A Trodden Way

   The phone rang in the middle of a counseling session last week and Charles picked it up in his office, so as not to have it continue ringing and disturb me.  A few minutes later as the client and I continued on I could hear the buzzing of my cell phone which was in my purse several feet away. As it was doing its thing I thought to myself that it might be Olivia’s school calling.  For some reason, when the school calls to leave an automated message, it will call the home phone first and then my cell phone second leaving of course the same message.

As the client and I were finishing our session and saying goodbye, Charles came in from his office through the back door and announced that Olivia was ill and needed to be picked up from school.  He wasn’t sure if I needed more time thus requiring him to do so or not. 

So off to the school I went to gather up Miss Olivia and thinking, in the car, how I had not seen her since the day before when she was picked up by her dad for their usual Wednedsay afternoon and evening rendevous.  It occured to me that this was about the time I start missing my Livvy every Thursday. I start anticpating seeing her sweet smile as she disembarks from the bus and Molly’s rambuncious greeting as she bounds down the steps and sidewalk to meet her half way.  All this made me smile and actually tear up.  We have come such along way with Olivia and the thought of her not well or ill made my heart swell with gratitude for how far God has brought her. 

At home an hour or so later Charles again came in from the office to check and see how we were doing.  I declared, “Well Livvy is not a very happy camper today.”  To which she replied, “That’s because that shirt is at my dad’s and wasn’t clean, so I couldn’t wear it today.” 

To which Charles and I just looked at each other and smiled and said “We’re so glad you’re home Livvy!” (giggles)

This post is dedicated to Miss Olivia! If you are here at this blog, for the first time, it is because you received the postcard in the mail directing you here for new information regarding Miss Olivia. Please forgive the lack of staying in touch more often this last year, but most of you know, by now, that God has brought someone into my life to “love and to cherish”(His name is Charles Bennett). However, that has not stopped Miss Olivia from growing and changing from day to day, so onward with this update.
Were you aware of the fact that Olivia LOVES puzzles? It has consistently baffled those who are closest to her, the tenacity and the intensity to which she “goes at a puzzle”. A greater insight into my daughter has brought me to the conclusion that the reason she loves puzzles so much is because, she is one! She relates to them so well. Just as one piece falls into place, there is the challenge to go onto the next piece, to see where it shall fit. All because we are driven to see the “whole picture”, to sit back and look at our lovely accomplishment. For years now, Olivia has been referenced to as a “complex little thing”, by her mother (that would be me of course). This picture of a puzzle really drives home this truth.

Puzzle pieces that fit:
• Olivia is two years, and two months free from debilitating seizures.
• Olivia is one year and six months free from all anticonvulsant medications.
• Olivia is one year and one month free from her two middle fingers stuck in her mouth.
• Olivia is now officially OUT OF HER SHELL! (Help…help…help)

Puzzle pieces that have not fit yet:
• Olivia’s weight has gone from one extreme to the other.
• Olivia’s insulin levels are WAY OFF!
• Olivia’s thyroid has permanent damage, therefore, Synthroid for the rest of her life.

This seems to be the deal, as I understand it
• The seizures and the seizure medications were masking what seems to be another problem, which relates to her original stroke. The hypothesis is that at the time of her stroke (which if you remember occurred in the central artery of her brain) damage to the pituitary and a vein leading from there to her stomach and her pancreas also took place. The medications used to control the seizures did not help, in fact it exacerbated the problem, thus the extreme weight loss. With these issues solved, we now see the underlying problem for what it is.
• Everything Olivia puts in her mouth, her body perceives it to be sugar, and pushes it into her fat cells, even if it is not sugar or fat. This is frustrating to say the least. She has leveled off and we are using medication to bring the insulin levels down. The pituitary and the thyroid are incredible organs that hold the rest of our system in balance, if those are not functioning properly there is real danger of overload on the rest of our bodies.

Prayer Requests
When you think of it please pray for Olivia and her family as we struggle to keep it all in the perspective that none of this has taken God by surprise. He is aware and He created her just as she is.
Pray for our strength, to resist a lighthearted attitude since the “obvious” has been solved. That we would seek to solve this with the same passion and fortitude, to which we tackled the seizure issues.
Miss Olivia, is scheduled to be re-assessed this spring, at school, since she is not under the “influence” of seizures and mind-altering medications. Although I do not foresee her changing placement at school, it could reveal a greater number of opportunities for her future. Please pray for God’s will and our humble acceptance of the outcome.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and love. We will be seeing most of you in a few weeks, so until then God Bless!

Over the past several months I have had the joy of seeing the expression on the faces of people who know Olivia respond with excitement and great delight to her new found forthrightness. Her eagerness to share whatever is on her mind or whatever has just recently happened in her life such as, “I’m sweet sixteen now!”, is so new to not only her family but to many former acquaintances and teachers that it takes us by surprise.

It has been nothing short of sheer fun retelling little conversations and stories to others that I have experienced with Olivia along the way, many of which I have been told need to be written down. So every once in a while as these Little Ditties pop up I plan on writing about them so that you too can share in the giggles and delight of what the Lord has done and is doing in Olivia’s life!

One of these little ditties happened several months ago while my dear friend Miss Kelly was visiting one afternoon. It had been a few weeks since Kelly and I had conversed and she had lots going on in her life. With the need to shed some weight from her heart and mind she began to share her news. Olivia arrived home from school during the conversation and sat down to listen herself. After several minutes of talking frantically and with great speed Kelly herself became frustrated with the fact that she had to stop and reissue a statement due to being tongue tied.

You need to know that this is not the norm for Miss Kelly who is an avid story teller of sorts like her late father Pat Seago. Olivia and I had hunkered down to wait patiently as Miss Kelly struggled to tell all the details in order and with succinct ion. After several “mishaps” with the facts or pronunciations etc Miss Kelly looked over to Olivia and said “Liv, I think I need the phone number for that brain surgeon of yours.” To which Miss Olivia replied in a calm, matter of fact tone of voice and the demeanor of an expert at such things: “Ohhh, Miss Kelly, you don’t need surgery. You just need to USE your brain!”

Of course much laughter was had and there have been many occasions since when Miss Kelly and I can truthfully say to one another “You just need to USE your brain girl!”