IMPORTANT!!

Hey Everyone,

You have all supported me so much with prayer and thoughts and now it is time for me to help someone in a small way. A couple nights ago, the boy across the street was in a terrible car accident and is now in ICU at where else but my other home, RCH. His name is Jordan and he is not too much younger than myself.

I am asking for prayer for the family and just to keep them in your thoughts and to spread the word. The link to HIS blog I will post below. His family tries to post updates regularly.

Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!!!

Kim


JORDAN'S BLOG:
jordanstam.blogspot.com

Update FINALLY!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it has been so long since I posted, I have been crazy busy which I guess is a good thing. :)

Where do I start?

Well the summer was awesome. I loved my job and I was so thankful to have the opportunity to work. It definitely made me feel like I had a semi normal life again which was absolutely an amazing feeling.

Now onto my rehab. My radiologist, Dr. Mackenzie, set me up with an awesome centre that basically is for young adults who have had injuries. The centre has essentially everything that you need for rehab and he arranged for me to meet with people to be evaluated on how I am doing memory wise and how it is and has effected me. I was able to see a vocational counsellor, a physiotherapist, a social worker, and an occupational counsellor among others. It really helped me to see their reactions about how well I was doing and that I had come this far on my own, without any rehab. It was also a total eye opener. To see all of the young adults that were like me and had very similar physical handicaps that I had gone through made me just want to talk to each of them and tell them that there is a light at the end of this LONG dark tunnel that they feel like they are in right now. It was definitely a reality check Yes, things have been hard but I really have come a long way. I really can't thank you all enough for the prayers and thoughts, and I definitely can't forget the One who answered all of those prayers. He has brought me through it all and is continually giving me the strength to keep going and not settle for less then what I am striving for.
I am going back for follow up appointments and a neuropsych evaluation to see which parts of memory and things like that that I struggle with. From there they can narrow down the things that I need to work on. Also, I was never given a line as to where I could exercise and that always made me frustrated. I went from playing basketball and working out 6 days a week to only being allowed to walk for a short while and doing yoga. The people at GF Strong are going to contact my past doctors and evaluate where that line can now be drawn. It will still be vague but not as vague as it was to begin with and I am probably the most excited about that.

BUT I am totally excited to announce, for those of you that don't see me to often, that I AM IN SCHOOL RIGHT NOW!!!! That is a miracle in itself. I am in the Applied Business Technology program and loving it. I have even surprised myself with my grades. I have not gotten anything lower than an 88% on a test so far and I do all I can to remember who got me to where I am. 
I am striving to further my education as I continue rehab, but this program will guarantee that I can get a job starting in May 2013.

As for the rest of my life right now, I am blessed to be able to watch my friends and wonderful boyfriend do the thing I love the most, work out and play basketball at CBC. It definitely is hard to not be there and play ball but it is so nice to still have a connection. One day, hopefully in the near future with God's will, that will be me again; playing ball and working out. I have no doubt in my mind that God has big things planned for me and this definitely has happened for a reason. Just need to keep my head up and keep truckin. 

I hope I am able to one day inspire others with my story the way I have been inspired with SO many people.

Once again, I am so sorry that I haven't been able to update lately but I will do my best to keep you all posted! 

Thank you all so much for your continued support and prayers. I am truly blessed by you all and I am forever grateful to have you all apart of my journey. No, it's not over yet, but the best is yet to come. I know that and believe that with my whole heart.

Kim

Radiation !

Hey Everyone,

Sorry to make you wait for an update it has been quite crazy. So let’s start with Tuesday. I drove with my mom and dad out to the cancer clinic in Vancouver to have my consult with Dr. Mackenzie. He was WONDERFUL and not anything close to what I expected him to be. He talked to us for about 45 minutes to an hour and started out with asking me if I had any question so he was able to cover all of them when he was explaining the day of radiation to me. He was quite humorous and made sure I understood EVERYTHING that was going to happen that day. I told him of my anxiety of getting the head frame screwed on and so he asked me if I would like to see it. I of course thought maybe he would show me a picture after the consult, but in Dr. Mackenzie he said alright and left to go get it. I was able to see it and hold it and he once again explained EVERYTHING about it to me. I felt a lot better and without a doubt felt so blessed to have him as my doctor. I understand that doctors are really busy and have to see a lot of patients but he really made me feel like he cared and wanted the best for me. He asked me if I had received any type of counseling and if I had plans for the future for school and stuff. I told him that I would be going to school in September for the Applied Business Technology course but that I would love to go back to school to upgrade if my memory came back and become an X-ray tech or an ultra sound tech, but I wasn’t counting on that to happen. He told me that I could do anything and that he would even call the counselors of my university so set me up extra help. I was amazed. My radiation wasn’t the only part he was concerned about for me. He truly wanted me to be successful and that was honestly the most amazing feeling.

After I meet with him, a nurse took me around the unit and showed me where I would go on the day of my treatment so that everything was familiar and not as scary for me. She introduced me to some nurses and walked me through each room to let me know what would happen. Once again, that was a blessing !

So after all that was finished, we got some lunch and then took some time at Ikea before my MRI. It was nice to just process all the information he gave us and I even bought new furniture for my room which was awesome! (thanks mom and dad ;) ) We headed back to the cancer clinic and I got ready for my MRI. I was worried since all the MRI’s that I had had in the past were at least 45 minutes long and I am really cluster phobic (sorry if that spelling is wrong). The technician attached a mirror to the thing that holds my head in place and even had headphones that she played the radio through. Once again, an answer to prayer. ( you may find myself repeating that a lot !!) Besides that, all together my MRI took 20 minutes!!!

Okay so the next day I had an ultra sound for my ovaries because they had thought a couple months ago that I had an ovarian cyst. It was pretty painful but I was happy to get it over and done with. I will tell you the conclusion of it later.

So RADIATION DAY! We left my house at around 530am, as most of you know, I am NOT a morning person, BUT it was another answer to prayer because I eventually slept the whole drive in, instead of being awake and stressing the whole way there. Once we got there we knew exactly where to go since the nurse had shown us so there was no stress or confusion. I checked in and about 5 minutes was brought to the nurses’ station to get my IV out in. So here goes one of my favorite parts of the day…NEEDLES!!! WAHOO!! So she got my IV ready and the two nurses that were there were soooo nice and very funny. The first nurse was not able to get my IV started so instead of poking around, she pulled it out and told me she wasn’t going to poke me anymore since she knew that I was scared. She the second nurse tried and got it. I didn’t ask for the freezing back this one time and it happened to be the time that was the hardest. Plus, I asked if they could put it in my right hand thinking it was a good idea since I have lost a bit of feeling in it. But I didn’t think of the fact that my arm shakes and so my mom had to hold my arm still while she did my IV. Finally it was in and you could tell she felt horrible for having to poke me and dig around. It was a rough start but I was glad it was over and that my nurses were so kind. Once again…can anyone guess what I am going to say? It was an answer to prayer!! (even though it did hurt a bit…okay more than a bit) hah.

From there, they gave me pain medication I my IV and got me ready to go to get my head frame on. I was so scared but I knew God was with me. My parents called me really brave, but I think we all know I didn’t do that by myself. So Dr. Lee arrived and prepared to put on the head frame. They didn’t have to shave ANY of my hair, which for those of you that know me was a huge deal to me haha. The next part I will never forget and was the worst part of my day. As Dr. Lee prepared me for the headframe, he had to inject freezing into my head. Of course it was not normal needles, it was the kind that you see in horror movies. The needle part of it was a good three inches and the syringe was huge with the finger holes since it barely fit in his hand. He cleaned each of the areas and then proceeded with the injections. I have never felt a pain like that (well since I don’t have memory of when I hemorrhaged. I did everything I could to not cry and internalize my pain. I asked God for strength continually, and without Him I think, actually I KNOW that I wouldn’t have been able to make it through those moments. Once he put the needles in which was awful since I could hear it going through my scalp, he injected the freezing which was the most painful part. He had to move the needle around in my head to make sure he got the whole area. He had to do this for times. It made me think of what Jesus endured on the cross. These were just four needles in my head, it hurt for ten minutes, he suffered until His death! Just was a moment that I will never forget.

