Fishgod Family Blog

Snow Day....cancelled

2012-02-13T19:45:00.000-06:00

As promised, I am writing to share my random thoughts.

Today should have been a snow day.

It snowed last night....enough to cover the ground. Why, then, did it melt off before school started?

Since moving here we have been able to count on at LEAST two snow days a year. This year nada, nothing, zilch, zero. Last year we had 6 snow days.

Please pray for snow. A day off would be a nice treat!

Thanks!
Bets

Zombie Apocalypse

2012-02-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

I haven't blogged in a long time....mostly because I feel like it's the same old same old. I have decided instead to blog about random stuff that always seems to float in my head and simple things that are going on.

This morning, as I blog, Megan and Troy are in the kitchen cooking breakfast. It's freezing cold outside; nice and warm in here. I'm listening in their conversation as they discuss a potential Zombie Apocalypse, our family emergency plan, and what they would each do to survive. It reminds me that the new season of "Walking Dead" is tonight! Oh, and if zombies attack, I highly recommend you come and hang with us---their survival plan is stellar!

So much has been going on--big things and little things. The big event is that we are moving next month to a 3 bedroom, single level apartment. We are excited not to do yardwork, no maintenance, and simplifying. Megan is looking forward to the "community feeling" we get from living in an apartment. Troy and I tried to explain that apartment living can be loud---and community feeling is hearing your neighbor's toilet flush! Of course, we haven't lived in apartments in 20 years....so maybe that has changed. Certainly the amenities have changed---this place has a cinema room, 2 pools, jacuzzis, exercise room, wood floors, granite counters, and upgraded fixtures. Those friends and family who were around when we lived in El Diablo apartments in Tempe will be happy to know this new place is totally better than that place!

School continues to go well for Megan, Steven, and I. Troy's work continues to be a challenge facing bureaucracy uphill every day. But, that's probably the most predictible area in our lives:) We continue to wait for the insurance approval for Troy's surgery. Megan's bleeding episodes are well controlled for now.

As part of our simplying plan, we have gotten rid of a lot of CRAP! Yesterday we had a garage sale aka crap sale. It is amazing what people will buy! Now that the garage sale is over, the garage is pretty empty and we can start packing the house stuff that will go into storage. I love to putter around doing stuff so this will be good for me:)

We love and miss you all!

A Great Weekend!

2011-12-05T06:52:00.000-06:00

We had a great weekend! Friday night started with the tradition of "meet the couch"--this is a Fishgod specialty. We are so tired by Friday night that we just park our cute little butts on the couch, eat dinner while mesmerized by the TV, and usually fall asleep somewhere in the middle of the first show. Okay. Maybe I'm the only one who actually falls asleep. Whatever.

On Saturday morning, we got up and packed up for the jaunt to Abilene. We stayed at one of the guest houses for families. The house is great (but the beds are VERY uncomfortable)....alas, it is free! The only downside is that we are not allowed to cook in the guest houses. We can microwave, toast, or make coffee. Evidently those don't count as cooking. I decided that a crockpot is just another appliance and packed us up a roast with veggies and gravy. It was heaven to sit down to a nice, warm meal after a long drive and cold weather.

Our visit with Steven was superior! He was happy to see us, laughed alot, and was very interactive. We took Christmas lights and window clings to the house for all the boys to help us put up. It was a hoot.

Steven helping Mommy

Tyson and Abel BOTH have to be right.

Jason hanging window clings

We also have developed a routine of providing ice cream sandwiches for the boys and the staff each time we go down. When we arrive now, the boys say, "Hi! Ice cream?". The more verbal boys ask every 5 minutes if the ice cream is ready. One boy, who is non verbal, comes to me and uses sign language for ice cream. It's too cute!

Abel the Manager of Light Hanging

We think the highlight of the weekend was seeing Steven attempt to drive the car! Yes, the kid can drive. Who knew?

We were waiting for the Sonic girl to bring lunch and Steven was done waiting. He just reached over, started the car, and attempted to put it in gear. We were laughing so hard. I even turned off the ignition and we waited to see if he would do it again. He did!

Happy December

2011-12-01T05:49:00.000-06:00

December is slated to be a very busy month for the Fishgods! In addition to the holiday season activities, we also have two swim meets and two surgeries scheduled.

On Saturday, Megan will swim at a daylong swim meet. We will attend, then head to Abilene to see Steven before he has surgery next week. We will stay overnight and return Sunday late afternoon.

Steven will have his impacted wisdom teeth removed on 12/6. He will have to be put under general anesthesia and will stay in the hospital at least one night. We have met with all the professionals involved and relayed our previous experiences with general anesthesia so they will be on the lookout for respiratory distress post op. I will be heading back down on Monday evening to be with Steven for surgery and a few days after.

Grandma Jane is coming to Texas on 12/18. She always said she would never come visit because of tornados! Ha, we got her! Troy is having spinal fusion on 12/22 and she is coming for that and for morale support afterwards! We are so glad she is coming!

Troy's surgery will be on 12/22 and he will be in the hospital for 4-6 days. Spinal surgery is obviously very involved so it will be a long recovery. We are hopeful that this will alleviate some of his pain and 2012 will be a banner year!

We have decided to celebrate Christmas a little differently this year. We will each open one gift at the hospital on Christmas day. We will do our traditional Christmas dinner etc on 12/31. Assuming Troy is doing wonderfully in the hospital, Jane and Megan will stay with him on Christmas Day and I will drive down for a quick trip to spend Christmas with Steven. I may try to change that a little bit and have staff bring Steven up here for our family Christmas celebration on 12/31. We just found out this is an option and will definitely take advantage of this while Troy is recovering!

So, that's life in a nutshell. Yay December.

Not so great

2011-11-27T13:04:00.000-06:00

My sister reminded me that I said would update the blog about our visit with Steven and Megan and her friends. I'm not going to get into the details, but it didn't go as great as I would have liked. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I'm so excited!!!

2011-11-20T07:16:00.000-06:00

Today we are driving down to see Steven! We even get to stay overnight!

An added thrill is that Megan WANTS to go see her brother and even invited a friend to go and meet him. This is a huge step and we are soooooo excited at this new development.

We'll post details of the trip after we get home tomorrow night!

A Day in Dallas

2011-11-19T05:31:00.000-06:00

Thursday was a day to remember! My fellow teacher, Jennifer, and I went to a science teacher conference at the convention center. We thought it would be an adventure to ride the DART. We had no idea just what an adventure it would be!

The morning started uneventfully. We rode the train with lots of other teachers who had the same great idea. The morning workshops were good, but then they gave us a 4 hour break. No workshops, no exhibitors, nothing to do. So we ventured to the West End area for lunch. That is when the fun began.

After we ate lunch, we still had several hours to fill. We decided it would be fun to go get our nails done. We checked our cell phones and located a nail spa .3 miles away. We needed to cross the street so we jaywalked like all of the other downtown characters had been doing all morning.

Unfortunately, we did not see the police on the other side of the street. They stopped us. They asked what we were doing downtown, if we could pay $200 ticket, and if we had ever heard of a crosswalk. Ummmm. Ok. So, we talked our way out of that ticket. I'm pretty sure they were just amused to see two middle aged white women venturing into the city to get their nails done.

It had taken a while to get our bearings and figure out where we even needed to go. Then, the police thing shook us up. Then, we looked around and realized there was a very high police presence in this particular area and wondered if walking through the neighborhood was a very good idea. We decided against it. We went back to the safety of the convention center.

At the end of the afternoon workshops, we headed home. We took the DART to the West End station to transfer to our train home. Unfortunately, it was dark, neither of us had paid much attention that morning, and we got on a train heading further south into deep Dallas. By the time we figured out we were going the wrong way, we were in "Deep Elum". We got off at that stop to wait for the right train.

Deep Elum Station

We knew we had made a mistake as soon as we stepped off the train. It was cold, dark, and we were the only white people around.....only women that we could tell. There was a nice gangster trolling the platform while we were waiting for the train. I decided to befriend him instead of standing for 13 more minutes in fear. Good decision. He was actually a very nice gangster boy. I am sure his friendship saved us from further adventure when another posse of gangsters walked up 6 minutes later.

We were thrilled when the DART showed up and we got on the right train. A hispanic lady was already on the train when we got on. She was very amused by us and commented we were "a little too pale for this neighborhood". She told us to stay close. We did.

We made it home safely. But wow, it was an adventure!

