Just a look at what I've been working on, even with a right hand so swollen I can barely move my fingers - NEVER let ANY DISEASE make YOU think YOU CANT - YOU CAN!!! (or most of the time you can)

WELL!!! The Living Room is almost done. Of course the ceiling is not painted, and I still have to do the floor, but I got it all painted, and the chair railings all up and finished this afternoon! I am quite proud of my work, although I can see the “mistakes” hopefully no one else will notice. Then the kitchen wall, and I got it almost finished and have the chair railing up in there. Now the “red” blob…

DO NOT make fun of me yet… LOL, When I finish, I hope it will turn out half as well as the hallway did in my house here… I found the “glitter” to go into the gold paint, so I will paint the upper half red, and white on the bottom, same as the others, but I am going to “sponge”, use newspaper, paper towels, possibly rag roll the gold over the red. If it turns out like I can picture it in my mind, along with my red and yellow curtains, plus my bedspread that has all of those colors mixed in,


 I think it will turn out awesome… if not I guess I will be repainting the bedroom! LOL!! That is the ONE thing I figured out after all of my years of DIY at homes, whether painting, fixing, repairing or whatever, if you feel you do not like it, like coloring your hair, just do it over another way! It can be “fixed” ….. anyway, I am exhausted and my right hand is so swollen you can barely see my knuckles.. and that “sawing” was all done by ME, by HAND with a “miter saw” by the way… no electric saw of any kind, it cut all of those railing pieces by hand…. :)

I know I shall "suffer" the pain and swelling, and all that comes with undertaking a project when you are in chronic pain, and living with several chronic illnesses.., BUT AT LEAST "trying" to partially do something you love, whatever that is, is a WIN WIN even if you Can't FINISH it, you are still a winner because you TRIED! We "try" to never allow chronic pain and illnesses to ruin our "want to's" and joys in life...although at times they take over, when we have a fighting chance, we FIGHT!!!!

How "Autoimmune and/or other Chronic Illnesses" seem to "slow you down to a snail's pace"

Lots going on here, there and yonder...mmm one of those "Texas" words "yonder"??? I have people especially ones in California ask me where "yonder" is??? Well, in TX, it usually means in the direction you are pointing! LOL!!! New word for today....  "lollop"... to "loll" around for short... or to be a bit in a lounging position and it can also mean to "bob" up and down.... I had heard this one and have used it so not really "new" to me, but it puts it in my head to use it more... I am in the process of finishing paying bills, cutting out coupons, and trying to NOT feel BAD!!! I woke up about 4 am with the worst headache, and my stomach was upset.... plus I just have no energy for some reason... and of all days... even though it is sunny outside, the wind chill has to be COLD as heck! Oh, another word I had tried my best to think of last night, and I could recall several words that kind of meant the "same" as what I was trying to come up with. Finally I got the Thesaurus out and looked up "neutered", "watered down" and so forth. Then the word I was looking for hit me... CENSORED... I think something due to me NOT censoring my writing there are times some may get offended by what I say. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not going to poignantly come out and write something meaning to piss someone off or upset them on purpose. But, if I begin censoring my writing, it is no longer what I want to say. It has made me wonder why I don't get as much traffic to my blog as I want. I realize that "links" back to other sites help immensely, to get your rankings up as far as SEO goes for sites and search engines. But, it is not even "strangers" that maybe "googling" a certain type of blog, or illness, and then they come across a link to my blog or facebook page etc. It is more about wanting ALL of those that spend time here at Facebook, Google Plus, and other places they may find out about me being a writer and published author that I am interested in. I seem to never get feedback. No matter if I write about my own health issues, about the other places I am a strong voice as far as advocacy, activist, and ambassador on, or if I am talking about my own latest catastrophic event of the day, I never get many replies back, or more comment is what I mean on the blog in itself. Does that mean people don't like it so father than say something tacky to me, they just don't say anything at all. Or is it I do hit the nail on the head for many, yet they just don't find it necessary to submit a comment on whatever subject matter I may pick for the moment. Well, unless something ridiculous happens this year of 2015 I plan on posting MORE blog posts, and working on both books daily, as well as learning a new word, getting back to my exercising since I have kind of flaked off the past several months. I do lots of running around since Jim is not able to go out, or clean, cook etc... so I get lots of "exercise" with all of that, but I need to be back on the stationary bike, out walking daily or trying once again to use my stair climber. Me and that thing have hell, but it is mainly because my feet want to slip and slide all over the place. That does make it difficult to exercise on when you are constantly having to reposition your feet.

