Done...

Derek is out of the O.R. and into ICU. No one could see him last night, but from what we hear from family in Seattle, the staff say he is quite the fighter...no real surprise to us..hehe

Derek has a long road ahead of him, possibly 1 month in the hospital, anti rejection drugs for life and trying not to get sick for a while...Derek has never been the 'normal' one so we will see how long all that goes on. :-P

I know that Derek is very thankful to his donor, as are all of us. Continue to pray for them as he now has a chance at life that we couldn't see before. You never want to imagine losing someone you love, but it was a reality for all of us for a while. Such a vibrant young man had to endure a test that no one should have to. I think he is overwhelmed by the amount of prayer he received during this trial in his life and I know he will never forget it, I know as his family, we will not.

We didn't get to Seattle for the surgery, but Curt is planning on going this weekend...even if he has to drive-he has to wrap his arms around him and squeeze to make it all better in his mind.
We did spend this time on the phone, email and facebook, myspace etc..updating everyone all over the U.S. what was going on and reading the Prayers coming thru from people who do not even know Derek....truly amazing. For those who believe there is no God, they can look at this and go suck eggs...hehe
THANK YOU!!!

Yes, Yes, Yes

OK...Derek went into surgery about 1 PM Seattle time. He now has the old, nasty liver out and the new one being put in with blood pumping thru it...he is stable and doing well. Thank the good Lord he is strong in heart and mind, his body has failed him so much lately.

Prayers are still coveted as he getting final touches, closed and recovery room time...all in all, 12 hour surgery will have been done.

Still Waiting

We are still waiting to hear that Derek has been moved in to surgery. As it stands now, the liver IS Derek's and he is to wait at the hospital for the surgery. What we wait for is one of two things.
1. The Surgical Teams need to be in place to 'harvest' the organs being donated and all must be done in a certain order. Heart, Lungs, Kidneys then Liver and Pancreas. It just takes time to gather all of the teams to their appropriate places etc.
2. This is the reason the Doctor thinks Derek is waiting-The family of the Donor is not yet ready to say goodbye.
The Dr. said the liver is a perfect match for Derek, in size, age etc. and in good condition/healthy. That being true, the person donating is probably a 15-40 year old male in good shape and relative health that passed before anyone knew he was going too and they are not ready to say goodbye. I cannot blame them, their loved one died and they must be given the time to come to terms with this before the hospital comes in to remove organs. I feel guilt as I sit here and pray for Derek to live; I have always known it means that someone else has to die, but it is very painful to think about what that family is going thru right now....our hope is their sadness...life is so unfair.
Continue to lift Derek up in prayers and also lift up the Donor and his family...they all need it right now.

It is Derek's Day!

GOD IS GOOD! Yesterday during Church, Derek received his page to get to the hospital. As of 12:51am this morning, Derek has been approved for the liver and should be undergoing the surgery this evening. I am not sure of all the specifics right now, but he has been tested, the liver has been tested and he has been told he will receive the liver. I am not sure if #1 on the list has gotten their liver, if the liver was not compatible with #1 or what, all we are focusing on is how this effects Derek...and he is the one getting THIS liver. We have been happy, fearful and just so thankful that Derek has gotten the page and that he has the chance at life.
Our prayers big time for the following:
1. That Derek pull thru this surgery well and liver does well inside him now.
2. That the family of the Donor is at peace, they have just lost someone they love and made a hard decision to help another human being whom they do not know...VERY unselfish!!
3. That the person who passed was Christian and is somewhere being blessed by the fact that they have helped a fellow human being in their last moments!

Life is Good, And I Feel Fine...

Life has been good...busy, but good.
As I said before, we are entering the time of Basketball with Cheer continuing and School, Work and life in general...we pray the good Lord puts enough hours in the day for us!

Tonight we had Curt's 20 Year High School Reunion. WOW, 20 years....can you believe it? We met several of his class, about 40-50 students with spouses, at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Had a great dinner (LOVE that the place has a Gluten Free menu for me!) and had a great time catching up with everyone.
I know many of the people as well, since his high school had about 150 students graduate in '88 and he and I were High School sweethearts...different schools..him 2 years older than me in grades, but schools close in proximity none the less.
WE had to change our plans late in the game since our planned babysitter couldn't do it and we had to call in reinforcements....THANKS PEGGY AND JOHN FOR TAKING THE MONSTERS FOR US TONIGHT!!! It is often hard to find someone who will watch 4 kids, let alone 4 kids on short notice..hehe

Today I managed to complete my CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) course and will take an Advanced First Aid next (thought this one was it but I was wrong..never happened before..hehe) I turned in my application for my Second's License (Cut-Man approval for Cage Medic) to the State on Friday. Hope to hear back on that soon as well.
Jen and I are headed to Lewiston in Feb to work some fights at the Casino up there...finally get to meet our Head Cut Man Lawrence...should be a blast!

