Incidental Finding

I love those words! I took my films (both MRIs and the CTA) to a new neurosurgeon in Libertyville. He was a day late in calling back, but wonderful when he did! He said that it's likely that what was found on the scans is an enlarged blood vessel. Since it's tiny, I have no symptoms to associate with it, and it hasn't changed, he feels it's an incidental finding and I shouldn't worry about it.

I asked directly about getting pregnant, and he said I should forget anything was ever found. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now. I never imagined being told this. What a rocky ride the past 8 months have been. Hopefully all will continue to be fine and I won't have to see any of these doctors again!

Finally heard back

So I finally heard back from Dr Chandler's office. It took multiple emails and calling yesterday and today. I spoke with a nurse who confirmed that I am "stable." She said that another in 6-9 months is recommended. I told her that we were planning to have another child. She then informed me that I would need an MRI before delivery to ensure that I am able to delivery vaginally.

This is a little nerve-wrecking. My first delivery was without complications and I only pushed 3 times. I have no interest in having a C-section, although I know that there's always a risk with every pregnancy of needing one. My husband's reaction was to wonder if we really want to have another child. I've always envisioned having 2 children. This is a very difficult reality to be facing right now. We had planned to try during my next cycle, which would mean soon, like 10 days. I have many different emotions running though my head right now. I've always wanted 2 children. From my research, there is no increased risk of hemhorrage during pregnancy. So it's just the delivery part that they worry about. I kind of think that my risk would be minimal since the delivery went so fast.

This may take a couple days to soak in...

confused

I saw Dr Hain today, for basically my last appointment. I haven't been dizzy lately, except that one time in CA. Since I was exhausted and stressed, that gets the blame. Dr Hain noted that my nystagmus seems to have spontaneously disappeared. I may stop taking some of the supplements as I finish bottles to see if the dizziness comes back.

I took my new MRI with to drop off at Dr Chandler's office. I showed it to Dr Hain and now he has me a little worried. The MRI report contradicts the CTA. The MRI states that the spot noticed has iron in it and is an AVM. The old CTA states that it is a meningioma that is calcified. According to Dr Hain, a meningioma does not have iron associated with it. I dropped the CD off on our way home. It contains the old and new MRIs and the old CTA. I emailed Dr Chandler and asked him to contact me when he gets a chance to review everything. Hopefully that will happen soon.

On top of everything, I'm 2 days late. Hopefully it's just the stress of the CA trip that screwed my body up. Otherwise, I had an MRI while just barely pregnant. Time will tell I guess.

No Change

I picked up the CD to send to Dr Chandler today. I couldn't get an appointment with him in the near future, so I'm just mailing the scan. He should have already received the report. I got copies of the reports as well, and it said no change appears. So that's very good news. They put the old MRI and CTA with the new MRI all on one CD. So he should have a good picture of what we're dealing with. Hopefully his findings will be the same.

While in CA visiting my sister, I had a very bad dizzy spell. For the first time, it felt like the room was spinning. No idea why it happened or why it went away. But it was worse than what I've experienced so far. My only thought is that I was exhausted due to travelling. I see Dr Hain this Thursday, so we will discuss this then. I don't think there's a whole lot to do at this point though, since I'm not experiencing anything with any sort of regularity any more.

good days

So those bad days I wrote about, only 3 of them. I've been feeling fine lately. I even have had the energy to start exercising again - ran 2x and lifted 2x this week already, will run again tomorrow. So who knows why this is all happening, but at least it seems to be over. Although I'm sure I'm jinxing myself by writing about it.

They save everything happens for a reason - I gave my doctor's name to 2 people that I talked to only because I was dizzy. So maybe that's the reason. Although God's sense of humor would not be very funny to me if his idea of a good time is making me dizzy for 5+ months so that I could get 2 other people help. Part of me wonder though if we'll find out that the brain tumor is an issue when I get the follow up MRI in June.

Only time will tell. At least for now I'm just enjoying time with Carolyn outside, exercising, and working. 4 more weeks until Jon is done with work for the summer too. YAY!

dizziness returns

Well, it was a good run while it lasted. But yesterday, the dizziness returned. We'll see how long it lasts to determine if it seems to be cycle related. The really bad part is that the actual dizziness seems to be getting worse. I'm starting to feel less like I'm floating and more like I'm unsteady. I don't know whether the change is good or bad is the sense of diagnosis. But this dizziness is more disruptive to my life. And in reality, this kind of scares me. How do I know how this will continue to change? What if it rapidly changes and something happens to me while I'm home with Carolyn one day? All I can hope is that this is somehow cycle related, which would mean I would only have one more time period like this before Jon finishes for the school year. This is starting to get a little scary again though. Hopefully this will pass soon. Worst case, I anticipate another 10 days or so.

Hopefully playing soccer tomorrow will help me. Or at a minimum, being able to play with Carolyn and Jon outside tomorrow should put me in a better mood. I have to focus on the positive as this dizziness tears apart my world again. Here's to hoping we truly find the answer soon.

dizzy free

So I have been dizzy free now for 2 full weeks. And today is day 1 of a new cycle and I feel fine. I should qualify a little, "fine" to me is not being overpowered by the dizziness. In this state, I have no desire to take any meds to change how I feel.

So will this be it? Did my body just figure things out on its own? Are the supplements I'm taking have any effect? Hopefully I can answer these questions over the next few weeks. I'm thinking that I will wait for 2 weeks, to see if any dizziness reappears in the first 2 weeks of this cycle. If it does not, then I think I might try stopping some of the supplements. I think I would drop CoQ10, then Vit B, and then magnesium, leaving a month or so in between removing each one. The doctor said it would take 10-12 weeks for these to start working, so I don't they're doing anything yet.

This could be a sign of normal life to come. Oh, and for anyone that's reading and wondering, I'm definitely not pregnant.