New Year, New Diagnosis?

Happy New Year All!

How fast did 2013 go by?! Seems like every year with kids makes time fly!

I am dealing with some health stuff again and figured blogging will be a good outlet and also keep those who want to be in the know, in the know.. Here's some background.. I was diagnosed with a Prolactinoma on my Pituitary Gland. It is small and my old endocrinologist said it would not grow or shrink and that we were "managing symptoms"  the symptoms being lactating from elevated Prolactin levels. The medicine I was on was making me cray cray, like super hormonal and not fun to be around. My cycles were like those of a teenage girl and it drove my husband crazy, even though he is sweet enough to only mention it a couple times.. :) So, I quit taking the medicine...

I had also seen a neurologist who diagnosed me with Pseudo Tumor Cerebri.. ( this is when you are showing all signs of a brain tumor but there is no mass found) because my eye exam showed a swollen optic nerve. This is was not confirmed by testing just, guessed and so, my eye doc fought the neuro's diagnosis and requested a second opinion. I was seen by some neuro P.A's and they took me off the diamox because they didn't see any sign of PTC. They only way it can be diagnosed is by a spinal tap to measure the pressure in the fluid in your spinal with corresponds with the fluid surrounding your brain.


About a month ago I had an annual eye exam and when I got there I ended up waiting about an hour before I was even called back. This was because I was on the schedule to have a Field Vision Test before the actual Dr saw me. Well, I was grumpy after waiting and for the mix up and told them I don't need that test done because the diagnosis that required it (PTC) had been tossed out and so I just needed the eye exam. During the eye exam my eye doc noticed my optic nerve was still swollen. So, I ended up going back for the Field Vision Test (which is done to see if you have lost any peripheral vision) My results were only mildly abnormal in my left eye --I missed a spot this year that I had seen last year.

My Opthamologist strongly urged me to go find a Neurologist and get the spinal tap done to see if I do have Pseudo Tumor Cerebri and if not, help figure out why my optic nerve is enlarged. My uncle and my cousin both recommended a Neurologist for me to see and I do really like her and trust her. She ordered another MRI since it's been a year, referred me to an endocrinologist and ordered the lumbar puncture aka. Spinal Tap.

The MRI is to check up on the pituitary adenoma and overall health of my brain and the Spinal is to check the pressure in my spinal fluid and if its high they will drain it to normal pressure and start me on medicine. They don't know what causes Pseudo Tumor Cerebri but, said its common in woman of childbearing age and overweight women or women on acne medications. She said losing 5% of my weight could help but, would like me to lose more, especially if this is what my diagnosis ends up being. So, the medicine we have discussed is also approved for weight loss as well as keeping the pressure to normal in my brain.

I am so stressed just writing that all out and trying to keep it straight. I am scheduled for my MRI and Lumbar Puncture on Jan 15th. Its an outpatient procedure but, I will be laying flat the rest of the day she said. The only thing I am worried about besides getting poked in the spine and being pressured to lose a ton of weight.. Avery has school that day and Nate will be driving me to the appointments.. So, I need help getting her to and from school. I have Ethan taken care of. I have been avoiding talking about it cause its overwhelming and people never like to hear about health issues or know really what to say, I dont know what to say either.. I just wanted to share on a public forum cause its easier to get it all out and then I can answer questions instead of explaining it over and over.

I just need my family & friends to support me and make me laugh. I'm having a hard time dealing with life while having this is in the background of my mind constantly. I am trying to really rely on God and know all will be revealed and taken care of in time. I just hate the waiting and testing game... Hoping my pit tumor has not grown and hope we can get me back to normal again... thanks for reading! Ill keep this updated.

30 Things My Kids should know about me.. In 30 days.

I saw this really cool post on Pinterest awhile back. I pinned it and forgot it. One of my friends just pinned it and I saw it again. I decided to do it! The best way for me to do anything is on the laptop. It's easier to type it out and why not blog it? Then I can see it whenever I want. :-)

So, Day One!
First thing my kids should know about me is to list 20 Random facts about myself! (this reminds me of a feature in my US Weekly magazine, they ask a celeb random things about themselves and I always enjoy reading them) Maybe this should be included in my list hahaha!

Here goes...
#1. I was born tongue-tied and had my frenulum lasered when I had my wisdom teeth pulled, at age 24.
#2. I started school (kindergarten at age 4, which made me the youngest in every grade. When I was in 3rd grade they wanted to advance me to 4th grade because of my reading and writing skills, but they didn't because I was already a grade ahead by age standards.
#3. I am afraid of deep water, I used to be an excellent swimmer but, got thrown into a pool and never recovered from my fears.
#4. I was in a spelling bee in 3rd or 4th grade and lost because I spelt dolphin wrong, D-O-L-F-I-N.
#5. I failed my drivers license test 2 times before I passed.
#6. I was going to help start a girls hockey team in high school, so I got some rollerblades to practice skating during the summer in Minnesota. Never played hockey.
#7. I studied to get my boating license at age 16.
#8. I applied to be a foreign exchange student for my Junior year. I was runner up because my grades weren't good enough.
#9. I switched schools every two years and was in Catholic schools until 8th grade, when I went to live with my grandma.
#10. I hate spiders
#11. I see 11:11 almost daily on my clocks. I think it's my grandma's saying hello!
#12. I used to smoke cigarettes heavily, until I became pregnant with Ethan. Best choice I ever made, to quit and stay quit.
#13. I have never been a runner and used to fake injuries in volleyball so I didn't have to run.
#14. If money were no object, we would live in the mountains of Colorado and have a cabin in Northern Minnesota.
#15. I was named after the baby across the hall. My mom thought I was gonna be a boy, Joshua.
#16. I wanted to join the peace corps after college.
#17. My first job was a dishwasher at a restaurant, age 15.. and im still washing dishes! ;-)
#18. I've had about 50 jobs, give or take in my life. Age 15-26
#19. My favorite number is 11.
#20. I love Peanut M&M's, but not plain peanuts.

SnOMG 2013 Part 2

After our intial storm on Thursday, we got another inch or so that evening. Sometime in the afternoon the schools called another snow day so, we knew that today would probably be spent lounging, making a snow fort and playing outside. Nate woke up and jumped out of bed and went outside. I fed the kids and they were bugging my to let them go outside. Then, they saw him hollowing out the snow fort! There was squeals and laughter, PLEASE!!! can we go outside?! I knocked on the window and motioned to Nate (who was entirely un-visible from being the fort, he's 6'3") to let them out. He okayed it and I have never seen Ethan get his outerwear on SO FAST! I wish he moved like that on school days! I decided to venture out and take some REAL pics, that weren't from inside.

Here are pics from Snow Day #2!


Here is the OFFICIAL Vorhies deck measurement! 13" of beautiful white snow!!


How I found my husband! what a kid!!


Sweet Avery with her massive snowball!


Strong Man Ethan!


Nate working on the final touches of the fort



My family piled into the snow fort! (nate said 6 people could fit in there!!)

Hope you enjoyed the pics! :-)

SnOMG 2013! Part 1

As most of you know, Kansas City was hit with Storm Q otherwise known as SnOMG for the rest of this post.. I had two people close to me scrambling to get out on flights the night before the whole city shut down. They made it out! We, did not. In fact, I haven't left the comfort of my home since Wednesday! I know, it's only Friday.. I tend towards the dramatic :-) Anyways! Wednesday night pretty much the whole town was shut down in anticipation for this major storm. I'll admit, I scoffed at the native KCitians. Since I am such a traveled snow person, I mean, I grew up learning how to drive in snow! One of my drivers training lessons abruptly ended because I right turned into a snowbank! (In my defense, there was a big yellow school bus preparing to turn left at the same time!!) I scared my grandmother countless times with my driving in snowy conditions at age 13,14,15 when I would pull a little to close to the side of the road to turn onto our gravel road.. So, yes! over half my life, at this point, was spent in MN. I'm no stranger to snowy weather. But, I have never seen a town shut down over it, BEFORE it snows like, KC! I mean, it's not like we live in FL or AZ or somewhere unreasonably warm where snow has no business being, We are smack dab in the middle of the country, Tornado Alley, prone to all jet stream interactions imaginable.

Moving along... town shuts down Wed night, which was probably a good thing.. *claps* Nate knew he wasn't going into work, Ethan knew he wasn't going to school. I knew all my plans were likely to be cancelled and I could bake treats and have a carbfest while we hibernated! yahoo! It started snowing Thursday morning, barely covered the grass when I woke and it snowed until early afternoon.. It was coming down fast and its was cloudy! It was actually a THUNDER-SNOW!! dun dun duuuunnnn... The kids literally popped out of bed and into their snow gear they were so excited! I wasn't feeling the best so I said to Nate " Take some pics!!" after being outside in the visibility, which was poor. He said, You need to take pics if you want them! I can't see with the snow.. So, I sat inside with whiny dog, Huddy and snapped pics from the windows..

Here is Snow Day #1 Pics...


*look at the crazy fast moving snow!*

*Nate shoveling, Bad pic, but look at how dark it was out there!*

"helping dad shovel"

Avery's adorable pink cheeks when she came in!

In total the kids went out twice, about an hour each time. Nate shoveled and piled all the snow in a mound so he could make his "EPIC SNOW FORT" so that "Ethan will have the childhood I had!" He grew up in Colorado and he said "I haven't seen snow like THIS since COLORADO!" he was so happy!! :-) I love snow also, its so pretty and clean and makes everything quiet and serene. I must note, when we went to bed last night I commented to Nate how bright it was outside from the snow. It was like a natural GLOW!.. I miss that from MN! <3

I think a second post is in order, this is getting lengthy! More pics ahead!!