Boar Bristle Brushes & Afro-Natural Hair

 I remember that, years and years ago, a lot of men in the black community used a certain kind of hair brush. I noticed it because of the GIs I'd see in the barber shops getting their short hair "tightened up" (aka, shaved, edged, etc.). My father was one of those men. Later on, my brothers joined the Service and they joined that club.

The other week, when I was looking for a brush for my own afro-natural and 4C (aka coarse, dry, curly) hair, I saw a brush that reminded me of one my dad (and brothers) used.

Boar Bristle Military Wave Brush

I swear my father's brush was exactly like this one. I even have a memory of him using the brush on my little brother's hair after a haircut.

Anyway.

I don't know if the brushes the men in my family used were made with boar bristle like the one pictured but... I started looking into boar bristle brushes. As it turns out, boar bristle brushes have some benefits for all hair types, but I like what I read about the benefits for hair like mine:

• Distributes natural oils throughout the hair
• Cleans follicles
• Cleans product buildup from hair

Because of the way the brushes distribute our natural oils, these help to condition our hair in between washes. Also, these natural bristles help keep the hair cleaner in between washing (and we afro-naturals do not like to over-wash and dry out our hair).

I saw some brushes and almost passed out from looking at the prices. However, when I checked the prices on Amazon for one of the most popular brands of boar bristle brushes, I was more pleased. I was able to get a brush for around $5.00. Remember being able to get a full meal at Mickey D's for five dollars? Or the five-dollar footlong? Ah, the good old days...

Since I wanted a brush, I waited until Prime Days. The brushes are already cheap, but I really cheaper out and got 3 of them for around $8.90. 2 of them have yet to arrive (because cheap often means not fast), but the one that I received impressed me right off with the quality of the wooden handle. At first, I was mad because some of the bristles came out while using it, but that only happened the first time. I guess maybe there were some bristles already loose. But then this cheap brush ended up being - - to use an overworked term -  a game-changer. Seriously so.

cheap plastic wrapping

no more loose bristles

I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized this one isn't 100% boar bristle; it's "reinforced" with nylon. Also, it's made in China (but what isn't?). However, after I used it, that's when the game-changing part happened. 

Before now, the only types of brushes I have used in my natural hair have been wide-spaced and (usually) plastic detangling brushes. There's a myth in some circles that using brushes in afro-natural (especially 4C) hair, is taboo. This brush though has changed my mind.

My hair is not only dry and coarse but it tends to tangle badly. When I used this brush, I sectioned it off to work on a little bit at a time. I was really surprised that 1) I didn't get a lot of snags, and 2) how soft the brush left my hair. I also like that it gives a little more of a sheen to my hair. I read somewhere that natural bristle brushes (boar and horse are the main types I guess) have keratin which they impart to your hair. Maybe that's the softness and shine I'm seeing?

As you may have read, I recently switched to a simpler (and gentler) haircare routine. My hair was already feeling and looking better but this brush elevated the game. I am now hooked. I can't wait to see if the other 2 brushes are any good.

The hardest part about getting one of these brushes is choosing which one to get. Because the brushes (bristles) come in various levels of hardness, I had to weed through a lot of soft ones that are made for finer and thinner hair types. Then there are the reinforced ones (like the one I'm currently using). There are different styles of handles. This one has a nice, easy-to-grip wooden handle that doesn't hurt my hands. 

Knowing what I do now (after doing some light research), I am glad that I got this reinforced one and the 2-sided one I have coming. That one has a reinforced (medium strength) side and a 100% boar side that is very firm.  (This one is the cheapest of the 3, but I see that the prices on 2 of them have gone up since I got mine. I have a feeling that the cheap one might end up being a favorite.)

If you decide the get one of these, the good thing is that they are cheap. The other thing is to shop around. If you have a local beauty supply, I think the Diane brand will be easy to find. I am really happy with my 5-dollar brush. I see no need at all to pay for one of the $20 - $60 (or more) brushes. 

Of course, I will let you know about the other 2 brushes when I get them. I hope I will have something good to say about them both!

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I found one source that explains hair brush types in general and one about boar bristle brushes. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not/will not be compensated in any way for any product mentioned in this post. I am also not connected to information sources linked in this post other than to my own blogs.

