Journey to Pain Relief: Purple Pillow Review

Recently, my husband bought me a Purple Pillow. If you have been on YouTube lately, you have probably seen plenty of Purple ads. 

*Quick disclaimer - I was not paid for this review and we did not receive the pillow in exchange for this review. My husband paid for it. It is my honest opinion.*

My husband and I have been searching for ways to alleviate the spinal pains that I face on a daily basis. It has been quite difficult. One of the problems I'm facing is the pain from hypertension in my neck. It causes me to have migraines as well as to lose sleep. We have talked about getting a new bed. One that is bigger, newer and more gentle on the back side. But which one we think is best? Not so easy to answer. He surprised me by buying the Purple Pillow. It is made of a polymer material. Two things I liked right away would be the way it is like a gel in cooling off and in flexibility.

This pillow can take the pressure, conform to it, but then bounce right back to its original shape fairly quickly. It is just like they say, no fluffing required. The cooling sensation feels good to my neck and head, but also to my shoulders. It was why I had bought a gel-topped pillow before. However, with that one I noticed that it is too hard on my shoulders. This one really does ease the pressure points. I even tried sleeping with it under my back. Felt so good! At least until I got up the next morning. That was when the stiffness kicked in from not sleeping on a large enough surface to accommodate my entire spine. This is why we have been considering getting a Purple mattress later on. 

This is what is inside the pillow

The only turn off I had with my pillow would be the initial smell. The polymer they used has an unusual smell. Something in the plastic or rubber zone to me. To help cover it up, I put a dryer sheet into my pillow case between the polymer and where my face would go. I was glad they also sent a zipper case for it. Pillow is inside the washable zipper case, then inside my pillow case. Helps to cover the smell better. 

This pillow runs $99 with free shipping in the continental United States. And it was worth the money. I have not had morning stiffness in my neck or woke up with headaches while using this pillow. So it is a definite win on that battle. My husband has even talked about getting the mattress one day. Especially now that they offer variations in thickness. 

Hope this review helps anyone sitting on the fence about buying one. And if you do, I hope you have as great a nights sleep as I have. Enjoy! 

Holding On

There's something about those moments that you see happening in slow motion, but are unable to stop that make it all seem surreal. It's like watching it happen to someone else. Your mind tells you what you should do, but your reactions are not quick enough.

We were driving home one day earlier this week when it got me. Hit me quite strongly. I was feeling pains throughout the morning. The kinds that I ignore and keep pushing my way through. But on the way home, I happened to run my hand through my hair. Triggered another sensation that I do not often feel. It's like the hair itself in one spot is bruised. I don't know how else to describe it. Touching that spot hurt. Like a bruise. But in the pursuit of knowing more about it, I suppose I pressed too hard. Shortly before arriving home, I was conversing with my husband about the EMS at the nursing home up the street from where we live. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head and the sudden lightheadedness that I loathe. So sudden and strong was it, that I felt I was losing consciousness. I breathed deeply, willing myself to stay awake. Fighting my body for control. We arrived at home with my husband worrying. I told him that I would be fine. He had to run to the store for me and I needed to get lunch in the oven. I began feeling feverish. My head was still hurting. But I told myself to get things done. After starting everything, I went to lay down upstairs. 

There is a reason I dread laying down. Well, at least when I get like this. It is when I feel the most vulnerable. When the reminder of my weakness is at its highest level. I don't know about you, but laying down is when each ache, every pain and the slightest disturbance within can be felt with the clearest distinction between each sensation. While laying down, I could feel it all. Tingling in my right foot. A pin prick in my left foot. Tension in my neck. Pain in my head. Pulling in my lower back. I could pinpoint each place bothering me all at once. Then the feeling of passing out returned. This, of course, came just as my husband came back. The look in his eyes brought tears to my own. He worries so much. Of course it did not take long before his tears started flowing freely.
It is hard to be strong, but for those of you who are in a similar situation... It is imperative that we stay strong for those we love. By no means is it easy. I fall short in so many ways. But I can't give up. And neither should you. I don't have a special formula to withstand the imbalances of the deformed and injured body. Instead I have prayer. For my good days as well as for my bad days. On my good days, I thank God for the strength to do what needs to be done. On my bad days, I thank God I'm alive for another day and ask for His strength to get through it.

In an attempt to avoid future issues, I have gone proactive. At least one of my sons knows the pass code to my phone and knows that should anything happen to me, he is to immediately contact my husband. I have one more option I will try for getting health care, but at least this way I have faith that my kids will know what to do in an emergency.

When Crap Flies... Literally!

I sit here, in extremely high spirits. I cannot tell you what a day it has been. I woke up feeling that no matter what happened, it would all work out. God is in control. That doesn't mean that I wasn't feeling slightly apprehensive. After all, we had a morning meeting scheduled with a lawyer to deal with some legal issues that involved my ex-husband. Meetings like that always carry a foreboding feeling, no matter how well you think you are prepared for it. Despite my hesitations, the meeting went so well, that I forgot all worries in connection to it. The future has taken on a more glorious hue. 

