Nasty Nose

Warning! Rambling post that may not be interesting to anyone at all. Read at your own risk of TMI!

Growing up I never really had many issues with getting sick, except for tonsillitis, which I got frequently. I frequently had 100% attendance in school and HATED missing school. I know, I know, let me do this for you...GEEK!!! Please don't misunderstand, I didn't like school, I just hated missing it. There was this thing with my family, good grades were important.

Tangent alert!

Back to the story at hand. The last few years I have really had some issues with sinus infections, among other issues (my immune system is not what it once was). I remember Britta having a lot of sinus problems as we were teenagers and her having surgery to fix those problems, but never really thought much about it past that. I didn't really understand them and was in my own world since I was graduating high school and going off to college. Sheesh, how insensitive could I be? Now however, I almost always have some sort of nasal issue. What was that called? Karma?

The past week I have struggled with "the cold of death" and I'm pretty sure it was at least a borderline sinus infection but I didn't want to go to the doctor for antibiotics. With my immune system so shot I need every chance I can get for my body to re-train itself to fight. Antibiotics won't give it that chance. So, I've been doing what I can to get rid of it naturally. Last year one of my chiropractors mentioned getting a neti pot. I hadn't ever heard of them but decided to give it a try.

If you haven't heard of a neti pot, look it up. You will find a lot about it. But the important part is, pick one up. It is amazing! Yes, it feels weird. Yes, it is gross. No, you will not find a medicine that clears out more than this will and as quickly (although guifenesin does really help). This week I have reminded myself how much of a difference it makes. I haven't been using it on a regular basis and I really need to. Doing so may prevent sinus infections from ever creeping in and help me avoid surgery (we all know I don't need another one of those). Not to mention saving money and time. Salt and water are much cheaper than a doctor visit and a perscription.

And there you have it folks. The mindless, late night ramblings of me. Isn't your life now complete? Maybe now I can have the energy to save the world. Too much? Fine. Have it your way. I'll just go to bed now.

Killjoy.

I have been lost...

My nephew Zack says so. I'll share that story in a moment, but first...

I'm doing well. I know you wouldn't have a clue about that since I have not posted since my surgery. I apologize. I have no excuse. I just didn't feel like it. Also, I really didn't have much to share except having my gallbladder removed has almost been like magic! It has made such a big difference in my overall well-being. Don't jump too far ahead though. I still have my crashes, and usually allow my weekend to be that time. I was talking to my sister Ranna tonight and realized it is basically controlled crashing. I push myself during the week to get to work and be productive there, and on the weekend I let the crash happen, to whatever degree that may be. Some weekends I have felt great, others not so much.

I believe that the greatest difference I have noticed has been my mood. I have felt so positive and it is so nice. When I went back to work I came home and told Steve that there were two words that people said to me that fit so perfectly, "Welcome Back." I have truly felt that way, for myself. I have felt more like myself in the past month or so than I had for a long time. Optimistic, silly, spontaneous and happy. That is who I really am and it is nice to feel that way.

With that out of the way, on to the good stuff. My nephew Zack will be three in a few weeks. He is very silly and he knows it. His personality is so fun. Last week was my sister Amanda's birthday and he went to grandma's while she and Aaron went out. On their way home from picking him up he informed them he was sad. When Amanda asked him why he was sad, he explained "I lost my Charlene." He then proceeded to talk about me being sick and needing to go to the doctor. She explained that the doctor fixed me and that I am all better. He said, "Oh, Steve had to go to the doctor. He bumped his head." She and Aaron were quite surprised with this conversation and have no idea where it came from. But I sure felt special after she sent me the text telling me I was lost. I saw him a few days later and it was fun to have him be so excited to see me.

Last night my mom had a Lia Sophia jewelry party. I decided to go a little bit early so I could hang out. Both Amanda and Britta were already there with their kids. Amanda came into the living room as I was taking my jacket and my shoes off and hollered at Zack to come see "who's here". His excitement when he saw me was so touching. He ran up and gave me a big hug and kiss. Lately Zack has been afraid of the dark. A few nights ago he was crying before bed and Amanda thought this was the reason. Nope, he was crying because he lost his Charlene, again. While it is sad that he cried about it, I have to say, it is darn cute!

These stories make me feel very special. To put this all in perspective, Ranna watches him every Wednesday. Britta watches him about once a week based on my mom's schedule. Because of the regular visit he has with them it is natural for him to have a good connection with them. I don't see him at any regular intervals. But, now I know he likes to see me and misses me.

Basically, I feel very special and loved!!!!!!!

I'm alive...and well

My surgery went well and I am home recovering.

Steve and I arrived at the hospital yesterday morning at about 7:10. My mom rearranged her work schedule so that she could be there as well and she arrived before the nurse took us back. Even though it was early and I was going to be having surgery, I was in a pretty good mood and really wasn't nervous. I received a blessing the night before and it gave me great peace. I had a student nurse follow me all the way through my stay. It was rather interesting, but it was fun to have someone to talk to during the few times I would have been alone otherwise.

According to Steve, the doctor told him that my gallbladder was pretty scarred up and had been causing me some grief for quite some time. The largest stone was too big and had to be crushed before they could remove my gallbladder. For me, having this knowledge gives me a lot of peace with my decision to have it removed. I was a little unsure at one point, even though I was extremely sick.

I can not say enough good about the care I received while at the hospital. Everyone seemed to really be concerned about me and seemed to really enjoy their work. Overall, other than the fact that I had a tough time coming out of the anesthesia, my experience was very positive.

I am able to get up and down realatively easily and even handled a few visitors last night. My pain is under control and I have been in good spirits. I'm quite encouraged at this point and look forward to getting on with life without the nasty attacks.

I want to say thank you to all my family and friends that have shown a great amount of love and support during this time. I feel very loved and very special.

Moving Forward

I had my appointment with the surgeon today. It was laid out to me that there really weren't many "real" options. Because of the severity and frequency of my attacks not having my gallbladder removed is the best option.

Steve went with me and asked, "Are there any other options?" The surgeon simply said, "Yes, you can be in pain." He also said there is a medication that I could take to break up the stones...for the rest of my life, and they do not know the side effects of taking it that long. Ummm, no thanks! I could also have an ultrasound to break up the stones. The problem with the ultrasound is that there isn't even one of the machines needed for it in the state of Utah. There are more complications with that than there is with the surgery.

So, you guessed it, I opted to just have it removed. Both my parents have had the surgery and they seem to be pretty darn healthy. The doctor is headed out of town this weekend and said he could fit me in on Thursday, otherwise I would have to wait about 2 weeks. Again, ummm, no thanks! If I am going to do it let's just get it done. The surgery will be done laparoscopically and I should be able to go home the same day. I don't know what time yet, I will find that out tomorrow.

Regardless, I will likely not be posting for a while. Maybe I'll see if Steve can at least post an update to let everyone know how I am doing. We'll see.

Low-fat = Blah

I know this is going to come as a shock to you all, seeing as I am such a health buff...

Eating a gluten-free AND low-fat is not only boring, but it is really difficult and I don't like it! I am still struggling with food, even if it is basically non-fat. My whole body is very sensitive to anything I eat and it seems that the only thing that really has little or no effect is applesauce. But, Steve tells me I can't live on applesauce alone.

In the meantime, I eat what I can of what won't make me sick or give me pain and I meet with the general surgeon tomorrow to discuss my options. That will give me a better idea of how long I'm going to be feeling like this. I'll keep you posted.

Just In Time

Steve is home. This actually ended up not being a difficult decision. I'll explain...

This past weekend I had another episode of my rude awakening, except without the visit to the chiropractor. At some point during this "attack" I realized it was something more serious than my ribs being out. It could be that I had just had an adjustment that day, it could be that I realized it was all focused in the pit of my stomach. But I was tempted to go to the ER that night. In retrospect it would have been a good thing to do. I didn't want to go in without Steve though. I had a feeling that I was having trouble with my gallbladder and I was afraid of emergency surgery. So, I stuck it out and slept all day Sunday to recover.

I talked to Steve Sunday night and we started talking seriously about him coming home. He was upset with me for not going to the hospital and told me to go if I needed to whether he was there or not. I told him I really was concerned and that I wanted him to come home. He had a few things to pull together before leaving so we decided he would probably leave on Thursday and get home on Friday.

Monday, I decided that I needed to see a doctor for this because it has happened too many times and something was really wrong. I called my primary care's office and was able to get in that afternoon. I told him my theory was gallbladder but he disagreed with me based on my symptoms. He felt it was an ulcer and gave me a sample of Prevacid and took some blood to check for the H Pylori bacteria. I said ok and went home. I still didn't feel well.

Tuesday night, I had another "attack". It was earlier in the evening, before going to bed instead of waking me up. My dad came over to give me a blessing and I was told that things would calm down, I would be able to get some sleep and go to work as I needed to do. Around midnight I did receive enough relief to get some sleep, but it did not go away completely.

Wednesday I was tempted to stay home, even go in late but I pushed myself and went in on time. I worked the entire day although I was not well. I called the doctor's office for my lab results. The H Pylori was negative. It was not an ulcer and the doctor wanted me to arrange to have an ultrasound. I set this up for Monday morning, although I was not sure I would make it until then. At some point in the late afternoon, Steve called me to cheer me up. He said he had a surprise for me and wanted me to look at the bank account online and tell him what the last transaction was. He was already on his way home and in Tucumcari, NM. I started to cry, his timing was perfect. I needed him home with me. I was very sick and was not getting better. I promised him, and myself, that if I had another attack that I would go to the hospital.

Thursday morning, approx. 5:00 a.m., Steve walked in the door. He drove 20 hours straight from Justin, Texas to our home in West Jordan, UT stopping only for gas. I was asleep but woke up when the door opened. I can not describe how comforting it was to have him home with me. Even though I had been sleeping, and Steve was exhausted and needed sleep, we talked and just enjoyed each other until about 6:00. Emotionally, I felt so relieved. Physically, I still hurt.

I hate the alarm. I always have but it is worse when I am sick. I have to make the decision to get out of bed and go to work when I feel that I need to stay home or stay home. Thursday, my bed won. I was comfortable enough that I wasn't in too much pain, as long as I didn't move. I had to get out of bed to use the bathroom and boy did I feel it. It wasn't a full attack but it was enough that I felt work was not a good thing for me that day. I called the office, went back to bed and slept until noon. Around 2:00 I felt I could handle a shower and it helped, for a moment. I crashed and went back to bed at 3:00. Steve woke me up at 6:00 for dinner and an appointment we needed to go to at 7:00 but I felt worse than I had all day. We got home at 8:00 and I went straight to bed.

