Coming clean

Lately I've been thinking quite a lot about thankfulness. It's November and many people on Facebook are posting daily about things they are thankful for, big or small. My heart is full of gratitude for many things...first and foremost, my little family unit: D and Boyd. They are such a blessing to me. We have a small, cozy home and jobs and resources. And we are so lucky to have a wonderful extended family on both sides.

I am also thankful for good health (and insurance coverage!) While I was pregnant with Boyd, one of my many tests came back with evidence of severe dysplasia on my cervix, which is a precursor to cervical cancer. We chose not to share this news with anyone because the last thing I wanted was to cause people to worry. I was scheduled to have a colposcopy and minor biopsy on my birthday, but then we found out about my dad and flew down to Tennessee to be with him before he passed. My doctor wasn't happy about rescheduling since my condition wasn't improving, but once I got home I had the procedure done. The results weren't great - the abnormal cells were CIN 3. Left untreated, they would progress to the next stage: cancer. However, pregnant ladies can't have treatment because any trauma to the cervix can cause premature labor. So we crossed our fingers that a natural birth would slough off the majority of precancerous cells. I was nervous that something would happen to cause a c-section, but we were lucky.

A couple weeks after Boyd was born my doctor did another colposcopy, which came back with CIN 3 levels again, and that meant I had to undergo a more invasive treatment. We scheduled a cone biopsy for 6 weeks postpartum. It was fairly painful, especially since I was still recovering from childbirth, but the results came back with good news. The biopsy removed most of the dysplasia and there was just a small area which looked troubling, but nowhere near as bad as before. So now I go in every 3-6 months for a checkup to make sure the areas of concern are not getting any worse. I asked my doc how I could have a normal pap in March, before I was pregnant, and then have a fairly advanced case of dysplasia just a few months later in July. She said that pregnancy causes all of the body's cells to multiply quickly, in order to allow for the fetus to grow.

So that's the story. And my advice? Go get an annual exam, no excuses!

Ho Hey

The song and accompanying video (below) has become one of my new favorites. I'm not sure why, but it reminds me of my dad. I've actually just gotten to the point where I don't tear up anymore while listening to it.