It’s been almost three weeks since my last post and I have to say I have missed you all dearly. One of my very favorite things to do is connect with you, my readers. I know without a doubt that I wouldn’t be where I am had it not been for you and I thoroughly dislike how little time I have to blog nowadays. Rest assured, I will blog as often as I’m able to and I’m hoping to share some fun projects in the next few weeks.
Before I get into today’s post, I have to say a giant thank you (again) to everyone who helped make the first year of the Pretty Pink Posh Shop so successful. I still cannot even believe all that has happened these last 13 months. Not only that, but you made last month the highest trafficked month here on the blog in the 6.5 years I’ve been blogging. These are the types of numbers I had always dreamed of and to see them come to life was a dream come true.
With the birthday celebration last month, along with the fact that I was out of town for a wedding, things were a tad bit crazy. My days were literally just sleeping, eating and working for a good 2.5 weeks straight. I’m finally caught up on orders and now I’m working on some assignments that got put on hold. With that being said, I DID force myself to take a Creative Day recently and I got some cards made for some things coming up. Another BIG milestone? I took TWO consecutive days off this weekend, something that I don’t remember doing since I opened the shop. I felt so guilty going to a birthday party and watching tv, without working, but I did it and it was utter bliss.
With the amount of time it took to get caught up on emails, orders and designing, I decided against a February release. However, I will have one on March 1st that has some new dies and sequins/ mixes. I also have a couple other things up my sleeves that many have been requesting… any guesses what that might be?
Before I close this, if you are on Facebook, be sure to like the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page. I post there almost everyday- whether it be cards featuring PPP, products that have caught my eye, or little snapshots into my life. We’re closing in on 5000 followers there, so once we hit that big number, I’m thinking a giveaway will naturally have to happen. It only makes sense, right?!
For those new to my blog, this is an update from my car accident post HERE. The other updates can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE , HERE and HERE.
Today I’m taking a break from all things crafty here on the blog and giving a long overdue health update. I’ve been receiving several emails asking how I’m coping and how things are on the health front, so I figured it was time to update you all with a post.
It’s been 603 days since that dreaded day….the day I was in my car accident and my life drastically changed. Gone are the days of me being a normal twenty-something year old and now I’m facing a time in my life where each day is uncertain if I’ll feel good or not. Some may be questioning if I have been to the doctor to see why things are still unknown. The answer is YES. I’ve gone to so many doctors, I can’t even remember the number anymore. Have I had tests done? YES. Again, the number of tests, blood work, etc., that has been done is beyond my recollection. How do I feel about all of this? In a word: FRUSTRATED.
Many of you see me as upbeat, happy and having a cheery deposition. While I would like to keep that impression alive, I would be lying if I said I didn’t get discouraged that I haven’t been able to lead a normal life since the accident. Going from being the girl who had at least 4-5 things going on weekly, on top of work, to having absolutely nothing on the calendar and working when I can, my life has made a 180 degree turn.
With a drastic change in life, I found myself in a deep, dark depression that I couldn’t seem to get out of. I can’t even begin to tell you how many days I had where I wondered why God let me make it through the accident. While the days of severe (and almost unbearable) pain are gone, I’m still reminded that my life isn’t what it used to be. Rarely am I able to drive further than a few miles from my house, standing in grocery stores for longer than 10 minutes is almost impossible and going to movies isn’t something I’m able to do anymore (Did you know it’s possible for your senses to get enhanced after something traumatic? I didn’t, until now either).
With so many dark, dark days and very few answers, I felt worthless. defeated and angry. I know for certain that during those days, MANY family members, friends and maybe even some blog readers were praying for me. One day, I wasn’t so discouraged and while it may have helped that I had some coffee in me, I know that God just wrapped His arms around me. I felt joy- something I hadn’t felt in ages. I also felt like I needed to DO something with myself.
Enter in the Pretty Pink Posh Shop…. One day in October 2013, I thought maybe I should pursue my dream of opening my own business. If only you could hear the inner battles I had in this brain of mine. The practical side of me was thinking this was a horrible idea (since many days I was still in bed), but then the crazy, spontaneous side of me said I should just give it a whirl. I did some research on what it would take to become a business and from there things snowballed into a launch.
So now that I actually have my business, how are things going on the health front? Well, I still have to take things day by day. Some days I feel unstoppable and almost feel like I have my old energy levels back. Then there are other days when I feel pretty crummy, bound to my bed and am reminded that I am still facing health issues and need to not push myself so hard.
What have I found to be true in all of this? My story is far from over. God has amazed me in how a tragic situation could turn into something beautiful. The people I have been able to reach out to, help and correspond with because of my story is beyond amazing. I have been able to relate with people with chronic pain, physical issues and other situations that I wouldn’t have been able to had I not been in this accident. Since I had to slow down and was home bound, this prompted the start of my business. Goodness knows I was far too busy before the accident to even think about this possibility. It’s also been neat to see how my business has been able to touch others and also inspired people in many different ways. Something HORRIBLE turned into something GOOD!
Speaking of good….I recently was interviewed for a crafting podcast and was able to share some of this story there. I also share some other tidbits of info- I’d love for you to listen in as I do a mini interview with Renee! Well, that’s going to do it for this update post. I want to give say a GIANT thank you to those who continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers, the lovely readers and customers who send cards and gifts and those of you who check in on me. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for you all. I’m so very thankful for YOU, my wonderful readers and blog friends.
I’ve been contemplating on whether to do this post for a little while now. For those who don’t know, I was in a car accident back in August that changed my life. {post here} I’ve come out of it a different person and it is reflected in my posts, my outlook on life, just to name a few things. Since then, I’ve posted a few snippets of updated info and then I did a health update {post here} back in November. I haven’t done another real post about it since, mostly because there hadn’t been any major changes and big steps forward.
In the past week, I’ve had a lot of people ask me via email, Twitter and text if things have changed recently. As of this very moment, yes, there have been changes! Actually, a lot of progress has been made in the past week or so. *insert squealing and happy dancing all around*
A few months back, while I was going to the chiropractor/ naturopath, he randomly suggested that I might want to change some of my eating habits, to see if that would help with the severe back pain. We quickly learned that I had digestive issues and my body no longer could handle any sort of MSG products. Uh, for those of you who don’t know, that’s in a LOT of things, especially Asian foods. Oh, and don’t just look for the label to say MSG, it’s disguised under a LOT of names. Lots of research, cutting out of just about every place I used to eat and no longer consuming my favorite “go-to” items, I could tell a difference, but I still wasn’t feeling that great. Time for more experimenting….
Another visit to the doctor and he suggested cutting out all grains {not just wheat items} and processed sugars. I won’t lie, I cried when he said this. My life pretty much revolved around breads, rice, and any sort of sugary drink or treat, how was this going to work?! Honestly, I was in so much pain, I knew I had to at least try this for a little bit. One week in, no changes. Two weeks in, a slight improvement. One month in, I could tell something was changing.
Now the question: what was causing my back to be in pain {after the accident}? Sugar, grains or both? After carefully planning out a day where I could afford to be sick, I ate a couple of Wheat Thins. Just a few triggered something, but then I realized it was dumb because it had both wheat and sugar in it! Another go at something with grains and I learned that was the thing that was inflaming my back. After introducing sugars into my system again, it seems to be okay and doesn’t trigger any major pain.
So……I’ve had to completely cut out all grains, MSG products, all nuts {since my body doesn’t seem to digest oils very well} and this seems to keep my pain level at bay. Granted, it’s not gone completely, but I’m SO grateful for this improvement.
Now the question that I get asked a lot, “Are you back to driving?”