Sleep did not come. By 9:00 I thought I might be in trouble and by 10:00 it was very clear that I was. Unfortunately for me, by this time Steve was asleep and due to his drive the previous day/night he was in no condition to skip sleep. He fell asleep mid-conversation. I called my mom for her medical opinion. I couldn't wait until Steve could get enough sleep to take me to the hospital so my dad took me. We got right in, literally. Within about 30-45 minutes of arriving at the hospital I was in having an ultrasound. By the time she was done with the ultrasound the morphine was really kicking in and I was starting to feel pretty good. When I got back to my room I finally had to really wait, but at this point I didn't care. I was loopy and grateful to be in that state. It felt good!

After about a half hour the doctor came in to give us the update. Because my pain was heading to the left side of my stomach they were somewhat concerned about my pancreas as well. Luckily, there were no signs of infection. They did find exactly what I expected, several gallstones. The largest was 1.7 cm in diameter. That is not a small stone! For perspective, that is the size of my thumbnail! He did say that other than the stones, which were the cause of the pain, my gallbladder looked good so I did not need emergency surgery. He referred me to a general surgeon to discuss my long term options and gave me prescriptions for Lortab and Toradol to manage any attacks I may have until I could see the doctor.

We left the hospital barely after 1:00 a.m. We were there just over 2 hours - a very quick visit! We stopped at Walgreen's on the way home to fill my prescriptions and I climbed right in bed. Steve was still not coherent. He chatted with me but was gone! I still felt good and slept quite well. This morning I called my boss and the office to give an update and informed them I would not be in. I needed to recouperate. Needless to say it has been an interesting week.

Overall, I am very relieved to know what is going on and that I have a direction to go. I meet with the general surgeon on Tuesday to go over my options. This knowledge brings a lot of light to past issues. Remember my vacation? Yeah, same thing. Christmas? Then too. I wish I figured it out sooner rather than later, but I know now.

And knowing is half the battle...

Life

Okay, I really can't believe it has been as long as it has since I have posted anything. There have been several events that I have thought about posting and then did not.

I truly apologize. It's time to come clean.

Frankly, I have been emotionally elsewhere. Last month I went to the doctor for a physical (I hadn't had one in about 2 1/2 years). I got some less than desirable results. My pap smear came back abnormal, as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) to be exact.

"HSIL stands for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. High-grade means the cells are very different from normal cells. These cells are usually precancerous and are more likely to lead to cervical cancer. Your doctor will probably perform a colposcopy to determine how at risk you are for cancer." www.familydoctor.org

Since I went to my family physician he suggested I see a gynecologist for further testing. I didn't have one. I had fired my last one, LONG story, and had not yet found another. This was one of the reasons I hadn't had a physical for so long. Due to my myriad of issues, I decided to call my insurance to see if there was one they could recommend that might have experience with my particular issues. The doctor they referred me to happens to be a D.O., Doctor of Osteopathy. This is a plus in my book as D.O.s are trained to look at a whole body perspective and tend to accept natural options quicker than many other doctors.

Long story, short version, my appointment was last week on Monday. I had a colposcopy, which basically entails the doctor using a few different dyes to help any issues show up and using a microscope to see them. If there are any issues, a biopsy is done. Steve went with me and we left with no biopsy done and the doctor describing my cervix as "pink, pretty and perfect". A bit of an odd description, but I guess compared to what it could look like it must be accurate. We were somewhat relieved and encouraged but knew I was not out of the woods yet. He said the edge looked like there might be an issue he couldn't see so he took a scraping, basically a pap smear on steroids, to double-check.

Today I received my results. I am clear. No signs of any abnormal cells. I don't know how my original test showed such scary abnormalities but there isn't any now. Another medical disaster averted!

So, there is my reason for not posting for 3 weeks. Take it or leave it. I might just be up to catching up from the last month. I've got some good stuff...at least I think so.

Family vacation - part 2

Picking up where I left off...

Thursday morning when we got up I was a little worried about how I was going to feel that day. My back was hurting and my stomach didn't feel great either. But I decided to do everything I could to get it to calm down (in addition to a blessing the previous night) and by the time we left I felt good. We got on the road to San Francisco. But before leaving I had to take a picture of this little food shack that made me laugh.

On the road to San Francisco, we saw a sign for another drive-through tree. We decided to stop and this one looked a lot more like we were all envisioning. We had a blast here because there was another log that was hollow and I could stand up inside it. I got a great picture of me and all the kids and Aaron decided to climb on top of it. I even got brave and climbed up. I'm afraid of heights so this was a big thing for me.

We visited the gift shop for a bit and got back on the road. It was a 4 hour drive to San Francisco from Garberville and we wanted to be able to eat lunch on Fisherman's Wharf. When we got to the bridge we noticed that it got a bit colder than we were getting used to. It had been so hot the last few days that we were all sweating by the time we got loaded each morning. The temperature said it was 64 and it was foggy. Many of us didn't bring jackets and were now regretting it. We found a place to park, walked to the Wharf and found a place for lunch. We picked a place that looked like it would have decent options for everyone which ended up being a place called Tarantino's. We just picked and we lucked out. This place was great! We had a great view of the fishing boats on the Wharf and the food was great.

When we left the restaurant we discovered it had gotten significantly colder than when we went in. We headed to Ghirardelli Square and luckily found some nice, inexpensive hoodies on our way. Nearly everyone bought one in a variety of colors and styles. We were now much more comfortable. One thing that I remembered about Ghirardelli Square from when I went years ago was the fun fountain. Amanda and Ranna went a few months ago and said it was under construction. I was hoping that the construction was done so we could all see it.

