starched and ironed and b.) I know that I can not sleep if the starching and ironing is not finished! Oh the life of a type A personality! Anyhow...it all go finished and I ended up sleeping very well that night, which is more than I can say for the nights of the past few weeks!<br /><br />I've been having quite an issue with insomnia lately. When I say lately I guess I mean for the past month. I have gone from not being able to sleep until 5:00AM to not being able to go to sleep until 7:30AM. I've also gone a full 36 hours without sleeping and then back to the awake all night, sleeping all day pattern. With IV treatment going on, the sleep issues have magnified all the symptoms. I have had two awful herxes, one of which I am in the midst of. Last night I was so weak and disoriented that my mom had to spoon feed me my dinner. <br /><br />In between all this Lyme madness and sheet shopping has been snow, lots of it, and low temperatures! I was well enough one day to go out for a bit of snowshoeing with my dad. I didn't last long because of the pain in my joints and muscles, but it was nice to get outside and do something that I used to do often when I was well. The snow is melting now but it seems like temperatures may get chilly again and bring another dusting before things officially start to melt away. I am going back to DC to see my Lyme doctor at the beginning of March and I should be finished with IV treatment by April! I am so excited about that but I don't want to be too hopeful because I know that things can change between now and then. Well, I guess that's all I can do for now. I going to go attempt to sleep! Hopefully tonight it will actually work!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMaQ3u7L8ipWxvxf60jw17Z8aq2szJPqeofA_jfA7IfhxeRarO2S71JJNkuJ_clcKFEe08P9NBAxShrtMNKjw6WT_n7HjojlryRC7J_BlzuGMaX3RRhAyO10cXYvjKNcGS2fky_RE9P68/s1600/P1050016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMaQ3u7L8ipWxvxf60jw17Z8aq2szJPqeofA_jfA7IfhxeRarO2S71JJNkuJ_clcKFEe08P9NBAxShrtMNKjw6WT_n7HjojlryRC7J_BlzuGMaX3RRhAyO10cXYvjKNcGS2fky_RE9P68/s320/P1050016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575568560838141762" /></a>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-68425569358330947482011-01-16T17:59:00.000-08:002011-01-16T19:05:37.776-08:00Auld Lang Syne? What does that even mean!?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhMaOGy4fkpVJzIJ7aCp2LlzqmhAIIllR2_Oh-ZwuxHsATDX85_hMKRa5KQ2P-2w1jtrCuK8khTs-0OjDS2P9DwJgK2FBke_Z9IQR5DKfDr6f4r3X8JHBmb6SWOxMt6QKcvSkMQf-Za6m/s1600/PB270039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhMaOGy4fkpVJzIJ7aCp2LlzqmhAIIllR2_Oh-ZwuxHsATDX85_hMKRa5KQ2P-2w1jtrCuK8khTs-0OjDS2P9DwJgK2FBke_Z9IQR5DKfDr6f4r3X8JHBmb6SWOxMt6QKcvSkMQf-Za6m/s320/PB270039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562970845419548050" /></a><br /><br />Literally translated from the Scottish saying for "the good old times", "Auld Lang Syne" has become the fitting song for any New Year's celebration. I'm not sure about everyone else but I think I was happy to let go of the goings on of 2010. For me, the past year has been full of pain, illness and frustration, although hope was never absent. As the new year begins, I feel that I am on the upswing of my treatment for chronic Lyme Disease, not to say that there won't be some rough patches and pitfalls ahead. I just got back from another appointment in Washington, D.C. and it seems like I should only have to take IV antibiotics until the beginning of March! Originally, I was supposed to have my PICC line for about four or five months but now it will be about nine months in total. After the PICC is removed I will transition to oral antibiotics but that's a great accomplishment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oEFEBEOlezo_86cpipiIH4It0-LGeKaDKpyJiF61OP0c9QJWCmKcmEO3CRNiRud6yd_1aS9MOR93W8OFu5k2tY_aA5mUgSRRdFgmpWPQuPeAClzYEOgIEXwXPpedWpq-65uhyphenhyphenHdOHVtN/s1600/PB210042.