The White House

19 July::..
On the 19th, we barely made it to our tour of the White House. We were not aware that the Metro was undergoing scheduled maintenance so we caught a cab and arrived just in time. After getting through security, we walked along a pathway with several guards on it and arrived at the White House. To our surprise, it was a self guided tour. The beginning of the tour was a long hallway displaying portraits of several Presidents as well as pictures of various Presidents at National Parks, and other popular vacation spots. We were able to see he ground and first floors home to the Library, Vermeil Room, the famous China room, the Diplomatic Reception Room, the Green Room, and many others. In the East Room is a Steinway piano donated to the White House 1938. It was very square in shape but was one of my favorite accessories at the white house. If you are ever in the DC area, we recommend the White House tour.

Later that evening, we could not resist and saw The Dark Knight. We went to the only theater in Old Town Alexandria which was just that, OLD. For those of you familiar with The Villa theater in Salt Lake City, it was about a quarter that size. the screen was about an eighth the size of a regular screen and the sound was so so. Despite the small theater, tiny screen, and sub par sound, the Joker still managed to scare the living daylights out of me. However, Dustin and I enjoyed a night out on the town in Old Alexandria which is rather romantic.

National Air and Space Museum and Natural History Museum

Yesterday we went to the National Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum. Both museums are Smithsonian museums. I had no idea that The Smithsonian owned and operated seventeen different museums. I don't know how they do it, but there exhibits are amazing and very informative.

When we arrived at the National Air and Space Museum we immediately noticed the flight simulators. We both knew that we had to try it. The simulator we chose was an F-4 fighter plane with room for a pilot and a gunner. Because I am such an ace, I was the gunner. We had a short two minute training and we were ready for liftoff. Liftoff was the easy part, everything else was hard. I am pretty sure that we spent most of the five minute flight upside down or doing barrel rolls. Despite the crazy flight, we managed to kill four out of five enemy planes. Hooray for teamwork!

Last time I was at the Air and Space Museum, the original Wright Brothers Plane that they flew in 1903 was hanging from the ceiling in the front foyer. Now there is a whole exhibit dedicated to the Wright Brothers and their first plane. The plane is now on the floor, enabling you to walk around it. There is also an explanation of what the plane is made of and how it works. It is amazing that with wire, wood, and cloth, the Wright Brothers created an airplane.

It was a long day, but we got to see and experience some amazing things. The National Air and Space Museum and Natural History Museum are so full of information and activities that we feel we would have to go back again and again to fully appreciate it.

International Spy Museum

Today we left the National Harbor and crossed the river to old town Alexandria where we will stay for the next three days. We dropped our bags off at our hotel and headed for DC. Our destination, the International Spy Museum. This was the one place that Dustin really wanted to go while we were here. I was skeptical that it would be (for lack of a better word) lame, but was pleasantly surprised. When we arrived we participated in a hour long interactive spy mission. We were spies in Kandar trying to obtain a nuclear trigger before it got into the wrong hands. We got to use a listening post, surveillance cameras, and ransack the office where we suspected the trigger was. When we successfully finished the mission we took a look around the museum. It is really well put together and walks you through how to be a spy, the equipment spies have used over the centuries, and the history of spying. We did learn that DC has more spies than any other city in the world. I will keep my eyes peeled.

Sunset Parade at Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, a heavily fortified Japanese stronghold was essential for the U.S to win the war, and also for the Japanese to stave off defeat. The battle to win this island is considered one of the fiercest battles in military history. Less than 300 out of 21,000 Japanese survived the attack. The U.S lost 6,821 soldiers and over 19,000 were wounded. One of the most highly distributed photographs ever made was taken during the Iwo Jima campaign. Joe Rosenthal, the photographer who took the famous picture of the marines raising the flag was awarded a Pulitzer prize for his work. The Iwo Jima Memorial is a duplicate of that famous photograph. The 32 foot bronze figures are shown raising a 60 foot flag. This memorial was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhour on November 10th, 1954, the 179th anniversery of the United States Marine Corps. Inscripted around the base of the memorial are the words of Chester W. Nimitz "Uncommon valor was a common virture."

Last night we attended the Marine Corps "Sunset Parade" at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Hundreds of people come every Tuesday night during the summer months to watch the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps perform a variety of musical selections, watch the precision of the Marines' Silent Drill Platoon, and pay respects to fallen soldiers.

Dressed in red coats and white pants, and holding there shiny silver instruments, the members of the Drum and Bugle Corps performed an excited selection of music. They played a medley from the musical "Jersey Boy," as well as the well known song "Stars and Stripes Forever." The formations they made while playing were precise and really enjoyable to watch.

