Pressures headache from storms

Again we had severe storms with rain,hail and tornado warnings. The storms didn't effect my headache until the storm was just a count away.

I was up all night though watching the storms from my parents. With Pepper and Ginger too. The worst damage I had was to my back.

I laid down up in the morning with Pepper and Ginger on my Dad's bed. I think I have injured it more than it was before.

His bed is hard as a rock. I was lying there just a second when I suddenly thought my legs had gone to sleep. Then I realized they were not asleep I had a pinched nerve from lying there. I felt needles in the heels of my feet. I rolled over from side to side. I was in trouble.

Finally at 4am the storms past with no sleep at all I came home to fall asleep for 2 hours and wake up.

I'm having an X-ray of my back before I start physical therapy Wednesday. My doctor was just going to do PT without the x-ray but I have had back problems in the past so she is just checking things.

Did American Idol do Pia a favor giving her the boot?

Imagine how happy I was when I was looking around online to see good news about Pia on an American Idol fanpage. Looks like she has a recording deal and is rumored to be seeing “Dancing With the Stars” pro Mark Ballas.

I still watch idol. But i do Tivo so I can fast forward  through the singers I'm not fond of. But since Pia I don't really have a favorite. I admitted her so much being a single mom raising a child with hydrocephalus. She deserves to get a happy ending.

What have I done?

About a week and a half a go I decided with feeling a bit better and really enjoying exercising again I would step up my work out in the pool. I added weights. I wanted to gain muscle to see if I could boost my metabolism.

Instead I caused an injury. I hurt my back. I had been thinking it was the same injury I had from my job before and been doing stretches trying to help but it's not working. It looks like I am going to need to let my doctor tell me what to do on this one.

It has been so pretty. I have wanted to garden and work outside. But right now I'm walking around with an exercise belt for support. If I did not have it I would cry.

I'm trying not to get depressed. It seems like I go from fetal position headaches to bed side backaches. What really makes me mad is I did this to myself.

All my gardening this week has consisted of directing my dad what I want done in my yard. As you see I sit and take pictures.

Preparing for Harris Teeter Super Doubles 4/27 – 5/3

I hope by now I have some of my hydro peeps following SouthernSavers.com. With the way prices keep going up I can't see us not doing everything we can to save. Most of us don't feel like spending hours like they do on the reality show  TLC Extreme couponers.

The more I hear about the show one lady keeps getting heat about committing $1,700.00 worth of coupon fraud by decoding bar codes on coupons. Using coupons for the wrong items and other things. She has admitted she did do it because she wanted to make sure she got her product. But on to more important things.

I am getting ready for Harris Teeter Super Doubles. I first saw it posted on SoutherSavers.com with a list of sale that they had and coupon match ups. The next thing I do is start searching for coupons of things that I need that are going to be on sale. I usually get my coupons from ebay. Just type in the product you are looking for and coupon and click search.

I may try some coupon clippers soon. It looks like the shipping would be a good bit cheaper. If I do I will pass my sights along.

If you are new to couponing at Harris Teeter be sure to read their coupon policy it can be confusing and difficult. You can find it here Harris Teetercoupon policy.

While searching new sites. Well Sites I had not been on or been on in a while I found A Frugal Chick. I really like the way this blog explained how Harris Teeter's coupon policy works so I wanted to share this site to give a different view. She even tells how she prepares for Super doubles.

Thank you Southern Savers.com and A Frugal Chick for sharing such great information to help me and my followers get ready for this coupon event.

Missing in action

So sorry I have not been blogging like I should. I have had some what of what you could call writers block. Ive been putting a lot of time into my coupons lately after watching the extreme couponers. Honestly many of them make me ill with the way they do things.

I heard a rumor one of them committed over $1,700.00 in coupon fraud on the show. This is why the coupon policies keep getting so strict.

Recently I stepped up my workout and started using a form of weights in aerobics. Apparently is was not a good idea. I have hurt my back. I have been nursing it since Monday and not been exercising.

It's still sore today and not feeling great. I am really hoping I don't have to go to the Dr. with this I know it will be PT and I really don't need anymore appointments on top of the ones I already have. 

I have got to get serious about drinking my protein shakes. My weight is at a stand still. I saw where I need to add weight training to boost my metabolism. I use to know all these things. I guess going for 9 years and not being able to workout I'm having to refresh my memory.

Sneezing or coughing with a VA Shunt

This topic comes to you from my bed side as I have been sneezing and coughing from pollen this morning. This is not an extremely bad problem. But I have an issue when I sneeze and cough since I switched from a VP shunt to a VA shunt.

I have a burning in my chest where my heart is when I sneeze or cough. It only last for a few seconds and feels like a pressure build up.

I also had head pain but I had that with the VP shunt. The head pain stops my ears up and put pressure on my eyes. It feel like I have a programmable shunt set too high.

Just a reminder to a few new readers I met recently. I have a non programmable shunt with a shunt assist or anti syphen device.

Giveaway just in time for summer

I picked up part of my things today for the giveaway I have planned. I'm so excited. I really had fun with the last giveaway.

This one is my "Just in time for Summer Giveaway" I hope to start it by the beginning of next weekend.

Keep checking out Pepper Knows Best for more details.

Medtronic Shunt

Lately I have been having writers block with all the beautiful weather. Thanks to a friend of mine Ron for posting this link about Medtronic shunts. It has great information you can find if you follow the Medtronic link.

If you want to find Ron on facebook you can friend him here Patrick Kelleher. Just tell him you are coming from Pepper Knows Best or Monica sent you.

This site shows how the shunt works. How it is programmed and many things you need to know about your shunt that many don't know.

Even if you don't have a Medtronic this will help you understand how your codmen works in a since also.

Rainy days ahead

As I watched the weather this morning I wonder if its going to cause me headaches for the next two days of rain.

I've made plans with two of my friends this weekend. I got caught off guard when Deanna said "Let me know if you don't feel like going."

Chell stopped asking me everyday how I was feeling unless I was complaining of a different headache than usual. She knows the headache is always there and I would tell her if it was worse.
I forget that Deanna is a nurse and really understand what I'm going through. Plus she was there when I first got sick in the second grade with my brain tumor.

I missed the last 3 months of school in the second grade but I was home schooled. In the third grade I went half days where Deanna and me were in the same class.

So she saw me with crossed eyes, patched and when my nerves were an emotional mess.

My third grade year was horrible. I didn't understand why my emotions were falling apart all the time. On top of that kids I knew were making fun of me. Because I was falling apart like a 3 year old.

I tried to be friends with a woman a couple of years ago and she made it a point to tell me she remembered how I cried and was upset a lot.

I didn't get along with her then and don't get along with her now. But I understand how cruel kids can be. It would have been nice if I had more that understood about children with handicaps.

When I got in middle school my eyes had been fixed. I was able to hide the fact that I had ever had a brain tumor.

I didn't want anyone to know. I would not even date anyone I went to elementary school with.

The worst discrimination was a P. E. Teacher that expected me to be able to play contact sports. I can't dribble a ball.

I had doctors notes for 2 different 6 weeks. She failed me both times.

Brain Talk

Yesterday I met a lady that had a beautiful little boy that had a stroke and she worried about him having hydrocephalus. I told her there was not likely any chance of him having it but I directed her to one of my favorite support groups Brain Talk. I also told her they had a group to help her with children with strokes like he had.

Asheville Coupon Club

With all the latest buzz on TLCs extreme coupons. Deanna and I have seen more and more people out trying there hand at couponing.

In Deanna's last shopping trip to Target she ran into a lady that was couponing and got to talking to her and ran the idea by her about a coupon club.

I've been running the idea through my head and I know a lot of friends that coupon locally. I have a lot of tips and trick to share.

I've been couponing with my mom ever since I was a little girl. I can remember when Roses had double coupons and rebates.

Let me know who thinks this is a good idea. Contact me if you would like to get together.

Its been probably 2 or 3 years now since I have set any new iris in my garden. I have really missed watching my garden blooming every spring and getting to work in my yard.

Saturday I noticed my first iris blooming spring. All the rain we have had it was looking not so fit for pictures. I hope to find an old picture of it to show off later though. Its a dwarf yellow and orange iris.

