My mother never ceases to amaze me! I work alot of hours and sometimes very challenging hours, so when I have my first day off after working a stretch, I am pretty catatonic and not the best company or conversationalist. Today was one of those first days off.
(A little background…..I talk to my mother often, usually every other day if not daily and one day I even bugged her three different times. But she never complains and there is ALWAYS a cheery voice on the other end of the phone when I call).
Today, choosing seclusion, I didn’t call my mom. My oldest daughter even stopped by to pick up her boy’s bikes and I was pretty labile. I’m sure she forgot it was the first off day. LOL!
Anyway, this afternoon my mom called me. I saw her number pop up on my cell and smiled and thought to myself, I’m glad she is calling. I answered and cheerily she responded and said, “You don’t sound very chipper today?” I responded, “No, it’s my first day off and you now how that is.” She kindly replied and silently giving me the reassurance that it was okay that I was grumpy and without speaking it, letting me know that she wouldn’t take it personally. Wanting not to focus on my sour mood, I asked her what she was doing as I could tell that she was driving. She responded that she was on her way home from a church friend’s home. Mom was called by the couple to aid in their plight the evening before. The couple has had more then their share of bad luck lately. The man had to have open heart bypass surgery three weeks ago and while he was recuperating in the hospital, his wife developed a bowel obstruction that required emergency surgery. Well, still not being able to drive, last night mom was called and asked if she could take the woman to the hospital as she had developed an infection of her incision. Mom came to their aid and took them to the hospital. Now, I’m sure everyone is aware how health care is now days and a person doesn’t get admitted into the hospital for a wound infection unless it is life threatening. Adding to the couple’s troubles, they are between physicians so could not get home health care (i.e. a visiting nurse to come in and provide wound care and monitor progress). Again, in a dilemma and no where to turn, mom volunteered to pack and dress the wound daily.
My mother is truly amazing!!! Let me add that my family is SO blessed! We had a health scare this past week with mom that mercifully turned out all clear. Mother’s inspirational words to me have been, “God decided not to give me cancer, so he must have more for me to do and that’s what I intend to do.” Such comforting and peaceful words from a truly amazing, giving lady and ending my self focused grumpy day. And I’m SO proud of her as a nurse! Blessings come at a time least expected and in simple ways sometimes. Thanks, mom!!! Blessings to you and your family until next time……….:)
Monthly Archives: April 2012
Hot Flashes
My goal is to post health information to this blog on a daily basis in the near future. This task has not been possible for me to date, as life is SO busy of late. There is some information that I would like to share from personal experience for those women who are experiencing those horrible episodes called “Hot Flashes!”
In October 2010, I experienced my first episodes of “Hot Flashes” mainly occurring at night. For five agonizing weeks I suffered with horrible inferno attacks every 20 – 30 minutes during the night. I got to the point when I would go to bed that I actually experienced anxiety because I knew what the night had in store for me. Let me add that this was never like me in the past XX years of my life. Even life’s stress usually could not interfere with my nighttime slumber as I always held the philosophy when it came to bedtime and sleeptime, that was MY eight hours of personal ownership. Nothing mattered during those hours and any problems would still be there in the morning awaiting my attention. I WAS a sleeper!!!
Needless to say, I was at my wit’s end after 5 weeks of suffering no REM sleep and frequent sleep interruptions throughout the night. I finally gave in and went to my health care provider. My options were HRT (hormone replacement therapy), which I consider NOT an option for me as there are so many family members that suffered breast cancer and due to my personal beliefs; Effexor (antidepressant), which I said I didn’t need because I wasn’t depressed, however that could have been argued at that point in time due to my exhaustion from lack of sleep; and, Clonidine (antihypertensive plus other uses). I chose the Clonidine.