After the freezing was in, they fitted me for the head frame. They screwed in each screw, finished each one with a good tightening from a torque wrench. It was literally out of a horror movie. They then proceeded to screw the frame to the CT table. I was worried about this part to because the picture in my head of this moment was that they were going to take a power drill and tighten my frame to the table. Instead, they fit the frame to the table so that the holes on the back lined up with the ones and placed to screws in by hand. Once again, answer to prayer for me!! Then the medicine from the IV kicked in and my nurses had given me a lot since they knew how scared I was and it made me not able to focus or talk and it was horrible and scary. I tried five or six times to open and shut my eyes really hard in hope that they would refocus, finally I shut my eyes tight and prayed a prayer out of my deepest part of my heart and asked God to take it please allow me to see straight and not be afraid. One the count of three I opened my eyes and was able to see perfectly straight. I tried my best not to cry but it was such a wonderful moment! Once again I knew I was not alone, and the comfort a felt could not have been given by any human. My God was there with me and He wasn’t leaving me, ever.

After they finished the scan, I went back in the wheel chair and off to my room to wait 10 hours for them to plan out my radiation plan. I was thankfully able to sleep for most of the day and was just woken up a little before 12 so that I could eat before I wasn’t allowed to eat any longer. Having the head frame on was quite humorous for me really. Every time I would go to lay my head back, it would hit the bed so we had to devise a plan. I ended up putting my stuffed dinosaur from Linden, who has really been with me in EVERY surgery and scan, under my chin and placed a towel on my shoulder and was able to sleep comfortably. I would wake up and press my nurses call button for more Morphine and then go back to sleep. The nurses on that floor were great to and after the third time waking up the next time I called she just brought the morphine with her. It was funny. When I was awake one time, the lady beside me was told that she would be moving to the Hospice center nearby and that her family would be notified. My heart broke for her and I took that time to say a prayer for her and for God to be with her.

Finally the time came for my radiation. I was so excited. Dr. Mackenzie was able to explain how it all was going to work and the lab technicians that were there were once again WONDERFUL. They explained how many passes the machine was going to make over my head so I was able to count down how many were left. They came in after each pass and repositioned the table and made sure I was okay….umm..again… ANSWER TO PRAYER! They were amazing and made sure I didn’t need a break or anything.

When my radiation was over, they detached me from the table and helped me back into the wheel chair. They wheeled me into a room and Dr. Lee took my head frame off. It felt like my head was expanding, but it didn’t hurt. He talked to us about how it went and he said it went perfectly. I was wheeled back up to my head where I was free to go but I asked for one more bag of morphine and a T-3. After that my morphine was finished my nurse came and took my IV out. I got changed and we started out the door, I stopped and turned around and told my family to wait a second for me. I walked over to the lady on the other side of the curtain and thanked her for sharing her room and that I would remember to keep her in my prayers. She smiled and said thank you and I left. I hoped that I didn’t scare her but I couldn’t help but let her know that she wasn’t alone, that there is a God who cares.

On the drive home we stopped for bubble tea and all the emotions of it being done were indescribable.

So today I went to see my family doctor for my test results. He informed me that I have a 7cm cyst on my ovaries and that I need to go for another ultra sound in two months. If it hasn’t gone down they will possibly need to drain it. So please keep your prayers going for that.

Thank you all for all of your thoughts, prayers and encouraging words. God has really worked through this all and a million thanks would not be enough for your support. My journey is not done and I have a check up with Dr. Mackenzie at the end of August. I think at that point we will schedule my check up MRI for next year. Hopefully the AVM will has began to slowly die off and that it gets smaller. I will have to go for check up appointments annually for the next three years.

BEST PART OF THIS ALL:

I WOKE UP WITH NO HEADACHE AND FEELING NORMAL!!! That is the first time in 5 years for me to ever feel that way!! I don’t expect that to stick around but 1 day of 5 years is good enough for me!