After Ghirardelli Square, we headed to Pier 39 to see the sea lions and to get some ice cream. There is of course a lot more to do at Pier 39 than these things, but we didn't really have the time. Unfortunately, it is the off season for the sea lions and there was only a handful there. I was so bummed because that was one of my favorite things last time I was there. So, we grabbed some ice cream and headed back to the vehicles. We decided we didn't want to drive down Lombard St. but we at least wanted to see it. So we drove by it and then headed out of town. It took us 2 hours to get to the Bay Bridge, traffic was a mess! When we finally got to the bridge, we discovered it was because they were doing construction and it went down to one lane. Hello, who thought this would be a good idea? While in traffic we got separated, and long story short version, we all decided to just meet at the Oakland Temple. These grounds are so pretty and I love the walkway on top of the temple with all of the foliage. We took a group picture in front of the Christus in the visitor's center and headed to the hotel. It was something we all needed to end the day.

Friday we headed into Sacramento. Seth needed to take some things and pick up some things from the mission office and so we all drove to Old Sacramento and we decided that Seth and my parents would go take care of that while the rest of us wandered around. We pretty much headed straight to the train museum. Zack was a big driving force behind this one because he LOVES Thomas and all his friends. He can name them all. Just as we were finishing up there we found out that the mission office wasn't even open and wouldn't be until about 2:00. Seth was so bummed because he wanted to see the museum and missed it for nothing.

By this time I was really dragging. I was not feeling well at all and had absolutely no energy. When we met up with my parents, my dad mentioned that my mom was concerned that she had strep. I started thinking...yup, those are the symptoms I was experiencing. We found a gorgeous place for lunch and we ate in the courtyard. Again, some place we just found and lucked out. The kids had room to move and play without disturbing other patrons and from what I'm told, the food was amazing. I didn't have enough of an appetite so I ordered the cheapest salad I could because I could see wasting money on something I wasn't going to enjoy just because I didn't feel well. I would love to go back and try it another time, not to mention there was so much of Old Sacramento we still did not see.

After Old Sacramento, we headed to the Sacramento Temple. This is a newer and smaller temple, but the grounds were amazing! It is close to a waste plant and it was cool to see where the temple grounds started and the difference in the vegetation. Ranna and I decided that it was dark and spooky versus bright and happy. They also have a park area with bathrooms, drinking fountains, sand pits and benches as part of the grounds.

At this point, we separated. People in my parent's van (me included) headed to the mission office and the other vehicles headed to Lake Tahoe. Not too much exciting to report at this point, but by the time we made it to Tahoe I was feeling better. They beauty of pain reliever! We didn't stay long, because it was getting late and the young kids had already been playing for about an hour and were basically done. They did have a lot of fun though.

We headed to our final hotel in Carson City and luckily it was only a half hour away. Some people went swimming and dinner kept getting later and later. By the time people were ready to go my energy was gone, so I just went to bed. Saturday we got up and got on the road a little later than the other days, but we didn't have any stops planned. We just headed home and by this time Britta and I were very anxious to make it home to see our sweethearts. At one of the rest stops we found a Native American couple who had set up a bunch of jewelry for sale. We all had fun looking and several of us bought something. Other than that, our long road home was pretty uneventful. I felt somewhat icky but mostly okay for most of the trip and boy was I glad to make it home and sleep in my own bed.

Flashback Friday - Family Vacation, part 1

I am finally getting around to posting about my vacation. I have been waiting, hoping to get some of the pictures other members of my family took. I decided I had better not wait anymore, because it is already a "flashback". I mean, it's been a week!

Let me preface this entire blog with this...vacation is much better when illness is not a part of it! My stomach, back and ribs acted up the night before we left, so I really didn't get much sleep. We wanted to leave my parent's house by 8:00 a.m. (we run on Putnam time, so this means earliest 8:30). I was in pain, so I called my chiropractor, hoping to get in early so that I didn't throw things off for anyone else. Luckily, due to Putnam time, I didn't. Steve and I dropped all my stuff off at my parent's and got it loaded and headed to the chiropractor while everyone else finished up. We got to the office around 8:15 or so and was done just after everyone left the house at 8:30. Everyone met Steve and I there, since it was in the general direction we needed to go anyway and wasn't too out of the way. I said good-bye to Steve, gingerly climbed into Britta's Jeep and off we went!

I rode most of the day with Britta, with a few hours with my parents when I decided I really needed a nap. I couldn't get a nap riding with Britta because I was on kid duty - changing movies, getting books or toys, getting snacks, etc. After some rest I really started to feel better and kid duty was ok. I did find the Nevada/California state line quite interesting. The scenery became a lot more interesting very suddenly!

Monday night we stayed in a town called Grass Valley in California. It is off of I-80 about a half hour and the drive into town was absolutely breath-taking! We chose Grass Valley because it was in the general area that we needed to go anyway and Britta and John lived there for a summer for John's internship. My parent's found this fabulous place to stay which completely spoiled us. We all loved it, especially the memory foam beds and the pool. They were just what we needed after the long day of driving we just had.

