So we wait until next week.
I did find something in the set up that allows anyone to comment without having to start a google account. I love to hear from people, either through email or the comments. Thanks for your encouragement.
Friday, October 31, 2008
No update yet. Just thoughts
I feel like I am on trial and waiting for the verdict to come in. Either I will be pardoned or give a life sentence. I hope the jury comes in soon. . .
Someone asked me what I look forward to when I am better. I miss. . .
-Going to church with my family
-Playing with my kids and attending their activities
-Having a date with Kyle
-Taking long walks in the fall/summer/spring weather
-Talking with friends and family, laughing and enjoying life
-Inviting people over and enjoying fellowship with others
-Teaching Tara how to ride bike
-Playing catch with Riley
-Going on a bike ride with the kids
-Going to work and helping people at the office
-Watching a movie with the family with the volume up high enough for everyone to hear
-Going to Bible study, parties and get togethers
-Being able to think clearly
-Going shopping with my sisters
-Listening to Tanner & Kylie play piano or violin & cello without muffling them w/ earplugs and/or closed doors
-Going out for supper in a restaurant and not thinking about the noise
-Just being a good mom and wife
It has been so long. . .
Someone asked me what I look forward to when I am better. I miss. . .
-Going to church with my family
-Playing with my kids and attending their activities
-Having a date with Kyle
-Taking long walks in the fall/summer/spring weather
-Talking with friends and family, laughing and enjoying life
-Inviting people over and enjoying fellowship with others
-Teaching Tara how to ride bike
-Playing catch with Riley
-Going on a bike ride with the kids
-Going to work and helping people at the office
-Watching a movie with the family with the volume up high enough for everyone to hear
-Going to Bible study, parties and get togethers
-Being able to think clearly
-Going shopping with my sisters
-Listening to Tanner & Kylie play piano or violin & cello without muffling them w/ earplugs and/or closed doors
-Going out for supper in a restaurant and not thinking about the noise
-Just being a good mom and wife
It has been so long. . .
Thursday, October 30, 2008
MRI received
Good news! Dr Heffez has the new mri in his office according to Fedex. Now we will pray that he will have time to look at them soon and determine what is wrong.
I try not to think about it, but if he doesn't figure it out I am not sure what we will do. . . If he can't help me, please pray that the Lord will open another door for us to pursue. The doctor seemed pretty confident when we saw him that he had a good idea what the problem is but it is a little unnerving as things continue to get worse not knowing for sure if he will find it. We know, though, that the Lord led us to this doctor and He will continue to provide His grace to us as we deal with this.
I try not to think about it, but if he doesn't figure it out I am not sure what we will do. . . If he can't help me, please pray that the Lord will open another door for us to pursue. The doctor seemed pretty confident when we saw him that he had a good idea what the problem is but it is a little unnerving as things continue to get worse not knowing for sure if he will find it. We know, though, that the Lord led us to this doctor and He will continue to provide His grace to us as we deal with this.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The MRI is done!
Brett, my wonderful brother-in-law-took me in to Mercy hospital this morning at 6:00 to check in for my mri. I must look pretty bad because they looked at me and really bustled to get me checked in, had the iv put in (on the first try!) and the anesthesiologist came in quickly after. He also must have thought I didn't look very good because he told the nurses to get me ready right away and we would just get it done. I was scheduled to actually have it done at 8:00 but I think it was done much earlier. He gave me some drugs and I don't remember anything again until after the mri was done. He also let me take one of my new pain pills right before he gave me his drugs so that I would wake up with that. The combination of his drugs and mine made me feel less pain then I have for a while, which was quite a relief. So the mri went well, which was a huge answer to our prayers. We were concerned that even with the sedation that my head would be sensitive to the noise and I would wake up in pain.
Brett and Karleen took very good care of me last night. Sometimes after I travel a little now, my neck muscles begin spasming which makes my neck hurt and my headache worse. They got me a heating pad and then later helped me get to bed. Karleen checked on me a few times through the night. Sometimes when I start a new pain medication I can have side effects, especially at night. I can become disoriented and confused or have problems sleeping or ocassionally halucinations. This time I just had a hard time sleeping so I drifted in and out. I take unisom at night anyways because I can't sleep well with the pain. So I am hoping that perhaps tonight my body will be more accustomed to this drug and allow me to sleep.
