what the crap!

Ok I decided that I needed to start from the beginning because things are already becoming blurred in my mind and things have really only been super crazy for less than a month. This all started in July 09. I went to the doctor with what I thought was ovarian pain. The doctor couldn't figure out what was up so he sent me for a cat scan. the cat scan showed clots on my kidneys, but my kidneys were in good working order so my regular doctor thought that the clots would be caused by a hole in my heart. He sent me to a cardiologist and sure enough there was a hole in my heart. So a couple of hours of surgery, a night in the hospital, and 2 grand later I had a pfo closure (fancy word for hole in the heart fixed). I thought that I was as good as new. Next Joe lost his job - another stress, but hey I babysit and we have unemployment. Then during the summer we spent a lot of time at Lagoon - during one of the visits I went on the Jet Star with Michael and totally jacked up my back, but that wasn't the worst part - I took Caroline on the baby slide in the kiddie pool and got a compressed fracture in my back - talk about painful. I went to 3 different chiropractors and they couldn't fix me. They couldn't understand how someone my age could have a compressed fracture (they usually only happen when you are really old) The last chiropractor through out that worst case it would be cancer. I thought he was a nut job and went home to let my body heal on its own. A few more months go by and I get a letter in the mail from my regular doc saying that it is time for routine blood work to make sure that my pfo closure fixed my kidney problems. I felt fine so I wasn't going to worry about going to the doctor - honestly who has time for that! The letter was still in the back of my mind but I kept ignoring the fact that I should go to the doctor when I was sitting in Sunday School and our Relief Society president came and sat next to me and said completely out of the blue that I looked very sick - she said that I was not well and needed to go to the doctor. She thought that was the weirdest thing to say also - I thought that I was looking pretty darn good that day. So I called the next morning and went to the doctor. I just had 1 vial of blood drawn and was sent on my way. The medical assistant called that afternoon and said that they thought that there was a lab error and they wanted me to come back in first thing in the morning and get retested. (still not worried) I went back and got retested and the doctor and I were joking that it had to be a lab error because I looked great and I was functining so well. Well the doctor personally called a couple of hours later and told me that my creatin was 5.8 and that I was in kidney failure. He said to go to the emergency room NOW. I told him that I didn't really have time for that I still had 2 extra babies at my house and my kids weren't home from school yet. He said GO NOW they are waiting for you at the er bring a bag they will probably keep you overnight. (starting to get a little worried) Well we called a neighbor to come stay with the kids, grabbed a bag and headed to the er. When I arrived at the ER the kidney doctor met me and said there must be a lab error. He said I looked too healthy and if the numbers were correct then I shouldn't be able to be walking and talking. He said if the numbers were correct then I would basically be comatose. Well he retested again 3rd time is the charm right. Well the tests were right I was in kidney failure and my blood level was down to 17 (apparently that is super duper low) they start tranfusing at 21 They gave me 4 units of blood and I was still low. They told me that I would be staying overnight. What a pain in the butt. Well now my world is starting to feel like it is being turned upside down. It is December 1st, I haven't started my Christmas shopping and I am stuck in the hospital with kidney failure! They couldn't figure out what in the world was wrong - they kept coming in for more vials of blood I lost count at 36 vials. If I was so low on blood you would think that they would leave me as much as possible. Well 2 days later on the 3rd of December the hemotologist oncologist paid me a visit. (starting to get a little worried) He came in and said that I have multiple myeloma an incurable cancer that has a life expectency of about 8 years. Just plain facts - he said it like he was telling me that it was Tuesday. He told me that they would start chemo immediatly and a procudure called plasma apherisha (they pull all of my blood out spin it - seperate the plasma - throw my plasma away and give me a syntetic plasma and return my blood) Then he asked me if I was ok and left the room. HOLY CRAP my world just got turned upside down. They sent me right down to radiolgy to get my lovely neck acessory put in and that is when it hit me. Holy cow I broke down on the operating table and cried and cried I had the entire room crying with me. The nurses were all awesome - my goodness I think that every nurse that I had cried with me for the week that I was there. The nurse made the radiolgy techs give me good drugs during the port installation even though they normally just use a local just because they felt sorry for me. Well I stayed in the hospital for 8 days before they finally let me go home. I can no longer babysit because I can't be around the germs and I honestly don't have the energy to even think about doing anything extra right now. Actually somedays I can barely make it to the bathroom without feeling like I am going to pass out. Some days the stress feels completly overwhelming. On Sunday our furnace wasn't working (thank goodness we have an HVAC friend) he got it working. the next day Joe backed into our neighbors car and it feels like we are being beat down for some science experiement. Then other days we feel extremenly blessed. our neighbors, friends and our ward have helped us so much - they have come to clean our house and brought meals in and watched my kids and have just been a huge support for us. Well that is about where things stand now. I have 3 different chemo drugs they are trying to be super aggressive with my treatment since I am so young. (this normally attacks over 65 thin black men) I will do 1 chemo drug every day and the other 2 every other day until the spring when I will do a bone marrow transplant and then they will do some serious heavy duty chemo which will make my hair fall out and I will have to stay in the hospital for 4 weeks. FUN STUFF! Let me tell you I am looking forward to that. Oh and at the begining of all of this the monday before Thanksgiving my mom had a massive stroke and is now on life support at Utah Valley Regional. What the CRAP!

