Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

The Diagnosis

In my post about frustrations with my body after pregnancy, I shared this chart that I had created to try to explain my pains to my doctors.

I still have endometriosis and I knew how those pains felt but this was much more. Parts of me felt bruised or sprained, my whole body ached like I had the flu, my jaw clicked, and I was exhausted beyond the normal fatigue of a mom, wife, and small business woman. I had IBS symptoms most days and skin rashes that popped up, most recently one on my face and that caused some self esteem issues. There were parts of my body that were tender and sore or shot bolts of pain when bumped. Some nights I tossed and turned because every position was uncomfortable and I couldn't even rest my knees together when laying on my side because that caused discomfort.

Bouncing around between multiple doctors, getting blood draws and x-rays so much that the insurance company called to ask if I had been in an accident, I finally got an official diagnosis from a rheumatologist. Before the exam, the nurse called and asked me pre-appointment questions. After the quiz, she told me that it had been a quiz to screen for possibility of fibromyalgia. After my appointment with the rheumatologist, that diagnosis was confirmed - on April Fool's Day. Nice joke, body :/.

Though I had been dealing with these pains for a while, having the official diagnosis was both freeing and upsetting all at once. I allowed myself a little pity party but then picked myself up and started researching the disease and what I could do about it.

Mayo Clinic Disease Definition:
"Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable syndrome, anxiety, and depression.

While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation, and stress-reduction measures also may help."

I grabbed these graphics from Pinterest to simplify but you can also check out this WebMD slideshow. This Doctor Oz series was also helpful in summarizing the disease.

The rheumatologist also sent me a packet explaining fibromyalgia and the common symptoms. As I read through it, I thought, "Yep, that's me, and that's me, and that's me, too". My body was such a mess of symptoms that it was difficult to explain, but this diagnosis brought most everything under the umbrella of fibromyalgia or endometriosis.

Having this diagnosis has brought me a lot of peace mentally. I now can confirm:
It was not in my head.
I am not crazy.
I am not lazy.
I am not weak or overly sensitive.

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So, what's next?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness of the central nervous system so it is not just going to go away, but there are things I can do to improve my quality of life.

Medication
Antidepressants are often prescribed even if the patient is not depressed because antidepressants can be helpful in relieving fibromyalgia pain and improving deep, restorative sleep. They work by balancing serotonin and other brain chemicals involved in pain processing. Currently, Lyrica, Savella, and Cymbalta are the most prescribed to help with fibromyalgia. My gynecologist also told me about LDN or low dose naltrexone which helps reset the brain at night. A lot of these medications are not recommended to use while breastfeeding but I was put on a low dose anti-depressant that is safer with nursing and will look into stronger medication options once Eliana decides to wean. Until then, I am concentrating on other coping mechanisms and lifestyle changes.

Exercise
Though it often hurts to move, it hurts even more to not move. Inactivity can cause even more pain and tenderness so it is important for me to get moving every day. With fibromyalgia, stress can trigger a flare so it is a good idea to find a balance. Though it's not helpful for me to do high impact exercises, I have been taking a one hour weight lifting class 2-3 times a week and going on fast paced stroller walks in my neighborhood 3-4 days a week. I still need to work in some yoga, swimming, and tai-chi type exercises.

Pump it up!

My strolling buddies.

Diet

Search ResultDiet

It has not been proven that certain foods can adversely affect a person with fibro, but it has been shown that those who keep a healthy/fresh food diet do have less severe symptoms. I already have this down for the most part because of my food awareness from endometriosis. I need to keep up my intake of fresh produce and it'll be a little easier now because my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has begun. Yay local veggies!

Mindfulness/Meditation/Prayer
Mindfulness is often recommended to people who deal with chronic pain. It is a way of rewiring how your mind reacts to painful stimuli. I have begun reading the book, You Are Not Your Pain by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman and soon in will start taking me through meditations on CD. I am excited so see how this, along with prayer, can help.

Sleep
This is a tricky one! Many that live with fibro have issues with non-restorative sleep. I am in that same unrestful boat. A sleep study was done a while ago and it was found that I have insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and that I have active/awake brain waves during my deep sleep cycle. This means that even if I am in bed for 10 hours, I can wake up exhausted without having had my body and mind healed during sleep. This is also tricky because I am a mommy of an almost one year old and when she doesn't sleep, neither do I.

My docs have recommended trying to find ways to make getting to sleep easier - things like no caffeine in the afternoon and no screen time an hour before bed. They also said that I might have to take more rests or naps during the day. This is not an easy thing to work into an already busy schedule - which brings me to the next point.

