Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Life keeps knocking me for a loop

We made no progress on our debt this past month...in fact we went a little backwards. Hopefully it will be for the last time, since I think beloved has finally got the travel money thing taken care of. His credit card debt increased because he used it for travel but didn't pay it back. Now he has taken the reimbursement for his travel out as cash and will use that for his next trip, and I will slowly chip away at that balance increase. I hope he can remember to keep taking out the cash as it comes in.

On the home front, we had several expenses come due that we did not have the cash to pay for, so had to use the old plastic. It is discouraging, but again, hopefully will not happen again. Our daughters attended TeenPact and had a wonderful time. It was totally worth the expense, but the $500 tuition came off the credit card, not out of the bank. My girls were already scheduled for this before we made the decision to accelerate debt payment, so I was not going to take that away from them. The other expenses were also "from before." I think we may be past the hump for those types of things. We'll see.

There are other problems that are costing me money right now. Namely that my migraine headaches have increased in frequency to the point that they are greatly interfering with my life. The prescription medication I use, Imitrex, also seems to be losing its effectiveness. I cannot tell you how discouraged I feel today. I seem to have been blessed with a body that just does not work right. I know....."God don't make junk"......but I seem to have gotten junked up after birth for sure.

For as long as I can remember, I have had health problems. Headaches, stomach problems, body aches, fatigue. I can remember having such severe headaches as a tiny child. Most doctors told my parents I had a nervous disposition. Thanks a lot! At the age of 35 I found out I was intolerant of gluten. Following a wheat free diet has helped greatly, but sometimes I wonder if I am too damaged to ever get completely better. I have worked so hard to overcome so many health problems...I eat a healthy diet 98% of the time...and just when I think I am making headway, some new thing comes along. Kinda like with our debt!

The newest problem is migraines related to my....ahem...advanced age and hormone fluctuations. I have had four fairly severe migraines in just the past week. That is the most yet and I cannot function as a wife and mom at that level. My medication didn't seem to make much of a difference either, another discouragement.

So I am off on another quest to improve my health beyond what diet and exercise seem to be able to accomplish. Just in the last three days I have spent nearly $300 on supplements and hormone creams. If this works, I have to keep buying the stuff at least for a few years, and insurance does not cover supplements. If it doesn't work, I will need to seek the help of a practitioner like a naturopath or chiropractor, again not covered by insurance.

My health problems have put a burden on our finances for most of our marriage. It is so discouraging. I wish I knew a permanent answer.

5 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear of your $ problems.

    Maybe I can offer some advice on the headaches. I, too suffered from many of the things you mentioned. Long story short, I found that when I regulate my body pH, the fatigue is better, the whole body is better. Google acid/alkaline foods for help. My fatigue was also due to a milk allergy. Did you know that corn allergy can make you have headaches and arthritis among many other symptoms? My migraines were also due to an iron deficiency brought on by unknown celiac disease. I took an iron, B12, & vitamin C supplement for several years. I have not had a headache in years since doing these things.

    Hope this can save you some time & $.

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  2. Since we are spirit/soul/body, none of our parts are completely isolated. So I'd venture to suggest that your physical ailments may be improved as you look to the condition of other areas of your life. Mental health/stresses obviously greatly influence how we feel day to day. But our spiritual life also manifests itself in our body. Having a positive mindset inspite of our present hardships can definitely take us a long ways to fullness in life.

    Just a few thoughts that are helping me deal with my own situation.

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  3. Hi there! I haven't read through every post on your blog (so I don't know if you've tried these or not), but something that has really helped me was exercise at least 3 times per week-enough that I sweat and my heart rate is up and also meditation. Even 10 minutes a day can make a big difference in headaches. Take care!

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  4. Hi there, just saw your post on aboverubies and thought I would check out your blog! We have been working hard at paying off debt for over 4 years (growing family VERY small income), so I was encouraged to see your family working at it too!
    I'm sure you have looked into this, but just if you haven't: I had similar problems all my life and my thyroid was the problem. Some doctors will even take tests, but they can be off...a good rule of thumb, is if you take your basal temprature (in your arm pit before you sit up and get out of bed in the morning) and it is below 97.8 consistantly, it could be a sign that you have a problem...check it out!
    I hope you continue to do great with paying off debt...and don't feel bad if it takes over your goal of a year...we have found that something always comes up and it has taken us longer than expected. The journey is the great part...try and enjoy it!
    Blessings,
    Tarena
    laughingfamily.blogspot.com

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  5. Good luck with paying off your debt. It sounds like things are going pretty well overall. I saw your blog on $5 dinners and noticed that you were another person cooking gluten-free.

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