Tag: health and wellness

Emergency surgery

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends. As you can probably tell from the title of this post, it is going to be a little bit different from my regular posts. This was an unexpected and scary event, but I think it is important to share life experiences with others, so let’s get to it.

My unexpected surgery – The day that I returned home from Oxnard, I started having pain. I thought I was having the mussel spasms that I get sometimes. However, this time could not make the intense pain go away. All the things that I usually do to treat my mussel spasms were not working, and the pain kept getting worse. I started thinking about going to the ER, but my insurance is not very good, so I put it off for a little while, but the pain was so bad that I was throwing up from it. When my mom was driving me to the ER, I couldn’t wait to get there. I was in so much pain, and I just wanted it to stop. The last time I had gone to the ER with mussel spasms, I had been given some medicine that stopped the pain, and then I went home. I thought that it would be the same this time but I was very wrong. When I first got to the ER, there was a line. I could not stand, so I sat down in the line. Someone brought me a wheelchair so I didn’t have to sit on the floor. It was around 10 or 11pm. when I got to the ER. I was also throwing up in a bag in the waiting room. I had some blood taken, and I was told to go back to the waiting room. I also was told it would be an hour or so before I could be seen. I was in so much pain that I thought I would pass out before then. I went back to the check-in and told them that my pain was worse. At one point, I was lying on the floor of the waiting room. I was very happy when they called my name and took me back to a room. It took a little bit, but I got some pain medicine, and I felt like I could think more clearly, and the pain was not as overwhelming. I got a CAT scan and an ultrasound. After the ultrasound, I got more medicine because my pain started again. After the 2nd dose of medicine, my pain was at a four, and I felt really good. It turned out that I had a grapefruit sized ovarian cyst. At first, I was told I could schedule the surgery to have it removed at another time. However, my doctors were concerned that my pain was still there after two doses of pain medicine. They said that my cyst was probably twisted, and that’s what was causing my pain. They advised me that I should have surgery right away. I was also told that it looked like my ovary had blood flow, but they could not be sure, and that my ovary may have to be removed. I had never been put under before, and I had only dental surgery in the past, so I was absolutely terrified. I started crying when I learned that I needed to have surgery. By this time, it was well past midnight, and it was officially August 1st. My birthday month had begun with me in the ER. They took me into surgery pretty quickly, but before that, I had some time to post on social media and ask for prayers. I took some pictures before I went into surgery. I liked the sea animal decorations in the room I was in so I also took a picture of the Octopus on the wall. Another thing that made it even more stressful is that I had to cancel some job interviews that I had scheduled. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled into the OR. When we arrived at the room, it looked just like what you would see in a hospital TV show, but it was real. Before I knew it, my fear kicked in again, and I began crying. I remember the tears flowing down my face as I laid on my back. I was told that I was going to be given some anxiety medicine. Right after it was given to me, my tears stopped. I was still nervous, but I felt better than before. The next thing I remember is an oxygen mask being placed over my face while we had a short conversation about the oxygen bars in Las Vegas, and that’s the last thing I remember before I had surgery. After that, I remember waking up in the recovery room. It’s kind of weird because it doesn’t feel like I went to sleep. It feels like I lost memory, but I’m ok with that because everything went well. My cyst was successfully removed, and my ovary was fine, so they did not have to take it out. It was twisted, and that’s what was causing my pain. I went home shortly after surgery, and my pain was gone. The recovery process is still happening now, but I’ve made it past the hardest parts. My incisions hurt for a while, but now they are perfectly fine. It was a scary thing to go through, but I know that God was with me the whole time, and I’m glad that the cyst is no longer inside me.

Thanks for reading! – Christina Epperly

NOTICE SOME OF THE PICTURES BELOW ARE OF INCISIONS AND BRUISES

My last day as a preschool teacher plus a trip to Target

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends! Yesterday was the last day of me being a preschool teacher. It was definitely a bittersweet day. I’m happy that I made this decision for myself and my health but every time one of the kids got picked up yesterday I got sad knowing I may not see them again. I got a going away card from my coworkers and boss so that was super nice. I’m still a mix of scared and excited but I got a job at a great company and I can’t wait to start working there. Having a lower stress job will give me the time and energy to focus on my writing and voice acting. Anyways after my last day I went to Target because in my mind a trip to Target is a good way to celebrate anything including the end of my career in childcare. At Target I was happy to see that there were some Christmas things out in the Dollar section. I got two Christmas craft kits. In the Toy section I also got two Barbie color reveal dolls. I’m also really excited about this scalp massager I got. Even though I was tired from my last day I’m glad I went to Target after. I’m proud of myself for giving my career in childcare my best shot and I’m also proud of myself for knowing when to walk away.

Rock On- Christina Epperly

I’m excited and terrified at the same time.

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello,my bucket list friends! I know the title of this post is a little odd but I consider myself to be an open person and I have a lot of emotions that I want to sort through right now so here goes nothing. I’m just gonna come right out and say it. I’ve decided to move on from my career in preschool and childcare. I have worked on and off in the childcare industry since I was in high school. I have worked in summer camps, done babysitting, I worked at an indoor playground,an after school program, and preschools. The stress of this industry has been negativity impacting me for a while now. I have walked away from this industry before only to come crawling back to the steady hours it offerd. It is easy to find jobs in the childcare industry when you are qualified because there is a high turnover rate. I have put in my two weeks notice at my current job. I also signed a contract to myself saying I would never return to childcare industry. I’m going to be blunt it is a high stress and low paying industry. Most of the employees in this industry are under stress and pressure. It’s not a very healthy environment when you have a bunch of stressed out people working together. I’m excited to move on from this career that is honestly harmful to my health. However, I’m terrified because I’m not sure what’s next. I know I want to have a career in voice acting and writing but I’m not going to be able to start making money in that right away. I’ve been applying to a lot of jobs and I will see which one I end up with with. I know that having a lower stress job will give me the energy I nees to focus on my dreams. I know God has a plan for me it’s just hard because I don’t know what that plan is but I also know that he will show me in his perfect timing. I’m so proud of myself for taking this important step in my life. I should have left this industry a long time ago but I let fear hold me back. Well not anymore. Things are uncertain right now but I’m looking forward to new adventures.

Thanks for reading!

Rock On- Christina Epperly

Welcome to my nightmares

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends! This post is gonna sound a little strange but I am an artist after all. Last month I went to an Alice Cooper concert. During the the show he wished the audience horrific nightmares. This got me thinking can you make yourself have nightmares? I’ve also realized that it’s been years since I’ve had a real nightmare. I’ve had odd dreams but nothing terrifying. So I set out on a quest to give myself nightmares. I started off by asking my friend Google how to give myself nightmares. One of the first things that I read was a wiki how page ( You can read it HERE) I tried to follow the tips such as eating spicy food and sleeping on my stomach. I took vitamin B and watched horror movies. In a strange turn of events it turns out that I like some horror movies. I was still hoping that they would give me nightmares but no such luck. I experienced at least one dream that I would classifie as odd but not a real nightmare. There was one night I tried everything I could think of. I took vitamin B and melatonin at the same time and I watched a true crime documentary right before bed and…….. I didn’t have any nightmares! What’s wrong with me ? Like for real why can’t I have nightmares? When I got sick I thought I might have some nightmares since my sleep schedule was all over the place but that did not happen either.Anyways, since I was unsuccessful in this quest I thought I would share some interesting dreams and nightmares I’ve had in the past. It’s been a while but I want to say probably around five plus years ago that I had a bunch of dreams about being a criminal. Now, it was nothing violent I was usually a thief of some kind. One dream that stands out to me ,was one where I was running down a road holding a large suite case filled with cash. I have no idea where I got the suite case from or where I was trying to run to but I knew that the police where looking for me. It was then that I saw a police officer with his young son in a driveway and I made the decision to turn myself in. I remember the officer being shocked when I walked up to him and the dream ended with me getting arrested. Another dream I had that followed this pattern was one that took place in some kind of fantasy universe. I was standing in front of a long table and behind the table was a woman who was either a judge or a ruler of some kind.On the table was a device that was used for punishment. It was a container that you stuck your hand into and it would shock you. What stands out about this dream was the fact that I remembered a quote from it. As I was standing behind the table the woman asked me if I was scared. I gave the following reply. “No, I’m a criminal, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been punished.” Now, this was not something that I would say in real life so it was a surprising thing to dream. Other dreams I had the follow this pattern include a dream about running from law enforcement through a mall and another dream about spending a night in jail. As for the nightmares I had when I was younger I remember one pretty clearly. The was a rattle snake in a cottage cheese container in my backyard and it was biting me. It bit me a total of three times and according to my nightmare that meant I was gonna die from it. Another nightmare I remember having when I was young is one where I got some kind of cut that couldn’t be healed and it was going to eventually lead to my death. These nightmares do have some similarities. However, I curious to see what kind of nightmares my mind would come up with now that I’m in my thirties but I guess my brain is done with having nightmares .Well at least for now it is.

Rock On – Christina Epperly

3 posts in 1

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends! One thing I love about summer is that it tends to be a busy time of year. This year has followed that rule. Things have been busy for me lately. Most of it has been a good busy but as us you will read below not all of it has been the good kind of busy. Anyways I need to catch up on blog posts so for this blog post I’ll be covering three different topics. Without anymore delay let’s dive in!

Impossible breakfast sandwich review

I was excited when I saw that Starbucks had a new vegetarian breakfast sandwich! When I tried it I was happy that I did! It had such a great flavor. Even if you’re not a vegetarian I recommend trying out this very yummy breakfast sandwich!

My trip to the ER

Here comes the not so fun part of this post. On July 14 I got a bad pain on my left side the pain was located right below my ribcage. At first I thought that the pain probably wouldn’t last long and that I would be able to stay at home with no problem. Well, I was wrong! The pain continued on and got worse to the point where I could hardly walk! It was becoming clear that I needed to get this checked out. My amazing friend came and drove me to the ER. To make a long story short after a whole bunch of tests and waiting for results. It turned out to be a muscle spasm. Unfortunately my trip to the ER took about 7 hours and my friend was waiting for me the whole time! I was so happy when it came time to leave especially since my pain was pretty much gone. I was also very thankful for my friend. I was given medicine and the instructions they gave me said to stay away from activities that would put a strain on my muscles. I’m glad it turned out to be nothing serious!

I love short hair!

Fun fact about me, I have very thick hair that grows fast! I know some people enjoy spending time brushing and styling their hair but I’m not one of those people. I love having a short and easy hair cut. I had been meaning to get a haircut for awhile and this month I finally got a chance. I went to great clips and they did a wonderful job! I love my shot summer hair cut!

So there you have it! Three posts in one thanks for reading.

Rock on – Christina Epperly

OCD update ( over a year after TMS)

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends ! Some of you may remember that in February of last year  I participated in a OCD study at Stanford. ( You can read some of my posts about it HERE,HERE and HERE) I thought I would be a good time to update all of you on how my mental health is doing over a year after participating in the study and receiving TMS treatment. Without further delay here we go !

 

OCD update ( over a year after TMS)

Not that long after the treatments I wrote a post ( You can read it HERE) about the positive impact that the TMS treatment had on my mental health. I wrote about how my OCD symptoms had been greatly reduced and that my overall mental health had improved. Well I’m very happy to say that things have stayed that way .  OCD does not control my life the way it used to before I got treatment at Stanford. I feel much more in control of my mental health and my daily life in general. I’m able to brush off OCD’s attacks quickly. I still have some rough days like everyone dose but those seem to be few and far between. I’m so blessed that I was given the chance to participate in this study it has truly changed my life for the better.

Rock On – Christina Epperly

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Bucket list # 218 get acupuncture

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends ! I crossed another item off my bucket list and I can’t wait to tell you about it so here we go !

Bucket list # 218 get acupuncture

Sometimes I talk to other people about the items on my list and when I mentioned this item it turned out I was not the only one who wanted to give acupuncture a try. For this bucket list adventure I was joined by my sister and my cousin. We started off the day with an awesome breakfast at Black Bear diner. After that we went to a mall for a bit then it was time for our acupuncture appointments.  Since there was only one doctor working at the health center that day ,our appointments were all a half hour apart.  When it was my turn I walked from the waiting room to an area that was just behind the wall that separated the waiting room from the treatment rooms. I sat down at a table across from the doctor and I told her about my shoulder pain ,after asking me some questions about my medical history and taking my vital signs it was time to go to one of the treatment rooms and begin my acupuncture experience. The health center we were at also does massage so it was no surprise that that treatment room looked just like a room at a massage clinic. When it came time to put the needles in I was nervous .I knew the doctor could tell I was nervous because she told me to relax. I did my best to relax my muscles and before I knew it the needles started going into my shoulders and the surrounding area some of the needles I barley felt as they went in some of them pinched a little bit when they went in. After just a little while all the needles were in. The doctor left the room and told me she would be back in 30 mins. As I laid there in the room I felt very relaxed I was close to falling a sleep at certain points. It was more relaxing then I thought it would be. Before I knew it the doctor was back to remove the needles. After the treatment my shoulder felt better. I enjoyed this experience and I hope to do acupuncture on my knee sometime.

