Day 4- Ben had a Cross Country meet Tuesday night, and came home later than usual. The girls and I shared dinner, did baths and PJs and I got them snuggled into bed RIGHT before he came in the door (so they promptly got out of the bed to see him). I'm reminded that I'm thankful for our jobs.
I'm thankful for BEN'S job because it fits him so well. I know at times he is exhausted or drained after such long weeks, especially in the Fall his schedule is just INSANE. But his athletes respect him. His athletes relate to him. I believe deep in my heart that he is making an impact on their lives. I don't know if you realize this but each sport has it's own kind of athletes. Football and soccer are team sports, and while they require individual skills it's the efforts of the team that make a win or a loss.
Cross Country athletes are different... maybe they put more pressure on themselves? They are racing for their best times as individuals however as a whole the top five runner's rankings determine how they will place. This year Ben's Cross Country teams won District for boys and second place for girls, and he was SO proud of what they accomplished.
Ben works so hard for 10-14+ hours a day to provide for our family AND to help kids improve their skills and just to learn about life lessons. Teaching them to accept and embrace the kid on the team who has some learning delays. I love that Ben can describe the personality and tell a story about each one of these kids at the end of the season, and they just LIGHT UP when they realize that he has taken so much interest and observed and cared for them.
He's not a yeller, and he's not a hugger. He's somewhere in between. And in my opinion he's just awesome at what he does. In the words of the Bralley monsters (Betsy and Ella "Yeah Coach-Soccer-Daddy-Bem")
Also FYI if you wear red, black or white Adidas clothing around my children expect them to call you Daddy.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Life is pretty beautiful
Lately I'm really feeling it. Loving life. Enjoying the moments. Happy. Shrugging off the small stuff and embracing the little moments that put together create a bigger feeling of happiness and love. Our house is a happy place these days and I love being there and spending time with, or even just listening to my family interact with one another.
I've stopped putting so much pressure on myself about things. The laundry isn't caught up (often), the house isn't perfectly clean. I don't host as many get togethers as I'd like. But I lay in bed with my girls and snuggle all the time. They sit on my lap and rock with me. Betsy tells me about her day, and who she played with, and if playing inside or outside was more fun. Every day when all of us get home we sing the Bralley family song and have a little circle where we take turns dancing in the middle.
Ben and I hang out most nights together. He does things for me that make me happy without my asking. I think he enjoys seeing my joy. And I feel the same way for him. One of my favorite parts of the day is talking about our day "What cute things did your kids do today?" we ask each other.
Sound cheesy? It is. We are a cheese loving family.
I'm so happy December is back, and while everyone else just celebrated Thanksgiving with 30 days of Thanks, I feel like for me that belongs in this month. Because December last year God gave me the greatest blessing in the form of a scary medical condition. A medical condition that forced me to slow down, change my life, and in the process showed me what's really important.
So I'm a wee bit late, but I'll share here. My 31 days of thanks!
Day 1- I'm thankful for my struggles. I'm thankful for my Pseudo Tumor Cerebri. I'm thankful for God's plan in my life. I'm thankful that God gave me the opportunities to rely on him this year for my strength, because all things can be done with God holding me up. I'm thankful for the trips to the doctor's office because seeing small children being treated in the same facility's I was reminded me that my problems are small. But God is big.
Day 2- I'm thankful for my HusBen. I say sometimes that Ben is a saint, but he's not. He's a better combination of my BFF, my partner in marriage and parenting. He's a wonderful example of what a friend should be, and how a father should act. I'm thankful that my daughters adore their father and that he has certain things that HE does with them every day. I'm thankful for God giving me such a wonderful partner. I would have asked that God gave him better taste in movies but I'll take him with his flaw too I guess.
Day 3- In honor of her birthday today, I am thankful for ELLA! My baby. She's a sweet and happy girl and is showing more of her personality. She loves to sit in my lap and nuzzle her head under my chin. She likes to give kisses, and hugs. She wants to be EXACTLY like her big sister. She will not leave a table if there is more food to be consumed. I'm thankful for the beautiful two years I've had with Ella Coy.
I'll be back tomorrow with more thanks :)
I've stopped putting so much pressure on myself about things. The laundry isn't caught up (often), the house isn't perfectly clean. I don't host as many get togethers as I'd like. But I lay in bed with my girls and snuggle all the time. They sit on my lap and rock with me. Betsy tells me about her day, and who she played with, and if playing inside or outside was more fun. Every day when all of us get home we sing the Bralley family song and have a little circle where we take turns dancing in the middle.
Ben and I hang out most nights together. He does things for me that make me happy without my asking. I think he enjoys seeing my joy. And I feel the same way for him. One of my favorite parts of the day is talking about our day "What cute things did your kids do today?" we ask each other.
Sound cheesy? It is. We are a cheese loving family.
I'm so happy December is back, and while everyone else just celebrated Thanksgiving with 30 days of Thanks, I feel like for me that belongs in this month. Because December last year God gave me the greatest blessing in the form of a scary medical condition. A medical condition that forced me to slow down, change my life, and in the process showed me what's really important.
So I'm a wee bit late, but I'll share here. My 31 days of thanks!
Day 1- I'm thankful for my struggles. I'm thankful for my Pseudo Tumor Cerebri. I'm thankful for God's plan in my life. I'm thankful that God gave me the opportunities to rely on him this year for my strength, because all things can be done with God holding me up. I'm thankful for the trips to the doctor's office because seeing small children being treated in the same facility's I was reminded me that my problems are small. But God is big.
Day 2- I'm thankful for my HusBen. I say sometimes that Ben is a saint, but he's not. He's a better combination of my BFF, my partner in marriage and parenting. He's a wonderful example of what a friend should be, and how a father should act. I'm thankful that my daughters adore their father and that he has certain things that HE does with them every day. I'm thankful for God giving me such a wonderful partner. I would have asked that God gave him better taste in movies but I'll take him with his flaw too I guess.
Day 3- In honor of her birthday today, I am thankful for ELLA! My baby. She's a sweet and happy girl and is showing more of her personality. She loves to sit in my lap and nuzzle her head under my chin. She likes to give kisses, and hugs. She wants to be EXACTLY like her big sister. She will not leave a table if there is more food to be consumed. I'm thankful for the beautiful two years I've had with Ella Coy.
I'll be back tomorrow with more thanks :)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Pictures of the girls, and family happenings
We've been pretty busy this summer :) The last month has been craaazy between registration at my job, and both sports starting, including two-a-day practices, in service, first day of school and a home cross-country meet this month for Ben.
