Erin Go Braugh!

May the luck of the Irish be with you all today - it certainly is with us!

Yesterday, I had to go to the doctor's for a neurological exam, as requested by the company that we're applying for life insurance through. Since 2001, I had been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demylenating Polyneuropathy and have gone through treatments including IvIG wherein you sit in the chemo ward and have your body infused with an antibody that your own immune system is lacking (it takes about 8 hours per day for two days, is hugely draining and was definitely not a fun experience!) I've had countless EMG's done to test the reaction time in my nerves (they send electric currents through your nerves, not fun!), a Tilt Table test to look into fainting spells and cardiac problems (nothing wrong there other than low blood pressure!) and probably about 30+ vials of blood taken and sent for DNA testing for gene mutation over the course of 3-4 years.

Well...wouldn't you know it! The lovely Dr. Koudra (one of Dr. Jordan's residents) was able to pull up my neurological chart from University Hospital, and found the most recent results from my DNA testing in 2006...CIDP FREE! Read that a few times over. FREE...as in...I don't have it! I could have cried right there on the spot!

I've spent a 1/3 of my life thinking I had this horrible genetic disease...one that could leave me paralyzed and one that I could pass on to my children. I've spent the past 5 years convinced that I would not have children if I had even a 50% chance of passing this onto them. Knowing that I don't have it, and that there is absolutely no way I would pass it onto Bug is just an amazing feeling. I feel like I have my life back!

So this week certainly is a lucky one for us. We went out with C's best friend T and his new lady friend M last night for dinner, and I forced C to take a picture of me and my healthy (healthy! Can you imagine!!) baby bump since I just felt so absolutely amazing!



And this morning all decked out in green. C said that we must do a jig in the picture to celebrate everything Irish today (his mom's family actually came over to Canada from Ireland!) but I just giggled at him...



Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!