**REVIEW** Camel Hump Fat

I bet some of you thought I was kidding when I talked about the camel hump fat, huh? Well, here it is:

It's the only brand I could find available for 
me to purchase.

When I blogged about this the other day, I forgot to add this blurb in from the product page title:

"Halal, Paleo and Keto Certified - Quickly Melting Use For Fry [High Smoke Point]"

That's great, right? LOL!

Anyway, I remember the concerns I had before the product arrived: Will it work? Will it smell too strong or off-putting? If I can use it for my skin and hair, will I want to cook with it?

The answers are yes, no, and yes. And that last "yes" surprised me... Let's start with the smell. It's hard to pin down. It's not rank and it's not loud but it reminded me of the fried meat grease Mama used to keep in that tin can on the stove - except very mild. And the smell fades quickly when I put the fat on my skin. I don't think it stinks but I wouldn't want the scent to linger.

As for whether it works on my skin, scalp, and hair, it does and it works really well. As a matter of fact, when I apply it to my dry hair, I have to remember to be less heavy-handed with it. For my damp hair, it's very much like shea butter but not quite as heavy.

Where this shines is when I use it on my skin. This is not an exaggeration. This absorbs really well but I can feel the residue for about 5 minutes or so. After that, my skin must slurp it up because I don't feel anything. I was trying to think of the right way to describe how this makes my skin feel and the best word I have come up with is "nourished" - not just moisturized, if that makes sense.

This is what it looks like in the newly opened jar.
It does remind me (sort of) of virgin coconut oil.

The last thing that concerned me was whether or not I'd be able to cook with this - or rather, would I like to eat what I cooked with it. I'm still on soft foods ~sigh~ so I used this on some salmon and flounder fillets in place of the EVOO I normally use. I put about a little less than half teaspoon-sized dollops on each fillet and added sea salt, garlic, and Old Bay (the usual suspects). I baked the fillets in the Ninja and...

The "high saturated fat" doesn't have to 
be unhealthy. Here's one source 

Well, my fish was already the best thing I've been eating with my teeth out, but the camel fat made it special. Again, the taste is hard to describe (and remember the other seasonings I used) but the fat added a savory undertaste. It was so good that I used the drippings from the fish to season the buttered white rice I was eating as part of the meal.

This camel fat is one of those things that I wish my mom and sister where here to try. I'm pretty sure they would have liked it (after they finished calling me "strange" for knowing about it!).

Another concern I had (once I realized I like to use this fat in cooking) is the "high in saturated fats" labeling. I did hear from a doctor friend-of-a-friend some years ago that "high sat" fats get more flack than deserved. She said that in her opinion the effects on a person depend on other factors - overall health, smoking and exercise, or the lack of.) She also said something that I can't remember about cholesterol... When I did some vague online searching, I came to the conclusion that not all fats are created equal. However, I couldn't find any free scholarly research (and I wouldn't understand it!). I used Chat GPT to scour out an answer to the question "Is camel hump fat low in cholesterol?" this is what it gave me (with emphasis on key points)

Camel hump fat has a unique composition compared to other animal fats, which includes different types of fatty acids. Generally speaking, camel hump fat is lower in cholesterol compared to beef tallow. Here are some key points to consider:

Composition of Camel Hump Fat:

Lower Cholesterol: Camel hump fat tends to have lower cholesterol levels compared to other animal fats like beef tallow.

Fatty Acids: It is rich in unsaturated fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are beneficial for health and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Triglycerides: It contains a mixture of triglycerides that contribute to its moisturizing and hydrating properties.

Comparison to Beef Tallow:

Beef Tallow: Typically higher in saturated fats and cholesterol, which can be more occlusive and protective for the skin but might not be as beneficial for those concerned with cholesterol levels.

Fatty Acid Profile: Beef tallow has a higher proportion of saturated fats compared to camel hump fat, which might make it heavier and less easily absorbed.

So what's the deal with the cholesterol? I am not eating beef tallow! I pulled out my bottle of olive oil to do some comparing...

