Not Freaking Out

I am so happy I can hardly stand it!  On Monday I had an appointment with a rheumatologists. I had been having more joint pain in my hands and knee, and Jason wanted me to get a second opinion about  Sjögren's syndrome that my general practice doctor said I had.  Jason made the appointment and had my records transferred and everything.  I didn't have much hope that anything different would come of it, but I decided to humor him. 

Turns out I don't have Sjögren's syndrome I have something called Hypermobility Syndrome. What is that... nothing at all compared to the other.  I was so happy I almost started crying.  He said just because tested positive (weak positive) doesn't mean I have it, I also have to display symptoms (which I don't, except the joint pain).  Often times people with (BJHS as it is called) get miss diagnosed by their general physicians.  I know it sounds stupid, but I am so happy.  Not only that I don't have Sjögren's, but that he knew what was wrong with me, and there is something I can do about it!   Anyway here is some information about hypermobility syndrome.

The joint hypermobility syndrome is a condition that features joints that easily move beyond the normal range expected for a particular joint. The joint hypermobility syndrome is considered a benign condition. It is estimated that 10%-15% of normal children have hypermobile joints, or joints that can move beyond the normal range of motion. There is a tendency of the condition to run in families (familial). It is felt that certain genes are inherited that predispose to the development of hypermobile joints. Genes that are responsible for the production of collagen, an important protein that helps to glue tissues together, are suspected of playing a role.

Because the joints are capable of excessive motion in people with the joint hypermobility syndrome, they are susceptible to injury. Symptoms of the joint hypermobility syndrome include pains in the knees, fingers, hips, and elbows. There is a higher incidence of dislocation and sprains of involved joints. Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) occurs more frequently in people with hypermobile joints. Joint hypermobility tends to decrease with aging as we become naturally less flexible.
Signs of the syndrome are the ability to place the palms of the hands on the floor with the knees fully extended, hyperextension of the knee or elbow beyond 10 degrees, and the ability to touch the thumb to the forearm.

Often joint hypermobility causes no symptoms and requires no treatment. Many individuals with joint hypermobility syndrome improve in adulthood. Treatments are customized for each individual based on their particular manifestations. Joint pains can be relieved by medications for pain or inflammation. Proper physical fitness exercise can strengthen muscles and stability, but the nature of the exercise should be designed to avoid injury to joints.

Little bit of sewing magic (or not)

Okay, so I have been really into sewing lately!  I am loving it.  It is like a creative release for me.  Like I have said before, I don't know how to do much, so I decided to try and get better at what I do know how to do.

 First project jumper/dress for Elleree.

I debated on whether to do the flowers on the front, but it seemed plain without them. 

In the end I had to design them myself, that is why they look so weird, I mean...good.  It turned out okay, not perfect, but okay.  

My next project was a skirt for me.  It was a pattern I have had for awhile now, and never found the right matieral for it.  Some of you are saying, yeah......you still haven't.  

Truth be told it really does look better in real life.  I am not very good at taking pictures.  There really is that color of green in the material :)  I was proud of myself, because I sewed my first zipper.  It looks really bad, but it is done, and now I can move on, and learn from it.  I want to get to the point where you can't even tell that I made it.  It will get there.  Mean while it is costing a lot of money, turns out sewing is not cheap, especially when you make lots of mistakes.  HeHeHeHe.

Peyton is here!

Peyton Bradly Vaden finally arrived on March 8th.  He was 6lb 4oz (I think thats right)  and 20 inches long.  He is super cute here are some pictures of him.

No one can agree who he looks like.

Heath says he looks like Emilee.

Emilee says he looks like Heath.

He is way smaller than any of our babies!

He is super precious though!

Trains, Trains, Trains

This last weekend we went to Utah to spend some time with Jason’s brother’s family.  Jeff and Michelle were kind enough to put up with us.  On Saturday morning we headed to the thrift stores to do some shopping.  Jason loves Savers.  Halfway though the day I realized that I had forgotten to bring my medication, thus forgotten to take two doses.  The effects of which cause me to feel like I have been hit by a train, doctors description not mine.  Jason drove quickly to the nearest Walgreens and produced enough pills for the rest of the trip, he doesn’t like me crazy!  Who does? 

