Happy news!

So, I survived the MRI.

After taking the sedative, I showed up at the hospital and The Hubs and I were escorted back to the radiology area.

Then they say that 'accompanying adults are only allowed in when the patient is a child.'

I told them that I had been told that he could come back with me to help me get through it.

The tech repeated their 'child only' policy, and we left The Hubs in the waiting area.

Back in the room, they got me on the table. They strapped me down, and before they could even move the table into position, I started shaking uncontrollably again. One of the techs told the other one to 'go get the husband'.

My awesome husband spent an hour and 15 minutes with his arm all the way up to the shoulder stretched into the MRI machine so he could hold my hand during the whole procedure.

It was the ONLY thing that made me okay. Truly, I could not have done it without him holding my hand.

So, I did make the entire test.

Results came back same day.

They're lymph nodes.

Not sure what is going on, but they are definitely benign.

My options are to watch and wait, or see a surgeon that specializes in lymph nodes.

I'm opting for the waiting.

So, AWESOME news on that front...

Other exciting things are happening, too... I will post about them as soon as I can reveal them :)

Dear God, the Universe, and whoever else can help.

I'm not sure if you can see it from up there, but that white spot? That's me waving my white flag.

I give.

Uncle.

Whatever the frick it takes for you to back off just a little.

So I'm going through all this crap with my masses (there are actually 4, 2 in each armpit/boob) and my MRI phobia. I'm supposed to take my sedative and go back with a driver (a.k.a. The Hubs) Thursday morning. PRAY THIS WORKS. The ones on the right hurt pretty bad.

Then yesterday Audrey has a total freakout, ends up telling me that a little girl in her class has been pushing her (literally, physically pushing her) and saying awful things to her, and awful things about her to other kids when she's in earshot. Audrey had been doubled over in pain (her stomach) all week, but was afraid to tell us in fear the little girl 'would get meaner'. Of course I contacted her teacher, who assured me she would figure it out. The teacher handled it beautifully, the girl is being very kind to Audrey, sincerely apologized and told her it wasn't her fault. All day though, I spent stressed out hoping that it would turn out okay.

Then JT... Oh my JT. He is having issues with getting in trouble. As in, if he gets reprimanded (in our house, we use our 'scolding' tone, we don't yell, and we never spank) he completely loses control and has a meltdown. We're talking meltdowns that we haven't seen in 3 years. Out of control, lost in autism-space meltdowns. He doesn't see us, hear us or respond. He is screaming, angry, thrashing and gone.

Today the teacher had to raise her voice at JT. See, he's a good kid. It's the first time she's ever had to raise her voice at him. But it happened... and he was standing behind another kid. So he freaked out, upset the kid in front of him... that kid bit JT. Then JT went and started kicking a table, then TRIED TO FLIP THE TABLE OVER. Then he went and smacked (thankfully, not hard) another kid (not the one that bit him). DISASTER.

We are trying to come up with stuff to help him with this, because obviously he's going to get in trouble occasionally, even though he's a good kid. Social stories. Visual schedules and first/then cards (issues only happen after lunch). 'Practicing' when he gets in trouble at home with appropriate responses.

Ohmyfreakinggosh. Seriously, God. Universe. Cosmic Energy.

BACK OFF.

Vitamin D Issues

I got a call from my doctor Friday, a week after I had 6 vials of blood drawn - mostly because I hadn't had any bloodwork in three years, but these headaches/backaches/constant fatigue just weren't going away.

Turns out my vitamin D level is low. Not just low, but 'severely deficient'.

The NIH has a page on vitamin D here, where you can see the normal levels for adults should range from 30.0 to 74.0 ng/mL.

Mine was 6.

I'm on 50,000IU of vitamin D (prescription) M/W/F for six weeks. Four weeks after my last pill I have to have a redraw to see if my levels have improved. If not, we have to start trying to figure out why.

I've never had a vitamin D blood draw done before, but looking at the symptoms it's very likely I've been deficient for a long time.

