A new calling...

I have been sustained as the new Relief Society President in our ward. I am alternating between euphoria and sheer terror in contemplating this awesome responsibility. Words escape me, but I know the Lord will strengthen me as I fulfill this assignment.

Wild Thing being a very bad thing

Wild Thing is not allowed on the dining room table, ever!

They say it's my birthday...

Today I'm celebrating my birthday at THE FAIR here in glorious Puyallup, Washington. I have spent many of my birthdays here. When I was a little girl, my grandma would send a taxi (she didn't drive) to pick me up and bring me to her house and we would go to the fair. For many years she worked as a food checker at Nettie's Farmhouse Restaurant at the fair. She sat on a tall stool by the kitchen and checked to make sure all the food that was supposed to be on the plate was there. She would always give my brother and me a silver dollar and some dimes for our fair money. I have memories of going to the fair with my mother on opening day, we did this for many years, even after she moved to Arizona, she would still be here for my birthday. I remember taking Nathan when he was just a little boy and I have pictures of him riding on the kiddie rides. A few years ago my very good friend from Pennsylvania came for a visit and stayed for my birthday and we went to the fair. I love the sights and sounds and smells of the fair. This year my cousin, Donna, and I will be doing the fair together. "The folks are all singing so merry and gay and it's Hi Ho come to the fair!" (from a song we sang in grade school during the fair)

6 Doctors in 7 Weeks

Can you imagine spending 7 weeks with pain in your lower abdomen that radiates upward to your ribcage on both sides and includes your sternum? Can you imagine seeing 6 different doctors and having a variety of scans, endoscopies, and blood draws only to be told that everything has come back negative? Finally, can you imagine how it feels to have all the doctors say there is nothing they can do? That's where we are today. I'm not sure what to do next.

Week 6 and still in pain

We had our follow-up visit at the GI docs today. We saw the PA who was very caring and concerned that the pain was still there. The tests have all come back negative, so we are almost at a dead end. However, I suggested giving him some prednisone for inflammation and she agreed, then we also scheduled a surgical consult for Monday. I have called the radiologists where Nathan has had 3 abdominal CT scans in the past 3 years and they are going to make me a cd to take to the surgeon. I want the surgeon to see his pre-op CT from 2006, because he had necrotized material throughout his abdomen prior to the gall bladder surgery and perhaps they can compare what that looked like with the ones from 2007 and 2008 where there was haziness.
Do you think I should charge a consulting fee for all this? Still looking at possible panniculitis for the diagnosis.