Mothers Day Was Wonderful - Princess Two Visited

Princess Two came down to visit. She hasn't been down for some time. She brought her new roommate whose family lives in another state so she didn't want her to be at home alone over the Mothers Day weekend. 

I had been feeling better and got the house cleaned for her visit. It was so nice to be able to meet her new roommate. They came down Friday night and stayed through Sunday evening. 

We had so much fun playing games, shopping, eating good food, and just enjoying time together. 

She bought me sushi and treats for Mothers Day and gave me a custom art piece she commissioned from her friend! I LOVE the painting and we really enjoyed the sushi. I ate some of the treats and have others saved for a rainy day! 

We had a good time and I think her roommate enjoyed the trip and having somewhere to be over the weekend. It was nice to have someone to sit with at church as well. 

I called all the mothers in my world and all my girls called me. It was nice to touch bases with old friends. I know lots of wonderful mothers in my world. 

My Step-Mother called after we called and left her a singing message. I love that she called to check on me when I had covid. She is such a blessing in my world! I got to see Princess One and her adorable children as well on video chat and had long calls with the other girls. It really was a wonderful day! 

Hope you enjoyed your mothers day!

Covid Is the Never Ending Illness - Long-termer or Long-haulers

I had two really good days at the end of last week where I thought I was getting better. I was so excited to be able to work on my garage a bit and have more than a few waking hours each day. 

I had mentioned that I had a horrible night sleep on night Wednesday night in my Thursday post that I was having pin prick feelings thinking the parasite were burrowing out but after a few days and the new symptoms, I realized that the pin point pricks were the "covid toes" as about 20 of the pricks were in the toes of my right foot. 

I realized that they are probably little blood clots in the smaller vessels similar to when someone has sepsis, they get these little clots of bacteria in the smaller vessels. I then noticed that my right knee is arthritic and I am having trouble bending it over the past few days. Just tonight, my right lower back is aching severely. The last few days, I can't bend my right hip much. My right leg also has been swollen for about a week and and is tingling all the time.

I was putting the tire covers I ordered onto my trailer tires on Friday and I had a severe pain behind my right eye like a clot type pain and my eye hurt for 24 hours or so. Twice last week I woke with what felt like a bruise in different finger tips. I woke up yesterday with a stye in my eye which I haven't had for years. My eyes are really irritated still like I had for about a week before other symptoms. Both eyes are getting more yellow so I think there may be liver involvement.

It seems like the right side of my body is suffering worse symptoms than the left. 

I keep smelling weird smells when nothing is around like it is something coming from my body. 

Some days I didn't have an appetites, other days I am starving and can't get enough to eat. Through it all, I think with the stress on my body, I have gained at least 10 lbs and feel more bloated than I have in my entire life. 

I started with digestive issues on Friday afternoon. I thought maybe I got E.coli, food poisoning, or salmonella as I made a wrap with lettuce / spinach mix, mushrooms, cucumber, peppers, and sweet peas. It went right through me and I had water explosive bowels and rather than just stopping after that meal passed, it lasted a few days. It kept me up for the first night and throughout the day, my stomach got more and more distended and when I went to bed last night, I woke breathing really rapidly trying to get air. I then had many heart palpitations as I think the pressure on the lungs and heart was increased due to the distention and distress of the digestive tract. 

I have had severe gas, bloating, headache, constipation, eye irritation, dry mouth, and more shooting paints today. 

When I woke up in the night, I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't sleep so I started searching for "stomach distress after Covid, abdominal distress after covid, Diarrhea after covid recovery," and a few others, but what surprised me, was when I typed that in to search, the "Other people have searched" showed that there were tons of people asking the same questions that I was asking!    

I started reading studies and information on the diarrhea after recovering Covid and it is really common. It is interesting that people that had a moderate case of covid are usually those that are ending up as "Long-haulers" having covid symptoms for months. Those that had mild symptoms are more likely to end up getting it again. Those who were hospitalized, still had about 30% if I remember right, that start having stomach distress after leaving the hospital. 

I found an article from "Rolling Stone Magazine" that talks about how many people are suffering months and month of symptoms and how there are all sorts of groups and forums now for people who are still suffering after having the illness. 

These are some of the symptoms one group shared having: "Drawing only from my interviews with other long-termers, a small sample of these more unusual symptoms include: hair loss, degenerating eyesight, changes in menstrual cycle, changes in earwax production, tinnitus, emitting a strong sulphuric odor, having graphic nightmares then waking up with unexplained bruises, a wide variety of skin rashes, sudden loss of voice, permanently blood-shot eyes, hot flashes, shivering that morphs into uncontrollable tremors, confusion, a metallic taste in the mouth, constantly smelling cigarette smoke, loss of depth perception, muscle spasms, increased sensitivity to the sun, and pain that feels like electricity somehow got trapped inside your limbs."

I think I mention in a post last week how I woke twice in one night with nightmares and had weird dreams the next night. I shared about hot flashes and then being cold along with night sweats. Three times in the two weeks I have climbed in bed shivering and not been able to get warm. What I don't know if I wrote about last week, but had a note to remember I wanted to share, was that I locked my keys in the car, locked myself out of the house, didn't remember that a friend of mine who came over to pick something up had been at the "going away party" for a good friend a few days before. I said to her, "We missed you the other night." and she said, "Did I miss something?" I said, "at the bunko party." and she said, "I was there!" I laughed and said, "Oh ya." but the thing that terrified me, was that I had NO recall for TEN MINUTES that she was at that party! It wasn't until she left that I remember she almost sat on my camera and I was so embarrassed that I didn't remember it at all. I joked with her that it was fog brain from my health problems, but in reality, I had covid and just didn't know it yet.  

I also mentioned in a post that my eyes hurt like when I had measles which made them sensitive to light, which is mentioned above as well. I hadn't thought about it, but for two weeks my lower legs felt like they were about to spasm like right before you get a Charley horse in a muscle and are still like that currently. 

The only symptom mentioned above that I for sure haven't noticed is a depth perception issue. I hope I don't get that along with the vertigo I suffer sometimes. 

I have read that the digestive symptoms can last for months, but I will tell you, I pray I don't have to live through that. It is so awful. I don't know that I can deal with another health issue! I did read though that those that have a moderate illness have a less chance of contracting covid again. I just have to pray that I don't get it again. I had a headache yesterday for most of the day and in the last few hours I am getting a new headache. I really am frustrated as my gut is currently in distress. 

Have a blessed day!

Troubleshooting and Fixing My Garage Light

Last October, I had a friend come and put another light in my garage. 

My garage has always been dark and over the years I went from a fixture with one bulb to one with two bulbs, then three bulbs and it was still quite dark. 

I contacted my handyman, and he told me he was really busy now as with the hot and cold weather, people still want to get their furnaces worked on and the air-conditioner working when the days are hot. He said he was super busy and wasn't sure when he could get to it. 

Here is the post where I talk about putting them all in last November. 

I tested the bulbs in other fixtures to make sure the problem wasn't the bulbs. I am lucky enough to have a brother that is an electrician. I asked what he thought the problem was, and he said it could be a loose wire in the fixture or the ballast. I tested the power to the fixture and it was going to the fixture and since my friend that put it up is an electrician, I figured it wouldn't be that. 

I then decided to just replace the ballast, but realized that my new ballast was longer than the ballast that was in the fixture so I had to take down part of the fixture to be able to move the screw that holds the ballast in. It was in a hard spot between shelving and stacked items that need to be moved so I can texture behind them, so I was leaning a bit on the ladder which was a bit stressful. 

I was able to cut the wires and splice the new ballast in and was praying that the light would work, as if it didn't work with the new ballast, I wouldn't have known what else to try. 

The new ballast worked and I was so hot and dripping sweat. I had only had a few hours sleep the night before and it took it out of me. 

I was so happy to have a working light in the garage again! I have been wanting to continue working on my garage clean out and texturing the walls, but being sick and with my health issues, I haven't worked on it in months now. 

I am so excited to have shelving in there and hope I continue to get it cleaned out and looking good. The best part of the whole thing, was that it didn't cost me anything! 

Have a blessed day!

Helping My Neighbor Plant Her Flowers - Becoming an Annual Event

I am feeling a bit better but am still struggling with stamina. Last night I was so tired. I couldn’t get to sleep until early morning and flipped and flopped when I did fall asleep. 

