Leaving Work….

 My work history--

I got a job in my local mall at the Bra Store when I was 16. I worked full time while still in High School and living with my Duste. I worked there until my senior year when I accepted a co-op position in a major company’s office at 18. After High School I enrolled in a local community college for two years. While in Collage I worked full time at my grandmother’s day care. Once I graduated I began my job search for another office job. It took some time but I was able to secure a front office position at a local non-for-profit, where I have worked for 10 years.

The long road--

In these 10 years there have been a lot of ups and downs naturally. Having this job has meant we could take several vacations, were able to shape our house into our dream home, allowed me to be by my loved ones sides when time has come to an end for them and be there for the birth of both my nephews! These reliable paychecks help secure me with a house of my own, gotten me out of debt years early with my student loans, paid off an emergency ac/heating unit and numerous credit cards.

I have worked with people who have help shape me as an adult. Co-workers who have help guide me through a lot of grown up situations allowing me to flourish into the person I am now. Along the way I have met people who have tested my patience, my understanding and my character but through it all I have learned and grown.

As I near the end of this journey I can look back with admiration for all this position has taught me!

New Phase--

Now on to a new stage in my life, in our life…becoming a mother and getting the opportunity to stay at home with our child! 

Preparing for baby….

It is HAPPENING!!

We are trying for our one and only in 2015!

With the assistance of Dr. Donahue from Family Beginnings in Greenwood Indiana and a donor from California Cyrobank we are going to start our journey in January!

I am tracking my ovulation and having blood work done next week. With fingers crossed everything comes back ok and no fertility drugs are needed.

This is really about to happen!! We are so excited we are talking baby names!

My two week countdown started this week at my job—after 10yrs of working for this company. I am feeling less worried and more excited! I have everything secured in our budget and we are ready to live on just one income.

The last stage of home improvements is under way and things are moving right along!

Exciting changes for the Eggers’! 

My 3rd Marriage

With all the changes and legal issues we have had to get married 3 times. The first time was in October. The date we picked and the day we had the ceremony witnessed by our family and friends. The second time was in June when Indiana had a brief moment of clarity. This will be the third and hopefully finally time. The reason we have to do it yet again is because the marriage license we received in June has male/female and because of that it is invalid. Yeah, I thought it was just a technicality to get our money yet again but we will do it, what other choice do we have?

At the start of next year I will be on my wife’s insurance, like a real life married couple! That may sound silly to most but I am super excited about it! I am sad I will no longer have my “Obama Care” Insurance as it is AWESOME but with the new laws in place I have to. (Have I mentioned I am super excited to?)

However, it seems my new insurance is pretty good as well!

Woohoo!! Excited to be a real married couple who have the same insurance and file taxes together!

Oh—it’s the little things! 

I believe....

I believe we are all here to learn our own lessons. I believe in life after death, in reincarnation and the chance to be reunited with our loved ones from this life on the other side. I believe in a heaven for everyone, a place of learning and higher understanding. I believe our God is good and not spiteful.

I do not believe in hell. There is no place for “bad” people. If someone goes astray from their life lesson I believe they are placed on a hold of sorts to learn study and become ready for their next journey down.

These are the things I believe in.

No way Jesus!

A co-worker’s father passed away and I attended the Life Celebration to show the companies support. I have to say a Life Celebration is way better than funerals. It was in a new church, the newest type of church. It is a huge building that could easily have been a school. There was a café inside—a café! As I sat on the ultra comfortable seat listening to a preacher read and talk about passages in the bible, trying his best to make it relevant to his audience, I actually listened.

I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church with the preacher stomping, jumping yelling, screaming all about fire and brimstone. I tuned it out. On occasion I would hear a few words and decided it wasn't worth trying to understand.

However, this time I was in front of a calm preacher, which made it easier to hear, and I listened for the first time. Before this I thought I knew the basics of Christianity but I left more confused than ever. I came home to my wife, who went to “Church” school and always listened in church and in school. She got out one of the many bibles we have managed to collect from family members and did her best to answer all my questions.  

Since this is my blog—prepare yourself—I’m going to say Christianity is ridiculous.

Come on, if any of that stuff about Jesus happened now days we would write him off as bat shit crazy—unless he really could raise people from the dead, then he would be amazing! That is where a lot of my questions started—bringing people back from the dead? Like zombies or people with brain damage, maybe they were just in a coma or were they in on it? What quality of life did these people have once they were “raised from the dead”? And let’s face it—Mary’s story is a bit far fetched. As Jesus grew up did his mother repeat this ridiculous story to him and that’s where he got his knowledge of it? Without this story from Mary would he have grown up as a “normal” boy? If truly connected to god one could argue this would have been a test, if he would have come to this conclusion on his own, and then there is the fact mental illness is hereditary.

So here I am—31 and still don’t know what religion I am. I know what I believe and what I believe is more than any book or person can tell me. What I believe is what I feel, it is what I know. It’s not hear say, it’s not someone else’s memories. It just is. I may not have a title or label for it but that doesn't mean it’s any less true, it’s any less real. 

Desmoid Tumor FREE

MRI is CLEAR

For the first time in 6 years I have clear scans two years after a surgery! My next MRI will be in a year or after the birth of my first child. (No, I’m not pregnant yet!)

 It is an amazing feeling to be tumor free! There were times I didn't think I would ever get to this point. I had my doubts, I watched for signs of impending doom that weren't there, questioned every ache and pain but at last the scan is clear!

Dare I think this is over, they got it all and it won’t be back?

2008 is when my journey of tumor removal surgery started and that journey has ended now in 2014!

Throughout this journey I have gotten healthier and more conscious of what I expose my body to. I have got more physically active and I am taking charge of my well being. Not having an answer to what causes such a traumatic event opens your eyes to lots of possibilities forcing you to either give up or take charge.

I was fortunate in that all 3 of my desmoids tumors were removable surgically. I would never want to let this foreigner live inside of me, grabbing everything it can, taking over my body slowly. I never want to know the world of chemo and/or radiation. Once found I was eager to get all 3 out!

I put my body, myself and my family through a lot but hopefully it is paying off now.

Since they do not know what causes these tumors, although there are lots of speculation, the journey we are about to embark on is with unknown risk.

Getting pregnant may or may not cause my body to develop another tumor, but not getting pregnant can also result in another tumor. I have said it many times—I will not let this tumor decide my fate, the life I will have or what I cannot have.  

Happiness is something you decide, regardless of your life circumstance.

 

Change of Doctors

The doctor I have been seeing left the office I have been visiting. She has taken a job with a different office closer to her home. However, I am left where I am with a new doctor because they offer a Sliding Fee for the short time I will be without Insurance. The new doctor is young and treats me like I am crazy. She would not listen to anything I had to say about my concerns of Hormonal Imbalance. Instead she kept repeating that only woman going through menopause have this problem and clearly I was too young for that. When I explained why I thought this she kept interrupting me with the above statement. After several back and forth’s she agreed to test me.

Today I get a call about my test results—my thyroid test results. It seems the doctor only requested a thyroid test. Good news, I am right in the middle of normal. But she decided not to test for hormonal imbalance.

For some reason I do not think it is going to work out with me and this new doctor.

I did visit my local health food store and found an awesome supplement for Immune Support. It is Irwin Naturals Immuno-Shield. I take it twice a day, after breakfast and lunch, for my up-keep with the ability to go up to 6 a day when I get sick. I have been on it a week tomorrow and so far I feel great!

Despite the setback and unwilling to comply with my request I know any issues with Hormonal Imbalance I may or may not have will be discovered in October when I go to see a specialist. Until then, I will continue with what I am doing! 

