Bell's Palsy or Cervical Myelopathy with Spondylosis?

I have had trouble with the left side of my face for years. It will get very hot to the point that it felt like it was on fire. I also struggle with the feeling in my ear as if someone were stabbing me with an ice poker. Then my face goes numbish and things calm down a bit. The heat and numbness may last for hours but at least the searing, ice poker pain only lasts seconds or at most a minute.

Triggers: Stress, having sound near my ear. Some tones will set everything off in horrible motion, leaving me breathing like I am about to give birth to a 20 pound baby. If I use my left arm for much of anything, it can cause the burning sensation. (I also have rotator cuff disease).

This is an update to my post about Bell's Palsy. Since that post, I have been diagnosed with cervical myelopathy with spondylosis and Trigeminal neuralgia. Both of these can cause the Bell's Palsy symptoms. So...now I do not know for certain which is the culprit. Maybe they all are!

Coping? Well, I get through it. Ice packs are my very best friends and I try not to be far from them. Seriously, I need to move a freezer in my room, packed full of ice packs, ready at a moments notice. I follow the rules of 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off with the ice. I do not need other complications caused by over icing!! The only place I want too much icing is my muffin!

Years Later and Still Have Trouble

I wrote a post on my ear infection and Bell's Palsy so I thought I would give an update. Even though common opinion among the doctor community seems to be that Bell's Palsy is a one shot pain and you never get it again, reading forums and my own experience say otherwise.

I still have symptoms flare up, or ones that are always there. Mind you these are not bad ones, not like my face is sliding off or I am drooling, but there are there. The pain, the facial burning, numbness, eye droop etc..it comes and goes as it pleases but never goes away.

To me, it defies all logic as to how it can be a one shot wonder and done because it is caused by nerve damage and irritation. Call me silly but if I have never heard of a cure for nerve damage or anything that cures the ears or neck from every getting irritated and messing with nerve fibers. If they have found one, tell me about it!

So, as it turns out, with my Bell's Palsy, it all started with my ear infection but which came first, the ear infection or the issues I have with my spine....the spine did. The ear infection just added to it all, brought the inflammation out in the open, wild and free, ready to wreak havoc on my daily life.

As I type this, I have an ice pack on my neck because the nerves all up and down the left side of my face are itching. Good luck fellow Bell's Palsy sufferers. May you find a way to stop the pain and numbness and maybe yours is a one shot wonder that you will never experience again. I hope so.

Peace.

To Self Publish or Not?

Being a writer, this seems to be a common question. As I get nearer to the stage of publishing my first book, I have been asked this a few times. “What publisher are you going to use?” “Are you going to self publish?” I always scoffed at the idea of self publishing, but being that I try to be open minded and I live research, I looked into it more. My idea of self publishing was someone making up a sad looking book and trying to sell it on the streets. I knew better, but I guess since I was avoiding thinking of methods of publishing to avoid thinking of rejection, I had the worst scenario in my mind. Here are the pros and cons as I see them:

I took the photo here after a small earthquake, or spirits knocked the books and other things down. I will never know for certain. I was in the other room playing with my cat and little dog when we all heard a crash. The cat and dog scattered to hide under the nearest furniture while I investigated. 

Publisher:

Pros: someone else does the work of getting the books ready for you.

Cons: you do not get to choose your own illustrator and finding a publisher is hard, look at how many publishers turned down J.K Rowling!! You have to share royalties. Expensive.

Self publishing:

Pros: You do not have to share royalties, only pay your bills. You do not get rejection letters. More control over expenses.

Cons: The expenses are more obvious to you because they are all yours. More work depending on how you get them printed or just go straight e-book.

I am still undecided though I am leaning toward self publishing because I used to print and bind books, so I have some idea of what is involved there. More research in the future, for now, I just need to finish writing it.

Alopecia: Continuing With Life

I have accepted the wearing of wigs and actually enjoy it now! It is so nice to look in the mirror and not see scalp. I did not realize how depressed that was making me feel.

The wig that I have is a bit scratchy but with a scalp cover, or wig cap, the wig is more comfortable. I have also learned how to utilize hair pieces, such as pony tails, to make my wig look different. I bore easily so it is nice to be able to change my hair look every other day or so.

Yes, I could buy more wigs, and I will some day, when I have the money, but for now, this is what a poor woman does with no hair.

