Two Tests Down...lots to go...and Tribute to my Momma and my Hubby :)

The ultrasound went well, was able to get the labs drawn and was home by 10.  :)  Had a fun time talking with my Momma.  :)  Even at 28, when I'm sick the two people I want the most is my hubby and my Mom...there is simply no one that can ever replace your Mommy.  Thanks for always being by my side through all the pain and heartache...I know it hasn't been easy because I'll always be your little girl and I was an adventure from 24 hours old...actually scratch that...I forgot she had a tumor on her ovary she had to have removed at 19 weeks (or maybe it was 22 I can't remember) and I was her first child.  I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like to have an emergency C-section then be told that your baby girl was being air-vacced to UMC in Tucson (I was born in Douglas, AZ), and that because of the C-section you weren't allowed to leave.  She left.  My Grandparents drove her and my Dad up in their Motor-home...I spent 9 days in NICU and they never could tell them why.  We wouldn't know until I was 13. (Your cilia are instrumental in drying your lungs out from womb to air...my cilia don't function properly so my lungs were not dried out properly, thus causing the collapse...being a C-section on top of that only added to the problem because God's design has a reason for every little detail.  I recently learned that you get your first dose of probiotics going through the birth canal from your Mom!  The more I learn about the human body, the more amazed I am at our Creator!!)  Mom and I are incredibly close and I'm so thankful God gave me you as my Mom...I love you!!!!!!  Now that I've made my family cry, here are some fun pictures with some great memories from over the years.  :)

I learned young!

 

 Recovering from one of my Tympanomastoidectomies 

(AKA ear surgery)  :) 

 Mom and me at a horse show with Goldy and Red

who have both passed on...God gave us a lot of 

great memories with those two incredibly special 

horses!!!

 

 We had family shirts made with 

"I'm the Mom, I'm the Dad and 

Kid #1 through #5" so everyone could

keep us straight at the horse shows :)

This is one of my step-brothers (we 

are all one big happy family though!) Sheldon,

and my Daddy with my Momma and her 

beautiful smile. :)

 Mom and I in Washington, D.C. for the 

8th grade trip.  She taught at Marana Middle

School for 13 years so we all got to go to 

D.C. with her and Jackie.  :) And our 

awesome bus drivers, Dale and Ted...I haven't

forgotten you and never will!!!  :)

 Mom, Me, Justin, and Jenny at one of 

Aunt Dawn's pool parties.  :) 

 Mom, Me and Jen...was just Mom and

Me, but Jen dove her way into the 

picture which is why Mom and I are 

laughing hysterically!  :)

 Mom and Gold, Jen and Dreamer, and Me and Buddy

in May of 2010...we did a "horsey photo shoot" with 

my good (and very talented friend!) Brad Gill.  :) 

Fun Family picture from a couple

years ago minus the boys.  You can't see it

but it was my bright idea to have us go youngest

to oldest with Jen, Jus, and Me, then Jordan

and Dad after me...I didn't think through the weight

issue and who had to hold who up on the slide!

Aunt Anita is out of the shot holding Jen up so we don't all go 

crashing down...Justin and Jordan are doing their best to hold us up 

while Mom and Dad are just cracking up as we slowly slide down 

the slide as Uncle Frederick snaps the pictures.  :)  

     I will keep you all posted on the results and the next steps and how my heart is doing with the "waiting game" that comes with every test.  Someone wiser than me once told me not to pray for patience because then God will give you lots of practice...I prayed that prayer long ago and I'm still getting practice.  ;)  

     Off to do bits and pieces of the loads of vacation laundry that are clean but not put away, go through my massive "stock up because I got 50% off my Arbonne order", treatments, vitamins, sinus rinse, call hospitals and doctor's offices to pay bills and set up budget payments (yep, they are a rolling in about now!),  and oh yeah...still need to call and make an appointment with an Endocrinologist to get stuff going on my Thyroid so I **might** start making more emotional sense to my hubby again....last night I was exhausted and tired and reality was hitting hard and if he looked at me wrong I just started crying.  At one point, he said, "This does not make sense...you shouldn't be crying right now."  Through my sobs I managed to say, "Juu-uuss-sst reaa-aalii-iiize that I'm noo-oott-tttt going to maa-aaakk-kke sense toniii-iiighttt-ttt...I'm sooo-rrrry honey!."  We prayed and God helped, but it's still a challenging evening when he comes home from an 11 hour work day and just wants to relax and we have to figure out how I'm getting to an appointment on Thursday, what I should and shouldn't do, what our plans for the week are, and that budget thing that we need to stick to...how are we doing with that? and so on and so forth...all in the two hours before 10pm hits and we are both catatonic...well he was already catatonic when he got home but had to "uncatatonicafy"...(yes Tom Massa, I just created my own word!) to help me sort through my crazy emotions.  So thankful for a hubby that loves Jesus and loves me and does his best to "love me as Christ loves the church".  He will say he is horrible at that, but so thankful that his heart's desire is there, and though he may miss the mark like we all do, in striving he loves and treasures me and knows me better than anyone else on this earth...God made him for me and as I messaged him from Sedona when he left a day early, "I'm not me without you!".

 Walking at the Renassaince Festival with 

our dear friends, Jeremy and Jenn several

years ago.  :) 

DA BEARS! Christmas at Great Grandpa's :)

Now I REALLY am signing off to go do some of all of the above!

Rachelle :)   

Happy 4th!! :)

Dena and I were driving home from my doctor appointment yesterday (which went very well and I'll give that update a little later!) and you could see the "Phoenix haze"...the weather said it was supposed to rain and we both said, "that would be really nice to get some clean air and cool the weather down!"  God answered our wish...I awoke (at 9:40!!!!!!) to a cloud covered sky and rain drizzling.  The temperature hadn't even hit 80 at 2 (and I have a picture to prove it!)...AND Jordan has the day off...AND my fever broke yesterday afternoon and has yet to return so although I'm low on energy and trying to be good and rest well (with lots of reminders from my sweet hubby!), Jordan and I went to the car dealership where he works and drove with the windows down and then went to lunch with Fabian.  (Missing the rest of the Leija clan!!!!!!!  But so thankful you are all doing well...praying for you...and can't wait to get better and come visit!) :) :) :) :)  Such sweet and precious gifts from my sweet Savior!

First, want to take the time to say a HUGE thank you to all of the men and women who protect our country!!  There are lots of special people in my life (and I'll try and list most of you but with the way my scattered brain is thinking right now, don't feel bad if I "forget" you because God sees and knows your service and sacrifice for our country!!!!!) who have sacrificed so much to give me so many freedoms that I (too) often take for granted.

The first person that always comes to my mind is Uncle Mark.

 
This picture probably brings back lots of memories for lots of people (need I say Red Lobster and a boat?????).  That sentence alone will send my Mom, me and Aunt Netta rolling laughing.  But again, that's another story for another day...I probably really should write that book I've been told to write so many times...I've got lots of stories I love to tell.  :)  Anyway, back to Uncle Mark.  He has been a friend of the family for many years before I was a "twinkle in my parent's eyes" as they say.  He has been much more than an Uncle over the years...he has been like a second (or third or fourth or fifth) Dad...God has blessed me with many amazing "Father figures" in my life over the years.  This was at his graduation to Lt. Colonel (I think...correct me if I'm wrong, but I know he's that now so I can't be too far off!) in Leavenworth, KS.  He has served our country well and made many sacrifices over the years.  He is a very humble man, so probably hates that I'm doing this, but I just wanted the world to know and recognize your service Uncle Mark, and to say thank you in as many ways as possible!  Besides, you put up with me when I was "crazy" in December of 2010 so you (and everyone else who was there for that lovely Prednisone Steroid Induced Psychosis...that story coming soon!) deserves a lot more than a simple thank you.  Love you lots!!!!!!!

