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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Talk Time Tuesday w/Ask Jo~ LONG POST



Hello my sweet friends!
Happy New Year!
Were you surprised when you saw the title of today's post? I miss our Talk time Tuesdays and I have had so many emails requesting that I please bring this segment back. So with a new year here, I figured it was time to get back into blogging more regularly like I used to and to start making small goals for this year. Why not start with bringing this fun segment back? Right?

While I do not have any questions to answer today,  I am going to just consider this post as us having a nice little chat :) .... This post is pretty long....so grab a nice cup of cocoa and join me!

Before I go into an update on myself, how about these frigid temps across the globe??? BRRR! I hope you are all staying warm! Today it is 17 degrees here at the New Jersey shore but with the wind, it is feeling like below zero!! Now that is cold! Thankfully, I'm nice and warm and all snug up. 
So as many of you know, I suffer tremendously with my health. I have some good days here and there but the bad outweighs the good. Unfortunately, I have many limitations now on what I can and cannot do. To keep this part of the post short, I'll tell you in a nutshell what is going on these days:
  • Suffering from Fibromyalgia, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, anxiety, depression, degenerative disk disease (severe state), 2 pinched nerves- one in back and the other in the neck, sciatica damage, L1-L5 lumbar radiculathopy, high blood pressure, carpal tunnel, arthritis and lastly, hypothyroidism. 
  • Taking 13 medications per day--three of which I take multiple times per day
  • Sitting for approximately 30-45 minutes before having to stand up or lay down--standing for only 10 minutes--anything longer then that is not doable, unable to walk more then half of a small block or approx. 10 minutes.
  • Unable to clean, do basic household things & even unable to cook much
  • Spend most of my time in my bedroom propped up with 8 pillows behind me for support on my back with an additional 2 pillows under my knees for leg elevation--my most comfortable position is in a sitting upright position with my legs elevated or laying down thus; keeping me mainly bed ridden for the most part. 
  • Only go out for Doctor's appointments and once in a blue moon I will go out to grocery shop with the help of a family member and my power wheelchair
  • The sad part to all of this--I'm only 40.
There you have the update on me. So from reading what has been going on with me, it should be quite clear why my crafty posts are almost non-existent. I did try to get a little crafty during the Holidays to make a few quick Christmas cards and the little bit of time that I sat upright at my desk, nearly killed my back and sent me into a night full of excruciating pain. BUT I do miss my crafting! One of my main goals this year is to get crafty no matter what. So how do I craft without having it cost me so much pain and agony? Here is where the small goals come in. I have decided to take 15-20 minutes per day to get into my craft room and get it organized so that I can fully function in there when I do craft. Once that is complete and the room is ready for me, I will stick with the same method. I will craft for 15-20 minutes at a time. That is all I will be able to do.  So in  theory, a project may take me several days to complete but as long as I am crafting again, I'll be a happy camper!!

As you read, I am mainly living in my bedroom. Yep that is correct. I am in my bedroom day in and day out with the exceptions of going to the bathroom or moving into the hall where I home-school my daughter (we have a nice schoolroom setup utilizing our entire main hall on the upper level).  My bedroom is not so bad though. I keep myself busy between being on my laptop, reading on my kindle fire, having chats with family (they come and spend time with me all day throughout the day) or by watching my 50" flat screen TV. 
 Here is a photo of the family and I together, watching the movie "Frozen" up in my bedroom, just last month.  (don't mind the window shades LOL, the girls were playing  around with them and kept them up there for a bit)...................
 I eat my dinners mainly alone as well in my room. There are times when I am having my good days that I will go downstairs and eat with the family and spend some time down there but those times don't happen as much as I would like. The reason I am in my bedroom all the time is for two reasons; I need to be propped up and in an upright sitting position with my legs elevated and because it is extremely HARD  to climb up the stairs. Going down is not so bad but coming up is definitely a challenge and I need help. But that is life right? I cannot change it.

I was extremely blessed by a wonderful and dear friend of mine with a power wheelchair this past fall. One of the last updates I posted was about my health and how my insurance company would not cover the cost of a wheelchair for me. Well this dear friend whom I love dearly, took it upon herself and from the goodness of her heart to purchase a power wheelchair for me so that I could still maintain my mobility. My doctors told me back in 2008 that I would be wheelchair bound within five years. Well that time is happening now, 7 years later. I was told I would be wheelchair bound for good by the end of this year.  Now don't go feeling sorry for me. I have accepted this and made peace with it. At least I am still alive right? Maybe I won't be able to walk soon, but I'll still have a set of wheels and I'm still here!!

