Once again fighting fatigue

As you know a few days ago I was unable to pick myself up off the bathroom floor for nearly 36 hours. I have not been that sick at my stomach in a very long time. I was sure I had food poisoning. But a friend of mine had the same thing happen over the weekend.

She also though she had food poisoning. But apparently we had a really bad virus. She spent the whole weekend sick the same as I did.

I lost 4 pounds while I was sick. I figured I would gain the weight back. I haven't had much of an appetite. But my biggest issue has been my energy.

I have made a point to make sure I'm still drinking at least 2 of my protein shakes a day. But my fatigue is getting the best of me.

I have been having headaches too and having to take more pain medicine. But I was hoping by now I would start feeling better from the stomach bug.

Pepper Loves Deanna

Yesterday I had the whole day planned. I was going to spend the day with my best friend from high school, Deanna. But over night clouds rolled in with a rain storm that brought a headache and I was unable to go.
But even though I was feeling bad Deanna made sure to check on me even brought me a pizza for lunch. This is the first time Pepper got to meet Deanna and her daughter. Believe it or not, Pepper is a great judge of people. I've had people he has tried to bite. I have had to hold him back to keep him off people. Some people he could care less about.
But it was like they were suppose to be here. He didn't jump on them or act like disliked them. I could tell when Deanna's daughter sat down he went and slowly got on the couch beside her and ask her to pet him. I told her he was really missing getting to spend time with my niece. It was so sweet to see him lay down against her and take his paw and scratch for S to notice him. Soon he relaxed. He really relaxed. He laid down in the floor and went to sleep. I could not believe it. It was his way of telling me they are suppose to be here. He doesn't even relax like that when it's Momma and Daddy here.
The picture above is a shot I got of Deanna talking to pepper. It took at the prefect time. Pepper was uneasy when Deann's daughter left us to talk and went out to the car. He paced from the door to me trying to get me to get her to come back in. Or to let him out. He was really happy when we were all together yesterday. As you can see from the picture he was truly in love with Deanna.

Pain diary

This morning I was chatting with a friend about her headache. Her husband brought to her attention that she had been hurting and suffering for weeks from her headache. I told her about how I keep a pain diary.

Many of my friends with hydrocephalus do this and chart things like pain level, nausea and other side effects. This really helps when you are having shunt complications.

A patient seems more confident in their systems if they are written down daily. Rather than telling your surgeon I've had a headache for 2 week.

This doesn't always mean you are in shunt failure. But if you have a calendar or journal showing constant nausea and dizzy spells your doctor would have a reason to do a CT or other test.

The way I chart my pain is I write a number on my calendar to chart my pain level from 1to 10. If I have nausea I will list that also. Then any other notes of concern.

Starting my gardening early

I got up in a panic this morning because I realized the 2 days I had been sick I had not watered not only my flowers but my dads peppers a tomato plants. You can see some of his peppers coming up. Those are from his own seed.

My flowers are not doing so well they are trying to follow the light. Bu I put them on another rack they are growing a bit too fast.

Here is a better view of the pepper plants. They are doing so great I set 15 more plant just to watch them grow. I will share the peppers with family and neighbors.

The picture of the tomato looks a lot like the pepper at this stage but soon it will start changing it's appearance. Daddy bought seed to start these.

This is my favorite wind chime on my front porch.

When is it normal?

Tuesday I was so excited to get to stay home. Its was going to be near 80 degrees. I was looking forward to getting outside and working in my yard and doing some things around my house. it didn't go that way.

I felt weak and tired all day. My dad and I were going to take a walk in the woods. I could hardly walk through the house. I was hoping if I was going to be sick I would just feel really bad. No such luck.

The nausea hit me about 9pm. I tried to take zofran but the nausea kept getting worse. I took phenigan but I still ended up getting sick. Only one other time can I remember that I still got sick after taking both nausea medicines.

I lost so much fluid so fast I got really dehydrated. Today my whole body is sore from the cramping from the loss of fluid. I also dry heaved and my abdominal muscles are extremely sore.

Today I feel weak and beat up. I can feel my tremors but they are not visible. My back feels like I've been kicked with a steel toe boot.

Last time I was sick like this I was in Pigeon Forge TN. Slept it off and went shopping the next day. Since then I have had 11 surgeries.

I do everything in my power not to get sick these days because it seems to hit me much harder. I needed to go to the hospital but wasn't able to sit in the waiting room for four hours waiting to be seen.

In 24 hours I've lost 3 pound. What a way to loose weight. I wonder if our immune systems are lowered why illness hits me so hard.

This blog is coming to you from Pepper Knows Best he told me to stay in bed and have plenty of chicken soup.

Spring in Asheville

It's spring in Asheville all at once this year. Its like all the trees started blooming at once. As I have said many times before it's been like my life has been on hold and everyone else just kept living with out me. Everyday I'm enjoying to the fullest.But I don't want to forget about my friends that are not feeling so well.

My friend Tracy has been in the hospital and said she wished she could see the super moon. That remained me yesterday there was nearly 9 years I couldn't see much of spring and enjoy it.

But with these beautiful blooms do come my allergies. I look like I am crying at times because my eyes and nose are watering so bad.

When I was younger I could take Allegra for my allergies. But with the extensive surgeries. I have become too sensitive to allergy medicine.

My neurologist explains that it shrinks the blood vessels in the sinuous to dry up the drainage. This is what causes me the pain.

This year I am going to try an allergy medicine without a decongestant. I know I have taken theme in the past with very bad side effects of a headache and no appetite.


I have been watching this tree bloom out all week from the YWCA parking lot. I was not completely sure I was going to be able to get such a big Bradford pear in the screen of my black berry.

Is the super moon giving you a super headache?

As many of us know with hydrocephalus a full moon can make our headaches worse because the gravity of the earth is stronger during a full moon causing pressure to build up more and cause headaches and nausea.

A full moon will even make someone that doesn't have pressure issues feel bad. There is a saying in the south "It must be a full moon." Because it seems certain times of the month people will have more road rage, be more impatient and just plan rude.

With the super moon being closer to the earth and the extra issues with the what happened 10 days ago in Japan. My headache had not adjusted to what scientist showed the earth tilted and spinning faster which explained my headache I had http://www.pepperknowsbest.com/2011/03/could-japans-earthquake-and-tsunami-be.html

Here is the post when I researched the idea.

As you can see from the picture the moon is beautiful but my headache isn't. The moon is super sized and so is my headache.

Checking out the Super Moon

LOS ANGELES (AP) — There's a full moon Saturday, but it won't be just any old full moon. It'll be bigger and brighter. It will appear larger as it makes its closest approach to Earth in 18 years.

Scientists estimate the "super moon" rising in the east at sunset will appear 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter at its peak.

Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of its orbit, with one end closer to Earth. On Saturday, the moon will be 221,565 miles away — the closest to Earth since March 1993.

The last time we were able to see this beautiful site was in 1993. It will be another 20 years before we will be able to see this again.

This is what I saw from my bedroom window this morning. It looked much brighter in person and shining in my window. The clouds gave it a spooky feeling. They were moving fast, every second was a different picture.

This picture was just 2 seconds later. Over the past few years I have missed out on many events like this. I am thankful to get to picture and do normal things again like other people.

I even went out in the cold and got a few pictures from my porch. I'm disappointed these turned out fuzzy but it could have a great deal to do with my shivering. Plus I was looking for bears... Yes! I said that right bears.

I live in bear country. I love it here but I rather not have my breakfast this morning with a bear. Plus I'm not sure if its bear season or Monica season and I really don't want to find out.

Happy Birthday Pepper!!!

Happy Birthday Pepper!!! My puppy turns 13 today!

I got Pepper when I was working at Lowes. It had been exactly 2 years since I lost my first poodle Cricket. Cricket was a big part of my childhood but I never knew how much one little dog would end up making such an impact on my life.

Pepper has a few health problems but I take care of of his diabetes just like I would a persons. He still feels good. I can tell he is a bit slower in his older days but he is still loving life and enjoys everyday waking up.

I make a point to make sure he is living a quality pain free life because he has been so good to not leave my side while I have been sick. I know my readers remember stories why my blog is named "Pepper Knows Best"

He still gets impatient with me on the computer too long. Its cute when I'm on the phone and Chell hears Pepper and will ask "What's wrong with Pepper?" Then I have to fess up that I've been on the phone too long. Pepper can tell when I'm hurting. I can usually hide it from most everyone else. But not my Pepper. Happy Birthday my sweet puppy...

My best friend Chell has been having a migraine for the same amount of time I have. She has started considering the possibility that the major events have disturbed her headaches too.
I know it time we will adjust. But its not normal for the earth to be tilted more and to be spinning fasted and not to effect us. Especially people with hydrocephalus or chronic migraines.