Gotta love cancer

I have decided to start updating my blog it will be much easier than updating on facebook and Joe was super wonderful and bought me a laptop for Christmas. Thanks babe you are awesome. Well just to let you all know if you haven't heard already is I have been diagagnosed with cancer. I have multiple myeloma. I don't know why I have got it or how. The docs say it is just bad luck! This type of cancer usually attacks over 65 thin black men so I have no idea why it is attacking me. I was joking with Joe the other day that I was going to write a book about my experience and call it I just shart myself. We had a super big laugh about it even though that it not a very funny situation. The word shart is from a movie with Jack black in it and they are at a dance club , he askes his friend if he just sharted himself. When you think that you have to fart and you shit yourself! That is a line that we just think is hillarious. Well after a chemo treatment it happened to me and thank goodness we could see the humor in it because it was either have a very good laugh about it or curl up and cry. I am adding a picture of my beauty. I haven't been able to take a decent shower or wash my face for weeks now due to the fact that I have a beautiful accessory poking out of my neck. I have a port in my neck for my chemo and also my plasma apherisa (they pull out all of my blood, spin it, take my plasma out and then return my blood with syntetic plasma) fun stuff! Any way that is the jist of what is new in my life - I will update more frequently now that I have a laptop and I won't have to go to my freezing basement to get on my computer.

Joe's Crab Shack with the Anderson's

I am so blog challenged!!! I tried to turn this picture, but couldn't so I gave up. Also every time that I post a new post I always forget to post backwards so whatever I am talking about goes backward. But I guess that that is how I roll - backwards and barely making it. Someday I will be organized and with it again. I am not counting on it until my kids get much older though. Anyway these are my cute boys. I love being a mom and getting to spend time with my cute kids.




This is my nephew Brandon. He was visiting from California. He is almost a year older than Michael so he is trying to stretch himself taller.















Sydney and Alex forever :)










This is Sydney and Alex. We have always joked that they would grow up and get married someday. These pictures remind me of engagement photos.

















On Saturday we got together with our friends Chris and Mary. They moved to New Mexico about 4 years ago, but about once a year we get together at Joe's crabshack and have dinner. This picture shows what giants my children are - Michael and Christian are the same age and Alex and Sydney are the same age. We love to get together with these guys. I sure wish that they would move back to Utah.

Lagoon

This is how Caroline ended the day. Charlie, Caroline and I had to wait for the boys to finish up one more ride, so we got an Oreo shake. She wouldn't let go of it. I tried just feeding her a spoonful at a time, but once she got a taste of it then there wasn't any turning back. She loved it though. I guess that was her reward for being so patient and sitting in the stroller all day while her brothers were having fun. All in all we had a great time. We ended up buying the season passes, so if anyone is going and wants us to hang out just give us a call.





The train ride is awesome there. I think they have about as many animals as the zoo, but with a view from the train!












The great thing about Lagoon is that they also have the water park in addition to the roller coaster rides.


Charlie is fearless. He will get on all of the rides in kiddie-land all by himself and loves them. Alex likes going on all the big kid rides with Michael, but here he was trying to be a good sport and go on one with Charlie.

Michael and football

Football and soccer are done for 4 weeks!!! I don't know what to do with our free time now. Michael has been playing flag football for the last 2 seasons and now at the end of July will start tackle football. I am not looking forward to my baby playing tackle. He is so big, the other team always puts extra guys on him. That is Michael in the center with a good 6 inches on the rest of his teammates. We are going to move him up to play with the 12 years olds (he is 10) so that he will be closer to the same size as the rest of his team. Hopefully he doesn't screw up any growth plates while playing!

The ZOO again

Michael got braces for Easter he now acts and looks like a teenager.











My little Diva.












Alex loves the gorillas the best.















Caroline has a cute pink cast.




















We love "riding" the animals too.

Easter at White Mountain

After coloring easter eggs (which Charlie got more on his shirt and face than on his eggs) we went to White Mountain and rolled them down the dunes. Caroline broke her leg, so she pouted in the car.






Joe, Michael and Alex rode Uncle Jason's 4-wheelers and had a great time.