You know those little annoyances in life that you could totally do without? The ones where you are at your breaking point anyway. You are holding on for dear life, trying to keep your head above water and then something out of your control comes along and knocks you down that last peg?
This is one of those stories...
Our mortgage was transfered. Not because we requested it or tried to refinance or something. It was just sold to another company.
In nearly 10 years of "owning" this house, our loan has been transfered 3-4 times. Each time a new company with a new set of rules, new due date, new fees...This time, though, the mortgage company has ridiculous fees to pay my bill. Yes you read that right, No Matter How I Pay My Mortgage, They Charge a Fee. I called to pay over the phone - after hanging out with a lovely lady, forever. (She had to get us all registered in the new system) I was told it would be $20 to pay by phone. $20 and that was the cheapest option she could give me!! I bit my tongue and paid it that one time. Asking of course if there were other cheaper ways to pay in the future. She assured me there were.
Fast forward to June. I was told by that lovely lady that we would receive all of our new loan information by June 1st and we would be able to login, on the internet. Which would carry no charge for payments.
Great. The loan payment was due by June 10th. I received our new loan information June 17th.
That's okay, I remember the lady saying there would be no late charges or additional fees for the first couple months as everyone got settled into the new system. No worries, I will get it all figured out just as soon as I have a few extra minutes.
So, this is where I was at when I had an extra minute...After a very long couple of weeks of IB deadlines, a 4 day-physically demanding fundraiser, 3 children, still healing from knee surgery, complete with physical therapy appointments and of course the thoughts looming over Ian's health and upcoming surgery. To top it all off, my husband gets a call from work saying It has hit the fan. Not by his fault by any means, but he would need to help fix some things while still working on his original deadline. Which means long(er) nights, little(er) sleep, children that still wake up at 6:30 and more stress all by itself, than most people can handle without flipping out...
...After all that, I went to pay my bill...online...for free.
As I get to the site I see there are several payment options. Multiple ways to pay through Western Union, Auto Draft, Money Gram and something called Equity Accelerators. Now that sounded interesting! I could pay off my loan quicker with BI-weekly payments and no monthly fees! How could that be any better? So the next day I call to inquire about that option :)
After another painfully long conversation where my name is read back to me as "Morsac" even though I have carefully spelled it out twice. We finally get down to business and I am ready to sign up and make my payment! At - this - point I am informed that there will be a small, tiny really, one time sign up fee of $295. That they will kindly take out the next time we have a 3 paycheck month.
Are they serious?? Nearly $300 to sign up for a program to PAY my mortgage? How is it okay to charge people to PAY their bill??
Do you remember, years back when Taco Bell tried to charge people a fee to use their debit cards? Here in Bloomington it was something like 75 cents on top of your bill.
People got angry. They can't do that anymore!
Anyway, Since we are attempting to sell that home, I went ahead and opted out at that point. Choosing to go back to the online payment options. The least expensive being Western Unions "Web Payment" option.
The fee? $9.95 each month...I had no choice.
After pushing Enter on the payment, the world crashed down on top of me.
All I wanted to do was pay for my mortgage, like I have every month for the past 10 years. Faithfully. Just pay it. As easily and least expensive as possible.
Is $9.95 a lot of money? No, It's not.
But why, why after everything else that happens in our life on a daily basis, why did our mortgage get transfered? Why are there new numbers and login information that I have to remember? Why do I have to pay an additional $9.95 a month, indefinitely, to PAY my loan?
So I cried. Maybe a lot. Stomped my feet a bit and wrote some nasty feedback which the company will probably never read because they have a crappy website that gave me an error code when I submitted my well worded message.
Ugh.
Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the story of the $9.95 Breakdown. Please stay tuned for the follow up rant entitled "What I could have done with that $9.95"
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
So...I didn't totally fail Father's Day
*Disclaimer: The title of this blog would have been much different, if not for my Best Friend, Alicia. She is one of a kind and I am not worthy of the time she lovingly puts into my family. Muchas Gracias Amiga!
So...I nearly failed Father's Day! It was the Friday evening before the big day and the only thing in our house that even pointed out a holiday on the horizon was the calendar (which I rarely have time to consult.) I hadn't bought a card telling my husband he was the best dad ever; There wasn't a single thing for him to open and I had no plans to change that.
Not because he doesn't deserve it. He does, truly. I could not have picked a better father for my children. He loves them and genuinely wants to spend as much time as he can with all of us. I can leave for extended periods, knowing he will take care of the Tinies (nearly) as well as I would! He is a great man and deserves the moon.
Also, it is not because I am a "bad" wife. I would say there is never a day I rank under "decent"...
It just surprises me how quickly time passes. As soon as I get one thing on my to do list crossed off, it is already to late to plan for the next.
See if you would call a good friend a couple days before a holiday and tell them you have failed. They would probably say something like "It is okay, James knows you love him and that he is a good dad. He doesn't need you to get him a present." Which is all true. Life surely would have gone on, had I neglected my wifely/motherly duties this one time.
However, when I went to text my best friend, this was the conversation that took place:
Me: I have failed Father's Day.
Alicia: How do you fail something that hasn't even happened yet?
Me: Well, I don't have a present and have no plans to change that.
Waiting for a response...
Me: I should go out and get him something right?
Still waiting for a response...
Me: I should probably go right now, what are you up to tonight?
Alicia: Changing my clothes and wondering what store I should meet you at.
So we went. But just wait. Her awesomeness does not end there! She continued to be a great asset once we reached our Present Finding Destination!
Once inside James' favorite store, J.L Waters, I was having a hard time finding something that he would like. ...Well okay, I found several things he would like; Several things he has mentioned could be useful. Like a...
Kayak.
A giant tent.
A new pair of Keens.
A $400 "drop me in the middle of nowhere for a month and I will be fine" backpack.
Just nothing within our price range that he would truly love.
It was crunch time - The store was closing, the polite salesmen were trying to hurry us up a bit. We were 3/4 the way through the store and all I have is a bag to put this future, hypothetical present in...
Out of the blue, Alicia says all nonchalantly "There's a hammock. James likes hammocks."
