Yikes! Long Time No See!

I can’t believe I have not updated the site since Halloween and my ill-fated attempt at the chicken costume! 😂 Apologies…

It has been a bit of a whirlwind the last few weeks. I had a full week and a half of back-to-back doctor’s appointments. There was one week where I had a doctor’s appointment every single day! I typically do not schedule them in such a way, but this just sort of happened and I guess, in a way, it was good to get them all knocked out in one fell swoop like that. I will say, however, I was absolutely exhausted when it was all over. Going to these appointments is rather stressful for me – from a transportation standpoint, as well as a general medical anxiety one. My panic attacks were hitting me pretty hard in swift succession.

This leads me to the next thing… my doctor put me on a new medication for my anxiety (and depression). I have spent the last couple of weeks battling lots of side effects (which are supposed to get better after I’ve been on it for a bit) as well as trying to figure out how to cope without ANY pain relief. Apparently, there aren’t any safe pain medications I can take whilst taking this new medication. I also cannot take CBD oil with it – which had been my saving grace these last several months. This leaves me with no pain relief at all. Obviously, this cannot work, long-term, so I need to have another discussion with the doctor. This was not something I was aware of until the meds were prescribed and I began taking them. This is also a medication that you cannot stop “cold turkey”, which means if I come off of it, I have to wean off gradually, and… deal with all of the side effects of that. Treating mental health issues is NOT for the faint of heart, people – especially if you are also on other meds, and/or suffer with chronic pain/illness.

I did get to do something fun before all of the craziness began though. I went to see my dear friend Ford perform in the play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at the Chattanooga Theatre Center. He was fantastic, as were the rest of the cast. It was such a treat to get out of the house in the first place, but to get to see someone I love doing the thing that HE loves – well, that was a gift. Ford has been so supportive to me in these past couple of years… he’s been there for me through thick and thin, quite literally. He was even there with me when my Dad passed. I owe him the world and then some, and I am ever so grateful to his husband, Rodney, for sharing him with me. I love both of them to the moon and back. Anyway… I was so happy for him that he got to do this play, as it was a dream role for him (he played the role of Nick), and absolutely smashed it!

I had my Covid booster a couple of days ago and have felt positively DREADFUL ever since. I am hoping to turn the corner on those side effects soon – these body aches are no joke, people. I know the inoculation is a necessary thing for me, especially given my health situation and the risk factors for bad outcomes if I were to actually get COVID-19, but GOSH, this is tough! I do work closely with my medical professionals on all of this stuff though, and in addition to following their advice, I take supplements and ensure that I get loads of healthy nutrients in my foods… I take all the precautions that I can to try and keep from getting it. I’m rarely out in public, which helps, but I DO go to physical therapy and doctor’s appointments. I also mask when I go to doctor’s appointments (some of my doctors still require it, actually). I do all that I can… I just have to hope I never get it.

The weather here lately has been absolutely gorgeous. We had a couple of somewhat cloudy days, but even those were lovely to me. Since being trapped inside my house for over 4 years, I try to never miss a chance to go outside at least for a few minutes every day. Often, I do my meditation time outside in the mornings. Being able to feel breezes on my face, fluctuating temps, sunshine, etc… those are things I shall never ever take for granted again. With all that being said, we could really do with some rain. We’ve had a lot of low-humidity days, and there have been many fires as a result. 😬

I also have a new design in the JanniTees store – just in time for the holidays. If you like Gnomes, you’re in luck!

I suppose that’s all for now. I did add a new page to the website this morning though – and I’d love it if you would visit it if you feel so inclined. It’s a page for my Amazon Wishlists. Yes, Wishlists, plural. The explanations are on the page. Any and all help and link shares would be so very appreciated. Thank you! ❤️