Welcome Spring!

We just got back from our first carp fishing expedition along the Jordan River this year.
A warm, sunny day with a light breeze, the dogs had fun running up and down the banks, David relaxed with his fishing poles, and I started knitting a blanket for a soon-to-arrive grandbaby (that will make three in six months).

The river was still in its winter look of browns and grays.

But I found a daffodil bud in my garden yesterday—a welcome sight.

And the spring flower gardens in the plaza where I work have been planted and are now blooming, giving a taste of things to come. We've had some storms lately, but each of them clear up quickly, giving us welcome sunshine.

Like unpredictable spring weather, David has been doing a lot of rapid cycling in the last few weeks. Happily, his highs and lows aren't as extreme as they were last month, and he pulls out of them sooner. He doesn't take the zyprexa every day because he doesn't like the way he feels on them. He says he'd rather deal with a little noise in his head, but he's learning to take it when he feels a bad cycle starting, or to help manage his stress when it gets to be overwhelming.

We're hoping the warmer days with more light will be welcome help in managing his illness.

Family update: Sailor Jeff and Nikki made it home safely. He found a good job doing security work soon after he got back, thanks in large part to his two years of doing ship security for the Nimitz. We're glad to have them home. Soldier Brian is at Airborne school in Georgia, learning how to jump out of airplanes. We're very proud of him. I should also add that I'm glad I don't have to watch him jump! Ben blessed his sweet baby Kylee last week; it was fun to be there and then visit with him and his family afterward. We also had a baby shower for our youngest daughter, Katie, who is due with her first baby sometime in the next few weeks.

I had a case of writer's block, but finally worked through it. Finishing a story for the magazines about an amazing young man who accomplishes his goals in spite of an intellectual disability helped me put things back in perspective. He said, "I can't read or write, but I can memorize, and be a good example to others." How can he miss with an attitude like that?

Jeff and Nikki

Me and mommy-to-be, Katie.

Below: Ben's wife, Emily, and Kylee.

Dealing with Extreme Anxiety

David went to his Dr. last week. He was suffering from extreme anxiety and lots of joint pain. It's a good thing he did; the Dr. said he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown caused by bipolar. He gave David a complete physical, including blood tests. We're still waiting for the results of those. He also put David on Zyprexa, with the approval of his pdoc. It's so great to have two doctors who work together and take David's illness seriously. All he has to do is call his Dr., and they fit him in almost immediately because they know he's high risk. I'm grateful for them.

The zyprexa is working well for David. It's taken the edge off the noise in his head that was driving him to distraction. He's also been able to get more sleep, which is always nice. His mood was miserably hard to deal with all week, but he's finally coming through the bad cycle. He gets combative, anxious, edgy, and paranoid during mania. I know he's finally coming out of it when he talks to me about what's been going on in his mind, and we can have long, healthy discussions about his illness, and how to better handle it.

I've been keeping a record of his moods since he started this new medicine. And trying to keep my own mood upbeat. Not always an easy thing. I'm still figuring out how to manage my reactions to David's mood cycles. Sometimes I do better than at other times. But one firm rule is to not argue with him when he's manic, and to give him space, while I do my own things. I also rely heavily on faith and prayer to get me through it.

It can be so draining to deal with, but even so, I feel that it's worth the effort. And next week promises to be better. We are expecting a new grandbaby to arrive, and Sailor Jeff and his wife will be coming home for good!