Rounding Out March

The last half of March went by in a blur, and I think that I will let this post be mainly dominated by photos.  They speak for themselves about what we have been up to.  Mostly just shots of the usual going-ons at the Earls.

 

However, I did have an experience in March that I thought I should write about, though I am generally pretty private, and find it awkward to talk about health stuff.  After a month has gone by, I am feeling much more solid about talking about it, though it does involve women's health issues.  So if you are a man and that just made you cringe, you can skip the rest and simply admire the pictures :)

 

The easiest way (the one requiring the least amount of effort on my part) to relate my experience would be to share the letter I wrote to my family about a month ago.  It's pretty personal, and maybe a little awkward, but it explains my "situation".  Here it is:

Hello Family & closest friends!

I am writing to give you a little update on my health. Before I start I want to say, IT'S NOT CANCER, it's non-life threatening, and I am gonna be fine. I know when I first hear of someone having "health news" those are my initial concerns, so hopefully that eases your mind.

I went to the Dr a couple weeks ago with some increasing concerns I've been having over the past 6 or 7 months. These were mostly "womanly" concerns and if you are a man, you can stop reading here and skip to the next paragraph if you wish . The symptoms have been very specific abdominal and back pain, irregular/unpredictable bleeding, extreme bloating, pain and sensitivity, weight gain, excessive cramping, [the rest of these symptoms have been omitted to save myself and you readers all a smidgen of embarrassment. You're welcome].

Let's wrap it up and say as a woman who had not experienced anything like this before, I knew something was wrong. We've also been trying to conceive and have been unsuccessful in having a viable pregnancy. So finally this month, I sucked it up and went to the Dr with my concerns. She of course wanted to take some blood and give me the dreaded pelvic exam, during which she said the last words anyone ever wants to hear, "I feel a mass or unusual swelling and I want to send you for more tests". I scheduled the tests for when my mom would be here to watch the girls. At the time I was fearful it would be the "C" word. I went to the Mayo Clinic for imaging on Friday and my doctor gave me the the results today.

I have something called Adenomyosis. Never heard of it? I hadn't either! It is a growth in the muscular wall of the uterus (different than endometriosis). It is benign and usually occurs in women in their late 30's or 40's, who have had children and/or have a history of endometriosis. They can treat my symptoms with hormone therapy (think contraceptives), but the only cure is a hysterectomy. Eventually, since my symptoms are severe (lots of women don't experience any of the symptoms that drove me to the Dr in the first place, and once you enter menopause the symptoms usually disappear) and being that I am so young and still most likely at least 20 years away from menopause, I will end up getting a hysterectomy. But not yet. I have felt very strongly that our family is not yet complete and though infertility is often associated with adenomyosis, it is still possible (though considerably less likely) to conceive.

So we'll keep trying to have another baby, but this is the "prevent you from wondering about it" email. We are trying, we will keep trying. We may beat the odds and naturally conceive right away, or most likely it will be a longer, more challenging process, and I am sure you would all start to wonder if we were done, or planning on having another, which is natural and I will happily keep you "in the loop". However, it may be a while so be prepared for that. And the time may come where my symptoms become unbearable and we decide to proceed with the hysterectomy. However, I feel in my bones that we'll have another baby before it comes out.

Obviously this process and discovery have been overwhelming and emotional, but I am happy to be OK, and I am grateful for the beautiful girls I have. The pain and inconvenience associated with adenomyosis have been a burden and it is frustrating that I will have to bear them until I get a hysterectomy, but I am blessed that it is a problem that is solvable, and as soon as we are done trying to make babies, it will go away.

Thank you guys for your love and support!! I sure do love each of you.

If you are interested in learning more about Adenomyosis, here is a link. There are tabs on the left hand side (complications, treatment and drugs, etc).http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/Adenomyosis/DS00636

All my love,
Jenn

 

So, that's the long and short of it.  My lovely mother came to be with me and watch the girls while I had the imaging and everything done, and I have specialist appointments this week and next which will be lengthy, so she delayed her trip and will be staying at least until my appointments are done.  It is a relief not to have to find a babysitter for the hours it will take, and also not to have to feel awkward explaining to my acquaintances here why I'll be gone for a few hours multiple times over the next couple weeks and why I need a sitter.  She's a huge blessing and I'm glad to have her here.  That's a huge understatement, but I lack the words to express my gratitude for her.

 

 

While Grandma was here we've had lots of little adventures, documented by these photos!  Enjoy!



 This is the character Katie has created for herself that she calls "Baby Bad-Guy", she runs around terrorizing people with her "sword" and when she points it at you she yells, "shing".  No idea where it came from, but it's pretty entertaining.

 Even Bad-Guys need Grandma snuggles.

 She carefully placed each sprinkle on her cookie one by one...

 Then with equal care and precision she ate the sprinkles off one by one.

Once the snow banks around our church parking lot started to melt, I decided I needed to get a picture while they were still taller than I am.  They are shorter than they were for most of the winter, but you still get the idea.  Lots of snow.  By the end of March, we were so ready to see it gone, but alas it lingered still.

 We of course had to take Grandma to the Library, and we've been a few times since.  It still feels like magic, and like I shouldn't be allowed to leave with arms full of books, and I still feel blessed each time they let me.

 We made the bi-weekly trip to Costco, and since Grandma was with us we even ate lunch there, which is such a fun treat.

Getting crafty!

 Getting ready for Easter weekend Lily drew a picture of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.  She was doing artwork at the table, which is normal and when I came to see what she was creating, I was surprised and touched by what she had made.  I am always blown away at what a sweet and special girl she is.