"Medical Stuff"

So, a couple weeks ago I posted about my headaches, and my resulting trip to Urgent Care. Followed up with last week's MRI post and vague results. I finally feel comfortable sharing all of the information with my readers and it's GOOD news, thank God. Starting from the beginning...

I've suffered from migraines for as long as I can remember. I know it dates back to 3rd or 4th grade, if not earlier. And I mean hardcore, down for the count, debilitating migraines. I was prescribed IBU 800's at a very young age. Occasionally they would hit me out of nowhere...I'd be rushed off to the nurses office at school, or suddenly sent off to a cold dark room to rest at home. Most times though, I'd just wake up in the morning with them. Head pounding, heart racing, blurred vision and downright sick to my stomach. EVERY migraine would result in my throwing up...the tension and nausea would just build up, and eventually that was the only release. The down side (well, besides throwing up of course) is that I have very weak blood vessels in my face, and they would ALL burst (still to this day), sometimes even in my eyes, and I'd be plagued with little red dots for days sometimes. The plus side, it would typically release most of the tension to the point that I would finally start feeling better and getting back to normal. In the end, the migraines would last maybe a couple hours, half a day at the most, as long as I took some medication and "released the tension".

The migraines became fewer and further between as I got into my teens and early 20's. Sure, I'd get regular old headaches like anybody else, but migraines became pretty rare.

When I was pregnant with Olivia, they reared their ugly head again. I didn't get morning sickness with her, nothing horrible like that, but at least once a week I would get one of these down for the count, debilitating migraines. It was horrible. They subsided when I was around the 20 week mark, thankfully, since all I could take for them was Tylenol. I didn't have many issues after she was born, or with Amelia's pregnancy, so that was good.

In the last year or so, they've started back up again. Only, they were different. Sometimes they wouldn't reach full on migraine status, but my headaches all around were getting worse. Every headache I'd get would last at least for a full day or two - and most of them eventually turning into migraines, no matter what I would do or take for them. Then, more often than not, they were all migraines again. They were getting worse and worse, lasting longer and longer and happening more frequently.

Finally, after 4 days of suffering and finding no relief, I went to Urgent Care a couple weeks ago. The only thing they could do at that point was give me a shot of Naproxen (which, as I previously posted, make me very sick to my stomach for the next two days) and give me some Zofran for my nausea (and prescriptions for both). I followed up the next day with the family practice doctor. She prescribed me some Imetrex to try to battle them from onset, said most of the symptoms and issues we discussed seemed pretty standard as far as migraines go, but the worsening pain and frequency was troubling.

She ran some blood tests, mainly to check my Vitamin D levels and my Thyroid. Eventually, those tests all came back normal. She discussed some other possibilities...magnesium deficiency, possible diet issues, etc. This was right at the point when I started really hitting my diet and exercise hardcore, so if it was diet related, we were hoping that would help. She also ordered me the MRI...while she didn't think anything would come of it, we figured it was worth putting our (and my mom and husband's) minds at ease.

I had the MRI done last Thursday. I didn't know what to expect, so naturally I was a little anxious about it. I didn't expect anything to come of it really, but the test itself was a little nerve-wracking. It wasn't as bad as I expected. I took off all of my jewelry and changed into some scrubs. I laid on the little platform. I was backed up into the MRI machine and they went through a series of scans - it took about 30 minutes total. I didn't mind the small space, the earplugs helped a lot with the noise so those didn't bother me. I just didn't like not being able to move (because you aren't allowed to, not because of the space). The test ended, I gathered my stuff up and made my way home. Friday morning I received my test results online, as I do with all test results. They sent a report synopsis over, with some lamens term information from my doctor. They believed they had located a brain aneurysm on my left artery wall, and needed to conduct a CT scan to check the area closer. They were pretty clear that it was not definite, and they couldn't really give any more information until the CT scan was done.

