Some days he's the windshield... but not today

A few months back, Sammi had some minor surgery, which was the removal of some lipomas (fatty tissue deposits and they have come back. Yesterday he went to the doctor who removed them and he was informed that he has something called Dercum's Disease and that he will continue to have these lipomas pop up from now until he is 35. If they cause him discomfort or pain he will have to go back to the doctor and have them removed....

which is done surgically and in a hospital...
minor... yes...
but still a surgery ... every time to remove them.

The few he has had, have caused discomfort (which may be a good thing since that may mean that he caught them before they have gotten too bad and caused any pain).

I am so frustrated at this new development as it is once again NOT a well known (it is rare in fact) 'disease' and the info we found on it seems even rarer as it is typically WOMEN aged 45-60 who get these and not 20 year old young men (although it can affect anyone of any age)!  I have posed a question to Dennis (not that either of us have any real medical knowledge) that if his BI could have anything to do with this new issue? He doesn't fit into any of the categories of symptoms other than he has lots of Lipomas ( at last count -- about a month ago -- he had about 13-15 'decent sized' ones)

So maybe when the bullet ripped through his brain, it caused a rewiring that is causing his body to not breakdown the fatty tissues in his body... but since there is no real information on why this is all pure speculation....

and frustration....

Each surgery will mean a week or more of work (depending on where the lipoma is located) and that means no income. We have applied for the disability credit for Sam  but have been denied both times. This credit is not an income for Sam but just the ability to earn a bit of extra money before he would have to pay taxes. And he is on his own, working and living... which means he has bills to pay! So a few days off even will effect his paycheque and bill paying abilities!

We have now waited for almost 3 months for an appt for this round of lipoma removals, and he has more than when he initially went in for... sigh... and I can't do anything because he is 21. He forgets to call, or maybe doesn't want to call, to gets too busy to call to check on why he doesn't have an appointment.

I try not to worry. I keep handing it to God, but I keep taking it back...

this that and other stuff

emotional rollercoaster rides... free of charge!
Just trying to get off before it flings me off...

the last few months have been hard to say the least.

We don't see Isaac too much as he is very busy with school. Sam is busy with his job (and until April he lives in Neepawa). Hannah is now getting ready to graduate in June, work at camps this summer and then in September she is off to Mazatlan, Mexico with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for 3 months, ending with 2 months in either, Mexico, Asia, South Africa or Europe.

Someone had asked me this past week about Sam's accident and I started shaking, my chest got tight, I choked back tears and I had a rushing in my ears.... it was weird because that hadn't happened to me since right after his accident! And now we are almost 9 years in....

We started a new church this fall and I have had some serious anxiety issues going each week. So much so that my chest gets tight and the tears start. I think part of it missing our old church family and going through so much and not knowing anyone really made it all that much more emotional. I love the new church and what is it doing for Christ and the community, but I hadn't been able to really talk with anyone, until this last Sunday. It feels like I am 10 and starting a new school and having to make new friends all over again. I am the new kid on the block and everyone else is sorted for friends and who wants to be in charge of the new kid!? I am tired of always being 'new' to people.... and let's face it, my life isn't that interesting to make people want to talk with me! {I attended 17 DIFFERENT schools in. my day - some I left and went back too at a different grade even! so trust me when I say I KNOW the new kid in class feelings!}
When comparing churches (whixh i know i shouldnt do), I find the men in this church to be so much more emotion filled with they lead praise and worship and that sometimes hits me hard -- this Sunday was no different. I had to leave the sanctuary because I couldn't regain myself.
I headed to the nursery and sat there crying feeling so incredibly stupid. when I heard someone walk in. I thought it was Dennis or Hannah but it was a wonderful lady from church that I had spoken with a few times and enjoyed her company. she asked if I was ok and told me how she had seen I had struggled a few times during the services. I told her about my anxiety and bi-polar issues and how I have had a time lately dealing with things and church was one of them. as I spoke to her a few things started to come to light for me and how i think it really is a grieving process I am going through missing our old church and church family. Not that we can't see them or spend time with them, but they are all making this new transition into a new church family too and I don't want to keep pulling people backwards..... even though I feel like I am going backwards all the time.

I have been working on my emotions (insert anxiety and bi-polar) with prayer, breathing exercises and as soon as my essential oils come in I will add them to my repertoire. I don't want to go to the doctor as they always seem to make me feel as though I am crazy (which, lets face it, is a very good possibility) and they want to put me on drugs. I don't want the drugs. Years ago I was started on a drug that put me into ICU for a couple of days  and I don't want to do that again! I don't like the way they make me feel, I don't like the trial and error factor, I don't like that it costs a small fortune and that adds more to my anxiety and depression.

I may see if I can still go and talk to a counsellor at the health unit. But that requires me to go out in public and I just don't want to "people". Because then I have to talk and act normal (whatever that is), I have to put on that facade that makes people happy because face it.... who wants to talk to Debby Downer.... cuz "we all have problems right" (sarcasm at its best right there folks!)

I miss writing on here -  I found it incredibly therapeutic  but my MacBook Pro is on its last legs and we can't afford a new one and writing on the farm computer isn't the same as I feel that everyone walking by can see what I am writing or worse yet look into my writings ... which is silly since I post it for the world to see. But when I type I get into a zone, my own little world and type out all sorts of blathering stuff and until I hit publish it is safe with me.

sigh.... I will work things out. I will not go crazy totally...

yet...

not this week....

I will not drown in my own tears. (although I might meet Alice though and share a cookie)

My memories of the past will not haunt me forever (maybe they'll exorcised leave next week).

My head will not burst under the pain and strain of these darn headaches -- even though it sure feels like it some days!

I promise to not use so many sarcastic, smart assed references next time.... maybe... maybe not

maybe I should write a book.... "How not to go crazy! Even when you already are..."

saying goodbye & forgiveness -- all in one day

On December 31, 2016, before midnight, my uncle Norman had a dance with his beautiful wife(my daddy's youngest sister), Lois, at their local legion,  after they decided to call it an early night and head home.  A short while later in the parking lot of the legion, Uncle Norman, started their car, pulled out of their parking space. He then proceeded to re-park the car, turn off the ignition and have a massive heart attack and pass away.
To say the least his entire family (my aunt Lois, their 4 kids and all their grandkids) and the rest of the family were devastated. Dennis and I headed to Alberta to be with my aunt and cousins during this time. My uncle was awesome! He taught... OK he TRIED to teach me... how to peel potatoes KP style (he was in the British Army back in the day) when he was home in Ireland. He taught me how to make amazing Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, he taught me other kitchen tricks. He had a laugh that was infectious.
I personally felt very guilty about going to his funeral, as I had hoped to go last fall to see them but we went to see my mom instead, so the plan was to go out this spring. I didn't want my last visit with my favourite uncle to be at his funeral, but God had other plans. I am so happy though to know I will see him again and then it will be for eternity!

While at the celebration of his life, my aunt asked me to have a drink with her and N, (N was my daddy's second wife and she and her boyfriend played parts in where my daddy is now in life) and to put the past behind us. It was a very hard decision for me to make... so incredibly hard that I almost didn't want to go to Alberta, because I knew she would be there. But I went, I went and I spoke to her. I told her that I had forgiven her long ago, but that it didn't do a thing for my heart to know that my kids would never know just how awesome of a man my daddy was. I told her how whatever her part, and her boyfriends part... and my dad's part, was in it all I can not convey to my kids how much he would have loved them, how proud he would be of them all and how much he would have been THE BEST PAPA EVER to them! I told her how each of our kids remind me of my daddy and how that breaks my heart (and makes it soar) every time I see it in them. I told her how our Sammi looks SO much and acts SO MUCH like my dad it is scary! I told her that I forgave her because I did it for ME.... not for her, not for daddy, not for anyone but ME. I had to because it was killing me. I told her how I had told dad that if he truly felt he belonged with her that I would support him and love him no matter what. She told me how she thinks of him everyday and she loves him (even though she is now married again) but I told her that I not only think of my dad everyday, I MISS him everyday because my daddy is gone. He effectively died that day and all that is left now is a shell.
I don't ever expect to see her again (but I may if I go to visit my aunt), but I am glad to got to say my peace with her. I am glad she knows that I forgive her but that the choices that were made that day affected not only her, her boyfriend and my dad but they affected me, Dennis, our kids and the future generations of my family that will never know him. Never hear HIS laugh, hear him tell a joke (but insist you clean it up before you pass it on lol), here him tell them how much he loves them and how proud he is of them. I often say to Dennis "I wonder if dad would have....
- had a cell phone and learned to text to communicate with the kids
- had a FB profile
- rode with Josh in his Mack hay hauler
- sat and enjoyed a beer with Sammi on a Saturday afternoon
- talked religion vs. faith with Isaac
- bought our Hannah a bouquet of flowers and had them delivered to the school for her birthday
- would have been proud of me and how I have raised my family

all these things I wonder but I will never know because he was taken from me, from us. But I am so glad I got to tell her. I still want to hate her but I can't. I can't because they not only took my dad from me, they took my awesome kids from their lives too...and sometimes I think that is punishment enough.
With this being said, I still cry about talking to her. My anxiety was so bad that day that it was crushing me. There is more I could have said, maybe should have said, but I hugged her and that was it. I left the area where we were talking and headed to the bar of the legion where the celebration of life was and enjoyed the rest of the evening reminiscing with my cousins and sharing their grief. I buried mine that night.... again and maybe one day I can have someone to share my grief with.....




maybe