So, what am I to conclude? I guess this means that I can use the hump fat in small amounts (and, trust me, the amount I used on the fish was way too much, I think). Also, EVOO is a plant-based oil, so it has that advantage. I am thinking that I will probably save the hump fat to use only on really bland foods (fish and rice) and use the EVOO as I normally do. As a matter of fact, I will skip the hump fat sometimes because the garlic, Old Bay, and sea salt are yumsy.

wonder what eggs will taste like with this???

Of course, when I was trying to find more information for this post, I ran across some anecdotal tidbits. This is a quote about the Turkana tribe in Kenya eating camel fat to survive during periods of drought: "They suffer a lot from periods of extreme drought, and I have seen these people, they've been very, very short on food, and this is difficult to believe, but it's true, slit open the top of a camel's hump, take out the fat for their own consumption, and then put the top of the hump back on again." (And, no worries, because apparently the camels survive this little operation...)

That sounded a little out there to me but I find this statement from the Desert Farms site to be more believable: "Hump Fat contains Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Arachidonic acid, Caprice acid, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Palmitoleic Acid, Beta Carotene, plus vitamins A, E, K, B12, and Biotin. And there’s 3x MORE Oleic acid (Omega 9) than in coconut oil." After all, those camels are some trekkers.

Finally, I wanted to see how to store this and learn about its longevity. The jar I got this week is stamped "best used buy" for a date in 2025 (I smeared it with a label!), however, it keeps longer if refrigerated and up to 5 years if sealed and put in the freezer. The high smoke point has something to do with this. 

I vac-sealed the original jar with over half left and I put the rest in smaller containers that I keep in the fridge. I have one container for use in cooking and I made a couple of blends for skin and haircare. For the facecare blend, I used some myrrh (for a more pleasant scent) and shea.  For the body blend, I added some soy, beeswax, virgin coconut, and almond oil to the first blend. For my hair blend, I used myrrh and shea with the hump fat. They all feel glorious. However, I have to be careful. I got carried away after my shower and almost busted my tail when I was putting socks on my slick feet!

My hair and skin already love shea so this blend is luscious.

I gave some of the hump fat and a bit of the blends for my brother and SIL to try. I wasn't sure what they'd think, but since they loved it, I am going to be sharing more with them. My brother's hands look like they belong to a slave or sharecropper. He was amazed at how well the shea and hump fat made those grubby grippers look! LOL.

So that was all about my adventure with the hump fat. Will I buy more? Definitely. I am subscribing for an every 4-month delivery (until the price goes up). By the way, I'm not sure I will even need to resupply every 4 months. It takes so little of the fat to apply to my skin - like I said, it's easy to get heavy-handed with it - and I won't be doing a ton of cooking with it. I will try to keep track of how long the next jar lasts (because I shared a lot of this one) and let y'all know.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Remember me saying there wasn't a lot of info online about this? Well, I actually found a place that sells, um, exotic meats - and no lie, you have got to see what they offer! Anyway, this is the link to the page on camel fat but check their homepage and peruse the links if you can deal with it.... Etsy is also a source for buying products made with camel fat. I'm sure I'll start seeing more sources - just like buying a new car and suddenly seeing every other one like it on the road!

Also, I have noticed that if you go to the Desert Farms website with inquiries, responses might be a bit, um rude. I asked about the Kosher/Halal on the product (after the FAQs glitched) and sent a bit of attitude with their response. (Don't worry, I let them know I caught the attitude & sent them a screenshot of the glitchy page. )

Dental Update #5

 I think this is the 5th update...

Anyway, this is a short one just to say that I had the bottom teeth removed yesterday. I didn't have as much bleeding as with the top because I had fewer teeth to remove! LOL The blood still grossed me out whenever I had to change the gauze but at least I didn't throw up this time.

I am really happy to have all the teeth out. The only thing is that I have to heal for up to 6 months and won't likely have teeth until January. That's such a downer. But I am so thankful to my family for helping me get this done. 

Maybe I will have some more updates before the new teeth are ready. Until then, keep me in your prayers. I'm praying that I don't have to wait 6 months.

Peace

--Free

A Very Different Kind of Skincare Ingredient...

 As you know, I can be adventurous in trying beauty products. My preference is for natural less toxic ingredients.

A few months ago, I had a conversation with a young person (early 30s) talking about using beef tallow in their skincare. They were surprised that I already knew about beef tallow as a skin and haircare ingredient. They were more surprised that I hadn't learned about it on social media! 

I remember older folks talking about the things they used for their hair and skincare "back in the day". Folks used common things used for moisturizing and/or conditioning and as protection of their skin and hair:

• Vaseline
• Crisco
• paraffin and/or kerosene
• Butter
• Lard
• "Fried meat grease" (aka bacon grease)
• Lotion (on their skin and their hair)
• pine soap (aka pine tar soap)
• Castile soap

As young pre-teens and teens, my cousins and I still used to put lotion in our hair to tame and moisturize it. We thought we were too cool for hair grease!

Of course, for some people who felt they were more "city" than "country", the idea of using fried meat grease was ridiculous. My mother had a friend who was white and I remember she would brush talcum powder through her hair when she didn't have time to wash it. The powder absorbed the oils and freshened the smell. (Take note, young'uns; we had dry shampoo before you were a thought!) I also was using shampoo bars when lots of young Americans had never heard of such a thing.

Anyway, after I blew the mind of that young person I spoke with, I toyed with the idea of trying tallow for my skin and hair. I changed my mind when one of my older "play" aunties told me that tallow tends to be heavy and oily. Oh well.

I was ready to give up on the idea but I just couldn't get it out of my head. Y'all know I tend to be a little obsessive.

So. I scoped around online and found a couple of things I really want to try. Stay with me now...

At first, I was going to try duck or goose fat. At first, but then, I saw something that I couldn't resist. Camel hump fat. You did not read that wrong. 

So I ordered the product (it's made for cooking but, I can't think of why it can't be used on my skin and my hair. You know, like coconut oil and Crisco.

As I wait for it to arrive, I have some concerns:

• Will it work?
• Will it smell too strong or off-putting?
• If I can use it for my skin and hair, will I want to cook with it?

So many questions.

On the positive side, I have read in several places that camel hump fat is less greasy than beef tallow. It's said to be very hydrating and suitable for sensitive skin. I have also read that it is anti-inflammatory.  I read that the texture is similar to coconut oil. That's one good thing!

I still want to try the duck or goose fat, but I am excited about the camel fat. At first, it seemed as though it's not commonly used for skin or hair care. Then I found an article about a Middle Eastern man who makes beauty products using the fat. Great minds!

I did have to look up how to process it to use it on the skin and hair. It sounds simple enough and involves melting it and adding EOs to help with the scent. The price wasn't bad because I caught it on a slight discount. It's pricier than coconut oil, depending on the source. The duck fat comes in smaller containers that don't cost as much but is only slightly cheaper per ounce.

I can't wait to try the camel fat and do a post about it. I used my Shopper Panel points to get it so I can use the next points to get some duck fat. And you know I will post about that too! In the meantime...

Peace

-- Free

P.S.: There are some mentions online that camel fat (aka camel milk) is being studied for its positive effects on CKD patients. I will be asking my nephrologist about this. I thought that was interesting.

(Camel fat is not always the same as camel milk. I see that there are camel milk products as an alternative to cow milk. I will try to sort out the confusion!)

**CROSSPOST** Death, Dying & Eternity (or Do All Celebrities Go to Heaven?)

I am sharing this from my other blog.

 Scanning the morning news recently, I saw that there were a few "celebrity" death notices. Richard Simmons, Dr. Ruth, and Shannen Doherty. All once celebrated for something earthly, all now dead.

It struck me that so many people tend to speak of the recently dead as if all their sins were washed clean. People tend to try to redefine was death is for their heroes. Someone said about Richard Simmons that he hoped he was "twinkling up in the heavens." Uh, that's not how it works. 

Another habit people have when speaking of the dead - celebrated or not - is to talk only about their brightest qualities. Suddenly, everyone forgets that a person might have been a horrible friend, co-worker, or spouse. The dead are always known for "lighting up a room" or some such thing. Don't get me wrong, while I don't want to be known too soon for lighting up any rooms, I also don't want only my flaws to be remembered when I die. I just want people to stop pretending that Heaven is the destiny of everyone. People who don't even believe in God suddenly assume that their deceased celebrity friend or hero is "singing with the angels" or playing in some heavenly band.

As a Christian, I know that anyone who dies -  no matter how good or horrible they might have been in life - spends eternity where they truly belong. There are, I am certain, going to be a lot of unexpected residents of both Heaven and Hell.

