Tumor Update

I will have a CT Scan on Monday morning at 8:30 at Methodist hospital. I'm glad this is moving so quickly. As Brittany reminded me:

I have a tumor, I have a tumor
The doctor's gonna take it out.
(Sung to the tune of I heard a Rumor, Bananarama circa 1990?)

I will be happy to get rid of the constant reminder in my ear. If I was a superstitious gal, I'd think it was my conscience trying to tell me something. But, I'm not, so I guess it's just blood flow.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

J

p.s. I will start posting some pics soon. I know that no one wants to read a blog with no pics. I'll work on that.

What's that about a soda-cat?

Now that I've actually told people that this blog exists (up until now only one person knew-which is kind of funny since I type like you have a huge audience), I thought I would explain the soda-cat reference. Anyone who knows my dear Evelyn, knows that she has always had her own way of saying things. She still calls her favorite morning meal "cilaral." She has even taken to calling me "MoMo," which drives me crazy. My point is, she says thing her way, whether it's because she thinks that is actually how to say it or not.

So, we live on a cul-de-sac. This is a very proud place for our family to be. Evie also takes pride in it. At, the age of 4, Evie was happy to share this information with others. She would proudly exclaim that we lived on the "soda-cat." I totally understand her logic, and that's why I'm her mama..or momo.

J

Naming Rights

I bet when you named your children, that you did not realize just how many ways that name could be pronounced. As I sit here, trying to enjoy my last few bites of yogurt and blueberries (really a treat), I am interrupted by "Aidenunun." I mean, really, that's not his name. And what is his rebuttal, but "E-V!!!" You know, in that super angry voice.

I love summer. Really I do.

Enjoy your day.

J

It's not a tumor!

Well, maybe it is.

Ok, so I've been complaining for awhile now about a roaring in my left ear. It started as just annoying. As it progressed (i.e. the roaring is now ALWAYS present) I started to be concerned. I finally saw and ENT about it today and my doctor thinks it might be....(drum roll please)......a tumor.

Now, before any of you become alarmed, the type of said tumor is benign. But, it still has to be removed. This leaves me most worried about...will I have to get an i.v.? People are not good with me and i.v.'s. And, if I have the surgery where they go in behind the ear and not in it...I bet I won't be able to wash my hair for a few days. And that's just really gross for me. I mean my hair gets NASTY. And, I won't be able to work out. I might as well start eating brownies now.

So, my possible diagnosis is Glomus Tympanicum. Apparently, it's only a 1 in 1.3 million condition. I suppose that's why none of us has ever heard of it. There is also a second possible diagnosis, which is Dehiscent Jugular Vein. This second option requires no surgery, no nothing. Just for me to live the rest of my life with a persistent roaring in my ear, and oh yeah, forgot to mention hearing loss as well (which apparently I do have).

I've googled the above in case anyone cares to read what this is.

Glomus Tympanicum

Glomus tumors grow from small collections of nerve-derived cells (glomus cells, also known as glomus bodies). These special cells are found in the walls of certain blood vessels and along nerves. Glomus bodies are chemoreceptors, which means that these cells can detect chemical changes in the blood. Normal glomus cells also make hormones (similar to adrenaline) that can be released into the blood stream.

Glomus tumors are typically slow growing tumors that grow along paths of low resistance. As such, glomus tumors may grow inside nerve canals, along blood vessels, and inside the eustachian tube (the tube that connects the ear to
the back of the nose). These tumors also have a very rich blood supply.

Symptoms
Glomus tympanicum tumors develop inside the middle ear. The most common symptom is that of a pulsing sound as blood flows through the vessels of the tumor (pulsatile tinnitus). Other symptoms of a glomus tympanicum include a conductive hearing loss (caused by the tumor blocking sound transmission through the middle ear), ear pain and bleeding from the ear.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made based on the patient's symptoms, physical examination findings and a combination of tests. A common physical examination finding is that of a reddish/bluish mass behind the ear drum (tympanic membrane) (see Figures below). A hearing test and computed tomography scan (CT) are performed routinely. CT is needed to determine the size of a tumor and the relationships of the tumor with structures within the ear. CT tomography is also useful because it can see small erosions or openings in bone.

Treatment
The vast majority of glomus tympanicum tumors are treated with surgical removal. Small glomus tympanicum tumors are removed through incisions confined to the ear canal, while larger glomus tympanicum tumors are removed through an incision behind the ear. Surgical removal of glomus tympanicum tumors is typically performed under general anesthesia on an out patient basis (same day surgery). The chance of recurrence is quite low if the tumor is completely removed.