OMGoodness to Pete, does James like hammocks! He says how much he would use one every other week or so. Annnnd they just happen to have it in his favorite color - Burnt Orange.
So...I nearly failed Father's Day! It was the Friday evening before the big day and the only thing in our house that even pointed out a holiday on the horizon was the calendar (which I rarely have time to consult.) I hadn't bought a card telling my husband he was the best dad ever; There wasn't a single thing for him to open and I had no plans to change that.
Not because he doesn't deserve it. He does, truly. I could not have picked a better father for my children. He loves them and genuinely wants to spend as much time as he can with all of us. I can leave for extended periods, knowing he will take care of the Tinies (nearly) as well as I would! He is a great man and deserves the moon.
Also, it is not because I am a "bad" wife. I would say there is never a day I rank under "decent"...
It just surprises me how quickly time passes. As soon as I get one thing on my to do list crossed off, it is already to late to plan for the next.
This is where my Best Friend comes in!
However, when I went to text my best friend, this was the conversation that took place:
Me: I have failed Father's Day.
Alicia: How do you fail something that hasn't even happened yet?
Me: Well, I don't have a present and have no plans to change that.
Waiting for a response...
Me: I should go out and get him something right?
Still waiting for a response...
Me: I should probably go right now, what are you up to tonight?
Alicia: Changing my clothes and wondering what store I should meet you at.
So we went. But just wait. Her awesomeness does not end there! She continued to be a great asset once we reached our Present Finding Destination!
Once inside James' favorite store, J.L Waters, I was having a hard time finding something that he would like. ...Well okay, I found several things he would like; Several things he has mentioned could be useful. Like a...
Kayak.
A giant tent.
A new pair of Keens.
A $400 "drop me in the middle of nowhere for a month and I will be fine" backpack.
Just nothing within our price range that he would truly love.
It was crunch time - The store was closing, the polite salesmen were trying to hurry us up a bit. We were 3/4 the way through the store and all I have is a bag to put this future, hypothetical present in...
Out of the blue, Alicia says all nonchalantly "There's a hammock. James likes hammocks."
OMGoodness to Pete, does James like hammocks! He says how much he would use one every other week or so. Annnnd they just happen to have it in his favorite color - Burnt Orange.
The Father's Day Hammock of 2013
All-in-All it worked out.
The husband is happy, the children are happy and I didn't fail
Father's Day.
In the words of my BFF Alicia "I frickin' love Happy Endings!"
Thursday, June 6, 2013
A Chat with Mommy
Since Dillion was born we have a tradition. Every night at dinner we go around the table and say what we are thankful for that day. It is a great way to get everyone settled down. Get them into dinner mode and out of crazy kid mode! Something like "I'm thankful we got to watch a movie today" Or "I'm thankful I didn't get in time out" Or "I'm thankful Lily helped me today!"
When the kids are tiny we answer for them. Like when 4 month old Ian would insist on me holding him during dinner. At his turn everyone would chime in "Ian is thankful for mommy!"
Very true.
Then as the children get older the answers really start to take life and it is amazing to see what they come up with each day.
So if you have been following along you know that I have been down with knee surgery recently. I was taking pain meds pretty regular for a couple days. I was not able to put forth the full mommy effort that my kids need. However, over the weekend I was feeling much better and James left me home with just Dill for a bit while he ran to the store with Uno and Tres.
What did The Dill and I do? We talked. Simple as that. He told me stories and I listened. He asked questioned and I answered them.
4 year olds have a lot of questions and I missed out on them while I was sleeping off the surgery. He asked me everything from why are the walls cream colored to why do we have nipples. I answered everything to the best of my ability. We had the best time just chatting for about 45 minutes straight.
45 minutes well spent, that I will never forget! And neither will he.
As we sat down for dinner that night, Dill was tired and very resistant to taking a seat to participate. However, once he was coaxed into his chair, he thought for just a moment, his eyes got big, fixed on me. And he said "I am thankful mommy talked to me today!" His eyes were smiling so big as he said those 8 simple words.
And instead of feeling like a crap mom because I hadn't been awake and interacting with my kids for 4 days straight, I felt on top of the world! All I had to do was sit this tiny 4.5 year old boy on my lap, talk and listen. At the end of the day that is what really makes the impact. Not the blistering hot hours spent at the park where he seemed to have so much fun. Or the hour I let him watch his favorite Netflix show.
All children really want is our undivided attention for a short period to let them know that they are special! Just a few minutes spent talking about what is important to them. Even though he is small, there is so much going on in his beautiful, unique brain!
From that day forward, No matter what else happens, I will devote a tiny bit each day to that cuddled up chat time with my children. In the end, that is what they really remember!
When the kids are tiny we answer for them. Like when 4 month old Ian would insist on me holding him during dinner. At his turn everyone would chime in "Ian is thankful for mommy!"
Very true.
Then as the children get older the answers really start to take life and it is amazing to see what they come up with each day.
So if you have been following along you know that I have been down with knee surgery recently. I was taking pain meds pretty regular for a couple days. I was not able to put forth the full mommy effort that my kids need. However, over the weekend I was feeling much better and James left me home with just Dill for a bit while he ran to the store with Uno and Tres.
What did The Dill and I do? We talked. Simple as that. He told me stories and I listened. He asked questioned and I answered them.
4 year olds have a lot of questions and I missed out on them while I was sleeping off the surgery. He asked me everything from why are the walls cream colored to why do we have nipples. I answered everything to the best of my ability. We had the best time just chatting for about 45 minutes straight.
45 minutes well spent, that I will never forget! And neither will he.
As we sat down for dinner that night, Dill was tired and very resistant to taking a seat to participate. However, once he was coaxed into his chair, he thought for just a moment, his eyes got big, fixed on me. And he said "I am thankful mommy talked to me today!" His eyes were smiling so big as he said those 8 simple words.
And instead of feeling like a crap mom because I hadn't been awake and interacting with my kids for 4 days straight, I felt on top of the world! All I had to do was sit this tiny 4.5 year old boy on my lap, talk and listen. At the end of the day that is what really makes the impact. Not the blistering hot hours spent at the park where he seemed to have so much fun. Or the hour I let him watch his favorite Netflix show.
All children really want is our undivided attention for a short period to let them know that they are special! Just a few minutes spent talking about what is important to them. Even though he is small, there is so much going on in his beautiful, unique brain!
From that day forward, No matter what else happens, I will devote a tiny bit each day to that cuddled up chat time with my children. In the end, that is what they really remember!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
They Wanna Make Me Go To Rehab...
So I feel there were some things glossed over before my knee surgery.
1. "You will be on crutches like one day." Says The Doctor. Day 6 here and I am just now able to do anything more than hobble to the bathroom without crutches.
2. The thought that I would be in less pain...It is possible that since this is the 3rd surgery on this knee that I am taking longer to heal. Not sure, but I am still in a world of hurt.
3. I got a call Thursday saying I would need to pick out a rehab facility. Now wait a second! Rehab makes me think a couple things - $$$ and Time. Things that I really can't spare. I remember the Dr saying I would need rehab if I did the major knee surgery, but there was no mention of it for this time around. Ugh. - Pretty ready to be done with all of this.
Suggestions for a rehab center would be appreciated. I have never been to one before so I am turning to you all...
Where have you been? Did you like it? Would you recommend your rehab facility to a friend?
PS. It is a surprise with the amount of pain pills they give you after surgery that more people don't end up needing a different kind of rehab!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
30 Day Abs!
I had some requests after my post last night from people wanting to know more about the 30-Day AB Challenge. So here it is. Feel free to join us! Just start at Day 1 and every day do just what the calendar says.
Easy as that! Let me know if you are going to participate and what your results are at the end!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Let's be done with these surgeries already!
Surgery #2 is out of the way! It was actually pretty quick and relatively low on the pain scale. The surgery center had us out the door 2 hours and 15 minutes after I went back for the procedure. And so far the pain has only been a "6" out of 10. On a typical day my knee is about a "4-5" on the pain scale anyway, so not to much difference. (Update, I wrote most of this yesterday and since then the pain has gone to a "9" at times, especially when I woke up this morning. Thank goodness for pain meds!)
Recovery is going to be super quick I think, the hardest part is not being able to do my fair share around the house. I hate sitting on the couch looking at something that needs to be done or hearing one of the kids ask for a drink and not being able to jump up to get it for them. Even if could jump up to get it, I wouldn't be able to carry it because of these oh-so-fun crutches! Oh well, next week the kids will be out of school for the summer and I should be better than normal. So we will be able to enjoy an active, fun filled summer break!
In related news, James talked to the orthopedic Dr after surgery and he said fingers crossed for no additional surgeries. We should know more after my post op appointment next week. And then he wants me to give it a couple weeks to walk around and see if the pain comes back. If not, then I am done! That would be amazing! I was thinking maybe 6 weeks of healing time from the next surgery would be doable. But after 2 days of not being mobile I am over it already! 6 weeks would be bad for my mental health for sure!
Moving on, in exercise news, I did a 15 minute High Intensity Interval Training video yesterday before surgery. Then I thought it would be a great idea to take a lap around the circle we live on last night, it is a 1/4 mile. Now my upper body is super sore from using the crutches in addition to my leg already being sore. (I don't think my leg was made any worse from the walk, it was really just along for the ride.) My goal for today was 1/2 a mile. I highly doubt that is happening. Oh and I am also doing a 30 day AB challenge with some girls on FB. It has a calendar with little things to do each day. Then by the end of the 30 days you are able to do 125 sit up, 200 crunches, 65 leg raise and a 120 second plank. So far so good!
Finally, my biopsy from surgery last week came back and it was bengin as we had hoped! Also the gene tests came back and I do NOT carry the cancer gene. So that is all amazing news! I could not be happier to hear both of those things! I know that it doesn't mean I have no chance of getting cancer, but a normal risk of 12% is a lot better than a cancer gene risk of 87%! Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kid care assistance you have offered up recently. It is truly appreciated!
So ending today happy as always :)
Yours Truly,
The Pain Meds
Recovery is going to be super quick I think, the hardest part is not being able to do my fair share around the house. I hate sitting on the couch looking at something that needs to be done or hearing one of the kids ask for a drink and not being able to jump up to get it for them. Even if could jump up to get it, I wouldn't be able to carry it because of these oh-so-fun crutches! Oh well, next week the kids will be out of school for the summer and I should be better than normal. So we will be able to enjoy an active, fun filled summer break!
In related news, James talked to the orthopedic Dr after surgery and he said fingers crossed for no additional surgeries. We should know more after my post op appointment next week. And then he wants me to give it a couple weeks to walk around and see if the pain comes back. If not, then I am done! That would be amazing! I was thinking maybe 6 weeks of healing time from the next surgery would be doable. But after 2 days of not being mobile I am over it already! 6 weeks would be bad for my mental health for sure!
Moving on, in exercise news, I did a 15 minute High Intensity Interval Training video yesterday before surgery. Then I thought it would be a great idea to take a lap around the circle we live on last night, it is a 1/4 mile. Now my upper body is super sore from using the crutches in addition to my leg already being sore. (I don't think my leg was made any worse from the walk, it was really just along for the ride.) My goal for today was 1/2 a mile. I highly doubt that is happening. Oh and I am also doing a 30 day AB challenge with some girls on FB. It has a calendar with little things to do each day. Then by the end of the 30 days you are able to do 125 sit up, 200 crunches, 65 leg raise and a 120 second plank. So far so good!
Finally, my biopsy from surgery last week came back and it was bengin as we had hoped! Also the gene tests came back and I do NOT carry the cancer gene. So that is all amazing news! I could not be happier to hear both of those things! I know that it doesn't mean I have no chance of getting cancer, but a normal risk of 12% is a lot better than a cancer gene risk of 87%! Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kid care assistance you have offered up recently. It is truly appreciated!
So ending today happy as always :)
Yours Truly,
The Pain Meds
Sunday, May 26, 2013
One less problem!
Good Afternoon Everyone and thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during my surgery last week! The whole experience went really well. The Doctor said she expects the pathology report to come back negative. (So no cancer!) And hopefully that will be the last time she operates on me!
The only hiccup all day was the IV, I hate those things and the burning medicine they put through them. So that has made me a little nervous for the surgery next week. However, I am very happy that the bothersome little problem is now gone and I can feel a little more normal :-) I am sure I will be happy when my knee is taken care of as well!
So a few weeks ago I had a MRI of my knee. It showed a couple issues. Tuesday morning at 6:30 I go to the surgery center to prep for a quick knee surgery. The Doctor will be fixing something in my knee called a Discoid Meniscus. It is just a little anomaly that is causing my knee to "catch" a lot. A nuisance that will be great to not have anymore! Also he will be looking around with a scope to see how to best fix a cyst that has formed deep in my knee. Right now he is thinking that towards the end of summer I will have a second surgery. They will take a piece of cadaver bone and use that to replace the part of my knee that the cyst is taking up. The healing time from the first surgery should be just a couple of days. However, the second surgery will be more like 6 weeks on crutches. Eek! I can not imagine being off my feet that long!
I am hoping to be in better shape by the time the second surgery takes place! To prepare I am keeping up with my daily 5:30 exercise and have started using an app to track my calories. That has been eye opening to say the least. It has forced me to measure things out and actually be concerned with serving sizes. I am only on day 4, but I have already dropped a quick 6lbs just by using accurate portions! If I can keep all of this up I should be about 20lbs lighter by the time end of summer comes around. Just losing weight alone will help with my knees, but combine that with fixing the internal issues...and I will be ready to run my first 5K by next Spring!
Hope everyone is having a great 3 day weekend!
~Melissa
The only hiccup all day was the IV, I hate those things and the burning medicine they put through them. So that has made me a little nervous for the surgery next week. However, I am very happy that the bothersome little problem is now gone and I can feel a little more normal :-) I am sure I will be happy when my knee is taken care of as well!
So a few weeks ago I had a MRI of my knee. It showed a couple issues. Tuesday morning at 6:30 I go to the surgery center to prep for a quick knee surgery. The Doctor will be fixing something in my knee called a Discoid Meniscus. It is just a little anomaly that is causing my knee to "catch" a lot. A nuisance that will be great to not have anymore! Also he will be looking around with a scope to see how to best fix a cyst that has formed deep in my knee. Right now he is thinking that towards the end of summer I will have a second surgery. They will take a piece of cadaver bone and use that to replace the part of my knee that the cyst is taking up. The healing time from the first surgery should be just a couple of days. However, the second surgery will be more like 6 weeks on crutches. Eek! I can not imagine being off my feet that long!
I am hoping to be in better shape by the time the second surgery takes place! To prepare I am keeping up with my daily 5:30 exercise and have started using an app to track my calories. That has been eye opening to say the least. It has forced me to measure things out and actually be concerned with serving sizes. I am only on day 4, but I have already dropped a quick 6lbs just by using accurate portions! If I can keep all of this up I should be about 20lbs lighter by the time end of summer comes around. Just losing weight alone will help with my knees, but combine that with fixing the internal issues...and I will be ready to run my first 5K by next Spring!
Hope everyone is having a great 3 day weekend!
~Melissa
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Surgery Day #1
Woke up this morning and did my 5:30am workout. Trying to pretend like it is any other day so I don't get nervous. The only thing missing so far was my big glass of water because I was told not to eat or drink after midnight. James and I have to be in Greenwood this morning at 9:45 to prep for the procedure, by the time the actual surgery starts I should be starving!
So what is being done and why?? I found a lump in the scariest of places for a women, 5 years ago when I was pregnant with Dillion. My OBGYN checked it out and said it needed further testing. I was sent for a biopsy which came back normal and I was told that unless it got really painful or larger to just ignore it. Well for about the last 6 months it has become increasingly painful. The kids are always climbing on me and it gets bumped and squished a lot. Not to mention, it is 2.7cm (about an inch) long at this point and just needs to be gone! My plan is to feel as good as I can day in and day out! This uncomfortable little lump is not fitting into that plan.
About a month ago I went to my family doctor to set my plan into motion! We discussed a few issues I am having and she set me on the path to getting them fixed. My options for the lump were to stay here in Bloomington and she would send me to a general surgeon who would just take it out and be done. Or she could send me to Greenwood to a breast specialist who would really look into it. As well as look into any possible genetic disposition I have to breast cancer. I chose the second option because I don't want any feeling of "could I have done more" in my life. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, which is very young. So there is a good possibility she had some kind of genetic predisposition which could have been passed onto me. If I have "the cancer gene" I want to know about it so I can be proactive and not just sit around and wait for it to be my turn. So I had the gene testing done and it was sent off nearly two weeks ago. I should have the results late this week or early next. And honestly I wouldn't say I am nervous about that either. There is so much going on right now that I don't have time to sit and think about the "what ifs" Which is a good thing! I am just getting as much done each day as I can, eating healthy and trying to get some weight off so I feel better all around.
My expectations for today...I imagine it will be very uneventful. Okay, I hope it will be uneventful! It should just be a lot of me and James sitting around waiting for things to happen. Then I will get to take a nice afternoon nap and wake up with one less problem to deal with :) It all sounds gravy to me!
Keep us in your thoughts today if you would. Little Ian has a slight fever and I hate to leave him. But I know he will be in good hand with his Grandma Marsha. Oh goodness, she is probably going to need more thoughts and prayers than the rest of us today! Two lovely little boys for 7+hours with 11 meds to give during that time. I think she will sleep well tonight :)
Have a Lovely Day Everyone!
So what is being done and why?? I found a lump in the scariest of places for a women, 5 years ago when I was pregnant with Dillion. My OBGYN checked it out and said it needed further testing. I was sent for a biopsy which came back normal and I was told that unless it got really painful or larger to just ignore it. Well for about the last 6 months it has become increasingly painful. The kids are always climbing on me and it gets bumped and squished a lot. Not to mention, it is 2.7cm (about an inch) long at this point and just needs to be gone! My plan is to feel as good as I can day in and day out! This uncomfortable little lump is not fitting into that plan.