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oEFEBEOlezo_86cpipiIH4It0-LGeKaDKpyJiF61OP0c9QJWCmKcmEO3CRNiRud6yd_1aS9MOR93W8OFu5k2tY_aA5mUgSRRdFgmpWPQuPeAClzYEOgIEXwXPpedWpq-65uhyphenhyphenHdOHVtN/s320/PB210042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562970840620071922" /></a><br /><br />All that being said, I'm not sure I have a new year's resolution except for allowing myself to rest and not over extend myself on days when I feel decent. I'll get well a lot more quickly if I treat myself well! I've never been huge on New Year's eve shtufff. I usually stay in and stay up until midnight and then have a hot date with my sheets! Lame-o right? This year that's basically what happened except my parents and I watched "Get Smart" which was pretty hilarious and very much the laugh I needed! In Maine, it's shrimp season (the little tiny sweet delicious ones). So we got a pound from a local fisherman and I made a pretty spectacular shrimp scampi if I do say so myself! Cooking, however, happened to be the example of "overdoing it" that I have resolved not to do. Oh well, it was before the pendulum swung into the new year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPkum9np5uy2ofY3jUQshqccghk2QL751Y_nRzqX1nI7010fd0a_0OIaJXStwhTG3HSrl4ULSETiCK3rbdacFJTRDpazl7-0UTdTOAri2_NCMka7AD-25xWHaaBqq6BgMYCa7KEL3j4EY/s1600/PB270046.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPkum9np5uy2ofY3jUQshqccghk2QL751Y_nRzqX1nI7010fd0a_0OIaJXStwhTG3HSrl4ULSETiCK3rbdacFJTRDpazl7-0UTdTOAri2_NCMka7AD-25xWHaaBqq6BgMYCa7KEL3j4EY/s320/PB270046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562970850031697346" /></a><br /><br />Tonight was another little cooking adventure, but I kept it small this time. We had some delectable pulled pork in adobo sauce made into tacos with some soft corn tortillas. I even made my own guacamole which is an art I've finally perfected. Unfortunately the tortillas were far too small, so the first problem was trying to fit all those fab flavors inside. The other problem, which I'm sure my fellow taco eaters have experienced, was the "herniated tortilla" syndrome at which point the taco turns into a disassembled salad-ish pile. In the culinary world the "deconstructed" concept of entrees is pretty popular but when it comes to my taco it's a different story. I want my tortilla soft enough to eat without chipping a tooth, but strong enough to resist the burgeoning deliciousness. Is that too much to ask? If I find another corn tortilla (because they have to be gluten free) that can step up to the plate (literally, haha), I will let you know!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-75042320343261487272010-12-28T18:58:00.000-08:002010-12-28T20:37:05.206-08:00Christmas in Maine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDglmusXhvuQHML62BPX9kdmmeLvp6XloaaxOtoSE7s61qLwLBso3vW6qOA3h5J3NAdWuLsqSi7YQwyIkHg7RTEkzsLwhamMz6Sq70hKarnNr3VkHH64JiIAkmauvJvjWivhQ1WBlMgg6g/s1600/PB270057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDglmusXhvuQHML62BPX9kdmmeLvp6XloaaxOtoSE7s61qLwLBso3vW6qOA3h5J3NAdWuLsqSi7YQwyIkHg7RTEkzsLwhamMz6Sq70hKarnNr3VkHH64JiIAkmauvJvjWivhQ1WBlMgg6g/s320/PB270057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555934425067171298" /></a><br /><br />So let's talk Christmas! I thought it would be really hard having our first Christmas in the new house because all this adjusting hasn't been easy. Surprisingly, it was a really nice holiday. It was quiet and relaxing with just my parents and me. We had a beautiful tree, garlands, lights, wreaths and all the other trimmings a home should have for Christmas. I even wrapped my white iron bed frame in Christmas lights and I've left them on because I've decided it feels quite dreamy to have fairy lights all around with candles that smell like balsam fir! Anyhow, I'll take you on a little tour of our traditions for this holiday post-mortem blog.