GRAINS of GRATITUDE...

Well it hs been an a pretty good week in our houehold. So here is a look back at what I am grateful for. Thanks Christine.

Well, I actually got an evening out for dinner at Macaroni Grill courtesy of Aviva's teacher. Some of the kindergarten teachers took their room moms out for dinner to thank them for a wonderful year. When I believe we should be thanking Aviva's teacher for a terrific year Aviva had. What a change in Aviva from August till now. She has done amazingly well this year.

Yesterday according to Aviva we had mommy-daughter time. We went to the park and stayed till after 7 pm. She had a picnic with her favorite McDonald's and we brought her bike. She rode and played and played and rode. He definitely wore herself out. It was a beautiful evening too!

Today after daddy wakes up (he did the overnight) it will be daddy-daughter time. I believe they are going to an arcade (like Kaooms or Chuck E Cheese). They wll give me a few hours alone which is always nice. And they love those games and the noise much more then me.

Hard to beleve the last day of school is Thursday....this year went by so fast. I will have a first grader it is so hard to believe. She started life at 3 lbs and look at her now! She improved 100% in her handwriting, reading at a 2nd grade level and is doing addition and subtraction in math. Forget she is writing simple essays too!! Who wuld have thought they do all that in kindergarten!

I am still here with constant back pain so will be calling again the pain clinic. I had nerve testing on my hands done Thursday (need legs too but insurance won't pay for both at the same time). Let me tell you not pleasant at all. But something has to be done.,...cannot go on another week or more like this. Spider has been amazing..shopping, cleaning and just taking care of everything I used to do. Oh nd working lots of overtime!! I truly love him for all he has done. Tuesday have another endoscopy and he will take me again on very little sleep!! What a lucky girl I am to have him!!

The Many Faces of Aviva

PROCRASTINATION pays off......

well sometimes.

I got a 23/25 on my paper and I am thrilled with that. She really liked it, but had a few minor things with the APA format.

I am happy!!!

GRAINS of GRATITUDE.......

What a week it has been in our household...Thank you Christine......

1. What a great time the 3 of us had at Family Fun Day at Aviva's school. She was so happy that we both were able to attend. She served us breakfast. We watched a great DVD of pictures from throughout the year. We all had tears in our eyes. Our children have come so far this year. It truly helps that we had an amazing teacher.

2. I am thankful for Spider for taking over many of the house responsibilities...like the cooking and cleaning. And he has done it with out complaining. So yesterday I sent him grocery shopping with a blank check...mind you when I shop I spend $70 a week well he spent...are you siting down? $156 for the three of us. Frm now if he shops he gets cash and cannot go over that amount!! But do appreciate him doing the shopping.

3. I am so happy that I got my paper done on Somebody Else's Kids. You have to read this book if you have not. It is the year in he life of a special educaion teacher with 4 totally different students.

4. I am very thankful that Aviva has been so good to me and helpful all at the same time. I am in such agony with my back and she is so understanding. She will help around the house and rubs my back to make me feel better.

5. And happy to say we are going to see Shrek the 3rd today as a family. We are all looking forward to some good laughs!!!

NO MORE PRCRASTINATION for ME....

Just finished a paper on the book Somebody Else's Kids by Torey Hayden. It is due one hour from now (11:55 pm). The book is really good. I did a 6 page paper and a PowerPoint presentation, started at 5 pm and finished at 9:45 pm.

NO more procrastination...will begin the next project Monday and will finish way before it is due!

Torey Hayden is a great author.....I highly recommend her!

FAMILY Fun Day at Aviva's School

What a great day Family Fun Day was...Aviva took us to breakfast in the classroom. We watched a Photo CD of the photos some of the moms and I took. It was put to music and each child got one with their picture on it. What a great momento to have o remember the amazing year we had with Mrs. Gonshak. After that the children sang to us. Finally, they were so excited to go all over the kindergarten wing and outside to have fun at the fun centers. It was a lot of fun!


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An UPDATE but still no relief.....

So off I went this morning to the pain doctor...took 45 minutes instead of 20 due to rain and bad drivers. Then I get there and no parking so I parked in what seems another country. It was not but my back cannot take the walking.