Please pray for:

-         The lady who I shared my room with

-          -For my AVM to heal

-           For me to continue to feel well

-          -For my pin sites from the halo to heal quickly and not to get infected

-For Nikki, the wonderful lady at my church who suffered a terrible back and leg injury after an accident at work (please see my last post)

-          

Mixed Emotions

Hey Everyone,


I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have been busy working and don't want to post unimportant stuff on here.
So basically yesterday was full of mixed emotions for me. My mom told me Dr. Lee's office finally phone, and that has been what I have been waiting for, for a long time. She then told me that I have a consultation and an MRI on July 3rd, and that radiation will need to be done unless that last MRI shows different. If not my radiation is scheduled for July 5th.
So automatically I feel this weird emotion of joy and fear. Joy in the thought that what I have been waiting for has finally come and I finally get to take the last step to my recovery. But fear in the idea of them putting the head frame on and all of the 'what if's' of it all. 
It is so crazy to me that I saw this for all it is before, which is a blessing in disguise. But I can't help but feel angry, angry that God didn't heal me after all I have been through, angry that this couldn't have been the huge miracle I have hoped and prayed for.
Like I said in one of my early blog posts, I'm not going to hide my feelings, I'm not going to pretend that I am a perfect Christian or that everything is all rainbows and butterflies. Things get tough and hard and it is not always easy to trust God has a plan, as many of you probably know.
I AM grateful that the help I need now is close by as I am almost 100% sure it is the only radiation machine in BC, and that I live in Canada so I have insurance, don't get me wrong. I am positive that God has a plan, I just really wish he would fill me in on ALL the details. 
I thank the Lord that I am alive and for this journey so far, but like I have said, this is definitely not easy, even though it just one treatment, and then I am on to recovery. Sounds easy enough right, but for some reason I have yet to feel like this is easy. 


Please continue to pray, and all of your positive thoughts are greatly appreciated. To this day, the scripture I try to cling to is Psalm 73:28 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength and my portion forever"


I ask for prayer for:
-My fears to be calmed and that I will feel peace
-For strength and to know God is in control
-For Nikki Hand (a wonderful lady from my church who is in hospital after a platform fell on her and crushed some of her spine) 


Here is a posting from a family member:

"Dear Friends: At 10:30 am Monday morning a steel platform that Nikki was working under collapsed on her, smashing her L5 vertabrea in her back. She has ALL mobility and is in stable condition. Right now she is waiting for a transfer to Royal Columbian for surgery to stabilize the fracture. We have no idea when she will be transferred. I know that Nikki and her family are very loved by alot of people, but if you could please NOT text\call Nikki, Lance or the girls. They need this time right now together as a family. 

If you feel that you must visit, PLEASE keep it short. 
I will update everyone with any new info as I recieve it. Please don't hesitate to message or call me if you need info my cell            604-703-6580      .
♥ Gayle."

This is going to be short and sweet =) 


I thought that since was one year since I was rushed to the hospital, I should probably post some thing. The  day after my last post a received a job. Better yet, one I DIDN'T EVEN APPLY FOR !!! God is good all the time !! 


But this post goes out to all my blog readers and prayer warriors. 


Thank you for all your support this past year. Your messages, thoughts, prayers and hugs have really kept me going. I appreciate all of you, even the ones I have yet to meet and pray that God blesses you in your journey in life. 


The biggest thanks goes out to my mom and dad and sisters. Thanks so much for being there through it all. The nights that were so tough for you to see, the funny times, and even some strange times. Thank you for sticking by me and always encouraging me.



Love,


Kim 


"Thank God in everything no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God."
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Life right now

Hey Everyone,


Once again it has been a while and I apologize. There is not much to tell you about doctors stuff, still waiting. I recently went to the doctor for kind of a check up for when they thought I had an ovarian cyst burst. My doctor is awesome and has tried to get me in for an ultra sound in 2 months. Some days it gets harder and harder to believe that I will ever get to be completely normal again as selfish as that sounds. I know I have gotten way better than I was and do not have it that bad, I just want to live life how I was before, sports included. Not to mention be confident in myself again. 


