Friday, March 30, 2012
Miss Drill Solo- Sierra :-)
This is actually from a competition a few weeks earlier, but same amazing routine:-)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Happy Spring!
Happy Spring! The birds are singing, the snow has melted, and the tulips are sprouting! Such a happy time of year. The gray is fading and the sun is shining. Definitely puts a smile on our faces.
Justice has been busy with Scouts and has earned quite a few pins & belt loops. He really enjoys it and has fun hanging out with his friends. Recently he earned his Astronomy, Science, & Chess belt loops. They had a Mexican Fiesta themed Blue & Gold Banquet (end of the year party) and it was a lot of fun watching him do the Mexican Hat Dance with his friends. haha...the boy has got some moves!
Justice earned money for a used I-pod by saving his allowance. He was living the high life and felt so grown-up. A little too grown up. Got himself into some trouble (things he shouldn't be doing) and has now lost privileges for that I-pod. It's probably the saddest thing he's ever had to go thru. But it's important for him to learn that having responsibility also has it's price. It's tough growing up some times.
The boy is going to try basketball this spring and see if it suits him. We have tried most of the sports out there, but we feel it is important to find something that interests him, something other than video games! :-) So hopefully it will be a good experience.
Justice & Montana have both been involved in their school Choir this year. They've had a few performances this year, most recently for the School District Budget Meeting- they were over the moon excited. Kinda funny. But they really did such a fantastic job. For an elementary choir- I think they are VERY good. They have another performance on Tuesday, can't wait! Here is the link to the article that was written about them in the West Valley Journal! http://t.co/Inghr0Cf
Justice & Montana also were involved in JA Biz Town this year. It's a program where they teach the kids about business, community, and handling your personal finances. They travel to Biz Town where lots of local businesses sponsor their names to a mall type atmosphere, and the kids are all assigned jobs for the day. They get paid twice, have to deposit their paychecks in the "bank", update their check registers, and have the opportunity to go "shopping" on both of their "breaks". This year, Justice was a meter reader for the Gas Company, Montana was a bank teller, and I worked at the Supermarket as a volunteer supervisor. It is such a fun day for them and they truly enjoyed it. Here is the school news "TNN" featuring Montana as a Student Council Reporter, and it has video of the Biz Town day, as well as some other fun school stuff. http://www.youtube.com/embed/uxAoh40g2dw
Montana is still playing soccer for Fusion. They have been practicing all winter and decided to have a couple of Intramural Tournaments between teams of a few ages. Montana invited a few of her friends to come and participate. It was a lot of fun for her to show off her MAD SKILLS for her friends, and to be able to play with them as well. They are ready to start playing games again in a couple of weeks. It will be nice to get outside and play again.
Montana got accepted to the Junior High she put in a special application to attend, Bennion Junior High. We are thrilled! I know she is nervous about this as not all of her friends are going there, but we feel it will be the best option for our little smarty pants! She is such a high achiever- she really needs to be pushed. She is reading at a 10th grade level, and has chosen many honors classes to take. Junior High, here she comes!
She also had her braces taken off recently. She is looking so beautiful and grown up.
Sierra had her car broken into at school just before leaving for our trip to California to watch her compete in the Miss Dance Drill Team USA Competition. They broke her driver side window and took her GPS system as well as a bag that had a lot of her dance items that she needed for the competition (tights, shoes, shorts, etc). Luckily, we were able to leave the car at the school with the Vice Principal (who happens to be her boyfriends dad) and he kept it in the school car shop until we got back. Her dad was able to buy a window, and the shop kids are putting it in for her. So, all in all, it wasn't too bad- but happened at the most stressful time for the poor kid.
She flew to California with her Grama Judy. Montana, Justice, my parents and I, all drove down in their new Prius. Which got the most amazing gas mileage!!! Although we were squished like sardines, it was well worth it for the savings. Sierra's dad also flew in for the festivities and met them at their hotel.
We had a wonderful time exploring the city and the hotels. Sierra stayed at the Hyatt Regency with the girls from TEAM UTAH who were also competing. Chris and Judy stayed at the same hotel, but we stayed a few miles away at a hotel that was closer to Knott's Berry Farm. We had planned on taking the kids there the first day, but they both got sick. So our "fun" day wasn't so fun. We did squeeze in a day at Huntington Beach and the weather was perfect. They were having a car show so we were in heaven! People were walking their dogs, there were street vendors, loud 50's music playing and sidewalk cafe's full of happy folks. Dad rented an electric scooter/chair which was a big help for getting him around. His sciatica is really bothering him lately and he has a hard time walking for long periods of time or standing for more than 20 minutes. It was fun to watch him finally feel like he could just go and go. :-) Plus Grama Dodie let us use her handicap sticker and so we were able to park in ALL the best spots (Thanks Grama!).
This competition has been a culmination of two years of hard work for Sierra. She competed last year and made top 5 in Utah, competed at Nationals and won 8th place. She was determined that she would win this year. She has dedicated herself to personal practice, choreography sessions, costume design, music editing, practice competitions, technique classes, and more and more and more practice. She has visualized, stressed, and dreamed about this competition for more than a year. This year she was awarded first runner up at the Utah competition and was determined she would work even harder for Nationals.
Here in California for Nationals, Sierra competed for 3 days and made her way up the charts. The best of the best of all the high schools are here to compete. There was some seriously amazing talent here from all over the country & from Japan. Honestly, we had no idea how she would place- they were all so excellent. First she made Top 10. Then she performed her modeling. 45 seconds to do 5 "poses" and their best moves/tricks while walking in a star formation. She nailed it.
She was then brought out in her beautiful ballgown with the other Top 5 girls. They did this instead of announcing who had made the cut. It was pretty awesome! We were all looking at each other and getting our hopes up for her. Then it was impromptu question time. She was asked if drill team was a sacrifice on her time, or an opportunity. She started strong, but started to repeat herself, once or twice, ok three times...Not the best, but she was so nervous! We were all having heart palpitations!! I could never speak in front of thousands of people- especially when put on the spot! So we were glad that was over!
Then it was time to perform her routine again- and she really shined! She choreographed the routine herself (with a few minor changes by her coach Maryann Renteria) and that made it even more beautiful. Her song was Celine Dion "It's all coming back to me". A real crowd pleaser! I hope I can post video soon. We weren't allowed to video and had to order one from the company there- so it will take some time.
Then it was time for the coronation to be announced. She was crowned MISS DANCE DRILL TEAM USA....then, we didn't even know what was happening- but there was a second competition including the performers from outside of the US. And she was crowned MISS DANCE DRILL TEAM INTERNATIONAL! We were all screaming our heads off and jumping up and down! I was so excited for her! We all ran down from the bleachers to hug her and take pictures and celebrate. I know this was a dream she has been chasing for a while and it was so exciting to see it all come true for her!
Her Aunt Niki arranged for friends and family to meet Sierra at the airport with Congratulation signs, balloons, and flowers. We were still driving back from California so we missed that part of the celebration. Then they met at her dad's house for cake and ice cream. Niki took lots of pics so we were able to see that so many of her drill team and friends were there to support her and celebrate with her!
So here is the link to the hundreds of pics from our vacation. :-)
http://www.flickr.com//photos/78418033@N02/show/
Lastly, Sierra has been accepted to the U of U and has decided to try out for their dance team. We are so excited for her to continue her education and her love of dance. She is teaching this summer with BDT a traveling dance camp, choreographing for a drill team in TX, and continuing substitute teaching with Xcite dance studio and Elite Academy.
p.s. Big thanks to Patrick for watching Roxy while we were out of town. It was nice to have her stay with someone she knows will scratch her back. :-)
Justice has been busy with Scouts and has earned quite a few pins & belt loops. He really enjoys it and has fun hanging out with his friends. Recently he earned his Astronomy, Science, & Chess belt loops. They had a Mexican Fiesta themed Blue & Gold Banquet (end of the year party) and it was a lot of fun watching him do the Mexican Hat Dance with his friends. haha...the boy has got some moves!
Justice earned money for a used I-pod by saving his allowance. He was living the high life and felt so grown-up. A little too grown up. Got himself into some trouble (things he shouldn't be doing) and has now lost privileges for that I-pod. It's probably the saddest thing he's ever had to go thru. But it's important for him to learn that having responsibility also has it's price. It's tough growing up some times.
The boy is going to try basketball this spring and see if it suits him. We have tried most of the sports out there, but we feel it is important to find something that interests him, something other than video games! :-) So hopefully it will be a good experience.