Of course, in that moment, I had a complete meltdown. It just came as such a shock, and I couldn't focus on the "maybe" side of it...at this point, it just was. I felt like my life was turned upside down. I felt like, if this was really true, I had a literal ticking time bomb in my brain, just waiting to go off. Pretty much every waking moment the next few days was consumed by this possibility - and all I could think about was it rupturing...what would Christian do? What would my girls do? It's not fair to them, it's not fair to me...it just couldn't be reality. I was pretty much in a daze the next few days, unsure of what to think. Logically I knew that, even if it were true, things could be much, MUCH worse. It wasn't the end of the world, and I knew that. But you just can't think that way in a moment of crisis. I was devastated, and very scared. I didn't want to worry everybody I know, so I shared the news with a few select, for some support.

Yesterday, I had my CT scan. Again, I didn't know what to expect. And, I was much more nervous this time, naturally. The scan was much faster, it was done in a matter of minutes. I didn't have to change my clothes, only had to take my necklace off, so I felt much more comfortable. I was strapped to the platform and the test began. First they took a set of standard images. Then, they injected me with the contrast and took another set. The contrast was interesting - I was fully warned about it before they started the test. She said I would get really warm from my head to my toes, I would have a metallic taste in my mouth and I would feel like I peed my pants - but I won't have. I laughed a little, and though "no way, that can't be true". Sure enough, she did the injection, and within a few seconds, the reactions started up one by one, ending with me literally feeling like I had peed my pants. It was very interesting, to say the least. Then, it was done. I was in and out within 20 minutes.

It was a pretty painful night, waiting for the results. Luckily we had an event at the girls' school to keep my mind off of it, but it was pretty stressful. It was going to be another long night of little sleep and horrible thoughts.

This morning I received the results. Again, electronically. Again, a synopsis of the radiologists' report with some lamens term notes from the doctor. I clicked on the results, closed by eyes and took one last deep breath. Ready to find out what our future held.

FINDINGS: The noncontrast images are unremarkable, with no evidence for hemorrhage. The images obtained after IV contrast show tortuosity of the intracranial segment of the dominant left vertebral artery. This accounts for the vessel prominence noted in this region on the recent MRI head exam. Both posterior inferior cerebellar arteries are of normal size. No aneurysm is identified. No arterial occlusion or high grade proximal stenosis is identified. No vascular malformation is seen.

CONCLUSION: Tortuosity of the dominant left vertebral artery. No evidence for aneurysm.

So, no aneurysm, and no issues. "Tortuosity" basically means the artery is "twisty", rather than straight, and that's what was showing up on the MRI. I have never felt such relief in my entire life. In that moment, I felt like the world was lifted off of my shoulders. I could finally breath again. I felt whole again. I couldn't believe it. Truly heaven sent, that's for sure.

I have a much greater respect for people living with serious disease and illness after this experience. I had ONE week of torture and living the unknown. I don't know where people find the strength they have, but it's truly remarkable.

So, that's the story. Obviously, the end result is that we still don't know what's causing my migraines, or if we ever will. But, it's better than the alternative. I think for now, I'm just going to keep pushing through with my healthy diet and my exercise and see if those changes make a difference. If not, an allergist may be my next stop. For now, I'm just appreciating life more than I ever have before, and floating on cloud 9.

2013 - Week 21

Here we are, another week. This was actually a pretty low-key week all around, which is good news for everybody.

Monday was pretty standard. The girls were off to my in-laws, we were off to work. Coming off of a limited work week last week, I knew I was in for one heck of a week at work. 5 days, an overflowing in-box and many e-mails to deal with. But, at least the week should go quickly. I finally called to schedule my MRI...I thought it would take some time to get in, but they had a few openings this week...Thursday is the big day. I don't really expect anything to come of it, but it's still pretty nerve-wracking. After work, it was a usual night...I got my workout in, made dinner, a little play time, baths and bed. Sticking with the meal plan I'm following, I attempted spaghetti squash for the second time. Again, it didn't go well - I REALLY wish I had the taste buds for healthy food - just have to keep working at it though.

BFF's!

Not much to report on for Tuesday. The girls were off to school, we were off to work. I had a million meetings today - I HATE days like that. Olivia spent most of the day in Pre-K - just a couple more weeks and she'll be there full time. Crazy! The highlight of my day was passing a stupid level on Candy Crush that I've been stuck on FOREVER. Seriously, way too obsessed with that game.

Wednesday started off on a pretty good note. I've been following my diet and exercise plan since last Monday (I know it's not long, but it's a start!), and I've feeling really good. I feel strong, I can already visibly see differences already, I'm subconsciously making better choices. I haven't had a Diet Dew/caffeine since I started, and I feel like I'm passed the addiction to it. I cheated, and I stepped on the scale today. I'm not recording the results, but they were VERY good, and definitely helped my motivation to keep on track. Very proud of myself today. It's been so hard to get myself back on track and find that motivation, so it feels really good. Other than that, nothing too exciting to report on. Our days were pretty normal. Olivia spent the day in Pre-K again. We had some dinner, I got my workout in and we spent the night relaxing together.

Thursday went well. It was MRI day for me. The scan wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I don't really have an issue with small spaces, so that didn't bother me. It was loud, but the earplugs helped enough. I just didn't like not being able to move (because you aren't supposed to, not because of the small space). It went faster than I expected though. Now we just wait. I don't know if I posted last week, but the blood-work I had done all came back normal...no Vitamin D deficiencies, no issues with my Thyroid. I haven't had any headaches this week, so maybe the diet changes are helping. We'll see. I stopped home after the appointment to get my workout in quick and relax for a few minutes before picking up the girls. They had another great week. The Preschool teachers said Amelia has been doing great in the new class, and has been playing more with the other kids lately, which is great news. It sounds like she did well with Olivia away at Pre-K so much this week, so that's good news too. I'm so glad they've become so adaptive. We spent some time playing outside when we got home. The girls picked me some "flowers" (dandelions) and played on the swing set for a while. We had some dinner while Christian cut the grass (yay, finally a break from the rain!) and fertilized. It was bedtime before we knew it!

Friday was kind of a long day. It was FINALLY Friday workwise, so that was great news. The weather was decent, and it's Friday before the Holiday, so it was pretty dead in the building. But, I got a ton done, so that's sometimes a welcomed relief. I did get my MRI results back mid-morning. The results aren't super great, but I'm holding off on discussing it publicly until we get more information. For now, I'm waiting for the the Radiologist to call me to schedule another scan, a CT scan this time. I'm guessing I'll be able to get in some time next week since it was pretty quick last time, so we'll see. Of course that was pretty much stuck on my mind on all day, but I pushed through and got through the day. The girls were with my mom today. They spent some time feeding the ducks at the lake, and roaming around the zoo (apparently many of the animals were sleeping and/or hiding, and they were NOT happy about that). They were still passed out when I got there, so my mom and I chatted for a while. Christian got off work a tad early...he and Lorenzo got to work on the garden (this was about the only decent day in our forecast this weekend, so they had to take advantage). We ended up tilling another plot to plant pumpkins and watermelons in - apparently they get pretty wild, so we wanted to keep them away from the rest of the stuff. In the original plot, we planted cantaloupe, strawberries, cucumbers and leeks. My friend from work is going to give us some big pots they don't need anymore, for the deck. We're going to use one for tomatoes, one for tomatillos and one for jalapenos and herbs. We'll hopefully get those planted on next Tuesday. We were all pretty exhausted by bedtime, but ready for a nice long weekend!

Today I got Lilac's instead - MUCH better!

Mr Goldfinch stops by once in a while...

Garden #1 - Strawberries, spinach, leeks, cantaloupe and cucumbers

Garden #2 - watermelon and pumpkins

Saturday was a busy day around the house. Christian didn't have to work, so I took advantage of his presence, and put him on dad duty. I quickly got the upstairs picked up and dishes done, then took to the downstairs. I haven't cleaned the basement in quite some time...the playroom, the spare room and the living room were just a disaster - two tiny tornadoes have just ripped it apart over the last couple months. So, I watched some Hulu (currently obsessed with "Scandal") and got my clean on. It took me pretty much all morning and afternoon, but everything looks great again. Now, we just need to be more diligent about making the girls clean up after themselves. Christian vacuumed the upstairs, scrubbed the stove, cleaned the entry and attempted to keep the girls under control. They were fighting ALL day today, which always makes for a nice, stressful day. Christian and Lorenzo were back to working on the garden when the girls went down for their naps. They laid down some fertilizer and built a fence for the original garden area - we have LOTS of bunnies around here, than I'm sure are already sniffing out the area. Once the watermelons and pumpkins start sprouting, they'll build a fence around that area as well. I'm excited to have everything going. Now, if we could just get some sunshine and decent weather, we might be good to go! So, while they did that, I took a break from cleaning the basement and hung out with the girls. We played, ate some dinner and watched a movie. I finally got the basement vacuumed (the final touch) and the girls were off to bed. Nothing too exciting.

Garden #1 Caged in and Ready to Grow!

Sunday was a pretty fun day. With our housecleaning yesterday, I didn't have too many "Sunday Chores" to do this week, which was nice. Since I'm off work tomorrow, I plan on doing laundry then, so we had a pretty low-key morning. I got my workout in and showered. We ate some lunch and Amelia went down for a nap. Olivia and I were off to see "Epic" with Bella and her mom, Sara. It was a pretty good movie, but a little hard and maybe a little too much action for 4 year old's, but they seemed to like it. Olivia and I split a popcorn and Icee - well, she hoarded most of it, and was very upset when it was gone. LOL. Christian and Mariano hung out while we were away. Amelia was still napping when we got home, so I made some cookies quick, and we were off and running again when she woke up. We mat Bella's family at Red Robin for dinner - we'd never been there before, it was actually really good. We'll definitely have to go back there. After dinner, we were off to their house to watch the soccer game and hang out for the night. We had some ice cream, the girls played the night away and we had lots of laughs. It was a very fun evening - a good distraction from everything else. We got home VERY late, and were all pretty much off to bed right away. Fingers crossed for a late wake-up call tomorrow!

With that, we're ready to tackle another week. We're both off work tomorrow, and Friday is my day off, so I'm pretty excited for the short week. And, I'll hopefully get in for the CT scan and get some more answers. Until next week!

2013 - Week 20

Well, this week started off pretty rough for me, but the weekend was pretty fantastic!

On Monday, I stayed home from work. Christian was off to work, the girls were off to my in-laws, and I stayed home nursing away a headache (that I'd had since Saturday, ugh). I pretty much spent the day catching up on some shows and relaxing. I did a little light cleaning, but that was about the extent of my productivity. Today was my big "restart" day diet and exercise wise. I plan to do Lindsay Brin's Pretty Fierce: Weight Loss program, which is an 8 week program of cardio and some weight/strength training. I'm also going to be following her 2-week meal plan and nutritional advice, since that's clearly been missing. First the first 2 weeks, you pick your meals and snacks from a list she's developed (it's all REAL, normal food - just healthy and with purpose). I mustered up the energy to get my workout in this evening, but it wasn't easy. Most of my afternoon was devoted to watching the senate debate the Freedom to Marry bill. It was a LONG, ridiculous debate, that luckily ended on the RIGHT side - both the house and senate have now passed the bill, and it's off to the Governor for signature tomorrow. It's so fantastic, I can't even control my excitement. I can just imagine the emotions so many people are going through right now - knowing they are FINALLY going to have equal human rights. What a wonderful day in history, and I'm so excited I got to witness it (well, via the internet at least). Christian arrived home with the girls fairly late. After a quick dinner, they were off to bed.

