Wow!

Really were does time go I think it slips away when we really are not looking or are way to busy to see it slipping. in two days I will have another birthday along with a cousin she happens to be one year younger than I am. We have this little thing we do to see whom will call the other first to wish the other a Happy Birthday and you would think being I get up hours later than she because of the time zones she would win always but, it really is not so...LOL

We had a a awesome Christmas we spent the eve. of it with my sister and her family as well as her in-laws. We had a great dinner of prime rib with all the fixings followed by some really good laughs. Then we watched the littlest two open gifts followed by there family and the in-laws doing gage gifts and a gift exchange as well. Then my beloved went home because he had to work Christmas day so i stayed the night and enjoyed watching my sister 10 year old and her 3 year old grand daughter open there Santa gifts the next morning. Oh there oldest, her husband, my sister, brother in-law and I all had gifts as well to open. It was great fun followed by the tradition of sausage, egg and cheese burritos for breakfast. Then my beloved got done at work in the afternoon and he came to join us for a bit (and gifts for him) before we headed home.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas with many new memories added.
Flexie:0)

What a Year!

Those of you that are family, friends or, you just follow me on my blog know that one year ago today was the day I got sick or should I say the day that I don't remember at all. It was the day I had the very first seizure and then the week snow balled from there for my family as well as myself I do not remember most of the week. The good news No strike that the great news is it is one year later and that I am alive.
I just hopped off the treadmill I have been trying to get back to working out I am having a hard time of it but, it really does feel good to be back at it.

This blog post goes out with much love to my family that kept taking me to get me help until someone would listen to them that I had not gone crazy that I really was sick and that there had to be something wrong physically not mentally.  XOXOXOXOX

So what I have learned from this is to say I love you to the ones you hold dear daily and to live each day to it's fullest you never know when it could be your last day or, your last words to someone you love. And fight for yourself in the medical arena you have to be your own advocate no one else knows you better than you and when you can not fight for yourself make sure that you have the right people in your corner.

Flexie:0)

Doing really well!

We are doing really well we are on to the next steps in our lives my beloved with his surgery and us with the getting on with living and life and what our future holds right now we are looking into a few things and I will let you all know more later about what those things are but, for now it is a work in progress so I will keep it all under wraps until then a few close friends have been told and some family but that is about it.... back to a bit of crafting or just being creative anyway last week I drew two pictures with my sisters youngest we she drew more pictures then I did but I drew her two and I wrote on them that I will always love her love her aunty R:0) and it is so true I adore that kid and her sister and her family as well...


reflections:0)

We are both doing well....

I can not hardly believe that it has been 9 months since I got so sick and almost died and 8 months since the surgery to repair the herniate piece of brain that was in my upper sinus's and making me so gosh darn sick with meningitis and causing me to have seizure's.
Then to top all that of to find out that my husband had and acoustic neuroma and had to have brain surgery as well within six months of my surgery well blow me away with a feather because, it did not take much to knock me down at that point. A lot of shock was about all I felt that day when the Dr. told us that he to would need brain surgery. I was strong for him from the get go I mean really even though they are not the same surgery I could help walk him through what I knew I had just been there and understood if no one else did what it felt like to know that there was a problem with the brain and in that area I mean really its the only one you get and panic sets in rather fast. I mean I just figured that my beloved was going deaf and that is was from being in the Navy and working around planes for most of his life in the Navy, Boeing and our local little airport I had no idea when I told him he was old and that was why he could not hear. I really had no idea that it would be something like a tumor on the audio and balance nerve sheath and that it had been there for a number of years and all those times he said he was dizzy and he felt his balance was off and the ENT and PCP could not figure it out that it was just growing and getting larger and starting to push on the brain stem. Well it has been almost three and a half months since his surgery and he is doing well he did lose all the hearing in that ear and there is no way to regain that they had to scrap the nerve sheath and that took out the hearing for good, he can get a BAHA which is a bone anchored hearing aid it is another surgery or he could get two hearing aids one that relays the info to the good ear like and FM transmitter. He is thinking of going with the BAHA because he said he is not sure he wants to have something in both ears he is a lot like me in that way I hate things in my ears as well. The BAHA is a small rod placed in the skull and when all healed it has a smallish hearing aid the hooks onto it and the sound travel through the skull bone to the good ear.

I have been off all anti-seizure meds since about the time we came home form the hospital after his surgery almost 3 1/2 months. I have had no seizures since the very last one in mid Aug. 2010 when I was admitted to the hospital 30 min. away and they figured out what was wrong with me and how to work towards getting it fixed and they put me on heavy doses of PIC line antibiotics for almost a month.

