What Ariyah's been up to...

The Latest

Yesterday morning we rented a car and left Tulsa for St. Louis.  The roads were all clear once we got on the interstate and the trip went smoothly, which was a blessing.  We got to our appointment with Dr. Jeffery Moley, at the University of Washington - St. Louis, with plenty of time to spare, and were pleased with how things went.  We got lots of questions answered, but have lots to think over now.  Dr. Moley is the top doctor in the country (probably one of the top dr's in the world) who deals with Medullary Carcinoma of the Thyroid.  He's so specialized that this is basically all he sees and treats now.  People come from around the Nation to see him.  He's published all sorts of journal articles and research on this cancer, and wrote the textbook on the surgical procedure to treat it.  Definitely someone we are happy to have found.

He wasn't overly impressed with Scott's case, which was somewhat nice, as every other doctor who we tell about it is surprised and questions the diagnosis and Scott's lack of family history and age, etc.  Again, this is all he sees though, so it's nice to not be a stand-out patient in this situation.  You don't necessarily want to be the case study when it comes to cancer. :)

Our main question in meeting with Dr. Moley was whether he thinks Scott's surgery is something that it's fine if  Dr. Butcher deals with, or if he thinks this is something he or another specialist should tackle.  He handled the question with lots of grace and gave us so much free will in the option we were a little baffled.  We assumed with him being a surgeon he would either be really anti, or really pro one option and tell us what we had to do.  His overall stance on it though was that it would be easier to treat this right the first time around and have someone do it who you know is most likely to get it all in one sweep.  Very logical - our thinking exactly.  He said that since this is all he does, he really thinks he should be the one to do it.  When we raised the question of insurance he named about 3-4 other doctors in the nation who he thought could also handle it if that would work better for us, but strongly suggested it be him or one of them rather than our surgeon at home.

The reasoning behind this is that if, following the surgery, Scott's calcitonin levels remain high, or other symptoms remain, we will have to come to Dr. Moley for treatment.  If he's not the one who did the original surgery it is harder for him to treat Scott following this as he's not sure of what was done, or what lymph nodes exactly were removed, and a repeat surgery may be needed.  Not to say that by Dr. Moley doing Scott's Thyroidectomy and Neck Dissection we're guaranteed only one surgery - it would just be less of a risk.  He also talked about approaching the surgery somewhat differently than Dr. Butcher had.  He would probably take less lymph nodes on the left side (where no cancer has showed up), but also he would transplant Scott's Parathyroid glands, instead of leaving them alone.  He said doing this still saves them so they will operate (they work anywhere in your body apparently - you can transplant them in your arm even and they will still work!), but have less of a chance of developing cancer cells in the future.

To end the whole appointment though Dr. Moley told us that he will help us out wherever we choose to have the surgery, and will offer any advice he can.  So now we have the big decision to make.  Our feeling is that if we're going to deal with this, we better deal with it right the first time.  However, now we need to juggle how "wrong" it is choosing to stay in New Orleans and go with Dr. Butcher.  The surgeon who we know and trust and really like, at a hospital where we are in-network and it will be the cheapest, where we are so familiar with, where we have good friends, and know doctors and nurses and have so much support.  But with the slightly increased risk that this cancer will continue to be a thing we could have to deal with following a major surgery.  Or whether giving up that mental security and familiarity is worth it for the greater possibility of getting it all taken care of and done with at once, by the expert, but in a city we're not familiar with. Where we know probably only one person, and it will be more expensive. Who's to say our odds are really that different?  We wish we could fast forward our lives with both options and see if the outcomes wouldn't be identical.

We seem to be leaning towards going with the expert, Dr. Moley.  However our biggest hesitation is that our insurance would be out-of-network, if it even would cover us there at all.  If we don't get the coverage we are looking at probably around a $50,000 bill for this whole thing.  No thank you?  Our waiver to go to MD Anderson finally went through yesterday, and so today we are going to be on the phone with our insurance company again for quite a few hours probably, trying to see what we can do about transferring that to Wash U or getting a new one approved.  So many fun things to tackle!

