Intros - More Than a 30 Second Infomercial

Okay, don't you just hate those? "Please describe yourself in 30 seconds or less." Ha! Not possible. Runs against the grain. I am not a soundbite and neither is my life. I hope to be able to slow down a little and write some. Not in 200 - 300 words, but in a full explanation of what I want to say.

So, for this intro, I am going to put in some info from a profile on another site and whatever else hits me. Here goes.

I am a member of a very unique family.

I am a wife to a wonderful husband (sometimes!) and mom to two fabulous boys. While that sounds ordinary, each of us battles different chronic illnesses or diseases. We all look perfectly normal on the outside, but we have struggles that make it difficult to function.

I am visually and hearing impaired, and have mobility impairments (herniated discs - 5 in all) as well. I now know that I have an allergy to dust mites, those pesky little critters you can never completely get rid of. Due to this allergy being untreated all of my life, I now suffer with multiple chemical sensitivities. My allergist is working to strengthen my immune system. I will let you know how it goes. I battle high blood pressure and diabetes through diet and medicine, both traditional and natural. I have recently been diagnosed with bruxism, TMJ and TN-trigeminal neuralgia.I have had numerous other illnesses throughout my 20s and 30s (RSD-in remission, Bells Palsy, optic neuritis, vertigo-recently returned). Now in my 40s, most days I am able to function as a homemaker, but not always. I still have good days and bad.

My husband has epilepsy (under control with meds) and anxiety disorder (being treated with meds and therapy). My oldest son, 15, has Asperger's syndrome, a form of high functioning autism, and my youngest son, 12, has just been diagnosed this year with moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Dysautonomia/POTS, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.

And I will add in another member of my family who you may hear about on a regular basis; my baby sister, age 33, who has recently suffered 5 small strokes. She has diabetes. When she is not working, she stays with us.

I am the advocate in the family, making sure that each receives the best care, accomodations and support they need. There are good days and bad, but I mostly try to find something uplifting to say. Not because I am a pie in the sky kind of person, but because we all have to survive in spite of our adversities.

There is so much more to say, but that is what the blog is for. I will write about our lives, food (I love recipes!), old movies, books and anything else that comes up. But mostly, I want everyone to be able to feel they can make it in this world; however your family is made up.