I can't believe I cried...

over Meerkat Manor. To quote my husband, I "need to get a life...you are crying over a small mammal that eats bugs and digs holes." But since he has football on Fridays, he isn't hooked on this "soap opera" like I am. So if you are not a fan, let me explain...Meerkat Manor is a show on Animal Planet which documents the day-to-day happenings of meerkats. The thing is, they name them, and the narrator gives them personalities. You end up loving them like they are your little pets. On Friday's episode, Flower, the dominant female and matriarch of the Whiskers clan of meerkats was killed trying to defend her pups from a cobra. I was really enjoying the episode, too, because she had adopted an abandoned pup from a rival gang. She spared little Axle's life and took him in to her family. She died doing what she did best, taking care of her babies. And yes I know I'm a total dork for posting this!

We have a DISEASE!!!

and it's NOT cancer!!! Dee finally found out a diagnosis on Monday. He has sarcoidosis. And it is responsible for all of the symptoms he has been experiencing. He had a biopsy of lymph nodes in his lungs on Monday. He was very nervous that it would be lymphoma because that was a possibility we were given. I was nervous it would be tuberculosis because that was another possibility we were given (I could just see them having to test the whole school and us being on the news like that guy that flew on an airplane). But it turned out to be the 3rd possibility we were given--sarcoidosis. In short, the symptoms are treatable w/ steroids, and the disease can go away on its own. It can also not go away and/or cause permanent lung damage. We just won't know until we see what happens, but we pray for the best outcome. The pulmonologist is waiting on cultures to make sure Dee is free from infection (steroids compromise the immune system), and he will begin treatment at the end of next week. Hopefully, that will make him feel much better.

We ask for prayers that Dee will have a successful treatment, that his doctor will be wise and make the best decisions. Also, we pray that he won't have permanent damage done. And we definitely are thankful that it did not turn out to be lymphoma.

I know I need to get on here and post pictures, but I am drowning in a sea of calculus tests right now. I just wanted to update anyone who reads this and has been wondering about Dee.

Friday Night Lights

I decided to take my camera along with me to the football game to hopefully catch some cute shots after the game when the families go out on the field. Emily and Ty were so cute in their matching shirts, and Dee was in a good mood since we won (we're now 2-0). Enjoy the pics!

A Photo Essay on Sitting Up

I'm not sure what to think about this

Hey, this sitting up thing is kinda cool!

I can just sit and drool, sit and drool

Uh-oh...going down

Boom!

Ya know, this is pretty comfy

I think I'll stay here and look at this silly monkey toy

Bye everyone! p.s. I know how cute I am!

Please Pray For Our Family

So I have been terrible at updating lately. But here's the reason--I get up at 5 a.m. and don't go to bed until midnight. I never get a break during the day, seriously, I am not exaggerating. In fact, 2 days this past week, I have gone all day at work without peeing. That's how packed my days are.

The reason is not only back-to-school but my husband Dee. He is having a lot of health problems right now. It all started about 3 1/2 weeks ago when his left ankle got really swollen. To make a long story short, severe joint pain has spread to his other ankle, both wrists, and neck. He has been running fevers and has a dry cough that won't go away. His blood sugar is going haywire, up and down; he has no appetite and has lost over 10 lbs. He is miserable, sad, and not himself. He comes home from work in so much pain that he literally can't move. That's why I am up so late; I have to do so much to get ready for the next day, clean up the kitchen, wash bottles, etc.

3 visits to the ER and 5 or 6 doctor visits later, they still have no idea what is wrong. They have done tests for gout, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, lyme disease, and lots more. Last week, he was finally able to see the rheumatologist where they are testing him for some rare types of arthritis. It could be some type of autoimmune disease, but there are so many of them out there, and some are really rare that it could take a while to solve the mystery. He's been on different non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, but for the most part, the only thing that makes him feel better is vicodin and staying off of his feet. And driving 25 minutes to work, teaching high school, and coaching is not really compatible with that regimen.

Please keep him in your prayers that they can hurry up and find a diagnosis and treat this thing. If you have any questions about what has been tested or any other symptoms (because everyone seems to be playing detective here), feel free to ask. I was just trying to post this in a concise manner as I have a few moments of spare time. There were literally 2 nights last week that I didn't get to check my yahoo email because I have no spare time. Hopefully, things start to smooth out with the 2nd week of school.

Oh, and you can keep me in your prayers while you're at it--I am having a hard time handling all of these responsibilities, lack of sleep, and remaining patient and nice with my children, students, and husband.

A few other items of stress that happened last week, the first day of school, we forgot to bring the breastmilk to daycare, so Ty had to have formula until I pumped and could run some over there. And then, they decided to feed Ty solids even though we haven't started him on solids yet...but I think we have everything straightened out now.