First, let me say that all of the wonderful things in my life are attributed to my Heavenly Father, who I know loves me as his child. Miracles Happen; Believe it!
I called a couple of days ago to speak to my advisor at Capella University about the incomplete I was so worried about. I found out that I can start my next class, take the next quarter to finish, if I wish, and will get my financial aid without a glitch. It turns out, I was told, that although there is a policy to the contrary, there is no mechanism in place to enforce it or stall your financial aid. I also changed my course. I was taking Introduction to Organizational Psych. I realized how boring it sounded, and re-read the section in our text, "Careers in Psychology" regarding I/O Psych, and decided...yuck! This is not where I really want to be! I was looking around the Psychology department PhD and PsyD programs. I would absolutely LOVE to get my PsyD. And who knows what could happen in a year while I'm taking the core classes. That, is the other good news.
I finally made it to see Dr. Danny Purser, an endocrinologist. I was referred to him in June, when I went to my first doctor, who gave me referrals for every specialist I needed based on the illnesses I had been diagnosed with in the last 13 years. But I couldn't afford to see him because he doesn't file any federal or state insurance. But he agreed to see me "Pro Bono" - free. Said I would need any money I had for the drugs, because they are costly. One injectable pen of human growth hormone=$250, and that's cheap, cheap. He said retail was $400. each. More on that in a minute.
He asked me several questions based on what information I had given about symptomology over the phone, and it was, "Yes"..."yes"..."yes". He said, okay, let's look at your blood work, essentially saying let me show you the proof. He was so funny too. First of all he had a major car accident, as I did, and fell ill afterward, like I did. Being a Doctor, he did research (which he gives to patients with the same problem) and then he learned what had happened and how to fix it. What is so cute is that as I would ask questions, he would call me "grasshopper" (vintage 1968-1974 approx.-- Kung Foo with Richard Caradine...the Master always called him "grasshopper"). So I would ask how exactly something worked that he was explaining, and he would say, "Not so fast, grasshopper!" He used it in similar ways throughout the interview.
I have what is called Anterior Pituitary Gland Dysfunction. It turns out that stress causes harm to the Pituitary Gland, which is the headquarters of all hormones. Hormones are what keep us healthy and happy. No hormones, you die. I had made a list of all my medications, when they were first prescribed, and what they were prescribed for, and by whom. He looked at the earliest date (I realized much later) and asked me what happened that year. Turns out it was the year I had a hysterectomy. Then some family stress - major family stress. Then I started working two jobs, then I burned out after 10 years and moved to California where I was fine until I was in a MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident). Because, next, he asked what happened that year. Because on my list, the "cascade" of meds that I have to take daily started being prescribed.
He then explained to me that stress is damaging the pituitary gland, and can be so severe if you are under severe stress for long periods and/or have one major trauma to the body (and some people are more sensitive to this than others), you can actually burn out your pituitary gland. He explained that there were hormones that were essential to life: estradiol(even though I had been taking this, I didn't have enough, almost none), progesterone and testosterone, but also - and this surprised me - human growth hormone. We need this our whole life. Ever heard the phrase,"Get busy living or get busy dying"? Well, our bodies re-constitute themselves in a cycle, shedding old cells and making new ones. Without these essential hormones, this process is all screwed up. PLUS, these hormones are then responsible for Thyroid function (it all actually begins in the hypothalamus, then pituitary, then Thyroid. My Thyroid was low, my cortisol had bottomed out dangerously low (one week on a higher dose of prednisone to replace this and I feel 75% better). My Estradial, Testosterone Human Growth Hormone were all extremely low - too low to be doing me any good. So I must replace these things, as well as melatonin for sleep. Turns out, the sleeping pill I have been on, Rozerem, is "bio-medical" melatonin. What that means is that is that it is created in a lab, like medication always are, but is mostly human-hence the bio part. I'm just not getting enough. Exactly the same with the estradiol; what I take is bio-medical.
