Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Halle-FREAKING-lujah the dawn has arrived...well sort of?!

The 'darkness' that was on display in the last update only lasted (thankfully) about a month. It was a really bad month. I'm telling you, being in that much pain for that long really starts to wear on you, or at least it did for me. Emotionally, that dawn came for me (lets face it...I'm just not a darkness kind of gal) but physically it just all came crashing down.


I had known something was going on with me...something more than we already knew. Just a feeling, I guess you could say a gut feeling. However I had no idea of the can of worms that were going to be opened. Right before Thanksgiving I started having a lot of abdominal pain but in all honesty, I'm a woman...it could seriously be anything, I didn't even give it a second thought after I downed some Ibuprofen. We were scheduled to go to my sister's in Georgia for Thanksgiving and I was pretty excited. I had much more 'important' (to me at least) things on my mind rather than a little tummy ache, seriously people I had to pack and get ready...I have my priorities ;) I got all that packing done and woke up the morning we were scheduled to leave and of all things...I could not pee. Seriously like COULD NOT PEE. Obviously as the day went on that became pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I called the doc and we both thought it was just a little UTI (urinary track infection) he prescribed antibiotics and that was that. The problem was I was WAY too uncomfortable to make the 6hr drive to Georgia...man I was pissed. Little did I know it was just the beginning.

The UTI would not go away. At this point, I was a little ticked at this stupid UTI...it was really cramping my style to say the least. I didn't have time for this...I was still trying to figure out the whole horrible neck pain issue. To make a long story short...I ended up seeing a Urologist to try to get rid of this UTI that seems to have set up camp in my kidneys. Because of all the freaking tumors everywhere (ok ok just in my brain and my spine but it seems like everywhere) it's believed that I have a syndrome that has caused all of the tumors. It's Von Hippel Lindeau...yes that really is the name. It's rare...like super crazy rare. Because I could get anything commonly treated....heck no, I go for the rare...just my style ;) This syndrome can also cause tumors on the kidneys (of course I should have guessed...not just a stupid UTI) so a scan of the kidneys was ordered. The results were nothing more than shocking and I swear that if I had not already come out of 'my darkness' I would have seriously lost it. I will spare you all the details but it basically said that my kidneys were crappy and that I have Chronic Kidney Failure. I seriously wanted to say "No really, I just came in for a UTI...I just want that, Thanks though".


After another scan (I swear I'm radio-active at this point) it was confirmed...chronic kidney failure. I seriously wanted to scream..."Whoever can hear me up there, you do realize I'm 31yrs old! Oh and by the way I just got rid of a brain tumor and acquired a 'syndrome'...a break please and thanks".


It was a lot. It was all just a lot. It really was all just too much. I was trying to take it all in stride...I really was but the problem was IT WASN'T OVER.


They were still trying to figure out my neck problem and it was becoming more and more of a major problem. I was drowning underneath the weight of it...seriously. I needed answers. Even more than the kidney issue, the neck pain was SO much more overwhelming. The doctors did some 'special' MRI's of my spine and actually found some alignment issues and for a brief second we all thought those issues were the answers we'd been looking for. But it was only for a second. Me and my gut instincts had to come into play!


After some more images of my neck it was discovered that there were also tumors in my throat surrounding my thyroid...my only reaction was "of course there are". To be exact the were 18 tumors found and more that were smaller so they didn't even bother counting them. Yes, that's right, I said 18 tumors people! Can you even imagine! Believe it or not, in an odd way I was actually a little excited by this. I know you're thinking I really have lost my mind but seriously it was an answer and it was fixable. For months that's what I asked for...an answer. Yes, it wasn't a great answer but for a moment it provided closure for what was plaguing my neck. For even that moment my spirits were lifted. This could be fixed! I could have my thyroid out as well as the tumors and this horrible pain that had plague my life would be GONE! The kidneys seriously took a back seat to this new info. I made my appointment with the thyroid specialist over at the Mayo and look forward to the day without any pain!


Boy was I in for some big surprises...I mean, what else could I expect, I am the brain tumor chick.

3 comments:

4boys2raise said...

FRANCISSS.. all i have to say is.. wow.. what a load to take on..and continue to take on..im glad there is a teeny weeny light at the end of the million mile tunnel.. you are such a trooper.. maybe if you stop being so strong you'll stop getting all of these trials!!!! lol i love you..keep pluggin' along girlie.. our thoughts and prayers are with you..like always. xoxoxoxoxo marilyn

Anonymous said...

You still have not setup a day to come to our house for dinner. We have a Wii and a puppy (well, an overgrown puppy)!

conner posse said...

Wow, girl....you are being tested like crazy!! I think you are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Truly.

We've been planning a trip to Florida for Jim's mid-tour R&R (he's in Afghanistan) and it's made me think of you.

I wish you well, and you're in my prayers.