All in a Day's "Work"

I would love to talk about my art right now, however, in the spirit of letting people in for a "closer look" at what's going on in Brenda's World, I'm gonna bypass the art for the moment, and deal with the most frustrating part of my life. After all, THAT part of my life controls and dictates EVERY OTHER part of my life. So, welcome to a little snippet regarding my Not So Great Health.

It is absolutely NO FUN dealing with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and the continued downward slide of "Failed Back Syndrome" from Scoliosis so severe I had two major surgeries as a teenager to try to stop the progression of the double curve, with rods put in my spine and fusion starting at T-3, all the way down through L-4. There is NO DAY without pain. It's just a matter of how severe it is and how much can I still do of a given day. Yep, I'm on LOTS of meds, and have various Day Surgery procedures aimed at keeping me up on my feet and functioning. I live by myself, so it is imperative that I am able to get up and function each day.

This Spring/early Summer I've gone through different Day Surgeries, and am currently enjoying (yes! I said enjoying) the benefits of the greatly reduced pain all through my lower spine and legs! Even though it's not permanent, I am GREATLY PRAISING DADDY GOD for these new modern procedures that help people like me. That's about all I'll say about that particular issue for the moment.

Yesterday I had to go back to my Rheumatologist for my quarterly check up, Blood work and the like. Appointment for for 10:30 a.m. It was 12:40 p.m. before I got called back to an exam room. I got out of there at 2:15 p.m. Unfortunately, this is routine. I happen to have a "much sought after" Doctor. Which is a good thing in that she knows the latest treatments, but a bad thing in that you go knowing it will be an all day visit.

I walked out of there with new Scripts for Meds, Orders for Nerve Conduction Tests on my wrists because my fingers and hands go numb a lot, Orders to see and ENT, the knowledge that once all this is taken care of I will be started on an IV Drip every few weeks at the hospital with a stronger treatment for the RA and PA, and this:
Looks even worse tonight! My Lab Tech, Marie, is soooo good with the needle that I hardly felt anything (not always the case, unfortunately, with other Lab Techs), so I was shocked that I bruised up so bad! The bruise runs up the vein another 2" from the main bruise!!! This "battle scar" will take almost 2 weeks to go away. I had another doctor appt scheduled next Tuesday for follow up with my spine doctor. But today, I called and postponed it for 3 weeks. Sometimes I just feel sooo completely "overdone" with all the doctors' appointments and needles. I wouldn't wish all this on my worst enemy, if I had one. Well, OK, I vented. Off to bed. Pool time and art tomorrow. Things to look forward to. ;-)

Way Too Long of an Absence

For a LOT of different reasons, is my "answer" to the title. The Roller Coaster of my health, in and out of doctors' offices, hospital medical procedures, etc, all to keep me up on my feet and going; The frustration of having only this desk top computer access to this and everything else "internet" related; the feeling that I have nothing to share of any importance to anyone. No need to continue on that rabbit trail.

I've been listening to my different "Art/Art Business" mentors, notably Lesley Riley of late. ALL OF THEM echo the "You NEED to have a blog" and "You NEED to blog regularly". A funny thing happened yesterday that "underlined" everything I've been hearing from my various Mentors.

Saturday started the ball rolling, actually. I spent considerable time doing "new to me" glazing techniques on some canvases I had already gessoed and texturized earlier in the week. Since I'm craving to be outdoors as much as possible during my best season of the year physically, I had set up a portable studio on the covered back patio, and finished the last bit of work Saturday night with the back porch light on. Additionally, all that day I said, "Self, tomorrow is Day At The Pool day".

Yesterday I got up, chomping to go to the pool, but ALSO wanting to paint on my canvases. Sooooo, for the first time, I packed my easel and everything I needed, and went to the pool. Had a GREAT afternoon laying down the beginnings of a beach painting. A neighbor friend, Lisa, took a couple pics of me working. At the moment, I was sitting there enjoying a cold beer, and contemplating what colors I was going to use to paint in and blend for the ocean, and also thinking about when I wanted to take a break and so swim for a while. As Lisa and I talked, she asked if I have a blog. I confessed to her about my blog I hadn't posted to in a VERY< VERY Long time, and why. Haaa! Lisa told me, "YES!!! We LIKE to read about what's going on in the life of the Artist, Musician, etc. It makes us feel more connected to that person." Well, my Mentors are correct, then! Lisa told me, from her perspective, what my Mentors have been telling me. OK, well, I'm gonna strive to get more "postable" on here. For now, it's way past my bedtime.