Begin and keep up a BLOG right here on good ole 43 Things.

And lots of things have changed. I am starting a new job (same company) on 9/14. That will be very good for me – I’ll get away from the people who curse me out on the phone! I’ll have more challenging work to do! I’ll have a boss that I won’t have to walk on eggshells around! Yay.

My second child is being evaluated for the school system and I expect that they will accept her – so in a matter of about a month and a half, I will have both of my children in school (preschool, but hey – they’ll both be riding the bus!) Sniffle…my babies are growing up.

Sophie continues to have occasional seizures but is doing well overall. She has achieved all of the goals set for physical therapy and so is ready to move on. She has been evaluated for speech therapy and that will start in a little over a week.

I’ve caught up with an old friend from high school and it turns out he and his wife also have a daughter who has had seizures – and she’s the same age as my son! Built-in understanding and a friend for my son – it is fantastic. All in all, things are looking up for us.

She is now on Topamax in addition to her seizure medicine. I have to ask, what genius came up with the idea of giving a two-year-old three capsules a day (two in the morning and one in the evening)? Needless to say, she won’t swallow the capsules so we have to open them up and put the medicine on her food. She takes a dim view of this. Sigh.

The hope is that this will make the seizures stop for good. It was tough at first before she got up to the full dosage, because the seizures started up again, and VERY frequently too. But they seem to have settled down again, now that she’s at the full dosage. She does have seizures occasionally, but they don’t seem to faze her. And the frequency seems to be declining again.

This whole process has been such a roller coaster ride. But she’s so beautiful – and she’s learned a new thing this week: the “I’m SO happy to see Mama” dance! It is adorable – she hops up and down and dances and grins when she sees me! I love it!

Well, the neurologist said that her EEGs are improved to the point that she doesn’t need one every six weeks or so – in fact she doesn’t have one sceduled at all right now! Yay! The sleep portion is still not right, but … he thinks she’s made tremendous progress. The waking portion is almost completely normal! He did start her on a second medicine that he hopes will make the seizures stop altogether! THat is an unbelievable thought to me after all we’ve been through.

I swear I feel like I’ve been facing these problems for an eternity, but in reality, the seizures started at 9 months and she’s only barely 2. Amazing how long such a short period of time can feel.

Needless to say, we’re so extremely happy with the doctor’s report and his hopes for her.

But I truly appreciate the support I’ve been given here.

My daughter (she’ll be 2 on Thursday) saw the neurologist again today…no more bloodwork, no more EEGs for a while (she’s had both every 6 weeks for about a year +). Her waking EEG is almost normal (YAY!) although her sleeping EEG isn’t as good as he would like. He is prescribing another medicine which may make the seizures STOP.

I’m just speechless…

I cannot even begin to put into words what this means to me…

You DO get it from your children! Aargh…a four-year-old and a two-year-old? What WAS I thinking?!?

^{(And yes, I do think they are perfectly lovely children most days…but they WILL drive me round the bend some days!)}

I started working on it (kind of, sort of) a while back…but lately, I’ve been eating better and getting some exercise. Apparently it is starting to pay off! Yay!

Now, if they would just stop bringing donuts into work! Sigh…

^{I’m working on willpower, but hey…}

My daughter’s EEGs are apparently MUCh better than the neurogolist expected…but,.. she still needed another….

I swear…they will do tests until the end of time…

Still no answers…but she’s doing MUCH, much better. When she’s tired, she stumbles more and is more awkard…but she’s 2…almost. That’s kind of an awkard age anyway…

Sigh. No one told me motherhood was THIS tough… and I haven’t even had to answer tough questions…

Sigh.

The insurance company can just … fall off a cliff somewhere. I thought of something much more violent to say, but I’m sure I’d offend someone, somewhere.

You see, I complained two weeks ago about the insurance company? It seems we’ve already gone to collections.

I am teetering on the brink between complete and utter depression and anger.

Unfortunately, I’m waiting on the state to help me solve this problem and MAKE the stupid bloody insurance company get up off its butt and unclench its penny-pinching fingers from its checkbook.

^{Sorry, I’m a BIT ANGRY at the moment. I’m not normally like this!}

I’ve taken some time recently to catch my breath. Finding out that the insurance company was trying to decline roughly $315,000+ worth of medical claims was breathtaking to say the least. It has calmed me a bit to find information that I believe will end those efforts. Now if I can just get all that information to them as fast as possible (unfortunately, I’m waiting on the state to get off their collective butts and get my confirmation to me).

Also, at the same time, my son was getting really bad reports from school – a bit scary since he’s three-and-a-half. Sigh. Those too are improving a bit, as is his behavior at home.

Basically, I’m feeling much more hopeful than I was, but I’m thoroughly exhausted. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer. Despite that, I think I’m having more good days than bad now – that’s a good sign!

Heh. They can BITE ME.

This week, it seems they have decided to find ways to avoid paying for the $23,000-a-vial medicine that the pediatric neurologist put my daughter on alittle while ago. They’re trying to find loop holes.

Loop holes.

She’s 22 months. She’s had seizures since she was 9 months.

They approved it – TWICE.

I’m telling you – every time I think we’re getting somewhere, getting back on our feet, I get knocked back on my a**. I’m so angry now I could spit nails.

I’ll probably be on and off for a while; this and issues with my son are REALLY draining me. But I’ll let those of you who have been following my (mis)adventures know what’s going on.