Coulditbemythyroid.com

Some of you may be aware of this, some probably less so - the bottom line is that Kristin has hypo-thyroidism (under-active thyroid) caused by Hashimoto's Disease (an autoimmune disorder where anitbodies mistakenly attack the thyroid) - it's actually quite common, especially among child-bearing women, and should be easily managed by taking a synthetic thyroid pill every day, indefinitely.

The short story is that about a year ago our Dentist noticed that Kristin's lower throat seemed slightly swollen - saying we should have her glands looked at. With the baby and the move, we didn't act on it until a couple of weeks ago, after again noticing that the base of her throat had a noticeable bulge. (We have since learned that you can't see a normal thyroid - only an enlarged one becomes visible because nodules, or goiters, begin to grow on it.)

Here is Kristin's report from this morning:
"I just got back from the doctor and found out the results of my thyroid ultrasound and bloodwork - and now I have a label for what's going on in my crazy body! :) I have what's called Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a hypothyroid auto-immune condition where my thyroid has failed and my body is attacking and destroying it). The doctor said he'd actually never seen an antibody count as high as mine (which I told Darin reminds me of the first episode of Star Wars when Qui-gon Jin tells Anakin's mother that he has an incredibly high mito-chlorian count - see, I'm just special :)). My thyroid is very enlarged and has multiple nodules on it (growths - like cysts - which my thyroid has produced in an attempt to secrete the hormone it's supposed to be producing, but essentially producing "duds"), but none of the nodules appear malignant or too large at this point. The bottom line is: my thyroid isn't working and I need to be on medication to simulate what a functioning thyroid does for your body. I will go back for more bloodwork in 7 weeks (to see if the medication dosage is correct and to see what my vitamin D level is - a dysfunctional thyroid/auto-immune condition can lead to more auto-immune conditions, like Celiac disease - where your body attacks gluten, and Lupus - I really don't know what that one is, and osteoporosis - which is why the doctor told me to start taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D - which is necessary for calcium absorption and should be a proactive step against osteoporosis :)).

All of that is to say, it's good news - I'm OK for now - and the medication should help me feel better (increased energy, help with metabolism, etc - it's funny, if you look up symptoms of Hashimoto's, it list things like mania, panic attacks, depression - so anyway, the medication should help with all of my mania, too :) )."

The Doctor was actually quite surprised that she has not had other prominent symptoms - like infertility. Apparently that is a common result of this condition: miscarriages, etc. So we left the office feeling extra thankful for the gift of our amazing four boys!

So, thanks for praying! :) We'll keep you updated if/when We know more!

Faith and Insanity

I highly doubt that any American would have passed the faith-test Abraham did in Genesis 22. We are far too committed to our reason and ideals. And I, for one, would have found a dozen reasons or more why it hadn't been God who had told me to sacrifice my only son. Obviously child sacrifice is something abhorrent to a God of goodness and love, so a directive like that could not have come from my God. We Americans are well trained, through history and philosophy, in evaluating our "unalienable rights." Following Adams, Jefferson and Madison we carefully define our rights and establish our lives on the truths we have declared "self-evident." The North Star that guides us is a commitment to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." God's command to Abraham violated all three of those core commitments, and so I would not have obeyed it.

But Abraham did. And he is repeatedly elevated in Scripture as a man of faith, largely for this life altering moment. The turning point of the story comes when Isaac, only a young boy, looks up at Abraham on the third day of their journey and asks, "Father, I see the wood and the fire for sacrifice, but where is the lamb?" Perhaps Abraham had long rehearsed his answer or maybe the Spirit withheld these prophetic words until this precise moment. Either way, this Father's response conveys the depth of his confidence in the God he had been walking with for decades: "God himself will provide the lamb."

The author of Hebrews further elaborates that Abraham's decision to slaughter his only son, the son of the promise, was based on his belief that God could raise the dead, "and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death" (Heb. 11:19). Abraham was not fundamentally committed to his own happiness or freedom or even the life of his precious child. He did not base his decisions on his ability to reason out clear explanations. He simply listened to God and acted - throwing himself recklessly, completely upon His Father's will.

Ah, to be less Rationally American and more Faithfully Christian.

Adjusting the straps

I had to raise the straps a notch on Micah's car seat this morning. It was getting hard to snap him in, which is not surprising given the fact that he has grown four inches in the last 11 weeks! (He has also gained 6 pounds, to a healthy 14 lbs. 8 oz.)

I remember adjusting straps for the other boys - it feels to me like a marker in the passage of time. As you watch your kids, you don't notice that they are growing so quickly - but then you realize their jeans are stopping well above their shoe line, or their coat is getting short in the arms. It's hard to believe that Seth is 9 and a half, Caleb is about to turn 8 and Joel is already 6. We have adjusted a lot of straps for these guys! Caleb gets to graduate from his booster seat a week from tomorrow...

A big adjustment we have just made involved Seth's schooling. He started the year with five other kids in 4th grade. A couple of weeks in, one of the four boys got sick and dropped out to homeschool (that was, of course, the guy he connected with best). Just before Christmas his other buddy in class shipped out to Germany with his family - Dad is in the Army. That left Seth with just three other kids, and a sizable gap in his pace of learning relative to theirs. So the principal and both of his teachers suggested that we consider moving him up into the 5th grade class - where there are 10 other kids and he would be more challenged academically. We talked and prayed through it and decided it would be the best solution for him this semester. So, starting on Monday, Seth will jump into 5th grade. How is that for a strap adjustment?!?

