Silence in our home.

Every October 31st our home is quiet and peaceful. Why you ask? Because we do not celebrate the secular holiday, Halloween. Let me be clear...

We do NOT celebrate Halloween.

We do NOT celebrate All Hallows Eve.

We do NOT celebrate All Saints Day.

We do not do costumes, or anything of the like.

We do not attend fall festivals on the 31st.

We do not accept churches that try to go against Halloween by having kids dress up as Bible characters (this is the worst offense for me).

Obviously I am VERY adamant about my feelings for this holiday. I do not like all of "spiritual roots" and "scaring the dead away." In my book, it is evil, and I cannot make it right. Believe me, when I had kids, I wanted to celebrate, but every year I reread my literature and I know I am doing what is best for my kids.

I grew celebrating Halloween until I was 10, that is the year my mom became convicted, and we never celebrated again. And truthfully, I didn't care. My kids are older now, they have read about some of Halloween's historical roots, and they have NO DESIRE to be a part of that.

Michael had to go into a Halloween store with his dad this week, and he spent the night crying about all of the "evil stuff he could not get out of his head." There is nothing quite like a child's conviction, it is powerful.

I encourage you all to read the historcal background of this pagan holiday. Maybe you too will have nice, quiet October 31st family nights. :-)

For more on Halloween, click the link below, Wikipedia has nailed it, well, it says the same stuff that my books say. :-)

HALLOWEEN LINK

Thyroid Ick Explained...

Okay a lot of you keep on asking me what are my symptoms and whatnot. Well, quite frankly I am too sleepy to write about it and can't think long enough to explain it. But, some really great people who have been there, wrote silly songs about what we go through. I am gonna copy and paste them for you to see...keep in mind, they are funny, but EVERY symptom is true. And it really isn't funny while you are living it.

SONG ONE

This one goes out to all you Hypo-ites out there. Sing it to the tune of "The Twelve Days Of Christmas". A-one and a-two....

In the first week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
the need for a really great nap.

In the second week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the third week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the fourth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the fifth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the sixth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the seventh week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
seven days of dry skin,
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the eighth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
eight constipations,
seven days of dry skin,
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the ninth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
nine aching muscles,
eight constipations,
seven days of dry skin,
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the tenth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
ten frozen fingers,
nine aching muscles,
eight constipations,
seven days of dry skin,
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and the need for a really great nap.

In the eleventh week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
eleven memory lapses,
and I forget the rest...

In the twelfth week of hypo hell
my symptoms gave to me
twelve temper tantrums,
eleven memory lapses,
ten frozen fingers,
nine aching muscles,
eight constipations,
seven days of dry skin,
six pounds of weight gain,
FIVE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!
Four bouts of weeping,
three seafood cravings,
two migraine headaches,
and THE NEED FOR A REALLY GREAT NAP!!!

SONG TWO

Hope you enjoy it. Sing it to the tune of "The Camptown Races". It's goes something like this. A-one, and a-two....

ThyCa patients sing this song,
Doo-dah, doo-dah.
ThyCa listserv's five miles long,
Oh, the doo-dah day.

See them chatting 'bout the foods to eat,
Doo-dah, doo-dah.
Low-iodine diet - most do cheat,
Oh, the doo-dah day.

Goin' to crave all night!
Goin' to crave all day!
I can't wait for a ham and cheese.
Weight gain, go away!

When you're hypo, you're brain's in a fog,
Doo-dah, doo-dah.
All you wanna do is sleep like a log,
Oh, the doo-dah day.

It's isolation time for me,
Doo-dah, doo-dah.
Drink and pucker, puke and pee
Oh, the doo-dah day

Goin' to glow all night!
Goin' to glow all day!
The room's decorated with plastic wrap,
Wonder how long I gotta stay?!


THIRD SONG


Oh, My Rear, My Big Fat Rear
Imagine Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp Family Singers going hypothyroid…


Oh: my rear, my big fat rear

Hey: this hypo isn't fun

Me: a shame - I’m not myself

Fog: my brain - it cannot run

So: I think I’ll go to bed

Blah: to bloat and wallow so

Tea: something to warm my head

That will bring us back to HYpo, HYpo!


Okay, these were copied courtesy of Megan's website... thyroidcancersongs.com ! Megan is no longer with us, but I am thankful for the songs she wrote to uplift all of us.

Bragging on family...

Just taking a minute to let everyone know that my little bro started his own computer company. I am so proud of him. If you need IT services you can totally trust him, he is wicked smart. He was a little computer prodigy when we were kids. Trust me, I am not just promoting it because he is my brother, but because he is THE BEST at what he does and he won't screw you over. Check him out...

