Monday, April 30, 2012

Where I've Been & What's Going On...

Hey guys! So chances are, if you're an avid reader of my blog, you're probably wondering...

"WHERE THE HECK IS THIS GIRL?!"

Well... calm down, all will be answered right now! :)

The past couple weeks have been some of the craziest ever... long story short, my second semester of college is coming to a close - it literally ends exactly 2 weeks from today. I'm not the strongest in Biology so my time for homework has mostly been consumed by that one class. Now remember, I have 3 other classes to attend to, as well. I've been working on a take-home test, research paper, 2 other essays, studying for tests (that happen at the same time, conveniently), and preparing for the end of the semester, in general.

I'm so excited for this semester to be over for several reasons:
  1. I hate Biology. So. Much.
  2. I've been doing really well in my other 3 classes, so I hope my GPA is looking good.
  3. I'll be starting a 4 week summer class for computers - which won't be completely fun, but it's at least bearable after such a difficult and long semester.
  4. I just want this semester to end. :p
 So on top of being super busy with school, I've been super sick for the past few days. Out of nowhere, I came down with a bug during my Friday class a few days ago. I had to leave early because I was starting to feel terrible, from my stomach, to my head, to constant chills and hot flashes. It was terrible. I came home and slept and just woke up feeling even worse!

Long story short on that end as well, I was very sick all weekend. I was fortunate enough to have Dylan with me for a day to help me feel a little bit better, but my body has just been going through a whirlwind of crazy symptoms. Not only have I not slept this much in 2 days in a LONG time, but I'm also getting behind on some of the most important assignments and tests of the semester. I had to stay home from school today and go to the doctor and everything!! I'll let you guys know how it goes. (I'm leaving now actually...) Not sure what I have, but it feels flu-like... sort of. I really don't know...

But be sure to follow my on Twitter! I've been trying my best to keep you guys up to date on there when I'm unable to post a lengthy blog post! :) My username is BlogsbyLauren... pretty easy to remember, right? ;)

Here's the link, if you're feeling extra lazy on this dreary Monday! (I know I am!!)

So thanks for stopping by and caring enough to read this post... hope it wasn't too boring! Hehe - I assure you I'll be posting more frequently in the summer time, when my summer class is over. June 15th - that's when you can start kicking me in the butt to write more! ;)

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

P.S. I'll try to update my blog with more makeup posts and stuff like that in the meantime, since I know you guys enjoy those as well! But remember to look for more serious stuff coming soon!!! :)

Motivational Monday! ~ 4/30/12

Hey everyone! So I'm counting down the weeks until my spring semester of college is over (only EXACTLY 2 more weeks left!!) and I'm sure there's some important milestone happening in your lives as well, even if you don't realize it yet! :)

Happy Monday, everyone!

This spoke to me. It says to me that we have to keep challenging ourselves throughout our lives to feel real fulfillment. Even if we aim high and don't necessarily reach every goal to the highest point, we will still be satisfied with our decisions and goals accomplished. You never want to settle for less, whether that be personally in a relationship (any, really - not just romantic) or fulfillment in your career. I got my head in the clouds, and I'm just fine. :)
                                          
Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

P.S. I'll be posting a couple blog posts very shortly... one explaining exactly where I've been and what's currently happening that's keeping me away from blogging as frequently as I'd like to.

*Image credit to google.com*

Monday, April 23, 2012

Motivational Monday! ~ 4/23/12

Hey everyone! Here's your next dose of "Motivational Monday"! Hope everyone has a good week! :)

This really applies to me right now... the end of the semester is here, and that comes with tons of essays, tests, and other miscellaneous projects. And to top it off, I had a pretty bad morning this morning, too! So I just have to remember this, as do all of you. It's true... all things must come to an end sometime, so that includes the bad stuff, too!
Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

*Image credit to google.com*

Monday, April 16, 2012

Motivational Monday! ~ 4/16/12

Helloooo! Another weekend has come and gone, and although that may make some sad, remember that you're that much closer to your goal! Whether that be graduating high school or college, finishing another semester (like me!) or getting a raise, you're that much closer! :)

This couldn't be more true for me right now. As I write this, it is less than 2 hours from when a really important biology test is going to be taken. I have been studying my butt off all week, and especially all weekend long. I feel confident, but at the same time not... but it's true. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Outfit/Makeup of the Day! ~ 4/11/12

Hey guys!