Justice & Montana have both been involved in their school Choir this year. They've had a few performances this year, most recently for the School District Budget Meeting- they were over the moon excited. Kinda funny. But they really did such a fantastic job. For an elementary choir- I think they are VERY good. They have another performance on Tuesday, can't wait! Here is the link to the article that was written about them in the West Valley Journal! http://t.co/Inghr0Cf
Justice & Montana also were involved in JA Biz Town this year. It's a program where they teach the kids about business, community, and handling your personal finances. They travel to Biz Town where lots of local businesses sponsor their names to a mall type atmosphere, and the kids are all assigned jobs for the day. They get paid twice, have to deposit their paychecks in the "bank", update their check registers, and have the opportunity to go "shopping" on both of their "breaks". This year, Justice was a meter reader for the Gas Company, Montana was a bank teller, and I worked at the Supermarket as a volunteer supervisor. It is such a fun day for them and they truly enjoyed it. Here is the school news "TNN" featuring Montana as a Student Council Reporter, and it has video of the Biz Town day, as well as some other fun school stuff. http://www.youtube.com/embed/uxAoh40g2dw
Montana is still playing soccer for Fusion. They have been practicing all winter and decided to have a couple of Intramural Tournaments between teams of a few ages. Montana invited a few of her friends to come and participate. It was a lot of fun for her to show off her MAD SKILLS for her friends, and to be able to play with them as well. They are ready to start playing games again in a couple of weeks. It will be nice to get outside and play again.
Montana got accepted to the Junior High she put in a special application to attend, Bennion Junior High. We are thrilled! I know she is nervous about this as not all of her friends are going there, but we feel it will be the best option for our little smarty pants! She is such a high achiever- she really needs to be pushed. She is reading at a 10th grade level, and has chosen many honors classes to take. Junior High, here she comes!
She also had her braces taken off recently. She is looking so beautiful and grown up.
Sierra had her car broken into at school just before leaving for our trip to California to watch her compete in the Miss Dance Drill Team USA Competition. They broke her driver side window and took her GPS system as well as a bag that had a lot of her dance items that she needed for the competition (tights, shoes, shorts, etc). Luckily, we were able to leave the car at the school with the Vice Principal (who happens to be her boyfriends dad) and he kept it in the school car shop until we got back. Her dad was able to buy a window, and the shop kids are putting it in for her. So, all in all, it wasn't too bad- but happened at the most stressful time for the poor kid.
She flew to California with her Grama Judy. Montana, Justice, my parents and I, all drove down in their new Prius. Which got the most amazing gas mileage!!! Although we were squished like sardines, it was well worth it for the savings. Sierra's dad also flew in for the festivities and met them at their hotel.
We had a wonderful time exploring the city and the hotels. Sierra stayed at the Hyatt Regency with the girls from TEAM UTAH who were also competing. Chris and Judy stayed at the same hotel, but we stayed a few miles away at a hotel that was closer to Knott's Berry Farm. We had planned on taking the kids there the first day, but they both got sick. So our "fun" day wasn't so fun. We did squeeze in a day at Huntington Beach and the weather was perfect. They were having a car show so we were in heaven! People were walking their dogs, there were street vendors, loud 50's music playing and sidewalk cafe's full of happy folks. Dad rented an electric scooter/chair which was a big help for getting him around. His sciatica is really bothering him lately and he has a hard time walking for long periods of time or standing for more than 20 minutes. It was fun to watch him finally feel like he could just go and go. :-) Plus Grama Dodie let us use her handicap sticker and so we were able to park in ALL the best spots (Thanks Grama!).
This competition has been a culmination of two years of hard work for Sierra. She competed last year and made top 5 in Utah, competed at Nationals and won 8th place. She was determined that she would win this year. She has dedicated herself to personal practice, choreography sessions, costume design, music editing, practice competitions, technique classes, and more and more and more practice. She has visualized, stressed, and dreamed about this competition for more than a year. This year she was awarded first runner up at the Utah competition and was determined she would work even harder for Nationals.
Here in California for Nationals, Sierra competed for 3 days and made her way up the charts. The best of the best of all the high schools are here to compete. There was some seriously amazing talent here from all over the country & from Japan. Honestly, we had no idea how she would place- they were all so excellent. First she made Top 10. Then she performed her modeling. 45 seconds to do 5 "poses" and their best moves/tricks while walking in a star formation. She nailed it.
She was then brought out in her beautiful ballgown with the other Top 5 girls. They did this instead of announcing who had made the cut. It was pretty awesome! We were all looking at each other and getting our hopes up for her. Then it was impromptu question time. She was asked if drill team was a sacrifice on her time, or an opportunity. She started strong, but started to repeat herself, once or twice, ok three times...Not the best, but she was so nervous! We were all having heart palpitations!! I could never speak in front of thousands of people- especially when put on the spot! So we were glad that was over!
