Migraines

There are definitely some less-than-awesome things that I am prone to health-wise.  For one, my asthma makes it pretty imperative that I get my annual flu shot, and even still, I've had a serious bought of walking pneumonia or bronchitis every other year since I was a sophomore in high school. Lucky for me, this is destine to be that year.  :-(

One of the other, far more inconvenient, things I suffer from are chronic migraines.  Starting in college, they tend to be significantly worse around "that time of the month," but I seem to have cluster and migraine headaches regardless of my cycle, and sinus headaches accompany many of my head colds.

It's especially irritating because I have varied  warning that a migraine is coming.  I rarely have an aura, but my neck becomes very stiff and I find myself stretching in from side to side frequently throughout the day without really thinking about it.  As soon as I notice that, I know the migraine will be arriving soon.  Similarly, once I am suffering, my neck is the one thing that sees no relief from my medications.  Even once I've managed the pain in my head, my neck is still.  It's not until my neck begins to feel normal, that I know I'm in the clear.

This morning, I have a particularly intense migraine.  I had my coworkers over last night to celebrate the Giants being in the World Series, and we made tacos and did a potluck.  Of course, with six girls socializing outside of work, we ended up hanging out and drinking margaritas more than watching the game.  But that was okay.  Sam was called in to operate, so I stayed up reading to wait for him.  We finally went to bed around 11:00, and I passed out thanks to the sinus congestion that has been zapping my energy the past couple of days.

Well, around 4:50 a.m., Hunter woke me up pawing at his water dish in our bathroom.  He does that to let me know when he's out of water and thirsty during the night.  Sure enough, as soon as I came to consciousness, I was in pain.  Deep, hemispheric pain that seemed to be radiating all the way down the left side of my extraordinarily stiff neck.  Waves of nausea were washing over me.

I sat up and the pain intensified, making it to the bathroom, bracing myself against the counter as I leaned down to pick up the bowl and then down to put the full bowl on the floor.  I reached into the medicine cabinet to find the Excedrin, my go-to over-the-counter method of relief.  I may have gone back to sleep, but at 5:30, Hunter was scratching on the front door to be taken out to go to the bathroom, and I figured it was well enough that I got up anyway.  My head didn't feel significantly better, which it usually does within half an hour after medicating myself.

Hunter and I headed downstairs and I was aware of the sensitivity I had to the lights on the buildings. When we came back upstairs, I dug into my purse and found my prescription strength migraine medication.  Then I settled in on the couch to wait.  Again, it takes about thirty minutes to kick in.

Around 6:00, Sam came out to find me sitting on the couch with my laptop and he inquired as to why I was up, and not in bed.  We chatted a bit and he proceeded to get on with his day.  Just before he left, he said that I didn't look well and he hoped I was feeling better by this evening.  I doubt that will be the case.  My head feels not quite right - not painful anymore, but not quite right, and my neck is still stiff.  From experience, I know that even if this episode is over, there will be another one on the way.

I'm a Wife!

Two months ago, on August 16, Sam and I tied the knot.

It's odd, because on one hand, nothing has changed between us.  On the other, everything in my life seems just a bit different.

It has taken some getting used to, but I'm finally remembering to use my new last name when I'm on the phone at work.  I still need to switch over my voicemail on my cell phone... something to do this week I suppose.  I did send out a mass email with my new gmail account honoring my name change.  I'm still using my original email too, but I figured it was best to start using the other moving forward.

Sam and I have been having much more serious conversations about finances, and he has some ideas about how I can do a better job of saving money.  At first I rebelled against his advice, but then I realized that he is far more interested in money management than I am, and he's taking the time to research solutions and advise me.

Sam put me on his healthcare at work... so I am now officially a dependent spouse.

I also notice that my family has taken to calling me Mrs. Galle, which is sort of odd because it makes me hyper aware that I no longer share the same last name as they do.

And at the same time, we're still happy to see one another at the end of the work day.  We're still working out the same issues we always have that come with spending time with both sides of the family at the holidays.  So much of our daily lives are the same, and yet the little details seem to change.  I will tell you this, not planning a wedding has been WONDERFUL!

Bridal Wisdom

This meme pretty much sums up how I'm feeling right now... only 10 days to go!

Just a couple more things to knock off the To Do list and I'll be good to go.

And Xanax totally counts and "Something Blue."

Open Bar Wedding

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!!

I can't believe how fast the time has gone by!

And having an open bar was the one thing my Dad requested... 

Hey, when you're footing the bill we accommodate you as best we can!

Bridezilla

So, I finally had my first major bridezilla moment.

Sam had asked me to book our string trio a few weeks ago.  I emailed our signed contract and method of payment to the contact person Sam had been working with.  The person responded to me, and I assumed that meant they had gotten the attached contract.

No sir.  It did not.

For the past two weeks, Sam has been mentioning to me that the payment never came through on his credit card.  He had been copied on the email, which I reminded him, and I suggested that he follow up.

Today, Sam heard back from the vendor that they hadn't received our payment information.  Which Sam then texted me.  Oh no, sir.  Think again.  I went back into my emails and forwarded the email I had sent containing the contract and payment again copying Sam and sending it to our contact person.

I wrote a slightly snotty, aggressive email about how I "assumed" that the attachment had been received when the contact responded to my original email but would someone please let me know the payment had been received.

I then called Sam and in a rather terse tone, let him know that he'd been copied on the email and should now follow up and confirm with the contact that it had been received.  It was one of the few times that I have heard Sam recoil on the phone.  I am relatively sure it's the first time I've had a full-blown bridezilla moment because Sam quite literally said, "Okay, I think we're okay," and then got the hell off the phone.

The vendor quickly responded that all was well and he'd missed the attachment.

And it was not my proudest moment, but I am assured that many of us brides lose our sense of sanity at one point of another and it's perfectly normal.  For now, I'm going to try to get the crazy locked down and keep trucking on my To Do lists.

Summer 2014

I love summer, but 2014 is going to be a big one!

This summertime, I am a bride, having the experience of a lifetime, surrounded by my family and friends and overwhelmed with the unconditional love that has been so prevalent during the wedding planning process.  

Our wedding is set for August and so far almost everything we've experienced has been fun - at least to some degree!  We're planning our wedding, one of the sweetest chapters in our love story, and looking toward the future.  Yes, wedding planning has been hard work, but life is full of hard work!  That's what makes us appreciate the fun times!  

Over the past 10 months of our engagement, Sam and I have done a lot of growing up.  We've really begun to make plans for our future together as our own little family unit and I am so excited to see what's in store for us!  

2 Months To Go!