Work\Health Update

Four weeks ago school (work for me) started here in the Salt Lake City School District. I would be lying if I said I was not nervous regarding my ability to work full time. The good news is that I have not missed one day of work! Dustin and I consider this quite an accomplishment and are grateful for the energy and health I have been blessed with. The only work I have missed is for doctor appointments that were made previous to the start of school.
I work at Northwest Middle School in Rose Park. For those of you who do not know, Rose Park is considered the "hard core" inner city part of Salt Lake. Northwest is comprised of 75% Hispanics, 10% Caucasians, 8% African-Americans, and 7% other. (Mostly refugees form various parts of Africa, Thailand, Bosnia, Pakistan, and other countries) I am a Para-Professional in the self contained behavior classroom. My supervising teacher is a wonderful teacher who has amazing classroom management skills. The bedrock to running an effective classroom and being an effective teacher is classroom management. The class is for seventh and eighth graders who display behavior that violates the "safe school policy." Currently the class has six students and they are meshing well.
I am looking forward to a great year working full time at Northwest. If I am successful, I will be looking into a full time teaching position next year. I am grateful for my health, my family, my wonderful husband, and all the people supporting me in my endeavors. Love to all.
Libby

Happy 89th Birthday Grandma Haglund

On Sunday, all Haglunds that could, met at Grandma's house for a birthday celebration. There was cake, ice cream, and A LOT of birthday cards. Everyone, from the great-grandchildren on up sent Grandma a birthday card with a two dollar bill enclosed. When the grandchildren were younger, Grandma would send them a birthday card with a two dollar bill in it. Betsy came up with the idea to have every member of the family do the same for her. Kudos Betsy! Dustin and I are so happy to have such a wonderful Grandma. A Grandma who calls to see how we are doing. A Grandma who we admire for the example she sets. A Grandma who laughs and cries with us, but most of all, a Grandma who loves us. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Spinal Tap

On Friday September 5th I had a spinal tap, also known as a lumbar puncture. Dr. Foley ordered that I have one done to rule out lesions on the spinal cord that the MRI can't see. It came back inconclusive which is the same as negative. I am happy that I am still lesion free but not happy that the test will be repeated every year. It was very uncomfortable and caused me a great deal of anxiety and panic. If I did not know that they threaded a 9cm needle up through my spinal cord I might have been a little more composed. First they gave me a shot of lido-cane in my lower back. I did not mind that part at all. It is the needle that follows that got me sweating. I was having an anxiety attack on the table and literally soaked the pillow case my head was resting on in sweat. The nurse helped me to calm down which I really appreciated. After about thirty minutes they got a clear sample and finished the procedure.
Again, thanks to family and friends for your love and support. It is felt and sustains us, especially when things get hard.
Love
Libby and Dustin

Yoga

I have never had an interest in yoga, but recently decided to give it a try. As would be expected, I have been doing a lot of research about Multiple Sclerosis lately. It turns out that people with MS who practice Yoga 2 to 3 times a week feel an average of 70% better than they did before they started practicing yoga. That 70% is all the convincing it took me to start yoga. I am really lucky to live four blocks from a great yoga studio (Centered City Yoga) that provides a variety of classes and is sensitive to my medical needs. My first class was yesterday. It was called "Yoga For Stiffer Bodies." Stiffer is really an understatement. However, when the session ended I felt looser. Looser is a term I now use to explain how my muscles are feeling. Most the time, they are pretty tight and stiff, but Yoga gave me some relief from the stiffness for a few days. It also made me sore. I never really considered yoga a form of exercise, but I stand corrected. Some of the poses made me sweat and I felt like I had been on an treadmill for an hour at the end of the class. As I learn more about yoga and the theory behind it I understand why it is beneficial. I am excited to feel 70% better and learn something new on my journey through MS.
Namaste'

Round 2, a Success!

