Childhood Dating... Twin Humor

So everyone that knows me well knows that I am easily amused.  My students and children are aware of this as well and love to delight me with their thoughts and revelations often.  One subject that cracks me up the most about kids is their concept of "Dating".  For starters, I am a Fourth Grade teacher.  Fourth graders are always "going out" or "dating" someone.  And I always am the fun hater that cracks jokes at them about not being able to drive or pay for their dates dinner.  They think I am ridiculous.... oh well, it gives me great laughs.  So, now the fun gets to start with my own children.  Luke has amazing taste in who he chooses to go out with.  My sons current "girlfriend" is my friend Lindsay.  Lindsay has won this honor by having a job, a car and a house.  Awesome! He has his priorities in line.  Kennedy has recently parted ways with her long time boyfriend, my friend who she refers to as "Uncle Nathan" for our neighbor Amilio.  Amilio is older, wiser and has a Wii.  (Sidenote: Amilio is 7.) HAHA! So, just when I think I am safe that the real dating is only going on with the older kids who can navigate chat on the Internet and have the smarts to work a cell phone, my reality crashes.  My son reveals to me that he and his friends have "devised a plan" to break someone up. WHAT??? I was very impressed with his use of vocabulary with the word devise but was shocked about the breakup issue.  So, me being the nosey nellie I am asked for the details of this plan.  Unfortunately he said all the details had not been worked out yet.  Thank you Luke for supplying your mother with a funny story and another great laugh.

So, I have asked myself over the past week why I find all this "dating" so amusing.  Is this because I am the girl who is always single?  I think that I find the humor because not only have I experienced the happy times of relationships, I have also experienced the hurt that comes with them.  I find no reason for these kids to open themselves up for hurt feelings and broken hearts.  I wish that they could focus on the awesome gift of friendship and education and save the partner search for a much later date!! Well, I am a realist than knows this is unlike.. so I will continue to wear my counselor hat for the five or six breakups that I will referee after recess in my near future! :) 

Love the life you live....

M.S. Walk 2011 - Came, Went, Conquered!!

Well I am so pleased to announce that I have officially completed my first M.S. Walk since my diagnosis.  I look forward to participating in this event for many years to come!! First, here is a pic of me and my wonderful girls that came out to support me this year:

 The day started off with a light breakfast, a Zumba warm-up, the national anthem, and a wonderful presentation. The presentation was to recognize the top fundraiser of the event.  Over the past 12 years he has raised $250,000 for the M.S. Foundation.  I was in complete awe at this total.  I worked so hard to raise money and I barely made it to $700! Whatever way you look at it, fundraising is tough.  I admire his ability to contribute so much to the cause.

The walk was not what I had expected it to be I must say.  I think when you have participated in the Race for the Cure for several years you imagine it to be similar. This was not a 5k by any means... we may have walked close to a mile.  However, I loved that everyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis was able to participate. Whether confined to a chair, using a cane or able to walk on your own - all were able to complete the walk with ease.  I admired that about the event.

In closing, I am thankful to those who came to support me, those who donated to the cause and those who bought a team t-shirt.  I am very lucky to be surrounded by friends, family and co-workers who are here to "lift me up" those days that I need it the most.  I am a very lucky girl.

Small Compliment = One Happy Girl

For months I have been talking about bettering myself for many different reasons.  There are certain things in my life that I have made a priority since I lost my vision and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  Any traumatic experience usually brings people to re-evaluate their life.  For me however, I wanted to make a conscious effort to better my life and my children's.  I started with little things, I made a list of 20 Wishes.  I keep these wishes nearby in my mind as I make decisions.  The most important things in my life of course are my children, my family, my health, my close friends and my students.  I want to be the best me that I can and that required me to eliminate a lot of the unnecessary stress.  I am usually attached to my cell phone and for years it has distracted my attention.  My sister and I spent this past week together and today on my way home she complimented me.  She noticed that I spent my time focused on my and my children and not on communication with the outside world.  I know to some that might not seem like much, but that is something I have worked hard to resolve.  So thanks sis for noticing my "little improvements" on the road to my happy!  So at least this is one little way that I can say I am practicing what I preach and "loving the life I live."  :)

The Twinkies... ARE 6!

