I have been putting off this entry but it seems the longer I do the more that things weigh on my mind. I have things to share and things that just have eaten at me. Where to begin. This will be both a good/bad entry as it matches life.
Earlier this year I was really weak. I was not able to just walk around much and my stamina on daily activities seemed to be shrinking. I made an appointment with a doctor and they did a blood test. That led to another blood test. That led to an MRI which led to the diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma or a noncancerous (benign) tumor that was on my pituitary gland that was at the base of my brain. Well - nearly instantly I became an expert by researching everything about these tumors and how they affect your body. I had already been experiencing some of the side effects and didn't realize it. My hands and feet along with my skull were growing. I already feel like a lollypop but suffice it to say this tumor is now making me really have "cranius gigantis" as a comedian once said in his bit about his kids having big heads. So - I was prescribed a medication to treat it. It was a very small pill. It was the size of an allergy pill. I was to break it in half and take 1/2 the pill 2x a week. It had some wicked side effects. I was given about 8 pills giving me about 8 weeks on this medication. I finished it and I now have some energy back. My feet; however, are still growing. I now wear a size 14. I thought buying 13's were hard but buying 14's are a joke. I feel bad for those that wear larger sizes. I went to a New Balance store (yes, I know) and they had a total of 4 pairs of shoes for me to pick from. Normal looking $200, Green and orange suede $100, bright orange/white running ones $120, and solid white $85. So - I walked out of there with solid white shoes and I officially look like an old man. They fit and for the first time in a long time my feet didn't hurt. For that, I was very thankful. When my kids saw them they got a laugh and patted me on my back. I think I am officially an old man with these shoes. Since I was mowing lawns with Alex I needed some with some grip more than the ones I just bought so I went on eBay and purchased some black/navy blue ones that were barely used for $50 that had some traction and that is what I generally wear now. My follow-up appointment with the doctor is next week.
We were disappointed with the neurologist Claire was seeing so we went to another one and boy am I glad we switched. This guy is so transparent. Through all the testing she has had in the past coupled with recent tests she was given somewhat of a diagnosis of ESES which is a rare form of epilepsy. The good news is she will likely grow out of this but the bad news is she will struggle a bit until she does. I work with her in the mornings to remember things by playing games with her and it is amazing to me that she can know something for a while (like weeks) then the next day it is like she never saw it. Her memory is a challenge and I applaud Claire for being so persistent at wanting to learn. I'm glad she thinks these silly games are fun since they are helping her learn.
Dylan has officially moved out and I am so proud of him to make these steps. They are scary when you are doing them for the first time. He moved only a few blocks from Alex which is good that they can be so close. I am hoping they can hang out some.
Madilyn decided to move back home. I was planning my trip to be in Houston for an IT conference when I got the call that she made this decision. I flew down early to be with her. After the conference finished I packed her car and Madilyn and I traveled with her dog home. It was an awesome memory.
