Enter to win $50 gift card to Sears/Kmart/Lands End!

Just visit Common Sense With Money and follow the directions to enter for a chance to win 1 of the 2 gift cards for $50. They can be used online or in store at Sears, Kmart or Lands End.

Happy Birthday Ann!

Moving

We're moving this weekend. Kinda rushed you have 3 days notice to find a house and move type situation. won't have internet for about a week but cell will still be around. If ya need me call the cell. Everyone have a great weekend!

PseduoTumor Cerebri

I have officially been diagnosed with PTC aka IIH. I am starting on a medication to reduce the amount of spinal fluid my body produces to see if this helps. I am also starting my fight to lose weight. I am told that if I drop 30 lbs I may be able to avoid the need for brain surgery due to this. I am very hopeful that this is true. I do not want to have brain surgery especially with my son being so young. I will keep everyone updated, but now I have a crap load of homework and testing to finish before we leave Sat morning for NJ.


Have a good night everyone

More inside my head

I now have a diagnosis that is a 90% brain surgery rate if the test comes back positive. I have to go get a lumbar puncture aka spinal tap done to see if I have a spinal tumor. If no tumor is present then it is something called PTC or pseudotumor cerebri meaning my brain thinks there is a tumor but there is not and it is increasing the pressure in my head restricting the flow of my CSF (spinal fluid). If it is PTC I will undergo brain surgery to have a shunt placed in to assist in draining the fluid to prevent blindness and rid me of my headaches. I schedule the spinal tomorrow and will have it done sometime next week. I should know within 2 weeks what is going on. The scary part is knowing that no matter the diagnosis some kind of surgery is required plus the chance of the spinal tap requiring a surgical closing is rather high as well.

Wish me luck, i will keep everyone updated!

Kansas B.A.C.A. member dies during ride

(April 27) -- A Lawrence, Kan., man died Saturday after he was struck by a bolt of lightning as he and six companions rode their motorcycles through a rainstorm, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Troy Gentzler, 45, was killed shortly after visiting an abuse victim for the northeast Kansas chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse.
The bolt struck as the group was traveling between the towns of Grantville and Perry.
"You can sum it up in one word: bizarre," Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig told the newspaper.
A woman riding next to Gentzler was injured in the accident. She was treated at a hospital and released.
Bikers Against Child Abuse supports children who have suffered physical or sexual abuse. Members of Gentzler's chapter conducted their annual tour Saturday, visiting people who had been in the program for several years, the Journal-World reported. Gentzler had been a member for about two years.


Though I am not a member, I am a supporter with friends who are members. My heart goes out to B.A.C.A. worldwide for the loss of their brother.

New blog

This is just to let everyone know I have a new blog out there in blogger world. Nothing special just a bunch of Avon updates. that's it.

http://avoncrusade.blogspot.com/

If anyone is interested the link is above.


~S

Arizona Tattoo Expo is back!!

This year the expo will be in Mesa from May 1-3
Great fun, you can get tattooed or pierced and there is tons to look at, even contests to vote on the tattoos you have!
Only $20 per person, 15 and under free with adult.

Mike will be in tucson this weekend so I'm not sure what day I will go, but if you wanna join let me know!!!

Results from MRI/MRA of my brain

This picture is an example of the Carotid arteries.

the reason for this picture is the basis for my post. I have a narrow left cerebral carotid artery. In lamen terms the artery that supplies blood to the left side of my brain is narrow, not providing my brain with enough blood. This significantly increases my risk for a stroke or TIA (mini stroke). The radiologist suggested that I have a cerebral angiogram

to see how narrow it is and if i need brain surgery to correct it. I will keep updating as I learn more, my appointment with the neurologist is April 10th.

Luke Days 2009 Thunder in the Desert

let me know who wants to come. We park on base so you don't have to try and find parking to pay for. We're most likely going the 21st which is a saturday.

2009 Marlboro Hot Laps

It's a shame I could not experience the thrill of the ride this year because of surgery but I was able to focus on taking pictures and video. Here is the 2009 experience. Hope Ann & D enjoyed it as much as we do every year.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm not a football fan but had to post this

I think i'd pick all of them!

those who know me know what i mean

Not much to say...

This is just a filler until I feel like posting again...

Mike's Halloween Pumpkin







My Halloween pumpkin

What a day!

Today has been a very long day. Mike had his surgery today. Got to the hospital at 7 and he was gonig back at 8:30 and done by 10. We didn't leave until almost noon cause it took him a while to wake up enough for them to let me back to see him and take him home. He insisted on going to school tonight but left at 8 and when he got in the car he told me he feels like ass and was in a ton of pain and starting to feel nauseaus. Didn't want to say I told you so but I told him so! Gavin is feeling much better from earlier this week, the prednisone is working and the fever is going away. While at the hospital this morning I was reminded of my short stint doing "what i wish i wore today" and here is my button for the day:

Well it's time for bed I have to work tomorrow and i'm exhausted!

My Apologies!

I have seriously slacked off the last few months. Things are so crazy around here I don't even know how it is Hallows Eve already. Well this past month was nuts but fun. Took monkey to his first hockey game and he loved it. Also took Mike to see METALLICA for his birthday. And went to see Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional, and Panic! at the Disco which was pretty bad ass. And this past Sunday we wook Gavin to Schnepf Farms to pick pumpkins. Not much happened this month. Mike gets the surgery i've been eagerly waiting for on Nov 6th. Hopefully no more snoring after!!!!!! Well I have to go do some biology homework now so here are some pics of the above mentioned events. Hopefully I'll write a real post soon!

Dashboard Confessional

Plain White T's

Panic! at the Disco

Daddy & Gav at the hockey game

Mommy & Gav at the hockey game

Daddy & Gav again

Death Magnetic Coffins

James Singing

Flames!

Metallica Speaker & Pyro boxes

Mommy & Gav pickin pumpkins

Gavin

Gavin

Gavin on his first horse

He's having fun!

This is why I am not Vegetarian

I don't know what is worse not eating meat or shoving sharp dangerous objects into your face to show that you don't eat meat. Glad I don't live in Thailand.

For Ann

Need I say more...

Botched Surgery

The surgeon replied to the lawsuit filed by this model "They look fine to me"

Kidneys

I will be taking a short sabatical from being online while I try to get better. Apparently I have a very bad kidney infection that without meds and rest would have led to renal failure. So I am on some broad spectrum antibiotics and have been told to take it easy and drink lots of fluids. I will post when I'm feeling better. Oh, and I finish my semester this week and don't go back until october. So hopefully I will be a little more active online!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

~S