Hi guys!

Yes, I am still alive and kicking. Things have been, well, a little weird lately. As those who follow me on Twitter know, I suffer from chronic migraines and have since after Holly was born. I went through all the testing back then, and there was nothing physically wrong with me that would indicate why I suddenly started suffering from them. Fourteen years later, I pretty much know what my triggers are and can usually either keep them at bay or kick them with Excedrin Migraine. However, when one of your triggers is a lack of sleep, and you have been struggling with disrupted sleep and fatigue for over three years, your migraines tend to become more frequent. Also, within the past few months, I noticed a general increase in achiness and muscle pain. My shoulders and neck ALWAYS hurt and have for years, but this time, the pain was spreading to my legs and back, to the point where I did not want to move at times. Imagine the way you feel when you have the flu – the achiness that goes all the way to your bones and causes every movement to hurt. That is how I have been feeling off and on for the past few weeks. I did go to the doctor in the middle of the month and found out that I do have all of the markers of fibromyalgia. Before we go down the road of formally diagnosing me with it, my doctor wants to rule out certain medications and possible sleep apnea. The sleep clinic, of course, has no appointments until February 2019, so it will be a while before I can get any relief. Plus, even though I suspected the results, it has been a shock to adjust to the fact that I most likely have some other chronic condition outside of the migraines. We are also trying something for the migraines which doesn’t appear to be working as the headaches are almost daily now and only vary in severity. The last few weeks in November has not been easy for me mentally and physically as I try to maintain my house but not overdo it and find myself in bed for a day.

In spite of all of this happening the week before Thanksgiving, the holiday itself was a good one. We hosted my sister-in-law and her family for the day. I had everything prepped and ready to go so that all I had to do was pop dishes in the oven and mash potatoes. Connor came home the Monday before the holiday and helped me with cooking, as did Holly when she was home. My in-laws stayed until late evening on Thanksgiving day. Connor had to be back at Ames by Friday evening to play in the pep band for volleyball, and he had a football game on that Saturday. Holly wanted to experience Black Friday, so she convinced her dad to take her and a friend to the mall. They didn’t go until later in the afternoon, so she didn’t get the full experience, but she can now say she went shopping on Black Friday – something I avoid like the plague. The rest of the weekend was quiet as we ate leftovers and relaxed, watched football, and enjoyed the quiet.

Last week, the announcement went out that the owner of my company is selling it to a publicly traded one, effective right after the new year. I have been expecting this announcement for a while, so it was good to get it all out in the open finally. The changes from going to a privately owned company to a public one are going to be exciting and scary. There are very real, legal ramifications if I mess anything up, even accidentally, which is scary as hell. It will be a good challenge though and a good change. I know I am not the only one excited about the sale. It will make December and January even crazier than they usually are, especially as we delayed the budget process until now. There is a lot to do and not a lot of time in which to accomplish it all. As with all sales, the buying company promises they will leave us alone to do our thing, but I have way too much experience with this sort of thing. There will be changes. What those changes are are anyone’s guess. I believe I am safe from the chopping block, but that doesn’t mean that my role is secure or will remain the same. Change is good, but it is nerve-wracking.

So, all of this is why there have been no reviews and very little reading. Either the mind is willing, but the body is not cooperating, the body is willing but the mind is not in the mood, or both the mind and body are ready to go, but there is no time. I remind myself that this annual busy season will pass as it always does, I will find some relief from the pain and flare-ups, and I can maybe get back to feeling like myself again. It will take time, but I will get there. In the meantime, I have you and this site, my reading, my craft projects, my family, my dogs, and my work. Plus, I have decent healthcare, which is more than a lot of people can say. It will all work out in the end. It always does.

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Here are past posts from the last few weeks in case you missed them the first time:

• Sunday Reflections – 18 November 2018
• It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 19 November 2018
• When good series go bad
• Fabulous Friday – 23 November 2018
• It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 26 November 2018
• It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 3 December 2018