(Update transfer from Caringbridge)

He's on a new medication that lowers his heartrate and blood pressure to try to help ease the vasoconstriction pain Hemiplegic Migraine causes.

Unfortunately, this leaves him foggy and easily worn out. His desire and previous ability to run for blocks and blocks disappears within a few minutes of being outside and he's needing carried a lot more than before. Even on short, 2 block library trips. 

David and I got showers this week. My first in 3 weeks. 🛀

We were able to get out to the pump track and tend to Braven's sensory processing need for speed on his little balance bike. He kept saying, "I am an AWESOME biker, doing super cool tricks!". 🚴‍♀️

We are all still fighting environmental respiratory challenges from mold found in our bedroom. Our landlord just informed us of the option to move into a different unit immediately, or find a Airbnb for a couple weeks while they tear the walls apart and seek to resolve the moisture issue that has been keeping us so sick and made Braven's baseline even more challenging to reach.🤧🤢

We have to decide by Monday if we are going to move for the second time since March (which would probably happen in the following week). 📦🚚

Either way, David and I have the added additional expenses, exhaustion and stressers of moving or renting a temporary location for our family and dogs starting Monday. 😵‍💫🏘

The absolute highlights of our week have been YOU. ✨️

-Braven ate a full dinner of Mango Sticky Rice you sent him on the Meal Train and we all got the best sleep yet that night.🥭

-You helped us refresh our pantry and fridge with easy meals and gave us a gift card for an emergency meal. 🍛

Braven said the Costco Mac and Cheese was "The Best Dinner EVER".  

-You stopped by with flowers and cleaned the house for us on a day I was barely managing my own Migraine Attack and had to get Braven to and from another Dr appointment on my own. 💐

-You texted to schedule a playdate, you messaged to ask how I was holding up, you said, "Its so good to see him in this state right now!" when you saw us out and about (Instead of the isolating "Oh he's recovering so well" we typically hear from others) You told David what an amazing dad he is.

Each of these things made David and I feel SO seen and loved. 

-You sent us empowering children's books, which we have been reading over and over, giving us all space for conversation and toddler level phrases to use in our processing with Braven. 📚

-You sent some of the Medical Play Therapy items we have on Braven's Wish List and Braven has LIT UP with the empowerment. His first words opening the box was, "Now I'm DR BRAVEN!"🩺

He has spent hours and hours tending to his monster trucks, Baby Kitty, Ollie Doll, and us. Checking our bellies and ears for "worry" 🥺 and using his BP cuff to "hug our arms" and "shoo the birds out of our trees" (David and I have tree tattoos on our arms which apparently were infested with birds 🤣).

Thank you so much for bringing light and less isolation into our week. 

Next week we hope to finalize an emergency plan with Braven's Neuro and Rehab teams so we don't end up in ERs on repeate and discuss a reasonable current plan of action to get him out of this chronic state of Hemiplegia and  Migraine he's been in since Christmas. 

It's Braven's third birthday this next week too so I'm trying to figure out a way to make it sweet, gentle and special, no matter how our bodies are feeling (planning a birthday party for a child with complex medical issues is not something we have the privilege of) I think I'll make him a trash truck cake. ♻️🗑🚛