Ode To Vanity...

It had bugged me for more than a year, and it was getting bigger...this "clogged pore" on my nose that wouldn't go away.  Eventually I felt SO self-conscious about it that I decided to get it checked out for removal. 

I called the best dermatologist in town, and was told she wasn't taking new patients for anything "cosmetic." Her office was kind enough to refer me to another doc in town who would see me.

When I went for my appointment, he was so kind and complimentary and told me I shouldn't feel "vain" about it.  I can't remember what he called it but he said these skin "eruptions" were "very common." Unfortunately, he could not treat me for it -- he deals only with skin cancer.  He told me I was a beautiful young women with lovely skin and I should just try to ignore it.  But, if I was interested in paying out of pocket to have it removed, he could refer me back to the best dermatologist in town -- they would take me if I came with his referral.

When I finally got in to see her, she took one look at my nose (after removing my makeup from the area, which the other guy never did) and said "that's skin cancer -- I'm 99% sure." WOW!  Within 5 minutes it was biopsied and I was on my way home with a stack of pamphlets and an appointment for the removal procedure.

Within a few days the lab results came in and confirmed -- basal cell carcinoma.  With the Moh's surgery (for which my new dermatologist was/is locally famous), I would have a 99% chance it would not recur.

I wasn't prepared for how invasive this surgery would be.  I had images of the doctor just slicing off the mole at the base, maybe a little deeper, like a more thorough biopsy.  However, with the local anesthetic I could see what was happening during the procedure and the entire left side of my nose was opened up.  Not only did I have a huge dressing (see pics below), there was significant swelling and persistent numbness.  My body didn't take well to the dissolving stitches, and for weeks they continued to poke through the surface of my skin, resulting in multiple follow-up appointments.  After about a week I was able to wear just a band-aid on my nose, which I was NOT happy about.

Lessons learned:

1) Always get a second opinion.

2) Just because you aren't a sun-worshipper, you aren't immune to skin cancer.

3) Sunblock, sunblock, sunblock.  I had been wearing 100 SPF on my face, which the doc said was probably "overkill," but it does no good if you don't re-apply regularly.

4) Vanity can sometimes serve one well...

I am working hard on not taking my health for granted and slathering on the sunscreen as often as I can.  The doctor's office had a powdered sunblock for purchase, SPF 80, which I can apply regularly over my makeup.  This was about the last thing I expected, but I'm grateful it was fairly easy to resolve!

Tess's 15-Month Checkup



Keeping busy while waiting for Dr. Chang

Little Miss Tess recently had her 15-month checkup (about 6 weeks late) and continues to be the paragon of toddler health!  As usual, she charmed Dr. Chang with her outgoing personality and cooperation during the exam.  She also impressed him with her large vocabulary, and proved she is ahead of the game with her verbal skills (he tells me that soon I will wish she waited to talk so much)! 

Her stats as of 1/8/13:

Height: 31 inches (50th percentile)

Weight: 23lbs, 7oz (50th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 1/4 in (50th percentile)

 

Tess also braved 4 shots during the appointment! Unfortunately, she landed back in Dr. Chang's office just a couple days later with pink eye and an ear infection...we are learning how difficult it is to keep her from putting random things in her mouth shield her from all the germs this world has to offer.  Thank God for children's Tylenol....

Sickies

Sweet, sick girl getting a breathing treatment

Unfortunately we've spent a good amount of time in October, November, and December fighting off various germs!  It started with a cold for Chad, then 2 colds for Sarah, then a sinus infection for Sarah, then bronchitis for both Sarah and Tess, and then the 24-hour flu for all 3 of us.  We are SO ready to be healthy!

At the height of our illness, Tess and I took a trip to urgent care together so that we could both get some antibiotics.  I took her to rule out an ear infection, and she ended up getting tested for RSV -- thank God she didn't have it!  While we were there, the doctor was very concerned about her labored breathing and ordered an immediate breathing treatment.  He prescribed not only antibiotics but also a  steroid cough medicine and an inhaler.  Mommy tried not to panic when he mentioned "Children's Hospital if her breathing doesn't improve."  Although the breathing treatment mask was a little scary at first, she braved all of it like a champ!  Mommy had reached the point where she just couldn't take care of Tess and herself at the same time, so Grandma Meg came to the rescue!  She drove up from Fullerton for a couple of days and provided huge relief to our household on so many fronts: cooking, cleaning, baby care, and even running errans.  We were super grateful! 

