Guilt Has Kept Me Away

I’ve been feeling guilty for not blogging more frequently. I hate guilt – useless, numbing, soul-sucking guilt – and it’s been doing it’s dirty work on my psyche. [idle thought: if you have a really bad psyche, would that be a psuche?]

I’ve been working on my online classes – no big surprise there – and they’re doing REALLY well [I have to admit, I’m a little suprised, happily, that they’ve been filling up so well!]

ONLINE CLASSES
I’ve just added a class on making my Universal Mitered Handbag (I’m starting one up in Feb, it’s VERY soon, but it will give me a chance to try out a project-class with a smaller group.)

I’ve also added a self guided Combination Knitting class for folks who don’t want to stick to a schedule or don’t care for online chats. The self guided class is also $10 cheaper…

Registration for both these new classes and the original Combo class is through my Ning networks. And there’s even more information on the classes here.

And, just for fun, here’s my overview video from the Universal Mitered Handbag class. Watching it is a great way to find out if my voice or teaching style will make you nuts before you sign up for the class!

And, for even MORE fun, here’s a link to a video I made on Blocking with Steam. (The videos are a lot of fun to make, but I really should buy stock in Scunci…)

FIBRO FREEDOM
Every day I’m feeling so much better! It’s amazing when I think of how low I was in December (this is when it’s good to have to blog, to remind me of how painful it was and how far I’ve come!)

The acupuncture/massage and chiro have been miraculous in my healing, but the Vitamin D is the big boost. I’m still going gluten free, and I DO feel very good, so I’m thinking no wheat may have something to do with it. As always, thank you so much for your kind wishes and suggestions.

As great as I’m feeling, I still tire very easily. I had lunch with a friend yesterday and it almost wiped me out. Today I went to Target, came home and dyed my hair (another sign I’m feeling better, I’ve noticed my roots) and I’m just about out for the count.

THIS is when I’m tremendously grateful that I have work I can do in my bed, on my laptop, editing videos for the online classes and writing new patterns. Overall the last few days I’ve been off; tired and wheezy.

I figure this is all part of the process of working my way out of a fibro flare up. It seems to be a lot like losing weight. Up a little one day, down a bit the next, but at the end of the week if all goes well (and if I pay attention) I’m better off than I was a week earlier.

The hard part is paying attention to the small victories. Remembering how just the thought of driving to Target – let alone walking in and shopping for a half hour – exhausted me completely.

I’ve said over and over how lucky we are. Through Gerry’s union [thank you, IATSE] we’ve been able to keep our insurance, and in addition to the doctors it covers the non-traditional practitioners I’m seeing for the Fibro.

They’re been helping SO much. I can’t imagine feeling any better had I stuck to mainstream medicine only. I feel I have a good blend of traditional and non-traditional going on right now.

However, a lot of fibro sufferers don’t have this option. Many insurance companies won’t cover “new” treatment options (my own insurance won’t cover acupuncture for asthma, but they will for fibro – go figure…) We have a long way to go as a nation to marry common sense with medical availability.

So – not in a gloating way – I’m very lucky. Reaching the point where I’d trust acupuncture / massage / chiro so completely wasn’t an overnight journey. I think it’s easier to travel this route here in Minnesota, where I’ve noticed a marrying of traditional and non-traditional therapies.

MAYO
Speaking of traditional, we’re traveling down to Rochester tomorrow for Gerry’s checkup. We missed the last one because of the December blizzard, but the weather looks good for tomorrow so all systems are GO. He’s been having more pain than usual, more tiredness, but at the same time he’s been energized by his online classes through St. Paul college.

I’m interested in hearing what the doctors say about his current test numbers. And I’ll also ask them if they think some Vitamin D might be beneficial to his mood and pain.