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOvBWICm6Iy49IKV5XJJmMGGxt8-lP3nz3FtNhnmBKzZtrXHoKYIvwkDkMyaW2rqiy2KLQ-mS2V7XppS5dfUso1ZE0KbDslkMkFR5kwg5MGhIyuql4FVnqFxt8dDZP5VhiWAfNn2QBo3I/s1600/PB270051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOvBWICm6Iy49IKV5XJJmMGGxt8-lP3nz3FtNhnmBKzZtrXHoKYIvwkDkMyaW2rqiy2KLQ-mS2V7XppS5dfUso1ZE0KbDslkMkFR5kwg5MGhIyuql4FVnqFxt8dDZP5VhiWAfNn2QBo3I/s320/PB270051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555934436016881106" /></a><br /><br />So, first things first, breakfast! We always have blueberry pancakes made with blueberries we pick during the summer and freeze. Maine maple syrup is the condiment of choice because local is always better, and it's all topped off with bacon! Now bacon may seem normal to you but for us bacon = Christmas present! Our house is usually packed with relatively healthy foods all the time and bacon is not in the fridge unless it's for the one or two times we have BLT samiches during the summer. Basically, we wait all year for Christmas morning to eat deliciously crispy, heavenly, fabulous, stupendous bacon!!!! Maybe there's some coffee too...but it's really just about the bacon!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhm0w2xXWK4ubGbMrtq5eXjQ5C94XxcRO3P7-c0xBwUGjxm398kEChn0nTlYj06W8qPtMfg2vMlil54oueF9QEKj6qRa0CFRwfdC03XQxeudkNXAJPbN85qmXx6kF6mZkJUsral4mP0Bd/s1600/PB270062.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhm0w2xXWK4ubGbMrtq5eXjQ5C94XxcRO3P7-c0xBwUGjxm398kEChn0nTlYj06W8qPtMfg2vMlil54oueF9QEKj6qRa0CFRwfdC03XQxeudkNXAJPbN85qmXx6kF6mZkJUsral4mP0Bd/s320/PB270062.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555934430329969730" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast we settle down near the tree to pass gifts around and inevitably we end up with a giant pile of refolded wrapping paper, ribbons and bows as my mom tries to salvage as much wrapping paraphernalia as possible. Over the years my dad and I have tried to get my mom to learn how to tear wrapping paper but she still manages to save things here and there. I want to chuck old wrapping paper just so that I can get new wrapping paper the next year! I love having a few different designs of wrapping paper each year to keep things fresh. I don't want to see the stuff under the tree this year that Santa used to wrap my barbie back in 1991! Come on man! <br /><br />Well, Christmas was great, all joking aside. I am exhausted now even though I was able to keep the fatigue at bay for a while. A little holiday normalcy was really nice to take my mind off all the tough things I've been slogging through lately with Lyme. I had two weeks without antibiotics that fell over Christmas which was a nice treat but this is the first time that I have gone more than one week without antibiotics and my body is already starting to rebel! Some of the symptoms I haven't seen in a while are showing up again which means that I'm not progressing as quickly as we thought. I'm starting to have more night sweats, muscle twitches like crazy, inflammatory headaches, burning in the soles of my feet and the list goes on. I guess it was a matter of letting my body stand alone from the medications and see if it could walk and now it's clear that it can't yet. Back to D.C. at the beginning of January to see my Lyme doctor so we will see where things stand after that! On a lighter note, I get to see my awesome friend Leigh that I went to school with near Boston. Keeping my eye on the exciting things! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too and best wishes for the new year!!!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-45739228827002726142010-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:002010-12-16T11:45:01.445-08:00'Twas the week before Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoriLR6kb8jjcEflOAdWeJ5IHpFc74deLOxc6BYyIsAa5yXYpzAuE1sVbmLPYxkjfjb-9vli7WsJyXLZjQFuoaPv6PbCWOvKJI0C_k8K32jqANg4vj0heBaFVRBj_KyrVu1j1_bgqQF7uD/s1600/PB080025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoriLR6kb8jjcEflOAdWeJ5IHpFc74deLOxc6BYyIsAa5yXYpzAuE1sVbmLPYxkjfjb-9vli7WsJyXLZjQFuoaPv6PbCWOvKJI0C_k8K32jqANg4vj0heBaFVRBj_KyrVu1j1_bgqQF7uD/s320/PB080025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551360787962573266" /></a><br /><br />It's been a while since I've written. Things have gone a bit