Tag: Knee

Show Up

Published on by beatingcowdens4 Comments

It was three MRIs in two days that week in November.  That’s too many, in case you were wondering.

One was an extension of an August MRI, which had been a knee follow up.  If you’ve been following – you know that long story.  If you’re new, the AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) she was likely born with in her right knee, has cost her 8 trips to the OR so far.  It requires frequent attention.

By frequent I mean we see the orthopedist more often than we see most family.  And this time the whole muscle band up her thigh had been acting odd.  So we reached out to the orthopedist who asked for an MRI of the right thigh before we saw him at 1 PM that Tuesday.

By “odd” I actually mean really painful.  Pretty much all the time.  Painful enough that walking long distances or kicking swim practice got hard to maintain.  But there is so much that hurts it’s hard to sort out where something stops and other things start.  The hip had been “out” more than in, and even the chiropractor could not sort out why.  The knee pain was persistent enough to leave her wondering if something was wrong again.  The shooting pain, tingling and occasional numbness left her wondering if a nerve was somehow damaged.

Turns out, in typical form, she was right pretty much all around.  This kid has an uncanny awareness of her body.

The doctor’s student came in first not far past 1PM.  The MRI results were up, and he mentioned the AVM.  We said, “In her knee?”  When he said no, and mentioned one higher up in her leg, I pulled the plug on his practicing and sent for her actual doctor.  Turns out the thigh MRI showed a vascular malformation in the back of her right thigh.  It was somewhere in between the muscle and the bone, and adjacent to the sciatic nerve. When the images changed you could actually see the proximity to the nerve.

Hip issues – check

Knee pain- check

Shooting (nerve) pain-check

So he asked for an MRI with contrast of the pelvis.  “Sooner rather than later.”

But then he had to address the issue that had been of greatest concern walking in the door.

The right shoulder had been presenting an escalating problem all during the fall swim season.  She is a powerhouse my kid.  She pushes through because she knows nothing else. The awareness that the Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos diagnosis added on in July could at least explain the frequent partial dislocations was little comfort to the body that was living with them.  A thorough examination of a shoulder with extremely limited range of motion left us with orders for an MRI arthogram of the right shoulder.  It was time to rule out a rotator cuff tear.  We left with both MRI orders, and scripts for muscle relaxant and pain meds.  We were told to try to get it done by Thursday.  Yep 48 hours.

Thankfully Meghan’s insurance, which is the same as my husbands, (insurance coverage and coordination of benefits could take another post, so just trust me) does not require prior authorization for MRI testing.

So I got on the phone with scheduling and secured an appointment at the same facility we had been at at 11 AM for 3:30 PM.  That ended up being the pelvic MRI with contrast, something we avoid until we are confident something is there.  IV in place, back in the tube for another 45 minutes.

We were able to schedule the arthogram for 8AM the next morning in Brooklyn. But, not before learning that an arthogram was a pretty awful test.  As I had tried to barter for a time that would not take her out of school three days in a row, I was told that the doctor had to be on site.  I was asking for a quick schedule and I had to take what was available.  I was wondering why a doctor had to be on site, but my girl found the answers first.

And as we contemplated the test we sat in two hours of traffic to make the 32 mile trip home.

The next morning we were met by a well meaning tech in a Brooklyn office who thought my girl was going to have the catheter placed without me. You can say all the rational things you want about her being almost an adult. But PTSD is very real.  No matter how smart and articulate she is.  It is flat out real.  And that was about as huge a trigger as there is.  So I got a vest, signed consent for whatever I was about to be exposed to and held her hand while she screamed in pain.  The catheter was placed.  The contrast was injected, and we were back to another 45 minuted in the tube.

The appointment at 1 the next day was overwhelming to say the least.  The pain, the anxiety and the exhaustion were palpable.  The news that there was no rotator cuff tear was met with simultaneous relief and exasperation.  And if you don’t quite understand that it is probably because you have not lived with daily pain so intense you would give just about anything to hear that it was fixable.

Our orthopedist is nothing short of amazing, and he was able to explain to her that it was likely that repetitive partial subluxations caused muscle spasms that left the shoulder sitting just out of place enough that it was incredibly painful.  And because the muscles were in almost a constant spasm she couldn’t get it back “in.”  He explained the strength of her back and how some muscles are overpowering others.  He broke down the directions for PT.  He pulled her from the water for 7 days.  He started a muscle relaxant 3 times a day.

Then, he had to explain to her that we should head back to Lennox Hill Hospital to see the interventional radiologist who dealt with her prior AVM.  It had been three years since we had seen him, in hopes we were done for good.  The placement of this “small” AVM (and think relative here, does a splinter hurt?  Yep.  So a grape hanging out somewhere in between the bone, muscle and nerve probably would too.) was difficult from an ortho standpoint.  He felt that embolization, closing off the blood supply to the malformation, would give a quicker recovery than trying to dig it out.

We had an appointment on December 2nd at Lennox Hill.  Just enough time to let the muscle relaxants start to kick in, PT to begin, and the shoulder to start moving slowly and painfully.

The doctor looked at the scans, did his own ultrasound and told us to schedule the procedure.  We left with a date of Tuesday, December 17th for an outpatient procedure.

The date was carefully chosen by my girl.  The 17th meant she’d miss only 4 days of school, and for a junior with a rigorous schedule and a 4.0 that mattered.

Also, the 17th meant she could go to Lancaster, PA the weekend prior to compete in a qualifying swim meet she had worked for years to make.  She had been looking at this meet since she began swimming years prior.  When she made her first, second, and third cuts over the months leading up to it, she was ecstatic.  Now, she was facing this meet with a different set of eyes.  The training interruptions caused by her shoulder meant she was unlikely to attain any best times.  However her gentle giant of a coach reassured her she should go for the experience.

And it certainly was an experience!   We left for home Sunday the 15th with the coach’s approval of three good swims.  She knew it was the last time she’d be in the water for a bit.

We left home Tuesday the 17th for at 8 for a 10 AM arrival.  This was surgery 19.  We knew the routine.  She had had nothing to eat or drink since 9 the night before.  The wait was long.  It was after 2 when we were waiting to leave her in the OR.  And as we were leaving the team made a last minute change that they would do the procedure on her stomach.  That meant a more aggressive anesthesia and an overnight stay which we were not prepared for.

We were placed in luxury accommodations, better than most hotels I’ve stayed in, because pediatrics was overbooked.  We ended up in the executive suite.  With nothing we needed.  Felix headed home on the bus to gather supplies.  He then drove back to the city and met me at the door to the hospital before heading home for the night.

I was glad we stayed.  The pain needed hospital level management.  The pain medication allowed for some brief silly time.  She was discharged around noon the next day.

As I went to gather the car from the lot I was prepared for the hefty overnight fee, but not for the giant scrapes along my right rear panel. Clearly my car had been hit, hard.  The bumper clip was broken.  I had just enough time to file a claim with the garage before she let me know the transporter had her in the main lobby.

I settled her into the car in terror because she could not get a seatbelt on.  I prayed so hard during that white knuckle drive down the FDR and through the tunnel.  We arrived safely home 45 minutes later where a neighbor saw us struggling and helped her up the stairs into the house.

As I write, it is the afternoon of 12/22.  If you’ve read this far you know it’s been a long month.  But the longest days came after we arrived home.

This kid is busy.  All the time.  She is at school.  She is at swim.  She is at lessons.  She is at the doctor.  She is at PT.  She is NOT used to being home.

Because I think most of us can relate that when you are still there is time to think.  And thinking is hard.  When you are still there is time to feel.  And often feeling is hard.

My girl is used to being just on the outside in most social situations.   I do not know why.  I can theorize for days, but it doesn’t matter really.  It just is.  So when you are on the edge, you get your interactions with people when you are there. When you are not there you get the often difficult to process feeling that you are not missed or your absence isn’t noteworthy.

There were some cards, and some well intentioned messages from well meaning family and friends.  They lit up her whole being.

If I’ve learned anything from watching her recover and rehab time and time again, it’s this.  When you’re not sure what to do, show up.

I don’t mean in person necessarily.  Although those visits can bring brief humor and relaxation.  The irony of this technologically connected world is that we are more distant than ever, when it is so easy to show up.

When in doubt, send a text.  There is no need for gifts or grand gestures.  Offer a face time call.  Let someone know you care, especially in the first 4 days when then pain is often the worst.  It’s ok to reach out because these phones are all on mute.  And you won’t bother someone sleeping, you will only make them smile when they wake.

Whether it’s one surgery or 31, the chronically ill patient appreciates it.

There are so many super-convenient ways to show up.

So many that we are practicing showing up more for others.  Because the world is round.  And you may not ever repay the kindness sent to you, but showing up for someone else can change everything.

#beatingcowdens and#hEDS

Six Wheels and a Boot

Published on by beatingcowdens4 Comments

At any given point during our 10 days in Disney, our party of three also had six wheels and a boot.

We must have looked unusual to anyone who passed us by.

I traveled with a virtual pharmacy in my purse, which is really simply a string bag on my back, because who really wants to be fancy anyway?

The week before we left we had a PILE of appointments.  I think I lost count at 17 in the 5 days.  One of them was the orthopedist Meghan sees a few times a year.  He was catching up on the new diagnosis of Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome, paying careful attention to her knee, which by all accounts has been her ‘Achilles heel’ her whole life.   There had been pain in that knee for weeks prior, which is always a concern.  One of the surgeries she has had repeatedly has been to correct the tracking of the patella.  Anxiety is warranted.

This doctor suggested an MRI to confirm the knee was tracking correctly.  He also said that she was ‘not to walk consecutive distances longer than one block’ at least until the pain in the knee settled.  He prescribed a painkiller and a muscle relaxant.  He told me she was not to walk the parks in Disney. She needed to spend most of the day confined to a wheelchair.  And while there is gratitude for the temporary nature of this situation, there is a mental and emotional adjustment to enduring it.

This was not a totally new arrangement for us, as the knee has limited her walking in the past.  However, there is always the hope that with age things will change.  And while Meghan is healthier and stronger than I have ever seen her, the realities of Ehler’s-Danlos and its wear and tear on the connective tissue are real and very present.  So, out came the wheelchair.

And, one of my appointments was an MRI follow up for the foot that has been a disaster since I fell at work January 8th.

The initial fall partially tore the lisfranc ligament.  Which might have been easier to recover from, except ligaments don’t show on xray.  So the initial diagnosis was a sprain.  Which was treated with 5 days rest.  Then 2 weeks later when the pain was more than it should have been and my primary asked for an MRI, GHI decided I didn’t need one yet and I could wait 6 more weeks.  So, I forced the foot into a shoe for a total of 8 weeks post injury before I couldn’t stand it anymore.  At that point an MRI finally picked up the partial tear.

I was booted for about 6 weeks.  I was pulled out of work and off my foot, but largely too little too late.  I returned and handled the foot conservatively, waiting to feel better.  Or at least closer to being able to walk like I did on January 7th.

Every other week there have been check ups at the podiatrist.  Two visits to a specialist in NYC. Days blended into weeks and my patience started to wear thin.  I began Physical Therapy, but even the PT was baffled by the amount of pain in the foot and encouraged me to keep looking for answers.

A repeat MRI was scheduled for 8/2.  I obtained the results on 8/14.  While the pain in the foot should have been an indicator, I was not prepared to hear that I needed to return to the walking boot, as I had a likely stress fracture in the cuboid bone, and a neuroma in between my second and third toes.   This mess courtesy of my body compensating to protect the lisfranc ligament while it healed.  I had unconsciously shifted all my weight to the outer part of my foot.  I was to limit my walking.  By that night I was back in my walking boot ordering a knee scooter for the trip to Disney.

I remember after the fall in January, and even after the diagnosis in March, feeling so happy that I would at least be healed and back to walking before our trip.  The best laid plans…

So when we headed out for a 5AM flight on 8/18, we had all our suitcases, a wheelchair and a knee scooter.  We checked three bags, and Felix pushed Meghan while I scooted behind.  We were a sight.

And after waking up at 2:30 for our flight and traveling via scooter through the Magic Kingdom, I wanted nothing more than to go home.  Immediately.  I felt like I had done a bad step aerobics video over and over on only my left thigh and butt cheek.  You might not realize the strain on the thigh when you rest the knee with a way-too-heavy boot hanging off the back.  There was just no way I was going to make it.

So Monday morning I released Meghan and Felix to the Magic Kingdom.  I sat in the hotel room.  I cried for about 10 minutes.  I called my mom. I made a cup of tea.  And then I made a plan.

I researched a new set of eyes to consult on the foot when I arrived home.  I rearranged our return flight to a more civil time to I could book an appointment for the 29th with confidence.  I stretched.  I took way too much Advil.

And sometime that morning between the NSAIDs and the caffeine, I started to feel the magic.  I sat on the hotel balcony.  I strengthened my resolve.

I am not sure at all why it seems everything is so hard.  I couldn’t fathom why I had sent my otherwise healthy kid off in a wheelchair, while I sweated inside a walking boot,  all the while healing from the Fine Needle Aspiration thyroid biopsy two days prior for thyroid nodules recurring on my previously quiet and well-behaved remaining thyroid lobe. (Partial thyroidectomy 1993 – dx multinodular goiter, 18 years before I had ever HEARD of Cowden’s Syndrome)

In that moment most of what we were facing had nothing at all to do with Cowden’s.  And yet, the same choice existed in that moment.  I had to decide that I was going to make the best of it.  I had to decide that I was not giving up my family vacation for more medical nonsense.  I had to decide to find a way to enjoy.  Because the struggles, the pain, and the drama would all be waiting for me at home whether I found the “magic” or not.

All the positive thinking in the world was not going to make anyone’s pain go away.  Not even a stomach burning amount of Advil and a few strong cocktails could do that.  But, I am a huge believer in a positive mindset.  And in that Monday morning overlooking the Hawaii themed resort, things started to fall into place in my mind and my heart.

We get 2 weeks a year to spend as a family, free of other obligations.  We get 2 weeks a year.  And I wasn’t going to waste it.

I joined them later that day, and never left them again.  We traveled together – a family of three, six wheels and a boot.  We laughed a lot, we argued a little, and generally found the best in each other.  We met up with my sister and her family for a super fun night together. 

We got to Mickey’s ‘Not So Scary’ Halloween Party for the first time.  We saw more characters than we’ve seen since she was quite young.

Finally, after many years of staring at the giant “Hot Air Balloon” in Disney Springs, I got myself on.  Because, Why not?  Magical.

 

We found that our resort had a stand serving dairy free Dole Whip – the first time my 16 year old ever had soft serve.  Magical.

 

Some people wonder how we do the same vacation year after year.  They wonder how we don’t tire of it all.  For us, there is a magic that can’t be explained, only felt.  There is wonder in eating safely in restaurants and having access to a bakery free of gluten, dairy and soy.  There is joy in eliminating something so basic as food isolation, and sharing meals, sometimes as a family of three, and other times with some Disney friends.

Even Donald was checking on my boot!

There is magic running into Pluto in the lobby of your resort, or finding the Seven Dwarfs waiting to meet your family.

There is magic in roller coaster selfies, and Figment reminding us to use our imagination.

There is magic in all things familiar, and always finding something new.

There is magic when you seek it, even with six wheels and a boot.

Because there will always be battles to fight.  So sometimes they can just wait 2 weeks.

The foot problem is not solved.  It’s time to find some serious answers.  I won’t open the school year for the first time in 22 years.  These next few weeks will be about making plans to heal.

There is no magical solution for my foot.  There will be more MRIs, and more doctors.

My patience will be tested in new ways.  I am not sure what to expect, and that makes me nervous.

But there will never be a single second that I regret adding 4 wheels and a boot to my own self to enjoy and appreciate the magic with my family.

I know the body can not heal if you don’t nourish the soul.

#beatingcowdens

 

 

(Living) “In Prep for the Climb” – PTEN Awareness Day 10/23/18

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I’m aware of Breast Cancer.  As a survivor now of 6 years and the daughter of a 21 year survivor, I am aware as I dry from my shower facing my mastectomy scars every morning, that breast cancer is reality.  As my Facebook feed and my memory are both too full of those we have lost and those who still face this disease, we are aware.  What I wonder, is how much help is the awareness?  It is a topic that could be debated forever, but I’ll change gears first.

Something else I am very aware of is the PTEN gene located on chromosome 10q23, and the perils its associated mutations can cause.  So when the PTEN Foundation let us know that 10/23 was designated PTEN Awareness Day, we were all in.

This blog has, for years been designated to the ups and downs of this mother- daughter duo dealing with Cowden’s Syndrome, the diagnosis we both received in late 2011 after a PTEN mutation was first diagnosed in Meghan, and weeks later in me.

The few years following were an absolute whirlwind of appointments, scans, screenings and surgeries.  We worked to keep our heads above water and just exist.  We considered keeping my job, and maintaining honors status in her school quite the accomplishment.

We were told things over and over, like “don’t let it define you…”

I’ve got some news for you.  You can only walk so far into the fire without retaining the scars.

True awareness of PTEN for us comes with comprehension of the gravity that you have to remain in a vigilant stance of preparation, awaiting attack from your own body at all times.  PTEN patients have ridiculous cancer risks pretty much all throughout, and the VIGILANCE required to stay ahead is utterly grueling.

We are faced with choices to keep the most high risk organs, or remove them prophylactic ally.  We are asked to play the odds.  With our bodies. All the time.

With Meghan the AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in her right knee, though quiet now, has caused damage she will deal with forever.  She is 15.  God willing she will walk on those legs another 80 years, each day aware of the pain, and of the symmetry removed from her body forever.

When you have to be vigilant, you have to plan.  There are trades.  You have to decide if you’ll miss school with friends and fall behind in classes or give up the breaks designed to recharge you.

There are no breaks.  February – months away has 3/5 of its break and 2 other days devoted to appointments.  Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.  Yep – that one too.  Don’t worry, the brain MRI is scheduled for April break….

You have to pick and choose.  And the decisions are hard.  You want to give it all to everything, but HOURS of your world are wasted in bumper to bumper traffic, waiting for the hopeful news that you have another 6 months before you come back.  And if, in fact you don’t get that news the schedule is tossed and it’s game on for scans, analysis and biopsies.

The pain.  No one can really tell us yet from why, but it seems to exist throughout.  The fatigue.  Maybe the thyroid issues, maybe some immunological stuff.  Maybe some connection yet to be determined.  But it’s real.

It’s as real as the number of times we had to decline invitations before most people stopped asking.

We’re not blowing you off.  We’re holding it together – by a shoestring.

Chronic Illness is hard to live, and we get that it’s difficult to watch.  But, it’s real.  And short of a cure, it will never “run it’s course.”  It will not BE us, but it will be PART of us – FOREVER.

“You don’t look sick…”

“You don’t look anxious…”

No, as a matter of fact she looks strong and determined.  She’s been practicing for quite some time.

Sometimes I have to bite my tongue to keep from replying, “You don’t LOOK ignorant either – but at least you can fix that if you WANT to…”

Our rare disease journey has opened our eyes to not only PTEN disorders, but “Lhermitte-Duclos disease,” “Nail-Patella Syndrome,” “Lynch Syndrome,” “Spinal Muscular Atrophy,” “Muscular Dystrophy,” “Neimann- Pic Disease,” ” Neurofibromatosis,” “Acute Myeloid Leukemia” to name just the very tip of the iceberg.  I am more aware than every that everyone struggles.

I’m also a big fan of real pure awareness, for the sake of learning something about other humans I share the planet with.

One of the humans I share my home with has grown up in a totally different direction courtesy of this disease.  And while I am grateful for her diagnosis, as it surely saved my own life, I am sad that she has had to see so much, and manage so much already in her life.

So today, on 10/23, if you’re not living with it yourself, direct yourself to http://www.PTENFoundation.org, or the PTEN Facebook Page and learn an little more about PTEN.

My own girl is working every day to make herself better, physically, mentally and emotionally.  When I have down days, or I just don’t feel well, she reminds me to forgive myself.  “You have it too Mom.”  Indeed I do, and it’s quite a ride…

“Prep for the Climb” Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Together we prepare for the climb each day – and seek out that ‘One Perfect Moment’

For as much as this disease has taken, I am grateful that she is starting to take back control, and is finding her voice as an advocate for herself and others.  (And I love listening to her sing too…)

#Beatingcowdens

Bring It On the Musical – One Perfect Moment Lyrics
2012 Broadway
Bring It On the Musical – One Perfect Moment LyricsI’m not freaking out, I’m really okay
I’m totally chill or I will be someday
‘Cause I’m so near the top but there’s so many mountains to climb
There are plans to be planned, drills to be drilled
‘Cause this dream that I’ve dreamed is becoming fulfilled
And I plan to enjoy it but right now, I don’t have the timeFade in on Campbell, an average teenager almost grown
Close-up on average grades from the average life she’s known
Now zoom in the lens on the rest of her friends as she stay alone
Doing the work, getting it right

‘Cause I know we’ll have to be practically perfect
So I’ll go above and beyond and pull through, this I can do
All that I’m asking is one perfect moment in time

I’m seventeen, there are so many things that I can’t control
If I start to freak, or feel weak, I focus on just one goal
Turn down the panic, attack this routine like it owns my soul
Turn up the music so loud that it swallows us whole
And then there we are, we burn like a star
We’re safe inside the world we know
Then suddenly I’m in prep for the climb and here I go
High in the air, there is a moment just before you start to fall
Live in that one moment

I know that if I can just stick the landing
Then I’ll know that somehow my life will be fine
And I’ll go through the rest of my life understanding
What it feels like to shine
The future’s full of mysteries
So please let this be mine
My one perfect moment in time

Forever…

Published on by beatingcowdensLeave a comment

When I married my husband I committed to forever.  It was a good call.

When we decided to have a child, we understood she would be our baby forever.  No regrets.

forever

But some time in the fall of 2011 a doctor diagnosed both of us with a rare genetic disorder.  This forever, well, this one we did NOT sign up for.

At first there was no time to process the concept of forever as it connected to Cowden’s Syndrome.  There was too much to do.

Neither of us had an “easy” medical history, so putting a name on it had its pros and cons.  But, we were handed lists of appointments to make and things that suddenly needed immediate attention.  We were quickly schooled on tumor growth and cancer risks.  We were told to remain vigilant, and that we would be “fine”.

Stay Alert

There was no time to process as 2012 had a traumatic thyroid biopsy in January and an embolization for her Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) in her knee in February.  Then, there was my double mastectomy and my “surprise” cancer diagnosis in March, followed too closely by my hysterectomy in May.  And soon after that hysterectomy, Meghan had breast, pelvic and kidney and bladder sonograms.  There was also another MRI of the knee, and two thyroid ultrasounds that brought in 2013 with a surgical thyroid biopsy.

2012 was salvaged largely by a third grade teacher who I swear was an angel placed in our path.  Because there was real life too.  There was work, and school, and activities, and appointments that were quickly starting to overwhelm.

There was probably close to 2 years after the initial diagnosis before I even looked up.  And, when I did I had a whole host of emotions.

Forever had taken quite a toll on my girl.  Tough as nails.  Driven.  Strong.  Focused.  Always.  But, apprehensive, concerned and full of worry she was way too young to have to shoulder.

Forever.  I did my best to keep as much “normal” as I could.  Early therapists cautioned not to let the disease “define” us.  I kept the schedule delicately balanced between the necessary medical screenings and the “fun” activities.  She needed to be “like everyone else”.  So there was swim, later theater, some voice lessons, all interspersed with surgeries too many to recount again.  Some traumatizing, some annoying, some isolating, and some worrisome.  All time-consuming.  Some required physical rehabilitation, and others emotional.

busy-calendar-2

Forever.  The highway became our bonding place.  She could read and do some homework in the car.  We scheduled appointments on holidays as often as we could.  We scheduled appointments after school.  It made for some long days- often traveling 2 hours each way, and waiting forever in the offices- but we did it to preserve school attendance, and to keep her at as many activities as we could.

