Thursday 27 December 2012

Anime and IKEA

It's been a busy few days. We've had cooking and baking and meeting with family and eating...so much eating...

But it's been nice to see Bran's side of the family :). I'm actually going to IKEA tomorrow with some of the women.

I'm feeling very tired though. I'll likely go to bed early so I can head off to meet them all at Sarah's house (which means public transport at peak morning hours).

Poor Milo has been alone more often, but we've made sure to give him extra treats and walks.

I finished re-watching neon genesis evangelion. Still crazy. If you watch the movies afterward it makes more sense. Although in this case I watched the last movie (in that series  then was confused and went back to re-watch the anime...a bit backwards XD

I bought some nice clothes that were on sale :D no less than 50% off! Huzzah!

I'm soon to get my Australian driver's license. Although we wont be getting a car anytime soon. It's more to have rather than carrying around my passport. Plus then I can start the process of changing my name legally.

Does IKEA stand for something? Am I just writing it in capitals for the heck of it?

Monday 24 December 2012

The Night Before Christmas

Christmas.

For me, it's almost always been a little bittersweet. I have very fond memories of christmas as a kid and into my teenage years. My parents really tried hard to give us everything we wanted on christmas. After my mum died, a lot of the magic left. Now i'm over on the other side of the world, working to create my own family traditions. I miss my family in the USA, I miss my mum. I'll try to write a happier post tomorrow. Happy christmas eve.

Sunday 23 December 2012

Phone-y Update

I'm updating from my phone! Aren't I advanced? Not really. I'm actually just very tired so I'm in bed playing with my phone until I fall asleep. We've had a busy day here. We spent a good part of it out at Toombul buying some last minute gifts as well as having some time outside of the apartment together. In the afternoon we made some cinnamon rolls for Bran to bring to work tomorrow, they are good if not a little flat. I'll use a different pan for the ones we make for Boxing Day. I've had a bit of a hard time doing things today, been very foggy and my hands haven't been gripping well. I'm so thankful I have such an understanding and loving husband :). Started having chest pain (costochondritis relayed) about an hour ago. Not so much fun.

Saturday 22 December 2012

MiLs and AiLs

Tired.

Went out shopping with MiL and Aunt in law today. It was lovely to see Sue again (AiL). Later on we took Milo to the park. It's nice watching him run around like a mad hatter :D but there were lots and lots of mosquitos and I don't really feel like getting ross river virus, so we ended up walking home as soon as he started to take breaks. I need to make lots of cinnamon rolls, both for boxing day and as Bran wants to bring some in to work on christmas eve (he is working during the day). Pain is a bit better today, right foot was angry at points though. Still tired. Mtx is not so much fun to go back on.

Friday 21 December 2012

Short Stack

Not too much to write on today.

Watched anime and rested mostly.

MTX hangover wasn't too bad, just tired.

Still in pain, increased in wrists and R elbow.

Took some pain meds.

World didn't end.

Thursday 20 December 2012

Grumpy

I'm feeling quite sore today, so I wont type much.

Centrelink will not provide any help. The other places that are meant to help people with disabilities find work go through centrelink, so they are out too. I'm on my own.

Look, i'm thankful that my husband makes a good wage, and that we are able to live on it. But I want to study, and I can't get a government loan. I want to work, but it's hard for me to find a job that I am capable of doing. I wasn't looking for a pension, just some assistance with finding suitable work. Ah well...i'll just keep at it I guess...

Bran and I have talked it over though, and i'll keep going to school as much as I can. We'll work out a loan with the bank since i'm not eligible for the HELP debt.

Goodnight

Wednesday 19 December 2012

BC and GP

Ah dear, what a day it's been.

We've had a bit of a tiff in the body corporate over what trees were meant to be cut down along our side yard. It was generally understood that tree which could cause damage were to be cut down and poisoned  I have no idea which trees can cause damage here, so Bran and I left it up to the tree lopper and other people in te BC. Well, I woke up this morning to the people cutting down almost all of the trees on the property. Again, maybe they were all potential damage inducers? I wouldn't know. But now we have some of the other owners very upset about it. It's sad to see the beautiful big trees being cut down, and I feel like I should feel worse about it...but I also feel that we need to protect our home, and it was decided that we would plant more suitable trees there once things are settled. Anyway, upset on the homefront is never nice...so thats been part of my day.

The other part of my day was going to my GP and taking care of some paperwork that I need to deal with centrelink. I've also got a new six month card for blood tests and we've decided which path to go with for the psychologist i'm seeing. I also got a big thing of good olive oil for half price :D. Tomorrow i'll need to go deal with centrelink and see of they can actually be of any assistance, if not i'll have to try somewhere else...

Overall i'm alright today, my mood has been better since I had a nice cry over labs testing on beagles yesterday. Painwise was meh, my right arm is still sore and my muscles are more tender than normal. I'll start back on my DMARDs tomorrow, but i'm glad I got a blood test done while i've been off of them for a while. It'll be interesting to see what they say.

I will also say i've taken a tramadol, I need a bit of pain relief. Goodnight

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Supplement Update

You would think i'd learn to write in the middle of the day when i'm trying not to do too much since it's so hot....but no. Somehow I write before bed. Eh, maybe it's a good way to de-stress? I seem to recall hearing that somewhere.

Today was a quiet day at home. I got some laundry done but that was about it. Made a salad with bbq chicken on it for dinner. Bran and I are really digging salad with chicken on it now-a-days. I started taking my new animo acid supplement today as well. It's too early to notice a difference, but I can say I was able to do an extra loop around the park on our walk. I haven't really had stable energy though, going back and forth between wanting to be up and doing things to desperately trying to make some coffee so I can do something useful.

Pain wasn't too bad today. R wrist and elbow mostly. Shoulders are back to being stiff. My back is getting sore when I sit too long. Speaking of which i'm also back on the InflamEze Activ which is a mix of devil's claw, cat's claw, and a tumeric extract. In the past it did seem to help my back pain so i'll see how it goes as the saligesic didn't really help at all. At least I can say i've trialed some of the things i'll be prescribing ;). I'm still on the valarian complex, Remotiv, vit D,  activated vit B's, and the withania complex until that runs out.

GP tomorrow to talk about centrelink stuff and mental health plan.

Monday 17 December 2012

Biochem and Panko

Here is to getting back into the swing of things. Today I went to go see my Naturopath. He's been a real trooper with helping me deal with all off the symptoms and emotional problems that go along with being chronically ill. We've found some things that work (in this care, very well for anxiety) and lots of things that haven't. But that's life I suppose. We are trying to raise my energy from a different path this time, utilising a specific amino acid that I forgot the name of and will tell you about tomorrow. He went on about how it assists with mitochondria producing more atp and allowing acytle-CoA something something science biochem......I actually did understand it at the time thanks to my biochemistry course.

On a completely different note, i've found a really good way to panfry chicken. It uses panko instead of flour or bread crumbs :D. Turned out nice and crunchy to go ontop of our salads. Yay sort-of healthy!

Sunday 16 December 2012

Tall Stack

It's been almost a month since I last updated. Oh, and what a month it has been!

I ended up getting food poisoning and being quite ill for two weeks, this ended with me deferring one of my exams. I also ended up going off my meds because obviously there is no point in taking them if they just go through you (or potentially make your immune system even less able to help).

Being off my meds has brought on some interesting symptoms though. I've found i'm much more cognitively impaired at times (brain fog) which would mean that is an autoimmune aspect and not a mystery fibro symptom. I've also started developing psoriasis plaques again. Which would mean I do indeed have psoriatic arthritis and no sero-negative rheumatoid (though it's possible that could develop at any time). I've kept off my pharmaceuticals so I can show this to my doctor on wednesday.

I have gone back on my naturopathic medicine, and while I definitely see the benefit in the anti-anxiety and anti-depression herbs (St. john's wart, hops, and valerian with passion flower extract as an emergency for panic attacks), I don't think i've had much help with the saligesic or the herbs that are meant to help with energy. But considering most of my pain is fibro, i'm not too surprised. I also tried taking some magnesium, but it caused stomach upset. My next course of action is to go back to Mark the acupuncturist and see if that will help.

In other news, I am a permanent resident. That actually doesn't mean so much...they can't kick me out as easily. In a year I can apply for citizenship. I can access centrelink if need be (although Bran is thankfully earning a good living, thus I cannot access anything). And I pay domestic prices for uni. But I am not able to get the HELP debt (which is a gov't loan for school which you start paying back once you earn a certain wage). Which I thought I could get... So i'll likely only be going to school part time this year and hopefully finding a job.

I got a new phone. It's shiny.

Finally, i've gone to a few more meet-ups. One of my usual pagan ones, one for a fibromyalgia group, and one for a different pagan group. The fibro one was nice, it was good to be able to talk about things with people who understand a bit more. The other pagan one was quite fun and i'd like to meet up with them again. Quite a lively bunch! We had a nice discussion about crystals, contacting the other side, and a bit about older magic systems. I also had the opportunity to try mead, which I quite enjoyed.

Thats about it for me. I'll try to get back in the habit of regular updates.

Monday 19 November 2012

Update and Studying

It's been a while since i've updated. Not a terrible lot to update on i'm afraid. I've been studying for my biochemistry final which is tomorrow. I think i'll do alright but science is not my strong suit...
Pain levels were down for a few days but came back with some heavy storms we had. Back was also sore, though this could be more related to my lessened movement (as i'm at home studying and not running around between home, school, and appointments). I'm officially unemployed, after finals i'm going to try and get a job maybe at a call center...