So I saw the doctor (not mine) and explained what was going on. I am have some tingly feeling and numbness in my feet and hands. So he took more info and then another doc came in the head guy. He said before considering an epidural he wants me to talk to the endocrinologist about peripheral neuropothy. He wants them to do some nerve testings before deciding how to proceed. He does not want to do the epidural and then not work. I said I just want to walk with out pain.

Being diabetic he has to take extra precaution. When they gave me the injection on Thursday never told me my sugars would go very high like 412. And she should have told me to talk to the endo first. So have to be careful if getting steroids again.

So at my appointment this afternoon with the endo....he decided that he can do the nerve testing at his office since they are coming May 24th. And if needed will send me to a neurologist. Makes it easier then having to wait to see a neurologist and scheduling with them.

Meanwhile changed my metformin to 1000 mg twice a day and added the insulin Lantus took away Novolin N and changed Novolog to three times a day!!

So I am still in pain and not sure how much longer I can take it. But from now on Spider will be doing the shopping and errands.

PAIN PAIN will not go away...

The injection in the SI Joint did nothing to help the pain. I am in agony and even worse then before. Walking in my house now hurts. Had to go to Walmart to get my insulin and did not think I was going to make it back to the car. The sweat was building up on my head and the pain in my back was miserable and I got to the car and cried. I cannot do this anymore.

I cannot have fun with Aviva and take her places. I need this to be resolved. I just want to walk and stand with out pain.

I go tomorrow for a follow up at 9 am. Prayers please.

GRAINS of GRATITUDE

Happy Mother's Day!!!! I hope all the mom's had a special day with their familis.

I am so thankful for my small family. They made my day very special. From the lovely cards they gave me and Aviva writing (all by herself) such beautiful messages. Aviva read each one to me. And then they gave me a power vacuum for the car (I believe this was more for Spider then me), She also made some awesome things at school for me. I love the handmade items so much. She was so proud of what she did.

We actaully spent the whole weekend together. Which meant alot to me. It is always nice to have us home together and having a nice time. And best of all, they made me breakfast today.

Spider let me rest and cleaned the whole house!! He also did laundry and folded the clothes. I am still in a lot of pain with my back. And Spider took good care of me. While he took care of the house and helped with Aviva.

It is hard to believe the school year is almost over...only 12 1/2 more days....and my baby will soon be a first grader....it is very hard to believe. What a year it has been,

Thank you agan Christine for the Grains of Gratitude.

Lots going on....so here is an update....

First off, had the injections in my back yesterday....was hoping to feel some relief right off....but not yet...was in a lot of pain today. Had to go to Walmart for my insulin and the walking still really hurts. And took Aviva to the pool at our complex today with friends....wow that walk was a doozy for me....I just want some relief I pray for the pain to go away.

The was told last week my insurance would cover the Lap-Band surgery and then this week they said NO....and it is a contract exclusion so cannot even fight it. It is very sad. But maybe I have a long lost relative or someone, a friend maybe who has an extra $15,000 laying around....I will pay it back :). I can have $5000 by end of August....so going to talk to the doctor found a great surgeon. Went to a seminar on Tuesday, and filled out the paper work on the computer and waiting to hear back. So hoping to get financing if no relative comes forward. Oh and will play the lottery too, never know....think positive for me.

I also received an amazing book in the mail today called GIFTS...written by parents of child with Down Sydrome. I have some friends who contributed stories to the book. I cannot wait to read it....I think this is a must read for everyone and especially those in the field of exceptional student educaton.

Aviva was the only one in her class to earn enough points in Accelerated Reader to get an invite to the JUNGLE party. Had to have 12 points and Aviva had 12.2 points..I believe she read like 25 books. I am very proud of her. The party is Monday....and hard to believe only12 1/2 more days of kindergarten!

Look who lost another tooth.....

GRAINS of GRATITUDE....

Thank you Christine.......

1. I am thankful to finally get answers for my back pain....it is unbearable lately. I just want to walk with out pain....hoping Friday's injections will do the trick.

2. Last night my neighbor's took Aviva at 4 pm so Spider and I can have an evening alone. We watched the Kentucky Derby. And then we went out for Japanese food to a place called Kamado's. It was very good. Spider lived in Japan for 6 months and just love sushi.

3. I am very proud of Aviva for doing so well on her Accelerated Reader program. She earned the 24 points it takes to spell out JUNGLE and now will get to have a party with the other students in the school. Each book was .5 points, and she read over 25 books.

