"We are All Mad Here": At Least it Sounds Sexy...

Monday, May 4, 2009

At Least it Sounds Sexy...

...it being the sadly mis-named alien lung baby. Yes, friends, the alien lung baby is actually an alien spine baby. Laslow-Mitford is something called a schwannoma, which is a growth of the cells that make up the myelin sheath, which has something to do with nerves. I'm waiting to hear more from my doctor, so I don't have a very technical grasp of it yet, but this is good news. Very good news. Schwannomas are generally treated with surgery, at the worst I'll be looking at brief general radiation treatments.

Full post when I know more, which should be later tonight or tomorrow. I just wanted to keep you guys all updated. Jim, Coll, and I are heading out to have some ice cream to celebrate. Finally, a conclusion!

8 comments:

Rose Red said...: Ya know, I would've thought that was just a made up word!! Thank goodness! Have an ice cream for me too! (it's a bit cold here!); May 4, 2009 at 7:01 PM
Bells said...: I feel like it's something where a person might say, 'and would you like fries with that?' I don't know why.

And the response would be, 'no, but I'd like it to be gone now.'

Who knew there was even such a thing? I certainly didn't. Huge relief, Em. Huge, massive relief. Surgery will suck but hey, it's better than some of the other options that were on offer before now.

Hope you enjoyed the icecream!; May 4, 2009 at 7:01 PM
Galad said...: Glad that the waiting is over and that the news isn't awful. Obviously "it disappeared and there is no surgery" would be great, but given the potential options just getting that sucker out is good.

Hope all will be over soon and you can get back to normal life.; May 4, 2009 at 11:50 PM
Olivia said...: I'm so happy and relieved for you. Will continue to concentrate on good vibes for the surgery and a nice quick recovery.; May 5, 2009 at 3:33 AM
Dianne said...: Schwannoma? Gesundheit! Hehehe. Excellent news! Truly excellent! I'm doing a dance of joy for you!; May 5, 2009 at 8:41 AM
roxie said...: I'm thinking of Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl. ". . . I'm all over fluffy white. I vouldn't peck at you or bite, and I have lovely little feet to dance upon. I'm a schwann."

So, who's the father of Laslow-Mitford? You been boinking mit der schwanns?

Enjoy that icecream!; May 5, 2009 at 9:08 AM
teabird said...: I'm so happy and relieved for you!; May 5, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Monique said...: This is great news Em. The end is nigh. Be gone with you spine baby.

Monique; May 6, 2009 at 8:24 AM

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The List! 101 Things in 1001 Days

The Schooling:
1. Go back to school at least part time in fall of 2009. changed to fall of 2010, due to alien spine baby insanity.
2. bring all my student loans current and pay my accounts down as much as possible

The House:
3. Clean the library, determining what is trash and what should stay X
4. Organize the books in the library so that they are displayed and accessible and so that you can actually sit somewhere in the room to read.
5. Paint the library and find a suitable rug and chair/small sofa for the room.
6. Paint the living room and front room
7. Paint the office
8. Determine which plants in the yard should be pulled, pruned, or saved and do so X
9. Plant something that flowers and is pretty in the yard X
10. Find or buy attractive, comfortable furniture for the yard and the porch X
11. Rescue the tree growing next to the house, plant it somewhere safe X
12. Clean/organize the basement so that things can be stored and accessed easily.
13. Re-finish the kitchen table and chairs gave them to kate instead.
14. Re-finish all the woodwork the crazy woman painted white
15. Find/buy chairs/sofa/seating for front room
16. Create and maintain a fair chore rotation
17. Buy new mattress, box spring, and bed frame.

The Me, Practically:
18. Create a budget, possibly with Jim's input, to be followed strictly and reviewed and updated every three months
19. For six months, cook at least on real, balanced meal per week (24/24) X
20. Find a job that is compatible with my goals and skills and has a normal schedule X
21. Write a will
22. Designate power of attorney
23. Write a living will
24. Make peace with myself, my life, my failures, and my successes.
25. Have an educated, well-argued opinion on current events/issues
26. Find/rent/buy software and improve my Spanish to conversational level
27. Find/rent/buy software and learn a little French
28. Read the Sunday Inquirer every week for a year (0/52)
29. Spend at least half an hour twice a week exercising, doing yoga X
30. Research fair trade products and, where possible, gradually switch over
31. Purchase more re-usable shopping bags and recycle the plastic ones in the kitchen X
32. Buy tires for the Jeep X
33. Buy shocks for the Jeep X
34. Switch my registration to PA by September 30, 2008 X
35. Switch my license to PA by September 30, 2008 X
36. Open a savings account as an emergency fund and build it to at least $500
37. Celebrate Earth Hour each year
38. Blog at least once a week for three months straight (0/12)
39. Write one entry in my journal a week for six months straight (0/24)
40. Meditate on my beliefs and design a system of worship/praise
41. Initiate myself into my faith
42. Practice my beliefs actively
43. Donate blood

The Me, Whimsically:
44. Learn to ride a bike
45. Using money I've budgeted, buy myself some great new clothes to wear when I'm not at work
46. Play my flute at least once a month for six months (1/6)
47. Buy/send myself flowers at least three times (1/3)
48. Plan and spend a day at a spa, being pampered
49. Read six fiction classics I've never read (o/6)
50. Read five non-fiction books (0/5)
51. Stock the bar and learn to make fun cocktails with coll
52. Spend at least half an hour outside once per week for twelve months (0/48)
53. Plan one birthday party for myself X
54. Try a vegetarian diet for a week
55. Bake something entirely from scratch X
56. Buy at least two cookbooks, one of them to be written by Nigella (0/2)
57. Take myself on a date to dinner or a movie, and enjoy the time out alone
58. Develop the cameras/film I have sitting around
59. Put the pictures in the office into albums
60. Share any good pictures with those interested
61. Buy an MP3 player X

Friends & Family
62. Plan a black-tie themed tea party for my girl friends
63. Take Jim to a fancy restaurant to celebrate us X
64. Travel to a different country with Jim
65. Go to a makeup counter with Coll and get makeovers
66. E-mail Ashley at least once per month every month for a year (0/12)
67. Call a friend once a week to talk, every week for a year (6/52)
68. Give ten gifts just because (2/10)
69. Plan one surprise birthday party
70. Go camping for a weekend or longer with Jim or other friends
71. Do something competitive (pool, mini golf, bowling) with Jim 5 times (0/5)
72. Have at least six girl dates/girls' nights with friends from home (3/6)
73. Have a sleepover with Amy, Kely, and Melissa
74. Have my family (or at least my parents) over for lunch/dinner 10 times (4/10)
75. Have Plum family over for dinner
76. Plan an awesome week-long vacation for me and Jim
77. Watch fireworks with Jim X

Crafty, crafty
78. Find or design a pattern for Melissa's wedding shawl X made shawl for Bridget, since wasn't invited to Melissa's wedding.
79. Buy yarn, needles, etc. for shawl X
80. Knit shawl in a timely manner X
81. Buy needles and knit the sweater that's living in the bag on my floor
82. Buy fabric and make curtains for the bedroom, front rooms, and library
83. Knit a pair of socks in less than a month
84. Knit at least six items for the charity/charities of my choice (0/6)
85. Buy, trade for or find a spinning wheel X
86. Learn to spin X
87. Learn about plant dyes and try them on yarn/fleece
88. Find a knitting group, join, and attend at least one meeting per month

Personal

89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96
97
98
99.
100.
101.