Sunday 11 November 2012

Short Stack

It's study week, thus I am studying...now >.>.
Been eating badly, need to eat healthy.
Made some veg soup.
Fight with hubby.
It's all good now.
Sleep

Saturday 3 November 2012

Reiki and the Sea

Some of my fondest memories from childhood are the once or twice a year adventures we would make out to Rye beach. It was always a fun day filled with slowly making our way into the freezing Atlantic ocean, picnicking up on the grassy area, and climbing the big boulders that were always gritty with sand and salt. The beach is where I connect to my inner self. It's where I put away some of my most harmful feelings. It's where we scattered some of my mother's ashes. It's where I feel at peace. 

Over here in Australia, the beach is where I spent a good chunk of my first time here. It's also where my husband proposed to me :). But I always feel that same peace and connection that i've felt since I was a child. Today my mother-in-law and I spent the day walking around the suburbs near the ocean. We were exploring the idea of having a multi-family dwelling, and the idea of living near the ocean has come up. It was a wonderful day to be walking around, and though I come home slightly sunburnt I feel serenity that I haven't felt for a long time now. It's like the ocean has washed away those things that were causing so much stress and i've been able to focus on how to solve these problems.

That and we went to a psychic fundraiser and I met a wonderful man named Charlie who gave me 20 minutes of Reiki and told me i'm a kind person :). As far as the Reiki goes, it really did help in bringing down my pain levels. he really was able to focus in on some painful spots, especially the knuckle on my big toe. The pain isn't completely gone, but it was noticeably decreased. Something I'll have to keep in mind for further treatments. 

Thursday 1 November 2012

Lyme and Uni

Feeling very tired. I had my last day of classes today, now two weeks for study and two final exams. This semester was much more difficult than last and i'm still not on the full time path for this degree. I'm not sure how long it will take me to finish it...if i'm averaging a year and a half to each meant-to-be-year than I guess about 6 years? Bummer.

I've also been looking into testing for lyme disease. It isn't really considered here is Oz, despite evidence showing that it does indeed exist here. So doctors who are knowledgeable and willing to treat it are few and far in between. The nearest one to us is three hours north on the Sunshine Coast. It's a differintial diagnosis for all the crazy stuff thats gone one with me though, so I figure it's worth a shot! Plus Bran and I have decided that we'll take a trip up there some time over the summer break and make a weekend out of it :) i'll see this special doctor and then get to spend the rest of the weekend on the beach, win-win!

On a different note, happy Beltane :). It's still odd to me having the seasons (and thus holidays) reversed, especially considering we were married on Beltane (May 1st in the northern hemisphere).

Sunday 28 October 2012

Meetups

I had a really lovely meetup with my Pagan folk. It was so nice to be able to get out for a few hours and chat (although I will say, I almost didn't go because I was so tired :/). I need to force myself to go to more meetups. Now I need to sleep. Goodnight

Friday 26 October 2012

Rheumy Rant

As you could have guessed, i'm having a rough time right now. All this stress has thrown me into a flare, especially in my right shoulder/elbow/wrist. I had a rheumatology appointment today, when I came home I ended up sleeping for 4 hours! And i'm still tired!

Speaking of my rheumatologist, he was once more pleasant but dismissive. Basically no inflammation in the joints = not his field. And fibro is just misinterpreted pain signals o.O. Really? Because I totally couldn't tell between the brain fog, fatigue, GI problems and horrible pain i'm experience. Must be something else right? Because tai chi will totally fix all that.

I'm not putting down tai chi, I actually haven't tried it, but I have done other gentle exercises and while they help with loosening things up and relaxing they don't help with all the other problems! Plus, quite a bit of the pain I feel seems more tendon related. There would be inflammation in the tendons, yeah? But that once more isn't joints. Apparently medicine doesn't work very well for inflamed tendons. How about some pain killers maybe!?!

Not to mention he is continuously comparing my pain to his own osteoarthritis and back pain. It's alright to make a comparison to try and explain that you have empathy, but he seems more like he's saying "yeah, everyone has pain, look at my pain! I'm in pain too! But I can still run and lift weights and you should too". I really just don't understand how comparing pain that is quite normal for a 50-something year old to an autoimmune disease in a 23 year old is meant to be helpful...

I just feel like i'm running into a brick wall as far as rheumatologists go. My first one was also very dismissive and told me to get off antidepressants and just be happy o.O. This one is dismissive and doesn't seem to be interested in actually treating me beyond methotrexate and making sure my blood tests are within normal range.

On a lighter note, I did actually get a nice nap in today. I was falling asleep on the bus, so my body must just really be trying to recover from all this stress. Hopefully this weekend will be a nice quiet one.

Also some good news to end with! My husband's job is now offering flexible hours and as he goes in early anyway, he'll now be able to come home earlier :). This will help a lot with Milo and i'm sure be nicer for him <3 maybe we can go back to our afternoon walks together.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Neighbours

*big sigh* So our neighbour complained about our dog. Now we have a witten warning from the body corporate. For goodness sake >.<. Milo is a good dog! He barked at your cat! Well, I don't blame her for being mad really, what I feel bad about is that someone who thinks ill of us is sharing a wall. Now i'm going to feel anxious every time I come home. Is she outside with her little fluff ball? Did Milo bark while I was gone (he wont, we remedied that the first week thank-you-very-much-complaining-neighbour)? Is she thinking mean little thoughts about my poor dog? How am I supposed to greet her? Eye contact? Do I want to be the bigger person and not complain about her dog barking and being off leash?

Yes I do. I wont complain about her to the body corporate manager. I wont even send a follow up e-mail. I'll just let it be and wait until she moves out (they are fixing up the apartment to sell). And maybe play my music slightly louder and bang more pots around when I cook ;) never said I was perfect.

BTW, passion flower extract is really helping as a panic attack remedy. Greatly helped calm my nerves before my psychology demonstration and just then as I was about to start throwing things at said shared wall. I may take a bit more before bed so that I can actually sleep and no obsess over negative people.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

STRESS

Oh. My. Goodness. It's been a very stressful last few days. My anxiety has been increasing anyway as I have final exams coming up, my family hasn't contacted me, as well as dealing with the ever ongoing pain and problems that come along with PsA and fibro. Now i'm having problems with my neighbour. I wont go into too much detail, our dog scared her cat and that caused some upset. I can understand that, I just hate knowing that someone who shares a wall with us is mad. Plus I know Milo didn't mean any harm :( he just hasn't met a cat....but it also puts a stop on our plan to adopt a cat until we know Milo will calm down.

Anyway, it's all caused too much stress and I was really starting to break down. My naturopath gave me another herbal tablet and a vial of passion flower extract to help deal with anxiety, i'm very thankful for that as i've been able to function much better for the past day and a half than I have for the previous week! Which is good, as I have a very busy week of meeting with my GP, rheumatologist, and osteopath. I met with my OT already today to deal with my wrist brace hurting my thumb, as well as class and getting blood drawn for my monthly tests.

Honestly, i'm tired and really in pain from my wrist, elbow, hips, feet, jaw and ankle. But my back is feeling mostly better! It's nice knowing I have some people on my health care team who are doing their best to help.

Saturday 20 October 2012

Osteopath and Ocular Migraines

Time for an update. I'm off the low carb thing, I started getting ocular migraines and losing weight is just not worth hallucinating.

My R wrist and elbow have been acting up the past few days. I can still use them, but since seeing the OT they have just been grumpy. My jaw is also back to being painful. I'm trying to figure out of maybe there was some trigger that caused it. Sugar maybe? Too much gluten? I'm too tired to try to cut anything else out of my diet right now. Though i'm likely to go visit a Naturopath that focusses for on allergies and diet soon, as suggested by my Osteopath. Speaking of osteopath, she's quite nice. A bit more hard edged than my lovely naturopath, but in a good way. Though she did give me the "sexual abuse is linked to obesity is linked to fibromyalgia" speech. I know that it is their job as a holistic practitioner, but how many times do I need to be told i'm fat? *sigh* But her manipulations have definitely been helping my hip/knee pain and tightness. Not as much the second time around but I can still notice a distinct difference.

She also brought up the anti-TNF meds, which was interesting. My rheumy doesn't want me going on them though as he feels the pain I experience is all fibro because my blood tests are fine. Except from my understanding fibro pain is more in the muscles, and while I do get pain in my muscles a lot of my pain is in the joints. I'm going to have to see my rheumy again soon as I got my MRI results, though i'm dragging my feet :P.

Aaanyway, other than that my energy levels haven't been bad. I went on a crazy 20 minute cleaning spree and got the kitchen and bathroom clean (mostly, the floor is Bran's job ;) ). Still getting good results from the naturopathic medicine as far as my back pain goes. We're going to take Milo to the dog park for the first time in a while, poor thing. He'll be happy that he gets to run around.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Migraines

I had a migraine today. I should have seen it coming as yesterday I was getting little flashes out of the corner of my eye and things were getting a little melty at times, today I had trouble focusing, saw a few little flashes, then my head started to split. Thankfully I only had one class today instead of my regular two, and I got to leave early from even that. On my way home it only got worse until everything looked a little bit like a painting and my head was pounding. Took two voltarin and a nap. Two hours later, I was feeling alright enough to make lupper (lunch/supper) and rest for the remainder of the day. I don't get bad migraines very often, but it just puts a stop on everything when I do....i've been getting them more often recently.

In other news, sort of conned my OT into getting the results from my hand MRI (it's related! She is working with my hands!) no lesions, no synovial inflammation, but I do have inflammation in my palm and going up my fingers? I didn't actually get to keep the results so I can't look it up. I'll have to go see the rheumy.

Monday 15 October 2012

Low Carb and High Fees

Low carbing continues. It's pretty neat in a way, because it's forcing me to utilise some flours i've never used before in order to create low carb options for breading and baked goods. I'm using quinoa flour currently, we all know how good quinoa is and now I can make brownies out of it! ;) Haha, I did have a day off yesterday where I ate chips and a sugary drink (and a piece of banana bread <3) but i'm back on it today! It isn't going bad, though I do not see this as a long term option for me.

