Mara's surgery...

We have scheduled Mara's surgery for October 28. We do not know what time it will be until the hospital calls us...they usually take the youngest patients first. It will be at Egleston on the campus on Emery. Again... the goal of Dr. Broecker is to just do a slit in her bladder...reattach both ureters...fix hernia. There should be minimal days in the hospital 2 to 3. I am very thankful that my parents will be here for atleast a week. I will keep the blog updated with any new info that we receive.

OMG!!! I filled up for less than $100.00!!!!

Ok...I know this is a weird post but...I filled up the SUBURBAN for $84.00. I immediately text Mark to let him know...I knew he would be as excited as I. It's hard to be excited about putting $84.00 in the gas tank...when we bought it was $50.00 for a fill up. However...it is much better than the $120.00 it was taking not to long ago. Right now it is the small things in life that make me jump for joy.

I've been Tagged!

by my best friend Cindy

Here are the rules...

1. Post the rules on your blog

2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself

3. Tage 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs

4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I Rodeoed growing up...iv'e goat tyed, barrell raced, roped, rode calves (bulls), and pole bended. Growing up on the Thomas Farm I'ved help castrat bulls...so you guys better watch out. Yes...I have had mountain oysters. Fixed fencees, tagged cattle. Also, won the local fairs FAT CALF by raising and showing the best calf.

2. I grew up in Central Arkansas without central heat or air. We had a woodburning stove in the middle of the living room that we cut wood for to heat the house. We had an attic fan to cool the house.

3. I made commercials for Silver Dollar City when I was 7.

4. When I was in 11th grade...I was in an exchange program with other girl scouts/girls guides and spent the summer in London. We got to see the Queen...it was awesome.

5. The first car that I bought on my own was a pink Isuzu Amigo that I special ordered.I have drove MONSTER TRUCKS with BIG 44" tall tires and helped put lifts on them...use to race them in mud bogs. I use to love to go mudding in trucks and on 4 wheelers. My Dad taught me a lot about working on cars.

6. I was on a deer stand when I was a few months old with my mom. I have hunted deer, squirrel, rabbit and anything else that moved when I was growing up.

7. I'm a small town country girl. I lived the first 3 years of my life in Warren, AR...which was the tomato capital of the world back then. They still are a big producer of tomatoes...they have the pink tomato festival. There was no major interstates or highways to get there...lots of driving on levees. BUT...if you are a big football fan you know they produce some of the best football players. Go Lumber Jacks. Just a few facts...Warren's population now is about 6000, median income $23,000 and median house cost $56,000. Most of my family still live their some in even a smaller towns Wilmar population 559.Wow!

Who am I tagging? Ray, Yael, Sloan, I can't think of any more that haven't been tagged or that has a blog. Sorry!

Mara's test results!

Yesterday we took Mara to the hospital for two different test on her Urinary Tract. The VCUG she has had before which test for reflux. The second test was a radioactive test called DSMA to she how much scaring has been done to her kidneys. Mara did great throughout the day. For the DSMA test they used contrast with isotopes that given through an IV and had to been given for 1.5 hours before the test could be done. Mara fell asleep in her bed waiting for the contrast to run through. They sedated her at about 12:00 and finished the test around 1:00. It took her awhile to wake up and she did not like it. She had not eaten since 8:00 the night before and was starving.

Mara after her VCUG...Waiting to get the IV for the next test...She is such a trooper.

Mark got in his workout yesterday...walking the halls with Jama...Dad and Jama were super

Mara after her IV waiting for the contrast meds to go through her system...as you can see she still had her sense of humor sticking her tongue out at the camera...she did not cry once while get ting her IV in...She thought that it was great that she got to lay in bed and watch TV all day...now that's a treat!

We meet with the doctor after, received the test results, discussed option, and devised a plan.

Praise...her right kidney system is perfect...right size...no scaring...and the reflux that was stage 2 is gone. This is what this test showed. The reflux could come back but if it did it could be fixed with deflux.

Pray...Her left kidney system is another issue...this is where she has the dual collection system...it is almost twice the size it's suppose to be...it is now over a grade 4 reflux...there is three place that have been scared but the good thing it has only caused 5% damage...there is now a hernia where the ureter connects to the bladder.

Dr. Broecker gave us three options to think about...

Deflux...probably will not work for the degree of issues she has. It is a less evasive procedure but no guarantee to work and may still have to have surgery.

Surgery where they slit the top of her bladder and reattach the ureters and fix the hernia...which is what we are doing...it should only be about a two day hospital stay.

Surgery where they have to cut her bladder open and reattach ureter and fix hernia...4 to 6 day hospital stay with lots of serious complication that could arise. This would be our last option but is the backup plan if they get in and things are not what they thought thru the testing.

