Pseu-Pseu-Pseudo-Tumor.

Hello everyone.

So, I know alot is circulating out there about me and I just want to clarify. So, here is just whats going on...

If you don't know me too well, you didn't know that this past semester in school was the hardest for me. I was taking 24 semester hours, working 2 jobs and babysitting 3 days a week. I was stretched thinnnn. So, of course, all of my health problems I just gave up to stress and sleep deprivation. Looking back, I wish those would have been my only problems.

In April, I began to lose my vision. I was very very dizzy. I had ridiculous headaches. But, of course, I chocked up all up to stress.

Until the day I had my wreck....

Scariest experience of my life.

I wasn't sure if I had blacked out when it happened- I couldn't remember.

This is when my sweet mama began to worry...

Within the next few days, my health went from bad to worse. It was Easter weekend and I couldn't even go to church on Easter. So, Good Monday rolls around, and I am first one in the doctors office. He immediately sent me for an MRI and ran alot of tests on me.

As I look back on that day, I remember seeing the distress in my mama and daddy's faces as I was taken back. It was rough.

MRI=done.

Result=nothing. nada. nado. ziltch.

We were in a state of relief. Maybe the tests will reveal something? Hopefully.

I am sent home with a bag full of medicine and ordered to sleep.

The next few days after this are a blur of things...

Things really were not adding up and were not getting better so, my mother researched and researched until she found some answers.

She made me an appointment to see an Ophthalmologist who referred me to a Neurologist. She wouldn't tell me exactly what was going on, but she knew already what was wrong with me.

I was diagnosed on April 27, 2011 with a neurological disease called Pseudotumor Cerebri. Or, Benign Intercranial Hypertension. To explain, I have an excess of spinal fluid on/around my optic nerve(causing my loss of vision) putting pressure on the nerve and causing me all of these problems. My body thinks I have a brain tumor, but I really don't. Make sense?

To treat this, I am on several medicines to help the fluid to drain.

If the pressure doesn't improve and go down, I will sustain permanent vision loss.

I had an MRI on Monday, I saw an Ophthalmologist on Wednesday, I had a Spinal Tap on Thursday, thought I was dying on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The LP(lumbar puncture) was to confirm the diagnosis and also to relieve some of the pressure. And it was as terrible as it sounds. I really, honestly thought I was dying.

It has been about 2 months since the diagnosis, and my pressure has gone from the worst it can possibly be to better, but still not good. I am now facing surgery to prevent me from losing my vision. We will know at the end of July for sure if I need surgery.

Please, if you are a praying person, please pray for me.

And for those of you already praying for me, thank you, so much.

I have a long road ahead...

caitlynk.

Let's play catch-up!

First off, I would just like to apologize for not blogging religiously like I promised...

I got very, very, life threatening sick. But, Thank the sweet, sweet Lord I am going to be just fine. I had to have a spinal tap, which almost killed me. NO, I'm not being dramatic. It really did.

this is my back, after the spinal tapI don't really want to spill all of everything that happened out, but I will say that I lost my vision, had an MRI, and was on the operating table within 4 days.(oh, and it was the week of the Smithville tornado, very scary). It all happened very fast, and it was very scary. Especially for my sweet Mama. She had the worst time of all.(although, I SURE didn't think so at the time). She sat, and nursed me and did everything for me because I just simply couldn't. I am so very thankful for her. But, Im okay now, working on getting better, and I have a positive outlook on my new life.

I am so thankful and grateful for everyone who prayed for me during this awful time.
I am so thankful to be well.

OKAY! On a lighter note.....

I graduated from ICC! OH, it was glorious! And it just so happened that my Best, Elle-Pea, graduated from Ole Miss that same day... What a dilema! :)

It all worked out, though. I surprised her at hers, and she ended up coming to mine. I'm so glad we got to share that special day!

At Ole Miss graduation!

And this little lady just got a job! I am such a proud friend! She is the new 1st grade teacher at Horn Lake Elementary in Horn Lake, MS. She will be farrrrrrrrr away from me this fall. I'll be in Columbus and she will be up near Memphis. Sad stuff. Soaking in alot of time this summer with her. God has big plans for her. Gosh, I'm just so stinkin' proud for her!

Let's see...

What else has been goin' on?

