Well, last week I had my week's work-up at OHSU.

My PIC line closed off, and the tape they used ate the skin off my arm, so I've been fighting an infection there. It really chewed up my arm, but it finally stopped hurting.

I got my famous jugs yesterday, so I'll do the first UFC tomorrow. I'm so wound up tonight, that I'm probably high.... Heh, any where else, in any other context, that would sound bad.

So, I didn't perform at the bellydance party on Friday, like I was supposed to. There will be other solos so I'm not really upset. I just couldn't face the questioning looks with the way my arms ended up being chewed up over the week. It would have just been too hard dealing with the questioning looks. Too hard.

Sunday afternoon I got a call from my sister. Our mother had been having some serious health issues, and the doctor called her on a Sunday, and told her that's she's got pancreatic cancer, it's verified. So now I have to deal with that, and with my rotten brothers.

Sunday night my Spudboy started throwing up with diarea, so I spent all night in the ER with him while they pumped him full of IV bags, pain medications and anti-nausia drugs. I think I got about 15 minutes snooze time in the ER.

Monday, after we got Spudboy home, and socked away in my bed, I think i got about 90 minutes of sleep, I was too wound up. I had a job interview at 3:00 and had to find and print my resume. Had to get the printer out, the good paper, and all that stuff. Road constrction in addition to not being sure where I was actually going for my interview added to the stress, but I arrived in plenty of time. I WOWed him. It was only an informal interview, to see if either one of us wanted to set up the full and formal interview loop. A full loop is an 8 hour loop, and is quite the endurance test. Anyway, I WOWed the guy! He's off for a 10 day inspection of one of the facilities in India, but he wants me to think about where in the organization I think I would fit best, what I would like to do most within the organization, where I want to focus.

Yesterday I had a partial unfill. I "only" had 1.5 cc in my band, but it was too much. I was getting tighter and tighter, and we decided that I should have .25 removed. I have had every meal without pain or PBs or slimes. Heaven! I'm hungry, and I know I'm eating more than I should. Funny, only a Banster would think that an entire chicken breast was too much food? I'm not tracking my meals, which is added stress I don't need right now. NWWLS has a new surgeon who's joined their practice, and he's an experienced neuro-endo-surgeon who's apperently one of the leading docs in the area, both subject and geography. He quickly outlined what the surgery would be in I had to have the adreanals done.

So, tomorrow I get my test resutls from Dr. L. I am excited and scared at the same time. I don't know what time he's going to call me. And I'm sitting here, wound up like a top.

I didn't understand some of the things you mentioned, such as...

"I got my famous jugs yesterday, so I'll do the first UFC tomorrow." and "He quickly outlined what the surgery would be in I had to have the adreanals done." What do those mean?

Sorry, I've learned a while new jargon, and I love my jargon.... One of my failings with my writing, jargon...

The UFC tests are urine tests where I have to collect all my urine in a jug and have it sent off to have the cortisol tested. I have to collect 4 different days worth of these tests.

Cushings tumors can be in many places, typically in the pititary (brain) or the adreanal glands (kidney), but it can be caused by tumors in other parts of the body such as the lung. So, the surgeon I spoke with on Tuesday explained the surgery if it was my adreanals that is causing my woes.

I"m still waiting for the phone call....

Vines, so sorry about your Mom and other parts of your rough week.

Glad you came back! Shawn

(((((HUGS)))))!!! Sounds like you need them! I'm so sorry about your mom & everything else that you are going through. It sure was good to see a post by you! I'll keep you in my thoughts & I'm sending you & your family lots of white light!!!!

Vines,

Thank you for posting, clearly a lot of people have been thinking of you and wondering how you're doing. I wish there was something I could do to help you during this time of stress and change. I think of all you're going through and feel ashamed of the easy life I 'struggle' through; I think how strong you are and wonder what amazing heights you'll achieve if and when you've got the time to focus. I'm so very sorry about your Mom and I pray that her prognosis will improve.

Wishing the best for you,

Hey Vinesqueen,

I was just banded this week but have really enjoyed reading your encouraging posts over the last month as I have followed threads. My heart broke when I read your farewell post. I'm glad you are back!

Anyway, the reasing I am resopnding is to offer a solution in case you have to have another PICC line or any other central line again (hopefully not!)

When I was pregnant, I had such severy nausea and vomiting that I had picc lines for about 8 months. I am very allergic to adhesives so the home health nurses got a product called BARDS Skin Protector for me. A lot of colostomy patients use it to help prevent irritation at their colostomy sites. BARDS comes on gause and you rub it on your arm or line site (after applying betadine and letting it dry), let it dry and it provides a protective barrier between your skin and the adhesive pads that are there to protect your port area. I still had some minor itching but I never had the skin breakdowns that I would have had without the BARDS.

I think you can arrange to have it there when a line is inserted and a pharmacy can provide it for when you need to change the dressing.

I hope this is advice you don't need to utilize, but, just in case, here it is.

Good luck with all your testing! I wish you the best.

Vines - Sending a great big bear hug your way! Gosh, you certainly have had your share of things lately! Hang in there, we're all on cheering for you!

We went to the surgeon this morning for my mother. Not good.

She will basically have a radical RNY, open. They will be removing part of her stomach, part of her liver, pancreas, and a big whack of her intesines too.

They will be putting in a feeding tube for a while, while she heals. She's looking at about a week, 10 days in hospital.

I'll be going to stay with her, which I'm not really looking forward to doing, for a varitey of reasons. But my sister really cannot handle two little old ladies that need full care.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Take my well wishes with you when you go. I hope the trip is as least stressful as possible.

Dear Vines, If you don't post for a while we know its because of your sweet service to others. Please know that your in my prayers often, and so is your family, spud kins and all, (I know you call him spudboy, I call my boys punkins and they hate it) but you have more than enough to handle. I'm glad that you are able to check in once in a while. I feel so bad for your mum, I hope she isn't afraid. Boy stress alone causes cortisol, so even if there wasn't the adrenal thing going on your levels could be hi. I hope you can start to get some good rest and sleep. I'm happy the job horizon is bright for you.

Thank you for letting us know how your doing, you matter to me. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help OK?

VQ I have thought long and hard and wished I had some pearls of wisdom that would magically make you feel better. But of course I dont other than to say we are here for you. Lean on us when you need to. Myra

Crystal~

Thanks for keeping us updated on what's happening. You are so special and important to us here, and many of us are holding you up in prayer as well as keeping you in our thoughts. I'll never understand why some people seem to go through life so easily and some have so much to deal with. But whatever the reason, please know that you and your family are in my prayers.

Consider yourself hugged!

Emily