The Art of Self Care

I was back on the ward for nine days at the beginning of May.  We decided to attempt a massive drug change to a drug that I need to be closely monitored on.  It would entail weekly blood work and if I got the green light, I would be given that week's prescription.  I only lasted on the new drug for about two weeks.  It just kicked me in the butt so hard.  It knocked me out at night (which is what it was supposed to do) but the hang over effect the next day was just too much to handle.  I was dragging my arse everywhere and felt like I was in a complete fog.  So for now, I'm on Prozac, clonazepam, and my bi-weekly injection (clopixol).  We cut out my seroquel which was a bedtime med.  Instead, I've been taking melatonin (a natural supplement).  I've also started taking L-Theanine which is an amino acid that acts as a mood enhancer.

After coming off the ward, I got the flu.  Not the stomach flu (thankfully), just your run-of-the-mill aches and pains, fever, cough and chills.  Follow my sickness by Mike getting sick.  Then follow that with Katelyn and Andrew both getting sick.  It was nothing but fun fun fun up in this house for a solid two weeks.  Poor Miss K threw up (luckily only the once).  You feel so horrible for your kids when they are sick - you want to take it all away for them.  Andrew ended up with tonsillitis and Katelyn with pharyngitis (fancy word for throat infection).  There were several days of just lazing around in nothing but pjs and diapers, with cool cloths covering clammy foreheads.  Not fun.

Fast forward to last week.  I recently became FB friends with an old friend from work.  I discovered she sells Younique (a home based make up business that I would post the link to if it was working but it's not so I can't).  They were having a promotion and I was trying to decide between treating myself to some fun new make up or getting a Garth Brooks ticket for one and going to his concert (I was at his last concert 20 years ago and it was a blast!).  The make up won out.  Charitie (my new old friend) came over and showed me how to use the face care regimen.  I WILL be buying their skin care line (I just don't have the money yet).  Charitie then proceeded to do my make up using my new make up.  She added in some contouring with her own make up and I was blown away with the flawlessness of it all! There was a bounce in my step while I was grocery shopping at Wally World later that day!

Because I can't quite afford Younique's skin care line yet, I picked up some Nivea face wash, toner and moisturizer.  I've never really had a face care regimen.  I wash my face in the shower but that's about it.  If I don't shower that day, my face doesn't get washed.  Which isn't all that horrible considering I didn't really wear foundation.  But is still kind of gross if you think about all the oils all your face in a day.  Anyways, that's all in the past.  For the last three days, morning and night, I've been taking ten minutes for just me and washing my face, toning and moisturizing.  In the morning, I take another five minutes and put on my new liquid foundation and concealer (after I put my primer on, of course!).  The mood that this puts me in has been incredible!  I was up and out the door by nine a.m. this morning WITH my full make up done!  I had jeans and a nice top on (no leggings and sweatshirt this morning!), a necklace AND dangly earrings!  I was just going grocery shopping and to the dentist, but I felt extra oomph and confidence!

I'm already looking forward to washing everything off tonight just so I can do it all again tomorrow.  It's amazing what taking ten minutes for JUST ME has done for my mood and my confidence.  Such a drastic turn around compared to how I was feeling a month ago!  Now let's see if I can actually blog a little more often! Yayyyy!

And so it goes...