Living Post Stroke

A while back I told all of you about having a stroke. It was, in the Dr.'s words, itsy, bitsy, tiny. Yet it was a stroke and nothing to be taken lightly!

Since having the stroke and getting the diagnosis I have been making changes in my life. Most have not been huge, but they are changes. I have to admit it right away. I HATE taking pills. Seriously, I really do hate taking pills. It is something I have always struggled with and not because I have trouble swallowing. Not I just hate taking them.

So one of the big, to me anyway, changes is a regular routine of pill taking. There are not a lot of pills I have to take, but a lot that were suggested to take. Being a person who seldom, if ever, does anything half way I opted for the whole kit and caboodle. this was something I was not going to leave to chance or guessing. I hit the floor running on this one and have not looked back. Every single morning I faithfully pop all the prescriptions and supplements I have. I often feel like I could go without breakfast from taking so many. My sweet husband just watches as I down one right after the other and then drink my juice that has a special mineral formula mixed in it. He actually is a little bit amazed. For almost 28 years has has fought with me to even take a simple pain pill for a headache, yet alone all I am taking now.

Other changes in my life have been a little slower, and not by choice. The hardest for me is exercise. Some of you may be asking how that could be such a problem. Well imagine that you are on a ship in a horrible storm and even the seasoned captain is suffering from sea sickness, that's what walking around with double vision is like. Quick turns, moving my head too fast, movement in front of me that is too fast can send my head and my stomach into a whirlwind. It's horrible. I have learned to walk towards a target without much of a problem. That target has to be stationary though. If it moves I have trouble. So exercise is pretty rough right now.

I found an old program I had years ago when my second son was born. I have started doing some of it and it is slow going. I can do a few of the exercises, the ones all sitting down, and only one or two of the standing ones. The several on the floor are pretty much the easiest though, but then there is the whole getting down there and back up without passing out. Ugh!

But I am determined! I really am, so much so that I have walked up and down our hallway in the house several times each day for a few days now just to move. Yes I have to close my eyes as I turn around, but at least I am doing it.

Diet has been another thing that has been a little slower. I know myself pretty well. I should at my age! I know that if I cold turkey cut all kinds of things out all at once I would be miserable. Being miserable is not an option! No question there. Being healthy is the option! Changing life-long habits is going to take time. I refuse to be one of those people who jumps on a bandwagon and then jumps off, then back on, then back off. No way! So gradually cutting back and cutting out is how I am approaching this. So far it's working! Loosing 8 pounds and it not going up and down, just down, well that's pretty good.

I have to say though that the biggest and most dramatic change for me is my walk with Christ! I have become closer to Him than ever before. There is a small possibility that my vision may never return to normal and I am prepared to deal with that. I will admit I am not thrilled with the idea in anyway, but I am willing to accept whatever He has for my life. Prayer has been sweeter. Reading (when my eyes can handle it) has been joyful. Singing hymns at church Sunday was wonderful and uplifting. So if nothing else comes from this journey the Lord has taken me on I'm fine!

Why? Because I am closer to Him. That's all I need.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."
I Peter 3:15

My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Review and Giveaway

I am an avid scrapbooker. I have been for as long as I can remember. My Mother was a scrapbooker and her Mother was a scrapbooker. I wouldn't be surprised if her Mom was too! It just seems to be in our blood. I've made one or two complete scrapbooks. Okay really it is over 100, but who's counting! To me there is something special about picking up an album and looking through all the memories and just enjoying what we have been blessed with over the years. There's also something special about knowing I put a lot of love, time, energy and effort into cutting, pasting, trimming and everything else that goes into scrapbooks.

Well when I first heard of digital scrapbooks I was not impressed. I really thought it was very impersonal and everyone else would have pages just like mine and everyone else. But I am changing my tune some.

My Memories was kind enough to send me their 3.0 Suite. I have to say I am impressed. First of all I was amazed at how much is in the whole package. There are some many amazing colors of paper that I was shocked, to say the least about textures and prints. It's like wandering through a paper store, although you don't get to feel the paper.

Then there are the embellishments from brads and ribbons to swirls and more. And all of it comes in a bazillion different colors. It's fun looking through all of it.

Now I will admit I am still working out the bugs and kinks of learning the program. I am not the best when it comes to computer stuff. But I am getting there! It may take me a while to get the hang of things, but I think when I do I will really enjoy it.

What I do like the best is that you can make the exact same album over and over. If you want to give a copy to everyone in your family, you can! I love that!! And I would love to say that i could show you a whole bunch of pages i have completed. Did I mention I am still working out the bugs and kinks? I did, so I am just going to show you a few pages from the gallery shots on My Memories.

Aren't those some of the neatest pages? I just love how personal you can make them and how you can add as little or as much as you want! And the really fun thing is that complete album templates are available in the program so all you have to do is add your own photos and text and you're done! I think that is great for a quick gift idea. The possibilities are almost limitless on what you can do with the program and your own photos. It's all up to your imagination!

My Memories is offering a very special discount just o my readers. All you have to do is go to My Memories and use this special code to get a 10% discount on your purchase of the My Memories 3.0 Suite.

Here's the code just for you: STMMMS64270

My Memories has also been kind enough to offer a giveaway to my readers. One lucky reader can win the My Memories 3.0 Digital Scrapbooking Suite! That's a $40 value! Wow! All you have to do is enter using the Rafflecopter bellow. Remember to give it time to load and follow the directions carefully!

Make sure you check out all the My Memories has to offer. I'm sure you'll be just as impressed as I was!

I was given a copy of the My Memories Software from My Memories and the Mom Blog Society. I was not compensated financially for this review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by anyone else.

Recyclebank and My Hair!

Recyclebank has an awesome program! How do I know? I've been a part of it for some time now and love it. I have earned some pretty neat freebies and discounts all from learning new and unique ways to recycle, as well as companies that support recycling through their products.

Now anyone reading this blog for any length of time knows how I have very long hair, um, 3 feet to be exact! So when I found out they started teaming up with Pantene I was thrilled!

Right now Recyclebank has a new quiz up that will help you earn 20 points towards a freebie or a super discount. Better yet you'll learn how the makers of Pantene are working hard to make their bottles much safer and friendlier for our planet! Plant based bottles, how cool is that?!

Take the quiz here!

Oh and over on their side bar is another 5 points you can get answering a simple question about Pantene! Have fun learning!!

See the Light – The Crossmaker Review & Giveaway

I have another guest post for you. Please welcome once again 
Victoria Carnline!

YAY! IT’S A GIVEAWAY
TEN LUCKY WINNERS WILL RECEIVE THEIR OWN COPY OF
SEE THE LIGHT’S ART CLASS- VOLUME ONE

Many of us have filled our children’s younger years with a variety of crafts and crafting programs, but what about Art? My oldest daughter has always been fascinated by it.  We have taken her to galleries and art festivals, but teaching her how to create her own Art is something we have simply overlooked or couldn’t afford.  Well, until now that is.


Art Class Promo-hs from Kip Perry on Vimeo.


See the Light, is a variety of Art lessons taught from a Christian perspective.  I received The Crossmaker, Easter Story & Art Lessons to review for our family. Immediately upon receipt my daughter tore open the packaging, put the DVD into our player, and sat down ready to learn.  All of our other children gathered around her wondering “what was all of the excitement about?”

They all watched the story of the young crossmaker, Dominic, as he witnessed the execution of Jesus.   My children discussed how horrible it must have been for Dominic to have been the one who made Jesus’ cross, to witness his execution, and the guilt he must have felt. They talked about the artwork used in the story and they continued to talk about Dominic. As a parent, I noticed that the story was told in a way that was easy for the children to relate to.  And it was short enough for them to enjoy without losing interest, even for our youngest.

After the story ended, my daughter continued on for the first Art lesson.  This consisted of lettering the word “Glory”.   I thought this was a great opening lesson for any school aged child to enjoy. My Jazz loved it. I have since seen her letter her name, her friend’s names, and her weekly Bible verse.

Next, during He is Not Here!  He is Risen!  Jazz learned all about using chalk pastels in more ways than she ever planned.  I was in another room and she ran in and shouted “She is drawing…. WITH CHALK!  I didn’t know you could do that!”  Our old box of sidewalk chalk has received more attention in the past week than it has in the past year!

The Final lesson featured on this DVD was Three Crosses on a Hill. My daughter really enjoyed the teacher of this lesson.  She liked that he would periodically stop and suggest she pause the film until she finished each step.  She said that she liked not feeling rushed during the lesson.  I thought this was a great way to show how to blend various techniques. He recommended sketching first, next the use of markers, watercolors, and finally florescent crayons!  I thought it was a great way to show children that in Art, they are not limited when they create… they can use almost anything tool, supplies, or technique they want.

The Bonus Features are truly a bonus!  I don’t know how many times my daughter has watch artist Gloria Kohlmann draw the Easter Story in Reveal.  Each time Jazz is more amazed at the technique and how quickly she is able to create. She is even more amazed at the different features of the piece that she didn’t notice before. Each time she has watched this segment, she discovers something new.   Another bonus feature offered is another view of her creation with information narrated by the artist regarding the picture and her techniques.

The plan of salvation is a story of salvation told and explained to children through an art story.  I enjoyed the way the narration answers questions children commonly ask about their salvation, while they are shown these truths through the artwork seen.

Our family has seen the light and we want yours to see the light too!  That is why we are happy to announce that See the Light is giving away TEN copies of their Art Class- Volume One! That’s right! Ten lucky readers or followers will win their own copy for their children to enjoy!  You can enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Special note:  Although each lesson is already priced affordably, See the Light also offers their entire Art Class series as a set for $99.99. This same set would cost $134.91 if purchased individually.  This is a total savings of $34.92, over 25% off, or the equivalent of getting 2 disks for free!

Coming Soon! Art Class – Volume One Review.  Take a look at what you could win!

*Disclaimer: I was given one Crossmaker DVD for the purpose of facilitating an honest review. No monetary compensation was given. All opinions expressed herein are unbiased and not influenced by the developing company in any way.*

Bake Up Some Love With Pillsbury

I love to bake from scratch, but sometimes I love the easy and fun way to bake as well. Pillsbury has made a fun way for Valentines.

Pillsbury makes it easy to share the love with new Ready to Bake!^TM Valentine Shape® Cookies, now featuring some of your favorite Disney® characters. Festive pre-cut cookies make it easy to show your Valentines they're special.

So what are you waiting for? Get started on baking your sweetie some sweet treats by clicking here to print a coupon for $1.10 off one package of Ready to Bake!^TM Valentine Shape® Cookies.That's a great savings and you can print twice by hitting the back button!

Have fun baking up some love!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Oh my golly! I can not tell you how good this recipe is. I have made it many times now and every time I do I get raves about it. In fact we ended up making it for our Mother Daughter banquet last year. It was so popular I had to copy the recipe for everyone who came! I got it form a dear man who has served with Child Evangelism Fellowship for many years. My husband and I used to be missionaries with them and that is how we met him. Thanks so much Joe for such an amazing recipe!! Just wish I had a picture to show you.

Twice Baked Potatoes    (Joe Swisher)

4 large potatoes, baked and cooled.
(I rub oil on the potato skins and then cut them in half before baking. I also wrapped the two halves together in foil to bake)
2 small potatoes, peeled, boiled and cooled
1 c. sour cream
4 tbsp. butter
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese (reserve ⅓ c. for topping)
4 heaping tbsp. chives (reserve small bit for topping)
⅓ c. bacon bits (optional & reserve for topping)

Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the inside of each half, reserving the skins. Mash the potato scooped out & boiled potatoes. Mix the remaining ingredients into the potatoes. The mixture will be thick and heavy to mix. Scoop mixture back into the potato skins or use a very large decorating tip to pipe the potatoes back into the skin. Cover and refrigerate overnight, if desired. Preheat oven to 250◦. Sprinkle tops of potatoes with remaining cheddar cheese and chives (and bacon if desired). Bake for 35-40 minutes to warm through and to melt cheese on top.

Trut me, your family will love this and ask for more! It's so easy to do and really yummy!!

Healthier Hair Healthier Planet

Unlike most of you I have a lot of hair. By a lot I mean about 3 feet of it! I've had long hair since I was 11 years old. It's something, well, pretty important to me. So taking care it is really important. Can you imagine 3 feet of hair NOT taken care of. Eeew!!

On and off I have used Pantene Hair Products, and with mixed results. Some worked okay, some didn't work at all. But recently I tried their Nature Fusion line and WOW! I just love how it makes my hair feel, smell, and how well I can manage it. For years I have struggled with my hair breaking and some split ends. But since I started using the Nature Fusion my hair has been stronger and feels amazing! No really, It has never been softer. My husband has always loved my hair. He jokes with me that cutting it is grounds for divorce. (remember he is only kidding!!) He has even noticed how much nicer my hair feels. That's really saying something.

Well Pantene has teamed up with Recyclebank. I love Recyclebank!! I was an earth friendly person long before it became big! Recycling and composting and reusing has always been a big part of my life. So I was thrilled to find out that Pantene and Recyclebank have teamed up. By taking part in simple activities on Recyclebank you can earn discounts and free products.

One of those activities that is new is by taking a pledge with Recyclebank and Pantene. Pantene's bottles (excluding the cap) are now made from 59% plant materials. How cool is that?! The pledge is really easy, you just have agree to learn more about how they make the bottles. That simple! No hoops, no bells, no whistles! And when you do take the pledge you earn 10 points in your Recyclebank account. Those points added with others you can earn on the site will add up quickly and you could score some pretty nifty things as well as learn new and fun ways to help our planet!!

So what are you waiting for. Go HERE to sign up for Recyclebank and then go HERE to take the pledge!

Save a Little "Dough" on Pillsbury

Okay I had to do the pun. I'm feeling kinda punny today.

Here's a great coupon for $1.10 off when you buy THREE of any size or variety of Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands!, Crescent Dinner Rolls, Ready To Bake! Cookies, Sweet Rolls, or Grands! Sweet Rolls.
Remember to click the back button & resend so you can print twice!!

Pillsbury Coupon Here

I received this information and the coupon offer from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark. 

Thanks MyBlogSpark!

More Giveaways Coming Up!!

Be on the lookout, I have several giveaways coming up in the next week. I'm really excited. I have learned how to function better with my double vision and doing things on the computer is getting easier than it was a few weeks ago after my stroke. Keeping up with things on here is going to be so much more fun now. And the blog is growing thanks to all of you. I'm still small in the blogging world, but I love all my readers and really enjoy sharing things with you.

So be watching for more giveaways soon. I love the new products I am going to be giving away! And don't forget to enter the three I already have going on.

Bloggers Needed For Diamond Candles!!

You can apply here to give away Diamond Candles. The candles are awesome and I have been wanting to try one for a long time now! Each candle comes with a ring inside worth $10, $100, $1,000, or $5,000. And better yet they are soy and earth friendly. How cool is that?! I know I'm applying. How about you?

Apply Here for Diamond Candles

MathTacular! Review & Giveaway – Part 1

As a former homeschooling Mom I welcome this guest post by Victoria Carnline!

My family has been blessed to receive the MathTacular!  The Complete Package, for review.  Because there is so much to offer, I will be completing my review in sections in an effort to provide our readers with an inside view of everything they have to offer.  For Part 1, I will be reviewing the Math Educational Kit with DVD.  This kit is designed for children up to age 7 or second grade… Did I mention this was a giveaway, and the winner will receive this exact kit along with an additional DVD of their choice?  In case you missed it:

YAY! It’s a Giveaway! MathTacular! Is giving away their Math Educational Kit with DVD AND an additional MathTacular DVD of the winner’s choice!

The first day of receiving our kit was like a birthday party for us.  Everyone gathered around to see everything we received, everyone wanted to play with it, and only the “recipient” was allowed – that’s me.  I felt like a child.  The box is vibrant and reminds me of the box to a board game.  Makes you very excited to see what is inside!  It states “Educational Kit 350+ piece Set Including DVD Video”… 350+ pieces is a LOT!  I immediately open everything.  Again, I feel like a kid playing with all this stuff.
Inside I found and reorganized a variety of manipulatives.  I had an empty 2.5 Qt. storage bin available so I immediately unwrapped our pattern blocks and put them in the bottom.  I left our color tiles and bear counters in the original zip-top bags, I labeled them, and set them on top (still inside the bin). I did this because I knew my children would want to use these manipulatives for more than just their schoolwork and I wanted them to be easily accessible.
Next I sorted through the remaining manipulatives, removed any unnecessary (or original) packaging and kept the zip-top bags.  I went ahead and put the rubber bands on the geoboard. I made sure the multifix cubes and plastic units, rods, and squares were in their own bags.  I have a miscellaneous bag for the popsicle sticks, bean counters, dice, red and white counter, and sidewalk chalk.  I leave the additional manipulatives, such as the clock, ruler, number flash cards, geoboard, and numbers chart placed in the bottom of our box when not in use.
The MathTacular Math Manipulative Guide is also included with this kit!  This small book is a wonderful resource for what to do with your manipulatives outside of the uses shown within the DVD. Its purpose is to inspire you to move past their recommendations and use your manipulatives for so much more!  I must say, when reading this book, it does give me an idea or two on how to make this even better!  My children have already begun using their pattern blocks and color tiles as building blocks to create towers, buildings and bridges for the counter bears.  I took this activity one step further and gave them each the same amount of tiles, shapes, and bears to use – try it and watch the different ways each child use them.