Well, lots and LOTS of weddings. Sweet, precious weddings. And also, LOTS of engagements! My roomie from my freshman year at ICC, Ashley McGee got engaged! Precious. Her ring is bling blingin'.

Aren't they sweet?So happy for this sweet girl. She deserves all of the happiness in the world.

I gave in a got a feather.... I cannot believe I caved to this trend...

To end my catch up Blog, I am going to share something very sweet to me

My baby sister is IN LOVE with Justin Bieber. Like, IN LOVE, WE ARE GETTING MARRIED, OUR KIDS NAMES ARE CHLOE AND RYAN, IN LOVE. My house revolves around Justin Bieber and everything Justin Bieber. We live, eat, sleep, dream Justin Bieber around here. Get the jist? Okay, so, my precious baby sister wrote Justin Bieber a letter proclaiming her love for him, and she wants him to come on vacation with us, and all of this stuff that I SO wrote to NSYNC when I was her age. She sent the letter to his record company in New York City and insisted that he respond.

WELL. "Justin Bieber" responded. We got the letter today.

I know you can't read it well, but please try! It's worth it! The letter was post-marked New York and everything. And yes, we know who mailed it. ;)
Can't a little girl dream!?!

Love y'all.

Caitlyn

My extravagant adventures.

I have this desire to be completely random and talk about things that aren't relevant to anything. I think I shall.

-I love to blog. I really, really do. I just do not have time and it makes my heart sad.

-I was supposed to receive a scholarship letter Friday. It has yet to come.

-I have this crazy bad obsession with shoes of any sort, especially sandals, and I really need a new pair of sandals. And these made my heart fly away....

-I love my iPhone, don't get me wrong, she's just about had it.... And I need a new phone.... I would LOVE this one...

This is *supposedly* the mock up of the iPhone 5.... Happy Birthday to me? :)

-I have these moments in my life where I get this urge to do something and plan and dream about it. These dreams have consisted of: moving to Hawaii so that I can go to church on the beach, spend a year in Italy just to "find myself", do relief work in a damage-stricken part of the world(Japan), live in New York City for one year, visit Greece- I want to touch the belly-button of the earth. And much, much more. But I won't bore you...

But first, I must finish with school. And make some money to fund these extravagant dreams of mine....

But, I have no doubt that I can't do it. And, one day, I will do it.

I hope you all have a great week.

-caitlyn

Oh, sweet heavens.

If I had a dollar for every time I have said "Oh, sweet heavens!" in the past 3 days, I could buy my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo's! It has been one of THOSE weeks....

Oh, yes.

I have a serious weakness for shoes.

I haven't been in the best of moods and I most defiantly have been a bitter, bitter person. And its sad that I just admitted that. I don't know why I've been bitter, I just have. I think sometimes when life is changing and things are new to me, sometimes I don't know how to respond and I become stressed and in return bitter. Oh, confessions....

On a lighter note, my roommate is currently on a luxurious cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. Without me. And I am so jealous. OOH wee.... Oh well.

I guess I can't finish this blog without saying that I graduate from ICC in one month.

whoo-hooo. Do you feel my excitement? Didn't think so.

Grown-up thinking.

AHHH! Hello friends. :)

After much nagging and need-to, I am FINALLY writing this. And I think it's going to be EPIC. At least, I hope.

Life for me lately has been....cray-cray. (that means crazy.)

I am ATTEMPTING to finish my very last, and lonesome semester at the good ol' ICC. And I am very grateful for this precious time. Looking back at these last 3 years, they truly have been the greatest 3 years of my life. I have met SO many close friends and made connections that I will have forever. I will not miss Fulton. Oh sweet heavens, NO. But, I will miss the sweet things this city has given me. And all of the priceless and warm memories I've made here.

Any who, let's play catch up!

Alot has happened since I have blogged. Please forgive me; homework, work and life have distracted me. I promise to do better. :)

Well, I only have about 6-7 weeks left until I graduate and I am so so SO excited. But also, I am nervous and anxious to start this new chapter in my life. School is winding down and right about.....NOW am regretting taking 24 hours worth of classes and working 2.5 jobs. But, HEY! what can you do?

nothing.

Oh, this is exciting.

My major is Speech Pathology for all of you who do not know that. I had the opportunity to shadow/observe a speech pathologist in Ripley during spring break. (Mrs. Brittany Bevill, some of you may know her. ) And let me just say, I had a fabulous time! I L-O-V-E-D it! I am so so SO excited about my career. She works with the elderly so I was able to experience that. I am really looking forward to observing children too!

Brittany, thank you so much for letting me come!

I have more exciting news, too.

SO, this past week I was invited to interview for a scholarship at The W. (Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, MS)

It was this past Friday so my sweet mama and I went down and spent the day in Columbus. We looked at apartments and such and we are almost set on everything! Just a few final details and we will be official. This is such an exciting time for me but its also a very bitter sweet time for my mama. Her first baby is about to move a good distance away that I will not be about to come home every weekend. And I think she is still coming to terms with all of it.

I love you, Mama Noni!

I won't know about my scholarship for another 2 weeks. nerve-wracking.

Through all of this change and gray area, I have learned alot.

I have learned that life is never how it seems, but always as it will be.

And also, the only constant, unwavering thing in life is change. And Jesus.

Change and Jesus.

You can take that to the bank, folks.

Just one more thing.

This got my attention, and I hope it will get yours too.

This life we are living is not about what we accomplish or what we know. It's all about how you apply what you know and what you have accomplished to further yourself and help others in the journey we are on together.

That may make no sense to you, but it makes sense to me.

I hope you all have a great week!

-caitlyn.

Memories....

Hello friends. :)
Don't hate me, I'm sorry I haven't blogged!

This blog is devoted to memories.

I don't know if I'm the only one that associates certain things with different people. And sometimes when you see this particular thing, the memories come flooding back. Well, I have felt this feeling alot and especially here lately. Just certain things that I see or smell, or touch or read, it reminds me of a memory. Its just crazy to me that something so simple as a color or a smell can make all of these emotions come running back.

Some of them not so welcome....

You know, the ones dealing with this boy you really, really liked and just the smell of where you were when this was all going on. Or colors. Or a really funny story that you told your friends and laughed until you cried. The smell of the air, if it was summer or fall.... I associate the color turquoise with my parents divorce because my bathroom in our old house was turquoise. (I'm telling y'all...I'm weird) OH! And when you have an embarrassing moment and you remember the smell. Gosh, I could go on and on.....

But, it is so awesome to me to think that a simple smell or whatever can take you back to a place where you can remember, and often times enjoy the people or the place in your memories.

Now, these are some simple, short things that jog my memory daily.

(And often times, taunt.) ha ha.

-the color midnight blue

-silver

-Fall

-the beach

-the color black

-chicken spaghetti

-Sonic

-the color red

-chocolate chip cookies

-New Orleans, LA

-the sound of cereal being poured

-hairdryer

-the song "Grillz"

-Spring

-fresh air

Gosh, I have SOOO many, but some I just cannot put on here! ha ha....

TOO embarrassing.

I hope you all read this and it brings back memories to you!

-caitlyn

My Bucket List

I know, I know.

I promised to blog often but this semester is CRAY-ZAY! Whew. I am taking 24 hours of classes and working 3 jobs. Its alot. But I've gotta do it.

I am just taking a quick break from homework to blog. Frankly, I needed this release of emotions because I have so many...ha ha.

My Bucket List

1. learn how to say "hello" in 20 different languages.

2. Write a song.

3. Visit The Taj Mahal

4. Go to Disney World! (I've never been)

5. Get my Masters in Speech Pathology. (This WILL happen)

6. Be in a Broadway show, on Broadway. :)

7. Meet the man God made for me.

8. Have a boy and a girl.

9. Spend a month in Greece.

10. Visit Italy, China, Paris, Moscow, Australia, Alaska, The Bahamas, Ireland, Spain, Israel and Rome with my future husband.

11. Buy a brand spankin' new car.

12. Own a beach house.

13. Be someone people look up to.

14. Be at Times Square on New Years Eve.

15. Celebrate Christmas on the beach.

16. Learn how to Jai-Ho.

17. Be in a acapella group.

18. Dye my hair Blonde.

19. Finish graduate school with a 4.0.

20. Be a VH1 "you outta know" artist.

21. Own SOMETHING Chanel. ha ha...

22. Learn how to manage my crazy curly hair.

23. Be a Great Mother.

Well, this is My Bucket List.

Thank you for reading my "procrastination from doing homework" list.

-caitlyn