Day 207: What's Going On?

Ugh, I'm so sad and anxious tonight. On the heels of so many tragic losses of young people in our community, today I have heard more stories about challenges with freinds' children then my heart can process.

No matter what the issue, school, mental illness, sickness when your child is hurting your world is turned upside down. If an adult is sick your heart aches too, but not the same way as when it is a child. Our children are suppose to skip through life healthy and happy and we do everything possible to ensure no tragedy crosses their path. It's an impossible task even for the best of parents.

All you have to do is watch the news, or read the newspaper to know how terrible children's lives around the world are, breaks your heart that that level of pain and suffering exists. You pray it never enters your world, but it does. Pain, illness, sickness have no boundaries and all our children are susceptible to these ailments.

I remember two years ago when my son's pal was diagnosed with Leukemia. We were all devastated. How could a young boy just 13 years old have cancer? While my rational brain knows this happens everyday, until it personally touches you or your family, you don't want to beleive it happens.

I just have such a heavy heart. I want all the problems to go away. I want all the children to be healthy.

Day 84: Back Home

Ahh, settling back in to life after a week away! Lots of laundry to fold, phone calls & emails to return, Blogging, unpacking, marketing! Now I need a vacation from the vacation. Which really wasn't a vacation. As I posted yesterday when we returned I was under the weather the entire week in Bass Lake. So now it's back to juggling every one's calendars, family commitments and back to my exercise routine.... which I definitely need after a week off.

Pictured here is the "Bass Lake Gang" ... a motley crew of mixed families & friends, but all together we make our own special "Lake Family!"

How do our lives get so damn busy with all we do? I mean it's suppose to be summer, but the boys - all three of them - still have workouts and baseball, and dental appointments and chiropractor visits, and friends in and out all day long. And oh yeah everyone still needs to eat so there's still that to tend to. And over summer break there are more mouths to feed with kids coming and going. But ya know what I really do love it. Especially the feeding part. Maybe it's the mama bear in me that loves to see my boys and others chow down on a good meal. It's a role I relish. I just wish I was feeling myself. I'm still not and that's a bummer for me as I spend my life feeling healthy and fun and happy and when I'm not, it really takes its toll.

So as I prepare for the week ahead, working out, getting healthy, attending baseball games and figuring out next steps is all on the menu... join me for the adventures, won't you please?

Day 74 - 83: Where Has Robyn Been?

Hi my faithful followers! Have you missed me? Well I sure have missed blogging about my daily escapades. Let me tell ya what's been goin' on!

Finally got the family packed and out the door last Saturday, July 3rd for our annual trip up to Bass Lake with friends & family. As I have written about in earlier posts this is the most memorable vacation for my family.

Pictured above is my family L-R Brandon, Harrison, Me, Spencer, and Brian

My sister Michele and I were introduced to the trip as young girls when our parents were still married many moons ago. I have continued the tradition with my family and other siblings and friends. It is the one trip that my children pine for throughout the year. So we finally arrive, unpack, do the marketing, get organized and we are ready to party! We had our usual fabulous 4th of July Holiday as we watched fireworks on a boat parked in the middle of the lake at beautiful Bass Lake!

Pictured here are kid sister Jennifer on the left (who came from New York with love pal Kevin, wearing the hat, and his darling 6 year old son Zachary) and family friend Suzee on the right. We were on the boat watching 4th of July fireworks!

Unfortunately that's where the fun ended for me! From that night on I was saddled with a horrible sickness and fever pushing 102.8. I was ready to make a run for the hospital but after speaking to my LA Doc I decided against that as goodness knows what the mountain Doctor would have recommended for treatment! We are still not clear on what I had and still have. I never once went in the Lake or water skied or put a bathing suit on the entire week. This has never happened to me before and it was really a bummer to be away on this annual family trip and not be able to enjoy all the festivities.

Pictured here are Papa Joe, the Patriarch of the trip all these 40 plus years, with my eldest son Brandon. This is what it's all about!

Despite my feeling in the dumps, I did however capture moments of great joy. One was watching my son Brandon master wake boarding like a true jock and the other was knowing that Harrison & Spencer were laughing hysterically as they were tossed all over the Lake on an inter tube. Thank you gal pal Jill for being the boat driver for all the teenager crazy boys! And for constantly taking my temperature to make sure it didn't climb any higher!

Another highlight for me was being able to play umpteen rounds of Runmmicue with my gal pals Caren & Jill and hubby Brian. That was very special for me. I love games!
But all in all while my heart was warmed that my boys and Brian and all my darling family & friends were soaking up the sun and having a blast my heart also ached because I just wasn't myself.

Pictured here is Papa Joe wearing a cowboy hat! He's 80 years old and look at him go!

It's bad enough to not feel well when you are at home, but to wait all year for your annual vacation and go away and not be yourself is really a bummer. So because of this and because we had very poor technological support nestled up in the mountains I was not able to communicate with my Blog friends daily. Of course I felt guilty about this, but sometimes you just need to be flexible and go with what you are confronted with. In my case it was just not possible for me to share my lake musings daily which was something I was looking forward to.

So my dear followers please forgive me and know that I will post more photos and anecdotes from our trip as the week goes on. I'm happy to write that we are home safe and sound and I'm feeling better. I know my three sons and all the others had a fantastic week and that really is the best vacation I could ask for. My heart is warmed just looking at this photo of Brian holding the "beef" of the day with that big yummy smile!

Pictured here is Brian in Bass Lake 2010, after grilling our 4th of July yummy steak for 30!

Day 43: Health Updates

Thank you to all the readers who have asked how my big sis Michele is doing! You followers are really the best. Here's the update.

Michele is much better, thank goodness and after her last MRI she received a clean bill of health for her neck. This being said though, the mystery continues as none of the doctors on her medical team have been able to figure out what caused the initial injury to her neck or the large mass. With heavy antibiotics the mass has evaporated and she has total mobility of her neck, all good signs of healing. But we are still questioning how the mass got there in the first place, and has it truly been healed? The mystery continues and I will keep you posted.

Next up, thank you for your concerns about my health as well. If you are a regular reader of my Blog, then you undoubtedly know that on Sunday Brian and I ran a 10k race (that's 6.2 miles). Not too shabby for a girl with severe nerve pain and a hole in her stomach caused by an ulcer!

I feel much better now that I am on some medication, but am not really 100 percent. I have a nagging, constant soreness in my stomach... I'm hoping that the hole will close with continued medication. But for those of you who know me, I am not a medicine taker. Never have been.

But as you can see from the fun photo to the right, none of our ailments keep Michele or I from partying with the girls, or from running in races, or going to work, or caring for children, or cooking, cleaning, flossing, shopping, or blogging ... we are like ox, nothing keeps us down!

Strong women, that's the only way to be!

Day 18 & 19: What's Going On?

I don't know if there is something in the air or what, but too many people I love are having health challenges that are unexplained! Many of you have been following my sister Michele's dilemma with her neck and I so appreciate your concern and healing thoughts for her. As of today the diagnosis is still unknown. After 4 days in the hospital, endless pain medication & antibiotics we still don't know what she has and what the best course of action should be. Next week will bring more tests and hopefully some answers to what led to her severe neck pain. To be continued.

Then this week I had conversations with two old & dear friends and both shared health challenges. One is having a hysterectomy and the other has something going on with her kidney. The latter an unexplained & unknown illness. Very scary & worrisome. The former something was found and treatment is to remove her uterus.

All this news gives me great pause. I have said it before and it is worth repeating: Our health is so vital and when we are not feeling our optimum, life is just not fun and can be very scary. I love all these strong, beautiful women and am so sad that they are having to deal with these health issues.

So if today you are feeling alive & healthy, I suggest you hug yourself, hug the people you love and be grateful that you are healthy!

Sending bountiful healing hugs to my beautiful sisters!

Day 11 -13: My Sis Is Not Doin' Well

Hi Friends,

The last few days have been emotional. My big sister Michele, who we last saw on the Blog dancing & laughing at The Buggy Whip, has had a bad turn of events with her health. Here she is pictured with one of our oldest friends from middle school, Farrel, in a more celebratory mood.

Earlier this week she had intense pain in her neck which led to an MRI which led to her being admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center for observation. When someone you love is ill and the illness is unexplained you are very worried. We have all been upset about the lack of a diagnosis to what she actually has, if anything then a sore neck!

Everyday we strive to be healthy and when someone in your circle is not healthy everything is put into perspective. All else ceases to be important when your health is not in order. Its been a frustrating ordeal not being able to get answers to what is going on, despite the fact that we know she is receiving quality medical attention & more importantly some really great drugs! They've got her pretty doped up on pain medication to help ease her pain. I asked her if she could share them ... but I never did get an answer!

In all seriousness, we all say the most important thing in life is our health, and the truth is, it really is... when you are not well you can't continue being the productive, loving & fun person you are because you don't feel well!

Here's to Michele recovering so she can dance for us again with the piano man at The Buggy Whip!

Michele we love you & wish you healthy thoughts!