Two Month weigh in and Health update

First off I am sorry I have not been blogging lately. Our life has taken a few turns that we didn't expect.

My darling hubby has lost a whopping 70 pounds exactly in two months!

 

I have lost 15!

While the surgery and diets have been amazing and we wouldn't want to go back, it has triggered something else.

What we are not sure of.

It started about two weeks after his surgery. He had a very scary grand mal seizure. (freaked the living crap out of me!)  Then he had a few more - then even more.

To make a very very long and scary two months short, we have been to the doctors, the ER and for a contrast MRI.

We have an upcoming appointment with a neurologist as well as an EEG and an ECHO.

The MRI did not come back great. In fact it has left us with more questions and heavy hearts while we wait to meet with the neurologist.

It showed a few "dead" spots in his brain as well as the fact that his brain is no longer functioning on the same level as most men his age.

This is all recent as we had an MRI done just 2 years ago.

As for current treatments - he is on an anti-seizure medication that has helped as he has only had 1 in the 9 days that he has been on it.

Needless to say this is scary for us. Right now we are waiting to find out more, waiting for more tests... I feel like parts of me are slowly coming undone.

The scariest part is all the research I have been doing. The fact that the may not be able to figure out what is happening. That it may continue to happen.

That my beloved could die from this has me more emotional than I can say.

So, I will blog more. Wait. Pray and of course update you when we know more.

 

A Long Weekend

Friday we took the kids to their school PTA Carnival. 

Saturday morning I woke to the news that a very good man and friend, Randy Chavez passed away.
Here is his obituary so that friends and family can attend the Memorial and Funeral. 

Later Saturday another friend of mine (a woman I baby sat for) died, no funeral information for her has been past on, but my humble respects to Gina Smedly's family.

Sunday we went to the zoo - Hubby has been house bound for two weeks and wanted to get out and be in clean air.
We made it through the Asian Highlands and the Arctic Exhibit before we had to turn around and come home. It was too much to soon. Hubby is still in lots of pain and his energy is very low. Right now at the Hogle Zoo they have several large animal statues done in lego's, due to our short trip we only saw three but we will be heading back soon, the blessings of a membership.

Today (Monday) is my husbands two week weigh in after the surgery - so far he is down a whopping 41 pounds!
I am down 6 pounds!
 

New Beginings

The black shirt is from Christmas - its the original before.

The red/hospital gown is after losing 20 pds in the two weeks before surgery.

He is home.

No more complications.

A few very long days of recovery and then we start to walk!

I have lost and gained back the 4 pounds and am still working on losing.

Healthy diet, exercise and sticking to it - should help.

This is the last stage on my Path to Me.

The first few stages were waking up, getting active, accomplishing goals and re-finding my sense of humor.

The last phase and the longest is to lose all the depression and baby weight that I gained.

Will keep you posted.

This is a little bit of the amazing moments that kept me away from my blog. Sorry, its been so long. Will keep you posted on our weight loss.

The hub's and recovery

Monday Hubby went in for Gastric Bypass Surgery.

He was supposed to come home today.

Supposed, is the key word.

There was a minor complication.

Minor as in, it won't cause any problems, need surgery ect ect.
Complication as in, he's not home.
Tomorrow they will x-ray him again, check his progress and decide whether or not to release him.

You see they have to check to make sure there aren't any holes. However, sometimes - like this time - they see something else.
The upper intestine was LARGE, filled with air. The small intestine wasn't moving. Two things can cause this, a blockage and a temper tantrum.
Luckily for my hubby his is due to a temper tantrum. (They have a very technical term for it) However its when the muscle refuses to squeeze again.
In other words its angry at being cut and throwing a baby fit.

On its own it will start to work again within a few days at max. They will go in and x-ray him again tomorrow and see if its moving yet.
If it is then he will be released.
If not he will spend another night in the hospital.
Thankfully all of this is covered by insurance.
As long as the doctor notes it in the charts (and he has) we have already met our out of pocket deductible so this is all a free ride.
Too bad its not more fun.

The kids and I, miss him, miss normal and frankly I think I could drive to the hospital blindfolded.

Will post photos hopefully tomorrow.
The good news is in the 2 weeks pre-surgery hubby lost 20 pounds! Can you imagine how quickly he might lose the weight over the next few months?
I really have to kick my butt into gear so I can catch up!