All is well on the home front.
Derek still waits for a Liver (but thank the Lord he is on the list!) and prayers are always coveted to keep him healthy until one comes available.

Hell Months....

Now starts at least 2 'Hell Months'
.
This week begins basketball for 2 boys, Hunter on Tuesday and Thursday and Kai on Wednesday); regular cheer for Demi on Saturday and AWANA for all on Wednesday (minus Kai if B-ball stays on Wed). Saturdays will also include games for the boys..both should be in the same place, but different times.

Work is all week, working out is all week (when I can now fit it in...hehe) and Curtis started a new class on Mondays so I am single mom until 10:30pm for the next 12 weeks.

I love and despise these times when I am not sure if I am coming or going. I came home and got so much done with the house (actually I straightened it so it appeared that it was only 'lived in' as opposed to filthy..hehe) I MUST do this for my OCD to decide that life is in order so I can kinda function...now off to read so I can unwind for bed!

God Is Good

Heard Friday PM that Derek has FINALLY been put on the Donor List for a Liver!!! Derek is listed as #2.

From what I understand, now he has a beeper and cannot be more than 1 hour away from the hospital. When a Liver comes in, he and the patient listed at #1 get a page and both must go to the Hospital. I believe that they then test both to make sure they are not ill, have any underlying conditions etc and then if #1 is sick, the liver is his. If #1 receives the Liver, Derek moves to #1.

All in all, Derek is feeling pretty craptacular right now and is showing signs of Advance Liver Disease. His MELD score (Model for End Stage Liver Disease) was 21 on Dec. 29th, 2008 and is now already 23...only a couple of weeks later, which is a 2 point rise in a short time...not good.

Continue prayer as Derek and the patient listed at #1 wait to hear they have an acceptable donor and a transplant can be completed!

Fun Friday Night

Friday I spent the AM at the Funeral for Justin Eilers, the MMA Fighter who was Murdered on Christmas Day. I had the privilege to meet his brother, his mother, his father and step mother and most of all, his son, Tyson. I was able to tell Tyson the story of when his dad cut his leg and I fixed him up. Tyson knew about the pants with the hole in them and said his dad's team all won that night so his dad called them his lucky pants. They thanked me for taking care of him when he was hurt, and I thanked them for making such an amazing guy who was bigger than life itself and who had a smile that lit up the room....he will be missed.

ME WITH JENS PULVER

Friday night we went to Shorty's for a benefit being put on for Tyson that was hosted by Jens Pulver from the UFC/ECW. Jens is a great guy who is friendly with the fans and took pictures and gave out his autograph (yeah, I got one...hehe) He even signed one guys fake leg for him! ;-)

I have to say, I have not been to a bar in ages, don't ever go out like that and tend to be home early except on Fight Nights when I must be out late. I am not sure how some people 'party' their life away, since one night stuck with me for 2-3 days...hehe. Curt says it is because I am getting old and I never built up a tolerance for it.

All in all, I had fun, hung with a couple of my favorite guys....here they are:

ME AND"SHORTY"

ME AND DAVE "THE URBAN ASSASSIN"

ME, JENN, LESLIE, STEPH

R.I.P. Justin

A Fighter I know from working all the local fights, was murdered Christmas night. I had Mc'Gyvered him up during the November fights after he had cut his leg cutting up tape for gloves. Justin was a Huge guy, with hands the size of my head. He could be boisterous and ornery, but was also known to be a gentle giant.
Justin came up to me the last fights, Dec. 12th, and showed me his leg I had fixed and gave me a hug and said thank you for taking the time to fix him up. He said his pants with the huge gash on them were now his lucky pants...he was wearing them the night of the fights.

Please take a minute to read below and say a prayer for Justin and his family, as it has been revealed that 2 young children were in the home at the time he was shot.