I know with hydro peeps our CSF is more sensitive to pressure changes. I can't even ride carnival rides any more because of being spun around.

Could radiation from Japan reach the US?

Here is a global stream I found that shows the examples of how the wind carries it from country to country. But how much is safe? I know so much radiation is around up constantly but it the added nuclear radiation healthy?

I feel so bad form the Japanese that have no other choice but to stay and live through this. I pray for them every day. I would about if there is a hydro baby in need of care. Can they find help in all this disaster. Would it be a priority right now?

Living in winter skirts right now

Guest post written by Annabelle Stevens

One of the things that I love most about winter is all the layering and different clothes that you physically need just to stay warm. That means that there are all types of things that you can do with your outfits and accessories. It's like you have endless outfits with all the possible combinations! I really think that skirts and dresses are having a moment right now too, along with colorful winter tights. And I'm definitely taking advantage of that.

I thought that I would hit some of the after-holiday sales and stock up on tights that are on clearance. While I was browsing some of my favorite shopping sites with that mission, I ran across some Clear Wireless Internet offers that were really great that after a little thought I changed over my Internet service to that provider.

While I was online shopping I even found a few winter skirts that were so cute and on such a big clearance that I had to grab them up too. I'm fine with it being really cold this winter because that means I can just wear tights and skirts even more!



**This is a sponsored post. I was paid to add this to my blog. The opinions expressed in this post belong to Annabelle Stevens

Could Japan's earthquake and tsunami be causing us health problems?

Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet

As all of my hydrocephalus followers know most of us are very sensitive to weather changes. A lot of hydro peeps will have headaches and nausea when high pressure fronts come through. Ever since Friday I have had a nice headache and felt terrible.

It's strange because I have not been having headaches.Now they have come back like a vengeance. I feel like my head is going to explode this morning. My parents ran the idea by me yesterday could it have anything to do with Japan's earthquake? So I did some research and found that Japan's disaster did some major damage that I did not realize.

Yahoo News


Japan’s earthquake shifted balance of the planet

Last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has actually moved the island closer to the United States and shifted the planet's axis.

The quake caused a rift 15 miles below the sea floor that stretched 186 miles long and 93 miles wide, according to the AP. The areas closest to the epicenter of the quake jumped a full 13 feet closer to the United States, geophysicist Ross Stein at the United States Geological Survey told The New York Times.


The world's fifth-largest, 8.9 magnitude quake was caused when the Pacific tectonic plate dove under the North American plate, which shifted Eastern Japan towards North America by about 13 feet (see NASA's before and after photos at right). The quake also shifted the earth's axis by 6.5 inches, shortened the day by 1.6 microseconds, and sank Japan downward by about two feet. As Japan's eastern coastline sunk, the tsunami's waves rolled in.

Why did the quake shorten the day? The earth's mass shifted towards the center, spurring the planet to spin a bit faster. Last year's massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile also shortened the day, but by an even smaller fraction of a second. The 2004 Sumatra quake knocked a whopping 6.8 micro-seconds off the day.

After the country's 1995 earthquake, Japan placed high-tech sensors around the country to observe even the slightest movements, which is why scientists are able to calculate the quake's impact down to the inch. "This is overwhelmingly the best-recorded great earthquake ever," Lucy Jones, chief scientist for the Multi-Hazards project at the U.S. Geological Survey, told The Los Angeles Times.

The tsunami's waves necessitated life-saving evacuations as far away as Chile. Fisherman off the coast of Mexico reported a banner fishing day Friday, and speculated that the tsunami knocked sealife in their direction.

(An energy map provided by NOAA shows the intensity of the tsunami caused by Japan's earthquake: Reuters/NOAA. Below, Satellite image of Japan's coast moving: NASA.)

CORRECTION: This article originally attributed Lucy Jones' interview to the The Boston Herald.

..


So my question to all my friends not just hydro peeps... Have you felt different since Friday? I have the article here and scientific evidence why you would feel terrible. We will adjust it will just take time.

More important is to keep the people of Japan in your thoughts. I can't imagine what they are going through. I wonder how we find out about hydro peeps in Japan?

Congratulations in the $35 CSN Giveaway

"Mel Duffy" I will be contacting you soon with your gift card. Thank you for all your support and following Pepper Knows Best.

I have really enjoyed this giveaway and am eager to do more for my followers. I love being able to give when I can.