I am not writing this to have a pitty party, but it is a lot easier to say how I feel on here then in person. I hope my honesty shows that everything is not roses and sunshine after going through an experience like this, and that I will not choose to hide the difficulties. Yes, God is working in my life for sure through this. Is it always easy ? Definitely not.


It is just now as summer approaches I'm applying for jobs and feel limited as to what I can do. I can't do the typical college girl thing and be a waitress since my arm is too shaky, I can't do any labor such as landscaping because it will up my blood pressure, I can't go back to my job at the waterslides as a poolside attendant, which I loved since helping kids down slides and other physical things are needed to work there. Now I know that there are plenty of other jobs I could do, but I just feel so limited, and it's frustrating. 


My appearance has also been really bothering me. OF COURSE I have awesome support and people constantly reminding me that I look fine and that I am beautiful, but I think we can all agree, we have to feel those things for the effect of people telling us them can fully take place. 


I started the Atkins diet with my mom about a week ago and have lost 6.5 lbs so little victories are definitely helping me to keep going. Plus, not having to do it alone has been such a great help! I have 13.5 lbs to go, and will definitely be keeping my eyes on the prize lol cheesy ! 


Thank you all so much for your continued support and IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE HIRING OR WILLING TO HIRE let me know !! Thank you !! God Bless! 




Prayer Requests:
- Strength for my family and I when things get frustrating with waiting
- Patience
-That God would supply a job opportunity for me
- For others that are going through tough times






For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
- Jeremiah 29:11

Hurry up and wait...

Hey Everyone,
So basically the title of this post says it ALL. Hurry up and wait. Still haven't heard from Dr. Lee's office and mom has phoned every day this week. Every time she phones it says they are close and will be open the following day, but no such luck. FINALLY my mom got a hold of them and they said he has been away and the day that they usually put cases in front of the panel, all of the doctors just met. And now they would be meeting every week instead of every two weeks. So that is good. 
Prayers for patience are DEFINITELY needed, especially now. Thanks everyone for your continued support !


I ask for prayer for:
- Patience during all of the waiting.
- Missionary family who has lost the mother and son in a car accident. (Link is on my mom's Erika Rimschneider)
- That the doctors would have wisdom in their decision about me needing radiation.

Hey Everyone

Hey All,
I am FINALLY in California with my family. The flight was good although it made my head really sore and then I got nauseous pretty bad during the night. Apparently that is typical for AVMer's (or so they call us) and so I am not too worried. So I am definitely blessed that I could cure the pain with prayer and one regular strength Tylenol. 
It is nice to be able to feel pretty normal and get away from all the tests and doctors, although at times it kind of brings anxiety. I have faith that things will all be okay on this trip.
Thank you all for continued prayer! Just wanted to let you all know that all is well !!
  

Test day - Sorry its so late !

Hey Everyone,
So I had my CT Angio, where they give me my IV and then inject dye into me through it. I was so nervous going there but God gave me a peace all of the weeks leading up to it. Usually I lose sleep and have night terrors. But once again God is good, and I haven't a night terror for 2 weeks! You know it's sad when you wake up from a normal bad dream and are grateful and go right back  to sleep. Anyways, the lady who did my scan was AWESOME! The IV went in easily, and I even did it without a freezing patch!! I was quite proud of myself! :) When she did the first scan without the dye, everything was good, then when she put the dye in, it gave a sensation that is really indescribable but I'll do my best. You feel it go into the IV and it feels very very warm, and then you feel it travel through all your veins, from your arm where the IV is and slowly down your body. The CT tech warned me of this and that I was going to experience a 'peeing my pants' sensation...and trust me I did. hahahah. Luckily, it was just the sensation, if you know what I mean.
Anyways, all went well and I will update as soon as I get results. My doctor is on vacation for the past week I think and I leave to meet my parents on Friday morning at 8:30am to meet my parents in California for 11 days. I'm SOOO excited, this is a well deserved vacation for my family, that's for sure!
Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! I thank God continuously for all your support!


