Our Little Catwoman

Gracie is on a superhero kick and is dressing up as Catwoman for Halloween this year. Look how cute she is!

Cool cat

OUC has a GLBTA student club, called the "Stray Cats." Since I don't have time to be involved, I consider myself a fan sitting on the sidelines just waiting for free time to pop up or for my schedule to magically rearrange itself as needed. I'm a MySpace friend, at least. Just a little while ago, I was reorganizing my Top Friends, and decided to move the Stray Cats up a bit. Their profile image is this:
I was looking at this, wondering, "Who made that sweet-ass cat?" So I dug deeper, and I found a "Stray Cats Logo by Karalea Lane" caption on the photo page. Let's just say I'm not surprised that it was created by the ever-talented Karalea. There's nothing cooler than a cat, unless it's a cat covered in messages of love and acceptance.

When Gracie develops the understanding and vocabulary for sexuality, I'm going to print this out and let her color it.

Real good folk

These are the peeps I'll be working with this fall. They're such a good bunch. We truly are a lovely bunch of coconuts. :)

Front row, left to right: Ashlee Daniels, Jennifer Slone, Karalea Lane.
Back row, left to right: Leona Mount, Regan Sowers, Denver Karshner, Sarah Cook.

There's this crazy band I like...

...That no one else I know does. It's quite disheartening, seeing how this particular band has recently stolen No. 2 from The Arcade Fire on my Last.fm Top Artists.

They're called "Aqueduct." Well, actually he's called "Aqueduct." It's just this dude, David Terry, who had a big musical crisis so he locked himself in his bedroom and recorded. Eventually, he came out of his hole, and he had a whole crapload of awesome music. According to a 2005 Rolling Stone article, he came up with the band name one day while driving. He said he'd been seeing signs about some big aqueduct that's keeping Southern California's desert alive. At that moment, he decided he wanted to produce his own music. And he did.

Eventually, he added band members in order to perform live. His music is like layers upon layers of vocals and varying instrumentations. It's very melancholy and morbid, but happy and preppy. It's definitely pop, but I'd also call it piano rock, electronica, or just plain old Indie rock. It's just good stuff. IMHO, of course. I haven't found a pal yet that likes them as much as I do. I was thinking today, if they ever came around again (they were in Athens some short time ago, but I missed out), I wouldn't have anyone to dance my butt off with at the show. So, it is my goal to get people to like them. Here's how I'm going to do it:

First, watch this video. Listen to the song.



Now, if that doesn't convince you, read the lyrics here. Read them and play the song at the same time, actually. That's the ticket.

If you still don't like the song, well, you probably won't like Aqueduct at all. There are differences between the first album (with "Growing Up With GNR"), "I Sold Gold," and the more recent "Or Give Me Death," but the sound is generally the same. It's hard for me to find an album I like beginning to end, but I can't stop listening to either of them. And just today, I found an old EP I didn't know about!

Man, am I on a blogging roll or what?! (Haha, blog roll...geek joke.) I can only attribute it to my new job in the Writing Center. The past two days, I've been in training, and next week I'll begin tutoring. So far, it's been fantastic. I'm really going to love this job. For the past two days, I've been writing! We've actually had writing assignments throughout the entire training! I couldn't imagine a more blissful job to have! (I know I'm using a lot of exclamation points, but it is warranted.) We're also required to partake in the OUC Writing Center Blog. I'm having a great time so far. And next week, my Fall Quarter classes begin, as well. Yay for getting back into the swing of things!

Keeping you posted...

I thought it might be time to give another medical update, since every time I run into someone I know, I end up telling this entire story anyways. Just like this morning, when I reached for a muffin the first morning of orientation for my new tutoring job, I had to explain why blueberry muffins were the only ones in the box I could have.

So, I'm still laden with the interstitial cystitis. For that, I received bladder installations with a "Rescue" solution. After a month and a half of that, it has been discontinued. Now, I'm just taking the oral medication Elmiron for two more months. Hopefully, this will build back up the lining of my bladder, which is in much disrepair. This is the disease that is also dictating my diet. It's easier to explain what I can eat: white flour products, bland meats, and dairy products. It's necessary that I avoid anything spicy, MSG, foods rich in potassium, and any and all condiments. No fun, but I've lost 20 pounds so far.

I've also got endometriosis, and I started the Lupron injections over a month ago. Just last Thursday, I received my second shot. Lupron is a chemotherapy drug that was first designed to treat patients with prostate cancer. Now, it's being used more and more often by doctors to reduce the size of lesions in patients with endometriosis. It will not necessarily remove the endometrial implants, but it will allow the disease to go into remission for up to five years. Because the injections are a hormonal treatment, the side-effects it creates is on par with menopause. Therefore, hot flashes, decreased libido, and emotional issues are common.

