Happy Summer Solstice, everybody!
I'm always torn about this day; on the one hand I love it because it's the official first day of summer, but on the other I'm a bit sad because it means that the days start getting shorter again. Why can't I just enjoy the first part, and not worry about the rest? ;)
School is finally out, and Rachel did quite well this semester! An 'A' and 4 'Bs'! We are very pleased with her performance. Rachel's anxiety levels are so much lower than they were last year, and that makes it easier for her to concentrate and focus.
Today we'll be packing up her school books, and getting them shipped back to Connections, so they can send out her materials for next year. Just one more year of High School. As hard as some of the last several years has been, it still seems to have just flown by. Our little chick will be ready to fly the coop sooner than we're ready for, I think. Really hoping she gets her dog by the time she graduates, so she can do some training, and be able to safely move on with her life.
I know I haven't written much lately, and for that I apologize (again!). The end of the school year was hectic, and we were enjoying a long seizure-free spell, which I really didn't want to jinx by saying anything about it. Sadly, that came to an end on Sunday, when Rach had a seizure. The rest of the day was fine, but at just after 5 a.m. on Monday, she had another, and then about 30 minutes after having her morning meds, she felt sick and needed to vomit, which caused yet another seizure. Vomiting and seizures really do not go well together, and can be very dangerous. Fortunately, she didn't aspirate, but quite a bit did come out her nose. We had hope that would be it for the day, but at about 5 p.m. there was yet another seizure. Epilepsy really sucks.
Tuesday was much better, but we stayed close to home, just in case, and there were no more problems. We finally determined that the problem might be with an antibiotic that she's been taking for an infection in her eyelids (I know, if it isn't one thing, it's another), so we've spaced out the time between her regular meds and that one, and made sure she has food on her stomach when she takes it. It seems to be working, but we'll be watching for any problems.
So, I think we're all up to date now. Oh! I almost forgot to share that we received a lovely donation from a couple of very special ladies. Shout out to Jen and Carol! We had the distinct pleasure of becoming acquainted with Carol just a few months ago, during a time when she was facing a serious struggle of her own. Sadly, she lost her battle a couple of weeks ago, but she reached out to us in a tangible way, giving her love and support, and never lamenting her own fate. She was brave, loving, funny, talented and optimistic. Her daughter Jen is a lovely reflection of her mother, and we are blessed to call her friend.
-Kelly
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Almost Summer
Hello again, Friends! I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We kept things pretty quiet around here.
Just two weeks of classes left before Rachel is free for the summer, and we are all ready for that break. Rachel has done a great job of staying caught up in her classes, and her grades reflect her efforts. She'll be a Senior next year, and there will be more challenges, but we feel like she's more up to them now than she has been in years. Online education is definitely a good thing for her, and we don't regret making that change for her.
I am so happy to share that the donation thermometer took a big jump today, with donations received in the last few days which total over $600! The largest portion of that was an incredibly generous gift from my brother's girlfriend. We are so grateful to all of our donors for their support and friendship.
I apologize again for not keeping up to date with this blog the way I should, but there is so much going on here with our life, school, and family issues that it's been difficult. I'm hoping that once school is out I'll be able to devote much more time to both fundraising and updating.
Rachel and I have made a commitment to my cousin's dog rescue, to help her out with some events this summer, so that will be another thing to keep up with, but definitely something we feel called to do.
Thanks again for being here for us, just following along with our story, sharing our story, and giving support. You really are integral to our success, and we appreciate you all so much.
-Kelly
Just two weeks of classes left before Rachel is free for the summer, and we are all ready for that break. Rachel has done a great job of staying caught up in her classes, and her grades reflect her efforts. She'll be a Senior next year, and there will be more challenges, but we feel like she's more up to them now than she has been in years. Online education is definitely a good thing for her, and we don't regret making that change for her.
I am so happy to share that the donation thermometer took a big jump today, with donations received in the last few days which total over $600! The largest portion of that was an incredibly generous gift from my brother's girlfriend. We are so grateful to all of our donors for their support and friendship.
I apologize again for not keeping up to date with this blog the way I should, but there is so much going on here with our life, school, and family issues that it's been difficult. I'm hoping that once school is out I'll be able to devote much more time to both fundraising and updating.
Rachel and I have made a commitment to my cousin's dog rescue, to help her out with some events this summer, so that will be another thing to keep up with, but definitely something we feel called to do.
Thanks again for being here for us, just following along with our story, sharing our story, and giving support. You really are integral to our success, and we appreciate you all so much.
-Kelly
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Hoof In Mouth
Oy. It's been brought to my attention that in my last post, I made an unfortunate juxtaposition of statements, regarding donations received, immediately followed by us taking a short trip.
To be clear: Monies donated for Rachel's dog, either directly to Paws, or to our Paypal account, are never, ever used by our family, for anything other than Rachel's dog. We can't access money sent to her Paws account, and any checks or cash given to us directly is almost immediately donated to Paws by us.
Many of you don't know us personally, so don't know what we're really like, but there is no way in the world we would ever do anything to risk Rachel's chances of getting her Seizure Response Dog in a timely manner, and it would just be skeevy to use money donated for the purpose to take a trip to the coast.
I am embarrassed now, and sort of feel guilty for taking that little trip, but it was a special occasion, and we really don't ever spend money on ourselves. I hope this hasn't turned you off completely to our cause. We've been so fortunate to have so many people who support us, and would never intentionally do anything to destroy your faith in our mission.
-Kelly
To be clear: Monies donated for Rachel's dog, either directly to Paws, or to our Paypal account, are never, ever used by our family, for anything other than Rachel's dog. We can't access money sent to her Paws account, and any checks or cash given to us directly is almost immediately donated to Paws by us.
Many of you don't know us personally, so don't know what we're really like, but there is no way in the world we would ever do anything to risk Rachel's chances of getting her Seizure Response Dog in a timely manner, and it would just be skeevy to use money donated for the purpose to take a trip to the coast.
I am embarrassed now, and sort of feel guilty for taking that little trip, but it was a special occasion, and we really don't ever spend money on ourselves. I hope this hasn't turned you off completely to our cause. We've been so fortunate to have so many people who support us, and would never intentionally do anything to destroy your faith in our mission.
-Kelly
Oregon Short Break
I'd like to thank everyone who chimed in on the topic of how much is appropriate to share regarding Rachel's panic attacks. We've discussed the topic with Rachel, and she assures us that she's very comfortable sharing her experience, as long we don't share 'gory details'. She's a wonderful advocate, and feels it's important to let others know what she lives with, as a way of letting those who live with anxiety know that they are not alone.
Since our last update, we've received a couple of donations, and took a little 3 day trip to the Southern Oregon coast. We don't really take vacations anymore (who can afford it?), but we love experiencing what Oregon has to offer, and can usually cover quite a bit of ground in just a few days.
We made our way to Bandon, making stops at a few places I've always wanted to see, including Shore Acres State Park. This is a photo of Rachel next to the pond...
Since our last update, we've received a couple of donations, and took a little 3 day trip to the Southern Oregon coast. We don't really take vacations anymore (who can afford it?), but we love experiencing what Oregon has to offer, and can usually cover quite a bit of ground in just a few days.
We made our way to Bandon, making stops at a few places I've always wanted to see, including Shore Acres State Park. This is a photo of Rachel next to the pond...
We also visited West Coast Game Park, and the beautiful beaches at Bandon, investigating the tide pools at low tide, and finding lots of wonderful sea stars...
We came home with lots of pictures, cool rocks, and wonderful memories of a great family weekend. It was technically the celebration of Brett and Kelly's 25th anniversary, and Rachel had volunteered to stay home with her Aunt and Grandmother, but we really enjoy her company, and if she didn't travel with us we would just worry about her the whole time, and that's no fun.
So, there's not really much that's new, and that's just fine. No news is good news sometimes. -Kelly
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
How Much Is Too Much To Share?
With this post, I'm requesting input from our readers. I generally try and keep things fairly light, and mainly talk about things like the fundraising, and the more serious seizure activity, but Rachel also lives with what was once a very debilitating panic disorder and it still rears its ugly head on occasion.
For example, yesterday she was having some trouble with one of the metal bands she has on a molar, used to anchor her braces and future appliances. We made a quick trip to the orthodontist to have it checked out, and he found that there was some bit of food stuck up in the gum, which couldn't get out on its own because of the band. He had to use a tool to dig up in there just a bit, which was painful, and caused Rachel to have a panic attack.
Now, there are some pretty specific and detailed things that go along with one of these attacks, and they're not terribly glamorous. Fortunately, this one wasn't as bad as some she's had in the past, and was over in about 5 minutes with the help of some meds I carry with me at all times. We both felt bad for the orthodontist, who kept offering water, juice and treats. Rachel bounced right back, but he may be scarred for awhile.
There was a time, just a year or so ago, that she couldn't go into a large store without having a panic attack, and needing to leave immediately, or have a full meltdown right in the store. I can't tell you how many times I had to leave a cart full of groceries, or only pick up the most needed things, just so we could get out of the store quickly.
I guess my question is how much detail do you want about these things that Rachel lives with? Are you at all interested in what it's really like for her when she has a seizure and/or panic attack, as they do often go hand in hand? We very much appreciate your interest in our blog, and your continued support for our efforts, but wonder just how much you really want to know about our life, and Rachel's conditions.
We know that the dog she'll be getting will be trained to respond to the seizures, and we hope that it will also be a comfort to her, and her anxiety will be reduced, but there's no guarantee of that, of course.
All comments are moderated, and I won't post yours if you request that I not, but I would very much appreciate your input on these matters. As always, thanks so much for your caring and support.:)
-Kelly
For example, yesterday she was having some trouble with one of the metal bands she has on a molar, used to anchor her braces and future appliances. We made a quick trip to the orthodontist to have it checked out, and he found that there was some bit of food stuck up in the gum, which couldn't get out on its own because of the band. He had to use a tool to dig up in there just a bit, which was painful, and caused Rachel to have a panic attack.
