Never Been So Excited To Go To Abilene!!

So this weekend will be my first trip to go back to Abilene since I left there in the lovely Ambulance from Hendrick down to Methodist Hospital here in Houston, needless to say its going to be just a little bit weird but I am otherwise VERY EXCITED! I kind of left Abilene a total mess as far as leaving all my stuff which my dad had to bring me and of course he forgot some semi important things but I also didn't get to say my proper goodbyes and was just a wreck emotionally when I left Abilene. I feel like things have gotten alot better in the last couple weeks or so but I cannot tell you how much this trip back to Abilene is going to mean to me which I know probably sounds so crazy to whoever might be reading this! It even makes myself laugh when I think about how I'm actually excited to go to Abilene for a few days because that is something that several years ago I totally used to dread doing so it really cracks me up when I think about it!


But as far as what am going to do while I am there for a few days, I am beyond excited about it but to most people it would definitely mean nothing! When Jake gets off work here in just a few minutes we are hitting the road to drive about three hours to meet my parents at the half way point to Abilene so neither us or them have to drive the full six hours to pick me up since I cannot drive myself. Once we get there nothing exciting will be happening except Duke seeing me which I fully prepared for since I know he will go completely crazy, then tomorrow is baby Elizabeth's birthday so might be going to lunch with Sara & Elizabeth, then Friday I have a hair cut appointment in the morning, and Friday night dinner with all the Trammells to spend some time with them, and Saturday Elizabeth & Scout's big bday bash of turning 2, and other than that there really isn't much else planned besides some quality parent and brother time! Anyways as you can tell from the pictures below this is what Abilene, Texas means to me and is definitely why I am so excited to go for a few days!



Cannot believe this sweet baby girl is turning TWO years old tomorrow!!

the THREE SWEETEST ANGELS

LOVE THIS BABY!!

I mean who could not absolutely love that face!!?

Her sweet, little bedside visits while I was in the hospital in Abilene brought tears to my eyes and a much needed smile on my face, LOVE THIS GIRL!! :)

Trying to get back to normal...

Aside from everything else that has been going on I feel like the rest of our lives have totally gotten sidetracked so I am trying to play catch up on everything else that has been going on besides all my medical problems. So first things first, back at the end of June before Jake had moved here my mom & I came down to Houston for my cousin Hannah's wedding that I was a bridesmaid in and unfortunately Jake couldn't get off work so he had to stay in Abilene for work. It was really great to go spend the week with family and everything, I enjoyed hanging out with my sister for the week, we got to do some fun baby shopping and brainstorming for the new little one that will be here before we know it and this Aunt Giji CANNOT WAIT!! Here is the wedding week in pictures, some might be a little bit out of order, so sorry!




Mom and Jenna at Hannah's bridal brunch & lingerie shower

Hannah opening her gifts, while Rachel (the maid of honor) is writing everything she got from everyone down.

"The Sisterhood Ring" from James Avery: a year or two ago the women in our family started this tradition of buying their "sisters" when their birthday rolled around this beautiful sterling silver ring that is called the sisterhood ring and has a great story behind it. I actually got my sister her ring for her birthday this past April, her hand is the second one from the left I think.

Little Miss Adley Ann at the bridal brunch

The Bride's Wedding cake...the is the first family wedding we have had that I can remember where my mom & Aunt Beth didn't do the wedding cakes so that was a little weird for me to experience. But this cake was cute and everyone said that it tasted great, I of course didn't have any.

And this was the groom's cake, very different and interesting, all chocolate, with chocolate covered cheeries, and with the couple's favorite on top, Dr. Pepper.

The cute candy bar they had at the reception, it was displayed very cute with lots of different candies to choose from and cute little vases with the gerber daisies in them. The candy bar was enjoyed ALOT by all the little kids at the wedding/reception they really loved it!

Here is a picture of one of the tables, with one of the two different centerpieces that were used at the reception. The wedding colors were orange, yellow, and white so the tables had white table cloths with orange organza overlays with a cute swirly design on them. They used two different centerpieces, this one on this table was tall, square vases with lemons and limes all in the bottom with gerber daisies, belles of ireland, and some stock all coming out of the top of the vase. Also at each place setting were the ceremony program and the wedding favors that were individual boxes with a gerber daisy on the top that had a heart shaped brownie inside for each guest to take home.

Here is a picture of the other centerpiece that was used on the rest of the tables, they were cinderella carriages painted white all filled with flowers- gerber daisies, orange roses, stock, greenery, and belles of ireland.

This is a picture of the arrangements that were at the front of the ceremony, they were just tall iron displays filled with the gerber daisies, greenery, belles of ireland, roses, and stock.

Here is another view of the centerpieces and tables and chairs at the ceremony/reception.

Here is one of the welcome tables you saw you walked in, it was filled with candles, a few little vases that had orange and yellow gerber daisies in them, and a couple of Hannah & Justin's engagement photos.

This is a picture of the sign in table with their guest book and two of their engagement pictures.

Here is just a picture of one of the little flower arrangement of roses, gerber daisies, stock, and greenery on one of the front tables when you walked in.

Here is a picture of how everything looked with the tables and chairs and centerpieces and everything all set up.

Precious little Adley Ann hanging out with all the girls while we all got ready for the wedding.

Sweet little Jenna (she was one of the flower girls) and my cousin Alexandrah at the reception

Here is one of Jenna & Jenna, so cute!

My sweet parents, love them, cute picture of Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy Ellison

And here is Mr. & Mrs. Matt Manges at the reception

She is just so adorable to me, we put the garter around her little head like a headband.

The newlyweds making their exit while everyone threw rose petals at them.

The newlyweds all in the cinderella carriage ready to leave, Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Justin Bonin!

Officially Released AGAIN (hoping to be the last)

So as of late Thursday evening I was FINALLY released from Methodist Hospital in Houston and able to go home to my new apartment with Jake in Katy which I had not even seen since the first weekend of July. Upon leaving the hospital things are still kind of not under control and we are still trying to work with the doctors, medications, and my conditions to try and settle everything down. Because I was hooked up to a constant EEG monitor for 7 days straight in hopes that the doctor and nursing staff would be able to record an actual epileptic seizure while I was being monitored, but for the most part that was something didn't really ever happen. The doctor was never able to see or record one of my truly bad, epileptic seizures that I have been having more of lately most likely because of the very safe and controlled environment I was in while at the hospital often doesn't allow some patients to have seizures they might have otherwise. But what the doctors were able to see were some other different kinds of seizures nothing like tonic-clonic(grand mals), but more like peti mal seizures, and other types of seizures that are much more mild, but still were able to give the doctors the brain wave clues that it was definitely abnormal epileptic brain waves causing all of these different types of seizures anywhere from mild to very dangerous.


When I was released from the hospital I was sent home with two new prescriptions to start for my anti-seizure medications and some new things to start doing while we continue treating my epilepsy condition and try to get it under control. My new doctor here in Houston sent me home with 2,000 mg. of Keppra daily and 100 mg. Zonegran daily as of right now. I am still on my diabetes medicines, folic acid vitamin, and also have my headache/migraine medicine, and anti-nausea medicine. I have to call Monday to schedule my follow up appointment with my new neurologist here in Houston, who is also an Epilepsy Specialist, who is also the doctor I was seeing here in Houston at Methodist Hospital. My new doctors also sent me home with some "homework" haha, which is to document EVERYTHING that goes on with my body, anything I feel, any side effect I have from the medicines I am on, anything and everything that is the same and or different that goes on with the seizures I have, and any other complications I may continue to have. Although I didn't get as many clear, straight forward answers as I had hoped for while at the hospital, but the good thing I see is that I am here in Houston with one of the very very best Epilepsy doctors out there and I have learned it is more of a journey to getting the condition under control rather than a diagnosis, medication, and everything is better. I know it is going to be a very long road but I'm praying and trying my hardest to be able to gain the best quality of life for me but healthy at the same time.


I also had an MRI with contrast while I was at the hospital here in Houston and while the structural results to that test all came back normal like they usually do. But my doctor also wanted to have a radiologist that specializes in reading MRI's involving seizures and Epilepsy read my MRI results so it will be a couple of more weeks before we find out the results to what that radiologist sees.