Happy Holidays!

 
Seasons Greetings from our family to yours!

We’ve had an eventful year!  The beginning of 2012 found Natalia and Christina in Green Bay, Wisconsin for a 2-week intensive scoliosis boot camp in an effort to stabilize Natalia’s rapidly progressing scoliosis curve.  Although we gave it our best, the program did not work for Natalia.  On April 2^nd, Natalia had spinal fusion surgery to correct her 73-degree spinal curve.  It took 11 screws, 4 hooks, and 2 titanium rods to do the job.  In all, she missed a month of school, but has recovered very well, and now stands straight, and taller than mom!

Roland Systems Group (Rob’s employer) combined their Bellingham and Los Angeles operations this year, and closed their Bellingham office.  Rob was able to retain his job and work from his home office above our garage.  Phew!  Like that commute!

We now have one teenager, two girls in middle school, two girls with braces; Girl Scouts for Natalia, basketball and volleyball for Johanna, and piano for both.  We are enjoying this stage – just wish it would slow down a bit!

Rob has been eating gluten and sugar-free for over a year now and Johanna joined him in 2012.  Both have seen health benefits of the change.  Christina is experimenting and learning a new way of cooking! 

We suffered a tremendous loss in July when Rob’s dear mom, Cheryl, passed away after struggling with the effects of a massive stroke in 2010.  We miss her very much, but her sweet influence lives on in our lives.

We enjoyed sun-filled days with dear friends in Arizona over Thanksgiving week.  We hiked around the red rocks of Sedona, visited the Grand Canyon, golfed, swam, shopped, laughed and relaxed.  All the things great vacations are made of!

We will be celebrating our 20^th!! wedding anniversary later this month with a cruise to the Southern Caribbean.  We are looking forward to sunny, relaxing, romantic days! 

May your holidays be filled with the love of family and friends and may 2013 be a wonderful year for you and your family!

Love, Rob, Christina, Natalia & Johanna

Treasures

As we've gone through Cheryl's things over the last 6 weeks, we've found some treasures...that comfort us, encourage us, and give us little pictures of the goodness of her heart.  Here is one of those treasures:

Beauty of Your Love, O Lord

How strangely unfolds the 

beauty of your love, O Lord.

From the bud of pain, fear,

and loneliness

You open to me, a flower

tipped with drops of dew

resting gently on its petals.

As the sun touches quietly

The shadows of morning

The spider web is

transformed from thin

invisibility into tangible

life-lines of purpose

even as you show me

new paths in my life.

I see you in the

mountain tops of life,

I call out to you in the

depths of the sea.

And yet-you come to me 

in the quietness of a friend who is there.

-You meet me where

I least expect you.

-You call to me softly,

and I answer.

~Cheryl M. Read

1983

Forever in our hearts...

Cheryl M. Read, age 68, of Coupeville passed away peacefully July 23rd surrounded by her family and loved ones. She was born March 31, 1944 in Sumas, to Vance and Mae (Dickinson) Clark. Cheryl grew up in Bellingham where she met her high school sweetheart Carl (Bill) Read and soon married in August of 1965. Cheryl loved to learn and earned multiple degrees which included Elementary Education (1966), Early Childhood (1972), and a Masters in Learning Resources (1986). She was an educator at heart and taught at all levels from preschool to college.

Cheryl had a true passion for books. She enjoyed all kinds of stories, and often read up to eight books at a time. Cheryl also had a love for nature. She enjoyed walking, bird watching, and spending time at the beach with her grandchildren.

Cheryl was very giving of her time and very active in the communities in which she lived. She always had a special place in her heart for those in need. A sampling of her public service included Ferndale Planning Commission, F.L.A.G. Community Library Group, Ferndale Library Board, Christ Lutheran Church, and founder of the Ferndale Community Meal, which continues to serve hundreds of families in the Ferndale area today. In 1983 she was voted Woman of the Year!

Cheryl’s family meant the world to her. Cheryl is survived by her loving husband of 47 years Carl (Bill) Read of Coupeville, WA, sister Coleen and Jeff Mayville of Houston, TX and brother Roger Clark and Elaine Rickman of Camano Island. She is survived by her children Michael and Lynn Read of Seattle, Robert and Christina Read of Lynden, and Ryan and Christine Wasserman of Bellingham. She has five grandchildren, Nevan Read, Natalia & Johanna Read, and Benjamin & Zoe Wasserman.

A celebration of life service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Whidbey Island, Saturday September 8th at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Ferndale Community Meal or in support of this website at Caringbridge.org.  The Ferndale Community Meal program can be reached at:

PO Box 2205
5694 Second Ave.
Ferndale, WA  98248
(360) 380-2200

The Read Family........

"Our Mother"

Cheryl Read, May 2010

Caring Bridge: Cheryl Read

Tonight my heart aches with the loss of "our mother"... 
 

Our Mother

“Mother-in-law” they say, and yet
Somehow I simply can’t forget
‘Twas you who watched his baby ways,
Who taught him his first hymn of praise,
Who smiled on him with loving pride,
When he first toddled by your side.

“Mother-in-law” but oh, ‘twas you
Who taught him to be kind and true;
When he was tired, almost asleep,
‘Twas to your arms he used to creep.
And when he bruised his tiny knee,
‘Twas you who kissed it tenderly.

“Mother-in-law” they say, and yet
Somehow I never shall forget
How much I owe
To you,
who taught him how to grow.

You trained your son to look above,
You made of him the man I love.
And so I think of that today
When with thankful heart I’ll say,
“Our Mother.”
~ unknown

Sugar Free Strawberry Jam

I am super excited with how my sugar free strawberry freezer jam turned out!!  It set up and tastes great! 

Here's my recipe:

4 cups mashed strawberries
1 cup apple juice concentrate
1-2 tsp stevia depending on how sweet your strawberries are
1 1/2 packages of Sure Jell low/no sugar pectin (packages contain approx 5-6 tblsp of pectin, so use one full box plus about 3 tblsp)

Wash, hull and mash strawberries.  Bring apple juice and pectin to a boil in a small saucepan for one minute (you are substituting apple juice concentrate for the water called for in the pectin directions).  Stir constantly or it will burn.  It will be pretty thick.  Stir in stevia.  Immediately mix into prepared strawberries and place in freezer containers.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing.  Per the pectin directions, freeze for up to one year or in the fridge for 3 weeks.  I can't imagine that it will last that long around our house!!

Seattle Children's Hospital is just so cool!

No surprise that this video that went viral on YouTube was done at Seattle Children's Hospital.  Way too cool!

Stronger Video

Making the Stronger video

Kelly Clarkson's special message

3 Weeks Post-Op

Yesterday was Natalia's three-week post-op visit with her surgeon at Children's.  Dr. Krengel is very pleased with Natalia's progress and feels that her recovery is on track.  She is able to begin resuming "normal" activities, including school, as she can tolerate them.  Sitting for long periods, especially on hard chairs, is still very tiring and difficult, but getting better with each day.  Yesterday, by the time we got to Seattle, she was ready to lie down. She has only gained 2 pounds back from her weight loss - need to keep working on that!  She is supposed to walk daily, working up to 45 to 60 minutes daily.  Hmmm...if it would stop raining that would be a lot easier!

We did ask about the "hardware" - she has eleven screws, four hooks, and two titanium rods - 5.5 millimeter in diameter.   She will get special "attention" going through airport security for sure :-)

We are so very thankful for modern medicine, a very talented surgeon, a wonderful Children's Hospital, and a (so far) smooth recovery!   May it continue!

Natalia & Dr. Krengel

Natalia's amazing doctor

This is Natalia's doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital.   He is the head of the orthopedic spinal team there, and truly an amazing and gifted doctor. We are so thankful to benefit from his expertise!  Children's Hospital is such an amazing facility as well - truly top notch!

http://youtu.be/MtRKAXmFxIU

2 weeks post-op

Today marks 2 weeks since Natalia's spinal fusion surgery. We are constantly amazed at how quickly things change and how well Natalia is recovering. Natalia lost 8 pounds, which she didn't really have to lose, but we are doing our best to put those pounds back on. Natalia is managing her pain well, and mostly able to cover it with Tylenol, except at night. Her rotated ribs seem to cause her as much, or maybe more, pain than her back itself. We met with her school tutor last Thursday, and she has started to work on some school work, which is wonderful. Stamina is the big thing right now - there just isn't much! Simple tasks, and even sitting up for extended periods really tire Natalia out. But every day is a little bit better, and she is a little stronger! We are so very thankful for the availability of modern medicine and all they can do. It still amazes us to see how very straight Natalia is! Thank you for all your visits, cards, gifts, prayers and thoughts - they've brightened our days and helped us along the journey immeasurably!

