Year in Review - 2014

This year was life changing in many ways...it started out as usual with a little kick start to my birthday...yes there was alcohol but I will say that this was NOT the whole reason it happened, it was more because of Sassy her not moving and then I was leaning over and all of a sudden she moves and I kept moving and therefore I kissed the concrete...YUP, Happy 47th birthday to me (4 days before we left for Hawaii)...LOVELY bruised nose, lip and eye! It was a GREAT story to tell the grand kids for sure!

Good thing we are going to Hawaii cause winter can be tough but we have a wee bit of a break, Greg and I went to Kauai Hawaii for a week which was AWESOME. This was actually very interesting for me but I had NO migraines, NO body pain and NO stress at all...not sure if it was the heat or the lack of stress from daily life but whatever it was I had no pain even though I still wasn't sleeping good. Either way we had an AMAZING time for a week, loved the island, walking the beaches, spending time with man, cooking and eating, going out for dinner and just relaxing at the pool...definitely will need to go back for sure!

Coming back was BRUTAL...I was slammed with jetlag or caught something because I could not get better, seriously I was out of it forever...it was horrible. I just wanted to go back to Hawaii. Weird how your body is affected like that. How weather and atmosphere affects you!

Went down to the coast for spring break to celebrate Sierra's 22nd and Bryden's 15th birthday...we were having a good time when when we woke up on the Sunday (which was the day of the Family birthday party) and Sierra is frantically trying to call Brittany, Me and Greg. She got a hold of Greg (thank goodness) and once off the phone we realized what had happened. A friend of theirs left their house and was killed in an accident. As expected...everyone was devastated...this was a very hard day for the whole family. I then had to go to a bridal shower before coming back to the family birthday party...definitely wasn't great day to celebrate!

April 14 was the day...we got the BEST news ever! Braydon and Sierra drove up, apparently to just go fishing or something which was kind of weird cause it was a Monday...but ok, I wasn't going to complain cause I don't mind my kids coming to see me anytime! Then she shows us pictures that they took on the way up...which were weird cause they were all of her stomach...ok, what is going on...then I am a little slow but I guess I didn't realize she wasn't drinking...but now the truth is revealed...Sierra is PREGNANT!...WE ARE GOING TO BE GRANDPARENTS! OH my, this is AMAZING! This is SO cool, can't believe it. Come December we will have a little baby...which considering they just lost their friend Richard...I am pretty sure this is going to be a boy!

Had a GREAT trip with my son...got to go to Disneyland with him and the band from Kal which was amazing. Was awesome to see Bryden who had never flown (he DID NOT like that) and had to go on rides (he DID NOT like those) but we did spend time watching the parade, we saw the light show at California Adventure, we got to go to Universal Studios which was lots of fun. They got to play twice in Disneyland but the BEST part of the trip (in my opinion) was when they got to do a studio session for 2 hrs and play with their music with to a soundtrack and see how their music sounded to a clip of a animated movie. They had a professional conductor helping them and to me this was invaluable.

Well summer was great, boating, friends and family...but the BEST part was going down to the coast and having the gender reveal party and finding out that Braydon and Sierra were having a BABY BOY! Just like I figured...this sweet little baby was going to be a boy in honor of Richard!...it is now only a few months till we can actually meet this sweet baby for real!

August I got my sinus surgery on the 1st in Penticon then we drove out to Calgary on the 5th. We had all the pre-wedding stuff then on the Sunday was the big day...the wedding of Brett and Chandler! What an AMAZING wedding it was...so beautiful, so hot even though I wasn't feeling good from the surgery and of course my life in general I made it through and I had fun!

Well August brought us our first international students...Hendrik from Germany who was 16 and in grade 10. We have decided that this might be a good way to for me to "work" with my illness and it would be good for Bryden to have some boys in his age group to be in the house plus we get a taste of the world. So Hendrik was our first taste and what a great introduction...he was definitely an amazing kid, we definitely couldn't ask for a better kid...will have this relationship for life! Can't wait to go visit him and his family for sure! Then in September Daniel came from China with his parents and this too was an amazing experience. His parents were SO sweet, they brought us great gifts and made us AMAZING traditional Chinese meals. We were also able to send them on a 3 day trip to Banff which was a great experience for them. Daniel was 18 and in grade 11 and he was going to be with us for 2 years while he finished school so that he can graduate and then go to university! Our fall was going great with the boys, we did lots of cooking, did playing games and getting to know things about them which fun learning about them and teaching them English and about our life here!

We went down the beginning of November for Sierra's baby's shower...how AMAZING to see my beautiful daughter, glowing, absolutely glowing...I was just SO proud of her. I can't wait for this baby to be born and I know that she will be such an amazing mommy to this sweet boy

Dec 7th we got the PHONE CALL that we were waiting for...Sierra had not been feeling good for about 24 hrs and I just knew that she was in pre-labor. So I told Greg that we needed to get down immediately. Hendrik was skiing, Michele was working and Daniel was here but Bryden was coming with us and we just packed up and got ready to leave. We drove down and got there and she was all fine, we went to Rick and Jill's for dinner that night and although Sierra wasn't feeling great there wasn't any signs that she was really in labor (poor Greg was looking at me like...you better be right on this...good thing I had an appointment on the 10th at the Chronic Complex Disease Center so we would of had to drive down anyways so this was all good, was just hoping that baby would be born...hahaha). Well Mama was right, at 6:30 the next morning, there was knock on the door and Sierra was like MOM, I think my water broke...well there you go...I knew she was in pre-labor! So Braydon went to check the farm while we got Sierra ready and Greg and Bryden stayed with Kane, Chevy and puppies! We were at the hospital for a couple hours while they checked her out and realized that she wasn't very far along at all so suggested that we come back around 4 to see how she was progressing. So we went back home and rested for the day while we anxiously counted down till 4:00 came and we went back to the hospital. She got all settled into her room and then things were checked and she just wasn't progressing so got the oxytocin started as her contractions just weren't coming. The "girls" came to visit and everything was good...they were in for the long haul but they were in for a big surprise...this didn't last too long because once the contractions started to come, they came hard and fast and Sierra wasn't comfortable with them seeing her like this...so they had to leave after only about a 1/2 hour and then the "fun" began which was around 8 pm. Well little did Braydon and I know what we were into...let along poor Sierra...but she was a ROCKSTAR and Braydon was her ROCK, I just watched and cried and was in awe at the beautiful, awesome, crazy, scary, heartbreaking, tiring, absolutely once in a lifetime experience that I can't thank Braydon and Sierra that I got to have to witness the birth of sweet William Richard Stanley Scheves be born at 7:07 am on December 9th, 2014 weight 7 lb 10 oz! This was definitely the BEST way to end an AMAZING year indeed!

Year in Review-2013

So...been awhile since I have written and I am trying to get caught up so I will trying to get go by the years till current and then lets see if I can stay current (hahaha)...it's a goal anyways!

2013 we moved into our house with of course was first started with having to pack up our old house. That of course was a difficult time because I was SO tired and really didn't want to pack up a WHOLE house but all I could do was take it one step at a time and do my best. Everything was going good till a week before when I went to move a picture into a box and the glass fell out and straight into my foot and severed a tendon in my foot. Well off to the hospital and not I needed surgery, a stay in the hospital, wheelchair and no way could I help anymore...seriously...this was definitely NOT what I needed...well I guess it is what it is! Good thing we had LOTS of help and the girls were coming so they could really do what needed to be done. So ALL I could do was sit at the new house on the day of the move and tell the movers where to put everything...so crazy. I then had to crawl everywhere, wow! But after 8 weeks life was much better, things were organized, I had lots of help and things were totally together which was AWESOME!

Had a great year in our new house, enjoying our hot tub and getting to know our not so nice neighbors (hahaha). We starting using both lakes more which was kind of nice too as we are more central to the area. We had lots of visitors up like Paula and Steve at their house and then the girls with their friends which was awesome...I LOVE summertime!

I just over my physio with my foot when I had a little accident where I slipped and fell in Safeway and therefore I was injured again on my right side (seriously...I don't know why I have all my injuries on that side).

I find that the summers I feel ok but then I am slammed in the fall and once again, it happens...I feel horrible and all I can do is try to get through my days. It was nice to have Braydon and Sierra and Nathan and Brittany come up for Christmas though, that was very nice as it makes it Christmas. We played games, laughed, opened WAY too many presents and laughed...did my best to just get through the day without feel sick! It was our first Christmas in our new house, to new beginnings...lets see what 2014 brings!

Here I sit...knee deep in research still in pain!

It has been 18 months since I walked into work and said I needed to stop working as I just couldn't work anymore, the fatigue was too much, the migraines were overwhelming, I was in chronic pain and the my IBS was as usual, a mystery! Since then...I have seen a gastrointestinal doctor and been confirmed I have IBS (duh), had an internist who although he liked me couldn't help me, seen a psychologist who had me on 4 anti-depressants, seen an ENT doctor who feels that I do have some damage from my previous sinus surgery but isn't convince that a new surgery could resolve the pain in my face, I have seen a neurologist, who has confirmed that I have chronic migraines, I then finally (after 16 months) got in to see the rheumatologist and was told that I don't have Lupus, I don't have Fibromyalgia. So here I sit...doing 8 hours a day of research myself, trying to figure out why I have pain daily in my head, feeling so nauseated, dizzy, like I am in a hangover every day, it is a roller coaster feel so that sometimes I am not so bad and then WHAM, I am hit like a MAC truck, wow and the doctors say, this is just normal, I am just normal, this is just a normal feeling, you will just have to be like this for 5-10 years till maybe research figures it out...WHAT, really...seriously...I don't think this is right, I don't think I can do this for 10 years, I don't think Greg can do this for 10 years years, I don't think NO ONE should HAVE to do this for 10 years because THEY can't figure it out! In all my research, they are SO many avenues...which one is the right one to go down, which test do you start with, which vitamin do you take, which food do you stop, which treatment do you start, so many questions and so many decisions and so many things to think and I am overwhelmed and my head is spinning (let alone it is spinning without all the research). I just don't know what to do...seriously, I am really enjoying all the learning, it is for a higher purpose, so that is all good...but I guess I just don't know where to go from here! The vicious cycle is needing to be broken into and slowly changed into the right direction...hopefully I am doing that with now the elimination diet, daily workouts, daily hot tubs, taking a stress management course, researching, reading, praying, praying, praying... All you can do is take one step forward and hopefully that is what I am doing...but I have to say, this can be SO frustrating when the steps you are taking feel like you are going in a backward or at least side-ward motion because so far not seeing a whole lot of process! Kari

WHAT...we have to move!

Well this year has been so interesting with all my health challenges and then the big bomb shell, we have been asked to move! God has a funny way of doing things sometimes and I just have to laugh at His timing and realize that everything works together for good. Our friends purchased a house in November and were wanting us to move in and rent from them till they moved up here in 5 years. Considering my health challenges and Greg's work schedule we just knew we didn't want to throw a move into the mix so we declined the offer...only to find out 2 weeks after they rented the place that our landlords were selling the house and we would have to move by May 1st. WHAT...instant tears to my face! I LOVE this house or more importantly I love the view, I am SO tired all the time that to actually put a move into this was just too overwhelming and I really didn't want to rent again. What were we to do. I contacted a Realtor friend of mine who suggested that we could get a pre-approved mortgage and maybe could afford to buy, really??? So we first went to the banker to see if this was even possible and was pleasantly surprised that this might just work. NOW...to find a house, which was a wee bit of a challenge as there were houses out there but not really where we wanted and or within our price range or not nice at all. After 12 houses, we finally found the one. It is beautiful, has very large garage, LOTS of RV parking, only 5 years old, very nicely decorated inside and it just felt like home. After a number of times back and forth, we got the place! Now we just have to wait 6 weeks to move and have a WHOLE lot of purging, dump runs, packing and cleaning to do before then. GOD IS GOOD INDEED...He knew this house was the perfect one for us!

Face Pain

Well I finally got to see the Super ENT doctor on Feb. 7th...this was such a relief to me because I KNOW that my sinuses are really bad and I need to see him to get things started. I purposely chose not to take drugs before I saw him and as usual I had a headache. He really is a super doctor, very informative, very knowledgeable and easy to understand. Apparently I have 2 problems happening, not only do I have a sinus infection but I had a very aggressive surgery, 16 years ago, and it has cause a lot of scar tissue damage. I am pretty sure that this is what is causing me the pain and will most likely need laser surgery but for now he is giving me a antibiotic nasal rinse to do for 2 weeks and see if that helps. WELL...we are at 2 weeks today and I am sad to say that I haven't noticed a big difference in the pain at all. I still need to take drugs for facial pain, I never had congestion so that really hasn't changed and if it clearly the infection...I have no idea. I guess we will go back and see him in 2 weeks then go from there. Then, of course I just need to have drama, I decided to get my 1st of 2 mercury crowns switched over (I have already had 6 cavities done). I had it done Jan 16th and then had 2 weeks of discomfort but thought that this was because of the temporary being in my mouth, apparently I was wrong. Now that I have the permanent in my mouth, I am still having lots of problems. They say my tooth is fine but that it is the nerves and muscles around my jawline and into my actual Jaw that is causing problems. REALLY...well after 3 weeks now (plus the 2 before hand) I am still in lots of pain and feel that I am living on drugs during the day then at night I add alcohol as I am so stressed with the pain, I can't take it anymore. Seriously, how much more pain can I take...my poor face is just screaming at me on a daily basis. Not sure what to do so we just continue to do the same, drugs, alcohol, ice packs, heat and LOTS of prayer!

Sinus confirmation

Well it is official....I am a complicated case, a case that needs to see a super ENT specialist who can deal with all the complications I have with my sinuses!
This is great news....just now how long till I have to wait to see this doctor and then how long till I can have surgery.Not that I want to do surgery again...I had such a horrible time 18 yrs ago but this head pain is getting VERY old!

My life support