Day 3 and 4 Bells Palsy Journey

So my new routine meds in the morning and through out the day...  It is really hard to get pills down with a straw when it is so hard to hold the straw in your mouth and not have water fall out...  Yes, the facial paralysis is still there, or here...  And today it actually feels different...  I can tell it doesn't work...  My eye does not close all the way and was very dry and irritated when I woke up...  I may need to add an eye patch to keep dust out at night...  I have to say it is truly a strange feeling to not be able to force your eye shot. Lymph nodes in the back of my head are still swollen but not sore...  The earache has dulled to where I hardly notice it...  So many of these things are good... 

Today I noticed that my pill is a shield and it has a J on it... Yes my meds are monogrammed, lol...   Not to easy to swallow but knowing that this may be how I get better faster I will take it even if I end up with water on my shirt... dribble dribble...  

Oh my favorite drink... The very bad for me Pepsi from Mexico, chilled to very very cold, and it is almost impossible to drink it from the bottle (that's how I like it)  and it tastes horrible, yes the metal taste that seems like a wax coating on my food is still there...  bummer... 

I am so grateful that although this is so very irritating and scary I am grateful it is not effecting my other capacities...  I can still think, and do (my knee doesn't hurt for the first time in 2 months)  I can work on the wedding album hooray...   I can still find something to celebrate everyday and I will...  Thank you for checking out my story, hope it gives you info you can pass on... 

My Bells Palsy journey, Day 2

Good morning world!!  Tuesday, 4am and I look in the mirror and smile a big ole "crooked" smile.  Yep, it did not go away.  It was not just a bad dream.  I was hoping that all symptoms would be gone when I woke up.  Yes I think I was hoping to be that overnight miracle.   So reality began to set in.  I took my new pills, sent Tom off to work and went back to bed.  I slept better than I had in a week.  My earache though still there was tolerable.  I was feeling a little groggy, probably from the meds. 

So this morning is the second day after the facial paralysis happened.  I have to eat a snack before I can take my pills and that is fun, trying to chew, keep my mouth closed is going to be a learning experience.  It is probably not pretty.  My right eye is still wide open and is now taking turns between being so wet that it makes my vision blurry to being so dry.  Time to take my meds and that is fun as water trickles down the side of my mouth.   It is harder to negotiate than it was yesterday, but I am still slurping, ugggg.   Maybe try a straw later.  

I call my mom to give her an update.  I texted with a couple of friends.  I checked out facebook.  I'm working on an ebook I am writing but I can not concentrate on any thing long.  Today I discover my attention span is shot.  And when I need to switch what I'm doing I just have to change what I'm doing.   So that is very frustrating.  Oh and noises are bothering me.   Through out the day my eye has twitching sessions, and it is weird because the tears that have welled up move around like little swishing waves, oh but when the eyebrow decides to twitch that is an experience.  Lunch is not fun things still taste strange.  I have to concentrate to keep the food in my mouth and take much smaller bites.   Still haven't mastered drinking either and find that it is hard to drink hot coffee out of a mug, the thickness of the rim makes it hard and coffee dribbles down the edge of the cup when I have taken a sip.   That is frustrating.  I'm a mess lol...


So at the end of day 2, all the symptoms are still here.   It is real.  There are things I will be relearning.  I know that I really don't want to go out in public, especially where it is an eating thing.  I know that I'm very close to a big cry but it hasn't happened yet!!

I am still so grateful that it is only this Bells Palsy.   I am grateful that it is just my face that has paralysis.   I am beyond grateful that I have Tom as my husband, life partner and at this time my nurse... I am grateful for my friends that are praying for me...  God is good... 

So speaking of God,  I am curious what he is doing with this...   I know that in other times in my life he has used situations to prepare me for something or someone that will come later in my life... 

Its just Bells Pasly, it is temporary, it is part of my journey!!!
and remember, find something to celebrate everyday!!!  I will!!!

Bell's Palsy? or what? Day 1

For a week I had an earache.  It was not constant but it was painful off and on.  This earache was painful enough that it caused me to not be able to sleep.  On Friday things tasted funny.  It was like there was a coating on everything I ate and it tasted metallic.  This taste and the earache continued thru the weekend.  On Sunday night my mouth felt a little strange and numb.  But I thought it was lingering effects from some ambesol that I had used thinking the earache might be from a tooth I had some trouble with.  Also my right eye started watering on Saturday constantly but I just thought it was because of allergies, although it is usually my left eye that waters constant.  It was also way more water than usual,  I can now say.    

