The month started with a bang: Going to Houston to visit my uncle (who has late-stage cancer). Discovering that our roofers several months ago not only didn’t do the job we paid them to do, but their negligence caused about $20k worth of damage to our house. Having those roofers belligerently deny any responsibility, and having to go through mediation about it all. This isn’t really how we expected our month to go, and honestly, it never really got much better. We’re currently in a state of limbo with half-constructed rooms. Fun! Add to that the boys getting out of school, the extreme heat, bad insomnia, and the many, many appointments that I have to drive my kids to every day, and I’ve basically been a hyperactive zombie who’s half-asleep all month.

(our current kitchen situation)

Goals
What goals?

Health
For the first week of the month, I traveled, lived out of a hotel for a bit, didn’t exercise once, and literally had to eat out every meal for a week. It was not what you’d call an auspicious beginning for health-related stuff this month. Not much improved after that. I basically stopped tracking calories, eating produce, and exercising. I ate tons of junk and drank far more alcohol than normal. Exercise this month: exercised on ten days, for a total of only eight hours. I did only four yoga sessions and walked only nineteen miles. Total regain: 5.2 lbs.

(International Yoga Day – one of my only yoga sessions this month)

In kinda-better news, I finally had my sleep study. Unfortunately, that turned up no issues, and my neurologist is stumped, and still no one has any idea why I’ve had continuous severe insomnia for seven years straight. I’d really like to be able to sleep again. I have appointments coming up for my regular doctor and my OB/Gyn, so I guess I’ll see what they say next. I’ve also started looking for an endocrinologist, because I have a feeling this is a hormone-related issue.

Books
What books?

Highlights of June
The gems of the month were easy to spot amid all the muck…

• seeing The Neverending Story in theatre with my cousin
• LuLaRoe orders – my clothing happiness pretty much kept me sane this month
• discovering Lush shampoo bars
• coming home one day to find my two youngest sons dressed in dozens of layers of clothing –>
• my cousin Jen’s party mid-month
• some of the ridiculous dinner conversations that had everyone in the family laughing so hard our stomachs hurt

Coming up in July
More construction!

Also, I’ve decided that I need to talk to my doctor about my antidepressant. Not only have I lost all sense of smell and taste in the last few months, but I recognize that I’m having mania symptoms (bipolar 2 mania – not traditional mania). Sometimes it’s hard to tell because they intersect with my coping mechanisms during grief and chaos, of which there’s been a lot over the last few months! June has made it clear for me, though. I need to get off this medicine. I see my doctor later today, and hopefully soon I’ll be transitioning to something that will help me far better!