Simplifying Life
This may be one of the most emotionally complex changes I need to make. I like to make people happy, to work dependably and with quality, to pursue many artistic ventures, to support friends and family and make it to their events, to be strong and consistent. My schedule has always been a full one, even before my daughter came along, and trying to balance it all was extremely challenging, but I did my best to manage as gracefully as possible. Adding two chronic illnesses to the mix that each come with pain and exhaustion tipped that precarious balance and something had to give.

Recently, during one of the evening power strolls with my husband, I brought up what weighed heavy on my mind: priorities. What are the things in our life that take precedence? Our family and health came to the forefront of the conversation. Such a full schedule does not allow time for the self care that is necessary for me and having an unpredictable week and weekend schedule puts stress both on my body and our family. Since the birth of Eliana, my husband and I have been struggling to find time together and having me work weekends makes that even more difficult.

It turns out that the thing that has to give right now is my face painting work. Ask any professional face painter - the job is much more extensive than the time put in at the parties. The hours spent communicating with customers, learning the craft, preparing and cleaning the tools and products, and designing option boards all add up. The time painting is not the easiest on the body either. There are a lot of unnatural positions you put yourself in when trying to paint a moving/squirmy target.

Deciding to respectfully bow out of face painting is a very difficult decision. I adore the artistry, the amazing people I get to work with, and all the smiles I get to see. I have been painting faces for 10 years and it feels strange to stop but it is what needs to happen to create the kind of life environment that will be beneficial to both my family and my health. I will continue to create art and do illustrations and some graphic design, but these are things that can be done from home as well as scheduled around health and family needs. Once I publicly announce this, I will begin to change my web site, business cards, and social accounts to reflect the change. I have a few more gigs booked this summer that I will work but after that, I'll lovingly send customers to my fellow face paint artist friends.

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What can I do?

Some of my friends who know about my illnesses have asked how they could help and that is so very kind. Thank you! Right now, there is not much I need but I will let you know if I do. The best things for me from friends and family would be patience, grace, and understanding. To assist with that, there are a few things that I would like for you to know:

• I enjoy my life and I am happy even though my body is not so great.
• If I am having a rough day, I may seem distracted or foggy headed. Please have patience with me.
• You can generally not tell I am sick from the outside but the discomfort is there almost constantly.
• I still am doing my best to enjoy every day and will work through pain; I'll smile and try to act like my usual self.
• I am still figuring all of this out but I am thinking positively and I am grateful for kindness and support.

Writing all this out has been a great way to process everything. Thank you so much for reading!

Being A New Mommy with Endometriosis

'It is Heavy, She is Light', watercolor, 2016, Christy Grace

As I write this, it is March 2016 and Endometriosis Awareness month. Though I am finally getting some time and have processed internally enough to rehash some of my endometriosis and surgery experiences, I wanted to give a current update.

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Sometimes pregnancy can change a woman's body enough that endometriosis will no longer be an issue. I heard this while going through surgeries and fertility treatments and I was wishing that would happen in my body - though that would be miracle upon miracle. This didn't happen to me but I am so very grateful for the blessing of our little girl, Eliana.

Oxytocin, the bonding hormone. Painting by Christy Grace

That said, I have been extremely frustrated in how I feel my body is failing me. Two short months after the birth of my daughter my period returned even though I was exclusively breast feeding. The pain, exhaustion, and digestive issues were back almost immediately and by month four, I was prescribed birth control pills to slow the spread. The birth control pills have a warning on them which states that they are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. I actually refused to take my first pack of pills out of fear that I would hurt my daughter somehow. I talked to the doctors and pharmacists and got on the lowest dose possible and finally started taking them when I was afraid the pain would eclipse my ability to care for Eliana.

Birth Control Warning Label

One of the reasons nursing women avoid birth control pills is the fact that it can lower the milk supply. I found that it affected me immediately and that caused stress which further decreased the amount. Ugh! I did a lot of research and found some supplements and food choices to help supply. I kept with it and, though it has been a roller coaster, I have been able to keep giving my daughter the benefits of breastmilk along with the bonding that nursing brings.

Along with the pain of endometriosis, I have started to notice other pains in my body. I feel like an old woman though I am now just 31. There are muscles and joints that hurt when they should not. Areas of my body and skin feel bruised and sometimes when my husband tickles me, it feels like his fingers are digging in way too deep. I am also exhausted (but what mom is not?) and I feel like my brain is floating in a thick fog. All of this has added up to the possibility of fibromyalgia. I have appointments coming up to look into that deeper. They first have to rule out other things. Through X-rays, the docs have already found the beginning of osteoarthritis in my right knee. Okay, that explains pain there but what about the rest of me?