Normally I haven't taken pain medication regularly but just when the pain has become intolerable. Late yesterday morning it suddenly became very strong so the doctor prescribed something I haven't had before. So far I have been taking as often as it is allowing because the pain is pretty strong. It isn't taking it away but it is making it tolerable.
Kyle sent the mri to Dr Heffez, the neurosurgeon, overnight so he will have it tomorrow. He does surgery on Thursday but we are really hoping that he will have an opportunity to read the mri's on Thursday or Friday.
We covet your prayers. Specifically, we are praying that Dr Heffez will read the mri's quickly and be able to determine the cause of my problem. We pray that he will contact us quickly and that the surgery or procedure will be scheduled soon. Meanwhile, we are praying that the pain will go down a to a more tolerable level and/or this new pain med will continue making the headache tolerable. I am running out of options both orally and by iv and shot. Please also pray for strength and grace for my family. This has been difficult for me but sometimes I think it is even harder for Kyle and the kids.
We have just decided to email the link to this blog out to friends and family and hope that it will help with communication . Kyle and I as well as a couple of family members will try to keep this up to date as we can. We appreciate so many people supporting us in so many ways and especially covet your prayers.
Cindy
Brett and Karleen took very good care of me last night. Sometimes after I travel a little now, my neck muscles begin spasming which makes my neck hurt and my headache worse. They got me a heating pad and then later helped me get to bed. Karleen checked on me a few times through the night. Sometimes when I start a new pain medication I can have side effects, especially at night. I can become disoriented and confused or have problems sleeping or ocassionally halucinations. This time I just had a hard time sleeping so I drifted in and out. I take unisom at night anyways because I can't sleep well with the pain. So I am hoping that perhaps tonight my body will be more accustomed to this drug and allow me to sleep.
Normally I haven't taken pain medication regularly but just when the pain has become intolerable. Late yesterday morning it suddenly became very strong so the doctor prescribed something I haven't had before. So far I have been taking as often as it is allowing because the pain is pretty strong. It isn't taking it away but it is making it tolerable.
Kyle sent the mri to Dr Heffez, the neurosurgeon, overnight so he will have it tomorrow. He does surgery on Thursday but we are really hoping that he will have an opportunity to read the mri's on Thursday or Friday.
We covet your prayers. Specifically, we are praying that Dr Heffez will read the mri's quickly and be able to determine the cause of my problem. We pray that he will contact us quickly and that the surgery or procedure will be scheduled soon. Meanwhile, we are praying that the pain will go down a to a more tolerable level and/or this new pain med will continue making the headache tolerable. I am running out of options both orally and by iv and shot. Please also pray for strength and grace for my family. This has been difficult for me but sometimes I think it is even harder for Kyle and the kids.
We have just decided to email the link to this blog out to friends and family and hope that it will help with communication . Kyle and I as well as a couple of family members will try to keep this up to date as we can. We appreciate so many people supporting us in so many ways and especially covet your prayers.
Cindy
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The night before the MRI
I am now at Brett and Karleen's house preparing for my MRI tomorrow. The pain is excruciating and although I don't doubt the Lords purpose, I don't know how much of this a person can stand.
I wonder if there are more out there that suffer like this.
I received a new pain pill today that helps a bit, but the Dr. says we are running out of options. A headache clinic suggested a certain steroid, but the side effects would probably outweigh the benefits.
Please pray for Kyle and the kids, this has to be so difficult for them as well.
We sure appreciate all the love and support we receive from everyone. We hope that being incommunicado is not taken as a slight, but it is hard to communicate to all.
I sure pray this doesn't get worse and I am anxious for me to be healed and be beyond this.
For Cindy, through Brett (the Bro-n-law)
I wonder if there are more out there that suffer like this.
I received a new pain pill today that helps a bit, but the Dr. says we are running out of options. A headache clinic suggested a certain steroid, but the side effects would probably outweigh the benefits.
Please pray for Kyle and the kids, this has to be so difficult for them as well.
