Keeping In Touch

I wanted to tell everyone that I am so sorry for not posting of late and keeping up with everyones blogs. I am running terribly behind and feel so bad about it.
They say that people want to hear about "Real" things going on in peoples lives instead of how wonderful things are all the time when posting in our blogs...so I guess this is my "Real Thing" that is happening to me at this moment.

For the last several months I have been having problems with dizzyness and just not feeling like myself.  I couldn't put my finger on it...but I knew something was not quite right. In October I was outside taking care of my horses and doing some other chores before coming in to start my day sculpting. I became so dizzy I couldn't stand up and thought maybe I was having a stroke or something then later in the day I started throwing up. This went on for hours until I finally could not take it anymore and told my husband I needed to go into the er. They did all the standard tests, ekg, blood tests, cat scan etc., but the only thing they could find was that I was deyhdrated. They gave me fluids some prescriptions for nausea and sent me home.
In the meantime I was to schedule an appt with a new cardiologist since the company my husband worked for had changed insurance companies and all the doctors I had previously were not under the same plan.
So about 3 weeks ago I was in the cardiologists office and this vertigo hit me again. I was very sick and after an hour or two in the dr's office they decided I should go to the er again. After several tests and a few hours later the er doctor came in and said they wanted to do an mri. That test was not fun at all...they put you in a large tube where you cannot move your head at all. The machine bangs and bangs for over an hour taking pictures of your head. Finally after about half hour the doctor came in and told me that they found what they call a Schwonnoma Tumor in my head. It is a benign tumor that rests below the brain and is usually on the nerve from either ear or the stem of the brain. Only about 1 in 100,000.00 people get this type of tumor and it is caused from a missing gene of all things. (Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket with those odds)  ;-)
 The problem with these tumors is that if left untreated they can cause, hearing loss, paralysis of the face, inability  to swallow and ultimately death.  So I was in total shock
never thinking in my wildest dreams that I would have something like this...but it all made sense thinking back on my symptoms. Ringing in the ears, fullness in ears like you need to pop them..but can't, the nausea and vertigo and occassional balance issues. So...I am in the process of seeing a ear, nose and throat doctor and then I am sure from there it will be on to a neurologist. Reading and reading on the internet to find out as much information as I can on the type of treatments. I have joined a wonderful forum called  Acoustic Neuroma Association where people that have this type of tumor come and share their experiences. So far I am very grateful for this group as they have been so supportive and helpful.

Our family has also been dealing with my dad who has been having many health issues too. He lives with us and I have become his main caregiver which makes it very difficult sometimes when I can hardly function myself.
His situation is very up and down at the moment and could change with each day. We are just trying to take it a day at a time.

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs when we least expect it but I am thankful that this is not cancerous and there are many things that I am thankful for at the moment. I realize that I am going to have to slow down for awhile which means not working so hard which I have done for many years. I have always been a work ahololic so now I need to focus on my health and take it easy on other things. 
I am still trying to work on dolls on my good days...so I will be showing some things from time to time.
I do have some things I will be posting soon but I just wanted to give an update here on my blog so people won't think I have disappeared from Blogland!  ;-) I do miss everyone and visiting everyones blogs but even being on the computer for very long can set off my vertigo which has forced me to limit my surfing the web.
So there you have it...I hope I haven't bored anyone. Life is still good...I count my blessings every day and am so thankful for my family and friends.  I will be back soon with some updates and some doll related subjects that I want to share.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Take Good Care!!! 


(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Marcie ♥
xoxoxoxo