Hailey Hudson's Blog, page 22

Blogmas 2020 Day 20 (homemade bread and Our Odyssey!)

I woke up at 10:45 this morning feeling sleepy, in pain, and very glad I had a day at home to rest. I laid in bed for an hour watching YouTube.

Then I got up and went to the kitchen to make some bread! I went through a big baking phase back in August, and homemade French bread was on my list to try. But I’d never gotten around to it–until Shannon inspired me yesterday with her homemade sourdough and made me want to try again.

I used this no-yeast recipe from Pinterest and got to work. The bread was very easy and fast to mix up, and I baked the loaf for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. It came out SO GOOD!!! I literally started jumping up and down when I tasted it because it tasted AMAZING (especially the crust–and especially with blueberry jam) and I was so proud of myself!

When I finished baking bread and cleaning the kitchen, I wrote several letters, mostly to new pen pals. Then I scheduled some posts for Diamonds social media. At 4:00, I went to the virtual Our Odyssey meetup (Our Odyssey is an organization for young adults with chronic and/or rare diseases). I haven’t been to an Our Odyssey meetup in a while and it was good to see everyone! Topics of conversation ranged from the COVID vaccine to the curly girl hair method to dad jokes.

She loves watching people (and their dogs) walking by on the sidewalk, and I love watching them notice her.

I was tired after the meetup; I wrote a few more letters and laid in bed for a while trying not to fall asleep. It’s 9:00 now and I just got up to have a snack (peanut butter banana toast) because I haven’t eaten much today. Hopefully I can find the energy to take a shower before going to bed.

Today I’m grateful for: IT’S CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!

Check out Blogmas Day 20 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 19 (picnic and Christmas gifts)

As soon as my eyes cracked open this morning and I realized how tired I was and how much my legs hurt, I knew I’d overdone it with my plans for today. But once I laid in bed and rested for a while, I started feeling more awake and energetic, and was able to get up and put away my laundry before it was time to go.

At 12:30 my friend Shannon and I met at the park for a picnic. She brought us tangerines, lingonberry jam, and the most amazing homemade sourdough bread (still warm out of the oven); I contributed ham and raspberry star shortbread cookies. It ended up being such a pretty day for a picnic–50 and sunny–and we had a really nice time visiting for a few hours.

On the way home I stopped by my family’s house to say hi. Then I went home and showered. Kenna came over at 4:30 for about two hours so we could exchange the last of our Christmas gifts. She gave me so many fun and thoughtful gifts that I am so excited about!!! I enjoyed sampling all the food (including some not pictured) when she left

Blogmas 2020 Day 18 (endocrinologist appointment)

This morning I had an appointment with one of my endocrinologists. My dad took me since I still felt a little wary about driving after yesterday afternoon. My endo and I discussed everything that’s been going on (well, all of the endocrine-related things) and some potential solutions–some of which I absolutely am not going to do, but I think we’ve settled on one thing to try.

After a stop at the library, I had lunch at home (corndogs because why not), made some medical phone calls, and filmed an IGTV video that will be going up on the Diamonds conference account tomorrow.

Then I sat down to finish up work for the YEAR! I scheduled two weeks’ worth of social media posts for one of my clients, and by 4:00 I was DONE WITH WORK FOR 2020!!!

To celebrate I took a shower, started my laundry, and wrote a few letters. Then I made a chicken breast, a purple sweet potato, and a zucchini for dinner and filled out some medical paperwork. Finally, I spent an enjoyable evening in bed journaling, watching YouTube, and reading.

Today I’m grateful for: Having a little bit more energy than usual.

Check out Blogmas Day 18 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 17 (amnesia episode)

I was very sleepy, in pain, and generally not feeling well this morning. Thankfully I didn’t have a lot of work and I could get a slow start at 11:30. Mentally I’m on Christmas break mode, and it’s the best feeling! I’m thinking about spreads I want to make in my bullet journal, graphs representing all the books I read this year, getting new pen pals… I’m also SO excited to spend time with my family. I think Christmas is at the perfect spot this year–it’s right in the middle of the two-week break, so I have a week of the break to anticipate it and then a week afterwards to enjoy, too.

But we’re not quite there yet. I wrote a client blog post and submitted a couple of the posts I’d written yesterday. Then, even though I was feeling worse/more exhausted, I got up and made some French toast and tea and cleaned the kitchen.

