There is NO Lyme in Oregon!!

Got your attention, didn't I?

No, I'm not naive on this subject,.. my doctor is!! And I guess I was naive for thinking my doctor would respond better than this, but that is EXACTLY what they told me this morning.

They called to tell me not to bother coming in today because "There is NO Lyme in Oregon".
I told them, "I have all the symptoms of Lyme". She wanted to know if I "have been on the east coast recently?"... I told her "no, but that means nothing", she says, "Lyme doesn't exist in Oregon". I said, "Yes, it does, and I KNOW people here who have it". She asked me if they had been to the east coast. "no",.. "Then they don't really have Lyme".

I told her I have at least 80% of all the symptoms associated to Lyme INCLUDING that I had the EM rash, a bull's eye, a little over 3 years ago, right before I got so sick, and have been ever since. She wanted to know if I still have the rash!! "No, of course not, it's been three years."... Like, the rash STAYS on you the whole time!!

I told her that there is medical documentation showing Lyme is in fact in every state. I was told again, "Lyme is NOT in Oregon". I said, "ticks do not know boundaries, they cross state lines, they attach to birds, birds fly everywhere, the ticks fall off... deer are everywhere."... Again, "Lyme is NOT in Oregon."... ??!!

She told me if I really feel the need, then they will do the titer test. I said, "that's not a reliable test". She agreed, "no, it's not a reliable test". "then why do you use it?", I asked. "That's what we use, it's protocol.... EVERY doctor's office & lab in the country uses the titer first.", she says. I said, "well, I'll do the test, but I also want my labs ran through Igenex, which is a tick-borne diseases specialty lab, and "I WILL PAY FOR IT". She told me, "there is NO SUCH THING thing as a lab that specializes in Lyme Disease"...??!!

She said, if I want to do that I can, but they will not cover it. I said again, "I'll pay for it, I just need you to sign the form"........... they won't do it!

They said, after I get the titer results back, however I choose to proceed will be up to me, but they do not treat Lyme unless the titer comes back positive, and even then they feel whether negative or positive that the test is unreliable, and once again I was told, "Lyme is NOT in Oregon"....!!!!!

Well, poopoo on you, docs, I'm going to an LLMD!!

I know, it's a bad pun, but I am just so "ticked" right now, I could spit nails!! I know this doesn't come as a shock to anybody, and I knew to expect it too, but I did not expect them to be SO abrupt with the whole 'Lyme isn't in Oregon,.. PERIOD' attitude, and to CANCEL my appointment on me!! They won't even see me!!

I looked up info on my insurance this morning before they had even called. I suppose I cannot say 'who', but they are one that are also their own doctors & hospitals (hint-hint), and I found info that said they are in fact one of the worst when it comes to acknowledging or treating LD. I thought "oh, great! NOT",.. and I kid you not, 10-15 minutes later, the phone rang with the whole above saga taking place.

Oooh, and get this, in the same article I took note that it was mentioned that my particular ins./doctors also have some sort of policy in place that protects them from malpractice suits so that if they misdiagnose or refuse to treat, there is NOTHING you can do about it. I didn't know that could even be legal, but apparently they can. Makes me sick to my stomach!!

Oh, one more thing.... I swear, my blood is boiling, too,.. can't seem to get my mind off it & on other important things.

So, I even told them about how bad my cognitive skills have gotten, I have major long & short term memory loss, I make spelling mistakes ALL the time that I never used to, I type deslexic a LOT now, I have intense pressure in my head, and I make mistakes on things so much that I had to COMPLETELY remove myself from our business..... these are not things associated with Fibromyalgia!!! SOMEthing else is going on here, and has been EVER SINCE I HAD THAT BULL'S EYE RASH, and I believe it is Lyme..........

but, ya know,... I'm just some stupid layman who thinks she knows it all, right??

I was told, if I wanted to come in for something other than Lyme, then I could still come to my appointment,.. otherwise not to come.

I don't even want to go back there again,.. ever,.. for ANYthing now. :(

Persoanlly, I am thinking ignorancy & arrogance are even bigger epidemics than Lyme Disease,... and that's saying a lot!
I am SO thankful I found a good LLMD only an hour away. He's also a naturpath which appeals to me. I emailed him this morning after my fiasco, and explained everything to him,... not EVERYthing, but the key points for starters. He emailed me back, and wants to see me as soon as I can swing it. I told him I need to wait until payday next week. BUT,.. He said just based on the history I gave him it "strongly suggests borrelia"... he also included that "we won't be able to know for sure until we do the appropriate testing", and then added that he only tests for Lyme through Igenex. He gave me a lot of info on the fees for all the tests, and all the additional testing he would want to add if I come back positive, or even suggestive, plus for co-infections and all that. Also the CR57 or whatever that one was as a baseline for where I'm at and then attempting to gauge progress during treatment. He also added that even if it doesn't turn out Lyme, but something else, he can still help me (I mentioned how fed up I am with the conventional treatments for my "severe FMS" dx).