Then it was time to perform her routine again- and she really shined! She choreographed the routine herself (with a few minor changes by her coach Maryann Renteria) and that made it even more beautiful. Her song was Celine Dion "It's all coming back to me". A real crowd pleaser! I hope I can post video soon. We weren't allowed to video and had to order one from the company there- so it will take some time.
Then it was time for the coronation to be announced. She was crowned MISS DANCE DRILL TEAM USA....then, we didn't even know what was happening- but there was a second competition including the performers from outside of the US. And she was crowned MISS DANCE DRILL TEAM INTERNATIONAL! We were all screaming our heads off and jumping up and down! I was so excited for her! We all ran down from the bleachers to hug her and take pictures and celebrate. I know this was a dream she has been chasing for a while and it was so exciting to see it all come true for her!
Her Aunt Niki arranged for friends and family to meet Sierra at the airport with Congratulation signs, balloons, and flowers. We were still driving back from California so we missed that part of the celebration. Then they met at her dad's house for cake and ice cream. Niki took lots of pics so we were able to see that so many of her drill team and friends were there to support her and celebrate with her!
So here is the link to the hundreds of pics from our vacation. :-)
http://www.flickr.com//photos/78418033@N02/show/
Lastly, Sierra has been accepted to the U of U and has decided to try out for their dance team. We are so excited for her to continue her education and her love of dance. She is teaching this summer with BDT a traveling dance camp, choreographing for a drill team in TX, and continuing substitute teaching with Xcite dance studio and Elite Academy.
p.s. Big thanks to Patrick for watching Roxy while we were out of town. It was nice to have her stay with someone she knows will scratch her back. :-)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
What day is it?
What a whirlwind our life has become. The days seem to blur into the next, "what day is it?", it a common phrase around here. We are all rushing around and enjoying ourselves. So much has happened and so many experiences seem to fly under the radar without stopping to actually savor them.
Montana is growing into such a beautiful, and intelligent woman. I had the opportunity to go to a Young Women activity with her at our church. Watching her interact with the other girls and being so sure of herself, having fun, being silly, talking about spiritual things. I felt like I had just met someone new. My daughter, yet not the one I know. It was truly a proud moment.
She is on the honor roll at school again, a frequent achievement for her, yet I am still amazed every time she brings that piece of paper home. She is definitely the smartypants in our family. Things seem to come easily to her, and she works so hard to get her homework done and turned in on time. Most days, she finishes everything at school because she is so quick. She must have inherited her smarts from her pop, because that is definitely not in my DNA. But she did get my looks! haha
She is advancing to Jr. High soon. I am so weirded out by this! But she is totally ready! And so excited. We are still waiting to hear if she was accepted to Bennion Jr. High. It is out of our boundaries so we had to apply for a special permit. They send out acceptance letters middle of March. The anticipation is killing us!! Especially her!
Sierra is still waiting to hear from University of Minnesota, but the dance team try-outs are the beginning of April. She is still unsure of what to do. But I know, in her heart, she would love this opportunity. Being such a nervous Nelly, I would be a basket case the whole time. But I know it is time for her to spread her wings. She is so incredibly talented, and she deserves to take every opportunity that comes her way. Even if mom doesn't like it. She has been accepted to University of Utah, so if U of M doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world.
Sierra was in the Miss Dance/Drill Utah Pageant again this year. She took 1st attendant!!! Which is so incredibly hard to do. She actually placed first in the routine, but second in modeling and speech. All top 7 were so amazing that I would have hated to be a judge. Seriously amazing talent. She is going to go to Nationals in California next month. There are a few things she can improve (totally minor, but in competing, every little thing counts) so we know she will kill it! So excited for her! This would be a fabulous endorsement for her and she could win some scholarship money.
She graduates in June, then turns 18. Then off to college. Wow. It's such a weird feeling, but I am so proud of the women she has become. She is still very seriously dating Mark Lesuma. He is a fantastic kid. So sweet to her, and so supportive of all she does. He is fun to talk to, smart, and the kids & I really love him. They have talked about getting married someday. He wants to serve a mission, and I have told Sierra about a million times that she cannot consider getting married until she is graduated from college! So we will see how things pan out in the next few years. EEK!
Justice is a little spit fire as usual. He is so full of life and energy. Always planning something and doesn't give up until he gets what he wants, or gives up all hope of it happening. He has been struggling with school this year but managed to pull off a decent report card. So I am rewarding him with an ipod (buying it used) which he still has to earn buy doing homework and chores for $5 a day. Let me tell you, he is beyond the moon excited for this.
