Kyara Dzenis

Kyara Dzenis

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!




These are pictures from last year's New Year's Eve ritual. We eat lobster. The one night of the year that we SPOIL ourselves. Kyara enjoyed drinking the "lobster juice" and pretending to be a lobster. I find looking back at these pictures to be a double edge sword. I love seeing her so healthy, active, and HAPPY. It also tears at my heart; I miss her smile, laughter, talking, playing, etc so much!
This year we are going to do the lobster feast again. Our dinner has arrived and although I can't be in the room when we cook them (it is too hard for me, I hate the idea of killing the lobsters myself), I can't wait to EAT! YUMMY!
I pray for a great 2010 for everyone. We will wait to see what 2010 has in store for us. I know it will be a busy year. Kassey is potty training, Kyara has school and therapy, and Skylar has school, karate, soccer, and basketball. Enough stuff to fill our days!
Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas

It has been a while since I have posted. I get the desire to write something up, then get busy with life...or I am too exhausted to write, or I find some other excuse to not get on the computer. We are now only 1 month from it being one year since Kyara's cardiac arrest, and I can't help but to think about last Christmas. We got home from Michigan (from Kyara's initial surgery) just in time to enjoy a great Christmas at home. We were relieved that Kyara's leak had finally healed and hopeful for a wonderful future for her. We looked forward to 2009 as being a great year...

Now, things have changed.

I feel very blessed to have wonderful people in our lives. Kyara has fantastic therapists, and teachers. We have the best family and friends one could ask for. The support through the year has been amazing! Skylar and Kassey are a joy to be around, and Gunars and I love and support each other through all that is happening around us. God has provided us with the support we need at the exact right time that we needed it. I know He will remain loving and faithful to us, as we will toward Him.

I don't want this post to turn into a tearjerker - at least for me, while I am writing it- so am going to stick with the facts.


Kyara had a neurology appointment on Monday of this week (we weren't scheduled until January, but they had a cancellation). We have been noticing Kyara doing something that could be a seizure, so we wanted to have a neurologist involved in Kyara's care. I have actually had 4 therapist as well as Kyara's teachers ask me if she had seizures because of the look she displays. Anyway, the neurologist confirmed that "yes" she is having seizures. We have decided against treating them because they are not harmful to her. The type of seizure she has is not the type most people think about, where the person is flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. (I know that is not the most sensitive way to describe it, but it gives you a visual). In Kyara's case, her eyes roll up and to the left, she gets very still, she stops crying, and she stares. After 30-60 seconds, she kinda comes out of it, and is calm for a couple of minutes before really recovering. Since Kyara is not mobile, the doctor said this type of seizure does not put her in danger and is not painful to her. It is not causing anymore brain damage, even though she does this 4-5 times a day. So in her case, there is really no reason to add another medication to her list and risk the possible side effects of the anti-seizure drug.

Other than that, we are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with loved ones. We pray everyone has safe travels over the holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! (Sorry, I am not sending out Christmas cards this year, I just have not gotten around to it!)