Forever.  She grew up.  Not just physically, but mentally.  She has broad shoulders, literally from hours of butterfly, and metaphorically from carrying way more than she should at her age.  The knowledge that this is her forever is difficult for all of us.  We make the best of it.  We talk about how grateful we are to know what to look for.  But, that gratitude, while sincere, can never replace the innocence of youth.  Innocence lost.  Forever.

Forever.  The wait time at most appointments is close to forever.  No one typically knows what to say to us.  They look at what they need to.  They offer some empathy, sometimes.  Then, sometimes out loud, and sometimes in their heads, they show gratitude that they are not fully responsible for us.  We wait hours and hours so often.  We have learned patience.  We have learned to quietly accept that if they “google” us before, it means they actually care.  We are rare.  We are 1 in 200,000.  This diagnosis is forever.

late doctor

This summer we have already gone to our 16th appointment between us.  There are 4 more just next week.

Yet, this summer she performed with a wonderful, talented, warm and welcoming group of young people at Staten Island Children’s Theater Inc. in a production of “Legally Blonde Jr.”  They like her.  Some of them know what she does with the rest of her life, and others don’t, and it’s all okay there.  They give me hope that some people, teenage people and adults as well,  are just good people.

She has been at swim practice most mornings between 6:15 and 8:15.  She has spent this week in small group lessons for swim from 8:30-3.

She has accomplished a good deal of her summer work for school.  She had peppered in the appointments in the crevices hidden in the schedule.

Forever.  The reality is not lost.  But, I am so proud.  So proud of how hard she works to stay in this world, while living in the world of chronic pain and rare disease.  It is hard work.  She does it pretty gracefully most days.

Forever.  Perhaps I could use a lesson or two from her.

Somewhere in the midst of this medical whirlwind we live.  Somewhere in the midst of working full-time, and managing surgeries and appointments, and life as it happens to all of us, I have lost track of myself.

lost

Forever.  I have one speed.  I operate in constant motion, or I am asleep.  There is rarely any middle.  The yellow legal pad is to the right of my computer, capturing every thought.  The iPhone calendar alerts me to the plans of the day.  My house, although not as clean as I’d like it, is in constantly good order.  It is a control issue.  I will own it.  There is so much flashing by in the blink of an eye, I can be sure to get the dog fur off the floor once a day, and know that it actually got done.

Forever.  I’ve lost touch with most of my friends.  Life is busy, theirs and ours.  There are only so many times you can tell the same story to people.  Our story could be recorded.  It just repeats itself.  Doctor, testing, surgery, follow-up, rehabilitation, next body part, routine appointment, maintenance, worry about a potential problem, 6 months to watch it…  I used to have other things to talk about.  Now I would be one of those people I used to laugh at on night-time TV.  I am so out of touch with the world.  My experiences are significant, but without variety.  They are heavy and too much for most people to hear.  There are no answers.

Take-time-to-enjoy-where-we-are

Forever.  The summer will pass.  We will force in a vacation and we will hold those days to be without doctors, and without summer assignments.  Then, we will do our best to put our feet in sand once.  Just to listen to the water.  We will try to get a few people to swim in our pool, so the activities of opening and closing it are not totally futile.

Forever.  Life is busy.  Too busy.  And that’s not just a Cowden’s Syndrome thing.  I heard of three deaths this week.  All three tragic.  One at age 19, one at 31, and another a bit older.  Tragedy.  They had plans.  They did not think their forever was going to end this week.

Forever.  My conscious mind doesn’t need but a split second to list dozens of real and significant blessings.  There are countless things in my life that bring me to my knees in gratitude.  But, the inner conflict is strong.  With the knowledge of the wonder and beauty in my life, I should be able to take this diagnosis, this “Forever” that is Cowden’s Syndrome, and put it in its place.

Forever.  The struggle is real.

Forever.  Stopping to find the moment, and to embrace the joy right now is not as easy as it sounds.  I can talk the talk better than anyone.  The raw truth is that I can not always walk the walk.

Our Cowden’s sisters and brothers span the globe.  Estimates are about 1,800 of us are in the United States.  I do not know the world numbers.  I know some of the people though.  One in Australia just underwent 2 MORE brain surgeries a few weeks ago.  Another, a teen who is with her Mom in Cleveland right now is waiting for news that is surely churning mom’s heart.

Forever.  It’s such an arbitrary concept sometimes.  I became a wife with the intent of forever in my heart.  I became a mother with that same intention.  But Cowden’s Syndrome threw forever at us.  It’s got the same dictionary definition, but not the same feel.

Someone asked me recently why I can’t just take time off, or block my appointments so we have “breaks”.  The truth is, I try.  Doctors want what they want in terms of follow-up, and being vigilant means I need to comply.  Most visits run us a minimum of 4 hours round trip.  Many can not be “stacked”.  I have a full-time job.  I have a high school honor student.  We need to be at work and school.  I suspect those who ask are just trying to help.  But, it makes me feel like maybe if I just tried harder…

waiting doctor

Forever.

It took me 7 weeks to write this post.  My attention span is not what it used to be.  I have a whole lot of reasons to keep making this work.  Forever.  I am blessed.  I am grateful.  I am tired.  I am human.

This blog was started in hopes that people stumbling upon it would read the story of a real family, fighting the same thing they are.  With that comes real, raw, and honest emotion.

Forever is beautiful when you connect it to things you signed up for.

Forever is not so easy when it connects to a rare disease that wants to grow things throughout your body.

Forever.  It is promised to none of us, that forever will last longer than today.  It is our decision what we do with the gift of the time we have.

I am a work in progress.  I am a wife.  I am a mother.  I am a survivor.  I am worth the hard work.

Today I will start by opening all the blinds.  Time to look at the sunshine.  Time to look at the blue sky and the flowers.  Time to breathe. In and out.

One step at a time.

We  will remain

#beatingcowdens

Forever.

 

 

 

 

Triage- A Way of Life

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Triage.  The word hangs with me like the memories of countless Emergency Room visits.

Triage. Take care of the most serious first.

It’s the reason we might wait hours for stitches, and barely a moment for a trauma.

I get it.  It makes sense in the ER.  It also makes sense on the battlefield, or in other places where there is widespread injury to be treated.

The thing is, you typically don’t stay in those places FOREVER.

Places we equate with triage are not places of comfort.  And that’s where this life with Cowden’s Syndrome can get tricky.

You see, lately I can’t shake the feeling that life is triage.  24/7/365 damage assessment, and handling the most critical first.  Vigilant.  Hyper-vigilant.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.

When you live with a chronic illness, a syndrome that causes cancer by its very definition, it is so easy to get wrapped up in monitoring and preventative care.  And then there are the times that you go for those monitoring appointments and they require their own follow-up.  This condition can easily morph into a beast that can swallow you whole.

And we’re at it times 2.

What I refuse to allow this syndrome to do is take away any more from my daughter’s life  than it has.  To the best of our ability, she will do “teenage” things, and she will do things she enjoys.

But, lately that has become quite the juggling act.

I am monitored twice a year by endocrinology (post thyroidectomy), my breast surgeons, and dermatology.  I am monitored annually by gyn oncology, and oncology.  This is post-bilateral mastectomy (stage 1 DCIS) and post hysterectomy.  I am monitored every 5 years for colonoscopy.  I am also monitored with abdominal ultrasounds for 4 hamartomas on my spleen, and a cyst on my kidney.  This may not seem all that impressive, but those are just the appointments if everything goes well.  That’s not additional scanning, blood work and biopsies.  None of them are close to home either.

Not to mention, I am still searching for a local primary care doctor.  In addition, there is dental work, both routine, and the emergencies the stress from grinding my teeth keep causing.  I’ve been referred to another oncologist who specializes in genetic diseases, and I need to get in to see her.  I just completed vascular surgery, with its pre and post op appointments and recovery as well.

That’s just me.  Me, and my full-time job.  And, like every mother, my needs are not the most important.

