But maybe someone is still out there somewhere waiting for an update.
What has been happening all these months? I tell you a ton has happened. There have been surgeries, trips, tears and stress but most of all there have been laughs and family time.
Where do I start? Well, that Disney/Universal Trip in 2014 for the girls graduation was great and the girls all went to college. They have all started their new lives and sadly as we all know friends sometimes drift apart. New friends are made and life goes on. My daughter is loving her college years and will be a junior next month. How did that happen??
Last summer (2015), we had a family vacation to Washington DC. We drove there and it was a fun but exhausting trip.
Let me back up a bit....when our daughter came home from college at the end of may, she told us that she had been having stomach pains. She went to the doctor and they did blood work.
Next thing we knew we were having test for possible gallbladder problems. Sure enough (or at least at that time) she needed to have gallbladder surgery. This happened in July and went perfectly.
Everything was fine or so we thought...post op appointment went well. Jamie had a New York City trip planned to attend the She's The First Summit. It's an organization she is part of at her college.
First view of the Big Apple.After a blood test still showed elevated liver functions, her surgeon sends us to a GI doctor. Many test and blood work, they still don't know what is wrong but it's time for her to go back to college. The GI doctor says okay to go but she must go see GI doctor there.
We move her into her new apartment and she is thrilled to have a private bathroom and a kitchen to cook in. You have to take my word on it because I can't find my pictures.
Anyhoo, she meets with the new doctor and he wants to do a liver biopsy. After many trips for us to go to appointments with her, new doctors, many test including colonoscopy and more blood work. We find out in the fall of 2015 that she has a rate liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis or PSC for short.
We were happy with a diagnosis.....UNTIL we actually googled it. Just like everyone else in this day and age, we took to our computers and googled and googled and googled......I won't lie. I cry many a tears in the beginning. Worried about my sweet baby....Worried about her future....Worried about losing her. Then on top of that we find out that she also has Ulcerative Colitis. So two auto-immune diseases that are INCURABLE. Yes, more tears....I was heartbroken for her. She has such dreams. How was this going to affect her??? Let me tell you...She has not slowed down...Yes, she has pain, ITCHING beyond belief, lots of blood work, many doctor appointments, MORE pills to take that anyone her age should have to deal with and a liver transplant somewhere in her future. But she maintained her straight A average for the entire year last year throughout this whole nightmare. She kept up with her organizations and did things with her friends. She did not let these diseases control her. All we know is she has Stage 3 liver disease, her liver is dying from this disease, her future will involve a liver transplant but right now she is fairly stable. We are waiting on her latest blood test to come back. Her levels do the rollercoaster thing ALOT but she is amazing.
Now, you may think...what else. Well, let me tell you that we had some fun times during all this craziness. So let me share some of the good times.
Sunset on one of our many trips to see her. 
Halloween and Christmas came.
More visit pics.......
We even had a family vacation to Disney World. You know? OUR HAPPY PLACE!!!!
It was a great trip and we could forget about everything for a week.
Throughout the past several years, my hubby has had some neck and shoulder pain. We always thought it was from him carrying his video camera while on trips or computer use...Nothing major.
Well, we were WRONG!! He needed neck surgery and that happened June 2016. Yep, he is still recouping from this surgery and we hope he goes back to work next month.
As you probably have imagined, I am a great planner when it comes to vacations. I start planning early. So for the past 9 months (maybe a year) I have been planning our Summer 2016 vacation. It was going to be a road trip to Colorado Springs. We also decided to throw in a quick beach trip.
It was a great trip...Then we find out the hubby's surgery date. Yep...Colorado Springs trip is cancelled. Sad but we know we have to get his neck fixed. Surgery went great and he ended up needing two disc removed, cadaver bone put in and metal plate with 6 screws. He is healing wonderfully and we think he will get the okay to go back to work next month.
So now you are all caught up to date....one more thing I am going to NEW YORK CITY!! Yes, my daughter has her She's The First Summit again this summer and she wanted me to come so it's a girls weekend. It will be her and a friend from school plus my sister in law and me. A very good friend was going but had a family emergency so my sister in law decided to go in her place. I have watched many videos and done a bunch of research. We have 2 full days in NYC while the girls are in their conference. Plus we fly in early the first day so we have half day. I will make sure to blog all about this trip. It will be here soon.
Shortly after we return from NYC, it will be time for our daughter to head back to college. So the summer is coming to an end and it has been a great adventure.
Now.....throughout all of this madness in the last 16 months...I have been on and off my "plan" for weightloss. As you may remember, I am a diabetic who wants to control with diet which means I need to eat pretty low carb like around 30 carb grams per meal. WELL.....I have done great and fell off the wagon. Yep...I AM HUMAN and LOVE food but I am determined to get this weight off and be healthy. So once we settle down from the NYC trip, I will be focusing on eating plan and exercising. So stay tuned to hear more about my exercise and meals.......
One more thing before I wrap up this long reunion post...I am once again planning for our Colorado Springs Vacation...Summer 2017 plus for our daughter's college graduation we are in the very early thoughts of a Disney World 2018 trip to her favorite resort Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Please stick with me as I promise not to wait over a year to post again. Until next time.......