In other news i've been reminded again that I owe most of this semesters fees >.>. I do know I owe it, and we are working out a solution, but i'd rather not get the harassing calls. I have spoken with people in the office, I wonder if there is a lack of communication...hm.

I've been feeling a bit better recently as well. Still getting fatigued, but physically i've been not as sore. I'm saying it's from the new naturopathic meds. So i'm going to try and fit in more walking with Milo :) we had a nice half our walk today around a nearby park, and other than him getting some prickles in his paws (poor baby :( he needs little doggy boots!) it was quite good! Though my ankles are not very happy. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Friday 12 October 2012

Flax Bread

I did some low carb gluten free cooking today! I made a flax meal (also known as linseed meal) bread using the recipe from here. I was actually quite skeptical as sometimes flax can have a bitter taste (though, that flax was probably rancid), but it turned out quite well! It still has a seed-y sort of taste, but it's tasty enough that I think it might be a staple food during my low carb adventure.

Did I mention i'm trying out a low carb diet? One of my teachers was talking about how we should experiment with different diets to understand how our clients will feel, and while I don't think naturopaths advocate low carb diets it will be one that our clients will choose to be on for one reason or another. Plus i'm hoping i'll lose some weight >.>.....and it'll make being gluten free more interesting. I've been going down on my carb limit day by day and currently i'm on 50 g per day. I may lower this once i've gotten the hang of cooking some of the bread alternatives and whatnot, as I really can't stand eating mainly protein (and it's expensive), but for the time being 50 g per day is alright :).

Here is the recipe I used, I halved it (giving half an egg to my dog) and used two thin pieces to make a sandwich. 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flax seed meal
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder (gluten free)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 Tablespoons sugar equivalent from artificial sweetener
  • 5 beaten eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled parchment paper or a silicone mat.

1) Mix dry ingredients well -- a whisk works well.

2) Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.

3) Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up some (leave it too long and it gets past the point where it's easy to spread.)

4) Pour batter onto pan. Because it's going to tend to mound in the middle, you'll get a more even thickness if you spread it away from the center somewhat, in roughly a rectangle an inch or two from the sides of the pan (you can go all the way to the edge, but it will be thinner).

5) Bake for about 20 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than flax already is.

6) Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want. You don't need a sharp knife; I usually just cut it with a spatula.
Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories

Thursday 11 October 2012

Brain...not working so well...

Wooooosh! I'm not sure if it's a side effect left over from the MRI contrast or if it's the low carb diet or if it's just fibro being crazy but my brain is just not working. I've gone back to getting brain zaps and i'm not liking it at all. I've made sure to drink plenty of water and whatnot....meh. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I'll have most of the day to rest at least.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Surprise MRI

I had my visit with the neurosurgeon about my back today. It was just so workcover can figure out whats going on really. He said basically i'll be fine, just that there isn't a particular time frame of when i'll start feeling better (the back injury, anyway). So i'm not really sure what workcover is going to do with this information...

Anyway, I also got to jump ahead in line for my right hand MRI! This will show whether the arthritis has damaged my joints yet. Despite the fact that I only put in the request today, they had a cancelation so i'm up tomorrow afternoon. I'm not really sure what I want it to show...of course I don't want there to be damage, since that is irreversible and bad, but part of me wants to have something to show to my rheumatologist to say "See! Told ya! Now I would like it if you gave a crap!". We'll just have to see. It'll be good to get a baseline anyway for in the future to judge if any/how much damage is done in a specific time period. If there is damage, it'll also help say whether it is PsA or RA. I'm not really digging either, but there are some different ways they are treated.

On a very good note, my Naturopath has me on some new tablets that I think are helping. One is a pain tablet which I do notice helping, since I can tell when it wears off (lol). Another is one thats meant to help me calm down and sleep better. I think it's helping, I did sleep well last night. The last is st. john's wart which has anti-depressant/anti-anxiety properties. That one has for sure helped me get off the stupid cymbalta! I've actually not has any brain zaps today, and even over the past two weeks they've been bearable and decreasing. I feel a bit bad that I wasn't able to tolerate the liquid mixes he made, i'm not sure if it was the alcohol base or what...but I just couldn't do it.

Now i'm off to bed to prepare for another full day tomorrow of class, MRI, and a doctors appointment all in different areas of town >.> Yay!

Friday 5 October 2012

Counselors and Hollandaise

It's been a long day. Mostly because i've been a bit of a mess. Luckily today I was scheduled to see my counselor so I could talk things over with her. I'm missing my family back in the USA, some of whom I know are going through a tough time. It's a bit difficult to get in contact with them because they are all so busy and tend to be asleep most of my day (the day and night are reversed in Oz vs USA). It's been hard for me to be away from them, both when I feel like I should be there helping and when I wish someone could help me. I know everything will work out alright, and i'll just need to keep trying to keep in contact.

Other than that I made poached eggs with hollandaise sauce for dinner :D. It was a pretty easy little sauce, made much easier with the help of a double boiler (aka a big bowl I have over a little pot XD).

Easy Hollandaise Sauce (rough estimate of ingredients)

1 1/2 TB butter
1/2 TB lemon juice
1 egg yolk
3 TB thickened cream*
1/2 TS dijon mustard
Pepper to taste

Melt butter in double boiler. 
Add lemon juice, yolk, and cream. Whisk continuously until thickened. 
Take off heat and add mustard and pepper to taste. 
* Pouring or whipping cream should work fine :) 

This made enough for four eggs worth of coverage. Very yummy <3. Keep in mind you can add more of pretty much any ingredient to taste, just be careful it doesn't get too hot and split. 

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Night Time Rambles

Ah dear. I'm having a rough night. Not so bad pain wise, just can't stop thinking about what would happen if I get sicker...how I can't work...how i'm getting burnt out only doing a few things a day...how  my family is over in America. It's a lonely thing being over here and sick. Bran helps as much as he can, but he has a full time job and only has so much energy himself. I don't want to be someone who needs a carer, but man it would be great to have a few friends near by who I could lean on.

I'm only 23.

I'm thankful, though, that I have such a dedicated husband. I'm thankful that we own an apartment. I'm thankful that i'm able to go to school full time and not have to worry about money too much because of my husband. I'm also thankful that my sickness isn't as bad as it could be. I had to go to the hospital today to pick up a copy of my spinal MRIs, and there is nothing like a hospital to make you thankful for the health you have. I think maybe it's starting to really sink in that i'll never be 100% again.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Cupcakes in the PM

So, sometimes I write about cupcakes. This is one of those times. I so enjoy those little cup-sized cakes, with their pretty swirly frosting and tender crumb. Have I mentioned I recently got a little cake decorating set? Only four piping tips and some bags, but it made me happy to be able to make my cupcakes look pretty :D. Currently I have some cooling, just waiting for a devine fudgey chocolate frosting to be swirled on top. It makes my day to have a delicious cupcake.

In other news, I stayed home today in order to look after Milo. 'Why are you looking after your dog and skipping class?' you may ask. Thats because he has separation anxiety and will bark and howl and cry when left alone. We've found that using a citronella spray collar works (once he knows it's on, he pretty much settles down and sleeps or chews his toys). Rarely do we actually come home to him having been sprayed by it. But that is also the main reason we are looking to get a cat. We think if he has another animal in his "pack" who is home to keep him company, he wont get as anxious when Bran and I leave. Now we've run into a problem though. We need body corporate approval before we can adopt a kitty. Actually getting approval wont be hard, our neighbours have three cats and a little dog and another couple down the way have at least a cat, it's just having to wait possibly a month before we can get Mr.Pepper. Hopefully they will hold Pepper for us :/.

Now it's time to frost the yummy cupcakes and go to bed, goodnight all.

Monday 1 October 2012

COLD!

My goodness, this is more of a note to myself than anything; cold is PAINFUL! The temperature dropped today quite drastically as well as being a little bit drizzly and I can feel it in my joints. Fingers, wrists, elbows and feet are not happy campers. My back is perpetually sore, but the other joints definitely weren't this bad yesterday. I look a panadeine forte this morning and it didn't put a dent in it >.>. Meh.

On a lighter note, we are looking to get a cat! Milo has been lonely and things didn't work out with the dog minder, so we thought a little sibling would help with his anxiety. We've found a lovely cat who apparently enjoys playing with dogs so we are hopeful that we will be able to adopt him :) (his name is Pepper and he is a very handsome short haired black kitteh).

Monday 24 September 2012

Tired

I've tried to think of something interesting to write, but honestly i'm just very tired. I'm not at my worst point pain wise, but I am sore. I'm just really tired both physically and mentally from dealing with diseases and my body falling appart on me. I'm only 23 but i'm already dealing with a seronegative arthritis,  degenerative disc disease, fibromyalgia, facet joint degeneration, nerve damage, some mental health difficulties (PTSD and depression related to it), and all the fun stuff that comes with the medicines for said diseases/conditions and of course my previous emergency microdiscectomy which kicked it all off (I think).

I'm not saying my life is awful or woe is me, I know i'm lucky to be in a country where healthcare is covered by taxes or is relatively inexpensive. I'm very lucky to have a loving husband and supportive in-laws. I'm lucky in that I can still walk, and that my pain isn't worse than it is.

I'm just tired.

Even over my "vacation" from school I was still running around dealing with health related meetings.

On a lighter note, I have some new herbal mixtures to try that focus a bit more on fibromyalgia and CFS. I do so love talking to my new naturopath, David :) he is such a funny guy. He also doesn't mind explaining what the different herbs do and whatnot.

Well, now i'm off to attempt to get some housework done before the end of the day.

