News of all kinds!

Well my sweet friends and family...I have news to share with all of you about the whole Dean Family! I went to the doctor this morning to have another EEG done to see if there has been a progression and if there was damage after the relapse in August. But before we go into that...let's talk about some other rockstars:

Most of you know that my husband, John, fell off a roof a few years ago and shattered his ankle. Plates and screws, countless surgeries, and nearly a year on bedrest couldn't put Humpty back together again because the bone died. He was told that ankle replacements are only good for about 15 years, so he wouldn't be a candidate for another 25-30 years, and even then, he might not have enough viable bone. The ankle would continue to crumble, so they put him in a brace to slow the process. Last year, his doctor told him that there was significant disintegration and he would probably need metal rods added to the joint within the year.

We arrived at his annual follow-up appointment prepared to schedule a surgery that would return him to bedrest for 3-4 months. With my health situation, this was scary for the whole family. They x-rayed his ankle and entered the room surprised. His ankle had hardly changed over the last year. They sweetened the pot by telling us that a new ankle replacement has been invented that will last and they think he will be a candidate for it. If he can wait just 3 or 4 more years, he could get the replacement and not have to ever have the joint fused! The good news kept coming. John has been in pain every day since the accident. They looked at where the pain was coming from and told him it was from scar tissue. They gave him a shot of steroid and the pain is almost completely gone! He feels like a new man.

Bradie is loving the Fifth grade. She was assessed at an 11th grade reading level last week. What do you think the chance is that we will find a book at her level and it will be appropriate? I guess there are worse things to worry about. She received an award today at the pep rally for her assistance with the kindergartners. We are very proud of her!

Let's see...Logan...hmmm....well, he is totally pumped that he is about to lose another tooth! The third grade is rolling along and his teacher was a perfect match for him. He is making progress with his reading. Our goal is to be at grade level by the end of the year, but this will mean a lot of extra work. We are very proud of the extra effort he is giving.

Ok...I started on a slow progression of the immune suppressants Labor Day weekend. Last Friday, I reached the full level. By Sunday night, I was very sick to my stomach. I woke up Monday morning swollen like a tick and sick as a dog (hmmm...detecting a theme). I had a board meeting to attend with a full agenda of serious topics. As if that was not stressful enough, when I got out of the meeting, I learned that one of our exercise contractors had resigned. News had traveled and my office was full of people asking about what had happened. As a result of the stress, my sugars went through the roof, and then I realized I didn't have my insulin with me. I have an amazing group of people at my office who allowed me to go home a little early. My kids were great and allowed me to lay down and rest. The good news is that prior to the immune suppressants, a day like that would have triggered a relapse. While I had effects from the stress (swelling, headaches, increased tremors, loss of balance, muscle spasms), there were not any myoclonic jerks. This has given my neurologist hope that the drugs are helping.

I had my EEG this morning at 10am. They spent about 30 minutes attaching wires and Vaseline to my head! Then I got to relax in a lazy boy while they mapped the brain activity. When they finished, they removed the wires and rubbed the Vaseline with a wet rag. Oh joy! My thin and naturally curly hair that is straightened every morning stood straight up in the air! That was when they informed me that there was not a room available and I would have to wait in the lobby! Awesome! After an embarrassing 20 minutes with strangers, Dr. Yankov peeked around the corner and asked me to join him to look at the EEG. He turned to me as we entered the room, gave me a hug, and said, "Oh, you have gotten all big from the steroids." Ahhhh....I know we have a language barrier my Russian friend...but telling a woman she has gotten bigger is never a good idea in America!

He reviewed the EEG and confirmed what we suspected. There was increased damage from the relapse back in August. He noted though that it is in the same area as the other damage and not at a surprising degree. This probably explains why I have never been symptom free since the initial onset. It also means that the hand tremors and balance issues probably will not get any better. He did soften the blow with optimism about the immune suppressants. He said that he wished we had started them sooner.

The most important news that I have to share is how blessed I feel! For anyone who questions whether God exists, just needs to have walked in my shoes over the last few months. Every time that I thought life was getting too hard, and that I couldn't take another step, God would send one of you my way. It never failed that on a day I was feeling down, one of you would send a card, pick up the phone, or send a random text. Some of you have gone to the extreme with your support and it always leaves me speechless! Some of the strongest support has been from strangers. Please know that it means the world to me! I have received cards from Sunday school classes from all over the State. I read every hand written message and thank God for each of you!