Faith's Summer So Far

-
Despite the fact summer officially began only a few days ago, for us, it feels like it actually began in May. Since we've begun to have such wonderful weather, Faith has been wanting to get out and about, which has been fun for the whole family. In early May, the three of us ventured to the river where the boats, dandelions, and motorcyclists were out in full force.

Enjoying the great outdoors!
The banks of the Missouri River - one of Faith's favorite places!

Besides going to the river, the library, and elsewhere, Faith has also enjoyed spending some quality family time at her Grandma and Grandpa's. On Mother's Day we enjoyed our first official barbecue of the year. Faith enjoyed getting to know my sister's dog, Snickerdoodle, aka Snickers, a little better. He is such a good dog and quiet too, which is why Faith likes him!

Happy Mother's Day to me!
My sister Dawn and I along with our mom!
Faith's new favorite dog is Snickers!

Toward the end of the month, we made our way to our first ever visit at Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Here we saw a doctor who told us (much to our relief) that since Faith is not in pain, there is no need to do surgery on her left hip at this time.

We were scheduled to go back at the end of this month for one of their specialty clinics where a team of pediatric specialists will be able to evaluate the amount of spasticity she is having and find some ways to decrease her tone. Since the referral process has been slower than we anticipated, however, we needed to reschedule for mid-August.
 
Faith cruising around in Minnesota!

Scenic view in Rogers, MN where we stayed

Sometimes I feel like my whole life revolves around making phone calls and getting paperwork in order, not just for her but me as well! Earlier this month, I saw my cardiologist who comes to Bismarck every three months from the Mayo Clinic. I am still retaining a bit of fluid so he tried to put me on a second diuretic, along with the one I'm already on.

During the 8 days I took it however, I came down with three migraine headaches and didn't feel well in general. I'm so glad I have a doctor who quickly answers my e-mails because after sending him a message regarding the new medication, he told me to stop taking it for a week to see how I feel. I'm hoping the medication was the culprit and I can discontinue taking it -- the fewer meds the better!

Of course June also means celebrating Father's Day and so we had an early celebration at Grandma and Grandpa's to honor my dad, my husband, and my sister who pulls double duty as a single mom. Two of my nephews, who are also dads, were there as well, and we got to meet to the newest addition to our family -- little GracieLynn. On the actual Father's Day, the three of us had a perfect day at home relaxing, watching movies, playing video games, and calling our dads.

Faith with her dad and grandpa
My dad and I
Faith with grandma and her two baby cousins - Marla and GracieLynn


Faith and I have also been getting back to another of her favorite summer activities -- spending time on the patio. No matter how windy or cool the weather is, she is still determined to sit down there. She has fun laughing at me when the wind causes something to blow away and I have to go chasing after it. We also have fun watching the birds, and every once in a while, we spot a bunny and a gopher or two.
One of the cooler days on the patio - and that's not a bug on her face, it's chocolate!

Unfortunately, it has been hot and windy and in early June, we nearly hit 100 degrees, which it usually doesn't do until July or August. The entire state is having drought conditions and in much need of rain. There was one day however where we did get a nice shower of rain and with it, a double rainbow! 

Faith had been asking when we were going to see a rainbow in the sky, so she was very excited. I took this picture, but there were other photos on Facebook that showed it was a full double rainbow, which always gives me a renewed sense of hope that God will fulfill His every promise. 
Double rainbow - double blessing!

Our family has gone through some challenges, some related to my health, some related to raising a 13-year-old girl and all of the hormone-related things that go along with it, and others regarding some personal things that have affected us. Through it all, I continue to cling to His faithfulness and this promise in God's Word: Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands. Deuteronomy 7:9

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

My Little Vacay to Nebraska

-
Image
When one thinks vacation, they probably don't think about Nebraska, especially in November! But when I heard that a friend of mine was going be having surgery in Omaha, I began thinking about how great it would be to go down that way, especially since my sister, Tesa has lived in Lincoln for 17 years, and I have never had the chance to visit.  Lo and behold, my dad had also been talking about heading South to Texas in November to hunt wild pigs. My two respite care workers were available to look after Faith starting on a Friday morning through Tuesday evening. All I had to do was book a flight so I could get back home.  Despite all the details falling into place, I was still anxious about it. I haven't flown since Faith was a baby, so I was especially nervous about that part. I prayed about it and believed that everything would be okay.  On the morning of my departure, Faith woke up just in time and her respite care staff was able to get her dressed and take her to her da...
Read more

My Tetanus Shot Ordeal: A Real Pain in the Arm

-
Image
Last Wednesday I had my yearly doctor exam and when she said I should get my tetanus shot updated, I didn't think twice about it. The nurse said my arm would be sore for a couple of days, gave me a handout and stuck the needle in my arm.  The next day my arm was sore and although I found it a little harder to pick up and carry Faith, I was glad the pain wasn't going to last long. Boy was I wrong! But not only was my arm sore, my whole body was. I felt achy and extremely tired. According to a medical site on the Internet, these were mild side effects of the Tetanus shot. If these were only mild side effects, I would really hate to have them at a moderate or severe level. My arm is still red and sore on day 2 after my tetanus shot. On Friday, two days after getting the shot I felt so tired that I took a four-hour nap after getting Faith off to school. Then on Saturday I took a three-hour nap up until 7 o'clock, but still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep around 10. ...
Read more

Goodbye to Our Special Tomato Adaptive Car Seat

-
Image
Today we said goodbye to our Special Tomato adaptive car seat. And special it was. It helped Faith stay safe and secure in our Hyundai driving her back and forth to therapy appointments, shopping excursions, and many other activities. It also helped us through our time of not being able to afford an accessible van. Like all adaptive equipment , the special car seat was expensive and although it is the law that a child is secured in a car seat while traveling in a vehicle, neither health insurance nor Medicaid would pay for it.  Thankfully, we were able to receive funds from the fundraiser, the Great American Bike Race ( GABR ) which helps families pay for services and equipment that insurance doesn't cover for kids with cerebral palsy and related disabilities.  After doing research on the Internet and talking to Faith's physical and occupational therapists, we decided to go for the Special Tomato adaptive car seat. You would think something with that name would b...
Read more

Guest Post: Who Needs Sympathy?

-
Image
Guest Post by Stephen Gallup Last week, a columnist for the local newspaper interviewed me in connection with a memoir I wrote that’s being published this year. It was a comfortable, low-key discussion in which he asked about the basic facts regarding my disabled son Joseph and what I’ve learned that might be of value to other families. It was the sort of dialog that required no special preparation in advance. I just sat down with him and talked about the subject closest to my heart. But looking back on it now, one thing bothers me. In concluding the interview, the reporter expressed heartfelt sympathy for everything I’ve endured. He was being more than polite. I mean, he laid the compassion on with a spatula. Startled, and already thinking ahead to what I had to do next that day, I just thanked him and said goodbye. But now that final note troubles me. I don’t want sympathy! First of all, from the point of view of a new author hoping to promote his book, sympathy...
Read more