Heat Wave!

Hey everyone, 

So as you all know, we are still living in my grandma's house while we get our floors re-done. However earlier this week my family and I kept making comments about how the house we were living in was so hot. (Even my mom who is always cold started to feel hot!) Upon inspection, my dad informed us that the air conditioning had gone out. E-gag! As my mom would say. So from Friday night till just a few hours ago, we went without any air conditioning in our house. 

My mom made an important observation though while we were all complaining about how hot it was, "We are really going to appreciate air conditioning when it comes back on." Then the question was raise, "How do people without air conditioning survive?" 

I have never lived in a house where there was no air conditioning or a pool to dive into if you got too hot. But some people aren't as lucky as my family and I have been. There are people all over the world living without air conditioning during scolding hot summers and no heat during the blistering winters. While we only went two and a half days without air conditioning, some people go for months and months without it, suffering in the heat constantly. To me those two and a half days seemed like it was weeks long. I can't even imagine how long summer must feel like for those who go the whole time without air conditioning. 

So I encourage you all, and myself; that the next time something breaks down, we take a step back and be thankful we at least have those things to begin with. Whenever my siblings and I start to complain about something, my dad will remind us; "Hey I walked to school in the snow, up hill; both ways." In which we remind him, "Dad you lived in California, there was no snow." But he has a good point. Someone out there always has it worse than you, and they may not even be complaining about it. So the next time I feel like complaining  I'll stop and think about who might have it worse off than me, be thankful for what I have and not complain. I hope you'll join me and do this too. 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

Throw Back Thursday!

Afternoon!

A growing trend on Facebook, Twitter and Blogs is something called Throw Back Thursday. This trend involves posting pictures from your past and writing about them. So I decided to jump on this bandwagon and post a picture of my favorite stuffed animal.

Frosty is his name and he has been with me since I was in pre-school. My teacher Mrs. Worthen, gave him to me when I was in her class around Christmas time and from that moment on he went with me every where. Every trip my family would go on, he would be there. Every doctor appointment and stay in the hospital, Frosty was by my side and helped comfort me through it all.

Sadly though in eighth grade I went to the hospital for some asthma problems and Frosty got lost in that hospital. At the time I had a young roommate whom we believe may have been in foster care. My mom and I would sit with her and do her hair for her and spend time talking with her. The only options of where Frosty could have gone was in the dirty linen bag when the staff remade my bed that day before I left or that little girl. I like to think that my roommate took Frosty because she saw how much I adored him and loved him and wanted something like him. If she has him, I hope he has brought her as much peace and comfort as he has brought me.

When we got home, I was devastated. I cried and cried for days. My two older sisters and my mom spent days upon days searching for the same snowman stuffed animal that I used to have. The maker of the stuffed animal no longer made him, since it was so long ago. So hen my mom found one, she bought it and then she found one that was in even better condition she bought that as well. One of the ladies she bought it from asked my mom why she was interested in Frosty and my mom shared with the women my story and how I had lost him. This kind women sent me my new Frosty all the way from Canada for free. No it is not the same as the original, but he will always be in my heart and the kindness of two women who have given me Frosty twice now will always be something I appreciate and cherish.

Hope and Love,
Becca

Music Monday!

Afternoon! 

On this Musical Monday I chose to put 'Here for a Good Time' by George Strait. Yes I know it is a drinking song. But if you read the lyrics, it actually has a great message; I promise! I have put the lyrics that I think have great/significant meaning in bold. This song is up beat which I love,  but if you listen to the words, you'll see another reason as to why I love it so much. 

I'm not gonna lay around and whine and moan
Because somebody done done me wrong
Don't think for a minute that I'm gonna sit around
And sing some old sad song
I believe it's half full not a half empty glass
Every day I wake up knowing it could be my last

I ain't here for a long time
I'm here for a good time
So bring on the sunshine
To hell with the red wine
Pour me some moonshine
When I'm gone put it in stone
He left nothing behind
I ain't here for a long time
I'm here for a good time

Folks are always dreamin' bout what they'd like to do
But I like to do just what I like
I'll take the chance, dance the dance
It might be wrong but then again it might be right
There's no way of knowing what tomorrow brings
Life's too short to waste it
I say bring on anything.

I ain't here for a long time
I'm here for a good time
So bring on the sunshine
To hell with the red wine
Pour me some moonshine
When I'm gone put it in stone
He left nothing behind
I ain't here for a long time
I'm here for a good time
I ain't here for a long time
I'm here for a good time

So the next time you start to feel down, remember that you aren't here for a long time, but you're here for a good time and celebrate those good times!

Hope and Love,
Becca

On a side note - I added a new "Quote of the Week" and I think it goes well with this song!

To Grandmother's House We Go!

Good afternoon readers! 

This past week but mainly Thursday, Friday and today have been a busy one for my family and I. We are getting our floors redone so we have packed up all of our belongings and moved over to my grandma's house. Keep in mind there are 7 people in the house, plus a baby, five dogs and 3 cats living in a four bedroom house. However one of the rooms is used as a storage. We are not used to living so close together, so this should be an interesting week. 

My grandmother was moved into an assisted living home a few months back, so she is not here with us. Which is probably a good thing considering we have over taken her house with our stuff, especially all the baby toys for our 10 month old nephew. My grandma is 90 years old and has never had Wifi and her television had been disconnected. So all of last night and part of this morning all we had to entertain ourselves was a radio. Well and I had my home work which I got done for the most part. Cami my little sister was smart and brought a puzzle. I sadly forgot my books back at the house so if we go back sometime, I will make sure to grab some. My older sister Misty and I are sharing a room, which we have never done before. Just hope that we can both agree on a time to turn off the lights since I tend to go to bed before she does. She has already told me that my oxygen tank will have to sit outside the door of our bedroom because the hum from it is too loud, haha. I don't mind, since I do that at our house anyways for my room. 

We should be here for about two weeks, give or take. This should be an interesting adventure and I will make sure to keep all of you updated. So far its going well, just still organizing things and trying to figure out where to put all of our stuff in this small house. 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

Positive Thinking

Hey guys, 

I'm not sure if I've told you guys that I am a mentor for incoming college freshman. I sit in on their CPD150 class which is about college success. I took it last year, and I loved it. A lot of people see the description and think 'Oh this is going to be boring.' and some classes are, but my past professor did an amazing job at it. She is also a counselor, which is something I am interested in being (or a child psychologist) so she had an amazing perspective of how choices you make can affect a student's mental stability and things like that.

My favorite activity we did was one she did with the new round of students this year and I wanted to share it with you. She passed out an index card to each student and wrote this on the board: 

'I am a(n) ____ , ____ and ____ man/women.' 
And she told the students to fill in the three blanks with positive adjectives about themselves.
Then they each had to get up and introduce themselves to one another with that statement. The person you introduce yourself to replies with, "Yes you are!" 
And instead of saying "Thank you." You say, "I know!" And then the next person tells them their words, and then you both move on to new people until everyone has introduced themselves to everyone in the room. 

When she asked students what they thought about it, they said that at first they felt conceited by saying "I know." and she explained it is because we are so used to disagreeing with positive compliments or thoughts about ourselves. She said we have to train ourselves to think positively about ourselves because hating ourselves tends to be way too easily. She also said that our mind will believe whatever we want it to believe, as long as we continue to repeat it over and over. So if you keep telling yourself that you're ugly and worthless, not only will you believe it but you will attract people who feel the same as you and that just pulls you down even further. But if you tell yourself that you are fun and smart, you will attract people who are positive just like you and it helps lift you up. 

So what I want you all to do is take an index card or a piece of paper and write on it what I wrote above. "I am a(n) ___, ___ and ____ man/women." And put it in a spot where you will see it every day. Say it aloud or in your head followed with a "Yes you are." Start to re-train your thoughts and opinions of yourself. My professor told us that the "Positive things you say about yourself are far more accurate the negative things you say. So why not always say positive and help yourself feel better?" I agree 100% and I hope you do too. 

Hope and Love,
Becca

Update!

Hey guys,

Sorry I didn't post about my appointment over the weekend. When we got home we started packing up more of our stuff, since we are moving out to my grandma's for a bit while we get our floors re-done. WhichI am excited for the finished product, just not getting there. With my allergies  though, it will good that I get the carpet out of my room and get tile instead. (The tile though is made to look like wood so it looks really cool!) 

The doctor appointment didn't give me the answers I was hoping for, but it was a good start. The doctor said that she had never seen memory loss before in a patient taking the same medication I am, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. So we are going to do a small experiment and cut my dosage in half. We hope that that will be enough to keep the irregular heart beats at bay but also hopefully not give me as many memory problems. If my heart beats start to go crazy again we may up it a bit, but not to the full dose I am on now. 

I know that I typically post music on Monday's, and I do have a song for today. But I also wanted to give you all an update. Here is a song that I find fun and inspirational. It's called Firework and it is sung by Katy Perry. Hope you enjoy!

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,

Drifting through the windWanting to start again?Do you ever feel, feel so paper thinLike a house of cards,One blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep?6 feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thingDo you know that there's still a chance for you'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shineJust own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause baby you're a fireworkCome on, show 'em what you're worthMake 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a fireworkCome on, let your colours burstMake 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"You're gonna leave 'em all in "awe, awe, awe"
You don't have to feel like a wasted spaceYou're original, cannot be replacedIf you only knew what the future holdsAfter a hurricane comes a rainbow
Maybe your reason why all the doors are closedSo you could open one that leads you to the perfect roadLike a lightning bolt, your heart will glowAnd when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shineJust own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause baby you're a fireworkCome on, show 'em what you're worthMake 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a fireworkCome on, let your colours burstMake 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"You're gonna leave 'em all in "awe, awe, awe"
Boom, boom, boomEven brighter than the moon, moon, moonIt's always been inside of you, you, youAnd now it's time to let it through-ough-ough
'Cause baby you're a fireworkCome on, show 'em what you're worthMake 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a fireworkCome on, let your colours burstMake 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"You're gonna leave 'em all in "awe, awe, awe"
Boom, boom, boomEven brighter than the moon, moon, moonBoom, boom, boomEven brighter than the moon, moon, moon And a quick side note, I did update the inspirational quote on the side of my blog! Hope it helps you to keep going throughout your week!

Hope and Love,
Becca

Doctor Appointment in California

Hey guys,

So I just got off the air plane and I am in our rental car, driving to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital inside of Stanford. I just wanted to keep you all updated with what is going on with me health wise. I posted a few days ago that I've been having memory problems, and I still am. We did find a study saying it could be my medicine, but the medication I am on is needed to protect me from certain arrhythmias. So we plan on asking the doctor if she thinks there is a different medication I could take that would still protect me. Or she may not think it's the medication at all, so we will just have to wait and see. I will keep you all posted either by blog posts or Twitter updates (First column on the left hand side of post).

Thanks for all the support! I love and appreciate you all so much!
Becca 

National Suicide Prevention Day

 

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is facing some type of battle."

For Suicide Awareness Day I'd like to remind everyone that words hurt and they leave lasting scars on others. Think before you speak. That one comment you make could be the one thing that pushes someone over the edge and take their own life. One comment could also turn their whole day around for the better and keep them from taking their own life. Words are powerful, don't underestimate the impact of what you say to others. And if you don't think that is true, think of Martin Luther King Jr. who moved a nation to start accepting its own people by a simple speech called 'I Have A Dream'. If you don't believe that words can impact a person, ask any one who has ever been bullied or teased. If you don't believe that words can tear someone down, ask someone who has ever had a racial or sexual slur said to them. If you don't think words can affect someone psychologically, talk to anyone who has ever been verbally abused. 

Words are powerful. How will you use your words today?

Since I normally post music on Monday, I'd like to post the lyrics to a song about bullying. The song is called 'Don't Laugh At Me' by Mark Willis. 

I'm a little boy with glasses
The one they call the geek
A little girl who never smiles
'Cause I've got braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels
To cry myself to sleep

I'm that kid on every playground
Who's always chosen last
A single teenage mother
Tryin' to overcome my past
You don't have to be my friend
But is it too much to ask

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm the cripple on the corner
You've passed me on the street
And I wouldn't be out here beggin'
If I had enough to eat
And don't think I don't notice
That our eyes never meet

I lost my wife and little boy when
Someone cross that yellow line
The day we laid them in the ground
Is the day I lost my mind
And right now I'm down to holdin'
This little cardboard sign...so

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm short, I'm tall
I'm deaf, I'm blind, hey, aren't we all

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me  

To those of you who have been bullied, taunted, teased or any other form of harassment; know that you are not alone. Remember that it does get better. Remember that there are people out there who love you and want you in their life. And I am one of them. Even if we have never met. Or never talked. I care about you and I want you on this Earth. 

Hope and Love,

Becca

Still Against Obamacare?

I want to share a video with you all about a mom and her family from Arizona who have a daughter that has a Congenital Heart Defect. CHD is considered a pre-existing condition and Obamacare will help them with their health insurance; and so many other families out there like them. 

