Answers and optimism

So apparently it was in fact a radiologist who looked at my x-ray and he was quite certain that I had a small amount of pneumonia. My cat scan also indicated some lingering sinusitis, but a very minor case. My fever persists, but I am only on day 4 of my new course of antibiotics.

The nurse who called me inititally about the anemia said I had "some anemia". Well, it's actually severe anemia. After my pregnancy I had come to the conclusion that my body just isn't capable of breaking down iron supplements because I had tried every kind available and nothing was helping. It looks like I never really got over it. So that makes me feel tons better just knowing that I have been really ill and I am not just being a wanny. The pneumonia and sinusitis are most likely the result of the anemia because my blood can't carry sufficient amounts of oxygen and that impairs my body's ability to do . . . well . . . pretty much everything. All things considered, I am really lucky to have been as healthy as I have! I am an avid handwasher, it's true, and with this new information I'm really glad I developed that habit. So I will be seeing a hematologist soon, and the most likely course of action will be either a shot or an IV iron treatment. It may end up being several treatments, and there's a small chance they will want to do a bone marrow biopsy. My Dr. thinks that is pretty unlikely though because I have a really good explanation as to why I got so severely anemic while being otherwise healthy. My B-12, folate, and calcium levels, for example, are all great. So while my body will always struggle more than most to absorb nutrients, it obviously does better with some than others. And I am more than fine with getting an iron shot or IV treatment. Sure it won't be a walk in the park, but it will be A LOT better than being this anemic. And I look forward to my next pregnancy (which will not be immediate) with a lot less trepidation. Not that I had a bad pregnancy, but I had a really bad post-partum period that my body apparently never really fully recovered from. So with treatment I will be well, and I will know exactly how to deal with anemia that will probably occur in my next pregnancy.

So everything is a lot clearer now other than the fever, but I am hopeful that it will sort itself out when my other issues are resolved.

The mysteries continue

First of all, Carolyn and Craig are fine. Yay for that!

My fever continues, but still isn't usually bothersome. My blood work is back and shows iron-defieiency anemia, so that explains the fatigue. "Something" apparently showed up on my chest x-ray, so I am being treated for pneumonia. I really don't think I have pneumonia, though. I've had it twice before, and I felt like crap and obviously had a terrible cough and rattling lungs. I don't have any of that now, and my blood work doesn't indicate any kind of infection - my white blood cell count is actually a little below normal. But my doctor still wants be to proceed with my antibiotics and do another x-ray in three weeks. In the meantime I will be going in on Friday to deal with the anemia, and I will ask about the rest of the results of my labs. I have to admit that I feel a little uncomfortable with the antibiotics since overuse has led to more resistant bacteria, but I am trusting my doctor that this is the right course of action. So now I am taking azythromyscn (commonly called the z-pack) and doxycycline. Hopefully we'll see some results soon!

Medical Mysteries

We have had all sorts of adventures in health care over the past month. I have had a low-grade fever for a month now. The weird thing is that I haven't had any consistent accompanying symptoms. I've had a few headaches, a few body aches, and some fatigue to varying degrees. After the first doctor's visit which was 10 days after the fever started, he said to give it another week because it could be a viral thing that would go away. So I did rest & fluids for a week, and the next week I had picked up a cold so he gave me a 10-day round of antibiotics for sinusitis. A few days after that was over, I went back and they did a chest x-ray just to make sure they weren't missing anything there, and a blood test for mono. That was negative, and the x-ray was unintersting. Tomorrow I am having a catscan of my nasal area. After that, I don't know what they will do.

In the meantime, it was time for my annual blood work, and I get every test under the sun. I was hoping to be feeling better before I had to deal with that, but I finally just gave up and got it done on Friday. We tried initially on Wednesday but I wasn't hydrated enough to get anything (I have terrible veins). So I drank a TON of water and when I went back on Friday they had to poke me 4 times, but were able to get the 10 vials they needed, so that was good.

Craig was doing great until he caught the cold I had, then started having stomach issues that snow-balled into severe gastroenteritis. He had a headache, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, EXTREME fatigue (like he slept 20 hours a day for 3 days straight and has no memory of the few hours he was awake). After a few days of this, he was lying on the couch almost in tears because of pain in his neck. I got nervous about that and looked up symptoms for meningitis online and sure enough he had all of them except seizures which doesn't always happen anyway. So we called Tad to sit here while I took Craig to the ER (Carolyn was already in bed). It was a good thing I caught a nap that day because I had to stay up until 4 am with the ER visit. He didn't have meningitis but he was very dehydrated, so they gave him 2 liters of saline and some anti-vomiting meds through an iv. His blood tests didn't indicate infection, so it looks like just a really nasty virus. So with all of this, he had 3 visits to the student health clinic, an ER visit, and missed more than a week of school and work. So now he will be scrambling for the next few weeks to get caught up.

