Wednesday, September 30, 2009

SHE WON!!

Ms. Steffanee Richardson is Homecoming Queen and Mr. Grant Abell is HC King. It's late, I'll touch base later, with pics!!!!!!! She was ALL Smiles.........: ) : ) : )

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The yes and nos of food

I'm going to put the eat and avoid foods at the end ~ just so you know what we are up against. We will do it, no question about that. Help if you can. Tonight I sauted some fresh veggies & stir fried them with brown rice. I thought it tasted good, she balked, but ate it. : ) News flash for her> that's what she is getting for lunch as well. LOL Anyway, after the softball game, we went to the float building thing. It's coming together ~ it always amazes me that it comes together in the end. Steff had a headache while she was there. Is laying down now, says it feels like her insides are all shaking. Bummer. I feel bad for her, but don't know how to make it better ~ benedryl you think? Shut the body down so she doesnt' feel bad? Yep, that's the kind of mom I am. I would in a heart beat ~ just hope she'll be able to get up in the morning.
I need to go load up the cardboard I've been hauling home for a couple of weeks. The bon fire is tomorrow night. I got online to check the weather> and here I am!! Dang> I need to get things done. Court crowning tomorrow night!
Here's the food chart>
Foods to avoid:•Any food that you are allergic to it.•Dairy (milk, cheeses, yogurt, butter), eggs, margarine, and shortening•Foods prepared with Gluten containing cereals like wheat, oats, rye, barley, normally found in breads, pasta, etc.•Tomatoes and tomato sauces, corn, peanuts•Alcohol, Caffeine (coffee, black tea, sodas)•Soy or products made from soy, such soymilk or tofu•Peanuts or peanut butter•Beef, pork, cold cuts, bacon, hotdogs, canned meat, sausage, shellfish, meat analogues made from soy

Foods to eat:•Drink plenty of water (8-10 glasses), herbal teas, green tea, fruit juices (no sugar added), vegetable juices•Consume grain foods made from rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat or tapioca.•Fresh fruits, vegetables, beans (navy, white, red kidney, etc., peas (fresh, split, snap)•Consume mainly fish (not shellfish), and moderate amounts of chicken, turkey, and lamb•Use mainly olive oil, canola and flax seed oil in moderation
Well, you tell me!! Should be interesting, the next couple of months. LOL

Quick one...

I need to make a correction ~~ Dave didn't shoot me down, he was just trying to reel me in. Words straight from his texting! : ) and WHOEVER thought HE would be texting. That in itself is funny! He is very supportive, didn't mean to incinuate anything other than that. He just knows how I am ~ as most of you do! When I'm up ~ I'm REALLY up and when I'm down, I'm pretty much a b....... : ) Life is good. I gotta run to cook this girl some food> you know she cannot be eating those burgers or hotdogs. I'll post the new list of can & can'ts OMG> but whatever it takes. LATER> and know that I'm still smiling! Hope is a good thing.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Dave is RIGHT.

I'm BAAACKKKK! just spoke with that handsome husband of mine ~ he told me to get off that roller coaster, come back down to the middle. We've been here before. Hey! I think he just shot me down! He's right. I don't need to get Steffanee all excited, in case I'm wrong. BUT I have hope that Dr. Mark is the answer I've been looking for. I will stay in the middle, and still have hope. Something we haven't had in a while. Life IS good!

Should be short....