Please pray for us as we try and make the best decision with all of this.  We're definitely needing guidance right now.  We're driving back to New Orleans this morning and are ready to be home and get a little rest.  For some reason we were completely drained last night - couldn't quite figure out why?  But after some of the best Mexican food we've eaten in a long time at a little hole in the wall restaurant and a glass of wine, along with a good night's sleep at the hotel, we're feeling much better today.  Thanks for the prayers everyone!

Just Wondering...

So, why do you think God thought that it would be a good idea for the physiologic response to exhaustion or stress to be a Migraine?  It doesn't ever seem to help me.  I'm just sayin'.

Ho, ho, ho!

Merry Christmas everyone!


Well, we were never able to make it to Minneapolis.  We tried everything - flights to Minneapolis, Rochester, & La Crosse were cancelled.  The roads were not drivable, and we didn't really feel like spending 8+ hours on a Greyhound.  Lucky for us Scott's brother & sister-in-law, Kurt & Adrienne, and our nieces Becca & Kinzie live in a suburb of Chicago and we've been staying with them.  We still don't have our bags so we are going without.  Yesterday we rented a minivan and since all flights are still a mess we are attempting to drive to Tulsa as I type.  We've been passing cars in the ditch and are all strapped in hoping to make it safely!  Hope all of you are enjoying the snow from somewhere safe and are fortunate enough to be with loved ones right now, as we are, remembering the reason for this blessed season.  Much love!

'Tis the Season...

The holidays can be so wonderful, but also SO exhausting and frustrating.  We left our house yesterday at 11:30 to leave New Orleans.  After sitting in the airport for four hours due to our flight being delayed, we finally made it to Dallas.  By that time we had missed our connecting flight to Minneapolis/St Paul, and the rest were full.  Thankfully Scott's dad was able to get us a hotel at a great price close to the airport and we hunkered down there for the night.  We were up at 4:15 to catch our next flight to Chicago now, due to the flights to Minneapolis being so full.  We made it to Chicago and now all flights into Minneapolis are cancelled "due to the weather" (although it hasn't even started snowing there yet).  We're sitting here with panicky, stressed travelers all around us.  We're so tired and have had plans changed so many times it's almost amusing now.  And so my dear family and friends in snowy St. Paul and Hudson, maybe I will see you for Christmas and maybe I won't...we're trying as hard as we can!

P.S.  The best part of this all is that our two checked bags with all the Christmas presents have been waiting for us in MSP since last night (apparently we should have just tucked ourselves in them) and the one carry on bag that had everything that is most important to me was not allowed on the last flight to Chicago due to the flight it being so full.  Thus, they gate checked it and cannot track it anymore and it is lost in the abyss of Bag Land.   It could be worse.  I'm trying to look at the bright side.  Such as the possibility of a well deserved shopping spree with new clothes in my near future if we don't make it to St. Paul.  :)

Telephone nightmares

Well, we had a great weekend in Wichita with friends at the wedding. It was exactly what we needed.  Things like this make you realize what is important in life and marriages are one of those things. That and close friends.  Who are tons of fun.

A big congrats to Rob and Sara!  We're so happy for you guys!

After spending all day on the phone today with insurance companies, the waiver to go to MD Anderson has not been approved yet. It is still in the process, it just takes more time. The medical aspect of this is the easy part. Talking to people at insurance companies who know nothing is the difficult part. I will say that up until MD Anderson the insurance coverage has been more than superb, but once you get out of their normal realm it gets a little crazy.  We were especially aware of this today when we got the bill for the surgery 2weeks ago.  Amount billed: $14,000.  Amount we owe after insurance adjustments: $0.   Awesome.  Maybe we'll have surgery more often here with a deal that good?

We are now scheduled to go to St. Louis and see Dr. Moley, apparently he wrote the book on Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. We will be seeing him regardless of insurance as he doesn't want $18,500 up front.

Thanks for all the support. Can't wait too see most of you for the holidays!

P.S. Hello to all of Daisy's friends and thanks for the words of encouragement.

Reality

Since getting Scott's diagnosis last week life has kind of been an emotional roller coaster.  Disbelief and grief were definitely some of the first things we felt.  Like it was a bad dream we would just wake up from.  We'd roll over and face each other in the morning and say things like, "So was that a nightmare I had last night or do you really have the C-word in real life?"  "Oh no babe, that was just a bad dream."  It was unreal.
The reality of it all has set in for me in the last few days.  It sucks.  Cancer sucks.  Dealing with insurance sucks real bad.  Telling people about cancer sucks.  Overall, not the funnest thing I've experienced for sure.  Yesterday I was so angry.  Angry that this cancer would dare think about even possibly spreading a few of it's ugly little cells to Scott's lung.  Angry that MD Anderson thinks they should get $18,500 from us before even letting us step foot in their hospital.  Angry that our insurance is being so slow about making the exceptions so we can go to MD Anderson and not pay cash out our rear ends.  I wanted to scream at them over the phone!  Angry that I've had a headache for three days.  That this rain just. won't. stop.  And that it's coming in our leaky dining room window. 
Today I am tired.  Just weary and irritable.  Ariyah is bored with me and Scott and our distracted, busy selves. 
Now don't get me wrong, we've also been very grateful for things along the way and we've had quite a bit of laughter.  Some days are just rougher than others.
So tonight we went to Pho Tau Bay.  Our favorite little hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant.  We vented to Sashi and told stupid jokes and life is a little better now.  Tomorrow we are going to Wichita for Rob and Sara's wedding.  *Happy Sigh*  I'm not excited about the cold, but I'm ready to get out of town with my honey and see our awesome friends.  The spirits are sure to be lifted after this... 

PET Scan Results

So I got the Pet Scan results today and they are pretty darn good considering.  I was actually quite worried that I would have cancer all over due to how high one of my blood tests came back.  Luckily they only found 1 small spot on my lungs that is possibly cancer.  It is hard to say if any spot on your lungs is cancer without surgical removal because there are so many people with "spots" are their lungs that are called granulomas.  So most likely it is cancer, but I took it all as good news being that my liver is clear and they can't find anything else.   

The current plan is to go to MD anderson, and see one other specialist here before we really decide what approach to take.  It is looking like we will have surgery on January 14th to get most of it taken out.

Radioactivity

Well I got the PET scan done today.  So i am currently radioactive and am wandering around trying to get bitten by various animals.

I decided to not get the preliminary report today and just decided to wait on the final report tomorrow or the next day.  Figured it was better to just wait than kinda know and wonder the whole time.  

We are scheduled to go to MD Anderson on Tuesday of next week and see what they have to say.  So we should really know what is going in the next week.  We really appreciate all the prayers and calls and texts, its made this whole thing a whole lot easier.  

Get the roots

I experienced my first root canal today.  Yuck.  Scott came with for moral support.  I'm home now and Percocet is making my day better.  Scott is smoking a ham for our neighborhood Christmas party tonight.  And that's what we're up to!  

The PET Scan's tomorrow.  Say a prayer please

Back to life...

Today I go back to work (somebody's gotta make money around here *wink*).  Scott's parents go back to Tulsa.  Scott's going to the Farmer's Market.  Back to life as we knew it for the weekend....

Meat Smokers are Cool

On a lighter note:  Our smoker came today!

We were able to buy it with left over gift certificates from our wedding - thanks everyone!  Scott has been so excited since he ordered it last week.  We will most likely be smoking some meat tomorrow following more Dr visits...

Also, do carcinogens really matter once you already have cancer?  :)

Thyroids Are Stupid

So, as some of you know, yesterday Scott's pathology reports came back.  Not so good.  He has Medulary Carcinoma of the Thyroid.  A.k.a Thyroid Cancer.

It's a very rare form of cancer that usually appears in women, over the age of 60.  It is also more common with a family history, which no one in Scott's family has ever been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer.  When they first looked at the frozen sections of Scott's lymph nodes on Monday under the microscope, they thought it was Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  A super aggressive form of cancer - basically a year death sentence.  SO!  We are very, very grateful that it is not that.

This morning we went in for an appointment with Dr. Butcher.  We are so blessed to have him as a physician.  He is so kind and easy to talk to.  He's dealt with this type of cancer before and was very optimistic about it all.  He said that basically the next step is to do a P.E.T. Scan where they inject radioactive dye to see if the cancer has spread beyond his lymph nodes and thyroid.  The cancer cells are rapid growing and show up differently with the radioactive dye than other cells do in his body.  After we know exactly what we're dealing with that way, Scott's going to have a major surgery called a Partial Neck Dissection with a complete Thyroidectomy.  In English: They will take out Scott's Thyroid and all of the lymph nodes surrounding it in his neck.

As you can imagine I took this pretty hard, as did Scott's parents.  There have been lots of tears, but some laughter as well.  Scott is already cracking Cancer Jokes - slightly inappropriate maybe, but hey.  You gotta deal somehow.  Scott's parents are on their way here right now to be with us for a few days, which is also another blessing.  It's been kind of an emotional roller coaster since yesterday evening when we found out, of course, but we're trying to keep this in perspective.  We've been trying to remember that God will not give us more than we can handle and He will remain faithful no matter the outcome.  I know this in my heart, but it's hard to remember when my head starts freaking out with all of the awful possibilities.

Scott is being very proactive and has been researching for hours since the diagnosis.  We will probably be going to MD Anderson - a hospital in Houston that specializes in cancer treatment - for a second opinion and to see if we have any other options or alternative treatments available.  Please pray for us.  We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have been receiving from everyone.  It means so much.

Post Op Day 1

Scott woke up in the middle of the night convinced someone was in our kitchen.  The dog definitely didn't seem to notice if someone was, but the creaks and groans Scott heard kept him up for about an hour.  I woke up to him completely tense beside me, holding his breath and straining to hear anything new.  We now know Loratab is unkind to Scott's mental health when he is coming off of anesthesia.

I took Scott's big pressure dressing off and the drain out this morning.  He's a little swollen, but other than that the site looks good.  He said it feels a little better now, but he's had a headache and been dizzy all day.  Most likely this is the effects of the anesthesia still wearing off in his system.  Fortunately he's slept most of the day away which seems to be the best thing for him right now.  Our neighbor's Emilio & Sara brought us dinner which was so kind and delicious.  They even included Scott's favorite desert - cheesecake.

Thank you for all the prayers!  I'm hoping Scott can get some more peaceful sleep tonight and feels a little better for tomorrow.

Surgery Update

Scott did great!  His doctor did great too!  :)  He is the antithesis of a Butcher.  One of the nicest doctors.  The nurses and his co-workers rave about him.  Scott was definitely in good hands.  God was on our side as well.  Scott had several lymph nodes matted up against his carotid and they ended up having to take out more than just the one big one.  Thankfully, the doctors were able to do this without any complications, although it took longer than they thought it would - rightly so I guess.  No complaints from me if they take their time around one of the most important blood vessels in Scott's body.

The rapid slides they looked at in pathology once the nodes came out were inconclusive.  So they sent everything off and hopefully we will have a diagnosis by Friday.  Please pray everything comes back fine.

Scott is now home relaxing on the couch.  I'm feeding him all sorts of good food and keeping him on schedule with his drugs.  He has a drain in to take the extra fluid and blood from the area which makes everything a little more painful.  Dr. Butcher sent me home with a suture removal kit though and said I can take it out myself tomorrow so we don't have to go back into the hospital.  It was very nice of him to save us the trip.  For now I have the next two days off of work and Scott has as much time as he needs as well.  We are blessed that he is on a rotation this month that he can get time off with.  And thankful his residency director and the program is being understanding and supportive throughout all of this.

Yes, Scott's pressure dressing is that big - he has a permanent tilt to his head until it comes off.  We've received lots of love and are grateful for all your prayers!  We'll keep you all updated as stuff happens.

Surgery Day

This morning we go to Ochsner Hospital for Scott to get operated on by Dr. Butcher.  

Back in March, when Scott and I were on our honeymoon, we noticed that one of Scott's lymph nodes was enlarged.  He had been sick on the honeymoon with some weird hepatitis, but by the time we got back into the USA his labs were all somewhat normal, his liver was no longer enlarged, and he was no longer jaundice.  The only thing left was his big lymph node.    In Tulsa he went to our family practice Dr who referred him to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist.  They ran various lab tests on him and tried different antibiotics.  

Upon moving to New Orleans we had to wait for my insurance to kick in so he could go to an ENT here.  They tried more antibiotics first and then did a biopsy to try and rule out lymphoma.  The biopsy came back inconclusive because they couldn't get enough cells.  Then we tried a CT scan.  That didn't give us anything new to worry about, it just showed that the lymph node is "ring enhancing" - meaning it's getting too big to have enough blood supply and the middle of it is dying.  So, out the big lymph node must come.  Today.  

Please pray that everything goes smoothly.  He has one of the best doctors in the city we've been told, which is comforting.  I'll keep you all updated.  

P.S.  The doc's name is really Dr. Butcher.  Dr. Butcher II.  How much do you love that?!

Working at getting fat....

One of our favorite things about New Orleans is the food.  There are something like 1,300 unique restaurants in this city and they have to be good to make it and stay open.  We haven't eaten at a restaurant like Chili's or Applebees since we moved here I don't think.  How can we, when there are so many fun, different, DELICIOUS places to try instead?!  We have two more couch surfer's in town this weekend.  Sashi, a friend from Oklahoma, is in town this weekend as well, interviewing for a residency spot.  So, we decided a dinner out on the town was in order with local friends.  We've been wanting to try a restaurant called Dante's Kitchen for a couple weeks now.  Why?  Because their specialty is Chicken cooked under a Brick, of course.  The curiosity and anticipation was killing us and it was well worth the wait.  IT WAS AMAZING.  

Sashi with her Chicken Cooked under a brick...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Scott and I have had a whirlwind vacation and are definitely enjoying ourselves!  We spent several days up in Minnesota and Wisconsin with my side of the family and it was so nice to be able to catch up with friends and family and not feel rushed!  I was up there for 7 whole days.  Scott flew up on Sunday and we got together with my Mom's whole side of the family in La Crosse for Thanksgiving dinner #1.

We spent the week hanging out and shopping with some of our favorite people.  Yesterday afternoon Erica and Tyler came over to my parent's house where Scott and I were staying.  It was so nice to have the six of us together hanging out and we enjoyed our second big Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and all the fixings.

This morning we got up early and flew to Chicago to meet up with Scott's family.  Everyone went to the Thanksgiving Day Parade and then this afternoon we went to our THIRD Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant.  The buffet had all the good things and we completely stuffed ourselves!  The brothers are now watching football and talking Nerd regarding their newest phones, computer programs, etc.  We're loving the time to see our nieces Becca and Kinzie who have grown up SO much since June when we last got to see them!

Tomorrow we head to Tulsa for the weekend and will be back in NOLA on Monday night.  We have so much to be thankful for!  This year I am especially grateful for our family and dear friends - living so far away from them has made me appreciate them even more when I get to see them.  We're also very thankful for our ability to travel and see them thanks to using standby passes from Scott's Dad who works so hard for them.   We are truly blessed :)

Nasal sensation

I have a beef roast going in the crock pot - simmering away in beef stock, onions, carrots, potatoes, and quite a bit of garlic.  It's the perfect meal for this gloomy, rainy day we are having I think.  The house smells HEAVENLY.  Now if only I can keep from eating until small group in 2.25 hours.  The minutes are craaaawling and the smells just keep getting better.

Ick

Scott is sick.  Sick, sick, sick.  Swine Flue sick.  I greased every door knob, light fixture, and handle down yesterday with disinfectant.  I Purel my hands after scrubbing them vigorously every 5 minutes. I slept alone on the couch last night to avoid getting it.  Slowly the symptoms are appearing in me as well though I think.  Matt and Nici are here this weekend visiting from South Dakota and Matt is not doing too well either.
So we, the diligent, caring wives, are filling our holiday reading our books and nursing our sick husbands.   Happy Labor Day everyone!

Celebrities

We saw Jennifer Coolidge in the Quarter today - right after we walked past Brad and Angelina's compound. How ironic. She pretty much looked just like this, but with a fidora hat on. And taller than you would imagine her to be.

I was speechless as I elbowed and pinched at anyone I could reach, while Maura and Sofia yelled out rather obnoxiously:

"HI STIFLER'S MOM!!!!"

We are so cool.

Not so helpful...

Dear Ariyah,

Laying on the laundry doesn't help me do it. Nor does it mean I'll forget about it and play with you instead. Good try though.

