Spending off track time at the doctor's!

ACTUALLY... NOW IT'S FEBRUARY 3RD!

Wow, it's only been three weeks, but I have spent a lot of time with doctor appointments, in tests and procedures, and figuring how to solve some of my health problems! I'm so grateful for Tyler's good insurance that I've been able to switch to in January. Some prescriptions will be more expensive, but overall it will be significantly better!

A few weeks ago, the 6-month brain MRI showed not significant growth, and the doctors said no radiation is needed on my tumor! Yeah!!! Answer to prayers!

I was also able to get set up on a new Blood Glucose sensor that continually monitors by blood sugars! I'm also back on the insulin pump and it's proving to be a GREAT help and breakthrough for managing my up and down sugars! I also talked with diabetic doctors and my ob/gyn doctor about the possibility of having children, and there are great risks to becoming pregnant with diabetes. Tyler is so understanding and supportive of whatever we need to do, not wanting me to put my health at risk. My diabetes is difficult to control with many other health factors going on, so we will see what happens... But whether we adopt or I am able to bear my own, it will be a great miracle. And we know we have great miracles ahead!

I found out on the same day that the insurance finally approved my foot surgery/sclerotherapy procedure that was last Wednesday! My foot has been getting harder to walk & run on, and gets painful enough that we need to take care of it as soon as we can. Especially while I'm off track. Tyler has been so good to encourage me to put it up, put ice on it, and I wear the helpful compression sock half the time now. I'm so grateful to the office manager, Jill, at the doctor's office who has helped get insurance cleared. More later on how that surgery went...

I have had a lot of headaches and wake up many nights with numbness in my hands and up my arms. The numbness happens throughout the day as well. I called Dr. Maughan, my neurologist, to ask what he recommends, and he said there could be something in my neck causing the numbness as well as the terrible headaches I've continued to have. Well... after a difficult MRI (the loud noises were tough to handle with a bad headache), we got the results, and there doesn't appear to be anything causing the numbness. I think I better take time to relax and rest my shoulders and neck each day and hope this will help. I have a tendency to get tense!

I also was able to meet with my Gastro Enterologist, and he said that he needed to do an Endoscopy to make sure that I do have gastroparesis, rather than an ulcer or cancer. So... I went to the hospital Monday, was hooked up to an IV and other electrodes, and underwent anesthesia while they put a tube down to my stomach and intestines that could take pictures of me on the inside. Wow! Interesting to see what I look like on the inside! The pictures show that it IS gastroparesis and he did a biopsy of my stomach and intestines to see if I have Ciliac's (sp?) disease. I am on some medicine to help the gastroparesis situation, and have learned to eat no more than a cup and a half of food at a time. I'm so grateful my friend Lisa introduced us to the Green Smoothies! What an answer to both our health needs!

I was also able to go with Tyler to his doctor's appointment, and learned what I can do to better help him stay in the best of health. We both are in need of similar dietary needs! We're grateful to have each other to take better care of each other!

Well, Wednesday, I went in for sclerotherapy surgery to the University of Utah hospital, since that is where this special procedure is done. My foot appeared to this doctor to have a vascular malformation, so I had several labs done, spoke with the anesthesiologist, underwent general anesthesia, got in those wonderful hospital clothes for the 4th time this month, and said a "see you later" and lots of hugs and "I love you's" to Tyler and my parents. I walked with the doctors back to the operation room, laid down on the table, and was hooked up to many machines. I quickly fell asleep (thankfully!) and woke up hours later in a room with the shakes, and went back to sleep after another good dose of Demerol the nurse kindly put into my IV!! I woke up about 1:30, and was taken to a recovery room to rest in a recliner. I felt pretty good, just weak and light-headed. My foot didn't really hurt, and although I was wheeled out to the parking lot in a wheelchair, I was able to walk to the car. My parents and Tyler were able to talk to the doctor when I was in recovery, and found out that when the doctors got into my foot with the contrast and mapped out my vessels, they saw this was NOT a vascular malformation, but something they had never seen before or even recognized. I have an enlarged muscle in my foot, about 4 times larger than the muscle in front of it or behind it. They aren't sure why, and they took a biopsy while they were in my foot with a large needle. I'll know in a couple weeks what they were able to determine. Interesting!

I came home by around 4:00, and relaxed with Tyler, grateful he had the day off to be with me! Yesterday, my mom came over and spent the day with me, helping me around the house, preparing for our Women's Conference presentation, grading papers for school, and getting dinner started. I don't know what I'd do without her! I felt a little down yesterday, and discouraged that we can't find solutions to some of these problems. When Tyler came home, we had a good talk, and he was so encouraging! He also got a call to meet with the stake president, and I'm excited for him to possibly get a calling soon! As I pondered and got back to work for school, I realized I've missed being able to "forget myself and go to work." I'm grateful for good health, and despite the pains I feel, I don't want to let the adversary get me down, but tell him "go away!" when I'm feeling that discouragement. How blessed we are to have living prophets on the earth, to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and to have hope in the eternities. I love one thought I heard this morning as I listened to the last conference's session"
"Let us not hang down our heads; it is better to look up!" from Elder Carl B. Cook. How simple, but how true and important to do! "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not!" -Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

I had a GREAT doctor appointment this morning before going in to school to prepare for Monday. It was with Dr. Mehr, the retinologist who helped discover the problem with my eye to order the MRI that revealed brain tumor. He was the one that gave me that tough call to say I had a brain tumor. Well, it was great to see him today, and he was so excited to hear I got married and wanted to know all about Tyler! He also dilated my eyes, and said they look REALLY stable, which felt REALLLLLLY good to hear! He said I am only at the very earliest stages of diabetic retinopathy, which is great for having diabetes for 20 years! I was also excited to see that my right eye's pupil dilated very large, just like my left one! What a good sign! I didn't think that pupil could change size anymore. Wahoo!

I know that there are more trials ahead, but I also know I am so extremely blessed and have many miracles yet in store! I'm grateful I was reminded yesterday to BE GRATEFUL! I'm so grateful the Lord has led me to Tyler at this time, because my health just keeps changing all the time. I'm so glad we have each other-- to experience joy of service, life's ups and downs, and to help one another. I'm so thankful for the way Tyler follows the Savior with dedication and happiness! I'm so thankful for my supportive parents-- there with me at doctor's appointments, to help me run errands to the grocery story (like today when I couldn't drive), and who are in good health! God has been soooo good to us!