The girls started back to daycare full time this month. They both were promoted to the next class, Ella is already in the two year old class, and Betsy is in with the 3-2 class, her next class will be Pre-K.
Ella is a chatty little thing, she has lots to say and she mimics everything her sister does. She's also our affectionate child, she loves to hug (and say "Awwww") and kiss ("Mwah!") and snuggle with us. She likes to find teeny little spots to sit her short little body on, and she is so dainty, she puts her hands on her lap and watches all things going on around her. Little Ella is LOTS of hair, sweet cheeks and lips.
Betsy is friends with everyone! She tells us about her classmates and she makes jokes all the time. Last week she told Ben "Daddy, I need to potty, please come turn on the light and the magic thunder." Magic thunder referencing the sound of the bathroom fan.
She is also a nurturer. She loves taking care of Ella, and calls her 'sweetie'. "You OK sweetie? You want a snack sweetie?"
Now we're reaching some of my favorite moments of the year: FOOTBALL SEASON, the church pumpkin patch, the holidays, so much fun stuff ahead!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
She's ALIVE!
It's about time I updated the 'ole blog.
Things have been pretty good but busy around our house. Ben has been home for the summer. The girls have been attending daycare part time, then hanging with Dad in the afternoons. Ben spends the mornings either working on stuff for cross country, doing stuff around the house, or running errands.
We just celebrated our five year wedding anniversary on Saturday! It was pretty anti-climatic, but we'll be going out for a nice date in Austin this weekend, which we're looking forward to.
Betsy and Ella are sweet, busy girls. They are best friends. They love school. They sleep well, eat tons of fruit, and can wreck a clean playroom in 90 seconds. Ella has been visiting the ENT every couple months for a hearing test but she passed her most recent test and she's been talking up a storm since she got her ear tubes in the Spring.
Sweet HusBen took a man trip the first week of the month, with his dad, my dad and lots of the dudes in the family. They fished (didn't catch much), hiked, shot guns, and rested. I think he enjoyed it.
While Ben was gone my mom came to town to help with the girls. We kept things pretty low key, but there was ice cream, playgrounds, bouncy houses and spoiling that was enjoyed by all (most often by the littlest family members).
My health is pretty stable. I'm still on my mega dosage of my medication, but I have some really good days where I feel like my old self. I've been writing, I've been sewing, I've been getting my house in order, and hanging with the girls.
So, FYI, we're alive and kicking! We're busy, I'm tired pretty early at night but we've had a great summer and we're looking forward to the last few weeks left.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Life happens
I've had my hands full with life and haven't blogged in a while. I should also acknowledge that this has been the hardest year of my life and sometimes I don't know what to write. Today I'll blog an update on where we are with several things...
Ella
Ella had ear tube surgery about a month ago. We went for a follow up a week ago and her tubes were clogged, and she failed a second hearing test. Ben is taking her back for another ENT check on Thursday to see if her tubes have cleared with the aid of ear drops we've been using. For the most part she seems to be doing much better. She's chattering more. She's a happy, happy girl. But last night she woke up several times which sometimes is a symptom that she has fluid in her ears. We are concerned about Ella's ears, we want them to clear up, and of course we want her to have perfect hearing.
Ella is mini-Shan. Not only because she looks just like me, but also because she ACTS just like me. She hates getting dirty or sweaty. The other day we played outside and I said "Are you hot, you want to go inside?" to which she replied "YES. INSIDE." and sprinted to the back door. Juuuust like little Shannie did as a kid. Ella is our love bug and would happily spend all night running from Mom, to Dad, to Bets to hand out hugs if we let her.
Betsy
Betsy is a riot. She is such a funny child. She's pretty proud of being a big girl and clarifies often what things are "For big girls, like Mommy and Betsy, not babies like Ella." She is SO smart, her ability to reason things is astounding to us. Sometimes it's like having a roommate that lives with Ben and I because little Bets is so self sufficient. About twice a month she lets me hold her and rock for a couple of minutes, but Betsy seems like she's 3 going on 13. She's a tomboy, she loves to play sports, she is extremely coordinated, and doesn't mind getting dirty. She is the biggest Daddy's girl I have ever met in my life, and I can understand why because Ben is SO fantastic at being a Daddy. They are just BFFs, partners in crime, and when Ben isn't at work he takes Betsy everywhere he can with him. We love this age.
PST
For the most part my Pseudotumor is being controlled right now. I have small headaches sometimes. My medicine has some terrible side effects but I've adjusted most of the time. I'm not sure how long I'll need to stay on my medication but I don't feel ready to get off or lower my dosage yet. I have moments of being overwhelmed because I am so fatigued but those moments are very few, and we have an army of support. The greatest blessing in our lives is our family and friends.
As you can imagine, five months of medical appointments, medications, and treatment comes with a mountain of medical bills but I think we've done a good job of handling those as they come in. My doctor appointments have gone from weekly, to biweekly, to monthly, to every three months, and now I don't have to go back for six months, unless I notice a change in my condition.
It's easy to be overwhelmed and live in fear of what will happen next. But I'm not and I don't. I've been thinking lately about the lessons I've learned through this experience. First of all, if I could go back and take away this experience I would not. It's been so eye opening to me about what is important in this life. I don't take many things for granted. I find myself dwelling on how grateful I am to have such a comfortable warm home for my children to grow up in. Clean sheets. Snacks whenever they are hungry. The ability to take them to the doctor at a moment's notice. I don't begrudge handing over almost half my paycheck to our daycare because we are so blessed that the girls spend their days in the presence of people who care about them, love them, and help them learn to be better people.
Not every moment is sunshine and rainbows. Sunday was a particularly messy day in the B house filled with every bodily fluid you can imagine, and no Daddy home to help and for a few minutes I felt sorry for myself. But it was SO short lived. I find myself loving the noise, mess and giggles while I'm wrestling in the playroom with the monsters and at the same time loving the silence at the end of the day when I clean up the playroom, drink a glass of wine and appreciate everything that we've been given. Even if I spend hours every week (ugh.) cleaning that playroom, I'm so glad my girls have that space to play, and be independent, and read books, and cook play brownies in their play kitchen.
So life has been...hard lately. But life has been good too. I'll try to be better with blogging :)
Ella
Ella had ear tube surgery about a month ago. We went for a follow up a week ago and her tubes were clogged, and she failed a second hearing test. Ben is taking her back for another ENT check on Thursday to see if her tubes have cleared with the aid of ear drops we've been using. For the most part she seems to be doing much better. She's chattering more. She's a happy, happy girl. But last night she woke up several times which sometimes is a symptom that she has fluid in her ears. We are concerned about Ella's ears, we want them to clear up, and of course we want her to have perfect hearing.