Though I never lived a horrible life or was a horrible person, I know that I belonged in Hell before I accepted salvation. I know that there are people who seem to live saintly lives who will be in Hell.

The dead don't belong in Heaven because of their well-lived lives. No one belongs in Hell because of their crimes and mistakes. Heaven is the gift Jesus offers to those who accept his salvation. Hell is the reward for those who refuse that gift. It is that simple.

I'm not gloating or being cruel when I talk about the celebrities I mentioned. I don't know where they are spending eternity. I don't know what was in their hearts. I just know that it's important not to put human opinions above holy truth.

Because I am no Bible scholar, I like to refer friends with questions to the very useful Got Questions. Here are some answered questions for those who wonder about eternity from a biblical viewpoint:

• Why is being a good person not enough to get you into heaven?
• Who will go to heaven?
• Why doesn’t God save everyone?
• How can I guarantee my eternal destination?
• Did Mother Teresa go to heaven?
• What is the difference between religion and spirituality?

Warning, for the curious and seeking, this site will send you down a long rabbit hole! I have sometimes spent a couple of hours on there, while just doing some Bible study.

For those who doubt Christianity, I would like to suggest a couple of things:

• Know that it is good to have questions. The Bible teaches faith but not blind faith. Christians are exhorted to be able to give a defense for their faith. (I always point people toward the Bible and study resources.)
• When considering Christianity, don't look at Christians (who are as flawed as anyone else), look at Christ. Who was he really? What proof against him do you have? 
• Study the Bible for yourself. Study it as you would any other document or historical record. If you believe in other historical figures based on historical evidence, why can't you believe in Jesus?
• Study secular evidence for Jesus and the Bible. You might be surprised at the amount of sources available.
• Don't open your mind to everything, but open it to facts.
• If you believe in Evolution, understand why you believe in it. What proof do you have? Who/what are the sources for those proofs? Now apply the same to Creationism.
• Be careful to not believe everything you hear or read. There are shady people everywhere - including in some pulpits. 

I hope that this helps anyone who will someday die - so... everyone!

Peace

--Free

Hair Products for the (Maybe Not So) Young

 Recently, my hair (like my body and brain) has been going off-script. It has been unmanageable, drier than usual, and just doing all the crazy...

I took a look at the products I use regularly and decided that it might be time to switch things up. The problem with that is finding a good brand of products that is also affordable and regularly available. By sheer luck, I found a brand that I am falling in love with. The products work and, praise the Lord, they are all very affordable. 

The brand is So Cozy. I found them via their curl leave-in product. I looked at a bunch of different brands but kept coming back to the SC brand because of the ingredients and the fact that the products are USA-made.

Once I used the leave-in, I took a look at the shampoo, conditioner, and detangler. All are affordable, all with good ingredients, and all are effective. Perfect. Here's a quick take on what I've tried:

 Curl Shampoo (Ultra-Hydrating Cleanser)

My concern was that this would not be cleansing enough. As an adult, I use grease and oils on my scalp and hair. Would this shampoo be able to cleanse those products? Actually, it was able to do the job. As with any shampoo, I use a scalp massager and maybe that helped. I do know that my hair was really clean without being dried out. (I wonder if I should have been using a kids' shampoo all along!)

Curl Conditioner (Softens, Restores Bounce and Shine)

I used this and put on a plastic cap for a few minutes while I continued my shower. When I rinsed it out, did get good results. My hair didn't have the same feel as when I used Aussie Moist or any other heavier conditioner, but I like that my hair didn't have the "weighted" feeling. Since I was experimenting, I didn't didn't use any other conditioner. I was tempted because old habits...

Detangler & Leave-In Conditioner Spray

I was a little undecided about this one. Since the brand has the Curl Leave-In that I already tried and loved (see below), I wasn't sure if I'd need both products. Since this was a trial run, I got one bottle without subscribing, and, uh, I will be subscribing ASAP!

I have used at least 4 or 5 other detanglers. This worked better than any of them and cost so much less. You know how pricey detanglers for afro-natural hair can be. A certain "knot today" one costs around $17. To be honest, that one did not work anywhere near as well as this one dit. I mean, it works but I have to use a lot of it and it didn't leave my hair as soft.

