Case in point: I don't talk much (anymore, since I went off the deep end, attempted to become an advocate, and pretty much just annoyed everyone) about the bipolar 2 diagnosis I received at age 43.( Also, it seems to be the fad these days, like it's a contest concerning who is crazier, who has the most issues, and the most meds, and i don't really want to be identified with that bandwagon).Until that time, I just assumed that I was a lame lame LAME person with a multitude of deep ugly character flaws. And then a delightful person came into my life, one who is now a very good friend, who was a psychiatric nurse, and she is the one who said, "Ya know, I don't want to offend you, but this is what it looks like to me." So, for a couple of years, I tracked all my crazy mood swings, manias and depressions, phobias, anxieties, and whatnot, and then I went to the doc. At one point, I was on 5 different serious medications: seroquel, depakote, lamictal, trazedone, and some something for anxiety. Clonazipam or some such. Upside: I slept really good for the first time in EVER! I was paying a fortune in meds, and then I was becoming toxic, with some unpleasant side effects, and then my p-doc added one more med (an antidepressant) and that just upset the whole apple cart, and I was crazy manic again. At that point, I decided that it just wasn't worth it, I had lived 43 years without meds, and they really weren't improving the quality of my life much, except for the sleep thing.
Disclaimer: this is my very own experience. Other experiences may vary.
I went off of aaaaaallllll that medication and researched alternative therapies. I cleaned up my diet, started getting some exercise, started doing some yoga and meditation, (oh, and prayed A LOT....it is my belief that our weaknesses, every one of them, are simply opportunities for God to show His power.) and I started taking the herbal supplement, Passion Flower. Wah Lah. I can't say that I am cured, by any means, but I manage a whole lot better than I did when I was on all of those meds, and I haven't had a MAJOR episode of mania/depression in a couple of years, EVEN through the whole ordeal of this past year. AND I manage a BUNCH better than some who are on traditional meds.
I get a lot of funny looks and protests when I mention how much I believe yoga and meditation has helped me. However, my daughter was just recently diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder...(why do the call it that, I wonder? It makes it sound like Baby Duck 3 has a problem with her personality, which she doesn't....she has a TERRIFIC personality), and besides a low dose of antidepressant, guess what was part of the RX? Oh, meditation!! WHAT NOW, doubters? :)
Case #2: Baby Duck 5 got strep every single time it was in the country. Every. Time. Horrible nasty strep....she even got Scarlet Fever once. She was tested and came back as a carrier, and we were just about to schedule a tonsillectomy, and stuff happened and we didn't have insurance any more, so I started treating her with an essential oil...a blend of oregano, cinnamon, and clove. She did not have strep for THREE YEARS!!!! And then the company I purchased from discontinued it. Use Oregano oil, it's even better, I was advised. Lies, all lies! She has had strep THREE TIMES just in the last few months, and now we are back to talking about a tonsillectomy.
All of that to say....I have problem hair. It has no personality. It just lies there, all limp and depressed, and even the most expensive of hair products couldn't shake it out of it's rut. And then I found this:
It was on a shelf at the local wally world, 7 bucks for a bottle, but a little goes a long way, and it lasted for months. No product build up, no conditioner needed....I love this stuff. But now I can't find it anymore, and I refuse to use anything else on my hair. Then I read a few articles/posts about going no 'poo. Which sort of fits into my desire to eliminate as many chemicals as possible from my life. Anyway, the idea is to wash hair with baking soda and rinse with vinegar, and wah lah. Party hair!
I wouldn't go so far as to say that I now have party hair, but after the first week or so of readjustment, my hair is at least as good as it was when using Tio Nacho. I'm sold! We will see what effect long term no 'poo has. In the meantime, it's no longer a tragedy that I can't get this shampoo anymore.
In other news, we had a baby shower for Baby Duck 1, (shown below, with me)....it was fun, but we didn't have a real big turn out. I don't know who's bright idea it was to have it on Labor Day weekend. (Oh, wait. That was me.)
This is an impromptu party we had for Grandbaby Duck. Her 10th birthday is Friday, (9/6)but we impulsively decided to have some cake while Papa and Daddy were unexpectedly home in the middle of the week. Who knows when they will be home again!
This is baby duck 1 and her hubs....
doing this!! Roasting Hatch green chili on the grill!
The thing I miss most about New Mexico is the fall chili roasting! Seems like maybe this part of Texas is trying to catch on, but locally, they roasted for only a couple of days! But we found (at wally world) cases of Hatch green chili, minus the roasting. Where there is a will, there is a way! Here we have grill roasted green chilis, and man, did they ever smell ahhhhh-mazing.
If your wondering, I still hate math and it is ruining my life. And I have a very nice seeming professor who makes me feel vaguely stupid for not immediately catching on.
That is all.
Tootles until next time!
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