Health Update-June 8, 2015

Just a brief update to let y'all know how I'm doing. . . 

I had labs done with the nephrologist last week and everything looks good! No protein in the urine and (in her words) "no new recommendations"-whoooooo! So what does that mean? I'm going to continue slowly tapering off the steroids and follow up with her in a few weeks. It will be my last official appointment with her before I start seeing the doctors at Chapel Hill. 

Thank you all for the wonderful wishes and support! Hopefully my next post includes news of no steroids;-)

Health Update-May 18, 2015

It's been a long while since I've filled y'all in on my health adventures so I figured I'd go ahead and fill y'all in!

I haven't had another stomach bout since the last one in March-praise! Hopefully that means that whatever was going on inside with my liver and/or gallbladder is done. 

I also received GREAT news from my nephrologist this week that my kidneys look good and I can stop taking the chemo drug-whooooooo! AND I can continue to wean off the prednisone-WAHOOO!!

As you can probably tell, we were very excited for all of this news. The past few months have been a roller coaster with my health, but it is such a relief that we can continue on our next adventure with clear health reports. Sadly, I will have to leave my beloved doctors behind :-( The good news is UNC-Chapel Hill has a superb nephrology program and my doctor is already getting the referral going there!

We thank y'all for all the prayers and support and ask that they continue as the final prednisone taper happens!

Health Update-April 22, 2015

It's been a while since I've given an update, so here we go. . .

We received the news yesterday that my liver looks normal-WAHOOOOOOO! The GI doctor seems to think my elevated liver enzymes (which were only slightly elevated) comes from the medication I'm on for my kidneys. He suggested I just have them checked periodically and let them know if I have any more crazy stomach issues. Praise!

I'm still feeling well and taking the medication for my kidneys in hopes that it keeps working. My next appointment is in a little less than a month, so we will go from there. Hopefully it will be great news and I can get off this stuff once and for all! 

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and warm wishes! Please keep them coming for the next bit as I'm still not completely out of the woods yet:-)

Health Update-April 13, 2015

Last week when I posted I mentioned how icky I was feeling because of my new kidney medicine. Well, I am pleased to say your prayers are working because I feel almost completely back to normal! The nausea comes and goes, but I am so thankful to report that it's going more than coming. Praise!

I also had an appointment with my nephrologist last week and it looks like that same medication is working! Praise! She said my lab numbers are moving in the right direction and things are looking food. She's hopeful that I'll only have to take it for 8 weeks versus the 12 weeks we originally talked about. She's also continuing to wean me off the prednisone while this is going on. 

Lots of good news!

Tomorrow morning is my liver biopsy to see if the GI doctor can pinpoint why my liver enzymes are elevated and if I actually have PBC. We are continuing to pray this is all cautionary and the elevated numbers came from that pesky gallstone. In the meantime we are remembering this. . .

Health Update-April 6, 2015

It's that time again-your weekly look into my cuckoo body. . .

So last week I told y'all we were headed back to the GI doctor to find out the official results of the MRCP. I was crossing my fingers it was something fairly routine like gallstones. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. After more review of MRCP and the corresponding labs the doctor is concerned I may have another autoimmune condition called primary biliary cirrhosis or PBC. This is characterized by a constricted bile duct (which they saw on the MRCP) and elevated liver enzymes. 

I don't really have many of the symptoms, but there is a possibility I could develop them later (jaundice, itching, extreme fatigue). Most patients with PBC don't really have symptoms until they are very sick. We won't know for sure if I have this until they complete a liver biopsy, which is scheduled for next week. 

While autoimmune conditions are not hereditary, PBC may be related to PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis) which is what my sister has. We think that's why the doctor is ordering all these tests and being careful. We are fervently praying that this is all a fluke and the doctor is being extra cautious for no reason at all!

All of this is going on in conjunction with my kidneys still doing their own thing. I have an appointment with the nephrologist this week to see if the cytotoxin is helping at all. I sure hope it is because it is wrecking havoc on my body! Some days are better than others, but I've been very nauseated and very tired recently. Love it when I can coordinate a mommy nap with a baby nap;-) I've also been very "out of it". So, if you're talking to me and I seem to zone out or can't do simple math, bear with me! Haha. 

Thank you for your continued prayers-they are what's getting me through! Your support, prayers, and well-wishes have been very comforting and I reread them when I'm feeling icky, so thank you!!

Weekly Health Update

It's that time again; time to check in and let everyone in on the latest step of our health saga. 

If you remember I had an MRCP scheduled for last Friday morning to check on what was going on inside. An MRCP is like an MRI, but it focuses on the abdomen. Since I couldn't eat beforehand I scheduled it as early as I possibly could and was at the hospital by 7:15am. That is the time to go to the hospital-the place was practically empty! No one had had time to break any bones or come down with any bizarre ailments. 

After a few minutes of waiting (just enough time to read the newspaper uninterrupted) they whisked me back for the procedure. They strapped me in and gave me a very nice pair of Bose headphones to listen to satellite radio and we were off! I chose not to let myself think about the tiny space or being trapped, and to be honest, it really wasn't so bad! I'm not saying I want to sign up to do it every day, but it could have been a heck of a lot worse. The hardest part was when he asked me to hold my breath for a while for one of the pictures. The entire procedure was pretty painless and quick!

I was even more surprised when the GI doctor's nurse called me later that afternoon with some of the results. She said that things looked "okay"-not great, but not terrible either. It didn't seem like it was a problem with my liver-wahoooooooo! The results showed that my bile duct was constricted, which is a sign of a recently passed gallstone. If you remember correctly, they were also able to tell this from the ultrasound in the ER. They didn't see any other gallstones, though. 

So, what does all of this mean? Good question. I have an appointment later this week with the GI doctor to talk more about these results and the next steps. I've heard of a lot of people who've had their gallbladders out and had all their similar issues disappear. We shall see what the doctor has to say!

I finally started the cytotoxan (medicine for my kidneys) last week. The first day I had a dreadful headache, but I don't know if it was the medicine or the changing weather. I've also noticed that I don't have as much of an appetite for the first few hours after I take it, but it's usually back by the afternoon. If that's all the trouble I'm going to have, I'll take it!

Health Check Point

Happy Tuesday one and all! It's been almost a week since I've caught y'all up on the health happenings, so I thought I would go ahead and post. 

So, last week I had an appointment the GI doctor to see what exactly was going on with all these "stomach bugs". I mentioned that I had hoped it was gallstones as that is a pretty easy fix. Due to my family's history of wacky medical disorders and my previous kidney issues the doctor didn't want to assume it was that just yet. He ordered some lab work and an MRCP (similar to an MRI) to see what exactly was going on. I still haven't heard back about the lab work (which I'm taking as a good sign!) and the MRCP is scheduled for later this week. Pending the results of all of that he may order a liver biopsy, but we're praying it doesn't come to that!

All of that means I'm pretty much in the same boat I was in last week. What about the other medicine I was supposed to take for my kidneys? It still has not come in yet! If any of y'all ever have to use this mail-order pharmacy, my deepest condolences. They have promised it would arrive multiple times and it still hasn't. I called them again yesterday to get a status update (since it was two days late from their most recent promised delivery date) and was told the order was put on hold and it was a good thing I called to release it. Seriously??? What would they have done if I hadn't called to check on it?? Good thing this isn't a life or death situation! Argh! The next promised delivery date is Wednesday but I'm not holding my breath on that one. . . 

Hopefully the next time I post I will have an update of happy news and happy lab results!

Spring Fun and Health Updates

I just wanted to take a quick moment and check in with everyone since my last update. I am happy to report I've felt GREAT since getting the fluids and anti-nausea meds in my system-I didn't realize how dehydrated I really was! Since my last post we have been enjoying every moment of this gorgeous Spring weather trying to soak it all in. A few pictures for proof. . .

Loving her first time in a swing! 

This poor baby has been blessed/cursed by super fair skin and will forever need a hat!

Hey, ma, who's that baby??

As you can see we've been spending a lot of time outside:-)

I was fortunate enough to get an appointment with a GI doctor for today and will hopefully receive some more answers there. The more I learn the more I think it was something with my gallbladder, but who really knows. I've had a few questions about how my new medication is affecting all this and the answers is-I have no clue. I actually haven't started it yet. Due to some miscommunication with the local pharmacy and some ball-dropping by the mail-order pharmacy it still has not arrived. Normally this would have aggravated the mess out of me, but I'm seeing this as a blessing instead. Had I been on that too who knows how my body would have responded! 

Many thanks for the continued prayers and support!

Well, That Was Unexpected

There's not much to say about our Sunday except, 

Well, that was unexpected

I should really back up to Thursday when all the "fun" started. Thursday morning I woke up to work out and had a funny in my tummy. Not too long after I decided working out was soooooo not happening I was running for the bathroom. And so began another epic stomach bug. That's right, I said another. That's because this is the fourth time I've been sick since December. And it's not just some 24 hour in and out and on with your life. No, we're talking a week to a week and a half of racing to the bathroom soon after I eat anything. This time around I lost 8 pounds in 8 days. Yea, not good. 

Anywho, it all began on Thursday and came and went and then came back and went. Just as I thought I was starting to feel better it would return with vengeance; just like the other three times I've had it. It was miserable. I started feeling "better", or at least like I could function, Saturday evening. I must have spoken too soon because early Sunday morning around 1:30am I woke up with dreadful chest pain. It was so excruciating I thought I was having a heart attack. In fact, come check my computer's history and you'll see that I was Googling the symptoms! After a few hours of writhing around in pain I finally took a baby aspirin and was able to settle down enough to get another hour of sleep before the babe started making noises.

When I officially woke up for the day I knew I wasn't in the clear yet. The pain seemed to have migrated down to the space between the top of my rib cage. After consulting with the mama (and the family nurse) we decided it would probably be good to head to Urgent Care. The WONDERFUL people at Urgent Care were quick to tell us there wasn't much they could do and sent us on our way to the Emergency Room. Have you ever been to the ER? It's not a quick trip. David and I both came prepared with reading material and settled in. 

After about an hour of waiting in the waiting room they put us in a room where we waiting another hour before we saw the Nurse Practitioner (NP). She ordered some labs and an ultrasound of my gallbladder before making any predictions. Cue more waiting. The ultrasound showed that my gallbladder looked normal other than some tube was constricted which she thinks means I recently passed a gallstone (perhaps that's why I was absolutely MISERABLE the night before!!). My lab work did show elevated liver enzymes. To jog your memory my sister and aunt both have autoimmune liver disorders and my mom has recently had some screwy liver numbers in her lab work. So, while hearing it was my liver wasn't good news, it also wasn't entirely surprising either.

According to the GI doctors on-call, with my history of kidney issues and my family's history of issues this could mean autoimmune hepatitis. Could. The NP wanted us to stay the night at the hospital, but said that nothing would be done until the next morning any way. After being away from our sweet girl all day and hearing we would be staying at the hospital only to get in early the next day, we decided to head home.

So, what now? I'll be calling the GI office today to hopefully get an appointment with their doctors to find out what's really going on and the next steps. Until then we continue to ask for prayer as all of this comes on top of my recent kidney issues. I know that God is with us every step of the way and is using this experience to work in us and mold us for the future and with that knowledge there truly is nothing to fear!

Trusting

I have recently joined an amazing organization called Bible Study Fellowship that meets weekly to study God's word. "Oh, okay, so she joined a Bible study". Not so much. I joined an incredible international organization that meets weekly at different locations across the globe to study the same message. We are split into smaller groups for discussion of the week's passage and questions before we return together for the lecture. This year we are studying the story of Moses and the Israelites and it has rocked my world in the best way possible.

We continue to hear about the Israelites' lack of trust in God and their failure to obey Him. They continued to try to take matters into their own hands despite God's instructions to trust Him. And then when He did provide for them, they spent a lot of time grumbling about it. 

Talk about a smack in the face.

