Grace Kedir Hodson

Here is the first picture we have of our little Grace. Grace Kedir Hodson was born October 12, 2005. I have been informed that she currently weighs 12 pounds already! No word yet on a timeline to bring her home, but I know that her parents are anxious to get her and will depart as soon as humanly possible. She is a cutie! I'm in love already!

It's a Girl!

Andy and Emily got the official call today. We are having a little girl! Grace Hodson was born in October and will be meeting her parents in a few short weeks. We are hoping that she will be home in Indy by February! More details (and hopefully a picture) to come!

Christmas Photo's

Merry Christmas!

Joe and I celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple this year. It was a Christmas of firsts, our first Christmas Tree, our first medical obstacle, my first Christmas without my immediate family, and many new traditions. I am so thankful to have a wonderful husband who has pampered me all month. In honor of his dedication, I gave Joe a Mr. Beer home brewering kit that I heard he had in college. Watch out book club, he might have you taste test it!

We Celebrated Christmas with my family when they were in town a few weeks ago. So this year, we went down to Cincinnati to be with Joe's paternal grandparents and family. It was a great time. His grandparents are hilarious, they could have their own television show (this often wasn't good for me, for it hurts me to laugh). We also celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with the Hodsons in Noblesville. We are still absent one niece or nephew, but we celebrated the fact that next year the family with have some new members!

I am healing rapidly. It looks as though I will be able to return to work a week earlier than I had previously thought. It still hurts to sneeze, laugh, and cough. The bruising is not as bad as it was a week ago, but it is still ugly. I hope to start wearing jeans soon, as I have been living in pajama bottoms for weeks. I am so thankful to have this behind us. I am looking forward to being tumor free in 2006!

Love always,

Kat

Pick-Me-Up!

So, needless to say this week was not a fun one. I find myself being thankful that nothing drastically went wrong with the surgery, but I am down none the less. It seems that my body doesn't like Percocet. I haven't have any other problems with any other medication before, but I was throwing up every time I took the pain medicine. After a few days of feeling like crap, I finally called the doctor and she gave me vicadin and some nausea medicine and I feel 100% better. So much better in fact that I am now able to put the Colts loss to the Chargers into perspective. Lets face it 13-1 is a great record to have. My Colts rock. That booing during halftime was unnecessary and was probably made from band wagon fans who only like to win or they don't like them at all. Get over it! We have one of the best teams in NFL history. We have the superbowl to look forward to. Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and support your team!

Post Tumor

Thank you to all who sent me little love notes through email and the mail. I fell so special having this wonderful group of family and friends. I am truly blessed. The surgery went great! There weren't any problems. The initial biopsy of the tumor didn't turn back any cancer results so that is great news. It is now being sent off to a specialist just to be sure. There was only the one fibroid so that was good. I was in and out of the surgery in an hour. The anesthesia was awful. I guess I don't do well with that stuff. I got really hot, and threw up everything I tried to eat that first day (right before a visit from Andy and Emily, sorry guys). My doctors were able to take out the fibroid with little damage to any other part of my body. I am so thankful. They said that because of how well the surgery went the odds of me getting pregnant are really good. I will have to have a c-section, but I don't care! I am very happy about how things turned out and really relieved.

Now for the post op: unfortunately I had been so worried about the surgery that I didn't expect how much pain I would be in afterwards. I feel like I got ran over by a Mac truck. I am bruised like nobody's business. I look horrible. I can't take the pain pills because they make me nauseous. So I am downing Tylenol a few times a day. But this is all temporary, I need to focus on that. I am really excited for the next couple of weeks to fly by. Hopefully I sleep through it, I am so tired.

Thank you all again for your well wishes.

Love,
Kat

The Night Before...

So, I never realized someone could get so hungry (sad to think there are many out there who don't have the luxury of eating daily). I haven't been able to eat anything but liquids all day. I am craving carbs and protein. The surgery starts in twelve hours, and surprisingly I am not really nervous. I want this chapter in my life to close and move on to a great 2006. Thank you for all the emails in the past week. They are encouraging. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends and family. The next time you hear from me, I will be 1 tumor lighter, and a whole lot happier.

Love,

Kathy

Surgery Update!

Here I am, trying to do my homework, but for some reason everything else seems so much more fun to do right now. What a week in store for us! I have my last week of school, so needless to say I have a lot of work to do in the next couple of days (10 papers-some smaller than others- and 1 presentation). My last night at Rick's is going to be on Wednesday. They are afraid I am not coming back. (I would love not to go back, and I am working on it with my Mary Kay business) Thursday is my last day of school, Joe's birthday, and there is a concert I have to go to for school. Friday, I work and I have to clean up the house for my guests. Saturday I pick up my mom and dad from the airport and then we are going to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary (Congrats on 30 years on December 6th)! Sunday is the big Colts game, Joe's birthday celebration, and my Mary Kay debut party! Wow. At least my mind won't be on the surgery. I am too busy!

We had the pre-surgery consultation with my doctor on Friday. Here are the details:
Basically, the tumor is the size of a newborn's head. I have to go through some prep in case they nick some inside stuff when they are in there (not fun!). I have to be on a liquid diet the day before and no eating after midnight. I am going to the hospital (Community North) at 7am on Tuesday morning. I have to get a shot in my spine for pain. The surgery should last a few hours. If everything goes the way it should I should be able to leave the hospital sometime on Thursday. I can't drive for two weeks, and I can't lift anything heavy for six weeks. Sounds like a fun Christmas break!

I am not as worried as I used to be. As my friend Teb says, the human body is a remarkable thing. The way it can heal itself. I just want this thing to be out, so Joe and I can move on with our lives and work on our future. I wanted to say thank you to our family and friends who have been so supportive throughout this whole ordeal. I thank God every night for the great support system we have.

I love all of you!

Kathy

Another Wedding Picture

A stroll in the street, Hodson style!

December

I can't believe it is already almost December! I have another week and a half of school, and then I only have two semesters to go. I am really excited. I start student teaching on February 21st! More details should be coming on that. My mom and dad are flying in a week from Saturday. I am so thankful that they are going to come and be with me. Joe and I have a surgery consultation on Friday. I hopefully will learn more about what hospital and how long I can expect to have to stay there. I'm scared, but I am actually excited to get this over with and move on with my life.

Joe and I put up our first Christmas tree. I am so excited for Christmas. I wish I were going to Idaho, but at least we will still be able to celebrate Christmas with my family when they arrive. There is a lot to celebrate this year, but I am also looking forward to next year. So many wonderful things to look forward to.

I am also looking forward to my Mary Kay Debut Party on December 11th. I love this company and what it represents (also my skin is looking great if I do say so myself). I really hope this is something that will work out for Joe and I.

I can't stop writing without mentioning my COLTS! I told you this was our year. The next game is a home game against Tennessee, which hopefully won't be a problem. Look for them to try and pull a lot of onside kicks and a lot of little tricks. They like to do that sort of thing when they play us. I guess when you don't have to worry about making the playoffs you can be a little more gutsy! It still should be a blowout.

Love ya all,
Kat

Thanksgiving!

Joe and I will be making our annual trip to South Bend for Thanksgiving. Last year on Thanksgiving we announced our engagement, and the year before that, Andy and Emily announced theirs. Needless to say, Thanksgivings are very important for us. I wish my family could be with us, and it is only a little comforting to know that they will be here in two short weeks. (Well, at least my parents). I wanted to take some time to list all of the things I am thankful for. Unfortunately, I don't mention these enough!

*I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, who loves me like I've only dreamed of being loved. He also has a lot of patience with me, for which I am also very thankful.

*I'm thankful for my family who are flying out to be with me in December. No matter how old I get, sometimes I just need my mom!

*I'm thankful for the Hodsons. I have always considered them family even before Joe and I were married, but every year I love them more!

*I'm thankful that I will soon be an aunt. I can't wait to meet you!

*I'm thankful for my friends who continue to love me in spite of me.

*I am thankful to live in America, even if George W. can sometimes make me think about moving to Norway.

*I'm thankful that Teb is going to beat cancer.

*I'm thankful for my health.

*I'm thankful that this surgery is almost over.

*I'm thankful that I have a place to call home.

I love all of you very much.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Kat

Countdown

Andy and Emily got the final okay a couple of days ago. That means baby Hodson will be arriving back home to Indiana in 3-6 weeks. They are now in the process of being matched with a child. Hopefully by Thanksgiving we will know if it's a boy or a girl. This is a reminder to anyone wanting to contribute to Baby Hodsons' Love Letters: I have room for as many letters as you want to send me. Just send them to me at my email address with a picture attached. I will do the rest. I have received some beautiful letters about how this little one has touched us, how he is going to be loved, and how much we love him. Andy and Emily are excited to read every letter, so keep them coming!

The Hodson Household Updates:

Joe and I only have the trim to go with the kitchen.

I have pushed back my Mary Kay Debut Party until December 11th. My parents are coming into town, so I want to be able to have them there for the debut.

I am going crazy with homework.

Joe is going crazy with housework.

Still no word on the arrival of our niece or nephew.

Teb is still kicking butt with her cancer.

The Colts still haven't been beaten.

I'm really tired.

that's all that is going on right now. Love ya! Kat

Dreams Are Coming True!

Well just when I was feeling down, I got the greatest news that I have had in a long time. Go ahead read it for yourselves! Go to teb's page! Dreams come true! Miracles can happen. I hope that we all go into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season feeling inspired and thankful for all that we have. I know I will!

Love,
Kat

What Hump?

I enjoyed every second of that game. I enjoyed it so much that I watched it again in slow motion (Well parts of it anyways). I am going to be smiling all the way through our undefeated season, to the Championship Game!

Monday Night Madness

Only 4 hours and 10 minutes until kickoff.....

My Big Debut

So, we still haven't finished the kitchen. It seems that since we have running water, we aren't as motivated as before. We did finish painting. All there is left is the trim and the new light fixtures. We hope to be done with everything very soon. To speed things up, I have scheduled my Business Debut to be on November 22. What business, you ask? Well I am glad you asked! I am now an official Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. Joe and I have been talking about this for a little while. One of my friends sells Mary Kay, and invited me over to her house for a facial. I fell in love with the products. I also fell in love with this remarkable company. The timing seems right for me to start my business considering my one month leave of absence from work coming up. I also wanted to be established by the time I start student teaching (I can't believe that it's finally around the corner). So, here is my little business plug. I have a website link to the right under my links. If you would like to purchase any kind of skin care, or cosmetics, please do so from me! I am also inviting everyone to my business debut on November 22, at 7 pm. It will only last about an hour or so. Refreshments will be provided. Please come. I would love to have all your support (and you can see the new kitchen)!

Enough about business. So the big Colts game is tomorrow night, and I couldn't be more excited. Like I have been saying all year: This is our year! We will beat the Patriots, or I may not make it out of bed on Tuesday. There is all this hype going around about the big game. Brady was on 60 minutes. (He seems like a nice guy, but the guy has to go down). There is a big Sports Illustrated article written about the Colts and how they can't seem to beat the Patriots. We watched a good program on Inside the NFL, with Peyton Manning. There is so much hype! I'm not sure if I am going to be able to sleep tonight!

A Shower for Baby Hodson

Andy and Emily encountered their first baby ritual last night when they attended their Baby Shower. I learned a lot about babies, and felt overwhelmed by all the stuff I didn't know one needs to have a baby. I felt like Rachel on that episode of Friends where she has a baby shower and then preceds to panic. Luckily, I get to learn from Andy and Emily's baby and will build up my confidence.

I am compiling love letters to Baby Hodson if anyone would like to contribute anything. The memory book will be a gift to the little one after he/she arrives from Africa. I want this baby to know how special he is, and how loved he is. Please email me your letters and attach pictures of your families as well. I have a good start, but I can never have too many!

The Colts have a bye week, so I am determined to finish the kitchen today. I'll let you know how that goes!

Kat

Shelby and I. Don't ask! 

Nadine and Lucy, looking cute! 

The Diaper Genie, Yeah! 

The Cake 

The Parents With Both Types of Diapers. Andy Wants to Try Cloth Ones! 