About a month ago I went to my family doctor to set my plan into motion! We discussed a few issues I am having and she set me on the path to getting them fixed. My options for the lump were to stay here in Bloomington and she would send me to a general surgeon who would just take it out and be done. Or she could send me to Greenwood to a breast specialist who would really look into it. As well as look into any possible genetic disposition I have to breast cancer. I chose the second option because I don't want any feeling of "could I have done more" in my life. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32, which is very young. So there is a good possibility she had some kind of genetic predisposition which could have been passed onto me. If I have "the cancer gene" I want to know about it so I can be proactive and not just sit around and wait for it to be my turn. So I had the gene testing done and it was sent off nearly two weeks ago. I should have the results late this week or early next. And honestly I wouldn't say I am nervous about that either. There is so much going on right now that I don't have time to sit and think about the "what ifs" Which is a good thing! I am just getting as much done each day as I can, eating healthy and trying to get some weight off so I feel better all around.
My expectations for today...I imagine it will be very uneventful. Okay, I hope it will be uneventful! It should just be a lot of me and James sitting around waiting for things to happen. Then I will get to take a nice afternoon nap and wake up with one less problem to deal with :) It all sounds gravy to me!
Keep us in your thoughts today if you would. Little Ian has a slight fever and I hate to leave him. But I know he will be in good hand with his Grandma Marsha. Oh goodness, she is probably going to need more thoughts and prayers than the rest of us today! Two lovely little boys for 7+hours with 11 meds to give during that time. I think she will sleep well tonight :)
Have a Lovely Day Everyone!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Health for Life!
Dear Friends and Fellow Bloggers!
Time to start up the old blog again! It has been right at 3 years since I made a post here on Documentations On Life. Documenting isn't exactly something I have a lot of time for anymore...However, it is important to me to make time for this! I love looking back at the blog from years ago and remembering so clearly what things were like then, bringing back the same emotions I felt then! Plus I have recently recommitted myself to being healthy and I want to remember this journey. So I am making the time with hopes that this blog will inspire someone else to change their life for the better as well!
Over the next few months I am going to be posting about some life changing measures I am taking to improve mine and my families life's. Measures that will make us all healthier as well as happier! Currently there are 3 surgeries "on the books" for our family this year with at least one more likely to be added. I have started a new exercise program that I am very excited about! And of course I will be posting about our constant search for healthier foods and ways to live our life's!
So why am I doing all this? Why am I "voluntarily" going to the trouble and expense of doctor appointments and surgeries? Well, because as you all probably know I lost my mother 3 years and 1 month ago today. She was in failing health...well really all my life. I do not ever remember my mother without a limp, eventually going to crutches and for the last 8 years of her life a wheelchair. When I recently asked a team of doctors about how a certain disease I have would progress they told me that the best way to find out is to look to my mother's health. Well that of course scared me pretty good! She was so young when she died and was in so much pain for so many years. That is not the way I want my life to go, so I am taking matters into my own hands. I am addressing each problem I have and fixing them as quickly as possible!
The first problem I am addressing is an ongoing pain in my left knee. It has been there for at least a year and a half and I am so ready for it to be gone! Then a mass in my right breast which I found about 5 years ago when pregnant with Dillion. Then of course my weight. I have been overweight for longer than I can remember, truly. From pictures it looks like around the time I was 5 I started to really chunk up. It is time to conquer this problem and put it behind me for good!
Each of these problems will come with it's own blog or two in the coming weeks. So I hope you will stick with me and read about my journey. I could really use the help with you all keeping me accountable! Feel free to comment so we can chat about how things are progressing!
Thank you for reading!
Melissa
Disclaimer: All blogs will be written with 2 young boys pulling on my arm or at the end of the night when I am only half sane. So bear with me and any ramblings that don't quite compute :-)
Time to start up the old blog again! It has been right at 3 years since I made a post here on Documentations On Life. Documenting isn't exactly something I have a lot of time for anymore...However, it is important to me to make time for this! I love looking back at the blog from years ago and remembering so clearly what things were like then, bringing back the same emotions I felt then! Plus I have recently recommitted myself to being healthy and I want to remember this journey. So I am making the time with hopes that this blog will inspire someone else to change their life for the better as well!
Over the next few months I am going to be posting about some life changing measures I am taking to improve mine and my families life's. Measures that will make us all healthier as well as happier! Currently there are 3 surgeries "on the books" for our family this year with at least one more likely to be added. I have started a new exercise program that I am very excited about! And of course I will be posting about our constant search for healthier foods and ways to live our life's!
So why am I doing all this? Why am I "voluntarily" going to the trouble and expense of doctor appointments and surgeries? Well, because as you all probably know I lost my mother 3 years and 1 month ago today. She was in failing health...well really all my life. I do not ever remember my mother without a limp, eventually going to crutches and for the last 8 years of her life a wheelchair. When I recently asked a team of doctors about how a certain disease I have would progress they told me that the best way to find out is to look to my mother's health. Well that of course scared me pretty good! She was so young when she died and was in so much pain for so many years. That is not the way I want my life to go, so I am taking matters into my own hands. I am addressing each problem I have and fixing them as quickly as possible!
The first problem I am addressing is an ongoing pain in my left knee. It has been there for at least a year and a half and I am so ready for it to be gone! Then a mass in my right breast which I found about 5 years ago when pregnant with Dillion. Then of course my weight. I have been overweight for longer than I can remember, truly. From pictures it looks like around the time I was 5 I started to really chunk up. It is time to conquer this problem and put it behind me for good!
Each of these problems will come with it's own blog or two in the coming weeks. So I hope you will stick with me and read about my journey. I could really use the help with you all keeping me accountable! Feel free to comment so we can chat about how things are progressing!
Thank you for reading!
Melissa
Disclaimer: All blogs will be written with 2 young boys pulling on my arm or at the end of the night when I am only half sane. So bear with me and any ramblings that don't quite compute :-)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
I didn't punch any Dr's in the face...
So that is a plus. I had my appointment in Indy yesterday. I was very sad all day and on the lonely ride up there. Once I got in the ultrasound room I just kind of shut down. I didn't care to much about what was on the screen, same old same old.
The fluid did go up, though no one knows why. (Shock?) So he is making urine. We will find out when he is born if it is "quality" urine and actually filtering or if it is just basically water.
Then the MFM for the day (who just happened to be the director of the department) came in to chat with me. He said they had not yet received the recommendation from the urologist, but he called about it during our meeting and expected in a few days. He is then going to send me a copy and follow what it says to the letter. Since the urologist said delivery at 36 weeks that is what I am thinking we will do at this point...hoping to get a call on Monday to set up a new c-section date.
All in all not much has changed, but my attitude is a lot better. I think I will make it another week and a half!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
And I am paying these people for...what?
Well the final results are in. Drum roll please...Not a single doctor has a clue what is going on with my baby/fluid.
The "specialists" aka the maternal fetal medicine OB's at St. Vincent think it must be that the kidneys have failed because...well they can't find anything else wrong. The placenta looks normal, it doesn't seem I have ruptured my membranes, and the baby looks happy. So since he already has a kidney issue, this must be the problem.
The urologists and nephrologist say that the kidneys actually don't look that bad. There is no reason they should be working less today than 5 weeks ago. So they don't know what is wrong, but the nephrologist says that the kidney fate (whatever it may be) is sealed at this point and there is no reason to take him out earlier.
When will we deliver? Don't know. Cincinnati originally said 37 weeks. The Ob's want him as big as possible so 38 weeks (due to previous c-sections) and the urologist said 36 weeks. Today I am 34 weeks and this feels pretty good. Tomorrow would be nice...
Personal side note: I am very unhappy with these findings. I hate everyone I know right now for one reason or another. And if at my appt on Friday they try to tell me 38 weeks I am going to scream in their face and punch them.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
And then there is Monday
Yesterday I was expecting to have an ultrasound, see the doctors and probably hang out a bit more on the high risk unit. However, one of the MFM docs came in and said there was no reason for the ultrasound. There wasn't going to be any fluid and we didn't need to look and see that. Then he said the decision is mine on how to proceed. They could keep me in the hospital on bed rest and hooked up to the monitors 24/7 for 4 weeks, but he couldn't promise that even if the cord prolapsed that they could catch it. So that would be more or less pointless. Or I could go home...I am home now :)
Before leaving Indy I did insist on seeing the pediatric urologist and so glad I did. He completely agreed that the only way to save kidney function is to deliver now. Today or tomorrow he is going to look at my ultrasounds and talk with the MFM's. As long as Ian's kidneys are dilated (which they were in the last ultrasound) and the MFM's don't think it will put him at risk to take him early then we should have him here by the end of the week. James and I are very happy about this. We have been trying for days to convince everyone to save his kidneys, but no one was listening. Now we have someone on our side :)
Today I am suppose to go for an NST at my local OB's office. My mother in law is going to watch the kids and hopefully paint some. We are still working to finish the older 2 kids bedroom. It has another good week to go...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
High Risk Unit is no fun!
Lets start with Thursday...My friend Lisha and I headed towards Indy for an ultrasound and to see what the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors had to say about my low fluid. During the ultrasound we find out that the fluid has dropped to 5.3, one of his kidney's has gone cystic, but his bladder is not bigger. Meaning that either my water broke or his kidney's have stopped functioning. I was hooked up to an NST and Ian scored 10 for 10 on his biophysical profile. So I am sent home and told to see my regular OB for an ultrasound on Friday.
Friday...My OB's office calls and said the MFM docs called and they now want me to head to Indy immediately. I call James, he comes home with my mother in law so she can watch the kids and we can go. I get a second call from my OB's office saying, Oh by the way, pack a bag. Most likely they are going to want to keep you. So I frantically pack a few things and off we go. When we get to St. Vincent I received another ultrasound where the fluid was 3.3. They tell me that I will be staying the weekend on the high risk unit for monitoring. When I get upstairs to the unit I am checked to see if my water broke, but it did not. So I am hooked up to the monitor and we wait.
Saturday...Lots of sitting around. I go on the monitor at 6am, 2pm, and 10pm. Other than that I just watch tv or go for walks around the hospital. I did get to talk to the MFM doc for the weekend, he said that he feels better and better about keeping Ian in rather than delivering him early. No need to add preemie issues on top of the issues he already has. Then later I spoke with a neonatalogist who agreed and said he is trying to get ahold of the pediatric urologist (same guy that did Dill's scope) to see if he thinks it will help the kidneys to get Ian out sooner rather than later.
Sunday...James stayed the night at the hospital with me, but he is gone now and I miss my children. We quickly spoke with the MFM doc who still told me to stick around and be monitored, I will receive another ultrasound Monday, we will hear from the pedi urologist and then discuss what to do from there. Also during Ian's last monitoring session he had 1 variable. Where his heart rate dropped, the nurse said they see this a lot when the amniotic fluid is gone because the baby will step on their cord for a bit. However they don't get concerned about just 1, so we will see how he does tonight.
My thoughts...James and I are very concerned. (Did that need to be said?) It seems like the doctors are trying to get him as big as possible so he can be put on dialysis when he comes out. We are wondering if it wouldn't be better to get him out earlier and see if we can keep some kidney function in the one kidney so he doesn't need dialysis. We are frustrated with the doctors decision. My local OB said he would deliver if the fluid got to 2 or 3, he also said he would think getting Ian out earlier would be better for his kidneys. If all the fluid is gone tomorrow and these doctors refuse to do anything I will be calling my doctor to see if they have other thoughts. James is going to call around to a couple different hospitals and see if he can get any kind of second opinion. I want Ian to come out as healthy as possible and will do anything I need to.
Friday...My OB's office calls and said the MFM docs called and they now want me to head to Indy immediately. I call James, he comes home with my mother in law so she can watch the kids and we can go. I get a second call from my OB's office saying, Oh by the way, pack a bag. Most likely they are going to want to keep you. So I frantically pack a few things and off we go. When we get to St. Vincent I received another ultrasound where the fluid was 3.3. They tell me that I will be staying the weekend on the high risk unit for monitoring. When I get upstairs to the unit I am checked to see if my water broke, but it did not. So I am hooked up to the monitor and we wait.