Then the weekend before Christmas, Tess woke up in a puddle of yuck in her crib....which commenced our parental initiation into child vomiting -- yikes.  This is a whole different ball game than infant spitup, when solid foods are involved!  Poor baby girl couldn't even keep down water, but by the time we started to get seriously worried  (early afternoon) she seemed to have turned the corner.  That was Saturday, and then early Monday morning Chad woke up at 3:00am with the same problem.  He was sick all day Christmas Eve, while I fought the nasty bug from the opposite couch.  Thankfully I didn't have anything worse than super miserable chills, extreme aching, and nausea.  We were both so bad off that we had to call on Grandma Barbara to come get Tess so that we could moan and groan and sleep.  It was a sad way to spend our Christmas Eve but our little girl had fun with her Grandma. 

So finally....as of Christmas Day....all 3 of us are healthy.  We are knocking on wood, keeping our fingers crossed, washing our hands obsessively, and praying we enter 2013 germ-free!

Crash!

The Escape before they towed it away. It was a little sad to say
goodbye to this car -- so many fun memories!  It's the car
we brought Tess home from the hospital in, too.

Last week Chad was involved in a pretty serious car crash.  There is NEVER a good time for something like this to happen!  He was driving north on Clovis Ave. when a large Chevy 3500 pickup truck pulled out in front of him (Chad was behind a delivery truck and the other driver's view was obscured).  He had no time to stop and CRASH! Our car was totaled. Thank God for airbags, both of which deployed successfully, leaving Chad with very minor injuries: a small cut on his head, a fat lip, and a very stiff/swollen/sore knee.  Although the other driver was determined to be at fault, we are still $1800 into unreimbursed expenses, pending discussions with the other driver's insurance and receipt of checks for our loss vehicle, various reimbursements, and whatever settlement we are offered.

 

This has been a hugely inconvenient experience for us, but what are you going to do. We are grateful that Chad wasn't severely injured, that Tess wasn't in the car, and that we are able to borrow a vehicle from family until we get the money we're owed and can find a new car....we were eventually planning to get something a little bigger, anyway!

Burnie's Life Lessons #1

"Don't Neglect Your Rest" (or, "When All Else Fails, Take A Nap!")

Isn't this the sweetest sleepy face?

Oh how life has changed for The Haydens since we added Burnie to the mix last December.  We can't remember what it was like in the house without her cute, furry self and that precious face with the big, curious eyes.  As it turns out, not only was getting Burnie a great way to prepare for parenthood, she's been a fantastic reminder of some of life's most important lessons. 

I have been meaning to blog about this for a while, and spending these last few days at home with her, while also 39 weeks pregnant with very little energy, has me thinking about the first lesson from Burnie that I'd like to share....on the importance of sleep!  A quick Google search on "the importance of sleep" returns countless articles like this one.  They say that cats sleep something like 16+ hours per day, and Burnie is no exception.  There are lots of theories about why felines get so much shut-eye, and this one is by far the most thought-provoking for me: "Predators that have few natural enemies can afford to sleep for longer periods of time."

Well isn't that interesting?  I could easily consider myself a predator, tackling my daily life and to-do lists with serious stealth and tenacity, and what is my biggest natural enemy?  Stress.  Rest is required to keep my body and mind stress-free and thus ready for the "kill," whether I'm knocking out small prey at home or at work.  And when life really gets the best of me, I find there is nothing like sleeping it off.  When you wake up after a good night's sleep or even a solid nap, your perspective is refreshed and things seem manageable again.  

I may not look as cute as Burnie while I'm catching my Z's (especially with this giant belly), and I may not be able to perch myself on a dining room chair or on the back of the couch, but she sets a good example for all of us.  Excuse me while I go take a nap!

"You cannot look at a sleeping cat and feel tense."

"Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely?" 

Baby Update

Here I am at 31 weeks (today), in all of my third trimester glory! I am still getting called "cute" so obviously the REAL action has not begun yet...

