1st year,

So it was today, last year at 6:50 pm that my dear Mama MB passed away.... One of the saddest days in my 32 years of life.  Which is expected.  When you love some one as much as I loved her.  It's true, when I read a pin the other day that Mom is one of our first loves.  There are no words truer in this world.  I pray my children feel for me, if only a smidgen, the way I felt for Mama MB. The way I feel, the way I will always feel. She may be gone from this world. Gone from my sight and I can't "hear" her voice. She will live on forever, in my heart and memories. With each glance I catch in the mirror, through the eyes of my monkeys and from my family.

She left her mark on this world, that's for sure.  I can almost guarantee anyone who met her, surely could never forget her.

I sit back and think about it all the time, every day when I come down the hill and look up and see her house sitting up there. I know she's not there, my Dad is there and her pets are there.  It's a constant reminder though of how much I miss her.

This day last year, I had no idea how sick she was.  Papa MB didn't call us and let us know. I remember reading his text, that she wasn't' doing well at all.  I went down the hill, up the hill and to her house...

It was then it hit.  She passed that night ....

I miss her so much.  It's been a year. I still feel like she's going to come home from some vacation or that she won't be mad at me tomorrow and I can call and talk to her, lol. Not that I've any idea what she would be mad at me for.

Wish she was here to meet her first grand son.

Good News from Mama,

 

"My surgeon called me today, She said she got the complete breast cancer with surgery. She said all the tissue around what she took was cancer free, that is what told her she got all of it. She said she took 11 lymph nodes from under my arm, only 1 tested positive for cancer, so maybe this is a good sign, I feel good about it, I wanted You all to know- love you"  -Mama Monkey Butt

Words from Mama Monkey Butt :)  We're feeling good to have gotten some good news. Thank you everyone who said a prayer or sent a good vibe.  Thank you all for all the kind words.  Here's to hoping the Dr's will be full of good news in days to come. Chemo begins again in April. 

On behalf of my ass!

It's been a minute since I posted anything much at all in regards to Mama Monkey Butt and her battle with breast cancer.  Here I am finally getting around to it. I shouldn't put it off, but really there wasn't much to update. She's still getting chemo treatments every 3 weeks and running to and from the Dr for blood work and CT scans.  The norm I presume.  So this week Mama Monkey Butt had something to share on facebook and with her permission of course I'm sharing it with you. Her trials and feelings in her struggle!  It blew me away to see her share this I was so happy to see her come up and speak her mind. To share  her feelings on the subject. To talk about her fears. I don't see her enough nor do I talk to her enough and it KILLS me inside knowing this.  She has since deleted the post on facebook, but I managed to get my hands on it for all you Dingleberries to read on!   So I will stop my babbles and get on with the sharing!  Enjoy!  Hang  n there Dingleberries!

"Had some chick call this afternoon wanting donations for breast cancer. I ask who she is, she tells me she is calling on behalf of "American cancer society", but doesn't tell me who or what group she is with. I ask her, "so you are not the American cancer society?" She tells me "no", she is calling on behalf of, that scares me. I tell her she could be john doe from right up the street wanting my card number. she tells me curtly, "That's fine, if you don't want to help women with breast cancer. That's fine." and hangs up. I want to tell her how I feel, I have this monster, was a b cup, now my left arm wont lay down and rest easily beside me. Have an open, nasty place on the bottom of my breast where this monster has eaten its way to the outside of my body. I wear and change a gauze, many times daily. For the fear of getting an infection from this open place, and these people that call, and just because I wont give my card numbers to a person that I cant verify is truly who they are saying, get cold and hang up the phone on me. I hope I've done no wrong, of all people, I'd love to help somehow. I don't have a lot of money, but I don't like being made feel like I don't care about this monster that I am fighting right now for my very own life! I hope some of those people who work at these sites, see messages like this and possibly see how they make people like us feel, just because we wont willingly hand our identifications and numbers to people over the telephone. I hope I survive, I look forward to this look. Never thought I'd be saying those words, girls- Beware "

The world never ceases to piss me off, in amazing ways.  But leave it to a telemarketer to be an asshat.  That's OK we will prep mom for the next one!  Ah yes we will! 

Breast Cancer Updaters....

Mama Monkey Butt has treatment today.  I have not heard from her.  I worry constantly that it is all bringing her down. It stresses me more than anything else.

