To begin with, my bloodwork came back from endocrinologist and there are no signs that I have a paraganglioma! Which is great news! Which means we can proceed with a biopsy of my thyroid nodules in 2 weeks on February 3rd.
Today I had a follow-up with my NFP doctor. She asked if the endocrinologist had discussed my thyroid bloodwork and I told her that he had told me that it was all normal. She laughed and said, it is definitely not normal!! Basically I am hypothyroid. My Free T3 and Free T4 were in normal range, but my total T3 was 71 which is low (normal is 76-181) and my Reverse T3 is 13. She explained a chart of thyroid function and dysfunction which I can't really explain...it seems to come down to the fact that my T3 to reverseT3 ratio is not normal....mine is 5.5 and normal is 10 or higher.
SO.....long story short, I am starting Armour at the smallest dose (15mg/day) for a week to help my thyroid and then she is bumping it up to twice that. She wants to be cautious, because with my blood pressure on the high side, she doesn't want it to jump.
I am also low on iodine and vitamin D, low-ish on B12, low on estrogen (during my cycle) but everything else seems to look good.
Here are the supplements/medicines I will start on:
Iodoral 12.5mg/daily for 2-3 months to get my iodine levels up.
B Complex daily to boost my B12.
Vitamin D prescription 50,000 units 1/wk for 4 months and an extra 5000units daily.
Niacin no-flush, slow-release 1/day as a starting point to work on lowering my blood pressure
Armour 15mg/day for 1 week then 30mg/day
HCG shot on P+3, 5, 7, 9 of my cycle to make my body make more estrogen
B6 Sustained 500mg/day to increase mucus in my cycle
She threw around the idea of doing an adrenal function test, but because insurance doesn't cover this it would be about $180. Not sure if we will do it or not. Adrenal fatigue she said could be caused by stress over many years, which she noted I have had lots of stress (of losing babies) but overall we think that I've handled it pretty well....so not going to check adrenal function as of yet.
I go back in 4 weeks to check on blood pressure again.
Thanks for the prayers! I feel like we are headed in the right direction.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Thyroid Ultrasound Update
On Thursday I went to the endocrinologist and they went over my history, symptoms, took my blood pressure (which was much lower at 140/90!), did an ultrasound of my thyroid and pulled lots of blood.
All of my thyroid blood panels had already come back at normal levels.
On the ultrasound they confirmed two nodules that were side by side on my thyroid about 1.5cm each. Normally they would do a fine needle aspiration biopsy right then to check them out as they were not just fluid filled, but had solid parts. However, this doctor suspects that it might be possible that I have a rare adrenal tumor called a paraganglioma on my thyroid. Basically a paraganglioma is an adrenaline producing tumor. If they were to biopsy this, it could send out too much adrenaline and have....well, unfortunate results for me! So, he wanted to be extra cautious and do some more bloodwork that would help determine if that is what this is.
I really saw God's hand in this, because the doctor relayed to me that they had had a case like this last month and he had really been reading up on this condition and discussing with other doctors about the best course of action should they come across this diagnosis again.
They put me in a dark room in a supine position for what was supposed to be 15 minutes. However, they must have forgotten about me, because about 40 minutes later (although I really had no idea how long it had been and didn't want to get up to go check because that would ruin the whole lie-still-so-we-can-take-your-blood-and-get-an-accurate-reading thing)....I finally prayed, "God, please let me know you are with me in all this and send a nurse in within the next 60 seconds so I know you haven't forgotten about me!"
And I started counting down with confidence....Sixty.
Fifty-nine.
Fifty-eight.
Fifty-se........*knock knock knock*
A nurse walked in the door to take my blood! Yep, even though I was confident God was listening, I was somehow still surprised he answered that prayer so quickly!
So she took my blood while I was so calm and that should give a good idea as to whether adrenaline is pumping through my body when it's not supposed to be; thus suggestive of the paraganglioma.
Here is some more information on these tumors, in case you are interested. I was so glad this doctor took the time to write down all this information because my brain could barely keep up with all the information he covered in a short amount of time, much less was it able to spell or even remember the word "paraganglioma"!
http://adrenalcenter.org/paraganglioma.html
Of course this would be something that is rare....because all of my issues turn out to be "really rare" and "this will never happen twice" and "surely it couldn't be this because you've already had x, y and z".
I should get the results back Monday or Tuesday and then they will let me know how we should proceed.
My symptoms are: lightheadedness, high blood pressure, very strong pulse, pulse skips a beat, nausea, eating less, constant dull headache, irritability, times when I just have no more energy.. and I could go on!
I did ask again about what I should or should not be doing in the meantime, and the doctor just said, "Don't run a marathon!"
Ha. Don't worry about that.
My mom sent me a really encouraging psalm and I just loved reading it yesterday. I am not too worried about this....God has it all in His hands.
All of my thyroid blood panels had already come back at normal levels.
On the ultrasound they confirmed two nodules that were side by side on my thyroid about 1.5cm each. Normally they would do a fine needle aspiration biopsy right then to check them out as they were not just fluid filled, but had solid parts. However, this doctor suspects that it might be possible that I have a rare adrenal tumor called a paraganglioma on my thyroid. Basically a paraganglioma is an adrenaline producing tumor. If they were to biopsy this, it could send out too much adrenaline and have....well, unfortunate results for me! So, he wanted to be extra cautious and do some more bloodwork that would help determine if that is what this is.
I really saw God's hand in this, because the doctor relayed to me that they had had a case like this last month and he had really been reading up on this condition and discussing with other doctors about the best course of action should they come across this diagnosis again.
They put me in a dark room in a supine position for what was supposed to be 15 minutes. However, they must have forgotten about me, because about 40 minutes later (although I really had no idea how long it had been and didn't want to get up to go check because that would ruin the whole lie-still-so-we-can-take-your-blood-and-get-an-accurate-reading thing)....I finally prayed, "God, please let me know you are with me in all this and send a nurse in within the next 60 seconds so I know you haven't forgotten about me!"
And I started counting down with confidence....Sixty.
Fifty-nine.
Fifty-eight.
Fifty-se........*knock knock knock*
A nurse walked in the door to take my blood! Yep, even though I was confident God was listening, I was somehow still surprised he answered that prayer so quickly!
So she took my blood while I was so calm and that should give a good idea as to whether adrenaline is pumping through my body when it's not supposed to be; thus suggestive of the paraganglioma.
Here is some more information on these tumors, in case you are interested. I was so glad this doctor took the time to write down all this information because my brain could barely keep up with all the information he covered in a short amount of time, much less was it able to spell or even remember the word "paraganglioma"!
http://adrenalcenter.org/paraganglioma.html
Of course this would be something that is rare....because all of my issues turn out to be "really rare" and "this will never happen twice" and "surely it couldn't be this because you've already had x, y and z".
I should get the results back Monday or Tuesday and then they will let me know how we should proceed.
My symptoms are: lightheadedness, high blood pressure, very strong pulse, pulse skips a beat, nausea, eating less, constant dull headache, irritability, times when I just have no more energy.. and I could go on!
I did ask again about what I should or should not be doing in the meantime, and the doctor just said, "Don't run a marathon!"
Ha. Don't worry about that.
My mom sent me a really encouraging psalm and I just loved reading it yesterday. I am not too worried about this....God has it all in His hands.
Psalm 16
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Photo #5 Putting away Christmas
We packed up all the ornaments today.
This is one of my favorites. Divino Nino, the Divine Child.
A gift from my mom.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Thyroid and blood pressure madness.
Yesterday I went to see a new doctor. She is great. She is an NFP only practitioner which means she does not prescribe birth control and I knew that I wanted to become a patient of hers to support her in this, because I feel morally, that is the only way to go. But it was hard for me to think of leaving the OB/GYN practice that I have been with for almost 10 years. They have seen me for 8 pregnancies. I knew exactly where everything was in that office. I knew office staff. I knew the routines. I was comfortable there.
I told Rob I was nervous about leaving and going somewhere new, and he told me that sometimes God wants us to be uncomfortable. Doing the right thing is not always comfortable.
And so I made my appointment after nearly 2 months of having a bounding pulse. My bounding pulse is not a fast heartrate, but a insanely annoying throbbing of my pulse which I mainly feel in my neck. I can usually see it pulsing on my wrist as well. So that was my impetus for making this appointment. It felt like last February when I was in the hospital for the partial molar pregnancy and my blood pressure was high and my thyroid was hyper.
I left my kids with a paid babysitter (for the first time ever I think)....and went to the office. When I got in there the waiting room was small and I thought, "Oh boy, was this a good idea?" But once I got back with the nurse and doctor; my opinion of the place greatly changed. They were so nice and the doctor ended up spending 30-40 minutes I think, talking to me and discussing my history. One of the things I noticed right off about the doctor's office was that she had a huge picture of Jesus with little children gathered around Him. Right there, hanging on her wall. No wonder I had such a sense of peace. That and beforehand I prayed that this office visit would be fruitful and that I could adequately relay all that had been going on with me physically without forgetting or getting "brain fog". And God gave me the grace to do that!
So on to the health stuff....the nurse took my vitals and noted that my blood pressure was high. Like 166/100 high. They ended up taking my pressures 6 times and it was high every time and with 3 different cuffs. I was told to go about my daily routine but not to exercise/overexert myself.
She went over all my symptoms and history and checked my neck. Only to find that I have a thyroid nodule. So that could be what is causing my blood pressure to be high. Or I could just have developed high blood pressure based on my familial history. Or I could be stressed from all that I have been through and not properly grieving Francis Marie. Or it could be something else.
I am being referred to an endocrinologist to check out the nodule. They will determine without it is solid or fluid-filled and whether or not it needs to come out.
In the meantime I had a ton of blood drawn and she is running thyroid tests and who knows what else.
And I have to go on P+3, 5, 7 and 9 of my cycle to get blood drawn.
This doctor is on top of things.
I am to call her if I get a headache that won't go away, shortness of breath, more chest pain, vision changes, etc.
So that's where I'm at. I'm not really nervous about any of it....this doc really has me confident that we can get to the bottom of this and get it straightened out and then we can try to conceive again.
And in the meantime, here is Photo #3 and #4
I told Rob I was nervous about leaving and going somewhere new, and he told me that sometimes God wants us to be uncomfortable. Doing the right thing is not always comfortable.
And so I made my appointment after nearly 2 months of having a bounding pulse. My bounding pulse is not a fast heartrate, but a insanely annoying throbbing of my pulse which I mainly feel in my neck. I can usually see it pulsing on my wrist as well. So that was my impetus for making this appointment. It felt like last February when I was in the hospital for the partial molar pregnancy and my blood pressure was high and my thyroid was hyper.
I left my kids with a paid babysitter (for the first time ever I think)....and went to the office. When I got in there the waiting room was small and I thought, "Oh boy, was this a good idea?" But once I got back with the nurse and doctor; my opinion of the place greatly changed. They were so nice and the doctor ended up spending 30-40 minutes I think, talking to me and discussing my history. One of the things I noticed right off about the doctor's office was that she had a huge picture of Jesus with little children gathered around Him. Right there, hanging on her wall. No wonder I had such a sense of peace. That and beforehand I prayed that this office visit would be fruitful and that I could adequately relay all that had been going on with me physically without forgetting or getting "brain fog". And God gave me the grace to do that!
So on to the health stuff....the nurse took my vitals and noted that my blood pressure was high. Like 166/100 high. They ended up taking my pressures 6 times and it was high every time and with 3 different cuffs. I was told to go about my daily routine but not to exercise/overexert myself.
She went over all my symptoms and history and checked my neck. Only to find that I have a thyroid nodule. So that could be what is causing my blood pressure to be high. Or I could just have developed high blood pressure based on my familial history. Or I could be stressed from all that I have been through and not properly grieving Francis Marie. Or it could be something else.
I am being referred to an endocrinologist to check out the nodule. They will determine without it is solid or fluid-filled and whether or not it needs to come out.
In the meantime I had a ton of blood drawn and she is running thyroid tests and who knows what else.
And I have to go on P+3, 5, 7 and 9 of my cycle to get blood drawn.
This doctor is on top of things.
I am to call her if I get a headache that won't go away, shortness of breath, more chest pain, vision changes, etc.
So that's where I'm at. I'm not really nervous about any of it....this doc really has me confident that we can get to the bottom of this and get it straightened out and then we can try to conceive again.
And in the meantime, here is Photo #3 and #4
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Photo #2: Can you spot the big problem?
If you said, "Baby in the bathtub with her clothes on!"......you win!
She and Ian took a bath together and when she was done, I dried her off, put her in a new diaper and stuck her in pajamas. She proceeded to walk back to the bathroom and to Ian's cries of "Nooooooo Baby!!!" climb her fully clothed body right back into the water with him.
*sigh* A mother's work is never finished....even after she finishes it!