He has had to work closely with his math teacher this week to make the leap over a year of math concepts - but is making great strides and seems ready to go for it. The other subjects do not build as much concept upon concept, so he shouldn't need additional preparation for them. But we do expect he'll have to work harder to succeed at this new level. When we told him about our decision to move him up, he simply responded, "Cool." Later, after some thought, he agreed that it was the best solution, given the situation. Seth continues to deal with the struggle of having left such good friends in Charlotte and then having his two Louisville buddies leave him. But he is managing everything quite well, and growing into his faith and understanding through it all.

Creation Contrast

Kristin and I are again reading through the Bible this year and so began in Genesis on Saturday (thankful that our reading plan considers the weekend to be one day). Reflecting on the creation account this morning, I was struck anew by the vivid description of paradise - as a lush, tropical garden. "The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food" (Gen. 2:9). And He gave the first couple "every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it" for their nutrition and enjoyment (Gen. 1:29). Theirs diet was full and varied, their home was rich, warm and bountiful, and their lives were filled with discovery, joy and exploration. Imagine waking up each day with new hills and valleys to explore, new flaura and fauna to discover; a fresh experience around every corner - and all with a flawless companion, and with regular contact with the Creator Himself.

This is the vivid depiction of Eden in the Bible.

In stark contrast, we just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It is a tragic portrayal of the trudging survival of a father and son through the barren wasteland of a world without life. Everything is gray and covered with ash. They plod along a southward road, pushing a shopping cart with their meager food and possessions. The very few people they come across are either desperate thieves and murderers or wasted beggars more despairing than themselves. This ashen void is a good picture of Hell - a place without life, without hope. But the real Hell would also remove the one glimmer of light from the near total darkness of the story - the connection with another human being. And that will be the true hell of Hell - the removal of all contact with other souls - an unending ash-covered road across an infinite, barren expanse.

The Bible paints vivid portraits of both Heaven and Hell - raising the compelling, driving question for each of us about where we will be for all of forever. We were not made for Hell, for the permanent absence of relationship, for the severance from life, beauty and exploration. No, we were made to experience every facet of creation - to discover, to enjoy, to taste and see that it is, indeed, "very good." And we were designed to experience these things in eternal relationship with our loved ones and especially with our loving Creator and Savior - who endured Hell so that we would not have to.

(I was moved by Randy Alcorn's book Heaven - an inspiring vision and exhortation to seek out and "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things," [Col. 3:1-2].)

Darin vs. Kristin

Time from surgery to standing:
D:8 weeks; K:5 hours

To walking:
D:3 months; K:24 hours

To helping with the kids:
D:8 weeks; K:1 hour

To mowing the lawn:
D:10 weeks; K:well, she never did that anyway...

To running any distance:
Ha ha ha ha ha

Micah Neal Anderson!

For those of you who were not riveted to your facebook yesterday - here's the scoop:

Micah Neal Anderson was born at 6:47 pm Tuesday (10/27), weighing 8 lbs, 7 oz - 20 inches long. (All of our boys have preferred an evening arrival - Seth a Tues. at 4:46 pm, Caleb a Tues. at 4:56 pm and Joel a Wed. at 5:27 pm.)

We arrived at noon and were processed quickly back into triage - where we waited (the OR was full)... and waited (our doctor wasn't here yet)... and almost went in... but then had to wait some more (I did see the cute twin girls as they came out of the OR, so I guess it was worth waiting)... and waited... and then they took us back around 6 pm. Keep in mind that Kristin wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything since dinner the night before - so all day she was starving (still is, actually - though she enjoyed her grape juice this morning). After that it went quickly and smoothly.

Micah is a sweet baby - he sleeps with his mouth open and makes little murmur noises, almost like he's purring for you. The wonderful nurses here kept him for us last night, so we were able to sleep from about 12:30 until 6 - a pretty impressive first night's sleep! Micah did great, taking 1 oz at 11:30 last night and another at 3:30 am. He's due for another ounce shortly, but is enjoying cuddle time with Mom.

Kristin came through surgery great. The spinal block (and not laboring for 14-24 hours) made the procedure and recovery considerably easier than her previous C-sections (Hallelujah for that big answered prayer!). She was able to get up at midnight last night, not even 5 hours after they closed her up. It was painful, but she did it. She got up again at 6 am, with a little less pain and a little more speed. She is now totally tube free and only in moderate and expected pain. We'll be here at Norton Suburban until Friday or Saturday. Nana and Papa have the other boys (who are excited but a little bummed that they can't see him in person until we come home, thanks to flu season).

(A classic moment for me in this strange modern birthing process - as if updating facebook every 20-30 minutes wasn't strange enough - was getting Paul Bengtson's comment on one of my posts saying, "Darin, put down the video camera, it's time to have a baby." But technically it was an iPhone, not a video camera, so there.)

Thanks for all the encouragement and prayers!

10/27, 2 pm

Micah is scheduled to arrive via C-section at 2 pm on Tuesday, October 27. Please pray especially for Kristin as she cannot have anything to eat or drink after midnight Monday. Her folks will be staying at our house with the boys all week - so that part is well covered. We have everything we need and more to re-enter the baby phase. HUGE thanks to so many of you who graciously shared your baby clothes and stuff. Everyone is very excited - along with a variety of other emotions. We'll update facebook as soon as he is born, and send out an email as soon as we can. Thanks for praying!