Life is a hard place for me right now, too many thoughts. Most of which are bad.

Life is really real right now.

So dear Dingleberries, hang in there as things go through a rough patch with me and keep Mama Monkey Butt and her breast cancer battles in your thoughts and prayers. 

She needs all she can get all of the time.

<3 

Chemo Updates....

Well hello Dingleberries. Here I am recovering from a serious case of slack ass monkey butt.  Very serious illness if I do say so myself.

Updates on Mama Monkey Butt though..

Last week, I didn't blog this one, she went down for chemo.  Well all the excitement from hearing her breast had shrank down in size, the Dr was concerned that it had came back up in size.  The Dr requested another CT scan so they did not do any treatments last week. They ran a new CT scan and spoke of changing the medicines and all if there wasn't any changes.

So this morning, Mama Monkey Butt is down again for chemo. They are actually doing the chemo today. They did change the medicines for the chemo and said that some of the cancer has shrank and some of it has not or has grown. She didn't specify and of course this is all done in text message. I will call her tonight and perhaps can have something more witty to say regarding this matter another time.

Again I feel like such a piece of Monkey poo because I haven't been calling like I should, I haven't been visiting like I should.  The price of gas is going back up and I'm trying to save money and stressing myself over shit in my own life. I'm just selfish pile of Monkey poo thrown against a wall right now. 

But Dingleberries, don't give up on me. I tend to pull through things, eventually. Keep praying for Mama Monkey Butt in her cancer treatment and keep us in your thoughts.  Till next time. 

Merry Ho Ho's

Merry Christmas Dingleberries,

Let me start by saying I hope each and everyone of you had a wondermus Christmas and any other holiday you may have celebrated this weekend. 

We managed to finish the shopping on Friday. Thank Gawd! It wasn't quite as painful as I'd thought it was going to be, we also picked up some tasty Arbys on the way home. Nothing like a good waste  of money and some food that may just be bad for you. What fast food isn't bad for you, right?

I didn't get any where near my computer on Christmas Eve.  So sorrys.  I forgot my camera at Mr Monkey Butts Mom's house. Oops, plus she now holding it hostage until Mr. Monkey Butt returns the accidentally placed perfume in the trunk of the car.  She looked pretty happy to receive that perfume I told Mr Monkey Butt. 

We had a wondermus Christmas Eve anyways.  Pokey received her most anticipated gift from Grandma and Grandpa.  Pokey got her Wii.  It's the only thing she really  wanted this year.

Us as well as Monkey Butts Mom and Dad got her the games she wanted and everything else she didn't remember wanting. It was really awesome this year.

Funds were limited but it all came together nicely.  Everyone seemed happy today.

I think my happiness came from seeing Pokey smile as well as playing Just Dance 3 with her as well as Wipe Out.   (for the record, I SUCK at Just Dance 3 and well I'm not too bad at Wipe Out) Do you think I'd be able to try out for Wipe Out based on my ability to rawk some Wipe Out on the Wii? lolz, I'm kidding!

Times were awesome.  Christmas was a busy one, nothing new there!  We played some Mario and I baked a cake for the Punch Bowl cake.  Got up to early and spent time with the family before heading out into the world on Christmas Day. 

We had no white Christmas this year (thank Gawd)  but it did rain most of the morning!  Which sucked pretty much.  Gots on the way to Moms and forgot her gifts, raced back and forth and finally made it.  Food was awesome and had a blast.

The surprise came later.  Our thing usually goes like this, we draw names for the kids and adults on Thanksgiving and then we buy gifts for the people we've drawn.  This year the adults didn't draw names, we were just buying gifts for the kids.

The adults all threw the money they would have spent on gifts for each other into a card and Mom and Dad received the money as their Christmas present from all of us.  ::tears of joy:: As my readers know, my parents are cursed with an insane amount of medical bills for my Mom.  Her insurance company didn't cover the entire surgery for her aneurysm. Which sucked!  Plus she is fighting this cancer now and running back and forth to the doctor for treatments and check ups.  We are so lucky to have a family as awesome as ours.  We really can function as a whole sometimes and it just melts my heart that everyone was so willing to help them out in their time of need.

Again, Dingleberries, I hope you had a wondermus Christmas.  Ours was, as you can tell.  I can only hope we have many many more awesome Christmas' to come.

