The Funny Thing about Medicines

I have obviously taken way more medicines than I can keep track of over the past 10 years...and still continue to take a fair amount. So, when it comes to taking more than is required, I am hesitant, even if it will help.

I'm not sure where it stems from except maybe I don't like the extra side effects or putting even more chemicals in my body. Even though Zofran (amazing nausea medicine-can come in pill, IV, etc. form) helps a ton and I can't imagine life without it, I usually wait until I absolutely need it before I take it. This is instead of taking it at the slightest onset of nausea and catching it early. I probably end up setting myself back playing catch-up with the meds (that's what the doctors and nurses used to tell me when I was on chemotherapy- take it early). I also don't like essentially the only side effect of Zofran..

So, while I sit here with another cold or possibly bad allergies, I am hesitant to take medicines...ones that make me feel funny or cause huge headaches if taken for more than a couple days and so on...

Today, I am grateful for a day on the couch to hopefully feel better, a fun week planned next week, friends, family, God.

Rachel

Yes, I Went Missing Again...

Between mid-terms and being sick, I really have not done much else...

I am overjoyed though to be done with 2 big midterms and everything else! The sickness is SO close to being gone and that makes me happy too...

Other randomness: This was a really interesting article about advancements and the future of some cancer treatments...check it out!

And now...one more class, a massage and sleep.

Today, I am grateful for a much needed massage, spring break!, friends, family, God and everything else :).

Rachel

The 2 Sides of 'Good' News...

The Not-so-Good
-I caught a bad cold from the baby that I watch one day a week (he had snot everywhere the other day and I kept using the hand sanitizer every 2 minutes...guess it didn't work...)
-I still have tons to do before spring break (1 take home exam, 2 exams with tons of material, some art stuff, a group presentation, etc.)


The Good and Better
-My friend's dad got moved to a hospital back here where we live (he was out of state at a renowned facility) and is improving a little each day!
-Spring break IS near...
-Afrin is a good friend when I'm sick :)...
-I got a paper done early (for psychology class-history of anorexia)-feels awesome!
-I finished a painting for tomorrow (used up all my energy today)...hopefully I'll get some pics up on the site soon of what I've been doing in painting class
-I have 2 new jobs!
-and best of all...I have an AMAZING friend coming to visit over my spring break-she just booked her flight (I met her at a cancer survivors' retreat a few years ago and haven't gotten to see her in a long time) -I can't wait! ;)
-I'm going to bed NOW (early!)

Today, I am grateful for all of the above in the good and better section, family, friends, hubby and God!

R

Hope everyone is doing well...

The first week of school is off to a crazy start! Trying to get school supplies, scholarship forms mailed off, mailing textbooks I sold on Amazon (w/in the 2-day time window)- highly recommend it-it's my first time, working lots of hours, working out with my new workout partner (thanks D! So excited we are at college together again!) and going to lots of classes...and on top of that...dealing with some sort of food poisoning/stomach bug thing. Not so much fun. Will probably go to the Dr. soon to get some meds/get it checked out. And nope, I haven't eaten any peanut butter.

I think I'm really going to like my classes though. I'm taking my first true art therapy class and I LOVED the first night of it. We do some art therapy exercises and learn about the history of art therapy, etc. I'll take another art therapy intro class in the fall too. I finally am taking my first 2 real art classes at this college too...painting and a drawing class. This will be my first painting class (I am pretty self-taught). My professor was really surprised. After class, he wanted to make sure I wasn't supposed to be in advanced because he had seen some of my stuff last fall. Also, looking forward to Introduction to Asian Art and a psych class-will go to that tonight for the first time.

Ciao!

Today, I am grateful for strength to get through this week, friends, family, God and a great husband!

Rach

Quick Update

So this week is off to a rocky start and this update will be brief...my energy is quite low right now.

