Winter Boredom Busters

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pic needs a little explaining. During my periodontist visit yesterday morning, I was told I wasn't going to be dismissed for two more weeks. TWO MORE WEEKS before I can go to Stage Three. The little tool shown above looks very "dental" until you add the necessary element... a broken toothpick. That's right. A broken toothpick. And get this... They want you to put the broken toothpick in your mouth and move it back and forth around the crown and surgical area. And you hope your husband or your 16 year-old son do not decide to sneak up behind you and say, Boo!" because it would all be over then! It's very high-tech, isn't it? Two more weeks.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - PANIC ATTACKS - It's "doctor week" around here... for me. Today I go in for bi-yearly stress test because I have a tiny tear in one of my valves I've probably had since birth. You may think this would cause me great stress and worry, but to the contrary. When you suffer from panic attacks which copy heart attack symptoms, you actually look forward to stress tests. I know. It's nuts, but so are panic attacks.

Even though I've decided to write a little about these attacks today in my quest to de-mystify all things labeled "mental illness" or "mental disorder," panic attacks are different. The more you think, talk or write about these attacks, the worse they become. It opens a door most people would like to keep closed.

"Why open the door if it is going to make everything worse?" you ask. Good question. My particular door was open anyway because of the test, so it was a good time to talk about the attacks which have been very prevalent the last two or so weeks.

Again, I want to mention this particular illness in case someone else may be having these attacks, and may be embarrassed or ashamed. And I want people to know there isn't anything to be ashamed of because it isn't anything your body or mind can control. As I've said before about Josh's OCD, it's a chronic illness like any other (asthma, diabetes, etc.) which needs treatment and sometimes medication. I doubt people who have never experienced a panic attack (which can have many different symptoms) can truly understand, but they most certainly can be compassionate, listen if you need to talk, read information about the attacks, etc. Not talking about it and/or pretending it's not a big deal is not helpful AT ALL.

In my particular case, attending my kids' sporting events has an added bonus. There will always be a defibrillator, medical personnel and an ambulance located at the end of the football field. It's the next best thing to being in an Emergency Room.

Also, over a year ago when my grandmother had knee surgery, I was more than willing to take a night shift to sit with her. She had a rough night, and apologized the next morning. It was an unnecessary apology. Having nurses come in every half hour or so to check on her (us), doctors down the hall, monitors in the very room I was staying in... I was very content.

Unlike what many people may think, panic attacks do not always occur in high stress situations. In most cases, they begin during your most relaxed time of the day. It totally catches you off guard. They also occur in locations where you may be your most comfortable such as church, Wal-Mart, home, etc. There is not a lot of rhyme or reason when it comes to panic attacks.

I know I've mentioned it in an earlier post, but I think about it quite often. Several years ago, I overheard a woman who was experiencing extreme grief and depression ask another woman, "Is it okay for a Christian to be depressed?" I'll never forget the woman's answer.

"It's okay to be depressed. It is not okay to STAY depressed. You need to keep praying." Her answer was not unkind. It was just very uninformed.

This woman would not have answered the question in the same way if it had been about diabetes. "It's okay to have diabetes. It's just not okay to have diabetes over a long period of time. You need to keep praying."

I agree we need to pray for healing. I do. But if God decides to answer the request with a "no" or "not now," it is my responsibility to prayerfully seek good doctors, prayerfully consider medications and prayerfully take care of my illness and body.

I am much better than I was December 16, 2006 when I had my first attack. I am much better than I was the year 2007 when I had four tests, each one more extensive than the last, and four Emergency Room visits. But it isn't over yet.

My attacks are accompanied with chest pains, racing heart, sweat, nausea, numbness, extreme weakness and a higher blood pressure reading. If you have panic attacks, your symptoms may be totally different. It is a very personalized illness.

And my panic attacks were triggered by Josh's illness. I suffered my first attack almost a year to the day of his total breakdown with OCD. That also made no sense to me. We had learned so much. We were getting the help he needed. He was starting to show some small improvements. In other words, we were moving forward. According to my doctors, this is not uncommon. Moms do what they have to do when they have a sick child as long as they have to do it. When things started settling into a routine, my panic attacks began.

The ONLY reason I share this with anyone reading today is to try to diminish the stigma. Believe it or not, I used to be a pretty private person. But it's time to talk. It's time to admit we do not have perfect lives, perfect families or perfect bodies.

