Tuesday, October 18, 2011
My Potential Chronic Sunburn
Well, since everyone who follows my blog already knows, it's not a secret anymore. Mike and I and the kids are planning a (tentative) move to Texas. It's time, after 13 years, for Mike to finally be closer to his side of the family. This is a bittersweet thing for me, for sure!! I don't want to leave my own family by any means. That is a HUGE given. However, Mike deserves to enjoy the same camaraderie that I have had for so long and it will give our kids the chance to get to know the Jenkins side as well. Plus, real estate in Texas is incredibly cheap which is always a great thing! Mike has an interview with the CAT dealership in Irving, which is about 20 minutes from Arlington, (our city of choice) on or around the 10th of November when we are there for Chris and Penny's big day(s). I am really excited, but also a little scared at the idea of leaving. We have been here for 7 years now and even though I don't really like Utah weather, it is much preferable to Texas heat. But, who knows? Maybe I will actually like it once we are there. If everything goes the way it should, I will be attending the University of Texas at Arlington to finish my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in accounting. Penny has already informed me of which schools are the best for the kids and I trust her judgment implicitly. So....now it's just a waiting game to see if this is what Heavenly Father really wants for us. If things go smoothly, then we'll know it's meant to be. If they don't, then it's not. Either way, it's all in Heavenly Father's hands as far as I'm concerned.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
My Medical Nightmares
Hello all,
It seems like I have been writing a lot lately, but it seems like life is handing me a lot to write about. But, today I will write about the medical nightmares I have been having these past few weeks. First, the most obvious one: my cyst removal. As most of you know, I had an emergency removal of a cyst on my ovary in which they removed the whole ovary as well as the cyst. I woke up on Monday morning with a pain in my side that just wouldn't go away, and it kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally, Mike FORCED me to go to the hospital, against my will, and after a CT scan, we found the cyst. It was a dermoid cyst, meaning that it had grown teeth and everything. Scary stuff! I am actually learning about this stuff in my Human Biology class, so it was like a little extra homework for me. Anyway, we decided to take it out, not at all thinking of what the medical bill might be afterward.
Well, yesterday I received the bill from the hospital in the mail. I was thinking it would be pretty big--somewhere in the neighborhood of $5, maybe even $10,000 if things got out of hand! I was so wrong. Folks, it is a whopping $25,438.11!! I about fell down and had a heart attack right then and there. What can I do about it now?! It's not like I can take my ovary back. So, here I am, bill in hand, wishing I had a million dollars right about now. Not to worry, I can always sell my other ovary for the money, right? I mean, it's not like I need it!
As for my other medical nightmare....well, this one isn't nearly as expensive. But, it will definitely mean huge changes in our home and a lot of patience on mine and Mike's parts. Dallin has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder with some Hyperactivity. I have NEVER noticed any hyperactivity on his part, but apparently some things he does like scream at the top of his lungs or get up and down from his seat fall into the hyperactive category. However, I have known for quite some time in my heart that he had ADD. I think now it's just nice to have an official diagnosis so we can start getting help on how to deal with it WITHOUT medication. That is one of the things Mike and I are very adamant about: NO MEDICATION. Luckily, Dallin's case is somewhat mild and he is by no means an unruly child. But, still, he does have the odd noises and the small tics that are associated with kids who have attention problems. He also has a tremendously hard time concentrating, and I know that this is something that will get better as he gets older. But, we are working on helping with that now so it won't be so difficult for him in the future.
We have decided as part of the treatment, that we are going to start going gluten-free for at least a month to see if it helps. Of course, we are doing other things like adjusting bedtimes and night routines, TV schedules, posting checklists for him, etc. But, the biggest change for our family is going to be the gluten-free diet. I would like to get to the point where everything in the house is Dallin-friendly. But, that means the whole family is pretty much going gluten-free too. I don't know if that would be more expensive than just buying him extra stuff on top of our regular groceries, but I will just have to perform some trial and error. It will be a journey, that's for sure.
Anyway, that's about it on my end. How is everyone else doing?