I want to thank CSN Stores fore giving me this opportunity to work with them.

I have learned a lesson. I'm having a back up plan for someone to help me with contest I've had a headache since Friday and feared having to go into the hospital before I could run the system and I wanted to give everyone a chance to enter.

Thank you new followers and old. I will hopefully have a get better at this as time goes by. I hope you enjoyed playing. I did.

CSN Store gift card giveaway

The giveaway ends today I hope everyone got top enter. I will go over all entries today and announce the winner tomorrow. Thank you all for entering this was my way to thank you for following Pepper knows Best.

Remarkable recover of Gabby Giffords

I can't believe I was scared just weeks ago Senator Gabby Giffords was going to have to be shunted for hydrocephalus. She had to have part of her skull removed to reduce pressure. Just a few days after this she was still having pressure build up in her brain and doctors in Huston places a manual shunt to drain the excessive fluid off. It was a tense week or so watching to see if the swelling would go down.

After having been shot just 2 months ago. Her doctors reported that she is recovering by "leaps and bounds. " The doctors reported yesterday for the first time in 6 weeks about her progress.

She had her tracheotomy tube taken out for the first time and is able to breath on her own. They said she did a fist bump when it was removed in celebration.

Gabby's speech is also coming along. She can now speak a complete sentence. For example "I'm tired, I want to go to bed." As told by her doctors.

She is walking now. This is amazing for an adult with this injury and having pressure build up to be recovering so well.

Gabby now knows why she is in the hospital. But has not been told about the other victims.

I can say from personal experience she is in a very confusing state right now. They are doing the right thing not telling her everything all at once. It could put her in a major depression and set back her recovery.

I'm sure it was hard to understand that a man would actually want to hurt her like that. Especially (a fact she doesn't know) when a beautiful little girl was standing right in front of her.

Her husband, Mark Kelly visits her every morning before going to train for his last launch on the space shuttle Endeavor. Which is scheduled for April 1,2011.

There is even plans that Gabby will be able to attend the launch. Since she is progressing so well.

Obama to bulling victims: I know what its like

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama smiled when he said his large ears and funny name once made him a target of school-yard harassment. But he was all seriousness Thursday when he told a White House conference on bullying that torment and intimidation must not be tolerated.

Some 13 million students, about a third of all those attending school, are bullied every year, the White House said. Experts say that puts them at greater risk of falling behind in their studies, abusing drugs or alcohol, or suffering mental or other health problems. Kids who are seen as different because of their race, clothes, disability or sexual orientation are more likely to be bullied.

"If there's one goal of this conference," Obama said, "it's to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It's not." He spoke to more than 100 parents, students, teachers and others gathered to discuss the problem and share ideas for solutions.

"Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it's not something we have to accept," he said.

The issue has been getting more attention partly because texting, Facebook, Twitter and other technologies are being used to carry it out — it's called cyberbullying — and because of media coverage of teens who have killed themselves after such taunting.

Families of some of those youngsters joined Obama at the White House, including Tina Meier, of suburban St. Louis. Meier's 13-year-old daughter, Megan, hanged herself in 2006 after falling victim to an Internet hoax carried out, in part, by an adult neighbor who posed as a boy. The neighbor, a woman, was later convicted of a federal misdemeanor in a landmark cyberbullying trial.

"No family should have to go through what these families have gone through," Obama said. "No child should feel that alone."

Meier had a message for parents who want to take away their children's computers and other electronic devices to spare them from bullying: It won't work. She urged them instead to get a better understanding of what their kids are doing.

"Technology is out there. We cannot shut it off. Children are not going to allow it to be shut off," Meier told participants. "We have to make sure that we have parents who understand what's going on in their child's online world, as well as the real world."

Speaking as a parent and as a victim, Obama urged everyone to help end bullying by working to create an atmosphere at school where children feel safe and feel like they belong. He said that even he felt out of place growing up.

"I have to say, with big ears and the name that I have, I wasn't immune," said Obama, who moved around a lot as a boy, being born in Hawaii and growing up there and in Indonesia. "I didn't emerge unscathed," he said.

Obama said adults have too often turned a blind eye to the problem by chalking up the harassment to kids being kids. But he said a national attitude adjustment is in order because of the damage that bullying can do.

A White House conference doesn't immediately solve any problem. But what it does do, particularly by involving the president, is tell the country that an issue is, in fact, a problem that requires a national response.

