AuburnChick's Adventures

Self-care may seem indulgent, but in reality, it’s integral to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Can I get an amen?

Yesterday, I indulged in a bit of this.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating.  I adore my hairdresser.  She’s incredibly kind, sassy as all get out, and curses like a rated R movie.  This girl does not play.  She speaks my language (except for the cursing part).

When I got to her salon, she commented on my hair and how great it looked.

Y’all, I should have taken a picture of it.  Although I had showered, I had not washed it.  I mean, why if I was getting it taken care of anyhow?

I hadn’t even brushed it.

Yep.  I go out in public with bed head.  There.  I admitted it.  The truth is that when you have naturally curly hair, a brush will ruin it.  Hello humidity and frizz!

She loved it though and thought I’d purposely styled it that way.  She’s used to seeing me with my hair straightened.

I was feeling like I should be on a Prell commercial . . . except for the forehead bandage thing.

Ahem.

Anyhoo, she began to work her magic, and I sat in her chair enjoying the pampering.

She has a son who will be starting high school next month.  He’s attending the school where I teach, so we are both excited.  In fact, she has told me that it’s largely due to our conversations over the years about my teaching there that led her to the decision to enroll him in our AICE (advanced) program.  Plus, knowing that I’m there will be a comfort to her.

All the feels, y’all.

We were the only ones in the salon, so we chatted to our hearts’ content without interruption, except when she moved me to the hair dryer.

I had not been feeling well yesterday – the ever-simmering headache was worse than the day before – but as I sat under that dryer, I started to feel better.  I later learned, from a text from Super Sis, that she’d asked her church’s leadership to pray for me during one of their meetings (she works at her church and was at the meeting).  I’m fully convinced that God provided relief at the exact time they were praying – no coincidence there.

I think my favorite part of a day at the hair salon is the actual hair washing.  It’s akin to having a pedicure without the ticklish feet part.  I could have taken a nap at this point.

Our fun continued as she proceeded to cut and style my hair.  When you’ve got hair like mine and can get it blown out straight – well – there’s something soothing about it.  You know what I mean – the pulling out of each section of hair on the round brush.  There’s a rhythm to it that’s as hypnotic as a lullaby.

Pampering at its best, y’all.

I hugged Dana goodbye as I told her to send me her son’s schedule.  She’s probably going to give me a bag of snacks for him – one I’ll keep in my closet at school so if he gets hungry, he can grab something.  I love being a school mama for my friends’ children.  ❤

I felt almost brand new as I headed home.  Not only had my hair been lightened but my mood had been as well.

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First of all, a special thanks to so many of my friends wishing me well on my head mishap.  Not one single person has made me feel embarrassed about it.

So, as I’m writing this, I’m on Day four of recovery, and wow.  Just wow.

Y’all, I really hit that wall hard and am still feeling the effects of it.

After getting home on Tuesday, all I wanted to do was sleep; however, the doctor had strongly advised against that, so instead, I cooked.

I made the Mr. some Homemade Beef Burgers and some Roasted Butternut Squash with Bacon and Thyme, which are Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) friendly.

Pre-cooking

The links above go to a new-to-me website I recently discovered.

He’d eaten his last piece of cake, so I whipped up these White Chocolate Biscuit Cakes.

Some time back, I’d randomly purchased cacao butter for a recipe that I’ve since lost sight of.  The Mr. cannot have chocolate, but he can have the cacao butter, which is supposed to mimic the taste of chocolate.

After sitting in the freezer for a few hours, this is what one of the cakes looks like . . .

He is loving them!  They’re different from what he usually eats.  Win!

Now, I’ve got to tell you that the no-working-out mandate from the doctor was frustrating, even that first day.

Y’all, I have come sooooo far in my fitness!  The 80 Day Obsession program I’ve been doing (and have five days left of) has been so wonderful!  I know I’ve said this a few times already, but I’m serious!  I haven’t felt this strong in a long time and look at my abs . . .

I didn’t know that my abs could curve in like that at the top!

Can you see why taking time off from my fitness regimen was a hard pill to swallow?  I hate setbacks.  Sigh.

I decided to put on my wireless ear buds and slowly walk around the house for some safe cardio . . .

Yeah, I was icing my head too – I’m such a multi-tasker.

I sent the video to Rebecca.  We were texting each other, commiserating with one another’s physical ailments.

After my walk, I took a nap in my chair before putting the finishing touches on the Mr.’s dinner.  Then, I stayed up late watching Thor.  What a funny movie!

On Wednesday, I drove to the school and delivered some chocolate chip muffins to my friend, LeAnne.  She had texted me the evening before to see how I was doing.  She’s my dessert taste-tester, which is why I took the muffins to her the next day.  Plus, I had not seen her all summer, and I’d missed her.

