We Shall Overcome

We shall overcome all the obstacles in the road that are leading us to our destination.  Let me start by saying that as I write this, I feel very confident that everything will work out for the good. 

So we have been having some medical issues with Amber and as of last night, she is back in the hospital.  She was admitted Feb. 27th for 48 hour observation while the doctors changed her medication.  They wanted to have her in for observation to make sure the medicine didn't cause seizures.  Well, 48 hours passed and no seizures so she was released on Tuesday March 1st.  She went to school on Wednesday and Thursday we celebrated her brother's birthday by going out to breakfast and then she went to school.  Later that night, we had family over for pizza and cake.  I thought things were well until she informed me that after everyone had gone, she experiened 2 Petit Mal seizures.  We called the doctor and he told us to put her back on one of the medications he had taken her off of as well as continuing  the new medication.  Friday, she went in for lab work and her levels were at 9.5 which is very good.  The normal range is 4-10 so the medication was well within it's range.  Over the course of the week-end she experienced more Petit Mal seizures.  Monday she went to school and work and after getting home experienced 3 Petit Mals within a 90 minute period.  Again, we called the doctor on  Tuesday and he said he was going to change medication again and would call us Wednesday to let us know what the new one would be.  Yesterday she experienced 4 Petit Mal seizure while at school and came home and went to bed.  She needed to be at work at 5:30pm so I told her to sleep until it was time to go.  About 3:30 I left to pick up Robert from work and go to Alyssa's game.  Robert left the game at 4:45 to get Amber and take her to work and when he got home she was in the bathroom.  After awhile of her being there he knocked on the door and got no response.  I was on the phone with him and told him to continue trying to talk to her and when she finally responded, he said she sounded funny.  He asked if he could come in and she said no, she was using the bathroom so he waited.  After a few minutes, she came out and he said she looked confused and tired.  She went to her room to lay down and said her body felt funny.  He noticed her brush and some other things on the bathroom floor so he called the doctor to let him know that she had appeared to have a larger seizure.  I came home and went in to talk to her and it was obvious she had had a seizure.  We took her to emergency and they admitted her last night.  Her medicine levels are low (4) and I told the doctor she has taken her medicine at the correct time every dose because I have made sure.  I don't know why the levels would be low.  They have her hooked up to a monitor and we will talk to the doctor later today to see what the plan is. 

Robert also go the news yesterday that he was being laid off as of yesterday.  The place he was working at is having major budgetary problems and he was one of the supervisors being let go.  Ugh, bad timing but it is what it is.  I will not let that bring me down.  I believe that God knows what he does and why he does it and although we don't understand, we have to have faith and trust.  I do not know what the future holds for us but I do know that as long as we are all together we will survive.

On a good note, my suburban went back into the shop Monday.  It was in last week for transmission issues and they thought the problem was a software issue and thought they had fixed it.  As soon as I got it off the freeway, I called them and told them it wasn't fixed.  I took it back Monday and they said they would have to look at it to pinpoint the problem then I had to authorize a $1500 amount to have the transmission taken out and apart, then a representative from the extended warranty company had to determine if the repair was something they were going to cover.  If it was great but if it wasn't then I had to pay the $1500 for the removal of the transmission and decide if I wanted it fixed which could be another $2,000-$3,000 to repair.  Well the guy from the dealer called this morning and said the whole transmission needs to be replaced and the extended warranty will cover the whole repair.  WooHoo!!!!!  So happy to hear that.  God is definatley good:)

Please keep our family in your prayers!!  I know that things will get better for us and I can't wait!

My Poor Baby

Oh the trials of being a parent.  No matter how old our children get, when they are sick and/or scared, we see them as a little child instead of a grown-up.  My 21 year old daughter Amber was addmitted to the hospital today because of her seizures.  She started having Petit Mal or Absence seizures when she was 10 years old.  It started as her seeming like she was just daydreaming but as time went on, we realized it was something more serious.  She would seem to fall into a trans like state (we called it zoning out) and would last about 15 to 30 seconds.  We had her tested and they found she had epelipsy.  She has been taking medicine since then to control the seizures. 

In 2007, she had her first Grand Mal.  Thank God it was here at home.  We took her to emergency and after testing found she wasn't taking her medicine the way she was supposed to.  The fear of the seizure got her in the habit of taking her meds on time daily.  She was seizure free for 3 years and beginning to do paperwork to get her drivers license.  As a mom who worries, I wanted to make sure she was on track with her medicine.  I noticed some instances where she was late taking it and wondered if she was going back to her old way.  I prayed that if she was going to have a seizure, it would be before she started driving and not after.  Low and behold, one week before Thanksgiving, she had another grand mal seizure.  Thankfully, again this one was at home.  I took her to emergency and they confirmed what I had been suspecting.  Her medicine levels were low.  Now the reality of her actions was beginning to set in.  There went her dream of driving at this time and now her fear of another seizure had set in.  We synchronized our phone alarms and set up the scheduled times on our phones and I was monitoring her. 

Knowing she was taking her medicine the way she was supposed to and at the right times, I was starting to feel more relaxed.  Then on February 8th, as she was getting ready for school, she had another grand mal seizure.  This time, I was scared because I didn't know what caused it.  I took her for lab work and to the Dr. and all her medicine levels were normal.  The Dr. added a new medication and we have been observing her the last few weeks.  She is extremely tired, moody and not herself.  She seems slow and sometimes confused.  Not her normal bubbly self.  Thursday nite after she got home from work, Robert was talking to her and she zoned out.  Concerned, we called the  Dr. on Friday and he immediatley said he wanted her admitted to the hospital.  He is concerned about why the seizures all of a sudden.  He wants to completely take her off her current medicine and change to a new one.  In order to do that, he wants her monitored in the hospital in case a seizure occurs.   He will have lab work done and also an MRI of her brain to see what is going on.

This is the first time she has ever been in the hospital.  She was reluctant to go.  She is very scared!  About 30 years ago, my cousin, who also had epelipsy, was in the hospital for surgery and had an aneurism and passed away.  Amber said she was scared because of what happened to her.  She associates my cousins death with epelipsy, which was not related.  We tried to reassure her but when we were leaving the hospital, she cried and didn't want me to leave her alone.  My heart ached to have to leave her.  Michel was there with her and I think he will stay pretty late.  At least he said he would be there late after she fell asleep.

I just pray that the doctors can find out the cause and that my baby can be seizure free and live a normal life.

Lucky Bear

I love this little Bear and hope he brings everyone who steps into my world, lots and lots of luck!

 

Been Gone and Now I'm Back

Well, it's been a crazy time around the Felipe household.  We are finally relaxing a little after Amber's medical issues.  She is doing better.  The doctor has her on a new medicine along with her regular ones and the new one makes her really, really tired.  I still see that she's down a little but I think with school, work and thank God for Michel, she keeps pretty busy.  Keep her in your prayers!

Alyssa is very busy with school and softball practice.  They have really begun to work the girls every single day.  By the time she gets home she's exhausted and has just enough time to eat and do her homework.  One good thing is her texting is down!  Yeah!  The softball season starts in a couple of weeks and I can't wait to see the progress these girls have made.  With all this practice, maybe we'll make it to CIF this year.

Robert has been working hard at work and then tutoring after work.  This is almost every day and he's beat by the time he gets home.  The little ones are great and getting over being sick.  Patrick is working very hard preparing for the State Writing Test next week.  I think he's worked so hard that he forgot his birthday is next week also.  I can't believe he's gonna be 10 years old already.  Seems like yesterday I was pushing him around in a stroller.

That leaves me....I have been really busy keeping things afloat here at home.  I have been busy with EBAY and also working on Chic Boutique.  I created a blog for the business, cbpurses.blogspot.com, and have been working on it the last few days.  I finally finished it and I really like how it turned out.  I just need a few little touches here and there but overall I'm proud of what it is.  I also have done some little things to this blog one being the comment section.  I have changed it so anyone can comment on my articles.  Please try it out so I can make sure it's working. 

Well, that's all the time I have now.  Must put on my teaching hat and start class with Patrick.  Have a great week and enjoy the last few days of February.  Bundle up this week-end...It's gonna be a cold one, Brr!

I made it through!