Shake it up! Do not feel you are stuck with a style because you bought the wig. The clip on ponytails change the way the hair looks and does not feel weird. If you have a short hair wig, like I do, it helps to disguise the short hair by wearing a pretty scarf or headband to mask the layers of the short hair. No one can tell! I get many compliments on my "hair". It is great!

New Page: Alopecia

Check out my new page and feel free to comment. Alopecia doesn't only affect the hair on our heads, it affects our outlook. Let's be strong and support each other. There is no cure so we might as well embrace our baldness, right?

Fall is Here! That Means Everything Pumpkin Season Has Arrived!

I love pumpkin. I love it in pies, in my coffee, in cakes and pancakes. I love it in bread...well, you get the idea. I know that everyone else is having pumpkin posting, but hey, when you love something that much, you just have to join in on the fun.

Here we have coffee

Donuts, homemade, of course

And pancakes!

Now that I have shared all these pictures of things I have made in the past with pumpkin in it, I am hungry. See you later!! Enjoy pumpkin everything season!

If you love huge burgers or any kind of sandwich, these are the buns for you!

I love to cook and these buns were fun to make. They are huge and very tasty.

Barbecue Chicken on King Size Buns


Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved Cynthianne Neighbors

Good Morning!!

I hope everyone is having a great day today. Here the sun is shining and is has rained all night long, so the air is fresh.

Hopefully this rain will make a dent in the drought that is ongoing. The prediction for this summer is hotter and drier than the record breaking stats in 2011.

How is your weather?

I retain all rights to this photo. Photo by myself, Cynthianne Neighbors copyright 2014

Coffee, hot or cold?

I love coffee! I drink it every morning to wake up my soul, energize my spirit...ok..because it is a good routine for me. I love my coffee hot,cold, iced, frozen into a delicious dessert, anything but straight black or too sweet.

I had one of those single serve coffee makers and absolutely loved it, but wow...so expensive!! Being the ever so cheap, I mean frugal, person, I set about finding a way to make the perfect cup of coffee without such a high expense.

I discovered POUR OVER brew! Oh wow, I was struck with excitement at this prospect of making one cup at a time, or pouring over just enough for one cup. There are many styles of pour over coffee makers to choose from so I chose the cheapest one I could find, plain and simple. The one I got can make up to 12 cups of coffee, and it does. I had to try!

It works wonderfully!! I love the ease of making one cup of coffee however strong I want it. How does it work? Put a cone filter in it. If you cannot find a cone filter, the standard kind will work.

Put in your grounds, two tbls per six ounces, or however you like it.

Heat your water to almost boiling.

Pour just enough water onto the grounds in your filter, to moisten them.

Wait about 30 seconds. Continue pouring very hot water over the grounds until your cup is as full as you want it.


There you have it! Coffee! Use the same method for a full pot if you want. But what about iced coffee? No problem!!

You can make up coffee ahead of time and chill, or do it this way:

Coffee grounds per how many cups of coffee you want

One container (a glass or jug)

Water

Put grounds into container and pour a small amount of water over the top, enough to make like a coffee soup.

I am making two quarts of coffee with this mixture.

Now, you let this coffee soup sit for anywhere from 20 minutes to over night. Using your pour over coffee maker, strain the grounds into another container or cup. This is very concentrated!! Add water to taste.

Procrastination and Writing

Pilot - Varsity Disposable Fountain Stick India Pen, Black Ink - Medium - Fine Writing (Google Affiliate Ad)

I am a writer and oftentimes life gets in the way of writing. How does one write consistently and with passion when so much is going on.

Discipline...

It takes discipline and commitment to be a passionate writer. You have to WANT to do it. Does that mean you are going to wake up one morning with excitement and a mind full of words begging to be written? well...not always. There will be times where you are looking for the nearest...something..to make notes about what you want to write about. This can happen at the worst times...

There you are, up to you netherplace in snow and cold with the greatest idea and nothing to write on. Sure, you could use some toilet paper but what would you use to write with? There are some ways around the above problem such as:

If you plan ahead, you will not be stuck with only toilet paper and lots of ideas.

There are other places to get good ideas at bad times, but to me, that is the worst.

Planning ahead is key to successful writing. Set goals, try to make a schedule such as writing every day at the same time. By trying to write everyday at the same time, you get yourself into a habit. It will be tough at first, you may find yourself doing this:

Once you force yourself into a routine of writing, you will wonder why you procrastinated for so long. If you find yourself procrastinating after you have set a routine, make a new goal and do it all over again...but maybe not the toilet in snow. Unless you are writing horror, then by all means, write your words while sitting on a toilet in teh snow.

