Popeye Update

My eye apointment went well. It was so cool to see my CT scan. My eye muscles, which should like little stripes on the scan, look like jelly beans behind my orbits (eyeballs). My right eyelid is retracted and the eyeball is protruding about 2+mm. My vision doubles when I look up and to the far right. I didn't really notice until the doc pointed it out. He says I am in the active phase of Grave's Disease (the degenerative part). They're not sure how far into it I am, but it usually lasts a year or so, and then it levels off, and then they do surgery to repair the damage. Sometimes the muscles swell and squeeze off the optic nerve--but that's rare--and then they don't wait for the inactive phase--they do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure.

Anyway, to manage the pressure right now, I am going on a six-week program of IV steroid treatment (with our friend, prednisone--UGH!) a the closest chemo center, and they will communicate my status to the eye center here. I'll come to Utah every three months or so for check ups until the active phase is over and then we'll go from there.

I am going to see a nutritionist to manage the ravenous hunger and bloating that comes from prednisone because I am at maximum density right now--I just can't gain anymore weight or I'll die! I look forward to less inflamation in my body and working out with the PT and the Curves girls!

Yay for getting better!

We're off to Addie's birthday brunch with cousins at Mimi's Cafe...we are having a ball with them. Shout out to Cousin Brent for stopping by last night and celebrating with us...he even tolerated a Barbie movie and lots of hugs/ wrestling. It meant a lot to the kids to see you, Brentito! And same for you, Papa Post and Jeanna--it was so fun to see you!

The daddies just got home from a scout campout and they need hugs. Have a fun Saturday!

Heidisms: Trip to Utah Edition

While watching Polar Express on DVD in the car near Ennis, Montana
Addie: Is there really a North Pole?
Mom: Yep
Addie: Can we go there?
Mom: Well, there aren't any roads so you would have to hike through the ice to get there.
Dad: Or ride a dog sled or a helicopter.
Heidi: You have to ride a unicorn!...[long pause, mom & dad giggle]...or if you're a tiny mouse, you can ride a flying squirrel.

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Just now, when Jack, Drew, and Rich arrived home from their scout campout
Jack: Hey Heidi, I came home!
Heidi: I'm glad you came home. I felt like a sad little girl when you were gone.

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(I am sure there will be more--I'll update more later)

Off to See the Wizard

The kids are on a "Wizard of Oz" jag right now. We have watched it everyday since last Saturday when we tivoed it off TBS. They were delighted when I rummaged thru their closet this morning and produced the Madame Alexander mini-dolls of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Witch of the East (we're missing the Lion, so if anybody gets one in their Happy Meal, we'd love it!).

So we are heading to Utah in about an hour...we're off to see the eye doctor (tomorrow afternoon in Sandy)! And the cousins! And the Bucherts! And Brent? YAY! We'll celebrate Addie's 7th birthday tomorrow and we'll be home Sunday night to get ready for my favorite holiday, THANKSGIVING! I'm crossing my fingers that my bug eye is treatable with a quick and one-time steroid shot, and also hoping that all goes well in Primary this Sunday while I am gone.

News from Dad

I went to Dr. Lassere yesterday for my follow-up visit and he claims he has the answer for the sudden loss of muscle strength and coordination, West Nile virus. It is very prevalent in this area. Less than 1 percent of people who test positive for anti-bodies to this disease have any kind of neurological symptoms, however they occur most often in folks over 50. The name for the syndrome is pretty scary, and I had a rather benevolent form of it, is West Nile poliomyelitis. I am part of that lucky 1 percent. The real lucky part is that almost all of the symptoms have gone! The first symptom was tingling and numbness in the hands, and it looks like that is the last symptom. That is slowly going away, and my hands are fully functional, but the mild numbness is still irritating. The fly fishing arm will be in prime condition by Spring.

I apparently had type B influenza, a bacterial inner ear infection, and west nile virus within a week or so. If your gonna’ get sick, try to do it all at once and get it over with! (we call that "consolidate the misery"--be glad when bad stuff happens all at once!--jm)

I appreciate all of you folks and your concern with Becky losing her mother this last week.

-Dad
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Poor Dad! I am so glad it was a VIRUS! But I am still sorry you got sick. EWWW! Seiously, this is such a weight off my mind. We were getting all geared up for "Operation Papa Care" this winter! I hope things went smoothly for Becky and her family this past week. Please giver her our love and give yourself a pat on the back for being such a tough guy!

Love, Jamie

On This Date...

...in 2005, my niece Rosalie Lynn Gray was born!

(and this was the SECOND time my sister Jill and Rich's sister Angie had babies within 24 hours of each other!

This is a picture of Rosalie with her family last year--Rosalie, Daddy Davy, Danny, Mommy Angie, and Baby Hannah).

Happy Birthday, Rosalie!

We're so glad you came back to be our neighbor!

Love, Your Melin Neighbor-Cousins

ON THIS DATE...

...in 2005, my cute nephew Benny-J (Ben Petersen) was born! Happy Birthday, Ben!

Love, Your Melin Cousins

Just Call Me Popeye

So I felt like death the entire month of October, culminating in the Strep attack last week. I had tried to see my doc a couple of times, but she is a busy woman, so we just barely met up yesterday. Well...she freaked out about the leathery/bumpy rash on my shins and my bulging right eye. I didn't think it was so bad, but she was all super-urgent about getting it fixed. Today she called me and said she has set up an appointment for me with an eye specialist is SALT LAKE CITY (WTFreak?) in December, so I can go see him on my way to AZ. I have to get another CT scan of my freaky head. She had originally set up an appointment with an endocrinologist in Billings to just get my thyroid ablated, but she and he had a conference today and he told her that the eye thing had little to do with my thyroid, and since the hormone levels look good, we should just leave the thyroid alone. He said what's really happening is that the Graves Disease is now attacking my tissues like skin (the rash) and opthalmic muscles (the eye thing), and is doing other bad things to make me feel chronic pain and general malaise (wanna read the medical explanation? it's a fun one---click here).

No one has been clear on how you treat the actual disease (do you?), so I will just take care of the symptoms and try to do some of the natural remedies and dietary treatments for the disease. This auto-immune stuff bites.

But it sounds a lot worse than it is, because mostly I am fine. Maybe a little freaky looking, but fine.

PS: Did you know that Barbara Bush got Grave's Disease and that's why her eyes started bugging out? Seriously! Look at pix of her in the early 80's and compare them to now. EEK.

J-Diddy is 64 Today

(I hope James has a school picture this cute--

this is my dad Jim Layton circa 1961 in Thatcher public school)

PS: Need another yummy golden morning nugget? Chew on THIS, courtesy of my dear Gee-Bee. Seriously--read it, think about it, then go about your day trying to see others with new eyes. It'll be fun.

Yummy Golden Morning Nuggets

Good Morning!

Need something to feast on? Try THIS! (excerpt:)

"The patterns used by God in creating the earth are instructive in helping us understand how to make prayer meaningful. In the third chapter of the book of Moses we learn that all things were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the earth.

'And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth,
'And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth”'(Moses 3:4–5).

"We learn from these verses that the spiritual creation preceded the temporal creation. In a similar way, meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day—and precedes the temporal creation or the actual execution of the day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other."

It's all about return and report. I LOVE the way Elder Bednar teaches.

Be a creator.

Seriously Adorable School Pictures

Sweet Adeline (6.91 yrs)
Mighty Heidi (4.5 yrs)
James Ole (2.1 yrs)

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PS: Just now (9:30am) I saw Feist on Sesame Street singing, "One, Two, Three, Four Chickens just back from the shore, I love counting, counting to the number four, oh-oh-ho, we're counting to four, oh-oh-ho, let's count some more..." HILARIOUS! I love Sesame Street AND Feist.

Somber

Happy Veterans' Day!When I start counting my loved ones who are also veterans, I run out of fingers! Who knew my family was so brave, and I would marry into another brave family? Thanks to all of you for your service and for your example to me and my children.
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More news from J-Diddy (Dad Layton)...

"Becky called me about 4:15 this morning. Her mother passed away a little after 4. She said last week that Rodney (Becky’s dad) would be here Thursday to get her. Guess he needed to come a little early. Becky is having a hard time dealing with it, so keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Love y’all"

E-me if you need Dad's address to send a card. Also, Dad's 64th birthday is Thursday. He says he's ok and the doctors believe he is just recovering from a bad virus.
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