Goodnight, I've got tomorrow off and I want to sleep in, if Max will let me.

photo taken here

Chemo...Round 2

So it's round two and Mom is in the winning circle.  They've just started the treatment and with only a minor vein collapse it has begun!

Of course I can't be there for this treatment either, which makes me sick to my stomach.  Why I can't be there for my Mom while she goes through all of this.  I know my Dad as well as Sister feels the same way at times. It's so close to Christmas and we're hoping and praying that she doesn't feel to terrible for the holiday.

She's still my number 1 person and the strongest person I've ever met.

 I'm so glad she's my Mom and such a strong person.

So Dingleberries, pray for my Mom.

From what I'm gathering, my Granny as well as one of my Aunts is there with her.   She told my aunt to jokingly tell us she is running around neked and feeling fine! So I think it's a good sign. She is at least up beat about it and taking it like the fighter that she is. 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers.  Everything is going fine so far and I will update again later to let you know how she is feeling.

Merry Ho Ho's people.

Cancer update....

Well I'm posting this with thoughts of coming up with a better title for this series. I'm not feeling it at all for some reason.  Oh well, maybe next time.  Then what do I do? Do I actually go in and change them all to the new name?  So frustrating. If I were more patient of a Monkey I wouldn't find myself in these predicaments, would I?

Anyways,  as you all knows, I posted last week or something with Momma Monkey Butts goings ons and how well it was going, even shared her new wig with you.  You berries are right, she's rawking that wig isn't she! 

It blows my mind the way she has handled this so far. No real sickness from treatment No. 1 and she seems to be feeling fine. She's ecstatic that the size of the tumor in her breast has gone down a quarter of it's size in only one treatment.  It's amazing!  Her Dr is also very confident in what they're doing. For that we are glad! 

The goals as of right now, is to take it down, kill it off, whatever its called and then wait and see.  Because the cancer is all the same, the Dr's say that it's in her blood and I guess that means there is no real sense in surgery. So we kill it down and then wait to see if it comes back.  If/when it comes back they retreat again. 

Thanks everyone for the love, thoughts and prayers.  You make us strong with it and you help me through my hard times by being such wondermus Dingleberries.  I will update again when there is something else to update. Have an awesome week!

Cancer Update...

And yes I've renamed this series.... It's already hit home, you know that, now we FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Well it's been a minute since I've done any updating on Mom's breast cancer survival.  Sadly there really hasn't been much to update.  Early November she went in for tests and the likes, PET scans and CT scans and the likes.  It all came back saying, hey you have cancer, well, more cancer.  It went from Breast Cancer to cancer in the lymph nodes as well as the chest area and the lung. 

Mom went into the Dr office yesterday, after we so patiently waiting till after the Thanksgiving holiday for the results of the last biopsy.  Mom's cancer has spread to her lung.  Meaning it isn't a different kind of cancer and it can't be treated differently.  From what I gather, Mom said that if the lung cancer was a different type then it would be better news, but it's the same.  So I guess that's bad news?  I'm not quite sure!

Anyways... things wrapped up quickly. Mom had her first round of  chemotherapy today.  They are treating her cancer with hopes it will shrink it down and make it better?  I'm sorry I'm so retarded with terminology and smart Dr stuff. Did I tell you Dingleberries ,I am no Dr?  Well, I'm not.  Plus unfortunately I've not been able to attend any of the Dr visits with Mom. So I'm not smart on the whole thing.

Mom had chemo today and  she was surprisingly upbeat and OK with everything yesterday when I talked to her, I've spoken to her tonight and throughout the day. She feels fine and actually received a cute wig.  We know her hair is going to fall out soon-ish?! 

Someone ratted me out and told Mom I'd planned on shaving my head when she lost her hair.  Bastards!  So now she is asking me not to. I love my Mom and would never do something she felt strongly against me doing ( lets not talk about my tattoos and piercings although she did approve of 3 of my piercings and yes I'm counting my ears!  )  But it thought it would make a nice statement as well as match hers!  Then again she may rawk the wig the whole time, lawd knows I can't rawk those like that (they are so itchy)

So, there you have the update and no worries, I will make sure to keep you all posted, because you're already gone this far, can't give up now! 

Thanks for caring.

Mom sporting her new wig
(she still has her hair )

It has hit home...

Yesterday, 11/7/2011, Mom was to go in for chemo therapy. She responded to my message via text  yesterday while she was at the Doctor. I assumed they were in the middle of chemo treatments, she said they were to being at 11am.  Surprised me when she said that they would be bringing by a basket of stuff I had forgotten at her house during the move.  

It was refreshing to see my Mom yesterday,  I hadn't seen her since Saturday. 

To get to the point, they hadn't done any chemo treatments yesterday, they gave her her PET scan results. 

They've found more cancer in the bottom of her lung as well as along the nodes in her chest area, bronchial area. The news/information was a bit vague and I can't read Dr language.  I wish I knew everything that was going on right now, but I don't. I think that is the part that makes it the hardest, just not knowing.

I'd found the light at the end of  the tunnel with everything they were saying up until yesterday. Now I'm lost in the darkness again.  They said it will be better news if the cancer in her lung is different that than in her breast, not sure why.  They are attempting to get approval from the insurance company to do a biopsy on her lung cancer.  If it's something different, it's from smoking. Mom asked me to stop smoking and I'm going to.

You that know me and have followed me for  a bit know that I have attempted to battle that demon on many occasion, her asking me yesterday and then coming home to a pamphlet my daughter made at school about smoking and black lungs made a definite.  I'm going to stop smoking... again!

So now we wait, again, still. It's the worst thing ever.  I'm trying to be hopeful and to not let it bother me too much. It's a strange time right now.

It has hit home...

We are a little more optimistic I think right now. It's not such a terrible time, well kinda. It's still scary and stressful but we are getting more and more information as we go.  So we are happy....ish

Mom had tests today, as I said yesterday?  She had PET scans, CT scans a class as well as whatever else she spent 6 hours at the Dr office for today! 

Dad stressed me for a moment when he sent me this strange text message saying the Dr called and said the insurance would pay 100/00 of the treatments. I'm like WTF if this insurance company only pays 100 bucks of her treatments then I am going to be like Denzel Washington on that movie where his son needs a heart and his stupid fucking insurance company won't cover the shit. He sells everything he owns and then pretty much holds the hospital hostage!!  OK OK I stray, so he explained later that they will cover 100% of it. Yea he couldn't find the % sign on his blackberry!  Stressful!

The Drs explained although she will lose her hair within a couple of weeks that the awfulness we thought would come from Chemo only last a few days or so after the actual treatment.  Though none of this is positive because everyone has different side effects to anything there is no guarantee, but we are hopeful. They are also saying that her shots, for her MS, will also help fight this cancer.  Shit is working out people. It's sad that she has to go through this as well as fucked up and unfair but it will only make us stronger.

I'm going to look strange with no hair and I've not mustered the guts to tell her yet that I plan to shave my head when she loses her hair. So don't go babbling the news to her or anything!  ;)  She advised me earlier that her Dr said being that there are cases of cancer in the family that we should be checked as well. Awesome. My broke arse with no insurance now has something else to worry about right now.  Yay gimme another cigarette. I know it's no joking matter and really I'm not joking it's just too much I guess!
In other news, her PET scan today they ran some radiation through her, we were excited at pee time hoping her pee would be some awesome bright green or something, it wasn't. Total bullshit if you ask me, but whatevs.  She has to drink a lot of water and warsh it all out.  She will have her results Monday as well as her first treatment.  As far as we know, things are changing all the time.  Each time she goes to the Dr I am a little unsure what exactly they are going to do, but she fills me in. 

And she's drinking soda, damn.  I'm giving up on the bright colored pee! 

It has hit home...

So we've begun the battle, as you all know. She's a fighter and she's a survivor.  Mom went to the Dr (chemotherapist) on Tuesday (last week) and I was wondering all day that day what they had to say, some blood work I think.

So they chatted and checked her out, she has to go back this Thursday for PET scans, CT scans, xrays as well as some more information (a class) to teach her a little more.  She starts chemo NEXT WEEK.  She will have it every 3 weeks for 6 sessions. I'm sure I have all of these names wrong.  They are checking her heart to make sure she can handle this stuff she is about to go through.

Chemo is a poison, it's going to be rough but from what I'm reading the sickness really only last a few days afterwards.  She will lose her hair within a few weeks or so after the 1st treatments and she has every intention of calling a wig store, I think.  

