Well, I woke up today with my symptoms much worse. I had a doctor appointment at 2, and she drew more blood for more tests & scheduled a brain MRI on Monday. I already had bone scan and CT scan scheduled on Monday, so what’s one more, right?
We are not sure if all these random symptoms are due to low potassium or not. Many of them fit the bill, but they want to make sure we are not missing anything. In the meantime, I am doing my best to make sure I’m ingesting as much potassium containing foods as possible, and supplementing with magnesium as it helps with absorption of potassium.
Potassium is:
is a dietary mineral necessary for balancing the pH of your body and for keeping fluids in balance as well, so it’s important for normal blood pressure regulation (it works in opposition to sodium). Potassium is also needed for normal muscle growth, and for nervous system and brain function. It’s found in many different foods, especially fruits and vegetables, so you may be getting plenty of potassium in your diet right now. If not, here’s a list of foods that contain potassium.
It has surprised me that in my reading I have found that many people are low in potassium but do not even know it. Both men & women need 4,700 milligrams a day.
Some of the symptoms of low potassium include:
Fatigue
Muscle Twitching
Tingling/Numbness
Muscle Aches
Nausea
Feeling Chilled
Headache
Constipation
Muscle Weakness
Foods high in potassium:
Raisins
Prunes
Apricots
Dates
Strawberries
Bananas
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Citrus fruits
Beets
Greens
Spinach
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Soy and soy foods
Many veggie burgers
Peas
Beans
Turkey
Beef
Salmon
Cod
Hemp Seeds
Chia Seeds
Coconut Water
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Here is a potassium-filled recipe from Bon Appetit that I’m planning on making this weekend, but instead of straining the pulp, I’m going to make a smoothie!
Cantaloupe Basil Agua Fresca
Ingredients
15cupschopped cantaloupe (about two 3 1/2-pound melons)
3/4cupfresh lemon juice
3/4cuploosely packed fresh basil leaves
Special equipment
Cheesecloth
Preparation
Working in batches, purée cantaloupe in a blender until smooth.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl; line sieve with cheesecloth. Strain purée into bowl; gather cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze any remaining juice into bowl. Repeat process with fresh cheesecloth, straining into a large pitcher (you should have about 5 cups juice).
Add lemon juice, basil, and 2 cups cold water to pitcher. Let steep at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Fill glasses with ice. Divide agua fresca among glasses.
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I will let you know when I get scan results. Love to you all!
I just had my 6 month checkup yesterday, and initial blood tests came back really good. Iron counts, RBC & WBC counts, B-12 & Calcium are all good.
I have not been feeling well lately, but symptoms seemed random and would come and go. Today I got a call from Oncologist saying my potassium levels are low which would explain some of the bizarre symptoms I am having. Tingling/numbness on left side of my face, stomach problems, fatigue, twitching (eyelid & leg), ringing in ears, heart palpitations and muscle aches. The muscle aches and fatigue have gotten pretty severe, today I woke up in a lot of pain between my shoulder blades and my calf muscles. I keep saying I feel really, really old. Like 90.
It is good to have a reason for all of the things I have been feeling, but Doc is not sure what is causing my low potassium.
If I go one point lower they will admit me to the hospital for a few days and give me IV potassium.
For now I am concentrating on high potassium foods, supplementation & rest. Today was not a good day and I spent most of it in bed with muscle aches. I am not sure how I can eat any healthier…all the high potassium foods listed are main staples of my diet, (bananas, spinach, peaches, potatoes etc.) so that is frustrating.
Doc wants to see if we can get my levels up and if they will stay up. If they continue to misbehave, she will seek out what might be the cause of it. Potassium levels can affect the heart and kidneys and can be quite serious, so they want to stay on top of it.
For now, she wants to do CT scan and bone scan. It has been a full year and she wants to make sure we have our eye an anything that could be happening inside. It will also show a lymph node we have been watching. She does not think there has been change but wants to make sure. It will also give us an update on ovarian cysts and uterine thickening, all side effects of the drug Tamoxifen that I take for cancer protection.