At 2:30 I had a voice lesson. My teacher was exposed to Covid this week, so we ended up doing a video lesson today. Unfortunately our lesson didn’t go quite as planned, though. I have occasional episodes where I lose all language capacity for a few minutes and I’m not able to speak, read, or think. I’ve been having them for almost two years, but I just recently started also having memory lapses/amnesia along with them. I woke up on the couch at 3:15 with no idea how I got there, what time/day it was, what I’d been doing today, or anything else. I had a text from my teacher asking if I was okay; I thought I’d missed our lesson because I was asleep. But then I noticed I’d had a nine-minute incoming call from her, and when I asked her if we’d been having a lesson, she said yes and explained to me what had happened. It slowly started to come back to me that I’d had one of my episodes during our lesson (they happen most often while I’m practicing voice). I had hung up our FaceTime because I couldn’t explain what was happening. Then somehow I guess I got on the couch and fell into a deep sleep. It took me about an hour (and some texts from my mom reminding me what I’d been doing today) to get somewhat back with it.

I had been planning to go to Hobby Lobby today to get a couple of final Christmas gifts. But after my episode my mom and I decided I shouldn’t drive today, so she came to pick me up and we made a quick trip to Hobby Lobby and Petco. When I got home around 6 I just laid in bed for a couple of hours on my phone because I didn’t feel up to doing anything else; I’ve still been really disoriented and having trouble remembering things all afternoon and evening. Hopefully tomorrow morning I’ll be a little more clearheaded.

Today I’m grateful for: A surprise Christmas gift from Grace Anne.

Check out Blogmas Day 17 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 16 (rainy day at home)

Today my friend Andrea and I were supposed to go to a Christmas tree farm and a coffee shop, but she had been sick over the weekend. So we canceled our plans and I was at home all day today, which worked out better since I’ve been pretty weak and sick as well–and also since it ended up raining today. It was a good day to be at home.

It is such a nice feeling to be on the home stretch for Christmas break (well, with work, at least). I started my morning writing a blog post that’s a tour of my mug collection. It will go up sometime over Christmas break (after Blogmas) and I’m SO excited about it! Then I sat down to finish a client blog post on gamification in email marketing. I took a break around one for a smoothie and to have an elaborate playtime with the cat and the boxes I need to recycle. I was very tired and had a pretty bad headache today.

Then I was even more exhausted, and I got back on the couch to write a couple of blog posts on pet-based topics. When I finished those I went to get my mail. I had three packages–a Christmas gift I ordered, a super cute mug I got from the Freys, and a surprise Christmas package from Mikayla. I’m absolutely obsessed with the miniature “librocubicularist” candle!

After my mail break (the best kind of break), I completed and submitted one of the blog posts I wrote earlier today, and by then it was 6 pm. I made zucchini with turkey sausage for dinner and messed around with some music. Now I’m about to take a quick shower and then go to bed and read; I’d hoped to write some letters but I’m just so, so, so tired.

Today I’m grateful for: Being able to eat more consistently today.

Check out Blogmas Day 16 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 15 (getting IV fluids)

I felt pretty weak, drained, and a different kind of exhausted this morning. I was able to drag myself to the couch and submit the two last-minute client blog posts that I wrote yesterday. Then I got ready for my 1:00 appointment with my primary care doctor.

My doctor and I discussed the results of my most recent labs and added some new supplements and prescriptions. Then we decided to run half a liter of fluids since I’ve been really struggling to eat and drink the past few days. I didn’t realize my phone had 8% left, so I was pretty bored waiting for the bag to finish; I was feeling pretty terrible too, and spent the time debating with myself about whether or not I should drive myself home.

When I got done I did drive myself home, where I took a quick shower and ate half of a purple sweet potato. It was about 4 pm by then. I felt like an entirely new human and ready to take on the world!–for an hour or two at least, haha. I managed to get some more work done, eat a little food for dinner, and do a 15-minute stretching video. By then it was 7 pm and I was starting to feel worse again, especially my head. So I’ve spent a very pleasant evening reading The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein (which I started last night and am enjoying SO much).

Today I’m grateful for: Being able to get fluids in the doctor’s office instead of the ER!

Check out Blogmas Day 15 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 14 (struggling through work)

I woke up still feeling pretty badly and also feeling weak and borderline dehydrated from not being able to eat yesterday. I have some last-minute, somewhat complex client projects due tomorrow that I was feeling stressed about getting done. So reluctantly, I canceled today’s plans to go to Trader Joe’s with Kenna (I didn’t even think I would be able to walk through the store), and then set about trying to get the work done.