So Monday morning I woke up and got Tom sent off to work as usual.   I was tired so went back to sleep.  When I woke up at 9,  I took a bath and got dressed.  I needed to go to the store to get some things for a party I was going to for lunch.  I put my hair up in a bun and went to the store.  It was time to get myself ready to go to the party when I went into the bathroom to fix my hair and makeup.  That was when I noticed my dropping face.  When I smiled my right side stayed the same while the left side made a full smile.   I was crooked.  My right eye was wide open.   Even my neck looked different on the right side.  I was suddenly so scared. 

I lifted up my arms to see if they felt like they were tingling, or numb.  I was suddenly conscious of every part of my body and checking to see if I was ok.  I found on the back of my head one of the lymph nodes was swollen and hurt to touch but other than that nothing different then usual.

I went to the kitchen and put the items I was going to take to the party in the freezer and went across the street to let Vicki know I wouldn't be able to come, I needed to go to the doctor or the dentist and find out what was wrong.

Because I had also had this tooth thing going on I wasn't sure if I should go to the doctor or the dentist but decided be cause my mouth looked like when my brother had his stroke I would call the doctor first.  I went and took this picture so I would have it in case someone needed it.  This is no exaggeration no filter.

Now anxiety steps in.  I have not gone to the doctor often at all and I wasn't even sure which number to call.   But I found it in my phone and called and I choose to talk to a nurse.  I told her my symptoms, crooked smile, numb face, earache, watery eye, metal taste in my mouth, and swollen lymph node.   She put me through some tests in front of the mirror.  I was shocked when she told me to close the effected eye and I couldn't.  It didn't blink all the way when the other eye did.  I could still see light and shadows when my eyes were supposedly closed.  I had not tingling or numbness in my extremities, I was walking fine, no leaning to one side or the other.  My balance was fine.  She also had me check other things all okay.   So then she told me it sounded like Bell's Palsy and that though I didn't need an ambulance or emergency room I should be seen today and transferred me back to make an appointment.   I got an appointment for 7:10pm the earliest I could see a doctor.  And now the waiting started.  Oh somewhere in there I had messaged my husband.
Tick Tock Tick Tock
 I called my mom and my daughter.
Tick Tock Tick Tock
I cut out some starfish.
Tom messaged me that he would be taking me to the doctor.
Tick tockticktock
I did make a scrapbook page.

Tom came home and told me what he had learned about Bells Palsy.  I had not yet been brave enough to go look it up.   I was shocked to find that all my symptoms even the taste were symptoms of Bells Palsy.  The fact that it said in most cases it was only temporary made me feel better.  But for me looking back I think the thing that kept me most calm was that it was not a stroke. 

Time continued to tick along and it was finally time to go to the doctor.  We got in the car and started our half hour journey to town.   I pulled down the visor as we were going into the sun and wanted to shade my very sensitive eyes and looked in the mirror and made some faces.  Yep still crooked.  Then I took this picture of me trying to make a fish kiss face. 

yep still crooked.  No exaggeration.  I'm still calm and have not told anyone outside of family and a few friends.   So I start writing a post for facebook as I am getting a little scared.  The post has this picture and then this picture of  a sign from the doctors office that just seemed ironic yet comforting.

So now after that horrific blood pressure machine that hurts so bad and releases so slow ugggg.   And being weighed uggg.   I finally get a room and Tom joins me and we wait for the Doctor.  

The doctor comes in and asks me what I am there for.   So I smile.  Then I tell him my symptoms.  First he thanks me for calling the nurse and not rushing into the er.   Then asks me what I think I have.   I tell him Bells Palsy.   He said it sounded like it and told me about it.  Most was what I had read when I googled it.  Then we talked about treatment.   He suggested a med for viral infection and a steroid.  He said they may help they may not.  I was mostly hoping they would help the earache at that point as it had kept me from sleeping. 

So I have a diagnosis.  Bells Palsy.  I got my meds spoke to the pharmacist and we go home.  On the way home I posted the diagnosis with a little info on facebook.   I don't want to tell the story over and over again and this really is a great way for me to just get it out there.  Tom heated up some pizza Vicki had brought us that was from the party I missed.  I was drinking my water when I realized I was slurping.  So that was new.  Uggg.  Went to bed and slept so good for the first time in a week.

