Stumbled upon this while I was browsing through Facebook and came upon Jennie Pitts' page. I love her. She's been such a light in my life, even though she does not know it.
"...I think we are supposed to stand in the deserts and marvel at how the sun rises. I think we are supposed to sleep in meadows and watch stars dart across space and time. I think we are supposed to love our friends and introduce people to the story, to the peaceful, calming 'why' of life. I think life is spirituality."
-Donald Miller
January 30, 2011
January 26, 2011
January 25, 2011
January 24, 2011
my theory about doctors
I have a theory about doctors. This is it... I'm right and your wrong. Unless I know them really well. Hats off to Dr. John Reveille, Dr. Kido, and Dr. Roark in Houston that are probably the only doctors on this planet that I will listen to and take their thoughts into consideration. To all you other doctors, well you're s**t outta luck.
For example, on Saturday morning, I woke up completely miserable. My little sniffle had escalated over night to an extreme cold, with flu like symptoms and a fever. I pretty much thought that the world was coming to an end and that I should just stay in my bed and feel miserable about myself. Catherine, my lovely and very smart and reasonable roommate, encouraged me out of my miserable state and into the 24 hour "Reddy" Clinic. Now, let me give you a little bit of my medical background... I have a form of rheumatoid arthritis and also have had MRSA and recurring sinus infections in the past, therefore, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. The very intelligent Dr. Roark in Houston would load me up on antibiotics, steroids, and all sorts of sprays and other meds 'cause he knows that I have to get rid of whatever it is I have in order to continue my arthritis medicine (Enbrel, Humira, all you RA folks know what I'm talking about). However, this doctor would not give me diddly-squat. Well, I wasn't too happy about that. This is how our conversations went...
Doctor: "You have a lot of fluid in your ears, you should watch out for a severe ear infection. Your lymph nodes are swollen. Your nose is very swollen, and your tender along your forehead."
Me: "Yes ma'am. I feel really, really bad."
Doctor: "Yes, but I'm hesitant to give you anything."
Me: "Umm... why?"
Doctor: "Because you've only been sick for four days and you are all ready on a lot of medication for your RA."
Me, thinking in my head: "How the hell does my RA medicine have to do with me getting treatment for a sinus infection???!!"
to the doctor: "Umm, well okay, but I feel really bad, and I have had a lot of sinus infections in the past and this feels like one. Also, I'm due for a Humira dose and I can't take it until I get better."
Doctor: "But, if we give you medicine today that's not going to make any difference for your Humira dose tomorrow."
Me: "Well no s**t sherlock that's why I'm here to get the medicine and get better ASAP so then I can take the Humira."
"Yes, I understand, but I want to try and get better as soon as possible so that I can then take the Humira dose because I have been in a lot of pain."
Doctor: "Ummm, well I still don't know. Has your rheumatologist thought about giving you steroids for your arthritis?"
Me: "Are you a doctor??!"
"Yes, but I have only taken them short term because of the side effects. That's why I take Humira, because it's so much better than steroids."
5 minutes more of deliberation this is the conclusion...
Doctor: "Well, I'm really hesitant to do this, but I guess I'll give you something."
Me: "Thank the Lord."
"Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate it."
And let me tell ya... I woke up Sunday morning (well noon to be exact) and I felt like a new person. I'm still not 100%, but I can BREATHE, I can actually get out of bed without being in pain, I'm not coughing up a lung, and I am not suffocating Catherine with all my used tissues thrown all over the room.
See, I know what I'm talking about.
For example, on Saturday morning, I woke up completely miserable. My little sniffle had escalated over night to an extreme cold, with flu like symptoms and a fever. I pretty much thought that the world was coming to an end and that I should just stay in my bed and feel miserable about myself. Catherine, my lovely and very smart and reasonable roommate, encouraged me out of my miserable state and into the 24 hour "Reddy" Clinic. Now, let me give you a little bit of my medical background... I have a form of rheumatoid arthritis and also have had MRSA and recurring sinus infections in the past, therefore, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. The very intelligent Dr. Roark in Houston would load me up on antibiotics, steroids, and all sorts of sprays and other meds 'cause he knows that I have to get rid of whatever it is I have in order to continue my arthritis medicine (Enbrel, Humira, all you RA folks know what I'm talking about). However, this doctor would not give me diddly-squat. Well, I wasn't too happy about that. This is how our conversations went...
Doctor: "You have a lot of fluid in your ears, you should watch out for a severe ear infection. Your lymph nodes are swollen. Your nose is very swollen, and your tender along your forehead."
Me: "Yes ma'am. I feel really, really bad."
Doctor: "Yes, but I'm hesitant to give you anything."
Me: "Umm... why?"
Doctor: "Because you've only been sick for four days and you are all ready on a lot of medication for your RA."
Me, thinking in my head: "How the hell does my RA medicine have to do with me getting treatment for a sinus infection???!!"
to the doctor: "Umm, well okay, but I feel really bad, and I have had a lot of sinus infections in the past and this feels like one. Also, I'm due for a Humira dose and I can't take it until I get better."
Doctor: "But, if we give you medicine today that's not going to make any difference for your Humira dose tomorrow."
Me: "Well no s**t sherlock that's why I'm here to get the medicine and get better ASAP so then I can take the Humira."
"Yes, I understand, but I want to try and get better as soon as possible so that I can then take the Humira dose because I have been in a lot of pain."
Doctor: "Ummm, well I still don't know. Has your rheumatologist thought about giving you steroids for your arthritis?"
Me: "Are you a doctor??!"
