Living in Harmony…

No matter what happens with me the babies still grow! Today we celebrate the births we experienced this week two years ago. Ava hits the 2 mark today, a sharp little girl well in command of her self and all of us!
Ben hits 2 on Saturday, back in his tropical paradise of Florida. He’s so bright and cheerful, loves his big brother Dru-his idol and mentor, as he learns to steer thru life! Ty, the ever present wise biggest brother tries to keep the peace and safety of both the little men!

Today we will have their family celebration , just us…It’s been an amazing 2 years, and I have no delusion that my making it thru this anemic struggle has been made easier by the presence of these two little people as well as their by the elder brothers/cousins, Ty and Dru. The family would be so much the poorer without these four amazing people! I could expound endlessly as any “Nana” could on the virtues of these four, but suffice it to say these children are the batteries that spur this family forward. Al is done for the good of the next gen, and we’re VERY proud of who comes after us!

I pray you all get the opportunity to have such as these in your own family, carefully hand picked by Papa for the workings of your own family. keep reading…J

I should explain a bit about my brand of anemia. For the most part in these modern times, anemia is a thing our Grandmothers had. Today we simply take a pill if we’re a little low.

In my case it’s a whole different thing. Did you know there is an organ in you small intestine that digests iron? Mine is broken. It’s called the duodenum, a sac-like part of the small intestine that metabolizes many mineral as well as being the holding facility for the liver and pancreatic enzymes.The intestine is a fairly large organ made of several parts, and all work together to keep the body nourished, hydrated and flushed of waste. Fifteen years ago my birth defect was found, and I had surgeries to help the flow of things. I had a chosen poorly for my first surgeon, hence the ruin of my duodenum. I do not use mine, it sits there and excretes the enzymes and juices that it’s supposed to, but it does not metabolize or digest vitamins and minerals anymore. It has been totally by-passed surgically. So for me to get iron I have to have it put directly into my veins-hence the treatments.

This has gone on for some years now, enter the difficulty I’m having with my liver, inspired by the self-same surgical faux-pas that blew my duodenum AND gave me diabetes. The liver is having trouble keeping up with hemoglobin production, and it’s always a race to see which treatment I’ll get-whole blood or iron ~~or both! Friday was iron treatment #2 of a course of 5. Tomorrow I will have blood testing to see if I also need blood transfused.

The Anemia path rules my life…in balance, I can visit Florida, fly, drive, chase my GRANDS and stay up like a grown-up. Out of balance, fatigue takes over, affecting everything in my life. My appetite goes, naps have to be scheduled into the day, life gets a bit grey as I have no energy and have to make myself do the normal chores we need to do to keep a house from falling to pieces. I also have to have learned to let things go. When it comes to cleaning the fridge or spending several hours with the kids…well, you petty much know my decision there. I do the best I can, Bruce helps enormously and allows even more. Without his understanding these last few years would have been horrid. But we both have learned to grab life as it is handed and be glad. So we do…and I have a brilliant doctor who is a friend as well, making this journey a bit more palliatible. More soon…J