Well I made it through the week and what a stressful week it was.  Amber had another seizure on Tuesday morning.  It was a normal day, the kids were getting ready for school and I had just gotten out of the shower.  All of a sudden, I heard a loud thud and a moan, followed by Patrick screaming for me that Amber was having a seizure.  I threw on my robe and ran to the hall bathroom to find my daughter on the floor in the middle of a seizure.  Terrified, I yelled for my son to call his dad and begged him to come back home saying, "I need you, and I'm scared... I can't do this by myself again"  Robert, being the calm one, told me to just make sure she was breathing OK and stay with her until the seizure stopped and make sure she was breathing.  When she stopped convulsing, I made sure she was breathing, wiped her mouth and stayed with her until she came out of it.  Once she was awake and alert, I explained that she had another seizure and we took her to bed.  I asked her a series of questions and knew she was not fully aware of things because she couldn't remember what happened the night  before.  I left her to sleep and was at peace knowing she was in bed asleep.  Later when she got up to go to the bathroom, I told her not to lock the door and it seemed like eternity while she was on the other side of that door.  I kept hoping I didn't hear that sound of her falling again.  I can't explain how terrifying the days and weeks following a seizure are for me.  Every sound, bang, thud, yell sends me into a panic.

Wednesday morning I took her for lab work and didn't get the results until Thursday morning.  Not the news I wanted to hear.  Her med levels were normal.  This is only her third seizure in the last 3 years but the last two were because she wasn't taking her medicine the way she was supposed to.  At least with that we knew that as long as she took her meds the correct way, we could prevent seizures.  To know that her levels are normal and she still had a seizure is scary for me because it means she can have another one at any time.   Her last seizure was in November and the one before that was three years ago.

Friday morning I took her to the doctor and he explained that A. her levels may have been low but because her test was takent he day after the seizure and 3 doses of medicine were already in her system, her levels could have gone up and showed normal on the test or B. her body has grown immune to the medicine.  Dr. decided to add another medicine to her current prescription.  This new medicine is supposed to be good and he thinks she'll benefit from it.  The side effects: tiredness and dizziness.  Great!  Lets add some sleepiness to her already sleepy state. 

Since Tuesday, I have held in the urge to bust out crying from my frustration, saddness and fear.  I feel I have to be strong so I don't upset not only Amber but Patrick as well.  For a 9 year old, he worries so much about things, especially his sisters.  When I am alone, I can't help but cry and pray that we don't experience another seizure.  I can't seem to get the image of my beautiful daughter lying on the floor helpless.  After her first seizure, I had that image in my head for a long time and had erased it from my mind when she had her second one in November.  I was still getting over that one and starting to relax a little when this one hit. 

I don't know what's harder, living with the fear of another seizure or seeing my beautiful happy 21 year old, slip into a depressed state because she is so tired of having a disorder that prevents her from doing things that others her age take for granted.  I am a mom who lives for my kids and worry about them all the time but especially now, am terrified to be away from my daughter...terrified every time she takes a shower.  Today was her first day back to work and I called her several times to make sure she was OK.  She sounds so tired and sad!  For now, I feel good knowing she is home, in bed and safe.  For now, I have a sense of security because it's the week-end and I am not alone.  I will take that and enjoy every moment of it because come Monday, Robert goes back to work and Amber goes back to school and the fear starts all over again.

I am praying that the Will of God will one day free her of her seizures and allow her to live a normal life she wants and deserves.

Saturday, February 12th Sale

Hey everyone, just want to let you know we will be selling our purses on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at Orange County Christian School.  This is a parking lot sale and we will have a booth with our purses, wallets and purse hooks.  The sale is from 7am - 2pm.  Come check us out!

Orange  County Christian School
641 Western Ave., Anaheim 92804
(Located on Western near Orange Ave.)
 

WIND, WIND GO AWAY!!!!

Well it's Sunday morning and the sun is out.  That would make for a beautiful day except for the fact that the wind is blowing...really, really hard.  In our house that means only one thing.  Keep all the windows and doors closed.  Three of us suffer from allergies and when they hit, it's a day that's unproductive and unenjoyable.  I felt it coming on yesterday.  I told Robert that I felt I was gonna have allergies today and it wasn't even windy yesterday.  The plans were made for today.  The girls were gonna give the dog a much needed bath first thing in the morning.  I was gonna finish my EBAY listings and get started with stuffing and taking pictures of the new purses we bought so I could post those on the business blog.  Robert was gonna do yardwork outside and Patrick was gonna help. 

First thing I woke up to was a loud bang.  I ran out only to find out that the wind was howling and knocked something over in the back neighbors house.  Once, I looked out I realized: 1.  The poor dog would have to go another week without a bath.  2.  Robert would be doing yardwork alone if at all and 3. My oh so productive day would be cut down to working in between laying down to settle the sneezing.  I hate allergies so much.  All you hear is sneezing and blowing.  Guess I better get ready and head out to the store for more Kleenex.

My Valentine Topiary

OK, so I was at Michael's last week, picking up some supplies that Alyssa needed for her softball team's project.  As I was looking for the supplies, I noticed all the Valentines decorations they had.  (Since taking down the Christmas decorations, my desk area looks really bare and I wanted to decorate for Valentines day but really don't have any decorations to speak of.)  Michael's has some really cute things and I noticed this topiary they had.  It was in a red glittered pot, and had red roses.  They were asking $10.00 and it was cute but small.  As I looked at it, knowing I really shouldn't be spending money on stuff right now, I decided to try to make my own.  I already had most of the stuff needed except the flowers. 

A couple of days later, I went to the Dollar Tree to see if they had red roses and while walking the asiles, I noticed a package of rosebuds.  They are paper but dipped in soap and are scented.  They had dark pink, light pink and white.  I picked up some light pink and white and then picked up a few bunches of red roses that had a hint of glitter.  Then I picked up a large styrofoam ball and headed home to make my topiary.

I had a pot that I painted red and sprinkled with red glitter.  I started glueing the rosebuds to the ball.  I painted a wooded dowel red and attached that to the ball and stuck it in the green floral foam in the pot.  I covered the green foam with moss and attached a ribbon that I had.  Not only is my topiary bigger but it smells great with the scented soap.

Next I will decorate a wood frame I also picked up at Michaels for a buck and my desk area should be ready to enjoy my Valentines decorations!

A Messy Start To A New Year!

Ugh!  The daunting task of taking down all those decorations is upon me....well us.  I don't do it alone thanks to my wonderful husband.  But, even with the help, it's still a job!  My house is a mess and I don't just mean with things, I mean with dust.  I can't believe the dust that accumulates on everything during the month.  I took down the decorations around my desk area and now I can't figure out what to put so it doesn't look so bare.  Funny,  I can't seem to remember what was there before I decorated:)


The tree came down last night because today is trash day.  We all took off the decorations but the task of putting them away is mine.  Every single one of our Christmas tree ornaments has a special meaning to me and my family so putting them away must be done with care.  We have been collecting ornaments for the last 20 years and each year we just add to the collection.  From first baby, to vacations, to favorite cartoons to family traditions.  Funny, but I can remember where we got just about every ornament we have and they all bring such good memories. 

Tonight we will finally take down all the inside decorations and store them back in the rafters for another year.  Tomorrow the outside decorations come down.  I will sure miss the beautiful  lights that greet me when I come home at night. 


Oh the mess that comes with getting the house back to normal but how wonderful it will be when it's all put away and the house is clean and sparkly......well maybe I'll just settle for clean:)

Love Is The Most Important Gift Of All

Now that the holidays are behind us, we are all looking forward to a new year.  It's funny how it seems like right around the beginning of November, folks get a little nicer and more patient.  There seems to be something in the air that says, "This is the season of love!"  As Christmas gets closer, that love among family, friends and strangers seems to grow.  We smile more, say hello to strangers, feel more giving and have more compassion for others.

After the new year rings in, we still feel some of that.  We make our resolutions, look forward to new beginnings and enjoy our time with family.  Slowly though, something happens.  Vacations end, Christmas decorations come down and bills from the holiday shopping start to roll in.  We tend to forget the warm fuzzy feelings of the months before and settle into our daily routines once again. 

February brings us Valentines Day and for a minute we rush around trying to figure out what to get for that/those speical people in our lives.  In reality, the most important gift we can give is our love and our time.  I know my kids enjoy going out and buying things but what I have found out is that what they enjoy more is ME.  Me just spending time with them, playing games, talking/listening, watching a movie, cooking.  Anything that allows us to connect with each other.  I also enjoy going out and being with my husband at dinner or movies but what makes me even more happy is just sitting and talking to him and knowing that him and I are connected and enjoying being together.  Somtimes when I'm in the kitchen, he'll come in and help (that's a big thing since he doesn't cook). 

Everyday, there are so many ways we can show our love.  A smile to a stranger may not seem like a big deal but maybe to that stranger it's a huge deal.  While driving, don't always be in such a hurry that you don't let people through.  It only takes a second to extend our love no matter how big or small.  LOVE is the greatest gift and God gives his love everyday whether we deserve it or not.