Well, my back has been progressing since I wrote last. It started hurting in my mid-back meaning that my muscles are now starting to compensate for the lower back. This means that my back is very sensitive right now. I took 5-6 days of complete rest. Ben took care of the house & I chose only a few things to do each day which typically meant a bath for Leona or basics to get through the day until Ben got home from work. It really helps that he comes home for lunch!
I scheduled a dr's appt with my orthopedic dr. last Thursday. He basically said that he could no longer prescribe steriods b/c it wasn't good for my body. He basically said that the 2 options were trying another steriod injection or talk to my surgeon about surgery. He seemed to suggest the later option more b/c my body has not responded to the injections the past 2 times. In fact, the last one made me worse. We will see what this other doctor suggests.
At this point, I know that there are 2 possible surgeries that he could suggest. The first is a microdiscectomy. Basically the herniated portion of the disc is cut-off to relieve the pressure from the nerve, giving more room for the disc to heal. This is the same surgery I had in July 2009. Of course I was in the 5% of people who have a recurrant herniation after surgery. Since I have reherniated after surgery, I run a 20% risk that it will reherniate again.
The second type is called a spinal fusion. This involves adding bone graft to the area allowing the 2 vertebrate to fuse & grow together. I know that hardware is inserted to the area to keep the vertebrate from moving so that the bone graft can form. This fusion keeps the disc from moving. I don't know if they would have to take bone from another area of my body or would use a synthetic material. This is obviously a more serious surgery & has more risks. It would require several days in the hospital & probably some sort of rehabilitation.
Please pray for wisdom. We are hoping there are some other suggestions that the dr. will suggest. If he does suggest surgery, we will probably have a 2nd opinion before completely pursuing the idea.
Amazingly both of us are handling the idea of surgery pretty well at this point. There are obvious risks & outcomes of this---finances, time, health, etc. but the joy of having a chance for a pain-free life & the ability to have more kids is outweighing that right now.
If anyone reading this has any fusion surgery experience, please leave a comment :)
I will update this after next Friday morning to let you know what the dr. says.
Our Family
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Rachael's Back Update
We know that many of you pray for us on a regular basis. We ask that you pray for wisdom for our family. We are really searching on what to do for my back. We have scheduled another appt. with her orthopedic dr. to discuss more options to help.
I went on more oral steriods after my back progressively got worse from July to October. We tried 2 rounds. I did regain some feeling in my leg as the numbness & pain had progressed down into my heel. I try not to communicate or whine about my back, so sometimes those around me don't even know that I am suffering. If I did, I would be saying something like 90% of the time. I am really struggling with feeling alone & discouraged lately.I feel my disc is so unstable that I could face an emergency situation like 2009 so quickly. Before my first surgery I had felt some relief all to head into a tailspin & surgery 7 days later. Menstration & a harder bed are just some of the minor things that send my back into pain.
I have to grasp for the positive. I am so thankful for some close friends that have prayed with me & encouraged me with scripture. I have also been blessed by an older woman in our church who has opened up to me about her similiar back problems. A close friend & her husband have graciously allowed me to use their back machine on occasion to help stretch my spine. Knowing that many of you are praying is also a blessing.
We have found some more information from a friend about her husband's back. There may be a different kind of injection that I can get. Right now I am feeling that we need to pursue that or another type of surgery. I think the biggest discouragement is thinking of future pregnancies. I want to have more children but unless something drastic happens, I just don't see how we will be able to. Here I am just a few weeks from 2 years of pain! I have had about 4 months during that whole time with little to no pain.
I know Ben gets discouraged too. So much has come out of my back problems & we still aren't finished dealing with it. If anyone needs your prayers or hugs---it is definitely him. He has to deal with all of the implications---house work, financial decisions & provisions, emotional support & picking up any other pieces!
I have come to think that the one who suffers daily has an easier time than those around that person. The others feel helpless in helping while the one who suffers reaches out to the only one that can give hope & peace---Christ. I AM thankful for this experience. It has helped me SEE & FEEL like others, like my SIL, who deal with a chronic disease. It has also helped me SEE my Savior more clearly. He is faithful to show me that HE IS working despite how dark my circumstances may seem at times.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being..." Eph 3:16
Thanks for listening!
I went on more oral steriods after my back progressively got worse from July to October. We tried 2 rounds. I did regain some feeling in my leg as the numbness & pain had progressed down into my heel. I try not to communicate or whine about my back, so sometimes those around me don't even know that I am suffering. If I did, I would be saying something like 90% of the time. I am really struggling with feeling alone & discouraged lately.I feel my disc is so unstable that I could face an emergency situation like 2009 so quickly. Before my first surgery I had felt some relief all to head into a tailspin & surgery 7 days later. Menstration & a harder bed are just some of the minor things that send my back into pain.
