I had been wanting to go the shampoo-free route for some time, but there was no way I was going to attempt it with long hair. The thought of that greasy, grody mess hanging around all day was far too yucky. But since I cut it all off, I figured now was the perfect time.

I started Monday with my new baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine. It felt like I hadn’t washed my hair for a day, which was tolerable. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday it just got greasier and greasier and was feeling pretty gross. I read to expect the greasiness for a few weeks while your body is transitioning, so I’ve been wearing it pulled up all week, determined to make it through the transition phase.

I noticed yesterday when I got out of the shower, that it almost felt normal again. It was back to that “I haven’t washed my hair in a day” feeling. And I was shocked last night when I took my hair down how it felt. It was soft and no longer super greasy. I’m excited to see how it feels today. It’s happening way faster than I expected, but you will get no complaints from me about that.

There’s a really good write up about going shampoo-free here if you’re interested.

Now I’m off to shower…

Yesterday marked Day 43 for my hole. While still a hole and an annoyance, it is doing so much better.

I had my final visit with the surgeon yesterday. It’s all filled in with muscle matter and he said to give it about 3 more weeks and I should have a fresh new coating of skin and I will be medicine and bandage free!

(i realize some people don’t like to look at gross stuff like i do, so i’ve done a little kitty censoring, but if you’re curious, give ‘em a click)

I was a complete mess yesterday morning. I had the hardest time dragging myself out of bed because I knew I had to go back to the doctor and get my gauze changed. By the time I got there I was on the verge of a panic attack. I was shaking so hard and could barely breathe.

I felt slightly better when my new doctor walked in. She was young and pretty and seemed much more caring and gentle. She tried to be as careful as possible doing the change, and while it still hurt like hell, it wasn’t nearly as bad as when the sadist did it.

She was very concerned with the infection and wanted to get me to a surgeon right away for consultation. The only one she could find to take me couldn’t do it until this morning, so she sent me to the emergency room instead.

Everyone there was so nice. It is assumed that the abscess is the result of a brown recluse bite, but there is no way to know for sure. No one has tested me for MRSA, which I still don’t understand. The two ER doctors that I saw said it appears to be healing normal and I don’t need to keep it gauze packed. I literally let out a squeal of joy at that news.

They told me to keep it bandaged. I can take the bandage off to shower and let water rinse it out, then keep a gauze patch on it the rest of the day. I’m not to put any medication on it and just let nature run it’s course. They said to expect 6-8 weeks of this before it fully heals. And by then I will have earned an awesome scar.

So I left the hospital yesterday completely elated. I hadn’t felt so good and positive in days.

This morning I woke up stress free. I took a shower, showed my hole off to Victoria and Amanda (slumber party night), bandaged it up and was ready to go. No problems.

Then the doctor called…

She wanted to know what happened in E.R. yesterday. She was still very concerned and wasn’t 100% comfortable with their diagnosis. She set up an appointment with a surgeon for me on Monday. So now my happy mood is waning its way back to nervous and scared and stressed.

So this is what I’ve been dealing with for the past ten days. Jared and I woke up last Monday with strangeness. I had what seemed like a bug bite, and he had huge bruises on his knee and torso.

By Wednesday my leg was really swollen and painful, so I dragged myself to a doctor. He said it was most likely an infected bug bite, and blamed fleas since we have cats (although no fleas). He prescribed antibiotics and told me to use hot compresses to get it to come to a head.

By the next Monday, my leg looked like the photo on the right. It was so sore and hard to walk on and it just would not come out. I knew I needed to go back to the doctor and have it cut open, but being of the non-insurance-having variety, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I went in Tuesday morning and they numbed my leg with seven shots of lidocaine (OUCH!) and then cut a hole in it. The doctor couldn’t get “it” all out, so they stuffed the hole with medicated gauze.

I had to go in yesterday to get that gauze changed, and it was the most excruciating thing ever. I was a sobbing, weeping mess all yesterday morning. And the best part is that I get to do it everyday for the next two weeks or so. And he’s talking surgery if it doesn’t clear up.

I currently have a hole the size of a bullet in my leg. You could stick a pinkie finger in there. Although, I would punch you because it would hurt like hell.

I’m so miserable and upset at this point that I just can’t even get on. I’m to be in Portland in two weeks, and I will need a leg, so this either needs to clear up or they need to get me my robot leg ASAP.

This is day 3 of my cleanse and it is not going well. I have been constantly nauseous and feel miserable. Nothing like the last time. I’m thinking that I’m doing it too soon after my last one (just two months ago). I really wanted to start in January so I could get on a regular calendar schedule and do it every 3 months. But I don’t know if I’ll make it through 14 days of this. Blegh.

I’m gonna post a query on the message board and see what I come up with. I don’t want to quit, but I don’t want to make myself sick either.

This does not help my OCD-ness at all. I wanted a perfect schedule, god damn it!

I’m starting the year off with a new master cleanse. Well, actually, I started the year off with a champagne hangover, but today I’m starting a new cleanse. I’m going for 14 days this time!

I am done with my 10-day lemonade fast and Jared is done with his 10-day hospital fast. We are both home and ready to get back to fall bike rides and fires and cooking and eating healthy foods.

It’s been good for the both of us.

Thanks to all for your support.

Things are improving. I think the outlook is good.

Only three more days of my fast. I’m feeling great. I’m going to reward myself with an Ellwood Veggie Burger and new piercings!

{ uploaded by iso.bot }

I ordered this cute little at-home blood type testing kit. I’ve always wanted to know my blood type, but had no desire to go to a doctor just for that, so this was perfect!

I remember doing some kind of school project in 4th grade where we listed our blood type, but I just asked my Mom and she couldn’t remember, so I think she made it up.

And I did the blood drive thing in high school, but I don’t think they ever told us our type. They only contacted you afterwards if you had unusable blood (ie - diseased).