Michelle Thornberry Patterson

12/14/2024

Oh man, this New York Times article by on the ways people around us react/respond to our suffering is right on the money. She gives us three categories of hard responders: minimizers, teachers and solvers (I’m a solver👍). Then she gives insight into what kinds of responses are kind and helpful to a suffering person. I concur with her claims. If you love a suffering person, give it a read. I’ll post the link in my stories.

After years of living with stage IV cancer, I have some suggestions.

12/12/2024

Part 2 of Sam’s Christmas dream come true! (The moment he realized they were for him.:)

12/12/2024

I feel so…seen.

12/08/2024

Ten years ago, Sam left this note to “Santa” on the stairs for any old mom to find. We already had the plan in place. 😀 Sam has been drumming since he was 10 and toured with us as our drummer on two tours!

12/04/2024

Locals! If you would like a little Christmas music (with some Ursula thrown in🧜‍♀️) come on out tonight for a short vocal showcase and show my sweet singers some love and applause!❤️🎄❤️🎤

12/02/2024

11/28/2024

Locals! Come on out next Wednesday to hear some of this semester’s students! I am so proud of them and excited to be able to work some Christmas into our showcase. If you are interested in taking with us, this is a great chance for you to catch our vibe!

11/24/2024

It’s ‘s Gotchya Day! Five years with my tiny dictator!!🥰

11/22/2024

Today is my 1 year anniversary of contracting Parsonage Turner Syndrome. It is a rare disease, diagnosed in 1 in every 50,000 people. It is an autoimmune response to surgery, childbirth, a vaccine or a virus. In my case, it was a stomach virus. I woke up at 2am, thinking I was having a heart attack but on the wrong side. I know how to handle pain, but this was OTHER. By the time I got to the ER, I was howling with the worst pain I have ever experienced. It felt like a ball of razors was turning inside me. Medical journals call PTS pain “severe and excruciating.” The ER got it under “control”with pain meds & I asked for steroids. 3 days later, I couldn’t use my right arm properly. My neurosurgeon diagnosed Parsonage Turner, as evidenced by extreme pain followed by paralysis. He said I would need physical therapy but that I should be fine. 6 days later, I became part of the 30% of PTS patients who have a recurrence on the opposite side. It was terrifying to think that I would not be able to use either one of my arms. I got on a bigger dose of steroids & the paralysis process was stopped on the left side.
I was already a chronic pain/neuropathy patient before PTS & now I had a whole new realm of pain & disability to navigate.
I began a regime of so much pt, nerve work with my amazing chiropractor, tens units, heat, injections, so much medicine & SO much help from my family. I still need to do all of these things.
I joined a PTS support group & discovered that I am one of the lucky ones. Some PTS patients can’t breathe properly because of the affect on their diaphragm, some can’t use their hands & some suffer from severe muscle wasting that results in lifelong excruciating pain. All of us live with the knowledge that it can happen again at any time.
I hit my 1 year mark with gratitude that it hasn’t struck again. I stay far away from sick people & have to manage my fear of viruses daily. I have to “roid up” for any of my other medical procedures to stave off a PTS recurrence.
Posting so any other new PTS patient can find this & reach out. We are rare.

11/21/2024

It’s my boyfriend’s 57th birthday today! Look at those dimples!🥰 He was 25 and I was 20 in this pic. We had just seen “So I Married an Axe Murderer” (classic!). So happy you were born, !!❤️❤️

11/20/2024

Well, Accelerated Recovery Systems is really getting festive.😆

11/19/2024

No one gets away with ANYTHING in our neighborhood.

11/12/2024

Mine. My heart does a happy jump when I see this picture.🥰 Here we have the two Russells (my son and my Dad) and my nephew Kemper, on a hunting trip together in Texas….that the boys asked Papa for.❤️❤️

11/11/2024

Fam. ❤️❤️❤️

11/07/2024

Guys. Who sent me dis sweet sloth??! Raise your paw!❤️❤️

11/02/2024

My world this week.
1. Nerve ablation. Was rough. Had to ask for more sedation, several times. No stars. Two thumbs down but hopeful for relief. Still recovering. Will know in two weeks how well it worked.
2. Therapuppy
3. Therapuppy
4. Mr. & Mrs. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. A prize winning pumpkin for Sam’s crew!

10/31/2024

Please notice the turtleneck which was a mandatory part of every Halloween costume I wore because Alberta on 10/31 was 🥶!! I remember saying one year, “But moooooommmm, princesses don’t wear turtlenecks!!!”.

10/28/2024

I had a GREAT weekend!