We found out that my cousin passed away who was 34 (who I really haven't seen much over the years). It was sudden and I'm still not sure if they know why. They thought he was sleeping and he wasn't. I feel very sad for my uncle-this is the 2nd child that he's lost (the other was only 24 when she died).

I have a pretty bad cold that I'm still fighting.

My stomach is having issues-the doctors are running some tests to see if I maybe picked up something in Mexico.

And lastly, obviously I will not be attending the LiveStrong Summit in Ohio this weekend. Which, with everything going on, is kind of a relief. While last time was a wonderful, inspirational time, I would not have been able to enjoy it even if I had pushed myself to go (which I'm not sure is even possible).

Thanks in advance for your prayers and support. I hope to be back to a 'stronger me' quite soon.

Today, I am grateful for: doctors and nurses that care and check on me, for a husband, family and friends to lean on and for God's graces.

Rachel

Some Words...

I have been quite out of it this week. It's not that this cold is that bad-it just is exhausting me (more than the usual fatigue which is a lot to begin with). I feel fortunate in that sense because a lot of people I know are getting so sick that they are in bed for a week or more. I am at least able to stumble through classes.

A poem I wrote (during class) the other day-

Just take it day by day
Some will be better than others
Knowing life is special
Even when it is unpleasant
Things have been worse


Today, I am grateful for: life, friends, family, health and God.

Rach

Lucky Duck

Maybe I should knock on wood or I might be jinxing myself BUT I have just have to say I been so amazed by my immune system lately. Maybe it's the flu shot, maybe it's that I wash my hands a ton, maybe it's this or that but the fact is I haven't been sick lately and it seems everyone around me has! This is a FIRST for sure. For so many years, my immune system has been suppressed and I guess part of me assumed it would be like this forever and I'm sure to an extent, that's true. I was the first to get sick, the last to heal and it usually turned into something worse...not a good combo. Even a year ago from now, I had a pretty serious infection in my blood. I know those days will most likely come again but for now I am content to just battle this exhaustion from the new(er) nerve meds (from Nov-Dec time) and not be sick on top of it!

Thank God!!

Today, I am grateful for: one less 'challenge' in life lately-that of not being sick, a wonderful night last night!!, a morning of extended rest, life, friends, family and God.

R

The Eve of Christmas...

I'm not feeling too in the spirit, I guess you could say. I just went to the Dr for my lingering cold. It seems that my lungs sounded good (haha, good in terms of "Rachel lungs", which aren't in the best shape, but this is good news-I was worried) and my throat looked ok (I had lost my voice for a couple days and it was sore). They took blood and said it was just the cold taking forever to leave me. So, good news overall and now I need to gear up for a couple days of nonstop parties, food and family. Fun, but of course, exhausting!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today, I am grateful: that I am not more sick, that I've been able to enjoy my holiday break and not miss anything I've wanted to do, for friends, family and God.

Love,
Raquel (why not go by my spanish name today?)

Followup: Inexpensive Gift Ideas

These are applicable to holidays, birthdays, or a thank you for being a person in my life!

Thank you to those who submitted ideas and I came up with some on my own too...

-Sale section at Anthropologie (normally not a cheap store and i'm not sure about online but when I go into the store, I ALWAYS find something, I even found some awesome fabric to be used in conjunction with the wedding)

-Homemade bookmarks

-Various ideas with small canvases-painting, quotes

-Baked goods/candies/that sort of made-from-the-heart goodness

-A great place for picture frames (esp. smaller ones)-dollar stores

-Dollar Bins when you walk in at Target-have gotten some great stuff!

-Tricia...A great gift is to make bags of epson salt with oil and directions. Package them up pretty.

-Kristin...photo frames with inspiring words on them...either gotten from magazines or painted on...also-homemade ornaments...

-Brandy...suggests this site...http://www.gifts.com/finder for those who are hard to buy for!

That's all for now! If you have more or I forgot someone's please speak up :).

