Recap 2007

2007 was a whirlwind with lots of goings on. We barely settled into our new home and things started happening. We got a "new " car late in '06 and it's been totally awesome. It's an '05 Saturn Relay with automatic sliding doors and most important, a flip down DVD screen. This keeps our soon to be adopted son occupied with now unlimited "Thomas the Tank Engine" movies. As we moved into 2007, we finally started getting the speech therapy needed for our little guy and the therapist (an awesome girl!) gently suggested we think about getting into behavorial testing for autism. All I remember her saying was that Autism is on a huge spectrum. I continued to be in denial but in the back of my mind I knew something wasn't right.
So she got us the referral and we finally got the birthmom to sign all the needed paperwork.

In late April, I lost my beloved Aunt Helen. She's my mom's younger sister and they shared the same birthday. Mom is 5 years older. I really enjoyed e-mailing with her as she was a rather avid computer user. Some years ago she managed to put together quite a family history using the net and it was pretty interesting. Needless to say, it was a sad day for all of us who travelled from as far as the northwest to attend services. It was also great to see all my cousins that I haven't seen (some) in years. Most of us got together for lunch before some of us had to dash off to the airport. I also had the good fortune to visit with an old friend of my aunt's that I hadn't seen since the last of the big weddings of one of Auntie's girls. My aunt and her friend were born a day apart and met in high school and became lifelong chums. When this lady told her mother my aunt's last name, her mom recalled being in the hospital with my grandmother. They didn't know it till high school that they'd actually met at birth! I try to send this lovely lady a note now and then but haven't heard anything back. I'm thinking of calling her to see how she is. I know she never married or had kids and she seemed like she might have a little dementia. She lives in an assisted living apartment. She was still working, part time, taking the train into New York. Her last day of work, she never did get to the office, only as far as Newark and after some couple of hours of delay, went home. That was on 9/11.

In May, I felt a little pain and ignored it. A week or so later, it came back and I got in to see the doctor right away. I scheduled a mammogram and bone density scan since it had been a couple years since the last ones and on June 6 got those done. I flunked both. I have osteoporosis and now take Boniva and try to watch the salt and caffeine. The left breast showed a couple areas of calcifications and I was soon referred to a surgeon. I had a stereo tactic biopsy done (by a doctor who was born at the same hospital I was and also grew up in NJ so that was cool because we talked a lot about "home"). That was June 18 and the results showed I had cancer but it was non-invasive. After discussing the results with the surgeon, I said I'd rather have the whole thing removed because as he described, he might not be able to get it all with lumpectomies of 2 areas and I can get immediate reconstruction. So off to the plastic surgeon to discuss all that and get triple checked before the "Big Day". I also had to quit the butts.

Next up on the menu was our son's testing at Dartmouth Hitchcock in Lebanon, NH. This was supposed to take place Sept. 5 but they had a cancellation so we could look forward to Aug. 16 instead.

In between all this brou ha ha, the state took J.'s birthmom to court in June to terminate the parental rights or do a mediated adoption. The alleged father couldn't be found so his rights to J. were terminated that day. Birthmom wanted the mediated adoption. We got all our meeting and court dates together and she never showed. She also has another child she was going to do the same thing and never showed for that meeting. Seems birthmom broke up with her boyfriend in RI and moved back to NH. And has a miscarriage. She requested to see J. on Aug. 17 and so we went. She still wanted to mediate and was going to call her lawyer. She also got the test results from Dartmouth. Yes, J. was indeed diagnosed with Austism Spectrum Disorder (mid-range) and she said she wanted to go to all his doctor appointments. I had to explain that he'd be getting therapy at home (mine) and that this is not a disease but a neurological disorder. He cried when he saw her and I decided that this was the last time I would subject him to this trauma. But we needed more paperwork signed so we had to put up with it.

On Aug.21 I had my surgery. All went well and from the pathology report, the surgeon got it all. Good news was no chemo or radiation. Now I pretty much belong to the plastic surgeon or "boob" guy. I was referred to an oncologist and was able to get into a study that has me taking an anti-estrogen for the next 5 years and I don't have to pay for these very expensive pills.

On Dec.13 I had the other boob reduced and lifted so it matches the new boob better. Boob guy took a tissue sample and I only recently learned that there was a cancer there but boob guy got all that and it was non-invasive as well. The one that had the masectomy was supposed to be but in the 2 months before surgery it had become invasive. Again, all was removed so I should be looking a longer life!! Thanks to God and all my friends and family that prayed for me.

On November 20 birthmom had her parental rights terminated. She didn't show for court and called the case worker demanding to see J. and was refused!! She claims she didn't know when court was and after swearing and yelling ended the conversation with "I'm gonna find him". Fat chance of that since she doesn't work, drive or have a clue where we live so too bad. It's a shame that she puts herself before the welfare of her children and I'm sure her heart will be heavy for a long time but maybe it's part of God's plan.

And with the new year, J. has finally started his special ed preschool. I had to become an educational surrogate because we couldn't locate birthmom to sign the paperwork this time.
But the best news is that we have FINALLY started the adoption process. If we get all this paperwork of our own filled out and we also need to get fingerprinted, then JAYDEN MAGNUS STEVENSON will officially join our family by the beginning of April.

I trust you've all had a great 2007 and look forward to an even better 2008. As for me, all is well. (It's part of God's plan!)

So says Amma.