Utah!! Finally!!! I am so excited to be home for a month to visit family and friends. My sis-in-law, Rachel, had to come into town for a few days, so I got to meet Devro!!! I was so afraid that I would never meet him until he was walking. He is such a sweetheart. I got to cuddle with him every night and smell his sweet baby hair and see those beautiful blue eyes staring at me with a giant smile. He's gonna be a little heartbreaker. I also got to meet Amber's little Tommy. Tommy is a miracle. He went through a lot in his first month of life, but you would never know it. He is so happy and smily that its contageous. There is never enough of that in the world, so I'm glad he could bring it to our family. Our whole fam got together and took a picture of Lee and Tani's grandkids in the backyard.Picture from left to right
Jack, Sophie, Ellie holding Tommy, Kam holding Devro, Adam holding Brynn, Max, and Cole
Kids belong to:
Amber & John= Ellie, Sophie, and Tommy
Ryan & Lindsay= Kam, Adam, Max, and Brynn
Melanie & Jack= Jack
Ash & Reg= Cole
Kevin and Rach= Devro
It is great to be home and see everyone. . .and the beautiful mountains! I've missed them so much! I've been here for just one week, and it has been fun, but I dare-say challenging. My little story goes something like this.About two months ago, I felt like my Lyme's Disease has resurfaced. I've been feeling all the symptoms that I know all too well become magnified once again. The daily migraines, the pain, not being able to concentrate or make decisions, the depression, the fevers. . .It didn't feel too great. I saw my doctor. I really love my doctor, except when it comes to matters of Lyme. I will later post the frustrations I have about the medical community and how split the doctors are on treatment plans and beliefs for Lyme's Disease. Some believe it is chronic if you had it for longer than 6 months before treatment. Other's believe that one week of antibiotics will kill it all and it will never come back. I, obviously, believe the former, because I have been treated and I am still so ill. I don't think my treatment was long enough. . .but that all is another story.
So as I was saying, I saw my doctor. I asked him if he would run another Lyme test to see if it has resurfaced. He said no, because he doesn't believe in chronic Lyme. He told me he was sick of hearing about Lyme from me, and didn't want to talk about it again. I told him that I was paying for the tests, so run it for me. He finally complied.
The night before my flight to Utah, the doc called. He sheepishly said that the Lyme looked good, but that I was bitten by another tick in the past few months. And not a Lyme tick this time. A Lone Star tick that carries the disease Ehrlichiosis. The symptoms are basically the same as Lyme. This tick is so rare that since it's discovery in 1998, there have been less than 3000 cases in the United States. Ever! HA AHA HA! Can you believe it? I'm so sick that I can barely go outside, yet somehow I was bit by this super rare tick that no one has heard of. How do I attract these things? I know I don't smell good, because I rarely shower and I cover myself in DEET. Maybe I have sweet-smelling blood like Bella Swan only I don't attract handsome vampires and werewolves. I attract tick-born infections. So anyway, the doctor put me on an antibiotic, so I've been pretty sick on my trip here in Utah trying to kill the little pests. But I am so grateful that we found out this early so that it didn't wreck too much havoc on my body.
Hilarious.
You're such a "tick magnet".
ReplyDeleteLoved the post . . . you always make me laugh! I hope this answers some questions regarding your health. We need to get together soon.
ReplyDeletewow. you really are special! :) sheesh. is it possible this is the disease you had originally and it just tested as lymes? craziness. hope the antibiotics kill it all dead, and good for you for sticking to your guns about being tested!! hope utah is just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHey Ash,
ReplyDelete(Dont judge me for my screen name...long story, and I havent ever read Twilight.)
So glad that you found me on this virtual world!! Sometimes I am not too sociable via internet, so sorry about not getting back to you sooner. I have great memories of you in our crazy portugeuse classes! Remember our teacher Chris? I am pretty sure he gave me A grades because I listened (sincerely, mind you-not with alterior motives) to all of his love life drama!!! Remember how he would come in without showering or shaving, write the assignment on the board and then leave? What an emotional guy--hilarious!
Anyways, I am sorry to hear about the struggles that you have been through since that. Life is really a difficult experience--pulls the heart strings.
I dont know if you have heard of Viktor Frankl; he wrote "Man's Search for Meaning". He was a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, and developed a new model of therapy from his experience. he called his therapy "logotherapy" meaning therapy based upon meaning.
In other words, he encouraged his clients (and himself) to infuse some sort of meaning into their life experiences. For example, he counseled a client whose wife had died and felt guilty that he was still living to find meaning in his world. The husband decided that he would live each day for his wife, and his heart found a lot of peace and healing through it.
Anyways, I loved his ideas because I think that our world has meaning taken out of our expereinces quite often. With Ava, for example, the doctors were willing to help her until we wanted them to stop, but when they tested her for brain functioning and thought that she wasnt responding very well, their entire attitude changed towards her, and they acted like she didnt deserve anything cause she wasnt there mentally...so they didnt see a precious little girl who had changed so many people's lives and encouraged so much love. They saw something broken--something without meaning.
Sorry this is such a long message, i just thought of all these things while I was typing and just spilled it all on the page!! Can you tell I studied sociology and therapy? :) Anyways, wishing you some meaning in your very difficult situation. I know that God doesnt abandon us in those situations, and that very often He is mourning with us.
Good luck, and maybe you could make yourself a shroud out of mosquito net? Like a full body suit? ?
Lots of Love,
Jessee
I can't believe how much Cole looks like his cousins! SO CUTE!!!
ReplyDelete