Has it been awhile???

Since I haven't written in forever, here are some bullets from last time I wrote (not in any particular order):

• My little girl turned 1.
• My little guy turned 3.
• MRI: Tumor is the same as it was a year ago which is great considering I've been nursing like crazy!
• Weaned Xaylia last month, naturally I might add, it was hard and painful, but I'm soooo happy  to know that I can do hard things :)
• Last blood results showed prolactin levels at 201 (Nov 2012).  Down from 300.
• No headaches.
• Good energy and less anxiety.
• Lost about 10 pounds (20 to go.)
• Classes, classes, classes.  We have officially replaced our income with our home-based business.
• Trips to Boise, Idaho Falls, and Texas.
• Found a decent source of vitex and have started on that again.
• Started a new oil blend called DDR Prime that is amazing for getting rid of tumors :)
• I got called to a new church position with the kiddos that I LOVE.
• Planning a trip to Costa Rica in April.
• Looking for a new Obgyn or Family Physician (UGHHHHHH!!!!)

So, what would you like to hear about next?  I can expand on any of those points or talk about something totally different....

Putting the cart before the horse is not always a bad thing!

So, I have a plan....but no doctor!  I figure that's ok because I will make sure any doctor I go to will follow my regimine and will see that I am my own advocate and that they (or their staff) will not try to take advantage of me or my family in any way, shape or form!   My plan is as follows:
-Continue to nurse until April 6th. (Baby will be 8 months old)
-Continue taking Vitex but decrease amount I take as it should be built up in my system.
-Go to my new doctor in a 2 weeks (if I can find one by then) and have my prolactin tested.
-See if my levels have improved since taking vitex
-Do a field of vision test in 2 weeks to make sure there is no urgency in my plan to quit nursing.
-Start using essential oils.
-Have another prolactin test in April before I quit nursing.
-Have another MRI around then too.
If my prolactin and MRI look good and show a decreased prolactin level and shrinking tumor I will continue on my vitex/essential oil regiman.  If not, I will probably go on cabergoline and see if that helps.  I've decided surgery is my last option! 

Sounds like fun, huh?!?  Just to remind myself to stay motivated and why I am doing all this, I am adding a pic of my sweet little boy!

  Now do you all know why I want like15 more (not realistic, but you get the picture)!!!   Now I need to go out and find that doctor.....wish me luck!

Specialists Specialists specialists

 I went to 3 specialists in Utah to see what is up w/ my head. The tumor is definitely pinching my optic nerves, but not too much yet. It is growing rapidly. It has tripled in size in the last year and a half. Most of that probably has been occurring since I started nursing, so in the last 5 months. Here are the results in a nutshell....
1)Endocrinologist (hormone Doc): My prolactin is out of whack(we already knew this)I can take pills the rest of my life or have surgery.
2)Eye Specialist: I did a field of vision test and I am not losing my eyesight yet....I will be doing these tests every other month while I continue nursing.
3)Neurosurgeon: It would be best for me to get surgery sooner than later. As the tumor grows it will be harder to operate and get everything and not get stuff that they don't want to get. (Sorry I didn't word that better...)
Options:
a) Quit nursing immediately, Medication, blood tests and MRI's the rest of my life monitoring the tumor and hope it starts to shrink. If it continues to grow I will have to have surgery anyway.
b) Brain Surgery. If surgery goes well I will not have to be on medications the rest of my life and it will be much easier to get pregnant in the future and I will be able to nurse. If they don't get all the tumor, it will grow back and I will continue having the same problems. If they get too much of my pituitary gland w/ the tumor I will be on hormone replacements the rest of my life and I will never be able to nurse and it will be hard to have kids.

So, there is my predicament. I will continue nursing for the next few months while getting blood tests and vision tests every other month to make sure the tumor is not affecting me until we decide what to do. I will also be taking herbal supplements (Vitex) while we are deciding and while they are monitoring me to see if that helps. If that helps, I will probably do vitex long term and have another MRI in a bit to see if it shrinks on vitex. That way I can nurse and hopefully keep this thing from growing at the same time as nursing is the main thing that makes it grow.

Currently I struggle with headaches (almost 24/7), lack of energy, and out of control milk production.