I ask for prayer for:
-My results to come back clear and my only explanation is God's healing hand 
-That the flight doesn't make me feel sick or give me a headache
-For people I know that are struggling with colds and other sicknesses 

Please..

Please watch the link I've posted. This weighs heavily on my heart and has for a long time. But now is a time for change !! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

CT ANGIO BOOKED ! YAY!

Hey Everyone,
I am sorry that I didn't post this earlier but my date has been booked for my CT Angio ! March 10th! It;s coming up soon so I ask for prayer on that day. 
In other news I am no longer a teenager!! Oh my goodness! I turned 20 on the 16th of Feb. so that was also exciting ! 
 My night terrors were good for about a week and I was able to go to Van. for a birthday weekend with my three best girl friends, so I thank God for that. Every once and a while I have bad dreams but I'm pretty sure they are just bad dreams and not night terrors. I am able to wake up as soon as I realize it is a dream and that is different from my night terrors. Any improvement is good improvement.
I have also started to do more exercise including walking on my treadmill at home for an hour and I am trying to dedicate myself to doing that every week day. I am so excited because my family decided that we are going to go on our annual California trip! Although no insurance companies will insure me since I have an on going condition. But I honestly think a vacation is well deserved! My family has stuck by my side through all of this and has been a MAJOR support. Even my sister who has a baby drove to the hospital as much as much as she could and as we all know that is a LOT of work. I can't believe May will mark one year of my brain hemorrhage ! My family deserves a wonderful sunny vacation plus soooo sooo much more!
I am excited for a break !
Thanks again for your continued thoughts and prayers! 
Prayer Requests:
-Family going through loss and grieving of a family member
-Complete healing so that when I go for my scan, they won't be able to explain why I am healed ! =) 
-Others going through hardship and struggles
-That I would stay healthy through our vacation  

Hey All !

Hey Everyone,
This post will be short and sweet.
Just a little update on my night terrors. I'm going on night three without having one, although I now wake up at the times I usually get them but I will take that over the night terrors! 
My headaches have been minimal and I have nothing to contribute it to except the amazing healing hands of Jesus Christ! Sounds so cheesy and I never thought I would be a person to write something like that but, you can deny the truth!
GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME! AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD! 
Also, I have been so stressed out about getting my full license since my leg twitches and I was so self conscious about it. I could have gone in May of last year but I kept putting it off, even making appointments and cancelling them. Finally I went yesterday and I passed!!
Lastly, today is the day that me and my amazing boyfriend Linden have been dating for a year. He has stayed by my side and he will even tell you as well as others that it definitely wasn't easy. Especially when I was on the steroid for the swelling and I had every side effect possible including horrible mood swings, right Linden? lol
So today I am thankful for so much and thank you all for your prayers and support!! 

I ask for prayer for:
- Complete healing so when I go for my angio CT they will see I don't need radiation.
- Thanks for my night terrors stopping and that they will continue to stop
-For others I know struggling with illness and hardship

My life lately...

Hey Everyone hope you're all doing well!, 


I wanted to start out this post by saying thank you all very much for your thoughts and continued prayer! It is so so so appreciated and I cant say it enough!! 


I have just recently joined a site for AVM Survivors and it has been an amazing support to hear others journeys and be able to connect with people who understand my exact situation since they have also experienced it or something similar. Lots of members on there are from the states and no longer are being covered by insurance for their procedures so I am so thankful to be blessed by living where I do! 


Lately I have been struggling with night terrors. Now lots of people think night terrors are just bad dreams, when in reality they are much much worse. You can't wake up until they are completely over once they have started. Waking up from them is just how the movies portray them, you sit straight up and breathe heavily, cry, scream or  anything. Mine have been about demons trying to get at me and recent I started to read my favorite Bible verse every night and just sleeping with my Bible by my bed. The demonic night terrors stopped but I still had bad dreams about being chased by someone who wanted to kill me and even to the point where they were taking place in my own house and I was scared to be home alone and go upstairs on my own. I can't explain how scary these dreams are, and it's hard to tell people since it sounds so childish. 


One week from today I was able to be brought before my church for a time of prayer of healing on my body. It was amazing to see how many members of our church family came up to the front to lay hands and to support me in prayer. To all those reading this post, thank you so much! 