I have to grasp for the positive. I am so thankful for some close friends that have prayed with me & encouraged me with scripture. I have also been blessed by an older woman in our church who has opened up to me about her similiar back problems. A close friend & her husband have graciously allowed me to use their back machine on occasion to help stretch my spine. Knowing that many of you are praying is also a blessing.
We have found some more information from a friend about her husband's back. There may be a different kind of injection that I can get. Right now I am feeling that we need to pursue that or another type of surgery. I think the biggest discouragement is thinking of future pregnancies. I want to have more children but unless something drastic happens, I just don't see how we will be able to. Here I am just a few weeks from 2 years of pain! I have had about 4 months during that whole time with little to no pain.
I know Ben gets discouraged too. So much has come out of my back problems & we still aren't finished dealing with it. If anyone needs your prayers or hugs---it is definitely him. He has to deal with all of the implications---house work, financial decisions & provisions, emotional support & picking up any other pieces!
I have come to think that the one who suffers daily has an easier time than those around that person. The others feel helpless in helping while the one who suffers reaches out to the only one that can give hope & peace---Christ. I AM thankful for this experience. It has helped me SEE & FEEL like others, like my SIL, who deal with a chronic disease. It has also helped me SEE my Savior more clearly. He is faithful to show me that HE IS working despite how dark my circumstances may seem at times.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being..." Eph 3:16
Thanks for listening!
Baby Dedication for Leona
We are finally having Leona's dedication. Last year we were unable to participate because of Rachael's back problems. We hope you can join us!!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mommy has a job!
Well...for those of you that don't know....I am officially back at my former school teaching Elementary Chapel. It is GREAT to be back teaching God's Word to children! I am getting such fulfillment. The other joy is that Leona comes with me. She is still adjusting to Mommy being unavailable when I am upfront teaching, but she is liking the interaction at school. I plan all of my teaching from home, so I don't have to be away from Leona at all. It is very part-time, but it is helping us financially!
I am also tutoring every week a little 2nd grader in Math. That is going really well too. I do have to be away from Leona at this time of the week, but a little break for us is great. PLUS...Ben watches her & has some one-on-one time with her! It's great!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
She's on the Chart!
Well it has been a great 3 months with Leona's growth.
In August she gained 9 oz.
In September she gained 1# 9 oz.
In October she gained 1# 3 oz.
That's over 3#'s in 3 months!! YAHOO!!
This past month Leona received the Chicken Pox vaccine. About a week later she got them all over. It was very mild though. She had a temperature for a few days, but the spots did not itch or scab! Of course this did slow down her eating for about a week!
Leona had a great winter last year---sickness wise. She only got a few very mild colds, which just consisted of some runny noses & some stay at home days. Our pediatrician thinks she might be more susceptible this winter, so she got a flu-shot this week too!
Leona was reviewed by 2 Occupational therapists from First Steps. First Steps is a local organization that helps evaluate & give therapy to developmentally challenged kids under the age of 3. Leona is doing great in development except for eating. They will be coming Friday to help make a home plan to teach me how to encourage her eating. She has been doing really well lately, eating a lot more, however the vomiting has become more frequent!
We met with Leona's Pediatric Developmental Specialist today! It went really well. Since Leona has had some vomiting reoccurring lately do to a higher volume of food, she has suggested an Upper Gastro-intestinal scan with a GI specialist. This has been an option for awhile, but has been put off trying to wait out her growth. We feel it is time to check this. We thought it would be more invasive, but it will just be a little more detailed than the swallow study. Hopefully Leona will take the special drink this time without a fight though!!!
We appreciate your continued prayers for our family. We are encouraged with her recent progress! Thanks for checking in with us! We would love to hear an update from you & your family!
In August she gained 9 oz.
In September she gained 1# 9 oz.
In October she gained 1# 3 oz.
That's over 3#'s in 3 months!! YAHOO!!
This past month Leona received the Chicken Pox vaccine. About a week later she got them all over. It was very mild though. She had a temperature for a few days, but the spots did not itch or scab! Of course this did slow down her eating for about a week!
Leona had a great winter last year---sickness wise. She only got a few very mild colds, which just consisted of some runny noses & some stay at home days. Our pediatrician thinks she might be more susceptible this winter, so she got a flu-shot this week too!
Leona was reviewed by 2 Occupational therapists from First Steps. First Steps is a local organization that helps evaluate & give therapy to developmentally challenged kids under the age of 3. Leona is doing great in development except for eating. They will be coming Friday to help make a home plan to teach me how to encourage her eating. She has been doing really well lately, eating a lot more, however the vomiting has become more frequent!