The next person that comes to mind is my sisters' fiance, Kyle Campbell.  

This was the first Christmas he was "overwhelmed" by our family...ok you probably weren't overwhelmed but we can definitely bring a lot at you all at once...so I know you REALLY love my sister!!  :)  My brother, Justin, is in the background. (My sister and I learned a long time ago that for "some reason" boys love to make faces and "ruin" pictures....they just didn't know when they were making those faces it might end up on my blog...so the warning has been shared, but any pictures I already have are fair game....and lets just say I have some FANTASTIC pictures.)  ;)  Justin and Kyle were friends first and so Jen and him didn't date when they first met, but they are absolutely perfect for each other.  Kyle, I've told you before, but just want to tell you publicly, THANK YOU for 1) making my sister happier than I have ever seen her and 2) serving our country!  Jen, I know the next couple of years will have at least one deployment and we will all get to experience in a lot more personal way the sacrifice that so many families around the world make on a daily basis to protect the freedoms we so readily enjoy...including the ultimate gift of giving their lives.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

While men and women around the world are making sacrifices to keep us and their families safe and while families are grieving the loss of their loved ones who gave the ultimate gift, lets remember and honor those sacrifices as we BBQ with our families and take a moment to stop, remember, and pray for those that can't do the same with theirs today.

Third, my Dad, Lowell Morgan.  

  His emergency appendectomy went well and he is currently recovering at the VA hospital in Tucson.  We've had a bit of a "rough" relationship over the years, but I'm happy to say all that has been forgiven, and we have begun again.  Praising God for new beginnings, Dad!!!  Thankful for your service to our country and looking forward to seeing where God takes our relationship in the future!  :)

Del Smith, Caleb Smith, Steve Bard, Kelly and Jettie Tolbert, Vanessa and her family, Rob at Sullivan's, Caleb and Brianna Smith, and so many others that I know I am forgetting but please accept my sincere thanks for the freedoms that I have!!  :)  

While men and women have given their lives to keep our country safe and free, Jesus gave His life in our place to pay a debt we could not pay.  You might notice that somehow I always end up at the cross of Christ or at Jesus feet.  That is because He is my life.  Not just part of my life, but the very reason I (and all of you) are breathing this very second.  I know you may not all agree and I respect that and will be praying for you!  (I have lots of prayer time thanks to my hour long breathing treatments three times a day!)  I hope you stick around to not only learn about PCD and what its truly like to live with a chronic disease, but so that I can share my life experiences with you.  Many who know me can testify that I love nothing more than to serve and encourage others...it truly is my heart's desire and one of my greatest passions to help those who are hurting (physically or emotionally) and love them with the love of Jesus, knowing that He is the Author and Finisher of our faith and the One in whom all hope is found.      

And now for the quick doctor update:

I saw my naturopath and he gave me a supplement to help my large intestines since with all the antibiotics and possible bacterial overgrowth (which makes total sense because I have basically lived on antibiotics my entire life) it will help reduce the inflammation and heal the walls of the intestines.  He said it should help with the fever and literally right after I took the first dose is when my fever went away and has yet to return.  :)  All the glory to God!!!  :)

I have a referral for a GI doc and waiting on a couple other referrals and for my ENT to get back to me on whether or not he can help with the thyroid issues.  Pray that I would continue to wait on Him, that He would guide me to the right doctors in a timely fashion, that they would listen and be willing to communicate with the docs in NC, know the right tests, and get me the right treatment so that I can serve Him as best as I possibly can until He comes back or takes me home.  :)  

Pray for my sweet hubby.  The hyper-thyroid is especially difficult for him because it reminds him so much of what happened in Dec of 2010.  And yes, that story REALLY is coming soon...I have an 8 page long version so debating on whether to break it up into a series or just post the whole thing on here at once.  :)  Any advice bloggers? I know as a reader, I hated the suspense, but as the writer, it could be kind of fun...so we'll see what God leads me to do!  :)  (comments welcome!)  

In the Love of the Lamb,
Rachelle :)