Saturday, January 3, 2015
New Year's Resolutions... Photo #1: Licking the batter
My husband laughs at resolutions for the new year, and I seldom make a true resolution, but I saw one challenge that I thought looked enticing and it made me realize that this would benefit my relatives too! It is a 365 day picture challenge. I have been very bad about taking and posting pictures of the kids, and for relatives who live far away, this has been very unfair and something I resolve to work on! Starting today, I will be posting (hopefully a picture a day and I will number them so that I can see how many I wound up with by the end of 2015). This will hopefully give my camera some adequate use this year and maybe improve my picture taking!
Now I am starting a couple of days late, but being late is a Holmes tradition.
So for your viewing pleasure, here is Photo #1: Licking the batter
Now I am starting a couple of days late, but being late is a Holmes tradition.
So for your viewing pleasure, here is Photo #1: Licking the batter
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Happy New Year and Pick Your Saint for 2015!
Happy New Year to anyone out there who still reads my updates! It is my hope to start blogging a little more often than every 2 months this year. Three young kids, homeschooling and a mini-farm sure do keep me busy! We are so blessed and I am so thankful for my life, my family, my homestead, my friends and everything that God has provided for us. He is so good.
It is hard to believe that it will soon be a year since I was in the hospital with my last pregnancy that ended in February. I've been thinking about Francis Marie more often these days and the ache in my heart for another baby has already started as we have been blessed to cuddle lots of new bundles of joy in the last month! Our prayer is that the Lord will bless us with our own new bundle sometime in the next year.
During Advent I used the Saint Name Generator (courtesy of blogger/author Jennifer Fulwiler) to pick a saint for me for 2015. Why choose a saint? Well, it is a new person of God to study and learn about, a new intercessor in heaven whom I can ask to pray for me....the question is why not choose a saint for the year? We are all striving to become saints! Surely I could use some tips from someone who has gone before me!
So who did I get???
Drum roll, please.......
Blessed Angela of Foligno! She is actually Saint Angela now, declared a saint on October 9, 2013 by Pope Francis. So why did she pop up as "Blessed" under the saint generator? I can only guess it is because she was declared "Blessed" (or beatified) on July 11th, 1701. Mine and Robert's wedding anniversary is also July 11th. Had she popped up as "Saint Angela" (Canonization is when one is declared a saint), I might have never seen her beatification date and made the connection...and so I leave that as a special, mystical reminder from Our Lord that He wanted me to know of this connection. Saint Angela had no shortage of sorrow as her mother, husband and children all died within a close period of each other. It will be interesting to see what I will learn from this saint this year, and how she intercedes in prayer for me before the throne of God.
I certainly recommend that you try the Saint Name Generator and see who you get! If nothing else but to read up a little on a person who might draw you closer to Christ!
It is hard to believe that it will soon be a year since I was in the hospital with my last pregnancy that ended in February. I've been thinking about Francis Marie more often these days and the ache in my heart for another baby has already started as we have been blessed to cuddle lots of new bundles of joy in the last month! Our prayer is that the Lord will bless us with our own new bundle sometime in the next year.
During Advent I used the Saint Name Generator (courtesy of blogger/author Jennifer Fulwiler) to pick a saint for me for 2015. Why choose a saint? Well, it is a new person of God to study and learn about, a new intercessor in heaven whom I can ask to pray for me....the question is why not choose a saint for the year? We are all striving to become saints! Surely I could use some tips from someone who has gone before me!
So who did I get???
Drum roll, please.......
Blessed Angela of Foligno! She is actually Saint Angela now, declared a saint on October 9, 2013 by Pope Francis. So why did she pop up as "Blessed" under the saint generator? I can only guess it is because she was declared "Blessed" (or beatified) on July 11th, 1701. Mine and Robert's wedding anniversary is also July 11th. Had she popped up as "Saint Angela" (Canonization is when one is declared a saint), I might have never seen her beatification date and made the connection...and so I leave that as a special, mystical reminder from Our Lord that He wanted me to know of this connection. Saint Angela had no shortage of sorrow as her mother, husband and children all died within a close period of each other. It will be interesting to see what I will learn from this saint this year, and how she intercedes in prayer for me before the throne of God.
I certainly recommend that you try the Saint Name Generator and see who you get! If nothing else but to read up a little on a person who might draw you closer to Christ!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