Reality TV

2011-11-17T04:42:00.000-06:00

Maybe this should be titled random thoughts at 4am? Whatever. I'm awake. My mind is rolling. It's kinda scary how it works--my mind that is! I can be thinking about one thing and it leads to another and another and comes full circle. Anisa understands this. Her brain works the same way. Our friend Shane used to say we need to announce rapid changes of subject with a beep sound so he could keep up. Whatever.

So this morning I'm making a grocery list for Thanksgiving and real grocery food list. Because those two things should be two separate lists. Why? Cuz I said so and I am the shopper in this family. Anyways, I started thinking that I could make a grocery list while I ride the DART downtown to a conference today and tomorrow. Then I thought about juggling the newspaper, my coupons, and my coffee on a moving train. I started thinking about Extreme Couponing on TLC. Then, I thought about the reasons those ladies started couponing. Some were because of job stuff, others health stuff. Then I thought maybe I should do that. I have more time now that I have finished my degree. Maybe I should invest my time in trying to become a crazy coupon lady. Which led me to various reality shows. Maybe I could create our own family reality show. I mean the Simmons, Kardashians, and Osbournes do it. I think we are far more interesting and exciting than they are. Which led me to thinking about the holidays and family. That led me to Thanksgiving. Which led me back to the grocery list.

If we did create a reality show, I'm not sure what our focus would be. We're rather comical like those crazy families in "wife swap". We have medical issues and events like those "Trauma: Life in an ER" shows. We have lots of airhead moments and mood swings like those crazy people on that MTV show where strangers live together. But, we're not strangers. So, does that mean the focus of our show should be family? And who would want to even watch a show like that? A crazy family, medical issues, airheads, moodswings, crazy couponing.....what would we even call it?

Okay, so I have all those random thoughts out. Maybe I will be able to sleep another hour or so before I have to get up and go to my conference today. And the grocery list is done.....both of them.

B

Hello November

2011-11-04T05:43:00.000-05:00

This means the holidays have officially kicked off. I am a little concerned about Target's marketing strategies because they had one aisle of Halloween, another aisle of Thanksgiving, and had already prepped 3 aisles of Christmas stuff. I think they like all of the holidays......starting in August.

All in all, things are the same here. Megan went back to school this week. She's still easily tired, but is enjoying the social aspect. It's amazing how smart she is. She was out for 8 school days and is fully caught up in only 4 days. We are so proud of her responsibility! She is excited to begin swimming next Wednesday and even more excited coach put her in the meet next Thursday!

Troy's pain continues. He had a spinal implant last week that was a last resort attempt to block the pain signals. It was deemed unsuccessful and the implants were removed yesterday. Today we will make the phone call to the surgeon to consult about what comes next. Troy swears he heard the surgeon say he will do the fusion if the implant didn't work. I swear I heard the surgeon say there were significant risks associated with a triple fusion and we would look at options if the implant didn't work.

Steven is doing pretty good in Abilene. He is still giving them hell at school. He really doesn't like his new teacher so he just walks to his old classroom next door and refuses to move. I guess that's an improvement over the days when he would beat someone up to communicate his dislike! He has impacted molars and will be having dental surgery soon. I am awaiting that phone call providing details later today.

I'm doing okay. I'm definitely worn out. Last week was a difficult week at school and I took a mental health day last Friday. My absence spoke loudly to the administration and some behavior management strategies and FOLLOW THROUGH FROM ADMIN have been implemented. Today is a big meeting with all admin, interventionist, all fifth grade team members, and school psychologist to determine what we can do about the dynamics of certain kids in my class. Somehow those challenging kids gravitate to me and feed off each other. My principal swears this is luck of the draw-----I am convinced my luck consistently drives me to draw the short straw!

This weekend is a mellow one for Troy and I, but a busy one for Megan. She has swim team photos today, swim girls sleepover tomorrow night, team breakfast on Sunday, followed by team paintball event. I, personally, am looking forward to getting caught up on grading, laundry, and my shows that have been recorded on TV!

Have a great Friday!
B

MUMS the word!

2011-10-15T06:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a lovely picture of some girls in Meg's class with their MUMS yesterday!

Submitted!!!

2011-10-15T06:28:00.000-05:00

EDD 580 ARP Final Draft.docx was submitted for the 'Final ARP Paper' assignment on Sat 10/15/2011 04:09 AM MST. Students can refer to the assignments section for submission details.

Today is a big day! After two long years, I have finally finished the program requirements for my masters. Although I walked in the graduation ceremony in July, I still had to finish my 70 page thesis. I submitted it this morning.

This means I get to have a life. For those of you who haven't heard from me lately, I'M BACK!!! I look forward to catching up with everyone, updating the blog more frequently, and spending some time scrapbooking!

Aaah. This feels good. A little out of the comfort zone. But WOW! This feels good!

Oh Mum!

2011-10-14T16:02:00.000-05:00

It is HOMECOMING WEEK at Megan's school. This means the Fishgods have to learn about, and participate in, another Texas tradition....wearing of the MUM!

Evidently, back in the olden days, boys would give their homecoming dates a real mum corsage to wear the week of homecoming. This has evolved into parents or dates giving girls a MUM type ornament to wear on the Friday before the dance. Oh, and boys are in on the scam too! Boys wear garters on their arms. Freshman year begins with a "small" mum. The mum gets BIGGER each year. Seniors are solid white, whereas lower classmen wear school colors. Turns out we missed this tradition last year and Megan was the "only girl in school" who didn't have a mum. This morning, we gave Megan her mum.

As you can see, it is nearly as tall as she is. It has ribbons, shiny sparkles, a little bear and even has bells that will jingle jangle all day long! Isn't she cute!

Tomorrow is the homecoming dance! Several of her girlfriends are coming over to get ready at our house. We'll post pictures of that this weekend!

B

Outdoor School

2011-10-06T05:09:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed the experience of taking 110 fifth grade students to outdoor school yesterday. We return again today for the final part of the field trip. It was a lot funner with the kids than it was being trained last month with just adults!

The outdoor school has 6 trails that students participate in. They spend 75 minutes on each trail doing science experiments. My trail is the yellow trail. We do a nature walk, pick up dead leaves, test the soil for nutrients, discuss photosynthesis, and how it is all related to the food chain. I can't remember the last time I sat in dirt and played like that.

Plus, it is really neat to see the forest from the kids' perspective. They see so much more than adults do. They are fascinated by the simplest things. It's refreshing.

In addition to the learning, we also have team building experiences. The adults took on the kids in this one. I don't know what its called, but the goal is to work together as a team to move your logs to the finish line. Some of the kids did great. The adults not so much. Fortunately, nobody was injured. The kids want to do it again today!

I tried to turn the picture around but haven't had enough coffee to successfully do that yet. Please turn your computer upside down to view correctly.

Well, I'm off to get ready for outdoor school again!

October already?

2011-10-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe it's October. Even harder to believe my last post was nearly a month ago! It's been a busy month so here are just a few highlights.

We held Steven's birthday at Mr. Gatti's in mid-September. The event was a huge success and we are thrilled that things went so well. I will try to post some pictures of the party here shortly.

Megan broke her nose earlier this month and got a pretty good concussion in the hit. She is scheduled for nose surgery on 10/19 to straighten things up and roto-rooter out the nose. Troy offered to use his drill to do it at home, but Megan has decided she would rather have the ENT do the surgery!

We went to San Antonio last weekend for a swim meet. Megan was initially scheduled to swim, but was not released by the doctors to swim yet. We decided to go down and get out of town for the weekend just for a change of scenery. We enjoyed the time together but had a hard time recovering from the drive!

Troy met with the neurosurgeon who referred him back to the spine doc for another potential fix before attempting a fusion. The next procedure is a spinal neurotransmitter implant. We had to jump through a few hoops before they can get insurance approval. This past week Troy had an updated MRI and a psych eval. He passed both and now we await insurance approval. The doctor's office said it can take up to 6 weeks. His pain level is pretty high, so we are hoping this can be scheduled sooner than that!

I started my final thesis course this past week. The last six week course was incredibly time intensive and I was looking forward to this course being a bit easier. Unfortunately, the syllabus is pretty full and looks like it will be just as labor intensive as the last class. I will be completely done on 10/24 and that date cannot come soon enough!

For those who haven't heard from us much lately, please be patient for these remaining few weeks. Between working, driving to appointments, my thesis, and juggling the demands of life, I just don't have the time and energy to keep in phone contact as much as I would like. I look forward to having some free time in just a few weeks!