R.I.P. Justin

Saturday, December 27, 2008by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com)
15598
Justin Eilers was shot and died shortly after on Friday morning in an apparent domestic disturbance at an acquaintance’s home in Canyon County, Idaho. Eilers was 30 years old. Canyon County sheriffs arrived at the residence at 10:44 p.m. MST, where Eilers was found shot and wounded. "Emergency medical staff took live-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful," said Capt. Dana Maxfield. Eilers was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy conducted Friday released the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet reportedly punctured Eilers’ lung before exiting his body, said Monte Cox, Eiler's longtime manager.

Cox said Eilers had gathered with relatives for the holidays, but tensions escalated with an ex-girlfriend, also in attendance. Eilers was asked to leave the residence, but was said to have refused and began throwing dishes and other objects in protest. The home’s owner was then said to have pulled a gun on Eilers and shot him in the chest after a brief verbal confrontation.

Eilers’ ex-girlfriend, mother, and young son were said to have been in the room at the time of the shooting.

James Robert Malec, 48, was arrested and charged with second degree murder in relation with the shooting, said Capt. Maxfield. It is believed that Malec is Eilers’ mother’s boyfriend.

Capt. Maxfield could not confirm this relationship or Eilers' alleged interaction with the ex-girlfriend. Maxfield did confirm that numerous relatives were at the scene at the time of the shooting.

Eilers was introduced to the fight game by close friend and former UFC champion Jens Pulver, who saw potential in the former Iowa State middle linebacker. After a brief tryout, Eilers became a member of the formidable Miletich Martial Arts team. A well-liked figure in the fight community, the athletic heavyweight quickly rose through the ranks and fought for the UFC heavyweight championship against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 53 in June 2005. The fight was stopped 4:10 into the first round when Eilers incurred a knee injury and collapsed to the canvas. Eilers (19-7-1) appeared in the Octagon four times, and went 1-3 in the UFC.

The Boise native reeled off 10 victories in his next 11 fights and got his second title bid for the EliteXC promotion in 2008.

After a second-round loss to the much heftier Antonio Silva last July, Eilers announced he’d be moving down to the 205-pound division. “He was really getting his fight career together,” said Cox, who called Eilers a good friend.

Jeff Sherwood and Brian Knapp contributed to this report.

NINJA....

Sorry it has been a while...I seem to lose track of time and the days all smoosh together and I find myself at the end of the line. :-)

I had fights recently, waiting for my friends (who got AWESOME photos of me doing my thing!!) to get the pics to me to post....BUSY night....lets see-18 fights =36 guys who want to pummel each other. A Full moon, Friday night and Beer....see where I am going with this...hehe
We had broken collar bones, noses, facial bones, knockouts and some that just begged to be done because they were exhausted...it was quite the night. We arrived for pre-fight checks at 5pm and got out of there around midnight.

Saturday was a Cheer performance at 9:45am and then Demi and I tackled the grocery store. Once we were done we chilled at home and TRIED to get things done and Sunday hit church. I came home Sunday and had Women's Self Defense.
YES, I am taking ANOTHER class...hehehahahoho. This one is on going and will be moving from 1 Sunday a month to 2...Thanks Scott, Love ya for it!
Sunday he offered for us to break boards with our forearm/elbow areas. Do you think I tried....YES! I stood my ground and gave that board a hard smack and I really think it hit me back..OUCH. I tried again and still it didn't break. Scott tells me "LeAnne, you are trying to hit the board and slowing down, pretend you are trying to hit me...not the board!" That was all the encouragement I needed. I hit that thing a 3rd time and my forearm went right thru it...I BROKE IT IN HALF!!! Of course my arm lost some skin on the elbow and I have a pretty purple mark, but doggone it, I did it!!! I am a freaking NINJA! ;-)

For all of you who have been praying, THANK YOU....Derek is hanging in there right now. Last update we received we heard that the insurance is making him wait until around Jan. 1st to be on the list. We are hoping he hangs on and things will move quickly once he is approved so a new liver can be transplanted. He has his 29th B-day Dec. 29th....hoping he will be feeling well enough to have a nice dinner with his Girlfriend, Kami.

Well, off to bed. I am so tired and need my beauty sleep so I can get up tomorrow and do it all again!

