As New Year's was approaching, I was being pessimistic. I would rather like to call it realistic, but in reality, it was just plain pessimistic. Typically I'm not that pessimistic of a person. However with my MIL and her health problems, Obsidian and his continuing medical mystery/issues, and Pyrope starting kindergarten, the situation of Jet's job, and the major changes happening at my job in the first quarter of this year, I just was not thinking this would be a "happy" year in an easy sense.
And so far, it has been best skipped.
My MIL decided she is going to do chemo. Which is relatively good. However, her expectation of it is not that realistic. She does not think she is going to feel bad after each round, and plans on just stopping if she gets sick. She does not think she wants a ride from strangers, so Jet will possibly going to take her to chemo, sit with her, take her home, make sure her apartment is stocked, then drive back home. And repeat every 3 weeks for 6 rounds... if she makes it through all 6 rounds. Jet and I were talking about the "what ifs" including prognosis if she chooses not to have further treatment. He thinks that she will be around for another 2-3 years "at least". From my Goog.le knowledge, I'm thinking it is significantly less. A lot less. Since this is not a doctor's prognosis, and even that could be wrong, I just am not getting a good feeling about it. MIL just didn't not look good when we saw her. I am dreading if Jet and his family are blindsided.
The endocrinology appointment for Obsidian was interesting. I'm not going to go into the things that ticked me off about the doctor, as it really is not an issue that is close enough to the top of my "to think about" list. Bottom line being, we have agreed to a MRI of his head. Since he is so small, and has the history of cardiac issues, it is going to have additional hoops than an MRI of the head normally is. The fact that they are looking for a pituitary tumor, or one pressing against it, hydrocephalus, evidence of mitochondrial disease, makes me uneasy. I would love an answer to Obsidian's medical issues... but I know I will potentially have issues accepting a diagnosis. I don't even know if that sentence made the least amount of sense.
Trying to get things ready for the MRI has been a bit of a challenge. Making sure insurance is going to approve it. Trying to make sure that everything his neurologist and geneticist also want looked at are looked at. Finding someone to watch Pyrope while we are with Obsidian. All of the logistics of it.
If the doctors still think Obsidian needs growth hormone replacement therapy (which is the current thought), we have to find out if our insurance (a) covers it then (b) if they will require a growth hormone stimulation test prior to approval. This does not sound fun. Very unfun actually. This would be the 3rd time in a period of a month that I will have to have Obsidian fasting (he has to do some bloodwork prior to the MRI that requires fasting, then to be drawn at a specific lab that is an hour from our house at that time of day, then the day of the MRI he will have to be fasting until it is done because they will have to put him under general anesthesia to do it). Obsidian doesn't do fasting well. If he does have to do the growth hormone stimulation test, I'm considering buying this as a distraction/reward/bribe for him. We have the Toy Story Imaginext Junkyard playset and the two of them play with it daily (and they got it for their birthdays last summer, and I think they have still played with it daily). Lately they have been getting into "superheros", so I think they would love it. And I would be willing to spend that amount of money to keep him at least somewhat entertained during the 3 hours it will take to complete the test. I would really rather not have to go through that test. I would rather try growth hormone replacement and see if it helps (as there are even some biochemical indicators that is a problem).
My brother and his wife had been in Maui for 2 weeks. On the plane ride home, my brother got sick. He got home and went to the doctor. He was directly admitted to the hospital because he had diverticulitis and an infection. He is hoping to get released today. My mom is not the most stable person mentally. And this has thrown her for a loop. And it is not fun dealing with her. At all. I dislike family drama, and there has been more than enough.
So if the first 15 days of 2011 is any indication of how it is going to go, I want to hibernate until 2012.
I've been doing battle this past week with our insurance coverage. Jet and I are considering suing over some of the issues. It is a long story, and I don't want to get into it as it just makes my blood pressure sky rocket.
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