April Already!?!

O.K.  Somehow I missed February and March.  Dennis is doing fine.  He has not experienced any improvements since I last blogged, but the benefits that he has already received from the treatment - incredibly increased energy levels, increased balance, disappearance of swallowing issues - have continued.  He had a bad cold at the end of January and anytime there is sickness, MS symptoms become more pronounced.  While this did happen with his mobility, the issues that disappeared after treatment did not reappear while Dennis was ill.  Praise God!   It seems that the improvements made will be lasting ones.

We received a call from his neurologist - wondering where he has been!  (He can't make any money if we don't go!)  Dennis explained that he was not interested in taking novantrone - a chemotherapy and the only drug available for secondary progressive MS.  The nurse that he spoke to said that was fine and suggested that he go back on Tysabri.  We are baffled by this because Tysabri is an experimental drug for relapsing remitting MS, not secondary progressive. At this time we do not see a need for Dennis to go to a neurologist.  We are hoping that our family doctor will prescribe Dennis' medicine when it needs refilled.  (He takes baclofen for spasticity in his muscles.)

We do want Dennis to begin seeing a physical therapist.  While we can do the exercises that we were shown in Costa Rica, I just don't feel like I know enough to really help him improve.  I think he also might benefit from a brace on his left hand - something to wear occasionally to help retrain his muscles to hold his hand open.  He can open his hand with a conscious effort, but his hand naturally wants to close into a fist.

The rest of the family is doing well.  A synopsis of the last couple of months:  We have made two overnight trips to the metroplex - the kids and I go to have fun while Dennis is at meetings! The first trip we spent the night at the Great Wolf Lodge which has a huge indoor waterpark and the second trip the kids and I got to shop at Ikea.  In February I went to a Whole Heart Conference for moms hosted by Sally Clarkson and the following weekend Madi and I went to a conference for girls at First Baptist in Vernon.  We spent a few days at Gram & Pawpaw's while the kid's cousins were on Spring Break.  Last week some friends came and spent the night with us and then we went to a Fossil Dig at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.  It was so fun to ride in the open air bus and feed the giraffes!  The kids began basketball in January and finished in early March.  At the end of the season an award is given to the most Christ-like basketball player.  One boy and one girl are chosen from all of the teams.  Our Matt was given the Christ-like award for the boys.  We were so proud!  

Actually, some of our favorite times are just hanging out at home.  We camped out on the trampoline one night.  Dennis and the boys have replaced toilet seats.  : )  We hung rings (the gymnastic kind) in the hallway and the kids have loved them.  I finished painting Nate's room - a project I began a year and a half ago.  I have also started painting my utility room orange! Dennis was hesitant, but I told him, "It's just the laundry room!"  Now I will have a bright and cheery place to do laundry.  We are also currently mummifying a chicken - part of an ancient Egypt homeschool project.  We will see how Pharaoh Cluck-A-Tut smells in six weeks!

 Today in Sunday School with my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders we talked about sheep.  (We even made paper sheep and ate pudding sheep!)  I was reminded that we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:27-28)

Celebrating Easter,

The Trammell Family