Counting Down the Days

...or weeks. Ten weeks. That's all I have left in the United States. My husband's going to be on orders to Germany. And I'm thrilled.

But I'm stressed out, too.

There's so much to do.

Order birth certificates. Social security cards (why has it taken me so long?). Get dogs shots and microchips.

Movers.

Give housing our notice.

Clean.

Have a yard sale. Decide what we don't want to keep.

Learn to speak German. So glad we have free Rosetta Stone.

Look where we get to live...

Vacation, Sweet Vacation

I've just returned from a much-needed, restful, fun vacation with my daughters, mother, and sister.

We camped in Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs, FL. Well...I say camped, but actually, we cabined. Yes. I created a word. Cabined. We cabined. Or housed, as it were. It wasn't a real cabin. It was large. And well appointed.

We rested.

We played.

We climbed.

We hiked.

We rode.

Well, not me. But everyone else rode.

We enjoyed nature.

We laughed.

And we got ticks.

And now, it's back to reality. In another house. Without ticks.

I Have

Fibromyalgia.

I went to see the rheumatologist last week. I've been missing in action on all three of my blogs, and I've felt guilty about it. I've missed posting. But I've been so very sick and tired.

I'm like the lady on the commercials for Lyrica. As a matter of fact, that's one of the many prescriptions I now keep on my desk.

I take several more.

Want to feel "old"? Walk out of the pharmacy with a giant brown paper grocery bag filled with your medications!

So, what is Fybromyalgia, anyway? Well, I'm learning more about it each day. I'm already compiling a list of questions to ask my doctor next time I see him (in a month).

Will it get worse? Is it a progressive disease?

Will the medications stop working after a while?

Fibromyalgia is a neurological disorder when a person's brain sends out too many pain receptors...or something like that. Basically, it means that I feel more pain than the average person. And by more, I mean excruciating at times.

I feel like my bones are sick.

I ache.

I hurt.

I am constantly exhausted.

I sleep twelve to fourteen hours a day.

I get bad headaches that take three doses of medicine to go away.

I forget simple words. Like SALT. I forget appointments.

My joints hurt. My muscles hurt. My skin hurts.

But not all the time. And not always all at once. And not in the same places every time, either.

Right now, I feel pretty good.

So I'm here, writing to you. And later, I'm even planning on sharing a recipe on my cooking blog. As long as my energy holds up.

And if it doesn't? I'll just let myself crawl into bed and watch some garbage on Netflix, snuggled between two comforters and a fleece blanket.

And I'll try again tomorrow.