A Little Weird Around Here

OK...today we had a TOTAL Schneiderville moment around here. :-P
Curtis had gone into the boys room to talk to Hunter about being a typical pre-teen and went over to check on how Rocco (Hunter's Turtle) was doing. Low and behold I hear him holler for me to come upstairs..NO ROCCO! We dug in the rocks thinking maybe he had buried himself to do a little hibernating etc but still could not find him. We got out the flashlight and looked in all the bedrooms. That little turkey (or turtle I should say) made it all the way across the boy bedroom, down the hall and into our bedroom...quite a safari for the little guy. Not sure if he is glad to be back home or if he enjoyed himself out and about. Of course, Hunter's biggest fear was that Skittles or Norman the cats ate him. We decided that ol' Rocco was smart enough to escape, he is smart enough to hid in his shell to avoid the cat monsters!

All I could say the whole time is..."If we can't find him we have to move cuz I am NOT living in a house with a loose turtle or a house with dead turtle stench!" hehe

Can't Even Breathe I am SOOO Frustrated

Got word today, day 2 of Derek supposedly being added to the Donor List for a new liver.

Today the Donor Board called Derek to ask him if he had supplemental insurance. WHAT??...He has main insurance that he has waited 6 months to pass the probation period on, then the old employer switched insurance from Blue Cross to Blue Shield to Aetna, he waited 6 months and when that was almost up the company switch back to BC/BS, causing him to have to wait ANOTHER 6 month probation period (the first one didn't count ya see...)
NOW, the Donor Idiots, excuse me, BOARD...wants to know if he has supplemental insurance as well since the cost could go over $250,000.
When Derek said no, and explained that he is on BC/BS on the Cobra plan, they shook their collective idiotic heads and told him that they WILL NOT PUT HIM ON THE LIST YET.....

I am sorry, but could they possibly get off their collective asses and look at him as a human and NOT a number....he is a valuable life that is dying, yes I said it out loud...HE IS DYING and will not live to get supplemental insurance let alone find a company that would give him insurance knowing he is going in for a transplant.

We are all so frustrated, sad, angry and just in absolute awe of the idiocy that is being thrown in front of Derek that we don't even know what to do.

I have told Curtis family they need to talk to the Media, a Lawyer, anyone who will listen to get Derek's story out there to the public.

I know how Curtis and I feel, I could not imagine how it feels for Derek, or Curt's parents, knowing that one of their children is dying in front of their eyes because someone is worried about the bottom line of a large hospital and insurance corporation. YUCK!

Recent Updates On Derek and My New Body.

A couple of recent things.

1. Derek is supposed to be listed on the National Donor Registry Monday!!! Our hope and prayer is that he receive a liver soon. The sad thing is that someone must pass before he can get a liver...double edged sword...our happiness and hope is someone else's sadness and loss.

He is suffering alot of pain and cannot wear regular pants or shoes due to the swelling he is having right now. He is extremely jaundiced and feeling pretty yucky right now. He was unable to join us here for Thanksgiving, but we all understand and were able to visit with him via Video phone...wonderful.

And now, what you all have been waiting for...not...hehe

2. Here are two recent pic's of me and my progress. I see the change, but wish it were more pronounced...oh well, gotta keep going before my days as a Victoria's Secret Model can take over! ;-)

Here I am with 50 lbs. gone.

Sunday Nov. 23, 2008

Nov. 23, 2008

Gotta keep working on the bat wings...hope they tighten up and go away some day.

PRAYERS FOR DEREK DESPERATLEY NEEDED!

Quick prayers for My Brother In Law Derek. (His story can be found at the Caringbridge link on the right of my page).
We are not sure what his current MELD Score is (which determines how his liver is or is not functioning) but we do know that his feet and legs are so swollen that he cannot wear shoes right now. He is in A LOT of pain (for us to know there is pain, it has to be horrific since Derek always wants everyone to believe that he is doing just fine).
PLEASE, major prayers are needed that Derek makes the Transplant list in Dec, Insurance will be approved and he can receive a Liver soon.

Thank you in advance for the prayers, Derek can really use them right now!

Have you Ever?