AGH! This has to be short, I have things to do! Like figure out what the kid can eat, now. She is volunteering for NHS at the ball game, then off to work on the Float building. I believe she also has a College English paper due tomorrow. Somewhere in there, I need to take her some healthy food.
Okay. I am SSSOOOOOO on information overload. I was writing very fast to make sure I got everything. Dr. Mark is sending me a box full of testing supplies, along with the papers for the lab. Instead of going into detail right now about his plan, I"ll tell you what he "thinks" is going on with Steffanee, according to the answers to all the questions and from past blood work she had done. I had to fax over 50 papers to him today. All the testing she has had done since Feb. He looked over it, she was very low on Vit B12 back in Feb, which means she has poor oxygen levels in her body. Oops, here is what he is speculating with her> nothing is solid until HIS testing is finished. He is thinking she must have hypoglycemia, along with adrenal gland dysfunction. Those glands manage blood sugar levels, balances blood sugar. I also got a grip on the barrier thing. The blood barrier/brain barrier. Usually the toxins settle into muscle tissue, when you start detoxing, it pushes toxins out into circulation, and they can end up in a more damaging place. I was very impressed with the simple way he answered my questions. He explained things so they were easy to understand. He said we will start making a plan once he gets the initial blood testing results back.
Did I say short?? I am so full of information, I want to share!!! : ) I'm out, need to find some meat and veggies/fruit for the medical mystery girl!!
I learned a TON of info and wrote it all down, so I won't forget!! ABSOLUTELY NO sauna, NO ionic foot baths, NO foot patches! But Epsom salt baths are GOOD. WOW, I might have done one thing correct! : ) Later, I hope. If not, I'll be back tomorrow! Sadie has Senior Night for Softball, so it will be after that, OH! and after float building. Perhaps, another day!!! : ) I'm a happy woman right now!! WE HAVE A PLAN~ AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME!!! Perhaps Dr. Mark is the answer to all my prayers. Perhaps.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

It's Sunday....

Hey! It's Sunday, Steff has cheer practice and float building today. She went to a friends house last night, slept in this morning. The sleeping late is nothing new. The child has always been a sleeper! During her last hour of sleep, she went into an episode, legs first, then hands, back. You get the picture. She cried quite a bit, and made that horrible noise that she makes. Then it was over. She woke up about 20 minutes later, and we didn't even talk about it. I fixed her a breakfast full of protein and a fruit smoothie and off she went.
The one lady from the Group that I chat with emailed and called me, she is VERY concerned that it has gone into Steffanee's vision. She kind of scares me when I talk to her. I know she is wanting to help, but I'm doing every single thing they have suggested to help her. Not sure what is going wrong OR why things aren't turning around. Granted, yes, she is better than she was in Feb., but come on now, it's been how many LONG months? Feb-almost Oct.
Okay, I'll quit complaining and go finish closing the pool. Tomorrow I speak with THE DR MARK, he is our hope for today/tomorrow. God Bless this child, she hangs on with all she has. She is a little trooper! OR hard headed like both her parents, either way, it works! : )

Friday, September 25, 2009

Okay, I got in touch.

Okay. I got in touch with Dr. Mark's wife, who also is a DR. We chatted for quite a while, she, too, is very concerned that this has gone into Steff's eyes/brain. Well, actually, I do remember her eyes doing that quiver thing and rolling back into her head, so maybe Dave is right. Anyway, I made an appointment with this DR. in Simi Valley California ~ how? What? I'm sure you're wondering. A phone consultation for Monday @ 4:30, our time. Yes, it is expensive, but can you put a price on Steffanees head? Well, okay, but..... He works through Lab Corp to get the labs done. He looks at totally different things than a regular DR. I have to fax him all the results we have from prior testing & a new patient form before Monday. No, Dave doesn't know yet, but what will he say? This is the only DR that I am aware of that is getting results helping these Gardasil Girls. If you go back to February on my blog, you can find the posting about Dr. Flannery. At that time, I was in denial about Gardasil, I wanted it to be something easier to fix. SO, when I read it now, I read it different, besides, all we've been through, I can understand it. SO, there you have it. I need to get ready to roll to Fayette to babysit that medical mystery of a child we have. Just wanted to touch base & fill you in, so my phone does not ring. Other words, please don't call me asking questions, I'm sick of the phone and I'm sick of talking about this today. Check with me tomorrow, it may be a better day. : ) I'm at wits end here, just doing the best I can. I really am doing the best I can. I thought the GF diet would make things better, so what the heck has happened??????? UGH!!! UGH!!! What more can be said?

Not good news....