I kept having pin point pricks of pain in my body in different spots and it felt like the worms burrowing out. I had a "tens" until on in two spots on my back as I have shoulder and back issues and am seeing a chiropractor and the "tens" unit is helping loosen between my shoulders. 

I kept waking with night sweats and then cold and then hot. I also have been having some collar bone / shoulder pain and then numb arms and fingers. It was terrible. I was so tired, I set my alarm and it went off at 4 p.m. so I could get up and go help my neighbor plant some flowers as she asked me on Monday and I told her I was still weak and having a hard time breathing, so we decided I would help her at 5 on Wednesday. 

I was so tired that I felt like crying. I kept hitting snooze and I just kept falling back to sleep. It was 5 p.m. and I sent her a few texts asking if she was home from her nail apt. and she didn’t get back to me. I dragged myself out of bed so exhausted but really wanted to help her. I finally just called her about 5:30 and she said that another neighbor was helping her and she just saw my texts. I went down and we both helped her for a few minutes. We helped plant the rest of the flowers and then we talked about other things that need to be done in her yard. 

Last year Princess Five and I went down and pulled weeds and planted her flowers. I am glad that she will allow us to help her and am glad in some small way we can pay back all the good deeds her husband did for us over the years!

I am glad that I was able to get out of the house today and was able to get more done today (actually all night) as I have visitors coming tomorrow. I need to get my house in order before they come but I have been so tired I haven't gotten much done in weeks. 

I am going to go to bed now and pray I an get some decent sleep. There are just so many things that need to be done! 

Have a blessed day!

Wish I Lived A Bit Closer - First Softball Game For Grand-Princess One

Today was the first time I have left the house since getting sick. I was out of my food staples and actually felt good enough to leave the house. 

I had bills to pay, banking to deposit, and items from two different stores to purchase. I was really happy to get out and ran into several neighbor at the stores getting the items I needed. It was really nice getting to connect and visit with someone in person. 

I was glad to be able to get stuff off my "to do" list and just be outside! I was able to get the first watermelon of the season and was disappointed with it. 

THE HIGHLIGHT of my day, was that Grand Princess One sent pictures and video of her oldest playing softball! I have always wanted to be a grandma that could sit and watch the games and just enjoy the game and the cuteness of the children playing. 

I always had to coach and had other children in tow when my children were playing sports. I wish they lived closer so I could see her play, but the next best thing was the videos of her hitting and running. I think she is going to be a good little player. 

I am excited to get to play and practice with her next time I see them! I played since I was 11 and was on the all star team and coached every one of my girls starting with t-ball. 

Being a grandma is the best Joy of my life! 

Have a blessed day!

Felt A Bit Better Today, Still Out of Breath

I slept over 12 hours again today and when I awoke, I thought maybe I could get something done. I went out to get the mail and pulled a few weeds and was out of breath to the point I had to go in and sit down for a few minutes. I did a breathing treatment and was so frustrated that I can catch my breath. I  did get a few things done but can't seem to get over this thing. 

I just did a quick search on lung damage and this link shares a quick overview of lung damage due to Corona. I think I am going to do some investigating and see what has helped others recover from this horrible thing! 

I hope you have a blessed day!

This Illness Is Lingering Longer - Lung Issues

I thought for sure I would be feeling better after a restful weekend. I haven't left my property for over a week and was hoping to get back to normal.

I have wanted to get working on my yard and garage as the weather is getting nice, but I can't seem to have any energy to get much done. 

I started working in the garage and lasted about ten minutes. I did a breathing treatment which loosened up some gunk in my lungs but it seemed to make things worse in a way as then I started coughing and choking. 

I worked on my garage for another forty minutes and was just so tired all day. 

I fell asleep during a family chat call today. I fell asleep another four or five times as I tried to order a few things online and write my blog for today. I can't believe how long this illness is lingering. I really want to feel better as I have things I need to get done! 

I have slept so much in the past week I should be full of energy. I have also gained lots of weight in the past month since getting exposed to this nightmare illness. When I sleep, I keep waking in sweat. I hope to feel better soon! 

Have a blessed day!