Scans are on Monday.
One more thing if I may…
Doc brought up the new study that was done in January on Tamoxifen. They found that women who stayed on it for 10 years had up to 15 years of protection. Those are some BIG numbers. But honestly, I got pretty teary at the idea of staying on this drug for that long. I have been on it for 2 years and I was counting down the days to 5. Now the time has doubled, and I’m having a hard time with that. I don’t ever feel great on this drug. It is not fun to be on and I’m pretty pouty about it. Humph.
Have you ever smelled moth balls? If you haven’t had the pleasure, do a little happy dance. Not only do they reek, they are also filled with dangerous toxins. There’s a much better way to keep bugs and moths away. It’s natural, cheap, and will keep your clothes smelling like you just walked through a patch of wildflowers. The answer is a homemade lavender sachet! Did you know lavender repels moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, and bed bugs? Who would have thought since lavender smells quite lovely!
directions Just fill the muslin bag with dried lavender flowers and place in your lingerie drawer or anywhere else that might need a little freshening or bug repellent. It’s so easy, your kids could do it. The hard part was figuring out where to buy the muslin bags and lavender flowers. I was beyond happy when I discovered that Mountain Rose Herbs, my favorite place to buy essential oils, also sells dried lavender flowers (and other dried flowers) AND the perfect size muslin bag.
cost savings
Here’s what it cost. . . $0.38 small muslin bag {$3.75/10 bags from Mountain Rose Herbs] $0.50 dried lavender flowers [$5.75/4 oz. bag from Mountain Rose Herbs] $0.88 Grand Total DIY Lavender Sachet
compared to . . . $3.99 Lavender Sachet from The Container Store
Sweet! You should be able to make 10 sachets with the Mountain Rose Herbs supplies, unless you buy in bigger quantities. Give away the extras as homemade gifts to friends who will think you are the cutest, most thoughtful friend ever!
{Website} {Twitter} {Facebook} ……………….. “Through inspiration from God’s Word, a generous dose of humor, and everyday examples, discover the joy-filled, hope-rich way of viewing the past, present, and future.” ………………..
If you have read my cancer story, you will know that something I talked about often with my 3 young girls was how we were going to search for “treasure” while I was in treatment to get better. I so wanted them to have eyes to see when God would show Himself and give us treasures in the middle of a very hard diagnosis and fight. And boy OH BOY, did He ever reveal Himself and give us many tangible treasures, so many that even my little ones could recognize them very easily.
When I saw the title of Michelle Rayburns book,The Repurposed & Upcycled Life, I knew right away that I needed to read this book, and was so grateful for the opportunity to do just that. I knew just from the language of the title that we would jive, for we were already speaking the same trash to treasure language. But OH, how I love, LOVED how she weaved in the idea of repurposing & upcycling. What clear analogies of what God does! I also knew the timing of this book was perfect for me, for it was time to be reminded of just how faithful God is in turning our “trash” into treasure.
It’s funny how being in the middle of a big whole heap of trash (cancer) that I was more clear- eyed to see the treasure, and even trust that God would bring good & beauty out of it. What I have found recently is the trash- whether mine or others or just what this life brings-has been slowing me down. I found that I was losing my focus and my trust would waiver, and my reactions to things showed that I was questioning that there would come something beautiful out of all the yuck.
As Michelle shares her own stories of the repurposing & upcycling process, she is refreshingly real and very funny. She helped me to see that just a little bit of whining & complaining is all it takes to lose my focus & be distracted from the amazing reality that God is IN this with us. That He is busy at work in us, making us beautiful, shiny and new. Restoring, remaking, upcycling. Doing the amazing redeeming work that He does when we present ourselves to Him.