The info on his website sounds great, and his response was, too. I'm hoping I can get in Tuesday, but I may need to wait until the following Tuesday (he said a Tues or Wed was best so Igenex would have my labs by or before Thurs). My kids have their drama rehearsals Mon & Wed the next two weeks before their plays so we can't miss any... If I have to wait another week,.. it's not like I haven't already waited this long. One more week probably isn't going to do that much more damage................. Glad to have some positive news though after that dramatic saga this morning!

Sorry for the length again, guys!

SPLITTING headache!!

I woke this morning with my head feeling more than full, but stuffy, too. My sinuses were killing me, my face felt like somebody had hit me in the cheekbones with a shovel. *OW* Maybe I am sick again, I don't know. I feel better now, except that instead of sinuses, I have a monstrous headache... my entire head hurts. From my nose through my forehead, over the top of my head, down the base of my skull and on into my neck..... just lovely! I don't feel "sick" like I have a cold or anything again, but who knows, maybe I'm getting a sinus infection. Oh Lord help me, I hope not.

My bodily pains haven't been as bad today, except my left knee did give me another scream test this afternoon. Thank goodness, it was only once today. Scared my kids again! :(

Tomorrow I have to leave the house... not looking forward to it, but the girls have drama & bowling league, and I HAVE to get some more groceries. We are out of everything..... I ordered pizza delivery tonight for dinner b/c we are that out of everything. We saved half for breakfast!! I feel like a rotten mom right now, but I just couldn't drag my butt out today. I've spent the last 4-5 days in sheer pain, and even though it seems to finally be lifting enough for me to function some, I am EXHAUSTED from it. It is amazing to me how much pain can wear you out.

I finally see my doctor on Thursday,..... I can't wait. I want so much to start TREATING this, and get to feeling better. I want my life back!

Ah well,.. eventually, right? Have to keep the ol' chin up. Hehe, that way I can get at my neck easier when I throttle myself!! j/k

I'm going to try to get some sleep...... ;)

Have my appt.

I see my doctor on Thursday. I called and talked to the nurse again this morning, and told them about remembering the EM rash, a perfect bull's eye, from a little over three years. I also added that I remember waking and picking something tiny off my neck at the site of the bite. It was a teensy black speck so I thought it was like a itty bitty scab at the bite center. I never thought anything of it, except it had been a spider bite or something. I never knew until recently that ticks could be that small... as small as the period at the end of this sentence. ??? WOW. So, she agreed, what I thought was a micro-sized scab was probably the nasty little culprit who bit me! I'm taking in an enlarged copy of the photo of the EM rash for them to both view & keep in my file. They were concerned, as I am,.. because obviously I am late stage at this point. It explains a lot of what has been going on with me though, whereas they couldn't explain my symptoms before aside from determining that my FMS had gotten much, much worse.

I am thinking I probably got bit in my own back yard. I had a very full, flurishing garden that year. I really haven't been able to deal with having one since then. I tried the following year because I've always had one, but it went to pot b/c I didn't have the strength or energy to keep up with it. I didn't even bother trying to have one last year or this year. I keep hoping "maybe next year".


Anyway,.. three more days til I get in with my GP who has always been very supportive of me. So I'm hoping that is the case with the Lyme, too. And, I'm hoping she will be willing to give me the referral to the LLMD,.. I know that is a real challenge for most so I'm prepared for that hurdle.


Wish me luck!!

(((hugs)))

Ping, Ping, Ping!

I am still having that stabbing sensation behind my browbone. The pressure in my head feels like a constant. One way to try to describe it, I guess, it that my brain feels swollen. I have sinus pressure in my face. My nose, cheekbones & forehead... maybe I'm not over being sick afterall, but I don't feel like this is a cold stirring back up, nor a sinus infection. Could be wrong, but this feels like that pressurized feeling my head gets from time to time. It hurts. I keep catching myself clenching my teeth from tensing up because of the pain. I'm trying to concentrate on relaxing my facial muscles, along with the rest of my body..... difficult though.

