The Tattoos are Revealed...

This man is the love of my life and I his. We wanted something on our bodies that would always connect us to eachother. Jewelry can be taken off and lost. Tattoos are with you always. The question was...What do we want to get? We didn't want names. We wanted something that symbolized us and our relationship. So many things were considered. We kept coming back to our song. It is the most random song. It came out while we were dating in high school. At the high school dances, Ben would sing it in my ear as it played. So "Follow Me" by Uncle Kracker eventually became our song. The title is very fitting for us. With Ben's career we are never close to family and constantly moving away from friends. We follow him and his career. Where ever he is, I am home. I would and will follow him anywhere. Our tattoos say "Follow Me" with 8-2-2 (our anniversary) beneath it.  I debated for a long time on whether we should post this picture. Or any picture because of the placement. Then I decided that our bodies may not be perfect but our love is and that is worth shouting from the roof tops. :)

Doctor update - easier than calling everyone.

It has been a frustrating few months to say the least. I thought my memory was improving but recently it has been worse again. I am to the point that I just want to stay at home and not see people. I am tired of feeling stupid. I LOVE the military life, but right now it is really hard. During this time I want nothing more than to be with my close friends from back home. To be with people who love me no matter how forgetful, stupid sounding, or emotional I am.

Review: In July 2011, I started having migraines. They were quickly diagnosed and the medication I was given helped as long as I took it as soon as I felt the migraine coming on. Then in November I was cleaning the kitchen when I started to get dizzy. This isn't real uncommon and the spell usually passes quickly. This time it didn't so I sat down on the floor. Then the whole right side of my body went numb. Ben was even confused and called 911. They took me to the ER. I couldn't remember hardly anything short term. The migraine started about an hour after the initial onset. CT was clear and they sent me home after things started to lighten up. After that it took a couple days to feel like myself again and even longer for my memory. I saw my primary doctor and she referred me to a neurologist.

So for the update...It took forever to schedule a neurology appointment so my doctor sent in the request twice. This kind of worked out for me. I ended up seeing the on post doctor last week and an off post doctor today.

Visit with the on post doctor was frustrating. At the visit he seemed like he was going to be helpful, but when he called back to give me results, I felt very pushed aside. He decided I had an attention problem that was affecting my memory. Not a memory problem. While I agree that I have attention issues, there are things that I forget that I have attended very closely to and conversations and events that I was interactive with. To me that is a memory thing. You don't repeat yourself several times because your not attentive to yourself.

I was thankful I didn't cancel my off post appointment. I went to see a neurologist today. While he was definitely concerned, he doesn't know what to do. He said that I have a very odd case. The possibility that I had a mild stroke seemed to be his best guess. I had a CT during my major episode though and it was clear. But all my other symptoms lead to that. He wants to have a MRI done. Other than the memory issue, he was concerned about my left side weakness/lack of coordination. Again, this is really weird because my right side was the one that went numb during my episode. He wants to talk my primary caregiver and see if she could order the MRI. Being civilian limits him with my insurance . Maybe if the 2 of them discuss my case, they can figure out something.

I was very disappointed. He really didn't seem to think there was anything he could do to help with the memory. All I want is to feel normal again. To not be constantly self conscious and worried about what I am saying to people. Worried that they have already heard it, maybe even a few times. So if you talk to me and I repeat something, please just forgive me for being annoying.

I am very thankful for my husband though. He is being very sweet through all of it. There have been times that he has wanted to strangle me, I'm sure. But he keeps reassuring me that he is there no matter what. It is amazing how comforting that is right now. So thanks babe. ;)

I'll continue to keep you posted as I know more.

All moved in :)

FINALLY we are moved onto Fort Shafter!

It has been a crazy couple weeks but we are finally to the almost settled point. Only a couple boxes left to unpack :) I will be so happy when I don't have to see cardboard in my house!!! As for the house...we LOVE it! It is a townhome so the boys have some adjusting to do. They are so used to being able to be loud. Yikes! The living area isn't on solid groud either, so it echos! The ups...it is very roomy and we have an incredible view!

The boys started in their new school and so far they really like it. Sad part is...I asked Hunter on the first day how he liked it. He told me how his new teacher didn't yell. Even when kids were in trouble, she just talked with them about good choices. He was so surprised by that. I hate that is first experience with school wasn't a good one. :( Better days now! :) Blake seems to really like the school as well. Being the more tender hearted one though, he is definitely missing his old friends.

The neighborhood is great. So many kids. All of them have been really sweet and polite. Really impressed! Ben is just an exit away from work now which gets him home a little faster :)

The boys had their first basketball game Saturday. We have some work to do but all in all they did pretty well.

Now that we are settled in, it is time to buckle down on school work. I have really been half assing it with the move. :/ Not good. I feel like I need to go back and really study the previous chapters. Just have to keep reminding myself that every test is closer to my awesome career. :D

Just wanted to give an update. Talk to you soon!

Smile!

I have been horrible about my blog...sorry. The last couple months have been busy as always. Same usual family with 3 boys stuff so I am not playing catch up. Here is where we are now. 
Right now we are really excited about our upcoming move. We FINALLY got a house on Fort Shafter and will be moving in next weekend!!! (We hope.) It is a town house so the boys will have to get used to being quiet but it has an amazing view of the OCEAN!!!!! We are ready to be on that side of the island and start saving money. :)

I started classes this week. :/ Up side is that I am officially working towards my goal of being an Occupational Therapist! It's going to be a long road.

The boys just started basketball again and so far I really like their coaches. It should be a great season. Feels good to be back in sports. Parker is starting to show some attitude...and resistance. ugh! Good thing he is so darn cute!

Ben and I have started a new diet. Wish us luck!!! I want to hit my goal by the time the Warrior Dash comes along in March. Already down 5 pounds so I think that is a good start.  :)

This feels weird to say right before a move, but I feel like we are finally settled in here. We have found some awesome friends and that makes a huge difference. I am still active with my moms group and love staying busy. Such awesome women!

There are the highlights! I really will try to do better. :) Here are a couple pics of the last few months.

A Very Scary Day

So let me put it out there first that I am pretty sure I am okay now.

Thursday morning all was well. I actually had a little burst of energy and had the floors vacuumed before even taking the boys to school. I was talking to Ben about his night at work as I was mopping the floor. All the sudden I got dizzy. This isn't real unusual. I thought I would just stand still for a minute and it would pass like usual. It didn't. I laid down getting even dizzier. Then my right side started going numb! My ENTIRE right side! I was scared. Ben was scared. We thought I was having a stroke. He called 911 and they were there in just a few minutes. (Nice to know they have great response time.)

I was pretty annoyed while at the hospital because it didn't seem like they were doing anything. Which they weren't. I kept getting nauseated and they were treating that but didn't seem to care that I couldn't feel my entire right side! Kept asking me to walk to places for tests. Thier communication was HORRIBLE. Let me just put it out there that it was NOT Tripler. It was the local hospital in Ewa. Finally after a few hours I could feel tingling again. They took blood, ran a CT scan and everything came back clear. Just an odd migraine. The migraine then continued for about 2 days! My poor husband! Thank goodness he was off, sleep deprived but off. He took care of the boys and I was worthless for 2 days. Thank you baby!

The scary part to me is that there was no warning. What would I have done if Ben wasn't here? I have to see my doctor Monday to get a referral to neuro. I am also going to go to a chiropractor. My neck has always had alignment issues from an accident when I was young.

The other concerning part is that I am having some memory issues. I am opening the wrong cabinets in my own kitchen. Can't remember names of people I see regularly. Not sure if my brain is just taking time to recover but it worries me. I actually noticed some memory things prior to this event but now it is much worse. I just started having migraines in July so not even sure of what triggered them. Think I am going to insist on a full look over. I will keep you all posted.

Happy Birthday Dad!

It is my Dad's birthday tomorrow!!!

Let me just explain how lucky I am to have this man, Anthony Stahlhut, as my Dad.

I have spent my entire life living hundreds of miles away from him. Still he taught me how to really love someone. I knew no matter what I did that he would be there to support me every step of the way. There is nothing I could do that would change the way he felt about me. I think that is an amazing gift. To have a father with such a kind and generous heart. He is loved by so many. All his11 grandchildren adore him.

It amazes me that I am so much like him. I look like him. I am hard headed like he is. :) We love with all we have. I am proud to be like my Dad. He is an extremely talented poet! If only he had past that talent down to me! ;)

I love you so much! Don't you ever forget that! You are amazing!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Where has all the time gone?

It is unreal to me that we are already in November. This year has flown by!

What we have been up to...

The boys have had a little break from sports, with the exception of Karate. Blake is now a purple belt! Blake and Hunter will both start basketball in January. They LOVE to just run around outside with all of their neighborhood friends! There are times that I barely see them other than to check in. It reminds me so much of when I was a kid.

Parker is growing WAY to quickly. His little attitude is getting bigger and bigger! He has mastered using the word "NO". I also get pretty tired of Mommy, Daddy, and Bubbie! If he doesn't get his way, he will scream at you. He is crazy rough and already wrestles hard with the older boys. The biggest problem is that it is almost impossible to be stern with him because you can't help but to laugh. He is hilarious. And if he doesn't make you laugh, he will melt your heart with his adorable grin. :)

Ben has been busy. He is now on the flight team. Hasn't gone on his first mission yet, but has completed the training for it. Ben will also start picking up extra shifts at a local hospital. Being in the ICU, he feels like he is loosing his trauma skills. He wants to have the experience in the ER as well. And the extra money will be nice. ;)

Speaking of money, we have officially started the Total Money Makeover. I have mixed emotions about this but for the most part I am excited. Once we sat down and really made a budget for everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, we were surprised by how much money we waste every month. It is time to start paying off debt and building our emergency fund/savings.

I think my last blog was about my career choice. I have been excepted to Leeward Community College. There I will complete the prerequisites that I need to enter the Occupational Therapy Masters Program. They do not offer the program here so I just want to be ready when we move back to the mainland. I am really excited to FINALLY be working towards something. I register next Friday, so I really hope I get the classes I need.

What is coming up? A MOVE!!! We are finally #2 on the housing list! We are hoping to move sometime next month. This will save us a lot of money. Not looking forward to the move, but I am excited about being closer to Ben's work and not wasting so much money on utilities.

Ben is on nights now so I should be on here a little more. I really need to update pictures!!! Talk to you soon. :)