32 days.  I have been sick for 32 days.  I am tired of being sick.  I just want to feel normal again. 

 

I had a cold…that turned into an upper respiratory infection…that turned into acute bronchitis…that turned into asthmatic bronchitis.  I have had three chest x-rays totaling $224.00.  I have taken two courses of antibiotics, three different asthma medications and prescription strength cough suppressant totaling $458.26.  I have been to the doctor seven times totaling $781.00.  I even had to go the ER.  That was $1898.00. Grand total?  $3,361.26!

 

Now it might seem like I’m complaining.  I’m really not.  I have never been so grateful for my health in all my life.  I can’t even imagine if this was my life forever.  I know I am going to get better.  For some people, this is their normal life. 

 

I am also so grateful to be able to breathe, even though it’s still a little difficult and it still hurts a little bit.  Kidney issues?  You can go on dialysis.  Inconvenient, but you can still live.  Heart issues?  Pacemaker.  Again, inconvenient, but you can still live.  Can’t breathe?  Game over. 

 

Since my lungs still aren’t back to normal, I went to see a lung specialist on Monday.  Know what they told me?  They think I’m having a "latent allergic reaction" to my cat.  My cat?  The one I’ve had for a year and a half?  The fifth cat I’ve had in the past ten years?  Seriously?  You’ve got to be kidding me?  I haven’t been able to breathe well for over a month since I’ve been so sick and you think it’s my cat?

 

I believe that things happen in our life to teach us things and it’s up to us to figure out what that is.  This is what I have learned through all this mess.

 

1. Just because someone went to medical school doesn’t mean they are a good doctor.  You can barely pass and still put that M.D. after your name. 

2. On the flip side, there are some fantastic, caring people in the medical profession.

3. We have to be our own advocate for our health.  Doctors can’t possibly know all that is going on with you during their 5-10 minute visit. 

4. We have to trust that we know our own bodies.  I ended up in the ER due to a reaction to the fast-acting inhaler they gave me.  It’s called a "paradoxical bronchospasm" – instead of opening your airways, it has the opposite effect and closes them.  The same thing happened to me two years ago when I used a fast-acting inhaler.  My instinct told me not to take it – that I was going to have a reaction again.  But somehow, when it comes to doctors, we think they know more about us than we know ourselves, so we follow their advice, even if it goes against what we think we should do.  Why do we do that?

5. I am so grateful that I have good health insurance.

6. Husbands realize how much they love you and act really nice when they think you might die in the ER.

 

So, I’m glad to have learned these lessons, although I wish I could have coughed a little less while I was learning them!  And who knows…I didn’t go to medical school, so maybe it is my cat!  I’ll keep you posted.

 

We have some really cute new collections this week (out of our 270 new items) – Summer Daze from Flair; Jet Set from KI Memories; A La Carte from Kaiser Craft; Play Ball by Best Creations; Bionicle, Family Traditions, Baseball, Football and Basketball from Creative Imaginations;  Baby Girl and Baby Boy from Reminisce, along with lots of new embellishments from EK Success.  However, my favorite product of the week is the Glitter Cardstock from Best Creations.  I don’t know how they did it, but the glitter doesn’t come off!  We’ve been using it on quite a few die cuts lately and it is awesome!

  

The SYT designers were working on the following themes this week:  Travel, Cruise, Summer, Ireland, Spain, Milan, Lithuania, Brazil, Nevada, Kentucky, South Dakota, Softball, Gymnastics, Bowling, Lacrosse, Birthday, Great Outdoors, Marines and Scrapbooking.  We have a fantastic custom birthday border (using the cool glitter paper).

 

Click here to see all the new items:  www.scrapyourtrip.com/5202009.html.

 

 

How would you like a SYT VIP Discount Pass worth 30% off all your orders for the rest of the year?  We’re going to be giving away two of them!  All orders over $100 between 5/20 and 5/22 will qualify.  Lucy winners will be announced next Wednesday. 

 

And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can always make it custom just for you!  Click here to see all our custom options:  www.scrapyourtrip.com/custom.html. 

Julie Swatek, President
Scrap Your Trip®
www.ScrapYourTrip.com
‘cuz life is a trip worth scrappin’®