Amundsen House of Chaos

Let's face it, when you have a kid who survived a stroke, life is always going to be a little chaotic.

Friday, April 9, 2010

My blog has moved!

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Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party 2010.

I missed last years party because Colby was in the hospital having complications with his baclofen pump. Thankfully no surgeries yet this year. I'm so excited you stopped by! I love meeting new people. Leave me a comment and I'll come check out your party.

Let me tell you a little about me and my life. I have been married to my husband John for 7 years. We have three beautiful children. I may be a little biased but don't hold it against me please! Jahnna is 6, Colby is 4 and Riley is 2. When Colby was 2 and 3 months we all got E.coli posioning from a mountain river. Colby was misdiagnosed with appendicitis, developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and had a stroke from it. This blog was set up to update family and friends on his recovery and has morphed into so much more.

It's my free version of therapy, it's a place to meet great new friends, it's where I get to do reviews and giveaways. I love it all! Especially the reviews and giveaways. But sometimes I do allow myself the occasional rant over medical issues. If you'd like to read more about Colby's story you can go to this post on E.coli or to his two year survivor day letter I wrote him.

I hope you have a fabulous Blog Party week and I hope to see you hanging around the chaos another day!



Here is a link to the newest donation button for Colby's fundraising account. This ebook is for fondue recipes.
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Saturday, April 3, 2010

My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com
and don't forget to update your bookmarks.

Want to to pass on Colby's story to others? Feel free to grab our button and pass it on. Thanks!

Want to to pass on Colby's story to others? Feel free to grab our button and pass it on. Thanks!



Copy and Paste Code
or you can use this one. Both buttons link up to Colby's stroke story page.



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Here is a link to the newest donation button for Colby's fundraising account. This ebook is for fondue recipes.
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Saturday, March 27, 2010

My blog has moved!

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Don't feed the bears

Come over to http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com to see what Riley did now. Don't forget to update your Google Friend Connect with my new site! See you soon.



Here is a link to the newest donation button for Colby's fundraising account. This ebook is for fondue recipes.
Add to Cart

Friday, March 26, 2010

My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com
and don't forget to update your bookmarks.

5QF and Friday Follow

Head on over to my new site Amundsen House of Chaos to see this weeks 5QF. Don't forget to update your readers and on Google Friend Connect.




Here is a link to the newest donation button for Colby's fundraising account. This ebook is for fondue recipes.
Add to Cart

Thursday, March 25, 2010

My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com
and don't forget to update your bookmarks.

Dystonia

Dystonia is Colby's official diagnosis. You can't be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy if the brain injury occurs after the age of one. Most people assume he has Cerebral Palsy. It's similar but not. Does that make any sense at all? Welcome to my world. I guess I should say Welcome to Colby's world.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. It can be hereditary. But it can also be caused by physical trauma, infection, poisoning like lead or reaction to drugs.

There are a couple of different types of dystonia. There is Generalized,
Focal, Segmental, Intermediate and Acute Dystonic Reaction

Generalized dystonia is hereditary. It starts in childhood and works it way feet upward. Focal dystonia means there are pinpointed locations that are affected. It's usually limited to one area of the body.

Segmental dystonias affect two adjoining parts of the body. Hemidystonia affects an arm and a leg on one side of the body.
Multifocal dystonia affects many different parts of the body.
Generalized dystonia affects most of the body, frequently involving the legs and back.

Because Dystonia can get technical pretty quick here is what Wikipedia says about it.

Symptoms vary according to the kind of dystonia involved. In most cases, dystonia tends to lead to abnormal posturing, particularly on movement. Many sufferers have continuous pain, cramping and relentless muscle spasms due to involuntary muscle movements. Other motor symptoms are possible including lip smacking

Direct symptoms may be accompanied by secondary effects of the continuous muscle and brain activity, including disturbed sleep patterns, exhaustion, mood swings, mental stress, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision, digestive problems and short temper. People with dystonia may also become depressed and find great difficulty adapting their activities and livelihood to a progressing disability. Side effects from treatment and medications can also present challenges in normal activities.

In some cases, symptoms may progress and then plateau for years, or stop progressing entirely. The progression may be delayed by treatment or adaptive lifestyle changes, while forced continued use may make symptoms progress more rapidly. In others, the symptoms may progress to total disability, making some of the more risky forms of treatment worth considering.

An accurate diagnosis may be difficult because of the way the disorder manifests itself. Sufferers may be diagnosed as having similar and perhaps related disorders including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, carpal tunnel syndrome, TMD, Tourette's syndrome, or other neuromuscular movement disorders.


The direct symptoms paragraph describes Colby to a T! I had John read it and he laughed and said that was exactly Colby. Colby goes through weeks of sleeping well and being happy and then for no reason there is some switch that is flipped and he is cranky and doesn't sleep for longer than 50 minutes at a time. His spasms (that's what we call them) get stronger and more frequent. He throws up a lot and is just generally miserable. Then for what ever reason it goes back again.

Friday we will go see the neurologist again and try to decide if we are going to go forward with the Deep Brain Stimulation. The more I read on it, the more I want it for him and the more I don't want it for him. Wish us luck in finding the answers to our questions.

More on dystonia next week. I told you its complex and it's best to break it down in sections.

If you'd like to link up a post on a medical condition please feel free to do so. It can be about any medical condition. Feel free to rant and rave or jump for joy over what ever condition you are dealing with.





Here is a link to the newest donation button for Colby's fundraising account. This ebook is for fondue recipes.
Add to Cart