Carolyn had diarrhea for 2 days, but hasn't had anything else. The Lord has been very good to me and protected me from that stomach bug, too. I consider it a miracle that between Craig and the rest of the ward that I have been spared. But the Lord knows how much more serious it is for me to get those things with my altered physiology than other people, and I was told in a blessing from Craig that I wouldn't get it. So now if they cam just figure out the cause of the fever, that will be great!

Stopping to smell the roses . . . and foxtrot with my baby

After the wonderful general conference we just had, I am thinking a lot about what I am thankful for. I suppose that for a lot of us, our thoughts tend to turn in that direction this time of year anyway. It seems like every talk that has to do with parenthood comes with the advice to cherish every moment of it because it goes by so fast. I can attest to that. That's one thing that I took from President Monson's talk: "enjoy the journey". I can't even believe that Carolyn is over a year old, and this time last year she was still wearing new-born sized jammies! I am so glad I have a digital camera that has allowed me to have so many memories from her first year (thanks again, Leese!).

Life is good right now. Sure we have been sick recently, and Carolyn just cut a molar, and we are "starving students". But really, we aren't starving at all. Thanks to the providence of the Lord and careful budgeting, we are okay. And when we have a little set-back like delayed financial aid disbursement, we have more than enough credit to see us through.

In the past week or so, Carolyn and I have kind of created a tradition of sorts. When we switched back to regular cable with our move, we got music channels which I LOVE!!! I can listen to jazz and opera any time I want. And Carolyn is getting a lot of exposure to good music because of it. When I want something on for "background noise", I do that. One night when she and I were tidying up the house waiting for Craig to get home, I picked her up and we danced around. She thought it was great fun. So now we do it almost every day: foxtrot around the house together in the evenings. It's fun. And while she still thinks I am the coolest person on the planet (next to Daddy, of course) am going to keep doing it until she just thinks I'm weird and doesn't want to.



P.S. She finally has enough hair to use these baby barrettes that the Leethams gave her for Christmas. Cute, isn't it? :)

Picking pumpkins

On Saturday, we went to a local nursery with our neighbors the Millers to get some pumpkins from their pumpkin patch. It is an annual event aimed mostly at kids with games, face painting, a petting zoo, and live music. There is also a maze that has free admission, but we had to head home for Carolyn's nap before we could go through it.







Carolyn with Jenna Miller:

More pics of the new place

Kitchen Wall:



My pretty new diploma in its frame:



The bathroom:



Bathroom art:



More bathroom art:

Pics of the new place

Here are some pics of our new apartment! The artwork is all stuff we've had since before we got married, but never had room for.

From the entry way looking right:



From the entry way looking left:



The hall:



The stove (I love this stove :))

Conference Party

Well, I didn't word it that way - Amy did actually. Carolyn got a hold of my phone on Friday while I was bathing and called Amy. When I got out, I heard the phone ringing (Amy calling back) but couldn't find the phone right away because it was with Carolyn under the end table in the living room. By the time I found them, it had stopped ringing. A few seconds later, it rang again, and it was Amy, an through our mutual confusion we pieced together that Carolyn had called her to begin with. Funny girl. Anyway, Amy and I chatted for a bit and I told her that we were preparing to go to Dan & Jessica's for conference, and she said she was jealous about our conference party. :) Conference makes me happy :) :) :). A few new temples were announced yesterday, one of which will be built in Rome, Italy. ROME! Can you believe it? What a testament to the power and progress of the work. :) :) :).

Carolyn has been having a blast with Auntie Jessica and Uncle Dan Dan Dan Dan Dan (as she likes to say), and of course wreaking havoc and tormenting the boys. They love it though. Ha! Yesterday they made Zuppa Toscana based on an Olive Garden recipe they found online. SO GOOOOOOOOD.

Dan has a cold and is feeling kind of shmucky, but we are all having fun anyway. Yesterday I didn't change out of my pajamas other than briefly while I took a bath. It was great.

There have been some wonderful talks this conference. I have felt comforted, inspired, assured, challenged, and edified. Can't ask for more!