Health Update

Thanks again for all your prayers. The Cook house continues to be in survival mode. I have been up at the church almost every day the last 2 weeks getting ready for VBS. This is why no update. I have had lots of swelling but only a few hive outbreaks the last few weeks and THANKFULLY they are coming and going rather than lingering. I haven't been back to my Immunologist yet but I did see my OBGYYN yesterday for my yearly. He is the sweet doc that diagnosed my hypothyroidism a little over a year ago. So he spent about 1 hour in my room with me yesterday talking to me about all of this stuff. I of course left a tad overwhelmed. I want to share with you the rundown because I would love for you to pray for me specifically. If you get to much info well I am sorry. I am a married women and it should be a given that I have sex so there you go :):)

My doctor told me not to get pregnant in at least the next 6 months. He said that with my body so out of whack that a pregnancy would only decrease my immune system even more and potentially exacerbate the problem. (this is ok because we want to wait about 1 year anyway) BUT....
Because of all the "stuff" going on with me I can't be on a hormone of any kind - no pill. He wants to make sure that I don't have a latex allergy (apparently people can have a slight allergy to latex and it be ok - except for me right now - any slight allergy is making my body go berserk) so he did blood work and we will know in a week. If I don't have the latex allergy then we will just have to use condoms as our BC of choice but if I do have the latex allergy my sweet doc said "well we will just talk about what to do with this situation next week: :)
Don't get pregnant - Don't use the pill - Don't use a condom - Family Planning????? Does it really work???
Because I have antibodies to my thyroid I am at a great risk of miscarrying when I do get pregnant again. He said that if I were to get pregnant in the next 6 months to call him as soon as the stick changes colors and get in to see him. It appears that with autoimmune disorders your body may recognize the baby as a foreign object and attack it. He said that many women carry babies full term as long as my antibody levels are monitored very closely. He ideally wants me to see him after all of my crazy other stuff levels off and talk with him before we start trying to get pregnant so that he is monitoring it before hand.

For those of you that are praying please pray:
1. I don't have a latex allergy
2. God would not allow me to get pregnant right now - I firmly believe that His plan is perfect but he says to ask and you shall receive. I soooo want more children but I pray that His timing is not now.
3. Pray that if I do get pregnant God would please protect the baby
4. Pray that God would give me strength and endurance to deal with all the craziness that is going on with my body.

I am trying really hard to live life. Most days are ok. Yesterday I had several joints that were swollen bad and so I had to take my goofy pills. I was out at 7:30 last night. Those things knock me off my rocker but some days they are necessary.

I really long to write about something other than my health really soon!!!

Diagnosis

Talk to the doctor today. He said I have Hashimoto's Disease. It is an autoimmune disorder in which my body builds up antibodies to my thyroid. I had already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism so I will continue on my meds for that but it will apparently have to be monitored more closely. I ask the doctor what this means regarding my hives and swelling. His response was "well lets give the antihistamine regimen a month before we talk about chemo options." So i don't have cancer but chemo may be in the cards....who knows. I go back in 3 weeks and he said we would talk more there - wait and see what happens with my antihistamines. Anyway, thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for God to heal my body - specifically of these swellings. I haven't had one in a few days but today I took the boys to the zoo. Before I left this morning my head and neck were really itchy. While at the zoo my lip began to swell so we had to cut our trip short because I don't keep my medication with me. My doc told me to take my heavy meds when my face swells to make sure my throat doesn't close up. There is no way I can operate heavy machinery or watch Brady while taking it. Thankfully we have a season pass.

Crazy Crazy Crazy!!!

So a few nights ago begin a bout of sleepless nights that started with a complete crying fit all because of the movie PS I Love You. Here has been my crazy crazy emotional week - find humor in it! -
The end of last week I saw an immunologist about my crazy hives stuff. He was absolutely wonderful by the way. He is running a whole host of blood works on me to try to determine what is going on but also prefaced me with the fact that 90% of the people that experience what is going on with me don't know what causes it and just have to learn to manage it. Anyway, so this week I have been waiting on the results.
There is a girl in our Sunday School class whose 28 year old cousin has been dying of cancer and we have been praying for her. Earlier this week she died. I knew she had a caring bridge site and so I just go on to look at it and see if they had posted how she died. (they seem to be such a godly family and i was just curious of what happened those last few hours) Well her mom posted about her death and how she (her mom) was able to be there as her daughter went to be with her Father. It was such a great thing and I was crying uncontrollable and those of you who know me know that doesn't happen all to often especially over someone I don't know. So then I go back and read how she was diagnosed with cancer. Her first symptom was HIVES!!!!
I just sat there and stared at the screen for a few minutes.
So then that night John and I watched PS I Love you! I had no idea what the movie was about. The gist is that this woman's amazing husband dies from a brain tumor and he leaves his wife these letters helping her deal with his death. As I said earlier I was completely inconsolable.
So needless to say, I didn't sleep much that night or the ones following. I really don't think that I have cancer or that I have any reason to believe that I may be dying soon but I must say it has really stirred some deep emotions within me.
What a crazy week!