Following the Drum and Bugle Corps, was the presentation of the colors. This presentation has been performed since the Revolutionary War. The Marine Corps battle colors is decorated with oak leaf clusters, ribbons, and stars that represent the more than 400 awards and campaigns of the U.S Marine Corps. The crowd was asked to stand to honor all service men and women who had given their life to serve this great country.

The Silent Drill Platoon has performed at the Sunset Parade since 1948. They travel all over the world executing their routine for hundreds of thousands of spectators annually. This routine is performed without any verbal cues and is performed with amazing synchronization. The M-1 rifles they carry weigh 10.5 pounds and are fixed with bayonets. After the Silent Drill performance, we stood and again honored fallen soldiers to a twenty one gun salute and a bugle call that honored all of the service men and women who have given there lives. The Sunset Parade ended with the retirement of the colors performed after a loud salute of rifles and the performance of taps.

Dustin and I really enjoyed the Sunset Parade and feel a special connection to soldiers who serve their country, and even die for their country. I felt a sense of pride well up inside of me when I saw the Iwo Jima Memorial flanked by Marines who serve this country every day. We are so grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy.

DC, here we come!

we're leaving on a jet plane

Super Woman I Am Not

Sitting in bed, with my laptop and my thoughts I realized that I am not Super Woman. I wish I had control over what happens to me and my family, but I don't. I wish, like Superman, I could see something undesirable before it happened and stop it, but I can't. The past few weeks have made me painfully aware of how vulnerable and human I am. It has been a good reminder of how grateful I am for everything I have, even my health.

The Solu-Medrol caused me to be in more pain than I have ever experienced. I was in pain from my head to my toes for three days. Pain medicine gave me a few hours of sleep but also made me nauseous, so I preferred not to take it. When the extreme pain subsided, I was exhausted and had shooting pains in my legs and back. Today, I feel pretty good. I still have some pain in my legs, and tire easily, but compared to this time last week, I feel wonderful!

I am grateful for a wonderful husband, family, and friends. Thank you for all of your love, support, fasting, and prayers. Dustin and I appreciate the large network of people that are cheering us on and hoping for the best outcome. We are praying for a good outcome and feel confident in my doctor's abilities to care for me.

Next week Dustin and I will be in Washington DC for a few weeks to relax. We couldn't have planned a better time to escape daily life and enjoy a vacation together. I am sure that I will be feeling well and be able to enjoy all of the activities DC has to offer. We love all of you and can not thank you enough.

Love
Libby and Dustin

Solu-Medrol IV Therapy

We have waited several weeks before letting you know what has been happening to Libby. At the beginning of May, she experienced severe blurring in her left eye accompanied by some pain. She went to see her ophthalmologist, Dr. Barker and was diagnosed with Optic Neuritis. Optic Neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. A retinal specialist confirmed the diagnosis and informed us that 50-70% of the time, optic neuritis is the first manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr. Barker ordered an MRI which showed good news, no lesions on Libby's brain. Lesions on the brain indicate without equivocation the presence of MS. We were then sent, on June 25th to see Dr. John Foley, a neurologist here in Salt Lake who only sees MS patients. Dr. Foley reviewed Libby's MRI and agreed that lesions were not present. However, the examination showed a definite weakness in her left side and a sensitivity to heat, cold, and pain. These are all symptoms of MS.

Libby was immediately sent to LDS Hospital to receive her first treatment of an IV steroid called Solu-Medrol. This first dose was followed by a second treatment on the 26th. The side effects of the IV infusion therapy were very harsh and have lasted a full week so far. Libby has been in a great deal of pain, but it is starting to go away. She can do more each day and tries to do as much as she can. Dr. Foley said, "I won't say you have MS, but I am not ready to say you don't."
The silver lining in all of this is that the PA who assists Dr. Foley indicated that if this is MS, then the continued treatments will ensure that Libby will be able to go skiing with her grandchildren. This statement filled Libby and I with hope. Libby has a follow up appointment with Dr. Foley on August 6th to see if the infusions helped to quell her "flare up" symptoms and decide on a more definite treatment plan.

We are so thankful for your prayers and concern. The family has always been here for us and we truly appreciate the comfort and support that you provide. Dr. Foley's knowledge and the advanced medicine that is being used to mitigate this possible condition are a blessing as well. Again, thank you for your prayers and love.
Love
Dustin and Libby