Movin' On Up!

* I promise to post about Christmas soon *

It's official. Our big guy graduated from the Waddler Room at day care yesterday. It was his first official day in the Toddler Room!



Yay Grant!

 We've been wondering when it was going to happen because the people at day care have mentioned the move several times over the past couple of months. In the last two weeks or so Grant has been spending time in the Toddler Room so they could see how he does with the older kids and all reports have been positive.

I went to pick up Grant yesterday - not knowing of the move - and when I peeked in the Waddler Room to look for Grant two people at the same time said "Oh, he's been moved! Grant and all his things are in the Toddler Room!". I got to meet the teachers, who were very sweet, and heard about the activities that they do. It sounds like Grant did great yesterday and that he'll love all the new stuff he'll be doing. Apparently his first day in the Toddler Room was somewhat exhausting.

P.S. He woke up from this "nap" in an extremely bad mood that was made
even worse when we refused to give him a pacifier. Life is so rough.

A Don Ho Christmas {Eve}

We always used to have Christmas Eve at my parent's house. Mom would cook a ton of food and Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Charlie, Nick, AJ, and Grama used to come over and we'd celebrate Christmas Eve. I know I've posted briefly before about how my Dad would wear a Hawaiian print shirt and tell everyone it was a "Don Ho" Christmas. After a while no one thought it was funny. But now Dad isn't here to have a "Don Ho" Christmas and this was our first Christmas without Dad. And Grant, for some reason I will never know, was sent some Hawaiian print shirts from his Auntie Shauna (who came again this year to spend Christmas with us). We had a little Christmas Eve celebration of our own and we also had a mini tribute to Dad :)

I suppose that shirt isn't as bad as some I've seen. And it's probably far less tacky than one that my Dad would've worn. I dressed Grant right before everyone got there and he grabbed the shirt and giggled. And then giggled the whole time I was trying to button it. He looked so ridiculous and adorable at the same time. I hope Dad liked it as much as Grant did!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has had a great holiday celebrating

with family and friends. I know we have!

Picture taken by my fabulous photographer friend
Elizabeth who always takes amazing pictures for us!

Stay tuned for some Christmas Eve/Christmas morning pictures. Grant had such a great time!



It's Medication. Maybe. Or It Could Kill You.

So yesterday Husband drove me to Chapel Hill to see the liver specialist. Both of us were sort of looking at this visit as a formality. After all, I was told just this past Friday that the biopsy showed that my condition was medication related. My appointment was at 2:00 - in the Transplant Clinic. That was a little off-putting, but I was confident that it was going to go well.

Be there 20 minutes before your appointment time, the letter says. And I was there 20 minutes before my appointment time (30 minutes, actually but I had to stop at registration). And then I wasn't seen until 20 minutes after my appointment time. So, the nurse does her thing and then the doctor comes flying into the room. Or maybe it just seemed like he was moving really fast because he was short. No hello, how are you, introductions...nothing. He just sits down and starts looking at all of my labs. And he talks to me in a way that makes me think he really doesn't like having to talk to or see people on a daily basis. He tells me that by looking assume it was medication related. I love it when doctor's tap dance around a simple "I don't know". But he also told me that there was a "marker" that was positive in my biopsy that could indicate autoimmune hepatitis. And if that's what it is then it needs to be treated - it's apparently not curable but is treatable - because "It'll kill you if I don't treat it". Fantastic. I walk in thinking I'm getting better...I leave thinking I possibly have a disease that will kill me if they don't figure out what the hell is going on. And then, before sending me down to the lab to have more blood drawn, he tells me not to worry. And I really wasn't that worried. I was a little, of course, but I was also kind of angry. But not nearly as much as my Hubby who was ready to call the doctor from last week to ask why he gave me a diagnosis that this new guy isn't sure about yet.

So we get home and go about our nightly routine. After I get Grant to bed, I did some dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. Then I crawled into bed for some good reading. It was 10:15 when I was just about to turn off my Kindle. And guess what? Our house phone rang. A phone call that late is never a good sign. I figured someone was sick or hurt. We didn't get to it in time and Nate says "That was your doctor on the answering machine. I think you need to get up and call him." I. Was. Pissed. 10:15?? What's so urgent? Then my cell rings. It's him. "I want to talk to you about your labs from today" he says. No apology for the time. No mention of Gee, I hope I didn't wake up your baby since your house is probably the size of the garage where I park my Mercedes and every phone you own is ringing. Nope, just started talking about my labs. And what was so urgent, you ask? NOTHING. He called to tell me that my labs look good are even more improved from last week. That it looks like I'm getting better and it's probably not autoimmune hepatitis. He calls at 10:15 p.m. for that. That and I won't have to have more blood drawn until the week after next "so I was hoping to talk to you about setting that up". What? This couldn't wait until, say, 8:00 a.m.? Ugh. This is why I try to avoid doctors.

And the Biopsy Says...

After my liver biopsy on Tuesday (while getting a peek a the sample because the ultrasound tech was cool like that) I was told I'd have my results in a day or two. When I talked to my doctor, though, he told me I wouldn't get results until this coming Tuesday at the appointment with the liver specialist. So I prepared myself for another weekend of sleepless worry (and not just mine, Nate too - this hasn't been easy on anybody).

But Thursday I went back to work, after a quick stop at the hospital lab to have more blood drawn to check my liver levels again, and I felt decent. A little sick still when I ate and, of course, sore where they shoved a needle in my side but otherwise not too bad. Then yesterday I woke up actually feeling pretty good and feeling something else I hadn't felt in a while...hungry. Hmmm...was I getting better? So I went about my morning. I was surprised to notice around 10:00, I think, that I missed a call from my doctor's office (who I have an appointment with that afternoon). I checked my voicemail and it was the actual doctor, not his nurse, asking me to call him back. Uh oh. So I call, ask the receptionist for him and in a second he picks up and says "Hello, Tara? I have good news for you. I have your pathology results and I was hoping to save you a trip into the office." Wait...what? I was not expecting any of that.

So he tells me that my condition is related to medication that I've been taking. He also tells me that the biopsy showed no signs of permanent damage to my liver AND my levels are going down. He even cancelled my afternoon appointment because he was encouraged by the results! I still have to see the specialist on Tuesday in Chapel Hill because he's taking a second look at everything.

I can't even begin to tell you how relieved we all are. Last night I slept better than I have in a long time. It's amazing what unexpected good new can do for you. I'm feeling so much better and I think my yellowness going away. My veins are really relieved too. My arms look like I decided to become a crack whore. They were starting to hide from the blood people. Although I should point out that people in lab at Rex Hospital are really good at what they do. I wish I could go back there every time I have to have blood drawn. But anyway, I'm so happy that I'm going to be ok and we're going to be able to have a Merry Christmas.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone for the help (especially to my sweet Hubby and my Mother-in-law!), the concern, well wishes, thoughts, and prayers!

*Side note: If you're wondering what medication it is, I was told there is no way to tell. I'm supposed to bring to two likely culprits with me to my appointment on Tuesday but I don't think they'll do anything with them. My doctor thinks it's either my birth control pill (I've been on this specific one only since September) and an over the counter medication for a UTI - which I sort of self diagnosed myself with. I really want to blame it on that - and even if it's not that, I'll never take it again - but I just don't know. And it's not my job to know, right? It's just my job to not take them anymore. I can handle that.