My Boy, Being Lazy With Me

Some Photos, Bororwed from "Minnesotans United for All Families" - Love It!

Tuesday was not a good day. I tore myself out of bed in the morning, head still throbbing. I forced myself to workout, get ready and pack my food for work. I dropped the girls off and made my way to work. My headache was getting worse, and I was starting to get nauseous. I made it to lunch, but I couldn't take it anymore. With my long history of migraines, and the fact that they've been getting progressively worse, lasting longer and happening more frequently, I finally decided to call the doctor. Unfortunately, there weren't any openings today. So, I made my way home. I made it about halfway before losing it on the side of the road. So gross. I finally got home, and went right to bed in my dark room, ceiling fan on high. Being that it was Day 4 of this particular migraine, I pulled myself out of bed and went into Urgent Care. There wasn't much they could do for me - she gave me a shot of Naproxen to help get rid of this migraine, and some prescriptions for Naproxen and Zofran. I picked up my prescriptions and a salad for dinner, and made my way home. Christian and the girls were already settled in when I got home. I pretty much went straight to bed.

Chuy, Enjoying the Nice Weather...

On Wednesday, I was off to work. My headache had finally subsided. I thought life might be returning to normal, but not quite. Shortly after arriving at work, I was hit with some extreme nausea. I couldn't figure out what the problem was, when I finally started googling the side effects of the Naproxen. Sure enough, nausea was indeed a side effect, and it was hitting me hardcore. I was able to get a follow up appointment with a primary doctor, left work around lunch and made my way to the appointment. The doctor asked me a million questions...she said everything was pretty standard as far as migraines go, but the facts that they are happening more often, getting worse and lasting longer were troubling. In the end, she decided to run some blood tests and referred me for a MRI. It's nervewracking, but I'm sure nothing will come of it all. If these come out clear, I'm thinking some allergy testing might be up next. Maybe what I'm eating is causing some of it, who knows. After my appointment, I was back home, and back to the couch. I took some Zofran and couldn't stomach any dinner. Christian took the girls to his parents for dinner to give me an extra break. I gave them a quick bath when they got home, and they were off to bed. Another early night for me too!

Amelia had some kisses and hugs to make me feel better!

On Thursday, I again thought we were looking up again. We were up and out the door per usual. Again, I only made it about half a day. Today, I was having really bad stomach cramps - like REALLY bad. I assume another side effect from the shot, probably mixed with the fact that I haven't been eating much. It got so painful that I could barely even sit at my desk. So, I was yet again home resting it off. I had a tad more energy this evening though, and forced myself to eat some dinner. Tomorrow is my day off, but this week was pretty much a complete wash. I can't even bring myself to think about how chaotic it's going to be next week. But, I was finally strarting to feel better, after a long, LONG week, and that was good news.

right now, our gas prices are tied with Hawaii for the highest in the county....and they're still going up. not cool...

the kitties spent the night stalking birds, and plotting their escape

Friday was a much, MUCH better day. I was finally feeling good - no headache, no nausea, no stomach pains. It felt SO good to feel good again. I spent the day with my girls, playing, coloring, relaxing, watching some shows. The usual. I got my workout in and that felt REALLY good. I've managed to stay pretty on track foodwise this week (including no more Diet Dew/Caffeine...HUGE deal right there), but I missed two days of my workout, so it was good to be back at it. While the girls napped, I ate dinner, showered, and started getting ready for our big night out. My mom stopped by after their naps to pick them up for the night. Christian came home early from work (well, technically, on time - but for him, early) and got ready. We were FINALLY off to Star Party, and I was beyond excited. We arrived shortly after they opened the doors, and snagged some spots on the floor, as close as we could get, smack in the middle of the stage. It was such a great night - all of the performances were really great, and some of them were much different than I expected. Nelly, my real purpose in going, was the last to go on. He played for WAY longer than he was supposed to, which was awesome. The sound equipment went out halfway through his set, so he freestyled it for a couple songs - so cool! By the time he went on, some people had left/moved, so we were REALLY close by then - maybe 6 or 7 people away from the stage. It was such an amazing experience, I'm so happy we were able to make it. We were right off to bed when we got home - I was exhausted (still recovering, plus 6+ hours on my feet dancing = exhaustion for sure!) , and Christian had to work in the morning. What a great start to the weekend!

MKTO - pretty unknown, but they were actually much better than I expected.

Olly Murs - his set was WAY different than I expected. It was fantastic, I'm now a huge fan!

Cher Lloyd - she was about what you'd expect. Not amazing, but pretty entertaining.

Our Awesome Selfie...LOL

Hot Chelle Rae - I didn't realize how many hits they've had - they were fun.

Ariana Grande - her voice reminds me of Mariah Carey (my fave!) - she only did one song, but it was great.

Jason Durulo - his set was super fun. Lots of dancing and entertainment and he has a great voice. Almost forgot how many hits he's had too.

Finally, NELLY! He was beyond fantastic  It was so excited. He brought Murphy Lee and some of the St. Lunatics with him. Definitely will not forget this!

Saturday was a pretty fun day. Christian was off to work (so, maybe not as fun for him). Since my mom had the girls overnight, I was able to sleep in! I slept until until 9:30, it was amazing. I'd been so exhausted, it felt really good. I had some breakfast and rested for a bit before heading off to meet my mom and the girls at swim lessons. Olivia has been doing better and better. She's great at floating, LOVES jumping into the pool and is getting much better at her stroke and actually kicking her legs. She still has trouble putting her face in the water. She has one more class left, but I already signed her up for the next session of lessons. After that session, Amelia will be old enough to join! Crazy. After class, we ran home for a quick lunch and the girls went down for their naps. I did some cleaning and picking up, and watched a little TV. When Christian arrived home from work, he started some work in the yard - taking down the Christmas lights (finally) and doing some cleaning. Once the girls were up, we all ran to Walmart to buy this years batch of flowers for the yard and pots. We got all f the pots planted and set up and planted some tulips...FINALLY - I've wanted them since we bought the house, I'm so excited. We finally ate some dinner, put the girls to bed and we weren't far behind. One night of partying is enough for us!

Our first ever perennial, from last year, is coming back. Our Lily. SUCCESS!

Sunday started off a streak of rainy, RAINY weather. Boo! We had some pretty crazy storms early in the morning - I swear one day the sunroof in our bathroom is going to crack right open in one of these storms. We had a pretty low key morning...breakfast, some play time. I got to my usual chores - cleaned the kitchen, dishes, laundry. Good stuff. I got my workout in and we relaxed a bit. My mom got two new carseats for her car, so she stopped over to have Christian install them. We took the girls and the dog for a walk around the block and we all chatted for a bit. She ended up taking the girls with on a run to Menard's...Christian wants some fancy dandelion/weed puller, and my mom decided to get it for him as an early Father's Day gift. When she left, we made another trip to Walmart to buy some fruits and veggies - we've decided to finally start a garden, and we're super excited about it. While the girls napped, we started tilling a plot for the garden...but then another round of storms hit. We have about half the area we need ready, but with the weather forecast, I don't think we'll be getting it done for a few days. Just as it started raining, Bella's family stopped over. They were actually coming over to take a look at the house across the street. Christian's friends with the guy who owns it, and he's looking to rent it out. In the end, they put in their notice at their current place, and have ea tentative agreement to rent the house...pretty exciting to think we'll have friends, REAL friends living across the street from us! Super cool. They left shortly after the little tour, and it was time to start winding down the weekend. Dinner, baths, some TV and relaxing. Another week comes to an end. This year is just flying by!

Until next week!