It should be no secret to anyone that I have seriously let the family blog go stale. The last lengthy entry I made was on June 26, 2016. It appears I need to do better.
With that being said I am going to try to catch everyone up on what’s going on (but just the important bits).
For the rest of 2016 & 2017 pretty normal stuff, we took some trips and those are posted here. Jake continued to work, Jess’s health continued on as it had been, the cat continues to tell us everything we do wrong, so normal stuff.
During most of 2018 Jess and I prepped for a move that did not take place. My company had to change course mid-stream but in the end it all worked out. Although we were happy to move again in the end staying in Indiana, I think was best.
Jess & I continue to like living in Indiana where being close to Chicago for the airports makes my work life a whole lot easier. I continue to travel on average about 150 nights a year and most of it is flying nowadays.
Since the move was called off in 2018, we decided to buy the townhouse we had been leasing for the last three years. So, on December 13th, 2018 we became land owners again. If you have never bought a house that your stuff was already in and required you to move nothing, I recommend it.
That brings us to 2019, and as you know it was a freaking cold winter and very wet spring.Â
Now for the biggest thing to happen to us in the last decade.
And now a commercial break (just kidding).
As you know for over a decade since Jess’s wreck, she has been experiencing migraines 20 to 25 days a month. The pain she has had to endure during this time has been beyond description and her condition has defined just about everything we do.
During this time, she has received excellent care but every few years we like to go for some other opinions and to see what treatments might be new.
On May 22nd we met with a new neurologist and as of the time I am writing this she is 60 days migraine free!  Did you hear that?  60 days Migraine Free!
We were hoping to cut them in half, but she has not had any!  This miraculous turn around is due to a drug that has only been out since the fall of 2018.  The drug blocks a protein in the body that causes some types of migraines. Well, it appears that #$@^*&%$&^*^* protein had made the Stapleton family its bitch for the last 11½ years and now it’s our turn. The medicine comes in the form of a monthly injection that I administer to Jess and we have been very blessed for my insurance to cover it with no push back.  The drug is around $1800 a month. She will get her third dose this week we continue to pray that she does well.
This looks to be a very promising turn of events, but we are moving slow and cautious not making too many changes at one time.  I can’t adequately express what a game changer this is. Let me give you an example. Jess and I went to Charlotte to visit family over the 4thof July and she did not miss one family event, dinner, gathering, etc. while we were there.  You may not think that is a big deal, but it is. Neither of us can think of the last time that happened.Â
Jess from 2007 is not back, but we think with a few more changes on the health and medication front, she might stick her head out and say hi soon.Â