Mayo Day 2

OCTOBER 15, 2012 (one year anniversary of this journey's beginning) - pretty cool to celebrate an anniversary this way...

This place continues to blow our minds!  I honestly cannot describe how incredible it all is.  When I get home I will upload many of the pictures we've taken.  The pictures won't do it justice and they cannot tell the story of the people here.  We have not met one single person who was not incredibly friendly.  And ALL of the food has been delicious!  We have eaten so good - too good!

I have to admit that when I wrote on Friday I was very numb.  I was taken aback by a diagnosis that I never expected.  The condition they have labeled me with - Chronic Subjective Dizziness (CSD) - is something I have NEVER heard of.  Jonathan and my friend, Summer, in all of their research of dizziness and vestibular disorders never even ran across it.  So it really hit me out of left field.  It has taken me the weekend and the visits today to be more comfortable with it and to embrace it.  Quite honestly, at first I was skeptical, thinking "I've already tried the medicine and therapy route and now that's what you're recommending again?"  But I see that this is a totally different way we will approach things.

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins" ---Mark 2:22

I realize that I must be a new wineskin.  I cannot let the thought "this isn't going to work" cross my mind.  I must stay renewed, hopeful and encouraged.

Today the neurologist, Dr. Eggers, met with us first.  I got my Bachelor's degree in 1994; he got his in 1993, so we're basically the same age.  We spent a little over an hour talking with him and he agrees that I have CSD.  He also believes from a neurologist's perspective that my headaches and migraines will subside once my CSD is controlled.  I completely agree with that assessment and am ready to be WELL.  He was a little less conservative and said give the new meds and therapy 8-12 weeks and that he expects that I will be fully functional.  He was VERY optimistic, leaving us with "You're gonna do great!"

We then met with the therapist.  My appointment was at 3:45.  We got there at 3:25 and he immediately called us back.  We met until 4:00 or so.  He has given me some new things to do to get me re-acclimated to normal activities.  I'll go into more detail some other time, but basically, I need to be exposed to environments that make me dizzy (in very small doses initially).  Essentially, I cannot avoid nor overdo activities.  I can and will start running again (gradually of course), which I am SUPER excited about.  This will probably help the headaches and stress too!

We've got one more appointment at 8:30 tomorrow.  The Neurologist said the doctor we meet in the morning is one of the top in the country, if not the world, in CSD!  YAY!  He will determine which medication to put me on.  I'm not sure if I'll leave here with Rx in hand or if they'll send me the Rx along with all of the reports in the mail (hoping I'll leave here with it).

Jonathan and I are ready to be home, sleep in our own bed, eat home cooked food and see our babies!  Lydia has been great and has not needed breathing treatments for several days, so thank you for the prayers.

I am ELATED, ELATED and PRAISE GOD that my vestibular system is in tact and functioning fine!  This is the biggest praise of all for me.  I don't have to go through life worried that my "ship is only being steered by one rudder" (that's how I like to think of it anyway).

Can't wait to send out pictures soon.  And honestly, I cannot express my deep thanks for the love and support you all give.  I am blessed beyond measure.