For those of you who will respond to this video with "They should've planned for their child to be sick and saved money for it." Let me remind you, you cannot plan for getting diagnosed with cancer nor save up enough money to pay for the treatments that are needed to defeat it and become health. This rings true for open heart surgeries, medications, procedures and other tests that are needed in order to live for so many other illnesses. You cannot plan for getting into a horrific car accident that leaves you needing surgeries that can and does bankrupt people. You cannot plan nor save up enough money for having a pre-existing condition. 

Please listen to this family's video with an open mind and an open heart. 

Hope and Love,

Becca 

Music Monday

This song doesn't really need a lot of explaining or introduction. It explains itself perfectly and it has been one of my favorites since I was really little and I think once you read the words; you'll understand why. I've put the lyrics that really speak to me and mean a lot to me in bold.

 "Give Me One More Shot" - Alabama 

Life ain't all that easy I can testify to that
It's been up and down and round and round to get to where I'm at
If you could see how I'm living in this old car I drive
Well you'd probably wonder and even ponder why I even wanna stay alive

So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day

Well I could complain about taxes or the weather we're having today
Go on and on about things that are wrong from New York to L.A.
Well that's just not my nature to sit around feeling sad
We're only here for awhile so why not smile hey living ain't all that bad
So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day

When I look around there's lots of folks worse off than me
So I just thank the good Lord and ask him please

So give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Let me open my eyes to a new sunrise I pray
Give me one more chance I'll learn to dance the dance
Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day

Well I'm satisfied just being alive give me one more day

Give me one more shot I'll give it all I've got
Give me one more day
Show me the way and give me one more day
Give me one more shot

 Hope and Love,
Becca

I Thought I Had Dimensia!

Hi guys.
 

Ever since about May, I have been having memory problems. At first it would start out  with small things, like forgetting when I was supposed to meet up with a friend or I'd forget where I put my wallet. Then things started to get progressively worse. I have never been a scatter brain and have always been pretty good when it comes to remembering things. But my mom noticed a change too, she even told me, "Becca, you're kind of becoming a scatter brain!" and we laughed it off... but soon it wasn't funny anymore.

I have been in school for three weeks and I can't remember my schedule. Mom would ask me when a certain class was, and I would tell her a certain time because that's what I thought it was, but once I went and re-checked my schedule, I was wrong. I got two of my classes mixed up, thinking that one started at 2:30 when it really started at 1:30. We thought, well maybe since its a new thing that I have to remember, it'll just take some time. But we found out that I am forgetting to do stuff or forgetting whether or not I have done things that I have been doing for years. For example: I can't remember whether or not I have taken my medication or remember to take them period. I have never had a problem with remembering my medication, and I know how important they are for me so the fact that I may forget them and think I have taken them; I will eventually get worse because I haven't had the medication I need. Ontop of that, I remember to turn my oxygen on at night but when I wake up in the morning and the oxygen is on my floor and not on my face, I can't remember whether or not I even put it on the night before or if it just fell off during the night. And its not like any of this medical stuff that I do is a new routine, I have been doing all these things since I was baby and have never had a problem with it.

Yesterday we went to my primary care doctor and he ran a few tests to test my fine motor skills, balance and stuff like that. He said he would check the list of medications I take (I take 45 pills a day!) to see if any of those could be the cause of it, but he thought that stress and/or depression could be the cause of me forgetting things. But I pointed out to him, I have always been aware of my feelings. When I start to feel depressed or stressed, I am the first person to know so me being subconsciously depressed or stressed didn't seem like it was possible. Well he sent us off and promised to check the medications. We were on our way home when he called not even an hour later and told my mom that the medication I take for my irregular heart beats has the potential to cause memory loss. The article he found said that '3 - 40% of patients suffer from memory loss'.

This is the same medication that caused my Thyroid to become a problem. We have tried to take me off of this medication before and put me on a different one. But without this medication, I started to have the irregular heart beats once more and that is why I had to go back on this medication, which has now caused me to have memory problems.

Not this Thursday but the Thursday after this one, I will be going up to California to see the doctors up there. We will talk to the arrythmia doctor and see what our options are because me forgetting things, especially important things like taking my medication and wearing oxygen at night is not healthy for me. And its intruding on my life. If I can't remember when classes are or when I need to meet a friend for lunch, it clearly interferes with it and it is getting so frustrating for me and my family. The other night, we were talking about how I couldn't even remember my schedule and I just had to sit down and cry because I'm not used to being like this and I don't like how it makes me look irresponsible to others who don't know what is going on with me.

Has anyone else had memory loss or memory problems from some of their medication? If so, what did you do to conter it or help it get better? I'd love some tips and prayers.

Thanks,
Becca