Really, body? I don't have time for this.
I made this sketch for my docs so I would not forget anything.

I have been processing a lot of this through art and now through words and that has helped. I also have a group of moms, family, and church and close friends that will listen. I still have fears and hopes.

• I fear that I will not be a good mom. I'm afraid of missing out on the precious seconds of Eliana's life while distracted with pain, exhaustion, or mental fog.

• I fear my husband and those close to me will tire of the real answer to their "How are you today?" questions. I am already embarrassed to have complaints and to need help but I am learning to accept it; I just worry about being a burden.

• I fear what my body could become as I age, if this is 31.

• I hope that even though it is rough, I can be the tough lady that I am and work through the pain whenever I can.

• I hope my continuous work to improve my health through workouts, diet, and other self-care will make a difference.

• I hope to be able to keep up with Eliana as she becomes mobile and I need to keep her safe.

• I hope to be the mommy I want to be for Eliana - loving, kind, creative, fun, encouraging, and present.

• I hope to be a good wife, sibling, daughter, and friend to those close to me. Though I know self-care is important, I desire to not be a detriment to those I love so much.

• I hope to find the right balance through all of this, though I know it is a continuing journey.

I wish to always lift you up in so many ways.
Photo by Naomi Walsh. Matching hats by Kelsey Dolezel.

Thank you so much for reading/listening. I am doing my best to continue smiling and kickin' butt and am grateful for outlets like this for my words and art.

Second Endo Surgery - Adhesion Removal

It has been almost two years since my second surgery for endometriosis (endo). In my last post, I talked about endo, how I found out I had it, and my first surgery. This will be a recap of the second surgery and life around that time.

My last post was on April 10, 2014, and my surgery was on May 21, 2014. While waiting for the surgery, the pain continued to get worse. In general, I was in discomfort all the time and in pain three out of four weeks of the month. My teeth clenching through the pain at night ended up cracking my two back bottom molars so I had to get them replaced with gold crowns. No fun and very expensive.

I researched ways to feel better through diet and much of the "endo diet" advice I found discourages many yummy things. On the do not eat list: soy (this was at the top of the list as the estrogen in soy can promote endo adhesion growth), red meat, dairy, chocolate, caffeine, wheat, sugar, fried foods, and more. I did my best to make good food choices and simplified by mainly avoiding soy and wheat because when I did slip up with soy or wheat I could feel the pain level rise. It is a good thing that I love fruits and veggies!

The last week before the surgery had to be one of the worst. I had my period but because of the impending surgery, I was not allowed any pain medication. I remember driving hunched over to an art gallery to retrieve my art after Gallery Night. When I walked into the gallery, my friend saw me and her face fell. "You don't look so good." I was pale faced with a cold sweat and my eyes were tired and sunken. I made it home and immediately crawled into bed with my hot packs.

With this surgery, the doctor knew she had to remove adhesions from my bowels so I was prescribed a bowel prep. This involves drinking a gallon of solution to completely clear out your insides! A person is instructed to drink this the afternoon before the surgery and to stay near a bathroom. Oof. Let's just say that there were some moments of comedy even though it didn't feel so great at the time.

Go-lytely, go quickly, run, run run!!!

The morning of the surgery I was so excited! I am sure the nurses thought I was insane because of the smile on my face. Smiling is sometimes how I work through sadness, nerves, or pain but this particular morning, my smile was filled with hope. My sweet husband Mark was with me until they had to wheel me into the surgery suite.

I remember transferring myself onto the surgery table, counting down, and then the strange, foggy, floating darkness of general anesthesia. Waking up in recovery, the first questions I asked was, "is this the first time I am waking up?". I wanted to make sure that I wasn't too confused coming up from the fog. The next thing I said was that I already felt so much better. Even though there was some pain from the incisions, it felt like a huge, knotted mess inside me had been untied. Relief.

My doctor walked in and started to explain what she found when in surgery. Long story short, she said that it was like an endo bomb went off inside me. A cyst must have popped and spread the endometrial cells throughout my lower abdomen because she found a lot of new spots and adhesions. She said that sometimes this surgery was not too hard because there are different levels of severity, but after this surgery she was physically tired. She removed a lot and did her best to preserve my reproductive organs. I was pretty sleepy then but I made sure to write her a note later to tell her how I was grateful. I also painted her a picture of a blooming reproductive system using hibiscus, rose-hip, and dandelion tea. She wrote back and said, "Next step, pregnancy!". (That process will have to be a whole other post.)