Life is heavy in many areas around me right now. Being in the cancer world, I know of several people who are in their final stages of life on this earth. I watch and my heart breaks. I watch and fear of recurrence creeps in. I recently had the flu and it emotionally it created quite a bit of debris as it brought back painful memories of chemo. Just tonight I chatted with my younger sister whose heart is breaking as she walks through a dear friends last days on this earth. So. Very. Hard. Today I hugged two little girls who’s Daddy was recently taken jail for beating their Mommy, and whose world was turned upside down. LIFE IS HARD. It is dirty, ugly, and downright stinkin’ HARD.
But. As I was reminded in this beautiful book, we have hope. We have One who is nothing but Good, nothing but Love, our Creator God, who is busy restoring, repurposing, & renewing. Those 2 little girls? You should see the beautiful work God has done and is doing in their Mommy. She is being all shined up and loved on by God. She has run into His arms for refuge and strength and boy oh BOY how FAITHFUL our God is. She has so many beautiful treasures raining down upon her right now, and she is this shining, dear one who is delighting in all that He has for her. Is it hard? HECK yeah. Would she say it is worth it and that God is faithful? I know that she would.
Please take a minute and click the video below. It is only one minute, but it gave me chills. If you relate to what it says, then CLICK HERE and buy this book!Also, use the form below and sign up to win a free copy of The Repurposed & Upcycled Life.
One reader from each blog will be entered into a grand prize drawing held on April 14. Bloggers will draw the name of one commenter and send that info to Michelle by April 14. On April 15, she will draw a name using Random Number for the grand prize gift drawing which includes: a copy of The Repurposed and Upcycled Life, a journal made by Michelle, a repurposed and upcycled olive oil jar turned kitchen night light, a framed inspirational photo, chocolate, and all natural skin crème.
About Michelle, the Author of The Repurposed & Upcycled Life
Michelle Rayburn wants to help you connect the dots between faith, creativity, and everyday life and discover the joy of finding God in the most unexpected places. Years ago, she left her career as a registered nurse to raise her family, and along the way, she discovered her true passion for writing, speaking, and singing.
Along that path of discovery, she tried many side ventures, including: a wedding coordinator, rubber stamp demonstrator, custom painter and decorator, craft instructor, craft seller, and web designer. Pile on her hobbies as a quilter, scrapbooker, and avid reader, and that’s a lot of dots to connect! For the sake of sanity, she has exchanged most of those roles for the thrill of putting words on paper.
Michelle has written over 100 articles for publication, and this is her first book. She writes a monthly column for Wisconsin Christian News called “Simply Faith.” Her writing has also appeared in Christian Communicator, Focus on the Family, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Vista, and more. She has also written several Bible studies for ChristianBibleStudies.com.
Michelle has been a speaker and worship leader at women’s events, MOPS meetings, conferences and retreats, and writing seminars. She has her MA in Ministry Leadership with a counseling emphasis from Crown College. She has been married to her husband Phil for 23 years and they have two young adult sons. Their family serves in ministry at a Bible camp in north central Wisconsin.
As a 2-time cancer survivor, I look at life with tangible knowledge that life could end at any given moment. None of us know how long we have here on this earth. This legacy series to my 3 girls…my lovelies… is my way of attempting to leave a legacy for them. To speak of what is most important for them to know from me, their forever Mom.
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Dear Lovelies,
I don’t have many words of my own for you today, just a verse which is also a plea, and a prayer. I may even go find a song for you if your lucky. 🙂
My Plea for you, my 3 lovelies:
Ephesians 4:1 I…beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling. For you have been called by God.
How I pray for you:
Every time I pray I think of you and thank God for you! I ask Him to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians. Oh the utter extravagance of His work in us who trust him– endless, boundless strength!
Be assured from day one I have not stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds & spirits attuned to his will and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. I pray that you live well for the Master, making Him proud of you as you work hard in His orchard. As you learn how God works you will learn how to do your work.
I pray you will have the strength to stick it out over the long haul, not a grim strength of gritting your teeth, but glory-strength that God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful He has for us!
By giving Himself completely at the cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side & put your lives together, whole & holy in His presence. Don’t walk away from a gift like that! Stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned into the message, careful not to be distracted or diverted.
I Love you More’n,
MOM
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The above are Paul’s prayers, so wonderful to pray over your children. They are taken from:
I recently went from a blond to a red head. I love a fun hair color change, but to get the exact shade of red that I wanted, I had to put 3 red applications on my hair. This left my hair feeling a bit dry and brittle. Boo.
You all know I’m a fan of coconut oil around here, and thanks to this pin on Pinterest from How Does She, I found one more way to use it! Coconut oil is the best moisturizing hair treatment. Now, if you don’t know, I am a licensed hair stylist, and I have tried SO MANY top- of-the-line professional hair moisturizing treatments. I know a good treatment when I use one, and friends, this is a good treatment!
This is a pre-shampoo treatment, so you put the coconut oil into dry hair. Take a handful (amount depends on the thickness and length of your hair) and work it into dry hair. The goal here is to make sure all strands are coated. If your coconut oil is in a solid form, no worries, it will melt as you work it into your hair by the warmth of your hands and head.
How I Used Coconut Oil As A Moisturizing Hair Treatment
I put it in, combed through my hair to make sure it was evenly distributed, then scrunched it into a messy bun, I then walked around like that for about 20 minutes. Although some other sites recommend adding heat, I’m all about keeping things simple and who has time to sit under a hairdryer? I found this works wonders without heat. You could put a shower cap or bag on your head, then wrap your head in a towel and allow the heat from your scalp to work. I didn’t do this and still had great results.
After 20 minutes, shampoo and condition your hair like normal. If you don’t get a good lather the first shampoo, lather a second time, then condition.
TA-DA! Healthy, moisturized soft luscious locks.
My hair is back to how it was before I colored it. It is super soft and shiny!
My little one kept putting her hands through my hair and saying how soft it was. Even my oldest girl who is short on compliments these teenage days commented on how good it looked.
I will spare you the details of what my Todd thought of my new, soft red hair. Let’s just say I got some extra smooches. Hee!
We are thrilled to be welcoming Kendra as our new Natural & Homemade Contributor here at New Nostalgia. Kendra will be here one Saturday a month sharing her knowledge of all things natural.
Kendra blogs at Our Homemade Happiness and writes about all things homemade, especially cleaners, skincare & healthy eating.
Kendra Drake
Natural & Homemade Contributor
Kendra started her blog after her husband suffered from mono symptoms for over two years and his blood results showed some liver disease. Since the liver is responsible for filtering out chemicals and toxins from the bloodstream, she started to realize how many chemicals are in everything we buy, from processed food to household cleaners, lotion, and even air freshener. She has become inspired to rid her home of as many chemicals as she can, one product at a time, and write about it along the way.
You will love Kendra & all the great things she has to share!
I LOVE essential oils. They are all-natural, they have medicinal and therapeutic benefits, there are so many ways to use them, they don’t go rancid, their little bottles are so cute . . .ahem, I digress. Even though they might seem expensive, they are super concentrated and a little goes a very long way.
So today I’m going to show you how to make a super simple body spray with essential oils. You’ll save money by making your own, but that isn’t even the best part. The best part is you will smell good without all the nasty chemicals in commercial body spray. You will know exactly what’s being absorbed into your skin and inhaled into your lungs.
what you need spray bottle 2 Tbsp vodka or water 3 drops lavender essential oil 8 drops lime essential oil
directions Add vodka or water to the spray bottle. If you use water, you’ll need to shake really well before each use because essential oils do not dissolve in water. I bought my 2 oz. glass spray bottle at Sprouts, a health food store, for about $3. Add essential oils. I don’t really like the smell of lavender by itself, but when it is mixed with lime it becomes light and fresh and smells oh so good. Avoid direct use on skin that will be exposed to sunlight within 12 hours. Lime essential oil is photosensitive, meaning when it is left on skin and exposed to sunlight, it can cause the sun’s effect to be greatly magnified. So I only use this body spray on my clothing or on parts of my body that aren’t going to be exposed to the sun.
cost savings
$2.00/oz Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist [$6/3 oz]
