I have been missing in the online world. Haven’t been blogging, and have been spending minimal time on Facebook and Twitter. A lot has been going on in my life, but now I have something that resembles a plan.

The Background:

In May of 2009, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Over the July 4th weekend, we went up to Idaho to spend the holiday with my family. We came back that Sunday, and in the middle of the night, I got up to go to the bathroom. Just as I was almost back to sleep, my husband got up, too. I heard a loud, long, extended clatter in the kitchen of our small, one-bedroom apartment. Half-asleep, I called out, “Honey, are you ok??” No response. So I got up, went out to the kitchen to find my husband standing by the kitchen table, holding a mug of water, and wiping blood from his nose. I asked him if he was okay, and he responded that he thought he’d fallen down.

“You fell down?!”

“I think I’m just dehydrated. Some water should help.”

He took a step toward the kitchen sink and passed out again, hitting his head on the sink. (Have I mentioned he’s really tall?) He was only out for a few seconds, but didn’t remember anything between me calling out from the bedroom, and me hovering over him, asking, “Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay?” So…we called the paramedics. He went to the ER and did every test imaginable, but everything came back normal. Ever since then, though, he’s had a migraine. Not kidding. On a really good day, at the best part of the day, his pain is at a 3 (out of 10). Most of the time, it’s higher than that.

The Struggle:

We have tried SO many things, to little or no avail. We consider ourselves VERY lucky that he’s able to work full time, with a wonder drug called amitriptyline. We have paid lots of money in trying different medications, different combinations of medications, and many other things.

For Christmas 2010, we went out to his grandmother’s house, which is in the very northwest part of Washington State. We had a great time, but the most miraculous thing was how good he felt! It’s the best I’ve seen my husband feel in 2 1/2 years. We were at sea level, the sky was cloudy, it was warm, and the air was clean. I cried on the way back to SEATAC. I did NOT want to come home to the inversion gunk in the air and my husband feeling terrible again, but back we came.

In February 2011, we bought a house. We love our house. Unfortunately, though, my husband has been getting worse, making taking care of the house and the yard very difficult. Washington has always been on the back burner of my mind, with a big “what if??” What if we moved there? Would he feel better more of the time? Was that just a fluke, since it was Christmas and he wasn’t working and was around family?

We talked about it extensively over Christmas, and decided that when he went to his checkup with his neuro-ophthalmologist just after the holidays, we would ask her. (She’s one of the three neuro-ophthalmologists in the Intermountain West.) When we got to the appointment, she asked us before we could ask her!

I told her about Christmas, and she was very interested in that. She said that altitude can really strongly affect migraneurs sometimes, and that it would be worth trying it again to see if it was just a fluke, or if he could feel better being at sea level.

That was what we needed.

The Decisions:

1- We will try the experiment, because it’s worth it! His grandma is being so kind to let us come stay with her. Both of our families have been amazing and so understanding.

2- We are selling our house. We’re very sad about this, because we LOVE our house, we LOVE our neighbors, we LOVE our ward, we LOVE the area. It’s beautiful. Wonderful people. (Seriously — I mentioned at church that my husband wasn’t there because he’d made the “mistake” of shoveling the driveway. Since then, some neighborhood angel has been clearing our walks and driveway. THANK YOU, WHOEVER YOU ARE.)

3- If going to Washington works, we will move there. I am ready to move on with my life. If he doesn’t feel ALL the way better, that’s okay — as long as he feels a LOT better. We are both ready for him to be more functional than he is, even though we’re both grateful he can at least work full time.

4- If Washington doesn’t work and we end up staying here, we are still selling our house and buying a condo or renting an apartment that doesn’t require yardwork. Our realtor is amazing, and she will be taking care of some house things while we’re gone.

Life change is never easy, and this has been no exception. It’s been a lot of thinking, a lot of talking, and a lot of praying. I believe that God has been guiding us, and looking out for us. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who loves us and supports us. I really can’t tell you how much it means to me. It’s a little overwhelming (in a good way).

Please pray for us and send good thoughts our way as we make these preparations and as we travel. It’s an exciting adventure, and I’m really looking forward to it.