Up until literally six days ago, I was only driving 10-15 minutes away from my house alone. Anything further and I would get panic attacks and flashbacks. I had a few failed attempts at driving further, which resulted in a mental/ emotional breakdown. Why couldn’t I get past this? It had been over seven months since the accident, surely I should be “over it” by now. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t seem to shake the fear and anxiety.
Thanks to the suggestion of one particular reader, I looked into talking to someone about my anxiety. I know many would try to hide the fact that they are seeking a counselor, but honestly, this person has helped me so much. Not only have I been able to talk through my fears, she’s been able to show me that some of the things I’m allowing myself to believe are completely untrue. I’ve had two visits with her {I have a third one today} and I can tell I’ve started to change the way I’m thinking of the accident and various situations surrounding it.
So I still haven’t answered if I’m driving alone yet. Well, the last couple of days, I’ve been able to drive 40 minutes away BY MYSELF! This feeling is even greater than when I first got my license! Do I still get nervous? Absolutely. However, as I’m doing it more, I’m getting a little more comfortable and hopefully, I’ll be driving everywhere by myself again!
What happens from here?
Well, we still haven’t figured out how to get the pain to go away completely, so hopefully down the road, that answer will reveal itself. I’m not able to stand for longer than 5-10 minutes at a time without pain shooting up and getting nauseated, which is still a mystery. I’ll still have to continue to eat the way I do, since my body literally won’t allow me to go back without major effects. I’m hoping and praying that as time goes on, I’ll be more comfortable driving and won’t need to have help with transportation anywhere.
Thank you from the very bottom of my heart to those who have checked in on me, sent me cards or gifts to encourage me, or somehow contacted me during this time. My blog has almost been a lifeline, since I wasn’t able to go many places for a long, long time. Your comments, words of encouragement and prayers have {and still do} mean so very much.
Whew! I know this was a super long post and I probably lost a lot of you along the way. However, for those who have been wondering or asking, I hoped this cleared up any questions. If there are any more improvements, or changes, I’ll let you all know! :)
Before I start on my post, thank you from the very bottom of my heart to those who have mailed cards, sent emails or tweets, called or sent a text, or left comments here. I wish I could tell you how much these things mean to me. Since I’m not able to do a lot, it’s these interactions that make me feel like I’m still part of the human race.
It’s been twelve weeks since the accident {story here}. I’ve posted little updates, but I thought I would post everything up-to-date here. Please know I’m not posting this to have a pity party, or try to get sympathy…..I’ve had numerous people ask for an update, so I figured a post would be the best way.
After the accident I was sore and really tired, but it didn’t appear like there was much physical damage. About a week later, everything set in and I was really sore and in a lot of pain. I couldn’t move my neck at all {literally} and my left shoulder was practically to my chin since things were out of place. After a couple weeks of 6x a week of chiropractor appointments and massage therapy, I was able to start moving a little more than before. Driving was something far from my mind since I was still suffering from dizziness and nausea, not to mention major anxiety over driving since I was having flashbacks.
About a month after the accident, I started to feel even better so I started driving and life was semi-normal. Granted, I was still suffering from migraines, some nausea, soreness and dizziness, but it was bearable enough to start working more hours and get back to some of my old activities. I wish I could tell you how excited I was when I was able to drive to church by myself. MAJOR rejoicing.
While I was still rejoicing over feeling more normal, I had a set-back….a major one. I was driving home from work and then I felt super dizzy, nauseous, my vision started to blur and I couldn’t think straight. I pulled off to the side of the road and called my parents to pick me up. It was so discouraging and I felt completely deflated. Was hoping it was just a one day fluke and I would be back to normal…..sadly, that wasn’t the case.
It’s been about six weeks since I last drove and I’m still suffering from periodic nausea/ dizziness/ blurred vision, migraines, not being able to fully concentrate or retain memories and a lot of back pain. Sadly, my body hasn’t really been able to heal properly since I’m not able to sleep longer than a couple hours before waking up. The feeling of being so tired and not being able to sleep= frustrating.
