What a week!

So, I've had a lot of questions, and quite honestly don't really like discussing it even with Matt, so I figured the easiest way for me to explain it to everyone, without reliving the emotional roller coaster 100 times, would be to just recap here. 

I've had "lady" problems since I was 11.  "It's" never been normal, and has always come strong with a lot of pain.  When I was 18 I found I had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  Check out WebMD if you want details, but basically I have a bunch of tiny cysts that cause a serious hormonal imbalance along with a bunch of other fun side effects - including infertility.  Because I've had it, and other problems, so long, I tend to "grin and bear it" rather than worry when things are miserable.  

With that being said it was mid-December when I started to feel lousy.  I initially thought my pleurisy was flaring up again, or I had some other season related illness.  I started to feel tired all the time, no matter how much sleep I got.  In gradually became harder to do daily tasks and because of the general lousy feeling I also became very depressed.  

 To say the least, the holidays and after were less than a fun time for me. It became harder by the day to drag myself into work, and I was coming home sick or calling in more than I ever have (even when I was having some other severe medical problems).  

It was a few weeks ago that it really started to get hard to function.  My entire body felt sore and all of my muscles were extremely weak.  I would be so winded after walking upstairs to go to bed it took over 10 minutes of lying still in bed just for my heart beat to become semi-normal again.  To a point I was telling myself it was still the 'flu' or whatever, more because I didn't want to deal with anything bigger.  Over the past week things became really bad, and new symptoms occurred.  I started to get dizzy, frequently.  I couldn't get my eyes to focus on anything.  I had a constant headache.  Last week I had a tooth extraction so over the weekend I decided it was the Vicodin so I stopped taking it Saturday morning.  By Monday things were still getting worse and I didn't really feel comfortable even driving alone.  So, Tuesday afternoon Matt picked me up and we head to urgent care.

First, I want to say I'm super impressed with NOMS urgent care.  They really have it together and the doctor there (who I later learned is the Director of Medicine for NOMS) was phenomenal!  The doctor, after hearing I had "it" since Thanksgiving, immediately wanted to check my hemoglobin.  He gave me an anti-biodic just in case it was an ear infection, then sent me to the lab.  Wednesday morning, about the same time I got to work, I got a call from the Urgent Care doctor and he had the lab results.  My hemoglobin was "ridiculously low" as he put it (the low normal is 11.5, and mine was at 6.5) and he was going to call the "follow-up" doctor for the urgent care clinic to see what he wanted to do.  Within an hour Amanda was picking me up from work and I was headed to Bellevue to have some pre-work done to get me ready for a blood transfusion.  They scheduled the transfusion for this morning.  We showed up about 8:30, they hooked me up, and that's where I was for 5 hours.  The transfusion went well, but I was admittedly scared.  I had a follow-up with the urgent care clinic (which btw, that dr happens to be the PRESIDENT of NOMS, talking about getting all of the hot shots) and he's setting up appointments for me with a couple of specialists to see how to try to combat the diseases to avoid this in the future.  

So, as scary as it was, it's getting better now.  Still pretty weak, but the dizziness is almost completely gone and the other symptoms are much better.  I really appreciate all of the prayers and concern.  After talking to the doctor it's going to be a long road, but a doable one, which was nice to hear.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving I am ever so grateful for the gospel in my life.  I have been abundantly blessed recently and feel less than deserving of most of these blessings!  I am especially grateful for my wonderful husband and the fact that I will be able to spend eternity with him.  I am also thankful for the wonderful friends and family we have that make our lives that much more enjoyable.  

We are driving down to Florida to see the Soto family with Matt's mom for Thanksgiving this year.  It'll be a long trip but definitely worth it.  We will head out Wednesday after work and drive straight through - hopefully making it by about 10am Thanksgiving morning.  We'll head back Sunday morning, driving straight through again. 

I pray everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Priesthood Blessings/Atonement

I have a ton I should be doing at work right now - but my emotions are too overwhelming not to post.  Last week I was assigned to speak in Sacrament meeting this coming Sunday.  My subject is the 3rd Article of Faith - specifically the Atonement.  I've been able to study some amazing talks so far and have learned things I've never really thought of before.  Now, with that lead in.... 

Sunday evening we were taking my niece MacKinzee back to Maumee to meet her dad.  On the way up I started having some pretty bad pains in my side.  They only increased and no matter what I did there was no relief.  They were a little better (but still bad) when I woke up on Monday, but because I had been off Thurs/Fri of last week I refused to miss work.  I was in pain all day and several people said it sounded like gall stones.  I had resolved to go to Urgent Care after work.  When I got off work I hesitated to go to urgent care because of the money it would cost.  Matt & I ended up going to the dance class at the Y, and when I got in the van (we rode with friends) I got an awful stabbing pain and the pain was now at it's all time high.  I resolved it was time to go to either urgent care or the ER.  As Reel's were dropping us off I strongly felt to ask for a blessing.  So, Bishop came in the house and he and Matt gave me a blessing really quick.  I can't remember the exact wording, but in part of the blessing I was told that Heavenly Father recognizes my temporal body has been given a lot of problems and that He loves me and did this to help me remember the pain the Savior went through for me during the Atonement!  WOW!  The blessing also said that when I turn to Him I will receive the temporary comfort I need to be able to function day to day.  After Bishop left Matt asked me if I still wanted to go to Urgent Care, and even though the pain was still extremely bad, I felt I should have faith that I would receive the comfort promised.  We went to bed shortly after and lying in bed seemed to increase the pain and getting comfortable was not an easy thing to do.  I don't know how long it took me to fall asleep, but once I did I woke up pain free (regarding that specific ailment).  

In the scriptures we are told we will have more blessings than we have room to receive, and I definitely feel that in my life right now.  In most cases I have felt unworthy of such wonderful blessings, but it solidifies my testimony that I have a Father in Heaven that loves me more than I can comprehend.  He is aware of me and my pain, sorrow, and trials.  He loves me so much He sent his Son to die for me.  To suffer more pain in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on the the cross, than we can ever comprehend.  

So, today I am feeling grateful for my physical trials.  I'm feeling grateful for the opportunity to be reminded, in a very small way, of the great pain the Savior suffered for me, for each one of us. I'm feeling very grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me no matter what.  

Dancing the Night Away

For the last 5 weeks Matt & I have been taking dance classes at the YMCA with some friends of ours.  Tonight was the last class for this session but thankfully we start a new session next week.  It has been so much fun and has really brought us closer together!  We were able to learn basics of Fox Trot, Swing, Cha Cha, Waltz, & Rumba.  We probably couldn't do any of them again (without some refresher course) but we've really enjoyed the opportunity to do this.  


In other news Matt was released as Young Men's President yesterday, and set apart as 2nd Counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency.  He's excited for his new calling, but is also sad to leave the Young Men's program. I'm finally finding a balance with my CTR class so will be able to spend more time on my calling as Relief Society Compassionate Service calling.  Just this past weekend I was blessed to be a part of, and witness, three instances where the Lord's hand was clearly looking out for the sisters.