Paging Dr. Sheppard

My second posting for March. Ahhhhh. Feels good. March was insanely busy was it not? What with the first day of Spring and all. It's been hard to catch up.

In the middle of February some really strange things started happening to my body. Weird pregnant lady things. So, I got really excited and bought about a pregnancy test. Which was negative. So I bought about 15 more pregnancy tests. All of which were negative. Mweah Mwaaaaa. Not pregnant, I figured my body would regulate in it's own due time. It didn't. I called the gynie and her nurse told me to go get some blood work done but it was nothing to worry about. So, I do.

I get my arm poked and they give the results to my doc. Who decides not to call me with the results for over a week. Even though I called there 3 times. Am I not pushy? Am I too GD nice? Anyway, I get an urgent call that I need to come in ASAP and we're so sorry we've overlooked these results. Talk about staying calm. Geez. Get a grip. Try not to scare the animals.
I go in (March 19)for what I think is a normal breast exam. The doctor sits me down and says that the prolactin hormone in my body is off the charts. For a girl my age who is not pregnant the level should be a 4 to a 10. A pregnant lady will have a prolactin level of 20 to as high as 35 or 40. Mine was 118! Holy cow! I figured I was a fertile turtle and there's nothing wrong with that. She told me that this hormone level can be caused from two things. A thyroid problem or a brain tumor. I've been functioning as a semi-normal person for just shy of 25 years. I can't have a brain tumor. She ordered more blood work and an MRI.






Let me tell you an MRI is not like what they show you on Grey's Anatomy. It's not big and spacious. It's not even as big as this picture shows. AND there's no McSteamy walking around. It is small and noisy as hell. Did I mention scary? I was in there for an hour. With this magnet machine taking pictures of my brain. When they are almost done they come give you an IV with a chemical in it to help see your brain better. The self-proclaimed "One-Poke Wonder" had to poke me THREE friggin' times! And once he missed the vain but injected the IV anyway... "burning. BURNING!!" What a mess. Then I went and got my blood work done. They were running out of places to put needles. Let me tell ya.
Hello Dr. Sloan! Meow!

That night I was scared and I cried... until I fell asleep and woke up crying at intervals during the night. It's really strange. When she told me Thursday that I might have a brain tumor somehow I knew I did. I just knew it. And I spent that night talking to my family convincing myself I didn't. But, Friday I got the news that I have a brain tumor on my pituitary gland. It measures 8.8 millimeters.







I have met with a few doctors since then and am meeting with a neurosurgeon this Thursday. And no, it's not Dr. Sheppard from Seattle Grace. Althought I wish it was. He's the best in the world! *wink wink* There are two options to help me. Medicine or surgery. I am taking a medicine right now every night called Bromocriptine. It is supposed to help reduce the symptoms and stop my brain from producing all these extra hormones. (Ken will be happy to be out of the doghouse finally. But Rusty will miss him.) With surgery, they would go in through my nose so I won't have to get a new hair do or anything like that. There are pros and cons to both options. And I am still weighing them out. But taking the meds in the mean time.

It's been a shock. It's been not as easy as I thought to deal with. But, rest assured I am fine. I am live and kicking. And I am strong-willed and tough. This isn't going to get me down. I've got to keep on movin'! It's also brought back fond memories of a favorite childhood cartoon....