FINALLY! Sara has a diagnosis! If you haven’t heard, my sister Sara has been dealing with some medical issues for 5 years now, ever since she gave birth to Joey. She’s been exhausted, swollen, jaundiced, in pain, the works. She’s had a million tests and procedures, been to see a million doctors and specialists. Last year I took her to Wake Forest for tests. That didn’t go well. Finally this summer she went to Duke and they figured it out! Sara has Hereditary spherocytosis. Now that they know what’s wrong with her they can fix her! And unfortunately that means surgery. She will have to have her spleen removed in October, a week or so before Halloween. Because of the disease her spleen isn’t functioning as it should and that is making her sick. Removing it is her only real option. The surgery is Laparoscopic and her recovery time will be pretty short, thank goodness. The surgeon taking care of her does all of the Charlotte area splenectomies so she’s in good hands. I’m so excited for her to be able to get back to a normal life finally! No more steroids! Less blood draws! (she’s been having her blood tested every 2 weeks for years now). She’ll be feeling good in just a few weeks! Hurray! So please say a little prayer or send some good healing vibes on October 25th!
Category: medical
My family keeps hospitals in business
I received a call early this afternoon from Gigi who told me that Momo was in the ER. Momo woke up at 2 am this morning with sharp pains in her abdomen. She went to the local urgent care around 9 am. They took some blood, checked her out and promptly sent her to the hospital. Papa & Gigi were coming down the mountain and were still over 2 hours away. I didn’t want Momo to be scared at the hospital by herself so I scooted down to be with her as fast as I could. Momo’s friend J brought her to the hospital. She was being a total trooper. 
They did a CT scan with contrast and discovered that Momo had appendicitis. Within 15 minutes of the announcement that she was to have surgery she was wheeled into the OR. 
Poor Momo was so nervous as she’d never been admitted to the hospital before or had surgery. The surgeon came out after the surgery and showed us the pictures of her innards. You know I loved that part! While he was in there he discovered a hernia! I was so shocked. When I think of hernias, which is every day, I think of old men trying to lug big boxes or move pianos or something. I certainly don’t think of 20 year old girls! The surgeon said it’s actually pretty common for young people to have hernias. Who knew? Momo did great in surgery and came through recovery like a champ. Within just a few hours she was ready to take a stroll up and down the hall. 
I left the hospital at about 9:30 pm. Momo had just gotten her first round of pain meds and some jello. She’ll get to go home tomorrow afternoon if all goes well! What a day!
On stem cells
Are stem cells and stem cell research/therapy/etc still controversial? I don’t know much about stem cells or how they are used or why there is even controversy surrounding them. Continue reading “On stem cells”
Wheezy
CSP took me to the doctor for this crud I’ve got. She kept asking me if I had breathing problems (I don’t) cause she said my lungs sounded like an asthmatic with an infection. So she hooked me up to this nebulizer machine for a half hour or so. Of course we took pictures as soon as they left the room. It helped my lungs feel a bit better and I could breathe better.
She asked me who would be at home with me. I was having a coughing fit so I pointed to CSP standing in the corner.
Dr: Is that it?
Me: Should I call in reinforcements?
We thought it was hilarious. She said it like maybe CSP being home wouldn’t be nearly enough help for me. She got all embarrassed when we joked about it and said she only meant were there kids at home or something.
She prescribed an inhaler, some codieney cough medicine, and a zpac. So I’m nice and doped up for the weekend. I’ve got to go back on Monday for her to listen to my lungs again. She’s worried whatever I have could be pneumonia setting in. Ugh! I tell ya, when I get sick I GET SICK.
Special surgical requests, Valentine’s Day, & puppy love
At the doctor’s office for my pre-op appointment we covered a lot of important topics:
Dr: Have you had any previous surgeries?
me: Yes. Would you like me to work my way back from the most recent?
CSP: (leans in toward doctor) You’re going to run out of space there. Might wanna get another sheet of paper.
……………
me: Oh, and can you take pictures of the surgery?
Dr: Yes, we’ll be taking pictures during the surgery and I’ll show them to you at the follow up visit.
me: Can I have a copy?
Dr: Do you have pictures of all your surgeries?
me: Most of them.