After getting some pretty sweet deals we headed over to the Ogden train depot to view a miniature train exhibit that was going on.  Needless to say I loved it, so did the kids. They had some cool displays!  One was made up of Lego’s it was really amazing!  The kids also got to climb all over the trains outside.  They even got to ride on the cutest little train I have ever seen.  I fell only once and only got into one altercation with the train personnel.  I felt pretty good about the day!

Jason's Birthday

Jason’s birthday was on the 24^th of February.  Poor guy kinda got the shaft. He had to work the whole day, until 8:00 p.m.  He ended up getting home at like 8:30.  Just in time to sing happy birthday, open presents, and put the kids to bed.  The kids where exicted all day though.  They love their dad!

Jason unwrapping his presents

Jason blowing out his candles

Boxes Rock

So, I changed my blog, and am having technical difficulties you will have to stay with me until I figure them out.  Our neighbors brought this box over for my kids to play in.  They loved it.  They painted it and decided that it was a rocket ship named spiky (don't ask).  The little girl who is Truman's friend Gabby.  I used to babysit her, and now she just stops by every so often to visit, and play.  Elleree copies everything she does.  I need to get some girl friends for her.

Paisley's Birthday

Paisley's Birthday is on the 24th of February, but Ivan had her the weekend before, so we celebrated it on Saturday the 20th. She was super cute.

She was not interested in her cake, unless it was to feed it to someone else.

I love their first birthday, they look at everyone like they are crazy!
She has no idea what to do with the cake. My kids of coarse were there to help.

Really cute cake, but it was not a very tasty one. At least not as good as my mom's!

Ivan took good care of her this weekend, she cried every time he left her sight! Sure it might have been that she had no idea who the rest of us were...........

We enjoyed eating while Paisley was asleep. Hey she didn't know any different!

Jason-I made everyone wear the hat!

Including my dad heheheheheh!!!!

Pierce was there with us this weekend too, but no Emily and Heath.
Happy Birthday Paisley!

Future Writer

Dillon is cracking me up these days. He has decided to "write". This is an example of his writings. He divides them up into chapters, each of which only have like 2, maybe three sentences in them. Here is what this one says "Chapter 1, Bones. Your bones grow as you grow. Your bones even your skull better your body. Bones are white so scientists think. Your bones are the strongest thing in your body. Chapter 2, Brain, The Brain grows as you grow just like your" and the rest is on another piece of paper. This kid makes me laugh

Family Room

Okay so this is a really bad comparison, but this is the before and after of my Family room. I looked forever for a picture and this was as good as it got. Anyway, I finally got done painting it. My awesome aunt took pictures of it before I painted to photoshop different colors in so I could see how they looked, but I couldn't wait and I just painted without them. I think it looks better. I dumped the whole nautical theme and found some different things to hang. My plan is to put a flat screen tv above the fireplace, so I can get rid of my ugly entertainment center. The only problem I have now, is that the new coat of paint makes the rest of my house look shabby. It looks like I am going to have some more painting to do!

My little twin

My hair is getting longer, long enough, now that I can curl it and it is kind of cute. I curl Elleree's hair too on Sundays. So, last Sunday I made Jason take pictures of Elleree and I, with our little matching hair do's. I know we look nothing alike, so maybe she isn't my little twin, but she sure is cute.

Creative Fury

Last night after before mentioned vomit episode I put the kids to bed and decided that I need to get some of my energy out. I don't know how to paint, or sculpt so I decided to sew. I don't sew very well, but I decided to make this skirt. I saw some girls in our ward that had something kind of like it last week, so I thought I would try it with some scraps I had. I am pretty proud of my efforts and it satisfied my need to create something. Elleree wore it to church today.

Barf boy

I think I am going to rename my blog " the adventures of barf boy and his family". Seriously, just when I think I have had all that could possibly happen with vomit, Truman strikes again!