Friday 21 September 2012

Owning the Internets

We finally have the internets! After a few weeks of annoying phone calls to our new provider, we finally have all the hook ups right and the lines correctly attached. Thank goodness, i'm sure my three followers have desperately missed my updates ;).

Honestly, I haven't been doing too well. I've been feeling quite fatigued and sore. I've also found out my the discs in my lumbar spine have degenerated and my L4/5 is bulging (thats the one I had to have emergency surgery on btw). Also facet joint degeneration at L5/S1, which I still don't completely understand but i'll talk to my normal GP about it when she gets back from her vacation.

But mostly i'm tired. I had a "vacation" off from school this week, I use quotations because i've been really busy and stressed this week. Maybe i'll write about it another time, but lets just say i'm just too tired and sick feeling to deal with anything else tonight. Plus i've got a super busy day tomorrow with a Pagan meet up for Ostara and a friends 21st b-day :). I've been looking forward to both so I am going to head off to bed soon.

Goodnight

Thursday 30 August 2012

Naturopath Appointment

I had an interesting meeting with a new naturopath today :). My other (lovely) naturopath had to take time away for family reasons, so he recommended this one (also lovely). He was so funny! And once he found out I am a naturopathy student he was happy to tell me all about the different herbs and supplements he was prescribing and took a picture of my iris and told me about it (iridology).

He said that the rings around the grey/blue/green parts my iris meant that I have had a lot of stress throughout my life that I haven't let go of (sounds like the psychic when she said that I have so much worry in me that if someone reached in and took it away I would crumble!). And that the wiggly fibers meant that I had a lot of worries on my mind. The ring around the middle represents my gut and that it is very out of whack, especially my stomach which apparently isn't digesting correctly (not enough stomach acid?).

My eyeball

He also let me peek in when he was making up the herbal extract mixture and let me smell the different extracts he put in ^__^ it was very exciting! *naturopathy-nerding out* It was great being able to talk to him and get a good idea of what he was prescribing and what autoimmune arthritis means in naturopathic terms.  The only down side is that he wants me to go back off gluten *grumble* but i'll do it if it'll help.

Sunday 26 August 2012

Meh

Quiet day today. First day cymbalta free. My brain hurts.

Saturday 25 August 2012

Grumpylumps

I'm grumpy >:/. Most likely because i'm tired.

Had a nice day actually. Started off with a nice snuggle with the hubby, a walk, grocery shopping....but among those was also a mini-panic attack and maybe too many cookies. So i'm going to continue to blame SNRI withdrawal and try to get more sleep tonight.

Jaw is feeling a bit better. It only hurts when I open my mouth wide. My ankle was off and on today but I could get around without a cane. It hurt walking up hill especially.

Saw the physio yesterday. She gave me more exercises to do *sigh*, but seemed nice and knowledgeable. She also massaged my back so she's basically my new best friend.

Now i'm going to go have another cookie and hopefully get some sleep.

Thursday 23 August 2012

Freud + SNRI Withdrawal

I have three followers? When did this happen?!? Well, welcome third follower :) always happy to know my blog is interesting enough for people to read.

I've had a down day today. Getting off Cymbalta is kicking my butt and I definitely felt the drop in serotonin....or something. >.> It took the extra treat of an organic mocha to get me to class today, which i'm actually glad about as we were talking about the skeletal system and it was actually interesting. And mochas are delicious. So over all I did end up feeling better, though it isn't fun struggling with depression just on the edge of my moods.

And I continue to have some pretty messed up dreams. Once more likely thanks to the cymbalta. It seems like my mind is just putting the worst possible things together with whatever happens in my day to make my dreams, and let me just say that yesterday we were talking about Freud and Oedipus complex. Yeah.

Ankle is still angry, jaw was a bit better. R hip is angry. I think making the bed yesterday aggravated my back a bit. Blah. Need to see the physio tomorrow. I'm also just really tired. I think i'm likely to go to bed early tonight.


Wednesday 22 August 2012

Update (yes, really)

Goodness, it's been over a month since i've entertained my two readers with my oh-so-interesting rambling!

Thats because we don't have internet at the apartment >.> but as the roof is being repaired, we are back with my MiL.

So here is an update in a nutshell:

-Did on the job training
-Had three shifts
-Had an incident on the third shift which resulted in me hurting my back
-Went on workers comp.
-Went into full on fibro flair
-Still figuring things out job wise, but it's quite possible I wont be able to return to that job :(

-Started back at Uni
-Going well.

-Started Cymbalta
-Hate Cymbalta
-Going off Cymbalta
-Starting to get withdrawal symptoms already, and i've only decreased the dose.
-If I still need something for anxiety, i'll try a naturopathic medicine. I'm tired of all these pills...

-Milo was doing really well with barking and doggy daycare
-Milo got a tummy bug :(
-Milo was fine
-Milo's tummy bug returned with vengeance
-Milo lost a lot of weight do to tummy bug :(
-We had to be very careful what he ate, while trying to get his weight up.
-Milo is doing much better :) weight is back up and he's happy

I haven't been able to go to any meet ups or hang out with anyone due to all this random stuff that keeps popping up. I've also been tired, not quite exhausted, but easily fatigued.

On a lighter note, i've finally started losing weight again! I believe this is due to both getting off some of the meds that cause weight gain and bringing a very healthy lunch with me to school. Plus I just haven't been able to handle as much crap.

As far as joints go, they haven't been too bad. My jaw on the right side had been painful off and on for about three weeks, but really it doesn't hurt me to have to eat oatmeal instead of chips ;). My R ankle is bothersome, also for about three weeks. Thats a bit more concerning, but there isn't really anything that can be done. My walking stick has been getting a work out! BTW, after speaking with my lovely counsellor, I have decided to refer to my walking stick as my Happy Stick from now on.


Sunday 15 July 2012

Update

It's been a looong week. I don't have internet other than on my phone, which is why I haven't been updating. So here is a quick recap;

-Moved in to the apartment, the move went well.
-Bran is on vacation, we got everything unpacked quickly.
-Milo is having some anxiety problems, barking and annoying neighbours.
-We forgot our washing machine hose at Everton Park. Oops..
-Very low on money >.> oops..
-I got the job! Yay!
-School starts on the 30th, still need to figure out classes >.>
-Need a bike.
-Started cymbalta, vertigo attacks went away within ours, now on 60 mg a day.

That's it in a nut shell. It's going to be a busy few weeks of training, on the job training, and starting back at school. We also found out we'll have to move out in a month for the roofers to replace the roof >.> thats a bit bothersome...oh well.

Hope everything is going well in blog land :)

Friday 6 July 2012

SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome

The crazy "brain zaps", as their called, have been significantly worse today. They have been almost constant, all day long. It does seem to be a common thing in SSRI discontinuation syndrome.  I'm not having a fun time of it. It feel kind of like the electric sensation when you are startled, only every time I move my head!

It's sad though, i've gotten along so well with sertraline. It's too bad such a good drug has this effect when you go off of it. I'm not sure that I want to start cymbalta if coming off anti-depressants is going to be like this each time...

Thursday 5 July 2012

Blah

Another day of random migraineyness. It was about the same time too, around 1 pm and off and on afterward. I didn't have any more coffee, didn't have a tramadol, no extra sugar....so I assume it's coming off of the sertraline. Blah. Hips were very tender today. I couldn't lay comfortably on my side after about 4:30 am, so it was a rough night.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Hopeful!

My interview went really well! It's what I thought it was, more of a "here is what we do. If you are able to do it, then here is an application". It involves quite hands on personal care, so it isn't everyone's cup of tea but I don't particularly mind. I do enjoy being able to help someone else one-on-one to live their life independently, so I can deal with the nitty-gritty :).


Today was better than yesterday, only a little bit of migrainey-dizziness. Just after I had my afternoon coffee hit, so i'm wondering if the extra caffeine or sugar had something to do with it. I did have a cookie thing yesterday right before the attack, so maybe sugar. Hips were sore, but otherwise not too bad. It was darn cold though!


I did slip a bit in the bath and hurt my R foot >.> we'll see how it looks tomorrow.


Now I sleep, two days until moving day!

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Going off Sertraline

Ugh. I don't know if it's the lowering of the sertraline or if i'm just having an awful day but i've been cold and sore and attacks of vertigo and fatigued all day. I'm not even sure if my words are making sense :/. I hope the job interview goes well tomorrow...

Monday 2 July 2012

Gp and Fibromyalgia

I am soooo cold :(. I've had a hard time warming up all day. Even with a hot shower and bath, I just can't seem to keep heat...

Met with lovely GP today. She discussed fibro in more detail with me and we decided to switch from sertraline (zoloft) over to duloxetine (cymbalta). It's an SNRI as opposed to an SSRI, and it's meant to help with nerve pain and fibro symptoms along with being an anti-depressant. I don't know how i'll go giving up sertraline though...it's been really great with bringing down anxiety without making me feel like a zombie.

Other than that I baked a whole chicken, my first. It turned out alright. I've also been quite sore, maybe because it's cold? Donno. But wrists hurt too much to type anymore. Goodnight.

Sunday 1 July 2012

Short Stack

Relatively quiet day at home :). Did some packing, bathed the dog, and finished some paperwork. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Goodnight

Saturday 30 June 2012

Moving, Meds, and Milo

I may or may not have been looking at Lolcats for the last hour or so >.>...

Bran, Milo, and I are all cuddle up on the couch. Bran is watching his footy, Milo is sleeping, and i'm looking at lolcats and typing.

We had a somewhat busy day. The lot of us headed over to the apartment to do some unpacking and cleaning up for the big move next weekend. I still have some bits and bobs to pack, but most of our small things are over already thanks to Sarah's help (my MiL). Milo is starting to get more used to it and i'm sure once his bed is there he'll be happy enough.

