Finding a new normal

by paigel on May 1, 2013

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May is here, which means the days are warmer, the pollen is plenty and the lazy summer days are near. It’s also Lupus Awareness Month, which means it’s probably time to talk about my new normal.

Many of you know of the countless visits to the doctor throughout the past couple of years when I was desperately searching for an answer to why I was so tired and in so much pain. Well, after all of those appointments–four doctors, two ultrasounds, two MRIs, two CT scans and several dozen blood tests–I tested positive for lupus and Sjögren’s Syndrome.

While this is a “forever” situation–there is no cure for either disease–I’m glad to know. It’s been a couple of months since the diagnosis, so I’ve had time to adjust and find my new normal, which means:

-not being quite as coordinated as I used to be
-having to write everything down
-being dizzy and nauseous
-sometimes waking up in the middle of the night because it feels like someone set my joints on fire
-not being able to go out for a run just because I feel like it (…or more likely because I ate too many cookies)
-sometimes not being able to do anything besides going to work, cooking dinner and going to bed (to be fair, Rob really does most of the cooking)

Honestly, I’m really lucky. For me, this is merely a frustrating interruption to my well being. For others, it’s something that wreaks havoc on their bodies and ability to lead a normal life.

Because these diseases are so different from patient to patient, it’s important to learn how they can affect one’s lifestyle, how you can be supportive of those with the disease(s) and what’s being done to move beyond treatments for symptoms to find a cure.

Please take just a few minutes to learn more about lupus (www.lupus.org/awareness) and Sjögren’s Syndrome (www.sjogrens.org). And join me on Friday, May 17, for Put on Purple for Lupus (#PutOnPurple). But don’t just wear it. Talk about it.

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It’s about $@#* time… again

by paigel on January 31, 2013

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To say that what happened today is long overdue, well, is quite the understatement.

It’s been nearly five years since I first started looking to buy a place. Five long, ridiculous years. This house was too small, that house was too old, this one too noisy, that one too expensive.

Today, we found the one that’s the perfect size, the perfect price, and it sits in a precious neighborhood. Let me rephrase that, we actually found the house in August. Today we closed on it.

Long overdue indeed. For finding a house, and then for actually getting the keys to it.

I’m so excited, that I don’t mind this being the fourth time we’ve moved since August (thanks to the mold situation that I refuse to write about, in part because I’m trying to forget it happened, but also because I’m pretty sure people are tired of hearing about it).

Now we’re off to get the cardboard boxes back out. Hopefully this will be the last time for a while. A long while.

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It’s about $@#* time

January 26, 2013

I had originally planned on redesigning the site and writing a new post at the beginning of the year, which probably would have had a much better more appropriate headline like, “New Year, New Paigel.” Or maybe something that speaks to my goals for the year like, “2013: Be Me.” But no. It’s been almost [...]

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Eighteen years

February 21, 2012

If you know me, you know I’m not too fond of cats, and that I am deathly allergic to the little creatures. But when I was a kid, I didn’t know these things yet. I was in the fourth grade when this lady walked into our classroom with an adorable “tuxedo” kitten named Stephan. Of [...]

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From the heart

February 20, 2012

There are few things that I can say about myself with absolute certainty: I’ll eat just about anything with sugar in it. Scratch that. I’ll eat just about anything. My legs can carry me 26.2 miles, regardless of how many miles I’ve replaced with candy bars and glasses of wine. I’m lucky enough to know [...]

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What CAN you do with social media?

January 8, 2012

During one of my [many] days off work during the holiday break, I read an article in Real Simple magazine about all of the social media don’ts. By the end of the piece, the only thing on my mind was, “What can you do with social media? From this article, I learned that I should [...]

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Christmas 2011

December 28, 2011

This Christmas, for me, was a holiday season full of delicious goodies and lots of love. And, as it is with every holiday season, I felt a certain whimsical magic that is strong enough to make everything else disappear. I don’t even care that Maggie ate my cinnamon M&Ms right out of my stocking. Ok, [...]

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Oh no! Not my gumdrop buttons!

December 11, 2011

Delicious Christmas treats…

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A mod starburst

December 10, 2011

These add a little punch of mod to a slightly traditional tree.

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Another London treasure

December 9, 2011
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