Pain

Hi There, How are you doing?

I hope you are doing well.

Here we are on the 4th of July. I am on the couch hoping my pain stays at a manageable level so I can do some crocheting done before my energy gives out.

Pain is not something people enjoy talking about. Pain does not go away just because we don't talk about it.  Pain is here everyday for me. I could list it all for you, but I am not writing to share my pain. 

I want to talk about how to keep pushing and walking through every day/hour/minute you have pain. 

I wake up in pain, do a few stretches that I can manage while sitting on the side of the bed. Then I swap out my C-Pap mask for my oxygen tube and make my way to the kitchen to start the coffee. Next, I turn on my music (Praise/Worship music) and then I take my meds for the morning and drink my water. 

My day usually consists of being at home, with the TV on, folding some laundry and doing as much as I am able to do. If I am cooking that day, then I start my day prepping meat/veggies for the crock-pot so we have dinner ready to eat when David gets home from work. I use a chair in the kitchen when the back pain gets the best of me, usually about 15 minutes of standing is the most I can do.

I call them spurts of energy and most of them occur before 11 am. 

Sometimes I actually leave the house alone and run an errand or two. This all depends on how I feel, how my breathing and/or congestion is and the weather. If my blurry vision has already kicked in for the day, then no driving at all. If the temperature is above 90 degrees, I make the errand as early as possible or postpone it. If my breathing is labored and/or I am extremely congested, then I stay in for the day.

Adding Oxygen Therapy to my life earlier this year has helped me a great deal. Many folks were shocked when they saw a photo of me wearing the oxygen. This is me now and I plan to keep going as long as God allows me to do so. 

Pain is not normal and I truly feel for those that also have chronic pain. It is not fun at all. You don't get used to it, but your pain threshold definitely changes when you have had increasing back pain for over 15 years.

Don't ignore unusual pain. I started having pain in a new location a couple months ago and the pain didn't go away. I finally called my doctor asking for a referral to get tests done for this new pain I was having. He examined me and had his team call and schedule me for some tests.  These tests are July 5th at 2pm. The pain has continued and the prayers are going. I am praying for answers to this pain so that decisions can be made moving forward.  Please pray along with me for answers and healing.

Take care of yourself, pray for your family and friends

MaryAnn

Checking in - How are you?

 Hello There friends!

2022 was full of ups and downs, illness, chaos, blessings and disappointments, too.

I am blessed to have medical insurance and a pulmonologist (lungs/respiratory and sleep) who tested me and fought persistently with the insurance to get me what I needed to improve my daily life. I am now on Oxygen Therapy 24/7. Yes, I still have a cough, but I am starting to feel better every day. 

My son moved back to Tennessee last fall and we (the whole family) are glad to have him back home. 

I was blessed to be able to travel /attend L'BRI National convention in Wisconsin. Those 4 days with my L'BRI sisters was simply amazing. This year will be amazing as well  - L'BRI is celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year. I hope to be able to attend this year as well. 

In January of 2023, I reached my 20th Anniversary with PartyLite. This business has been a blessing to be in so many ways over the past 20 years. If you have not seen the new PartyLite, please check it out!

I am still trying new recipes and looking for low-sodium options. Thankfully, David is pretty much game for any recipe I want to try. 

My crocheting slowed down in June of last year while I having the most vision trouble. I ended up having 3 surgeries in the Fall of 2022. My left eye has not recovered. I am thankful for the vision I have and that the medical team have found ways to alleviate the headaches. I tend to crochet in the evening while watching tv. 

I am thankful for my family, my church family and all of those friends who became family. 

Please pray for the family of Martha Swearingen. She passed away a couple of weeks ago. We went to grade school together as well were in the same GS troop back in the day. 

I hope you have a blessed Friday. 

If you need assistance to get out of an abusive relationship, please call 1-800-799-7233.

To shop my PartyLite eShop, please visit www.partylite.com/nevergiveup

To shop Aloe Based Skin Care with L'BRI, visit www.lbri.com/maparish

Take Care, Talk soon! 

Faith, Flower Beds and Illness

 It's hard to believe we have been in the new house almost 3 months. We got the last 2 pieces of furniture moved over from Mom & Dad's last week and David celebrated that achievement by grilling dinner for use. He really does know his way around a grill and a kitchen. 

