Exercise & Me

I have a dysfunctional relationship with exercise.  Some days (rarely) it's all I want to do and some days you couldn't pay me a million dollars to do it.  I've wanted to be a runner, a triathlete, a pickleball aficionado, and more.  I can't even imagine how often I've started a training program just to give it up after a few days.  It always feels so hard and like an impossible mission.

A recent and random step on the scale was all I needed to find the motivation to get back at it.  And, as I do with most things in life, it wasn't enough to just go on a walk around the neighborhood - I wanted to go a few miles away where I could go up and down some pretty steep hills while I got my steps in.  The loop is about 3 miles long, and the last mile is pretty much steady incline the whole way.

The first day I powered through high on motivation.  But, day 2 was a completely different story.  I was sore, it was hot, and I had already lost sight of what was making me exercise in the first place.  I got about 200 yards away from the car and my calves were burning, I wanted to give up and turn around.  But, then I looked up.  I saw a mailbox and I told myself - just get to the next mailbox.  Once I made it there, I saw another mailbox up ahead and focused on just getting to that one.  Then it was a tree, another mailbox, and then a creek.  Next thing you know, I was almost done with the 3-mile loop, the incline, and I wasn't thinking at all about how hard it was.  I realized if I just focused on the next thing instead of whole thing, it was so much easier.

I think school days and school years feel very similar to a long walk up and down steep hills.  We're so excited at first, high on the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and hope, then sometimes within just minutes or hours, we're faced with the reality that working in schools is VERY HARD!

But, just like exercise, it's necessary.  It's necessary to have passionate and caring adults who show up each day to give kids their all - even when the kids don't get it.  So, as we near the last 6 weeks of school, the busiest days of school - sometimes the hardest days of school - look up!  Look at the next thing coming up (or the next hour) and focus on getting through that.  Then, once you're past that thing - look at the next one.  

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other...minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day.  And, before you know it, it'll be over!  You'll be a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser, and somewhere deep inside, ready to do it again.

8 years later...

The last time I posted on this here blog was January 1, 2017 - that's insane!  Over 8 years ago!  So much life happened that it's really too much to recount.  One of the more significant events of the last 8 years was becoming Principal of the very school where I started my career in Education 20 years ago.  The school where my life was absolutely changed in the best ways by 4 kids and their families. 

One of my commitments as Principal was to communicate regularly with my staff through a weekly newsletter.  Every Friday I would reflect on what was happening in the world, my life, or our school and try to offer up some encouragement to get us through the next week.  My section of the newsletter was called Estes' Encouragements and I loved writing it each week - much like I loved writing on my blog!  I think those teachers could still use some encouragement and I could certainly use the space to process things so I'm getting back it!

somewhere in between

When I started this blog [many years ago] it was mostly just a place to document the more exciting things that I was doing.  Fast forward a few years and not much has changed.  I would still characterize myself as being somewhere in between.  I'm not quite where I want to be, not that I even know where that is, but I know I'm not there yet.

Today is a new day and a new year.  I've always liked new beginnings. It's a chance to start over and make the conscious decision to do things differently, to be different.  I experienced some of the very best times while I was blogging regularly and maybe that's an important part of this trip I'm on.  So, even though I don't know where I'm headed or even how I'm going to get there, I thought it might be helpful to revive the old blog.

Everything but the kitchen sink

This post really doesn't have anything to do with a kitchen sink.  I just saw this camping version of a kitchen sink today and found it funny for some reason!

Anyway, I've recently been reminded how much I enjoyed blogging and having my deep thoughts, fun times, and memorable moments adequately documented.  So, here's a quick recap of where I've been...

I have officially completed my Master's of Educational Administration Degree from Lamar University.  This isn't something I ever saw myself doing but I'm really glad that I took the opportunity to do it!  With my new degree came a new job.  I am now an Assistant Principal at a middle school in West Fort Worth and so far, I'm really enjoying all of the new experiences and responsibilities.