Joe and I at Janis' wedding in Chicago! 

Weekly Update!

Joe has given us running water! Only three weeks later, and I can finally cook a meal in the kitchen. It isn't done just yet, but the major components of the kitchen are put together. I still have to put on a second coat of paint, and do the trim. Joe has to change the light fixtures. Almost!

Joe and I have been enjoying the colts victories. There isn't going to be a lot to talk about this weekend as the Colts have a bye week. But don't worry! The week after that is the Monday Night Football Game that we have been looking forward to since last year when we lost to New England on opening day. We will prevail this time. Down with the Pats!

We went to Chicago last weekend for a friends wedding. As it is football season, and that is the only sport that consumes me, I didn't realize that there was the World Series in town. We were given updates by our server all night as to who was winning. They actually believed that the entire world wants the Sox to win! Now, I am a Cubbies fan, (when I am paying attention) and Cubbies fans do not like the Sox. I held my tongue and smiled at the lady. This must have satisfied her, because she came back a few times during the reception to update us on the score. Needless to say, Chicago was exciting last weekend.

This weekend is a celebration for Baby Hodson! We still don't know if we are going to get a niece or a nephew, but we know it will be in the next couple of months! I am so excited! Happy Birthday future daddy. (Andy's birthday was on Sunday).

Well that is the update on our lives.

Please keep Teb in your thoughts and prayers.

Love Kat

Monday Night Football

This post will be written in the official colors of the Colts,white and "speed" blue!




I like it! I love it! I want some more of it!

How about those unbeaten COLTS! Joe, Mike, Amy, and I dared to go with 57,000 others to the Monday Night Football game in Indianapolis last night. We were not disappointed. Okay, it might have been a disappointing first quarter, but I never lost faith in my men. I think that they might have been in shock for the first quarter, because they came back with a vengeance, a 45 to 28 point vengeance. We are still unbeaten (the only unbeaten team.) I was also fortunate enough to be present for the historic Harrison, Manning hookup number 86 that place them alone at the top of the list for the NFL all-time touchdown hookup for a tandem. I remember watching the Rice, Young record being made when I was a child. I am grateful to the Hodsons for allowing me to be there in person for this one!



Amy and I at the game. We Love Dallas Clark! This was the score when we knew it was in the bag.
P.S. I didn't mention the Notre Dame game on purpose. Joe is severely devastated by the game, and is still trying to find a way to give the victory to the Irish. Please do not bring it up for several more months until he can forget he was at that game.

Our Old Ugly Kitchen. 

Isn't he cute with his toolbelt? 

Caution! Men at Work. 

We have cabinets! Look at the Change. 

Kitchen Update

Joe has been working really hard to finish the kitchen. We have had help from Joe's brother, Andy, and his partner at work, Josh. Thank you so much for all the help. We still don't have a kitchen yet, but I think we might by the end of the week. Joe is planning on going to the Notre Dame, USC game this Saturday, so I plan on doing the finishing touches while he is away. We have been eating fast food all week, except for Sunday when Emily and Andy brought us some meatloaf and vegetables. Thank you sooo much. It felt great having real food in our systems. Here are a few pictures.

Kitchen Be Gone!

I am so excited to get rid of that ugly kitchen floor. Joe has been working his little butt off the past two days demolishing the kitchen. Today, Joe, Andy, and Joe's partner at work Josh, are coming to lay the new tile! We found some interesting color choices underneath the cabinets. There was some really ugly flowered wallpaper from the 70's, and an even uglier floor tile. Joe took some pictures of it that I will try to post soon. The only thing that I don't like is not having a kitchen right now. We are eating a lot of take out.

In the medical news, my insurance company wouldn't pay for the Lupron, so I was going to go ahead and pay for it myself. The problem with that is that for one dose of Lupron it costs,(and I am not joking) $1742.00! It took me a while to grasp just how much that is. It is literally worth its weight in gold! So, needless to say, I am going to do something else. The doctor wants my periods stopped, so I am looking at going on the pill. I can't stand being on the pill. I get moody and gain weight, but I gotta do this for a few months. Well I have to go help Joe. Love ya!

Winter Clothes

Hey friends and family. I am organizing a clothing drive within the department. As the nights have quickly become colder, I have had a lot of my homeless guys display frustration with their inability to get adequate clothes for the weather. I just had a guy come in to my office wearing a T-shirt. He had slept outside all night. My car had frost on it this morning. This is the time of year that those of us that are more fortunate are getting out our winter clothes and deciding that we need a new coat, sweater, etc. I know a lot of people that could use our old stuff... If you have any winter clothes that you will not be using anymore, please set them aside and I will can pick them up sometime soon. I can promise they will be going to someone who REALLY needs them. Items needed:
Jackets
Coats
Sweaters
Gloves (we can never have too many of these!)
Hats
Boots
Earmuffs
Anything else that can keep you warm on the streets.
**I do not work with children, nor do many of my "clients" have any children, so I do not really have use for any childrens clothes. You may still give these to me and I can give them to the Horizon House, who I trust will get them to someone who really needs them.**Thanks much.
joe.

Striking Back

Okay, so I think the fibroid tumor knows that I plan on getting rid of it. For some reason, it has chosen to put up a fight. This is the first week that I have really noticed it. I have almost fainted a few times, and I have had the worst cramps I have ever experienced (they actually had me out of commission for a few hours.) I went and had more blood drawn to make sure I don’t have to be admitted into the hospital to stabilize my anemia. I think that I will be okay. The Lupron shot is going to be administered next week, as soon as the doctor gets it in. I have scheduled surgery for December 13th at 9:00am.


On a lighter note, Joe took me out for my birthday to a great restaurant on Tuesday. It was great being able to relax and talk, and just be together. We really haven’t had that much time together since the honeymoon. I am the luckiest woman in the world to be married to a man like Joe. I am feeling more and more sorry for him as my moods are crazy and, with the medicine, aren’t likely to get any better! Please, if you can, call him and take him out for a beer in the next few weeks. He is going to need it! We are going to Lowes tonight to get supplies for the remodel. I am really excited. We are going to start demo this week some time. I will post some pictures. Well, gota run. I love you all!
Kat

Surgery Update

I talked to my doctor today about doing the surgery. She said that she believed that we are making the right decision. We talked and decided to have the surgery on December 13th or the 20th depending on her schedule. One major concern that she has is that she got my blood work back, and my hemoglobin is really low (the anemia). She said that it’s a good thing that I have to wait until this semester is over, because we would have to wait the three months anyway before she could get my blood level the way it needs to be for surgery. With that said, I am going to be getting an injection soon that will stop me from having periods until after the surgery. She thinks that this will help get me where I need to be. The injection is called Lupron. Lupron works by decreasing the amount of estrogen that your ovaries produce. As a result of lower estrogen levels, during Lupon Depot therapy you may experience symptoms such as hot-flashes and headaches. Basically, they are putting my body in a menopausal state for three months. Sounds interesting. I hope Joe can put up with me for the next few months.

We are starting our kitchen remodel in two weeks. I am very excited. Thank you to all who made this possible for us! We received many Lowes gift certificates for the wedding and we saved up the wedding money in order to do this. We can’t thank you enough! I am so excited to get rid of that stupid old stove thing that is taking up too much counter space. I am also excited to remove that vinyl floor! I will post some before and after pictures when we start this project. It should be interesting. There is a big show tonight with Riely at Locals Only if you can go. It will be a great time! Well that is the latest from the Hodson household. Keep sending us good thoughts!

Just Married 

Copyright Herring Photography 

Our Weekend

What a weekend we had! As you can see from the picture, we were fortunate enough to attend the Colts home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with Joe's parents. We won, 10-3. Who would have thought that our defense would pull us through the last couple of days. We had a great time, and all of us had fun yelling at the top of our voices for our colts. We break ground for the new stadium on Tuesday. Colts (2-0-0) vs Browns (1-1-0) next Sunday at Indianapolis!