Every day I look around in our home and I am still amazed we are here and this is our place. We can paint, put holes in the walls, plant flowers and bushes without asking a landlord for permission. We recently went to our local Lowe's and bought some flowers to refill the flower beds in front of the house. David raked out all the leaves and debris in the flower beds and dug up things we didn't want and got it all ready for new soil and whatever we brought home from the store.  I wandered around the garden center and the  cart filled with a petite knockout rose bush, grape hyacinth, yellow daisies, another yellow plant that I would find out is called leopard's bane, a hanging pot full of pansies and some daffodils/or buttercups depending on what you call them.  We got home that day and David got everything planted except the buttercups, those will get planted today.  

In this earthly body of mine, I fight several illnesses on a daily basis. 

COPD, Sleep Apnea, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Headaches, Chronic Back Pain, Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety. 

The COPD and Sleep Apnea work together to keep me out of breath, tired and all things related because of lack of oxygen. The Hight Blood Pressure gives me headaches, blurry vision  and other things. 

Yesterday we had to go to Clarksville to get some tests run for my COPD and Tests on my back/spinal cord in an effort to determine the cause of my constant daily pain and not being able to stand for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. 

I prayed for days before these appointments for  answers to be found. My anxiety was through the roof yesterday. I packed everything I thought I needed, We were asked to come earlier than original appointment so we found the clinic and started the process. I hate the spirometer. This is a machine you have to exhale into as it measures how much air you can push out of your system after taking a deep breath. It is very difficult to me and I hate that test more than being a pin cushion for shots or having blood drawn. I hope and pray my test results yield some answers and medication changes are ahead for me and possibly being on oxygen therapy.

I know that God is our Great Physician and our Healer. I have good days and very bad days. I am weak, but God is stronger! My God is my provider and will never give up on me. My faith is stronger now than it has been in a very long time. We know without a doubt that God has provided for us in ways we never would have imagined. This house is a blessing to us in more ways that I know how to put into words. 

I hope your day is blessed and you seek to find the blessings in your daily routine instead of complaining about it.

Settling in...

 We are settling into our new home.

The journey to buying a home was a winding road.  We had been looking for a rental or an apartment for several months when we began to think of the possibility of maybe buying a home. The thought scared me to death as I never planned or dared to dream of being in a home that was truly mine/ours.

I contacted 2 realtors that I knew of and both of them quickly answered my message with the suggestion to get prequalified and a list of people they prefer I use.  I felt very pushed away and left hung out to dry by these responses.  My husband and I continued to pray for direction and started looking on a few realtor sites to see what was out there. 

September and October were extremely difficult months for me mentally and emotionally. After my stay in the hospital, my husband took the lead and started seeking out a realtor that he trusted so that we could start the process of looking for a home. He reached out to a friend/former co-worker who was now a realtor and it was a perfect fit for us and our goals in finding a place we could afford and where God wanted us to be. 

We closed on our new home in early January and have been blessed with friends and co-workers who have helped us move furniture and allow us to borrow their vehicles or trailers.  

I have the kitchen mostly set up and eagerly await my Tupperware order so that I can organize staple goods and make the most of the space we have in our new home.  

All the unopened boxes are currently piled into my future office/craft room. No photos of that room until we get my desk moved in there and a lot more organized. 

So far today I have unpacked 4 boxes, folded a basket of laundry and made myself lunch. I am still overwhelmed with the blessing of this house we will make our home. 

I hope to be able to hold an open house in February and start the coffee/crochet events in the Spring. 

I wish you peace and love. 

If you are in danger, please seek help at 1-800-799-7233.

Saying Goodbye to 2021

 This year has been a roller coaster, both emotionally and physically. 

This week between Christmas and New Year's Day usually finds me reflective of the past year and to look ahead to the coming year. 

I have learned of 5 deaths in the past week and none of them are easy to accept. 

Please keep the following families in your prayers, grief is a personal thing and none of us process it the same way. I am currently in shock, angry and sad all at the same time for these families.

Wayne Cherry lost his wife Mariana Cherry to Brain Cancer on Christmas Eve. 

Joe Case passed away due to complications from his heart surgery earlier in December. (Former Pastor at Grace Uprising, Former weather forecaster on WZTV-17 and News Channel 5 and Radio Personality on Hippie Radio)

Sterling Hill (Nephew of my friend Gretchen Moss Melton) passed away right before Christmas.

