The Good and the Bad

It has been quite the year for me health wise.  I have had more challenges and flukes than ever before.  Despite everything that's happened it's been amazing to see the tender mercies that have helped lessen my suffering.  At the beginning of the summer I went in for a lasik exam. Everything was going well until they looked at my nerves behind my eyes.  The doctor then asked me if I get many head aches.  He then asked the nurse to get another doctor.  The other doctor examined my nerves and they concluded that they were inflamed.  It wouldn't effect whether or not I could have lasik but it could mean there was a tumor behind my eye.  They sent me to a specialist.  In the meantime while waiting for my appointment with the specialist I began to have terrible head aches and mouth pain.  It felt like a sinus infection.  I had been having them on and off again for the past 10 years.  They had recently gotten more frequent and typically I couldn't get a cold without getting an infection.  Thus, I'd been on and off of anti biotics a lot.  My pain was getting really bad and happened every day.  I went to the ENT and got put on a new anti biotic.  It wasn't helping.  I then got into the eye doctor speialist to have an ultrasound of my eye.  I was very nervous but felt like it was going to be ok.  Luckily I didn't have cancer.  My nerves were just inflamed.  I went to the dentist to make sure I didn't have any teeth problems.  He assured me there weren't and could even see the infection in my sinuses on his x-ray.  He looked at older ones and they were infected too.  I then knew I wasn't making up the chronic infections.  I'd had them for years.  After that I called my ENT because my symptoms weren't getting any better and they scheduled a catscan.  I waited and waited for the scan and results but they weren't happening.  Then I broke out in hives.  Everyday I was dealing with headaches, mouth pain, and now hives.  He put me on a steroid and read my catscan results.  I had a cyst in my sinuses.  The steroid he put me on took away my headaches, hives, and mouth pain.  It was such a blessing because Carter was having his tonsils out and I needed to feel well enough to take care of him.  We were also blessed because Trevor got sick while Carter was recovering and Carter didn't get it.  Once my surgery happened the recovery was harder than I had anticipated.  Cole was able to help me for a few days but the day he went back to work was so hard.  Luckily it got better after that.  I was also blessed because Trevor was sick during this time and I didn't get it.  At my one week follow up appointment I almost passed out.  Then right before my three week appointment I got a bad cold. and a weird mark on my forehead that hurt.  It got worse and looked swollen.  When I went in for my follow up they looked at it and told me I had shingles.  I just wanted to laugh. When I texted Cole to tell him he never responded and then when he came home he didn't mention it.  I asked him if he got my text and he looked confused and then said he thought I was kidding when I said I had shingles.  Even my shingles have had mixed blessings.  They happened on my forehead which is one of the more comfortable places to get them.  I was already going in to the doctor anyway so I didn't have to make a special visit to find out what was going on and pay more money.  It was general conference when they were happening so I didn't have to go be seen at church with them.  All in all it has been one thing after another but truly we have been blessed and I'm grateful for my Father in Heavens watchcare over me and my family.

Sinus surgery

It has been quite the summer for me healthwise.  I have had sinus infections on and off for the past 10 years and this summer was no exception.  They would come on and go away with certain anti-biotics for a week or two but then they'd return.  They caused me extremely bad head aches and tooth pain.  I finally convinced the ENT to get me a CT scan and they found a cyst and some poor bone structures so they decided to do surgery to open up my two maxillary sinuses and remove the cyst.  Well, when they got in there three of my other sinuses didn't look very good so they opened those up as well.  Honestly I was kind of looking forward to the surgery because it meant some time to just rest and do nothing.  The recovery was harder than I thought it would be.  The pain medication made me itchy, dizzy, and sleepy so I only took it for about 36 hours and then switched to Tylenol.  You have to sleep propped up which isn't too bad until the blood starts draining down the back of your throat and you wake up coughing or gagging.  I didn't get much sleep.  One night I slept with a cough drop in my throat and that helped but I'm sure it was bad for my teeth and a choking hazard.  I also really appreciate being able to breath through my nose and blow my nose now.  I had a hard time doing the nasal rinses because they're bloody and uncomfortable.  I thought maybe I'd be less squeemish after doing them but now the site of blood makes me even more uncomfortable.  I went in for a check up today and almost passes out when they showed me my sinuses on the TV screen while they shoved a camera in my nose.  It was painful but I'm healing and hopefully it will help me in the long run.

First Day of School

Lexi started first grade and Carter started preschool at Legacy elementary this year.  They were both excited.  Lexi was really excited to eat lunch at school.  The first day didn't disappoint.  She had a blast and has loved everyday since.  She's made friends with the other little girl in our ward that's her age and that's been wonderful.  Carter started school a little after Lexi did and he missed the official first day due to his tonsil surgery recovery.  He loved his first day and couldn't wait to go again.  He counts down the days, hours, and minutes until he gets to go.  He's learned so many things and I love hearing him tell me all his new songs and facts.  Mrs. April is his teacher and she actually grew up in my same ward as a kid and was my primary teacher.  I'm so grateful to live in an area with good schools.