Our cute hotel the first night

Tuesday was a busy, busy day. We started by having a trip down memory lane for Britta. She wanted to show everyone where she and John lived for that summer. It was maybe 5 minutes from the hotel. Then we headed toward Yuba City and did a little bit of backtracking through Marysville to Beale Air Force Base for me. That is where Steve was born and since he wasn't able to come I wanted to go there for him. We took some pictures and Zack and Abby especially liked looking at the plane. On our way back through Marysville, we stopped at Wal-Mart, for Britta's sake. Her DVD players stopped working. It was only the 2nd day of a huge road trip with a 3 year old and a1 year old. She didn't want to go the rest of the trip without it...

After our shopping we decided it was time for lunch. We found a great park close by and stopped. It had a great pond and a bunch of ducks and geese that Abby truly enjoyed feeding. I'll tell you what though, those geese sure were pushy. You could even say they were the bullies of the bunch. When they found out that the ducks were getting food that they weren't, they charged right in and pushed the ducks out. It was very interesting to watch.

After lunch Seth pretty much ran the show. This was the day spent in his mission area and there were a lot of people he wanted to visit and some places he wanted to show us. Most of us stayed in vehicles when he went in but in Orland we were able to stop at a park so the kids could play. We ended up eating dinner pretty late and by that time the kids were ready to be done. After getting to the motel in Corning some of us went swimming, some of us went to bed and my parents and Seth went to visit more people. My stomach acted up Tuesday afternoon but swimming helped a lot.

Wednesday was the day for the Redwoods. Unfortunately for us, to get there from Corning, we had to drive up and over the mountain. This meant a lot of twisty roads, and quite a bit of car sickness, which lead to a lot of passenger swapping. I was already feeling slightly off so I got quite sick where I normally would not have. By the time we actually got to the Redwoods I could barely move, but got out of the car anyway. I wasn't about to miss the redwoods in the Avenue of the Giants.

The first place we stopped was the Immortal Tree. This massive tree has survived lightening, floods, pests and the axe. They even have year markers for each event. We spent a good amount of time at the gift shop there and I found the perfect gift for Steve, aside from the fun shot glass to add to his collection. We got back on the road and found a place for dinner in a gorgeous grove with a picnic table. It was here that I realized we did not have nearly enough time for the Redwoods. There are so many trails and other sites off the main roads that days could be spent in just the Avenue of the Redwoods. I laid down in the van for a bit before getting up to eat. I needed a chance to rest without being in a moving vehicle.

My parents chose to visit this specific section of the Redwoods because we all wanted to see a drive-through tree. We couldn't see one on the map, but the internet stated we would find one. We decided to turn around and go ask someone at the visitor's center where we could find one. They said it was off the main road but there were signs on the main road. We just didn't drive far enough. We found it and it was so much fun! I could not believe the size of these trees. The drive-through tree was large enough that Aaron could even drive his big truck through (Seth was actually driving, Aaron directed). They also had some play houses and a children's walk-through stump. Everyone had a blast, especially the kids!

The cute tree houses

Silly, silly Seth Sack - in the cute tree house

Aaron with Zack on his shoulders in the walk-through tree
Perspective - Aaron is about 6'8"

Anna in the walk-through stump

Getting out of the car was actually the best thing for me, and by the time we got to our motel I was feeling pretty good. We stayed at a tiny motel in Garberville, a small town just south of the Avenue of the Giants. We got to the motel Wednesday night much earlier in the evening than we did any other night. We went swimming before dinner and really had a good time. We planned to go to a smoothie place we saw as we came in, but when we got there we discovered they were only serving the fire fighters that were fighting the mostly contained fires on the mountain. So, we kept walking until we found an open place that looked family friendly. Overall dinner was a lot of fun. It stopped being fun when half of us got our food and finished it and still no pizza for the others. Luckily, the kids were still in good moods. Some of us headed back with the kids and some stayed to take care of getting the pizza to go (which was now free) and taking care of paying. Aaron brought the pizza back, but unfortunately not before Abby went to sleep. Don't worry, she didn't go to bed hungry. She had chocolate cake at the restaurant! Britta saved her a piece for the next day.

This is about all I am going to post for now. I will finish blogging about the trip later. Check back for more pictures...

Flashback Friday - Life Story question

Steve and I have been planning to continue our story because we had fun doing it. We've been told that some people actually enjoyed reading it too. Here is our dilemma. We don't really see each other much during the week. In fact, this week it really has been very little. We usually have all day Saturday and Sunday, and this weekend we don't even have that. So, I am going to do something else for this week and then we will try to work on something during the week so that by Friday it will be ready to post.

I decided to cheat a little this week and pull a question out of my Life Story jar that would work for my Flashback Friday. The question is "Tell about any conditions surrounding your birth that you are aware of. Tell any interesting stories about your beginnings (how your name was chosen, any close calls)." Boy what a gem this is!

When I was 11 my mom wrote me a letter as part of a mutual project. It shares some about when I was born, but not all the really good stuff. But, I would like to share a little of it because it is in her words.

"I would like to tell you a little bit about the day you was born. It was a bright, sunny, early spring morning - March 26, 1977. We already had 2 little boys and were hoping to get a little girl. We were, of course, very please when we found out you was indeed a little girl. We were a little bit scared at first because you wasn't breathing right away, but it sure didn't take long to get you breathing. Once you started breathing, you started crying. What a set of lungs! You have been very quiet since then! Just kidding." (She really isn't kidding. I am a self-admitted loud-mouth!)

"You was one of the prettiest babies ever born at the Valley West Hospital in what was then called Granger, Utah. Things have really changed so it is now Pioneer Valley Hospital in West Valley City, Utah. The nurses made a fuss over you because you had so much long dark hair. At one time Dr. Astle, who delivered you, said, "One day she'll knock some young man for a loop." He thought you looked like you would really be pretty some day."

The next paragraph I am leaving out because it is very personal, but she mentions having health issues before and after I was born. When she was 4 months along, she started having contractions due to an asymptomatic urinary tract infection. This was obviously way to early to give birth so the hospital did what they could to stop the contractions. The way that was done at that time was through an alcohol drip. Yes, my mom got drunk due to this alcohol drip, this explains everything! She was a difficult patient and kept trying to get out of bed (very unlike her, she is a nurse and knows better), but in the end it worked and I was born only 3 weeks early.

Just after I was born they were not sure what my name would be. They knew my first name would be Mary because they wanted me to have that family name (it goes back to my great-great grandmother). Their inspiration for my middle name, what I would actually go by, came from an interesting source. When I was born, they still had shared hospital rooms and she was sharing with someone who also just gave birth to a little girl and also had a little boy. When her son came in to visit he was disappointed. He said "I wanted you to have a boy so we could name him Charlie Brown." They decided that would be a cute name for a girl, except as Charlene. So, I am named after Charlie Brown and I did not learn this until my friends gave me the nickname of Charlie (against my wishes) which ended up as Chuck (which I was okay with...go figure). Ironic.

What they didn't know at the time I was born was that part of the placenta had scarred next to the uterus due to the premature contractions. Since that part stayed behind her body didn't get the clear signal that she was not pregnant anymore and her milk did not come in. Therefore, I was not breast fed like my 7 siblings. I personally find this curious as I am the one in the family with the most health issues. It simply re-affirms to me the importance of breast milk. Anyway, about 5 weeks after I was born she started having issues due to the part of the placenta wall left behind. She ended up in the hospital with severe bleeding and the doctors gave her until a specified time to pull out of it or she would have an emergency hysterectomy. It looked like it was going to happen, but she was blessed and a half an hour before the determined time she pulled out of it and did not need to have the surgery.

She had 5 more children after that, all with very little or no complications. So, I say that I started out as a problem child and unfortunately I don't think much has changed. But I can say that I am truly grateful my mom was able to have more children for all the siblings I have. I would have been the youngest child and the only girl and if that had been the case I would have been a spoiled brat - no questions!

I have an amazing family and I am so blessed to be a part of it. I consider some of my siblings among my best friends and I can not imagine my life without them.

A busy week...

I can hardly believe it is already Thursday. We have had a lot of events this week so far, some fun, some not so much.

Monday started with a phone call to Britta. Abby went in for surgery to fix a hole in her heart. Being the worry wart that I am, I had to make sure she knew I was thinking about them and to express my love and concern. Also, I wanted to find out if they had received the e-card I sent for Abby to wish her luck. They did and Abby had already watched it over and over again. Britta told me she would let me know how things went and I mentioned that I would like to come up to visit later if Abby was up to it. It was a simple procedure, done in the catheter lab instead of the operating room, and everthing went well.

After work I had a chiropractor appointment. It was a consultation from my most recent re-exam(I am now on a maintenance schedule) and it was in and out. So, I headed up to Primary's after the appointment. Abby was very antsy and ready for something different. She was exhausted and struggled with her emotions for a little bit but overall did amazingly well. I read her a few stories and chatted with Britta some. We also took a picture of her silly glowing thumb.

Eventually I felt I needed to go help my parents and she didn't want me to go. But she had dinner on the way, pepperoni pizza(her favorite) and a cupcake with sprinkles, so she was ok.

My parents have been remodeling their bathroom downstairs and were also getting the house cleaned up in preparation for my brother Seth to come home from his mission on Tuesday. For those of you familiar with my parent's yard you will be glad to know that it is now tub free! Shortly after I arrived at their place, they realized that their a/c was no longer working. The compressor quit. I was trying to help clean, but it wasn't very easy to do while being miserably hot. Overall, Monday was good and busy day.

Tuesday morning Seth came home, bright and early. I did not go to the airport. I planned to be at work all day. That morning, my body had a different idea. I did not feel well and stayed in bed. I thought I just needed more sleep and that I would make it in later. Then I woke up later. My throat was screaming at me! I called in sick because I thought I may have caught something that Ranna had been sick with for days already. I felt very yucky and almost stayed in bed. Then Steve said he wanted to go see Seth before he had to go to work. I figured I could lay around at my parent's house just as easily as I could at home. So, we got out the door and visited for a bit. Then Steve went to work and he left me there. It was quite the busy house! I still felt rather yucky all day but it was definitely better than staying at home.

This is of course the Reader's Digest condensed version, but you get the idea. The past two days I have been very busy at work and have come home exhausted. Maybe I will actually have the energy to post a Flashback Friday tomorrow....

Another brief update

These updates may get annoying, but it is the best way I know how to spread the word without spending countless hours on the phone.

Steve was supposed to have more tests done today. However, he found out yesterday afternoon that he wasn't supposed to eat anything after breakfast yesterday morning. So, we have to reschedule and the office is being very difficult about it with us. We didn't even get the registration/information forms from the the mail until I got home from work yesterday.

We'll let you know when we have updates.

Brief update

Steve is finally back at work tonight. We got the results back from the test earlier this week. There is something going on with his liver. We don't have anything confirmed right now, but it is looking like something that is not going to just go away with antibiotics...it could be a life long thing. He has more tests scheduled for next week (the dr. said urgent and Tuesday is the first time available).

Meanwhile, he is in good spirits and has been focusing on keeping his attitude positive. It has been a good help for me because I am a worry-wart and feel that there is nothing I can do to help him. He did receive a blessing last night which, as always, really seems to have made a difference. Thank you for your thoughts and concerns. We will keep you posted.

Very sick

Just a quick update.

Steve is on his way home from the doctor. He is a very sick boy. I don't know all the details, I just know he is miserable. He also has a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow morning and possibly other tests to come.

So, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

My rude awakening - follow-up

Last summer I posted the blog "My rude awakening". I decided to post a follow-up blog, just as an update.

In December, Christmas Eve specifically, the pain I described in the aforementioned blog became a common occurance. Over the Christmas break I lost three complete days at the mercy of this pain. I decided to visit a new chiropractor on the recommendation of a friend. She said he would do the initial exam free of charge and gave me one of her appointment cards with his information. I called at about 8:00 a.m. and was able to get in at about 9:30 a.m. that day. I desperately needed the quick service because I was in a great deal of pain.

The exam included physical observation of how my body moves and bends, x-rays and a nerve test. I had never had a nerve test but this was the greatest tool for me to see and understand how my spine being misaligned was really affecting my body. I was able to see on paper how much my nerves were being impacted, and it wasn't good. He did not want to give me an adjustment that day until he had a chance to look over the x-rays and analyze the nerve test. I went home frustrated, but grateful that he wanted to make sure that he would not give me any further damage, and he didn't want me to waste money by starting treatment without being able to afford continuing.

I started trying to figure out how to pay for the treatment and determined the best way would be to make a hardship withdrawl from my 401(k). During this time Dr. Peterson called to follow-up with me and find out how I was doing. He wrote a letter to help me get the withdrawl and even looked at my insurance provider list to see if there was a provider that he could recommend that might save me some money. In the end, we would only save about $200 by going to a provider because he gives a 20% discount if you pay for the entire recommended treatment upfront. Since I had the withdrawl money it was the best option for me anyway. We felt that the service he had already given me was worth the extra money we would spend, rather than going to a new doctor and having to do the intake process all over.

Since then I have had a re-examination. He said I am 40% better and I we decreased my visit frequency. I can feel the difference in the strength of my spine and actually find my posture better naturally, especially right after an adjustment. I can tell that it is time to go back because today I realized I was starting to slouch again. The exercises I received to help strengthen the muscles also really help.

Now...we just need to figure out how to afford to get Steve going on a regular basis as well!

Flashback Friday - stupid college stuff

The inspiration for this week's Flashback Friday is not necessarily happy, but it has been on my mind. Several times over the last few months I have woken up in a great deal of pain (see previous blog - my rude awakening) and Monday it happened again. I decided to go to a new chiropractor, one that my friend Josie recommended. He did a nerve test and x-rays, but didn't want to adjust me untill he could look at the results and know what he was doing. So, I went home and slept most of the rest of the day. Amazingly enough, my muscles calmed down enough for me to enjoy Christmas.

We went back on Wednesday to review the results - I'm broken! Almost every nerve at the top of my back and neck are severely affected and my back and neck are all out of whack. At one point he asked what I did to get like this. I didn't think of what it was until later.....

My first year in college the institute was having some sort of get together and all my roommates and I decided to go. For some strange reason, a few of us decided to climb in the back of Christy's truck, standing. She turned onto the street for the institute and I saw some of my friends and was saying hi, not paying attention to the fact that she found a good parking spot in front. She turned, I realized what was going on, and made the quick decision to jump rather than fall on my head. I was wearing sandals with absolutely no traction. I promptly did the splits and to this day have matching scars on the inside of my ankles and my knees from scraping the asphalt - those socks were shot! Someone took me home to get cleaned up although I don't think I really did a good job. Those sores on my ankles got very infected.

A few weeks later (I believe it was Easter) I was home and we were having a family get-together and my aunt Denise's restaurant. I really noticed having issues with my back that I don't ever remember having prior. When I went back down to school I started going to the chiropractor. I went for the rest of the year, and most of the next year. He was the only one in town and, looking back, I wonder how much he really helped me because I have had issues since then.

I guess the moral of this story is don't do stupid stuff like stand in the back of a moving truck.

I am a changed woman!

My life has changed forever!

Several months ago I found a product that might help in my miserable food restrictions. It is enzymes that are supposed to aid in the digestion of gluten and casein (dairy mostly) products. It is $20 for 60 capsules and at the time I did not feel I dared try it. The effects of its possible ineffeciency could be disastrous. You see, I have not "cheated" and knowingly eaten something I know would make me sick just because I miss it. It has been very difficult at times, but it simply is not worth the pain. In 3 years since my diagnosis I have not had anything that was obviously off limits. Not even a small cookie. Crumbs from croutons on my salad make me sick.

Friday night I felt adventurous. I was already planning on staying home as much as possible. If I tried it and got sick I had a few days to recover. I felt the benefits made the risk worth it. The only place I have found it so far is Harmons on 5400 S and Redwood Road. Right next door is a Sconecutter. I love Sconecutter and have dearly missed it. This was the night....