I'm on a mission, so this will probably be short, should be anyway. Steff had a FANTASTIC week, I was bragging on that at work, when I got a phone call. She did have a rough night, I heard her and moved my sleepy butt upstairs to be with her. She would jerk, have that shiver thing and wake up, making wierd noises. She usually doesn't remember these, and her life goes on like it didn't happen. So, I was very surprised to get a call from her. First off, she has done the Gluten Free all week, and finds that it is not too bad. This is good. Okay, the phone call. Her eyes are blurry today. She can't focus in on things. Not sure what that's about, then I went up to the school after work, (VERY LONG 4 hours after she called!!), she was in the office, doing her work, her eyes look bad. No shine, just flat. She said they hurt so bad, behind her eyes. The sun hurts them too. This is all new to me. SO, I'm trying to call the DR in CA. hoping he can explain to me what is going on. They said there would be set backs after you start the GF diet, but this new. I just spoke with Dave, he says it is not new. He's probably right, I have that selective memory, or so he says. : )
I called the one lady that heads the Gardasil Group this morning, the news I got from her was not good news, very upsetting as a matter of fact. BUT she is not a DR, just a mom that has also gone through this, but not to this degree. SO, I need to roll off and give the DR a call, I really hope he has some suggestions and answers for me.
Those doors at that gate are starting to squeak open> and I hate it! It that's over your head, just let it go.
Put my girl in your prayers, .......................... let this be over soon. I've had enough.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Quiet Weekend

Hey Folks! We had a rather quiet week end, on the Steffanee watch. : ) She had a small/med episode at school on Friday, at lunch. Handled it by herself, then moved on with lunch. These are the days that give me hope, that one day, it will come to an end. Then today, Monday, she had some bad brain fog, (hard to explain, but it's there!) She realized it and removed herself from the class. She regrouped after a while and moved on.
She started the Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Sugar Free diet today. At first she balked at two months, but I reminded her that we've been fighting this for 7 months ~ if doing this diet for 2 months keeps us from continuing the fight ~ it will be worth it. She smiled and caved. : ) It will be mostly veggies, salads, fruits & meat. We'll all work on this together. I marked the calendar to see if we can see any difference in two weeks. One day at a time. I smiled at her tonight. She said she had two hot dogs at the game, without the bun. Good thinking, except I'm sure those dogs were full of preservatives. I didn't say anything. We'll get there.
I also got her car license lights fixed tonight. Much cheaper than we were quoted. The cost was in double digits instead of triple. Life is good. : )
On a heavier note, we found Prancer tonight. Sandra & Datyn found her in the woods behind our house. I guess she died on Friday. She was here that morning, but didn't come back home like she usually does. They all 3 meet me at the door when I come home from work. Bummer. And now there's 2. Dave & I both will miss her. She was mostly his cat, slept at his feet, biting them every now & then. She was full of pi.. & vinegar! If you passed her while she was laying on the carpet, she would reach out with her paw to grab your leg/jeans. We'll all miss her. Hope she's in cat heaven.
Here's to hoping for another smooth week. Steff passed out early, like as soon as she got home from the game. Hope it's a good one!

Friday, September 18, 2009

We both made a full week minus an hour or two

It's Friday and we both made it another full week, minus an hour or two. : ) Football tonight, they lost again, but seem to be getting better. Cheerleaders looked good. I helped with the taco supper the moms decided to have for the team & cheerleaders. That was interesting. I like to watch the kids, how they've grown, changed and moved around in different groups. Hard to believe they will be graduating!
Steff had a pretty good week, she was tired most of it, probably due to being sick. Her cough is much better and it seems like her side effects from the anti biotics are minimal, so far. She did have a muscle spasm today at school around lunch time. Really didn't have time to talk about it, people were around, only talked to her at the game. They are all out running around now ~ enjoying each others company after the game. She said it was in her shoulder again & arm. Not sure how long it will take for the pro biotics to get into her system to make a difference. I'm guessing a couple of weeks. I'm hoping, along with the clean diet, that things will improve soon.
Steff & I are going to the MU game tomorrow with Josh> I hope. Someone said they were sold out on tickets. Not sure, he's taking care of that, if so, oh well, Steff could stay home and use the rest. Yeah, and me too. Rest is good. Dave's going to SL with his mom & sisters to a Cardinal game~ their once a year trip, which is pretty cool. I hope the weather is good for them. Bonding.
I'm out, time to lay down & wait for the Tired one to come home, with friends, I might add. Then I'm heading to bed. Have a good week end!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Today was good, all the way around.

Today was a good day. Steff made it all day with out any episodes. She feels a little better AND we went shopping at Clovers on Chapel Hill. Much better experience than I've had at the Clovers on this side of town. I'm glad. The guy there was very helpful, told Steff the secrets in the Gluten free products. He obviously eats them. He steered her in the right direction and was very convincing on how easy the transition can be, once you make that decision. We were in there quite a while. We also picked her up some Probiotics. Yeah, you got me! It's for immune and digestive support. (I have the box in front of me! : ) ) I guess she has too much yeast (only b/c that's what they say you get from the Gardasil) So, we need to heal her digestive system before we introduce the detox (you know, the niacin.) I'm working on it. She even got sunflower, gluten free bread, Pizza crust, cereal and some really good non dairy, gluten free ice cream. Just realized the ice cream probably has sugar in it. SO, I'm 2 out of 3 there! I'll tell her to eat it all tonight, b/c she starts tomorrow! Ha. not really.
So, she needs to be dairy, sugar, and gluten free. What does that leave you ask? Well, veggies, fruits and lots of protein. Just like our great great grandparents ate. That's probably pretty close to the way I understand it. Take the processed foods out and go back to the basics. Probably good for everyone to do that. JUST NOT AS HANDY OR EASY! I'm trying really hard to get there.
Okay, Back to Steff. : ) I got a call yesterday at work from Sara, the nurse/cheer coach, Steff had just had an episode at school. Sara was calm, which kept me calm, as she explained to me that Steff had removed herself from her College English class, b/c she felt overwhelmed and could tell what was coming. Sure enough, so to the counselors office she went. Sara and the new nurse helped her through it. Sara told me she was fine, and would be taking it easy in cheer practice. Knowing how I am, I'm sure most of you are surprised I stayed at work and let her go on with her day. ME TOO!! BUT I have to say, I am very secure and sure that Sara "gets it" ~ she knows how to handle Steff and these things. I trust her, as a matter of fact, it makes life easier to know that Sara is there for her. So, thank you very much Sara. I'm glad you are there. It was not as bad as the one on Friday at the game. So, maybe things are getting better in there. I'm sure the "touch" of pneumonia is dragging her down, not to mention the niacin. Besides those two factors, the group says they have all had set backs with their girls from time to time. So, there's an update on our wonder child. LOL
Gardasil. The ladies that were doing the project finished it. They did a great job and mailed out hard copies to a TON of elected officials, along with others. CDC, FDA, Merck, etc. I made copies and plan to share. They put faces on the stories. It's hard to read, but makes me realize that we are lucky. Lucky in a difficult way.
I'm ordering Gabi Swank T shirts. They say I don't want to be "ONE LESS...." on the front, with a scripture on the back. It's a fundraiser for Gabi's family. You know me!! I'll order them. Hit close to home. I'm mailing it off on Friday. If you want one, let me know. $12 shirt $2. s/h The shirts are black, the ribbon is lavender. (it's with the scripture and the nvic web address)
Okay, I'm off, need to get to bed~ Any suggestions, input, output, or ideas? Email me!! Like, if you thought about the niacin hurting her, I won't be offended if you tell me BEFORE I do it!
Life is Good. Have a Good Thursday ~ and hope we do too! : )

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

'May today there be peace with in. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.'
Thanks for sharing this, Diann & Nancy. What more needs to be said???

UGH!!!!!!!

Okay. I took Steff to the DR yesterday in Hallsville. Very nice DR, a little different, but nice enough. She has a touch of pneumonia. Yep, you read it right. She sleeps all the time, which is good. I told her to say it's bronchitis, so she doesn't catch a lot to flack for coming back to school. She completley stresses out about missing school, which isn't good for her either. She's on a Z pack, which worries me as well. BUT one thing at a time and right now, she is sick. She just headed off to school, with water in hand. I'm making this short & sweet, b/c I need to get to work. I tried to talk her into staying home today and resting all day. Didn't happen. Yep, I was going to stay with her.
She took her Epsom bath in my tub last night, then crawled into our bed. (Dave's out of town) I rubbed her back, which it really tight, for quite a while, then she fell off to sleep. Here's where the "I need to post" comes in. Her little body jerked, twitched, and spasmed for a long time once she fell asleep. So, things are still going on in there. Not sure if it's due to the great NIACIN I tried giving her OR that her immune system is so low. Either way, please be aware, that we have taken a few steps back. BUMMER. But that's just the way it is today. Okay, now that I've given you a heads up, I need to head out. Sally, Sara, if you need me, DO NOT hesitate to call. She will be heavy on my mind all day.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Gabi Swank Update

I know if you are on FB and my friend, this is a repeat, but just the same, I want to keep sharing. Here is an update on Gabi Swank, the cheerleader from Kansas.
http://www.kansas.com/news/story/968761.html

Not to be dramatic, but.....

Honestly, when dealing with this gets the best of me I feel like the gates of Hell opened up in February and we fell through them.
I know that is dramatic, but sometimes that is how I feel. I know sometimes I don't deal with this very well. This blogging is therapy for me ~ probably more than it is for informing you. I don't mean that in a bad way, but good gosh, SEVEN months later and we are still dealing.

I know that some people worry about her driving. TRUST ME~ so do we. Then we sort it out, she can feel them coming on for quite a while before she goes down. I have talked and talked with her about it. She knows the importance of pulling over as soon as she feels "muscle spasms"
I'm sure you all also know that we are doing all we can to keep her life as normal as we can. We would not take a chance on her life or anyone elses. But yes, we think about it.
Just wanted to throw all that out there, so I feel better. Yes! As a matter of fact, today it is about me! LOL Today, I'm sick of it, obviously. It breaks my heart.
Steff is FINALLY up and moving. Still doesn't feel good. I'm washing sheets, comforters, then getting myself into the sauna~ to cleanse my system and my mind. After I'm finished and it's up to the temp she needs, I have convinced Steff to get in for TEN minutes. I know it's not the 20 that she needs, but TEN is better than none. I'm going to try 2- Ten minute sessions for her a week. She hates it, I love it. Then I guess I"m heading to Boonville to take mom shopping. STeff will be staying here with Dave. Yeah, I thought that last week too. LOL
Tomorrow will be a better day!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I wonder.....

Okay, I'm back. Steff's sleeping. She still has quite the cough and is still sleeping quite a bit. I'm feeling like "mom of the year" again, wondering if I should have taken her to the DR last week for this cold thing she has going. It was seven days on Friday. She stayed home all day & night today, laying around. She planned on heading to a friends about 10ish, Dave & I talked her out of it, to say it nicely.
Last night....... I watched her cheering like I always do, but her right arm kept coming off her hip, she kept stretching it out and moving her shoulder around. I knew she was probably having muscle spasms in it. I kept thinking, if she can hold out until halftime, Dave or I would massage it and talk to her. It started getting pretty bad just at the end of the 2nd quarter, as Dave & I headed to the coach, she was on it. We all three were heading in the same direction. Coach took her to the end & back of the bleachers, Steff was standing as coach rubbed and massaged her shoulder muscle, she said she almost had the knot out of it. Then the band was coming out for halftime, so we moved Steff further away from it, she could barely walk. Once we got there, her legs buckled and down she went. We got jackets and blankets to keep her off the wet grass and let her lay. It went into her hip, her body was pulling in different directions like it used to. Dave, coach & I were trying to keep her comfortable & were rubbing her muscles. It seemed like a long time (as the mom!!), after a while, she told me it was done. Dave & Sara sat with her, she sat up, ate a hot dog (Dave had previously gotten), then we went to watch the last 4-5 minutes of the game. This is the strangest thing ever ~ how many times have I said that in the last seven months? She wanted to ride the bus home instead of riding with us. Against our better judgment, we let her, wish we hadn't. She had some issues on the bus, she called it anxiety. It may have been, or the fact that her chest is full could have played a part in her not being able to breathe. Not sure, don't care. Next time, if it happens again, she will be riding with us. Dave & I both stressed all the way from Tipton to Hallsville. I drove her car home from the school before they got back. I knew she would not be happy with that, but oh well. We are the parents. It's our job to keep her safe. (a little funny there, from her childhood!) When she would get mad b/c she couldn't have her way, I would ask her --- Steffanee, what is my job? She would always reply, "to keep me safe"-- yep! that is my job. still.
Here is where the I wonder.... comes in. I started her on Niacin Monday. I read in the Group that it was helping some of the girls, thought I would give it a try for her. Wonder if that triggered something in her body? You all know that as a mom, you feel responsible when things go wrong. Well, maybe not, but I do. When I finish here, I'm going to web md to learn what it does to the body...........probably should have done that before I gave it to her! "mom of the year" again. I'm telling you ~ I will NEVER get that award. Okay, there's our Friday night. Our Saturday was mellow as it could get. Dave went to CJ's and got hot wings, Steff's favorite, Jeff & Char came over for the Tiger Game, fun night. They won ~~ after it looked like they weren't going to pull it off. Steff laid down on the couch downstairs and watched it with us. We all laughed a LOT! After they left, the three of us were watching a movie, they both fell asleep and here I am!
Oh! I forgot, Steff was signed up to take the ACT test this morning. Needless to say, she was not in any shape to get up early and sit all morning to test. So, guess she'll sign up for next month. Here's to hoping things get better again. I'll stop the Niacin, just in case. Any ideas on the Niacin or any ideas at all ~~ throw them my way. We are doing the best we can here, hoping that it gets better. Enjoy your Sunday! Back to work/school on Monday! : )

Didn't make it .....

Okay, most of you are aware that last night at the Football game, Steffanee had a worse than normal (lately) episode. Not nearly as bad as they started, but she was on the ground through the last half of the game. I know it makes people nervous & freaks them out, but really, we are doing the best we can. No, we don't need an ambulance, we've tried that, they only drug her up & send her home. Coach Crane is completely on board with Steff's case, condition, or whatever you call it. Rubbing her muscles, working them through the spasms, telling her to breathe from her abdomen. She has it. HOWEVER~~~ from this point forward, I will be bringing a blanket to each game. Sorry folks, that we were begging for jackets & blankets. I will have that under control from this point forward. PROMISE! You know how that goes- if you have it, you won't need it. I'll leave it at that. By the way, she's still coughing quite a bit. It's loose, but thinking about taking her in on Monday if she's not over it. In where, I don't know yet........
I'm off to watch our TIGERS. I'll post more later about last night. Thanks VERY much to those of you that listened to me ramble. .. sometimes that seems to help me focus. At least I'm venting away from her. : ) AND THANKS very much for all the concern we felt. This is a part of our life now, and trust me when I say, we are doing the best we can. She's fine today, sore, tired, and the cold thing is getting to her, but other than that, the little trooper is good. Did I say embarrassed a little?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It's Wednesday!!!

Well, I believe if Ms. Steffanee makes it through tonight, it's been a week since her last episode. Of course, she doesn't always tell me and gets tired of me asking, so, we'll call it a week. She still has quite a bit of congestion, but is starting to cough it up. I"m glad, I really wanted her body to fight it off with out antibiotics. I"ll give her until Friday, but she seems better today.
I put tires on the girls car tonight. $338, plus $25. rebate, plus I get 5% back for using Joe Machens Ford. Pretty good. OF course they want $350. to fix the lights on her license plates ~ and that's not going to happen. He said they could do it Friday, but needs to order the parts today, I smiled and told him not to order them. I KNOW she needs those lights (that's why she got pulled over), but I am NOT paying that much to get it fixed. I'll have to think about this one. Until then, she can drive during the day! LOL Give me a couple of days.....processing it. : )
I got a letter from Vaers today. They want me to sign a release form to get her hospital information. I called, they said they are going to compare the testing in the girls and see what they come up with ~ like a trend, maybe? Who knows, but I'll fax it to her. I also read in the Focus on Family newsletter that a NY Cardiologist's daughter also is having an adverse effect from Gardasil. There is one DR that will acknowledge it. : ) Steff is getting better and that's what matters, not what they think.
So, it's a Wednesday post ~ almost Friday! Pool is still open, but cold. I did get the cover ordered and bought the chemicals to close it. I like looking at it, sitting by it ~ maybe next week.
Catch you all later, enjoy the week! Life is Good!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sunday and OFF tomorrow!!

Hey! It's been almost a week since I've posted. Most of you know this is a good thing, means things are quiet around here on the "stressful" part of our life. Steffanee/Episodes.
I'm guessing all went well at the Cheer bonding swimming party & sleep over. Steff did say she had a nightmare and woke up crying while there. I cringed, hoping it was a nightmare. She told me they had a good time, and talked about that, didn't mention any medical problems, so I didn't go there. Sometimes I try to leave it up to her, to share. I know she gets tired of me questioning her about it. So, unless you all know more than I do, it was a good week. Feel free to share if you do know more than I do. I'm fine with that!
The football game was Friday, although they had no school. Steff got her hair cut & highlighted. I planned on meeting her for lunch, then dropping her car off for new tires. Nope. She had to be at the school by 3. Subway it was and no tires. I'm hoping they are open tomorrow so I can get it done. Her tires are B-A-D! That would be the last thing she needs, a blow out.
Saturday we got up and went to the car wash the Seniors had at HyVee. That was fun. I saw a lot of girls I hadn't seen for a while. Josh showed up to get his car washed. : ) Steff sent him a text to bring it out! They made quite a bit of money. I had no idea a car wash would make that much, especially on a cloudy, almost rainy day. LOL Steff stayed home after that, feel asleep early and slept most of today. She didn't feel good yesterday or today. Sore throat, cough and her chest is heavy. HOWEVER, she felt well enough to go out tonight. She left while I was in Boonville, shopping with mom. I hope she does feel better!
Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. Hope they are right! We still haven't covered our pool. I keep hoping for a nice sunny weekend. Labor day ~ last chance. Doubt that happens! We'll probably cover it next week, after I FINALLY order a cover on Ebay. LOL Hard to close a pool with out a cover. It will be easier now to do, my computer was sooooooooooooo slow. Rhonda came over and put some more memory in it. Made a world of difference! That's another reason I haven't posted! I'm out ~ heading off to work on laundry, hope to hear from Steff soon, to get the scoop on her plans. Enjoy your Monday ~ and have a good week!! Hope we do as well.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Another Find....

Tomorrow is Thursday and I don't want to speak too soon, but it's been a quiet week. Last night I heard her quite a bit, but she said she slept well. Looked tired to me, but she said she wasn't. I ordered some foot detoxing patches today, in hopes that will help pull some of the nastiness out of her. : ) I put in detox metals from body on Ebay, and there they were! I read all about them and figured, what the heck? I purchased them for $28. We'll see.
While I was online, I was reading about Gardasil side effects, go figure. AND here is another one I ran across, from Colorado.
I want to introduce you to Ashley. She was 15 at the time of her first shot and she is now 16. Here is what her mother has to say about her daughter. "I am a single mother and have dedicated my life to provide a safe, fun loving environment for my daughter. She has been a gift in my life. I describe her as having an old soul. People of all ages, race, disabled, even animals connect with her. She has always attracted attention from everyone even complete strangers. Ashley will immediately help anyone in need. From holding open a door, to standing up for a child being picked on. People in our community always tell me what a great job I have done raising her." "Ashley has always been involved in extra curricular school activities and has always received top grades. My healthy teenage daughter became a chronically ill young woman. In the last year I have called 911 more times than I can count. She has been hospitalized three times within a year. We have seen many doctors and specialists who have done many tests multiple times all to be within normal limits. Ashley experiences life threatening episodes of seizure like activity, difficulty breathing, major back spasms, paralysis, dehydration, memory loss and tremors and she becomes unresponsive. She has daily illnesses of nausea, exhaustion, vomiting, pain and hair loss. I have provided CPR and life saving skills on a regular basis". "Ashley and I have had conversations in the event she may die. I can only promise her that I will do everything in my power for this not to happen and that we need to focus on healing. I never thought in a million years a vaccine would do this much damage to my beautiful girl. I stay strong for my daughter. I also cry with her too. I keep faith in knowing God doesn't put more on our shoulders than we can handle. As a mother, I also feel the responsibility to get Ashley's story out there so we can help other families." "Now she is ill - her life is dealing with daily symptoms and hoping for a day without a life threatening episode."
Wow ~ The back spasms, seizure like episodes........I"ll leave it at that.
No one will EVER know what we have gone through with Steff, I mean, you know, but the pain you have when you can't help is hard to explain. The emotions I feel every day, not knowing if this will be a good day or a bad one. She plans on spending the night with a cheerleader bonding thing tomorrow night. Do I worry? Yep, I'll be home, with my cell in my pocket, or next to my bed. You just never know when it could happen. On a lighter note, at least they are milder and seem to happen further apart. OOPS, almost went to a pity party, didn't I? It might sound like pity, but it's actually frustration with the entire situation. Okay, I'm done. She just finished her Epsom salt bath, and I"m heading off to bed. Hope it's a good night. Have a good one> THREE DAY WEEKEND coming up!! YAY!!!