Catchin' Up in Queensland

My poor neglected blog .... and followers!  I blame Facebook!!  LOL.  Seriously, everytime something little happens it goes straight to FB and then I realise that I have nothing to blog about.  So this time around, I am coming straight to you.....PROMISE.

Ayla and I have just spent 4 lovely days in Brisbane with Grandma and Grandpa.  We went up for a few different things. 

I had a 2 day conference to become one of 40 GAPS practitioners in Australia and I am currently just 1 of 200 worldwide!!  Weeeeeeee.   It's very exciting, especially since we have been told just how rigorous the selection for the conference was.  I'm feeling very privileged right now and just a 'leeeeetle' bit chuffed with myself.  GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome and you can find out more about it here.  If you or child is on 'the spectrum' (Autism Spectrum) or are sickly, prone to food allergies, have constipation, diarrhoea, asthma, eczema, epilepsy or tonnes of other conditions that fall under the GAPS list.....then check out that link.  It could seriously change the lives of your entire family.  I'm living proof....I have experienced eczema since the age of 7 and I am now completely eczema free.

Had to get a 'fan' photo with Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride!

 

While we were in Brisbane, Ayla also had her very first visit to the Dentist.  All clear there...no cavities and nothing to worry about, and Mummy was shown some tips for cleaning the monkey's teeth.  Mummy's got your number Ayla!!

Going Up, Up, Up on the Brisbane Wheel!

 

And then yesterday we FINALLY had our first visit with her Paediatric Neurologist since the seizures started back in August last year......yes, it really took that long!  For the past 4 weeks we have been gradually reducing one of Ayla's medications (Keppra).  This drug just wasn't for her.  Within weeks of it starting we were getting regular clusters of her 'BIG' seizures (aka Tonic Clonic) which are far more dangerous than her regular Myoclonics.  Every time the dosage was adjusted was a disaster.  Even when we started to adjust it down we had some scary moments.  It's finally gone now and we are staying on just the Epilim for the time being so that we can monitor what her seizures do and then we will start a new drug to see if we can reduce her Myoclonic seizures from EVERY DAMN NIGHT to a more respectable 'every 3 or 4 nights'.  It remains to be seen whether she will respond to any of it but if I have to fill my beautiful girl's pristine system with disgusting and addictive drugs, I would like to think we could have some relief for her.

Beautiful Brisbane day...

 

Aside from that Ayla had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa, she briefly caught up with Nanna too.  I'm so sorry you didn't get to spend longer with her Irene!!  She was really uptight on Monday night and didn't go to sleep until almost 11pm and then kept waking up all night.  And we caught up with our very good friends Fran, Tony and Lucia.  Lucia and Ayla had a great time playing together and both of them have grown so incredibly TALL!!

 It's hard not to snap a shot when she's being so darn cute.

 Swimming with Grandpa at Southbank Beach.

I think you can see from the photos that we all found a new appreciation for Brisbane.  It was great to be so close to everything and just walk everywhere.  I do miss you QLD!!!  But for now our lives are further south.....and we love the ACT too.