I don't know what is in those capsules, but I now vow to never be without some. I had more energy at the end of the night, after "cheating", than I did the rest of the entire day. It was so liberating and exciting! I could not stop talking, dancing and singing! I felt so alive and so new, and really have for most of the weekend. I have eaten more gluten this weekend than everything combined since my diagnosis, and I am not sick in bed!

This does not mean I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want. This weekend has been an exception. This does mean I do not have to feel the wretched anxiety surrounding social gatherings with food. This does mean that I can have what I want on special occasions. I do still feel some effects if I simply over-do it, but they are so not anything like a straight up exposure.

To some of you, this may seem so trivial. But my risk and my experiment has benefitted many people I know. This was such pure joy for me to share! In sharing it with my mother, who also has issues, describing the delicacy of Sconecutter needed few words. Upon receiving the news, my cousin exclaimed "Honey, we're going out to dinner tonight!" and "I've got so many people to call!"

As I said earlier, my life has changed forever. My psychological and emotional life looks much brighter, as well as my diet. Who knows, maybe the energy I experienced this weekend is much more than mental. I am very excited about seeing the continued benefits.

I think I can, I think I can....random thoughts

Have you ever had a day that you started by saying "I think I can (insert whatever here)"? Mine is most frequently I think I can...get out of bed. Most of the time it works. Then I am able to do whatever needs to be done and somehow getting out of bed didn't seem that bad, or was the easy part of the day.

I have started saying "I think I can" more often and about more things than just getting out of bed. It has really changed my mindset on several things. Now I am not saying I have all good days, not that by any means. It has helped to lower my stress level and also get through some really emotional issues. I have been able to help someone else who needed it and forget about my miserable worries (that too easily consume me). I have been able to smile, laugh and love more.

Speaking of love, can I just say that I love my family? I am so blessed to have such a supportive family. If I have an issue, I can take it to them and work it out somehow. There might be tears, and there is defintely emotions, but we work it out in the best way we know how. Sometimes this is honestly let it drop and give it time and other times we step in for someone else who is either too afraid or not ready to speak their mind right at that moment (a rare occasion, I promise).

So what do you do when someone you truly care about is having a difficult time and nothing you say or do can really change anything? Is this where "I think I can" comes in? I think I can be there for that person, no matter what happens. I think I can love that person with everything I've got. I think I can show that person life is good and worth plugging on. What happens if I need someone while I am there for them? Do I just fall apart trying to keep them together or do I drop them to keep myself together?

This is one of my weak strengths. You know, one of those qualities that makes a difference for other people but that is focused on so much that something else suffers. You see, I am loyal to a fault. It really takes something earth-shattering for me to consider someone once a friend otherwise. When one of my friends is in trouble or needs me, I am there, sometimes even when I need one myself.

So, I think I can...be my own friend. It makes sense. If I take care of my friends, and I am my own friend, I will take care of myself.

My rude awakening

This morning at about 4:00 I woke up in extreme pain. It felt as though a rod had been pushed through my upper left abdomen and through my mid back. I knew what the back pain was - a rib out of place. I have had this pain before. The stomach pain was my concern. It started just below the center of my ribcage, followed the left side of my ribcage and down. I took some pain medication and went back to bed, hoping to get some sleep so I did not miss any work.

Unfortunately for me, the pain got worse instead of better. I took a bath, hoping to ease the pain and relax enough to sleep. The bath helped but brought very small and very temporary relief. I tried some sudoku to take my mind off the pain.

It was about this time that I noticed I could physically see a difference between the left side of my abdomen versus the right side. It looked and felt swollen. I was tempted to go to the emergency room but new what my back pain was and wondered if the other pain was related. I decided to see the chiropractor first but knew I would have to wait until later in the morning. It was still only about 5:15.

I went back to bed, attempting just about any position to find relief. Pressure on my stomach just made things worse and this is what kept me awake. Eventually, and after a few tears, Steve grabbed the massager and used it on my back hoping to help. Again, temporary relief and when he was done I was right back where I was previously. I decided to take another bath, which brought no relief.

Finally I was in so much pain I couldn't even stay still. I took some Phazyme just incase the pain was gas related and decided to park myself in my comfy chaise lounge chair in the living room and let Steve have some peace, no sense keeping him awake too. There was nothing he could do. This was about 6:45 - 7:00. Sitting in the chair actually brough some relief to my back and stomach, although it took a while. I remember looking at the clock at 7:20 thinking that soon I might be able to call Dr. Fowers and beg for some help. I knew he would be up and going somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 as I have had 7:30 appointments with him in the past.

Lucky for me, I didn't get that chance. Suddenly my head was bobbing, it was 8:00 and the pain had subsided enough for me to go back to bed, after calling in sick (I tried earlier but for some reason the message system wasn't picking up). Somewhere in there Steve called Dr. Fowers for me and got me an appointment. It wasn't until 1:30, but at that moment I was grateful. It meant I could sleep some more - which I did until 12:30. In those 4 1/2 hours I got the best sleep I have had in a while. I really needed it apparently!

Steve and I have been going to Dr. Fowers as our chiropractor for just over 5 years. He has seen me pretty messed up. But today he actually brought out his stethescope and seemed rather concerned about my stomach pain. I told him I suspected it might actually be a front rib. He checked and I was partially right. It was three ribs in front and some very knotted abdoment muscles.

So after quite a bit of pain and work I am somewhat better. My muscles are still very tender and I have been very exhausted all day (that much pain takes it out of you) but should be good.
I just hope I don't ever have to go through that again!