We shall see.  Keep praying people. We are all a little more aware and informed at this point, but it's still scary. The television is broadcasting it like mad!  It's weird.  But it's good they are spreading awareness and teaching the world this is real people!

It has hit home...

Updaters, again. You all may get sick of me here shortly.  So, yesterday Mom had the appointment with the surgeon. I assume it went well, Mom and Dad didn't fill me in much on exactly what was said or done. As of right now, they are calling her a stage 2 cancer.  The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes as well as the chest tissue. UGH! 

So first things first.... She has an appointment in a couple of weeks for chemo. From what she is telling me now, they are starting with this in order to shrink the cancer and have a better chance of removing it all when they do surgery. 

Keep praying people, this shit ain't over till the fat lady sings!

It has hit home....

Our breast cancer scare has officially taken a violent shove into reality.  For you dear Dingleberries waiting for the results, my Mom has a confirmed case of breast cancer. It's heart wrenching, nerve shattering and sadly true.  I feel as though I'm dying inside, dying of fear, of the unknown.  It's  a very stressful time if you ask me.  I went home yesterday and talked to my Mom.  They will do surgery, she is meeting with the surgeon today and they will do chemo and radiation as well, not today of course. In regards to stage and the unknown things there, they say they won't know until it's out.  She has cancer in the lymphnode they did a biopsy on as well. I'm so lost, I don't know anything about this stuff. All I want to know is that my Mom is OK.  That's all that matters.  I want to wake from this nightmare, I really do.  Prayers pray because we need all we can get right now.  She's a fighter and she's strong. Expect more updates!

Didn't think that would ever hit home?

Thursday, October 20th, 2011
 I sat in my car on my way home from work.  The traffic was nothing out of the ordinary. Mr. Monkey Butt had gotten done with work early and was on his way to my house, we were to have dinner.  I felt something, something wrong.  It felt like something was terribly wrong.  That it wasn’t OK.   I kept telling myself it’s me it’s me. There is something wrong with me. A gut instinct I guess, sadly I’m one who follows and believes in those. I think that first gut instinct is always right.  I fought it down and trying to distract myself I turned the songs up and sang alone. I stopped into the nail salon and had them rip my eyebrows out. It had already been a terrible day. Broken toes and stomach pain, I just wanted to go home. But what is this feeling?  

When I got home I asked Mom how her Dr appointment went.

I’d almost forgotten she had called me at work to tell me she was going to the Dr. We didn’t get into much on the phone, me being at work and more than one wasted attempt to return her call ate up the few minutes I had to call. 

She was finally going to go to the Dr and have the lump under her breast checked out. To be honest, I’d almost forgotten about that as well. She mentioned it and brought it to my attention around the time of the brain aneurysm and without the excitement and stress it just got lost in there somewhere.  What she neglected to tell me was exactly how big it had gotten. She was going to the Dr because it was hurting her!  

Mom told me they thought it was cancer.

They had done their mammograms and ultra scans.  Found a mass in her breast as well as running along under her underarm area.  Biopsy to come and we wait.... I hate waiting.

Didn't think that would ever hit home.

(photo taken here)

Didn't think that would ever hit home?

Late 2010, early 2011 Mom sat us down and told us she had a brain aneurysm.  Shocked and confused we had no idea what this meant. I’d only ever known of brain aneurysms to rupture and cause many medical problems and quite possibly kill its victim.  Stress was high again.  We had no idea what was to happen in the days to come.  Never had we once been through something like that, something involving surgery, nothing of this magnitude. Sure we were strong through epilepsy and MS and allergies and talks of COPD. Sure we knew all of those things, things we had all dealt with together for many years. Things that were just medicated and seemed under control most days.  This was something all new, this was serious, and this was life threatening potentially.  Mother decided she didn’t want to take the chance of sitting with this “time bomb” in her head. She was going to take the steps and have it corrected. “Preventive Maintenance” as I like to call it, very serious indeed. 

