We started the month off by going to the Festival of Trees as part of our team holiday party. I have to say, I just wasn't too excited about seeing the trees this year and there wasn't anything that really stuck out in my mind as fabulous and amazing. The money is definitely for a good cause, going to Primary Children's Hospital, but I was lacking in the Christmas spirit. The best part of the afternoon was watching PALS perform. I believe they are a group of adults with Downs Syndrome and they were so cute. I could have watched them for a lot longer, but their show was only so long, which was unfortunate.
I did have my follow up doctors' appointments for my ears and shoulder. So the result, truthfully, is probably that I've postponed a few surgeries and will probably end up having them eventually. So I got to do an MRI with dye for the shoulder, which I don't recommend. The results are bursitis and inflammation and there is a bone spur and there is a bone on the point where it should be flat, which is the cause of the pain for me. He gave me a steroid shot and we'll see how that works out before proceeding with surgery. So basically, if there is a bone deformity to be had, it feels like I get to have it - I could truly live without that in my life. I also inherited the otosclerosis courtesy of dad. If my hearing drops ten more decibels we are looking at surgery there too. So, right now, I just adjust myself. If it seems like you are having to repeat yourself a lot around me, please be patient, and check if you are on my left or right side (the right side is the bad ear and I do try to make the adjustments myself).
Becase of the holidays, only one of my book clubs met this month. So, we thought this was going to be more of a humorous memoir type thing than the factual stuff it was. It was really interesting and definitely brought up some points that I had never thought about - airlines serving pretzels instead of peanuts because of the risk of an airborne reaction, just didn't think about it. I have plenty of family who has to deal with this on a daily basis, and it just made me more grateful that with all of my allergies, none of them are food related.
Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life
by Sandra Beasley
A beautifully written and darkly funny journey through the world of the allergic.
Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”
It may seem that such a person is “not really designed to survive,” as one blunt nutritionist declared while visiting Sandra’s fourth-grade class. But Sandra has not only survived, she’s thrived—now an essayist, editor, and award-winning poet, she has learned to navigate a world in which danger can lurk in an unassuming corn chip. Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is her story.
With candor, wit, and a journalist’s curiosity, Sandra draws on her own experiences while covering the scientific, cultural, and sociological terrain of allergies. She explains exactly what an allergy is, describes surviving a family reunion in heart-of-Texas beef country with her vegetarian sister, delves into how being allergic has affected her romantic relationships, exposes the dark side of Benadryl, explains how parents can work with schools to protect their allergic children, and details how people with allergies should advocate for themselves in a restaurant.
A compelling mix of memoir, cultural history, and science, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is mandatory reading for the millions of families navigating the world of allergies—and a not-to-be-missed literary treat for the rest of us.
Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”
It may seem that such a person is “not really designed to survive,” as one blunt nutritionist declared while visiting Sandra’s fourth-grade class. But Sandra has not only survived, she’s thrived—now an essayist, editor, and award-winning poet, she has learned to navigate a world in which danger can lurk in an unassuming corn chip. Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is her story.
With candor, wit, and a journalist’s curiosity, Sandra draws on her own experiences while covering the scientific, cultural, and sociological terrain of allergies. She explains exactly what an allergy is, describes surviving a family reunion in heart-of-Texas beef country with her vegetarian sister, delves into how being allergic has affected her romantic relationships, exposes the dark side of Benadryl, explains how parents can work with schools to protect their allergic children, and details how people with allergies should advocate for themselves in a restaurant.
A compelling mix of memoir, cultural history, and science, Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl is mandatory reading for the millions of families navigating the world of allergies—and a not-to-be-missed literary treat for the rest of us.
I loved the last Desert Star play of the year. I haven't bought season tickets yet, but would definitely consider it. Although, I must admit my favorite part was the male actors in their tutus and boxers doing the Nutcracker Suite. That was fabulous.
1 comment:
Glad to see all the updates! Sorry about your arm :( The cake from your dad's birthday is absolutely AMAZING! Oh and congrats on quitting the second job! yay!!
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