4. Spider was home this weekend and cleaned the house since the bending and moving hurts to much. He does a much better job then I do anyway. And much faster then me too.

5. I am grateful to my friends who have helped me with Aviva this week, by bringing her home from school when I could not. And to mygood friend who is attending seminar with me on Tuesday.

My Back Pain....

Well, yesterday I went to the Pain Management Clinic to find out what they can do for my back. It is really bad that everytime you walk it throbs.

So I saw the nurse practitioner first. She was great and spent a good amount of time with me. Asking lots of questions and explaining things to me. Then the doctor came in and examined me and asked questions and explained things to me and what they will do to help me with the pain.

SO I am taking Celebrex once a day and going back Friday for injections in my back for the disc and SI joint. She believes it will help. I truly hope it does, because living with this pain is really hell. Now, just nervous the procedure will hurt.

Multicultural Day at Central Park...

SECOND tooth fell out..Monday night...

Blogging Against Disablism Day in 2007.....

I am going back to the early 1990's when I was teaching. I was a speech therapist for students with autism. We were housed on the 5th floor of a public school but we were not in the same District.

I had little boys who were 4.8 years old and so small climbing 5 flights...in the beginning took 40 minutes but they were protesting which who could blame them. But with positive reinforcement and tangible rewards they would get up in 10 minutes if that.

But the main problem at that school was no one explained to the typical children about Autism. Back then it was not known as it is now, most people did not know what autism was.

So my students would be walking up or down the stairs and the typical students would be on the stairs as well. But because of them not knowing anything about autism, they acted like our students had some type of contagious disease.

Part I blame on the teachers and part on the parents. So the other speech therapist and I took it upon ourselves to educate the students as well as their teachers about autism and what it means to be autistic.

After we took the time to explain about our students, the typical students wanted to come help out and volunteer in the class. Each class (we had 6) had gym with an age appropriate class.

Both classes learned from each other so turned out to be a win win situation with just a bit of education to explain differences .

FINALLY some answers....

I went to get the results from my MRI. I was hoping it would show something because I was in such pain walking and standing. I knew it had to be something.

When he Doctor walked in I said please tell me that something is wrong. And he laughed and said yes they found something. Glad it was not all in my head.

He showed us the MRI..and explained to Aviva what she was looking at and she thought it was pretty cool.

Then he explained tome what was going on. I have at the L4-5 a left-sided foraminal disc herniation whih moderately encroaches upon the left neural foramen or basically a herniated disc. And at the L3-4 there is an anteriordisc herniaton, but no posterior disc herniation. And there is a loss of normal lordotic curvature and this may reflect strain. Not sure abot the other stuff.

So the doctor wants to send me for Intervention Pain Management Evaluation to see what they can do for the pain...maybe an epidural or something like that.

So that is it for now! Glad to have some results!

YIPPEE..............it is official.....

and so excited because of where we are staying!!!!!!!!!!

I was able to rent points and we are staying at BEACH CLUB VILLAS from Nov. 26 to Nov 30, 2007 (will be our 4th year in a row going at this time). We are renting a studio...but saving a ton of money by renting the points.

And it will be our 11 anniversary, so now will have to decide where to eat for it!! Will put Aviva in the Sandcastle Club and we will go out, ALONE!!

GRAINS of GRATITUDE.....

This week needed to be looked back at it has been a tough week for me....Thanks Christine....

1. I am so happy in how well Aviva is doing in school. She is at the top of her class for reading and scored the highest on the tests....my preemie has come a long way, hasn't she! She is also the assistant for the accelerated reader program. According to her teacher...she sets up the computer for the other students..finds there name, the book they are reading and starts them.

2. Aviva is doing amazing with riding a 2-wheeler, even has the bumps and scrapes to show for it. And she has become a fish in the water. She loves the water.

3. Finally I go tomorrow for my MRI results and truly hope it is something because why would I have this pain.

4. Aviva decided she wanted her birthday at Disney and she wanted Grandpa to come...so she typed an email to him herself (well, some guidance with a little spelling), and invited him to come with us in January and he said yes!!

5. I am very thankful to SPIDER...for being here and helping and cleaning the house. He has been the most understanding!