Wiener Nationals

Wiener Nationals
Every year there is an event at Golden Gate Fields (our local horse track) called Wiener Nationals. It's a special day where they alternate horse races and dachshund races. There are several heats based on weight class and a final race for a grand champion. Many of you know about my lifelong obsession with doxies and when I heard about this event last year I absolutely had to go! I can't help but squeal with joy when surrounded by about a hundred of my favorite little creatures!

Last year Hunter was too little to attend but all year long Matt has been "training" our dog for this year. We tackled getting Hunter focused on a favorite object, rewarding him with treats, ignoring obstacles and distractions, and reaching his fastest speeds. When the big day arrived last Saturday we thought he was ready to go, unfortunately we didn't account for the track surface. The dogs lined up, the flag was waved, and our well-trained and prepared dog started to dig. Oh dear. What can you do?! Next year we'll bring a BIG bouncy ball that he's sure to go nuts over and won't be able to miss from across the distance, and we'll hope he doesn't stand there digging.

It took other dogs running to catch his attention and send him on his way, which included running circles in the middle and back and forth from Matt and I, staying just out of our reach. He did end up in about 4th place in his heat at the end of it all. The overall day was a success- he met other dogs, gave kisses to every person he could reach, and allowed little ones to tug his ears and poke him in the eyes while his tail never stopped wagging!

Hunter looking tired after a busy day

This is his new girlfriend

Another quick Hunter note:
Last week my sister and nephews were at the park when they saw a tall, blonde girl walking a black/tan wiener dog. Ben ran across the park towards her while yelling, "Staci! Staci! Staci!" Poor little peanut eventually realized it was not Hunter and I once the girl turned around and he was looking up at her face. He was so confused and my sister had to explain to the girl what happened. She laughed and went on her way while my sister called to fill me in and send me a picture. I'm so glad Ben loves us as much as we love him!

The picture my sister sent us. Can you see the reason for Ben's confusion? :)

Matt and I love this little dog's antics, personality, and companionship!

A Diagnosis

A dozen years after I first experienced extreme low back pain, I received an official (and finally correct) diagnosis. 

Spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-lye-sis)

What the heck is that you ask? Good question. I asked the same thing.

It occurs in 3-6% of the population, and it's essentially a break- or stress fracture- in one of the lower vertebrae that makes up the spine column. Usually this is seen in extreme athletes, such as professional gymnastics, where the spine is subjected to torque and pressure from flips and landings. However, mine is genetic/hereditary and the bone there never fully developed, or it began as cartilage and wore away. Sports can aggravate the condition (thanks water polo) as the joints can pinch, rub, and twist. This is why the more I move, the more pain I experience. The area becomes inflamed and the muscles in the area can then spasm and contract (which is BRUTAL, let me tell you).

Okay to learn more you have to first understand some basics of the spine and its vertebrae. Each vertebra has facet joints which connect the vertebrae all together. In the facet joint are the pars interarticularis, which is the bone between the facet joints (where nerves can get pinched and where my injections were earlier inserted into). In spondylolysis there is a gap in the pars interarticularis (let's refer to them as pars from now on) where there should be bone, so the joint is detached or separated. 

The picture below shows spondylolisthesis, which is a more severe condition of spondylolysis. As you can see in the picture, there are gaps in the pars on both sides. In my condition there is only a gap on one side. Over time my condition can progress to this condition, and if so, the top of my spine could shift forward from the bottom of my spine. Umm, NO THANK YOU. 

The diagnosis was clearly made from a well-taken x-ray and the only thing to do now is to increase my vitamin D intake with a supplement pill and to see another physical therapist who can teach me to strengthen and support this area to try and prevent the condition from worsening. I'll be going in for follow ups with my doctor on a regular basis to make sure. I also need to rest my back when it flares and stop doing any strenuous activities until I build better strength. 

Awhile ago I wrote how I may not know what was going on in my body but God did. I'm now reminded of David's words in Psalms describing how He knit us together in our mother's womb, and as my condition most likely occurred while I was in my mother's womb, my earlier words seem slightly ironic now. I am so thankful for a doctor who fought to find me an answer and for the support of my husband in my pain and struggle. I am truly blessed!!!

