"You Have A Pretty Significant Injury"

Yep, that's EXACTLY what the specialist said to me Wednesday afternoon. Now imagine my mouth dropping to the floor as the words came out of his mouth. Another story begins...and as always...play by play!

After returning home from our cruise my family physician order a MRI. The MRI itself was cake, and by this point the original pain was that had been excruciating was more mild, but obviously everything was "normal" or I wouldn't have needed the MRI! The MRI lasted about 45 minutes, and then the 3-4 business day wait last 5 days! When i got the call from the family doctors nurse. She says " Well, the good news is that there are no torn ligaments, but there looks like there might be a little ruffed up cartilage and some arthritis, so Dr. Jeff wants to go ahead and send you to a specialist for a follow up." Now that is exactly what she said..."a follow up." So, when I go to the specialist appointment the next day I assume he is going to tell me to suck it up, maybe send me to physical therapy to get it back to normal again, but NEVER did i expect him to say "You have a pretty significant injury." So...after I lifted my jaw back into place, I asked what he suggested. He said the MRI wasn't as clear as he liked since the injury was more bone related rather than ligament damaged. He did a couple other Xrays (which this Xray experience was much more pleasant than the Houston experience!)After looking at the xrays taken in his office he showed me exactly what the problem was. I then told him I really wanted to avoid surgery if at all possible. He seriously looked at me like i was the biggest loon on the planet! He said, "you can't walk normally, right?" I said, "No." He said " And you want to walk normally?" Me: "Yes." Him: "Then we better do surgery." He reassured me by saying that he wasn't just gung-ho about always doing surgery, but if it was his wife or daughter he would be telling them the same thing. This was not going to get better on it's own, and there might be more damage inside than he could see in the MRI and xrays. So once he convinced me it was absolutely necessary, we looked at options.The medical term for the injury is an OCD lesion of the femoral condyle... Basically there is wearing away and breakage of the very bottom of my femur bone and it's cartilage. He won't know the extent of damage or exactly what's wrong until he is in the surgery. The surgery won't last more than 1-1.5 hours (at the longest) but is somewhat nerve racking! The procedure is to go in and remove "debris" as well as smooth edges of ruffed up bone and cartilage...THEN depending on how bad the bone actually is itself the will do what is called a micro-fracture procedure...which he said is basically drilling up into the bone to try to get bone marrow to come down...after talking to the nurse yesterday, they hope this will not have to be done, but then again they won't know until he gets in there. BUT this was somewhat encouraging news because the doctor told me at the appointment that was just the plan. He would clean everything up as well as do the micro-fracture. (Recovery time is much longer with the micro-fracture!)The only pleasant thing about this whole deal would be if that part of the procedure isn't happen! I have hoped and prayed every day that it would just "pop" again like it has in the past and miraculously I would be able to walk normally again. But if I don't get my miracle I have been praying for the past 3 weeks, I will be put out tomorrow morning at 11am. Please pray for it all to go well, and for recovery to be speedy. Also please pray for Brett to have patience, because this has been a struggle for him already and it's only gonna get worse. And also pray for the people keeping my kids! The major load will be on Gma Oakley and Aunt Monica, but I know other aunts, Gmas and friends will help too! It's gonna be a kinda hectic few weeks, but HOPEFULLY it will all be better in the end! Thanks for all the thoughts a prayers through this crazy ride! Hopefully it will be over sooner than later!

5 Year Anniversary/Brett's Graduation Cruise

Although my leg was hurt we had to go on with our plan to enjoy a 4 day cruise to Cozumel Mexico. Although there were some things we would have enjoyed more if I had not been a wheel chair, we really enjoyed ourselves! It was nice to get away just the two of us to celebrate together. Special memories were made and the things we were able to do, were a blast. Hopefully the next time we go one of us won't be a cripple!

I can't get the text to be directly under each picture to describe it, each number describes what each picture is as you go down.

1.) Finally rented a wheel chair (that cost a whopping $85 to rent RIDICULOUS!)and headed to our first dinner (6/2) in the Windstar Dining Room.

2.) The first day at sea (6/3) we spent a lot of the day just walking around the boat, checking things out. When finally figured out a way to get my wheel chair up to an open deck, there was a rain storm...but we weren't getting wet! The ship was able to maneuver and we were sailing BETWEEN 2 patches of rain. Very cool!

3.) First day at sea's evening dinner was "formal" attire. You can't really see our clothes, but Brett wore his suit and I wore a black dress I bought in Houston the few days before.

4.) Each evening there is a show with music and choreography. I especially enjoyed this one since it was Country music themed, even if it was the EXACT same show I saw the last time I was on the boat (3 years ago!)

