Friday, August 17, 2012

Was It Something I Said?

Dudes...ladies...especially ladies.  As if being 50-something isn't already hard enough, what with hormonal changes and all the weirdness that comes with it.  Now come to find out there's more shit that can happen.

Like Burning Mouth Syndrome, which my doctor just diagnosed me with today.

Maybe it was all those naughty words.  Karma's a...well, you know.

I mean, we've all burned our tongues, right?  Which is what I thought a dozen or so days ago, though I could not remember a specific incident.  And it's an annoying feeling, but a burnt tongue heals and it goes away.  Except when it doesn't.  Then it continues to be annoying.  Like, possibly forever annoying.

What causes it?  Get this: Nobody knows for sure.  Could be stress (check).  Menopause or perimenopause (check).  Being female (check).  Anxiety or depression (I didn't think so, but maybe I'm in denial). 

So the pamphlet I brought home says, "One-half to two-thirds of patients will experience at least a partial improvement in symptoms within SIX to SEVEN YEARS [emphasis mine] after symptoms began.  A SMALL NUMBER will return to normal with no residual burning.  [For the others] symptoms tend to remain at about the same intensity."

I hope I'm among the "small number."  In the meantime, it's a good thing I've always liked spicy stuff, because it feels like a never-ending jalapeno pepper up in there. 

I'm going to hit it with everything that may help—extra B vitamins, alpha lipoic acid, baking soda rinses and/or Tabasco sauce rinses (I kid you not, it's on my sheet here).  Everything short of prescription pharmaceuticals, because I just don't want to go down that road if I can help it, and they are only sometimes effective plus have side effects.

Okay, so...end of rant.  On a positive note, before the week got busy work-wise, I went thrift store browsing and found the cutest little vintage covered sugar bowl.

It's from the Horizons line by Steubenville, though I can't find the name of this particular design.  Farm scene?  Anyway, it's a mid-century piece, probably from the 1950s.

I love the colors.  I thought about pretty pinks and greens in my fabric stash. 

One thing led to another and pretty soon I was making a mini.  I got as far as piecing the front and back and sandwiching it. Then I got slammed with work, so I don't know when I'll get back to quilting and finishing it.  I decided not to wait until that day, though, to show you.

The doc's parting words were, "Try to have some fun this weekend," a prescription I do hope to fill.

Heard this song on the radio recently, from John Mayer's newest album.  I like the laid back vibe.



Have a good one, all! 

16 comments:

Pokey said...

Oh, my, what a terrible thing to happen! I have never heard of it, but once my Dad went through a bad tongue situation. It split down the center! Now, My daddy was a "chewer", I bet you know of what I speak...anyway, he had the painful wound condition for about a week, and he went to eating 3-5 oranges a day-Ouch! But as crazy as that sounds, that was what started the healing.
I hope the healing starts for you, too.

On your "OH SO CUTE!!!" sugar bowl, don't you love the colors?!? Your quilt and that tree fabric is spot on perfect! I do hope you get to do some happy work with this mini ~
Take care, Sweet P! hugs, pokey

Mary said...

I have to admit I have never heard of burning mouth syn. I swear the older we get, the more "new" things we encounter. You did real good on the mini. Love it. Do try to have some fun this weekend though.

Sarah Craig said...

What a pain - an ongoing "Caribbean moment" on your tongue!! Hopefully it will clear up quickly and not linger! Love your new find and its matching mini!

Anonymous said...

Ouch! Your burning mouth, my ringing ears - aging sucks. But it beats the alternative.

BendingPins.com said...

Oh P., what a hideous condition to be in, I'm so sorry for your plight! I did a little more research, it's more common than you think, I found a support group I hope helps: http://www.go4hope.org/

I LOVE your mini, it's to die for!

Big hugs,

Tabatha

MomWaldsPlace said...

That's just wrong! Your mouth is supposed to be the one thing exempt from hot flashes.

Turned it into creativity just like an Olympian! Nifty mini.

You definitely deserve your fab new dish. It is impossible to decide which is the best part, the colors or the curlicue lid.

"Sorry Honey. I cannot help you work on the house this weekend. The doctor says I have to have fun this weekend."

Karen said...

Dang...spicy food forever I guess. I adore your sugar bowl with your central park, perfect together! I am a true Mayer fan and love that album completely...look for Walt Grace track from this and listen closely...makes me giggle :) there could be some fun in it

Sara said...

Oy vey P:( I hope those vitamins and rinses do DO the trick for you really quick.

Your inspiration for the mini is wonderful!! perfect!

Vicki @ DottyJane said...

Great sugar bowl and adorable mini-in-the-making!

What an odd syndrome...how do you know if you actually do burn your mouth..or does it matter? I hope the non-prescription stuff helps to alleviate it:)

Go have some fun!

Auntie Pami said...

http://www.replacements.com/mfghist/rephist.htm

Have you seen this site? It is amazing. You may want to email them a photo and maybe they can identify it. So sorry about the burning mouth thing. I'm crossing my fingers I don't get that part of getting older. Gray hair is traumatic enough.

Cherie said...

What a very odd sounding syndrome and six to seven years really? You'd think they'd have made up a more helpful solution for it!

Such a cute mini! The colours are so summery =D

kathy said...

I am so sorry to hear of your burning mouth syndrome. I woke up about a year and a half ago with no feeling in the right half of my tongue and a horrible metallic taste in my mouth. I must admit I panicked a bit - thought I had had a stroke or something. Burning Mouth Syndrome was something we looked at as a possibility.

After lots of different doctors, they finally figured that it was part of my ongoing nerve condition - Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which gives me pain every day across my back, chest and down my right arm. It took about 8 or 9 months to get most of the feeling back, but it still flares up sometimes on a bad day.

I hope you get some relief SOON! It is not fun at all to have these weird things happening to our bodies!

Unknown said...

It is a b...h getting old! I have never, ever, ever heard of burning tongue syndrome! I am so sorry you have it and hope that it will go away long before the six or seven years they are saying.

At least it is not stopping you from buying cute stuff or making adorable quilts. I love the little house in the forest. Where did you find the tree fabric? I love it!

Hope you get better soon!

thea said...

That doesn't even sound real. Sounds like something the doctor made up. I hope you are one of the SMALL NUMBER.

Elizabeth said...

Well, that just plain sucks! I hope that you recover quickly & completely!

That mini is SO cute! I love the pretty colors and the sugar bowl that inspired it is adorable.

I'm still on the fence about John Mayer. He's not really a favorite of mine, but I do like this one you posted today.

xo -E

Michelle said...

I have never heard of burning mouth syndrome! Yikes! I hope you've had much improvement since you posted this.

I mean I enjoy a good jalapeno zing, but part of the enjoyment is the knowledge that it's temporary.

Cute little mini!

I'd like to listen to the song, but I am work. Hope to get back to it when I"m home.