I went to the Gastrointerologist today to have him take a look at me to see if HE could figure out what my pains were, even though the two CT scans showed nothing wrong.  And, to my amazement he gave me some answers.  

 

It seems that my abdominal pains are caused by two different unrelated factors.   The first one he was quite certain of, the pain that I get when I go jogging is caused as a direct result of the gall bladder surgery I had.   When he went in to do the surgery there are nerve endings that run right through the area he was working on, and he thinks he must have nicked one when he was in there.   The area that I pointed to corresponds directly with the location of these nerves.   So while there is pain, it is non-serious at least, and might over time dimish.    I was actually relieved to hear this news, the fact that there was an answer, and that it was non-serious. 

 

The second part of my pain, the pain/cramping I get after eating fatty foods or sometimes for no reason at all, was a little more tricky.   He did give me a diagnosis of "Functional Dyspepsia" but pointed out that this is sort of a catch all diagosis for 'digestive processes not working quite right' that encompasses a wide array of things.   It isn't a serious thing in my case, it's more of a live with it thing... and find what foods work best for me, what eating schedule works best for me, kind of thing.  There is no "treatment" per se.   He said he even has digestive problems that would be lumped into the "functional Dyspepsia" category. 

 

I am pretty sure that my "functional dyspepsia" is also a result of having my gall bladder out too, and had I to do it over again I would not have had my gall bladder out, I would have tried to go the medication route first, and exhaused all the other possibilities.   But at the time I didn't realize there could be so many complications, or rather, that so many complications could happen to me!  But now that I have my answers on what my pain is I DO feel better (mentally).   These things are NOT serious.  They are just merely annoying.  

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Grandma Ruth had to go home this morning, but we had a fun weekend with her.   I already put up the photos.  Friday we went to a halloween party extravaganza at Tim's work, it really was pretty impressive.   Saturday we went shopping and bowling.   All very fun.  

 

Today we had church as usual and I sang with choir as usual... but the kids sang with us.  The song was a version of "this little light of mine"    He is the director for the kids' choir and then Loie is our regular adult choir director.  So we had the kids up there and the adults and two directors directing. Quite a thing going on. ( I thought I had the song up on the blog to be able to be played but windows media player wasn't working right, so I guess you can't hear it!  if you really really really want to hear it that bad, I can email you a copy of the song, as Tim recorded the audio only)

Grandma Ruth comes today, sometime.  We don't know exactly when.   Payton is pretty excited.   It will be all he will talk about from the time I wake him up until the time she gets here.

 

Yesterday we (Payton and I) went to Blair, NE - to the NO Frills Supermarket to see if we could find some large empty boxes.  No Frills usually has them all out for people to just take, unlike our grocery store that flattens them and puts them in the dumpster.   We need some large boxes because we are getting ready to sell some large stuff on ebay, and I don't like listing things until I am sure that I have an appropriate box to send them in.   Payton was excited because 'finally a long road trip', but he was then sad to know that it really wasn't a long road trip, and it was only 40 minutes there and 40 mintues back.  Hardly the adventure he had envisioned.  This is a kid who really likes to travel.  By the way... I didn't find any boxes large enough.  I found 4 boxes I could make into one mega box, but I hate doing that because the structural integrity is not really that great.  So It will be up to Tim to find something at his work now.

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The nodule is benign.  That was a long time to wait for that result.   But yes, benign.  Not cancerous.   So they set me up with another appointment for next Tuesday at the Missouri Valley hospital with a gastrointerologist. 

 

In other news, My mother in law is coming for a visit tomorrow and staying through the weekend.  Payton is pretty excited, but he misunderstood who was going and coming and this morning said "I want you to pack my goggles."  And I said  "what for?" and he said "for our trip to grandma Ruth's" So I explained she was coming here and we didn't have to go anywhere.   He was a little disappointed at not getting to go on the long car trip, but still seemed ok that at least he would get to see his grandma.  I still don't know why he wanted goggles.  But he said it with all the seriousness a 3 year old can.

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ah the 1950's.  

It is 3:00 and I am still waiting for my test results.  Either I will hear at 4:30 or it will be another day because of the computer issues, but I'll update when I hear anything.