After my first shot, I noticed a few hot flashes. I also began experiencing headaches and nausea quite often. For the first two weeks, I had a ton of sexual energy. However, since my second shot last week, that has plateaued and started declining. I'm also feeling the effects of the chemotherapy more than I expected I would. The nausea and headaches are much worse and more frequent. I feel kind of like my brain is in a fog, and concentration has been a bit difficult. I can also see my memory slipping from time to time, which is also a popular side-effect. The worst part of the experience, though, by far, is the joint pain and the emotional disturbance. Lupron is known to deplete bone mass and increases the risk for Osteoporosis. Even adding a calcium supplement to my diet won't help. I'm starting to worry about the pain I'm having, but I don't think I have any options to decrease it. And the emotional issues are setting me back to my bipolar days, and I'm trying my best to hang on each and every day, despite the fact that I'm sad for no apparent reason. Adding a mild anti-depressant to my diet of pills might be an option I look into soon. Because my lesions are located near blood vessels, surgery is not an option for me. Looks like Lupron is the only thing that can help me right now.

So, there it is - the bad and the ugly. The good is that, hopefully, after another four-and-a-half months, I'll be pain-free and can move on with my life, happy and healthy.

Somebody tell me what this is

Gracie won this last night at the Pike County Fair. WTF??!!

EDIT: A Googled definition of the word "benign": Kind; gentle; mild; Not posing any serious threat to health; not particularly aggressive or recurrent.

So be it, but I think they could've used better word. LOL.

Medical Update

This week, I returned to Dr. Villarreal's office for one more test, to rule out my bladder as the issue causing me so much abdominal pain. Turns out, this simple visit that I underestimated turned out to be the most important of all. Following a potassium test, I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, which many doctors refer to as endometriosis' evil twin. Approximately 70 to 90 percent of women with IC are misdiagnosed with endometriosis.

IC is basically the thinning out/wearing down of the bladder wall. I blame it on the fact that my mother gave me Pepsi from birth. But now, I have to change my diet, say goodbye to Pepsi, spicy foods, Ranch dressing, Funyons ... all the things I adore so much. Potassium and MSG are the culprits that aggravate the disease, so I've been put on a diet to avoid foods containing them. I'm pretty much left with bread, meats, dairy products, and a few vegetables.

Twice a week for the next two weeks and once per week following for four months, I'll be visiting my OB/GYN for "Rescue" therapy. That's where they pour a solution into my bladder that both helps relieve pain and begins coating my bladder, building the lining back up. The very night after my first treatment the other day, I slept. I only got up twice to go to the bathroom the entire night - compared to my usual five or six trips. My pain has also decreased drastically. In addition to the bladder treatments, I've been prescribed Elmiron, a drug I take three times a day. A one-month prescription runs at $340, so I'm truly grateful for insurance for one of the first times in my life. This drug helps block potassium and also works to rebuild the bladder wall.

It's amazing how much better I feel already. I'm sure this newfound peace of mind can be directly attributed to having a diagnosis that makes sense, one that I've already begun treatment for. It's been a long three months, but I feel my feet finding steady ground now. I'm thinking of having a "Jenn Quits Pepsi" party to celebrate. Ya know, I'd serve Pepsi to all of my guests and I'll drink Evian. I'm really quite depressed about it, so a party would be an uplifting way to say goodbye.

The really big light at the end of the tunnel is that if this works, Dr. Villarreal won't need to put me on hormone therapy for the endometriosis. He said after my laparoscopy that even though he found signs of endometriosis, he didn't think it was severe enough to be causing the pain I was having. Hopefully the treatment for IC will take care of everything. Cross your fingers, everyone!

Elusive Song

I can't find this song anywhere but on imeem...and the album it's from costs a minimum of $45 on Amazon. It's from the movie "Better Luck Tomorrow," during a really beautiful scene.  I was going to post my favorite movie soundtrack moments, until I realized that this song was hidden from the eyes and ears of humanity.  So, now it's here...for now.    More on my list later...

Honorable Mention

This is a project I completed for Woman's Studies 100 during Winter Quarter. Our guidelines were to create a "quilt" highlighting important women in any field we chose. I chose to focus on nine women who changed the face of music during their respective eras: Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Melissa Etheridge, and Alanis Morissette. Since I'm not a crafter, per say, I used a canvas, acrylic paints, and Xerox copies of Photoshopped images. I received an "Honorable Mention" for my efforts. The piece hung in OU-C's art gallery in Bennett Hall for the entire month of March.