Click here to see his site!!

(Way to go Sam!)

No, my blog isn't broken!

I got a text today, from an unnamed friend (Kim), who asked me if my blog was broken. Teehee. That next text, along with the many FB messages, and one personal stop in Wal-Mart, I decided I would blog again.

Every single night I sit down and start to blog, but I just have been so off of my game. You all know that I enjoy writing more that anything (well, ahem, except photography)- so you know I must REALLY be down if I am not regularly blogging.

I am not even sure where I left off with my life, so I will just start blabbing, skip down if I am repeating myself.

I am currently off of my Synthroid, which is the medicine that suppresses my cancer from growing. I have to be off for 6 weeks in order to get the necessary scans to try and pinpoint the cancer. Most of you know that my cancer came back in 2008 believe...uh, wait, maybe 2007?! Not sure. Anywho, radiation and chemo are not options for me, if you wanna know why just ask. So that leaves surgery. Well, when it first came back it was so small that it could not be found on scans, I am HOPING that it can be found now. We are guessing that it is in my chest area, not lung, just below the shoulders on tissue in my chest. And like I said, that is just a guess.

During the next six weeks I will slowly become more and more exhausted, and forgetful. Luckily it is only for a short time, I think I can manage. Lord knows I have MANY, MANY times before. We are trying to rush through all of this so I can get any treatments needed before I lose my insurance. :-( Justin has to keep me on the plan until the divorce is final, and I am so grateful for that law. But once we are divorced I am just one of the millions in America with no health care.

I am still praying for Social Security to come through for me, that would guarantee insurance. That is my only hope since I do not qualify for medicaid, only my boys do. My doctors are ALL fighting to get me approved, they all know how important it is. I have an amazing team of doctors.

As if all this wasn't enough, I am trying to get through the semester. I have to email my professors and let them know what is going on, especially in a few weeks when my mind will really be effected by this. Right now I am just trying to stay afloat. I know I can do it...I am determined.

Samuel went to the immunologist today, and we got news. Not bad, not good. He thinks it is necessary to rerun the blood work to see if he needs shots again. He also said that Samuel's asthma and breathing patterns have gotten a little worse- so please pray that the new meds will help his breathing become more normal. He is freaking out at the thought of shots.

This Saturday he is going paint balling with his youth group (he is so grown up). I am super worried about it, talk about dangerous. I am sending padding, and his rescue inhaler, and TONS AND TONS of drinks- so hopefully he will be okay. They are going to be an hour and a half away....and gone from 8am to 6pm. Ahhhh!! Parenting decisions suck.

Michael has really been having a great school year. He has actually become chatty in class...and if you know Michael, you know he never talked.....NEVER. I am so glad he is coming out of his shell. I think school, combined with church, and therapy has really helped him tremendously. He speaks with his therapist once a week, which is wonderful. However, I am about to put him and Samuel into a children's therapy that is run through the county I believe. I am not a hundred percent sure, but the place comes highly recommended. Michael will still stay in school therapy, but now he will go with his brother to a psychologist...or maybe it is a psychiatrist...not sure. I just know that this will be good for them.

Michael has fallen into the perfect routine at church. He love and adores all three of his classes. He has made friends, and that is what I want him to have, lifelong, Christian friends. I know that God put us in this church, and Michael is proof of it. :-)

Oh oh oh...Mindy and I decided that since we no longer have husbands to make our birthdays special, we would throw ourselves a party every year. And that is exactly what we did...it totally rocked. We went to Chuck E. Cheese, because where else can you really have a GREAT party, right?!?! I added some pics at the bottom, be sure to check them out. BTW, I turned 29 and she turned 34.

I have now been here with my mom for over two weeks. I love it here. I love having family around all the time, I love having help with the kids. Especially while I am still trying to overcome the traumatic uprooting my life has gone through...the help is much appreciated right now.

My mom and Steve have also been so patient with us. As I am sure you all know, when you move in with family there is going to be growing pains. Our situations was no different. We are finally set into a schedule with everything, not just some things, but everything. The house moves smoothly, we know when so and so is getting a shower, and we know who needs the stove when, etc etc etc... The relationship between my mom and Steve, and the kids and I, has grown so tight. I feel so blessed. All this, and I got my brother back too, who could ask for anything more?

Okay, here are some pics, maybe I already posted some, dunno, but here they are anyway. There are all a few weeks old, but they are finally up, so shut it...

The Birthday Party :-)
















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