The Prologue to "Reality from Rachel" 1996 to present

Facecrack  Facebook has boomed.  I'm reconnecting with people all the time.  Without the expense of tickets to a reunion.    Since I get asked "what are you up to?  What's happened since I last saw you", I thought I'd write a post and get it done with.

1996 Graduated from High School

Fall 1996 Had my first semester at Brigham Young University.   Lived in Heritage Halls.  Loved school.  Hated my back.   Cried a lot over the back.  And my ghetto high school DID NOT prepare me for the riggers of college.

Christmas Eve 1996  Had an CT scan of my back, back home in Denver, with my parent's insurance.  Showed a herniated disk was causing my back pain and horrible leg pain.

1997 Dropped out of college to do Physical Therapy and eventually back surgery. 

Fall 1997 Went back to school to finish my Freshman year.  Still recovering from back surgery and undiagnosed permanent nerve damage, I could only take 8 credits.  Changed major from Accounting to Food Science. 

January 1998  A really hot guy came to my door to be my friends blind date for a group thing.  A week later he called ME back.

May 1998 Got engaged to Grant Richins

Summer 1998, worked in Denver, got wedding plans together, while Grant did his first internship at Microsoft in Seattle.

August 1998  Got married in the Denver Temple, became Rachel Richins

Fall 1998 to Summer 1999  Took a few classes at BYU, lived in the obligatory horrible basement apartment, and was a nanny for my sister while she went back to finish a degree.

June 1999  Moved to Seattle, WA when Grant got a job at Microsoft as a programmer on the Visual Studio Team.    He's still happily working there.

November 1999 Our first was born, Alex Richins.  9 pounds, 2 oz. 

May 2000  We moved into our first house, and still live there.

June 2001  Our second child was born.  Emily Richins, a great, drug free labor and only 8.5 pounds

2002  Kept getting sicker and more crazy.  Postpartum depression, non functioning thyroid, and no progesterone or estrogen made by my body left me ravaged.

2004  Did a long elimination diet and found that multiple food allergies were contributing to my suffering.  I'm sensitive to wheat, corn, soy, benzoates, salicilates, milk, amines (and that's all that I can remember)  

2005 My health returns enough to try for a third child.  And we remodel our home, adding a few rooms.   And I get called to be ward organist.  Even though I don't play more than 5 hymns on the piano.   I start lessons right away.

Feb 2006  Katelyn is born.  She has horrible acid reflux and food allergies.   She stops eating because it hurts.   She throws up entire bottles, drenching everyone.   She loses weight.  We get accused of child abuse and have a CPS interrogation/test.   Finally find the right mix of food :  Liquid Allimentum, and meds:  Carafate and Prevacid and positions:  fed, play, change and sleep on a 45  degree angle wedge.   Katelyn finally gains weight.  She's fine today.

2007.   Try to get pregnant with #4.  Can't keep the baby.  Finally do.  Become so sick that I need meds to eat.  At 17 weeks, have my first gallbladder attack.  By the end of the pregnancy, I've gained NO weight and only can eat Jello and Oatmeal without pain.  Start laying down in church/car rides/parties because it hurts everywhere.   Get released from being ward organist, become compassionate service leader.

Feb 2008 Mark Richins is born.   6 Weeks later, Gallbladder is "born".  2 weeks after that, Fissure is repaired.  Then I get busy being a mom of 4.  Mark also had reflux/food allergies.  He can throw up across the room.   Med's don't help him, but doesn't throw up Oat Milk.  He's now a fat, thriving boy who is still drinking Oat Milk with vitamins and fats added.   Still has allergies and throws up wheat. 

May 2008   I'm not healing from the previous surgeries.  Use Microsoft Nanny service to watch the kids while Grant is gone, and I rest.  I feel better when I lay down.   Start to pay for nanny ourselves.  One day I want to work out.  I tie my shoes, throw out my back, and can't move.   Discover another herniated disk.  Try rest.  Try shots.  Demand to be released as compassionate service leader.

August 2008  Celebrate 10 years of love and marriage with Grant.  Neither of us expected this journey, but we've pulled thru together and still love each other.   Plans to travel somewhere exotic are exchanged to sending the kids and nanny away for the day and having the whole house to ourselves.  And having a couples massage.   Love you Grant!

Sept 2008 Have back surgery.  #3 surgery from baby #4.  Man he broke me.  Can't lift my baby until Christmas Eve.    Still slow to heal.  Still feel like I've been hit with a baseball bat between the legs when I stand/sit for more than 90 minutes.   So we still have the nanny.  We are grateful we lived frugally for the previous 8 years. 

November 2008, Rachel stops writing long weekly newsletters and starts blogging. 

January 2008  Diagnosed with permanent nerve damage at S1 nerve root (right at the spine, causes horrible pain in my left foot).  Also diagnosed with several abdominal prolapses.  Surgery #4 and #5 are scheduled in April.  Nanny agrees to pay cut so we can keep her longer. 

This is a rough draft of "So what have you been up too"  Or "the prologue to Reality from Rachel"   I'll probably update and change it later.  After the next doctor appointment.