SoapNights / Kristin Nicole

Sick all the time? I know I feel like I’m sick all the time. I just got the tonsillectomy to help prevent me from getting sick all the time and just as I’m just starting to feel better, BAMB! I’m sick again/already.

Getting sick…

I feel like I am stuck in this place where you can’t help but get sick, and no matter what you do you’ll just be sick. If it’s not a cold, it’s the stomach, if it’s not that it’s the throat. This time my throat hurt the only difference I didn’t have my tonsils in the way of getting swollen this time, but never the less, still hurt. My nose is stuffy and I just feel crappy. Now I am starting with that dry cough. Great that’s all I need.

Doom & Gloom

Okay so I am a little bit of a doom and gloom kind of girl today. I can’t help it though I feel like crap and I had to come to work because I hate to be missing so many days especially after I missed days with my surgery. Lucky for me though it’s slow this month so I haven’t really missed much while I’m gone. Point though, is that I hate missing, looks bad. So I’m here, with meds on my desk, and tissue paper and water. I look like a little viejita. Wonderful!

Any remedies?

I have been taking airborne and Mucinex along with vitamins. My boyfriend brought me some of his vitamins from the Animal Pack. I hate taking those horse pills, but if I can get better faster, Bring it on! Today I’m trying zicam since I ran out of airborne, they are pretty much the same thing. I just need something to work, and fast because Saturday I plan on going to the Fair, to eat and watch the shows. I need to eat! If you aren’t from Miami, I am not sure if you have an annual fair that comes once a year, but this is it. I have been waiting and my boyfriends been waiting for the elephant ears for a year now. I must go. SO…..

Think Positive

Thinking positive. Feeling good, feeling great. This weekend I’ll be ready for the Fair.

Wish me luck folks…..I think I’ll need it.

XO,
Kristin Nicole

Some people don’t imagine their children will runaway, some can’t comprehend why children runaway, but some children feel the need to run away. We hope this doesn’t happen, and we don’t want it to happen, but it does. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing that there is a place your children can go to if this does happen?

Key West Center Project Lighthouse

A women by the name of Andrea Grace Quigley at the age of 20 ran away from home all the way from New Jersey to Key West. She left to escape a home filled of sadness, her mom was dying of cancer and her dad was cancer–stricken another part of her just wanted change. She wanted to find herself.

She only had a few dollars on her and went to the movies, she fell asleep and woke up when the movie finished and began to cry. Andrea says ”I didn’t want to walk back out onto the street,” “I had no money.” I couldn’t call my parents, they were so desperately ill. I wanted somewhere to go, but I didn’t know anyone.”

When that moment came she walked out of the theater and a stranger asked her about the saxophone she was carrying in her backpack. The stranger was Tim Curtis, the director of Project lighthouse. Project Lighthouse is a federally funded street outreach program for runaways, homeless and at risk street youth under 21. Its where children can go to shower, do laundry and do creative things, like Andrea who used the equipment to record a demo CD. Now Andrea sells jewelery and clothing she designs and she volunteers.

”Most everyone who comes in here is at a point in their life when they are teetering on the ledge and can go either way,” Quigley said. “You can go to this negative life, or go in the other direction.”

Lighthouse opened in October 2004 and has served about 870 runaway and homeless youth from around the country, according to program director Jai Somers. Hundreds more local at-risk kids also have been helped. The rules are no drugs and alcohol and no sleeping or fighting. Be friendly and no swearing or R-rated material and be productive.

This is very motivating to teens who are out there and need help to get on the right track. I think more of our cities need a place like this for children who runaway. Not every child can be helped, but it’s good to know there are places out there like this where you can go if you don’t have anywhere else to go. I have always loved the thought of helping teenagers who are in trouble, who really just need that little push in the right direction. Not everyone gets a second chance.

If you want to read more about Project Lighthouse go to Miamiherald.com

XO,
Kristin Nicole

Following up with you about my Acupuncture appointment. If you are truly interested in trying acupuncture but have always been scared to try it, please do.

My first appointment:

I got to the office and it was so peaceful, with the little waterfalls flowing and the soft music. The Doctor was extremely nice and we went over everything that was and is bothering me today. We later moved into the room where she began my first session of acupuncture. There were about 3 points that hurt a little but nothing too bad and everything else I didn’t feel. It was very relaxing. She showed me the needles she would be using, the needle itself is very flimsy, she even let me touch one and proceeded to throw it away since it was not sterilized now by our touch. Which is something else I liked, it shows she is very professional and clean. The little needles go into your body, pressure points that help what they call “Your Chi.” You barely feel them like I said. I was actually very nervous and a little stiff, I kept having to tell myself to relax. But all in all it was a great first session. She later massaged some of my problem areas in the back and asked if I wanted to try the “Cup Massage.” I had never heard of it and she explained it can leave slight bruising like a hickey or just make your back red for a little, but it will go away. Apparently Gwyneth Patrol has tried this technique. So I decided to try it. Anything to help. It felt pretty good and my back did get red for a little but shortly went away.

Will I go back?

I will definitely go back, and I made my 2nd appointment next week. If you want to hear more about my journey and experience into acupuncture let me know, ask me and I will let you know what I think and how it works. If you want to read more about Acupuncture go to http://www.medicalacupuncture.org

XO,
Kristin Nicole

Many people who work for companies have Personal Time Off, also known as PTO Days. How many PTO Days does your job allow you to take?

PTO Days:

My job allows us to have 21 PTO Days, but this is where they get you, that includes Holidays. That doesn’t even make sense because then you don’t really have 21 days do you? We have about 5 TO 6 holidays so we really get 15 PTO Days. I had my tonsillectomy so I had to use some of my days off and I used 4 plus 1 prior to that when I was out sick. That leaves me with 10 days. Last week I wasn’t able to work full time, so I asked them to not pay me for the hours I missed as I was only able to work half days. It’s a sacrifice many people can’t afford to take, but my surgery recovery was longer then expected. Luckily, I don’t have a mortgage to pay for right now so I can afford to do these kind of things. I was used to my other job where my PTO days consisted of 18 days, plus two floating days. The floating days were used as a free 2 days that you can take off during a holiday of your choice that the company had to work on. It was great, I would save them for the end of the year so in December I can take off as many days as I can. We also had roll-over days. Where I’m currently at, we don’t have that option, so I have to make sure to use all my PTO Days.

Not Enough Time Off

Does anyone agree that we don’t have enough time off during the year? I think I vote for more TIME OFF! If I wasn’t able to afford not getting paid for the hours I missed I would have had to use those hours as PTO time and I would be left with little to no time off. I rather save my time off for future vacation I’m hoping to take and for the end of the year in December, I always like to take a few days off around that time. I also felt bad for missing to many days off work even though I was still in a lot of pain. Do you ever feel like if you miss too many days even if you are really sick, they might fire you? I think many people try to make it to work even if they should be in bed because their scared their boss won’t believe them or they will get fired. I know I came in thinking I didn’t want to miss any days just in case….and they did see that I wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t even talk for goodness sakes. Never the less I proved that I am a team player by coming in for half a day, even though I really should have been in bed trying to get better faster. That’s life for you though. We have to sometimes prove ourselves to our bosses so they know we really want and love our jobs. Even if deep down we feel horrible and want to be in bed. It shouldn’t really be this way though, if your sick, you should be in bed, and you shouldn’t have to prove to anyone that you are really sick. Unfortunately there are many people who fake being sick and it’s people like us that are really not feeling well that have to prove to others we really are sick and need the time off. Like I said, that’s life, and now I have to see what to do with the remainder of my PTO Days.

How do you use your PTO Days? Do you use them all or do you end up loosing them?

XO,
Kristin Nicole

I have decided to finally start Acupuncture. I have heard many good things about it in the past years, but I haven’t come around to actually trying it. Unfortunately my Insurance doesn’t cover Acupuncture, but I think it will be worth paying a little more and helping the problem I have in my low back and legs.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture for those of you that may not know is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes. It is said that even disease and disorders can be treated with acupuncture. I am willing to finally sit down and put these small needles into my body to see if it helps.

Chiropractor:

Many people don’t believe in chiropractic care. I grew up with it because my mom worked for one for many years. I have been recently going to the Chiropractor and getting massages but it just doesn’t seem to be solving my problem. Although I believe in Chiropractic care and it does temporarily relieve some of my pain it hasn’t helped with the chronic pain I have had since I was 15 years old. I have tried physical therapy, massages, chiropractic care and nothing has helped. I need something that will work permanently, something that will work and I can finally say that I no longer feel the pain. When I can stand in my kitchen for more than an hour with out complaining from the pain, or finally go to Disney World and not feel like I’m in so much pain.

I will keep you updated on my results. The doctor says there will be treatments of 6-12, sometimes less sometimes a little more. If this helps me, I will be so grateful, and saddened that I didn’t try it sooner. Keeping the faith that it will work!

XO,
Kristin Nicole

Learn more about Acupuncture at Acupuncture.com or go to Wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture.