My Daughter and Saving the Polar Bears-Click here

My 8 year old daughter is raising funds to adopt a polar bear through the World Wildlife Fund. She is doing this to help save the polar bears. So, I have agreed to give fifity cents from every of my Etsy orders to saving the polar bears. She is also starting a section on my Etsy shop for save the polar bears things she is making. Some of those things should be going up soon. Her goal is $250. So far, just starting she has raised around $3. If anyone can raise the funds, it's her. I am one proud mama.

RA is going and continuing. I am now dealing with hypertension. I start my blood pressure med tonight. I hope it will work. I am taking an upped dosage of prednisone for the chest pain. They think the chest pain is more related to the RA. I hope things get better in this area. Definitely don't want to mess around with my blood pressure. Oh the joys of the never ending medical adventures. ;P

I hope everyone is doing extremely well. May God bless you.

The Fun Shop Is Up and Running (click here to see it)

Anna, my 8 year old daughter, has started crafting. She has recently learned to crochet and has made some little things. She has posted them on my Etsy shop under The Fun Shop section. You can click on the title to see her items. She sure has had fun making them and is making other types of crafts too for her shop. My little entrepreneur. ;) If anyone has special requests for things she might could make, let me know. She is enjoying her little shop.

Here is a pic of Bo, our 9 month old rescue. I am thinking he is part redbone coon hound and lab. Who knows for sure though. He is just cute. Lots of work too. He is completely untrained but, he wants to please. He just loves to be loved. Ok, somehow I ended up with Bo's pic up top. But, there he is. :)

My Little Kitty

I have had my kitty, Grasshopper for about 18 years. She has seen me through so much in my life. I love her so very much. Yesterday, she died. I believe she had a heart attack after being grabbed by our new rescue pup, 9 months old.

We are still keeping Bo, our new guy. He is a sweetheart. He is completely untrained but, he wants to please. We have a long road ahead of us with Bo. He is most certainly worth the effort.

I am, missing Grasshopper so much. Yesterday was my full day of tears. I am a little better today. It just doesn't seem real somehow. I am so thankful to know that God takes care of His critters. I miss you, Grasshopper.

I Finallly Did It! Etsy Here I Come! (click on this title to go to the shop)

Hi and Howdy! I finally opened an Etsy shop. As you know, I have been trying to find ways to help bring in some money to help my family out finanacially. Things are tight and with my little one getting ready to test for her black belt, Tae Kwon Do is getting costly. (Quite worth it) So, my hands have finally eased up on the RA and I have been able to start crocheting again. I heard about Etsy and opened up a shop. So far I have had two sales! I am excited. Every little bit helps. I have met a wonderful lady who has helped me quite a bit with Etsy. Her shop is ttlgdesigns, http://www.etsy.com/shop/ttlgdesigns. She has some really pretty jewelry.

My daughter, 8 years old, has started to learn to crochet. She is making little items to put on her Etsy section. We haven't gotten it on there yet. Hopefully we will tonight. I am thinking of calling it Fun Shop. She is so much fun and her little things are cute. Half of her money will go to Tae Kwon Do, to raise money for testing costs, and the other half is hers to keep. I am so proud of her. She has really been trying to raise money and be apart of all of her Tae Kwon Do experience. She is an awesome little girl. Proud Mommy Moment! ;)

I hope everyone is having an awesome day. May God bless you. :)

Happy 4th of July

Hi and howdy! I hope everyone is having an awesome 4th of July. We are now 234 years old as a country. A big huge thank you to all who have fought, continue to fight, and protect our freedom. I can never thank those who serve in the military enough. May God bless you.

We had a great time at a fair yesterday. We even got to see a tiger cub, Sasha. Look at those big paws! Too cute! My daughter fed the cub and held a huge python. It was great! The fireworks were incredible. We even ended up buying two hermit crabs at the fair. I am such a sucker for critters.

Happy 4th of July!!!!

The REAL First Day of Physical Therapy

OK, so I had my first REAL day of physical therapy last Thursday. Wow!!! They really worked me. They had me doing all sorts of stretching and exercising. I could really tell how out of shape I am. lol I was glad to have my daughter there to entertain me and take my mind off of it a little. By the time I was done, I was all sweaty, red faced, my muscles were shaky (for about an hour after), and my back hurt. However, I made it through. I am just thinking 3 days a week...YIKES! I think I will survive. I do think this will help me in the long run.

Now for the really cool news. My daughter did awesome on her end of grade test. She scored in the 99% for her overall score. Then, she passed her pre-test for black belt on Wednesday night. Last, but not least, she won first place in forms and first in sparring at the Tae Kwon Do tournament today. I am one proud Momma. :D Now, if I could just borrow some of that energy from her, I would be okay. ;)

I hope everyone is doing well. May God bless you.

