This will probably be kind of rambling post, because I just want to talk about some of the fun things we've been able to do as a family over the last several months. We don't get out very much these days, so it's a pretty big deal when we do.
So Comic Con is this weekend, and Brittany and my husband are attending. It started last night and is going through the end of the day Saturday. Britt and hubby have wanted to do this together since she was about six, so I am really excited for them to have that experience together. Even with the short time they were there last night, they had such a great time. They got a picture with Dirk Benedict (my husband was obsessed with Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team growing up) and the look on hubby's face is like he's 7 years old. :)
Another reason I'm excited that they are doing this is because over the last few years it has been so difficult for Brittany to go out and do things. Things that almost all of us take for granted are things that have been absent from her life--the ability to just get out of bed when the rest of the world does, being able to go outdoors safely--and so as her body has been recovering she is stuck at home a LOT. There have been stretches for months at a time where she has literally been indoors because of her sensitivity levels. During those periods of time she often has her sleeping patterns flipped, so she figured out that if she went outside just after dawn she was okay to be in the back yard for awhile since with the rest of the world asleep there was smaller risk of getting sick from car fumes and other toxins that are in the air just as a result of everyone going about their business during the day.
Although we're not home-free and still have to be careful, her body is a LOT stronger than it was this time last year. On hard days I have to keep that in mind. I'm really thankful that we've been able to bring her sensitivities down; that has made all the difference in her being able to get out and do more.
It's interesting how different life is when you deal with an allergy to this extreme--to go anywhere she usually brings a paint fume mask with her in case she needs it, andhas to bring a pretty good-sized "purse" with her so she can bring her own toilet paper and soap, and pray that the bathrooms wherever we are aren't heavily doused with air freshener. She also has her compounded Benadryl in tow, along with quercetin + C supplements in case of a reaction. Usually there are also a couple of cans of coconut water in tow, also a precaution for reactions. So she and my husband have all these things packed in with everything else they're taking with them. :) They said there was a lot of cigarette smoke outside last night while they were waiting in line, so she was really glad that she had her mask. It's an amazing thing to me that after being around all that she was able to get up this morning and get herself ready. That alone is huge; not too long ago it would have been a guaranteed 3 weeks to recover.
She had a pretty rough time during June and July and we didn't get all the camping in that we were hoping to do, but for her birthday in the first part of August we decided to take a trip down to the southern part of Utah and see a show at the outdoor ampitheater they have there and then camp overnight. Our son and daughter-in-law came with us and were so sweet with her and mindful of what her needs were. Britt was pretty weak and tired but I couldn't believe how much she came alive when we were setting up camp. Being that high up in the mountains was so rejuvenating for her! All that clean air and just being close to nature made a huge difference. The show we saw was the stage musical version of Mulan. This was our first time at this venue and I didn't realize that Mulan wasn't showing outdoors, so we ended up in an auditorium for it. She had to wear her mask the entire time because they were popping popcorn in the lobby. It was a good show, though. When we got back to camp we did a little star gazing before going to bed. It was actually really overcast but the clouds parted for just that little while and we were able to see a lot. We were camping in Cedar Breaks, which is known as the second darkest place in the country so a lot of people go there just for star gazing. Hoping we can go again and spend a few days.
Back in April, we went to see Bon Jovi in concert and that was completely awesome! We have listened to a LOT of Bon Jovi during this healing process; I love how his music is about picking yourself up and not letting life beat you. It's interesting listening to their different albums; I feel like you can get a sense of his life journey through his music. It changes so much from those classics we all love from the 80s to their more current ones. Seeing them in concert has been on my bucket list and our whole family loves their music. Brittany has also always wanted to see them in concert, so it was very exciting for us! When our son and daughter-in-law found out we were going, they got tickets, as well and came with us. It was so much fun. At one point she started having a bad reaction when someone sat down by us with popcorn, but it turned out we were in the wrong seats so after we moved it wasn't as bad. We did have to do damage control with Benadryl and quercetin but made it through and had a good time. I still blare their latest CD all. the. time.
About a month ago Brittany did bridal portraits for a friend she grew up with, and then photographed the wedding a week and a half later. The portraits were so professional looking that when they went to print the bridals the worker refused at first, saying they had to be copyrighted (Brittany did the shoot for free and just sent them the digital images to print what they wanted). It was pretty awesome. :) They used the bridals as elements for the table centerpieces and they were just beautiful. The day of the wedding was a great day and I was so excited that she was able to put in such a full day, with the ceremony being that morning and the reception in the evening. She had a great time and reconnected with some friends she hadn't see in a couple of years. It was a good day.
After each of these events she had to rest for several days afterward (well, I don't know about Comic Con yet) because of how much it took out of her. I guess my point in doing this post, besides recording some of the good things, is to remember that although I wish it didn't take so much out of her, the fact that she has been able to do these things is a big deal. A year ago, we couldn't have attempted any of it, and there was no way she would have had the stamina to do the wedding photography. Her recovery time is less and her body's responses less extreme. So she is making progress, and for that I am grateful.
Here is a gorgeous photo of my daughter, which she did herself yesterday. She is so talented and I just love how the picture turned out. :)
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