Sylvia Allan's Blog: Five Principles of Scripture Study

Sylvia Allan's Blog: Five Principles of Scripture Study:  Hello Friend, I am not a Blogger. I am not a writer! This is not comfortable to me. In fact I have heard my writing likened to "fin...

Happy Easter

Bunnies, chicks, eggs, candy, oh my!!!!! All the makings of a Happy Easter.  But do we stop and contemplatethe real reason we celebrate Easter.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins.  He rose on the third day, which allows all of us who ever lived on this earth to overcome death.  That's right, because he suffered endless pain and agony, we have the opportunity to return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again.  So, as all of us sit down to enjoy our feast, eat and color eggs and see the enjoyment on our children's faces as they rip into their Easter treats, let us not forget that our Lord Savoir,  Jesus Christ is the real "reason for the season."

When It Rains It Pours

So, it's been a few months since I updated the blog.  And boy what a difference a few months can make.  We've had some setbacks with Sarah's health and it really has taken it's toll. 

Back in February, her and I were both down for two weeks.  Me, with a nasty bout of sciatica and Sarah with a flareup of her asthma.  She spent 2 weeks, coughing, breathing treatments, more coughing, more breathing treatments.  We both eventually recovered and we thought all was well.  After two weeks out of school and lots of make up work, we thought we were good.

Bring in March.  This was probably about 2 weeks after she was better, she wakes up on a Saturday morning complaining of her stomach bothering her.  Now, this is Sarah, if wants to lay around on a Saturday, you know something is up!!!!  By Saturday night, she's coughing, running a fever and feeling miserable.  By Sunday, temp is up to 102 and she is coughing uncontrollably.  Bring out the nebulizer, cough syrup and anything else I can think of to dose her up with.   By Monday, we're in the doctor's office with chest x-ray and a diagnosis of bronchitis.  No big deal.  Antibiotics, steroids, cough syrup and Motrin for aches, pains and fever.  One week out of school.  Next Monday, back at the doctor's office because my kid is coughing so hard she's dry heaving, fever is back and hasn't eaten hardly anything all weekend.  They do a pulmonary function test on her and she has significant pulmonary obstruction, (lungs full of gunk), and her pulse ox (amount of oxygen in her body) was down to 95%, which isn't bad, but they like it around 99 or 100% in kids.  Of course, the only x-ray tech in the office is on vacation so they can't do a comparison x-ray from the week before to see if the bronchitis has turned to pneumonia.  So, no x-ray, no new meds, basically no answers whatsoever.  Another week of missed school.  On Monday night, I decided to talk to my sister who is a respiratory therapist to see if she had any ideas as to what to do for this kid.  She suggested taking her to see the Pediatric Pulmonologist that we consulted with last summer and see if there was anything he could do.  Wednesday we saw him, and her lungs are perfectly clear and PFT is normal.  WHAT?  Why the heck is my kid coughing like she's going to die if it's not in her lungs?  He suggests taking her to the University of Michigan and getting a second opinion for a diagnosis of possible vocal cord dysfunction.  I've never heard of the condition but I guess it's quite common in young girls.  I agree to the U of M consult, but in the meantime, what am going to do with my kid?  She can't go to school like this.  Again, hurry up and wait, and he prescribed her Prilosec to help with her GERD.  I guess asthma and GERD are both a trigger for vocal cord dysfunction.  So, yesterday, with my kid still hacking like she's dying, we go back to the family doctor basically to get her to fill out a home bound slip so Sarah can do school at home. She also suggests we see an ENT so that they can do a scope and find out if there really something going on with her vocal cords.  (It could take months to get into U of M).  This way we can get a preliminary idea of what's going on if anything with her vocal cords.  I no sooner leave the doctor's office, the asthma center calls to say they have gotten her an appointment with a U of M doctor here in Flint for April 19th.  Still over three weeks away.  So, Sarah sees the ENT tomorrow morning, the Pediatric Pulmonologist from U of M in April and will also have a consult/scope with a pediatric gastroenterologist to see if there is something with the GERD that is causing this awful cough.  In the meantime, she's home from school and will be starting her home bound program probably after spring break.  I never in a million years thought this would happen to my little girl.  I know it could be so much worse, but she is really suffering and is bummed about missing school. (I think it's her friends she misses more than anything...LOL)  Anyway, we'll keep ya posted.  