Love, Megan

My handy-man

Projects completed this week at the house, by my husband, on top of his 55 hrs at the hospital:

• Two month old couch screwed back together after randomly breaking two weeks ago (due to being stapled together (For real?!?!) )
• Projector screen hung in the living room
• Projector mounted on the opposite wall
• Standing in line with me for over an hour while I waited to get a court date assigned for the ridiculous expired tag ticket I received last month
• Kitchen light/fan fixture replaced (after the ugly glass cover fell from the sky off the old fixture last night on our dinner guests, nearly killing them and revealing the haphazard wiring puzzle beneath)

The deadly old fan

Our lovely new fixture

What would I do without him? And thank you Jesus that he still somehow finds the energy to take care of me after caring for really sick and crazy people all week in the ER!

Six months ago today...

we were about to start a wedding and our lives together. Where has the time gone? It feels like it was just last week.

Special Delivery

Yesterday I delivered my first baby. At 1502. His name is Levonn, and he weighed in at 7lb 7oz. Amazing.

I've helped so many moms get to the point of delivery - spending hours caring for them, coaching them, medicating them, and pushing with them - only to get that new little head to just about be poking out and move aside for the doctor. I love my job, it's why I wouldn't be in any other profession. The entire labor and delivery experience women go through is amazing to share in. However, there are times when I feel just a little bit jipped about standing by while the doctor takes the glory of the moment I've worked so hard for with my patient.

Yesterday I got to share in that glory. I was caring for a patient of Dr. Vuong's, a spunky asian doctor we all love. When he came in for delivery I stepped aside to stand by until the baby came out. He got all gowned and gloved up and as the baby was crowning he told me to get some gloves on. I was a little confused, and had a glimmer of hope for what was to come, so quickly slapped some sterile gloves on and stepped beside him. Dr. Vuong stood by and talked me through everything while I delivered slippery little Levonn and clamped his cord so Daddy could cut it.

I love my job.

Mini Vaca

What a great weekend we've had!!! Scott and I were both getting a little burnt out I think and this weekend has been exactly what we needed. Two days of no hospital work and time with each other, along with some of the best weather we've had all summer.

On Friday evening Scott actually was able to leave the hospital at the reasonable hour of 7:15 pm. Only a 12.5 hour shift that day! A date night with just the two of us was in order to celebrate. We tried Byblos - a fun Mediterranean restaurant on Magazine Street. Delicious. We've heard rumor that they have belly dancers there on Thursday nights, so we shall have to return and see someday. It was so nice to be able to sit and talk, and talk, and talk. How I've missed having the time to do that with Scott since residency started. These precious moments are few and far between and I treasure them.

Saturday morning we slept in together - also a rare treat - and then went to the pool with a few of our friends. There was barely a cloud in the sky and almost no humidity. We all caught up on each other's lives, sipped homemade Mimosas, and ordered lunch to be delivered poolside from a near-by restaurant. Can life get better? Oh yes. If you include an afternoon nap with plenty of cuddle time and a long walk on the levy at sunset with the pup.

This morning we slept in again and then decided to try out a new church. Church hunting in NOLA has been rather slow, and although it was good to worship with others this morning, this church was not quite what we're looking for. There were choreographed dances to the worship songs, with teenagers leading from the stage. It was awkward to say the least, and distracting. One more to check off the list.

I experimented with a new recipe for BBQ marinade sauce and worked on a rack of beef ribs for the afternoon. Scott hung his beloved new projector screen and fixed our couch - an entirely different bag of worms. We then took the ribs over to Anne's condo and laid out with her at the pool and BBQ'd. It was completely relaxing and so nice to be able to spend time with her, as we haven't done that in a while.

The Courtyard outside Anne's door with the pool in the background

MMMM, ribs, sweet potatos, and zucchini on the grill

My sweet hubby and I with dinner

Anne and I sitting down to our feast

Tomorrow morning it's back to the grindstone, but for now I'm happily curled up next to my husband, excited to have a snuggle buddy other than the dog for tonight.

Insatiable Itchies!

This week I experienced fire ants for the first time. As my friend Brandi says, "They are tiny workers for Satan himself," and I completely agree with her!

I was walking the dog and paused to pick up one of her poops she so kindly decided to deliver directly in front of the school down the street from us. As I was finishing picking it up I felt piercing stings all over my right foot and looked down in horror to see I was standing directly in a nest of ants with them COVERING my foot and beginning to crawl up my ankle! It was as if they rallied in anger, loaded the whole nest onto my foot, and then let out the war cry to all bite at once.