My shoulder pain has deminished significantly today, although I can feel it a great deal across my shoulder blades so it may only be a matter of time before it rolls down my arm again. I feel weak & tired, but I did sleep better last night. Once I was finally able to get to sleep, that is. ;)

It is still pretty difficult to walk. Wish I knew where my dang cane is... I misplaced it recently. Hadn't needed to use it since August. I'm hoping I didn't leave it somewhere. It's one of those foldup kind so I can keep it in a bag, but then have it if I need it. Most times I avoid using it because of my stuborn pride. I'm an idiot sometimes. I sure could use it today though.

My neck is still really hurting, and it's spreading into my upper back as well as up the back of my head... great. *rolls eyes*

I'm hungry, but I don't feel like eating. I have no desire to put something into my mouth, yet my stomach is growling. Maybe it's because in my mind, I know I will likely get sick to my stomach after I eat. I will eat... something. I know I have to take care of myself, and I am, but right now, the thought of eating anything is just a bit less than appetizing. :(

I homeschool,.... the stabbing pain in my browbone is making it difficult to even look at the books today. But, I must. Shortly, I think I will have to consider another nap though. *ugh* It feels like there's a tiny little dude in my head and he's using a jackhammer on my eye! *OW!*

Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired!

I feel awful, no scratch that... I feel like complete crap with a capital C. *frown*

My head feels really full again. Not head cold full,... it's that pressurizedfeeling, like your brain is pressing into your skull. It doesn't hurt so much as it just feels really uncomfortable. I feel like I have to keep popping my ears and I feel off-balance again. I hate that. I bump into things, and my body hurts so much that even a slight graze of the wall feels like I was jabbed with a sharp object.

And, my ear is starting to bother me again. I went for almost a year of unexplainable ear pain & sound sensitivity. The doctors couldn't explain it. I couldn't even handle my DD whispering into that ear it was so sensitive. There was no evident hearing loss according to the auditory tests, and I never actually followed through with the ENT because it all just suddenly stopped as mysteriously as it had begun. The only thing that has remained has been the tinitis, more fuzzy-buzzy sounds than ringing, if that makes any sense, although I do get the ringing as well. The pain & the hypersensitivity hasn't bothered me in about a year and a half, but now all of the sudden it's got that same feeling it did when it started the first time.

I'm in a really bad flare again. Is this the Fibro, or am I what they call "all Lymie"?? IDK, but either way, I'm in a tremendous amount of pain. I've been going through this for three years already, and I am sooooo wanting my life back!!

My neck is hurting SO bad again, and it's radiating across my shoulder blades and then rolls over my left shoulder and down my arm. It usually seems to concentrate on my left side. Most of pains do. Although I do hurt all over my body, I've always had the worst of everything ever wrong with me be on my left side. I've never really understood that, but whatever.

I get a stabbing, aching pain in my elbow. My hands hurt, and all my fingers feel like they are swollen. They don't look swollen and they aren't red, they just feel "full" & they hurt. And, I have almost no strength in them. I can't open things! I can barely write... typing isn't so bad. It hurts, but I can do it.

I've been having back spasms again. The muscles start twitching & pinging & it's just horrible. My spine is extra tender again, too. My ribs feel sore high up on each side, just a few inches below my armpits.... My shoulders feel like the bones are sticking out of my flesh... it HURTS!

I've been having excruciating knee pain the last few days again, too. It's an intense, stabbing pain I am not entirely sure how to describe... like a hot poker has been jabbed UNDER my kneecap and then it's being twisted & wrenched around, and like my kneecap is going to pop off! Some of the episodes have actually made me start screaming,.. I scared the hell out of my kids! I felt so bad, but it HURT THAT BAD!!

My feet have been hurting really badly again as well. I don't know if it's the change in the weather with it getting cold & damp, a fibro flare, Lyme, or all of the above. I can barely get out of bed in the morning because my feet hurt so bad I almost fall over. The bottoms of my feet feel like they're made of glass, and they're going to crack if I put too much pressure on them. My heels feel like they're already broken. I know they aren't, but that's what they feel like. I wind up trying to support my body's weight on the railing, the walls, furniture, whatever,.. just to get around without hurting my feet more, or falling over, or having my knees give out on me. This SUCKS.

