My Declaration!

Some of you may know me for my easy going nature, maybe even submissive, but not everyone has witnessed my feisty side. When someone tells me that it can't be done I show them I can!

This reminds me of Audrey's birth and how the doctor told me that he didn't think I could do it. I showed him!!! Audrey was out in two pushes. No one can tell me what I can or can't do!

This is the attitude that has been building in me the last couple of days. I will not let this thing take me! My neurologist says there are meds that I can go on that will make me sick for a couple days and then a couple days later I will have to take them again. They only decrease symptoms by 30% and over all patients decline at about the same rate compared to not having them. That is the only option he gave me and that is not what I want!

After spending only a short time research MS on the internet, I have found several options that seem to help and even eradicate all symptoms! Diet is big! Overall health is even bigger!

One theory (in short) is that some food proteins can bind with a bacteria in my gut and leak into by blood. This super bacteria is very similar in composition to mylan sheath. My immune system gets confused and attacks both. So I am now eating no legumes, gluten, dairy or sugar. Basically it is a paleolithic diet, what hunters and gatherers would eat. So far my determination to keep this disease at bay has helped me to do it.

I am determined to do all I can to be as healthy as I can, for me and my family!

The News

I am sure you are all wanting an update and I wish I had good news to share, but I don't. The neurologist basically just confirmed what I knew from knowing I have lesions. It is MS.

He said there are medications that can lessen the number of occurrences, but because we want to have another baby soon there is no point in taking any medications right now. He said the average time between attacks is about 18 months and pregnancy helps to keep them at bay, so we have sometime to research alternatives and really figure out what to do.

When contemplating this one night Curtis said, "You have always been the strong one." It is a shock to think that I won't always be and that I may not always be able to do all I want, but we have found it early and I have hopes of keeping disabilities far away, as long as possible.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. I have a long journey ahead, lots to learn and even more to come to grips with. I am trying to keep a positive out look. I hope I can do this, but of course I don't want to do it. Like my mom always says, "I can do hard things!" I know with love and support and the Lord I can do all things.

More of a KICK than a giggle...

...well, actually there is no giggle involved.

Because of the optic neuritis I have been experiencing, I was advised by my neurologist to have an MRI. I had that done last night and just got a phone call from him. He said that there are lesions on my brain and I will go in tomorrow to talk more about this with him. He did not say that I have MS, but that this most likely will lead to MS. I am sorry I don't have more information than that right now. I have a lot of questions too.

I had it all planned out in my head how I would tell people that there were no lesions, but I was not prepared to hear that I do. Curtis's response was, "It's sobering, isn't it." Yes, it is. It is hard to hold back the tears as I am writing this. This is life changing.

For your information, I am usually just fine. I have fatigue that seems to hit me pretty bad at times (especially when stressed), but normal day to day I get along just fine. It will be nice when my eye gets better, but for now my right takes over for my left and I have an automatic needle threader on my sewing machine (thank goodness for that!). I just had to get this news out and processed. Thank you all for your love and support. =)

Nathan Sings the ABCs

Nathan is a little smarty pants! He loves to sing. A couple months ago all he sang was "E-I-E-I-O!" He has now expanded his repertoire. I caught him singing the ABC's on video today.
He is 16 months, carrying a tune and you can pick out several of the letters he is trying to say.

Nathan's Singing Debut:


As you can tell, he was sitting on my lap and wanted to see the camera. I know I won't win any prizes for my photography. =)

A couple days ago Audrey was counting balloons in a book. "5...6...7." and Nathan finished it "eh...ny...en!" Amazing! I am one proud mama! =)

For me...

I think it has been years since I have made something just for myself. I can remember the first quilt I made when I was 13, but other than that I think everything I have sewn has been for someone else. Well, I had more fun with my gathering foot yesterday. I cut off an old pair of jeans and made myself a skirt, perfect for summer. If you look closely, I also made the headband that matches. =)


I also made a ruffle butt onesie for our friends Brad and Debbie's baby. We went back to our old ward for her blessing today. It was fun to see a lot of our old friends and drive by our old house. The new owners seem to like garden statues and fake flowers. They were having a big party in the back yard and apparently do that pretty often. I'm glad they are enjoying the house and yard.

Spin, Spin!!!

I got a new toy last week and I was so excited to use it. It is a ruffle foot for my sewing machine. I added a ruffle to an apron and decided yesterday to make a skirt that "pinkles" out really big for Audrey. I used scraps from past projects and sewed 400 inches of fabric around and around. I had fun. (Amber: You will recognize one of the purples from your quilt. Can you believe I still have scraps from that long ago?) I hope I don't bore you all with my craft projects recently. I really like having a room just for crafting. I can do a touch here and there and leave things out, come back to them later. It's great!

Five Little Ducks

This morning I was reading and singing "Five Little Ducks" to Audrey and Nathan. Then Audrey got an idea. "Mom, can we put ducks in our pond?" So I told her the story about when I was young and had ducks and how they pooped so much. Then she had an even better idea, "Daddy can make robot ducks 'cause they don't poop!"

I spent a couple hours cleaning out our pond on Saturday. It was really gross. There were families of worms living in the sludge. We took several trips to the back fence dumping all the gook and slime. Now I need to buy some pool paint to repaint everything that peeled off, then we'll be ready to learn about all the chemical needed to keep fish alive and algae dead. I also need to build a short picket fence and gate across that side of the yard to keep the kids out. Audrey is very excited to have a fish pond, but I don't think it will be a duck pond unless Curtis want to learn how to make waterproof, floating robots. =)