Pick a Town... Any Town

Good Wednesday morning!

Already Wednesday. Days are flying by, aren't they? April has been a surprisingly short month so far. Oh, well. Another Wednesday, another episode of LOST looming in my future. (Maybe that's one of the reasons Wednesday is NOT my favorite day of the week!)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I saw the following on a sign in an office yesterday. I jotted it down to share... "Life is not about how many breaths you take, but how many moments take your breath away." Pretty good, huh?

A Little Bit of My Story - Part 3

The meeting with my internist went well, but it was not what I wanted to hear. "Why is this happening now?" I asked. "Things are just starting to settle down with Josh. We're understanding what we have to do, and we're working on everything. We're sleeping again. We're eating as a family again. We even went to church together for the first time in a year. This is ridiculous."

She (patiently) explained to me when a child is sick, most moms do without sleep, food, or anything else they need to get through the sickness to take care of the child. Then, depending on how long or how severe the child's illness was (or is going to be), their own body will react. In my case... panic attacks.

"Well, I'm not having this. We're not finished with OCD. From everything we're learning, it's here to stay. I do not have the time OR energy for this. This is ridiculous."

"It doesn't matter how many times you say 'ridiculous.' This isn't going to go away anytime soon. It's not uncommon and denying you have panic attacks isn't going to work."

"Ridiculous," I muttered.

Then I started the medicine "thing." Unfortunately, what worked for most people, didn't work for me. I must be the person Josh inherited that specific gene from. I was taken off the anti-depressant, but I was given an anxiety drug to take when I felt the attacks coming on, as well as a small dose in the morning and a small dose in the evening.

While this medication did nothing to stop the panic attacks, it did keep me out of the hospital every three to four weeks.

BUT, before the medications even had a chance to work, my attacks got much, much worse. I had not one, not two, but three heart tests... each one more comprehensive than the last.

The first one, a nuclear stress test, was a breeze. They proclaimed it a success. I left the doctor's office having chest pains, shortness of breath... otherwise known as a heart attack or panic attack.

The second test, a nuclear stress test with an immediate ultrasound of my heart, showed a tear in my aortic valve. WHAT? I thought they said I didn't have any heart problems. A tear in my aortic valve sounded serious. I was assured it was not, but they would have to check it every two years for the remainder of my life. (That was okay with me. A little known fact... When you have panic attacks which have the same symptoms as heart attacks, the hospital is your favorite place to be. Plus, having to have my heart checked every two years because a cardiologist said it was necessary made me feel less "ridiculous.")

The third test was straight off the Rick and Bubba Show. I wanted the test where they put the dye into an IV, and then perform an X-ray. (Rick, Bubba and Speedy all had this test done, and talked about it on their show.) It showed the heart in tiny slices, thus letting the doctors see if there were any blockages. It was the last non-invasive test I would be able to have, but it was also one of the better tests. The test results for that one came back, "No significant sign of heart disease."

"That's good," Mikie said when I called him.

"What does 'significant' mean?" I asked.

"Not enough to worry about," he replied.

"But there is something. Otherwise, it would simply say, 'No sign of heart disease,' and they would leave out the word 'significant.'"

"It's okay, Belinda."

"It's ridiculous, is what it is," I mumbled to myself.

You might wonder where I am right now with regard to the panic attacks. Tomorrow, I'll finish up this little part of my blog with my prognosis at this point and time of my life. I will say it is still a daily struggle, but some days I'm hopeful... and every day I'm thankful God is in control, because even though there were times I thought I could do it myself (handle Josh's illness and my own), I never had to. God's hand has been on this family in so many, many ways. Some of which we've been blessed to be able to see, and others we will probably never even know.

But I digress. Tomorrow, folks... check back tomorrow.

Pick a Town... Any Town

On slips of paper, write down any and all little towns surrounding your area. For example, in my area I would write down the following: Trussville, Cahaba Heights, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Hoover, Pinson, Homewood, Birmingham, etc. That's eight right off the top of my head.

Now put the slips of paper into a bowl, and pick a family member to draw a piece of paper. Whatever town is written on the paper you draw, you will be spending a day in that town this spring. That's right. A whole day.

Now that the town has been chosen, as the mom and/or dad you will need to do a little research. Call the Chamber of Commerce. Go to the town's website. Call the local librarian. They know EVERYTHING! See if you are going on a day the town hosts a Festival or other special event.

You will need to choose five or six (or more) things to do in that town on any given Saturday. Here are some ideas:

1. Restaurant (Not a chain. Pick a restaurant located only in this town. Example: Cafe on Main in Trussville.)

2. Park or playground

3. Library (Check to see if there is a story time or something special going on that particular day.)

4. Stream or creek (You can use this for wading or fishing or tubing or pictures.)

5. Store (Pick a store that is unique to this area alone. Example: Smith's Variety in Mountain Brook.)

6. Bakery

7. Museums

8. Biking Trails

9. Tennis Courts

10. Some sort of Fun Zone (Example: Froggy's in Warrior or PlayStation in Trussville.)

11. Book Store

12. Yard Sales

13. Movie Theater

Mountain Brook is the location of The Birmingham Zoo and The Botanical Gardens. Hoover, of course, is home to the Galleria and the Hoover Met. (There might even be a ballgame scheduled for the day of your visit!) Homewood has a fantastic little bookstore, as well as Ed's Pet World. As you can see, the possibilities are limitless.

You may have all of the above in your little part of the world, but everything is a little different and exciting 15 minutes away.

NOTE: This can also be a very low cost tradition. If you pick going to yard sales, the library for story time, a park for a picnic, playing tennis, a museum, etc., you are talking gas money only. This can cost as much (or little) as you like.

Have a great Wednesday. I have a romantic date for Mom and Dad tomorrow. (The kids need to see you date, Mom and Dad. It's very important for kids to know Mom and Dad are "in love" and need to spend that time alone together. Almost as important as it is for Mom and Dad!)

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.