A Real Fine Place to Start....

I can't believe that it has been three years since my last post, so I will do a quick summary update on our lives since then.  After discovering that Jeffrey is allergic to pets that shed, we had to return our beloved Willow to ARF and let them find her a new forever home, which I was told did not take long at all.  We have moved three times since 2012, not much fun, but this last move was finally into our own house!!  We love it to say the least. I will post pictures after getting them all downloaded.

Medically speaking, a LOT has happened to me.  Let me take you back 35 years ago, I was 2 years old.  I was running in a department store, playing hide and seek from my mom when I slipped and fell on newly waxed floors.  I hit my head so hard that I started having seizures and continued to have them until I was 7 years old.  During this time, I had Focal Seizures.  This type of seizure basically looks like you are in a catatonic state for about 2 minutes.  This is the story that I have been told all of my life; however, in the last few years, I have since learned the truth that it is genetic and I got it honestly from my maternal grandmother who passed away long before I was even a twinkle in my mommas eye.  My grandmother had grand-mal seizures and a brain tumor, and back in her time, the only thing doctors felt was appropriate to treat her with was medicine that barely kept her functioning in a mental institution.  She was not allowed to be alone, due to her seizure activity, but some random worker allowed her to climb a ladder to help decorate for a holiday.  Once atop the ladder, she seized and fell off the ladder and succumbed to her injuries.  I believe that my mom was around 16-18 years old when she passed away.

Seizures skip a generation, so my mom got lucky; I, however, did not.  I know this now.  From 7-20 years old, I led a normal life and didn't have any health problems.  One day while in college, I just blacked out in my anatomy class and had a grand-mal seizure.  Naturally, the paramedics were called and I believe my Aunt Sharon came to pick me up and take me to the hospital to avoid a costly ambulance ride.  Scared to death about what had just happened, I was led into the ER and hustle and bustle of all the workers made me nervous.  I had an MRI and a EEG and met the neurologist, who then told me that I had a quarter size pineal cyst in the center of my brain and that I shouldn't worry about it, because it was in a position that he could not get to it without killing me in the process.  He gave a little laugh, but I did not find his candor funny by any means.  Suddenly, I am flashing back to my grandmother and starting to worry.  I didn't have another episode for a couple of years.

In 2001, at the age of 23, I gave birth to my son Tyler and when he turned a year old, I started having seizures again.  Although I didn't realize what was happening at the time of occurrence, I do now. We were home alone and I remember thinking I was having a heart attack and calling my sister at college and telling her what was happening.  She told me to chew up an aspirin and she would call for help.  I remember grabbing Tyler, and holding onto him tightly and waking up a few minutes later and him crying over me.  As scared as I was when I woke up, I cant imagine what my baby boy must have been thinking when he couldn't get me to wake up.  The next time it happened, I was with my mom and sister in the kitchen...and we were laughing hysterically at a joke or a story that someone was telling and I blacked out and hit my head on the stove.  I assumed that I laughed so hard that I cut off my air supply in some way, but that wasn't it either.  Over the years, I have randomly had 1-2 grand-mal seizures a year and every time, I lose parts of my memory.  I will have an attack and be found by someone, my face bloodied from whatever I hit, and have no recollection at all of what just happened.

In 2012, I was teaching my class of 2nd graders when I had an attack and was rushed by ambulance to the ER and was told that I had had a grand-mal seizure after blacking out and falling face first into my desk.  My students were so scared and seeing me like that....those poor babies.  That incident left me with a huge black eye that looked like I had been in the ring with Mike Tyson and beaten with a bat.  The school allowed me to come back to work; however, I could not come into contact with the students until my eye healed.  I was literally hiding out in an a classroom and someone would have to bring me lunch if I didn't bring it myself, and then leave the premises before the kids lined up for the bus line.  It was a horrible feeling.  Suddenly, it seemed like things starting getting worse and worse for me.  While in the ER for that episode, I was also diagnosed with Adult Onset Type 2 Diabetes and placed on insulin because my A1C levels were through the roof.  Then after the urgency of my sister to have a mole looked at for years, I went to a dermatologist, and was then diagnosed with Stage 2 Malignant Melanoma.  I mean come on!!  Could my life get any worse at this point??  All I kept thinking about was that I was not ready to leave my little boy, who isn't so little anymore but will always be my baby. 

