Planning ahead this time...

I have been focusing on my other blog for a little bit to get it going. I started making a blogging plan for December so I can be ready and know what I want to do.

I actually have four blogs right now. But I am going to delete one of them and just keep posting the allergy stuff on here. Two blogs is a lot of work and I am struggling to keep up with them. Three blogs... meh, it's okay because Miles is helping me. We're working on getting all the video software so we can give the best reviews! We're hoping the video game section of the blog will take off in January at the latest.

But I just can't keep up with four blogs. I love the housekeeping missions for the gimpy and limpy people and I can't wait to get more games reviews going! But allergies just seems to go on The Baker's Acres because that is where I started it all. I will work on this blog to make it easier to navigate too. 

All in all, I am planning on making next year my best blogging year EVER! AND Miles is so great, he is going to help me set up the upstairs into an office where we can work (on my good days that is). And I'll also start doing video blogs.

Problogger suggested stepping out of your comfort zone a bit so I want to try that. Why? Because that is one area I have never really wanted to do because I am nervous I will look like an idiot. Or something like that. So I am going to work on that!

That's my update for now. I'll get into a nice posting rhythm as the time goes on!   

Back Injury Update... Chiropractor Seems to Help

I've been going to the Chiropractor for a few weeks for my back injury. Between him and the gelatin, emu oil and fish oil, I think I actually feel a difference in my back. Here is what I have noticed so far:

• I can get up and clean longer than before I started going to the chiropractor. While I still hurt, the pain isn't as intense and I can go longer before needing to rest from the pain. I was able to clean for 30 minutes today! 
• While my legs still have burning pain, they aren't burning so bad that I feel like I am standing in lava or like I am on fire. The pain does eventually calm down when I rest too.
• The sharp shooting pain that I get isn't as frequent like when I first hurt my back or  after the injections.
• I can walk further! I can actually make it two blocks and back home without writhing in pain!
• I sleep better. I am not waking up every hour from the pain and the sleep seems to be solid sleep, rather than waking up feeling like I didn't sleep at all.
• When the chiropractor touches my back, I don't practically jump off the table from tenderness.
• I haven't hurt so bad that I get nauseous from the pain. Now, when I hurt, it's tolerable pain. It doesn't feel like my back is breaking in half every time I stand up.
• I don't need my walker as often. Although I still have times when I limp a lot and I use my walker, it isn't so bad.
• I am able to stand up easier and by myself.
• I can feel my feet! I almost forgot what it was like to feel my toes!

Does this mean the pain is gone? No. I will probably always be in pain (even the chiropractor said that!). But I needed to be able to function on a daily basis and I am slowly getting to that point again. 

My chiropractor is doing more for me in a few weeks than the doctors did for me in a year and a half. I can't believe they refused to let me go. I wish they could spend one day in my levels of pain. 

Anyway, that's my update. And all I am doing is gelatin in my morning and nightly coffee, taking 3x the amount of fish oil as suggested, emu oil rubbed on my back once a day (when I remember) and going to a chiropractor. Too bad "modern" medicine won't allow alternative medicine. I suspect a lot of people wouldn't be suffering from back pain any more.

Blogging Platforms: What do I use?

I received a comment the other day asking...

Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you're working with? I'm going to start my own blog in the near future but I'm having a tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I'm looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!

My Blogging Platform

My blogging platform is through Blogger. I bought my domain name through blogger as well. My background is through Cutest Blog on the Block where you can choose from a ton of different backgrounds, blinkies and other cool things to make your blog more original and they are free! 

Other Blogging Platforms

I haven't checked out BlogEngine, B2evolution or Drupal before but I have tried Wordpress. I was already using blogger when I tried them out and I found the user interface to be too hard to navigate so I stuck with Blogger. That was years ago so they may be a lot better by now.

Off topic? No way!

No problem with being off topic. I'm a blogger so this isn't off topic to me. Do you need help figuring it all out? I ask because I would love to share what I am using to help with my blogging!

Problogger Books that are Helping me Blog

Since I made my blogging my career choice, I started using probloggers books to help me propel my blogs forward and make them better. Right now I am working through 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. You can Click here to view more details. I worked through the free version awhile back but I found the paid version is more helpful.