Okay, I have done a couple of the "new" items on the agenda, and I stopped a moment to say hello to all. It is hard to believe the holidays are already past, the new year is here, and once again it is back to the "farm" to hitch up the mules, put the crops in order, get kids back to school, and put noses to the grind stone hoping for a better 2015 for many of us.... take it one step at a time, one breaths space at a time, one day, one week, one month... all at a time... slow down, stop. and try your best to "accomplish" something even if it a new word daily, that you can be proud of for 2015... read a book, write a novel, crochet, paint, learn to play an instrument, go back to college, or just spring clean your home and throw away everytthing that has NOT BEEN USED in a YEAR! I have figured out, if something is lingering around my home, whether in my closet as clothes, or dishes, or whatever might be "building up" and not being used... throw it in the recycle bin, take it to Goodwill, give it away, have a garage sale, but take your home to an entire new level... for me that does mean a great deal of getting rid of stuff that is just that stuff that sits around and is either already worn out, or I will never use, or was meant to do one thing or the other but I never got to it... and I am bound and determined, that I am GOING TO PAIN MY KITCHEN and have a new floor put in. IF it "hair lips" Harry as the old saying goes - actually it is "if it hair lips the Pope"... and I am not sure why, but that is how it has been said for eons... I already have colors picked out, and they have an already "pre-cut" cabinet top that is not all that expensive that should replace mine hopefully quite easily... so my hopes are that at the very least I get a "new updated" kitchen, floor to ceiling, and we get the outside of the house painted... of which I can do most of it myself, but I am just so slow, it will take me quite awhile by the time I sand down all of the old paint (Lord I bet there are 5 layers of old paint) on my cabinet fronts. Someone before us never scraped or sanded anything. and then when we got here, it was a hurry up, had our lease on our apartment ending, and did not want to pay another month's rent if possible... so there were somethings we had to kind of just "do half azzed" at the time, in order for us to move in that fine Winter of 2006, which we almost froze our butts off... Lord it was a cold winter that year. Jim was redoing our hardwood floors, and we were concerned about whether that coatings would dry on them fast enough for us... we really needed to scrape those cabinet fronts and doors, but time made us just get it painted and cleaned up so we could get moved in... wow, how the heck we made two huge moves, including coming to Amanda's wedding the Summer before we moved here, then Dad's funeral at the 3rd month of 2005, then we made the major move to San Pedro CA, and withing 3 months were on the road again for a long haul to Ennis....we got here on December 19th, 2005... Amanda had just had James on the 6th of December, and they all came up, well at that time it was Heather, James a new born, Amanda and Jimbo, then Jason and Danielle I believe both came over... I know Jason did... anyway down memory lane... due to me knowing what I could get accomplished then, compared to how long it takes me to accomplish anything now... is like a very long, long distance... Anyway, off to take meds, eat a bowl of cereal or something, and possibly get some writing done.... ;) ,

Covers I am working on for my Two New Books

New Post - My Letter to Congress in Regard to Arthritis, Autoimmune Illnesses, Medicare, Advantage Plans, Medicaid & Just How We Lack All We need to have a "Quality of Life"

I just completed this email below. I've been working on it for what seems like weeks. Due to ALL of the doctors visits, Jim going to Rehab twice weekly, my visits with my dentist to get my dentures (which I am already having "flare" issues I think with the Lupus, Sjogren's and RA) & numerous other things that have had to be taken care of, I've had to write this in between all of that. Finally, this morning around 1:30am I woke up needing a drink of water. Not realizing my foot was so "asleep" I got up and immediately went to the floor, with a very "twisted" left ankle, that left me in tears. I tried to go back to bed, but there was no use. So, at 4 am I got up, and decided to finish the email, and try and get some things done on the computer and on line that have had to be put on the back burner due to all else going on.

I am sharing the email with you. I am also sending it to my own House Representative, and to several others in the Federal Government that I feel can and may try to do something to help not just myself but ALL of us. Here is the email. My hopes are that YOU will write your own and also email it. The Arthritis Foundation sent out a newsletter about 10 days ago asking for us to all send in our stories to the email address that will be listed below this one I sent....