As for how I'm feeling? Not that bad lately. My headaches are minimal and my peace about the radiation is getting stronger. I found out a little while later that the metal frame that I get on my head for the radiation may possibly be screwed into my head and that really shook me. Not only do I get needles in my scalp, but I might get this frame screwed INTO my head. My prayer now is just for complete healing so that when I go for my Angio CT scan (yet to be scheduled) they tell me I don't need radiation anymore and that the AVM has healed itself  =) God can do anything! 


Thanks all again for your continued support! 


I ask for prayer for:
- AVM Survivors who I am in touch with who are struggling financially 
- Complete healing for my AVM (ask and you will receive) 
- Peace for everything that is to come
- Friends and family struggling with illness

INFO on AVM

Hey Guys,
So I was searching the internet for AVM support forums to find some people who are going through similar things that I am. One person posted this on their forum post and it explains a lot about what an AVM is and how it is treated etc. I thought I would post it in case some people were wondering what exactly an AVM is.
So here you go!! :
http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/TypesofStroke/HemorrhagicBleeds/What-Is-an-Arteriovenous-Malformation-AVM_UCM_310099_Article.jsp#symptoms

Doctors appointment details

Hey Everyone,
So I definitely failed at the memory thing haha but oh well. So yesterday I had my doctors appointment with my new doctor Dr. Lee. I found out through family friends that he is a Christian and prays with you before he does your radiation if you ask him too so that was very encouraging and comforting. Also, from the time I woke up yesterday I had the song "I stand amazed" (I posted the link below) stuck in my head. Yes, it's an old hymn, but it reminded me how much God loves me and it made me so thankful that He has brought me through all this, and yet, He had to endure pain way worse than what I experienced. 
He started out by Dr. Lee asking what all happened so he could hear it from the direct source. So we told him how it all happened and such so he could know all the side effects that I had from the hemorrhage and then he did a few tests to see what my mobility on my right side was like now. 
Then he started to explain what radiation is and how it all works and then the part that really scared me. It's really not that big of a deal but it's not like I would choose it if it didn't need to be done. But let me start with the small testing stuff he told me before the scary stuff. I have to go get blood tests which I obviously wasn't thrilled about since the needles and no matter how many you get and that I have gotten, you just don't get used to something like that. Then he told me that I will have to get a angio CT scan which involves yet again MORE NEEDLES!! An IV yay!!! NOT! haha. but at least its not the type that I have to be put asleep for and them going through an incision that they make in my leg. This test only requires an IV and they inject the die and do the CT scan. That part in not excited about BUT it will be alright. 
Now onto the scary part, well at least for me it sounds scary. So that they do they radiation correctly since they can only do it once and hopefully make no mistakes, they have to put a metal frame on my head. I will have to wear this for at least 7 hours that day. It weighs 6-7 lbs so any bball girls that are reading this, I'm doing my weight training, just Kim style ;) hahaha. Anyway, for this to be on my head for that long, they have to put freezing cream on my scalp and then USING NEEDLES, even if they arent that big, will inject more freezing under my scalp so that they metal legs that are leaning on my head don't hurt my head too much. 
Yup not to excited about that, but I do know God will be with me. There is no doubt about that.
For the radiation, they take that CT scan to see the shape of the AVM and use the computer on the radiation machine (sorry for my non-medical terms, but I DID have a brain hemorrhage hah) to generate a beam in the exact same shape as my AVM. I thought that was pretty cool!!
Dr. Lee was wonderful and kept us in his office until all of our questions were answered... it ended up being a half an hour long!! After my radiation, I will go back annually for scans to see the progress the radiation is making. 
So that is about it! Any questions do not hesitate to text me or send me a message on facebook! Thanks for the prayer and support!!
I ask for prayer for:
- God to calm my fears and anxiousness about the tests and radiation
- Thankfulness to God for the wonderful doctor he has blessed me with.
-For people I know struggling with ongoing illness

 
The Song: I Stand Amazed = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtqG3EdGiGQ&feature=related