Friday, June 28, 2013

Rogers?! Dodgers..Uterine?! Shmu-terine..

Here is the end of another Rogers' chaos week.

Just FYI we took the chance of putting our house on the market.
It was a week ago yesterday “active”
we only had 2 showings last Friday
and
one this Tuesday.
Tuesday, we got an offer.
By yesterday it “fell through”
the buyers apparently had an medical emergency and backed out.
We sure hope they are OK.

If it is meant to be, then it will sell.
So far, only 3 showings.
So, we shall see and another weekend of
possible rain.
Which typically keeps people from coming out.

So yes, our chaos.

I went to my OB-GYN today.
Yes, possibly TMI.
Anyways, my body has been off since
the craniotomy.
It has had some issues prior they just
increased greatly since March.
At the end of May the Doctor noticed
my uterus was enlarged feeling via exam.
(As did Andrew and I because I was looking like Carrie 12 weeks pregnant..)
He wanted an ultrasound
and
told me a possibility of a biopsy would happen.
Well, it did.
So now we wait.
The ultrasound looked normal enough
but with how it felt
and
what has been going on
a biopsy was done (uterine lining).
He will be out next week
but
said he would be sure someone would
call me next week with results
and
the following week
he would call me
and
we will talk and figure out a plan from there.
Good enough to me.

I was a tad dizzy/off feeling after it.
The nurse seemed worried
and
surprised since I talked through it all.

Andrew informed her, it was the face.
If you saw her face, she was in pain.
The Nurse surprised I could talk through pain.

I am honestly constantly in pain.
It is a norm unfortunately.

To the point our kids can't sit on my lap without
increasing pain I typically feel.
It is just me and my body saying something.
We're just trying to open our ears and figure it out.

So we shall patiently wait and see
probably “nothing.”
Meaning they don't understand these kind
of things
but
just like to be sure it is nothing “serious” ie: pre-cancer or cancer

There is more than enough to distract
and
like he mentioned it could be cramping most of the day.
I could take pain killers.
Well, according to the neuro-oncologist
professionals, I cannot do Advil anymore.
But, it really just feels like the normal pain I feel
from someone sitting on my lap
or
like yesterday after the x-ray tech
(for my urologist appointment..kidney stones check up)
just touching my lower abdominal
in order to feel for “land marks”
that I am lined up for a good shot
caused me pain for the rest of the day.

By the way, I have been stone free for 3 plus years now
by a simple diet modification
that increased my citric acid levels.

The power of the body is amazing.
I won't step on the soap box at this time.

So, I am clear from going there unless they come back again.
But I have kicked those stones butts. :)
So, now we wait
but shall stay busy and see what the phone call next week brings.

In the meantime we need more bread made, waffles, pizza dough.

The Boys would love some Mommy time
to read or color with,
or outside time in the back yard

I also need to put away laundry
and
wash some.

Make a grocery list..
you name it..
there I plenty to fill the time
till that phone rings.

Onto the back of my mind it goes
far way until necessary
and so the focus goes to these wonderful
blessings I have.




Monday, June 24, 2013

The Video that makes the point

Here is a clip of our Biggun' belting out 
some of the VBS songs. 
DD comes in near the end to sing also. 

On the video description there are a few of the lyrics posted. 
Again, as my point in the last post
how appropriate it all is to us. 

Time flies..

Oh My, it has been too long since I last posted.
The crazy wonderful chaos continues!

Our Biggun' finished preschool, he met his Kindergarten teacher,
saw his classmates and classroom too.
Here is a collage of his preschool years.


Where does the time go? This went so fast,
we are going to blink and he will be in middle school, then high school
then college?!
I know each stage of life is supremely special in its own way
I just can't have it go by too quickly.
I know the hard days seem to last incredibly long
even though they really don't
in comparison to it all.

June 13th marked 3 months post-craniotomy.
Funny enough on this day, Aidan picked out his
Angels Among Us shirt.
Coincidence? Yes.
However, my heart always tells me there is a bigger
meaning behind it, even if he is not aware.
I take it as a sign.
You may not, I do.
We do what we must
but it helps me get through days.

All of this has not been easy on any of us in our Family.
I know this.
It also goes to show with how everyone reacts or treats us or even just me at times.
I try to not get mad,
we all must cope somehow.
I think some days people (not the ones in our home)
get mad that I am not mad.
I can't be mad, I have to see the good in it all
otherwise,
I would not be able to get out of the deep dark hole
I made for myself.
Trust me, with all we have been through I have learned that.