Down side? It's costly. Upside? I am blessed with the fact that my decision to return to school means that every three months I get some extra funds left over after my tuition is paid. I had planned to get a car this time, and still may, but my medications will be around $300 a month, maybe more, as we slowly increase the growth hormone. Fortunately, this can be deducted from my Medicaid deductible as well as my housing!! I may even come out ahead this year if they both count it!!
Anyway, back to the Dr. visit...he looked at me, so serious, and said, "You are a very sick woman; did you know that?" I'm like, yeah, I had a clue when I have hurt every day for 13 years now, and am exhausted all the time no matter how much I sleep; I can't think, and my personality has changed... So, Yeah, I knew, but didn't know it was this bad.
He started to say that in a year I would be off all the prescription medications I currently take and feel well again. Then he changed it to 18 mos. That is when said I was very ill, based on the labs and my answers to his questions. This is his specialty. He even goes once monthly to work with another endocrinologist in Southern California at US He is the only physician I have talked to who know Dr. Dan Wallace, the Lupus Guru of all lupus patients who've done any research/reading about it. He is at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles where I was when I fell ill, and he diagnosed my Lupus (now in remission, or was when I got here).
Toward the end, after discussing his California visits, he said, "you'll have to come with me out to California sometime when I consult with ...I forget the name of the Endocrinologist, but they both specialize in the same things. I thought that was very cool. I may (or may not) have been the fact that I had been a professional prior to becoming ill as well. Or maybe not. He is by far the most caring, concerned, empathic, authentic Doctor I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot. I felt like crying with relief, but couldn't. I just felt like I was floating. And I trust it; I trust the Doctor who referred me, and when he heard I was finally getting to see Dr. Purser he was thrilled (the referring doctor was thrilled), and said, "We send our patients, like you, to him, and they come back well and thank us. He's our secret weapon". The nurse practitioner I see first said he was so "stoked" I was getting in to see him! He was visibly excited. I have been to that clinic quite a bit, and they are also warm and empathic. Both Nexus - the first doctor(s) I saw, and Dr. Purser both believe NOT in treating symptoms, but in finding the source of the symptom and dealing with that. I have to call Kim Strong. She will be so thrilled to hear this, and to learn about it!! She probably already knows it!
Anyway, that's my news. It's late. I slept from 6:30-11:30. I was up from 9:30 until 6:30 and just collapsed. All day Monday I was gone, taking two buses two hours each way to see a Doctor; Tues in bed, Wed went early early to Amy's - caught the bus at 9:30am (great for me right now) and stayed overnight and she brought me home at about 6:00pm. I left double food and water for Tobe and Bo and they didn't touch it! I was so upset for them. It's instinct though- the don't know how long I will be gone, how long they have to make that last. I had forgotten to replace the old "poddy pads" with new ones, so they were so good,just went were the poddy pad would have been in the bathroom, but not much, because they didn't ingest much. Neither of them has eaten a meal yet since I've been home.
But I'm signing off to go to bed now. Don't forget: Miracles do happen. I think, and I realize that had I not had an aptitude to become somewhat computer savvy, I wouldn't have kept updating my computer, and if I hadn't gotten the lap top, there is no way I could have started working on my PhD., and had I not started working on my PhD, I wouldn't have the funds to get well. So the initial event to get me well actually happened 3 years BEFORE I became ill, when I got my first PC and started learning all I could. Now if that's not God's plan, I don'tknow what is. The events of my healing were set in motion before I was sick. And I had been looking for schools, researching the best ones, etc., since October, if not before.
I thank God for this miracle. I thank him for taking care of me and carrying me through to this point in time. I hate that I lost so many years, but that's past. NOW I know I have a future. I used to cry over the loss of a future, because that's what I anticipated. Good night,all.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Addendum to previous post...
Forgot to tell you - you can click on the photos and see them larger.
Just for those of you not so familiar with these things. (Mary Beth and Lori!)
Love ya,
Kathie
Just for those of you not so familiar with these things. (Mary Beth and Lori!)
Love ya,
Kathie
School, illness,family, and finding my way.
Hello, readers:
First, and foremost, the fun. Here are some recent photos of my family. Okay, some not so recent. You can go to their blog and see them, but for any readers who don't, here are a few.
This is one of me with the kids Christmas night, after all festivities were long over, and I said, "I wanted a photo of me with everyone!" So this is what I got. Oh, well. I'm not so photogenic anymore anyway.
It is so hard, it seems, to catch Blake at his best, like I see him in person. This was last fall, obviously, but it's such a great photo of what he is really like.
Like I have said, Katelyn is a little miss priss who loves to "ham" it up!
This is another of those great "Blake" photos, that show his personality. The one before this is his classic, no-smile face. 
This was Christmas, Katelyn with her first real babydoll. If you follow their blog at all, you know she much prefers accessorizing to playing with dolls, anyday.
This is actually a family photo taken in California last summer. The Fox family (Brent's family) all got together and had a photographer come. They all dressed in white tops and jeans - casual.
This is just one of a ton of photos of Brandon with one of the boys. I thought this was a particularly cute one.
For a real photo treat of the family, please go to http://twiceblessedtwice.blogspot.com/
and see them all!
So, on with the post. It will undoubtedly be long, since I post once every two-six months, on average. Since I last posted, I have had a Fibromyalgia flare of relatively large magnitude. Maybe a 5.8 on the Richter scale. So tired and hurt so bad. The strongest thing I take these days for pain is Naproxen and Tylenol. At least my head is a little bit clearer.
I had to take an incomplete in my first class, and am not happy about it. I am getting there, in terms of being caught up; I had 8 assignments left, and now I have 4, so halfway there, but increasingly more able to think clearly. But I'm scared. No one can tell me for certain that I can go to school next quarter, or tell me when the work has to be done by to do so. So I'm just doing my best to get it done, and done well, as there were assignments that couldn't be made up due to the nature of online education (classroom participation that is locked after the assignment is completed). Think good thoughts, please?
I had a scare week before last. On a Tues, and again on Thurs. I had episodes much like ones I used to have years ago, which turned out to be medication toxicity, or clash of medications. I am on so little now, by comparison, I don't think this was it. But the first one was so bad, I could not stay cognizant long enough to call Amy, which was scary. I'm chalking this up to being a result of being, a) anemic; b) very low Vt D, c) very low potassium, and last and most importantly, very low cortisol. The symptoms, I realized were those of Addison's, and I had been having other symptoms and not identifying them. So back on the higher doses of Prednisone until I get leveled out. I am just so tired. But I will not give up this easy. Next student loan, end of April; with the extra funds I will be purchasing a vehicle for the first time in over 10 years. Yep, December, 1998 was the last time I owned my own vehicle. It won't be grand, as I must squeeze 3-6 months of insurance out of the funds, plus savings for gas and upkeep. Plus $ to family (money owed). So I am excited, as much as one can be on a day when, even if I had a car, it would be a "no drive" day with the "fibro fog" being so bad. No drive days will be those when I am either too exhausted, thinking clouded by fatigue or medication, just not myself. So that means about 60% of the time I can drive, right now. But I will be well be June, when it's warm, and I'm walking more, and then it will be more like 90%. YEAH!!!
My daughter and her family have a wonderful blog. They write in it much more frequently, and if you go all the way back to June 2007 in their old blog, you can read the story of the miracle babies; twins born at 28 weeks, one with a bowel obstruction, pulmonary problems, not to mention having a stroke at 2 months of age - It is a heart wrenching and heartwarming story. Old blog: http://brandondandkatelyn.blogpot.com and current blog is http://twiceblessedtwice.blogspot.com
It just seemed time to start a family blog, whereas the other one had it's beginnings as a means of communicating with many people in one place about any news of the twins.
I know that I will get better soon. My boys, Tobe and Bo know it too, as they got a long walk yesterday, and are pooped out today. They are so great, and during these times when I'm too exhausted to walk to the bus to go see my family, and Amy is so busy she can't come to me, my boys keep me sane. They always have; well, Tobe for 9and a half years, and Bo for 2 and a half. Bo has turned out to be the sweetest dog. He is just a love, and snuggles; Tobe is a very sweet boy as well, but not big on snuggling. He's always been his own little man.
I had been psyching myself up for getting myself to my Doctor appt. tomorrow, getting my school work done in time that I could help Amy NEXT week when Brent would be gone. I just spoke with her and found out that he left yesterday. I just feel awful. I want so much to help, but for months I've been no good to her. When the boys started Kindergarten, every Wed. I went up to be with them. They read to me, and I to them. Then I got too sick to go every week. At Christmas, Amy and I had talked about going to Breakfast one Sat. a month, just the two of us. Since I'm not out of bed these days before 2pm, that would be quite difficult, thus it hasn't happened. I can't help it, but I feel awful anyway. I was taking care of myself before this started. It was after, when I haven't had the energy, that I haven't done such a bang up job. If anyone out there has Fibro, or any of the Invisible Chronic Illnesses (ICI- yes, it is a terminology used in medicine), you understand. If you don't, you can't. Unless, you have had a bad case of the flu you hurt all over,you feel feverish and you are so tired you just can hardly get out of bed. Women with families have to. I thought going to school would keep me well. It did the opposite. I know the moment when I let myself get over the stress line to illness. It was the week I had to go do a face to face interview with someone working in the field I am going into- executive coaching. I had no professional attire, I was going to have to get rides, there and back, and it was just so humiliating. That was week 7 and that's when I collapsed. I remember because I got sick the day after the interview and couldn't get my work done that week. And I got worse before I got to where I could think again. It's just frustrating. This isn't how it was supposed to be!
I moved here for two reasons: to be with my daughter and grandchildren, and to help her; and to be in a place where it would be easier to keep my faith, and the commandments inherent in being LDS(Mormon). I am doing the latter relatively well - no smoking, drinking alcohol or coffee, paying an honest tithe monthly and going to church and magnifying my calling. The last two are affected by my health, and consequently since October and November, my attendance has dropped dramatically. Foot surgery (twice) botched, leaving me with foot pain, and a back procedure promised to leave me pain free for a year, that did absolutely nothing. If anything, my back is worse. And more recently the fibro flare. With a laptop, I can do school being ill to a certain degree. But going to and sitting through church is more taxing and harder to do. For example, I am typing this post in full recline mode, on the heating pad. If I could go to church online I would have it made!
Ah, the ramblings of an old woman living alone. I go days talking to no one, weeks not seeing anyone sometimes. But I am excited to go to the doctor, and hopefully, get a Rx for the newest Fibromyalgia drug, Savella - very promising. Works like Cymbalta (also approved for the treatment of Fibromyalgia, as is Lyrica), in that it is an SNRI (Seritonin and Norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor), but works on people that cymbalta did not. I have tried Cymbalta, at the highest dosage, and noticed no difference. But..it was winter. All bets off in the winter, even in Utah where it is dry and mostly without wind, so the cold is very tolerable - and mostly pretty - since it is accompanied by snow almost all winter! Loved that! Anyway, Lyrica made me crazy and asleep. So it's time to try the next. I must exercise and eat better as well. I've been in no eat mode. Living alone, with no in home help, it is circular. I feel so bad I don't get out of bed to cook, so I eat junk. Sweets and bad carbs. And cheese. So then because of my diet being poor I become more ill. Then I'm even less inclined to cook. Finally started eating at least one deli chicken and cheese sandwich on good whole wheat bread daily, and drinking at least 8 oz of V8 fruit and vegetable juice (1 serving of each out of each 8 oz glass). Feel a bit better.
I want to start sharing here the books I am reading and excited about. So, here goes. No matter what I am always reading something. I'm in bed a lot these days, and have to take a break from school and sleep occasionally! So here is my current reading pile...I mean list:
1. Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book is so wonderful; I feel like I am getting to know my Savior up close and personal. Talmage's treatise was written in an upper room in the Temple in Salt Lake City, UT, published in 1973. This is heavy reading. It took me 10 false starts before I picked it up one day and can't wait to get back to it once I've put it down. I'm only halfway through, and have read many chapters twice, and every footnote as well. I feel closer to Jesus now that ever. When I say he is my savior, I know what that means in a deeper more meaningful way. Don't go through life without reading this. (and the Bible and the Book of Mormon; read it through once just to see what all the hoopla is about!
2. Taming Your Gremlin:A Surprisingly Simple Method of Getting Out of Your Own Way. By Rick Carson. Original book written 20 years ago, this is an updated, revised and value-added version.
3. Outliers; the story of success. By Malcolm Gladwell. Just came out. Gladwell is well known mostly for his book The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference, but also for Blink: the power of thinking without thinking. Outliers, what I know so far, is about people who are extraordinary in someway (Benjamin Franklin, for example), and what they have in common. Blink was excellent - read it about 3 years ago. So I am excited to read this one.
4.Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore. Whitmore is the father of coaching in some ways. My PhD that I am working on is in Psychology, specifically in Industrial and Organizational Psychology; known as I/O Psych. My concentration is executive coaching, which means I will go into major corporations and do individual and group coaching with executives, CEO's, etc., to help them when they are having difficulty, say with their team being aligned against him over some incident, and he can't get things shifted back. The investment of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars weekly for a good executive coach is well worth the money in time and productivity that is going down the drain.
And by the way, I have a friend in Kansas, that I have done a horrible job of keeping up with. I miss her calls, and don't listen to my messages. Lori, if you see this, I love you, and miss you, and think of you daily when I hug Bo. Here are some pics of our last night together before I left. I am still your friend; just a lousy one. I will do better! Here we are - the proverbial photo when no one is there to take one for you! And you with our Bo...He misses his Aunt Lori, I think even more than Tobe.
I will stop here. I do want to tell any reader(s) that I found the greatest blogs:
http://www.UrbanMonk.net is one, another is
http://www.illuminatedmind.net/, and the third is http://zenhabits.net/
I know. They don't sound like the blogs I would read. But if you've known me along time, you know that I find the gospel in zen. Don't ask.
Good afternoon, and I will see you here next month! Or who knows; maybe sooner!
First, and foremost, the fun. Here are some recent photos of my family. Okay, some not so recent. You can go to their blog and see them, but for any readers who don't, here are a few.
For a real photo treat of the family, please go to http://twiceblessedtwice.blogspot.com/
and see them all!
So, on with the post. It will undoubtedly be long, since I post once every two-six months, on average. Since I last posted, I have had a Fibromyalgia flare of relatively large magnitude. Maybe a 5.8 on the Richter scale. So tired and hurt so bad. The strongest thing I take these days for pain is Naproxen and Tylenol. At least my head is a little bit clearer.
I had to take an incomplete in my first class, and am not happy about it. I am getting there, in terms of being caught up; I had 8 assignments left, and now I have 4, so halfway there, but increasingly more able to think clearly. But I'm scared. No one can tell me for certain that I can go to school next quarter, or tell me when the work has to be done by to do so. So I'm just doing my best to get it done, and done well, as there were assignments that couldn't be made up due to the nature of online education (classroom participation that is locked after the assignment is completed). Think good thoughts, please?