So I was feeling good and energetic today, so I decided to go all out for school as far as my outfit and makeup went! Let me know what you think! :)

Enjoy! ^_^

I decided to wear a nice fitting tank top with lots of shimmer on the top. I put a 3/4 sleeve, little sweater over it since it was still a bit chilly. For my makeup, I didn't have time to do elaborate eye makeup, but I stayed natural and made my face flawless, with my Korre's Lip Butter in "Athens" which is a moisturizing and pretty pink lip color. I continued to bling it up on my right ring finger with a HUGE [fake] diamond ring. Under 5 bucks at Forever 21? I'LL TAKE IT! ;)



Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Monday, April 9, 2012

Motivational Monday! ~ 4/9/12

Hey everyone! Welcome to yet another week! I hope everyone had a good weekend... Mine could have been better, but it was Easter yesterday, so hopefully everyone who celebrates it had a nice holiday with their loved ones! :)

Now on to the quote, of course!

This is very true. I can definitely relate this to my biology class because the sciences don't come easy to me and I'm borderline about to fail, but I'm not giving up until the fight is over. I'm studying smarter AND harder and I'm determined to become the successful Registered Nurse I've dreamed to be.

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Piercing Problems

I like piercings, but piercings don't like me.

When I was in the 7th grade, or 12 years old, I got my very first ear piercing, which were my first two holes in each ear. My mom had always offered to get my ears pierced earlier than that, but I was always so afraid it would hurt a lot because I pictured it feeling like an injection.

The date was May 30, 2006, which I remember because of my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome post, actually. (click "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" to read!)

Anyways, here's the rest of the story, then you get to see the lovely photos of what happened with my latest piercings!

After getting my first holes pierced, I think it was a year or two later that I wanted to get my second holes pierced. After minor begging, my mom agreed and we went to get them pierced. Mind you, I got these pierced at Icing by Claire's in the mall. That will be important to remember later. Any other piercings after that, my mom wasn't having. Remember too, I was in my early teens at this point.

A few years later, as I progressed through high school, I started really wanting a third hole in each ear and it started growing on me that I really liked how they looked. So many girls had them and I wanted them too. Long story short, it took a whole lot of begging and quite a few months, if not maybe around a year, to convince my mom to get them pierced. So I finally did - this was the very beginning of my senior year of high school. I also got them pierced at Icing by Claire's in the mall, but the lady who pierced them pierced the one on my right ear too low, so it always looked bad.

I was so happy I finally had them pierced, though. But it only took a few months for them to start getting infected. I did everything I could to try and heal them and got really upset at the thought of having to take them out, especially after how hard I had worked to get them. But the time came, when I had to get my wisdom teeth out. (Read about that post here!) The doctor said I had to wear no nail polish and wear no jewelry around and above the neck, which also meant taking out all my piercings. I wasn't worried about my first two holes, as I have had those for years and can leave them out for a few days at a time and they still won't close. But the third holes were maybe a little over 6 months old. Well, I did it because I had to, and because of the complications I had that day, I didn't put my earrings back in until the next day. It was already too late. I couldn't manage to get the normal looking one back in, but ironically enough, I could have put back in just the demented looking one. But I didn't want to - so they both had to close. It was a good thing, because they really were infected and just weren't getting better, but it still made me pretty sad.

Now let's fast forward to Summer 2011, just after I graduated high school. More ear piercings had been growing on me steadily, but my parents weren't having it. I'll tell you all the other piercings I've wanted since then. I would have loved to re-pierce my third holes, keep the three holes I got (shown in the pictures below), get an industrial piercing in the cartilage of my right ear, along with a tragus piercing also in my right ear. But after the pain I experienced getting the 2 cartilage piercings pierced, I gave up hope for the industrial. Even after all I've been through with piercings, I may still try to get my tragus pierced someday.

