Where has the time gone?

well here we are nearing the end of 2011 and ...............
HOLY CATS!
I haven't blogged since February.
Sheesh--you would think with my lush life I would so totally be blogging up to the minute reports, right?! I mean what with all my FREE TIME you would think this would be childs play!
/end sarcasm.
What I can tell you is this:
2001 has been the year of education.
I am learning what it takes to keep a family strong and running.
I am learning what it takes to keep a marriage healthy and alive.
I am learning how to make the most outta my decreased paycheck. :P
I am learning how not to take for granted the health of ANYONE.
and oh so much more.
The last life flight to Oakland with the boy truly put a sharp focus on the day to day INCONVENIENCES that one is prone to experiencing (i.e.-- the long line at Starbucks, someone cutting in front of you on the highway, etc etc) and made me realize just how fragile all this mortal coil is.
That being said: we have had a seizure free boy (KNOCK WOOD THIS VERY MOMENT!!!) for almost three months.
A seizure free boy who also still has language and learning and is NOT zombified.

SO there's that!
I wish for a happy and healthy 2012--full of love, laughter, growth, and joy.
I wish for that for YOU TOO .


oh.................. and if I got a bunch of sewing time in there, too--that wouldn't suck, either! <3

Crisis and YOU, a users guide......

My becoming a step mom (who am I kidding? - MOM) to Jackson just went to that next level.
I experienced first hand the "big one"--the once a year (knock wood) or so seizure
Puking, glassy eyed stare, drooling, loss of bowels, shaking, lips blue, rush to the ER, tubes and vitals, needles and meds and worry


And that ain't all.

His little body--all 65 pounds of him with so much medical apparatus attached to him and still it was hard to bring him back
The Jackson that I have come to know and love was gone.....
All that was there was the seizure taking over this little boy
Clay --who has been through all of this before--was a champ--
A knight fighting for for his son--to get them to move quicker--more efficiently--he has been through this before--
I tried to stay out of the way-
keep his neck straight, rub his hair.....keep watch on the vitals....

the seizure was almost 3 hours
It left us all exhausted--none so much as the boy
And what a brave boy
Monday--he was grumpy as the aftermath of the meds and the seizure still wrecked havoc on his little body
Tuesday afternoon brought a return to mostly normal with a few small seizures in the evening--almost like aftershocks of an earthquake

Darrah was a champ-- a big sister like no other.

SO
any questions?

The blink of an eye............

so you are just sitting there.
it's been a long day- a good day, but long
your daughter is tucked in bed,
your husband to be is sitting in a big comfy chair, his boy tucked in with him, cuddling-settling in for the "pre-bed wind down"
you think- Life is good.

then
then you see what your internet research has told you is an ictal smile
A crooked little grin that indicates:
SEIZURE

you watch.
you see the smile, the head nod, the wide eyed stare and dilated pupils.
you wait.
seconds turn into minutes

then
its all over

you are emotionally rung out, knotted and worried.

the boy?
no worse the wear.....or so it seems.

and so life goes on.