Please keep her in your prayers and thanks to all of you who have been diligently praying for her. Especially thanks to MOM IN TOUCH for your specific prayers.

More Gymnastics in our future...

Jema received an invitation to join the TOPS competitive team at our gym last night. She will now have another 2.5 hours of practice a week...yes that makes 12.5 hours a week or her. For those of you who want to know what TOPS is...Keep Reading...If you don't then STOP Reading.

TOPS (Talent Opportunity Program) is a talent search and educational program for female gymnast ages 7-11. It is to develop better strength and flexibility as well as begin to work on elite training skills. Once a month, her progress will be tested and in June and July she may be able to be evaluated on her physical abilities at state and/or regional level.

WARNING...ONLY READ IF YOU HAVE HAD IBUPROFEN...READING THE SKILLS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE BODY, MUSCLE, AND OVER ALL ACHES AND PAINS...PROCEED AT YOU OWN RISK!

There now that that is said...Some of the skills she will have to do is...drum roll please...

Handstand...kick from the floor and hold the tight extension...no moving...head down...arms straight...legs straight...toes pointed...and feet together for 30 seconds.

20 Meter Sprint...on vault runway...ok we all get that.

Vertical jump...we all get that too.

Leg Lifts...you probably get this but I will explain...hang from a bar in the straight position...then bring you legs to a 90 degree angle (horizontal)...bring them to touch the bar over head then back down to horizontal...now...do this 20 times.

Cast Handstand...start in front support on bar then cast to a handstand(same handstand qualification as above) on the low bar...ok you have to do that 5 times with only 2 seconds between each cast attempt...no falling you have to go back down to a front support between each attempt.

Leg flexibility...two vault spring boards are place low end to low end...she does the side splits with her body directly over where the boards meet... go down as far as you can without touching the floor with your hands. Yes...her legs will be pointed up to the sky!!!

Bridge...Press to a bridge...feet together...head remain neutral... feet flat on floor and knees together and straight.

WARNING...ONLY READ ON IF YOUR NOT IN ANY PAIN YET!!!!!

Rope Climb...sounds easy huh...well...Start while setting in pike position (body in an L shape) straight legs...pointed toes...legs together...legs stay horizontal on one side of the rope...then if climbing a rope like that is not hard enough...climb it 6 feet in that position.

Press Handstand...start in straddle L position (hands in middle legs to each side) then press to a handstand keeping straight legs and arms...come back down to the straddle position...legs straight...arms straight...and do that 5 times.

All this makes me hurt even think about attempting one of this skills in a day nevertheless all in the same day at a meet.

Way to go Jema...We are proud of you.

Jema's Best Meet!!!!!

The team looked great in their Tie Dyed Shirts, Jeans, and Groovy Glasses...look the coaches got in on the action too. Metro Retro was a great success for Jema. She had her best meet ever and did great. She won a medal for her floor routine and bar routine. She missed a medal on vault by .05. On beam she had one fall on her dismount and did not complete her dismount on her second which was over 1.0 off. She could have had her highest beam score. The NMGC Team came in a VERY close second for all-around. Also, Mark was great at announcing...everybody loved him.

Floor 8.75

Vault 8.95

Bars 8.85

Beam 7.65

Overall 34.2

Her best all-around before that was 32.625. She is working so hard and doing great. I can not wait until the next meet.

Jama's Pony Tail

I was putting the girls hair up for Jema to go to the meet and Mara's to go to the Block Party and they wanted me to give Jama a ponty tail...well...I did it...and it stayed in all night...so cute.

Getting ready for Metro Retro today!

Groovy Girl...Shagadalic...We are going to have fun at the meet tonight. The teams are dressing up the most they can in retro for the meet tonight. Level 4 dyed shirts and had a blast. Mark is the announcer for the last two session tonight...I sure that we be hilarious...yes...say it again...hilarious...he is such a good MC. Mara is staying with friends tonight since it is so late that Jema competes and Mark will be busy at the meet. More pictures to come of the competition...Straight...Stick it...Flip it...Rock the House Jema.

Jama our Bitty Baby

Well...Jama is 11 months old and still wearing size 1 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. I know...crazy! We have the last test results back that we were waiting for and it shows that her pancreas enzymes are low...which may explain the mal absorption. We are repeating the test to make sure that the results are the same before we start any type of treatment... so we will be awaiting the new test results.

Mara's New Fire Flies Leo!!

Mara is on a non-competitive team at NMGC called Fire Flies that practices 2 hours a week. She will then move to Hot Shots ... next USA Level 2 competitive...that is if she still likes it as much...and she is good enough. I can not imagine having two girls competing and maybe three. Crazy. She loves the leo and had to wear it to the gym today to drop off Jema.