Merry Christmas

Well, here we are at the end of another year and I must say, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that today is Christmas Day.  We've been very blessed this year and are so thankful for good health and much love from family and friends.  Here's some of the highlights of our year:

Sarah:   

Turned 11 in October.
Started middle school-6th grade.
Continues to play flute in school band and takes piano for the second year.
Has started working on her 12-year-old requirements for her Faith in God award
Attended her first New Beginnings program in November.
Continues to love to sing, dance, play Barbies, watch Disney channel, play on the computer.

Jim:      

Still working for Morley and commuting from Flint to Saginaw-Approximately 40 miles one way                                                                                                                   which really stinks in Michigan winters.
Continues to complete and start new projects around the house....the latest being a mantle for our fireplace              
Continues his service as an amateur ham radio operator and certified SKYWARN spotter.
Serves our church ward as Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and overall fix-it man.
Continues to torment his wife by routing for Michigan State.....LOL

Teresa:   

Continues to work as an RN Caseworker for Noetic Healthcare, providing Maternal Infant Health to Medicaid clients in Genesee County.
Continues to serve as Visiting Teaching Coordinator and Activity Day leader at church.             
Has a possible opportunity to serve as a nurse for girls camp this summer-This will be Sarah's first year.             
Recently lived up to her nickname of "Crash Senior" by slipping and tearing some soft tissue in left ankle.              
Enjoys reading and hanging out with family as time allows.
Still and always will route for The University of Michigan despite my husband's disloyalty.....LOL


Family:  
  
Sarah and I took two solo trips to Indianapolis back in the spring.  Jim had to work.  :-(            
Several trips Up North to Hale to visit Jim's family including 4th of July parade and fireworks. My sister accompanied us on this trip as well.
We adopted a new kitten, Pig, in May.
Desperately miss routing for our Detroit Red Wings since there has been no hockey.


We want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and the most joyous of New Years.  May the peace and light that radiates from the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, be in our hearts and lives always.

All our love!!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and family.  Ya know, before I was a mother, I used to hate to attend church on Mother's Day.  Being a member of a church that stresses the importance of families was so difficult for me.  I went 10 years in the church before I had Sarah and it was the hardest 10 years of my life.  Now, I know, don't cry for me Argentina!!!  LOL.  I was never dissed at church or anything for not having kids and I was always recognized as "a potential mother."  So, to all you out there who are trying and maybe not having much luck at conceiving, just know, that Heavenly Father loves you and recognizes your righteous desire to be a mother.  I was blessed with one and I will take it.  Sure, I would have loved to given Sarah a brother or sister, but if it's not meant to happen here, I know that I will be given the opportunity to raise those children in the next life.  What a glorious promise.

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Courageous Parenting

LDS.org - Ensign Article - Courageous Parenting

Snowmagged 2011....We survived

We survived the snow storm of 2011 with about 10 inches in Flint.  I think the whole 10 fell in my driveway alone.  We never lost power and thanks to kind heart of my dear, sweet hubby, my parents and uncle were okay too.  Pam, my sister, helped my parents out too by staying the night with them and then getting up and helping shovel them out.  I was very grateful she was there.  I'm not much use to anyone on the backside of a shovel, but it used to be my favorite winter activity.  Seriously, I used to love to get out there and shovel, especially when I was a kid.  Of course, I was much younger and stronger then.  Now, the weather report is calling for more snow later in the weekend, but nothing like what we got the other day.  So glad everyone was okay.  Hope ya'll survived without any problems either.