Big DayS

In re-reading the blog posts, I realized that I began each day with "Today (or day three, four, whatever) was a BIG day." That just kind of sums up the week for us - one BIG day after another! We are settling in at home, working to keep Natalia comfortable, entertained, and as active as possible. Rob goes back to work tomorrow, and Johanna returns to school. Hoping for an uneventful week, with not quite such BIG days!

Before and After

You cannot really imagine the difference in Natalia's back. At her pre-op appointment, her thoracic (top) curve was at 73 degrees, and her bottom (lumbar) compensatory curve was at 40 degrees. Her curve progressed very rapidly - last August, on her first x-ray, her thoracic curve was 32 degrees. Because of the large curve and rapid progression, her spine was also pulling and rotating her ribs. We were warned that this would not likely be corrected, as the ribs begin to grow in the new/rotated position. Dr. Krengel was amazed at how much her ribs did return to normal position and so we are very thankful for that! X-rays taken yesterday indicate the thoracic curve is now at 19 degrees, and the lumbar at 17 degrees, which is an unnoticeable curve that balances itself out. And because a picture is worth more than 1000 words - here are the before and after pics:

Before - a big S curve

Before: the curve causing spine and rib rotation

Before: this is what a 73 degree curvature looks like on x-ray

After: x-ray shows 2 rods and hooks/screws

After: first look at the incision on day four - so STRAIGHT!

Day Four Post-Op

Day four was a BiG dAY! The day started off at 6 am when the orthopedic team came in to change the bandage - what a way to wake up! It was our first look at the incision. It is amazing, and very straight! X-rays at 9, followed by physical therapy at 10:30. The final physical therapy "test" was to go up and down a flight of stairs - she "passed"! So, that meant we were free to go home after lunch! The nurse told us our discharge morning went very smoothly, with all the steps just falling in line, and that "hardly ever happens." We left the hospital at 2 pm, and headed north, hoping for minimal traffic on a Friday afternoon. We lucked out and made it home by 4! We were worried that the road bumps would cause a lot of pain, but I guess we had enough pillows as she didn't complain!

Lots of support from little sister Johanna

With Dad and Mom

Cousin visitors: Ben & Zoe

Final PT test

IV's coming out - removing that tape isn't any fun

Leaving room 3007 for the last time

Headed Home!!!

Home!

We are SO glad to be home. Exhausted, but happy and thankful. The ride went pretty well, and no major traffic issues which was a bonus since we left Seattle at 2 pm on Friday of a holiday weekend. Natalia had x-rays this morning and her curve is now only 19 degrees, down from 73. Will post Day Four pictures later...must go to bed!

Day Three Post-Op

Today was a BIG day! Natalia is up and walking!! Getting up, and getting back down is the biggest challenge, but she is definitely rising to it. The first walk was to the measuring station...and she "grew" 1 3/4 inches to 5 foot 5 3/4 inches. Definitely looking at mom eye to eye! Appetite is a little inconsistent, but growing. She wanted bacon this afternoon and after an order to the kitchen they sent up a whole big plate of bacon, crispy just like she ordered it! She has been sitting up the last couple hours in a recliner, and we got her out of her hospital gown and into street clothes so things seem a little more "normal." Uncle Mike, Aunt Lynn and Nevan came to visit which was a great distraction. If all goes well, Dr. says we can go home tomorrow after lunch, so that is exciting, and a little scary too! We are amazed at how straight Natalia looks. She'll have x-rays tomorrow so we'll know exactly how straight she is. Hopefully our update tomorrow will be from home!!!