The Physical Therapy Adventure Has Begun

I went to my first physical therapy appointment on Tuesday. It was much better than I was imagining it would be. My therapist is a very nice young lady. She looked me over and told me that my left hip was out of place, I had posture problems, and muscles issues. I couldn't catch everything she said. I am just too big of a mess to catch it all. lol She did some exercises with me and pushed on my back. Boy did that hurt. Then she gave me some exercises to do at home twice a day. They aren't too bad. In fact, my daughter does them with me. Oh, and the dogs have been having a blast having myself and my daughter on the floor. I get all sorts of doggy kisses to help motivate me along. lol Actually, they have bad breath, time for teeth brushing, and it encourages me to hurry up. ;) My back has been hurting but, I do think this will help. The goal is to get my core stronger to help with my back. Also, to work the muscles around my hip to get it back into the right place. I am scheduled to go three times a week for the next 4 weeks. Then we will re-evaluate to see where we are.

I did miss yesterday's appointment. I had a big time brain toot. I knew my appointment started at 3 PM. However, I arrived at 4 PM and I knew it started at 4 PM. So, I knew it started at 3 and at 4. ????? I don't know how my brain worked that out. Anyway, I missed my appointment. It really started at 3 PM. All I could say was....duh. (so embarrassing) I still don't understand what in the world I was thinking. lol

On a good and wonderfully happy note, my daughter passed her pre-test for her black belt last night. Only the instructor and the students were allowed in the building. That about killed me, not being able to watch. However, she did great, I hear, and she passed. So, she will be testing for her black belt in September. Now, we just have to figure out how in the world we are going to pay for it. The test is $350, the new top is $115, and then there are other expenses too with it all. Yikes. My daughter has decided to help raise money for it. (proud Mommy moment) She has drawn a picture for a friend who paid her for it, watered plants for our neighbor, and washed Grampa's doggies. We will keep on trucking to see what we can do. So, if anyone has any cool ideas on fund raising for something like this, please let me know.

I hope everyone is doing very well. May God bless you.

Infusion Day and Now Physical Therapy

Hi and howdy! I had my second round of the Rituxan infusion today for my rheumatoid arthritis. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to have it. I ended up getting a sinus infection after my last infusion. However, we caught it early, got on a Z-pack antibiotic, and it cleared up just in time. Praising God for that big time. The infusion went well. It did hurt quite a bit, this time, getting the iv in. However, it is all done. I also had my appointment with my rhuematologist while I was there. He is keeping me basically on the same medication plan. The only changes are to try to take Tizanidine, my muscle relaxer, once or twice during the day for chest and back pain. I just hope it doesn't make me sleepy. Also, he has written me a prescription for physical therapy for my back. He is hoping it will help strenghten my back to help with the arthritis back there. This is a whole new thing for me. I have no idea what to expect. First thing first...we have to make sure insurance will cover it. If not, it is a no go. Then I have to find a physical therapist to go to. A new adventure in the medical world. What will happen next.....lol I never get bored around here. lol

On a wonderful change of subject, my daughter took her end of grade test yesterday. So, homeschool is out for the summer. My daughter is absolutely thrilled. I am thrilled that it looks like she did very well on her test. She took the CAT. I will send it off tomorrow for scoring. Of course, I always get a little nervous around end of grade test time. I am usually questioning whether or not I taught her enough. lol I get to be more of a mess than her. Now we need to focus on getter her ready for her pre-test for black belt. That is next Wednesday. She is so excited and so am I.

I hope everyone is having a great night and has a wonderful rest of the week.

May God bless you. :)

Infusion Day!

Yay, it is finally infusion day. I have really been waiting for my Rituxan infusion. My RA has been unfriendly to say the least. Well, I finally got round one. The second one is in 2 weeks. I had the best nurse today. She got my IV in with no problems. I love it when that happens. My veins can be difficult. I absolutely hate it when they have to dig around with that needle. It makes me nauseous. All went very well today. I fell right to sleep and slept through most of it. It was actually pretty nice. I was glad I brought my ear plugs. There was a patient there that snored sooooo loud. Poor lady. I had to ask my nurse if I snored too when I was asleep. Thankfully I didn't. The things I can get embarrassed about. lol I just need to remember my headphones and ipod to listen to. Just in case. hee hee I hope everyone has an awesome day. May God bless you.

