Possible Diagnosis

I blog a bunch in the beginning of the new year and it takes me nearly a month to get it together again to add another entry! In my defense, it has been pretty hectic around here. I cannot go into too much detail on some things yet, but I can in other areas at least.


If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I have been having bad stomach issues since October of 2014. I had a sensitive stomach growing up, but it went way down hill then. I had my gall bladder removed, multiple tests at multiple doctors (primary ones, two gastroenterologists, and a rheumatologist) and still no answers. Medications helped some, but I was still having awful stomach attacks every four to six weeks with no explanation.


Well, we may finally have one.


My rheumatologist gave me some blood work results in November that he said he wasn't too concerned about but I should show to another doctor I was seeing just in case. Well, in December that doctor looked at it and went, "Um, no. Not normal. Definitely a problem." The possible verdict?


Subclinical Hypothyroidism.


My TSH (thyroid hormones) were at a 10.67 when the normal range is around 2-3. My thyroid antibodies were also super, super high. The norm is between 4 and 32.... mine were at 464. I was started on 100mcg of Synthroid within 24 hours and referred to an endocrinologist that day. My first appointment with the endocrinologist will be this Friday, so I am hoping we finally can fix this thing once and for all. I will most likely be on Synthroid the rest of my life, but hopefully we can lower the levels once my blood work balances out again.


The one doctor thinks that's why my stomach was so messed up, apparently metabolism and hormones and all sorts of other things can get screwy. It also adds to the tiredness, cold, and many other things. I did have to step away from Google, but fingers crossed we finally get somewhere with this.


The other goodish news is that I am transferring in my job. I currently work at the reference desk at the Main Library (which I do like don't get me wrong) but I will be moving over to the Research Library within the next month or so. The big perk to this will be a much more steady schedule and.... they're closed weekends! Hallelujah! As of right now I am working half and half (including some weekends), but once they hire another person I will be at the branch library permanently. It is also much quieter, a different sort of patron, and a definite change of pace I am looking forward too.


Hopefully I will be able to update with more shortly. Until then, thanks (as always) for sticking with me.

Time Spent

Exhibit D (for Dup)

Lately I have been working a lot, our normal library Reference staff of four is now down to two temporarily. Because of this my schedule is all over the place (especially nights and weekends, sigh) to fill in the gaps... hello working every other weekend again. I had not missed you these past few months! Ryan is in school for his B-Billet so he tends to also have a weird schedule too, so our weird schedules coinciding has been a rarity. When they finally do line up we are usually too tired to do much of anything, especially with me still getting over being as sick as I was. We usually are like this (see Exhibit D).

 

But this past weekend, even though I had work, we both knew we HAD to get out of the house and do something. Even better, get out of J-ville. So we did. We went to one of my favorite nearby little towns, Swansboro, for dinner. Ryan looked up a few places and we decided on an Irish Pub that was rumored to have some delicious sandwiches. They did not disappoint. Our timing was interesting because we wandered into town during their Swansboro by Candlelight night, so most streets were closed to cars and it was packed as the small town lit their Christmas tree. Luminaries lined the streets and the historic district was gorgeous. We managed to find a place to park, find the pub AND get a table. Talk about a lucky break! It was packed too.

 

 

They had one of my favorite ciders and even though I need to watch my alcohol intake with my gallbladder I could not resist having one! I also had a yummy turkey and avocado sandwich with some pasta salad. Ryan naturally had a reuben which I was drooling over (and risked a bite of!) and we had a really nice time. I used to love going to Irish Pubs when we lived in DC and there are a depressing lack of them around here. I usually just love the atmosphere they have. This pub even had a "wall of regulars" where they each have a numbered cup that they come in and use! We thought it was just a display but then number 26 came in, said excuse me, grabbed his cup from over our heads and went to the bar! We were both instantly jealous and wanted to be regulars with our own numbered cups. Some day my friends, some day.

 

I also had Granny Smith Caramel Apple Pie for dessert that made my tastebuds dance for joy.

