I have been blogging longer in my life than not. Not including the massive gaps in time and space. I used to have a geocities website when I was 18 where I learned some basic html code to customize. It was pretty garbage, but the heart was there. I'm going to try this again. Maybe without rigid expectations for my level of success. It has been a bit of a whirlwind of almost two years. Mostly for the fact that Steve was living here for nearly a year. I thought about blogging at some point during that time, but I don't like dishonesty. Or fake happy nonsense to blanket the underlying misery. Because lets be honest, I was miserable. It started great and ended horribly. And I have tucked away a few important life lessons.
Moving on! The following has some health stuff. Blunt and honest. Skip if you'd rather not.
My mom had breast cancer last spring. She had a successful removal surgery and a short radiation and is continuing to thrive. Because of that I have also joined the mammogram bandwagon. As hers was dutifully caught during a routine scan. I had my scan and a call back and all was non-malignant. My Dr is recommending a redo in 6 mos. I'm starting to feel suffocated with medical appointments but I will oblige. After my call back they made me wait while a doctor reviewed the ultrasound and she gave me the all clear on the spot. I feel like they are realizing the benefits of scanning and early detection. For the overall health of women. With a possible underlying of savings on overall healthcare.
I'm currently waiting for an appointment with an Ob for an on-going fibroid issue. I can say fibroids casually now but it wasn't casual as I felt a tumor where a tumor shouldn't be and quietly cried not knowing what it was. I waited a week for an abdominal ultrasound and a few more weeks to speak with my doctor about the results. I was worried the results would be black and white images that were confusing and scary. Had I opened the results on my own I would have read (and googled) Uterine Fibroids and exhaled a giant sigh of relief. Benign, MFs. One tennis ball and two lemons is how I lovingly describe them. It's really actually only half a tennis ball, but that's not as cute.
I can only assume based on symptoms that I've had fibroids for over four years. Only recently growing to the size of detection. It seems the more external one has been growing more rapidly very recently. Causing greater discomfort and leading to what I believed was a full shut down of my urethra. I called the Ob office to beg for an earlier appointment and they told me to call my doctor or go to emerg. I called my doctor and only spoke to a nurse who said to go to emerg. I went to emerg last Friday and sat for 8 hours while the entire world was triaged in front of me. I don't begrudge anyone who was seen before me, but the system is still slightly broken. My mom actually sat with me for 8 hours while we waited to be seen. Saturday was horrible and after barely dripping out a single pee all day I called my mom at 10:30pm and told her I was going back in. I went upstairs to shower and change and fell asleep. When I woke up I went downstairs. It was 1:00am and my mom was pulling into my driveway. She had already been to the ER and waited there for me. Finally realizing I wasn't there she came to my house to pick me up. The emerg was dead empty. We were quite literally the only people in the room. It still took over 4 hours to be seen. I understand a few people were probably ambulanced in but the system is still so slow. I had to explain to the triage nurse that the crazy lady that was stalking the emerg room was my mom, and she had come looking for me earlier and was not senile and lost.
The doctor diagnosed a bladder infection, and gave me a script for antibiotics and some pills to stop excessive menstrual bleeding. I was quite miserable at that point. I got home at about 5am. Still in great discomfort from my unruly fibroid. Still not able to pee. Still feeling backed up. The meds performed a small miracle and my interfering fibroid has begun to shrink significantly. I returned to google to see if that was a side effect and it doesn't specifically indicate that. I have read quite thoroughly about the medical options for fibroids. Up to 9cm they can potentially deal with laparoscopicly. My my tennis ball is 8cm. If I can avoid a hysterectomy it will be a win. If you remove your uterus your periods stop, obviously. If you remove your ovaries it apparently automatically triggers menopause. Hard pass on that one, for as long as possible.
Mar 27 I find out my fate, with the Ob. I have a lot more hope having gone through the recent shrinking episode. My doctor told me they were too large to counter with medication. But I'll take an easier surgery. I just hope the Ob can book me for surgery at a reasonable time and not months from now. But if not, they need to give me the magical less bleeding pills until then. I thought my physical lot in life was to be menstrually tortured for the rest of my child bearing years. Turns out I was an ailment that can be cured.
Else. Other stuff. What else.
Dec 2 I welcomed a little furball of love into my life. He's my little cuddle bug. My only wish is for people to know him as I do. A little curious weirdo with slight emotional issues. But he turns into a lobotomy patient when any other living soul is around. His eyes go wide and glassy and he won't acknowledge a soul. He won't even take his favourite treat from strangers. Lets just say we're working through it.
His name is Sprout. He likes belly rubs and stealing socks. He likes his wet food in the morning and will usually go on a hunger strike if he gets anything else served to him. He also loves (LOVES) chicken. Like he might plow down small children to get some. He's really a very good boy. He does happy dances with his front paws. And wiggles his butt back and forth. Sometimes I'm gone as long as a bathroom visit and he'll greet me with such gusto (and love) that I'm blown away. And sometimes he'll just raise his little head from the recliner arm rest and go back to sleep.
I'm looking forward to Spring & Summer. I bought a pergola last fall. Thinking I would have help setting up. That help is gone, so I'm going to build it on my own. My dad said he'll help me lift it up, which is great. Sitting out in the sun with new lawn sofa, my new pup, and to-be new perg. And in equally great news, I tried plugging in my Sony sound cancelling headphones again, and the charge took and I can finally use them again. Everything's coming up Milhouse Julie.
I'm going to see my parents for dinner. I'm picking up a pound of brisket (I'm lying I'm getting a pound and a half) at a local bbq place. Mom is grilling up some veggies for nutritional value. The plan is to keep it regular. Soooooo.....see you in another two years.
