Your 30’s Is A Popular Time For Back Pain… It’s Really Great!

February 27, 2019June 24, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

Have you experienced back pain in your early 30’s? Then you are among over 95% of us… Honestly, I just made up that statistic, but it feels like dang near everyone I’ve talked to in their 30’s have experienced some kind of back pain.

Is it that we slow down in exercise, so busy with work, and simply no longer as active as we used to be? Your core needs to be strong to protect your spine. Which is something that I am learning the hard way. But, hey, silver lining… it will stick. My abs are sore already…

Apparently, 2019 is going to be the year of the core. In more ways than one. And that’s not so bad. Much much better than pain and/or surgery!

giphy-4

It Feels It Should’ve Been The Weekend Yesterday

February 1, 2019June 29, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

Oh, it has been a week. I am glad, as always that we are coasting into the weekend soon.

I went to visit my 98 year old grandmother yesterday, and it was grim. She told me, “I have totally lost it.”

That makes me feel a little sick. She’s lived a long life. More years than many can even hope for, although I don’t hope to get quite that old. She has seen a lot of change over her almost century of living. It’s wild to think about, really.

Today at work, I was the only one there with my crazy engineer boss. I use that term fondly! Fortunately I ended up having a decent amount of work to keep me busy most of the day. And now, I am thinking of going to bed at a decent hour, so I can wake up and do it all over again tomorrow. Blah!

Trying to be optimistic. Well, for one thing it’s warm in Florida compared to up North. It was in the high 60’s today, which is chilly for here, but so much better than the polar vortex.

I remember walking my dog in Upstate New York and finding it difficult to breathe in -20 degree weather. It was frightening, because I feared that I may pass out from lack of oxygen. No thank you.

So, anyway, I am about to eat some foods (too late!) and then get my sleep on. Woo!

giphy-8

Happy 2019!

January 24, 2019June 24, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

FullSizeRender-15

Happy New Year, folks!

It has been a long time, and for that, I apologize. I should get in the habit of writing more, if I intend to reach people, which I do. I have a message that is worth sharing. More than one, I think. Though my focus will be anxiety, for sure. And ADHD, adoption, and now… back/spine health!

On my birthday this year, turning 34, I decided to go to the beach to take pictures for a yoga challenge. Nothing unusual and it was an absolutely beautiful evening. The water down here in Florida has been in the 60’s and we have had red tide. I was taking a few shots down by the water’s edge and then decided to wade in to about ankle deep and do a backbend.

That’s when I heard something pop in my back and I felt it go into spasm immediately.

From there, it has been some of the most excruciating pain I’ve ever been in, in my life. For that, I am thankful, because I am certain there is much worse pain to be in. However, there is no denying it was awful. I went to the doctor and he sent me home with three prescriptions — steroids, anti-inflammatory, and muscle relaxants. Also a shot of pain meds and cortisone. Ugh!

After a week, the pain had subsided for the most part, but I was experiencing numbness in my right toes and left leg. It felt like pins and needles and there was definite weakness affiliated with the lack of feeling.

I was told to get an MRI to see what we’re dealing with, and that way we would know what kind of PT I would need. The results showed a herniated disc — I have a large tear and am a candidate for surgery, if I so choose. The plan is to continue with decompression at the chiropractor and then see how I am doing in a month.

Time is not always kind. However, I am very aware of how fragile our health can be.

Fabulous Filthy(?) Friday…

October 20, 2018June 25, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

Thank goodness it is the end of the week — I feel like I say that every week, but it’s always true! One might suggest that means I need to make some changes in my work life. The Sunday scaries aren’t horrible, so I know I’m not at toxic level… yet.

Speaking of toxic… I have some serious cleaning to do in my apartment. It is embarrassing how bad I let it get, but it is what it is. I’ll do what I can to clean it up before maintenance comes to replace my fire sprinklers. (Meaning they will be spending extended time in my apartment). And they will be here on Monday!

I have to clean the bathroom, mop floors, vacuum, do something about ALL THE LAUNDRY and clean clothes I have piled around. And I need to throw out a ton of trash. It’s awful, I’ll admit it. Over time, I’ve made quite a job for myself. Hoping to get it all done tomorrow.

Don’t worry, I do see a therapist and my parents know what a slob I am. It’s something I need to work on by having a place for everything, as well as cleaning up as I go. My ADHD prevents me from doing so, but perhaps that’s just an excuse for being lazy.

However, when I used to take medication for attention deficit disorder, I was almost anally neat. Since I went gluten free, I realize I do not need a prescription to concentrate. That’s only if I strictly refrain from eating wheat flour, which is hard to do for me. Guh, I love bread – garlic, cheesy, stuffed, twisted, a delicious sandwich, and on and on and on. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. But, I gave it all up (mostly) for my mental health.