Good Afternoon to All In Congressional Representatives,

First of All, I want to thank, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) recently who announced a bi-partisan initiative, called the “21st Century Cures: A Call to Action”. This will certainly help to shed some new light on chronic illnesses, and especially those new diseases and illnesses, that at this time, like many types of Arthritis, (Rheumatoid, Osteoarthritis & Juvenile to name a few), that have NO cure at the time, little known about “why” those who all of a sudden get the diseases, why others may not, what medications we need in the future to either put these illnesses into remission, OR CURE them…. even STOP them before they ever do the severe damage they do to all of us suffering daily dealing with ALL of this issues these horrid illnesses bring into our lives. I hope many of our other Congressional members will stand beside HECC Chairman Mr. Fred Upton and Representative Diana DeGette and help to make this “Call to Action” a huge success for the thousands and hundreds of thousands suffering from various forms of Arthritis and Autoimmune Illnesses.

I am an “Arthritis Patient", that suffers from several various forms of autoimmune arthritis, as well as osteoarthritis. My list of diseases, illnesses and syndromes; Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Sjögren’s, Pernicious Anemia, along with many issues brought on by thee illnesses, such as a heart attack at 40, severe pain, swelling stiffness that all have consumed my quality of life at times so much, that I feel the diseases rule my daily living. At the age of 15 I had my 1st knee surgery. At that time, they knew little about Juvenile Arthritis (JA), and the experts really did not know much about RA, and all of the other arthritic and autoimmune illnesses here in our nation. So, I went for years from one physician to another, trying to find out why all of my joints were “falling apart”… by the time I was 40, I had already had a left elbow repaired, a left shoulder repaired both knees had surgery at least twice back them, plus all of the other “symptoms” that most doctors at the time “blew off” especially when it came to women. They for the most part thought if I woman complained about aches and pains, she was either nuts, a hypochondriac, was having “female” issues, or was depressed. That was the huge one. The answer from most doctors to a woman with “mysterious” health issues was to determine they are depressed and fill you full of anti-depressants that did nothing for the “physical issues” that overwhelmed you. Still I would hear, even with the severe migraine headaches I had, the weakness, & still other signs and symptoms that should have never been looked over, but taken seriously.

In 2009 I FINALLY began to get some “answers” that made sense. I was not nuts, depressed, making it up, had female issues etc…. I had an “autoimmune issues or issues” that were ruining not only my joints, but also causing he severe fatigue, all of the joints and surgeries I was having… including both knees completely replaced and my right shoulder had to be replaced, along with a 4 level cervical surgery, for degenerated disc disease, and now my thumbs, fingers, toes, and ankles are “eaten up” by RA.

I’ve jumped through hoops and hoops for a very long while over my medications for these diseases. When you have a serious illness, and medications come out that may “halt” or at least give you a huge percentage of reprieve, so your quality of life comes back & your doctor feels the medication is necessary, there should be NO ONE at an insurance company, or throughout Medicare to tell your doctor differently. These ridiculous amounts of forms, paperwork, having to be put through 4 or more medications that DO NOT work before the ONE that does can even be considered, makes for a patient becoming worse by the day, paperwork and red tape costing precious doctors time, insurance people who have no clue what the entire thing is all about, and it is a vicious cycle of “stuff” in order to finally either get the medication you NEED OR be turned down, which really is asinine. I have been through I cannot tell you how many “pre-authorizations”, sending medical records, my doctor having to fill out forms which they should not have to, talking for literally hours on the phone trying to get to ONE PERSON who can “fix” the problem… and on the computer sending emails, sending messages, and as I said, all the while suffering from these horrid diseases that each day wreck my joints and my body a bit more each day. Any type of “autoimmune arthritis” such as RA, effects NOT JUST the joints. They are “ systemic” in nature & can effect the heart, lungs, kidneys, your hearing, your eyesight, your memory, your blood, your stomach, intestines, and so on. Just about every part of the body can be effected by any type of autoimmune illness, and can reek havoc in just a short time without proper care.