So all in all life has been good I have gotten back to crafting on a small scale I have yet to take photos to share and I have already sent most of the cards that I have made out but, I will soon get back to making this a crafting blog again as well as updates on my daily life. I did make a awesome crazy hat for my niece to wear at the Relay for Life I will see about crop'n her out of it to post a picture on here as she is not my child and it is not my right to post photos of her on my blog but, the hat won the lap round and it was super cute just super sweaty to wear poor kid'o...

Thank you, R:0)

Relay For Life was so worth it!

I did 59,588 steps just about 25.5 miles not to bad for a fat old lady. LOL The bodybugg was awesome to have for knowing just what I did do, thank you sis. I am not to sore over all and I have no blister but, I do have some sore muscles here and there. We did have great weather for it the night was a bit cold but that was when I stayed moving the most, I was there for 24 hrs.

Our team was the highest raising team for money we were a gold member team and I don't know that that included our cash from cash night or any of the other fundraising at the event. We won the red, white and blue laps contest, crazy hat laps contest, hawaiian laps contest. Our team raised the most money in the Miss Relay contest that is the funniest one, my nephew in-law won in grandma in-laws long red sexy nightie and a friends snake skin high heel boots, big pink purse with a stuffed dog in it all while sporting a hot  pink mohawk with a flower in it. He had to run around the track and try to get the most money that he could from other relay walkers. His wife is the one that we walk for along with her grandpa, this young man I think would do anything for his wife. The team also helped her ( my niece's) best friends boyfriend dress up he had on the green dress my sister wore in my beloveds and my wedding almost 18 years ago it did not fit him at all but it was funny my sister was able to help it look as if it fit by pinning the bow in the back over the zipper he came is second place with money and there were a lot of guys that did the Miss Relay pageant and run this year 11 or 12 guys went out there in dresses to raise money for cancer. Really we all walk for many different people on our team we each have been touched by this in some way.
Cancer has touched my family in so many ways this just happens to be one of the ways I have found to give back to help out to help to find a cure so no one ever has to hear those words and have the worry that comes along with it.

Thank you for all your support if you did so on my teams behalf....

R:0)

Things are going well!

It is scary to say that, it is almost like waiting for the other shoe to drop sorta thing but, being a positive person I will say that life has been very interesting over the last year and that I chose to deal with everything head on some how I feel like everything is turning around all feels right in the world for us right now. We have good health for the time being and we will continue to try and make ourselves healthier. It is nice to see that we are both recovering so well from our brain surgeries each day is a step in the right direction. Okay, so my foundation was shaken and I have a hard time seeing and staying positive but, I am trying really hard to rebuild all of that inner strength that I once had and i am strong enough to admit that. 
I am spending the summers once again working part time and taking care of my sisters youngest three days a week, she is 10 this year and so full of life we have only had four summer days together so far but they have been really good days. She took up piano this last year and I really enjoy listening to her play I also enjoy watching her play sports right now she is doing softball season. My sisters oldest is the coach this year for her little sisters team I can see the same passion and drive in her while she is on the field that I use to when she played in school she seems to really be enjoying coaching them this season.  As for the oldest she is doing well and her family is doing well they are at some point soon going to try and make it grow by one more her little one is 2 almost 3 and funny as heck she is so full of life.

I will be walking next Friday in the local Relay For Life that is one town over I did this last year as well I have raised 175 this year only 20 short of last year it is for such a great cause. I walk to support Lil Mama (oldest niece), her grandpa, my cousins wife and many friends. I also walk in memory of my mother in-law, grandmother in-law, cousin in-law and uncle. I walk with my niece and her family to support her and the others that are survivors and those that our family has lost to cancer we should all find a reason to raise money and walk for the causes that touch our hearts in that one way that matters most. If I sent you link to my Relay page there is still time to make a donation if you wish to.

Thank you, R:0)

Updates!...

Well, Thank you, all so much for the nice thoughts but believe it or not I am doing really well... :0)

The sad thing is my beloved will at some point soon be going in to have surgery on a tumor in his skull. :0(

He kept telling me over the last several years that his hearing was getting bad in one ear and that he was dizzy so time and time again we went to see Dr.'s and time and time again they said your ears look fine and it is more than likely the blood pressure meds that make you feel dizzy. WOW! they where so very wrong and I asked this last two times we went in to see his Dr. that she just please listen to us and hear what we are saying. I mean really after all I have been through the last six months I am even more careful to listen to my body and his to when he tells me things. We got sent to the ENT and he ordered a hearing test well beloved can hear tones but, he can not understand words in the one ear so right away the ENT knew that this was not good that there was possible a tumor and he ordered an MRI and Tues, he had one and Fri. we went back to the ENT and sure enough he has a VS tumor growing on the nerve that controls hearing and balance and it is pushing on the brain stem. Hhhmmm This is the cause of the dizziness as well as the hearing loss Gggrrr I am so mad that it has taken at least five years maybe more and many trips to the Dr. and the ENT to find this out. I know they are human but, really could you just once in awhile stop and listen to the patients. No, we do not have the same Dr. and if we did I would look for a new right away I mean really mine missed something so big and so did his... Ggrrrr.

