Category: Meniere’s Disease

I made my psychiatrist cry.

On By WendyIn Life, Meniere's Disease2 Comments

I went to see my psychiatrist today for my normal follow-up for my bi-polar medications.  I’ve been seeing the same guy for about 7 or 8 years (except for the break when we moved to California for 2 years) so he knows me pretty well.  He’s a really great guy and I think a lot of him.  He says I’m one of his favorite patients….I hope he doesn’t say that to everyone….I don’t think so, he always looks genuinely glad to see me.  I’ve worked very hard to get my bi-polar disorder stable, and there have been times when the side effects from the medications just made it so hard.  But we work together, and have found something that works (for now).  Actually, I’ve been pretty stable for about 16 years now.  Every once in a while my meds will need adjusting, but it’s nothing like it was.

When I went in today I wasn’t walking straight and my doctor held my arm so I could feel more steady while walking back to his office.  He knows all about the Meniere’s and he so wishes he could do something to help.  When I sat down, I just let it all pour out.  How the blood patch gave me such hope, then it was just jerked away, how upset I am that the doctors say they can help but keep dragging their feet, how I just don’t want to get up in the morning, how the GI problems have made me gain so much weight I don’t even want to look in the mirror any more…..

He listened and tried to comfort me and when he turned to get his papers to start writing things down, I noticed he had to take off his glasses and wipe his eyes.

It has to be so hard to be a good psychiatrist or therapist, you have to really care, but you need to keep a distance or you will get swallowed up by other people’s sorrows.  I love my psychiatrist, and I’m glad that he cares so much about me.  I just hope at the end of the day he can leave it at the office.

I do still have hope that something can be done.  I told him that too.  He agrees, but it’s hard to see me this way.  He asked if I wanted him to up my dosage to try to help my moods, but I told him that I felt like this depression is well justified.  I only get worried when I feel like this and nothing is really going wrong in my life.  He told me that I’m a smart woman, and I was right, that is the time to worry.  He did add a little bit of Topamax back in my medication to try to help the migraines a little, possibly help with this crazy weight gain, and Topamax is also used to treat both the manic and depressive side of bi-polar disorder.  I was on it exclusively, but it just made me so stupid.  I was taking 400mg per day, now I’ll be taking 25mg twice a day.  Hopefully, I won’t feel too stupid.  I did tell my doctor today that right now I’d rather be stupid that fat.  We got a laugh out of that, and he reminded me that I was pretty miserable being dumb.  : )

Tomorrow I have an endoscope scheduled.  I have to leave my house at 7:00am.  (I am not a morning person!)  I am not looking forward to this test.  This is where they put a scope down your throat and look around at your upper GI track, including your stomach and part of your small intestines.  I have 3 reasons I’m not looking forward to it…well, 4 really.  1. When I’ve been fasting, it is very hard to find a vein.  So when they want to start an IV, it’s going to be very unpleasant.  2. The last time they put a tube down my throat (during an operation for breathing under anesthesia) they chipped a tooth.  I really like my teeth, so that really upset me.  3. I’m going to have a very sore throat afterward.  and 4. When I don’t eat regularly my stomach really starts to hurt.  (of course, that’s one of the things they are trying to figure out, and why they think I may have an ulcer.)

I just want them to find something so I can stop all these tests!  I’m so tired of being poked and prodded.   Especially since they haven’t found anything.  5 months of running to the bathroom and gaining 35 pounds…it would seem like they could figure out what is wrong.

The more I have to see doctors, the more I realize how very little they know.

But at least some of them care enough to try.

Happy New Year! Plans for 2011

On By WendyIn Diet, Gluten-Free, Life, Meniere's DiseaseLeave a comment

There are many things I want to accomplish during this coming year.

Of course, I want to get the Meniere’s under control.

I want to figure out what is going on with my gut and get that fixed, including taking off this weight I’ve gained.

I want to exercise more.  I love to work out in a pool.  I just ordered some of the equipment that we used when I had physical therapy in a pool so I could do the exercises on my own.  (a flotation belt so I can exercise in the deep end without sinking, webbed gloves for resistance, and weights for my ankles to help with aqua walking and toning.)

I also ordered a heart rate monitor so I can keep up with that when I’m working out other ways.  (my heart tends to beat a little too fast too soon, so I have to keep an eye on that.)

