November weddings

Heidi's classmate, Shawn, got married in Dublin on 11/9/12 and had a reception at Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton.  The cover band and the food were good.

Nancy and Vladimir got married on 11/17/12 in Brentwood and had a reception in Crockett.

 Tyler and Kira had a great time running around and socializing with the other kids.

 Kira shows off her dress we got from craigslist.

We didn't have enough earplugs for all the kids, and Scott wasn't happy about wearing these cotton ones.

Most of these pictures were from the little didge.  After 8 years and one trip back to Canon, it's still working.  The quality isn't as good as the SLR, and you can probably tell which ones are which.  But sometimes it's too much a hassle to lug around the big dog, and I never even take it out of the case.  So a bad picture is better than no picture.

Heidi hasn't been posting much on the blog.  We don't have much news about her thyroid except that the numbers seem to be improving but the physicians aren't that concerned about getting her in to biopsy.  I'm always concerned when things change without much stimulus or why they appeared in the first place, but I'm no physician.  I've been keeping my fix-it blog up to date but people are more interested in the kids.  By the time I come home from work, we eat, maybe do piano, and then go to bed.

For my birthday (34--entering my mid thirties), I got some chocolates.  I like dark chocolate, but anything beyond about 70% is too dark.  Well, there was some 85% in my stash and the kids got into it.  Also, my peanut M&M's began disappearing.  Turns out Scott had climbed up on the sewing machine table, removed the chocolates from the high shelf and helped to eat all but the 85%.  Kira and Tyler joined in, but I found pieces of the 85% all around the house.  Even in the bed.

We got Tyler's report card.  He did better than expected and seems to be thriving.  He can memorize things easily and does well with his Spanish accent.  Scott has improved his reading quite a bit and is enjoying it now.

Kira speaks the most Spanish out of the kids and can repeat short sentences.  Her hair is still a mess and I want to cut it short, but Heidi was traumatized by a bad haircut from her youth.  So we'll keep Kira's hair a rat nest for now.

Blakey has been real fussy for the past week.  He had explosive diarrhea in which he would soil his outfits every three hours.  He doesn't have it anymore, but he still cries a lot and doesn't sleep well.
Okay, that's all for now.

Freedom and Politics

The past weeks and months have been a time for me to examine my ideals, beliefs, and what I personally stand for. What a great blessing to be a part of a democracy which fosters this personal growth and reflection instead of taking it away.

Everytime I went down our street and saw signs, both for and against propositions and candidates, I felt proud to be an American.

With that said, it was so sad to see how many interpret that freedom as a duty to bash, put down and name call a side with a differing viewpoint.

I am pro-life.  I have had very sacred and personal experiences in my life that have formed this belief.  Has everyone had those same experiences?  No.  Do I consider others wrong who are pro-choice?  No, however, it would be wrong for me with the experiences and knowledge I had while pregnant to stand for any other belief.

If our state legalizes marijuana, will I teach my kids to smoke marijuana?  Of course not, just like I don't  teach them to smoke cigarettes.  Just because the majority says something is legal doesn't mean it is right for my family.

Our Nation is Divided.  I don't know what the solution is or sadly if there is one.  As a result politicians spend a lot of time getting very little done.  While I believe all truly want the common good for our society, we are all seeing how it is harder to reach that when the morale fabrics of our society continue to become more and more divided.

So the question I have spent a lot of time reflecting upon is what to do about it.  The answer came simply and powerfully: Be the best person, mother, wife and community member I can be.  Teach my children right from wrong. Teach them that living a certain way leads to happiness and fulfillment.  Be just as strong an influence on my family as society will be.  What a sacred responsibility!

I will continue to stand for what I believe.  I will rely on faith, prayer, love and constant attention to my family to teach them to become good, morale members of society, loving husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. It makes me want to be a better person, better mom and wife.  It makes me want to be a greater influence for good on my family and children.

Does the nation dictate my happiness or belief?  Yes and no.  As laws and ideals shift, I will still have the freedom to choose how I will personally live and what I will personally stand for and yes because I am blessed with that freedom!  For that I am very grateful to be an American.  I am grateful for the election we just had.  I am grateful for our wonderful country that blesses me with that!

Danny Surgery Update

Danny's surgery went well.  He went in today to get some nerves cut that have been causing horrible, daily pain that affects daily life.  I am not much of a worrier but I was really really really hoping that this worked.  My mom's best friend, our Aunt Rita, had nerve damage that was so horribly excruciating she finally got her leg amputated.  Danny's was nothing like hers but he told his surgeon he was ready to amputate than to live in this pain.  My heart goes out to all those with chronic pain.  I very much take my health for granted.

He had a similar surgery done a year after his first hip and got immediate relief. When we left the hospital today he thought it was better.  He has some phantom pain lower in his leg, but the back pain seems to be alleviated.  Keep him in your prayers.  This could be a huge blessing. It seems like we have been receiving a lot of pretty awesome blessings lately.  A lot to give thanks for during the season of thanks.  

Radio call-in on Mormon missions

Ok, we listen to AM radio.  Every time I listen to talk radio, I am reminded that I am old.  

Anyway, today while we were driving to Walnut Creek there was a lady on the radio that couldn't stop talking about the Romney boys serving Mormon missions instead of serving in the military and if they loved their country they would have served in the military.  Apparently, Ann Romney had been talking about the positive impact her sons' missions had had on their lives.

While no service can be compared to serving in the armed forces, I do feel that anytime we serve, whether serving for the liberty of our country, serving in our professions, humanitarian service, volunteering or serving in our church, we are bettering society and bettering ourselves.  This is a commendable and good thing.  The talk radio hostess was so bold as to state that the only reason mormons serve missions is to grow their church and thus have more money for their church.

That got me.  I thought about the thousands of people serving humanitarian missions.  My sister-in-law being one.  You can disagree with church's trying to proselyte about Christ.  I get that.  That didn't bother me, but what did bother me was her false information.  So I called her and stated while there are a lot of proselyting missionaries, there are many missionaries serving humanitarian missions for our church.  She said there weren't this type of missionary in the Mormon church and there were just proselyting missionaries.  I said I personally know people who were called on humanitarian missions to which she said, "oh you are cutting out, I can't hear you," and hung up the phone on me. I wasn't cutting out but she didn't want to be called out that she didn't do her homework.  

Needless to say, the church is often first to aid in natural disasters.  They help all people and nations regardless of religion because that is emulating Christ.  In 2008, LDS Humanitarian Services provided aid to 3.3 million people in 122 countries.  From 1985 - 2009, $327.6 million in cash and $884.6 million in commodities of aid was given throughout 178 countries.  

I think it is important to recognize the good and get the facts.  So what did I learn?  Do your homework.

Blakey

Wassup?

Oh, you want me to find my own binky?

Postponed Biopsy

I went in for my biopsy today and they were unable to do it.  The doctor was concerned that my inflamatory processes were too high.  She explained this might be a result of my pregnancy with Blake, infection, hot nodule or disease.  They want to make sure that it wasn't a hot nodule that elevated the esr.  She doesn't want to biopsy until she repeats labs in a couple of weeks. She is hoping to see a decrease in my sedimentation rate during my next round of labs.  My hormone level is really low, pretty much non-existent but t-3 and t-4 levels are normal which she said might be a result of the cyst interfering with my thyroid function.

She said my cyst is very large and pushing on my wind pipe and eventually lead to more symptoms.  She was surprised I didn't experience signs of having trouble breathing.  It hurts my ear right now and I can feel where it is pressing but not painful or troublesome to breathe.  She showed it to me on the ultrasound and it is a lot bigger than I thought.   It is a complex cyst, meaning it has solid masses, which she said isn't as good as just being fluid filled.  She said that if it comes back cancerous they will remove both sides of the thyroid to make sure that the diseased side didn't affect the side that appears healthy.  If the biopsy comes back normal, they can try to drain the cyst and hope it remains small. If that doesn't work they can try radiation or removal.  If they remove the one side they actually biopsy it while I am under to see if the other side needs to be removed.

I left feeling informed and educated.  I might not have all this right, but I think I understood.

Not worried about it and so grateful it is in my thryoid and not lymph node.  Hoping the elevated esr is due to a hot nodule or past illness or pre-pregnancy but we shall see.  So that's all for now.  A lot to be grateful for.

Pain in the Neck

I got sick right before going on vacation and of course was sensitive to my aches and pains and noticed a lump in my neck from about a month ago that was still there.  Told Danny, who was upset and told me if I were his patient he would send me off to the Doctors right away. I was going on my trip and promised I would go to the doctors upon arrival home.

Luckily sickness passed within a couple of days.  I was slightly concerned I am so tired and get sick more than I used to.

Went to doctor, who I love, on Friday and ended up spending three hours at the doctors, getting annoying moles removed, tb test, labs and antibiotics there with 4 children.  Luckily I rock at doctors visits with kids and barely survived.  She thought the lump was probably a swollen lymph node, which didn't explain why it wasn't going away and I was so tired all the time, put me on antiobiotics and set up a follow up appt.

Labs came back normal for infection.  The abnormals were non-existent tsh yet normal t4 levels.   Elevated platelets and elevated sedimentation rate.  Didn't seem like an infection and symptoms of being overly tired didn't line up with hyperthyroid. I emailed and asked for an image since I didn't like the abnormal platelet count and esr.  They did a CT Scan today and showed I have a cyst on my thyroid. Super grateful it is my thyroid and not lymph node.

They will biopsy it this week and go from there.  Super grateful for modern medicine.  It is simply incredible what they can do and how easily things can be detected.  Grateful Danny and I have learned to listen to our intuition.  Hoping biopsy comes back normal, but if not, grateful that it is very treatable.  Hoping this will cure my excessive tiredness!  I am glad I am not much of a worrier.

Danny got a surgery date today to cut a nerve that is causing him horrible nerve pain.  He wanted to amputate his leg at Disneyland and was miserable at Katie's wedding so I am praying that surgery gives him some relief.  That could be the best news of the year for us.  Have so much empathy for people with chronic pain.  It is a joy killer, yet Danny has lived so graciously with pain.