CarVan12: Health Scare Continues ... and Worsens :(

[backyard sylph]

I just put the nice tablecloths over the vinyl one, then when I need to use the table for stuff, I yank off the nice one and have the vinyl surface. The table surface is not nice, because years ago my husband refinished it, and though he knows how to do this sort of thing, used the wrong product or didn't let it cure right or something. And I've never bothered to ask him to redo it. But now it's great to have as a big work surface and for puzzles and things, living alone, and still useful if a couple of the offspring visit. 

To me, that Cinderella sticker looks like a tarot card. There is at least one Disney Princess tarot deck, btw, and all sorts of fairy tale ones. So I amuse myself imagining the designer worked on both projects. 

Edited December 19, 2022 by backyard sylph
bad wifi

[JDuggs]

After seeing the Stewarts work on their gingerbread houses directly on their new table, I’ve come to the realization that the table won’t be covered up for aesthetic reasons. They like the way it looks on social media. I think that most people invest in a nice table for the long haul, but the Stewarts will just sell it on Facebook Marketplace when it starts to look beat up in a few years and buy a new one.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

If they can't be bothered to be home for the arranged delivery time...are they going to care about any of the rest? They don't seem to think ahead.

I didn't mention before but I will now...Evan put up a list fixture centered on the "dinning" space. But then they got a long table....so now the fixture is over one end of the "dinning" table.

Think ahead? Nope!

[marmalade]

25 minutes ago, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

If they can't be bothered to be home for the arranged delivery time...are they going to care about any of the rest? They don't seem to think ahead.

I didn't mention before but I will now...Evan put up a list fixture centered on the "dinning" space. But then they got a long table....so now the fixture is over one end of the "dinning" table.

Think ahead? Nope!

Well, if he hasn't forgotten his electrician training, he can move the fixture and patch the resultant hole. 

[marmalade]

Carlin and Evan predictably decided to drive to Nashville last night in the midst of the big storm. A 3 hour drive turned into 7 hours, including a 3 hour detour six miles from the parents' house. 

[EmiSue]

12 hours ago, marmalade said:

Carlin and Evan predictably decided to drive to Nashville last night in the midst of the big storm. A 3 hour drive turned into 7 hours, including a 3 hour detour six miles from the parents' house. 

Those idiots are lucky they didn't run out of gas.

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

New video today....

Evan's click bait strikes again.

"Carlin's new low"

The update:

1. The medication seems to have reduced the severity of the episodes. She still "feels weird" and has to lie down. It really seems like Carlin is doing her best to downplay it all in everything she says. Then Evan adds "well you had one today" (referring in particular to having to reset the can't drive for 6 mo timeliness every time has an episode)

2. The "new low" I guess refers to "about a month ago" when Carlin wanted to get off all the pills because ....

reasons? The pills "arent working" ??(and yet are also saying episodes less severe/more predictable. I think she means "didnt immediately cure it")

...and was very depressed about it all. She gets down about everybody asking her how things are and she doesn't have a definitive answer.(an understandable feeling).

Apparently they've had fights about her taking her medication because Evan insists.

(OK Evan you get a kudo. Good job!)

They have a follow up with the headache specialist neurologist in the new year.

Other stuff:

Evan bought presents for a 3-4 yr old child for zade. Because really Evan was buying presents for himself. 

Evan bought layla a ball that flies. Evan thought it was really cool.

(This ball has a loud drone type motor thing in it and if you do it just right when you toss it in the air, it flies erratically. Unlike an actual ball that you could just throw in the air and use hand eye coordination to catch. Sounds like a horrible ball...losing all the regular function of "ball")

Let's see, what else?....um....Evan wore his hat oddly high on his head again.

He tried to make Layla start saying some slang. Unclear if it was his own invention or something picked up from internet. Layla didn't get it.

Layla said some cute things.

Izzie the dog was freaking adorable over getting rawhide bones for a present. All happy wiggles. So cute.

Their house is painfully white. The presents were wrapped in white patterned paper and brown paper sacks.

They filmed themselves trying to film a tik tok. "Riveting" content.

Evan seemed to be shilling audible/Alexa. And it was very very awkward. Talking about how they don't read books. So it's strange that Layla loves books.

They listen to books- on audible through alexa, of course! I have doubts about that. 

 

For anybody concerned about their finances: they appear to have plenty of money for multiple sets of matching Xmas pjs/outfits, fancy gifts, eating out, and taking time off. 

[marmalade]

Carlin also gave Evan a MacBook Pro. 

