Ashley - The Sweet Wild Child

Ashley is our 19 yr old free spirit "child". She marches to her own drumb and could care less if she's all alone in that march or not. She was busy running around and having fun while I was still pregnant with her (I swear that baby NEVER stopped kicking!), and she hasn't slowed down since. She is silly and can make you laugh with just a look. She loves life and squeezes as much life out of each day as she can.

She is also very talkative. And she talks fast. So fast that most of the time you have to remind her that we don't understand warp speed, so please slow down and try again.

And she is wired. Always on the go and never sits still. Funny part is, she doesn't even drink anything with caffeine in it (could you imagine if she did?!?!?!) She is spontaneous and ready to go on an adventure at a moments notice.

She is also very sensitive to others. In the hot tub picture she has a small rubber ducky over her belly button because a host student explained that in her country showing your belly button was inappropriate. Ashley proceeded to to stick the duck on her belly so she'd be "appropriate". LOL

Ashley also has a heart that is so emotionally large that it shouldn't fit in her petite body. One of her friends at college doesn't have the best home life, and didn't want to go home over the summer. She signed up to take summer classes and planned to live alone in the dorms. Ashley talked to me about it and decided to sign up for summer classes as well so this friend wouldn't be alone. I can't tell you how sad we were to know she wouldn't be moving home for the summer, but at the same time, that's Ashley. First in line to help someone in need. And we love that about her.

The Sams Club sample ladies love her because anytime she is in there she gets a cup and lets them know they make the best hot chocolate E-VAH! She's even been known to give them hugs while I stand back whispering "Stranger Danger".

Well, Ashley's not been feeling well for a few weeks. She has had asthma since she was 6 (although she's never let it slow her down), and finally she decided to go back to her old asthma/allergy specialist since it's been a couple of years and things weren't improving. The great thing about this specialist is that he is very giving with free samples. He feels prescription prices are ridiculous and if he has samples that he can pass out, then by all means that's what he will do. He looked her over, determined she had a virus that is infecting her bronchial tubes, and Ashley left with a lunch bag full of samples.

Once back to her dorm room, she sent me this text and picture:

Holy Hitting Grandma's Jackpot of Drugs Batman!

She explained that the one on the right is an antibiotic prescription, but the rest are all samples and that she has duplicates to those in that bag. I recognized most as allergy & asthma meds, so while I was concerned, I know she knows how to deal with those things well, so I wasn't too concerned.

Then I saw it. The one thing that had me VERY concerned. So concerned that I struggled with whether or not I should warn her roommates. Check out the bottle on the left with the white label. Can you read what it says? Look closely --- PREDNISONE. Prednisone is a steroid which helps reduced the swelling and inflammation in the bronchial tubes and the lungs. It also makes you beyond hyper! For Ashley, it makes her hyper x 5.

I'm not even kidding when I say that over the years I have called the kids teachers any time any of them have had to be on Prednisone. One time I forgot and Ashley's teacher call me about 11am asking what in the world I fed that child for breakfast.

So now, do I warn her roommates that they needn't be alarmed when they come home from class and find they need to peel Ashley off the ceiling? Do I warn them that her warp speed when talking will now be tripled? Do I warn them that she will have no pupils for the next few days and she will eat enough to make a football player sick?

Nah - I think I'll just let them enjoy the "full" college experience.