tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:20:36 +0000My life living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I try to manage these chronic illnesses everyday but they seem to manage me. This is the life that goes with it and a few opinions also.http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/bpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)Blogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-2104569164584174606Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:31:00 +00002009-05-13T07:45:15.469-07:00I had looked at the photos several times. There we were, my 2 sons and I in England together. I lived in England 22 yrs. earlier for almost 5 yrs. when I was in the military. Both my sons were born there and we left when they were babies. I always wanted to be able to show them this great country. So we spent 6 good days there and they enjoyed it. We didn't get to see everything we wanted to see http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/BR7A99mGxyo/and-i-used-to-be-skinny-girl.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)8<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/BR7A99mGxyo" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2009/01/and-i-used-to-be-skinny-girl.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-5130482594803492563Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:21:00 +00002009-01-13T21:58:48.176-08:00I've been listening to Oprah's web casts for Monday with Bob Greene on her Best Life Series.  They were talking about whether or not you think you are worthy of being healthy. Bob suggested you go back to the first 10 years of your life where your brain is wired on how it thinks and see where was the first time you felt like other people's pleasures and opinions were more important than your own.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/vHY79q0xNlw/oprah-and-bob-greene.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/vHY79q0xNlw" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2009/01/oprah-and-bob-greene.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-3150936927495268535Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:58:00 +00002009-01-13T23:20:42.037-08:00Well, it's been a while since I've written on my blog and I've tried to figure out why I stopped and I think I know why now.I did enjoy the book I thought I would write about but then I got busy volunteering with the American Red Cross during the Iowa floods. Then of course life just happens. But mostly, I've come to realize I'm tired of talking of my illnesses. That somehow I feel it fuels http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/UiNDfMu3F3A/not-life-i-bargained-for.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/UiNDfMu3F3A" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-life-i-bargained-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-7223858777192492033Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:22:00 +00002008-03-10T22:51:01.228-07:00A New EarthChristianOprahEgoGodYes, I'm one of the 800,000 people taking Oprah's online class for the book "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle.   I'm not usually one for following the crowd but since all these health issues and hardly having a life anymore, I've been looking for something more spiritual in my life to help me get a grip on my situation.  I had read the book Oprah recommended before this one which was "Eat Pray Love"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/vF-od0xcDQY/new-earth.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/vF-od0xcDQY" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-earth.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-1084380307809452097Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:56:00 +00002008-03-26T19:15:34.233-07:00So this is March 2008 and today I was informed that it will be March 2009 before I receive my first disability payment. So in July 2004 I stopped working, it took 3 yrs. to get a court date and I had to go twice. Now, I have to wait another year to get my payments started. This is why we have disabled homeless individuals. Who is supposed to take care of us for 4 yrs. while all this paperworkhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/NGaW5a3A6Bs/disability-payments.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/NGaW5a3A6Bs" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/03/disability-payments.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-785767651476989187Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:32:00 +00002008-02-24T20:59:54.132-08:00DisabilityFibromyalgiaChronic IllnessAir ForceChronic Fatigue SyndromeArthritisI couldn't believe it when my husband phoned me. I'd just come out of the Vet Center for Counseling and he phoned to tell me I had a thick package from Social Security. He went ahead and opened it to inform me after 10 yrs. of trying to get approved for disability; I had finally be granted a fully favorable decision. I couldn't even get really excited anymore. Of course I'm grateful.When I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/mEu1tk7_19U/disability-approved-after-10yrs.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)8<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/mEu1tk7_19U" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/02/disability-approved-after-10yrs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-2862800623905808971Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:00:00 +00002008-02-08T15:39:55.943-08:00FibromyalgiaPeoplesMDWell, it's so exciting to get an email from another website saying they've done a review on you and they've added you to their site. At least is was for me. I was reviewed at http://www.peoplesmd.com/.Here's just the small blurb they mentioned about my blog. (It still thrilled me)!! "We found this fibromyalgia blog to be among the most current. The author, self-described as “a mother, wife andhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/w7Galjs5Y2Y/ive-been-reviewed.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/w7Galjs5Y2Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/02/ive-been-reviewed.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-1906893823831394126Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:33:00 +00002008-02-05T18:16:53.220-08:00DisabilityFibromyalgiaAir ForceChronic Fatigue SyndromeCFSThis is a great video recorded by Christina Celeste who also has a site that discusses this and raw food plus other aspects of CFS. Here she talks in depth about some of the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is the first illness that hit me over 21 yrs. ago when they had no name for it and no books on it. Back then it was termed the Epstein Barr Virus. I had no idea what was happening tohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/uf4LUeBOBdw/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/uf4LUeBOBdw" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/02/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-998999513586101735Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:27:00 +00002008-02-05T18:36:19.823-08:00Chronic Fatigue Syndromehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/MMyO5uaLJAk/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-symptoms.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/MMyO5uaLJAk" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/02/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-symptoms.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-4121621113126534517Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:29:00 +00002008-02-04T22:04:50.811-08:00FibromyalgiamedicationshealthweightJust a short post today. Ok, they are never really short. It's been a busy day for me which means I made a trip to the grocery store. This is a good day for me, just purchasing groceries. It's a balmy 67 degrees out after snow just a few days ago and tonight we may get 5 more inches of snow. Kansas weather is never a guarantee. You know I was standing in line with my groceries checking out. Ihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/Keq8t8khMI8/67-degrees.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/Keq8t8khMI8" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/02/67-degrees.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-7332951788826350067Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:52:00 +00002008-01-30T18:53:24.934-08:00DisabilityVeteransArizonaSocial SecurityToday I went to my 3rd disability court hearing. I've waited 3 long years for a court date.The court system seems odd to me. Very cold in some ways. I mean first you're expected to not work for at least 1 year before Social Security will even consider you for disability. Then when you get through the horrible very time consuming paper work, more than likely, you are almost always turned down the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/2XWIj_aiKHI/disability-court.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/2XWIj_aiKHI" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/01/disability-court.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-411893225187506998Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:50:00 +00002008-01-31T19:36:35.577-08:00FibromyalgiaChronic Fatigue SyndromeLevothyroxineVeteranshypothyroidThyroidFor over 10 years now I have consistently asked the various doctors I have at the Veterans Hospital; "are you sure it's not my thyroid"? For the last 3 months I've been so exhausted. I thought maybe my Chronic Fatigue or my Fibromyalgia was coming back full force. But no, it finally happened. My thyroid numbers finally went high enough to start me on a thyroid pill called Levothyroixine. I have http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/6YDVZQUaLCg/thyroid.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)3<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/6YDVZQUaLCg" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2008/01/thyroid.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-8442217539148415847Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:12:00 +00002007-12-15T21:54:18.379-08:00SantateachersNorth PolekidsNoradparentsChronic Fatigue SyndromeRecipesChristmasEver get tired of the same old looking websites? I somehow happened upon a website that could make your Christmas Holidays easier and more entertaining. It's at the North Pole!!This site has everything. Things for Parents, Kids and Teachers. http://www.northpole.com/If you're looking for something special for children, they have a place to print off story pages with pictures for children that http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/Xx0-BpNYHY0/visiting-northpole.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/Xx0-BpNYHY0" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/12/visiting-northpole.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-2282104542768255728Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:11:00 +00002007-12-08T09:53:22.052-08:00Air ForceRomansMuslimVeteransEnglandBritishAmericaHistoryEnglishA friend sent me one of those emails that everyone passes around, you know, you've received them also. It's a story of how someone puts up a bird feeder on her porch. The birds start feeding and more come and then comes the bird poop which she had to consistently clean up but so many kept coming and squealing in demand of the free food that pretty soon she couldn't use her porch because they http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/iWuPa0tDmW4/speak-english-please.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/iWuPa0tDmW4" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/12/speak-english-please.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-6988563061794887085Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:31:00 +00002007-11-27T21:19:25.239-08:00Social WorkFibroMustang GTPsychologyCFSJust for today I feel pretty good. I got out and went grocery shopping and even got the Mustang GT I drive washed and swept. To me, that's a good day.I've been thinking lately of going back to college at what will be by then age 51. I never got to finish college and really have been examining my life lately and want to really work again. Of course my body doesn't want to agree to it. When I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/etuO8HvAk48/just-for-today.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/etuO8HvAk48" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/11/just-for-today.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-8142435454207958254Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:09:00 +00002007-11-18T18:50:25.489-08:00Dr. Michael F. RoizenOprahDr. Mehmet C. OzDr. Jacob TeitelbaumYes, it is me at age 16. Geez, look at that waist line. That was a very long time ago. I really miss this thin, athletic body that used to get me through 4 hours of dancing some nights.Recently I purchased a book titled YOU STAYING YOUNG. If you've watched Oprah, you know this book was co-written by Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. (Dr. Oz) who is on her show quite frequently. The other writer being http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/VXkaHJbfM-M/me-staying-young.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/VXkaHJbfM-M" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/11/me-staying-young.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-1846027721238636642Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:42:00 +00002007-11-11T17:47:19.829-08:00VeteransEnglandMilitaryVeterans Day. I have the flu. Been fighting it for a few weeks now and very tired of it.I'm an Air Force Veteran myself. The picture you see to your left is my youngest son in his last year of high school in ROTC. I love this picture. It reminds me so much of what others have sacrificed for our freedom.Freedom to walk to any store we want to, purchasing what we please and being able to say whathttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/gIJuBeDfuzI/veterans-day.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/gIJuBeDfuzI" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/11/veterans-day.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-385508436025926917Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:26:00 +00002009-01-02T20:05:01.754-08:00FibromyalgiaChronic IllnessLupusYes, she said the word everyone with Fibromyalgia dreads. "I have a friend who has Fibromyalgia and she's just LAZY".It took all my will power not to pound some sense into this woman.I was at a craft show and there was a booth there for one of the women's workout franchises. She decided I had never tried lowfat food and even said as much to me. So she let me try her lowfat brownies. They were http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/o0cLlwFyN_Y/lazy.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/o0cLlwFyN_Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/11/lazy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-7327777966679191807Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:22:00 +00002007-11-12T10:42:14.050-08:00Air ForceTypical day for me going to another doctor's appointment at the Veterans Hospital. I'm an Air Force Veteran and with my illnesses unfortunately my immune system isn't that strong.So today I arrived 10 minutes ahead of my appointment. First you have to stand in a line to check in, but I got right in. Then you take a paper to your team nurse and she puts information into the computer while you sit http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/w5SNostQz14/minutes-vs-hours.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/w5SNostQz14" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/11/minutes-vs-hours.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2127412469907403516.post-2510164273015807892Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:06:00 +00002009-02-11T22:41:47.356-08:00IllnessFibromyalgiaFatigueChronic Fatigue SyndromeArthritisIn my head I'm hiking up mountains, running 10 miles, white water rafting through the Grand Canyon, ice climbing on a cold day and what I really desire is to go rock climbing and hang there listening to the stillness up in the air depending on a strong body to take care of me.Then I wake up and try to move my legs knowing this is another day of grueling pain and I hope I can at the very least http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~3/n-IYsQ6Wf8I/fearing-what-you-cant-see.htmlbpwriter47@yahoo.com (Brenda)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/NotTheLifeIBargainedFor/~4/n-IYsQ6Wf8I" height="1" width="1"/>http://notthelifeibargainedfor.blogspot.com/2007/10/fearing-what-you-cant-see.html