In the case of bullying, the conference also gave Obama another chance to press his education agenda. He has tried to make bullying a part of that by warning that failure to address the behavior puts the U.S. at risk of falling behind other countries academically.

Before breaking into smaller groups, conference participants heard from experts who study bullying. Discussions in the breakout sessions touched on anti-bullying efforts in schools, communities and on campuses, as well as on cyberbullying. Two other sessions were conducted online, including one with Sebelius answering questions.

Michelle Obama said parents need to be more involved in their children's lives, their schools and their activities since youngsters "don't always tell us every little detail." She said her youngest daughter, 9-year-old Sasha, often says "Nothing" in response to questions about her day at school.

The first lady, who introduced the president, also urged adults to set an example by treating others with compassion and respect, and giving each other the benefit of the doubt. "It sends a message to our kids about how they treat others," she said.

———

Associated Press writer Stacy Anderson contributed to this report.

———

Online:

www.stopbullying.gov

I was bullied by 3 girls in the elementary school. To this day the only reason I can figure is because I was disabled.

In 1983 I took swimming lessons at the YWCA and made friends with a girl I went to school with and her aunt and mother. We had the best time taking lessons together. She didn't care that my eyes were stills crossed at this time and I had balance problems. We were kids and we were having fun. She did not judge me. I'm going to call her AM.

We took the lessons over the summer and had a great time . I never heard of any other friends in the mix. We called each other just like 2 little friends did at that age.

We were so excited to find out we were going to be in the same class that year together. We had planned so much. But I did not realize she was in a different clique of friends and they were not going to accept me with my left eye turned in toward my nose.

The first day at lunch is when I first got a understanding of how they were going to be to me. AG ask me to sit down. I had then DF came and I was always a very shy and quiet girl(I'm not now) said "Monica scoot down so I can sit with AG". Then TB came and DF had me move again and again.

I was in tears by then a really sweet girl Denise King always took care of me told me to come sit with my real friends. I could not eat for crying that day.

The next day AG ask me again. I told her I just didn't think there was room. But she said she would make room. But she didn't. I don't remember what happened but it was ugly.

Then some how they all three started harassing me. It was constant. It was that experience that made me start hiding the fact I had ever been sick.

I was lucky I had surgery to fix my eyes. My balance is barely noticeable. If I did not tell you ... you would not know. I have chosen to tell people because of the hurt they put me through.

I want to educate people about conditions...about disabilities. I have not kept up with these people but I often wonder if they ever dealt with illness and thought back about how they treated me.

AG the girl I took the swimming lessons with her daddy was in a wheel chair. I often thought his illness was why she understood at first.

As keep thinking back I remember them not letting me play on the ply ground for all the mean talk. But it did not stop there. They would call and call with hang up phone calls. Then try to start arguments with me and just on and on.

I can remember thoughts of just wanting it to end! Then I would say to my self I don't want to die.... just this!I just want this to end! I could not understand why someone would want to be so mean. Just because I wanted to be AMs friend.

It scares me today if they had facebook, myspace, cellphones and computers. I don't understand the world. It just keep getting meaner. I hope I'm helping.

If I can help just one person to not go through what I have I feel like I have done what I was suppose to.

5 more days

Have you entered your comment and email address for the $35 gift card giveaway? Be sure and enter soon!

just found out why I'm not loosing weight on the protein diet

Today I didn't go swimming because I didn't sleep and stayed home and slept a few hours and momma came home with good news. She had talked to Donna one of the trainers at the YWCA ask my mom about me.

Momma told her I didn't sleep well. Donna ask about my fatigue. Momma was telling her how I was feeling better but I was not loosing weight like she was.

Then donna had a good explanation for it. My body is still healing from the surgery I had in August. But Donna thinks I'm building muscle because I'm looking slimmer.

Pepper Knows Best has an awesome button !

To get that snazzy button up there just copy and paste the code below into a new widget for html.  It's that easy!!!!!

<a href="http://www.pepperknowsbest.com//" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5512240643_bd1d720166_o.jpg" /></a>

Wonder how being up 36 hours effects normal people?

I can tell you from experience. I have always had sleeping problems. Even before I knew I had hydrocephalus. Last night was a really bad night I was wide awake ALL night and I do mean ALL night. I even took something to knock myself out and nothing happened.