My friend Liz lost her grandmother 2 days ago.

My friend and L'BRI sister Conni Ring passed away on December 26. 

So much loss and so many families mourning the loss of their loved ones. 

We were blessed to be able to visit family in West Tennessee for the Christmas Holiday. Lots of food, fun and good times were had while spending time with the Williams Clan. 

Several changes in store for the New Year and a few family birthdays in January as well. I will share details once things are officially in the books. I pray you are safe and healthy and request the same prayers from you for my family and myself. 

Happy Wedding Anniversary to my Daughter Kourtney and her Husband Todd. I remember their wedding like it was yesterday, but 13 years have passed since that day. 

Family, Death, Sickness, Depression, Hope

 I have been quiet recently because I wasn't sure what to say. I know sounds odd for me not to have words to say, but when life throws you curve balls you didn't expect, I tend to get quiet because I am wrapped up in other things. 

In August we were blessed to have 2 short visits from my son while he was doing some travelling. Even though the visits were short, we were happy to have him here with us for a short time. 

We had several folks we know become very ill with COVID complications or other disorders and lost a few long time friends in the church. 

In early September, Daddy got congested and it dragged on, so he went to the doctor to get tested for COVID and that test came back negative. 2 weeks later, with major ear pain and headaches, I would go to the doctor and get a COVID Test and Strep Test. Both tests turned out negative and the diagnosis was a double ear infection. So I was put on strong anti-biotics to fight the infection.  

Between being sick myself, helping mom/dad, running out of medication and lots of life stress, I had a severe meltdown a week before my birthday.  I knew my mental stability was in danger and my depression was winning. I had suicidal thoughts and seriously just wanted to get in my car and drive away and completely isolate myself.  I did not do this, I came home to pack a bag and decided to take a nap and slept the rest of the day. 

 Sleeping and depression go hand in hand and it can become an ugly downward spiral if you don't get a handle on it. My husband David has been my rock during all of this. He understands depression and doesn't shun me during my episodes. I had my medication refilled and once it got back in my system, my mind settled down.  Medication helps and sometimes needs to be adjusted so if you are on medication, take it as directed and stay in contact with your doctor telling them all of what is going on. 

I have had to make a schedule and stick to it. The doctor suggested I take at least one day a week for myself and that is Sunday for me. I also try to take breaks from the house during the day even if it is only to go for a drive with my favorite praise music blasting. This helps me get my head back on the right track. 

Love & Potatoes

 The other night I was peeling potatoes for dinner and my mind wandered through past memories of potatoes and meal prep. 

I remembered the first time I peeled a potato with my Girl Scout knife at a overnight event at my GS leader's home. We hiked around her neighborhood and I remember several of us around a long table in the back yard peeling potatoes and carrots for a stew we would cook in a dutch oven. I had never peeled or chopped a potato before and Mrs. Glassford showed me how to do it with my knife pointing away from me and then how to clean my knife after using it.  I have many fond memories of GS Troop 837 from Lakeview Elementary. Mrs. Glassford was like a 2nd mom to me. When I led my daughter's GS troop (#1901), I tried my best to pass on the lessons and values that Mrs. Glassford taught us all those years ago.

I remember chopping potatoes and onions when my grandmother would make fried potatoes in the skillet. When I get a craving for her food, I just peel and chop a few potatoes, get out the salt, pepper and butter and set the potato pieces to boil.  I call them Mama Mac potatoes, even though I am sure they are just stewed potatoes in anyone else's opinion.  Some nights when things are especially hard, I would give nearly anything to go back in time to her kitchen and just sit at the kitchen table while she cooks and talk to her. She passed away in March of 2006. 

This past Christmas Eve, I sat at the kitchen table rolling out sausage balls while my daughter and her boys were decorating cookies here at mom's house. There are no pictures of that huge pan of sausage balls we made, but I remember it well. We use a bisquick recipe and spicy sausage if we want them to taste like Mama Mac made them years ago. 

Thanks to my husband and his sister, I am now in the kitchen much more than I was in past years. I have come back around to enjoying cooking and preparing food. There are several meals that David and I will tackle together.

I remember growing up and nearly every night we had dinner together once my dad got home from work. Mom nearly always made biscuits or cornbread and I have yet to master making either of these myself. 

Enjoy the things you love and capture all the memories you can. Only you can tell your stories, so hold on to your pen (or laptop).