Indecisive

I have discovered that I have become rather indecisive. I decide on something and then after it is done I think that maybe it was the wrong choice.

So my first example is the tile that we replaced in the house. There was this ridiculously ugly black slate tile in front of the fireplace and front door. Now I know you are thinking that slate is nice. Well not this stuff. It was like original to the house in the 50's and the grout was nasty and coming out. So we went to Lowe's and picked out new tile to have Rick install. I picked it out and brought home one piece to make sure it would look good against the hardwood floors and decided that I really liked it. Rick designed how it would be laid out and we went and bought everything that we would need. Rick went to all the trouble and work to lay down this new tile and when he was all done I decided that maybe I made the wrong choice. I cried about it and Rick was mad at me. Now several months later I have grown to like it and it really does look very nice. But that is when I discovered that maybe I was becoming a little bit indecisive.

Whenever I have to make a decision that I know is going to be permanent I go for it and then after the fact I question whether it was the right decision. It would be much smarter to decide before it was done, I know. I don't know why I started being like this. I don't know if it is because all of the stress we have been under over the past several months. Or if it is because I act too quickly. My guess would be a little of both.

So what is the purpose of this post you may be asking. Well I made a very permanent decision about a month ago that I have to get fixed. I had this great idea of what I wanted in my tattoo and I had a picture of it in my head but I didn't know quite how to relay that image to the tattoo guy. I know he did a beautiful job of designing the tattoo but I am not happy with it. I know that I can't erase it and start over so I have to go back and he is going to change it a bit. I have done some research and have some ideas of how to rework it, but I am trying to decide if I should change the color of the roses a little bit. I originally did it with the idea of making it remind me of my wedding bouquet but I really have grown to kinda dislike the color purple. I don't know what would make me think that it would be different on my leg. So I am thinking about darkening up one of the roses to a little bit darker purple and changing one to a pink and maybe adding a third one and making that a different color as well. The problem with that is that it changes the original purpose of the tattoo. All along I wanted a rose to signify the roses that Rick used to give me all the time when we were dating. And then adding his handwriting would make it very personal. Now I don't know what to do and I am crushed to think it didn't turn out right. And on top of it, the white flowers I had around the roses didn't take and the white all pushed out. So those have to be reworked as well.

I can't believe I feel this way. Maybe I need to consult my therapist before going back to have it touched up. Since it is permanent I have to fix it so that I love it. But gosh I am so mad at myself for being so darn indecisive. Now I can't decide how I want to fix it.

I think this all falls under the "speak before you think" category. Now I just feel like a big idiot and I have the permanent mark to prove it. I don't regret the tattoo, I just regret my inability to make a decision.

Until next time,
Jaime

Good News!!!!!!

I called the Doctor's office and found out that the tests for lymphoma were normal. So that means no cancer. Now we just have to contact the rheumatologist to see where to go from here. There may be some medication changes to try to level out the bloodwork. But at least we know that there is no lymphoma to worry about.

Thank you to everyone that kept us in their prayers. I will keep you updated about what the doctor decides to do next.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. In all this madness I forgot to mention that we solved the mystery of the missing spleen. The hematologist was able to find the images from Rick's CT scan four years ago and located the spleen. It is very tiny and hidden behind the stomach and enlarged liver so that is why it was unable to be seen on ultrasound. The liver was enlarged four years ago, two years before the PSC diagnosis, so imagine what it must look like now. But at least we know there is a spleen, albeit a very small one. But as long as there is one it does what it is supposed to do.

Until next time,
Jaime

No Info Yet

We did not hear from the Doctor today. I did make sure they have all our phone numbers so they can definitely get ahold of us. The 72 hours would have been tonight after the office closed so I am sure they will know by morning, well hopefully they will know.

I promise that I will post as soon as I know anything. I know that there are lots of you that are thinking about us. If you feel like it let us know you are thinking about us while we wait to hear from the Doctor. This is very stressful for both of us. Although Rick is not really showing it like I am.

Thanks for the support. We very much appreciate it!

Until next time,
Jaime

72 Hours

72 hours, 3 days, an eternity. That is how long we have to wait to find out if Rick has lymphoma. There was a mix up at the lab and the tests that were supposed to be run to check for the cancer were not done. Apparently the people that draw the blood forgot to draw all of them and then they thought that we were called to come back and we weren't. They got us confused with someone else they screwed up on and so they thought we had come back. The nurse was pissed when she discovered that there had been a big mistake. She couldn't apologize enough and she wasn't the one that was at fault. We had to jump in the car and go back downtown so Rick could more blood taken.

