Happy New Year!!!

Hey everybody, hope you had a great first day of 2015. A New Year means a new me/you and a new beginning. Although I didn't have any plans on New Year's Eve, I got to spend the evening with family. Honestly, family times are some of the best times. I have learned over the past year the time spent with family is priceless and can never be taken for granted. Last year for me brought about another wake up call and made me want to get my ish together. Whether that's finances, business, family, friends, furthering my education,etc. Although today is officially the second day of the new year, I want you guys to think about this...even write it down. What are things you did in 2014 that you would have done differently? What are things you didn't do in 2014 out of a lack of fear, confidence, finances,etc. What are you planning to do this year that are totally out of your comfort zone? Believe me, I have several things I can list about the above stated questions. One of my major goals is to take the "what if..." phrase out of my vocabulary. It no longer exists. On my next entry, I will tell you a few more. Business wise...I am still working my Mary Kay business. I finished December pretty well, and am looking forward to a great January, one filled with new opportunities to meet new people and also grow my team. I'm Racing for Red...I will explain that in a later post!! Health wise, things are about the same..still waiting on a new Kidney. I am currently taking dialysis in-center 3 days a week, so pray for me. This is not an easy experience but one I will conquer. I'm just waiting on that all important call from Vanderbilt University Medical Center saying "come and get your new kidney". Oh what a day that'll be. I know God is in control. Talk to you all soon, and once again Happy New Year!

Happy Sunday!!!

Hey family...I'm back. I have been away for while for various reasons, but I'm back!!!! Whew, where do I begin. Well first let me start by telling you whats been going on with me health wise. I am still in the process of waiting on a kidney. Right now, due to my Lupus still being active I can't have the transplant done even if a kidney became available for me. Yeah, that sucks. It is something I am having to come to terms with. My nephrologist (kidney Doc) is baffled as to why my Lupus will not burn out. He said in most cases of patients with lupus, who go into renal failure and need dialysis, their lupus usually burns itself out. Of course, I always have to be "that one that won't act right", LOL. Nothing has gone as it was suppose to with me. I told him he needs to right a book on me and we can share the profits. I have thought about writing a book about my experiences with lupus, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and dialysis. What do you guys and gals think? Would it be informative to you? I think it would be a great resource from a patient's point of view. I notice that there aren't many books about lupus out there. Hmmm..I might look into doing that.
But anyhow...my blood counts or Hematocrit levels continue to be low but stable. I have got to eat foods with more ingredients to help elevate my red blood cells and my albumin levels. In other words More Protein!! That is one problem with being on dialysis, I am not really hungry. Now that it is getting warmer (it was in the 80s today here) outside I don't eat as much. Any suggestions on protein filled foods that taste good?? I am responding well to my monthly lupus treatment; my Benlysta infusion. I don't have any aches and pains anymore, that's great!! With this being Lupus awareness month, I will be sharing some facts about Lupus until May 31st. And if there are any questions you would like to ask me please email me at nlbhones1979@gmail.com. I will try my best to answer them as accurately as possible. If you have any information you'd like me to discuss about my experience with lupus, kidney disease, and dialysis I would be glad to help keep you informed. Remember, this is coming from my own personal journey, and I am not a substitute for a physician's opinion.
I am still working my Mary Kay business. Please check out my own personal Mary Kay website at www.marykay.com/nbhones, for great gifts starting at as little as $10. Wow, good quality makeup for $10, that's unheard of but these colors are great. My goal in this is to make it to Director. It will take some hard work, recruiting and sharing this wonderful career opportunity with other women. Ladies, school is about to be out and I know some people will be looking for a job this summer. Please contact me for more information about this great opportunity. Mary Kay is Hiring!!!
Okay...this is a continuation from my post. This week I had a great day on Monday. People say you can't make any money by "selling makeup", well first I don't "sell makeup". I am a beauty consultant who helps women find their inner and outer beauty via skincare and cosmetics. I am so proud of myself, I sold $199.39 in product in less than 15 minutes. Some people don't make that in a day. I love my Mary Kay because I can work where and when I want to, the flexibility is great, I AM THE BOSS, I help enrich women's lives, I have the chance to win a career car, and go on great trips. Plus, Mary Kay is great at recognizing their consultants and their successes. When was the last time your job recognized you? I want other women to join me in this great opportunity. Email me at nlbhones1979@gmail.com for more information about this great opportunity. Talk to you soon, and have a great week!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everyone!! Yes, I know I am a little late (LOL), but better late than never. Wow, can you believe it is the 15th of February already. Time sure does fly by. A lot has happened over the past months. First, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. This was the first Christmas in our new house. Is it me, or did Christmas appear to get here really fast? I mean one month, it was October, the next thing you know it was Christmas.

Here are a few of the gifts I had available for purchase. Check out my personal website, www.marykay.com/nbhones, for great gift ideas for any occasion. Our Christmas was extremely busy. I spent most of my time preparing for back-to-back Mary Kay Christmas Open Houses. Both were a success, but I learned one very valuable lesson when hosting an open house, plan early. I was trying to prepare individual gifts, plus hold a party. Wow...what a lot of work.

So...Valentine's Day has come and gone. Ladies and gentlemen I hope you all had a wonderful evening with your significant other. My time was spent at home relaxing, watching The Best Man Holiday. I must say, if you have not had a chance to see this movie, it is definitely worth watching. Yes, y'all, it will have you laughing and crying too!! No, I did not have a Valentine this year. Don't worry, I wasn't upset. I did read several Facebook posts about women finding out they weren't the only woman in their "man's" life. Some women, unfortunately discovered they were the "side piece". Ladies let me apologize for these guys who where not "Man" enough to tell you up front; rather than leaving you stood up on Valentine's Day. Guys...if you don't really want her then don't string her along, be honest and upfront. There's nothing wrong with being friends, but make sure that you both know what the other wants, and that you are upfront with your intentions. Ladies, the same goes for you too. Let's take this year and be honest in our relationships...communication is key.

Other than that, I have been debating on the issue of returning to school to complete my PhD. Yes, Dr. Nikki Bhones does have a nice ring to it. I'll let you guys know in my future posts what degree program I decide to pursue. I am thinking of going the online route this time, rather than actually sit in a classroom. I have to prepare myself for my upcoming Benlysta treatment this week. The intraveneous treatments are continuing to go pretty well, with no major side effects. Hopefully, this treatment will help burn the Lupus out, so that I can finally get a new kidney. Yay!!! That would be the best birthday present ever. I will keep you posted on my progress. Until next time.....

My New Adventure!!

Hi everybody...I am back. It's been a while since my last post. Wow, hard to believe it's almost November. Before you know it, it'll be Thanksgiving then Christmas. A lot has changed since we last talked. I have started a new venture into the world of Mary Kay. I was a beauty consultant once before, back during my undergrad years. But I was so busy with various activities that I didn't really focus on my business like I should have. Now, I am looking at things in a different light. I am doing this in order to become financially independent. I want to explore every avenue of the business and share this with all women. This is a great opportunity and I am glad to be able to pamper others, and educate them about their beauty and skin care needs. This is also a great way to share my testimony as to where I am and have been while dealing with major health issues. My Mary Kay business also forces me outside of my "comfort zones". Check out my Mary Kay website at www.marykay.com/nbhones, and see all the great products we have to offer.
Speaking of health issues, I am glad to say I haven't experienced in major one recently since June. I have had the occasional infection of the peritoneal cavity, but no hospitalizations. My numbers continue to remain relatively stable. The only issues are the decreased Potassium and calcium levels. If anyone has any suggestions on how to increase these let me know. Yes, I am eating bananas and drinking orange juice, but I need some new ideas. In two weeks I will be going to have my monthly labs drawn, so wish me luck.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Another week has gone by and what a week it has been. First, let me say "Happy Fourth of July" and "Happy 37th Anniversary", to my loving parents!! I love you guys, thank you for everything you do and have ever done for me. To say I wouldn't be here without the help and love of these 2 great people would be an understatement. Today, I hope while you are out barbecueing and watching the various firework displays with your family, please remember the many men and women of our Armed Forces who fight daily and have fought to keep our country free!!! Love you all!! Special shout-out to my family members who are and have been members of the military. Hope everyone enjoyed the day safely with the family.