Wanting to long for heaven

So in all of the crazy things that have happened this week God has really stirred my heart. I recently read Stepping Heavenward (absolutely amazing). One part of the book she is on her death bed and she journals about how she longs for God and she is completely at peace with the fact that her husband and children will be taken care of by God. She talks about how she so longs to be with God. Throughout the book she talks about running to talk with God and how she needs time to be with God....she so longs for it and it seems like such a substance for her - like food.
My last few sleepless nights it has gone through my head so much that the thoughts of being with Jesus do not settle my anxious heart but rather causes me more anxiety. I worry about my husband and my children...how they will be cared for and what I will miss. This is what consumes my mind not the glories of being with my Father. Now granted I KNOW that God has not given me the grace to deal with these anxieties because the are not really my lot right now. All of these fears have come from random circumstances that have happened this week to make me anxious about my test results. I really - I mean when I stop letting my mind wander - don't think anything terribly serious is wrong with me. But regardless of what silliness has brought on all of these emotions they are in my face and they need to be dealt with.
- How do I find all my joy in God and what does that look like on a daily basis?
-What needs to happen for me to really long to be with God, to see Him as my great friend on a regular basis, not just in those romantic spurts of life?
-How do I tangibly love God more than John and the boys?
-What has to happen on this earth for me to long to not be here but to really long for my eternal home?
I am such a Martha personality - do, serve, take care of. This is not a bad thing, really it is a great thing because these are the things prov 31 talks so much about. But how do I become like Mary too, who puts those things aside for the sake of time at the feet of her Savior. I don't want to be Mary but I want to know how do you mesh Mary and Martha? To be the woman God has called me to be in caring for my earthly responsibilities but to make the right choice to sit at His feet. I want to long for heaven! Any ideas on how this happens practically as a mom of small kids? I don't want to assume that I will live beyond this stage of life and just think I can do it when the kids get older....

She Tagged Me!!!

Thanks Kim Cobb!!

So here goes......

What was I doing 10 years ago:

About to spend my first summer in Mobile alone - most everyone I knew headed to SBP and I started Occupational Therapy School in June. It was a very lonely summer. I did have gross anatomy that summer and got to disect several human bodies. It was way way cool. Even got to see the insides of 3 human brains as well. It was amazing!!!! (Kim ask your husband about me sneaking him into the lab!!!)

5 things on my to-do list:

1. Send out Mother's Day cards
2. Catch up on laundry and ironing
3. get time with Kim Cobb
4. Work on my Jesse Advent Christmas Ornament Project
5. Buy the boys an outfit for pictures on Friday

5 snacks I love:

1. popcorn
2. vanilla wafers
3. vanilla bean ice cream
4. mountain dew
5. strawberry punch bowl

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Payoff debt
2. Buy a home with land(preferably one with a craft/sewing room all to myself)
3. adopt several children
4. buy a vacation home- I love the idea of the memories of going to the same place every summer with the family.
5. Use it to meet special needs for missionaries and churches and families in need

5 bad habits:

1. not keeping up with friends
2. complaining about circumstances
3. choosing task over people
4. letting the gas get completely empty and asking John to go get gas - I HATE PUMPING GAS
5. eating out these days

5 places I have lived:

1. Kennedy, Al (birth - 19)
2. Mobile, Al (19-25)
3. Orlando, Fl (1 year)
4. Pensacola, Fl (8 months)
5. Denver, CO (1 yr)
6. Birmingham, AL (currently)

5 jobs I've had or have:

1. Mom & Wife (currently)
2. cleaned houses for ladies in Fairhope
3. COGC office assistant
4. OT tech
5. Cashier for grocery store - high school (2 months)

I want to know more about: (Your tagged!!!)
Kristen Goode
Delta Kelly
Carrie Allen
Hope Atchison

Please Pray

My hives are reappearing!!! I have been having some other things going on this week as well - my lip is swelling, etc. It has made me quite overwhelmed with the thoughts of going through this for another 6 week stint. I have a friend whose husband is a doc and has been talking with me about my symptoms and suggested to me to go see an immunologist. So I am making an appointment this morning. For the last 2 days I have been so anxious because I know something is going on with me but the doctors haven't seemed too interested the last 2 six week stints. My friends hubby put some validity to my symptoms which has settled my heart in an amazing way. Not that he diagnosed me but at least I don't feel like it is just in my head and I am going crazy. Who knows how long it will take to get in with this doctor. Please pray that I can get a quick apt., pray that God will give him the wisdom to really find out what is causing such a major disruption in my life and pray that we can manage it.

On a lighter note, John is taking the boys to see his grandparents for the weekend so mommy is off. Very much needed and perfect timing. Please pray that this time will really be restoring for me and that my hives will stay at bay at least this weekend.