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old advertising:

No word yet about my tests.   I called in at 4:45 today, a little miffed no one had called me.  It seems the computers here in woodine and at Missori Valley (the hospitial where I did the test) were both down.  That didn't make me any less miffed.   I am sure that there is nothing wrong with me, but I still would just like to have the thing resolved and done.

 

I also had a doozy of a migrane today for some reason.  Like the kind I used to get as a kid with lots of vomiting.  Made me almost nostalgic, except that my head was throbbing.  I don't know why I got one, I had been doing so well on my medication, I guess they can't stop them all.   Payton came in while I was in the bathroom clutching the toilet and matter of factly said "you should really see a doctor".  I even thought it was cute at the time though I was not in the best mood.   At least he was not alarmed by seeing me get sick.   Maybe because when he gets sick I don't get alarmed.   I guess that would make sence.

 

I did put up pictures from the weekend already.   Rhinerson's and Goffins were here.  Man did we EAT!  mostly dessert, but that is ok.   And the weather was super on Saturday.  I think we all had a good time.  

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Have not got a call yet on how the results of the chest scan were... but in the meantime I have been getting ready for our house guests this weekend.  The Rhinerson's and the Goffins.  The Goffins!  That sounds weird!  It only sounds weird because Paul and Lisa just got married.  It will sound less weird soon enough.   Today I baked like mad.  Two batches of sweet rolls, two loaves of french bread, that I ended up sort of ruining because I bumped them when putting them in the oven and they "deflated" (but they are still ok to eat, just not as round as I'd like), and a pan of brownies. 

 

In other news, Tim and I are almost child abusers.  Yesterday whilst I was gone doing my chest thing and then getting groceries Payton had a large temper tantrum for some reason.  Sometimes when he has bad ones, he scratches himself or hits himself, though his tantrums at that level are pretty infreqent these days, I can't even remember his last one I had to deal with.  Anyway this one yesterday Tim had to deal with was a bad one and when I came home he had terrible scratches down the sides of his face.   I was a little upset by them, because they looked so awful.  I even mentioned to Tim that I hoped no one would turn us in to Child Protective Services.  Well funny thing happened.  I got a call from the school today.  Just a routine follow up call from the school nurse needing to find out what happened.  She was nice about it, and I think it is standard proceedure.  But that is the first time I ever got a call.  I guess it does look pretty nasty, and is a non-typical injury.   But a part of me wonders now... is there a "mark" somewhere on a secret file about us?  If it happens again, what then? 

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This time was the same thing as the last time except I didn't have to drink any barium solution and fast before the test.  It was the same guy again, and he said "I see you're back!" 

 

I asked how large the nodule was, and it was about the size of the top part of a thumb.  This is not an unusual size I guess.   They can be larger.  Some people have many.  He asked if I would like to see it and I said I would, so he showed me my entire scan, which was facinating to see myself from the inside.  He could zoom up and down through each layer from the top of my chin down through the bottom of my abdomen, like peeling away the layers of an onion.   So he showed me the nodule which is sitting on the bottom of my lung on my right side (which the doctor's call my left- I get confused on left/right issues) and it looks to me to be near my spine, so the back part of my lung... but I only had just that 5 minutes of medical training in reading a ct scan!  It shows up as a bright white mass, and it is plainly visible.   He tells me that the way they tell a cancerous one from a non cancerous one is by how opaque they are and where they are located and things of that nature, but like everyone else -he tells me most people have them and they are usually not a problem.  I also got to see the area where my gallbladder should have been, but it is all filled in with scar tissue.  He showed me the barium I drank for my last scan (shows up glowing white on the scan) that was still hanging around in places in my system, and all my other major organs and stuff.   It was truely facinating.  I have to say if I saw a line up of people's scans I would still not be able to pick me out though.  It just looked so bizarre, not even the outline of me looked like me really.  But seeing how all the organs fit together so perfectly into one seamless system really is a wonder.  

