Back to School

Last week I spent most of the week trying to walk for exercise followed by a long naps. I was basically whipped out for the day after walking. It was the first time that I really tried to exercise in a long time. I'm almost back to eating normal foods besides a hamburger. I still can't have caffeine as I get a headache from the smallest amounts.

Over the weekend my dad and I went to Brainerd to race. The weather was perfect for racing and a little cool at night. For me it was a great weekend going down the race track, knitting, napping, and eating ice cream I can't ask for much more. On Friday I went shopping with Vicki Tercero, we went to Among the Pines (one of my favorite yarn shops) and a few other places, on one of our last stops we stopped at the liquor store and saw former Senator Norm Coleman buying wine. They had a lot of nice cars up at the track. MSRA (Minnesota Street Rod Association) rents the track every year for one weekend for the MSRA members. The first picture (the gray car) is of me racing and the second picture is of my dad drag racing.

This week I started back at school. I can tell you that it's nice trying to get back on schedule, but I'm still suffering from fatigue. I come home every night tired. My dad keeps reminding me to go to bed. You can tell who your friends are when they tell you at 10:00 am that you look really tired. I was a morning person prior to March, now I have a hard time moving in the morning (actually anytime I wake up). The doctors told me I can have fatigue for anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years.

After many questions about the H1N1 virus and myself. I called the doctors office to see what I should be watching for and if I should get the shot. They basically said to use common sense (watch my diet, get enough sleep, exercise, etc.). I can get the shot only if it's a dead virus.

Also last week I was informed that one of the girls (12 years old) that I worked with when I was a youth director at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Osseo was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA). SAA is a condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells. The bone marrow becomes sick. Blood consists of three basic components that sustain life: white blood cells (to fight infection), red blood cells (carry oxygen), and platelet cells (control clotting). When all three components are affected, this is the development of Aplastic Anemia. She is currently at the University of Minnesota waiting a Bone Marrow Transplant which is the only cure. Her brother will be her donor. She will spend a minimum of 6 weeks in the hospital. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Have a great Labor Day weekend
Anna