More good news:

• My overall and specific thyroid results are better than good- they're excellent!
• The rheumatoid arthritis results came back negative. However, my x-rays do show wear-and-tear arthritis in my back and my doctor suspects it's in other places in my body. 
• All my other blood test results came back normal.

I went into my appointment today not expecting an answer, but I left so thankful that, after twelve years, I have a confirmation of my pain through a diagnosis and I know that I'm not crazy. 

By the way, please forgive me if you're a doctor (or know more about this than I do) and I got something wrong. I only learned about this a few hours ago. :) 

I'm using a large picture so you can see it better. Please excuse the horrible font the website chose to use. Comic Sans = shudder/gag

A Little Peek Into My New Job

One of my favorite things with my new job is that the kids love to eat almost anything- and are willing to give anything new a fair try- and they ask me to think of new things to cook for them to eat for snack. Awesome! Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies and I love trying out new recipes but I hate having no one to share them with (or having to eat it all myself)! Here are some of the things I've made so far:

• Parmesan Roasted Zucchini
• Three Cheese Pasta
• Spinach Pizza Pinwheels
• Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Baked Potatoes
• Grilled Cheese
• Avocado Corn Tomato Salad
• Pumpkin Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Muffins
• Carrot Zucchini Apple Muffins

I can't forget to mention the bounty of fresh berries and apples these kids love to eat! Some of the things I'm trying this next week are a Build-Your-Own-Yogurt-Parfait bar, Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps, and Applesauce Muffins. The boys are so sweet and will tell me, "Oh I REALLY like this, but next time can we try less/more of _______." It's too cute! One wants more garlic and less pepper, but another wants more pepper and less garlic. Or more cheese for one and less for another. Or more avocado for one, but the other could really do without the corn. These boys make me smile everyday with their sweetness and sincerity. 

Every week I make a menu and do some grocery shopping for the family. My typical work day involves running errands, helping around the house, and making snacks. The boys get home around 3:00 and we eat snack, clean up, and play games or practice their music (they both play beautifully and I love getting personal concerts!). Around 4:30 we pick up the little girl from school and then the boys tend to play by themselves while I play with her. I love having the time before they are home from school to focus on daily tasks without feeling like I can't give them my full attention for their numerous questions and ideas. They're such a great family and I feel so blessed to have found another wonderful family to help and spend my time with! 

Love shopping at this cute little market!

The shelves are so different from any other store I've shopped at. 

A Sweet Visit

Last weekend my mom, sister, and her two boys came to visit us. They arrived on Thursday and headed back home on Saturday. My mom has been up to visit us a few times before with my dad but this was the first time my sister and nephews have come since I moved north.

On Thursday we made dinner and the boys and Hunter had a great time playing together. Friday morning after breakfast we went to the San Jose Children's Museum. The boys LOVED the exhibits, especially the water one, and they played for several hours before we headed back for lunch and naps. After that, we headed to the Stanford Shopping Center where we met up with my cousin, Holly, at CPK for dinner. When we got back, Matt and I walked to the park down the street with Ben and Hunter. On the way back Ben asked Uncle Matt to teach him how to walk Hunter on his leash (so cute!).

We had such a great time together and I loved having my family close and getting to show them around our new town. I hope they'll come back and visit again! <3

Looking Forward To...

On Thursday my mom, sister, and nephews are coming to stay with us. I am SO excited! My parents have been to visit us a few times but this will be my sister and nephews' first visit. Matt is taking Friday off and all of us are going to go to the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. I can't wait to see their smiles of exploration and discovery!

I was so blessed to see so much of Ben's first few years, but it's been hard missing so much of Nathan's first year. I love that my sister sends me adorable photos and videos of the boys- it really helps me feel like I'm more involved in their lives. The boys also seem to really like when Hunter sends videos he makes of himself. :)

I can't wait for the giggles and snuggles of little boys and puppy's. Just one more day!