I've started having a stabbing pain right behind my brow bone. Today it's been the right side,.. the other day it was the left. This evening, it feels like it's going to hit be on both sides next. Sometimes I get these stabbing pains just in one localized spot in my head. Sometimes it's on top, or on the side, or sometimes it's like this, right behind the browbone, or in my eye. It's not a headache, and it's not a full on migraine, but like a migrain in just that one itty bitty spot.... again, like a stabbing, hot poker! What is causing that??

And, every time I eat I am getting nauseated now. I don't usually do that, but now everything is making me sick to my stomach. I don't throw up easily, I never have except in really extreme circumstances,... so I just get really nauseated.

I am so tired I can barely see straight, but I can't sleep. The pain is too much. I tried to lay down hours ago. Hubby got me all set with extra pillows, tucked me in, made sure the kids & the dogs left me alone & were quiet,... I even took some morphine thinking finally I would have enough relief I could rest, but no such luck. It didn't even touch the pain. Not remotely. The only thing that has worked for me has been the oxycodone, but I'm out. I'll be getting more this week, but in the meantime, I have no way to help eleviate some of this pain, and it is excruciating. I'm just trying to tough it out and do some surfing (& some whining) until my eyelids can no longer stay open... then hopefully I'll just pass out.

I can't sleep some nights, yet I can't wake up other days. I'm exhausted all the time. Sometimes I have to take naps, even sleep all day, and I'm still wiped out. I can't win. If I take meds to combat the insomnia and help me stay asleep without all the constant waking, then it just makes it harder for me to stay conscious during the day. But if I don't take them, I don't get that deep sleep you have to have..... and then that just makes all the pain worse.

What do I do?? I'm so sick of being "sick"!! *waaaah* :(

Okay, that's enough... sorry for the whine-fest, but it did feel good to get it out. OMG, I have sciatic pain shooting down my right hip now! *Agh!!*

I'm a Freak of Nature

I swear though, I have so many things wrong with me it's ridiculous, and I'm always wondering what's next, ya know? It's not a hypochondriac thing at all, and Kat, I know you can relate as can my friend Andrea. Some of us just seem to end up with all the extra crap, LOL. I mean, I ended up being one of those 1/1000-1/2000 having gestational trophoblastic disease, otherwise known as a Molar Pregnancy. I had such a fast onset & quick progressing case of Grave's Disease the doctors were astonished, and I had to undergo near immediate RAI (radioiodine) therapy just to save my eyes. Following that, I had severe & dibilitating Menorrhagia/hypermenorrhea that I had to undergo a total hysterectomy, upon which they also diagnosed me with severe Adenomyosis which was caused from PCOS. Ordinarily in PCOS you wouldn't have Menorrhagia, exept in the case of the Adenomyosis! Go figure, but those small percentages always happen to ME. I also am insulin resistant. PCOS and insulin resistance are related, and guess what they can both be linked with? Yup, gluten! So anyway, after going through RAI and a total hyst, I am now on hormone replacements for the rest of my life for hypothyroidism and menopause, and now supposedly have dibilitating Fibromyalgia on top of everything else. Yay me, huh? LOL

Now, whether we have Celiac or not, I think that at the very least we are gluten sensitive, and am convinced that we need to do the testing, especially for Brittney who has many symptoms, and has battled Encopresis and MPA her entire life. We have seen a huge improvement since getting off milk protein (casein, whey, you know them all), but now over time, I am feeling like I see that we are also sensitive to soy, especially soy protein (and have you been reading on all the negatives regarding it? Scary). All the more reason I will not be surprised if it's gluten protein doing us in as well. I, especially, have major reactions after having soy & gluten proteins, but I do think that those things are what is still giving Brittney her remaining issues as well. And there are SO many studies now that show gluten as a DIRECT link to Encopresis, Fibromylagia, ADHD, Austism, Psoriasis, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, and of course Celiac at the very top of the list, along with many others. And another interesting find,.. there is now some question as to a possible link between NF1 (Neurofibromatosis Type 1 -- my youngest has this) and Celiac (Take a look at this article: http://www.functionalneurology.it/materiale_cic/27_XX_1/191_unusual%20association/article.pdf). She also has symptoms of gluten sensitivity/intolerance (especially the diarhea part for her whole life), and has very short stature. Classic. More and more pieces of the puzzle seem to be coming together to indicate to me that testing & elimination is warranted.