 

After we ate I grabbed a hot chocolate to go and we strolled through the town looking at the Christmas lights and window displays. Yes, it was a little early, but it was a really nice much needed night out for the two of us. We came home and sleepily watched some Big Bang Theory reruns before I went to bed since I had work the next day. Hopefully our schedules will match a little more often in the coming weeks and we can do some more of this "spending time together" notion! ;)

Stormy Weather

It is definitely summer time in the South. For the past few days, ever late afternoon, ominous dark clouds roll in. Some times it lets a little rain fall for an hour, then vanishes... other times huge torrential storms take over the area and hit you upside the head with their force. The photo above is from my neighborhood last week. I love panorama sky shots, they look so awesome! Those clouds barely gave us any rain until way later that evening even though they looked threatening.

Saturday was my first day back at work after being sick and it was a long day. I grew tired pretty easily and even though we were steady we luckily we weren't swamped. It was a hot, humid and sunny day until late afternoon some grey clouds began to move in. I told my coworker to check the view outside (since the circulation desk doesn't have windows close by like reference does) once they started to get dark. We knew a storm was coming for sure. Fifteen minutes later she came and got me, telling me to go look out the front door. If we thought the sky was dark before, it was BLACK now....

With the sun shining still over us it was a very haunting view to see straight black clouds in the sky barreling straight towards you! At around 5:30 the thunder started ripping through the sky, lightening began making our power flicker, and rain started pounding down so hard we could barely see outside. Pine tree branches were falling all around the pavilion and the grass around the side of the building disappeared under water. It barely let up around closing and we felt terrible having to have people leave to go out in it, but our managers said we essentially didn't have a choice.

We were a bit behind in closing with all that chaos but as we hurried to lock up I almost fell over as soon as I entered our program's office. It was literally raining in the office. I could hear it and as I glanced up I saw a ceiling tile fall to the floor, which had a huge puddle blooming across it, with a SPLAT.

Oh. Crap.

My coworker and I ran to get plastic to try and protect the books (mostly children's books for story times and summer reading) and move things out of the way as quickly as we could. At one point the plastic gathered a bunch of water and poured on to my head soaking me completely! Yea, we laughed about it. I am a decent height, about 5'7'', but my coworker is all of maybe 5'3'' and the two of us trying to drape plastic over eight feet of shelving was pretty comical in itself.

We used soda cans to try and support the plastic and did our best to clean up, staying nearly an hour after we closed.

Needless to say it was a mess! Naturally as soon as we stepped outside to go to our cars it had stopped raining completely. There was even some blue sky off in the distance. You can't even make this stuff up! UGH. It drizzled a little on my way home but at my house it was bone dry. It hadn't even rained there yet! We had a huge storm about ten miles from my house with all this damage and nothing at home. Sigh. I could hear thunder and see lightening as we got dinner ready, but when it did rain (hours later) it was nothing like on base.

Southern Summer Weather has officially begun!

Slightly Frustrated

I am a little, slightly frustrated with some things in life lately. Maybe it is because we hit our two year mark in this duty station and things are up in the air as to what's next. Maybe it is a lot of different things, but I know my husband is feeling it too.

We're both struggling a little bit at work. He has huge inspections on the horizon and is working 13+ hour days more often than not and is getting worn out quickly. I have been in my new position in the library for a few weeks now and I am just not hitting my stride. I loved my job in Tech Services... processing new inventory, repairs and lots of different things that made me feel like I was really contributing. Now I work in Reference. I am full time, so more pay and more hours, but I feel like sometimes I am doing less meaningful work than I was before. 80% of my job feels like handing computer passes to people and helping them print/scan/copy/sign on to certain websites. The other 20% I do, helping people find things, using research databases and interlibrary loans, just aren't frequent enough. We're also understaffed at the moment so I am working every other weekend or more and I definitely did not miss that.

So, things are a little frustrating. It feels like any time Ryan and I have off it is spent cleaning and cooking and doing other chores rather than spending time together. On the days I open we do carpool, but it is so early in the morning that our conversation is a little flat. At night we're so tired we are in bed by ten usually, and the time before then is spent just eating, packing our lunches, cleaning and watching TV until we drag ourselves to bed.

I haven't been to the gym in three weeks. First it was a killer cold, now a broken toe that makes putting my sneakers on kind of impossible (I battled a bedpost and my fourth/ring finger? toe lost). I miss going to the gym (shock!) and I feel like I was making real progress that all just got undone in less than a month, which feels pretty pathetic. I hate how it can take months and months to notice the slightest change but only a week to feel like it all has become undone.

I am frustrated. I want more time with my husband. I want to love my job again.

I want to feel happier.

Here's to some hopefully brighter tomorrows.

Paraprofessional Library Conference

Last week (ish) I was lucky enough to attend the Paraprofessional Library Conference at ECU with some of my coworkers. I was pretty excited, it was the first conference of any kind I have been sent to for work and my inner book nerd was very antsy. We had some awful weather on our two hour drive up there, but luckily once we hit campus it cleared up nicely. It was great to attend the workshops and bond a bit more with my coworkers outside the library.

The main thing about a paraprofessional conference is that it is geared towards people like me.... people who work in libraries that are not necessarily librarians. To be called a librarian you need to have your MLS (Master of Library Sciences), which I obviously do not have, hence the reason I am a Library Technician. I did four different workshops that I found pretty interesting. The first was about salvaging old photographs that can get damaged in your facility due to flooding/storms/leaks/etc. We do live in Eastern North Carolina, it isn't that far fetched! They showed us techniques that can save a good number of photographs that are important to our collection if we are able to do so. They even showed us some before and afters from libraries in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy and what they were able to salvage.

My next workshop was about Murder Mystery Theatre... something another library a county over does once a year for the community. I really enjoyed their presentation. For practically no budget they manage to pull off some really entertaining performances! Theatre and Libraries combined? You know I am SO there! I know MCCS here at Lejeune does something similar, but it is dinner theatre and not as interactive as the one we learned about nor is it solely a library production. But something to consider for sure!

After lunch I attended a basic photography workshop that had me riveted the whole time... other people maybe not so much. I am a total geek for this stuff and I want to learn to take better pictures so I really enjoyed it. It made me really itch for a DSLR too!

My last workshop was about stress relieving work outs you can do at work. Mainly it was stretching and focusing energies on certain tension spots but I did learn one or two I could do behind the reference desk and not look like a total spaz!

Overall I had a really great time. As one of my coworkers said during one of our breaks as we lounged in the sunny courtyard, "I imagine this is what it would have been like to go to college with y'all... it's kind of scary." The campus was definitely beautiful, and I naturally ran through the ECU musical arches a few times before we had to drive back!

 

Easter 2014

Happy Easter!

For the first time I can remember I am working on Easter Sunday. It has been extremely quiet here at the library, but we have had patrons... at least 30-40 have been in throughout the day. Most people were just using the computers to print something out but it has been extremely quiet at the circulation desk. I have caught up on a lot of projects, practiced for my interview Tuesday, and cleared the carts of books we had up here. It is definitely different from a usual weekend here! I also had a very interesting lecture by an elderly gentleman about Crucifixion. I suppose wearing my Catholic University hoodie sort of set me up for that one...

Last night Ryan and I attended the Easter Vigil service. Usually it is my favorite mass of the year. I love watching the chuch flicker in candle light, hearing the Genesis readings, the gorgeous music and people entering the church for the first time through baptism or confirmation. I was spoiled growing up in a beautiful and welcoming church. My mom was our parish secretary and I knew almost everyone. I was a lector (reader) at mass from my teenage years through adulthood and I altar served and sang in the choir as a kid. It is the church I made my first communion, reconciliation, confirmation and got married in. It was home. I don't think I will ever feel so connected to a parish again, I hope I will, but I have yet to find it. Neither Virginia nor North Carolina have yet. At all.

The vigil service was long, I mean way longer than normal, nearly three hours. The music was alright but most of it unfamiliar... a reading was read twice and one was skipped (hey, I pay attention!) and Ryan and I were both starving by the end. The most beautiful part for me was the RCIA candidates. We had ten... ten.... people baptized into the church ranging from 6 to 60 years old. It was beautiful! Plus another seven on top of that received first communion and confirmation... seventeen people solidified their faith last night in my presence and I cried tears of joy witnessing it. Like I said, beautiful. But I was also homesick for the church I grew up in and missing the familiar as well as my family. I missed having a small reception with my church of cookies and other things late in the evening after the vigil... a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings isn't usually the most Easter-y of celebrations! I miss kielbasa and pierogies (even though there may be some in my freezer from Babci... hm... I'll have to check that out).

This is the first Easter I have spent without my parents and brother. Working this weekend made the trip impossible for either of us. I know I am an adult and married, but when your whole life centers around some traditions and familiarity it is hard to let go sometimes. This was the one holiday we always managed to make work, even since I have been married... but not this year. I know, one of many in my future, but it is still a little sad. I am so grateful Ryan made pisanki with me and accompanied me to mass (especially since he isn't Catholic, I know it isn't a walk in the park for him) and I appreciate it so much.