I managed to write a rough draft of one blog post and edit and submit another post. Then I rested in bed for a while. Eventually I got up and gave myself one of my meds that’s a subcutaneous injection; drafted another piece (about the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine–it felt very historical); and scheduled all of a client’s social media posts for this week. And then I was done and I could rest for the evening. I’m so thankful I was able to get all of that work done.

After working really hard to eat and drink today, I was feeling more human by late afternoon. This evening I was able to do some medical tasks, write a letter, and take a shower before going to bed to read.

Today I’m grateful for: My mom went to the store for me and brought me some “flare-up food” (Pedialyte, Silk yogurt, and mini lemonzest Luna bars). Then she came over again a separate time to bring me three of my prescriptions from CVS.

Check out Blogmas Day 14 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 13 (in bed all day)

I was feeling pretty bad this morning with the usual fatigue, nerve pain, a headache, and my stomach was not doing well at all. I stayed in bed until noon watching YouTube videos and reading. Then I scheduled a bunch of Diamonds social media posts, including a giveaway that’s going live tomorrow (go follow our account so you can enter!). That took me a while because my headache was quickly getting worse–bad enough that when I finished the Diamonds posts, I got up to take one of my rescue migraine meds.

I had other things I needed to do today, but unfortunately I just kept feeling worse and worse. I ended up lying in bed all afternoon, only getting up every couple of hours to take more of my various as-needed meds.

It took a lot of effort, but this evening I was finally able to get up and take a shower, change my sheets, and sit on the couch to journal for a bit. Now I’m probably heading back to bed to read for a while before going to sleep.

My view for most of the day.

Today I’m grateful for: Remembering I still had Pedialyte popsicles in the freezer from this summer.

Check out Blogmas Day 13 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 12 (gingerbread houses!)

I was exhausted this morning and stayed in bed for a while reading and watching YouTube. Eventually I got up and did some computer work, including banking (I thought I had to do quarterly taxes but it turns out they actually aren’t due yet!!!) and a few Christmas-related tasks (which involved Goodreads stalking for gift ideas, which led to discovering the compare books/compatilibity feature for the first time, which led to excitedly texting all of my friends our compatibility, lol).

Then I put away my laundry and wrote a couple of letters. I also just did a bunch of small things around the house, like tidying the random stacks of books everywhere, catching up on all of my journals, brushing the cat, etc. It made me feel so content and calm to have time at home and be able to get all of those things done.

It was also exhausting, though, and I went to bed to rest for a while in the afternoon. When I got up it was time to get ready to go. I stopped by my family’s house to pick something up and wrap a few gifts to leave there (here’s a picture of Sophie because I know the blogosphere misses her).

Then tonight, Lindsey and I hung out at Kenna’s house from about 5:30 to 9:30. We decorated gingerbread houses, snacked, and just chatted. I absolutely loved spending time with both of them, and Kenna is always the best host and provides lots of delicious food and fun things to do! It was so much fun and so life-giving.

Today I’m grateful for: I was able to do a 15-minute yoga video and I was so excited about it! I miss being able to be active and work out so much–moving my body is a gift, not a given.

Check out Blogmas Day 12 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2020 Day 11 (I’m tired)

I felt pretty bad this morning but eventually managed to get up and get moving. I spent a stressful morning going back and forth between a small client project that was due today, and some Diamonds technical difficulties. Then Brooke and I talked on the phone for an hour at noon and I decorated some envelopes.

After that, I went to pick up my Walmart grocery order and my library books (yes, my eyes were bigger than my stomach in both instances).

I wanted to go outside and work on my balcony because it was 65 degrees, but after 10 minutes I was back inside to rest on the couch because I was just so tired and not feeling well. Eventually I managed to sit up and do a little more work. Not as much as I wish I had been able to do, though; I took on an unexpected project that’s due early next week, and I’ve been trying to think through how to rearrange my work schedule to get it done.

I made too much food for a late dinner this evening, froze some of the groceries I bought today in single-serving containers, cleaned up the kitchen, and now it’s 8:00 and I’m completely exhausted–so I’m heading to bed with a book (I just can’t decide which one…).

Today I’m grateful for: Literally the easiest/best experience I’ve ever had trying to get my prescriptions delivered from CVS (their automated phone system is the bane of my existence, but the lady today was so nice and the process was so quick).

Check out Blogmas Day 11 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?