One of my horrors with one of these “Autoimmune Arthritic” diseases is Sjögrens. This is just one that they do not know nearly enough about. The doctors know it effects the mucous  membranes, which we have all over our bodies. Our mouth, which is how saliva is formed. It keeps our eyes moist, our intestines, and many “linings” in our organs have these types of member in them. Without them, organs like the inside of the mouth, dries out so badly, you cannot even speak, swallow, and the worse cause horrendous “dental caries” and other issues! Yet, I was not informed of just how quickly and how badly my teeth might be effected. I brushed daily, tried my best to chew sugarless gum, sipped on green tea all day long, and used the special toothpastes and all of the “remedies” for dry mouth. Yet, about a year ago, all of a sudden one evening we were eating dinner, and an entire back of a molar just fell off in my mouth! Within the course of 3 weeks I had 3 more teeth with break off at the gum line, or a half of a tooth break off. Then suddenly almost every tooth had either a large cavity in it, OR would crumble off on the edges, and I knew I had to get assistance quickly because I was losing all of my teeth, and in a time frame that was not going to allow me to wait even a month or two.

So, I began trying to find an “Oral Surgeon” and/or an Oral Surgeon/Maxillary surgeon that would take my Medicare Advantage Plan “Humana Insurance”. Well, I have yet to find ONE dentist, oral surgeon, and so forth that will take my insurance, EVEN THOUGH this problem is caused from a physical ILLNESS, NOT just regular dental caries. This is a serious matter, that I spent weeks and weeks calling dental offices, and researching online, first of all, WHAT I truly needed done, and a Dental Doctor that could do the procedure, and try to help me get some of it paid for by my Medicare Advantage Plan. I literally spent days and days sending emails, making phone calls, sending messages to dentists offices, all to no avail. In other words, (unless you have had to price these types of dentures called “mini implants”) I was going to have to cough up anywhere from $8,000.00 to some the charge $16,000.00! Now these are the dentists that have been through enough “training” to do certain types of “oral surgeries”, not the Physician Dentists, the true Oral and Maxillary Surgeons MD. I am sure when you look at the fact they usually put you under complete anesthetic in an operating room, and have several nurses and so on assisting them, they charge I would say $25,000.00 and UP! By the time you pay his services, a anesthesia doctor, all of the charges for an “outpatient” stay at a day surgery or hospital setting, I know from the extensive surgeries I’ve had due to all of these horrid, life altering chronic illnesses, it certainly would be a great deal more than $8,000.00. And “they” MAY be able to get my Medicare Advantage Plan to “pay”… with some pushing, pulling, red tape, & lots of time before I could have anything done, BUT the insurance ONLY PAYS 60% of any type of “dental” procedure no matter if the problem has been caused by an Illness! So, that means by the time you added up all of those “extra’s” involved where I would have to travel back and forth from Dallas many times to get it all done (so far I have had about 5 appointments to do all of this, and still have another at least 3 to go)… thus you are looking at the cost of gas, parking, and what if something happened after hours or a weekend? Like a dry socket, of which I had one, and also the start of an infection. But, I am within 5 minutes of my dentist/oral surgeon, thus I can be in there and getting care within an hour or two. And I am sure if something happened over the weekend that called for attention, he would go to the office and see me. Now, as it is, after an almost “deadly” car accident that my husband (who more or less has been my “caretaker” now for almost 10 years) last March. An 18-wheel tractor trailer “ran over” him from the back. Aa of now he is barely able to walk, much less drive anywhere. So, I have only myself to depend upon. My 2 children live 8 or more hours away, and my Mom, who I am “watching after” and helping out at times, can barely drive to the grocery store and back home that is about 10 blocks or less, thus there is NO way I could have been going to Dallas, being “put under” and driving myself home.

This part of my story only touches the “iceberg” of what I’ve had to endure. Lupus, RA, Sjögren’s, Raynaud’s, Osteoarthritis, Migraines, two heart attacks, one at the age of 40 (now they think the Lupus may have caused them, but that was years ago before I was diagnosed), plus all of the complications that go along with these illnesses. They can “attack” just about any part of the body, from the brain, to kidneys, to your heart and lungs, blood vessels, skin, and that list just goes on and on. As I have come to find out also, once they “finally diagnose” you, more than likely you have “several AI’s, causing the problems. (AI- Autoimmune diseases). We NEED HELP! WE NEED more RESEARCH, TRAINED PHYSICIANS ON THESE ILLNESSES, including DENTISTS, MORE MEDICATIONS, TO BE DIAGNOSED EARLY BEFORE all of your body is falling apart from them. We need to find out what causes these chronic illnesses, whether heredity, or caused by something later in life. The number of people (WOMEN rank MUCH HIGHER in getting any of these than men), grows each day. Some of us, like myself, may have been ill for many years, 10 years, or more BEFORE they finally get a doctor who takes the time to sit down, and put together the pieces of the puzzle of someone with one or more of these illnesses. But, doctors are overwhelmed, underpaid, and just do not have the time, even as specialists, like Rheumatologists, to really EXAMINE a patient, and there past medical issues to find out their patient is ill with a disease that could have been there for a decade or more, By the time mine were found out, I had already had both knees replaced (after several arthroscopic surgeries), an elbow surgery, arthroscopic surgery on both shoulders, my right one now replaced completely. I have osteoporosis, and mine is “severe” in range. I have the bones of someone 80 plus years old.

