A new adventure every day

I love my school breaks. I am so productive and get things done around the house that I normally avoid....

I have been especially productive this week. Along with reading a book, playing scrabble, watching TV and taking naps, I have been able to clean out the fridges, take down the outdoor Christmas decor, put away all the Christmas stuff from inside and outside the house, wash/fold/put away all the laundry, and even mulched all of the leaves that had covered the backyard.

Since I have been so productive, we have generated a lot of trash. The town's code violation lady came by yesterday. We haven't seen her since shortly after we moved in so we thought our ranking in the neighborhood had risen. Alas, we are still the "bad neighbors". We got a warning violation for having trash in our dumpsters that prevent the lid from being closed completely.

Really? Someone actually wrote an ordinance about the aesthetic requirements of our trash dumpster?

We have until 1/6 to remedy the situation. I have decided to take no action at all until Monday, January 3. This is the day the debris removal people come through the neighborhood. I am going to pile all of our trash on the curb the night before (after 6pm per the ordinance). There will be boxes from Christmas gifts, bags of trash, huge bags of leaves from the backyard and maybe even some branches if I get around to trimming those. That should piss off whatever neighbor it is that calls to complain about our trash dumpster. Ooooh, maybe I should paint flowers or some other aesthetically pleasing picture on the dumpsters!

I still haven't found any help on the attic so I guess I will tackle that one box at a time today. I'm going to try and generate more trash on this project just so I can piss off a neighbor.

Cranky Betsy today. Need more coffee. And prozac.

Flowers in the Attic

Years ago, I read a book titled Flowers in the Attic. It disturbed me and I have never been a fan of investigating attics. In my mind, an attic is just a rodent infested hotel with pink fluff, wires, and air conditioning ducts.

However, I had to face my fears recently. We now have two vehicles that fit in the garage. But, we have so much crap in the garage....I mean treasures in the garage, that we have room for only one vehicle to park in there. This was never a big deal because Troy's monster truck was too long to fit in a standard garage. It's freezing cold here and it takes a while for the ice to melt off the windshields. So, I decided to tackle the treasures and store them in the attic. (I was reminded by a certain man in the house that he ALREADY has gotten rid of enough treasures and he could not part with anything else.)

I went to Home Depot and got plywood and had them cut it in half lengthwise.
I went into the dreaded attic.
I scared away the rodents (at least I never saw any!)
I raked that pink fluff all over to even out the insulation.
I hauled that plywood up to the attic.
I screwed the plywood onto the trusses and made a storage platform.

I did all this while teetering on the beams so I didn't fall through the drywall ceiling and land on my butt inside the house. I even have a blister!!!

The attic is now ready for our treasures to be stored up there.

I did not, however, consider how I would get those treasures up into the attic by myself. It turns out you cannot carry a box up the little attic ladder safely.

Now, I am left in limbo.
I can't park in the garage because there are boxes all over.
I can't carry those boxes up to the attic alone.
Troy and Megan are both unable to help with lifting.

Megan's swim coach is going to send over a few boys from the team to help me finish moving those boxes up to the attic. If they don't show up........

Maybe I should have just planted flowers in the attic?

Merry Christmas

I didn't realize how long it has been since I last posted. We are getting ready to head to Abilene to see Steven for a few days and spend Christmas with him. It will be so nice to have all 4 of us together.

We've been keeping busy with the medical issues for Troy and Megan. Every day is a new adventure, but we are hopeful 2011 will be a much easier year for our family. Troy's next surgery (and hopefully the last!) is scheduled for 12/29. The recovery for this one is really rough so he will be out of commission for at least two weeks.

Megan and I are enjoying our school break. It gives me time to get caught up on things around the house that never get done when I'm teaching....exciting stuff like cleaning out the pantry, organizing the garage, cleaning out closets. I enjoy doing those things when I have the time.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! We'll post pictures after we return from our trip!

Love,
The Fishgods

The Gift of Time

Today, my principal surprised me. She does that a lot. She is an amazing administrator who truly has the best interests of her teachers and the students at the forefront of every decision she makes. I've never had a principal who I respect so much and admire professionally.

Kindergarten teachers were given our Christmas gifts early today.....we got "the gift of time". This means that we were free to leave campus at 12:25 instead of 3:30. Another teacher on our campus covered our classes and we were kicked out. She said it's time for us to do something fun. Go shopping. Get our nails done. Take a nap. She didn't care as long as we left campus!

I left campus, had lunch with my wonderful husband, then ran a bunch of errands. It was truly a gift to have that extra time to run errands, grocery shop, get the car washed, and do a little holiday shopping.

I might catch that holiday spirit yet this year!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. There are so many people and things to be thankful for this year. We are thankful for our friends and family who care about us (and us them!). Enjoy your day!

Can anyone say MRSA?

Troy's infection on the back of his neck isn't cleared up yet. He has had IV antibiotics and has had a 10 day run of Keflex. The surgeon sent us to a dermatologist. She did a culture and a biopsy. Troy now has 3 stitches in the back of his neck and will have those for two weeks. She started him on antiobiotics for MRSA. That is what they are testing for but she wants to get a head start on it so surgery can happen as soon as the stitches come out in two weeks.

So, another dismal doctor visit. Troy is really getting depressed. Send good thoughts his way please.

B

10 Things You're dying to know

1. Troy's surgery put off yet again. Still has infection. Follow up in another two weeks.

2. We're not going to Scottsdale for Christmas. Based on the surgery scheduling, there is no way Troy will be well enough to travel. So, we will enjoy a quiet Christmas at home.

3. Thanksgiving plans include cooking turkey and all the trimmings at home.

4. We are all off this upcoming week and looking forward to some fun times like movies, holiday shopping, and naps!

5. I am taking a hiatus from my master's courses and will not be graduating in July as planned. Cancel the party.

6. Steven has grown another inch, made progress in so many areas, and recently broke a staff member's glasses. Ugh.

7. Megan has been sick with ear infection and sinus infection. She has been a sick girly and barely chokes down her antibiotic horse pills.

8. We are so looking forward to Chris and Melanie's upcoming visit!

9. It's starting to get really cold in the DFW area. Fortunately, we all own jackets, scarves, mittens and umbrellas. We are ready for it this year. Bring it on Mother Nature!

10. I forgot to post about our new doggy, Brody. We got him at the end of September. He's a 5 year old black lab and perfect for our family. We are so excited we didn't have to endure the puppy phase to get such a great pet!

And, that is the top 10 list of things you were dying to know.

B

Megan's Swim Meet

Megan had a blast at the swim meet this weekend! The team left school on a charter bus at 2pm on Friday. They rode down to the Houston area, had dinner at a hotel, and did a few activities before calling it a night at 9:30pm. Megan was assigned to a hotel room with 3 of her closest friends.....Lily, Gabby, and Katie. Turns out Gabby has only stayed in a hotel once. She spent the entire night awake listening to people in the hall, convinced they were trying to come into the girls' room. Megan said the door kept opening as Gabby would open the door to see who was outside. (I didn't even try to explain the safety issues with this decision since it was after the fact.)

They woke everyone up at 5:00 AM.......ate breakfast at the hotel and were in the water at 7am. The water at swim meets are kept especially cold because it supposedly helps swimmers swim faster. The meet ended at 3:00 and the team was back on the bus and headed to "Dave & Buster's". They ate dinner at the buffet, played a while, then boarded bus and got back about midnight. Coach said it was hysterical to watch these starving swimmers attack the buffet. The employees were scrambling around trying to keep the buffet filled!

Megan did great in her two events. She placed third in her first event and shaved 1.5 seconds off her personal best time. She didn't place in her second event, but did shave 3 seconds off her best time in that one. She's really becoming such a great swimmer!

We picked her up at midnight last night and she came right home and fell asleep. I imagine she will sleep until noon!

Troy's Surgery

We prepped for Troy's surgery today. We got up early, he went off pain meds as scheduled, we drove to Plano, they hooked him to the IV and put him in a gown. He waited for an hour. They rolled him back to the surgery room. Then, Troy's surgery was cancelled due to him having an infection on his skin on his neck. Evidently, the ice that helps to alleviate the pain caused him a bit of frostbite on the back of his neck. That is now infected.

They gave him an IV antibiotic and prescribed an antibiotic for 10 days. We will see the surgeon on Tuesday for his follow up. At that time, they will reschedule today's procedure for a time after the antibiotics are done.

Troy is, expectedly, down in the dumps. We are going to spend today getting him comfortable again since he had to be off all pain meds for 24 hours prior this morning's procedure. We'll regroup and go forward.

b

Hurry and end 2010

Well, the year has been long. It's hard to believe it's already November, but we are ready for this year to be over!

I haven't posted in awhile. I'm feeling down in the dumps with everything going on and just got tired of it all. But, I've gotten a few requests for an update so here it is.

Troy - is on disability for his traumatic brain injury and neck/spine injuries. His neuro psych appointment indicates that he has "mental efficiency deficits" and requires additional therapy. The brain doc said his brain just needs to rest. On Friday, he will have another nerve block done on the right side of his neck. All the previous procedures have been on the left side. Now that he has recovered from that, they will do the block this Friday. Then, they will schedule his RF for the right side sometime next week.

Betsy - is on disability for hernia surgery that occurred unexpectedly last week. The hernia got bigger and more painful and needed a fix since my intestines were involved. That explains the "squish squish" sound I could make my hernia make when I pressed on it. I am allowed to go back to work next Wednesday and am looking forward to being in a routine again. It was a difficult week last week with neither of us able to drive but we made it through and now I am released to drive again.

Megan - has been having some bleeding episodes again and is anemic. She started a new clotting med this week and we met with hematologist yesterday. The change in meds appears to be working and they will see Megan again in 3 months. She continues to thrive in high school and enjoys her swim team. They are traveling to Houston this upcoming weekend for a meet. Then, she has two more major meets the following two weekends. At least those are local and we can be there for that. Oh, and I finally got my coveted yard sign to place in the yard! It must be a Texas thing, but these signs are placed in the front yard and say "Home of a Flower Mound Jaguar _________". Megan's says Swim & Dive in the blank. But, there are signs for choir, band, football, cheerleading, drill team, lacrosse, etc. It's kinda cool!

Steven - he's the lucky man! All is well in his world! He is making it full day in school and is down to 2:1 ratio at school. They were having some difficulties with him riding the bus. Initially he didn't want to get on the bus. So, they used a home vehicle to drive him to/from school. Then, they worked to convince him the bus was okay and Steven started riding the bus. The next challenge was convincing him to get OFF the bus at school. That is still a work in progress, but is successful more often than not. We sent the microphone down to Abilene and will be testing it out tonight. Assuming it is successful, we will post info for anyone else who might want to skype with the little man.

The holidays are coming up quick and we don't really know the plans yet. (Yes, I know that is a new concept for me, but I'm okay with it.) At this point, it doesn't look feasible for us to come to Phoenix or the Phoenix family to come here. So, we may have a low key holiday season and rest up for the new year.

We hope everyone else is doing well. I'll update more after Troy's procedure on Friday.

Betsy

High Tech Steven

We took a laptop down for Steven this past weekend. We have it all set up so we can do video conferencing via skype. Tonight we tried it for the first time and it was awesome! We could see him and he could see us. He could hear us but we couldn't hear him. We'll mail a microphone down tomorrow and hope that fixes the problem! Once the kinks are worked out, we will give everyone his skype address and you can do a video conference with Steven, too!

The Little Mermaid

Today is Megan's first swim meet! We are so proud of her because she has really put forth a ton of effort to improve her times.

Last night, she walked in the homecoming parade with her team and tonight she will don her team warm ups, dive cap, and backpack!