Tonight Jason took Dillon Skiing, so to be nice I took Truman to Blast Off (a local Chucky Cheese kinda thing). Five minutes into playing, I was on the phone trying to get some guy from India to understand that I lost my credit card, Truman comes over trailing puke in his wake. I ran him to the nearest trash can. Elleree comes over starts to gag, and I have to separate them, again, while I try cleaning him up. I then have to go tell the people who work there that, "Sorry my son has asthma and anytime he plays at all he vomits, this time on your floor". Needless to say I was getting really dirty looks from all the other parents, along with snide remarks about how they can't believe someone would bring their sick kid in there. Whatever, I refused to leave, I paid good money, and my kid was not sick!

We quietly went over to the little kids play area in the corner hoping it would all blow over. No such luck Elleree then starts coughing, she has not been officially diagnosed with asthma but I have a suspicion she has it too, and throws up. I was quick with her, and got her to a trash can before she made a mess. Now, Elleree was sick earlier this week, but she was fever free on Wednesday and has been fine ever since, so she is not sick either. I think if those parents could have turned me in to social services they would have.

We played the rest of the time brilliantly, in the game room and had lots of fun. I even won the Jackpot on one of the games, 210 tickets I rock!!! Moral of the story, I am not feeding my kids before we go to some place like that again. I wonder if there is a support group out there. Pucker Anonymous (PA) maybe I should start one.

Plasmtastic

Ah, today is a good day! Why you ask, well let me tell you, I donated my first full bag of plasma today! It is a long story, which I am going to impart to you.....

My friend Jamie is a very busy woman, so busy that we rarely get to hang out with each other anymore. She informed me months ago that she was going to start donating plasma again twice a week. After talking with her we decided that it would be a great time for us to hang out, without our kids, and it would be a set time every week. So I went about the process of trying to "qualify" to donate plasma.

One would not think that it would be such a lengthy, time consuming, and yes stressful prosess. You have to make an appointment for a "physical", so I did, at which time I asked if their were any medications I could not be taking in order to donate, the answer was we can't talk about that. I arrived on time, and they gave me a binder which I was to read through and then come back and see them. I read the binder, it contained information about the tests that would be run on my blood and plasma, privacy policy, diseases that you can't have in order to donate (HIV, hepatitis C) and other things. I then brought the binder back and was on my way.

First their system is run by Biometrics, so your finger has to be scanned in order to verify your identity, but they have to have a good print to do that. After scanning and rescanning all over again with first my right hand: index, middle, and ring fingers, they decided that none of these fingers had enough "recognizable" points on them. Keep in mind every time I have my finger scanned I have to type in my SSN and read aloud a paragraph about how I understand what I am doing. We then embarked on my left hand: index, and viola the middle finger was the one! Bonus: I could probably commit a crime with out being recognized, as long as I only leave prints with my right hand!

After that they gave me a guided tour of the facilities, with a stop in a chair to find out if I had good veins or not (of coarse I do). Then I had to go to a panel of computers to answer a "few" questions and read through a "few" things. Some of which were: have I had sex with a man who has had sex with another man since 1977? and Have you been exposed to someone who has had the small pox vaccination? Very specific. I also had to read through the same things that were in the binder and select yes to verify that I had read them. Another question was: Are you taking any medications prescribed by a doctor? I was on an antibiotic for strep throat at the time, and my trusty antidepressant, so I marked yes. Immediately my computer time was over. They march me into a little room with a nurse who asked me what medications I was on, I told her and she informed me that until I was off the antibiotic for 24 hours I could not donate, nor complete my physical. End of first attempt.

I made another appointment to complete my "physical", a week later. I came in and they once again gave me the binder. I said "I have already read this twice" they lady said "you need to read it again and let me know when you are done" to which I said "oh good, I'm done now", she glared at me and walked away. I then sat in the lounge for proper amount of time until I could go back and start the tour again (they did keep my print, the system is not that incompetent) and to see if I still had good veins (they change so often). I then started the computer questionnaire and reading again. I didn't want to read the policies and what not again, so I just waited for the yes button to pop up and marked yes. Well with one such document I was daydreaming and didn't mark yes within 60 of it popping up, so I was kick out of the computer again. Marched back into the little room with a nurse and asked why I was unable to read the document in the allotted time. I had to explain that I was an idiot, and the nurse was very nice and read the rest of the questions and answers to me, so there would me no other "confusion". Then I actually got to get a physical! I passed, because I could walk across the room with out passing out, score.