Here I am grumbling and feeling sorry for myself for having to take some new, harsher medications when I should be thankful they even exist for me to take! God has shown me through various people and different conversations that this is the best path for me, so why is it still so hard to trust Him? 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

-Proverbs 3:5

That verse has always resonated with me. It came to me in my first year of teaching (though I'm sure I'd seen it before) and it never quite left. Every morning I prayed that and even had it posted as a reminder on my desk. In the almost five years since I started praying over that verse daily it has gotten me through some very hard times, and I know it will continue to do so. 

Trusting God is such a freeing feeling. With it comes a weight lifted and a heart lightened. Burdens are no longer so hard to bear and the waves don't seem to crash as hard. Instead of allowing myself to worry I am trusting in Him with all my heart and letting Him guide my every step.

An Update to the Update

Time for an update to last week's kidney update. 

When I posted last week we were heading to the nephrologist hoping for some more answers about what the heck is going on with my body. Unfortunately, my kidneys can't talk so we still don't know exactly what they're doing, but we do have a new plan of action. 

My doctor's biggest concern is that I am becoming dependent on the steroids and they are no longer working. For those of you who have been on steroids for any amount of time, you know they can do some cuckoo things to your body in both the short and long term. I've been on and off them for almost four years and in that time they've wrecked havoc on me. The side effects have not been nearly as bad as some others have seen, but they haven't been entirely pleasant either. So, the first thing we're doing is beginning to taper the steroids in hopes of weaning me off them entirely in the next few months. Praise! But the weaning process comes with a price-another medication.

Starting this week I will begin taking a medication called cytotoxan. The hope is that I will take this very powerful chemotherapy drug for a short amount of time (8-12 weeks) and that will help prevent my kidneys from relapsing again. And yes, you read that correctly, it is a chemo drug.   There is another drug option but that one would take at least a year which means at least a year of continued steroids as well. 

There are obviously a lot of side effects that come with this but when we spoke with my doctor, and spent time in prayer, we decided this was the best course of action. What's hardest for me to wrap my brain around right now is that I'm going to have to stop breastfeeding Amelia Grace as the medicine could possibly be passed to her through the milk. 

We continue to ask for prayer for this transition both physically, mentally, and emotionally. We fully believe that God is working in me and in this situation and are hopeful to see how it all works out!

Kidney Update

Last time I posted about my kidneys my levels were all out of whack and they were increasing my daily prednisone dosage. We were just playing a waiting game of labs and levels. It was not a game I enjoyed playing and I wasn't really winning. Unfortunately, I'm still not winning.

A few weeks ago I completely a 24-hour urine test to see how things were going. The results did not really show in my favor which led to a phone call from my nephrologist. Usually the nurse calls with results, so when the doctor called I knew things were not good. The results continue to show protein in the urine, but normal kidney function. Confusing? Yea, it doesn't make much sense to me either. 

So, what's next? Clearly the prednisone isn't working. My doctor is wondering if another medication (often used to treat transplant and chemo patients) would be better suited for what's going on. She's also wondering if instead of minimal change disease I actually have another condition called Focal Segmental Glomerulo Sclerosis, or FSGS. If a patient has FSGS there is scarring on the part of the kidney that filters blood. The only way to tell for sure would be to do another kidney biopsy (which no one wants to do) and even then we couldn't be positive. In order to diagnose FSGS you have to have the perfect kidney specimen and that cannot be guaranteed in a biopsy. 

I have an appointment this coming Friday to talk with my doctor about the next steps. I continue to ask for prayer as this is a much scarier diagnosis than minimal change disease. The treatment method for those who do not respond well to drugs can often be dialysis and a possible transplant. We trust God and His plan through all this, but are fervently praying for healing!

A Whole New Way of Eating

Have you heard of Whole30? You've probably heard it mentioned a time or two in passing. Or maybe you know someone who is a pretty healthy eater who lives it day in and day out. I first heard mention of it a couple of years ago and thought it was poppycock. Give up dairy? No way, Jose! Say no to my nightly sweet treats? You must be crazy! Eliminate ALL processed foods? Here, let me direct you to the looney bin. 

I mean, we've always eaten fairly healthily but nothing super extreme. Usually a meat and two veggies at supper with bread a distant thing of the past. Our (started as mine and I slowly brought David's tastebuds around. . .) downfall has always been dessert. Have you seen the foodie section of this blog?? It wasn't until my kidneys stopped responding to the steroids as they had in the past that I started really investigating our diet and what we were doing to ourselves. I was amazed at how poor our choices had become over time. It was time to hit the reset button.

So, that's where we are-hitting the reset button. We're not going into this in hopes of losing weight, but more in jumpstarting our bodies. Trying to kick the sugar addiction (yes, it is a total addiction for me!) and eliminate the ick that we take in. It certainly won't be easy, but we believe it will definitely be worth it!

For those of you who have walked this path I would love any advice you have on food and good recipes. Pinterest has been super helpful, but I love hearing what worked for real people! 

Do Not Fear

I don't think it can be said enough times, but the She Reads Truth devotionals are always on point! We are currently walking through a series on Advent and today's focus on the angel coming to Joseph really spoke to my heart. 

Do not fear. 

Three simple words that speak volumes. The angel tells Joseph not to be afraid of the uncertainty coming soon. What a bold statement to follow in that time when Joseph had nothing but fear for the future. 

Do not fear.

This is something that I needed to be reminded of. It's been a while since I've posted about my kidneys because, honestly, I've been depressed about it all. About a month ago we learned my kidneys were not responding well (or at all) to the tapering process and my dosage needed to be upped significantly. Cue sinking heart. What would this mean for breastfeeding? What would this mean for the rest of my body? (Prednisone is not a medication you want to be on long term!) What would this mean for my future health? After much prayer and counsel from some very wise friends I accepted it as so and continued on with life. 

Fast forward to earlier this week when I started noticing some swelling and puffiness. Cue sinking heart. I knew what this meant-my body wasn't responding well to the prednisone. How could this be?? I'd always done well on it-what was going on?? After a series of labs and conferencing with the doctor we learned my kidney function continues to be normal (praise!) but I do have protein in my urine. In response, the doctor returned me to a higher dose of prednisone and I have labs in a few weeks to check on how I'm doing with that.

Do not fear.

This reminder came at the perfect time. I have been a hot mess of worry and fear when I really have nothing to be afraid of. God is constantly working in me and through me to glorify himself even if I don't see it now. Even if my kidneys want to act up-I have nothing to fear! God is doing HIS thing on HIS time. What a beautiful reminder for this stubborn girl. I pray that you remember this not just now as you read this full of joy in a holiday season, but also when you are beaten down and tired. 

Do not fear.

Kidney Update!

After almost four months of no appointments I had a visit with the nephrologist (kidney specialist) yesterday, and I am pleased to say everything looks good!

My blood pressure was a smidge higher than normal, as was the amount of protein in my urine BUT both are normal in pregnancy and do not seem to be signs of issues with my kidneys. This was such an incredible blessing to hear considering how much stress pregnancy can put on your kidneys. In fact, I was convinced for the entire first trimester that I wouldn't even make it this far in the pregnancy because of my kidneys not cooperating. We seem to have found the magic concoction of meds with a very low dose of prednisone (10mg every other day) and lots of water. Whoo hoo!

My next appointment will be a month or so after the baby is born since the doctor sees no reason to be concerned-I didn't even have to play the stuck pig for labs yesterday! Until then we continue to ask for your prayers that this good news continues! 

Te he he, I couldn't resist. . .

A Good Night's Sleep?

Sleep, who doesn't absolutely love it? It seems like so many of us race around day after day trying to get through everything on our busy to-do lists that we wear ourselves down to the point of constantly craving sleep. Sleep has always been something I've valued and not taken for granted-ask anyone close to me. If I'm tired, I'm turning in. I don't care how crazy a party is getting or how exciting a movie is, if I'm tired there is no force strong enough to keep me awake.

Enter pregnancy.

Pregnancy (especially the early weeks) will knock you right off your feet. The amount of fatigue your body feels as the little bugger sucks all your energy is crazy. Christmas Break could not have come at a more perfect time as I created a steady routine of sleeping and laying around on the couch resting. It was glorious. 

Enter prednisone.

Then reality hit with my kidneys and I was back on the steroids, but honestly the timing was pretty good there too as I got back into the school routine and lost my ability to nap whenever my heart desired. The steroids gave me the boost of energy I needed to make it through each day without collapsing from pure exhaustion.

So, where am I now?? I'm somewhere in between. Little nugget is still zapping me of a lot of the juice I need to be a functioning member of society, but that's when the steroids step in in the mornings. Come see me around 8am and I'm a bundle of crazy. As the day trickles on that energy boost wears off and I get sleepy. Oh, so very sleepy. By 5pm this old lady is ready for supper and fighting to keep her eyes open at 6. I refuse to let myself get in bed until 7 which is when I read until my eyes close (usually about 20 minutes or so).

Sounds like a great system, right?? Wrong! The pregnancy bladder and dreams kick in a few hours later and I'm up trying to get all that taken care of. And thanks to the prednisone, once I'm up, I'm up. The poor dog has been confused more times than not over when it is actually time to wake up and get ready for the day. 

Don't get me wrong, I am so extremely thankful to be having these problems right now, but I will not be sad to see them go!

Spin Cycle

A spin cycle-that's what I feel like my brain has been on for the better part of the day. Let me start with the good, no great, news. . .we heard the heartbeat! We heard a heartbeat of a healthy of 173 which was a great comfort to us. Now, let me back up and share more on why my brain was spinning. . .

Our appointment was with the Maternal Fetal Medicine office. We saw them a few times when we were pregnant with Emerson and knew the procedures. A little over a year ago they moved to a new office. Our first time in this office was when we learned that Emerson's heart was no longer beating. I had a bit of a mental block coming into the office, but I pushed it away. Then the nurse who was unable to find her heartbeat last January took us back to a room; the very same room we were in last year. I didn't really have a chance to process it then because they did an ultrasound and we heard the heartbeat. 

The doctor then came in and started spewing off a lot of mumbo jumbo that made no sense. We were able to deduce that there was a possibility that what happened to Emerson could happen again. This threw us for a big loop because we thought she died because of a chromosomal abnormality, at least that's what we were last told. He wasn't aware of that theory (regular OB had originally proposed it), but he said it could have been that also. They then took blood to see if I was displaying any symptoms of it (it's called antiphospholipid syndrome-say that ten times fast) and we should have the results in a week or two.

A quick summary? It could go one of two ways-a normally, but overly cautious pregnancy or the same thing all over again.

As David and I left the office we talked it all out again and tried to piece together what the doctors (from the various offices-kidney, regular OB, high-risk OB) were theorizing and what the next steps were. We know it is completely out of our hands. We know that He has complete and total control of my health as well as little nugget's health.

The spin cycle in my brain has since slowed to a stop thanks in part to the love, support, and prayers of an incredible school family. I know I've mentioned these people before, but I would be absolutely lost without their help. I've also been able to sit back and let it all soak in; pray through it all. God has walked with us every step of the way and we know He is not going anywhere.

Side Effects

Thank you for all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers! We are very thankful to be surrounded by so much love. Let me back up and kinda of fill y'all in. . .

The Sunday after Thanksgiving I realized I was late, so I went ahead and took a pregnancy test. It was negative, so I moved on with life and continued getting ready for church. I didn't think much about it again until that Friday when I still hadn't gotten my period. On a whim I took another pregnancy test and it was positive! I rushed out to Target and took another, then chugged some water and took another-all positive! After eight months of trying and doctor's appointments with less than heartening news, we couldn't believe it. We couldn't believe this incredible good news.

The next week we were at the general OB for no other reason than to confirm the pregnancy. We made an appointment for two weeks out to test for a heartbeat. In that two weeks I visited my nephrologist (kidney doctor) to let her know and we sat on pins and needles. On the 23rd we went in and heard little nugget's heartbeat for the first time. It was strong and clear even at six and a half weeks!