Ella is mini-Shan. Not only because she looks just like me, but also because she ACTS just like me. She hates getting dirty or sweaty. The other day we played outside and I said "Are you hot, you want to go inside?" to which she replied "YES. INSIDE." and sprinted to the back door. Juuuust like little Shannie did as a kid. Ella is our love bug and would happily spend all night running from Mom, to Dad, to Bets to hand out hugs if we let her.
Betsy
Betsy is a riot. She is such a funny child. She's pretty proud of being a big girl and clarifies often what things are "For big girls, like Mommy and Betsy, not babies like Ella." She is SO smart, her ability to reason things is astounding to us. Sometimes it's like having a roommate that lives with Ben and I because little Bets is so self sufficient. About twice a month she lets me hold her and rock for a couple of minutes, but Betsy seems like she's 3 going on 13. She's a tomboy, she loves to play sports, she is extremely coordinated, and doesn't mind getting dirty. She is the biggest Daddy's girl I have ever met in my life, and I can understand why because Ben is SO fantastic at being a Daddy. They are just BFFs, partners in crime, and when Ben isn't at work he takes Betsy everywhere he can with him. We love this age.
PST
For the most part my Pseudotumor is being controlled right now. I have small headaches sometimes. My medicine has some terrible side effects but I've adjusted most of the time. I'm not sure how long I'll need to stay on my medication but I don't feel ready to get off or lower my dosage yet. I have moments of being overwhelmed because I am so fatigued but those moments are very few, and we have an army of support. The greatest blessing in our lives is our family and friends.
As you can imagine, five months of medical appointments, medications, and treatment comes with a mountain of medical bills but I think we've done a good job of handling those as they come in. My doctor appointments have gone from weekly, to biweekly, to monthly, to every three months, and now I don't have to go back for six months, unless I notice a change in my condition.
It's easy to be overwhelmed and live in fear of what will happen next. But I'm not and I don't. I've been thinking lately about the lessons I've learned through this experience. First of all, if I could go back and take away this experience I would not. It's been so eye opening to me about what is important in this life. I don't take many things for granted. I find myself dwelling on how grateful I am to have such a comfortable warm home for my children to grow up in. Clean sheets. Snacks whenever they are hungry. The ability to take them to the doctor at a moment's notice. I don't begrudge handing over almost half my paycheck to our daycare because we are so blessed that the girls spend their days in the presence of people who care about them, love them, and help them learn to be better people.
Not every moment is sunshine and rainbows. Sunday was a particularly messy day in the B house filled with every bodily fluid you can imagine, and no Daddy home to help and for a few minutes I felt sorry for myself. But it was SO short lived. I find myself loving the noise, mess and giggles while I'm wrestling in the playroom with the monsters and at the same time loving the silence at the end of the day when I clean up the playroom, drink a glass of wine and appreciate everything that we've been given. Even if I spend hours every week (ugh.) cleaning that playroom, I'm so glad my girls have that space to play, and be independent, and read books, and cook play brownies in their play kitchen.
So life has been...hard lately. But life has been good too. I'll try to be better with blogging :)
Monday, March 19, 2012
Big Happenings!
We spent the weekend in Dallas and it went SO well. It's not always easy taking a 1 and 3 year old from their natural habitat and expect them to behave (well) and sleep (well) but this was our best experience with traveling with the two girls. Ella slept in the portacrib, and Betsy slept with me, while Ben slept on the couch. Don't feel so sorry for Ben, he didn't mind getting his own space to sleep away from space-heater-Betsy.
The girls had a GREAT time with cousin Abby, and we ate at wonderful restaurants, they played on Abby's super fun jungle gym, ran around in matching dresses, read books together, watched Curious George and did other 'cousin things' that left them all so sad to part after three days.
Speaking of our departure, we discovered we had LOST our last two ninnies that morning and we decided to take advantage of this opportunity to ditch it for good. Last night was....traumatic. Betsy was not a happy camper, but if it was the worst of the withdrawals then I think we can come out of this alive. It's easy to say that as she wanted nothing to do with me last night, Ben was the only one who could make her feel a wee bit better (not minding the 'daddy's girl' thing right about now. Bets woke up happy though I am sure she'll be beat when we pick her up today, she didn't sleep well and wouldn't nap without her ninnie. Fingers crossed tonight goes smoother!
And ELLA's big news is that she went for a hearing test. She 'failed' one ear, they found fluid in both ears, and with her history of ear infections they quickly got us in for a follow up with ENT (this morning) and in two weeks she'll have her tubes. I have the feeling Ella will be a blabber mouth in about 2.5 weeks. She tries so hard to talk but I'm thinking her stuffy ears have been holding her back. We've also vowed to finish taking Ella off the bottle as soon as she gets her tubes. She really only gets one before nap and bed, but I'm ready to be done with that too.
That's about all for us at the moment! Ben has three more regular season games before the post-season starts for soccer. I'm working on getting our house organized, and continuing the 'mission to eliminate carpet from the Bralley home, one room at a time'. I think next week we'll be installing more new flooring, and I'm thrilled to pieces about that.
We're enjoying our health, and our family time right now :)
The girls had a GREAT time with cousin Abby, and we ate at wonderful restaurants, they played on Abby's super fun jungle gym, ran around in matching dresses, read books together, watched Curious George and did other 'cousin things' that left them all so sad to part after three days.
Speaking of our departure, we discovered we had LOST our last two ninnies that morning and we decided to take advantage of this opportunity to ditch it for good. Last night was....traumatic. Betsy was not a happy camper, but if it was the worst of the withdrawals then I think we can come out of this alive. It's easy to say that as she wanted nothing to do with me last night, Ben was the only one who could make her feel a wee bit better (not minding the 'daddy's girl' thing right about now. Bets woke up happy though I am sure she'll be beat when we pick her up today, she didn't sleep well and wouldn't nap without her ninnie. Fingers crossed tonight goes smoother!
And ELLA's big news is that she went for a hearing test. She 'failed' one ear, they found fluid in both ears, and with her history of ear infections they quickly got us in for a follow up with ENT (this morning) and in two weeks she'll have her tubes. I have the feeling Ella will be a blabber mouth in about 2.5 weeks. She tries so hard to talk but I'm thinking her stuffy ears have been holding her back. We've also vowed to finish taking Ella off the bottle as soon as she gets her tubes. She really only gets one before nap and bed, but I'm ready to be done with that too.