Stuart and I have decided that we want to start living more in line with our beliefs.  Stop buying so much stuff we don’t need.  Start buying things that are used instead of new.  Stop creating so much trash.  Start buying closer to home.

We are going to try very hard to not buy anything new in 2011.  I’m looking at it as a smaller goal, I plan to say – Nothing new in January, then if I can do that, then Nothing new for the next 2 months, and build up.  I’m afraid if I say, Nothing new for a whole year, I’m just dooming myself to failure.  (of course, this doesn’t include food, necessities like soap and stuff, and we’ve agreed if we need underwear it will be bought new.)  It also doesn’t include services we may need, or the raw materials I need for my art.  I am trying to create recycled art, but there are still some things you just have to buy.  (I’m hoping to find some of this on Craig’s list, or Free Cycle.)

I hate to admit that we did go on a spending spree at the end of the year in anticipation of this upcoming year.  I’ve been wanting a new vacuum cleaner for so long, and I wasn’t going to wait another year for it!

Buying nothing new is going to be hard.  But I think we can make a good go of it.

I also want to eat healthier.  I need to get my cholesterol down (well my triglycerides, the rest is fine).

As most of you know I’ve taken on the challenge to make at least one meal a week from S.O.L.E. (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) ingredients.  This has been a challenge during the winter months, there just isn’t that much local produce at this time of year.  But I’m enjoying the challenge.

Next, I’m taking on a challenge of going Vegan or at least Vegetarian for 21 days starting January 3rd.  I’ll take it one day at a time, but cutting out a substantial amount of saturated fat from my diet should lower my triglycerides.

I want to spend more time with my friends, and I want to make more friends who have the same interests I do.  It’s hard for me sometimes to go to parties and see how much is being wasted, and so many people don’t bother to recycle.  We are the only people in our group of friends who have a composter.  I also think it’s important to use cleaning products that are safe to the environment.  I feel like many of our friends do some things, but when it’s not convenient they don’t try.  I feel like we’ve fallen into that trap sometimes too.  For example, getting take-out.  What could be more wasteful?  At least when we eat at a restaurant they reuse the dishes and utensils.

We would rather spend our money on visiting friends and family.  Or giving to the charities we believe in.  We are tired of being wasteful.

In a nutshell what we have planned for the New Year is:

  • Get Healthier.
  • Stop being so wasteful.
  • Don’t buy anything new.
  • Make more time for our friends and family.

Are you making any resolutions or plans for the New Year?  I’d love to hear about them.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Hanging in There.

On By WendyIn Life, Meniere's Disease5 Comments

So night before last I couldn’t sleep.  When I went back to bed at a little after 5am I realized that I wasn’t sleeping because I was hurting, I could not get comfortable.  My hip was hurting more than usual, my neck was hurting, I had a head ache….  I didn’t want to take a pain pill because sometimes they can make you a little dizzy, and we know I didn’t need that!  Finally, I decided to take half of a pain pill.  That did the trick.  I was able to go to sleep about 6am.

I slept from 6am until about 2:30pm.  Not bad.  I felt fine when I first woke up, until I tried to stand up and then the world just decided to kind of tilt a little.  I grabbed the wall and held on to the sink so I could get to the toilet.  Then my husband came in the bedroom and I had him help me back to bed and start the meds a flowing.  Again we over dosed me on Valium, and Phenergan.  I had diarrhea so we just kept putting in the suppositories.  I felt like I was going to start spewing any minute but we kept it down.

It was so sweet, my husband sat by me the whole time.  I do a little chant I learned in yoga to help calm me down, and he just chanted along with me.  Then he read to me for a little while, but I was having such a hard time hearing him, it started to make me feel bad.  So we chanted some more.  Finally, I felt like I could eat.  He brought me food up in bed, and I started feeling much better.  I actually made it to the couch around 6pm.

Today, I’ve been feeling a bit better.  I had one time today where I felt like I really needed to just take it very easy.  I took a Valium and Phenergan tablet and it calmed down.  I don’t feel great.  I still can’t hear, and the tinnitus is crazy, but at least I’m not spinning.

I must say though, that I am afraid I will start spinning at any moment.  I told my husband that I feel like I’m living in Hell.  Not just the actual time of the horrible vertigo, but the constantly feeling like it could happen any moment.  I realize there are a lot of things that are worse than this, but it just doesn’t make this any less horrible.