Other than that I had a bad cognitive day yesterday. I ended up going to bed around 7:30 and sleeping for about 12 hours >.>. I am feeling mostly better today thankfully, though I did nap after we had a long walk to find the dog park in Northgate.

I'm still struggling a bit with figuring out what fibromyalgia means. I've looked up some studies, medicines, and whatnot but I think i'll just have to have a chat with my GP about it. She's been great with explaining things and helping to find the right mix of meds. I'm not sure if going on another medicine is the right thing, but I don't want to be talking the tramadol all the time. It lessens the pain a bit, but I know it's only covering up the symptoms (and making my brain foggier) and not actually helping.

Tomorrow is a relaxing day. Maybe grocery shopping though I can do that on monday and safe us a trip.

Milo has been doing much better on salmon, brown rice, and greens. He's just about entirely healed up though he had dropped weight :/. We're upping his salmon this weeks and trying out lamb to see if he can handle it.

Friday 29 June 2012

Brain Fog

I've had a very marshmallow brain day. All day. But I think part of it was due to a migraine since I started having ocular abnormalities. A nap helped with that.

I had a good session with my counsellor. She helped me come up with some other pain management strategies and we talked about how to handle my rheumatologist. We also talked about a potential job i'm going for. The job is being a carer for someone with a spinal cord injury. It includes personal care as well as some cooking a light housework. I should be able to handle it just fine as it is a no lift job.

In other news, I took some tramadol earlier today. I haven't really felt hungry since. And my brain had been more foggy. It has taken the edge off the pain, but I still feel it. Maybe i'll try a voltarin and a tramadol tonight and see how that goes.

Heading over to the apartment tomorrow.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Fun with the Rheumy (Not)

Today I went and saw my Rheumatologist. At first he was lovely and nice then he got angry. At me. For looking up symptoms >.>... Granted, i'm sure he gets it all the time, and he was right in what he was saying but he was still mean! I think he thought I was arguing that I had lupus or something, but really I was just asking about it. I don't think I have lupus (thank the gods!) but I am afraid that it'll develop. That's what it really comes down to, we look things up because we are afraid that we'll end up with something worse. I also know for a fact that if I hadn't looked up symptoms, I would not have fought to get the initial blood test to begin with!

Ah dear, anyway.... He didn't apologise, but he was much nicer after I agreed with him, then started crying. The thing is, he doesn't get that i'm in pain. He knows it. He hears me say it. But he doesn't know how bad it is. And there is no way he could, I understand that. Which is why I was asking about those other things to begin with! For the record, I was asking about fibromyalgia, lupus, and dermatomyositis because along with joint pain I do get muscle pain and spasms. I'm quite thankful that I do not have lupus or dermatomyositis but he did agree that I had fibro.

So what does that mean? Ok, I am indeed in pain. Likely because my nerves are fried from being in pain constantly... I don't have any inflammation markers in my blood, so thats where the fibro comes in. But how is it treated? Well, no one flipping agrees apparently. He gave me a drug called tramadol to take, which is kind of like narcotics but not as addictive. So we'll give it a go...

I think he may have charged me less because he made me cry >.>.

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Bed Day

Had a day in bed. Still tired. Had some yummy apple crumble that my MiL made. Also mystery freezer soup. Now I'm going to head back to bed.

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Flares Aren't Just for Signalling

Definitely flaring. Hopefully it'll turn up on my blood tests >.>. I had my strengthening class today, and could only really do about 2/3rd of what I normally can. Not so good. But i'll be able to start going twice a week, which will hopefully up my knee strength a bit quicker.

Speaking of blood tests, I had more blood taken today. I reminded her to use the syringe instead of the vacuum sucky needle, which is meant to cause less damage, but my small veins caused problems and she had to stab me twice. So much for that >.>.

On a lighter note I took a nice hot bath and ate pizza bagels for dinner.

Monday 25 June 2012

Sort-of Busy

I've been somewhat busy today. I was able to get out and sell some of our old stuff (gaming systems, dvds, etc) and was able to get a bit of money to help with the move :) but carrying all that stuff did not help my wrists or back. After that I had a nice chat with the physio (I actually wanted some trigger point therapy, but she wanted to talk about my knee).

But after I got home I just felt exhausted.

Laid in bed for an hour, took a bath, just tired. So i'm likely flairing and need to take it easy, which isn't likely as I need to pack and clean. Though maybe something will actually show up on the blood tests I have to take monthly >:(.

Anyway, tired, sore, slightly annoyed, but at least i'm less worried about our funds.

Sunday 24 June 2012

Ranty Rant


I was quite frustrated today. I have been in a bit of a flare, but I don't want to take the prednisone :(. You'd think mtx and plaquenil would be enough? I'm also worried i'll end up on biologics....at the same time it would be awfully nice to not be in pain every day. I'm not sure that my husband is really getting it. *sigh* Usually he is really lovely and helpful but lately he has been complaining a lot more. We've been cleaning up our recently purchased apartment before we move in, and he just does not want to do it. But I cannot physically do everything. It's just frustrating...if I could then I would :(. We've had a talk about it though, so hopefully he is be a bit more considerate about that.

Seeing the rheumatologist again on Wednesday. I need to remember to ask about the itchy scalp since starting plaquenil and the random reactions to elastic in clothing...

Rice-beans-chicken mixture is still going well. It made a lot more than I though! Yeah economical! It was basically; black beans, brown rice, a can of tomatoes, some left over pasta sauce, an onion, spices, mixed frozen veg and leftover chicken thrown in....but somehow it made an awesome burrito/quesadilla  filling.

Saturday 23 June 2012

I'm Still Boring

Spent a bit of time at the apartment today :). We are so lucky that my MiL is kind enough to drive us over on the weekends so we can bring Milo as well as a car load of our stuff! We cleaned the walls and put away some of our kitchen equipment. We've also gotten some info from the body corporate, so it's nice that they've been in contact.

Later in the day I watched an interesting movie take on Snow White called Mirror Mirror. The trailer makes it look really tacky, but it was actually quite funny. I loved the over-the-top costumes and the dwarfs being rebels on stilts XD.

I've also been enjoying the rice-bean-chicken mixture in tortillas, yum.

Tired again today, and had a bit of a marshmallow head for most of it. I'm looking forward to a good sleep :). Wrist and elbows a bit sore, but not too bad.

Friday 22 June 2012

I'm Boring

Quiet day at home with the pup.

I did make rice and beans, and stuffed peppers using said rice and beans. They turned out quite well.

Milo is still unhappy, and his muzzle is looking quite red :/. Maybe I should try a different food? hm

Wrists were sore today, otherwise not so bad.

Now I sleep.

Thursday 21 June 2012

Tired X2

Tired again. Went to Ikea with the MiL. Also took Milo to the park because he looks so sad lately :/ now i'm really feeling fatigued. I slept for 40 minutes in the car even o.O. Wrists are especially sore today. Probably because I also vacuumed >.>.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Sick

Sick today
Just tired and sick
Bran made me dinner <3
Filled out immigration paperwork
Rescheduled MRI
Sleep soon

wrists, shoulders, hands, feet, R ankle/knee

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Pain

Tired. Long day full of pain. My back/hip/knee was throwing a combo on my right side. I also went back to my strengthening class at the hospital. Nice to be back, but my knee was not so happy. I'm tired of being in pain :(.

Monday 18 June 2012

Money Makes the World go Round

Ugh. I need a job. Got another lawyer bill. Money is going to be tight.

Sunday 17 June 2012

The Day of Rest

Quiet day at home today. We are both quite sore. Next weekend we are thinking about cleaning the walls and painting then maybe the weekend after moving in. I'm tired now, so I sleep.

Saturday 16 June 2012

Apartment Check In

I am exhausted
I have blisters
I have scrapped knuckled
I have sore hands
I have bruised knees
I have back spasms

But you know what else I have?
A clean apartment ;)

Bran, Milo and I spent the day over at our apartment tearing up carpet, taking up nails, and thoroughly cleaning (Milo ran around and squeaked his ball). Now we have a clean concrete floor on which to eventually put wood and an apartment that is liveable and bright :). We still need to clean the walls, but that wont take half as long. We are deciding whether to move in straight away or save up for a month or so to put in the wooden floors, but that'll be decided soon. Also whether to paint right away or not. I have no idea how much paint costs :/.

Anyway, so I am sore and exhausted to the bones but I feel accomplished :)

Friday 15 June 2012

Thursday 14 June 2012

Microbio and Bunnies

Microbiology final today :/. I answered all the questions but I know for a fact I got some of them wrong. *sigh* Well, I know I wont fail at least >.> but I really hope I did well.

Wrists were and are painful. Lots of writing. Ankles and knees were creaky today but not bad enough to use my cane. I did use a wrist brace for writing though. 

On a completely different note, I was thinking about a little bunny I had as a pet when I was in high school. She was a lovely little bunny named Anya. I feel bad at this point though, because really I didn't have the time or the energy to take care of her as she deserved :(. She was never sick, and whenever I noticed water or food bowls empty they were filled, but she was stuck in her cage most of her life. Sometimes I was slack and didn't clean it as often as I should have. I should have let her run around the room and had her cage as a litter box, but I didn't know rabbits could be litter box trained at that point (obviously, I didn't do much research. Anya was kind of dumped on me). Plus in all honesty my room was literally unfinished, so it wouldn't have been very safe for her. Looking back on it now I feel guilty and I hope she can forgive me for being such an ignorant teen. Maybe thats why I try so hard to keep Milo happy and healthy.  

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Being a Good Student

Not very much to update on. I spent the day studying mostly. We did get the e-mail from the lawyers and it turns out part of the giant check went to paying the body corp fees for the next quarter. Thats alright then :) one less thing to worry about.

Microbiology final tomorrow! I think i'll do alright, but even if I don't I did get a 98 on my workbook! How great is that? I think it's the best science grade i've ever gotten XD.

Pain wise: ankles, wrists, itchy skin. A bit of gut pain but I had more dairy today than I typically would so meh.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

The Day of Settlement

Settlement day :)
All went well
Except they charged more than I thought o.O
But we got the keys!
Our own piece of Brisbane
Our own home
Our own

Monday 11 June 2012

Quiet Day in the Hood

Quiet day at home.
Doing some laundry.
Having ankle problems.
Poor Bran hurt his back :(.

Sunday 10 June 2012

Witchy Fun

Had a lovely meetup with some witchy folk :). We has an interesting get together and some work with tarot cards. Now i'm quite tired and my hands aren't working very well. So goodnight.

Knees were very bad today. L knee is joining in on the fun.

Saturday 9 June 2012

Too. Much. Sugar.

I may or may not have eaten an entire bar of cadbury hazelnut chocolate >.>

I may or may not have a tummy ache <.<

I may or may not be planning on eating salad all day tomorrow >.<

Woke up with my LEFT ankle hurting today. Not so much fun. It did calm down after the meds kicked in. I've been off the prednisone but i'm greatly considering starting again as it seems like everything is going crazy. I can hear you all (all two of you) saying "well Em, think it has something to do with the sugar intake of that giant candy bar you just ate?" or maybe you aren't saying that...but sugar could be a trigger...just one i'm not willing to try giving up on yet. Or coffee. It's just not going to happen, sorry.

In other news...I went grocery shopping? I've had a pretty quiet day really...I did have tasty roasted brussel sprouts for dinner along with the chocolate. Thats half good right? >.>

Stuff thats painful: ankles, back, nerve stuff, and the usual hands/elbows/shoulders/Rknee. Random headache too.

Friday 8 June 2012

Drama Llama

Feeling very tired...it's only 7:30 but i'm ready for bed.

We had another drama with the apartment, this time about the first home owners grant. We nearly had to push back settlement and pay $400 in fees but we worked it out in the end with the help of my MiL. Only 3 days until settlement :).

Nerve pain, hands, elbows, wrists, shoulders a bit. L knee has been annoying today too for some reason.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Chilly!

Brrrr! Chilly!

Got some studying done today :). I also made some cereal bars using the fluff that was sent down from the states, I may have eaten one...or four....>.>

More paperwork for the apartment, this time a new stat dec for the first home owners grant. Blah. But it's all in Bran's name now, so he is taking care of it :). Only a few more days until settlement!

I've found sleeping on my L side has helped calm the nerves down a bit on my R side. I'm still waking up with pain though, not my fav. Hands are especially sore today, probably because it's quite cold.

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Paperwork and Pools

More paperwork >.> I really need to study for my exam. That'll be tomorrow. Big pot of coffee and my books!

In other news, I forced myself to go to aqua aerobics today at the Chermside pool. The pool was nice and warm, and it was a therapy pool so we didn't have people swimming around us. The Chermside pool will be closer to us when we move, so I thought I would check it out :).

Speaking of moving, we finally got word that Milo was accepted by the body corp! Thats all of our conditions taken care of :D now just finnish up a few bits of paperwork and then settlement is next tuesday! Very exciting.

Sore today, hands, wrists, R elbow, shoulders were stiff, back and R knee/leg. Nerve pain, but a bit better than it has been. Likely because I slept more on my L side last night. I'll try that again and see if it helps tonight.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Hand Cramps

Had a sore day today :(. I'm not sure whats triggered this but my hands and wrist haven't wanted to work at all. Luckily I had some pre-made foodstuffs so I didn't have to do any chopping. I did still manage to wrangle both dogs around for a walk (which Milo desperately needs, I think he's getting depressed >.>). Beyond that, today consisted of...you guessed it...more paperwork. We finished most of it last night but I had to fix up and send off the last of the loan documents today. Tomorrow i'll drop off the corrected conveyancing documents and hopefully that'll be the last of it!

Now my hands are cramping up, so i'm off.

Also getting nerve pain down R leg, especially upon waking. Maybe because i've been sleeping on my R side more?

Monday 4 June 2012

Paperwork, Oh So Much Paperwork...

Mtx hangover. Not a fan. I really could have used about four more hours of sleep, but our lovely (yet pesky) little puppy insisted I get up and pay attention to him. Oh well.

I did go grocery shopping at least, and stayed well in budget :D. Just need to keep thinking of our apartment.

Speaking of apartment, Bran and I filled out more paperwork today to handle the loan and more stuff from the solicitors. Quite bothersome, especially when there are confusing bits o.O. I'll have to go in and ask about it tomorrow I think (although legally I can't handle anything since i'm not going to be the owner >.>). Bah!

It was chilly today, my hands, R wrist, R elbow, and R shoulder were especially sore. Currently the R wrist is really bothering me.

Sunday 3 June 2012

B-Day for the Hubby

It's my lovely husband's birthday today :).

I got him a stainless steel coffee cup.

We had some cake.

We had some pizza.

I had another migraine (though this one was more visual and less painful).

What I really want is a margarita.

But what I get is some methotrexate.

Yet i'll still end up with a hangover :/.

Anyway, it was actually a nice day overall. Bran got to watch his footy and play his game without me harassing him, and I even let him sleep in ;) aren't I a great wife? Lol. Really though, we enjoyed a nice day loafing around the house and eating yummy stuffs. He also received some new flip-flops (thank goodness, his old ones literally had holes in the bottoms of them!), a pack of maltesers, crunchies and a neat wooden London suitcase box.

Pain wise wasn't bad today. I'm actually not getting any nerve pain down my leg, which i'm pondering about...but still had a stiff back. Hands and wrists were a bit sore today but otherwise i'm alright. Had the migraine thing as mentioned, and my L knee gave out o.O which is odd as that's my "good" knee. Something i'll have to bring up with the gp.

Now to sleep and try not to eat anymore cake.

Saturday 2 June 2012

Not So Awesome.

Really bad migraine today. Not so much fun. Two panadol with codeine later and i'm ready for bed. I don't know what caused it either...hm..

Back/nerve things were sore. Head obviously. I did see wiggly things again along with the migraine so that isn't my favorite. Hands a bit but not too bad.

Friday 1 June 2012

Meetups and Milos

Had a lovely time tonight catching up and meeting some new people at a meetup. We went to a neat little cafe/gallery that I haven't even noticed before (and it's right in the middle of the city >.>) then went out for  ...malaysian? I think? Had some ok noodles.

One of the guys I talked to lives in Nundah as well :) it'll be nice to know someone there when we move over. Less than two weeks until settlement!

Beyond that I spent a good chunk of the day finishing up my sunflower pregnant lady painting and working on a squiggly tree painting. I'm trying to get some little colourful pictures for out new apartment as we have very few decorations.

Milo's been chewing his paws again :( I don't know why...he was doing well. Either way we'll bring him to the dog park and let him have a good run around.

Not too sore today, back and hands mostly. I was able to use chopsticks so thats not bad.

Thursday 31 May 2012

Brownies and War

I made brownies today :).

Big, chunky, gooey, brownies.

Great with a cup of strong coffee for afternoon tea.

Beyond that I watched a movie called The Flowers of War. It was a very sad movie about the Japanese attack on Nanjing in 1937. A westerner runs into a group of covent student and a group of prostitutes and becomes their protecter in a way. There is violence against children and rape involved, so this is not a good movie for people who are sensitive to those topics. It was difficult to watch but an interesting movie none the less.

Then I made brownies. Here is the recipe. I mostly followed it other than cutting back on the sugar.

Back was painful today, R foot is still weird but otherwise not too bad.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Room Spray...of DOOM!

Hm. My day was not very interesting i'm afraid. I'm a bit concerned about nerve pain i'm getting down my R leg. Other than that I had some blood drawn for a few tests (darn vampires!) and hung out with my MiL Sarah :).

Oh! I did make an experimental room spray using a few tablespoons of vinegar, about a cup of water and some lavender and clove essential oils. It sure smells nice but we'll see if it actually gets rid of dog smell ;).

Goodnight.

R elbow is sore, both wrists and hands, R knee was especially sore, and R foot is being weird.

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Tough Stuff

Ah dear, feeling very tired.

I had a quite emotional counselling appointment today. We were talking about my Mum, who passed away in 2007.

I simply have no more energy to give today. R hand and elbow sore. R knee and foot sore.

Monday 28 May 2012

Lazy Monday and Some Pie

I may not be wearing my glasses right now >.>. I'm quite tired. Bit of an MTX hangover, but not too bad. I had a nice day at home watching movies and snuggling with my puppy <3. Back to it tomorrow! I also made a chicken based shepard's pie which came out pretty good, it needed more seasoning though. R wrist ended up being sore afterwards though. Meh.

Sunday 27 May 2012

Sunday Scramble

Sunday, sunday.

It's a bittersweet day.

I'm alone tomorrow.

But today I have Bran.

It's been an alright day. My hands and back have been a bit angry. I'm concerned about the pain in my right foot. I can't tell if it's tendon or nerve o.O.

We made pizza for the first time in a while :).

We also ran some sums and I think we should be alright even with the new searches added on to our lawyer fees. Better safe I suppose...even if it's all ended up being about twice as expensive as it was supposed to be :/.

I made a new stew for Milo :) chicken based instead of fish. It certainly smelled less!

I've also turned in my final project for my counselling class and the workbook for my microbiology class. The article study for my counselling class is worth half my grade, so I hope I did well!

We spent $118 at the store, and should be good for the week. Thats not too bad for food for Bran, Milo and myself including $25 worth of free range/organic meat o.o....

I also actually got all of our laundry folded! Usually we have a basket left that I just can't be bothered with >.> but must get back into the habit for when we move!

Still waiting to hear about Milo.