I laid in bed looked at the clock. I would get my phone and look on my facebook to see if anyone else was suffering with me. I would turn the TV on... then turn the TV off. Go get so milk. Listen to Pepper snore. Ginger (my cat) would come and message my tummy doing her claw paw thing and get tired and fall asleep on top of me.

So I finally got up and did some blog work. Caught up on some online classes and singed up for somethings I had been wanting to do.

But because I have these scars in my neck and the back of my head. Plus I'm missing part of my skull in the very back that supports my neck. I know have a severe pain in the neck.

No sleep equals a nice headache and wonderful fatigue I have avoided for several weeks now. The best part is my tremors. My teeth are chattering like I'm freezing and my whole body is like I'm freezing.

I even feel like my eye balls are shaking. I feel like I'm on the worst sugar low ever. Now if I was just diabetic. I feel horrible talk to you in the afternoon.

Doing a lot more traveling

Not a lot of people know except the ones in my close network how traveling usually effects me. I usually get a really bad fetal position headache and severely nauseated. I have to drug myself up to make it to my doctor in Charlotte and the other one in South carolina.

When I was having to travel to Duke I had to knock myself completely out. So I could sleep all the way. I was in constant misery.

I am able to go on trips to my doctor in South Carolina now and enjoy the drive like I did today. It was nice to see Bradford Pears blooming,yellow bells just starting and Azaleas.

The best thing ever was I wasn't hurting too bad and doubled over sick at my stomach. I blog mostly from my phone

I really want to start sharing some pictures with you. I'm seeing such amazing sites. I don't want my readers to miss out on what I'm seeing. I hope to do better soon I promise.

Have you shopped at CSN Stores?

I'm kind wishing I saved the gift card for my self. Look what I found a Small Stool in Tuscan Sun I need a stool for doing things around the house in low places. Since it bothers me bending over to do cleaning and get things in lower cabinets.

Look Chell! There is even Poo dog consumes you could get for new baby poo! I wish pepper would let me put these cute things on him. These are too cute.

I even found some nice cook wear I have been wanting for a while Rachael Ray - 55244 - “Bubble & Brown” 12 oz. Stoneware Personal Au Gratin in Orange (Set of 2)
and I have needed a new loaf pan too Classic Bake ware Medium Loaf Pan

Oh and don't let my mom see this Inglewood Counter Height Bench in Dark Brown She has wanted a bench for behind her dinning table for years.

CSN Stores has kids toys, bed and bath, cook wear, patio furniture, home furniture, rugs, bake Ware. I home improvement, kids toys and hobbies. The really good thing many items are free delivery. You will see it in bold orange writing.

If you are not familiar with this store I know plenty of people that purchase from them on a regular basis. Chell being one of them.

Check out
http://www.csnstores.com/

Bob Ingle dies

Bob Ingle opened his first grocery store on Hendersonville road in Asheville,North Carolina in 1963. He died at the age of 77.

Today his stores continue to expand and open new locations in several states. He died young to have such a thriving business.

It rained! It pored! It SNOWED!!!

I knew it was suppose to rain 4 to 6 inches over night and possible flooding. But I forgot about the forecast for snow in the high elevations. I turned to look out my window from my computer and the water fall of rain had turned to half dollar size snow flakes.

My phone went from getting updates of flooding in areas to people in a panic over the snow.

Its kind of funny I have been wearing shorts, getting a tan, using fake tanner. I was watering my plants and will be able to take some pictures soon. I can already see sprouts of seedlings coming up.

Everyday is different

I still have amazing energy from the protein shakes. I still have sore muscles from pushing myself exercising. Its a good feeling though.

I love being able to exercise again and hopefully get back in shape. I want to loose weight but I have felt bad and been fatigued for so long I'm not that worried about it. The weight will come off when its ready.

The protein has done my mom and myself so much good for us we have had to share it with others.

I give my recipe online my mom has done that and even give samples to let friends see if they liked it.

CSN Stores gift card Giveaway

Pepper knows best has gone dot com. To celebrate CSNStores is sponsoring a giveaway for Pepper Knows Best. I am excited to invite everyone to enter for a $35 gift card for anything from CSN Stores.

It is spring and I know around my house I would love some new home office furniture to brighten up my home and you might too. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores to choose from that you can shop and find great selections for your home.

To win this gift card it's simple!!! You can do one, two or all of the below options to be entered. The more you comment with what you've done the more chances you have to win the gift card.

YOU CAN ENTER EVERY DAY!!!