Have you ever taken your kid to the Dr. cuz they wont #2 right? :-P

Well, took Nikaya to the Dr. today cuz she has been having issues with her pottying and training etc. She has aced #1, but #2 seems to elude her.....or the toilet...not sure which.hehe
We have acutally been worried about her bowels for a while (infrequent pottying and distended rice belly that never went away), but then believe ourselves to be over worrying things etc. When Alice, our daycare Diva, stated she thought there might be a problem we decided we would not look to weird if we took her in for it.
Spent this AM with the Dr. and he feels that N suffers from Chronic Constipation. When this continues for to long the brain quits telling the belly to empty and then you have a MAJOR problem. So, we will being giving her some fiber meds, watching how much dairy she is eating to see if there is Lactose intolerance (my thinking not Dr) and see where we go from there. I had to laugh, we had an x-ray completed and all they found was large amounts of #2 in there...we actually paid money to find out one of our kids is full of crap...hehehe :-) Curt and I have to laugh at that one!

My chest cold is mostly gone so I am back getting my cardio up and going again as oppposed to just weight workouts. The last 2 days I have begun walking again and remember why I love it! The staff at the Y laugh at me because I put on my headphones and tune out the world and walk for all eternity, jamming out the whole time.
I really must take a good photo of me (without old clothes on that are baggy) so you can see the new / less me.

The 411 on My Life

Things are perking along here just fine. Busy to be exact.

I was supposed to have a meeting (another one) for Nikaya to get her into Preschool. They called me about 10 minutes before I was to leave to tell me that they miscalculated her score and she does NOT qualify. OK...I am glad that my child isn't all that delayed, but she and I were really looking forward to Preschool...not sure who was really looking forward to it the most, but we both were excited for it. Now, she will have to wait for Kindergarten and just spend her days with Alice, The day care Diva. :-P
Nikaya came home the other night and had food on her shirt. I asked her what she had on her and this was our conversation:
Mom "what do you have on your shirt?"
Nik "my lunch"
Mom "what did you have for lunch today?"
Nik: "Wizzo Whips"
M "what is Wizzo Whips"
Nik "You know...K..Y..P..Wizzo Whips" (like she is spelling it to me)
M "WHAT is Wizzo Whips"
N "I don't know, but it is good!"

Today I go to Alice's house and ask what was for lunch...Pieces of steak, coleslaw and mashed taters. MMMM...How do we get Wizzo Whips out of that? OH....Alice tells me she tells the kids everyday that they are eating LIZARD LIPS! Problem solved...hehe

Started a new Ladies Self Defense class Sunday. One Sunday a month I will go to Women's Self Defense after church. My friend Scott (Brown Belt in Ryu Kenpo Karate and Muay Thai Fighter) teaches it...LOVE IT...I think I am addicted to it or something. Maybe someday it will replace chocolate..........OK, lets not go crazy I guess. :-P

Blessings,
Me

A Funny For Your Day

THANKS ANGE...TO FUNNY NOT TO PASS ALONG! ;-)


I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year.
Thanks to you, I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel.
I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.
I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking your nose. (Although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot.)
Eating a Little Debbie sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of transfat I have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom. Yuck!
I must send my special thanks to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.
Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.
I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.
I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.
I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.
I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans.
I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.
I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.
I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore and Uzbekistan.
I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.
Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.
And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.
I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain oil companies!
If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician...

I've Come A Long Way Baby!!

My Self defense Class!

Me ready to rock and roll!!!

Last night was my test for women's self defense. I can sum it up in 1 word...WOW! :-)

I was asked to go first. None of us knew what to expect and Marko and Victor know me since both of them have fought in the past and are Martial Arts Instructors in the area.

I gloved up with the boxing gloves and stood in the middle of the mat with 1 guy on each corner..none of them were small, and ALL of them had Mixed Martial Arts experience.

(Side Note: I woke up yesterday morning with the feeling that I was beginning to get sick. I had a cough, stuffy head where you feel like you are in a tunnel etc..not good for my testing I tell ya)

The instructions were given: The timer will yell a name and that guy will run from his corner of the mat and attack you and you must fight him off for 30 sec. (I will tell you that 30 seconds seems like a LONG time when you are fighting..hehe) Once the timer hollered another name the first guy will leave and a new one will come up and you must fight him as well for 30 sec and so on...Without ending, timer will yell and 3rd time and 2 different guys will attack you at once.

GO.....I looked around and saw Victor (one of the instructors) coming for me. I hit him repeatedly, kicking and elbowing. I heard another name yelled and turned around in time to see another guy coming for me. I fought him hard as well.

During this time Marko (main instructor) is yelling at me to pace myself. All I could think was "this dude is trying to take me to the floor and you want me to pace myself?" I should have listened. I heard another holler and 2 guys, 1 smaller guy, Nate, came up to me in front...I heard someone yell "look out" just in time to turn around to see Cameron (HUGE...Cameron) coming for me. He bear hugged me and picked me up off the ground and down to the mat we went.

