Sunday, March 7, 2010

March is happening and I'm still in October!

Well hello blog world, I've been away, but it's ok, I'm back now! A lot has happened since my last blog, and this is going to have a LOT of writing, and a few pictures, but I have more pictures to add over the next few days!
They picked their own costumes this year! My Monkey, and Fairy.

Plus my mini-Monkey!
Kinzie golfing at the fest. Charlie playing ring toss!

November brought the 5th birthday of my 1st born! I can't believe it's been (over) 5 years! He had a quiet little party at home, but got what he wanted, so it was all good!


Only a few months old!!
The big day! With his CAKE, not cupcakes!


November also brought me another biopsy in Helena, which came back the same, suspicious but not diagnostic for cancer, so my dr in Helena recommended I go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, he felt they could better handle my odd situation!

I have a TON of cute pictures from December, so I will make that a whole separate blog! We had our 1st real snowfall in years! Went to SD to have an amazing Christmas with my parents, siblings, and their families! We were essentially snowed in at my brother's house for a week, and it was the greatest! All the grandkids,
(clockwise starting with back left) Hannah 8, Elijah 6,
Mayah 5, Colby 5, Charlie 5, Kinzie 3, Cadence 3, and Nick 1,
(oh and SURPRISE My brother and his wife found out
they are expecting THEIR number 3 yay!!)


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! (ok, a little late! ha ha)

2010 has brought us MANY miracles, MANY blessings, and MANY miles on our car! (not too mention that last few miles to South Dakota and home in December!)
After my dr recommended I go to Utah, (back in Nov.) I kept waiting for my dr to get back with on follow-up. Finally the beginning of January, I call to talk to my military provided primary care manager, and he can't see me until mid-Feb, I break down crying on the appointment line, and the lady immediately transfers me to a patient advocate and low and behold, I get somewhere!! I ended up getting an initial appt the next week down in Salt Lake City!! So we packed our bags and made a mad dash down there for a mini vacation! You can view the pictures from that visit here. For only being there 4 days, we actually got to do a little sight-seeing! Medically, I met the Endocrinologist (Dr. Bentz, AMAZING), had more lab work done, and ended up doing a 3rd biopsy, which also came back suspicious, but not diagnostic. Dr Bentz decided to go ahead and remove the lumps, so we started planning another trip to SLC!

Which brings us to February! When Dr. Bentz's nurse called to tell me he wanted to do the surgery, she said I have 2 opening's next week, which would you prefer?? I was a little shocked at how quickly they would be able to get me in! I made the necessary phone calls and it was decided that my mom and sister would fly to SLC, to watch the kids while Mike and I were at the hospital, and my surgery was scheduled for Feb 4!
My kids loved having Nana and Aunt Jenni there to cart them around the city, they went to the Planetarium, the Children's Museum of Utah, a drive into the mountains, and Wal-Mart! You can view all of those pictures here.
The surgery went very well, the dr decided while he was in there, that my lymph nodes looked suspicious, so he went ahead and took them out as well. I was feeling great the next day, but ended up staying in the hospital for 4 days because my calcium was low. It was great being able to recover without the kids hanging all over me, but I was very restless in the hospital for so long!
The final diagnose ended up being positive for cancer! Ironically it was the lymph node (just 1 out of 4!) that had the cancer in it, not the thyroid tissue or the lumps, thank God he decided to take them out! Dr. Bentz decided with my previous history, and the positive cancer diagnose, I needed to have radiation therapy. Essentially that means, they will take me off my thyroid hormone stimulant, and make my thyroid tissue (and any remaining cancer that ACTS like thyroid) really REALLY hungry. Then I will take radioactive iodine in pill or liquid form, that the thyroid craves, and any remaining cancer will eat it up, and die.
Which brings us to March :)
I am very fortunate to have the family I have. A cousin of mine was able to fly up to Great Falls right after we got back from Utah, to help out with the kids, while I finished recovering (I was on lift restrictions, and still having a bit of pain). My kids have really enjoyed having another adult here to play with, and I've loved having someone to talk to! I am really going to miss her when she leaves!!
I actually had another miracle from God this last month. I received my referral to see an endocrinologist in Great Falls, to start the radiation process. The same NIGHT, his office called and said, Dr Cohan is booked for 2 months, but we JUST had a cancellation for tomorrow morning, would you be able to come in? Of course I jumped on the opportunity, and Dr Cohan decided March 1st, I would stop my meds, and March 8th, (ahem TOMORROW) I would get lab work done, to make sure the the thyroid/cancer is hungry enough to take in the radiation, and if so, we should hopefully be able to start the radiation process Wednesday! It's so surreal that this all started over a year ago in Germany, when a random dr( not even my own pcm) decided to do a little bit more in-depth lab work, and it came back with a protein that shouldn't be there, and it could all be over by the end of the month! I've been very fortunate with the drs I've seen, the facilities I've been to, and the family that has been here holding my hand the whole way. Not too mention the thousands, and I feel I am not really exaggerating here, that have been praying, and sending well wishes, and happy thoughts and vibes to me and my family. I can never thank you all enough, but it really has meant so much to us!
Signing this one~
With much love and thanks to all
Jessica, Mike, and kids
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