Well, it seems my blogging runs in cycles with my pain and stress level. It occurred to me this morning that I haven't posted in a while. . . more like four months!!! I'm going to play a little game of catch up, so that you can understand why I have been so neglectful.
1. My last post was about my dear, sweet Ava and her first birthday. I am VERY excited to announce Ava's mommy/daddy are pregnant and due in July! Please, send the Bryan family lots of good thoughts, love, and prayers.
2. In early October I started having some rather annoying pain in my low back/abdomen. I went to my doctor, who ordered some tests and they found hemoragic cysts on my left ovary - note the cysts were on my left side, but the pain is on the right. The right sided pain was chalked up to free floating fluid from the cysts, and I was treated for ovarian cysts. A few weeks later the exact same pain, on my right side, in the exact same place was back and it was worse than ever. I went back in for a abdominal CT scan and this time there was a kidney stone on the right, and my right lung was infiltrated with pneumonia. Well, this explains the right sided back/abdominal pain. In December I was re-scanned and the kidney stone hadn't moved, but my lung was clear. Since then I have been having a lot of pain and spasming with this kidney stone. I have seen a urologist, but she isn't convinced the primary cause of the pain is my kidney stone. She believes there is a problem in my colon/intestines and it is causing inflammation which is then effecting my kidney and the small stone inside. I am scheduled to see a gastroenterologist later this month - I've been to many over the years, so I'm not sure what they're going to do, but it probably will involve some sort of scope and won't be any fun. I know I have gastroparesis due to vagus nerve damage, which is why I am not always able to digest food, but we will see what this new doc has to say.
3. Logan played his first season of basketball. We live in Indiana and around here kid's basketball programs start as young as 4 yrs. old. My husband/I have tried to expose Logan to several sports and at some point he will choose the what he likes to play. Out of all the sports we've tried - football, soccer, t-ball, swimming - basketball seems to come easiest to him. Now if I could just figure out how to make him more aggressive/competitive on the court he'd be good little baller. Logan really enjoyed the season, he learned a little about the sport, made some new friends, and had a great time. . . even though his team was 2-12.
4. The holidays were rather uneventful. No big fights at family get togethers, no major drama - just good family time, a few laughs, and Logan was spoiled rotten. As usual I sent out photocards and made some goodies to give away. A few of my crafts took longer that expected, but most of it worked out in the end.
5. My gorgeous little man, Logan, has been sick for weeks now. It all started in November when he was put on anti-biotics to treat bronchitis and it constipated him almost immediately. By Christmas we thought he was back on track. Three weeks ago I got a call from the school to come pick up Logan because he wasn't feeling well. He was home one day and then we sent him back. Later that day I brought him home early again, we end up finding out he has strep throat and he goes back on anti-biotics. After ten days, he is no better and had the strep rash upgrading him from strep to scarlet fever, so we start him on a stronger anti-biotic. Now this whole time Logan does not have a fever, is complaining of headache/abdominal pain, and his tonsils/lymph nodes are swollen, but he doesn't complain about his throat. Five days into the stronger anti-biotic he doesn't seem to be getting better, so I take him in for a mono test and abdominal x-ray. The mono test is negative, but the x-ray shows severe constipation and his entire large intestine is impacted. He is automatically put on a laxative and stool softener. Three days later, this past Wednesday,he spiked a fever, so he had an abdominal CT scan to make sure the appendix isn't inflamed and look for infection - luckily, it came back clean. So, Thursday he was put on a "super-laxative" and we were told he would be cleaned out within 48 hours. It is now Tuesday of the following week, Logan is still miserable with belly pain and he has had maybe four good sized bowel movements, but he's no where near cleaned out. Each morning he is waking up in pain, I find him moaning in fetal position begging me not to make him move. Its so much easier being the patient. He missed twelve days of school, and this is his second day back. I feel horrible forcing him to go to school when he is so uncomfortable, but we are doing all we can to get him feeling good again. Logan is going to a pediatric gastro next week - I just pray we can get some answers and help.
6. My sister-in-law, Emily, got married! Logan was the ring barer, Caleb walked their momma down the isle and I got to take LOTS if pictures. We all had lots of fun, Emily was beautiful, and I'm no longer the only "in-law" in the family!
I think that covers the basics. I will post more details later, and try to keep you all updated on Logan's belly. The past few weeks and months have been hard for me, but I'll try to keep posting regularly. I'm trying to stay positive, look at the bright side, and just keeping moving.