I noticed other iris getting ready to bloom. I am really excited because I have not felt like getting out side in so long. This year I feel is going to be a new year.

I have decided to order some new iris colors this year. I will need to reserve my plants now to get them in the fall.

I have mine shipped from a farm in California. When you research about iris you will find there are hundreds of colors. That's the reason I am so addicted to them.

They come in solid colors. They can also be 2 different colors. Then they have the ones that are 3 different colors.

I hope to show off some of mine very soon. I am really excited to think of adding new flowers to my garden also.

When I start seeing all the different colors I just can't get enough. iris are like my drug. But I guess I could have a lot worse addiction.

Spring storms have started

Spring rain is bringing tornado warning and thunder storm warnings. With high winds and causing power outages and damage to several near by houses.

Sunday night I had to grab pepper and ginger a rush to my parents basement because the storm was getting really bad here.

The storm irritated my headache. It caused sharp pain around my shunt and along the shunt area down my neck.

We are suppose to get storms again tonight. I'm not looking forward to it.

The last one lightening hit our well and burnt up or pump. It took all day to get that fixed the next day.

The last storm killed 9 people and covered 18 states. I'm getting ready for another crazy night of storm.

A familiar face in sports has hydrocephalus

SPORTS PEOPLE

SPORTS PEOPLE; Rodgers to Be Coach

Published: September 1, 1983

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Pepper Rodgers , the former football coach at Georgia Tech who sued that university for discharging him in 1979, yesterday was named head coach of the Memphis Showboats in the United States Football League.
Rodgers has also coached at U.C.L.A. and Kansas and had a 75-63-3 college record. Rodgers had been out of coaching since his dismissal at Georgia Tech. . . . The Cleveland Browns' punter and kickoff specialist, Steve Cox , underwent successful brain surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to correct a condition known as hydrocephalus, in which pressure between the brain and the spinal cord causes headaches and blurred vision. ''He'll come back in about a month,'' said Sam Rutigliano , the coach of the Browns.
New York Times

The article says his condition was corrected. I was to make some things clear that may be misunderstood. Hydrocephalus can't be cured. It can be treated.

Relieving the pressure on the brain with a shunt hopefully helped his headaches and blurred vision. A shunt has to be monitored and doesn't always help with the first shunt surgery.

Extreme couponing or just reality TV?

Last night I thought I was going to get in on some new tips and tricks to couponing. I watched "Extreme Couponing" last night on TLC. It showed matching coupons with products. It was an unreal picture of what couponing can really be for the most of us.

Just after this aired this morning I see this post on facebook: A Houston area Kroger has changed their coupon policy and is no longer doubling or tripling coupons. If you'd like to join others in boycotting this change you can leave a message at the link provided. Hopefully other stores do not follow in this same policy change. =(

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=60686173217&topic=18118#topic_top

 

More stores will become more strict with their coupon policies the more shows like this are showed off as easy and TV worthy. 5 hours in one grocery store is not what the reality of the coupon world needs to be. One couple waiting in line for their 6 friends to come so they could divide their purchases up had to be staged for the show. I can honestly tell you a manager would have ask me to step out of line to wait for me friends.   

 

Many areas are very lucky to accept coupons for face value. I have seen a lot of people in many areas that don't. Couponing has been stopped in their areas because the system has been abused just like in these areas.

 

Many people think after watching the show it would be so easy to stock pile like theses couples. But strict coupon policies keep this from being possible. One of my local stores that has triple coupon limits how many coupons you can triple. Then the other store only allows # coupons per $10 dollars. Most have stopped doubling because the system was being abused.

 

SouthernSavers.com has a really good comment on last nights show.Read SouthSavers post here  SouthernSavers.com They recalled it as not being reality couponing. http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/12/response-to-tlcs-extreme-couponing/  this is the second in closed comment.

 

I recommend following SouthernSavers.com. They can teach you the coupon policies in your area and help you find your local stores and sales.

Check out Groupon.com

As you all know I love  coupons. I recently learned about Groupons.com Since I have been using Groupons.com I have saved on local eating places. An Indian restaurant I had not tried and a newly opened Chinese restaurant.