I will post pictures of tonight's meet late tonight, or sometime tomorrow. She will be swimming in three events. Good luck Megs!!! We love you!

Photo of Megan at swim practice last week

It's going to be a long week!

We went back to Troy's doctor today for a follow up from last week's visit. They have signed him off work until at least 11/2. He has more neuro psych testing to get scheduled. They will keep him on dilaudid (spelling?) for the next month to help with the pain while the nerves heal. He's getting really down in the dumps and is tired of feeling pain all the time. Please keep him in your thoughts and send him a joke or two via email if you see any good ones come to your in box!

This week is a busy one for Megan. On Wednesday night, she will be participating in the homecoming parade. She was nominated as one of the "ladies of the court" for the homecoming dance. Thursday evening she has her first swim meet. Friday night, the homecoming football game. Saturday night, the homecoming dance.

Sunday, we are hoping Troy will feel well enough to make the drive down to see Steven for a few hours.

Fortunately, we have Monday off of school to recover from all the busy evenings we have this week!

Weight Loss Update

Several people have asked me how my weight loss is progressing since surgery. The answer? It's going well. I've lost 53 lbs and 28 inches from my body. I still don't see the difference when I look in the mirror, but seeing pictures has helped me see the progress. Here are a few before and after pictures for those who have requested them. The day of surgery pics are the purple shirt. Three months later in the pink shirt!
I feel healthier, have more energy, and love my weight loss tool!

Bets

Nerve Update

Troy had the nerve lesion yesterday morning. The doctors cauterized 3 nerves in his neck. They warned him that it would be a painful recovery for the first 5-7 days since they drilled through some bone and moved muscles around in the neck to get to the affected nerves. If the pain was not handled by the pain meds they prescribed, they told us to call them.

We called yesterday afternoon because Troy was having a headache, dizziness, continued numbness in his arms, and nausea. They sent us to the ER. The ER gave Troy lots of meds to reduce his pain, relax his muscles, and get rid of the nausea. They sent him home yesterday evening with some additional drugs to get him through this next week.

Last night continued to be rough but better than earlier in the day. He is on a 4 hour medication schedule so I set the alarm to wake us at the right times during the night. The doctor's goal is to get Troy to sleep through this next 4-6 days when the recovery is the worst.

More updates later.

Steven's Birthday

I apologize for the delay in posting Steven's birthday pictures! Some of the pictures are captured on the camcorder and we can't capture those at this time. Unfortunately, my camera batteries ran out quickly, so I have these few pictures to share.

First, let me say that this was Steven's best birthday ever! We got to his dorm about 9:30 am and opened presents with him. About 10:30, the bounce house was delivered and the boys were ecstatic! The staff must have prepped the boys ahead of time because the boys kept telling each other, "It's Steven's birthday, so he gets in first." The boys were coaxing Steven towards the bounce house. One of the boys couldn't stand the wait and he got in real quick. It was funny how fast the other boys reprimanded him to get out until Steven was in! When Steven did get in, he jumped a bit then got out when it was too crowded.

Steven had a good day on his party day! He loved being the center of attention and enjoyed his gifts. He was happy and playful and the most smiley we have seen him in years. It is such a joy to see him so happy! He has really bonded with the other kids in his dorm. He has friends of his own. The other boys give him high 5's and play wrestle with him. Steven even participates in giving and receiving head locks and chest bumps!

We pigged out on pizza, sodas, cake and ice cream. It was a great day!

Here are a few pictures of Steven opening his presents.




We had a great day! I'll post more pictures when they are available.

And a week goes by....

How is it possible that a whole week goes by and I can't find time to post and update! Here's what we know....

Monday- nothing exciting.

Tuesday - Troy went to Dr and they scheduled the nerve lesion for 10/1. This really depressed him because he did not want to be in pain another 2.5 weeks. It was a downer night for all of us.

Wednesday-Megan woke up with the stomach bug that has been going around school. The housekeeper came and the house looked beautiful when I arrived home to change clothes, then head to my book club.

Thursday-Megan was still sick and running fever so she stayed home again. I received a call from the doctor's office and they opened up a Saturday slot because they have so many patients. Rescheduled his appointment for next Saturday, 9/25 at 8:30 am. That evening, we went shopping for Steven's birthday party and presents, then packed the basics for Abilene.

Friday- Had a busy day at school, then headed home to change clothes and head to Abilene. The trip is normally 3 hours and we expected it to be longer due to rush hour traffic. WOW! After 90 minutes we had travelled a whopping 17 miles! We finally saw a traffic sign on the freeway which indicated all lanes were closed due to an accident. Fortunately, we had our GPS and we quickly pressed the detour button. Along the detour, we stopped for a quick burger at Fuddrucker's. We made it to Abilene in only 5.5 hours.......we were exhausted!

In Abilene, we are staying in the guest house for the first time. The homes are 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, fully furnished, homes. Back in the day, doctors used to live on site at the facility. Since they no longer do that, they turned them into guest houses for families to stay in. We weren't sure what to expect but wanted to check it out before we stay at Christmas time with Grandma Jane and hopefully, Fred and Leslie.

The home is older, but is very functional. The bedrooms each have 2 twin beds. The bathrooms have soap in the showers even! The kitchen is fully functional, but we are not allowed to cook. NOT JUST ME!!! Nobody can cook. We are allowed to use the fridge, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker.....which is pretty much cooking in my book!

In about an hour, we will head over to Steven's dorm to get the party set up! The bounce house and pizzas are being delivered by 11am. We should have a great time! I'll post pictures tonight!

So, how was your week?

B

Getting on his nerves

Yesterday was Troy's most recent procedure. The doctors did injections in C3-5 to block the nerves as a test run for next week's procedure. They described yesterday's procedure as diagnostic in nature, rather than therapeutic.

