I've gotten several e-mails and calls from my blog readers wanting to know exactly what's going on with me medically. I guess I get a little side tracked when writing---or try to avoid the subject---and don't really even realize it. Here's some clarification for all of you! Hopefully this is easier to understand! :)
1) About mid-December my right leg started hurting really bad. It felt like a bad growing pain, but since I wasn't getting any taller, I assumed it was from too much running/exercise. Before the pain started, I was running between 6-7 miles a day, so I thought it was from that.
2) The pain persisted and got worse and I finally decided to go to the doctor for the first time mid-January. The doctor took an X-Ray, which was normal, and sent me on my way with Vicodin.
3) The Vicodin hardly took care of the pain. Back to the doctor I went and he requested an "Urgent MRI." He told us he thought it was a torn meniscus, which wouldn't show up on an X-Ray, so that's why I needed the MRI.
4) Nurse from doctors office calls. Request for the "urgent MRI" was denied by the insurance company. Insurance company says to take ibuprofen for 4 weeks and ice it. What the hell! The doctor had already given me Vicodin...it was a little more than just an ibuprofen thing!
5) I have to go back to the doctor to get another request for an MRI. (Side note: health care is so messed up. I had to go to the doctor about 5 times for the SAME thing before anything got done. It's crazy!!)
6) We find out at the doctors appointment that the doc who requested the MRI only put "knee pain" in the dictation. Nothing about me already having 2 X-Rays, nothing about the pain.
7) New doctor re-requests MRI with proper dictation, takes 4 or 5 days to get appointment. Have MRI on a Saturday night at 9:30 pm at the hospital.
8) Go back to doctor to get results and see what I can do about pain. At this point, it was getting to be so bad, I had to use crutches. He walks in the door saying, "MRI is normal!" I was a little excited, but more let down than anything. I thought for sure it was going to be a torn meniscus and it would be a quick surgery and I'd be done with all of this. He then gave me another exam...he probably thought all of this was in my head since all the tests were normal! He touched a part of my leg and I screamed so loud I probably woke the crazy people on the 7th floor up! Right then he said, "I can't do anything else for you...you need to go see an orthopedic surgeon."
9) Call Pacific Surgical Institute to make appointment. First appointment: end of February. I know everyone thinks they're in need of immediate attention, but I really was. I could barley walk, could barley work...I was suffering! I explained to the lady I talked to the situation, she talked to the doctor, and I had an appointment 2 days after that.
10) My appointment was on Friday, Januray 25th with Dr. Kretzler. I am so thankful I was able to get in and see him. As Dr. Conrad, my doctor at UW said, "he's a smart cookie." Dr. Kretzler walked in the room and didn't even give me an exam. I kept thinking this was just another appointment where nothing would get solved. Wrong. He wanted us to see my MRI. I thought maybe it was a torn meniscus, but while he was waiting for it to pull up, he said that my MRI was definitely NOT NORMAL and he wasn't sure how the radiologist had overlooked it, being that the radiologist report in his hand said "normal." I could feel my heart pounding...I didn't want to hear what he was going to say. I was totally crushed. He had another doctor look at it while I was having blood work done and they concluded that I needed to be seen at the University of Washington ASAP. Holy shit! I knew it was bad if what they saw couldn't be treated by anyone in southwest Washington!
11) My family and I spend all weekend terrified. He told us to be ready to pack our bags and leave for Seattle on Sunday because they thought my appointment would be first thing Monday morning. He mentioned lymphoma, malignant tumor, benign tumor as what it could possibly be. Google and YouTube were my evil friends all weekend as I researched every combination of these things. Not a good idea!
12) I continued to work the following week because we found out my appointment in Seattle wouldn't be until the following Monday. Great news, right?! That meant that Dr. Conrad had looked everything over and determined I wasn't as urgent as Dr. Kretzler had thought! Wrong.
13) We showed up in Seattle on Monday, February 11 for my first appointment with Dr. Conrad. He walked into the room and Kim, mom, dad and Joe were all in the room with me. We were so scared! First thing he said, "I don't even know what's going on...I haven't even looked at the MRI yet." Well shit! If we had known that we hadn't gotten our hopes up! So it was back to square one. He pulled the MRI up and immediately saw something. The bottom part of my femur was all white, which most likely meant a tumor. He told us all he didn't think it was benign, but even with it being cancer, I would recover just fine at my age. He said they would cut the bottom part of my femur off, replace it with a rod and I'd get an entire new knee. Great. A fake knee at 24? Awesome. He said there was also a small chance of it being an infection, but he said that would be very unusual.
14) He makes my appointment for biopsy on that Thursday and says we need to be up there on Wednesday for my pre-op appointment.
15) We go up to Seattle on Wednesday, go to my appointment and then have dinner at Aunt Lynda's. I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 the next morning.
16) Thursday morning I have surgery. Before going in, he had told us that he was pretty sure he would be able to tell what it was after. Wrong again. He said it wasn't an obvious cancerous tumor, wasn't an obvious benign tumor and it didn't really look like an infection. Shiiiiiit. Seriously. I think I may go down as being the most odd patient he's ever seen! He's one of the best and he doesn't know what's wrong? They made three incisions on my right leg. Two on the side and one on the back where my knee bends. The took three or four vials of bone and sent it to pathology. I was in SO much pain from the surgery I didn't think I would ever be myself again! Luckily that went away after about a week, but the pain I had before is back and still going strong. Wheelchair or crutches....that's how I roll.
17) I called the nurse to get results while I was in Hawaii and got a call back saying they'd like to wait until they see me in clinic on the 3rd. Is that good or bad? I'm hoping for the best but planning for the worst.
So that's it. There's three possibilities. It's either a benign tumor (slim chance says doc), a cancerous sarcoma (most likely) or an infection (rare). If it's the "C" word, I'll have to start chemo/radiation and all that not-so-fun stuff. If it's an infection, I'll have to have strong medication given to me 24/7 through an IV for about 3 months. I've researched about such infections and found out that during this time, bed rest is suggested. M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E.
I have my appointment at Monday at UW at 1. Think positive thoughts and keep praying/crossing your fingers/whatever you do. I need it!
Happy Friday,
Katie
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Back to reality
We're home from Maui and now it's back to reality. I woke up this morning hurting more than ever. Joe had to go get me my medicine and I just now got enough energy to get out of bed and take a bath. This is the first day throughout all of this that I can honestly say I am depressed. I feel weak, scared, stressed, empty. I want to be normal. I want to get back to my routine of waking up, working out, going to work and feeling full of energy! Today the thought of food makes me sick, I'm alone after being surrounded with family/friends for 12 days, I feel like an emotional basket case...it sucks.
Although I wasn't able to do much in Maui, it was a wonderful escape for all of us. For 12 days I was surrounded by family. Every morning we'd wake up, go have breakfast and lounge around by the pool all day. For 12 days, besides being in pain, my mind was in a place far away from the reality that I will be faced with on Monday.