My girl sees endocrinology twice a year.  She is still, 4 years post-op, trying to get thyroid function balanced.  She sees gastroenterology, and dermatology twice a year.  She also sees an adolescent gyn twice a year, courtesy of precancerous tissue already uncovered in her teenage uterus.  She sees a chiropractor every 2-3 weeks for pain management.  Right now, amid diagnosis of the small brain tumors, she is seeing neurology every three months for new MRI scans.  She sees orthopedics every 8 weeks.  They have been monitoring her knee for years, and recently stubborn tendonitis in the shoulder.  There have been a few MRIs of late.  She has seen physical therapy weekly since the fall, and is now working on twice a week.

She is tired.  Partially because of her schedule, and partially because of her sleep patterns.  Despite a regular bed time, she struggles to get quality sleep.  It is hard to turn her brain off, and for her to get rest.

She has developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, secondary to consistent medical trauma.  She is working through it – but, like everything else, it is a great deal of work.

She is awaiting word that her service dog is ready.  The call could come any time in the next 6 or so months, but we are hopeful this dog will help her through what can be some trying times.

She is an honor student.  She is a swimmer – at least 5 days a week, for 12-15 hours a week.  She is in weekly vocal lessons, and a theater group that meets 3.5 hours a week.  She enjoys a local church youth groups.

She has food allergies – restricted from dairy, gluten and soy.  And seasonal allergies to all things pollen.

None of this includes normal things.  Like dentist and orthodontist visits, or even haircuts.

It is easy to get isolated.

She has a strong sense of what is right and wrong, and can be rigid in her perceptions.  But, life has shown her things most adults, let alone people her age, have ever seen.   Just as that strong mindedness flusters me, I refuse to try to break it down.  It is that same will that has gotten us where we are.

And where we are, is in TRIAGE.

My iphone calendar is with me everywhere.  I prioritize swim and theater over doctors when I can.  Physical Therapy is a high on the list right now for pain management and strengthening.

Vocal lessons keep her going, as she can sing herself through a lot of stress.  Theater is just a fun group of children, and I am not willing to sacrifice that.

I have a list by my desk of “next up” appointments, and because our availability is so limited, I am often booking months out.  We travel to most – NYC or LI.  Short on miles – but up to 2 hours each way – often.

We stack them when we can.  Two appointments are a bonus, three is a banner day.

And every year about this time I dream of a summer light on appointments.  I’ve yet to see it come true.  Truth be told, almost every school holiday and every vacation is cluttered with things we need to do, but would rather not.

There is a blessing in knowing what we are fighting.  There is blessing in having a warning system in place.  But, there are still some days when I’m totally overwhelmed that I wish I didn’t know so much.

Triage.

Triage means that right now the physical and emotional health of my teenager trumps all.

So she swims 5 days.  We do PT 1-2 nights after swim. We see “other” doctors midweek on the one day there is no swim.  We do voice, and theater on Saturday.

I make my appointments on weekends when my husband can drive.  I make my appointments a year out so I can stack three in one day in the summer and on February break.  I schedule our surgeries for February of Easter vacation when I can.

I plan our fundraiser now for October, so as not to give it up, but in hopes of finding an easier time.

I research at night.  There is always a need to learn what most of our doctors do not know.

I write, when I can.  I love it and I miss it, but time just doesn’t seem to allow.

Hair, nails, eyebrows, and things I used to enjoy are forced into holes in the calendar, every once in a while.

Dust builds in places I never used to allow it.

Friends, well I have to trust they get it and they’ll be around when there is a change in the current status of things.  I miss them.

Triage.

It starts early in the morning, waking up a teen who just hasn’t slept well.

It continues through the day – my job and her school.

After school is all about making it work.  Swim, PT, or whatever therapy the night brings.

There are often phone calls, requests for lab reports, or battles about IEP needs…  Emails go through the iphone.

Usually we are out of the house about 13 hours.

At night we pack everything so that we can be ready to begin again.

Triage.

Most critical right now is allowing my teenager to find her way, in school, in sports, and in her life.  Most critical is giving her very real scenarios where her disease does not define her, and she is able to achieve in spite of her challenges, not because of them.

In order to make this happen, everything revolves around her schedule.  There are opinions about that in all directions.  There are people who would tell me I am creating an entitled, self-absorbed human.  I don’t pay them much mind, because they haven’t met her.

When I signed in to be a parent I knew I’d be all in.  I just never saw THIS coming.

Balance needs to always be in place, where the physical needs of either of us are never overlooked.  However, non-essential appointments CAN, and WILL be scheduled around our availability.  She will be a happier, and more tolerant patient when she didn’t miss something she loved with three hours in traffic and two in the waiting room.

Triage is meant to be something you experience briefly in times of crisis.

The “fight or flight” response is not always supposed to be on.

But it is.

At this time in our lives we may not always make for stellar company, although ironically, we’d love to have more of it.

At this time, we may say no constantly, to the point where you stop inviting.  Trust me.  We’d rather go.  We actually enjoy your company.

At this time, we are so busy surviving, and taking care of the most critical needs, that anything not immediately essential gets passed by.

We are constantly evaluating order of events, but TRIAGE is fluid by definition.  Unfortunately there are so many situations and scenarios, it is hard to see through them all.

Even at our toughest times.  Even at our most overwhelmed days.  We can look around and find our blessings.  They exist in big things, like being able to physically attend 5 practices a week, and little things, like being able to WALK around the school without hesitation or assistance.

We are aware of those suffering illnesses far beyond our grasp.  We are aware and we are grateful for the health we do have.

We are also tired.  And lonely.  And often overwhelmed.  We also know this is the way the plan must go for now.  And one day it may change.

Triage is fluid.

Life is fluid.

We all do the best we can with what we have where we are.

And we remain steadfast

#beatingcowdens.

 

 

Ice Cream for Dinner

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You have to give the body what it needs.  Tonight mine needs ice cream.  With hot fudge.

Normally I’m a protein shake, green tea kind of gal.  But I don’t really believe in drawing hard lines anywhere, because hey – you never know.

Today was day 3 of a seemingly impossible root canal.  Our very capable dentist deemed it in the 5% of root canals he has to send out.  That was after almost 90 minutes in his chair 2 weeks ago.

The root canal specialist looked at it and validated the dentist.  She said he was right.  It was going to be tough.  That was just the consult.

Last Tuesday, and again tonight I spent an hour each time with my back lower left molar being attacked.  My jaw hurts.  My face aches.  To hear it wasn’t finished was no fault of the dentist.

It was “odd,” “unusual,” and “the most difficult root I’ve faced in a while.”

Blah, Blah, Blah…

She has to talk to the dentist to decide the fate of my less than one year old crown.  In my gut I’m not so sure the tooth will survive.  Time will tell.

My girl, thankfully used Uber to get home from school, so that she could get the dogs ready.  Lucky, our older dog had a consultation to consider surgery to remove a mass on her side.  She’s 12.5, bloodwork to determine if she’s a candidate will be in Friday.

And that’s just the normal, happens to everyone stuff that has gone on this week.  Is it really only Wednesday?

One day at a time I keep reminding myself.

We re-upped our commitment to Physical Therapy last night after a visit with the orthopedist last week.  He voted for 12 more weeks for the shoulder tendonitis and the possible “plica” in the (formerly) GOOD left knee.  Thank GOD for Dr. Jill.  Without her knowledge, patience, humor, adaptability, passion and skill I have no idea where we’d be.

He also asked for an MRI of the left knee “just in case.”  It’s on hold for now.  We are literally in a point in life where we have to conserve scans.

The brain MRI is February 20th and that has to be priority.

January 17th we saw the adolescent gynecologist.  She reorganized the hormones, and put in the order for an abdominal sonogram.  Its time to check and make sure that uterus is behaving.  As soon as we can get it on the calendar.

calendars

I sent a lengthy summary of 2017 to her geneticist asking that he reevaluate a few areas of concern.  I sent the Email Sunday.  By Monday I had been politely dismissed.

All my hopes rest with the pediatric endocrinologist.  Appointment is 2/9.  He’s gotten a few articles and knows I’ll be pleading for a trial of an alternative thyroid medicine.

I’m starting to lose faith in the medical professionals we see.  And I had thought we’d conjured up a great team.

Cowden’s Syndrome is time-consuming and exhausting.  It’s hard to see unless you’re in the middle of it.

And sometimes when you can see it every day – because you have to- you know that sometimes you need ice cream for dinner.

And that’s perfectly ok.  I may even go add a glass of wine.

#beatingcowdens

Change- The Only Constant

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Wild.  These last few weeks have been just that.

I’m always amazed at exactly how much can fit into hours or days.  Sometimes I try to recap a day, and find myself shaking my head.

Meghan is in high school.

I feel like we’ve been looking at high schools since January.  We had it figured out by May.  So we thought.  September 15th is ok too.  Because the plan was clearly not ours to make, and like so many other things was guided by a higher power.

It’s not the high school she planned to attend.  It’s not even the high school she started in September.  But, on day 8 – she enrolled in a school a few miles away.  The reasons are irrelevant.  The outcome is what matters.

Currently her school mascot is the “Warrior.”  Somehow that seems remarkably appropriate.

She is catching up on notes missed the first 8 days.  She is organizing in a way that only she has, and getting herself set up.  She functions largely alone now.  Years of supporting schoolwork have paid off.

September is chaos.  Pure chaos.  21 years of Septembers, 14 of them as a mom and a teacher.  Not a single one gets easier.  No matter how many years I do it.  The new schedules, the logistics of organizing, and establishing routines, both at work and at home can generate extra gray hairs at the thought.

The only thing the same is the chaos.  And the inevitable illness.

The weakened immune system, and maybe the ragweed allergy, means there is never a September I can recall for her with perfect attendance – or without a sinus infection.

There are so many things packed into a day.  Sometimes I can’t think more than a few hours ahead because it gives me a headache.

Right now there is swim.  A whole lot of swim.  There is swim for her 12 month team, and there is high school swim.  There is practice for both.  There are meets several times a week.  I think there is an 11 day stretch in October where there will be 8 meets.

 

There are new friends.  There is a team.  There are old friends reunited.  There are kind people.  In so many ways there is some peace.  Finally.

Except 7 days of 9th grade (actually 6- the sinuses sidelined her today) don’t, or can’t make it all ok.

While my girl works to establish herself as an athlete, a student, and a generally nice human in her new school, she continues to battle every moment with her health.

And because it is that “invisible illness” kind of battle, no human would imagine what it takes for her to get through these days.

She sleeps poorly, struggling for hours each night to settle the pain in her body and the activity in her mind.  She wakes fatigued, and with great effort.

Her pill case overflows – thyroid medicines- 2 kinds, allergy medicines – a pill and 2 nasal sprays, antivirals, medicine for reflux.  Currently another (sigh) antibiotic, and a short course of a steroid for the sinuses.  Strong probiotics, a multivitamin, and a few others, all cross her lips every day.  Each one carries with it its own set of risks and side effects.  Yet, we have had to make the decision each time that the benefits outweigh the risks.  There is a lot of trading “this for that”  that you do when you have Cowden’s Syndrome.  It’s a dicey game.  There are no right answers, and every educated guess could backfire.

The medication leaves her more tired.

The thyroid being gone during these years was necessary torture.

She is gaining back strength lost during months off her normal routine this spring.  The knee is back to allowing her activity, but the body continues to prefer the development of one side.  The difference is so subtle to the eye, but to her it feels so much more.  The right side lags behind.

The foot is smaller and more narrow on that side as well.  It leaves her stride off.  Again she compensates.  Again she aches.

The chiropractor readjusts about twice a month, sometimes more.

The backpack is heavy.  Everything throws off the stride.

The sneakers are carefully chosen.  I shudder at the thought of shopping for dress shoes for my tall, thin, beautiful girl to be “party ready.”

The stomach, once improving, seems to be back on strike.  The pain is more frequent.  The heartburn, once gone, creeps into life more regularly.  But, as is the story of the chicken and the egg, trying to tease of which medicines are causing what is no easy task.

There is no “typical” 14 year old girl.

There is no “typical” Cowden’s Syndrome patient.

We are all just trying to figure it out the best we can with what we have, where we are.

There has been a lot of talk lately about disclosure, and the internet.  There is no real way of teasing apart what is syndrome related and what just is.  Meghan and I tell this somewhat censored, but typically brutally honest version of our struggles, not because we think others have it better, or worse, or even the same, but rather to validate that Cowden’s Syndrome is real.  It doesn’t take a holiday.  It affects every day and every decision we make.

I have a follow up from my voice surgery this coming week.  I’m not so sure how it’ll go.  All that back to school talking, even with the head microphone, has been tough.

I scheduled my next vascular surgery for February 21st. Exactly enough time to stay wrapped for 5 days and make it back to work on the 26th.  They thought I was nuts.  The leg hurts now.  But, the luxury of time needs to be saved for things that can’t wait.

The only thing constant is change.

The shell of it all remains the same, but the logistics and decisions forming the web get increasingly complex.

Yet, we need to remember, in the midst of the regular chaos, and the medical chaos, to stop, or at least to pause.  And sometimes, maybe a sinus infection is how the universe forces the pause…

Change is constant, but we remain

#beatingcowdens

through it all.

 

“… Turn on the Light!” -Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling)

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Last week my daughter pulled on a shirt before we headed out to the doctor for the umpteenth time this summer.  I didn’t think much of it at first.  I was grateful she was dressed and pulled together, and ready without event.  As a matter of fact, I was in full on grown up mode, rushing her almost 5’8″ frame and her crutches along to get us prepared for the obligatory ridiculous traffic as we traveled what seems to be the longest 30 miles ever.

I don’t think I even read the shirt until we were in the waiting room a few hours later.

I had read the Harry Potter series as each book came out – beginning as a 5th grade teacher more than 20 years ago.  My daughter enjoyed the series in its entirety in a brief period during her year in second grade.  I enjoyed the books, each one, but it took a reread or two to analyze things on a deeper level for me.  Dumbledore, the wise guide had an infinite amount of wisdom to offer.

Whether she realized it or not, my girl was sending a message that morning – to both of us.  There is an ongoing battle, here, and I suspect in many lives, to live the days as they come.  We try to “get out of our own way” and “our own head” as the case may be.  And it is not easy.  When we look further ahead than the day, sometimes even the hour, or moment, it is easy to get swallowed up.  The darkness comes hard and fast.  Too many appointments, too much worry, too many “what ifs,”  too much time wasted, too many plans unfulfilled.  No one likes the dark.

So don’t stay there.  Turn on the light.

Thank you J.K. Rowling, for giving us Albus Dumbledore.

That appointment Tuesday, it wasn’t great.  There are still no real answers.  There is swelling on the knee.  There is pain.  There was confusion from the surgeon.  He decided we had rested the knee.  Now, it was time to add two medications to treat the knee, a neoprene sleeve for swim, and PT back in the equation.  For 2 weeks we will move it and see if that helps.  Nothing more than educated guesswork.

I hate it when we have to guess.  But, I am grateful for a surgeon willing to logically troubleshoot.  We visit him again in 2 weeks.  He is confused, but he is smart.  And he will not quit.

So with a surgeon who made the choice to keep working on it – my girl did the same.  Every day we have choices to make… all day… every day.  Those choices shape and mold us.

My daughter was to be part of a beloved theater group these first two weeks of July.  Some of the most compassionate, talented and caring young people are in that group, guided by adults that are not afraid to give everything they have for the betterment of the children in their charge.  Last year, she had arguably one of the best experiences of her life, and when the word came that she could not participate, that the knee was not prepared for that amount of standing – she was crushed.  But, being who they are, the staff, and the students alike not only allowed her, but welcomed her to be with them during rehearsals.  As we watched two amazing performances of “Aladdin Jr.” on Friday night, I know she wished to be on the stage, but the pure joy of excitement for the success of these children – her peers- was evident.

She could have sat home and sulked.  They could have said she could not come.  Instead, the best possible outcome came from unfortunate circumstances.  Another major life lesson.  Executed flawlessly.

My daughter has dreams.  Big dreams.  She aspires to be a better human, and to assist those who struggle.  She wants to learn her voice, and sing to the best of her ability.  She desires to perform, on stage, often.  She seeks venues for community outreach and has goals to raise awareness and funds to cure PTEN Mutations like our Cowden’s Syndrome, and other rare diseases.  She strives to be an athlete.  The same thrill of competition that creates great anxiety, lights a fire deep in her soul.  She also has hopes, standards, and expectations for herself.  She actually, most days, can do a lot of the parenting work without me.  But, sometimes when those dreams and goals are forced to pause, and rest for whatever issue is going after the body at that time, its nice to remember the words of Dumbledore, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.  Remember that.”


Exact, precise language.  That is how my girl likes it.  We sometimes kid that she will be an attorney.  At the very least, an advocate for herself, and maybe others.  There is little gray area with Meghan.  She likes people who are kind.  She does not like people who are not.  End of story.

Or is it?  In this age of adolescence there are times when lines are clear, and times when they are blurry.  Emotions run high.  There are times when things are said, and done that are deliberate, and mean and awful, and other times where things FEEL deliberate and mean and awful where that was not the intention.

That changes things for the speaker, but rarely for the recipient.  With intent being often left to the interpretation of the recipient,  words can cut more sharply than a sword, and pierce the soul and the spirit.  Words hold great power.

The absence of words, those kind sentiments, thought, but never spoken, can injure as well.

My girl is far from perfect.  I myself am far from perfect.  We have many conversations between ourselves about the power of words.  Sometimes we hurt each other’s feelings.  Usually we talk it through.  Our relationship invariably gets stronger.

That’s because we speak.  And we hear.  So many times when words have hurt, a conversation could clarify so much.  An honest reflection that not a single one of us is perfect in our speech or actions is invaluable for growth.  Friendships grow, not over text messages through an iPhone screen, or photo exchanges… friendships grow when we take the time to talk, and laugh, and listen and hear and care.

And, perhaps many times, when you are lonely or simply alone, those are the times words, or their absence, can hold the greatest power.

Nature vs. Nurture.

An especially complex conversation in light of genetic discoveries happening every day.

In this house my daughter, although she first learned of it as she turned 8, was born with Cowden’s Syndrome- a PTEN Mutation leading to a high incidence of benign and malignant tumor growth.  She was born with this condition, because I was born with this condition.  That statistics and numbers are real.  They are hard core.  They are disturbing.

A 2012 article about PTEN related cancer risks.

However, because we are BORN with this Syndrome, it does not mean we will develop every possible manifestation.  We have AVMs and thyroid issues, and lipomas, but of yet, no colon issues at all.  I had breast cancer, early stage.  So did my mom who is not a PTEN patient.  We have large head size, but not autism.  You get the idea.

I believe we are born with certain things.  I believe that Meghan and I were born with Cowden’s Syndrome, and I even have theories about its origin.

I also believe that EVERYONE has something.  We are either born with it, or it develops.  Whether it is a physical ailment, or an unfortunate circumstance, there are forces affecting each of us.

Life is not smooth.  But within life there are choices.  Every day there are choices.

Choose kindness.

Choose compassion.

Choose love.

Choose forgiveness.

Choose happiness.

Choose to find your “Never Give UP.”

Choose to trust.

Choose to take risks.

Choose to care.

Choose to push yourself.

Choose to believe you can.

Knowing, that sometimes those choices will hurt.  Sometimes they will leave you angry or even furious.

Know in your heart that those are the only choices.

As you “grow to be…” it is those choices that will help you navigate the path to be the very best version of yourself.

Some people go their whole lives and never meet their hero.  I gave birth to mine, and her stamina and drive continue to inspire me daily.

#beatingcowdens

A Perfect Storm

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Sitting, sopping wet, in the middle of the ocean, in your small row boat.  Your feet are wet.  Your fingers are wrinkled.  You are cold, exhausted, and often frightened.  There is no access to the weather channel.  Your connections to the real world have all but vanished.  You focus every ounce of your strength on keeping the boat afloat.

You try to maintain a sense of calm, but your insides are turning worse than after a serving of spoiled mayonnaise at a summer barbecue.

There are moments when you think.  Hope.  Pray.  That it will settle down.  There are moments when you dream of enough sunshine to shed your wet clothes and warm and dry yourself.  There are moments when you can almost see what appears to be a friendly ship in the distance.  And in those fleeting moments you even remember what it felt like to socialize, to chat, and to laugh – about every day life.

Your faith reminds you that Jesus is in the back of that boat.  You know better than to let your insecurities wake Him.  You know in your core that you are loved, and protected.  

And then another wave crashes over the side.  You can not put your hand on the oar.  You lock eyes with your husband in front of you – always with you.  You put a hand on your girl, sopping wet beside you.  You strengthen your resolve.  

I have been fading out of touch these last few months.

I love writing.  It is my therapy and my release.  It clears my mind and cleanses my soul.  Except there is a balancing act to be had -tenuously protecting privacy while fulfilling what we believe is our calling to share a raw, honest view of our lives “Beating Cowdens.”It is hard to realize breaks in time.  Things blend together so readily it is hard to discern where one event starts and another stops.  There is only rarely a pause between medical appointments, some for the same issues, some for new ones, and others for maintenance.  Some appointments are mine, and some belong to Meghan.  All but a few require hours and hours of travel.  It safe to say they cost us on average 5 hours a day.  But, those 5 hours are not of my choosing.  I can’t say, decide to get up at 5 – deal with the appointment and be ready to start the day at 10.  That’s just not how it works.  Most are scheduled somewhere between 10 and 3.  That means by the time we get home, there isn’t much time to do anything.  Or, we spend the day waiting to go – so there isn’t much to get done.  There are no summer day trips planned.  Making plans to catch up with friends is something we avoid – because we so often have to cancel.  The cycle continues.  There is just getting by.  And some dreams that maybe we can get to the beach one day this summer…

Somewhere early this year Meghan started to be done with it all.  This is not an easy place to be in by any means.  She is a month shy of 14, and this is her journey for the REST of her life.  Teenage years are nothing most of us would want to revisit.  The extra complications of finding your way amidst a chronic sense of isolation (the knee precludes too much walking, it prevents basic sports games most of the time, it leaves the competitor side-lined too much, the allergies mean the food has to be different, the pain is unusual and constant and managed in some “unorthodox” ways, the number of times she has to say “no” because she has an appointment, an ER visit, or something else medical is astounding and limits the invitations, ETC., ETC…) coupled with an understandably defensive posture, and a desire to just BE, can make for some lonely times.

 

Her sleep patterns went off the charts some time in February.  My sleeper just couldn’t fall asleep.  She’d lay still for hours.  Her pattern was restless and fitful.  I watched my girl pull away from her swimming.  I fought to push her.  Even after her best meet ever in March – I could no  longer get her up to a morning practice.

Meanwhile, I never made connections that are so clear now.  In January we were released from the Interventional Radiologist who had completed the 5 embolizations over 6 years on the AVM in her right knee.  He released us to the care of the orthopedist who had already performed an arthroscopic lateral release in 2015 to help shift her patella into place.  It had begun to slide as a result of residual damage from small amounts of lingering blood in the knee.  By early this year the warning signs had begun to develop that the knee was off.

A visit to the orthopedist in February confirmed what Meghan undoubtedly knew.  He offered her the chance to try to intervene conservatively and put a brace on to hold the patella in place.  Maybe it could “convince it” to move on its own…

She took it in stride, like always.  We bought leggings to accommodate the giant addition to her thin frame.  She dug in and pressed on.

While all this was going on the chronic congestion that had begun in November worsened.  The ENT noted swelling, but called it allergies, the obvious choice this season.  There was a nasal spray added, and a week of a decongestant.

Attendance in school started to be a struggle.  There was fatigue.  Low grade infections.  There was pain.  So much pain.

The chiropractor visits became more frequent.  The leg length discrepancy made more noticeable by the limping to accommodate the brace on the shifted knee cap.

My surgery in March helped nothing.  There was so much vocal rest required it tossed us all on edge more than normal.