Here are some sweet memories:

Bath time at Grandma and Grandpa's (everything important is covered in this photo) ;)

Ben discovered and fell in love with my stuffed animals

Snuggles in my bed

Christmas tree hunting

Ventura County Fair- learning to get kisses from animals

Ventura County Fair

Being there for Nathan's birth

Snuggles with baby Nathan

Little fingers and toes

Saying "goodbye for now" on my wedding day

Nathan meets Hunter for the first time

Ben meets Hunter for the first time

I hope to take more pictures this weekend and share them with you all later! :)

Change is the Only Constant

Those of you who know me know that I don't love change, but as life goes on I realize that it's constant and I have to learn to deal. A few weeks ago I got another opportunity to embrace change. Oh boy.

For the last few months I've been helping a family while the mom was ill and needed to rest in the afternoons. Thankfully she's feeling much better and when she let me know they wouldn't need me anymore because she was feeling so well, it was certainly a surprise, although I was so glad she was feeling well enough take over the things she had been wanting to do for months. They were very sweet and generous in giving me the news but it's still hard to leave a family you've grown to care about and feel close to.

I had my tearful moments and then shook them off to move into conquer mode. What were Matt and I going to do next??? Could we make it if I couldn't find another job? How would I find another family who would be as great as the last? It wasn't hard for me to know where to begin. I hit my knees in prayer, seeking out wisdom and putting forth my faith. I knew in my heart that if this door was closed then another would open, and I knew I had to trust that whatever was next must be even better if He was moving me on. Ready or not, sometimes you just have to move forward.

I called a good friend whom I thought may have some connections to families in the area and sure enough she made some calls and passed my number out. By that evening I had two people call me wanting to set up interviews. Within hours I went from feeling lost to feeling blessed by opportunities. I made arrangements to meet both families, but after my first meeting I knew I didn't need the second so I called and politely canceled. I then emailed to accept my new position!

Tomorrow I start with my new family. I feel so blessed to have found another job so quickly and I feel like it could be another great fit. For confidentiality I won't be giving too much information, but they are a family of five with three children. Two (boys) are in elementary and one (girl) is a toddler in preschool. They live in the same area as I was working in before and my duties will be the same, too- running errands, picking up and taking to activities, assisting around the home, and helping with homework and music practices. I will be working about 18 hours per week, Monday thru Thursday. The position comes with a handful of amazing and unforeseen benefits such as a large raise, salary (not hourly), paid holidays, up to ten days of paid time off per year, and mileage. I feel so blessed!!

When I first heard that I wasn't needed anymore and my mind started racing about what I was possibly going to do next, I never imagined my prayers would be answered like this! I really like the parents and the children, and they are very flexible with my health situation (which I fully informed them about). I am excited to start tomorrow and get to know them all better, and it's my prayer to be a blessing to them.

Since I first started working with children and families in the 90s, I have worked closely with at least 7 different families. With each, my love for them and their children has grown and expanded, and yet change has always taken me away and moved me on to another family or opportunity. I don't know what's next but I'm hoping to be here for at least a little while. :)

*A quick health update: this last week I took blood tests and x-rays. The results will go to my doctor and I meet with him in a few weeks to review it all. Of course I'll keep you updated. :)

Health Update

Recently a friend reminded me to not let one issue overcrowd my life and she was right, so I have been trying to blog about a few other things outside of my health. Following up on my post yesterday though, I wanted to update on my latest doctor appointment.

As you may remember, my last doctor gave up and, since I didn't, I moved on and made an appointment for a second opinion with a doctor I had seen when I first moved to the Bay area. Their office specializes in sports medicine but also offers family medicine.

My appointment went well. He listened and added notes to my file and brainstormed some areas to start looking into. That is exactly what I wanted to happen. I may never know a name of what is going on, but I at least want to TRY to find it, and if anything I want to make sure I'm managing my pain correctly. Right now I have to take such a combination of medicine to try and cope, that I wonder if I shouldn't be taking something else that can work better and not require so many different pills. I have no idea though so all I can do is ask my doctors and trust in what they prescribe.

My next step is to take blood tests for a number of things, including arthritis and thyroid. My general thyroid always comes out good but apparently this is a more complex issue that requires a different type of test. I'm just glad that he is willing to consider so many different options and test for them. We're going to reconvene in a few weeks with all of the results and see where we're at. Until then, I'll be trying to post about things other than my health. :)