The injections yesterday were designed to determine if those nerves are the ones causing all the pain, numbness, headaches, and clumsiness that he is suffering through. There is good news and bad news. The good news is the block did help his pain level and reduced numbness for about 4 hours. The bad news is that the pain is back with a vengeance. He had to be off all pain meds for 24 hours prior to the procedure yesterday and can't seem to get back ahead of the pain since the procedure. I'm sure it doesn't help that they had to navigate through all the muscles and nerves in the neck region to get to the spinal column!

On Tuesday, we go back to the specialist who will review the "pain diary" Troy was assigned to complete after the procedure. At that time, they will presumably schedule the nerve lesion. We say presumably because they could still recommend the fusion instead. However, since he had some success with the block, we are assuming they will go forward with the lesion. That procedure involves permanently deadening the nerves in those vertebrae so Troy won't experience pain, numbness, etc anymore! That will be welcome relief!

Happy Birthday to our little man!

Today is Steven's 13th birthday! It is hard to believe he is that old! Seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital and the doctor was saying, "That is NOT a 7.5 lb baby that I predicted!"

Next weekend, we have a big birthday celebration planned at his dorm. We have rented a bounce house, ordered pizzas, coolers of soda and water, and of course, CAKE!

It is incredibly hard not being with him on his actual birthday, but we knew the trip this weekend just isn't possible. Hopefully we will all be well and able to enjoy the festivities next weekend!

Happy Birthday Steven! We love you very much!

It's Raining...no duh.

It's raining in North Texas. The weather reports state we have received about 7-8 inches of rain today in our area.

The local creek has overflowed and flooded homes right by us. One of the homes flooded was one we considered moving into when we looked for a home here! The river is expected to crest 14 feet above flood stage.

My school had leaks all through the building. In the teacher's bathroom, the water was leaking through the lights. In the music room, the water was seeping up through the floors. No one else seemed interested in the rain, but I continue to marvel at the weather we experience here!

At 11am today, I looked outside and the rain was so heavy I couldn't see anything! When I left school at 4pm, the skies were blue with some clouds. At 5:30, a tornado came through. It's 9pm and it's raining again!

I know it's trivial to others, but I am really amused today!

The Homecoming festivities at our rival high school have been cancelled due to weather. Tornado watches are in effect until 1am. And, it's still frickin raining!!!

I wonder if I will hear tornado sirens if they go off when I'm asleep?

Daily posts....or good intentions

I will start posting more frequently even if it seems trivial to me. Thank you for your comments!

We have enjoyed our three day weekend like everyone else has. Saturday we had a few friends over to bbq. Sunday and Monday were spent recovering from that! As much as Troy wanted to be social, it was too much for him to be upright for those few hours.

The house is cleaned, laundry is done, backpacks are packed, and we are ready to start another week tomorrow.

Megan is enjoying high school and they are keeping her very busy! She is on a block schedule so she only takes 4 classes per semester. Each course covers the curriculum designed to go one year, so the classes each last 90 minutes per day. She is taking Spanish II, Pre AP Biology, Pre AP Lang Arts/Geography, and JV Swim. She practices two mornings a week with the team from 6am-7:30am, then swims 10 hours a week in the afternoons. They swim an average of 2 miles each day and she still manages to get her homework done each night! We are very proud of her efforts!

Steven is loving being back in the routine of school. He has the same teacher and the same aide that he had last year. In addition, his home support staff comes to school with him so he has 2 adults supervising him at all times. This is necessary for him to be successful at school. They are working on having Steven ride the bus to and from school. Initially he was resistant to getting on the bus, but they have overcome that obstacle. Now, he won't get off the bus when they arrive at school. Unfortunately, he is now 5' 10", weighs 180 and they can't just carry him off the bus! I'll let you know how they decide to handle that!

Troy will be having another procedure on Friday. This time, they will perform a nerve block. He will need to keep a pain diary for the following 4 days. He will see the doctor on 9/14 for follow up. If it is successful, they will schedule the nerve lesion at that time. If it is unsuccessful, they will schedule his surgery at that time. We hope he gets some relief asap!

I am still plugging along with teaching and my masters courses. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now with the beginning of the school year stuff coupled with a very difficult course related to my thesis! I guess I must not be getting enough rest because I came down sick with a summer cold this weekend. I'm glad I had the weekend to sleep alot and hope to feel 100% tomorrow.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Love to all!
B

Want Daily Updates?

I haven't posted in a while simply because we've been too busy and there has not been a lot of positive stuff to say. Today I was talking to my favorite sister and she told me she checks this blog daily and wishes I would update more. I explained that I felt the posts were too much of the same thing and thought people would rather hear some positives. She said she wants to hear bad stuff too so she can send positive thoughts.

So, my question is this: Do you want to receive daily updates even if they are somewhat repetitive?

That's my post for today:)

I'll provide a real update tomorrow or the next few days depending on your comments.

A New School Year

If life is measured in the moments that take my breath away, then I am having one hell of a life this week!

I have a large class of kindergarteners. There are 18 of them. Two are identified as having special education needs. One has not yet been identified, but we are expediting that process. This week he has tried to drink a bottle of glue, licked glue, crumbled crayons, run away on the playground, come out of the bathroom with underwear and pants around his ankles, licked the windows, licked the hallway walls, and cut his own hair and clothes.

Fortunately, I work for an excellent district! My principal, who is amazing, listened to my concerns on Monday. She has assigned several aides to be in the classroom so he has 1:1 at all times so I can teach the remaining children. One of the behavior interventionists came and observed him today. Fortunately, she and I worked together on Steven's programming and she said I was doing all of the interventions she would have recommended. Great......

My other 17 students are a handful....but what group of 5 year olds aren't? But, they have me wrapped around their fingers already. Today, several of them told me they "love" me. It is so cool to hear that and get hugs several times a day.......who cares about timing?

On Monday, I seriously doubted I could make it through the school year. Tuesday was a lot better and I was thinking I could survive. Today, something clicked. They remembered how to walk in a line, how to raise their hands to talk, and even corrected each other when someone didn't follow the rules. I think this year might turn out okay.