In case anyone is interested in seeing a pic of this tumor, look here. I
refuse to post that picture on my blog.

The second diagnosis option is a Dehiscent Jugular. Not really as sure about that one. There is not so much about it on the web - only med speak.

So, my next step is to get an special kind of X-ray where apparently this little tumor will "light up" like a young starlet on Broadway.

I guess it's good to know. I just want to get this over with.

I'll keep you posted.

Jen

VBS 2008

Well, another year has passed for VBS. This has been my third year to volunteer, and subsequently the third year for my kids as well. For those of you not familiar with the inner working of VBS, a typical may look like this: morning assembly (singing, dancing, stories and jokes), games, Bible story time, crafts and theater time (where they always watch a story about a disturbing chipmunk named Chadder) ending the day with final assembly. The day lasts from 9a to noon.

I think this was the best year for all of us.

This was Evie's first year to be in the elementary production - and quite a production it is. For the first year, Aiden enjoyed himself. And this was the first year for Sadie to participate. I love sneaking peeks at them throughout the day - especially when they're dancing. It seems you can learn a lot about your child when they don't know they're being watched.

I learned that Evie is good at being part of the crowd. She's the kind of kid that really gets the most out of a big event like this. I learned that Aiden really needs that one-on-one reasoning time. He also has a big heart for those who are willing to be firm with him. And, my Sadie, she only confirmed what I already knew. She just wants to be held and loved on periodically through the day. It didn't even matter who it was.

It is the sweetest time to see how God speaks to each child differently and how He growing a faith in each of them.

I'll try and post some pics a little later.

Jen

My favorites from Ellie Krieger

Ok, all. This is my attempt to start a blog. I always have so much going on in my head and my life...maybe I can type some of it out here.

So, I have a new favorite cookbook. I've been discussing it with my friend Britt for a while. I wanted to list some of my favorites here (especially for you, Britt.) Those of you who know me (which is all of you I guess) know that I love good food, but I also want it to be healthy. It doesn't have to be fat or sugar free, but I want it to be full of healthy ingredients. And, it must be somewhat edible by the crew.

Here are my favorites. Btw, these are coming from her "The Food you Crave" cookbook - got mine at Costco. Also, found many of these on Food Network, gave you the link!

Sloppy Joes Love this recipe b/c it has beans in it so it goes further - also doesn't have that metallic taste that manwich always did.

Caesar Salad Really good, really intense flavor.

Green Goddess Dressing The color is the most lovely green, and the flavor is mild and tangy. Anyway, you can't go wrong with avocado, right?)

Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce This was really easy, really easy to double and acted as a nice mild side dish - the feta really added some nice creaminess without the use of cream. See picture above.

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Good but not necessarily original.

Crispy Chicken Fingers. I actually did not like this recipe so I won't include the link. I like the idea of using Chex cereal for a crispy breading, but the flavor was blah.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous I now make this every other week. It's incredibly quick and easy, but still different enough from usual chicken dishes.

Mom's Turkey Meatloaf Great, easy, healthy.

Lemon-Mint Tzatziki I love tzatziki and have never found a good recipe. This was easy and it was great. The secret is to grate the cucumber. Also, I forgot the mint and it was still good. The recipe is for poached salmon and tzatziki. I did not make the salmon, but I bet it would be great.

Salmon Cakes with Ginger-Sesame Sauce I am fortunate enough to get really good canned salmon from my father-in-law. This recipe really highlights how yummy it is. My kids love these, they just prefer them with ketchup.

Chipotle Cream I use this for fish tacos, but it also makes a great salad dressing. It is so yummy and so simple. The recipe is listed with her fish taco recipe.

Miso Glazed Cod. Again, not providing a link b/c I didn't like it all that much. In case you get the book, I want you to know what was tried.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta I served this over whole wheat orzo. This was very simple and very tasty.

Shrimp Scampi with Artichokes First, the artichokes really add some bulk to this meal and makes it last a little longer. Second, you really don't miss the butter that you usually see in a scampi. I really loved this one.

Dirty Broccoli. This is nice change from steamed broc. No recipe, but it's basically steamed broc in butter and bread crumbs.

Tomato Stuffed Peppers Alert! Alert! This is my favorite side dish. So guilt free and so full of flavor. Oh, and btw, my kids won't eat this. But, they can just have carrots this night.

Wow, I guess I've tried a few. I didn't even realize until now. I have a couple other chefs that I treat this way as well. Maybe I'll chronicle through them one day.

I hope you've enjoyed my first blog. I hope I can keep this up. At least I can have something to look back on one day.

Bye all! J