Tuesday, October 29, 2013

So stressed out...!!!

Well, I sort of thought that after last week I would have a chance to slow down and take a breath... but no. NOPE! It's just assignment and after assignment with a sprinkling of midterm stress on top of that. I am so glad that I decided to drop my one history class because I can't even imagine how much more stressed out I would be if I stayed in that class.

So, I'm not going to lie and say that I am handling the stress well. I feel really overwhelmed and it's kind of making me want to shut down, and crawl in bed. If there was a bomb shelter close by, that's where I would be to wait out the storm that I feel like my life is right now. But instead I'm just plugging away, trying to get everything done while still making time for myself so that I can sleep and eat and breath.

I am resorting to my love of list making. I love a good, well organized list and that is helping me keep track of what has to be done, what has been done, and what is most important. This is helping a little bit. Keep your fingers crossed for me folks!! I'm going to need all the good thoughts I can get for the next few weeks!!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

I have lost my head!

I'm not really sure what I was thinking this morning, but I left my phone at home!! I can picture it now, laying on my bed, alone and scared. Vibrating away as people are trying to call or text me with their very mundane thoughts and ideas, to which I can not respond with my usual 'uh huh' and 'oh yeahs'. Today is a sad, somewhat disconnected day in my world.

I would like to think I am not the type of person that requires the constant ability to connect to other people and that I am more then capable of being with out my phone for a few hours, but from the moment I realized that it was at home - I have felt like I am missing an arm (or at least a finger, or maybe a toe). I never realized how dependent I am on my phone!!

For example - I have no idea what my home phone number is!! No clue... it starts with a 9, but after that I've got nothing. So if something were to happen on my 45min long drive home (part of which is on the highway), I have no way to call my dad to help me even if I were able to borrow someone elses phone. So now, I'm convinced that something will happen because I am unprepared for it to happen. I don't have my cell to call for help or a tow truck and I don't have any numbers memorized to call for help if I have access to a different phone... It's the strangest sensation.

I FEEL SO LOST!!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Making changes...

So after a fairly major panic attack yesterday centred around one of my senior level classes, I made the choice today to drop it, and take a different one next semester. This is going to make my final semester pretty sucky as I will have a senior seminar, my senior thesis and a statistics class... But ultimately, I think this is the right call. At least I hope it is.

Yesterday was not a very good day emotionally. I have been tired, stressed out, sick and not sleeping well, none of which is helping with my academics!! So I woke up yesterday and was just near tears all day long, skipped school to stay home and be miserable, and still don't feel all that well today. I will admit that I do sometimes get into these moods where I can be a little bit dramatic (yes, I know mom and dad... it's more then a little). However, I also know myself well enough to know that it will only get worse if I don't nip it in the butt!! After the major breakdown I suffered last year, I really want to stay on top of what I have to do and keep my goal of grad school in mind.

So let us see what happens! I just really hope this doesn't backfire on me and I really screw myself next term!!


But aside from that, life has been alright. I'm starting to think that my life is a series of hits and misses and although I feel like there have been far more misses then hits in the last month, I am making the choice to stay positive and remember that my life always seems to work out the way that it is supposed to!!


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Fibromyalgia

So eight years ago (give or take), I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This cam after a few years of just generally feeling crumby and stiff all the time. Both myself and my doctor believed that I likely had arthritis, or another auto-immune disorder, however, after several blood tests, bone scans, x-rays, and specialists, that wasn't the case. So I was told the problem was fibromyalgia!

Several years after that, a new issue arose. I noticed one hot summer day that my feet were pretty swollen. I didn't think it was too strange at first because I just thought it was the heat and it would go away soon enough. Now, not only did it not get better, it got sooooooo much worse. The swelling worsened, and spread though-out my body. My feet, knees, shoulders, elbows, and hands all puffed up! All of the doctors that I saw at the time had no idea what was going on, and all test results came back completely normal (thanks body for that little trick), and the doctors still have no idea what would have caused that to happen. But I lived like that for a month and a half before finding my acupuncturist. And let me tell you what I difference that made!! After two treatments, the swelling was almost completely gone and the symptoms of my fibromyalgia were also eased tremendously.

So you are probably wondering what fibromyalgia is...

