Another year!

My brother Dan the big ugly sweater winner!

kelly and kristen at the ugly sweater party

Yvonne and Dana -ugly hawaiian shirt lol

Kristen and Jay in their ugly sweaters!

kelly and Tanya at our holiday party - hey where are the sweaters lol

Adam and Christina wearing their ugly sweaters!

Well its been a crazy month - for most people. Above are some pics from our ugly sweater party! For those with chronic illess its physically difficult as well. I have had a wonderful and blessed holiday season but my body has taken a hit so I have been resting alot the last couple of days. I got a new digital camera body for xmas...I have waited three plus years for it so in the last two weeks I have already taken 1100 photos!! I am thrilled. Now that its almost 2011 it has me looking back at 2010 and I have to say its been quite the ride this life! I am so lucky to have the pain clinic and all that they offer and contribute to my quality of life! I have my friends and family for which I wouldn't want to do the life that I have....I feel truely blessed to have the people in my life that I have. I miss my bestest bud and my kids the most but I am greatful for email and phone and hopefully webcam this year! I am hopeful that airfare prices will come down soon, so that penny and the kids can come see us soon! And our new home. I would love that. 2011 has many possibilities so - heres to 2011 and all the good health and happiness we can handle! MAY EVERYONE HAVE A FANTASTIC 2011.

Short and Sweet

Well my right arm and neck have been giving me a hard time - I tweeked the never and all week I have been beeing very good so it gets better as quick as possible - thats why there have been no posts ! I am lido now and even though I feel pretty loopy I wanted to say hi....I haven't given up - just taking good care of myself. I have so many xmas things I want to do but physically I am not able sooo I will be good and ask for help and just do what I can. I also wanted to say OMG its snowing for the first time this year...well rain mixed with snow but still. Well I better go nap...this lido treatment is super strength - last night the wall in the bedroom was moving and I was talking to the cat!!! LOL Bee back soon.

The season is upon us - how did that happen soooo darn fast!

Well I am back....holy cow it seems I have been sooo busy - oh ya Christmas is coming....along with ALOT of birthdays in my family. Lets see Its my Jacobean's birthday on the 7th, my brother's birthday on the 13th, the 22n

Publish Post

d is Kristen's birthday, 23rd is my dad's birthday and the 26th is my birthday and my cousin's birthday and the 27th is my littlest nephew's birthday. So I have been at the mall this week looking at christmas ideas for my out of town extended family and missing them and remembering fond memories. I have been excited thinking about visiting Santa at the mall and getting Christmas cards in the mail. I love this season, I love the smell in the air, I love the music, the hugs, the time spent with friends and family, baking and the giving and getting of baking...I love watching all the kids dressed up to get their picture with Santa and I love getting new photos of my god kids and my cousin's kids in the mail. Ohh and I love the Christmas shows too, miracle on 34th etc....so this holidays season in all its hecticness...remember to take a minute and ENJOY it with those you love. I know I will. :)

Joshua Morro

Well I like a lot of people watch young and the restless....and "Nick" (Joshua morrow) came to the mall down the street from me. I got up early (for me) and stood in line for an hour and a half to meet him, shake his hand, get an autograph!! I have been beaming all day. He is hot and down to earth. He is married and has three kids...it was actually a contest. Some lucky person named Michelle won and she got picked up in a Limo and got to spend time with hi (her and 3 friends)....so 250 other people wait in line to meet him and there are tv's with the show playing....it was fun!! I went with Tanya (I went to high school with her) and ran into her the day before in the states while shopping (what are the odds!) so anyways Tanya, her friend Val and myself met at the mall and had fun drooling over Joshua. I got my photo taken with him (my eyes are closed of course!) but I still look happy. I started thinking about how I got hooked watching the show... and the person that got me into the show was my grandma...as a kid we would watch it together. Then I was hooked and eventually I got my Nan hooked too! It was a great experience and I am so glad I went. I immediatley walked to Walmart to get my photo printed (me and josh) and then home for a rest. (dreaming about Josh ) lol Well off to dinner at my parents...glad to share my fun. Cheers for now!!

what pain does

Well its been a rough few days internally. I haven't felt so well and pain really pushes me into myself at times. I feel alone at times and not the kind of alone where someone sits next to you and you aren't alone but the kind where 3 people could be sitting with you and you feel alone. The kind of pain where alot of parts hurt, joint pain, neck, shoulder, belly hurts deep inside and i feel nauseated and all i can do is cry.  Then i take medication that makes me feel loopy and tired and unlike myself - but really this is me right now and even though I am hoping and praying that I will get better than I am.....Its hard to know these days. I fall asleep sitting up while typing this much - three times. I do my best to accept me the way that I am but its hard at times when the people around me seem to be upset and frustrated with who I am and I am working so hard but its hard and I am doing my best not to be negative....some days that is hard . Some days I wish I had my best friend and babies to just climb in bed with or go to walmart with and feel loved just the way I am. Instead I close my eyes and remember or give them a call :) Being understood is important to me....and right now it seems harder to understand. But tomorrow is a new day, with all new possibilities and for that I am greatful. I started this post the other day when it was a HARD day but today as I am typing I have less pain - I had lidocaine yesterday and today and even though it numbs me sometimes that is what is needed to get threw the hard days and change my perception of the pain and my demeaner and get me smiling again. I am VERY blessed in spite of everything....I have a wonderful husband, bestfriend, room mate and friends and family. They are what keep me going. They are what help keep me smiling. They keep me feeling loved. I wouldn't take back all that I have gone threw....its made me - ME. The hard part is accepting me now and letting go of who I used to be and making that ok with me (and everyone else for that matter). I am a moving target day to day and I never know what I am going to get - which is why I hold on tight to things that are scheduled or consistant. Well off to get something to eat - rice krispies here I come...meal of champianss LOL.

Its almost Halloween!

Ohhh I love Halloween! My cousin Rachel just helped me figure out what to be for halloween - I am going to be a fish tank!! I have a fish hat and I am going to use a blue sheet and put sea life on it! Exciting...and easy and fun! I am using my lidocaine holder that Penny made me for the first time...I will send her a photo to post.

A big Week

Its October 25th - and its a full week....exciting full of activity. Today is My hubby's Birthday - 36 today! And I certainly can't squak as my birthday is in 2 months lol. But it is so odd to me that we have been together for almost 20 years which is long when you are only 36 - but its a special bond I treasure....knowing eachother, helping each other grow over the years in the good times and in the hard times....its pretty cool. But today is Adam's Birthday - Kristen and I gave him his birthday gifts - so cd's and a dvd etc and then to my parents to celebrate with cake! At times like this I wish my bestest bud and my babies lived closer but - we think of themm talk to them and have cake for them too! :) - and I gain another pound lol. Its a special week as on wednesday Adam and I are going to a thank you tea that we were invited to by Dr. Lau and I am very excited. The Hospital Foundation bought a new piece of equipment for the pain clinic and Dr. Lau is giving a short speech about it. I am so honoured to have been invited and to be apart of it. I feel kinda bad that Kristen can't go...I wish she could but with her new job she isn't able to. Well I started taking my Cannibis spray 4 x per day and sometimes it seems to really help and sometimes I just feel plain loopy ( I know just when you thought I couldn't get any more loopy!) lol.....tomorrow I am going to see Ethel and then Heather is coming for dinner - which is great haven't seen her for a while....wednesday the Tea and lunch with my mom and thursday.....my goodness note to self to pay more attention when things drop into my week! I will post a new photo of me wearing the new Lido holder after my apt thursday! Well butterflies in my tummy about this tea tomorrow. Till next time.

The Day And Appointment That We Have Been Waiting For!

So today was the big day we have been waiting for...the appointment with Dr. May Ong -Lam - it went really well over all. She wants to do her own diagnosis, so she gave me the homework of getting her as much info and results that we can get for her. She also wants me to see a Gastro Dr. at St. Paul's hospital  and hopefully work with. She also did an examination and said that the right side of my intestine is working less than the right side, which makes sense since its the right side that has pain. She also asked me to take one of my sativex spray four times per day to see if it helped the pain. So it looks like it won't be till next year before I would get into the hospital - I am also wondering if I may end up with another surgery if she finds that I have something structural versus functional. So I am exited to see where we go from here!!

Another Day

Well I am back, its been a good few days had Cindy (our room mate Kristen's mom) here and I have a really nice time visiting with her and hanging out. I will be sad to see her go home on Sunday. My pain level hasn't been so good, in spite of having had lido on Wednesday....not sure what that is about...maybe nerves - we go see a new doc on Tuesday - about my three week stay at St. Pauls hospital  - so forgive my nervousness. I haven't built any trust up yet with this doc. Just trusting my current Dr. Lau - and I do trust her. Well Just home from seeing the Social network and it was really good. Tomorrow to the Pumpkin patch with Caellum and Dario. Back soon.

So my best friend Penny encouraged me to start this blog and I wanted to make this post a tribute to her and her blog - her blog is called handssewfull.blogspot.com  she is a very talented person that sews!!- below is a photo of Penny and I together at her wedding last summer! Thank you so much for always encouraging me even when I want to crawl into a hole and eat cheesecake!! Penny is the one wearing cream and I am the one wearing green (as usual!) Love you Mamma!

 Since I am a photographer I wanted to share a couple of the classic photos that I love and that you can view along with many other on my website www.lisasimages.ca  - Hope you enjoy the photos and I welcome any comments you may have!

visitors

Well It is a busy week, Kristen's mom is coming this weekend for a week - which is great i like her alot - she is a doll! But it is getting me going with cleaning out the third bedroom so that we can use it for people to sleep in when they come - so its a good thing really - putting a fire under me getting things going to finish unpacking etc. Today i put up the last of the pics that needed to be hung, and i unpacked a couple boxes and adam moved a couple boxes into our closet so i am over half way there now...hoping to finish tomorrow and then its just the usual cleaning stuff and then put the blow up mattress up - but kris can do that. So i have been sleeping really well the last few days and I am taking advantage of it...today and yesterday i slept till almost noon! Ten hours both days - with getting up 3 times...not bad at all! I went to see my nan tonight - I love visiting her, I had to explain what was going on  with my health and me going to the hospital without scaring her, I think I did a good job of explaining and she didn't cry so that was great. Donations for the run are coming along well - yesterday we had a 30 dollar donation and today 50 dollar...I am really happy - I am sure we are going to hit 1000.00 yae!! That will be wonderful for the pain clinic. I am really excited that Dr. Lau might be there at the finish line, I don't know for sure since its a holiday she said she would do her best but just the idea that she even wanted to come does my heart good. I am going to work on more beading and soapstone carving this week....I am excited about the bear that I am carving I will have to post some pics when I am done.

October

Well its officially October - I love fall, i love the colors, the smells and the sounds, even the food too. Pumpkin everything - yummy. Well I have been feeling very drained emotionally - more confused than normal which leads to frustration all around (me and everyone in my household) which leads to fear and sadness but I am NOT giving up. I will talk until I can't talk anymore....communication is key - as my mind has its own dialogue that has a strange story going most of the time due to medication - so from time to time I need to check in with those around me to see if the story in  my head is accurate cause most of the time its NOT. Its amazing how certain activities can cause so much joy and warm fuzzies and others not so much. I watched this moved Precious last night - it was disturbing and i had a stress headache so bad after watching it I had a hard time sleeping. Boy was I grateful for my life after watching that movie. Based on a true story which is scary too!! Well only a little over a week until the half marathon and we need to raise more money!! Must post it on face book again and see if any one is interested. Trying to reach $1000 - well I am going to lay low and attempt to decompress and fall asleep. It was a good day. Tomorrow I am going to sleep in and put shelves up with Adam and go to his parents to be with Caellum and Dario for a bit. I sure miss my babies - I love them soo much - hopefully the web cam on our computer will work when it gets set up and we can see each other every week on it!! Well off to get some zzzzz's

A moment of Peace

I am having a moment of inner peace and decided I wanted to share it with the world. Usually evenings  are difficult for me pain wise....and even though i don't feel great pain wise, my spirit is peaceful and strong right at this very moment. This moment is one of those almost perfect moments of reflection. Its pouring with rain outside and I can hear the rain pounding on the ground and the smell of fall is in the air. I got to spend some time with my parents and Adam (my husband) and Kristen (our friend and room mate) and it was great. I really appreciate all the time i get to spend with my family and friends.Especially my best friend and god kids (over the phone) I have such love and joy in my life and i am truly blessed in so many ways. I have incredible support.  I am sitting on my couch typing this, eating a low sugar ice cream bar at one am...(its not cheesecake but it will do)...i just threw in a load of laundry and I am watching a repeat episode of Grey's Anatomy...so inspite of the pain,  life is good. I am thankful for this moment....I appreciate all the good ones, do my best to get threw all the hard ones cause sometimes i have to put my head in the sand and give up during the hard ones....but then I find a peaceful moment and start over and try again!

Life in General

Well the last few days have been interesting, my pain level has been kinda high and of course no lidocaine this week as the Docs are away and I couldn't get an appointment. So next week's lido can't come fast enough. We have raised over $600 for the pain clinic so far - our friend and roommate kristen is running the North Shore half marathon and in doing so is raising money for the Surrey Memorial Hospital Pain Clinic that i go to on a weekly basis. So i am so greatful to all my friends and family that have donated.I am struggling between resting and sleeping  when i need to and also trying not to sleep my life away. I see Dr May Ong Oct 19th - and i will likely find out when i have to spend my three or so weeks at the hospital doing a medical detox under walking epidural, do whatever bowel tests i need and then go back on whatever meds i need to go home This is a requirement for TPN as well.. This is not something i am looking forward too but at the same time if there is potential that it will help me in some way then great! But hey you know how i don't like to miss having fun - and three weeks is a long time to not be having fun with my friends and family. Before we know it, it will be the xmas season - one of my favorite times of the year, i am praying that i won't be in the hospital then, i will ask that i not be in the hospital in December if possible. I am kinda hoping that i don't go till next year cause then i can get ready, buy some stuff for the hospital with my xmas or birthday money.Well that is all for today, off to the land of ZZZZ's for now...even if it drug induced. i have tea tomorrow with a dear elderly friend - i will bee back again soon!

My First Whim!

Hi everyone, well my name is Lisa Armstrong and welcome to my Blog! My best friend Penny (or mamma as i call her) started a blog recently and encouraged me to do the same, so here i am. I am a photographer, a crafty person, housewife, and also due to medical circumstance a professional medical patient. Since i spend a lot of time at the Dr. and at the hospital i thought this blog would allow me to let everyone know how i am doing and not only will it be therapeutic for me but i won't have to repeat myself 10 times after everything that happens. I  can talk about my photography and share that as well as my beading and carving and just life in general.So put on your seat belts and hold on for life's ride.