Blog Surfing

OK... I have a confession to make. With a new house comes a desire to decorate. I do not pretend to have much natural ability for this but somehow it is beginning to fall into place, and it has been less than a year.

It also helps that Ryan is handy and that I have my friend Riley to advise me before I make any disastrous design decisions. I probably don't follow the rules when it comes to decorating but who cares - I like it.

The best thing I have done is when I find an idea I like I take a picture or steal said idea and tweek it to my own desire. Like I saw this one family tree idea at IKEA and I had to do it. Riley came over and away we went. It is awesome and although I am not finished it is the focal point of our family room.

I also attribute most of all the internet and those awesome decor blogs that are out there. There are just numerous ideas that I have been able to get inspiration and impliment in my home. I just think that this has saved me tons in time and money. I have bought NO magazines and accumulated no library fines. There is now nothing to throw away and no excess paper lying around. I am so thrilled that I can get ideas without having to use my budget for that instead of the pictures I want printed or the fabric I need.

So here is my salute to online decor blogs. Thanks for the money saving ideas! (Go ahead. Try it.)

On the Mend

So for an update on Job(Ryan)....He is recovering slowly but nicely. Right now he is trying to overcome the side-effects of the drugs but soon he will be done with those and it will not be so bad anymore.
Seriously though it may be a year before his energy level is back to normal. This is hard for him with a demanding job, four kiddos and the fact that he never sits still for long. For example this weekend we painted our master bathroom, planted two fruit trees, seeded the lawn and moved potted plants around to save from the snow. Yep again more snow. Well at least we have yet to turn on the sprinklers. Mother Nature is certainly helping our pocket book.
Well I guess that is it for the update we are well and so very grateful for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

What NOW?

So yesterday we went back to the dermatologist and got the first biopsy back. She brought in another doctor- this is #7 in case you are keeping track- for a look at our medical mystery. With the biopsy back and two doctors looking at him we got yet another diagnosis- Linear Iga.
You can google it if you want to but it is no fun. Ryan can barely walk due to the blisters all over his feet. HOPEFULLY we can take this drug and be over it OR he may have to take this drug for the rest of his life OR he may not be able to take the drug in question and the who knows.
We won't know until the biopsy and blood work from yesterday come back.
Apparently it can become auto-immune even if caused by an allergic reaction originnaly. We are very grateful that the doctors are so aggressive and that they have taken the time to explain, research, check and double check everything.
Medical issues STINK! Dealing with the possible mortality of a spouse REALLY STINKS!

So to date this is what we have: Strep infection(Strep Throat), Mono, Staph infection of the skin and a rash diagnosed for now as Linear IGA.

Please keep us all in your prayers. This is exhausting, overwhelming and no fun. Luckily the kids are healthy- knock on wood- and for now we have a job.

One in a Million...BABY!

Ok so we think that we FINALLY have a diagnosis for Ryan's disease.
Erythema Multiforme
Ever hear of it? Us either. Luckily we got a dermatologist who did know what it was. You all can google it OR you can go here
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/762333-overview the pics are pretty close to what Ryan has and it is NO fun.( The likelyihood of getting it is 0.01-1% crazy huh?)
There is a chance still that it could be a more sever form of the afore mentioned condition called: Stevens- Johnson Syndrome (way to go Dr. Britt).
You can read all about how fun that is too at the above site.
So hopefully by Friday we will have a 100% confirmed diagnosis. Just two more doctor's appointments- opthamologist & dermatologist (AGAIN)
Thanls for all of your prayers and concern. It has been a long week and a half and hopefully it is nearly all over. And if you really want to see how bad it is we did get pics- YUM!)
BY the way he still has strep and Mono! Fun huh?

Medical anomily

So Ryan had a little ER visit last night. And the verdict was yes you have strep-red-(like doctor #1 said on Wed) but...Dum Dum Dum...that pesky rash oh yes baby you have mono-purple- too.
So the back story is Ryan had strep about a month ago, was given antibiotics sometime during that he contracted Mono and because he had antibiotic going on it caused a rash. Due to the Strep diagnosis another round of anti-biotics was given which exaserbated said rash- spreading to the eyeball. After 3 doctors and three nurses trying to get an IV in we finally got a diagnosis and hopefully he will be on the mend.
I guess that this rarely if NEVER happens and the doctor at the ER said that he hadn't heard of such a thing since Med school- good thing he did because the ER room was way small and staying there too long would not have been cool.(Feng shui is definately in order there!)
Thanks to friends (Mark & Steve)for a blessing, for family (mom & Jeane) for watching kiddos & for relief from callings, kids and dinner for a day or two (Debbie, Julie, Jill, John & Patty).
I have learned that sometimes it's not only OK but necessary to say I can't do this. Whew! What a month! Thank goodness for modern medicine though!) As well as my own personal nurse(Julie). Where would I be without you? Oh wait I know...exploded mammary system due to undiagnosed mastitis, miserable husband who is too sick to rest & not too mention just a little mental instability!
Hope May is better than March & April.