5th work out

Well, I made my 5th workout today and my out of shape body PROTESTED! I was fine all last week, but, today? Well, today, my back seized up on the left side. I've got one heckuva spasm going right now. Joy.

Those who know me well, know my back is wack. Part of it is my weight, the majority of it is my *ahem* top heaviness, and the rest is due to back injuries sustained while pregnant with Jared. When Jared was just shy of 2 years old I had my first back surgery. Thank heavens it was successful. However, during that time, I also learned that I have one completely necrotic disk and one that bulges all the time and is "waiting to blow".

My L5 is completely necrotic, dried up, dead, arthritic and generally no good. L4 was able to be repaired during the surgery. L3 bulges and has yet to blow (that I know of). The surgery Dr. Kowlowitz performed was successful and I had virtually NO back trouble for 3 years, that is, until I carried the twins. They wrecked me again. I've been in for shots, even though my body does not respond to cortisone and we know it; insurance still demands that course of treatment before anything more invasive can be done. Well, shots did not work, therapy did not work, and next step is surgery. Fusion. Not good. I cannot be down that long. I have a house and children to care for. No, a fusion is not in the works for me. Not now, not ever, I pray.

So, today, while working out, my overweight out of shape body said, "NO!" And now? Well, now, I say THANK GOODNESS I have BioFreeze *or Perform as it may be called now* and Magnesium Glycinate to help with the muscle pain and spasms.

I take Magnesium Glycinate for my neck spasms (which have been well controlled since we were in the Ukraine---that is 3 months now!) and the joint/muscle pain from the Psoriatic Arthritis too.  I take mega doses of Vitamin D for my back pain too.

So, tomorrow is my second weigh-in. I am actually, weirdly, excited to get on the scale.

LOL 

**never, ever thought I would say such a thing**

Love, 

 "I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)

Jadon and his breathing

I am happy to say ALL issues with Jadon's "breathing" have been resolved. Turns out he doesn't need o2 at all. Hmmm, really? How on Earth do we know that?

Well, after fighting all weekend after we came home, suctioning him and still giving Albuterol treatments with NO change whatsoever, we wen't to our Nurse Practitioner (NP) on Monday the 16th. Shawn was home, so I was able to just take Jadon in and leave the kids at home with daddy since it was MLK day.

Our NP checked him over, listened to him cough/gag, and then checked his throat. Let's just say she was ASTOUNDED by the amount of thick, heavy, phlegm jumping around in his throat. She ordered us to give him Mucinex at least twice per day, up to 4 times a day, and dose him at 1/2 tsp. each time. Also, we added Zyrtec at night to the tune of 1 tsp. per dose. IMMEDIATELY there was a difference. Jadon slept through the night for the first time since we'd had surgery 10 days prior.

No snoring, no snotting. Just SLEEP.

The next day he was great too. Well, during our visit to the NP I also discussed the fact that we weren't given a pulse ox for him to wear at night and how I thought that was rather stupid since the pulmo doc demanded he needed o2 at night until we see them again in February. BUT, now here's the kicker, Jadon was well known in the hospital for tossing alarms because he would not leave his nasal canula in place. Now, if your child is known for pulling out/off his canula in his sleep, wouldn't you ask for a monitor (pulse ox) so you would KNOW when he was without the o2 the doctors so adamantly proclaimed he needed? Don't you think they would comply? Nope, they didnt'; but our NP did. And lo and behold the first nigh we had the pulse ox (2 days after starting the mucinex/zyrtec medication routine) we had the pulse ox in our house.

Well, we hooked him up at bedtime and settled in for the night. Guess what? NO ALARMS. What? Did you read that correctly? NO ALARMS. So Shawn and I decided to leave him in our room again and place the pulse ox on him during nap and bedtimes again. He showed us again what his needs were. He needed simply to sleep. No alarms again on the second day. So, one more day, just for good measure. Yep! You guessed it. NO ALARMS.

Now, Jadon is back to sleeping with his brothers in their room. He is taking his medicine so well! And is now finally able to eat food again. See, when that phlegm was so thick he could not even eat spaghetti or macaroni or applesauce or pudding. Those foods were so light in weight they just rested on top of the phlegm ball in his throat. What was Jadon eating? Well, my poor boy was eating oatmeal, 4 times a day. Oatmeal, stick to your spoon thick oatmeal. Since starting the meds he's eaten baked tilapia, baked sweet potatoes, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti, salad, applesauce, fruits, puddings too. You name it, my boy is back to eating it!!


This past week I was also able to go to Missy's Fitness and workout for 35 minutes 4 days in a row last week. It felt GOOD! I did not make Friday after spending a good portion of the night in the ER with Jadon for another issue entirely. No worries now, he is fine, but surgery is in his future for sure. And that freaks me out a bit. I am worried we will have these same issues again with his breathing. Not looking forward to that at all.

Here's a picture from our ER trip

Love,

"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)

Christian recording artist, Aaron Shust

Aaron Shust and his wife, were just blessed with a baby boy born with Trisomy 21.

If you enjoy his music and message, stop by their blog at SHUSTLOG and share some encouraging comments right now.

Michael Aaron Shust is beautiful! Such a handsome little man.

Love,


"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)

Destination.........HOME!

We are HOME!!! We arrived home at 7:52 p.m. Grandma promptly fed Jadon his supper that was made while the Apria guy (for our oxygen) filled me in on what's what and how to make it all work.

We then put the boys to bed, Jackson is sick with a very sore throat. Soooo, I guess he is going to the doctor tomorrow. Joseph was happy to see us, but sad to see Grandma and Grandpa leaving. I have the best mother-in-law. She scrubbed my bathrooms and my kitchen, cared for my kids and ran the vacuum.

Jadon has had his first round of treatments here at home. Shawn is terrified he's not going to have the oxygen he needs because he constantly knocks the canula out of place. Well, I asked for a pulse oximeter and could not get the doctors to get us one no matter how much I voiced my concern that I have no way of knowing he doesn't have enough O2 except by checking him visually, frequently. So, praying he leaves this one alone, I did trim it a bit to fit him better. I hope it helps.

I am to do a breathing treatment and CPT every 4 hours. This combo of treatment takes 30 minutes here at home (took just 12 in the hospital). So, there will be no time for rest for mommy for a good while. I have just 2 hours before Jadon needs his next treatment to keep us on the schedule that will best fit our needs.

So wish us well, pray me strong.

And thank you, THANK YOU for all the well wishes, good vibes, healing thoughts and prayers!

Peace out!

Love,


"I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV)