Monthly Archives: July 2016

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A Long Day…

July 11, 2016 10:26 pm , 3 Comments , dani@beautyfullmess.com

This is going to be a quick post tonight. I am not feeling well, and maybe it’s because I have been at doctors appointments most of my day. I started the day extra early, which is NEVER easy for me… I don’t sleep until early hours of the morning, and today I had to hit the shower at 6am. I was at the dentist for round #2 today of amalgam removal, and I will have one more appointment next week to finish up the process before we can start treatment for heavy metals.

Then I had an appointment with my doctor here in Bend to set a soft catheter in my arm for the week… however, my veins were not wanting to cooperate today, so we ended up just getting two IV’s. I will head back to the doc tomorrow morning to try the catheter again tomorrow morning!

I then wrapped up the day with having my hair extensions put back in… what a great feeling to get all freshened up!

And…. just in case anyone forgot that today is 7-11… we made sure to get the kiddos their annual free slurpees at 7-11. This year Cory had to take them, because my day didn’t allow, but how cute is this crazy pic of my crazy bunch? Man, I love them so much!

Please pray for:

No mercury poisoning symptoms tonight/ tomorrow like I had last week

That my veins are easy to set the catheter in tomorrow

Provision for all areas of life

Kiddos who feel secure and for the nightmares to end tonight

Endurance for Cory as all areas of life are tugging on him hard

Healing for my body, Cory’s body, and the kiddos bodies

There were so many blessings along the way as well…

My Uncle is my dentist!

My Aunt is my dental hygienist!

I have the greatest hairstylist/ amazing friend!

My IV drugs made it through customs in Germany and to the doctor just in time!

My parents took me to Prineville for my dentist appointment for half the day!

My sister let Grey come over and play so she was distracted and having FUN!

Soooo… in short, God is good… all the time!

I am so crazy exhausted after this day. This is too much for me on most days now, and I am going to hit the sheets about two hours earlier than I usually do! Good night everyone!

Sincerely, Dani

Posted in: Family, God, Health, Life, Live IT Out!, Lyme Disease, Prayer, Update

An Open Update…

July 10, 2016 10:34 pm , 3 Comments , dani@beautyfullmess.com

Hair… Hair… Hair…

This has been such an ongoing battle for me for about these last 8-9 years now. My hair has never been amazing or coarse, but it was long and I had lots of it. Almost a decade ago now my hair started falling out by the handfuls. Although at first I suspected it was just part of having babies and it would recover eventually, this was not the case for my head. My hair became more and more fine, it has become very brittle, thin to the point of not being able to cover up my scalp in several areas, and it has slowly broken off to up above my shoulders and above my ears in some parts too.

I know, I know… this is not the end of the world, however, I believe that God gave us hair and that it is part of the beauty we see on people’s exterior. I also know that true beauty is on the INSIDE. For me personally, this is a battle I have had to fight in my own heart. I have three kiddos and two of them are daughters that I never want to view themselves in the light of their beauty being dependent on wearing makeup, having a perfect figure, wearing the most designer clothing, or what hair they may or may not have. I also know that there have been soooooo many drastic changes in my health, emotions, appearance, and overall feeling and some of these vary greatly from day to day. Because of these unknowns that I cannot EVER be in control of, I have been wearing extensions in my hair for the last 8-ish years off and on… mostly ON! I have struggled with thinking it was vain. I have had several heart to hearts with my kiddos about what beauty is, what beauty isn’t, and why I have chosen to change a part of me for the time being. I have cried on my husbands shoulders about it more times than I can count. For some reason, hair for me is one thing that I can be in control of with extensions and they help me still feel like a girl. And you know what… regardless of how I am feeling each day, if I can get out of bed just long enough to brush my hair and put it up in a ponytail or maybe go to the doctor with curls in it… I just plain feel better all over!

I just took my extensions out tonight… I have to take them out and have them put back in about every 6 weeks or so!

These are them… They will be re-taped in tomorrow evening!

I wanted to share this info because I’ve overheard many conversations bashing ladies for having “fake” hair. I want to encourage people to have grace with others. Whether you agree with something trivial like extensions, makeup, or other things that don’t really matter at the end of the day, they do not change a person’s heart, and maybe, just MAYBE they are dealing with something out of their control that you would never know and they just need a moment, a day, or a cute ponytail to feel a tiny bit better overall!