Thats it :) goodnight.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Sculpture Exhibit

My hands are sore :/.

My back/hip/knee are also sore :/

But I did go out and see a sculpture exhibit at the beautiful botanical gardens today :). I felt very posh looking at the sculptures and listening to the artist and the people who like to think they are art experts. I really enjoyed the artwork more than anything. There was a really neat metal sculpture that was a mask of Anubis. Also some lovely figure sculptures that reminded me of my niece :).

Did I mention my fringe is awesome? And that I may or may not have cut it in myself >.>?

My sternum is also sore today, but I think it's the way i've been sitting.

Friday 25 May 2012

Pretty Good

I found out Old Navy ships to Australia now >.> next time I have some extra money...

Our finances were approved!

We have extra search fees we are going to have to pay >.>

It's friday!

I finished my assignments!

I'm cold >.>

Not much pain today!

Over all a pretty good day :)

Thursday 24 May 2012

Last SOCF111 Class

Feeling better today :). We handed in our application for the first home owners grant and heard back that financing will be granted, they just need a copy of the new contract. So now we're just waiting to hear back about Milo (which should be fine). Knock on wood!

It was a slightly bittersweet class today. My last class of foundations of communication and counselling. I've really enjoyed that class and the lecturer. Hopefully i'll have her again for another class :).

We also saw Susen and Ian again after their two year trip to England. It was really lovely catching up :) I greatly enjoy Susan's company and Ian is quite funny in his way.

Pain wise wasn't too bad today. I have a bit of a cold I think, my chest has been heavy and my throat has been stuffy. Back/nerve pain today as well, but it went down after walking around a bit.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Long Day is Long

Loooong day. I had to visit Bran and get something signed by the JP there, then went to Gaythorne where I found out the thing I just got signed was done wrong, then to Kelvin Grove where the lawyers gave me more stuff to have Bran sign....i'm officially the messenger girl >.>.

I'm now off the contract, loan, and application for first home owners grant. Meh.

Wrist and hands are sore, as well as sternum which started in the afternoon. Other than that tummy has been upset still. Tired.

I'm feeling quite stressed and getting burnt out about the bank things, they still haven't approved finances and it's due friday :/.

Monday 21 May 2012

Blue Monday

It's been a long day. Had an MTX hangover, but not as bad s last week. Milo ate some bread that was on the road yesterday, so now he has itchy paws and has to be a sock dog :(. And he's grumpy. I've discovered a new possible symptom, but i'm not really up to sharing about it right now :/. No news from the bank yet.

Pain wise not too bad. R knee was sore and intestinal issues continue. Bran also pointed out that I tend to be more emotional on monday. I wonder if this has to do with the MTX?

Sunday 20 May 2012

Picnic Day!

Bran and I went on a lovely picnic today :) along with our little pup. It was nice until the mozzies decided they wanted some lunch too, lol. But over all it has been a nice day spent with my husband, which is exactly what I needed! I also made sausage mini-crustless-quiches.

Painwise wasn't too bad today. A bit with my hands, R hip, and R knee. I was still able to do some chopping and go for the walk to it's all good.

Saturday 19 May 2012

English Muffins

Tired tired. But in a good way :). We made english muffins today. I also did a shop, went for a short walk, and made a little wire man. Quite good for how i've been lately. I am feeling it now though, my hands don't want to move anymore. Now I sleep.

Friday 18 May 2012

Puppies and Meatballs

I've been feeling a bit down lately. Likely from the stress involved with the house stuffs. It's starting to get to me though :/. I think I need to go take a nice long walk with my husband and pup tomorrow.

Today was mostly spent traveling around Brisbane to the Rams and lawyers office to hand in paperwork and check up on things. I wasn't actually in either office for very long, but getting to those two different places required lots of bus changes o.O it'll be nice being on a train line.

I mixed the last of the meatballs with some of my previously made chili corn chowder. Super yummy!

Milo is happy after two little walks today. He seems much more settled even after just a short 15 minute walk with me in the mornings.

I found free range chicken sausages at the store :).

I stopped at that store in Alderly that sells different kinds of flour, bought some nice wholemeal.

Back is still annoying, elbows were a bit off today but otherwise joints were pretty good (huzzah!).


Thursday 17 May 2012

Not much to report on :) handing in hopefully the last of the paperwork tomorrow to both the bank and the lawyers. We should hear back from the bank maybe monday I should think. I made butter cookies :) slightly spiced. They are addicting.

Butter Cookies

250 g butter (softened)
1 C powdered sugar
2 1/2 C flour
1 ts vanilla
pinch of salt

1 ts cinnamon
1/4 ts cloves
1/4 ts ginger
1/8 ts nutmeg
(spice measurements are estimated, I kind of just use however much I feel like)

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and changed colour. Mix in flour in three increments. Add in vanilla, salt, and spices. Roll into two 25 cm logs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Bake at 180 for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy with a strong cup of coffee, yum :). You can also use just the first half of the ingredients for a plain butter cookie or add in cocoa for chocolate...the possibilities are endless!

Anyway, Bran had a stressful day at work so I made him cookies <3 aren't I a nice wife?

R hand and R foot are sore today. Feels more like tendon pain. I do think pain levels in joints have gone down a bit. Some tummy upset today. Decreasing prednisone.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Update

Found out today that we will indeed need to change the contract. The bank is being specific. So thats an additional $550 plus $165 for the other lawyer >.> rawr. But I think we can skip the body corp search. It's just stressful to be throwing around so much money. I don't like it. But just need to keep thinking about the soon-to-be-lovely apartment with the little balcony i'm going to fill with plants...an the red oven. Just think of the red oven.



R foot was a bit painful. Tendon pain. Hands were sore. It was cold today.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Chicken Meatballs and Evil Banks

Ah dear..ok so bilding inspection today. That turned out pretty much as we expected it, some little pluming things, railing on balcony will need replacing and of course the roof (and floors >.>). Other than that the building is structurally good.

On the other hand, heard back from the bank. The want more papers and to have Bran be the only one on the contract. Thats fine, but that means an extra fee for the solicitor. Blah. They also want proof that we've paid off part of Bran's student loan. We have payed off a chunk, but we have another chunk we'll pay off tomorrow. Now i'm worried they'll think we are irresponsible or something T.T. So much anxiety surrounding this. *sigh* It'll just have to be one day at a time...one step at a time..Bed soon.

Not too sore today, R hand a bit. R foot a bit. Still tired, but better than yesterday.

On a lighter note I made some yummy chicken meatballs! They had secret mozzarella in the middle ;) which ended up being not so secret as it squeezed out a bit >.> but still tasty! I used a take on this recipe using chicken mince instead of beef and whole milk mozz instead of low fat. I didn't have any hard cheeses so I added more bread crumbs (which were actually cracker crumbs) as well as fresh garlic and onion as opposed to powdered. Other than that I followed it >.>. Anyway, they came out really well, even Bran really liked them <3 maybe something new to make for dinner :).

Monday 14 May 2012

Fun with MTX

Tired, tired. MTX hangover, upped the dose to 20 mg. Bran stayed home to take care of me <3. I'll feel better tomorrow. Everything with the apartment is progressing, i'll have to get in contact with the lawyer tomorrow. Goodnight

Sunday 13 May 2012

Happy Mum's day

Happy Mother's day to those who are Mums out there :).

Quiet day at home. We showed Fay (Bran's paternal grandmother) the building of our apartment and met one of our neighbours. She was lovely and had a little fluffy dog.

Made burritos and tacos for Sarah W for mother's day dinner. It was yummy.

I've just upped my mtx to 20 mg, so i'm already spacing out. Sleep soon. R hand and R foot are sore. Had no pain meds or nsaids today.

Saturday 12 May 2012

Meetups Again

I had a nice meetup with the old Pagan group :). It was good to see them again and discuss some things that I haven't been able to sort out (holidays are reversed with the seasons, arg!). It's been hard to get out to meetups lately with being so sore, but I think I will try harder to make it out.

In other news, my back has not been happy. Getting nerve stuff down my right leg. Not so much fun. But I was decorating our apartment in my mind, so that was fun :).

Friday 11 May 2012

Apartment!

The contract for the apartment has now been signed by both parties! In a months time we will be the owners of a lovely little one bed in Brisbane :D! We has pizza to celebrate <3. We are still waiting to hear back for the approval of the loan (though we have pre-approval already) and to hear back about Milo but I have a good feeling :). Now I sleep.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Contract Take Two

So we signed the contract for the Nundah apartment today :). There are yet some loops to jump through but our part is mostly done. I had three hours to kill as well between class and the time we were meant to meet the real estate agent, so I had a good walk around Northgate/Nundah. It's really a lovely area, especially up where the apartment is near Northgate. It's only a ten minute walk from the train, yay! About fifteen minutes to the shops, and there is a little convenience store just a block away! It'll be exciting to see what tomorrow brings :).

On a not awesome note, my back/hip/knee/foot is really sore after walking so much while carrying my backpack >.>...worth it.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

New Rheumy and New Meds

So saw the new Rheumy today! He was actually very nice :) quite passive and happy to explain everything I asked about. And. On. Time. Major plus to me. He is quite sure I have some kind of problem, but he isn't sure if it's psoriatic arthritis (I don't have any psoriasis currently), seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, or something called polyarthritis which is pretty much the same only different o.O. In fact they are all similar and are treated in the same manner other than rheumatoid tends to be more disfiguring and polyarthritis is just kind of a catch-all? Meh. He upped my MTX to 20 mg (it's going to be a fun sunday night -.-) and added another DMARD called Plaquenil. Plaquenil is actually an anti-malarial drug but works on a particular white blood cell to make it less angry. He said it'll also help with fatigue, which would be awesome :). I also get to have an MRI on my right hand (since it's been hurting the longest) but it'll cost a pretty penny. *sigh* This is what happens when you see a doctor privately without insurance here in Oz.

