A woman’s perspective on health

I know I said this before, but I’m addicted to working on the computer, mainly for doing search engine optimization, web design, web hosting and other web development activities.

Right now I’m working on some heavy projects where pinehurst real estate and Southern Pines, Seven Lakes, North Carolin beach homes agencies really need their sites to get found on Google, MSN, and Yahoo search engines. I spend many more hours than we actually are getting paid because I want very much for them to succeed!!

My main reason for writing this is because a neighbor sent me a link about a new study about breast cancer. Then I realized I need to make sure to rest myself and quit staying on the computer so much!

This is something affecting my health and stress level…..

For some reason, my kids have decided all they want to do is fight with each other! They are ok alone (most of the time) but when they get together it’s blame, accuse, fight, whatever. My daughter is 8.5 yrs old and son almost 6. The thing is, my daughter was aways so agreeable. Now she won’t do what I ask her to help with, or she hisses at me or yells at me. I end up yelling back and getting nasty. I feel like her friends probably don’t do this to their moms!

Today I got up, drove daughter to meet a ride to Girl Scout daycamp, took my soon to my sister’s house so she could watch him while I went to work. She works from home..

I forgot that our office personnel situation was going to be sparse this morning and I drove home to maybe walk before work. I got on the computer (as I always do) and then it was already 10am. I was going to attend a meeting for another thing I do, called SandhillsKids.com but then I got an email from my hubby saying ‘phones are ringing and we don’t have proper coverage here!’. Oh geez… I forgot.. I quickly got dressed without showering - yuck! put my hair up and ran in.

The day started out crazy - we tried to have our staff meeting but as every other week, we have too many customers coming in and calling. so we couldn’t concentrate on that. We then realized it was 1:30 and none of us had eaten lunch! I took a trip to Mcdonald’s - HORRIBLE!!! and got us some junk.

At 4pm it was time for me to take my turn in the carpool to Girl Scout camp. I headed out, picked up my daughter and friends. Ended up stuck in stopped traffic due to rain and the U.S. Women’s Open playing in our town! Then the phone rings - it’s hubby. He’s at work waiting for electrician. Can i pick up son. Sure. I go out there. TWO hours after I left work I”m pulling into driveway. What’s for dinner? I offer out suggestions of spaghetti or tacos - kids say ‘yuck’ to both. Isn’t that true - they never want what I am prepared to cook. I cooked spaghetti anyway!

Kids went to bed - I did dishes - hubby passed out with son I took dog for walk, drank glass of water and back her at computer.

Back still hurts from sitting! Too much to do and now I need to do it before I go to bed!

My back hurts from sitting at a computer all day. I just wanted to rant about

Tonight I’m feeling it. I work at a desk all day and have too much to do so I sit at my desk at home late into the evening. My back hurts, my rear end is increasing in width.

Last night I was awakened by my husband who had indigestion. I woke up, realizing I needed to take a trip to the bathroom anyway. In the pitch dark on my way back and ran straight into the edge of an open door. My face was blocked, luckily by my toes which stick out further and warned me of the approaching door! Today I felt my toes throbbing and looked down to see blue swollen toes. As I admired them and showed my kids, I rammed my hand and fingers right into a chair! Now my fingers are hurting as well, but here I type anyway.

I don’t mean to just rant and complain. I figure it’s just on my mind and it’s good to get out. The good thing is -I don’t really have the arthritis I used to always have!

We went for spring break to Florida and visited grandparents. One day, on my 40th birthday no less, we went to a fun place called Cyprus Gardens. The morning started out like it would be sunny. ‘Dad’ is the only one who wore a sweatshirt and we ridiculed him about that! Well, about 1 hour later the sky clouded up and we weren’t laughing anymore! Sure enough he was the only one who didn’t freeze. The nice husband he is, he gave it to me to wear.

To make a long story short, we weren’t prepared that day!

The next day it rained all day long so we stayed in and rested.

The following day was a great day for alligator watching at a nearby park! No worries there with weather. It was beautiful as could be. Besides being called from work that day and missing swimming in the afternoon, it was a great day.

The next day was a day to the beach! After a long 1.5 hour drive through clouds and a sky that appeared to overflow with puffy storms, we arrived. It was so cloudy and overcast and hazy that we didn’t realize what the sun was doing to our skin. I lathered the kids up, and myself. However they get very antsy about that and run away before completing most of the time! We all paid for that laziness. After hours of boogie boarding (yes we all LOVE doing that) we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa’s home. Little did we know, we were burnt in certain sun screen mis-applied spots! My son’s poor chin is still recovering. We don’t know what happened to it - combination of sun and rubbing against boogie board might be the culprits.

The end story is like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts - BE PREPARED! DON’T BE LAZY about taking care of your own skin and well being like we were! Life can be much more comfortable if you just take those few extra precautions.

It’s a strange thing I was thinking about today. When we were in 5th grade, the elementary school went to great efforts to make sure we girls were educated in the changes going on with our bodies. Almost all girls went through those changes around age 12, give or take a year or 2.

Why is it then, at age 40, when our bodies start behaving strangely, that there seems to be no place to turn to? Doctors can’t explain our symptoms. I’m thinking we need some training and education at age 40 for the changes possibly starting to occur!

I was talking to a friend who is another 40 year old mother, and we shared PMS experiences. We both have horrible cycles of moods, tiredness, etc. I told me sister many a times that she should avoid me if at all possible for about 3 days out of the month. I become almost psychotic, with rages of anger and then sadness. It’s chemical for sure because I know it’s happening yet can’t control it. I have no REASON to behave that way yet I cannot stop!

I hope, by using online tools such as this site healthblogs, I will meet up with more 40 something women who are going through similar patterns with PMS and changes with how our bodies are behaving.

Today is a more calm day. Yesterday I yelled at my kids for leaving stuff strewn all over the kitchen floor. We were on our way to the park to play tennis and I was in a bad mood to start. Luckily, after exercising for a couple hours, I was able to regain some sanity and be a better person and Mom.

More to come!

I was unloading a bunch of old clothes, kids’ stuff, etc and on the way to the local Moore County Coalition, when I realized there was something in my car I needed to keep!

It was one of those Jane Fonda exercise steps I had bought back in the early or mid 90’s! I remembered how I used to just get it out of the closet, start stepping away at the music, and 30 minutes later sweating like crazy.

I kept that step. I am turning 40 in 1 month. When I used to go to step class I was in my early 20’s. I wanted to find that youth and energetic feeling again.

I have a $45 per month membership at a local gym - do I go? Nope.. I had a fancy elliptical machine - did I use it? Nope… Now I have this step. I get it out onto the garage floor, put on my headphones and step away. Guess what else - I listen to my mp3 player that my wonderful sister Beth bought me, and my terrific husband downloaded music to for me. I was listening to 80’s music and the type of rhythm that used to energize me in my 20’s!

I’m not sure where this is all headed, but I know now that some things really do help mental and physical well being, and sometimes thinking back on youthful memories helps to feel that same age again. I hope to keep it up.