Hmmmmm

Went for my CT scan this morning and when I got home from school there was a message requesting that I call the radiology dept. So I called and they need me to come in Thursday for another scan. This will be three in three weeks. I asked them if everything was okay and the guy said "well we just need to have another look, a different perspective." I don't know about you, but it doesn't sound great to me. It could be nothing but now it is really bugging me. And the worst part is this doesn't have anything to do with my pain. Hmmm. I think I'll lay down and take a nap so I don't think about it.

Forgot to mention that I am going with Chelsea to sign her up for High School this afternoon. My baby is growing up!!!

How many points does Barium have?

I started back at Weight Watchers on Thursday. I am going during the day since my nights are usually busy. They had a sign up looking for people to work there so I may call them this week and see if they have any on-call openings. I used to work for WW and was at my lowest adult weight when I did.

All this dating really doesn't help with trying to lose weight, though. On Friday Mike took me to a Chinese restaurant for lunch, and it was difficult but I had a chicken dish with lots of veggies and very little rice On Saturday Mike and I went to Eric and Gail's for a BBQ, and of course there wasn't anything low cal on the menu. On Sunday we went to the RV show and then to Hooters to eat. We were with Mike's friend's, Mike and Annie. They all had hot wings (which I love) and I had the grouper sandwich without the bread. I did have one hot wing, which I figure was 4 pts. all by itself!

I have another CT scan today so all I've had since midnight was a big bottle of barium, with one more just waiting for me! This stuff is gross tasting, especially after the first bottle! This CT is to determine if the blood pooling in my liver is just winding blood vessels or something else. As I said in an earlier post, my liver tests were all good so I'm not really worried.

I could not get into an OB/GYN doctor until Wed. March 8th. I called 3 different places and it seems these people are usually booked a month out. Women in Utah need to quit having so many babies so I can get in to see a doctor!

I got a nice get well card yesterday from my IdahoScrapper friend Courtney. She's the youngest member of our group and such a fun young lady! I see a lot of myself in her, in my younger days! It was nice to be thought of!

I need to get ready to leave for my appt. and then off to school! Just thought I'd better update or I know I'd be getting an email from Carol telling me to get busy! :)

Still hurting but help is on the way!

Okay, so I'm still in pain, but my Dr. has put in a referral for me to see an OB/GYN to get to the cause of this pain in my side. I did get my referral for a CT scan on my liver today, so I am going to call in a few minutes to see when I can schedule that.

Mike started his job yesterday and seems pretty happy with the guys he works with, except for the 50 year old virgin (his words!). Guess this guy live with his mother and doesn't even make an effort to learn people's names. Mike is probably going to Alaska in May. Hopefully it will be once I'm out of school and maybe I can go with him. My friend Fran lives there and it would be fun to see her and her family.

Chelsea and I went and got new cell phones yesterday so now I am the proud owner of a red RAZR phone! I love it and it matches my car! Chelsea has a pink Katana. Cute, but not as cute as mine!

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Tonight we will be going to church and having ashes placed on our forehead to remind us that we are dust and to dust we will return. It is a very somber service, as is the whole season of Lent. I use this time to reflect, repent and forgive. And I LOVE Easter! It is the whole reason for Christianity and my beliefs. Of course this is my opinion and you are welcome to yours. :)

Glad this weekend is over!

This has probably been the worst 4 day weekend I've ever had! I am feeling better, but am still having pain on my right side. Hopefully I can get into the Dr. tomorrow afternoon. I really can't afford any more time off from school, so won't take a morning appt.

Last night Chelsea and I went to a movie with our friends Laura and Caitlyn. We saw Freedom Writers. It was a great movie. After that we went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe in Layton. Our food was very good and our server was a nice young man trying to make his way in the food industry in Utah. I think we made his day when we asked to speak to his manager and gave him rave reviews for his customer service. It was fun to see someone feel good about their job. After that we went to Barnes and Noble and got the book "Freedom Writers" which the movie was based on. I'll read it after Chelsea finishes it.

Today Chelsea went snowboarding and I went to lunch with Mike. He turned down another job in Arizona. This one offered him significantly more money than the job he starts tomorrow. I told him if he wanted the job to take it. He asked me if we'd still see each other and of course I said no. I just don't do long distance romances. I'd probably see him once a month, if that and I am sure that in time we would drift apart. Not worth the agony, as far as I'm concerned. So he said he wouldn't take it. He knows my life is here and at least for the foreseeable future I am not moving anywhere out of Utah.

Tonight is the Financial Peace University class at church. I really don't feel like going but since my co-facilitator is out of town I don't have much choice. I know I'll be okay once we get started and we'll have fun, but its the getting out of the house that I don't feel like doing! Plus the church will be freezing since no one's been in there today! Guess I'd better go early and turn the heat on!

I hate hospitals!

I skipped school yesterday so I could go to Park City with Mike, and his friends, Mike and Annie. By the time we got there the pain in my abdomen was getting worse. After lunch we walked a short way to the Harley shop and within minutes I told Mike we needed to go because I was in so much pain.

When we got home I decided to just lay down, but it wasn't long before I told Mike I needed to go to the hospital. After 6 hours, which included blood tests, urine tests, and two ultrasounds all they found was a fatty deposit on my right ovary. And of course the Dr. didn't know what that meant. Since the pain medication was working he sent me home and told me to follow up with my Primary care manager on Tuesday. Mike was so sweet to stay with me the whole time, even though I told him several times to leave and I'd call him when I got done. He even offered to spend the night to make sure I'd be okay, but I just wanted to go to sleep and not be more of a pain than I already was so I sent him home.

So I've spent the greater part of today laying in bed with a hot water bottle. Pain medication makes me nauseous and I need to drive Chelsea to a party tonight and pick her up. I might try to take some before I go to bed about 11:00 tonight. But I need to get up early tomorrow because I'm Worship Assistant at the early service so I don't want to be too loopy.

Well, I'm going to go refill my hot water bottle and read a few chapters from my Marriage and Family book. What fun!

Dr's appt. and peanut butter

Went to the Dr. today to get the results of my CT scan. My liver shows what appears to be blood vessels all coiled up. This, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with my pain, and my liver function test came out completely normal so I'm not too worried about that. However, I will be getting a specific CT scan just for my liver to be sure that's what they are seeing. The rest of the abdominal area looks good and the radiologist suggested considering reproductive system problems. Now I could have told him that! In fact I believe I did tell the PA who originally saw me, and the radiology tech that I was sure it wasn't my gastrointestinal system. I am also going to have to have an intravaginal ultrasound. If that doesn't show anything I'll be referred to a gyn specialist for an exploratory surgery. This just sucks!

And to top it all off I found out from a friend there is a recall on Peter Pan peanut butter (with the number 2111 on the lid) and of course I have one and have been eating it like crazy! It seems that many jars have been infected with Salmonella poisoning. Now the only symptom I have is the abdominal pain. No fever, no diarrhea, so I really don't think I have salmonella. And now I don't have peanut butter either!

Tonight is Grey's Anatomy night so I am looking forward to watching that, and relaxing since I don't have anything pressing due for school tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is from the card Mike got me for Valentines Day. I also got flowers and lunch. Plus, the best part is he agreed to go to church with me on March 4th. Chelsea will be singing that day.

When I met you, I wasn't planning on falling in love.

I wasn't planning on feeling so attracted to someone,

but you awakened feelings in side of me

that I'd forgotten existed.

When I met you, I didn't realize

how much our love would grow--

that the attraction that first brought us together

would reach beyond passion

to the comfort of knowing

I have someone very special,

someone who is not only my lover

but my close friend.

When I met you, I had no idea

where our relationship

would lead us,

how beautiful you would make my world.

But now I know without a doubt...

the luckiest day of my life

was the day I met you.

Love, Michael

Medical stuff

I really hate medical stuff. As if I haven't had enough trouble with my neck and elbows. I have had some pain on my right side since I had my tubes tied about 8 months ago. It has steadily gotten worse so I went to the Dr. on Friday. They did some tests and my liver, kidneys, and pancreas are fine so I need to go tomorrow and have a CT scan. Unfortunately I have to drink this white chalky junk before I go. :( I know it's not my GI system, probably an ovary or something, but I guess it's standard protocol. And of course I have to miss a class which just irritates me to no end. But they don't do CT's of the stomach area after 11:00 because you can't eat or drink prior and I guess they don't want you to starve to death. Like that will happen with my excess poundage! And of course the only follow up I can get is on Thursday morning, so I'll have to miss another class. Either that or wait until next week. AARRGGHH! And of course the pain is getting worse by the day, so I don't want to have to wait. So if you see me and I'm irritable just ignore me. This is why. Mike was sweet and offered to come with me for the CT scan, but really there is nothing he can do and they won't give me the results right then. Plus I plan on jetting to campus right afterwards so I don't have to miss more school! Okay, I'm taking a nap now because I was up most of the night and I have a Financial Peace University class I need to facilitate tonight. No rest for the weary!

I am a slacker!

Thanks to my friend Carol who pointed out that I haven't blogged in awhile! She thinks I might need to change my title to "Nothing about Mary!" So true!

I have been busy with school, of course. And I am also facilitating a Financial Peace University class at church which meets every Monday night. I really enjoy doing that but it does take an evening away from studying and spending time with Chelsea and Mike.

Once Lent starts I will be a small group leader at my church, so that will mean I'll be busy on Wednesdays also!

Plus I am getting involved with the Grace Race which is our churches annual 5K fund raiser for charity.

And did I mention I am going to be working on the Easter basket project with the Social Work club at school.

Oh, and I'm the cookie mom for Chelsea's Girl Scout troop.

And I'm the Worship Assistant/Prayer leader on the 3rd Sunday of every month at the early service.

I guess I'll have to look for a few more things to do so I can keep busy! :)

Okay, enough of that!

The weather has been just beautiful lately and is inspiring me to run more. Mike and I are going out on Friday with some of my friends. I think he's a little nervous about whether or not they'll like him, but I'm not. So far I haven't met anyone who doesn't like him, and all his friends like me, so I think we are enough alike. And if they don't like him, so what. I do!

I had a friend of mine over the other night for scrapbooking but we didn't get any scrapbooking done. She didn't bring her stuff because she shares with her daughter. So we enjoyed some wine, her a little more than me, but it was all good. It was fun to catch up on each other. We've known each other for about 13 years but don't get together much. I plan on hosting a scrapbooking night once a month (with more scrapbooking and less wine) with several friends who do scrapbook. If you want an invite, let me know.

Chelsea got an invitation to join the Venture crew at our church. Venture crew is a coed outdoor program sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America. Can you be a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout at the same time?? :) I guess we'll find out because she really wants to join. Like either one of us needs more to do! But she will be done with Confirmation this Spring so I guess that will be one night in the week we won't be booked anymore.

Well, I need to get busy with homework and dinner because I'm driving to Confirmation tonight. I think I'll sit at Hastings and drink some coffee and work on some more homework!