Ramping Up and a Cute Distraction

 

   I could feel it when I got up this morning.  My anxiety and OCD started ramping up for no logical reason at all.  I knew I was going into a Fibro flare.  Then the IBS kicked in,,,,oh joy!  NOT!  I could not eat anything and it even took awhile to finish my coffee.  I watched some videos on YouTube, hoping it would get my mind off the flare.  No such luck.  I climbed into the shower and kept telling myself out loud to get it together and that I was fine...there was no reason to get all ramped up.  Did that work?  Nope.  Washing my hair hurt, washing my face hurt, my skin hurt.  Blow drying and brushing my hair hurt.  Every time the bristles of the brush (and I used the soft one) touched my scalp it felt like fingernails digging in and running their way down.  My styling brush was even worse.

   I dressed in the softest clothing I could find but had to put on a bra because a very cute little visitor was coming to hang out, along with his beautiful mommy, with Grammie for the morning.  The bra, one of the soft ones with no underwire hurt, the waistband of my softest jeans hurt against my skin, The Fibro rash on my face was flaring up too and even my hair touching my face made it itch and feel like little needles were touching it.  Then came the hot flashes...yes, those come with Fibro too.  It's like being in Menopause all over again.  Yuck!  I stepped outside in the cool air hoping that would help cool me down since these can last for hours.  I took a stroll around the garden to see how my roses had fared over the Winter and soaked in the beauty of the crocuses, grape hyacinths and snowdrops.

   After coming back inside, I took down the Christmas cards that were on the back of the front door (yes, I realize that it is now March) and threw out the paper ones, but kept the photo ones.  I then wrangled cats that are just a bit nuts today.  I folded up Caesar's quilt and put it off to the side so Steven would have more room to play and set up a folding tv tray in front of the pellet stove so he could not get to it and burn himself.  Knowing that my brain fog was bad today, I got out a bag of clothing for Steven that I had here for him so that I would not forget to give them to Rachel.  I looked at the front living room window with all the kitty nose prints and paw marks on it, knowing that it needed to be washed, but decided against doing that.  It was then that I hear Midgey scratching at the bedroom door wanting to be let out.  She had insisted on being in there with Jeff while he slept earlier.  The door usually is left open during the day but with Steven and Rachel coming, I had shut it so Jeff could get some good sleep.

   Rachel and Steven arrived shortly after that and being the sweetheart that she is, Rachel brought lunch with her for us.  Steven played, cuddled and then decided to grab Doofy cat.  Doofy swatted Steven without his claws out as a warning.  Apparently Steven did not learn his lesson and went after Doofy again, grabbing a fistful of hair on Doofy's side.  Steven now knows that kitties scratch if you do not head their warnings.  It was a rather painful lesson for Steven and Doofy to learn since now Doofy knows to stay away from the baby or he will grab you. Steven is sporting some scratches on his arm and hand.

    Josh called while they were here to tell me that the house they were trying to buy fell through.  He heads out tomorrow morning to drive to Vegas from the Washington DC area along with his cat.  They will be stopping along the way to stay with friends.  He now is scrambling to find a place for him, his girlfriend who will be joining him a week later, his cat and her dog.  He wants to find a furnished place that will rent month to month.  I put the word out to my friends in Vegas and they have been wonderful trying to help him.  Within minutes of my message, we started to get some leads.  I am thankful to have grown up with such amazing and wonderful people from Hawaii who will go the extra mile to help anyone who grew up in Hawaii or their children...it is the Hawaiian way.

   Having Rachel and Steven here was the perfect distraction for me and I was sad to see them go but Rachel has a bible study group this afternoon.  She is hoping that Steven will get a nap before then, but if not, she will have to skip it.  He was more than ready to take a nap when they headed out.  We are praying that their home sells quickly and that they could possibly move out here for awhile.  We have a friend with a 1 bedroom apartment right down the street from us that they would love to move into.  Jaysn rented their other apartment years ago and I know they would love to have him back as a renter again.  I would love it too because I would have them very close and could spend lots of time with them and babysit when they needed me too without having to drive for half an hour or more to get there.

   I am feeling much calmer after having them here.  Sometimes focusing on the people I love most in the world is all I need to deescalate me when I am ramping up.  Cuddling with my youngest grandson, laughing with my Rachel are all wonderful distractions.  I just saw that my hanai sister is on here way here from Palm Springs and I am hoping that we can get together tomorrow at some point.  We have our oldest grandsons, Bradly and Isaiah, spending the night with us on Saturday and I'm sure they would love some Auntie time with her too. :)  I really do have so much to be thankful for in my life and one of the things that this illness, along with my others, is to try to focus on the good things and the stuff that really matters because my energy is so limited. So here is to family, furbabies, grandchildren and good friends who all bring me great joy, love and laughter.