Marriage

A while back Carter told me he was gong to marry me and it finally happened.  I was excited and it was sweet.  He gave me a ring and we danced.  Well, then he told me he needed to marry Grandma.  He decided that he would marry her at Christians wedding.  It was so cute.  They had a song where everyone was invited to dance.  Carter was searching for Grandma so he could dance with her and marry her.  He was serious about it and it was hilarious.  It touched my heart to watch my sweet boy dance with my Mom.

Trevor

Trevor is 20 months old.  He started nursery two months ago.  The first week he did really well.  He didn't cry but seemed confused.  The next week he cried the minute he realized where he was going.  He still cries when we drop him off but it doesn't last long.  He always comes out of there drenched because he is the kid that dumps his water.  I love having the two hours to actually listen to the lessons I'm taught so I don't mind him coming out wet.  Trevor is OBSESSED with balls and balloons.  He can spot a ball anywhere.  Anything that is round is a ball.  He loves to play with them and has a really good arm.  He can also spot a balloon anywhere.  I never realized how many balloons are all over this world.  Anytime someone in the family gets a balloon it instantly becomes his.  He is loving the power of the word No.  He often gets in the mood where he answers No to any question you ask him.  He loves his bottles and I am dreading taking them away.  He still is a very hard child to get to eat.  He usually gets bribed to eat what I want him to eat with something I know he likes to eat.  He likes fruit and hot dogs and treats.  Lately I've been able to get him to drink green smoothies. He is particular about certain things.  He doesn't like his sippy to sit on his high chair.  He doesn't like crumbs on his high chair.  He bites his finger nails and will hand them to you.  He's also discovered the "fun" in picking your nose.  He is pretty patient when he's trying to figure something out.  He will repeat things often without getting frustrated.  He still gives kisses and is biting a lot less.  He is really short and is only in the 1% for height.  He has the most amazing hair color and dark eyes.  He could be a model.  He knows Carter likes my hair so when I'm holding him on the couch and Carter is sitting next to me he will grab my hair and hand it to Carter and say, "hair."  He likes to dance and surprised me by singing along to a song we listen to in the car.  He loves dogs.  The neighbors just got a dog and he will always look for it but gets nervous when it comes running toward him.  He likes to read books.  He comes in the bathroom with me when I take showers and just lays on the rug next to the shower door until I'm done.   The other day he disappeared and it got too quiet so Lexi went to see what he was doing.  She started screaming and I immediately realized what he had done.  He played in the toilet water.  It was a first at our house.  I stripped him down to get in the bathtub.  Then he peed on the floor after I took off his diaper.  Luckily it's funny now.  He loves to play outside and can climb up the big slide on our playground by himself.  He likes to tease you and thinks he's pretty funny.  He calls Lexi, sissy which Carter did as a baby too.  When he knows he's done something wrong or he's gotten in troubl3e he often tells you sorry.  He is my most polite child.  He always tells you thank you.  When we were at the doctor the other day they gave him a prize when we left.  The entire drive home he kept saying thank you over and over.  I sure am thankful for him!

Surgery

In August Carter had his tonsils and adnoids removed.  We didn't talk about it a lot before because we didn't want him to get nervous.  I took him and he and as we walked into the hospital he told me he might cry.  I felt so bad for him.  He tried to be brave.  They gave him a doll that looked like him and showed him what was going to happen to him by demonstrating on the doll.  He got to color the doll and liked that.  He also got a scented mask and blanket he got to take home.  He did really well with the surgery.  The doctor said his tonsils were huge and saved them for me to see.  Carter had the hardest time coming out of the anesthesia.  He would moan, cry, and flail everywhere.  I didn't know what I was going to do.  He would lay on me then sit up and put his hands on my face and cry out Mommy.  It was awful.  It took about 40 minutes but all of a sudden I turned on Mickey Mouse Club House and he looked up at me and said, "I feel better," and that was it.  He was happy and put his clothes on and we left.  He loved eating ice cream and chocolate was his favorite.  He didn't want to rest much and it was hard to keep him from being too active.  I loved his voice.  He sounded so little and sweet.  It just made you want to be sweet to him.  Everyone spoiled him.  He got given things by all of my relatives and his primary teacher even dropped by to give him an otter pop.  He slept in my room for about 12 days and had a lot of ear pain so he took a lot of pain medication but he was really a good sport. I told him he could go to preschool once he didn't need medicine and that was motivation enough to get him over his hump and he was really good after about 12 days.  He was a trooper.

Summer Fun

We've   had a fun summer. TheKids have been doing arts and crafts with me at home. We've been camping twice. We've done lots of playing and enjoyed that Cole's having some extra time off from work.