We Miss Mommy

We made this video for mommy who is away visiting Mark and Christy Watson in Tupelo. We can’t wait for her to come home tomorrow!

Another follow-up in Denver, Went Extremely Well

Friends:

Maggie had another follow-up with her doctor in Denver, and it went extremely well. With each visit, we are becoming more and more comfortable about moving Maggie’s care there.

Maggie’s doctor is very impressed with how much progress she has made and how stable, relatively speaking, she has remained. Maggie is still having regular seizure activity, but they are not so bad as to put her in the hospital. With time, it should get better. There are several things helping in the stability area: a problem med has finally been removed, we are being very cautious about too much stimulation, the introduction and ramp-up of a new drug, and consistent prayers and support from our friends, co-workers, and family.

Maggie will be having a SPECT scan in the next week to two weeks in which she will need to be seizure free. Her doctors feel good about scheduling this because of her recent good progress. With the exception of the SPECT scan, the doctors want to hold off on doing any other testing in order to create some good “healthy space” from all the hospital stays and testing she has had done this year. Unless things spiral out of control like they did this past year, Maggie won’t have any other testing done for another six months. This will be a good thing for Maggie and her overall being. She’ll continue to have monthly appointments in Denver, though, so nothing will be catching the doctors off guard. Her numerous therapies will also continue on.

Meanwhile, we’ll keep doing what we have been doing: getting and keeping Maggie well, getting our family well, resting, catching up on work, and enjoying the rest that God is giving us right now.

Thank you to everyone who has helped our family through meals, financial support, praying for us, caring for our children, and just loving us. We love you all dearly. We pray that this Thanksgiving will be a bountiful blessing to you all, and that as you gather around your table, praise and adoration will be lifted up to Him.

The Bushway’s

Happy Anniversary, Kathi

Today marks 18 crazy, but absolutely wonderful, years of marriage for Kathi and me.

I can’t think of anyone I’d rather drink coffee with in the morning, commensurate with over weight that won’t go away, walk the aisles of costco with, rush to the hospital with, cry with, lay in bed and watch past episodes of The Office and Lost with, belly-ache laugh with, bless our kids with, hold hands with, snuggle with, worship together with, walk around the neighborhood with, text with, send Hugs with via Facebook, and sit on the porch and stare at the mountains with.

Thanks for being a river rock with me.

Looking At Rocks

I was sitting on our porch this afternoon looking at all the river rock that separates our house from our neighbor’s. There were big rocks, little rocks, grey ones, white ones, and speckled ones. None were polished. Many were similar, but none exactly the same.

One thing they all had in common, though, were their smooth, round edges – all thanks to being constantly tossed about by the cold, rough Colorado mountain waters.

It’s those round edges, though, that make them comfortable to hold, to walk on with your bare feet, to put in your pocket, and to study more closely. Thanks to the constant turmoil, the rocks are now approachable and inviting.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Pikes Peak Village Singers Jr. High Choir and Children’s Choir of our church are putting on a musical called “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” on December 14, and they have decided to do it in honor Maggie!

We are so humbled that the kids would decide to do something this special for Maggie. Thank you!!!

We can’t wait to see the musical! 

Another Follow-Up In Denver This Tuesday

On Tuesday, Maggie has another follow-up with her doctor at Denver Children’s Hospital. Maggie is now completely off that problem med so we can now move forward with the additional tests that need to be performed: the SPECT while not have seizures and a PET scan.

These won’t be done on Tuesday, but will / are getting scheduled.

We are continuing to see good stretches between seizures and are very thankful.

Enjoying Movie Night

Every Friday night is movie night at our house. Tonight found us all camped out in our bedroom watching Fiddler on the Roof.

We are thankful for the calm….

Dax’s Tilt Table Results

Dax handled the tilt table test really well yesterday. The test confirmed that he does have orthostatic hypotension. It is the root cause behind his passing out and blacking out episodes.

The doctors said the best things he can do to keep from passing out is to stay well hydrated, eat foods with salt, and avoid caffeine. If Dax is doing those things, he should keep the side-effects to a minimum. He is also to avoid dangerous sports (rock climbing, etc) and not swim alone.

And We Continue On…

Maggie is continuing to a mix of good and bad days, with most of her trouble coming at night. Last week, we made a change in our church attendance because Maggie was having trouble with the sensory stimulation and length of time we were at church. We now attend one service, with Maggie attending Sunday School during that time. We have a follow-up in Denver in two weeks.

Dax had an appointment with a cardiologist and the doctor believes Dax has orthostatic hypotension. He’ll have an echo and tilt-table test on Tuesday to prove that out. Fortunately, it is likely something he’ll outgrow, but will have to be careful when exercising, etc.

My dad is coming for a visit this Christmas. We have not seen him in three or four years and are really excited about the visit.

I’m slowly getting caught up on work, but as you can imagine, catching up on two months of missed work is difficult. As long as we can keep Maggie out of the hospital, things look good for finally being caught up by the end of the year.

Kathi is staying very busy with doctor appointments, therapists, and homeschool – there is not a spare minute in the day. I’m sending Kathi to Tupelo, Mississippi for a week to be with a friend for their adoption hearing and for some much needed time off.