Life update :)

Well, there is so much to update about..I'm sure I'll forget something but here goes!

Things have been going pretty smoothly so far, just a few bumps and bends in the road but nothing major. The girls and I have been doing okay, I'm still waiting for my inevitable break down to take place. I've been told that every wife has a breakdown at some point, and I have yet to have mine, hopefully it doesn't happen! Tim has been gone 12 weeks and 3 days, or 87 days. I'll be relieved when we finally hit that 100 day mark, come on..it's 100 days closer to him being home!

Speaking of Tim, we've been having some health issues with him. A couple weeks ago he went to the clinic and was told that he suffered a SLAP tear in his shoulder and that he would need to come back to see the doctor. When he finally went back to see the doctor, a week later, the doctor told him that rather than a SLAP tear, he had a torn rotator cuff. Lovely! He is scheduled to go back to see the specialist on May 9th to see what they are going to do. They are hoping that it heals on its own, but with how bad it constantly hurts him..I see a surgery in his future. The possibilities are to send him home for his surgery, recovery and rehab or to throw his arm in a sling and wait til he comes home from deployment for surgery. We're torn on what we would wish for, of course we want him home..but he wants to stay and serve his country. I can't wait til I can see it for myself when he comes home on R&R this summer, whenever that may be.

Speaking of doctor's and what they think, tomorrow I go back to the cardiologist for my echo. I will also be getting my heart monitor in the mail, which I am dreading having to wear. They have prescribed me the monitor for 30 days, but if it records enough data on my symptoms prior to the end of the 30 days, my doctor may allow me to stop wearing it. So bring on the coffee and exercise!

School is almost out, I couldn't tell you how many weeks/assignments are left, I haven't checked! I am thrilled to be so close to summer and relaxation. It stinks when I have to chose between cleaning the house and staying caught up on homework, or taking the girls to the park or taking the time to get in the kitchen and cook a good meal. This whole single mom and student thing is tough stuff! I rarely catch a quiet moment..and when I do..I want to enjoy it! I am so looking forward to relaxing with my girls this summer without homework constantly being on the brain! I had planned on taking two classes this summer but with Tim coming home somewhere in there..its not worth it. I want to enjoy my husband and kids!!!

Mackenzie is almost five, can you believe it!? Yeah, me either! I am once again planning her birthday party on my own, thanks Army, and I absolutely hate it. Parties and holidays aren't my thing. Ask my husband how many birthday/Christmas/anniversary/valentine's gifts I have bought him in our seven years...he can probably list the items on one hand. It's just not something I do. I don't see the need in showing someone appreciate/love through tangible items, and I most definitely don't want people to do it for me. I would rather be able to spend the day with them and show them love..not have to go out buy a cake, presents, food, decorations. So planning birthday parties is a hard thing for me to do, but I do it for her because the look of happiness that will be on her face.

I know I haven't put anything down about Madison, which I feel guilty about..but no news is good news with Madison. Nothing crazy or drastic to update about with her, thank goodness!!!

Don't tell my heart..my achy breaky heart..

So, I thought I might write an entry about something other than deployment. Great idea right? So lets talk about how I'm dying.


Insert witty comment from friend here: we're all dying. Well, that is true..I'm just dying faster and in a suckier way.


I can't remember when exactly my symptoms started, I just know that I have been taking Iron supplements for at least the past year. So whatever is going on with my body, isn't something new and isn't something stress related due to the deployment.


Oh, symptoms, let me tell you my symptoms. Dizzy, lightheaded, fatigue, nausea, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and headaches. I figured that since I have a history of anemia (pernicious anemia as an infant) and had low iron levels after the birth of Mad, that it was probably my iron levels. Well, I took Iron for over a year without a single change. I've also noticed in the past 6 months that its most common during the mornings and drinking coffee makes it worse. Drinking coffee makes it MUCH worse.


Tim has been asking me to go to the doctor since this past July and probably even earlier than that, but I hate the doctors office so I refused. Well, that eventually bit me in the ass.


On March 2nd I had a routine exam at the doctor's office, the military demanded I go, so I kind of had too. Immediately following my exam I began feeling sick. My body started sweating and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I tried to get out of the exam room as quickly as possible, so I could wait out the issues in the waiting room. All I remember is walking towards the front of the clinic before blacking out. When I woke I was in a wheelchair, back in the exam room with my hands and feet completely rigid and tingling. 


Here is a tip folks, if you plan on blacking out, do it surrounded by soldiers. They apparently love any excuse to come to the rescue as I was told I had about 9 run up to me when I hit the ground. Sorry husband, I was lonely.


Anyway, they ended up checking my blood pressure and everything was normal so they ordered me to come back two weeks later for blood work.


Fast-forward two weeks, blood work. Yeah, everything came back normal. They told me my Iron was a little low but not low enough to cause my symptoms. They told me to start taking prenatals and have set me up an appointment to come back in 3 months for additional blood work to see if it improves my iron levels. In the mean time, I have been referred to a cardiologist. 


Woohoo!! A freaking cardiologist, because THAT makes me feel a million times better. I mean, its only my heart they are showing concern about. I have tried calling cardio to set up an appointment, but haven't heard anything back yet. 


My doctor believes I have a condition called Vasovagal Syncope. In simple man's terms... I have sudden drops in my blood pressure and heart rate that reduces blood flow to my brain resulting in dizziness and blackouts. Hooray! Cause that isn't anything to be concerned about, especially while I'm home alone with two children. 


See, so I'm dying. Anyway, that is an update on me..hopefully I will be able to reach cardio this week in order to set up an appointment to figure out if that is what it is..and how we will take care of it.