haywire since my last visit to my Lyme doctor in D.C. I am now on a new medication that makes me nauseous 24/7 so I am on two, yes TWO, anti-nausea medications because one is not enough to keep it under control. Luckily I only have one week of this dry heave hell and then three weeks off of all IV medications! Merry Christmas to me!!!! <br /><br />I wish that I was as comfortable at my cat who is sleeping next to me and twitching with content sighs, most likely with visions of sugar plums dancing in his head! He's begun his "winter mode" pattern of sleeping all day and being more active at night. As for me; I've been trying to be as active as possible during the day because I need to get Christmas shopping out of the way but I'm finding nausea to be much more debilitating than I thought. I decided that I felt fat yesterday and, on top of a small shopping excursion, felt I needed to run. Good going Goddu! Ugh, what a dunce! I feel soooo awful today and I know it's my own damn fault! The sight of my effort would have been quite hilarious because my balance is so askew from my medication that I look as though I had sea legs. I drifted from side to side of the treadmill, then too far to the front, then almost flying off the back!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS30X3uH-i-RHqlVkZoWrk2PiwVD5rNrh56u-ZVpZUhQHOKk2UKdQqUOfmGQ_vJS9-VpBhgsT4MmEPrinbyUgDGF2_QPt8ZaJUahEW4jRi_aMfnWdKT1IBBn0KuwF9zPqnTY98QKDNDtUS/s1600/PB080037.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS30X3uH-i-RHqlVkZoWrk2PiwVD5rNrh56u-ZVpZUhQHOKk2UKdQqUOfmGQ_vJS9-VpBhgsT4MmEPrinbyUgDGF2_QPt8ZaJUahEW4jRi_aMfnWdKT1IBBn0KuwF9zPqnTY98QKDNDtUS/s320/PB080037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551360790633450594" /></a><br /><br />Aside from my Lyme-ness aforementioned, I made a spectacular effort in creating a Christmas card. I drew some adorable penguins with pen and ink and added some Christmas light's around them with a cute but cheesy statement on the inside. I got a huge pack of blank cards and envelopes at the local craft store and managed to scan my doodle and mass produce 50 cards! Ta-daaa! By the way,it seems to me that most women that work at the craft store are Mormon. As my people watching self, I made an assessment that the things they wear on their heads look very much like coffee filters. I don't mean to be offensive, just observant. Anyway, that's what went on in my whackadoo brain...just sharing.<br /><br />We got our Christmas tree last week and are almost finished decorating. I'm excited for Christmas, but it will be a challenge to find a decent recipe for rolled sugar cookies that is gluten free! The cookies are one tradition I am not willing to sacrifice this year! I know Christmas will be different being in this new house, but we will make it work. Chex mix makes everything better :) The only other thing I want is snow! The photo above was a dusting of snow a week ago that disappeared within the day so I am doing my snow dance in hopes that we'll have a snow storm for Christmas! Merry Christmas to all of you!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-794422628745480752010-11-23T14:58:00.000-08:002010-11-23T15:21:40.979-08:00Rock out!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAXJR_29l6OBrNCGoHL8Tv9-M1-we2JLw1OXesTa00S3lsVklT6cnj9m5JQ0YIiDuYdAch90Ir6ArM7B8SNSMkorrDqFysdGzl3uvJrBk68la_pypxMgIvOOpBdtPEitzTRO-rZ-Zy0Bg/s1600/PA180008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAXJR_29l6OBrNCGoHL8Tv9-M1-we2JLw1OXesTa00S3lsVklT6cnj9m5JQ0YIiDuYdAch90Ir6ArM7B8SNSMkorrDqFysdGzl3uvJrBk68la_pypxMgIvOOpBdtPEitzTRO-rZ-Zy0Bg/s320/PA180008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542883929274698754" /></a><br /><br />In search of some type of normalcy in this Lyme sea of IV treatment and excruciating pain, my parents decided to buy tickets to a concert for all of us. One of my favorite musicians, Joe Bonamassa, played at the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach two weeks ago. You may never have heard of him, but take it from me, if you like blues