A long time with a long road

Its been two months since I have posted. I am sorry.
I have so many things I would love to share and document.
So many projects, activities, and family events that I have stored away wanting to share.

They were swept away with our recent choice. My husband is going in for Gastric Bypass Surgery, tomorrow.
For the past two weeks he has had nothing to eat, drinking only fluids and protein shakes.
I tried to follow the same diet as he did, I made it 2 days. Kid you not, I get grouchy without food!

Instead I swapped to eating breakfast (smaller portions and calories) and dinner (also smaller portions).
In the two weeks I have lost 4.5 pounds. Tomorrow we will find out how much hubby has lost.

We are determined to have our lives back.
Since this is a very physically demanding task - losing so much weight so quickly weakens you - we have been running around the house finishing off projects, getting the house as ready as we can for the next few months.

We have even worked more on the kids playground as they will be off school soon.
In the mean time while my husband is off work recovering (you have to be able to move around and his job is sedate) we are hoping to get some house painting done.
Today we finished fixing the out side lights, the leaky faucet and a few things out side.

Tomorrow at 1:30 pm we go in and he should be released to come home Tuesday.
 I will post more - hopefully some before and after photos as well!

Sunny Day Picnic

I know I haven't been blogging lately - I wish I could say I was very busy - saving the world - something fun.
In truth though I have been done with the cold crappy weather. I lacked ambition. Focus.

Today, however, the sun came out! It was actually warm and dry!
The kids decided to celebrate by spending most the day outside - including begging for a picnic lunch outside.

A few months ago (my southwest Miche party) I bought 120 nacho bowls. (and yes that was the smallest amount I could buy at a time!)
Now I have been finding tons of fun uses for these containers around the house.
Today was another great day!
I made their sandwiches (turkey for G'man & PB&J for Prissy) in the cheese area I added some chips.

Yesterday we ran to IKEA, my hubby has a chair. A very special chair. The only chair.
You see a few years ago hubby had back surgery. This makes it very hard for him to bend, or move up and down.
Thus he can not have a soft, plushy, squishy chair. It needs to be firm. Supportive.
This is a chair we bought a few years ago at Ikea. Then the kids got a hold of it and... well after a few years of my children trying to climb the chair and their papa, it broke.
As this is the ONLY recliner we have ever found (5 years searching) that does not hurt his back, we went and got him a new one! This is his b-day, valentines day & fathers day all rolled into one.

I have lots of fun news I will be posting this week so I will be back! and soon!

A CHD Super Mom & Gerber Baby

 VOTE

My cousin. Its hard to explain thirty years of knowing someone. A quiet, reserved, smart, independent woman. A woman who took a leap of faith to meet and then marry an incredible man. We may not be BFF's and share all our secrets, but we have forged our own friendship.
How little I knew her until the pregnancy of her second little boy.

You see he was born with a Congenital Heart Defect. This photo of Heather and her brand new born baby is from the precious first moments before he was taken away. (Visit her Blog, The Sweet Geek's Blog Here)

While its not hard to agree to placing your baby in a lifesaving device like this one, knowing that your baby is going to undergo heart surgery in a few days... there are few words to express the emotion, but you can read the birth story of Aiden here.

The surgery went well.
That is to say they were able to close most of the hole and open up the blood flow.
He was a trooper.

His parents finally breathed.
Finally slept.
Finally hoped.
Months of waiting were over and months more were ahead.

5 months old and already a second surgery is being proposed - the hole has grown and the artery has shrunk. They will have to monitor him over the coming months to see if it will correct (it's only grown worse) or if they will bring in him for another surgery.
In spite of it all, Aiden is a very happy young boy. He adores his older brother. He laughs, smiles and loves to be held.
And my cousin, the beautiful brave woman that she is, is happy. She is happy that he is growing, that he is off the feeding tube, off the oxygen tank and mostly that he is such a happy baby.
She celebrates his life. All the little moments so many mothers forget about or want to sleep through.
To that end she entered him into the Gerber Baby Contest and I can't think of a baby or a family who deserves it more. Please take the time to vote.

She is also the second woman to be awarded the Super Mom Award!