Beyond that it was a normal day. Calling up people about the apartment and going to class. We are finally getting a bit farther along with the contract but the loan guy is away on medical leave, so i'm not sure whats up with that...hm. I hope he feels better soon anyway.

Pain wise not too bad today. Hands are sore and R foot is a bit sore.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

New Rheum tomorrow. We'll see how it goes >.>. I'm half expecting him to put me on a biologic and half expecting him to dismiss me. I'm not sure which is worse o.O. I'm feeling very tired again. I was up a bit early today, more headaches. My R foot and R hand have also been more-than-normal sore today, though my L hand has also been sore especially in the morning.

I forgot my anti-inflammitories at home -.-. So after my exercise class was not so much fun, especially as I had to walk around a shopping center for a while (grocery shopping and checking K mart). Blah.

On a lighter note, because my foot was angry, Bran made me a yummy dinner of spinach ravioli with tomato sauce and just a bit of cream cheese mixed in! <3 he's the best!

Ok, my brain is starting to feel like a marshmallow again, so goodnight.

Monday 7 May 2012

Copper Tree

Major MTX hangover today. I've felt sick and migraine-y all day. Not my fav. I finally gave in and took some anti-inflammatories around 3. They've worn off now and I can feel the edge of a headache coming back. Blah. My fingers are still swollen, I think from the cold in the morning and my R foot hurts.

In other news, I made a really interesting little tree out of copper wire and a couple of rocks.


It isn't a very good picture since it's from my phone :/ but it's a neat little tree. I made it for Bran to put on his desk at work so he has something neat to look at :).

Sunday 6 May 2012

Sunday, sunday, SUNDAY!

Ad dear. It's been a big day :). Despite only having two glasses of champagne last night, I did not feel well today. Though it may also have been from all the dairy and sugar i've had lately >.>. It was also flipping cold this morning, so I was in pain until I took a nice hot bath. Then I was ok. I didn't want to take any extra medicine because it's MTX night. Blah.

Anyway, some exciting news! My MiL decided to adopt a 14 year old shar pei dog. Despite being old he is actually quite active. He's so cute and snorty XD. I've decided to call him snuffilumps :) his actual name is Simba.

We also had a visit from my husband's paternal grandmother. It was really lovely to see her :).

Saturday 5 May 2012

Weddings of Friends

We went to a lovely wedding today :). It was the wedding of one of Bran's childhood friends, their families were neighbours while Bran was growing up. It was fun being able to speak with some of the people who knew my husband as a child :). It really was a lovely, if maybe overly religious, ceremony in one of the national parks near by.

Now i'm sleepy z.z. We also went to the dog park for the first time in a while and just the walk up that hill took it out of me. But it was great seeing Milo run around and have fun with two other big labs that were there :).

Friday 4 May 2012

Friday, Friday...

Quiet day at home. I did my microbiology quiz, I think I did alright....time will tell. Bran should be home in about an hour or so. I'm ready to crash personally. So tired. I've had a bit of a headache all day. I did manage to get up to the shops and get a wedding gift for a couple we are celebrating with tomorrow. Also some groceries. I'm really enjoying the pre-cooked free range chickens. It's nice to not have to deal with the raw meat and they are only a dollar more than the raw ones. Plus they are cooked perfectly, nice and moist...

I'm making sure to save the bones this time around to make a stock from. I pull up all the meat, give Milo the fatty bits, and save the bones for stock. This way I won't be wasting any part of a precious life that was given. I feel like this is the best way to come to terms with eating animals again.

Pain wise was a bit up and down today. My R foot was a bit sore as well as my hands were terribly sore this morning. They did feel better after a nice hot bath and wearing my gloves for a while though.

We are continuing to look into all the legal stuffs around the apartment, the real estate agent actually seemed pretty relieved that we were doing that...hm.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Rainy Thurday Night

No Bran tonight :(. He is away at a work conference being studious. I'm here snuggling with Milo in the rainy weather.

It seems there are some legal dealies we didn't foresee with the contract for the Nundah apartment. But it'll be ok, we'll get a lawyer to check everything out and make sure we don't end up paying for things the current owner is meant to :). I'm so thankful to have such a great MiL to help sort these things out! I would be so lost and stressed out without her.

Sore today, gloves R wrist brace and cane. I did make a yummy chicken-cheese sauce-rice combo. I'm thinking it would make a good casserole with some peas or broccoli.

*Edited for title error

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Update of Dooooooooom

We has another visitor this morning :). It was a little fluffy cream coloured pup. Of course she didn't have any tags, so I spent 40 minutes walking around the giant hill here knocking on doors >.>. Lots of people still in their pjs. We did eventually find her owner, who said she was just on her way to get some tags...yeah. She was a nice little pup anyway.

After that adventure, I had to rush to get to the RBWH for an MRI of my knee. I have no idea when i'll get the results, I guess when the ortho-surgeon feels like getting back to me. Always fun to have to wear just a thin little gown and go into a small noisy tube.

After that I had to rush back home to let Milo out and rest a bit before class. I. Was. So. Tired. But Milo wanted love (and to go in and out plenty of times) so I didn't get to nap.

In between this I called the property lawyer to set up a meeting (tomorrow), called the real estate guy to make sure he had talked to the owner (he had), and called the loan guy to see where he is at with that (he was seeing if he could lend us more, thanks anyway RAMS :) ).

Now i'm going to bed to hopefully get a good nights sleep so I can be awake for class and the meeting with the lawyer tomorrow x.X.

Pain was a bit annoying today. My R foot was angry after the MRI so I used a cane for the trip to uni and back. Still getting the pain on the side of my leg. GP thinks it's refereed pain from my back :/ so thats a bit concerning. I guess as long as i'm not getting any nerve side effects it should be ok.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Short Stack the Second

Tired again today. Woke up at 6:30 to make Milo some eggs :) he liked them. I think just his puppy stew tomorrow morning though...

Bran and I had a nice lunch out and I made a lovely roast chicken dinner. I ate chicken again after 8 years. It was weird.

We re-evaluated some things in our relationship, and both agree that we would like to do at least one trip away from Brisbane this year. We also need to get out as a couple more. Other than that I think we communicate quite well for a young married couple :).

Hands were sore today, back is feeling a bit better. R foot/ankle is angry.

Monday 30 April 2012

Short Stack

Tired. We are in the process of putting a contract on the Nundah apartment :). But now the studio may be back up :/.....Sore back. R leg is being weird.

Sunday 29 April 2012

Smelly Stew for the Pesky Pup

What a day. I'm a bit sore and tired today, despite a sleep in. Bran and I didn't end up having our date :(. We are quite concerned about Milo's paws and decided to watch after him today. If they don't improve i'll be bringing him to the vet. On a different but related note, we made Milo some doggy stew (that is, for dogs, not made of dogs). It was a fish base using this recipe at Down to Earth. I didn't use pasta, instead adding more brown rice in it's place. It was indeed quite smelly from the fish, but Milo seemed to like it and it seems pretty nutritionally sound. We will be giving him yogurt and sardines as well for calcium as he can't handle raw bones.

On the other hand, Bran thinks the Nundah apartment is a good idea :) so i'll be getting in contact with Sam tomorrow to talk about a contract. It's a great apartment, with some improvements it'll be spectacular! It's not in an ideal position as it's a bit far from the train but it's a nice suburb and we aren't likely to get as nice of a place for that inexpensive. So cross your fingers for us!

Saturday 28 April 2012

Of Apartments and Puppies

Spent the day looking at apartments with Sarah and Bran :D. It was a lot of fun! I enjoy looking at places and imagining what could be...The only apartment we liked was the Nundah one. It's a definite possibility :) even if it's a major fixer-upper.

Tomorrow is Bran and my date to celebrate out second wedding anniversary! The actual anniversary date is may 1st, but as it'll be a week night  we decided to go out tomorrow and have a nice dinner in on the 1st. I've been looking forward to it for a while, it's been hard for Bran and I to have time just for us lately because of busy schedules.

Milo's paws are looking a bit better today, though still raw. I think a few more days as a sock dog and he should be healed up :). He is liking the home made food, especially the nice fried egg he got this morning XD. Lucky dog. Hopefully it'll help clear up his skin problems.

Pain wise, it wasn't too bad today. My R foot is a bit sore and my hands/fingers are sore. Back is doing a bit better. R elbow is meh.

Friday 27 April 2012

The Pesky Puppy

Well, the other studio at New Farm is a no go. But we saw a great one bed in Nundah :D. It needs repairs, but it could be just what we are looking for. I'm hopeful :). We're off tomorrow to check out some more places and look at the Nundah apartment again with Bran. A lot of it depends on financing, which we should hear back about wednesday.

Milo is still not feeling well. His little paws are awfully red (mostly because he's been chewing on them when no one is home). We've made the decision to make his food here at home rather than risk more comercial food failures. Tonight was brown rice with roasted green beans and salmon ;). Fancy, eh? I'm hopeful that we can get his skin problems under control and get him back to the happy little dog he is.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Spoke with the loan guy today :) we'll hear back next week about the pre-approval. He seems pretty confidant that we will get it. Lets hope!

Didn't get the studio, but we are checking out some other places tomorrow. I'm not feeling bad about this though, I know when the time is right something just for us will show up :).

Pain wise not too bad today, back is still angry. I went for a walk with Milo this morning, and that did help with my sore back. It made me very tired though, maybe I should stick with 20 minute walks for the time being..Milo sure was happy though! He is a sock dog again today, his back paws are looking better but his front right is awfully irritated. I'm sure another day or two as a sock dog and it will heal up. I've also made the decision that once we are done this bag of food i'll start making his dog food. That way I know exactly what is in it. Poor pup.