Betsy

Saturday Training

2011-09-10T16:54:00.000-05:00

I spent 7 hours at outdoor education training. That means 7 hours of walking outdoor trails, doing science experiments, and visiting a wastewater facility. The facilitator was ENTHUSIASTIC about science. Politically correct way of saying she was over enthusiastic about every single science experiment we experienced today. This was followed by margaritas at our house. The district director of science came and joined me and my classmates at our house. He seemed like that was a good idea. We'll see when he comes to visit our campus on Monday!

Overall, it was a great experience. The outdoor education facility is comprised of 5 trails where students do experiments and stations designed to stimulate their sense of inquiry. Our school will be visiting the Outdoor Site on October 5th and 6th so today's training was a great opportunity to preview what the students will experience at our field trip. I am so enjoying teaching this year and grateful for the chance to rekindle my love of being in the classroom. Our science director, Jonas, said that he could see me fulfilling a district level position and that was encouraging!

B

Well, hell. Let's get it all done tonight.

2011-09-09T20:43:00.000-05:00

Where do we start! Overall, we are doing okay. We are immensely busy and find it difficult to catch up via phone with many. But, we still think of everyone!

Troy continues to struggle with pain management. He has been referred to the neurosurgeon to schedule spinal fusion. We meet with him on 9/20 to get details. Troy would like to wait until December to have the procedure. Ideally, work would be slower during the holidays and I would be home to assist him in recovery. We aren't sure the doctor is going to go for that. And, I'm honestly not sure Troy can wait that long to get some relief.

The doctor recently made some changes to Troy's medication in hopes of better controlling his pain. The pain is more manageable but the side effect is increased drowsiness. It's a hard call either way because he is not well in either condition. It's been a long year and he is worn down emotionally and physically.

He continues to impress me with his love and support and worry about our family. Instead of worrying about himself, he worries about us. We assure him that all is well and we will be here for him through it all. I'm thinking we may need to develop some kind of mail brigade of funny cards etc while he is in the hospital to keep his spirits up. I'll keep you posted on that as we know more. Anyone who wants to start sending him funny cards now is welcome to! I think he would enjoy it.

I am teaching fifth grade science this year and loving it so far. The kids are sweet and no one has wiped their nose on me yet! I'm trying to stay one week ahead of the kids academically and I'm relearning alot! I don't think I could go on that show, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" without some refreshers!

I walked in graduation in July and am finishing my thesis before the deadline of 10/24. I will be so glad to be done with courses! This last thesis course is very time consuming and I'm struggling to stay on top of things. It is what it is and it's almost done! I seriously cannot wait to be done.

Nothing too exciting happens in our world except visits to the ER or scheduled doctor appointments. We're okay with that level of excitement. Some days are harder than others, but we are lucky to have each other to love through it all.

Someone asked me today what we are doing for Thanksgiving and I laughed out loud! I said I didn't know what I was doing on Sunday so Thanksgiving sounds years away! We are learning to take things one day at a time and not plan so far in the future.

There. You are all caught up.:) I'm going to bed now! Good night!

Love,
Bets

Wow! Two in one night....Steven's update

2011-09-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

Steven continues to thrive at the dorm in Abilene. He continues to use his smile and sense of humor to wrap caregivers around his little finger.....which isn't little anymore! He has undergone the typical teenage boy growth spurt. He is now 6'2" and weighs in at a trim 210. Gone is that little boy from years ago! The kid has more leg hair every time we see him!

His classroom switched sites this school year and he has a new teacher. His old teacher is in the classroom next door and has an adjoining door. Steven isn't loving the change of venue and change of teacher, so he just walks over to his old teacher's room quite often and tells his current teacher "No." with a smile. It will be interesting to see how she overcomes this with his size being what it is!

Steven's health continues to be great and he is monitored closely. He has always taken a sedative to have dental work done and has now developed an immunity to the med. His nurse practitioner called this past week and we discussed alternative meds. I need to call tonight to see how his labs went today with the new meds! He also continues to have all night parties with his roommates. Steven and his roommate, Angel, are both known for their nighttime prowess. The nighttime staff said they used to get a lot of laundry etc done during the night until Steven showed up! Now, he's the life of the party!

Steven's 14th birthday is this weekend. We are celebrating next weekend with a party at Mr. Gatti's pizza parlor. It should be a fun day with all the boys from the dorm (and caregivers) to celebrate with us.

And that is Steven's life in a nutshell.

Okay, so it wasn't yesterday.....but here's Megan's update

2011-09-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

Megan is doing great. She is enjoying her sophomore year in high school so far. She is taking advanced placement courses and is enjoying the challenge. This semester she is taking AP Chemistry, Psychology, AP World History/Language Arts, and swim team. She constantly amazes us with her ability to learn and comes home with new bits of knowledge she shares with us each day. The other day she came home and told us about a psych case study about a guy named "Clive". This guy suffered a head injury and has only a 30 second memory span. She spouted off something about a particular part of his brain that was injured. Evidently, his injury provided tremendous research opportunities that allowed researchers to identify which part of the brain turns short term memories into long term memories. Since I can't remember what that is called, I believe I must be deficient in this particular brain section......

She had a rough start to the school year with an episode of her bleeding disorder flaring up. She ended up missing a week of school and spent some time in the hospital getting infusions and some new medications. While the entire event was difficult, some good did come out of it. She finally has a team of doctors established that are working together, communicating with each other, and devised an action plan that is proactive.

The new plan involves Megan learning to self-infuse the factor when she needs it. She has a new "practice" IV kit like the picture shown. I think I'm more chicken for her to use it. She's intrigued and can't wait to figure it out!

Swim team has returned with a vengeance. She has "dry land" strength training 4 mornings a week from 6:00am-7:30am. Then, they swim from 2:30-4:30 each day. She is starving when she gets home each evening. So, she eats, does homework, and goes to bed!

We just found out last night that her first meet is 9/24 in San Antonio. So, we will be checking to see if Fred and Leslie want to connect and see our little fish swim! Anyone else who wants to join us in San Antonio is also welcome!

And that is Megan's update.

Time flies by

2011-09-08T05:37:00.000-05:00

Been a while since I posted. Sorry. Time is fleeting and it's literally flying way by me! I'm going to provide updates throughout today on each member of our family. So much to tell and update. Too long to be just one post.

I'm sure you will be eagerly reading today! I'm heading off to take Megan to swim....5:36am. I'll write more later.

B

Just for Dad

2011-08-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

Dad,
As promised, I changed the background of the blog for you:) Can you read this?

Love you,
me

PS I got your mattress upstairs!!!!

Back to School

2011-08-16T17:07:00.000-05:00

This week is back to school week for teachers. Students start next Monday. While Megan is enjoying sleeping in until noon, I am working hard at school preparing for my new group of students.

This year, I will be teaching 5th grade science. For those that are worried, let me assure you by telling you two things. First, the science program is very well laid out and I won't blow up anything or anyone by following the directions. Second, be grateful I am not teaching math!

We have only been back for two days, but things are already better this year than last. My new classroom is bigger, has windows, and is conveniently located. There are 6 teachers on my team. Three of us are new to fifth grade--in fact, two of them are first year teachers.

I am learning how to keep track of my classes by color coding them . We are on a block schedule so I only teach science to three classes each day. The next day I teach the same science lesson to the other three classes. I can't believe how much time I am saving in lesson planning alone! This year, I have 106 students.....last year it just felt like 106 students!!!

All is well.

B

Chefs in the Kitchen

2011-08-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

Today, Megan and I tackled the challenge of stocking up the freezer with ready made meals and snacks to gear up for school. We are all focusing on increasing our protein and Megan has virtually eliminated meat from her food repetoire.....except for a rare steak once in a while.

We found some great recipes for high protein meals, snacks, desserts, and even waffles! Today we made and froze single servings of

Sugar Free Chocolate protein cake
Sugar Free Carrot Cake protein cake
Sugar Free Chocolate Raspberry protein cake
Southwest bites (crustless quiches with black beans, corn, green chiles)
Peanut Butter & Jelly bites (mini muffins, high protein and tastes like PB&J)
Zucchini bites (crustless quiches with zucchini, onions & bacon)

Tomorrow, we plan to tackle making frozen waffles, some frozen stews and soups, and maybe end the day with protein ice cream!

We are hopeful that we will be better about grabbing a quick breakfast from one of today's creations instead of going without breakfast on those early school mornings.

For anyone interested, I found many of the recipes on this website:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

When I went to her blog just now to get the URL, I saw her recipe for a raspberry cheesecake smoothie! Yum! I love the idea of eating these high protein desserts that are designed to help me shed the 10 lbs I gained on summer vacation!

And, I hope you are enjoying regular (although mundane) entries on the blog. Please leave your comments if you love or hate the content so I know the blog is being read.:)

A day to remember

2011-08-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

Troy and I drove to Abilene today to see Steven. We had one of the most remarkable days we have had! It seems like we are constantly surprised and impressed with the gains Steven has made!

We went to Mr. Gatti's for lunch. Mr. Gatti's, for those not in the know, is like Peter Piper Pizza meets Dave and Buster's. It's a pizza buffet, bowling, arcade games, bumper cars, and a ride that takes you up in the air and drops you down in increments. To an adult, this is torture. To a child, it is heaven. To Steven, it was heaven on crack!

We ate pizza on the buffet. And salad. And cookies. And pasta. And soda. And then we found the pudding. Life was as good as it gets.

Steven played the "I have to go to the bathroom" card which he frequently uses as a means of escaping whatever setting he is done with.

After the bathroom, Steven went into the arcade. Unprompted. Without bribery. He tried to play the games. He bowled and earned tickets which we promptly exchanged for tootsie rolls and bubbles. He was in heaven.

Then, he saw the bumper cars. He wanted on those cars so bad. Unfortunately, the cars were not yet open for the day.

We have decided to hold Steven's 14th birthday at Mr. Gatti's. We talked to the manager and he even offered to open the doors an hour early so the boys could all enjoy the place without the extra stimulus of extra people around. (one of the benefits of the school being one of the largest employers in town!)

Today was truly a day to remember. Wow.

A summary of our day......

2011-08-05T18:12:00.000-05:00

Jumped through hoops to get Megan's hardship drivers license. We got all 34 hours of driving done. We got all 32 hours of learning modules done. We stood in line 5 TIMES at the licensing department.

Today, we went to get her hardship license.

They granted her a hardship license for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:30-5:30 to get herself to and from physical therapy. Sounds great right?

Nope.

She rides the bus to school. She rides the bus from school to swim team. She doesn't have a way home from swim team to get a car to drive to physical therapy. They won't allow her hardship exception to allow her to drive herself to school and to swim. She can't get a ride home from a friend to get the car because they are still in the water until 4:30.

So, the hardship license and all it entails is useless.

Megan is disappointed and I feel terrible for her. But, we will manage and will continue to let her drive us around! As least we get another year of her being forced to spend time with us! Once she has her real license, I'm sure she will be gone all the time!

She will keep her permit until she turns 16 and will get her license next summer.

In the meantime, she will be the most well-trained designated driver in town.

School is out for summer!

2011-06-13T05:21:00.000-05:00

Whew! We made it through the school year.

It is hard to believe Megan will be a sophomore next year. The year flew by for her. She is looking forward to relaxing this summer and gearing up for the next school year.

I am surprised I survived this past school year. It was a challenge to say the very least. Next year, I am switching to teaching fifth grade science. It is a big change but one I am excited for!

We have enjoyed our great company the past two weeks. Ruth was here for a week and Dad and Bev have been here for nearly a week. It will be weird when they leave tomorrow to be alone. We enjoy their company so much and will miss them when they are gone.

We visited Steven this weekend and the grandparents were shocked and amazed at how much he has grown. We had a very nice day together!

On Sunday, we went to the movies at AMC Fork and Screen. It's a dine in movie theater. Food was good, company was better, and movie was good as well. All in all, a nice weekend!

B

Surgery, Seizures, and Sunshine

2011-05-29T06:48:00.000-05:00

How is it that a month goes by and I can't find time to post?

Briefly, here's a brief summary of this past week.

surgery--Troy had surgery #12 on Friday and it was not successful. This upcoming Wednesday, he will have surgery again as a last ditch attempt to avoid spinal fusion. Needless to say, his spirits are low.

seizures -- Steven had a breakthrough grand mal seizure. The cause is unknown, but could be related to his anti-seizure dose needing to be increased since he has grown so much or related to hormone changes in puberty. Saw him yesterday and he is doing great.

sunshine -- 111 degrees in Abilene yesterday. It was really frickin hot!

Megan is counting the days until school is out---as am I! I'll try to post more to update during this upcoming week. But, with a conference, a field trip, meetings, and university work, it will probably be brief!

Hope everyone is doing great!

Our Jammin Jag

2011-05-02T05:43:00.000-05:00

We are so proud of Megan! She has been selected as one of the "Jammin' Jags" and will be receiving a certificate at the award ceremony on May 9. The letter we received states that a teacher has nominated Megan due to her exceptional skills in many areas and the awards are given only twice per year. We don't know who the teacher is, but a copy of the recommendation will be included with the certificate.

Megan has been working so hard in school this year! She has straight A's, has made great friend choices, and is a young lady we can all be proud of!

We are so proud of you Megs!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Update direct from Troy

2011-04-19T17:28:00.002-05:00

I am cutting and pasting the email that Troy sent today for those that did not receive the initial email.

Hey everyone,

I just got back from the surgeons office and it’s looking like my body just doesn’t do well with steroids since they haven’t worked on my neck or back. So we talked about my back and he informed me that on the original mri, I have a disc tear around t10/t11. He said sometimes people will have a tear without any pain but others there may be fluid leaking which irritates the joints and tissue. He didn’t tell us about it before because he treats the pain and not the scan. So this next one will be an epidural and a massive steroid injection. He said one or two of these should take care of it as they will be using their strongest steroids. These are great doctors and they do everything according to protocol. They won’t waiver, skip a step or anything. He really doesn’t want to cut the nerves so we’re doing one or two of these and if there’s no relief then we’ll do a block test and then cut the nerves.

So there you have it, you know everything that I know!

Troy

And so it goes.....

2011-04-18T20:38:00.003-05:00

Troy's procedure does not appear to be helping his pain levels. He sees the doctor tomorrow for follow up and will (hopefully) find out what comes next. In the meantime, he is back in physical and occupational therapies.

Megan is continuing her physical therapy and doing well. Last Friday, her range of motion in her shoulder was 44% and today it was 67%. That is a huge jump and she is thrilled!

We are finally getting the hang of getting everyone where they need to be at the right times. I leave for school about 6:30 am so I can get stuff done before students arrive at 7:35. Megan rides the bus and leaves about 7:15. I dismiss students at 3pm, and leave school by 3:30 to pick up Troy and take him to physical therapy. Megan rides the bus home and arrives home about 4:15, which is when I get back from taking Troy to PT. Megan has a snack, then we head back to the therapy place by 5:00. From 5-6:15, Megan has PT and Troy has OT. When they are both done, we come home about 6:30 pm, prep dinner, Megan and I do homework, and we try to have some chill time. It makes for long days 3 times a week, but they are both benefiting and that makes us happy!

While they slave away at therapy, I have become a master at a mindless game on the iPad called "Coin Dozer". Do you remember that game at the arcade that looks a little like this?Well, I am the master of the game! I know I could make better use of my time sitting there, but it sure feels good to do something mindless for a little bit!

It's starting to get hot here......91 degrees today. There was talk at school that it might be "too hot to go out for recess". I muffled my laugh when I realized they were serious.

And so it goes in the Gilchrist house.

Betsy

Here we go......

2011-04-08T06:54:00.002-05:00

The time has come to attack Troy's lower back pain. Today we will head to the surgery center for some facet injections which will hopefully alleviate his pain in that area. Here is a description:

A facet joint injection serves several purposes. First, by placing numbing medicine into the joint, the amount of immediate pain relief you experience will help confirm or deny the joint as a source of your pain. That is, if you obtain complete relief of your main pain while the facet joints are numb, then these joints are likely your pain source. Furthermore, time-release cortisone will be injected into these joints to reduce any presumed inflammation, which can, on many occasions, provide long-term pain relief.

I have to tell you, my husband is the most amazing man I have ever met (well, in addition to my Dad). Troy has been dealing with this pain for 9 months now. This is his 9th procedure to try and get him back to where he was before the accident happened. Through it all, he does his best to stay positive, live life, and ignore the pain. Let's hope that today's procedure works and he can be pain free.

I love you Troy!

B

2011-03-31T04:37:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe it has been a year today since Steven went to live at the group home. You guys were the only people we had to talk to about it. There really is not any parent support groups out there for parents who get to the point that their child can no longer safely live at home.

It felt like the end of the world, but really it was the beginning of something wonderful for Steven. Sadly, our world based on juggling all of life's responsibilities got in the way of Steven's need for structure and routine. We did everything we could but in the end, he is happier living at the group home.

Today, we still wake up with tears of sadness not having our son wake up under the same roof. We still grieve for the loss of the intact family we had always dreamed of. But, we can smile now. We can see how much Steven has developed and grown. He gets his haircut without anyone being injured. He goes on outings without self injurious behaviors. He is signing more. He is learning how to have chores and responsibilities. He loves to play on the swings. He has friends.

It's been a long year, but we will survive this. Steven will even thrive because of this.

Next year I'm getting a flu shot

2011-03-26T19:02:00.002-05:00

It's true. I have no excuse for not getting a flu shot. My school provides flu shots on site for teachers. It's free. They schedule it after school and all staff shows up and gets the silly shot.

Only this year, I did not.

I had the hernia repair surgery and was on medical leave. Technically, I was not allowed on campus while on leave. I mean they wouldn't let me in campus for an IEP so why should a flu shot warrant an exception?

Now I know why.

Friday morning at 2am I woke up. I normally wake up at this ungodly hour to begin my day. No one knows why, but that is beside the point.

I had shakes, chills, headache, body ache, and couldn't think clearly. I stayed in bed and slept until 5:30. When I woke up, I was feeling worse instead of better. My clothes were soaked with sweat. So I went to school----actually Troy drove me to school---to make lesson plans for the sub.

I was home and back in bed by 6:30am.

Next thing I know, it's Saturday at 1pm and I wake up feeling a lot better. I'm still in recovery phase, but can think clearly enough to remember I need a flu shot next year.

Alot happened when I was asleep.

Megan also came down sick and was sent home from school on Friday. She is also on the road to recovery.

Troy drive himself to physical and occupational therapies.

I missed 11 text messages on my cell phone.

I missed 4 message on my cell phone.

Yep, next year I am getting a flu shot.

Highlights

2011-03-24T05:37:00.002-05:00

The past few weeks have been so fun, and so busy, that I haven't blogged like I would like to! Here are some highlights:

Steven came to Dallas on a field trip with some of the boys from the dorm. We were a little anxious about their planned visit to the Science Museum and IMAX theater, so we joined them when they reached Dallas. We are so glad we did! The day was absolutely wonderful! Steven enjoyed the museum, the planetarium, and the IMAX movie. He has come so far developmentally! We even got to join them as they went out to dinner at a Chinese buffet! It was truly a dream day for us!
Megan and I enjoyed a trip to San Antonio over Spring Break. We loved seeing Fred and Leslie for dinner, walking on the River Walk, exploring the Alamo, and visiting Sea World. Shamu soaked us during the show! The weather was beautiful and it was great to have a change of scenery and a break from real life!
Troy and Megan are officially in therapy together! They both go to physical therapy three times per week. Troy also goes to occupational therapy three times per week. Fortunately, we were able to coordinate the times so we can go together! It will be a treat for them when they are able to drive themselves:) Megan was a bit disappointed that the PT won't release her to get her drivers license until she has more mobility in her shoulder. So, everyone is still safe on the roads for a little longer.
Betsy is just going through the motions trying to juggle life and finish my masters. I see the light at the end of the tunnel as graduation is coming up in July. I can't wait for regular school to be out this year. I remain hopeful that my class next year is not referred to as "the perfect storm" like this year's group is affectionately called by the teachers and administrators at my school.
We will be in Phoenix around July 18th for a visit. We'd love to connect with family and friends while we are there and will make plans as it gets closer!

Hope all is well with you all!

Betsy

Open House and Sleep Deprivation

2011-03-10T03:15:00.002-06:00

Yes, those two things are occurring on the same day this year!

I've been awake since 1:30 am. Today will be a long day since I will be staying at school until nearly 8pm.

Whoever coined the thought "sleep is overrated" or "I can sleep when I am dead." must have been someone who slept well, night after night.

I'm trying to see positives to these extra hours I seem to get every day. Here's what I have come up with:

I get lots of laundry done in the middle of the night
I do lots of university homework in the middle of the night
Walmart and Walgreens are 24 hours so I can even shop

That's all I've got.

Oh wait......I can update the blog in the middle of the night with my random thoughts about sleep deprivation. Aren't you lucky?!!

Have a great day!

We're Back!!!

2011-03-07T04:44:00.002-06:00

After a winter hiatus, we are back. I did not realize how many people follow this blog as a means of determining we are alive and well. Rest assured, we are alive and well.

Here is a brief update on all of us individually:

Troy--
back at work, trying to get into the groove. He likes having social interaction again. The doctors feel the remaining pain is muscle/skeleton related and can be improved with physical therapy. He is able to go and do small outings, but needs to build his stamina back up for exciting adventures like the one we tried this weekend....more on that later.

Betsy--
Still working, also back in university classes. I had taken a 3 month break from university. It is difficult to get back into the routine but I keep reminding myself I'll be done in 6 months. My kindergarten classroom has come far this year....I guess all the singing and dancing we do in kindergarten really does teach them something! They still have far to go, but I am confident that I will survive the school year.

Megan--
Shoulder surgery went well and she is recovering nicely. She is finally out of the sling and is able to let her shoulder hang. It gets tired, but physical therapy will clear that up too! Megan will be starting driver's ed program this spring and getting her license in June. She is eligible for the hardship license in Texas and we feel she is mature enough to understand the responsibilities of driving. We're still scared to death, but we will warn others when she hits the road!

Steven--
Continues to do well in Abilene. Overall, he is thriving and we see tremendous growth. There have been a few glitches in communication and services with his school, but we have that worked out. We now get weekly phone calls from his case manager to discuss concerns. On one of our last visits, we were able to go to Walmart, a restaurant, and two other stores all in the same outing. The following visit, he injured 4 of us adults and reminded us why we had to make the decision we did.

There have been highlights and lowlights over the past few months that I just haven't posted about. Things like the water heater bursting, having the flu, lots of snow days, going to the Irish Festival, teaching the dog to shake, getting hooked on the series Bones, and lots of other little things. I'll try to post more frequently so you all know we're alive and well.

Love you!
Bets

Troy's Dream Vacation

2011-01-11T05:44:00.002-06:00

Well, not exactly a dream vacation. But it was a great trip!

This past weekend, Troy and I went down to Abilene on Saturday and stayed overnight. We got to see Steven two days in a row! Steven was delighted to see us and we were thrilled to see him! We had planned to take him to the zoo but the weather wasn't cooperating so we got to hang out and play rough at his dorm.

Sunday morning, we went downstairs to the hotel lobby for breakfast. We sat beside these nice gentlemen who happen to be helicopter pilots who fight forest fires. These guys live in Oregon, but their company is contracted by the State of Texas to be on call as first responders for a fire. Their job, literally, is to sit in the hangar and be ready to fly as soon as a fire is reported. The only reason they weren't at the hanger when we met with them is because of the rain. It was unlikely that a fire would start in those conditions.

The crew we spoke with included the pilot, maintenance engineer, and fire manager. They told us all sorts of stories about firefighting, answered our millions of questions, and even invited us to come and tour the aircraft.

We didn't have enough time this trip to go on the tour. But, we are planning to tour on our next trip down. Their contract will require them to be there for three months so we are excited to go on the tour!

B

Weather Update

2011-01-11T05:41:00.002-06:00

I decided to provide a weather update this morning for those who have been waiting on the edge of their seat.....

It is currently 23 degrees outside with 91% humidity. I keep checking the news hoping that school gets cancelled today. It's not looking too good since there isn't much ice and all the remaining snow is not on the roadways.

But, I'm ever the optimist and keep checking the school website and local news website.

B

Shoulder Labral Repair

2011-01-04T06:24:00.001-06:00

We heard from the orthopedic surgeon yesterday and Megan will need shoulder surgery. There is a substantial tear in the labral region of her shoulder. Here is a video of what the surgery will entail.

We are meeting with the surgeon on 1/10 and hope to have her scheduled for 1/13 or 1/14. She is out of school on 1/14 and 1/17 for school scheduled days off and starts the new semester on 1/18. She will be in a sling for 4-6 weeks and then have physical therapy for 4-6 months. She is not going to be allowed to swim during this time. Her coach has invited her to stay on as manager and Megan is glad to stay part of her team.

We'll update you on the surgery date when we know it.

B

Finally Done

2011-01-02T18:29:00.004-06:00

Several things are finally done---

Troy's surgeries are finally done! We hope! His most recent procedure was done on 12/29 and he is recovering more quickly than expected. Yahoo! I see great improvements in his mental capacity since his pain level is decreased. I know he is feeling better when he starts asking about when he can go back to work. It will be at least a few more weeks and is dependent on the results of the neuro psych eval results that we should receive this week.

The garage project is now done. Both cars are parked in the garage. Not a lot of room to maneuver, but they are shielded from the ice! This will come in handy tomorrow morning when I return to school bright and early. Or should I say dark and early?

My obsession with the weather has become easier to track! For Christmas, Dad and Bev got us this really cool indoor remote thermometer. There is a device outside that gathers the information about the temps, moon phase, humidity and it shows up automatically on this cool thing on my end table. For anyone interested, it is currently 46 degrees with 30% humidity outside. This morning it was 26 degrees. I might start updating the blog with weather updates just to amuse myself!

The laundry is done, kitchen cleaned, house tidied, and I am ready for a new week tomorrow. I even got all the debris removal stuff outside on the curb way before 6pm!!! I expected a visit from the code enforcement staff again, but so far no one has come by.

It's strange how quickly this two week break went. Normally, I am ready to go back to school on the Wednesday before we actually return. This break has been different. The time flew by and I could use another week off. I think Troy is looking forward to a quiet week around the house without me and Megan coming and going and making noises!

Megan is also not ready to return to school. She said it feels like it should be summer since she knows she is going back in time to take finals. They also get a day off of school after finals before starting the new semester. It's strange how fast her first year of high school is going by.

Steven is totally ready to go back to school. He loves his routines. They moved to a new dorm the week before school break, so he has been experiencing lots of new things. He has a new house, new room, new roommate, dorm style bathroom, and he just wants things to go back to normal. Enough of all the change already! Steven will be happy as a clam to return to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow!

We hope everyone is enjoying the first few days of the new year. So far, our 2011 is much better than 2010 was! We hope that is true for you as well.

Bets

A new adventure every day

2010-12-31T07:34:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-29T07:40:00.006-06:00

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

2010-12-23T07:40:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-29T19:08:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-25T10:02:00.001-06:00

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?

2010-11-23T16:04:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-20T06:09:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-07T04:52:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-05T10:44:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-03T10:02:00.002-05:00

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

2010-10-18T20:48:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-07T06:25:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-10-04T19:14:00.005-05:00

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

2010-10-01T04:54:00.003-05:00

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

2010-09-26T05:34:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-22T04:19:00.004-05:00

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....

2010-09-18T07:56:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-11T14:40:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-09-11T14:35:00.003-05:00

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.

2010-09-08T20:34:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-06T17:18:00.004-05:00

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?

2010-09-05T19:22:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-25T19:04:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-20T21:07:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-20T06:01:00.003-05:00

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

2010-08-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-15T19:40:00.003-05:00

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

2010-08-15T19:29:00.003-05:00

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

2010-08-13T06:34:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-10T16:06:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-08T18:41:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-23T14:35:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-14T18:05:00.002-05:00

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.

It's not totalled!

2010-07-08T18:28:00.002-05:00

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?

2010-07-07T20:56:00.002-05:00

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!"

2010-07-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

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!

Surgery

2010-06-27T17:54:00.002-05:00

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,

All is well

2010-06-27T08:14:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-06-13T14:09:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-10T19:16:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-09T16:29:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-05-24T18:16:00.005-05:00

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

2010-05-24T17:45:00.004-05:00

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!

She's smart.....it's official.

2010-05-24T17:35:00.005-05:00

Megan was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. To qualify for this club, she had to earn 92% or above academic average, be a leader among peers, and participate in community service. She was nominated by her teachers and had to go through the approval process at the school level. These pictures are of the induction ceremony. The first one is Megan standing in the line up with her certificate. Unfortunately we didn't get closer pictures due to the crowd.

This is a picture of Megan and her girlfriends sitting on the bench while waiting for the ceremony to start. It's so cool to see these young ladies all dressed up and being honored. They have all worked very hard and we are proud of them.....mostly proud of our Megan! We love you boo!

BBQ with friends

2010-05-24T17:31:00.002-05:00

We are attempting to become more social. This is hard for us because we really just want to hang out and feel a bit sorry for ourselves. But, we know we need to make efforts to be more social. So, we had a BBQ with some friends from Troy's work.

It was very casual and very fun!

Making a Cake

2010-05-24T17:14:00.005-05:00

Megan and Troy have started taking cake decorating classes. They are both amazing at this art! Below is a picture sequence of the cake Megan designed and Troy made for Megan's joint birthday party with her friend, Keren. It turned out so cool!

They call me Grace

2010-05-23T10:03:00.003-05:00

Or at least they should. I know I am a klutz. I know that walking and chewing gum is a challenge for me. However, I also know that I have other strengths that help me overlook this gracefulness that I have been blessed with. (FYI I'm pretty sure it came from that "bad Lueders blood".)

Anyways, last Monday I really did a number on myself. I was carrying a plastic rolling cart down the stairs and missed the bottom two stairs. I must have bounced against the railing, the wall, the floor and the other wall several times to get all the bumps and bruises I ended up with. I, however, elected to get up and go to school.

As the day went by, I became more and more sore. I figured that was just the norm. When I took off my shoe that night, my left ankle swelled up like crazy. My right knee was already swollen since morning, and my right hand was also. So, off to pay another deductible to the ER. Good news is no breaks. Bad news is sprains and a boot. Oh well.

My students were very concerned that we might "have a subatute" and I would "have to go in a ambuyance". One little boy spoke up and asked if he could ride in that "ambuyance" with me if I had to go to the "hopsital". They are so darn cute!

Well, I'm off to get caught up on some posts so you all have entertainment for Sunday.

Betsy aka Grace

One Year Later

2010-05-12T21:33:00.002-05:00

What changes our family has seen in the past year. One year ago today, we arrived in Flower Mound, Texas. We've experienced a year of firsts. Our first fall. Our first of each holiday and each birthday. Our first tornado. The list goes on and on. I look back on the blog entries this past year and can't believe how much our lives have changed.

Today, we can officially say we are Texans. We have made friends. We like our neighborhood. We have found good hairdressers and dry cleaners. Yet, some things have stayed the same. Troy is back working from home. I am still teaching. But the big difference is in the lives of the kids. Megan enjoys school so much more than she did in Arizona. She is challenged academically and has made friends. The kind of friends that we don't mind her hanging out with. Not the kind of friends you worry she's hanging out with. Steven is now living in the dorm. Who would have thought a year ago that he would be happily living 3 hours away from us and we would be adjusting?

Last year at this time, we were exhausted, sleeping on an air mattress, no furniture and the air conditioning broke.

This year, we are enjoying a relaxing evening at home, comfy on the couch, looking forward to going to bed in our comfy beds and the house is cool.

Yes, what a difference a year makes.

Aaah.

Betsy

Weekend Update

2010-05-02T15:09:00.002-05:00

This has been a busy weekend!

On Saturday, I worked at the special education PTA resource fair. It's basically a bunch of special education service providers with a booth, giving out info. There were 56 of them. Then, the parents/guardians come in and walk through and gather information about services that are pertinent for their child. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I remember attending it last year and that is how we got Steven connected for services and I got connected with the ladies on the board, who then recruited me to be a board member.

After the fair, I drove down to see Steven. I arrived there about 3pm and left about 9pm. We had a great time together and his aide, Joey was with us the whole time. We even went to a pizza restaurant for dinner---and got to EAT there! Steven loved his salad (and my salad) and his pizza! The food was good and I think we might make that restaurant a tradition on our visits.

After church this morning, we mowed the backyard, moved some shelves to the shed and tidied up the house. Now we are all just hanging out on our computers and thinking about taking naps!

All in all, a good weekend!

Betsy

An update for Anisa (at special request)

2010-04-29T05:09:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, Megan and I attended the Women with Bleeding Disorders Retreat at a camp near Houston. The retreat is designed to be educational, fun, and a chance to build friendships with people who have similar challenges.

We left Dallas on Thursday morning, flew into Houston, then got on a charter bus for a 90 minute drive to the camp. There were about 60 women and adolescent girls at the retreat. They came from four different states--Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Thursday night was the opening ceremonies, ice cream social, and then we got to sleep! Our emcee, Ed, was hysterical! He was the only guy there, however he does have an extensive Barbie collection. He is the education coordinator for the 4 state region. The man was so funny!

The mornings of Friday and Saturday were spent in a variety of educational seminars and break out groups for the young girls, women with disorders, and parents of the younger girls. It was a great opportunity to develop friendships, have open dialog and learn from each other. The afternoons were free to take part in the many activities, including horseback riding, canoeing, arts and crafts, swimming, reiki, yoga classes and skin care classes.