The next morning my children awoke to a “preview” of all this DVD has to offer.  It was the weekend, not a school day, so we were able to take our time and be “fun” about it with our children.  The oldest two and our youngest stuck around for about a half-hour to watch.   Our youngest daughter however, watched over an hour before she asked if I could “pause it” while she played with the other kids outside. I thought this was wonderful as she is in the age/grade range recommended for this kit.
After our preview session, I decided to view the DVD on my computer as our DVD player’s remote has managed to disappear.   By doing so, I was able to select the subject and lesson I wanted to view instead of the entire two and a half hour movie.  This is a remarkable resource for combining the DVD with specific lessons.  For instance, if you are working on time, calendaring, schedules, or the days of the week… you can select the practical math section of the DVD, and choose the appropriate lesson.
Another DVD Perk is FREE PRINTABLES!:
A PDF file can be found on the Unbelievable Understandable Math DVD that includes are variety of printables to be used in conjunction with your kit. This includes:  color name cards, days of the week & weather cards, geometry concentration, money value flashcards, months of the year, number name flashcards, shape name cards, shape pages, and time dominoes.
I recommend you print and laminate all of the printables included with this DVD upon receipt of your kit. Afterwards you can place them in individual envelopes for immediate use at the time your child has reached the appropriate level.

What I like the most about this kit is that unless it is included, they use items commonly found around the average family’s home to explain math principles.  This allows children, especially young children, to associate math with their everyday life. They used socks, toys, blocks, food, rulers, playing cards, telephone, books, storage bins, sock monkey, balls, beach balls, clothes, dominoes, and even cars in a parking lot as examples.
Use this kit alone or in conjunction with your other curriculum.  Either way, you and your child(ren) will be pleased with the results!
Don’t forget, this is Part 1 of my review of MathTacular! The Complete Package.  If you are interested in these products, please read Part 2 next week!
*Disclaimer: I was given one MathTacular! The Complete Package for the purpose of facilitating an honest review. No monetary compensation was given. All opinions expressed herein are unbiased and not influenced by the developing company in any way.*

USPS Price Changes (45¢ Stamps, 32¢ Postcards)

The price of stamps is going up on January 22nd, 2012. The price of Forever Stamps will increase from 44¢ per stamp to 45¢ per stamp (this is the first time that the price of Forever Stamps has increased since May 2009!)

* Postcards: 3¢ increase to 32¢
* Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.): 5¢ increase to 85¢
* Letters to other international destinations: 7¢ increase to $1.05

Check out this news release for more information.Stock up on several books of Forever Stamps since you will save yourself 1¢ per stamp.

Thanks Rockin' Deals for this post!!  Make sure you check out some of her other posts too!! She's got a great blog!!

Purex Crystals and Jockey Team Up & Giveaway!

I was thrilled to get the chance to try Purex Crystals fabric softener again! I really do love the product. It is so practical, and I love practical! I was sent the Tropical Splash fragrance and let me tell you it is lovely!! I just enjoy the fragrance so much and so does my family. When you live in a house full of men, that's saying a lot!!

Just a reminder here is what Purex Crystals can do for your clothes.

~Laundry scent lovers will perk up as freshness is infused into clothes with this new fabric softener. Over time, traditional oil-based softeners coat fibers causing harmful oily residue to accumulate. Purex Complete Crystals Softeners penetrate fabrics to reduce fiber entanglement and smooth frayed fibers providing a naturally soft feel.

~Do ALL of your laundry—worry free! Purex Complete Crystals Softeners are safe for
all laundry and will not harm, wear down or discolor your fabrics like oil-based softeners.
Safe for all fabrics, including baby clothes, athletic wear, towels, and whites. Unlike other softeners, Crystals WILL:
• Preserve the flame retardant benefits of your children’s clothes
• Retain your athletic wear’s wicking ability which draws sweat away from your body
• Maintain your towels’ built-in ability to absorb water
• Keep your white clothing from yellowing and graying vs. using traditional softeners

But I wasn't only sent the Purex. I was also sent a Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra. Now the bad things is that the sports bra didn't fit me, so I gave it to a friend of mine who tested it out and also washed it using the Purex Crystals. She loved both!  The best part is that Purex will not mesh with the wicking property of the sports bra. That's a very important thing. Normal fabric softeners are oil based and that oil can build up and stop the wicking. So not good when you are working out!! She loved how the sports bra felt while she had it on. She mentioned that it was great making her feel like she wasn't going to bounce all over the place. That's very good thing. She also loved how it kept it's shape after several washings and fit just as well as the first time!

