for what it's worth

WOW! Today was CRAZY!!! Erik was up most of the night with major stomach issues but slept in and awoke feeling good enough to go to school at noon. By 2pm he was calling and asking to come home, complaining of right sided abdominal pain. Of course, that shook me so I picked him up and headed straight to the dr, AGAIN! Thankfully, after a lengthy exam, belly xray, urine test and blood draw, appendicitis was ruled out. Let me tell ya, I thought for sure we would be in the waiting room of the surgical unit of the hospital tonight! So, so, so glad it's not so! After all this, it is decided Erik is just dealing with the symptoms of taking antibiotics for 4 weeks. This we can handle. I can't stand to see my babies hurt. Tonight we went to Tascosa Tennis Center to watch Nina Lemar and Alex O'Brien in an exhibition match. Great fun! Shannon got to run around and hit a few balls with them too. The match was a fundraiser for Nina as she is trying to go pro. She has true talent and...

Forgive me fellow bloggers, for it's been a while since my last entry.  The last month has been nuts around here. Our oldest son has been sick going on 4 weeks now. He has missed more school this month than he did in the last 2 years total! He actually likes going to school and hates to miss--not a trait from his mother who often faked to stay home... Anyway, the poor kid has had 3 rounds of antibiotics and a booger of a shot for this upper respiratory crud that turned into bronchitis and now he has a thrush infection in his mouth and throat from all the antibiotics. :(  This makes us so very sad! I just hate it, and have been a little worried about him having so many antibiotics but what else could we do? With my UC issue, I try to steer clear of antibiotics as much as possible and I am leery of giving them to the boys for every cough and sniffle. Sometimes though, you have to take them. I just hate that Erik has thrush now. I've been giving him probiotics the whole time too...

Wednesday I had had enough. For some reason, my gut rumbled nonstop all day. (I wish I could speak gut rumble then I'd know what to do) During my workout Wednesday afternoon, my tummy started to cramp. My trainer was showing me how to use a certain machine when he looked over at me and saw that I was crouching on the floor holding my stomach. It was such a strong cramp that I couldn't really talk through it. (Flashbacks of labor.) It let up pretty quickly and I resumed my workout but it wore me out. I ended up cutting my workout short. This frustrates me on so many levels! For one, I am trying to get ready to do a 5K on Thanksgiving day. I spent the better part of Sunday through Tuesday in major joint pain. I lived on pain killers for 3 days straight and spent a lot of time in bed. Some training, huh. I really want to accomplish this goal. Surely, I can do this. Even if I have to walk it, I will do it. So by Wednesday night I decided I wouldn't eat solid food, I would j...

Seriously seeking more knowledge on the J-pouch. This surgery is an actual cure for UC. It's a HUGE step, not an easy one either, so that's why I'm investigating the option. I've visited with my colon doc a little. I've read all about it on the internet. What I really want to know is what it's like personally. I would love to visit with or hear from anyone who has the J-Pouch... I am curious where the best place to go for the procedure is. I'm thinking the closest place to where I am is probably Dallas. Where did you have it done? Or someone you know? I would love to hear both the pros and the cons. I want to know how it has changed your life, what you like about it, hate about it. I need to know how many surgeries it took, how you felt, what you needed during that time. Tell me everything--the good, the bad and the ugly.

For the last 2 days I have done only what was necessary. I got up took kids to school, went back to bed, got up picked up kids, went back to bed, got up made dinner went back to bed. I bet I slept approximately 26-27 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday. This is so frustrating! Tuesday was a pain filled day and yesterday I was just exhausted from the stinking pain of Tuesday. I even got up and went to my scheduled work out yesterday afternoon hoping it would help. Nope. Instead, I came home and promptly went to bed. Frustration level at it's highest right now. http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4441007.aspx I'm doing a workbook called "The Pain Survival Guide" right now. I've just finished the first lesson and although it was very insightful, I had to recount my pain history into a journal as an exercise of the 1st chapter. I was surprised at how emotional this was for me. Of the anger and sadness that surfaced during this exercise. I must have been holding a lot of ...

October 1st signifies the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Unfortunately, breast cancer is something most of us are very familiar with. It seems like every time I turn around someone I know is battling this horrible killer disease. I hate it. Thankfully great strides are being made in the realm of treating it and the odds of surviving are much higher, especially with early detection. I had a very dear friend pass away from breast cancer in 2004. She was a daughter, sister, wife and mother. Her absence is still felt to this day. She was a remarkable woman and when she died at 40 she had left quite a mark on this world. I loved her for her sense of humor and her amazing God-given wisdom. She fought this stupid cancer for 13 long years, never giving up on God's ability to heal her. When diagnosed at the age of 27, she knew she needed to live. She had a family to care for, kids to raise and husband to love. She should never have survived past the first year. It was a long and ...