Saturday, March 29, 2014

MRI


The date of my MRI got moved a day UP! Ususally things move backward, not forward! I was very pleasantly surprised :) So this coming Tuesday, April 1st, I will be getting an MRI of my brain done to hopefully locate the tumor that is very likely crushing my pituitary gland. 

I've made peace with the fact that chances are very probable that I DO have a tumor. I'm okay with it. I just want to get it the eff out, start feeling better to get on with my new healthy life. Just trucking along on this journey. I'm just glad things are actually moving forward at this point. 

Yesterday I went to Sedona with my family, and we went to the healing energy vortex and the chapel of the holy cross to pray for my health, and future children. It was a very beautiful and calming experience, and I will carry that in with me to my appointment. 


Friday, March 21, 2014

This is it.

I was prepared to wait the 2-3 weeks they told me it would take for news, but this morning, the morning of my 30th birthday, I finally got an answer. This is it. After almost 5 years or feeling terrible and struggling through life, I finally have a diagnosis. 


Adult onset human growth hormone deficiency. 

It's rare in adults, and hard to diagnose. But it's the answer to everything that's wrong with me. 

The extremely likely cause for this is a tumor growing on my pituitary gland at the base of my brain. The next step in the process is getting an MRI to find out the size and location of this tumor. Then, removing it. Then, growth hormone replacement therapy. Though I have a diagnosis, I'm not out of the woods yet. It's going to be a long process and recovery, but now that we finally know what it is, we can work on fixing it. 

As scary as brain tumor sounds, getting the news this morning was the best birthday present I could have asked for. This is it. I'm not crazy. I've been suffering for years and now I finally know why. As of right now, as I'm sure this will change, I'm not scared. Just ready to move forward to move toward my happy future. 

I've been given the gift of starting my 30s with the answers I've been seeking and the ability to heal. This means so much to me. The prospect of being 30 isn't so scary anymore. It's beautiful, and encouraging. This decade, all my dreams will come true. I'm certain of it. :) 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Finally!!

The day is here! Tomorrow is finally time to have my growth hormone stimulation test done. It's been a very very frustrating few months leading up to it! First, I had to wait nearly three months for my appointment with the specialist who had to order the test. Then it took about three weeks for the hospital to call me to schedule it. My original test date was January 27th. The night of the 26th, they called to let me know the test wasn't covered by our insurance because since it was January, our deductibles had just restarted. Ugh! They quoted me $1200 for the test and basically demanded half down to keep my appointment. We just didn't have it, so they canceled my appointment. Very frustrating. 


Once we had the money raised, I called back to reschedule my appointment. It was then they decided to shock me with the 2014 price. Apparently I'd been misquoted the 2013 prices and now the cost was $1700!! They wanted almost $750 down now! I nearly fell off my chair! 
I told them it was their fault I was misquoted and $400 is what I had. Thankfully they found that acceptable and scheduled me for their nearest time. 

Which brings us to tomorrow! March 17. St. Patricks day! I sure hope the luck of the Irish will rub off on me! To help along, I have rainbow nails and rainbow socks hehe. I have to check in at 7:30 am, and the test will start at 8. I will basically be tethered to an IV line all day. They will give me something to stimulate my pituitary gland to make growth hormone and take my blood every 30 minutes to measure if it works. I'm a little nervous, but not exceedingly so. I'll be ok. I'm nervous about the results, not the test itself. 
I know it may sound weird, but God, I really hope this is it. I've been sick for so long. I just want to know what it is so we can start moving forward with treating this thing so I can start being healthy! Fingers crossed the results won't take forever!