Reading Challenges

I Challenged myself to read at least 36 books in the New Release Book Challenge which continues for the rest of the year.  I also Challenged myself to read 12 books for the month of January.  I have 1 1/2 to finish today. 

These Challenges may seem silly to most people.  I have to have a goal to look forward to, and this just happens to be mine.  I do no immerse myself in television, movies or the like.  I either listen or read books to take my mind off of things.  Why not make it more fun by challenging myself as well.

Will update this post with the outcome.

***Update****

I reach too high and finish just under!  That is fine.  I finished 11 books for the month of January.  I will not complain, I still think that 11 is outstanding.  

I usually choose to spend all of Sunday reading and relaxing, but a good portion of today I spent with the kids and that comes first if possible.  Everyone is usually doing their own thing and that is fine too, but today we came together, I read with my son, had a few heart to hearts with my daughters, and worked on an extensive homework project with my oldest daughter that got everyone involved.  It was a good day, so not getting to read that one book, Ha oh well!  

Keep striving for those goals that make you happy, but if life gets in the way cherish that too.  Don't lose yourself in just getting those goals met, know that they are the extras that encourage your to gro and as long as you are growing you have already won.  Take care everyone and I hope you are all well.   Goodnight.

Modifications…

As I am sitting here typing on my LED backlit keyboard, double checking my posture is as efficient as I can make it, I have improved since April of last year.  I now understand that I have modify my lifestyle. 

In May of 21014, my Neurologist told me that I am Hypermobile.

• Joints that are more flexible than normal or that move in excess of a normal range of motion are considered hypermobile. When generalized, hypermobility occurs with symptoms such as muscle or joint pain without systemic disease, it is called – hyper mobility syndrome or joint hypermobility syndrome.
• This caused me to find others that have this.  I found a few websites that have really allowed me to explore how I can modify my lifestyle so I reduce injuring myself. 
• Now just so you know I have never dislocated a joint, I have hurt my shoulder grabbing a Sippy cup for my child in the backseat, I have pulled all the ligaments in my pelvic region while pregnant from hitting a bump in the road, wrenched my wrist from opening a jar, holding pens or pencils is a challenge to me, and so on.  Maybe these sound minor to most, but they themselves prove that I push beyond what is normal range of motion, sometimes without thinking it can injure me.
• These injury’s cause “Trigger Points” in a condition called Myofacial Pain Syndrome.  I have been having Trigger Point Injections to relieve some of the painful areas.  I cried the first series of shots, it release so much pain that I  became very emotional.  I know Boo Hoo right?  I hated myself for crying it was so unexpected.  These really do help me a lot. 
• I have taken the whole idea a lot more seriously, after realizing there were ways to modify your lifestyle.  Checking to make sure your aren’t over stressing your joint, sitting with better posture, sleeping with better posture, getting up and moving…

My Neurologist gave me a strong course of B-12 injections in September.  I am feeling like I have a lot more energy, feeling a bit stronger and above all I can feel sensations in my hands and fingertips again.  The pieces are fitting together.  Now my Neurologist said he wants to keep my B-12 levels above the normal range due to the fact I have neuropathy.  To a normal doctor, they wouldn’t push to raise my levels.  But again this Neurologist know his stuff.

In late August my PCP started me on Lyrica- wow what a crazy med, I went on and off, and on and off it again, then because the side effects from withdrawal were so bad I went back on it again.  I have worked with my doctor to find a comfortable range of dosage that I am happy with.  75 *2  a day, so so.  150 *2 daily, crazy!!!! I am on 75mg in the morning, and 150mg at night.  This dosage really helps me be alert during the day, and sleep great at night.  I am feeling better, this did take about 5 months to reach this state so just be warned, it isn’t an overnight thing, it was trial and error. 

October, every October for the last 4 years…  I had high fevers, no flu, no known cause, I was so weak for the entire month that I couldn’t stand for more than 10 minutes at a time.  I slept 20 hours a day.  The exhaustion was killing me.  Thank God in July I had everything organized for the PTSA, so I could just read a To-Do List and go from there.  I don’t think I would have made it, truly.  I took a course of antibiotics, then a course of prednisone, then I finally came out of it. 

November I was off and running again. 

This month my doctor started me on Nerve Blocks for the Occipital Nerve to see if that would help with my headaches (tension from neck pain causing my scalp to be so sore).  OMG.  I see him this week and I really am able to withstand a 6 hour days worth of work, grocery shopping, meal prep. and then not wanting to scream at everyone at the end of the day!  It is insanely amazing to me.  What a relief it has been. 

I am just so happy I feel like me again.  I can walk straight with my head held up high (my neck pain and back of head pain has prevented me from doing this in the past).  I may not be losing weight at this point, but my confidence is coming back regardless, and pain isn’t preventing me from life.  That can only be a positive for the future. 

Challenges I choose to endure.

I noticed that the last time I posted on here, I was trying to figure out if I wanted to continue with PTSA this past fall or not.  Well just an update, I did continue and I became President. 

PTSA:

I set up an Asana account so all of our Executive Committee members could be in touch instantly.  In July and August I created and set up a workspace that could carry us on throughout the year.  It worked great!  We could make decissions as they came up in a formal setting that documented everyones imput.  We could stay on track easily.  In October when I became so sick, others took over and had everything they needed to keep us on target.  It is working well still.  What a relief.

Book Club:

My boss last year, decided she wasn’t going to carry on with the Libarary’s Book Club.  So I chose to create one.  It hasn’t been huge, but I know eventually it will catch on.  It is a wonderful thing for me to hang out with a few girl friends and discuss great books once a month.  You definetly cannot beat it.

Reading Challenges: 

Goodreads encourages me to challenge myself to reading more.  I read/listened to 99 books last year.  I didn’t meet my goal of 100, but I am still very proud of myself.   I listen to books a lot more than I read them because my eyes have difficulty focussing sometimes.  I have joined a few groups a few years ago.  This month I started 2 challenges:

1. Time for Tea- a challenge for January (goal 13)
2. New Releases Challenge 2016- Annual Challege to read New Releases every month this year. (goal 36, or 3 a month)

 

Regardless of how much stress these add to my life, I feel it is still an escape from my own head.  To me it is necessary to have an outlet when my life is feeling unsettled from the symptoms that I get.  Yes it can be overwhelming at times.  Yes it can also add to the burdens I already feel.  My thought is this, I am going to live my life as full as I can and this “Conundrum” I face, will challenge me to be the best person I can be for as long as I can.  I have children who look up to me for courage, how would I want them to face challenges?  I would want them to live and enjoy life.