Sun, Grass, and Sea

Just added to the shop: Sun, Grass, and Sea Mandala Tablecloth!

Lisbeth's Got a Brand New Bag

Lisbeth recently received this pretty handmade bag in the mail from my on-line friend Karen of KaHolly: Portraits of Our Natural World. Karen saw that Lis has been loving all things green lately and decided to surprise her with this sweet gift. Lisbeth loves to get mail and was thrilled to find this package in her mailbox. Thankyou for being so thoughtful, Karen! Lisbeth loves her brand new bag!!

Stability

Lisbeth is feeling quite a bit better with this last decrease in Keppra. Less rage episodes, happier disposition. And amazing seizure control. It's always a challenge to find stability.

Check it out - one of Lis's mandala tees is featured in this blog!

Rage

Lisbeth is having rage episodes again. We are going to reduce her Keppra once more with the hope that we can find a healthy balance. The Keppra is doing an amazing job as far as her seizure control, but we are still seeing frequent episodes like the one filmed here. Be advised upon viewing that this video contains loud profanity. Lisbeth and her helper, Caitlin Geary, came over this afternoon to take a swim in our pool, but Lisbeth didn't swim. Her behavior started to escalate (it can turn on a dime). Lisbeth has no control over her behavior during a rage attack, just like she has no control over a seizure. Typically she swears and hits and/or throws things. We have to administer her PRN lorazepam in these instances. When Lis was younger and had rages, her worst words were, YOU'RE FAT! YOU'RE FAT AS A CAT!! Then when she got older, around high school age, she had a rage one day and stunned us all with some brand new vocabulary words - she'd learned how to swear! To this day, these are the only two swear words that she knows, and she directs them towards men and women alike. Her high school special ed teacher used to joke with us that she was going to teach Lisbeth some gender specific swear words. No thanks. This is quite enough...

About 20 minutes after the lorazepam...

Thank God for medication.

Feel Better Color

Lisbeth with her new green feel better ring.

During the last several difficult weeks, Lisbeth has been instinctively surrounding herself with the feel better things (Lis-ism). The feel better blankets, feel better bears, feel better books and feel better pillows. She has also started to gather all things green around her. (Like all artists, Lis delights in color and pattern, and enjoys collecting similar items, calling them the same the same...)

Lis with her helper, Sara Montegut, after a swim yesterday. Lisbeth has been swimming twice this week! This is a huge step! She used to love to swim, and even won gold medals in the Special Olympics in High School. But for the past couple of years, anxiety has prevented her from getting into the pool. We tried all winter to help her with this at the local YMCA to no avail. But Wednesday and Friday this week, she swam with us in our backyard pool, and laughed and enjoyed herself. I cannot tell you how miraculous this seems and how glad this makes us feel...

Proud and glad Dad...

Proud and glad friend (and Lisbeth's former special ed teacher), Jo Goiran...

Going green from finger to toe...

It's the feel better ring, Mom and Dad. Guys couldn't believe it!

True!

MidSummer Magic and Miracles

You got surprised of it. ~ Lisbeth

The past several weeks have been such a difficult trial for Lisbeth (and us) but we have hit a plateau - a holding pattern - and right now Lis is in a wonderful space. We've kept the Keppra at 1500 mg a day - she has not had a grand mal seizure in over a month, the rages and hallucinations have wound down, she has lost the weight that the former meds had caused, and...(dare I say it?)

Yes.

She is h a p p y.

Lisbeth's expressive arts therapist, Stephanie Cimmet, is currently doing alot of dance and movement with Lis, and Lis says this makes the whole body feel better.

Yes.

Yes, indeed.

Sweet Summer Mandala Camis & Tees!

Now in the shop! C'mon over and browse around!