Finally- someone else heard it!!!

Ok, so for those of you that don't know...I lost my job a couple of weeks ago. Long story short- my friends who I worked for stabbed me in the back. This is supposed to make me happier. Sure it does. I LOVE worrying about how my mortgage will be paid or how I will keep medical coverage for my family. Yep- I am SO much happier now. Enough of that. They don't deserve my energy anymore.

The good news. I went to the radiologist/neuro doctor yesterday for my pulsatile tinnitus in my left ear. I have had this awful swooshing sound in my ear since I was around 8 weeks pregnant with Ethan. At the time, it was just supposed to be excess blood flow that would go away after the baby was born. Nope. Didn't happen. I was then referred to doctors at UCSF. They did lots of tests to rule out a tumor (obviously, I did not have a tumor). But, when they could not duplicate the sound by stethescope, I was blown off and basically told that I would just have to live with it.

I was referred to this neuro dr. from the ENT here in NC. He listened. He could not duplicate the sound either. He recommended a cranial arteriogram to rule out an arterio-venous malformation (AVM). He didn't think that the test would show anything, but we should try. I felt like I was going in circles again. More tests just to be told in the end that I would just have to live with it. I was disappointed and started to cry. (Imagine listening to a baby's heartbeat during a sonogram, close to 24/7 in your ear. Not cool. I love to hear it on a monitor, not in my ear!!!)

Another doctor on the team also took a listen. She stands up and says, "I think I hear it". She then described the sound and sure enough, SHE HEARS IT!!! She listens again, and again. Yep. No mistaking- she hears it! I, then, REALLY begin to cry. Finally- someone else heard it! I am NOT crazy.

Now, the arteriogram is set for Wednesday morning. They now think that the probability of finding an AVM are much higher. I am not looking forward to this test at all. Apparently, they sedate me, put a catheter-type thing in my groin all the way up to my neck and then inject dye so they can see all the arteries in my head. The fun part is after it's all done, I have to lay flat for 8 hours so to make sure the groin incision does not bleed out. All I keep thinking is that I am too young for all this crap!!! (Rheumatoid Arthritis at 25 and this...I wonder if they are linked at all)

Ethan is doing well. It snowed on Thursday and then today, but today didn't stick. Boo. Olivia has good days and bad days. We are just all loving on her while we can and take nothing for granted. I actually need to get ready to head over there.