Saturday...Lots of sitting around. I go on the monitor at 6am, 2pm, and 10pm. Other than that I just watch tv or go for walks around the hospital. I did get to talk to the MFM doc for the weekend, he said that he feels better and better about keeping Ian in rather than delivering him early. No need to add preemie issues on top of the issues he already has. Then later I spoke with a neonatalogist who agreed and said he is trying to get ahold of the pediatric urologist (same guy that did Dill's scope) to see if he thinks it will help the kidneys to get Ian out sooner rather than later.
Sunday...James stayed the night at the hospital with me, but he is gone now and I miss my children. We quickly spoke with the MFM doc who still told me to stick around and be monitored, I will receive another ultrasound Monday, we will hear from the pedi urologist and then discuss what to do from there. Also during Ian's last monitoring session he had 1 variable. Where his heart rate dropped, the nurse said they see this a lot when the amniotic fluid is gone because the baby will step on their cord for a bit. However they don't get concerned about just 1, so we will see how he does tonight.
My thoughts...James and I are very concerned. (Did that need to be said?) It seems like the doctors are trying to get him as big as possible so he can be put on dialysis when he comes out. We are wondering if it wouldn't be better to get him out earlier and see if we can keep some kidney function in the one kidney so he doesn't need dialysis. We are frustrated with the doctors decision. My local OB said he would deliver if the fluid got to 2 or 3, he also said he would think getting Ian out earlier would be better for his kidneys. If all the fluid is gone tomorrow and these doctors refuse to do anything I will be calling my doctor to see if they have other thoughts. James is going to call around to a couple different hospitals and see if he can get any kind of second opinion. I want Ian to come out as healthy as possible and will do anything I need to.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Late July update...
Always have to add a picture. And this just happens to be my most recent one. I have GOT to cut that boys hair, with the flower and necklace he is not looking to manly. We are thinking about going a lot shorter, but it is so soft and beautiful it will be hard to get rid of...makes me teary just thinking about it.
Now on to updates. As for Dillion, he had the general anesthesia with scope and then a VCUG. Turns out he has a couple little things going on, but nothing that is causing problems or bleeding. So really we know nothing. Except it is really hard to watch nurses in scrubs take away my baby and put him to sleep even if they are blowing bubbles and pulling him in a play car. However he did really well with everything, was up and eating a ton before we even left the hospital and has hit a huge mental growth spurt. Learning so much so quickly!
Then there is Ian. Everything was going great...3 weeks ago the fluid was around 15cm. Then the next week it dropped to 8.6, last Friday it was 7.1 (aka low.) There are two possible causes...1. he is growing and so is the obstruction so the urine is not getting out like it was before or 2. his kidney's are failing. Obviously we are hoping for option 1. I go back to Indy on Thursday and we should know more after that appt and ultrasound. My OB said if his fluid gets to 2-3 cm they will deliver him. So we may be meeting this little guy sooner than we had thought (or hoped.) Keep him in your thoughts.
And finally a general family update. We have been working on the kids new room forever. All 4 of us have been sleeping in the master bedroom since I can remember at this point or so it seems. But we are getting very close to finishing. The new ceiling is in, the walls are spackled, everything is being primed on Thursday while I am at the doctors. Then hope to paint this weekend...well maybe we have a photo shoot Saturday so it might wait till Monday. At this point we are trying to get everything done as quickly as possible in case Ian decides to show up. Here is to hoping I am not one of 5 in my bedroom!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Dillinger is 18 months!
The picture and title pretty much say it all. My baby is toddler, albeit a very cuddly toddler, but still he is no longer a baby. Next time I look up he will be starting school just like my other baby did. Guess I am doing something correct, this is the point of mommyhood right? To help them grow up...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
All 3 of my children
Well if you have just joined my blog recently you may not realize that I have a daughter who came before my rotten boys. She is sweet, perfect, and beautiful. (pictured above) :)
Now on to the boys...Friday morning we set out at 9:30 for a very long day. First my doctors office for the second of the steroid shots for Baby Ian's lungs. 10:30 - Dr. Rink the urologist to talk about both the boys. He decided Dillion needs to be checked out more throughly and will be doing so next Friday. The Dr will be scoping him while under general anesthesia to see if he can locate a problem. Possibly doing a VCUG if they find something. Scary to think my 18mo little boy will be put to sleep, but I hope they find something and can make him better.
As for Baby Ian the urologist said after birth they will do a series of test. Multiple blood tests to see how his creatinine level adjusts, VCUG which is dye to see how his kidney's/bladder work, Ultrasound to see how dilated everything looks when he gets out, and a nuclear scan which is dye injected somewhere to test something...Yes I received way to much information that day, but I am sure they will tell me again before they do it.
Then at 1 we went to St. Vincent to tour the NICU and talk with a neonatalogist. His name was Dr Michnov (?) Very nice man, sounded like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He did say that Ian would need to be in the NICU for at least one day so they could monitor how he pees. But really they are expecting him to fair pretty well considering his PUV. After that first day and all the scans they will do the valve ablation surgery and hopefully he will get to come home the same time I do. Of course this is all in a perfect world, but hey why not hope for the best?
All in all we learned tons and feel a lot more at ease with the whole situation for Ian.
Side note - James and I didn't have time to eat lunch during all this hurrying around so after the NICU we decided to eat at Golden Corral around 2:30. Came home, cleaned the house like a madwomen and at 6 came down with a hard case of food poisoning. I was sick and didn't eat for over 28 hours. My OB prescribed some phenergan which helped me sleep and stop puking after 2 doses. Today I should of spent recovering, instead I finished my fodant cake and had a family cookout with MIL.
Happy 4th to all!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Mass Emailed, but wanted to share with blog friends as well
I just wanted to give a quick happy update on Sebastian James (we officially agreed on the middle name!)
For anyone who needs background information we found out at 19 weeks that he has Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV). After an amnio, bladder tap, and a visit to the Children's hospital of Cincinnati his prognosis went from grim, to wait and see. Now that we have waited 9 long weeks things are looking as good as could be expected. His lungs are maturing, his kidney's are not failing as far as we can see from the fluid levels and the size of his bladder is reasonable for what he has gone through. Today I got the ok to just see my regular OB every week instead of switching between Bloomington and Indy as long as everything continues to look ok. Also we set a date! At 37 weeks on August 25th I will have an amnio to test for lung maturity, if they are ready we will have the C-Section at St. Vincent on Thursday August 26th.