There are many things that I am grateful for, like:

Our Little Happy Family
  1. Having a wonderful husband who loves me and still thinks I’m sexy even through all of this.  (and my weight gain.)
  2. Days where I can get out of bed and off the couch and actually do something.
  3. Friends who have stuck by me through this.
  4. My dog, who still acts like there is nothing wrong with her, even though she has cancer.  She is really such a joy in my life.  She makes me laugh at least once a day, and makes me smile much more.
  5. My dog and cat will cuddling with me when I’m not feeling well, and even when I am if I want.
  6. That I can still read.  Watching TV is hard, especially when the closed captioning doesn’t work half the time, but I can still read.  Since Dec. 23rd, I’ve read 3 books, and I’m almost finished with number 4.
  7. Color.  I love color.  My favorite color is Yellow.  It just makes me happy.  The color of sun flowers, of buttercups, of the sun in a child’s finger painting…..I just love being able to enjoy color.
  8. This blog, the people who read it, and the people who have become my friend because of it.
  9. Hope.  I know it’s hard sometimes, but I always seem to be able to grab a hold of some hope, and pull myself out of the deepest despair.
  10. My doctors, without whom, I probably wouldn’t have much hope.

There are many more things I’m grateful for, but I just felt like I needed to acknowledge a few.

Tomorrow:  Plans for a New Year!

I can’t Sleep.

On By WendyIn Life, Meniere's Disease2 Comments

It’s almost 5am and I’m not asleep yet.

Yes, I did take something.  Unfortunately, it did not work.

All of us who have Meniere’s know that sleep deprivation is not a good thing.  I’ve already been having signs that a big attack is probably on its way, and now I can’t sleep.  Dang it.

I was in bed for a while, and I thought I was nearly asleep once, but then I got the hiccups.  I get the hiccups a lot.  After, they finally subsided, I couldn’t fall asleep.  So finally, I just got up.

I guess I will go and try again.  If I can fall asleep, I hope I just sleep the day away tomorrow.  : )   Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up.  *fingers crossed here*

I will go and try again.

Huh? What did you say?

On By WendyIn Meniere's Disease1 Comment
It snowed here on Dec. 26th!

I didn’t have an appropriate picture for this post, so I decided to just share a picture from our Snow Day.  It’s almost all gone now.

I so can not hear right now.  It is so aggravating to go from one week of being able to hear pretty darn good (at least out of one ear), and then the next week I can barely hear at all.

It also makes me very uneasy because I know that normally when I can’t hear I’m going to have a full blown Meniere’s attack some time soon.  I may be able to put it off for a while with medication and such, but it will probably happen within a week or so.  Then I will be able to hear again.  That just does not make sense to me.  Why can I hear so much better right after I have vertigo and puke my guts out?

(More stuff that is poopy graphic and you may not want to read.)  Well, the diarrhea is still going strong. 5 times so far.  Today about 2 hours after eating my lunch, I saw it all in the toilet.  My doctor once asked me how did I know it was what I just ate….well, let’s see…it is in the same form  as when it went in.  This time I had lettuce, I haven’t eaten lettuce in at least a week, it was very visible.  It’s also bright yellow.  It looks like it’s bile.  I looked up on line what yellow stools could mean.  On About.com it said that it often means you have GERD and are passing food through your system too fast.  Well, it does sound like I’m passing food through way too fast.  (can not understand how I’m gaining weight…but we’ll worry about that later.)  You know, my doctors haven’t even asked me what color it usually is.  They have asked if it’s black, or if I see blood, but that’s all.  It’s just so confusing.

It makes it harder to deal with a second illness when you have Meniere’s.  Numerous times I’ve had cancel appointments or tests that have been scheduled because I was having an attack, or I was recovering from one I just had.  (I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m pretty worthless the day after an attack.  I just have to sleep.)

So I didn’t get the Breath Tests done, I didn’t get the up CT scan done, I didn’t get the scope of the upper GI track done…..I do have the scope rescheduled for the 8th of January.  But, heck, I would probably have known what was wrong with my gut by now if I didn’t have Meniere’s to deal with too.

Stuart keeps saying, let’s concentrate on one thing at a time.  But that’s pretty hard when you are running to the bathroom all the time, and keep growing out of your clothes.

Hey, I got off the couch today.  We went had lunch at Pei Wei, to the grocery store, and went to one of the biggest Thrift Stores I know of.

The Durham Rescue Mission Bargain Center used to be a car dealership.  I love shopping there.  Today and I got 2 sweaters that are long.  I seem to have so many sweaters that show my middle when I move.  I think I must have bought them when waistlines where high, and now that they are lower my tops don’t seem to be long enough.  (however, I do not where low riders.  I would just have one big muffin top.  Don’t you think that’s just disgusting when you see that?)

I also bought 2 pretty plates to photograph my food on.  I only have white dishes, and I think my photographs are getting pretty boring.  I was looking for a pretty bowl to photograph things like soup in, all of my bowls are so deep it’s hard to get a good picture.  However, I have to admit, if I was being judged for plating my food, like they do on Iron Chef, I would lose miserably.  LOL  The truth is, I really should be able to set up better photographs, after all that was one of my specialties in college.  (I majored in Art with a specialization in painting and photography.  Look how much I use it now.  hahaha)

We also got the game CLUE.  I hope all the pieces are there.  Stuart found this thing on-line that tells you how to take 4 games, and make a whole bunch more.  The 4 games are Trivial Pursuit, CLUE, Scrabble, and Monopoly.  You use the different pieces on different boards and just mix it all up and make new games.  I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.  However, we have to get another Scrabble game, I don’t know what happened to mine.

We bought all of this for less than $10!  Isn’t that cool?

So that’s a day in the life of Wendy, I’m glad you could join me.

Another Day of Feeling Crappy

On By WendyIn Meniere's Disease6 Comments

I woke up yesterday and my hearing was down.  I thought, well, here we go again.

Today, has been a pretty bad day.

I got up, still can’t hear as well, felt off-balance; and as usual as soon as I woke up I was off to the bathroom, the diarrhea starting all ready.  (I must say though that for the past couple of days things have been better on that front.)  Not today.

I ate breakfast.  Decided I’d look work on some photos on Photoshop.  All of a sudden I had to RUN to the bathroom, and as you may have guessed, I didn’t quite make it.  I’m so grossed out by this.  What if I had been out in public?

Shortly after this I could feel a vertigo attack coming on.  I quickly took some Valium, and Phenergan.  I even decided to not wait and took a Phenergan suppository too.  I tried to stay calm, but this

is driving me crazy.  At least one attack per week, I just want it to end.  I asked Stuart to call Dr. Kaylie’s office and tell him that I am going to kill myself if they don’t do something soon.  Of course, Dr. Kaylie is out of the clinic this week.  I realize that everyone deserves some time off, but why does everyone seem to think that the world stops this time of year?  I am just so miserable, and all of my doctors are on vacation.  *sigh*  I’m sure they will take care of things as soon as they can as soon as they get back.  Yes, I could see the doctor on call, but that really wouldn’t do any good.  He wouldn’t be able to do a spinal tap, or set up surgery.  So I wait…

After a little while the vomiting still hadn’t started, but I was still feeling very bad.  We decided that I would get another suppository, and take another Valium.  I usually don’t take them so close together (it was about an hour and a half since I took the first round.)  But I’m glad I did.  Things really started calming down.  I even feel almost normal now.  Thank goodness.  I’m still a bit off-balance, but nothing I can’t handle.

I’m getting so tired of feeling sick and tired.

I can’t exercise.  I’ve gained so much weight since this diarrhea started.

Look at these two pictures.

Taken at Christmas Party 2010
Taken last year about this time.

Can you see how much weight I’ve gained?  Just look at my face.  I know it’s a little hard to tell in the top picture, but it’s the best one I have of me right now.  I must say, I’m kind of avoiding the camera.  I hate to even look in the mirror.  I gained the majority of this weight in 2 months, when the diarrhea first started.  30+ pounds.

I have enough to worry about without having to worry about this too.  It’s just so depressing.

Don’t worry, I haven’t given up.  I do believe something can be done, but I’m just tired of waiting for that something.

Much Happier Day

On By WendyIn Life, Meniere's Disease2 Comments

The Christmas Spirit has finally hit our household.

I’m feeling much better about things than I have been.  Today I got so much more done than I have in so long.

