Sugar Bend Farm

Another cold, cloudy day here in Central Arkansas.  It is 29 degrees at 12:46pm.  Megan is doing school work, Noah is sleeping and the dogs; Sadie and Beaux are driving me nuts.  It is so wet out and has been so cold, they have been underfoot for days without getting to go out except to do their business.  So they are going stir crazy and taking us with them. 

Lauren is still in Louisiana.  I am planning to go next week to get her and stay for a few days.  I hope the weather is much better next week than this one.  Mom still hasn't heard anything from her biopsy yet, she was thinking she would hear early in the week, but I doubted she would.  I suspect they will make her an appointment to come in next week to discuss the results.  We are still praying for a miracle.  

I went to the dr yesterday to see about surgery on my nose; not cosmetic, but due to breathing issues.  We discussed what could be done and the downsides of it, and I am going to decide if I want to submit myself to such torture.  I probably will do it, but don't know when.  I am still in my probationary period at work, and can't really take a day off.  I suspect I would need to take one Saturday off anyway, giving myself ten days or so to recover. That would mean I would have the surgery on a Monday and not work the following weekend. So I may have to wait until I have put in 90 working days before asking off a Saturday. 

Megan is in a slump with school lately.  She is fighting it on every hand.  She is starting to get moody and emotional.  Those of you who have pre-teen girls will know what I mean.  I suppose her hormones are going haywire and she doesn't know what is going on inside of her.  She is getting somewhat sassy at times and I am trying to figure out the best way to deal with it.  Oh the joys of parenthood. 

I will be so glad to see spring weather.  I myself am in a slump.  I am not a winter person at all.  I get easily depressed, suffering from SAD.  Even this far south, I don't get enough sunshine during the winter months to keep my meletonin at the correct levels.  So I get into a slump, a blue mood.  I just can't seem to get going.  Of course, life situations that I am currently facing don't help to inprove my mood, but even before all of this STUFF came along I have had this problem in winter.  I suppose I need to quit talking about buying one of those light boxes for light therapy, and break down and buy one.  I feel like that would help tremendously.  Below is information about SAD and light therapy for those who may be interested.

SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every Winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. For many people SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment. For others, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe suffering. We call this sub-syndromal SAD or 'winter blues.'

Animals react to the changing season with changes in mood and behavior and human beings are no exception. Most people find they eat and sleep slightly more in winter and dislike the dark mornings and short days. For some, however, symptoms are severe enough to disrupt their lives and to cause considerable distress. These people are suffering from SAD.

How does it affect people?

Sleep problems:	Usually desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening
Lethargy:	Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine
Overeating:	Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain
Depression:	Feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings
Social problems:	Irritability and desire to avoid social contact
Anxiety:	Tension and inability to tolerate stress
Loss of libido	Decreased interest in sex and physical contact
Mood changes	In some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of hypomania (over activity) in spring and autumn.
Physical Symptoms	Often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
Behavioral problems	Especially in young people

The symptoms tend to start from around September each year, lasting until April but are at their worst in the darkest months.

Who does it affect?

What causes it?

The problem stems from the lack of bright light in winter. Researchers have proved that bright light makes a difference to the brain chemistry, although the exact means by which sufferers are affected is not yet known. It is not a psychosomatic or imaginary illness.

More about the mechanisms and what happens by : Dr. Gila Lindsley, Ph.D., ACP

What treatment is there?

Light therapy has been proved effective in up to 85 per cent of diagnosed cases. That is, exposure, for up to four hours per day (average 1-2 hours) to very bright light, at least ten times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting.

As the cause is lack of bright light, the treatment is to be in bright light every day by using a light box or a similar bright light therapy device. (Going to a brightly-lit climate, whether skiing or somewhere hot, is indeed a cure). The preferred level of light is about as bright as a spring morning on a clear day and for most people sitting in front of a light box, allowing the light to reach the eyes, for between 1/4 and 3/4 hour daily will be sufficient to alleviate the symptoms. The user does not have to stare at the light, but can watch TV or read or similar, just allowing the light to reach the eyes. Outside In have a complete range of suitable lights, all in line with the research findings from medical and academic facilities.

Is there anything special about the light?

The light must be suitably bright. At least 2500lux (lux is the technical measure of brightness) is needed, which is 5 times brighter than a well lit office (a normal living room might be as low as 100lux); brighter lights up to 10,000 lux work quicker. The lightbox must deliver the lux at a sensible distance, so you don't have to be sat too close to it.