everyday life

bad week?

So this may  have not been a good week, medical speaking. I had an appointment with my doctor on Wednesday, to start to get my asthma in order. So she started to listen to my heart, and suddenly she says "Hey, wait a minute - you have a heart murmur! You never had that before!"  So she booked an appointment with a heart specialist March 4, even though she thinks it's nothing dangerous - she wants us to be on the safe side.

Later on Wednesday, the lab nurse took some blood tests on me, and on Friday morning I got an emergency call from my doctor saying: "You need to go to the ER and have a blood transfusion, you are very anemic". So instead of going to work, I took the bus to the ER. They did a check up and they said - "Yes, you need a blood transfusion.. But you don't look anemic, not pale or ash grey skin.. " The only place they saw my anemia was in the eyes. They also took numbers of tests to rule out other illnesses, since we are pretty sure what caused this (Uterine fibroids).

Between all the medical attention I got from the nurses and the (cute) doctors I knitted on my shawl.

So around lunch the started the transfusion and I got 2 bags of blood. And after the transfusion they took more tests, just to check my new blood status, and they liked what they saw and around 5 pm they let me go home, after 8 hours in the bed at the ER.

blood transfusion (photo taken with my Iphone)

I never felt sick and I have probably been anemic for years, but my body had adjust the situation. I have been tired but I didn't think much of it - blamed it on  my work situation, the winter, the autumn, to little sun, the spring, the pollen season, the fibriods - basically I could find reasons to be tired every where. Now I know I need to check my blood when I'm tired with no reason.

Now I know the feeling of feeling great. I'm not tired in that way anymore, and yesterday I spent the whole day with a friend having lunch and walking around a museum, Hallwyllska Museet. And I feel great!

acupuncture

I had my first acupuncture - ever, today. For about 10 years - on and off -I have problems -read pain-  with my left shoulder and arm. I usually go to my doctor and get some meds and after a couple week, everything is fine again. But after living with this for 10 years I thought it was time to deal with it and take another approach.

I did go to the doc and I got my usual meds, but I also called a physio therapy centre, close to my apartment, to get some exercise advice and to try acupuncture. So today I got my first 4 needles - 3 in my shoulder and one on my upper hand, between the thumb and my index finger.

I have no fear of needles, (hey, I have a tattoo on my hip) so I had no problem with the procedure, it stings a bit when they rotate the needles, other wise it feels nothing (in my opinion). My next appointment will be on Friday! And I really hope this will work out. I have a work, which occasionally means heavy lifts (did you know that paper could be heavy?) and I need my strenght (and my health) both for work and my private life. And the pain affects my knitting too... So we really want is to turn out well!

yes, we can / yes, i can

"Yes, We Can" are one of sen. Barack Obama's catchy lines to get elected as the U.S President later this year. I'm gonna borrow that line and change it to: Yes, I can!

All the winter and early spring I didn't felt that good. I basically had a a depression. Not a deep one, but enough to stay away from friends. The depression had lots of reasons, but a major reason for my sadness was my weight. During 2004/05 I lost 18 kg /39 Ibs with the help of the Weight watchers, sadly I gained almost all that. I was proud I had lost all that weight and I felt miserable to gain it again.. So late April/ early May, I finally said STOP! and with a friend I joined the Weight Watchers again. A now -  I have lost almost 10 kg / 22 Ibs... I feel so much better now! I'm happier, I'm stronger, I'm healthier, I have more power in my steps. So, Yes I Can!!

a jump of joy (behind you can see some of the clothes that now fits! - and I know, I'm wearing my big, chabby, pyjama pants)

Today I made a raid in my own closet and found lots of skirts/ shirts, I bought on my last weightloss journey, that I can wear again! How about that? So tomorrow I will wear a jeans skirt from 2004! But a jeans skirt is a classic, so I will not be out of style! =)

So next time you see me, IRL or on the Internet, say: You look fantastic, Have you lost some weight? ;-P

(attjoo) (sneezing)

I have been home today to nurse my cold. I'm sneezing, but I have no fever today - I had a bit of fever yesterday. If I hadn't my London trip later this week, I problebly had  gone to work today, but I want to get rid of this cold, so I can really enjoy my trip. So today I have been knitting, listen to some good music, had a dye job and starting to pack my suitcase.

My Montego Bay Scarf is almost done. I have about 85 % finished.  I really like this pink colour and I think the scarf will perk up my mostly black wardrobe. And the scarf is perfect for spring/autumn. I will use up all of my 250 grams of Fleece Artists. So it's going to be a very long scarf.

I have started to packing my suitcase for my trip. And when I was looking for my British electric adapter, I found some old (local) newspapers/magazine from the 1990s, with interviews with me.. The oldest was from 1990, an interview from the local newspaper in Umeå, Västerbottens kuriren, about how it was to be an student on Umeå university and with pretty pictures of yours truly, as a 21 year old student. Those where the days...

I also found work related interview's regarding my work with the old photo collection and making it digital and an online database. These interview's where from 1997/1998, and the work  still going on to make our photo collection online for you to search in.

pink

As you notice, I have change the colour on my blog. It is not just Socktober - October is also the month to bring awareness of breast cancer to the people. THINK PINK! Buy the pink ribbon and support the cause.

closed for holiday?

closed for holiday?
Originally uploaded by catsfalk

Well, you can think so, looking at the board - 13 of 15 archivist are having their holiday at the moment - but there are 2 left behind, still at work, running the business - Me and Stina! Stina is leaving for Portugal next week, but then Stefan is coming back from Öland and Ola is coming back from Orust. The word Semester means holiday in Swedish. I have now 8 days working days before my holiday kicks in... Countdown has begun..

I had an appointment with my doctor this morning. The last couple of weeks I have had problems with my left shoulder - and during the weekend the pain developed. So it was time to visit my doctor again. She gave me anti inflamatory pain killers and I will also set up a meeting with a fysio terapeut.

Because the pain, I haven't been able to knit... So, I'm hoping the medicin will help!!

/ C

slow day

poppies, originally uploaded by catsfalk.

I have spent most of my day in bed with a lower back pain and cramps. Not my idea of having fun. From time to time a have really bad cramps and it today was a such day. And it ruins my day. I had plans to meet up with a friend in the city, but I had to cancel. I feel much better now, so I don't think my plans for tomorrow will be ruin. I have a party to attend tomorrow at noon.

I have most of my time in bed been reading and my company has been my hottie aka my hot warm water bottle.. ;-) No knitting today!

Have a great weekend.

/ C

oh no, not again

started the heel, originally uploaded by catsfalk.

I had a sleepin on Wednesday, I had my appointment with my doctor at 10, and it was waste of time to go back and forth to my work since my doctor is just around the corner of my home. I got up around 7 started to make tea - I wasn´t allowed to eat any food - I had to go to the doctor on an empty stommach. But during the time I waited to the kettle to boil I got quesy and dizzy and I had to lay down on the bed - and 5 minutes later I had to make a run to the toilet... Yep, you guessed it... Stommach flu... I won't give you any details, but it was not funny at all. So I had to cancel my appoinment with the doc but I will get a new appointment later.

I can't believe it. This past months I got every stinkin' disease there's around... Every bug around stick on me and I get sick! I'm a bit tired of this! I don't want to be sick!! I think I've got my share for the past year now! It's ENOUGH now. ENOUGH!

I feel much better today, and I have start to eat real food again and I have been knitting all morning watching taped tv series. (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries). I had consern that my bed socks was to big but I checked the gauge and it was correct so I didn't riped it and started over. I have now begun the heel and so far it looks OK. And I like the pattern and it's easy to follow the charts.

/ C

doctor's orders

new drugs
Originally uploaded by catsfalk.

I' m still sick, so I had a appointment with my doctor today. And she agreed with me, I'm not well. After taking some blood and after the examine of me, she wrote medical certificate to my company and to my health insurance office (so I can get some money next month) that I'm sick and won't go back to work until March 15. And after that, she send me to another doctor for an x-ray of my lungs.

My doctor will call me when she gets the result of the x-ray. Hopefully there is no problem! But the doctor was consern over my low blood pressure - hypotension, and will check again when I'm feeling better again.

So no work for 10 days... At the moment I feel tired after my day at the doctor's. So I have spend my afternoon in bed, pretty much sleeping - OK, I have been on the phone too.... I haven't talked with people for days.. How will I spend these day's? Oh, I have lots of books to read, lots of socks to knit - but I haven't touch my knittings since Tuesday last week. I have been to ill.. Perhaps I will return to knitting tomorrow?

The doctor's main orders was: RELAX, Relax, relax! So, I'm off, to relax!

/ C

down and out

me
Originally uploaded by catsfalk.

Today we had a fantastic winter day with lots of sun from a clear blue sky and the snow was glittering in the sun. So I was really in the mood for a walk. This time I wore my orange hat and my-so-called-scarf.

I have been stuck in bed for two days with a cold. But I have also feeling blue and I have been really low these days. It's better today, but I can't say it feels great. But to feel the sun in my face was a real treat and after I bought myself a new pair of high boots, I felt a bit of happiness. Can you cure depression with some shopping? For a while perhaps?

Anyway, I have been looking for a pair of high boots forever but never found a pair who fit, always to small. I have always had a pair of fat calves (even when I was thinner), so when I found this brown high heels I had no choice but to buy them. And I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. And they was on sale, 50% off! Check them out here!

/ C