Now, there are some pretty specific and detailed things that go along with one of these attacks, and they're not terribly glamorous. Fortunately, this one wasn't as bad as some she's had in the past, and was over in about 5 minutes with the help of some meds I carry with me at all times. We both felt bad for the orthodontist, who kept offering water, juice and treats. Rachel bounced right back, but he may be scarred for awhile.
There was a time, just a year or so ago, that she couldn't go into a large store without having a panic attack, and needing to leave immediately, or have a full meltdown right in the store. I can't tell you how many times I had to leave a cart full of groceries, or only pick up the most needed things, just so we could get out of the store quickly.
I guess my question is how much detail do you want about these things that Rachel lives with? Are you at all interested in what it's really like for her when she has a seizure and/or panic attack, as they do often go hand in hand? We very much appreciate your interest in our blog, and your continued support for our efforts, but wonder just how much you really want to know about our life, and Rachel's conditions.
We know that the dog she'll be getting will be trained to respond to the seizures, and we hope that it will also be a comfort to her, and her anxiety will be reduced, but there's no guarantee of that, of course.
All comments are moderated, and I won't post yours if you request that I not, but I would very much appreciate your input on these matters. As always, thanks so much for your caring and support.:)
-Kelly
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Gone Too Long
I can't believe it's been so long since my last post, and I apologize to all of our loyal followers!
Not much new has been happening at Raise The Woof lately, and donations have definitely slowed to a trickle. We continue to check in on our brochures, and folks are picking them up, so we continue to hope that something will come of them.
We did recently get some very good news, though. Rachel received a call from PAWS, letting her know that she is now at the top of the recipient list for Oregon! This means that if the remainder of the funding comes in before the end of the year, Rachel will have her dog sometime next year! If we don't get the funding this year, it could be two years before Rachel has her dog. So, obviously, we are very much hoping that funding comes through, from all sources.
In other news, Rachel has been quite busy with school, and state testing. We know she's passed her Math testing, and we are hopeful that she passes the Writing. She had to write an essay, which was sent off for grading, and we won't have that result for awhile.
The weather here in Western Oregon is finally improving, and we've had some really lovely days recently. I've been making a huge effort to get Rachel outside for walks, and a little bit of outdoor education. We make trips to the local park, which has greenhouses of heritage plants, and we feed squirrels, watch bees, and just soak up some much needed sun. Then it's back home to do more school.
A few weeks ago Brett picked up a couple of small electric scooters that needed repair. He got them working, and listed for resale on Craigslist, but had Rachel go with him for a short test ride. She had the best time...
Not much new has been happening at Raise The Woof lately, and donations have definitely slowed to a trickle. We continue to check in on our brochures, and folks are picking them up, so we continue to hope that something will come of them.
We did recently get some very good news, though. Rachel received a call from PAWS, letting her know that she is now at the top of the recipient list for Oregon! This means that if the remainder of the funding comes in before the end of the year, Rachel will have her dog sometime next year! If we don't get the funding this year, it could be two years before Rachel has her dog. So, obviously, we are very much hoping that funding comes through, from all sources.
In other news, Rachel has been quite busy with school, and state testing. We know she's passed her Math testing, and we are hopeful that she passes the Writing. She had to write an essay, which was sent off for grading, and we won't have that result for awhile.
The weather here in Western Oregon is finally improving, and we've had some really lovely days recently. I've been making a huge effort to get Rachel outside for walks, and a little bit of outdoor education. We make trips to the local park, which has greenhouses of heritage plants, and we feed squirrels, watch bees, and just soak up some much needed sun. Then it's back home to do more school.
A few weeks ago Brett picked up a couple of small electric scooters that needed repair. He got them working, and listed for resale on Craigslist, but had Rachel go with him for a short test ride. She had the best time...
Thanks again for hanging in there with us, and don't forget to share us with your friends. We have a ways to go on fundraising, and would really love to see Rachel get her dog next year.
-Kelly
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Yay! I Was Wrong!
I generally don't like to admit when I've made a mistake, but today I'm very happy to announce that because of an accounting error on my part, our donation thermometer took a big jump today.
It seems that I missed a significant donation right at the beginning of all this, which amounted to over $300! I requested a total from Paws' ledger, and got the info today, so our new improved total is now over $10,600!
In addition, we made a stop at Elmer's Restaurant, where they allowed us to place one of our brochure stands. Thank you, Elmer's on Market in Salem. Your support is truly appreciated.
-Kelly
It seems that I missed a significant donation right at the beginning of all this, which amounted to over $300! I requested a total from Paws' ledger, and got the info today, so our new improved total is now over $10,600!
In addition, we made a stop at Elmer's Restaurant, where they allowed us to place one of our brochure stands. Thank you, Elmer's on Market in Salem. Your support is truly appreciated.
-Kelly
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