But let me start over.  Last night I had a complete meltdown!  I hate it when that happens.  It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s not pretty.  I feel so sorry for Stuart when I’m like that.

Now, today things look so much brighter.  I seem to have a renewed sense of hope.

I got so much done today.  I cooked.  I vacuumed.  I cleaned up the kitchen.  It was wonderful!  I felt so useful, and I felt like I was much more me.

Tonight we put together our Lego Christmas Train while listening to Christmas Carols.  Yes, the Christmas Spirit has found its way to our house.  Thank goodness!

A Crisis of Faith

On By WendyIn Meniere's Disease5 Comments

I try so hard to believe that things will get better.  I want to believe that the Meniere’s will become manageable, that I will start having normal digestion again, that I can have a life again.

A friend of mine sent me a note on Facebook that said I was her hero, because I’ve been through so much in the past couple of years and still I can be optimistic about the future.  Well not today.

Today, I’m not optimistic at all.  Today, I can’t see past the pain and horror that my life has become.  I read on Facebook all the fun things that my friends are doing, and I’m a prisoner in my own home.

I continue to have horrible Meniere’s attacks.  It just hurts too much.  Not just the attacks, but the unknowing.  Is it going to happen today.  Is this weird feeling I’m having the beginnings of an attack.  I can’t drive any more.  I can’t even take care of my house.  Some days I can’t even get out of bed by myself.

Then there’s the digestion problems.  Today was horrible.  I ate dinner, my stomach hurt a lot.  I went to bathroom and nothing really happened, then I was standing at my kitchen sink and I lost control of my bowels.  Yes, just standing there and Wam! I had poop running down my leg!  (I can’t believe I’m actually telling anyone this.)  I went upstairs, sat in the bathroom for a very long time, then took a shower and put my clothes in the washer.  But during that time I had a complete melt down, and I don’t think it’s over.

I’m really tired of living like this.  I’m ready to just, I don’t want to say die, but that’s really what it comes down to.  I feel like I’m fighting a loosing battle.  The doctors at Duke tell me there is so much they can do for the Meniere’s…so when are they going to do it?  I know I just had the blood patches on November 24th, but since December 4th my life has been a living hell.

The digestive health doctors have no idea what is going on, and the last two tests I was scheduled for I had to cancel because the Meniere’s had control of my life.  I have a scope planned for Wednesday, where they put a scope down your throat and have a look-see.  Now if the Meniere’s will let me go through with this test, maybe they will find some answer.  I have a feeling they are just going to tell me I have IBS.  Something else that has no cure, that I will be stuck with for the rest of my life.

I want to have faith, and most of the time I do.  I’m not religious like a lot of people, but I have my own beliefs.  But that’s not the kind of faith I’m talking about.  I simply feel so out of control.

All my life when things happened to me, I always knew that I could fight back and over come.  But now I don’t have that.  I feel like I’m fighting so hard, but I don’t have the right ammunition.

Even now I want to say, don’t worry, I’ll be fine, I’ll get through this too.  I don’t want pity, and I feel like I see that in so many people’s eyes.

I can accept a lot of strife in my life.  Loosing my hearing, I could deal with.  Walking with a limp and living in pain, I could deal with.  Not having control of my bowels, I can’t life with.  Never knowing when the vertigo will hit, I can’t live with.  (I used to have signals, but now the vertigo will come on so fast.)  I can’t deal with feeling so out of control.

On top of everything, my dear sweet dog has bladder cancer.  In July they gave her 6 months to a year.  She’s still doing very well.  Right now she has a staff infection, the vet says that isn’t unusual for dogs with bladder problems, but I’m afraid it’s the first of her going down hill.  I’ve had my Sandy for over 16 years, I don’t know what I will do without her.

But tomorrow is another day.  I’m sure things will look better after a good night’s sleep, and I will once again have my optimism back.  I’m just so tired.

Sick House

On By WendyIn Meniere's DiseaseLeave a comment

My house is sick.  The hubby and I both have colds.  Luckily they aren’t too bad, at least not yet.

I’m glad I felt well enough yesterday to make a pot of chicken noodle soup (I even made the Chicken Stock fresh), and I made a big crock pot full of field peas that I picked up at the farmer’s market.  I have lot’s of veggies I need to cook up, but they will probably have to wait today.