Maybe I’m messy, but I’m getting by, just like you. Just like everybody else.

So, what are you doing for the weekend?

Hump Day Hey!

October 19, 2018June 24, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

giphy-9

Recently I’ve been watching, or rather re-watching, Grey’s Anatomy. I watched it when it was on tv in college, and have seen the first two seasons several times with my mother — during recovery from tonsil surgery, wisdom tooth extraction, and a benign palate tumor removal. (I suppose I can get into that later).

The show is based in a Seattle hospital, and it has me thinking a lot about life and death. I’ve also been thinking about miracles.

Things happen that we cannot explain. Things that the best of of the best scientists and doctors do not understand. Things that simply do not make any plausible sense. And yet, they do happen and we’re left scratching our heads.

Are we getting deep in an early post? You bet… let’s dive in.

Do I believe in a higher power? The answer is absolutely, I do. There is an energy or something powerful beyond our comprehension. It’s not the bearded man in robes up in the sky that I imagined as a little girl.

To be continued… (apparently)

Monday Musings

October 15, 2018June 24, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

Today was a fairly uneventful Monday. No complaints, except that, of course, it’s Monday and the weekend is over. Always a bit of mourning there. The alarm literally startled me awake, because it’s so dark in the morning. The time change is in a few weeks.

So, this past Saturday, my father was named Commodore of the Sarasota Yacht Club. There was a ceremony, great food, and dancing, which was actually really fun. My Dad makes me very proud. He works so hard to create a community and culture based on the traditions set before him by past commodores.

The Changing of the Watch Ceremony on Saturday, the 13th of October is also my Dad’s father’s birthday, so that was special for him, too. My Granddad would have been 103 years old. Only my Mom’s mother, my Gram, is still with us (kind of?) at 97 years old.
I cannot imagine living that long, even though life seems to be speeding by pretty quickly.

I’m tired. Always. I didn’t go to yoga today and I should have. It calms me in ways nothing else can. It’s amazing, and yet I actually have to get there for it to have an affect. Though, I do practice a little at home, especially handstands and headstands.

Nothing particular to say, but if you are reading this — Hope you have a very happy Monday!!! The week has just begun. Let’s go.

tenor

This Post Is A Long Time Coming…

June 11, 2017June 24, 2019 / notthatanyoneasked / Leave a comment

giphy-10

I have made so many excuses not to write a blog, because I didn’t know how to start one. Well, the truth is that I still don’t, so, I’m just going to write. Unlike others who have popular blogs, I don’t have children (yet), I don’t travel all over the world, interior decorating is not my forte, and I am not a particularly good cook.

For me, my passions include yoga, lots of sleep, random acts of kindness, and looking at far too many memes to be healthy. There is literally nothing I enjoy more than curling up in bed with a good book or a few reruns of “Friends” on my laptop.

I am notorious for making elaborate plans when I’m in a good mood, and then find I’d rather crawl in a hole than go out on when the day actually comes. Canceled plans secretly thrill me and my bedtime is as close to 10pm as possible, sometimes earlier if I’m lucky. This girl loves her sleep.

Honestly, I haven’t the foggiest idea how to start a personal blog, so I’ll just begin mine with basic transparency. We’ll try to get some of the mundane details out of the way.

I’m in my early thirties, and the only child / adopted daughter of two very wonderful parents. I was born and raised in New England, but have been living in Southwest Florida for the past 4+ years and am happy to call this tropical (admittedly kind of sweaty) paradise home.

My hardworking, charismatic father’s relationship with my overbearing, big-hearted mother is #goals, as they say these days. Ha! (I’m not THAT old!) They are good relationship role models, and I am a very lucky girl, trials and tribulations aside.

I am not married yet, and am in no particular rush. However, admittedly, I’ve got a little bit of the baby fever. This is most likely a biological desire. Everyone and their mother (pun intended) is having babies right now at this phase in my life.

Been meaning to start a blog for an extraordinarily long amount of time, but always made excuses. I figured, who would want to read what I have to say? And do I really want anyone to read my ramblings?

Like I said, I don’t have cute babies to blog about, I’m not model, a gourmet chef, or master crafter. My passions include a semi-respectable yoga practice, listening to music, going to the beach, and sleeping.

So, here we are…

I feel like with blogging, I walk a fine line between being vulnerable and over-sharing. This is not a line I straddle confidently, but I guess that’s part of the challenge.

With reluctance and without further a-do, I begin this blog.

I guess we can only see where it goes…

Not That Anyone Asked…

Musings of a fairly unremarkable 34 year old woman :)

My Life