It's been a while

I haven't posted in 2 1/2 years but I decided I'm going to give it a try again.  Someone said I should start writing about my life and I told her I used to blog and I thought I should document all that I go through since I don't keep a journal.  This will just be a public one.

The last time I posted, I talked about being in a wheelchair and possibly getting a baclofen pump.  Well, I am still in a wheelchair and can only walk a little bit.  I was able to walk around the house without any assistance this time last year, but on January 1st, I fell and broke my left ankle.  I had to have surgery and ended up spending 4 weeks in the hospital between the regular hospital and rehab.  I also had another flare to my right leg that took away all my work and weakened my right leg more.  I'm just now starting to walk a little better but I still have to use the chair in the house.  I'm progressing a little bit each week.

I got a baclofen pump in July 2012.  It has been the best treatment ever.  My spasticity is under control for the most part.  If at any point I have increased spasticity, I just have to go to the doctor and he adjusts the pump dose and then my spasticity is under control again.  IT IS AWESOME!!!  I have to get it refilled every 6 months, which means going to the hospital and having it filled with a needle under x-ray.  The pump battery will last about 7 years then I will have to  have the pump replaced.

I'm not going to update anything else about my MS.  I'll add things about my MS as I post more as time goes on.  There is too much to update in one post.  It will take me hours, plus it will depress me.

Now for the big news of the year.  Rachael is getting married.  She and Zack started dating in March I think.  They got engaged over the 4th of July weekend.  They will be getting married January 9th with a reception on the 10th.  Their wedding will be held in the Texas San Antonio temple.  She is also in her senior year of college and will graduate in May with a bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance.  She plans on getting a job as a professional dancer and teaching on the side.  Zack is currently in school working on some kind of computer degree but is thinking about changing his major to chiropractics.

The boys are doing well.  Andrew is working on his Eagle project now.  He is going to make a Gaga pit at the church in the picnic area in the back.  Andrew learned about this game at scout camp and it is hugely popular among his fellow scouters.  He will have plenty of volunteers to help him if he can ever get it done.  My kids have inherited their fathers procrastination.  There is a video about Gaga in the next post.  Andrew also got his license this year.  That is a huge help to me.

Jeremy is in boy scouts too and he is still in Tae Kwon Do.  He is a purple belt now. He loves it and plans to go all the way and continue with it for the rest of his life.  He is one of the happiest boys I know.  He always has a smile on his face.  He loves everyone and everyone loves him.

Stan is still bishop and he is doing a great job.  He has gotten big time into board games.  Our family room has a big shelf that looks like a shelf in a comic store.  They are a lot of fun though.  Way better than spending the evening watching TV.  I prefer to play the cooperative ones with him.

There is more to me that just my MS, so here is a little about what I have been doing.  I haven't been able to sew as much this year, but I have been doing some.  Still mostly bags.  I have some Christmas tree skirts I started for Christmas last year that I need to finish but I haven't touched them.  I still make one or two things a month.  I've also been called as primary president, so that keeps me a little busier.  We start practicing for the primary program tomorrow.  I had no idea that the presidency had to write the entire program themselves.  That was a lot of work and I'm still nervous about how it's going to turn out.  I hope it's long enough and I hope it flows together and makes sense to the congregation..

My goal is to post every few days during my rest time in the afternoon.  I hope I can do that.  This would be a good way to keep a record of my life.