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I got the results back...  and the results were sort of ok in that there is nothing they could see visibly wrong with my pancreas, and there was no stone.   However they did find one thing, a "nodule" on my lung.  To me this sounded horrific, but the nurse I was speaking with said she has one- and it was not big deal - but because I have been having pain and this nodule did not show up on my last CT scan in April, they do want to check mine out, so the chest scan is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:30.  Results will be probably the same as with this time, a few days.  Saturday or if they don't work on Saturday I'll have to wait until Monday.   I would guess Monday. 

 

Most lung nodules are non-cancerous, that is what I have learned in just 5 seconds of doing a google search, so I'll just go with that.  I've never smoked a cigarette in my life so that should count for something I would think. 

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No results back today.   That probably means if they were devestatingly bad I would have them back by now and be in intensive care.   So since they are taking their sweet time they probably look fine.   I will have the results tomorrow for sure (I called to inquire and that is the going theory).

 

Had a dentist visit today, just a cleaning.  I also went for a run, for the first time in what seems like a week because of the rain.  It was a really BAD run.  You can't just not run for a week and expect to pick up where you were the week before.   I felt winded after 1.5 miles.  luckily I only had time for 2 miles.

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Had my CT scan today.  No results yet.  Probably tomorrow sometime.  I am not so optimistic that anything will be found, even though I am having pain.  But we'll see.  I'm not a doctor and I'll just have to wait and see what the professionals say.   I did get a sneak peak this time as I was leaving the room of one of the shots they took and my insides have lots of knooks and crannies.   It was just weird looking to see a cross section of my body.

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Last evening I caught a segment on the Glenn Beck TV show with some preacher guy (I hadn't heard of him but I guess he is famous, and had a book out) anyway he was talking about all the problems in the middle east (and with Russia) and tying it in to Revalations and the Rapture.   Which is all well and good, but somewhat depressing, and also annoying quite honestly.  I don't doubt for one second this man knows his bible better than I do, probably most people do- I can't quote many bible verses.  And I know when he says that the rapture is coming within 20 years, he REALLY believes it based on his analysis of the bible and how it corresponds to what is going on with Israel and the middle east today, he made very compelling arguments to support his belief.  But every generation has had people say that it is going to be the end times, with compelling arguments.   The rapture could be tomorrow- but I am going to make a prediction of my own, and say it won't be.   Revelation is a very entertaining book of the bible because of the bizarre imagry, but it's too focused on.  I don't know that it has much value.  Am I the only one that gets creeped out by Revalations talk?  Maybe because for the last 2000 years people have been saying "the end is near" and it hasn't been so.  

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I took Payton to the zoo today since he didn't have school.  He must have been worn out because he fell asleep on the way home.  Other than that it will be a quiet weekend.  

 

Monday I have a CT scan scheduled at the hospital.  I had some more bloodwork done and it came back ok (no serious diseases), so the idea is that there is a gallstone that may still have been left behind that may be causing me to have these reoccuring pains around my pancreas.  I have had a CT scan before, so I know what to expect.  The only thing that is going to be on my mind is that I would worry 1. that the CT scan may not be able to pick up a small gallstone, especially if this is one that had been missed in my prior surgery AND ERCP proceedure AND CT scans from before, and 2. that if I do have a gallstone what then?  More surgery? No thank you, I am a little scared by that idea!   

 

I suppose I am getting ahead of myself.  I guess I should just wait and see.   I assume the problem is a gallstone.  Maybe it is something else.  I don't know what else it could be, but I'm not a doctor either.   My fantom pain hasn't bothered me for 3 whole days now, so it would make sence that when I need it to be in the forefront so it can be "diagnossed" it is going into remission.  :)

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My tests run by the insurance company through Tim's work were today and I already have the results back.   I'm in good shape.   My chloresterol is way down from last year even.    So I have my next set of tests scheduled for Thursday morning.  Those are the ones that will be more specific in nature for what my concerns are.

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ouchy.

I finally got the pictures up from this weekend's showers and family get-together.  I hadn't thought I was going to get around to it today but then I surprised myself.  We had a really good time.  Payton had the best time though I think.  He really loved all the fun things to do at Uncle Ricks', and finding out he had a Wii system was just kind of icing on the cake.   I was also pleased that the storms held off on Saturday and it only rained a little bit.

