Last night, my husband and I drove out to Mesa to celebrate our oldest son's birthday with him. It occurred to me, while eating my steak, that we hadn't done this since he turned two... just the three of us (his sister was born three weeks later). That sister is in Idaho, his little brother was at work and his wife was home sick :( Not that I'm glad anyone missed the traditional birthday dinner, but it was rather nice to sit and break bread with just the humble beginnings of our little family.
When the kids have a birthday, I go all facebook on them. I dig up pictures of their life and post 4 or 5 to show the world how cute they were and how they have changed over the years. OK, I'm sure there are friends that roll their eyes when they see these posts, but I'm OK with that. It's my way of celebrating my family, telling the world about the people that mean the most to me.
While we were eating dinner, it started to rain outside. And it is still raining, 12 hours later. I love the rain. When we lived in Portland, it rained quite a bit and there were days where I didn't love the rain so much. But here in Phoenix, the rainy days are few, far between and precious. And one of my all time favorite things, is to lay in bed and fall asleep to rain. I don't understand why, but it soothes me.
And last night I needed soothing. My dad's health is declining rapidly. I've been on the phone with my mom and my sister. I have spoken with my dad on the phone and visited with him like any normal phone call. But it was different, too. We were saying those things that one wants to make sure one says before saying goodbye. I feel like he is slipping away. His quality of life has not been good for over a year. He is tired of the constant, daily struggle. He knows it is hard on Mom. So decisions were made... there will be no more hospitals, no more dialysis. Hospice will be coming in to care for him and to give Mom a break. And I am struggling with the decision of when to go back home. I had planned a trip in January, but I'm not certain I can wait that long. The Holidays are upon us, and my little family will gather, but my dad is far away and time is precious.
22 November 2013
16 November 2013
Speleotherapy Anyone?
OK, I'll admit I'm really new to this. I hadn't even heard of salt inhalers or salt lamps until a week ago. But I am totally fascinated by it. Here's why:
I was diagnosed with asthma as a young child. During my elementary school years, I spent a week in the hospital in an oxygen tent almost every year. I was discussing this with my husband and was marveling at the fact that I never knew what an inhaler was until I went off to college. OK, I think I remember using a Primatene Mist inhaler, while on vacation during my senior year of high school (my asthma attacks were very inconvenient!) but the idea of having a prescription inhaler was foreign to me.
When I left home, I moved from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains and the climate was very different. My asthma didn't bother me again for 29 years! However, my lungs were in bad shape and I did get respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia fairly regularly. I was coming off of such an infection when my friend Evelyn told me about this wonderful little salt shop in Mesa, AZ (http://www.himalayassaltlamps.com/ ). I decided to check it out the next day.
To give you a little background; way back in the 1700's, a Polish health official noticed that salt miners did not suffer from lung disorders. A salt spa was founded and for years, people from all over the world have traveled to Europe for speleotherapy treatments for COPD, asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. During WWII, salt mines were used as bomb shelters and asthmatics found relief after spending time in the mines.
After visiting the salt spa, two Hungarians developed a portable salt pipe inhaler that could be used at home. The beauty of the inhaler is that when you breathe in, microscopic salt particles settle into little nooks and crannies of your respiratory system, which is very cleansing and healing. It is reported to kill bacteria and microbes, reduce inflammation and restore normal function. I was a little more than excited about this, so I visited the salt store with high hopes and lots of questions.
The store is beautiful. There are two rooms with various salt lamps for sale. They also sell bath salts, edible salts, deodorant salt bars and the salt inhalers. I spent about ten minutes sitting in the salt room (which is supposed to replicate a salt cave) and noticed a real difference in the air. It smelled crisp and clean. After 10 minutes, I felt some calming in my chest and sinuses (I was still a little congested at this point). I was hooked. I had to have me a salt lamp, too.
The salt crystal lamps are mined in the Himalayas and work as a natural air purifier, killing bacteria, allergens and dispelling dust, odors and mold spores. How? When you put a low-wattage bulb inside the crystal, it warms up and produces negative ions which purify the air. It is suggested that you start with a salt lamp in the bedroom to create a speleotherapeutic environment where you sleep. My lamp has been there almost a week and I love walking into my bedroom. The air smells so good. I'm sleeping with less congestion and my coughing in the night has all but stopped. Hocus Pocus? I don't think so.
I am puffing on the inhaler for about 5 minutes at a time, three times a day. I am also sleeping in the "salt cave" and my lungs are feeling better by the day. I also feel immediate soothing when I use the inhaler. It's not an emergency inhaler, mind you, but a healing, preventative measure.
Like I said, I am new to this. I will report back in a month or two. If I am still pleased, I will buy a few more lamps to put around the house. They are beautiful, by the way, and come in different intensities of amber, the darker being best for a bedroom. Between my lung issues and my husband's sinus issues, this may be a real benefit for us.
I was diagnosed with asthma as a young child. During my elementary school years, I spent a week in the hospital in an oxygen tent almost every year. I was discussing this with my husband and was marveling at the fact that I never knew what an inhaler was until I went off to college. OK, I think I remember using a Primatene Mist inhaler, while on vacation during my senior year of high school (my asthma attacks were very inconvenient!) but the idea of having a prescription inhaler was foreign to me.
When I left home, I moved from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains and the climate was very different. My asthma didn't bother me again for 29 years! However, my lungs were in bad shape and I did get respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia fairly regularly. I was coming off of such an infection when my friend Evelyn told me about this wonderful little salt shop in Mesa, AZ (http://www.himalayassaltlamps.com/ ). I decided to check it out the next day.