Anyways, the pictures below speak for themselves as far as how bad the infections in my three cartilage piercings got. (2 next to each other in my left ear and 1 mid way up the ear in my right ear) Basically, I still have a little bump left in my right ear, even after a month or two of the hole being closed. My doctor said to continue putting warm wash cloths on it twice a day and it should show little to nothing left.

As far as the two left ear cartilage piercings go, the lower one remains in while I just closed the top one a few days ago. The bump has gone down at least about half way I'd say, and doesn't hurt as much anymore. I'm still sad I only have one out of three left, though. :(

Basically what ended up happening is I got all three pierced on my 18th birthday, August 27, 2011. Because it was my body and my money, my parents couldn't stop me since I was finally of age. So I went and got them all pierced at Piercing Pagoda in the mall because I wasn't going back to Icing after the lady messed up my third holes. But looking back, I wish I just went to a tattoo place where they pierce your ears with a needle instead of a gun, because maybe they wouldn't have gotten infected, or at least so easily, again. I have vowed to definitely get whatever piercings I want re-done at a reputable tattoo and piercing place, because the gun just hasn't worked out for me most times. And it just stinks, because I did everything I could to prevent these from getting infected this time. I did a salt-water mix twice a day, everyday, for 4-5 months and applied Neosporin when it felt more sore. But they still got infected. Oh well - I guess the lesson here is to give up if my ears just don't like being pierced - or keep trying, but at different places, with different piercers, and different methods of sterilization and protection. I'd appreciate if someone would tell me if I'm doomed to have more piercings than two in each ear or not, because at this point, I really don't know.

Below are pictures of what happened with the three piercings I got done on my 18th birthday. Sorry in advance if they gross anybody out, but they're basically just big, red, painful bumps - no puss or blood, I promise!

Actually, thinking of puss - when I took out my top left cartilage piercing for the final time, puss came oozing out right away. I just knew it couldn't stay in any longer. :(

This is what it looked like right before I decided to take it out.
Ain't that big, red, painful bump purty?
This was when I took both my cartilage piercings for the first time since I put the non-piercing earrings in to clean them. I shouldn't have put them back in after seeing this, but after much pain and prying, I did. Also notice the bump on the side of the ear, towards the front? That's hot. (sarcasm)
This was right before I took them out for the second time to clean them. I had a feeling it would be the last time for my top piercing.
Here's what the piercings looked like after removing both earrings once again. See that huge bump on the back of the top piercing? Yeah, it hurt SO bad.
Here's a close up of what the top one looked like after removing it. I was able to put the bottom one back in because the bump didn't appear huge or painful, but the top one had it. It had to close. :(
Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Stomach Issues

Hey everyone! So I figured the next couple blog posts would be back to serious topics since I've been light hearted for the past couple weeks. The other reason I haven't posted a lot/or serious topics in general is because I need to really concentrate on schoolwork more often because Biology is kicking my butt! But I'm still posting at least a couple times a week, which I think is adequate - especially since I still post YouTube videos about every other day. (Check out my beauty YouTube channel HERE)

So this blog post is going to be about the constant battle I've had all my life with stomach issues. I'll go into detail about everything I've experienced, while also touching base on how it relates to allergic reactions I've had (I can do a more detailed post about that sometime if you'd like) and how I finally treated them - well, mostly. :)

I have had constant troubles with my stomach for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was younger, I would have constant stomach aches, and they were always the kind that would make you feel like you had to throw up. They usually never felt like just something mild, that it would go away easily, or that it was "just something I ate".

Another weird fact is that 95% of the time, even to this day, I get stomach aches in the middle of the night. Yes, I do get some during the day every now and then, but it's mostly always during the night. Now there are two different scenarios that usually happen with my mid-night stomach aches.

The first scenario is when I wake up in the dead of the night - this could be 11pm, 1am, 4am, it really depends on the time I go to bed, actually. This is usually the worse of the two evils. I'll wake up, maybe have to go to the bathroom, then by the time I've been up a minute or two, it hits me like a train. I feel like I'm going to vomit and immediately go get the basin, in case I need to throw up in bed and can't make it to the bathroom in time, and take something like Mylanta to calm it some. Then I go back to bed and breathe as if I'm in labor. (Seriously, it helps.) By the way, remember that even though most times I woke up during the night with stomach problems and DIDN'T puke, sometimes I do end up having a stomach bug and am sick all day.

In recent years, my mom has done her research, as usual, and has found that peach juice (sometimes mixed with Benadryl, depending on the severity and if it's accompanied by an allergic reaction) actually helps some, given I'm not actually going to vomit and it's not a real bug. If it's just the feeling and my stomach and nerves need to be calmed, the juice or mixture usually does the job, along with breathing calmly and thinking about something other than the nausea - which I know, is very hard to do. So instead of running to Mylanta all the time, I'll try the peach juice because it's a more natural method and even tastes yummy.

The second scenario of my nightly stomach upsets would be just as I'm about to go to bed. This is the less common version, but it happens every now and then. The reason this happens varies by the day. Sometimes, I'm just way too tired and my mind is literally upsetting my stomach. (You'd be surprised how much your mind can make you feel physically sick.) Other times, I may have stretched myself out too thin - as in, I tried to, or maybe did, accomplish too much in one day, and the stress combined with the exhaustion has now made my stomach feel like it's in knots. The solution to these scenarios is a lot easier to solve than the middle of the night one - go to sleep. Once I'm asleep, even if I wake up a few hours later in the middle of the night, it's usually already gone because I really did just need some sleep to catch up and make my whole body, including my stomach, feel better.

Now back to the first scenario, added with some more complications - OF COURSE! (emphasis on the sarcasm there)

Since the first scenario is what happens the majority of the time, I want you to keep that in mind while I talk about the following topic: allergic reactions. I had a very tough time from November 2010 through January 2011. I'm not kidding when I say, I experienced 3 allergic reactions (NEW allergies, mind you) 3 months in a row. That's ONE every MONTH. In November, I became allergic to Zithromax - an antibiotic I have used many times since I was younger to treat things like sinus infections and such. In December, I became allergic to Macrobid - an antibiotic used to treat UTI's. Let's not be embarrassed here, ladies. We've all had one at one time or another, and we're just so lucky to have the advantage of getting them more often than men. (more sarcasm) Lastly, in January, I developed a mild milk allergy. Now, in my opinion, it feels a lot like at least a moderate milk allergy, but hey, that's what came up on the blood test. It may have developed more by now, but oh well. It's under control.

Now let me go into more detail as to how these allergic reactions went down. Yay, details!! Okay, so basically, all 3 months in a row, and all 3 allergic reactions, resulted in me waking up in the mild of night, grabbing the basin, and laying down in bed, waiting for the worst to happen. And then it did. For each reaction, I broke out in major hives and would be itchy on EVERY square inch of my body. I'm talking EVERYWHERE. Not one place on my body was not itchy and it was terrible. I couldn't help but itch myself like crazy. This is where my mom came to the rescue with the peach juice and Benadryl mixture. After a few minutes after taking it, the itching subsided. But then I puked. So I basically puked up what I just took, but it was enough to calm the itching at least. Now the weird thing is, each reaction and month that went by, the puking became less of an issue, but the itching was still MAJOR. November, I vomited twice, December once, and January I honestly can't remember if I did at all - but if I did, it was less and only once.

Now something you should know is I'm also allergic to Biaxin and Omnicef, but these allergies developed when I was just a kid. And they were not nearly as severe as the reactions I just described. All that happened was I developed a rash on my stomach, showed and told the doctor, and he determined I was allergic to those medicines and could no longer take them.

