Edited my Halloween Post

Dear friends and family,

Thanks to all you brilliant minds out there, I have edited the previous post and I hope it is more accurate. Please double-check for me.

Sincerely,

Nicole Raden
Halloween Enthusiast

Halloween Costumes from My Life

6 weeks old: Elephant

Ages 1,2, & 3: Pumpkin

Ages 4 & 5: Princess

Age 6: Cowgirl

Age 7: Hawaiian Hula Dancer

Age 8: Japanese woman

Age 9: Betty Rubble (from the Flintstones, my brothers as Barney and Bam-Bam)

Age 10: Seahawks Cheerleader

Age 11: Rag Doll

Age 12: Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz

Age 13: Clown

Age 14: Snow White

Age 15 - 19: Nothing that I can recall

Age 20: Fairy

Age 21: Fanta Girl

Age 22: Louse (a single lice)

Age 23: Carolyn Hann's Middle School Best Friend, Tiffany (punk)

Age 24: Rachel Handy, Roller Dancer

Age 25: TBA . . . .

Special Quote

FC Child, age 7, chonic liar: "Where did you get your skirt?

Me: "I think I got it at Old Navy."

FC Child: "Oh. I got a skirt at New Navy."

Thank You, Morgan

Morgan reminded me that I left out an important additional fainting out experience.

Sophomore year of college I woke up in the middle of the night with the flu. Puked in a punch bowl next to my bed. Filled the bowl entirely. I mean all the way to the top. So I HAD to get up and dump it out in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, I fainted while carrying the bowl. Of barf. And spilled the bowl of barf all over the floor in the hallway. And all over myself.

Thank Jesus for my roommate Becca Barber. She woke up and took care of everything. Because she is a saint. She carried me into the bathroom, WASHED THE FLOOR, changed my pajamas, got me medicine, and put me to bed. She then stayed awake and washed the rugs from the hallway and made sure that there was no barf left in between the boards of the super-old hardwood floor.

She actually deserves a trophy for doing all of that.

That may have been the worst possible moment to faint. Well, maybe tied with in the middle of a benefit at the Nightlight.

Other Times I Have Fainted

1) In fifth grade, I passed out when I jabbed a pencil into my hand.

2) I laid in the sun on Mothers Day circa 1998 and when I came inside, I sat on a bar stool to eat dinner. Then I passed out and fell off the bar stool onto the ground.

3) I passed out in the hallway of my dorm room 3 times in one night while I was trying to make my way to the bathroom. (KJW, do you remember that? When I came back into the room I made you take care of me.)

4) I fainted when I had a mole removed freshman year of college.

5) I fainted when I was with my friend Melissa in high school and she was getting her belly button pierced. The piercer man said I was the first person to pass out who was NOT getting something pierced.

6) I pass out every time I get a shot. or have blood drawn This encompasses probably 15-20 times.

7) I fainted right before I had my wisdom teeth removed. When I woke up, I thought they were hanging me from the ceiling and I screamed.

8) I fainted in junior high when I had food poisoning at my friend Halli's house. Also, when I fainted I was in the bathroom and I hit my head on the wall AND the toilet.

9) I passed out the other day at the Nightlight after I got a massage. (See previous post.)


Hm. I knew I've passed out a lot, but it just seems like more than I thought after typing that all out. Maybe I should start wearing a helmet.

Or maybe I could wear Ricky around my shoulders like a protective neck-wrap and his fat belly would protect my head from falls.

All good ideas.

So I Fainted at the Nightlight...

Yesterday there was a benefit at a bar called the Nightlight. It was a benefit for DVSAS. Very cool.

The benefit was organized as a "Beauty Bar" which meant that 10 different salons/masseuses/places like that things were there and giving 1 free service to anyone who paid the $10 donation cover fee.

Fun, fun, fun. Right? Wrong. Keep reading.

Carolyn, Jodi, and I all chose which service we wanted. I chose massage. We made our appointments for 10:15 and then went to get a drink. I had one Lemon Drop. Not even a shaker, just about 6 oz of a Lemon Drop.

Then it was time for our appointments. Lalala, I am paired with this masseuse named Amber and she was really good. It was the type of massage in a chair with a face-holder. Very nice.

I was all relaxed and happy, and then I suddenly started to feel weird. My hands got all clammy and I felt heavy. Then I lifted my head and said something to the effect of, "Uhmhmm, I don't feel good."

Blackness. Gone. Fainted. Fell right out of the chair. Onto the floor. In the middle of like 300 people.

I woke up right away and they helped move me to a less crowded area. I wanted to keep laying down. A man came who used to be an EMT and he asked me 20 million questions. Luckily, Carolyn was there and could let the people know that no, I did not have alcohol poisoning, I had only had one drink.

The EMT man asked the masseuse if she had been massaging my neck right before I fainted, which she had been. Apparently there is a "vagus nerve" in necks and if it is pressed on and someone has vasovagal syncope, it can cause fainting. Alcohol and stress could contribute to the likelihood of a fainting episode.

I went home and cried because I was so embarrassed. I also have felt pretty sick ever since that happened, like I usually do after I faint.

I have been fainting and nearly fainting more often lately.... Luckily I'm going to the doctor on Thursday.

I think I have vasovagal syncope.

Sometimes I Think I Might Just Put His Tail-less Butt Out on the Street

Last night, I was sleeping, zzz-zzz-zzz, just dreaming nice dreams. And then, I burst into wakefulness when I received an unpleasant SPLASH IN THE FACE.

Ricky the Cat had knocked over a cup of water ONTO MY FACE in the middle of the night.

I was mad. I'm talking mad.