Of course, after such a morning, my husband and I were enjoying lunch and watching Ocean's Thirteen. That is when my daughter decided to truly let go and walk. She has known how to and has made several steps on her own just fine, but has refused to let go for good. Well, that changed today. She let go and toddled across our bedroom and the living room floors without demanding a hand to hold or seeking furniture to guide her along. At 15 months, it's about time! I'm so proud of her though. Maybe she took her time, but she found her way to her own feet. She is ready to be a little more independent. 

That is when we came to the event that spurred the title for this post. She had a great lunch with us. We had cleaned her up. We had put away the mess. And then happily settled back down for the movie. That's when we noticed the smell. And the grunts. She was being cute and happy, just sitting over on the bottom stair that led up to the second floor. But you could tell she was having some concentrating moments over there. Once she finished, I started the changing process. Grabbed the diaper and wipes, then grabbed her. We got comfy on the floor and I went to work. It was a smelly one. As I finished with the first wipe, I reached for another wipe. That is when she reached down, grabbed the dirty diaper and swung. You know when something crazy happens and it is in slow motion? This was one of those moments. I could hear myself yelling, "Nooooo!" My husbands reaction was similar, though I did not see his face. Probably priceless material there. She swung the diaper and it landed squarely on the side of her head. She had poop on her face and in her hair. I had one leg in my hand and reached to wipe the rest of her bum with my other hand. My husband scooped up the diaper and grabbed her hand closest to him. I finished with her rear and grabbed her remaining free hand. Part of me wanted to gag. I wanted to cry. But I was laughing too hard. My husband was mortified, slightly laughing and over all saying how gross it was. It was an epic moment. And as soon as I get the notebook back from my Mother, I'm writing this story down in her book. I keep a notebook for each of my kids. Stories like this, memories, or even just those life lessons I want my kids to think about as adults are going into these notebooks. This is one memory we won't want to lose!

Happy parenting moments to you all!

Reaching the Breaking Point

Tonight I have reached my limit of patience. Tonight I have come to the last straw. Tonight... I'm completely past taking a breath and letting it go. 

What has my knickers in a twist? My boys' homework math sheet. They are learning to tell time. Second graders, they both are. The same exact homework, they both have. Yet, it is not in the same way. My younger sons teacher sends home a front and back page to do each day. She also removes and checks his homework daily. My older sons teacher must not be able to get the same amount of paper the other teachers get. She tries to cram 4 pages onto a front and back sheet. So everything is shrunken and harder to reader. Try reading the minute lines on a clock the size  of a quarter some time. 

Tonight, however, it climaxed my wrath. I've kept the grammar nazi at bay when I saw spelling and grammatical errors. I have adjusted the errors to show my kids how it should be done properly. I have dealt with multiple choice questions where they try to trip up the kids with a couple answers that are ultimately the "right" answer and when I confronted the teachers about it, I got - "We want them to find the best answer." I have squashed the urge to scream every time my eldest sons teacher says he didn't bring in a particular homework assignment. How does she know? She never takes his homework from his folder! And where did it go if not to her?! I do homework with all my kids EVERY SINGLE DAY. Monday to Thursday. And on Friday, he has all his assignments crammed in the folder, exactly how I placed them there. I am the one removing them and trashing them on Friday afternoons. Tonight... tonight was a whole new story. Tonight they had a clock with the time showing 6:32. But none of the three answers corresponded. My younger son chose a time that was closer - 6:37. I had to tell him, that was incorrect. And that the correct answer is not any of the options available to him. 

Honestly! How can you expect children to learn to read properly if they are reading work pages that are filled with errors? How can they learn to tell time when the clocks are so tiny and the answers provided are all wrong? You can't! You are setting them up to fail. 

Then, my older son tells me that his teacher needs more pencils. I already donated a hefty stack to her class. He tells me no one has erasers. ?#!#%$#%^$$! 

 Only this time, there is no bee!

Then came the greatest problem. The bully from earlier this year is still antagonizing my children. And cursing worse than a sailor. Guess who is going to throw down with that girls parents in the morning? Final warning before I get the police involved and show them what real parenting is all about. 

So it looks like I will have to cancel my plans to go to the store tomorrow morning. Instead, I shall be at the kids' school. Voicing my grievances. And laying into the principle. I have had enough! I'm writing a list of each problem I want to voice. And next year.... I think we are homeschooling. Sadly, I can't put them in the better schools because I have to share a vehicle with my husband who works over night. I can't drive them to the Science and Technology school I so badly want them in. Or the STEM school that my friends kids are in. Otherwise, they would be there in a heartbeat. I'd be enrolling them ASAP.