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Friday, February 27, 2009

Urgent Prayer Request

I just heard that one of my students from last year, a sweet boy named John Weslee, is on life support in a hospital in San Antonio. Wednesday morning JW woke up with numbness in his fingers, arms, and legs. He has been diagnosed with Guillan-Barre Syndrome which is a life threatening illness where the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system eventually causing paralysis. It hit him quickly. John Weslee is a junior this year and a fantastic basketball player. I have hope because my grandfather survived this illness but please pray for his healing and for peace for his friends. He has a lot of very scared very stressed out friends worried about him right now. These kids are already stressed with TAKS tests coming next week and now I know they are really upset. Please also pray for patience for John Weslee because recovery is a very long and hard process. My grandfather was in the hospital paralyzed for 6 months during 1995. He survived but had to have physical therapy to learn to walk again. Please add him to your prayer lists.
Thanks,
Katy
PS I'm feeling much better than I was but I'm still pretty sick. The chest congestion is finally almost gone but it has turned into a serious sinus infection and sore throat. I'm starting my second round of antibiotics today. The antibiotic is really strong and make me feel kinda weak and dizzy but I actually slept all night last night!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Still sick...

Yep, still sick. Only mildly better. Better considering I'm no longer so dizzy that I get stuck in the bathtub (yes more will come on this point at a later time) but still sick enough to be miserable and to call getting 4 hours of straight sleep a miracle. Kevin's doing much better. He still has a raspy voice and occasional cough but better. I'm figuring I'm about 2 days behind him in this horrible process. So let us hope that I have no more than 2 days of this left.

Friday night was the absolute worst. My temp got up to 101.5. Not the world's worst but higher than I've had one in a LONG time. After Kevin got home from work he brought the medicine my doctor prescribed. I took the first pill of my antibiotic and within an hour was in bed with multiple layers of clothes on and several blankets covering me up with the worst chills I've ever had. I thought my teeth were going to break they were banging against each other so badly. Apparently I had a very harsh reaction to the antibiotic (they are 500mg pills). I was dizzy and weak I couldn't walk to the bathroom. Kevin had to help me...poor man. A couple hours later the chill stopped (fever continued) but then I was so hot my eyelids hurt and my chest was so congested that I couldn't breathe. Sitting in the bathtub has always made me feel better when I'm sick so I decided to try it out. I SLOWLY made my way into the bathroom (this is around 1:30 am) filled the tub and got in all the while trying not to fall over. It was the scariest feeling I've ever had in my life. I sat in the tub but it didn't help so I decided to take a shower and steam up the bathroom. Sometimes that helps congestion. Well when I decided to get out of the tub...I couldn't. The whole world was spinning and my whole body hurt. Even the bottom of my feet. I weakly tried calling for Kevin but he didn't hear me. I didn't really want to wake him up anyway because he has been so sick too and was finally sleeping! I finally managed to drain the tub completely then get on my hands and knees and crawl out on all fours. Yeah I was real impressive. I finally managed to get up since I could hold onto the toilet (so gross!) and then I did stand up in the shower. I had to hold onto the wall the whole time but it did help my cough.

I was up for most of the rest of the night. I think I was kinda afraid I wouldn't wake up if I went to bed but mostly I was so hot and couldn't breathe that sleep didn't come. Needless to say I was still wide awake just after 5 am when I knew my brother would be getting up to get ready for the physical fitness portion of his fire fighter application. So I texted to make sure he was awake and to wish him luck and then finally fell asleep around 7:30am. Justin did fabulous on his test just so you know! He was the 2nd fastest out of his group and even made the news on KLST and KSAN. Out of 50 people they put him on the news! It's cause he's just so darn cute! That was really the worst night. I was scared to take my antibiotic again after how I reacted to it but I decided to take it earlier in the day so Kevin would be awake to help me and I did much better. Still feel cruddy, still coughing, wheezing, sneezing, sore throat, headache, sinus pressure, and dizzy spells every once in a while but my temperature has stayed down and it hasn't been like friday night. I'm really hoping I will feel much better in the morning for work but we will see. Right now I have a deep painful coughing attack about every 2 minutes and the other symptoms pretty constantly. Now I'm going to retire to my bed where my bedside table is filled with so many meds that I can't pick them all up at one time, turn on my humidifier, bury myself in my blankets and pray that I will get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight. That is my longest run so far. Wish me luck!
Love,
Katy

Friday, February 20, 2009

I passed!!!

On January 31st I spent ALL day taking tests. I took the EC-12 Technology Applications exam and the EC-4 Generalist exam. Well I wasn't expecting the results until next Monday but today I got an email saying the scores were in! I passed both exams!!! I'm SOOOOO excited! I was really worried about the tests because there was 1 area on each exam that I really struggled with! I left the testing center with a really bad feeling in my stomach but I guess I did it!!! Now I'm certified to teach in those two areas along with my current certificate of Business Education grades 6-12. Hopefully this will help me get a full time job this next year! WHEW! What a relief!!!
Love,
Katy

PS: By the way...I'm still sick. VERY sick! I'm at home today and can barely breathe. I'm coughing like crazy. I was up for HOURS last night coughing. The stuff in my chest has really tightened up too so now I'm wheezing pretty badly. I was so excited when my test scores came in that I yelped a little bit and ended up in a 5 minute coughing fit before I could call and tell anyone the news! I called my doctor and he is calling in a prescription for me but I won't be able to take it until Kevin picks it up and gets home from his doctor cause he's still sick too! Like I said I'm expecting the Center for Disease Control to show up at anytime!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Quarantine Tape

Well it's official...the CDC needs to come put Quarantine tape around my house. Kevin and I are both ridiculously sick. Tuesday evening Kevin started complaining of a sore throat. I was at Walmart so I picked up some Tylenol Sore throat & cough and ricola throat drops. Apparently Kevin's co-worker hadn't been feeling well earlier this week and then Kevin got it...and now...this morning when I woke up...I've got it. Sore throat, nasal congestion, drainage in my throat and chest, and a terrible hacking cough. I wasn't scheduled to substitute today thank goodness but Kevin had a couple of cleaning jobs scheduled. He called my dad who some other guys out to do them and we have been in bed coughing most of the day. Its kinda pathetic because when you're both sick then its the blind leading the blind. We've been nursing bottle of liquid cough medicine and tylenol. Kevin had one hour long class tonight so he crawled up to Howard to sit through it. He'll head home as soon as its over and then its back to bed we go. Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning before school. For now I'll sit on the couch wrapped in a blanket and snuggle with my dogs. Tootsie already got up and left because I was coughing too much but Reese is holding on for me.
Until I'm back to ramble again...
Love,
Katy

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Menu Plan Monday-A day late again!



Monday-Homemade Chicken & Dumplings (They were so good!)
Tuesday-Mexican Tortilla Casserole
Wednesday-Out to eat after church
Thursday-Tortellini Soup (I saw this on a blog a few weeks ago and have been dying to try it!
Friday-Leftovers (Every meal we've made this week will have leftovers!)

Well our crazy and hectic life hasn't slowed down a bit...Kevin's at class tonight and I'm supposed to be doing homework but I really want to get our menu this week put on the blog! I'm still menu planning but haven't been very good about getting it posted. It really has saved time because I don't spend forever trying to figure out what to cook each night! I really should have gotten this posted yesterday since we didn't have school!!!...but I did homework ALL DAY LONG. I'm really glad I just started out with one class this semester. It has helped me realize that with work (even part time) I'm not going to be able to go full steam ahead like I did in undergrad. Slowly and surely like the tortoise is going to be the grad school motto. Hopefully 2 classes a semester once I get financial aid. Hopefully I'll get to post again soon because a lot has gone on...TEXES exams, taxes, fafsas, family get togethers...and our Fireproof bible study! We are REALLY enjoying it! Hope your having a blessed week!
Love,
Katy