Well, it is so hard to believe that my babies have turned 6 years old.  On March 11, 2005 I welcomed in to the world the most wonderful and challenging additions to my life.  Although they were VERY small, their impact was very big.  I thought I knew what love was before I had children.  Now however, I am truly able to embrace what unconditional love means.  Luke and Kennedy are so funny.  They do some of the silliest things.  Some people would never guess that they are twins because they are so different.  However, their personalities compliment each of them so well.  It is nice that they each get to be one of a kind! :)

This year was their first "big" birthday party.  They celebrated with school friends at the ATA Karate Club that they are members of.  The party was a huge success and fun was had by all.  It was so nice to see the kids and some of their friends outside of the school building and their uniforms having fun.  It was a pretty good size crowd too... 19 kids!!  The kids were so spoiled, their master teachers played games, told stories, gave a lesson and they had pizza and cake! Who could ask for more?

So this year we are officially big kids.  Not that it means they will be responsible for their own needs, never sleep in my bed or solve their own problems... but hey, this is a milestone in my opinion.  Most importantly, I have to keep reminding myself to not sweat the small stuff and to relax and enjoy parenthood.  As fast as these 6 years have flown by, they will be in college before I know it.  I always pride myself in trying to do the best for my kids; their birthday is just another chance to renew that commitment!! I love you two... always!

The Party Crew.. well most of them at least!

M.S. Education Monday - M.S. Awareness Week Begins Soon!

M.S. Awareness Week begins March 14th and I personally find this to be another amazing opportunity to educate more people about the effects of Multiple Sclerosis on not only the patients, but their family and friends as well.  Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that can effect men or women, and people of all ethnicities.  No one is without this diseases reach.  For me, I find it to be alarming how many people know so little about M.S.  Chances are, you know someone who is fighting this disease everyday. 

Today, I would like to dispell some of the myths that I hear most often. 

#1 - You're so young, how could this happen to you?
ANSWER- Well, like many auto-immune diseases, M.S. can effect people at any age.  The most common people that are diagnosed are women between the ages of 30 and 40.

#2 -  You look fine from the outside!
ANSWER- Thank goodness!! Actually, this is what bothers me the most sometimes. Yes, some people who are fighting M.S. have difficulty with their extremities and require the use of a walker, cane or even a wheelchair.  However, those cases are not the most common.  Many people have pretty average lives but their relapses and side effects can be quite daunting.  Most M.S. patients deal with terrible fatigue, nerve pain, headaches and vision changes.

#3 -  Will the shots cure you?
ANSWER - No, the shots will not cure me.  Currently, there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis.  However, there are many amazing medications on the market that make relapses happen less frequently, and actually slow down the progression of the disease. 

#4 - Why did you lose your vision? This lady I know just has problems with her foot going numb.
ANSWER - Since Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that effects the communication between your brain an your spinal cord, as well as develops lesions on your brain and deteriorates the mylein sheath, many body systems can be effected.  I have met people with a varying level of problems.

#5 - Will you die from M.S.?
ANSWER - Not likely.  It is more likely to die from many other natural causes than the actual effects of Multiple Sclerosis.  M.S. most commonly effects the quality of your life the the length of it. 

So... educate yourself and others.  Get involved with M.S. Advocacy groups or activities in your community.  Whether you donate a few dollars or walk a few mile... your support can make all the difference.  So I dare everyone to "Join the Movement"!

M.S. Education Monday - MS Walks popping up all around you!