Swim practice was lessening.  Focusing on school was a chore.  Sleep was becoming near impossible.

The breathing worsened.  We justified the “worst allergy season ever.”  Her voice started to feel the effects of this chronic congestion.

In April the inevitable was spoken.  The knee would need a repeat of the 2015 arthroscopic lateral release.  We wanted to schedule it immediately.  The first available day was her the opening night of her school play, a play she had earned the lead in.  The next opening was almost a month later on May 20th.  We would have to wait.

The pain increased.  The frustration increased.  The sleep, and subsequently the desire to swim decreased.

The “Coaches Award” at the swim dinner made her feel honored.  She respects her coach so much.  But, she couldn’t reignite the fire.

The surgery in May went well, even though I had worried with the increased congestion that they could not put her under anesthesia.  But, it was fine.  She went through the 2 hours like a seasoned veteran.  That made number 18.

Rehab was tough.  The pain was significant.  But, it faded gradually.  Our favorite PT began to work her magic.

She got around on crutches, figured it out and made it work.  Again.  Always.

She got off the crutches exactly in time for 8th grade prom.

 

She was healing.  Physically.

She made it back into the water.  She swam the 18th of June, and the 19th too.  She started to talk about it in a more positive way.  The 20th was awards night for 8th grade.

My 8th grader was named Salutatorian for a graduating class of almost 400.  She received several academic awards that night. I sat in the auditorium with the last few months, and years running through my mind.  People knew some, but no one, not even I knew ALL of what it took to be her, every day.  And here she was, not only doing it, but excelling at it.  It was a good night.

Until she came home, and put up her feet.  And there, on the side of her surgical leg was a 4cm x 6cm mass, with rapidly increasing swelling.  Breathing, we strategized.

We took the crutches back out.  I stayed up most of the night making sure there was no bleed on the knee.  I sent her to school the next day to get her cap and gown and yearbook “like everyone else.”

Then we headed to the surgeon.  His nurse practitioner sent us to the ER.  They could not get their acts together and after 7 hours discharged her on crutches with a script for an MRI.

 And an IV that went unused…

She was to be “minimal weight bearing as tolerated.”  They wanted her back at the doctor that Friday.  I finally spoke up and said no.  She was going to her graduation Friday – NOT tainted by a medical appointment.  We settled on Tuesday.

However, with no answer, she was to graduate on crutches.  So, a friend suggested if she had to use them, she should “own” them.  My husband spray painted them white.

Sunday we drove to Long Island for that MRI.  The one I knew they would not do locally.  30 miles.  2 hours and 15 minutes home.  We caught up with some friends that day.  Good thing.  We needed them so badly.

As she was in the MRI machine for her knee she told me something was “blocking” her nose inside her head.  If you’re a Cowden’s Mom – you just went to tumor as fast as I did.  My head spun.

Monday the ENT was able to ease that worry.  He told us it was a mass of infection.  That likely she had had a severe sinus infection for 8-10 weeks.  He anticipated 14-28 days on biaxin to get after it.  That was alongside a short course of oral prednisone.  He nose was so inflamed there was almost no air passing.

A sinus infection usually has me out of commission in about 3 days.  I just shake my head in awe sometimes.

Tuesday the 27th we trekked out to the surgeon again.  The MRI showed the mass to be a huge fluid filled pocket.  There is also fluid all through the knee joint.  He looked, and looked.  He has done many surgeries.  He is skilled.  He shook his head and finally told us he did not understand.  He had “never” seen this before.  And now we had to wait for her knee to tell us what to do next.

Cancel camp.  No Drama Camp she had loved so much.

Postpone PT indefinitely.

No swim practice yet.

And there we were – facing another summer…

But somehow, all of this seemed to weave together.  The perfect storm.  The knee, the sinuses, the sleeplessness, the fatigue, the low-grade illnesses, the sinus infection…

Somewhere through all this we spent a few visits with a brilliant doctor who diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  PTSD.  Like with the soldiers, or other trauma victims.  “Secondary to significant medical trauma” she said.

It all made sense, except the “post.”  There is nothing really “post” about this ongoing scenario.

That, and the Salutatorian thing.  As impressed as I am – I am still in awe.

The journey continues, and we will above all things remain…

#beatingcowdens

Middle School is Hard

Published on by beatingcowdens6 Comments

Middle School is hard.

If you’ve ever had a middle school student in your world, you know what I mean.  Like everything in life, the feelings are different for each of them, but if you’ve recently had someone pass through 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, you have undoubtedly  been with them through some trying times.

And that’s without factoring in the Cowden’s Syndrome.  Middle School saw 7 surgeries in 3 years.  It started with a broken foot and ended with Graduation on crutches for some extreme, and as of yet, unexplained knee swelling.

It also culminated with my girl as the Salutatorian of a class of close to 400.  At awards night Tuesday she received several other awards as well.  And, not a single one was connected in any way to the obstacles she overcame to get there.  It was a proud moment.  The desire of my teenager is to not ever be defined by her disease.  She wants no pity.  She’d love compassion.  Empathy, not sympathy.  She wants to achieve in spite of her obstacles and never BECAUSE of them.

As her Mom, I am insanely proud.  I am also inspired.  Every day we wake with a choice to make.  “The body achieves what the mind believes.”

Her mind believes that she will continue to overcome.  I have no doubt.  High School is on the horizon, and while I have no idea what the next few years have in store, I am confident she will continue to achieve success in all she does.

Cowden’s Syndrome messed with the wrong young lady.

The text of her speech from graduation is below:

Welcome and good evening, Mr. Mele, the administration and teachers from IS51, parents, family and guests, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2017!

 

Heh. I remember thinking to myself before I knew I’d be up here speaking to you today, “Wow, I feel sorry for the poor sap that is going to speak at graduation.” Yea, the universe has a funny sense of humor, doesn’t it? I’ve never been much of a writer, but I hope I at least don’t bore you to sleep. So, fellow classmates, here’s my attempt at leaving you with something “profound.”

 

This poem is called “The Victor.”

 

“If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”

 

Walter D. Wintle

 

Smart man.  

 

As I stand here today getting ready for all of us to move on to high school, I’ll say Congratulations! We’re done!

 

You might expect me to reminiscine about all the amazing memories I have of the last three years of middle school. While there were some good times, I’m not going to lie, middle school was three of the most difficult years of my life so far, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who shares that sentiment.

 

Middle school is hard, and some times can be super taxing. In addition to figuring out the school, the teachers, and the classwork, we have had to figure out ourselves, and each other. 

 

Let’s be real here. Bullying is a real part of these years.  Many of us have experienced it, and it hurts your self-esteem and diminishes your self worth. When people have hurt you enough, you can easily want to give up. Even if you can do it, your brain can become convinced you can’t. Therefore, you will fail. It’s cliché, but true. The body achieves what the mind believes.

 

The first step to winning, to taking that final step into your full potential, is believing in yourself.

 

That’s the trick.  The way to overcome the feelings of loneliness and isolation is to alter and control your state of mind. Your state of mind, and hard work, together form the key to accomplish your goals.

 

Now, while I’m here talking to you about a “winning state of mind.” I’d just like to put the disclaimer out there that I haven’t even close to succeeded in this mentality yet. But, I’m working on it. It’s hard. But, most things that are worth it are hard.

 

I once had a friend tell me something at one of our swim meets that I’ll never forget.  She said to me, “Stop. Breathe. Focus.”  Since I respect her ability in our sport so much, I shut up, and listened. It was one of the best things I ever did and it worked.

 

You see, I’m not talking to you about nonsense. As you head off into your high school, wherever it may be, you are likely to be at least a little nervous.  Remember, that your mind is extremely complex, and it controls and affects more than we could ever realize.

 

So, if you find yourself feeling like you’re not good enough.  If you find yourself worrying too much about what others think of you, or if you find yourself feeling like you are destined to fail, remember to “Stop. Breathe. Focus.”  You are enough just the way you are.  And, don’t worry, I’ll be standing in the halls of Port trying to take my own advice.

 

                                                    

Thank you, and once again, congratulations to the graduates.

 

#beatingcowdens