Pyretta Blaze

Barometric pressure increasing swiftly like today always hit me hard (drops usually just are intense pain barreling down on my joints and long bones). My POTS will have my heart acting like Jackie Chan while in my brain I will hear a familiar song playing… “Hello darkness my old friend, I think I stood up too fast again.” My vision will become tunneled, and weakness of my muscles will set in.

My hands and arms might experience bilateral paraesthesia, I could experience high heart rate and increased blood pressure, and kaleidoscope vision. I might get super trembly in my arms and hands, and have my hands respond into claw shape as if I am very dehydrated when I am not.

So since I need to go visit my elderly friend in hospice tonight, I’m starting my spoonie plan of action now. First, I’m increasing my water intake and taking an extra Liquid IV (in the summer months when I’m sweaty I will alternate from Liquid IV to LMNT for the additional sodium).

Then, I am preparing dinner extra early to cook because there is no way I could cut and peel potatoes with my hands doing the claw shape shakes with numbness…well, I COULD, but I’m the only medic in the house. 🤪 Mashed potatoes and meatloaf are very simple to prep and let cook without needing much during or post cooking work (my husband and daughter will happily mash the potatoes for me).

Barometric pressure alerts should be an option much like “severe weather alerts” are on smart phones. So many people are impacted by swift shifts in barometric pressure that a warning would be nice. Today my alert was the insane wind beating against my house. I was able to check the barometric pressure on my phone, and see that I need to make a revision to today’s plans so that I can continue on with my plans of feeding my family a home cooked meal and visiting with our elderly friend in hospice.

Wellness is not always about your body’s current state. Sometimes, it is preparing those backup plans to maintain the best state while your body’s wellness wanes temporarily. It would be worse without preparation to minimize the fallout. It’s all about being spoonie savvy!

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Watching Home Alone while visiting with my elderly friend in hospice. He’s never seen it before, so it is nice to see him enjoying some Christmas movies.

Visits, enjoying time together, ministering to him, etc is a huge part of supporting and caring for someone in hospice. It is in these moments when they lower their walls and speak up about ailments or pain. Then, these concerns can be addressed with care providers and facility staff to help your loved one receive the care they need and deserve. This means daily visits, not quick weekly check-ins. Your loved ones still need you, and now is not the time to be a time miser. When your loved one is gone, will you have spent your time well to help them and to make new memories?

With my friend, the answer will be “Yes!” Because I know this is one of the best ways to get the information to advocate for him, to keep him company, and for us to make the best of his remaining time until the Lord calls him home.

I wouldn’t spend my Christmas Eve another way, because I am serving my friend in the most important way possible - with pure love. I just get the extra benefit of showing him some great Christmas movies that he hasn’t seen before. It warms my heart to help him feel the Christmas spirit even though he is in hospice care. It’s a privilege to love someone like this. I wish everyone here had loved ones visiting with them daily; I know it isn’t always easy, but love is the greatest thing a person can do. So if it has been a while since you were with a loved one in a nursing home or hospice care, give them your love in person; it means more than you may ever know. You won’t regret the time spent together, but you could regret the time apart. Why have regrets when you can have love?

Isn’t that what Christmas is about? A love so perfect, so immeasurable, so freely shared to all who believe…how can anyone not share their love with loved ones? Wasn’t the greatest commandment Jesus gave was for us to love? So love and serve your loved ones, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year!

8yr ago we lost legendary stand-up comedian, Ralphie May. I was fortunate enough to interview him. I wanted to ask questions that interviewers never ask, and he did not know the questions in advance. He was so incredibly kind to all his fans, as was his wife, Lahna.

Today, honor the life of Ralphie May by drinking some Cuban coffee and watching one of his specials. You can also read his book, This May Get a Little Heavy (available on Amazon if you would like to support his family). Thanks for the laughs, Ralphie.

My interview with Ralphie will be linked in the comments.

My family is devastated. Cinnamon Girl was breathing and acting weird this morning, so we took her to the vet. After they did an x-ray of her lungs she was more weird. So, they gave her oxygen and she passed away unexpectedly in their hands.

RIP Cinnamon Girl - thank you for 13 years of happiness.