Weapons and Money

OK, so the weapons and money have nothing to do with each other. Please don't get any wrong ideas. Nothing illegal going on here. lol :0)

My daughter took her first weapons course, for Tae Kwon Do, yesterday. She is learning how to use the Bo and Cain. Yesterday she received her Bo. It is wonderful to see how serious she is about taking care of it and how serious she is about this course. She bows before picking it up and when she puts it down, even at home. She has made a home for it in our house. If she drops it, she will have to do 50 squat thrusts. I know she would too. Absolutely amazing seeing her with this. Talk about learning responsibility. Wow! Now, if only I could get her to be like this with everything else. ;0) The class went very well and she has already been practicing.

Here is the money part. I am so excited about this too. Not quite as mush as my daughter's new responsibility with the weapon, but pretty excited. I just did a mystery shop for $20! I can't say where but, I can say who I went through for the shop. I found the shop through Market Force. I will be adding Market Force to my updated "Helping Financially", list of survey sites, etc. I will also write a reivew of Market Force on Review Stream and try to post a link to it.

I hope everyone is doing well. May God bless you and have a great day.

Busy Busy Busy

Hi and howdy! I am so excited. My daughter, 8, found out that she is going to be able to pre-test for her black belt in June. She is so excited. So are her dad and I. Which means that she should be testing for her black belt in September. OK, yes I am one proud Mamma. She is also starting her weapons class on Saturday. She will have to pass her weapons test, in a few months, before she tests for her black belt. So, we have lots to work on. Notice I said we. I get to be her guinea pig with practice. Not only that, we have to figure out how in the world to pay for all this. lol I am so proud of my lil one. She has decided to raise money for her testing. She is really taking part in all aspects of her Tae Kwon Do. She will do chores, draw pictures, etc. She already has one order for a picture. Last time she did this, for her weapon's course fee, she raised $30! She did awesome!

Now, besides the great things with Tae Kwon Do, we are scrambling around to get her ready for her End of Grade Test. I homeschool her, and we are in "get-it-done" mode. Which, trying to get your child to really buckle down and focus on school can be quite the challenge. She really is doing well.

I am feeling like so many things are going on but, God is awesome. He has really helped me with all the illnesses. I started a new med that is giving me energy and really helping with the pain. Just in time too. Praising God. His timing is awesome!

I will post a link to Lyrica (my new med), and other medicines once I can get all the links together from Review Stream. By the way, I have gotten $2.50/each for 2 medicine reviews I did recently. So, if you are taking medicines, write some reviews. At least you will be able to get a little back for all that we pay for meds. Take care and may God bless you. :)

*NEW* On Line Surveys Updated with Links

I have added some new survey and mystery shopper sites. Also, I finally figured out how to do some links. So, hopefully that will make it a little easier for anyone who wants to check out a site. I also changed my pay date to start in April. Since, that is really when I started getting back into surveys on a more regular basis. My older dates are on my first "Helping Financially" page if you want to see those.

Remember, never pay a survey site. They pay you.

Review Stream
http://www.reviewstream.com/?inv=l5PSFIxhWxyS
Link

Review Stream is not a survey site, but I made some money here just reviewing my medications. I have reviewed other things as well. However, my meds earned me $2 a review. So, I was able to make the $50 payout fairly quickly. This is a good way to get a little back for all the money I pay for all the medicines I have taken and currently take. You can review anything you like on Review Stream. Their rates do change. Right now, their highest rate is $2.50. Most things I have reviewed, besides medicines, don't earn a high rate. I have gotten 40 to 50 cents per review. However, it can add up. You do have to earn $50 before you can cash out. You can earn money with referrals, if others vote your review helpful, and if you answer any questions others have asked about your review. If you do join feel free to use my link above. Don't forget to get a link from Review Stream to give to others. Like I said, every little bit helps.

Since I have reviewed some survey sites on Review Stream, I will put a link to those reviews. I will try to update this list to add anything new I might find.

Survey Sites

*NEW* PCH Online Surveys
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.pchonlinesurveys.com
4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $17.80 (cash out is at $10)

*NEW*Surveyhead
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.surveyhead.com/
4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $41.45 (cash out is at $25)

Synovate Global Opinion Panels
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.globalopinionpanels.com/home
4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $6.45 (cash out is at $10) (total since 1/23/2008 $76.88)

Valued Opinions
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://http://www.valuedopinions.com/index.php?id=24
4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $12 (total since 2/2008 $50)
Review:http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=106968Link

Global Test Market
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.globaltestmarket.com/

1/2008 - 5/2010 $50 (I cashed out the min $50 in May 2010)

Inbox Dollars
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.inboxdollars.com/members/