Benlysta Tuesday!!!

Today was busy for me. Today was my regularly scheduled monthly visit to my rheumatologist and monthly Benlysta infusion treatment. First, let me tell you all some of what my rheumatologist does. He is one of my physicians whom I see regularly. He is a physician who diagnoses and treats rheumatic conditions such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and several others. Rheumatic conditions/diseases often affect internal organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. My symptoms range from pain and swelling of my joints, fatigue, skin sensitivity to prolonged sunlight exposure, anxiety, and sometimes depression. I have suffered from Lupus since 1995, when I was only 15 years old. Wow, imagine having that news given to you as a sophomore in high school. Just a little past info...but back to today. I saw my doctor as scheduled then proceeded down the hallway to the infusion suite. Imagine a room of about 9-10 recliners filled with patients, each hooked up to an IV receiving their prescribed medication. I must say, you can not find a more kind and caring group of nurses who continuously watch over me throughout the process. These group of ladies and gentleman, lol, know how to make me comfortable and relaxed. They also do a great job of making me laugh and making the experience as pleasant as possible. Wish I could name them, but I can't due to laws and regulations. But I will say "thank you for all you do to help me and others like me ". I sat down in my recliner, and my RN came over and first checked my arm for a good vein. Then came that lovely stick (OUCH!!!)but it didn't hurt lol. After my IV was placed I was off and running. The infusion process lasted approximately an hour and 15 minutes. Happy to report no adverse sidde effects. Until next time family.....

Hey everyone, hope you are having a great start to your summertime fun. I have been dealt a small setback since my last entry. On June 11th, I became sick while driving home from my computer class. I thought maybe I was dehydrated or my potassium dropped so I immediately got my Mom on the phone. I told her what was happening and that I felt ill. She told me to pull over as soon as possible, which I did at a nearby gas station. She, along with my brother came to get me but I apparently passed out momentarily. Next thing I knew the EMTs were pulling me out of my truck onto the stretcher..I was headed to the hospital. While there in the ER it was said that my calcium levels were critically low, and I was given some via IV. They decided to keep me to run tests and for observation. During the night on Wednesday, my blood pressure spiked and they called in a blood pressure medicine. On Thursday, my Sorors came to visit and my Dad was there also. I was told I would be discharged later in the day. While eating lunch I started to not feel well and stopped eating. My Mom soon arrived. After a while I began feeling worse so we paged the nurse. We waited a while, then paged her again. She soon came in the room and checked my BP, it was extremely high. She was about to go get the medicine I had taken the night before when I suffered a seizure. I remember awakening to the voice of my neurologist, I was in the Neuro ICU (I included a couple of pictures below). Not again I thought. The last time I had a seizure was February 15, 2011 when I had 6 within a 4 hour period. I stayed this time in the ICU for 3 days. I was released from the hospital on June 17th. I was placed back on seizure medication which makes me extremely drowsy and dizzy at times. Also, I am not allowed to drive for 6 months. Bummer ....there goes my summer. Oh well, maybe I will save money that way lol. I am just glad I am alive and didn't suffer any permanent damage I hope. Other than that, things had been going well. I am still waiting for "the call". I am looking at possibly going back to school via an online program. I am also going to start concentrating more on my photography. TTYL!!! #Lupus#KidneyDisease#Seizures#HighBloodPressure#Waiting#Encouraged#Fighting#Family#Love#Support#IamAConqueror#Blessed#Neuro