We went through the Christmas festivities and the nausea and ickiness kicked in a big way. Lots of lolling about and forcing food down my throat. No fun, but totally worth it! Then a few days before New Year's David noticed my face was kind of swollen. I then realized my rings were tight. Uh, oh. . . I called the nephrologist who called the OB who called me into the office. They took labs, we chatted, and we got to hear nugget again. The next day (praise for doctor's working on Saturdays!) they called me and passed on the unfortunate news that I was displaying signs of minimal change disease again. 

I was heartbroken, but not surprised. I knew once the swelling started (I looked like Rocky took a few slugs on me) and my leggings were leaving crease marks that something wasn't right. They put me back on the steroids (ughhhhh) and set me up with an earlier appointment with the high-risk OB. 

So, what do we need? Prayer. And lots of it. I wish I could say I'm not scared, but I'm terrified. Terrified for little, helpless nugget and the effect of the steroids. Terrified I'm going to have kidney failure. Just flat out terrified. After putting all my faith and trust in God for so many other circumstances, I know I should do the same now and I'm getting there. But until then, we could use all the prayers you can give.

The Kidney Question

In the midst of everything that has been going on a question arose, “what about my kidneys?”.

Last August the symptoms that led to my original diagnosis of minimal change disease came back. As soon as I spotted the signs I quickly scurried to the doctor and begin taking the prednisone again. I was disappointed with the news but knew there was nothing I could do about it.

Fast forward a month and we were celebrating the joyous news of our baby. I was quick to Google the effects of prednisone of an unborn baby and was surprised to learn that despite the possibility of a cleft palate, things looked safe. I started seeing a specialist at Maternal and Fetal Medicine as well as my high-risk OB and continued seeing my nephrologist.

Despite the annoyance of continually having appointments, things were going well. She was on pace with her growth and I was doing well. My kidneys were not leaking protein and my blood pressure was in the normal range. So, you can imagine our shock when we received the news the doctors could not find her heartbeat. Up until that appointment we were passing every test with flying colors and there were no causes for concern.

Obviously the doctors were concerned with the effect the pregnancy could have on my kidneys, so they took what seemed like a hundred tubes of blood at the hospital. Everything looked good for me. My kidneys continued to show healthy results.

I just had my first appointment with the nephrologist since everything happened. After talking about everything it was quickly determined that my “relapse” was actually the pregnancy. I’m thankful for the silver lining this brings because it means that my kidneys have continued to do their job. Of course, I wonder if the treatment had anything to do with the loss of Emerson, but I cannot allow myself to go down that “what if” path. 

So where does that leave us now? Some of you may have seen my tweet:

I've had a lot of anxiety about this. Prednisone (the steroid I'm on) can have lasting effects on the body, not to mention it completely stops ovulation. TMI? To be blunt, I do not like being on it. I am thankful for the way it helped me after the original diagnosis, but it's been very taxing on me. Also, if we ever hope to have another baby I cannot be on it. 

I went into my appointment fearful of what she would say to my request. Imagine my surprise when she mentioned her plans to have me taper off completely! I was overjoyed to hear this news! It will take about two months to completely remove it from my daily medicine rotation, but at least it will be gone. 

I continue to ask for your prayers as this happens. Prayers for the taper to go well and for my kidneys to respond healthily. Prayers that my body remains on the path to permanent health.

Many thanks.

2012 Rewind

Happy New Year's Eve one and all! I've decided that people fall into two distinct categories: they either loved the previous year and are hopeful for the new year, or they are totally over the previous year and are hopeful for better times in the new year. Regardless of which camp people fall into, no one ever wishes to stop time. People are always hopeful for the new year, and I am no different.

Here is a glimpse at some of what we've been up to . . .

I set some goals and created a 30 Before 30 List. 

I completed my first 5k.

My sweet husband guest posted and kick-started his blogging career again.

We ventured to Charleston, SC for a few days.

We witnessed my brother graduating from NCSU and his commissioning ceremony into the USMC.

We celebrated our 2nd Anniversary.

I had surgery on my foot to remove a cyst.

We spent a week at the beach with family.

My kidneys relapse, and we tackled the minimal change disease again.

We announced our little family would be growing in the coming year!

And much, much more. Thank you for joining us on this journey!