We had a prenatal appointment on Monday, and everything is great! My blood pressure is still normal, the baby is measuring just fine, and her hearbeat is strong. I am blessed to not have any complications of any kind thus far, and am just now starting to feel uncomfortable. I've been fighting low back pain and having trouble getting comfortable sometimes when sitting on the couch or laying in bed. I have minimal/occasional swelling in my feet/ankles now that the temperature is rising. I do a lot of drinking water and stretching and it seems to help! I am still sleeping well, praise God. I really could not do any of this without the support of my close friends (who let me complain and pray for me and tell me how great I'm doing) and my wonderfully supportive Sweetie (who fetches anything I need, any time!).

I will confess that my total weight gain is 24lbs so far, which in my mind is more like 30lbs since I was "up" a few pounds when we got pregnant. I'm not too disappointed as the doctor projects I'll only have an extra 10-15lbs to lose after delivery. Hello, breastfeeding!

July will be a super busy month as "Operation Baby" kicks into high gear. We'll have multiple projects going on around the house, there are 3 baby showers scheduled, friends coming in from other states to visit, childbirth classes, etc. Before we know it SHE will be here! I'm ready to not be pregnant but not quite ready to have a baby... I hope she comes on time, if not a little early. In my heart, she is an August baby!

It's So Fun....

...when you aren't the only one getting bigger! My dear friend Tiffany stopped by the office today (she used to work here) to say hello. Her due date is just 7 weeks after mine. Tess, meet Max!

Yesterday was my 28 week, appointment, which produced some positive results:

--I passed my glucose screening test with flying colors! I'm nowhere close to having gestational diabetes.

--My blood pressure continues to be excellent.

--I'm a little low on iron, so I'll be taking some extra-strength iron going forward, and "beefing up" my diet (ha).

--I've gained 22lbs so far. It looks like I'm on track to gain about 35 total, assuming I can keep things in check during the third trimester. Allegedly I will have "10 extra pounds" to lose after baby arrives. I can totally live with that, and it's been GREAT to eat what I want up to this point. Now, though, with my stomach lodged up near my sternum, I just can't hold as much food. I'm hoping this helps offset my 9pm bowl of cereal habit...

Yesterday I also went to Motherhood Maternity to splurge on a few more maternity clothes. Specifically, I needed more pants for work. WHAT A DIFFERENCE it makes to have a GOOD pair of maternity slacks that fit right and don't bind. Baby and I are soooo comfy today.

And, I've got 3 baby showers in the works, thanks to wonderful women in my life who asked to bless me by hosting them....invitations are going out soon!

And, we have officially started the nursery.

And, the baby registry (Babies R Us) is almost complete, too.

"Operation Baby" is ramping up!

She's An Exceptional Cat

It was quite the impromptu adventure when Burnie arrived in our lives -- not to mention the gender snafu! In 3 very busy months, she has become the center of our household and such a source of entertainment, joy, and companionship. We can't imagine having stumbled upon a cuter (look at that pink nose and those delicate paws!), more well-adjusted cat than our "Burnie Bear" (her name, Burnadette, means "little bear"). It has felt like a real gift from God, and the timing was interesting too -- we brought her home just 2 days after finding out we were expecting a baby. In many ways, Burnie has been part of our "preparation" for parenthood.

The most surprising, heart-melting, and scary part of adopting our little fur-baby has been the issue of her health. When we first got her, we couldn't imagine why anyone would literally "dump off" such a beautiful and sweet cat. Within a few weeks we discovered the possible reason -- it seems Burnie has, at the very least, a seizure disorder (feline epilepsy) and, at the worst, a more serious health issue that we haven't discovered yet.

So far she's had 3 middle-of-the night seizures, and we think she had one while we were gone during the day. Talk about traumatic: being awakened at 2 or 3 am to your cat convulsing on your bed, and there is nothing you can do but wait it out. After the second seizure, when we discovered it wasn't just a "one-time thing," we took her to the vet and began the semi-expensive process of testing her for any other type of health problem that could be causing the seizures. So far we have ruled out everything from a liver malfunction to feline leukemia and feline AIDS. Short of doing extremely expensive "cat" scans (ha!) and MRIs, we are left with the diagnosis that makes Burnie a truly exceptional cat -- she is one of the .5% of felines who suffer from epilepsy. There is no cure, only a lifetime supply of daily phenobarbital in Burnie's future.

Last week I took her back to the vet (her third trip in as many months) because I had discovered a lump on her side, next to her spine. I had suspected this was evidence (finally) of some underlying cause for her seizures, and anticipated more tests, possible surgery (yike$!), and a more devastating diagnosis. Our vet, bless his heart, seems to have little regard for Burnie's aesthetics -- he shaved a 3x2 inch patch of fur from her side so that he could examine her more closely and try to retrieve any fluid from the lump. As it turns out, he couldn't get anything out of it and says it's most likely a "hematoma" -- like a bruise under the skin, possibly from some kind of trauma (hmm, like maybe trying to jump into our armoire with the doors halfway closed?). So, we are to watch it to see if it gets any bigger, and in the meantime I'm hoping her fur grows back quickly.

Whatever Burnie's future holds, I'm so grateful she's part of our growing family. I know this sounds extremely mushy, but, it's pretty amazing what loving on a cat can do to calm you down and help you focus on the here and now. Burnie is helping me remember what's most important in life, at a time when I need it most!

A Pretty Perfect Weekend

Speaking of yoga, this past weekend the studio hotsed a lovely retreat up in the Santa Cruz mountains. I went with my girlfriend Becky, who works with me at PrideStaff, and we got to room together. We took the day off on Friday and on the way we stopped at Sarah's Vineyard to wine taste (Chad and I are members there) and at the Gilroy outlets to shop. The weekend was full of walks in the woods, naps and quiet time, a 1-hour massage for me, delicious organic & vegetarian meals prepared by the retreat center staff, and lots of yoga! It was great to spend such concentrated time learning more about the poses and getting hands-on help from the teachers. Namaste!

Wannabe Yogi

A few years ago I somewhat impulsively signed up for a Hatha Yoga class through the Fresno Adult School. I had never practiced yoga before; in fact, for whatever reason I had the impression that yoga was "taboo" in my circles. ("Yoga is so new age. It's rooted in Eastern mysticism." In some circles this is code for "It's from the devil!") Well anyway, I grounded myself in my own beliefs and took a chance on yoga.... I spent 6 weeks, every Wednesday night, downward dogging it at Aikido of Fresno. It was a really great, new experience for me and I began to feel and appreciate the physiological, soothing effects of stretching, focused breathing, and intentional relaxation. There was no "witchipoo," just quietness, breathing, stretching, and aaaaaahhhhhh.

Several months later, my friend Becky invited me to a Gentle Yoga class at Fig Garden Yoga Studio. It was a different experience and setting than Aikido of Fresno -- they practice Iyengar yoga, which uses "props" such as belts and blocks to help all practitioners achieve the desired poses. The studio is owned by Nancy Tan and her daughter Audrey, both such lovely and graceful women, full of vitality and sparkle, and both fantastic, patient teachers.

So for the past year or so I have been going on Saturday mornings when I can, and last summer I attended a 4-week "Introduction to Yoga" class, taught by Audrey, that reviewed the basic poses and physiological benefits of each. Then last weekend I stepped it up a level by attending a special 2-hour workshop that Audrey gave on the "King and Queen of Asana" -- the headstand and shoulderstand poses. WOW. These are TOUGH poses (see pics below) and learning each was a very methodical and physically challenging process. You have to learn how to do them correctly to protect your neck from injury...and I think the last time I stood on my head I was, well, maybe 8 years old? Well, thanks to Audrey's patience and assistance, I was able to get up into each pose once. Now my assignment is to practice them at home so that I can experience the physiological benefits of being inverted!

One great feature of the yoga studio is their rope wall, which helps sissies and weaklings like me get the benefits of the inversion poses without all the hard work! See pic below of some classmates "hanging out." After just a few minutes of inversion, I felt FANTASTIC! I'm anxious to get upside-down more often.

Meanwhile, I am also deeply engaged in Nancy Tan 's book, "Quiet Mind, Healthy Body" and learning lots about becoming more stress-free. How fun to know the author of this very helpful resource -- when I'm reading it I can hear her voice speaking it to me.

Namaste!