Dr: What do you do with them? Show them to friends and family?
me: Yep.
Dr: Wow.
CSP: Well, you should have seen her uterus! It was scary!
…………………
In other news, CSP got all romantic on me and brought me a sweet card & 2 dozen roses for Valentine’s Day. 
He had to work so we didn’t get to go out until late. Plus, just try and get a table at any restaurant around here on Valentine’s Day. We went to Carrabbas for a late dinner (we felt better after a couple came in behind us). It was the perfect time to go. When we got home we thought we’d try for a self timer shot since we were both dressed nicely. Plus, I wanted to try out my new gorillapod. 
I look ever so slightly insane from all the running back and forth to the camera and trying to get in position before the camera took the picture. Of course Molly had to get in on the action. She can’t be separated from her daddy for longer than 30 seconds without her head exploding. Just look at this scene from the other day: be sure to click to enlarge 
She’s all snuggled up against him, cheek to cheek. But she’s still got that one eye on me. Just to let me know she’s watching. To make sure I don’t try and move in on her man.
Where I do a lot of talking about “down there” without ever saying the V word
I don’t like the V word. I know it’s the proper name but I don’t like it. And I really don’t like it when toddlers and small children use it. I’m alright when my doctor says it- let’s me know he paid attention in school- but everyone else can just stop right now.
So anyway, I forgot to mention the details of my upcoming honey pot removal and I received some questions about it via email and comments.
-They will not remove my ovaries. CSP doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll be thrilled about that as that means I will not be going through surgically inducced menopause at age 33. No one wants that. While I am a delight, I’m guessing that living with me full time can sometimes be interesting and there’s no need to make it even more so.
-The surgery will be laproscopic where they make a few little cuts and go in with a camera and skinny tools and remove the baby pouch. That means less time in the hospital (just 1-3 days) and less recovery time (about 4 weeks).
-They will be removing my cervix. I’m totally cool with that. No more risk of cervical cancer. And I just learned that no more uterus means no more pap smears! The perks just keep coming!
-Did I mention I get to stay overnight in the hospital? I’ve never done this and have always been curious as to what it’s like. I’m sure there will be much poking and prodding of the hoohoo, but I also think there might be jello involved. And ice chips. There always seems to be an endless supply of ice chips at hospitals.
-My surgeon is a kind man with a smooth, bald head that I really wanted to smack during my appointment. He reminds me a bit of a muppet, but I can’t remember which one.
Speaking of whoopies, girls, hootchie hoos, hoo hahs, tootie fruities and the like…I was shopping at Sam’s the other day and noticed this wine:
Who is in charge of product names at this company???
I recently discovered this fabulous peach flavored soda called Rayz at Bloom (I promise I will still post about Bloom soon). 
While it is quite tasty, I have to pour it into a glass to drink because I find the graphics a wee bit disturbing. Who wants their beverage can decorated with a peach colored ass and vajayjay??
You take the good, you take the bad
I have lots to tell you regarding my health and the health of my family. I will start with my family.
You may remember that I told y’all that my Aunt L was diagnosed with Leukemia. She had a bone marrow transplant 2 weeks ago and so far it is looking good. I didn’t want to blog about it until she was sent home from the hospital. She is recovering at home. Sort of. They live in SW SC but she’s in Charleston receiving treatment. A friend is lending her and my uncle the use of his condo for a year while she undergoes treatment. She’s doing really well and while she has to go in to the hospital for treatment each day she’s able to spend the rest of the time at the condo with my uncle. This is good news.
You may also remember that I told you my Uncle A had surgery to remove 3 tumors in his brain. We’ve been receiving constant updates but things are changing so fast with him I’ve been hesitant to post anything. It turns out he has lung cancer and that had metastisized (sp) to his brain. He’s going through chemo but it’s not looking good. And just today, just a couple of hours after I talked with my cousin about coming down to see him, he was re-admitted to the hospital and now he’s on life support. He’s septic and has pneumonia. They are thinking that barring a miracle he may not last the week. I am beyond sad about this. He’s such a good guy. I hate cancer. Why do we not have a cure?
Now, before I start sobbing again let me tell you about my day on Monday. I saw my regular doctor and I also saw the surgeon to whom I was referred about a hysterectomy. And….drumroll….he’s going to do it! Yay! I get to have my uterus removed! Woohoo! I know most people wouldn’t be happy about this but most people don’t bleed daily. I have to have a pap smear and an ultrasound next week or so, some blood work and a physical the next, then my surgery should be around the 2nd week of June. I should know the date within a week. I cried when he told me he’d do it, I was just so relieved. I’ve had so many doctors turn me down for being too young, for refusing to try the IUD (what if it failed? I’d just end up having the hysterectomy anyway. It’s the same drugs I’ve taken that failed except they’d be putting them right in my whoopie. Why should they work this time?). He totally understood that I’m under a time crunch with the adoption. I just can’t try something else, have it fail and then risk trying to time recovering from a surgery while picking up my child on the other side of the world and taking care of her. I wanted to hug him but I didn’t want to freak him out.
So that’s my news for now. We should hear something about my uncle over the next couple of days. They say tonight is pivotal. I’ll be praying extra hard. My heart hurts.
For your viewing pleasure…
I present to you…my hand in surgery. Not really what I pictured in my head. I guess I thought there’d be all sorts of things sproinging out of my hand when they cut it open. But hey, now I know my hospital’s cool with photography during procedures!
click to enlarge…if you dare! muhahaha!
You really shouldn’t let me go out in public like that.
I had some moles removed the other day. The worst part is the numbing. Holy cracker sandwich that hurts. I even teared a bit and felt some tears slip down my cheeks. My dr. removed a little one on my nose and the one on my cheek that a different doctor tried to take off last summer but half assed it. I also had him whop off 3 under my boobs. My face was so numb (which was a good thing). I had to make an appointment for next week to get the stitches out of the under boob moles and while standing there one of the office ladies asked about the tattoo on my foot. So we chatted about that then I left. On the way out the door I stopped at the mirror they have hanging there and was shocked. My hair was all matted up from laying on the table and squirming so long. My mascara had run from the tears so I had one raccoon eye (the only possible thing worse than two raccoon eyes), and my face was still so numb that the left side wasn’t moving. So when I smiled I looked like a post stroke Tammy Faye! How could they let me walk out into the world looking that way? Ladies- we gotta look out for each other! My half stone face did amuse me so I snapped a pic. 
And here’s me sans band aids: 
CSP is having a ball calling me Scarface and asking how was my knife fight. Well, at least I could do a good Elvis lip for the night!
Q&A
Y’all are so great I swear. I thank you thank you thank you for all of your supportive comments & emails. I know it will happen one day for us, this whole parenting thing, it just seems so far away sometimes. By the way, the 2nd country we had chosen was Guatemala. Guat seemed so perfect for us. Closer and easier to get to and all that. But now with issues with the Hague treaty and other hang ups in the system it just isn’t going to work for us. And when your agency urges you to switch countries so you won’t miss out on getting a child, it seems like you should listen.
In other news…some questions were asked in comments recently.
1. The grocery store where I shop & snapped that picture is called Bloom. LOVE Bloom. I’ll devote a post to them soon.
2. My hands & my crafty future: my hands should be better than ever soon. It should be easier for me to do crafts & jewelry because they won’t be tensing up and hurting all the time like they used to when I had the carpal tunnel. Just gotta let ol Lefty heal up for a few more weeks and then I’ll be good to go. I can’t tell you how much I miss crafting. Unpacking in the house has been slow goings with the hand surgeries and the bleeding and all and I still don’t even know where all my hobby things are. So I can’t wait to get my craft area set back up and get back to creating little lovelies. I’ll be sure to create a new batch of jewelry to sell.
3. BYH is Bless Your Heart. Silly.
I got my stitches out today and when the old skin fell off a hole in my hand appeared! ew! But by that time it was 2 hours later & I was far away from the dr’s office. I’ll take a pic for you later. Right now I gotta go deliver my nephew’s bike to his house. CSP & BIL put it together the other night over here and I gotta sneak it to my sister’s house in time for the party. That’s not our gift. The bike is from my sister & BIL. Jake’s getting a fire truck from us. Shhh. Don’t tell.
Bless Your Heart 