His dad and I would really like to see him get involved with sports and be physical. We keep encouraging him but he has no interest in that kind of thing lately. He is in Scouts and LOVES it. His dad got him a guitar and he is LOVING that. He and his friend are learning how to play from a video, and his dad is teaching him as well. He has his social life- which is all consuming- from 7:00am-7:30pm the friends are calling, or he is playing with them. He is an adorable kid and I get compliments about his behavior and work ethic from his teachers and other parents, which makes me happy- because sometimes it's hard to keep him in line at home. He is still my cuddle bug, which I love, because the girls don't like to hug or chit chat unless I MAKE them! :-)
It's business as usual with me. Same job, same hours, same everything- but I am happy and enjoying life. No dating on the horizon- and I really don't care. I still see Patrick occasionally for lunch- but we are just friends. I'm enjoying my family and making the most of my time with them- which never seems to be enough. I did get a new computer- the old one died a sad, horrible death. With all my files and pic inside. Most of them were saved to facebook
Toodles.
Montana is growing into such a beautiful, and intelligent woman. I had the opportunity to go to a Young Women activity with her at our church. Watching her interact with the other girls and being so sure of herself, having fun, being silly, talking about spiritual things. I felt like I had just met someone new. My daughter, yet not the one I know. It was truly a proud moment.
She is on the honor roll at school again, a frequent achievement for her, yet I am still amazed every time she brings that piece of paper home. She is definitely the smartypants in our family. Things seem to come easily to her, and she works so hard to get her homework done and turned in on time. Most days, she finishes everything at school because she is so quick. She must have inherited her smarts from her pop, because that is definitely not in my DNA. But she did get my looks! haha
She is advancing to Jr. High soon. I am so weirded out by this! But she is totally ready! And so excited. We are still waiting to hear if she was accepted to Bennion Jr. High. It is out of our boundaries so we had to apply for a special permit. They send out acceptance letters middle of March. The anticipation is killing us!! Especially her!
Sierra is still waiting to hear from University of Minnesota, but the dance team try-outs are the beginning of April. She is still unsure of what to do. But I know, in her heart, she would love this opportunity. Being such a nervous Nelly, I would be a basket case the whole time. But I know it is time for her to spread her wings. She is so incredibly talented, and she deserves to take every opportunity that comes her way. Even if mom doesn't like it. She has been accepted to University of Utah, so if U of M doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world.
Sierra was in the Miss Dance/Drill Utah Pageant again this year. She took 1st attendant!!! Which is so incredibly hard to do. She actually placed first in the routine, but second in modeling and speech. All top 7 were so amazing that I would have hated to be a judge. Seriously amazing talent. She is going to go to Nationals in California next month. There are a few things she can improve (totally minor, but in competing, every little thing counts) so we know she will kill it! So excited for her! This would be a fabulous endorsement for her and she could win some scholarship money.
She graduates in June, then turns 18. Then off to college. Wow. It's such a weird feeling, but I am so proud of the women she has become. She is still very seriously dating Mark Lesuma. He is a fantastic kid. So sweet to her, and so supportive of all she does. He is fun to talk to, smart, and the kids & I really love him. They have talked about getting married someday. He wants to serve a mission, and I have told Sierra about a million times that she cannot consider getting married until she is graduated from college! So we will see how things pan out in the next few years. EEK!
Justice is a little spit fire as usual. He is so full of life and energy. Always planning something and doesn't give up until he gets what he wants, or gives up all hope of it happening. He has been struggling with school this year but managed to pull off a decent report card. So I am rewarding him with an ipod (buying it used) which he still has to earn buy doing homework and chores for $5 a day. Let me tell you, he is beyond the moon excited for this.
His dad and I would really like to see him get involved with sports and be physical. We keep encouraging him but he has no interest in that kind of thing lately. He is in Scouts and LOVES it. His dad got him a guitar and he is LOVING that. He and his friend are learning how to play from a video, and his dad is teaching him as well. He has his social life- which is all consuming- from 7:00am-7:30pm the friends are calling, or he is playing with them. He is an adorable kid and I get compliments about his behavior and work ethic from his teachers and other parents, which makes me happy- because sometimes it's hard to keep him in line at home. He is still my cuddle bug, which I love, because the girls don't like to hug or chit chat unless I MAKE them! :-)
It's business as usual with me. Same job, same hours, same everything- but I am happy and enjoying life. No dating on the horizon- and I really don't care. I still see Patrick occasionally for lunch- but we are just friends. I'm enjoying my family and making the most of my time with them- which never seems to be enough. I did get a new computer- the old one died a sad, horrible death. With all my files and pic inside. Most of them were saved to facebook
Toodles.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Whatever it takes
Our lives have been packed with visits to the doctor for the past few months. There's the usual sore throats, eye infections, and so forth...but, the majority of our appointments have been for Sierra to try and figure out what's going on with her.
