Fighting This "Flu-monia" (Includes a Recipe)

 Well, it is almost 3 in the morning and I am wide awake That's because I have been doing nothing but sleeping for the past few days. I was so sick, I thought I was going to have to go to the ER. Seriously. So I am really happy to be feeling (cautiously) better.  Earlier today was the first time I've been up for longer than it takes to hit the bathroom. I ate a little something and took a quick wash-off in the sink. I'm not ready for standing in the shower yet. But I'm feeling SO much better.

Keep the prayers coming though. I still have the cough...

Anyway, I am breaking the forced blogging "fast" by talking about food. I was not able to able to enjoy any food until the meal I had earlier and I had to go easy on my tummy. The only good thing to come of this recent flu-monia or whatever it is, is that I lost 7 pounds. (Is it wrong to be kind of thrilled with that?)

Okay, back to the food talk. Since I'm not really up to being on my feet too long, my meal had to be easy and quick. I decided to do French toast (sort of) in the waffle iron. It came out surprisingly good. My recipe:

• a slice of thick-cut white bread
• 2 small eggs
• a couple tablespoons of milk
• some brown sugar
• a little vanilla paste (thinned with a bit of the milk)
• a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon
• a pat of butter

I mixed the ingredients and dipped the bread in it. I used the butter to coat the iron before I "waffled" the coated bread. (I also made a couple slices of bacon in the waffle iron. It's a simple, heat-and-cook situation.)

What I liked was not having to flip the toast like I do when cooking in a pan. Instead of syrup (because I have none), I sprinkled the top of the hot toast with some more brown sugar. This recipe is going to be a repeat for me. The bacon wasn't as crisp as I like but that's because I got too wiped out to let it cook longer. I can't wait until I can give it another try.

I am now in love with the idea of cooking things with the waffle iron. Mine is a small and cheap one but it's good enough for what I need. Because my iron is so small, it's perfect for portion control.

When I shared the news that I was up and eating, my little brother warned me not to plan on doing a lot right away. The last time I felt like I was kicking whatever this ickiness is, I relapsed quickly.  I've been calling it the "flu-monia" because of the symptoms. My rheumatologist is over 2 hours away so... If I spike a temperature, I will seriously hit the ER. I really, really hate the hospital. Just thinking about hospitals gives me anxiety.

I am hoping that I really am on the mend this time. If so, I will be back to update the blog. But, first, I have to get my sleeping schedule back to normal!

Peace

--Free

Thoughts , Prayers & Whine :-)

I thought I'd better come over and post an update and say that I will certainly be welcoming all thoughts and prayers sent my way. 

For the past few months, my sarcoidosis has been kicking my behind! That's why posting has been sort of erratic. If it weren't for the drafts I save up, I would have almost nothing to post...

Not to whine but - well, okay, maybe a little bit - I've had COVID again (which I thought was going to kill me), then a cold followed. Oh, goodie. My big fear is that I'll get something respiratory and die in my sleep. Seriously, breathing can be a struggle with sarcoid. Anyway, most of the cold symptoms when went away (as in the chills, itchy throat, and aching head), but it left behind this crazy cough! I can't hardly sleep or do anything because of this cough. I heard from someone that it might be that 100-day cough. Whatever it is, it is the worst. I can barely leave the apartment because I don't want to get too far from the bathroom toilet or the shower.

I love these guys!

I told my rheumatologist about the cough when I saw him in November. When I told him I'd already had it for a couple of weeks, he didn't seem too concerned. I still have the cough (it's slowly getting better) but I'm hoping that my upcoming infusion will help. Please, Lord, and thank You.

Because whining is so much fun, let me keep the train rolling...

The cold had me so hoarse that I couldn't talk sometimes. My voice is finally coming back but it's still raw-sounding.  I already have a "throaty" voice so I don't want to end up sounding like a man-ling! LOL

I just wanted to post to explain the erratic blog upkeep. I'm hoping this gets better soon because it's starting to wear me down. I had serious bouts of the blues last week. And, oh, yeah - even better, I'm having trouble finding a dentist to treat me with my "pre-existing condition". Between the coughing and sleepless nights, I am afraid to complain about how badly my teeth hurt.

But, as a reminder to you all (and myself), life is still a blessing. 

We have all made it to 2024 when many others did not. I know that many other sarcoidosis sufferers have lost their battle so I am grateful for every single day. No matter where each of you are in life, be thankful that you are here to fight another day. It sounds trite, but, seriously, just keep your head up.

When someone asks in passing how I'm doing, I'm tempted to let them have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Then I remember that I am blessed and just say that I am fine. Unless we are friendly. Then they do get the truth!

Also when trying to make it to the bathroom!

If you are healthy, be thankful. If you are sick, keep fighting. 

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream

(I just realized that I didn't publish this back in Sept or Oct of 2023 so... here it is.) 

This is one of those products that has been hyped hard - and for years. I think I first saw this about 7 years ago. I never bought any because I have other creams and balms that I love. However, when I had about 12 dollars left on a gift card that was expiring, I decided to use it on this. 

tiny jar

For the tiny 1.5oz jar, the price I paid (with tax) was almost $15. That is a little bit insane. 

