Wait, what day is it?

Have you had one of those weeks?
We have.
When it feels like it should be Friday and it's only Monday?

or It feels like a Monday but it's Wednesday?

What through us so off is lack of sleep and anxiety over Joe's Appointments on Tuesday. They went so well! 1st was his Physical Therapy Appointment, we did it there in Spokane because they have a Multiple Sclerosis specializing Therapist there. And if she was to decide he needs weekly visits or something we would follow up locally. But she diagnosed Joe as a Spaz (his words not mine). Joe has Spasticity in his legs, it is what is making it hard for him to walk lately, especially after this last flare up. Basically it means that the muscles in his legs are tight and cause spasms and it can make the muscles feel stiff. Joe is in the middle in the scale they rate him, so not so good but not so bad either. (for more info go here) He has been given a list (with pictures) of stretches he needs to do at least twice a day, and he should try riding a bike too to loosen up those muscles (and Dad has already set him up a bike on the trainer and he is ready to go, after he did that they talked about really getting Joe ready for a cycling event or something?! boys!?)

Next was lunch of course, got to feed my boy... then the MRI. I love how close everything is, the MS Clinic it technically an extension of Holy Family Hospital in Spokane, and Inland Imaging is in the hospital itself. I really enjoyed the guy that helped Joe get ready for the MRI, he was young and has a great attitude for the kind of work he does (he had just met Dr Cooke that day!) After he was set we left him with a phone and walked around (otherwise I'd be going nuts waiting, it takes a while you know). Joe said the MRI went well (as well as you can expect being put into a tube of magnets that buzzes and bangs- you should hear his impression of it..lol)

Joe will be in to see Dr. Cooke again on Nov 30th (not soon enough, but soon enough, he's hard to get into) At that appointment we should be making the decisions on medications and getting then started ASAP!! And we will be so on top of that. He has waited long enough, but we do understand that the MRI had to come first and that because the previous Neurologist didn't give Dr Cooke the requested info (Grr..) Joe was re-diagnosed with MS, which sounds weird but it's good, they agree and Dr Cooke didn't need to see what another Dr had to say he did his own tests and came to *almost* the same conclusion.

What astounds me is how often we have heard Dr Cooke and staff ask why, why hasn't this been brought up before? Why didn't you know he had Spasticity? Why haven't you seen a physical therapist before for MS? Why didn't they MRI your spine? We would like to know that as well, but we are still grateful for the care and treatment that he received with his last Doctor, he saved my husbands life. Before he was my husband, and now Dr. Cooke is saving his quality of life and giving us the resources to do everything that Joe needs.

I love my husband Joseph, he is more than worth all the hassle it is to take care of MS. He is my miracle and my example he is so strong and brave and I will stand next to him through whatever else life has to through at us.

-S

P.S.
more to come it has been a seriously weird week. :)

Thank you Thank you thankyou

I reserved my spot for the FSA conference and I am so so so excited to go. When I realized that it was located so close I felt a real need to go. I am so happy that I was able to make this happen. I wish that Joe could come with me but my schedule is much easier to finagle (nice word huh?) I am going to print out some business cards with my contact info and hope to make some more amazing adoption contacts. I will attend a variety of classes on a plethora of different adoption topics and take copious amounts of notes to share with Joe and you blog readers of course.

Did I tell you I am excited?!

Thanks to all who offered me a place to stay. I am overwhelmed and grateful. I hope that Joe and I can plan a fun trip so we can see you all, I forgot how many people we know in Oregon. Lunch sometime somewhere in or near Portland anyone? (probably after the new year, we have holidays coming up so soon! Can you believe it?)

Thanks so much! :)

-S

HUGE favor???

Any Oregon residing family and friends... (near Portland) I am trying to find a way to go to the FSA regional conference (families supporting adoption), mostly I would need a place to sleep November 6-7 Fri-Sat.... Any takers?

Shaylee

De-Stressers

After the last post I enjoyed these little beauties from my inbox, thanks Jess.

After a long absence...

...it's time to explain. Coming from the notion "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." My blog went silent. I didn't really have much to say that would be uplifting to you readers. While I don't mind blogging about most aspects of our life, it's during the hard times, times when we are struggling that I choose not to spend my time on the blog. Now I don't want the blog to be full of fluff, I'd rather keep it real. And in keeping it real, life is hard. And lately we've been having a hard time. Joseph has MS, this fact isn't new to the blog or to people who know us. But MS is hard. Hard on Joseph BIG TIME. Hard on me to know how to help him, and hard to watch. It's hard to be a poor young couple dealing with MS, medical bills from infertility, and Adoption Paperwork.

Having a husband with MS is hard. MS is an expensive disease.

The MRI's = $$$

Neurology Visits = $$

Treatments = $$

Blood work =$

A Husband who is healthy and happy =

worth more than all the $$$$$ in the world.

We are extremely blessed to find Dr Cooke (special thanks to Gma W and Sheila) He has opened doors for us we may not have been able to find ourselves. Dr Cooke is a member of the MS Society which helps him keep up with the latest in treatments and such, as well as keeping him in contact with other neurologists that specialize in MS. He helped us find MSAA, who sent Joe his cooling system, who is paying for his MRI on Tues (and spine MRI next year). He showed us how to get Joe's (future) medication for little or no cost (hopefully happening really quickly after his MRI on Tues.) MS is still really hard, but Dr. Cooke has already been a HUGE blessing to us, and we are so lucky he is only 2 hours away!!

So what has kept us away? Paperwork! Yup. Basically we were swimming in mud grasping at straws to get out. Lots of paperwork, lots of things to make sure you have done perfectly, lots to communicate to insurance, lots of frustrating phone calls to the Imaging place (who refused to talk to me, and would never call when Joe was home to talk to them!!- stupid HIPPA. We took care of that) 5 or more phone calls to the Clinic to make them understand that the Imaging center needed a new MRI order BEFORE we could make Joe's appointment because the original was 30 days old (yes, the paperwork took that long) and we'd need a new one. All while making sure that we could schedule his Physical therapy for the same day and not conflict. As you see this all finally came together. We go to Spokane on Tues. We are going to try to have a date or something afterwards, because Physical Therapy and MRI's aren't really fun. But Totally necessary.

So after being so tired my eye twitches, a month of paperwork, late night talks, the flu (Joe) extra cuddles, mucho phone calls, playing phone tag, a few tears and chocolate. Things are looking up. Hopefully things will move faster.

-S

Quick update and going private....

I won!!
Funny story, my ticket was thrown out.
I came prepared with my statement, a signed statement from my witness,
and a receipt for the mirror we replaced

I waited for 2 hours!!
Before I had my chance before the judge...
Judge Holly Hollenbeck= awesome!

Here's how it went down: in under 60 seconds I'd say

(J= Judge, M=me)

J: Mecham, Shaylee (he said Me- cham)
S: approached the bench and said my name correctly into the microphone.
J: sorry, well you know if you have a 50/50 chance of saying a name right 90% of the time I will say it wrong.... So Ms. Mecham will you be passing a convience store on your way home?
S: Possibly, yes.?!
J: Well do me a favor will you?
S: Yes.
J: pick up a lotto ticket, it's your lucky day. The officer failed to write up a report. I rule this as not commitmented and you are free to go.
S: Picked up my jaw off the ground "thank you"

I did go to Yokes and bought a dollar scratch ticket (1st time in my life) I did win a dollar, I didn't cash it in, because I don't gamble. But I was ordered by a judge in a court of law to buy one..lol.

In other news...

Joseph has appointments for his Physical therapy and MRI of his brain.
His MRI is paid for, thank you MSAA.
And after mucho paperwork and mucho phone calls
he has both appointments scheduled for a week from today!!
And we should make it back into town,
in time for Pizza and Ice cream with the Primary.

Going Private!: We have decided that we will go private afterall. At the end of the year, so everyone has a chance to get me their emails to be added as a reader. So leave a comment with your email or email me @ josephshaylee@gmail.com


-S

Yes we're still alive...

Update coming soon,
a few possibly.
But tomorrow I am going to court
to defend myself and avoid paying a ticket
for something I didn't do.
Honestly.

-S

p.s. If you read my blog give me a shout out, I am thinking of going private (due to the private nature of things I put on here) and it is important to me that no one is left out.

p.p.s. You, ALL of you CAN leave comments, use the anonymous option and sign your name if you aren't a blogger.