 Jockey and Purex have offered to give one of my readers  full size bottle of Purex Crystals and a Jockey Sports Bra. Just follow the simple entry options in the Rafflecopter bellow! Be patient with it loading, sometimes it takes a minute!

Jockey and Purex provided free samples of their products so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed are my own.

Awesome Savings On Progresso Soup!!

Get $1.25 off 4 cans of Progresso Light Soup!! When these go on sale this is a great savings!!
Don't forget you can hit the back button and print twice!!

Progresso Light Soup Coupon Here!

This coupon was provided  by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Win a Kindle Fire or an Apple iPad2!!

Rafflecopter is celebrating the launch of their new app with a giveaway! I love using Rafflecopter to host and enter giveaways!

Enter to win a Kindle Fire or Apple iPad2 (16GB). Be sure to say that Grandma Reviews referred you! Open to US & Canada.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purex Triple Action UltraPacks Review

Well Purex is at it again. They just keep getting better and better with all the products they introduce. I really think they have a winner this time. In February they will be releasing a new laundry detergent I think you will love, Triple Action UltraPacks. These things are pretty nifty!!

What are Purex® UltraPacks™?
• New Purex UltraPacks are convenient pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever.
• Purex UltraPacks manage to squeeze all the performance of our new Triple Action liquid formula into just one powerful pack.
• Finally…No more mess. No more spills. No more heavy jugs. It’s Laundry Simplified.®
• Each Purex UltraPack contains powerful 2x concentrated liquid detergent, giving each UltraPack double the cleaning power in every drop*.
• Purex UltraPacks dissolve quickly once the washer is started—even in cold water.
• Purex UltraPacks are formulated and safe for all machines, including high-efficiency (HE).

I just love how easy it is to wash clothes using the UltraPacks. Just grab one, toss it in and I'm done!! No measuring, no heavy bottle, no spills and less waste! I love it!! And it's not like their Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets, which I love by the way. I don't have to add fabric softener to the clothes. My husband loves that. He hates it when his clothes smell, in his words, girly! Oh and they are good for ALL types of machines. Thank you Purex!

I'm a little bit of an eco-freak and having a product with a lot less plastic means a lot to me. The packages the UltraPacks come in are recyclable (check your local restrictions) and they are mush less plastic than a bottle. Love that!!

Be watching in your area for this to be released. I love them and wish I had more to use!! Also be watching for a free sample of your own. Keep checking out FreeSamplePurex.com to get your own to try in mid February.


Purex provided a free sample of their UltraPacks laundry detergent so I could write a review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

It's Not All In My Head....Oh Wait, Yes It Is!!

December 14th is going to be a day I remember for a long time. It's the day my life split in two, at least on my left it did.

I know, that sounds really confusing, but on December 14th last year I experienced something I never thought I would especially at my age. My oldest son and I were watching one of our favorite shows, Dr Who. We decided to have a Who-a-thon and watch one whole season together and just really enjoy it. While watching the shows I noticed something odd with my vision, every time I looked towards the left I was seeing two of every thing. So I did what every person who wears glasses does, I cleaned them. No help. So I rubbed my eye. No help. So I rubbed it again and then again, then I even rinsed it out with water. Still no help. It just didn't go away no matter what I did. The odd double image continued through the next day and my husband insisted I go to the Dr. I could not get into the office until the afternoon of the 16th and by then the double vision I was experiencing got worse. The images were farther apart and I was also seeing double slightly looking straight ahead. The whole time I was going through this I was trying to continue on with life just like normal around Christmas, after all we had a huge church-wide Christmas party Saturday night the 17th I was in charge of. There was too much to do to let a little double vision get in the way. The Dr didn't seem too concerned about the double vision and gave me some medicine to help with what could be best described as motion sickness. She said if it wasn't better in about 4 days to come back to see her.

So on I went feeling so sick to my stomach all the time from all the crazy movement in front of me I could hardly stand it. The best way I can describe it is like watching one of those actions scenes in a movie where the camera is jerking around all over the place really fast all the time! I got through the Christmas party and through the next day (only going to the morning service) by resting every chance I got and keeping my eyes closed as often as I could. Something seriously was wrong and I was a little concerned about what it was. I'm sure any one of you could imagine as well as I can all the possibilities running through my head.

My sweet husband arranged for me to see a different Dr early Tuesday morning. I got in the office and was there less than 5 minutes before they all seemed very concerned about me. I had 5 staff members buzzing around helping me and my husband. In just a few minutes more I was on the way to the hospital to have some tests. Something they feared was seriously wrong.

After lots of tests and one MRI, I was admitted to the hospital for observation and then another kind of MRI for the next morning. It seemed I had Left Eye 6th Nerve Palsy with Diplopia. Now to translate that means that the 6th nerve to my left eye that controls the movement of it was paralyzed and it was causing double vision. But they didn't know why it happened.

The next morning I was told I didn't need the extra MRI and I could go home. They didn't know what had caused the double vision but was sure it wasn't life threatening. I was told to do a lot of things as a precaution and just in case and we would see how things went in a few weeks.

So a few weeks passed, I was still sick to my stomach from the dizziness and movement and double vision and nothing was better. I was tired all the time, could hardly eat and just plain felt miserable! So on the follow up visit they put me on a steroid to ease the swelling they thought was around the nerve.  So for the next 10 days not only was I dizzy, miserable, and tired I was also grumpy, cranky and constantly hungry! Oh and there was absolutely no improvement in my vision. I was walking around half in a daze not really seeing where I was going and struggling with pretty much everything I tired to do.

To say the least this was taking a toll not just on me. Physically I was messed up, but mentally I was strained. I kept trying very hard to keep focused on the Lord and His purpose for me to go through this. I never questioned why, but have to admit I wondered for what purpose would He allow me to go through it. But the toll was also on my family. My husband and sons were (and are) very concerned for me and seeing what it was doing to me. All three of them were tired from helping carry my load for me, especially my husband.

This is where the Lord wanted us to be, stripped clear down to the bottom so He could speak to us and show us and others how He can work some pretty mighty things in our lives! Everything we were doing was not in our own strength, but completely in His. We had no strength left after a month of this crazy life. All we had was Him!

I was scheduled for another appointment on the 12th of January. I got a call that the appointment had to be cancelled because of an emergency, but I quickly asked if I could see someone else in the office instead. I needed some answers I told the girl on the phone! I just wanted to know what was going on. So she found me an appointment a day earlier than the previous one. When I got to the office I met with a wonderful Nurse Practitioner who looked through everything in my chart and talked with me for a good while. She could sense how much I needed to find out exactly what was going on so we would know where to go from here. She was ready to send me to one of the area's most expensive Neurologists to possibly get some answers. Then she scooted back on her stool and a huge smile came over her face. She looked me square in the eye and said she knew exactly who to send me to and in less than 5 minutes she was back in the room handing me a paper with the appointment scheduled for the next day with an eye specialist.

The next morning, the 12th, I was in the office of not only an Ophthalmologist, but a Neurologist and Op-tho-neurologist. This Dr was exactly who I needed to see. Her specialty was nerves of the eye. Withing 5 minutes of seeing her we had a clear and definite diagnosis and an attack plan for how to get better. I cannot even begin to tell you how much relief it was to hear exactly what I had experienced and what we were going to do to get through it. I think you could call it God's Peace!

Better yet, when we were checking in we found out that because we were working through a special agency all of my visits to this extremely specialized Dr were only going to cost me $20!  The last Neurologist they were going to send me to was going to give me a discounted rate for $260!! Praise God!! I like $20 a whole lot better!!!

Anyway, this whole long story is to say that what is wrong with me is definitely in my head. I have Left Eye 6th Nerve Palsy with Diplopia brought on by a Stroke. Yep, I had a stroke on the 14th of December. I didn't even feel it. My Dr said (in her exact words) it was an itsy bitsy tiny stroke that would never show up on any test. Never the less it was a stroke and I am going to be making some big changes in my life. They still don't know exactly what caused it since all my tests came back fine and my eyes are very healthy. It will take 3-6 months for the nerve to heal, and yet that is not guaranteed. But I know my God and He allowed this in my life for a reason. He took me through a really rough patch to get to this day and I'm going to continue to trust Him to take me through the rest of this crazy double vision journey!

I'll be posting from time to time to let you know how it is going, and any prayers you could offer up for me sure would be appreciated!

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