Sauder Edge Water Writing Desk (Google Affiliate Ad)

Do You Feel like You Attract Mean Guys?

Coping with Grief: A Self-Help (Google Affiliate Ad)Do you ever feel like you only attract mean guys?

It seems like the relationship is going fine, you've fallen in love with the man of your dreams, than things change. For the first several dates or even months of the relationship things have been perfect, then suddenly or even subtly, it seems he is a different person. He's making comments that are hurtful, he seems to be bothered by things that didn't bother him before and he seems generally unhappy. When you ask him what is wrong he may reply that things aren't as he thought they were or he may blame you and say you've changed. By this point you have probably checked to see if you have done anything to change his behavior or wondered if there was another woman. That feeling of depression; that you just can’t seem to find a guy that won’t hit you physically or hurt you emotionally begins to set in…what do you do? How do you attract a nice guy? All is not lost.

In my own experience, I have been there; I have felt like I only attract mean guys. I have had a long relationship that lasted over 20 years that I was miserable in because I didn't know how to leave. I felt like everything was my fault, that if I could just be a better person he would be nicer to me, or that I couldn't be with anybody else because I was not good enough. I got out of that relationship only to find myself in another abusive relationship and then it happened again and again. I felt like the only kind of guy that liked me are the mean ones. Maybe I was too damaged to attract a nice guy? Maybe the other guys that told me that no one would love me like they did and that no one would ever love me besides them, were right? But I learned differently and it really helped change my world.


According to Dr. Steven Stosny, PhD, writer for Psychology Today, Anger in the Age of Entitlement: Cleaning up Emotional Pollution/Are You Dating an Abuser?, A woman doesn't attract mean men necessarily but she may not realize that the nice men are attracted to her. Nice men do not push boundaries, they respect a woman when she seems to feel uncomfortable, and they back off. So the woman that is used to being abused sees this as the man only wanting to be friends. This information was a real eye-opener to me. I realized that maybe I was not “damaged goods” as I had been made to believe; maybe I could get a nice guy. This thought is very exciting! As a woman who's been abused it will be difficult for me to understand when a guy is just being nice or when his actually flirting with me but that's the mystery of dating anyway. There's always a question of is he interested or is he not but there won't be a question from now on that if he is pushing the relationship harder that I want I will dump him like a sack of potatoes! I will not stay in a relationship with a guy that tells me I am stupid or anything else that is demeaning. I do not say that to them, so I will not tolerate it from them. I have learned from my experiences. I have learned that I have just as much right to be loved as anyone else.


Dr. Steven Snosny, PhD also wrote an article titled Emotional Abuse in which he has a quiz called" Walking on Egg Shells". The quiz asks a series of questions of how you feel in a relationship and scores your response. The lower the score the more likely you are in an abusive relationship, the higher the score the more likely you're in a good relationship. I took the quiz and learned I was sticking to relationships that were emotionally abusive. I will change this and you can too.


When dating someone, take this quiz and see how things are going. Keep in mind to not feel pushed, degraded, or made to feel in any other way bad. A relationship should make you happy. This is not to say that there won't be issues or fights but the majority of the relationship should be good, without fear. There will be disagreements, but a woman should never feel she has to walk on eggshells around a man that claims to love her. He may love her …in his own way…but that is not necessarily a healthy kind of love. Do not feel guilt or shame for leaving an emotionally (Or physically) abusive relationship. There is nothing wrong with standing up for your rights to be happy.
Self-Help Poetic Expressions. (Google Affiliate Ad)

Forget Horoscopes

Through my journey in life I have learned that although I have the knowledge and ability to provide you with horoscopes, well...it isn't me. It is boring and tedious. So...forget about looking for horoscopes here. Instead I am going to post things I find FUN! Things that interest me,not bore me to tears.

Really..I am working on it. LOL

Please bear with me as I work on the horoscopes. I know I said I was going to get back to that,and I seriously am. I have had so many setbacks that I was beginning to think I should just give up. BUT...I think I have a plan, a way to work it into my busy writing schedule. I understand if you are bored waiting on me, but I will get them going! :)

Attack of the Killer Toothbrush

This toothbrush pictured here is not the culprit. The photo here is representation of a tooth brush. The toothbrush that attacked me had moving parts. I could have avoided the attack if I had acted when I thought I should have.