We met with Leona's Pediatric Developmental Specialist today! It went really well. Since Leona has had some vomiting reoccurring lately do to a higher volume of food, she has suggested an Upper Gastro-intestinal scan with a GI specialist. This has been an option for awhile, but has been put off trying to wait out her growth. We feel it is time to check this. We thought it would be more invasive, but it will just be a little more detailed than the swallow study. Hopefully Leona will take the special drink this time without a fight though!!!
We appreciate your continued prayers for our family. We are encouraged with her recent progress! Thanks for checking in with us! We would love to hear an update from you & your family!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
An Uninvited Guest!
Leona started showing signs of a fever last Thursday with a runny nose. She is teething 2 top teeth so we just thought it was that. Then, I thought maybe she was starting a sinus infection because my allergies were terrible, so I began giving her Benadryl on a regular basis.
Friday & Saturday were miserable for her. Her fever reached 101 & she just wanted to cuddle all the time...which anyone who knows her knows that she is always too busy for cuddling! Soon vomitting followed the fever, as well as several baths to keep it under control. Ben was supposed to be on-call, but ended up getting done early to help me with her, especially since I had been at ECA every day that week.
Sunday morning she woke-up with a slight rash on her face. About a 1/2 hour later I began to put some things together. A little over a week before she had gotten the chickenpox vaccine. I had heard of several people that had gotten them from the vaccine, so I began checking her body. Sure enough...she was covered! I couldn't believe it!
I am praising the Lord though! She shows no signs of itching! I can't imagine trying to tell a strong-willed young toddler not to scratch them! Her fever has been gone since Sunday too. Really it's just an ugly, annoying rash now.
Friday & Saturday were miserable for her. Her fever reached 101 & she just wanted to cuddle all the time...which anyone who knows her knows that she is always too busy for cuddling! Soon vomitting followed the fever, as well as several baths to keep it under control. Ben was supposed to be on-call, but ended up getting done early to help me with her, especially since I had been at ECA every day that week.
Sunday morning she woke-up with a slight rash on her face. About a 1/2 hour later I began to put some things together. A little over a week before she had gotten the chickenpox vaccine. I had heard of several people that had gotten them from the vaccine, so I began checking her body. Sure enough...she was covered! I couldn't believe it!
I am praising the Lord though! She shows no signs of itching! I can't imagine trying to tell a strong-willed young toddler not to scratch them! Her fever has been gone since Sunday too. Really it's just an ugly, annoying rash now.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Making Laundry Soap
2 YEARS LATER UPDATE HERE!
Well in another endeavor to save our family money, I started making my own laundry soap.
Who ever thought I would be a cloth diapering, homemaker who made her own laundry soap??
It worked out great & to think that I will spend about 60 cents for 64 loads of laundry!
Did you do the math? That's less than 1 cent a load!!!! WOW!
Here is my recipe for a DOUBLE BATCH---4 gallons: (based on The Family Homestead site where you can find the single batch recipe)
2/3 bar Zote, grated
9 cups water
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team found in the laudry aisle)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (not baking soda; found at Super Wal-Mart, Meijer and Kroger)
8 cups HOT water
3 gallons (12 qts.) water
optional: 1 oz. essential oils (any scent from lavendar, lemon, rosemary, to tea tree)
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is a little more tricky to find. I found it at our local Meijer & Super Wal-Mart. Most people say they have to order it online. Meijer.com would have it too! Be careful! This is NOT baking soda or Arm & Hammer's detergent baking soda. Refer to the picture!
Put the grated Zote bar into the pan. Add the 9 cups of water. Warm & stir until all of the soap has melted really well. Measure out the other ingredients while you wait so they are ready to go.
Add the cups of Borax & Super Washing Soda. Stir unti dissolves (not long).
I use a canning pot for the rest of the recipe. You can use one of those big buckets from Lowe's if you want! Add 8 cups of HOT water. (I warmed mine in the microwave & had it ready to go) Stir really well to the large pot or bucket. Pout the laundry soap mix to the pot or bucket. Stir well.
Add 3 gallons of water to the large pot or bucket. I typically use warm water so that my soap doesn't get too thick while I am pouring.
Use a funnel to pour the detergent into old detergent bottles or water jugs. You could just use the big bucket to dish it out of, but I wanted something more handy. The consistency is like sloppy, thick JELL-O. Just shake the bottle before you pour. You'll want to use 1/2 cup per load. (HE or front loader washers will use 1/4 cup---that's 1 cent per 2 loads!) For dirtier loads I use a little more and for smaller loads I use a little less.