That's about all for us at the moment! Ben has three more regular season games before the post-season starts for soccer. I'm working on getting our house organized, and continuing the 'mission to eliminate carpet from the Bralley home, one room at a time'. I think next week we'll be installing more new flooring, and I'm thrilled to pieces about that.
We're enjoying our health, and our family time right now :)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
That moment
I'm sure this is normal for someone with a chronic illness, but I go back and forth feeling so grateful that I'm here with my family, to anger that I'm going through this, to sadness that my kids can tell something is wrong, and guilt that I can't give them all the energy I used to. This may sound melodramatic but bear with me.
When I spent Christmas in the hospital I felt really sad. I felt so alone, and I had moments of despair thinking "Why me? Why am I away from my family?" I had this one mental picture of where I would be soon: back in my home, in my bed, with my husband, and my girls. All snuggled up together. Watching a movie. It seems like such a small thing but when I wanted to cry I would close my eyes and picture that moment, because those moments are the most peaceful in the Bralley house.
I often didn't allow myself to be fully 'in the moment' as I was trying to do ten things at once at night, or in the morning, and something so simple as snuggling my girls might not get my full attention. But lately it has been getting my full attention.
I'm sure I've said this before, but there was nothing so terrifying as wondering IF I would be back with my family. And if I would be able to SEE my children. So lately if we're snuggling in bed I try to take just a few minutes to put down my Kindle, face my babies and watch them (usually while they watch Harry Potter). Betsy likes to snuggle her head into my shoulder. Ella prefers a full frontal assault of the 'human blanket' on Mommy. I really take in the moment of how they smell, and look and how their hair feels. I really, really love those moments.
I love those moments so much I stayed in bed 25 minutes late to have extra Betsy snuggles this morning. It was worth it.
When I spent Christmas in the hospital I felt really sad. I felt so alone, and I had moments of despair thinking "Why me? Why am I away from my family?" I had this one mental picture of where I would be soon: back in my home, in my bed, with my husband, and my girls. All snuggled up together. Watching a movie. It seems like such a small thing but when I wanted to cry I would close my eyes and picture that moment, because those moments are the most peaceful in the Bralley house.
I often didn't allow myself to be fully 'in the moment' as I was trying to do ten things at once at night, or in the morning, and something so simple as snuggling my girls might not get my full attention. But lately it has been getting my full attention.
I'm sure I've said this before, but there was nothing so terrifying as wondering IF I would be back with my family. And if I would be able to SEE my children. So lately if we're snuggling in bed I try to take just a few minutes to put down my Kindle, face my babies and watch them (usually while they watch Harry Potter). Betsy likes to snuggle her head into my shoulder. Ella prefers a full frontal assault of the 'human blanket' on Mommy. I really take in the moment of how they smell, and look and how their hair feels. I really, really love those moments.
I love those moments so much I stayed in bed 25 minutes late to have extra Betsy snuggles this morning. It was worth it.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Monsters
Poor Ella can't catch a break with her ears. She's had several ear infections in a row and we finally got a referral for the ENT doctor to discuss having tubes put in her ears. She's such a happy girl but I can tell her ears bother her and I really, really don't want her to suffer hearing loss with her ear infections so I would rather be pushy (I prefer proactive) and get them sooner rather than later.
She still such a little one, just over 20 pounds. But she's very coordinated, loves to walk herself from the house to the car, from the car in to daycare, and carry her own lunch or snack. Ella is the sweetest thing ever. She loves to give kisses, hugs for mommy, she loves to tickle Betsy and they play chase around the house. She loves to dance and clap to music. I love that kid!
Oh the Betsy monster. She is precious too. She is VERY independent. Both the girls are. She likes to be the leader (she tells us all the time, I'm the leader, follow me). She loves being with Ella and her cousins William and Hudson. She's like a mini adult, reminding us to "Be careful" and "Don't drop it". I overhear her with Ben having deep conversations all the time and they crack me up. This was one of my favorites last week:
Ben: What did you do at school today?
Bets: I ate dirt.
Ben: You ate dirt?
Bets: Yeah, it's yummy.
Ben: Like on the playground?
Bets: Yeah, dirt with worms. Slimey worms.
Ben: That's so gross, don't eat dirt.
Bets: It's yummy, and Anna's mommy brought it for snack time. I eat dirt, DADDY.
Ben: So not REALLY dirt, it was like cookies or something. Right?
Bets: NO DAD. I EAT DIRT.
She also loves playing games, we're on a candyland kick lately. Nothing makes the girl happier than the whole family sitting around and playing together, and we've played together almost every night lately.
And what I love the most is how the girls are playing together lately. They get along so well, and play together in the playroom. They sit in their matching pottery barn chairs and have snack time and watch Diego and laugh together. I love seeing them be friends.
She still such a little one, just over 20 pounds. But she's very coordinated, loves to walk herself from the house to the car, from the car in to daycare, and carry her own lunch or snack. Ella is the sweetest thing ever. She loves to give kisses, hugs for mommy, she loves to tickle Betsy and they play chase around the house. She loves to dance and clap to music. I love that kid!
Oh the Betsy monster. She is precious too. She is VERY independent. Both the girls are. She likes to be the leader (she tells us all the time, I'm the leader, follow me). She loves being with Ella and her cousins William and Hudson. She's like a mini adult, reminding us to "Be careful" and "Don't drop it". I overhear her with Ben having deep conversations all the time and they crack me up. This was one of my favorites last week:
Ben: What did you do at school today?
Bets: I ate dirt.
Ben: You ate dirt?
Bets: Yeah, it's yummy.
Ben: Like on the playground?
Bets: Yeah, dirt with worms. Slimey worms.
Ben: That's so gross, don't eat dirt.
Bets: It's yummy, and Anna's mommy brought it for snack time. I eat dirt, DADDY.
Ben: So not REALLY dirt, it was like cookies or something. Right?
Bets: NO DAD. I EAT DIRT.
She also loves playing games, we're on a candyland kick lately. Nothing makes the girl happier than the whole family sitting around and playing together, and we've played together almost every night lately.
And what I love the most is how the girls are playing together lately. They get along so well, and play together in the playroom. They sit in their matching pottery barn chairs and have snack time and watch Diego and laugh together. I love seeing them be friends.
Health update!
I should have blogged this a couple weeks ago but I've been pretty busy getting back in the swing of things!
Monday February 13th I had a spinal tap and it was...rough. It was pretty painful. The good thing was my opening pressure was much lower than a couple of months ago so my condition is improving! The bad thing was I developed a spinal headache (a leak from where they poked the hole inside) and I was out of commission for about a whole week. I couldn't stand up without having a terrible headache. It was bad enough that I would fall into the wall if I stood up, so I didn't get out of bed except to use the bathroom.
My in-laws were all SO amazingly helpful throught the week, coming over to keep me company, helping around the house, dropping off and picking up the girls. It was so hard. I consider myself a productive person and I got pretty depressed that I couldn't go anywhere, or do anything to help Ben and the girls.
Finally Saturday the 17th I felt better and started getting up and moving around, but really it wasn't until Monday the 20th that I was back to myself. I luckily had the day off for president's day and I got the laundry caught up, and played with the girls.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I had a follow up appointment with my neurologist. I'm staying on my (terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad) medication, but I'm stable enough that I don't have to go back to the neurologist for three months, and I just need to contact him if I notice my symptoms returning or worsening. My optic nerves still aren't back to normal, but they look much better than they did when this all started. Something about the ridges is still off and I wonder if this is why I (on occasion) notice my vision go out of focus for a second or so.
So that's where we are! I'm pretty stable with my weightloss, I need to keep that up, and I need to pay close attention to my body. I still feel that by the end of the year I'll be in a very different place than I was a whole year prior. This is a journey, and I'm really in the beginning :)
Monday February 13th I had a spinal tap and it was...rough. It was pretty painful. The good thing was my opening pressure was much lower than a couple of months ago so my condition is improving! The bad thing was I developed a spinal headache (a leak from where they poked the hole inside) and I was out of commission for about a whole week. I couldn't stand up without having a terrible headache. It was bad enough that I would fall into the wall if I stood up, so I didn't get out of bed except to use the bathroom.
My in-laws were all SO amazingly helpful throught the week, coming over to keep me company, helping around the house, dropping off and picking up the girls. It was so hard. I consider myself a productive person and I got pretty depressed that I couldn't go anywhere, or do anything to help Ben and the girls.
Finally Saturday the 17th I felt better and started getting up and moving around, but really it wasn't until Monday the 20th that I was back to myself. I luckily had the day off for president's day and I got the laundry caught up, and played with the girls.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I had a follow up appointment with my neurologist. I'm staying on my (terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad) medication, but I'm stable enough that I don't have to go back to the neurologist for three months, and I just need to contact him if I notice my symptoms returning or worsening. My optic nerves still aren't back to normal, but they look much better than they did when this all started. Something about the ridges is still off and I wonder if this is why I (on occasion) notice my vision go out of focus for a second or so.
So that's where we are! I'm pretty stable with my weightloss, I need to keep that up, and I need to pay close attention to my body. I still feel that by the end of the year I'll be in a very different place than I was a whole year prior. This is a journey, and I'm really in the beginning :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Upcoming treatment
I had a nice long streak of improvement with my PTC, but as of this past weekend my symptoms have been returning. Also, my optic nerves are beginning to swell again (at least I KNOW what's happening). I went to the Neurologist Wednesday and weighing my treatment options we decided the best course is for me to get another Spinal Tap to measure the pressure on my brain, and to draw some fluid off thus immediately relieving my symptoms.
It's not exactly a pleasant process but I do have a very high pain tolerance and the pain of the procedure is nothing compared to the relief I feel afterwards. I immediately feel better, my headache goes away and my eyes feel better.
So the soonest I could get the LP (Lumbar Puncture, another term for Spinal Tap) is Monday at 10:30. I went ahead and took the whole day off because I do feel pretty woozy afterwards and I'm sure I'll need to rest. And sweet HusBen took the day off to hit up one of our favorite haunts (Scott and White Hospital) and babysit me afterwards.
I anticipate a quiet weekend at home. Today my only plans are resting and doing laundry. All week I've been pretty worn out, and I've just ignored any messes or laundry accumulating around me because it's what I've HAD to do. Getting through the work day, playing with my girls and getting to bed early is about all I'm accomplishing. And I'm fine with that! So, if you wouldn't mind, keep me in your prayers Monday morning, I would appreciate that.
It's not exactly a pleasant process but I do have a very high pain tolerance and the pain of the procedure is nothing compared to the relief I feel afterwards. I immediately feel better, my headache goes away and my eyes feel better.
So the soonest I could get the LP (Lumbar Puncture, another term for Spinal Tap) is Monday at 10:30. I went ahead and took the whole day off because I do feel pretty woozy afterwards and I'm sure I'll need to rest. And sweet HusBen took the day off to hit up one of our favorite haunts (Scott and White Hospital) and babysit me afterwards.
I anticipate a quiet weekend at home. Today my only plans are resting and doing laundry. All week I've been pretty worn out, and I've just ignored any messes or laundry accumulating around me because it's what I've HAD to do. Getting through the work day, playing with my girls and getting to bed early is about all I'm accomplishing. And I'm fine with that! So, if you wouldn't mind, keep me in your prayers Monday morning, I would appreciate that.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Strength
I saw this quote and felt the need to share it today. Today it's been 6 weeks since I was diagnosed with PTC. I've seen some dark days. I've had some really sad moments. I've felt despair. It is so hard to believe it's only been 6 weeks since all this began. I'm in a BETTER place now than I was when it all began. I've gained strength from this struggle. I've gained new perspective. I feel like my vision has been readjusted and I see things so much differently now.
Superficially I'm looking different. I chopped off my hair, I've dropped 22 pounds, I'm a couple of sizes smaller. But my perspective and priorities are way more important. The things I stressed out about before just don't matter to me. I used to put way too much pressure on myself, have unrealistic expectations of myself, and I wouldn't stop until I met those expectations. Things that are GOOD things became like a false idol because I was a slave to those things.
Now six weeks in I'm to this place where I feel pretty good. I'm still on the max dose of my medication so I'm exhausted all the time, but in the 14 hours I can stay awake during the day I try to make the most of it. It's OK that one of my top priorities right now is taking care of myself, resting, eating healthy, exercising. I've put myself last for a long time, and it's what got me in this situation.
I do try to make the most of my lunch hour so that I can enjoy my time at home with my family at night. And things that I might have overlooked or dismissed before with the girls get an extra pause, and some extra attention now. Making all over Betsy's boo boo and making sure she has special Dora band aids when she needs them. This morning I walked in on finding the girls playing dolls together in Betsy's room, when she should have been putting her shoes on. But rather than rushing her I talked to the girls about their dollies, gave them some extra snuggles and let them play for five more minutes.
