Scott

Well, there really isn't much to update. His oxygen levels are still low. Yesterday they had him on 3 liters of oxygen, and his sats were around 92-93%. Today they had to bump him up to 6 liters, and his sats are staying around 87-88%. His pulse is around 100-110, which is still high but better than 130. We are still waiting for his bloodwork to come back. The test for Valley Fever should be back tomorrow. The doctor told us today though that most people who get Valley Fever don't get so sick so fast. So we feel like we are back at square one. If he isn't doing better tomorrow, they are going to biopsy his lungs. He is not looking forward to that, but it sure would be nice to have some idea of what he is fighting. The doctor also said that most patients with pneumonia, even patients that are in their 70's, if they even require hospitalization, are in and out of the hospital within 2 days. It just doesn't make any sense that a 30-year-old healthy man is having such a hard time keeping his oxygen levels up.

We have had so many people helping us and showing their love and support through all of this. My sister Summer and her family drove here from San Diego to stay with the kids, so I have been able to be with Scott all weekend. His mom and my mom have also been helping with the kids and the house. We have also had so many phone calls and some visits from Scott's friends and family, we feel really blessed to have such awesome people in our lives. Scott's friend Joe came by this morning and brought doughnuts and visited for a while. Thanks Joe, it was so nice to see you, and you made Scott's day.

I will get back on when we get a more clear answer to what is going on. Thanks again to everybody who has offered their services in any way. We couldn't do this without you!

Happy Birthday Macey!

Seven years ago today you came into our lives, 6 weeks early and a tiny 4 lbs. 14 oz. You just couldn't wait to get started on all the fun things that life had in store for you. You are such a sweet girl, Daddy and I love you and appreciate you so much. You made us parents, and we will love you forever and ever. Happy Birthday sweet Macey, you are the best!

Update on Scott

Well, Scott ended up in the ICU last night in Pinetop. His oxygen was really low, and his pulse was really high. His blood pressure was all over the place. When they did his chest x-ray and CAT scan last night, they saw something in his lungs that they couldn't identify. They did another chest x-ray this morning, and whatever he has in his lungs had increased dramatically. The doctor was very concerned because they couldn't identify what was going on and why it was getting so much worse so fast. He told us that there was a chance that Scott would have to be put on a ventilator by tonight or tomorrow if things got any worse. So they ended up airlifting him back down to the valley where there are more specialists. I got the kids and luggage loaded up and we drove home. He is still in ICU, but he is feeling a lot better. They were able to lower the amount of oxygen that they were giving him. They did another chest x-ray, and nothing had changed, which was good since it had gotten worse in such a short amount of time through the night. They still aren't sure exactly what is going on, they have to wait for several blood tests to come back, which could take several days. They decided to treat him for Valley Fever, in case that is what he has. He feels so much better, the high altitude was not good for him. I am just hanging out with him in his hospital room, enjoying some quiet time. Once we get some more answers I will update again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone had a great Turkey Day! We are in Pinetop for the weekend, and it is so beautiful. It snowed all day today, and Macey and Heidi were having the time of their lives making snow angels and catching snowflakes on their tongues. They would go play for a while, come in and warm up in front of the fire and take a warm bath, and then repeat the process. They did that all day. Marley, Ryan and Jenna enjoyed watching the snow fall from the window, but they weren't too interested in going out in it, which was fine with me because I am a huge wimp when it comes to cold weather.

Today I am thankful for so many things. My amazing husband, first of all. Not only is today Thanksgiving, but it is also the 10 year anniversary of the day we met. I never in a million years would have imagined that in 10 years from that night, we would have 5 kids! I am also so very thankful for my kids. Every one of them brings something different to my life, they are each so sweet and precious. I am so thankful that at Heidi's appointment with the surgeon yesterday, he didn't feel a mass. He ordered an ultrasound just to make sure, but the fact that he didn't feel anything is a very good thing and means that if there is something, it's not a tumor like our pediatrician was worried about.

But in true Jacobs fashion, there has to be some sort of health issue. This time it's my 2 men. Poor little Ryan's eardrum perforated a couple of days ago, so he is not feeling really well. And the day after my surgery, Scott got a cough that has progressively gotten worse over the last couple of weeks. He went to the doctor several days ago and they told him that he has bronchitis and viral pneumonia. They gave him several medications, but he has kept getting sicker and sicker. Today he started getting a fever and having a really hard time breathing, so we took him to the E.R., and his oxygen saturations were at 79%. They did a bunch of tests, an x-ray, and a CAT scan, but they still aren't sure what exactly is going on. They are thinking either pneumonia, a bacterial infection in his lungs, or valley fever. They admitted him into the hospital until they can figure out what is going on and get his oxygen saturations back up. He is on 12 liters of oxygen just to get him into the 90's. So we are stuck up here in Pinetop until they figure out what is going on, and then hopefully they will transfer him to a Phoenix hospital so that we can go home. Poor Scotty, he is so so sick. I have NEVER heard anyone cough harder than he has for the last couple of weeks.

We got some adorable pictures of Macey and Heidi playing in the snow, so I will upload those when we get home. I hope that everyone has a fabulous and relaxing weekend!

Twilight at Midnight

We waited in line for 4 hours to see the premier of Twilight. Was it worth it? Oh yeah, baby. I was definitely hurting the next day, but I would do it again tonight! I was so impressed with the movie. It was so true to the book, and they fit almost everything in the 500 page book into a 2 hour movie. We went to Chandler Fashion Square, and they had 10 theaters showing Twilight at midnight. Every single one of those theaters was packed with die hard Twilight fans like us. It was fun to people-watch, some of those girls had the funniest homemade Twilight shirts on, like "Edward's a lover, not a biter", and stuff like that. I will definitely be seeing it in the theater several more times before it comes out on DVD, when I will buy it immediately. :)

On a more serious note, we need prayers for Heidi again. I took her to her annual check-up at the doctor yesterday, and our doctor found a mass in Heidi's abdomen. She isn't exactly sure what it could be, so she wanted her to get checked out by our pediatric surgeon as soon as possible. There is a chance that it is another hernia, but it is not in the normal spot for a hernia. We are going to the surgeon on Wednesday, so please keep sweet little Heidi in your prayers. Even if it is just another hernia, she will still have to have another surgery. I am about at the end of my rope. This year has been so hard, one medical thing after another. I am so scared, but I am trying to just be positive. I will let you know what the surgeon finds. I guess you could also pray that our family has a break from all of this stuff for a while, I think we have had our share.

FINALLY!!!

I thought that this day would NEVER get here! Tonight at 12:01, I am going to see the first showing of Twilight! I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself. Carolyn, Melissa, and I are going to make a night of it (as much as my body can handle anyway), and do dinner, maybe a little shopping (I might have to rent a wheelchair!), and then the movie! I will let all you Twilight fans know how it is. :)

Catch-Up

I have tons of pictures that I haven't been posting lately since I have been out of commission. I will try to get them all on here now!

I am feeling pretty good, I think that it is just going to take a while to get back to normal. Hopefully, better than normal! My normal lately has been pain, and I am so ready to be feeling like my old self again. I got my hormone pellets put in yesterday (my 10th incision!), and I am really excited to see how good I feel with them. I had zero night sweats last night, and I slept all the way through the night, so that's a great start! This might be TMI, but oh well. Since I have been having so much pain for so long, poor Scott has not been having his "needs" fulfilled as much as he would like. I was nervous that after I recovered from the surgery, I would have no sex drive anymore, because that is part of menopause. Well, when they put in the pellets, they put in 2 estrogen and 1 testosterone. The testosterone helps with energy and, yes, sex drive. Scott was teasing me, telling me to have 2 testosterone pellets put in. I told the doctor yesterday that he had said that, and she said, "If I put 2 in, you won't ever let him leave the house!" She also said that once the pellets start absorbing, it might be very difficult for me to "abstain" for the 6 weeks that I am supposed to after my surgery. So funny.

