Sunday, August 21, 2011

Surviving

Surviving seems to be what I am doing best these days. I am taking every day as it comes, and doing my best to be what I need to be. Whether it is caretaker for a friend, housekeeper, laundress, dishwasher, babysitter, wife, mom, etc. I am wearing many hats. Fortunately, the hats seem to be fitting fairly well!
We have completed our first week back at school. I am now the mom of a fifth grader, a second grader, a kindergartener and a junior kindergartener. Yikes!


Everyone is loving their new teachers and even Vibiana isn't too upset about having to be at school without Sebastian. Sebastian, my kindergartener, is having a wonderful time. Every day this week, when I ask him how his day was, the response is always "Awesome!" So glad to hear it. This is Sebastian with his two best buddies, the three amigos.


As far as my health goes, I am... maintaining. I had a horrible RA flare a few months back and at that time it was discovered that I also have Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). AS is essentially RA in the back/spine and is quite painful. Treatment is the same as RA, so my doc just upped my meds a bit and I was feeling great. I have spent all summer feeling better than ever. Then, my liver started misbehaving so we had to reduce one of my fairly crucial meds. I am now not feeling so hot, but manageable. Hopefully, after a few normal liver tests, I will be able to increase my meds to feel better again.

I am, thankfully, able to spend a lot of time with Suzanne during this period of recovery. She completed her whole brain radiation and we now have to wait until November to see if it reduced the tumors. In the meantime, she had a PET scan and got the best scan results she has ever had. No new or troublesome spots anywhere. Praise God! Please keep those prayers coming.

The next few weeks will be back to our "normal" busy. Darian is starting cross country, I think I may start Sophia in gymnastics, and I will be kept occupied with my duties as Kindergarten head room mom. It's going to be a great school year!!