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Sunday, January 18, 2009

Crohn's

Ok, so as most people that have known me for awhile know, I am a sickly kind of person. If it is going to happen, health wise, to a person, it will happen to me (or Strina!). So, I was diagnoised with Ulcertive Colitis when I was 6 years old. Struggled with that for years. In and out of the hospital all the time, constantly on medicine that had horrible side effects, and feeling bad all the time. We finally found a great doctor in Monroe and he was wonderful. He told us about this surgery where they would remove my colon therefore removing the disease. We found the best hospital and surgeon and proceeded on with the plan. We went to the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and did the surgery. I was 13 at the time. I had some complications after the surgery and ended up spending almost 3 months there. After that, I had really no problems. I went back to school, church, friends and normal life. We had done it! We had beat the disease. I had many, many good years. No, I had many, many Great years. I went to college, got married, and made many good memories. A couple of years ago, we noticed that I was having these strange episodes of illness. I would end up in the hospital, they would pump me full of meds, I would get better and they would let me go. We would always chalk it up to a virus or something. After Bobby and I moved here to Tulsa I started having more episodes. Doctor's were diagnoising me with UTI's. I got so many of them that I was then refered to a Urologist and they started running tests to figure out why I was so sick. They found an abcess in my belly and I was put into the hospital to remove it. They kept doing more test to figure out what was wrong. After a week in the hospital they let me go with no real idea of what was going on. Just a week or so later, I was sick again. I was now seeing a surgeon and he recommended going in and just looking around to see what was going on inside. He would also be able to remove all the scar tissue that had formed from the surgery when I was younger. We scheduled the surgery and he did his thing. While he was doing the surgery, he was pretty sure that he found Crohn's disease. I went home after another week in the hospital. I was back within a couple of weeks. I had gotten sick again and then also formed what they call Fistula's. It is where my scar had opened up in 3 places and my intestines were forming through those openings. I was put back into the hospital for 2 weeks. Finally got better to only go back into the hospital about 2 weeks later. Sick again?! What is going on. During all this time, I had not be able to get into see a Gastrointerologist. After that episode, I finally found a great doctor. The surgeon I was seeing was great too, but he was not a gastro doctor. That time I was put back in, I finally had enough and told the doctor's that I was going home to enjoy Christmas. This whole time I was on a clear liquid diet. I sat and watched the family eat Thanksgiving dinner while I enjoyed my lovely Ensure. I had to drink at least 4 of those a day to get the nutrients I needed. I got down to 89 pounds. I didn't look good at all. When I went to finally see the gastro doctor, he suggested an oral medicine that would do me good, plus another med that I would have to get through an IV. We scheduled the first dose of the new IV meds, but before I could get it I was back in the hospital. If you have lost count, that is hospital stay number 5 in 3 months. I had some blood work done when I saw the gastro doctor and it was definetly Crohn's. While I was in the hospital I asked if I could get my first round of IV meds. The doctor's ordered it and said I could start feeling better within 3 days. It was almost exactly 3 days when I started noticing a difference. Also, I had 2 more fistula's form, so that is a total of 5 now. I was having to wear a bag over them that stuck to my stomach for them to drain into. After that first round of meds, not only was I feeling better, but Bobby and I went to change the bag one day and 3 fistula's had completely healed!!!! I stopped wearing the bag and was able to just put a bandage over them. Within a couple of days of doing that, I was even down to just 1! I went back for my 2 week follow up with both the gastro and the surgeon and both were highly impressed how well I am doing. I got a release to go back to work. I hadn't been able to work since the end of September. Almost 4 months. I get my next round of IV meds this week and then 4 weeks after that. I will then get a dose every 8 weeks after that. I can't believe that with the right meds how good I feel. I haven't felt this good in a LONG time. Well, that is about where I am now. You are pretty caught up on me. I will keep updates on here. I am sure that I will have more to tell! Until then- Later gator!

Friday, January 9, 2009


So, here is another post. I am sitting on the couch watching the Tinker Bell movie with my Haley Marie and decided to write a little more. This is just a little background about me. Some of you may have known me my whole life, but some of you I have just met within the past couple of years. I have not lived an exciting life according to me, but a guess some people would say I have been through a lot.

I was born in Texas, but adopted to a family in Louisiana. The BEST move I have ever made. I love my family!!!! I have the best parents in the world. They have been married forever. Both sets of my grandparents were a big part of my life and both sets were married to the same person until they were taken from this life. I miss them a lot. Well, let's get back on a happier note. Like I said, I have wonderful parents. My mom stayed at home with her kids and my dad was a Bible teacher and baseball coach at our local christian school. I have 4 older brothers; Shannon, Eric, Chris, and Seth. I am very close to all my brothers. I miss them all very much now that we don't all live in the same town. I have 3 wonderful sister-in-laws; Rhea, Kristy, and Blakely. I have 5 nephews; Jon Aaron, Kyleb, Kason, Cade, and Baxton; and 2 nieces; Reese and Julia. I would give my life for any of them
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I have no kids of my own yet, but that is another blog all together. I lived in the same town, heck, the same house until I went to college. I grew up in a wonderful church family; Whites Ferry Road Church of Christ. I have many lifelong friendships from that place. That is where my roots are. But, that is also the place that gave me my wings. I met my husband there. Yes, I am married to my high school sweetheart. We started dating when I was 17 and he was 15. Yes, I am 2 years older, someone's got to be. He is the love of my life. I grow more and more in love with him everyday. That is really coming into play here lately, but that is yet another blog. We got married in July of 2001. We lived in Louisiana for several years after we got married. We are very close to Bobby's (my husband) family and spent lots of time with them. Bobby's mom owned a day care in her home and worked with her. That is where I found my passion. I loved what I did. In 2004 Bobby's dad got transfered with State Farm and they moved to Tulsa, Ok. Bobby and I stayed behind and I took over the day care business. I did that on my own for 2 years and LOVED every minute of it. I had great kids and great parents. I miss them all very much. Then, in 2006 my family started moving to different places for jobs and schools, so Bobby and I thought it might be time for a change for us too. Bobby looked into some colleges in OK and we decided to move to Tulsa for Bobby to go to school and be near his family. We have been here since then. Bobby is now at OSU as a marketing major and doing great in school. I am so proud of him.

I work at a day care center. I started out in the infant room and did that for 2 years and loved it. I am a cuddler and loved the bitty babies. I then got to move to the 12- 18 month old room as a lead teacher. I am honored everyday that I get to be a part of a child's life. I love the feeling of teaching them and knowing that I am molding them and will always be a part of their lives. I means the world to me. Well, that kind of catches you up to where I am now in not many details. I will do more posts with details of what has been going in the past couple of years. Thanks for reading!!! I hope it was not too long!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

This is new to me, so forgive this first post. I am learning. I don't really want to get into anything yet, so this one is pretty short. Well, I guess I will start playing around and see what all this about. Later gator!