I just spent the weekend in my favorite place in the world with some of my favorite people.  There is just something about Broken Bow, Oklahoma that makes my soul feel at rest.  I loved introducing some friends to the greatness of Broken Bow.  Like nature, these friends constantly point me to Jesus, so putting the two together made for a great weekend!

Just keep moving

I knew training for a Triathlon would be difficult, but I was not anticipating the ups and downs of the process.  One day you're breaking personal records and have no doubts that you'll be able to actually finish the triathlon.  Then, the next day you fall off your bike and can't run 100 yards without excruciating pain.  And, you certainly have all the doubts that you won't be able to finish the triathlon.

I guess if you think about it, it's a lot like life.  Some days you are having a great day and everything is going well, then all of a sudden you have a terrible day and nothing goes right.  Either way, you just keep going and trust that God's going to pull you through to the next good day.

I'm four weeks into my official training and four weeks away from the big race.  I'm feeling pretty good about the swim portion of the race and the running part of the race.  But, riding a bike for 10 miles has turned out to be a lot more difficult than I had anticipated.  Who knew?

I'm still excited about the race but there's definitely still some doubts hanging around.  Hopefully over the next four weeks I'll have more good workouts than "fall of your bike workouts" and be able to have a great race day.  Just gotta keep moving!

a disciplined life

Well, it's been quite a while since my last blog post and I thought I'd dust off the ol' blog and get back in action.

Like most people, I'm thankful for a New Year and excited about all the resolutions that are going to mark my 2015.  Rather than make a long list of resolutions that we all know I won't keep, I decided to focus my efforts on just one thing.  In 2015, I want to live a disciplined life.  Nothing like a broad resolution to keep the accountability level low!  But, here's how I would define a disciplined life for me...

Spiritually.  I want to have a disciplined spiritual life where I spend time with God and really grow in my relationship with him.  I want to memorize scripture so that when my mind is bored it will go to the words of the Bible.  My home group at church is taking on this task together as we work to memorize James 1.  So far, I've got through verse 6!

Physically.  Several years ago I decided I would become a runner and somehow it actually happened.  I can't even remember why I stopped running, but several times a year I try to begin again only to give up on the process.  So, this year, in the spirit of "go big or go home," I'm going to be a triathlete.  I have mentally committed to participating in the 2015 TriWaco Sprint Triathlon on July 26th.  A triathlon.  In July.  In Texas.  Can we please take a collective moment of silence for my sanity?  I haven't put any money down on it yet, but that is the goal.  I will swim 400 meters in the Brazos River, then bike 12 miles, then run a 5k!

Financially.  I'm working hard to be wise and disciplined with my money.  I have saved more money in the last month than I probably ever have in my life.  I'm trying to reduce the amount of "stuff" I have and instead live on only what I need.

Scholastically.  I am officially 6 months away from completing my Master's Degree in Educational Administration.  The work is manageable but there are a lot of pieces that all come together in August and at times I get overwhelmed.  I also an expert procrastinator, so I need to be disciplined to work hard and get tasks accomplished.

I plan to use my blog to document my progress in all phases of my disciplined life.  Here's to an exciting 2015!!

Heart wide open...and my eyes too!

I'm not sure where I've been for the last 8 months, but apparently, I haven't really felt like writing about it! Not much has changed with the health issues, but I'm still alive and kickin'. In fact, I'm still so alive that my mind keeps running 100mph even when I wish it would go to sleep.

Last night, I was so tired of tossing and turning that I decided to open up my iPad and do a little reading. On my way to the Kindle App I managed to take a quick peek at Facebook. A friend of mine from high school had posted something intriguing so I followed her Facebook to her Instagram and finally to her blog. After reading just a few minutes I was almost overwhelmed by her story and more profoundly by her purposeful pursuit of joy. She had over a thousand acknowledgements of daily "gifts" from God in her life. She was living with her heart wide open to what God was doing in her, around her, and through her.

I knew that this hashtag, #1000gifts, was in reference to the book, One Thousand Gifts, A Dare to LIVE FULLY Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp, because it was a book I had partialy read a couple years ago. But, it wasn't until I read my friend's story that I really "got it." I spent the next hour, at least, reading lots of random people's gifts and I felt the tug to start my own journey towards recognizing all the ways God is blessing me in my everyday life.

So, I'm choosing to live with my heart wide open to the goodness that God is giving me and to purposely pursue JOY! Let the gifts begin...

1. encouraged by an old friend's story and inspired by their joy, all via social media...thanks Katie @cardiganway #1000gifts #joydare

2. working for a school that embraces/encourages outside the box thinking & teaching #1000gifts 

3. loving the people I work with and their sweet families #1000gifts

4. being a part of an authentic, Jesus-loving home group at the village church #1000gifts

5. wireless printers - AMAZING! #1000gifts

It's gonna take awhile to get to a 1000, but it's gonna be an amazing journey!

Argh...

Well, I went to the doctor on January 8th to discuss my options. We made a plan to do another Venogram and remove the IVC Filter immediately if the blood clot was gone, which the doctor was convinced it would be.

I went to the hospital last Thursday (the 17th) afternoon ready to be finally finished with all of this business. The thought of the clot still being there and not being able to remove the filter absolutely never crossed my mind.

They rolled me into the operating room and got everything ready...cleaned and sterilized my neck area and my leg. I was laying there under all the surgical drapes for an awkward amount of time while we waited for some last minute blood work to come back. When it finally came back they got busy! I'm convinced they were so eager that they didn't give the Lidocaine enough time to take effect before they cut my leg open!!

Within just a few minutes they were taking the first pictures and then they were done. The clot was still there...this time bigger and more solid than it looked last time. It was also no longer attached to the filter. The filter is actually completely clear!! So apparently my blood clots are super clots that are not deterred by a titanium claw!!

Another interesting thing...my filter has tilted and is now sticking out of the vein!! Awesome!! Here's my attempt at a picture....

Just another exciting day in the life of me!! It looks like we'll be doing that experimental procedure after all sometime in the next few weeks! My friends and family say I keep downplaying the seriousness of this, but I'm choosing to take every moment as it comes and live every day to its fullest. I try not to take anything or myself too seriously. I know that God is in control and every tomorrow is a gift. In the end, my hope is in Him and if I meet Him sooner rather than later, that really is OK!! Blood clot or not, that's a good way to live!

So close, yet still so far away

Well, I believe when I left off we were just days away from having a brand new procedure performed that would rid me of both my blood clots and my filter.  It is kind of twisted I guess, but I was pumped! I was so ready to be done with all of this and try to get some sense of normalcy back in my life.

So, the doctor called on Monday of the week after Thanksgiving and said the surgery was scheduled for Thursday morning at 8.  I needed to be admitted to the hospital the day before and would probably have to stay in the hospital through Friday.  I was going to be missing three days of school but it was worth it to finally be done with all of this.  That Tuesday night I stayed at school way too late trying to get everything organized so I could have a sub for the next three days.  Having a sub in middle school is ten times easier than elementary school, but it's still work.

Late Tuesday afternoon the doctor called and told me he wanted me to go to Harris at 7am to have a venogram so he could get a good look at the clot before they did the surgery.  After that we would head over to Plaza and be admitted.  My Mom and I got up early and took care of the venogram and then headed over to the other hospital.  Through several strange and disconcerting moments we soon realized that things weren't going as planned.  And really, why would they??  Absolutely nothing has really gone as planned in this whole process.

Anyway, the doctor eventually let us know that I didn't need to be admitted a day early and I needed to come back the next morning at 6am.  I was home from that little adventure at about 8:45.  I totally could have gone to work!!  Argh!  About 4 o'clock that afternoon the doctor called and said that the venogram showed that the clot was less than half the size it was.  Apparently my body was dissolving it on it's own.  He also felt like we could wait about a month and check on the clot again.  Hopefully it would all be gone and then we could remove the filter and be done with all of this.  He didn't feel like the surgery would be in my best interest at this time.