~ Follow me on Facebook.
~ Follow me on Twitter. Use the hashtag #pepperknows so I can see your tweets.
~ Follow this blog. Just click the "follow" button in the right column.
~ Follow me through networkedblogs.

Be sure to comment on this post because the winner will be picked from here. Remember to leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win.

The more that share this blog giveaway the more you help me spread hydro awareness to others.

This Give Away starts March 5,2011 and ends March 14, 2011
Let's see who can spread the most awareness!

**Any and all opinions are my own, Monica Ball. I was not paid to give any opinion about CSN Stores.

Getting the gardening bug

For the past week or 10 days we have had nearly spring type weather. One day I went for a walk to the creek with my dad. But several other days I have just been getting out and working in my yard.

Cleaning up leaves and tree limbs from fall and winter. It has cleaning up my iris garden replacing the fallen wall I had needed to for years but never had the energy.

The day before yesterday I saw something I just had to had. It was a indoor green house. Its about 5 feet tall and has 4 shelves that will hold 3 trays of flowers side by side. I would have taken a picture but its in my living room with my TV on one side and ma fire place on the other.

Daddy helped me put it together yesterday. It went together so easy no tools or bolts and screws. So by yesterday evening I was setting Flowers.

Daddy fell in love with my green house and had to take his tomatoes and peppers out of his shop window and added them to the new green house.

I've always wanted a green house of my own. This is a bit smaller than I was planning on but after setting all 400 seed yesterday. I'm thinking this is a very good size green house for me right now.

American Idol the cut from 24

Apparently American Idol doesn't want to do all those make overs I referred to the other night. They are cutting 5 guys and 5 girls tonight.

Honestly I only like 2 guys and the bone young girl since they cut Paris Tassin.

As I'm watching the interviews with the guys the only ones again that really got me was James Durbian when a magazine Country Living was calling his name for a picture. Then 17 year old Scott McCreery when he was commenting how it take a real country boy to sing country music. This is true. Oh and the one guy that said he looked like a lumber jack. That was pretty funny. Speaking of funny what was up with Scotty's sun visor look? LOL

Scotty was told first thing he was in the top ten. But was it really a contest. This young man is amazing! Then suddenly scotty sits alone. No one has made it through to the top 10 since Scotty. I keep hearing that kids game song "and the Cheese stands alone". Scotty is the big cheese!

Let get my fast forward button going. The girls are up now. I am totally unimpressed with these women. Except for one young lady Lauren Alaina. She is the cutest little rocker chick. She also has a great open bubbly personality that makes he a jewel.

Yes! Yes! Yes!! Lauren Alaina is in the top ten! With Scotty McCreery. Scotty a true country gentle man stood up to greet her to the couch. They hugged each other in such a cute way. I vote for Scotty and Lauren to be the first love connection found on Idol. I had thought about it before but I am totally sure now they would make an amazing couple.

James Durbian was just invited to the top 10. I knew hands down he was going to be there. Idol has to have a cool rocker. I tell you for sure James can rock the stage.

Someone that was cut can be voted back in by the judges this year. They are calling it a wild card pick. So one of the ones cut maybe added back.

The judges brought back 3 that had been cut so we now have a top 13. I still can't believe I'm watching this show.

YWCA is letting me speak out for hydro

I had an idea to put a label up on my locker to my blog. I went to one of the managers and showed her what I wanted to put on my locker and why.

I promised her it was for a good cause. I blog about hydrocephalus awareness and tell my story to help other to learn about hydro.

Carol took down my link I went on to class I ask her to please take a look. After class I was doing laps Carol came and found me and told me it was fine to put my link on my locker.

I feel so happy that the YWCA is supporting what I'm trying to do. They have been a very important part of my recover ever since 1983.

I first took swimming lessons at the YWCA after my brain tumor surgery and first shunt placement. Swimming helped me to rebuild muscles I had lost from being sick and the muscle atrophy.

I had just regained my ability to walk the year I took my swimming lessons with the YWCA. I can remember loving to swim because I couldn't tell my left side was slow and dragging at that time.

Swimming helped me to rebuild my strength then. I believe if it had not been for that physical therapy alone may not have helped me to walk as fast.

I loved swimming and the trainers made classes really fun for me as a child. I remember in physical therapy we played games but a child can only walk up and down 4 steps holding a ball so many times without getting board.

