Since I posted yesterday about what was presumed to be TMJ, there has been a development. And no, this post has nothing to do with crafting.

Right after I finished writing my last entry, I had some cereal, and ended up in agony. My husband has been trying to get me to go to the hospital for a while now, and since I was in so much pain yesterday, I gave in. He left work early to come home and pick me up. We got to the Celebration Hospital around 3:30pm, and at 6:00pm I was finally seen. The Doctor gave me a little look and decided it was in fact TMJ. He ordered an injection of steroids, a course of steroid pills, pain relievers, and muscle relaxers. The shot idea had me panicing, and the doctor feeling around made my jaw feel INCREDIBLY painful, so I was being a big crying baby. Then the nurse came in, gave me the shot in my bum, and I was still a crying baby... because I'm deathly afraid of needles and I was feeling very very faint. Eventually I got myself together enough to walk out, ALMOST passed out on the way to the waiting room, and sat my sore butt down while my hubby sorted out the financials. My signature after shots is to gently slip out of consciousness whilst in the waiting room, but my jaw [and butt] were so painful, and I was so shaky, that I managed to avoid it.

On the way home we stopped by Target to fill all my prescriptions. By then my jaw was almost COMPLETELY painless! I cannot even describe what relief that was. I was literally getting to the point where I would look of photographs from earlier and I could not remember what it felt like NOT to be in pain all day everyday. Now, I'm just mad at myself for not listening to my husband and going to the hospital sooner.

I took the muscle relaxer before bed, as instructed, and I am very pleased to say that I slept the entire night through... for eleven hours!!! I cannot even remember the last time I slept through the night. I'm amazed. Doc said to take it easy today, so that's what I'll do! I'm not sure if I can knit, because in the past that did contribute to my jaw pain, but we'll see. It's a great excuse to cuddle up on the couch and watch Turner Class Movies all day! So far today I feel a little pressure, but relatively no pain, and I'm assuming that as I go through this steroid treatment, the pressure [caused by the inflammation] will go away. Gosh, I hope this lasts. Now I know what to do the SECOND it comes back next time.

Epic news, people - I have finished knitting the giant monstrosity known as the Bob Bag! I am now knitting the strap, which is obviously a breeze.... but still VERY boring. *sigh* It's almost over!

However, I have been stricken with an illness that is keeping me from being terribly productive. I don't know what it is - At first I thought it was a cold, maybe allergies, and now I'm thinking it's just plain old T.M.J. I've been struggling with this for about two or three years now, on and off, but usually it's at it's worst this time of year. It's horrible. All day, every day. No sleep. Sooooo many pills. And I'm gaining weight like crazy because I can't take all these pills on empty stomach. Picture it: it's like five o'clock in the morning, I'm in agony, I need to take pills, so I grab something quick and carb-y [meaning fattening]. Ugh. It's insult to injury, really.

Anyway, despite all of this I did manage to bake my butt off yesterday. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, we celebrate our relationship on February 13th. He made me heart-shaped pink pancakes [raspberry and chocolate chip] for breakfast in bed, took me shopping, and then we went out for a really nice Indian dinner. It was great. I wanted to do something kinda special for him, so I spent all day in the kitchen. Don't let anyone tell you any different - the way to a man's heart IS through his stomach. Let's face it - besides expensive gadgets, they don't really care about anything else, haha.

I made white and pink white chocolate drizzled brownie biscotti, which is one of my favourite things to make these days. And for the first time ever, I made flan. BUTTERSCOTCH flan, which is my hubbies favourite sticky goodness. I had two little heart-shaped ramekins, for an added touch of cuteness. And finally - a heart shaped pizza! It was semi-homemade: I bought the dough from the grocery store and rolled it out into it's heart shape, then PILED on the cheese, hehe. Hubs brought home some wine, I put the flowers he gave me on the table, and it turned into quite a cute dinner!

Unfortunately for me, all the tension of baking [haha] really did a number on my jaw so I was in agony by the time I was eating. The wine helped, but the benadryl.... oh yeah. I was feelin' good! ...For like an hour. *sigh*

Picture Time:

Butterscotch Flan












           White Chocolate Drizzled Brownie Biscotti

     What does everyone think to the new layout? Pretty, huh? I had a tough time choosing between this one and this one. I think the pinup girl is REALLY cute, and REALLY "me" and would have been PERFECT whilst I was blogging about my Sailor Dress, but ultimately I thought the actual blog part was too hard to read and too boring. Who knows, maybe I'll change it one day, but for now I think the one I'm using is just too cute. Not boring, not busy, just cute!

     As for what I'm working on... yup, you've guessed it - The Bob Bag [still]! I know, I know, it's taking me forever and you're sick of hearing about it! Trust me, I'm sick of knitting it! haha. I've just been rather busy and/or distracted lately, and haven't really had a chance to sit and knit. I PROMISE I'll be done soon! I have to be, anyway!

     I've just signed up for a World of Warcraft themed Craft Swap on my favourite website of all time: Crafster.org! This will be my second craft swap there, my previous one being a huge Disney swap, where I made such things as this Maleficent backpack, Pirates of the Carribean t-shirts, and various other goodies found at my Myspace page album. I know - Myspace! It's so three years ago! lol I just can't be bothered to keep moving my photos around, honestly. Anyway - I got my partner [she lives in Sweden! *squeee!*], and I've already got it planned what I'm going to make! I can't tell you, of course, in case she e-stalks me and stumbles across my blog, so I'll have to be uber secretive and keep you all in suspense! The deadline for finishing and sending off is mid March, so it's not too long to wait. Exciting! I can't wait to see what she makes me! haha

     I also signed up to make a couple of items for a Celebrity Gift Basket that will be placed in their greenroom at the TwiCon in Las Vegas! I couldn't resist! There are going to be stars from Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and [wait for it...] TRUE BLOOD! *dies* Sam wearing something I made him!? *dies again* Plan is to paint a leather cuff and/or leather wallet.... Don't know what I'll paint on said leather items, but I thought that's what those kind of men might like. Can you see Peter Facinelli tweeting a picture of his new wallet - painted by yours truly?! No, I can't either - but a girl can dream!

     I love having a deadline. Sure, I freak out about it for a good long while, but I always get it done in time. Having a deadline keeps me from stalling [*ahem*Bob Bag*ahem*]. The guilt of not being productive usually weighs so heavily on me that I could never just waste away on the couch watching soaps. Not that I do anyway. Maybe I should say "...farming away in War Craft." Oh God, I am so horribly addicted!

     Besides stalling on my knitting, signing myself up into a couple different projects, creating a "musical listening experience" mix CD for my BFF, and spending hours fishing in War Craft to get a rare Sea Turtle mount [you heard me], I have also been working hard to get myself back on track! As in, a life path, or whatever you want to call it. I have gathered the information on what I need to apply for Financial Aid so that I can get back in to school and finish getting my Bachelor's in Fine Art [I'm three years into it]. For the longest time I have felt resentful at the art school establishment and was seriously rethinking my major, but a week or so ago it all just CLICKED.


      Does anyone remember me talking about opening up another etsy store? *crickets* No? Well, I did! I decided to open an etsy store to sell prints of my photography. Said etsy can be found here, or at linkage to the right. I'm not trying make millions here, but I thought why not? It doesn't cost anything to open a shop, and just pennies to list, so I'm giving it a go! I am currently entertaining the idea of taking my prints to craft fairs. Not only to sell prints, but to start advertising myself as a pet portrait artist, which was what I wanted to do with myself whilst I was still in school. It was only after my school-appointed photography mentor reviewed my portfolio and told me there was no future in pet photography [which is crap, because there is a now famous pet photographer that most famously takes photos of Perez Hilton's pup - which has inspired me] that I tossed the idea. Along with the idea of art school in general... which brings us back full circle! My thinking is that a degree in anything is a good thing, and since I'm a.) already over half way through my photography degree b.) more knowledgeable in the photography field that anything else and c.) actually kind of missing taking photographs, I'm going back in! I'm hoping I could at least get a job at an Art Gallery after I'm out.... and, if I was to REALLY think big, wild, CRAZY dreams - open my OWN gallery! Day dreaming is what I'm best at, and ideas I always have in abundance. It's motivation, knowledge, and means that I always seem to be lacking....

... So yeah, there's that.