She told me that she’s forever doing stuff like me, only I seem to hurt myself much more worse than she does.

What can I say?  I guess I’m just talented.

Ahem.

On the way home, I picked up a sandwich, which I’d been craving since the day before.  I sent this picture to Rebecca, who’d texted to see how I was doing.

You can still see the knot peeking out from the bottom of my bandage.

When I got home, I went for my “walk” around the house.  Pele thought I had lost my mind.  Not quite, darlin’, but I think I left part of it on that wall at school.

Y’all, the dogs were soooooo funny!  They started following me, so I had to video them . . .

You can hear me laugh a few times.  They were too cute!

They finally gave up after thirty minutes; I walked for over an hour.

Well, I was tired after and settled in for another nap in my chair.

I think I got up and washed dishes at some point.  I honestly can’t remember how the rest of my afternoon went.  I think I chatted with Super Sis on the phone.  We had quite the conversation as I gave her the 4-1-1 (hey Megan, look at me typing this correctly – not the 411) on my accident.

I can always count on Super Sis’s heartfelt laughter in exactly the right places.

Thursday morning, I woke up feeling puny again (this seems to be the story of my life lately), so I decided to make perfume using some of my essential oils.  It actually wasn’t that hard, and it was fun too!  I’m going to post details about that tomorrow, so check back then if you’re interested (I’m not selling anything!).

I think it was about this time when my friend, Barb, called.  She wanted to check on how I was doing after reading my blog that morning.  She also wanted to know if I was attending her son and daughter-in-law’s gender reveal.  The e-vite had not found its way to my inbox, perhaps stuck in a spam folder.

With late afternoon plans in mind, I decided I needed to get my walk done, since I’d come to the conclusion that it would probably be best to give myself a week off from any strenuous workouts.

Afterward, it was time for a quick shower, a gentle hair washing – no giggling of the head because oy, but it was hurting, and a short nap.

Then, I dressed up, put on a bit of makeup, and headed out to Barb’s shindig.  She lives less than ten minutes from me, so the drive was short and completely do-able given the ongoing headache I’d been suffering from.

What fun I had!  It was great to get out, see those precious young people who I’ve had the pleasure of watching grow up over the years, and celebrate their surprise and joy of finding out that they’re having a GIRL!  I also got to see a young lady who played soccer with Chicky at Southeastern.  She was at the gender reveal, and she’s expecting her own little one in a few months!

On Friday, I went for my walk again and finished up right as Megan texted me.  We’d made plans to do lunch, but we were able to go an hour earlier when she changed up her schedule.  She picked me up, and we visited one of our favorite Thai restaurants in town.  What a luxury to be able to eat at our own pace!  I adore this sweet friend of mine and love getting to spend time with her.  There’s always a lot of laughter involved.

I sure would appreciate y’all’s prayers.  Although the doctor said that I don’t have a concussion, I’m not 100% convinced.  I think the medicine I was prescribed is taking the edge off of the pain, but there’s constant pressure in the front of my head and some around the back.  I just don’t feel like myself.

I know it will get better, but I am short on patience in that department.  Not that you wouldn’t know that from reading my ankle posts.  Ha!

Thanks, everyone!

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Oh Tuesday, can I please get a do-over?

Y’all, I promise you that I do not wake up in the morning, decide that I need something entertaining for my blog, and then purposely walk into trouble.

Somehow, the Universe just knows that things need to be spiced up and BAM, life happens.

So Tuesday.

I slept in.  Duh.  It’s summer vacation.

I got up, dressed for my workout, and headed out the door.  I needed to pay the water bill, run to the grocery store, and stop by my school to ask an administrator a couple of questions.

My agenda really was simple.

In theory.

I got my first two tasks done without any issues and headed to the school.

Y’all, I should have gone back home.

I chit chatted with a couple of teachers, popped my head in to say hello to an administrator (not the one I had gone to talk to), and then decided to run back in and say one more thing to one of the teachers I’d seen earlier.

I waved goodbye, turned to head out, and found myself stopped in my tracks . . .

By the corner of a cement wall.

Oh yes I did.

I’d forgotten that some of the classrooms have walls that jut out.

I knew I’d hit it pretty hard because I got a headache instantly.

I put my hand up to my forehead, and when I pulled it back, there was blood on my fingers.

Oh word, but this was not looking good.

I quickly walked to the bathroom in the main office, and when I looked into the mirror, I was stunned.

Oh yes I did.

I’d hit myself squarely in the middle of my forehead, along with my nose and mouth. I am fortunate that I didn’t break my nose.