I try to stay strong and optimistic, but how can I do so when I'm in so much pain?
Although I wasn't able to do much in Maui, it was a wonderful escape for all of us. For 12 days I was surrounded by family. Every morning we'd wake up, go have breakfast and lounge around by the pool all day. For 12 days, besides being in pain, my mind was in a place far away from the reality that I will be faced with on Monday.
I try to stay strong and optimistic, but how can I do so when I'm in so much pain?
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
tip no. 41: Journaling is self-therapy on the cheap
I went to bed last night with such great intentions for today. I was going to wake up super early, watch the sunrise and head down to the pool to soak up some last minute sun before we leave. Instead, I woke up feeling like I've been hit by a truck. A truck that hit me, backed up, then hit me again. Mom had to bring me my pills, as I could hardly stand to get to the bathroom. I really don't know how much longer I can handle this! I was starting to feel so excited...I was so hopeful that the pain would be relieved after having the biopsy. Nope. I thought maybe I over did it the other day when I walked a little, but since then I haven't moved at all! I literally get pushed and/or wheel myself everywhere. It doesn't take too much effort to lay around drinking virgin drinks all day, so what is causing this pain?! On the 0-10 pain scale, right now it's about a 9.9.
Cancer or infection, they have to do something for this pain! It's taking over my life, not to mention everyone who has been caring for me. I feel like such a pain in the ass...wheel me here, wheel me there, get me this, get me that. I feel like I've lost my independence. Dr. Conrad said I can take more than 2 percocet at a time and I think I should start. I'm just worried about how that will make me feel. When I first started taking them, I'd just fall asleep for hours. I can't imagine taking more than 2...I'll sleep all day!
I finished reading "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" this trip. When I saw it, I had to get it. The first page I turned to said, "Happy Valentine's Day. You have cancer!" A few chapters after that was, "Holy shit! I have cancer." Instantly I felt connected. Not only did my biopsy take place on Valentine's Day, I think I've said holy shit about all of this many times, so I knew I would be able to relate. It's not about older people who've been married for 60 years, have a wonderful life, blah blah blah. It's about young women my age who still have a full life to live, are active, healthy and, in my opinion, don't deserve to have this crap happening!
Anyway, it's really helped me get through a lot of this. Even though I haven't been diagnosed yet, all of the girls in the book have gone through exactly what I'm going through now. Waiting, wondering, being in pain. It helps to read about others and get it through my head that I'll be OK. One of the tips was to get a shrink. I think I may be needing to do that for sure!
Keep keeping me in your prayers! It amazes me how many people are praying for me. I think I'm on just about every prayer chain in Longview. Harlan Gilliland (Longview Community pastor) has been calling, people on my parents hill have a prayer chain going...it's so touching. Although I don't belong or go to church, I still believe. Is that good enough? In times like this, I start to wonder. And although I believe, I find myself having a hard time having faith. Why would God want anyone to have to go though something like this? Not to mention my family. It's just as hard on them as it is on me!
Alright, time to try to get moving. I dread packing. As always, I brought way to much. 7 pairs of sandals/flip flops, about 1093 skirts....I do this every time. I already sent more than 1/2 home with Joe and my bag is still bulging at the seams! And that's not to mention all the shizzle I've bought! I have to wear the stupid compression socks that go up to my knee on the plane to prevent blood clots. On the other hand, I get handicap seating again. But then again, I look like a handicap. :/ Oh well...this too shall pass. Right?
Cancer or infection, they have to do something for this pain! It's taking over my life, not to mention everyone who has been caring for me. I feel like such a pain in the ass...wheel me here, wheel me there, get me this, get me that. I feel like I've lost my independence. Dr. Conrad said I can take more than 2 percocet at a time and I think I should start. I'm just worried about how that will make me feel. When I first started taking them, I'd just fall asleep for hours. I can't imagine taking more than 2...I'll sleep all day!
I finished reading "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" this trip. When I saw it, I had to get it. The first page I turned to said, "Happy Valentine's Day. You have cancer!" A few chapters after that was, "Holy shit! I have cancer." Instantly I felt connected. Not only did my biopsy take place on Valentine's Day, I think I've said holy shit about all of this many times, so I knew I would be able to relate. It's not about older people who've been married for 60 years, have a wonderful life, blah blah blah. It's about young women my age who still have a full life to live, are active, healthy and, in my opinion, don't deserve to have this crap happening!
Anyway, it's really helped me get through a lot of this. Even though I haven't been diagnosed yet, all of the girls in the book have gone through exactly what I'm going through now. Waiting, wondering, being in pain. It helps to read about others and get it through my head that I'll be OK. One of the tips was to get a shrink. I think I may be needing to do that for sure!
Keep keeping me in your prayers! It amazes me how many people are praying for me. I think I'm on just about every prayer chain in Longview. Harlan Gilliland (Longview Community pastor) has been calling, people on my parents hill have a prayer chain going...it's so touching. Although I don't belong or go to church, I still believe. Is that good enough? In times like this, I start to wonder. And although I believe, I find myself having a hard time having faith. Why would God want anyone to have to go though something like this? Not to mention my family. It's just as hard on them as it is on me!
Alright, time to try to get moving. I dread packing. As always, I brought way to much. 7 pairs of sandals/flip flops, about 1093 skirts....I do this every time. I already sent more than 1/2 home with Joe and my bag is still bulging at the seams! And that's not to mention all the shizzle I've bought! I have to wear the stupid compression socks that go up to my knee on the plane to prevent blood clots. On the other hand, I get handicap seating again. But then again, I look like a handicap. :/ Oh well...this too shall pass. Right?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Last night in Maui
Well, we just watched out last sunset in Maui. I can't believe how fast the time has gone...and I was here longer than anyone else, 12 nights! I'm dreading leaving tomorrow simply because of the fact of what's ahead of me. I wish I could have left Sunday with Joe and gone back to work on Monday and just been bummed out about vacation being over. This time it means a lot more than that. I would give anything to be going back and getting back into the swing of things at work, but as soon as we get back we'll be getting my diagnosis from Dr. Conrad.
I think it will just be mom, dad and Kim going to Seattle with me on Monday. I want Joe to be there, but in a way I don't. I almost feel like I want to protect him from all of this. If it ends up being the C word, will he still want to be with me? Will I have to quit my job? Will I ever be able to have kids? This is such a scary time for me. Not knowing is the worst part, but finding out will be just as scary. Thinking about Monday makes me sick!
Alright, time to go get ready for our last dinner. We're going for dinner at Longhi's at 7:30 and then walk to Leilani's from our hotel after for some last chance Hula Pie. I've really had a relaxing/lazy vacation being that I can't even walk. I've been wheeled around everywhere we go! I can't wait till Joe and I come back and I can do everything we had planned on doing before all of this happened!
We leave for the airport at 2:30 tomorrow. Kim and George will be leaving at 12, but they're going to Kauai until Sunday. I'm jealous!
Love from Maui!
Katie
Monday, February 25, 2008
I love Maui!
Aloha! I'm still in Maui. Joe left in Sunday, but dad got my flight changed so I'll be flying back with them and the Staples in Wednesday. The doctor didn't want me going back to work until at least the 29th so I couldn't stand the thought of staying home all day by myself. Mom has been taking care of me every day while Joe is at work...and I need her help bad, so I'm not sure what I would have done. The Hyatt is nice but I like where Joe and I stayed better. It's lonely with Joe gone but Kim and George are still here so I'm having fun. The pain from the surgery has started to go away but the pain I had before is still here. Today it's really bad, I think I over did it yesterday (I walked). Pathetic, huh?!
Anyway, despite being confined to the wheelchair, we've been having a great time. The wedding was gorgeous and so much fun! Joe loved it here. It was fun to be here with them since they've never been here before. David and Jayne loved it too. It's nice to have a couple more days here, but I can't wait to get home to see Joe and Subie. We had to board Subie for a week! Joe went to pick him up yesterday though and they said he did great. I'll be trying my hardest to make it to work on Thursday. I feel a tremendous amount of guilt for missing so much. I just have to keep reminding myself that this has been totally out if my control. It's hard though!
I have my next appointment with Dr. Conrad in Seattle on Monday. That will be the day when I find out what the heck is wrong with me. Being away has been a huge stress reliever but I find myself getting scared again now that the appointment is getting closer. I just want to be better and done with this!
Alright, that's all for now. Don't be too jealous of the fact that I'm in Maui... It rained all day yesterday! Today is a different story but I won't get into that! :)
P.S. Please exuse the typos...I'm using my phone and I'm too lazy to go back and fix them all!
Katie
Anyway, despite being confined to the wheelchair, we've been having a great time. The wedding was gorgeous and so much fun! Joe loved it here. It was fun to be here with them since they've never been here before. David and Jayne loved it too. It's nice to have a couple more days here, but I can't wait to get home to see Joe and Subie. We had to board Subie for a week! Joe went to pick him up yesterday though and they said he did great. I'll be trying my hardest to make it to work on Thursday. I feel a tremendous amount of guilt for missing so much. I just have to keep reminding myself that this has been totally out if my control. It's hard though!
I have my next appointment with Dr. Conrad in Seattle on Monday. That will be the day when I find out what the heck is wrong with me. Being away has been a huge stress reliever but I find myself getting scared again now that the appointment is getting closer. I just want to be better and done with this!
Alright, that's all for now. Don't be too jealous of the fact that I'm in Maui... It rained all day yesterday! Today is a different story but I won't get into that! :)
P.S. Please exuse the typos...I'm using my phone and I'm too lazy to go back and fix them all!
Katie
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Waiting for the phone to ring
Good morning! It's 8:22 Maui time, 10:22 Longview time. I'm waiting for the doctor to call me with the results of the CT scan. I'm scared, but more in denial. How can this be happening to me? What did I do to deserve it? I have too much going on in my life to have to deal with this. I'm young, I exercise, I eat healthy (when not on vacay!), drink in moderation...why me? How does this happen?
I also feel a tremendous amount of guilt. Guilt for making everyone so worried/ scared, guilty for having to have people help me 24/7, guilty for missing work, guilty for putting my family through this. It's a horrible feeling.
Anyway, cross your fingers that the CT scan comes back clear!
In Maui news, we went to Leilani's with everyone last night for dinner, had some Hula Pie, wheeled around and shopped, layed on the beach and just relaxed.
We're going to go get some breakfast now then head to Big Beach. The wedding festivities start tomorrow!
Love from Maui!
Katie
P.S. GO OBAMA!! The Hawaii caucus is today!
I also feel a tremendous amount of guilt. Guilt for making everyone so worried/ scared, guilty for having to have people help me 24/7, guilty for missing work, guilty for putting my family through this. It's a horrible feeling.
Anyway, cross your fingers that the CT scan comes back clear!
In Maui news, we went to Leilani's with everyone last night for dinner, had some Hula Pie, wheeled around and shopped, layed on the beach and just relaxed.
We're going to go get some breakfast now then head to Big Beach. The wedding festivities start tomorrow!
Love from Maui!
Katie
P.S. GO OBAMA!! The Hawaii caucus is today!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Aloha!
Aloha! We made it to Maui safe and sound yesterday. The flight was rough, but I was able to get handicap seating for part of it (never knew they had that!) It's kind of sad being here and not being able to do the things I want to do but the weather is awesome and it's so nice to be away from reality for awhile. My pain is still bad, about a 7 on the pain scale, but I'm getting by as best as I can.
Massage tomorrow morning, some shopping by way of wheelchair and I'm hoping to be able to fight the pain of limping to lay on the beach! Then dinner at Leilani's with my parents, sister and bro-in-law. I'm excited for them to get here!
Alright, that's all for now...I'm using my iPhone and I'm tired of typing!
Katie
Massage tomorrow morning, some shopping by way of wheelchair and I'm hoping to be able to fight the pain of limping to lay on the beach! Then dinner at Leilani's with my parents, sister and bro-in-law. I'm excited for them to get here!
Alright, that's all for now...I'm using my iPhone and I'm tired of typing!
Katie
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Maui here we come!
Well, it's 6:15 a.m. and I'm just finishing up packing. I really didn't think I would be able to go today. I was in SO much pain yesterday. I stayed in bed until 5:00 yesterday. My mom even brought stuff to me so I wouldn't have to get out of bed to brush my teeth. I forced myself to get up at 5 and take a shower. That was rough, but it actually made me feel better. I always feel better after I take a shower. And besides, I had a pedicure at Polished. I coudn't miss that!! :) They let us come through the back door so I didn't have to walk through PALS and she was very patient with me. Pedicures always make me happy, but that one really did it!
After that Joe met up with us and the two of us treked to Target. It's tradition to go to Target before going somewhere to stock up on magazines, books, gum....and last minute travel stuff that I'll probably never use, but it's always fun to buy! I found a book to buy called, "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips." I'm praying that the pathology report comes back cancer-free, but it really helps to read about other people who have gone through the exact stuff that I'm going through right now. Joe paid for everything but he didn't realize until we got home that I bought that book. I think he was a little upset, being that he's so optimistic, but I want to read it. It's not depressing...I made sure of that before I bought it.
