Unbelievable!

All I can say at this moment in time is WOW! I am just in awe of how many people have read my blog and are cheering me on. What a great feeling it is to know that so many people care so much about what is going on in your life.  I really can not describe it in words! The day that I posted this blog I was over flooded with so much support and help. I need people to know that everything they have written in support and I have read I've taken to heart! I do believe that things happen for a reason and no matter how hard you try to control things you are never truly in control.  This summer has not been one of my favorites and definitely not the summer attraction that I would have liked it to be. I would have preferred to be able to go on a vacation, bask in the sun at a beach, and pretend that life was like a summer beer commercial. However, I sat mostly at home reading books and organizing as much as I physically was able to (which was not very much). I also tried to live vicariously through pictures of vacations that friends have posted on Facebook.

     Facebook......oh how wonderful social technology can be! I know there is much controversy when it comes to Facebook but I do believe that it has a positive side. The positive that it has had for me is the ability to connect with old friends and having those friends help you out in a time of need! After I posted my story on Cushing's, my very first roomie from college got in touch with me. She is a nurse at UPMC Medical Center in Pittsburg PA and mentioned that she works with a Neurosurgeon.  They have seen many cases such as mine and she mentioned that she has heard stories like mine over and over again.  So she asked me to message her to discuss what was going on. Let's just say....I messaged her the moment I finished reading her comment!
     When I think about it now.....the moment I began typing my message I think life began to spin in motion again. The next day my friend and I talked. She set up an appointment for me to see the Endocrinologist as well as the Neurosurgeon. She was able to set up both appointments in ONE day! I was impressed. It has taken me weeks......even months to set up appointments to see my Endocrinologist, Neurosurgeon, and ENT. Here it took only hours for my friend to set up an appointment AND I was able to get in within 2 weeks!!  This was crazy!!  Crazy exciting!! I didn't have to wait 2 whole months for them to contact me or see me. They were actually working around my time schedule! So here goes the wheel in motion.... I was able to go get my medical records and have them released. I already had copies of my MRI. I gathered all of the paperwork I have collected and put them all into a file (Yeah I know...that's the SPED teacher in me!) All I had to do now was wait to go.
    Well the 2 weeks went by fast because here I am in Pittsburg PA and spent the day at UPMC Medical Center. All I can say is that I am impressed! UPMC is a very large hospital but also very intimidating.  It is also very confusing and easy for someone to get lost in. Yes, I will admit I did get lost and had to ask several people where to go. Actually, two very nice nurses walked me and my friend to where the Endocrinologist was. So..... when I got there, I told my story again for the umpteenth time to the Endocrinologist (I also had to repeat my story again to the Neurosurgeon). Everybody was very patient and took the time to listen to everything I had to say. They genuinely were engaged and wanted to know what was going on. All of the doctors told me things that I already knew, but I also learned a few new things! One thing I learned more about was the recovery that I would be going through.  We discussed the surgery recovery but also the time it will take for my pituitary gland to get back into working order. They discussed that I would more than likely feel worse before I feel better.  I would feel fatigued and icky but I would need to fight through that! I think my eyes popped when the Endo told me that! I've been fighting fatigue for years!! My battle isn't over! However, I appreciated that she didn't sugar coat it. The Endo mentioned that it's not going to be like a gull bladder surgery were you go into surgery not feeling well then come back out feeling better shortly after surgery. This is going to take time! PATIENCE.....(something I still am working on!!) I was also very impressed to have met not just one but TWO Neurosurgeon's. Discussing surgery was much different than when I talked surgery with my other Neurosurgeon. These Dr.'s stated the surgery would only take 2 hours (not 4-6), I wouldn't have stints in my nose afterwards, and my tumor location would require a very simple operation to remove it. My other Neuro made it sound like I was having MAJOR brain surgery and that there could be complications that would be negative and so forth. Now there's always risk when it comes to surgery but these doctors sounded more sure of themselves. Plus they perform this kind of operation 5-10 times a week. My other Neuro- 5-10 per year. These Dr.'s know what they are talking about!!! Yay!!
     Needless to say....now I have to go through more testing. So I get to vacation in Pittsburgh at my friends house for a few more days. Today they took many vials of blood. I almost passed out because of all of the blood they took. However, as I sat in the chair giving up ocean's of blood my friend was feeding me a banana. Have I mentioned that I have the bestest friends in the world?!?!? I also have to do another 24 hour urine test (not liking that- hate those tests), a saliva test, and a suppression test. The Endocrinologist just wants to make sure that the tests come back showing that I have Cushing's. One problem my other Endo had when it came to my test results are the scales they used to indicate cortisol and ACTH levels. This new Endocrinologist understood why my Endo would have been confused. She has a more conservative scale (or indepth scale) to interpret the results. From what I heard she is a VERY good and precise Endocrinologist! Many people we ran into (in the office and whom we met getting lost in the building) stated that she was extremely good and strict with her findings. They stated that if I had Cushing's disease she would be the one to diagnosis it!!! My personal experience, after talking to her.....she knows her stuff!! I also liked the fact the Endocrinologist and the Neurosurgeon know each other very well and talk to each other often. My other doctors hardly knew each other! That makes a HUGE difference in my opinion! Especially when it comes to surgery such as this! This truly is a team effort which is extremely comforting to know!

SO........I am hoping that these test results will give me an answer and solution to what I have been going through. It will be a couple of weeks before I get the results back. When I get the results back we will then make a decision to what future plans will be made. Surgery? No surgery? Who knows? As of right this very minute it decisions continue to be up in the air. So until further test results we are still waiting......and I'm still standing! Yeah Yeah Yeah! (sing it!)