Tough Girl

April 5th, 2009 by Jess Wahl

I will admit, I am a pretty strong person. I don’t so much mean physically as mentally/emotionally. I found it very interesting this past two weeks that I had been sick with a cold and feeling like I got hit by a bus, but still part of me was like GO GO GO!

I have all these things I want to do, but sometimes it just feels like my body is on its own schedule. I can’t go out late because I won’t get enough sleep and will be sick in the morning. I can’t go in the middle of a crowd at a concert because my body will be to clustered in. I can’t do this because of that, or that because of this. Now, this may sound a bit melodramatic, but I think of the quote from Steel Magnolias when Sally Field’s character says “I can job to (I forgot where) and back, but my daughter can’t!” It can feel like that sometimes, I want to do so much but my body is just “I don’t think so Jessica.” It can be a tad frustrating.

I am feeling better now though thank goodness! Preparing to go to California in May. Need all my strength for that! I don’t care if I get sick and I have to be wheeled around in a chair…I will be going. Just TRY and stop me! :)

Uh oh!

March 20th, 2009 by Jess Wahl

So…I woke up with a bit of a stuffed up nose. Didn’t think much about it. Figured it was because it had gotten colder. But now I am on my lunch break and ready to either hit the deck or puke everywhere. Hmmm. Which do I prefer?

I usually only get “people sick” once a year, and when I do…I really do. So, I am hoping this is just like a one day thing because I really do hate being sick.

Yuck yuck yuck!

2009

January 2nd, 2009 by Jess Wahl

Beginning of the New Year. For me, thank God!

I know it has been awhile since I have written, but I don’t think people need to read about the same stuff happening to me everyday. I deal with my heart problem everyday. Sometimes its bad, sometimes its good. I just deal with it because thats just what I have to do.

This new year already feels like a new beginning in my head. I don’t know what I am going to do about school and whatnot. And I know I want to move to California, but I think now it feels a little scary because its going to be a huge life change. So..I don’t know. One day at a time.

If I may, I would like to reccomend a book. “The Hour I First Believed” by Wally Lamb. Its very good so far, I am about half way into it. It revolves around a fictitious story occuring around Columbine. I reccomend it to people who come into my work because it is very good.

Hope you all had a nice holiday!!

Can I be a vampire with a pacemaker?

November 24th, 2008 by Jess Wahl

So, I have been sucked up into the mainstream. I LOVED the book “Twilight.” I wasn’t going to read it because its a vampire book, and I don’t read those type of books. But, a lot of us girls at work figured we should read it because its so incredibly popular. I mean, there are 90 some requests for the first book alone!

I don’t think I have ever read a book, and then wanted to re-read it again and again. It is so intense! That is the best word I can use to describe it. Intense. Beyond intense. I mean, if I am reading a book and there are scenes where literally my breath is taken…its incredible. I have told my friends they may need to smack me because I am getting caught up in the hysteria. Wow…just a great book. I am waiting for the next one to come in for me, but I think I am number 20 something in line. Grrrr…

I would be a vampire if I could be with Edward Cullen. In a heart beat. It would rather weird though with a heart condition and a pacemaker. I mean…no sleep, no eating, drinking blood…all things that aren’t really high on the list of good things for a person with NCS. On the other hand, I would be the living dead so it wouldn’t matter.

Read the book even if its not your type of genre. Its amazing.

I’m over it.

November 19th, 2008 by Jess Wahl

Oh my gosh…I am so completely over school!! I am sick of sitting in class and listening to people discuss things that are so ridiculous! We interpret poetry in class and some of the poems are so EXPLICIT and it is uncomfortable, and apparently its my own fault because I am not “comfortable” reading that in class. I’m sorry, I am a bit off the wall, but you know…I don’t really know these people yet.

And now they are talking about the “Twilight” book series and how its showing abuse and all this other stuff. IT’S A BOOK ABOUT VAMPIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR TEENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP ripping stuff apart and just let it be!!! My God, this stuff really plays on my mind and body because I hate having to come to class and listening to this crap!!

 

Ugh!!! Anyways…hello! :) I gotta vent somewhere. I am reading the book and am not looking too deeply into it. I don’t want to analyze the book, I just want to read it. UGH!!!

Pick and choose!