I returned to the YWCA after 20 something years to start swimming or just trying to walk in the water for exercise when I had complications in 2002. What I didn't know at that time was I had a faulty shunt. I was so extremely weak I couldn't swim across the short distance of the pool.

The life guards were real good to stay near an watch me. I would swim in the shallow water just encase I got in trouble. I can remember hanging on the side when I finally made it gasping for air. My mom having to explain to people and life guards what was happening.

I felt so helpless then. I felt so alone with all these women wanting to help me. Was this my life now? Because I wasn't getting better. No doctors offered anymore help.

The doctor at Duke was telling me I was going to have to choose a setting on the shunt and leave it there. It was my decision did I like it at 120 or 130.

It didn't matter I was having uncontrolled tremors, I was loosing my vision, my speech was impaired and I was in constant fetal position pain with a severe pressure headache.

The doctor constantly told me nothing was wrong with the shunt. Until I had to find a doctor closer to home was when it was found to be faulty.

During all my surgeries I have had a lot of friends fade out of my life. I'm sure when I didn't get better in a few weeks or couldn't explain what exactly was wrong (because I never had heard of hydrocephalus) I guess my friends were worried I may call on them to help me. I know for sure I wasn't the fun single girl anymore that could go out after work anytime.

The YWCA has helped me to form new friendships. They have seen me bald. Seen my scars. Know my story. Heard me when I'm down. Encouraged me when I'm having surgery. The friends I've made love me unconditional unlike the friends I had before. One woman was even going to come to stay with me in the hospital in Charlotte to help my mom out because my last surgery was the hardest shunt revision I ever went through.

The ladies at the pool know how hard it is on my parents for me to have surgery. We have to take 2 cars because Pepper is diabetic and there is no one to give him his shot of the night. So my dad has to drive back home to give hime his shots.

The YWCA has been such a great part of my life. Thank you for being here for me.

American Idol girls night

I miss Paris Tassin. These women tonight are painful having to listen to.

Laurn Alaina was worth waiting for. She has the cutest personality and I feel like she has a great voice. She didn't rock out tonight but I'm still a fan of hers. I should have Divo'd. It was had watching that.

POST 500!!!!!

I wonder if I'm suppose to celebrate or do something special? Apparently Ginger knows it is something special she keeps rubbing me and bumming my hand as I'm trying to text out my post. Do you know how had it is to text while kitty is head butting your phone?

American Idol Guy night

Looking over the guys I wonder if the had to pick a certain amount of guys to do the Clay Akin make over on.

I'm cheating on watching Idol I recorded it on Divo. I'm having to fast forward through a lot of this. Remember I said I can't believe I'm going to have to watch Idol. I said that because there is so muck that is just not my taste of music. So I would be giving them a thumbs down.

James Durbian rocked the house!!! I love to be able to rock out. I hate I can't head bang anymore. He did a killer Judist Priest song. I think I'm a fan. He has high functioning autism too. I love a great rocker!

Next up Scott McCreery I'm amazed for a young man of 17 has such a great country voice. You can tell from his actions he is a good ol' country boy that has true morals and values. I'm not a hugh fan of country these days but my heart melts for a true of heart country boy. Plus he does have an amazing voice.

Honestly the others may not have sang so bad but I really hated the music. I think my ears were going to bleed! I am really not an Idol fan but thank goodness for Divo. Hopefully I won't have to fast forward through as much of the women tomorrow.

Protein has really been helping my mom

I had a talk with my mom yesterday about how much the protein diet was helping her. I suggested we start her a blog just like a private journal to keep track of her progress.

We are learning so much on our new protein journey. I think it would be nice to be able to look back at her progress too.

I don't know if I could every get her to blog but I could write her words. She is excited how the shakes are helping her too. She lost 8 pounds this past week on the shakes.

I would love for her to hopefully make her blog public and share how she makes her shakes because I use milk she doesn't drink milk.

I've been trying to name my mom's blog. I may blog on my test blog for a while until I figure out the details I want for her blog.

So many good things are happening for her I just think its a really good idea to share with other people how her journey is going.

Vitamins

Don't take vitamins or iron within 30 minutes of drinking coffee tea or dark soda it blocks the absorption of the vitamins.

Wow I didn't get my "Whey"

Yesterday I cheated on my protein diet and grabbed a protein drink in one of those quick box type things because I was in a hurry. I ended up hungry all day from not fixing my shake.

I ended up snaking all day. I had my liquid chalk then needed something to eat not even 2 hours later.