My heart is just a little heavier this year during a time it is usually flying and singing. I love Easter, what it means in my faith and family, but this year it is just hovering a little lower.

I didn't intend to sound so gloomy and down in this post, my apologies. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter (if you celebrate).

Slacking

I have been severely slacking on my blog lately. Sometimes I think, I should really blog about this... but then I don't. I have had more free time since the show ended, but I have been spending it with Ryan basically. And working. And back in the gym :P. I feel my blog suffering, I know I have lost readers (half my trip entries didn't even get a single comment) and I am not sure where to go from here really.

Do I want to keep this blog about me? Just something I enjoy, people read and interact on, and family can see a bit more of what we are up to? Or do I want to broaden my horizons... make it more about readership or even profit? Reviews and give aways and link ups... oh my! I honestly just don't know.

I have a lot on my mind at the moment and most of it really is not blogworthy. Ryan has een submitting his package for an SDA (or b-billet of sorts) to hopefully better his chances of picking up/staying in. He wants to be a security forces instructor but if that doesn't pan out then he will try for recruiting duty. Things keep getting shuffld and pushed around so we really have no idea what will happen, they won't even look at things until May. Hurry up and wait once again.

I am applying for a higher position within the library, a level two position that is full time in reference. As much as I love working in tech services the extra money of going up a level and to full time will really help us out. I have my interview Tuesday, so fingers crossed!

At the moment I am working circulation for the weekend... Easter weekend. I am pretty bummed to be working Easter, full hours, but they have been so accomodating with my schedule (between our trip, weddings and other things) I wouldn't dare complain. Easter is a special time for me (being Catholic and all) so I am trying to do everything I can while still working. Pisanki were made last night, mass is still being attended, and tons of smidgens are being eaten. It's a start right?

 

Ryan's pisanki are the four in the top row, mine are the five on the bottom row.

For all of you still around, thanks for sticking with me. I don't want to abandon my blog, four years of my life have gone into this thing, but I hope I will invigorate it a bit more in the near future.

Stay tuned my friends.

And Happy Easter.

Spa Night and Spouse Experience

This has been a busy week so far but I'm so thankful for that. It's helping one fly by! Yesterday I went to work, ran home and walked the Dup, and then headed back to base for a spa night. It was a lot of fun!

We had four different stations; reflexology, sugar scrubs, yoga and massage. It felt wonderful to do some yoga, it has been a long time and my muscles were tighter than I ever remember them being. I really need to go find a class again, it's so hard to motivate myself to do workouts alone at home! And the massage was heavenly. I did not want to get out of the chair!

Today I was off from work but I did my usual commute to base to help out with SpouseBUZZ's military spouse experience. It was such a terrific day (massive artillery shaking the building and all!). I got to meet and see some amazing bloggers and people in the military community I've known (even just online) for years. Plus I met lots of great new people too. 

 Spouse Experience is a fun day. No powerpoints here, more like get on your feet and meet people and discuss the real experiences we all have and share. I'm so honored to even be involved in my small capacity! If any base near you hosts one please attend. It is so worth it!

Lots of people attended. Some spouses were married less than a month and others for up to 37 years! It's for everyone. The speakers are always fantastic, the prizes are awesome and the food was delicious!

I even got to be in a fake fight with Jayce for an activity. My husband would recognize my "You cannot be serious!" fighting stance!

Borrowed from the SpouseBUZZ Facebook page

The event let out around two so I had plenty of time to go home, nap, walk the Dup and then meet everyone for dinner at Ale House. It was a really nice dinner and I enjoyed getting to know everyone more. Now I'm home and quite sleepy! Tomorrow is work again but the library is officially closed for renovations, a new ceiling! We all will report in tomorrow to move books, pack and dismantle shelving before the construction crew arrives next week. Tomorrow night is a Return/Reunion brief with banner making supplies.... So you all know what that means ;)

You know you're a blonde when...

You know you are a blonde when...

- You somehow made yourself exempt from federal taxes and now owe the government a lot of money.

- This happens the month before you buy a house.

- The one time you almost curse out loud at work since you are crying about said taxes and there is a small child in the lobby.

- When the leasing lady asks you what unit you live in so maintenance can fix your leaky radiator you forget for a moment. It's only your address. No big deal.

- You get two blocks into your walk with your puppy before realizing your sneakers are on the wrong feet.

- You take a different route on your walk through Old Town, get turned around, and head in the opposite direction of home for a few blocks before you realize your mistake.

and last but not least...

- You know you're a blonde when all of the above happens in the last five hours prior to writing this blog post.



But the good of today... and yes it involves blondeness... is that my no heat curls worked!!!


This morning


Two hours ago


Tutorial here but learned from my neighbor Carrie long before I found it online.


Sigh. Off to work on my mortgage application. Then this girl is getting a drink!

500

This is post number 500. I cannot believe it! 500 posts... it feels like just yesterday I started this blog when in all actuality it will be three years ago this June. Over the past two and a half years I have blogged about pre-deployment leave, deployment, Disney internships, an engagement, a wedding, our first year of marriage, re-enlistement and now our separation as Ryan is in school 3,000 miles away. Crazy isn't it?

Anyway... my baking is done!



Hershey hugs on pretzels with M&Ms! Yum (:



And my husband is home!!! His plane landed at 10pm last night and he is probably still sleeping at home while I am at work.

About six clients are here. Total. Usually there is about 40. Most plan on leaving early. We are here til 5. Thanks work. Love it. It is SO dead. Ryan and I are driving to South Carolina tonight for Christmas with his family, so I wish all of you and yours a Blessed and Merry Christmas!!!!


I'll leave you with this, I cannot resist sharing! A package came for a client that we tried to repack to a smaller box to forward and couldn't...



That would be a Scientology ornament thing. It was paper/cardboard complete with L Ron Hubbard quote. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a Scientology infinity thing!

What have I been up to?

Going to NJ to see Kim in a show:



Reading lots of books:



Being addicted to Pintrest and other random online finds:



Watching Season 7 of The Office on Netflix Instant:



Work:



Swimming twice a week with Carrie:



And hosting give aways no one seems to want to enter:



Really? One person? Come on readers! Don't you want an awesome poster to hang up of anything you want? Baby pictures? Wedding pictures? Go enter! Please? So I don't feel like every give away I do is a dismal failure?


Bragging rights:

My husband graduated from basic electronics school yesterday. With honors. And the second highest GPA in the class! I am so so proud of him. His next school doesn't start until the first week or so in November so he is coming home this week. Probably on Friday or Saturday once his leave gets approved. I miss him so much and I am honestly convinced time is dragging to get me to the end of this week. To have him HOME for a few weeks will be such an enormous blessing and I really just cannot wait!

Fellow Bloggers:

I have read Wife [Window] of Wounded Marine for a long time. Today I signed on to AOL to check my mail and saw her face on the front page for this Huffington Post article. It moved me to tears more than once, and on her blog today she does clarify some things, but it is definitely something you need to read.

Change?

So I decided I wanted to do a small change. I have dyed my hair once before (back in 2008 when Ryan and I were first dating) and everyone but me pretty much hated it. Ok, it was a little RED if you know what I mean, but I liked it. This time I went a little more subdued I think... but it is a big change for me! And thank you Carrie for helping me do it... and by helping me I mean basically actually doing it! Personally I love it, maybe you all will too?

BEFORE




DURING







AFTER








These last two pictures are a little more of what my hair really looks like. Without the flash it looks almost purpley but with it you can see it is a nice reddish brown. It is a temporary dye, a good 30 washes or so, and if it gets too icky in the transition back I will splurge the $8 needed for OOPS Dye Away and be back to blonde!

My mother of course hates it.

Surprisingly, Ryan loves it! I sent him two pictures swearing it was temporary and I could change it back before the ball if need be. He then simply said, "More pics please." So I sent more and he loved it! Since his first school ends October 11th and he has a few weeks before his next school starts he is COMING HOME! For 2 weeks! I am so excited. I told him he would see my hair in person then but it would probably be a little lighter.

"So.... will you do it again so I can really see it?"

Not even false flattery, the hubby digs the reddish brown! Maybe he had a thing for brunettes/redheads all along... :P

People at work are funny, doing double takes and making comments ranging from they "love it" to "it's interesting". Most reviews so far are positive though!

I thought it would be a nice Fall change... what do you think???