Just chillin'

I would've blogged sooner, but I sustained a concussion when I ran into the oral surgeon's light's elbow joint last Tuesday. I might be a 94 on the Attention Deficit Disorder scale, but that whack put me at 99.

I am still dealing with the stomach issues. I had a lot thrown at me this past year, and I just simply have to chill and give the body a chance to regroup. My GI specialist wants to scope me, too. I've been working on a couple of novels (I consider myself a freelance writer in semi-retirement), and I'm trying to organize research materials for other works-in-progress. This in addition to my work with Cloister Outreach.

School finally ended on the 11th. My Aspie son made the A Honor Roll; the other son made the A-B Honor Roll. We're catching up on Dr. Who now. The Aspie has oral surgery on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. He has one tooth impacted, which will be removed. Two others haven't come in yet, but since they are unopposed, they will have to be removed--probably within the next 2-3 years. The only reason I'm posting that is for educational purposes.

Blessings,
Gemma

Surgery Came and Went

Presently recouperating from laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery. I met with the surgeon last Wednesday, and Friday morning, bright and early, I was at the local surgery center. State law forbade a stay longer than 23 hours, so I was back home by 5:30am Saturday morning. I'm still deaing with gastroenteritis, though.

My Aspergers son is having feeding issues, too, but the Duocal seems to be stimulating his appetite, finally. He lost 20 pounds last year during the wintertime virus season, and never gained it back. We were sent to the "Kids-Eat" program at Wake Forest, and they put him on a treatment plan.

Blessings,
Gemma

The Real Meaning of Lent?

I had thought after mom's funeral I would be able to settle into some peace and quiet here at the house, and lead a quietly penitential Lent, but God had some very incredible plans for us. As St. Francis de Sales says, "Don't go looking for the cross, it'll find you."

Our locality was hit hard by wintertime viruses. After being sick for two weeks, the Norwalk virus exploited my Asperger's son's condition. He had a seizure--a result of dehydration--and had to be taken to the ER via ambulance. Once he was through that, my other son was out of school several days with a fever that wouldn't hardly go down. I got the same fever, and on top of that, had to contend with internet slander that was unleashed upon me and the fledgling Cloisterites. My spiritual director, a Dominican involved in full-time formation in Quebec, was a real hero through it all. I am a simple housewife, mother, webmaster, and foundress. In the last two offices, I work entirely within my boundaries.

I kept thinking the abdominal pain I was experiencing was just stress, or a virus, but when the pain increased, and I had to start double-swallowing, I knew I needed to get to the dr. Four ounces at a time, and even that didn't want to be happy where it was. I am reclined more than I am up. Gravity makes the symptoms worse. TV and radio--sound for that matter--are intolerable. I need to spend the time with God anyway.

An ultrasound showed gallstones, but that doesn't explain the rest of my symptoms. A barium swallow is scheduled for this week. (Hopefully, the country doesn't melt down before that).

I will have to close here, since I am weak from not eating and from the symptoms themselves.

Blessings,
Gemma

Black Wax Post

In colonial days, if a letter arrived sealed with black wax, news of a death was within.

Mom passed this afternoon during the Hour of Divine Mercy.

I am more at peace than I thought I would be.

The funeral will be at my BIL's funeral home (Owen) in Louisville, KY, on Saturday. I will be present for visitation on Friday.

Blessings,
Gemma

The Black Wax Post

In Colonial times, wax was used to seal letters. Any color could be used, and black was reserved for death notices.

Mom passed this afternoon during the Hour of Mercy (3 to 4 pm). I am at peace with it.

The visitation and funeral will be this Friday and Saturday at my BIL's funeral home (Owen). I will be present for the Friday Visitation.

Blessings,
Gemma

I See I Have a Lot to Update

Mom got moved to a nursing home this week, so now that she's weaker, she has around-the-clock professional care. We were concerned that her caretakers who had been staying with her would not be able to evacuate her safely in the event of fire--despite the FD headquarters being across the street. Mom's move has already had positive influence on her. She was too isolated in her apt, and kept telling her caretakers that she wanted to go to sleep and wake up to see the face of Jesus. She also wanted to see me, her baby, one last time.