This worked so well that I was able to finger-detangle my hair instead of using my special detangling brush. 

So Cozy Curl Leave-In Conditioner Spray

This was extremely softening to my hair after I took out my twists. Afro-natural folks will understand when I talk about the "crunchy" hair problem. After a wash, my hair usually needs at least a couple of days before it begins to get a soft feel. Of course, softer hair means lots less breakage.

Overall, without the Subscribe and Save pricing, I paid around $28 for everything. With Subscribe and Save, I will be getting a better deal. If the price goes up, I will go the the brand website and order (or to Walmart. The bottom line is that this is such a good lineup of products for my 4C hair. 

I think this shows that sometimes we bypass good and affordable products because we get hung up on marketing. Normally, I wouldn't have tried this for my afro-natural hair. I would have stayed in the adult lane and looked for something that showed a lot of ethnic faces on the labels. After all, there are several brands for kids:

• Shea Moisture Kids (though I'm not a Shea Moisture fan)
• Curly Kids
• Boogie and Bean (how cute is that?!?)
• Makof is a random brand (?)
• Just For Me (3-piece sets were kinda  pricey)
• Same goes for Maya Mari sets
• Cantu's kids' line looks decent but I didn't see sets.
• I've seen Mixed Chicks stuff in stores but this Mixed Chicks kids' set is ooh-boy... pricey Separately, some items were reasonably priced.
• Jolly Kids (a vegan line) from Amazonica Beleza Amabelle is way up there in price for a bundle. Separately there are some affordable items.
• Dove has a kids' set.
• Noah is a natural brand with this set for kids.
• J'Organic Solutions has a kid set and a line for kids.
• Aussie has a kids' set and a line for kids. I love the adult conditioners but  I don't like Aussie's detangler for adults though.

So there are a lot of offerings out there for kids. Pricing and effectiveness are the important things. Of course, the smaller or more specialized the brand (vegan, ethnic, small biz), means that they are often more expensive. That's why customers need to support good brands from the start.

Likely, I will try some other kids' brands. For now, though, this one is working for my hair and my budget.

Peace

-- Free

DISCLAIMER: I am not/have not/will not be compensated by this product or any sellers. 

Family Is Good Medicine

For the past few weeks, I had to deal with a bout of depression. Then some more of my family came to town for a quick visit. Their presence renewed my spirits. 

Whenever I think of family and good friends, I am reminded of one of my favorite parts of the Gospels. 

"...for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ (Matthew 25:35-36 )

That's how my family makes me feel. I feel surrounded by love, acceptance, and protection. I feel blessed that God gave us each other.  My little brother and I miss our other siblings a lot and we both just drunk in their presence!

Everything

I got to meet one of my grandnieces (who I haven't seen since I held her right after she was born) and we both fell in love with each other. This is the first time in a long while that all of us siblings were together for a happy reason. They all LOVED the 4th of July celebrations. 

When my family left to return home, I spent half the day in tears, missing them already. I also realized that not everyone is so blessed with a big, loving family. Some of my neighbors are quite alone in this world. Some of them are widowed or their children have passed away. Some of them were never part of a close family. All I can do is pray that people find love among friends. Family is not just blood relatives. Family is anyone who loves, accepts, supports, and treasures your presence in this world.

I just want to thank God again for bringing some of my family to me - and just when I really needed them.

If you don't have family or close friends, you should know that Jesus is all the love you need. When we leave this life, we are going to be one big happy family and I can't wait to meet you all.

Peace

--Free

My Birthday Started With a… POP!

 When I say that my 63rd started with a pop, I'm being literal. I can laugh now - but only if I do so carefully...

This actually happened the day before my birthday. I had a lot going on. I was (am still) fighting a nasty cold/infection/something lung-wise; I have family coming for the 4th (how exciting!!!); and I was stressing over my medical insurance booting my doctors out of network (that is a rant for another post).

Anyway, I wanted to put on nice clean sheets for anyone staying with me over the 4th. I did a couple loads of laundry and realized that I had already strained my side a bit. That had happened when I'd twisted my body the wrong way getting out of bed earlier. I was sore but not in real pain. I took a rest and then got started stripping the bed to put on the clean linens. 

