November 18,2013 - Thankful Pt. 2

After lancing the cyst in my head and suctioning it out,the specialist sent me home with some T-3's....He was confident that the paralysis would be gone in a couple days.
The pain during the following three days was so severe,that it would wake me in the night 30 minutes before I could even take another pain killer. (I can honestly say that I now have a bit of an idea as to what its like to have a migraine)
When I went back to the specialist, he did his little tests with a cotton ball...made me smile and grimace,etc.. He then sat back in his chair and said, "I have to be honest with you Laura...I'm not happy with what I'm seeing. The paralysis hasn't gotten any worse,but it hasn't improved in the slightest bit either."
He proceeded to inform me that if we weren't able to relieve the pressure on the facial nerve,a lot of the damage already done would be permanent because the nerves wouldn't be able to repair themselves.
He then suctioned again,but this time he wasn't able to get a lot of fluid out.
He told me that because he had never operated on a pregnant woman before and wasn't sure of the risks involved,we had two options.
1. - Continue to suction the ear out every couple-three days and hope and pray that we get the paralysis eased,then operate once the baby is born.
2. - Strap me down and do the major surgery under local anesthetic with me awake.
After he sent me home a second time,I couldn't cope anymore....I went in about 2 days later and told him, "Do it, I don't care if it hurts like CRAZY and I'm awake...Just get this thing outta me!"
The doctor just nodded his head and said, "okay."
That night,around dinner time...I received a phone call from my specialist.
"Laura, we can put you under!!" He said excitedly. "I've consulted with several of my colleagues and all of them agree, there is a specific time during a woman's pregnancy where general anesthesia can be used with little to no risk to you or the baby."
After I got off the phone,I couldn't help but cry a little.
The next day it took a LONG time for them to be able to squeeze me in for surgery,but they did get me in.
Shortly before I went under,the doctor said it would take no more than an hour and a half.
I'll never forget as I was waking up I heard the doctor say to me..."Laura, we got it ALL." I then proceeded to give him a thumbs up!
( I later found out that the surgery had taken almost 4 hours to complete,not the estimated hour and a half....he also told me that the cyst had been one of the largest he had ever removed...the diameter of a softball...I lost 5 lbs. during my 4 days in hospital)
Because there had been so much infection in my middle ear,they had to remove part of my ear canal,one bone had to be placed inside the surface of my skull (to harvest later),and yet another tiny bone had to be removed because it had been completely eaten away by the infection.
One year later,after being completely deaf on my right side, they went in again and replaced the destroyed bone with a prosthetic one and put the other one that had been in my skull back to where it was supposed to be.
I now have only about 40% of my hearing in that ear but hey,I can hear!!
From that point on I have had to deal with constant,recurring infections because the ear drum will more than likely never heal but I am SO thankful for my otherwise good health and that my daughter was born a healthy 9lbs. and is one of the smartest 5 year olds you will ever meet.

Trust God,he will bring you thru ANYTHING.

Oh! And within 5 hours after the surgery,the facial paralysis was totally gone!!
Only the one half of my tongue was permanently affected.

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November 15,2013 ~ Thankful Part 1.

About 6 years ago this December as I was planning a trip down to the U.S. to visit family, I started having some pain in my right ear and realized it was infected.

Now, I've had ear infections and what-not in that ear since I was 14 and after being in pain so often,you kind of get used to it.

BUT, during this particular infection I was almost three months pregnant with my third daughter so there was little that the doctor could prescribe for me other than Tylenol 3's with Codeine for the pain.

I figured that this would be like all the other ear infections of the past and would eventually run its course and be over with,so I proceeded with my plans of heading down south for two weeks. (Little did I know,but there was something seriously wrong with me)

As I and my twin daughters made our way to my cousin's house that night, (yes,I go on several road trips alone with my beautifuls) I drove from about 7am until 2:30am the next morning.
Because I was driving,I saved my T-3's for sleeping at night so it wouldn't affect my driving at all....But the pain was still there.

I started to notice that what I thought was just a scalded tongue,wasn't healing/working right....I drank a lot of hot chocolate while I was pregnant,so I didn't think anything of it at first.

Towards the end of our two weeks holidays, the girls and I visited with my grandparents in Louisiana.
While there, I started to feel odd.
A bit later as I went to sip some decaf from a mug,I realized that I couldn't get my lips to curve properly so that I could drink.
Later that night as I was brushing my teeth, when I tried to swish water,a bunch of it just dribbled out the right side of my mouth....I wasn't able to fully close my lips together.

Now I KNEW something was wrong.

At that point,I did NOT do the smartest thing...I didn't tell my grandparents what was going on.
I just packed the girls and I up,said our goodbyes and headed north to home.
I drove straight thru the day/night,only stopping to sleep for a couple hours. I just knew I had to get back home to Canada.

We arrived home exactly 14 days after starting our trip,and two days later I went in for my regular pre-natal appointment.
When the doc did a couple little tests to see where the paralysis was,he made a call immediately to an ENT (Ear/Nose/Throat) specialist,setting up an appointment the next morning.

When I went to the ENT's office,he informed me that he thought I had what is called a cholesteatoma,or a cyst growing within my sinus cavity and that it was putting pressure on my facial nerve therefore causing the paralysis. He then decided that he would lance it,suction whatever he could to relieve the pressure,then wait until I had the baby to perform surgery.
However, because I was pregnant we were unable to get a CAT scan done to see just exactly where/how big this thing really was.

To Be Continued.......

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November 10, 2013

As I sit here staring at my computer screen thinking about what to write....I think of the title of this blog, 'My Life Unchained'

What does this mean in a Christian's life? 

We are told numerous times thruout the Bible that we WILL suffer persecution and that every tear will be wiped from our eyes only once we reach Heaven.

While I won't be going into detail regarding my husband and our separation and divorce, I want everyone to know that I am still trusting in God, and doing my best with His help and the encouragement of others not to cave under pressure regardless of what type of attacks I have and am currently experiencing.

I realize that this may be disappointing to some...the fact that I couldn't keep my marriage going...and makes others feel like they 'have one' on me. It doesn't matter.

When you both don't involve God in every aspect of your life, nothing you say or do will work or have a lasting effect.

I know that there are some who may disagree with this mentality,but I personally believe that God gives us MORE than we can handle so that we are forced to rely on Him.

There have been many days where I have felt that way, and yet...somehow He always finds a way to pull me thru tunnel after tunnel.

Yeah...I'm still getting verbally attacked, gossiped about, stalked, spied on by neighbors, fences unplugged so that my horses could get out....the list goes on.

But you know what?  For some reason, I keep getting peace. Over and over and over again.

There have been weeks where I'm just not sure where I'm going to get the money for gas and groceries, and the bills would pile up...But my children have NEVER missed a meal and I've still been able to put snack items in their school lunches. (They love home made cookies!)   :-)

So yes, this IS my life unchained. Its not pretty, and its far from perfect but it is a life that is mine and I will choose to live it for Christ no matter what.

And yes, I have fallen short many times. But it's like our pastor said one Sunday morning back in May...Its not a sin when you hit a detour, its a sin if you decide to give up and stop.

It may take you longer to get where you feel God is leading you, but as long as you keep moving forward, your final destination doesn't change.