Goodbye 2007.... Hello 2008

It has truly been such a long time since my last post to the blog and seeing as the holidays have come and gone and things are getting back into their normal routine, I thought I would share with many of you who have been asking will we ever see another card class again, what’s up and where did I go, and also some bad new that came just before Christmas.

Many of you aware that I have been really sick since about August, first doctors were thinking it was dermatology related, then liver/hepatitis related, and now we know for sure that it is both dermatology and muscle related. After months of bi-weekly blood tests, changes in diet, ultrasounds, liver biopsies, etc. I have a staff of doctors like I could never have believed; a primary care, a gastroenterologist, dermatologist, and a rheumatologist. I have been diagnosed with SCLERODERMATOMYOSITIS. Which is a combination Scleroderma, thickening of the skin is the literal meaning due to an increased production of collagen and Polymyositis, meaning inflammation of multiple muscles. Both are not curable, but can be managed and we can hope for remission. Both are treatable with large quantities of Prednisone (steroids) which are not good for your bones so I am taking an additional 1200 mg of calcium with Vitamin D to help combat the negative effects of the steroids. Really, there are no medicines to date that completely take care of all the symptoms unfortunately of both of these disorders. Most people have one or the other but not both – go figure I would have both!! Treatment runs on a patient-by-patient basis. I have only just received this diagnosis the Thursday before Christmas and have been on the meds since then so this is all still really new and I, too, am in a process of educating myself about these disorders. The good news is past couple of days have been the best I have had in 5 months. Do a “google” search on the terms above if you want to know the specifics although don’t do it late at night or you might not be able to go to sleep afterwards. Both are rarely deadly, doctors do not know if it is a genetic pre-disposition or contracted via a virus, cold, or infection, and neither is contagious. Both are considered auto-immune disorders such as people with fibromyalgia, polymyagia, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Auto-immune, if you are not aware, is where your body thinks something is an invader and fights it. My body thinks my muscles are an invader, thus causing the inflammation.

So all of the fatigue, loss of appetite, lack of sleep, fevers, etc I have been having up until now have a label and finally, we as a family can start to work with getting me back to healthy. Many of you who have seen me have noticed I have lost weight (25 lbs. or so) and look pale – sorry for the scare!!! For months now I have been unable to cook, clean, make cards, drive myself to the store – much less shop, open bottles and jars, sign bills, just any of the everyday things we take for granted. Maddie and David help me put my socks on, get dressed, wash and brush my hair, get things off high shelves, etc. At times it is so bad I am unable to lift my arms above my head – not painful – just absolutely no strength. To explain it better, think of doing several weight lifting reps where in the last set of reps your muscles are doing a burnout and you just can’t finish. Well, I wake up like this and it doesn’t improve. There is no taking a hot shower or taking Ibuprofen to ease it. That’s about the best way I can describe it. It has been scary at times not knowing if this was a muscular dystrophy-type thing or what horrible things my mind avoided conjuring up.

So enough of that negative illness talk and now you all know why I haven’t been able to create any classes for us. I’m working on positive thought and prayer, getting this inflammation gone and pro-actively seeking ways to keep me healthy as possible in case of a future relapses. I still have two additional procedures: a muscle biopsy and an EMG next week which will further help the doctors determine treatment as well as rule out that it is still not caused by something else. I will also be making a trip to my Chiropractor when better as he is a naturopathic/homeopathic doctor to get his input of natural, alternative therapies for these disorders.

This past Christmas has been one of reflection and gratitude for what I do have and realizing even on my worst days, there are people in the world much worse off than I am. Many, many thanks to those of you who have called to check in on me from time to time, listen to me cry, talk about the endless test results, or whatever. I truly have a wonderful circle of friends I can lean on in times of need and can only hope I am or was there for you in your times as well. As for my family and me, we are blessed.

Another sad note, the beginning of December, David’s dad passed away suddenly (massive heart attack). This was a horrible shock to us (especially with all of the above already going on) and being Christmastime as well. This Christmas was very somber and we as family spent lots of time together for laughing, crying, sharing, and eating, of course. David was very, very close to his dad and this has been so hard on him. He is currently helping to empty out his dad’s shop of the huge quantities of tools and equipment. His mom is planning on moving as she can’t take care of the house and she is moving closer to both us and David’s younger brother on this side of town. She is looking into an adult-active community mobile home park. David is helping his mom with a huge yard sale at her house this weekend and then the following weekend (January 19^th), David is holding a GIGANTIC tool sale at our house. If you know of anyone who needs any kind of tool ever made (multiples) – please stop by – good deals to be had and all the money goes to helping his mom move into her new home. He has been so busy since the funeral with this huge task that I often wonder if he has truly had time to mourn. At first we thought this was going to be a terrible hardship on her and well as our entire family. Thank the Lord, there were two insurance policies, although small, and the fact that David’s dad was 62-1/2 so his mom can collect on his Social Security. She will most likely need to work at least part-time and to budget and watch her spending but we do believe that she will be okay. David’s father was interred at the National Memorial Cemetery up on Cave Creek. He was given a military burial and although rainy that day, his dad always loved the rain so it was only fitting. Thank everyone for your words of support and prayers.

As 2007 came to an end so many things changed in our world but we also found out what was truly important in our lives. Although Christmas was somber and smaller, we still tried very hard for Madison and all her cousins to make it a happy time. What we did realize was a stronger faith in God, the many wonderful friends we have that appeared from now where in our time of need, and that family is truly the best gift of all. I personally have been challenged on asking and accepting help from others, my pride, which I might add was not an easy one for me. Not being able to create cards or scrap Madison’s pages has been really hard on me and now I am behind more than ever but I realized aren’t we all. Even on the worst days it was more important that I continue to try to do things with my family and not stress over what wasn’t being cleaned, picked up, or put away, or scrapped and just ‘BE’ with my family.

I couldn’t let this posting go by without congratulating Michelle on her wedding to Mike and their upcoming wonderful little blessing in April!!! We were so sad to have missed the wedding and festivities (due to my illness) but were able to enjoy it through the fabulous pictures her photographer took of the beautiful event. CONGRATULATIONS MIKE AND MICHELLE!! Hopefully, we will have a class soon where Michelle can bring her photos of both her wedding and trip to Paris and Spain and share with us!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON!!!