I've also received the news from my doctor that having more biological children shouldn't be in my plan for the future. I've been a little sad about that. I have cherished my moments with my girls this week. This is IT. These are my babies, and they won't be babies for long.
I do believe that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. And I also believe that everything happens for a reason. When you're in that dark moment it is SO hard sometime to understand his reasons but I prayed and prayed in the hospital asking for God to comfort me when I felt so alone, and confiding my trust in him with my future.
I'm thankful that God gave me this struggle so I could gain this strength.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Happy Update!
The results of my eye appointment are as follows!
My blind spots have shrunk down to the size of normal blind spots (everyone has them!).
My vision improved in the last month from 20/40 to 20/25. And the doctor is confident it will continue to improve.
My optic nerves look MUCH better, I think the swelling is all gone, but there's still some irritation that's healing, and the doctor thinks it will resolve itself in the next month.
SO I don't have to go back for 3 more months... YAY!!! And I'm off to google optic nerves so I can see what they were describing to me...
My blind spots have shrunk down to the size of normal blind spots (everyone has them!).
My vision improved in the last month from 20/40 to 20/25. And the doctor is confident it will continue to improve.
My optic nerves look MUCH better, I think the swelling is all gone, but there's still some irritation that's healing, and the doctor thinks it will resolve itself in the next month.
SO I don't have to go back for 3 more months... YAY!!! And I'm off to google optic nerves so I can see what they were describing to me...
Friday, January 27, 2012
Can you read the bottom line?
I have an appointment with my eye specialist this morning. I'm a bit apprehensive about it (though no where near as nervous as I was at my first appointment with him a month ago). I'm just nervous because my eyes have felt so sensitive and they put drops in and make me look at so much stuff, and strain my eyes and it's just overall not pleasant. Let's put it this way: I'm looking forward to my annual visit with my lady doctor next week than I am to go back to the eye doctor.
On the other hand, I REALLY love the DOCTOR specifically. He is the nicest man, and asked to pray for me after our appointment and it was the first time in a couple of weeks I felt in the RIGHT hands with my treatment. So I'm looking forward to seeing him, just not what they're gonna do to me.
On a happy note, I'll bet my test results (field of vision test, color blind test, distance vision, etc.) will all show an improvement. I'll report back on the details later. I'm pretty sure after my brush with blindness I'll never again take for granted the ability to see again.
On the other hand, I REALLY love the DOCTOR specifically. He is the nicest man, and asked to pray for me after our appointment and it was the first time in a couple of weeks I felt in the RIGHT hands with my treatment. So I'm looking forward to seeing him, just not what they're gonna do to me.
On a happy note, I'll bet my test results (field of vision test, color blind test, distance vision, etc.) will all show an improvement. I'll report back on the details later. I'm pretty sure after my brush with blindness I'll never again take for granted the ability to see again.
Friday, January 20, 2012
On the road again...
No *I* am not going on the road again. I'm a wee bit too scared to get too far from my team of doctors :)
But my CAR is on the road again! We shipped that bad boy back to Centex after Ben flew back with the girls (and no luggage) and I flew back (with no luggage). So the car is FULL of our luggage, Christmas presents and all kind of things we miss having (like a second garage door opener, blue jeans, pajama pants, and face wash and moisturizer).
ETA for the Highlander is TODAY but it could be tomorrow, or at the latest Sunday. I would LOVE for it to come today so I can spend the weekend unpacking and organizing everything, not to mention return my mother-in-law's car she has so graciously loaned to me for the past three weeks. Seriously THREE WEEKS. That was such an amazing thing for her to do for us.
It's too bad there's no "track your truck" link I can stalk like I can my amazon.com packages, I'd be all over that!
But my CAR is on the road again! We shipped that bad boy back to Centex after Ben flew back with the girls (and no luggage) and I flew back (with no luggage). So the car is FULL of our luggage, Christmas presents and all kind of things we miss having (like a second garage door opener, blue jeans, pajama pants, and face wash and moisturizer).
ETA for the Highlander is TODAY but it could be tomorrow, or at the latest Sunday. I would LOVE for it to come today so I can spend the weekend unpacking and organizing everything, not to mention return my mother-in-law's car she has so graciously loaned to me for the past three weeks. Seriously THREE WEEKS. That was such an amazing thing for her to do for us.
It's too bad there's no "track your truck" link I can stalk like I can my amazon.com packages, I'd be all over that!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Daddy's girl, Mama's girl
Ben has been gone a whole lot this month with soccer tournaments. Poor Betsy, she is such a Daddy's Girl, I'm trying my best to fill the void when he's gone. At night, if Ben is traveling she cries "I want my DADDEEEEEEEE!!" and I usually end up keeping her in bed with me and snuggling her all night. She's become more of a Mama's girl with this change of routine.
Sweet Ella is a TOTAL Mama's girl. She walks around concentrating really hard saying "Mamamamamamama". She has a new tooth coming through and she's sleeping so poorly at night... guess who else usually ends up snuggling me for a while each night?
I love those girls, and the reaction I get when I pick them up from school or from my in-laws is priceless. Betsy says "My Mommy Mommy Mommy, I LOVE my Mommy!" and gives me huge hugs. Ella says "Mamamamamama" and toddles over and throws her hands up indicating it's time she gets picked up.
Even though it's chaotic parenting alone sometimes, I do really enjoy my "Girl's night in" with EJB and ECB.
Sweet Ella is a TOTAL Mama's girl. She walks around concentrating really hard saying "Mamamamamamama". She has a new tooth coming through and she's sleeping so poorly at night... guess who else usually ends up snuggling me for a while each night?
I love those girls, and the reaction I get when I pick them up from school or from my in-laws is priceless. Betsy says "My Mommy Mommy Mommy, I LOVE my Mommy!" and gives me huge hugs. Ella says "Mamamamamama" and toddles over and throws her hands up indicating it's time she gets picked up.
Even though it's chaotic parenting alone sometimes, I do really enjoy my "Girl's night in" with EJB and ECB.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Lifestyle change
My previous blog talked a bit about my health condition so I thought I would blog about how the past two weeks have been different from the past few years!
I've always considered myself organized, I plan ahead. The one area of my life that I just 'let go' and felt 'too tired' to control would be cooking, eating healthy, and exercising. I made a lot of excuses to myself about how hard it is to balance working full time, and raising two babies, and doing all the other stuff I do. But what I understand now is that all the other stuff is pretty much secondary to my health.
My days looks a lot different now, though I know I'm still pretty sick with my PTC. It just makes me tired. I don't stop for breakfast on the way to work. I don't run out for an unhealthy lunch. The night before I plan my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the next day, weight and measure them out, pack them up so in the morning I just grab them to go. We have several health meal options in the fridge so at night I just heat up one of those, most often a grilled chicken salad.
There are no junk food options for Betsy and Ella. I'm not saying we don't still keep a box of goldfish and nilla wafers, but the majority of what we all eat is fresh fruits and veggies, grilled meats, cheese, nuts. There is no diet coke or coke in the house. I spend my lunch hour walking around campus to burn calories. It is AMAZING the amount of money I'm saving not eating out at all.
Ben is anxious for me to start lifting weights with him, but I told him I would let him know when I feel ready to add that in to my new routine. Slowly but steadily the pounds are coming off, and consequently I have noticed my vision improving in the last week. This is SO wonderful, I was having a hard time with my vision loss. I'm excited to go back to the optho in a couple weeks and have them do the field of vision tests to determine how much it's improved.
I titled this post lifestyle change because that's what this HAS to be for me. I cannot allow myself to become so overweight again. It's really freeing to have no option of giving this up. I haven't really had the urge to cheat or fall of the bandwagon yet, though I know there will come a day when I have an unhealthy meal...and I will get right back on track, because I have no other option.
So I'll keep you all updated with my weight loss. And I'll keep you updated with my PTC, and for now we just slowly get healthier. It's kinda fun knowing I'll end the year so much healthier and in-shape than i started it.
I've always considered myself organized, I plan ahead. The one area of my life that I just 'let go' and felt 'too tired' to control would be cooking, eating healthy, and exercising. I made a lot of excuses to myself about how hard it is to balance working full time, and raising two babies, and doing all the other stuff I do. But what I understand now is that all the other stuff is pretty much secondary to my health.
My days looks a lot different now, though I know I'm still pretty sick with my PTC. It just makes me tired. I don't stop for breakfast on the way to work. I don't run out for an unhealthy lunch. The night before I plan my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the next day, weight and measure them out, pack them up so in the morning I just grab them to go. We have several health meal options in the fridge so at night I just heat up one of those, most often a grilled chicken salad.
There are no junk food options for Betsy and Ella. I'm not saying we don't still keep a box of goldfish and nilla wafers, but the majority of what we all eat is fresh fruits and veggies, grilled meats, cheese, nuts. There is no diet coke or coke in the house. I spend my lunch hour walking around campus to burn calories. It is AMAZING the amount of money I'm saving not eating out at all.
Ben is anxious for me to start lifting weights with him, but I told him I would let him know when I feel ready to add that in to my new routine. Slowly but steadily the pounds are coming off, and consequently I have noticed my vision improving in the last week. This is SO wonderful, I was having a hard time with my vision loss. I'm excited to go back to the optho in a couple weeks and have them do the field of vision tests to determine how much it's improved.
I titled this post lifestyle change because that's what this HAS to be for me. I cannot allow myself to become so overweight again. It's really freeing to have no option of giving this up. I haven't really had the urge to cheat or fall of the bandwagon yet, though I know there will come a day when I have an unhealthy meal...and I will get right back on track, because I have no other option.
So I'll keep you all updated with my weight loss. And I'll keep you updated with my PTC, and for now we just slowly get healthier. It's kinda fun knowing I'll end the year so much healthier and in-shape than i started it.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Pseduotumor Cerebri
To say we had an eventful Christmas would be an understatement. We had SO much planned for the latter half of December but sometimes big scary things happen and change everything. And this happened to us.
December 16th we hit the road to drive to Florida. We stopped to spend the first night in Dallas and during this short drive I noticed I was having a headache and my vision was a little blurry. My ears were stuffy too, so I attributed this to maybe a sinus infection. The next morning we drove another long day and again I had a bad headache and my vision was off. So Ben did most of the driving. We stayed that night in a hotel, and the morning of the 18th we finished driving in to Merritt Island to my parent's house.
The day after we arrived in Florida I went to an urgent care clinic and was given a prescription for antibiotics. The doctor suggested I may need to go to the hospital if I was having blurry vision. I tried the antibiotics for a day hoping I would feel better. The next morning Ben, my sister and myself woke up and headed to Orlando to go to Universal Studios for the day. Three hours into this trip I told them I needed to go to the hospital, so we did.
I went to Orlando East hospital where I was given an MRI and a CT scan which showed nothing wrong with my brain. I spent the night in the hospital, and was discharged with instructions to see an Opthomolgist. The next day Ben, Betsy, my Dad and sister went to Disney world and my mom and I hung out at the hotel. Then the next day I saw an Opthamologist (my cousin works for one in the area, what a God send!). He looked in my eyes, discovered my optic nerves were terribly swollen and directed me to go straight to an emergency room and let them know I probably needed a spinal tap.
SO, we headed to the closest hospital, in Melbourne, Florida. The doctors looked at the report from the opthomologist, heard my symptoms and that I had already had an MRI and CT scan (which they later repeated) and they gave me a Spinal Tap. This immediately relieved my headache and vision problems. I was admitted to the hospital December 23 and would stay there until December 27th.
What the doctors discovered is I had elevated pressure on my brain. I had too much spinal fluid and it was causing all these problems. I have a condition called Pseudo tumor Cerebri. We talked about putting a shunt in my brain (scary!). The CT scan showed I have exceptionally tiny ventricles in my brain and the neurosurgeon would not do this surgery on me. We started me on a prescription called Diamox, which is a diuretic that slows the production of spinal fluid. I had a second Spinal Tap, was deemed stable enough to travel and was discharged.
The next morning I boarded a plane and flew back to Texas. Ben had flew back with the two girls the day before. I had completely missed Christmas. I missed Disney world. I STILL haven't opened my Christmas presents, they are all in the back of my car that we left in Florida. I missed my best friend's wedding on New Years Eve.
Flying back was very rough. I was utterly weak and exhausted. The light hurt my eyes so I wore sunglasses the whole trip. I had to have someone push me in a wheelchair through three airports. But I was SO glad to be home.
As soon as I landed Ben told me that with the help of a very dear family friend who pulled some strings with our local hospital, I got in to see a neurologist the day I arrived back to Texas. The next morning I had an appointment scheduled with an opthomologist to see how my vision was progressing. This was REALLY wonderful to come home and immediately be in the care of a team of doctors who wanted to make a PLAN to treat my condition. In the hospital in Florida it was made very clear they just wanted to get me stable, and get me home.
The day after my appointments we went to buy me some new running shoes. And I cut and donated 10 inches of my hair! I was just SO exhausted I couldn't even brush my hair. I'm enjoying that my new short hair is so low maintenance.
It's been two weeks since I've been out of the hospital and it's like a night and day difference. Our plan of treatment for my condition is to keep me on the maximum dose of this medication until my optic nerve swelling is gone. It's already improved significantly. Losing weight may very well CURE my condition so I've obviously thrown myself whole heartily into eating healthy. I've lost 20 pounds since this ordeal has started, and losing just 20 more may resolve my symptoms.
I've been back to work since January 2nd, we're in registration at work. I'm pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but I'm able to do pretty much everything I could before all this happened. My vision isn't quite 20/20 but I'm very hopeful that I'll gain back the vision I've lost. And I have larger blind spots than people typically do.
I had my first follow up with my neurologist yesterday and he's happy with my progress, and so am I. My medication has side effects. My hands and feet tingle. I have a bad taste in my mouth. I get really tired. But it's working! I haven't had headaches. My vision is improving. I follow up with my optho in a couple weeks, and the neuro in another month, and I'm hopeful for some more success with my weight loss. I'm hopeful this will cure the condition I have!
SO, it was a crazy, crazy, Christmas break. But I'm lucky to be where I am. And my girls still got to spend Christmas with my family, which I appreciated. And I really look forward to what this year will bring. We've completely changed our eating habits. There is no junk food, no soda in our house. I feel like we will look like a completely different family at the end of the year. I'm sad that I missed seeing the girls open their Christmas gifts, and I missed Disney World with Betsy, and I missed Megan's wedding which looked amazing. But I now know that what happened to me was life threatening. So I feel pretty lucky to be where I am today.
December 16th we hit the road to drive to Florida. We stopped to spend the first night in Dallas and during this short drive I noticed I was having a headache and my vision was a little blurry. My ears were stuffy too, so I attributed this to maybe a sinus infection. The next morning we drove another long day and again I had a bad headache and my vision was off. So Ben did most of the driving. We stayed that night in a hotel, and the morning of the 18th we finished driving in to Merritt Island to my parent's house.
The day after we arrived in Florida I went to an urgent care clinic and was given a prescription for antibiotics. The doctor suggested I may need to go to the hospital if I was having blurry vision. I tried the antibiotics for a day hoping I would feel better. The next morning Ben, my sister and myself woke up and headed to Orlando to go to Universal Studios for the day. Three hours into this trip I told them I needed to go to the hospital, so we did.
I went to Orlando East hospital where I was given an MRI and a CT scan which showed nothing wrong with my brain. I spent the night in the hospital, and was discharged with instructions to see an Opthomolgist. The next day Ben, Betsy, my Dad and sister went to Disney world and my mom and I hung out at the hotel. Then the next day I saw an Opthamologist (my cousin works for one in the area, what a God send!). He looked in my eyes, discovered my optic nerves were terribly swollen and directed me to go straight to an emergency room and let them know I probably needed a spinal tap.
SO, we headed to the closest hospital, in Melbourne, Florida. The doctors looked at the report from the opthomologist, heard my symptoms and that I had already had an MRI and CT scan (which they later repeated) and they gave me a Spinal Tap. This immediately relieved my headache and vision problems. I was admitted to the hospital December 23 and would stay there until December 27th.
What the doctors discovered is I had elevated pressure on my brain. I had too much spinal fluid and it was causing all these problems. I have a condition called Pseudo tumor Cerebri. We talked about putting a shunt in my brain (scary!). The CT scan showed I have exceptionally tiny ventricles in my brain and the neurosurgeon would not do this surgery on me. We started me on a prescription called Diamox, which is a diuretic that slows the production of spinal fluid. I had a second Spinal Tap, was deemed stable enough to travel and was discharged.
The next morning I boarded a plane and flew back to Texas. Ben had flew back with the two girls the day before. I had completely missed Christmas. I missed Disney world. I STILL haven't opened my Christmas presents, they are all in the back of my car that we left in Florida. I missed my best friend's wedding on New Years Eve.
Flying back was very rough. I was utterly weak and exhausted. The light hurt my eyes so I wore sunglasses the whole trip. I had to have someone push me in a wheelchair through three airports. But I was SO glad to be home.
As soon as I landed Ben told me that with the help of a very dear family friend who pulled some strings with our local hospital, I got in to see a neurologist the day I arrived back to Texas. The next morning I had an appointment scheduled with an opthomologist to see how my vision was progressing. This was REALLY wonderful to come home and immediately be in the care of a team of doctors who wanted to make a PLAN to treat my condition. In the hospital in Florida it was made very clear they just wanted to get me stable, and get me home.
The day after my appointments we went to buy me some new running shoes. And I cut and donated 10 inches of my hair! I was just SO exhausted I couldn't even brush my hair. I'm enjoying that my new short hair is so low maintenance.
It's been two weeks since I've been out of the hospital and it's like a night and day difference. Our plan of treatment for my condition is to keep me on the maximum dose of this medication until my optic nerve swelling is gone. It's already improved significantly. Losing weight may very well CURE my condition so I've obviously thrown myself whole heartily into eating healthy. I've lost 20 pounds since this ordeal has started, and losing just 20 more may resolve my symptoms.
I've been back to work since January 2nd, we're in registration at work. I'm pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but I'm able to do pretty much everything I could before all this happened. My vision isn't quite 20/20 but I'm very hopeful that I'll gain back the vision I've lost. And I have larger blind spots than people typically do.
I had my first follow up with my neurologist yesterday and he's happy with my progress, and so am I. My medication has side effects. My hands and feet tingle. I have a bad taste in my mouth. I get really tired. But it's working! I haven't had headaches. My vision is improving. I follow up with my optho in a couple weeks, and the neuro in another month, and I'm hopeful for some more success with my weight loss. I'm hopeful this will cure the condition I have!
SO, it was a crazy, crazy, Christmas break. But I'm lucky to be where I am. And my girls still got to spend Christmas with my family, which I appreciated. And I really look forward to what this year will bring. We've completely changed our eating habits. There is no junk food, no soda in our house. I feel like we will look like a completely different family at the end of the year. I'm sad that I missed seeing the girls open their Christmas gifts, and I missed Disney World with Betsy, and I missed Megan's wedding which looked amazing. But I now know that what happened to me was life threatening. So I feel pretty lucky to be where I am today.
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