Every day they have a featured deal of the day in your area. For example: I can get a seat at the local Tourist game for $20. That is a %55 discount.

When you sign up for Groupon.com they will customize your needs and wants to what you like and are looking for. Then you are sent your daily deals by email, twitter or text. Go to Groupon.com now and sign up.

Exercise motivation for Summer

The HealthRider® CardioRider™ is an innovative piece of equipment that is great for those who need a very low impact exercise and heart healthy benefits. This machine makes use of your body weight to create the ultimate workout and help you get in shape. The HealthRider® CardioRider™ makes it easy for you to get the cardio exercise you need for the results you want.

http://www.healthrider.com/hr2.html

As some may have know in my past life. I say past life because I feel like my life has been on hold for so long now. Everyone kept living life while I had to have surgery and stay in the hospital.

But I use to be a an exercise nut. It was one of my favorite hobbies. I always planned to have a gym room in my house. I even have several pieces of equipment. One of my favorites from my college gym is the healthrider.

I found a picture of a newer model than the one I have. Mine doesn't have the advanced residence. But I do have a very nice padded seat that the newer version doesn't have.

When I was in my 20s I was working out 45 minutes a day on my healthrider. It has always been my very favorite of all workouts. I just have not had any room for it in my house since getting the treadmill.

I had an idea yesterday to put it out on my deck. So I now have it on my covered porch. I even had room to bring my Shwin (exercise bike). My exercise equipment is not doing me any good in storage. I am slowly getting my energy back so I need to push my self to get in shape.

I did about 10 strokes or rows on the healthrider it got my heart rate up in just a few seconds. This morning I can tell I am very sore.

I had not seen a healthrider in a long time. I am glad to see they still make them but disappointed it doesn't have the nice seat mine does.

Blood pressure medicine for a migraine?

Recently a friend of mine has had to go on a medication for her constant migraines. She doesn't have hydrocephalus. But has had a history of migraines for years.

She is a breast feeding mom so she is limited to the usual treatments. Because they could have terrible side effects with her baby.

But I had never heard of a beta blocker being given for migraines. Especially with a woman that runs a low blood pressure.

I am really puzzled with this. But I'm sure there are others that are being treated with medicine like this. I would like to hear how you respond to the medicine.

As many here know I take Topamax to help with my headaches and tremors.

Finding doctors that treat hydrocephalus

It seems like less surgeons are training in hydrocephalus surgeries than ever before.
When I started searching for doctors in 2003 I only found 17 at that time on the hydrocephalus Associations web site. That was total in the Untied States. Not in my state.

In Asheville surgeons are now referring babies Duke because they are the only hospital locally that does shunts on babies. From here Asheville is nearly a 4 hour drive.

I was a patient at Duke and had my first programmable shunt placed in 2002. It was faulty but doctors had a very difficult time determining the problem. They did not realize it was faulty at the time. The shunt would be set at a setting I was given a certain amount of time to adjust or I would have systems of failure and need to return within 2 to 3 week.

I was constantly having complications with the shunt. I was not having complete shunt failure so I was unable to have the hospital transport me by ambulance to Duke. If I was seen as having an emergency transportation would have been available to Duke. Just not back home.

If I was in failure. I could go to the Asheville ER and once confirmed I was in failure I could be transported to the hospital. Duke never told me this. I was always instructed to come straight to the ER at Duke.

What is really concerning. It seems less surgeons are studying about hydrocephalus and researching new shunts.

What does a low income family do that can't afford to drive to Duke for treatment for their child? I question how will I be able to drive to Charlotte if something happens to my parents.

I drive but Charlotte is just really too much for me. When I was in my early 20s I drove to Charlotte. This was before all the complications with my hydrocephalus. I even stayed over night thinking the drive back would not be as bad. But my nerves were shot coming back home. Then of all places my doctor has to be the one town I have night mares driving in.

With so many new kids going into college everyday. Why do we not have more neurosurgons that specialize in hydrocephalus. The ratio of children born everyday with hydrocephalus is still 1 in 500 children everyday we have got to keep speaking out and making people aware of our need.