In the Beginning....

Ok well I thought I would try to start from the beginning.  First of all, thank you very much to all of you that have reached out to me and Chris with your kind words and prayers.  I realize it has taken awhile for us to let you all in on this news.  We just had to get used to it ourselves!  And also make sure we were all in a good place.  I think we are.  Time will tell I suppose.  I started the story in the last post.  This will be lengthy...just so you know.  I will begin from the visit to the cardiologist because in there is an interesting story.  Let me say this to those that don't know me at all, or not well....I was blessed to be raised by a wonderful Christian mother with an exceptional sense of humor.  This will explain a lot!  I was waiting my turn in the Cardiologist's office.  Now this waiting room is huge.  Doctor is part of St. Joseph's.  There are about 100 seats and only about 20 people waiting.  I take a seat at the very end of a row.  An older lady sits down right beside me...there are a dozen empty seats around me.  Really?!?!  She strikes up a conversation.  I don't feel good.  I don't want to talk.  She is surprised I am there because I am so young.  Ok, ok, I'll talk to her if she's going to compliment me....geeeeeez!  She asks why I'm there.  I tell her briefly about my chest pain and dizziness and that my PCP thought possibly there could be a heart issue.  I also mentioned that I was taken a bit off guard as I had just gone in to see her an hour ago for what I thought was bronchitis and here I was waiting for a heart ultrasound.  A bit scary.  She told me a little bit about herself and a scary situation she had been in.  Long story short....she gave me a bit of advice that I have followed with all my heart since that day...."You know yourself, your body, better than anyone.  Don't ever let anyone - even a doctor - tell you that it is all in your head."  Wow!  I had NO idea at the time how much I would end up needing that advice!  I sure wish I could find her again!  I was called back then.  Of course, when I was finished, she was gone.  Oh yeah, did I mention that she was dressed all in white - from head to toe?????  Yep....that's what I think too!!!!  When you hear what happened after my stay at Gwinnett Medical Center, you too will believe!  When I mentioned this to my mom, she said well you know it does say in the Bible that you should be kind to everyone because Angels do walk amongst us and you never know when you might be entertaining one.  (Hebrews 13:1-2.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.)  Hhhmmm....interesting stuff, huh?!  After this visit to the doc, I still felt like doo doo - yes that is a very technical medical term!  Remember, I thought maybe I had pneumonia.  For those of you that know my mommy, Karen Gobely, she had just spent 2 weeks in the hospital with pneumonia and I was sure I had caught something crummy.  My doc said she was very worried about my intense chest pain and if it worsened at all to go to the ER immediately.  Well I had a rough night.  I woke up several times short of breath with horrible stabbing chest pains - sure I was having a heart attack.  I think this was when I started passing out as well and when my confusion began. I have had alot of short term memory loss so some details are still fuzzy.  After a call to my PCP, she recommended a trip to the ER.  After a long talk with Chris, I finally relented.  Funny how when you mention you are having chest pain in the ER how quickly you get pushed through!  I won't bore you with all the details, but Gwinnett Medical Center did what must have been hundreds of blood tests, ultrasounds looking for blood clots, chest CT and xrays.  GMC called in the Cardiologist I had just seen.  They said all my tests were negative.  They weren't sure what was wrong.  Chris had to urge them to even perform the CT. At the end of the day, the Cardiologist refused to call in any other doctors or specialists.  He determined that there was nothing wrong with me.  His ONLY recommendation....a psych consult....you see, "it was all in my head".  WOW - how right he was....he just had no idea!!  I told him HE needed the psych consult!!  That there was something  wrong with me!  He said nope....see ya!  I promptly went back to my PCP who luckily has a brain in her head...well I don't have actual pictures of hers like I do of mine...I'm just assuming....hahaha!    I explained to her what had happened at the hospital.  She was a bit in disbelief.  I told her something was very wrong with me.  Maybe I should have mentioned this sooner....up to this point in my life, I have been very healthy....just normal aches and pains from becoming 40...and having 3 children....and a husband! Again, being aggressive, she sent me immediately for an MRI and set up a neurology appointment.  I wonder....was it the doctor...or the difference in the genders????  SHE actually listened to me from day one when I told her something was wrong with me.  She could have so easily written me a prescription for antibiotics and gotten me out of her office.  I thank God she didn't.  Remember the lady in white from the Cardiologist's office???? Uh huh...I listened God!  I kept  talking until someone listened!  It took a few people and several doctors but it finally worked. 
The next day, we went to the neurologist who let us know the devastating news that would change our lives forever.  He doesn't have any bedside manner, but seems to know what he's doing.  Now we went into this appointment only THINKING the worst....thinking that we had seen a tumor on the MRI.  The doctor confirmed our worst fear.  My only question was, "Am I going to die?"  I have 3 children...and a husband...so that was really my only concern.  I can get through anything else.  His answer...."Do you know Elizabeth Taylor?"  Me - "Of course."  Dr. No Personality - "She had a meningioma but that is not what she died from."  Me - "siiigghhhhhh".  (Chelsea Laurent- I learned that from you!)  So the good news is that judging from the MRI scan, the tumor looks like a solid mass which leads the neurologist and the neurosurgeon to believe it is a meningioma tumor.  95% of meningioma tumors are benign.  So if you have to have a brain tumor, this is the BEST kind of brain tumor to have.  Wait...did I really just say that?????  God does have a sense of humor!  So interestingly enough, I came home from the neurologist, well, happy and praising God!  Why?!  Well, I had a good brain tumor!  It's a strange and wonderful world!  Sooooo from that point forward, my tumor was named Elizabeth Taylor....ET for short.  This explains the name...well the domain name of this blog.  I told Kaitlin that I wanted to get those rubber bracelets....gray in support of brain cancer...with purple writing saying "SAVE JEN'S BRAIN".  LOL  And maybe "STOP ET" on the backside - only if it's cost effective!  Anyone know of a good but cheap outlet for those bracelets??
I think that pretty much does it for all the boring medical stuff.  Most everything else that is happening now is fun, crazy stuff!  My daughter especially enjoyed my memory loss during the week of Christmas.  She was constantly telling me that it was Christmas day just so she could open a present.  Don't worry...one day she will have children of her own.  And I will laugh...and laugh...and laugh!  Payback's a...well it's just funny!  Chris, my adoring husband, poor guy, well at least I still remember who he is!  I actually packed his lunch for him this weekend...well one day.  Apparently he was quite scared to open it!  lol  Everyone at work gathered around quite excitedly awaiting the grand opening. Ahhh how disappointed they were to find out I had a very good day and had simply made my honey chicken salad.  Sorry RTs!  I will try harder next week! 
Well thanks for listening.  Please keep my family in your prayers.