I have had a lot of family issues lately that have really been putting a lot of strain on me.  I have thought of going to my Dr. and asking him if I need to be put on some kind of medication for a bit because I just don’t know how much more I can handle before I snap.  But then I heard that you can buy tramadol through online pharmacies.  It’s easy and you can have it delivered to your house without er having to leave the privacy of your home.

It’s great! It treats lots of different things, too.  From pain to anxiety to depression.  All things I suffer from.  It’s like a miracle drug.  Or at least it sounds like one to me.  Like the website says… ‘We all deserve to live full, energetic, happy lives. When injury or disease stand in the way, taking a drug like Tramadol can be life saving.’

I was watching TV the other day and some talk show was on.  I can’t remember which one now, but they had a 25 year old on the show and she literally looked like she was 40.  I couldn’t believe it.  I am 36 and she looked at least as old as me, if not older! I was shocked.

Sometimes the sun can age us and we might not even realize it. I really don’t worry that much about what my skin looks like as far as whether or not it’s ‘tan’, but I know some people think their skin has to be tan to look good.  My advice to those people would be to use some kind of sunless tanning products so that you don’t age your skin prematurely.  You don’t want to have leathery or wrinkly skin when you get older.

Not to mention you will significantly lower your risk of getting skin cancer, which is just scary…

I’m still struggling with weight loss and I wonder if I will ever be where I want to be this side of heaven.  I wonder what my perfect body will look like…Ima be really mad it’s 200+ pounds.  LOL

I have heard of so many ways to lose weight.  Last night I heard of a new diet plan.  The craziest one yet, if you ask me.  It is the feeding tube diet.  A Dr. actually puts a feeding tube down your throat for ten days and feeds you a diet of fat and protein through it.  WOW! What extremes people will go to! People pay like $1500 for this! It’s for brides to be who ‘need’ to lose those last few pesky pounds just before their wedding.

Then there is a whole gamut of diet pills everything from phen phen to apidextra. But then they had to take phen phen off the market because it was dangerous, although it worked. But does apidextra work?

I don’t know, diet pills make me nervous anyway. I have heard too many stories about them to be able to take them without reservations.  What do you think?!?!?!?!?

Sometimes I think I would do ANYTHING to get rid of these headaches, including experimental Migraine procedures.  I don’t know about you, but I am not a huge fan of pain or nausea.  Don’t know many people who are…Sometimes I feel like I am at my ropes end.

I did start some Migraine meds last year and I am getting fewer headaches, but I would like to have none at all.  I am told this is an unreasonable request.  I’m not a Dr. and I don’t play one on TV, but why can’t they figure out how to get rid of these things?!?!?!  I for one am ready to not suffer any more!!

Well, I had to try to make one of my own because we love them.  But I wanted to make a healthier version, of course.  My first try was somewhat of a success, but wasn’t quite right so Ima keep working on it and I will keep you posted on my progress.  This is what mine looked like this morning.

Buster said to be more authentic it needed a little more mint and a little more splenda (it wasn’t sweet enough).  So I will keep trying. I will post the recipe when it is perfected!

My dad was faithful to take care of her each and every day for over 20 years.  How many people are wiling to do that today? That is what ‘in sickness and in health’ in your vows means folks.  What a good man.  What a faithful man.  My husband has been very good to me the past 20+ years as well.  We haven’t been married that long, but we’ve known each other since 1989 and we’ve been good friends since then.  We have only been a ‘couple’ since about 1990-1991 and married since 1993.

It’s important who you marry! Make sure you know you pick who God has planned for you! Listen to your parents, especially if they are Christians.  That can be tricky though.  My parents are ‘Christians’ but didn’t like my husband…..but I know Buster is God’s will for me, always has been.  He is perfect for me.  But then again, nothing about my adoptive ‘parents’ is normal or Christian like for that matter.  Other than going to church and putting on a good show for others.  But that’s another story for another time.  I’m hoping and praying they have changed and that isn’t the case anymore. God is still in the miracle business, no?!?!

The Dr. said I would be fine.  He said it was perfectly safe for me to take hormones for the next forty years.  Really? Forty years, Doc? Are you sure?!?! That’s what he told me.  At the dose he had me on I was safe to take it til I was 70.  MMhhhmmm, no thanks.  I took it for about a month and then stopped.

He had me on synthetic hormones.  Something taken from the urine of mares or somesuchnonsense.  Where the H-E-double hockey sticks do they come up with this stuff? I mean, really? Why do I wanna put that crap on my body?

Now I MIGHT consider Bioidentical Hormone Replacement or something like that.  Something natural.  Something that comes from humans at least. You know, the same species as me forgoodnesssake.  But I don’t know, it’s  all very technological and scientific, ya know?!?! Scary stuff!