We have had so much help this last week. Scott was able to take last week off work, and he was going to take this week off too, but our families have stepped in and are helping a ton. My dad, mom, Aunt Tina, and mother-in-law are all helping out this week so that Scott can go to work. We have such an awesome families!

Cuddling

Not feeling well, watching Baby Signing Times

Little gymnast

Tricky Marley!

Backyard soccer

Here, let me give you a ride!

Silly Heidi

He is a pro, unfortunately

This might be innapropriate, but have you ever seen tinier buns?

Handsome boy

Princess Marley



Here are the post-surgery pictures of my bruised, swollen, incision-riddled stomach:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a383/sajacobs1/cid__1115081635.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a383/sajacobs1/cid__1115081634.jpg

Ugh

I had to go back and re-read what I wrote in my last post, those morphine pumps will mess you up! At first I didn't even remember that I had posted from the hospital, and then I got on here and saw it. I was impressed that I could even spell and make sense! So obviously, I am home now. I came home earlier than I probably should have. It wasn't until the second day in the hospital that I realized that I had been put on the post-partum floor. I don't care how many kids you have, for someone who is 28 years old, has had a hysterectomy, and just had surgery to remove every other reproductive organ they have and be put into immediate menopause, the last thing you want is to hear adorable, precious newborn babies all day. I was livid. I was emotional from the intense pain, emotional from the physical loss I had just had, and my body was adjusting to having zero hormones. I asked my nurse why they had put me on that floor, and she told me that they didn't have any beds available on the med/surg floors, so I got put there. She also told me that several of the nurses and a couple of doctors who knew my situation were very upset about it as well, and had talked to the hospital administration about it. I was crying about it, and my nurse called my doctor, who gave her a verbal discharge order. It was probably the fastest hospital discharge in history.
I think that I am doing pretty good emotionally. I have started hormone replacement therapy, and that is helping. I am doing the patch right now, but I am going to be doing what they call balance hormone pellets. They make a little incision in your hip and put in 3 little hormone pellets. This is nice because you get an even disbursement of hormones every day instead of the surges you get on oral hormones. You also only have to do it every 3-6 months, so you don't have to worry about taking a pill every day. Man, things I never thought I would have to worry about at 28-years-old.
As I said in my last post, they had to make 5 incisions to get the robot in and get everything done. One is in my belly button, and they other 4 are just below my rib cage, 2 on each side. They look pretty gruesome. My whole torso is so swollen, it is crazy. I was so glad that they found all of the things that they did, because that explains why I have been having so much pain. I knew that they would find cysts on my ovaries, because I have had those since I was a teenager. We suspected endometriosis, but they were surprised at how much I had since they had removed the endometriosis that they found when they did my hysterectomy. It's pretty unusual to have that much endometriosis when you don't even have a uterus, so they asked for my permission to use the tissue they removed for research. With all of the surgeries and pregnancies I have had, it was no surprise at all to have found adhesions. What was a surprise was that my bladder was totally and completely adhered to my cervix. They also found something else that they couldn't identify, so they removed it and sent it to the lab. I am really optimistic that after I recover from this surgery, I will be feeling so good and normal again. Hallelujah!
Scott has been an absolute angel. He helps me out of bed, helps me get up from the couch, brings me my pain meds on time, he is just the sweetest husband ever. If I am in bed and I need something, I just send him a text message (he calls it his "slave bell"), and he brings it to me. And he is taking care of all 5 kids, driving Macey and Heidi to and from school, keeping up the house, and cooking. He is awesome and I am lucky to have him.
I will be back at school on December 2nd, so call and schedule your appointments for that week. If you haven't been in yet, you have to come in for your complimentary facial! Just call the school at 480-964-7546 to schedule an appointment with me.

Update On Me

Sorry for the rant, but I have to get this out. I must also warn you that I am on a morphine pump, so please don't hold me accountable for any nonsense I might type.

Ugh. I do not like hospitals. I don't understand why 101 people have to come in your room 27 times each in the middle of the night. It makes it so much harder to start feeling better when you aren't getting any sleep. And why do they make you get up and walk around at 4:00am? They seriously can't wait 3 or 4 more hours?

Okay, I'm done. My surgeon, Dr. Hibner, had warned me that there was a pretty good risk of tearing my intestines or some other abdominal organs because I had so many adhesions that were making everything stick together in there, and they were going to have to "peel" all the organs apart from each other (gross, I know). Luckily, Dr. Hibner is amazing and there were no major complications. The surgery was done with a robot. Dr. Hibner sat at a control table and "performed" my surgery while sitting several feet away from me. Pretty cool. I have 5 (yes, 5) new incisions on my abdomen. He found a bunch of adhesions, and my bladder was completely fused to my cervix. He also found several ovarian cysts and a good amount of endometriosis. He was able to clean all of that up, and then he removed my cervix and ovaries. The surgery took almost 4 hours! With robotic surgery they have you laying at an angle where you head is much lower than your feet, so my face is nice and swollen from laying like that for 4 hours.

Everything is going well except for the fact that my oxygen levels keep dropping. No one is really sure why, but I'm not short of breath or anything like that so I'm not worried. Before I can go home I have to be up and walking around, eating solid food, be off the morphine pump and on oral pain meds, and obviously keeping my oxygen levels up. Sounds like a lot of work, but I'm going to try really hard to get it all done so that I can go home. Thank you for all of the emails, phone calls, texts, and comments on Facebook! I will let everyone know when I am getting out of this stinkin' hospital.

Jake

I have had several people asking how Jake is doing, so here's an update. He is getting so big! He is the sweetest puppy ever, he doesn't realize how big he is and he still wants to sit on everyone's lap. He is 4 1/2 months now. Here are some pictures of my 6th beautiful baby.

Kids are so smart!

Something To Be Thankful For

It's almost Thanksgiving, and I have been thinking about the many things that I am thankful for. Today we received some news that made me realize just how many blessings I have and how thankful I am for my children. Heidi had her appointment at the pediatric cardiologist today to check her little heart defect. They did an echocardiogram (ultrasound of her heart), and they were able to give us the incredible news that the hole in Heidi's heart has closed! I started crying when they told us, I have been so nervous for this appointment. She still has an enlarged aorta, but it is not big enough to cause any problems as of now, so they will just keep their eye on it and see what it does. I said to Heidi, "I am so glad that the hole closed!" And she said, "It's because I talked to God." Wow. What an amazing little girl she is.
I also had my pre-op today (I was in the car all day long). My doctor and I decided that he will not only remove my cervix, but my ovaries as well. I don't want to go through anymore surgeries after this, so we figured as long as he was in there he would just do it all. I am excited to not have to deal with ovarian cysts every month, but I am not excited to be in immediate menopause. I am trying to decide if I am going to take hormone replacement therapy or not, there are positives and negatives either way. My surgery is on Tuesday, and I'm not sure how long I will be in the hospital, but I will update as soon as I can. There are many risks to this surgery since I have so many adhesions and tons of scar tissue, so please pray that everything goes smoothly.

Trick-Or-Treat!

We had Hannah Montana, Barbie Mermaid, Elmo, and two octopi at our home last night. They all had so much fun, Marley wasn't too sure about the idea of putting her candy in her bucket at first, she wanted to hold all the candy in her hand and hold the bucket in the other hand. She got the idea eventually and was so excited to get some candy! The twins rode in style in their wagon, eating Dum Dums and looking cute. We went out with a group of friends, so Macey and Heidi had some kids their age to hang out with. It was really cute when Macey would see friends from school, I don't get to see how she interacts with them when she is at school. She seems to be pretty popular!

Getting ready to go!








Can't we just go already?!




Isn't there supposed to be something in here?


Heidi, Faith, and Macey

Little Blake


And here are just some random pictures from the last week. Ryan likes to put everything on his head. In the first picture he has Jenna's little pants on his head. The second picture is mac 'n cheese.


Daddy's little helper (Scott was in heaven!).





This is my nephew Jayden. Isn't this one of the cutest things you have ever seen?! Look at how tiny the violin is!