Baby Ian will be evaluated by the pediatric urologist and have a renal ultrasound that day. If he is big enough and stable he will have surgery on his third day of life to correct the obstruction. There are still a lot of what ifs and we don't know what shape his bladder, kidney's or connecting tubes will be in or how they will function until he gets out. But we do know his lungs have had time to develop and he should be born a wet, breathing, screaming mess. What more could we ask for?
Also as far as Dillion goes...we still don't know what it going on. But he also goes to see the pediatric urologist, July 2nd and we hope to find out more then. His rickets Dr's do not think it is a kidney stone or anything to do with that diagnosis and his pediatrician doesn't think it is bladder or kidney related. Hoping it is nothing :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Positive thoughts go a long way!
We are back from Cincinnati with news we were not expecting! Let me start at the beginning of the day...
James drove over 3 in the pouring rain and sat in rush hour traffic to get us there. We were a bit late, but were able to get in for the ultrasound first thing. The tech spent over 45 minutes scanning from head to toe and back again. She commented many times on how cute he was with his little hands in front of his face or how he stuck out his tongue. Cracked me up, all I saw was a white outline that I didn't want to get to attached to in case we received bad news. But she was very sweet. Then a doctor came in to review everything and we were sent on our way to the MRI.
The nice little lady in MRI asked if I was told how long I would be in the machine...uh no a few minutes? At least an hour she says! And sure enough I was. It was loud, and uncomfortable, but the images we saw from it later were well worth the marginal discomfort.
Afterwards James and I quickly grabbed some lunch and headed up to the Fetal Care floor of Cincinnati Children's Hospital not knowing what would come next. We met with a genetic counselor who took a family history. When asked if both my parents were living I nearly said yes then broke down and referred the question to James. He took my hand and explained to the lady how fresh the wound was and how she died. Honestly that was the only time I cried all day.
Finally it was time to meet with the team of Doctors. There were 8 people in the room other than James and I. A fetal surgeon, neonatalogist, pediatric urologist, main doctor guy and various nurses. They were all VERY nice and answered any questions we had. Which wasn't many because we have researched for the last 3 weeks, but it was nice to bounce some things off of them.
LOL, are you ready for the results yet? MRI shows the lungs look well developed for Baby Ians gestational age (which is 22 weeks tomorrow.) Amniotic fluid is normal 12.3 (Normal is 8-20) The kidney's still looks large, but show no cysts or bright spots that would indicate failure. As for the protein that we were told indicates kidney failure, it doesn't. The level was high, but it a mute point, no big deal. The only problem we are guaranteed of at this point is the bladder. It could be as simple as an oral medication or sometime more intense like cathing the baby daily. We will just have to wait and see. Until he is born we will go for weekly fluid and kidney checks most likely 1 week at my OB and the next at St. Vincent, but that is up to the maternal fetal medicine Dr.
When Baby Ian is born, we will deliver via c-section around 37 weeks at St. Vincent in Indy. He will have a renal ultrasound the day he is born to check his bladder and kidney. They will monitor how well he pees. And as long as he is a good weight he will have surgery before we leave the hospital to remove the blockage. Best case scenario we are done at that point...he would need to be monitored for life to make sure his kidney's continued to function and be on medicine for his bladder. But it could be as simple as that!
There are still many possible problems that could arise. His kidney's could become damaged in the next 15 weeks and things would be much different. But at this point we are very optimistic. There is a great chance I will get to bring home my Baby Ian the last week of August!
Keep the positive thoughts coming!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Cherish the time you have with them...
This Mother's Day is my 7th as a mom,
My first without my mom,
and most likely my only as a mom of 3 living children.
We are spending the day planting flowers, eating yummy food with family and just not rushing! It seems all to often there is somewhere to be or to many things to do and we don't take the time to cherish the ones we love. Hug your kids, love your mom, and just take some time today to think about what Mother's Day means to you. How would it be different if you weren't able to call your mom to wish her a happy day? Or weren't able to hug all your children? Do it today, no one is promised tomorrow.
"If roses grow in heaven, Lord, pick a bunch for me ~
Place them in my Mother's arms & tell her they're from me ~
Tell her that I love & miss her, & when she turns to smile ~
place a kiss upon her cheek & hold her for a while ~
Because remembering her is easy, I do it everyday ~
There's an ache within my heart that will never go away.
Happy Mother's Day in Heaven"
My first without my mom,
and most likely my only as a mom of 3 living children.
We are spending the day planting flowers, eating yummy food with family and just not rushing! It seems all to often there is somewhere to be or to many things to do and we don't take the time to cherish the ones we love. Hug your kids, love your mom, and just take some time today to think about what Mother's Day means to you. How would it be different if you weren't able to call your mom to wish her a happy day? Or weren't able to hug all your children? Do it today, no one is promised tomorrow.
"If roses grow in heaven, Lord, pick a bunch for me ~
Place them in my Mother's arms & tell her they're from me ~
Tell her that I love & miss her, & when she turns to smile ~
place a kiss upon her cheek & hold her for a while ~
Because remembering her is easy, I do it everyday ~
There's an ache within my heart that will never go away.
Happy Mother's Day in Heaven"
Friday, May 7, 2010
Scheduled for Cincinnati
Tuesday May 11th James and I will go to the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati.
8am Ultrasound
9:30 Register for MRI
10:15 MRI
12pm Genetics
12:30 Nurse consultation
1pm Team Meeting with the doctors who will give us all our results and options
By the end of that day we should have a very good idea of how things will go from that point on in the pregnancy. Keep us in your thoughts.
On a great note, today is Mother's Day Tea at Lily's school! Dillion and I are getting ready and will head up there in just a little bit. Lily keeps telling me I am going to love it and cry. I imagine she is right :)
(BTW sorry for that last blog being such a downer...But I couldn't sleep and that is how I felt. Can't promise there won't be more like it.)
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