Valentine Flipbook for my granddaughter!!! Its wild!!

Its flipbook Friday here Is the one I made for my granddaughter enjoy

https://youtu.be/aMtfUdJjK3A

Why December Daily?

Why December Daily in 2016?

That is such a great question!  This year I am looking back @ December as I begin to put my book together.   Usually I have the format decided and the cover made along with many of the pages for the inside picked out and punched and in order.   2016 was a different story as I had decided to launch "dearjuliejuliecelebrate&remember"

my business that covers all things to celebrate and the process of getting pictures and memories out of our heads and devices and in front of us, documented for now and the future.   It was exciting and took up most of my time along with the regular Christmas duties I decided it was OK to document our December in January after the hustle and bustle but while it was still very fresh in my mind. 

Why December Daily at all?

Another great question!  This is my fourth year documenting ON PURPOSE our December and I am grateful that the process was introduced to me.  December holds so many amazing things that happen and no all are Holiday related.   Here in the desert the fluctuation of the temperature is impressive, the changes around the our home and community including incredible sunsets, fires in the woodstove, and this year the ice and puddles were a welcomed addition especially ice and puddles that lasted a whole day.

December Daily gives me a chance to document family and friends at our Christmas celebrations as well as a great way to document changes there. 

But really JulieJulie why? Why? December Daily?

The get to the bottom, nitty gritty, answer for me and it delights and drives my husband delights and drives my husband crazy sometimes is that extra push it gives us to go out (or stay in) and really look and listen, enjoy and celebrate and share all the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, people and the feelings that only December has to offer.   Yes, December Daily has gotten us out the door this year to enjoy our local community.  Originally it was for this picture with our community tree after it had just been lit at the park to put in our December book.

This turned out to be such a heart filling experience seeing how much fun our community was having kinda like Dr. Suess says "well in Whoville they say- that the Grinch's heart grew 3 sizes that day".  I also got my favorite picture of December that outing featuring the Grinch photobombing my hubby
and me.

So today January 2nd the New Years Day do over 2017, after, watching the rose parade I sit down to put together our documented December.  A box of pictures, a cup of coffee, Heidi shine, glitter glue, amazing paper, and some awesome memories with family and friends.   I'm diving in! 

Thank you for joining me today as we start the new year!!! 

Big Rock Creek "Dog Day Afternoon"

Throw Back Thursday!!  This week it's Big Rock Creek with our fur babies.  Toto and Dippy get so excited when we all hop in the car. Like they know it is a trip that will be further than the drive thru dairy.  Their smiles do show how excited they are. 

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For this 12x12 double page layout I was so excited to use the rock  themed paper I had gotten from Tuesday Morning a few years ago. 

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The papers used to back the pictures came from my stash and I punched the small matching flowers from the paper that was left over after backing the pictures.  I centered the tiny blue flowers of the paper in the window of punch to get the variegated flowers. 

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The pine greenery is cut with the Tim Holtz Christmas greenery dies, also from left over paper scraps.

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The phrase stickers are from a Tim Holtz phrase pad small talk. 

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I was excited to use project Life cards from the Rain collection for my journaling and title cards.  

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To make the picture of me become the focal point I matted it with both papers making it stand out from the page and the layout.  (There are not many pictures of just me in our books unless I took a Selfie).  

The page style for the left page shown above, I call one+two punch.  It makes a great left side page for 3 portrait style photos.  This style can easily be reversed for a right side page as well.  Any one of the three pictures can be chosen as the focal point of the layout.  

The page style for the right page shown here, I call the 4by4x6 pinwheel Using 2 4x6 portrait and 2 4x6 landscape photos to form a pinwheel formation.  Each photo is matted to accent the photo then matted onto blue cardstock then onto the rock paper...   Photos will need a little cropping for it to fit just right with the matting. 

I added the title Big Rock Creek with alpha stickers from my stash to a project life card from the Rain Collection and also journaling on a matching project life card to finish this layout...   

This was a great day for the creek and they both loved it and enjoyed in the way that they love best.  

I hope you enjoyed these pages and if you would like to see more please subscribe...   Im new to this blogging thing but I am excited and I have big plans to share lots of great scrapbooking and celebration Ideas right here on this blog...   Im working on getting my videos to not be upside down so I can post the too...   So watch for those coming soon too...   Thank you for stopping by!!!  