Alright, I gotta go blow dry my hair (oh how I'm dreading that!), finish packing and get ready. Our flight leaves at 12:40 but we're leaving really early. It's going to take a lot longer than it usually does being that I'm a total gimp. To clarify, I will not be sitting in emergency row seating today. I felt like such an idiot when I called and asked. They said, "Well, unfortuantely, because of your condition you wont be able to sit in the exit row seats." DUH. I can't even help myself, of course I wouldn't be able to help anyone else! I'm hoping there's room in first class and I can upgrade. I should be flying first class anyway!! ;) It's going to be so hard to leave Subie. He is so spoiled...I hope he gets treated ok. We're boarding him at The Spot. I hope it's not to traumatizing for him!
Goodbye for now....wish me luck in Maui! I wont be updating until my dad gets there with his laptop. I decided it's too hard to take mine...and updating this thing on my iPhone takes a long time, as I still havne't quite had time to master the keyboard!
Thanks again for all of your support...I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!
Love, Katie (View from our hotel!)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Home Sweet Home
I’m home! That’s kind of a bad thing because that means they didn’t find a benign tumor, but it sure was nice to be able to come home and sleep in my own bed!
On a 0-10 scale, my pain is right about 9.9. I’m hoping it’s just from the surgery yesterday though. Dr. Conrad seemed to think that the biopsy would relieve some of the pain, but then again, he didn’t really see what he had expected to see either.
I got to the hospital at 5:30. It was nice being the first appointment of the day because I didn’t get delayed. A little after 5:30 they wheeled me back to a pre-op room where they made me put on a really cute hospital gown, stockings and all of that fun stuff. Only one person could be with me at a time back there so everyone had ten minute shifts. Kim (my sister) came back with me first, then Joe, then dad, then mom and then Joe was the last to be with me. They brought a stretcher to me and I left that area and my whole family walked with me back to where I met the anesthesiologist and then they had to go to the surgery waiting area.
The anesthesiologist was a resident doctor named Juan. He was really cute and had an awesome accent, so it made things a little easier. :) Except for the fact that he couldn’t find a vein for the IV. His exact words were, “So Ms. Katie, did you bring any veins with you today?” He kept saying “little poke, little poke” with no success of finding a vein. I have 5 little spots on each hand where he tried to get it and one of the “little pokes” on my left hand caused a big bruise! After about 25 minutes of this, he finally went and got the head anesthesiologist doctor (and his professor) and he found one on my arm right away and got it in. This little ordeal caused my surgery to start about 20 minutes late!
After they got the IV in the wheeled me to the OR. I don’t remember much about this part, as they started getting the drugs in to me at about this time, but I do remember seeing a huge flat screen TV. They were watching Sports Center! Haha, not really. It was a TV with my MRI on it so they could see what area they needed to work on. I remember seeing a whole bunch of people, including Dr. Conrad, but I don’t remember anything else.
I woke up and Dr. Conrad told my family that the first thing I said was, “Have you done the surgery yet?” I don’t remember that, I just remember waking up in the recovery room and talking to the nurse. They said I woke up really fast and from the time I woke up, I stayed awake the rest of the day. I didn’t get sick or anything. I was in an incredible amount of pain though. They gave me morphine in my IV…that hardly helped.
Anyway, they told me in recovery that I didn’t have to spend the night. I was a little upset, because I knew that mean it wasn’t a benign tumor, but so happy to be able to go home! I think that was part of my motivation to stay awake…I just wanted to get out of that place (and go to Buca di Beppo for dinner)!!!
They took the IV out and let me get dressed and then they sent us to the place that I was at on Monday to get a CT scan. Before they sent me they called to make sure I wouldn’t have to get an IV there…if they said I would need one, they could’ve left it in, but they told the nurse to “pull it.” As soon as I got to the CT place, they told me I would have to get an IV. I was so pissed!!! Especially after the traumatic experience I had earlier in the morning! I had to drink two big containers of barium sulfate. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. I’d have to say that was by far the worst part of the day!!
After that it was homeward bound. The ride home was rough with traffic and the fact that all of us had been up since 4, but we made it. We stopped and had a bite to eat at The Cheesecake Factory (Buca di Beppo was closed). I was pretty hungry and it was the first time I actually had an appetite for a few days, so it tasted pretty good!
Anyway, that was my day. Unfortunately for us, Dr. Conrad doesn’t really know what’s going on. It didn’t look at all at what he thought it would. It wasn’t an obvious cancerous tumor, it wasn’t a benign tumor, and he couldn’t tell if it was an infection. He was able to tell us though, that even if it is cancer, I wont have to have the surgery that he thought I would have to have (cut off bottom half of femur, knee replacement).
They took 5 vials out of my bone and sent it to pathology. If it’s an infection, I’ll have to be hooked up to an IV for three months, if it’s cancer I’ll just have to have chemo and radiation. The only discouraging part for me is the fact that we still don’t have an answer and I'm still in excruciating pain. Even when I’m sitting or laying down, I have a huge amount of pain.
He told me to go to Maui and enjoy myself since they wont know anything for 10 days. I have to be really careful about blood clots though since I’ll be flying so soon after having surgery. I have to wear really awesome knee high stockings on the plane and get up and walk around every hour. We’re going to call today and request emergency row seats so I can have more room to stretch out and elevate my leg. I wont be able to do much in Maui….I may not even be able to go on the beach, but Maui is Maui. It will be wonderful no matter what! I’ll be taking my wheelchair (we were able to rent one) and my crutches. I never would’ve imagined that I would be going to Maui like this!
Alright, it’s been 4 hours since my last drug dose, so I gotta go eat a cracker and pop some more pills.
Joe and I (and his parents) leave tomorrow at 12:40 and my side of the family (mom, dad, sister, bro-in-law, Staples) lave on Monday. I’ll be in touch!
Love, Katie
On a 0-10 scale, my pain is right about 9.9. I’m hoping it’s just from the surgery yesterday though. Dr. Conrad seemed to think that the biopsy would relieve some of the pain, but then again, he didn’t really see what he had expected to see either.
I got to the hospital at 5:30. It was nice being the first appointment of the day because I didn’t get delayed. A little after 5:30 they wheeled me back to a pre-op room where they made me put on a really cute hospital gown, stockings and all of that fun stuff. Only one person could be with me at a time back there so everyone had ten minute shifts. Kim (my sister) came back with me first, then Joe, then dad, then mom and then Joe was the last to be with me. They brought a stretcher to me and I left that area and my whole family walked with me back to where I met the anesthesiologist and then they had to go to the surgery waiting area.
The anesthesiologist was a resident doctor named Juan. He was really cute and had an awesome accent, so it made things a little easier. :) Except for the fact that he couldn’t find a vein for the IV. His exact words were, “So Ms. Katie, did you bring any veins with you today?” He kept saying “little poke, little poke” with no success of finding a vein. I have 5 little spots on each hand where he tried to get it and one of the “little pokes” on my left hand caused a big bruise! After about 25 minutes of this, he finally went and got the head anesthesiologist doctor (and his professor) and he found one on my arm right away and got it in. This little ordeal caused my surgery to start about 20 minutes late!
After they got the IV in the wheeled me to the OR. I don’t remember much about this part, as they started getting the drugs in to me at about this time, but I do remember seeing a huge flat screen TV. They were watching Sports Center! Haha, not really. It was a TV with my MRI on it so they could see what area they needed to work on. I remember seeing a whole bunch of people, including Dr. Conrad, but I don’t remember anything else.
I woke up and Dr. Conrad told my family that the first thing I said was, “Have you done the surgery yet?” I don’t remember that, I just remember waking up in the recovery room and talking to the nurse. They said I woke up really fast and from the time I woke up, I stayed awake the rest of the day. I didn’t get sick or anything. I was in an incredible amount of pain though. They gave me morphine in my IV…that hardly helped.
Anyway, they told me in recovery that I didn’t have to spend the night. I was a little upset, because I knew that mean it wasn’t a benign tumor, but so happy to be able to go home! I think that was part of my motivation to stay awake…I just wanted to get out of that place (and go to Buca di Beppo for dinner)!!!
They took the IV out and let me get dressed and then they sent us to the place that I was at on Monday to get a CT scan. Before they sent me they called to make sure I wouldn’t have to get an IV there…if they said I would need one, they could’ve left it in, but they told the nurse to “pull it.” As soon as I got to the CT place, they told me I would have to get an IV. I was so pissed!!! Especially after the traumatic experience I had earlier in the morning! I had to drink two big containers of barium sulfate. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. I’d have to say that was by far the worst part of the day!!
After that it was homeward bound. The ride home was rough with traffic and the fact that all of us had been up since 4, but we made it. We stopped and had a bite to eat at The Cheesecake Factory (Buca di Beppo was closed). I was pretty hungry and it was the first time I actually had an appetite for a few days, so it tasted pretty good!
Anyway, that was my day. Unfortunately for us, Dr. Conrad doesn’t really know what’s going on. It didn’t look at all at what he thought it would. It wasn’t an obvious cancerous tumor, it wasn’t a benign tumor, and he couldn’t tell if it was an infection. He was able to tell us though, that even if it is cancer, I wont have to have the surgery that he thought I would have to have (cut off bottom half of femur, knee replacement).
They took 5 vials out of my bone and sent it to pathology. If it’s an infection, I’ll have to be hooked up to an IV for three months, if it’s cancer I’ll just have to have chemo and radiation. The only discouraging part for me is the fact that we still don’t have an answer and I'm still in excruciating pain. Even when I’m sitting or laying down, I have a huge amount of pain.
He told me to go to Maui and enjoy myself since they wont know anything for 10 days. I have to be really careful about blood clots though since I’ll be flying so soon after having surgery. I have to wear really awesome knee high stockings on the plane and get up and walk around every hour. We’re going to call today and request emergency row seats so I can have more room to stretch out and elevate my leg. I wont be able to do much in Maui….I may not even be able to go on the beach, but Maui is Maui. It will be wonderful no matter what! I’ll be taking my wheelchair (we were able to rent one) and my crutches. I never would’ve imagined that I would be going to Maui like this!
Alright, it’s been 4 hours since my last drug dose, so I gotta go eat a cracker and pop some more pills.
Joe and I (and his parents) leave tomorrow at 12:40 and my side of the family (mom, dad, sister, bro-in-law, Staples) lave on Monday. I’ll be in touch!
Love, Katie
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Update from Seattle
Well, tomorrow is the big biopsy day. I had my pre-op appointment today with the anesthesiologist and had to get more blood work done.
After my appointment we had dinner at Aunt Lynda’s house. She made a wonderful dinner for all of us. It was so nice to be able to go somewhere and totally relax and not think about tomorrow. Reality is starting to hit now that we’re back at the hotel though.
We got back to the hotel around 9 and waited for Joe to get here. He drove up to be with all of us after he got off of work. He’s taking a PTO day and will be here all day, but I think he’ll be going back tomorrow night and he’ll work on Friday. He doesn’t really need to be here any longer than that since everyone else (mom, dad, Kim and bro-in-law) are here. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow though.
Anyway, I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning. My surgery is scheduled for 7:20 and they estimate it to take a little over an hour. However, if it ends up being a benign tumor, I’ll be in surgery for a lot longer because they’ll do all of the bone grafting after they get rid of the tumor.
I had to take a bath with a sterile solution tonight and I’ll have to use it again in the morning. I can’t wear any lotion, make-up, deodorant….I can’t even shave my legs! This is all standard procedure, but I’ve never had surgery before, so it all seems weird and scary to me.
Joe and I are in the same hotel room as mom and dad tonight. I don’t think Joe will be staying tomorrow night and I’ll be in the hospital, so we didn’t think it was necessary to get two rooms. I wish we would’ve now though. Joe and Dad are both snoring. Joe snores then dad snores, Joe snores then dad snores! So annoying!
Alright, that’s all for now. I’ll be out of recovery at around 9:30 or so if they just do a biopsy and later if the bone graft. Pray for an infection or benign tumor!!! I'm scared for tomorrow, but at the same time, very excited. I'm on the path to recovery and I'll soon have my life back! This has been the most miserable month of my life. I've never experienced something quite so painful and immobilizing.
I’m hoping they’ll let me have the laptop after I’m out of recovery. I can hardly stand the thought of having to stay in the hospital all day and night tomorrow!! I have about 20 magazines and 2 books to take with me, but I would prefer the laptop. I feel like it’s my lifeline right now!
Anyway, I better try to get some sleep. I have to get up at 4. What a wonderful Valentine's Day it will be! :/
Goodnight!
Katie
P.S. Here is a link to Dr. Conrad. He'll be doing the surgery tomorrow and will be the one in charge of getting me back to good health!
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/uw/tabID__3374/ItemID__5/mid__10294/Default.aspx
After my appointment we had dinner at Aunt Lynda’s house. She made a wonderful dinner for all of us. It was so nice to be able to go somewhere and totally relax and not think about tomorrow. Reality is starting to hit now that we’re back at the hotel though.
We got back to the hotel around 9 and waited for Joe to get here. He drove up to be with all of us after he got off of work. He’s taking a PTO day and will be here all day, but I think he’ll be going back tomorrow night and he’ll work on Friday. He doesn’t really need to be here any longer than that since everyone else (mom, dad, Kim and bro-in-law) are here. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow though.
Anyway, I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning. My surgery is scheduled for 7:20 and they estimate it to take a little over an hour. However, if it ends up being a benign tumor, I’ll be in surgery for a lot longer because they’ll do all of the bone grafting after they get rid of the tumor.
I had to take a bath with a sterile solution tonight and I’ll have to use it again in the morning. I can’t wear any lotion, make-up, deodorant….I can’t even shave my legs! This is all standard procedure, but I’ve never had surgery before, so it all seems weird and scary to me.