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that is chacterized by pain in the muscles and soft tissue. It affects more women then men, although men can also suffer from the condition. Its symptoms include:

  • Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms and tightness
  • Moderate to sever fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Stiffness upon waking up or staying in one position for too long
  • Difficulty remembering and concentrating
  • Abdominal pain, bloating and nausea 
  • Tension and migraine headaches
  • Feeling anxious or depressed 
  • Feeling of swelling (without any actual swelling) in hands and feet
(Thank you to WebMD for a complete list)

So basically, I am in a degree if pain and discomfort everyday. Some days it's pretty awful and I'm extremely uncomfortable and in a lot of pain (like today), but thankfully, most days I'm just a little uncomfortable and can deal with it. There are also times when the pain is more localized and only affects certain areas of my body, which is usually my hands and feet. On those days, it almost feels like my fingers or toes are broken, which is just a strange sensation to live with.

When I was first diagnosed, I was taking some pretty strong pain killers to get me through the day (they were so strong that I cut them down so that I was only taking enough to take the edge off of the pain a little bit). But now I manage it with the acupuncture, over the counter pain relievers and yoga! I really didn't like being on the prescription pain medication, so I'm glad that I found something else that worked!! I'm just so young, and I don't want to be on anything that strong unless I really don't have any other options. And here is hoping that I will always have other options!!



Monday, October 7, 2013

Product Review!

First, I just want to say that none of this is endorsed. These are all simply products that I have tried and love!


So the first product I want to rave about is Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. It contains Smashed Brown Sugar and Sweet Lime, so it smells AMAZING!! This is the third scrub from Soap and Glory that I have used and they are wonderful!!

I bought this one at Shoppers Drug Mart, but you can also buy Soap and Glory at Sephora.ca (online only - thus far). And I highly recommend any of there scrubs. I have tried a few of their body butters and lotions as well. The only issue that I had with them was that they are fragranced and it's a little bit to strong of a smell for me personally (especially since I have VERY sensitive skin. But give them a try if you don't suffer from that problem like I do!





The second product is St. Ives Body Lotion. This one is the Intensive Healing with Cranberry Seed & Grape Seed Oil. It also smells amazing!! It is very moisturizing and absorbs quickly which is a major benefit. I hate being sticky after applying moisturizer.














And last, but not least, is Cake Satin Sugar Sweet Dry Shampoo. I had never tried a dry shampoo before I bought this one, and I'm so glad that I gave it a try. My hair is really dull and flat and by the end of the day, it is completely lifeless. So when I have an event, this is great to just toss in my bag and when I have a second, I just spray a little in my hair to give it a little extra bounce! And, as always, it smells fantastic!!

You can buy it at Sephora, in store and online!









Friday, October 4, 2013

I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner!

I'm sorry that I haven't written in awhile. I have been busy with school work and studying, and just haven't had a chance to sit down and write for fun!!

So here is what I have been up to:

A lot of studying!! In a previous post I talked about my hatred of speaking in class, and it's a fear I have managed to conquer twice this week in both of my history classes!! SWEET!!

I've been attempting online dating. It has not been going well. Although I have been talking to a few nice, normal guys, there have also been a number of VERY bizarre guys as well!! Now, I am a believer that you should be able to do whatever you want as long as it is going on between consenting adults and no one is being hurt (unless that is what they want...), then let your freak flag fly! But there must be a website somewhere for people with similar interests, so go on that one!! Stay away from us librarian types who just want a nice, normal guy. Needless to say, I will likely be deleting my profile shortly.

My mom and I also went to Banff this past weekend for a girly weekend away! It was amazing!! We had tickets to see Christopher Plummer perform at The Banff Arts Centre. He was reciting Shakespeare along with orchestral accompaniment, and it was unbelievably good!! We also met Gabriel Hogan, who is an actor from Heartland. He is very nice, and it was very cool to meet him, especially since I super awkwardly asked him if he was an actor because he seemed familiar, and then my mom had to carry on the conversation because I'm dork! But anyway...

One of the other things that we did on our way to Banff, was to stop in Calgary for the Study Abroad Fair. It basically had several schools from the United States and Europe so that potential students could go and ask questions and get information regarding programs. It was very, very helpful!! There were two schools from the U.K. that have the program that I am interested in and I was able to exchange information, so hopefully when my mom and I go next summer, I'll be able to set up some school tours. I also learned a lot about student visa's and one of the gentlemen I was speaking to brought up the possibility of getting dual citizenship and the I pay European Union fees which saves me a ton of money!! That is if I can get dual citizenship. My grandfather was born in Northern Ireland and from what I have been able to research from the internet (reliable source I know), it should be possible!! But the next step would be to contact the consulate and see what information I can get from someone who actually deals with it everyday! But the thought of it is very exciting!!

But thats really whats been going on with me for the last few weeks! As always, I encourage comments! Feel free to let me know how school is going for any of you, or just whats been going on!