M.S. Awareness brings all of those fighting this illness one step closer to a cure by fundraising for higher education and continued funding of research and medications.  As previously discussed in my post, "What does a cure cost?", I discussed how expensive clinical trials and medications can be.  Unfortunately, these costs will most likely never change.  However, raising money and awareness brings new exciting opportunities to the table for those who are fighting the disease or may know someone who is.  You may have noticed your friends sending you an invitie to join them on their "Walk MS" team this spring.  I personally have three other friends with the disease.  Most of the walks are coming up here in the next few weeks.  I strongly encourage you to take part in these events.  Even if fundraising is not your cup of tea, join your friend and show your support.  The motto of the National MS Foundation is "Join the Movement".... I think that fits so well.  I am so proud to currently have 15 friends to sign up to walk with me on April 9th.  I hope to continue my fundraising efforts as well to lend my hand in research to continue to improve the quality of my health as well as many others!!  Continue to read my blog to follow my journey.  To view my teams page please follow the link provided below!! Happy MS Monday!!

Click here to view my page:     Sarah's Walk MS Personal Page

Next week: MS Awareness Week March 14-20!! Exciting news and information coming soon! 
Slogan for this year: What does MS = to you?

WOW!! Eyeballs are gross....

Well, it has been a much eventful past few weeks!  I found out earlier in the month that the pressure in my eye was too high.  The theory on this from my doctors was that I had developed glaucoma as a result to the medication that was injected to my eyes to help restore partial vision and lower the inflammation to my optic nerve.  I received three series of Kenelog injections.  They were successful in helping my eyesight and they sped up the process of calming my optic nerve.  I will never regret choosing to have them done.  As with all medications, side effects are a risk.  In my case, the medication never fully absorbed into my system.  This caused the pressure in my left eye to continue to climb over the past three months. 

Regular, healthy eye pressure should sit somewhere between 10 and 14.  My has harbored in the 40's for quite some time.  So, I was referred from my retina specialist to a glaucoma specialist to help regulate and remedy this problem.  One of the biggest problems with glaucoma is up to a 30% vision loss.  In a situation like mine (one who already has vision loss), this is not good news.  We tried three different approaches.  The first week I used a drop called Isotol.  I did not respond to those.  The second week we tried a combination of Combigan and Travitan drops.  My doctor referred to this as the "kitchen sink" approach, meaning that was the most intense approach.  My eye once again showed no response.  Then, for the third week I continued the combination drops and started taking a pill called Diamox.  Diamox pulls the fluid off.  The side effects are awful.  The pills cause numbness in your face, hands and legs because they rob your body of necessary electrolytes.  Thankfully, this goes away as soon as you cease taking the medicine.  On the fourth visit, my pressure had reduced to 21 with the pills.  However, the pills are not something you can  take long term, and the pressure was still not within the range she desired.  So, surgery was the only option left.

Two surgery options were available to me.  The first option was to remove the Kenelog from my eye. In many cases, 70%, removing the steroid will lower the pressure to a healthy level.  This surgery requires little down time.  The Kenelog is removed by making an incision, removing the steroid and putting a few dissolvable stitches in the eye.  The second option was to have a new drain put in the eye.  This surgery takes roughly 6-8 weeks to heal, requires continued observation, medication and comes with a whole list of restrictions.  Naturally, I was thrilled to try removing the Kenelog injections first.  I am not a big fan of being down and out for over a month!! 

So, I had surgery on Monday.  It was such a interesting experience.  You are put under anesthesia while the eye is prepped and the incision is made.  Then, as they are completing the operation you wake up.  Sounds awful I am sure but you cannot feel anything.  I carried on a conversation and even cracked jokes with the doctors as they completed the operation.  I was allowed to leave the surgery center a mere 30 minutes following the procedure!! Truly amazing how much technology has advanced all of these procedures.  Recovery has been pretty easy, I just feel like I have something in my eye all of the time and the stitches are very itchy.  And, it is very gross to look at.  My eye is very bloody and yellow.  The stitches have yet to dissolve but they said this takes about a week.  Here are some pictures from the procedure, I will keep you posted on my progress! :)

My lovely eye patch! :)

My left eye 1 day post surgery.