We sure appreciate all the love and support we receive from everyone. We hope that being incommunicado is not taken as a slight, but it is hard to communicate to all.
I sure pray this doesn't get worse and I am anxious for me to be healed and be beyond this.
For Cindy, through Brett (the Bro-n-law)
Monday, October 27, 2008
MRI scheduled
I am thankful that my mri is scheduled and it will be with full sedation. I will have it done Wednesday morning. I check in at 6:00 am and it will actually start at 8:00. I am thankful that I won't have to try to get through another. The results will be sent to my neurosurgeon and we are praying that he can determine the problem!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Current issues
My severe headaches have returned. I will write more later for those wondering about the past.
About two months ago they suddenly started again after having a 5 month break following surgery for Chiari. I rode in our pickup for about 45 minutes twice one Saturday and I was miserable for a few days and had a strong headache. After that, the headaches became more regular until several weeks later they were daily. Then the daily headaches increased in severity day by day.
About 4 weeks ago I had an mri of my head again. Nothing showed. Then 1 1/2 weeks ago I had an mri of my cervical spine. MRI's have been difficult for me due to the noise. Unfortunately this one really caused problems. I wasn't able to walk out of the mri so I was put in a wheel chair and brought to ER for pain meds. I was basically non-functioning for about 5 days, not eating, barely able to walk on my own and in the urgent care regularly for additional pain medications.
My GP decided that it was time for me to go to a specialist. Mayo is about 4 hours from home so my husband and I headed there with me on a mattress in the back of the van drugged for the journey. The GP hoped that Mayo would check me into the hospital through the ER. That didn't happen. They told me again that this is a long term problem, that I needed to look at pain management and drug regimens again and that I would not be well for a long time. Very discouraging. We went to the hotel and decided to call the neurosurgeon that performed my chiari surgery to see if he would see me. He agreed to see us the next day so we drove another 4 hours to Milwaukee.
He performed several neurological tests in the office and determined that I am in worse condition neurologically then I was in March at my post-op visit. He believes that something is causing it--it doesn't just happen by itself. He ordered one additional mri of my lumbar spine and sent me home in an aspen neck brace.
We are hoping to do a sedated mri this time in hopes of avoiding a major downturn again. After that, he will look at the mri's and hopefully determine the problem. I dread the thought of another surgery, but yet that looks much more positive then pain management and drug regimens again.
About two months ago they suddenly started again after having a 5 month break following surgery for Chiari. I rode in our pickup for about 45 minutes twice one Saturday and I was miserable for a few days and had a strong headache. After that, the headaches became more regular until several weeks later they were daily. Then the daily headaches increased in severity day by day.
About 4 weeks ago I had an mri of my head again. Nothing showed. Then 1 1/2 weeks ago I had an mri of my cervical spine. MRI's have been difficult for me due to the noise. Unfortunately this one really caused problems. I wasn't able to walk out of the mri so I was put in a wheel chair and brought to ER for pain meds. I was basically non-functioning for about 5 days, not eating, barely able to walk on my own and in the urgent care regularly for additional pain medications.
My GP decided that it was time for me to go to a specialist. Mayo is about 4 hours from home so my husband and I headed there with me on a mattress in the back of the van drugged for the journey. The GP hoped that Mayo would check me into the hospital through the ER. That didn't happen. They told me again that this is a long term problem, that I needed to look at pain management and drug regimens again and that I would not be well for a long time. Very discouraging. We went to the hotel and decided to call the neurosurgeon that performed my chiari surgery to see if he would see me. He agreed to see us the next day so we drove another 4 hours to Milwaukee.
He performed several neurological tests in the office and determined that I am in worse condition neurologically then I was in March at my post-op visit. He believes that something is causing it--it doesn't just happen by itself. He ordered one additional mri of my lumbar spine and sent me home in an aspen neck brace.
We are hoping to do a sedated mri this time in hopes of avoiding a major downturn again. After that, he will look at the mri's and hopefully determine the problem. I dread the thought of another surgery, but yet that looks much more positive then pain management and drug regimens again.
Why am I doing this?
I have decided to try a blog to describe my health challenges in hopes of keeping friends and family up to date and possibly help someone that may be having some of the same challenges
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