With a Name Like Tabbie...

...You automatically get 9 lives.

That being said I am only 32 and have gone through a couple. And here we are again. I had purposely chosen to stop blogging for a little while but it appears to be some sort of emotional release (who'd have thunk?) which is why I am back today. 

So let's jump into the last month and half!

First, Ethan turned two. Yes, really. He went from this...

My Sweet Baby Boy

To this, in the matter of two years. 

Happy Gilmore Shirt

I know it seems like common sense, but until I became a momma, I am certain I took time for granted. Now with each new phrase, new face, new adventure, it all seems to be speeding by before my eyes with no way of slowing it down. Before we knew it his birthday came and went. We had a large party with all the neighbors and his friends - which will be my next blog post for sure. The baseball themed celebration fell on a day where the temps were not quite warm enough for outdoor watersports - so we improvised. Balloons, bubbles, egg toss and egg on a spoon race. Everyone seemed to be entertained and Hutch fell asleep the second his head hit the mattress. 

Morning of Hutch's Second Birthday

We have been enjoying the festivals. From the Swine fest in early June to the Des Moines Arts Festival yesterday, we have been taking full advantage of activities in the 515. 

Swine Fest with Ben and Jen

Arts Festival with great friends, Eric, Alicia, Andy, Stephanie, Emily and Tony.

What a perfect night downtown Des Moines. 

But today, I am really missing my kiddo. He is at his grandparents house for a week while KP and I head north on a new adventure. We will be heading to the Mayo Clinic for observation and testing. I will start from the beginning but let me first say, what I say here is all I know until after my initial appointment.

So here we go...

Back in 2001, two years into college, I started noticing these red bumps on my legs and stomach. They appeared to be freckles but would be itchy for a little bit and come up in little clusters like freckles. I went to my doctor and brought them to his attention and he said he thought they were hormonal and removed me from my current BC shot and onto something with lo hormones. Fine and dandy. I noticed over the years I had got more and more. I showed them to every PC physician and dermatologist I came in contact with over the last 12 years. Both KP and I had been seeing another derm in town we weren't thrilled about and so made us both appointments at Heartland Dermatology. The PA took one look at my moles and said they looked fine but she wanted the doc to inspect my "spots". He instantly said, "I want one." They removed my first mole just a week before we left for Oklahoma. 

Pathology came back "subtle" which I guess means 'inconclusive.' The doc wanted to go deeper to get more tissue. I asked exactly what we were testing for and he said, Mastocytosis. He said he gets maybe one case per year in the office and this resembled it but he couldn't be certain. After a couple days, I got a call that the results proved positive. I had this disease that not even he could tell me about, but was pretty serious. 

I was referred to Dr. Buroker, a Hematologist/Oncologist at John Stoddard Cancer Center. He sat with me for an hour in disbelief. I didn't look for act like a typical case. He wasn't buying it. He wanted Mayo Clinic to step in to review the path labs, not because he didn't trust the doctor/pathologist but because he said he wasn't going to jump to that diagnosis until someone else had a chance to take a peek. A week later, the tests revealed that it was, in fact, Mastocytosis. Dr. Buroker then set me up with an appointment at Mayo after answering all the questions I had, the best he could, which was still very vague. 

Here is what I know:

1) Don't google it because that is the best way to find out you are dying. 

2) In a nutshell, it is a blood disorder that has to do with the histamine reactions in your blood. Mine are wacky and that is why, chemicals (pools, hot tubs), change in temps (walking outside in the early morning exposed, or getting into a hot shower) or foods and alcohol (haven't found any correlation with these yet) effect the way those bumps appear. One minutes they are flat and brown, the next they are raised, pink and itchy beyond belief. 

3) Although this is not cancer per se, it is treated in the same token, but first I would need to be evaluated, 'staged' and then they will find the best course of treatment for me. 

4) They don't think this had anything to do with my heart stuff. 

5) They believe it is a slow growing disease because I have had it for 12+ years, so that is good, right? Also because I have terrible seasonal allergies, I have been regularly taking an antihistamine for the past 7 years, which they think has control breakouts. 

6) The Mayo Clinic has an actual Mastocytosis Center for all those atypical peeps like me in the world. (Hooray for being different!) It will take 2-5 days for me to be thoroughly evaluated then we will get to come home. Hence why Hutch is visiting Dzia Dzia and Busia. 

As you can see, I don't know much, but I know I am in good hands. On Monday, KP and I head to Rochester, Minnesota to see the best of the best. I have always had this weird fascination with medical research and deep down always wanted to visit the MC but never for this reason. But I will try to make the best of our trip while we are there. When we get to come home, we will head straight down to Kansas City to pick up my dear sweet boy. I am sure by then, I will have lost my mind without him. 

Until then, again I am begging for your prayers and thoughts, not only for my health but for KP and Hutch too.  We welcome anything: good juju, positive booga booga, and even well wishes. KP is doing a great job of keeping me entertained this week but as each minute passes, I miss the sounds in my house and pray to time warp into the coming week where I will see my kiddo again and have some answers from amazing medical professionals. 

My Handsome Men.

From my family to yours, we thank you for the love and continued support. 

XOXO Tabbie