Hey Remember Me

Hey Stephanie. Remember me? Your endo? Here I am with lots of pain to remind you once again that your body is not complete. That you have a disease. That you stuck with me! (evil laugh)

Dear endo... How could I forget I don't need you in my life. I thought we broke up. I don't appreciate you taking me down to the cold ground and leaving me there to just stare at the dog who needs to be let out. I don't appreciate you taking me out yesterday after school. I couldn't move. I just laid on the couch. When I did attempt to stand up I looked a fool. My mom told me I should probably stay on the couch. So that's what I did. Stayed on the couch just wanting so badly to make cookies. And when it came time for me to go to the bathroom.... I held it as long as I could because I knew standing and walking was just not an option. Then you took all my energy. I was beyond tired. I don't even understand!!! Anyways, yes endo I remember you and all your misery. It's been a long time since you knocked me down this bad.

Checking Back In

I checked out for a bit as I have been busy with school, work, holidays, family, birthday and such.

Here I am!

Alive. Well. Drinking hot cocoa!

Christmas was awesome. Jamie and I went down to my parents for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. I had to return back to work that afternoon so we went back home so I could work. (Lame!) I enjoyed Christmas morning even though there were no kids around just us adults (Jamie, my parents, and I) We exchanged gifts and ate cinnamon rolls after. My parents bought me some nice sweaters and Jamie bought me diamond earrings! My very first REAL diamonds! I love them so much. I feel like a princess. He must really love me a lot!!! On the 26th I drove back to my parents for a few days so I could spend some time with my family that was at their in laws for Christmas. Then I again returned back to work on the 28th. Lucky me.

For my birthday the previous week I went to Utah to visit my sister. We went snowboarding and had a TON of fun. My sister is so amazing she made me a cake and made a pink crown that went of the top of it. It was so AWESOME! My brother in law was so sweet to watch the kids so we could go snowboarding not 1, but 2 days. Even my parents came up to Utah. I had been teasing my dad about going to see his grandkids so they came up the same weekend. It was fun to have them there. We went and looked at some amazing Christmas lights and drank hot chocolate. It snowed and was beautiful. I got a new dress that I have been looking at for MONTHS! My sister and brother in law made me this slide show dvd of pictures to music. It is AWESOME. It shows pictures from SOOOO long ago. Memories that I had almost forgotten.

At the end of the day I may be a poor student that is working her butt off, but my family means the world to me. I would do anything for them. I am so glad that I have been able to spend so much time with them recently. I love my nieces and nephews. They are my WORLD! Each of them has their own unique personality. It's so fun to have them all there. Yes things did get CRAZY, LOUD, and WILD, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I have 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 4 nieces, and 8 nephews. I may not have much at this point in my life, but I have it all with my family. I have love, laughter, and more fun than anyone can imagine. Thank you God for giving me such a big family with a lot of love!

Break

This was written December 11

I have so much to catch up on! First today I finished my final in my first block of nursing school! YIPPEE!!! I'm so excited to have that down under my belt. I know the next 3 blocks are going to be quite stressful as I continue to live and work in one place and go to school in a completely different place. Life is crazy! I have about a month off, but it's going to be just as busy as school time. This week is my birthday so I'm flying to Utah to go snowboarding and hang out with my sister and her family. To top off the fun my parents decided they are going to come up as well. It's going to be a blast! My sister and I were worried about it not snowing, but good news... it snowed!!!

Last month I went and saw my dr about the girly issues that have been complicating things in my life! He suggested I do the mire.na. They are coming out with a smaller one for girls that have never had babies. I just am a little worried because I've heard bad things about it. I talked to my dr about some of my fears like of it perfing my uterus. He said that it only perfs when it's being inserted if the dr pushes it, but I don't do that. If I meet resistance then I don't push. He said they take an ultrasound after one month to make sure it's still in place.

I don't know what to think about it.