We are still trying to figure out WHY I passed out in the first place. We thought it could have been an allergic reaction, but after an extensive allergy test, it didn’t turn out to be that. I had three MRIs, an EKG, two blood panel tests, a test for my nerves and those didn’t bring any answers either. One doctor suggested something I might have, but this isn’t a definite answer. Still doing some research and getting other opinions.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with a doctor who came highly recommended. I’m optimistic since I’ve heard great things– praying we can get some answers. Even if some of the ailments go away, that would be amazing. It’s all of them together that make day-to-day life rough.
That’s the short version of the story. You all are the best blog followers a girl could ever ask for. Again, thank you to those who have checked in on me and been keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. It means so much. If anything changes, you can be sure I’ll give you an update! :)
There are some things you never want to be involved in. One of them: being in a car accident. The story I have for you may sound crazy or unbelievable, but I promise it’s the truth.
On Thursday, I had my full work day. It was a good day and I was so excited to start my weekend off afterwards with a trip to Target, my favorite store. I was making my way there and started to not feel very good, so I headed in the direction of home. I was feeling clammy, nauseous and dizzy on the drive home and was planning to pull off into a driveway to rest. As I was praying to get parked safely, the next thing I know I can’t see anymore and I’m waking up to a stranger talking to me. “Are you okay? Do you know where you are?- those were the first things I heard when I gained consciousness. After coming to, I learned I had passed out while driving. There was someone talking to the 911 dispatcher, people peering out of their apartments and many people gathering around my car.
Many moments later, the paramedics came and started taking vitals and information. Shortly after, a police officer came and got details and started assessing the damage. The miracle? I had crossed FOUR lanes of traffic (crossing the street with oncoming traffic coming towards me), jumped the curb, narrowly missed a tree and hit two parked cars. On top of that, this is one of the busiest streets in the city I was in and there are practically always pedestrians walking on the sidewalks. It’s a miracle that I didn’t get hit by an oncoming car, didn’t hit any walking pedestrians or hit the tree. Everyone around kept stating that they didn’t know how there wasn’t more damage.
It’s another miracle that I didn’t get more injured. In all reality I shouldn’t still be alive. I know for a fact that angels were watching over me. I went to the doctor on Friday and thus far, there isn’t any signs of lasting injuries. I’m SUPER sore, exhausted, dizzy and nauseous, but I know it could be so much worse. I think the fact that I wasn’t conscious helped since I wasn’t able to tense up beforehand. Also, I was wearing a seat belt so I didn’t fly out the window.
I never wanted to be in an accident- after nine years of driving, I haven’t ever been in an accident while I was the driver. Yes, all of this is a hassle, the pain is almost unbearable today and it’s not cool that my car has to be in the shop. However, I’m blessed to be alive. I’m thankful that my friend was able to come quickly and help talk with insurance while I was still recovering, that my sister was able to come from Seattle and take care of me that night, that there are no broken bones, all the cars involved are still drivable and overall everything should be okay within a few weeks.
I’ve been on mostly on my back these last few days- standing and walking aren’t things I can do for very long right now. I would so appreciate prayers for healing and the pain, along with being able to get back to “normal life” soon. I have a test coming soon to see if they know why I passed out, so I’m hoping that will answer questions.
I’m hoping that I can do what I normally do, but just bear with me if there are gaps between posts. :) I’ll be in contact with Ginny so we can announce the winner of the 10 Minute Craft Dash in the next day or two.
I know this is a super long post and I should go lay down again. I’ll talk with you all soon.
With the amount of time it took to get caught up on emails, orders and designing, I decided against a February release. However, I will have one on March 1st that has some new dies and sequins/ mixes. I also have a couple other things up my sleeves that many have been requesting… any guesses what that might be?
For those new to my blog, this is an update from my car accident post 
There are some things you never want to be involved in. One of them: being in a car accident. The story I have for you may sound crazy or unbelievable, but I promise it’s the truth.