In addition, to now figuring in the possibilities of casein, soy & gluten protein sensitivities, I am concerned about the possibility that I also have reactions to lectins (oh, of course more protein related crap,...) I have been battling Dyshidrosis for YEARS. I'm highly allergic to nickle, mildly allergic to corn, and now most recently seems to be mangos (I'm having the same reaction as with the corn),... no, say it isn't so, not my mangos! I'm sensitive to acidic foods, too, and have to especially avoid tomatoes. I also am finding that I need to avoid oxalate containing foods (tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, beans, asparagus, beets... some of my favorites!) for another condition I won't identify publicly (it's not contagious, it is AWFUL for the sufferer & there is no cure)......... Anyway, is there anything left I can eat?? LOL,.... I need GF/CF, soy-free, corn-free and as oxalate-free as possible. :(

I am planning on getting the Breadman with the gluten-free cycle as well as I want Bette Hagman's recipe books. I have some others on my list as well that come highly recommended. I still need to get an icecream maker. Everything is going to have to start being homemade......... and affordable. Seems the more you have to eliminate, the more expensive things can get, unless you go back to scratch anyway. I've already switched us over to rice & almond milk and I want to get that new MimicCreme, have you tried it yet? How about Teff? I'm really interested in that also. I want to avoid processed foods as much as possible so want to start going back to scratch and the OAMC. That's helpful when you feel awful most of the time.

Now that I've written another book,... help, Kat!! And anybody else with suggestions... Nora, Big T, Niina, or anybody else?

*Bull's Eye*

So, I have been wondering about all the problems I've been having the last 2-3 years. I have REALLY gone downhill. I've been researching a lot lately on my Fibromyalgia and the links between Celiac, thyroid disorders, fibro & how so many things to be linked to proteins in our foods, and I think it's time we get tested. While researching these things though, I came across several things that kept popping up about how many Fibro patients are really suffering from undiagnosed Lyme Disease, too, and it got me thinking, nay concerned.

Why? Well, ordinarily this would not have spurred anything with me, but it did raise my curiosity because I have severe Fibromyalgia that didn't get diagnosed nor become disabling until AFTER I had a wierd rash,.... a bull's eye rash.

Have you heard about this? I feel like an idiot now, but hopefully, it really was nothing. However, it did appear a few days after I had been down the coast. I had thought it was a spider bite at the time, and had never done anything about it, didn't see the doctor or anything, except take a photo & tried not to scratch it. I had even forgotten about it until today. Anyway, thinking back, it was a few months later or thereabouts that I started having all the unexplainable ear, neck & jaw pain (and as I am realizing now, all on the same side as the bite... wierd), and then over the course of the next couple of years is when all my joint/muscle pain progressed to a disabling extent throughout my entire body, I started having headaches, severe insomnia, burning bones, eye pressure/pain (OMG, the kind that reminds of when I had Grave's Disease 8 years ago), major fatigue, etc., etc., etc., the list goes on & on. It could be a complete coincidence, of course, and I do have family members on both sides with diagnosed FMS (although I am seriously thinking it is related to gluten intolerance now, and yes, Kat, I know you told me! LOL) so who knows, but it's worth checking out, isn't it?? I am really hoping it isn't Lyme's...... but, dang, it would be just my luck, wouldn't it? That, and that it didn't get caught early enough.... *knock on wood* Seriously, I will be so ticked (no pun intended!) with myself if I have been suffering from Lyme's for the past 3+ years because I didn't go get that darn rash checked.

The symptoms mimic SO many things that it's all the more "in the air", but having so many things go so badly with me ever since then, and that I did have a classic Bull's Eye rash, it is just a bit alarming. I never really thought of that before, but I suppose it is possible, and therefore plan to check with my doctor and see what she thinks. Keep your fingers crossed that this is a false alarm!!

Here's what the rash looked like. Anyone familiar with this that could give me an opinion??

*Going Nuts*

We've been having some furry visitors!

The squirrels figured out that the peanuts were coming from "inside" the house (after getting frustrated because the bluejays keep stealing them all from the potful I usually keep outside for them), and therefore decided to come up to the sliding door & "request" their peanuts from us! One even tried to come inside, but uh, no, sorry there little guy, that is not going to happen... so we went out onto the porch for them instead (can you say, run-on sentence?). It is pretty comical though because there have been days where they have come to the glass door and literally "tapped" on it to get our attention!

I don't have photos of the blue-jays, but they have been hilarious to observe lately, too. They come along, get a peanut and then hop or fly to various nearby locations and "hide" them. Then, they hurry back to get more & keep repeating this over & over. One clever blue-jay then figured out that if he just waited & watched where the others were hiding theirs, he could go steal them and have that many more to himself! One would bury a peanut in the barkdust then fly back to get another. Meanwhile this one would swoop down, dig up the hidden treasure and fly off to rehide it for himself. Another, started hiding peanuts by carefully placing them in the big tree in the front yard... How they didn't fall out, I don't know, but at any rate it still didn't work out because both the squirrels and the crows soon discoverd them! It was an incredibly funny frenzy!

Birthday Fun :)

Ashey's birthday was September 29th, and she turned 9 years old... I cannot believe my "baby" is nine years old already! My heart grows bigger as each year passes,.. so full of love & fond memories, but there is a tinge of sorrow mixed in there, too. It is just a reminder of how quickly time passes by, and although I look forward to my children growing up and making their own lives, getting married, having children (my grandchildren!), and so on, I also want so much to hold tight to these precious few years we get to enjoy with them as children.

It goes by too fast... I keep thinking about how in only 5 short years Courtney will be the very age I was when I started dating her father! And, we were married 8 months later! *sigh*

Anyway, here are pics from Ashley's birthday...

Fun in the Sun

Hubby finally caught up with me (he only missed a couple of hours really), and then we went off to have more big fun between both parks. I only ended up getting some scattered pictures because we were too buys trying to squeeze in as many rides as we could before our last day was over, LOL It was really sunny & hot so we did the water rides quite a bit (Grizzly Rapids on the Cali-Adv side & Splash Mountain on D-Land side), and ended up soaked from head to toe, but it was fantastic fun & felt oh-so good! We also came to realize that we LOVE the Mali-Boomer! It was the ONE ride I said I would never go on, but after he went on it, I decided to give it a try..... I love it so much, I went on 4 more times in a row! What a rush, and I love that most of Dismey's rides do not jolt me to the point that I cannot ride them. They are almost all so smooth that I don't have to worry about how they will effect me later with the FMS & everything else. The only one I really have to limit there is the Indiana Jones,.. it is great fun, but it is also extremely rough. Also, towards the middle of the slideshow, notice how beautiful the Cali-Adv side is at sunset! It was closing time & so serene! I tried to snap up a bunch of shots on our way out... beautiful!

Photo Ops :)

Okay, so I caught up with a few characters, too, LOL... Only a few, but I knew the girls would get a kick out of it. They made me promise I'd wear Minnie ears, too, and I wasn't about to let them down. I did get a couple of odd looks, wandering around Disney, an adult woman by herself, wearing Minnie ears, without any children in tow, LOL! I didn't care though, my kids loved it when I got back! :)

Delightful :)

Well, the second day at Disney, I spent the morning there by myself. Scott had his business meeting in L.A., and caught up with me later. Meanwhile, I took advantage of the opportunity to just wander around the D-Land side of the park & took snaps of the various buildings and other little "treats" in the architecture that one doesn't always take time to notice... such as bunnies & squirrels in the pillars of Snow White's manor, and many other delightful little surprises. I had forgotten how many comical querks Toon Town has in it, too,... what fun! We are always in such a hurry, scurrying from this ride to that, the shows, parades & pyrotechnics that we rarely take time to really look at all the little things, or at least we don't recall them much afterward because I do recall some of these things. But, the park was really light on crowds again so it was a great opportunity to get some pictures without a sea of people in them. And I was able to wander at a much slower pace, which helped because day two was a lot harder on me after the previous fun we had the day before.

Anyway, if you're interested, here's a look at what I did while waiting for hubby to rejoin me that day...

Chip & Dale!

Well, I cannot get the video to load. *GRR* Oh well! LOL

I fought & fought with it, and am now giving up and going to bed... I will try to work on adding some more photos perhaps tomorrow. At any rate, soon. ;)

In the meantime, here's a fun pick I got to take with Chip & Dale. I haven't had my picture taken with Chip & Dale since I was 9 years old! I need to see if my mother has that handy somewhere... would be neat to have a copy to put together with this one, I think.

I {heart} Wall-e :)

Okay, so next on the list,.. Scott & I got to go to Disney together, just us! No kids this time, which at times was sad because we missed them, and we want them to experience this fun again, too, but at the same time,... Disney is also a whole other experience as adults without children. We had never gotten to experience that before so it was really, truly wonderful!