I told her that Jesus might have another plan, and that He might want her to meet more people. Then one of my sisters announced that arrangements had been made for the nursing home. The move took place this past Monday, and the sister in charge of the move declared mom to be in "magnificent" shape.

My MIL seems to have perked up now that the holidays are approaching--and we will be visiting. The ghosts are still giving her fits. We shall see what's happening when we get there. The last time she was going through this, I had to sprinkle Lourdes water throughout the house, and place Miraculous Medals in every room. I even bought her a large St. Benedict crucifix to keep in her room, and a St. Benedict rosary to keep on her person. Since November is the month of the Faithful Departed, I would almost expect more activity--if indeed that is what it is--during this month. During the "triduum" of Halloweeen; All Saints Day; and All Souls Day, the activity increased. There have been a lot of religious (and laity) praying for her and her house.

As for my Aspie son, I prayed to know what to feed him to help bulk him up--actually just to get weight on him, and "Muscle Milk" kept coming to me. I had seen weightlifters at the gym purchase it from the front desk, so I asked him if he would like to try, and he was desperate. The boy typically is very finicky about what he eats--texture problems due to the autism--but I guess this was a "shot across the bow" for him. We ordered two cases from the Vitamin Shoppe and he alternates between Chocolate Mint in the morning, and Vanilla Creme at bedtime. I also bought him a "City Gainers" smoothie at the gym (I use a "City Burners" during every workout--keeps the muscle pain at bay), and that did more for putting weight on him than anything, including ice cream. We have one City Gainers in the freezer, and he partakes at his leisure.

I am trying to get him into a special clinic at UNC-Chapel Hill for the sake of his liver problems. We have permission from his GI specialist to use Advil--Tylenol is discouraged but permitted. The last time I gave him Advil was for a migraine, but the jaundice came back quite darkly in his eyes, so prevention is the course at this time. We see an endocrinologist this coming week to see if my family history of thyroid problems will be heeded. All three of my sisters have had their thyroids removed, and my aunt and her two daughters have had problems, also.

As for the other members of the family, we got my neurotypical son over a recurrent case of "Bulbous Impetigo". We thought it was just dermatitis, so the dermo--who thought it was shingles--did a biopsy. Two weeks of Doxycycline, and the bubbles (blisters) are no more.

Hubby has quit graduate school to concentrate on politics. He has been to five demonstrations--two in DC--and plans to attend more. We are dismayed that there are no more than just him from the Triad area, or NC for that matter, attending these things.

Pray for us as we pray for you.

Blessings,
Gemma

Prayers, please, for Aspergers son

We've had a lot of problems with him since the viruses that took his weight down from 127 to 98 pounds earlier this year. He simply cannot get the weight back on, despite having grown upward an inch.

At first, we all thought it was leukemia, but those tests came back negative. We discovered a liver enzyme quirk which is hereditary. Now, he's battling a suicidal depression, and I'm clutching at straws as to what to do. He can't focus in school, and if we increase his Adderall, there's a good chance of doing away with any appetite whatsoever. He hasn't been sleeping, despite Lunesta, but now he's on Rozerem, and is doing better. His dr thought perhaps an anti-depressant would be in order, along with psychotherapy. Seems the state of the world has bogged him down, and school is overwhelming.

His father kept insisting on his keeping up with the news, but I've put an end to that. The boy will live a sheltered life. Since he's having such problems with school, I, at least, am entertaining the thought of homeschooling, again. Our school added four portable classrooms this year, if that tells you anything about how crowded the hallways have become.

His neurotypical brother said he dealt with his teenage depression by sleeping (I thought as much), then revealed that he had had something to do with attempted suicide twice. He simply made the decision to get over it. That's not so easy for the Aspie, though. It's easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find someone who knows how to deal with autism around here.

At least I can rest assured that my mom and MIL are both covered by LifeAlert. My BIL who had the esophageal cancer surgery at Duke is home and recovering. He has a cough, and fluid in his lungs, so that needs prayer.

But, most of all, please pray we can get to the root of my son's problems.

Blessings,
Gemma