Pictures

Before I forget, I want to post a couple of pictures from Katie's party.....

First, the birthday girls. Katie and Emily.

Here's Morgan........thanks Christy for helping out with the hair. I never could have done it myself.

I had a few more posted here, but went to get a link and forgot to save and now they're gone. I just don't have the patience to do it all over so I'm taking the easy way out. If you want to see the whole set, check them out here.

We have a lot of work to do....Katie's having some friends over to watch movies later. And, Morgan has pneumonia so I need to get her some medicine. Maybe I'll add some of those pictures later.

Neurologist

As you most likely know, from either talking to us or reading my blog, Morgan has had some health issues lately. Just in case you haven't talked to us in awhile, she had an "episode" as I like to call it, at school back in February which seemed to me to be a whole lot like a seizure. She was taken to the ER by ambulance and there she told us that the same thing happened to her at home just 2 days before. There was some question about a diagnosis right from the start. It looked like seizures, but she remembered them and that goes against what happens with most seizures. There was also some concern that it may be a vessel or brain issue (mini-stroke/tumor) so a Brain MRI and EEG were both ordered, mainly just to rule out the above mentioned diagnoses. The MRI came back clear, but the EEG did not, and we were referred to a Pediatric Neurologist at Children's Hospital for a consultation. Well, that was Tuesday. We have been told that Morgan has a type of Epilepsy called BRE or Benign Rolandic Epilepsy. It is called benign because almost all kids with this type of epilepsy outgrow it and show no lasting effects, but it does cause seizures like the ones Morgan has had and, more frequently, seizures at night. It can cause learning difficulties and behavioral problems that typically disappear when they outgrow the syndrome at around age 15 and so far she hasn't shown any learning difficulty. She has shown big behavioral changes, although I wouldn't say that she's a behavior "problem". She shows all the signs of BRE.....typical onset of symptoms is between the ages of 6-8 (she's 7), the seizure she had at school (now I can call it that) was on just one side of her face and body and she was drooling, just like everything I read says will happen. So, if she were to have any more seizures during the day, they would most likely be like that, or partial seizures. But, the nighttime seizures would most likely be the tonic-clonic or Grand Mal type. As far as we know, she hasn't had any of those, an up until a few days ago she's been sleeping on the floor in our room so we probably would have known if she did. Dr. Hallinan said that she really needs to get more sleep every night as sleep deprivation worsens the condition and makes seizures more likely. So, we're trying to get her on a sleep schedule, which isn't easy since she typically only sleeps 7 hours at night and never takes naps. The doctor really wants her to sleep 8-10. All I can say is we're working on it. Oh, and if that weren't enough.... she's been officially diagnosed with migraines too. So, she's doubly blessed. We now have a medical action plan at school and are keeping a headache diary to see if we can keep them under control without prescription medications. We're holding off on prescription meds for the epilepsy for now as well.... just to see if/how much worse it gets. We'll probably need to put her on something in the future and we've been given information on some meds that are available, but neither her doctor nor we think it's necessary right now. Well, I'm about tapped out...this is giving me a headache and I'm getting bummed just thinking about it all. I'll give updates as they come

A Busy Week

This week is going to be a doozy. Besides all of the normal running we do each week, we have extra things to pick up, plan and coordinate for the party that is Saturday. I'm getting so excited about it. We have some special surprises planned for Katie that I would love to be able to talk about, but since she reads my blog occasionally, I'd better keep quiet about them until after the party. I can say that I went shopping after work yesterday and today to pick up things and I'll have to do some last minute food shopping later this week.
My 365 Photo Project is coming along really well. I especially like the picture I took today. Here it is:



I had an idea to submerge the ball in a bowl of water and freeze it, and I was able to get 2 days worth of photos from that "project", but the end result wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped. Yesterday, I photographed it in a bubble bath with some bath toys and I've taken a picture with Bear too. I'm having fun with it. Every day I think that I'm not going to be able to think of another original idea, and somehow, I do. They're not always great, but ideas just the same.

Reunion

Another exhausting day. Of course, now I feel like I'm getting my second wind. But, when I got home from work all I wanted to do was sit. I spent the best part of 2 hours working on the Reunion. If I haven't mentioned it before, this August is my 20th High School Reunion. I'm on the planning committee and I haven't even thought about any of it in about a month. We're trying to make plans for a second meeting this Saturday and I had a lot of preparation and organizational things that I wanted to accomplish before then. I also did some online searching, made a few phone calls and sent an email to try to locate a few more of our classmates that we have been unable to reach as of yet. I was able to talk to the wife of one, and confirmed the phone number of another through the bar and grill that she owns, but had to leave messages at the others. Oh, and one was a complete dead end. Wrong person all together. I'm not confident that we'll EVER find him.
My photo project is going well........day 4 today. I have an idea for tomorrow too. So far so good. Well, I've got to go pick up dinner. (pizza tonight!)

Pictures

I've been pretty pleased with how my 365 Days Project is going. I had a really cool idea for yesterday, and I really liked how it turned out. This is what I submitted:



I had no idea what I was going to do next. I thought about it last night.....the idea from yesterday came to me when I was in bed the night before, right before I fell asleep. I do a lot of thinking then. Anyway, I was coming up empty last night. But, when I woke up this morning I figured something out. I looked out the kitchen window into the back yard and noticed that there was a ball glove on the trampoline. It had been left there overnight. So, I sent Morgan out to get it, and came up with the idea for today. You can see the whole set (all 3 days worth so far ) here. I've learned that there is also a weekly challenge in which a theme is given to incorporate with your object. Last week's was patterns..... you were supposed to take a picture on a pattern, as part of a pattern, etc. I was still thinking about that one when it changed today. This week's challenge is "Going Green"....environmentally, that is. I've come up with an idea, but since I've already taken my picture today, I have to wait until tomorrow. I still need a few more items to make it complete, but it's just a matter of gathering them. Check that link out tomorrow and you can see the end result.
Today was another hectic one for us. Work was crazy again, but I'm not going into that tonight. When I got home from work, Katie and I began gathering items for the challenge photo while Morgan got ready for softball practice. I let Katie invite a couple of her friends to come along to hang out with her while she waited. So, we picked up John and Andrea and they walked around and talked while Morgan practiced. After practice, we all went to Subway for dinner, then I took the kids home. They all had a good time.
Now, Morgan is finishing up her diorama and dictating her report to Katie who is typing it. It's a little late to be doing this, but that's the way things go around here. They always wait until the last minute. She is presenting this report in class tomorrow, so it can't wait another day. Oh well, many more late nights like this and she'll learn. (hopefully)

Work

Today was extremely busy at work today. Along with the 40 or so new cases we set up and the 50 or so collection kits we sent out, we received samples for 74 cases today! I didn't think we would ever get it finished. And, if we had been able to connect to the server at HSBC today, we would have also had 13 UK cases to make, but those will have to wait until tomorrow. I LOVE Mondays!!!
In my last post I talked a little bit about Flickr and that I was thinking about joining a group. Well, I did......let me tell you how it came about. I had browsed some of the 365 groups. Those are the ones where you take a picture each day for 365 days. There are all kinds......some are self-portraits, some are of kids and some are objects. Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I had to get outside despite the headache. I first replaced the rope and flag in the front yard and then I grabbed the camera and started taking pictures. I came across a pink, spiky ball lying in the grass. It looked interesting to me, so I took a picture of it. Later, while downloading them I thought about the "One Object 365 Days Project". In this group you must take a picture every day for 365 days, and each picture must contain the sme object......the Ball! So, I joined the group and as of now, have submitted my first two photos. You can tell by the frequency (or lack of) of this blog that I'm very good at starting things, but not so good at sticking with them. So, I think this will be a very good exercise for me......and will push me to think more creatively. And, hopefully I'll learn more about photography along the way.
Well, it's almost 10 o'clock and I need to get Morgan into bed. She's been working on her diorama for her report that's due Wednesday. She found a way to make a report about the invention of chewing gum into a diorama. She's going to show how the resin is taken from the spruce tree sap to the factory to be made into chewing gum. And, write a report about the person who invented it and how it's made. Here is her progress so far:

Race Day

Sundays are Race Day at our house. We typically watch the pre-race programs on Speed Channel, the race, then any post-race programs (if anything really exciting happened). Today, is no different. My favorite driver, Dale Jr. won the Pole for this race, and he ran the first part of the race in the lead. Now, he's hovering in the top 5, and hopefully will make it to Victory Lane today.
It's such a beautiful day out today that I think I'm going to take a break from the race and go outside and take some pictures of Morgan and anything else that seems interesting. I set up a Flickr account yesterday and am toying with the idea of joining some of the groups and posting some pictures. I've always been interested in photography and have had the occasional shot that's turned out really good. I'd love to learn more and get really good at it. I've been inspired and am motivated to try it all again by seeing all of the great shots Brook takes. You can see them here . She's awesome....check them out.

Uneasy

I've had the strangest feeling all day today.....almost like the calm before a storm. I just can't put my finger on it except to describe it as a feeling of unease. I keep going through things in my head trying to find something I've forgotten to schedule, or pick up or do. But, I'm coming up empty.
We were extremely busy at work today, and I think that contributed since I wasn't able to accomplish everything I would have liked to, and I feel like there's something that I must have missed there too. Morgan had Ballet Class tonight so I had to rush to the dance studio right after work and there I made sure I had all the tickets for her recital paid for, her photo time scheduled in my planner and all the info I need for her upcoming recital. Thankfully, her softball practice, which was scheduled for 7 (15 minutes after Ballet ends) was cancelled due to the weather today. She was tired today and so was I.... and she just doesn't look good to me right now. She's looking a little pale and tired and I'm concerned (freaked out) that another seizure may be coming. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid....it's this day.
Right now I'm sitting on the couch (again) working on the mountains of laundry (again) and listening to music while I write this. At this moment, one of my favorite songs of all time is playing....Good Riddance by Green Day. I don't know why, but I LOVE this song and I never tire of listening to it. Morgan is flitting about from room to room coloring, writing menus, playing with the dog and talking. She's all excited about her Spring Pictures at school tomorrow and which earrings she's going to wear. Oh, and about her school project. Hers is a report/presentation about some guy who invented chewing gum. I've already forgotten his name. And she's already decided that she wants to make a diorama for her presentation although she hasn't yet decided how she's going to make a diorama of gum exactly yet. She's still thinking about it. I'm sure she'll come up with something creative. Katie is on MySpace right now (BIG Surprise) after cleaning most of the evening. She wants to have her friends over this weekend to watch the Sweeney Todd DVD that she's planning to buy this week with the money she earned babysitting over Spring Break. She's very motivated since I told her that NOBODY was coming over until the house was spotless....lol. Hey, whatever it takes, right? Now Morgan's being some sort of animal trainer and has Bear (our dog) jumping over upside-down laundry baskets. She's looking for more treats as we speak. And that's my cue to get going before she feeds the dog so many that he's sick.

Sundays

Today I'm sitting on the couch with my new laptop writing this. I have mountains of laundry surrounding me and no end to it in sight. We've had a very busy last couple of days and my goal today is to get all of this blasted laundry finished and try to get organized. It seems like that's a recurring theme in my life......to get things organized. I feel like I'm a basically organized person. If you could see my desk at work, you'd think I was crazy.......I have everything in its place...ALWAYS. And, I'd like nothing more than to have my house the same way. The only problem is, I live with 3 people who have no concept of order and no desire for organization. It drives me crazy. Instead of fighting it, which is a hopeless cause, I try to pick my battles and let it go. But, ever so often it gets to where I can no longer take it......the clutter and disorder drives me crazy and I have to do something about it even though it won't last a week. And, now is one of those times. I've got to get this place in order again. And, I'm going to be fighting everyone to help me, or driving them nuts at the very least. Morgan has dance, and softball practice after school tomorrow so that will seriously cut into my housework time, so I need to get as much accomplished as possible today. I just wish my body would cooperate with me and this headache would go away. And, I wish Katie would help me instead of insisting that we put up the new lights we bought at IKEA yesterday RIGHT NOW. She was in no hurry for anything I asked her to do. I'll tell of our weekend tomorrow. It was quite a weekend and amazing really, but my head hurts too much to concentrate and I just heard the angry warning from the dryer telling me that I need to get up. I wish it were tomorrow already.....or at least that the mountains were levelled.

Chaos

The title of this entry pretty much sums up the past couple of weeks. I'm getting used to the thought that Morgan may in fact be having seizures.....I guess time can do that to you (or for you), but I still wish that I didn't have to live with the uncertainty for so long. Our first appointment with a neurologist is scheduled for April 22nd and try as I might, I can't seem to get one any sooner. I'm supposed to try every few days to see if there are any cancellations, so we have that to hope for. Other than that, it's just every day hectic things. Katie is taking driving class this week and next, so there's that and all the running that entails. And, Morgan has dance and softball starting. I've got to get the house cleaned 'cause I'm having Easter here like always and I have a to do list a mile long. I don't even know where to start with that. In fact, I don't even think my to do list is finished. Real organized, huh?
On that note, I think I'll work on a list......at least that's a start.

Tests

Today we're going to Children's Hospital to have some tests run on Morgan. She had an "episode" at school last week, and after a trip to the ER and a couple to her doctor's office, we finally found someone who was as concerned about her symptoms as we are... and he didn't waste any time. He called a neurologist right then, and they decided that she needed to be looked at further. So, today she is having and EEG and an MRI done. And I, being the quintessential worrier, already have myself convinced that she has a brain tumor or another equally catastrophic malady. I even made the mistake of "going there" by doing a little research on brain tumors and found that all the strange symptoms she's been having would fit such a diagnosis.
I know you're thinking....."why would she even look at that stuff?". But, it wasn't my intention. See, I googled images of MRI machines so that I could show them to Morgan to try to put her at ease about what's going on today. Included in the results, was a brain scan picture.....complete with a tumor. I clicked on it (who could resist?) and was taken to a woman's blog who was diagnosed with a tumor and told of her "journey" as she called it, through her treatment. (it wasn't a happy ending). A couple of her early symptoms match Morgan's, so I decided to dig a little further. Of course, all the symptoms that people with tumors experience can also be symptoms of something else, but the ones Morgan has are: headaches, taste changes, mood and behavior changes, seizures....(which we're still not sure about), but at school she was drooling with slurred speech. Those could also be symptoms of stroke...or mini-stroke, another lovely option. I know (and pray) that most likely these results will reveal nothing. And I keep telling myself that we're doing this as purely a precautionary measure, but the more I read and think, the more I worry. I know my next entry will be that all the tests were clear and that we'll be talking to the doctor to discuss the more likely possiblility of migraines. Right now I'm going to help her wash her hair and get her dressed for her day. Now to find something with no snaps, metal buttons or zippers (what about glitter??).....and no jewelry.

Once Again....

I know that every time I start one of these, I say that "I'm going to try to keep up with it this time" and I never do, but I hope "this time" will be different. I don't know if it's possible to keep up with 2 blogs....as I've been pretty faithful to my blog on myspace. But, I'll give it a try. I like this format better, and I can do so much more with this.
If you were a reader of my former blog, (which I'm sorry, I deleted) you'll notice that the difference is like night and day. I couldn't figure out how to get the music player off of the blog...... I couldn't find the code. But, the name's the same at least.
It's quiet around here right now. Katie is in West Virginia with the Choralier's right now. They have a competition this weekend and because of the distance, they're staying over 2 nights. She's helping out with the tech crew this year and seems to really be enjoying it. I know any time you can get a couple of days away in a hotel with your friends, it's fun. I'm glad she has this opportunity. I want her to stay busy and to be able to experience a lot of different things during her High School years. And being away from us fosters her independence, which she desperately needs.
Morgan is here....but, she's sick. She came home from school Wednesday not feeling well. In fact, she fell asleep right after she got off the bus. She refused to stay home Thursday and Friday even though she was complaing of headaches and a sore throat and she had a fever off and on both nights. She has perfect attendance at school, and doesn't want to lose it by staying home. So, after looking at her throat with a flashlight (yeah, I do that) and seeing the mess in there, I decided to take her to the doctor. Good thing I did....she has strep. Now half her class will probably end up with strep because she's been to school with it. She didn't have a fever either morning, so I let her go. She said she's feeling okay, but she's not herself. The antibiotics the doc gave her should have her back to normal in no time. Tomorrow we're going to see the Hannah Montana concert movie if she feels up to it. ....yay. I'm so not looking forward to it, but she's so excited about it that I can't pass it up.
Well, Brian's bugging me to come to bed, so I'm gonna go. Until later...