I began to really struggle to breathe. I was exhausted, could not get air and the room was spinning. I punched, kneed and kicked, almost hitting poor Cameron in a bad spot for future children..hehe.

Sometime during all of this I had lost both of my socks and ALL of my ability to breath. :-(

Marko could see I was struggling and asked if I wanted a couple...."Minutes?" I ask, "No, seconds!" ...I got 10 sec. to catch my breath and go down for choking maneuvers.

Victor began choking me...I got him in a full arm bar with ease....very proud of myself for that one!

Next move was 2 guys on you while on the ground choking and kicking at you.

I DID IT....I made it thru and completed for my certificate.

I have a new respect for the fighters since this was the longest 4 minutes or so of my life.

Once I got home, the stress on my lungs had accelerated the cold I was getting and now I sound like Darth Vader...hehe, but I DID IT!

This is something I would not be able to do ever before, physically I was to heavy and way to out of shape. Don't get me wrong, I have a long way to go, but I have come a long way baby!!!

Here are some pic's for your enjoyment!!!

Update the World

The last few days have been good..busy, but good.

Had Women's Self Defense Class last night...LOVE IT! WE learned grappling...where you take someone to the floor and pull their arm funny ways until it makes a popping noise...hehe..good times! We didn't actually pop any ones arm out, but we did practice it, getting ourselves up from a sitting position while being attacked and never letting the guy get our back to the floor. I am amazed by the strength that I have gained along with the confidence. I did come away from last night with a hickey looking mark on my neck...ooppss!

I have been working out regularly for about 1 hour a night at least 4 nights a week, 5 if I can make it all week long. Curt was laughing at my arm muscle that is emerging, and I am hoping the bat wings go away some day. I have lost a total of 51lbs but have hit a plateau...even gaining a few pounds here and there. The trainer reminds me that muscle weighs more than fat so not to freak out on him! ;-P

Nikaya tested for preschool (the BIG test that took 3 hours.) I was as tired as she was afterwards. She qualified (barely, by needing a -2.00 and getting a -2.00) as Mildly Developmental Delay in Cognitive are. This just means that she is behind kids here age in things like colors, numbers, shapes etc...I already knew that, but it is nice to know I am not making things up that I should not really worry about.

During the test Nik had the teacher in stitches. She is an absolute jokester with quite the personality. The teacher asked her the following questions:

Teacher: Nikaya, if you are thirsty, what do you do?
Nikaya: Get a drink
T: If you are hungry what do you do?
N: Eat
T: If you are playing and you break something, what do you do?
N: I didn't do it!
T: I know honey, but IF you broke something then what do you do?
N: I said I didn't do it!
T: OK....but what if you and your friends or brothers and sister were playing with something and it broke?
N: Someone else did it, not me!

hehehehe Cracked the whole room up. She was so serious in her answer as well. They are excited to have the little social butterfly in the class and feel that she will more than likely be the class clown.
After they call me we will get an IEP meeting and then get her started. She can hardly wait to ride the school bus.

Well, off to bed, I am tired and the days are busy...Friday I work, work out, grocery shop and Sat. is cheer and fights, Sunday Church and then it starts all over again...whew

HELP SAVE DEREK...New Web Page

To the right of the blog I have added a website link. This link will take you to the new HELP SAVE DEREK web site and journal. You can read about Derek (Curt's brother, my Brother-in-Law) and how he is doing in his fight against PSC.
I have more to post on this, since last night was a fantastic auction and dinner on his behalf that was done for fundraising. I want to get the pic's up and tell you all about the great community effort that went into getting money raised to go towards Derek's cause. I will also be putting up links for organ donation and a poem in honor of Derek....very powerful.

Most of all, Derek is asking for prayer. Prayers that he get on the donor list soon...hopefully before December. I am not sure how it all works, but part of getting on the list is showing the hospital that you can raise your own money for surgery....his portion will be about $250,000 for an uncomplicated surgery. :-(

Of course, prayers for God to find a way to help us fund this venture to save his life.

That the liver will take and be ok....60% survival rate for 5 years...Derek has always been a good gambler though..hehe

And that once the liver can become available, prayers for the family that has made the decision to give in the wake of loss.

More on it all later!

Blessings all around!