When I was stripping the bed, I had to keep resting because my right side was getting more sore from all the activity. Also, my cough was acting up so I put on a mask. I don't want to put my family on germy sheets! Finally, I was ready to get down to business and get that bed made up. I got the bottom sheet on and was getting the top sheet lined up. (My bed is queen-sized so I have to do a lot of leaning and stretching to get the sheets on properly.)

As I leaned across the bed to pull the top of the sheet even, a cough snuck up on me. It was a big one. Thank God for the mask, right? I didn't have time to straighten up or get into a good cough position (???). That cough came out like a Cat 5 and I felt something in my right side pop. I'm not sure it if made a sound of "pop" but I clearly felt it pop. It was a big pop.

That pop felt like what I imagine a gunshot feels like. It was hot and sharp and took my breath away. All I could do was drop onto the bed and be still for a minute. Sweat broke out all over my body. When I tried to take a breath, I felt like something was burning or stabbing or doing something crazy to my ribs.

For 2 years a good 2 or 3 minutes, I could not move without severe pain. So I'm lying there stretched across the bed, face down, trying to remember exactly where my phone was. Thankfully, I remembered having sat it on the bedside table. All I had to do was slide down, maybe get on my knees next to the bed and blindly reach for the phone. Maybe.

It took a while - and a lot of very shallow breathing and truly praying to God that I wouldn't have another cough - but I got my phone in hand and called my brother. I think he could hear the pain I was in. 

By the time my brother and SIL got to me, I could stand and walk slowly. As long as I didn't take any deep breaths, I was fine. I coughed once and thought I went blind for a second. I literally almost passed out. 

Cut to the ER. I had to wait almost an hour before I even got to triage. I think that's when the staff realized I was hurting more than I'd mentioned. It didn't take that much time to get me to an exam room.

I did fine holding back any coughing. I sipped water and sucked on a Luden's. A nurse brought a Lidocaine patch while someone took a blood sample and ordered x-rays. Then I had to wait another half an hour before someone finally came to - give me a pain shot?  cut me open and rip out the rib that was punching into my lung? save me from drowning in the sweat that was running down my face because I'd coughed again? NO. The girl was there to get my payment info. They take Discover...

Finally, a nurse peeked in (she was there to close the door blinds for the daily observance of "quiet time" the hospital has. Luckily, she noticed that I had broken into another sweat. It was running down my face and I was clutching my side and leaning against the wall. She left and came back with another patch.

Anyway. I managed to hold in any more coughing. Maybe the patches were working because I could take breaths a little deeper than before. And the doctor came back in with the results.

It seems that I had been coughing due to a mucus plug (possibly, but I'm going to have to get that checked out with my primary doc). Apparently, there are muscles between the ribs. Apparently, because of the position I was in when I had coughed, I'd sprained all of those muscles on my right side. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that can be done to quickly alleviate that pain. They dosed me with Tylenol and sent me home with a prescription for my old friend Prednisone. 

You've heard me rant here about how I hate prednisone (aka the devil drug), but it has its uses. I took 40 milligrams and the pain eased up almost immediately. Of course, it eased back in every time I moved wrong, but... 

My brother and SIL refrained from jokes until I brought it up. But when I did bring it up, they were on the same page. We all had this in mind:

(He just had to curse once, didn't he? ~sigh~)

I'm going to be seeing my doctor soon. I am so excited to see my family but I won't be able to do a lot. I can't really eat much except soft foods and I'm going to have to be careful taking walks. Yay.

But I am blessed and thankful that the God Lord let me live to see another year - another day, another moment. Not everyone woke up this morning.

For mhy Facebook friends, thanks for the beautiful wishes!

Peace

--Free

Something's Blocking the Sunshine

 The past couple of days have been a bit rough. I'm so fatigued and blue that I can't believe there's a sun shining outside my windows.

It's so weird how the mind and the brain work. You can be so happy and energized on a dark and cloudy day, yet so sad and gloomy feeling on a day filled with sunshine. I could hear my neighbors out on the front patio today, chirping and chattering away like little birds while they soaked up some of the good weather. I was actually a little annoyed. Why can't I feel like that today? 

I thought that getting out into the sunshine air outdoor air would blow away some of the blues. I walked over the the neighborhood store for some pudding and soda. It's the only place nearby that carries Cokes made with real sugar.  I did feel a little bit better for a minute, but then all I wanted was to get back home and rest. I was positively worn OUT by that short little stroll. Insane,

Of course, I know that part of this is sarcoidosis. Knowing that doesn't make me feel better. Just thinking about it now makes me feel tired. As a matter of fact, I am forcing myself to write this post before the fatigue hits me again.

Tomorrow, I am going to get back to reading the Bible. That usually does make me feel better. I haven't spent as much time as I'd like reading Scripture since I finished the last full read-through. Maybe I need to get back in the habit of reading a little before bed or listening to the audio version as I fall asleep.

Next week, I have family coming into town. That should make me feel SO much better. In the meantime, for those of you who believe, keep me in your prayers.

Peace

--Free

Dental Update #4

It's now been almost exactly 3 weeks since I had my uppers pulled. I have been back for the follow-up so the dentist can see how well I'm healing. He's really pleased, but he's very meticulous. He shaved off a little bit of a "spur" while I was there. And when he mentioned that he was going to be "shaving" that spur, I almost threw all over the place. He was surprised at how queasy I got but my brother gets me completely. Later on, he said that he bet the dentist now understands why I was so gaggy about all the blood before. Lord.

Oh well. Now I can get the bottom teeth done next month, hopefully. Then those extractions have to heal up before I get any new teeth. At least most of my toothless time will be during the winter.

While I am waiting, my biggest gripe has not been about vanity. It's been about food!  If nothing else, this ordeal has been a great lesson about appetites. Since my food choices are so limited right now, I'm losing weight like I did when I was younger. My plan is to keep the smaller meals when I do heal - I mean, after I eat my way through the state...

Seriously. For a couple of days, I couldn't make myself eat any of the soft foods I'd been depending on. I have been eating a rotation of Cream of Wheat, rice, potatoes (mashed, not mashed, sweet), beans (cooked to as soft as I could get them and with softly-fried hot water cornbread), Greek yogurt with honey, Greek yogurt with milk and honey, and then I added some Carnation Breakfast drinks.

I realized I needed the vitamins from the Carnation drinks when I was getting even more fatigued than usual and feeling blah more often than ever. It's amazing what little changes in a diet can do to you. When I get through this, I might never eat mashed potatoes again! On the other hand, I am down about 14 pounds. I'd be losing more weight if I had the strength to do at least a little exercise...

My brother and SIL are so sweet. Every time I see them, they ask what they can cook for me. On our way to an appointment the other day, my SIL asked if I wanted to swing by a fast food place to get a shake or some ice cream. I jokingly requested that they buy a piece of chicken just so I could lick it. Okay, I was half-joking.

Anyway. Today I decided to jazz up my Carnation Breakfast drink. It's decent-tasting but it's thin and not (in my opinion at least) very satisfying. I got the chocolate flavor so I added a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt and blended it all up. At least it felt more like a liquid meal than before.

I was going to get some kind of meal replacement drink mix but, not only did they cost more than my regular groceries, but it was hard to find anything with my preferences:

• No artificial sweeteners
• No high fructose corn syrup
• No invert sugar
• No stevia
• No artificial colors
• Nothing with the word "soylent" in it. (I only read the old book that the movie was based on, but someone just had to tell me about the movie. Ick.)

I couldn't find a Boost drink in chocolate and I don't like vanilla or strawberry flavors in drinks. Ensure has chocolate but their product line is so varied, I got tired of weeding through to find something with the rest of my wants. 

As far as the dental work, the top is all healed up and I'm getting ready to start having all the bottom down. And I know this sounds really strange, but I've gotten so used to having no top teeth that I'm going to have to adjust...

Right now, I am fighting off a new cold. I'm drinking garlic water with honey as I write this post. Keep me in your prayers. The time is going by slowly but I'm looking forward to the end results. I know it will be worth it. And, on the positive side, I am saving a lot of money on groceries! 

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I recently learned something that terrifies me. Apparently, wearing dentures takes practice. I'm pretty sure the dentist mentioned that but it only hit me when I saw it online. I will have to get used to eating and talking with the dentures. Now I have something new to keep me up at night.