you will love him! Look up some of his tunes and see for yourself. He was named best blues guitarist and was opening for B.B. King when he was 12 years old! Pretty amazing! There are many people that don't know about him, also shown by the witty license plate on his bus, because he mainly thrives on touring and doesn't promote a lot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi234JY3PiLInXyHYicakcKF2DZqX8lueuq3igYS30Lb3tG5bIatHzVK_otNghrASTJMLNRijMUQIFgIlTgr_urbmLdjEvqhY3-QefLGzXOfvdOdja0s0F34jwMcj8FJ96ELZeYLjUtNORy/s1600/PA180013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi234JY3PiLInXyHYicakcKF2DZqX8lueuq3igYS30Lb3tG5bIatHzVK_otNghrASTJMLNRijMUQIFgIlTgr_urbmLdjEvqhY3-QefLGzXOfvdOdja0s0F34jwMcj8FJ96ELZeYLjUtNORy/s320/PA180013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542883970061909090" /></a><br /><br />Music, for me, is one of those things that feeds my soul and something I couldn't live without. Joe Bonamassa is one of those musicians that sounds even better in concert than on an album, which is rare, so the show was really a great emotional fulfillment for me. I knew that getting out and spending so much time away from my bed was going to be hard. I also knew that the recovery time from a thing like that would be lengthy, but it was really all worth it. My parents literally had to carry me out because I was so weak afterwards, and in so much pain. I spent three days in bed after the concert because I was so fatigued and my symptoms were flaring up out of control but it was better knowing that it was all because I quell my social and emotional needs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrvrIqDqoEs5mx0x6VJ23aeTV4kVoKjtSOCi060lzqrChNsM2SWLbJpTtEG0aRjPshIpnPQauHQGZXMHHRD9r1rWhxA6ObU-V17Zv2banyk9Elk6KL4XIfYVu498aF1bYSlwXPaWUkrcR/s1600/PA180011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrvrIqDqoEs5mx0x6VJ23aeTV4kVoKjtSOCi060lzqrChNsM2SWLbJpTtEG0aRjPshIpnPQauHQGZXMHHRD9r1rWhxA6ObU-V17Zv2banyk9Elk6KL4XIfYVu498aF1bYSlwXPaWUkrcR/s320/PA180011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542883953166839666" /></a><br /><br />On the Lyme front, I am seeing some improvements. However small they are, they are so encouraging. I am starting to be able to read tiny bits at a time which is great. I forget what I read in a few minutes because my short term memory still doesn't work but I can't have everything I want, haha! I am also realizing I am having less nerve pain, but I'm not sure if that is because it's really getting better or because the medication increase is working! Who knows! We'll see where things stand at my next appointment down in Washington, D.C. next week. Until then I am working on finding a gluten free pumpkin pie recipe that my mom can make because there is no way I am going through turkey day without some pumpkin pie! Hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-67420474817971915272010-11-07T18:41:00.001-08:002010-11-07T18:41:36.719-08:00Fall back...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMOGxRRXcOCXt8p1NplHU6abSFN7r7mLkpJrG0ibq2hauSbH0fLUuW7NMuvZVq1NbClbrwyBmwRpmuOURer9upRsxId7b18JHTJC22w7BSwL_eAsttAj2NED20h56yKD3fAMgW-wXV_ft/s1600/PA100014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMOGxRRXcOCXt8p1NplHU6abSFN7r7mLkpJrG0ibq2hauSbH0fLUuW7NMuvZVq1NbClbrwyBmwRpmuOURer9upRsxId7b18JHTJC22w7BSwL_eAsttAj2NED20h56yKD3fAMgW-wXV_ft/s320/PA100014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536841877714270946" /></a><br /><br />This is the book I wish I were reading in bed today with those glasses and my steaming cup of coffee. Instead, my Lyme brain has decided to make it impossible to comprehend written word, so I have been drive to the point of Netflix once again. I love what I have been able to read of this book of short stories, but my cognitive symptoms have prevented me from following it through. These stories are delicious little gems that set in motion, provocations of the mind. I am eager for the time when my cognitive abilities will be restored after treatment and I will, once again, be able to indulge in such gorgeous writing as what is tucked away in this thin volume. Until that time I will settle for recommending the book called "Come to Me" by Amy Bloom. I've not read it in its entirety but I think that the first few stories can speak for what the rest of the book holds.