Fertile Flowers painted with tea.

After getting home from the surgery, my cats could tell that I was in pain. My girl kitty, Blue, puffed up and sniffed me nervously. She ended up trying to comfort me by sitting on my lap which isn't the best spot for a kitty after abdominal surgery. We compromised by using a pillow in between us.

You okay, human?

The emotional after-effects were expected but still a little difficult. After resting a while, I got hungry and asked for a banana and peanut butter because I wasn't ready for a full meal. While eating my banana, I felt a huge rush of complex emotions starting to well up. "Mark," I said, "I'm going to cry but I am okay."

My recovery took longer than from the previous surgery but luckily I had a great amount of love and encouragement from my husband, my family, my friends, and my church family. They brought meals over and visited with me while I was healing. Thank you so much, dearhearts!

A week and a half later, I attended an art show. I was still healing and very tender but I wanted to be there to support my fellow local artists. A few friends were also at the show and exclaimed that I looked great and kind of glowed! It was surprising how fast my body was cleansing itself of the toxins that built up during my illness. Though I knew I was not cured, I felt better than I had in a long time and hopeful for the near future - both for feeling at least a little better and for the possibility of pregnancy!


Thanks for reading!

Weekly Produce Themed Painted Baby Bump

Many of you know the struggles my husband and I had on our path to pregnancy (if you don't, no worries - those blog posts are in the works). In short, after 3.5 years of trying I found out I had stage IV endometriosis. I had two surgeries for endometriosis and then we went straight into fertility treatments and procedures to attempt pregnancy before the endo adhesions grew back. When we finally did get that elusive positive test with the help of both Physicians for Women and Wisconsin Fertility Institute, we were in disbelief, quite a bit nervous but also full of hope.

I wanted to find a way to celebrate each week of the pregnancy as we went along because each week was a blessing. I was inspired by the fruit and vegetable size reference pictures on a few of the pregnancy apps I followed. Each week they would tell you that your baby is "now the size of an olive" or "as long as a bunch of swiss chard". I loved the references because they helped me picture the growth of my little one and made the miracle seem more real.

My artistic history is in fine art, graphic design, cake decoration, and face and body painting. I have painted baby bumps for other mothers in the past and thought I would try it on myself. At first it wasn't too challenging because I could look down and paint but as my tummy grew, I could only see the top portion of my canvas. I ended up using a swiveling mirror to view the area while painting. The paints I used are professional grade body paints with FDA approved ingredients which are very gentle on the skin and safe to use. After my loving husband would photograph me, I washed the painting off with soap and water. 

Mark, my husband, is a funny guy and would frequently make jokes while taking pictures. Once, when our baby was as big as an onion, he took a short video without telling me. The result gives a nod to the phrase "belly laugh".

As the baby grew and her movements could be seen externally, I began taking videos. When she was as big as a pumpkin, I took this one:

I wanted make it as far as the size of a watermelon which is 39 weeks. We just made it and our adorable daughter, Eliana, made her appearance on June 10, 2015 at 39 weeks and 3 days. We fall more in love with her every day.

Photo by Naomi Walsh

Photo by Naomi Walsh

Eliana with new book from friend, Ryan Haack of LivingOneHanded.com

Some more images from the project:

Thanks so much for reading and celebrating this life with me!
Love,
Christy Grace

Endometriosis

In my previous post, I mentioned that I have been dealing with a progressively worsening illness. I have Stage IV Endometriosis (endo). One in ten women have endo so it is not something unusual, it is just not a very well known disease.

I should stop to give a quick disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and any info on this blog is meant as a record of my own experiences. I am sharing what is going on in my life to spread awareness and understanding, not for sympathy. I am a tough lady.  :)

Alrighty. So, what is Endometriosis? To sum it up, endo is the growth of endometrial cells outside of the uterus that cause irritation and pain through cysts, scarring, and adhesions. Endo can also cause infertility, chronic pain, and fatigue which can bring along depression, anxiety, and isolation.

I am a visual learner so when I was researching this disease, I found the following video from the World Endometriosis Society. It shows and describes endo pretty clearly.

Every woman with endo experiences it differently. Some women with Stage I endo have huge amounts of pain while some women with Stage IV don't find out they have endo until there are complications with fertility.