Here is my finished product, minus another gallon water jug. The smaller containers and jars are for friends to try. A lot of people were so interested in how well I liked it!
I have to say that I really like it so far. There are no chemicals to worry about. It is all natural. I will use Oxyclean FREE with a few loads that need a little extra whitener. You can find a brightner recipe here. The main ingredient in Oxyclean is peroxide! My girlfriend uses 1/2 peroxide and 1/2 white vinegar. She uses peroxide to clean her carpets too!
I thought about adding some essential oils to the recipe because I love fresh smelling laundry, but I use fresh smelling liquid softner from Melaleuca, so I didn't bother. My first load I tried it with bath towels...the true test. We'll see how long they stay smelling nice! So far, so good! My whites were great! I am not seeing any changes in my clothes, either!!
UPDATE: I am now on my second batch & loving it. My batch lasted from Sept to February for my family of 3! I love it. I think I will try the oils this time. You CAN'T use this on cloth diapers, so that is a bummer. I use Trader Joe's & Oxi Clean FREE for those special loads.
NEWEST UPDATE: I've been making my own laundry soap for nearly 3 years. I am still loving it! You can find some helpful tips here.
A friend of mine uses this recipe:
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
4 gallons + 12 cups water
If you try it, you have to let me know what you think--- LEAVE A COMMENT!
Well in another endeavor to save our family money, I started making my own laundry soap.
Who ever thought I would be a cloth diapering, homemaker who made her own laundry soap??
It worked out great & to think that I will spend about 60 cents for 64 loads of laundry!
Did you do the math? That's less than 1 cent a load!!!! WOW!
Here is my recipe for a DOUBLE BATCH---4 gallons: (based on The Family Homestead site where you can find the single batch recipe)
2/3 bar Zote, grated
9 cups water
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team found in the laudry aisle)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (not baking soda; found at Super Wal-Mart, Meijer and Kroger)
8 cups HOT water
3 gallons (12 qts.) water
optional: 1 oz. essential oils (any scent from lavendar, lemon, rosemary, to tea tree)
Zote is a laundry bar of soap. I found it at a regular Wal-Mart in the laundry section on a bottom shelf. You can also use Fels Naptha. Zote is a larger bar of soap & stronger in my opinion.
Borax you can find at Wal-Mart, Kroger or Meijer, again in the Laundry section.
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is a little more tricky to find. I found it at our local Meijer & Super Wal-Mart. Most people say they have to order it online. Meijer.com would have it too! Be careful! This is NOT baking soda or Arm & Hammer's detergent baking soda. Refer to the picture!
Put the grated Zote bar into the pan. Add the 9 cups of water. Warm & stir until all of the soap has melted really well. Measure out the other ingredients while you wait so they are ready to go.
Add the cups of Borax & Super Washing Soda. Stir unti dissolves (not long).
I use a canning pot for the rest of the recipe. You can use one of those big buckets from Lowe's if you want! Add 8 cups of HOT water. (I warmed mine in the microwave & had it ready to go) Stir really well to the large pot or bucket. Pout the laundry soap mix to the pot or bucket. Stir well.
Add 3 gallons of water to the large pot or bucket. I typically use warm water so that my soap doesn't get too thick while I am pouring.
I have to say that I really like it so far. There are no chemicals to worry about. It is all natural. I will use Oxyclean FREE with a few loads that need a little extra whitener. You can find a brightner recipe here. The main ingredient in Oxyclean is peroxide! My girlfriend uses 1/2 peroxide and 1/2 white vinegar. She uses peroxide to clean her carpets too!
I thought about adding some essential oils to the recipe because I love fresh smelling laundry, but I use fresh smelling liquid softner from Melaleuca, so I didn't bother. My first load I tried it with bath towels...the true test. We'll see how long they stay smelling nice! So far, so good! My whites were great! I am not seeing any changes in my clothes, either!!
UPDATE: I am now on my second batch & loving it. My batch lasted from Sept to February for my family of 3! I love it. I think I will try the oils this time. You CAN'T use this on cloth diapers, so that is a bummer. I use Trader Joe's & Oxi Clean FREE for those special loads.
NEWEST UPDATE: I've been making my own laundry soap for nearly 3 years. I am still loving it! You can find some helpful tips here.
A friend of mine uses this recipe:
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
4 gallons + 12 cups water
WARNING
Once you start making your own laundry soap, it is a slippery soap to make tons of homemade cleaners! I will be posting those I have tried on my blog too! Thanks to those that have shared in this experience and encouraged me in this adventure! Love ya Krista!If you try it, you have to let me know what you think--- LEAVE A COMMENT!
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