For some reason, I didn't pay attention to the size of the jar and some other details when I ordered this. Other than the price, the writing on the jar is a little bit creepy for someone who is not a pagan... (The backstory of the brand is really weird, just in case you think I'm being silly!)

Just reading a tiny snippet of the backstory got a little weird for my Christian self. Weird, or funny...

"The Story of Egyptian Magic begins in 1986 at a Chicago Diner when an elderly man approached Westley Howard (The name Mr. ImHotepAmonRa was then known as)..."

Then I took a good look at the front of the jar...(There are reasons some of us don't mess with a lot of popular symbols.) 

I'm pretty sure a Wiccan wouldn't be thrilled using holy water

 What the Beelzebub Crowley is that all about?  🤨 I'm not trying to buy a jar of something whipped up by the dark arts.  🤣I was just wanting to see what all the hype was about a product with some basic and interesting natural ingredients. 

Anyway... After I finished getting over the symbolism and general weirdness, I opened it up to take a look. If nothing dark and wicked flew out, I would give the product a try. 

What this looks like is a slightly yellow-tinged version of any petroleum jelly or CeraVe ointment I've used.  Some reviewers say that there is a smell of beeswax but I got zero scent from it. The texture is more solid than pet jelly and I had to scrape some out with my nail. However, it quickly warms with body heat.

I do have psoriasis that pops up in the form of dry and scaly patches of skin on my palms and ankles. Usually, the symptoms are mild and I just get super-consistent with OTC ointments (currently CeraVe). If the symptoms are worse or prolonged, I go all in with a prescription cream followed up with OTC ointments. Lately, I've had some mild flare-ups on my palms. 

With my psoriasis showing out for the past couple of days, I decided to try this cream. I applied it pretty sparingly (considering the cost) and gave it about ten minutes to soak in. It only took about 3 or 4 minutes to absorb. I guess my skin was drier than I thought!

It hadn't taken but a tiny bit to treat the dry patches on my palms so I decided to see how the cream would work on my face. The absorption took a bit longer than it had for my palms but not a full 10 minutes. In about 7 minutes, I could tell that my face was softer and not oily in the least.

Is this good? It seems so. It did help with the dry patches on my palms. It worked as good as the CeraVe and in about the same amount of time. It also was similar to CeraVe on my face. Maybe this cream was a tiny bit more moisturizing overall. It absorbed much faster than CeraVe. 

The price of this is the deal breaker. While I like the effects just slightly better than CeraVe, this cream is just too pricey to use as often as I would need to.  I will probably never buy more of this. A few other users in their reviews swear that the long-term use of this cream did wonders for their faces. That's kind of the same for any good ointment. Consistent use is the key.

Yes,  I do prefer the ingredients in this over anything else I've used so far but, still, that price...Once I used this jar almost all up, I decided it was definitely not worth the price. I have Nivea which works better and if I need something a little more healing for my psoriasis breakouts, I can use the CeraVe Ointment. Both of those products are worth their prices. 

I guess I don't have to worry about the backstory of this product. Not at that price and size.

Peace

--Free

Find Your Own Joy

As 2023 was winding down, I talked with a younger family member about life and happiness. It is my opinion that, in a way, happiness - joy - is a social construct. Let me explain.

Of course, happiness is a real thing. My opinion is that we either have our own joy or adopt what we are told is joy. Society has hijacked 'joy' and given it definitions that don't work for everyone. According to society, joy seems to be having a lot of money, possessions, attractiveness, power, etc.

I don't have a lot of money or possessions or power and I am living in a middle-aged body that has seen better days. However, I am sometimes giddy with joy. Some people who know that I am a Christian might think that my joy is all based on my beliefs. A lot of my joy and contentment does come from my personal faith. But not all of it.

I wish that more people would take the time to decide what joy means to them. Forget social media or social trends or whatever your family and friends think. Learn your own definition of joy and happiness.

Some of the things that make me feel joy and contentment are basic. Looking around at the good things in people and the world - in spite of all the bad - makes me happy. When I wake up in a safe place, knowing that I have food to eat, water to drink, and family and friends who love and care about me - all these are immensely important to me.

For a long time, I had the habit of looking at what I didn't have as compared to others. I've grown older and wiser and have learned to be so thankful for what I have by looking at what some people don't have. 

There was a time when I looked at the rich or powerful and compared my life to theirs. I made assumptions that they had to be happier or more blessed than I was. 

It sounds trite and pithy but I have to say that happiness comes from gratitude. If you are grateful for what you have - no matter how little it might seem to others - you can find joy.

Anyway, as I talked with my relative about all of this, one thing dawned on me. If money, power, attractiveness, etc brought joy, then why aren't all rich, powerful, and beautiful people always happy? Why do some of them need to drink or do drugs? Why do any of them commit suicide - or murder? 

Simple, right?

I don't know if any of this is making sense. I just wanted to remind everyone to stop letting anyone define joy or happiness for you. Find what makes you happy. Know why it makes you happy. 

Again, this might sound very trite and basic but I do think it's important. And, yes, my faith does play a big part - the biggest part - in my joy. That's something I talk about on my other blog.

I hope that 2024 is good to you. I hope that you learn to be good to yourself.

Peace

--Free