Fast forward to December 28, 2014...the day before my 37th birthday.  It was a beautiful day, and my family and I had just left church and decided to go get lunch before going home.  As we were sitting in the booth eating our meal, I had a grand-mal seizure of epic proportions.  I was on the inside of the booth, but somehow wound up on the floor on the other side of my husband.  When I woke up, there were two paramedics helping back into the booth and asking me if I wanted to go to the hospital.  I remember asking them why I would want to go to the hospital and why I was wet.  They told me that I had just seized and needed medical attention.  This time, I lost all control of my bodily functions and peed all over myself and hit my face on the table.  I looked down and had blood all over my shirt, and face.  I immediately began to cry because not only did I once again scare the crap out of my family, but I felt humiliation because the restaurant was packed, and I couldn't remember anything.  When I got to the ER, my mom met us there and as they were telling me what had just transpired in detail, I seized again, this time turning completely black and my oxygen level dropped to 0.  I was admitted and didn't wake up until the next night...on my birthday. Welcome to 37...

That was the last time I have had a grand-mal seizure, and have been put on some high powered medicine to control them.  Since being placed on the medicine, I have not been able to drive my car and was told that I would not be allowed to drive for 6 months, depending on whether or not I have any more seizures while on the medicine.  I am now back to having the Focal seizures, and have had three at work in the last month.  My doctor has increased my medicine, telling me that until he finds the right dose for me, I will likely continue to have the seizures.  He also informed me that I will never recover my memory.  I have noticed that I can not remember the little things anymore either.  That is very troubling to me as well.  Focal seizures are just as bad, the only difference is I'm not losing me memory when they occur.  I have been prayed over, hands laid upon me, taking my medicine and watched over like a hawk by my family and coworkers....but it doesn't seem to get better.  I pray every day that the Lord will take this from me and allow me to see my son grow into an old man one day.  That is my biggest fear...he is 14 now, what if.....??????????
We have been educating him on how to help me and what to do if he is around again, when it happens and that it is genetic and skips a generation.  He has informed us that he will not have children because he doesn't want to witness them going through what he sees me endure.  That is so sad to me.  So from now, this is my journey.

Our new addition!

Om January 14th, we adopted a beautiful 10 week old baby girl from the Animal Rescue Foundation.  One of the workers found her and her eight siblings in a trash bag, thrown by the side of the road when they were only 4 days old.  She took them to work and got them all cleaned up, and started round the clock care and getting them healthy enough to find their "forever" homes.  When we picked her up, we instantly fell in love with her....just look at this face, how could you not?

They named her Willow, and she is an American Bulldog mix (with what we do not know, but whatever it was, they made pretty babies!)  Her new official name is Willow Deen Jordan! She has already been spayed, dewormed, is up to date on all of her shots, crate trained, potty trained and knows how to sit.  She is such a joy to have in this house and is very playful! 

She has also discovered that when daddy (Jeffrey) is home, he is the most comfortable place to fall asleep on after playing hard all day! How sweet is this I ask you??

; )

Growing up so fast

Today my baby boy turns 11 years old!  Time flies by way too fast these days and keeping up with the "surprise" tradition of 2011, Jeffrey and I threw Tyler a surprise party yesterday afternoon! 



We told him that we couldn't afford to have a party for him this year, because we had spent so much money on his birthday present....his response, "It's ok momma, I have my family to celebrate with", little did he know what we had in store for him.  When he walked in the door, everyone yelled surprise but he still didn't seem to understand what was happening. 

He asked me if this was all for him, presents and all....and when i said yes, he finally put a smile on his face.  He even stood on a chair and asked everyone to come close to him, and then thanked everyone for coming to our house to celebrate with him.  That's my boy, so grown up!

Tyler, Jeffrey and my Mother In Law Brenda

Jeffrey and I finally got him the flatscreen tv that we have been looking at for a while now.  I think it was his favorite present of the day; Although he racked up with a lot of goodies from the guests, and he would probably tell each of them that their gift was his favorite... ;)

My 34th Birthday Surprise Party

My adorable husband took it upon himself to throw me a 34th birthday surprise dinner party and enlisted my best friend Hilliary to make all the calls so that I would be none the wiser.  He wouldn't even tell Tyler, because he can't keep a secret from anyone...  Since my birthday (Decemebr 29th) fell on a Thursday, we had a low key dinner alone and decided that we would celebrate my birthday on New Years Eve.  So around 6:45 pm, we started to head to dinner and he blind-folded me and took me all around different neighborhoods so that I wouldn't know where we were.  Once we finally pulled into the parking lot, he helped me out of the car and took my blindfold off and we were at one of my favorite Sushi restaraunts...Bamboo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi! 

To my surprise when we walked in, I saw ten of my closest friends waiting around a hibachi table for the three of us!  Jeffrey even went as far as picking up a cake and taking it to  the restaraunt a few hours earlier, so after dinner, the owner and the entire staff came over to sing to me...then the whole restaraunt chimed in!  It was an amazing way to spend my birthday and ring in 2012!   Hilliary managed to get one picture of us throughout all the commotion...



Christmas 2011

It's only two weeks past Christmas, but I have finally found time to post a few pictures of our family time together...

I fall deeper and deeper in love with this man every day..I'm so glad that he found me!

    The greatest mom and sister a girl could ask for! I love y'all...

         I love my sister so much....i think I'll keep her! ; )

                          My version of a perfect little family!





Merry Christmas!

I finally took my turn at hosting Christmas dinner for my family at our house, and it turned out to be a success.  I have never cooked my own turkey, so I was so scared that it wasn't going to turn out.....and to my surprise it was very tender and juicy!  Guests included my Mother in law, Taylor and Riddick.  Yay! 

We celebrated Christmas three days in a row, so there will be more pictures to come...(once Shana posts them, because for some reason I never pulled out my camera!)  





Time for a serious change

It's time for some real change around the Jordan household and it has to start now.  Jeffrey's best friend from childhood is a Sgt. in the Army and he came down to spend four days with his grandmother before heading back to Afghanistan for a new tour, and he came by to spend some time with us too.  He used to have a "gut" on him, that's what his grandmother told me...and now he doesn't.  He expressed his concern for Jeffreys health and said that if Jeffrey is serious about losing weight that he would help us, even though he is stationed in Seattle.  Tony started out walking his neighborhood, then jogging it, until he was able to run it and outdo his original times when he first entered the Army 13 years ago.  Then he started adding weights, etc. and Tony is now the reigning Strong Man winner in Seattle,Washington. 



For some reason today a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I can not keep going on like I am.  I will be 34 years old on the 29th, I have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, severe cervical dysplasia and my husband is in need of desperate help too.  Why am I always sticking to what is easy for my family instead of doing the right thing?  The madness must stop now and it is time for a real change.

I have researched how to start a running regimen and stretching exercises. So now that Tyler is out of school for Christmas and I am out until January 18th, we will be at Cottage Hill Park spending our time there instead of in the house.  Jeffrey has a new role at work too, which allows him to get home before 4pm most days and he will be able to join us.  I'm not going to write down a number that we want to get down to, but there are weddings, parties and vacations in our future and we just want to look and feel good about ourselves before they come.  Here's to creating the new Jeffrey and Christy Jordan!