To read what it mean to be a Super Mom - Please Click Here

Heather has done and gone through so many Super Mom Moments its hard to choose which one to award this too - but I pick putting her baby into the Gerber Baby Contest.

In spite of all the struggles and worries - they celebrate!

How amazing!

 

We will end this wonderful story, with an explanation of  Congenital Heart Disease

What is a CHD?
You passed me in the shopping mall…(You read my faded tee)

You tapped me on the shoulder…Then asked…`”What’s a CHD?”
I could quote terminology…There’s stats that I could give…
......But I would rather share with you…A mother’s perspective.
What is it like to have a child with a CHD? it’s Lasix,aspirin,Captopril…
It’s wondering…Lord what’s your will?…It’s monitors and oxygen tanks…
It’s a constant reminder…to always give thanks…
It’s feeding tubes, calories, needed weight gain…
It’s the drama of eating…and yes it’s insane!
It’s the first time I held her…(I’d waited so long)
It’s knowing that I need…to help him grow strong…
It’s making a hospital…home for awhile…
It’s seeing my reward…in every smile.
It’s checking his sats…as the feeding pump’s beeping…
It’s knowing that there… is just no time for sleeping…
It’s caths,x-rays and boo boos to kiss…
It’s normalcy…I sometimes miss…
It’s asking…do his nails look blue?
It’s cringing inside… at what he’s been through.
It’s dozens of call to his pediatrician…
(She knows me by name…I’m a mom on a mission)
It’s winter’s homebound…and hand sanitizer…
It’s knowing this journey…has made me much wiser.
It’s watching him sleeping…him breathing is steady…
It’s surgery day…and I’ll never be ready.
It’s handing him over…( I’m still not prepared…)
It’s knowing that his heart… must be repaired…
It’s waiting for news…on that long stressful day…
It’s …praying…it’s hoping…that he’ll be okay.
It’s the wonderful friends… with whom I’ve connected…
It’s the bond that we share…it was so unexpected…
It’s that long faded scar… down my child’s small chest…
It’s touching it gently…and knowing we’re blessed…
It’s watching him chasing…a small butterfly…
It’s the moment I realized…I’ve stopped asking…why?
It’s the snowflakes that fall…on a cold winter’s day…
(They remind me of those…who aren’t with us today)
It’s a brave little boy…who loved Thomas the train…
Or a special heart bear…or a frog in the rain….
It’s the need to remember…we are all in this plight….
It’s their lives that remind us… we still need to fight!
It’s in pushing ahead amidst every sorrow…
It is finding the strength to have hope for tomorrow.
And no…we’ll never be the same…
It’s changed our family…
This is what we face each day…
This is…a CHD

Pink Cast Day!

Warning For those with faint hearts - this is a GRAPHIC POST.

I am not trying to gross people out - in fact I have family that will be fascinated by this.

However, this is a read/look at your own risk!

First off its been seeping a lot of blood due to the pins.

Here is the picture of all 5

This shows the damage to the arm better than any of the others

 What her arm looked like with the pins sticking out!

She is very happy with her bright new pink cast!

As soon as it dried she became all smiles! It holds her arm in place. 

No more jarring, no more whining when it gets bumped. 

All is good! 

I am so happy that she can safely make it for her last day of school tomorrow!

Breaks and Aches

Last night at 6 pm (or thereabouts) the neighbor from next door walks Prissy home - screaming.

Now to paint an accurate picture, my darling daughter is a screamer, whiner and all time bawl baby. I love her - really I do, but she cries at the drop of a hat.

Last nights cry was the same cry that I hear from her all the time. It wasn't sharper or louder, it was normal.
So when my hubby met my daughter at the gate he was calm and consoling.

Then he lifted her arm to get a better look at it! Loud screaming filled the air - not from my Miss Prissy, but from my hubby! Her arm had snapped (skin unbroken) the bone literally sitting under the elbow. A huge lumpy bulge!

Long story short - The neighbor agrees to watch Little Man while we run to the Urgent Care. Urgent Care sends us to ER. ER gives her some pain meds and takes X-rays. (Twice) They come back and say they have called an ambulance to come take her to Primary Children's Hospital.
Yup, she needs surgery.

Hubby goes with Prissy, I take off running.
I drive from WVC to Magna, pick up little man, pack bags for him and for us, call my AWESOME BFF and head off to her house in Murray, then all the way to University hill!
I can't even believe that I made it before they took my girl into surgery, but God is good!