Thank you for everyone's support with my doctor's visits. It is really nice to be able to come home from the doctor's office and have three messages waiting to see how things went. Here is the update: The OBGYN gave me two options to consider for the fibroid tumor, with pros and cons to both. Option 1 is to do nothing. Fortunately, my tumor is non-cancerous and will not turn into cancer, therefore it is not life threatening. So I have the option to leave it in my uterus. The pros to this is that I won't have to go through any medical procedure. The cons to this is that it is growing fast, and will continue to grow until I go through menopause, which would be around 25 years from now. The problem with that is that the tumor is already the size of a tennis ball, and could start affecting my bladder. The other con to leaving it in is where it is positioned in my uterus. The fibroid is attached to the uterine wall and is causing my uterus to be abnormally large. It is also in a bad spot if I wanted to try to conceive a child. I could get pregnant, but it would be difficult for the embryo to attach to my uterus, thus resulting in a miscarriage.

Option two: my only alternative, considering the fact that Joe and I would like to have children, is a abdominal myomectomy. An abdominal myomectomy is the removal of fibroids (also known as myomas) through an incision in the abdomen. The purpose of myomectomy is to restore the uterus to normal function. Symptoms such as heavy bleeding and pressure usually decrease or are gone once the fibroids are removed. The disadvantages of a myomectomy is fibroids can recur. While fibroids that are removed cannot recur, fibroids that are left behind can grow, and new ones can form. Another disadvantage is the down time after surgery, 4 to 6 weeks! I would be in the hospital for 2-4 days. The advantages is that we would be able to try to have children in 4 to 6 months after surgery, and a lot of my problems with my periods would go away.

So that's that! Our options. To Joe and I, it doesn't really seem like we have an option. We are planning on the myomectomy. I don't have to do that right away, thank goodness. With school, it is almost impossible to consider that right now. We are looking at Christmas time. Needless to say, I am frightened. I am worried about how we are going to cope with me not working for a month. I am worried because I haven't ever had any type of surgery before. But I know that this is the right thing for me. I want it out! I will keep everyone updated as far as when this will happen. Thank you again for all your support, it means the world to me!

Love Always,
Kat

Eye On The Prize

Last night, the Colts began their quest for the ring in high style. Their Defense was able to pull through and almost shut out the Baltimore Ravens! That's what I'm talking about. GO BIG D!

Indianapolis Colts 24 Baltimore Ravens 7

This Week:
Indianapolis Colts (1-0-0) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0-0) in Indianapolis

Pictures

We finally received our wedding pictures back from the photographer. I have the negatives, so anyone who wants some, I will put together a website that you will be able to look at and order them from. Please email me if you want me to include you in this website. It will have to have a password.

Love,
Kat

What's Been Going On?

I'm in the middle of my second week at school, and I already have a ton of homework. I am also starting a new job soon at a new restaurant. I am really looking forward to a permanent schedule. Needless to say, I am under a lot of stress, good stress, but stress none the less. I have a doctor's visit with the specialist on the 14th (next Wednesday). I am looking forward to finding out what we are going to do with this tumor. Now that I know it's there, I want it out!


Our education class is going to be collecting items for the Katrina victims. We are going to be focusing on the children who are going to be placed in the Indianapolis Public Schools, so anyone wanting to buy some new school supplies to donate please let me know. We are also collecting personal items that they might need like shampoo and blankets ect.


On a more positive subject, my brother and sister-in-law have asked me to go to Africa with them when they pick up their son/daughter! I feel so honored and blessed that they would want me there. If I can swing it, I will definitely be on that airplane. It is all going to depend on when they are going, and if we can afford it! This is going to be a great new year for Joe and I, we have many things to be excited about!

Headrick Women

I had my CT scan done on Wednesday, and it sucked. Going through these procedures has really increased my already high admiration for what teb is going through. She is going through much worse, and has an unbelievable attitude about it! Well the CT scan went as planed, only no one told me I would have to have an IV. The stuff I had to drink beforehand was the worse. I almost threw it all up! But it's over, and I do have two fully functioning ovaries! They also confirmed what they are calling a "large significant fibroid tumor." I have a doctors appointment on September 16th with the specialist to discuss what treatments I will have to do. I'll be okay, but the waiting sucks! Thank you for all of your well wishes, it means a lot to Joe and I.

Doctor Visits

The past week has been one of the hardest I can remember. It all started last Friday when I had my annual appointment at the doctor's office. I went to see my new doctor to get checked for moles, and to have my annual pap done. I had to changed doctors because I am now on Joe's insurance, and my doctor wasn't a part of his network. I loved this new doctor. She was very tedious and check everything that I had questions about and more. She offered solutions to a problem that I have had in my throat since April, and left no stone unturned. Everything was going well, she did the pap and then the last procedure was the pelvic exam and I would be free to go.

Have you ever seen someone's face go from having a non expression to a face that is expressing concern? Well I have now experienced it and I can tell you it is one of the scariest things I have seen. Durring the pelvic exam, I felt so vulnerable and anxious. She kept asking me questions, and immediately I knew something was wrong. After the exam, she told me that she felt something that "wasn't right." She was pretty easy on me after all I had just got through telling her what a paranoid person that I can be. She referred me to the imaging center so that they could do a sonogram to figure out what it was that she felt in my uterus. She called it a mass. A mass could be anything. I really don't like that word, and increasingly hated it all week. I also had to give some blood for all of the tests that she ordered.

So this left me with my thoughts until the sonogram on Tuesday. I actually had two different sonograms, and external and an internal. The technician couldn't really tell me anything, but she did confirm a mass, a rather large mass in my uterus. The mass is 3 inches long and looks even bigger on the screen she was looking at. I didn't really like the looks of it. After she was finished it was more waiting for the radiologist and my doctor to look at the pictures and get back to me.

Thursday afternoon, the doctor called and told me that I have a "large non-canerous fibroid tumor." So, it isn't cancer, but I have to be referred to another doctor for treatment. I am anemic and have to take iron pills for that, but that is minor. There is another twist to the story, during both ultrasounds, they were unable to see my left ovary and they think I might have been born without one. I have to do a CT scan on Wednesday to find out more about this. All the research I have done says that if I was born with only one ovary, it really doesn't matter much. I just have half as many eggs as a normal person. (still enough I hope)

I am writing about this, because I have been very ignorant about women's health issues. I haven't ever heard of fibroids, and they can occur in one in five women. I expected that as I grew older I might have some problems, as my mother did, but I did not expect them to arrive when I was 27. I am going to be okay. I am freaked out, and will never miss an appointment with my doctor again, but I am going to get the problem treated.

Joe and I are dealing with the what if's right now. It will probably be harder for us to conceive than the normal couple, but we know that there are options out there for us. My hope in sharing this experience is that all of you women out there who haven't gone to your doctor in a while, go. My problems would have only gotten worse with time. I think women should talk about their experiences more often. I felt so alone when I first found out about this, but so many other women have shared with me their experiences and I feel better. We need to stick together.

With love Always,
Kat

The beginning of a New Semester

That's right! I start school up again on Thursday. This will be my 13th semester for those of you who are keeping track! Okay, sure I have only taken one or two courses in some of those 13 semesters, but I am really excited that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact I will be done in December of next year. Only 3 semesters to go. Unfortunately, I am taking 17 credits to accomplish this. I decided to take an extra class so that I could receive a reading endorsement. This will be important when I apply for jobs. It would really suck to go through all of this schooling and not end up with a job.

Joe and I are also looking forward to the NFL season starting in just a few weeks. GO COLTS! This is our year. I can feel it! (okay I know I have said that for the past three years, but I have faith in my team) We had our fantasy football draft yesterday, and we scored the first pick in the draft. Good job picking the numbers babe! We feel very confident with the team we have. To a great season!

We're Back!