But we are supposed to encourage each other, pray for each other, lift each other up, and NOT avoid the ugly or uncomfortable or sad situations other people face every day. Because believe it or not, if you live long enough, you will find yourself in an ugly or uncomfortable or sad situation... and you will want someone to reach out to you.

"You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry." Psalm 10:17. On the sidebar of my Bible next to this verse, it says the following:

"Jesus paints a vivid portrait of how much the poor, needy, afflicted and oppressed are valued by a compassionate God... and how his children are to represent Him on earth in the way they support and defend victimized and lonely people. Unfortunately, we do not always come through for those in need. Our Father has a very tender heart toward those who suffer and cry out to Him." In striving to be more Christ-like, shouldn't we do the same?

Be the person who reaches out to someone in need today. Yes, it takes time. Yes, there is a good chance it will be unpleasant. Yes, it may make you sad for a time. Sorry. We were never promised a perfect, painless life.

Let's make that call or visit TODAY!

Wednesday Wisdom - I have two today. Both of them refer to winter, but one is serious and sweet and the other a little humorous.

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." Edith Sitwell.

"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat." Author Unknown.

Winter Boredom Busters

I looked around for some new winter ideas for moms with small kids, and I found a couple of good websites from moms in the know. These ideas are from a website called www.bostonmamas.com.

Play Flour. Sprinkle flour onto a cookie sheet (or use a rimmed baking sheet or large plastic tray to cut down on mess) and let your kids draw or race match box cars in it. When the kids are done, sweep up the flour and put it in a sealable container labeled “Play Flour.” Reuse as necessary. The possibilities are endless and different textured materials (such as cornmeal, oats, etc.) will offer fun fodder for sensory exploration. (I love the term "fun fodder," don't you?)

Wash the Dishes. If you don’t own a dishwasher, your kids may not find this as exciting as mine do. Fill the sink with water and bubbles, give them a washcloth and some plastic stuff to wash, and let them go to town. Give your kids straws to make bubbles with water and dish soap. Remind them not to drink from the sink! (Austin used to wash Josh's bottles for me huge amounts of time. He loved it. When he tired of dishes, we would let the soapy water out, refill the sinks with clean, warm water and a little blue food coloring to make lakes and oceans. He would play with his animals and dinosaurs until his hands were pruny!)

Simulate Summer. Have your kids hop in the bath and break out the summer pool toys. Let them wear a bathing suit to simulate summer (or you could multi-task and give them a bath while they play with beach toys).

Make Indoor Snow People. Buy marshmallows, cake decorating gel tubes, and other little candies. Have your kids use toothpicks to assemble snow people, then decorate using the gel. You can also use the gel to stick on sprinkles or other nonpareils. Toothpicks make good arms and rope licorice makes a great scarf. Display for the day, and eat for dessert later. Or, don’t tell your kids they’re for eating at all, and display until stale.

Make Pomanders. Take Mandarin or Clementine oranges that are getting slightly hard, and stud with whole cloves. Use a toothpick or fork to make starter holes, otherwise the cloves will be hard for little fingers to push. Make patterns, or just randomly insert cloves all over the orange. Display a whole bowl as a centerpiece or place a few here and there to fill your house with a lovely scent.

Of course, I had to go to a Disney website for just one idea.

Make It a Family Night. Turn family night into a movie-themed event night! Depending on the theme you pick (Animal Night, Diva Night, Magic Night, Pirate Night, Princess Night, Super-Hero Night), choose a movie and dinner and/or snacks which go with the theme.

Animal Night - Planet Earth OR Fox and the Hound. Add animal crackers to munch on with popcorn.

Pirate Night - Pirates of the Caribbean OR VeggieTales - Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. For dinner, add jerky to the menu.

The ideas are limitless... and fun!

I'll have another blog listed tomorrow under Blog Linkage with even more Boredom Busters, so check back for easy, fun ideas.

Have a fun Wednesday. I'm pretty sure my Wednesday will improve as the day progresses. (How's that for a "glass half-full" attitude?) Tomorrow I will have two or three things for you to read under Blog Linkage, and I'll tell you about a fun date Mikie and I had Sunday afternoon (in GREAT length and detail). I bet you can't wait, can you?

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda