This will be a very short post, as I forgot that Scott has class tonight so I need to get home! Neuro appointment today went okay. The man seems very nice, but really didn't listen at all and seemed in a rush. For as much as my insurance company is paying him, I was hoping for a little more understanding on both ends. Basically, he is doing a brain MRI on Tuesday, they drew blood today and I have to do a 24-hour urine collection (fun, right?) to check for something else but I've already forgotten what it is for because he went so fast. His main focus seems to be on my headaches, but I was really hoping for some info on the chest pressure, autonomic system, etc. We will see what happens. Right now, I could really use a long weekend somewhere warm. Anyone happen to have a condo or home somewhere warm I can visit? Oh, and if you happen to have a private plane to get me there, that would be just swell. :-)

Movin' On

Last week was a pretty rough one physically. The kids each were sick one day with a mild stomach virus (not the flu, thankfully) and while theirs only last 24 hours, mama was sick the whole week. On top of the virus, the chest pressure and pain was so intense, I had to physically make myself breathe. Not fun. I went to the regular dr. Thursday and he had no idea, and told me to call my cardiac EP Friday AM. He sent me to the ER, where I spent 5 glorious hours with the Dupont staff. Actually, the time went by pretty fast and while I hate being at the hospital, I have to say this was one of my better visits. The staff was very kind and attentive, which makes a world of difference. The only irregular thing was my d-dimer level was high, which can indicate a blood clot, so they did a CT scan of my lungs, which came back fine. Since my cardiac enzymes and everything looked fine, they felt I could go home even though they didn't know the cause of the pain and pressure.

This week has been better, but I find myself over-doing it, to make up for last week's marathon on the couch. I've been tracking my blood pressure and heart rate, and both are looking great, yet I feel the same. Not what we were hoping for, as that means something else is going on as well. I saw Dr. Devecci this morning, and he is pleased that my heart rate is lower thanks to the 3 prescriptions, but said I am a total mystery. He is thinking there is perhaps a neurological problem in addition to the heart issues since I feel exactly the same and the daily headaches are getting worse. He would like to have an MRI of my brain, and was able to schedule me with a neuro dr. next Wednesday. I am very thankful that I can see someone local and am praying that we get to the bottom of all of this soon. I hate living with the unknown, which is probably part of the reason God is allowing this to go on for so long. Daily I am reminded that He is in control, not me, which can be a hard lesson for me to learn!

Quick Update

I don't have a whole lot to say today, but hadn't posted in awhile so thought I'd give a quick update. Last weekend we switched the Rx to raise my blood pressure, as the first one gave me constant, dull chest pains in addition to the constant goose-bumps and chills. The new one doesn't give me either of those side effects, but so far doesn't seem to be working (I don't feel any better, and my blood pressure has been between 90/52 and 106/65). Starting last night, I'm having trouble breathing again. It feels like the elephant is sitting on my chest once again and I'm having issues with my stomach. I'm back to purposely breathing, which isn't much fun. I went to the regular dr. tonight and he said it isn't the flu, but he doesn't know what is wrong. He told me to call my cardiac EP tomorrow, as I am a mystery to him. In addition to praying for me, please continue to lift up Troy and Alicia Floor (Troy started chemo and radiation last week for his stage III colon cancer, cancer on one lymph node; questionable spot on his liver may be cancer as well) and Pat Sablic (Larry's wife... Larry lost his battle to cancer last week). Thanks for the continued prayers, Karin

Tilt Table Test

On Thursday morning, I went to the hospital for my tilt table test. When we started, my heart rate was 55 bpm, then when they tilted me up it nearly doubled (100 bpm). After 30 minutes of that fun, Dr. Devecchi gave me nitroglycerin to mimic my doing light activities. Within 2 minutes, my heart rate jumped to 150-160 bpm and it took all of my energy just to breathe. Apparently, that shows that in addition to the inappropriate sinus tachycardia, I also have postural orthostatic hypotension. What that means is when I go from laying down to doing activities, my blood pressure tries to bottom out. To keep that from happening, my heart pumps faster. Needless to say, I was not feeling too well the rest of the day. I have now started on a medication to raise my blood pressure (midadrine) and I will need to check my blood pressure often, as there is the possibility of it going too high. While I'm not thrilled to have a second electrical problem with my heart, I really feel like we are heading in the right direction. There is still the possibility that I have a problem with my autonomic system (the nervous system that controls the heart and lungs) as that is in the same family and same symptoms as what I am experiencing. We are taking it one step at a time and praying that the new medication makes a big difference. So far, I can't tell a difference (except for the constant scalp tingling, goose bumps and chills, which are apparently side effects??) but it is a fast-acting medication so we should know if it works or not in a few days. My next appointment is on October 21. Enjoy the weekend, Karin

Bye Bye Mr. Computer and a few pictures

A few pictures of this summer/fall (none of Scott, I just realized, as he took all of them!)