Joe and I are in the same hotel room as mom and dad tonight. I don’t think Joe will be staying tomorrow night and I’ll be in the hospital, so we didn’t think it was necessary to get two rooms. I wish we would’ve now though. Joe and Dad are both snoring. Joe snores then dad snores, Joe snores then dad snores! So annoying!
Alright, that’s all for now. I’ll be out of recovery at around 9:30 or so if they just do a biopsy and later if the bone graft. Pray for an infection or benign tumor!!! I'm scared for tomorrow, but at the same time, very excited. I'm on the path to recovery and I'll soon have my life back! This has been the most miserable month of my life. I've never experienced something quite so painful and immobilizing.
I’m hoping they’ll let me have the laptop after I’m out of recovery. I can hardly stand the thought of having to stay in the hospital all day and night tomorrow!! I have about 20 magazines and 2 books to take with me, but I would prefer the laptop. I feel like it’s my lifeline right now!
Anyway, I better try to get some sleep. I have to get up at 4. What a wonderful Valentine's Day it will be! :/
Goodnight!
Katie
P.S. Here is a link to Dr. Conrad. He'll be doing the surgery tomorrow and will be the one in charge of getting me back to good health!
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/uw/tabID__3374/ItemID__5/mid__10294/Default.aspx
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The "C" Word
Yesterday was my appointment with Dr. Conrad at the University of Washington Medical Center. I’ve researched all about him, I’ve even been able to watch videos of presentations he’s given, so it felt like I already knew a lot about him before I even met him. He’s a great guy and I am totally confident that he’ll be able to get to the bottom of this.
He showed us my MRI and explained every little part of it. The bottom 5-6 inches of my right femur was all white, which he said is most likely a malignant (cancerous) tumor.
I have to be back up there tomorrow for an appointment with the anesthesiologist. On Thursday morning I’ll be having a bone biopsy. I’ll be put to sleep for it and he said it’s about an hour procedure. They’ll go in and take two samples from the core of my bone where the tumor is. I’ll also have to stay in the hospital that night. No big deal, it’s only Valentine’s Day! :(
Anyway, he said it could be three things. He said there’s a slight chance that it could be a benign tumor. If that’s the case, he’ll be able to tell on Thursday and they’ll scrap all of the tumor off and replace it with bone from the bone bank and my good bone will form around it. If they have to do that, I’ll be in the hospital for several days as it’s a pretty complicated surgery.
The second possibility is an infection in the bone. However, he said if that’s the case it would be “weird” as it typically is only seen in children. If it’s an infection, I’ll have to have medication for a few weeks through an IV. He said I could go to Hawaii if it’s an infection, but I’d have to have the IV bag with me. I can’t imagine laying on the beach hooked up to an IV…but whatever works I guess!
The third possibility is a cancerous tumor. From the way he talked, it seems like this is what he thinks it is. He’ll be able to tell on Thursday if that’s what it is, just not the type (sarcoma or lymphoma). If it is the “C” word, he told me I can go to Hawaii. If we decided not to go, we’d just spend that week waiting around for the pathology report. He said that having the biopsy on Thursday will probably relieve the pain, so I’m hoping I’ll feel like a different person. I think I’d enjoy myself more in Maui surrounded by my family and friends rather than just sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. If it is cancer, he said it can wait a week before starting treatment...it wont spread in that short amount of time.
The procedure for getting rid of the cancer is cutting the bottom part of my femur off, replacing it with a rod and also a total knee replacement. My knee isn’t bad, but it wont work with the rod that will replace the bottom part of my femur.
Anyway, that’s all I know right now. I’m not at work again today, I just don’t have it in me both physically and mentally. I feel so drained, weak, scared...I can't believe this is happening. It seems so surreal. Yesterday was exhausting and I have a feeling that's nothing compared to what I'll be facing the next few days.
Keep praying for me!! Especially since there’s still a small chance that it’s just an infection or a benign tumor! For the most part, I'm feeling pretty strong. I have my moments, but all in all, I've been holding up pretty good. My mom stood behind me in the room yesterday...she didn't want me to see her face when he told us what he thought it was. She ended up losing it and said, "Is my baby going to be ok?" He assured her that I will be OK and kissed her on the forhead. Then he hugged me and kissed me on the forhead, too. Right then, I realized that even if it is cancer, I'm a fighter and I'll get through it.
I'll keep you all updated!
Love, Katie
P.S. For some exciting news, Governor Gregoire is going to be at my dads business (Columbia Analytical Services) tomorrow at 1! She wants to visit because his company represents growth, longevity, educated employees and a few other reasons (that I can’t remember). She probably just wants to get some good PR, but it’s still exciting. I feel bad my dad will have to miss it…my appointment is at 12:45 tomorrow. :(
He showed us my MRI and explained every little part of it. The bottom 5-6 inches of my right femur was all white, which he said is most likely a malignant (cancerous) tumor.
I have to be back up there tomorrow for an appointment with the anesthesiologist. On Thursday morning I’ll be having a bone biopsy. I’ll be put to sleep for it and he said it’s about an hour procedure. They’ll go in and take two samples from the core of my bone where the tumor is. I’ll also have to stay in the hospital that night. No big deal, it’s only Valentine’s Day! :(
Anyway, he said it could be three things. He said there’s a slight chance that it could be a benign tumor. If that’s the case, he’ll be able to tell on Thursday and they’ll scrap all of the tumor off and replace it with bone from the bone bank and my good bone will form around it. If they have to do that, I’ll be in the hospital for several days as it’s a pretty complicated surgery.
The second possibility is an infection in the bone. However, he said if that’s the case it would be “weird” as it typically is only seen in children. If it’s an infection, I’ll have to have medication for a few weeks through an IV. He said I could go to Hawaii if it’s an infection, but I’d have to have the IV bag with me. I can’t imagine laying on the beach hooked up to an IV…but whatever works I guess!
The third possibility is a cancerous tumor. From the way he talked, it seems like this is what he thinks it is. He’ll be able to tell on Thursday if that’s what it is, just not the type (sarcoma or lymphoma). If it is the “C” word, he told me I can go to Hawaii. If we decided not to go, we’d just spend that week waiting around for the pathology report. He said that having the biopsy on Thursday will probably relieve the pain, so I’m hoping I’ll feel like a different person. I think I’d enjoy myself more in Maui surrounded by my family and friends rather than just sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. If it is cancer, he said it can wait a week before starting treatment...it wont spread in that short amount of time.
The procedure for getting rid of the cancer is cutting the bottom part of my femur off, replacing it with a rod and also a total knee replacement. My knee isn’t bad, but it wont work with the rod that will replace the bottom part of my femur.
Anyway, that’s all I know right now. I’m not at work again today, I just don’t have it in me both physically and mentally. I feel so drained, weak, scared...I can't believe this is happening. It seems so surreal. Yesterday was exhausting and I have a feeling that's nothing compared to what I'll be facing the next few days.
Keep praying for me!! Especially since there’s still a small chance that it’s just an infection or a benign tumor! For the most part, I'm feeling pretty strong. I have my moments, but all in all, I've been holding up pretty good. My mom stood behind me in the room yesterday...she didn't want me to see her face when he told us what he thought it was. She ended up losing it and said, "Is my baby going to be ok?" He assured her that I will be OK and kissed her on the forhead. Then he hugged me and kissed me on the forhead, too. Right then, I realized that even if it is cancer, I'm a fighter and I'll get through it.
I'll keep you all updated!
Love, Katie
P.S. For some exciting news, Governor Gregoire is going to be at my dads business (Columbia Analytical Services) tomorrow at 1! She wants to visit because his company represents growth, longevity, educated employees and a few other reasons (that I can’t remember). She probably just wants to get some good PR, but it’s still exciting. I feel bad my dad will have to miss it…my appointment is at 12:45 tomorrow. :(
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Saturday
Hello! I stayed at my mom and dads house last night. Joe went to Tacoma for his brothers birthday, but I didn't feel like going. He was on the fence about leaving me, but I wanted him to go and have fun. But last night I couldn't stand the thought of being home alone, so I stayed with them. I was going to bring Subie but decided he'd probably be better at home. He stalks Allie (mom and dad's dog) and we thought it would just be a stressful night for all of us if I brought him!
Anyway, I'm another day closer to going to the University of Washington! We're going to leave at around 9 on Monday morning. I'm hoping Joe comes home tomorrow night, but if he decides to stay up there, we'll swing by and pick him up on our way. I'm anxious to get up there. The pain has gotten a lot worse just in the last couple of days. I increased the amount of percocet I'm taking but it still doesn't go away completely. I'm scared to see what Dr. Conrad says, but I'm so ready for this pain to go away! I got an e-mail from a sales rep that comes to Clary's and he said, "Tell the doctors at UW that you're a Coug and you expect medical treatment on a higher level than their football program!" I'm thinking I'll wear my "Damn right I'm a Coug" sweatshirt! Just kidding....like I said before, if they can make me better, I'll be the biggest UW fan in Washington!
The doctor gave me a handicap permit! I haven't been able to go out, but it will come in handy when I do! My big adventure last week was to Safeway with my mom on Thursday. I needed to get out of the house desperately, so we went and I drove around in one of the motorized carts they have. It was so much fun!! It even beeped when I backed up! :) For the most part, I was an awesome driver. I only had one close call at the end, I cut the corner too sharp and almost took out the cereal display. Whoops!
My big adventure for today is going to be going to Vancouver. We're going to go get my sister and go to see 27 Dresses at Cinetopia. It's "Vancouver's Luxury Movie Theatre." http://www.cinetopiatheaters.com/ They have recliners and everything, so I'll be able to kick back and totally relax. Depending how I'm feeling after that, our plan is to go to Target. They have motorized carts there, too! Otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it! It's too hard to crutch it around the store and try to shop! I have to time my drug doses right today so I don't sleep through the movie!
Thanks again to everyone for everything. The cards, the flowers, the text messages, e-mails, phone calls. It means so much to me! Please keep praying for me!
Love, Katie
P.S. Below are pictures from last night. We went to dinner with my dad's side of the family and Kamrynne was there. Seeing her was a huge stress reliever. She is so precious!
Anyway, I'm another day closer to going to the University of Washington! We're going to leave at around 9 on Monday morning. I'm hoping Joe comes home tomorrow night, but if he decides to stay up there, we'll swing by and pick him up on our way. I'm anxious to get up there. The pain has gotten a lot worse just in the last couple of days. I increased the amount of percocet I'm taking but it still doesn't go away completely. I'm scared to see what Dr. Conrad says, but I'm so ready for this pain to go away! I got an e-mail from a sales rep that comes to Clary's and he said, "Tell the doctors at UW that you're a Coug and you expect medical treatment on a higher level than their football program!" I'm thinking I'll wear my "Damn right I'm a Coug" sweatshirt! Just kidding....like I said before, if they can make me better, I'll be the biggest UW fan in Washington!
The doctor gave me a handicap permit! I haven't been able to go out, but it will come in handy when I do! My big adventure last week was to Safeway with my mom on Thursday. I needed to get out of the house desperately, so we went and I drove around in one of the motorized carts they have. It was so much fun!! It even beeped when I backed up! :) For the most part, I was an awesome driver. I only had one close call at the end, I cut the corner too sharp and almost took out the cereal display. Whoops!
My big adventure for today is going to be going to Vancouver. We're going to go get my sister and go to see 27 Dresses at Cinetopia. It's "Vancouver's Luxury Movie Theatre." http://www.cinetopiatheaters.com/ They have recliners and everything, so I'll be able to kick back and totally relax. Depending how I'm feeling after that, our plan is to go to Target. They have motorized carts there, too! Otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it! It's too hard to crutch it around the store and try to shop! I have to time my drug doses right today so I don't sleep through the movie!
Thanks again to everyone for everything. The cards, the flowers, the text messages, e-mails, phone calls. It means so much to me! Please keep praying for me!
Love, Katie
P.S. Below are pictures from last night. We went to dinner with my dad's side of the family and Kamrynne was there. Seeing her was a huge stress reliever. She is so precious!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Wednesday
I'm home again today from work. I had great intentions of going, but they switched my medicine and I feel nauseous, dizzy and extremely tired. It's amazing what drugs can do to your system. I don't understand what the big deal is and how so many people can get addicted. I feel like shit!
We got the blood test results yesterday and my CBC (complete blood count) is normal, but my sed rate and lymph % is high. I'm not really sure what that means, and I was told that is why the doctor I saw in Longview wants me to go to U of W.
We've been researching all about Dr. Conrad and we were even able to find videos online from presentations he's given. It's very encouraging to know that I'll be going to such a smart and reputable doctor. Finally we'll be able to get to the bottom of this!
We were also able to find that patients on Mondays see him for benign and unknown tumors, whereas Tuesdays are just those with cancerous tumors. At least he wasn't able to see that it was cancerous! I try to stay as strong as I can, but I'm so scared. I've never been so scared in all of my life. I just try to hide it, especially around my Mom. She is a basket case and when she sees me upset and crying, she gets upset and it makes it even worse. We'll get through it. I just have to keep telling myself that. No matter what it is, we'll get through it.
Everyone has been so supportive. Thank goodness for family and wonderful friends to help me through this!
In other news, only a little over a week until Maui. That's one of the only things getting me through this! Hopefully it will be a huge celebration trip of good news from the team at the University of Washington! I think I'll be the newest Husky fan. :)
We got the blood test results yesterday and my CBC (complete blood count) is normal, but my sed rate and lymph % is high. I'm not really sure what that means, and I was told that is why the doctor I saw in Longview wants me to go to U of W.