My Meniere’s symptoms always seem to be worse when I have a cold, or any other illness for that matter.  I’m dizzier, and my stomach can’t make up its mind if it wants to eat or barf.  I’m just so tired, and my head hurts…a lot.

I think I’m going to warm me up some left overs and crash on the couch.

I’d much rather be pampering my husband since he doesn’t feel well either.  Hopefully, he’ll just take it easy today too.

Oh What a Night! (and not in a good way)

On By WendyIn Meniere's Disease5 Comments

I had a horrible attack last night.

All day yesterday I was following a weird diet because I was supposed to have a hydrogen Breath test today (this checks to see if you are digesting your food properly), then I was supposed to have a breath test for Lactose Intolerance and Fructose Intolerance.  So all day I couldn’t have dairy, soy, fruit, most veggies (I could have overly cooked or canned Asparagus, Green Beans, Spinach, Carrots, and baby Okra.  Ewww, canned veggies.)  I could have lot’s of carbs, but I had to limit them to 30grams per meal.  It was crazy.  I could eat meat, but I don’t usually eat that much meat.  So yesterday I had more meat than I usually eat, and some canned veggies…I know I said ewwww, before but…ewwww.  The Asparagus was slimy and had too much sodium, the Spinach tasted like dirt, I didn’t even try anything else.  Just too icky.

Around 8:15pm I started to feel a little spinny.  Stuart got me a Valium and I thought that would do it, but then it started getting worse, I took a Phenergan, and a Diamox (this is the pill that lowers your pressure), I thought perhaps since I had more sodium than usual yesterday it might have spiked my pressure.  Well, I think taking that pill may have been a huge mistake.

The spinning got much worse, and no amount of trying to keep myself calm was working.  Then came the heat, I know when you start to get really hot, I’ll probably be throwing up soon.  Well, first diarrhea hit.  Yes, I was spinning, about to toss my cookies and I had to run to the bathroom.  Thank God for my husband and my walker.  I made it back to the couch, and started throwing up.  For over 2.5 hours I was throwing up, long past the point of anything being left in my stomach.  And the pain…oh the stomach pain.  The burning and gnawing feeling, and all my muscles working in over time. I was shaking uncontrollably.  I was to the point where I was choking, and couldn’t breathe at some points. Everything was pushing out, and I couldn’t take a breath in.  I hate to admit this, but I couldn’t hold my water at one point when I was throwing up, all the muscles were just not working like they should.

I realized last night how much this would kill me if I had to watch my husband go through it.  He works so hard to make me as comfortable as possible, and allow me to still keep some of my dignity.  He keeps a clean bucket for me to throw up in and switches out the moment there is a break so I won’t have to smell it.  He even puts a little mouth wash in it in case some of the smell lingers I won’t smell it.  He cleans me up, keeps wet wash cloths close by, and holds me tight and lets me squeeze his hand when things get bad.  When I wet myself he simply put a pad under me and when things calmed down he helped me get cleaned up.  He even puts in the Phenergan suppositories for me.  Every time this happens I am so amazed at how well he handles it, you can tell it’s tearing him apart that he can’t make it stop and help me more, but he tries so hard to do everything he can, and tells me that he is just grateful that he can be here for me.  I don’t know what I’d do without him.  I feel like he does so much for me, and I’m just dead weight.  I feel like I’m worthless, I just don’t know how to make things better.

I know, I have hope that things will get better.  I will once again be able to get off of this darn couch.  But today, I just feel awful, and I’m wallowing a little.

I realized the other day that if/when they do make me better, I don’t have any skills to do anything.  I thought about going back to school, but I’ve been out for so long that none of my credits would count now, and since I haven’t been working they can’t take my experiences there into account.  I just don’t know what I would do with myself.  But I would like the opportunity to find out.

Sorry this is such a scattered post.  I usually feel better than this the day after an attack, but I barely have the energy to stand up, and can’t think about walking without my walker.  (of course, I’m still running to the bathroom, but there is so very little coming out.)  I’m pretty miserable today.  I hurt all over, my head hurts, my chest, stomach, bowels….I just feel bad.

So lot’s of Gatorade, and bland foods.  Snuggling on the couch with my dear sweet dog, and sometimes the cat joins us too.  Perhaps I’ll finish the book I’ve been reading.  But for now, I think I’ll take a nap.

Thanks for listening to me rant.  I feel better already just getting it all off my chest.