One Proud Momma 💕

Strykers didn’t hit today but they’ll come back and kill it tomorrow. This girl still wears a big smile on her face. She was finding the positive and I couldn’t be more proud. Be the light Phoebe! ✨

Watch the video of the girls running through the tunnel that we made after their performance and look at Phoebe’s face when she comes out. ❤️

Jack’s glucose this week...

Today his blood sugars were 142!! 

Week 1 -600’s (started 5units 2xs day vetsulin)

Week 2 -550 (increased to 10units 2xs day)

Week 3 -440 (increased to 15units 2xs day)

Week 4 -142 (holding at 15units for the next week to see how he does)

Thank goodness, I was getting pretty concerned with him being on such a high dose. 

He did throw up A LOT overnight last night. 

But since he devoured his dinner, we’re not going to treat it like a mitotane overdose. 

Hanging with her cheer squad

My girl having fun with her friends before their competition. 💕 They went home with first place in Tulsa, now let’s do the same this weekend in Atlanta!! 👌

Video of some of the fun!

Jack's medicine for Cushing's

Jack was prescribed Mitotane. It's a drug used to treat cancer of the adrenal glands. He doesn't have cancer, they're looking to destroy some cells in the adrenal glands so they aren't able to produce as much cortisol. Tricky part is if you kill off too many, it could be fatal. So we have to watch for warning signs - stomach upset (acting sick), vomiting and diarrhea are the top common. Those symptoms are the same that he has with his Pancreatitis episodes. This is so scary. They prescribed him Presnisolone 5mg and we are to give him 2 tablets if he begins showing these signs then call the vet immediately. The drug is pretty much a chemotherapy drug. It's so toxic that you have to wear gloves to give him the capsule. Knowing that I'm putting this in my man's body is so difficult. His first dose was yesterday evening. This mmorning he threw up his undigested breakfast. I don't want to freak out because it was one dose and his first. I'm going to hope and pray that this is one of the Pancreatitis episodes.

Facials and dates ❤️

Me and Phoebe had a lunch date at Fuddruckers. Now we are getting facials at Hand and Stone. 

Then Damian is taking me out to dinner and walking around Waterway. 

Update on Jack - Cushing's and Diabetes

Jack had his ultrasound yesterday. They did not see a tumor on the adrenal glands, there wouldn't have been concern of cancer, they're just narrowing down the reasons for high cortisol levels. After the ultrasound they completed a cortisol blood test, which did confirm the Cushing's diagnosis. His blood sugars during fasting were 565. We're going to increase his insulin from 5 units twice a day to 8 units twice a day. We are going to start on a medication called Mitotane. This is the scary part. The Mitotane will help reduce his cortisol levels by destroying parts of the adrenal glands. But it can be life threatening if it gets too low. And the symptoms of that are pretty much the same as his Pancreatitis episodes. It's all so overwhelming.

Below is some info that I found on the Mitotane research I've done so far. I don't have all of the answers yet, but I'm compiling a list of questions to discuss next week with the Dr. My comments are in italic.

Mitotane and trilostane therapy are effective and relatively safe in dogs with adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Dogs with adrenal tumors however, tend to be more resistant to mitotane and trilostane than dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. This is why we didn't want a tumor!

Dogs with Cushing's disease have elevated levels of cortisol, which increases triglycerides and cholesterol. To help combat these increases, a food that's lower in fat (less than 12 percent on a dry matter basis, or DM) and moderate in crude fiber (8-17 percent DM) is reasonable. But as you'll see below, it's preferred that you give the Mitotane with a food that is high in fat.

The basis for increased panting in dog's with Cushing's disease is multifactorial. First, Cushing's disease results in increased fat deposits in the abdominal cavity and around the chest. This might explain the fatty deposits he began getting a few years back. I'll have to reach out to his prior vet and request his records.

Second, an increase in liver size impedes the diaphragm from being able to expand with ease. Mitotane, also known as o,p’-DDD (brand names: Lysodren®, Lisodren®) is an anticancer medication that is toxic to the adrenal gland cells and is used to treat hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease) or adrenal gland carcinoma. Its use in dogs and ferrets to treat adrenal disorders is ‘off label’ or ‘extra label’. Many drugs are commonly prescribed for off label use in veterinary medicine. In these instances, follow your veterinarian’s directions and cautions very carefully as their directions may be significantly different from those on the label.

Mitotane is given by mouth in the form of a tablet. It should be given with food, preferably one high in fat. Your veterinarian may provide you with a high fat pet food, or you can give the medication with a little corn oil, butter, or cheese. Wear gloves when administering this medication and do not allow the medication to come into contact with your skin, eyes, or mouth. Wear gloves when handling your pet’s urine, feces, or vomit, as the drug may be present.

The following medications should be used with caution when given with mitotane: central nervous system (CNS) depressant drugs, fentanyl, insulin, midazolam, phenobarbital, selegiline, spironolactone, or warfarin. Your veterinarian will monitor your pet to be sure that the medication is working by monitoring clinical effects and performing regular ACTH response tests. Your veterinarian may also monitor liver and kidney values, blood cell counts, blood sugar levels, and blood electrolytes. Regular monitoring at home for adverse/serious side effects is very important in addition to regular monitoring by your veterinarian.


Recommended Facebook Groups: Support group for owners of dogs with Cushing’s disease Dogs with Cushing’s support and information Canine diabetes support and information

Cheer Competitions

So far the Strykers have only competed in one competition this season. BUT they did get a Summit Bid, so we're going to Disney World at the end of April! (subject to change due to COVID of course) The New Orleans competition had switched to virtual, so we had to cancel our flights and hotel. NCA in Dallas (the big comp) was changed to virtual, so we cancelled that hotel reservation (which was going to be the day after we get married in Austin). Woodlands Elite decided to attend CheerSport in Atlanta Feb 12th-14th after finding out about NCA, so the girls have a chance to compete in person (fingers crossed). I just booked our hotel room and flights for that one. So far we have a virtual competition this Sunday and Monday evening. And the competition in Tulsa, OK is still in person, which is Feb 5th-7th. So that flight and hotel are still good to go! Whew, COVID is giving me another full time job with these reservations! And one that I don't get paid for! :) No, but in all seriousness, I must give a shout out to everyone at Woodlands Elite. I know that it can't be an easy job to manage all of this and break the news each time. :-/ And another shout out to the parents, coaches, athletes and team moms for being understanding and support with everything.

Jack's lab results...

We took Jack to the vet yesterday because he just hasn’t seemed like himself lately. He’s been drinking a ton of water, going outside like once an hour and then heads straight back to the water bowl. It’s just a vicious cycle and had us concerned. The vet said they can run the labs in house but it would just be negative vs positive and if they send them off, they’ll get actual numbers back to help us with his diagnosis. So I got the call on my way home today. The doctor was on the phone with me for my 30 minute drive. Jack’s glucose shouldn’t be higher than 114, his was 630. Then he said “I wish this was as simple as me saying ok, that’s it, come in and I’ll show you how to administer the insulin shots, but that’s just the first thing we found.” Then my heart sank. • Sodium is low (signs of kidney disease) • Potassium is high (can indicate kidney failure • Protein is high (relates to liver, kidneys and infectious diseases) • ALP, which should be no higher than 160 was 2017 (indicating Cushing disease) • Triglycerides were 379 (norm is high of 150) • Lipase was 544 (normal high is 250) indicating pancreatitis • cPL was 627 (shouldn’t be higher than 200) indicating pancreatic inflammation • T4 was low (indicating hypothyroidism) • They mentioned that his kidneys appeared to be stressed They are definitely diagnosing him with Type II diabetes which will require 2 shots of insulin per day and possibly Cushing disease. He was already diagnosed with a heart murmur and Pancreatitis. Our next step is to have an ultrasound done this week to look for an adrenal tumor. If one is present, he said we may consider declining treatment for any of the conditions as the expectancy is 2-3 months. If a tumor is not found, we’ll begin aggressive treatment of diabetes and Cushing. My poor little guy. :( Phoebe saw that I was upset when I got home and she made sure to work her magic and cheer me up in addition to lots of hugs. I love that kid. Update 1/14: Ultrasound is now scheduled for Jan 22nd so we're going to start him on insulin today to try and get his glucose levels down.

Encore Championships 2020

Please join me in wishing the #Strykers luck tomorrow! You’ve got this girls! #EncoreChampionships2020 

Sneak peek of their routine:

https://youtu.be/SLRIIJwyWtQ

*If you view the video full screen, you should be able to see Phoebe. She starts on the left (of the screen) and she’s a base in the 2nd to left stunt group. She does a tumbling pass in front with Jenna. 

They aren’t allowing spectators but there’s a place nearby that we’ll all hang out at and watch them on the televisions there. Strykers compete at 11:10am. 

Let’s go girls!! 👏🏻💯🎉🙏🏻🙌🏻

Ready for trick or treaters!

We put together these candy filled gloves to hopefully pass out to trick or treaters tomorrow. This way they won’t have to dig in the bowl to get candy, they’ll just grab a glove! Phoebe went to sleep by Meagan’s but she was able to help put some together before she left. 🎃

The Social Dilemma

If you haven't taken the time out yet to watch this documentary, I highly recommend that you do. It's not there to shame you for using your devices, it tells you what's happening on the flip side and really opens your eyes. Watch it, at least to help see what could happen to the future for our children. It won't be a waste of your time. It's available on Netflix. The people in it were some of the social media early investors, executives and creators.
Follow this link for more info --> https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/

Wedding date is set! But...

After reserving the little chapel in Austin, it came to our attention that Phoebe has a cheer competition the next day in Dallas! So we'll be driving a lot! :) But the date that we chose marks 2 years since our first date. We'll just have to suck it up! Here are some pictures of the place we chose. Pictures were taken by Peary Photography, which is the photographer we are hoping to use! Our plan is for it to just be me, Damian, Phoebe, Maya & Eliana. A small and intimate ceremony at this beautiful place. We feel like this is more meaningful for us, and especially for the girls.

Phoebe’s first day of in person high school

They had a ramp up day last week so students could learn their way to class and lunch and all. But today was the official first day of in person learning. She woke herself up at 5am, got ready and headed to the bus stop with Maya. This is Phoebe walking home from the bus stop. 😜 She’s all grown up y’all! 🥺 She had a good day! 🙌🏻

We learned to shoot today.

Me, Damian, Maya, Eliana and Phoebe went to a shooting range today. We had a private instructor that gave us an hour class on safety, stance, proper way to hold a pistol and how to load and unload. Then we went shooting. One gun was a .22 single action revolver and the other was a glock .22 semi automatic pistol. (Hope I didn’t butcher that! 😆) Everyone really enjoyed it.

More shooting practice!

Today we shot a .22 and a .45 at the range. It was just me, Phoebe and Damian, so we shot much more. We went through almost 150 bullets in an hour. Phoebe chose not to shoot the .45 after she saw the kickback it had. :) 

Feedback from Phoebe's favorite middle school teacher

This one definitely pulled at the heart strings. Click on the image to view it larger.

Mother’s Day

It was a lovely Mother’s Day. I had a great conversation with my mom. Damian and I went to Missouri City to have lunch with his parents. It was our first time seeing them since the whole COVID thing started. We had a great lunch! Grilled lemon chicken with veggies and diced potatoes, fresh watermelon and strawberries. It was so delicious! Then Damian dropped me off at home and Phoebe presented the card she made for me. 💕

Ready for All-Stars!

Each year that Phoebe was in an activity, except last year, we had a statuette made. Out of all the activities, her heart and spirit have always been in Cheer and Gymnastics. She’s going to try out for a higher level All-Star team this coming season. We received a call today that the gym will reopen soon and she was so happy to hear it! 💕 They’re not certain about the competition schedule yet since everything is still a bit chaotic, but she’s still happy. This momma is a bit nervous about the competition schedule since I have a demanding full time job, but I’m confident that we’ll find a way to make it work since it means so much to her. 

Happy Easter! Wait... it doesn't feel like Easter...

So not only is this the first year that the Easter Bunny wasn't delivering a basket to Phoebe (since she no longer believes), but it took a turn where the stores had nothing for me to make her a basket myself. I did end up finding a few of her favorites though! And yes, she was excited about the ramen, it's been super hard to find during this COVID-19 pandemic! She stayed up all night last night playing games and watching "The Fosters". Me and Damian got up at 7:30 and she was awake, again, lol. She's been a night owl with not having school the past few weeks. I guess it's better for her to sleep during the day while I work, instead of sitting around bored and me feeling guilty! Lol. I did set up a 750 piece puzzle for us to put together, but she got bored after the first 20 minutes and now it is my puzzle. :) Here's a pic of her Easter goodies.

And some pictures of this beauty....

Coronavirus Facts

The virus is not a living organism, but a protein molecule (DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat), which, when absorbed by the cells of the ocular, nasal or buccal mucosa, changes their genetic code.  (mutation) and convert them into aggressor and multiplier cells.

 * Since the virus is not a living organism but a protein molecule, it is not killed, but decays on its own.  The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies.

 * The virus is very fragile;  the only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat.  That is why any soap or detergent is the best remedy, because the foam CUTS the FAT (that is why you have to rub so much: for 20 seconds or more, to make a lot of foam).  

By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses and breaks down on its own.

 * HEAT melts fat;  this is why it is so good to use water above 25 degrees Celsius for washing hands, clothes and everything.  In addition, hot water makes more foam and that makes it even more useful.

 * Alcohol or any mixture with alcohol over 65% DISSOLVES ANY FAT, especially the external lipid layer of the virus.

 * Any mix with 1 part bleach and 5 parts water directly dissolves the protein, breaks it down from the inside.

 * Oxygenated water helps long after soap, alcohol and chlorine, because peroxide dissolves the virus protein, but you have to use it pure and it hurts your skin.

 * NO BACTERICIDE OR ANTIBIOTIC SERVES.  The virus is not a living organism like bacteria;  antibodies cannot kill what is not alive. 

 * NEVER shake used or unused clothing, sheets or cloth.  While it is glued to a porous surface, it is very inert and disintegrates only 

-between 3 hours (fabric and porous), 

-4 hours (copper and wood)

-24 hours (cardboard), 

- 42 hours (metal) and 

-72 hours (plastic).  

But if you shake it or use a feather duster, the virus molecules float in the air for up to 3 hours, and can lodge in your nose.

 * The virus molecules remain very stable in external cold, or artificial as air conditioners in houses and cars.  

They also need moisture to stay stable, and especially darkness.  Therefore, dehumidified, dry, warm and bright environments will degrade it faster.

 * UV LIGHT on any object that may contain it breaks down the virus protein.  For example, to disinfect and reuse a mask is perfect.  Be careful, it also breaks down collagen (which is protein) in the skin.

 * The virus CANNOT go through healthy skin.

 * Vinegar is NOT useful because it does not break down the protective layer of fat.

 * NO SPIRITS, NOR VODKA, serve.  The strongest vodka is 40% alcohol, and you need 65%.

 * LISTERINE IF IT SERVES!  It is 65% alcohol.

 * The more confined the space, the more concentration of the virus there can be.  The more open or naturally ventilated, the less.

 * You have to wash your hands before and after touching mucosa, food, locks, knobs, switches, remote control, cell phone, watches, computers, desks, TV, etc.  And when using the bathroom.

 * You have to HUMIDIFY HANDS DRY from so much washing them, because the molecules can hide in the micro cracks.  The thicker the moisturizer, the better.  

* Also keep your NAILS SHORT so that the virus does not hide there.