Finally an end to all the rituals of getting married. We got back from our honeymoon on Sunday evening. The cruise was fantastic. We ate way too much, drank way too much, and had a great time. Our ship "The Elation" set sail from Galveston, Texas. We spent the night in a hotel in Houston, and then took a car into Galveston to set sail. Did you know that Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States? We didn't, but they are really proud of it! This was my first trip to Texas, and I didn't have any idea how proud Texans are about being from Texas. It was like a little country within a big one.
We set sail the next day for Progresso, Yucatan, Mexico. The pier was over 7 miles long! We instantly could tell that Progresso was a new port, and the people there are really rebuilding and making the most of having cruise ships porting in their city. We had a lot of fun bartering with the shop owners for gifts. Joe has a gift for this!
The next day we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. This are was hit by hurricane Emily about a month before we arrived, and you could tell it wasn't in it's tip top form. We booked an trip through Carnival to go sailing, snorkeling, and to stop at a private beach. The Beach was a lot of fun. We were spoiled in St. John when we went snorkeling there, so we were disappointed in what we saw in Cozumel. We had fun anyways, and went back to the ship tired.
Our final port was Belize City, Belize. This was the most exciting trip we took. We went Cave tubing through the caves of Belize. It was an hour drive in a bumpy bus, and a 45 minute walk with all of our gear through the rainforest, but it was extremely fun. The cave is pitch dark, and all you have to see where your going is a light that they strap on the top of your head. I got a little anxious when I couldn't see Joe, but he was as calm as a cucumber. When we floated out of the caves, it was raining. The only rain of the entire trip! We then were fed some Belize food, with the hottest sauce I have ever had.
We finished the cruise off with two days at sea, where we danced, looked at art, played slots in the casino, and ate! I did experience a little sea sickness, but since we made friends with other couples on the ship, Joe was able to still have good time. I actually enjoyed being by myself so I could finish my book, Wicked. (A great read if anyone is interested)
Well, were home now. I went back to work yesterday. School starts next week. We are planning on remodeling the kitchen soon. Back to reality. What a shame!

The Elation! 

After Cave Tubing in Belize 

Our first drink on the ship (there were many more to come)! 

In Houston before we sailed off! 

Teb's Troops

The Teb's Troops website is now up and ready to fight cancer. Please visit this site at www.tebstroops.org to purchase bracelets and apparel. All proceeds will help with the fight against melanoma.

Taken from the Teb's Troops Website:

Teb's Troops is a not-for-profit organization started after Tricia E. Black, or teb as she is known by her friends and family, was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic melanoma. At the time of her diagnosis, teb was 29 years old and living in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, Michael, and 9-month-old son, Sam. Wanting to rally her "troops" during her war with cancer and desiring to make something positive come from the negative, teb asked her friends to help her design and sell a bracelet, the profits of which would go to organizations that support the treatment, prevention, and research of cancer, including melanoma. Teb is now asking you to enlist as one of her troops by purchasing a Teb's Troops bracelet to show your support for teb and the fight against cancer

Life as a Newlywed

Well, it is official, I am a wife. I have installed a new fridge in our house. Yup, me and the men from Lowes. Joe and I are remodeling our kitchen, and thanks to snazzy bartering, we secured our first purchase, a stainless steel fridge. It makes the rest of the kitchen look really outdated, as if it wasn't already. I feel all grown up. We are optimistic about our honeymoon. Hurricane Emily has passed, and it doesn't look like were going to hit any other storms. We leave next Saturday for Houston, and then were off sailing. We have both been working extra hard this week to make up for the week that were going to be gone. Then I will have to go back to school.

Weather

So most of you know we had a storm come through Idaho when Joe and I got married. No big deal really, we just moved it inside. Well at our reception in Indiana, we had a monsoon. It really rained the entire night, not just normal rain, but a downpour. We were inside so it didn't affect us too much. Well now Joe and I are planning our Honeymoon. We are going on a cruise. Well, mother nature is striking again. Hurricane Emily just passed through all of our ports and caused major damage. They say the worse the weather, the better the marriage, and I am holding on to that!
Joe celebrated National Probation Officer Day by playing a little golf with his partner Josh. I didn't know that there was such a thing, he might be pulling a fast one on me. I thought Hallmark made a card for everything, and I didn't see one for Probation Officers.
We are doing well for Newlyweds. We are hoping to expand our family to include one dog here shortly. We are also expecting to increase our extended family. Joe's brother and sister-in-law, are planning to adopt from Africa. We couldn't be more excited. I am going to be an Aunt! I will write more about this as things progress for them. I am really excited!

Kendi's Picture through the window.