Update: The MRI

Lori is doing much better the past couple days; her facial paralysis hasn't improved but she is feeling much less tired and run down. Earlier in the week she was having a lot of ear pain, so she went to see Dr. McMaster our local ENT, who was quite worried about the degree of paralysis she has, and recommended that she have an MRI of the brain to rule out other causes, such as tumors, etc. The MRI was normal except for a significant amount of inflammation along the facial nerve as it courses through the temporal bone. Here is a picture of what Bell's looks like on MRI. Of course, this example is on the left, and Lori's is right-sided.

And here is an MRI picture of Lori's brain in side view.


Just kidding! On the serious side, Bell's is graded on a 0-6 scale, with 0 being normal and and 6 being complete paralysis. Lori's case is a 6, and Dr. McMaster feels like, because of the severity of her paralysis, she is probably looking at several months, rather than weeks, before function returns to her face. So, that is discouraging, but she is getting used to the idea and hunkering down for the long haul with this crummy illness.

Here are a couple more pictures I found on the Internet that show the neuroanatomy relevant to Bell's palsy.


Thanks to all who have called, expressed support, brought food, flowers, and generally loved us through this. Understandably, it has knocked Lori back on her heels, and having such great friends and family is a wonderful thing for us. We love and appreciate you all!

Update: The Temporary Tarsorrhaphy

Lori woke up this morning with severe pain in her eye, definitely worse than it had been. She's pretty sure her eye patch came loose during the night, so her eye was probably open for some time. Luckily, I had most of the day off, so I got her in to see my ophthalmologist friend, Dr. Fullmer. He took a good look at her eye and could see that there were some very small ulcerations on the cornea, probably from excessive dryness, and that was what was causing the pain. We talked about options, and we eventually decided on a procedure called a "temporary tarsorrhaphy." Translated, that meant he would sew her eyelids together for a little while until the lid regains strength. Here she is after he instilled the local anesthetic. She looked like Hitch when he had the allergic reaction.Here it is tonight. The little white things are pieces of rubber used to bolster the stitch that holds the eyelid together, so that it doesn't cut through the skin like a cheese slicer. The eyelid isn't all the way sewn shut; it needs to be partially open to allow oxygen to get to the eye, and to provide a means to examine it and instill antibiotics. She is already a lot more comfortable. It will probably stay in for about 2 weeks.Thanks to all of you who have written encouraging comments, called, brought food, prayed, or otherwise shown such great support. She has literally been showered with friendship since this came on, and the outpouring of generosity and well wishes has been overwhelming and gratifying for her, and for me. I will continue to post updates on her progress.

Lori: Feeling a Little 'Down in the Mouth'

Lori called me at work Thursday with an odd question: "What does it mean if, when I smile, only half of my face moves?" She had been struggling with a touch of the flu for a few days, and, knowing that, my heart sank. I have seen a few cases of Bell's palsy in my practice; it is not a fun condition at all and it is often preceded by a viral illness like the one she had.Sure enough, when I got home that night Lori described how she had felt a little weird in that side of her face all day, and then had developed actual weakness on the right side. She had also noticed that she was having a hard time tasting anything at all, and that she had a vague pain in and behind her right ear. By the next morning, she couldn't take a drink without half of it running out that side, and she couldn't shut her right eyelid all the way.

As it turns out, the eye symptoms are the worst part of the whole illness. The affected eye dries out quickly and has to be lubricated constantly. The irritation and burning are driving her to distraction, and the eyelid on that side is inflamed from all the various tapes and patches she has been trying to keep the darn thing shut. This seems to be the most comfortable method she has found so far; unfortunately, it isn't exactly inconspicuous!As long as she isn't trying to move her face, she looks pretty normal.
But, when she tries to smile, or talk, or eat, or drink, the right side of her face won't move. The left side gets pulled over to the left, since there isn't anything to oppose the contractions of the muscles on that side. When she blinks, her eye rolls back in her head, but the eyelid doesn't close, so that looks kind of creepy.Medically, Bell's palsy is interesting because it helps teach the neuroanatomy of the facial nerve. When the nerve signals are interrupted after they leave the brain, the entire side of the face is affected, including the forehead; if the nerve fibers are interrupted inside the brain (such as with a brain tumor or certain strokes, the forehead often works normally because the signals from the other side of the brain compensate for the loss of signal to that area. Here is an illustration of how that works.The second diagram here shows which types of nerve fibers run through the facial nerve. This explains why she can't taste things very well, and why she has to use lubricating drops in the eye even when she has it constantly patched and closed; the tear glands don't work well when denervated. Some people get dry mouth because the salivary glands are affected. She hasn't had that symptom, thank goodness. There is a muscle in the ear called the "stapedius." This muscle helps dampen loud noises, and it gets taken out of commission by the palsy. This explains why everything sounds loud to Lori right now.Bell's palsy is almost always temporary, but the time it takes for the damaged facial nerve to regain function is variable; it can return in 2 weeks, or it can take up to 6 months. My ENT friend says that, in most cases, even severe ones, most function has returned within 2 months. We're certainly hoping for a quick recovery, and our family had a special fast today for her. This is no fun for her and we feel bad! She is a trooper, though, and besides, if she cries it is only out of one eye anyway, so what would be the point of that? We all think she is beautiful no matter what!

Ashlynn's 10th Birthday

Ash celebrated her tenth birthday on May 11. She didn't want a big party this year; her only request was that we take her and a friend to the local Thai restaurant so that they could "split a mango curry." Needless to say, she's always been the most adventurous of our children when it comes to cuisine.Interestingly, though, all of our kids will eat oriental food. Nathan won't touch a hamburger, but give him Mandarin chicken or stir-fried vegetables any day of the week...We didn't get any photos at Original Thai, but picture a "little hole in the wall" place with circa 1970s floor and wall coverings, fluorescent lights, and a single row of round tables with fold-down sides. The menu is a little limited, but they have some excellent dishes, including Ashlynn's favorite mango curry, Lori's favorite Masiman curry, a delightful lemongrass soup with mushrooms, and some kind of chicken-on-a-stick appetizer (I can't remember the name) that reminds you of the little things the penguins eat in Surf's Up. And, of course, they have the classic mangoes with sticky rice dessert that we all love; we didn't get it this time because we had cake and ice cream waiting at home, but my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Here's a couple pictures of Ash blowing out her candles. She almost smoked us out!Going along with the Asian theme of her birthday (I guess) she asked for coconut cake, which is something I really like but not something kids usually dig (more of an adult taste, wouldn't you think?) She obviously likes it, though. It is a white sheet cake infused with coconut milk and with whipped cream and shredded coconut on top. Yet another of the amazing recipes Lori has picked up over the years.

She got her ears pierced over the weekend in Salt Lake; we made her wait until she was ten but she wasn't about to wait one minute more, and certainly not until she was 55 like her Grandma Elma Lynne. Apparently she was trembling until they did it-both ears at once-but said later it was no big deal. These photos were on Lori's camera; I wasn't allowed to come along. This rite of passage is "girls only," I take it.Her friend, Alison, who also waited until she was ten, had it done a few weeks ago, so they're excited to share earrings. Ash got a bunch of new ones for her birthday.
The present she asked for was a "rip-stick." I'm not sure whose idea this little beauty was, but I am sure that whoever engineered it wanted to make sure of at least one thing: that no adults could ever ride one. Think about it, have you ever seen an adult swivel-hipping it down the street on one of these things? I'm pretty sure it is physically impossible for anyone over about 16 years of age; I don't understand how kids get the hang of it so quickly. It's like a double amputee trying to ride a unicycle with a bent wheel, or something like that. On the bright side, at least she isn't asking for a cell phone...yet.It is so hard to believe my little girl is growing up. She hasn't shed little-girlhood totally, but I am starting to see the signs and I can hardly believe it. She is such a beautiful, intelligent, spunky girl who is so full of energy and life. Everywhere we go people comment on her beautiful red hair and her gorgeous smile, which really can just melt you! Her constant giggles keep us all smiling, and we are thankful she is part of our family.

Eat Your Heart Out, White House!

Jill & Kevan came up for Easter weekend and we took advantage of some rare good weather to have a huge Easter Egg hunt outside. If we only knew what an "Easter Egg Roll" is we really could have eclipsed the DC event!

Here are a few snapshots of the kids hunting for eggs.

Jill & Kevan, Jason and Andi are moving to Nashville, Tennessee. We're going to miss them when they're gone!

Ashlynn's Thespian Talents

Ashlynn recently wrote a poem which was entered in the Rexburg Civic Club's Annual Art & Poetry Contest for Children. Much to her surprise (and to our delight), it won first prize! Here she is reading it in front of all the parents at the Rexburg Tabernacle.
Here is the winning poem:

Are We There Yet?

Are we there yet?

I just cannot wait!

To be where I've dreamed of

my excitement can't wait!

Are we there yet?

"NO!" yells mom

But soon we will be

to where I have dreamed of

my whole life long!

YAY!

Because she was the winner from her grade level, her poem has been entered in the General Federation of Women's Clubs' state competition, in Boise. It is rumored that, if her poem wins there, she will get to read it on the radio! Her poem was also published in the local paper; you can link to the article by clicking here.

Here are a few other examples of her recent work (perhaps it is the budding artist in her, or perhaps it's the twenty bucks they gave her when she won, but she has had quite the creative streak lately). I've put them here how she typed them, including the font colors.

Dishes

Dishes, Dishes, Dishes.

I hate dishes!

Washing dishes is horrendous,

horrible, and atrocious!

Some dishes have slimy beans

And some dishes have

Squished bananas!

YUCK!

I HATE DISHES!!!

AYLA

WHO'S THAT GIRL WITH CURLY, CURLY HAIR?

WHO'S THAT GIRL THAT'S EVERYWHERE?

WHO'S THAT GIRL THAT'S CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY?

IT'S AYLA BAYLA RUNNING EVERYWHERE!

Creations of God.

The sun, the moon, the snow, and rain, and

lots of other things,

Are all of God's creations,

that he made for you and me.

Any interested publishers can contact me or my agent directly to discuss the rights. :-)

I Can't Believe Nathan Is 12!

Twelve is one of those landmark birthdays that, when you reach it, signals the beginning of growing up, the prelude to teenage-hood, and a lot of other landmarks in the life of a child, particularly an LDS child, who graduates from Primary and starts going to Mutual. Nathan's twelfth was January 30.

Twelve is, apparently, about the age when kids begin to discover they are smarter than their parents, if Nathan's attitude lately is any indicator. Don't get me wrong, Nathan is a GREAT kid. I believe you simply could not ask for a better one. But, it is strangely comforting and disconcerting at the same time to watch him develop "a mind of his own." On the same subject, though, it is fun to watch him develop a more sophisticated, grown-up sense of humor, to have little "inside jokes" with him, and to laugh at a lot of the same movie lines (does that mean my own development is stuck, suspended at around age 12? Please, Jillyn, no comments.)

He is excited, because he is pretty sure he got "straight A's" this term; the trimester just ended and he hasn't got the report card yet. This would be quite an amazing accomplishment for him, he works very hard. I can't believe how much homework he has, particularly in math. I don't remember ever having that much, not even in high school!

Here he is in his new suit, ready to go to church and pass the sacrament. He is very conscientious about his priesthood duties.

He received his Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class rank advancements at a recent court of honor. Here he is attaching the pin on his mom's lapel.