It Continues

Well... I've been spotting since the 15th. I just thought it was going to stop, but it hasn't. After 2 weeks I called back the Dr. they said they would call me back later. I attempted to call again and set up an appointment, but they told me I would not be allowed to set up an appointment with out talking to the nurse, but surely the nurse would call me in just a few minutes. She didn't call. I waited until the next day. She finally called. Of course she said to set up an appointment. No one could really tell me why this was happening. She asked what birth control I was on and some other question, but no real answer. Later I ended up calling my sister. She told me that is could be my BC because it is low estrogen. Which makes sense because the more I think of it the more symptoms I have of that. CRAZY mood swings. (We are talking full out break down over Jamie not bringing me home candy. Which he ended up going to get because he felt so bad.) And some other things like no sex drive.

So if this is the case what do I do.... I don't like these side effects. I don't like any of this. It seems like my body just went on the fritz!

Oh did I mention that my appointment isn't until the 21st. Yeah my dr is a popular guy. Since I had a bad experience with another one of the dr's I didn't feel comfortable going to anyone else. Especially if they have to do more invasive testing or if they are going to switch up the BC.

HELP! Any suggestions. How do I continue. What questions do I ask the Dr. What are my options even in regards to all this crap and my endo. Sigh. I JUST WANT TO BE F***ING NORMAL!!!!

Growing Inside

Sunday night I returned back to my parents house and stayed up until about 130 am finishing up drug cards. I then had to wake up Monday morning at 545 to go to my clinical at the hospital for respiratory observation. I was almost late. They say if you are even a minute late you get sent home. I walked into the hospital at 629. That was a little too close for comfort!

Monday night I was working hard on an assignment for my radiology observation Tuesday morning. It was probably about 9ish I went to the bathroom only to realize I was spotting. WTF!!!! How can this even be happening. I'm on continuous birth control. I haven't missed any pills. I take it at the same time. I am dedicated to this stupid birth control like a marriage! HOW IN THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING! I began to freak out. Everything was going through my mind. I have cancer. It's back. It's going to kill me dead. I was pregnant and having a miscarriage. No this isn't crazy bleeding. I just had an ultrasound and know I am not pregnant nor do I have a cyst. I was at the kitchen table alone, scared, panicking. I text my mom from the other room to have her come see me. I told her what was going on. She looks concerned too. We decided it would be pointless to call the on call dr because they would just say go to the er or something stupid like that. Mom went to bed. I stayed up until 1230.

Tuesday I woke up at 530 and made it to the hospital on time. I called the Dr when I was done in between clinical and class. Got home and took a nap. The nurse called me. I missed it. I called back. She got some information from me. She was asking all sorts of things. I had to tell her at least 3 times that I have been on continuous bc for almost 2 years and have only let myself have a period once because Dr. M told me I didn't need to and the last time was Feb 2012. Surgery was Feb 2011 diagnosed with the Endo. So she decides that I need to come in for an ultrasound. I then tell her I just had one like 2 weeks ago and that I was told there was no cyst. She then said well I guess you don't need that. Let me talk to Dr. M and I will call you back. I decided to take a nap while waiting. The nap was like an hour. The nurse called and said Dr. M thinks that it must be the endo. GREAT! He just told me like a month ago that basically there was no way the endo could be growing with the continuous bc. So now it is growing all of the sudden? UGH! I just thanked her for calling me back and that was that. I don't know what to do. I feel so confused. I feel so angry and miserable.

Wednesday I did get to sleep in. Went to class at noon-3 drove back to my house. Saw Jamie for 5 min. Kissed him. He went to work. I went to work. Thankfully I was let off early. Went to bed at 430

Thursday woke up at 9. Drove back to my parents. Changed my scrubs. Went back to the hospital for a computer class that lasted an hour and a half. (Not even as long as the drive back!) Went to the care center to start my care plan. Went home. Worked on my care plan. Curled up on the couch to nap for an hour. Woke back up and finished with my care plan. Went to bed at 1230.

Friday woke up at 5. Had to be at clinical at 6. Rocked out my clinical. (Had a real patient. My own real patient!) Got done and drove back to my real home. Jamie had a massage lined up for me and paid for when I got back into town. Met up with him after. Dang he is hot in his uniform! <3 and="and" asleep.="asleep." bed="bed" computer="computer" fell="fell" home.="home." in="in" watched="watched" went="went">
Saturday slept! Went to the gym!!!!! Got out some anger. Went to work.

I think I'm done spotting as of today (Saturday.) I'm not even sure what to think of this all. I'm so confused. How can this be happening. Why is this happening. What is the plan now. Am I going to still have periods every month even though I'm on the bc? Is this stress related? I was really stressed out with my C scared and nothing like this ever happened. What do I do. I just want to cry my eyes out. There are so many questions and no answers. I feel like if I ask I will be shut down. I don't even want to bother making an appointment with Dr M because I feel like it's so pointless. ANY SUGGESTIONS!!!???!!!?!?!?!

HELP ENDO SISTERS!

The D Word

I had my ultrasound Friday morning. The office was quite and the only people there were the ultrasound lady and I. I'm not sure of her name, but every time she is so sweet. This trip she shared with me that she too had endo and felt bad for me and my pain.

As much as I wanted to see something like a cyst or ANYTHING... I knew there would be nothing. I knew in my heart that the only thing that is wrong is a mysterious disease that can't be seen through ultrasound. Although maybe the sudden sharp pain could be cysts because the ultrasound was 3 weeks out from the last MAJOR episode. I don't know what to think. I'm just hoping that it's something other than the endo.

I think I'm still in denial about my disease. Ugh I hate that word. Disease. Stupid! An incurable, invisible disease. 

I do realize that I am lucky. No I don't have pain everyday, but at least 3 times a week my body will remind me that it's there. Mostly it's just a twinge of pain. A tightness. Maybe I just learned how to deal with the pain better... I know when I start to feel that twinge and tightness that I need to sit and be still. Not move. Don't try to walk. Don't try and stretch, cough, sneeze. Most of the time that works, but there are always the times where I'm just standing there talking minding my own manners and BAM! No little twinge to give me a heads up just the BAM! Those are the ones I hate the most. 

Knock on wood that I have yet to have one of these graceful episodes at school. I often think of what I will do. People don't know me or my story and I would feel so awkward if that happened. I would be so embarrassed. 

Anyways... I guess I should make a follow up appointment with the Dr to discuss my nothingness. I just don't get it. I mean it's almost every other month like to the T. It's usually the right side. It's almost like my period, but I don't get my period due to the continuous BC. That's what I don't get. Why is my body still trying to make and egg or something. I don't know what it's doing really!

All these other fabulous women out there know there body so well. They know what they are looking for and what everything means. Meanwhile in Stephanie Land I'm just like "La Dee Da" It goes back to me being in denial. If I don't know then it can't hurt me... WRONG. 

PS just heard a strange noise in the house and almost cried. Probably the ice machine.

Okay enough of this rant... I have a skills test today followed by a quiz and a major exam tomorrow. Focus!

Motivation

My motivation today is no where to be found. My mind is all over the place....

I am going to write a drug card.
I want to buy a dress.
What is on pin.terest.
I should work out.
I should blog.
About that dress.
Did I pay my bills this month?
I wonder what Jamie is doing.
Back to the drug cards.
Back to the computer.
I need a snack.
Yummy snack.
Roxy wants a snack.
Drug cards.
Computer.
Dress.
Snack.

OH BOY! I need help! I need to get it together! Tomorrow after class I drive back home. Work all night. Then Friday morning I have an ultrasound. I am sure it's not going to show anything. I had some pain yesterday, but not the fall on the ground kind just the hey I'm here pain. The Dr. still continues to tell me the endo isn't growing because I'm on continuous birth control. Apparently that's the end all be all to endo. HA! I wish for there to be a cyst only because then it would be something I could see. Endo is like a fake disease that no one believes you have because no tests show it. Oh how I want to be normal again...