It is nice to have good news to report to everyone. Round two was a success! Not only did I get half the dose of Solu-Medrol, it was also extremely diluted. Dr. Foley and Kara think that the reason I had such an awful reaction to the first infusion was because my body did not absorb the medicine correctly. Needless to say, whatever they did worked. I am experiencing what are considered the "normal" side effects of the medicine. These include a headache, metallic taste in the mouth, red face, elevated heart beat, slight fever, and acute alertness. The alert part has kept me up at night for the past two nights with little sleep which is really quite bothersome. However, compared to my last infusion, I feel wonderful! When I walked out of the Dr. Foley's office on Wednesday, my muscles felt really loose, something I have not felt in several months. It is nice to have some relief from the dizziness, pain, and stiffness. Again, we appreciate all of the love and support and know that your prayers, fasting, and thoughts have played a role in the outcome of this infusion.
Love
Libby and Dustin

Infusions Wednsesday and Thursday

My Doctor called and scheduled my infusion for Wednesday and Thursday. The good news is that it will be half the dose. I will receive half a gram Wednesday over two hours and half a gram Thursday over two hours. I am also receiving this infusion at Dr. Foley's infusion clinic so he can monitor me and watch my reaction to the Solu-Medrol. Hopefully it won't be as bad as last time, keep your fingers crossed. We will keep everybody posted over the weekend and update the blog regarding how I am feeling and reacting to the infusion. Thanks again for all the support.
Love
Libby and Dustin

Round 2

Yesterday Kara Menning, Dr Foley's Nurse Practitioner called me back about the dizziness I have been experiencing for the past four days. She has decided to order another round of the Solu-Medrol at half the dose I had last time. That means I will receive one gram over two days instead of two grams. Dizziness is part of MS and can last months if you don't receive aggressive treatment. If another treatment is what I need to get better, I will do it, side effects and all. Dr. Foley's office will call me today with the dates for my treatment. Kara also told me that I don't have any MS on my spine. That's really good news because lesions on the spine deteriorate faster than those on the brain. It is nice to be lesion free for the time being. Thanks again for all the love and support. Dustin and I are grateful for all the wonderful people who have rallied around us during this time.
Love
Libby and Dustin

Scrapbooking...zero enjoyment but at least it looks good

I have recently had the desire to preserve our memories in an aesthetically pleasing way. What better, more time consuming way to accomplish this than by scrapbooking. I have to be completely frank, I do not enjoy the art of scrapbooking but I do enjoy the finished product. This means that I spend endless hours at my dining room table with a paper cutter, a mish-mash of papers, ribbons, brads, glue dots, mounting squares, and little patience. I turn on some tunes so I don't have to fully concentrate on what I am really doing and start working. About an hour later I have an aesthetically pleasing presentation of my pictures. The hope is that some day, generations down the line, a grandchild will look at the scrapbook and say "Oh, they were so cute!" or "Look how funny Grandpa looks!" At least that's what we hope.

Health Update

Wednesday was my six week follow up appointment with Kara Menning, Dr. Foley's Nurse Practitioner. She examined me, looking for signs that the Solu-Medrol treatment had improved the weakness on my left side as well as my peripheral vision. The double vision in my periphery is gone, but the weakness on my left side is the same. Kara said that I had an adverse reaction to the Solu-Medrol and should not have experienced severe pain and dizziness. Next time I have a treatment, it will be half the dose over two days. As far as a diagnoses, we are still at the same point. Dr, Foley and Kara are feeling slightly more confident that it is MS, but I can not be given an actual diagnoses until lesions appear on an MRI. It can take a few years after the first symptoms for the lesions to appear. I was given a medicine to help with the nerve pain I have been experiencing on my left side that seems to be working well. In general, I am feeling well. Some days are better than others, actually, some hours are better than others but I am doing well. Dustin and I are grateful for all of the prayers, family fasts, and well wishes. Your love and devotion helps sustain us.
Love
Libby and Dustin

Travel Notes

The blog posts previous to this outline our trip to DC, and the the things we were able to do. Thanks again to the Sabota family and the Williams family for letting us stay at their homes. We are grateful for them and had a wonderful time spending time with them and their kids. Happy reading!