Phase 1- She started getting massive migraines that OTC medicine didn't seem to help. RX was prescribed. She seemed to be doing better, although the frequency of the migraines stayed about the same.
Phase 2- She started passing out, blacking out, or feeling woozy and random moments- but generally when she was dancing. After the first time- we thought it was weird and a one time thing. Two times had me worried about her eating, drinking, drugs, etc. But all checked out normal and we were convinced she was fine. After a couple more times we began to seek medical treatment.
Phase 3- Family doctor examined her and wanted to send her to a neurologist for further examination. Neurologist did an MRI and changed the RX for her migraines. All test came back normal and he dismissed her case stating that he thought she needed more sodium in her diet. Symptoms persisted.
Phase 4- Symptoms increasing. Extreme fatigue, tingling and numb feet and hands, chest pain, numb arm. Sought out a cardiologist for testing. Doc did EKG and stress tests, also decided to have her wear a blood pressure cuff for 24 hours. This took her BP every 20 minutes. No abnormal results. Then he had her wear a heart monitor for 7 days. This monitored her heart rhythms and heart rate. It also included a button she could push to mark when she was having symptoms of any kind. They would then call and speak with her about the symptoms and what was going on.
No conclusive results. Heart rate would go up during exercise, but blood pressure was generally on the low side. He dismissed her case and believed she was fine.
Phase 5- Depression set in. She was feeling so tired, no energy. Everything was hard, dancing, getting dressed, being awake. She was sluffing school and falling severely behind. She spoke to a counselor at school saying that she was having suicidal thoughts. I was called immediately to the school for intervention. I was not surprised by the chain of events that led to this- but I was surprised by how intense her depression was. She seems so level headed, mellow, and responsible most of the time. It was very scary to see her like this. Racking sobs, unleashing all of her worries, fears, and scary thoughts. Depression runs in my side of the family, and her fathers. So I had no doubt that she needed immediate medical treatment to get her back on track. I know that medical problems can also bring on depression. We saw our family doctor and had them put her on an anti-depressant. It took a couple of weeks, but she seems on an even keel emotionally now. She has caught up on her school work and is not feeling such a heavy weight- however, her body is still not cooperating with her active life style.
Phase 6- More passing out. We decided to see and 2nd cardiologist. He was recommended to us and we had high hopes. He put her on a heart monitor similar to the one she wore before, but it measure more intricately her heart rhythms. She had to wear it for 3 weeks. He wanted to figure out exactly when and why she was having symptoms. They decided her heart rate was getting to high while exercising. He put her on a beta blocker/blood pressure medicine to bring down her heart rate. He felt she was dangerously close to heart attack range. Tried the medicine for a week and then came in for conclusions. He determined that all of her high heart rhythms were during exercise and he did not feel right about continuing the beta blocker due to her age, and it was not helping her symptoms. He sent us to a pediatric cardiologist for further testing.
Phase 7- Same problems. Same questions, same paperwork. But this doctor was utterly disgusted with the amount of testing we had already gone through. He believes she is completely dehydrated. Working at an athletic level and starving her body of water. Sodium needs to be upped and Water needs to be ingested at an aggressive rate. 5000 mls a day. He called it hyper hydration. Just to get her back on track, then we can scale back. He believes all of her problems are linked- the migraines, the tingling, the passing out, the racing heart, the exhaustion. We are not totally convinced this will work- but it is definitely worth trying. She's been tested enough to fly to the moon. He is convinced there is nothing wrong with her heart, brain, or organs. He believes she is a child in a woman's body and the blood is competing with the heart and the brain. Which causes the fainting. He said this is common and called it vasovagal syncope syndrome. She may have to deal with it for a while, while her innards catch up with her physique. I hope this helps- a simple solution for a problem we have been so worried about. It hasn't helped much yet- the symptoms are persisting-but it's only been a week. We go back in 4 weeks for a follow up. I'll keep you posted.
Just want my baby girl healthy, happy, and loving life. I'll do whatever it takes.
Phase 1- She started getting massive migraines that OTC medicine didn't seem to help. RX was prescribed. She seemed to be doing better, although the frequency of the migraines stayed about the same.
Phase 2- She started passing out, blacking out, or feeling woozy and random moments- but generally when she was dancing. After the first time- we thought it was weird and a one time thing. Two times had me worried about her eating, drinking, drugs, etc. But all checked out normal and we were convinced she was fine. After a couple more times we began to seek medical treatment.
Phase 3- Family doctor examined her and wanted to send her to a neurologist for further examination. Neurologist did an MRI and changed the RX for her migraines. All test came back normal and he dismissed her case stating that he thought she needed more sodium in her diet. Symptoms persisted.
Phase 4- Symptoms increasing. Extreme fatigue, tingling and numb feet and hands, chest pain, numb arm. Sought out a cardiologist for testing. Doc did EKG and stress tests, also decided to have her wear a blood pressure cuff for 24 hours. This took her BP every 20 minutes. No abnormal results. Then he had her wear a heart monitor for 7 days. This monitored her heart rhythms and heart rate. It also included a button she could push to mark when she was having symptoms of any kind. They would then call and speak with her about the symptoms and what was going on.
No conclusive results. Heart rate would go up during exercise, but blood pressure was generally on the low side. He dismissed her case and believed she was fine.
Phase 5- Depression set in. She was feeling so tired, no energy. Everything was hard, dancing, getting dressed, being awake. She was sluffing school and falling severely behind. She spoke to a counselor at school saying that she was having suicidal thoughts. I was called immediately to the school for intervention. I was not surprised by the chain of events that led to this- but I was surprised by how intense her depression was. She seems so level headed, mellow, and responsible most of the time. It was very scary to see her like this. Racking sobs, unleashing all of her worries, fears, and scary thoughts. Depression runs in my side of the family, and her fathers. So I had no doubt that she needed immediate medical treatment to get her back on track. I know that medical problems can also bring on depression. We saw our family doctor and had them put her on an anti-depressant. It took a couple of weeks, but she seems on an even keel emotionally now. She has caught up on her school work and is not feeling such a heavy weight- however, her body is still not cooperating with her active life style.
Phase 6- More passing out. We decided to see and 2nd cardiologist. He was recommended to us and we had high hopes. He put her on a heart monitor similar to the one she wore before, but it measure more intricately her heart rhythms. She had to wear it for 3 weeks. He wanted to figure out exactly when and why she was having symptoms. They decided her heart rate was getting to high while exercising. He put her on a beta blocker/blood pressure medicine to bring down her heart rate. He felt she was dangerously close to heart attack range. Tried the medicine for a week and then came in for conclusions. He determined that all of her high heart rhythms were during exercise and he did not feel right about continuing the beta blocker due to her age, and it was not helping her symptoms. He sent us to a pediatric cardiologist for further testing.
Phase 7- Same problems. Same questions, same paperwork. But this doctor was utterly disgusted with the amount of testing we had already gone through. He believes she is completely dehydrated. Working at an athletic level and starving her body of water. Sodium needs to be upped and Water needs to be ingested at an aggressive rate. 5000 mls a day. He called it hyper hydration. Just to get her back on track, then we can scale back. He believes all of her problems are linked- the migraines, the tingling, the passing out, the racing heart, the exhaustion. We are not totally convinced this will work- but it is definitely worth trying. She's been tested enough to fly to the moon. He is convinced there is nothing wrong with her heart, brain, or organs. He believes she is a child in a woman's body and the blood is competing with the heart and the brain. Which causes the fainting. He said this is common and called it vasovagal syncope syndrome. She may have to deal with it for a while, while her innards catch up with her physique. I hope this helps- a simple solution for a problem we have been so worried about. It hasn't helped much yet- the symptoms are persisting-but it's only been a week. We go back in 4 weeks for a follow up. I'll keep you posted.
Just want my baby girl healthy, happy, and loving life. I'll do whatever it takes.
Monday, January 23, 2012
I am not a robot!
I am the first to admit that I am a bit wishy-washy when it comes to religion. I know at my core, it's important and I believe in God. But I have a hard time applying it to my daily life. This is why I love working with kids in my church calling. I have a very vanilla, no religion involved calling. I'm the secretary. I file reports, make assignments, and make birthday presents. It's perfect for me.
It keeps me involved at a level that is comfortable for me, without dabbling too much into the things that make me uncomfortable and get my blood boiling. Even in primary- this is tricky. Forever families, temple marriage, memorizing scriptures- almost weekly this brings tears to my eyes. My track record has become so spotty and my family life such a shambles- that even these basic truths are hard to apply to my life.
On the surface, I have tried to do the things that should bring happiness. Married a returned missionary, we were sealed in the temple. He later left the church and we divorced. Studied the scriptures with husband #2 regularly, being a new convert he did not have the knowledge of many church doctrines. Once he learned more, he left the church. We were later divorced. Now I have 3 children whose fathers do not attend church. When I want to take my children to church, inevitably, it is a struggle. I want them to choose to come to church willingly. I don't want to make them do anything. But I also want them to learn about our religion, and be armed with the knowledge that they are children of God and that there is a plan and reason for our existence. This is a daily struggle. We are stuck in the semi-active way of life. We want the blessings of choosing well, but making those choices is not always easy. Living on the fence is painful.
Our Bishop is a great educator. He comes in to primary once in a while to teach the kids a short lesson. I am always amazed at how he can get his point across and teach with the spirit in such a short amount of time, with such impact. Yesterday was a great example and touched me deeply.
We are talking about Free Agency this month. The point is that we are free to make our own choices. Not forced to do anything we are not comfortable with.
Here is the gist of his lesson:
Did we have free agency in heaven. Yes, we chose whether to follow Lucifer or Jesus when the plan was presented.
Do we have free agency on earth? Yes. Can we choose to not listen to our parents, teachers, leaders, etc? Yes. Make our bed? Wake up happy? Cheat? Lie? Study hard? Be friendly? Steal? Come to church? These are all decisions you make on your own. What you choose determines your consequence. But it is YOUR choice. Would you rather have mom and dad make all of your choices for you so that you never make a wrong decision or get in trouble? No. Would you rather have a chip implanted in your brain, and mom and dad, or God has the remote control. They control all of your actions. You would never make a wrong decision or get in trouble. Would this be better? No.
Do we get yelled at, or in trouble when we make wrong choices? Yes. Is it painful? Yes. But we learn to choose wisely. We cannot learn unless we experience the free agency to choose right or wrong. This is the plan. We are not robots. And who would want to be?
It keeps me involved at a level that is comfortable for me, without dabbling too much into the things that make me uncomfortable and get my blood boiling. Even in primary- this is tricky. Forever families, temple marriage, memorizing scriptures- almost weekly this brings tears to my eyes. My track record has become so spotty and my family life such a shambles- that even these basic truths are hard to apply to my life.
On the surface, I have tried to do the things that should bring happiness. Married a returned missionary, we were sealed in the temple. He later left the church and we divorced. Studied the scriptures with husband #2 regularly, being a new convert he did not have the knowledge of many church doctrines. Once he learned more, he left the church. We were later divorced. Now I have 3 children whose fathers do not attend church. When I want to take my children to church, inevitably, it is a struggle. I want them to choose to come to church willingly. I don't want to make them do anything. But I also want them to learn about our religion, and be armed with the knowledge that they are children of God and that there is a plan and reason for our existence. This is a daily struggle. We are stuck in the semi-active way of life. We want the blessings of choosing well, but making those choices is not always easy. Living on the fence is painful.
Our Bishop is a great educator. He comes in to primary once in a while to teach the kids a short lesson. I am always amazed at how he can get his point across and teach with the spirit in such a short amount of time, with such impact. Yesterday was a great example and touched me deeply.
We are talking about Free Agency this month. The point is that we are free to make our own choices. Not forced to do anything we are not comfortable with.
Here is the gist of his lesson:
Did we have free agency in heaven. Yes, we chose whether to follow Lucifer or Jesus when the plan was presented.
Do we have free agency on earth? Yes. Can we choose to not listen to our parents, teachers, leaders, etc? Yes. Make our bed? Wake up happy? Cheat? Lie? Study hard? Be friendly? Steal? Come to church? These are all decisions you make on your own. What you choose determines your consequence. But it is YOUR choice. Would you rather have mom and dad make all of your choices for you so that you never make a wrong decision or get in trouble? No. Would you rather have a chip implanted in your brain, and mom and dad, or God has the remote control. They control all of your actions. You would never make a wrong decision or get in trouble. Would this be better? No.
Do we get yelled at, or in trouble when we make wrong choices? Yes. Is it painful? Yes. But we learn to choose wisely. We cannot learn unless we experience the free agency to choose right or wrong. This is the plan. We are not robots. And who would want to be?
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