Working on a craft project in bed

1st walk down the hall

Getting measured - 5' 5 3/4"

Visiting with Nevan, Uncle Mike, Aunt Lynn

Special order crispy bacon

2nd walk with Dad

Dressed and up in the chair

3rd walk - made it around the whole loop!

Day Two Post-op

Today was another big day for Natalia. She began eating a little more, and moved to oral meds. Physical therapy included standing, taking a few steps and then sitting up in a chair! Natalia was amazing, and really did most of it herself even though she didn't think she could! Grandpa Bill, Uncle Mike and Nevan stopped by for a brief visit today too. Tomorrow morning they hope to remove the catheter and have her walking a bit more. She will get measured to see how much she grew! Thinking she's pretty close to eye to eye with mom now. Hoping for a good night!

Favorite nurse Kolene

Standing for the first time (yep she's a bit taller than the PT)

Sitting in the chair after walking a few steps

Day One Post-Op

Today was a big day - first day post-op. For the most part the day went well. We appreciated our visitors very much - each one brightened our day! Natalia was able to sit on the edge of her bed three times, for about 3 minutes each time. This was a lot of work and she was very tired after each time. Even though the morphine auto drip turned off this morning, Natalia was able to control her pain fairly well and never reported higher than a "3-4" for pain on the scale of 1-10. She hasn't really eaten anything yet, other than a few bites of applesauce, so hopefully tomorrow her appetite will resume so she can gain more strength for tomorrow's goal - standing!

Some super fun balloons delivered this morning

Visitors Jenny D, Kirstin Y and Carrie C

Visitors Lorena H, Miranda B, Johanna, and Nicole H

Sitting up for the 1st time with the PT

She made it!

Surgery was a success!

After a long day yesterday, we were very thankful to meet with Dr. Krengel around 8 pm and hear - "the surgery was very straightforward and everything went perfectly." Natalia's surgery started around 3:30 pm and lasted about 3 1/2 hours. The report is that her curve is "very straight." Her ribs also rotated back significantly which was an unexpected bonus! The night was long (or short depending on your perspective) - with hourly checks and turns, but Rob and I managed to catch a little sleep in between checks. Natalia reportedly came into her room last night as "the best spinal patient they've had in years" - managing her pain very well. She hasn't reported more than a level 3 pain (with 0 being none and 10 be the most pain you've ever had in your life. We are feeling so incredibly thankful this morning....

Pre-surgery 4/2/12

With Grandma Glenda shortly after getting to her room

Cuddling with Lovey

Tomorrow is the BIG day

Natalia's surgery is tomorrow. Tomorrow. Will likely be the longest, hardest day yet in parenthood for us. Surgery check-in is at 1:20, with surgery scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm. The surgery will be 3-4 hours, then recovery time following that, so we won't likely see our girl until nearly 9 pm. We are thankful for family and friends that will be there waiting with us. And those that will be with us in spirit.

Natalia is doing very well...calm and trusting. She is amazing. 'Tis a good example for the rest of us.

We'll be at Seattle Childrens:

4800 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, WA 98105

206-987-2000

We'll hope/plan to update as we are able following surgery. Thank you for walking this road together with us! We feel your love, care and prayers...

Counting down until the spine's in line...

Natalia's spinal fusion surgery has been scheduled for Monday, April 2nd. We had our pre-op appointments yesterday at Children's and are inside of three weeks. The curve had not changed with any significance since our last appt four weeks ago, which was good news. Natalia had written down a long list of questions and Dr. Krengel patiently answered them... Yes, she can have a parent with her when they anesthetize her. Yes, she will lose weight (we'll do our best to beef her up in the next three weeks!). Yes, unfortunately she does have to take off her underwear for her surgery. And on it went! Natalia was rather excited when asked to participate in a pain and sleep study for Children's - the incentive is $60 in gift cards to Target and if you know Natalia, she was all over that! Our next three weeks are busy, so know they'll go fast and the day will be here before we know it. We are thankful for the support of family and friends...

