January 10 - Photos + Words

I struggle with journaling so hope this is what you want.

 

I had to ruminate on this one to decide which photos I wanted to use and what story I wanted to capture. Once I found these photos and started thinking about this story, I couldn't believe I hadn't captured this in my scrapbook before now, so thank you for the wonderful nudge to get this story on paper!

 

Thanks for this. I've wanted to tell this story for a long time.

 

Journaling here since it's so small:
I have joked about being a human chalkboard for years! I have had bouts of hives for no apparent reason since 2008. At that point, my allergy doctor recommended over the counter antihistamines as well as a round of Prednisone. That concoction worked every time I would flare- which seemed to be every few years but always for no reasons. Fast forward to January 2022. My hives were back and with a vengeance! I did two rounds of Prednisone with no relief whatsoever. I was officially diagnosed with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) with Dermatographia (where any pressure put on my skin causes hives.) I soaked for hours in oatmeal baths, slathered myself in anti-itch creams and was in a very bad place mentally. The willpower to not scratch could only last so long. I would even get hives where the tears ran down my cheeks. I was living on handfuls of both over the counter and prescription antihistamines- with no idea if they were even making a dent. I suffered for four more weeks before my doctor agreed that we needed to do something else. We started the process to preauthorize a biologic- (Xolair injections) through my insurance. Insurance does cover Xolair, but it’s very expensive. Thankfully I was able to apply & get accepted into a copay program. Honestly, I would have paid any amount of money for any relief! Xolair works differently than antihistamines to help reduce the itch severity that comes with CSU as well as the number of hives. My first injections (1 injection into the back side of each arm) were in April 2022. By June, while not completely hive free- I was able to do some things previously I could not: hot showers, tight clothing & brushing my hair. Once Fall came around, I was finally hive & itch free- I could enjoy sitting in the hot tub again! Xolair has given me my life back. Looking back, I wish I had advocated more for myself- I knew that antihistamines alone don’t work for me. I just hope that Xolair continues to keep my CSU in check and I can live a hive-free life for as long as possible!

Round #2: With only 2 photos this time!

 

Thanks for the awesome challenge! I really think I needed to get this off my chest because I journaled this quicker that usual. Journaling in the gallery..

 

Thanks for the challenge, Lori! My taekwondo journey is something I've wanted to document for awhile. The photos are not the greatest (scans of old polaroids), but the story is what really matters most.

 

Thanks for the challenge! I left a translation in the gallery credits:

 

Updated to edited LO to reflect 3 photos:
I wanted to document this, so thank you for the challenge. I think I should make this a two-page layout and include my list of what I'd pack in a fire evacuation because when you are stressed it can be hard to find some things or think of those sentimental items that are not replaceable.

 

Loved the opportunity to push myself with Journaling. I am glad to have this story down!

 

This one had me stumped until I talked to my daughter who is away at college on a video chat and then it just hit me.

 

Thx for the Challenge, I'm not a journaler on my pages so it was stepping out of my comfort zone.

 

This one took awhile....



For as long as I can remember I have loved shopping.. I love the process of coordinating things and finding the perfect item.... Once bought, I couldn't care less... I can always find a way to justify, a purchase when I am shopping, and that is where I get my satisfaction.. once home the bags tend to pile up.. unopened and forgotten!! Not sure that has always been the case, but that is where it has ended up... sort of like a cat catching a small animal... once it is dead, it is of no further interest...

I learned to be frugal at an early age, finding bargains, is a big part of this.. I can tell you who has the best price for most anything... and then there is the tendency to buy more than one, in case you might need it in the future... this goes for shoes as well as food. A big part of my process also..

Then there is the part, where I save things..!!!. Never using them until they spoil and have to be thrown out...

In the past few years, age and arrival of covid in the world have both played into it, I have been attempting to purge... and have really been analyzing my spending habits... I am VERY aware, of what all is wrong and why I react the way I do... totally cognizant ...

I do not think I am a Hoarder, but I am close... People always say oh, you have so much “”stuff””... I consider it decor, and I am very careful, to arrange things nicely, and not overcrowd... a Minimalist I am not, and never will be...Minimalism is cold and stark.. People say my home is warm and cozy... I like that...

I could go on forever with tales about this... My father in law always said, my babies were going to be born in the car, or store!!! My Mother in law was my shopping companion for many years...

So as I approach the last years of my life, I am trying hard to clear out as much as I can.. which is hard... I do take some of Marie Kondo to heart... She would be proud of my sock drawer..! and the fact that I donated a large box full to the women’s refuge.

A couple of months ago, I decided to take the bull by the horns and totally stop shopping... the first time I went to TJ Maxx after that, was pure torture... I actually felt a physical pain..! No, I could not put everything I liked in the cart I had to have a real “need” for it !!! that day really stands out in my memory!!! but I am progressing ,and i am finding now, much to my surprise, that I have virtually NO interest in shopping any longer.. I go to a store and head right to the item I am there for... usually... I was given Gift Certificates to TJ Maxx and Ross, for Christmas and everyone had big sales... I have not used them at all yet...

The store that is featured here, is a new one , in our newly revitalized downtown... They have consignment upscale clothing , and I actually consign things there... it is filled with small craft vendors selling their wares... a fun place to look, but no reason to buy... If I was a tourist , it would be different....

Back the end of November, first of Dec., they had a day where each vendor talked about what she sells and how her things are made... one lady made purses out of cork material.... I had no idea there even was such a thing.!. Her bags were beautifully crafted and way more money than I had ever spent on a purse, so of little real interest until one, day there was the perfect little black bag. I just could not bring myself to pay the price... wore it around the store for quite awhile before putting it back... Over that weekend, I came into some unexpected money and I thought to myself, I could go buy that bag.. Did not go out on Monday and when I went on Tuesday, it was gone... sold the day before!!! I asked i fshe could make me one? and it was agreed she could, so I ended up having her custom make one for me.. it is a bit different, but I think I like it... Just picked it up last night... thus the image of a purse... I am a work in progress!!!!! January 14, 2023

 

Such a great challenge! Thank you!