Enjoy!!!

julie

Ceating a life that i love, so glad you are in it!!

Special~
Tip of the day!!!

Choosing your focal point!!!  

When you are looking at the photos you are planning to use is there one just stands out.  It may be the one that tells the whole story.  It may be the one that is the most vibrant and clear.  It just may be your favorite and you don't know why...   By making this photo special and having it stand out you will be able to make sure that anyone looking at your layout sees it as the focal point...   

How do you make it stand out?

Matting the photo that is to stand out is the easiest way to make it stand out from the rest...   Having arrows point to it...  Framing it...  Embellishments around it all will get your point across...  Look here this is the most important picture...   Have the focal point in color and other photos black and white or the opposite have it black and white and the others color...  Make the focal point photo Larger than the other photos...   Have the main photo stand alone from the other photos...   

All of these when used properly will make your photo stand out...  It does take practice and some of these ideas will work better with certain photos and layouts then others...   

I will be explaining my focal point or main photo in my future posts to give you an idea how I choose my main photo and how I chose to make it stand out from the others...

Celebrate the National Days this week? What are they?

Hi everyone!!!   Here is a list of some silly things to celebrate this week along with the rest of the nation...  The National Days!!

Tuesday Oct 4th- National Taco Day, National Golf lovers Day, National Vodka Day
Wednesday Oct 5th- National do something nice day, National walk to school day, Apple Betty day,             National Pumpkin Seed Day
Thursday Oct 6th- National Mad Hatter Day, National German-American Day, National Noodle Day
Friday Oct 7th- National LED light day, National Frappe Day, National Manufacturing Day
Saturday Oct 8th- National costume swap day, National Pierogi day, National touch tag day, National           Motorcycle ride day, National Fluffernutter day
Sunday Oct 9th-National Chess Day, National Clergy Appreciation Day, National Pro Life cupcake               day, National Moldy Cheese Day, National Leif Erickson Day

Some of these days are given the Date for their celebration some are celebrated on a specific calender spot (ex: 2nd Sunday in October)   these are the dates for this week in October...

Also Celebrated this week!!!
No Salt Week – October 3-10, 2016
Mental Illness Awareness Week – October 2-8, 2016
Mystery Series Week – October 2-8, 2016 (First Full Week of October)
National Carry a Tune Week – 2-8, 2016
International Post Card Week – October 2-8, 2016 (First Full Week)
National Midwifery Week – October 2-8, 2016 (Sunday to Saturday During the First Full Week)
National Chili Week – First Week of October
National Chimney Safety Week – October 2-8, 2016 (Week before Fire Prevention Week)
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend – October 8-9, 2016
Customer Service Week – October 3-7, 2016
Kid’s Goal Setting Week – October 3-7, 2016
National Heimlich Heroes Week – October 3-7, 2016 (First Full Monday through Friday Week)
Spinning & Weaving Week – October 3-9, 2016 (First Full Week, Monday through Sunday)
National Healthcare Food Service Workers Week – October 3-9, 2016
Financial Planning Week – October 3-9, 2016 (First Mon-Sun Week in October)
World Space Week – October 4-10
World Dairy Expo – October 4-8, 2016 (First Tuesday – Sunday)

For more info on these days go to the National Calendar Page...  http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com

I love to celebrate these fun days and many of these days call on us to remember our friends and others that are in a special occupation or situation...  Sometimes they just help me decide whats for dinner...  Or what new DIY project I should try...

 I hope you enjoy this information and find it fun and maybe even helpful...  If you would like to be up to date on Celebration Dates and Ideas please subscribe to my blog and share it too...  The Updates will post on Friday so you have an idea of what is coming up...   I also post almost daily on my instagram how we are celebrating here at TnJRanch...  @dearjuliejulie

Its Tuesday and it is National Taco Day!!!   Celebrate with and style taco you like...   We had these amazing garlicy shrimp tacos Sunday night... Oh yum...  added just a lil Garlic Garlic seasoning, and Chipolte seasoning that I got from my Tastefully Simple gal Lee and it flaved them up to perfection...   I spread a lil ranchero salsa sauce on the shell and added finely chopped onions, tomatoes from the garden, and spring mix salad mixture...  To top it off I put 7 lil shrimp on each taco...  Yes there was a shrimp in every bite...   What is your favorite kind of taco???   Will you be having tacos tonight?  After all it is Tuesday!!!   Happy National Taco Day!!!