A new beginning...

All these years talking and thinking about moving out on my own, and it's finally happening! I picked an apartment, I paid my deposit, and I move in one month! I went back and forth trying to decide if I should live with a roommate, or live with my boyfriend, etc. I decided to go with what I've always wanted to experience--living on my own. I'll have my own little studio apartment (hey, it'll be just me, AND studio apartments are much more environment-friendly!) By choosing a studio apartment, it allowed me to live in an area I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. And all 450 square feet of it will be mine. 100% mine. After re-reading my last post from about a month ago, I kind of laughed and reminded myself that's WHY I'm moving out to begin with...families are great, but there comes a point when living with them just causes more harm than good. My college is all paid for with scholarships, my car was paid off all at once, and I have no other debts to stand in my way. I can do this! I'm just so relieved and so excited that things are looking better. I've downsized my pets by a lot...Got rid of my 55 gal. fish tank, my hermit crabs, and most of my mice (2 little girl mice still need a home!). Oh! And I found an awesome website, petfooddirect.com, where I can buy 40 lbs of high quality rat food for only 20 bucks. That saves me 60 dollars and feeds my ratlets the best food there is. Sweet! On yet another website I found a carefresh-like rat bedding a lot cheaper than in pet stores, and better quality as well. I wish I had known about this stuff sooner...But better late than never I suppose. I just can't wait to begin this new stage of my life...I feel like anything can happen. And I'm excited to see what does=]

Life is funny sometimes..

This is my blog, so like it or not, I need to vent. My parents just gave away 3 of our cats. Suddenly. I never said goodbye to them. I'm devastated...completely devastated. A baby mouse of mine got attacked this morning by one of our remaining cats Mollie. My bedroom doesn't get air conditioning--it's stifling hot. So I'm sleeping on the couch. I was awakened every hour or so by either my mom using the blender to make her breakfast before work (which scared the crap out of me). Or my dad cleaning the kitchen before he went to work. Or by my brother coming to tell me a baby mouse was attacked. All this after only 3 hours of sleep the previous night since I had to study for my second exam of the week. I miss my Beau, Adley, and Sapphire who were the ones given away...beyond stressed from dumb biology class. But hey...my arthritis doesn't seem as bad lately. So while my face is breaking out with new acne every day, my pets are whittling down to zilch in a matter of hours, my brain is sleep deprived and my heart is hurting...my dumb stupid foot feels okay. Life is funny sometimes...except...maybe not.

Here's the difference

I know it's been a couple weeks...oh well. I started summer school, and between that and working weekends and trying to venture to Fort Wayne to see Tom, I don't have a lot of free time. I was actually just studying out of my bio book; we're on a chapter covering the skeletal system. What prompted me to blog was that there's this short synapsis on osteo versus rheumatoid arthritis. Of course it interested me, since people are always asking me what the difference is. I'll recap what the book says. Osteoarthritis is where "cartilage repair does not keep up with degeneration, and the cartilage wears out." Rheumatoid arthritis is "an autoimmune disease" where "the synovial membrane thickens and becomes inflamed. Synovial fluid accumulates, causing pressure, pain, stiffness, and progressive deformity, leading to loss of function." So there you go, the difference.

I can't believe how fast summer school is going...2 weeks down, only 4 to go. I'm glad I'm doing it, though it's a lot of work. Okay enough blogging, I really need to finish this chapter and get to bed. Exciting!

What did you do??

That's what everyone asks me when they see me limping around. Well, fellow employee I've worked with for over a year, I have arthritis, remember? "Awhh, my grandma has that." *sigh*. What I hear on an hourly basis. Anyhow...it seems with summer my foot pain has only gotten worse, not better. My ankle is swollen all around...my dad is pressuring me into starting Enbrel. I've done tons of research on the matter...it just doesn't sound like something I want. Mainly because the chances of getting lymphoma or other cancers are threefold that of normal people. Yes, I'm aware my chances of getting cancer are already higher due to my inflammatory disease. However, I don't really feel the need to increase that risk. I read a post where someone with RA actually got much better with their arthritis after a year on Enbrel, only to be diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma just a couple of months later. Sorry, but no. This doesn't mean I'm going to let RA damage my joints and organs...I'm all for other options. There is more than just one option, and I wish that instead of just automatically turning them all down, my dad would see that. Yes, Enbrel may work. But other things work too. And other things won't possibly give me cancer. Anyway...this pain sucks. But I have a beautiful new aquarium to enjoy while I lay crippled in bed=]

A new start...a healthier life

Unlike most other carefree young adults, I have to actually watch things I eat or drink or even do activity wise. I was born with an auto-immune disorder, which results in an inflammatory response throughout my entire body during flare ups. My main problems have been in the joints in my feet and ankles, but I've also had numerous stomach problems and other unfortunate side-effects of my own immune system attacking itself. Now that I am older and more aware of my situation and how it could affect my future, I've decided to take my health into my own hands and not let myself be a victim. I am very high risk for diseases such as Crohn's, and even developing cancer because of my body's almost constant state of inflammation. Foods like simple carbs, sugars, etc. are incredibly bad for my arthritis and I can really tell a difference after I spend a week drinking nothing but sodas and eating burgers.

I cannot help the damage that is going to occur on it's own from my body's inflammatory problem. I CAN, however, start doing everything possible to not add any more stressors to my body, and even lessen my own already-existing problems. (This is a HUGE reason why I don't drink, didn't ever drink, and will never drink. It is downright one of the worst things I can do to my poor tummy/joints/overall health). Think of what fats/sugars/alcohol do to regular healthy adults....not good, right? Well now multiply that by 1o, and that's how it affects me.

Starting about a week ago, I started drinking water daily...like crazy. Way more than the recommended eight 8 oz glasses. Water is amazingly good for my joints to help keep inflammation down. I've also started religiously taking my vitamins and fish/flax oil pills. Due to my high sensitivity to certain foods because of my auto-immune response, however, I am unable to consume a lot of things--including now fish oil. It made me sick. So I'll stick to flax. This summer starts a whole new lifestyle for me. I have a great, long, life to look forward to...if and only if I start now by taking care of myself. I do NOT judge others for eating crap all the time, I do wish for the ones I love to take better care of themselves only because diseases like cancer and heart disease are rampant in my family history. But I can only control what I do. You only have one life, only have one body. I've decided to stick up for my body and be it's own best friend. I know what's best for me, and I deserve nothing less.

Take care

Death to the Pixie!

The title sounds so harsh...

Anyway, I've had my super short cut for a year now and it was never meant to be a long term thing. It was just for fun and experimentation. So now begins my journey of hair growth...My main thing here is just trying to grow healthy hair, not necessarily the longest hair ever. At least not right now. I just wanna see where it goes...I've been doing tons of research on this, and I'm prepared!

I hope you all read my posts, even if you are too ashamed to hit the "follow" button. I'd love to share experiences with other girls (or guys) trying to grow out their hair. Come on guys, we gotta stick together! My last cut was 3 weeks ago...I vow to not touch scissors to my hair for at least 3 whole months, but even then maybe not.

To my pixie cut: Thanks for the fun year, I've enjoyed the endless compliments and extra hours of sleep in the morning that you gave me. But nothing was meant to last...so goodbye. Until we meet again when I am an exhausted mother of 3 who chops her hair off due to lack of caring. ;)

What did I say??

Tom asks me, "What's your life status?"
And I say "Living. Breathing." Which then leads me on to talk about how my cells are undergoing cellular respiration...which then led to describing the molecule of glucose that splits into two pyruvates and how the kreb's cycle produces CO2 and ATP and then there's the electron transport chain, the most exciting part and...I look up but he had walked out of the room.

Wait...what was his original question? Hahaaa.

=]

I DID IT!

Finish my first year of college, that is. Never missed a single class, and made straight A's! At least...let's hope...I'm still waiting on that biology grade:/ But it doesn't matter anymore because it's officially summertime! *looks outside at gray skies and impending rain* Well...sorta.

I'm here in the fort with my boy, I showed up at his house last night to surprise him=] Unfortunately I work tomorrow, so it'll be back to Indy for the ol PetSmart. BUT! Tom and I made the decision to go to Cedar Point in a week or two once we ask off from work. I can't wait! Summer will be full of amusement parks, camping, concerts, bonfires at the pond, visiting with friends, and spending as much time as possible with Tom. Sounds great to meeee! I can't believe I graduated high school a year ago. Time flies... which is kind of worrisome to me...I turned 20 a couple weeks ago and someone told me "It's all downhill from there." Haha my gosh I hope not. Though it feels that way sometimes. Okay, enough rambling.

I WANT TO BLOG!!!

I feel like the worst blogger ever....But then again, I was caught up with my first year of college and what not. Okay, excuses, excuses. I should be studying for my biology final, which is on Friday. So...I'll do that. I mean, I just revisited photosynthesis. Doesn't that count? Anyway I think I'll definitely get back to the blogging world, because I love to write, and I love to tell random people about my life. So! Get excited!

And wish me luck...