My story with endo may have started when I was in high school. I had extremely painful periods. By my senior year, I wanted to be put on birth control to help with periods and acne. The pain lessened and I went on with my life. There were a few rough months here and there but for the most part, I just chalked it up to normal pains that every woman has to go through.

A little over three years ago, I got off birth control with the hope of having a child with my husband. I got off all medications, started taking prenatal vitamins, and started researching and planning. The painful periods were back but they were manageable. After 6 months with no luck, I started tracking my cycles more closely and doing more research. A year passed, still nothing, periods getting a little worse. At the year and a half mark, I talked to my general doctor when I was in for a yearly exam. Since babies were on the brain, I didn't talk about period pain much, I just wanted to know the next step to achieve pregnancy. She sent me to see a doctor at a women's clinic and I was given some advice, told that stress might be making things harder, and that if I still had no luck after another year, I should return for tests.

A year later I returned and one test was done that turned out to be inconclusive. By then, I was losing a little hope and started questioning myself. If I am not pregnant by now, does that mean I am not meant to be a mom? Is something wrong with my body?

It turns out there was. Around the three year mark of infertility was about the same time that my period pain started interfering with my life. Even with the highest dose of pain meds, I was getting pale, shaky, and dizzy from the pain. The breaking point came when I could not stand up straight at work and had to lay down in the break room so I wouldn't pass out. It finally made me question if the period pain could be connected with infertility. As I always do, I researched the heck out of my symptoms and found that endometriosis fit pretty closely.

I contacted the women's clinic with my idea of what could be the issue. My doctor confirmed that it seemed like the correct diagnosis but the only way we could tell for sure was to do a diagnostic laparoscopy - an outpatient surgery where they fill the abdomen with air and then make a few small incisions to peek inside with a camera. I had the surgery in January and my doctor took photos while checking things out. To keep things more light-hearted and not so graphic, I drew simple illustrations of what things look like in there.

My doctor told my husband that the endo adhesions were basically trying to give my organs a 'big hug'. They have completely surrounded my uterus, my right fallopian tube and ovary, part of my left fallopian tube, and some of my bowels. I also have one chocolate cyst (filled with blood) and quite a few other cysts.

With the endo being so extensive, I was recommended to a fertility specialist that is highly skilled in cases like mine. She met with my husband and me recently and told us it would be smart to have surgery as soon as they could schedule it. On May 21st, she will try to remove all the cysts and adhesions with laparoscopic robotic surgery. The healing time will be 2-3 weeks. Once I am feeling well enough, I have been instructed to try for pregnancy before the adhesions grow back. With Stage IV endo, fertility is not a promise but In Vitro or adoption are definitely options.

I am ready for the surgery and I am hoping that a lot of my symptoms lessen. Though I am tough, things have been getting progressively worse. The amount days in between times of pain is getting smaller and new pains are popping up. I am also almost always exhausted. It is not easy to sleep when in pain and I have woken up with nightmares and clenched teeth. I am tired of missing workouts and I am tired of my stomach bloating from the toxins. I am leary of taking on too many events/social commitments outside of the house because I don't want to let anyone down by withdrawing or go out and act like a basket case because I am in pain.

I know things will get better, though, and I have an amazing support group. I am glad that there is an explanation for my infertility and pain. I have been making art as personal therapy and a way to process all that my body and brain are going through. Even creating the illustrations and writing this out has helped a lot. My heart goes out to all my friends that have invisible illnesses like Endometriosis, Ehler's Danlos Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue or Pain, Fibromyalgia, Depression, IBS, Lupus, the list goes on. You are all so strong!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this very personal blog entry!

*Read about my second surgery, here. :) *

Where'd She Go? (art-life update)

Hi!
Oh man, it has been a while since I have blogged and I have missed it a lot. I hope to blog more regularly in the future. For me, it is a great way to keep focused and to process life.

Let's play a little catch-up.  :)

Solo Art Show 2013
So, the last time I shared was in August before I finished work at the cake shop. My last day there was November 8, 3013 and then I had my very first solo art show that weekend at Bright Red Studios in Madison, WI. The show was a huge success! I sold many prints of my work, had a ton of amazing people come to see my art, got to show off a little body art on some beautiful friends, thank you Erin (the raven) and Lindy (Sparrows) - hair done by hair-extraordinaire Kristin Lillig, and got to explain a lot of my work by placing little meaning cards under each title card. Thank you to all of you that supported me! It made me so happy and enforced the fact that though my new path is unpredictable, this is what I am supposed to be doing.