Total as of 5/26/2010 $21.77 I have cashed out once for $30 (after charges around $27) I don’t do many things here except surveys and paid emails. I have added their tool bar, today, for $.50 and you can earn up to $.05 cents a day for searches at $.01 a search.
Review: http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=106964 Link

QuickRewards.net one of my favorites
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www2.quickrewards.net/?r=!F94VXV35D5965

4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $41.20 (no min. cash out - super cool - made $192.95 since 2/2008)
Review: http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=33205
Link

Light Speed Panel
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://us.lightspeedpanel.com/US/public/index.us

4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $0 ( I have made a total of $125 since 2/2008)
Review:http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=34781
Link

American Consumer Opinion Panel
Link
Or copy and paste:
http://www.acop.com/

4/2010 - 5/26/2010 $5 ($27 since 7/2009)


*NEW*Mystery Shop Sites

*NEW*Market Force
Link
Or copy and paste:
https://www.marketforceshopper.com/XP2/

Woo hoo Survey $

I am just so excited. Last night I finally made enough to cash out with Global Test Market. $50!!! It took a long time, but it feels great now. Now we will see how long it takes to get the money. I also have done enough surveys to reach a $25 pay out on one survey site that I don't have listed yet. I will try to re-post an updated Survey page soon. I want to make sure the new sites, I have tried, actually pay first. I hope everyone is having a great day.

My First Yard Sale

I had my very first yard sale yesterday. It turned out to be a lot of fun. It was a community yard sale. Not only did we sell clothes, etc, but we also had some fun things too. My daughter called it "Fun Sale". She had a lemon aide stand. She has always wanted to have a lemon aide stand. She did awesome! She made $17.75. I couldn't believe how well she did. Aside from lemon aide, we sold bottles of water too. I did some face painting and temporary tattoos for the kids. I think next time we will advertise on Craig's List. Someone, had that gem of an idea, from one of the forums I am on. We didn't have enough time to do it for this yard sale. I am thinking I may even have some crafts too. We made a good little bit of money. Going straight into the bank account to pay bills. Oh what joy. lol Actually, I am very grateful and blessed to have made any money to help with our bills. God is great!

Now, let's talk about the night before the yard sale. Can we say, OUCH! It took quite a lot of work to get everything together for the yard sale. This has just been such a busy busy month. By the time we were nearing the end of preparation, I barely could move my neck and back. Wow, did they hurt! RA definitely is not making things easy. Thankfully I get my Rituxan infusion on the 26th. Wheeww, I am ready. I better go now, and act like I am being productive around this house. lol I hope everyone is having a great day. :)

Weather Change Pain

We have an absolutely beautiful day today. It is nice and sunny and very cool. We did have a small rain shower earlier. Yesterday was hot. I really like how cool today has gotten. My RA seems to be throwing a party about it too. I just wish I wasn't invited to that party. Ouchie Ouchie. My joints and muscles are hurting like crazy. It certainly would be nice to go out and enjoy this cool weather and kick the ball around with my daughter. I used to always think it was just an old saying when people would talk about how they could feel the weather change in their bones. Boy, was I naive. lol Now I know, first hand, the weather definitely effects rheumatoid arthritis. At least I can sit out and enjoy this weather.

On another note, or nerve, I tried neurontin for the nerve damage caused by my doggy. That did not go so well for me. So, I am going to try Lyrica tonight. Hopefully it will work much better.

I am trying out a few more survey sites. Once I reach a payout, and get paid, I will add them to an updated list of the survey sites. So far, they look promising.

My Dog Got on My Nerves!!!

About a month ago my cute and fuzzy dog and I were playing. While we were playing his tooth hit the inside of my wrist. It wasn't even a bite. He just ran into my wrist with his tooth. Silly dog. Anyway, there was immediate pain on the top of my hand and up to my fingers. Wow, did it hurt. It was like it was on fire. Well, it kept hurting for the month, off and on. If I moved my hand a certain way, a zing or electric shock kind of feel shot up through my hand to my fingers. I finally went to the doctor and found out that my cute fuzzy doggy had caused nerve damage. Thus the title, My Dog Got on My Nerves. Cheesy I know, but it had to be done. lol I am on medication for it, not the cheesy part but the nerve damage. Boy does it make me feel weird and dizzy. I will call the doctor and see about the other medication she mentioned to me. I am on neurontin, but I think I will try the Lyrica. I have heard much better things about the Lyrica. Well, that is my story. :)

Quick Little Update

I jut wanted to pop in and give a quick update. I am hoping to get a list of medications I have tried and the links to the reviews together soon. In the mean time I am just anxiously awaiting my next Rituxan infusion. I have them done 2 times every 6 months. However, it starts wearing off at month 4. The RA has come back hard this time around. The doctor says we could have the infusion every 4 months, would be nice. However, insurance may not cover it and it would cost more. Maybe I could do like a million surveys to cover the cost. lol The doctor has me increase my prednisone for a short while. I hope that will help the pain die down. I start that tomorrow. As anyone with RA and fibromyalgia knows, the increased pain causes less sleep. And less sleep causes more pain. Go figure. The cycle we seem to find ourselves in. However, I will keep my chin up, as long as RA will let me. lol Until next time.... :)

Helping Financially - Surveys!! (New Updated Page is posted on 5/26/10)

As of late, things have been financially tight around here. I know many are dealing with the same. Sometimes I wish I could do more to help financially. I know having chronic illnesses can make it hard to even get hired for a job outside the home. I knew I had to do something to help. My daughter's Tae Kwon Do expenses recently increased, cars need fixing, house needs repairs, school supplies need to be bought, etc. The list can go on and on. A few years ago I had started taking surveys online. I made a little bit and then got tired of doing them and quit for awhile (a long while). However, recent expenses really has got me back into answering all those questions. I don't earn a fortune, but every bit helps. In the last month, I have been able to earn a little over $100. It can be done. Finding the right survey sites can be hard too. Some out there are scams. So, I have put together a little list of sites that I have found that actually pay. Remember, never pay a survey site. They pay you.

Review Stream
http://www.reviewstream.com/?inv=l5PSFIxhWxyS

Link



Review Stream is not a survey site, but I made some money here just reviewing my medications. I have reviewed other things as well. However, my meds earned me $2 a review. So, I was able to make the $50 payout fairly quickly. This is a good way to get a little back for all the money I pay for all the medicines I have taken and currently take. You can review anything you like on Review Stream. Their rates do change. Right now, their highest rate is $2.50. Most things I have reviewed, besides medicines, don't earn a high rate. I have gotten 40 to 50 cents per review. However, it can add up. You do have to earn $50 before you can cash out. You can earn money with referrals, if others vote your review helpful, and if you answer any questions others have asked about your review. If you do join feel free to use my link above. Don't forget to get a link from Review Stream to give to others. Like I said, every little bit helps.

Since I have reviewed some survey sites on Review Stream, I will put a link to those reviews. I will try to update this list to add anything new I might find.

Survey Sites ( I have included how much I have made. Just remember I took a long long break in doing surveys.)

Valued Opinions
http://www.valuedopinions.com/index.php?id=24

2/2008 - 4/2010 received $40

Synovate Global Opinion Panels
https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/home

1/2008 - 4/2010 redeemed $70

Opionion OutPost
http://OpinionOutpost.com/join/6001928
Copy and Paste

7/2008 - 4/2010 redeemed about $60

Global Test Market
http://www.globaltestmarket.com/

1/2008 - 4/2010 I haven’t cashed out yet, but I am close. I have about $40, need $50 to redeem

Inbox Dollars
http://www.inboxdollars.com/members/

5/2008 $27.42 I am close to next payout, ($30 - to redeem). I don’t do many things here except surveys and paid emails.

QuickRewards.net one of my favorites
http://www2.quickrewards.net/?r=!F94VXV35D5965

2/2008 - 4/14/2010 $169.50 (March/4/14/10 - $50.50)
Review: http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=33205

Lightspeed Consumer Panel
http://us.lightspeedpanel.com/US/public/index.us

2/2008 - 3/2010 $115
Review: http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=34781

American Consumer Opinion
http://www.acop.com/

7/2009 - 4/2010 $27

Let Me Explain

Hi, my name is Melinda. I am a stay-at-home homeschooling mom. I have rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, dry eye syndrome, etc. One particular Wednesday night, I had a bit of a cold. My husband and I took our then 5 year old daughter to Wednesday night church. After class was over we went to pick her up. There were several adults who came up to me and, with much concern, asked if I was OK and they hoped I would get better. I was totally lost. I had no idea why they would say these things to me. Later, in the van, I asked my little one how class was. She informed me that she asked for prayer for me. I thought that was so sweet and then I found out what she really said. Apparently, while in her class, the teacher asked the children if they had any prayer requests. My precious little one raised her hand and said, "Please pray for my mom. She has diseases".

Well, there you have it. The reason behind my blog's name. I have created this blog to share my experiences living with chronic illness, diseases lol. I know, whether you are the one who has a chronic illness or are living with someone who has one, it is never easy. I hope my sharing can be of some help and encouragement to others.