I may have extensions in my hair, it may be fake, it will never define me, but I am ok with them and am incredibly thankful for the people that donate their hair for my extensions and literally thank God for them each day that I brush or wash them… because of those women, I too can feel like a woman on the outside while striving to be more like Christ inwardly every moment for the rest of my life!

I also have to say a quick THANK YOU to the world’s greatest hairdresser, sweetest friend, and huge blessing in my life: Jenna Ringer… you have done my hair so amazingly for soooooo many years! I am blessed by you friend! XO

Posted in: God, Health, Life, Live IT Out!, Lyme Disease, Update

One Month and Counting Down…

July 9, 2016 9:23 pm , 2 Comments , dani@beautyfullmess.com

One month till we land in Munich, Germany! Today Cory started all of his testing for co-infections, Lyme Disease, and a full panel work up. We became bandage buddies and I finally have a partner in all these pokes… Eeeeek!

We also got our international drivers licenses!!! It’s getting closer and I’m getting more nervous, but the kiddos excitement to see another country is a welcome distraction from all that we are facing in the near future!

On one more note, after a lengthy doctors appointment this morning, we have decided to catheter my arm so that I won’t be continually poked all week, every week… This is going to be helpful, but the reality of the severity of all of this somehow set in with just that one simple piece of news… Please pray for peace for all of us, and that little Grey, who is at the age where she’s realizing that her mommy isn’t like lots of other little girls’ mommies is going to be seeing more and more visible signs of this disease. She is also struggling getting used to me being at the doctor every weekday… She is crying when I leave and asking for extra cuddles and attention. The big kiddos seem all too strong until a “bad” night is upon us, and then fear sets in. Please pray for protection over their thoughts, that their young hearts can handle the extra burdens and that they be filled with JOY in it all! Pray that Cory is given Gods wisdom in all areas of providing for and protecting our family. Pray that he has productive days for work, enough energy to make meals, and can let down and relax/ laugh even in the mundane day in/ day out trials.

Thank you for sharing in our Beautyfull Mess… We treasure each one of you on this journey with us!

Sincerely, Dani

Posted in: Family, God, Health, Life, Live IT Out!, Lyme Disease, Prayer, Update

Germany… Here We Come!

July 8, 2016 11:05 pm , 2 Comments , dani@beautyfullmess.com

Once again, it has been a while since my last post here for many reasons. There have been some really, crazy hard days and nights filled with much pain, we are pressing through the hard times and savoring the good times. We had Lucy’s 11th birthday as well as Cory’s birthday yesterday, took a spontaneous camping trip for one night at a local lake and enjoyed the Independence Day with family and friends after starting it off with a full morning of being at the dentist. We have fought fiercely for good days… we need them more than I can express right now after having such a rough couple weeks.

Along with some of the fun activities we have had, we have also done TONS of research, asked so many questions of doctors, and have settled on a course of action that will take our entire family as well as my parents to Germany on August 5th. Cory and I will check into the St. George Klinik in Bad Ailbing, Germany on August 7th through at least the 21st. My parents will be taking care of our kiddos while we are in the hospital receiving treatment to irradiate the Lyme Bacteria from our bodies. This hospital is the only place in the world that offers this specific Extreme Hyperthermia treatment and they only treat Lyme Disease and Cancer patients there, both with great success. We will also be undergoing extensive detoxing treatments, testing, and other things that are yet to be decided until our arrival. Though we are very, very hopeful that this treatment will get here and be over with so that we can move onto the post treatment protocol and be one giant step closer to being able to do all the things we dream of doing as a family… I am filled with nerves, worries of the unknowns, and all the travel logistics for our family. I am of course nervous of being put under general anesthesia for seven hours two times for each of Cory and myself while our bodies will be heated up internally to such high temperatures that it will kill the disease causing bacteria in our bodies. We know that this treatment is what we are supposed to do, but doing it is still filled with unknowns and fears.

Please pray for our family in this soon- coming journey, Please pray for peace, wisdom, safety, and many, many, many good days ahead! Please pray for finances to be in place, please pray for our kiddos to feel safe and secure as their parents are starting to have daily doctors appointments and that is unsettling to them. Please pray for overall healing in all five of our bodies and strength and health for the five of us and my parents as well.

I know that where He leads us, He will be with us.

I will be journaling here on my blog this 30 day count down until treatment starts next month, so please read along, share and pray when you think of us.

Sincerely, Dani