These are pictures of the lake, where Megan went canoeing with our "third wheel". They only allowed 2 people to a boat and I graciously let Mandy go with Megan.....it was a mistake! These are pictures of Megan just before floating off and a picture of the lake with many other boaters.

We took part in several of these, but also enjoyed some time together as mom and daughter enjoying each other's company!

We made several friends, but spent the most time with Lita and her daughter Nuki. They are from a very small town in Arkansas. We had a blast and laughed a lot with these two! This is the worst possible picture I could post of them, but most of our other pictures we were laughing too hard and the pictures were shaky!We also made friends with a mother/daughter named Michelle and Megan. That Megan and our Megan could be clones! They have many of the same symptoms of the disorder and we learned that our Megan has some symptoms that are related to the bleeding disorder that we had no idea about. Based on the information we learned from them and the clinic staff who were there, our Megan will probably have some changes in her meds and a few more tests. We'll keep you posted on those as we get results.

Friday night was a theme night....red carpet movie magic. We were supposed to dress up with boas, big sunglasses, gloves, etc. Very few people dressed up.....but Megan and I were totally dressed for the occasion! We were a little uncomfortable to say the least! After the dinner and Barbie show, they showed a movie and everyone had popcorn. We had already seen the movie and decided to hit the jacuzzi with Lita and Nuki instead.

Saturday night was Casino night....everyone was encouraged to come dressed as their favorite movie star. Megan and I watched from our hotel window to see who was in costume and saw only 4 people....so our costumes stayed in the closet and we went down to the lodge for the casino events dressed like regular people instead:)
Megan's stack of chips varied from really high to really low. I think I about broke even. This next picture is our "dealer" Ruby, whose daughter also has the bleeding disorder. We all had to learn the rules of Blackjack....and even made up some of our own rules!

The best costume went to Tootie....who was dressed as something about the red lantern parody of Gone with The Wind. Megan and I were pretty sure she was just dressed as a curtain.....regardless, she was hysterical!

After the gambling was complete, there were gift bags that were given out. But, gifts could be stolen! They started with the lowest chip winners. The higher chip winners could steal gifts from the lower chip winners! Megan and I ended up with a variety of gifts during the process. These gifts included picture frames, a cool necklace holder, a wallet, a galileo thermometer, and a few other things. We were both pretty excited when we got the galileo thermometer (me) and necklace holder (Megan). At the last minute, Nuki stole the necklace thing from Megan and she ended up with some crazy pseudo pearl necklace! Too fun!

Please keep your eyes out for a necklace holder that is formed like this: a 1920's lady, wearing a full length gown with beading, has all sorts of bling and then has brackets coming out of her hat
So, this is the information for 4 of the past 10 days without posting. I have to get ready for work this morning, so that's all you get so far! I'll post more later tonight about some other stuff!

Love,

Bets

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-17T21:18:00.003-05:00

Had a great birthday today! Started the day interviewing potential teachers at the job fair. Got home about noon to roses, gifts and got this gorgeous cake that Troy and Megan MADE!!! They haven't even started their cake decorating classes and they were able to do this!
My birthday present this year is a much desired (and needed!) dining room set! Troy picked out the table all on his own and I absolutely love it! It will be delivered on Monday, so I am all excited for our family dinner Monday night!

After a long nap, we got ready and went out to dinner to one of my fave restaurants--Carrabba's Italian Grill. We hadn't been there in a long while and really enjoyed the great meal.

On the way home, we stopped at the furniture store so I could see the dining set in person--and I love it in person just as much as in the picture they first gave me!

The weather has been cloudy, rainy and cold all day--but I've had a bright and cheerful birthday! I'm one lucky lady.

Surprise! Court sucked.

2010-04-17T04:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the day we were summoned to court to finalize the legal aspects of Steven's new dorm. We were told that the meeting was a formality that should take about 15 minutes, involve us signing some papers, and maybe having to answer a few questions.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find a lawyer from the District Attorney's office, Steven's lawyer (we didn't even know he HAD a lawyer), the psychologist, and our case manager. Turns out it was a full hearing. There was a judge, a bailiff, a court reporter and all of the above "experts". It was even held in a real courtroom where "they" sat at one table and "we" sat at the other table.

The judge began by asking all the questions regarding who represented which party.....then he asked us if our attorney was present? Ummmm, we didn't know we needed an attorney. Turns out we had the option of having an attorney. He said, "Well, I guess you know now. Do you wish to proceed?"

The DA started out calling the psychologist who gave testimony regarding Steven's abilities....wait, she focused on his INabilities. That was fun.

Then, the case manager was called to the stand. He had to answer questions about his perception of Steven. That's always fun to hear a stranger's first impressions of our little man...not.

Steven's attorney got to cross examine each of the experts. All he did was expound on Steven's challenges. Troy and I were in tears sitting there on the bench listening to them talk about Steven.

Then, he called "one of Steven's parents, Troy Gilchrist, to the stand." Troy was not prepared emotionally for this at all. They asked him questions regarding what interventions we had attempted, whether he thought this option was the best one for Steven and they showed no mercy.

When it was all over, it had lasted 45 minutes. The end result is the same. Steven gets to stay at his dorm. We are still his parents and have all parental rights.

I talked to my sister last night. Turns out I had forgotten to tell her about the summons so she couldn't prepare us for what had transpired. She usually plays the role of Judge in the courtroom. She said what happened was pretty standard. Next time, as soon as a summons arrives, I will contact Ang. And there will be a next time. Our attorney, Angela, advised us that we should be summoned at least once a year to re do this hearing annually.

And, today is a new day.

Court Summons

2010-04-16T06:31:00.002-05:00

We have been summoned to appear in court today. The court session is a required part of Steven's admission to the new living facility. Our case manager tells us that it's a slam dunk. Basically, the psychologist, doctor, case manager, and each of us will appear in front of a judge, and answer questions regarding why Steven is a minor living outside the home. I don't imagine it will be fun reliving and retelling our experiences in the past 12 years with autism. They will be focusing on the challenges, but we have always tried to focus on the positives and progress that Steven has made. He has progressed so much further than any of the doctors ever predicted when he was a newly diagnosed toddler. Yet, this new living arrangement is the right option for Steven.

The State of Texas requires this so that "people don't use the living facilities to dispose of an unwanted family member." OMG!

I'll be glad when today is over:)

And they're off!!!

2010-04-14T17:03:00.002-05:00

Megan had a big day yesterday! She finally got to get her braces taken off! Here is a picture of her with her beautiful, new smile! Isn't she gorgeous!!!

Mixed Emotions

2010-04-10T07:48:00.003-05:00

When Steven moved to the dorm, they recommended we not visit for 30 days to allow him time to adjust. We agreed on two weeks, meaning we would visit him next weekend.

Yesterday, we had his IEP on a conference call. They brought Steven into the room during the call and he heard my voice on the speaker phone. He kept trying to kiss the phone and said, "maaaaa". It broke my heart.

They need a few things for Steven and a few signatures from us in order for Steven to start school on Monday. I asked if they wanted us to drive down the stuff or mail it. They said to come on down. I asked if we should plan to see Steven or if they thought it would confuse him. They said he obviously misses us so we should see him.

I'm so excited to see him!

But, I'm so sad because I know we will have to say goodbye again.

And it sucks.

Megan has decided that she would like to stay home today instead of making the drive down with us. So, she will stay home and play Sims, clean her bathroom (she doesn't know this yet!!!), and watch TV. Troy and I will drive down 3 hours, visit Steven and take care of business, then drive back home this evening.

We will find out his mailing address as several people have asked for it.

Also, we are going to print out pictures to hang in Steven's room. If you would like me to include your picture, please email me your picture. I will print out and put in a Steven proof type of display.

One week later

2010-04-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that Steven has only been in his dorm a week. It seems like a much longer time.

He continues to adjust as well as they expected. We spoke with his case manager today and the psychiatrist would like to make a medication change to include a medication that will help impulse control and reduce aggression. When we have been getting nightly updates from staff telling us he is "doing great", they really mean it's going as well as they anticipated. Steven has bit a few staff members this week and continues to have 2:1 staff ratio for at least another week. He is not fond of eating in a group setting but prefers to go back in and eat after it has quieted down. The goal is to get him eating with his roommates, but staff agrees that is alot of sensory input for Steven at this time. He's experiencing so many changes and they are putting the mealtime goal on the backburner. They are keeping him busy with daily outings, including the zoo, the park and a hike at the state park. We have his IEP meeting this Friday and he will begin attending public school next Monday.