If you haven't had a D test done, you definitely should. The statistics vary from 8 percent to 55 percent in estimates of people with a D deficiency... but your risk is higher if you're inside a lot, don't eat a diet high in vitamin D or have certain health problems (check here and here). It causes some major problems with your bones (makes them soft and easy to break, osteomalacia/rickets), headaches, energy levels, weight gain... and much more.

8 Years :)

The two of us while we were engaged: 2001.


Today is our 8 year anniversary!

We're spending it here at home, eating lasagna (our favorite!) and watching the Biggest Loser (finale!!!).

The Hubs has started the day off at the Urgent Care clinic with JT, who has croup with asthma AGAIN. Poor kiddo. We managed to get his breathing under control enough to get through the night (with The Hubs and I barely sleeping) - he was wheezing and barking. The Sudafed and Motrin did the trick. By this morning he was also running a fever, so to the doctor he goes.

Anyway, it's a wonderful, happy day - nothing like a few speed bumps in life to make it more interesting :P

Stay Away Swine!!!

The kids and I are vaccinated!!! I got the shot, and they both got the mist yesterday. Of course, they have to go back for a second dose in a month... but they're good for now.

Thank God our doctor got it in.

The swine flu hasn't really hit here in Cary yet. I've heard of other places hit really hard, but it's just not here yet.

Looks like we've dodged this bullet... hopefully!!!

Medical History

I found out I was pregnant with JT when my daughter was 8 months old. During the pregnancy, I was put on bedrest at 24 weeks due to preterm labor. During this time, I developed polyhydramnios (excess of fluid in the uterus). JT was due 12/25/2005. We had scheduled a c-section due to the fact that JT was breech, but he flipped November 29th.
I went into labor (for the last time) December 1. During the labor, everything went well until they broke my water. At this point, JT started to go into distress. I had several OB physicians and nurses in my room for the final 2 hours of my labor. His heart rate would drop into the 30's every time I would have a contraction. I had fluid bags that the doctors were trying to put back into the uterus to 'cushion' JT, in hopes that he was sitting on his cord and this would help. I had oxygen to help with the distress also. Had JT taken any longer, they would have had to take him via c-section.
When JT came out, he had neuchal cord. The cord was wrapped one time around his neck. He did well on all his APGAR scores, but the pediatric physician and nursing staff was concerned about his breathing, so he was immediately taken to the special care nursery. He weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz, a very big boy for a 36 week baby.
He remained in the nursery for 3 whole days before we were released. The doctors finally did a chest x-ray, and determined his grunting with breathing was 'normal'. He also had low blood sugar when he was born, and roughly 10cc's of fluid were pumped from his stomach - most likely related to my excess fluid.
When JT was a few days old, he caught a cold from his 'big' (16 month old) sister. This developed into bronchitis/pneumonia, so he was put on antibiotics.
At 9 months old (August of 2006) he woke up from a nap wheezing and barking. We took him to the after hours clinic, where they discovered he had eaten a penny, and we were shipped via ambulance to Arkansas Children's Hospital. He spent 2 nights and 3 days in the hospital. They had to put him under general anesthesia and take a scope in to remove the coin. The removal of the penny caused minor damage to the trachea, so once he was healed, he was allowed to go home.
At a year old, we opted to do the circumcision that the doctors couldn't do when he was born (due to his prematurity and issues). There were no complications after the surgery.
JT had more than 15 ear infections in his first 1.5 years, and when we got his hearing tested, it was determined he had 20-30% hearing loss. We had tubes put in, and although his hearing was restored, he did not gain language skills.
July 4, 2007 JT fell out of a lawn chair while watching fireworks in Frisco, Texas. Five days later, he was still acting like it was a little sore, so we went to the doctor. Even though he was using it, he had a break in both bones of his forearm. JT was in a full arm cast (shoulder to fingers) for 6 weeks.
JT's immune system is not very strong. While in daycare (until July of 2007) he was constantly sick. He has had whooping cough twice, and croup several times.
Currently, we are concerned about absence (petit mal) seizures. We are seeing a neurologist at Vanderbilt August 25th.