5.) Each evening when the staff cleans your room and turns down your bed the fold up a towel animal. There was a different one every night!

6.) Brett's favorite thing on board! The 24 hour ice cream machine! He visited it SEVERAL times!

7.) A pic of Cozumel as we were getting off the ship. It was a little rainy that day as well, but made pretty pics of the sky.

8.) Brett in one of the shops looking for a pair of sunglasses. He wasn't prepared for any kind of haggling, but the shops owner knew I was and quickly came to haggle with me after I loudly told Brett the price he was asking was WAY too much! It's funny that they will do just about anything to get you to buy things in their stores!

9.) We planned to do the Mayan Ruins tour before I hurt my leg, but since I was unable to do the walking we decided to do the tour called the Scoot Coupe. It was basically a glorified go kart that traveled around the island with a few different stops. This pic is to show off Brett's helmet. Now...most of you know that our children have/had ginormous heads. What your probably didn't know is that they get it from their dad! Brett's regular motorcycle helmet is a Adult XXL. (Now you see why our kids get it from him.) But the HILARIOUS thing about this pic is that the helmet given to him on our tour was a Youth XS! Bahahaha! It looked a lot more funny in real life, but I got a huge kick out of it. Eventually I traded him!

10.) Pic of us in the scoot coupe as we pulled up to one of our stops.

11-14.) One of the stops was a restaurant. We ate and were able to walk along the beach and took lots of pics. Several beautiful views of the "resort like" restaurant and the water. Several pics were taken!

15-16 and 18.) Another place we stopped on the tour was called "The Lookout." More views of ocean waves crashing up on the rocks and neat things on the beach.

17.) We were walking along (well I was limping along!) and saw a hermit crab! I've seen these in pet stores and my sister, Krista, actually owned one, but it was super cool to see one in it's own environment. We actually saw another small one, but it wouldn't hold still long enough for a picture.

19.) After the Scoot Coupe tour we did a little shopping. It's by far a tourist city! They say the shops are only open on the days a cruise ship docks and as soon as the ship leaves, they close down! We bought a few souvenirs for the kids and ourselves, but also glanced around in a jewelry store. Shops like this we figured were set in stone on prices, so we only planned to "look." Looking in a jewelry store is NEVER a good idea, especially in a place like Cozumel. They "capture" buyers and really try to lure you in. We looked at a few tanzanite rings. Gold is outrageous right now, so anything we looked at was sterling silver, but even then things seemed high. They kept saying if you buy this ring then you get this necklace for free! (Supposedly the necklace was $500 if you just bought it outright from the store.) I wasn't in love with the ring that she showed me, but asked if there were any others similar in price (about $100) or cheaper to the one she showed us. She brought us back a couple that were more expensive...$175 and $215. Well of course the one that was $215 was the one I liked (That's how they get you!) It's was neat to look at the rings, but still in the back of my head I knew Brett was going to smack me into reality that we were absolutely not going to do this. But he seems to be okay with getting it than me! I'm trying to convince myself this isn't a good idea and he said, "But Kayla you're going to get the necklace too!" But then the lady said.. "Ummm, no. The necklace not free with this ring." Disappointed, that's when I realized it wasn't mean to be. I nicely told the lady that was probably the deal breaker, and that if I wasn't going to get the necklace too, it definitely wasn't worth $215 for a Sterling silver ring. Disappointed she said okay, and I told Brett to just hurry up and leave. (I felt a little bad, because we kinda mislead a sale for her, but I really didn't want to spend that much money anyways.) He wheeled my out of the store and down the street, and we then hear... "Wait, wait a minute. I talk to boss. Come back in!" A little annoyed we returned to the store, but actually I was excited because I didn't know you could "haggle"at a store like this! She punched a few numbers for us and asked what we wanted to do. She said she could sell us the ring I wanted for for $179. I then asked about the necklace too. She said the necklace wasn't possible. So I told Brett again it was just time to go. She freaks and then said "More money off?!" All in all she go the ring down to $130 from $215. It was still probably more than we should have spent, but it was a neat experience and the a souvenir that will last a lifetime!

20, 22-23.) In 2005 GGma and GGpa took our family on a cruise for their 50th anniversary. These pics are reenactments of silly pics taken on that trip. Most of you that were on that trip will remember! :)

21.) Chocolate Melting Cake. This was the best dessert on the ship! I had it every night at dinner (along with a few others in addition to it on some nights!)

24.) Sitting IN THE SUN on one of the decks! (Yes everyone, I actually sat in the sun on this trip!)

25.) Playing our favorite game in the study of the ship. It might be more fun on trip than when we just play at home!

Well, that's the trip in a nutshell!!! I hope you enjoy the pics!

Doesn't Everyone Start A Vacation With A Visit To The ER?!

So...I had this "FABULOUS plan" to go on a stress free vacation cruise to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and Brett's graduation from WSU. Little did I know the "FABULOUS plan" would be wrecked with a trip to the emergency room the very first day of our vacation. And so the story begins...

We decided to begin our trip by spending a day with Jess and Ryan (and their kids)the day the before the ship actually left. We left on perfect schedule at 3:30pm Tuesday afternoon and made the trip to Houston in just over 9.5 hours. We ended up staying at one of Jess and Ryan's friend's houses due to AC issues at their house, but it was no further than if we were going to Jess's.(Maybe even closer!)Everyone was already in bed when we got there, so we just went straight to bed. Nice comfy bed, cool air condition, sweet dreams of our soon to be "FABULOUS planned" cruise...and then the pain started...4:30am-out of nowhere...POP!! My right knee can no long extend and I can pretty much sum it up in one word...AGONY. My knee has had popping trouble like this before, but usually it is a pop out and then right back in, so when the popping back in wasn't happening I was less than thrilled. I slept through the rest of the night (if you want to call it sleeping) with it bent up hoping that in the next few hours it would miraculously be well. But unfortunately it wasn't. We decided the ER was the fastest option and best for our insurance since we were out of state and since it was first thing in the morning. It by all means was not a "quick" option, but I guess it could have been worse. I think we were there a total of 3 hours. First the receptions needed to know what was wrong. Then we went back. A nurse came in, got the story of what happened. Then the doctor came in, had no details from the nurse so he got the entire story again. I asked him for drugs, which I didn't get until MUCH later! But they did order an x-ray just to make sure nothing was broken. About 30 minutes later the x-ray tech came to get me. She brings a wheelchair, little did I know that would where my rear would be parked (most of the time, some of the time I used crutches) for the next 5 days! In the x-ray room I laid down on the table and she says "okay, lay your legs flat." I thought she was joking. She said, "we need your legs down to get accurate pictures." I said " The whole reason I am here is because my leg won't extend." She said "Well, we need it to." So she goes for "help." She returns with a nurse that definitely has a "can do attitude." I was trying to explain politely and get everyone caught up on why I was there and it wasn't because I thought my leg was broken. IT WOULD NOT EXTEND. But for some reason they just weren't getting it. They assured me everything was going to be fine. And that they dealt with cases like this all the time. As the "can do attitude" nurse grabs my foot she instructs the x-ray tech to "gently" help me extend my leg. Are you kidding me?! At this point I'm done being "polite." Lately I have really been trying to be more patient with people I don't like or get along with, but I'm really restraining from telling this nurse she is an idiot and that my leg hurts and her face is going to if she keeps it up! :) (Also keep in mind I have been at the hospital almost 2 hours at this point, told my story several different times, still don't have any drugs, and if you know anything about my medical history...well, I'm not very nice when I'm in pain. haha...remember my labor with Rachel?! If you don't just ask Brett how that went!) So I continue saying, "I don't think this is going to work. That hurts...That hurts!...That HURTS!!!" My hands are gripped under the table I am laying on, I look down, my leg is semi-straight, but there is nothing "gentle" about what the tech is doing. She might as well have just sat on it! Remember the word that summed it up earlier? A-G-O-N-Y!!! Yep that's pretty much where I was when I yelled (and I do mean yelled) "I'm not gonna make it!" I thought they were starting to kinda understand when they nurse said "okay!" But the very next thing that came out of her mouth dashed my hopes...She said "Okay, HOLD IT!" And my thoughts came out of my mouth..."ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" I laid there as still as I possibly could as the two of them scurry behind the wall and the machine above me begins moving around. The machine turns off and I assume we are done...WRONG..."Those weren't very clear. We're going to try again." Imagine the very same thing happing again with all the "gentle" help AGAIN. Machine moves around...stops...The both re-enter..."Those weren't very good either. Maybe we should just try it with your leg bent." HALLELUJAH! I guess those went well because after the next set with the bent leg, I got to put my pants back on and back to the exam room we went. 20 minutes later the nurse comes back in with the crutches, and brace (which didn't fit so we just got an ace bandage) and says now we're just waiting for the discharge paperwork to be completed. I then politely (of course) told him I still didn't have any drugs and yet again politely demanded I have a prescription to take with me! He said he would have the doctor write it up and it would be with the discharge paperwork. The paperwork came and they sent me on my merry way. With the assurance of medication in the near future I seriously calmed down and began to think what a good blog post this would be. :) So, we did what any normal patient does in the ER...took pictures of the glorious event! Posted below are a few pics just before we were leaving. We tried to make the best of the situation. Tune in in the next couple of days for a new post about how our "fabulous planned" trip went after the exciting ER visit!