They also mentioned that they are still trying to nail down times for the 5 day EEG, so that's not off the table as I thought it was.

[Tdoc72]

5 hours ago, marmalade said:

Carlin also gave Evan a MacBook Pro. 

They also mentioned that they are still trying to nail down times for the 5 day EEG, so that's not off the table as I thought it was.

This is so annoying to me. They don’t have regular jobs and a schedule so finding a time should be easy. But if you’re getting so upset or depressed that you don’t have answers, why not schedule the test that may give you some or at least rule something out. 

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

The problem with booking the test seems to be scheduling on the hospital end of things.

Considering covid/flu/rsv are packing hospitals, I expect non-critical tests are not a priority. She's stable enough. I'm sure it's frustrating having to wait. Seems like I read an article about a week ago talking about the # of hospitals in the southeast that are at 80-90% capacity while covid and flu are surging. In my area rsv has been very bad too.

He also bought her a curling iron which she used before they opened presents. And he said he booked a spa day for her in nashville. They seemed oddly competitive about who got the kids the best present. Money does not appear to be a major concern.

Edited December 25, 2022 by WatchingTheTireFireBurn
Added a thought and fixed a typo

[Smash!]

I mean it really sucks to have to wait this long for a test at the hospital. Under these circumstances  I don‘t get why Carlin thinks it is a good idea to get off the pills that make her situation more manageable.

On the other hand we know they don‘t take any precautions against Covid, are traveling constantly and are likely not vaxxed against the flu. So they are part of the problem with the overwhelmed hospitals.

[llucie]

11 hours ago, Tdoc72 said:

This is so annoying to me. They don’t have regular jobs and a schedule so finding a time should be easy. But if you’re getting so upset or depressed that you don’t have answers, why not schedule the test that may give you some or at least rule something out. 

Aparently the doctors no longer think she is a priority for testing since the meds are working, unfortunately for her it seems they cant just schedule the test when they want.

4 hours ago, Smash! said:

I mean it really sucks to have to wait this long for a test at the hospital. Under these circumstances  I don‘t get why Carlin thinks it is a good idea to get off the pills that make her situation more manageable.

 

I dont think it is fair to say that she just wanted to stop her meds for no reason, she explained that she just though for a moment on stopping them because she was getting bad after-effects from the meds and was still having episodes, and the doctors still cant tell her what she has, so she wondered if the meds where even working and she was depressed about it. Aparently she went from 4 episodes a week to 1 episode a week, so while it is an improvement it must feel discouraging to her specially if doctors are now telling her that she not longer is a priority for tests.

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

I suspect it was longer than just a moment of doubt. Since they had fights about it, it sounded like a period of time. 

Carlin has stated doubts about medicine "really" working all along. She was at some point earlier saying she should get off it because maybe it had all stopped anyway and they wouldn't know if she didn't stop the meds.

Then she stopped taking them for the home test (as directed)- didn't restart the meds and was like "oh i was supposed to start again? Oops." 

 

Wasnt there a chance to get it done in October? I seem to recall back in summer that they talked about the backlog to get the test and mentioned October being earliest but for some reason they weren't scheduling it yet. I want to say they didn't schedule it then because Evan was saying they were looking around to go some where else to get it done sooner and that was about the time Mayo started being mentioned.  But I can't remember if I've jumbled that together over time or if that's what actually  happened?? 

[llucie]

21 minutes ago, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

 

 

Wasnt there a chance to get it done in October? I seem to recall back in summer that they talked about the backlog to get the test and mentioned October being earliest but for some reason they weren't scheduling it yet. I want to say they didn't schedule it then because Evan was saying they were looking around to go some where else to get it done sooner and that was about the time Mayo started being mentioned.  But I can't remember if I've jumbled that together over time or if that's what actually  happened?? 

 

Waiting for months for a specialiced test is pretty normal specially if you are not considered a priority like they said. Anyway even if they are able to do the test and diagnose her with epilepsy it wouldnt change the treatment although of course having to wait for months must be very stressful for them.

Hopefully they find a convination of meds that works better, an episode a week is still not good at all even if Carlin tries to make it sound like as if everything is fine.

 

 

 

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

3 minutes ago, llucie said:

 

Waiting for months for a specialiced test is pretty normal specially if you are not considered a priority like they said. Anyway even if they are able to do the test and diagnose her with epilepsy it wouldnt change the treatment although of course having to wait for months must be very stressful for them.

Hopefully they find a convination of meds that works better, an episode a week is still not good at all even if Carlin tries to make it sound like as if everything is fine.

 

 

 

But if they do the test and it's not epilepsy then that's a new tx. I do wonder if she has some weird long covid thing happening. Although it seems she has a lot of similarity to the psychological pseudo epilepsy.  I wonder if her go off the meds willingness is related to that possibility. As if she's thinking "well if it's all in my head, I can quit these meds"

I had a soft spot for these two and hoping she gets a diagnosis soon. My soft spot has hardened up over the year though. Evan's stupid hat and faux gangsta is just so cringe I can't any more.

[llucie]

1 hour ago, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

But if they do the test and it's not epilepsy then that's a new tx. I do wonder if she has some weird long covid thing happening. Although it seems she has a lot of similarity to the psychological pseudo epilepsy.  I wonder if her go off the meds willingness is related to that possibility. As if she's thinking "well if it's all in my head, I can quit these meds"

 

I wouldnt be surprised if thats the case. I have seen well intentioned people mentioning it to her in the comments that it could be anxiety related. In that case the meds she takes wouldnt be doing any good. Thats why people should leave the diagnosis to the doctors,

 

[moreorlessnu]

On 12/18/2022 at 3:44 AM, Scrabblemaster said:

We are two adults with no children and we have a vinyl table cloth that is transparent. Absolutely game changer. We put it on top of our regular table cloth, it is so practical. A friend found it strange at first, but now she has her own one.  

This idea is great. Where did you find the transparent tablecloth? Plus, it's easier to brush crumbs off vinyl than cloth, and those crumbs are easy to pick up with a good vacuum. 

[Howl]

On 12/23/2022 at 8:44 PM, marmalade said:

Carlin and Evan predictably decided to drive to Nashville last night in the midst of the big storm. A 3 hour drive turned into 7 hours, including a 3 hour detour six miles from the parents' house. 

To use an old-fashioned but apt phrase, these two don't have a lick of common sense. 

[4boysmum]

So... I am not a doctor and I don't know what she's taking, but I have a child with a particularly hard to treat seizure disorder, who takes 5 different anti-seizure meds, and I completely understand where she's coming from.  A lot of seizure meds have unpleasant side effects.  Mood changes, dizziness, fatigue, memory issues... it is absolutely not uncommon to have times where you wonder if the cure is just as bad as the problem you are trying to treat.  Especially if they are "kind of" working but not completely preventing seizures, because then you have to deal with both the seizures and the side effects.  Our neurologist is pretty open that it's a balancing act between seizure prevention and minimizing side effects to get the best quality of life.  And he is open to tinkering with things, but of course I never, ever make changes without clearing it with him and having a detailed plan.  These are not meds you can stop cold turkey without ending up back in the hospital.

Interestingly, there is some overlap of drugs that are prescribed for both anxiety and seizures.  So if anxiety is an issue, the seizure meds may very well be helping.  Honestly, the med that has helped my son the most is actually CBD oil, but you need a very high (i.e. expensive!) dose for seizures vs other uses, and currently you can only get insurance to approve the concentrated prescription form if you have particular diagnosed forms of epilepsy and have tried/failed a certain number of other meds.

[CanadianMamam]

Honestly, I understand where she is coming from. A lot of helpful medications have awful side effects and taking a large amount of pills every day can be emotionally draining. It is easy to say that the pills are for the best when you aren't the one dealing with the nausea, lethargy, dizziness, etc. And if she is having small episodes still, I am sure she is questioning whether it is worth it. 

[Scrabblemaster]

13 hours ago, moreorlessnu said:

This idea is great. Where did you find the transparent tablecloth? Plus, it's easier to brush crumbs off vinyl than cloth, and those crumbs are easy to pick up with a good vacuum. 

We found it in our local hardware store. The first one we bought years ago in a french supermarket in France, Super U or hypermarché, total coincidence because we only stopped there for snacks.

[Nikedagain?]

On 12/24/2022 at 9:51 PM, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

The problem with booking the test seems to be scheduling on the hospital end of things.

Considering covid/flu/rsv are packing hospitals, I expect non-critical tests are not a priority. She's stable enough. I'm sure it's frustrating having to wait. Seems like I read an article about a week ago talking about the # of hospitals in the southeast that are at 80-90% capacity while covid and flu are surging. In my area rsv has been very bad too.

He also bought her a curling iron which she used before they opened presents. And he said he booked a spa day for her in nashville. They seemed oddly competitive about who got the kids the best present. Money does not appear to be a major concern.

my daughter began having seizures at the height of covid in January 2021. out of nowhere. We are supposed to be admitted for 1-2 weeks for lots of different testing. It's been pushed back several times since early this summer. Staff shortages, Pediatric sedation teams are slammed because of so many respiratory illnesses. It's considered a non urgent/semi-elective admission. I'm in NC.

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

New youtube video today. I've forgotten most of it already as it was mostly just having Christmas with family and pretty standard issue.

For anybody still worried about their finances: They seem to have gotten nice presents for Evan's family. They bought Evan's mom a kitchen aid. I assume a stand mixer though they didn't show it just the huge box with logo. (Haha jrod!). And they're redecorating the stewart parents' spare bedroom including a new headboard, dresser, side table, bedding, and ceiling fan. The grand reveal will be next video though.(Because the dresser came damaged)

As a part of this they repainted-including Carlin standing on a ladder to paint the edges.

Evan nervously "jokes" that the nieces are standing under her just in case she passes out.

They mentioned she started a higher dose of medicine and she's been feeling bad. Very tired and then had a break through "episode" which as usual Carlin seemed to downplay. She seemed very frustrated as she *stood on a ladder* about how she still has issues despite more meds.

I feel in my gut Evan is completely freaked by this behavior but also knows he can't force her to be safe.

Evan did not wear a stupid hat at all during this video and that made me feel for him more than usual when they talked about it.

They spent the week at his parents' house. And an evil little elf in my mind says Carlin wanted to redecorate the room so they have a nicer room to visit.  But...I have some sympathy there. I guess the bed was just on the floor and the walls dark grey. I might offer to redo the room too.

All in all what struck me is how much they seem to enjoy their time with Evan's family. They seem warm and friendly without the weird might preach at you any second fundie vibe. I guess less uptight than Bates. I can see why they visit so much. And I wonder why they didnt move closer before the boutique was a thing. I wonder if Carlin's health issue is determined to be long-term chronic if they might move closer anyway so they can get help from Evan's family since Carlin's seem out of the loop. But maybe they can just do longer term visits more often since the boutique allows for more flexible work schedules.

 

 

 

 

 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

On 12/24/2022 at 2:23 PM, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

New video today....

Evan's click bait strikes again.

"Carlin's new low"

The update:

1. The medication seems to have reduced the severity of the episodes. She still "feels weird" and has to lie down. It really seems like Carlin is doing her best to downplay it all in everything she says. Then Evan adds "well you had one today" (referring in particular to having to reset the can't drive for 6 mo timeliness every time has an episode)

2. The "new low" I guess refers to "about a month ago" when Carlin wanted to get off all the pills because ....

reasons? The pills "arent working" ??(and yet are also saying episodes less severe/more predictable. I think she means "didnt immediately cure it")

...and was very depressed about it all. She gets down about everybody asking her how things are and she doesn't have a definitive answer.(an understandable feeling).

Apparently they've had fights about her taking her medication because Evan insists.

(OK Evan you get a kudo. Good job!)

They have a follow up with the headache specialist neurologist in the new year.

Other stuff:

Evan bought presents for a 3-4 yr old child for zade. Because really Evan was buying presents for himself. 

Evan bought layla a ball that flies. Evan thought it was really cool.

(This ball has a loud drone type motor thing in it and if you do it just right when you toss it in the air, it flies erratically. Unlike an actual ball that you could just throw in the air and use hand eye coordination to catch. Sounds like a horrible ball...losing all the regular function of "ball")

Let's see, what else?....um....Evan wore his hat oddly high on his head again.

He tried to make Layla start saying some slang. Unclear if it was his own invention or something picked up from internet. Layla didn't get it.

Layla said some cute things.

Izzie the dog was freaking adorable over getting rawhide bones for a present. All happy wiggles. So cute.

Their house is painfully white. The presents were wrapped in white patterned paper and brown paper sacks.

They filmed themselves trying to film a tik tok. "Riveting" content.

Evan seemed to be shilling audible/Alexa. And it was very very awkward. Talking about how they don't read books. So it's strange that Layla loves books.

They listen to books- on audible through alexa, of course! I have doubts about that. 

 

For anybody concerned about their finances: they appear to have plenty of money for multiple sets of matching Xmas pjs/outfits, fancy gifts, eating out, and taking time off. 

I'm thinking the pills aren't ok for pregnancy. I would like to know what the heck is wrong though.

[neuroticcat]

This is kind of cryptic 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2023 by neuroticcat
Spoiler fail