We continue to keep very busy on the homefront. We are experiencing fewer episodes of sadness and are progressing along in our acceptance. We have periods of sadness, but it isn't quite as chronic as it was even a few days ago.

Megan is having a very busy week at school with TAKS testing. Troy is experiencing a very busy week in his new position. I am experiencing a busy week with teaching and my masters courses. In addition to our daytime routines, we are trying to keep our minds busy in the evenings. Troy painted the bathroom downstairs last night while Megan and I planted flowers in the front flower bed. Tonight we all took it easy and tomorrow night we will paint the guest room and organize a few things upstairs.

We don't have any super exciting plans for the weekend as of yet, but I'm sure we will come up with something wild. If nothing else, the yard needs mowed.

B

Look out Martha Stewart

2010-04-05T19:46:00.002-05:00

With Steven settling in at his dorm, we have been able to make a few changes at home that we weren't able to do before. We are able to add some decor, throw pillows, glass vases, etc. This is a picture of the great room now. This is the dining room. Notice the salt and pepper shakers ON the table!!!

In the kitchen, we were able to make a few changes as well. We now have silverware in a drawer....not the vault! We have canisters on the counter---glass even! Our knives are no longer kept in the laundry room....they, too, are on the countertop!

We recently moved Megan's bedroom downstairs. She also took over the downstairs bathroom now that Steven has moved to the dorm. This is a photo of her bathroom.

Her new bedroom is also shaping up nicely. She is enjoying being closer to us and having a larger closet!

Overall, we are making small changes simply because it helps to fill our time and keeps our brains focused on something.

We are happy the house is shaping up and thought we would share some pictures.

Betsy

Saturday

2010-04-03T07:37:00.002-05:00

Several people have posted or emailed about the whole transition. While I have posted positives, I should also clarify some of the not so positive details so you have a better idea of how things really are.

Steven's transition is going well. But, he is being aggressive and throwing tantrums several times a day. He has scratched, bit, pulled hair, kicked, etc. The difference is that they are better trained to handle it. He continues to have sleep issues there, and the staff has asked us if waking up at 1:45 am each day is typical for him. We reply yes, they are seeing the real Steven. His house mom, Sonya, has told us that Steven's aides are exhausted after an 8 hour shift. They have constantly said to us that they don't know how we did it alone for so long. So, while it has been an easier transition than we expected, the behaviors and other issues remain the same. However, instead of the 2 of us being the primary caregivers, Steven has a staff of 8 rotating with him throughout each 24 hour period.

As for us, we're not doing great. We cry at the smallest things. We feel sad. We are happy for Steven, but sad for us. Having to admit that our child is more than we can handle at home is devastating and breaks our hearts. We are trying to go through the motions of day to day living, but it's very hard. We went grocery shopping last night and I found myself crying when I saw some of Steven's favorite things and remembered that we didn't need to buy them.

We are all adjusting to the fact that we can do certain things that we weren't able to do before. We are realizing how much energy we spent trying to keep him safe and happy. Yesterday, I was tired and decided to take a nap. It was weird to be able to do that. The house is extremely quiet. We are all struggling with the quiet.

Our family counselor advised us in advance that it was likely we would go through some symptoms of PTSD. I guess I better read up on that so I know what that means and gain some insight on how to help us all through this.

So, the positive is that Steven is happy. But, the reality is that he is the only one that is.

We appreciate everyone's support through this. I'm sure in time we will be able to post more positives for us as we learn to transition to live life without 1/4 of our family under our roof. But, for now, it just sucks.

B

Fridays Update

2010-04-02T08:59:00.003-05:00

Thursday was another busy day in Abilene. Troy and I went to several stores looking for a traditional TV/DVD combo unit. Evidently, times have changed since we last bought a TV. We could only find LCD TVs and those are not Steven proof. Fortunately, a nice lady at Best Buy suggested a pawn shop. So, off we went to Wild Bill's Pawn Shop. That was quite an adventure! We successfully purchased a TV and a DVD player and took that to Steven's room. Someone asked for pictures of Stevens room so here they are: His new TV/DVD player. Notice the KING of all, BARNEY, is playing on the DVD player!

We also put up some stickers on his walls to make it seem a little more homey. The maintenance guys will paint his walls any color we want so that will be getting done in the next few days.

This is a picture standing in the doorway. You can see that it's definitely Steven's room! There are blankets and toys all over the floor.

Steven has done well adjusting to his new dorm. Right now, he has two aides with him. Their job is to remain at arms length at all times....even when he is sleeping. This will be the arrangement until Monday, when he will go down to 1:1 after they get to know him a little better. This next picture is Steven with his main 1:1. They seem to have hit it off well.

On Thursday, Troy and I also met with the school district coordinator. We were able to see Steven's actual classroom and meet his teacher. We will need to have an IEP meeting with the new district before he can enroll in school and that should be this upcoming week. We were excited to learn that Steven's aide (whose name we can't remember right now) will also go to school with him. The school district and the dorm admin have worked together for many years and they are both very flexible in designing a program that will benefit Steven.

We stopped by the admin building at the dorm and put money in Stevens "trust fund". This money is used for their outings so the boys can learn to manage money, etc. We also got a map of the entire campus and found out where the indoor pool and the guesthouses for parents are located. Next time we head down, we will probably stay at one of the guesthomes on campus.

Each time we went to the dorm and saw Steven, we noticed that he was becoming more and more confused by our coming and going. We decided that it would be better for him if we just headed home on Thursday evening instead of staying until Friday. He is making a better transition than we expected.

We got home last night, ordered pizza, watched a little TV and were in bed before 9:00. We called the dorm to check on Steven about 8:30 and he was doing well. They had gone for a drive to the lake, walked the campus and even had Dairy Queen. Steven was happy as a lark! All in all, we are doing okay. We are still very emotionally raw but feel assured that we made the right decisions for our entire family.

Thats the news as of Friday morning.

Betsy

Steven's New Dorm...a really long post.

2010-03-31T20:56:00.013-05:00

Today was our big day. We drove about three hours down to Abilene, had some Dairy Queen, then headed to Steven's new dorm. We started out the day wtih a meeting involving everyone who will provide services for Steven. There were about 20 people there and they asked us tons of questions.

Next, we headed over to the infirmary for his physical. The doctor was very kind and patient and Steven did relatively well for the physical.

After that, we headed to his "cottage" to see his room, meet more staff and meet the roommates. There are a total of 10 "young men" living there. They range in age from 9-16. Some kids have individual rooms and others share a room up to 4 people. The photos below are of the various rooms in his house.

This is the house kitchen. They prepare snacks and practice life skills, but all their meals are brought in from the main kitchen.

This is the eating area. There are 4 tables and usually they have tablecloths on them. When I took these pictures, they had cleaned up after dinner so tables were cleared.

This is one section of the family room. The room is divided into areas with a TV zone, a conversation zone, and a computer zone.

This is the other part of the room. The windows look out to the playground.

Sorry I forgot to rotate this one....turn your computer sideways.....this is the view from the family room looking down the hall. Steven's room is the second one on the right. Each two rooms share a bathroom. This is the bathroom that Steven shares with his suitemate.

If you walk out the front door, this is the view to the right.

This fort and swingsets are right outside their front door.

On the back of the house, there is a courtyard where they have BBQ and relax when the weather is nice.

After we got Steven unpacked, we headed to our hotel, had dinner and do some shopping for additional items he needs. We bought a rug so he can roll up in it each night, hangers and a few odds and ends.

When we got back to the dorm, Steven was gone. He was with his two aides....Daniel and Joey. Steven will have 2 adults in arms reach until Monday. After that, they will scaffold him to have one adult. Oh, and he has his own room so far!

We waited around a little bit and they came back to the dorm. This was our boy's face.

Steven is happy! They had gone for a walk to the sensory gym, stopped and looked at trees and enjoyed the freedom of walking around a safe environment.

Tomorrow is the day

2010-03-30T17:43:00.002-05:00

We are hastily preparing for Steven's admission to the new place tomorrow. We will leave Dallas about 9am and head to Abilene in time for a meeting at 1pm. We will have several meetings down there on Wednesday, meeting with a doctor, then Steven will get to go to his new home. We will get to go with him to meet his roommates etc. Steven will stay at his dorm Wednesday night and the rest of us will stay in a hotel.

We appreciate all the kind words and calls. We'll try to update the blog tomorrow with pictures of his new place and details that we learn.

Love,
Bets