Faith's Adaptive Skiing Adventure

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I am usually all for Faith trying something new. Years ago, though, I drew the line at adaptive skiing. I knew that Dreams in Motion does an annual event at Huff Hills (North Dakota's largest ski area), but I was too afraid to let Faith try it. I just didn't know how she would do being strapped down so tightly, especially with her high tone and issues with her left hip.  At her day program, some of her friends had been going for years and Faith thought it sounded like so much fun. So, this year, I decided we should give it a try. Since there are only 20 spots available for this event, I got her registered the morning it opened up.  Lots of fresh powder at Huff Hills  As the event drew near, I knew I needed to get snow pants for her (since she had none) and make sure I had all the right winter apparel to keep her warm. That was also one of my biggest concerns is her getting too cold, which can cause her tone to increase even more.  As the day approached, she was...
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Migraine Misery

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I knew I was coming down with a migraine yesterday morning when I was getting Faith ready for school. My vision started becoming blurry and I could only see out of one eye. As I walked back upstairs after getting Faith on the bus, I knew the pain would come soon as my vision began to clear up. I had been down this road many times before.

I remember having migraines as young as three years old. At that time, the main reason I got them was because I overexerted myself and my heart wasn't able to keep up. It was my body's way of telling me I needed to rest. 

When I was a child, my migraines not only caused enormous pain in my head but my stomach as well. I often ended up leaning over the toilet before getting to bed. I would cry because it hurt so bad but there was really nothing that could be done for me. Rest was the only thing that helped.

There were many days in elementary school that I needed my mom to come and get me because I ended up with a migraine. This went on quite often until after my third heart surgery which bettered my health in many ways. 


Still, even though I was able to increase my physical activity after this surgery, there were times I would do too much, and my body would once again force me to rest. Even though there are prescription meds available to migraine sufferers, I could not take any of them because of my heart condition. Advil barely touches them, so for me, rest is the best medicine.

It wasn't until after I had Faith that for whatever reason my migraines became fewer and farther between. It seems getting pregnant and having a baby did something positive for my body. Now when I do get one, I wonder what is going on in my body. Have I been overextending myself, is my thyroid acting up, is it heart-related, is it a spiritual attack? I never really know. 

What I do know is that they don't hurt nearly as bad as they used to, although I can still feel it for the next few days, which is a real source of frustration. Migraines can rob so much from so many. For me just this week, it has robbed me of energy to play with my daughter, from spending time writing, from praying with Moms In Touch, from making certain phone calls...seriously frustrating. 

So, I rest and pray that tomorrow is a better day and remind myself of what my mom often says, "This too shall pass." 

Comments

  1. JCJuly 15, 2011 at 4:55 AM

    I'm a migraine sufferer myself and I could feel the pain you're into. And yes, having to spend hours alone in a dark room is not even funny.

    ReplyDelete

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Faith's Adaptive Skiing Adventure

-
Image
I am usually all for Faith trying something new. Years ago, though, I drew the line at adaptive skiing. I knew that Dreams in Motion does an annual event at Huff Hills (North Dakota's largest ski area), but I was too afraid to let Faith try it. I just didn't know how she would do being strapped down so tightly, especially with her high tone and issues with her left hip.  At her day program, some of her friends had been going for years and Faith thought it sounded like so much fun. So, this year, I decided we should give it a try. Since there are only 20 spots available for this event, I got her registered the morning it opened up.  Lots of fresh powder at Huff Hills  As the event drew near, I knew I needed to get snow pants for her (since she had none) and make sure I had all the right winter apparel to keep her warm. That was also one of my biggest concerns is her getting too cold, which can cause her tone to increase even more.  As the day approached, she was...
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