Rock on – Chrsitna Epperly

Bucket list #212 finish a 10k

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello,my bucket list friends ! As you can tell from the title of this post I just crossed another item off my bucket list and I’m very excited to tell all of you about it ! Here we go!

 

 

Bucket list #212 finish a 10k

I’ve done many 5k races and even the Disneyland half marathon ( You can read about it HERE)  but I had never done a 10k until yesterday. When I decided to do a 10k this year I looked for a race that was close in driving distance,gave out medals at the end and was held on day that I had off. After a little bit of looking I found a race that fit all of my requirements, the SV 10k . The day before the race my mom and I went and picked up our race numbers. I had done a race in the same area before and it started near the park where we picked up our numbers so I thought that’s where this race was going to begin well I was wrong. It was ending at the park I was so confused when we got there but we just followed everyone else and made it to the start on time. Our plan was to walk most of the way and that’s what we did but we also did some short jogging bursts and that helped to improve our time . We were thinking that it would take us around two hours but because of our little jogging bursts we finished in one hour and forty three minutes ! The race  course was pretty awesome we went past some pretty gardens and there were dogs and the beginning of the race !  I was so happy to cross off another item off my list  and I love the medal that they gave out at the end !  It was a fun morning and I’m so glad I got to participate in it !

Rock on ! – Christina Epperly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christina Epperly MT ( My life as a massage therapist)

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends ! I’ve talked a little bit about my job as a massage therapist but I thought that it would be a good time to give all of you a deeper look into my career.  I know people consider career changes all the time. If you happen to be considering a career in massage therapy , I hope this gives you some valuable information to help you make your decision.  Anyways let’s get to it !

 

Christina Epperly MT ( My life as a massage therapist)

I don’t think it matters what career you choose or if you go to the best school in your field ( like I did ) nothing can fully prepare you for a career until you’re there.  NHI (The school I went to) provided me with excellent information and hands on experience. NHI went to great lengths to prepare all of the students for the real world of massage and I’m very thankful for that but one thing I’ve learned in life is that experience is truly the best teacher. Now, that I’m officially working as a massage therapist I find myself learning more and more everyday . My co-workers have been very helpful in sharing information with me and I’ve been soaking it up like a sponge. I’ve also got to be honest my body is not used to having to do the amount of massages in a day that I’m doing now. I’ve been sore but I can also feel my body getting stronger ! I’ve been making sure to stretch and to stay hydrated to help myself be the best I can be. I’ve been getting some great feedback from my wonderful clients, I love being able to help people relax and reduce their stress. Giving massages can also be relaxing for the therapist. I like the relaxing music and the fact that I just have one thing to focus on it’s a break from the stress of the outside world.  A career as a massage therapist is challenging but rewarding. If you are interested in the topic of health and wellness and enjoy helping others you may want to look into a career as a massage therapist .  Thank you for reading !

 

Rock on – Christina Epperly

Dear, OCD I’m in charge now

Posted on by crazydreamsgirl

Hello, my bucket list friends . Last month I wrote quite a few posts about my TMS treatments for OCD . If you want to read them just look at my posts on this blog from February 2019. Anyways, I thought it would be a good idea to give an update on how I’m doing since treatment.Hold on tight and here we go !

 

Dear OCD, I’m in charge now

In my previous posts about TMS I wrote about some of the changes that occurred during treatments. OCD began to lose it’s grip on me and I was feeling more in control then ever before. Well, I’m happy to say that things have continued to improve. Before receiving the TMS treatments, OCD controlled a large part of my day. It was always controlling what I could and could not wear, what songs I could and couldn’t listen to, what order I had to put the blankets on my bed and many more things that impacted my everyday life. I felt anxiety that if I didn’t follow OCD’s orders bad things would happen . I never truly realized just how much of my time that OCD took from me.  Now, things are very different I’m in charge now. I’m able to make my own everyday choices with feeling little to no anxiety. If OCD stars to give me orders I remind it that I’m in charge now and I do what I want to do. I was so used to following OCD’s orders that now sometimes I have to stop and ask myself what I want to do . I feel so free now! Now , don’t get me wrong life is not perfect and it never will be but I feel a lot better now that I’m free from OCD’s control. OCD still sneaks in with it’s unwanted thoughts from time to time but I can dismiss these thoughts faster and easier then ever before ! I’m so happy that I took part in the study at Stanford. Things are looking up.

Rock on – Christina Epperly