Payton has bronchitis.   There isn't cause for concern though.  It would go away on it's own in a few weeks, but there is no medication to help his terrible coughing.   The only alternative is a nebulizer treatment which would lessen the healing time to a week to 10 days.   So I said sure let's do that, knowing Payton would be less than receptive to having to breathe in a mist from a loud machine.   So I tried my best to make it sound really fun to Payton,  and I have had 10% success at getting him to sit still and do it.  He really hates it, but I have tried to make a game of it where we take turns.  So I am getting the nebulizer too, but I also have the same thing he has so I assume the medicine won't harm me.  It will be a battle, and chances are it will end up be money wasted, but I had to try.

 

I also am going to be having some more tests run.  Tomorrow as part of my medical insurance plan I am having a full bloodwork done up, and that (thankfully) is free.   It actually saves us some money on our insurance every year since I submit to having it done.  I am hoping it will catch whatever has been bothering me lately abdominally.  I had spoke with my doctor about it today and she said that should these tests not reveal anything she wants me to come in and run some pancreatic tests.   So she had some sort of idea from my describing my vague symptoms and from my medical history what the problem might be.  Which made me feel validated that I wasn't just a whiner, but also concerned because I might actually have a problem.  I am going to try my best not to think about it until I know anything for sure, because it usually turns out these things are more minor than I imagine them to be. 

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yes, the boat is made of paper!

 

 

Yesterday I mentioned I went shopping for a birthday gift for Payton.   Payton went with me.   It's ok though, he's not one of those kids who is all "mine mine mine" and wants to tear into stuff.  I gave him a different toy while we were shopping to distract him from what I was buying him and when he did notice it I just told him that since we hadn't paid for that we couldn't open it.  He was satisfied with that answer, and by the time we DID pay for it, he was distracted by the prospect of having lunch with Daddy.   ANYWAY...  When we go to any store the first stop we make it to the bathroom.   With a 3 year old, that is very important.  This trip was no exception.  We go in the bathroom.  I always give Payton the option of mommy going first or Payton going first.  (for some reason that makes him feel more relaxed about going in a new bathroom)  He wanted me to go first.  So I sit down and do my thing, and he looks at me intently, walk around to the side and tilts his head and looks again, then says "Mommy I didn't realize how big your butt was!"  I about burst out laughing.  But of course I couldn't, because that would encourage him.  (And there were other people in the bathroom!  they must have been muffling snickers too.)  Anyway .... I don't remember what I said in response, but he hasn't mentioned my "big butt" since.  Kids say such funny things. 

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I'm thinking ahead to November.  What happens in November?  Well what I am thinking about specifically is that Payton turns 4.   I am thinking that because I did a little birthday shopping for him today.  (I am also thinking ahead to Christmas, but that may be a little extreme for some people.)  So we'll just keep it to Payton's birthday.  

 

I don't know if this is bad form or not, probably... but I am going to post a link to Payton's "wish list" on Amazon for his "far away gift giving relatives"... you know who you are.   This will be for both Christmas and Birthday.   And don't feel like you have to go off my list.   Maybe this will just help you if you wanted ideas. 

Last night was long.  We had choir, and then afterwards I had a meeting at church which ran long.   It was productive...  But it was long.  But as long as things are getting done I don't mind so much when things run late.

 

My opinion of our church hasn't changed since becoming a board member, but I certainly have gotten to have a greater appreciation for what all goes into the church, and just how many truely devoted people are members.  I think initally I was worried about "church politics", since I wasn't aware of any... I thought I would have my image tarnished... but I have to say after 9 months now of doing this there isn't any of that that goes on.   There are little disagreements here and there, but still everyone goes home friends as far as I can tell.  It's just an all around great place with great people.  I don't if this is unusual or not, because I have heard horror stories of other churches, so I just assumed that it was normal for churches to have some sort of issues like that.   Perhaps my own view had been distorted and our church IS the norm. 

 

At any rate, I think we are pretty lucky.  We have a great pastor.   I think she really helps hold stuff together.

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