It’s My Imagination

What I Wouldn’t Give For a Day at the Spa

May 12, 2009 on 4:22 pm | In Family Health | 1 Comment

I got myself dressed and got a pot of coffee brewing and then downed some sinus tabs. Before I knew it, it was time to start work. I put on my telephone headset and began taking calls with my head pounding. The entire time I sat there making hotel reservations for people, I just kept wishing I could have someone massaging my head. Seriously, the thought of heading directly to the Downtown Chicago Spa was so appealing, I would have given anything to get myself over there for a nice relaxing spa treatment.

The best I could do this morning was to massage my head with tree tea oil shampoo which can actually help my headaches a little bit, but I would much rather have had some spa time with someone else rubbing my head and temples, in fact, a scalp and neck treatment would be just the cure.

I have taken 2 doses of sinus tabs since this morning, but I do have my daughter’s band concert to attend this evening. Anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of sinus pressure and a pounding headache? My doctor hasn’t been able to come up with any resolution.

Sleep Deprived

January 11, 2009 on 8:16 am | In Family Health | 4 Comments

It’s a simple question, will someone please answer it?

Why is it that during the week, I cannot wake up and have several times slept past 7 a.m. when I am supposed to be getting up at 6:30.  Then the weekend comes, I go to bed around the same time, but wake up at 6 a.m. and cannot for the life of me get back to sleep. WHY?!

I am sitting here now watching the sun come up. It’s beautiful, but why couldn’t I have slept for another hour while it was still dark outside?  Do I need to see a doctor or is this a Doogie Howser question?

Stress Management

December 10, 2008 on 10:59 pm | In Family Health | 1 Comment

I believe we’ve all had those kinds of days when we feel so stressed out we don’t know which way to turn. In today’s world, it’s almost inevitable that we will have to deal with stress from our jobs, our families, our children and many other areas as we lead our busy lives.

StressInstitute.com provides methods of stress management, prevention of stress, and mindful living to businesses and individuals. The company was founded in 1997 by Dr. Kathleen Hall, an expert in stress management. The goal of the Stress Institute is to help people to live well balanced lives, who couldn’t benefit from that?

If you’re in need of de-stressing, check out their website for help.

Healthy Eating For the Holidays

November 13, 2008 on 9:56 am | In Family Health | Comments Off

Since being diagnosed with borderline high cholesterol a few months ago, I’ve really worked hard to eat a healthier diet and greatly reduce the fats in the foods I cook and serve my family. Because of my healthier eating, I’ve managed to lose 9 pounds and am not in need of lap-band. Now comes the hard part, the holidays. I have a pattern of eating way more than I should and foods that I shouldn’t when it comes to holiday foods. I just love all those pies and sweets too much!

So, I’m putting my goal in writing, right here, right now. I promise myelf that I will do my best to continue my healthy eating through the holidays and avoid those foods, no matter how much I love them, that are heavy in fats and cholesterol. My primary reason is of course the keep my cholesterol levels down, but also, I have to admit, losing weight has been a nice end result.

The Price of Aging

November 2, 2008 on 6:10 pm | In Family Health | Comments Off

I completed my annual doctors appointment, multiple blood tests, mammograms, bone density, and all sorts of other tests.  In the end I feel fortunate to find out that I am in an overall healthy condition with the exception of early onset osteoporosis.  To combat that I have been placed on a prescription that I will more than likely be taking for the rest of my life, as well as several supplement to build up my calcium and vitamin D levels.

I did a stock up shopping event today for supplements and this is what I came home with.

• Liquid Calcium Citrate with Magnesium – $8.99 (this was the sale price, it’s normally $10.99)
• Ionic form calcium (mix with water for flavored water) – $17.99
• Vitamin D 400mg, 100 soft capsules $4.99

In addition, I pay a monthly $25 for my Fosomax prescription.  In the end though, this is sure cheaper and much less painful than broken bones.

Softball Players need Sunglasses

November 1, 2008 on 11:28 pm | In Family Health | Comments Off

We just spent our entire day out at the softball fields. It was a tournament and my daughter’s first game started at 8 a.m. and her last of 4 games was at 8 p.m. We’re all exhausted, but, it really was a beautiful day here in north Texas, so it was a great day to be outside.

This morning it was still dark when we left the house and still dark when we arrived at the fields. It’s the first time we’ve ever been to a softball game that was so early in the morning that the lights on the field were on! What was funny was that by the middle of the first inning, the sun had started to come up and it was shining right into the pitcher and first baseman’s eyes. If the girls weren’t all ready wearing eyeglasses, they were coming into the dugout to get sunglasses. By the second game, the sun was shining brightly and it was pretty toasty out too. It was hard to believe it was November 1st and 85 degrees out there!

These softball players go through eyeglasses and sunglasses almost as fast as they grow out of their cleats. There is no way I’m spending $75-100 on sports glasses for my daughter! As a pitcher, she really needs them too, so I’m happy to have found ZenniOptical.com. For as little as $8 I can get her a pair of prescription sunglasses. As a spectator I need them too, and I can also get my bifocals from ZenniOptical. I’ve been thinking of going with something more modern, like these:

With the high prices of food, gas just about everything else right now, I’m glad I can at least get a good deal on glasses for me and my family.

Speaking of Dermatology

October 23, 2008 on 10:02 pm | In Family Health | Comments Off

It’s late, but suddenly I was thinking about an earlier post. I was talking about skin care in an earlier post which made me think of Martin Sands, founder of Dermatology Associates, P.C. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa School of Medicine and has his own private practice in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa area.

Having a girl who has seen a few small signs of acne, and me with my aging skin, it’s always good to know where to go for good doctor.

Anyway, it was a random thought and I typed it out as I was passing by the computer on my way to bed. Think I’ll go on to bed now!

High Winds of Fall Equal Dry Skin

October 22, 2008 on 1:49 pm | In Family Health | Comments Off

Our temperatures here in North Texas are finally dropping today. It’s almost the end of October and it hasn’t felt at all like Fall around here. The leaves are all still green and we’ve been wearing shorts just about every day. Of course, with the cooler temperatures comes the dryer air which brings on the dry skin.

I’ve stocked up on my favorite skin care croducts and say bring it on! I use everything from anti-aging skin creams to mineral makeup to keep my skin looking good, I don’t want it dry and cracked just because the weather is changing. I like to know that the things I use on my body, are made with the finest ingredients and yes, I’m a label reader.

How do you alleviate dry skin?

Loving the Memory Foam Mattress

September 18, 2008 on 12:37 pm | In Family Health | 2 Comments

My daughter used to sleep on our old queen size mattress until, for her birthday, she asked for the newest memory foam mattress! We had stayed at a hotel that had the memory foam mattress in their rooms and she loved it. Believe it or not, she was only 10 at the time, but she really wanted that new mattress. So, I saved up the money and went down to the store and bought her a new mattress.That was when we were still living in the Chicago area and it happened to be January when I had the mattress delivered. Let me tell you, the mattress was hard as a rock when it arrived and it was several days before it softened up (thawed out) enough for her to sleep on it. She really did start sleeping better though, immediately.We then moved to Texas where we definitely have warmer temperatures. Did you realize that the memory foam mattresses react to temperature? I didn’t realize how much they react. We really liked the mattress where we were, but here, in the warmer temperatures, it’s like a dream mattress! It’s even more comfortable and I didn’t think that was even possible.

If you don’t have your own memory foam mattress yet, you might want to seriously consider getting one. You can even order one directly from Overnight Mattress and they will usually have it delivered the very next day. They manufacture their own mattress and ship direct to the customer which means they can sell for lower prices. They also have a great return policy so they’re worth checking out at Overnightmattress.com

I can honestly tell you though, we love my daughter’s mattress and I wish I could get one for our own bed!

Aging Shouldn’t Mean Losing Your Independence

September 12, 2008 on 1:56 pm | In Family Health | 1 Comment

Is your current home ready for you as you get older? As we age, our requirements and needs change, will your current home be able to accommodate your needs?

We had neighbors in Illinois who had their entire home custom built with the needs of the elderly in mind. This was their retirement home and they have every intention of living out the rest of their lives in that home. Obviously we can’t predict what our needs may be as we age, but they had certainly done an amazing job of thinking ahead.

Although both of them are 100% healthy now, they built the home to be accessible by wheel chair, should one be needed in the future. The floor plan included wider halls and door ways as well as countertops that would accommodate a wheel chair. The floors flowed from one room to another so that it would be easy to get themselves throughout the home. The light switches were slightly lower on all of the wall to make them easy to reach whether you’re standing or sitting in a wheel chair. The faucets all had handles that were easy to turn should they suffer from arthritis. Even the bathrooms were roomy to move around in and the master bath included a walk in bathtub for easier access.

Everything they’ve done, right down to the smallest detail, was done to allow them to maintain their independence, even as they get older. I believe that is very smart planning.