Mother survived this ordeal. Mother went into that surgery like Super Man. Nothing would conquer her and get her down.  After days in the hospital, her face swollen and purple, we thanked everything good that she was alive and better and we wouldn’t have to worry about this problem any more.  I remember when we received word she was in recovery and they would let us know when she would be taken upstairs. We met the lady in the hall and she told us quietly if we hurried we could see her get off the elevator. I remember the excitement I felt knowing that I would soon be seeing my Mom.  She rolled out of that elevator and I shoved my sister in front of me to see her. My Sister wasn’t there that morning to see her off. To hug her and tell her she loved her just in case the worst happened.  Seeing them cry and my Dad so happy to see her just as I was. She looked like hell.  Her face already swollen and the cut was gruesome. But she was there, she was alive and she was beautiful.

The surgeon released mother from her care months later.  She has recently regained most of her old ability to chew her food, her temple is slightly caved in and she can feel the screws and plates through her thin skin, the scar mostly covered by the hair that is growing back.  She can no longer have an MRI, which was always required to check on her lesions caused by MS. If anything slips or leaks, she could very possibly have a stroke and there is no way for them to scan and check that everything is OK with out a risk of the machine sending metal fragments from her new plate into her brain.

Never thought this would hit home…

photo taken here

Didn't think that would ever hit home?

Mother has severe allergies; she has nose spray and inhalers. She has asthma and to be honest, I’m not sure what she ISN’T allergic to.  Last year or so an a/c unit too big for her area created an awful mold sending her into a new level of asthma and allergies.  She believed she would die.  Doctors said it was COPD.  Tears were shed, stress levels rose and then Mom got better.  With steroids and medicines, she got better. Her lungs got better and Mom does NOT have COPD.

Didn’t think that would ever hit home….

(photo taken here)

Didn't think that would ever hit home

In the late 90’s, early Millennium Mom came across new health problems.  The early days I do not remember as I was going through my first rebellion. Mom believed she had a stroke.  Her feeling faded and she was having problems with one side of her body.  We had no idea what was happening. She went to Dr appointments and finally, Mom was diagnosed with MS.   We cried and cried.  She now takes a shot every single week, on Sundays, Sunday being her chosen day so that her whole weekend isn’t shot.  Mom feels the effects of her medicine, AVONEX within a few hours of injection. She has her regiment of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, which she takes religiously the night of her shot and the day after. Spending the rest of the time either nauseous or in bed. Mothers foot burns constantly, her legs seem to want to give under her weight most days and she speaks with a slurred speech at times.  Her vision isn't what it use to be and at times her head will hurt for days, she hasn't smelled anything in a very long time.

Didn’t think that would ever hit home….

Day 285, 365 days of 2011

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Happy Thursday Dingleberries.  I hope you all had a wonderful day. It's definitely been trying for me, but I'm a sucker for suffering inside.  For the news I was unable to say last night, Mom may have breast cancer.  She went in today for a biopsy, they won't have the results in until Tuesday next week. I'm on egg shells until then, just a nervous wreck. But me being a realist, I know whats up and if I'm wrong then Effn A Right!  I plan to do any and everything I can to help raise monies and stuff, being I have to get a second job or sell my soul to the devil, so be it.  She needs the monies!

So I've started a new series, said series will run until A) They say nothing is wrong on Tuesday or B)  You dear Dingleberries will run this ride through my Moms battle against breast cancer with me.  Yes I understand that I won't update every day, but for the next few days I plan on posting what I have so far in regards to her health. Some of you who have been here for a bit know she ran through an aneurysm earlier this year and I'm sharing more to her than that. With hopes that she won't be mad at me for doing so. 

Check it out, also don't forget this weeks Monkey Butt  post. I'm running out  of ideas, so share share share any monkeys you know of <3

Didn't think that would ever hit home?

In the early nineties my Mom had her first epileptic seizure. I remember it to this day, 20 or so years later. I was in bed asleep and all I remember is her boyfriend yelling her name.  We knew there was something wrong. He said get help and we ran and ran as fast as we could to a neighbor’s house to use the phone.  We had no idea what was going on or what else we could do. They went away to the hospital and we stayed with the neighbors. I however do not remember seeing my mother on more than one occasion while she was in the hospital. It’s all blotchy and blurry the time she was gone. 

Mother found out the hard was she had an allergy to Dilantin while in the hospital. 

Mother was diagnosed with epilepsy in the 90’s. 

Didn’t think that would ever hit home….

Today she takes a minimum of two different medications to control her Epilepsy.  One of which, a barbiturate, they are attempting to wean her from and in doing so must compensate and add another.

*photo taken here*