I was in a lot of pain and wasn’t sure if I needed to get it stitched up.

I walked back to the classroom my friend was in and called for her to come out.  She ambled out until she saw my head and said, “OMG.”

It was bad.

We walked to the office together and raided the nurse’s stash of gauze and tape but then began a quick discussion about what I should do . . . stitches or not?  We decided to ask the opinion of the administrator I’d talked to earlier.

I was mortified and started crying again.  It was all just so embarrassing.

Of course, because I’m Auburnchick and have NO luck whatsoever, the administrator had an office full of people.

So I had to let all of them see me with my forehead like that.  She’s got grown children and grandchildren and has been in education awhile.  She’s seen a lot.

She immediately told me that I needed stitches but advised me to go to our wellness clinic (my district offers this to its employees) to let them check.

Megan bandaged me up before I left.

I think if teaching doesn’t work out for her, she should go into the medical profession.  Mad skills, y’all.

Y’all, I had a bag full of groceries in the car, and I still was undecided about my next course of action.  I didn’t want to go to the ER, and I didn’t want to go to my doctor (I’m going to find a new one because she was very rude to me during my last appointment).

I drove to the wellness clinic but called the Mr. on the way.  He hadn’t seen the pictures I’d sent from the school yet, and at first, he thought I was kidding.

He called me back a few minutes later after he got the pictures and was not a happy guy.

He informed me that I am more of a danger to myself than anything else.

Ya think?

He hung up but then called back with the name of a plastic surgeon he wanted me to call.  Then, the Mr. sent me this message . . .

It’s a good thing I wasn’t feeling good because that husband of mine would have gotten sucker punched the next time I saw him.  Turd.

I looked up the number and bless their hearts, they asked if I could be there in thirty minutes.

Living in Podunk City has its benefits.  I was able to drive home, throw my perishables in the refrigerator, apply deodorant (because it’s summer and I might have forgotten earlier), and make it to the doctor’s office.

When I pulled up, I saw the Mr.’s car in the lot.

Bless his heart.

He is a good man.  I had not asked him to meet me there, but he did anyway.

He shook his head when he saw me.

Now, you have to understand something.  At that point, we were a hot mess of a couple.  He was sporting his own bandages.  Last week, he had a bit of skin cancer removed from his face – his first ever – and he’d had stitches and was still covered up.

Bless both of our hearts!

The doctor’s office was hopping.  The nurse told me that I was lucky that they were there.  He’s not always in the office.  He’s a busy doctor in these here parts, you see.

So yeah, I guess I can get lucky every now and then, or rather, I’ll say that God orchestrated that because I don’t believe in luck.

As soon as the doctor saw my head, he ordered the Mr. out of the room, announcing, “We’re doing surgery – right now – and you can’t be in here.”  He was very concerned about infection as well.

Boy, that chair went back fast, and the doctor stuck the numbing needle with the warning that it would hurt.

After living through a triple ankle fracture, it was nothing.

Perspective is everything.

I’d never met this doctor before; I was in for a treat.  He talked to me the entire time.  He cussed a lot.

Ahem.

I kept telling him how stupid I felt.

He said, “Sh$t happens.  You get through it.  The important thing is that you live.”

He must have said, “Sh$t happens” numerous times.  That was going to be the title of this post, but I didn’t want to offend anyone.

How true were his words, though.

I told him I was going to write a blog post about this, and he laughed.

He even counted the stitches for me

Ten, y’all.  Because I’m an overachiever.

Sigh.

Before he put my bandage on, he told me to take a picture for my blog.

Notice all of that swelling?  I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that I’d hit that wall hard.  I am so fortunate that I didn’t break my nose.  It hurt like crap!

I asked if I had a concussion because my neck was hurting, and I was very nauseous.  He said that he didn’t think so since I wasn’t throwing up or having seizures, but he advised me to stay awake for the afternoon.

Good thing he said that because I was ready to go home and take a nap.

I got a flesh-colored bandage that won’t need to be changed because it’s shower-proof.

He prescribed some amped up Motrin and an antibiotic and advised me to apply ice to it when I got home.

He also told me that I couldn’t work out for TWO WHOLE DAYS.  That was the worst part about the entire thing!  I told him that I had rings to close.  He didn’t understand what I was talking about.

Meanwhile, he started chatting with the Mr. and noticed his homemade bandage job, as did the nurse.  Well, they couldn’t have that, and they made him sit in the chair and fixed him up with a new one – one that was waterproof.  Then, they proceeded to talk for a long time about people they both knew.

The doctor liked us.  He told us that we now had VIP cards to his office – if we ever needed anything just to call.

Networking – silver linings, y’all.

Finding joy in the journey continues to be my mantra, it would seem.

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