After leaving the provider’s office, I called my husband to inform him of the verdict and he told me about an advertisement that he saw in the SJ-R that morning about a herbal supplement called iCool that was suppose to prevent hot flashes and other perimenopausal symptoms. He told me there was a coupon in the newspaper that he tore out for me. I thought, what have I got to lose? I was desperate. So desperate that I picked up the coupon from him, went to the pharmacy and picked up my Clonidine and iCool. There were two entire rows reserved for the supplement and one row was empty and the other was 1/2 empty so I thought that there must be alot of desperate hot flashers out there just like me. I went home and that evening decided to take the iCool and wait on taking the Clonidine as I knew the effect that it could have on my low normal blood pressure. I went to bed that night, experienced the same anxiety and fear of not being able to sleep due to inferno flashes and drifted off.
God does work in mysterious ways. I only awakened briefly that night three times!!! The next night was even better…….NO hot flashes!!! I only took 16 pills total until I stopped taking the supplement. I am not much of a pill taker and I wanted to see if I still needed the supplement. I experienced no more hot flashes for 16 months. Not because the 16 pills entirely stopping the hot flashes forever, but more likely because my hormone levels returned to normal again.
After 16 months, I began having hot flashes with the same fury if not worse then before. I started taking the iCool again. It didn’t work this time hardly at all! I was bummed to say the least. Then one day, after about a week, I was out shopping with my mom and aunt in Sam’s Wholesale. I saw a big package of iCool and thought how more available and popular the product was. It raised to the glory of being bulk packaged and had made it to the spotlight of Sam’s shelves. Then it hit me! The shelf life had probably expired on my supplement form October 2010. I purchased new product and just like magic, no more hot flashes! I can personally atest that this herbal supplement stopped my hot flashes entirely while taking it. I must inform you though, that I do not take any prescription medications, only other supplements and I do not endorse this product or tell anyone to start taking it until they check with their health care provider first. This IS extremely important as your own individual health situation is just that; individual and unique. So always check with your health care provider prior to taking any herbal supplements. For me, this is a phenomenal product. I researched the ingredient and found nothing for me to fear in regards to my health and its use.
“Hot Flashes” are horrible to say the least!!! Many women suffer sleepless nights and multiple bed sheet changes in the middle of the night due to the episodes. I can say that I, once again, enjoy peaceful and relaxing uninterrupted sleep (as does my husband) due to iCool.
Since finding iCool on the popular shelves of Sam’s Wholesale, I noticed that it has earned a new spotlight in a TV ad. Blessings until later………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dream To Achieve
A couple of years ago, my brother, Rod, told me about a book that he had read that intrigued me and a story that I have held close in my heart and my being ever since. This was at the same time that we first began dreaming about becoming independent in business. Rod is a dedicated reader and finds the most fascinating and beneficial books, articles, etc. to read that broaden his personal and professional knowledge base. The story goes something like this……
There was a man who committed crime and thus was imprisoned for such offenses. During his incarceration, he began to dream about a better life. A life of achievement and living comfortably. Of making his mark in life. He very well knew what it was like to have all of life’s privileges and freedoms striped from him. One of his dreams was building a home on a beautiful high plateau that overlooked a city on one side and a dessert on the other. He drew what he envisioned his home to look like and everyday he looked at his dream on paper and envisioned the dream becoming reality. As time passed, he once again earned the freedom to live as others and was released from prison. Several years passed for the man, but through dedication, honest hard work, believing and having faith, he no longer had to envision his dream of the beautiful home on the plateau; he had it. He carried the picture with him everyday of his uphill battle and pulled it out of his pocket, closed his eyes and envisioned his dream coming true when life’s challenges and battles become so difficult that it would have been easier to have given up and gone back to a life of crime. He NEVER stopped believing and pushing forward and his efforts and faith paid off. He achieved his dream!
Never give up, never lose faith and most of all……NEVER STOP DREAMING!!! Without dreams and hopes and the belief and faith that one CAN achieve, I believe there is only emptiness in life. So draw a picture or write a story of your dream. Carry it with you everyday and when life is firing torpedoes your way, pull it out, close your eyes and envision your life with your dream a reality. I know Rod and I have many times! Blessings until next time…….
HealthRD 