Surgery starts at almost 10:30 at night. We met her doctor and liked her right away!
She was hopeful that the surgery would be over in an hour.

Two hours later the doctor comes in to explain that her arm was even more messed up then they first believed. Not only had it completely broken and lodged itself underneath her elbow making it hard to move it back into place, the back part had completely shattered!

They spent literally 1 hour moving all the broken fragments into place and making sure it was lined up correctly!

Finally at 1:30 am, she falls into a deep sleep and stays asleep until 7:30 am! Papa and mama both stayed the night with her, Little Man slept over at my BFF's and wants to be babysat again!
We had to stay there for her anti-infection & pain meds. They needed to make sure she could handle the pain on liquid meds and not need IV meds.

Finally after Lunch we were released!

Here she is! She will miss the next week of school as it will be until next Thursday until they can cast it.
This leaves her with one short day of school - the last day of school!
She is excited to go back and have her friends sign her cast and say goodbye for the summer! Next year starts a new school - thankfully closer to home!

This is a bad break and will take a while to repair.
List of blessings!

1. All of her nerves are fine!
2. She didn't do any damage to the muscle
3. No damage to the tendon
4. Amazingly no major blood vessels were broken!
5. School is almost over so it won't matter that she can't write! (Right handed)
6. They expect a full recovery! - NO problems with growth, movement or feeling!

List of the downers - Its a hot summer and she won't be able to get wet!
She won't be able to play as much during the summer as she would have wanted.
I don't want to see the bill when this comes in!

Thankfully God is in control! I will sleep deep tonight! I am sure everyone else will as well!

Wassil or Russian Tea

Ok this is a long story but when I was growing up my Mama was given a Wassil mix from our neighbor as a Christmas gift. We loved it so much that Mama asked for the recipe our neighbor then explained she had bought it from a co-worker who had since then quit. After that both mama and our neighbor started trying out different recipes for this fabulous drink.
Several years and many recipes later they both fell in love with this recipe.
Which is made using easy to get American ingredients (nice for me since this is very popular in Sweden, Russia ect) the first couple of recipes they tried had harder to get ingrediants.



When its almost done but not mixed it looks like this!


Helpers are a must!


My math when I make more then my normal recipe :) I try to make enough to last me one full year or enough for me to gift away to others for Christmas along with the recipe of course.


When its all mixed up it looks like this!

Then add around 2 tbls to a large cup of hot water.


Stir and enjoy!
Yummmmm

Wassil or Russian Tea Recipe

Mix together in a large container
2 cups Tang
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3/4 cups Instant Tea
1 pkg Jello (any flavor) I prefer the new tropical fusion however orange or lemon work well too)
3 Tbls Lemonade drink mix
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Cloves

The hubby is doing well after his surgery, while his pain is increasing and he still can't talk above a whisper he is very happy its over and that he is home; and I am very happy that I have some time with my hubby and family for the holidays.
Just a couple more days and Mid sis will be in then a couple days after that Big sis comes in!!
My home is almost all put together and clean - decorations are up and now the Wassil is ready!!

Surgery!!

Early this morning before I took the kids next door and Wil to the hospital the kids gave papa a last hug (Gideon crying the whole time)


Started on page one 3 hours later around page 112 or for those who follow clocks around noon surgery was over successful and they just wanted observe him and if there were any complications.


By 4 o'clock or page 241 & 3 magazines later he was discharged, we ran by a pharmacy and picked up his meds then came home and grabbed our babies!!
I am just so happy that Wil was able to come home tonight and not stay at the hospital, as well as happy that everything went well.
So my husband no longer has tonsils or his uvula weird right? I think so but then again I loved it every time Wil's oxygen level dropped under 90 (whenever he tried to rest/sleep) the machine would beep and wake him up. I could not stop laughing -- he was not to thrilled.

One Day Until Wil's Surgery

Our house all decked out and ready for Christmas! Along with my little cheeky girl that loves to be the center of attention. Thankfully we have such great neighbors that they are willing to watch the kids while Wil and I are at the hospital tomorrow.


