Cooking and Zumba!!!!!!!

Growing up with my brother, my mother always use to cook this dish that resembled Chinese Food with. A twist. We thought to ourselves that our mother is a Nigerian woman....cooking "Chinese food". It was soooo good! We loved it so much that we deemed it Nigerianese!

It had been awhile since we have had it. One day, my mom and I were at home and could not to think of what we were going to cook. Mom said "How about Nigerianese?" I was elated! My mouth was watery and ready to learn. I stood by my mom the entire time in the kitchen...eager to figure out how she made it.

I am proud to say...I now know how to make it and will definitely be making it for my family one day. And no, I will not share the recipe with you :-)

Another exciting update is that I have been attending Zumba again! My first class out of the hospital was a little tasking because my legs still were not strong enough, but I am proud to say that I pushed myself and made it through the entire hour without sitting down! Yay! I went to it with my little sister! She's an amazing supporter!

Now I attend Zumba multiple times throughout the week. I am still trying to find my perfect schedule that is full of teachers that push me the way I need to be pushed. These legs will not get better on their own! :-)

Life is sooooooo good!

New Road...New Professional Goal!

All of my life I have said that I want to be a Pediatrician...I have NEVER wanted anything else...until now! My passion has always been to make a difference and help people especially children. My passion was never in becoming a Pediatrician. I simply though that was the best way to accomplish my goal...

When I was in the hospital...I changed my mind. When you go through the kind of horrifying drama that I went through, finding out so many life changing information in so little time and coming so close to heaven, you have a lot of time to just lay there and think. Sometimes you need someone who knows what you are going through and has been through it to be there and talk to you. Even if their situation is not identical...at least they have been through something that changed their life, medically, forever.

Every morning a psychologist came in with my main doctor as he made his rounds, but I never got the chance to just sit and talk to her. At the time, I did not know that I needed to, but looking back, my thought process may have been a lot different had I had the opportunity to just talk.

Everyday I got to talk to my mother, who continually lifted my spirits. She spent almost every waking moment with me. As soon as I was considering changing my destination I told her and she said she would support me. When I told my dad, brother, and little sister while I was in the hospital...they said the same.

The new direction I have chosen to take is...drumroll please.......Clinical Psychology. I want to focus in pain management and child psychology. This is where I believe my true calling is. I feel this is where God is trying to take me. This field is where I have decided to devote my life to. I made this decision for me and no one else. I truly believe that this is one of the best decisions I have EVER made!

Thank you Lord

Physical and Occupational Therapy Update!

My next physical therapy session was on January 8, 2013. We repeated the "6 Minute Walk Test" and this time I was able to walk approximately 1500 feet in the 6 minute time frame. My PT told me that I had done significantly better than he thought I would and that I had met all of the goals that he had made for me. The last thing he wanted to check was how I was going up and down the stairs. When he saw how much I had improved on my own...he decided to discharge me. He said "It is a miracle that you have bounced back this much in so little time" I replied "It is not me...it is God." After only 2 sessions of PT, I was discharged. Another doctor/appointment that I can scratch off my list.

My next occupational therapy session was also on January 8, 2013. This appointment was different from the first one and it was a different therapist. This therapist worked me out....I was sore by the time I got home. He was very nice and gave me exercises to be doing at home. I was determined to knock this other therapist off my list because I was tired of appointments so I did exactly what he told me to do and then some.

The next session was January 10, 2013. He showed me some new exercises and had seen that my arms were already stronger. He was also shocked. He could tell that I have been following what he told me to. The strength in my hands had improved...they weren't average yet but they had significantly improved. He asked me if I thought that I could continue the exercise regimen that he had showed me on my own....of course I told him I could because I have been. He decided to discharge me! I was ecstatic!

No more therapists!!!!!

Update on my Labs

On December 21, 2012, three days after my discharge from the hospital, I went to see my Hematologist (blood doctor) to check how my labs were looking. Here are the results that we received:

• Red Blood Cells were at 2.29 and the normal range is 3.70-5.10
• Hemoglobin was at 7.4 and the normal range is 12.0-15.0
• Hematocrit was at 21.6 and the normal range is 34.0-44.0
• Platelets were at 364 and the normal range is 150-450
• Creatinine was at 1.66 and normal range is 0.51-0.95
• ALT (Liver function) was at 248 and the normal range is 10-35

So you are probably wondering what all of that means and have probably noticed that some of that is out of range and does not look good. Well...you are right...to an extent. For any other person that has not gone through what I have been through...those numbers would have been red flags, but those numbers are 1000% better than they use to. After this appointment there was a little fear in my parents because of my HIGH liver functioning. I remained strong and did not let my faith dwindle. I knew God was only trying to see where my faith was and how strong it truly was because here are the next results that were taken on January 4, 2013:

• Red Blood Cells were at 3.11 and the normal range is 3.70-5.10
• Hemoglobin was at 9.4 and the normal range is 12.0-15.0
• Hematocrit was at 28.5 and the normal range is 34.0-44.0
• Platelets were at 236 and the normal range is 150-450
• Creatinine was at 0.94 and normal range is 0.51-0.95
• ALT (Liver function) was at 35 and the normal range is 10-35 

Everything is not perfect, but it is looking better. How else can someone explain a drop in my liver functioning from 248 to 35 in a matter of 2 weeks except that it was the work of the Almighty? My platelets dropped a tad bit because they are tapering me off the steroids...it was expected. The creatinine is how they monitor my kidneys. They are completely back to normal!!! And I soon found out that I no longer had to see a Nephrologist (kidney doctor)! God is great!!

New Year's 2013

New Year's Eve 2012 was more tamed then the past New Year's Eves that I have had, but I still had a blast. I had a sister date with my bestie/little sister. We went to the Harbor and had a late lunch/early dinner. Things were great!

Later in the evening, one of my friends came over and we watched movies and just hung out. Chit chat...laughing...etc. He drank some wine...I couldn't because of my kidneys :-( . We hung out with my dad and watched TV until my dad decided to go take a nap before midnight...lol (Mom was already taking her nap)

5-10 minutes before midnight I went to go wake my parents up so that we can all bring in the new year together. My brothers promised that they would be there and I had not lost faith yet. They never let me down! They showed up...sprinting into the house...at 2 minutes until midnight!!! I knew they would be there! You should have seen the size of the smile on my face. I knew that the first seconds of the new year was going to be perfect!

When the clock struck 12 we all celebrated and gave hugs and handshakes. Of course, we had to give thanks to the Almighty God because without him I know that I surely would not be here. I brought in the new year with my parents, a friend, and my 2 big brothers...it was the best new year's that I have had to date! Great start to 2013!

My First Day of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

My first day of Physical Therapy outside of the hospital was December 20, 2012 (2 days after my discharge from the hospital). I had to take my walker with me because I could not apply too much pressure on my legs for very long. Sometimes I would catch a cramp in my calf and it would cripple me....bringing me to the ground. I never fell because I always had my parents or siblings or any family member right there by my side. During this physical therapy appointment we did the "6 Minute Walk Test" and I was able to walk approximately 740 feet in that 6 minutes. That is way below average, but I was limping at that time. I was very weak.

My first day of Occupational Therapy was December 31, 2012. This appointment helped me a lot. I was not aware of how weak my arms were until I got down on all fours and my arms began to shake. Those of you who know a lot about what I am going through, know that I also have Raynaud's Syndrome. This is when your fingers turn blue and get ice cold at random times...even in the Summer! Because of this I have sores on the tip of a few of my fingers. So, one of the occupational therapists that was assigned to me is also a hand specialist. She gave me so many tips about how to live with Raynaud's and tricks about how to take the pain away. That day, after I got home, my little sister and I went and bought a paraffin bath and paraffin wax. This was one of the recommendations the OT gave me. It works so well and it keeps my blood circulating in my fingers longer. I do the paraffin treatment multiple times throughout the day. It even moisturizes my skin! Love it!

On the Road Again

It has been months since I was behind the wheel of a car...I have been sitting around watching other people drive Tyrone (my baby) or riding around in someone else's car. I knew why I was not able to drive, but I still did not like it. I felt as if I could not do anything for myself!

The reason I was unable to drive myself was because I had trouble staying awake. I would randomly fall asleep even if I did not feel sleepy. There were times where I would doze off while I was behind the wheel. God was the one who kept me safe. This would happen while I was having a flare up. The scary part is...sometimes I do not know if I am in the middle of a flare up.

I am still taking it day-by-day, but I am back on the roads. I do not drive in the evening unless I have someone else in the car with me or unless I am on the phone with someone. I make sure I get enough sleep at night and I am on a very strict medication regimen. I am slowly getting my independence back and I could not have done it without the love and support of my parents and the faith that I have in the Big Man above!