<br /><br />Speaking of reading...I went to the eye doctor for an exam that I had to have done before I could order any new contacts. Since I've had Lyme, my eyesight has gotten progressively worse much faster than normal. My doctor told me that my convergence was off and she thought I needed vision therapy after I told her that I can barely read anymore. I tried to explain to her that this is a cognitive symptom of Lyme but she would not listen. She told me that it was a problem with the muscles in my eyes. Her statement to me after I told her about the Lyme correlation was defiant. "You can't just blame everything on Lyme!" she said. I felt so offended, belittled and frustrated. Actually, I just wanted to cry. It gets so frustrating trying to explain Lyme symptoms to any type of doctor in any specialty if they have been trained in western medicine. I tried to tell her that it's not that it is too blurry or my prescription is so bad that I can't see. I told her that it's not that I can't see the words, it's that, what I see is black print on white paper and that's it. I can not comprehend it, period! That is why it is clearly a cognitive problem!<br /><br />At the end of my appointment I went to the counter and she was talking to me about the vision therapy I needed and the other tests that I would need to pay for because apparently they were necessary. I was holding myself up by using the counter and one of the women that was helping check me out and set up appointments was trying to tell my doctor that she thought I needed to sit and my doctor wouldn't listen to her. Glad someone knew what was going on but it was too late because I ended up collapsing right there in the check out area of the eye doctor's office because I was too busy listening to my eye doctor tell me Lyme wasn't serious enough to do things to my eyes. I hope maybe that was a wake up call for her as to how serious Lyme can be, even though anyone with Lyme know that isn't even the half of it. I went home exasperated and exhausted and am still formulating the right words for the letter I am going to write her about the way she spoke to me and disregarded my explanations.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ95vYpkr3lbmVbAoXnCh6XnucAJJHEyUmgaiNWPSr0DnD4yf3N7FAPfK8wGIFNUU8rYe6pSoddmH00ZWUEX46EjWPkYWec329YxEaIfvbnDhVkbLkEY83iORKZ6BWIpd3WBhHG8CxcO0g/s1600/PA100013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ95vYpkr3lbmVbAoXnCh6XnucAJJHEyUmgaiNWPSr0DnD4yf3N7FAPfK8wGIFNUU8rYe6pSoddmH00ZWUEX46EjWPkYWec329YxEaIfvbnDhVkbLkEY83iORKZ6BWIpd3WBhHG8CxcO0g/s320/PA100013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536841882409777506" /></a><br /><br />So now I am in the comfort of my bed, about to embark on the first season of "The real L Word" in protest of the fact that "The L Word" is no longer. This new series is just on it's first season and hopefully will get signed on for another so I won't have to have TV series withdrawal once again! I have watched a few good movies lately too but most of the time I've been so fatigued that I just sleep most of the day when I can not move because of the bone pain I've acquired lately. Just hangin' in to get through the next two weeks of treatment and then back to DC again to find out which new IV meds are next! My application for art school is being considered now so I'm really excited to see if I hear anything back soon! Something to look forward to! Hope you all remembered to turn your clocks back!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-12225788503014646832010-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:002010-10-25T08:37:34.005-07:00A little creativity?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKakzycEUsfshKbvEnbfeQlOIaA2hitzUlWogbmYB9jKWkLa4J094sNDX2OodmJkt-lT2fJ9nyxPFv7ydV8LbIRCDUM34y2jfOLcnBZ0PgaLcyNNbfKWuGnHavbvRp6j9QDJM_CZirqzE/s1600/P9260006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKakzycEUsfshKbvEnbfeQlOIaA2hitzUlWogbmYB9jKWkLa4J094sNDX2OodmJkt-lT2fJ9nyxPFv7ydV8LbIRCDUM34y2jfOLcnBZ0PgaLcyNNbfKWuGnHavbvRp6j9QDJM_CZirqzE/s320/P9260006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531998142245665234" /></a><br /><br />It's pretty gray outside and rain seems to be sure to follow. These circumstances certainly call for a perfect nap day, not only for me, but for my cat Wolfgang. He's curled up on top of my little pile of magazines including the latest issues Cosmopolitan and Foodnetwork. I'm wondering if his little feline mind is absorbing a recipe for dinner through osmosis or learning the current "sexy beauty tips". If it's dinner, that would be great because there hasn't been a creative dinner in this house in over a week! Unlike dinner, I have been a little creative this week! The joints in my hands gave me a little break so I was able to draw a bit which was great to get back to even if only in a small way.<br /><br />I also furthered my preparation for art school by visiting my alma mater high school to talk with my guidance counselor about getting a letter of recommendation. We also talked about what's been going on for me in the years since I graduated high school. She has always been a friend of the family so we've kept in touch since I became more than a nerdy teenager. Applications for art program will start the process of being considered in November so I will be excited to hear whether I make the cut or not. Fingers crossed! I also took some photos when I was there which made me have more than a few nostalgic moments.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3GVqTs6g4Q7ZCiUWaA_2LsI1E7auvkp8kskSam9zBmW7IPqcV6_dBHHKHma3mzc0-W1hMJA3FXCXrOUkSOSjZlAKmn3CBlTnDjcv-0_y1wCtHYuuF53Zne9ukBnGDx9zTtwgUnSwTPw/s1600/P9260004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3GVqTs6g4Q7ZCiUWaA_2LsI1E7auvkp8kskSam9zBmW7IPqcV6_dBHHKHma3mzc0-W1hMJA3FXCXrOUkSOSjZlAKmn3CBlTnDjcv-0_y1wCtHYuuF53Zne9ukBnGDx9zTtwgUnSwTPw/s320/P9260004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531998153611961346" /></a><br /><br />I'm still in bed most of the time because this treatment for Lyme is not very forgiving and I do my best to find ways to pass the time. There are only so many magazines to read (especially when it is tough to read more than a blurb, thanks to my partially functioning cognitive crap) so I have to resort to netflix and TV series. The latest blossom sitcom love I've found is Glee! I rented the whole first season from the local rental shop and caught up while attached to my IV pole. It was so funny and the talent of these kids is sensational! Although I can't really call them kids because most of the actors (that play high school students) are, in reality, my age. The second season has already started and I realized that I was four episodes behind and of course the second season isn't yet out on DVD because it hasn't finished! I luckily found all four episodes on hulu.com so now I can pick up this Tuesday as if I had never missed a thing! I will, no doubt, find yet another TV series to catch on to sometime soon, but for the time being Glee is my fix!<br /><br />Hope everyone enjoys their Halloween whether you're dressing up or just passing out candy from the warmth of your home! Happy Halloween :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuOm_ZEWPVuMpoTbaQMQoBCm2QqvroQqlwdDhj7_v86ddx9uiXPeodXtu734PeLPyfMo0JU3WU7nJX0uDL32AneL8WZY09UJyVPx5qPIgcCF0zX3SOuxhyphenhyphendhrvWhrAgE2fr9D7KA3KZDC/s1600/P9260001_2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuOm_ZEWPVuMpoTbaQMQoBCm2QqvroQqlwdDhj7_v86ddx9uiXPeodXtu734PeLPyfMo0JU3WU7nJX0uDL32AneL8WZY09UJyVPx5qPIgcCF0zX3SOuxhyphenhyphendhrvWhrAgE2fr9D7KA3KZDC/s320/P9260001_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531998166007863074" /></a>Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972808089897596643.post-10113845015426278392010-10-14T12:50:00.000-07:002010-10-14T15:06:04.326-07:00"Sun Again"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TeKPYgSN6T_YI_oW84dupbn6KGjnE5eJYJSJGj6T-storJmqm6KuJ-pCY_MDVvZuX609-PnsOuPPZBzO_DJ7hWm-e9oEq-Qlqw-1cNjrr7Hqr9OFjA53jWfxlnUR97eLtpJ2j5qJFHRg/s1600/P9010002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TeKPYgSN6T_YI_oW84dupbn6KGjnE5eJYJSJGj6T-storJmqm6KuJ-pCY_MDVvZuX609-PnsOuPPZBzO_DJ7hWm-e9oEq-Qlqw-1cNjrr7Hqr9OFjA53jWfxlnUR97eLtpJ2j5qJFHRg/s320/P9010002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528001228467923154" /></a><br /><br />The title I chose for this entry is, not only a song I really like by Kinnie Star, but is also symbolic of how feel about where I am headed through all this hard treatment. I am determined I will be the sun again and will shine like I did before this awful disease really disintegrated my life and the workings of my body.<br /><br />I just returned from another appointment with my Lyme doctor in DC and am now equipped with another batch of IV medication for the next 6 weeks. I know it is probably a bad thing to do but I am a big people watcher and the airport is perfect place to do just that. The travel is so draining for me and it is hard on my body so finding any tiny sparkle of enjoyment with a laugh is a small pleasure. My dad and I were waiting in line to board the plane and this blond in front of us teetering on 6 in heels with too much carry on luggage was off to the side rummaging through her things, looking for what, I'm not sure still. <span style="font-style:italic;">Lesson one, do not wear sky high heels is you do not how to walk in them! Otherwise you will look like a baby deer that hasn't yet found her hooves.</span> Back on topic, she jumped in front of us and shoved her crumpled boarding pass into the face of the woman scanning the passes. Of course the bar code was too crumpled to be scanned. She smoothed it with one of her fingers clad with a giant rock of a diamond ring and then proceeded down the jet way. My dad and I followed and were struck by an invisible cloud of patchouli...uckk! <span style="font-style:italic;">Lesson two, do not wear patchouli because wherever patchouli is, body odor seems to follow.</span> As the line moved down the jet way toward the plane she periodically laid down her suitcase and continued rifling through it for lord knows what. Clearly she was not looking for the three giant bags of beef jerky bulging out. Aside from this our flight went off without any hitches and we got home so I could collapse into bed, having my "people watching quota" met in one single person!<br /><br />Aside from that, I have been having an even harder time with symptoms than the last time I posted so I don't have much to show for my time artistically. This photograph above is what keeps me mellow on the hard nights when my symptoms flare. My candles are just enough light but not so much that they cause my light sensitivity any problems. I've been having trouble swallowing and have spent most nights in the past week doubled over with epigastric pain, chest pain and splitting frontal headaches. I have also had more swelling around my brain which is too painful for words to describe; it just brought me to tears.<br /><br />I am back on the upswing from that horrible Herx and will be starting the new meds on Monday. Luckily I was able to get out an see an old friend before all this Herx madness started. We met for coffee and I told her a bit about how to go about getting her diet gluten free since I've been at it for a year or so. It was so nice to get out of the house, if only for an hour, because I do feel so isolated when I am bedridden and literally have to crawl from room to room if my parents aren't here to help me walk.<br /><br />I am enjoying the fall as much as possible and the leaves are turning gorgeous colors here. I am also eating up the fruits of our applesauce labor a few weeks ago and it is delectable! Hope all of you enjoy what's left of October!Kathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02720197767846398287noreply@blogger.com0