This past 6 weeks have been especially an extremely fought time for me. Due to the Sjogren’s literally eating away from the inside out, and no one knowing it until it was too late, I have had to endure having two sets of 5 at a time teeth pulled, much of it difficult due to the teeth being so brittle, thus difficult to excise, then after going through a couple of times trying to make sure the complete regular dentures will fit right for now, I went through a couple of visits for that. I finally got my “new teeth” just this past week on August 12th, 2014. Yet, I still had 11 teeth that had to be pulled all at once, then my gums were sutured shut, after my dentist had to do some “filing” to my bone so the dentures will fit properly, and then my gums were sutured closed in the front, top and bottom. I did then immediately get my dentures put is, but of course with extremely swollen gums, suturing and a great deal of bruising due to all of the local anesthetic being put in the syringes, then the extracting in itself, my gums developed some very sore spots, and even several mouth ulcers. Those I get with Sjogren’s to my dismay. I HAVE to be able to wear these teeth, since I have none of my own now. And I cannot have them “modified” to be held in with the “mini implants” until the bone is completely healed from where all of the teeth were extracted first. This process could take 90 to maybe even 120 days. My problem is trying to have my own mouth accept them, due to the issues of ulcers, and other problems I develop in my mouth due to the Sjogren’s. Then even at that there is already over $4,000.00 paid all of my pocket to get this far with the dentures. Then in another 90-120 days, there will be another $1200.00 (what was “left off accidentally the original treatment plan to pull all of the 11 teeth left) that we were not expecting, then another over $3,000.00 just to have those four “mini-implant posts” put into place in my gums, then the dentures modified to fit properly on those posts. If I could wear the dentures as they are now, I may not have to incur the last $3,000.00 plus BUT I can already see since I am suffering from ulcers, (probably a bad flare of the Lupus, Sjogren’s, and RA) from all of the trauma to getting this far with the dentures, and all of the other very stressful things going on in my life at the present, it has brought a bad flaring up of the autoimmune illness. When this happens, I can have everything from those types of very painful mouth issues, severe Lupus Headaches, severe fatigue, swelling of my joints, the “mylar rash” on my face, & numerous other symptoms that are from these illnesses. It is shameful the amount of time, the loss of quality of life I have sufferer and continue to suffer, the lack of enough research, medication, doctors, and other medical items that may help to put these illnesses in permanent remission, or not get them at all, then I have to fight “tooth and nail” (no pun intended) to get my Medicare Advantage Plan to pay a dime, especially when it comes to anything to do with the huge burden of expense of all that I have endured with my mouth, and the Sjogren’s that causes it. I want to see this change, for myself, and also for many others, some I have met recently that are going through the same situation that I am. Most of them like myself, really taking on a very heavy financial burden because they cannot get Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan to cover any of this even though it is a “medical” problem, not dental per se. For some $9,880.00 plus (because I already had several teeth that rotted down to the gum and had to be pulled before the procedure of getting my mouth ready for the dentures) may not think that is a great sum some of money. BUT, someone living on Social Security Disability, and the spouse (my husband) that had been my “caretaker” for the most part, then he was in a severe, almost life taking vehicle accident on March 26th, 2014 and spent almost 4 months in the hospital, with many complicated injuries including his spinal cord. Thus now he had massive health needs, puts even more of a burden on my life and on his that I an barely begin to tell about. He was hit from behind by an 18 wheel tractor trailer that day, and rushed to Baylor Emergency in Dallas, where he was operated on for basically a “broken back”, 7 broken ribs, and the list of injuries goes on and on. So, us trying to take care of one another is a daily struggle. Again we begin all over to try and find proper physicians for him through the system, and much like I have come to find out, many doctors are refusing to take any Medicaid patient, and now even worse, are refusing to take Medicare patients, due to not getting paid properly, and in a reasonable time length.