After these events happened, those things calmed down a bit. However, a few months later, (Spring - Summer 2011) I started having severe stomach aches EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. Yes, I know I've talked about having them frequently during the night, but I had never had them to the point where it became a nightly routine. I even ended up going to the hospital late at night after me and my boyfriend has seen a play at my school because it was bothering me the whole time and wouldn't go away. I had even worried at points that my appendix would have to be removed. Long story short, my doctor ended up telling me I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS. I know it sounds simple and like you're just backed up bowel wise, but unless you've experienced it, you have no idea how much pain and nausea you can experience on a daily [and nightly] basis.

Now that I had a diagnosis, there was finally an end in sight [to my IBS]. My doctor gave me a pill called Donatol, which I call my "stomach pill". This pill calms down spasms your stomach is experiencing when the Irritable Bowel Syndrome acts up. I take those pills as needed, not on a regular basis unless my stomach is really acting up. So now, instead of heading for Mylanta, when I wake up during the night with a stomach ache, I take that pill, get the basin just in case as always, and head back to bed. Within about a half hour, with steady breathing, I usually feel a lot better. Along with those pills, I take Dexilant every night to keep the problem under control, so I don't have to take the Donatol on a regular basis. Also, I take 2 fiber supplements (Metamucil) each day to keep my bowels moving regularly. I used to only take 1 a day, but the 2 a day helps a lot more now.

A side note - since I'm female and get my period every month, the IBS sometimes acts up around that week because the organs are close together. So I have to take the Donatol nightly sometimes when I'm expecting or have my period. It's not fun, because it adds to the cramps, nausea, and overall annoyance, but at least it's pretty much under control at this point.

So I hope I helped someone that has similar stomach issues as me. If you're experiencing anything I mentioned, pay your doctor a visit - seriously. Because he has really helped get my stomach issues under control. Remember if you have a severe allergic reaction and an anti-histamine (like Benadryl or Claritin) doesn't help in a quick manner, go to the hospital immediately! It's very dangerous to be experiencing hives and not get it under control fast enough. I was lucky enough that the liquid version of Benadryl did enough for me.

Thanks for reading, as always! I appreciate the views and support so much and really hope to be helping anyone, anywhere around the world! ^_^

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

P.S. Another HUGE stomach problem occurred when I had my wisdom teeth pulled out. Read that story by clicking HERE.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Motivational Monday! ~ 4/2/12

Hey everyone! Welcome to another week of work, school, homework, babysitting, whatever it is you do, welcome back to reality once again!

I know it's hard to keep your eye on the prize sometimes when it seems like every week just drags on and gets you nowhere, but that's why I thought this quote would be perfect.

Enjoy! :)

I've been having a hard time deciding if nursing is for me, because I'm not so strong in the sciences. But at the same time, I know it's been a passion of mine since I was big enough to "play nurse". On the same note though, when I daydream, I daydream of being a successful makeup artist - doing makeup for stars, photoshoots, or movies, and winning an Academy Award. So I'm trying to figure out what I'm really meant to do in life and if I should still pursue both and still be happy.

So that's my motivational quote for today! I hope it helped someone, somewhere start off to a better week! :)

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Makeup of the Day! ~ 4/1/12

Hey guys! So yesterday (March 31, 2012) I entered the Coastal Scents St. Patrick's Day contest. Basically, you had to create a look that was themed around St. Patrick's Day.

By the way, if you don't know what Coastal Scents is, I'll list the link below. It's an amazing website that sells makeup, skincare products, brushes, and more. I first found out about them several years ago and it's amazing how they've expanded their line since then. I am absolutely in love with their palettes, because like the one in the bottom of the picture, (88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette) it was only around $20 to $25, and you get amazing pigmentation, lots of colors, and they're all in one place.


Anyways, the picture below is the EXACT picture (or really, collage) that I entered into the contest. The results will be posted Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Wish me luck and I hope you like it!! :)

I used the greens shown (and others actually) from the 88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette from Coastal Scents for this look, as well as face makeup, eyeliner, mascara, and a lip color of course. I really like how it came out, do you? :)
 Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren