Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Pain or Panic...


Well, I have been fighting this diease of Sarcoidosis for over 20 years--always with pain. However, the pain has gotten more intense of the last 4 years! Finally, I have gotten the opportunity to meet with a pain managment doctor! To say it was a great appointment would be an understatement! The doctor listened to everything I had to say and formed a plan for my pain management. I came home with a time-release pain patch and another medication. Hubby placed the patch on my shoulder area as directed, and I waited to see what was going to happen. First, I started getting a strange taste in my mouth. Metallic? After awhile, I started noticing that I wasn't having pain. Okay, this is weird! I layed down in bed bed to go to sleep and for the first time in a long time, I didn't have to toss and turn to get comfortable. Okay, I realized that my bed and pillow had not chnaged, but yet I felt so comfortable--like I was sleeping on a cloud!! I woke up this morning to no pain! I honestly didn't know what I was going to do with all the brain power that I didn't have to use on pain anymore! I was clear headed. What a miracle!! ...Then, I started having panic attacks. Now, sometimes, I have these because I'm blind and need light. And, sometimes I have trouble breathing. I can also wake up from a deep sleep in a state of panic due to a nightmare. But this, I could tell, was worse--and ran deeper! After running home from work to check on me, Hubby had to go back to work, so I thought it best for Alexis and I to stay at my Mom's. Very good choice! As I was sitting in the recliner trying to focus on a movie, it dawned on me that the panic may be caused by the pain patch! After all, the panic was deep, and much more intense than normal. My brother Don helped me get the patch off and discard it. Within 3 hours, the panic had started to subside. But the pain also started creeping back on me. So it was the patch! I cannot even express how upset and sad I was to lose such great pain relief! Soon, I will contact the pain doctor and try again! But not today!!

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Tonight, my 4 children launched an online fund-raiser for me!
Purple Ribbon Fund-Raiser for Sarcoidosis Patient Robin Harp
May be viewed at
 Please feel free to stop by and wish me well!

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Moving down the simple path,
Robin

Sunday, August 12, 2012

A day at the beach!

Me (Robin) and Alexis building a mud-drop castle (poopy castle) jsut outside a tidal pool at the beach!

Alexis burying my legs in the wet sand.

Me and Alexis at the edge of the tidal pool.

Me and Alexis on the swing at Tybee.

Me and Hubby (Mike) on the swing.

Alexis in the surf.

Alexis on her way into the Sugar Shack for her after-beach ice cream!What flavor did she choose?




Yay! After many sick days--let's make that weeks, I got up the nerve to get out of the house and go walk on the beach. Tybee Beach is our choice! We all love it there! Turns out that I can get in my wheelchair to go across the ramp over the sand dune and leave my wheelchair nearby to walk a short distance to a really nice swing. After awhile,  I decided that I wanted to walk the 100+ feet trip to a small tidal pool. It was low tide and I wanted to build a mud-drop castle (poopy castle) near the tidal pool. Words jsut can't express how relaxing it was to simply play like a little kid. Before we left for the beach, Alexis and I had decorated each other with delicious-smelling sunscreen. As it turns out, the sky was overcast, and we didn't get much sun. If we had, we would have had a series of polka dots and stripes all over our arms. Would have been cute! At least we had fun doing it. Even Mike seemed to relax a little more--beachside! As a family, we need more of these kinds of simple days!

By the way, Alexis chose Vanilla! :)

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin