My Little Thyroid

Actually that's the understatement of the universe. I got a call from my doctor on Tuesday and he was extremely concerned about my condition. I got some blood work done and the test results came back for THP levels(i think that's what he said???) in my blood in relation to the thyroid are off the charts...literally. You are supposed to be anywhere from a 0.4 - 4.0. I am at a 50! That is more than 10 times the normal level. He put me on a higher dosage right away and I am to go back in 6 weeks for some more blood work.

I have been on and off thyroid medication for about 4 years now. I found out that I had a thyroid condition after my big car accident in 2001. One of my many pain specialists told me that I had an enlarged thyroid just by feeling my neck. Since then I have had a biopsy on it to make sure it was not cancerous--that is defiantly a post for another day. That was one of the weirdest things I have ever had done to me, and that's saying a lot!

My current doctor is concerned about how large the thyroid is now after being on medication for so long. I thought that once you had a biopsy and it was not cancerous that it couldn't turn in to cancer but I guess I am wrong. I am not worried about that though. We are keeping a close watch on it and I am on medication for it and we are going to be doing some ultrasounds again soon and it worse comes to worse they can just take it out...I think. One of me and Dusty's friends had his thyroid taken out.

Anyway, I will give you the update when I have one. In the mean time, I will take my thyroid medicine religiously and we'll see what happens.

The Car Update

Still going through a nightmare with my car/accident situation. Really don't want to post about it so I will just let you know how everything turns out. There is too much stuff to blog about. Although, I am learning a little more about faith. Maybe that will be a post for another time!

Cheers!

You know what?

Perpperidge Farm Cookies Rock! I am eating double chocolate chunk cookies, drinking DP and munchin on some pretzel sticks...Life is good!

Walking home in the freezing cold

OK, so, my car was supposed to be "drivable" so I drove it and while on the road it make a loud noise and just shut down. Dusty and I had to get all of our valuables out of the car and walk home. We tried to make the best of it and make jokes and laugh on the long trek home but it actually really stinks to have to leave your car on the side of the road in hopes that it will still be there in the morning. I have to get up freaking early to catch the bus to a doctors appointment at 8 a.m. and then figure out all of this lovely stuff.

I LOVE car accidents!! I really should be the poster child.

Oh yeah...

You guys keep your fingers crossed that nothing is really wrong because there I found some yoga/pilates and dance classes that I can take (and hopefully teach after a while) here in Provo and they start January 11th. I REALLY want to go to these so you guys cross your hands, fingers, toes, eyes...anything you can cross and wish me luck!

Crash Dummy Poster Child

I swear I should be the poster child for crash dummies. I was in another car accident tonight on my way up to Salt Lake for our second Geek Dinner at work. I was in the second to right lane and someone came off of the entrance ramp and into my lane and hit me from the side.

I will live but I am having neck and back spasms so I am going to get checked out. I really want to talk to my car insurance agent before I get checked out, but if these spasms continue I will have to go tonight. I tried to pick up my vacuum cleaner to move it when I got home tonight and my arm gave out and a pain shot up through my hand down through my neck and back. And of course, I have a bad headache and soreness.

Back in 2001 when I had my major car accident, I was left with nerve damage in my back and neck anyway so I am nervous about having continuous spasms. My brother Jason has had years of horrible health problems with his back and neck with spasms after a car accident. His symptoms didn't start until like a year later I think.

I really wish that this would not have happened but I need to try and make lemonade out of my lemons. I just wish that I could have the lemonade without the lemons...Melissa, could you make me some lemonade and HOLD THE LEMONS!!! Sorry, I had to throw that in there. One day I will post a blog about what the heck that means. It's actually a freaking hilarious story.

I will keep you all posted.

The Logo

This is the spactaculous logo that Dusty and I made the other day for his hobby/business of breeding and selling snakes, which is another story for another time. I just wanted to post it here for all to see. Tell me what you think.

(: For Posterity's Sake :)

This is in no way of me boasting..., BUT I feel the need to put this little link on my blog for posterity's sake. I Googled my name today checking for something and I found a link from The University of Houston educational system that gave shout outs to students who won awards from each school and, yes, my name was listed. He is the link http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/uhssuccess/2005nov/. I have to add this so when my children tell me that I an stupid and I don't know anything I can have them click on this and see that I was a 'Success Story'. (I actually found another award I won from UofL under my maiden name that I forgot all about too.) And I was told that my name is going to be mentioned in a magazine in January or April for another school achievement I had...Cool Huh?

Too bad there is not an article that says how I graduated with a 3.9, Magna cum laude, won the 2005 University of Houston Student of the Year Award, a couple of journalism awards, interviewed the Ambassador of Iran, got inducted into some honor societies etcetcetc...Man the list could go on!:) It sucks that none of that matters in the "real world". Just kidding I loved school and I loved my degree and I sometimes want to go back to school. I love the job I have now and see nothing but opportunity for me. Although, I am REALLY excited to get to the point to have a dozen little bebe kids running around my house. :) And NO I am not making an announcement although I thought I was going to need to make an announcement this past weekend when I was sick.

Speaking of school...again, I urge you all to keep your fingers crossed for Dusty when he takes his final this Friday. Thanks!

Sicky Wicky

Long time no blog I know. I have been sick (or as my sister and I would say, "sicky wicky". I don't know what I had but I have been knocked out for about three days and not I am back in full swing...at least my appetite is but that's not new. I hadn't eaten in like three days and I was driving past a Burger King and it actually sounded good so I got two cheeseburgers and ate them like they were going out of style. I didn't even get sick (until later that night).

Anyway, I am not sick anymore and Dusty hasn't gotten sick yet. Everybody keep your fingers crossed because he has a final this week and it would really suck for him to get sick. And for the record he did a WONDERFUL job taking care of me and doing everything for me that I can imagine when I was sick and didn't even complain that much. Just Kidding. He didn't complain at all and he helped me so much! But now I am not sick anymore and things are back to normal. I really could have used to getting pampered all of the time...

My Latest Addiction....

Ok for those who really know me know some obvious addictions like chocolate, shoes, perfume and shopping in general (especially as of late...sorry Dusty, when you tell a girl that she can have whatever she wants for Christmas you had better mean it!!) Anyway, I have been a book worm since I have been here in Utah. I have read the entire Harry Potter series, some marketing books, 3 or 4 church books and am on my way to finishing the Book of Mormon twice in one year which is amazing for me!!

I really feel the need to share with you a book that could possibly be the most life-changing book I have ever read. (Sorry Paul, I haven't read Love is the Killer App yet.) It is called The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal our Hearts and Homes, by James L. Ferrell. (Deseret Books $16 or Amazon $12 new) It is completely original in style and concept. While reading this book I laughed, cried (a lot) and could see a crisp picture of myself, my trials, the love of my Savior, my husband and his trials etc. But most of all what really makes this book so incredible is the explanation of the atonement.

Since I can remember I have known that the atonement works when you apply it. If I screw up and I truly repent, my sins can be forgiven. I have had a testimony of that for some time. Where I was getting hung up is the HOW part. One of my biggest learning experiences in this book was that I understood more of, not only more of HOW the atonement works for my sins, but HOW the atonement works for sins that others commit against me.

I know that some of you that are reading this have been abused, you have had problems with your spouse, you have had (for whatever reason) low self-esteem, pains inflicted upon you by family members and others for no apparent reason etc. etc. the list could go on forever. This book opened my eyes and literally took me step by step through how the atonement works and how it is sufficient for my sins and the sins that others commit against me. I had to re-evaluate myself and ask myself, "Have I truly forgiven Soandso? I mean, I told them I forgave them, and everything is OK, but maybe I still think about it every now and then and just get really ticked off." Have I truly forgiven?

I read it and could not put it down. My husband is reading it now and when he is done I want to read it again. There is so much to learn and take away from that book, I know I didn't catch everything the first time around! The character in the book is really stubborn and that makes it really good for the reader because in order to appease the character in the book the explanation has to be given several different times in a variety of ways so that you really understand the point that is trying to be made. It also helps to let down your guard and makes you let go of any self-justification you might think you have why somehow this doesn't apply to you because of the magnitude of the sin that was committed against you or the situation in which that sin occurred.

After reading this book I have a better grasp and understanding of the love that my Savior and my Heavenly Father have for all of His children and why we are all worth it! I know more about the atonement and I am better able to love everyone, even those who have seriously offended me. This book strengthened my testimony not only of the atonement, but of Heavenly Father's plan and the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Geek Dinner

Provo Labs Supergirl!

All I can say is wow! It was actually really neat to be there. I went there to help set up, meet and greet people, answer questions about our company and get feedback from people. This event was thrown together and had a HUGE turnout. Much better that we expected. I didn't understand what the heck they were talking about during the presentation and Q&A but I got to meet a lot of people and help out in a really cool way, and I have been coined the Provo Labs Supergirl. Everybody had name tags and their computer "language" they spoke like java, PYTHON, html etc. My name tag said: Amy Rhoads, Provo Labs, Language: English! A little joke from my friend I work with Phil who is a computer wiz. It made for some laughs when I introduced myself to people and they saw my "language". We are going to organize these once a month because of the overwhelming success of this first one. It really is neat to work with the technology industry and see all of the amazing advances that there are everyday. Even though I am lost A LOT when they start talking geek, I love to be there in the mix learning, meeting people, answering questions and promoting our amazing company that has crazy amazing potential to grow even bigger and better that I can't even grasp yet. Here is a picture from the event and I'll give the link below so you can check out more the Geek Dinner.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/22455865@N00/tags/utahgeekdinner/