What do you think about hormone replacement? Would you do it? Why or Why not? Please share…

He said he doesn’t think the condition is advanced enough to be causing the chest pain I have been having so he suggested it might be a pinched nerve in my spine.  He said that the ribs being out of alignment can cause the kind of pain I have been having and he wants me to see my chiropractor weekly for a month or so and see if I have any improvement.  I went for my first appointment the following day and my chiropractor said I was way out of alignment and my adjustment was quite painful.  So, I’m thinking maybe we are  on the right track? I guess time will tell…

My lungs were healthy, too.  And my heart monitor readings were normal as well.  So if the adjustments don’t take care of the problem, which I think they will, then I think we will have to assume that we are looking at something stress related.

That wouldn’t surprise me at all. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had problems of that nature.  My dad and sister are both being treated for anxiety disorders and I have been in the past, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that I am dealing with something like that.

Anyway, just wanted to catch everyone up on what’s going on with me.  Still trying to figure out what I’m doing, will keep you posted as I figure things out…

An echo-cardiogram, a pulmonary output test and a 24 heart monitor are all being ordered and then he prescribed an inhaler for when the tightness in my chest gets really bad and the coughing spasms start.

So, we should be getting some answers soon.  He said if these all come back negative, then we will look at anxiety/stress related illnesses, as these run in my family.  We want to rule out any physical ailments first.

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much.

I wasn’t impressed.  I mean, it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t wonderful, either!  It was my own fault,  I didn’t follow directions.  I’m good at that.  Not following directions. Yeah, just ask anyone who knows me.    It’s a problem, I’m working on it…

Aaanywho…My bananas weren’t ripe enough, so they weren’t sweet enough.  *insert sad face here*

So, when you make yours, make sure you have very ripe bananas!! 

Home Made Ice Cream

Find this:

• 4 very ripe bananas, sliced and frozen at least one hour
• 2 T. creamy peanut butter
• 2 t. cocoa powder

Do this:

1. slice your bananas
2. freeze your sliced bananas for at least one hour
3. process your frozen bananas in a food processor until they are smooth like whipped topping (this will take some time, they may become course like gravel before they become smooth)
4. once your bananas are smooth add your peanut butter and cocoa and mix until blended well
5. serve once blended to enjoy like soft serve or refreeze to enjoy like hand dipped ice cream

Since my bananas were quite green I added some splenda to my ice cream to sweeten it up.  My ice cream also turned out quite dark in color because I used dark cocoa powder.  Next time  I will use regular cocoa powder and ripe bananas and I won’t have to use splenda and it won’t be so dark! 

I didn’t think to take the picture til I had my ice cream half eaten! Hahaha…

How can that be?  Something must be causing this.

And now I am having this mysterious chest pain and shortness of breath that makes me cough.  The Dr. thought it was pleurisy, so he put me on meds for inflammation of the lining of the lungs.  I took it, but he said it could be weeks before I see an improvement (which I have not seen yet), so I don;t want to call him yet and tell him I am not feeling any better yet, because it might be too early for me to be feeling any better…

So, I am felling very frustrated.  I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!   It’s been since March that I have been dealing with this passing out issue and it’s been a month or more that my chest has been bothering me.  It feels like someone is sitting on my chest  about 90% of the time and I can’t take a full breath about 50% of the time.  And I have this ache in my chest and shoulders.  And sometimes I get sharp pains, but not very often.  I cough quite a bit and especially when I think about it or talk about it (I have issues about being able to breathe).

Being sick all the time wears on you.  I am grumpy all the time and my husband is getting sick of me being short tempered, but sometimes I just can’t help it.  I’m tired and don’t feel good ALL.THE.TIME.  Something has got to change! I have to have some answers and soon! I am going insane!!

I hope everyone else is having a better fall than I am, Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

I’ll be seeing you,

That is why I love this recipe.

I did tweak the original recipe to make it my own, cause that’s how I roll. 

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup natural (no sugar added) peanut butter (you can totes use regular peanut butter if you wish!!)
  
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (or another oil of your choice, i had to use canola, cause that’s what i had)
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 c. splenda (go ahead and use sugar if you must)
  
• 3-4 T. cocoa
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup TOTAL of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips (gasp)
  

What to do:

1. In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, butter, splenda, cocoa and oil.
2. Remove from heat and add one cup of oats. Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (mine just  dried cranberries, yummy) Pour in and stir well.
3. Spread mixture into a 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan.
4. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into bars. (you could probably just drop by tablespoon full on wax paper and let set up like when making no-bake cookies)
5. Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!

Hope you try this recipe cause they are really good!!

Going to link up with Alli tomorrow for Sweet Tooth Friday!! Cause it’s really fun!! Go see what other treats she has come up with!!

Til we meet again,