November 15th, 2008 by Jess Wahl
  • prolonged standing or upright sitting, particularly when standing with legs in a locked position for long periods of time. Avoidance of long-term locking of one’s legs in the standing position is taught in the military, as well as marching band and drill team.
  • stress
  • any painful or unpleasant stimuli, such as
    • giving a blood donation or watching someone give one
    • watching someone experience pain
    • watching/experiencing medical procedures
    • sight of blood
    • occasions of slight discomfort, such as dental and eye examinations
  • hyperthermia, a prolonged exposure to heat
  • sudden onset of extreme emotions
  • hunger
  • nausea or vomiting
  • dehydration
  • urination (’micturition syncope‘) or defecation (’defecation syncope’)
  • abdominal straining or ‘bearing down’ (as in defecation)
  • swallowing (’swallowing syncope’) or coughing (’cough syncope’)
  • random onsets due to nerve malfunctions
  • pressing upon certain places on the throat, sinuses, and eyes
  • high altitude
  • use of certain drugs that affect blood pressure, such as amphetamine
  • intense laughter[2]

 

I just found this on Wikipedia. I am always interested in seeing what other people have to say about NCS. Because some of it is kinda funny. I personally have never gotten sick or passed out from laughing “intensely” thank goodness!! I would be screwed if that was the case! And pressing upon the eyes? Yes…while laying in bed, I push my thumbs into my eyes for fun…really???

Anyways…I thought those were interesting enough to share. Which ones are YOUR triggers??

I’m not safe against anything!!

November 11th, 2008 by Jess Wahl

So, my dear mum just informed me that she read an article in Associated Press that headphones can interfere with pacemakers…great…So let’s see, I am not safe against microwaves, iPods, rollercoasters and now headphones. They might as well just print “Macaroni and cheese and Dr. Pepper will kill you if you have a pacemaker.” Take all the joy out of life! (I am being slightly over dramatic mind you) I read the article and they said the magnets in the headphones could interupt the electric impulses the pacemaker gives off if they are held within an inch of the pacemaker. Well, considering I don’t listen to my iPod with my headphones planted against my chest, I think I will be okay.

I started that diet my dad wanted to put me on. Wow, thats been fun. You have to stick to this eating schedule, and it was really hard to follow when I had class. I almost passed out in one of my classes, not good. Oh wait…not pass out. I don’t do that much anymore, it would be puke everywhere. I would take passing out over puking in front of classmates anyday. I made it through though. I have a lost a bit of weight, not overnight like I keep imagining, but oh well.

Okay, I should go and venture out into the freezing cold again. See ya!!

Almost there…

November 3rd, 2008 by Jess Wahl

The big day is tomorrow! I am excited that its finally here…why I don’t know, but I am!! I am ready for a change here in the U.S. And I am hoping its a good one.

I have been feeling much better this week. Last week was kind of rough with the death of my little cousin and having a cold on top of that, I was pretty much on auto-pilot for most of the week. But, made it through in one piece.

I hope everyone goes to the polls tomorrow and exercises their right to vote…FOR OBAMA!!!!!

:)

Ceridwen Dawn Lyke

October 28th, 2008 by Jess Wahl

I got a call from my mom last night informing me that my 3 year old cousin Ceridwen died last night. She had been sick for a long time. She was such a strong little girl and fought very hard and she was truly an inspiring little girl. They live in Oregon, so it makes it even worse because I can’t be out there with them. I just talked to her mom on Saturday and everything was fine…

Please keep her, her mom and dad, and the rest of our family in your prayers.

Back!

October 27th, 2008 by Jess Wahl

Yeah, yeah I know its been forever since I have written. Just haven’t had a chance to, my apologies yet again.

So…I had the pleasure of going to the Micky Dolenz concert on Saturday. (Front row center, I rule.) And…I think the words to describe my night would be “The Most Amazing Thing EVER!!!!!” I just got to live out one of my childhood dreams…Micky put the microphone down to me and I sang a verse of the song “Goin’ Down” He threw his towel at me (the one he said he was going to put on eBay…yep, I have it.) Then a bunch of girls ran on stage (me too, of course) and we got to sing and dance to “I’m a Believer.” I got to sing back-up with his sister Coco which was just…oh…AWESOME!!!!

To link this to my blog, I almost passed out on stage. That would have been just dandy. I was really hungry before the concert and I think that coupled with the excitement was just not so good. But, thank GOD I didn’t pass out. I got some pretzels and Pepsi and ate those while waiting in line to get an autograph from Micky. He signed my Monkees album, the same one Peter Tork signed….so I am oh so very cool now. Thank goodness for whoever was watching over me that I didn’t pass out on stage *whew*

Umm…other updates besides my AWESOME night. I have a cold, which sucks. Stuffy nose, scratchy throat, watering eyes, the whole works. So, I feel like I have been hit by a bus and that coupled with class is not a happy experience. It will go away though, and not like I haven’t been sicker than this before!

I went to get the pacemaker checked a month ago or so and found out that my old lead is taking a lot of energy to work. Its been in there for 11+ years so its understandable. He said that its not something to worry about right now, just going to keep an eye on it until we need to go in there and get that one out of there. It has been something that has been in the back of our minds though, but as long as its not some life threatening deal, not gonna worry too much.

Alright…going to pay attention in class now. I promise I will write more. Farewell!!

 

By the way…I sang with Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. HA!!