Just thought i'd share...that the sounds of Christmas are in our house today!

Stephanie was helping me hang a few left over things from the move three months ago, that never made it to the walls, and while she was hammering for me she was hammering to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and now everyone is either singing or humming that tune!!!

Just thought i'd share how happy things are sounding around here!!!

Update: Talked to Marks PCP tonight and she seems as confused as we are to the whole change in diagnosis...getting me a referral for a second opinion as we go through this yucky mess trying to figure out what is really going on and what it is we are to be learning from our Lord and Savior....I know there is so much I (we) have learned on this journey, but I also know that there is so much more that I can learn, and probably NEED to learn....this hurts sometimes, but I love God and hold on to Him tightly rejoicing each day as I know His mercies are new every morning!

This post is going all over the place, as my brain feels like scrambled eggs now more so then ever...so good luck figuring out what I am trying to say here...

Ok, so Mark has been diagnosed with many things in the past several months...what is the right thing...I haven't a clue any more!?!

As you many of you know Mark has been diagnosed with everything from prescription drug overdose, to a bad drug interaction, to a stroke, to an Anoxic Brain Injury and now they say that is completely wrong and that it looks like he has Wilson's Disease, and the Neurologist thinks it was caused by Mark taking Promethazine back in April, (Promethazine is sometimes called Phenergan)

*(there is some info below from the web on side effects to look for when using Promethazine....in case anyone is interested, and these side effects make sense as to what Mark went through, and is going through, and Pastor Al, I bet you can attest to this since besides the girls and I, you were with us at the hospital that first night these symptoms began)*....

Promethazine is a drug that many of us may have taken at one time or another...and the doc says it can take one dose of that stuff to cause this disease.

I'm not certain if I understand what Wilson's Disease is, but will be researching it and speaking to Marks primary doctors as well as his other docs.

Mark still has the pain from being diagnosed with RSD...I don't know if knowing that one being fact is a relief or not...UGH!

Plus the neurologist is not a very patient or nice guy...and wouldn't listen to what we felt was important for him to know so I went ballistic on him(really I did and it wasn't pretty or God glorifying at all!)....I did later apologize, but my heart is still dealing with anger towards him, so I would appreciate prayer for me on that.

Also thinking about a second opinion for a neurologist, so if anyone here in Tucson has any thoughts on that let us know please.

Oh Lord I am so confused and beg for your return!!!!

Thanks, we love all of you more then we can say!!!

Kel

*Important information about Promethazine

Stop using Promethazine and call your doctor at once if you have twitching or uncontrollable movements of your eyes, lips, tongue, face, arms, or legs. These could be early signs of dangerous side effects.

I want to be like my Jesus!!!

My Jesus

Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like you Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

It has been a rough couple of weeks...emotionally for Mark especially.

I am learning to deal with the ups and downs of all that comes with a person with a brain injury...there is so much to learn! I really need to hone my patience skills and sometimes that can be difficult. My eyes are on my Lord and Savior and that is the ONLY thing that keeps me hanging on. I am also learning how to deal with the many side effects that come with living and loving someone with a brain injury, through his therapy (his speech therapist has been great in helping us through all the ups and downs of his brain injury) and through the brain injury association. Mark is also tentatively scheduled to see a neuropsychologist in December as they know how to deal with so much in the area of brain injuries...we are just waiting on the insurance to authorize it.

 I have a long way to go in how I handle all the things that come with this type of injury...but then again I think it is so much more difficult for Mark on so many levels. He says he does not feel like a person...and it is so difficult for him to talk clearly, and sometimes he has so much trouble speaking that he just goes "uh, uh, uh, over and over again until he gives up completely frustrated.

I pray for him all the time and lay in bed at night just staring at him while he sleeps, because that is the time he is most calm and it is good to see him so relaxed and calm!

One of the reasons it has been a rough couple of weeks is that two days before Mark was supposed to go in to have the neurostimulator put in, the doctors office called saying they had to reschedule because the doctor had an emergency and had to fly out. While that is understandable it did not lesson the feelings of frustration on Marks part especially...I have been doing all I can to encourage him and help to count down the days until the day it was rescheduled for which is this Friday...and now we are about two days away for him to be living life pain free or at the very least with less pain...and we can begin weaning him off of all the meds he is on for pain. I believe that as soon as we get Mark off of the pain meds that he might begin to see progress better in therapy...right now it is one step forward and two steps back when it comes to therapy because the meds cause him so much forgetfulness, and fogginess so it is hard for therapy to accomplish what it is supposed to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note earlier today, I was directed to this post and I wanted to share it with you all. I pray you all are as encouraged to love your neighbors as much as I was as a result of the story in the post.

Galatians 5:14 

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Have a blessed weekend!