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Thanksgiving Challenges {Thoughts From Me}

November 27, 2016 by Dana

Our Thanksgiving weekend did not go as we had planned. There were many unexpected challenges that came about. There was work where we least expected it.

Wednesday, as I was cleaning our room to prepare for Winter and cold weather, I saw a place on our walls where the paint was peeling away so I gently tugged at it because I am planing to paint that room anyways. But what I did not expect to find behind that paint was a molded wall that had been covered with cheap paint before our landlords purchased our residence. The previous owner had covered over the mold so the new owners had no idea what they were really getting. Over time, the cheap paint loosened and the truth was exposed.

Mold. Seriously?! At Thanksgiving?! Just what we needed to find! Luckily, we do know how to remove and treat the areas that were affected. And so you can guess how the weekend was spent.

We’ve taken our room wall by wall. One spot had to be peeled away, trashed and repainted with Kilz 2 to protect and seal the remaining mold which was affected only on the surface area. But there was more to be discovered. The opposite side of our room, by our window, the wall was brittle and breaking due to the dampness and mold growing there. It, too, had been hidden by the previous paint job and then by the furniture we had inside our room. So these walls had to be completely ripped out and replaced. I’m thankful to say that this is done and now we just need to finish it all off with paint!

So you’d think that God would say “Ok these guys have had enough” but NOPE. He decided to challenge us even more. As I was cooking our Thanksgiving dinner (I had the sides while Don did the Turkey and Ham and my Mom did the Giblet Gravy, Mac N Cheese and the Stuffing or Dressing as you prefer to call it), I discovered our sink drain was not draining out. Oh boy! Another challenge! The water was backed up with no where to go.

Yep, you guessed it! Our septic was FULL!

Hurricane Matthew still has the water level high, so add to that 7 people using the water, bathroom, shower and that equals a full tank! The septic decided on Thanksgiving Day that it had enough and wasn’t taking anymore.

Yep! This mess was our holiday weekend.

I’m thankful to say that Don has fixed the bedroom and our wonderful landlords had the septic emptied completely late last night. We did manage to have a great meal despite the challenges and we all shared things we were thankful for. Me? I was just thankful to have the meal done and my family fed.

Sometimes challenges happen and you come through them together, stronger than you expect to. You learn from them, deal with them and move forward. These were some pretty serious tasks we faced but we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying our time as a family or discourage us from our holiday.

When life throws you lemons, you simply add some sugar, some ice and have sweet homemade lemonade!

Strength {Epilepsy Awareness}

July 15, 2013 by Dana

My blog is my journal. I come here to write. I come here to put my thoughts into print.

It’s always been easier for me to write out how I feel, than to say how I feel. I wear my heart on my sleeve. Because of that, it is hard for me to be honest to others, though I am always an honest person.

I tend to take things to heart. Words wound me because they are so important to me. Feelings take control of me.

These things play a huge part in my blogging and my sharing about Epilepsy and my children. I write to journal our life but also to share life how it is, living with Epilepsy. It’s not easy but I do my best.

Life with Epilepsy is a long, winding journey. It surrounds us daily. It is our life. We know no other way than to live in the midst of this disorder.

Like with so many other disorders and diseases, if you live in the midst of the trial, you understand. If you don’t, you can only hope to comprehend what I am referring to. It’s one of those either you know or you don’t things and not everyone does.

I look at my children and I feel blessed, never saddened by this disorder. It scares me but I am thankful for each day I have among them. Their lives are not shortened because of this, as none of us have dates stamped upon us for our time to go. I could very well leave the Earth well before they do.

This isn’t a life I asked for but I live it. Someone commented to me the other day that since I have chosen not to have more children, I won’t have to worry about another child of mine having Epilepsy. This is true but I’d have given birth to 100 children regardless of that chance if I could have. The risk was well-worth the gift that my children’s lives are to me. I will teach them that the risk is worth it for their children too.

We have carried this for generations now. It will most likely carry for generations to come. I wear it with pride, though I wish everyday I didn’t have to. Having Epilepsy is nothing to be ashamed of. Having Epilepsy is nothing to be afraid of for God is with us every day. Having Epilepsy is just another part of our lives and I will continue to feel blessed by it, not torn apart by something I cannot control. Even when I am weak, I am strong.