Fresh & Easy Arrives In Fresno

Many of you know that I am fiercely devoted to our local Trader Joe's. But after checking out the new Fresh & Easy last night, I may have to start dividing my loyalties!

I first experienced F&E about a year ago when I was visiting my friends in Phoenix. Since then I have been eagerly awaiting the opening of our 2 locations here in Fresno. Not sure what took so long, but it's FINALLY here. What makes me MOST excited about F&E:

1) Their food truly is FRESH and EASY. Everything they sell is "all natural" -- no preservatives or additives. All products are clearly marked with "sell by" and expiration dates. I say "easy" because the store is smaller, like TJ's, and there isn't tons to choose from.

2) They give away SO many coupons! They will do whatever they can to get your bill as low as possible. Last night I saved 20% on my grocery bill. I walked in with only 1 coupon, but at checkout they gave me 2 more. Coupons also print with your receipts.

3) Unlike TJ's, they also have a decent selection of "regular" stuff to choose from along with their brand-name items. I can get my health food AND my Coffee Mate in the same store.

I was kinda surprised to see picketers out front. When I asked what it was all about, they said the store fails to pay the local prevailing wage to its employees. Maybe this is how they can afford to sell the food for such great prices, and give away so many coupons?

The wine slection was pretty decent. It's no TJ's, but at least I can grab a bottle there if I need to.

Banana gelato. BANANA GELATO! This is, like, unheard of. I am not an ice cream lover at all, but I am absolutely a BANANA ice cream lover. Even though it's January, I HAD to get some!

Also gotta love the self checkout! What's more, is that they help you bag your groceries! The whole process was quick and painless. I felt in control of my spending. ;-)

I got home afterward and realized that my driver's license was missing. I headed back to the store, and they told me someone had found it out in the parking lot and turned it in. The very nice store manager had put it in their vault for safekeeping. Whew!

Why Americans Are Obese & Poor...

......GROCERY STORES!!

Quick background.....Those of you who know me well know that I absolutely LOVE my Trader Joe’s grocery store. I can't say enough about how great it is to shop there, and here are few reasons why (in no particular order):

--Food is CHEAPER! Really! My local TJ's often posts big displays showing the same products bought at save mart and the huge price difference.

--I can buy a week or two's worth of groceries for right around 50 bucks.

--I can do my shopping in 15 or 20 minutes (there aren't 200 types of cereal to choose from).

--It's cheaper than whole foods or some of the other hoity-toity health food stores. The organic stuff doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

--Most importantly to me, everything they sell is NATURAL. No hormones, no artificial flavors/preservatives. This will be even more important to me when I have a little one. (The hormones in meat & milk and what they're doing to kids these days is a separate blog!).

Okay so tonight I REALLY had this urge to go shop at Save Mart. There are only a few things we get there these days (stuff you can't get at TJ's), and I wanted to "window shop" some junk food, not to mention we were out of TP. O....M....G. Only one half cart full and almost $175 later, I was blown away (not to mention, I’d spent half of February’s food budget already!)! I cannot believe the SNACK REVOLUTION that's happening and all the JUNK you can buy, in all different kinds of shapes and sizes and packaging! Rows and rows and boxes and boxes of it!! Picking out crackers took 10 minutes and I don't even have ADD! Cereal took almost 15 minutes and my box of lucky charms was FIVE DOLLARS (cereal at TJ's is like $3 a box)! I was mesmerized in the frozen foods section. Nobody even has to cook anymore or really even have a fridge.

How much time, money, and calories do people use up just by grocery shopping? Everything is made and packaged for convenience.....is staying in and eating at home REALLY a savings? Is it REALLY a healthier option for those who aren't educated on nutrition and healthy eating? GEEZ.

I’ll insert a "kudos" to my mom here, for making me eat all that yucky health food growing up. It didn't make me popular on the playground but it's taught me how to be a health and budget conscious adult consumer, and hopefully I’ll get a few more years on this planet as a result.
So.....I bought the extra large fat free French vanilla coffee mate creamer this time, so i don't have to go back there for quite a while. After my thighs/arteries and my bank account recover from the minimal amount of junk food I’ll be consuming over the next couple of weeks, they'll thank me for being a devoted TJ's shopper.

Find YOUR grocery shopping nirvana at http://www.traderjoes.com/!