To give you a little background; way back in the 1700's, a Polish health official noticed that salt miners did not suffer from lung disorders. A salt spa was founded and for years, people from all over the world have traveled to Europe for speleotherapy treatments for COPD, asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. During WWII, salt mines were used as bomb shelters and asthmatics found relief after spending time in the mines.
After visiting the salt spa, two Hungarians developed a portable salt pipe inhaler that could be used at home. The beauty of the inhaler is that when you breathe in, microscopic salt particles settle into little nooks and crannies of your respiratory system, which is very cleansing and healing. It is reported to kill bacteria and microbes, reduce inflammation and restore normal function. I was a little more than excited about this, so I visited the salt store with high hopes and lots of questions.
The store is beautiful. There are two rooms with various salt lamps for sale. They also sell bath salts, edible salts, deodorant salt bars and the salt inhalers. I spent about ten minutes sitting in the salt room (which is supposed to replicate a salt cave) and noticed a real difference in the air. It smelled crisp and clean. After 10 minutes, I felt some calming in my chest and sinuses (I was still a little congested at this point). I was hooked. I had to have me a salt lamp, too.
I am puffing on the inhaler for about 5 minutes at a time, three times a day. I am also sleeping in the "salt cave" and my lungs are feeling better by the day. I also feel immediate soothing when I use the inhaler. It's not an emergency inhaler, mind you, but a healing, preventative measure.
Like I said, I am new to this. I will report back in a month or two. If I am still pleased, I will buy a few more lamps to put around the house. They are beautiful, by the way, and come in different intensities of amber, the darker being best for a bedroom. Between my lung issues and my husband's sinus issues, this may be a real benefit for us.
28 September 2013
A New Normal, Part 2
Today we are celebrating #3's birthday. He wanted to have some friends over for pizza, videos, etc. Easy enough.
It just feels weird to me that #2 is living out of state and won't be here (for the first time ever) to celebrate his birthday. #1 and his wife will be "visiting" for the party. Life is not the same! I'm starting to feel the inevitability of the empty nest creeping up on me.
I used to think that it would be great to have my house back.... I could finally have the whole house clean.... all at once! But it's the QUIET that I am not liking so much.
I have determined that I will have to keep myself busy. I have put off lots of projects and now is the perfect time to get to them. Here is what I am committing to getting done in the next six months:
1. Refinishing the headboard and desk in upstairs bedroom. I've come up with some ideas and I'm quite excited about it.
2. Conquering the Mother of all Cluttered Rooms; my storage room. I'm going to get rid of all the stuff I don't need or want and get things under control.
3. Starting up my health classes again. I have learned a lot about essential oils and green cleaning and non-toxic body care and I can't wait to share.
4. Catching up on my scrapbooks. Ever since I went digital, my scrapbooks have been pretty much ignored... about 10 years worth of photos to post.
5. Filling in the holes on my family tree. I have been putting this off for too long. And I really hear the call that it needs to be done.
Yes, life is looking quite different these days, but there is much to be done. And when I stop and think about all the things I want to accomplish, I can get excited about all the extra time and fewer distractions that are mine.
It just feels weird to me that #2 is living out of state and won't be here (for the first time ever) to celebrate his birthday. #1 and his wife will be "visiting" for the party. Life is not the same! I'm starting to feel the inevitability of the empty nest creeping up on me.
I used to think that it would be great to have my house back.... I could finally have the whole house clean.... all at once! But it's the QUIET that I am not liking so much.
I have determined that I will have to keep myself busy. I have put off lots of projects and now is the perfect time to get to them. Here is what I am committing to getting done in the next six months:
1. Refinishing the headboard and desk in upstairs bedroom. I've come up with some ideas and I'm quite excited about it.
2. Conquering the Mother of all Cluttered Rooms; my storage room. I'm going to get rid of all the stuff I don't need or want and get things under control.
3. Starting up my health classes again. I have learned a lot about essential oils and green cleaning and non-toxic body care and I can't wait to share.
4. Catching up on my scrapbooks. Ever since I went digital, my scrapbooks have been pretty much ignored... about 10 years worth of photos to post.
5. Filling in the holes on my family tree. I have been putting this off for too long. And I really hear the call that it needs to be done.
Yes, life is looking quite different these days, but there is much to be done. And when I stop and think about all the things I want to accomplish, I can get excited about all the extra time and fewer distractions that are mine.
22 September 2013
A New Normal, Part 1
I'm glad she has taken this step. She got her A.A. at a local community college. It was a good fit for her and she would have stayed there forever. But it was time to taste a little independence.... time to leave the nest. For most young adults, this is an exciting time. She was terrified.
My daughter was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at age three. She is a bright, talented and intelligent girl and with the right techniques, she learned language and skills that allowed her to mainstream in kindergarten. She did well in school in spite of extreme shyness and difficulty in connecting with her peers. From kindergarten through communtiy college, she has taken things at her own pace and we have been proud of her success.
As we have prepared her to leave home, I have mostly concentrated on what she would need to know to live independently. I didn't really think about how it would affect me. This week has been hard. She is struggling with the newness of EVERYTHING. And I knew she would. And I have to let her. I would never have left her there if I wasn't convinced that she could meet this challenge. I know she is capable, even if she has doubts she can do this.
Tonight we chatted via Skype. Skype is a wonderful thing! She smiled a lot and it seemed like she was home. I know that all this technology will be a real blessing to her (and me!) as we adjust to a new normal.
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