I had a scare week before last. On a Tues, and again on Thurs. I had episodes much like ones I used to have years ago, which turned out to be medication toxicity, or clash of medications. I am on so little now, by comparison, I don't think this was it. But the first one was so bad, I could not stay cognizant long enough to call Amy, which was scary. I'm chalking this up to being a result of being, a) anemic; b) very low Vt D, c) very low potassium, and last and most importantly, very low cortisol. The symptoms, I realized were those of Addison's, and I had been having other symptoms and not identifying them. So back on the higher doses of Prednisone until I get leveled out. I am just so tired. But I will not give up this easy. Next student loan, end of April; with the extra funds I will be purchasing a vehicle for the first time in over 10 years. Yep, December, 1998 was the last time I owned my own vehicle. It won't be grand, as I must squeeze 3-6 months of insurance out of the funds, plus savings for gas and upkeep. Plus $ to family (money owed). So I am excited, as much as one can be on a day when, even if I had a car, it would be a "no drive" day with the "fibro fog" being so bad. No drive days will be those when I am either too exhausted, thinking clouded by fatigue or medication, just not myself. So that means about 60% of the time I can drive, right now. But I will be well be June, when it's warm, and I'm walking more, and then it will be more like 90%. YEAH!!!
My daughter and her family have a wonderful blog. They write in it much more frequently, and if you go all the way back to June 2007 in their old blog, you can read the story of the miracle babies; twins born at 28 weeks, one with a bowel obstruction, pulmonary problems, not to mention having a stroke at 2 months of age - It is a heart wrenching and heartwarming story. Old blog: http://brandondandkatelyn.blogpot.com and current blog is http://twiceblessedtwice.blogspot.com
It just seemed time to start a family blog, whereas the other one had it's beginnings as a means of communicating with many people in one place about any news of the twins.
I know that I will get better soon. My boys, Tobe and Bo know it too, as they got a long walk yesterday, and are pooped out today. They are so great, and during these times when I'm too exhausted to walk to the bus to go see my family, and Amy is so busy she can't come to me, my boys keep me sane. They always have; well, Tobe for 9and a half years, and Bo for 2 and a half. Bo has turned out to be the sweetest dog. He is just a love, and snuggles; Tobe is a very sweet boy as well, but not big on snuggling. He's always been his own little man.
I had been psyching myself up for getting myself to my Doctor appt. tomorrow, getting my school work done in time that I could help Amy NEXT week when Brent would be gone. I just spoke with her and found out that he left yesterday. I just feel awful. I want so much to help, but for months I've been no good to her. When the boys started Kindergarten, every Wed. I went up to be with them. They read to me, and I to them. Then I got too sick to go every week. At Christmas, Amy and I had talked about going to Breakfast one Sat. a month, just the two of us. Since I'm not out of bed these days before 2pm, that would be quite difficult, thus it hasn't happened. I can't help it, but I feel awful anyway. I was taking care of myself before this started. It was after, when I haven't had the energy, that I haven't done such a bang up job. If anyone out there has Fibro, or any of the Invisible Chronic Illnesses (ICI- yes, it is a terminology used in medicine), you understand. If you don't, you can't. Unless, you have had a bad case of the flu you hurt all over,you feel feverish and you are so tired you just can hardly get out of bed. Women with families have to. I thought going to school would keep me well. It did the opposite. I know the moment when I let myself get over the stress line to illness. It was the week I had to go do a face to face interview with someone working in the field I am going into- executive coaching. I had no professional attire, I was going to have to get rides, there and back, and it was just so humiliating. That was week 7 and that's when I collapsed. I remember because I got sick the day after the interview and couldn't get my work done that week. And I got worse before I got to where I could think again. It's just frustrating. This isn't how it was supposed to be!
I moved here for two reasons: to be with my daughter and grandchildren, and to help her; and to be in a place where it would be easier to keep my faith, and the commandments inherent in being LDS(Mormon). I am doing the latter relatively well - no smoking, drinking alcohol or coffee, paying an honest tithe monthly and going to church and magnifying my calling. The last two are affected by my health, and consequently since October and November, my attendance has dropped dramatically. Foot surgery (twice) botched, leaving me with foot pain, and a back procedure promised to leave me pain free for a year, that did absolutely nothing. If anything, my back is worse. And more recently the fibro flare. With a laptop, I can do school being ill to a certain degree. But going to and sitting through church is more taxing and harder to do. For example, I am typing this post in full recline mode, on the heating pad. If I could go to church online I would have it made!
Ah, the ramblings of an old woman living alone. I go days talking to no one, weeks not seeing anyone sometimes. But I am excited to go to the doctor, and hopefully, get a Rx for the newest Fibromyalgia drug, Savella - very promising. Works like Cymbalta (also approved for the treatment of Fibromyalgia, as is Lyrica), in that it is an SNRI (Seritonin and Norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor), but works on people that cymbalta did not. I have tried Cymbalta, at the highest dosage, and noticed no difference. But..it was winter. All bets off in the winter, even in Utah where it is dry and mostly without wind, so the cold is very tolerable - and mostly pretty - since it is accompanied by snow almost all winter! Loved that! Anyway, Lyrica made me crazy and asleep. So it's time to try the next. I must exercise and eat better as well. I've been in no eat mode. Living alone, with no in home help, it is circular. I feel so bad I don't get out of bed to cook, so I eat junk. Sweets and bad carbs. And cheese. So then because of my diet being poor I become more ill. Then I'm even less inclined to cook. Finally started eating at least one deli chicken and cheese sandwich on good whole wheat bread daily, and drinking at least 8 oz of V8 fruit and vegetable juice (1 serving of each out of each 8 oz glass). Feel a bit better.
I want to start sharing here the books I am reading and excited about. So, here goes. No matter what I am always reading something. I'm in bed a lot these days, and have to take a break from school and sleep occasionally! So here is my current reading pile...I mean list:
1. Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book is so wonderful; I feel like I am getting to know my Savior up close and personal. Talmage's treatise was written in an upper room in the Temple in Salt Lake City, UT, published in 1973. This is heavy reading. It took me 10 false starts before I picked it up one day and can't wait to get back to it once I've put it down. I'm only halfway through, and have read many chapters twice, and every footnote as well. I feel closer to Jesus now that ever. When I say he is my savior, I know what that means in a deeper more meaningful way. Don't go through life without reading this. (and the Bible and the Book of Mormon; read it through once just to see what all the hoopla is about!
2. Taming Your Gremlin:A Surprisingly Simple Method of Getting Out of Your Own Way. By Rick Carson. Original book written 20 years ago, this is an updated, revised and value-added version.
3. Outliers; the story of success. By Malcolm Gladwell. Just came out. Gladwell is well known mostly for his book The Tipping Point: How little things can make a big difference, but also for Blink: the power of thinking without thinking. Outliers, what I know so far, is about people who are extraordinary in someway (Benjamin Franklin, for example), and what they have in common. Blink was excellent - read it about 3 years ago. So I am excited to read this one.
4.Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore. Whitmore is the father of coaching in some ways. My PhD that I am working on is in Psychology, specifically in Industrial and Organizational Psychology; known as I/O Psych. My concentration is executive coaching, which means I will go into major corporations and do individual and group coaching with executives, CEO's, etc., to help them when they are having difficulty, say with their team being aligned against him over some incident, and he can't get things shifted back. The investment of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars weekly for a good executive coach is well worth the money in time and productivity that is going down the drain.
And by the way, I have a friend in Kansas, that I have done a horrible job of keeping up with. I miss her calls, and don't listen to my messages. Lori, if you see this, I love you, and miss you, and think of you daily when I hug Bo. Here are some pics of our last night together before I left. I am still your friend; just a lousy one. I will do better! Here we are - the proverbial photo when no one is there to take one for you! And you with our Bo...He misses his Aunt Lori, I think even more than Tobe.
I will stop here. I do want to tell any reader(s) that I found the greatest blogs:
http://www.UrbanMonk.net is one, another is
http://www.illuminatedmind.net/, and the third is http://zenhabits.net/
I know. They don't sound like the blogs I would read. But if you've known me along time, you know that I find the gospel in zen. Don't ask.
Good afternoon, and I will see you here next month! Or who knows; maybe sooner!
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