While I was thankful to not have to have a potentially risky procedure, and even more thankful that the clot seemed to be taking care of itself, I was bummed.  Waiting another month meant three very important things.  One, I was going to have to keep giving myself Lovenox injections twice a day for 30 days (again, I hate them).  Two, my next venogram and possible filter removal wouldn't be until January...just in time for all of my deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums to start over.  These procedures that wouldn't have cost anything will now likely cost thousands of dollars.  Swell!  Thirdly, this whole ordeal is not over yet!  And that is where we stand today!

So close, yet still so far away!!

The end...we thought.

I had my IVC Filter placed on September 14th, and I had to wear the pink cast for one more week after that.  I don't think I've ever looked forward to anything like I did getting that cast off.  It was probably the most unpleasant experience of my life!

Anyway, I went from the cast to a walking boot for two weeks (which included a trip to Disney World - more on that later).  After two weeks of that, I was set free!  I was getting around pretty well but didn't quite trust myself.  I would find myself trying to walk without bending my ankle, so afraid that I would do something to it and damage it again.  In reality, my ankle is probably stronger now that than it's ever been...amazing what a little hardware will do.

Since I was back on my feet and moving around quite a bit, and enough time had passed that it was likely the blood clot in my leg had time to dissolve we went ahead and scheduled the IVC Filter removal.  I had planned to have it done while I was out of school for Thanksgiving Break.  I was strangely excited to have it removed because it would mark the end of a crazy 6 months and hopefully end the even crazier medical bills!

So, the morning of November 20th, I went in to have my filter removed.  I was a little more nervous this time because they were going to have to go in through my neck, through my heart and then down to grab hold of the filter and pull it back out.  C-razy!  Just didn't seem right.  I was relieved when they put a little something in my IV and I passed out.  I woke up thinking it was all over.  I was wrong.  I was still laying on the table in Interventional Radiology when I woke up.  The super nice nurse, who had been with me during the filter placement, had a pretty concerned look on her face.  They had also turned off the fun music I had fallen asleep to.  When I asked if they got it out, she told me they had to stop the procedure.

What now???  They showed me on the gigantic screen that the IVC filter had done it's job and "caught" several pieces of blood clot.  Unfortunately, there was a also a large piece of clot above the filter.  As in, I was at serious risk of pulmonary embolism again and I didn't even know it.  They admitted me to the hospital right away and it looked like I was going to be having hospital turkey for Thanksgiving.  By Tuesday night they had 3 different doctors on the case as well as my doctor in Dallas.  They decided since the clot posed the biggest threat at the moment I needed to go ahead and begin Lovenox injections again.  Yay!!  There was some talk about placing a second filter above the first one but nobody seemed too confident that was the best option.  Since it was the Holiday it didn't look like anything was going to happen that week so the doctors released me to go home on Wednesday, as long as I did the injections and promised to follow up with the surgeon.  I was so, so, so thankful to get to spend Thanksgiving at home with my family.  We had a great day, including an epic Nerf gun fight...Mom, I still don't know how that dart ended up in the mashed potatoes! ;)

We got an appointment with the surgeon this past Tuesday morning and he felt like our best option was a brand new procedure that had been developed at Harvard and only done one time in Fort Worth. He went on to say that this was originally designed to be done on clots in the lung, but he did it on a heart, and feels pretty confident it will work for me.  So, he's going to perform a procedure on me that's really never been done before.  Awesome!  I can't wait!

He called me yesterday morning (Saturday) to let me know that the surgery would be performed at Plaza Hospital instead of Harris because there would be too much red tape there, being a brand-new procedure and all.  Awesome!  He's supposed to call tomorrow to finalize the details!

So, hopefully, sometime this week it really will be the end of this crazy story!

Just when we thought the drama was over...

School started the week after I had surgery on my ankle.  I was loving my new job at the middle school but it was all I could do to make it through the day.  When I came home from school at about 4 I went straight to bed.  And I stayed there all night.  Time went quickly though and before I knew it, it was time to get the bandages off and get a real cast.

Here's the incision with lots of stitches...

Here's the bright pink cast I chose...

And, as you can see, my good friend, Meagan was in town so she helped me paint my toenails.  She enjoyed me being captive a little too much!

Things rocked along quite well for about a week.  One day, my leg felt funny all day.  It was really swollen in the cast, which you can imagine is quite uncomfortable, and the back of my calf was hurting.  I really didn't think much of it, just that I should probably drink more water and keep my foot elevated more.  I was at my parent's house for dinner and I mentioned the odd feeling in my leg to my Mom (a nurse) and she immediately said we were going to the emergency room.  Um, no thanks Mom.  I didn't have time or energy for the emergency room!  She insisted though, because she suspected that there might be a blood clot in my leg. And she was right.  Every time I think of having a blood clot I think of this scene in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...



So, on top of everything else I've dealt with, I now had a blood clot measuring from the middle of my calf to the middle of my thigh.  Apparently this is quite a dangerous condition.  They wanted to admit me to the hospital that night but I fought it because I hadn't had a chance to prepare a SUB folder yet!  It would make me look really bad if I had to call in sick unexpectedly and didn't have a plan!  I talked the doctor into letting me go home as long as I promised to take it easy.  I went to work the next day.

They also wanted to put me on the normal course of treatment for a blood clot, blood thinners and anti-coagulants.  They gave me a prescription for Lovenox injections.  Yay!!  They hurt, a lot.  I was also instructed to consult my hemangioma doctor to make sure there wouldn't be any added risk for that hemorrhaging again.  We called Dr. Gilbert in Dallas the next day and he didn't think that blood thinners would be a good idea and suggested that I have an IVC Filter placed.  This didn't turn out to be that big of a procedure but I found it very interesting.  I was awake the whole time and watched on the screen as they placed the filter.  The doctors were optimistic that the filter would only be needed temporarily and we could have it removed in about 60 days.  So, as far as we knew, things were looking up!

Once again, I wish that was the end, but, it's not!!

Time Out

I was thinking today.

That's kind of funny if you know me at all, because, I think a lot! Probably too much.  Anyway, I was thinking about the doctor's appointment I just came from and the many I've been to since this crazy story began back in May.  And, the more I think about all that has happened since that first day when I fell out of the shower, the harder it is to tell my story or to even get out of bed in the morning without acknowledging the overwhelming provision and protection of my sovereign God. So, I want to take a time out from the crazy/silly/bloody details of the last 6 months and remind myself, and anybody reading, of the most important details of all.

We could start with the fact that the morning I fell out of the shower I was at my parent's house instead of living alone...On a morning when my sister was running late, allowing her to find me...On a rare day off for my Mom.  Or, the fact that when I fell down the stairs I was with a good friend who could help me.  Or, maybe that when my leg felt funny one day and I probably would have taken an extra pain pill and gone to bed my Mom knew something serious was going on.  Or when it was time to get my IVC filter removed (I'll tell that story soon) and no doctor really knew why we were taking it out, we discovered a new major problem (I'll tell that story soon too).  Or, when I was wandering around the woods with some friends, things could have gone very wrong but they didn't.  Any detail of the last six months points to one thing...God's been there the whole time.

I find it quite interesting that while my physical body seems to be revolting from normalcy my heart and my mind have had a revolution of their own.  I have fallen in love with the gospel in a whole new way.  Sure I've believed the gospel most of my life.  I've believed in God and believed that He sent Jesus to reconcile us to Himself.  I believed that my belief in those things would allow me to spend eternity in Heaven one day.  And, I still do.  But, it's so much more than that.

The gospel is about everyday, every moment recognizing my need for mercy and grace that I don't deserve.  Every day.  Every moment.  It's about recognizing that I will never be good enough to earn God's favor but knowing that I already have it because of what Jesus did on the cross.  The gospel saves me but it also changes me.  The gospel increases my joy and transforms the way I see the world around me.  The gospel frees me.  The gospel is present-tense.  The Village Church puts it this way, "we never graduate or outgrow the gospel."

I heard this song for the first time at church a few weeks back and have been listening non-stop ever since, it pretty much sums it all up...



I'm so thankful for the gospel.  I'm so thankful that while my body has needed work my heart did too.  I'm thankful that everything I've encountered on this crazy journey has been a part of the plan and has been a constant demonstration of grace.  God's been there, He's protected, and He's provided the whole time.  And He will never leave me.

8 screws later...

Less than a week before school started I had surgery on my ankle.  One metal plate and 8 screws later my leg had been put back together again.

I've never broken any bones before and I seriously underestimated what kind of inconvenience it is!  Everything was hard.  And I didn't really have time to sit around and just prop my foot up.  School was starting and I needed to be at work!

I was also really bad at crutches.  I'm pretty confident that if I had to use crutches I would have broken something else and I probably would have done lots of damage to the property of others. So, I spent 4 weeks of my life riding round on a little scooter! That scooter made my life so much easier!

Once again, thanks to my Mom, my Dad, my sister, and my friend Kristy for driving me around and loading and unloading my scooter during those 4 weeks! I know it wasn't fun!!

Here's an x-ray of the new and improved ankle...

Once again, I wish that was the end of this crazy medical tale!

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall...

And in this little story, I'm Humpty Dumpty!!

After a summer filled with hospital stays, surgery, and doctor's appointments I was thrilled that school was finally starting back.  I was a little nervous to be teaching a brand new grade at a brand new school but so glad to be healthy and back in action.

One afternoon about a little over a week before school started, I was headed to lunch with my good friends Deneise and Payton.  We were walking down some stairs and I was answering a text at the same time.  That was dumb.  As I neared the second to last step before the landing I totally over-stepped and fell down the last two stairs.  I heard a pop.  And I felt pain.  Lots of pain.  Luckily, my phone was totally ok.  I was not!  I was a bit disoriented, quite a bit pale, and certain that I just broke not one but both of my ankles.  Deneise was pretty much in shock of what just happened but kept her cool and I was so incredibly thankful for her help over the next several hours.

The first problem, I still had about 10 stairs to go before I made it to the bottom floor.  The second problem, I could not walk and I could not hop.  I slid down the rest of the steps and rolled out to the car in a chair.  We went straight to CareNow where we learned a broken bone was apparently not an emergency.  We were given a 2 hour wait time so we went ahead and went to In-n-Out for lunch!  By that time, my left ankle was feeling much better and I was ready to amputate the right one!

After waiting some more (remember this is a new game for me) I finally got called back.  A quick x-ray confirmed that my right fibula was fractured just above the ankle joint.  I left CareNow with a walking boot and instructions to see a specialist.  My Mom's connections got me in the next morning with an Orthopedic Surgeon who we were hoping would look at the x-rays, put me in a cast, and then send me on my way.  But he tricked me.  After looking at my x-ray he came in and asked me how active I was.  I may have exaggerated my activity level because I told him I liked to run.  Haha.  He immediately suggested that if I wanted to continue to be a runner (haha) I should probably have surgery to repair the bone properly.

Noooooooooooooo.  I didn't have time for surgery.  It was time to be back at work, and I was at a new school, in a new grade, with a new principal!  I so did not want to be THAT teacher that is already asking for time off.  But I had to.  Did I mention that I broke my right ankle?  As in the foot you use to drive a car?  So, not only was I unable to drive a car, I was also unable to finish getting my classroom ready.  Luckily, my friend, Kristy and my sister came to my rescue.  They drove me places, they shopped for me, they definitely came through in a big way.