Today, I am thankful for: friends, family and God, finding a great dress for the weekend wedding and the holidays, getting all the holiday shopping done (I think) and the crowds not being too bad, and now a day for resting again-I think this cold/flu has never really left and I feel it coming on again-I hope I'm wrong!!

Love,

Rachel

Vulnerable Poem

Vulnerable by Rachel written on November 21st, 2007

Vulnerable
That moment when I am alone
With my thoughts,
My terrors
And my pain-
Mental and physical,
Spiritual and emotional
Just feeling
Feeling alone
And just soaking it up
Letting it sink in
Or wiping it off

--------

Side note: I am STILL pretty sick. Ugh. Just got to get through today and tomorrow's presentation and 2 exams. All I want to do is sleep... (the weather isn't helping-ice, rain and all that stuff)

Today, I am grateful for friends, family and not being more sick than I am...

Rach

Mercy By Jodi Picoult

I apologize if this is unorganized or if something does not make sense, I really don't feel that great... I think I have a cold or something. ugh...Wish I could sleep, have an exam in a couple hours...Just got to get through until the big project due on Thursday, and then the beginning of next week...

I just returned, Mercy by Jodi Picoult, to the library. It was a nice break/distraction to all the work I've been doing the past week. I wanted to keep reading, as I do with most of Jodi's books-by far one of my favorite authors! (If you haven't read anything of hers, I HIGHLY recommend it...)

Anyways, the synospis from her website says:

What would you do for someone you love? Would you lie? Would you leave? Would you kill? These are just some of the questions confronting the characters in Mercy, which follows the path of two cousins driven to extremes by the power of love.

Cameron MacDonald has spent his life guided by duty. As the police chief of a small Massachusetts town that has been home to generations of his Scottish clan, he is bound to the town's residents by blood and honor. Yet when his cousin Jamie arrives at the police station with the body of his wife and the bald confession that he's killed her, Cam immediately places him under arrest.

The situation isn't as clear to Cam's wife, Allie. While she is devoted to her husband, she finds herself siding against Cam, seduced by the picture James paints of a man so in love with a woman that he'd grant all her wishes…even the one that meant taking her life.

Into this charged atmosphere drifts Mia, a new assistant at Allie's floral shop, for whom Cam feels an instant and inexplicable attraction. While he aids the prosecution in preparing the case against Jamie, who killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy, Cam finds himself betraying his own wife.

Woven tight with passion and a fast-paced plot, Mercy explores some of today's most highly charged emotional and ethical issues as it draws toward its stunning conclusion. When you love someone, where do you cross the line of moral obligation? And how can you commonly define love and devotion to begin with?

-----------

The book raised interesting questions...Jamie's wife had advanced breast cancer that was causing blindness and couldn't deal with it. Even at my worst when I was suffering a ton, I never really wished to die so it was hard for me to see this, but interesting to read anyways because I know people act differently in different situations. I have always been intrigued by trying to see things in the eyes of others.

I recommend the book but was somewhat disappointed in how it ended a bit mildly.

If you've read it, let me know what you think. If not, read it and tell me :). Thanks!

Today, I am grateful for: life, being able to hopefully get through the school day, books, family and friends.

Love,

Rachel

Prayers

Sorry I'm checking in so late! Today's post won't be very long because I'm running out the door (again-one of those days) but I wanted to say I am praying for a lot of people right now.

I found out today a friend who is around my age (25) relapsed a second time and I just want people to keep him in their prayers.

There are so many other people that I know that are struggling-whether it's emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. I just want to send prayers to all of them-ones I know and do not know and I hope you do too!

I'll also leave you with a quote:

There is one consolation in being sick...the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before.
— Henry David Thoreau

That is always how I saw hope in my darkest, most sick times--there was ALWAYS the hope of getting better, no matter what anyone told me and the fact is, I did-I made my own statistic and I hope that for others.

Today, I am grateful for: friends-old and new, family, God, prayers and hope and the ability to be healthy today to do lots of mostly fun stuff!

Prayers and peace,
Rachel