B

Meet the Teacher Night

Last night was meet the teacher night for my kinder students. It's amazing how little they all are when they arrive at the beginning of the year.

I had 18 students enrolled as of last night. About 14 showed up with their parents. They were all on their best behavior and nobody even cried.....well, except a few of the moms!

I asked how many of them were sending a kiddo off to kindergarten for the first time. More than half of my class raised their hands. I reminded them that this is the time they have waited for, wished for, and dreaded since they had their babies. I assured them that I remember how it felt to send my own two babies to kinder and how much they learned and grew and made friends, etc. They seemed to take it well and seemed reassured when they found out that I am a mom. Strangely, they don't want to know all about the academics, they just want to know that someone will care about their child and keep their child safe. I think I fooled them into thinking I might be that person:)

Several of my students are very memorable after only 30 minutes in the room together! There is the little boy who made me a necklace and beautiful card that say "You Rock!". There is the little girl who told me she "already know how to read.....you just gotta teacher me the numbers." And, the little girl who stood in front of me, bouncing on her toes saying, "I am just SOOOOOOOO excited to be in your class." I swear I thought she might pee her pants in excitement! They all have so much enthusiasm and I truly feel privileged to be their first teacher. (Remind me of that when I am pulling my hair out while teaching them this year!)

I always get excited for the beginning of the school year. Some years more than others. This year, I am truly excited because I know my school, my teaching team, and everyone involved at our school are committed to helping each child reach their highest potential. The kids are the real focus and it shows in the programs offered. This year, I'm as excited as I was my first year teaching........enthusiasm coupled with realism.....and still knowing my students will have a great year too!

I'm going to enjoy my last weekend before school starts and hit the halls running on Monday morning! Hope you all have a nice weekend too!

Troy Update

I took Troy to his follow up yesterday. This was a follow up for the procedure done last Friday. We got there at 11:30 and met with the nurse first. She asked a million questions, then went and got the doctor. The doctor asked more questions, then did some quick neuro checks requiring Troy to follow directions and put his hands and arms into various positions.

After the exam, we talked to the doctor more about the continuing symptoms which include short term memory challenges and forgetting words for common things like salt. The doctor recommended that we try another round of injections, but this time would be a different medication and a different placement. Last time, they put the drug in the epidural area and let it travel to the affected area. This new procedure would involve injecting the medication directly into the nerves at the joints C2-3, C3-4, and C4-5.

Troy and I readily agreed that he would do anything to get out of the pain he has been in since the accident. By now, it is 12:30. The doctor came back and said, "Okay, you will need to be at the surgical center at 3:15 and procedure will be at 4:15pm." Today. YAY!

We went to the center and Troy had the procedure done. They were able to get him done and out the door by 6pm so I could make it to meet the teacher night at school at 7pm. The doctor advised that Troy would have MORE pain for the next 12-24 hours because of all of the muscles and nerves they navigated through. He was right. Last night was hell for Troy. We are hoping he will get some relief as today progresses.

I asked the doctor what happens if this doesn't work. He said the next step is a nerve blocker and lesion, which basically paralyzes the nerve. If that doesn't work, then discectomy and fusion. Please pray that this is successful!

During the course of all this, Troy mentioned going back to work on Monday. The doctor looked at me incredulously. I explained that Troy is a workaholic, had been off work, and was anxious to get back to work. The doctor nicely explained to Troy that it is "not feasible for you to try to work with the neurological deficits you are experiencing." Troy took that in stride. Then asked the same question 5 minutes later.....not remembering that he had just asked that question. Which illustrates part of the neurological deficits the doctor is referring to.

The neuro psychological evaluation is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 30th. Follow up for yesterday's procedure is September 2. The earliest he will be able to get back to work is Sept. 7.

In the meantime, he is bored out of his mind and needs something to keep his brain busy and fill his days. If you have any great ideas, please share them!

Love to all,
Bets

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to the doctor we go

The Fishgod family is really hitting the doctors this week..... Monday, Troy met with the neurologist for the nerve conduction study. The test is very painful and involved sticking needles into his muscles and providing a little electric shock to measure reaction time. Megan and I had a follow up appointment at the dentist.

Tuesday, Megan got to finally have her sports physical for JV swim team. That went well and she is ready for swim team on Monday!

Wednesday, I had a follow up with my surgeon. I am given the all clear and the doc is proud of my progress. I am averaging 3.7 pounds lost per week and will go back in 6 more weeks. My total weight loss is 38 lbs as of today. It feels good.

Tomorrow is a big day. We are seeing the pain specialist again since Troy has not experienced any relief from the injection last week. We tried to go out to dinner this evening and he was miserable after about a half an hour. When I spoke with the nurse on Tuesday, she indicated the doctor would discuss the care plan options regarding another injection or going in a different direction. She was very vague when answering my questions.

This morning, we finally got the truck back from the body shop. It looks great, runs great, and will sit in the driveway for a while!

Tomorrow is a big day for Megan and I as well. She gets to pick up her high school schedule and textbooks. I have "meet the teacher" at school tomorrow night. I wish they would call it "meet the student" because teachers are equally excited to see who is in our class!

We have been very fortunate to have great people stepping in to help us out. Our friend's sister, Erika, has been driving Troy to various appointments and even took him to visit a cake shop to get him out of the house. He's bored without being able to work and frustrated at his physical limitations. The ladies from my Bible study dropped off prepared meals for this week, which has really helped since I am juggling being back at work and trying to get ready for school to start next week and leaving in time for the various appointments. Tomorrow we will hopefully get the details about what next week will involve and we can figure out those logistics at that time.

That's it for now.....

Love,
Bets

The Village People

There is a big church nearby called "The Village". Their church mission includes serving the community. They have recently adopted my elementary school campus and have committed to several service days. Saturday was our first service day.

Our principal sent an email to all teachers asking who would like some help in our classrooms. She envisioned 20-30 helpers from "The Village People" to be onsite helping. I immediately replied that I would love some help setting up my new classroom. After 8 years of teaching, the thrill of creating bulletin boards and name tags has diminished!

When I went to school on Saturday, I was shocked at the turnout. There were literally 200 or more volunteers from the church! Each teacher got anywhere from 3-7 volunteers in their classroom! The volunteers who helped me were two amazing women and the husband of one of them. They helped me get my classroom 99% ready for school. Name tags are on tables, name tags are on lockers, posters are on the walls, the alphabet letters are on the wall, bulletin boards are hung, bookcases were assembled, tables were lowered, whiteboards were cleaned, supplies were taken to the storage closet, and they even hung the cute ribbons that hang from the ceiling to clip student work on! My new classroom was transformed from chaos to a cute kindergarten classroom ready for kids!

Another 75 volunteers from the church were outside doing schoolwide improvements. When I left, I was amazed at the transformation at our school! Bulletin boards in the hallways were all decorated, new textbooks and supplies were delivered to every individual classroom, backpacks and school supplies were assembled to donate to our students who need them. Someone told me there was team of about 50 people outside collecting trash, painting football and baseball field lines, painting the goal posts, and even changing the letters on the marquee!

Somewhere in there, they even managed to make hamburgers and have pizza delivered for everyone!

I was talking with my friend Ruth the other day and she reminded me that there are people in this world who just want to help people and don't require anything in return. We've always been blessed with having close friends and family members who are like that. But, this is the first instance I have ever experienced total strangers stepping up and helping total strangers. It was a very amazing day.

Lots to Share

Lots to share.....

1. Photobucket.....no idea why it's there. I can't figure out how to remove it and don't have the patience to try tonight. I will put it on my list:)

2. Troy--no improvement from Friday's procedure. I need to call the pain specialist tomorrow and see what we do next. Troy has a nerve conduction study tomorrow with the neurologist which will help to identify which nerves are affected by the spinal stenosi. Please keep him in your prayers because he is really getting down in the dumps. The chronic pain, coupled with lack of sleep, is taking its toll on him.

3. Megan--finishing her summer book project and gearing up for high school. She gets her schedule and textbooks this week. We went shopping for school clothes and backpack. She is going to be a fashion model!!!

4. Steven--doing great and enjoying his summer. They are keeping busy doing a bunch of activities. We will be going down to visit as soon as Troy can make the drive.

5. Betsy--starts back to school tomorrow. It will be a busy week with all the excitement of school starting, getting doctor visits done, picking up Meg's schedule and textbooks, and my "meet the teacher" night. Fortunately, a church adopted our school and I was able to get a lot of stuff done in my classroom. I am going to post a separate blog posting about that because it really touched me.

Hope everyone has a great week!

B

Today is the day

We will be going for Troy's procedure. We are very hopeful this will alleviate his pain. I called the doctor's office yesterday and they answered all of my questions.

My first question was how soon he should feel relief. The nurse said many patients feel relief almost immediately, although the injection site can be a little uncomfortable. Please send up a little prayer today for Troy to feel some peace from this pain.

I will post later tonight to let you know how it went.

Update on Troy

Instead of calling everyone, I am just posting this on the blog and will text you all to review the blog. I hope you understand that this is the easiest way to update everyone quickly.

This morning, the neurosurgeon came in and said that Troy has to try two other non surgical interventions before he is a candidate for surgery. He referred us to a great pain management spine specialist and said that he would release Troy from the hospital to go to the appointment. He also said he would not release him until we could get an appointment. I called the pain specialist and was able to get Troy an appointment at 11am today.

We went and really like the doctor. The pain meds from the hospital were wearing off when we met with him, so he got to see Troy's functioning level. He also was concerned about the memory issues and speech apraxia. Troy asked the same question three times in less than 10 minutes and the doctor grinned at me because he understood what I had been referring to only minutes before. Here is the gameplan as of today:

1. Steroid injection in the cervical vertebraes 4,5,6,7. This will hopefully alleviate the stenosis.

2. Mass amounts of heavy duty drugs to get through until Friday's injection. The pharmacist and the doctor both talked to me about not allowing Troy to drive, operate heavy machinery, etc. The doctor said to keep the drugs going around the clock.

3. Troy is not allowed to lift ANYTHING. Even a gallon of milk is too much. He also cannot stretch, crane his neck, twist, or swivel.

4. He is signed off work until 8/23 at the earliest possible return date.

5. He has been diagnosed with post concussion syndrome. Because his symptoms are continuing, it is officially called a "traumatic brain injury" classified as a "closed head injury". They are referred him to neuropsychological testing and rehabilitation.

6. He will also be referred to physical therapy once the steroid injection has taken effect and improved his range of motion.

That is all the info we have right now. I have to research on the internet more and gather more questions.....I think we were both too numb to think of anything at that time.

Troy is home now and is sleeping as I type this. I am hopeful we can keep him comfortable and that Friday's procedure gives him long term relief.

Love to you all,
B

The Gypsy Curse

It's been a busy few days for the Fishgod Family. Troy has not recovered well from our car accident and took a turn for the worse on Saturday. Since the accident, he has had extreme pain in his neck and back. The doctors diagnosed him with a concussion and said his memory issues and speech issues would get better. But, he hasn't gotten better.

Yesterday we ended up coming to the hospital because the pain was unbearable. We finally got a doctor who thought that a month of suffering was long enough.

Troy was admitted to the hospital yesterday and spent 24 hours at that hospital. The MRI shows a bone chip in his neck that is pinching his nerves. This is the cause of the numbness and tingling in the extremities.

They confirmed the original diagnosis of concussion and he has post concussion syndrome. The doctors assure us his memory issues and speech challenges will get better in time. They said his brain took quite a knock from the airbag and it will take some time to recover from that.

He was transferred via ambulance to Plano Presbyterian Hospital in Plano. They are being very aggressive with his pain management and the neurosurgeon will be coming to see him soon....most likely tomorrow.

That's all we know so far. I'll try to post more updates here as we get them.

B

An update

We've been keeping busy and I guess I need to update everyone. Here's the latest.....

As many of you know, we had a car accident on 7/5. Troy, unfortunately, hasn't recovered well. This week we ended up in the ER (at our doctor's suggestion) where Troy had a CT scan and xrays. The docs were concerned he had a broken vertebrae. The results were negative, but they did determine he has torn fascia (something that holds the muscles together???) and that is very painful. They signed him out of work the remainder of this week and gave him tons of drugs to help him feel better. They have also recommended we follow up with a spine specialist and a neurologist to see if there is more that can be done to alleviate his pain. We'll proceed with that next week after he has finished his round of steroids.

I am recovering from my surgery quite nicely. It's been 3 weeks and 2 days. I've lost 25 lbs and am stuck at that plateau. The support group people and my doctor tell me this is very common to hit a plateau at 2-3 weeks post op. The scale finally moved a little bit today, so I'm hoping I am at the end of the plateau! I still get tired each afternoon, but don't nap every day. My doctor reminded me that I had major surgery, including gallbladder removal, and that it takes a full 6 weeks to recover. As you know, I am less than patient, and prefer to be well immediately. I'm looking forward to being able to lift more than 20 lbs so I can get into my classroom and get some things organized.

Megan is doing quite well. She is enjoying the summer of her dreams. She sleeps in every day and is even known to stay in her pajamas for a whole day! She is anxiously excited about high school. She goes for orientation in a few weeks and will receive her schedule at that time.

Steven is also doing very well. He has attended summer school and keeps busy with activities at his dorm. The boys in the house have attended baseball games, Six Flags amusement, a water park, and several lakes. I am excited to go visit Steven tomorrow and hope to take him swimming while I am there!

Phew. I'm tired after posting all that. Guess today is one of the days I will need to take a nap!

B

We had a great visit this past weekend with Steven. He was giddy to see us! We drove down on Sunday with Dad and Bev. These first pictures are of Steven with the grandparents. He loves, loves, loves Reese's peanut butter cups, so he spotted the one Bev had in her hand right away!

We all went out for lunch, then Dad and Bev headed on the rest of the drive towards Phoenix. Steven even gave Grandpa a quick hug before they left!After Dad and Bev left, we went back to Steven's room where the kids started playing! Steven loves for Megan to tell him secrets! It was great to see our kids together again! We all enjoyed the visit! Then, we headed back home.

We're excited to go again and are looking for things that we can do as a family while we are there.

B

It's not totalled!

Yay! Troy's truck is not totalled! It only has $8000 of damage from the initial estimate!

Today the other driver's insurance company accepted liability, got us a rental car and gave approval for the body shop to start working on the repairs.

The truck should be ready in about 3 weeks!!!

In the meantime, we have an old couple sedan that drives like a couch. This comfortable ride will make the drive down to see Steven this weekend much more comfy.

It feels good to know that we don't have to buy a new vehicle!

B

Totalled? Not Totalled?

That is the question now. I went by the collision shop today and got a few things out of Troy's truck (including my now ruined soup!). The advisor at the body shop is our next door neighbor. He said the vehicle may not be repairable.....we'll see how this pans out in the next few days.

I really don't want to buy another vehicle.....so I hope it's fixable!

B

It seemed like a great idea....then "Oh SHIT!"

I really am feeling better since surgery and wanted to get out of the house a bit. We went to Napoli's Italian for lunch with my Dad, Bev, Megan, Troy and I. Lunch was great and we even walked around a few shops in Old Town. We decided we were all tired and would head home for a nap!


We were driving home and all of a sudden Troy shouts, "Oh shit!". The next thing we knew we were crash test dummies. The airbags deployed and there was smoke everywhere.

We got out of the truck and saw that a car had pulled in front of Troy and he t-boned the vehicle. The young driver was really shook up but everyone is going to be okay. They took Megan and I to the ER in the ambulance to get checked out while Dad, Bev, and Troy got a cab home to get another vehicle. Dad has a few burns and scratches from the airbags on his legs. Bev's toenail was ripped off and some bumps and scratches. Megan and I checked out okay last night and came home.

This morning, Troy just wasn't himself. He had an appointment with a chiropractor this afternoon. When we went to the chiropractor, he said Troy had all the symptoms of a concussion including dizziness, some memory loss, nausea, vomiting, pupils not responding quite right....he sent us to our primary care doc. Dr. R. took one look at Troy and talked to him a bit and determined he definitely has a concussion. He was also worried about a possible brain bleed and sent Troy for a CT scan. That came back negative, but the doctor would like to see Troy on Thursday.

Our truck is at the collision repair center. Funny how small the world is....the collision repair manager is our next door neighbor! Maybe tomorrow or the next day we will get a rental car. In the meantime, we are all laying low around the house.
So, tomorrow we are going to attempt a new outing! We are hoping the day is less eventful than yesterday's outing!

B

Surgery

I posted earlier today about having surgery on Tuesday. I didn't add any details but didn't realize that people might be worried not knowing what was up. Troy suggested that I post more information so you all know what is happening.

I am having gastric sleeve surgery. This is a weight loss surgery that will be a tool in helping me lose my excess weight. I have researched it, attended educational seminars, met with surgeon, nutritionist, and has a psych eval. This is not a decision that I made lightly, but I do feel it is the right decision for me.

I will be entering the hospital very early Tuesday morning and surgery is scheduled for 7:30am. They will remove my gallbladder at this time, too. I should be out of the hospital on Thursday. Dad and Bev are coming on Thursday night and we are looking forward to some time hanging out at home while I recover.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about this process.

Love ya,

B

All is well

Honestly, I haven't posted just because there isn't anything too exciting to say. We've been enjoying our time with Danielle and been doing summer fun stuff. We have gone to Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor (several times), movies, the mall, ear piercing, and just hanging out.

