Man, a lot has been going on. This year has been absolutely insane! Many of you have been following our journey for years and since so much has happened as of late, I figured I’d update you. Not all of the updates are good ones but at least you’ll be up to speed.
My Step Dad’s Cancer Diagnosis
After the initial, horrendous news about my stepdad, David’s, health, things started to get a bit better. We got hit with a lot of bad news, followed by some positive progress. It’s been calming down and I’ve been helping my mom out the best that I can. This past week I took David in for another biopsy. I’m just glad that I can be there to help. I pray the news will only get better from here.
Engagement photos and “Save the Dates”
If you didn’t see the amazing photos that Eric of Pixel Dust Photography took for our engagement session, go check them out! There are pictures of Matt and I with the dogs, individual shots of us, photos of Matt and I together and pictures of me in my mom’s wedding dress. Since our photos are done and ready to go, I have “Save the Dates” ready to order. Matt and I just have to finalize our wedding guest list so I can order the proper amount. To refresh your memory, Matt and I are getting married at Villa Siena on 12/29/16. All three of our dogs will be in our wedding.
Hip surgery…and not for the dogs…
I’m not sure if you remember the post about my chronic pain, but since then, the situation has changed. Last year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease after being sick for over two years. I finally feel great again (with occasional flare ups) but I still have chronic back pain. I’ve had lower back and right leg pain since I was 17. It used to come and go, with ibuprofen taking care of the pain. It’s gotten worse as I’ve gotten older and it’s been chronic for about three years. Last year I finally saw a pain doctor. It was awful. The doctor didn’t believe anything I had to say. He just wanted to shove meds at me and inject me with steroids. After nothing showed up on my back MRI, he told me he couldn’t help me. He was an absolute jerk.
This February, I said enough is enough and I found a new pain doctor. Turns out, he’s incredible. If you need a good pain doc, Dr. Avraham at AZ Pain Treatment Center has you covered. I finally found someone to listen to me. Dr. A. listened intently and empathized. He said that we were going to get to the bottom of it no matter what. I cried at my first appointment because despite all of my health problems, this was the first doctor I met that genuinely cared. After that appointment, I went to have x-rays. The results showed that my hip bone that goes into the capsule is deformed. It’s basically straight where it should be curved. After that, Dr. A. sent me in for an MRI. Well, I just got this news on Tuesday…it wasn’t good. The MRI showed blunting and fraying of my right acetabulum. It’s most likely being caused by the bone deformity, or the bone is being pinched somewhere.
The next step? Seeing an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. A. said that if I let it go, I’ll need a hip replacement in the next 10 years. I’m 27!!!! He said it’s rare for someone my age to have this hip problem. The surgeon will be able to give me all of my options. There’s a pretty simple surgery they can do that will basically cut the frayed tissue and keep it from getting worse. Not sure if that would be enough because of the issue with my bone. We shall see, and I will keep you updated! It would suck to have surgery BUT at this point I’m desperate to live a pain free day. I don’t even know what that’s like anymore…
California
We haven’t been to our California house in six months. Life has just been too hectic. McKenzie Rae hasn’t been to the house and we still haven’t driven the Subaru out there. SO next Friday we’re headed out for the weekend! I can’t wait to take all three dogs. McKenzie Rae will love the big grass backyard we have. She does well in the car just like Khloee and Wyn. I’m super excited! We’re going to take Wyn and Khlo to Huntington Dog Beach but we’ll have to leave the Kenzers at home. She’s not doing too fantastic with other dogs right now. It’s a work in progress.
BlogPaws 2016
The BlogPaws conference is coming to Phoenix in June! If you haven’t seen all of my excitement about it, then you’re missing out! BlogPaws is the biggest online community of pet bloggers. In June we’re all coming together to network, learn and grow over a three day period. This year we’re expecting 500+ people, 100+ pets and 100+ pet brands. The best part?! I’m speaking!!!!!!! I’m putting on a session called “From Starting Out to Cashing Out.” For more information on the community, visit the site! You can also check out the schedule here. I have some exciting news about Dog Mom Days that I will be revealing in the next couple of months so stay tuned!
Here are some other fun posts I’ve written about the conference:
Five Types of People Who Should Attend the BlogPaws Conference
I’m a 2016 BlogPaws Ambassador!
So. I think that’s it for now. My brain has been overloaded lately. OH I remember now – this Saturday we’re headed to Payson, AZ and on Sunday we’re going to Bark in the Park. I’ll be posting about our fun weekend 🙂
Thanks for reading and continuing on this journey with us. Love you ALL!
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