Phew! It has been hot and hectic! Wednesday I went to work, then drove into town to radiology to get a new picture of my "melon" (tumor). I came home, made dinner and started studying for my final exam for the following day. I felt a bit stressed as I had absolutely no time to prepare with the onset of two additional doctor's appts. this week, that I did not anticipate.
The cause for the additional appts. is because of a condition called (MH) Malignant Hyperthermia. Eight years ago, I had a very rough time with the anesthesia and it required 4 extra days in the hospital. I pasted Wikilpedia's definition that should help explain this "lay-terms": Malignant hyperthermia (MH or MHS for "malignant hyperthermia syndrome", or "malignant hyperpyrexia due to anaesthesia") is a rare life-threatening condition that is triggered by exposure to certain drugs used for general anaesthesia (specifically all volatile anaesthetics), nearly all gas anaesthetics, and the neuromuscular blocking agent succinylcholine. In susceptible individuals, these drugs can induce a drastic and uncontrolled increase in skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism which overwhelms the body's capacity to supply oxygen, remove carbon dioxide, and regulate body temperature, eventually leading to circulatory collapse and death if not treated quickly.
Susceptibility to MH is often inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder, for which there are at least 6 genetic loci of interest,[1] most prominently the ryanodine receptor gene (RYR1). MH susceptibility is phenotypically and genetically related to central core disease (CCD), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized both by MH symptoms and myopathy. MH is usually unmasked by anesthesia, or when a family member develops the symptoms. There is no simple, straightforward test to diagnose the condition. When MH develops during a procedure, treatment with dantrolene sodium is usually initiated; dantrolene and the avoidance of anesthesia in susceptible people have markedly reduced the mortality from this condition.
And so, for this surgery, and here on out, I need to be AWAKE! Monday, I drove to the hospital and went to a Clinical Anesthesiology for a lengthy pre-op consult. We discussed how/if Whitley should be tested and determined the type of block they plan to use in my spine and how it would be similar to a woman having a "C-section". The tumor is not the size of a melon, just a smidge under 9 cm., but the condition has caused my uterus to swell to the size of someone who is 12 (+) weeks pregnant and so that is why I call it my "melon". The plan is to take do a complete hysterectomy Monday morning. I will be in the hospital for two days at the most, and then will come home to recover for several weeks. John will be home with me for the bulk of that time and I just learned that my Dad is driving out as well!
Medical issues did not stop my finals from coming and so I went in and did my best on Thursday. I am not sure what my grade is yet and there was a section that was difficult. Hopefully my other tests scores were strong enough to absorb the final if I didn't do so hot.
We have tons of extra kiddos running around the house. We had a little girl from the West coast for two days and two little girls from the East coast on and off for a month. On any given day there can be 9 other kids here, so the summer has went really fast for Whitley and she has had a blast with all her friends.
Friday, my sister Amanda had surgery on her back and I am told she is doing well from the procedure. I am so thankful for answered prayer.
A thousand miles away, Whitley and I scrambled to purchase school clothes and supplies as I don't see myself doing any power shopping in the next two weeks after surgery. I still am in awe of how expensive things are with my wee little family of three and I just don't know how these big families do it these days. Just school supplies alone were $160!!!! and trust me, I did the 44 cent pencils and 50 cent reams of paper. We got off for $140 with clothes as 1/2 of her clothes still fit. We have two more hits before school starts: $390 for registration and $890 that needs to be paid for SEA CAMP (science trip to San Diego/marine Biology). I guess this is how they warm up everyone for the BIG checks you write when they are in college,right?
Today it is still early and we already have one neighbor kid here. The two girls from NY left at 8:30 am. I just got off the phone with my Dad and he is over halfway here! My sister is supposed to be checked out of the hospital today and head home.
I stil have a few things to get around before surgery on Monday morning. I'll sign off for now, and hopefully, be back up blogging in a week or so!
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