Health at Mayo Clinic Update

Hi everyone!

Ok so last I left off we have found out that i had severe anemia, due to an extreme iron deficiency. We had found out that my hemoglobin level was a 6.6, which means I had HALF the amount of blood as a normal person, therefore my heart/brain/body had to work twice as hard to pump the blood through faster to get oxygen through my body.

I have seen 3 cardiologists since I have been here, and all see to be in agreement. I definitely have POTS, which was diagnosed years ago. This just means that when I stand up, my heart inappropriately races. All 3 cardiologists also agree that the severe anemia is causing a tachycardia now, as well as what they call a "flow-mur". This is like a heart murmur but only happens because the body can't move the blood fast enough, therefore it causes it to skip beats.

I saw the kidney specialist who thinks the swelling in my legs is caused by idiopathic edema. This is caused by a capillary leak, and only occurs in young females.

I have also seen a endocrinologist since I have had elevated cortisol levels since the start of 2009. However he thinks that my adrenal glands are just working overtime to battle what my body is going through, and that they are not having independent problems.

I had an endoscopy of the Upper GI done last Friday, and that showed multiple (seriously probably over 30) ulcerations. They are basically just small, superficial ulcers in my stomach. These are thought the be the source from which I was bleeding. They said because they are so small, I was just oozing over a long period of time which I would not have noticed. They took biopsies of the ulcerations as well as throughout my stomach. Yesterday I found out that I have high levels of eosinophils in my stomach and small intestines...eosinophils are white blood cells. I have tentatively been diagnosed with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis. This is perplexing all of the doctors here because the ONLY symptoms that I have of this disorder, is anemia and slight asthma. But having a high level of eosiniphils has been confirmed through blood work as well as biopsy results. But like I said this is a tentative diagnosis, there are a few other options it could be but we have to get the anemia under control before we know for sure (other things are a couple types of leukemia, blood clotting disorders, etc).

So if it is EGE, how are all of these symptoms related to it? The thought is that I developed EGE, which caused the ulcerations. The ulcerations slowly bled, until I developed the Idiopathic Edema, Flow-Mur, tachycardia, and elevated cortisol levels. So first we have treat the anemia before we can take care of the others!

Tomorrow I am heading back to CALIFORNIA!!!!!! I will be returning back to the Mayo Clinic January 4, 2010 to get to the root of the problem, after we get the anemia under control through at home blood work-up. Thank you to everyone for your support, concern and love. Of course I will keep everyone posted on what the final decision is in a few weeks, as well as plans for a future trip back to the Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic!!

Monday was my first appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. I met with my diagnostic doctor, Dr. Windgassen, who was in charge of listening to my MANY complaints, and then deciding what tests needed to be run, who I needed to see, etc. She sent me immediately to get an echo cardiogram and blood work. I was provided with my schedule that she had put together so far, which looks like I will be here at least through Thurs. Nov 17 because she has every day filled with things to do.

When they drew my blood they took 15 vials of blood, which took FOREVER!!!! Less than two hours after that I got a phone call from Dr. Windgassen that I needed to immediately go to the ER for a blood transfusion, because my blood count was 6....and should be a 12! After 13 hours in the hospital, and 3 units of blood later, I was released at a 9. I was told today that I am at a 9.5. They have discovered that my severe anemia is because I am severely iron deficient! I literally have almost 0 iron in my body. So now in addition to all of the tests and specialists I was originally slated to see, we now have to figure out what the cause is.

On Friday I am scheduled to have a GI Endoscopy, which I will be under anesthesia for. Hopefully we can determine from that what is causing my blood count to be so low.

It's truly beautiful here, and such a relaxing place to be. I will be sure to post updates as they come along. Thank you to everyone for your love and support, this is a really difficult time for me and I really appreciate it!

It's Been A Long Time!!!

My year as Miss California International is officially over. It was the best year of my life to date, and I am thankful every day for the people I have met and the difference I was able to make as Miss California International. I only hope that my successor, Gretheel Olvera, has an amazing year like I did!

Fall semester at CSUN started, and I have been overwhelmingly busy with schoolwork. Graduation has been a long time coming (due to changing my major a hundred times lol). So I am really trying to take as many classes as I can each semester so I can graduate ASAP. As quite a few of you know I've been battling some health problems, some my whole life, and some new ones that started in early 2009. The shortness of breath, difficulty with stairs, hard time talking, and massive leg swelling is really starting to take its toll on me....thus a HUGE reason why I haven't blogged in so long!! The symptoms seem to be getting worse and worse, and now I am exhausted 24-7. Not for long I hope, I had some testing done and am expecting results in the next few days....so keep your fingers crossed!!

I hope everyone is having a great fall so far, and I promise to keep everyone updated on what's new in my life! HUGS!!!

Marrow Donor Drive

Just a few months ago I was put in contact with a young woman in Arlington, VA who was interested in holding a marrow donor drive. Her sister, who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia, actually lives here in Southern California! I was so excited at the thought that Heart2Heart could hold it's first marrow donor drive outside of California, that I jumped at the opportunity.

