An up and down day

I'm going to have to try a different approach.  Am going off coffee for a while just to see if I feel better.  I'm thinking I have IBS and it can come and go at will but I'm determined to try a little harder to get on an even keel.  My eating habits would never get an award and since my mother has always been plagued with "bowel issues" too, I figure there may be some genetics going on.  Or it could just be an age thing. Everything seems to be an age thing.  I can remember my aunts and step mom all having a problem from time to  time and it kept them housebound.

My little problem often flares up after I leave the house and think I'm good to go.  Happened again today.  Decided to browse Goodwill a bit to see what material they had for sale. Found three yards of pretty cotton designs and as I moved on to look over the knickknacks (had no business even looking really but that bric-a-brac always catches my eye. ) Anyhow, wasn't long before I realized my little whirl around the second hand store was about to come to an end.  Damn it!  Paid for my material and headed for the car.  Traffic was light and I felt okay once I was behind the wheel so I contemplated making a quick Safeway run.

Nope.  Not going to work.  Off to home I go.  That was about five hours ago.  I had got an hour of weeding done first thing in the morning but my energy level was in the gutter by this time.  Headache and nausea too and so tired.  Took an hour nap and tried to accept the fact that my routine is pretty much going to be  dictated by what my insides are doing.

I got up from my nap because the phone rang. Wrong number. I was determined to get at least something done so I tackled the receipt boxes.  As I proceeded to make my various piles, one thing led to another and I cleaned out my hanging files as well.  Put all my Amazon, Visa, Cable, Electric bills and medical stuff in one box and threw it on the top shelf. Out of sight.  Someday I'll just pull it down and toss it in the trash.

I really should keep a written record of exactly what's going on day to day. I know this headache and nausea have been plaguing me for over a couple weeks now. I figured it was allergies and sinus. Not bad enough to go to bed; but bad enough to make me notice that something's not right.  I'll give it another two weeks and if I'm still nauseated, I'll think about going to the doctor.  Trips to the doctor are usually an enormous waste of time.  Like yesterday's jaunt to the back surgeon in Poulsbo.  Oh well, at least I went and he feels I don't need surgery.  That's a good thing.  I wish I could remember questions to ask right when he says something but noooooo.....I have to wait until I'm home again and then wonder:  Why didn't I pursue that subject?

He didn't give me much of an exam at all and this after I waited weeks to get in.  I imagine he felt the MRIs were enough. Still....ten minutes and I was out the door. I would have thought, at the least, he could give me a shot. My doctor wouldn't. Said a back doctor had to do it. He suggested physical therapy. I'm thinking about it.  Definitely going to have to wait until the bowels are in the mood.  Ha!

I'm going to try new techniques in the bedroom tonight.  Ha!  That sound exciting, doesn't it?  What I mean is, I'm going to experiment with sleeping more upright, using a humidifier, taking a decongestant, and putting a breathing tape across my nose.  I don't know if I snore but I probably do. I have had a HORRIBLE problem with dry mouth for several months. Such a problem that I brought it up to my dentist. (Who was not at all interested)  I have water by my bed but my mouth gets so dry, it actually wakes me up several times at night. I'm sure it's because I'm sleeping with my mouth open because my nose and head get so stuffed up, I can't breathe any other way.

This morning, a very strange noise woke me with a start.  I jerked away and glanced at my alarm clock as it kind of sounded like that noise.  Yet the alarm wasn't set. Then I wondered if it was the smoke alarm making a sound like it wants a new battery.  After a bit I came to the realization that the noise might have been coming  from ME!  I probably have sleep apnea and don't even know it. I probably should get tested but the idea of spending a night at the hospital with wires hooked to me doesn't sound at all appealing. And yeah, I know. People die in their sleep from apnea. Another thing for me to think about.

Tonight, though, I'm going to try my own techniques.  I do have some dry mouth gel I can put on my gums and I'll add Vicks under my nose for the icing on the cake.  Oh yeah, it's gonna be a real pretty sight!

Jenni and I hit four quilt stores while we were out and about yesterday. Picked up free patterns at each place. I'm anxious to get back into the sewing room.  I took my camera with me but only took one picture. From the steps of the Poulsbo quilt store. Isn't even that great of a picture.

We always seem to have a lot of laughs when we're traveling the road and yesterday was no exception.  I think it's a challenge for her to put up with my driving, though.  I just don't do that well when I leave the county.  I get frustrated with having to concentrate on more traffic, turn lanes, signs, lights, etc.  And I can get lost without even trying.

I told her if I won the Mega that night, I was buying another car that I could see out of better. She told me if I won Mega, I needed to forget a new car and buy a driver.  She's right. But I didn't win.

Mary sent me a picture of her and Andy with Siegfried in Vegas. They're apparently having a whole lot of fun.

I tried and tried to find a movie that interested me on Amazon Prime or Netflix last night. Just wasn't in the mood.  Tired, I guess. I settled on a documentary about Africa and its animals.  Actually, it was quite good and I'm looking forward to some more tonight.

Gotta take Maddie to work in a half hour so I think I'll stop at Walgreen's and see about getting some kind of sinus relief medicine.

Here's a picture I saw in the Leader this morning. You'll have to click on it to see it better. Aerial view of PT.

And here's some more from Les Walden...