So, there I was doing a one-footed dance in the school yard, trying to hold onto the dog leash (with Ariyah tugging to move on to new smells), and not toss the bag of dog poo all over the myself - all the while one handedly trying to frantically wipe the ants (that are now crawling up my hand and arm as well) off of my foot. This whole time they used every last second to chomp, chomp, chomp in spite of my cursing at them and smashing as many as I could. Needless to say, they got the best of me.

I reacted bad - my whole foot basically turned into a swollen, red, bumpy, itchy mess that is impossible to satisfy. One nurse at work told my to try toothpaste. I sat at the nurse's station slathering it on and it helped for a few. Then the itch came back. The next nurse told me "No, no, it's deodorant you're supposed to use" I was desperate and rubbed my stick of deodorant all over the top of my foot and ankle when I got home from the hospital. No help there. I woke up in the middle of the night clawing the skin off my puffy foot. Ohhhhh, how good that felt! Hydrocortizone, Benedryl, and spray on Wal-Dryl, purchased by my wonderful husband, along with time, have proved to be my best friend here.

Four days later and they are finally clearing up. Since that day though, Ariyah has been itchy as well. I checked her for fleas and didn't find any, so I figured maybe the ants got her too. This morning she woke up and sat scratching every possible place she could reach for about 10 minutes. Scott checked her over again and found a flea on her belly!!!! Off to Pet Co we went. We've sprayed down our whole house, run the Roomba twice, and doused her in flea spray. Now, here we sit in our smelly, chemical-filled house clawing at our ailments. Why did God create these awful little insects again????

It's all in the eyes

Scott is working his sixth night in the last seven days - aka about his 78th hour in the last week. This means that, for the most part, I've been sleeping alone.

The other morning I woke up in somewhat of a panic wondering why my body felt so heavy and I couldn't move my legs. I was in that semi-conscious state of ridiculousness we find ourselves in somewhere between sleep & alertness and as I came to, I realized. Nothing to worry about, it was just our 50+ lb puppy sprawled out across me.

You see, when Scott works nights I don't make Ariyah sleep in her kennel. She's more alert and watchful when she's out of it. This makes me feel safer because she'll bark when she hears strange sounds & will hopefully make a ruckus if someone comes sneaking through my door at all hours. I let her sleep with me a few nights and then Scott found her stretched out alone across the bed Monday afternoon when she was uninvited, and he didn't like that. I know this sounds like a double standard but we somehow forget our puppy doesn't understand the difference between invitation-only, occasional bed sleeping & sleeping-between-your-sheets everyday bed sleeping. To her, we've let her do it twice so why shouldn't she do it anytime she pleases? Therefore, due to all the hair in the bed from the pup, & the fact that she's going to double in size within the next six months, he laid down the law that she was not to sleep there anymore.

Since then I've been as stern as I can manage - but somehow she's sneakier than I thought and I've woken up with her next to me (or on top of me) every morning he's been gone. Tonight I'm being extra tough - in an effort to honor his request - and she's been extra persistent so far. She got half her body up and I yanked her off while scolding her. Then she tried just two paws on the edge. I yelled at her. Now, in her last valiant effort, she's pulled out the trick card and is using her big, beautiful, sad, brown eyes.

How does anyone resist those?! Someone help, I think I'm about to cave....

Firsties

Yesterday was my first day at the new job. I felt like a kid going to her first day of Kindergarten again - just a little nervous but also so excited! Everyone was so friendly to me & so far I am liking the unit. I oriented with Dionne, who was also working as charge. We had just been in to check on our first patient, who was quietly resting in bed after her delivery, sleeping the remainder of her epidural off. We got back out to the front desk and the unit secretary said that the patient just called out for her nurses. Weird. I said I would see what was up, and walked back into the room (mind you it had been about 90 seconds) to find the patient standing in a crouched position over the toilet. How she got there on her epidural legs, I have no idea. However, the next overwhelming sense I was hit with was the stench in the room. I walked closer to her and discovered that she had explosive diarrhea not only IN the toilet, but also down the side of it, and all over the wall behind her. Guess the pregnancy constipation is over for her.
Welcome back to Labor & Delivery and all of it's glories, Megan.