Hello all This is Dinkie checking in and asking a favor of all of you.

[dinkie1]

Hello Everyone, It's been a long time. And how is everyone old and new? I had to register again because I could not remember my password and have a new email. lol Update on kids first. For those who do not know, we adopted two children with spina bifida as infants and they are now twelve and sixteen years old. WOW Sixteen years ago I remember announcing to all of the oldtimers here our adoption plan. Can't believe how time flies.

Nolan...Has had many many surgeries, multiple shunt revisions, tethered spinal cord twice and the third time he developed an eighty-three degree scoliosis. He had to have his spinal cord severed a few months ago causing his paralysis to move up to the T-11. It has been pretty hard on him.

Emily recently had hardware removed from her knees and suddenly lost her ability to walk. She now relies on a four wheel walker in the home and a scooter outside of the home. She too has had two tethered spinal cord surgeries.

Me...Well......As you know I have always been adamant about not taking pain meds because I have to stay alert and on top of the kids medical issues. they are not text book cases and I am the only one who can tell there is a problem that even the scans can not pick up. My children have shunt malfuncitons without the ventricles in their brains increasing in size so the only way to know for sure is to insert a syringe into the valve and check for pressure. I won't let them do that unless I am positive it is a shunt issue and I have not been wrong yet. Nope, I can't be in a drug euphoria. Meds have a huge impact on my reasoning skills and make me higher than a kite.

Currently, I am in a chair. I have lost my ability to walk and stand more than one minute in any one place. The pain has gotten horrific through the years and now I have been referred back to neurosurgery because it is just out of hand. My past MRI showed bulges and nerve impingement at several levels above and below my hardware. I am sure it is much worse. I still advocate no spine surgery unless the pain is so severe you can't live with it. Look at me at sixty. I am screwed.

Anyway I have to cut this short and will be back later to update more. Hubby is calling me... lol

in the meantime will ya all help us out in this contest? we need daily votes until the 9th of may. don't forget to answer the double vote question to make your vote count as two.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

be back later. ugh....

[Mark N]

Dinkie, good to hear from you again and catch up on the kids and you. I will vote for you and hope you get the support to win. I will have to write more later when I am more able to be on here.

[Mark N]

Dinkie, I wanted to check back in now that I can sit at the computer a bit longer. Thanks for the up date on Nolan and Emily, those kids have gone through much more than others their age. They are fortunate to have you come into their lives and look out for their welfare especially their medical needs as the doctors didn't have experience with their conditions. I shudder to think how much worse things would have been for them without your experience and knowledge to guide their treatments.

I know you have put off taking care of your spinal issues for those two kids but I hope you can find some relief for your pain that lets you stay with it enough to be able to be aware of any problems the kids develop. You have been a blessing to those kids just as they have been a blessing to you. You have also be a great example to parents around you.

[dinkie1]

Thank you Mark. You always have such wonderful things to say to boost me up. Boy do I need that sometimes. I guess I always have been a happy go lucky kind of gal and just realized at my last ortho appointment that I do have some depression that set in. This is caused by my lack of treatment and no help in getting what I need to sustain a life I need to do what I have to do. It's ridiculous when you have to be falling down from weakness and pain before you can get a wheelchair covered. They have always said, they won't operate until I lose my ability to walk. Well....I am there. But now I am not so sure I want to have any further surgery. With the risks involved, what happens if I become a quad? I can't take care of these kids if I don't have use of my arms. I am in a no win situation. I have been sleeping less than three hours per night. Always wake up to pain. When I get out of bed, I feel like my spine is crooked. Like the vertebre are slipping and not going back. I feel myself walking crooked with even my arms not going down to my side. I sway and hit into walls. It is very painful. I just don't know what I am going to do yet. We will see when I get in to the neurosurgeon this month and see what a new MRI tells us. I am sure it is not going to be good. Where did everyone go to from here Mark? Is is so slow compared to what it was. And thank you for voting. I have facebook friends voting but I need all I can get. Seems like as with other online things, there is cheating going on. I sat and watched someone get over 1200 votes in less than an hour. lol Pretty sad when they have to cheat on something like this. All we have to do is get in the to 10% of the votes and then it is up to NMA to decide who actually wins. So I just need to get to the top 10% to be considered in the running. Back to doing what I have to do promoting this contest. If you have any where you think posting this might help please do. We need daily votes until the 9th of May. Thanks Mark. Take Care

[Mark N]

Dinkie, sorry you are going through so much spinal issues. I have been able to delay some of my spinal issues with deep muscle massage. It doesn't stop the cause of my spasms but it does help relieve my tight muscles and relieve the pain the muscles cause. It isn't a long range answer but it has helped me a lot. Yes it is a shame people will cheat on even good contest.