After a summer of medical drama I broke my ankle, and broke it bad enough I had to have surgery.  And I wish that was the end of the story!

Is it over yet?

Somehow I go off track and never finished my funny/sad little story of how falling out of the shower turned into a summer of medical fun!

Anyway, after determining that a mass in my lower back was causing me to pass out we could not find a doctor in Fort Worth who was willing to take on a case that looked like spinal surgery was the next step.  So, they loaded me up in an ambulance and drove me to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas.  I'll be honest, I was not so excited about being further away from home, but I was pumped about being someplace associated with Baylor!  

My sister and my friend, Haley, volunteered to spend the night with me that first night in Dallas.  It turned out to be quite a doozy.  I was awoken in the middle of the night multiple times to be asked ridiculous questions.  One doctor was there to treat me for my asthma (pretty sure I don't have asthma nor was I complaining of not being able to breathe).  The nurse woke me up to start an IV that wasn't even hooked up to anything.  To say it was a long night would be the greatest of understatements.  I desperately wanted a chest x-ray performed so that they could begin using my PICC line instead of poking me a hundred times a day, so imagine my frustration when they woke me up again early in the morning to take me down to radiology for...an ultrasound.  An ultrasound??  Why did I need an ultrasound??  

The poor little ultrasound tech had to listen to me question every order that was in my chart until I finally convinced her to take me right on over to get that chest x-ray instead of returning to my room.  By the time I made it back to my room I felt as if someone had poured itching powder all over me.  As far as I knew, this hospital sucked and I was done.  I texted my Mom and told her not to let Dad park the car and we would be leaving as soon as they got there.  I also insisted on putting my Harris hospital gown back on because someone had done something to the Baylor one.  My Mom arrived and the nurse brought me a Xanax.

The next several days went something like this...nothing happened!  I just sat there all day hoping it would be the day that something happened.  But it never did.  Finally we had waited long enough, they did biopsies, and aspirations and I was feeling well enough to be released from the hospital.  I spent the next several days sleeping, laying around, and trying to get back to normal.  About a week later my Mom and I drove to Dallas to see the Orthopedic Oncologist.  This is when I started my new, least favorite past time...waiting at the doctor's office!  Once we made it back to see the very nice doctor, he informed us that the very painful needle biopsy that was performed in the hospital did not get enough tissue to determine exactly what this mass was.  So, I would get to do it all again, this time they'd go ahead and cut me open to get a better look!  Yay!

The open biopsy was performed and we waited another two weeks before driving back to Dallas to get the results and hopefully be able to make a plan that would keep this all from happening again.  The good doctor gave us the good news that while there was a fairly large mass near my spine it was completely benign.  He officially diagnosed it as hemangioma.  We had originally discussed that we would begin a process called serial embolization to kill the hemangioma and cause it to shrink.  Once we had the actual diagnosis though, the doctor felt it would be best to just watch it for awhile with MRIs and CT scans and then re-evaluate the situation.  

No cancer, no surgery, no medicine...sounds like a plan to me!  I was feeling better everyday and was so relieved that things seemed to be back to normal before the new school year began!

I wish that was the end...and it totally was at the time I wrote that first post...unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

A funny thing happened on the way to the schoolhouse!

I thought I'd document the super fun summer I've been having, mostly for myself but also for anyone else that enjoys long rambling blog posts. :)

The end of the school year was a little bittersweet to me because while I'm always ready for summer, this was going to be the end of my last year at Blue Haze. After 7 years I decided to move schools and teach 7th grade Math at Brewer Middle School. So, the last day of school was set to be a busy day of playing and packing up my classroom. It's always been important to me to end the year on a high note because that's the last thing the kids are going to remember. I had so many cool things planned for that last day!

I woke up (really late) at about 6:55. While I was brushing my teeth I felt a little funny but just thought I was having a hard time waking up, something that is really not that unusual. I hopped in the shower and about the time I was rinsing out the shampoo from my hair things really started to feel funny. The next thing I knew I was on the floor wrestling with the shower curtain! Somehow I ended up half-way out in the hallway where my sister (I was staying with my parents while I was between homes) looked at me like I was crazy and asked if I was ok. I wish I was with it enough to say, "I'm fine, isn't this normal behavior?" Just kidding! She immediately got my Mom (a nurse) and by the time she got there I realized that my back was hurting insanely bad. We figured I probably did some damage as I fell out of the shower. She got me to my bed, took my blood pressure (it was fine), and began some pain meds. 

Within a few minutes I was actually feeling much better and began letting my Mom know that I needed to go to school. She wasn't going to let me drive there but I think I had her convinced that I could make it. Unfortunately, when I was trying to get dressed I started to feel like I was going to pass out again. She was concerned we couldn't make it down the stairs without me taking both of us out so she called an ambulance and off to the Emergency Room I went! The next few hours were definitely a blur as they tested this and tested that. I passed out again in the ER and they quickly decided I needed to stay long enough to be admitted.

It took a few days, a ton of doctors, CT Scans, and an MRI to come to the conclusion that I had a mass in my lower back. It apparently got angry and hemorrhaged. The excess fluid put pressure on one of my main arteries and caused my blood pressure to drop and me to pass out whenever I stood up. Finally, we had a reason for all the trouble! We just didn't have a plan to make it go away yet! Don't worry though, the adventure is only beginning...more to come!

Guess who??

I was just looking through the pictures on my iPad and it looks like some people have been having some photo booth fun!

Plan B?? Plan C?? Or maybe Plan D??

I've been doing some cleaning out and packing in preparation for the big move. Where am I moving?? I'm not really sure!! Anyway, I found this paper from when I was in 6th grade, a mere 18 years ago...

So, being a pilot didn't work out (I can't see), being in the NBA didn't work out (hopefully, no explanation necessary), and I didn't even attend Point Loma like I had planned!

I'm pretty sure my life as I know it was nowhere in my plans, but I'm glad it turned out like it did!

The Heisman

Robert Griffin III was a huge reason for all of Baylor's football success this year. He's extremely exciting, a great person, and has a very cool sock collection! I may be a little biased but I think he's totally deserving of the Heisman Trophy. The other night Baylor had a little Football Pep Rally thing and afterwards you could have your picture taken with the trophy. After waiting in line for nearly two hours we finally got our chance...





While we were waiting Landry sized himself up against Baylor's other third...Perry Jones III.


Another fun night!

Remember the Alamo...Bowl!

After such an exciting football season there was no way I was going to miss Baylor's bowl game! There was a lot of hope that Baylor would get picked for a big bowl game, maybe the Cotton Bowl, and maybe even a BCS bowl. I, however, was just hoping Baylor would play in Texas! I was so excited when we were picked to play in the Alamo Bowl. San Antonio is a super fun city and it would allow many, many Baylor fans to make it to the game.

It worked out for me and the boys to take a little road trip and we had a great time. We arrived in San Antonio in time to check into the hotel and check out the riverwalk for a few minutes.



Then we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the game. The boys enjoyed some of the pre-game activities.


We went inside the Alamodome and found our seats.




I was kind of surprised that we were surrounded by Washington fans...including Joe Montana!



The game was super exciting. It was high-scoring and the lead went back and forth and back and forth! In the end, Baylor won! The balloons fell, fireworks popped, and confetti flew! It was really fun to watch the team celebrate afterwards. Since we were staying right on the riverwalk we decided to walk back to our hotel. It was so pretty all lit up for Christmas and so fun to hear random Sic'em Bears all along the way. We even stopped by the Alamo at about 1am!


The next day we got up and headed back to the Alamo, went to the mall, and finished up with a river taxi ride back to the hotel.






We really had a super fun time on the trip. It took us 7 hours to make it home but the boys did a great job and we all lived to tell about it!