Half of my face is paralyzed and I am thankful.

I’m serious, too.

I got Bell's Palsy and suddenly the doctors knew what was wrong with me: Lyme disease.

I have been in so much pain. I can’t emphasize that enough. PAIN. I could hardly move because every move was painful. Excruciating. My back/neck and shoulder were getting worse and worse no matter that I got a cortisone shot and have been in physical therapy for the past two-three months. The doctors were talking surgery on my spine and my stomach was nauseous from taking 15-20 pain killers a day. I was spending a lot of time in tears and a lot of time trying to learn to live with chronic pain, but not doing very well at it. We scheduled an MRI and I filled a prescription for Vicodin.

Then my tongue went numb and my hearing went wacky and my eye started twitching. The next afternoon the left half of my face went tingly and numb. That was scary.



After spending the evening in the ER, I woke up the next morning and realized that my prayers had been answered because although I still didn’t feel WELL, I woke up and my pain had decreased significantly. I probably got the best sleep I had gotten in 6 weeks (in spite of my eye being taped shut with scotch tape).

I can turn my head!

I can reach! I can pick up my babies! I can bend! I can sit at the computer!

I have a lot of catching up to do. And I’ll be doing it without all my pain meds.

It’s a good day, friends. A good day

backyard picking

The blueberries are getting ripe.



I keep finding them out there pickin away.



We had to teach her about the BLUE ones.



Yum.



Hope you're having a great summer!

xo
B

chicky chicky boomba

lots of bruises + swimmers ear= love

That's right.  Love.

Last week I was a leader at Girls Camp for my church and it was so. much. fun.  Lots of work, but a different kind of work than I do every day.  It was so rewarding and the GIRLS!  These girls are so strong and good and I love being around them. 




polar swim: 1 mile (two mornings in a row. because I love me a lake.)

I loved being in the woods and on a lake. I loved being focused on strengthening relationships, whether it was with my daughter (her first year at camp! milestone.), the other girls, the women or my personal relationship with God.



Who knew that walking around in the woods and singing crazy songs and truckin it to the latrine in the middle of the night would be so fulfilling? 

Me, silly!  That's why I went!  Love, love, love.