Chronic Illnesses

Chronic active EBV infection

After having several “Mono” infections in High School (2000 and 2002) I found the excessive fatigue still lingering years later. I was diagnosed with “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2004. In 2011 my thyroid was checked after a long episode of fatigue accompanied by hair loss. It took about a year to get my thyroid levels where they needed to be but the chronic fatigue would still strike intermediately, combined with joint pain in my toes, wrist and elbows. It wasn’t until I was seen by a new family physician in 2013 I heard the words Chronic EBV.  

The “Mono” bug in my body lays dormant becoming active when I’m sick, stressed or sometimes without any trigger. My symptoms include:

§  Allergies (Heightened, or previously nonexistent)

§  Anxiety (Mild to Severe)

§  “Brain Fog” (Feels as though thoughts are dulled)

§  Brain “Surges” (Similar to a headache, feels like a “shock”)

§  Burning or Tingling Extremities (Mild to Severe)

§  Cold Sweats

§  Decreased Alertness

§  Decreased Libido

§  Decreased or Low Stress Tolerance

§  Depression (sometimes cognitive, controlled)

§  Difficulty Reasoning (Mathematics, decision making, etc.)

§  Excessive Worry

§  Fatigue (Usually very severe)

§  Fever (Usually mild, fluctuates from low to high)

§  Headaches (Mild to Severe)

§  Hostility (Usually very mild, only in thought, not action)

§  Hypersomnia

§  Increased Nasal Buildup

§  Insomnia

§  Irritability

§  Mood Swings (Mild to Severe)

§  Night Sweats

§  Sensitivity to Light (Especially bright light)

§  Sinus Problems (nonexistent or unusually heightened)

§  Sore Joints (Mild to Severe, normally short duration)

§  Sore Muscles (Mild to Severe, sometimes restricting movement)

§  Sore Throat (Normally mild, may be severe, can last for days)

Now let’s compare those symptoms to Low Functioning Thyroid:

✦ Pimples and blackheads
✦ Cracked heels
✦ Brittle nails
✦ Dull hair
✦ Hair loss
✦ Sensitivity to cold
✦ Bloating
✦ Excessive weight gain
✦ Getting tired easily
✦ Anemia
✦ Extreme fatigue
✦ Muscle aches and muscle cramps
✦ Muscle stiffness
✦ Inability to carry out the day's tasks energetically
✦ An overall sense of weakness
✦ Feel exhausted very soon
✦ Feel like taking frequent naps
✦ Feel exhausted even after sleeping for long hours.
✦ Lack of sex drive
✦ Insomnia
✦ Concentration problems
✦ Mood swings
✦ Irritability
✦ easily depressed
✦ Memory loss/foggy memory
✦ Anxiety

I was also diagnosed with Anxiety/ Depression.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms:

·         Constant worrying or obsession about small or large concerns

·         Restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge

·         Fatigue

·         Difficulty concentrating or your mind "going blank"

·         Irritability

·         Muscle tension or muscle aches

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Sweating, nausea or diarrhea

Depression Symptoms:

·         Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

·         Fatigue and decreased energy

·         Feelings of pessimism

·         Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

·         Irritability, restlessness

·         Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

·         Overeating

·         Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

·         Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

Highlighted are the common symptoms between them all. Lovely isn’t it. I never really know where my symptoms are coming from when I have a flare up. I typically start with the thyroid check (if it last long enough and isn’t accompanied by joint pain) with joint pain is typically my CEBV and that typically signals I am getting sick. When I have no desire to or find it hard to get back in the habit of exercising it is typically my depression—which can also be triggered by my lack of energy caused by one of the other ailments. Typically my depression alone is evident by my attitude changes, mostly work triggers this. It is a crazy mess.

Treatments:

I am on Synthroid for my Thyroid and a medication for my Anxiety/Depression.  I take supplements for my weaken immune system and energy levels. I plan on researching and pursuing more support for my Weaken Immune System—which is what I think started this ball of symptoms rolling.

I also exercise in 30-45 minute intervals as this is the optimal length of time it takes for the brain to release Dopamine and Serotonin every day.

To see it all listed here is a little overwhelming to me. I knew a lot of conditions had similar symptoms but never this many.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering for one or all of these please seek professional help first. After you get the symptoms under control then you can start pursuing more natural remedies. I realize that may sound silly to a lot of people but when you are experiencing these symptoms; often it has already been for a long period of time, what you need more than anything at that moment is to “stop” the symptoms to be able to think more clearly.

Undiagnosed Condition:

I am thinking I also have a Hormonal Imbalance. Several things lead me to this conclusion but the main one is the Acne Breakouts I have during my period.

Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Allergy
Acne
Anxiety
Bloating
Depression
Dizziness
Fatigue
Growth of facial hair
Headaches
Hair loss
Irritability
Mood swings
Night sweats
PMS
Reduced sex drive
Urinary tract infections
Weight gain/weight loss
Yeast infection

This truly is ridiculous how many common symptoms there are. 

Hoosiers Unite For Marriage

In the past several months I have been asked to share our love story. Below is a copy of the email from one such inquiry with explanation of how our story will be used. 

Hi Talisa!!

Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story with our campaign. Highlighting personal stories is how we change hearts and minds and explain why marriage matters to all loving and committed couples.

Attached is the story we are hoping to add to our website. We are trying to move fast so please let us know if you approve it as soon as you can.

Thanks!!!

Kyle Megrath

Marriage Coordinator

Hoosiers Unite for Marriage

Our story will be shared on their website: 

www.hoosiersunite.org 

Below is the summary of our story that can be found there:

Hearing the exciting news that Indiana had struck down their marriage ban on June 25, 2014 was more than enough to make Talisa and Duste Eggers leave work early and rush to the county clerk’s office.

Though the couple was already committed to one another, legally filing for a marriage license in Indiana—the state they love—felt like a dream come true.

“We had already had a commitment ceremony last October, and it was a beautiful day,” Talisa said. “We were surrounded by supportive friends and family. It would have been perfect if our marriage had been legal that day, but Indiana still treats us as legal strangers.”

On that day in June, Talisa and Duste happily said their vows to one another again­–this time legally.

“Standing next to Talisa again and telling her that I promise to love and cherish her forever was amazing. I was just in shock that Indiana had stood on the right side of history and was finally going to respect our love for one another,” Duste explained. “If only it would have lasted.”

Mere days later, Governor Mike Pence announced that the state of Indiana would not respect the legal marriages of same-sex couples who wed during the three days of marriage equality. Talisa and Duste were heartbroken, again.

“We share a home and a bank account, but we can’t file taxes jointly because the state does not respect our marriage. I wanted to legally change my last name to reflect Duste’s, and I had to file documents with the court, run ads in the local paper explaining why I wanted to do so, and have a judge approve my name change,” Talisa said. “After over 10 years together, treating us as though we are strangers is upsetting and degrading. We got married–twice–and it is time for Indiana to respect that.”

To Duste and Talisa, Indiana’s refusal to respect their marriage stings the most when they consider their dreams of starting a family.

“Because our marriage isn’t recognized, whoever does not carry our child would have to adopt them. This process is long, difficult and expensive when you are not considered married,” Duste explained. “We just want to bring a child into the world knowing that we have everything that we can to protect them. And if Indiana doesn’t respect our marriage, we can’t do that.”

Talisa and Duste are determined to build a family and live happily in Indiana, but not having the freedom to marry is a constant struggle for the couple.

"It makes things harder, having to constantly wonder ‘what if’ in so many scenarios that legally married couples never have to worry about,” said Talisa. "But we will not put our dreams of having a family and raise our kids in Indiana on hold while the state decides to continue to discriminate against same sex couples. The time for the freedom to marry for all Hoosiers is now.”

Tell Governor Pence that Talisa and Duste’s marriage matters: Sign our petition urging the Governor to recognize Indiana’s legally married same-sex couples.