Tag: health

fun

Professional Guinea Pig

Shannon

A couple months ago I got an email about a psoriasis study.  I was so excited!  A potential treatment for my psoriasis AND I’d get paid each time I went to the dermatologist?  Let’s go!

I didn’t know if I’d get the placebo ointment or the drug, which was a vitamin D derivative.  Things were going well at first.  Then a few weeks ago my skin started to really itch.  I mean, viciously itch.  I couldn’t stop scratching.  And my skin turned all red. My dermatologist told me I’d been given the drug, so at least we knew why it was happening. Then things got really bad for my poor arms.  The skin got really tight.  And started to crack and bleed. I couldn’t sleep at night for the pain. I decided to drop out of the study.  I went to my next appointment prepared to drop out.  My doctor saw me and said “Take her out of the study right now”.  There were only 2 more weeks of the study to go, but there were also only 2 more weeks before I’m to leave on a cruise with my family.  Here’s what I looked like 2 weeks ago.  No filter. photo My doctor prescribed me a cream and told me to come back the Monday after Christmas. Here’s what my left arm looks like now. photo 2 Less red.  No more pain, thank goodness.  But I still look awful.  I’m not looking forward to putting on short sleeves in less than a week!

I asked my doctor about getting the shot (Humira, etc) but he said even though my arms are covered I don’t have enough psoriasis all over my body for my insurance to cover the shots and they run about $15k each.  YIKES.   When I get back from the cruise we’ll explore more options.  I’m just hoping for some more fading up until Monday morning when I board the ship in short sleeves!  I can’t go to the Caribbean in long sleeves!  I’ll just keep telling myself I don’t know those people and have myself a grand time!

beauty ho, shopping

October Ipsy Glam Bag!

Shannon

My Glam bag is here!  And yet again it is fabulous!

photoThis month I received:

  • Coastal Scents Medium Shadow Brush
  • Bella Terra Mineral Shimmer in Emotion (a gorgeous plum eyeshadow)
  • Zoya nail polish in Neve (a midnight blue with purple sheen)
  • Style Sexy Hair Spray Clay
  • Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hef0eg6f9k0xqbq

 

 

beauty ho

Shellac…the end

Shannon

Well, it’s been 18 days and my Shellac manicure (a UV light cured gel manicure that I got for free but goes for $25 in my salon) still looks great!    Click to enlarge.  My nails are still shiny, hard, and shimmery.  There is the slightest bit of wear noticeable on the white tips (really more on the corners).  Mind you, I haven’t worn gloves and I’ve been doing all the regular life things like washing dishes, typing, etc.  The only real problem is that my nails are growing and the growth has become obvious in the nail bed.   From arm’s length my nails don’t look too bad but I’m ready for a change.  So tomorrow I’ll soak them for 10 minutes in acetone, wipe off the gel polish then paint them with a regular nail polish.  I am thoroughly impressed with the Shellac manicure and I will definitely get it again.  Especially for  special occasions like our upcoming Disney cruise!

health

Just when I thought I was out…

Shannon

…they pull me back in.  To the hospital that is.  CSP & I were just talking about that I had finally gone a full year without being in the hospital when Thursday night happened.  I was really uncomfortable at dinner.  Then as we were trying to go to sleep the uncomfortableness turned into flat out pain.  Not just standard crampy pain but specific knifing pain in my lower right abdomen.  I googled it and Google said I had appendicitis.  So I called the nurse line for my insurance and they said to get to a hospital.  So I woke CSP up and off we went.  By this time I could barely stand.  I hadn’t had this type of pain since my fallopian tube twisted and had to be removed.  Luckily it wasn’t that busy at the ER.  We got there around 2 and didn’t get to leave til 10 am.  They did a CT Scan with contrast and ruled out appendicitis.   Then they said “Do you still have your ovaries?”  What?  Yeah, I guess I do.  I totally forgot about my ovaries!   I have no use for them so I never think of them.  So they did an ultrasound and an internal ultrasound and found the problem.   I had a very large cyst rupture.  They prescribed me some nice pain meds and put me on bed rest for a week.  I have PCOS so ovarian cysts aren’t unfamiliar but I haven’t had one rupture since before my hysterectomy.  Put quite a kink in plans!  CSP was off work for 4 days and we had so much planned.  But at least he was home to take care of me!

health

Blinded by the light

Shannon

The other day I went to my eye doctor to get my glasses fixed (the little nose cushion thing broke).  While I was there they told me that it was time for my annual exam so did I want it.  Ok that’s fine.  So my exam is going well up until the eye drops part.  I HATE eye drops.  I can’t stand anything in my eye.  All the sudden my eye doctor said “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry I just dilated you!”  WHAT?!?  I was like “I live 40 minutes away!!!”  So I went out to the lobby area to wait for the dilation to happen so she could finish the exam.  I typed a couple of unreadable texts then finished my exam.  Then it was time to go.  Let me remind you that I live in Charlotte, NC and it is as bright here as, I don’t know, THE CENTER OF THE SUN.  I asked for glasses.  This is what they gave me:   A roll up sun shade that goes behind your glasses.  THANK THE GOOD LORD I’M NOT SINGLE, cause hooooboy, I would NOT have done well that day with the fellas.  Here’s another view.  Take in the sexiness.   Luckily my sister lives near my eye doctor so I dropped by her house to let the sun go down.  On  the way there though I realized these roll up sun shades just weren’t cutting it as far as keeping the blinding sun out of my eyes so I added some sunglasses to the mix.    That’s 3 levels of optical beauty right there people.  Don’t hate.

health

Cyborg Shanny

Shannon

I went to the dentist and eye doctor today.  Everything went well at the dentist – I’m getting a retainer (!) and I helped the front desk lady with her couponing.  Then at the eye doctor for my annual exam my doctor accidentally dilated me!  I was 45 minutes from home and blind!  Luckily my sister Sara lives up that way so I hung out at her house for a few minutes to get my eye holes a little back to normal before hitting the highway.  Check out the roll up “sun glasses” they gave me:  They were no match for the Carolina sun though so I had to add my own sunglasses over the whole deal just to see to drive.    So pretty!

csp, health, married life

Stoned all up in my head

Shannon

You know that thing under your tongue?  Well mine has been swelling up and hurting a good bit lately.  I asked my dentist about it and she poked around in there and told me that I have a salivary gland disorder.  Wha?  She said I may notice that thing under my tongue turn white.  If that’s the case to go in because that means there’s a stone stuck in my salivary gland that needs to come out.  Why can’t I have a normal dentist appointment?

A few nights later I was getting ready for bed.  My under tongue area was all swollen and hurting again.  I took a look at it in my makeup mirror and noticed a part of it had indeed turned white from its standard angry swollen red.  Well, I’m Southern and us Southern folks are known for some self surgery.  It was late at night and I couldn’t wait until morning to find out what was growing in my mouth.  So I grabbed my tweezers and out popped what looked like a giant sesame seed.  I ran into the bedroom and tried to show CSP but he’d have none of it.  I should have taken a picture but I was too busy playing with it. I tried to cut it in half and it shot across the bathroom, never to be seen or heard from again.  It was rock hard!  I guess that’s why they call it a stone!

beauty ho, it's all about me

Specs & Bangs

Shannon

Last summer I was outfitted with glasses.  I’m still not used to them!  I forget they’re on all the time.  I try to scratch my eye and poke myself right in the glasses.  I can’t tell you how often I’ve gotten in the shower with them on and it’s very awkward when I try to put my CPAP mask on my head and my glasses are in the way!  I do like the way they help me see though.  I only have to wear them for task related things but isn’t everything you do a task?  In an unrelated note, I’m back to wearing bangs.  I asked CSP if he liked me better with or without bangs and he said “Oh God WITH!”  Okaaaay…who knew for the last 8 or so years I’ve been running around with no bangs that he’s been secretly wishing and hoping for some hair to cover my five-head?

health, it's all about me

The heat must bring out the rude in people

Shannon

I may be the only person in the Carolinas who’s not looking forward to Summer.  I sometimes wish we lived in Canada or Alaska so it would stay cool all year.  Mainly because I don’t like wearing shorter sleeves.  Not because of the sleeves themselves, but the people.  Recently I was out and about and ran into a woman I’ve met maybe 3 times.  I was wearing a shirt with 3/4 length sleeves.  Actually it was the Penelope shirt!  The woman looked at me and instead of the normal Hello greeting she said “Girl, what the hell is going on with your arms???”  I was mortified.  I have severe eczema and it really affects my forearms.  I don’t know why I don’t have it on places no one can see.  I’m used to people looking at me funny, esp at drive thrus or other places where I’m exchanging money for goods.  People look at my arms like I’ve been a victim of an acid attack.  And frankly, that is what it looks like.  During the winter (when I get to wear long sleeves, natch) my eczema is better.  When it starts to get warm out the heat flares it up and the patches look really red and angry.  But that DOES NOT give anyone the right to embarrass me like that!  And in front of people!  I would never look back at her and say anything like “Girl, what is UP with your hair?”

If you are unfamiliar with eczema and what it looks like, my arms look very similar to this: It’s not fun.  Luckily I have pretty good self esteem and a husband who thinks I’m beautiful even with my spots. Now, before you start listing all the “cures” for eczema, please know that while I appreciate it, I’ve heard – and tried- them all before.  I’ve been dealing with this for 20 years.  I’ve tried every bath, cream, pill, spray, balm that you could think of.  Bottom line is that there is no cure, only temporary remedies.   Just do me this favor- please teach your children to not stare.  That eczema and psoriasis and the like are not contagious.  That unwanted comments are just that- unwanted.  That the only license you could have to make comments would be a medical license.  And if you weren’t aware of this, now you know.  I really don’t want to go through another summer having to educate the ignorant in how to be polite.

beauty ho, shopping

Lizard skin

Shannon

This winter has wreaked havoc on my skin.  I have really dry, sensitive skin.  I have pretty severe eczema too so that makes it tricky when it comes to what I can put on my skin.   This winter lotion just wasn’t cutting it.  I tried oatmeal lotion, shea butter, the works and I still felt like my skin was just going to crack and fall off.  Then a friend told me about Aura Cacia almond oil.  I ordered a bottle from Amazon since searches of my local grocery didn’t turn up any almond oil.  Plus I wasn’t sure if I could use food grade almond oil or if it had to be just for skin.  Anyway, my oil came in and it’s amazing!  A little goes a LONG way.  Thank goodness because I was not crazy about the price (about $11 for the bottle), but if it lasts a long time then it’s worth it.  It absorbs (unlike baby/mineral oil), doesn’t have a smell (so it doesn’t clash with my perfume), and doesn’t leave me looking greasy.  My Aunt Marsha told me she uses almond oil from the grocery store and keeps it in the fridge.  I’ll try that once my bottle of Aura Cacia runs out.  So if you have dry, sensitive skin- run out and get you some almond oil.  It’s even helping my eczema!