Our first day back to Disney, we just didn't even really bother with taking pictures much. It wasn't busy AT ALL, especially on the California Adventure side, and so we just rode & rode & rode & rode & rode all the big rides that we love, and that we usually don't get in much because the kids don't care for them... so we actually got to do them, and not only ride them, but... TOGETHER! What a concept, LOL! It was fantastic fun, although as I said in a previous post, it did me in, and when we take the kids & go back for Christmas time, I will be taking the scooter. It will be busier in December, too, so it will be all the more helpful for me to have it. I've already ordered special organizer bags for the front basket & a big pack for the back of the seat so we'll have plenty of storage, and not have to pack anything around on our backsides that way, too. See? I'm turning a downer (the use of the scooter) into something positive. ;)

Anyway, so the first day was WONDERFUL for us, but the only real photo I have was the one I insisted on him taking of me with Wall-e! LOL Well, except for the ones we bought from riding California Screamin' & the Tower of Terror. I'll have to scan those another time though.

I do have a video he took while we rode the California Screamin'... maybe I'll see if I can get it to load.

Glow Bowling

Scott & the girls had big fun at the alley for Family Glow Bowling. I wasn't able to join them as I had spent most of a week going back & forth between the hospital to be with my grandma. They took several pictures though so thought I'd share...

Hot Air Balloon Race & Mr Cosby!

Scott & I were initially going to get up even earlier & take the shuttle out to the event to see the balloons up close, but instead, we decided to go to the roof-top, champagne breakfast at our hotel to view it. It was a special event, and we felt special being there so it was all good. :) The nice thing, too, was that once we decided we were done watching, we just went back inside, took the elevator to our floor, went to our room, and went back to bed for awhile, LOL

The sunrise was quite a sight!








The balloons were quite a sight, too. We have known about these events, but had never actually been to one before so it was fun!

And then of course, our main objective for going to Reno in the first place... Mr Bill Cosby!

Enchanted Village/Wild Waves

Let's see, okay so next after the fair, Ashley & I went to Silverwood, which I've already done all my posts on, so then after that was the trip with family & friends to Enchanted Village/Wild Waves in Federal Way, WA.

I had a really rough day, as previously mentioned. I had a hard time with all the walking and was fighting tears a few different times. I was kind of relieved when everyone else went to play in the water slides, etc. so I could rest a little. Courtney & Ashley chose not to go in the water though so I still took them around to some rides and whatnot, but at least I was able to sit on benches while they had their fun. :) I could have really used that ol' scooter we have that day,.. Scott had even mentioned us taking it, if we drove up in the Tahoe, but my pride got in the way so I hoofed it. It is just really disheartening to think I need assistance like that sometimes. I have a fold-a-way cane, too, but I rarely use it,.. again, pride.

But anyway, it was still a fun day, especially for everyone else, and I got some good pictures... Have a look-see!

Seeing a Promise Through

Okay, so are we ready for another sudden bombardment of photos? At least I get around to them eventually, right? I don't even know if anyone follows this blog anymore, LOL, but oh well... :)

Here are a few photos from our partial day at the Tillamook County Fair this year. As I said previously, the weather was cold & wet and my FMS was wreaking havoc on me as usual so we didn't stay for the Pig 'n Ford races. We mostly just went to see our promise through to Carol (Scott's mom), God rest her, and that was worth every ounce of energy it took for me to go. We miss you dearly, Mom!!

RIP, Robin~

I have an update on Robin Shawlinski. I did not know her personally, only of her through a friend/family relation, but have passed on updates & prayer requests for Robin & her family. The following is the information Barb posted today:

Barb: "As most of you know, I post regular updates from Robin when get them regarding prayers and health updates on her cancer. Although we have not heard from her husband, Jordan was told by a close friend of the family, and I checked out a few of Robin's friends, and it seems that Robin has passed. Please keep her husband Bobby and children Sean, Rachel, and Shane in your prayers as well as the rest of their family as they go through this. Rest in Peace, Robin Shawlinski. You will be missed."

Please do keep Robin's family in your prayers as they grieve in their loss. It is difficult in these times, but we must also try to remember that our loss is Heaven's gain. Robin is no longer in pain, she is whole again. None the less, it is hard to let go of those we love so please do lift up her family in prayer, especially her husband & her three young children. Rest in Peace, Robin!

Time to Catch Up...

So, it's been awhile since I have updated on anything much... since I'm sick & don't really feel like doing anything I figure now is a good time to do that. I will try to get caught up on pictures soon as well, I promise. :)

Before I proceed,.... today is Scott's birthday so, please go wish him a big "Happy Birthday!"......... Good lordy, he's "almost 40"!

And can you believe, Scott's dad just turned "60" on the 2nd! How time flies... Do you realize he was only 9 years older than I am right now when I first got together with Scott?? Yeah, he was only 43 then! Crazy to think about! :)

Obviously, I have managed to pull off several fun vacas this year. How, I still haven't figured that out, but by some miracle I pulled it off. There was a lot of recouping in between though from over-doing... this year has been a tough one with my FMS, and then just a couple of weeks ago I finally found out what else has been SO wrong. My thyroid medication quit being effective and my levels shot up throwing me into severe hypothyroidism, which has made me feel LOUSY, aggravated the FMS all the more, and caused me to gain all this weight *GRRR* But, now that we know what at least part of the current problem is, we are working at correcting it, and I am starting to feel better in those areas. Now, to lose this gaaaawd-awful weight!! :(

Regardless of the thyroid issues though, the FMS has been kicking me in the teeth regularly. The arthritis gets so bad at times I can barely handle the pain, and so I am now faced with the fact that, especially for these big trips to amusement parks, I will have to start using the scooter. HOW EMBARRASSING, but I can't do all the walking & standing otherwise. My bones end up feeling like they are on fire, and my joints stiffen up to the point of feeling like an 86 year old woman. That's SO not cool when you are only 34!!! So, if using the scooter on those trips saves me from going through that, then I guess I will learn to live with the humilitaion that comes with it.

This last trip to Disney in Sept., just Scott & I for two days was a blast, but after the first day I was near tears in pain. The second day, I really should have just rented a darn scooter, but my pride got in the way and I toughed it out..... then I came home and tried to recoup for the following 2 weeks. What a dummy.

Anyway, we already have a scooter. Scott bought one last year before we went on that last vaca with his folks. We wanted to make sure his mom had one to use where ever we went, and knowing my condition, knew we'd most likely, eventually, need one for me anyway. It has sat being stored all this time, still practically new,........ and I will be using it for the first time when we go back to Disneyland in December to spend 6 days for Christmas. Scott has joked about having our graphics tech add flames down the sides of the scooter so I can be "cool" on the stupid thing, LOL..... Uh, not necessary, thanks. ;)

We went to the Tillamook fair in Aug, the weekend before Ashley & I went to Silverwood. We had promised Carol we would sit in the new grandstands for her. Last year, they announced they would be tearing down the old wooden ones that had been standing there for 81 years, and replacing them with new ones. Carol had been going to that fair her whole life, and had been battling ovarian cancer for the previous 6 years. We all knew it was her last year at the fair. So, we fulfilled the promise of sitting in the shiny, new stands for her. Unfortunately, we didn't stay too long. The weather was cold & wet, and I was a mess with yet again, the FMS.

The weekend after Ashley & I got back from Idaho, we & a group of family & friends, went and spent a day at Enchanted Village/Wild Waves. Everyone had a blast. I mostly just walked around and snapped pics though because, again, the FMS was just too much.

Two weeks later, Scott & I went to Reno for a 4-day weekend. I am NOT a fan of Reno because it has really gone downhill over the years, but we went because that's where we had tickets to go see Bill Cosby. We also went to another comedy show, the Aphelion show and did the roof-top champagne breakfast for the Great Hot Air Balloon Race. We spent the rest of our time snuggling in our room *grin*, playing Keno & Midway games, and winning prizes to take back to the girls. We had no desire to hang out in the casinos. We had a fantastic time together both there and then about a week later we went to LA for a business trip of his, and spent a couple of days at Disney together.

School has been going GREAT. The girls are all doing excellent in their studies, and have been having a wonderful time with the homeschool groups both here & up in Hillsboro. I've been trying to make sure we have roots established up there as well so that once we finally get moved, it won't be so hard leaving our roots here because we won't feel like we have to start completely over. The girls are all involved in a new theatre group and each have parts in plays they'll be performing in next month. That, and they've joined a homeschool bowling league which has proved to be a lot of fun as well.

Scott just got back from another business trip down to the LA area. He took his dad along, and while there, they popped over and spent a day at Disney California. They didn't want to deal with the camera so the only photo I have is one they brought back from doing the Tower of Terror, LOL........ I'll have to scan it later.

We have two pumpkin field trips next week, one with the homeschool group down here, and then one with the other homeschool group up north. I'll post pics & details after. :)

Well, I guess that's about it. We've just been trying to go with the flow of things, and squeeze in some enjoyments wherever we can. I have missed catching up with everybody though so drop me a note when it suits your fancy... I'm still here!

Love & stuff always........ xoxo