So here I spent all day friday, the weekend, and all day today waiting for the phone to ring and someone screwed up so now I have to wait even longer. Rick is taking this all so well. I am not. He says that if it is cancer then he will fight it and it will be no big deal. Rick is my hero, literally. I can't believe how calm he is about all of this. I love that man!!!!

Now we wait. The nurse said that she will be checking often to see if the tests results are back and she will call as soon as they come in. She said she understands that we have already been waiting long enough. I would definitely say we have been waiting long enough.

THIS SUCKS!!!!!

Until next time,
Jaime

I forgot to tell you

With everything else that is going on I forgot to tell you that I got a job. Yippee!! I start work on tuesday. My hours are going to be 4-7 pm. It actually works out good for us because Rick is home during the evening. Unfortunately he is going to have to learn how to cook. Or at least I am going to have to learn to make things he can just pop in the oven, or turn on the crockpot. I am of course just slightly nervous about going back to work but I think this is going to be a good thing for me. I am going to be making money and that will help ease the burden on Rick just a bit. I think this company is going to be great to work for. All the people seem nice and I think it is a good fit for me. I will be doing customer service work for a company that supplies home medical supplies. I am excited, and it gives me something to look forward to.

On the waiting front. I am very stressed out and worried. As you may have realized I am not good at waiting. I am playing the "what if" scenarios over in my head. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it. I have to say that trying to look at our situation from the outside it is almost funny. I mean how can one person have so many health problems and keep adding more drama to it? I would almost think it was being made up if I wasn't actually in the middle of it. Seriously.

And then to add insult to injury, to have people say "I know exactly how you feel" when they have never been in this situation just makes it so much worse. I just want people to listen and be supportive. I don't feel like myself when we are dealing with things like this and so I wish people would understand I just need to deal with it my way. Even though my way may seem selfish at the moment, I can only deal with it my way.

I will let you know when I get any news.

Until next time,
Jaime

Gonna be a looooong weekend

We didn't hear from the doctor today. So it's gonna be a looooong weekend. Please keep us in your prayers. I am gonna need it!

Until next time,
Jaime

I want off the rollercoaster

And the roller coaster continues.....

So the big "C" word was mentioned today at the hematologist's office. There is no worse feeling than to have a doctor sitting in front of you explaining why he wants to screen you for cancer. I thought that everything else we have been through would be enough preparation for something like this. Now I am not saying that he has cancer. We won't know anything until friday, hopefully. Rick had to have some special bloodwork done to test for certain lymphocytes. If it comes back positive that will most likely be a bad thing. So when the phone rings tomorrow you know I will be jumping out of my skin. If they say everything is okay then it is okay. If they say we need to see you again it is a BAD thing.

What the doctor is looking for is for the number of lymphocytes compared to the percentage, or something like that. There is a possibility that Rick has a lymphoma caused from the immunosupressive drugs that he has to take. We knew that was a risk but never thought it could actually happen. I had a feeling that this is what was going to transpire today, but I kept it to myself for the most part.

Now we sit and wait, again. I feel a bit sick to my stomach tonight. It is a good thing I started therapy with a psychiatrist today.

I used to like roller coasters. But now that my life has turned into one I WANT OFF!!!!!

Until next time,
Jaime

Migraine Pain

Last night Rick had a terrible night. He had such a bad migraine that he hardly sleep and when he did sleep it was only while sitting up. You know its bad when a dilaudid doesn't even do the trick. I get migraines sometimes, but I can't even imagine what that is like for him. To have to sleep sitting up and with the heating pad on your head must be extremely painful. Just another reminder that everything isn't okay. Thanks Mom for saying he was looking good, you jinxed him.

Luckily now today it is better and he was able to go teach the drummers. This afternoon Rick has the appointment with the hematologist. We should know more later this afternoon. I have to admit that I am very nervous about this appointment.

I will post when I can later tonight.

Until then,
Jaime

RIP Leroi Moore

If you didn't know it before, you know it now. I am a GIANT Dave Matthews Band fan. We have been to several concerts and I have my IPod full of DMB songs. This morning I found out that Leroi Moore passed away yesterday from complications of an ATV accident. I am so sad I could cry.



Rest in Peace Leroi. The band will never be the same!! You will be greatly missed!!

