Feeling Better. Found a Church. The Move Has Arrived.

I'm feeling a lot better. I still have a low-grade fever (99.5ish), but I have been eating 3 meals a day, and feel much improved. To update from the last post, the CT scan showed an improvement in my large intestine. The scan also showed a cyst on my ovary that had grown from 2cm to 6cm. I went to a specialist regarding this, and will have surgery in September. I'll keep you posted.

Andrew and I found the church that we are going to join! We visited for the second time today, and some of the members remembered us, we felt very welcomed and comfortable there, so after speaking with the pastor, we definitely decided to join. Now my quest to become Methodist... :)

I am in the process of moving. I'm very much looking forward to life at the new apartment. It'll be a great opportunity to look at my life, move forward, and mature into the person I want to be.

I'm sick of being sick.

Today is the 9th day I have had a fever between 100 and 101 degrees. Here is my story....

Last Tuesday: I went to the docto with stomach pain and a fever. At my appointment, my doctor noticed a mass on my thyroid (on the right side of my neck.)
Last Wednesday: I woke up very nauseous. I had an ultrasound of the mass the next day as well as a CT of my abdomen. The ultrasound showed a 1.1 by 2.3 cm mass partial solid/part liquid...needed further study. The CT showed a thickening of the wall of my large intestine...also needed more study, so I scheduled a colonoscopy the first time my GI doc had an appointment...the 5th of September.
Last Thursday: I returned to the doctor with a fever and seeking something to help with the nausea. I was sent home with the diagnosis being the flu. I had a needle biopsy done of the mass this day. The procedure was fairly painless, just wanted some answers.
Last Fri-Sun: I slept a lot, and spent the entire weekend on the couch feeling crappy. The fever continued, but the nausea medicine allowed me to eat small meals.
Monday: I woke up miserably nauseous. I threw up all morning and was very dehydrated as I couldn't keep anything down. I went into the doctor who sent me straight to the emergency room. I spent the day there getting rehydrated with IV fluids and having IV anti-nausea medication. I was sent home in the evening with a stronger anti-nausea medication and told to return to my primary doctor in the morning.
Tuesday: My doctor had the good news that the biopsy of my mass is benign. He wants another ultrasound in 6 months, and another biopsy in a year, but the tests were all normal...whew. He also admitted that he has no idea why I still had a fever. I'm stumped too. He ordered another CT scan.
Today: I'm sitting on the couch with a fever and slightly nauseous sipping the jug of contrast I have to finish before I have my CT. I'm officially tired of being sick, but am optimistic that it will all be figured out soon.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Please remember Grandma and Grandpa in those prayers too....they are having a rough time, and more than anything I'd like to be able to be with them.

What I have learned.

Tonight sparked a time of inquisition for me. Have you ever experienced a time or situation that make you think "Hmmm....What was the purpose of that?" That was tonight, so I compiled a random list of things I have learned on this journey of growing up. Please feel free to add things you have learned or comment on my list.

1. Growing up is quite an adventure....lots to learn, hard to do, but oh so exciting!
2. People change as they grow, and that's okay.
3. Whether intentional or not, sometimes people can make you feel like crap, but it's precisely that feeling that can lead you to grow in maturity.
4. Life is expensive and involves lots of paperwork
5. Crying can be wonderful therapy
6. Holding grudges are useless.
7. It's important to give yourself a break and appreciate how far you've come.
8. Dating my best friend is the most amazing gift I have ever experienced.
9. Figuring out who you are and who you want to be takes time and patience.
10. Following your instinct is so very important. Even though reasoning may not be readily apparent, acting on instinct is very valuable.
11. I have so much to learn.
12. It is important to think of a situation holistically before deciding on how to react.
13. You definitely can't please everyone.

My lil' buddy

I have a little buddy at work. He's 2. He came in as a suspected abuse case. He had surgery for his injuries and is doing quite well clinically. I had him as a patient shortly after he was admitted and he was very ill. We seemed to bond at that time as I spent a lot of time with him being that he seemed ignored by his caretakers. When I went to work this week, I was assigned to the other end of our unit to care for some of our intermediate kiddos. I enjoy working at that end, but I missed my little buddy. Anyhoo, yesterday I heard his loud distinct squaky laugh coming quickly down the hallway. I looked over my shoulder and said his name enthusiastically as I crouched down to his level. He ran up to me with his arms wide open and gave me a huge hug.
This is why I do what I do.