~ Dana

The Birth Of My Son

December 29, 2010 by Dana

For me, this week not just about the joys of Christ’s birth but also the joys of family. 10 years ago this week my life changed forever. My first-born, my son was born. It was the best day of my life (next to the later births of his sisters).

It was possibly the longest week of my life. Signs of my labor began Christmas day. The actual labor started on Dec. 26th. I can remember walking miles with my best friend in the freezing cold, still feeling quite warm myself, trying to walk my boy out and increase our labor. I remember the squeezing pain as a contraction hit and breathing through it, praying God would be good to us and would take care of my sweet baby boy.

The next day was no better and at some point I went into the hospital to be checked but was told it was not time yet. My contractions were too irregular.

On December 28, 2000, I called my doctors office and begged for an appointment with my midwife. I was told to come in right after lunch, so I did. I walked for two hours around the office while I waited for my midwife to be able to squeeze me into her busy day, all the while being monitered by nurses. Finally, she was able to take me back and check but there was no major changes, though she did “accidently” break my water while checking me. I will never forget the look on her face or the “opps!” that came out of her mouth when that happened. I was told to call who I needed, gather my things (we lived in a small town at the time) and go straight to the hospital.

I went home, called my son’s father, gathered my stuff and ate 4 bowls of spaghetti with light sauce before heading back to the hospital. It was around 4pm when I finally got there.

All seemed to be going well. I arrived and was immediately taken into the back. I was hooked to moniters. The midwife said we’d be a while waiting on this boy to arrive. My DH left to get himself something to eat but before he was out of the room good the midwife returned to tell me something was wrong.

My monitors showed that my heart rate was increasing and my baby’s was dropping. We were in too much stress. I wasn’t dilating past 1 and my boy was ready to come out. He was under excessive stress and so was I. A c-section was necessary for a safe arrival.

By this time, I could feel myself floating out of my body and I knew something was wrong. I was scared for my son and I didn’t want to lose him before I even got the chance to hold him. I immediately agreed to the c-section. It was around this time that my then-husband returned, after my Dad tracked him down, banged upon our door to wake him and got him back up to the hospital. His only disagreement was that he didn’t like my surgeon but by this point I just wanted it all over and our baby to be safe and sound.

I don’t remember much after that. It all went so fast. The pain was intense and I remember biting down on my DH’s finger, concentrating on not hurting him, to get through the contractions. It wasn’t long before I was rolled into the ER, put to sleep and in surgery. My beautiful boy was born to his sleeping Momma at 6:07 pm on December 28, 2000.

When I came out of surgery, I was in so much pain. The doctors had me hooked onto an IV/Morphine drip but I was unable to get out of my bed. My DH and my Mom greeted me with a picture of my beautiful boy, all fat and swollen from his birth with a perfectly round head. His heart-rate was a little off and his grand-father’s heart specialist had him in a incubator running tests to make sure he was strong and heathly before they brought him to me. It was the longest 6 hours of my life, at that point.

On December 29, 2000, right after midnight, the nurse brought my sweet boy to me, placed him into my arms and in this moment my life forever changed for the better. I knew what my life was meant to be, who I was meant to be – his mother. I was and forever am, the mother of Winston Lee Grant. I could not imagine a better job than this one, even on that day I could not imagine how wonderful this job was going to be.

10 years have passed since that day, that moment but I still remember it like it just happened. I can feel the weight of his sweet body as it lay in my arms. I can feel his weight as he grew into the tall boy he now is today. He made my arms full, and my heart fuller. The joys of Heaven brought to Earth through a small child. There is no better feeling than knowing you love and are loved by someone so precious and sweet.

My son has grown into a handsome, caring, hard-working young man. His heart is patient and peaceful. Some day he will be a wonderful father and husband. For now, he’s a wonderful son. His hugs bring my heart peace. His smiles bring me joy. His laughter makes my heart ring with love. He is everything I never knew I wanted and his life is the meaning of mine. Being his Mother is the best gift I have ever received, the best job I will ever have. I am forever Thankful for this child who is blessing my life. I know how God feels as a parent to each of us. Unconditional love.