"Yes, but I have only taken them short term because of the side effects. That's why I take Humira, because it's so much better than steroids."
5 minutes more of deliberation this is the conclusion...
Doctor: "Well, I'm really hesitant to do this, but I guess I'll give you something."
Me: "Thank the Lord."
"Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate it."
And let me tell ya... I woke up Sunday morning (well noon to be exact) and I felt like a new person. I'm still not 100%, but I can BREATHE, I can actually get out of bed without being in pain, I'm not coughing up a lung, and I am not suffocating Catherine with all my used tissues thrown all over the room.
See, I know what I'm talking about.
January 19, 2011
January 18, 2011
Snowdays
Oh, the good ole' Athens, Georgia with a winter blanket.
More pictures to come of my beautiful week.
January 13, 2011
no more cabin fever
The first day of classes of the Spring Semester of 2011 has started. Good bye snow days.
Let the work begin.
January 12, 2011
January 5, 2011
can time really heal all things?
The question that is running through my head over and over again as I'm trying to fall asleep, but of course I'm epically failing, is Can time really heal things? I haven't mentioned this before and I'm hesitant to mention this now, but heck this is a blog after all. I've been going through a lot in my life right now (who hasn't?) a lot of emotional and physical issues and I keep telling myself that time will fix things, that I just need to be patient. Well, there's the first problem. I am not a patient person at all, at least, I've been told that. So here I am, day after day, telling myself that I'm not going to get better over night, that it's going to take time. But what if it doesn't work? What if I spend all this time trying to fix myself and I just can't be fixed?
Don't get me wrong, I want to get better, I really truly do. I mean I'm driving myself crazy, not to mention my family and friends. Actually, that's a lie. Not my friends. They kind of know what's going on, but not really because I don't want to worry them. Thank goodness for Catherine and Corey, two of my friends that have no clue how incredibly screwed up I am, they just know I need support and they are offering it to me. So back to my pondering. Can time really fix me? Or am I just wasting my time?
Don't get me wrong, I want to get better, I really truly do. I mean I'm driving myself crazy, not to mention my family and friends. Actually, that's a lie. Not my friends. They kind of know what's going on, but not really because I don't want to worry them. Thank goodness for Catherine and Corey, two of my friends that have no clue how incredibly screwed up I am, they just know I need support and they are offering it to me. So back to my pondering. Can time really fix me? Or am I just wasting my time?
January 4, 2011
On my vacation...
I lounged on the beach and soaked in the breathtaking view of turquoise water, palm trees, and brightly painted houses that dotted the island. It was probably the most relaxed I've ever been in my life. Now, if I can only take that feeling of perfect bliss and bring it back with me to reality... yeah right. I am probably one of the most stressed out and crazed people you will ever meet, but what's weird is I'm laid back also. I guess I just bottle it all up and tell everyone else "Whatever, it's life," when really inside I'm thinking, "Oh my gosh, I have to do this, and this, and this..."
Okay, I'm blabbering, this is not what I wanted to talk about. What I do want to talk about is the book I read. What I'm loving about my winter vacation is I'm able to read books that I want to read. Not required books for school (don't get me wrong, I do like most of the books that I've read for my classes, but the fact that they are required just makes them gross). So the book that I read while I was in St. Lucia was Dancer by Colum McCann. To give you a little background, the book is about the Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and his story told through the eyes of the people around him, like his first ballet teacher's husband, or his sister, or a Venezuelan friend of his. The writing is fabulous as well as the story and McCann does a wonderful job capturing the pain and hardships that people suffered through in all aspects of life.
What I found really touching was the sadness of Rudolf and his family. How is father never saw him dance. How he was living a "well-off" life and his family was barely scrapping by. I think a part of why the story touched/shocked me so is because it was the first time that I had really read anything about the hardships the people went through who lived in the Soviet Union (hey, I'm 19 so I was born when the Soviet Union was changing) I mean, the sister was worried that Rudolf would be upset because they didn't have sugar for the cakes! Or at one time, they were waiting for a shipment of toasters!
My point is to go out and READ THIS BOOK. I can't wait to get my hands on another one of McCann's books.
Okay, I'm blabbering, this is not what I wanted to talk about. What I do want to talk about is the book I read. What I'm loving about my winter vacation is I'm able to read books that I want to read. Not required books for school (don't get me wrong, I do like most of the books that I've read for my classes, but the fact that they are required just makes them gross). So the book that I read while I was in St. Lucia was Dancer by Colum McCann. To give you a little background, the book is about the Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev and his story told through the eyes of the people around him, like his first ballet teacher's husband, or his sister, or a Venezuelan friend of his. The writing is fabulous as well as the story and McCann does a wonderful job capturing the pain and hardships that people suffered through in all aspects of life.
What I found really touching was the sadness of Rudolf and his family. How is father never saw him dance. How he was living a "well-off" life and his family was barely scrapping by. I think a part of why the story touched/shocked me so is because it was the first time that I had really read anything about the hardships the people went through who lived in the Soviet Union (hey, I'm 19 so I was born when the Soviet Union was changing) I mean, the sister was worried that Rudolf would be upset because they didn't have sugar for the cakes! Or at one time, they were waiting for a shipment of toasters!
My point is to go out and READ THIS BOOK. I can't wait to get my hands on another one of McCann's books.
je t'aime
A photo array of Kylee's trip to Paris
Oh to be artsy.
(The last two were taken by Kylee's sister, Bailey)
Whoa great way to start the new year!
By stumbling upon all these great new blogs! Check them out to the right side of my page. I'm especially liking morgangster and all the great music.
January 3, 2011
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