I did not fall off the planet...it just feels like it sometimes. It has been months since I've blogged. Being the mom of a mobile toddler, a wife, a teacher of 6th graders, and a graduate student is enough to make anyone feel like drowning. I have wanted to blog about so much because my little man is growing so fast and I'm afraid I will forget everything, but life just keeps getting in my way. So now that I have a little break between semesters of graduate school I thought I would take out a little time to write...it is a great outlet.
When I was pregnant with Dylan I noticed a bump under my chin. I pointed it out to my doctor and she said if it was still there after a bit we would have it checked out. I let it slip my mind until after I had Dylan...I was more focused on becoming a mom and the arrival of my new baby. During one of Dylan's check-ups I mentioned it to my doctor again and she recommended a plastic surgeon to see. After an IV CT-Scan, that doctor recommended me to an ear, nose, throat surgeon. After a throat scope and an ultrasound we discovered I had swollen lymph nodes...very swollen lymph nodes and he would need to operate to remove them. So we scheduled it for the first Monday of my spring break so I wouldn't miss any school.
After having Dylan, I got the Mirena IUD. Everything was fine until January when I started having...we'll just say issues. My doctor sent me to have an ultrasound to see what the issue was. About a week after the ultrasound I received a call from the doctor's office. They let me know that they couldn't find the IUD on the ultrasound and I should take a pregnancy test. Talk about a big scare! I waited until Michael got home, because I was too nervous to take it alone. It came back negative, which was a relief. Not because we don't want other kids, but I am just not ready for another baby right now. The doctor also set up an appointment for me to meet an OB-GYN (our family practice had just recently stopped offering these services). The OB also did an ultrasound in the office and had the same results...no IUD. As a precaution she sent me to have an X-Ray to see if it may have gone elsewhere. 10 o'clock the night after my X-Ray the OB called to tell me the IUD had gone through my uterus wall and was now in my abdomen. Apparently, this happens to 1 in 1,000 women. I would have to have surgery to remove it. So we scheduled that surgery for the second Monday of my spring break.
As my break drew closer, I was battling mixed feelings. I was completely ready for a break from school. Anyone who teaches understands where I am coming from. But I was also feeling terrified and nervous. Not only would I have my first surgery, but I would be having two!
My first surgery went great; however, the nausea afterward was awful. I was sick for days. Michael did a fabulous job of being my nurse, taking care of Dylan without my help, taking care of all the meals, and doing all the housework. Amazing man! By the weekend I was feeling well enough for a trip to the zoo. I tried to enjoy the weekend as much as I could knowing my next surgery was soon. My second surgery went well, they gave me a lot of meds for the nausea and they worked great. I was pretty sore that week, but at least I had plenty of time to rest. Dylan seemed under the weather that week and even though I couldn't lift him, we cuddled a lot.
When we met with the throat surgeon, he gave us great news. The biopsy came back clear. He was sure I had some kind of infection that caused my lymph nodes to swell, but everything looked fine. When I met with the OB she said everything was fine. Although she did tell me that during the surgery they almost didn't find the IUD! She happened to turn the camera up to see my liver and it was hanging out around it. She was grateful she didn't have to wake me up with bad news, and so was I.
My spring break wasn't the best, but at least all of this is behind me and I can focus on making some fun family plans this summer. Sorry this was so long, and maybe a bit rambling.