Big Sky, Montana

When our next door neighbor came over recently and asked if we wanted to use the last half of a timeshare week they had in Big Sky, Montana, we couldn't pass up the chance, so we took the kids out of school a couple days for a midwinter ski trip.To get to Big Sky, we drove north out of Rexburg on Highway 20 all the way to its end in West Yellowstone, Montana. From there, we turned north on to Highway 191, which skirts the Northwest edge of Yellowstone Park, and even goes inside the boundaries for part of the way through some very beautiful country.
Most of the way follows the Gallatin River, which I almost got to flyfish a couple years ago when Lori and I went to Big Sky for our anniversary in September. (As luck would have it, snow was coming down pretty hard the day we were supposed to go, so we bagged it and came home.) Here are a couple pictures of cute little Ayla... just being Ayla.Anyway, the condo where we stayed was right next to Big Sky Ski Resort. It had two bedrooms, plus a couch bed and a loft, so it was quite roomy. Lori's sister Cari and her husband Aaron happened to be visiting when we decided to take the trip, and although it strained our powers of persuasion, we got them to come along with us. We also happened to be watching a couple of other kids for our friends who were on a cruise, so we took them, too. That worked out well since they are Nathan and Ashlynn's ages, so they each got to take a friend along. All together, there were eleven of us, including our little baby niece, Kendall. Here's a picture of Ashlynn's friend Alli.We had been told that the resort at Big Sky is big, but even so we were surprised at the sheer size of the place. The resort itself has something like fourteen lifts, which cover an astounding amount of skiable terrain; one of the nicest things about Big Sky is its many extremely long, wide, well-groomed runs that are excellent for beginners. They aren't too steep, but they're steep enough to keep you moving without having to stop and climb. Here are Ash and Alli behind me on the chair lift. Most of the lifts there are high-speed quads, so they really get you up the hill quick. We didn't have to stand in a single line the whole time.I was amazed at my brother-in-law Aaron, who before this trip had never skied. He spent 10 or 15 minutes on the bunny hill, then got on the lift and went for it. He skied all day long, and even went on a couple of "blue" runs before the day was over. He had his share of wipe-outs, but he really caught on quickly, and had a lot of fun. He was so sore the next day, however, that he had no desire to return for another round. Here he is with his daughter on the tubing hill.Cari, on the other hand, wasn't such a quick study. She gave it a try and, much more typically for a beginner, struggled to catch on. We started with a simple skill known as "stepping on to the magic carpet," which took a little time to master.For some reason, riding that thing was worse than a bucking bronco for her; she kept falling off. One time, she fell down, landing face down on the tread. Since her body was only halfway on, the moving belt beneath threatened to rub her face right off, so she just flopped around like a little fish until she could get herself completely off into the snow. The whole thing was terrifying for her, and really embarrassing I'm sure, but for the rest of us this little episode provided excellent belly laughs for the rest of the day.
In her defense, she does have a mild case of cerebral palsy, and I think those ski boots really weren't getting along well with her shortened achilles tendons and off-kilter stance. She was a trooper to even try; I think she could do well with a little more time to learn. Even if she didn't do well, we would all get a kick out of watching her try!

Avree had a couple more sessions of ski school; she's really about ready to be done with that now. She's getting pretty good, and will soon be keeping up with the other kids. Ashlynn had a lot of fun with Alli, but she scares her dad because she likes to go through the trees, and I'm afraid she's going to wrap herself around one.
Nathan loves to snowboard, never having had any interest at all in skis. He looks pretty good out there, and is learning more tricks all the time. We make them all wear helmets.Here's a picture of Lori's new skis, affectionately known around our house as the "naked ladies" because the design on them includes a rather busty chinese woman who is, for some reason, fanning her exposed cleavage. (Here, they have been covered with snow to protect any innocent eyes.)Yeah, that Lori is getting pretty wild in her old age. Watch out, pretty soon she'll have a tattoo. She had to try on several pairs of boots before she found some that fit very well; even then she needed to have some special fitting done by a "Master Boot Fitter" so that they wouldn't make her retarded right foot go numb. (Where do you suppose a Master Boot Fitter goes to school? Does he have to be an Apprentice Boot Fitter first?)
Lori has skied quite a bit this year, and has really enjoyed having something to do outdoors during our endless winter. She feels like she has gotten a lot better at it, too; all I can say about that is strap a couple naked ladies on my feet, and I could glide pretty good, too!
The second night, we took all the kids up to the "family fun zone" to go tubing. It was a blast, and we all had fun, but one time Ayla and I went down a little too soon after Avree, and when we got to the bottom she hadn't quite got off the course yet and we ran right in to her. She went flying! I would have just bailed off the tube, but I didn't dare with Ayla on my lap. Avree was a little shaken up, but okay.Here I am shushing down the slopes.
We had a really great time in Big Sky, and made some great memories. Skiing has been a fun family activity this winter. We really appreciate our neighbors the Bauers for letting us use their condo. They're the greatest!