If you haven't started your blog yet, Problogger has a great book I found helpful for my other blogs, The Gimp and Limp Club and For the Allergic in You. It's called Problogger's Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. You can Click here to view more details. It has a lot of great ideas to get you started!

Once you are going, you can use The Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers. Click here to view more details.I recently started reading through this one and it has a lot of helpful tips and advice to hone your writing and your blogging skills. It actually has a scorcard for each post you write so you can score your posts and see how your writing improves. This post has a score of 90 out of 100. That's pretty good!

Go Start Blogging!

I have your blog link from the comment saved and I'll be checking in to see how it's going. I'll link to your blog once you have it moving along. Good luck my friend! Keep me updated on your blog adventures!

Back Update: Schmorl's Nodes and a Chiropractor

After getting all of my medical records from the hospital to show the Chiropractor, I went home and started checking them out. I have an idea of what a spine is supposed to look like but I wasn't too sure exactly what I was looking for. I did have fun finding the protruding disc though. FOUND IT! Not a problem! I also thought my back looked... erm, decrepit in some spots.

After that, I actually read every bit of the reports. I found it so interesting that before my injections, they don't even mention arthritis and after the injections, now I have it from L3-S1. And S1 on the MRI does look quite gangly compared to the ones that are higher up. If I knew I'd get worse from the injections, I would have refused. 

Also, in one of the reports it says I have Schmorl's nodes. I had to look that up. I have never heard of that. It made me think of smores roasting over a camp fire. Anyway, I looked that up and it's basically (from what I am getting from around the web) where the disc protrudes into the vertebrae. They are "vertical disc herniations". Ouches! 

I took this to the chiropractor since I stopped seeing Dr Quacky. The chiropractor is really good. I no longer feel like I have a rock under my spine when I lay down. Granted, my pain isn't gone but it is tolerable half the time now. 

Also, he was looking over all the MRI and the X-rays and he said he had to disagree with the "No nerve impingement". They claim I don't have a pinched nerve. He thinks I do which explains the pissing myself. at least now I don't have someone acting like they have no idea why I am having pain and issues. He did say the pain won't ever go away but we can make it something I can live with. He did! 

The first treatment he slathered my back with BIOFREEZE. Holy burning eyes, menthol-man! That stuff is AWESOME! After he straightened out my pelvic bone (funny how that makes it feel like rocks under your spine) I was actually feeling quite human. The pain was still... well, pain, but I didn't want to curl up and vomit from the pain. In fact, it's been pretty okay. Sure, my back is killing me. But this is a level of killing me I can handle.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be pain-free. I am also slowly accepting the fact that I really will not ever go to work again. But at least I won't be in agony all the time. I'll take that!

Let's all Welcome the New Admin!

My son, Miles, has decided to help me with my blogging as I slog through the book from problogger. Click here to visit ProBlogger and order the books for yourself. I am so happy! He'll mostly be doing the background work and helping me check emails and reading comments and such but I am thrilled! He will also be in charge of the video game page! WOOHOO!

Here's a picture of him...

Wrong child. My bad! He just helps type sometimes too.

Oops, wrong kid.

Oh yea. That's my kid! And he spells a lot better than the cat too.

"I heard that!"

This is why your mom said not to play with knives.

It doesn't matter how many times you tell a kid not to do something, they have to go and do it. My 17 year old son decided to goof off and try to chop something with a knife. You know, the totally cool knife chopping that impresses people. Instead he ended up with this...

Yep. That's muh baby's thumb *facepalm*

This just looks painful.

This is how deep it went.

If you just look at it wrong he panics and screams.

And you also end up with this...

This is after we taped it together.

If it weren't for the nail, well, he'd have chopped his finger off!  I am convinced. This is after sitting overnight.

Ewwww!

This is the nail view.

 BUT! You get to have neon colored bandages!

So kids, if you want to play with knives, just remember that you will hurt! Your fingers will look like this, you'll have to wear neon green bandages, you won't be able to play Xbox or computer games for WEEKS and if your mom is a jerk like me, you'll be posted on a blog for everyone to see!

Don't play with knives!