It is not fair to my wonderful Husband or our Children we have been given
That said, I am not graceful.
I try and fail every day.
Some days more than others.
As I got the last MRI report, it is hard.
As the ones that started out in February 2012, they said, “non-enchancing cystic lesion”
to the wonders of a congential tumor, to the finding out it is a glioma, more specifically an
astrocytoma with some oiligodendroglioma cells also.
To it being “benign” yet I have “pre-cancer” issues
to know since surgery my left over tentacles enhance with contrast dye
and are now deemed
“Malignant.”
Nice, huh?
That said, I am a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Granddaughter, Niece, Friend
I won't let that shape me.
I am me, the other crap is just crap.
It is a given challenge to face.
I am who I am and will continue to be me.
I will not let all of that eat me apart.

Want a few facts?

For every 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 221 are living following the diagnosis of a brain tumor. This represents a prevalence rate of 221.8 per 100,000 persons.
Tumor-Specific Statistics

    • Meningiomas represent 34% of all primary brain tumors, making them the most common primary brain tumor.
    • Gliomas, a broad term which includes all tumors arising from the gluey or supportive tissue of the brain, represent 30% of all brain tumors and 80% of all malignant tumors.
    • Glioblastomas represent 17% of all primary brain tumors, and 54% of all gliomas.
    • Astrocytomas represent 7% of all primary brain tumors.
    • Astrocytomas and glioblastomas combined represent 76% of all gliomas.
    • Nerve sheath tumors (such as acoustic neuromas) represent about 9% of all primary brain tumors.
    • Pituitary tumors represent 13% of all primary brain tumors.
    • Lymphomas represent 2% of all primary brain tumors.
    • Oligodendrogliomas represent 2% of all primary brain tumors.
    • Medulloblastomas/embryonal/primitive tumors represent 1% of all primary brain tumors.
    • The majority of primary tumors (34%) are located within the meninges, followed by those located within the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes of the brain (22%).


All that said, why be like everyone one else?
 This we all ready know, we are all individuals.

Also, most medications.. my body hates.
The side effects that are in the 6% or less range I usually get.
I have always forewarned medical staff this,
the few times I have been a situation that needed medication.
They just all smile and go on their way.

The wonderful professionals I am with now witnessed it.
They believe me and now since what happened post surgery
all my other MD's believe too.

Never dull I tell ya!
It will only give professionals more information to learn from.
Knowledge is power.

Since my surgery other issues have shown up and maintained.
I will have more information after another appointment this coming Friday.

Again, like I said earlier. I know the facts and I know my life.
It will not take me over.
I won't let it.
Life is not easy.
I remember being told that things that are easy
aren't worth having.
And
that is OK.

I am a tad exhausted from last week.
Last week was Vacation Bible School at our Church.
My Sister was one of the co-directors in it.
Volunteers took a while to fill in the last holes.
I told her to put me in the least liked one.
That way the others would more likely fill.

I have to say, last week was AWESOME!
I loved it!
Aidan thoroughly enjoyed it and the Little's had some fun too.
It was harder for Bitty and D
but they ended up doing well.
We got a CD of the songs we listened to all week.
In our home it has been listened to for weeks before VBS.
I know they are kid songs but
what they say are something very appropriate to
what you go through in life.
They fit with what is going on for us for sure.
I oversaw a group of pre-teen and early teenage Boys who were
to take photos each day and create a slide show for the end of
each day and
a bigger one for the finale that all Parent's are invited to.

It was a honor to work with young men who
were polite, nice, hard workers
and
were able to get the job done with little redirection.
They also got to give their input
and
put it into action.

I am exhausted from it
but would it again
in a heart beat.

Like I keep saying, I can let the crap tear me apart
or
do my duties 
and 
make the best of it all.

I don't want a deep dark hole.
I can see and acknowledge things are not easy
but 
there is so much more to everything
than just that one nasty spot.

We are 4 weeks from my next MRI.
With how things go, it will be here in a blink.

My next post will hopefully be sooner than then
and be the one I want to give to
the awesome Angels Among Us event in April.
They have posted on their site
all of the photos they took.

Just looking through them all the other day
brought me to tears.

At times it all seems like a dream and like it never really happened.

Then I touch my scar and still don't have all of my feeling back
on that area..
and..
it becomes real again.