I had to drop off the grid again and it wasn’t by choice. I was kicking and screaming and being stubborn the whole time! Lately things have seemed like such a drag! Things that I’m use to doing were becoming tedious and my passion had faded for many things I love. I didn’t know what to think of it. I chalked it up to being stressed, exhausted and just doing too much. I do work FT, have four children, am married and run a small business so I just decided I would slow down a bit. I even considered letting some things go. I’ve come to the realization that… I can’t do it all! I couldn’t even concentrate to write like I use to. My blog posts have been very sporadic since the beginning of this year and even though I have topic ideas that I keep on file and try to keep an editorial calendar of scheduled posts, I could NEVER stick to it. I had to make paid blogging opportunities my priority due to contracts and deadlines and those were even harder to complete than normal. I love to write, share what’s currently going on and stay on the blogging and social media scene. If you are a frequent visitor, you can sense I’m pretty transparent online.
My wake up call was when I couldn’t even get out of bed in the morning without a fight! That struggle was REAL! I’m not a morning person by any means, but I have children to see off to school and a job that I love, so I need to be up in the mornings. I’ve never dealt with chronic fatigue like this before, not even when I was pregnant. I was the queen of power naps and I would be completely refreshed after a nap in the middle of the day. I found myself recently needing to take power naps but, I wouldn’t feel any better afterward. This started to affect everything I did! I was really concerned. I got sick the third week of March while we were vacationing for my husbands Birthday and I got progressively worse over a few days so I broke down and went to Urgent Care. I was given antibiotics for what they suspected was bacterial pharyngitis but, I was Strep free. I also was given a cough suppressant that didn’t work because I couldn’t stop coughing. As my cold started to subside, my allergies started to surface and I had a whole new set of problems.
There’s nothing fun about FINALLY getting over a cold, only to jump right into allergy season. I try to hibernate during the Spring but, the truth is… I have allergies year round. They are just a lot more noticeable in the Spring season. I have every symptom you can think of. Itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, itchy throat, congestion, post nasal drip, sinus infections etc. Oh, and it doesn’t stop there I have food and animal allergies as well! So, I had to make an appointment to get my annual physical and after speaking to my physician about my concerns, she ordered some lab work and referred me to a allergy specialist. My lab work revealed I had a under-active thyroid, which would explain a lot of the symptoms I was experiencing. Glad to know I don’t completely suck at life, because I was seriously slacking! My thyroid gland wasn’t producing enough thyroid hormone which caused my energy to be non existent, no real appetite, scatter brained and my skin was always dry. So, now I’m on medication to treat my low thyroid activity. I also need to take a daily multivitamin. I’ll have routine lab work done to see if it’s working.
I recently had the pleasure of going to see the allergy specialist after being referred by my Physician, and I say this sarcastically because it was everything other than a pleasurable experience. I’ve always stayed away from trying new foods and am really boring because of my food allergies. I’m such a foodie and love to eat so this is just wrong on so any levels! I’ve been hospitalized before for having a severe allergic reaction and I’d just stay away from that particular food. I never knew everything I was allergic to and finally decided to get the skin prick test so I don’t have to guess and continue playing Russian Roulette with my life! After being stuck over 50 times on my arm and back, along with some blood tests, the conclusion is what I suspected… I’m allergic to EVERYTHING! Trees, Grass, Weeds, Cats, Nuts, along with certain fruits and veggies! I’m going to have to alter my diet dramatically because I still eat certain things I’m not supposed to. I always get a mild reaction like hives, itchy throat and slightly nauseated. It’s not worth it though…
So, the moral of this story is to pay attention to signs that your body gives you, follow up and my explanation as to why I’ve been MIA online. I’m just trying to restore my energy and get back on track. I will slowly but, surely! Take a look at pics from my allergy specialist visit and all the medications I need to take in order to manage my allergy symptoms as well as in emergency situations. Did I mention I hate taking medicine and have to schedule reminders or I won’t take it at all! The Struggle…
Side Note: (I pixelated the photos of my back due to the content of my tattoos, did you know I have nine!)