On to happier things--I have so many ideas and hopes for this blog this year. 2014 nearly took so much out of me and my blog suffered from it. I apologize to all of you wonderful friends for not being that avid blogger that I once was. Life got in the way and with my health, it became a mess. Not anymore!  I will do my best to bring you Talk Time Tuesday with Ask Jo back each week but I also need YOUR help to do it!  Please start sending in your questions via the link at the top of my blog that says "Ask Jo".  You can ask me anything at all (keep it clean ladies LOL) from crafting to anything in general. I have had people in the past ask me about parenting, life, crafts, recipes, etc... so please send in your questions so that I can keep this segment interesting. :)

If there is anything at all that you want to see on my blog this year, please let me know!! I'm open to all suggestions so please send me your ideas. :)

Another thing that had to be put on the back burner for a bit was my company 3 Twenty Crafts. Oh how sad I was to see this happen! However, should things go as I have planned, my shop will re-open this summer! Happy Happy!!! =) 

Okay well that sums up everything I wanted to say and bring you up to date with. I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend ahead. Stay warm and stay crafting!!!
  
 Thanks for stopping by and until next time.... Enjoy life's blessings~


9 comments:

  1. I am sorry to hear about all of your health issues. Sending prayers to you that you have a better year.

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  2. Thank you for sharing. I also have fibromyalgia, severe arthritis and headaches and high blood pressure. I am not in a wheel chair yet. I manage to get around the house but I can't walk far due to the pain in my knees and feet. I can't do much housework due to the pain everywhere. I come downstairs in the morning and then pull myself back upstairs at night. My only outings are to doctors, chiropractor, etc and to visit my eldest daughter. My husband takes me for my appointments before he goes to work. I can't travel the 2 hours up to the mountains any more to visit my youngest daughter, she has to come down here. I had a surprise visit from her and my grand daughters yesterday which really cheered me up. I can't stand for more than a couple minutes without getting dizzy since my cancer operation and radiotherapy.
    I spend my days making cards and reading messages on the internet to try to take my mind off the pain. I am now on 9 design teams so that keeps me busy. My colouring is only very simple not as good as all the others, but I just do my best, and I use a lot of precoloured images. I have lots of stamps but I use digi stamps now as they are easier on my sore hands. I have been here too long now so have close down in a few minutes. It is 11.30 pm here in Sydney. Even though I am in constant pain I thank God for every day and I am glad to be alive. I am a lot older than you. I will be 70 in April. I am retired now but I pushed myself to work for 53 years before being made redundant in 2013. It was a bit cooler here today. It has been so hot and my feet and legs so swollen (they took my lymph glands when I had the hysterectomy to remove the cancer).
    I wish you well with your blog. (Sorry this comment is so long). You and others are an inspiration to me. Best wishes for a happy year.

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  3. How amazing you are, Jo, to have these issues and not complain. You have such a positive attitude. I don't know that I would be so nice. Your grace and endurance are incredibly inspiring. You are in my prayers my friend. I hope you are able to get 3 Twenty Crafts going again...actually, I have no doubt you will!! I'm looking forward to it!! I hope you have a wonderful week!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  4. First of all, I am so sorry you are going through all of this my friend! I will continue to pray that you continue to get better and get stronger! I can't imagine all the things you are fighting with and having to deal with everyday.
    I am so happy to see that you have set some goals and will be getting slowly back into crafting...you do not have to apologize for not being an avid blogger! Your family and health are first to anything Jo!!! We all need to remember that...it is easy to get caught up in it and even consume you at times which is not so healthy either. There is a balance and we all know it!
    Keep you chin up my sweet friend and keep the positive attitude! I am thinking of you and sending you a BIG BLOGGER HUG!!!!!
    You are AMAZING!
    Sherrie K

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  5. Hugs my friend, your amazing that your so upbeat on the blog with what is all going on with you. Prayers that they may find some cure in the future. Glad of the strides that you do make each and everyday even though they are small they are huge in their own way.

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  6. You have a lot of challenges Jo, but you are meeting them head on, good for you! Just do what you can and in small doses just like you said. So keep your chin up and keep positive! I think it is great that you are bring "Ask Jo" back and I hope you get lots of questions. Hugs, Brenda

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  7. I feel for you so much, Jo - thank you for sharing how things are with you - praying that you will continue to have the courage and positivity to cope with what is being thrown at your healthwise. I have health issues, but, fortunately, can still get around - my crafting is such a blessing. Sending you hugs. xxx

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  8. Sending hugs and prayers. I think it is amazing you can accomplish what you do.

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  9. I too suffer from fibromyalgia and understand the pain it can cause. It is a daily struggle. Sending you a big hug!

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Your lovely comments always put a smile on my face! I love reading each and every one! Thank you for stopping by~
Hugs,
~Jo~