This is our crazy Chinese Algae Eater we've had him 3 years I was on the phone today with my sick friend Margie when I noticed he was laying on three leaves about an inch off the bottom of the tank.
He looked so cute resting on his floating bed I decided to share it with every one in blog land.

Surgery -- Wil needs to be at the new hospital by 8:30 in the morning which I am kinda happy about since he can't eat the night before and waiting all day will start to test his will power. The surgery itself should be pretty short I can't imagine that it would go over an hour however we will see I am taking a very good book with me along with my trusty camera.

Funny Conversation with my 6 year old

"look mama Giddy can do the sign for green!"

Giddy then of course does the sign again to show me, papa gives him a green skittle for being a good boy.
Autumn then begs for a treat her papa of course hands her a different color, looking at the yellow skittle in her hand she of course does the right sign and then says " Thank you for the yeldoh one"
papa "what color?"
"yeldoh"
"say Yell OH"
"yell ohhh"
"now put them together"
"yelldohh"
I sigh and shake my head and say "keep at it".

Car inspections & Shopping

Today we got our car emission and inspected (taxes as well) so we are now legal again! Yipee and who hooo one less thing one my list to do; second thing on my list accomplished was grocery shopping getting lots of soups and broth for my hubby to eat after his surgery.
However my baby sitter for the kids during Wil's surgery called today to tell me the good news - she's sick so I now need to beg my neighbor to stand ready as a stand by to take the kids for the day.
I just love surgeries - NOT!! I do however love Verizon this will be our second surgery and their insurance is amazing!
Any way the rest of today has been quiet, we watched movies and had good papa time I made turkey dinner for Wil as his dr. thinks he might be able be able to eat by Thanksgiving but is in no way sure.
Tomorrow will be another quite day all I have to do is pack Wil's over night bag and spend lots and lots of time with my hubby.
Please remember to pray for Wil and that all goes well with no complications.

Quote of the day, "This turkey comes from really good chicken." - My little Autumn

Art & Dinner photos

So Wil is getting nervous about his up coming surgery, He will go in on Thursday and they will keep him til Friday. Since Autumn can tell when her Papa is nervous she colored these pictures to make him feel better.
Sweet right? The really sad part is I have to leave the kids with Margie for the day since kids aren't allowed in that area of the hospital.
I will have to take a really good book as I will just be sitting and waiting for hours on end - I really hate waiting rooms.




Just thought I would add some photos of dinner BBQ Chicken, macaroni salad and broccoli. While I do understand this is not the best of meals I had marinated the chicken for a full day so it was very juicy, with lots of flavor.
Well I am more exhausted then I can even explain so I will let this be a very short post and I will post again tomorrow :)
Good night to all

Another Surgery

The picture is my husband yesterday helping our neighbors set up their new laptop posing with their cutie putie baby Samuel. At this moment he is back over there hooking up their internet to a wifi router.

Today was his Dr appointment and if you read the title of this blog what comes next won't surprise you - next Thursday Wil goes back under the knife. They are removing his tonsils and shaving down his Uvula, besides the fact that he has tonsillitis, and sleep apnea they also said that his tonsils, Uvula and something else I can't spell or say are abnormally large!
Great right? Yep married less then 8 years and going on surgery number 3! Don't get me wrong he's most definitely is the most perfect man in the whole world for me I just wish he didn't come in a broken body.
But I guess such perfection had to have a down side so failing body is what I get and trust me out of all the options out their I would take it over some of the other horror husband stories I have been told in the last several years.
They say he should be able to eat turkey by Thanksgiving his plate just might look like I was feeding a one year old (all tiny and cut up for those non parents out there).

The cleaning and the organizing took a down turn today when my very bored daughter decided to throw flour on her bedroom floor - again she lost her toys and this time I will have to go through her boxes and decide what to throw away. Which quite frankly is not hard she just loves to hold onto McDonald's toys, toys that are missing cloths and have had their hair pulled out this just gives me a legit reason to throw out the junk I wanted to anyway to clean up her closet.
Have I mentioned that I am having my sisters come in for Thanksgiving and that I am trying to clean my home?
AHHHHHHH!!!

Yes, that might also be why I am losing my mind however at least my husband should not lose his job for taking so much time off this year because of strep. Which I have been worried about.
He is also going on 4 days of losing his voice and still not being able to find it again - he really should work on that you know.