Fountain Fun

I told the girls that we would go to Riverfront Park and run through the fountain during the summer. Well being as there is only two weeks of vacation left I thought we better get down there. Since Rick is off from the store this week to teach drumline I thought we should spend a day together having fun. We went downtown and ate lunch and then spent a long time running through the fountain. Sam had a blast running through the middle when it was pouring down. Megan didn't really want to get splashed so she spent most of the time just hanging out around the outside waiting for a rock to sit on. It was scorching hot outside, almost 100 degrees downtown. Rick and I were very hot, but the girls were nice and cool.

Before we left we shared Hawaiian Ice. Rick and Sam shared a cherry ice. Megan and I shared a strawberry colada ice. That did help cool me off a little bit. We all had a fun time. It was really nice to get out together and just have some fun!

Until next time,

Jaime

Fun in the Sun

It has been crazy hot here so we have been having some fun cooling off in the pool. Even Rick got in the pool today, which is a big deal since he never gets in the pool. Megan is becoming quite the little swimmer. Those goggles have been the greatest purchase of the summer. Megan calls it her "snorfel". She wears it constantly and swims all over the pool wearing them. Sam likes them too but she doesn't use the snorkel, only the goggles. They would stay in the pool all day if we would let them. But with Megan's skin problems and the fact that I would have to be outside with them the entire time there is a limit.

I can't believe there is only two full weeks of vacation left. Where did the time go? Oh yeah, that's right, it was a very stressful summer. It's not like we were just sitting around doing nothing. I hope the weather stays nice, it is supposed to cool off dramatically this week. I want to enjoy some more pool time before school starts up again.

Until next time,

Jaime

Baby Girl To Be

Tonight I gave a flamingo theme baby shower for my little sister BreAnne. There were two dozen flamingos swimming around in my pool. There were flamingos in the trees, and on the ground. I also had tiki torches with pink and yellow ribbon hanging down. There were pink and yellow things everywhere. I wanted to make it very girly and pretty for her. Yes there were lots of flamingos, but no it was not tacky. I wish I had pictures to post but I didn't use my camera, I was too busy being the hostess.

Bre's first child, Noah, is only 4 1/2 months younger than Megan. So Bre is very excited to be expecting a baby girl. The baby does not have a name yet so one of the games we played was Name the Baby. The winner of the game named the baby Ima Crow. Crow is my sister's last name so we have had some fun with naming the baby. Like Eda Crow, Val Crow, Raven Crow, I could go on but I won't.

It was crazy hot out today so I am sure that the pregnant women at the shower were a little bit uncomfortable. It turned out really nice and Bre got a lot of great gifts. I made her a blanket that is small enough to easily fit over the car seat. I can't sew, so it was one of those tie blankets. That I can do. I hope she had fun.

Samantha was supposed to go with Rick and Megan over to Rick's parents house during the shower but she wanted to stay so bad. She made my bed, she vacuumed the house, she did some dishes. So I had to let her stay since she did so much work for me today. The ironic thing is that she didn't watch Bre open the presents which was why she wanted to stay. She wanted to see what Aunt Bre got for the baby. She did participate in the name game. Sam suggested the name Amy. I suggested Hannah, along with two other people. So when the baby arrives I will let you know what name they choose. The baby is scheduled to arrive September 23 via c-section. I can't wait!!!!!

Fortunately the hornets did not bother us at all. The only problem we had were with some pesky yellow jackets. But no one got stung.

Until next time,
Jaime

The Bee's stay for now

Okay so we decided that the bee's will get a reprieve. At least for a couple more days. Rick worked in the backyard today spreading out bark right underneath the tree and they never bothered him. So we decided that it was probably better to wait until after the baby shower on friday to destroy them. If we stir them up too much, and then don't get rid of them all, they might cause more problems during the shower than if we just leave well enough alone for right now.

So now I just have to hope and pray that the stupid bee's leave us alone during the baby shower. I want the shower to be perfect for my sister, and I would be mortified if the bee's stung someone. Since they have been in the tree for quite a while, unnoticed, I don't think they will bother us.

I will let you know when the bee's have been defeated.

Until next time,
Jaime

Bee's Part 2

Here are some pictures we snapped of the hornet's nest today. My brother-in-law is coming over tonight to open up the nest so that we can get the hornet spray inside the nest. I think he is bringing his paintball gun over to shoot it full of paintballs and hopefully open up the nest. He did this in his own backyard, so it's not like it has never been done before. I am going to try to video tape it, or at the least take some pictures and then post them afterwards. If you don't know why we are doing this read the post below this one.





These are bald-faced hornets and so the yellow jacket traps won't work. And we need to totally destroy them because they are very aggressive. They will keep coming back to the nest so the nest must be destroyed.

Stay tuned for more information.

Until next time,
Jaime

Bees, I hate bees!!

So a few days ago Rick had a friend come over so he could help him out with his car. While Rick was showing Mike around the backyard Mike discovered a VERY BIG hornets nest in the tree in our backyard. I don't have the slightest idea how we never noticed a basketball sized nest hanging in our tree. I mean I don't think we have been distracted by anything this summer to have not noticed. Just think of how much time we have spent lounging around, not doing anything, minds free from worry and stress.

We decided to take on the bees last night. Rick hates bees. I hate bees. The kids are afraid of bees. And I am having my sister's baby shower in the backyard underneath that tree on friday. There is no way that thing can stay there any longer. The possibility of the kids getting hurt if something were to disturb the bees is reason enough to get that thing out of here.

So Rick gets out the ladder and I man the flashlight. Come to find out later that the last thing we should have done was shine the light directly on the hive. But anyway, Rick climbs the ladder, and after having to move it around to get a clear shot, he fires away with two cans of bee spray. Then we notice that the bees are moving around a bit so we run for our lives and head straight into the house. A few minutes later I am standing at the door that we just ran through and I notice that I can really smell the bee spray. Suddenly I notice a couple of the bees climbing on the screen door. They found us!!! They know where we live and they are coming after us!!! Holy Crap!!! Did I mention how much I hate bees?!?!?!

The girls are definitely not allowed in the backyard until we see how the bees are reacting to their new poisonous hive. And if we have to hose them down again tonight then we will just have to get a little bit taller ladder so we can get a bit closer and I won't shine the light directly on the hive. And then what are we going to do with the hive? I don't want to leave it there but I don't want Rick getting too close to it just in case there are some lurkers. Yeah it is a cool hive but there is no way I am keeping that thing. The thought of it sends a shiver down my spine.

I don't have a picture of it, otherwise I would post it. If I get a chance to get a picture I will post here later. In the mean time, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Did I mention that I hate bees!?!?!?!?!?!

Until next time,
Jaime

A Little Bit About Jaime

I stole this from my friend Erin. Here are 100 things about me. I could have kept going so I might do this again later. So here it goes:

1. I am not a morning person
2. I really like to sleep in
3. I like to be up at night after everyone is asleep
4. I fall asleep with the TV on
5. I still love Beverly Hills 90210
6. I have two seasons on DVD
7. I put the new New Kids on the Block song on my ipod
8. I wish I could go see them in concert
9. I saw them twice when I was younger
10. I still have a box of their collectibles
11. And I am not embarrassed
12. I want to lose 20 pounds
13. But I hate the gym
14. I would like to learn yoga
15. But I am not flexible
16. I like to drink wine, well girly wine
17. My favorite is Latah Creek Huckleberry Riesling (which is funny because I don't like huckleberries)
18. But I don't like to drink in front of Rick
19. I feel bad that Rick can't drink with me
20. I know more about Rick's health than he does
21. I hate vomit
22. It is not different when my kids are sick
23. Even thinking about it makes me gag
24. I am addicted to Starbucks
25. My favorite is a White Chocolate Mocha
26. My other favorite is a Carmel Frappucino
27. I could drink them everyday
28. But I would go broke
29. I love Dave Matthews Band
30. We have seen them in concert several times
31. I wish I could see them at the Gorge this summer
32. I love the Oregon Coast
33. It is my favorite vacation spot
34. I love the smell of the ocean
35. I love to walk in the sand and put my feet in the ocean
36. Even though the water is freezing
37. I want to go back so bad
38. It has been two years
39. I love to watch Rick play hockey
40. I never used to miss a game
41. Now I don't get to go as often as I'd like
42. I am lucky to have Rick as my husband
43. He is a wonderful husband
44. He is also a wonderful Daddy
45. I like to hold his hand
46. I miss his beard
47. I love him more than I ever thought possible
48. I am so proud of how well he handles his health
49. I don't handle it very well
50. We are able to joke about it
51. We have been together almost 15 years
52. I love purses
53. I just bought my first "Prada" purse
54. I want to buy a Coach purse
55. Like that will ever happen
56. I don't like to go camping
57. I don't like to sleep in a tent
58. I don't like bugs
59. I do like campfires
60. I like to roast marshmallows
61. I love chocolate
62. I am registered on the bone marrow registry
63. I hope to someday be someone's match
64. I love Samantha's attitude
65. I hate Samantha's attitude
66. I love to watch her play soccer
67. Samantha is a wonderful daughter
68. Monkey Megan is still my baby
69. I love her missing teeth
70. I wish she wasn't going to be in Kindergarten, I will miss her
71. I am looking for a part-time job
72. I don't know what I want to do
73. I don't really want to go back to work
74. But I want to contribute more to our family
75. I like going to church
76. I haven't gone all summer
77. I have been discovering the power of prayer
78. I am addicted to Days of our Lives
79. I have watched it since I was little
80. I love Dancing with the Stars
81. It makes me want to dance
82. I can't dance
83. I hate American Idol
84. Yes you read that right
85. I enjoy taking pictures
86. I enjoy scrapbooking
87. I wish I had more time for scrapbooking
88. I hate folding socks and underwear
89. I hate picking up toys
90. I like dusting
91. I love bubble baths
92. I wish our bath tub was bigger
93. I love shopping
94. I don't have money to go shopping
95. I love my house
96. I love to decorate my house
97. I love Christmas
98. I hate cold weather
99. I feel very blessed
100. I love my family

I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time,
Jaime

Rickologist

A good friend of mine called me a Rickologist. I love it!! "Ologist" means the study of. So I am in the study of Rick. LOL!!!

So we have added another "ologist" to the list of doctors. Rick has an appointment with a hematologist on August 21. His bloodwork from last week was all screwed up still and his rheumatologist is very concerned. So Rick was referred to what his rheumatologist calls the best hematologist in Spokane.

I have been googling some of the bloodwork results and I think Google can be worst enemy. But I want to know what all of the different values mean. It is interesting to find out all of the different cells that make up the white blood cells and red blood cells. And what they are supposed to be doing.

So I have a big concern. Rick's gastroenterologist is not concerned about the bloodwork and says that monthly bloodwork is all that is needed. The rheumatologist and his new internist are both concerned about the bloodwork and thought that a hematologist was needed. I would think that the GI would be concerned considering the Crohn's and PSC. And then the GI doesn't want to do a colonoscopy but the internist and Dr Lindor (Mayo) both think it should be done. Now the GI would get paid for doing the colonoscopy so one would think that he would do it. I am starting to wonder if maybe he is not the right doctor for Rick. I would hate to change the GI because there are so many factors in Rick's health. But I want to make sure that the doctor is going to take everything seriously and double check just to make sure that all is okay. Am I overreacting? Shouldn't his GI doctor be as concerned as the rest of them?

*****FYI: It has been 4 years since Rick's last (and first) colonoscopy. That is why we think it has been long enough.*****

So we know that Rick is still immune compromised, more than he usually is. So he still has to be very careful to stay healthy. He even pointed out that not all public bathrooms have garbage cans by the door so when he uses a paper towel to open the door there is nowhere to throw it away. I couldn't be more proud!!!

And on a side note, where is the love people? Are you still reading? We haven't had a lot of comments lately. Not that I am begging for comments but a little love never hurt anyone. LOL

Until next time,
Jaime

Jump and Bounce: Fun for all ages!!

A couple weeks ago we went to Jump and Bounce for my niece Alexzandra's 7th Birthday party. I have to say that it is fun for ALL ages!! Apparently the adults weren't really supposed to be playing on the equipment, but since we were behaving we were allowed to play too. It was a really fun time!



The Velcro wall:





Megan was excited to get on the wall but once she was there she wanted down NOW!! Sam jumped on it too but I didn't get a shot of her face, only the back of her head.




The slides:

Basketball Fun:

Jumping is fun too:



But boxing is the funnest!!!!:





Rick and his brother Jim:
I had fun boxing with Rick. We took out our liver frustrations on each other. But he was nice to me and didn't really hit me. The gloves were heavy so I couldn't hit him very hard either.




It is fun, but also exhausting:


This was only a week after we got back from Mayo. We came into town from the lake to go to the party. It was fun watching Rick running around and enjoying himself. I was trying so hard to have fun and try to forget what was happening. I remember looking at Rick while he was playing with the girls and thinking that I couldn't believe how sick he is on the inside. Sometimes those moments just hit me, and that was one of those times.

We are doing good right now. I have an idea for a post about me that I am working on. So check back soon and hopefully you will really enjoy it.

Until next time,
Jaime

I Love Confessions of a CF Husband

I found the Confessions of a CF Husband blog right after this past Christmas. I was amazed at what this amazing couple was going through. Tricia has cystic fibrosis and became pregnant right before getting on the lung transplant list. She and her husband Nate had been wanting to have a child but when Tricia became sicker from the CF the doctor's advised them to stop trying to become pregnant. They did, but God had a different plan and Tricia found out she was pregnant right as they were getting ready to leave for Duke to prepare to get on the list.

The doctor's advised them that having the baby could be devastating to Tricia's health but they decided that God had provided and they were going to go ahead with the pregnancy. Tricia ended up giving birth to Gwyneth at just over 24 weeks. Gwyneth was a micro preemie. But she surpassed all the odds and is now thriving. Tricia was also able to get well enough to get on the transplant list and she received her double lung transplant on her husband's birthday.

Unfortunately they are now fighting yet another battle. Tricia has been diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma. She is currently undergoing strong chemo and her husband Nate is trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He will shave his head on 8-8-08 if he reaches his goal of $3000 by friday. He is already almost there.

If you all remember my cousin Amanda passed away from AML (leukemia) in December 2006. So after following Nate and Tricia's journey for the past 8 months I was so sad to learn of Tricia's cancer. When I saw that Nate was going to raise money for LLS I was very happy. I wish I could support him but you all know that we have too many medical bills at the moment to be able to donate. But I wanted to post this because this family has become very close to my heart even though I have never met them.

I hope that if you have some time you can read about Tricia's journey and their miracle daughter Gwyneth Rose. I think she is the most adorable baby and I have loved watching her grow from 1 pound to the 7+ pounds she now weighs. This family also gives me hope for Rick's future as well. To see how well Tricia's transplant has helped her, despite the cancer, makes me hopeful that someday Rick can have a good outcome too.

And Nate has been my inspiration for blogging and photography. I have tried to take some of his photography skills and apply them to my own picture taking. He also has a great blog where he shows off his amazing photos. Check it out if you have time. He has some amazing shots and some great ideas for family photo shoots.

I hope that you will find Nate and Tricia as inspiring as I have. They are an amazing couple and I look forward to reading the CF Husband blog every day. It has shown me how God works in amazing ways and has helped me in my quest to follow God in my life as well.

Until next time,
Jaime

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pictures will tell the whole story. Let's just say this was what I earned for taking care of Rick. Although the pain was a bit more intense than I thought it would be.

Before:



During:



After:


Until next time,
Jaime

New Doc is AWESOME!!

Yesterday Rick and I met with his new primary care physician. Dr Yates is an internal medicine doctor that is a much more specialized primary care doctor that completely understands the entire picture of Rick's health. He was so AWESOME! We were both very impressed with him and his nurse. We have seen so many doctors that we know when a doctor is going to "get it". And Dr Yates definitely "gets it"! He was very impressed with our knowledge of Rick's health and he talked with us for more than 45 minutes. The funniest part was that both the nurse and doctor both told us, at separate times, not to be afraid of all the old people in the waiting room. The nurse said she really likes to see young people. Since an internist usually sees people with lots of medical conditions that means that the majority of the patients are older. Lucky us. Dr Yates said he was baffled by the missing spleen as well, but because the ultrasound showed blood flow through the splenic vein there must be a spleen in there somewhere. He also suggested that Rick get another colonoscopy sooner rather than later so we will be bringing that up with the GI doc Dr Houglum.

Lucky Rick also got to have a tetanus shot and pneumonia vaccine. Since he is immune compromised the doctor thought it was a good idea to get the pneumonia vaccine. He also suggested that at some point in the near future Rick should have a bone density scan because Crohn's disease can deplete the calcium in the body. And the use of prednisone, although not all the time, can also cause a depletion of bones. So that was a new suggestion that we hadn't heard before, but I think it is a good idea.

So Dr Yates said that he wants to be kept in the loop concerning anything the other doctor's order. So he will be cc'd all the blood work and doctor visits. And if anything shows up that he thinks is suspicious, even if he isn't the one that ordered it, he will call to make sure the other doctor's caught it. I think that is great to have someone else double checking everything. It is nice to have a doctor so interested in the case.

He is very aware of the gravity (his word) of the PSC diagnosis and doesn't want to take anything lightly. He was very impressed that we went to the Mayo Clinic. And he was very interested in what Dr Lindor at Mayo had found.

So after that appointment Rick had his blood work done to check the low counts and we have yet to hear from that doctor. So as soon as anything comes back on that I will let you know.

Thanks for following this journey with us. I know it sounds overwhelming and I am very grateful for those of you that are still interested in reading all of this. It has been a great outlet for me.

Until next time,
Jaime