I would like to see for one Medicare or these Medicare Advantage plans cover MORE on something such as Sjogren’s, that is not “dental” in nature, but caused by a physical illness. I would also ask that rather than put up a road block, where the patient cannot get through to anyone at Medicare to explain the problems, or be able to get our doctors and dentists to be able to help get these types of things paid for just as any other type of chronic illness. I cannot express enough the huge amount of emotional, physical, mental, and financial anguish I have been through, and still have more to go just to be able to eat. But, my teeth are what can sustain my life, and without them, I am at risk for all types of other physical and emotional issues.

I realize we have many people in our nation, and around the globe in need of all types of medical attention. Yet, in a great nation such as the United States, our people should not have to bear such a hardship, and not have anywhere to turn to get any type of financial assistance with something so critical as your teeth. I did NOT cause this, the disease did.

I ask you to see if there is a way to change this system, give help to get things like this paid for or at least a good portion paid for by Medicare and/or a Medicare Advantage Plan. I ask you to get the funds out there to get more specialists, so we have enough doctors to are qualified and trained, that have went through a major study of these life altering illnesses, and can give us back our quality of life, and find these illnesses and have the ability to treat them before 5, 10, of more years go by and the damage has already been done.

I feel I do my part by voting, by participating as a volunteer, activist, and Ambassador for several organizations that are trying to change the face of Arthritis, Autoimmune Diseases, and all of the other medical problems that come with them, I sign petitions, I send letters, make calls, and send emails. I am somewhat limited to do what I can medically and monetarily, but in the ways I can try to stand up and make a difference, I give it my all. Now, I ask you do to the same. Stand up for all of us that want our quality of life back, to be able to do the simple things in life like eat, do a hobby, work in a garden, or whatever you may want to do, by giving the way with funds, research and voting for bills that will reduce the terrible burden off of those like myself.

Thank you for your time and for listening. I hope my “one” voice can help to make a difference.

Wanting to try and Give You an Update

Of course many of you already know about all that has taken place with myself and my husband, the accident, DC and the entire gamut of the past three weeks. What began as something so wonderful, was so abruptly ended in such a disaster.

I, nor honestly any of us really know what the hell happened out there coming into Dallas on I-45 a couple of weeks ago. There were three vehicles, 2 of which claim that "saw" it all". One man that says he "saw" from his own front porch what He thinks he saw, yet in the blink of an eye, it seems almost impossible for anyone to have just "happened" to have walked out at the exact time that something like this was taking place. It cab happen, and I understand that. But, the odds of something like that happening, and then between "hearing" and turning around to also "see", as I said odds are what you saw and/or heard were more than likely two different things.

I also know there was people that told myself and the gentleman that was at the time helping in in D.C. after all this took place, that my husband was NOT at fault. As a matter of fact, we both were told by the same "trauma" unit physician about the wreck itself, as much as they knew then, the injuries, how many and what "type" of vehicles were in involved. The details were very specific at that time, even down to all of the injuries they thought Jim had, and there was a long list. So, whomever this Doctor was (and I have his name) and also the name of the nurse who called the first time. As I said they repeated the list of injuries, the information about the accident and even went so far to say that it appeared an 18 wheel tractor-trailer that "ran into the back of our car.

Well, in the first place, lesson learned, get a lawyer immediately, if is it fairly bad accident and even if no one was injured, just get one. Secondly, do NOT wait the "10" days for a police/accident report to be "ready:". If you have to CALL three times a day every day until you have it in your hands. That bull about "10 days" was bull. My own insurance company and the others involved in the accident had much quicker than we were told it would be ready.

KEEP everything! Every note, every receipt.... parking, eating, anything... keep each & every receipt. At the time those things do not seem all that important, but that night I took a fall at the very hotel we stayed at, I kept all of my receipts from both. I did not know that I maybe needing medical attention or how badly I was injured etc. Actually I thought I just had a cut all the way through my lip and a scratch or two. Now, I am dealing with an infection and dry socket from a tooth that had to be pulled, along with now I have a chip in the tooth next to the other one, and my lower right hip/back is just giving me the blues as far as pain. Of course do I know that it is he fall? Well, speculation. But, I was not having issues with any of that until about 7 days later. Then it started acting up. Even an any kind of fall, or accident sometimes it is a week or more before all that is really wrong. So, never get up from a fall, or any type of thing such as that, and completely think oh "I'm okay"... you may think... but bruising on the inside, especially deep so nothing "feels bad, or looks bad", until it has had time to manifest itself in the right manner,

For the most part right now I wanted to let everyone know, that as lousy of a time this all is, right now we are just trying our best to put one foot in front of the other. When something such as this takes such a toll on your life... nothing I don't think every truly returns to what you thought was "normal again".
No matter whether an accident, or a chronic illness, anything that "moves" your life in such a dramatic way, forever more gives you a different vision...

I am still not near the place I am really comfortable to write about all of it. I am just trying as I said above, to keep my ducks in a row! I have several things "due" like my Mom's tax form, that I GOT to get done and in the mail by Tuesday, or file an extension...a which if I have to I will..

I also have some "brain fog" type mess happening to me... I think honestly what I need to do right now, is get off this computer, fix me some breakfast & watch a couple of movies for now. I am feeling lousy and my mind does NOT work, when I feel physically crappy... so I maybe back on today and I may not be. Also, don't panic if you happen not to see me post etc this weekend. I do have to finish those papers and get them in the mail, plus I have several other things hanging over my head I just need to get done and off my plate, When those things bothering me, I am never going to put my head back on straight. Plus whatever is going on with my lower back and hip are not helping things at all. I can barely sit HERE when I         KEEP TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY it does NOT hurt to sit. So, I am off for a bit today.... and I will sign back on and talk more once some of this stuff is off my shoulders,..

Asking for YOUR Thoughts and Prayers for This is SUCH A Critical Week-May I be Well Enough to be in DC to tell my Senators and Representative my Story

This is not just for myself, but it is for ALL OF US WITH THESE AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIC ILLNESSES AND OTHER CHRONIC AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES AND CHRONIC PAIN, FM, AND SO MY MORE... SO PLEASE KEEP ME AND LIFT ME UP IF YOU WILL!

Well Folks this is my LAST WEEK to be PREPARED to go to Washington DC NEXT MONDAY!!! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers this week. In one week, I am supposed to be boarding a plane to fly to Washington DC to be in front of my Senators and Representative and tell them "my story" about my illnesses and how they have dramatically effected my life.... I have been so ill, it has been touch and go for me, we don't know if I will be well enough to go, and a few "kinks" worked out of being gone so long (my husband is supposed to fly in on Wed. when I am through and we are supposed to go see his Step-Mom that he had not seen in over 11 years and I have never met her)... so this week is my last week for everything to "fall" into place, and for me to be able to get on that plane... and be well enough, and everything 'worked" out so I can go... this is a critical point for ALL of us! This is sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation! So all I get to say and do effects ALL of us... with chronic illnesses... please say prayers that as I said I am well enough all here at home is worked out where I can get on that plane next Monday morningI appreciate all of the kindness, prayers, love and support I have received from all of you, and everyone in the other groups, that have been there to pray for me about my health, and all that life has sometimes pitched at me! You are all there to CHEER me on, when things go well, and there to support me when things are on the rocky cliffs of all of these autoimmune illnesses and the way that they have "altered" my life in so many ways, keeping me from being and doing all the things I want to do in life... I know this is one bunch of incredible people that are here for me!!!! Again this is SO CRITICAL and a dream of mine to be able to tell those on Capitol Hill how not just myself but ALL of us suffering from the pain, the horrible things we go through, how our quality of life is non-existent, thus me being there is like me standing i front of the White house for ALL of US!!! Please say an extra prayer this week, for I so need all of the extra support I can get.... Hugs to all.. Rhia 

This will help you understand why this is so important, please take a moment to go to this link and see what I will be doing there in D.C. at this time next week!

The Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit of 2014

Stand up for Health Care Reform and a Public Option! Make Congress see what really is happening!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/make-it-mandatory-congress-spends-time-assisting-in-our-ers-or-with-a-patient-dying-with-no

The above URL goes to a petition I created on Care 2 to make is mandatory for Congress, both House and Senate to go spend 2 twelve hour shifts in one of our busy, overwhelmed ER's, or with a terminally ill patient with no insurance coverage. They need to see the real world daily drama so many millions of Americans go through daily! Sitting at a desk on the Congressional Floor does NOT give them a taste of their own medicine! Can you say Reality Check!

Thanks for your time and support! Rhia