A few shots from the solo art show, aptly titled 'New Chapter':

RAWARDS 2103

I had the honor of being chosen as one of three Semi-Finalists for RAW Madison's Artist of the Year! I won this title in 2012 and talented fellow artist, Miranda Morrissey, won it for 2013.
To promote the awards show, a few other RAW artists and I were invited to talk on a local morning show. I brought along the lovely Brittany as a model for some of my body art. (Thank you for getting up at 3am with me so we could get ready!)

During the awards show, I displayed some of my visual art along with my body art as I painted four different models as attendees watched. My special trick for the night was that I used UV body paint that glowed in blacklight. Thank you to my models: Amanda, Erin, Katie, and Lindy!

Project Famous
It's funny what starting a blog can become. I ended up selling one of the first pieces I blogged about AND I caught the eye of an online local arts magazine, Project Famous, run by the wonderful Kelly Lajter and Joey Broyles. After writing a piece about an art show that I attended, they asked if I would join their team as Arts Editor. I told them that I would join the team once I got past the craziness of my solo art show. Since then, I have been writing for the magazine every month, working with some talented writers and artists, and connecting with the Madison art scene more than I had ever hoped!
Check out the magazine and download issues: www.projectfamous.com

Finding My New Schedule
After all the hubbub of finishing my last weeks of work, the solo art show, the awards show, some various face painting and caricature gigs, dealing with a progressively worsening illness (see next blog), and the holidays, it was suddenly the new year and time to create some kind of guidelines for my newly found state of self-employment. This was not easy and I am still working on it but I have started to find a rhythm.

After breakfast, I find that mornings are best spent on the computer, cats on lap, with a cup of tea. My body takes a while to wake up and my creativity is still snoozing. This morning time is spent answering emails, updating my website and social media sites, editing photos, writing, making to-do lists, researching for projects, etc. Sometimes my computer time switches to early afternoon if a workout is scheduled in the morning and that seems to work well.

By late afternoon/early evening I am itching to create! This is when I hop down to my art cave where I usually have multiple projects in progress. When I am on a roll, sometimes Mark has to remind me when it is time for dinner or time for bed. I can get caught up when it comes to making art.

This is the ideal schedule for my week days. Weekends are mainly filled with art shows, gigs plus social events, church, and some quality time with my husband. This whole setup is peppered with day to day responsibilities, too - meetings, groceries, cleaning, cooking, pet care, etc. Days rarely turn out as expected but I am learning to be kinder to myself, taking each day as it happens and enjoying the small successes.

Here is some of the art I have made recently (late 2013, early 2014):

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Yay art! Hi, are you still with me? This is turning out to be a pretty long post, further proving the point that I have to blog more often! Anyhow, thank you for sticking with it if you have gotten this far. Just a little more to go...
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Zombillies - The Greater Midwest Body Art Convention and Competition 2014The ladies of Glitter to Gore outdid themselves! They worked really hard to bring some fantastic body art and sfx instructors to Madison and I looooved the classes! If you are curious about the classes I took, I wrote a whole article that will be in the May issue of Project Famous.

The competition was based on the Zombillies theme, a mix of Rockabilly culture plus zombie style. I created a character named Hot-Rod Rita, a freshly zombified hot-rod pinup model. Before the competition, I sketched, made a headpiece, painted flames on the fake nails, re-worked a bustle (with the help of my mom's seamstress skills), met with my friend/model, Amy-Jo, and practiced wound work and paint techniques. I also worked in some of the new knowledge from the convention classes.

The competition was 6 hours long and the time passed very quickly! Amy-Jo was, as always, an excellent model; she kept still when I was doing detail work, took direction easily, and was just all around fun to work with because of her positive/silly attitude. I ended up placing third for body painting!

What's next?
After doing so much with body art during March, the next few months are packed with visual art shows! I was just in a gallery show at Yellow Rose Gallery, I have will be showing art in two places for Madison's Gallery Night in May, I am making art for the new gallery in Mt. Horeb, Opera House Gallery, I am an artist for the Madison Art Hunt in June, and then I will be the featured artist at Art and Soul Tattoo in New Glarus in August. Also, scheduled are face painting gigs, caricature gigs, and some quality time with my friends and family. Busy times! Adding these events to my website is going on my to-do list now!

This will be my first summer in eleven years that is not pre-structured by the wedding and graduation season. Strange but true. I miss making cakes and my friends from the cake shop (hi guys, I love you!), but I am excited to experience what is ahead.

Thank you so much for reading!