We've been researching all about Dr. Conrad and we were even able to find videos online from presentations he's given. It's very encouraging to know that I'll be going to such a smart and reputable doctor. Finally we'll be able to get to the bottom of this!
We were also able to find that patients on Mondays see him for benign and unknown tumors, whereas Tuesdays are just those with cancerous tumors. At least he wasn't able to see that it was cancerous! I try to stay as strong as I can, but I'm so scared. I've never been so scared in all of my life. I just try to hide it, especially around my Mom. She is a basket case and when she sees me upset and crying, she gets upset and it makes it even worse. We'll get through it. I just have to keep telling myself that. No matter what it is, we'll get through it.
Everyone has been so supportive. Thank goodness for family and wonderful friends to help me through this!
In other news, only a little over a week until Maui. That's one of the only things getting me through this! Hopefully it will be a huge celebration trip of good news from the team at the University of Washington! I think I'll be the newest Husky fan. :)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Update
Good Morning! Just wanted to give everyone an update as to whats going on. I'm waiting for Dr. Conrad (the doctor at U of W), to call me this morning. I hope to get more answers and hopefully find out what he thinks it is. I feel confident that it's nothing too major (cancer), but the unknown is so scary. My new goal is to stop researching stuff on Google. The Internet is a great thing, but in times like this, it has way too much information!
We talked to one of my parents neighbors who is a radiologist last night, and he seems to think it's a benign (non-cancerous) bone tumor. He said I shouldn't be in any pain being that I'm taking Vicodin, but I still am. I woke myself up the other night crying. I still can't put much weight on it and have been using crutches to get around. He said I should call the doctor and get something different to see if that relieves some of the pain.
Hopefully I find out something soon! We're supposed to be leaving for Maui on the 16th. I feel really bad taking more time off now that I've missed work because of this, but it's really out of my control. I just hope I'm still able to go to Maui, although I can't imagine going in the condition that I'm in right now.
Alright, that's all. I'll post more later. Thanks to everyone for all of your support and concern through this. It really means a lot.
Love, Katie
We talked to one of my parents neighbors who is a radiologist last night, and he seems to think it's a benign (non-cancerous) bone tumor. He said I shouldn't be in any pain being that I'm taking Vicodin, but I still am. I woke myself up the other night crying. I still can't put much weight on it and have been using crutches to get around. He said I should call the doctor and get something different to see if that relieves some of the pain.
Hopefully I find out something soon! We're supposed to be leaving for Maui on the 16th. I feel really bad taking more time off now that I've missed work because of this, but it's really out of my control. I just hope I'm still able to go to Maui, although I can't imagine going in the condition that I'm in right now.
Alright, that's all. I'll post more later. Thanks to everyone for all of your support and concern through this. It really means a lot.
Love, Katie
Sweet Subie
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! After several failed attempts, I've decided to start a blog again. The first one I ever had was way back when people didn't even know what a blog was. I felt kind of geeky being the only one who had one, but now it seems like everyone has one!
For those that I haven't kept in touch with over the past few years, here's what I've been up to. I graduated from Washington State University (GO COUGS!) in December of 2005. The years at WSU went oh-so-fast. It's hard to believe it's been over 2 years since I graduated! My time in Pullman was great. I joined a sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, made some amazing friends and met my boyfriend, Joe. And oh ya, I got a great education, too. :)
Anyway, I'm currently working in marketing at Bud Clary Chevrolet in Longview. Yep, I'm back in Longview. It's really not all that bad. Joe is living down here as well and is working at Columbia Analytical Services. We have a house, a wonderful kitty Subie and all-in-all, a great life!
I'm going through some scary medical issues right now. About mid-December my right knee started to hurt very badly. I didn't feel well enough to exercise, but didn't think too much about it, as I thought it was just from skiing/running...being active. It continued to hurt to the point where I decided to go to the doctor. I first went on January 18th and they did an X-Ray. The X-Ray was normal, but the pain still persisted. About a week later, I was having severe pain again and went to the doctor for a second time. This time they decided to do an MRI. I found out on Friday, February 1st, that the MRI is abnormal. I saw Dr. Kretzler at the Pacific Surgical Institue, and he informed us that whatever is going on is beyond anything anyone in Longview can do for me. I now have to go to the University of Washington either tomorrow or Tuesday to see Dr. Conrad, a tumor specialist. They'll most likely do a biopsy to determine what's going on. It's something inside of the bone and Dr. Kretzler said it could be a number of things including lymphoma. At this point we're all in shock, very scared but trying to stay optimistic.
I never realized how much I take everyday things for granted until something scary like this happens. Luckily I have a ton of support from family and friends, so I know I'll get through everything.
Please pray for me during this time, especially this week as the doctors in Seattle determine what's wrong. It's going to be a scary week.
I'll use this blog to keep everyone updated, as it's the easiest way for me to communicate what's going on and how I'm feeling.
Stay tuned for more!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
Love, Katie
For those that I haven't kept in touch with over the past few years, here's what I've been up to. I graduated from Washington State University (GO COUGS!) in December of 2005. The years at WSU went oh-so-fast. It's hard to believe it's been over 2 years since I graduated! My time in Pullman was great. I joined a sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, made some amazing friends and met my boyfriend, Joe. And oh ya, I got a great education, too. :)
Anyway, I'm currently working in marketing at Bud Clary Chevrolet in Longview. Yep, I'm back in Longview. It's really not all that bad. Joe is living down here as well and is working at Columbia Analytical Services. We have a house, a wonderful kitty Subie and all-in-all, a great life!
I'm going through some scary medical issues right now. About mid-December my right knee started to hurt very badly. I didn't feel well enough to exercise, but didn't think too much about it, as I thought it was just from skiing/running...being active. It continued to hurt to the point where I decided to go to the doctor. I first went on January 18th and they did an X-Ray. The X-Ray was normal, but the pain still persisted. About a week later, I was having severe pain again and went to the doctor for a second time. This time they decided to do an MRI. I found out on Friday, February 1st, that the MRI is abnormal. I saw Dr. Kretzler at the Pacific Surgical Institue, and he informed us that whatever is going on is beyond anything anyone in Longview can do for me. I now have to go to the University of Washington either tomorrow or Tuesday to see Dr. Conrad, a tumor specialist. They'll most likely do a biopsy to determine what's going on. It's something inside of the bone and Dr. Kretzler said it could be a number of things including lymphoma. At this point we're all in shock, very scared but trying to stay optimistic.
I never realized how much I take everyday things for granted until something scary like this happens. Luckily I have a ton of support from family and friends, so I know I'll get through everything.
Please pray for me during this time, especially this week as the doctors in Seattle determine what's wrong. It's going to be a scary week.
I'll use this blog to keep everyone updated, as it's the easiest way for me to communicate what's going on and how I'm feeling.
Stay tuned for more!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
Love, Katie
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