This pictures below are of Stephanie and Isaac on the rare occasions the camera was turned on them. Stephanie and Isaac have been together over 10 years and have been married for 6. Isaac just turned 30 years old this past year.

On September 12, Isaac was seen at Hoag Hospital in Newport. He had been complaining of headaches that the doctors he saw before brushed off as stress related. This time it was serious. He was experiencing blurred and double vision.

Once in the ER, CT and MRI tests were done which revealed he had in fact, a brain tumor. The tumor had grown large enough to press on his optic nerves which was causing his vision issues.

Doctors rushed him to surgery but was only able to remove part of the tumor as the remaining parts were against important brain structures that would be too risky remove at the time.

The surgery went well and now began the recovery process. Within the past 2 weeks in the hospital he’s had blurred, double vision, confirmation of a brain tumor and a complicated surgery to remove the parts of the tumor.

It was time to rest and recover.  But shortly after the surgery, Isaac suffered a grand mal seizure and a stroke that left his entire left side paralyzed.

As of today, doctors have found several blood clots in Isaac’s lungs and are unsure what is causing them. They are also unsure if they will find any in his brain, which may mean more surgery.

Please follow Stephanie @modernromance or her facebook page for updates.

For more information and to Help Heal Isaac, please click on the badge below. Stephanie has done a great job of staying strong and keeping positive in this very tough time. She is asking for assistance by any means, whether prayers, advice or simply donating to help fund his long recovery process.

“My goal is to get him the best care from here on out and stay in a rehab program even if I have to pay out of pocket. Isaac is by far the most amazing person I have ever met – he is my soul mate, the love of my life and my best friend…”

This story hits home with me in so many ways. I’ve been to plenty of doctors whose diagnosis to my aches and pains, hair loss and arthritis, has always been “stress related.” It wasn’t until I went into the ER with a 105° fever, fell into a coma, had my 2 stokes (my right side was completely paralyzed at the time) that doctors began taking my complaints seriously. To top that off, I was finally diagnosed with a disease I had never heard of, lupus. Tumultuous ER visit? Yep!

But it was with the doctors, family and friends who rallied around me plus in inner strength to get out of this mess and to recover that I was able to rehabilitate and start living life again.

If you have or know of anyone that has gone through something similar to Isaac, please reach out to Stephanie and lend her your experience and advice.

Please help support me and the Lupus Foundation of America find a cure! Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christinatran

At the Los Angeles Walk in 2009

]]> http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/21/nj-walk-for-lupus-now-will-you-support-me/feed/ 0 christinatran Lupus Walk 2009 2 http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/13/teacherwishlist-com/ http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/13/teacherwishlist-com/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:19:00 +0000 gooddeeddoer http://stillinbed.com/?p=1281 ]]> I stumbled across teacherwishlist.com while searching online for nearby volunteer opportunities a couple weeks ago. It was an interesting concept. Teachers upload a wishlist of classroom supplies for their students, parents or donors purchase the items to donate to the classrooms. Pretty simple.

Although I am not a parent, (pet-parents count too though!) I decided to check out the lists around me to see if I could help out with their needs. Once I entered my zip code, a search populated 10 schools within my area. I was somewhat surprised to only find 2 teachers, both from the same school, utilizing this site!

From their about page: In a recent survey of elementary and middle-school teachers, 71% reported spending an average of $462 per year out of their own pocket on classroom supplies and learning tools.* Teacher Wish List was created to thank teachers for their generosity. (How many other jobs require employees to pay for supplies?) This service makes it even easier for parents to continue to help teachers.

I guess most teachers aren’t aware that this site exists or maybe they feel a little strange asking for donations. I know some teachers send home a list of supplies that are needed for each student, so the responsibility then is on the parents to purchase the items. I see parents and kids roaming the aisles of Target and other local “everything” stores for their Back to School supplies, lists in hand!

The supplies that were on the lists I looked at on the site were for Preschool and Kindergarten classes. Tissues, paper towels, stickers, puzzles, etc. These items were specifically for the classroom — for everyone to use. The requested supplies were everyday items that I could pick up at Target and wouldn’t break my budget either. So I decided to help out. I emailed the teachers and let them know that I wanted to donate the items on their individual lists.

I went to 2 stores and found all the items and in total for both teacher’s lists it only cost about $65.

Items from Preschool and Kindergarten class wishlists. This shows only one class. Just double what you see and that's the second class!

Target has this incredible dollar section right at the front entrance of the store. I found these and other age-group specific topics of cards, like geography, math, science, etc. But since I was purchasing for kids 6 and under, I felt these would be best suited for them.

$1 each at Target

Some may recognize these “Play Packs” from my haul video. You’re never too old to color!

"Play Packs" come with crayons, stickers and mini book.

I fondly remember making paper puppets out of white paper bags like these. You just glue a bunch of stuff on it, draw a happy face and then carefully stick your tiny 5 year old hand into it (not to open all the way) and ta-da! A new friend!

Supplies for paper puppets!

Both classes cheered for Silly Bands. I don’t get it, I must be getting old. But I’m glad the kids love them!

Silly Bands...??

The teachers were both very grateful for my donation. We made small talk and I told them I was always interested in teaching, the younger kids especially. Who doesn’t want to play with little kids and color all day?! Have juice and crackers for snack time — omg, a designated snack time?! Yes! I love the order within the chaos and the little smiling face aren’t bad either.

]]> http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/13/teacherwishlist-com/feed/ 0 christinatran photo(2) photo(4) photo(3) photo(5) Silly Bands IMG_0014 IMG_0015 (3) http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/12/bargain-books-at-borders/ http://stillinbed.com/2011/09/12/bargain-books-at-borders/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:29:04 +0000 gooddeeddoer http://stillinbed.com/?p=1254 ]]> It’s a sad state the economy is in that the nation-wide bookstore chain, Borders is going out of business. I’m unsure how their online store is doing and if it will stick around in the near future.

There were 3 Borders stores in Bergen County. One was in Fort Lee and another in Paramus at the Garden State Plaza mall. Those 2 closed early and probably had a lot of customers clear out their merchandise very quickly. Also, depending on their lease, I’m sure they had to close their doors early since both are prime location spots for any new store. The third store is in Ramsey, about 30 minutes away from where I live. It will be open for 7 more days.

I went a couple weeks ago when they slashed their prices to 40%-60% off the merchandise. Upon entering the doors, I could not believe the sight I saw! Everything was discounted, ready to be bought. Even the fixtures and cafe tables, chairs, even the espresso machine itself were tagged to be sold! Left over paper cups, napkins, stands, shelves, racks, dividers, tape, straws,  etc., all things you’d not normally purchase at a bookstore were being sold. I ended up buying a few books and left feeling kind of sad. Not quite sure why though, when I should have been happy because of the deals I got on the books.

Today, I received an email that they’re discounting items down to 70%-90% off the store. So I headed back to Ramsey for a second look after my morning doctor’s appointment. The store was the same except parts of the store was roped off with shelves and other fixtures that were put on hold for returning customers. Most of the books were gone and if shelved properly, there would only be about 5 bookshelves worth of books. All the gift items and children’s toys were sold out and most of the cafe furniture was also gone. The DVD and CD racks were bare and the magazines left over were being sold at 90% off. I took this picture below of the cashier’s station. It had random graffiti but also sweet and kind words of how Borders will be missed.

Today I walked away with 9 books for $40. Another bittersweet steal. I may go back for one last look with Jeff before their doors close for good and the roller rink that’s to replace it opens up.

So if you’re a book lover and have some time to browse, head down to the nearest (and still open) Borders for some great deals.

The Garretson Farm is still in operation and is officially owned by Bergen County and operated by volunteers.

There are holiday workshops, monthly picnics and planting year round. This place has seen a lot of history and I’m glad I visited it.

Below are some pictures of pretty flowers from the garden with a beehive container and the historical building still furnished with old timey stuff like a yarn loom.

Herbs and veggies from the garden.

Here’s the loom and yarn!

And of course the butterflies!

So it’s kind of funny that we intended on going to this farm to see a butterfly release, but didn’t realize it was literally only a couple that were going to be released! In my mind I thought it would be just swarms of them, but it was just 2, 30 minutes apart.

So I finally consulted a chiropractor and told him of my incessant neck/shoulder issues. He did a full exam and took x-rays. After viewing the x-rays, he explained to me that a normal neck would have a slight curvature. My x-rayed neck was completely straight. Similar to this.

With adequate therapy it should look like this.

I used these pictures from a chiropractor’s website. The site says the before and after x-rays are from a 24 year old female that has migraines and back pain. This is due to lack of curvature in the spine which can add upto 15 pounds of pressure to the body’s spinal column, thus causing the pain.

My chiropractor continued and said my posture has an effect on my spine as well. Also, carrying such a heavy purse only on my left side may contribute to my neck pain. So with his help twice a week, he said my pain should slowly subside and with conscious effort, I should be able to retain the curve and feel little to no pain after treatment.

I have a standing appointment with him two times a week. It’s been about 6 weeks and I do feel a lot better. During each 45 minute session he will adjust my back and neck, use transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and cold laser therapy (low-level laser).

He has also given me some Thera-Bands to exercise with at home to strengthen my upper back  muscles to reduce further damage to my neck. These are thin latex bands with that are color coded for varying resistances. Thera-Band’s instruction manual has recommended exercises as well.

Knowing all I know now, I am very conscious of my posture and certain ways I lay my head either driving in my car, sitting at a desk or reading in bed. Chiropractic care has worked out great for me and has been a learning experience, too!

But, in all honesty, I need sensory therapy all 24 hours! I’m a stress case that’s also a worry wart, the worst kind. From the time I wake, my mind begins it’s never-ending cycles.

…What time is it? Is it too late for me to take my morning meds? What should I eat for breakfast before taking the meds? I should clean. Where should I start? Where’s the cat? Has she been fed? Maybe she’s puked again. I should definitely clean. I hope I get my magazines in the mail today. Did I pay my bills yet? I’ve got to check my bank account. Wait, I haven’t eaten anything yet or taken my meds, I should do that first. What’s that noise? Is it outside? I’ll go downstairs and check it out. I’ll take the trash out while I go down stairs. Remember to grab keys. Oh, I could get the CD from my car that I wanted to transfer to my phone and bring down those wipes I got for my dashboard too! I hope these cheap wipes don’t ruin my car. Did it rain this morning? I don’t want to go out with sandals on. I’m kind of craving those wontons again from that place. I wonder if they’re open yet. Should I just drive there or have them delivered? Wait, do I even have cash on me? I should go to the bank. CVS is right next door, I can go pick up my new prescriptions too. I still need  to return that book I got from the library a few days ago…

So now you have a glimpse into oh, about the first 30 seconds of my mornings, you can clearly understand why I need products to help me focus and calm down. I’ve talked to my doctors and they’ve just said to write things I need to remember down, then forget about it. If I need to later, I can refer back to the notes. Which is actually a good idea and I’ve been using this method quite often and it has helped me stop obsessing over things. But for that extra boost to ease my mind, I use aromatherapy. I’ve found there are many different companies that produce different products for aromatherapy.

Massages, diffusers, incense sticks, candles, all can be combined with a multitude of different scents and essential oils for what’s ailing you. Learn more about essential oils here. Or just a simple google search will bring a numerous pages of the different companies which usually have the benefits of each of the different oils/scents as well.

With my research, I felt that lavender would work best for me throughout the day. So I took a trip to Whole Foods and bought a few things for the home. Lavender Aura Cacia Essential Oil and a candle by tru malange in Evening Peace. I also purchased a USB aromatherapy oil burner from thinkgeek.com a couple weeks ago that I use with the oil. It’s great and since I’m always on the computer, it’s right next to me all the time!

For on the go, I got Dr. Bronner’s organic lavender hand sanitizing spray and Bach’s Rescue Remedy drops. I found out Rescue Remedy from Whole Living magazine that I subscribe to and wanted to give it a shot.

I’ll let you know how it works in a later post!

Upon signing in here today, I noticed there were a bunch of comments on my trypophobia post. It seems like I only managed to reply to 1 of the comments sometime last year. For that, I’m truly sorry. I’ve reply back to the 37 other comments individually and feel a sense of accomplishment and relief in doing so. I hope all is forgiven and those who commented will continue to read my future updates.

New happenings:

1. I’ve started a personal journal. You know, the kind I write stuff I can’t share with the world. This all of course, in the name of personal growth and self-enlightenment. Keeping this journal has been a goal of mine for a long time, but I just wasn’t disciplined enough to start one and be consistent with it, until now. This was all brought on by a movie I saw over the weekend, Any Human Heart — which originally was a book written by William Boyd with the same title. I fell in love with the story and inspiration was sparked, then putting pen to paper began!
2. I found time to clean my closet and organize my shoes to donate to the Women’s Rights Information Center, which their “Career Closet” (helps low-income job seekers shop for outfits and accessories) is run by Past & Present Boutique.
3. Upon visiting my dentist for a checkup, apparently I have 2 cavities. This may not be a shocking revelation as “more than 90% of adults over the age of 40 have had tooth decay in their adult teeth,”  and “over 19% of children ages 2-19 have untreated cavities.” It’s a fairly common, I guess. But I have never had a cavity in my baby teeth or adult teeth. I think the dentist is mistaken, I’d like a second opinion, really.

Discoveries:

1. Pepper normally chases after the laser pointer light, like most other cats. She’s fine with but not with It’s actually pretty funny to see her happily playing and chasing the first dot, but as soon as I change the laser to the circle, she runs and hides!
2. Kind Bars. I received one in a BirchBox and fell in love! I was so happy to find them at Target. They’re delicious and nutritious! “Kind’s all natural whole nut & fruit bars put an end to hunger by delivering all-natural nutrients like fiber, protein, calcium and iron.” Perfect for my anti-eating days. A bar and a multivitamin usually do the trick for me!
3. You can take the girl out of Little Saigon, but you can’t take Little Saigon out of the girl!
• I was homesick for delicious Asian dishes like my mom’s home cooking and all that’s familiar to me in Orange County (I’ve lived there since I was 2!).  The closest thing we’ve got is run-of-the-mill Chinese take out and a Mitsuwa about 20 minutes away. But getting those authentic Vietnamese dishes were out of the question. So, I decided to cook my own! I made bò lúc lắc (literally “shaking beef” – seared beef with sautéed onions), bánh xèo, (literally “sizzling cake” – crepe entree typically with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts), thịt kho (caramelized, braised pork belly with hard boiled eggs served over rice), and bánh phồng tôm (shrimp/prawn chips flash fried). Sadly, none of the dishes tasted like my mom’s, but Jeff liked it!
4. Almond milk. I came across this simply because I had a coupon for it and didn’t want to pay full price for the lactose-free milk I normally get. So delicious and good for you too!
5.  Cavities are contagious! Thanks Jeff!

Presenting: http://www.youtube.com/moxieosity

I’ve been quite busy with this new project and am sincerely happy that I’ve got supporters and subscribers.

This channel is dedicate to describing my 9.5 year journey with lupus — from unknown symptoms, diagnosis to stability.

Also, just for fun, some videos will be about the going-ons in my life and how to keep busy while unemployed. However, the focus of the channel is mainly to retell my experiences with this disease.

In 2 weeks, I have uploaded 5 videos — 3 of which detail my struggles with lupus, from beginning until now.

I’m newly inspired to share my stories with the youtube public. I’ve got a list of episode ideas lined up and am excited to film these brief glimpses of my life. Ideally, I’d like to put up 2 videos a week — 1 lupus focused and another fun focused.

There will be at least 1 new video every week, I promise.

Please stay tuned and subscribe!!!