Karin had her third treatment today. She is in pain but doing well. Troy has his last treatment tomorrow. Please pray.

Scott

The Floor family

Please pray for the Floor family. I know I've mentioned them before and they are really struggling right now. They've updated their blog and need all the prayers they can possibly get. You can read more at: www.thefloorfour.blogspot.com Also, Pathway Community Church is looking for volunteers to help with cleaning, meals, yard work, etc. so if you are interested in getting on that schedule, you can contact them. Thanks!

Very fast post, nerve block at 1PM

Our internet has been down, so just a quick post from my parents' house to let everyone know I am having another nerve root block at 1pm today. I will have a third and final one next Wednesday. I've really upped my salt intake the past 24 hours to try and raise my blood pressure, so hopefully they will be able to give me more meds and I won't feel and remember the whole thing this time. Thanks for the prayers! Karin

"Oops, I Did it Again" and "I'm So Gladd"

Two posts for the price of one today, folks!

Okay, so apparently I'm not as invincible as I thought. I was really doing well last week. Anyone want to guess what happened? That's right, I overdid it...again. Anyone surprised? Me neither. It meant missing out on a boat ride at the lake and laying really low, but considering the view from the couch up there, I really can't complain. It is much better than the view from our couch, that's for sure. Anyway, I'm still recuperating and don't have all of my energy back, but I'm at a functioning level, so I'm doing fine. The kids and I have spent a lot of time reading quietly (I LOVE that they can both read now!), which is great for everyone.

Part two: Yesterday, I finally got to see Dr. Gladd. I've been waiting to see him since November; that is how long the waiting list is to see him. Amazing that a doctor can be so popular, isn't it? He was well worth the wait. He seems to think that all of these problems are stemming from my adrenal glands (sound familiar? He's the 3rd or 4th doctor to say that, though I didn't tell him that); however, he is going to test it in a completely different way. He is running a bunch of different tests, but before I do that I get to eat LOTS of gluten for the next two weeks! Yippee!!! I promptly picked up cinnamon rolls on my way home, I was so excited! Anyway, he also made a change in my blood pressure medications, as one of them is basically telling my adrenal glands, "Thanks, but no thanks, we don't need you today." He replaced it with a licorice root supplement, so we will see how that goes. The Rx doesn't really seem to be doing much (my bp was 83/40 Monday) so we will see if this helps. Tomorrow I go back for the follow-up appointment about the nerve block, which is already starting to wear off (pain and nausea returning). I believe we will schedule the second block as well. Not looking forward to that at all, as it was so painful, but at least I know it works and for that I am thankful. I have much to be thankful for, and I'm reminded of that often.

One last thing, Happy Anniversary to my fantastic brother and sister-in-law! Nine years ago today they were married, and they are a wonderful, Godly couple and great parents to four terrific boys. Congratulations, Rob and Jenny!

Busy Little Bees

I am happy to report that the nerve block appears to be working! I've been pain-free for about a week now, and the nausea is much-reduced. I've also been allowed to start back up on the Curves vitamins (for the B5, D and calcium deficiencies). As a result, I've been taking full advantage of less pain/more energy and the kids and I have been busy! Both of them are now out of school, so we've had fun at the park and in the backyard: them running around, me sitting working on my tan...hey that can be very tiring! I still need lots of rest both at night and during the day, but it feels sooo good to not be on the couch all day. It has also given Scott the chance to fill in for his old company here and there when guys are on vacation, giving him time in the "real world" and our family some extra income. Double blessing! We're praying for continued improvement over the next month, as I'd really like to return to work at the beginning of the school year if I'm to go back. Next week I will see Dr. Gladd, which I'm very excited about, as well as have my follow-up appointment with Dr. Fortin. Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Pain, Pain Go Away

My nerve block yesterday went well, technically speaking. They put the needles in the right spot, I am alive and well, and we are waiting to see if it worked. The meds they gave me via IV to keep me from remembering anything or feeling anything, however, did not do their job as they could only give me a small amount (due to low blood pressure) and I felt every needle go in (very painful, btw) and heard the entire conversation (the nurses were talking about dog-sitting, the doctor thought they were talking about a kid escaping from the house, I kept telling them, "This hurts!" and "I feel like I'm going to fall off the table" because it was slanted). Since then, I've been in a lot of pain. Today is a bit better, but not by much. The steroids have not yet kicked in (2-5 days), so I am just toughing it out as much as I can until they kick in. Then we will know if the procedure worked or not. I am able to start taking my Curves viatmins and supplements again, so I am excited to see if I feel as good as I did last time. In less than a week, Iwas feeling really great when I started them earlier, but then had to stop to prep for the nerve block. We just might be heading in the right direction!
On a happier note, my grandma went to the doctor yesterday are her lungs and heart both sound clear. She will have a chest x-ray next month to see if the pneumonia is really gone or not. She also only lost 1/2 lb since her last visit a week ago, which is fantastic. At her size, every pound counts!
I am praying for the many FWCS families that are affected by the lay-off notices that went out last week. I've been in that situation before, and I know how tough it is to deal with that and figure out what your family is going to do. While we may be surprised, God is not and He has a plan for this. He will see you through this if you will choose to follow his plan through to fruition.

Selective Nerve Root Block, Whoot Whoot!

Oh yeah, let' s get pumped for nerve blocks! Okay, so I'm actually a little scared about needles in my back, but if it means eating without pain, I can't wait! Since the discography was denied (twice) by my insurance, the spine drs. are going to try a Selective Nerve Root Block on my T8 and T9 areas on Monday to try to block the pain as it wraps around to my stomach. Basically they will inject numbing medication and steroids in there. The best part (in my opinion) is that prior to the procedure, they hook me up to an IV and give me some stuff that makes me feel NO PAIN! That's right, I will be completely pain-free, for a few hours, at least. Can I just say, I've only been completely pain-free for one day in the last 14.5 months? I can't wait!!!