Jennifer

Family Travel: Exploring Dupont State Park and Western NC Nature Center

July 18, 2018 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Since life has been filled with all things medical, we decided as a family to get outdoors and explore more. We love doing things as a family and want to share our great finds with you! As I shared in a previous post, we visited a state park. I wanted to share a video and more information!

We started the morning by driving to Dupont State Park. This park is south of Asheville and includes trails for all ages. We decided to visit the High Falls. Tears filled my eyes when I watched my husband hike for the first time since his heart surgery. Watching him view the falls sent chills down my body.

Being with my family with no medical worries made for a very happy day! We took a picnic and enjoyed time after our hike to just sit and talk about the beautiful scenery around us. The High Falls hike is not a strenuous hike as we passed several young kids on the trails with their parents. Also, the shade was plentiful on the trails to help keep the sun from beating down on you. There is a visitor’s center there that is fully staffed to help with any questions about the trails. Make sure to take bug repellent spray as I helped a fellow hiker get a tick off of her shoulder.

After our time exploring the state park, we drove to Asheville to visit the Western NC Nature Center. As you can see in the video, we caught glimpses of several animals, but the best time to visit is in the morning. Unfortunately, it was so hot outside that several animals sought shelter from the heat or was sleeping.

We hope to visit again as the park is expanding and we love animals! Check out the video of Madi performing a dance in the wind machine. It was quite humorous!

A Staycation to Celebrate Hubby’s Great News!

June 24, 2018 by Jennifer 1 Comment

We received fantastic news at Scott’s 6-week surgery follow-up appointment. He was able to wean off two of his heart medications and given a prescription to go enjoy life. He will return in 9 months. God is so good! The cardiologist told us Scott’s heart stopped for a considerable amount of time and a machine had to pace his heart. The doctor believes that Scott will live a great life without any further complications. He can’t guarantee that Scott will not have any other heart issues, but he feels really good about the outcome. We are all so happy and give God the glory! Obviously, we are very grateful for modern medicine and a trustworthy doctor.

To celebrate the news, we decided to enjoy a little staycation. The first day was driving south of Asheville, NC to Transylvania County. Family friends recommended the falls at Dupont Forest State Park. These are easy hikes for families to view the falls. We were able to view the High Falls and Triple Falls. There is a picnic shelter beside High Falls that families can enjoy a picnic. Once I saw Scott look at the falls, I got tears in my eyes. My husband is healthy again to be able to enjoy the great outdoors and family time.

He did not get out of breath and thoroughly enjoyed the day. The temperature outside was close to 80, but there is a lot of shade on the trails. I still recommend taking water bottles for the family.

This was a big outdoor adventure for L as well. The summer months are her best months with her EoE. The pollen has gone away and she can finally get outdoors. My heart is full of happiness.

We recommend this day to for the entire family. Soak in the sounds of the rushing waterfall and enjoy the quality family time. We hope to go back in the fall to see the all leaves turning.

Cincinnati Trip – Denied!

June 3, 2018 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Can you imagine our heartbreak? L and I are supposed to be at Cincinnati Children’s right now. I received a phone call last Wednesday that even though we received prior approval and insurance approved L to go to Cincinnati, they are now denying.

Even though we received the discouraging news and both of us shed tears, we are trying to stay positive and keep the faith. Plans change for a reason! My husband and M couldn’t go since it was M’s last week of school and she had exams. I wonder if God didn’t want L and I driving by ourselves. I’m not sure but there is a reason for everything.

We were not promised an easy life, but God did promise He would never forsake us. Our family has been through a lot but we continue to believe and keep the faith. God has a plan. L had a full week of evaluations scheduled to better treat her Eosinophilic Esophagitis. This amazing young lady has lived off of prescription formula Neocate Splash for 2.5 years. She only has one safe food, pears! Could you imagine?

There is no doubt, L is the strongest person I know as food is all around her, but she keeps her head held high. I’m currently fighting insurance in hopes we can reschedule the trip. Friends, please never stop fighting for your loved ones. It’s sad that we have to fight for our family’s healthcare but I will not stop advocating for the best care for our girl.

L, you are my hero! I love you to the moon and back. We need a cure!

Costco Has Paleo Pancake Mix (Non-GMO)

June 3, 2018 by Jennifer Leave a Comment

Food ingredients is a hot topic in our household. L cannot eat food and then I have a dairy and gluten allergies. Ever since L was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis, we all changed the way we eat. We try very hard to only eat all natural foods. I was so excited to find this paleo pancake mix at Costco.

The best part? You only have to add water! I did add fresh blueberries because I love blueberry pancakes. This mix is non-GMO, no added sugar, and of course gluten, dairy, and grain free!

My husband is my worst critic when it comes to new foods. As I flipped the pancakes into his plate, I silently was hoping he would enjoy them.

May I get a drumroll? My husband loved them and asked for seconds. It was M’s turn to try them and she thought they were delicious. Finally, it was my turn. Friends, they were not dry. Score! It’s hard sometimes with gluten-free recipes. I enjoyed every bite and I believe the fresh blueberries made the pancakes even more delicious.

I highly recommend putting this good for you food in your tummy.

By the way – this is not a sponsored post.

Life Update {Is it really May?}

May 20, 2018 by Jennifer 4 Comments

Friends! We are alive. Praise the Lord.

When I wrote this post five months ago, I had no idea what our future held, but I knew God was giving us strength. As I mentioned, L was going in for a scope, and Scott was stable. Life changes fast.

This is our strong girl. She didn’t know in this picture but soon found out that she failed sweet potatoes. Her scope showed the most eosinophils she has ever had in any scope. The doctor could not believe the biopsy results, so had the lab recount. Sure enough, the results were correct. L had to give up sweet potatoes. She did it in such a graceful manner. She knew how much they were making her sick, so that is why she knew it was the right decision. In two weeks, L and I make the trek up to Cincinnati Children’s for a week stay to meet with the leading doctors in the EoE world. She will have a scope while we are there to see if the eosinophils are gone from her esophagus. Currently, she stays alive by continuing to drink her prescription formula and pears. Could you imagine life without food? L is going on 2.5 years without food.

Two weeks after L received discouraging news, Scott had another heart incident. He was hospitalized once again. Thank goodness my sister-in-law gifted us the Kardia Mobile so we could do EKGs at home. This device saved Scott’s life that night. Scott told me he wasn’t feeling well that night in February, we did the EKG and realized we needed to get him to the ER fast. I drove him there, showed the front desk the Kardia and she took him straight back in a wheelchair. Doctors swarmed around us so fast hooking Scott up to machines and IVs. He was at high risk of having a stroke.

After this hospitalization, I realized that we didn’t have time to waste. I got in touch with Duke to get his care transferred. During this time, Scott wore a heart monitor for two weeks. During the two weeks, the monitor picked up 26 episodes. We had to keep him calm and not doing much while Duke reviewed his records to accept his case. Finally came the time to have our first meeting with Duke. I prepared Scott’s notebook with all of his medical records, EKGs, and test results. The electrophysiologist viewed Scott’s records and said he needed surgery ASAP as he could go into cardiac arrest at any time. He said there was something wrong with the left atrium of his heart causing his heart to misfire. He believed Scott was born with an extra electrical pathway, but would not know for sure until he was able to get inside of Scott’s heart. A week later, Scott was scheduled for surgery.

My husband was nervous, but relieved his heart would be fixed! We knew God was in control and led us to Duke for a reason. We both stayed very optimistic for a successful surgery. The length of surgery could take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. After a little longer than 2.5 hours, I received a call that the doctor needed to meet with me outside of the operating room. The first words were Scott was doing well, but when the Doctor hit a certain pulmonary vein, Scott’s heart stopped. The doctor knew at that moment that he hit the trouble part of Scott’s heart. They were prepared and knew exactly what to do. Again, we give God the glory for a successful surgery. God is so good! I broke down in tears in the waiting room and the girls hugged me. We are a strong and tight family. Tomorrow is three weeks from surgery, and Scott is doing amazing. His blood pressure is phenomenal and his pulse is now in the 70s and 80s instead of 40s and 50s. Praise the Lord!

In the midst of all of this going on, I needed to finish my last semester of college. I had 21 hours this semester and it was intense! Oh yeah, all the while working a full-time job. I am proud to say that I made all A’s, except one B. Yes, one B 🙁 – but I graduated last weekend with a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies with a Minor in Business. Now, I have three Associate Degrees and one Bachelor’s Degree. You better believe I was smiling ear to ear on graduation day. Knowing my family was right by my side cheering me on – was priceless!

Friends, I do not say that previous paragraph to brag. I shared because even though life can be hard, God is always there to give us strength and direction. He tells us in His word that he will never forsake us.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6

The last five months were a whirlwind, but here we are alive and well! I’m excited to start blogging again and sharing our faith. I want to show how our family has grown stronger in our faith, and share how to navigate the hard medical system. We have to fight for our family’s medical care. It’s not easy, but can be done. I will help you.

I look forward to writing and sharing with you all!

P.S. M has a big summer coming up. She is doing amazing and I can’t wait to share more about her adventures.

Jennifer

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