Okay here's what happened: I noticed the head on my electric toothbrush was getting a little loose, I knew I needed to replace the head. I thought I would do it next time I was at the store. The next time I was at the store was not soon enough. I was brushing my teeth in the normal manner when I felt the attack. The inside of my cheek was stuck in my toothbrush, underneath the head. Luckily there was no blood and only a little pinch. I gingerly removed my cheek from under the toothbrush head and examined for further damage. There was none so I tried brushing my teeth again only to have it happen again. At this point I decided not to have the motor running, I used my toothbrush like a manual toothbrush. But to no avail, I found myself getting pinched again and again removing my cheek from underneath the head of my toothbrush. Now in fairness to toothbrushes out there in my whole life this is the first time this has happened. So I will not become fearful of toothbrushes though this might make a funny movie, or a funny scene in a movie since I wasn't actually injured.

I did go out and buy a new toothbrush, not just a new head; with no moving parts. I felt perhaps that was safer. Maybe it was my luck to have bought the toothbrush from hell the first time but I did not want to risk the attack again. My new toothbrush vibrates more than moves it's kind of an odd feeling but it gets the job done well and there aren't any parts for my cheeks to get stuck in.

The moral of this story is when you feel like you need to change your toothbrush head do it before it attacks.

Ear Infection and Facial Nerve Issues

It all started when the left side of my face and my ear would get red, feverish, then go back to normal. There was no pain, and I do have lupus so I chalked it up to some weird lupus thing. As the days went on and my face was hot more often then not, I decided to get a look at from the doctor. Sure enough, to my surprise, I was diagnosed with an ear infection.

At this point I did not have a lot of pain, not any more than normal for me. I also have Meniere's disease that often causes ear pain and dizziness. The doctor prescribed some medication for my ear and within two days the redness was going away but the pain was increasing. More alarming to me was the strange pain in my face. It felt like I had gone to the dentist, gotten numbed up for some horrible dental procedure then my face was used for a pin cushion. The more I talked...and anyone who knows me knows how much I love to talk...the worse the pain/tingling got. When it reached the point that I could not smile because it hurt so bad, I thought it best to get another medical look. Just my luck that it is Friday night and the doctor's office won't open until Monday. I did not want the bill from the emergency room that I knew was sure to raise my blood pressure a notch or two...but I was getting worried about my face.

I called a friend, gathered my purse and my daughter, friend and I headed to the ER to spend our Friday night. Much to our surprise it was not that busy. Everyone that was there seemed far worse off then I did until I smiled. I decided to stick it out and hope the bill would not be too high.

Back in the room we waited for a short time, thank goodness. I was eager to leave and not have to listen to the woman getting sick somewhere in another room. I think they gave her some miracle drug because she was able to calm down and I could hear her talking. Her words could not be understood but at least she seemed to have gotten a little relief from her illness. It was my turn  to be seen and it was confirmed that I did indeed have an ear infection. So, what about my face? After the doctor had me smile and look at him in assorted ways, it was determined that I had nerve damage from the ear infection!! I did not know that could happen!! Only time will tell if I will ever lose this feeling of fresh- from- the- dentist- after- tooth- extraction. The doctor told my daughter and my friend to watch me for drooping face or...drooling...I hope that the only time I am seen doing that is because I am looking at some really delicious!

My escapade to the emergency room is going to cost a great deal, but at least I know what is going on. If I start drooling or my face droops...well, it might just change my make-up routine

I have been so very busy the last year!! I got married...got divorced...became a bit disabled and my health issues decided to make themselves very known. But I am back and I am setting better goals for myself! What are some of your goals for this week, this year?

Menieres Disease

I have had Meniere's diesase for many years now. Here is a link to what it is: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/509085_4. The doctors have never been able to tell me how to control it, or what causes it, because they don't know. My symptoms are getting worse, it affects both ears now, at the same time, a random feeling of having my head in a bucket, which progresses to feeling like I am going to pass out. The worst of the symptoms will lift in about 20 minutes or so, leaving me feeling exhausted and nauseated for the rest of the day. My ears may feel full for a few days and my hearing is bad  more than it is good. I have been told that my hearing may return to full use someday, but there is no way of knowing when. So, for now, I put my headsets on when I can to turn up the sounds so I can still enjoy things like music and a  movie. I do have a problem with this sometimes though because this can actually trigger an attack. My symptoms hit full force again a few months ago, after enjoying a few years of relatively mild attacks. I keep Meclizine around to take when the symptoms are so bad I cannot stand up. The Meclizine helps to curb the vertigo so that I can at least walk across the room to the bathroom and back. I cannot cook or do any kind of food preparation in this state, even with the Meclizine. I am fortunate that I still have adult children at home that can prepare food for me when I am that sick, and I will be married soon, so my husband gets to take on that responsibility....:(. I hope that these attacks do not get constant. It is difficult, and depressing, to go day by day wondering when the next attack is going to happen. I try not to think about it in hopes that the attacks would not happen, but alas, they still do. Feel free to post anything about your experiences with Meniere's Disease.