I was then weighed, poked in the finger (to see if my blood had enough plasma), blood pressure taken, and temperature taken. I was informed that this would happen each time that I came to donate. If I did not land in the right range with any of these things I would not be able to donate. Mean while I am looking around me and thinking I am a healthy adult (which could not be said for some of these people) how on earth did they pass through all this crap?

Everything was in tip top condition so I was able to donate for my first time. The process was then explained to me: 1. They poke you with a really big needle 2. They hook you up to a machine that takes out about a pint of blood at a time and separates the plasma from the blood 3. They return your blood to you, and repeat this process 8 to 12 times depending on how much plasma is in you blood, and how much you weigh 4. They pump a saline solution into your body to take the place of the missing plasma. 5. They unhook you and you are done. I made it through steps 1, and one time of 2 during which I had a "reaction" which I am told happens to a lot of first timers. I almost passed out, got really hot and had to try really hard not to throw up (they were really proud of me for the last one). They said I could not continue to donate for that day, they did pay me though. End of second attempt.

I made an appointment for 3 days later to try and donate again. I was determined at this point, I did however call my friend and ask her if she was worth it, she said no. I made it to the computers no problem this time I answered all the questions right, but one, I had to go back into the little room with the nurse and she read the question to me, turns I really am stupid, enough said. I then was weighed, poked and blood pressure and temp. taken. My temperature was too low. They said they would let me sit in the lounge for 5 minutes and retry the temp. I did, passed and was sent on to the plasma machines. I got all hooked up and was on my way when after 3 blood returns the thing that separates the blood from the plasma broke. They were not only not able to continue with the donation, but they were unable to return my blood to me. They paid me for my donation once again. End of third attempt.

I made my friend make my next appointment, so that we could do it together. I got up today at 4:45am, and drank tons of water, and ate some peanut butter (water and food with iron, I am told are the keys to not passing out). I got to the place, answered all the questions no accept for are you female and are you feeling well today. I past all the poking and prodding, and got to sit with my friend for about and hour while we shot the breeze and I completed my first full donation of life saving plasma. I then left. This was the first time I had gotten the saline replacement, and so of coarse I had a reaction to that as well. As I was walking out to my car everything went black and all I could hear was my pulse. I kept thinking just make it to your car, and I did where I sat for 20 minutes until I felt well enough to drive home.

I hope you have enjoyed my play by play introduction in to the plasma world. My advise: think twice before you embark on such a quest, of coarse not everyone has such good luck, and superior reading abilities!

Excuses

With me and blogging it is either feast or famine, but I do have excuses. I have been taking care of my sick kids lately the most resent being Elleree. We took her to the doctor and she has RSV again. This really freaked me out because that was what she had when she was put in the hospital and almost died. All this brings back memories of the last time. I am so blessed that she is alive. I am grateful to Heavenly Father for his promptings. I have been blessed with a very good doctor, who had great instincts and those instincts saved my baby girls life! The experience in the hospital helped me to see how precious life is, one minute they are there and the next they could be gone. I am also blessed with a very supportive family and friends they are their in a heartbeat if I need them!
This time though the doctor said she wouldn't get it as suvierly, and true to his word she has not. We have been watching her really closely though. These pictures are so funny because I found she slept better in her own bed, but she wanted to "watch movie". I put her in bed, and put the movie on her changing table and she loved it. The fact that she is just laying there is a testoment to me that she is not feeling well.

Dillon's new sport

Yes, we are trying yet another sport for Dillon. We are determined to find something that he will excel in that requires him to move. The Wii does not count! So in our quest that has ruled out soccer, baseball, and wrestling (we are holding out for football) we have put him in basketball. I haven't been able to go to any practices, or games yet but I am told he isn't "that bad"....... Here are a few pictures of his last game. I love the bright orange, enjoy!