Black Friday

Continued from yesterday...

Jeremy and I decided to stay up and do a little Black Friday shopping at midnight. Jeremy napped some, and I almost fell asleep, while waiting to head out... it had been a really long and exhausting day. But, we ended up going. Now, I don't think I've ever done Black Friday... at least not when stores open (I normally try to stay in on Black Friday, at all costs). Let's just say, it was INSANE!!!

We went to Target first. YIKES! The amount of people that were waiting outside, and continually streaming into the store was incomprehensible. We stood and just watched for a few minutes, and then we hiked to the end of the line. We knew exactly what we were there to get, and we were able to get in and out surprisingly quickly; but I hated the crowds. Target had everything set up very well for Black Friday. I was impressed that everything moved (relatively) smoothly and orderly. And, it was the first time I've ever seen ALL of the checkout lanes open. From arriving at Target at midnight to returning to our car, was only 50 minutes... it just seemed longer because of all the craziness.

Our next stop was Kohl's. My head was getting out of control bad, at this point. Thank goodness my husband is so encouraging... it really helped me a lot (it always does). We knew that there was no way that we were going to shop and checkout, from the moment we walked inside and saw the line of people waiting to checkout... we don't actually know where the line(s) started, but it was OUT OF CONTROL! So, we looked at the few things that I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted (double-checked colors, made sure I like the items in-person), I wrote down the information, and we went home so I could order online. GENIUS! I will never stand in a Kohl's line like that! Online is the way to go (and with the same perks... well, more because I didn't have to wait!).

It was quite an experience... It's definitely NOT my kind of thing, though! I can only see us doing it again, if there's just an amazing deal that there's no way to pass up. I'm glad that we were able to get what we did, but it came at a price. I had a migraine all day Friday (up and down head pain) - I put up the Christmas decor that we have (we don't really have a whole lot, but I like the feel in the apartment). Other than that, Friday was a take-it-slow kind of day.


This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with family! I had a few productive days leading up to Thanksgiving day (thankfully!). I tried to be mindful of my stress and pain levels - this included frequent rest breaks. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got done (I'm starting to really re-define my definition of "productive"). I rested quite a bit the days before Thanksgiving, so that I could make it through the long day (spent several hours at my family's house, and then the rest of the day at the in-law's house).

I actually did pretty good at my family's house. I wore my sunglasses, made sure to stay hydrated, stayed away from the loud football games on TV, and snuck away to my old bedroom for some quiet time away from all of the people / action. My head was slowly starting to get worse through the day (though still bearable), but it worsened quickly a little later in the afternoon. I ended up taking my migraine meds (when we got to my in-law's house). Thank goodness! My head got significantly worse, off and on through the rest of the evening / night. I was able to really enjoy visiting with everyone, though (there were a lot fewer people at my in-law's, so it was easier to visit and not feel overstimulated and overwhelmed).

To be continued [here].


This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

Jeremy and I stopped at a Mrs. Baird's Bakery Outlet the other day. We've been meaning to stop in for a while because it's only a few miles from where we live. We were both dumbfounded by the deals we got. A lot of the bread products have "best by" dates that are in the next few days, but it still felt fresh and was sooo much cheaper than the regular grocery store. So, we're definitely going to start going there for our baked goods.


This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

Thankful

There are so many things that I'm grateful for. I've been blessed, and I really need to remember to be more thankful every day. Here are just some of the things I'm thankful for:

• Having the essentials (food, shelter...)
• Having a wonderful family (my family and in-laws)
• Jeremy having a good job
• Living in Texas again (near our families)
• Having a loving and caring husband
• Having an amazing, forgiving God

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone!!!

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

AHDA - Action Needed!

Help end the federal neglect of chronic disabling headache disorders

The Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA) is working toward ensuring that our lawmakers appreciate the urgent need to ease the tremendous burden of migraine and headache disorders. Please take a moment and sign this petition.

There is so little funding for migraine and headache research, and yet the impact of these disorders extends to so many people.

• Chronic headache disorders, including migraine, are among the top 20 causes of disability in the US according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• 19% of Americans will experience an attack of some form of migraine this year.
• 75% of Americans with episodic migraine are women, predominantly of child-bearing age.
• 4% of Americans experience 4 hours of headaches per day, at least 15 days per month.
• Among veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts, 37% of servicemen and 57% of servicewomen reported ongoing migraine if there was a deployment history of concussive injury and any pre-deployment history of migraine.
• Migraine results in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease which has been linked to more than 1500 additional deaths in the US annually.
• Headache disorders, including migraine, are responsible for more than $31B in economic costs in the US annually.
• The WHO estimates that migraine causes more lost years of healthy life in the US annually than multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, ovarian cancer, and tuberculosis combined...
• ...in 2010, the combined NIH research funding for these four disorders ($684M) was more than 45 times greater than that for migraine ($15M).
• NIH funding for all research on headache disorders comprised less than 0.05% of the NIH budget in 2010.
• Only one innovative drug (sumatriptan), discovered, developed, and priority reviewed specifically for migraine treatment, has been FDA approved in the past 50 years.
• A total of only 290 American physicians have received Headache Medicine specialty training and are certified by the United Council on Neurologic Subspecialties.
• The US Congress has never held a public hearing devoted to headache disorders.

So, the AHDA is asking each of us to sign an on-line petition urging congressional hearings to be held on the impact of headache disorders. It takes only a minute to sign and they will deliver the signed petition to Congress. Please take a moment and sign this petition.

This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).

Be Present

Today's challenge is to describe something peaceful with as much sensory imagery as I can (describing the sights, sounds, scents, and feelings).

Rhythmic breathing, a small breeze against my skin, the sound of each footstep in succession, and pure drive and determination to complete the challenge.

While it may not sound like something peaceful, running was the best outlet for my emotions (all of them). I found peace in being out running on the road... competing, fighting the urge to quit, and working through my thoughts. There's nothing like it. I haven't been able to run in... 10 years. Can that be right?! I injured myself in 2001, went through physical therapy, and was injured again in 2002. I miss it terribly!


This post was written as part of the National Health Blog Posting Month (NHBPM).