Beltane, May 1 Festival

Here is another article I have written. This one is about Beltane, the Wiccan festival that occurs May 1.


http://www.suite101.com/content/beltane-may-1-festival-a367861

Articles

Please let me know what you think of my articles. Post the name of the article and your opinion here.

Antisocial Personality Disorder: Is This Someone You Love?

http://www.suite101.com/content/antisocial-personality-disorder-is-this-someone-you-love-a367830

This is a link to my most recent article.

Lupus Awareness Week April 11-14, 2011

Lupus Awareness Week 2011 - The Butterfly Effect - Norman, OK
Monday, April 11 through Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sponsored by the Phi Delta Alpha Sorority - University of Oklahoma
Events at various locations on campus to benefit OMRF and LFA-OK
Booths in the Student Union all week - Free food!
Contact:  Christina Nguyen at christina.h.nguyen-1@ou.edu or
Kimberly Nguyen at thanhkim@live.com
Click here or go to http://phideltaalpha.com/ for more info!
Lupus Association Oklahoma Chapter

Pisces

You will have an unusual amount of physical energy this month, so much so that you may need to find an outlet such as walking or any sport you enjoy. You may find that because of your energy you will attract more people to you. This is a good time to get to know new people and become more sociable. A warning about the energy would be impulsiveness and saying too much. You may find yourself more talkative than usual and you may say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Be wise with your words and you will end the month on a positive note, be too impulsive and you may find yourself dealing with emotions that you thought were in the past. Someone may get angry at you toward the end of the month, so remain calm and intelligent, use your kind mannerisms and you will regain control of the situation. Toward the end of the month you will also spend more time recovering time you lost earlier in the month. You may feel stressed, but as you go forward with an organized plan, you will succeed.

Aquarius

This month is already proving to you that things are changing. You may find you are limited in some areas that you were not limited in before. These changes will last a long time, which may leave you feeling isolated from family and friends at times. The trick to getting through this hard time is to balance your time and energy so that when you are hit with a creative burst, you can take advantage of it. These bursts will help you to feel more in control of your life and your surroundings. There may be times when you have to accept that you can only exist, that you can be neither creative nor active. These times would be good for rest and rejuvenation. Because of what you are going through, you may find yourself feeling emotional and sensitive. It is important to think about what your situation may be reminding you of. When events come about that leave us feeling lost and confused, or more emotional than usual, that is a call to step back and see what old feelings may have surfaced. This is a good time for healing and getting the old memories and pains out of your brain so you can move forward in a healthy manner, revived and feeling alive.  

Capricorn

The beginning of the month will bring with it the ability to have some punch to your words. This can be good when the words are used wisely, but be careful of your tongue that you do not unduly offend anyone. There may be those that you want to listen to what you have to say, regardless of their opinion otherwise, but those that you love may not take so kindly to your abrupt speech. The 4^th and the 12^th of the month will be particularly tempting for you to say more than you mean to. Throughout the month you will have bursts of verbal energy. As long as you are aware of this and the backlash that could come, you will be fine. If you are a writer, this month will be perfect for you! You will have the ability to punch out your work in record time for you. Your creativity in all areas will be enhanced and can add to your personal life in a very pleasant way. Be creative, talkative and cheerful. During this time you will find direction in how you go in life and may start a whole new project. 

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

You may find yourself feeling more compassionate this month especially on the 14^th. This month focuses on love and humanitarian impulses. If you are romantically involved, you may find your soft side showing more in your everyday life. If you have children, you may find yourself feeling more inclined to plan special events or giving in to their demands and desires. If you are not involved romantically you may find someone before the month is up. You may feel more attracted to those you are interested in. This is the time to be more active in your social life. If you are not interested in love, than this compassionate energy may direct you toward humanitarian efforts. Express yourself freely, enjoy and embrace the happiness.