July 2009 Katie wrote this note to us (when she was supposed to be sleeping). It says, "Dear Mom and Dad, I hope that you buy that car." We didn't buy that one, but we did buy one shortly thereafter.
Katie loses her first top tooth!
Scott captured this amazing sunrise from our backyard.
July 2009: Visiting my nephew in the NICU. Welcome to the family, baby Luke!
Our house is protected by superheroes!

Well, we've managed to kill another laptop somehow, so the blog posts will be fewer and farther between. I will only be posting about once a week, as we do not have the money to buy a new computer at this time (and probably won't until I return to work). So at this time, please pray for me as I have my tilt table test tomorrow morning and am on my third round of antibiotics, as well as the Floor family. Troy, the father, has colon cancer at the age of 27. His wife is pregnant with their second child and is due the month he is having surgery (chemo and/or radiation in the mean time). Also, please pray for my discipleship mentor, Judy, as she has stage 4 breast cancer and goes in for another scan soon. One more to mention quickly, Larry (a close friend of Scott's parents) has been told he only has two more months to live, as he is losing his battle with cancer in several organs. My heart is so heavy for all of these families. As I was trying to sleep the other night, I found the following verses and they just brought such comfort to me so I thought I'd share them with you: Psalm 73:2-6, 16-17 "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny." What a comfort to know that I know where my final destiny is and some day ALL of those listed above will be pain-free for eternity. Karin

Wii and Grocery

I'm getting ready to head to Kroger and WOW there are some good deals! I will post them all when I get home, but in case you are getting ready to go shopping, too, make sure you go to shortcuts.com to put e-coupons on your Kroger card, then go to smartsource.com to get printable coupons to go with it.
I also will be heading to the doctor today in hopes of getting a 3rd antibiotic. I just can't seem to kick this sinus infection/ear infections!

From EngineerADebtFreeLife.com:

Nintendo Wii deal + FREE Amazon $25 gift card
Posted by Money Savin' Momma | 9/28/2009 09:25:00 AM | amazon, popular | 0 comments »
Amazon is having a hot deal on the Nintendo Wii right now. They are selling the Wii for $199, PLUS you get a FREE $25 Amazon gift card! This means the price after gift card is really like $175. If you are considering purchasing the Nintendo Wii as a gift this year, you will definitely want to take advantage of this hot offer before it's gone! If you use the FREE Amazon gift cards you get from searching online with Swagbucks and rating websites with iRazoo, the Wii can be totally FREE!


Get the Nintendo Wii for $199 + FREE $25 Amazon gift card

Here are the details from Amazon: Get a $25 gift card with a Nintendo Wii purchase. To qualify, add a Wii console to your cart from September 27, 2009 to October 3, 2009, and you will get a $25 Gift Card in the mail up to 10 business days after your purchase. Must be sold and shipped by Amazon.com

GREAT DEALS!!!

"Oh, the Lord's been good to me and so I thank the Lord for giving me the things I need like the sun and the rain and the apple trees the Lord's been good to me, amen!" Yep, Scott's favorite song from camp applies today; everyday, actually, but especially feeling it today.
1) Walgreens has some spectacular deals! They are clearancing several items to get ready for re-vamping the stores. Some deals I got today:

backpacks~$2.59 each
Cottonelle TP ~4pk $0.89-$0.50 coupon from cottonelle.com/coupons=39 cents!
Walgreens 180 ct facial tissues~$0.50
Aussie products, Herbal Essence products and Bic Soliel razors with coupons and
register rewards CHEAP (don't recall the exact prices)
Domino 5 lb sugar~$0.80 some coupons out there for 50 cents, I didn't have any, but that is still a great deal, especially with holiday baking coming up!
Total spent:$21 for 21 items
Total saved: $52!! Whoo hoo!!

ALSO: go right this minute to www.childrensplace.com if you ever buy clothes for kids! They are having a fall sale, and some of the items are only $0.99! Add coupon code V4989 when you check out for 15% off. I spent $18.83 INCLUDING shipping for 15 items: 2 dresses, 9 shirts and 4 pairs of shorts. Some I plan on keeping and some are for gifts. Remember, Christmas is not too far away! :-) Happy shopping! Karin