So now we wait for the surgeon to get back with us to see what course of action we take I am almost sure from what the ENT said that surgery will be the way to go because we are young, even though this is a slow growing tumor most of the time it is not cancer which is good news at this point we will find out soon but not removing it is not the way to go because it will keep growing and pushing on the brain stem this is the part where I am now wiping the tears off the key board... Sorry, It scares me to think of being with out my best friend, the man that I love, my beloved...
I can live with what the ENT told us which is that he will more than likely lose all the hearing in that ear and that he may end up with facial paralysis on that side and balance issues for life but, I can not bear the thought of being without him that breaks my heart. He is everything to me he has saved my life more times than I can tell you about stood by me when know one else would held my hand and more when I have cried taken care of me when I have been at my sickest it is my turn to repay him and take as good of care of him as I can. I will now be his rock and help him to understand what it feels like to have skull surgery, hold his hand and body when he needs it give him my shoulders to cry on.

He has never had any surgery this will all be new for him he has never stayed the night in a hospital except for when he was born and with me...



TY, Flexie:0)

P.S. I guess we will be a couple of zipper heads... hehehehe

Doing well!

Each day that goes by I am very thankful for I am back to walking three to five times a week I do two to four miles each time I even have gotten beloved back out there and walking again. :0)
I have lost ten pounds since the first of the year and that is great because, while being sick and right before I knew I was sick I had put some of that hard to lose weight I had taken off back on. :0(

Sis got me a bodymeida for Christmas it is like a diet buddy for me keeps me in check I feel it on my arm and I am like no I don't want to eat that or, did you walk yet? And then it gets me up and going or it stops me from putting junk in my mouth....

My sister-in law does not get it she thinks it's dumb but she has never had a weight issue in her life she is so skinny that I don't think she could eat a peanut and not have it show in her tummy. LOL No she really is thin and I know that we all see or fat and flaws in our own way but, a little support would be nice she does give me some support but, not doing a poo poo dance on my new found help would be awesome as well.

What is that saying walk a mile in my shoes.

Sorry, I have not been making anything new to show you but, My health has taken the front seat for now I will get back to making things as soon as I feel like I have a firm foot hold again. Because crafting makes me really happy but for now getting life back on track is what matters to me...

Thank you for stopping by...

Flexie:0)

reflections of the last year! Happy B-day to me!

reflections:0) of the last year! Happy B-day to me!...:0)

Wow has it been a Big interesting, exciting and scary year for us and our family. We started out the year with our oldest (21) niece my sis’s oldest having thyroid cancer surgery on New Years Eve she heeled really well from surgery but, had to wait a few months for the treatment. In March we lost our wee wee dog Ruger he was 14yrs old he lived a good long life with us and traveling the western states with us. Then my beloved had his birthday and our niece started treatment for the cancer at the end of April and she also opened her own hair salon in there some where. The hardest part of the treatment might have been having to be away from everyone but, mostly her being away from her husband and baby (1) for a week because of the treatment. We took out our front yard with a sod cutter what fun that was to run really. My beloved was rolling the yard cart out to the curb stepped off it wrong went down and twisted his ankle. Ouch!
We made plans for a road trip in May to TX and NV. We spent a week in TX we got there very late on mothers day I wanted to be there to tell my grandmother happy mothers day in person she had moved there the year before. We spent a very relaxing week with her and my aunt who she had gone to live with. Then on the way home we stopped in NV for our annual family vacation with beloveds brother and sister in-law. While in NV I won my first ever hand pay jackpot I won 4,526 dollars it was so supper exciting we had not been there very long and it was my second twenty dollar bill. We put most of it in the savings account and had great plans for it. It helped pay for the road trip first and for most then we got patio furniture for the back yard and a small set for the front porch too. The rest was to help us put in the new front yard it never happened, while there beloved and his brother did some golfing they both lost a few balls and while looking for them beloved went down and twisted the same ankle and was put in a walking boot.
Before our trip I had redone my work schedule to watch my sisters youngest (9) three days a week at the end of June my sister went to HI with her husband and youngest and we house and dog sat for them. That same weekend I walked in the Relay For Life with there oldest I raised 195 dollars, I walked for my niece and in memory of my mother in-law and grandmother in-law. We also got two new kittens two weeks before that. I was having a great summer as was my beloved I was watching my sisters youngest we did shopping for meals and I helped her learn to cook and cut up veggies and fruit trays we played board games, Wii, side walk chalk and bubbles.
Beloved tried to take a physical fitness test at work went down on the other ankle and out it went. Ouch! We had the bad one splinted before the test and we should have done both maybe.
Along came July and we had our 17th anniversary on the 17th. Wow! Where does the time go? We spent the day together and that after noon went to my sisters Bar-B-Q and bon fire it was a great deal of fun. Then Aug started I was feeling slow and run down and told my beloved we needed a stay-cation at home a few days off for just the two of us but before we could make plans for it I got a bad headache over my right eye in the eyebrow area. My beloved said I should lay down take a nap and maybe it would help so I did and the next thing I really and truly knew it was mid. Aug and I was waking up in a hospital. I came to find out I had taken that nap sat up while having that nap screamed laid back down and went into a full on seizure my first ever. My beloved called the EMS I remember talking with them a bit and them walking me to the hallway of our home to the gurney and then little bits and piece of the next few days until I woke in another hospital 30 min away. The first hospital here in town sent me home twice in one day after giving me a CT scan and telling my beloved I needed to see my primary care physician and have a MRI why they did not give me one we will never know they also put me on anti seizure meds. The next day I went to my PCP she told us that they seen something in the CT scan and that it could be like a freckle some people have them and some do not at which time I said I did not feel well and she and my beloved laid me back on the table in the room. My beloved says I walked out of there on my own and that night we went back to the ER in town I recall being scared thinking I was losing my mind and crying; my beloved’s brother and wife went with us by the time we got there 15 min away I did not know whom I was my sis and niece meet us there. That night my beloved, my sister and niece took me to the hospital 30 min away my sis and niece were afraid I was dyeing, they had tried to go home before taking me in but, they got to the car and broke down crying and came back in and got us Thank goodness.
That hospital figured out what was wrong with me and saved my life. I was sick super sick they found a hole in my upper sinuses some how the bone had eroded and a small piece of brain had entered into it I also had inflammation on the brain all that was the cause of the headache and the seizures and you could see it all in the very first CT scan from the other hospital. I was put on heavy IV antibiotics in an IV and then an IV PICC line was put into my upper right forearm because the stuff was burning my veins I could feel it as I was coming around. I was let out of the hospital a few days later but, we had to go back every day for IV therapy for a month before they could do surgery to fix the hole in my head. My surgery was set for the 28th of Sep at the university, the local surgeon said he would rather I go up there because he was trained at a different time and they would handle my brain a lot less and we would hopeful have a better out come and I total respect him for that. I ended up having a Bifrontal Craniotomy Exenteration of the frontal sinus with obliteration of the frontal nasal ducts. What this really means in lay terms is that they did a bucket cut of the skin and then cut a hole in my skull, took that small piece of brain out, patched the hole in the brain sack, removed my upper sinuses, and replaced the skull piece put in plates and few screws. So, yes, I may now have a screw loose. Hehehehe
The surgeon did an awesome job because; I am still here and getting better ever day I am now a proud brain surgery survivor. It is a good thing I won that money because I can not work right now and it has gone to hospital bills and I can not drive a car state law says that you can not drive a car for at least six months after a seizure. I have a really cool scare that goes over the top of my head from one ear to the other now like a little girl hair band look; it is a badge of honor as I lived through this ordeal.
I have good days and bad days and poor beloved has to deal with them all along with my sister they are the two that have hardly left my side through this whole thing. I have had panic attacks and a hard time sleeping at first after I came home from the second hospital I was afraid I would lay down and never wake up again after what the first hospital did. I have gotten help from a psychologist it is PTSD she has been great at helping deal with all of this stress.
We also lost one of our dear friends, an uncle, that dear friends mom; and also one of the new kittens this year.
This has made me closer to my sister she is awesome she has sat with me held my hand given me a shower while I was sick, given me a shoulder to cry on, a swift kick on the backside when I needed it as well as so very much love....
We also found out that our niece still has cancer so now we wait to see what can be done.
Well, I told you our year had been Big interesting, exciting and scary.
I am just happy to be here and to have another birthday so Happy birthday to me!

Flexie:0)

I can not believe it is almost Xmas.

Wow! This year seems to have spun by for us I mean really since Aug. it has really slipped by. Looking back I can see how fast it went but, as it was going by it seemed to go really slow and drag on for all of us in the family or maybe it was just me. I am so happy to feel a little better each and every day some days are better than others but, truthfully I will take a bad day over never having another day to say I love you to my loved ones... I am so very thankful this year for everything and everyone that is in my life...

We put up a small tree in the kitchen one reason I think the new kitty that in no longer a baby would be naughty if we did the big one in the living room so, we will take temptation away from her and not put the big one up this year. I totally love Christmas I always have as a small child I thought people decorated for my birthday. LOL So then when I got older, married and a house of our own the decor was for both for me.

I have a few gifts to go wrap up so I must go for now take care all...

Flexie:0)