I Guess That's Why They Call it Medical "Practice"

And now, a play-by-play of my recent medial dilemma.

Nearly three months ago, I developed what I thought was a kidney infection. I had all the typical symptoms - pain in the mid-to-lower left side of my back, the constant urge to urinate, and overall abdominal crampiness. A visit to Urgent Care sent me home with antibiotics, but by the following week, my pain had increased and none of the other symptoms had even begun to dissipate. I then started a series of tests ordered my family doctor, Dr. Kirk Tucker with the Franklin Clinic in Chillicothe. Throughout the next three months, I had three CT scans, a colonoscopy and an MRI. Possible dianoses ranged from kidney stones, diverticulitis, a slipped disc in my back, and porphyria. As these tests, including random blood and urine samples, continued to come back with negative results, I realized Dr. Tucker had no idea what he was up against. He became very restless with my office visits. I could tell he's had very few patients with conditions as obscure as mine.

Approximately three weeks ago, my pain reached a new level, and my left abdomen, just beside and above my navel, began to swell. I called Dr. Tucker's office to let him know about the change in symptoms. He was not going to be in the office the next day, so he set me up with an appointment with Dr. Gbaruk of the same family of physicians. Dr. Gbaruk took much more time sitting down with me than Dr. Tucker ever had. Dr. Tucker would rush me in and out, briefly speak to me regarding new development of symptoms, and rarely did any sort of physical examination. Dr. Gbaruk actually physically analyzed my abdomen, and he squinted his eyes in confusion for quite some time before deciding to go look over my recent scans and to have a conference call with Dr. Tucker. When he returned to the room, he had determined that endometriosis was the likely culprit, and that I should see my OB/GYN as soon as possible. A laparoscopy was ordered, and I was scheduled for the operation last Friday.

When I went in for surgery, I warned Dr. Bob Lee, the anesthesiologist, of a condition my aunt Barb has, one my family has been told is serious and genetic and can affect any of us at any time. While this sounds serious enough, I never knew just how dangerous the disease is until Friday. When I mentioned "Malignant Hyperthermia" to the doctor, he freaked out. He said if he were to have completed my surgery Friday, there would have been a 25 percent chance I could die. Malignant Hypothermia is a rare disease stemming from an allergic reaction to certain anesthetics. If contracted, it causes the patient's muscles to contract, and the presence of a high fever that eventually shuts down the body's systems, one by one. This all confused me because I have had anesthetics before, for an apendectomy at Pike Community Hospital in 2006. When I told Dr. Lee of this, he said, "Sure, you could say, 'I just crossed the road without looking first and I'm fine.' But that doesn't mean you'll be fine the next time you try to do it." So, apparently, MH can manifest itself whenever it pleases, but not every time. To find out if I have MH, I'll have to make a trip to Pennsylvania to have a muscle biopsy performed. It is the only location in the U.S., that I'm aware of, that handles the test.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait for a test to have my laparoscopy. Instead, special conditions had to be met by the anesthetic team. First of all, I had to be the first patient of the day, with clean new anesthetic tubes containing no traces of the drugs that might trigger a reaction. Next, the doctors had to avoid any drugs known to trigger an MH episode. And finally, I was given very high doses of oxygen to be sure my muscles wouldn't do the contracty thing. I went in for the operation yesterday morning, and did wonderful.

The findings: endometriosis. Although I've not yet spoken to my OB/GYN, Dr. Richard Villarreal of Chillicothe OB/GYN, he briefed Nick on the situation following the procedure. Apparently, he did find endometriosis, but it wasn't severe enough for him to burn any of it off yesterday. He said he wants to start me on a series of injections to throw me into menopause temporarily. Supposedly, this will slow the growth of the endometriosis. Now, I'm concerned about my future as a woman. I don't even know if I'll be able to have more children following this. I'm afraid of the big "M" word because I'm not looking forward to having my hormones all out of whack - even more out of what than this crazy woman's hormones are already. I have an appointment with Dr. Villarreal Monday to discuss the issue further. He also said that he's not entirely convinced that my level of pain is coming from the endometriosis. He said typically, the condition doesn't cause pain as severe as mine. He would also like for me to see an internal medicine specialist to look for something further. What they'll look for this time I have no idea. The only thing I could think they might do is an endoscopy, where they'd take a scope down the upper part of my G.I. track and stomach to look for problems. Other than that, I've been scoped and scanned every which way possible. I don't know what more could be causing it.

So, now, I'm on my couch, feeling achy from a hole in my belly button and another on my lower stomach. The anesthetics have worn off finally, leaving me both drowsy and restless. I welcome uplifting messages and words of wisdom.