Danielle goes home on Thursday. Dad and Bev come on Thursday. I am having surgery on Tuesday and hope to be home on Thursday. In the meantime, Megan and Troy will run the house!

I'll try to post pictures of some of the adventures the girls have had but have to head off to church for now.

B

Look out Austin! Here I come!

I am heading to Austin today for a conference that is strictly for kindergarten teachers in Texas. I'm looking forward to learning some ideas and tricks from the pros!

My co-worker, Lindsey, will be here in about an hour and we will drive down tonight. Conference lasts two days and I'll be home late Tuesday evening.

No posts while I'm gone.....

BG

The Last Day of School

Today was the last day of school. Usually when school ends, I am so excited to be done that I just celebrate.

This year, I was in tears. My students were too cute and I really will miss them. My school also has a tradition on the last day that is too cool! At the end of the day, everyone lines up in the halls and cheers as the "graduating" fifth graders leave the building first. The kids were in tears and I could tell they were really very sad to be leaving the security they obviously feel here. It brought tears to my eyes just watching them.

After that, the kinder kiddos get to walk through the hall and get cheered for! My students looked so proud as they walked through and were so excited to say they are 1st graders!

It was a very emotional day, filled with many smiles and tears. It was a great reminder of why I really teach.....you should have seen the kids.

Ahhh. Summer.

B

Hello Bloggers

It's been a while since I posted and I didn't realize that until Cappy emailed me today. So, this post is dedicated to Cappy!


Life is going well. We've just been very busy! Dad and Bev came into town on Megan's birthday and brought a birthday surprise---Danielle! Megan and Danielle are BFFs and love their summer get togethers.

We had a great visit with Dad and Bev, but it was too short! Fortunately, they will be back our way around July 4th and promised to stay longer next time. While they were here, we went out for dinner a couple of nights, celebrated Megan's birthday one night, and I volunteered them to help BBQ and serve meals for my school picnic. We also went down to Abilene and saw Steven. We had a great visit and got to be included in a BBQ and musical chairs social event with all the boys from his house!

I've been keeping very busy with my newest class.....statistics. This is a form of torture for most people, myself included! Megan and I are still in school...in fact tomorrow is our last day! Today was kindergarten graduation for me, and Megan had locker clean out today. She's very, very ready for summer! She was pretty jealous when she heard that Danielle slept in until 1:30pm today.

Troy is keeping busy with work, but not nearly as busy as he has been. Tonight he is going to have "guy time" with Brian, his friend from work. They are going to a concert........

That's all that's going on here. I don't have any new and exciting news to report, so I guess that's good.

Love,

Bets

Happy Early Birthday!

On Saturday, we had a joint birthday party with Megan's friend, Keren. Both girls are turning 14 but their real birthdays conflicted with the 8th grade end of year party and Memorial Day weekend. So, we celebrated a little bit early!

Here is a picture of the beautiful cake Troy made and some picture frames that each of their friends got to sign for them.

The party was held at a local skate rink. They had a great time!

One thing that amazed us is how tall Megan is compared to the other kids!

This is a picture of the kids resting after 2 hours of skating!

These lovely ladies are Paivikki, Gabriela, Nicole, Summer, and I can't remember the two against the wall.

This is Megan and Jake. Jake doesn't skate because last year he came to a different birthday party and ended up falling and breaking both arms. We think he and Megan are probably perfect for each other.

After all of Troy's hard work, this is what the cake looked like when 25 teenagers were done with it!

Megan and Karen had a blast opening presents together! They got matching bracelets here!

Both of the girls love to wear the bling!

We had a great time and we think all the kids did too!

It's hard to believe Megan is turning 14 in a few short days! It seems like only yesterday she was born!

Visiting Steven

Troy and I went to visit Steven on Sunday. We had a great visit and are amazed at the changes in Steven....both physically and behaviorally! This is a picture of Steven and one of his favorite aides, Gloria. She is the mother of 6 boys and she treats Steven as one of her own! They must be spoiled because she is really spoiling Steven, too!

One evening, Steven wouldn't eat his dinner, so Gloria got her purse and keys and she and Steven headed to a mexican drive through. She got him a burrito and Steven was in heaven! She said she'd never seen a white boy enjoy a burrito like he did that day!

Ever since then, Steven is boycotting meals when Gloria is his aide. He refuses to eat. Then, he leads her to get her purse and keys. Then, he signs "EAT". And, of course, Gloria takes him to the burrito store again! Just mentioning that we will go there brought smiles to his face! And, we have to admit, the burritos were really good yesterday!

We came back to the room and had some time to wrestle and play. Steven and Troy love to play rough. Here is a picture of my two favorite guys--the big man and the little man.

Next, we unpacked some movies and toys we had brought for him. I had asked him to give the videos to Daddy. Steven surprised us both when he started stacking the videos independently. It was really cool!

Before we left, the nurse came by to check his blood pressure and pulse. This is part of the daily routine. Many of you have accompanied us to doctor appointments in the past and may recall that we have never, ever been able to get a blood pressure reading. Yet, here he is patiently waiting for the nurse to be done. We can't believe it!

In this picture, you can also see how tall Steven is getting! He is quickly catching up to Troy!

In addition to getting taller, Steven is getting thinner. These pictures don't show it as well as seeing him in person. But, he has lost over 20 lbs. since moving to the dorm.

Also, we finally have an address for Steven:

Steven Gilchrist

c/o Abilene Supported Living

6700 Circle Drive

Abilene, TX 79602

Several people have asked if there is anything that Steven needs. His staff told us that he could use a few more toys. They also said gift cards for fast food are great to have on hand so they can go for the drives that Steven loves.

Overall, Steven is doing very well. His behaviors are exactly as they were at home. But, the staff that works with Steven are trained Behavior Support Therapists and they can handle anything he dishes out!

We enjoyed our visit and look forward to our next visit when Dad and Bev will be joining us in Abilene to see Steven!