It seems like I have been writing a lot lately, but it seems like life is handing me a lot to write about. But, today I will write about the medical nightmares I have been having these past few weeks. First, the most obvious one: my cyst removal. As most of you know, I had an emergency removal of a cyst on my ovary in which they removed the whole ovary as well as the cyst. I woke up on Monday morning with a pain in my side that just wouldn't go away, and it kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally, Mike FORCED me to go to the hospital, against my will, and after a CT scan, we found the cyst. It was a dermoid cyst, meaning that it had grown teeth and everything. Scary stuff! I am actually learning about this stuff in my Human Biology class, so it was like a little extra homework for me. Anyway, we decided to take it out, not at all thinking of what the medical bill might be afterward.
Well, yesterday I received the bill from the hospital in the mail. I was thinking it would be pretty big--somewhere in the neighborhood of $5, maybe even $10,000 if things got out of hand! I was so wrong. Folks, it is a whopping $25,438.11!! I about fell down and had a heart attack right then and there. What can I do about it now?! It's not like I can take my ovary back. So, here I am, bill in hand, wishing I had a million dollars right about now. Not to worry, I can always sell my other ovary for the money, right? I mean, it's not like I need it!
As for my other medical nightmare....well, this one isn't nearly as expensive. But, it will definitely mean huge changes in our home and a lot of patience on mine and Mike's parts. Dallin has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder with some Hyperactivity. I have NEVER noticed any hyperactivity on his part, but apparently some things he does like scream at the top of his lungs or get up and down from his seat fall into the hyperactive category. However, I have known for quite some time in my heart that he had ADD. I think now it's just nice to have an official diagnosis so we can start getting help on how to deal with it WITHOUT medication. That is one of the things Mike and I are very adamant about: NO MEDICATION. Luckily, Dallin's case is somewhat mild and he is by no means an unruly child. But, still, he does have the odd noises and the small tics that are associated with kids who have attention problems. He also has a tremendously hard time concentrating, and I know that this is something that will get better as he gets older. But, we are working on helping with that now so it won't be so difficult for him in the future.
We have decided as part of the treatment, that we are going to start going gluten-free for at least a month to see if it helps. Of course, we are doing other things like adjusting bedtimes and night routines, TV schedules, posting checklists for him, etc. But, the biggest change for our family is going to be the gluten-free diet. I would like to get to the point where everything in the house is Dallin-friendly. But, that means the whole family is pretty much going gluten-free too. I don't know if that would be more expensive than just buying him extra stuff on top of our regular groceries, but I will just have to perform some trial and error. It will be a journey, that's for sure.
Anyway, that's about it on my end. How is everyone else doing?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
My Educational Predicament
For the past few weeks, as most of you know, I have been dealing with my kids' elementary school and problems encountered therein. Most of the problems have been with Dallin and his teacher. It has gotten me thinking about what I want to do with my life. When I graduated from high school, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a teacher. I went to SUU and I was in the process of taking all the classes needed to get my elementary education degree. When I moved back to Oregon, I decided that I would rather be an accountant, and for the most part, that is what I have stuck with. But, with all the troubles Dallin has been dealing with lately, it has gotten me to thinking that maybe I want to switch back to my original idea. I realize that the money aspect of it would be about half of what I'd make as an accountant. But, I wish that Dallin had the kind of teacher that I know I could be. I hope that doesn't sound like I am tooting my own horn, but I love working with kids, mostly teenagers and preteens. But, I'd be happy with just about anything from grade three and up.
So, here is my predicament: I have already been going back to school now for well over a year. I have done a few general ed courses, but most of them have been business related with the goal of transferring to a four-year college to study accounting. But, I have been volunteering a lot lately in three of my kids classes and I just don't know for sure that accounting is what I want to do anymore. Too bad I can't do both! Any suggestions?
So, here is my predicament: I have already been going back to school now for well over a year. I have done a few general ed courses, but most of them have been business related with the goal of transferring to a four-year college to study accounting. But, I have been volunteering a lot lately in three of my kids classes and I just don't know for sure that accounting is what I want to do anymore. Too bad I can't do both! Any suggestions?
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