After a LOOOOONG (did I mention delayed?!) flight to the East coast last night, I was ready for Heart2Heart's drive this morning. We had a wonderful turn-out, and Be The Match registry will be receiving quite a few new and willing donors. I had such a fantastic time chatting with Sara and Emily, who helped put the drive together, that the day just flew by. But of course the day didn't end there! Sara and her frieds were so sweet...they volunteered to show me around the DC area....I love being a tourist!

Thank you so much to Sara, her friends and family, and Be The Match registry for making today so successful. After today's drive I am confident that many more chances like this will become available for Heart2Heart...I just know it! :)

My Send Off Party!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This weekend my parents hosted a party in my honor so that my friends, family, and sponsors could wish me luck before I head to Chicago for the Miss International pageant! The party was at River Ridge Golf Club, and was decorated in shades of purple. About 70 people came to share in this wonderful evening with me. There was a really neat slide show presentation on all of the events I have taken part in since winning Miss California International, as well as some surprise certificates of accolades including my hometown mayor, and Congressman Elton Gallegly. I also previewed pieces of my wardrobe for the Miss International pageant since I knew all of my girlfriends would love a fashion show!

I felt so lucky to have won Miss California International...and becoming a part of the California International sisterhood has definitely surpassed my expectations. I've had a wonderful time sharing my year with Sheryl, Elise, and Jayne. Eddie and Dennis have been integral in my year, and have truly become a part of my family. Thank you so much to my parents and sister for throwing me such an amazing bash, and for your continual support, strength, and love. You're the best!

Be The Match Marrowthon

On behalf of Be The Match marrow registry, I am posting this in the hopes that if you are not already on the registry, that you do so in the next two weeks! You can SAVE A LIFE!!!

Every day we are faced with decisions. Some decisions we make are life-changing. Other decisions we make touch someone else's life. I am pleased to offer you an opportunity to make a decision that can do both-change your life and touch some else's life.

Every day, thousands of patients, are searching for a life-saving donor - someone just like you. BE THE MATCH Registry helps people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. The registry connects patients, doctors, donors and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives.

Join Be The Match Registry:

From June 8th through June 22nd, The Be The Match marrowthon seeks to add 46, 000 new members to the registry and raise funds for the Be The Match Foundation. While it does cost $100.00 to add a new member to the registry, during the marrowthon campaign the fee is waived for the first 46, 000 registered.

Joining is easy. Patients need donors who are between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health, and are willing to donate to any patient in need. Click on the link below to begin your registration and remember to add the promo code Hopemarrowthon09.

http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now_Special/Marrowthon09/join_now_mt09.html When asked to provide a "Promo Code", please enter Hopemarrowthon09.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moorpark Morning Rotary

After a lengthy drive home from Palm Springs (due to traffic of course!), I was up early this morning for the Moorpark Morning Rotary meeting. I was invited to be the guest speaker, which I was thrilled to do. The current president and soon-to-be president are dear friends that I've known for quite some time; so I was happy to see them this morning! I really enjoyed talking about Heart2Heart, and the successes we've seen in the past 10 years. And the really cool thing about this meeting was that it was right across the street from where I held my first marrow donor drive so many years ago. It really felt like I'd come full circle! Thanks to Doug and Brian for having me as your honored guest this morning.

Talk of the Desert

After a few months, I finally returned to the city where I was crowned to be a guest on "Talk of the Desert", which is a 30 minute television program hosted by former Mrs. California International Melinda Read. I was so excited to accept this tv interview, and spend time with such a wonderful woman. She told me all about her experiences at the Mrs. International pageant, and that hosting "Talk of the Desert" was a direct result from her being Mrs. California International.

During the 30 program, we discussed Heart2Heart, Go Red For Women, what my year as Miss California International has been like so far, and what my plans for the future are. We actually ran out of time to talk.....it flew by!!!! I want to thank Melinda so much for inviting me as a guest on her talk show, it was truly an honor to have spent my morning with her. For more information you can visit her website: http://talkofthedesert.tv/

Operation USO Care Package

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

All I can say is wow! Today was such a fun event. I was invited to help put together 20,000 care packages to send to our troops overseas. I was joined by many Northrop Grumman volunteers, and celebrities such as Nancy Sinatra, Gary Sinise, and Erik Estrada. Nancy Sinatra kicked off the afternoon event by singing her famous hit, "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" which she dedicated to the troops. We spent hours in assembly lines making sure we hit our goal of 20,000 care packages. Thank you so much to Northrop Grumman and the USO for asking me to help out with Operation USO Care Package. It was truly inspirational to take part in something that can bring a smile to the faces of the men and women who defend our country.

Learn and Live Luncheon

Today was the Learn and Live Luncheon for the American Heart Association. This wonderful lunch was held at the Wilshire Grand, which is a gorgeous hotel downtown Los Angeles. The Learn and Live Luncheon is an opportunity to show potential volunteers and donors what the AHA is all about and the amazing work they do in life saving research and awareness. It's a great chance for anyone who is interested in becoming involved with the AHA to see a mini-presentation on their charitable works! I was asked to attend as a table hostess and heart survivor. I really enjoyed hearing about new developments in research, and seeing so many people who were willing to give of their time. Thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this luncheon!