Scoliosis update

It's been a about six weeks since we returned from the treatment program in Wisconsin. The at-home exercise program included three 20-minute sessions per day. Last week, we had our first follow-up appointment with our orthopedic doctor since early December. Unfortunately, we did not get the news we hoped for. Natalia's scoliosis has continued to progress - seems like it is determined to continue in spite of our best efforts. The only way to stop the progression and gain some alignment is spinal fusion surgery. Natalia's surgery has been scheduled for early April. We anticipate a 4-5 day hospital stay, followed by several weeks home from school during recovery. We have high confidence in the orthopedic specialists at Children's and are adjusting to the fact that surgery must be. We are fortunate to know another girl from Lynden who underwent the same surgery at Children's last March. They have been very happy with the outcome of her surgery. So, we take one step, one day, at a time and have confidence that God has all things in his control.

Home!

Yesterday, we finished out our second week at the spine clinic and flew home. It is sooooo good to be home! Guess we brought the WI weather with us as it started snowing on our drive home. Dr. Dovorany is very optimistic that Natalia's body can sustain the change in her spine - holding at about a 22 percent reduction, and even potentially continue to improve the curve. For now she'll be doing weighted cantilever exercises three days a day for 20 minutes each. We will also be following up with a chiropractor in Bellevue each month. Overall, this was a really good experience for us and we are so glad we went!

Natalia with Dr. Dovorany

Natalia with Amy and Michelle at the clinic

The weighted cantilever exercise

Tuesday

Here's our home away from home. We are in the bottom unit that you can see in the pic.

Days continue to go by - we head home in three days. Wow! Natalia is doing well in her treatment program. Dr. Dovorany continues make slight tweaks in the the routine to best address the curve. This week, two new people started the program. Jada is a 7 year old girl from Ohio, and Griffin (totally unsure on the spelling) is a 13 year old girl from Israel(!!). Two other women, who started with Natalia - one 25 and one 44, are also still here. So many people, from all over, all ages, seeking non-surgical options - amazing!

Today, Green Bay experienced a near record high for January 10th of 46 degrees! That meant another walk for me along Fox River. Went the other way this time, into downtown. And back through the historic district where I couldn't get enough of all the beautiful old homes! Fabulous!

Ice floating down the Fox River

Old church in downtown Green Bay

The Historic District

A few of the many fabulous historic homes

Saturday

Ah...a day off! Well sort of - Natalia has to do her exercises three times a day, for 20 minutes each time. But that seems easy after 6-7 hours per day for the past week!

We had a great day, spending the afternoon with my boss' sister and husband who live nearby. We did a little shopping, had a great lunch at Kroll's across from Lambeau Field, and then went and explored Lambeau Field, home of the GB Packers! Fun afternoon - loved spending time with you, Jan and Gary!
Our evening was spent with Sharon and Maja at the home of Evan and Marilyn and their two spunky girls, Megan and Molly (who happened to adore Natalia!) They served a delicious dinner and we had a wonderful evening of visiting and fellowship! Thank you so much! Didn't get out my camera this evening - bummer!


For fun - some interesting Green Bay facts:

1. Green Bay is one of America's oldest settlements. French explorer Jean Nicolet founded the city in 1634.
2. The Fox river, which cuts through Green Bay, is one of the few rivers in the world that runs north.
3. It's just 54.3 square miles.
4. Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, was born in Green Bay.
5. There are six colleges/universities in Green Bay, the largest being the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay with about 4,800 students.
6. Thirty-five percent of Green Bay residents have German ancestry.
7. The average snowfall per year is 40.7 inches.
8. The average high in January is 24 degrees. So, it's remarkable that it's been in the 40's a few days while we've been here! They really pulled out the red carpet!
   
9. The average high in June is 77 degrees.
10. Green Bay is by far the smallest town with an NFL team. The population is just over 104,000 people. There's a reason the team hasn't been moved to a bigger city: the franchise is owned by the fans, or over 100,000 share-holders. It's the only team in any major league sports to have this kind of ownership. No wonder they love their Packers!!!
11. One of the Packer's first equipment managers designed the "G" logo, but it doesn't stand for Green Bay, it stands for "Greatness."
12. Lambeau field has 72,928 seats.
    
13. And every game has been sold out since 1960.
14. There are about 78,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets!